You may think you are reading a duplicate restaurant review from a few months ago, but wait! Don’t go! Amazingly enough there are actually two Lui Lui Restaurants in the Mid-Ohio Valley that share a unique story, yet take you on a different culinary journey depending on which venue you visit.

My last review was of Lui Lui Restaurant in Vienna, W.Va. In this article I take a look at Lui Lui Restaurant in Athens, Ohio, a charming dining spot located at 8 Station St.

This restaurant first opened in 1994 by Chef Lui and Grace, owners of the Lui Lui Restaurant in Vienna. When I spoke to Grace she told that over the years they grew tired of driving between the two restaurants and in 1998 they decided to sell the Athens restaurant, but asked the new owners to keep the name. Since then the Athens Lui Lui has had three owners, with the current owner taking over in 2013. Grace and Chef Lui now have a wonderful relationship with the current owners and work closely with and mentor them now.

Lui Lui Athens is a favorite of ours to go to when in Athens, either as a refreshing treat after hitting up the Athens Farmers Market and a hike on Saturday morning for lunch or for dinner and a movie on the weekend. The influence is Eastern and Western, with lots of elevated Asian fusion dishes on the menu among other choices. You’ll find dishes options that range from salads to vegetarian, and seafood to beef and lamb, as well as gluten free on the menu. The lunch portions are reasonable and range from about $7-12, with dinner entrees averaging $12-$19.

My favorite menu item is the wild caught crab cakes with panko breading served with a chili aioli dipping sauce, seasonal vegetables and jasmine rice. I’m usually not one for spicy food and I think the chili aioli has a little kick to it, which I love with the crisp breaded crab cake. It’s a perfect balance of flavor. Dan’s go to is General Tso’s Chicken: 13 pieces of dark meat, fried to a golden crisp and tossed in the sweet and slightly spicy General Tso’s sauce with green peppers and onions and jasmine rice. If we lived closer to Lui Lui’s I have no doubt that Dan would eat this dish everyday if he could.

If you are a sushi lover, you’re in luck! Every Tuesday evening starting at 4:30 p.m. Lui Lui Athens offers fresh, made to order sushi. The list is extensive, so whether you are looking to try sushi for the first time or looking for somewhere local to get your sushi fix, this might be your new go-to place.

Be sure to try the specialty brick over pizzas, available seasonally September through May. With unique options like Bacon Mango (local bacon, mango, red onion, scallions, tomato sauce, mozzarella) and Thai Chicken Pizza (chicken, broccoli, carrot, onions, mozzarella, Thai peanut sauce, crushed peanuts) to the traditional Margherita Pizza (Roma tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil) you can’t go wrong.

Lui Lui Restaurant is open Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m., Friday to Saturday from 11:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. and Sunday from 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. The restaurant is located at 8 Station St., Athens, OH.

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The Women of Appalachia Project brings together women, from throughout Appalachian Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky, that have various fine art and spoken word backgrounds, to take on the Appalachian stereotypes, and present a different side of the region in which these women reside.

Earlier in January, I was able to sit down with the founder of the Women of Appalachia Project, Kari Gunter-Seymour, and several of the artists and volunteers, as they were hanging their latest exhibit, to discuss their involvement with the Women of Appalachia Project.

Historically, the Appalachian Region includes all of West Virginia and parts of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. According to the Appalachian Regional Commission the Appalachian Region covers 420 counties, almost 205,000 square miles and is home to more than 25 million people.

Founder and creator Kari Gunter-Seymour first started envisioning the Women of Appalachia Project back in 2004, which took several years of planning until it would come to fruition.

“There was some really beautiful art coming out of this area, both male and female,” Gunter-Seymour said. “A friend once told me that ‘It was a lot easier to make a job, than it was to find a job’, and I thought it would be easier to make a show and make a performance than it would be to actually find a performance that several of us could be in. That was the thought, how can I help myself, and several of us that are just like me, who are looking for a warm environment, that the artwork can be of diverse genres, and that would welcome emerging artists as well as established artists.”

The first year the Women of Appalachia Project started with nine artists total, five visual artists and four spoken word artists, all from Athens County. The following year the call for artists opened up to women from surrounding counties. This year marks the seventh year of the project and includes visual and spoken artists from Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky.

“I’m very excited and I feel like in this seven years’ time there has been amazing growth,” Gunter-Seymour said. “I can’t take all of the credit for this, I have to speak to the artists who take this leap of faith with me, and to the multitude of volunteers who step up to help with whatever I ask. I think that there is this energy that comes along with this project that makes people feel really good, number one, being an artist, and number two, being a volunteer, doing something really valuable for this area of Appalachia.”

