Beacon July 2023

INSIDE
The BEACON
Ah, Sweet Memories
Step back in time when life was
simpler and Drive-Ins were a big
thing.
Page 6A
A Household Name
Famous Dover auctioneer celebrates
his ninetieth birthday in
style.
Page 8B
A True Honor
Dillsboro resident Garrett Bascomb
spoke at the graduation ceremony of
his Alma Mater. Page 10B
The Beacon
(USPS #25510)
ISSN 2835-5067
Volume 29. Issue 7
is published monthly by Beacon News Inc,
8018 State Road 48, Aurora IN 47001
Periodicals postage at
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additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to The Beacon,
PO Box 4022, Lawrenceburg, IN 47025
Dearborn County Explores Sewer Expansion Options
For generations, communities in
southeast Indiana have struggled
with maintaining a balance between
growth and quality of life. The age-old
struggle always comes with consideration
for the bottom line- taxes. While
residents want to keep their lifestyles
the same, costs continue to rise. Taxes
must follow suit to cover the rising
cost of goods and services needed to
run the counties. Simple math tells us
that the more taxpayers available, the
lower each person’s financial responsibility
will be.
The main focus of services provided
by a governmental entity is public
Dearborn County History Starts with Vance-Tousey
By Maureen Stenger
A stellar organization in Dearborn
County holds a special place in my
heart, The Dearborn County Historical
Society. A few years ago when I wrote
an article on some of the township
cemeteries, a vast amount of research
and leg work were required. The
members of The Dearborn County
Historical Society came to my aid then
and have ever since when I need to dig
deep for information about a story.
The Dearborn County Historical
Society was established in 1984,
although other societies existed before
the current one. The Society was
originally housed in two rooms of the
Dearborn County Court House, the
old Recorder’s Office and a storage
room in the basement. The purpose of
The Society is, “To preserve its collection
of artifacts, photographs, and
documents for the education of future
generations.” As more treasures were
THE
BEACON
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Donna Renck and Cookie
Slayback
Rhonda Trabel, Peggy Ravenscraft,
and Susan Carson.
Jim Renck and Karen Townsend
Linda Maxwell, Anita Viel, and
Susie Hill
safety, roads, and utilities. Some
utilities like electricity are owned by
private entities. Others such as water
companies are owned by municipalities
or private companies. Sewer
services also can be owned by municipalities
or private companies. To
muddy the waters even more, some
municipalities use the services of
private companies for the management
of specific utilities.
The Dearborn County Regional
Sewer District (DCRSD) has come to
the point of considering how to move
forward with sewer systems in the
county. Established in 2003, the Board
Harry and Barb Lyness
Such Class
Alumni from
North Dearborn High School
gathered to share memories,
stories, and their
dreams for the future.
(Photos by Donna Renck)
A collection of class rings.
Judy and John Renck
collected and space
became tighter, the
Society would need to
be relocated.
That brings us to
what may be the bestkept
secret in Lawrenceburg-
the current
location of The Society.
It now resides in the
stunning Vance-Tousey
House on West High
Street.
The Lawrenceburg
City Council bought
the Vance-Tousey
House in 1998 for
$186,000, and The
Dearborn County Historical
Society remains
ever grateful. The purchase enabled
them to go from two cramped rooms
to a grand estate with plenty of room
to spread out. At the same time, the
has struggled with staffing, billing,
and long-range planning. The task
before the seven-member board seems
almost insurmountable.
Since its inception, the DCRSD
has established a few sewer districts
within the county. The consideration
of whether to build stand-alone plants
versus hooking onto an existing
sewer system has become a consistent
debate. Each option has had to be
weighed concerning the projection of
capacity and the revenue stream that
would be generated to maintain the
systems. Other concerns span from
Continued on page 3A
Jamison
Road Slated
To Close
Jamison Road is slated to be closed
for two to three days at the end of July
or the early part of August. Bridge
#105 which spans the Whitewater
River is scheduled for maintenance
which includes the application of
a thin epoxy coating applied to the
deck.
The recommended detour from the
state line is I-74 to the Highway 52
exit. Continue on Highway 52. Turn
west on State Road 46 and continue
to State Road 1. Turn south on State
Road 1 to Dover. Turn east on North
Dearborn Road. Turn south on Stateline
Road to the top of Jamison Road.
The process of applying the epoxy
layer requires preparation to ensure
longevity. On Day 1, the bridge will
be cleaned using a shot blast procedure.
The bridge must be completely
dry before the application of the
epoxy coating. The joints and both
ends of the bridge are also addressed
at this stage. On Day 2, a two-part
epoxy will be applied over a thin
layer of aggregate to provide more
traction. The epoxy specified for this
project is extremely hard for longer
wear time. It does not become polished
or slick and maintains its rough
texture. The epoxy mix requires a
day of drying time. On day three, the
second layer of the epoxy mix will
be applied to ensure that any pinholes
are sealed. Upon completion,
the bridge striping will be applied
at which point traffic control will be
needed.
The Vance-Tousey House in Lawrenceburg, IN, is
home to the Dearborn County Historical Society.
purchase enabled the Vance-Tousey
House to begin the road to restoring
her former glory.
The Vance-Tousey House was built
Continued on page 4A
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Lawrenceburg, Indiana 47025
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Page 2A THE BEACON July 2023
By
Tamara
Taylor
Publisher/Editor
Tamara M. Taylor
Founding Publisher
Elizabeth Morris
Sales Manager - New Accounts
Gene Belew
Editorial Assistants
Connie Webb, Cherie Maddin
Columnists & Contributors
Debbie Acasio, Melanie Alexander,
Susan Carson, Linda Cromer,
Larry Eaton, PG Gentrup,
Cheryl Damon-Greiner,
Jeff Hermesch, Mary-Alice Helms,
Merrill and Linda Hutchinson,
Amanda Kirchner, Vivian Kist,
Laura Keller, Chris Nobbe,
Marie Segale, Sue Siefert,
Maureen Stenger, Cheryl Taylor,
Rhonda Trabel, Randy Turner,
Bob Waples, Lorene Westmeier,
Lisa West, Debbie Zimmer
High Praise and Vision
I received the biggest
compliment recently. Someone
asked me if my pen name
was Maureen Stenger. I was
stunned. I could only wish
to write like Maureen, be the
mother that she is, have the
level of religious faith that
she has, experience the family
values she embraces... and
write like her.
What a compliment.
To answer the question, I
do not even hold a candle to
Maureen Stenger. For those of
you who have met Maureen,
you can attest to her kindness,
sensitivity, and insight. And
her ability to juggle not just
three balls at one time but an
entire dozen.. successfully.
Maureen grew up in
Bridgetown, the daughter of
a Hamilton County sheriff.
She now resides in Sunman
(technically) on a family farm
with her husband Jeremy, four
amazing children, and two
beautiful dogs. I am sure there
is a smattering of chickens
and livestock and alpacas in
there somewhere as well.
Maureen’s children, all wellrounded
individuals, have
been raised with outstanding
morals and compassion. One
can only wonder about the
amazing things they will accomplish
in their lives thanks
to the love and dedication of
their parents. Soccer games,
football practice, horseback
lessons (my favorite!)...
Somehow Maureen finds
time to run marathons and be a
wonderful, supportive friend,
all while helping her parents
as much as possible. Sounds
like a perfect life, right?
But then the juggling begins.
Not only does Maureen
do an outstanding job writing
and researching amazing
stories that are shared in The
BEACON, but she also works
for All Saints Parish. She is
a member of the team that
keeps Father Meyer going
and handles the details for
seven churches and one online
campus.
Quite simply, Maureen
Stenger is a gift- to the community,
to her family, to The
BEACON, and to YOU the
reader!
Which brings me back
to All Saints and a recent
interview I had. I had the
opportunity to sit down with
Father Meyer. Yes, he really
sat still for quite a period of
time. Father Meyer has more
energy and vision than almost
anyone I have ever met. I
found myself setting aside any
religious beliefs, allowing me
to discover the gift that Father
Meyer has been given- the
Over 22,000 distribution & growing! To advertise, call 812-637-0660
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BEACON
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website:
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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
Production
FX-Design, Inc.
of Commerce 6-23
Copyright © 2023 by Beacon News, Inc.
Maureen Stenger
gift to see and act upon projects
that ultimately make our
community better.
Father Meyer is not the first
priest to have an enormous
impact on the quality of life
in our community. Father
Charles Walsh, the pastor
at St. Martin’s Church in
Yorkville, was affectionately
known as the Father of Waters
because of his role in creating
the water system that still
serves the northern portion of
Dearborn and Franklin counties.
Who knew that priests
could be community leaders
and visionaries as well?
Father Meyer is driven by
the goal of changing the community
and bringing joy and
hope in a time when so much
chaos exists in the world. All
while doing good things to
engage the community.
When Father Meyer came
to Dover, four parishes were
facing a bleak if nonexistent
future. Too many masses,
too many locations, and not
enough to bring everyone
together. Through forethought
and planning, Father Meyer
merged the four parishes into
one, resulting in a vibrancy
that the community had
not experienced for a long
time. While that seems like
a simple solution, the beauty
was keeping all four campuses
open AND raising the
funds to restore and maintain
parks
dearborn
county
Father Jonathan Meyer and Father John Hollowell
four stunning churches. The
secret- consolidating service
times and spreading them
throughout the four churches.
Brilliant.
Father Meyer explained,
“While churches include
history- baptisms, weddings,
funerals, family history, Religion
is about faith, family,
community, and hope”
Today, the four churches
have become All Saints Parish.
Recently added to Father
Meyer’s responsibilities are
St. Teresa Benedicta of the
Cross, St. Lawrence, and St.
Mary of the Immaculate Conception.
Throw in a highly
successful “online parish,”
and you have one busy priest.
The best business practice
when one has almost more
than he or she can handle is
to seek help. Father Meyer
received help in the surprising
form of a dear friend whom
he had met many years ago-
Father John Hollowell.
Some may think that Father
Meyer had a hand in bringing
his longtime friend to All
Saints Parish- not the case. He
was as surprised as anyone
that he was being joined by
Father Hollowell. Divine intervention?
One has to wonder...
the Dearborn County Parks Foundation.
A Gift For all Seasons!
www.dearborncountyPARKS.com
The BEACON - Great News for Great People.
When describing his dear
friend, Father Meyer shared,
“Father Hollowell is brilliant,
deep, intellectual, an amazing
preacher, although he is
shorter than me!” I took that
as a glimpse of the whimsical
side that Father Meyer does
not often show.
What lies ahead for Father
Meyer? I can say that he is the
most humble and appreciative
person I have interviewed
concerning all who work with
him. I hesitate to guess where
the path may lead...
All to fulfill a vision for
our microcosm- a refuge of
revival, family, and faith that
people long for.
Cari Baylor
I have been hearing about
another community leader
who has dedicated countless
hours to the community,
especially when it concerns
Veterans. Who better to
share the story than our
correspondent, PG Gentrup:
The Veterans of
Southeastern Indiana would
like to pay a special tribute
to Cari Baylor of Baylor
Trucking for her faithful
and dedicated service as a
True American Patriot. Cari
has continually helped the
Southeastern Indiana Vietnam
Veterans of America, Lary
D. Fogle Chapter 71, and the
Southeastern Indiana Honor
Guard. She is one of those
people who “Bleed Red,
White, and Blue,” and puts
our Veterans first.
Ms. Baylor was
instrumental in bringing the
Moving Wall, a modified
version of the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial (the
WALL) in Washington,
DC, to southeast Indiana.
The WALL includes 58,320
names. Bringing the Moving
Wall to our community
allowed those who haven’t
had the chance to go to
Washington DC to find the
names of those to whom they
wish to pay respect.
Ms. Baylor has also donated
thousands of wreaths from
Wreaths Across America to
area Veterans. We take great
pride in placing beautiful
wreaths on the graves of
departed veterans located
at several cemeteries in our
area. As a wreath is placed,
the veteran’s name is said out
loud to ensure the service of
the deceased to our nation
is not forgotten. The service
is very humbling, and we
continue to thank Cari for
making the opportunity
possible.
Ms. Baylor was honored
at the Lawrenceburg Fall
Fest with a beautiful plaque
to thank her for all she does
for our veterans. She is a
remarkable young lady.

