The BEACON Feb. 2020

INSIDE 

The BEACON 

The availability of broadband services 

is playing an increasingly more 

significant role in today’s economy. 

What was once viewed as an amenity 

has now become a utility, one that 

everyone counts on. The Southeastern 

Indiana Regional Planning Commission 

(SIRPC) has been working for 

over a year to assess the state of the 

broadband infrastructure in nine counties 

in Southeast Indiana. Their goal, 

through the efforts of a task force, is to 

raise awareness of gaps in service. The 

counties represented by the efforts of 

SIRPC are Dearborn, Decatur, Franklin, 

Jefferson, Jennings, Ohio, Ripley, 

THE 

BEACON 

www.goBEACONnews.com | PUBLISHED MONTHLY SINCE 1994 | February 2020 

Region Addresses Broadband Infrastructure 

Shelby, and Switzerland counties. 

Broadband, otherwise known as 

internet access, provides connections 

at a faster rate than dial-up services. 

Connections differ by the technology 

provided. 

One service is a digital subscriber 

line (DSL) that allows for the transfer 

of data over traditional telephone lines. 

Another, the cable modem, transmits 

data over coaxial cables used to supply 

cable television. 

Fiber-optic service transmits data by 

converting electrical signals to light 

and sending it through glass fibers. 

The result is service that is significantly 

faster than either DSL or cable 

service. 

Other services such as fixed wireless, 

satellite, and broadband over 

power lines (BPL) are greatly affected 

by placement, weather conditions, or 

are an emerging technology. These services 

were not considered in information 

gathered by SIRPC. 

SIRPC has compiled a study detailing 

the state of broadband. According 

to Susan Craig, executive director of 

SIRPC, “While every effort to accurately 

reflect broadband availability 

has been made, the analysis 

Continued on page 3A 

Going Pro 

Trevor Brunner excels on the 

American Motorcyclist Association 

(AMA) Flat Track circuit. 

(Photo by Mia Moore-Flat Track 

photographer) Page 1B 

A Spanish Influence 

The Nunez Martin family enjoy all 

that the community has to offer. 

Page 4B 

The Magic of the Season 

Discovering Santa’s helpers, from 

reindeer to reindogs, in Aurora. 

Page 6B 

PRSRT STD 

U.S. POSTAGE 

PAID 

CINCINNATI, OHIO 

Permit No. 9714 

Volunteers Tina Pannone, Lawrenceburg; Rita Baer, 

Aurora; and Wanda Grimes, Manchester. 

Mike and Sherry Costello, West Harrison 

Dexter 

and 

Charlotte 

Coleman, 

Aurora. 

Ken, Sean, and Cherie Maddin- the family who 

made being alone on Christmas a thing of the past. 

By Maureen Stenger 

On a cool December afternoon, I walked along Walnut 

Street in Lawrenceburg, looking for the United Way of 

Southeast Indiana office. I was eager to meet with their 

director, Karen Snyder, so I could get a better grasp on 

what exactly United Way does. I knew they did good things 

throughout the community, but I did not know much more 

than that. United Way of America is a nonprofit organization 

with some roots tracing back to 1887 in Denver, 

Colorado, where Frances Wisebart Jacobs and other 

religious leaders formed the Charity Organization Society. 

The society sought to not only help people in need but also 

address the cycle of poverty by investigating the reasons 

why people were struggling. I learned from Ms. Snyder 

that that philosophy has carried over to this day as United 

Way seeks to not only improve people’s lives but also to 

empower them. 

Karen Snyder has been with United Way since 2007. She 

explains, “I truly enjoy working for United Way, bringing 

groups together and working toward improving the lives 

every day in Southeast Indiana.” As a Dearborn County 

resident since 2003, she shared with me she treasures being 

able to partake in work that helps the community she not 

only resides in but so loves. She explains that the United 

Volunteer 

Ron Sweeney, 

St. Leon. 

One Vision 

Touches 

So Many 

The thoughtfulness of one 

family changed the holidays 

by creating Christmas with 

Friends. In a matter of weeks, 

the outpouring of support 

for the event was staggering. 

Neighbors came from near 

and far to enjoy each others’ 

company and share the spirit 

of what makes 

our community great. 

Wayne Browning, 

Rising Sun. 

Zoning Ordinance 

Change Rejected 

The Dearborn County Plan Commission 

has proposed changes to the county 

zoning ordinance ranging from principally 

permitted uses in agricultural 

and residential zones to the definition 

of kennels and manufactured homes. 

While most of the proposed changes 

are designed to clarify descriptions 

and improve comprehensibility, one in 

particular deals with the minimum size 

of housing units throughout the county. 

Article 25, Section 2564 addresses 

manufactured and mobile homes. The 

text in Section 2564 has been deemed 

to be potentially unclear and conflicting. 

The current wording of Section 

2564 is: Manufactured homes shall be 

permitted in any area zoned for singlefamily 

or duplex homes if the home 

was designed and built in a factory 

and bears a seal certifying that it was 

built in compliance with the federal 

Manufactured Housing Construction 

and Safety Standards Law of 1974. 

Six limitations are listed in Section 

2564. Changes to two of these limitations 

were proposed. The first limitation 

reads: The manufactured home 

must be constructed after January 1, 

1981, and exceed nine hundred fifty 

(950) square feet of occupied space. 

Seven of the eight Plan Board 

members approved an amendment that 

reads: The manufactured home must be 

constructed after January 1, 1981, and 

exceed four hundred (400) square feet 

of occupied space. 

Another limitation currently states: 

Manufactured homes not meeting the 

terms above shall be permitted only 

after receiving a Conditional Use 


United Way- Bringing the Community Together 

December United Way Southeast Indiana Action Council 

back row- Patty Baker, Karen Snyder, Alan Weiss, Jill 

Ruether, E.G. McLaughlin, Liz Morris, Jim Scott, Laura 

Rolf. Front row- Jill Timon, Virginia Sinkhorn. 

Way organization, through its campaigning, raises funds to 

help start and support programs that meet the needs of the 

community. The mission of United Way “leads and mobilizes 

the caring power of individuals and organizations to 

help people measurably improve their lives.” 


THE BEACON 

PO Box 4022 

Lawrenceburg, Indiana 47025 

HOME 

Promoting connections with youth, 

their families, and the community. 

www.yeshome.org 

Ad courtesy of Glenn Scholl, insurance agent. 812-637-3700

Page 2A THE BEACON February 2020 

By 

Tamara 

Taylor 

Oh the Things 

One Can Learn... 

For those of you who don’t 

know me personally, let me 

assure you that I am not shy. 

This gift has opened so many 

doors and provided such 

exciting opportunities over 

the years. Recently I accompanied 

a dear friend to lunch 

in Covington. The restaurant 

was located in an up-andcoming 

neighborhood filled 

with restoration, renovation, 

and new businesses. As we 

enjoyed a wonderful lunch, 

a stately gentleman sat at 

the table near us. He was so 

composed as he sat and read a 

newspaper that I was immediately 

curious about his profession 

and what brought him 

to this eclectic part of Covington. 

Of course, the urge to 

find out got the better of me, 

and I introduced myself to 

the gentleman. Never in my 

wildest dreams would I have 

ever imagined that he was 

none other than the mayor of 

Covington, KY! Wow. 

Mayor Meyer was gracious 

enough to chat with me about 

the struggles and accomplishments 

that Covington is experiencing, 

many of which were 

remarkably similar to those 

in our community- especially 

concerning the development 

of new housing for all ages. I 

thanked Mayor Meyer for his 

time. I walked away, wondering 

how much we could learn 

from each other if the cities, 

while different in many ways, 

shared the trials and successes 

that have been experienced 

in their respective communities. 

With knowledge comes 

power. 

The moral of the story- do 

not hesitate to say hello or to 

compliment someone. You 

will certainly make that person’s 

day and may even have 

an unexpected brush with 

greatness. 

Years ago, I was blessed 

with becoming friends with 

Carolyn Sutton who lived on 

Sutton Hill in Aurora. She 

was a very kind, calm woman 

around whom you just had to 

smile. She had a BEAUTI- 

FUL collie who “introduced” 

Carolyn to me during her 

jaunts through downtown 

Aurora. Carolyn and I shared 

many delightful conversations 

throughout the years, thanks 

to that collie! 

Imagine how thrilled I was 

to learn that my caption for 

the painting of the star on Sutton 

Hill was erroneous in the 

last issue. The painting was 

actually done by Tom Ward, 

another wonderful member of 

our community. He had presented 

it as a gift to Carolyn! 

I had no idea since I had only 

seen its likeness on the front 

of Mayor Hasting’s Christmas 

card a few years before. The 

realization of my error led to 

remember so many wonderful 

times with both Carolyn and 

Mr. Ward. 

Neighborhoods change, 

families grow, and community 

members leave their 

marks. But one thing remains 

constant- the good intentions 

of those in our community. I 

have heard about one such individual 

who can be found every 

morning picking up refuse 

in Lesko Park. While I don’t 

know this woman well, I am 

confident she is one to whom 

to say hello. Mrs. Ray’s dedication 

to the beautification of 

Aurora has been mentioned to 

me on numerous occasions. 

Her volunteer efforts have 

Each day, Nancy Ray, Aurora, 

can be found picking 

up garbage from the streets 

and parks in downtown 

Aurora. 

been the topic of conversation 

at town meetings and holiday 

events from Aurora to as far 

as Ohio County. While Nancy 

is the type of person who 

would never dream of receiving 

accolades for her efforts, 

she certainly deserves a big 

thank you for all that she does 

for the community. 

Mrs. Ray is the daughter 

of the late Luther Rice. She 

graduated from Aurora High 

School in 1973 and has kept 

Aurora near to her heart ever 

since. Nancy and her husband 

Ken now reside in the family 

home on Fifth Street that 

overlooks the Ohio River and 

Lesko Park. 

Nancy is involved in several 

groups in Aurora. She is a 

member of the Riverview 

Cemetery Board, a cemetery 

designed by the famous 

architect William Tinsley, and 

established in 1869. She is 

also involved in Main Street 

Aurora and spends countless 

hours fulfilling whatever tasks 

need to be completed for the 

promotion of the river town. 

When the LST recently 

graced the banks of the Ohio 

in Aurora, both Nancy and 

her husband, Ken, were right 

there volunteering in every 

way to ensure that the event 

went smoothly. They both 

graciously took on the responsibility 

of selling bricks 

for the Veterans’ memorial at 

Lesko Park. The task required 

a great effort to spread the 

word about availability and 

A painting of Sutton Hill 

was done in 2009 by Tom 

Ward and was presented to 

homeowner Carolyn Sutton. 

to handle all of the sales. 

Naturally, when the LST left 

the banks of the Ohio and 

glided smoothly to its next 

destination, Nancy stepped 

up once again and agreed to 

continue handling the sale of 

the bricks. She has expanded 

her role by overseeing the 

placement of the bricks and 

working with Fred Lester to 

get them installed. 

Keeping a town beautiful 

is a lot of work. As with any 

city or town, trash seems to 

accumulate out of nowhere. 

But in Aurora, Nancy and Ken 

work diligently to stay on top 

of it. They can be found every 

day in the park and streets 

of Aurora, picking up trash 

and cleaning up alleyways. 

An endless task, but one we 

should all thank them for doing. 

Nancy Turner, the director 

of Main Street Aurora, 

described Nancy Ray as a 

fantastic volunteer. “She is 

always there, helping with 

whatever needs to be done. 

You can always count on 

Nancy and Ken to come 

through.” As a side note, 

when this comment was 

made, Nancy Ray was elbow 

deep in pancakes and syrup 

as she volunteered at the sixth 

breakfast with Santa for the 

year! 

Thank you, Nancy Ray, for 

all that you do for Aurora and 

our community. Your efforts 

are an inspiration to all of us. 

Note 

Last month’s Winter Wonderland photo was of Bailey Whitelock, 

not Brady Budenburg. We apologize for any confusion. 

Publisher/Editor 

Tamara M. Taylor 

Publishers Emeritus 

Elizabeth Morris, Celeste Calvitto 

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Columnists & Contributors 

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Over 21,500 distribution & growing! To advertise, call 812-637-0660 

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and to submit news and photos: 

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The Beacon is an independent 

monthly publication with 

distribution in Dearborn, Ripley, 

Franklin and Ohio Counties in 

Indiana and Harrison, Ohio. 

Published since 1994. 

Beacon News, Inc. 

PO Box 4022 

Lawrenceburg, Indiana 47025. 

Member: 

Dearborn County 

Chamber of Commerce, 

Ripley County 

Chamber of Commerce, 

Bright Area Business Association, 

Batesville Chamber 

of Commerce 

Twenty-five Years of Bringing our Community and Businesses Together. 

THE 

BEACON

February 2020 THE BEACON Page 3A 

Broadband Availability Being Addressed 

Continued from page 1A 

of broadband usage is continually 

changing.” 

One significant finding of 

the study is that thirty percent 

of the area that SIRPC serves 

does not have access to 25/3, 

a minimum of 25 Megabits 

per second (Mbps) download 

and 3 Mbps upload broadband 

threshold. Only ten percent 

had access through their cellular 

data plans. 

While Dearborn County had 

the highest number of households 

with computing devices, 

Ohio County has the highest 

number of households without. 

More than ten percent 

of homes through the region 

relied only on mobile devices. 

As technology advances, 

so do the requirements for 

students to have access to the 

internet for online homework 

assignments and research. 

As of 2017, less than forty 

percent of households in the 

SIRPC region did not have 

access to a 25/3 provider. 

The availability of reliable 

broadband service is an 

important issue for economic 

development. According to 

Terri Randall, director of One 

Dearborn, “Not only does 

this service impact residential 

areas, but it also impacts 

comprehensive economic 

development strategies. Showing 

regional strategies between 

the nine counties and how they 

are working together to make 

these plans a reality is vital to 

the success of the project.” 

A grant is being offered 

through the Purdue Center 

for Regional Development 

that requires SIRPC to make 

a $10,000 match. This match 

is comprised of funds from 

the nine counties served by 

SIRPC. Previously community 

development block funds 

were offered but left each 

entity working independently. 

This new funding allows for 

all of the counties to work 

together for maximum efficiency. 

The State of Indiana is 

offering a Next Level Connections 

grant to internet 

providers for promoting 

access to reliable and affordable 

broadband service. The 

second opening of the grant 

began in December. The grant 

is only open to providers. A 

limit of $5 million per agency 

is in place and requires a 

50/50 match. 

The structure of the grant 

allows for only broadband 

providers to apply for the 

grant. They need to demonstrate 

substantial community 

support and statistics to show 

that the area is underserved. 

Currently, twelve companies 

provide broadband within 

the SIRPC region. Seventeen 

Broadband services provided shown as fiber (red); cable 

(yellow); DSL (light purple). (Map provided by SIRPC) 

companies provide business 

fixed broadband. 

According to the study done 

by Purdue University, the full 

development of broadband 

in rural areas will result in 

economic gains in the billions 

over the next twenty years. 

One Dearborn is being proactive 

and planning a broadband 

summit for the beginning of 

2020. The guest speaker will 

be Scott Rudd, the state’s new 

director of broadband opportunities. 

Elected officials and 

business leaders will be a part 

of the summit to discuss how 

increased broadband coverage 

will affect all aspects of the 

region. 

Last month: capper and 

cork screw 

What is it? 

Last month’s item was 

a Gem capper and cork 

screw press as patented 

by Alphonse Dollfus of 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 

in 1898. Carol Morton, 

Brookville, submitted the 

correct answer and explained how it was used. “The cork 

would be rested in the indentation. The lever would be 

lowered onto the cork to squeeze it to the appropriate size 

for inserting into the bottle opening.” 

This month’s challenge was submitted by Mike 

Patterson of Lawrenceburg. Please e-mail your guesses 

along with your name and where you live to editor@ 

goBEACONnews.com by Wednesday, January 22. 

sponsored by Cornerstone Realty/Lutz Auction Services 

Minimum Square Footage 

Change Proposal Rejected 


Permit by the Board of Zoning 

Appeals or when the home is 

to be located in an existing or 

approved mobile home park. 

The proposed change 

shortens the limitation to 

read: Manufactured homes 

not meeting the terms above 

shall be permitted only after 

receiving a Conditional Use 

Permit and / or Variance by 

the Board of Zoning Appeals. 

After a public hearing on 

the proposed changes, the 

Plan Commission voted almost 

unanimously to forward 

a favorable recommendation 

to the commissioners to 

amend Article 25, Section 

2564. One member abstained 

from the vote. 

Commissioner Thatcher 

stated, “While a tiny home 

has its place, the location has 

to be controlled to ensure 

that it works for everyone 

involved.” 

The commissioners expressed 

an interest in seeing 

homes across all platforms be 

required to be a minimum of 

nine hundred fifty square feet. 

Those desiring smaller homes 

could seek variances from the 

Board of Zoning Appeals. 

The rejected ordinance 

changes will be sent back to 

the Plan Commission with 

a written list of reasons and 

concerns from the commissioners. 

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2/25/19 3:12 PM


United Way Unites Communities and Changes Lives 


Ms. Snyder elaborates, “We 

are trying to move people 

out of poverty and trying to 

understand the barriers around 

them.” When people walk 

through the door in need of 

help, Ms. Snyder explains 

they take a family-centered 

approach asking what has 

brought them here and how 

can we help you. United Way 

strives to unite communities 

to change lives. The organization 

is a collaborator that 

partners with many different 

agencies within an area to 

make it better. United Way 

helps to lead programs to help 

people not only improve their 

lives but to help them find 

ways to move out of poverty 

for the duration. United 

Way’s vision is to educate all 

people, so they are prepared 

for life’s challenges. Successful 

citizens equal successful 

communities. 

Ms. Snyder shares that 

United Way of Southeast 

Indiana has been around for a 

very long time, and for many 

years it was run on the efforts 

of volunteers. She was hired 

in 2007 and is thrilled to be 

working with Jill Ruther, who 

was hired in May. Mrs. Ruther 

is also a Dearborn County 

resident who explains, “Before 

coming to United Way, I 

worked for two of our partner 

agencies. I have always 

respected and know firsthand 

the important work United 

Way does for the region. Being 

a resident of Southeast 

Indiana myself, I am excited 

to build relationships, raise 

funds, and make an impact 

in my community.” United 

Way of Southeast Indiana is 

part of United Way of Greater 

A group of volunteers from the community action day when they cleaned up Guilford Park. (Photo courtesy of 

United Way) 

Cincinnati. It also is a member 

of the Indiana United Way 

Association. As Ms. Snyder 

says, they “have to look in 

both directions.” The Southeast 

Indiana organization is 

in a rebuilding mode as they 

are working on being more 

visible. They now have their 

own Facebook page and are 

working on their own Twitter 

account. This incorporation 

of social media will help to 

make them more accessible. 

The neat thing about United 

Way is that they do so much 

more than one thing or one 

service; they lend a helping 

hand to numerous service 

organizations. They strive to 

unite communities to change 

lives by working with partner 

agencies and helping to fund 

them and their programs. 

They bring the agencies 

together so they can gain the 

most out of what each agency 

has to offer. United Way fills 

in the gaps when needed. 

They campaign on a collective 

whole and donate the 

funds out. United Way helps 

to kick-start programs. Once 

the programs are off and running, 

they move on to the next 

need identified in the community. 


Indiana is its own governing 

body. They adhere to the 

mission of the United Way in 

the region. At the same time, 

they can make decisions about 

what they feel is important 

and the impact their efforts 

will have in their area. United 

Way has an Action Council 

comprised of local volunteers 

who aid in this process. 

The Action Council does not 

handle any of the finances; 

this is handled by the board, 

which is a part of United Way 

of Greater Cincinnati. Those 

who serve on a committee or 

the Action Council meet with 

Ms. Snyder to ensure they are 

aware of the parameters of the 

positions as well as being sure 

the relationship is a proper 

fit. Action Council member 

and Dearborn County resident, 

Jill Timon, shared her 

perspective with me. “Joining 

the Action Council has been 

enlightening and helped me 

understand how integral and 

important the United Way 

is to assist those in need in 

Southeast Indiana. I am happy 

Tyler Stenger, Hank Timon and Anna Timon volunteering 

to paint The Born Learning part of The Dearborn Trail for 

United Way. (Photo courtesy of Jill Timon) 

to use my experience to help 

create more awareness of the 

family-centered approach of 

the United Way within the local 

community,” she said. 

Ms. Snyder explains that 

United Way and one of their 

partners, The Community 

Building Institute, which 

is a group of city planners, 

sociologists, and urban 

anthropologists, interviewed 

numerous citizens on pressing 

community issues. They 

identified the top three issues 

that citizens felt needed to 

be addressed- workforce 

development, leadership, and 

substance abuse. The United 

Way of Southeast Indiana and 

The Dearborn County Cham- 


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Twenty-five Years of Bringing our Community and Businesses Together.


United Way- Community Driven 

Karen Snyder and Jill 

Ruther of United Way at 

The Lawrenceburg Christmas 

Parade. (Photo courtesy 

of United Way) 


ber of Commerce sponsors 

a program called Leadership 

Dearborn, which includes a 

series of classes and field trips 

designed to prepare citizens 

to take on voluntary leadership 

positions with nonprofit 

organizations and civic groups 

within the community. The 

program helps people understand 

the challenges in their 

particular area and aids them 

in developing skills to help 

resolve the issues. Born out of 

the Leadership Dearborn class 

is the Second Chance program 

that helps dislocated workers 

develop the skills needed to 

get back on their feet. 

