Homerville Swiss Steak Dinner and Community Theater

Saturday evening Joyce was the guest of friends from Homer Township who invited her to attend the Homerville Ruritan Swiss Steak Dinner and a theater production of Westward Ho, a musical about the West. Joyce enjoyed both the dinner and the musical because the musical reminded her of summer vacations spent with her aunt's family in North Platte, Nebraska. Joyce was accompanied by her son Brannon Laybourn. Her husband, Judge James Kimbler, was busy attending a fundraiser for A Special Wish Foundation.

Seville Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast

Joyce attended the Seville Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast held at the Seville Methodist Church on Saturday, March 29, 2014. She joined her neighbors, Tom and Pam Atsma, along with her husband, Judge James Kimbler. Medina Attorney David Sheldon, who is a candidate for Medina County Probate and Juvenile Judge also attended this event.

St. Ambrose Fish Fry on March 28, 2014

Joyce and her husband, Judge James L. Kimbler, attended the St. Ambrose Fish Fry on Friday, March 28. St. Ambrose holds a fish fry every Friday during Lent. The interesting thing about the St. Ambrose fish fry is that it gives customers a choice of either fried fish or baked fish. The fish fry was very well attended. Below are pictures from this event.

Joycemobile at St. Ambrose

Joyce with her niece Johanna Hoffman who loves fish fries

People enjoying the fish at St. Ambrose Fish Fry

California Dreaming with Medina Creative Housing

Joyce and her husband, Judge James L. Kimbler, attended the California Dreaming fundraiser for Medina Creative Housing. Medina Creative Housing assists people with disabilities to live independently. MCH sponsors a greenhouse and a coffee store to help raise money for its activities. Live music was provided by Phil Dirt and the Dozers which included songs from the 1960s by the Beach Boys, the Four Seasons, and others.

Joyce at Nick Hanek's Fundraiser

Saturday afternoon Joyce attended the Nick Hanek for State Central Committeeman campaign event in Lafayette Township at the Krabill Shelter. Guests included Joyce's husband, Judge James L. Kimbler, Medina County Prosecutor Dean Holman, and Attorney David Sheldon, running for Medina County Probate-Juvenile Judge.

Joyce Campaigns at Bring On Brunswick on March 22, 2014

On Saturday, March 22, 2014, Joyce was at Bring On Brunswick, a yearly event featuring exhibits from businesses and non-profit organizations that are located in or near Brunswick. The exhibits included a huge inflatable globe owned by Cuyahoga Community College. The neat thing was that you can go inside the globe and look at it from the inside out. 

Buzzard Day in Hinckley Ohio

Joyce and her husband, Judge James Kimbler, went to the Buzzard Day Pancake Breakfast in Hinckley Township. The breakfast featured sausage made by Five Star Meats that are thought to be made especially for the Buzzard Day breakfast. The breakfast has been serving people for the last 57 years. It is sponsored by the Hinckley Township Chamber of Commerce. You can learn more about the breakfast by clicking on this link. 
According to a website celebrating the return of buzzards to Delaware County,  turkey vultures, the breed known as buzzards, can migrate as far south as South America or as close as Kentucky. Some of the turkey vultures will continue north into Canada. One breakfast worker said that the Hinckley Township turkey vultures return to Ohio from Kentucky. No matter where they come from, though, their return heralds the coming of spring for Medina County!

First Night Celebration in Wadsworth, Ohio on March 15, 2014

Joyce at the First Night Celebration in Wadsworth for the Wadsworth, Ohio bicentennial celebration kick-off. This year is the 200th anniversary of the founding of Wadsworth. There are events planned for the whole year. In the first picture on Joyce is standing next to a painting done by elementary school students.  In the second picture she is talking to Bruce and Julie Batey of Wadsworth. Julie was just elected to the Wadsworth Board of Education and serves on the Medina County Housing Authority Board of Directors. The event had such paintings throughout the downtown area.

Joyce at the Valley City Fire Department Pancake Breakfast

Joyce wrapped up her weekend by attending the Valley City Fire Department Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, March 9, 2014. Her granddaughter, Kirsten Kimbler, and her granddaughter's friend, Cora, accompanied her and her husband to the breakfast. The Fire Department served blueberry as well as regular pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, fruit cocktail, juice and coffee.

