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‘A Walking Path’
MR/DD hosts dedication ceremony 
By Eddie Mowen
R-H Assistant Editor
Susan Melzer and Kylie Ann Pierson are now forever linked, although the two lived completely opposite lives.
Melzer fulfilled many dreams of becoming a wife, mother and grandmother, before her death in 2004, while Pierson, an energetic toddler before contracting a rare genetic disorder, passed away just after her third birthday on July 5, 2006.
On Saturday, May 10, the Preble County MR/DD held a dedication ceremony to honor the two at the Preble County Board of MRDD/L&M facilities at 201 East Lexington Rd. in Eaton.
A Walking Path was dedicated in the memory of Susan G. Melzer for her 20 years of faithful service and dedication to individuals with mental retardation and developmental disabilities.
“She dedicated herself to volunteer efforts on behalf of the citizens with mental retardation and developmental disabilities,” said her widower, Jerry Melzer. “She also volunteered to serve as a board member on two very important boards. The Preble County Board of MR/DD and the Developmental Training Center.”
Her interests in the disabled also led her to assist with Special Olympics and she participated in career days at schools, encouraging young people to look at a career in nursing, which was her chosen profession.
She was serving her first three-year term as a board member when her illness with cancer was discovered. Even during her treatments, she continued to be an active member of the board.
“Amazingly, she also continued to bring her wonderful sense of humor and infectious laugh with her, lightening the mood while dealing with the many difficult issues to lead the agency in its mission to provide quality services,” Jerry Melzer said. “She even attending and contributed greatly in discussion and decision making in the August meeting, before her death of Sept. 4.”
A Memorial Garden was erected in memory of Kylie Ann Pierson and her love of flowers and butterflies. It is a place for everyone to find peace, reflect and rejuvenate. Kylie’s spirit lives on in the garden to remind everyone that each day is a gift to be savored and enjoy.
Pierson suffered from Alpers Disease, a rare genetic disorder that is characterized by unstopable seizures, progressive weakness, and eventually death.
According to her parents, she appeared to be a perfectly healthy child, except for gross motor delay, until Sept. 13, 2005 when she had a massive seizure that lasted at least 12 hours, and was stopped by putting her in a drug-induced coma.
It took over three months to get her devastating diagnosis.
Kylie was part of the Early Intervention Program since she was a year old, at the Preble County Board of MRDD, which is responsible for the coordination and management of services and programs that serve Preble County Citizens with mental retardation and/or developmental disabilities.
“In her short life she taught us many things, and this garden is a reflection of those lessons,” Kylie’s mother, Hope Pierson said. “Every day, Kylie and I walked through our garden at home and she pointed out the butterflies and the birds. She picked flowers. She picked grass and she picked weeds. Some days, she picked certain rocks. Each day we never knew why one thing attracted her attention and others didn’t. But it reminds me know to look at everything differently and with an open mind. The beauty of nature and the joy of the simple things provide enrich our lives if we just take the time to see them.”
Hope Pierson said the garden is a place Kylie would enjoy.
“This garden is a place I know Kylie would love,” she said as she began crying. “It’s filled with many of her favorite things. It’s a place for the community to reflect, relax, remember and rejuvenate.”
The ceremony ended with a balloon launch, as several pink and yellow balloons were sent into the blue sky.
“We thought a balloon launch would be a really nice way to honor Kylie and to honor Susan,” MR/DD Superintendent Dianne Knupp said. “We’ve worked real hard. It’s just kind of a culmination of Jerry’s vision and Hope’s vision and it’s not the end. We will continue to add to it and grow. We have lots of visions for the future for it to continue to grow.”
The garden and walking path have been made possible through volunteers and donations. The board operates under federal, state, and local statute and rules to provide its services.
“We’ve not used county board funds,” Knupp said. “We’ve done it all with donations and volunteer efforts.”
Knupp said Kylie and Susan are now forever linked.