The partner agencies that 


Indiana works with is impressive. 

United Way works with 

a lot of schools to bring in 

vision and dental programs 

as well as Kindergarten 

Jumpstart programs. United 

Way is a big believer in early 

intervention. The Kindergarten 

Jumpstart program helps 

children get acquainted and 

helps them feel comfortable 

with their new school before 

the school year begins. 

United Way also works with 

The Dearborn County Clearinghouse, 

which provides 

groceries, clothing, rent, and 

utilities to those in need. 

United Way provides a free 

H&R Block tax prep program 

for simple e-file taxes. The 

program benefits college 

students who strive to understand 

the process and gain 

financial literacy. Last year 

approximately eighty people 

participated in this service. 

United Way holds a community 

action day every 

April. They coordinate volunteers 

to clean up Guilford 

Park, which interestingly is 

the most used park in Dearborn 

County! They spend the 

day moving mulch and cleaning 

up debris as the park tends 

to flood. At another event, 

volunteers shared their time 

to paint parts of the Dearborn 

Trail, which is a four 

and a half-mile paved trail 

along the Ohio River through 

Greendale, Lawrenceburg, 

and Aurora. United Way’s 

part of the path is the Born 

Learning part, which boasts 

an interactive set of signs 

for children with pictures of 

the state bird, the state tree 

along with hopscotch and 

the ABC’s. The trail engages 

them in their surroundings. 

Ms. Snyder explains when 

they have events, they reach 

out to different groups such 

as the FCCLA organization 

in the high schools and local 

businesses to see if they are 

interested in participating. 

Even though United Way’s 

Agency Partners are numerous, 

they are always striving 

to do more to meet growing 

community needs. Homeless 

youth is something Ms. Snyder 

says is an area that needs 

attention. The Youth Encouragement 

Services (the YES 

Home) is a residential group 

home for youth ages twelve to 

twenty that provides a structured 

and nurturing environment 

for children in need. 

Still, many of those cases are 

court-appointed. United Way 

is looking into how they can 

assist those youth who are 

couch surfing because they 

have no permanent residence. 

Catch-a-Ride is another service 

that fills a great need for 

those who rely on others for 

their transportation. 

United Way works with 

all kinds of different groups, 

always looking to see where 

they can add value. They 

bring individuals together 

through their work with their 

partner agencies as well as 

through trainings. They are 

always striving to understand 

what is missing or needed in 

their community. United Way 

raises funds through employee 

campaigns, individual 

donations, and grants. They 

are also fortunate to be a part 

of Indiana United Way, where 

they can secure funds. They 

also receive funds through 

the Cincinnati campaign. 

You can donate directly to 

the United Way of Southeast 

Indiana by mailing a check 

to their PO Box, or you can 

donate through the United 

Way of Greater Cincinnati 

website. You can even specify 

that donations through your 

company go to Dearborn and 

Ohio Counties. If you live in 

our area but work outside of 

our area, locate the box on 

your pledge form that lists the 

Dearborn and Ohio County 

Impact Fund. If you check 

that box, you will ensure that 

the money goes right back to 

the community in which you 

reside. 

Ms. Snyder reiterates that, 

“Uniting communities changing 

lives, it just makes sense. 

Our goal is to bring everyone 

together, through collaboration 

and funding opportunities, 

creating lasting change, 

and having a measurable 

impact.” The pleasure was 

all mine when meeting and 

spending time with Karen 

Snyder and Jill Ruther, as they 

are both amazing individuals 

who work tirelessly to make 

our area better! If you are 

interested in getting involved 

with the United Way of Southeast 

Indiana, please check out 

their Facebook page. You can 

also stop in their office or call 

812-537-2009. You won’t be 

disappointed. In fact, I feel 

pretty confident you will be 

inspired! 

JOIN US FOR 

SUNDAY BRUNCH 

Mr. Roy Johnson (Coach and FFA Advisor), Alex 

Newport, Alex Dudley, Rachel Kraus, and Amelia 

Hartman. 

East Central FFA 

Competes at Nationals 

The state winning EC FFA Nursery/Landscape CDE (Career 

Development Event) team competed in the 2019 National FFA 

Nursery/Landscape CDE at the National FFA Convention. 

The team consisted of Amelia Hartman, Rachel Kraus, Alex 

Dudley, and Alex Newport. At this competitive event, FFA 

members test their knowledge and skills in nursery practices 

and landscaping. Participants complete an exam testing 

horticultural principles including plant anatomy, production, 

marketing, turf, landscape design, and maintenance. Each 

participant must also complete practicums involving landscape 

estimating, plant propagation or potting, identification of plants, 

disorders, and equipment. Forty-three states were represented, 

and East Central placed in the silver emblem category. 

Congratulations to the team for a job well done representing the 

state of Indiana and the East Central FFA Chapter. 

Smoked Salmon with capers 

Bacon 

Goetta 

Sausage 

Scrambled Eggs 

Seasoned Potatoes 

French Toast 

Pancakes 

Pasta 

Fried Chicken 

Baked Chicken 

Eggs Benedict 

Fresh Fruit 

Grilled Asparagus 

Assorted Salads 

Create your own Omelet 

Beef carving station 

Chocolate Fountain 

Assorted Desserts 

$15.95 

dearborn@receptionsinc.com 

SHOP LOCAL and tell our advertisers you saw them in The BEACON!


B 

Beacon 

USINESS 

NEWS ABOUT OUR 

ADVERTISERS 

Ivy Tech Foundation 

Recognizes Alumni 

Award recipients 

Ivy Tech Foundation recently 

recognized honorees 

of its annual Distinguished 

Alumni Awards. 

Since 1998, The Distinguished 

Alumni Award has 

celebrated the success of 

Ivy Tech Community College 

alumni by recognizing 

a group of graduates who 

have made a lasting, positive 

contribution to the community, 

state or College since 

completing their education. 

As the highest honor alumni 

can receive, the Award is 

designated for individuals 

with outstanding professional, 

philanthropic or volunteer accomplishments. 

“Ivy Tech has seen tremendous 

success throughout the 

past 56 years, this is due in 

great part to the successes of 

our alumni,” said John M. 

Murphy, Ivy Tech Foundation 

President. “We have honored 

over 250 Distinguished Alumni 

who have made valuable 

contributions in their communities 

and have been exceptional 

in their professional 

careers. They are excellent 

examples of what can happen 

when desire and opportunity 

intersect.” 

Alyssa Lay, Lawrenceburg 

Campus, received the Distinguished 

Alumni Award for 

2019-2020. Ms. Lay is the 

director of K-14 initiatives 

and recruitment for the Ivy 

Tech Lawrenceburg Campus. 

She is passionate about helping 

others rise to overcome 

new challenges. Alyssa is 

also a member of Circle of 

Ivy, a powerful and dynamic 

network of women philanthropists 

who collectively 

give back to local Ivy Tech 

campuses and students. 

Highpoint Health and 

OrthoCincy Team Up 

In response to an evergrowing 

need for more high 

quality orthopaedic services 

in our community, Highpoint 

Health is working with Ortho- 

Cincy Orthopaedics & Sports 

Medicine to bring additional 

orthopaedic and sports medicine 

services to Southeast 

Indiana. 

Credibility • Advocacy • Education • Visibility 

What Can The Chamber 

Do For You? Just Ask! 

812-537-0814 

www.dearborncountychamber.org 

Civista volunteers front- Cassie Cappel , Karry Hollan, 

Bridget Davidson, Angie Wesley, Tess Thompson. Back- 

Dee Hacker, Jerry Hacker, Mark Sams, Stacy Perleberg, 

Bill Ludwick, Mike McLaughlin, Jim Kittle. 

Grant Supports 

Quilts of Valor for Veterans 

Employees from Civista participated in a companywide 

Volunteer day. They volunteered at the Dearborn 

Clearinghouse, packaging meals for families and snacks for 

the Library. On top of the volunteering, the Civista Charitable 

Foundation made a $4,574 donation to the Dearborn 

Clearinghouse. 

OrthoCincy is the largest 

independent orthopaedic and 

sports medicine group practice 

in Greater Cincinnati. 

Located at 605 Wilson Creek 

Road, the Lawrenceburg office 

of OrthoCincy is staffed 

by three orthopaedic specialists, 

Drs. Ronald Auer, Brian 

Wissel and Roman Trimba. 

The physicians are skilled in 

the latest surgical and nonsurgical 

techniques and offer 

general orthopaedic care, as 

well as joint replacement/resurfacing, 

sports medicine and 

the evaluation and treatment 

of spine issues which cause 

neck, back and leg pain. 

“We are extremely happy to 

be working with OrthoCincy 

in bringing additional orthopaedic 

services to our region,” 

noted Michael W. Schwebler, 

Highpoint Health President/ 

CEO. “They offer a broad 

range of sub-specialty care 

which will further enhance 

our ability to care for orthopaedic 

patients locally.” 

Highpoint Health will work 

in tandem with OrthoCincy by 

providing a full continuum of 

patient care including diagnostic 

and imaging modalities 

(MRI and CT), pre-surgical 

and surgical services, acute 

patient care, comprehensive 

inpatient and outpatient 

rehabilitation (physical and 

occupational therapy) and 

athletic training. 

OrthoCincy Orthopaedic 

Surgeons caring for patients 

in Lawrenceburg are Ronald 

Auer, MD, General Orthopaedics/Total 

Joint Replacement/ 

Sports Medicine; Brian Wissel, 

MD, General Orthopaedics/Total 

Joint Replacement/ 

Sports Medicine/Fractures; 

Roman Trimba, MD, Spine: 

Cervical, Thoracic, Lumbar. 

Highpoint Health is committed 

to continually advancing 

its continuum of care to 

provide needed services, close 

to home. 

Dearborn County 

Parks Launches 

New Website 

The Dearborn County Park 

Board has published a major 

update to its website, which 

includes a complete re-design 

and new logo. Coinciding 

with website updates, a Facebook 

page has also launched 

to better connect community 

members with the park system. 

The ability to make donations 

online is now available. 

For more than a decade, 

community members have 

enjoyed visiting the Dearborn 

County Parks website to make 

reservations, view maps, and 

follow park updates. The new 

site is completely modernized 

and adaptable across all platforms. 

The new logo design 

was completed in partnership 

with FX Design. 

The new logo for Dearborn 

County parks. 

Five different county parks 

are located across the county 

in both rural and suburban 

areas of Bright, Guilford, and 

Manchester. 

Recent improvements to the 

county park system include 

new shelters at County Farm 

Park, system-wide bathroom 

upgrades, and remodeling 

of the historic barn located 

at Gladys Russell Wildlife 

Refuge. A new playground at 

Bright Meadows Park, made 

possible by a Dearborn Community 

Foundation Grant, will 

be completed in early 2020. 



B 

eacon 

Vacation 

TAKE YOUR BEACON 

Heather and Frank Davies of Dillsboro took four of their six children on vacation out 

west. They visited seven states. The main attraction was a trip to Yellowstone National 

Park. A trip to Yellowstone isn’t complete without seeing the spectacular view of Old 

Faithful. Shown are Hailey Rump, Taran Davies, Heather Davies, Frank Davies, Erin 

Davies & Savannah Davies. 

Alex, Donna, and LouLou Parniuk, Bright, traveled to 

Colorado and took the Beacon with them to the top of 

Pikes Peak. 

ON VACATION 

If business or pleasure takes you out-of-town, 

take your hometown newspaper along for the trip. 

Send your photo, displaying the Beacon, to 

editor@goBEACONnews. 

Please include where you live. It’s interesting to see 

how well-traveled our readers are! 

Great friends joined together to cruise Alaska. Pictured are George and Barb Shepherd 

from Bright, Greg and Debbie Turner from Bright, Omar and Ronda Oates from 

Lawrenceburg, Steve and Melea McAdams from Aurora, Brad and Sandy McClure 

from Bright, Kim Kent and Amy McAdams from Aurora. 

Kim, Bob, Kathryn, and Alex Joerger took the Beacon 

to Bear Lake, located in Rocky Mountain National 

Park, Colorado. 

Cindy Rottinghaus, 

Aurora, visited Tivoli 

Gardens in Copenhagen. 

She also 

toured Warnemunde, 

Germany; Tallinn, Astonia; 

St Petersburg, 

Russia; and Helsinchy, 

Finland. 

2019 

2019: 8 

SOLD 

1935 South Pointe Dr 

9220 SR 46 

29865 Blue Creek Rd 

1.46 ac Stateline Rd 

7185 N Cty Line Rd 

15991 Elizabeth Dr 

8439 Bridgetown Rd* 

22750 Stateline Rd 

2315 Sherman Ave 

.64 ac Business Center 


5472 SR 48 

6.2 ac Sawdon Ridge 


202 Three Mile Ridge 

11605 US 50 

3434 Lapland Dr 

12403 Lauman Rd 

22.8 ac N Dearborn Rd 


14517 Schmaltz Rd 

2383 Blasdel Dr 

26167 Rolling Dr 

25527 Brightleaf Dr 

1601 W Seminole 

387 Deer Trail Dr 

6991 SR 46 

100 Blue Sky Way 

24204 Siefferman Ct 

24115 Grubbs Rd E 


25933 Mt. Pleasant 

10933 Fox Run Lane 

8330 Maple Leaf Dr 

1205-1207 Oxford State 

Rd 

3139 Sorbus Dr 

410 Hunter Ave 

22888 Brightland Dr 

27233 Lawrenceville 

Rd* 

642 Heritage Square 

2393 Judd Dr 

23333 Mt. Pleasant 

1.25 ac Stateline Rd 

5382 Manortree Ct 


210 E 12th St 

25553 Sawdon Ridge 

11650 US 50 

1821 Fernwood St 


9783 Wessler Rd* 

9128 St Peters Rd* 

419 Barney Ct 

600 Manchester St* 

10841 New Biddinger 

Rd 

3627 Gary Dr 

23651 Mt. Pleasant Rd 

201 E Carr St 

*Sold at auction 

2020? 



FROM 

H ere 

By 

Ollie 

Roehm 

The recent opening of a new 

restaurant in downtown Harrison 

got me thinking about 

the decades-long struggle to 

revitalize the downtown Harrison 

business district. 

The restaurant is very nice 

and is a fine addition to our 

downtown. It joins several other 

food-drink establishments, 

including Market Street Grille, 

a new taproom, a pizzeria, and 

a coffee shop. Word has it that 

another restaurant will soon be 

opening in the 300 block. 

Many retail businesses join 

the aforementioned establishments 

on Harrison Avenue. 

Downtown is in better shape 

than it has been in decades. 

When I was a kid, everything 

was in downtown Harrison. 

If you wanted groceries, 

hardware, underwear, shoes, 

clothes, medicine, beer, or any 

of the other necessities of life, 

that’s where you got them. 

Downtown was a bustling 

place with a vibrant business 

district, and people were always 

roaming the sidewalks. 

There were parking meters, 

We Need Listings! 

CORNERSTONE 

REALTY INC. 

CORNERSTONE 

We’re IN YOUr COrNer. 

C REALTY INC. 

WE’RE IN YOUR CORNER. 

812.637.2220 CSTONEREALTY.COM 

812.637.2220 CSTONEREALTY.COM 

HVL: Nice 3 bed tri level home on 

beautiful dbl lot, newer kitchen, and 

updated bath. $134,900 

MILAN: Huge manufactured home on almost 7 ac, 

additional 2 story cabin, each level has kitchen, living 

room, bed, &bath; 28x40 barn with loft, concrete flr & 

electric; large lake; and green houses. $164,900 

30x36x12 heated insulated pole 

building $369,900 

YORKVILLE: Affordable living in 

a country setting. Beautiful views! 

3 bed, 2 bath, home with 2 car 

BRIGHT: 1400 sq ft ranch on 5 

acres, 2 bath, 1 car garage plus 

outbuilding, 2 WBFP, front and rear attached garage on 2.5 acres. 

covered WEISBURG: porches. 2.5 $124,900 acre Country Setting $114,900with a pond. Quick 

BRIGHT: possession 2 story available home on with this clean 4 LOGAN: simple Clean 3 bedroom older 2 story ranch home 

bd,3.5 with eat baths, in kitchen, 1st flr laundry stone fireplace and with in large LVR, wrap extensive around decking, covered 

master built in suite, 2 car open house floor garage plan, plus full porch, a 28’ by city 44’ utilities, detached 28x44 heated 3 car 

finished LL with wet bar and gas concrete block garage with loft, on 

garage. $228,500 

FP, great for entertaining, large 1.25 acres. $159,900 

rear deck $244,900 

LAND 

BRIGHT: BATESVILLE: Nice 3 Clean bed, 3 move bath ranch bedroom, 2 ½ bath condo. 

LOGAN: 8.6 acre lot fairly secluded 

with in ready eat-in 3 kitchen, bedroom, gas 2 bath fireplace, on Double Sawdon tiered Ridge, rear utilities deck, at street 

LL home family with room, eat in oversized kitchen and garage $99,900 central vacuum. $154,900 

with concrete driveway and add’t 

concrete 

laundry 

parking 

area. 2 

pad. 

car garage 

$154,900 HARRISON: LAND Beautiful rolling 3.9 

and concrete driveway. New acre lot available on private drive 

ST. LEON: Older 2 story home all WEISBURG: Level 12.3 

carpet and laminate flooring off Edgewood Rd. $75,000 

city utilities, newer high efficiency acers with over 600 ft of road 

furnace. through Great home. location Freshly to hwy and SUNMAN: .87 building lot available 

in Whitetail Run subdivision. 

frontage and city water. Nearly 

schools, painted. summer Nice level kitchen, backyard enclosed 

back 

all is tillable. $109,900 

with porch, patio. Close other to room schools upstairs $22,000 

could be 3rd bed. $69,900 

and interstate $149,900. 

HARRISON: LOGAN: Opportunities Beautiful 2.093 acre 

BRIGHT: 3 bed, 2.5 bath home 

lot on private drive off Edgewood 

knocking with this level 4 acre 

on BRIGHT/SOUTH nearly 38 acres POINTE: with exceptional 

views of Tanner Valley, 1st LOGAN: 2.89 acre wooded coun- 

Rd. $60,000 

tract zoned B2 with all utilities 

flr 

Hard 

MRB, 

to 

1st 

find 

flr 

clean 

ldry, pond, 

move 

covered 

in 

try 

and 

lot 

frontage 

with all 

on 

utilities 

2 roads. 

available. 

rear ready deck, townhouse wrap around style front 3 porch, $59,900 $145,900 

We Need Listings! Have buyers for farmland! 

Dale Lutz 

Randy Lutz 

800-508-9811 

and sometimes finding a place 

to park was hard. 

But that all changed dramatically 

in the early ‘70s when 

the expressway came through 

town. Many established businesses 

moved out of downtown 

to be closer to I-74. Almost all 

new businesses located on “the 

hill” for the same reason. 

It didn’t take long before 

the parking meters went 

away, along with much of our 

beloved old downtown. Harrison’s 

leaders began focusing 

their attention on the business 

and residential growth on “the 

hill,” and downtown was put 

on the back burner. Truth be 

told, downtown wasn’t even 

on the stove. 

For the better part of twentyfive 

years, I worked on Harrison 

Avenue in downtown Harrison. 

My wife, Saint Mary, 

and I owned Mary’s Restaurant 

& Pub (now Market Street 

Grille), 205 Harrison Avenue, 

for five years during the early 

‘90s. I saw and covered the efforts 

to revitalize downtown. 

Harrison embraced the Main 

Street America approach in the 

‘90s. Main Street America is 

a national non-profit program 

meant to help towns revitalize 

their old business districts, 

and Harrison was in desperate 

need of revitalization. The 

streets and sidewalks were in 

horrible shape, and there were 

a ton of vacant storefronts. 

Over several years a series 

of Main Street directors tried 

a variety of approaches. Some 

progress was made, but not 

enough. The city council 

eventually stopped funding 

the director’s salary, and the 

program fizzled. 

But by the time I left the 

paper in 2011, things were 

getting better. The economy 

was improving, and downtown 

was slowly starting to 

come alive. Fast forward to 

2020, and downtown is alive. 

Heck, we even have an axethrowing 

place. 

Very few, if any, vacant 

buildings can be found, and 

most of the businesses seem to 

be hanging in there. The newer 

businesses are a good fit with 

the older ones such as our beloved 

Harrison Home Bakery. 

Some of the newer places 

will make it; some won’t. 

That’s the way it works in the 

world of business. But I’m 

betting more will make it than 

won’t. 

It takes guts, sweat, tears, 

time, and money to open and 

operate a business. I salute the 

folks who are coming off the 

dime and putting it on the line. 

6 4 9 3 

2 7 5 8 9 

4 2 3 5 

1 5 6 4 2 

8 9 6 

6 8 3 7 2 

5 1 7 

Sudoku 

Sudoku is a logical puzzle game that may seem difficult at 

first glance, but actually it is not as hard as it looks! Fill a 

number in to every cell in the grid, using the numbers 1 to 

9. You can only use each number once in each row, each 

column, and in each of the 3×3 boxes. The solution can be 

found on our website www.goBEACONnews.com/print_ 

edition. Click on the link for Sudoku and view the solution 

for this month and last. Good luck and have fun! 

