Sitting down with Quintin Koger Kidd, aka “Santa Q”, a Clinton County Santa Portrayal Artist, we expected a lighthearted and jubilant interview. What we got was a tale of a well traveled man who has worn many different suits, and not just the red one. Quintin’s story is not all milk and cookies. He has felt the bad parts of life as much as anybody else, which has led him to developing his core values which are to “be nice, be kind, and share generously”, which he expresses to every child that crosses his lap, and parent that snaps a photo. Coming from a Virginian lineage older than the founding of the United States, Santa Q has lived in 10 different states (11 if you count Ohio the two separate times he has resided here), worked for Chevron, was elected to both city council and later as mayor in Brentwood, CA in the 1990’s and early 2000’s, became an independent consultant for Mason’s largest eyeglass company, met his now wife (on Craigslist) and fell in love, then “retired” to become Santa. He has seemingly always lived an interesting life, but how does this lead one to becoming the ‘new age’, free-thinking Santa that doesn’t ask kids if they have been “naughty or nice?” Santa Q shared about his family’s history with addiction that has tragically cost him the life of his stepson; “addiction is such a carbuncle in the butt of mankind, and it’s a pain. It’s painful for people.” He went on to say that society’s outlook on addiction has become too judgemental and not compassionate to the people struggling with addiction and the fallout that it inevitably causes; “I think having gone through it, you learn to be more tolerant of those people who are struggling and the impact it has on their lives.” Santa Q explains he has brought the lessons learned through his family’s struggles to his Santa-ing. He asks children if they have been “nice and kind?”, because as people, we need to realize everyone struggles and does so differently. It is not his job to determine naughty or nice, his job is to make sure that everyone is doing what they can to “be nice, kind, and share generously” throughout the year. To learn more about Quintin Koger Kidd (aka “Santa Q”), visit www.santa-q.com.

Originally from Valparaiso, Indiana, Robyn and Larry Morris are high school sweethearts with a passion for community, Christ, and coffee. Following their move to LA, and Robyn’s short lived acting career, they found out they were pregnant with their first child which prompted them to move back east closer to family. After living in Fairfield, Ohio for a short while, Larry took a position at the former Addison McKey in Wilmington and the rest is history. When the Morris family first moved to Wilmington they became members of the Wilmington Fellowship Christian Church (now called Dove Church), and began becoming active in our community by being part of local home school groups and then eventually founding the Wilmington House of Prayer (WHoP)—formerly by the Farmers Market Mural downtown. WHoP opened their doors in 2009, coincidently as DHL left Wilmington and our community needed prayer and hope more than ever. The WHoP was a 24/7/365 prayer room where community members could pray for others or write their own prayers on the three chalkboard walls inside. While talking to Robyn, she expressed the crazy amount of support WHoP found thrust upon them after Fox News anchor, Glen Beck, visited Wilmington. “He came up to me, looked in my eyes, and said ‘Thank you for what you’re doing, and thank you for being here’, how was I supposed to respond to that?” laughed Morris as she recalled the event. She went on to explain that during the time Beck was in Wilmington, and even after, the outpour of support from the community was intense. The money raised during that time filled their donation boxes and was able to completely fund the WHoP until they closed their doors in 2018. The idea for Kairos came while the Morris’ were on a road trip with a group of Wilmington College students in 2013. They stopped at a local coffee shop on their way back from Kansas City, MO and the students discussed the idea of opening a coffee shop in Wilmington the entire drive home. Morris said, “In that time (2013–2019), [the idea of Kairos] never left me… It happened quite suddenly, we transitioned, we closed the Prayer Room doors and opened up Kairos Coffee.” Kairos opened in February of 2019 with 5 employees and a small menu. Now, Kairos has 18 employees and expanded their menu including Crimson Cup coffee drinks, Red Bull drinks, teas, and select goodies from Cindy’s Bake Shop. “We have had people ask if we’re going to franchise, and ‘ya know... my husband and I are in our 60’s, our kids are grown, were having fun with the shop, he was able to retire early, we’re able to work together, we have one daughter who is 20 at home who is a barista, but why would we want to take on a whole lot more?” said Morris. She expressed her gratitude for their wonderful staff that allows her and her husband to enjoy both being the owners and also their time with their family during their retirement. Art at Kairos There are many unique pieces of art at Kairos. Here is the story of a few and their artist...

