Mrs. Moeller’s Apple Pie

Likely nearing the end of it’s life, a lone apple tree struggles with its last years on the eastern edge of Moeller Park. While I’m not sure exactly where the Moeller farm house sat, I envision the Moeller children of generations past picking the very best ones for Mrs. Moeller’s pies.

Apple orchards were nearby as well, at one time, as the Hanford family’s orchard now lies within the boundaries of Merion Village. Were they acquainted? Is the apple tree in Moeller park a remnant of the families’ relationship?

Thinking of the possible scenarios, I pondered how apples might fit into the future of Merion Village’s event calendar. Apple pie? Apple cider? Apple crisp? A couple new apple trees in Moeller park? Then I thought about an apple pie competition.

Warkworth, Ontario is a small town 2.5 hours east of Toronto and I’ve been there multiple times, but one of the most memorable times was during the Perfect Pie Contest. Entering it’s 29th year in 2008, this competition brings the community together for an event that turns grandmothers and granddaughters into cut-throat competitors, all in the name of community fun. There’s also a category for the men, and even a local artist crafted a nifty little rendition of Mockingbird Pie.

I thought some more and realized that an apple pie competition would be a perfect event to host at the Crafters and Artisan Market scheduled for October 4th.

Opening the event to people outside of Merion Village would draw more folks to the Crafters and Artisan Market, offering greater exposure to the neighborhood. We could bring in local food bloggers such as Jim of CMH Gourmand, Lisa from Restaurant Widow and Heather from Sopressata. They could be the judges, or perhaps find a story about one of our neighbors for their blogs. Whatever the case, they’d bring some added media attention to our corner of Columbus.

Could it be that a lone apple tree in a small neighborhood park sparks something truly delightful for Merion Village? Might Mrs. Moeller’s apple tree be the catalyst for an annual event that draws more participants each year?

I’d like to think that it shall be.

Writers Wanted

The Merion Village blog needs help in keeping neighbors in-the-know, so consider lending a hand. There’s more going on around here than I can keep tabs on, and the eyes and ears of other residents are a good way to keep everyone up to date.

While there’s no pay involved, new writers will receive log-in access to the blog. WordPress makes publishing easy and I’d be happy to give anyone interested a quick lesson or two on how to use the on-line templates.

Drop a line to UrbanInFill < at > mac < dot > com. Tell us a little about yourself and Merion Village and we’ll get you started.