Maverick Winners Front row- Cheryll Obendorff (sponsor), Phoebe Kroen, Claire Horan, 

Alexa Miles, Kathryn Wilder. Middle row- Missy Cooper (judge); Faith Sullivan, GiGi Dreyer, 

Allison Storms, Ben Kraus. Back row- Kevin Campbell (judge), Jonathon Maple (Assistant 

Prinicpal) and Tricia Miller (judge and sponsor). (Photo courtesy of Oldenburg Academy) 

Oldenburg Places in Maverick Challenge 

The 2019 Maverick Challenge, 

a business planning 

competition was hosted at 

Oldenburg Academy. Nineteen 

students were judged 

on the business plans and 

products they created for the 

competition. Oldenburg Academy 

had nine teams compete 

this year. 

Started in 2008, the Maverick 

Challenge is intended 

to simulate the real-world 

process of entrepreneurs 

soliciting start-up funds from 

early-stage investors, successful 

entrepreneurs, and 

community leaders. Students 

had the opportunity to work 

with business and community 

mentors, as well as experience 

feedback from professional 

judges. 

This year’s winners are 

diverse. Third place winner, 

Babysitting Brokerage, is a 

babysitting app created by Allison 

Storms and Ben Kraus; 

this application would allow 

babysitters and parents to 

connect. Second place went to 

Claire Horan, Phoebe Kroen, 

Wagon Shed 

Candle Company 

Specializing in all natural soy candles 

and gift baskets made to order 

for all occasions 

DOTTIE SCHIPPER, Owner 

4717 Tall Oak Drive 

Aurora, Indiana 47001-7735 

812-926-1466 Home • 859-512-9792 Cell 

and Faith Sullivan, who created 

the company Just the 

Essentials – a sock company 

based on essential oils. The 

first-place winner went to a 

company that could save lives 

in the future – a retractable 

oxygen cord company called 

O2Go. The developers were 

GiGi Dreyer, Alexa Miles, 

and Kathryn Wilder. 

Oldenburg Academy Assistant 

Principal Jonathon Maple 

is the head of the Franklin/ 

Ripley County competition. 

Mr. Maple shared, “This is a 

real-world learning experience 

that provides students 

with many skills beyond the 

business plan.” 

The top team will move on 

to the Spring Maverick Challenge 

Regional Competition, 

where nine counties will compete 

against each other. They 

then have a chance to move 

on to the state competition at 

Ball State University, called 

Innovate WithIN. 

Come dine with Third and Main in our family owned 

Restaraunt and Tavern, open since 1891! 

Serving mouth watering, dry-aged steaks, fresh 

seafood, & dazzling cocktails. 

weekly specials 

TUESDAY 

Half Price Bottle of Wine 

\ 

WEDNESDAY 

Seafood Night: 

$1 Oysters, $2 Prawns, 

$30 1lb Alaskan King Crab 

223 3rd Street, Aurora, IN 47001 

812-655-9727 

thirdandmain.com 

THURSDAY 

Buy Any Steak, 

Get a Salad or Soup 

& Dessert on Us! 



2020 Lilly Endowment Scholarship Recipients Announced 

The Lilly Endowment Community 

Scholarship (LECS) is 

the result of a statewide Lilly 

Endowment, Inc. initiative designed 

to help raise the level 

of educational attainment in 

Indiana. It increases awareness 

of the beneficial roles Indiana 

community foundations 

can play in their communities. 

It also encourages and supports 

the efforts of current and 

past Lilly Endowment Community 

Scholars to engage 

with each other and with 

Indiana business, governmental, 

educational, not-for-profit 

and civic leaders to improve 

the quality of life in Indiana 

generally and in local communities 

throughout the state. 

The Dearborn Community 

Foundation (DCF) awarded 

the LECS to East Central 

High School senior Noah 

Blankman. Mr. Blankman 

receives a 

four-year, 

full-tuition 

scholarship 

to the Indiana 

college of his 

choice along 

Megan 

Caudy 

Emma 

Sandford 

Mackenzie 

Roth 

William “Ben” 

Hartwell 

Megan 

Heeke 

with a $900 

yearly stipend 

for required 

books and 

equipment. 

Mr. Blankman 

of Bright 

is the son 

of Jazmin 

Blankman 

and Keith 

Blankman. 

He plans to 

study engineering 

but has not 

determined 

which college 

he will 

attend. Mr. 

Blankman has 

been active in 

many clubs 

and groups, 

including 

Drama Club, 

Concert 

Choir, Young 

Voices of 

Indiana, All- 

State Choir, 

Drug-Free 

Clubs of 

America, 

East Central 

Dance Team 

(manager), 

and National 

Honor Society. 

He has 

received several 

honors, 

including a 

certificate of achievement in 

Concert Choir (junior year), 

ISSMA State Soloist Gold 

Medal (freshman, sophomore, 

and junior years), and 

National Academy of Future 

Scientists and Technologists 

delegate Award of Excellence 

(sophomore year). Mr. Blankman 

also volunteers in the 

community. 

The five remaining LECS 

finalists are recognized as 

2020 Dearborn Community 

Foundation Scholarship recipients. 

Each student receives 

a $1,000 scholarship paid directly 

to the student’s school. 

The scholarship is renewable 

for up to four years of secondary 

education at the college 

or university of the student’s 

choice. The Foundation is 

pleased to award the 2020 

DCF scholarships to Megan 

Caudy, East Central High 

School; Emma Sandford, 

Lawrenceburg High School; 

Mackenzie Roth, Lawrenceburg 

High School; William 

“Ben” Hartwell, Milan High 

School (resident of the South 

Dearborn Community School 

Corporation Area); and Megan 

Heeke, South Dearborn 

High School. 

The Ripley County Community 

Foundation proudly 

announced Gage Unrath as 

the 2020 Lilly Endowment 

Community Scholar. Gage 

will also receive full tuition 

for four years of undergraduate 

study and a $900 per yearbook 

stipend to an Indiana 

college or university. 

Gage is the son of Vince 

and Jennifer Unrath and is a 

senior at Jac-Cen-Del High 

School. Although he does not 

know which college he will 

attend, he hopes to attend Purdue 

University and pursue a 

degree in Mathematics. Along 

with being a top student at his 

high school, Gage participates 

in Rube Goldberg, is a member 

of the Robotics Team, is 

Captain of the Math Academic 

Team, is a member of the 

History Academic Team, is a 

member of National Honor 

Society, and is a peer tutor in 

an array of subjects. 

Ripley County Community 

Foundation’s other finalists 

are Abigail Blomer, Alexandra 

Dudley, Joseph Hartman, 

and Sophie Wesseler. Each of 

the four finalists will receive 

a Ripley County Community 

Scholarship in the sum 

of $2,000 in their freshman 

year and a Grateful Families 

Scholarship and a Jane 

Deiwert Scholarship in their 

sophomore year. 

Abigail Blomer is the 

daughter of Michael and Michelle 

Blomer and is a senior 

at Batesville High School. 

Abigail is a Group Therapy 

Leader, a member of Track 

and Field, an actress in Drama 

Club, a performer in Show- 

Choir, a violinist, a peer tutor, 

and a member of Safe Passage 

Youth Group, Key Club and 

Noah Blankman, Dearborn 

County Lilly Endowment 

Community Scholarship 

recipient. 

AV Club. 

Alexandra Dudley is the 

daughter of Jay and Julie 

Dudley and is a senior at East 

Central High School. Alexandra 

is a Camp Counselor 

for 4H, the Section Leader 

for the Marching Band, and 

is a member 

of the National 

Honor 

Society and 

4H Junior 

Leaders. 

Joseph 

Abigail 

Blomer 

Alexandra 

Dudley 

Joseph 

Hartman 

Sophie 

Wesseler 

Hartman 

is the son 

of Charles 

and Andrea 

Hartman and 

is a senior 

at Batesville 

High School. 

Joseph is the 

Co-Captain 

of the Science 

Academic 

Team, a Tech 

and Set Crew 

Member of 

the Drama 

Club, an Assistant 

Senior 

Patrol Leader, 

Chaplain’s 

Aide, and 

Quartermaster 

in Boy Scouts 

of America, 

and a Devotion 

Leader 

and Work 

Director of 

his mission 

team. 

Sophie 

Wesseler is 

the daughter 

of Neil 

and Carrie Wesseler and is a 

senior at Oldenburg Academy. 

Sophie is a Teacher’s Aide 

in Ballet and Modern Dance, 

participates in the St. Louis 

Catholic Church Mission 

Team, Youth Group, Drama 

Club, National Honor Society, 

Choir, Art Club, and is the 

President of the Dance Club. 

The Franklin County Community 

Foundation named 

Sara Bowling as the recipient 

of the Franklin County 

Community Foundation 2020 

Gage Unrath, Lilly 

Endowment Community 

Scholarship recipient for 

Ripley County. 

Sara Bowling, the Franklin 

County Lilly Endowment 

Community Scholarship 

recipient. 

Lilly Endowment Community 

Scholar. Ms. Bowling, 

Brookville, is the daughter 

of Amy Bryson. A Franklin 

County High School student, 

Sara is a member of 

the National Honor Society, 

MCATZ, Future Business 

Leaders of America, Youthquake, 

and Bleacher Bums. 

She is currently doing an 

internship at Brookville Elementary 

School. Sara is also 

involved with Winter/Summer 

camps at an area church. 

“After graduating from 

college, Franklin County is 

where I want to live and raise 

a family,” she said. “I plan on 

going to Ball State to Major 

in Human Resource Management.” 

The finalists receiving $500 

scholarships from the FCCF 

operational fund are Emalee 

Dehner and Taylor McCreary, 

Franklin County High School 

students. Emalee is the daughter 

of John and Tracy Dehner. 

Taylor is the daughter of 

Steve and Jenny McCreary. 

The Lilly Endowment Community 

Scholarship is one 

of the most competitive and 

prestigious scholarships offered. 

Candidates are evaluated 

on grades, extra-curricular 

activities, test scores, community 

involvement, and must 

write multiple essays to give 

the committee a better understanding 

of the student. 

Versailles • Dillsboro • Batesville • Friendship • Madison • Lawrenceburg • Rising Sun • Vevay 

friendshipstatebank.com 

812.667.5101 

Your Neighbors. 

Your Friends. 

Your Community Bank 

You Can Rely On. 

NMLS #454283 

Equal 

Opportunity 

Lender 



From a Cat’s Point of View 

By Simon and Tammy Turner 

Hi, my name is Simon, 

and I am waiting here at 

PAWS until someone comes 

along who is looking for a 

good barn cat. You may be 

thinking, “Why is he waiting 

for a barn when he could 

have a nice warm, comfy 

home?” Well, not all cats 

like living in a warm comfy 

home. I prefer a nice big 

barn, and I will tell you why. 

By living in a barn, I can 

come and go as I please and 

do whatever I want, whenever 

I want. Another way of 

saying it is, we are un-socialized 

cats who do not feel 

comfortable being placed in 

a home environment. I also 

do not have to do my business 

in a box filled with little 

tiny gravel… yuck! I prefer 

to get back to nature, back 

to the wild. I do not have to 

wait for someone to give me 

a treat- I can go catch my 

own. Nothing is better than 

a fresh mouse- yum. Now 

don’t get me wrong. I still 

like it when you bring me 

a bowl of kibbles and fresh 

water every day, just in case 

I didn’t make my catch for 

the day. Having a backup 

plan is always nice. Nothing 

is wrong with cats living 

inside; some do best in a 

home. But others are like 

me and prefer to be outside. 

Some call us “barn buddies” 

because we can work 

hard for you. Not only do 

we catch mice and rats, but 

we also eat bugs. Barn cats 

Love 

Do you 

the Beacon? 

Be sure to tell 

our advertisers! 

Simon the barn cat 

love hunting and killing their 

prey. We make the best exterminators, 

thus saving you 

money. We are also very low 

maintenance. Just make sure 

we are spayed and neutered, 

and take us for an occasional 

trip to the vet for a check-up. 

If you see a stray cat show 

up around your house, stop 

and think about how they can 

help you out. If you don’t 

need a cat, then don’t feed 

them and they will move on. 

We cats are very resourceful 

and know how to find a 

food supply. Some of us can 

be friendly, and some are 

feral and prefer just to be 

left alone. People may label 

us as mean, but we are just 

misunderstood. We are just 

hard-working cats with a job 

to do. If we do stay around, 

we are showing you that we 

do like you and what you are 

doing for us. 

Come and see me at PAWS, 

I am the handsome four-yearold, 

gray and white, domestic 

short-haired guy who loves 

to stay on the top shelf in my 

room. PAWS helps find alternatives 

for cats like me who 

like to be outside and left 

alone. But I still don’t mind 

the visit. See you soon. 

Simon 

When Being Comfortable Hurts 

By Merrill Hutchinson 

As I write this article, the 

afternoon is windy, rainy, and 

thirty-five degrees. Earlier 

today, I was driving up the 

interstate thinking to myself, 

“Today would be a perfect 

day to find a recliner and take 

a long nap.” You have to admit 

that days like these have 

the couch screaming your 

name. Sometimes, nothing is 

better than being warm and 

comfortable with no immediate 

responsibilities. Sounds 

pretty good, doesn’t it? 

But what if such a thing as 

getting TOO comfortable exists! 

On the surface, comfort 

seems like a legitimate and 

worthy goal. After all, many 

of us have jobs so that we can 

make our lives more comfortable. 

The house we buy. The 

car we drive. The food we eat. 

The clothes we wear. The list 

goes on and on. Often, we can 

become so motivated to secure 

our comforts that we lose sight 

of a greater purpose in life. 

How can comfort lead us to 

pain? Isn’t comfort defined as 

the absence of pain? I don’t 

know about you, but when 

my back is aching, getting 

comfortable is pretty tough 

for me. It’s not that comfort 

creates pain, but instead, 

that comfort often leads to 

complacency, which leads to 

pain. In our complacency, we 

begin to find ourselves letting 

life pass us by. We become 

so comfortable that we don’t 

want to take the next risk. 

We’re afraid to challenge ourselves, 

to do something difficult 

even though the rewards 

may be great. 

We all seek a level of 

comfort. Comfort allows us to 

rest, rejuvenate, and replenish 

our resources. Comfort is like 

the “rest day” from the gym. 

Research shows that a rest day 

is just as important as the work 

day when it comes to being fit 

and getting stronger. A rest day 

allows the body to rebuild after 

being broken down. It provides 

the opportunity for your 

energy levels to be restored. 

Rest offers a mental freshness 

and gives you the boost to go 

out and live another day. 

Comfort is important just 

as rest is important. However, 

we also know that too much 

rest can make us weak and 

frail. If we have too much 

rest, we lose the ability to 

function as sharply as possible, 

both physically and 

mentally. Excessive rest leads 

to the deterioration of the 

body. “If you don’t use it, 

you lose it!” This analysis has 

been scientifically researched 

and verified for decades. 

Comfort that leads to 

complacency also leads to 

deterioration- deterioration of 

quality of life. Complacency 

prevents us from living our 

lives to their fullest potential. 

When comfort is the end 

goal, it actually becomes a 

trap. Living a life of passion 

and purpose means we will 

often be pulled into periods 

of discomfort. If your goal is 

to attain a level of comfort, 

taking risks, and setting big 

goals are usually not things 

you seek out. Risk, by its very 

nature, means you are subjecting 

yourself to discomfort. 

The critical part that we often 

lose sight of is the correlation 

between risk and reward. Yes, 

risk may lead to discomfort, 

but, if it is approached with a 

greater reward in mind, then 

the discomfort may become 

worth the risk. Let’s be clearthis 

is not about making 

impulsive decisions based on 

our current mood or feelings. 

If the discomfort is going to be 

endless or damaging, then the 

risk may not be worth it. I say 

“may not” only because we 

have seen many military and 

first responders take a risk that 

took their lives or left them 

with permanent damage. I 

would argue that they fully believed 

that the risks they took 

were worth it. Thank God for 

their willingness and courage 

to walk away from comfort! 

What motivates you? What 

is your purpose? What are 

your gifts and talents? If comfort 

is your top priority, I can 

guarantee you are on the fast 

track to complacency. You will 

soon lack motivation, purpose, 

and the development and use 

of your gifts and talents. The 

2.22.20 

E6 CATHOLIC MENS CONFERENCE.COM 

result is living a life of “what 

could have been.” 

Getting a little uncomfortable 

is what helps create the 

drive to move forward and 

live a life of no regrets. My 

dad had a regular saying that 

he barked out to us kids as we 

were growing up. “Do something, 

even if it’s wrong!” 

These have been incredible 

words to live by as they have 

helped to create a meaningful 

and adventurous life. My 

dad’s point was that you need 

to get ready to make mistakes, 

get uncomfortable, and get a 

little dirty in this thing called 

life. You will never know 

what could have been if you 

are not willing to try. 

So, what does this type 

of pain look like when we 

become complacent? How is it 

harmful? Often, it is not physical 

in nature. Instead, it usually 

manifests itself as emotional or 

relational pain. In other words, 

it is a feeling of regret! It’s 

those unfulfilled dreams and 

unresolved problems we never 

tackled or pursued. We see 

older folks begin to reflect on 

what could have been as they 

enter into the winter season of 

life. I often think about the difference 

between a grumpy and 

happy old man. We all know 

older folks who fall into both 

camps. What’s behind their 

mind set? 

I believe a happy old man is 

one who believes his life has 

been rich and full of purpose. 

He has lived a full life using 

his gifts and talents to make a 

positive impact on this world. 

On the other hand, I believe 

the grumpy old man is one 

who sees his life as a series of 

missed opportunities. Often, 

he feels stuck with no way for 

life to get any better. Complacency 

has a terrible way of 

stealing your joy and taking 

away your fight. 

The grumpy old man is in 

terrible pain- pain in the realization 

that this is all his life 

has amounted to. This emptiness 

is among the most painful 

things a person can endure. No 

one desires to live a meaningless 

life. But when you evaluate 

your life in its later stages 

and cannot draw meaning and 

value from the way you have 

lived, you are left to think, “Is 

this all there is?” 

A meaningful life well-lived 

is one that often puts you in 

the crosshairs of discomfort 

and sacrifice. It is one that 

sometimes puts comfort at 

a distance. It allows for an 

itch that must be scratched. It 

takes a willingness to make a 

few mistakes and get a little 

uncomfortable. 

Are you on the road to 

being a grumpy old man or 

a happy one? The choice is 

yours to make. Make today 

the day you get out of your 

comfort zone and on the road 

to no regrets! 

Merrill Hutchinson is the 

president of Rock Solid 

Families, a faith-based nonprofit 

organization in West 

Harrison, IN. 



M 

DEAR 

ARIE 

By 

Marie 

Segale 

marie@goBEACONnews.com 

Dear Marie, 

I am so disappointed by the 

lack of thank you notes that 

are sent. I don’t want to name 

names or circumstances, but I 

don’t think neglecting to say 

thank you is acceptable. Here 

are some examples: 

1. I sent five gifts to family 

members who live out of 

town, and I only received two 

thank you notes. 

2. I took care of plants for 

a neighbor while she was out 

of town, and I expected more 

of a thank you. 

3. At work, someone 

donated their services and 

funded an expensive project; 

the person’s generosity was 

such a blessing. My co-worker 

was asked to send a thank 

you note; to my knowledge, 

it has never been sent. 

My next-door neighbor 

came to my yard and cleaned 

up some leaves that had 

blown over. He is an older 

widower and enjoys being 

outside doing yard work. I 

wanted to express my thanks, 

so I took him some homemade 

cookies. I thanked him 

and told him how much I appreciate 

his help. Marie, am 

I just getting old and cranky 

or has saying thank you and 

writing thank you notes gone 

out of style? 

Carolyn from Yorkville 

Dear Carolyn, 

Thank you notes are not 

out of style. The lack of 

courtesy and good manners is 

a systemic problem throughout 

our society. Teaching 

proper etiquette is the job of 

parents. However, with so 

many single-parent families, 

the job of child-rearing is 

more than a single person 

can manage. Our society has 

taken God out of the public 

square and inserted violent 

video games and electronic 

devices in the hands of our 

youth. Many times I have 

seen a toddler holding his or 

her mom’s phone, watching 

who knows what, to keep the 

child quiet. We are no longer 

teaching children to behave; 

we are showing them that we 

want them to be quiet and out 

of our way. I’m not sure good 

manners and the Golden Rule 

are being taught anymore. 

I think every older generation 

feels some disappointment 

in the younger generation. 

When looking at our 

society as a whole, we often 

pine for simpler days gone 

by when good manners and 

the golden rule were part of 

everyday life. What we can 

do to encourage a resurgence 

of sending thank you notes 

is to give a box of thank you 

notes to the young people in 

our lives, children and grandchildren, 

nieces and nephews. 

Take the opportunity 

to explain the importance of 

acknowledging a gift! Who 

knows, we could all make a 

difference in someone’s life! 

Have a pressing issue? 

Contact Marie@GoBeaconnews.com 

Plastic Recycling in the New Year 

By Stefanie Hoffmeier 

We know we’re supposed 

to recycle, and though we try 

our best many of us are getting 

confused about what can 

and can’t be recycled. Plastics 

seem to cause the most confusion 

with two-thirds of people 

admitting to being unsure 

about which plastics can be 

recycled. Can you throw a 

plastic yogurt container in 

your recycling bin, or should 

it go to a landfill? What about 

an old plastic toy? A plastic 

bag? A plastic laundry detergent 

jug? 

To make matters more 

confusing, most plastic items 

have a recycle symbol on 

them. Doesn’t that mean we 

can recycle that item? Not 

necessarily. Those little recycle 

symbols with a number 

in the center actually mean 

something entirely different. 

The number represents the 

type of resin that the plastic 

item is made from. Some of 

those types of plastics are not 

recyclable at all. Besides the 

confusion caused by the number 

and symbol on the plastic 

item, different recyclers in 

different areas of the country 

accept different materials. 

