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Joy of Medina County Magazine | December 2023
Carvil Cool holding court as the unofficial greeter.
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Bob Davis, left, and Harold Arndt
Sweet Notes story and photos by Amy Barnes
re you looking for a place to go where there is friendship and camaraderie openly offered? Where they will be happy to see you, even though they have never seen you before? Where kids are welcome and there is no alcohol served, only simple meals, pie and music to enjoy, sing along with or even dance to? A place where you can talk one-to-one with the musicians of the band about going on stage? Jump in and jam with a band in one of the backrooms and you could end up on the stage yourself! Back in Joy of Medina County Magazine’s June 2019 issue such a place was featured, and despite the challenges of the COVID shutdown and the continuing challenge to publicize the event with no budget, it has continued, although it is no longer once a week and the admission price has increased. Now once a month, in an oasis of a world that some say has gone crazy, musicians and others gather in Lafayette United Methodist Church to share an evening of good-natured ribbing and musical performances worthy of professional stages. Admission is now $5 per person, an increase from $3 per person, but it keeps the lights on and the doors open for the newcomers, loyal fans and the musicians who are looking to get time to perform.
Serving up the chow are, from left, Roger Broggini, Linda Bertram and Ellyn Cool.
Dinner offerings still include hot dogs, slaw dogs, sloppy joes, and more with occasional changes for special meals. There is still a dessert table overflowing with donated desserts and a basket for donations to help cover the expenses of the evening. There are still three small paper bags that sit on the stage steps for the raffle. Ray Cool, one of the unofficial greeters for the event and one of its most loyal supporters, died on October 27, 2023 at the age of 85. His brother, Carvil Cool, despite recent health challenges, has continued to attend and robustly greet attendees. Although Tammy and John Papik have stepped back from the event they helped found, Joyce Davis still sits at the door collecting donations and her husband, Bob, still oversees the flow of the bands and the raffle prize drawings. The next evening event will be January 12, 2024, dinner is served 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and the music starts at 7 p.m. To check for cancellation due to weather or further information, go to https://lafayetteumc.com/. To see the original story about the event and the how one of the founders was a nationally known bluegrass performer, look for the June 2019 issue of Joy of Medina County Magazine in Medina Public Library’s Historic Archives, or find it online at https://tinyurl.com/3w8appfp.
Joyce Davis running the admissions table.
