Bonnett's Book Store in the Chicago Sun-Times

Dave Hoekstra is a staff writer for the Chicago Sun-Times. During a working baseball-themed trip to Ohio he happened upon our humble store. Mr. Hoekstra was intrigued enough to remember and mention us in his Ohio baseball story.

After his visit here I checked out the Sun-Times site looking for his work. It's good, interesting stuff, no matter where you're from. He travels a lot a writes about the places he's been. You can find his bio, the baseball story mentioning Bonnett's Bookstore and other stories here. He might even inspire your next vacation!

I once had a layover at O'Hare (ca.1997). During the wait I explored the airport, encountered my first Starbucks ever, and found a doorway outside where I could see a line of cabs and all the people waiting for them. That's when it hit me that I was in a Big city; The Second City, The Windy City, Chi-town, The City of the Big Shoulders... it's mere nicknames known worldwide! I've wanted to go back ever since.

We admit being a bit giddy at having impressed a Chicagoan, as I'm sure you've already noticed. It's another thing showing that Dayton, Ohio, The Gem City, is, as it's own nickname implies, still a treasure! When's the last time you found a completely random meeting of a Tricab, Power Bocks (the spring-loaded stilts), a bagpipe player, and a folding bike all in one place?

Hauntfest 2010 info

A lot of folks still refer to the annual Oregon District Halloween Party in Dayton, Ohio by it's older (and more fun) name, Boo-N-Brew or Boo and Brew. For a few years now it has officially been called Hauntfest. Now that's out of the way. Here's the skinny -

Hauntfest is on Saturday, October 30th (or 30st*) and is an all-ages event. Minors must be accompanied by adults. You must be 21 years of age or older to purchase drink tickets and consume alcohol.

• 5 PM - E 5th St between Patterson Blvd & Wayne Ave, including the 5th & Wayne intersection will be closed to traffic so Hauntfest set-up may commence.
• 7 PM - Hauntfest Opens! Admission is $5.00 until 10 PM.
• 7 PM-1 AM - Be immortalized! Strike a pose and smile and/or snarl for the cameras.
• 10 PM - Admission to Hauntfest increases to $10.00
• 12 AM Midnight - Beer ticket sales end. Stock up on tickets early!
• 12:30 AM - Beer trucks close. It's a party! Share any extra tickets with your friends!
• 1 AM - Hauntfest officially ends. Get thee home, or to thy favorite tavern. And don't forget your Designated Driver!

Enjoy!

*In troubled economic times, money saving efforts are always a good idea. A little was saved this year by re-using last year's street banners. The date on the banners was corrected by painting a zero over the number 1 to make 31 become 30. Unfortunately, the suffix on the dates wasn't corrected to go along with the numbers, so at least some of the banners read "Oct 30st" instead of "Oct 30th". Just one insignificant and slightly humorous way that too much cost-cutting can go wrong. Which reminds me... Please, vote YES on Issue 9 to renew existing Montgomery County Human Services funding. Voting No will only serve to increase hardships on those with special needs (mental and physical help, employment services, etc) of all ages - the loss of such help and services will have a ripple effect throughout the Miami Valley. Vote Yes on Issue 9. If you think things are tough now, wait until this existing help comes to a screeching halt. Vote YES on Issue 9, the Montgomery County Human Services Levy Renewal.

New York Burlesque returns to Dayton!

Check out my other blog, BonK! for info, video links, and more!


"Dangerous Curves Ahead: Burlesque on the Go-Go!"

Thursday, May 20 at 8 PM at Gilly's Jazz Night Club

just $10.00!

Calling all Santa Clauses, Elves, Reindeer, etc...

SANTA PUB CRAWL
and COSTUME CONTEST
Saturday 12/12/09, 6:00p-2:00a
WEAR A COSTUME for NO COVER CHARGE at the bars!

Benefiting the United States Marine Corp "Toys for Tots" program
and Montgomery County Children's Services

Bring a $10.00+ new toy (no wrapped gifts please) OR make a $10.00+ donation at Dublin Pub (6:00p-7:30p) or the The Trolley Stop (7:30p-8:30p) to join in. If you've dressed in the Holiday Spirit you can take part in the Costume Contest at Blind Bob's (8:30p-10:00p)

BTW, I'll have my camera handy if anyone wants to stop in at Bonnett's and have a picture taken on their way to the costume contest.

