In celebration of the Fredericktown Tomato Show, our hosts have a special Friday Favorite – their favorite ways to eat tomatoes!
The Morning Thing Friday Favorites 9/5/25 – We love tomatoes!
MVNU Faculty invite you to the fun and interactive Education Fair at September First Friday
September First Friday’s theme is “Back to School”! MVNU Faculty members encourage you to join the focus on education in downtown Mount Vernon. Families are invited to participate in the education activity and department fair located in the Public Square. From 6pm to 9pm, you be able to visit multiple tables hosted by MVNU Departments. You and your kids will get the chance for hands-on learning and exploration. Find out more about MVNU and have some FUN this Friday 9/5 from 6pm – 9pm.
WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart talked with these professors:
Click HERE to hear their conversations.
Dr. Jose Oomman – Engineering – This department will offer tours of the newly renovated Hunter Wright Hub for Engineering and Computer Science. Stop by the basement of 18 East Vine Street.
Dr. Jon Bosley – Environmental Biology – Stop by their table to see rocks, minerals, fossils, plants and other items related to biology.
Dr. Dawn McKee – Communication Sciences and Disorders – Stop by and pick out a gently used book and a children’s book about stuttering. Find out about MVNU’s Speech Therapy Services.
Dr. Rachel Young – Social Work – Their table will focus on self-care! Stop by to pick up your own self-care bag!
Professor Amy Dubusky – Education – Stop by their table and make an origami bookmark. You can also sign up for a book giveaway and a book bundle.
Dr. Deb Garee – Nursing – Stop by their table and pick up a sensory bag filled with health care items. They will also be giving away gently used children’s books.
Don’t forget to stop by Big Blue and see talk to students in the Communication & Media (Digital Media) Major. You can be part of a live broadcast, sign up for a great prize basket and sing our Birthday song!
We will see you and your family this Friday from 6pm – 9pm in downtown Mount Vernon!
2025 Fredericktown Tomato Show Underway
The 2025 Fredericktown Tomato Show runs Wednesday through Saturday.
WNZR’s Eric Brown spoke to various members of the board about some of the events at the show.
Click HERE to hear all the conversations.
- Chris Well has been with the Fredericktown Tomato Show for 48 years. She oversees the little Miss Tomato Show and the Plate Auction, and she shares a bit of info about what that is as well as what she does with them. She goes into detail about the plate auction, its theme this year is America’s pastime, and how important it is for the continuation of the Tomato show.
- Lesley Ruggles has been a board member for the tomato show for 12 years; she is the director at large for the show. She is also in charge of the Baby Crawling contest and shares a bit about the fun event.
- Michael Maggard oversees the big wheel races and bathtub races. She talks about why it’s important for you to have a driver’s license.
- Todd Lindeman has been with the tomato show for 4 years. He is one of two directors in charge of the parade, and he talks about some of the logistical challenges to run a parade; he also talks about the 1.6 mile route for the parade. He talks about what he’s most looking forward to during the show this year
- Cale Grubb also talks about the rides and the fact that a recent project opened up the possibility of bringing bigger rides to the event.
Click HERE to find out more about the Fredericktown Tomato Show.
It is NEW Student Move In Day at MVNU!
WNZR joins MVNU’s celebration of New Student Move In Day.
We talked with Campus leaders about this special day and their goals for the 2025-2026 Academic Year.
MVNU’s Director of Residence Life, Sarah Mowry
MVNU’s NEW Executive Director of Enrollment, Jon Nicholas
MVNU’s VP of Student Life, Dr. Matt Spraker
MVNU’s VP of Spiritual Life and Church Relations, Dave Mills
MVNU’s Assistant Director of Traditional Enrollment, Ben Slater
082225 Friday Favorites – Sandwiches!!
For this weeks Friday Favorites, we honor National Sandwich Month! The Morning Things hosts are sharing their favorite homemade sandwich to enjoy!
Praisestock is here!
WNZR gets to talk with Ben Staats and Dave Ewert from the team at Praisestock! They share with us all of the information on this year’s Praisestock event. There will be speakers, worship, ministries you can visit, and a ton of events for kids! Your not going to want to miss this year’s event.