One of the new artists this year is Barbara Fisher, from Athens, Ohio, who is a multimedium artist who  uses various forms on canvas, such as acrylic, paper, pencil, ink, watercolor and found objects. Fisher wanted to become involved in the project because she felt that she had a story to tell, and a region to represent.

“West Virginia is the only state in Appalachia that is completely confined to the Appalachian Region, all of the other states are only partially in Appalachia,” Fisher said. “So I was steeped in the culture of Appalachia completely. I feel very strongly that the women of Appalachia have been a backbone of their own communities. They have been very strong, and have a vision that relates not only to our lives, but to the region in general.”

Fisher has two artworks on display in the current Women of Appalachia Project exhibition that is on display in the Multicultural Gallery at Ohio University, which runs until April 30. As a mother and a part-time filmmaker, she has felt the struggle of Appalachian women being recognized for their artistic talents and abilities.

“Female artists traditionally have had a lot of trouble getting exposure, have had a lot of problem even getting recognized as artists,” Fisher said. “I think it’s really important that the women in the 20^th century are starting to get exposure, and people are going ‘Oh you’re an artist?’ not ‘Oh isn’t that cute? That’s a craft. Isn’t that nice?’ I think it’s important that we all work together and support each other.”

Founder of the project Gunter-Seymour shares a similar viewpoint. She wanted to create a group of creative, supportive women that would be able to grow and help one another.

“We all make friends, we share each others’ triumphs,” Gunter-Seymour said. “We share details about exhibitions and possibilities of exhibition submissions that others can submit to. When one of us prospers, we all prosper.”

The latest Women of Appalachia Project exhibition takes place at the Ohio University Multicultural Gallery (Baker University Center, 2^nd floor) and features a mix of paintings, quilts, prints, sculpture, pottery and other artwork. The exhibition runs now until April 20, 2016.

The exhibition will have a special Opening Reception on Friday, February 12 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. that will feature spoken word poetry performances by Women of Appalachia Project artists. During the Opening Reception the first Women of Appalachia Appalachian Advocacy Award will be presented to a local woman, not a fine or spoken artist, who has been nominated for her work in her Appalachian community.

If You Go:

Women of Appalachia Project Art Exhibit

January 12 – April 30, 2016

Multicultural Gallery

Ohio University, Baker University Center, 2^nd floor

Athens, Ohio

Exhibition Opening Reception

Friday, February 12, 2016

5 p.m. – 8 p.m.

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In the Mid-Ohio Valley we have several options for food pantries and food banks, all available for individuals and families to utilize when they need it. This month a new location is available to Athens County residents, the Lutheran Social Services Mobile Food Pantry.

The first LSS Mobile Food Pantry took place on Thursday, January 14 and will continue to be operated the second Thursday of every month from 12 p.m. until 2 p.m. at The Plains United Methodist Church, located at 3 N. Plains Rd., The Plains, Ohio. Clients have access to all of the normal food choices based on the USDA food groups, including fresh produce, and they are able to “shop” from a small selection of items, choosing what brand or flavor they want in the quantities allowed.

“We think the choice model is very important for several reasons: one, it’s more respect and dignity for the person being served because it’s more like a shopping experience; two, you’re able to select food that you know how to prepare, and that you know your family enjoys and that you’re definitely going to use; and third, we base the number of choices that people get in each category on the USDA food dietary guidelines, so we know when folks leave it’s a balanced set of nutrition,” said Brad Draper, Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio corporate director of food pantry services. “What we have on the shelves will actually change every month that we come down based on what we get available, so that adds some variety into people’s diets.

LSS comes prepared to distribute food to 150 families and asks that clients pre-register for the Mobile Food Pantry ahead of time by calling their hotline (see section below on how to register). Individuals and families are able to select from a variety of food including cereal, pasta, fruits, vegetables, protein and, on this special occasion, each family went home with a whole frozen roasting hen, which remained from LSS’ Thanksgiving event.

For the first Mobile Food Pantry, the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Community Health Programs community clinic van was on-site to offer free health screenings. The screenings offered for clients will test for lipid panels (cholesterol with fasting or non-fasting options), blood sugar and blood pressure. Patients are offered a comfortable exam room, which looks like an actual physician’s office and is surprisingly roomy, and education components if their screening numbers are out of range.

