Yellow Springs kicked off the beginning of 2020, as always, with the traditional ball drop overseen by Lance Rudegeair; MTFR personnel handed out hot cocoa, and at least one marriage proposal greeted the new year.
The Reach Out Free Clinic, which was held each Tuesday evening at Central Chapel AME Church, celebrated a year of operation in early January. The free, donation-based clinic, a satellite location of Reach Out Dayton, closed due to the pandemic in March; the Dayton location shuttered permanently later in the year.
Nan Harshaw, longtime chair of the MLK Day Planning Committee, was awarded the annual Peacemaker Award at the 2020 Martin Luther King Day celebration. The late Willa Dallas was also recognized for her civil rights efforts and her role in initiating the annual local event.
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The Winter Solstice Poetry Reading will feature eight poets reading for eight minutes each. Organizers hope the event promotes healing after a trying year.
This year’s theme is “The Healing Earth.”
Poet and emcee Ed Davis says he picked that theme because it’s been a stressful year with the pandemic and a contentious presidential election.
“I’ve always thought of poetry as spiritual,” Davis says. “A few memorable words can really go a long way towards healing people.”
The reading has been moved online, but Davis says that’s allowed them to book a diverse group of readers, from first time performers to Ohio Poet Laureate Kari Gunter-Seymour.