In Dearborn County, whether 

you have curbside pick-up 

or you use one of the 24/7 

drop-off locations, the acceptable 

plastic materials are the 

same. The only plastic items 

that are accepted in Dearborn 

County are plastic bottles and 

jugs. Basically, if the mouth 

is smaller than the rest of the 

bottle or jug, then it is accepted 

at Rumpke or the Dearborn 

County Recycling Center 

(DCRC). Water bottles, 

juice bottles, soda bottles, 

milk jugs, laundry detergent 

bottles, shampoo bottles, and 

contact solution bottles are 

all accepted. You can even 

put the cap back on the bottle 

or jug before placing it in the 

recycling container. 

What about all those plastic 

food containers, yogurt cups, 

plastic cups and trays? Those 

are not accepted in the recycling 

containers or curbside 

containers. Even though some 

plastic containers cannot be 

recycled locally, they can 

still be reused and kept out 

of the landfill. Plastic items 

such as peanut butter jars, pill 

bottles and other small plastic 

containers with lids can be 

cleaned out and donated to 

the DCRC Creation Station. 

Teachers and other non-profit 

educators can use those items 

for paint cups, crafts, science 

experiments, as well as many 

other uses in the classroom. 

Plastic bags are another 

source of confusion. They 

do not belong in the curbside 

bins or drop-off trailers either. 

In fact, plastic bags can get 

tangled in the equipment 

used to sort the recyclable 

materials. If you collect your 

recyclables in a bag, simply 

dump the bag into the curbside 

bin or drop-off trailer, 

then take the bag back home 

with you to reuse it. What 

should you do with all those 

grocery bags? If you aren’t reusing 

them as bathroom trash 

liners or pet waste bags, then 

take them back to the grocery 

store. Most large retailers like 

Kroger and WalMart have a 

special recycling bin located 

at the entrance where you can 

place your unwanted plastic 

bags. The bags are then recycled 

into items like composite 

decking and outdoor furniture. 

When in doubt, throw it 

out. While your intentions are 

good, plastic items that end 

up in your recycling bin and 

are not accepted will end up 

in the landfill anyway. Make 

the effort to donate usable 

items to the DCRC Creation 

Station. Donations are accepted 

at the DCRC Drive-Thru 

Monday thru Friday from 

9am-4pm and on Wednesdays 

from 9am-6pm. If you have 

questions as to whether an 

item is recyclable, call the 

DCRC at 812-926-9963 and 

ask. You can also visit the 

DCRC website at Dearborn- 

CountyRecycles.com, which 

has information on accepted 

materials, as well as links for 

Creation Station and other 

reuse programs. 

Dearborn Community Foundation Board member Karen 

Blasdel, left, delivers a grant check to Rivertown Quilters 

Guild’s Marilyn Fowler. 

Grant Supports 

Quilts of Valor for Veterans 

The Dearborn Community Foundation (DCF), Inc. recently 

awarded a proactive grant to the Rivertown Quilters Guild in 

support of their Quilts of Valor program for Dearborn County 

veterans. The grant to the Rivertown Quilters Guild was 

recommended by DCF Board Member Karen Blasdel of Miller 

Township. 

“I think it is very important that we honor all of our 

veterans and show our appreciation to each and every one 

who has served our country. This program lets each of the 

veterans and their families know that their service to our 

country has not gone unnoticed,” said Mrs. Blasdel. 

Old Friends Luncheon 

Old Friends and Bright Beginnings luncheon will be held 

on Thursday, Feb. 6. The event will feature Joyce Browning, 

a living history performer, portraying Martha Washington. 

The luncheon begins at 11:30 in the Dearborn Hills United 

Methodist Church, 25365 State Line Road. For reservations 

and $10 donation, please call the church office at 812 637- 

3993 by Feb. 3. 

THE LIVERY 

of AURORA 

Reception & 

Event Center 

wedding, event, special occasion 

215 Bridgeway St • Aurora, IN 

513-655-9336 

Now accepting reservations for 

Holiday Weddings & Events. 



By 

Doris 

Butt 

Community 

Correspondent 

goodolddays@goBEACONnews.com 

Visiting Jimmy Carter’s 

Sunday School 

Since Jimmy Carter’s 

health has been in the news, I 

thought I would give you my 

words on visiting his Sunday 

School some years back. 

One year when Ray and I 

return to Indiana from Florida 

for the summer, I know we 

are going to take the scenic 

route instead of Interstate 75. 

I, the navigator of our travels, 

have made big plans to stop 

in Plains, Georgia, to attend a 

Sunday School class taught by 

the former president, Jimmy 

Carter. 

We arrive at our motel in 

Americus early Saturday afternoon, 

so we decide to drive 

the eight miles over to Plains 

to locate the church. 

“It should be easy to find. I 

think Plains is a small town.” 

I assure Ray. Not so, it is 

indeed a small town with a 

population of around six 

hundred and maybe three 

streets running parallel to 

each other, but it has its share 

of churches. None of which 

seem to be the Maranatha 

7247 State Road 46E 

Batesville, IN 47006 

812.932.3300 

Baptist Church. 

During our church search, 

we somehow find the graves 

of President Carter’s mother 

and brother as well as his 

home place west of town. We 

cruise past brother Billy’s 

gas station and a ball field 

named after him. We drive 

by the Carter Compound, the 

only home President and Mrs. 

Carter have ever owned. The 

block and half area is behind 

a high decorative metal fence 

with Secret Service houses on 

two corners. We would learn 

that President Carter frequently 

bikes about town. We do 

not see him, although I am on 

the constant lookout. 

Finally, after stopping at 

a tourist row of maybe six 

stores to buy peanuts, of 

course, we ask for directions. 

A very kind clerk gives us a 

map and highlights the route 

some half mile out of town. 

We end our Saturday Plains’ 

exploration by eating a delicious 

meal at Mom’s Kitchen 

ran by a hard-working black 

family. It seems to be the only 

restaurant in town. 

Now that we have located 

the church, our next concern 

is what time to leave 

the motel to ensure we will 

have a seat at the 10 o’clock 

Sunday School session. The 

motel manager informs us that 

their bus load staying there 

will board the bus at 7 am. 

TOPSOIL 

(Regular and Shredded) 

FILL DIRT 

GRAVEL 

SPECIALIZED HAULING 

& DELIVERY 

Too early, we leave at 7:45 

am. We arrive at the church at 

8:10 am. We find more than a 

hundred in line already. Soon 

we are admitted after Secret 

Service persons check each 

one of us and our cameras. 

Ray and I are seated in the 

eleventh of thirteen rows in 

very comfortable pews. I estimate 

the church would hold 

300. By 8:30 am, the visitors’ 

section is full. Another hundred 

are seated in the fellowship 

hall, where we will watch 

the lesson on a monitor. 

The sanctuary is freshly 

painted a cheerful light green. 

The windows are blocks of 

stained glass. There are no religious 

symbols in the church. 

At 9:10 am, Jan appears 

before us to pass on information 

and give us some rules. 

She tells us that she taught 

Amy Carter in fourth grade, 

and President Carter thought 

she has just the disposition to 

handle the Sunday crowds. He 

is correct. 

She informs us her church 

has 130 members on the roll, 

but the average Sunday attendance 

is around 40. They split 

off the Plains’ Baptist in 1978. 

President and Mrs. Carter 

joined in 1981. The only paid 

person is the pastor. 

Jan jokes, some members 

Valentine’s Day, also 

called St. Valentine’s Day, 

is celebrated on Feb. 14 this 

year. Just a hint- it is always 

celebrated on Feb. 14, so 

one has no excuse for being 

confused on the day in which 

to celebrate! 

The modern definition of 

Valentine’s Day is for lovers 

to express their affection with 

greeting cards, flowers, and 

gifts. However, the holiday 

originated from the Roman 

festival of Lupercalia, held 

in mid-February. Lupercalia 

celebrated the coming of 

don’t like the visitors and 

don’t come, but they don’t 

come when visitors aren’t 

there either. It is just an 

excuse. She assures us we 

are most welcome and not a 

bother. 

President Carter is a deacon 

and communion steward at 

the church. He takes part in a 

church clean-up day. He made 

the wooden collection plates 

used every Sunday. Mrs. 

Carter is also active. 

Then Jan lays down the law 

in a frankest and entertaining 

manner. We are not to applaud 

under any circumstances. 

President Carter is here to 

serve God, not us. No shaking 

hands. At 82 he is not up 

to handling germs from dirty 

hands and he is not politicking 

any more. Cell telephones 

must be turned off. No autographs. 

He comes to worship, 

not sign autographs. If you 

have a book you want to be 

autographed, you can send it 

to the Carter Center, and he 

will sign it and return it. 

A picture-taking time will 

be held in the yard after the 

worship service. Have your 

camera ready. Do not lay anything 

down. Hold on to your 

belongings. No questions. He 

is not here to console you. 

Again, no handshakes. Do 

spring, as well as a lottery for 

fertility rites and the pairing 

off of women with men. Pope 

Gelasius I stepped in at the 

end of the fifth century and 

replaced Lupercalia with St. 

Valentine’s Day. It became 

a day of romance around the 

fourteenth century. 

According to the National 

Retail Federation, the average 

consumer will spend 

$143.56 on Valentine’s Day. 

Not included in that figure is 

the $5.50 average spent on 

pets. While your loved one 

is worth every penny, there 

are more meaningful ways to 

express one’s love without 

the added expense. 

Consider surprising your 

loved one by taking over 

some of his or her chores for 

a day. A few acts of kindness 

to consider are: 

• Preparing supper and 

washing the dishes. 

• Laundry - washed, folded, 

and put away 

• Washing and detailing a 

vehicle. 

• Packing a special lunch. 

“These are gifts that 

knock it out of the park for 

me,” shared Bobbie Purvis, 

Friendship Bank’s insurance 

CSR. 

Handwritten letters and 

cards are also thoughtful 

gifts. You don’t have to be an 

artist or poet to create a letter 

or homemade card. Taking 

the time to transfer the words 

in your heart to paper is a 

perfect gift. 

Friendship State Bank’s 

stand between them. Know 

where you are going to stand. 

If you need to get anything 

from your car, forget that. 

Once you leave the church 

area, you cannot return. 

You must keep your hands 

out of your pockets while 

waiting to get your picture 

taken. 

Then Jan went into the 

Sunday School procedure. 

President Carter will enter the 

room. No one is to stand except 

those in service uniform. 

He will ask, “Do we have 

any visitors?” Then he will 

survey one section of the 

church at a time to see where 

we are from. Your state 

should be called out only 

once. Next, he will ask for 

any pastors or missionaries to 

introduce themselves. One of 

them will give the prayer, she 

warns. If you do not want to 

do the prayer, be quiet. 

She informs us the lesson 

will be the International 

Sunday School lesson from 

Revelation. That caught my 

interest. I wondered what 

President Carter would have 

to say about what I consider 

the most puzzling book in the 

Bible. 

Part two of of this story will 

be shared in the next issue of 

the Beacon. 

Making Valentine’s Day Sweet 

teller Kara Hudson received a 

handwritten letter along with 

a framed photo that encourages 

her to this day. “The 

words in the letter meant 

much more than anything 

money could buy,” Ms. Hudson 

said. “I actually carry it 

with me and read it if I am 

ever feeling down!” 

A personalized experience 

is another thoughtful idea. If 

your sweetheart loves flowers, 

perhaps a single rose or 

bloom of a favorite flower 

would be the perfect gift. 

Breakfast or dinner consisting 

of heart-shaped pancakes 

is often a sweet gesture. Your 

loved one may be overjoyed 

if you joined him or her at 

the gym or a favorite activity. 

“One thing that sticks out 

in my mind was when my 

oldest son bought me a beautiful 

necklace that said mom 

in it with some butterflies,” 

insurance agent Tami Thayer 

said. “My youngest son 

felt bad for not getting me 

anything. I told him that it 

was okay and he didn’t need 

to buy me anything. So, he 

opted for the next best thing. 

He let me race his truck. We 

are a drag racing family so 

that year I had the best of 

both worlds.” 

Knowing what matters 

to your sweetheart, family 

member, or fur-iend is the 

key to creating a special day 

and meaningful gift anytime 

during the year. 

Information provided by 

Friendship State Bank 

Checking | Savings | Loans | CDs & IRAs | Trusts 


debbystutz.thebeacon@yahoo.com 

February 2020 THE BEACON Page 1B 

S 

BEACON 

PORTS 

SCENE 

By 

Chris Jack 

Nobbe 

Zoller 

beaconsports 

@live.com 

sports@goBEACONnews.com 

Brunner Earns 

National Awards, 

Turns Pro 

Trevor Brunner of Aurora 

can remember being interested 

in motorcycle racing 

since he was three, envying 

a friend from daycare who 

had a Yamaha PW 50. Today, 

the seventeen-year-old stands 

By 

on the cusp Maxine of a professional 

career Klump on the American 

Motorcyclist Association 

(AMA) Flat Community Track circuit after 

an ever-progressing Correspondent amateur 

career that culminated with 

maxineklump.thebeacon@yahoo.com 

2019 Nicky Hayden AMA 

Flat Track Horizon Award 

recognizing the amateur with 

the brightest prospect for a 

professional career. 

Brunner was also named the 

2019 AMA Athlete of the Year 

from Grand Championship 

events. He won class championships 

in the 251cc-500cc 

DTX, 450cc Modified, 450cc- 

Open Singles, and the 450cc 

Open Modified classes. He 

won four class point championships 

while also claiming 

ten races, eight main events, 

and seven runner-up finishes 

during the season. 

Brunner has always been 

interested in motorcycles as 

his dad, Kerry Brunner, has 

been an avid Harley-Davidson 

rider throughout his life. After 

asking his dad (whom he 

describes as having a heart of 

gold) for his first bike, that is 

precisely what he received. 

Trevor can recall he and his 

dad working together many 

times on his bikes in the 

garage while learning how to 

care for the machines he rides. 

Brunner would ride in his 

first motorcycle race in 2006 

at the age of 4. He would 

eventually race every week. In 

all of his youth racing, he was 

never paired by age but by the 

size of the bike he was riding, 

and he was riding against 20- 

year olds by the age of 10. 

By the age of 12 or 13, 

Trevor was riding on tracks 

throughout the country. He 

honed his skills against many 

flat track racers and on various 

tracks throughout on both 

his 85cc and 250cc bikes. 

When asked what moments 

helped him realize he 

was quite talented and could 

perhaps pursue a career in the 

sport, Brunner noted a few 

distinct races held in Savannah, 

GA. in 2016 against top 

competitors. 

Brunner had signed up for 

three different classes on the 

5/8th mile track racing his 

250cc bike. He was racing 

against a rival, Dallas Daniels, 

who was already professionalready 

in several bike disciplines 

and who could afford 

the best equipment and training. 

Brunner was able to get 

out to the lead in the first race 

with Daniels. He can recall 

continuously telling himself 

to “Keep it! Keep it! Keep it!” 

He was able to win the race 

against this rival racer. The 

second race of the day would 

have the same outcome. 

The third and final classed 

race he competed in that day included 

a legendary professional 

in Kenny Coolbeth, Jr., who 

Trevor Brunner with his father Kerry Bruner after receiving 

the 2019 Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award. 

(Photo by Mia Moore-Flat Track photographer) 

was a three-time AMA Grand 

National Champion, along with 

Brunner’s rival, Daniels. 

During the race, Brunner 

was able to keep up with Coolbeth 

and was thinking, “Man, 

I am keeping up with this 

guy!” While Coolbeth would 

go on to win the race, Daniels 

became a factor on the lead 

lap late by passing Brunner 

on the inside. With the drop 

of the white flag, Brunner still 

found himself behind Daniels 

but was able to pass him on 

the outside, going the long 

way around on the final lap, to 

claim the finishing spot over 

the other talented young rider 

for the third time on that day. 

The chance and decision 

to turn professional has not 

come without difficult decisions 

for the young man 

and his family. He is always 

appreciative of the sacrifices 

made by his parents to allow 

him to race. 

Brunner had attended South 

Dearborn schools his entire 

life, but the decision was 

made for Trevor to move to 

Florida to live and train under 

the tutelage of well-reputed 

Robby Bobby McLendon. 

Thus, he finished the winter 

trimester of his sophomore 

year at South Dearborn High 

School and is completing his 

schooling online. 

Although already quite 

talented, Brunner speaks 

highly of the many skills and 

the knowledge he has gained. 

Brunner does a great deal of 

cardio in the water, completes 

a lifting program, as well as 

having a better approach to 

his nutritional needs as a professional 

athlete. Additionally, 

he will be training alongside 

Dalton Gauthier, who 

is the reigning AFT Singles 

Champion. He will be living 

in a “Racer Home” with six 

professionals, all of whom he 

gleans knowledge for his own 

career. 

Brunner not only races his 

motorcycles but is also integral 

in their maintenance and 

race preparation. Ultimately, 

he makes all the final decisions 

on his bikes and knows 

how to take them apart and 

put it back together again. 

Much of this knowledge and 

maintenance was learned 

from his father. Brunner must 

gain two years of experience 

on the 450cc at the professional 

level and be at least 

18 before he could move up 

to the 750cc level. Attaining 

that goal becomes more 

costly, with costs upwards of 

$60,000. While he has gained 

additional sponsorships since 

announcing he would be going 

pro, he recognizes a lot 

more work lies ahead. 

Brunner also will be racing 

throughout the United States 

in the coming year. He expects 

to travel to New Hampshire, 

Arizona, California, and 

points in between, which will 

prove more difficult for his 

parents to follow. 

You can follow Brunner’s 

career more closely at the 

website www.americanmotorcyclist.com 

or www.americanflattrack.com. 

Should Should 

I Convert 

I I Convert Convert to a 

to 

Roth 

a to Roth 

IRA? a Roth IRA? IRA? 

As many baby boomers near retirement, some new facts are coming 

As many 

As into baby focus. boomers 

many According near 

baby to retirement, 

boomers the latest Government some new 

near Accountability facts are coming 

retirement, Office 

into focus. (GAO) According report on to retirement the latest security, Government 29 percent Accountability of households Office aged 55 

(GAO) report 

some new facts are coming into focus. 

and older on retirement have no savings security, set aside 29 percent for retirement of households and no pension. aged 55 If 

and older According that have doesn’t no savings change, to set they’ll the aside be latest relying for retirement Government 

solely on and Social no Security pension. during If 

that doesn’t Accountability retirement. change, In 2019, they’ll the be average Office relying annual solely (GAO) on Social Social report Security Security benefit during is about 

retirement. on $17,500 In retirement 2019, — not the much average above security, annual the federal Social 29 poverty Security percent level benefit of $12,490 of is about for a 

$17,500 single — not person. much 

households 1 above the federal poverty level of $12,490 for a 

aged 55 and older have no 

single person. 

savings 

In a recent 1 

hearing, 

set aside 

the House 

for 

Ways 

retirement 

and Means Committee 

and no 

invited 

In a recent experts to testify on the issue. Here’s what they learned: 

pension. 

hearing, the 

If 

House 

that 

Ways 

doesn’t 

and Means 

change, 

Committee 

they’ll 

2 

invited 

experts • to Many testify union-sponsored the issue. Here’s multiemployer what they pension learned: plans face dire funding 

be relying solely on Social Security 2 

during 

• Many 

challenges. 

retirement. 

union-sponsored 

In 

multiemployer 

2019, the 

pension 

average 

plans face 

annual 

dire funding 

challenges. • The average Social Security benefit is not enough to sustain women, 

Social Security about $17,500 — 

people of color and others who are disadvantaged in the workplace 

• The average not and have much Social Security 

lower above benefit 

participation the is 

and federal not enough 

savings rates poverty to sustain women, 

in employer-sponsored level of 

people of color and others who are disadvantaged 

$12,490 retirement plans. for a single person. 1 in the workplace 

and have lower participation and savings rates in employer-sponsored 

retirement • Enabling plans. universal access to a retirement savings plan via employer 

In payroll a recent deductions hearing, can help broaden the coverage. House Ways and 

Means • Permitting Committee a universal savings invited plan to include experts guaranteed to income testify for 

on life the can help issue. protect Here’s retirees from what outliving they their savings. learned: 2 

• Enabling universal access to a retirement savings plan via employer 

payroll deductions can help broaden coverage. 

• Permitting a universal savings plan to include guaranteed income for 

One new piece of retirement legislation winding its way through Congress 

life can help protect retirees from outliving their savings. 

• Many union-sponsored multiemployer 

pension plans face dire funding 

challenges. 

One new piece of retirement legislation winding its way through Congress 

• The average Social Security benefit is not 

enough to sustain women, people of color 

and others who are disadvantaged in the 

workplace and have lower participation 

and savings rates in employer-sponsored 

retirement plans. 

• Enabling universal access to a retirement 

savings plan via employer payroll 

deductions can help broaden coverage. 

• Permitting a universal savings plan to 

include guaranteed income for life can 

help protect retirees from outliving their 

savings. 

