It was dueling Sunbeam Mixmasters at 10 paces as cooks for the morning Don Edwards and Dick Thompson poured in boxes at a time of Aunt Jemina buttermilk pancake mix.

That plus a few secrets of their own went into the batter that was the first step to turning out hundreds of pancakes for the 35th annual Rotary Pancake Day Saturday morning at the Ohio Power Company office.

Doors opened at 7 but the cooks and their crews were there a couple hours earlier unpacking 70 pounds of sausage,

pancake mix in a similar quantity, 16 gallons of milk and six gallons of orange juice. Coffee? Couldn’t be counted.

In the back kitchen as Edwards and Thompson whipped up the batter,

James Murphy put under the broiler 20 links of sausage at a time, all the while

the trio took

their cues from the pancake flippers up front as to how much they had to turn out.

By 8:15 it was a steady stream of hungry breakfasters pouring into the makeshift restaurant, taking their seats and giving orders to the Rotarians playing waiters.

For many

there this is an event they look forward to each year.

“It’s a way to help the community,” said Bob Stamper of Ironton as he finished the last two bites of a syrup-drenched sausage. “And I like the socializing. I’m retired and you get to see people you don’t always get to see.”

Throughout the dining room was the steady hum of voices broken occasionally by Boy Scouts and Rotarians offering refills on coffee or milk.

“This is for a good cause,” Laura Jones of Ironton said.

“And the Boy Scouts are doing a really good job of keeping up with the requests. It’s good to see our young people involved.”

Manning three griddles that consistently cooked up to 30 pancakes at a time were Ray Payne, Gloria Chrismer and Darwin Haynes, Rotary president.

Each one with his or her own technique on when to do the vital flip of the flapjack.

Chrismer was a bubble watcher; Haynes kept tabs on the second hand of his watch while Payne just knew he knew the right moment. And if results could talk, they all three did.

All proceeds from the breakfast go back to fund the civic club’s service projects like the recent donation of dictionaries to every 3rd grader in the county or the nursing scholarships the club sponsors, along with national and international projects.

For Justin Brooks and Adam Bryant of Boy Scout Troop 103 out of Deering, it was a chance to work on a troop service project.

“We’re here to help people. We like to help,” Justin said. “Some people don’t have time to cook breakfast on a Saturday and they can come here.”

And as he looked over the crowd, Adam could understand why they did.

“It’s a good place to eat,” he said.

By Benita Heath

The Ironton Tribune

It was dueling Sunbeam Mixmasters at 10 paces as cooks for the morning Don Edwards and Dick Thompson poured in boxes at a time of Aunt Jemina buttermilk pancake mix.

That plus a few secrets of their own went into the batter that was the first step to turning out hundreds of pancakes for the 35th annual Rotary Pancake Day Saturday morning at the Ohio Power Company office.

Doors opened at 7 but the cooks and their crews were there a couple hours earlier unpacking 70 pounds of sausage,

pancake mix in a similar quantity, 16 gallons of milk and six gallons of orange juice. Coffee? Couldn’t be counted.

In the back kitchen as Edwards and Thompson whipped up the batter,

James Murphy put under the broiler 20 links of sausage at a time, all the while

the trio took

their cues from the pancake flippers up front as to how much they had to turn out.

By 8:15 it was a steady stream of hungry breakfasters pouring into the makeshift restaurant, taking their seats and giving orders to the Rotarians playing waiters.

For many

there this is an event they look forward to each year.

“It’s a way to help the community,” said Bob Stamper of Ironton as he finished the last two bites of a syrup-drenched sausage. “And I like the socializing. I’m retired and you get to see people who don’t always get to see.”

Throughout the dining room was the steady hum of voices broken occasionally by Boy Scouts and Rotarians offering refills on coffee or milk.

“This is for a good cause,” Laura Jones of Ironton, said.

“And the Boy Scouts are doing a really good job of keeping up with the requests. It’s good to see our young people involved.”

Manning three griddles that consistently cooked up to 30 pancakes at a time were Ray Payne, Gloria Chrismer and Darwin Haynes, Rotary president.

Each one with his or her own technique on when to do the vital flip of flapjack.

Chrismer was a bubble watcher; Haynes kept tabs on the second hand of his watch while Payne just knew he knew the right moment. And if results could talk, they all three did.

All proceeds from the breakfast go back to fund the civic club’s service projects like the recent donation of dictionaries to every 3rd grader in the county or the nursing scholarships the club sponsors, along with national and international projects.

For Justin Brooks and Adam Bryant of Boy Scout Troop 103 out of Deering, it was a chance to work on a troop service project.

“We’re here to help people. We like to help,” Justin said. “Some people don’t have time to cook breakfast on a Saturday and they can come here.”

And as he looked over the crowd, Adam could understand why they did.

“It’s a good place to eat,” he said.

