Driving Notes

Hi!

Today on the show we talked about how the Ohio State Fair is coming up. There are so many new things to do there. And of course we had our Who Am I? trivia question where one lucky person has a chance to win a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant!

Here is what is new at the Ohio State Fair in 2024:

Career Pathways Program: The Lausche Youth Exploration Space is always buzzing with endless activities and programming for children. A new addition in 2024 is the career pathway program; see life-size cutouts of personnel in the workforce and learn about their career path. From a space operations officer to a meat inspection training officer these Ohioans are sure to inspire fairgoers of all ages.

Ohio State Fair History Exhibit in Kasich Hall C: There are many traditions that have stood the test of time at the Ohio State Fair – the butter cow, Smokey Bear, enjoying fair food, and creating memories with friends and family. Take a glimpse at history as you walk through this new exhibit to view historic photos and scale models with “tiny fairs” dating back to the 1800s to see what the fairgrounds looked like a decade ago, a century ago, and even longer.

Mural Competition: The mural competition is a great addition to Fine Arts this year. Entries just closed on June 21 for artists to submit their artwork and then recreate their masterpiece in the form of a mural during the Fair. Artists will paint these murals live during the first weekend of the Fair, July 26-28, on the lawn of the Cox Fine Arts Center.

Nerveless Nocks Thrill Show: Located at the south end of the Mountain Dew Midway, the Nerveless Nocks, world famous for their Giant Sway Pole Show featured on America’s Got Talent Extreme and AGT Season 17, will captivate the audience with midair daredevil stunts performed 80 feet above the ground. This is a show fairgoers won’t want to miss.

New Food Avenue: Want to try a new food, like pickle lemonade, a Cleveland corned beef egg roll, a deep-fried buffalo chicken bomb, or pickle pizza? A collection of the newest food vendors and wild fair fare will be gathered along New Food Avenue, located between the Ohio Lottery Main Street Stage and the north end of the Midway. More new foods, foods on a stick, and deep-fried delights will be available soon.

Poster Contest: A brand new poster contest was introduced to the lineup of competitions this year. Winning artist, Lindsay Boyd was selected as the grand champion. Smaller postcard-sized prints of the artwork will be available for purchase at the official Ohio State Fair gift shops and the All Ohio Arts Gift Shop in the Cox Fine Arts Center. Additionally, the top five finalists will have their posters displayed in Kasich Hall C.

Run Like a Girl 5k and 10K presented by Avina Women’s Care: On Sunday, Aug. 4, runners will gather at the Historic Crew Stadium and race through the fairgrounds to get a behind the scenes look at the Fair before the gates open to the public. Register today.

Sheepdog Spectacular: The Dog House has become a very popular attraction at the Ohio State Fair. In addition to the Marvelous Mutts show featuring performing rescue dogs, the Dog House will also feature Sheepdog Spectacular, an entertaining, interactive, and ag-centered sheepdog show featuring working sheepdogs herding sheep.

Strolling Entertainers: We won’t spoil the surprise, but fairgoers will see a few new faces strolling around the grounds providing laughs and fortunes.

Taste of Ohio Pavilion: The Taste of Ohio Café will be moving a little south this year to become the Taste of Ohio Pavilion. This will feature a lot of the same delicious cuisines offered in the Taste of Ohio Café. Be sure to stop by in the evenings and enjoy a meal to the tune of live music, and browse beautiful floral exhibits created by Ohioans.

Tiny Art Show: Fairgoers with an eye for art won’t want to miss the brand new Tiny Art Show in the Cox Fine Arts Center. Each artists accepted into the Fine Arts Exhibition was given the opportunity to submit a small piece of art, priced at $250 or less, to hang for sale in the exhibit. This is a great way to support local artists and start or enhance an art collection on a budget.

Wheels of Agriculture Game Show: Located in Kiddieland, this exciting, fast-paced, TV-style game show is fertilized with comedy and shenanigans which yield a bumper crop of prizes! The Wheels of Agriculture Game Show harvests smiles, laughter, and knowledge for all ages.

The 2024 Ohio State Fair is July 24 through Aug. 4. More information about the Fair can be found at ohiostatefair.com. The 2024 Ohio State Fair Media Guide will be available soon. 

A full list of events and attractions with times and locations can be found at https://www.ohiostatefair.com/events. 