One new piece of retirement legislation 

winding its way through Congress is 

called the SECURE Act. The bill calls for a 

number of changes to retirement accounts, 

such as eliminating the age limit on IRA 

is called is called the the SECURE SECURE Act. Act. The The bill bill calls calls 

for a number of changes to retirement 

accounts, such as eliminating the age 

limit on IRA contributions, delaying 

required minimum distributions to 

age 72, and curtailing stretch IRAs, 

requiring non-spouse beneficiaries to 

take distributions on inherited IRAs 

more quickly. 3 

contributions, 

for a number of changes to retirement 

delaying accounts, such as required eliminating the age 

minimum 

limit on IRA contributions, delaying 

required minimum distributions to 

distributions 

age 72, and curtailing stretch 

to age 

IRAs, 

72, requiring and non-spouse curtailing beneficiaries to 

stretch take distributions IRAs, on inherited IRAs 

more quickly. 

requiring 3 

non-spouse “One new piece of 

beneficiaries According to the Plan to Sponsor take “One legislation new piece winding of its way 

Council of America (PSCA), 

distributions on legislation 

employers are contributing more through Congress winding is called its way 

inherited than ever to 401(k) IRAs plans. more In 2017, through the SECURE Congress Act.” is called 

quickly. they pitched 3 in an average of 5.1 the SECURE — Act.” Roger Ford 

percent of employee income to 

— Roger Ford 

According 

401(k) accounts -- 

to 

the 

the 

highest 

Plan 

percentage ever recorded. To their credit, 

workers contributed an average of 7.1 percent on their own. Another 

Sponsor 

new trend is that 

Council 

more plan 

of 

sponsors are adding a Roth IRA option, now 

America available with (PSCA), at least 70 percent employers of all plans. are contributing 

4 

more The CFA Institute than recently ever published to 401(k) a survey plans. of investors In with 2017, investable 

they assets of pitched more than $1 in million. an average The study found of that 5.1 younger percent high-net-oworth 

investors are income more than to twice 401(k) as likely to accounts seek a holistic approach -- the 

employee 

to wealth management than their older counterparts. By the way, 

highest percentage ever recorded. To their 

“holistic” doesn’t mean “generalist.” Instead, it refers to comprehensive 

credit, management, workers utilizing strategic contributed partnerships with an other average professionals of 

7.1 when percent necessary in certain on their scenarios. own. Also, higher-net-worth Another new investors are 

trend 

less enchanted 

is that 

with environmental, 

more plan 

social 

sponsors 

and governance 

are 

investment 

adding 

opportunities and more concerned with traditional assets. Their investment 

a 

priorities 

Roth 

continue 

IRA option, 

to be minimizing 

now 

taxation 

available 

(50 

with at 

least 70 percent of all plans. 4 percent) and diversifying 

According to the Plan Sponsor 

Council of America (PSCA), 

employers are contributing more 

than ever to 401(k) plans. In 2017, 

they pitched in an average of 5.1 

percent of employee income to 

401(k) accounts -- the highest percentage ever recorded. To their credit, 

workers contributed an average of 7.1 percent on their own. Another 

new trend is that more plan sponsors are adding a Roth IRA option, now 

available with at least 70 percent of all plans. 4 

The CFA Institute recently published a survey of investors with investable 

assets of more than $1 million. The study found that younger high-networth 

investors are more than twice as likely to seek a holistic approach 

to wealth management than their older counterparts. By the way, 

“holistic” doesn’t mean “generalist.” Instead, it refers to comprehensive 

management, utilizing strategic partnerships with other professionals 

when necessary in certain scenarios. Also, higher-net-worth investors are 

less enchanted with environmental, social and governance investment 

opportunities and more concerned with traditional assets. Their investment 

priorities continue to be minimizing taxation (50 percent) and diversifying 

The CFA Institute recently published a 

survey of investors with investable assets 

of more than $1 million. The study found 

that younger high-networth investors are 

more than twice as likely to seek a holistic 

approach to wealth management than their 

older counterparts. By the way, “holistic” 

doesn’t mean “generalist.” Instead, it 

refers to comprehensive management, 

utilizing strategic partnerships with other 

professionals when necessary in certain 

scenarios. Also, higher-net-worth investors 

are less enchanted with environmental, 

social and governance investment 

opportunities and more concerned with 

traditional assets. Their investment 

priorities continue to be minimizing 

taxation (50 percent) and diversifying across 

asset classes and industry sectors. 5 

If you’re struggling to estimate your 

retirement lifestyle needs, consider this 

across across asset asset classes classes and and industry industry sectors. sectors. 5 5 

mental exercise: Think about a specific day 

If you’re struggling to estimate your retirement lifestyle needs, consider 

in If the you’re future. struggling to If estimate you aren’t your retirement able lifestyle to envision needs, consider 

this mental exercise: Think about a specific day in the future. If you aren’t 

this mental exercise: Think about a specific day in the future. If you aren’t 

a able day to envision very a far day very away, far away, you may need need to push to a little push further. 

able to envision a day very far away, you may need to push a little further. 

a How little well you further. are able to How envision well life in the you future are -- referred able to to as your 

How well you are able to envision life in the future -- referred to as your 

“mental time horizon” -- can have a significant impact on your financial 

envision life in the future -- referred to as 

health. 

“mental 

Not 

time 

only in 

horizon” 

terms of 

-- 

investing 

can have 

for 

a 

growth, 

significant 

but 

impact 

also your 

on 

ability 

your financial 

to 

your manage health. “mental cash, Not only debt in and terms time develop of investing horizon” prudent savings for growth, -- behaviors. can but have also According your a ability to to 

significant Morningstar, manage cash, a person debt impact with and develop a long-term your prudent mental financial savings time horizon behaviors. health. tends According to save to 

Not 20 Morningstar, times only more than a person 

in terms those without. a long-term 

of investing 6 mental time horizon tends to save 

for growth, 

1 

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-04-10/employers-can-buy-retirementsecurity-for-2-64-an-hour. 

20 times more than those without. 

but also your ability to 6 

manage cash, debt 

1 

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-04-10/employers-can-buy-retirementsecurity-for-2-64-an-hour. 

develop prudent savings behaviors. 

2 

and 

https://www.blog.invesco.us.com/is-a-retirement-savings-crisis-on-the-horizon/ 

3 

https://www.kitces.com/blog/weekend-reading-for-financial-planners-apr-6-7-2/ 

2 

4 

https://www.blog.invesco.us.com/is-a-retirement-savings-crisis-on-the-horizon/ 

According https://www.blog.invesco.us.com/employer-401k-contributions-hit-a-six-decade-record. 

3 to Morningstar, a person with 

5 https://www.kitces.com/blog/weekend-reading-for-financial-planners-apr-6-7-2/ 

https://www.fa-mag.com/news/wealthy-investors-want-skilled-and-savvy-advisors-43877.html 

4 

6 

a https://www.morningstar.com/blog/2019/04/11/financial-health.html. 

long-term 

https://www.blog.invesco.us.com/employer-401k-contributions-hit-a-six-decade-record. 

mental time horizon tends to 

5 

https://www.fa-mag.com/news/wealthy-investors-want-skilled-and-savvy-advisors-43877.html 

save 20 times more than those without. 6 

6 

https://www.morningstar.com/blog/2019/04/11/financial-health.html. 

Conservative Financial Solutions | Roger Ford 

1 

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-04-10/employerscan-buy-retirementsecurity-for-2-64-an-hour. 

Conservative Financial Solutions | Roger Ford 

10403 Harrison Ave. | Harrison, OH 45030 

2 

https://www.blog.invesco.us.com/is-a-retirement-savings-crisis-on-thehorizon/ 

Securities offered only by duly registered individuals through Madison Avenue Securities, LLC (MAS), 

513.367.1113 10403 Harrison | ConservativeFinancialSolutions.com 

Ave. | Harrison, OH 45030 

member 513.367.1113 FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory | ConservativeFinancialSolutions.com 

services offered only by duly registered individuals through AE 

3 

https://www.kitces.com/blog/weekend-reading-for-financial-plannersapr-6-7-2/ 

Solutions Securities are not offered affiliated only companies. by duly registered AEWM and individuals Conservative through Financial Madison Solutions Avenue are Securities, not affiliated LLC (MAS), 

Wealth Management, LLC (AEWM), a Registered Investment Advisor. MAS and Conservative Financial 

4 

https://www.blog.invesco.us.com/employer-401k-contributions-hit-a-sixdecade-record. 

Solutions are not Investing affiliated involves companies. risk, including AEWM the and potential Conservative loss of Financial principal. Solutions are not affiliated 

companies. member FINRA/SIPC. Neither the firm Investment nor its agents advisory representatives services offered may only give by tax duly or registered legal advice. individuals Individuals through AE 

should Wealth consult Management, with a qualified LLC (AEWM), professional a Registered for guidance Investment before making Advisor. any MAS purchasing and Conservative decisions. Financial 

5 

https://www.fa-mag.com/news/wealthy-investors-want-skilled-andsavvy-advisors-43877.html 

We are should an independent consult with firm a helping qualified individuals professional create for retirement guidance strategies before making using a any variety purchasing of insurance decisions. 

companies. Neither the firm nor its agents or representatives may give tax or legal advice. Individuals 

6 

and investment products to custom suit their needs and objectives. This material is intended to provide 

https://www.morningstar.com/blog/2019/04/11/financial-health.html. 

Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. 

general information to help you understand basic planning strategies and should not be 

construed We are as an financial independent advice. firm All investments helping individuals are subject create to risk retirement including strategies the potential using loss a of variety principal. of insurance 

No and investment strategy products can guarantee to custom a suit profit their or needs protect and against objectives. loss in periods This material of declining is intended values. to provide 

general information to help you understand basic financial planning strategies and should not be 

The 

construed 

information contained in this material is believed to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness 

cannot be guaranteed; Conservative as financial advice. All investments 

it is not intended to be Financial are subject to risk 

used as the sole basis Solutions 

including the potential loss of principal. 

for financial decisions. If you are 

unable 

No investment 

to access any 

strategy 

of the news 

can guarantee 

articles and 

a 

sources 

profit or 

through 

protect 

the 

against 

links provided 

loss in periods 

in this text, 

of declining 

please 

values. 

The information contact contained us to in request this Roger material a copy of is the believed Ford desired to reference. be reliable, 836547C but accuracy and completeness 

cannot be guaranteed; it is not intended to be used as the sole basis for financial decisions. If you are 

unable to access any 10403 of the news articles Harrison and sources through Ave. the links provided in this text, please 

contact us to request a copy of the desired reference. 836547C 

Harrison, OH 45030 

513.367.1113 

ConservativeFinancialSolutions.com 

Securities offered only by duly registered individuals through 

Madison Avenue Securities, LLC (MAS), member FINRA/SIPC. 

Investment advisory services offered only by duly registered 

individuals through AE Wealth Management, LLC (AEWM), a 

Registered Investment Advisor. MAS and Conservative Financial 

Solutions are not affiliated companies. AEWM and Conservative 

Financial Solutions are not affiliated companies. Neither the firm 

nor its agents or representatives may give tax or legal advice. 

Individuals should consult with a qualified professional for guidance 

before making any purchasing decisions. Investing involves risk, 

including the potential loss of principal. 

We are an independent firm helping individuals create retirement 

strategies using a variety of insurance and investment products to 

custom suit their needs and objectives. This material is intended to 

provide general information to help you understand basic financial 

planning strategies and should not be construed as financial advice. 

All investments are subject to risk including the potential loss of 

principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect 

against loss in periods of declining values. 

The information contained in this material is believed to be reliable, 

but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed; it is not 

intended to be used as the sole basis for financial decisions. If you 

are unable to access any of the news articles and sources through 

the links provided in this text, please contact us to request a copy of 

the desired reference. 836547C 


Page 2B THE BEACON February 2020 

BRIGHT/ 

SUGAR RIDGE 

By 

Bob 

Waples 

Community 

Correspondent 

O 

ur 

Communities 

A Family Tradition Since 1800’s 

bright@goBEACONnews.com 

HAPPY 2020 and welcome 

to a new decade. 

Even though the holidays 

are behind us, I want to share 

some pictures and stories 

from the Christmas season 

of 2019. My monthly salute 

to veterans goes to the approximately 

twenty-eight men 

and women veterans that the 

American Legion Post 132 

(Bright) members visited in 

senior housing complexes in 

our area. We met some amazing 

folks and heard even more 

amazing stories from some 

of the men and one of the 

women. 

Myron Gehring shared 

his story of being a POW in 

Italy. He awoke one morning 

to find his buddies gone. 

He spent three days hiding 

from the enemy. On the fourth 

day he wandered right into 

their headquarters and was 

captured. He was a POW for 

one-and-a-half years. 

One of the women vets 

enlisted when she was nearly 

thirty-five. She shared her 

Ron Kelly, Eric Smith, Cheryl Kelly, Bob Waples, Norma 

Branigan, Ten Hendren, Barry Hansel, Sharon Jansen, 

Jim Jansen. 

story and the struggles she 

overcame to become what she 

wanted to be rather than being 

placed in a job that was considered 

‘fitting for a woman.’ 

She won out and became a 

heavy duty munitions/ammunition 

truck driver. 

Tom Ward served in the 

Air Force during the Korean 

War. He created a military 

comic strip called Spinner that 

is now in the Air Force Hall 

of Fame. He later became a 

political cartoonist. His artwork 

that we saw was absolutely 

beautiful. 

I salute each one of the 

twenty-eight veterans who we 

visited, wishing each a Happy, 

Blessed New Year. 

Just a few more fun pics 

from Christmas and then into 

2020. 

Santa showed up at the 

North Dearborn Library and 

enjoyed spending time with 

kiddies of all ages doing crafts 

and listening to the beautiful 

harp music played by Donna 

Jo Tucker. 

January birthday wishes 

to Brandon Shumate, my 

niece Brittany Haney, and all 

the folks celebrating January 

birthdays. A big January 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY hug to 

a dear friend Francis Borgman. 

I know a gentleman 

shouldn’t reveal a lady’s age, 

so I won’t let the cat out of 

the bag, Francis. 

Upcoming birthdays in February 

(so you can catch them 

on time): Mitch Neyer 2/4, 

Jeff Milton 2/6, Natashia 

Wesley 2/8, Jeremy Chipman 

2/12, Dawn Victor 2/12, 

Mark Sutton 2/13, Shelby 

Milton 2/16, Jim Viel 2/19, 

Mark Sutton, Santa, Bob Waples, MaryAnn Cannon, 

Bev Cornelius, Rev. Bob Cannon, Ruth Sutton, Anne 

Jeffries(sitting). 

Reagan Jones 2/27. 

Special Happy Anniversary 

wishes to Jenny and 

Ron Jones (my niece and 

nephew-in-law) on 2/2 and 

a happy fiftieth anniversary 

to my brother and sis-in-law 

Jim and Deb Waples on 2/14. 

Best wishes to everyone and 

enjoy your special day. 

Since the next issue of the 

Beacon won’t reach you until 

mid-February, wishing everyone 

a Happy Valentine’s Day. 

As we begin this new year 

and everyone is making New 

Year’s resolutions, I would 

like to share two quotes to 

remember. 

“As you are creating a new 

you, there’s a whole lot about 

the old you that is worth keeping.” 

Toni Sorenson 

“You are never too old to 

set another goal or to dream a 

new dream.” C.S Lewis 

If you are interested in 

Donna Jo Tucker and Santa 

at the North Dearborn 

Library. 

joining/giving back to our 

community for the new year, 

two worthwhile organizations 

in our community are the 

American Legion Post 132 

meets 2nd Monday (7:00 pm) 

of each month, and Bright 

Lions meet 2nd and 4th Tuesday 

(6:30 pm) of each month. 

Both meet in the Lions building 

on Lamplight Drive 

Wishing all a Happy and 

Blessed New Year. 

HIDDEN 

VALLEY LAKE 

By 

Korry 

Johnson 

Community 

Correspondent 

hvl@goBEACONnews.com 

Hidden Valley Lake was 

filled with holiday spirit 

and beautiful decorations on 

every street. Congratulations 

The home of Steve and 

Kathy Jones. 

to Steve and Kathy Jones 

on Walnut Ridge who were 

voted the 2019 Christmas 

Decorations Winner by the 

Garden Club. 

If you have news that you 

would like to share, email me 

at hvl@goBEACONnews.com 

N I C O L E & J O H N W U E S T E F E L D 

Q U A L I T Y S E RV I C E • C O M PA S S I O N • D E D I C AT I O N 

25615 STATE ROUTE 1 • DOVER, IN 

(812) 576-4301 WWW.ANDRES-WUESTEFELDFH.COM 



O 

ur 

Communities 

Jerry and Jennie Maune 

ST. LEON 

By 

Debbie A. 

Zimmer 

Community 

Correspondent 

stleon@goBEACONnews.com 

A large group attended the 

New Year’s Eve dance hosted 

by the Sons of the American 

Legion at St. Joseph American 

Legion Post 464. Proceeds 

from this year’s event 

will go to local charities and 

the YES Home. 

Jennie and Jerry Maune 

recently celebrated their 

fiftieth wedding anniversary 

with a gathering of family and 

friends. Their anniversary was 

on Oct. 11. Congratulations, 

and here’s to many more! 

The Town of St. Leon 

recently received their new 

patrol car purchased with 

grant money from riverboat 

funds. Pictured with the new 

vehicle is St. Leon Chief of 

Police William Wendt. 

Our community recently 

lost a great person, Dave 

“Neary” Schuman, age fiftyseven, 

passed away on Nov. 

20, 2019. Dave loved spending 

time with his family and 

friends and had a heart of 

gold. Dave was an active and 

St. Leon Chief of Police 

William Wendt 

devoted member of Sons of 

the American Legion and All 

Saints Parish. 

Dave will be greatly missed 

by Susan, his wife of eighteen 

years, and his parents Joseph 

and Martha. Also sharing in 

this great loss are his siblings 

and in-laws, his twenty-one 

nieces and nephews, and 

nine great-nieces and greatnephews. 

And, we can’t forget 

his beloved dog, Bailey. I will 

always remember working 

with Dave at many events and 

how he was always willing to 

lend his helping hand in whatever 

needed to be done. He 

also was an “Oak Tree” award 

recipient from the post for all 

of his selfless work. 

Congratulations go out to 

Lucy Herth on her recent 

Cum Laude Graduation from 

Indiana State University with 

a degree in Logistics. Also, to 

Shaye DiMeglio who graduated 

from Ivy Tech Community 

College with an Associates 

Degree in Elementary Education. 

Great job, girls! 

February Birthdays– 1 Ella 

Alig, Greg Callahan, Paul 

Volk, and Steve Weigel, 

3 Jeanie Bischoff, Joyce 

Munchel, Doug Dole, Jerry 

Schneider, 4 Paul Stock, 6 my 

Carter William Barrett celebrated 

his sixth birthday. 

nephew Shawn Andres who 

lives in TX, 7 Katie Gaynor 

and Kris Bischoff, 8 my sisterin-law 

Betty Andres, 10 Jenny 

Steinmetz and Gerhard Deddens, 

11 Emma Brock, Carolyn 

Bulach, Linda Hoog and 

John Schuman, 12 Brittany 

Farrow and cousin Gerard 

Andres, 15 Macy Lyness, Sarah 

Herth, Jessica Weideman, 

and Scott Siefferman, 16 Brittany 

Bischoff, Jon Stenger, 

and Ben Vogelsang, 17 Ellie 

Hoffman, Ashley Andres, and 

Ryan Wilhelm, 18 Brenda 

Ratz, 19 Gabrielle Cleary, 

Tim Banks, Paula Rudisell, 

and Mark Horstman, 20 Harry 

Hartman, Nolan Stenger, 

Rachel Vonderheide, and 

Kendall Robertson, 21 Mary 

Rennekamp, Karen Maune 

and cousin David Andres, 23 

Mary Lois Trabel, Peg Lyness, 

Chris Bittner, and Tanya 

Bittner, 25 Mandy Vogelsang, 

26 my granddaughter Brianna 

Inman and Jim “Papa” Dole, 

27 Luke Vogelsang, 28 Dave 

Deddens and Ryan Walter. 

Get in touch with me with 

any news items for the column 

at stleon@goBEACON 

news.com 

All Saints boys’ basketball team is undefeated this season. 

NEW ALSACE 

By 

Laura 

Keller 

Community 

Correspondent 

newalsace@goBEACONnews.com 

The Catholic Youth Organization 

(CYO) helps celebrate the 

gifts of individuals and enhance 

personal development. In our 

area, CYO activities help youth 

develop athletic skill set, camaraderie, 

and friendships through 

sports, specifically volleyball 

and basketball. 

One local CYO basketball 

team at All Saints Parish is undefeated 

in the 2019-2020 season. 

Coached by Tony Trossman, 

players include Kevin 

Keller, Matthew Graf, Michael 

Hoffmeier, JJ Stenger, 

February in Dearborn County, Southeast Indiana...the Perfect Place to Play! 

Jacob Robbins, Brady Spangler, 

Luke Hornbach, Sam 

Kirchgassner, Griffen Werner, 

Landen Weis, Matt Schuman, 

and Lucas Collins. Many of the 

boys are friends on and off the 

court and serve at mass together 

during the weekends. Great job, 

and good luck for the rest of 

your season! 

The North Dearborn 

American Legion is hosting 

its monthly euchre tournament 

on February 2 and 16. Doors 

open at noon and games begin 

at 1 p.m. The entry fee is $5 

per person, with cash payouts 

to the four highest scores. 

Refreshments are available for 

purchase. Call 812.623.3695 for 

more information. 

I would love to hear from you! 

If you have news in the New 

Alsace area you’d like me to 

share, please contact me at newalsace@goBEACONnews.com. 

February 1-29 – Dillsboro Arts Friendship 

Gallery Exhibit - Gallery located at 12926 Bank 

Street, Dillsboro. Exhibit: The Call Back Show. 