More info below this 2009 Santa Pub Crawl Preview courtesy of Dayton Access Television (DATV)

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If you're up to it, after the costume contest, your next stop is The Tumbleweed Connection [aka Tumbleweed or The 'Weed] (10:0p-11:00p). After that it's The Oregon Express (11:00p-Midnight) and for the die-hard it's on to George Newcom's Tavern [aka Newcom's] or Ned Pepper's Bar & Grill [aka Ned's] (Midnight-2:00a)

It doesn't matter if you're a Grinch, a Who from Whoville, Ebenezer Scrooge, a Christmas Spirit, Jack Skellington, Santa Claus, Oogie Boogie, Frosty the Snowman, Snow Miser, Heat Miser, Rudolf the Red-Nosed or any of dozens of Reindeer and Elves, this is gonna be a good time for all!

For more information on this and other Dayton events visit these official sites:
The Oregon Arts District website
The Downtown Dayton Partnership

A collection of Hauntfest 2009 photos now online

From 2009 Hauntfest

http://picasaweb.google.com/khbonnett/2009Hauntfest?feat=directlink

Hauntfest on 5th 2009 (formerly Boo-N-Brew) in the historic Oregon District of Dayton, OH

The Wright Brothers | Military Use of the Airplane

From the website of the National Air & Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institute
Found via Twitter.com/airandspace

The Wright Brothers | Military Use of the Airplane:
"First fatality On September 17, 1908, with Army observer Lt. Thomas O. Selfridge on board, the airplane experienced a mechanical malfunction involving one of the propellers and crashed. Orville was severely injured and Selfridge died, the first fatality in a powered airplane. Orville would resume the flight trials after his recovery."

Dayton Broadcasters Hall of Fame

On September 12th, 2009 a fresh batch of local on-air talent from Dayton, Ohio's radio and TV history were inducted into the Dayton Area Broadcaster's Hall of Fame. Among them was the late Gene "By Golly" Barry. I'd had the opportunity to meet him on a couple of occasions because he and our grandfather, Harold Bonnett had been friends for years. They shared a love of good music and I've been told they would occasionally get together to enjoy some jazz cuts. When you're done taking a look at these, take a look at the Dayton Broadcast Hall of Fame for a trip through a little bit of Dayton's broadcast past.


This is Gene on the air during a remote from... ? Clearly it's not in the station, unless the station serves Schlitz. That's Grandpa Harold over Gene's right shoulder. Naturally, Gene's the one with the mic and cans.










Here's Grandpa Harold and Gene in Gene's record shop, right off N. Main St., across the street from Forest Park Plaza, a stone's throw from where Peaches Records used to be. I can't remember the name of Gene's shop, but it was a nice place to pick good stuff.

And, as Gene would close his shows, "Bye bye. Buy bonds."

First Friday Full Moon - keep your pants on

This is a link to my personal blog.

First Friday (9-4-09) is a Full Moon. I'm fond of Lunar photography and I thought it might be fun to try and photograph busy urban scenes including the full moon. Come on down and give it a try. Feel free to stop in here at Bonnett's and say Hi. I'll probably be trapped inside all night, but I'd love to see what you come up with.

I've created a flickr group for anyone who wants to share their work afterwards.

Keep Your Pants On! First Friday Full Moon, Dayton, OH
http://www.flickr.com/groups/kypo/

Have fun!

Bonnett's Directory of Dayton's "Oregon District"

The other day I posted a list of places to go and things to do on East Fifth Street. I mistakenly left out a few of our friends on Wayne Ave. (coming from the Convention Center, turn right at Fifth & Wayne):

• Easterling Portrait Studios - (you need a Team portrait to commemorate the Championship)
  
• Kendall Printing - (Wayne & Van Buren - need to make copies of your awards for friends and family?)
  
• Coco's Bistro - (a great place to eat and relax)

Also, one BIG update! Our friends at Derailed Hair Salon are mentioned in the August 2009 issue of ELLE for their participation in the magazine's "Best Hair in America" poll, in which ELLE sought out the most requested celebrity hair styles across the U.S. of A. Stop by and say "Hi".

Finally, here's a (renamed) link back to the original post with the majority of East Fifth Street attractions:

• =[BONNETT'S]= Quickie Tour of Dayton, Ohio's Oregon Historic & Arts District

Enjoy your stay in Dayton!

Oh, one more thing... The Oregon District is Dayton's oldest neighborhood and features a lot of excellent photo ops.

