DOW Special

Born in Block Island, Rhode Island in (19--) Riker would grow to possess many qualities that anywhere else could only be shared by a group of people. After a 4-year career spent playing varsity lacrosse, Riker would graduate from Springfield University in Springfield, Massachusetts with a degree in History and would later on attain a masters in Humanities. Riker would ultimately find his calling as a college women’s soccer coach, utilizing his unique leadership skills.

After taking a personality test and receiving results that placed him in several type character categories he reassures himself, “I’m one complicated dude.”

I’m not sure if complicated is the right word. I can’t quite put my finger on it yet.

In the height of his stress, Coach Riker berates down the sideline of the field, each follicle of hair standing on end, fists clenched, either yelling at a player or, even better, giving the referee permission to card his own team. Norman Dow Riker’s coaching techniques are ones for the books.

Crazy?

Riker traveled with the Wittenberg Women’s Soccer team in 2008 across seas to Europe to prepare the women by expanding their culture and knowledge of the game and the world. While staying at a Hostel in Nijmegen, Holland, the team was woken to the shrill sound of a fire alarm ringing throughout the halls. Riker proceeded, in his worn ACDC t-shirt and plaid red boxers, to get to the bottom of who set off the alarm. He refused to believe that the team actually worshipped precious sleep and was adamant that it must have been the cause of native goods from an Amsterdam café. His concerns did not make it much past the giggles of the girls who just saw their coach in his pajamas.

“Even his wife and kids were ready to disown him at this point,” says Sara Pirozzi, a senior player on the team.

Awkward? No, still not it.

In the mean time, Riker has been raising two brown-eyed beauties, Isabelle and Sofia, to follow in the footsteps of the ladies he currently coaches. He makes a point that the Women’s team are wonderful role models for his daughters. Isabelle resembles Riker with dark, brunette, wavy hair, and deep brown eyes. Sofia is growing up to look more and more like her mother, Gabrielle, everyday, with full cheeks and a smile big enough to warm the sun.

Riker spends a lot of time caring for his family, and it shows. Whether he is running back and forth from Wittenberg to drop off and pick up his kids from school, and then cart them to practice and games, or caring and deeply loving a wife who has been battling breast cancer for years.

“She’s my better 7/8th,” says Riker.

Compassionate? Getting closer…

Jungle Jim's

A not so hidden gem of Fairfield, Ohio, Jungle Jim’s aka “Foodie Land” catches the eye with the life size wild animals outside to welcome you in for a new, different, and exciting experience in the world of grocery shopping. Founded by Miami Grad, Jim Bonaminio, the original market has been described as an amusement park for foodies. Why shop anywhere else?

The elaborate storefront guests that greet you at the door continue to decorate the 300,000 square foot market in a loud, quirky way. It makes the place feel fun and unique. At the center of the store sits a larger than life Campbell’s soup can character perched on a swing, and that is just the beginning of the many cartoons, characters, and mascots you’ll find around every corner and atop each aisle. Behind the candy shop, lives an Elvis-impersonating singing Lion, with perfectly coifed hair, purple suit, guitar – the works. And above another food aisle plays a garage type band featuring Buzz from Cheerio’s and Rabbit from Trix Cereal.

Different than other ubiquitous retail food chains, Jungle Jim’s is an unusual international market that features over 150,000 products from around the world, including more than 10,000 labels of a wine and 1,000 brews of beer, a connoisseurs dream. Their employees are just as educated on the variety as well, as we were offered advice on beer from a worker with a heavy European accent. With more than 350 employees, the food is not the only international thing in this place.

Many people travel from out of town, even out of state to purchase the hard to find products that are sold here in the market. You can become a world traveler by only visiting one place.