BWMS’ Darling, Calcara headed to State Science Day

Thursday, May 8, 2008

By LENNY C. LEPOLA
News Staff Reporter

Earlier this year, Big Walnut Middle School eighth grade students Rachel Darling and Sophia Calcara joined forces to create a science fair project that received a Superior rating not only at the Big Walnut School District Science Fair, but also at Central District Science Day at Columbus State Community College in March.

With those two Superior ratings in hand, Darling and Calcara have advanced to State Science Day this Saturday at The Ohio State University where they join other students from around Ohio competing for more than 100 different scholarships and awards.

Their project, Functional Flood Walls, tested three materials to determine how those materials held back rising waters.

They tested sand, the material typically placed in bags to create temporary flood walls; they tested a sponge material; and they tested a synthetic substance called Cracked Ice.

Most people would recognize cracked ice as dry crystals that become gel-like when soaked in water.

Darling and Calcara created a reservoir in a plastic tub by lining up bags filled with each substance. After filling the reservoir end of the tub with water, they measured how much water leaked to the dry side at five minute intervals.

They discovered that bagged Cracked Ice crystals created the best flood wall; and, surprisingly, the poorest substance to use for a flood wall was sand.

Darling and Calcara not only received Superior ratings at the Big Walnut Science Fair and at Central District Science Day, their middle school science teacher, Bob Scott, gave them an A for the project.

Both students are active in a variety of other Big Walnut Middle School activities.

Rachel, daughter of Laura and Phil Darling, plays softball and volleyball and is a member of the band; Sophia, daughter of Carl and Gloria Calcara, plays volleyball, is in the band, and said she plans to participate in swimming next year.

Martin cuts 15-song CD for a cause

Thursday, May 8, 2008

By LENNY C. LEPOLA
News Staff Reporter

Almost anybody who has been living in Big Walnut territory for any amount of time has probably been present at an event or two (or three or four) where Sunbury village administrator Dave Martin has taken to the stage with guitar in hand and entertained the crowd with familiar folk tunes.

Most folks also know that Martin performed with the musical ambassadorial group Up With People as a younger man.

What many may not know, however, is that Martin recently teamed with other musicians to cut a 15-song CD, Color For The Cure, to raise money for this year’s American Cancer Society Sunbury/Big Walnut Relay For Life.

During an interview last week, Martin briefly described his journey from Up With People to Sunbury.

“I was in the Massillon Washington High School Choir,” Martin said. “The choir director used to tell me to just move my mouth because I couldn’t stay on pitch. He kept me in the choir because I was useful for moving risers around. But during my senior year my mom bought voice lessons because I love to sing.”

Martin signed on with Up With People right out of high school.

“A friend had tickets and I saw the Up With People show two weeks before graduation,” Martin continued. “I interviewed with the cast the night of the show, and started traveling one week after graduation … I was 17.”

Martin performed with Up With People from August of 1968 to December of 1970, spending 2 1/2 years on the road in the United States, Canada, 10 European countries, and the three African countries. (During 2005, Martin traveled with an Up With People alumni group to Japan and Thailand and also performed in Nagoya, Japan at the World Expo.)

Martin went on to graduate from The Ohio State University in 1975; attended a Methodist seminary for one year; worked for Franklin County Children Services for three years; was employed as an industrial construction union laborer for 10 years; and then entered the printing industry and still owns Pelican Publications in Sunbury.

As a member of the Forman Realtors Sunbury/Big Walnut Area Chamber of Commerce Relay For Life Team, Martin has participated in ACS relays as long as they have been held in Sunbury. This past year, however, he was selected to serve as the Sunbury/Big Walnut Relay For Life 2008 Committee chair.

That’s when the idea for the Color For The Cure CD was suggested; and Martin thought it might help raise funds so he accepted the challenge - and it proved to be a challenge.

Martin teamed up with Nick Blasius, a friend from college who brought recording equipment from Eastlake (they used the second floor of Sunbury Town Hall as a studio). Blasius played bass and guitar; Michelle Lobdell played keyboards; Big Walnut High School student Sam Lawless played bass on two songs; and Mary Hinkle, a Grandview High School senior, played guitar on a couple of tracks.

“What a lot of work,” Martin said. “It was 15 songs. I figured I’d sing each song two times; three or four hours at the most. We spent 14 hours in one weekend recording. I had to sing Puff the Magic Dragon six times to get it right.”

Martin said singing in a studio is difficult because he usually makes eye contact with audience members when he sings.

“I sing for people; when you sing for people you sing, mistakes and all, and you go on,” he explained. “In the studio you’re looking at a wall; and with headphones on, you hear yourself sing and are more critical of your mistakes. Then, the following two weekends I drove to Cleveland to mix the tracks; 17 hours the first weekend, 10 hours the second weekend to get the master mixing down. I never dreamed it would be that involved.”

Apparently the work was worthwhile because Martin said he is happy with the finished CD.

“Musically, I’m sure it could be better,” Martin said. “But several people now tell me that they like it because it’s really me.”

Color For The Cure featuring Dave Martin is now available for $15, with $11 of every CD going to Relay For Life; the remaining four dollars will cover costs.

“We paid royalties on the songs and the whole bit for this, including burning the CDs, printing the covers and cases,” Martin explained. “But everybody involved donated their time.”

To purchase a copy of Color For The Cure CD call Dave Martin at 614-975-2815.

Grace Bell has them at Sunbury Cleaners; Harrison Street Elementary School and Big Walnut Elementary School relay teams are also selling the CDs with $10 going to their school Relay For Life team’s totals and one dollar going to the Forman/Chamber of Commerce team.

Martin said the CD’s will also be available during the June 6-7 ACS Sunbury/Big Walnut Relay For Life at the Big Walnut High School stadium … if any are left.

“We had 250 made,” Martin said. “Hopefully, we’ll sell all those. I wouldn’t mind making another 250.”

Asked if he would make another CD from scratch, Martin jokingly said he called his daughter and told her if he ever said he was going to make a CD again for her to smack him with something.

“But I would do it again tomorrow,” he added. “I had so much fun.”

Martin also couldn’t resist the opportunity to boost this year’s Relay For Life.

“Teams are needed, volunteers are needed, money is needed,” he said. “In 2007, Relay For Life raised $400 million nationally; Big Walnut raised $60,000 of that total. This year’s goal is $65,000. This CD is trying to help us reach our goal.”

Proceeds gathered during ACS Relay For Life events fund cancer research, advocacy, education and patient services.

For additional information about how to become involved in the ACS Sunbury/Big Walnut Relay For Life 2008 contact Evie Collins at 888-227-6446 ext 3204 or email < evie.miller@cancer.org >; or Dave Martin, ACS Sunbury/Big Walnut Relay For Life 2008 chair at < sunbearie@aol.com >.