Not your average dictionary

If you're a word junkie you've already got the standard reference books, and we do, too. Here are a few titles you might not have stumbled upon - available now at Bonnett's, just a few blocks walk East of the Dayton Convention Center (we're across the street from a Goodwill store):

10 Minute Guide to Building Your Vocabulary
Dictionary of Geological Terms (3rd Ed.) prepared by the American Geological Institute
Dictionary of Word Origins
Getting Your Words' Worth - Discovering and Enjoying Phantonyms, Gramograms, Anagrams and Other Fascinating Word Phenomena
The Joy of Vocabulary - An Advanced Guide to Mastering New Words
Names & Nicknames of Places & Things - An A-t0-Z compendium of culture
Phonetics [because sometimes it helps to sound out a word]
Super Word Power - More entertaining ways to enrich your laguage skills.
Tuttle Dictionary of New Words Since 1960 (1991 edition)
Webster's New Explorer Medical Dictionary
and, of course, much, much more...

Bonnett's Books & The Oregon Historic & Arts District

SCRABBLE® is a word game.
Bonnett's is a book store.
We'd make a great team!

We'll be open extra hours during the National Championship, including special Sunday hours, but it will depend somewhat on the flow of business. Call us before you make a special trip down, just in case.

Bonnett's is just a short walk from the Dayton Convention Center. When you leave the Convention Center main entrance just turn right and head down Fifth Street. On the way you'll find some Dayton legends:

[We hope you'll enjoy your time in Dayton for the National SCRABBLE Championship. To help you find your way around we've got a list here with links of places to go and things to do during your down time. As always, call ahead to help avoid any disappointments.]

• The Neon Movies (would you like a cold beer with your popcorn?)
• Smokin' Bar-B-Que (gooood stuff - I go for the pulled pork sandwich)
• Gem City Records (music, DVDs - check out the USED bins)

If you cut through Gem City Records' parking lot you'll find

• Jay's Seafood on Sixth Street (fine seafood and more at great prices) and
• Thai 9 on Brown Street (excellent Thai food, sushi, and 9 levels of spicy, I stick to a 4 or 5)

or stay on Fifth to visit

• The Oregon Express at 5th & Brown (free pizza Friday happy hour, live music)

turn right on Brown Street to find

• Thai 9's front entrance
• Color of Energy Art Gallery (white walls, great energy, unique art)
  
• (turn right again for the front of Jay's Seafood and Powers Photography & Framing)
  

• Pacchia Cafe & Restaurant (nice meals or a cuppa and a danish, good stuff)
• CHASE ATM
  

across Fifth Street

• Cafe Boulevard & Le Monde (fine dining & cocktail bar, respectively)

meanwhile, back on this side...

• 5th St. Wine& Deli (sandwiches, snacks, beer, wine, cigarettes, etc.)
• Newcom's Tavern (a night club named for Dayton's first tavern)
• Blind Bob's Tavern (burgers & beers? stop in here! oh yeah, LIVE BAND Karaoke!!!)
• Jazzy Java (for coffee and a jam session, even poetry)
• Oregon Smoke Shop (simple and extravagant smoking implements and accessories)
  
• Feathers Vintage (for all the things you don't yet know you want)
• Exotic Fantasies (how many points for FREAKY? get yours on! Adults Only)

look across the street to find

• Ned Pepper's & The Hole in the Wall (party bar, billiards, darts, simple & sweet)

and back over here

• Glenn Scott's Tattoo Team (did you win your match, wanna remember it always?)
• Tumbleweed Connection (New Bar Smell, reborn like a phoenix from a February fire!)

again, look to the other side of Fifth

• The Annex (more for Adults Only)

and back over here...

• 464 on Fifth (Adults Only, catering to same-sex couples)

and over there...

• Goodwill (forgot to bring a belt, tie, shoes, or little black dress for the awards ceremony?)

and back again...

• BONNETT'S BOOK STORE (502 E 5th - You've finally made it! Stop and look around)
• Practice Yoga on Fifth (504 E 5th - in case the tournament is totally stressing you out)
• Derailed Hair (506-½ E 5th - spruce up for the awards ceremony)
• Gallery 510 on Fifth (508 & 510 E 5th - (ever changing art gallery and classes too!)
• Sterling Studio - (511 E 5th - specialty, handcrafted jewelry, knick-knacks, stones)

across the street you'll find

• Link Gallery (from blown glass to sketches, items for all tastes)
• Goloka Gallery (always something new and interesting)
• Ohio Budokan Karate, Sensei Jim Rodriguez (to balance mind, body, and spirit)
  

and back again (are you getting dizzy yet?)