July 2023 THE BEACON Page 3A
Dearborn County Regional Sewer Board Considers Expansion Options
Continued from page 1A
the number of customers that
will be served and the financial
burden of subsidizing the
cost of a sewer system,
For years, the Indiana
Department of Environmental
Management (IDEM) has
been warning the DCRSD
about potentially failing septic
systems in certain areas of the
county. Emphasis has been
placed on fixing these areas
by creating more sewer systems
or facing severe fines.
The time has come for the
DCRSD to consider the best
way to grow while taking in
future expansion on both the
residential and commercial
levels. The current Board,
while holding a vast array of
experience, does not claim
to be experts in the best way
to accommodate sewer needs
expected in Dearborn County
over the next several decades.
To make an informed decision
as to what is best for the residents
of the county, the need
for outside consulting services
has become evident to the
Board. Unfortunately, the cost
of these services is not in the
Board’s budget. However,
the foresight of past administrations
has allowed for the
establishment of funds for the
Dearborn County Commissioners
to assist with costs
such as this. In recent sessions,
an interlocal agreement
was discussed, reviewed, and
approved by the Commissioners,
the DCRSD Board, and
the County Council to pay for
the consultation costs with the
Commissioners’ funds.
While a commitment has
been made to seek expert
advice from an outside
consultant concerning how
to proceed with sewer expansion,
a multitude of options
will be reviewed. These options
range from maintaining
the current path of operating
as a regional sewer district
relying on taxpayer dollars to
selling the current operations
to a private entity. Should
this option be chosen, the
engineering, construction,
maintenance, and administrative
costs would fall on that
private company rather than
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the taxpayers. A transfer in
ownership would be reviewed
and monitored by the Indiana
Department of Environmental
Management (IDEM) and the
Indiana Utility Regulatory
Commission (IURC).
According to the state
website (https://www.in.gov/
idem/), IDEM is to implement
federal and state regulations
to protect human health and
the environment while allowing
the environmentally
sound operations of industrial,
agricultural, commercial, and
governmental activities vital
to a prosperous economy.
The IURC oversees utilities
that operate in Indiana
by regulating various aspects
of a public utility’s business
This month’s item
What Is It?
Last month’s was
correctly identified by
a few readers. It was
submitted by Lawrenceburg
correspondent Debbie
Acasio.
“This is a pew clip in
churches used to hold your
hat, bulletin, or envelopes.”
The answer wass submitted
by some members of the
Napoleon Breakfast Club -
Last month’s item: a pew
clip
Carl & Rheadawn Peetz, Bill Borgman, Pat Hicks, and Roger
Linkmeyer.
Pete McDonough, Bright; Bayard Pelsor, Sunman; and Kevin
R. Cornett, West Harrison correctly identified the pew clip.
This month’s item will surely evoke a lot of memories.
Share your story as well as yoru guess! Please e-mail your
guess to editor@goBEACONnews.com by Wednesday,
June 21, 2023.
sponsored by Cornerstone Realty and Lutz Auctions
including rates, financing,
bonding, and other fiscal actions.
According to the IURC
website (https://www.in.gov/
iurc/about-us/about-the-iurc/),
The Commission has the
authority to initiate investigations
of all utilities’ rates and
practices. Currently, the rates
charged by the DCRSD are
monitored by the IURC, just
as they would be should the
sewer region become privately
owned.
Recently the LMH Utilities
Corp., serves the residents
of Bright, IN., was sold to a
private entity. The sale was
required to be approved by
IDEM, and the rates are being
monitored by IURC.
DCRSD president Steve Renihan
shared, “Our responsibility
is to evaluate all of the options
and choose the best path
for providing sewer services
to the unincorporated areas of
Dearborn County that are not
currently being served.”
DCRSD has two projects in
the engineering phase of construction-
the town of Guilford
and the area known as
Lake Dildear. The findings of
the consulting firm to be funded
by the interlocal agreement
will include the status of each
of these projects. Applications
for each of these projects have
been submitted to the committee
reviewing applications
for the use of the American
Rescue Plan (ARP) grant
money. These funds must be
obligated by Dec. 31, 2024,
and approved projects must be
completed by the end of 2026.
Options for The Guilford
and Lake Dildear projects
may include the use of a
private firm to assist with the
management of the projects
and may extend the management
and operation of the
systems. The result of this
scenario would be shared
compliance risk between the
DCRSD and a private company.
Should the DCRSD
choose to go one step further,
a regulated partnership could
be formed where a private
company would provide
upfront payment and ongoing
capital investment. That
company would assume all
of the risk. IDEM would be
involved with operational
oversight, and IURC will
review rates and services.
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Page 4A THE BEACON July 2023
The Vance-Tousey House - The County’s Hidden Gem
Continued from page 1A
in 1818 by Samuel Colville
Vance who founded Lawrenceburg
in 1802. Samuel
was born in 1770 in Pennsylvania
and was the son of a
Revolutionary War soldier.
He enlisted in the United
States Army and served at
Fort Washington in Cincinnati.
During his service, he
was eventually promoted
to Captain. He also struck
up friendships with General
Arthur St. Clair and fellow
soldier William Henry Harrison.
General St. Clair went
on to become governor of the
Northwest Territory. Harrison
became the ninth President of
the United States and sadly
passed away just thirty-one
days after taking office.
General St. Clair moved his
family to the Cincinnati area.
Shortly thereafter Samuel met
General St. Clair’s granddaughter
Mary (whom everyone
referred to as Molly).
They fell in love and got
married in 1800.
Soon after in 1801 their
first child, Arthur, was born.
Samuel received orders to
head to Fort Stoddard on the
Mississippi River in what is
now modern-day Alabama.
Instead, he chose to resign
The Palladian window faces the Ohio River.
from the Army. Faced with
the decision of choosing an
endeavor to pursue next to
provide for his growing family,
he chose to go into business
with his father-in-law
and open a store in Cincinnati.
Samuel purchased twelve
hundred acres in what we now
know as Dearborn County.
He surveyed a plat of that
land for a new town which he
named “Lawrenceburgh” after
his wife, Molly Lawrence.
At this point, Lawrenceburg
was part of Hamilton County,
Ohio. Samuel’s friendship
with William Henry Harrison
proved quite beneficial
for getting Dearborn County
up and going as soon as it
became a part of Indiana.
Samuel began to sell lots in
his new town, and the settlers
came in droves. He obtained
a license to operate ferries on
the Ohio River and Tanners
Creek. He also served on several
committees to investigate
building a bridge. In 1803 he
moved his store from Cincinnati
to Lawrenceburg.
The Vance Family was
growing with nine children
and needed ample space to
live.
Samuel tended to lend money
to any family member or
friend in need and oftentimes
found himself responsible for
their loans. He also had the
added stress of continuing to
petition the government for
money owed to him for his
Army service. Nonetheless,
in 1818 he had enough funds
to build his dream house in
which he raised his family.
The grand Federal-style brick
home looked out upon the
Ohio River. While a levy now
stands as a barrier between the
home and the Ohio River, all
of those years ago that view
was wide open. The stunning
two-story brick mansion had
a cedar tree-lined lane that
led to a river landing right out
front. As the riverboat captains
passed by, they would
rave about the majestic home.
To this day, the beautiful Palladian
window on the second
floor above the front entrance
still catches one’s eye. As you
approach the Vance-Tousey
home from High Street, you
are actually looking at the
back porch of the home.
The brick of the Vance-
Tousey House was locally
made. Once inside, a grand
spiral staircase will take you
all the way up to the attic.
A grand staircase graces the center hall of the home.
The original front door detail.
Definitely an antique!
Where white
color used
to prevail,
a vibrant
tangerine
color now
adorns the
walls, and
The Dearborn
County
Historical
Society’s
stoic displays
transport
you
back in time.
The original
woodwork
in the house
was mahogany
with
oak floors.
In the basement
of the
house, remnants
of the original kitchen
remain including parts of a
brick floor and a fireplace. A
dumbwaiter used by cooks
to send food upstairs used to
be hidden away in what was
once the large dining room
wall. On my tour of the home,
Dearborn County Historical
Society volunteer Joyce Baer
showed me the closet under
the stairs that was rumored
to have a secret hiding spot
where Samuel Vance would
hide his money.
Rumors of a tunnel leading
from the basement to the river
as a way for slaves to escape
to freedom have rumbled
through the years. No evidence
of a tunnel has been
found, but that doesn’t mean
that at one time it didn’t exist.
While Samuel Vance doesn’t
seem to have owned slaves
while living in Lawrenceburg,
his father-in-law, James Dill,
did. Mr. Dill was recorded
in the 1820 census as being
a slave owner. The Tousey
Family who would eventually
own the house in later years,
was from Boone County,
Kentucky, and they did own
slaves. The theory that either
family would have been
involved in the Underground
Railroad is doubtful.
The idyllic life Samuel
Vance created for himself and
his family came to a screeching
halt in 1823 when his wife
Molly died. Samuel was appointed
as the Registrar of the
Fort Wayne Land Office.
Continued on page 5A
The BEACON - Great News for Great People.

July 2023 THE BEACON Page 5A
Historical Society is Preserving the past for the Future
The gardens facing the river.
A wedding dress from 1906. Black and
navy! White wasn’t a thing back then.
Continued from page 4A
Because those duties took him
far from Lawrenceburg, his
oldest son Arthur was left in
charge to tend to the homestead
and the store. Samuel
was also struggling financially
at this time, so he deeded
some of his land to Arthur to
ensure that the land was not
repossessed by a creditor. In
March of 1830 at sixty years
old, Samuel Vance passed
away. He was buried with
his wife in the old Newtown
Cemetery and was later
moved to the Greendale Cemetery
in 1940 when the levee
displaced the graves in the
Newtown Cemetery. Molly’s
burial site was never found.
Samuel’s daughter Catharine
was married to Dr.
Thomas Pinkard. Sadly, Dr.
Thomas’s medical practice
was not successful, and the
couple tried to run a boarding
house. That too did not prosper,
and financial ruin was on
the horizon. After Samuel’s
death, Thomas was named
guardian of Samuel’s young
son, Lawrence.
The added responsibility led
Samuel’s children to auction
many of his personal belongings
to raise some muchneeded
money. The Pinkards
decided to try their hand at
establishing an agricultural
college, Washington Agricultural
College, using the
family home and surrounding
farmland.
Unfortunately, this venture
only lasted a
few years. By
the 1840s all of
Vance’s children
had moved north
toward Indianapolis
where they
fared better.
A young businessman,
Omer
Tousey, bought
most of Samuel’s
property,
the home, and
the stable. Mr.
Tousey was from
the small community
of Touseytown
located
in Boone County,
Kentucky.
Omer and his
brothers started
a store on High
Street. He could
afford the former
Vance home and
held extravagant
parties and
balls. He invited
everyone from all walks of
life to his lavish gatherings
and used his wealth to help
others. Omer Tousey died in
A detailed entry greets
visitors with glamour.
1868. His widow moved north
to Indianapolis as the Vance
children did years before. She
sold the land to James Willis,
who also hit hard times just
like the Vance Family did. Mr.
Willis would go on to lose
the home and property in a
sheriff’s sale.
The property and home
eventually fell into the hands
of Warren Tebbs where it
served as apartments until
1926 when the owner of the
Lawrenceburg Roller Mill,
a grain processing operation
in Dearborn County, had the
home transformed into an office.
The Roller Mill became
a subsidiary of Joseph E.
Seagram and Sons Distillery
and was again used as an
office building. The remodeled
interior included dropped
ceilings, wood paneling, and
carpeting. Even the spiral
staircase was enclosed.
That makes my own heart
hurt.
In 1998 the Lawrenceburg
City Council rescued The
Vance-Tousey House to be
the headquarters for The
Dearborn County Historical
Retirement Checklist
Society. Today the home is
being restored to its former
glory and is now listed on the
National Register of Historic
Places.
One aspect of The Vance-
Tousey House that need not
be left out is the beauty of
its surrounding gardens. In
2013 the Southeastern Indiana
Master Gardener Association
worked with the Historical
Society to restore and replant
the home’s grounds. The
design of the landscape was
created by Purdue University
landscape students to mimic
trees, flowers, herbs, and
shrubs that would have been
prevalent in the 1800s. The
grounds are simply stunning.
I have an affinity for old
homes, so seeing the care that
has gone into preserving this
spectacular slice of history is
affirming.
When standing on the front
steps of the old brick mansion,
one can’t help but notice
that the view isn’t quite what
it once was. While a levee is
a modern necessity, I found it
hard not to yearn for the longgone
view of the river with
ferry boats floating by. The
high-rise apartment building
right next door is a stark
reminder that you can’t stop
progress and you can’t slow
time.
The spiral staircase at The
Vance-Tousey House is now
thankfully fully exposed once
again. It is rumored to be
haunted, but by whom? Is it
the spirit of Molly Lawrence
who was said to be the heart
and soul of the Vance Family?
Or is it Omer Tousey dressed
to the nines in anticipation of
his Christmas Eve gala ball?
Perhaps it is Samuel Vance
himself checking in on his beloved
home and town. If I had
to guess, I’d say Samuel is
smiling down. While change
is inevitable, some very hardworking
people are making
sure the echoes of the past
forever remain.
The Dearborn County
Historical Society is open
Monday, Wednesday, and
Friday from 1 P.M. until 4
P.M., and Saturday 10 A.M.
until 2 P.M. They are closed
on Sundays and holidays as
well as the first Saturday of
every month. An enormous
thank you to The Historical
Society for their help with
this story and their hard work
to preserve the past for future
generations.
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After spending decades in the working world, the last thing you want is for small details to trip you up
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that once you leave your job behind and enter retirement, you’re financially prepared to stay there.
Track Monthly Expenses
Knowing exactly how much you’ll spend each month goes a long way toward ensuring you don’t
run out of money earlier than anticipated.
Analyze Health Care Costs
As many expenses often decline in retirement, health care typically becomes more costly with age,
as a majority of seniors eventually need some form of long-term care.
Update Beneficiaries
To prevent avoidable disputes among your loved ones, be as clear as possible when explaining how
you want your finances divided among your spouse, children, relatives or charities of your choice.
Research Social Security
All of those monthly contributions toward Social Security are about to pay off. Choosing when and
how you start receiving benefits determines the size of your payouts from this point forward.
Attack Debt
Once you stop receiving regular paychecks, every dollar spent will come from your hard-earned
savings. You’ll likely want to pay off as much debt as possible while you’re still working and making
an income.
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Get it All at www.goBEACONnews.com