Open: Tuesdays, 6-8pm; Thursdays, 4-8pm; and 

Saturdays, 10am-2pm. Opening reception is 

February 7, 6-8pm. This show features a selection 

of invited local and regional artists who have 

previously entered this group exhibition. Exhibit 

runs through March 28. Info: 812-532-3010 or 

www.dillsboro.in/arts/dillsboro-arts-friendshipgallery. 

February 1 – Jamey Johnson at the 

Lawrenceburg Event Center - 91 Walnut 

Street, Lawrenceburg. 7:30pm. Doors open at 

7pm. Shuttle service available from Hollywood 

Casino, Lawrenceburg. Platinum selling artist 

Jamey Johnson brings his outlaw country style to 

the Event Center for one of the biggest concerts 

of the year. Tickets: www.ticketmaster.com. 

February 7-9 – Dearborn County Home 

Builders Association Home & Garden 

Show - Lawrenceburg Event Center, 91 Walnut 

Street, Lawrenceburg. Friday, 5-9pm; Saturday, 

10am- 8pm; and Sunday, Noon-5pm. The 

largest home show in Dearborn County features 

landscaping and interior design companies, 

remodeling contractors, organizing solutions 

and more. $6 admission (50% off with a boxed 

or canned good donation). Free admission for 

children age 10-and-under. Info: 812-320-6099 or 

www.dearborncountyhba.org. 

February 8 – Annual Big Air Competition 

- Perfect North Slopes,19074 Perfect Lane, 

Lawrenceburg. Event open to skiers and boarders. 

Come participate, or just watch the exciting 

action from the patio! Begins at 5:30pm with 

Amateur Division ($5), followed by Pro Division 

($10) at 7pm. Great prizes will be awarded on the 

patio at 8:30pm. Helmets required. Info: 812-537- 

3754 or www.perfectnorth.com. 

February 8 – Be My Valentine - Main 

Street Aurora’s Dancing on Main - 7-10:30pm, 

presented by Main Street Aurora. 228 Second 

St., Aurora. Doors open at 6pm. $5 admission. 

This community event is for anyone interested in 

having a good time in Historic Downtown Aurora. 

Dinner is served by the Lions Club for $7, with all 

proceeds going to Relay for Life. Info: Main Street 

Aurora/812-926-1100 or www.aurora.in.us. 

February 20 – Blue Willow House Spring 

Opening - 9960 Front Street, Dillsboro. Blue 

Willow House opens for the season. Thursday & 

Friday, 10am-6pm and Saturday, 9am-2pm. Shop 

three floors of merchandise located in a lovely 

old home built in 1912. Antiques, home decor, 

clothing, jewelry, candles, soaps/lotions and gifts 

are available for purchase. Info: 812-432-3330 or 

www.facebook.com/homedecor.events. 

February 21 – Get Wine(d), Dine(d) in 

Aurora - 5-8:30pm. Presented by Main Street 

Aurora. Shop participating businesses and 

enter to win a grand prize. Info: Main Street 

Aurora/812-926-1100 or www.aurora.in.us. 

February 22 – Perfect North Slopes 

Blacklist Boardshop Rail Jam - Perfect 

North Slopes,19074 Perfect Lane, Lawrenceburg. 

6:15pm. This skate-style rail contest held in Jam 

Session is for skiers and boarders alike. Register 

between 4:30 and 6:00pm at the park crew office 

located at the bottom of Jam Session Terrain 

Park. Entry fee is $5. Info: 812-537-3754 or www. 

perfectnorth.com. 

February 22 – Comedy Performance by 

Vicki Lawrence & “Mama” - Lawrenceburg 

Event Center, 91 Walnut Street, Lawrenceburg. 

8pm. Doors open at 7pm. Join Vicki for a unique 

“Two-Woman-Show” which combines stand-up 

comedy, music, and observations about real life 

from both Vicki and her famous alter ego. Tickets: 

www.ticketmaster.com. 

February 28 – St. Mary Lenten Fish 

Fry - 4PM-7:30PM, St. Mary Activity Center, 214 

Fifth Street, Aurora. Meals served in the Activity 

Center on Fifth Street. Carry-out available in the 

school cafeteria at 211 Fourth St. Drive-thru also 

available. Info: www.mystmarys.com or 812-926- 

1558/St. Mary School 

Dearborn County Convention, Visitor and Tourism Bureau 

320 Walnut St. • Lawrenceburg, Indiana 47025 

1-800-322-8198 or www.VisitSoutheastIndiana.com 



O 

ur 

Communities 

GREENDALE 

By 

Gloria 

Carter 

Community 

Correspondent 

Fourth through eighth grade top spellers from the St. Louis School Spelling Bee: Ava 

Becker, Mimi Smith, Matthew Giesen, Grace Saner, Owen Beckner, Ryan Duerstock, 

Sam Richardson, Megan Batta (winner), Hannah Wells, and Brycen Miller. 

BATESVILLE 

By 

Sue 

Siefert 

Community 

Correspondent 

batesville@goBEACONnews.com 

Being a confident speller 

leads to confidence in other 

aspects of literacy. Spelling, 

reading, writing, and comprehension 

are all closely 

linked, and in a society of 

increased use of spell-check 

and texting, spelling accuracy 

is often compromised. At St. 

Louis School, much emphasis 

is placed on spelling accuracy 

to aid students in learning 

throughout life. To that 

end, the school conducted 

its annual spelling bee with 

two classroom winners from 

each grade competing to be 

the school champion. Megan 

Batta was named champion 

after correctly spelling “guerrilla,” 

and will complete in 

the Scripps Regional Spelling 

Bee in Cincinnati in March. 

Serving as judges were Beth 

Emsweller, Jenny Lents, 

and April Baxter. 

St. Louis Kindergarten 

students received a grant to 

purchase, “Letters Alive,” 

Est. 1986 

enabling teachers to bring 

augmented reality into their 

classrooms. Students learn 

about letters, sounds, and 

animals that correspond with 

the sounds, and how to build 

sentences, create word families, 

and learn about science 

with the 3D augmented reality 

world filled with twentysix 

animals. 

Students are engaged in 

a positive learning experience 

as they hear, see, touch, 

build, and speak throughout 

several lessons, which are 

incredibly beneficial for their 

kinesthetic, visual, and auditory 

learners. 

Batesvillians welcomed 

Santa on a blustery-cold 

Friday night as the Christmas 

• Insurance Work 

• Digital paint camera 

• Rental cars- In House 

• Certified Paintless Dent Removal- In House 

• Collision Repair- All Makes and Models 

• Certified Aluminum repairs on 

newer vehicles- In House 

Toyland was the parade theme, and shown is the first 

place float entered by Jake & Bill Flannery. 

Parade delivered Santa via a 

fire truck. Floats and participants 

adorned in lights made 

their way through the streets, 

sharing treats with onlookers 

who lined every available 

vantage point along the route. 

Participants enjoyed warm 

beverages, local shopping, 

restaurant specials, Elfie 

Selfies, the Historical Society’s 

train exhibit, and the 

free showing of Frozen II, 

compliments of the Batesville 

Kiwanis. The night was 

cold – but warmed by the 

love and excitement of the 

Christmas season! 

May your New Year be 

warmed by the love of family 

and friends! 

That’s Sue’s news for now! 

12683 North Dearborn Rd. 

Sunman, IN 47041 

Text: 812-363-0367 

Email: fetteauto@etczone.com 

greendale@goBEACONnews.com 

Happy New Year to all of 

you. We are in the beginning 

of the year 2020 and I wish all 

of you health, happiness and 

success. Our Christmas tree 

has been taken down and a 

thirty-year tradition has been 

broken as of next year. For 

the past thirty years we have 

traveled out to Sheets Christmas 

Tree Farm in Osgood 

and tramped in their woods to 

cut down our tree. The year 

2019 will be their last year 

Sheets will be in business. 

The Sheets family planted 

their first field in the 1950s 

and opened their farm in the 

early 60s as a cut-your-own 

tree farm. In 1968 they supplied 

the White House with a 

Christmas tree. 

Scott Dietrich of Greendale 

won the Knights of Columbus 

Kicking Challenge State 

Championship. Scott competed 

at the Greendale Soccer 

fields and won the nine years 

old boys’ competition. A week 

later he traveled to Batesville 

and won the Reginal Title. 

Returning to Batesville the 

next week, he won the District 

Championship. With that win, 

he qualified to compete in the 

state championship in Noblesville, 

Indiana. At Noblesville, 

Scott outscored the other 

nine-year-old boys and won 

the state championship. 

Scott is the son of Brad and 

Andrea Dietrich, the grandson 

of Cindy Dietrich, and 

the great-grandson of Estal 

Dickerson, all of Greendale. 

What an accomplishment for 

Scotty. 

Let’s welcome a new family 

from Spain who now resides 

here in Greendale. Jose 

Francisco Nunez Arroyo 

and Azucena Martin Ortega 

have come here from a small 

village in Spain called Arenas 

de San Pedro, which means 

The Sand of Saint Peter. 

They teach for Lawrenceburg 

Community School’s new 

Duel Language Instruction 

Program (DLI). Jose was a 

principal for thirteen years 

in his school in Spain while 

Azucena was the Bilingual 

Language Coordinator. They 

have two sons, Pablo, age 

eleven, is involved in swimming. 

Mateo, age 10, plays 

soccer and basketball. Arriving 

last summer, they came 

here through an educational 

program called Protesores 

Visitantes en Estado Unidos y 

Scott Dietrich 

The Nunez Martin family 

Canada, which means visiting 

teachers in USA and Canada. 

Azucena now teaches Spanish 

to kindergarten students, 

and Jose is a DLI instructional 

assistant for first grade at 

the Lawrenceburg Primary 

School. 

“Now that I am here, I feel a 

sense of family from the kindergarten 

team, Lawrenceburg 

Schools, and the community,” 

shared Azucena. Being part of 

the DLI program and living 

here in America is a wonderful 

experience for her family 

to open their minds, gain a 

deeper understanding of other 

cultures, and learn tolerance. 

Living in a different country 

helps their family to adapt to 

foreign ways of living. Yolanda 

Martin Ortega, Azucena’s 

sister, visited during Christmas. 

They enjoyed spending 

time in Greendale and visiting 

small traditional cities like 

Nashville, IN. and bigger cities 

like Chicago and Cincinnati. 

The City of Greendale was 

presented a grant of $1,000 

from the Dearborn Community 

Foundation to help fund 

the new Heroes Memorial 

Park. The $1,000 grant was 

recommended by DCF Board 

Member Tim Russell of 

Greendale, who noted that the 

Heroes Memorial Park honors 

all veterans, police officers, 

firefighters and EMS personnel. 

The memorial stands 

along Ridge Avenue. 

Happy birthday to Jennifer 

Honnert on Jan 22. Enjoy 

your birthday, Jennifer. 

Sign up for Spring classes 

starting January 13th! 

Come to the Lawrenceburg 

Express Enrollment Center 

to get started! 

Lawrenceburg Express Enrollment Center 

(812) 537-4010 

50 Walnut Street Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 



OLDENBURG 

By 

Sue 

Siefert 

Community 

Correspondent 

oldenburg@goBEACONnews.com 

Valeria returns to Guatemala 

Oldenburg Academy said 

goodbye to their exchange 

student, Valeria Alcazar Crespo, 

who joined the OA community 

for the second quarter 

of the school year through the 

“Faces & Our Cultures” program. 

The program offers an 

enriching cultural exchange 

Try Our 

New 

Entrees! 

Try Our 

New 

Entrees! 

Try Our 

New 

Entrees! 

*Lime Only 

*Lime Only 

$3.99 Margaritas 

ALL DAY Monday 



*Lime Only 



24486 Stateline Road 

Bright 

$2.49 Bottle 

domestic beer 

Saturday 

$2.49 Bottle 

domestic beer 

Saturday 

$2.49 Bottle 

domestic beer 

Saturday 

O 

ur 

OA’s Cheer Team with Valeria seated fourth from the left in the front row. 

DOVER 

By 

Rhonda 

Trabel 

Community 

Correspondent 

dover@goBEACONnews.com 

The sixth annual Gobble 

Wobble 5K took place on 

Nov. 28 in Dover. Despite 

the gloomy, chilly day, over 

fifteen hundred people participated, 

the most so far since 

the start of this 5K in 2014. 

More people participated in 

the 5K than reside in the town 

itself! The top overall male 

finisher was Josh Scheele, 

age 15 from Mahomet, IL. 

Second place went to Brian 

Wagner, age 35, from Lawrenceburg. 

Third place was 

Adam Moster, age 18, from 

Versailles. Top female finishers 

were Megan Cole in first 

place, age 18 from Versailles, 

IN. Second place, Leslie 

Karle, age 32 from Cincinnati. 

Third place, Hannah 

Korte, age 18 from Cleves. 

Congratulations to all the 

people who received rewards 

and to all who were able to 

finish the race. A great effort 

was put out by all involved. 

People came from all over the 

U.S. to participate in this 5K. 

Places as far away as Virginia 

Beach VA, Portland, OR, and 

Ft. Worth and Austin TX in 

addition to the tri-state area. 

Proceeds from the race benefit 

both the North Dearborn and 

Sunman pantries. Congrats 

to all the volunteers involved 

with this, especially Fr. 

Meyer, for getting it started. 

experience in an educational 

environment. Valeria is from 

Guatemala and stayed with 

OA student Hannah Fulton 

and her family in Lawrenceburg. 

During her stay, she 

attended classes, worked to 

improve her English language 

skills, and shared various 

aspects of Guatemalan 

culture, including geography, 

foods, business, language, 

and history, and also joined 

OA’s cheer team! As a part of 

the exchange program, OA 

students will now be able to 

travel to Guatemala during the 

summer. 

There’s a magical glow 

about the ‘Burg each year 

We accept 

competitor’s 

coupons 

(Limit $5 maximum per coupon 

When You Spend $30 Or More. 

Or 1/2 price on 2nd meal. 

Not Valid Friday or Saturday.) 

The 

Gobble 

Wobble 

Turkey 

was 

played by 

Kasey 

Carr, a 

student 

at East 

Central. 

(Very 

good 

gobbler!) 

Brooke 

Wise 

finished 

first in her 

division of 

age 36-45. 

Brooke is 

formerly 

a Bright 

resident 

and East 

Central 

Graduate. 

We, as a community, were 

all saddened by the recent 

passing of Dave (Neary) 

Schuman. He was a selfless 

person and had a heart 

of gold. Whenever you saw 

Dave, he always had a smile 

on his face. He was also 

known for his exceptional 

skill of laying carpet and 

installing tile, which became 

his business in 2005. He 

loved playing softball, golf, 

and fishing. Dave was also 

a member of the Sons of the 

American Legion and All 

Saints Parish. Dave will be 

greatly missed by his wife 

of eighteen years, Susan and 

812-747-7262 

Communities 

as the village prepares for 

Christ’s birth. Locals welcomed 

throngs of visitors during 

their Holidays Under the 

Spires in December as shoppers 

frequented the quaint 

stores and pop-up shops, 

dined in area restaurants, 

enjoyed carolers, and toured 

the village by carriage rides 

while awaiting the annual 

Boar’s Head performance that 

culminated the event. 

I volunteered with the Sisters’ 

bake sale and was amazed 

at the number of people who 

return each year and compliment 

the ‘Burg on its charm 

and its village people on their 

warm hospitality. The Sisters 

Try Our 

New 

Entrees! 

Buy 24486 1 Lunch Stateline or Road Dinner 

Bright 

at regular price 

Get 1 Lunch We or accept Dinner 

competitor’s 

at 1/2 coupons price 

Excludes steaks (Limit $5 and maximum seafood 

per coupon 

When You Spend $30 Or More. 

Expires Feb. July Or 1/214, 11, price 2020 

on 2016 2nd meal. 


Not Valid Fri. or Sat. 

Not valid with 812-747-7262 

daily specials. 

*Lime Only 



Try Our 

New 

Entrees! 

$2.49 Bottle 

domestic beer 

Saturday 

24486 Stateline Road 

$5 Bright 

off purchase of 

on 

$30 

purchase We of accept 

$30 

Expires Feb. 14, 2020 

Expires Not Valid July competitor’s 

Fri. 11, or 2016 Sat. 

Not Valid Fri. 

coupons 

Not valid with or (Limit daily $5 maximum specials. Sat. per coupon 

Not valid When 

with You Spend 

daily $30 Or More. 

specials. 

*Lime Only 



$2.49 Bottle 

domestic beer 

Saturday 

$5 off on 

Addy 

Bittner 

from St 

Leon 

finished 

second in 

her age 

group of 

nine and 

under. 

Emily Staab and Laura 

Keller who finished first and 

second respectively in their 

age division of walkers. 

his parents Joe and Martha 

Schuman. He will also 

be missed by his siblings, 

Theresa(Doug) Norman, Mary 

Jayne (Don) Cull, Sharon 

(Putt) Bischoff, Sue (Marvin) 

Hartman, Dale (Kathy) 

Schuman, Donna (Dave 

Smith) Larry (Mari) Schuman, 

and numerous other family 

members. Rest in peace, 

Dave, and maybe the floors in 

heaven need a little work too! 

If you have any Dover news 

to share, please email me at 

dover@goBEACONnews. 

com 

Or 1/2 price on 2nd meal. 


812-747-7262 

The ’Burg’s Christmas Glow 

(Photo by Andrea Ferkinhoff) 

host various musical groups 

who entertain throughout the 

day in their Chapel, adding to 

the merriment that attracts so 

many to this German village. 

From the bake sale area, you 

could hear the musical performances 

in the Chapel, which 

added to the festive spirit as 

we sorted and sold thousands 

of baked treats. 

As the year comes to a 

close, I share with you a 

greeting that one of the members 

of the Kolping Society 

shared before their German 

Christmas choir performance 

that day, “Mögen Sie an Weihnachten 

und im Neuen Jahr 

gesegnet sein!” 

May you be blessed this 

Christmas and in the New 

Year! 

Das ist alles von der ’Burg! 

Buy 1 Lunch or Dinner 


Get 1 Lunch or Dinner 

at 1/2 price 

Excludes steaks and seafood 

Expires July 11, 2016 


Not valid with daily specials. 

$5 off on 

purchase of $30 




401 2nd st. Aurora, IN • 812-954-1300 

Buy 1 Lunch or Dinner 


Get 1 Lunch or Dinner 

at 1/2 price 

Excludes steaks and seafood 




$5 off on 

purchase of $30 



FRANKLIN 

COUNTY 

• seasonal trends 

• accessories 

• generous sizing 

• shoes, 

shoes, 

shoes 

Open 

Mon-Fri 10-7, Sat. Noon-5 

Closed Sunday 


SHOP LOCAL and tell our advertisers you saw them in The BEACON! 

By 

Karis 

Troyer 

Community 

Correspondent 

franklin@goBEACONnews.com 

The holidays were filled 

with festivities in Brookville 

and Metamora. Luminaries 

lined the canal and pathways 

while beautiful decorations 

adorned both towns. 

Whitewater Canal Trail’s 

Feeder Dam trailhead is now 

completed. Parking is available 

near the intersection of US 52 

and State Road 229. The magnificent 

trail was built thanks 

to the tenacity of several 

members of Whitewater Canal 

Trail, Inc. Great job, guys! 

The “Walk Off the Holidays” 

trail event held on New 

Year’s Day was a huge success. 

“Walk Off the Holidays” 

is sure to become an annual 

tradition. The next time you 

visit the trail, look closely. 

Rumor has it that you may 

spot the tracks of a blue heron 

on the trail. Check it out the 

next time it snows. 

Send news to franklin@ 

goBEACONnews.com


AURORA 

By 

Margaret 

Drury 

Community 

Correspondent 

O 

ur 

Communities 

aurora@goBEACONnews.com 

As I sit here writing this 

month’s article of everything 

going on in Aurora this 

past month, I am enjoying a 

YUMMY Christmas sugar 

cookie hoping for inspiration! 

Christmas is such a special 

time FULL of activity here 

in Aurora. Miracle on Main 

Street tree lighting and lighted 

parade were only the beginning 

of all the Christmas 

bustle here in Aurora. The 

Aurora Fire Department did 

a very nice job coordinating 

everything for the event. The 

Strzynski Family of Aurora 

donated this year’s tree, and 

Gambles Furniture & Appliances 

419 Second Street 

Aurora, IN 47001 

(812) 926-1677 

Mayor Hastings received an eagle statue and plaque from the Aurora Fire Department. 

daughter Cindi was given the 

honor of lighting up the tree. 

It’s truly a magnificent tree; 

worthy of a Hallmark movie 

set! That evening Highpoint 

Health hospice volunteers, 

Patti Warning, Connie 

Powers, & Janet Kratochvil, 

served free soup as part 

of their kindness project to 

give back to the community. 

Children kept busy making 

Christmas Nativity ornaments. 

They smiled and told 

“ I GOT IT AT GAMBLES! ” 

me that they liked Santa, but 

the real reason for the season 

was Jesus! 

Santa & Mrs. Claus made 

their annual arrival to Aurora 

on board the festive Aurora 

Lions Club float during the 

Miracle on Main Street Parade. 

I think they spent their 

ENTIRE December in Aurora 

because EVERY time I was 

downtown and stopped in 

the Lions Club building, they 

were there. I wonder if they 

sleep in their sleigh up on the 

roof? 

Shawna Tiemeyer, Dillsboro, 

got her annual kiss from 

the beloved reindeer that has 

been coming to Aurora for 

over ten years now. 

Weekends during December 

also brought Christmas 

train rides, elves, bunnies, 

and reindeer. Train rides were 

a fun means of locomotion 

around Aurora to view all of 

the Christmas décor. If you 

missed the train this year, 

you need to be sure to get on 

board next year! 

