Beacon News- August 2020

Page 2A THE BEACON August 2020
By
Tamara
Taylor
United We Stand
Every Sunday, I sit in the
same pew at church behind a
very kind woman who cannot
hear well. What this woman
doesn’t realize is how thankful
I am that she uses a large
print version of the readings
and hymns. For the reason
that will remain undisclosed
(the work of a prankster),
I sometimes can’t discern
where we are in the service,
so I peek over the woman’s
shoulder at her copy to get
back on track!
Recently I learned the woman’s
name- Lorene Boggs.
Someone in the church stood
up and announced that she
was celebrating a birthday.
After the service, I wished
Ms. Boggs a happy birthday.
She took me completely by
surprise when she said, “I’m
ninety-six, and it’s getting
better every day!” Followed
by a little jig, of course.
Exceptional.
Which brings me to a conversation
with a member of
our community who recently
took a “vacation” from social
media. That prompted me to
call him inspiring. In his response,
my word was quickly
replaced by “Exceptional!”
While the efforts of many
of our neighbors are inspiring,
the actions of so many
more are truly ex·cep·tion·al
((ikˈsepSH(ə)n(ə)l) unusually
good; outstanding.))
One person in our community
who can undoubtedly
be described as exceptional is
Jody Blasdel. If you are asking
yourself what Jody does that
makes him so exceptional, you
just answered the question of
exactly why he is exceptional.
Many of you know Mr.
Blasdel through his long
career as superintendent of the
Tri-Township Water Corporation.
Make no mistake- he runs
an efficient organization that is
meticulously clean to ensure
our water source is impeccable
and delivered efficiently.
But that is just the tip of
the iceberg of what Jody
brings to the table. In 1991
he conspired with Dale Lutz
and Art Little to create what
has become an annual tradition-
the Bright Parade. In the
aftermath of a tornado that
ravaged Bright and the surrounding
area, the community
needed a boost in spirit. The
three masterminds (sounds
like caped crusaders, doesn’t
it?) and their families came
up with the idea of a parade to
lift everyone’s spirit and sense
of community.
While the parade may seem
to have gone off seamlessly
for the past twenty-nine years,
the planning that goes on
behind the scenes is anything
but easy. Hundreds of entries
stream into a vast parking lot,
line up, share information, and
miraculously make it down a
parade route lined with spectators.
To top it all off, each
entry is announced and given
a bit of recognition as it proceeds.
All of this occurs due
to the foresight and planning
of Jody Blasdel, his compatriots,
and their families.
Jody’s volunteerism doesn’t
end when the last float pulls
out onto the parade route.
Stick around next time and
see all that he and the families
do to clean up the route.
I have a hunch that these
people are already thinking
ahead to next year’s event and
how to make it even better for
the residents.
Jody Blasdel has a strong
connection to the Gibson
Cemetery. He works tirelessly
to ensure that the property is
maintained with respect and to
the highest level. Mr. Blasdel
meets with families who have
lost loved ones and keeps
detailed records of the burial
plots. He also handles the
finances for the cemetery and
oversees the task of coordinating
the events for the service
held each Memorial Day.
“Jody’s dedication to the
Gibson cemetery exemplifies
his caring, citizenship, and
service characteristics. It is
quite a job often overlooked
by a community,” shared lifelong
friend Dale Lutz.
Flash back to when Mr.
Blasdel accepted the responsibility
of being a county
council member. One would
often see Mr. Blasdel going
from the site of a water line
repair or installation, covered
with mud, and rushing
down to the county building
to attend a financial meeting.
He was known for having a
common-sense approach and
consistently representing what
was best for the people.
Alan Goodman, a longstanding
member of the Tri-
Township Water Corporation
board and a Dearborn County
Jody Blasdel
Council member, said it best
when he described Jody.
“Jody Blasdel is the type of
person who gives so much
without any fanfare because
he loves his community.”
I know I have said it before,
and I’ll say it again. The family
who supports such a giving
person as Jody Blasdel has undoubtedly
made many sacrifices.
Jody’s wife, Karen, can
be seen working on so many
projects right next to Jody.
Many thanks to Jody Blasdel
and his family for volunteering
and giving back so selflessly
to our community.
As we approach the Fourth
of July, please take the time
to remember the holiday’s
true meaning and what makes
our country great. The word
United was placed in our
country’s name by our forefathers
for a reason.
What is it?
Last month’s item was a hand mixer/egg beater. We
receved a large number of correct answers. Mike Patterson,
Lawrenceburg, said, “For sure it was the forerunner of
todays mixer. By the way, fancy handle. I remember it
being used to mix or blend
several things from cake
batter to eggs. It made the
smoothest scrambled eggs
going when a tablespoon
of milk was added for each
egg.”
Beverly Hahn,
Lawrenceburg, shared,
“How tired my arm would
Last month: hand mixer/
egg beater
get as a youngster beating whipped cream or egg whites. I
was very happy when electric mixers became popular!”
“Such memories. My mother used it nearly everyday as
I was growing up,” remebered Jody Schuermann, Bright.
Pat Moster, Sunman identified the egg beater and shared
she has been using hers for sixty-one years. (I don’t know
how that could be because I heard she is only twentynine!)
The item was correctly identified by Bob Sommer, Bear
Branch; Gayle Rolfes, Harrison; Arleen Wuestefeld, St
Leon; Evie Wandstrat, Dillsboro; Luann Konradi, Sunman;
Robert Hill, Dillsboro; Jean Asher, Cincinnati; Loraine
Rumsey, Aurora; Sandy Eppert, New Alsace; Bev Houze,
Lawrenceburg; Sandy Dietz, Batesville; Diane Whitener,
Hidden Valley Lake; Carol Morton, Brookville.
This month’s item is a manual version. In fact, today’s
versions are even bluetooth compatible. (What will they
think of next!). Please e-mail your guesses along with your
name and the community in which you live to editor@
goBEACONnews.com by Wednesday, July 22, 2020.
sponsored by Cornerstone Realty/Lutz Auction Services
Publisher/Editor
Tamara M. Taylor
Publishers Emeritus
Elizabeth Morris, Celeste Calvitto
Sales Manager - New Accounts
Shelly Ullrich, Lisa Schall
Editorial Assistants
Connie Webb, Cherie Maddin
Columnists & Contributors
Debbie Acasio, Melanie Alexander,
Doris Butt, Susan Carson,
Gloria Carter, Susan Cottingham,
PG Gentrup, John Hawley,
Mary-Alice Helms, Merrill and
Linda Hutchinson, Korry Johnson,
Laura Keller, Debbie McCane,
Chris Nobbe, Fred Schmits,
Marie Segale, Sue Siefert,
Maureen Stenger, Rhonda Trabel,
Bob Waples, Lorene Westmeyer
Barbara Wetzler, Lisa West,
Debbie Zimmer
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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:
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Chamber of Commerce,
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Chamber of Commerce,
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