“They are connected by this program,” Knupp said. “Susan being an advocate for people with disabilities and Kylie being someone who received services here. This was one way of tying it all together. I think it’s pretty cool you’ve got an adult and a child who brought this together. Families brought families together, too. Folks who wouldn’t have any other common bond.”
Jerry Melzer said there have been good and bad days since his wife’s death.
“As most of you know, when you lose a loved one who has been a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a step-mom, a grandmother, a step-gammaw, and an aunt Sue-Sue, a nurse, a board member, and your best friend, you have good day and bad days,” Jerry Melzer said fighting back tears. “This is a good day.”
Kylie Ann Pierson Memorial Garden & Susan Melzer Memorial Walking Path Dedication Ceremony, Saturday, May 10, 2008. 11:00 a.m.
"Kylie always loved her parents garden with all its flowers and butterflies." Hope Peterson, Kylie's mother further states "What better way to honor her life than with a public garden? Thanks to the Preble County MRDD, Kylie's Garden has become a reality." Located at Lexington and North Maple Street next to the L&M Product Co. in Eaton, the Garden will be open to the public in Summer, 2007. |
On Tuesday October 31, 2006, Hope Peterson met with Diane Knupp, Superintendent of the Preble County Board of MRDD, and they have formalized the plans to develop the Kylie Ann Pierson Memorial Garden on our property located at 201 E. Lexington, Eaton, OH.
The Board of MRDD recently installed the Susan Melzer Memorial Walking Trail behind their building. The center of the 1/8 mile meandering paved track is a perfect site for our garden and we are looking forward to providing a beautiful backdrop to walkers. Our future plans for the site matched Hope's visions for Kylie's Garden exactly. MRDD is so pleased to be working with Hope, who has graciously allowed us to honor Kylie by realizing the garden dream Hope has visualized for Kylie.
The Preble County Board of MRDD is responsible for the coordination and management of services and programs that serve Preble County Citizens with mental retardation and/or developmental disabilities. The board operates under federal, state, and local statute and rules to provide these services. Kylie was part of their Early Intervention Program since she was 1 year old.
The walking track and garden will provide a safe location for Early Intervention play groups as well as provide the adults we serve an interesting and beautiful respite.
For more information on progress of the garden and plantings please visit the Memorial Garden portion of Kylie's website at www.kylieslife.com
A.S.K.
ASK, Advocating for Special Kids, will be hosting a summer get-together on Saturday, July 26, from 1 to 4 p.m., at Lakengren Beach in Lakengren. The event is open to all special needs kids and their families in Preble County. All attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy the beach, swim in the lake, take a pontoon boat ride (wheelchair accessible), picnic or buy a snack at the at the Lodge snack bar. Families and youngsters will also have the opportunity to socialize with other families.
ASK is a group of parents and families dedicated to learning more about the issues as they relate to families who have children with MR/DD. The group holds meetings the last Wednesday of every month at noon at the Preble County Engineer’s Office, 1000 Preble Drive (off Lexington Road) in Eaton.
For additional information about the Lakengren Beach outing or the ASK group, call Jan Kaye at 456-5978, Pat Coleman, 962-25438 or Betsy Morrison, 456-5891.
For Immediate Release Contact: Corey Mangan
Public Relations/Community Development Manager
(937) 456-5891 or (937) 456-7141
cmangan@preblemrdd.org
7 O’CLOCK BOOKIES and ART SPOT CLUBS SET TO BEGIN
Eaton, OH. November 19, 2007… Ever thought of joining a book club or an art club but just can’t find the right fit? Or, how about the idea of joining a club that allows you to volunteer your talents and work with individuals with a disability? Here’s your chance to do both and possibly get an early start on a 2008 New Year’s Resolution.
Beginning Monday, Dec. 3, L&M Products, 201 E. Lexington Road in Eaton, will be the site of a weekly book club called “7 O’clock Bookies.” This is for individuals with or without disabilities ages 13 and up. From 7 to 8:30 p.m., everyone will read a book and discussion will follow. Supervision will be provided by qualified volunteers. The “Bookies” will be reading American literature, classic novels, books about history, poetry, science fiction and others. The cost is $2 per session and the group will continue to meet every Monday (except during the holidays).