“Patient results are immediate, it takes about six minutes for the longest exam,” said Stacy Wright, registered nurse and Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine community health coordinator. “Clients get a copy of their results, so they can take them back to their physician and share those results.”

The Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Community Health Programs schedule is still being finalized, but they hope to offer this service as often as possible at the monthly Athens LSS Mobile Food Pantry.

There were about 20 volunteers helping out at the first Mobile Food Pantry, and I spoke to Natalie Bellamy, from the local branch of People’s Bank in The Plains, about her volunteer experience.

“I didn’t really know what to expect, but after getting here today, this is awesome,” Bellamy said. “You can just tell that they just feel like they are shopping, just like they would in a grocery store. Because we’re not actually handing them anything, all we do is tell them how many they can get, and then they get to pick it out and put it in their cart and take it to their car, or wherever they are going. I think usually sometimes the food is handed to them, or already packaged, or it’s already put in a bag, and they might not want everything they get, but this way, they get to pick out exactly what they want and you know they will actually use it.”

The first Athens LSS Mobile Food Pantry served over 87 families, and expects that number to continue to grow as the word spreads.

According to Jennifer Hamilton, the director of communications at the Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio, 49.4 percent of people in Athens County live at 200 percent or below the federal poverty level, which means they qualify for food pantry assistance. This statistic is tied for the highest in the state of Ohio. In this county, 20.5 percent of the population of Athens County is food insecure, which means 13,310 people, of which 2,880 are children, lack reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.

“The Ohio counties with the highest poverty levels are all in the southern or southeastern area of the state,” Hamilton said. “Hunger is real in these areas, as it is in many areas, and the LSS Food Pantries are committed to getting nutritious food into the hands of as many hungry people as possible. Our goal is not only to feed people, but to provide fresh produce that can help our many clients who suffer from serious, chronic health conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes, the effects of which could be greatly improved by a healthy diet.”

The monthly LSS Mobile Food Pantry is a free service provided to Athens County residents, including Ohio University students, who qualify. To be eligible, individuals and families must reside in Athens County and have income below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Anyone requesting food pantry services must call toll-free at 1-877-704-3663 to register for each distribution beginning one week prior. The phone lines are open from 8 a.m. to p.m. on Monday through Friday.

The next Athens LSS Mobile Food Pantry will be held on Thursday, February 11, 2016.

How can you help?

We know that those of you in the Mid-Ohio Valley have huge hearts, so for those wanting to know what you can do to become involved, here are a few options.

For anyone would would like to volunteer please reach out to Mark McPherson, mobile pantry manager, at 740-503-6787 or mmcpherson@lssco.org. Food donations are accepted and can be dropped off at the site during the distribution (see date, time, and location above). Financial donations are always welcome and allow LSS Food Pantries to maximize the amount of food they are able to distribute. According to the organization, LSS Food Pantries can provide two meals for every $1 donated. To donate, please visit their website at lssfoodpantries.org.

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In the past few years I’ve joined a family tradition of celebrating Dan’s birthday with his mother at Lui Lui Restaurant. We enjoy celebrating together and the menu always offers a nice selection for the ocean and meat lovers in our group.

I would categorize Lui Lui as an Asian fusion restaurant, with traditional entrée options that have a bit of a creative Asian twist added by Chef Lui. The restaurant also offers an extensive wine list, hand-chosen by Grace Lui, to pair with the menu offerings. The price for Lui Lui in Vienna is in the mid-range category, with entrées in the $25-$35 range.

Interestingly enough, there is also a Lui Lui in Athens, Ohio which was previously owned by Chef Lui and Grace. While they now have a very good relationship with the new owners make sure you don’t confuse the two restaurants when you call the Vienna location to make a dining reservation. Be sure to check out my upcoming review on the Athens restaurant in a few months.

Our group had a round of appetizers that included a Kobe beef meatball and a chicken spring roll. Since I’m a pescatarian, I passed on my appetizers to the rest of my group, and the overall consensus was that they both enjoyed these options. They reported that the meatball was moist and the sauce had good flavor, although they couldn’t tell the difference between the Kobe beef and the regular beef in the preparation. The chicken spring roll had a nice crisp texture on the outside and a good mix of vegetables and chicken on the inside.

For entrées I had the sautéed diver scallops with a saffron white wine sauce, Dan ordered a 16 oz. bone in ribeye special, and his mother ordered the Lui’s stir-fry shrimp, chicken, beef medallions and vegetables with honey soy sauce.

