'NORTHEAST OHIO TIMES' Show features sites from around Valley
Among the locations is the Arms Family Museum in Youngstown.
VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT
KENT -- Three Mahoning County attractions, plus a war memorial just across the state line, are featured in PBS 45/49's upcoming "Northeast Ohio Times." The show airs at 8 p.m. Sunday, 10 p.m. Feb. 28, and 10 p.m. March 3. NewsNight Akron panelist Jody Miller serves as host.
The quarterly show features interesting people, places and events in Northeast Ohio. Producers search the cities, suburbs and countryside for outstanding examples of what makes the area unique.
The show begins with a visit to Tracy and Jim Sekely's Longhorn Cattle Ranch in Ellsworth. With more than 120 cattle, plus quarter horses, donkeys, purebred bulldogs and more, the Sekelys' 75-acre Mahoning County farm resembles a scene from the wild West. The Sekelys offer a tour of the ranch and insight into their way of life.
Back in Youngstown, a beautiful arts and crafts-style home with a misleading name serves as the headquarters for the Mahoning Valley Historical Society. The Arms Family Museum of Local History is not a gun museum; rather, it is the magnificent former home of the Arms family.
Built in 1905, the home that the Arms family called Greystone is located at 648 Wick Ave. Its first floor is preserved as a family residence, while the second floor and lower level explore the history of the Mahoning Valley. Museum director H. William Lawson set the record straight about the Arms Family Museum's true purpose.
Hummel Gift Shop
Next stop is New Springfield. The Hummel Gift Shop is Ohio's largest gift store, with 30,000 square feet of space housing collectibles including Hummel, Lladro, Royal Doulton and much more. It also houses a year-round Christmas decorations store. Owner David May serves as tour guide and shares the shop's history.
The show also visits Hillcrest Memorial Park in Hermitage, Pa., home of The War on Terror Memorial, which honors military personnel who have given their lives fighting the war on terror from 1975 to the present. The memorial is located among the Avenue of 444 Flags, which commemorates the 444 days of captivity endured by Americans during the Iran hostage crisis in 1979. There is also an eternal flame honoring the eight soldiers who lost their lives in an ill-fated attempt to rescue the hostages. Thomas Flynn, owner of Hillcrest Memorial Park and visionary behind the commemorations, talks about the park's special purpose.
Commenting on why he chose these subjects for the show, PBS 45/49 Producer Jeremiah G. Blaylock said, "We have some very interesting places right in our back yard that people don't know about." He said he focused on unique places that we drive by every day.