• The Trolley Stop (a great place to chill-out with a brew, friends, food, plus live music)

which way to turn, where to go? venture down the side of the Trolley Stop on Clay Street to find

• Urban Krag Indoor Climbing Center (125 Clay St - just what it says, inside an old church, cool!)
  

back to the Trolley Stop and across Fifth Street again

• Sloopy's (dancing, party bar/night club, if you can squeeze in the door)
  

and the adventure continues across Wayne Avenue

• The Dublin Pub (Perfect Pints of Guinness and great food too)
• China Buffet (it's a buffet, full of Chinese food, plus soft-serve ice cream cones)
• Franco's Ristorante Italiano (wine, great food, an excellent wind-down meal)

Now turn around and do it all again on the way back! ;-)

The possibilities are nearly endless! Have a great time and good luck in the Championship!

Need Pulps, Pin-Ups, & Dictionaries? Give us a call!

Since there's no PulpCon in Dayton this year we'll miss seeing the familiar faces and enjoying the eccentric discussions we've had in the past. It's always been an exciting and interesting experience. We hope some of you will stop by on your way to or from PulpFest.

Pulp, Comic, & Pin-Up fans, if you've never been to Bonnett's you should plan to visit while you're nearby.

• We're considering extending our hours this weekend for the National SCRABBLE Championship here and for any PulpFest folks who might pass by, but we haven't finalized details yet.

• If you have any questions about what you can find at Bonnett's or you would like to plan a visit, call us at 937-228-1222

• Regular hours: Mon - Sat, Noon - 8:00 PM (please call during these hours for more info)
  

The dead walk the streets of Dayton

As I promised earlier, here are a few photos of the zombie walk that took place on 5th Street. I don't know if anyone did a head count but there were certainly hundreds of the 'undead' shuffling, lurching, and staggering through the Oregon District late Friday night.
I'm not the biggest fan of horror films. I've seen my share of zombie flicks, including a showing of "Night of the Living Dead" for high school English credit in a Film Criticism class. My favorites are the lighter fare, "Return of the Living Dead", the "Evil Dead" films, and "Shaun of the Dead".

Sometime in 2008 Forbes magazine declared Dayton, Ohio to be among the nations fastest dying cities. I'm not sure if there was an underlying purpose to this parade of corpses, but if Forbes was correct there certainly couldn't have been a better place for it to happen. Dayton's history is rife with innovation and invention. No one here believes Dayton to be 'terminal', so, perhaps this corpse-capade is one way to express the down-but-not-out situation at this point in time. It's worth noting that event planners called for and included fighters of the undead, heroes of the living.
The zombies stopped traffic, tormented drivers, followed buses, drooled the blood of recent victims, dropped body parts, and even spat green zombie venom... whatever that is, leaving telltale signs of their passing all along the way. It was a fun sight to see but if such an event takes place again it would be worth a few minutes of the organizers time to ask participants to recall a bit of the decorum one hopes they had while among the living. The wedding guests of the "Corpse Bride" or the ghostly couple from "Beetle Juice" would make a fair example of the polite undead.

As I said before, this was fun to watch, and, as a haunted house veteran*, I'm even inclined to participate, but as an Oregon District businessman I must say, let's not 'bloody up' the ATMs, sidewalks, doors, windows, and walls. Out-of-town visitors (of which we have more than you might expect), who don't know what's up, might not know fake blood from the real thing when it's left to dry in public spaces overnight. That kind of image isn't at all helpful to a 'dying city'.

*Northmont Jaycees for a large part of the 1980s.

Urban Nights Photos (May 15, 2009)

The latest of the Urban Nights featured another good time in the Oregon District. This short slideshow features some of the photos I was able to take. Naturally, I had to stick pretty close to the shop. These images feature the Nick Kizirnis Band and various views around the Ware Block. Check the list of links below the slideshow and be sure to look for their blogs and popular social networks. Links to our Picasa photo gallery, Facebook, and MySpace are located in the sidebar.



Downtown Dayton Partnership - URBAN NIGHTS

Loretta Puncer's GALLERY 510 on Fifth

DERAILED HAIR SALON on MySpace

PRACTICE YOGA on Fifth

DOLCESSA GELATO, PANINI, ESPRESSO on Facebook

NICK KIZIRNIS BAND / NICKY KAY

Welcome HAMVENTION; Check this out!