My scallops were large and cooked perfectly, and the saffron white wine sauce added a nice amount of flavor to them without overshadowing the natural scallop flavor. Dan enjoys his steak medium rare with salt, pepper and white/jasmine rice (no vegetable sides). He was pleased with the thickness of his ribeye, the cook and seasoning of the meat. Dan’s mother had the best of both worlds in her dish, shrimp, chicken and beef. She said she enjoyed the variety in her dish, and everything was cooked well on her plate.

As a special surprise at the end of our meal, Chef Lui and Grace brought out a chocolate whipped mousse in a waffle bowl with granny smith apples for Dan’s birthday. It was such a thoughtful treat and the mousse was a perfect dessert, light and airy without being a heavy end to the meal.

So for your next special occasion or fancy date night, I would highly recommend you give Lui Lui Restaurant in Vienna a try.

Lui Lui is open in the evenings from 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. and closed on Sunday. The restaurant is located at 1515 Grand Central Ave. in Vienna, WV.

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Jackie O’s is a local brewpub in Athens, Ohio that prides itself on sustainably crafted beer and food with a purpose. The staff is always friendly, the food is crafted with locally sourced ingredients when possible and they offer a mix of traditional beer and options with an interesting and creative twist.

On December 4 and 5, 2015 Jackie O’s celebrated it’s 10^–year anniversary in this supportive community. Jackie O’s is made up of several different divisions: the BrewPub/Public House, the Brewery/Taproom, the Barrel Ridge Farm, and the Bakeshop.

BrewPub/Public House

The BrewPub is a favorite hangout of locals, Ohio University students, faculty and staff. Here you can cozy up to the bar for a drink with your friends and co-workers or get there early to grab a space before a live band or other performance, which are always popular events. Last November marked the one-year anniversary of a fire that heavily damaged the BrewPub/Public House and several other businesses on Union Street. Luckily, no one was injured in the fire and the new kitchen has recently reopened from the fire damage.

The beer list is updated often on their website with a list that is sure to delight any craft beer lover. Current seasonal recommendations are Jackie O’s Zestivus (brewed with experimental Lemondrop hops), Jackie O’s Kinda Fuzzy (Peach and Apricot Wheat Ale) and Jackie O’s CSAison (saison brewed with local herbs and spices sourced primarily from Jackie O’s Barrel Ridge Farm).

Brewery/Taproom

While Jackie O’s has been brewing in Athens since 2005 the next big step came in March of 2013 when the brewery started production at their new facility at 25 Campbell St. At this new facility, beers were packaged into kegs for the brewpub and two months later the two signature Jackie O’s beers, Firefly Amber and Chomolungma, were canned for commercial distribution. Later that year they partnered with Cavalier distributing in August 2013 and canned Mystic Mama, then Hop Ryot in early 2014, and Razz Wheat in February 2015.

If all this talk of specialty beers is making you thirsty, get ready to put on your coat for happy hour. The Brewery and Taproom is open to the public and is outfitted with 16 taps so you can enjoy fresh beer straight from the place where it is created and aged. The Brewery and Taproom is open Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Saturday from Noon to 9 p.m. There is also a special Taproom food cart that offers a locally-sourced menu, Monday through Friday from 4 -9 p.m. and Saturday from Noon-9 p.m.

Farm

Barrel Ridge Farm is a 20+ acre produce farm in Lodi Township where Jackie O’s has been growing their own produce since 2010. The farm includes four greenhouses, garden patches for vegetables, herbs, and flowers that help to supplement Jackie O’s in-house menu and production brews. If you are interested in the produce from the Jackie O’s farm and their produce, keep an eye out for them at the Athens Farmers Market every Saturday from 9 a.m. – Noon.

Bakeshop

Who doesn’t like a good slice of pizza with their beer? Well, good news! Jackie O’s has taken sustainability to a new level by using spent grain in their pizzas, which they have since expanded to their other bread products. In the beer making process spent grain is the leftover malt and adjuncts after the mash has extracted most of the sugars, proteins, and nutrients. Spent grain can make up as much as 85% of a brewery’s total by-product, leading many sustainable conscious breweries to look for other uses for the by-product.

Be on the lookout for Jackie O’s baked goods at the Athens Farmers Market and other restaurants/groceries in the Athens area!

So the next time you find yourself asking your friend or significant other “What do you want to do tonight”? Try something new, and try Jackie O’s for a craft beer and some locally sourced grub. I promise that you won’t be short on choices!