Then, beginning on Tuesday, Dec. 4 and continuing every Tuesday after that (except during the holidays), L&M Products will be the site for the “Art Spot” group. These fun and artistic individuals will be painting, drawing, sculpting, sewing and making crafts. It is open to everyone ages 13 and up. The cost is $5 per session and that includes art materials and snacks. Each session will run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and will be supervised by qualified volunteers.
Parents/providers will be asked to complete a release form on the first night of participation. Snacks will be provided for both groups.
For additional information, please call Holly Comley, L&M Products Recreation Coordinator, at (937) 456-7141 or at (937) 533-6929.
The Preble County Board of MR/DD serves more than 270 individuals with MR/DD while L&M Products, Inc., the Adult Services Division of the PCBMRDD, serves more than 100 adults. Individuals receive vocational training in a variety of specialized services to meet the needs of businesses and organizations. Through its workshop, enclave workforces and individuals working at community jobs, L&M consumers produce quality work and gain a sense of pride about themselves. L&M also provides habilitation training that focuses on enhanced quality of life through increased independence.
Preble County Art Association and Preble County MRDD team up for Art Show
Eaton, OH. February 29, 2008… Artistic talent comes in all walks of life. This will be even more evident when the Preble County Art Association and the Preble County Board of MR/DD (PCBMRDD) team up for an art show to be run throughout March.
In conjunction with MRDD awareness month, the Preble County Art Association has graciously extended an invitation to individuals with disabilities to display their artwork with other talented artists throughout the area. The art exhibition will be held at the Preble County Fine Arts Center, 601 Hillcrest Drive, Eaton. The gallery is open Tuesday through Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.
Pieces on display will come from youngsters in the Board’s Early Intervention program (ages birth to three), high school age artists and from adults who attend L&M Products, Inc., the adult service division of the Preble County Board of MR/DD.
Under the theme, “ Success ─ when doors open we succeed", the PCBMRDD and other related organizations invite everyone to consider the true meaning of this year’s theme, “Success!”
Statewide and across the nation, organizations devoted to serving individuals with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities are planning special events in March, similar to this art show, to raise public awareness of the many abilities people have, regardless of disability.
“Success!” encourages people to bring diversity to their communities by welcoming people with disabilities into local neighborhoods, workplaces, houses of worship and schools.
"This is a time when our organization focuses on encouraging the public to better understand the individuals we serve," said Diane Knupp, superintendent, Preble County Board of MR/DD. “During ‘MR/DD Awareness Month,’ we encourage people to learn more about the 277 people in our Preble County community who have disabilities. For example, when you see a child who uses a wheelchair – see the child, not the disability. And when you see a man with mental retardation working at a local restaurant, see the man, not his disability.”
Earlier this month, the Preble County Commissioners passed a proclamation declaring March as MRDD Awareness Month.
The Preble County Board of MR/DD serves more than 277 individuals with MR/DD while L&M Products, Inc., the adult services division of the PCBMRDD, serves more than 100 adults. Individuals receive vocational training in a variety of specialized services to meet the needs of businesses and organizations. Through its workshop, enclave workforces and individuals working at community jobs, L&M consumers produce quality work and gain a sense of pride about themselves. L&M also provides habilitation training that focuses on enhanced quality of life through increased independence.
For additional information about the art show, please call the Preble County Art Association at (937) 456-3999 or the PCBMRDD at (937) 456-5891.
Progress Lies in History of the Past and Opportunities for the Future. Preble County Board of MRDD Celebrates 35 th Anniversary
In conjunction with the celebration of Preble County’s 200 th anniversary, the Preble County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (MRDD) is proud to be celebrating its 35 th anniversary this year.
In 2007, County Boards of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities celebrated its 40-year anniversary. On October 25, 1967, the Ohio General Assembly officially established a County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities in each of Ohio’s 88 counties via Senate Bill 169.