Page 6A THE BEACON July 2023
THE MEMORIES LINGER ON
The Elm Drive-In in 1962
By Mary-Alice Helms
“The song has ended, but
the melody lingers on..”
Those are some of the lyrics
of an old song that was
a favorite of the 1930s and
1940s crooners. Perhaps the
words could be “The building’s
gone, but the memories
linger on.”
They are things of the past,
those buildings where we
would meet, tell jokes, laugh,
share secrets, and snack when
we were teenagers. Lost either
to the wrecking balls or repurposed
for a more relevant
use in today’s world, most of
those spots which we loved
would not be granted a second
look in today’s world.
Obviously not created for
aesthetics or ambiance, they
simply were places where
the town’s families could go
to see friends and eat a good
meal at a reasonable price.
For us, as teenagers, they
were great hang-outs.
The “Elm Drive-In” comes
to mind when the memories
take over. It was a rather
nondescript wooden building
sitting in the middle of a large
lot on State Road 1, about a
mile north of Brookville. The
owners, Irvin and Joy Hertel
had built the place next to
their neat home. There were
only a couple of booths or
tables for inside dining. The
action was in the parking lot!
That lot, which I remember
as gravel, often was jampacked
with vehicles of every
description. Customers were
greeted by a car-hop, the
name given to the young waitresses
who took the orders
from the customers, and later
delivered the food. I remember
one time when a harried
car hop neglected to lock the
heavy tray of food securely to
the car. Consequently, the tray
tipped into the car, spilling ice
and cold soda into the lap of
the non-too-happy customer.
The frazzled car-hop apologized
and tried desperately to
help the soaked customer save
his dress pants, the remains
of dinner, and his dignity. It
didn’t work. No tip there, I’m
afraid. The “Elm Drive-In”
has been gone for many years,
but never forgotten.
As teenagers, few of us
had access to cars except on
weekends when the family
chariot might be used for a
“date night”. Also, we had
little money, so our entertainment
had to be within walking
distance and very inexpensive.
We found places in town
that made good gathering
spots. We walked everywhere.
It was not unusual to see
groups of teens walking up or
down Main Street. “The Dairy
Bar” on Main Street was a
good destination. Located on
the northwest corner of 8th
and Main, it was a mecca of
ice cream cones, sundaes,
sodas, and banana splits. An
added attraction was its jukebox
with its endless collection
of popular songs and its
flashing red and blue lights.
When replacement records
arrived, the proprietors would
sell the used ones for 10 cents
each. Quite a bargain, except
that many of the most popular
records were more than a bit
“used”. “The Dairy Bar” also
was torn down some years
ago, and never replaced.
My best friend, Carol, and
I liked going farther down
Main Street to a little shop
owned by Hilda Wirtz. We
loved the little round tables
and chairs with their cast-iron
scrolled backs and legs. A bag
of chips and a soft drink cost a
total of 15 cents. Hilda didn’t
The counter inside the Elm Drive-In in 1971.
mind how long we sat, giggling,
chatting, and admiring
the beautiful costume jewelry
displayed in glass cabinets
along the wall. That building
was among those sacrificed
to progress when the Valley
House apartments were built.
So many other “gathering
places” should be mentioned,
including Hertel’s Restaurant,
Cap’s Place, the home
of the famous Cap’s Chili,
the Owl Tavern, the 440 Grill
and Greyhound Station, The
Goldfinch Restaurant, the Valley
House Hotel and Restaurant,
the Case House and the
one which people who were
kids at the time will always
remember the “Jack and Jill
Restaurant.”
“Jack and Jill Restaurant”
was located on State Road
One in the spot which is now
occupied by First Financial
Bank. I remember it for its
uniqueness. It was a dinerstyle
building, the likes of
which had not previously
been seen in Brookville.
The front part of the building
was made of stainless
steel and was said to have
cost $100,000! I remember
the flashing neon sign on
the front of the structure. In
these days of light shows and
animation, it probably would
not have been as noticeable.
When it opened in 1956, it
was thought to be spectacular.
The neon lights were timed
and arranged so that the
overall effect was a 3D image
of Jack and Jill falling down
the hill. Quite a show-stopper.
While I remember the food at
the restaurant as being very
good, it was not a successful
venture. It lasted only two
years, closing in 1958. The
stainless steel diner part of
the structure was moved from
the hill, and the kitchen/dining
area, which had been built
on the site, remained. That
portion was purchased and
renovated by the Borne family
and used as their home for
a number of years. It was sold
to People’s Trust company
bank and then to First Financial
Bank.
While the current generation
probably has never heard
of many of these places, there
are those “golden oldies”
among us who can remember
them all. Some of them are
gone forever, but the memories
will linger on.
Budgeting Makes It All Worthwhile
A BETTER WAY TO GET
THE MONEY YOU NEED.
By Alan Thorup, CRMP
In my last article, I mentioned
budgeting in regard
to a home purchase with a
mortgage. Expanding on that,
a budget put together well is
a valuable financial tool for
individuals and families to
meet their immediate/monthly
needs as well as set aside
funds for both anticipated and
unanticipated needs. Just as
valuable is the discipline to
follow it!
To begin with, collect
paystubs/direct deposit
information for determining
regular monthly household
net income (after taxes and
benefits are deducted). Next,
collect all your recurring bills
for utilities, auto/other fixed
payment loans, and credit
card minimum payments.
Additional documentation
on other recurring payments
for insurance (health, dental,
prescription, etc.), and then
any additional payments
made regularly such as church
donations will also need to be
added.
Once all of this is collected,
you have the $ amounts you
need to put in writing or input
into a spreadsheet your fixed
net income and expenses.
Hopefully, you have a positive
number after deducting
your fixed expenses from your
net income, and if so, this is
the amount you have left over
to cover groceries as well
as unexpected expenses and
future needs for large-item
purchases, vacations, etc.
To cover anticipated needs
for those large purchases and
unexpected expenses, a good
way to accomplish that is to
set aside money regularly to
‘pay yourself’. If after plugging
in the net income and
expense numbers, you have a
positive number at the bottom,
add in an amount you
can comfortably save while
maintaining payments on all
your other obligations, and
put that into a separate savings
account. Further, you
can set up a spreadsheet that
details what those $ are for in
your savings account such as;
vacation, home improvement/
maintenance, car purchase,
new tires/brakes for the car,
etc., and pull those funds out
as needed, and adjust your
spreadsheet.
Finally, maintaining the discipline
to follow your budget
is critical for both short and
long-term financial success.
We all see, read, and hear
about things daily that we
would like to have or do. For
most of us, the reality is that
we can’t afford to act on impulse
to satisfy every ‘want’
we have. However, going
through the exercise above on
a regular basis, and adjusting
the budget as income and expenses
change, provide us the
opportunity to become much
more aware of what we have
to do in order to purchase
things responsibly today, and
in the future.
The team at FCN Bank is ready
to help you find a better way
to get the money you need.
Instead of high-interest credit
card debt, FCN Bank offers
better options such as home
equity loans, personal loans,
home refinancing and more.
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The BEACON - Great News for Great People.