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Hopefully you’ve heard the term “Small Business Saturday” tossed around with the usual shopping terms we associate with Thanksgiving season such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Small Business Saturday first started in 2010 and is a counterpart to the two more famous shopping days. It encourages people across the country to support the local, small businesses in our communities. Make sure to use #shopsmall to show your love for your community and share your holiday finds on Small Business Saturday on Saturday, Nov. 28!

Shopping in Athens

Working in Athens I am constantly heading uptown to the local merchants when I need cards, gifts, or other small items that I don’t want to get at the big box stores. Shopping local is the perfect way to support your community economy, get to know your local business owners, and find unique gifts for everyone on your gift list!

Here are a few of my favorite shops in Uptown Athens, however these are just a sampling of what Athens has to offer. Take a walk on Court and Union Streets and look at the Athens County Visitors Bureau for a list of other great stores to support.

Music

Haffa’s Records is perfect for the vinyl collector in your life! The store offers new and used records, with plenty of tables of records to pick through for those who love the sounds of records or just the unique album artwork. The store also sells used DVD’s, CD’s, posters, t-shirts and other music items.

Arts & Crafts

Passion Works Studio is one of those amazing gems in Athens that is always a wonderful place to draw creativity from. Artists with and without disabilities work alongside to create beautiful and unique works of art that is then made available to the public to purchase. The artists are compensated for their artwork and their work has been shown both regionally and nationally.

While you can find many pieces of artwork at Passion Works Studio, from cards to jewelry and paintings, perhaps one of the most well known pieces is the Passion Flower. The Passion Flowers are made from recycled aluminum plates from the local newspaper, making them large 3-d art sculptures. Every flower is hand-painted by studio artists, making each flower colorful and unique! Passion Works even offers flowers in Ohio State Buckeye or Ohio University Bobcat colors for the college sports fan in your life. How neat is that? Each flower is ready to hang and they come in small, medium, and large sizes.

While Passion Works Studio is closed on Small Business Saturday (Nov. 28) the store will have a special online sale on their website on Sunday (Nov. 29) and a Cyber Monday sale (Nov. 30). Check their Facebook page for additional in-store sales and open house events during December!

Clothing & Misc.

Artifacts Gallery is my go to when I need a gift for that friend who either likes handmade ceramics or has an interesting sense of humor. The store has a variety of beautiful ceramic pieces, Athens mugs, and Japanese pottery that are changing often. The store also carries a variety of women’s and men’s clothing, silver jewelry, cards, stained glass artwork and other small gifts. This store is certainly worth a stop on your holiday shopping!

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The day after Veterans Day, Nicole Eugene, a doctoral candidate in the Ohio University School of Communication Studies, will host a free workshop titled “Hidden Poetry: How does poetry help people who carry the hidden wounds of war and trauma?” The event will center around a panel, discussion and poetry workshop aimed at examining how individuals with hidden disabilities (such as post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, prosthesis, and other hidden wounds of war) can utilize poetry as a creative outlet for healing.

Individuals and veterans with hidden disabilities often silently cope with physical, psychological or spiritual wounds that aren’t visually obvious to others. “Hidden Poetry” was designed to provide a safe space for individuals to better understand the life of one who has a hidden disability, and to offer a creative outlet for managing disability and health. All are welcome to attend this event – whether they are veterans or not – for an evening of compelling discussion, questions, stories, and conversation.

“There definitely is support for the healing power of writing,” Eugene said. “Poetry is shorter than having to write essays and journal entries and other kinds of therapeutic writing practices. Poetry allows people to have a kind of freedom that those other mediums may not provide. So yes, I really like poetry in terms of how it can help an individual find their words.”

On November 12th, “Hidden Poetry” will begin with a panel and discussion at 6 p.m. in Baker Center, Baker Theatre where four humanities scholars will share what they have learned about how poetry affects veterans and people who have experienced trauma.

Following the discussion at 8 p.m. in Baker Center, Room 242, a special poetry workshop, open to veterans only, will take place, allowing veterans to learn how to use poetry to reflect and communicate the experiences they carry. The poetry workshop will also include a discussion about bridging non-veteran and veteran culture. The veteran poetry workshop has limited seating, so an RSVP is encouraged by emailing hiddenpoetryevent@gmail.com.

In a large part, Eugene was inspired to create this project from her relationship and past experiences with her father, who is also a veteran.