Joyce at the Let's Make a Difference Dinner and Dance on Saturday, March 8, 2014

After visiting the Medina Home and Garden Show, Joyce and her husband attended the Let's Make a Difference Dinner and Dance at Williams on the Lake. Let's Make a Difference was started by Michelle Powell several years ago and tutors children from the Union Square Apartments in Medina. It has made a big difference in these children's lives. There has been significant grade improvement and motivation toward doing well in school. The program teams with teachers from Clegget School. It is a 501 (c) (3) organization so donations are tax deductible if you itemize your taxes. The organization is also looking for volunteers. You can learn more about this organization by clicking here.

Besides meeting wonderful people and helping a great cause Joyce and her husband were winners of two gift baskets that they bid on and a hand-made maple table which Jim won in a silent auction. It was a great night all the way around.

Joyce at the Medina Home and Garden Show

Saturday, March 8,2014, Joyce visited the Medina County Home and Garden Show at the Medina County Fairgrounds' Community Building. The plantings were very impressive. She talked to several of the vendors including the owner of the Top Hat and Tails Chimney Sweep who went to Cloverleaf High School with her husband, Judge James Kimbler. Here are some pictures from that visit:

Joyce at the Medina County Faith in Action Mardi Gras Event

Joyce and the "Joycemobile" along with her husband, Judge James L. Kimbler, attended the Medina County Faith in Action Mardi Gras event on "Fat Tuesday", March 4, 2014, held at the Weymouth Country Club. The event featured samplings of New Orleans cuisine prepared by local restaurants.  It was a very good event for a very good cause.

Joyce at the Feeding Medina County Bourbon Street Event on March 1, 2014

Joyce and her husband, Judge James L. Kimbler, attended the Feeding Medina County Bourbon Street event on March 1, 2014 at Weymouth Country Club. The event raised money for Feeding Medina County which is a charitable organization with the mission of making sure that no child or senior citizen goes hungry in Medina County. The director of Feeding Medina County is Sandy Calvert.

Joyce's guests for the evening were Rev. Sharon Alberson and her husband Ramsey Alberson. Sharon is an associate pastor at the Medina United Church of Christ and is a long-time friend of Joyce's. Joyce and Sharon knew each other as teenagers and attended the same university in Missouri. Sharon is a gifted musician as well as a minister. She has written musicals based on themes of faith and redemption. It was a great event and a very nice evening.

Jazz band playing at the Bourbon Street Event. The event was called "Jazz and Art on Bourbon Street"

Joyce at the event

Joyce and Rev. Sharon Alberson talking before dinner

Artist Kari Fry drawing a caricature of Joyce and her husband Jim at the event. 

Joyce and Sharon at dinner

Kari's caricature of Joyce and Jim. 

Joyce at Michael S. Kovack's Eagle Scout Ceremony

On Saturday, March 1, 2014, Joyce and her husband, Judge James L. Kimbler, attended an Eagle Scout Court of Honor for Michael S. Kovack. Michael is the son of Medina County Domestic Relations  Judge Mary Kovack and Medina County Auditor Mike Kovack. Judge James Kimbler was one of the speakers. For his community service project, which an Eagle Scout candidate must complete, Michael arranged for tutoring between student musicians from the Medina Senior High School and sixth-graders from Medina Middle School. He did this because budget cutbacks had led to a situation where one teacher was in charge of educating all of the sixth graders who were taking music and learning to play instruments. Michael will be attending college this fall and majoring in music education.

The invocation of the Court of Honor

Michael, his mother, Judge Mary Kovack and his maternal grandmother

Joyce waiting to speak to Michael at the conclusion of the ceremony

Joyce, Judge Mary Kovack and the Scoutmaster for Troop 501. Troop 501 is the largest troop in Medina. It has produced 17 Eagle Scouts. 

From left to right: Attorney Ralph Jocke, Attorney Pat Walker, Medina County Auditor Mike Kovack, Michael's aunt, Michele Boyd and her husband. 

Joyce Takes Painting Class at Wadsworth Cool Beans

On Saturday, March 1, 2014, Joyce and her son, Brannon, took a break from campaigning by taking a painting class at the Wadworth, Ohio Cool Beans cafe. They worked on a still life of a coffee cup. Their instructor was Neil Wertz who is the owner of All Fired Up in Copley-Montrose area. The class was called Coffee and Canvas.Below is a picture of their paintings: