I shot a story for Southeast Ohio Magazine this fall about a man named Joe Maroon in New Straitsville, Ohio. He organizes, plans, and pays for many of the community events and artwork around New Straitsville. Maroon recently was nominated by the Nights of Columbus and has been featured in many articles about his community service. Check out the issue of SEO this winter!

        Standing in front of the New Straitsville community gardens on October 12, 2012, Joe Maroon prides himself in the first layer of his soon-to-be three tiered community garden. Maroon created the community gardens as a way for the people of New Straitsville to work together and have a space to grow foods. The community gardens are separated by different members from New Straitsville and are always open to the public.

         Joe Maroon stands on the side of Main Street in New Straitsville, Ohio, admiring the flowers he helped a group of younger girls to paint. Each flower in the road and over curbs show a breast cancer awareness flower. The girls also painted several benches around the town.

         Admiring the new flags he has made, Joe Maroon and his brother Don stand in the shed on Main Street in a room full of Maroon's Christmas and Valentine's decorations for the city of New Straitsville on October 12, 2012.

         The veteran's memorial, orchestrated by Joe Maroon, has a special wall listing many names of soldiers lost in combat. At the top of the memorial are the names of former presidents who have served in the United States military. The center plaque reads, "Lest we forget freedom is not free remembering and honoring all veterans."

         Looking in through the broken glass of a storefront window on Main Street in New Straitsville, Ohio, on October 12, Joe and Don Maroon are disappointed to see the damage of last night's break in. "I do these community service projects to keep the kids out of trouble," Joe says about his service.

         Sharing a pepperoni pizza from Papa Tom's Pizza in New Straistville, Ohio, on October 12, Joe Maroon, left, talks to his brother Don Maroon. Because New Straitsville is such a small-town communty, Joe knew everyone who came in during their meal and even offered his friend Bob some of his pizza to go.