As if parades and train rides 

weren’t enough, there were 

SIX… count ‘em SIX Breakfast 

with Santa events sponsored 

by Main Street Aurora 

and the Aurora Lions Club. 

People came from all around 

to these sold-out events. I 

think it’s because they knew 

the REAL Santa and Mrs. 

Claus is here, and the Lions 

club makes the BEST breakfast 

EVER! 

Such WONDERFUL 

memories! 

Wrapping up this month 

and on a different note, the 

December Aurora City Council 

meeting was also a special 

occasion as it was Mayor 

Donnie Hastings Jr.’s last 

meeting as Mayor of Aurora. 

Mayor Hastings served as 

Aurora’s mayor for sixteen 

years and was on City Council 

prior. Several individuals 

and groups thanked him for 

his service to the community. 

After Mayor Hastings handed 

over his gavel to Mayor-elect 

Drury at the close of the 

meeting, I think the reality of 

it all began to sink in. He will 

now be able to spend more 

time with his new granddaughter, 

Charlotte, reading 

his grandpa book to her, and 

taking her for rides in his new 

pull behind bike trailer. I’m 

sure she’ll have to be out of 

diapers, though, before she 

Showing off their Christmas ornaments are AJ, Anna, and 

Adelynn with their mother, Sue Kunkel of Aurora, as well 

as Dallas, Bree, and their mother, Jamie Terrill, of Guilford. 

Corbin Hallgarth, Kenzie Fenton, Addie Leedy, Kaylee 

Smith, Jordan Smith, Christian Leedy, Keagan Fenton, 

and Marlee Selmeyer. 

Elf, Danielle Joy to the World, petted Olive the other 

reindeer (who also happens to look like a puppy dog!) with 

Tristan Callaway, son of Andy & Rickki Callaway. 

Hayley Hildebrand and 

daughter Allie of Aurora 

enjoyed the train ride. 

gets to accompany grandpa to 

the Indy 500! Mayor Hastings, 

thank you for your 

service. ENJOY! 

Clara Amburgey, niece to 

Samantha Peddenpohl, 

snuggles up to Santa’s 

bunny. (Photo courtesy of 

Nancy Turner). 

W ellingtons 

ice cream 

palace 

Voted 

America’s 

#1 Vanilla 

Ice 

Cream 

407 Second Street 

Aurora, IN 47001 

812-954-1400 

Home of the ice cream nachos! 

February 8th - Be My Valentine 

March 14th - Luck of the Irish 

April 11th - Swing into Spring 

June 13th - Take me out to the ballgame 

August 8th - Pool Daze 

September 12th - Oktoberfest 

Thursday, December 31st - New Years Eve 

812.926.1100 

2020 

Dancing on Main 

Saturday 

7:00 – 10:30PM 

Door opens at 6:00PM 

228 Second Street, Aurora Indiana 



LAWRENCEBURG 

By 

Debbie 

Acasio 

Community 

Correspondent 

lawrenceburg@goBEACONnews.com 

The year 2020 will prove 

to be another great year for 

Lawrenceburg. Hopefully, the 

2019 city council issues will 

be resolved effectively and 

promptly in 2020. Personally, 

I look forward to new businesses, 

new restaurants, and 

the never-ending list of activities 

planned by Lawrenceburg 

Main Street. 

The annual Christmas tree 

lighting ceremony was well 

attended. The food at the mayor’s 

reception was delicious, 

plentiful, and free for all. The 

entertainment by Tiger Pizazz 

and The Cincinnati Brass 

Band made for a “Hallmark 

movie worthy” evening. 

Lindsay Phillips, daughter 

of Josh Phillips, let me snap 

a picture of her and her essay 

on The Perfect Christmas. 

Mayor Kelly Mollaun read 

each essay to judge the winner 

in each grade level. He 

noted that some were real 

tear-jerkers! 

The Lawrenceburg Boy 

Scout troop sold Christmas 

trees in the civic park. I ran 

into Karen Palmer and Diana 

Bolser as they took their 

shift, braving the cold weather 

to sell trees. The proceeds 

from the sale went to Cops 

& Kids. Funds raised by the 

event are used to purchase 

warm clothing and small toys 

O 

ur 

Amy Renner’s kindergarden class on ugly sweater day. 

Lawrenceburg High School Academic Team. 

Lindsay Phillips proudly 

displaying her The Perfect 

Christmas essay. 

for needy children. Officer 

Pam Taylor stated that over 

three hundred fifty-four kids 

went shopping with over thirty 

law enforcement officers from 

Dearborn and Ohio Counties. 

Total contributions from multiple 

organizations allowed the 

officers to spend approximately 

$36,500 on the children. 

Congratulations to the 

Lawrenceburg High School 

Academic Team for finishing 

first in the fall overall EIAC 

conference in math and fine 

arts. If you have never attended 

one of these academic 

meets, be prepared (as I was) 

to be stumped by many of the 

questions asked. 

Congratulations to Emma 

Sanford and Mackenzie 

Roth of Lawrenceburg High 

School for receiving the 2020 

Dearborn County Community 

Foundation Scholarship. They 

will receive $1000 paid directly 

to the secondary college 

of their choice, which is renewable 

for up to four years. 

This scholarship was awarded 

as part of the selection process 

for the Lilly Scholarship. 

Lawrenceburg High School 

senior Pablo David, son of 

Maria and Gary David, had 

a successful December. Not 

Communities 

Karen Palmer and Diana 

Bolser selling Christmas 

trees for the scouts. 

School record setter Pablo 

David. 

only was he chosen as the 

outstanding student of the 

month, but he also broke a 

school record in swimming. 

The record held previously by 

Michael Banfield was aced in 

the 200 IM at a recorded time 

of 2:12.26. 

Congratulations also to 

Caleb Johnson, son of Timothy 

Johnson and Billie Jo 

Schnebelt, for being chosen 

as the outstanding student of 

the month. His achievements 

include a long list of volunteer 

and community involvement, 

including helping at the Clearing 

House and with hurricane 

cleanup. 

Lawrenceburg Primary 

School manages to have a lot 

of fun with anything from pajama 

day to funny sock day to 

ugly Christmas sweater day. 

Mrs. Amy Renner shared a 

photo with me when Santa 

came to visit her class on ugly 

Christmas sweater day. Yes, 

there was Grinch Day also. 

Lots of fun and learning at 

that school! 

MILAN 

By 

Susan 

Cottingham 

Community 

Correspondent 

milan@goBEACONnews.com 

During the last several 

months, Milan has been 

aware that we were in danger 

of losing our golf course. 

Not only has it been a great 

recreational facility, but it has 

been a tremendous asset for 

organizations and groups as 

they raise funds to support 

their efforts. 

We were thrilled to learn 

that Chris Kelly of Milan 

became the new owner of the 

majority of this property and 

that he intended to continue 

to operate the course. This 

golf course has been a part 

of our community for over 

one hundred years. Lakeside 

Golf Course was started back 

in the early 1900s by Alfred 

Thompson and operated 

by his son, TH (Tommy) 

Thompson, in connection 

with the MIWOGCO Hotel, 

which he also established. 

The hotel was located where 

our current elementary 

school stands. The course 

was initially designed as 

nine holes and included a 

Clubhouse. When Tommy 

Thompson died in 1949, his 

son Bill Thompson inherited 

the golf course. Bill and his 

wife Mary Gray operated 

the course with Alvin Heller 

as their groundskeeper until 

1955 when they sold it to 

Alvin. The Thompsons and 

their children, Reed and 

Nancy Thompson Glaser, 

have wonderful memories 

of life at the course. Alvin 

and Ruth Heller owned 

and operated the course 

successfully, and it was an 

active part of the community 

that I grew up in during the 

‘50s, 60s, and 70s. Kenny 

(Buck) Buckhorst ran the 

kitchen for years. Many 

events such as Halloween 

costume parties, Christmas 

parties, class reunions, 

graduation parties, and special 

dinners for organizations 

were held at the course. Alvin 

eventually sold the course to 

Willard and Opal Snyder 

Dan Peters with grandsons 

Ethan and Braden Voss. 

Milan American Legion Golf 

Team Charlie Cottingham, 

Steve Callen, Bryan and 

Bill Peters 

and their sons Bill and Steve 

Snyder. In May 1989, they 

sold the course to Dan and 

Dianne Peters. In the late 

90’s Dan bought the farms 

around the golf course and 

expanded to an eighteen-hole 

golf course. The existing 

clubhouse was closed, and a 

new clubhouse was opened 

at its present location on 

Co Rd 800, which has since 

been incorporated by the 

town of Milan and renamed 

Country Club Drive. With 

this expansion, the name 

of the course was changed 

from Lakeside Golf Club to 

Hoosier Links. Dan developed 

properties around the course 

and called this housing 

development Lakeside 

Estates. 

The Milan golfing 

community has been a 

family affair from its very 

beginning. The Thompson, 

Heller, Snyder, and Peters 

families have all been actively 

involved in the operation, 

maintenance, and social 

aspects of life connected 

to the golf course. Dan and 

Dianne Peters’ daughter, 

Debbie Peters Schumate, and 

her sons, Ethan and Braden 

Voss, were very involved in 

the course and its restaurant. 

We wish the new owner, 

Chris Kelly, the best of luck 

as he continues to contribute 

to our community. Chris is 

a lifelong resident of Milan, 

graduating from MHS in 1990 

and was owner-operator of 

several businesses here. 

We also send condolences 

to the Peters family in the 

passing of Dan shortly before 

the sale of the property. 

215 E. Broadway St, P.O. Box 513 

Harrison, Ohio 45030 

(513)367-4545 Fax: (513)367-4546 

www.jackmanhensley.com 

We believe in going beyond what is 

expected to offer each family a caring 

compassionate service for 

an affordable price. 

“Providing funerals and cremations with dignity and compassion.” 

215 E. Broadway St, P.O. Box 513 

Harrison, Ohio 45030 

(513)367-4545 Fax: (513)367-4546 

www.jackmanhensley.com 



MANCHESTER 

By 

Lisa 

West 

Community 

Correspondent 

O 

ur 

Communities 

LOGAN 

By 

Susan 

Carson 

Community 

Correspondent 

Grandma Margaret Gabbard is pictured here at her 

100th birthday party, with her grandchildren Shawn Gabbard, 

Goldye Clark, Molly Gabbard, Anna Gorczyca, 

Missy Shull, Jackie Koch, Lisa Whisman, Kim Carr, Katy 

Krueger, Bruce Lane. 

manchester@goBEACONnews.com 

As time moves us all into 

a new decade, one of our 

special Manchester residents 

celebrated a birthday of 10 

full decades. That’s right, 

Margaret Gabbard turned 

one hundred years young on 

Nov. 28, 2019, and joined an 

elite group of centennials! To 

honor this accomplishment, 

her many family members 

and friends held a big party at 

the Manchester Community 

United Methodist Church 

this past Thanksgiving. Her 

four living children, twelve 

grandchildren, eighteen greatgrandchildren, 

and three great, 

great-grandchildren, along 

with spouses and friends, 

shared a delicious pitch-in 

meal with Margaret. After that 

big feast, an open house was 

hosted by the family. Margaret 

celebrated her 100 years 

with just as many friends and 

family – a very special day 

indeed! 

Margaret grew up during 

the depression and walked to 

grade school at Manchester 

School, even in bitterly cold 

winters. She recalls the challenges 

of the 1937 flood that 

devastated the area when she 

was a high school junior. Widowed 

at the young age of 42, 

she raised her five children on 

a small farm on Union Ridge. 

She was an avid gardener and 

canned hundreds of quarts of 

produce each summer, which 

she shared with family and 

neighbors. She has always 

loved children and still treats 

all her children’s friends like 

her own. Friends of her grandchildren 

and great-grandchildren 

affectionately call her 

‘Grandma Margaret’ too! 

Margaret is a lifelong 

member of Community 

United Methodist Church in 

Manchester Township and 

has lived on Union Ridge 

most of her life, currently 

residing at Shady Nook Care 

Center. Taking care of family 

and friends and witnessing to 

others about God’s love continues 

to be her life’s goal. 

She developed many talents 

over the years, including 

sewing and crocheting. The 

hobby most people identify 

with Margaret is her talent as 

a writer. For many years, she 

was Union Ridge correspondent 

for the local newspaper, 

as well as the church historian. 

Writing poetry is one of 

her favorite things to do; she 

has penned over 100 poems 

to date! She is inspired by 

her faith and reflects on 

life’s joys and sorrows, but 

also includes some humor in 

her lyrics! The poem included 

here is a favorite of 

her daughter, Carol Lane. (I 

agree, Carol – this is a good 

one!) 

A Pebble on Life’s Beach 

By Margaret Gabbard 

Life is like a tiny pebble 

that’s washed up on a beach, 

And the waves that roll o’er 

us have so many things to 

teach. 

They smooth out all the 

wrinkles, as we lay on the 

sands of time, 

And bring us peace and 

calmness that are ever more 

sublime. 

Jesus walks upon the waves, 

but we, the little pebbles be; 

How glad I am, he washes 

and smooths out things in me. 

It may take many years, to 

finally do it all, 

You may wash to many 

places before you hear his 

call. 

We may be nearly covered 

by the many drifting sands; 

And almost feel defeated in 

fulfilling life’s demands. 

But when we feel we’re 

sinking, we reach out to touch 

His hand, 

And hear the voice of 

angels as we lay there in the 

sand. 

Blessed be the name of 

Jesus as we wait that coming 

day, 

Listening on the shores 

of life for him to call us far 

away. 

It will be a glad reunion, 

and we’ll see Him face to 

face. 

And all the shiny pebbles 

will reach a wonderous place. 

Edna Pearl Beck 

Maggie Ravenna and 

Kelsee Lainhart 

logan@goBEACONnews.com 

This month brings the new 

year, and with that, I am 

featuring two stories. First, 

a tribute to a wonderful lady 

to whom we, both sadly and 

joyfully, said our good-byes 

in December. I’m referring 

to Edna Pearl Beck of 

Gaynor Ridge, Logan. 

Edna Pearl Beck passed 

away on Dec. 6, 2019, at 

her home in Logan, IN, at 

the age of 95. She was born 

on Mar. 8, 1924, one of ten 

children, to Charles and 

Bessie Smith. On June 19, 

1943, she married Clyde 

James Beck, and they were 

blessed with four children: 

Judith (James) Shumate, 

Peggy Gries, Carolyn 

(Glenn) Richardson, and 

Sandra (Charles) Smith. 

Edna enjoyed quilting, 

hosting family gatherings, 

and children. She especially 

loved playing board games 

with her grandchildren and 

great-grandchildren. They 

even created their own game 

“Not if I can help it.” Family 

was very important, and 

she always looked forward 

to being with them. No matter 

how bad she might have 

felt, she always looked forward 

to the extended family 

camping trip each year. A 

particularly fond remembrance 

of her was told to me 

by her daughter, Carolyn 

Richardson. She says that in 

the years the Dearborn Hills 

UMC was under construction 

(about 1983), her mom 

took on the responsibility of 

making sure that the workers 

were fed. “She had such 

a heart about feeding the 

workers.” One day Edna 

Pearl was getting ready to 

serve lunch, but they had no 

tables or chairs. So the men 

stacked bales of insulation 

in a pile and threw a sheet 

of plywood on top of them. 

There… they had a table but 

had to stand up while they 

ate. Mission accomplished! 

Oh, and by the way, she 

was always “Edna Pearl,” 

except by her younger 

brother Kenneth Smith, who 

called her “E.P.” 

Maggie Ravenna recently 

graduated from boot camp. 

Her friend, Kelsee Lainhart, 

graduated from boot 

camp six weeks before her. 

Maggie is the daughter of 

Kelly and Paul Ravenna 

of Logan. Kelsee is the 

daughter of Stacey and Glen 

Lainhart. 


Bridal Expo 

Saturday 

Feb. 1 

10 am-1 pm 

Free 

Admission 

Over 30 

Vendors 

HARRISON 

By 

Elizabeth 

Janszen 

Community 

Correspondent 

harrison@goBEACONnews.com 

Hello, Harrisonites! Happy 

New Year! Lots going on in 

our little town, so let’s jump 

right in! 

As the year came to a close, 

we saw our beloved K-Mart 

come to a close on Dec. 15. 

Who else can remember when 

it was Rink’s?? I wonder what 

will go in next… some are 

speculating that the entire plaza 

will be rebuilt. I guess we 

will just have to wait and see! 

We also saw the Burger King 

burn down. I’ve not heard of 

a reopen date as of yet. What 

would you like to see pop up 

in Harrison? 

I hope that all of you got to 

take in the lights displays over 

the holiday season. Several 

displays around our little community 

stuck out for my little 

ones, but the one that steals 

our hearts every year is the 

display off of Pinhook Road 

at the Weaver Farm… and 

although they are just outside 

Harrison, I felt it necessary to 

give them some recognition. 

The hard work that they put 

in should not go unnoticed. If 

you’ve never been, I highly 

suggest putting it on your 

agenda for next season. 

Harrison High School 

shared the spirit of the season 

while teaching students a 

valuable life lesson. Students 

took in donations of food 

and clothing and then held an 

event to distribute donations 

to families in need. 

Harrison High School student 

Blake Keppler said, “We 

really like to help each other. 

If someone is in need, we 

stand up, and we try to help 

others. Just giving in any way 

we can.” All of the students 

walked away with a better understanding 

of the meaning of 

being a part of the community 

and giving back. 

This new year is bringing 

some changes to Harrison, 

one of which is the increase of 

water and sewage rates. In an 

ever growing town, it’s inevitable. 

Watch for your increase 

in January. 

It is a pleasure writing this 

little piece every month, and I 

hope that you are enjoying it. 

If you have a story or something 

you’d like me to add, 

feel free to shoot me an email! 

I’d love to hear from you. 

Sunman American Legion Post 337 

412 Eastern Ave 

Sunman, Indiana 

Call Lisa 812-934-2585 

for more information 

$200 off Hall Rental if 

booked the day of Bridal Expo 

Call Wendy at 812-212-3810 



Wilford Andrews in 1943. 

YORKVILLE 

& GUILFORD 

By 

Laura 

Keller 

Community 

Correspondent 

yorkville@goBEACONnews.com 

The Greatest Generation. 

This term often refers to those 

born during the Great Depression 

and who fought during 

World War II. As the years 

pass, those dubbed part of the 

Greatest Generation are less, 

but I’d like to tell you a little 

bit about one of the heroes in 

our community. 

Wilfred Andrews was born 

Feb. 15, 1923, on Mt. Pleasant 

Road just outside of Guilford. 

He was one of twelve children 

gifted to Charles and Mary 

Andrews. Farming was a way 

of life for Wilfred and his 

siblings. They raised horses, 

cows, and chickens. 

After graduating from high 

O 

ur 

Communities 

Wilford with his World War II uniform and the Quilt of Valor 

he received from Chicks With Attitude Quilt Club. On the 

left are Bob Andrews and PG Gentrup. On the right are 

Rich and Chuck Andrews. 

school in 1942, Wilfred was 

drafted into the United States 

Army in Feb. 1943 at the 

age of nineteen. He went to 

California for desert training 

to prepare to fight the Germans 

in North Africa. General 

Patton pushed the Germans 

in late 1943, and Wilfred 

was sent to England to await 

D-Day. Wilfred went ashore 

to Omaha Beach and St. Lo, 

France, where he was hospitalized. 

He was sent back to 

England, then to Percy Jones 

Hospital in Battle Creek, 

Michigan, where he remained 

for eight months before being 

discharged and returning to 

the Guilford area. He married 

Edna Smith in 1948 

and together they raised five 

children. 

On Dec. 1, 2019, PG Gentrup 

presented Wilfred with a 

Quilt of Valor. His sons Bob, 

Chuck, and Rich Andrews 

were present when he received 

the quilt. Thank you, 

Wilfred, for your service to 

our country! 

Wilfred celebrates his 

ninety-seventh birthday on 

Feb. 15 and loves to receive 

mail. If you would like to 

send him a birthday card, his 

address is: 

Wilford Andrews 

Heritage House 

410 Park Road 

Greensburg, IN 47240 

Happy birthday to Sharon 

Castle, who celebrated her 

birthday on Dec. 29. We hope 

you had a wonderful birthday! 

The holidays are a time of 

year when people seek ways 

to give to those less fortunate. 

In December, three hundred 

pounds of food was donated 

to the North Dearborn Pantry 

by clients of a local salon. 

If you have news in the 

Yorkville/Guilford area you’d 

like me to share, please contact 

me at yorkville@goBEA- 

CONnews.com. 

DILLSBORO 

By 

Lorene 

Westmeyer 

Community 

Correspondent 

dillsboro@goBEACONnews.com 

Editor’s Note: We thank 

Rebecca Davies for her 

years of sharing the news 

of Dillsboro with us. As 

she passes the torch, we 

welcome lifetime neighbor 

Lorene Westmeyer to the 

Beacon team. 

Once again, our town 

looked so lovely for Christmas. 

The Civic Club does 

such a good job putting up 

the beautiful multicolored 

lights that adorn overhead on 

North and Bank Streets. At 

Heritage Point, the Beautification 

Committee decorates 

with more lights and the 

pretty “Glitzy” reindeer. 

Along with several beautiful 

homes and businesses, Dillsboro 

looked very festive! We 

cannot forget the “neat” stars 

on the water tower that we 

can see for miles! 

On Friday the 13th, Dillsboro 

Arts/Friendship Gallery 

hosted their 13th Artist Reception. 