July 2023 THE BEACON Page 7A
The following was submitted
by Henry “Hank”
Steinmetz. We appreciate that
he shared his family’s legacy
and their patriotism.
This is the story of a family
who proudly served their
country in the Armed Forces.
Otto A. Steinmetz was born
Nov. 22, 1889 in Yorkville,
IN. He was drafted into the
Army on Nov. 20, 1917, and
was sent to France during the
early part of WWI.
Otto served as a Calvaryman/Wagoneert
and rode
mules or drove teams of
horses to haul ammunition
from the supply depot to the
front lines for the infantry.
The enemy always tried to
kill the mules and horses to
try to slow down or break
the supply chain. (The Army
didn’t have a lot of motorized
equipment back then).
Otto was discharged and
sent home on Nov. 26, 1919.
He returned to Yorkville and
worked various jobs,
On May 7, 1924, Otto
married Rose M. Lipps, also
from Yorkville. Eventually,
they bought a farm east of
New Alsace, IN where they
eventually raised five boys.
Joe the oldest, was drafted
M
DEAR
ARIE
By
Marie
Segale
marie@goBEACONnews.com
Dear Marie,
I wonder... I’m sure I can’t
be the only person/woman/
spouse struggling with being
retired and being home fulltime
with my husband!
Wow, spending all this time
together is a little too much.
Being retired, my husband
thinks he has a perfect right
to do nothing. For example,
sitting in front of the television
all day would be fine
with him.
I think being retired means
that I finally have time to
do the projects I want to get
done, and I sometimes need
his strength and help to accomplish
them. Our opinions
differ drastically concerning
how to spend our time.
I’m just really frustrated. I
always thought that when I retired,
I’d have time to read all
of those books on my list, go
to museums, travel to places
S
ALUTE
TO THE MILITARY
Otto A. Steinmetz
Henry “Hank” Steinmetz
Eugene “Gene” Steinmetz Vernon “Vern” Steinmetz Clarence O. Steinmetz
into the Army and was sent
to the Philippines (Pacific
Theater) during WWII. He
handled the shipping and
receiving of artillery, etc. in
the supply depot.
Clarence was drafted into
the Army and was sent to
Korea with the Infantry Division.
He fought on the front
lines. Clarence’s entire tour
of duty in Korea was spent
fighting on the front lines and
living out of a “fox hole.”
Gene was drafted into the
Army and sent to Tok Junction,
Alaska. He worked in
Communications. He and
several other soldiers ran
a communications station
twenty-four hours a day,
every day.
Vern was also drafted into
the Army and was sent to
Germany where he was an
MP (Military Police).
Hank enlisted in the Navy at
age seventeen. He was sent to
school and was trained to be
an electrician. He served on
two ships- a destroyer called
the USS Glennon D.D. 840
and an aircraft carrier named
the USS Antietam CVS36.
The legacy of the Otto
and Rose Steinmetz family
is that all six men served
I’ve always wanted to see,
and be free from a schedule.
Retirement has not worked
out that way for us.
When I worked full time
I was able to accomplish so
much more than I do now. I
was always told, “If you want
something done, give it to a
busy person, he or she will
get it done.” The fact that we
would have to live around
aching knees, shoulders, hips,
poor eyesight, hearing loss,
and memory issues never occurred
to me. Living around
doctor appointments and
being involved in grandchildren’s
schedules to help their
working parents has been a
reality check.
This is not the retirement I
pictured. Marie, what words
7247 State Road 46E
Batesville, IN 47006
812.932.3300
their country honorably and
proudly. What is significant
about these men are the wars
in which they served. Otto
served in the First World
War. Joe served in the Second
of advice can you give to
help my situation or ease my
frustration?
Karen in Harrison
Dear Karen,
Newly retired couples can
have great difficulty with
suddenly having no schedule.
Start a new daily routine.
Look for new interests or hobbies
that include ways to meet
new people. Stay active, get
daily exercise to stay healthy,
and keep your brain working.
Having your adult kids close
can bring lots of happiness,
but having to always be there
for them may add stress to
your life. Life is all about
balance.
Do you have a pressing
issue? Reach out to marie@
goBEACON news.com
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World War. Clarence served
in the Korean War.
Perhaps the greatest
honor should have gone to
Rose, the boys’ mother. She
spent many, many sleepless
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Joseph “Joe” Steinmetz
nights sitting in her rocking
chair and praying that God
would protect her boys and
send them home safely. Her
prayers were answered.
God Bless America!
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Payment: Cash or Check
Available in our freezer at the Lutz Auction Center
weekdays from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
On Saturday’s during auction hours
You can also call Dale Lutz at 513-266-1859 or Randy
Lutz at 513-266-1860 to schedule a pickup time.
Home grown, grain fed, government inspected,
& locally processed
Lutz Auction Center is located at 25980 Auction Ln.
Guilford, IN 47022
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Page 8A THE BEACON July 2023
Digital Equity In Southeast Indiana- You Can Make It Happen
By Cheryl Damon-Greiner
Reliable, affordable utilities
such as electricity, water,
and access to transportation
are essential infrastructure
services that we traditionally
expect in the places where we
live and work. These utilities
are considered basic to a
modern lifestyle. But another
service connection that has
also become essential- reliable
internet access. Property
values and community investments
reflect the importance
that homebuyers and businesses
place on having a highspeed
connection available.
Unfortunately, many Americans
do not have access to
reliable internet service. It is
either too expensive, too slow
to be workable, or completely
unavailable in their area. Rural
communities are impacted
significantly more than urban
areas because the high cost of
laying fiber-optic cables and
setting up service for fewer
locations in less dense areas is
not as profitable for providers.
This internet gap has created
what is being called a
Digital Divide where rural
citizens enjoy fewer educational,
health-related, social,
and economic opportunities.
Locally, residents are affected
if they are overpaying or
tolerating less than high-speed
C
HVL: Nice 3 bed tri level home on
beautiful dbl lot, newer kitchen, and
updated bath. $134,900
BRIGHT: 1400 sq ft ranch on 5
acres, 2 bath, 1 car garage plus
outbuilding, 2 WBFP, front and rear
covered porches. $124,900
functionality while working
from home offices, communicating
with health care
providers, helping children
complete online assignments,
shopping for groceries to be
delivered, or connecting socially
with friends and family.
Two projects are currently
underway to help address the
Digital Divide. Each requires
participation from residents
in the nine-county area. The
Southern Indiana Regional
Planning Commission (SIR-
PC), located in Versailles, is
working on a Regional Digital
Inclusion Plan with Purdue
University Center for Regional
Development. The four
main initiatives are:
1. Build and upgrade broadband
throughout the area
2. Ensure that all citizens
have access to reliable devices
and trusted technical support
3. Provide ongoing training
for people of all ages and
abilities
4. Include the first three
goals in local and regional
community and economic
development strategies.
Accomplishing the first
goal of improving broadband
connectivity requires resident
participation. To identify gaps
in broadband connectivity, Indiana
residents can do internet
Speed Tests to measure how
CORNERSTONE
REALTY INC.
CORNERSTONE
We’ve moved to 25980 Auction Lane, Guilford!
We’re IN YOUr COrNer. REALTY INC.
WE’RE IN YOUR CORNER.
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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
attached garage on 2.5 acres.
$114,900
BRIGHT: 2 story home with 4 LOGAN: Clean older 2 story home
bd,3.5 baths, 1st flr laundry and with large wrap around covered
master suite, open Thinking floor plan, full of porch, moving? city utilities, 28x44 3 car
finished LL with wet bar and gas concrete block garage with loft, on
FP, great Maybe for entertaining, settling large 1.25 acres. an estate?
$159,900
rear deck $244,900
LAND
How about both?
BRIGHT: Nice 3 bed, 3 bath ranch LOGAN: 8.6 acre lot fairly secluded
with eat-in kitchen, gas fireplace, on Sawdon Ridge, utilities at street
LL family room, oversized garage
with concrete driveway
One
and
call
add’t
does $99,900 it all with
concrete Cornerstone parking pad. $154,900 Realty and
HARRISON:
Lutz Auction
Beautiful
Service
rolling 3.9
acre lot available on private drive
ST. LEON:
now
Older
conveniently
2 story home
located
all off Edgewood under Rd. one $75,000 roof
city utilities, newer high efficiency
furnace. Great location near to hwy Dover, and SUNMAN: Indiana. .87 building lot available
in Whitetail Run subdivision.
schools, summer kitchen, enclosed
back
Realtors
porch, other
and
room
Auctioneers
upstairs $22,000 Dale & Randy Lutz have
could been 3rd bed. serving $69,900 the community HARRISON: for over Beautiful 30 years. 2.093 acre
BRIGHT: 3 bed, 2.5 bath home
lot on private drive off Edgewood
Their profession is turning your
on nearly 38 acres with exceptional
views nerstone of Tanner Realty Valley, and 1st Lutz LOGAN: Auction 2.89 acre Service wooded coun-
Rd. $60,000 assets into cash. Cor-
flr MRB, 1st flr ldry, pond, covered try lot with all utilities available.
rear deck, wrap around
where
front
we’re
porch,
in $59,900 your corner.
We Need Listings!
We Need Listings! Have buyers for farmland!
Dale Lutz
Randy Lutz
lutzauctions.com
800-508-9811
St. John
The Baptist
Parish Festival
June 23, 24, 25
Live Music, Beer, Food,
Jaguar Jungle Kids Zone, Instants
Local Craft Beer, Traditional Beer and Wine
Available w/ ID & Wristband
Scan this QR Code to participate
in the Speed Test.
Want to
Keep Getting
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of Dearborn, Franklin,
Ohio, and Ripley Counties
and Harrison Ohio.
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You must include these
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A survey for public comment can be accessed with this
QR Code.
fast data can be downloaded
and uploaded with the internet
connections available to
them. As stated on the SIRPC
website, “The more speed
tests that are conducted in our
region, the easier it makes it
to get more money for broadband
investment in our region
later on. This means taking internet
speed tests today could
make the difference in how
long your community remains
unserved or underserved
for internet connections!” If
residents do not have internet
access at home, they can go
to another location like the
library, enter their addresses,
and record that they do not
have connectivity. The link
for the Speed Test is https://
www.infarmbureau.org/resources/broadband-speed-test
or by scanning the Speed Test
QR code and following the
simple steps.
The second way that residents
can participate in the
drive for internet equality is
to take a six-question survey
designed by Reneisha Rudder,
Digital Inclusion Coordinator
at SIRPC, to gather
feedback on internet service.
Surveys should be entered
by the end of June. She will
then present the compiled
comments to the Indiana
Broadband office. Determinations
will then be made
concerning the distribution
of up to $1 billion of federal
funding to communities for
broadband improvements.
The funding is through the
Keep Up With These Events at
www.stjb.net
The BEACON - Great News for Great People.
federal Broadband Equity
Access and Deployment
(BEAD) program that is
part of the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act.
To access the survey, please
go to https://forms.gle/oZ-
8kR6ByGV39Au1g9 or use
the Survey QR code.
The irony of responding
online about the lack of
internet service is not lost on
the SIRPC staff. But it sorely
demonstrates the importance
of the internet as a necessary
communication tool for all of
us in today’s world and the
future.
Recycle Your Cups
By Stefanie Hoffmeier
The cup is out of the bag.
Or at least it can now be out
of your trash bag and into
your recycling bin. Whether
you use the Dearborn County
Recycling Center drop-off
trailers, or your municipality
has curbside pick-up, you can
now recycle plastic and paper
cups. Yes, even those plastic
beverage cups from fast food
restaurants can now be placed
in your recycling bin.
Examples of acceptable
cups include plastic beverage
cups from fast-food restaurants,
plastic souvenir cups,
and clear plastic disposable
cups. Like other materials, the
cups should be clean, empty,
and not stacked together
when placing them in the recycling
bin. All straws should
be removed, and the plastic
lid reattached to plastic cups.
Paper cups, including small
bathroom cups, as well as aluminum
cups are also accepted;
however, the plastic lids
must be removed from the
paper cups before recycling.
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Saturday
Michelle Robinson Band
Dat Band
Sunday
Mike Davis
Josh & Patrick
(90 Proof Twang Acoustic)
Festival sponsorship and product donation
opportunities exist - please call Parish Office.
Additional guidelines
include:
• No straws, plastic stirrers, or
stoppers
• No colorful party cups (Solo
and other brands -
#6 plastics)
• No ceramic or glass cups
• No coffee K-cups
• No Styrofoam cups
What new products will
the cups become? Aluminum
cups will be made into
new aluminum cans. Paper
cups will be made into
paperboard and cardboard
boxes. Plastic cups will be
recycled into new plastic
containers. New technology
at Rumpke’s recycling plant
allows the cups to be sorted
into the stream.
If you are not sure whether
an item is recyclable, feel free
to call the Dearborn County
Recycling Center at 812-926-
9963. A list of acceptable
materials to recycle can also
be found on their website at
DearbornCountyRecycles.
com.
509 Harrison Ave., Harrison, OH • Parish Office 513-367-9086, ext 214

M
Our People
in the
ILITARY
WH a frequent basis.
FROM
hat's
ere There were large gatherings
at Christmas time and on
Happening In
ST. LEON Grandma’s birthday in June. It
was a close-knit bunch.
By
Ollie By
But a few bad things happened
over the years and my
Donna
Roehm Davidson family changed. The gatherings
gradually ended and
Community
Correspondentthere wasn’t much communication
going on.
Family is a wonderful thing.
I have a great one in my wife, Things stayed that way for a
son, donnadavidson.thebeacon@yahoo.com
two daughters, and four long time.
granddaughters. There are However, a couple of years
close, longtime friends who I ago I received a Facebook
love as though they were family.
But for a number of years, my cousin Vicki that began a
message out of the blue from
Happening In
something BRIGHT has been missing. reconnection with some of my
When my mother died in relatives. And it feels really
’04 I became an
By
Debby
orphan of good.
sorts. Stutz
Vicki and I are second cousins
on Mom’s side. We didn’t
My father and brother had
already passed Community and I had no meet until the early ‘70s and
immediate family. Correspondent My grandparents
were long gone and I But we eventually lost track
we became good friends.
debbystutz.thebeacon@yahoo.com
had lost track of most of my of each other. Since Vicki
aunts, uncles, and cousins. reached out to me in early
There was never much communication
with Dad’s side better friends. We communi-
2020 we have become even
of the family Swhen BEACON I was a cate quite a bit on Facebook,
kid. His brothers lived across spent a Christmas Eve together,
and have enjoyed each
the river from PORTS
Louisville in
Clarksville Indiana and visits other’s company in several
with them didn’t SCENE
happen often social settings.
enough because of the distance.
By mom’s sister passed away. I
A couple of years ago my
Mom’s side was a different
story. I saw most of Zoller my because Covid was raging. So
Jack couldn’t attend her funeral
aunts, uncles, and cousins on I sent letters of condolence
beaconsports
@live.com
W
hat's
July 2023 THE BEACON Page 9A
By
Melanie
Alexander
I love this time of year
By
for all the wonderful Maxine fresh
vegetables either Klump in a home
garden or those found at
one of the farmers’ Community markets
Correspondent
throughout the Tri-State area.
I am privileged to have a
maxineklump.thebeacon@yahoo.com
farm stand about a half mile
from my home so I’m able to
visit one or more times each
week; it’s almost like having
my own garden plot without
the weeding and the garden
hoe that was part of my
routine in those years we had
our garden.
This pasta main dish has
long been a family favorite,
especially when guests are
here. The best features include
the ability to enlarge or
decrease the ingredients to fit
the number of folks expected
at the meal and the ease of
substituting the vegetables
used in the dish. Just thinkno
more groans that someone
dislikes asparagus-just substitute
peas or green beans.
Summertime Veggie Pasta
(4-6 servings)
½ pound fettuccine (or your
favorite pasta)
Small amount of vegetable or
olive oil to saute´ the
vegetables
1/3 cup onions, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup asparagus, cut into
2-inch pieces
1 medium zucchini,
quartered and sliced
1 carrot, pared, cut in half
lengthwise, and sliced
4 ounces button mushrooms,
sliced
½ cup sour cream
½ cup chicken broth (may
use vegetable broth)
8 ounces diced, cooked ham
OR diced, cooked chicken
breast
½ cup Parmesan cheese plus
additional for sprinkling
over top of the finished
dish
2 tablespoons minced green
onions (be sure to use
green portions)
1 teaspoon dried crushed
basil
ripleycrossing.com
to her sons and my cousins
Kevin and Kendall, including
my contact information. We
were all fairly close at one
time but I hadn’t seen them in
years.
I received no acknowledgment
of the letters which
stung a bit. But after a couple
of months had passed, the
doorbell rang. It was Kendall.
We sat down at the kitchen
table and talked for more than
two hours.
A month or so later the
doorbell rang again. It was
Kevin. Since that day Kevin
and I have become fast
friends.
Kevin gave me a sack of
family photos that belonged
to his mom. We decided
to set up a lunch and share
them with our Uncle Bill, his
wife Patty, and Uncle Bill’s
daughter (my cousin) Jana.
We had a wonderful time.
Many of the photos brought
laughter and some brought
tears.
Back in February, I wrote
a column about how Kevin
was considering learning how
to play the guitar and how I
was encouraging him to do it.
It tickles me to tell you that
he now has a nice Washburn
acoustic and some serious callouses
on his fingertips.
Prepare pasta according to
directions, drained, and set
aside (keep warm).
Heat oil in a large skillet
or Dutch oven over mediumhigh
heat.
Saute onion until softened
and then add garlic and cook
for about 30 seconds more.
Add remaining vegetables
except for green onion and
cook until crisp-tender. Add
meat and broth and cook,
while stirring, until vegetables
are tender but still somewhat
crisp. Add sour cream,
and basil and stir to blend all
ingredients. Fold in pasta and
green onion. Season with salt
and pepper. (Add more broth
and or sour cream if necessary
to maintain a creamy
sauce).
Turn out into a large bowl
or platter and top with additional
cheese.
I might be among the last
humans to “discover” this
dessert! I love it for last-minute
dessert needs since I almost
always have a cake mix
and frozen berries on hand.
Berry Dump Cake
Nonstick cooking spray for
the baking dish (9x9 inch)
4 cups fresh or frozen berries
(all of one kind or a
mixture of berries)
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon
juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Box of vanilla cake mix
8 tablespoons butter, cut into
cubes
Vanilla ice cream or whipped
cream for serving
Preheat oven to 350°.
Spray the baking dish with
nonstick cooking spray.
Combine the sugar, cornstarch,
lemon juice, and
vanilla extract. Add to the
berries and toss to coat. Pour
the mixture into the baking
dish. Spread the cake mix
evenly over the berries and
then scatter the butter cubes
evenly atop the cake mix.
Cover the baking dish
with aluminum foil and bake
until the top is puffed and
golden brown and the fruit is
bubbling about 40 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake
for an additional minute. Let
the cake cool slightly before
serving (10-15 minutes
should work to avoid instant
melting of ice cream.)
Join Our Team at Ripley Crossing
The Joy of Giving
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They made our community great
(and they did it without cell phones!)
Now is your chance to
share their stories...
AND GET PAID FOR IT!
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Kevin and I have been seeing
quite a bit of each other
lately. We’re going out to
dinner with our wives tomorrow
night and have a fishing
excursion scheduled soon.
I’m telling you all of this
because I’ve learned something
important. If you have
the desire to reconnect with
your family, do it.
If Vicki hadn’t reached out
to me on Facebook we would
not have a relationship that
Get it All at www.goBEACONnews.com
both of us now greatly cherish.
If I hadn’t reached out to my
cousins after their mom died,
my renewed loving friendship
with Kevin and Kendall
probably would not have happened.
We would not be going
out to dinner tomorrow night
and Kevin wouldn’t have callouses
on his fingertips. And
I wouldn’t have a renewed,
broader sense of family that
was badly needed.
Do it.
South Dearborn Students Attend
Business Professionals of America
National Leadership Conference
Three South Dearborn High School students attend the
Business Professionals of America National Leadership
Conference in Anaheim, California. Holding The BEACON
are senior Emma Kochert, senior Rebecca Hughes, and
sophomore Carson Osborne.

