Dr. Snowflake makes the cut

Yunju Seo of Bowling Green admires the snowflake produced by her daughter Somin Jin, 6, as they attend a workshop led by Dr. Snowflake at the Imagination Station in downtown Toledo.

The Blade/Andy Morrison
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Yunju Seo of Bowling Green admires the snowflake produced by her daughter Somin Jin, 6, as they attend a workshop led by Dr. Snowflake at the Imagination Station in downtown Toledo.

Every Christmas, Kathy Bercher decorates with laminated paper snowflakes made a decade or so ago when Dr. Snowflake gave a demonstration at the Toledo Museum of Art.

Kerri Bercher, the Oregon woman's daughter, didn't make the festive crafting session. So when the Cleveland State University student learned there was going to be a demonstration at Imagination Station by Dr. Snowflake -- actually Dr. Thomas Clark, a retired University of Michigan orthopedic surgeon -- she wanted to go.

PHOTO GALLERY: Dr. Snowflake at Imagination Station

Nine family members trekked to downtown Toledo's science museum for the demonstration Tuesday, although they had mixed success with making snowflakes featuring intricate designs with folded paper and scissors. Dr. Snowflake, er, Clark led people through the process several times, reiterating the most important part of the process was folding the paper correctly.

"We all came really to see Dr. Snowflake, but of course, we're enjoying the rest of it," said Miss Bercher's uncle, Rick Chapman of Cary, N.C., of Imagination Station.

A snowflake on display made by Dr. Thomas Clark, a retired physician from the University of Michigan, who is know as "Dr. Snowflake, " at Imagination Station, Tuesday.

His college-student daughter, Elizabeth Chapman, and other relatives got a good laugh after viewing one of his attempts. Instead of a circular shape with evergreens, Mr. Chapman made a square with indistinguishable cutouts. "This is crazy," Mr. Chapman said as he followed Dr. Clark's instructions again. "And I'm an engineer."

The chance to make paper snowflakes, along with an exhibit of Dr. Clark's work, is one of several ongoing seasonal activities at Imagination Station. The exhibit, called "Grandma's Garden," has snowflakes with designs of flowers, plants, and insects, as well as holiday-themed snowflakes made by Dr. Clark.

Dr. Clark spent two hours Tuesday demonstrating how to make paper snowflakes, a decoration typically and more simply done by grade school students. He picked up the craft after noticing snowflakes completed by an UM patient in the waiting room.

Imagination Station visitors also can grow snow using a polymer that holds up to 100 times its weight in water, find the freezing point of water, vote on their favorite gingerbread creations made by Penta Career Center culinary students, and on weekends try liquid nitrogen ice cream. And at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Monday, professional yo-yo player Jake "YoJake" Maloney will perform and share the secrets of his skill.

Dr. Thomas Clark, a retired University of Michigan orthopedic surgeon, points out shows where to make cuts.

During 6-year-old Maxx Hoffman's first visit to Imagination Station on Tuesday, the Columbus boy and his father, Patrick Hoffman, used scissors and a hole puncher to make snowflakes featuring snowmen and evergreens. The Hoffmans were visiting family in Kalida, Ohio, for the holidays.

"I like making them," Max said after they joined back up with his mother, Mary Beth Hoffman, and 4-year-old sister, Leah Hoffman.

Contact Julie M. McKinnon at: jmckinnon@theblade.com or 419-724-6087.