All three galleries 

and the lobby were full of 

visitors most of the evening 

to meet with friends, talk 

art, and enjoy the works 

by artists Tim Lancaster, 

Annette Geil, and Robert 

Hunger. This exhibit, “The 

Best of Show, Show,” featuring 

the artists that won Best 

of Show from past exhibits 

will be on display through 

Jan. 25. 

In our column, we are 

including information about 

Farmers Retreat. St. John’s 

Pre-school held their Christmas 

Program entitled: “Born 

on Christmas Morn.” Jane 

Ohlmansiek is the teacher 

along with aides Karen 

Poole, Barbara Grace, 

Cathy Patton, and substitute 

Debbie Holland. They 

all do a terrific job. The students 

all performed so well, 

telling the story in song. 

The Ladies Group had a 

gathering for the poor and 

homeless in Cincinnati. 

Many blankets, coats, hats, 

gloves, socks, hygiene items, 

backpacks, and canned soups 

were collected. Items were 

delivered to Prince of Peace 

Lutheran Church in Cincinnati’s 

Over the Rhine. Their 

basement is a Drop-in-center 

for the homeless and those 

suffering from the cold. 

Our condolences to the 

family of Marvin Cutter. 

He was one of the Greatest 

Generation who served his 

country in WWII. Mr. Cutter 

lived in Dillsboro with his 

wife of sixty-three years, 

Helen Knigga. They ran a 

dairy farm and raised four 

sons- Gary, Eldon, Ivan, 

Daryl, and one daughter, 

Rita Ann. They had fifteen 

grandchildren, twenty-eight 

great-grandchildren, and two 

step-great-grandchildren. 

Mr. Cutter was a lifelong 

member of St. Peter’s 

Lutheran Church in Bear 

Branch, where he served as 

president, treasurer, secretary, 

and trustee. He was a 

member of the Northcutt 

Laaker American Legion for 

sixty-six years, Indiana Farm 

Bureau, 4-H leader, and 

Southeastern Indiana REMC 

director. 

The community is also 

saddened by the loss of Dennis 

Cochran. 

The Agricultural Power, Structure and Technology 2 Class 

(Photo courtesy of Roy Johnson) 

SUNMAN 

By 

Maureen 

Stenger 

Community 

Correspondent 

sunman@goBEACONnews.com 

My eleven-year-old son 

raises chickens for 4-H. He 

shows them, and he has a 

little business of his own 

selling their farm fresh eggs. 

He has been borrowing his 

great-grandma’s chicken 

house for the last few years, 

and we decided to “upgrade” 

this spring. Writing for The 

Beacon, working for All 

Saints Parish, and running 

four children around to ten 

zillion activities does not 

leave me with much time. 

My husband runs his own 

company with his twin 

brother, so we are busy bees! 

We are also in the process of 

building a new barn at our 

place, so how in the world 

would we find time to build a 

new chicken coop? 

Luckily one day scrolling 

through good ol’ Facebook, 

I saw that the Agricultural 

Power, Structure and 

Technology 2 Class at East 

Central High School taught 

by Mr. Roy Johnson was 

looking to build some small 

sheds/chicken houses. Hello, 

fate! I immediately contacted 

Mr. Johnson, and our project 

was the first on the list! Over 

the next few months, we 

were kept informed of the 

progress from Mr. Johnson. 

Both of my boys who are 

FFA members snuck glances 

of the coop during meetings 

in the agriculture room. 

You can imagine the 

excitement a few days before 

Christmas when we received 

the call that our new chicken 

house was finished and ready 

to be picked up! And boy is 

she a beauty! My son got to 

pick out the color, trim, and 

design. Our expectations were 

not only met but blown away! 

We could we have squeezed 

the project in and built it 

ourselves, of course, but that 

wasn’t the point. I cannot 

imagine having better hands 

for our project to be in. Just 

look at what kids can do 

when given the chance! My 

freshman has taken his first 

agriculture class this year 

Matt Smith, Sam Littiken, 

Jacob Kuhn, and JJ 

Stenger assemble the 

coop. (Photo courtesy of 

Roy Johnson) 

and is already excited to 

take another next year. Who 

wouldn’t be when you get to 

participate in so many handson 

projects! Mr. Johnson is 

teaching so many important 

life skills! These kids should 

be so proud of themselves, 

we sure are! My son has the 

best-looking chicken house 

on the block, thanks to these 

students and their wonderful 

teacher! 

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MOORES HILL 

By 

Barbara 

Wetzler 

Community 

Correspondent 

O 

ur 

Communities 

mooreshill@goBEACONnews.com 

Congratulations to Nicole 

Allen and Joel Erisman on 

their wedding on Oct 20. 

Congratulations to the bride’s 

parents Tom and Lynn Allen 

of Moores Hill, and Leslie 

and Tim Huey of Aurora. 

The magic of Christmas 

was in Moores Hill this past 

season, thanks to many of 

Santa’s best helpers. 

The elves left a custom 

mailbox in front of Moores 

Hill Town Hall for letters 

to Santa. The big guy even 

found time to reply to letters, 

thanks to Kevin and Glenda 

Thomasson. 

Jesse Hartmann voluntarily 

hung Christmas lights for 

Moores Hill senior citizens, 

making more homes merry 

and bright, and safe. 

Moores Hill Elementary 

School (MHES) held Family 

“Make it, Take it” night. Santa 

and Mrs. Claus dropped in to 

Santa Pat Holland and Lin 

Hyde. 

check out the MHES crafters 

at work, in case of any 

openings at the North Pole 

Workshops. 

Santa visited South Sparta 

Community Church after worship 

service. He visited with 

the young and young at heart 

by an old-fashioned, floor-toceiling 

cedar Christmas tree. 

The spectacular floor-to-ceiling 

cedar tree was cut from 

the family farm of Nancy 

Emery by Lin and Larry 

Hyde and adorned with 

hand-made, white crocheted 

ornaments. 

Thanks to the planning 

and tireless efforts of Tamila 

Wismann, the Wismann family, 

Lynn Allen, and dozens 

of volunteers, the Winter 

Santa at the Moores Hill 

Sparta Township Fire/EMS 

breakfast. 

Walk was nothing short of a 

magical evening. Hundreds of 

luminaries lined streets near 

Carnegie Hall and throughout 

the town. Musician Chris 

Meyers played in Veterans 

Park after the lighting of the 

tree. Children were entertained 

with crafts, treat-filled 

stockings, and a visit with 

Santa and Mrs. Claus. George 

Poole and volunteers made 

corn dogs and funnel cakes in 

the park. They also served hot 

chocolate. Horse-drawn trolley 

rides, several fire pits with 

seating, and caroling from 

the Luckhaupts and friends 

added to the festive atmosphere 

along the Walk. 

The streets of Moores Hill were lined with luminaries. 

Moores Hill Sparta Township 

Fire/EMS hosted Breakfast 

with Santa (see picture), 

which is always fun for kids. 

Christmas is the Christian 

celebration of the birth of the 

Christ child. So it is often that 

the joy of the holiday season 

is best witnessed through the 

excitement and laughter of 

children. Children continue 

to give hope for our world 

through their innocence, joy, 

and unconditional love. 

My family is celebrating the 

beginning of 2020 with our 

seven littlest ones, the eighth 

generation of the Wetzler 

gene pool in Dearborn and 

Ripley Counties. This newest 

generation recently gathered 

for a photo shoot. Imagine 

seven children (ages seven 

and under) accompanied by 

dads, moms, Grannie, Nana, 

and two papas. Like children 

everywhere, they hold our 

hearts and hopes for the future 

in this new year, new decade. 

Happy New Year to you 

and yours. I look forward 

to bringing Beacon readers 

the good news from Moores 

Hill. Please contact me at 

mooreshill@goBEACONnews.com. 

RISING SUN/ 

OHIO COUNTY 

By 

PG 

Gentrup 

Community 

Correspondent 

risingsun@goBEACONnews.com 

It’s hard to believe that 

another year has passed. This 

time of year is when I reflect 

on some of my experiences 

from years gone by. I can 

remember the excitement 

of being a kid and waiting 

for Christmas Day to arrive. 

It was quite different from 

today as we could expect 

one or two presents. Today, 

the grandkids enjoy the 

day entering the room to 

what looks like a storage 

place for Amazon. We have 

been blessed, and I hope 

people took the time to 

remember the real meaning 

of Christmas. 

My grandmother, Kittie 

F. Hisle, was born a Tanner 

on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 

1895. She lived to be almost 

one hundred years old. She 

even got married on her 

eighteenth birthday on Dec. 

25, 1913. I loved her stories, 

and she taught us all the 

meaning of discipline and 

respect. 

I remember coming home 

from Ft. Knox at Christmas 

in 1966. I was halfway 

through basic training but 

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still got to come home for ten 

days. Having to return was 

rough. My platoon sergeant, 

Malcolm P. Libbey, was 

tough but a great soldier 

and would later be killed in 

Vietnam on Oct. 12, 1967. 

I remember Christmas in 

Vietnam in 1967, and being 

able to have a little piece of 

America brought to us when 

the Bob Hope Show came to 

Cu Chi. He continued his long 

tradition of entertaining our 

troops with a great show and 

some wonderful entertainers. 

When you’re a long way from 

home, seeing something like 

the show Bob put on for us 

means a lot. 

I can remember the 

Christmas of 1963 because 

my mom died that year and in 

1964 because dad had died. 

Although Christmas was a 

struggle, something like that 

makes you stronger. 

I spent Christmas in 1969 in 

Washington, DC, visiting my 

brother-in-law and his family, 

as he was serving at the 

Pentagon with 

the Air Force. 

He had just 

returned from 

Thailand. We 

put a wreath 

on his grave 

this week. 

I was able 

to participate 

in the delivery 

of meals 

at Thanksgiving to twelve 

hundred people with Kevin 

Wang and the Dearborn 

County Clearinghouse. 

My three grandkids, Carli, 

Grady, and Coleton, helped 

prepare the meals; it was quite 

an experience for them. 

Our area veterans were very 

busy this year. We were able 

to have many functions and 

events such as the Cincinnati 

Reds Hometown Heroes; 

the annual trip to DC with 

fifty veterans; presentations 

of Quilts of Valor for World 

War II and Vietnam veterans; 

a trip to the Indianapolis war 

memorial; a trip to Wright 

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Ron 

Spurlock 

Jerry 

Bondurant 

Patterson Air Force Base 

Museum; having the LST-325 

come to Aurora; dedicating 

the new memorial in 

Greendale; Farmers Fair and 

Fall Fest plaque presentations; 

and still performing our 

duties with the Color Guard 

for funerals for our departed 

comrades. 

Recently, Ron Spurlock, 

Jerry Bondurant, Mike 

LaFollette, and I had the 

honor of being able to place 

wreaths at the graves of 

several veterans. Thanks to 

Cari Baylor and Hannah 

Evans for supplying the 

wreaths as a part of Wreaths 

Across America. Students at 

Central Elementary School 

in Lawrenceburg put together 

over one hundred wreaths 

for us. If you see the people 

from Baylor Trucking, be 

sure to thank them for their 

generosity. 

I attended a gathering at 

the Dearborn Adult Center 

for Christmas Day. Ken and 

Cherie Maddin came up with 

the idea of bringing people 

together who don’t want to be 

alone on Christmas Day. The 

response has been terrific. I 

transported people who didn’t 

have a ride in the KWVA van. 

I have said many times that If 

You Want to See Small Town 

America at Its Best, Come to 

Southeastern Indiana. 

Make the goal for the New 

Year to try to say something 

or do something nice for 

someone every day. I know 

you will feel much better. 

You never really know what 

burden a person is carrying 

around with them, and an act 

of kindness may make a big 

difference in their day. Get 

out and enjoy life, and have a 

smile on your face. You can 

make a difference. 

By the time you read this, 

it will be 2020. Sounds like 

a TV show. I pray that the 

new year will be prosperous 

and healthy for all of you. 

Enjoy the many blessings 

and freedoms you have in our 

great country. May God Bless 

all of you. 

Twenty-five Years of Bringing our Community and Businesses Together. 

Mike 

LaFollette

By 

Jack 

Zoller 

beaconsports 

@live.com 


By 

Melanie 

Alexander 

Happy New Year! 

By 

Sometimes the Maxine idea that we’ll 

celebrate twenty Klump years into 

a new century is difficult to 

believe. These Community years seem to 

Correspondent 

have passed by so quickly. 

Yet even as I was reviewing 

maxineklump.thebeacon@yahoo.com 

recipes for this issue, I thought 

how these winter days bring 

out the desire to make the 

familiar dishes from years 

ago. This Taco Casserole 

recipe differs from another of 

a family favorite. This version 

uses a packaged biscuit mix 

instead of a cornbread crust. 

It’s a quick way to create a 

brunch or lunch treat. When I 

don’t have company coming, 

I simply divide into single 

portion size and pop leftovers 

into the freezer for another day. 

Taco Casserole 

1-pound ground beef or 

ground turkey 

1 package taco seasoning 

1 cup grated cheddar cheese 

½ cup ready-made biscuit mix 

(such as Bisquik) 

2 eggs 

1 cup milk 

Preheat oven to 400°. 

Brown ground beef and 

onion. Drain excess fat. Add 

taco seasoning and mix well. 

Pour mixture into a 9-inch pie 

plate that has been prepared 

with cooking spray. Sprinkle 

cheese on top of this mixture. 

Combine baking mix, milk, 

and eggs in a small bowl until 

smooth. Spread atop cheese 

layer. Bake at 400° for 20-25 

minutes. Cool slightly before 

cutting into pieces. Pass your 

favorite salsa along with sour 

cream to top the casserole. 

Is there anyone who does 

not enjoy a loaded baked 

potato with all their favorite 

toppings? This recipe for a 

casserole with those favorite 

ingredients is quicker than 

individual potatoes and 

provides a wonderful side 

dish no matter the meat or 

other entrée sharing the table. 

Beware-this dish is NOT low 

fat! 

Loaded Baked Potato 

Casserole 

4 pounds russet potatoes, 

peeled and cut into chunks 

2 tablespoons thinly sliced 

green onions 

6 tablespoons butter 

1 cup sour cream 

½ - 1 cup half and half, milk 

or light cream 

8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar 

cheese 

½ - 1-pound bacon, cooked 

and crumbled 

Place potatoes in pot; cover 

with water and bring to a 

boil. Cook until potatoes are 

tender (about 15-20 minutes). 

Preheat oven to 350°. 

Mash potatoes to desired 

consistency. Note: I leave the 

potatoes slightly chunky. 

Mash in butter, sour cream, 

and half & half. Season with 

salt and pepper. Stir in 1 ½ 

cups cheese and most of the 

bacon, reserving a little of 

both toppings for the top. 

Pour into a 13x9-inch baking 

dish that has been prepared 

with cooking spray. Sprinkle 

with remainder of cheese 

and bacon. Bake for about 

25 minutes or until hot and 

cheese has melted. 

I’m sharing this bar cookie 

recipe because it didn’t get 

into either of the holidayrelated 

editions of the paper. 

I am the designated baker of 

pies for our family. This treat 

relieves me of the burden 

of time for pie crust, but the 

pecan pie fans still get one of 

their favorite flavors. 

Pecan Pie Bars 

Crust: 

½ cup butter 

1 ¼ cups flour 

¼ cup sugar 

Filling: 

½ cup brown sugar, firmly 

packed 

1 cup light corn syrup 

2 tablespoons flour 

3 eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

¼ teaspoon salt 

¾ to 1 cup chopped pecans 

To make the crust, cut butter 

with flour and sugar until 

fine crumbs (like cornmeal) 

develop. Press into the bottom 

of a 9-inch square baking dish 

and bake at 350° for fifteen 

minutes. Let cool slightly. 

To make the filling, 

combine ingredients until 

well blended. Pour over 

partially baked crust and bake 

at 350° for thirty minutes or 

until golden brown and knife 

inserted into the center comes 

out clean. Cool in pan or a 

rack. Makes three dozen 1 ½ 

inch squares. 

Ron Spurlock, PG Gentrup, Cindy Nguyen, Marty 

Sizemore (Chapter Financial Officer) and Fred Lester 

(Commander) 

A Christmas Angel 

The Vietnam Veterans of America, Lary D. Fogle Chapter 

71, held their annual Christmas Dinner for one hundred forty 

people. Several Purple Heart Recipients and special guests 

attended, including WW II veterans, Wilbur Rolfes (age 101) 

and Lawrence Lyttle, along with Korean War veteran, Don 

Weber. Another special guest was Cindy Nguyen who shared 

a presentation about her family leaving Vietnam and coming 

to USA after the fall of Saigon and South Vietnam. They left 

with nothing--no food, no extra clothes, no money. They didn’t 

speak English and faced a bleak future. Cindy was only five 

years old when she and her eight siblings made the journey. 

Today all of them have master’s degrees and doctorates. Ms. 

Nguyen wanted the Vietnam Veterans to know that they are 

loved and respected. The Chapter 71 veterans told her she is 

now the Chapter 71 ANGEL. 

BUSINESS & 

PROFESSIONAL 

DIRECTORY 

C 

By 

John 

Hawley 

Purdue 

Extension 

Educator 

hawley4@purdue.edu 

Managing 

Houseplants 

During the Dreary 

Winter Months 

While little gardening 

can be done outdoors in the 

middle of winter, most of us 

have at least a few indoor 

plants that require year-round 

attention. As the mercury continues 

to dive, it can be easy 

to overlook the remaining 

greenery around our home, 

and indoor plants are no 

exception to this. In today’s 

article, I will share a few tips 

for managing houseplants 

during the winter. 

Consider Location 

While some houseplants, 

such as Pothos (Devils Ivy), 

can tolerate little natural light, 

most others will need legitimate 

sunlight to thrive. Be 

sure to place houseplants in 

areas that will receive at least 

a few hours of natural light 

every day. Artificial lighting 

from your home’s lighting fixtures 

will help a bit, especially 

during stretches of prolonged 

cloud cover, but they are 

never a true replacement for 

natural light. 

Another critical mistake 

occurs when homeowners 

place houseplants near a draft 

or directly against a window. 

Temperatures in these spots 

will be much colder than 

the rest of your home, often 

causing undue stress on your 

plants. Many of our common 

houseplants are native to 

tropical climates and will not 

tolerate exposure to colder 

temperatures. If in doubt, 

use a small thermometer to 

gauge temperatures near your 

plants. 

Water When Necessary 

Even indoors, winter 

weather encourages dry conditions. 

While most of your 

houseplants will be dormant 

in winter, with little to no 

growth occurring, many will 

still require even watering 

from time to time. A good 

example would be the Boston 

Fern. Like many other plants, 

the Boston favors evenly 

moist soils and higher humidity. 

In addition to a conservative 

helping of water, consider 

regularly misting your Bostons 

and other similar ferns 

from time to time. 

Fertilize & Prune As 

Needed 

Fertilizing houseplants can 

be tricky. Too often, gardeners 

approach plant problems with 

fertilizer in mind as a quick 

fix. However, fertilizing can 

be a critical mistake. Fertilizers 

should only be applied 

as needed. Many potting soils 

contain fertilizer additives, so 

additional applications may 

not be required if you are 

working with a plant that is 

routinely re-potted. As with 

any garden project, regularly 

monitoring plant growth and 

vigor is crucial for long-term 

success. 

Pruning is equally tricky, 

especially if you are working 

with an unfamiliar plant. If 

you are focused on aesthetics, 

don’t hesitate to carefully 

remove wilting leaves, flowers, 

or branches with shears or 

scissors. If you are attempting 

to trim plants back to contain 

growth, use caution. No more 

than ten to twenty percent of 

the plant should be pruned at 

a time. Consider removing 

long and protruding stems on 

woody plants by cutting back 

to a bud or lateral branch. 

I can’t stress enough the 

need to fertilize and prune appropriately. 

Both practices are 

valuable tools that make a big 

difference, either good or bad. 

Be sure to follow recommendations 

from reliable sources, 

such as extension publications 

and peer-reviewed garden 

manuals. 

To learn more about managing 

your lawn and garden 

from our experts on campus, 

please search “Purdue Consumer 

Horticulture” on your 

home computer or smartphone. 

For additional information 

about other agriculture and 

natural resources topics, email 

me at hawley4@purdue.edu. 

You can also reach our office 

at 812-926-1189. We are 

located at 229 Main Street, 

Aurora, IN 47001. 

Look for my next article 

in the March issue of The 

Beacon! 

Sunday Services 9:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. 

Fresh Worship • Relevant Messages • Warm Welcome 

24457 State Line Road, Bright, Indiana 47025 

brightchurch.org, (812) 637-3388 

Jeff Stone, Lead Minister 

LOVE GOD. LOVE PEOPLE. IMPACT THE WORLD. 

American Legion Post 452 New Alsace 

Newly 

remodeled 

rental 

facility! 

Perfect for Wedding Receptions, 

Birthday Parties, Anniversaries, 

Reunions, Holidays 

Reasonable rates, nice atmosphere 

Contact Art @ 812-623-2771 or visit 

www.legionpost452indiana.org 

Next euchre party Feb. 2 & 16 

Doors open 12 noon • Games begin at 1 • All are invited 

Proudly serving our veterans and the community since WWII 

FLOORING SHOWROOM 

Joe Brandel 

20 E. Center St. 

Lawrenceburg IN 

812-537-0619 

FURNITURE SHOWROOM 

557 W. Eads Parkway 

Lawrenceburg IN 

812-537-0610 


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The BEACON Feb. 2020

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