Page 10A THE BEACON July 2023
The following excerpt is
from a book written in 1930
by a lifetime resident of Ripley
County, Yorkville, and Manchester.
The BEACON is honored
to share another chapter
of the book each month thanks
to Mary Randell’s descendants.
Previous chapters are
available online starting with
the August 2022 print edition
at goBEACONnews.com/
print_edition.
By Mary M. Greiner Randell
Chapter XII- Part 1 of 2
At the first place where I
worked, I was left alone many
times. The rats were so thick
Author
Mary Randell
there that
when the
two-year-old
child went
out of the
house with a
piece of
bread they
would try to
crawl up her
dress.
Children’s clothes were long
in those days. Then she would
holler and we would go to her.
Here is where I had to settle
down and learn to sew. A lady
that had come from Germany
into the backwoods with
her husband taught me hand
sewing. My mother went to
see her and made the arrangements.
Then she came home
and told me, “You will have
to make your next dress.”
It was just before I was ten
years old. I took my dinner
and started out. The teacher
was very good to me. She
asked me if I knew anything
about sewing and when I told
her not, she said she was glad
of that, (because she would
not have any bad habits -editor’s
notes by DWJ.) I learned
very fast. I got up very early
and walked three miles to take
my lessons. First she taught
me to sew, then to cut out
patterns. In four weeks I had
made a dress for myself. My
lessons were 50 cents a week.
When I had gone six weeks I
began to sew at home.
At this first place I worked I
used to have to gather dandelions
for dinner. The family
had a sawmill and four men
were hired to work in the
woods getting out some logs
to be sawed into lumber. Well,
this man bought me a revolver
and laid it by my plate when
we were all around the table
eating dinner and said, “This
is yours to protect yourself.
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grew up on a farm near Oxford, Ohio and is the
youngest of 8 Children.
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THE STORY OF MY LIFE
Making My Own Way
Now you practice on rats
and the first fellow that says
anything to you to harm you,
point your gun towards his
head and kill him because
I can’t always be here and
sometimes Mary and Baby go
with me.”
I didn’t have the gun very
long until one day I was down
the valley gathering dandelions
and a man hollered at me
to come up there to the fence.
This was a man from Cincinnati
that was working for a
farmer. He was on the other
side of the fence. I yelled
back at him that I wasn’t
coming up there, and he had
better not come down where
I was. I went to the house and
got my gun and put it in my
pocket and went back to get
the rest of my dandelions. But
he didn’t come down where
I was. Mr. Bowers (the man
that got the gun for me) told
me to watch him; he said he
was “no good.” No doubt the
boys told him that I carried a
gun. I was only about twelve
years old.
Another time at this same
place, the folks were all gone,
work hand and all. He hired a
fifth man to help get out some
logs because the boss had to
haul some lumber that they
had on hand to Batesville.
The man who had had that job
was sick from worry. Once it
had been very warm, in July,
and when he drove through
Laughery Creek he had let
both horses drink. First thing
he knew they were too warm
and one fell over and died.
That worried him so that he
had to go home until he got
over his fright.
This fifth man was no good.
He didn’t live near there so he
couldn’t go home as the rest
of the boys, so one Sunday
when they were all gone he
came home drunk. I heard
him yell before he got to the
house. When he got to the
sawmill he began to pound
the outside of the mill weather
board; then when he got to the
door he began to pound on the
door. I had the door locked so
he went to the window and
began to pound on the window
sill. So I stepped over to
the window and pointed the
gun at him and told him that if
he broke the window I would
shoot him. I told him to go out
to the barn and sober up. So
he went to the barn and I suppose
he went to sleep hungry.
When Mr. Bowers’ folks
came home I told them how
he had acted and Mr. Bowers
said, “He won’t worry you
again.” On Monday he got
his “walking papers” and we
never heard from him anymore.
One time I was working for
two families when the house
caught fire. They discovered
it when they opened the stair
door to take some washing
upstairs. They dropped the
basket of clothes and ran out
of doors to their men. They
left one baby in the crib and
one on the floor. I took the
two out of doors and ran into
the kitchen and grabbed two
buckets of water. I ran up a
few steps and threw it toward
the chimney. By throwing on
two more I got the fire out.
It was lucky that there was
water in the house. So, when
the women came with their
men they picked up their
babies. The men said that I
was brave, but that the women
were cowards.
This was the place where
they had their mother living
in a log cabin with only one
room. In one corner she had
her bed and in another corner
she had a stove; in another
corner she had her wood,
and in the last corner was her
trunk. In the middle of the
floor, a ground floor, there was
Howard Excavating, Inc.
Ryan Howard
812-584-4923 / 812-532-0864
indianahowards@comcast.net
Locally Owned & Operated Since 2005
Commercial - Residential – Industrial
Utility Line Installation & Repairs
(storm, water, sewer)
Dearborn County Registered Septic Installer
Excavation & Grading
Trucking & Hauling
Land Clearing (tree and brush removal)
Concrete Flatwork
Demolition
a table. There was a stream
between her house and their
house, and when it rained she
couldn’t cross it. They were
not very good to her; she had
very little to live on. They
would hitch up two horses to
a big wagon and both families
would go away early in the
evening to a dance. The men
they had working for them
would go along. This was
another sawmill outfit. But
they did farming too. They
used to go to dances and card
games and not get home until
morning. So before I went to
do their chores, feed two ox
teams, milk four cows, and
feed ten hogs, I hung a little
white cloth on a pole. She
knew what that meant, so she
would always come over and
I would cook supper for us.
I would cook coffee and fry
eggs and have cookies and
bread and butter and I would
open a can of peaches for her.
When she went home I would
give her some cookies and
give her corn for her chickens.
She only had six chickens. I
stayed all alone in a six-room
house.
After this I went to Greensburg
to work for a family by
the name of Cover. He had a
store. One day I got a letter,
that those men who didn’t
provide for their mother when
they had plenty, one had
fallen off a wagon and broken
his back and the other fell off
in front of the wheel and had
his leg cut off above the knee.
So, all who read this book, be
kind to your mothers and fathers
for you will surely reap
what you sow.
Another place where I
worked was with a private
family who had three children.
I was to plant corn and help do
the housework. The lady of the
house was not very strong. The
lady had to go away to take
care of her sister who was sick.
She was gone three weeks
and I had the children to take
care of and the cooking to do.
We had potatoes and cottage
cheese and fried ham or bacon
to eat, milk to drink and butter
to put on our bread – three
times a day for three weeks.
I had to do the washing for
the children and myself. The
man did the churning and
tended to the milking. When I
didn’t do housework I worked
in the garden and took care of
the children, planted corn in
the field and herded the cows
away from the crops, when
the pasture got short. This
man would go to the field as
soon as it was light enough to
see and work with a team until
seven. Then he would come
home with his horses and feed
them and we would all eat
together. Then he would milk
the cows. He would go out
again in the evening before he
went to bed and fill the horses’
mangers full of hay. You can
see that his horses were fed
before he got up and could eat
while he was currying them
and harnessing them.
We could sleep until six
o’clock in the morning. When
the mother was home she
would fix breakfast and I
would wash the children and
dress them. Her mother baked
our bread. At this time I was
twelve years old.
Please read the next issue of
The BEACON for the continuation
of Chapter XII of The
Story of My Life.
Next
Beacon
Ad Deadline
June 26
goBEACONnews.com
The BEACON - Great News for Great People.

July 2023 THE BEACON Page 11A
By
Jeff
Hermesch
Purdue
Extension
jhermesch@purdue.edu
Be On The Lookout For
Bagworms!
Be On The Lookout For
Bagworms!
Now is the time to be looking
for bagworms as they
have had a few weeks to feed
and are now large enough to
be seen hiding in plain sight.
These insects hide in plain
sight by using foliage from
the host plant to cover themselves
to hide from birds.
Bagworms are primarily a
pest of conifers like junipers,
spruce, pines, and arborvitae.
However, they feed on a wide
range of host plants including
many broadleaf plants,
such as; elm, flowering plum,
hackberry, honey locust, linden,
maple, oak, rose, sycamore,
elm, and wild cherry.
These caterpillars do their
damage by feeding on the
host plants from late spring
through mid-August before
they become adults.
Early summer is an ideal
time to treat young bagworms
before they get out
of control. If you find only a
few bagworms you can simply
pull them off and drown
them in a soapy bucket of
water. Unfortunately, chances
are there will be too many
caterpillars to pick off by
hand, so chemical control
with insecticides is the best
option. The key to managing
bagworms with these
insecticides at this time of
year is to apply them early
and frequently enough to kill
the highly susceptible young
caterpillars feeding on plant
foliage. Applying insecticides
weekly for four to five weeks
when bagworms are first
noticed will reduce problems
with bagworms later in the
year.
There are many insecticides
labeled for use against
bagworms, however, the
insecticides that can be used
to manage them early in the
season are Bacillus thuringiensis
subsp. Kurstaki (also
known as BTK, and found
in Dipel and Thuricide) and
spinosad. The bacterium,
Bacillus thuringiensis subsp.
Kurstaki is only active on
young bagworm caterpillars
and must be consumed or
ingested to kill bagworm caterpillars.
Therefore, thorough
coverage of all plant parts
and frequent applications
are required. Spinosad is the
active ingredient in several
homeowner products, including
Captain Jack’s DeadBug
Brew and Monterey Garden
Insect Spray. The insecticide
works through contact and
ingestion; however, the insecticide
is most effective when
ingested by young bagworm
caterpillars. As always with
pesticides, read and follow
the labels to ensure safe and
effective application.
If left unchecked, bagworms
can cause substantial
plant damage, thus ruining
the aesthetic quality of
plants. Furthermore, bagworms
can kill plants (especially
newly transplanted
small evergreens), because
evergreens usually do not
produce another flush of
growth after being fed upon
or defoliated by bagworms.
Young bagworms cover
themselves with foliage and
are difficult to detect. (Photo
by Cliff Sadof, Purdue University.)
Bagworm caterpillar feeding.
(Photo by Cliff Sadof, Purdue
University.)
By the time August comes,
when bagworms are most
likely to be noticed, these
caterpillars have already
formed their bag and it is
too late for chemical control.
Hand-picking is an option.
If you have questions
about your landscape, please
contact me for answers. I
can be reached by email at
jhermesch@purdue.edu or by
phone at 812-926-1189. The
Dearborn County Extension
Office is located at 229 Main
Street, Aurora, IN 47001.
Look for my next article in
the upcoming issue of The
Beacon.
8 4
6 8 2 1 4
6 8 5 7
7 3 2 9
4 8 9 6 1
9 6 7 2 8
8 1
3 1 7 6 8
2 1 9 3
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!
2023 LAWRENCEBURG TASTES OF SUMMER
Lawrenceburg Summer Event Series presented by
KRISTINE KABBES
& THE SKALLYWAGS
6:00 - 7:30 pm
THE RENEGADES 8:00 - 10:00 pm
I N DIA N A
JUNE 17
TASTES OF SUMMER FOOD TRUCK RALLY
Enjoy 11:00 am - 10:00 pm local award-winning restaurants and food trucks
serving destination edibles in Downtown Lawrenceburg include these participating vendors:
LAUREN’S BURG HILL 5K RUN/WALK
In honor of Lauren Hill, this event seeks to raise funds to provide scholarships
and assistance to families afflicted with DIPG or pediatric brain cancer.
5:45 - 7 am Race Day Packet Pickup – City Hall • 6:00 am Race Day Registration
7:22 am Lauren’s Burg Hill 5K Run/Walk
5K starts on Walnut Street & finishes on the 22” yard line at LHS Football Field.
Course will close 90 minutes after start at approximately 9:00 am.
PLUS ...
• The Twisted Greek
• Street Kitchen
• Roll On In Food Truck & Catering
5:45 pm Food Truck Competition Awards – Celebrity chef Derek McGhee, Executive Chef at
Hollywood Casino, Scott Holubetz, Cincinnati State Culinary Instructor and Michael Sassano of
Thunderdome Group will judge food categories to include Best Entrée, Best Appetizer, Best
Dessert & Peoples Choice Award.
Presented by
Queen City Food Truck Association
KIDS ACTIVITIES, CARNIVAL RIDES & BEER GARDEN
11:00 am - 10:00 pm - Carnival Rides
11:00 am - 3:00 pm - Kids Activities, Cincy Circus, Petting Zoo,
Stingray Meet & Greet and Hocus Focus Picture Booth
Noon - 10:00 pm - Beer Garden
FARMER’S MARKET
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Delicious selection of local fresh vegetables, honey, jams, and more!
www.THINKLAWRENCEBURG.com
Get it All at www.goBEACONnews.com