“This past summer when I was preparing the project proposal I talked to my dad about his time in the military, because he didn’t ever talk to us about it when we were kids,” Eugene said. “He went to Germany, before the fighting in Vietnam had escalated to the full war, as a medical assistant. When he came back to the United States it was the height of the anti-Vietnam protests and demonstrations and it had gotten to the point where veterans were being assaulted. If you had a uniform on or wore your boots out, you could be assaulted for that. People were so upset about the war and they were taking it out on the veterans. For the most part, nobody wanted to hear about Germany, nobody wanted to hear about what was going on, the tension and the issues were just too political and too charged. So this was part of his life, and this is the case with a lot of veterans, it gets buried and put away someplace. So when he came back he just dealt with the adjustment silently.”

Overall Eugene is hoping to be able to open up the doors for conversation with veterans and their experiences. She understands that many people relate veterans to what they see on TV, the movies and the news, but that isn’t always a true representation of a veteran or his or her experience.

“There are a lot of opportunities to misunderstand veterans, but the humanities perspective is different,” Eugene said. “The humanities perspective is about looking at lives and experiences to gain understanding, not to further a particular agenda or issue. The project, the proposal, and the workshop is rooted in that realization that as a culture we can help create an environment where people know and understand veterans better. By doing events, by making things public, by saying “That these are things that veterans deal with”, “This is what war is like” and aiding them with tools that will help people understand it, we can help.”

As a doctoral student in the health communication track Eugene spends the majority of her time doing research and writing. In her studies she has found ways to connect her research to collaboration and outreach on-campus.

“Ohio University actually has a large base of veterans, both current, past, and children of military families and I wanted to connect with them,” Eugene said. “I wanted to be able to create spaces and opportunities for people that have hidden disabilities to not feel weird. So it’s not just a space for people with hidden disabilities, but it’s for people who also know someone who has to deal with this. A space where they are allowed to be and learn without having to decide to come out or identify as someone with a hidden disability, because you shouldn’t have to ask people to make themselves vulnerable to help them. I want to make sure people recognize the need for a space like this and that we have a basic understanding of what veterans are like that isn’t based off of misunderstanding.”

If you go:

The two free programs on Thu., Nov. 12, 2015 will focus on the intersection of poetry, veterans and hidden disabilities.

Panel and Discussion

6-7:30 p.m.

Ohio University Baker Center, Baker Center Theatre

A panel discussion of how poetry helps people who carry the hidden wounds of war and trauma. Four established humanities scholars have been invited to share what they have learned about how poetry affects veterans and people who have experienced trauma. Panelists include: West Point Professor of English Jason Hoppe, Veteran Studies scholar Rodger Thompson, OSU Professor David Adams, and Ohio University Poetry and War scholar Becca Lachman. Refreshments will be available between sessions.

Veteran Poetry Workshop

8-9:30 p.m.

Ohio University Baker Center, Room 242

A veterans-only poetry workshop facilitated by Darrel Alejandro Holnes and Becca Lachman. We encourage workshop participants to RSVP at hiddenpoetryevent@gmail.com because space is limited. During the workshop, veterans will learn how to use poetry to better communicate about the hidden wounds they carry. The workshop will also include a discussion about bridging non-veteran and veteran culture.

For more information visit the Hidden Poetry Facebook page.

The post Hidden Poetry appeared first on Clutch MOV.

It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon at Strouds Run State Park and the breeze was blowing in short gusts over the water at Dow Lake. I was here to meet with two instructors, Michelle Stobart and Brenna Duke, from Inhale Yoga Studio in Athens so they could give me an introduction to Fluid Yoga SUP, also known as Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) Yoga.

Stand Up Paddleboard Yoga first started in Rishikesh, India and then gained popularity in places such as Hawaii and along the West Coast before coming to the East Coast of the U.S. Inhale has been offering Fluid Yoga SUP lessons for three summers now and have been seeing an increase in individuals looking for a change of scenery for their normal yoga lessons.

Four summers ago Michelle started to research the idea of Stand Up Paddleboard Yoga and the rest is history.

“I started to explore this new idea and we bought the first bit of our Inhale fleet,” Michelle said. “That summer we started to practice on the lake and see how to do yoga on a board. It was very different. The first summer I started I spent it learning and taking my teachers out and seeing what they thought about it. This is a great way to be outdoors and connect with nature and bring yoga into a more expansive place.”

If you’ve taken a traditional indoor yoga class chances are you’ll enjoy the new aspect and challenge of the SUP class. A paddleboard resembles a surfboard and is three feet wide and a little over 10 feet long. A SUP has a deck pad similar to a yoga mat, so your feet can grip the board for poses and as you paddle through the water. A typical class involves a paddleboard instruction and orientation, a quick paddle out to the yoga location on Dow Lake, fluid yoga class instruction, savasana (which is a time of total relaxation and meditation) and then a short paddle back to the boat dock.