Santa Claus took some time out of his busy schedule to be on our podcast! Did you know that he used to be the mayor of a small town in California, met his now wife on Craigslist, or lost his stepson to addiction? Hear the story of the man behind the beard, Quintin Koger Kidd (aka “Q”), and how his journey of highs and lows has made him into a man of strength and compassion who is bringing hope and joy to our community. Listen to Q share his adventurous and heartwarming story on your favorite podcast player now: 🍎 Apple: https://bit.ly/rcwp-apple 🤖 Google: https://bit.ly/rcwp-google 🟢 Spotify: https://bit.ly/rcwp-spotify 🎥 YouTube: https://bit.ly/rcwp-youtube 😎 Website: https://bit.ly/rcwp-website

Article Submitted by Lee Sandlin For many, the holiday season reminds us of wonderful memories shared with family, friends, food, and time spent together with loved ones. And while these are all wonderful things, for those in our community who are struggling with finances, illness, homelessness, and other struggles, the holiday season can be difficult. We at Sugartree Ministries are partnering with Real Change Wilmington to highlight a list of local organizations that are helping people in our community get through this difficult season. The following is a list of agencies and ministries that we would love you to consider volunteering your time, or donating your resources, to help these organizations as they serve “the least of these” in our community this holiday season.

Ohio Living Cape May’s 3M Club regularly hosts community speakers. These events are open to all senior men in our county. Today, Lee Sandlin gave a presentation about Sugartree Ministries. "We have all grown so 'macro' in our lives... We have Job and Family Services (which I love); we have Community Action (which I love)—they're all great folks. But, when you come at a problem that's such a nuanced and individual issue, as far as broken humans, and you try to treat it with large organizations... I think the secret to real change is individuals, communities, and neighbors encountering their hurting neighbors at a personal level." - Lee Sandlin Listen to the full below on our YouTube Channel:

2023 marks the 15th anniversary of the ‘$25 Day of Christmas’ put on by the Wilmington-Clinton County Chamber of Commerce and Local First. This project has brought not only hundreds of thousands of dollars into our local economy, but also encourages our community and visitors to shop and invest locally during the holiday season as well as all year round. The $25 Days of Christmas runs from Black Friday (11/24) to December 15th. During this time, if you shop at registered Local First shops, then for every $25 you spend (up to $100), you receive a raffle ticket that enters you to win things like gift cards for local businesses, gift baskets, and even cash prizes! In 2022, the $25 Days of Christmas had over 6,000 entries, which equates to over $160,000 spent shopping locally and over $270,000 cycled back into Wilmington’s local economy. Dessie Rogers, Executive Director of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, said “Participation in Local First’s 15th annual ‘$25 Days of Christmas’ promotion not only brightens your holiday season with the chance to win exciting cash prizes and local gifts, but also contributes to the strength and vibrancy of our community. Every purchase at a local business is not just a transaction; it’s an investment in our entire community and in the friends, families, and neighbors behind each business. So mark your calendars, gather your shopping lists, and get ready for a season filled with warmth, joy, and fabulous local prizes. Let’s make this 15th year the best one yet!” Check the list of $25 Dollar Days shopping locations at: www.wccchamber.com/25-days-of-christmas. A Bit of Class Salon & Spa (World Equestrian Center) Alma’s Attic Barkers Barbershop For Dogs BDK Feed, Hardware & Lumber Beauty Bar Salon & Spa Co. Bush Auto Place Clinton County Literacy Foundation Clinton Memorial Hospital Gift Shop Crown Staffing Dairy Queen Grill & Chill Donatos Pizza Habitat for Humanity Clinton County Restore Hers & His Thrift Store Kairos Coffee Kava Haus Laney Cakes Bakery MagnoliaGlass My Almond Tree Shop & Wonderland Tie-Dye Co. News Journal Papsy’s Place Sweets & Treats Quali-Tee Design Sportswear Rome Jewelers & Venice Wine Sams Meats Smith-Feike-Minton Inc. Shoe Sensation Strength & Dignity Boutique Sugartree Mill Co. The Banned Book Nook & Other Curiosities The Guest House Spa The Way Karate Wilmington Ace Hardware Wilmington Performing Arts Studio Wilmington Yoga Collective

🏬👨‍👩‍👧‍👦❤️ Nicole Rodman and Amanda Randolph from Clinton County Job and Family Services (JFS) on S South St/68 stopped by our podcast to share about how they “EMPOWER” people in our community through the work of their four services “units”—Family Services, Child Protection, Child Support, and OhioMeansJobs. Listen to these amazing ladies share their stories on your favorite podcast player now: 🍎 Apple: https://bit.ly/rcwp-apple 🤖 Google: https://bit.ly/rcwp-google 🟢 Spotify: https://bit.ly/rcwp-spotify 🎥 YouTube: https://bit.ly/rcwp-youtube 😎 Website: https://bit.ly/rcwp-website Clinton County Job & Family Services (JFS) serves 1 in 4 people in Clinton County with public services (mainly Medicaid). Last year (2022), Clinton County had 12,000 people (1 in 4) receive Medicaid benefits. Interestingly, very few adults receive “cash benefits”, the majority of people receiving cash are children in kinship programs. Also last year, 130 children received publicly funded childcare, and there were 5 licensed homes in the county that could accept this funding. JFS is current working with the Workforce Collaborative to help bring more childcare providers into the county in order to help people who need childcare to work. JFS has a variety of programs to help empower people in our community with the hope of transitioning them off of public assistance when possible. To learn more about JFS, reach out to them directly through the contact information on their website: co.clinton.oh.us/departments/JobandFamilyServices

