What I miss most about Malvern, OH

In the village of Malvern, Ohio, there’s an overwhelming feeling of community. Within that community, there are two types of people: those who will probably die in Malvern, and those who would rather die than stay in Malvern for another second. I’m one of the former, because I have a lot of pride in my hometown. Now that I’m away at college, there are several things about my hometown that I miss.

Food

Anyone that has lived in Malvern for any amount of time will tell you that the Dairy Queen in the middle of town is the lifeblood of most Malvernians. Unfortunately, the Dairy Queen always closes for the winter, which leaves some people feeling empty in more ways than one. The other restaurant that endured throughout the years is the Hornet’s Nest. This restaurant borrows its theme from the local high school’s mascot – The Malvern Fighting Hornets. The best part about this restaurant? It’s cheap, so you can actually afford to go there with your friends from school.

Local Businesses

There are a few businesses in town that still provide good jobs for high school students now that the brickyards are no longer in operation. You could always stop in Wood’s Grocery Store and get a doughnut and Powerade for $2 or less. Many high school guys would work there as a bag boy or back in the deli. As for the girls, almost everyone seemed to work at the Dairy Queen at one point or another. This meant that when you bought food around town, it was likely that you would see someone that you knew working.

Small town feel

Everyone knows everyone in Malvern. No matter where you go, you’ll probably see someone that’ll ask you about your family. On top of that, there’s always some “news” about other families that may or may not be 100% true. However, one of the more well-known families that come to mind are the Tuccis. Despite being a well-known family, it always seemed that no one could agree on how to pronounce the name. Some said, “too-see” others said, “tooch”although it is definitely, “too-chee”.

Malvern High School 

This school is one of the oldest buildings in town that is still used. The building holds grades K-12, so many siblings were able to ride the bus to school together. The senior class’ pictures are displayed throughout the school, starting with the class of 1928. Most people who attended this school also have children or grandchildren that walked the same halls.

Lake Life

I was a lake kid, which meant I was obligated to invite people to the lake so they could go swimming in the summer. After you gathered all your friends, you’d go to the beach and swim out to the floating platform about 30 feet from the shore (because that’s where the cool kids would hang out). During the winter, you would still assemble your friends, but go to the hill by the marina and sled all day instead.

High School Sports

High school sports brought the village together, especially during playoffs. During football and basketball seasons, the streets of the town would be completely empty, and all of the Malvernians would pack into the stands to cheer on the Hornets. During one of the playoff basketball games, the Malvern fans were so loud that the players actually couldn’t hear the refs blow the whistle after a foul. This led to an open court dunk my a Malvern senior, which resulted in a continuation foul and the Malvern fans getting even rowdier. Some athletes at Malvern have gone on to play basketball, football, baseball, and softball at the collegiate level.

Local Legends

The local legend of Malvern was the tale of the Lake Monster. According to the story, there was a large turtle-like creature that lived in the lake. The creature was allegedly big enough to sink boats that ventured into the open water. Some said it was created during a chemical spill, others said that it was a dinosaur that never evolved. Neither story made sense, but it was always fun to try to scare your friends if they believed you.

Although it’s not the most exciting town in the world, I love Malvern, OH. The small town feel that I get when I’m home is something that I want everyone to experience. I have a lot of pride in Malvern, so much pride, that I actually take the time to tell people I’m from Malvern, and then explain where that is relative to more well-known cities.