“It wouldn’t be a bad idea for someone to have some prior knowledge of yoga, however, the class moves slow enough that anyone can take this class,” Michelle said. “We have to make slow modifications and adjustments on the boards anyway because of the movements of the boards on the water. Of course we are open to welcoming anyone and we can always adjust the poses and the class based on the students.”

The best thing about Fluid Yoga SUP is that no class is exactly the same and that Mother Nature is always here to keep you mindful during your journey. Both instructors shared with me some of their favorite moments and lessons from the lake.

“One of the most memorable moments for me out here was when we were moving into the rest and relaxation part of a class,” Michelle said. “There are a lot of Canada Geese out here at the park which are often a nuisance on land because they poop everywhere, but this was a moment of appreciation. We were out on the middle of the lake and were in our restoration pose on our boards. They were flying low, about 10 or 12 feet above us and you could hear the sound of their wings. It was the most amazing sound of their wings passing through the air. It was one of those times to pause and draw you deeply present. It was an incredible moment out on the paddleboards.”

Something that many people probably worry about when considering taking a Fluid Yoga SUP class is what to do if they fall into the water? Instructor Brenna Duke says that is one of her favorite moments of any class when she is out on the lake, because she sees it as a teaching moment as well as something that is fun to do when the temperature is scorching hot!

“My most surprising thing out here is that we are always in the mindset of ‘Don’t fail, don’t fall in, don’t do this, don’t do that!’,” Brenna said. “I find it so refreshing to fall in, it is so fun, it feels so good, and it’s just like a little reset. Falling in tells us that ‘It’s ok to not do it perfect and to make a mistake’ and then you get back up on your board.”

The typical season for Inhale Yoga’s Fluid Yoga SUP lessons runs from the weekend after Memorial Day to Labor Day. Due to limited class space and paddleboard fleet registrations are required in advance for Fluid Yoga SUP lessons, however private lessons can also be arranged by contacting Inhale Yoga Studio. This year Inhale Yoga Studio is thinking about extending their Fluid Yoga SUP season past Labor Day, so be sure to check their Facebook Page for up-to-date information on additional class offerings!

For more information on Inhale Yoga Studio Fluid Yoga SUP classes and to register, visit their website!

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The Appalachian Region is rich with the history of coal mining and other quarrying industries, which can still be seen today in many ways. One of those distinct reminders is the company town.

Company towns were owned almost entirely by the company, and were built to provide housing, stores and other services for its employees and their families. The downside of company towns is that they were often mandatory for employees and their families to live there. Company owners regularly exploited their captive audience, charging outstanding prices for goods, services and housing that left workers in debt after their weekly earnings. Eventually the popularity of company towns declined and then petered out altogether after the invention of mass transit (i.e. automobiles).

What remains today is what we so often see when driving through some sleepy town or mountain road – company towns made up of identical company houses and dotted with a few company store buildings. The Eclipse Company Town in Plains, Ohio was built by the Hocking Valley Coal Company between 1900 and 1902, making it over 112 years old. Today the town has 12 company houses, one shotgun house and the Company Store, which are all a mix of several types of businesses and private residences.

The Eclipse Company Town sits right next to the edge of the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway, a 22-mile flat paved bike path that follows on the old Columbus and Hocking Valley Railroad bed. So bring your bike or your four-legged friend and take a short afternoon cruise or stroll down the bike path (please keep pets on leash for their safety and the safety of our biker friends).

Don’t have a bike that fits you anymore? Then head over to Black Diamond Bicycles, a family owned bike shop run by husband and wife team Vincent and Timarie Francis. They can get you ready to ride in no time. Not looking to buy just yet or don’t want to haul your bike for a ride on the bike path? Not a problem! Black Diamond Cycle also offers bike rentals for the bike path by hour or day. Hourly bike rental fees start at just $12/hr. You can also grab an ice cream treat or drink at the bike shop as well.

“Bike rental business is doing pretty well and we are moving to do rentals online so you can reserve bikes anytime,” Vincent Francis said. “When people come here to the Eclipse Company Town it’s nice because it sort of breaks up a ride on the bike path. You can take a break. See something! Shop, have a bite to eat or grab an ice cream.”

The Butterstick Bakery & Cafe is the newest addition to the Eclipse community that offers delicious baked goods and lunch options. They have a big deck to enjoy your lunch outside or you can call ahead and order a box of pastries for your Monday morning staff meeting. The Butterstick Bakery & Cafe is open Monday – Thursday and Saturday from 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. Be sure to follow them on Facebook to see their weekly lunch specials.