The following presentation was given by Dustin Pearce at the Wilmington City Schools’ Board of Education meeting on Monday, November 27, 2023. Dustin Pearce. 276 W Locust Street. I believe anyone can change, but real change takes two, because real change is "reconciliation"—where forgiveness and repentance both prioritize a relationship. Again, my name is Dustin Pearce. I am not from here, but I am for here. I left Columbus and everyone I knew and made Wilmington my home. I want to see our schools funded and our community healed, so I’m here tonight to present a case for “reconciliation”. 💔 Our school levy has failed for a 5th time. We tried lowering the tax in May, then not taxing seniors at all in November. We even conducted a community survey and found people with concerns over academics and discipline still vote “yes”. Blancher passed their levy, Clinton County passed our child protection levy. So why is it that Wilmington still has some teachers and even entire precincts of our community—like Port William, Martinsville, and Cuba Road area—who consistently vote against our schools? My suspicion is that it has something to do with relationships our schools have broken in the past. I’ve heard stories teachers being fired for silly reasons, and staff members not being supported after implementing sensible safety measures for our children. I’ve also heard how devastating it was for Port William and Martinsville when their schools closed. While our goal can’t be to please everyone, I think if we put ourselves in their shoes, we could imagine feeling disrespected and disregarded by the people we cared for and thought we could trust. I’m not here tonight to blame anyone—I know our schools have done so many great things to improve—I’m here tonight to present a case for “reconciliation”, because even if our community has the character, courage, and humility, like I know we do, to truly forgive past offenses, there simply can be no moving forward until our schools also have the character, courage, and humility to truly take responsibility, apologize, and make changes. I believe “reconciliation” would go a lot farther in funding our schools and healing our community than changing the percent or terms of our levy, or amount and size of our yard signs ever could. In the end, treating people like people is free—showing an apology to teachers, staff, and community members would be powerful and free. And if our school board can approve hundreds of thousands of dollars in roof repairs after our levy failed the third time, I think we can figure out how to find the money, whether in operational funds or grant dollars, to reestablish facilities closer to areas like Martinsville and simply restore their dignity. I believe if we prioritize repairing relationships, we will not only fund our schools, we will heal our community. But we need you, our school leaders, to do the right work, and things will work right. Relationships are the way. So I thank you for hearing my case for “reconciliation”. ❤️

The 2023 HomeTown HoliDazzle Parade in Wilmington, Ohio was a spectacular event that filled the streets with joy and holiday cheer. Local families and guests lined the streets, bundled up in warm winter attire, as they eagerly anticipated the arrival of Santa Claus himself!

Pet lovers in Wilmington will be excited to know that Pet Supplies Plus, a leading pet supply chain, has begun the process of opening a brand-new store next to Big Lots on Rombach Avenue. Construction crews are already starting to renovate the space and job postings are already starting to sprout up online for full-time cashiers and pet groomers. More information about Pet Supplies Plus' new Wilmington location, as well as their wide variety of pet supplies and job postings, can be found on their website at www.petsuppliesplus.com/store/oh/wilmington/4593-wilmington/4593.

Owner of the new bookstore The Book Nook and Other Curiosities, Rachel Collins, stops by the podcast to share all the stories of her new bookstore on Mulberry Street in downtown Wilmington. Just like any good story, there's romance, adventure, nostalgia, and more... Rachel shares about the support of her husband, the inspiration for "banned books" (and what that means), and the memories she has as a girl of her grandmother's bookstore in Wilmington. For more information, visit their Facebook page. Listen to the full podcast on your favorite podcast player below. 🍎 Apple: https://bit.ly/rcwp-apple 🤖 Google: https://bit.ly/rcwp-google 🟢 Spotify: https://bit.ly/rcwp-spotify 🎥 YouTube: https://bit.ly/rcwp-youtube 😎 Website: https://bit.ly/rcwp-website

The GMAC building at 12 N. Lincoln Street was demolished today. The property has been part of a "587 day" code enforcement case according to Annen Vance, Code Enforcement Officer for the City of Wilmington, Ohio. Vance anticipates closing all violations, as well as the entire case against property owner, Harold Roberts, tomorrow after a follow up site visit. In a Case Summary from February 8, 2023, Vance states: "Serious concerns about the conditions and ongoing dilapidation at this property, this structure has been vacant for a number of years and is full of items. Attention was brought to the ongoing vacancy and dilapidation of this structure as break-ins had begun to occur and the property was open and unsecure. The owner has been given multiple opportunities to remedy the conditions of this vacant property but to date has made no interior or exterior improvements. The ongoing vacancy, dilapidation, and interior accumulations at this property are a threat to health and safety. This case has been open for 315 days." Original code enforcement violations recommended prosecution for the following (see photos): Public Nuisance Violation Unsafe Structure Violation Vacant Structure Violation Exterior Property Maintenance Violations Interior Property Maintenance Violations Fire Safety Violation Litter Violation For more information on this case, please read the following record requests: