A: Monday is the usual day for me to do trash pickup. The whole park gets picked up, with Goodale St and Park St being the worst offenders. It not really that messy considering the heavy and varied usage there. I also am bed captain of one of the pond beds, and I come on work Saturday's and help out as needed.

Q: Why do you enjoy volunteering for the Friends of Goodale Park?

A: I enjoy the opportunity to return some of the thoughtfullness that those who came before me left for me to enjoy. It is sort of an escape from the everyday endeavors where we can reset our self worthness clock.

Q: What are your favorite things about Goodale Park?

A: The favorites would be the Blue Gill fish in the pond and watching them follow me begging for food. The ducks are fun to watch and how the mom guides them along the path to independence. I enjoy going to the park for people watching and quietness.

Q: Have you always lived in Columbus?

A: I spent years 1948-1952 active duty in the Navy, 9 months in electronics school in Great Lakes Ill, 9 months at the Naval Air Station Key West Fla. and 2 and 1/2 years in Korea and Japan. After I moved to Columbus, I spent 3 years in the Marine Corps Air Reserve which at the time was at the Columbus airport. I lived north of Granville, in Licking County in a rural area in half-cape on 5+ acres, on which I planted a large vegetable garden and also many black walnut and pine trees. Then I lived in Worthington for a while. Now I live in Westminster-Thurber.

Q: What made you decide to come to live at Westminster-Thurber?

A: I came to Thurber primarily for the sense of community I see here. There seems to be a sense that most of the residents here are at peace with themselves. Most are here because they want to be, that is, they made the decision themselves, and not someone making the decision for them. Besides, this is the best deal in the area anyhow. The management here appears to really care about the well being of the resident. It helps to have the essentials and entertainment handy and accessable too.

Q: You're involved in helping to grow a garden at W-T, too?

A: Yep. I built some raised beds on the roof. Soil was ordered. We had hoped they'd deliver it to the garden, but they dropped it off outside. It could have been a real problem getting these 40 pound bags up to the roof. Thankfully, it was carried up by the maintenance staff. It needed some additional organic matter, but the beds should be ready for next springs plantings.

Q: Gardening isn't your only interest, is it?

A: I'm a licensed HAM radio operator. My station call letters are KA8RTI and I'm still installing the equipment in a a storage area on the roof. You can see the long wire antenna extending East-west that is now installed. I also used to enjoy woodworking. I built all the furniture for my last house. Much of it I had to get rid of to downsize to my current apartment. Here are some of the pieces I've made that I still have.