You can also spend some time shopping in the Putnam and Speedwell Antiques store if you happen to catch them open. Sadly they were not open the day I was in Eclipse, but you can also find their shop on Etsy, and they seem to have a variety of items from pottery to books and other vintage items.

Eclipse is also home to the famous 9 Tables restaurant (and yes, it really only has 9 tables) that offers an intimate dining experience with five or seven course options. 9 Tables started in Athens in 2011 and was built around offering guests an immersive dining experience.

The large Eclipse Company Store has been beautifully renovated and the original hardwood floors and walls provide a rustic feel and elegance to the building. Additions have been made to add space and modern conveniences and now you can rent out the Company Store for business meetings, workshops or even large weddings or events.

If it is a day trip you are looking for or just a stop on your bike ride the Eclipse Company Town should be on your map. The historical significance and the charm of the local businesses won’t disappoint you if you take the time to wander off the main road a bit.

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If you love to cook using local or seasonal ingredients or need to pick up a handmade gift (hint: Father’s Day is June 21) a stop at the Athens Farmers Market is in order. The market runs year-round and has over 90 vendors registered, which gives you lots of options outside of the traditional big box stores, grocery or otherwise.

On a typical Saturday morning you will find booths crowded with people looking over the wares, musicians playing relaxing tunes, friends talking to others and a community atmosphere. The market is so well attended that popular vendors often sell out quickly on Saturday mornings, so get there early if you want to purchase from your favorite vendor. The market has received positive press over the years and has even been rated one of the top farmers markets in the nation by Audubon Magazine.

Colin Cottrell, a recent Ohio University graduate and now an Athens resident, has found his love of cooking with seasonal and locally sourced ingredients thanks to the Athens Farmers Market.

My friends and I love to cook so we go to the market to find what is seasonal and build our recipes for the week around that.

“When I moved off campus a few years ago and started to live in places with larger kitchens I became interested in cooking more,” said Cottrell. “Now as a resident I like using the local ingredients that come from this area. My friends and I love to cook so we go to the market to find what is seasonal and build our recipes for the week around that. What we can’t get from the market we add in the rest from the grocery store.”

The market specializes in a variety of goods including those that make your mouth water like artisan breads, pies, fresh herbs, organic eggs, meat products and tarts just to name a few. You can also expect a few unique finds from vendors including gourmet dog biscuits, goat milk soap, dried flower wreaths, compost exchange, wool products, live freshwater shrimp (mid-October), alpaca fiber and more!

During certain product seasons, some vendors take advantage and produce limited quantities of products around a seasonal ingredient. Take the pawpaw, sometimes known as the Poor Man’s Banana, which is America’s largest native tree fruit and grows mostly in eastern North America. Pawpaw fruit usually becomes ripe between mid-August into October. This coincides nicely with the Pawpaw Festival in Athens, which is held in September. Market vendors produce pawpaw jelly, jam, pie and other pawpaw creations to celebrate this seasonal ingredient.

“I always make it a point to get pawpaw bread every year [at the market] because I’m not talented enough to make that,” laughs Cottrell.

The Athens Farmers Market holds three different markets at their 1000 E. State St. location in Athens. The year-round Saturday Markets run from 9 a.m. to noon and is the largest market with majority of vendors in attendance. In the summer all of the vendors set up outside in the parking lot rain or shine, and during the winter months vendors move to the indoor mall at the same location. If you need a few items for your cooking mid-week the Wednesday Markets run from 9 a.m. to noon from April through December and the Thursday Markets run from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. May through September.

During the school semester the market comes to the Ohio University campus with the OHIO Farmer’s Market. This past year marked the fifth year the market visited the Athens campus, bringing locally made foods and goods to the student population.

“Having the Athens Farmers Market come to campus is a great way for students to have access to food that is locally grown and organic that isn’t as processed as some of the options are in the on-campus food locations,” said Abby Paige a senior communication studies major at Ohio University. “I think it’s great that they take the trip out of it for the students who might not have a car on campus, they can stop on their way to or from class across campus. It’s a really positive way for the community to interact with the University students.”

There is no denying it, the Athens Farmers Market is a gem in the Mid-Ohio Valley, and only being a short 55-minute drive from Marietta or 45-minute drive from Parkersburg, it’s an easy way to spend your Saturday morning. Plus, think how delicious your next meal could be after your visit to the market.

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