Page 12A THE BEACON July 2023
Platinum Contributors
Thank You to All of Our 2023 Fair Sponsors!
FREE
Fair Admission
(Rodeo Excluded)
June 19-24, 2023
www.dearborncountyfair.com
Entertainment Sponsors
Dearborn Ripley Building Trades
East Indiana Treatment Center
FCN Bank
Great Plains Communications
Hoosier Powersports
Lawrenceburg Veterinary Clinic
Maxwell Construction
NRL Mortgage
Special Thanks
Saturday June 17, 2023
8 AM
9-11:30 AM
Midway Rides
$25 Wristband
for daily unlimited rides
Individual ride tickets will also be available
Bobcat Enterprises, Inc
City of Lawrenceburg
Finn All Seasons (Brad Dawson)
Glenn Wright & Pat Schmetzer for announcing
Greg Stuart, Lawrenceburg Kiwanis
Johnson Auctioneers (Roger, Susan & Chuck)
Kathman Electric
(Tom & John Kathman, Kyle Stenger)
Koenig Equipment
Krystal's K9 Camp Professional Dog Training
Lutz Auction Services (Dale & Randy)
McCabes's Greenhouse and Floral
Nelson Elliot Auctioneers
Paul Hall & Associates
Southeastern Indiana REMC
Tree-Land, Inc (Jeremy & Jason Stenger)
4-H Horse Show (Horse Arena)
Judging of 4-H Projects, Clover Buds & Open class entries
(Agner Hall)
Monday June 19, 2023
8 AM
9 AM
2 PM
5 PM
5-9 PM
5-9 PM
5-10 PM
6-10 PM
6:30 PM
6:30 PM
7-8 PM
7:30-9 PM
7 PM
Tuesday June 20, 2023
8 AM
10AM-10PM
2 PM
4 PM
5 PM
5-9 PM
5-9 PM
5-10 PM
5-10 PM
5:30-8:30 PM
6 & 7:30 PM
6-8 PM
6:30 PM
7 PM
7-8 PM
Visit www.dearborncountyfair.com for all the details
Be sure to like us on Facebook & Instagram
"Dearborn County Fair"
T-SHirt Sponsor
Supporters of 4-H
4-H Poultry Show (Miss Ellie Show Arena)
4-H Dog Show (Agner Hall)
Youth Livestock Judging Contest (Miss Ellie Show Arena)
Opening Ceremony with 4-H Tenure Member Recognition
Followed by: Meet & Greet with Indiana State Fair
Queen Claire Bishop (Haag Ford Stage)
McKay Family Farm Exotic Animal Show & Petting Zoo
(Back of Midway) $5 Daily Admission Fee
Southeast Indiana Community Gardens
(Demonstration Tent)
Midway Open with Rides by: "Ohio Carnival Company"
Agner Hall: 4-H Exhibit Hall Open
4-H Royalty Crowning (Haag Ford Stage)
Flower Bud Vase Arrangements Class by Master
Gardeners (Agner Hall)
Cooking Demonstration : Healthy Tacos (Agner Hall)
Family Game Night (Miss Ellie Show Ring)
Rootin' for Treasures & Muddy Hog Contest
(By Rabbit/Poultry Barn)
4-H Rabbit Show (Miss Ellie Show Arena)
Agner Hall: 4-H Exhibit Hall Open
Tractor Display Set-up (Front Entrance)
Demo & Public Speaking Contest/Read Creative Writing
(Haag Ford Stage)
4-H Public Fashion Revue (Haag Ford Stage)
McKay Family Farm Exotic Animal Show & Petting Zoo
(Back of Midway) $5 Daily Admission Fee
Bees by TreeCity Bee Co. (Demonstration Tent)
Midway Open with Rides by: "Ohio Carnival Company"
Tractor Display (Front Entrance)
Magic Dan (Haag Ford Stage)
Magic Show w/ Magic Dan (Haag Ford Stage)
Community Service Sewing/Quilting Project (Agner Hall)
Pedal Tractor Pull (Front Entrance)
4-H Swine Show (Miss Ellie Show Arena)
Cooking Demonstration: Simply Spice (Agner Hall)
Wednesday June 21, 2023
9 AM
10AM-10PM
9-10:55 AM
11 AM
1:30 PM
3 PM
3:30-5:30 PM
4 PM
5-7 PM
5-9 PM
4-H Pygmy Fiber Class & Dairy Goat Show
(Miss Ellie Show Arena)
Agner Hall: 4-H Exhibit Hall Open
Flower Show Entry (Agner Hall)
Flower Judging (Agner Hall)
4-H Beef Fitting Contest (Miss Ellie Show Arena)
4-H Boer Does & Market Kid Goat Show
(Miss Ellie Show Arena)
Bake-off Peach Contest & Pies for Prizes Entries (Agner Hall)
Little Miss & Mister Contest Interview (Haag Ford Stage)
How to Choo se a Wood Stain (Demonstration Tent)
McKay Family Farm Exotic Animal Show & Petting Zoo
(Back of Midway) $5 Daily Admission Fee
Fair Week Schedule
5-9 PM
5-9 PM
5-10 PM
5:30-7 PM
6-7 PM
6 PM
6:30 PM
7 PM
7 PM
8:30 PM
Hall of Fame Sponsors
Livestock Show sponsors
ALL 4-H LIVESTOCK SHOW SPONSORS
Bright Veterinary Clinic
Cornerstone Realty & Lutz Auctions
Dearborn Title Insurance, Inc.
Janet's Diner
Kemper Construction Company
Luxe Real Estate
US Bank
Alpaca Show
Tri-State Antique Market
Paul Hall & Associates
Caroline Hall Henning Agency
Beiersdorfer Orchard
City of Aurora
Don LaFollette Family
Ewan Law Office
Mel & Carol Green
Farm Bureau, Inc
Hogan Township Fire Department
Kroger Community Rewards
Tractor Supply Company Harrison
Tractor Supply Company Lawrenceburg
Thursday June 22, 2023
9 AM
10AM-10PM
10 AM
12 PM
3 PM
5 PM
5-9 PM
5-9 PM
5-9 PM
5-10 PM
6-8 PM
7-8 PM
7-9 PM
7:30 PM
Friday June 23, 2023
9 AM
10AM-7 PM
10 AM
3:30-6:30 PM
4-11 PM
5-9 PM
5-9 PM
5-9 PM
6:30 PM
7 PM
8-10PM
Saturday June 24, 2023
ALL DAY
1 PM
4-11 PM
The BEACON - Great News for Great People.
Main Stage Sponsor
Dairy, Heifer & Steer Show
At The Barn Winery
Lischkge Motors
Siemer Milling Company
The Friendship State Bank
Hoosier Hills Water District
Goat Show
CalComm Indiana
Home Furniture & Flooring
Poultry Show
Stenger Law, LLC
S.R. 1 Storage LLC
Rabbit Show
Stenger Law, LLC
Main Street Aurora
Sheep Show
Oxbow, Inc
Valley Rural Utility Company
Hirt & Ellco Inc
Swine Show
Enneking Auto Body
Ohio Valley Screen Printing
SEI Communications
Roeschlein Meat Processing
Wednesday June 21, 2023 cont.
Face Painting (St. Elizabeth Cool Zone)
Learn to Paint with Deesign (St. Elizabeth Cool Zone)
Midway Open with Rides by: "Ohio Carnival Company"
St. Elizabeth Healthcare Baby Show Registration
(Midway booth near Agner Hall)
Little Miss & Mister Public Contest (Haag Ford Stage)
Bake-off Peach Contest & Pies for Prizes Judging (Agner Hall)
Hydroponic Gardening Workshop (Agner Hall)
4-H Sheep Show (Miss Ellie Show Arena)
St. Elizabeth Healthcare Baby Show (Haag Ford Stage)
Bake-off Peach Contest & Pies for Prizes Auction (Agner Hall)
Small Animal Supreme Showmanship Contest
(Miss Ellie Show Arena)
Agner Hall: 4-H Exhibit Hall Open
4-H Pocket Pet Show (Agner Hall); Immediately followed by
4-H Cat Show (Agner Hall)
4-H Alpaca Show (Miss Ellie Show Arena)
4-H Dairy Show (Miss Ellie Show Arena)
4-H Beef Show (Miss Ellie Show Arena);Immediately followed by
4-H Market Beef Show (Miss Ellie Show Arena)
McKay Family Farm Exotic Animal Show & Petting Zoo
(Back of Midway) $5 Daily Admission Fee
Face Painting (St. Elizabeth Cool Zone)
Herb Tower Demonstration (Demonstration Tent)
Midway Open with Rides by: "Ohio Carnival Company"
Community Service Sewing/Quilting Project (Agner Hall)
Cooking Demonstration: Keto Noodle Stir-Fry (Agner Hall)
Square Dance (Haag Ford Stage)
Dunkin' for 4H (Near Agner Hall)
Clover Bud Clinic (Miss Ellie Show Arena)
Agner Hall: 4-H Exhibit Hall Open
Large Animal Supreme Showmanship Contest
(Miss Ellie Show Arena)
Pork Chop Dinner (Agner Hall)
Midway Open with Rides by: "Ohio Carnival Company"
McKay Family Farm Exotic Animal Show & Petting Zoo
(Back of Midway) $5 Daily Admission Fee
Indiana State Trappers Association (Demonstration Tent)
Touch-A-Truck (Front Entrance)
Kiwanis 4-H Livestock Auction (Miss Ellie Show Arena)
Livestock Release Immediately Following Auction
Agner Hall Exhibit Hall Closed to Public
Exhibit Hall Project Release (Agner Hall)
No Animals or Exhibits available for viewing
4-H Lunch & Awards Program
Midway Open with Rides by: "Ohio Carnival Company"
2023 Dearborn County
World Championship Rodeo
7 PM Saturday June 24
4 PM Rodeo Gates Open for Public
4-10 PM Food Trucks Available
$15 Admission $10 Kids 6-12 Free-Kids 5 & Under

debbystutz.thebeacon@yahoo.com
July 2023 THE BEACON Page 1B
S
BEACON
PORTS
SCENE
By
Chris Jack
Nobbe
Zoller
beaconsports
@live.com
sports@goBEACONnews.com
Sports of All Sorts
A picture says a thousand
words. The Teams featured
from golf, to track, to softball,...
oh my!
East Central junior Josh
Ringer and freshman Callie
Bentley earned EIAC MVP
honors for their efforts in
the conference track and
field meet. (Photo by Chris
Nobbe)
East Central is pictured after capturing both the girls’ and boys’ EIAC track and field championships
at Batesville. Ashley Andres’ teams also captured IHSAA Sectional titles the
following week. It was the girls’ ninth consecutive sectional title, while the boys claimed their
first since 2019. (Photo by Chris Nobbe)
By
Maxine
Klump
Community
Correspondent
maxineklump.thebeacon@yahoo.com
Milan High School teammates Ben Riehle, Ayden Potts,
Ethan Dehamer, and Gabe Riehle helped the Indians claim
the Ripley County titles in cross country in the fall and track
and field this spring. They are holding the county trophy after
the track meet held in Batesville. (Photo by Chris Nobbe)
Members of the Milan boys’ track team captured the Ripley
County title at Batesville. It was their first title in well over
twenty years. The team is coached by Jenny Laws and
Brian Potts. (Picture by Chris Nobbe)
South Dearborn’s Nakia
Scruggs leads the final leg
of the 4x400 relay at the
IHSAA Sectional at East
Central. He is pursued
by Lawrenceburg’s Luke
Thornton and Milan’s Ben
Riehle. Scruggs would
hold off the competition to
win the title for the Knights
along with teammates Blake
Lagaly, Corbin Cassidy, and
Jeffrey Wickersham. (Photo
by Jeremy Baney)
The Milan boys’ golf team captured the Ohio River Valley
Conference title. Team members include Nathan Voss, Micah
Norman, Jackson Voss, Ethan Clark, Jacob Helton, and
Coach Travis Butte. (Photo courtesy of Milan Athletics)
The East Central tennis team captured an IHSAA Sectional
title by first defeating Batesville 4-1, then Oldenburg Academy
4-1 before defeating Lawrenceburg in the title match
3-2. (Photo courtesy of East Central Athletics)
AT CINCINNATI
STATE YOU CAN!
SD senior pitcher Riley Lagaly
fires one to the plate in
action for the Lady Knights,
who enter IHSAA Sectional
action on a 14-game winning
streak. (Photo courtesy
of Jonathan Lagaly)
Earn your Bachelor of
Science in Nursing (BSN)
Degree at about half the
cost of other colleges
and universities.
• Delivered in-person –
unlike any other local
RN – BSN program.
• Small class sizes,
because you’re not
just a number here.
• Lots of support to
help you succeed.
Starts Fall of 2023
For more details, visit www.cincinnatistate.edu/bsn
Lawrenceburg siblings Lucy
and Luke Thornton each
claimed IHSAA Sectional
titles in track and field.
(Photos courtesy of
DeMarco Henry)
East
Central
Varsity
Track
and
Field Invitational
2023
Female
Most
Points
Award
Winner Rylee Edwards.
(Photo submitted by family)
SHOP LOCAL and tell our advertisers you saw them in The BEACON!