From its beginning of institutions with limited community options to a system today with numerous community options and approximately 80,000 individuals served, the Ohio County Boards of MRDD system has come a long way.
Diane Knupp, superintendent of Preble County Board of MRDD, said: “During the past few years we have witnessed significant changes in Ohio’s MRDD service delivery system. As new leaders, significant changes have occurred in the way services are delivered and constantly growing numbers of Ohioans seeking services all have created enormous challenges – challenges that county boards strive to meet every day.”
In celebration of the Preble County Board of MRDD’s 35 th anniversary, the agency is sharing its local history with area residents.
PCBMRDD traces its beginnings to a grassroots effort by parents who wanted an education for their sons and daughters with developmental disabilities. For about a century, through 1950, parents of children with developmental disabilities in Ohio had two choices:
1) They could send their child to a large state institution to receive services, giving up daily contact, or 2), they could raise their child at home doing whatever they thought was right. Parents in Ohio continued to seek help for their children – for their education and for a better life. In 1952, the Association for Retarded Citizens (ARC) was founded. The Association’s first duties were as advocates, developers, organizers and providers of transportation to children with disabilities. The ARC continues today in many counties throughout Ohio.
County boards have come a long way. Parents have supports they never had in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Parents relied on one another and volunteers to provide their children with services. Some parents had to travel out of county for their disabled child to receive services. When parents united to develop a local program for services they were typically held in a church basement during the early years.
In July 1967, as a result of Senate Bill 169, Ohio established County Boards of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities known as “169 Boards”. These are the forerunner of today’s Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.
Locally, the Preble County Developmental Training Center was established by parents of multi-handicapped children who could not be appropriately educated in the existing educational facility. By establishing a training facility within the county, children had the opportunity to benefit from modern training and facilities without being removed from their beneficial influences for their home and community environments.
The Developmental Training Center provided individualized training programs for Preble County children, birth through age 21. The Center opened in February 1971 with five children in a church basement.
The adult workshop, now known as L&M Products, Inc., was originally located at 113 South Cherry Street in Eaton. It was established by the Preble County Board of Mental Retardation in November 1972 and began operations service for 14 individuals.
The Preble County 169 Board held its first meeting in January1973. By 1979, the number of individuals receiving services had grown to 41. In 2008 the board has grown to serve 276 Preble County residents with mental retardation and developmental disabilities.
In June 1978, a levy was passed to support the operations and that would become the first local tax dollars used to support local residents with mental retardation. This levy supported the growth of services for what has now become better known as L&M Products, located on the corner of Lexington and Maple streets in Eaton.
Today, the early childhood program provides services to 34 infants while seven children are on the waiting list for services. Early intervention services are provided in a family-focused playgroup and home settings emphasizing parent participation. Children in the program range in age from birth to three. Children are provided opportunities to develop physically, emotionally, socially and mentally to their fullest potential. The early intervention program works in conjunction with Help Me Grow through the Preble County Health District; as well as the Ohio Department of Health regarding the evaluation and assessment process for infants and toddlers.
The Service and Support Administrations (SSA) Division works to help people with disabilities and their families identify the services and supports they need to function as independently as possible. SSA staff are available to assist eligible individuals age three and older. For each person served, the SSA staff assesses needs, facilitates development of the support plan for the person, helps individuals select service providers, monitor to make sure needed services are received and provide crisis intervention 24 hours a day.
L&M Products provides employment opportunities for adults with disabilities through contracting with local businesses. It is a full-service manufacturing resource that provides assembly, inspection, labeling, packaging, project management, sorting, document scanning and records destruction through working with local industry. Adults with disabilities who work at L&M Products also have the opportunity to participate in other activities based on their interest. L&M offers a senior program for those who are of retirement age and no longer wish to work but want to remain active. An adult day activities component was developed in 2007 to address the needs and interest of individuals whose emphasis in not work and they are too young for the seniors program.
