VAN Wert

I make that VAN Wert joke literally every time I am in Western Ohio with the Mobile Express. No exceptions.

I mention Van Wert because we had another successful clinic there and the Northwest Regional Coordinator, Gayle Loyola, was nice enough to take a picture of four of the counselors (myself included).

Me, Erin, Lima VISTA Mary, Toledo VISTA Kylee

Uh, guys? What I am going to do about my hair? This is unacceptable. I look like Win Butler.

So it's still tax season and we remain busy, busy, busy. Last year, it was considered a great event if Erin and I had four clients each. This year, that's just par for the course. Even in underpopulated areas like Monroe County, our hands are full.

We're noticing that we're getting more and more sophisticated tax documents. The aforementioned Ms. Loyola told me that back in the day, tax forms didn't get much more complicated than multiple W-2s. Now we're seeing more and more interest, pensions, dividends, and other miscellaneous forms of income. We're reaching a wider swath of Ohio taxpayers and I couldn't be prouder.

Hypothesis: Since we're getting more and more people who aren't getting huge refunds, we are going to see more and more people who need to get their taxes done in late-March and April. We'll be ready.

So. Many. Taxes.

I'm writing this from a hotel room in Van Wert, Ohio. This follows overnight trips in Montpelier and Oberlin. I am collecting an impressive array of tea and conditioner.

Since it's been so long since we've last talked, I thought I'd turn this into a grab bag of van fun.

1. So far my favorite travel story happened in the aforementioned Montpelier in Williams County. The county borders both Indiana and Michigan so it's quite the haul. I stayed there once last year. The hotel is haunted. It's basically The Overlook. Dimly lit, lots of corners, patterned carpet, and a weird empty conference area in the middle. I've been telling everyone about how much it's like The Overlook. I was weirdly excited about it. So when we check in, guess what room I get? HINT. If I ran into a set of twins I would have gone into shock.

2. Erin and I are proud to report that every single event we've been to has been successful. No duds here. I mean, if there were duds I probably wouldn't write about them, but you can take my word on this. Every event has been a hit.

3. I'll admit I'm personally disappointed that I haven't had any gigantic tax returns this tax season. The best part of taxes is telling someone in your best game show host voice that they're getting a return of $8,000. I can't pretend I'm Bob Barker if the return is less than a thousand bucks.

4. Erin and I also want to thank Emily Forsee. Ms. Forsee is an Americorps volunteer who works out of our home base in Columbus. Emily has organized over a dozen clinics across Columbus to help people file their taxes. That on it's own deserves kudos. But an added benefit for the Mobile Team is that going to these events keeps us in Columbus. I can't imagine how roadworn and weary we'd be if it weren't for the occasional clinic in our home county. Staying in Columbus every now and again keeps fresh for these trips to Van Wert.

So that tackles the past two weeks or so. The calendar is still chock full all the way into late-March. Anyone have any good vacation destinations for April 16th?

Sidney, VAN Wert, and County Courthouses

(You see what I did there?)

The Mobile Express made an overnight trip to Western Ohio and both events were quite successful.

On Tuesday, I took the Van out to Sidney, the seat of Shelby County. We had been to Sidney before to work with ex-offenders and we were to do the same this time around. Our first trip was much more personal as we spoke to people after they left meetings with their parole officer. This trip was a horse of a different color as that same parole officer, the wonderful Rick Harmon, created more of an event atmosphere the second time around.

And man did that change yield some positive results on our end. We were busy. In three hours we had completed over a dozen applications and spoke to 20 people in need. It was fantastic.

The next day was spent in Van Wert, the seat of - you guessed it! - Van Wert County. The entire county is unrepresented by the Ohio Benefit Bank-- Zero sites. The closest ones are 20 miles up the road in Paulding. Our Northwest Ohio Regional Coordinator, Gayle Loyola, was hosting a presentation about the Benefit Bank to local non-profits and she wanted us there to show them the awesomeness of the Mobile Express. We were happy to oblige.

One thing that struck me about Van Wert and Sidney and Bellefontaine (which we drove through) are the absolutely ridiculous county courthouses. I'm sorry, Ohio, but these things are tacky.

First we have Bellefontaine's:


And let's follow up with the courthouse in Sidney:


That building looks like a crazed dollhouse.

Finally, Van Wert:


This is probably the worst offender since Van Wert is a fairly tiny place. Why does it need to try so hard?

Now, let's contrast these with the courthouse in my home county, Barnstable County, Massachusetts.


Ah. Home sweet home!

That humble old-timey courthouse covers a population 1.85 times the population of those three Ohio counties combined.

Obviously the Ohio courthouses happened and getting rid of them isn't plausible or necessary and they would be really neat if there wasn't one just as gaudy one county over. I just wonder what the heck Ohioans were thinking when they built these things. It seems very nouveau-riche; like Ohio was so happy to be a statewhere no expense was spared. And that is how you end up with McMansions of the courthouse architecture community.