Page 2B THE BEACON July 2023
BRIGHT/
SUGAR RIDGE
By
Bob
Waples
Community
Correspondent
bright@goBEACONnews.com
My brother Jim and I visited
the historic Cane Ridge
Meeting House (church) in
Paris, Ky. a few weeks back.
It was amazing. Cane Ridge,
believed to be the largest oneroom
log structure in the US,
was built in 1791. To preserve
the church, they built another
structure around the original
church. Cane Ridge hosted
the ‘great revival’ in 1801,
drawing an estimated twenty
to thirty thousand people. The
church is only about a oneand-a-half
hour drive from
Bright, in the midst of some
absolutely beautiful horse
farm country.
Cub Scout Pack 693 (from
Dearborn Hills Church) recently
held their pancake breakfast.
Thanks to all the Scouts and
families that worked so hard. It
was delicious!
The Bright Lions awarded
O
ur
three $1000 scholarships to
the following East Central
grads: Elizabeth Kichgassner,
Evan Kuhn, and Natalie
H. South. Congratulations!
Wishing my brother Bill
and sis-in-law Mary a very
Happy Anniversary…#50 on
July 14.
Wishing Ruth Ann and
Ray Schlemmer a Happy Anniversary
(#70) on Aug. 15.
Wishing a very dear friend,
Communities
John Maxwell, Dawn Kruse, Dan Eppinghoff, Rachelle Bolling,
and Robbie Maxwell led the troop in a great pancake breakfast.
Aaron Scholle, Robert Bailey, Sam Daugherty, Logan Ott, and
Dylan Kruse flipped some good ‘cakes!
Virginia
(Ginny)
Booker,
a Happy
Birthday…
celebrating
her first 100
years on July
6.
Your life is
Cane River
Church
made of two dates and a dash,
make the most of the dash.
Enjoy your summer….
HIDDEN
VALLEY LAKE
By
Vivian Kist
Community
Correspondent
hvl@goBEACONnews.com
The number of people in our
community who passionately
dedicate time to help others is
truly humbling. Ryan Wilson,
the founder of Hanoi’s Lost
Child Foundation (HLCF), is
one of them. HLCF provides
charitable relief to U.S. military
veterans, their families,
and other charitable military
organizations.
A free concert will begin at
7 P.M. on July 28, 2023 thanks
to HLCF. You can enjoy the
music of Ryan Wilson’s band,
One Degree from Mande
which received rave reviews
from those who attended last
year. Brett Bondurant, the
Veteran honoree for 2022, will
be naming the 2023 honoree.
Everyone is WELCOME - not
just HVL residents.
The winner of the prestigious,
annual Doerflein Award
for outstanding
community
involvement
and
community
spirit is
Shirley
Hicks, a
long-time
Shirley Hicks HVL
resident.
Shirley’s hobby is photography,
and she is the official
HVL photographer. She
dedicates much of her free
time to sharing pictures of
events and scenery in the
Valley. The next time you see
an event recap or a picture of
something beautiful in our
community, most likely that
picture was taken by Shirley.
Speaking of photography,
think about joining the Hidden
Valley Photography Club.
It is open to anyone- you do
not have to be an HVL resident
to be a member. We are
all photographers now that we
have those powerful cameras
called smartphones with us
24/7. Wouldn’t it be nice to be
able to take professional-looking
photos? Doug Gabbard
founded the Photography
Club in 2019, and it is more
than a monthly meeting to
attend. Doug created several
social media forums that provide
unbelievable resources to
all skill levels on innovative
games, engaging projects,
how-to tips, etc. Reach out
to the Photography Club by
joining the Facebook group
or contacting Doug and be
on your way to becoming the
next famous photographer!
Robert Starks has been
appointed as President of the
HVL Board. Others holding positions
for the coming year are
Ken Horn, Vice President; Jeff
Fuell, Treasurer; Donna Yetzer,
Secretary; and Grant Smiley,
Member at Large. The Board
meetings are held on the fourth
Thursday of every month.
The Willie’s Cruise-In is
officially in full swing on
the second Tuesday of each
month through September.
Hundreds of antique and
original cars and trucks are
displayed. The Cruise-In is
in Willie’s parking lot and
starts at 6 P.M. In May over
one hundred twenty cars were
displayed, from Corvettes to
completely renovated early
vintage trucks.
So many events and activities
are happening in our
unique community, so join in
and have a wonderful summer!
American Legion Post 452 New Alsace
Newly
remodeled
rental
facility!
Perfect for Wedding Receptions,
Birthday Parties, Anniversaries,
Reunions, Holidays
Reasonable rates, nice atmosphere
Contact Larry @ 812-623-3695
Next euchre party July 16 and Aug. 20
Doors open 12 noon • Games begin at 1 • All are invited
Proudly serving our veterans and the community since WWII
Get it All at www.goBEACONnews.com

July 2023 THE BEACON Page 3B
O
ur
Communities
HARRISON
By
Amanda
Kirchner
Community
Correspondent
Ron Andres, Nettie Andres, Karen Fox, Debbie Zimmer.
ST. LEON
By
Debbie A.
Zimmer
Community
Correspondent
stleon@goBEACONnews.com
At the Senior Scholarship
Award Night recently held
at East Central High School,
Dearborn Community Foundation
presented a scholarship
from the Greg Andres/North
Dearborn Conservation Club
scholarship fund to Addison
Cleary from East Central
High School. North Dearborn
Conservation Club presented
other scholarships to East
Central High School Seniors
Andrew Deddens, Mackenzie
Eckstein, Joe Herth, and
Krya Powell. Congratulations
to these students and good
luck to all of the Class of 2023
in their future endeavors.
My brother, Ron Andres
from Panama City, Florida
came home to spend Mother’s
Day with our mom, Nettie
Andres. Family members
visited throughout the day. Everyone
enjoyed their visit.
Congratulations to two of
our St. Leon college students.
Jessie Stenger who attends
Front row: Brianna Inman,
Cooper Barrett. Middle row:
Carter Barrett, Nettie Andres.
Back row: Callie Barrett,
Ciara Barrett, Ryan Inman.
Hanover College broke the
college’s all-time indoor Shot
Put record and also the HCAC
conference record for shot put.
She also qualified for Nationals
in Rochester, New York for
both shot put and discus.
Jill Wilhelm who attends
Mount St. Joseph College was
Conference Champion in Javelin
at the HCAC Conference
Meet held at Franklin College.
Way to go girls – you make
St. Leon proud!
Happy anniversary to Betty
and Bob Fischer on July 28.
Get in touch with me with
any news items for the column
at stleon@gobeaconnews.com
harrison@goBEACONnews.com
The Harrison Robotics
team recently went to the
VEX World Championship
in Dallas, TX at the end of
April. Teams of young people
from all over the world come
to compete. There were
teams from Taiwan, Hong
Kong, The United Arab
Emirates, and all over the
country. The members of the
Harrison Robotics team had
some amazing experiences at
Worlds. Here are their favorite
memories of their time at
VEX Worlds.
“VEX Worlds was a unique
opportunity to meet people
from all over the world who
share a common interest in
robotics. Winning a match
with the team from Hong
Kong was a highlight.” -
Luke Snider
“Seeing all of the teams
from around the world
and comparing the designs
was fun. There were so
many similarities and also
differences and every robot
was very good.” - AJ Willis
“The VEX World
Championship was so cool
and fun to compete with
people from all around the
world! I can’t wait to go back
next year!” - Devin Fliter
“My favorite memory
from visiting Dallas for the
VEX World Championship
VEX team Devin Fliter, Joey Huber, Luke Snider, AJ Willis.
was getting to see historical
locations, like the Grassy
Knoll.” - Joey Huber
The team is coached by
Angela Elsasser. To say
she is proud of what her
team has accomplished is
an understatement. Angela
said, “Traveling to Dallas,
TX with Harrison Robotics
Team 11254W to compete
at the VEX Robotics World
Championships, the largest
robotics competition in the
world, was incredible! I can’t
put into words how proud
I am of this team! They
exuded Harrison’s core values
representing our school and
our community with pride as
they worked with their many
alliance partners from across
the globe.”
Harrison is very proud
Harrison high school graduate
Randy Alfaro kickstarting
his acceptance into Christ
Hospital Nursing School.
He came to the US from
Argentina as a middle school
kid speaking no English and
ended up being valedictorian
of his class. (Photo by
Debbie Acasio)
of these young engineers.
Congratulations on a great
accomplishment!
#theplace2play
Visit Southeast Indiana
July 2023
June 3 - July 29 – The Art of the Portrait
- Dillsboro Arts Friendship Gallery, 12926
Bank Street, Dillsboro, IN. Info: 812-907-0504
or www.dillsboroarts.org.
July 1, 8, 22, 29 – Lawrenceburg
Farmer’s Market - Saturdays June - Mid
October 9:00am-1:00pm. Info: www.
downtownlawrenceburg.com.
July 1 – Light up Aurora - Gabbard
Riverfront Park 6:00-10:00pm. Music, food
vendors, craft vendors, and a vintage car
cruise In. Info: www.aurora.in.us.
July 1 – Drawing from Explore
Aurora. Info: www.aurora.in.us.
July 1, 8, 15, 23, 29 – Party on the
Patio - At The Barn Winery - Live
Music at 7pm. Logan, IN. Info: www.
atthebarnwinery.com.
July 1, 22 – Holtkamp Winery - Live
Music - 7pm-10pm, 10868 Woliung
Road, Sunman, IN. 513-602-5580. www.
holtkampwinery.com
July 1, 8, 23 – Lawrenceburg Speedway
- High-banked dirt track oval. KOI Auto
Parts Modifieds & Late Models. Info: www.
lawrenceburgspeedway.com.
July 2 – Tri-State Antique Market
- Lawrenceburg Fairgrounds, US 50,
Lawrenceburg, IN. 6:00am-3:00pm. COST:
$5.00/adult. Indiana’s largest monthly
antiques and vintage only market with 200
+ Vendors. Info: 513-702-2680 or www.
lawrenceburgantiqueshow.com.
July 4 – City of Greendale – 5K, fishing
derby, free hotdogs, prizes, pool opens,
kids bike parade, golf cart parade,
entertainment and fireworks at Greendale
Park. Info: www.cityofgreendale.net.
July 5 – River City Classic Car Club
Cruise In - 5:30pm - 8:30pm. Second Street,
Aurora, IN near the Ohio River & Gabbard
Park. Info: 812-221-0205 or 812-614-2644.
July 6, 13, 20, 27 – Music on the River
- 7:00pm-9:00pm at Lawrenceburg Civic
Park. www.downtownlawrenceburg.com.
July 7, 14, 21, 28 – Lawrenceburg
Motorcycle Speedway - Dearborn
County Fairgrounds, Lawrenceburg,
IN. Racing @ 7:30pm. Info: www.
lawrenceburgmotorcyclespeedway.net.
July 8 – Rock, Fossil, & Artifact ID
Session - 10am-2pm. Free. Bring in your
artifacts, rocks and fossils and have them
identified and recorded by a professional.
Info: 812-290-2966 or www.exploreari.org/
events.
July 11-14, 18-21 – Archaeology Camp
(Theme) - Ages 5-8. 9am-12pm. 424
Walnut Street, Lawrenceburg, IN. Contact
812-290-2966. www.exploreari.org/
events Introduction to archaeology camp!
Campers will experience archaeology,
conservation and learn about the world
around them through nature play,
simulated excavations, lab analysis,
augmented reality, and experimental
archaeology activities.
July 11, 18, 25 – Movie in the Park -
Lawrenceburg Civic Park - Dusk. Info:
www.downtownlawrenceburg.com.
July 15 – Whiskey City Challenge -
Competitive high speed cycling races
through downtown Lawrenceburg.
1-9pm. The event also features a cornhole
tournament, “kids on bikes”, celebrity
tri-cycle races, Jump Jam Noon to Dusk,
destination dining and more. Info: www.
downtownlawrenceburg.com.
July 15 – American Girl Tea Party - 11am-
1pm at Hillforest. Girls ages 5 and up and
their American Girl Doll or doll of their
choice are invited to come to Hillforest and
partake in a three course American Girl
Victorian Tea Party. Reservations required.
Call 812-926-0087. Cost $30.00. Info: www.
hillforest.org.
July 20-22 – Country Roads Shop Hop -
10am-5pm. Four locations: The White Swan,
The Greenbriar Shop, The Blue Willow
House, Whistle Stop. Info:812-487-8008.
July 22 – Youth Archaeology Club -
10am-12pm - Open to all students grades
6-8. Learn about different aspects of
archaeology with real archaeologists!
Experience an archaeological excavation,
go on field trips to different archaeological
sites, and learn about laboratory analysis
and interpretation of artifacts. Preregistration
preferred; please go to
ExploreARI.org to register. Location: 424
Walnut Street, Lawrenceburg, IN.
July 25 - 28 – Archaeology High School
Immersion - Exploring History - Ages
12-18. 424 Walnut Street, Lawrenceburg,
IN. Info: 812-290-2966 or www.exploreari.
org/events. Join us in our upcoming High
School Archaeology Immersion Camp,
where students ages 13-18 can learn about
archaeology through various handson
opportunities. Students will learn
archaeology through learning activities,
field and lab experiences, research,
and field trips. This camp is perfect for
students who want to know more about
archaeology as a science and as a career.
Dearborn County
Convention, Visitor and Tourism
320 Walnut St. • Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 • 800-322-8198
www.VisitSoutheastIndiana.com
SHOP LOCAL and tell our advertisers you saw them in The BEACON!