• I was born on June 26^th, 1970, in Winnetka, Illinois.

• I am the youngest of 7 children.

• I graduated from Boston College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing.

• I played Robin in the movie Batman Forever.

• I also was on NCIS: Los Angeles where I played Agent G. Callen.

• I am still living and am 54 years old.

……I am Chris O’Donnell

Congratulations to Michael of Mount Vernon for guessing the correct answer! He wins that $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant.

Thanks for listening!

-Dylan

Hi!

Today on the show I shared how today is National Peanut Butter Cookie Day. I also mentioned how you have one more day to register your dad for our Take Dad to Dinner contest. You only have until 11:59 pm on Thursday to register your dad.

Here is the link to our Take Dad to Dinner page on our website: Click HERE

Here is what I shared on the show about National Peanut Butter Cookie Day:

HISTORY OF NATIONAL PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE DAY

We don’t know for sure when peanuts were first harvested, but evidence dating back 3,500 years ago indicates that ancient Incans of Peru used peanuts as sacrificial offerings. The peanut likely originated somewhere around modern-day Peru or Brazil, potentially growing as far north as Mexico, and was spread by European explorers. These Europeans likely brought peanuts to Africa and Asia, and it was eventually Africans who brought peanuts to North America in the 1700s. 

In America, and particularly the South, peanut production took off. It was around the 1800s that peanuts became a commercial crop in the U.S., and demand for the product was high. Not only were they a great food, but they could also be used as oil or as a cocoa substitute. They were, however, challenging to raise and harvest, and mostly were only consumed by farm animals or those in poverty. That is until Union soldiers decided they liked them and found they were high in protein.

The early 1900s saw the destruction of cotton crops at the hands of the boll weevil, which threatened the livelihood of many farmers. Dr. George Washington Carver, a well-known scientist at the time, suggested many plantations switch to planting peanuts, which caused peanuts to be almost as popular of a crop as cotton in the South. 

Determining who invented peanut butter, however, is a different beast. There’s evidence that the ancient Incas ground peanuts to make a primitive sort of peanut butter, though Dr. John Harvey Kellog is credited with creating the first peanut butter in the United States in 1895. There’s also some credit given for the invention of peanut butter to a physician from Saint Louis, who needed a way for his patients who were too old or sick to chew meat to get protein. After peanut butter’s introduction at the World’s Fair in 1904, however, it took off. 

Dr. George Washington Carver included a recipe for peanut butter in his 1916 book on growing peanuts and preparing them to be eaten, and in 1922 Joseph Rosefield improved on the recipe by developing a way to prevent peanut oil from separating from the solids. Peanut butter had hit stores in 1920, and already peanut butter cookies were being homemade across America. In 1932, the first recipe for peanut butter cookies that featured the decoration with forks on top was printed in “The Schenectady Gazette,” and the peanut butter cookie had become the classic treat we know today.

WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE DAY

1. They’re delicious

It’s obvious, but bears repeating. Peanut butter cookies hit the perfect note of sweet and salty, nutty, and creamy. We couldn’t ask for more in a cookie, and we won’t. We’re headed into the kitchen to bake some right now because this description just made us hungry.

• Peanut butter is nutritious

We’re here to break the good news: peanut butter is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, cancer, and premature death. It sounds to us like peanut butter cookies may just help you live a little longer! However, you do want to make sure that your peanut butter isn’t heavily processed or full of trans fats if you want to reap the benefits.

• They’re a reminder of childhood

Once childhood is over, work and school take up a significant amount of time — how many of us have the extra time to bake cookies from scratch? We promise, three-ingredient peanut butter cookies are super easy and reminiscent of mom’s fresh-out-of-the-oven batch from childhood. You can even recruit your kids to help you!

• I was born on June 12^th, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts.

• At the age of 18, I enlisted into the United States Navy as a naval aviator. I was one of the youngest pilots in the Navy.

• My aircraft was downed by enemy fire, but I was able to escape and I ended up being rescued by a submarine named the USS Finback.

• I attended Yale College after returning from the war.

• I was the 41^st President of the United States and only served one term.

• I died on November 30^th, 2018, at the age of 94.

…..I am George H.W. Bush

Congratulations to Brian of Fredericktown for guessing the correct answer! He wins a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant.

Thanks for listening!

-Dylan