By Benita Heath

The Ironton Tribune

It was dueling Sunbeam Mixmasters at 10 paces as cooks for the morning Don Edwards and Dick Thompson poured in boxes at a time of Aunt Jemina buttermilk pancake mix.

That plus a few secrets of their own went into the batter that was the first step to turning out hundreds of pancakes for the 35th annual Rotary Pancake Day Saturday morning at the Ohio Power Company office.

Doors opened at 7 but the cooks and their crews were there a couple hours earlier unpacking 70 pounds of sausage,

pancake mix in a similar quantity, 16 gallons of milk and six gallons of orange juice. Coffee? Couldn’t be counted.

In the back kitchen as Edwards and Thompson whipped up the batter,

James Murphy put under the broiler 20 links of sausage at a time, all the while

the trio took

their cues from the pancake flippers up front as to how much they had to turn out.

By 8:15 it was a steady stream of hungry breakfasters pouring into the makeshift restaurant, taking their seats and giving orders to the Rotarians playing waiters.

For many

there this is an event they look forward to each year.

“It’s a way to help the community,” said Bob Stamper of Ironton as he finished the last two bites of a syrup-drenched sausage. “And I like the socializing. I’m retired and you get to see people who don’t always get to see.”

Throughout the dining room was the steady hum of voices broken occasionally by Boy Scouts and Rotarians offering refills on coffee or milk.

“This is for a good cause,” Laura Jones of Ironton, said.

“And the Boy Scouts are doing a really good job of keeping up with the requests. It’s good to see our young people involved.”

Manning three griddles that consistently cooked up to 30 pancakes at a time were Ray Payne, Gloria Chrismer and Darwin Haynes, Rotary president.

Each one with his or her own technique on when to do the vital flip of flapjack.

Chrismer was a bubble watcher; Haynes kept tabs on the second hand of his watch while Payne just knew he knew the right moment. And if results could talk, they all three did.

All proceeds from the breakfast go back to fund the civic club’s service projects like the recent donation of dictionaries to every 3rd grader in the county or the nursing scholarships the club sponsors, along with national and international projects.

For Justin Brooks and Adam Bryant of Boy Scout Troop 103 out of Deering, it was a chance to work on a troop service project.

“We’re here to help people. We like to help,” Justin said. “Some people don’t have time to cook breakfast on a Saturday and they can come here.”

And as he looked over the crowd, Adam could understand why they did.

“It’s a good place to eat,” he said.

By Benita Heath

The Ironton Tribune

It was dueling Sunbeam Mixmasters at 10 paces as cooks for the morning Don Edwards and Dick Thompson poured in boxes at a time of Aunt Jemina buttermilk pancake mix.

That plus a few secrets of their own went into the batter that was the first step to turning out hundreds of pancakes for the 35th annual Rotary Pancake Day Saturday morning at the Ohio Power Company office.

Doors opened at 7 but the cooks and their crews were there a couple hours earlier unpacking 70 pounds of sausage,

pancake mix in a similar quantity, 16 gallons of milk and six gallons of orange juice. Coffee? Couldn’t be counted.

In the back kitchen as Edwards and Thompson whipped up the batter,

James Murphy put under the broiler 20 links of sausage at a time, all the while

the trio took

their cues from the pancake flippers up front as to how much they had to turn out.

By 8:15 it was a steady stream of hungry breakfasters pouring into the makeshift restaurant, taking their seats and giving orders to the Rotarians playing waiters.

For many

there this is an event they look forward to each year.

“It’s a way to help the community,” said Bob Stamper of Ironton as he finished the last two bites of a syrup-drenched sausage. “And I like the socializing. I’m retired and you get to see people who don’t always get to see.”

Throughout the dining room was the steady hum of voices broken occasionally by Boy Scouts and Rotarians offering refills on coffee or milk.

“This is for a good cause,” Laura Jones of Ironton, said.

“And the Boy Scouts are doing a really good job of keeping up with the requests. It’s good to see our young people involved.”

Manning three griddles that consistently cooked up to 30 pancakes at a time were Ray Payne, Gloria Chrismer and Darwin Haynes, Rotary president.

Each one with his or her own technique on when to do the vital flip of flapjack.

Chrismer was a bubble watcher; Haynes kept tabs on the second hand of his watch while Payne just knew he knew the right moment. And if results could talk, they all three did.

All proceeds from the breakfast go back to fund the civic club’s service projects like the recent donation of dictionaries to every 3rd grader in the county or the nursing scholarships the club sponsors, along with national and international projects.

For Justin Brooks and Adam Bryant of Boy Scout Troop 103 out of Deering, it was a chance to work on a troop service project.

“We’re here to help people. We like to help,” Justin said. “Some people don’t have time to cook breakfast on a Saturday and they can come here.”

And as he looked over the crowd, Adam could understand why they did.

“It’s a good place to eat,” he said.