L&M Products currently partners with two local industries providing manpower through an enclave work group in their businesses supporting their production needs. Henny Penny Corporation and L&M Products have a 12-year relationship while Parker Hannifin Corporation is the newest partnership, developed in 2007.
Approximately 98 individuals access transportation services to get to and from L&M Products and community job sites. The MRDD board runs five bus routes daily, logging over 120,000 miles annually. Transportation services provide individuals with mental retardation an opportunity to work, recreate and access their community. This further supports the agency’s vision to provide the best possible opportunity for individuals with mental retardation and/or developmental disabilities to have the kind and quality of life he or she chooses.
March of each year is set aside as “MRDD Awareness Month” throughout the state of Ohio. The goal is to increase the public's awareness and understanding of people who have mental retardation and other developmental disabilities so that these citizens will have increased access in our communities to employment, education, housing and social opportunities.
This year the theme is:
Success! When doors open ─ we succeed.
I may have a developmental disability but I can vote,
I can volunteer, I can be a neighbor, I can work, and I can be a friend .
MRDD Month in March offers an opportunity for taking a crucial step toward improving the quality of life for people with developmental disabilities. It is, after all, often attitudinal barriers that affect everyday life for individuals with disabilities. In addressing those barriers, fears and negative attitudes can be replaced with awareness and understanding. Further supporting the Preble County Board of MRDD’s mission to support individuals with mental retardation and/or developmental disabilities to live, learn, work, and socialize as they choose by “Creating Opportunities for a Lifetime”.
Preble County’s MRDD service delivery system has come a long way and is very proud of its 35-year history of providing services to families in Preble County who have individuals with mental retardation. The Board looks forward to serving Preble County’s children and adults with developmental disabilities for many years to come.
L&M Consumers Making A Major Impact in Preble County
Used with Permission of the Register-Herald, Eaton, Ohio
First published February 22, 2006
The Preble County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities has been administering a variety of programs and comprehensive services to meet the needs of its adult consumers for the past 33 years.
“We want to provide new opportunities for all of our consumers (workers) and to introduce more Preble County citizens into the workforce,” says Diane Knupp, Superintendent, Preble County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. “Also, we’re working to increase employer awareness about our untapped labor force.”
The agency is continuing to secure contracts for its sheltered workshop, L&M Products. Currently, several businesses are taking advantage of the dedicated workforce at L&M by contracting for a variety of services. Businesses (at press time) include (but are not limited to) Magnode Corporation, Nite Lites, North American Nutrition, Rohm and Haas and Vandor Corporation. Consumers do such jobs as light assembly work, packaging, operate small machines, collate, shrink packaging, inspection, mailing and more.
L&M’s highly competent staff promotes the rights and capabilities of its 104 consumers with an emphasis on people first and disabilities second.
“Our consumers have proven their abilities by producing great results and they work hard at their jobs,” says Ben Hollinger, Director, Adult Services. “Companies that contract with us are thrilled with the production and quality of work. Our consumers, whether it be individuals in the community, the enclaves, or those in the workshop, have proven to be a great asset to area businesses.”
L&M has enclave workers at Henny Penny Corporation and Hueston Woods State Park. Also, the agency has a cleaning crew that services the Preble County Engineers Office, the county’s mental health offices, Preble County MRDD offices and L&M Products.
By continuing its training and programming, more consumers will have the opportunity to maximize their potential and acquire the daily living skills needed to live and work independently. L&M Products – “Serving Individuals with Disabilities by Putting People First.”
Profile:
L&M Products
201 E. Lexington Road
Eaton, Ohio
(937) 456-7141
Established: 1973
Type of Business: Adult Sheltered Workshop
Operated by: Preble County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities
Length of Time in Community: 33 years
Number of Employees: 143
Senior Staff: Ben Hollinger, Director, Adult Services
Contact: Corey Mangan, Tonya Peffly – 456-7141
Special Olympics...
"Let me Win, but if I cannot win, Let me be brave in the attempt
Special Olympics 2006 |
Summer Games |
Photos Courtesy of Corey Mangan |
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