For a good time after Hamvention hours check out Fifth Street in Dayton's Oregon Arts/Historic District (aka the Oregon District) for food and fun that is uniquely Dayton.

Friday is Urban Nights in downtown Dayton. We'll be open until 10 PM for this event. Urban Nights is a celebration of downtown offerings. Some of our favorite destinations are on Fifth Street, park once and it's walking distance to all these Dayton originals (in no particular order):

(Search for these businesses on Google, Facebook, MySpace, etc., for up-to-date information & hours.)

• Oregon Express; FREE PIZZA (with purchase) for Friday Happy hour, live music later.
• The Trolley Stop Bar; good food, live music, and a rotating selection of quality drafts.
• Blind Bob's Tavern; the new place on 5th, for a juicy burger selection and more.
• Smokin' BBQ; try the pulled pork sandwich, or perhaps fried bologna is your mood.
  
• The Dublin Pub; excellent Irish stew, 'Perfect Pints' of Guinness, and Irish pub charm.
• Thai 9; Nine levels of 'hot' for your meal, excellent menu
  
• 5th Street Wine & Deli; great sandwiches, snacks, candy, plus carry-out beer & wine.
• Pacchia; fine dining with drinks, jazz, and a coffee shop.
  
• Café Boulevard/Le Monde; fine dining/bar.
• Jay's Seafood & Steaks; not on Fifth, but right next door. Excellent fare.
• Franco's Italian Ristorante; Italian fine-dining.
  
• Shaneak's; a quality food cart for burgers and more.
• China Buffet; a Chinese buffet.
  
• Newcom's Tavern; bar/night club.
  
• Ned Pepper's/The Hole in the Wall; bar/night club.
• Sloopy's; dance club/bar.
• VEX; dance club/bar.
• Feathers Vintage; clothing, knick-knacks, electronics, a great place for unusual gifts.
• Gem City Records; batteries, accessories, plus new & used CDs, DVDs, and LPs.
  
• The Neon Movies; independent/art house theater (2 screens).
• Jimmy Modern; vintage modern furniture, art, and more.
• Exotic Fantasies; batteries, adult novelties, and much more.
  
• and, of course, Bonnett's Used Book Store, vintage comic & magazines, recent novels, collectible & rare books, classic erotica, & more.

Also check out "A World A'Fair" at the Dayton Convention Center all weekend long. It's a celebration of cultural diversity featuring live performances, food, and arts & crafts from around the world.

We hope to see you this weekend.

Bonnett's Hours:
Friday: Noon - 10 PM for Urban Nights (normally Noon-8 PM)
Saturday: Noon - 8 PM
Sunday: Closed

Monsters of Burlesque

A bit of Burly-Q is on the way to Gilly's. Click the link to visit the "Monsters of Burlesque" web site where you'll find a link to their MySpace page.

Monsters of Burlesque
Home: "Wednesday, April 29th: Dayton
Gilly's, 132. S Jefferson Street, show at 8:00"

Tumbleweed Connection final update

During the fire, smoke filled the building. Water is everywhere. The roof at the rear of the building is gone.

I didn't learn if the front roof is damaged. Some smoke damage is visible above the balcony in the top and middle photos. A fire truck extension can be seen in the middle photo, behind the building.

The bottom photo was taken from a nearby roof behind the Tumbleweed and shows a couple of DFD vehicles including the extension.

In case you didn't know, the Tumbleweed had been serving really good breakfasts and lunches for some time. Our father, Walter, had been breakfast/lunch regular there for a long time.

Our friends and family celebrated my son, Ian's, 21st birthday at the Tumbleweed.

I don't get out much, but I've had a decent list of memorable times at the Weed with my friends and family.

We don't know the full extent of the damages or how things will go from here but, we all hope for the best and look forward to the possibility of many more good times at The Tumbleweed Connection in the future.

Tumbleweed Fire update

The smoke is beginning to die down and I managed to get this shot a few minutes ago. I hope all of this is confined to the upper floor. If so, it could allow the business to re-open quickly.

Fire at the Tumbleweed Connection

Friends of the Oregon District and, specifically, The Tumbleweed Connection (a.k.a. The 'Weed) should be aware of a fire currently in progress at that location. I'm with customers and can't get complete details.

Word from the street says the fire began in the office of the Tumbleweed. There is an awful lot of smoke and the smell has just gone from wood to rubber, which is not a good sign. I know many of the buildings here have rubber roofing.

As yet, there's no telling how this will turn out but, we wish the Weed our best and will be there to help out if we can. More details as they become available.