To learn more about Praisestock’s mission and their annual event, click HERE!
WNZR gets to speak with some amazing people about the 5th year anniversary Dog Fountain Exhibit!
Marcy got a chance to speak with some very special people: Jen Odenweller from Friends of the Dog Fountain, Wynne Morgan from The Annex, and Alisagrace Raynak who is an artist that participated in the exhibit! They all talked about the famous dog fountain and the amazing exhibit that is being shown right now downtown. Go check out the Schnormeier Gallery and The Annex downtown to get in on the fun!
MOUNT VERNON, Ohio — Twenty-seven dog-fountain-inspired artworks from 16 community artists are now on display at the Schnormeier Gallery. The Dog Fountain Exhibit is the Friends of South Main Plaza’s free community art show, running from July 28-August 28, 2025 at the Schnormeier Gallery, in celebration of the fifth anniversary of downtown Mount Vernon’s beloved dog fountain.
The special community anniversary celebration also involves an additional fountain-inspired exhibit in the making at The Annex, where community members can visit and create their own dog masterpieces to be placed around a large watercolor fountain created by Annex instructor and professional painter Jim Leitz.
This free community art show honors the whimsical spirit of South Main Plaza, home to hand-painted, cast aluminum sculptures of 18 dogs, one cat, two pairs of birds, a pony, an apple, and the cherished golden dog bone. Recently voted “2025 Best City Street Art in Ohio” by Midwestern Traveler Magazine, Mount Vernon’s dog fountain has been a joyful community hub where residents and visitors have gathered over the past five years for friendly conversation, memorable photos, and creative inspiration.
The exhibit is made possible through the collaboration of Schnormeier Gallery, The Annex, and the Ariel Foundation — partners in the Friends of South Main Plaza initiative. Special recognition is given to Phil and Mary Samuell of Gambier, the original visionaries behind the fountain. Inspired by the late Claude Cormier, the internationally renowned landscape architect who designed the original Dog Fountain in Toronto’s Berczy Park, the Samuells brought their dream to life in Mount Vernon through a unique community partnership.
About Schnormeier Gallery Located at 221 S. Main St., Mount Vernon, on the first floor of MVNU’s Buchwald Center, Schnormeier Gallery is dedicated to showcasing diverse artistic expressions. The gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 1-5 p.m., Friday from 1-7 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Admission is free, and all are welcome to experience the transformative power of art in this vibrant community space. For more information, contact the Schnormeier Gallery at artgallery@mvnu.edu.
About The Annex Located in a restored storefront at 12 E. Gambier St., Mount Vernon, The Annex is an extension of Kenyon College’s teaching museum, The Gund. Through programs informed by The Gund’s growing permanent collection, we reimagine what it means to “learn with art” as a community. We invite neighbors, families, students, and lifelong learners to discover new connections to art, ideas, and each other through free workshops, creative activities, and events.
More information about the Mount Vernon Music and Arts Festival!
Xander got to talk multiple members of the Mount Vernon Music and Arts Festival Board! They tell us about their involvement with the MVMAF and give us details on different events that are going on this year. They also tell us some advice and what they are looking forward to. This is going to be an amazing event and a special year!
Come on down to the MVMAF and see all these great events!
For more information click HERE!
080825 Friday Favorites – our favorite things to happen this week!
For this weeks Friday Favorites, our hosts kept it simple. They shared their favorite things that happened this week and try to stay appreciative for the current moment!
WNZR talking with members of the MVMAF Board!
Marcy got to chat with two wonderful women, Debbie Ruggles and Noella Nzishura, both are members of this years Mount Vernon Music and Arts Festival Board!
Debbie tells us about the different vendors they will have at this years festival, as well as the many food options there will be.
Noella describes how great it is to be a volunteer and she highlights her journey from volunteer to board member. She will also be participating in the West African Percussion performance on Saturday at 4pm!
For more information on the festival, click HERE!
Rise and Shine 