Page 4B THE BEACON July 2023
O
ur
Communities
Nancy and Darrell Metz.
BATESVILLE
By
Sue
Siefert
Community
Correspondent
batesville@goBEACONnews.com
Golden Anniversary
Darrell and Nancy
(Voegele) Metz celebrated
their golden wedding anniversary
with a cruise to the
Netherlands to experience the
tulips in bloom. Nancy noted,
“Our trip was awesome and
the tulips were absolutely
gorgeous!” The couple were
married on May 5, 1973, at
St. Louis Church.
Batesville receives READI
funding …
Accelerate Rural Indiana
(ARI) celebrated the region’s
early success with a READI
award ceremony with the Indiana
Economic Development
Corporation. $14 Million of
ceremonial READI funding
checks were handed out to
12 projects across Batesville,
Rushville, Rush County,
Shelbyville, Shelby County,
Greensburg, and Decatur
County.
Mayor Mike Bettice and
Economic Development Director,
Sarah Lamping spoke
about the economic impact
Scholastic award winners Front: Sophia Cassidy, Ella Dieterlen, Megan Raab, Sophia Vincent, Madison Rahschulte, Summer
Ratcliffe, Elizabeth Reidy, Laney Walsman, Cayman Werner. Back: Isabelle Westerfeld, Raymond “Henry” Dirkhisiing,
Charles Schebler, Jaden Smith, Cole Pride, Thomas Hartman, Cael Rahe, Jackson Wanstrath, Joseph Tarkington
of Kids Discovery Factory,
Batesville Skatepark and
Outdoor Adventure, BCSC
dual credit with Ivy Tech, and
the Batesville Industrial Tech
Lab. The city of Batesville
accepted a check for $2.55
million in READI funding.
Scholastic Awards
The 64th Annual Batesville
High School Scholastic
Awards, sponsored by the
Kiwanis, was held with Summer
Ratcliffe receiving the
$2,000 Kiwanis Scholarship.
This event honors students in
grades 9-12 for their academic
achievements. Congratulations
to all!
Weisenbachs Keep Running
Many commented on my
coverage of the Weisenbach
runners … so here’s a followup.
Scott and Jill (Gigrich)
Weisenbach completed
running all six World Major
Marathons (London, Tokyo,
Berlin, Boston, New York,
& Chicago) running London
in April along with 48,000
runners supported by almost
a million spectators. Scott reported,
“It’s been very special
to share in this journey together.
We both were very satisfied
Jill & Scott Weisenbach
OLDENBURG
By
Sue
Siefert
Community
Correspondent
oldenburg@goBEACONnews.com
May Crowning
OA students, faculty, and
staff participated in a May
Crowning ceremony at the
Our Lady of Fatima Shrine on
the Sisters’ campus. A procession
was led by the seniors
who carried roses to be placed
in front of the Fatima shrine
where Mary was crowned by
senior, Clare Van Meter.
History reveals that the devotion
to our Blessed Mother
originated in the earliest days
of the church. Toward the
end of the eighteenth century,
Father Latomia of the Roman
College of the Society of
Jesus instituted the practice of
dedicating the month of May
with our performance as both
ran every step of an iconic
26.219-mile course through
the streets of London.”
Scott added, “The pain is
intense, both physical and
mental. Although we’ll recover
and then on to our next
challenge, God willing we
would like to run a marathon
on every continent (with three
completed) although Jill has
Get it All at www.goBEACONnews.com
READI award participants. Front: Sarah Lamping, Dr. Amy
Carpenter, Mike Bettice, Emili Uden, Paul Ketcham. Back:
Jon Myers, Tami Wenning, John Irrgang, Mark Graver, Andy
Saner
Curtis Eckstein (Photo courtesy
of Oldenburg Academy)
to our Blessed Mother. He desired
to promote devotion to
Mary among the students as
a way to counteract infidelity
and immorality. From Rome,
the May devotion spread
throughout the Jesuit colleges,
and eventually throughout the
Catholic Church.
Regarding Oldenburg’s Fatima
Shrine, the Blessed Mother
appeared to the three children
at Fatima, Portugal on May
13, 1917, where she instructed
the people to pray the rosary
for peace. The Fatima Shrine
already said NO to Antarctica!”
The couple returned from
London in time to run Cincinnati’s
Flying Pig Marathon.
That’s Sue’s news for now!
OA senior Clare Van Meter
crowns the Blessed Mother
at the Fatima Shrine.
on the Sisters’ campus is a
tranquil area for prayer and
reflection and is frequented by
locals and visitors alike.
Congrats to Curtis Eckstein
The Oldenburg native accomplished
another amazing
feat when he was the second
overall finisher out of over
14,000 runners at the OneAmerica
500 Festival Mini-Marathon
crossing the finish line
with a time of 1:04.14 behind
Panual Mkungo who set a
Mini record at 1:01.44.
The 13.1-mile 500 Festival
Mini-Marathon race journeys
through downtown Indianapolis
and includes a lap around the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Curtis has a history of
making Oldenburgers proud
dating back to 2016 when he
won the IHSAA Boys Cross
Country individual state
championship for Oldenburg
Academy and later won the
3200-meter state championship
during the track & field
season the following spring.
He went on to break records
at Purdue University in cross
country and track & field
competitions.
Celebrating St. Joseph the
Worker …
In 1955, Pope Pius XII
declared May 1st the feast of
Saint Joseph the Worker. This
silent saint, who was given
the noble task of watching
over the Virgin Mary and
Jesus, also watches over the
Church and models for all the
dignity of human work.
Having worked for the Sisters
– I know how much the
Sisters appreciate their Coworkers
with many of them
chatting with the Co-workers
daily as lifelong friendships
are formed. In honor of the
feast of St. Joseph the Worker,
the Sisters host a Co-worker
Luncheon in May to recognize
and thank their Coworkers.
Das ist alles von der ’Burg!

July 2023 THE BEACON Page 5B
O
ur
Communities
Residents participated in York Ridge Road clean-up. (Photo submitted by Celeste Calvitto)
YORKVILLE
& GUILFORD
By
Laura
Keller
Community
Correspondent
yorkville@goBEACONnews.com
Girls on the Run is an
organization that strives to
build self-confidence for girls
starting in the third grade.
A group of girls, including
several Yorkville and Guilford
residents who participated in
Girls on the Run, celebrated
the end of their season by
completing a 5K held in
Batesville. Congratulations to
Courtney Swales, Verneda
Fox, Katelyn Becker, Nora
Gesell, Cheyenne McMann,
Reagan Jones-Campbell,
Scarlett Kirchgassner,
Maggie Dowden, Annalyn
Jenner, Evelyn Watkins,
Gwen Focke, Nova Freese,
Caroline Kelley, and coaches
Karri Kelley and Ashley
Lykins!
We are blessed with a
wonderful group of volunteer
firefighters who answer the
call any time, day or night.
The residents of Yorkville and
Guilford showed their appreciation
for the Miller-York
Volunteer Fire Department
with an appreciation dinner.
Over $300 was donated
to support the efforts of the
department. Thank you to
everyone who supported this
event.
More than fifteen people
helped with the annual York
Ridge Road clean-up. The
clean-up was organized by
York Township Trustee Greg
Callahan and the Dearborn
County Anti-Litter Initiative
(currently chaired by Celeste
Calvitto). The Dearborn
County Sheriff’s Department
and Miller-York Volunteer
fire department helped patrol
traffic along the busy road to
keep the volunteers safe as
they cleaned up garbage from
Fox Road to the post office in
Guilford. Thank you to everyone
for helping keep Guilford
and Yorkville beautiful!
If you have any news in
the Guilford or Yorkville area
you’d like me to share, please
contact me at yorkville@
goBEACONnews.com.
Girls on the Run participants. Front row: Courtney Swales,
Verneda Fox, Katelyn Becker, Nora Gesell and Cheyenne
McMann. Middle row: Reagan Jones-Campbell, Scarlett
Kirchgassner, Maggie Dowden, Annalyn Jenner, Evelyn
Watkins, Gwen Focke, and Nova Freese. Back: Coach
Karri Kelley. Not pictured: Caroline Kelley and coach Ashley
Lykins. (Photo submitted by Laura Focke)
Members of Miller-York Volunteer Fire Department pose
during an appreciation dinner. (Photo submitted by Greg
Callahan)
Front row: Carol Schrode, Jan St.John, Ruth Sutton, Becky
Kersey, and Jean Mullalley. Middle: Sally Rowland, Helen
Kirk, Jan Kratochvil, Melba Guard, and Barb Lyness.
Back:Susan Carson
LOGAN
By
Susan
Carson
Community
Correspondent
logan@goBEACONnews.com
One of the speakers at the
North Dearborn High School
Alumni Reunion was Mark
Drury, the current Mayor of
Aurora,. He was a member
of the graduating Class of
1973, celebrating its fiftieth
year since graduation. This
was also the LAST year that
North Dearborn a High School
existed, due to the consolidation
with Sunman to form the
Sunman-Dearborn School
Corporation. Mark’s special
claim to fame was being the
LAST North Dearborn Viking.
So, with his parting words, he
led the crowd in a thunderous
cheer of; V-I-K-I-N-G-S!!!! A
great finish to a great night.
The million-gallon water
tank was finally raised to its
final resting place on the top
of the pedestal on Apr. 26. The
The new water tower.
Women of the Dearborn Hills
Church enjoyed Tea at Hillforest.
Scones, sandwiches, and
tea were served in the parlor
while the story of the house
and many of its original contents
was shared.
Credibility • Advocacy • Education • Visibility
What Can The Chamber
Do For You? Just Ask!
812-537-0814
www.dearborncountychamber.org
SHOP LOCAL and tell our advertisers you saw them in The BEACON!

Page 6B THE BEACON July 2023
AURORA
By
Randy
Turner
Community
Correspondent
aurora@goBEACONnews.com
Hello Beacon Readers,
I love this time of year
when I get to enjoy the clover
and violets that are in my
front yard, even the dandelions
adding their color, and
the green of the grass before
the summer heat hits, it’s my
calming spot. My wife, Lisa,
does the mowing. As soon
as the neighbors fire up their
mowers, she says it’s time to
go cut grass. I do enjoy the
smell of cut grass. No sprays
to get all grass, as I like my
old-style yard.
This time of year offers so
much to do, and the biggest
event has been the dedication
ceremony of the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial at Lesko
Park. The memorial really
shows off in this spot, and a
crowd of two-hundred-fiftyplus
people was welcomed to
the event by Nick Ullrich and
PG Gentrup. PG shared with
the crowd that the memorial
was a three-year effort to pull
all of this together, extending
recognition to the many
people that helped make it
happen. Included was Mr.
Jonas whose monument
company did the memorial
stone. PG then introduced a
man he greatly admires as
the “Original Forest Gump”
Medal of Honor recipient,
Sammy Davis. A true soldier,
Sammy Davis talked about his
brothers that put the Memorial
together, extending his
O
ur
admiration. Also recognized
was 97-year-old George
Klopp, a WWII veteran, as
he walked up to the podium.
Pretty impressive! It was truly
a great day to see our “Southeastern
Indiana Vietnam
Veterans of America, Larry D
Fogle Chapter 71.” THANK
YOU All for your service, and
a wonderful memorial to your
brothers!
PG also reported that the
Huey rides were happening
from the marina. After first
landing in Kentucky due to
the river fog, they were also
booked solid up to 7 P.M. I
was standing next to Brett
Fehrman, and he was all
smiles as he told me about his
ride. One of the best things he
has done. Now if you know
Brett, he is not the easiest one
to get a dollar from, so for
him to be happy over the ride
cost of $100, the ride must
have been great.
Another great event that
day was the reopening of
“The Aurora History Depot.”
Director Leslie Sutherlin
made a fantastic choice of
handing that task to Olivia
Bowers. She hosted people to
address genealogy and local
history concerns. She will be
replacing two great people
who were instrumental in
the start of the Depot, Roy
Lambert and Kim Batchelor.
On my visit, she definitely
impressed me, and I hope we
can keep this bright, young
“Home Grown” talent for a
few years!
Speaking of young talent,
the freshman class at
South Dearborn High School
came to town on April 25 for
volunteer community service
work. These kids were pretty
impressive, as they did yard
DEARBORN COUNTY RECYCLING CENTER
RECYCLE THESE
MATERIALS
METAL CANS
Non-hazardous,
non-flammable
material only.
Remove lids
and tips of
aerosol cans.
Any color.
Remove metal
lids and place
both in bin.
Reattach lids.
Yogurt and
fruit cups OK.
parks
dearborn
county
the Dearborn County Parks Foundation.
A Gift For all Seasons!
www.dearborncountyPARKS.com
GLASS BOTTLES & JARS
sort separately
CARDBOARD
Paperboard and brown boxes. Remove food debris
and paper/bag liners.
MIXED PAPER
Office paper, newspaper, magazines, junk mail,
and envelopes.
commingle together
CUPS
Fast food beverage
cups, aluminum
cups, and paper
cups only. Remove
straws. No colored
party cups.
Remove
plastic
caps and
straws.
CARTONS
PLASTIC BOTTLES, JUGS, AND TUBS
Recycle these materials 24/7 at 14 drop-off
locations in Dearborn County. Recyclables
must be sorted by type for drop off.
www.dearborncountyrecycles.com
ALUMINUM
CANS &
BOTTLES
Remove caps
on aluminum
bottles.
BEER
Communities
work at Hillforest and River
View Cemetery, mulched city
flower beds, and painted curbs
in town. Thanks, guys and
gals! We hope you carry forward
the community service
idea!
Denise Rose, Aurora’s
Parks Director, reported that
fifty volunteers came to the
Ohio River Sweep. They
got a lot of areas covered!
THANKS to all of them.
A big worry on my mind,
what will happen to our
empty bank buildings, has
been addressed. The US Bank
building has been bought
and will be the new home of
a hardware store for woodworkers
and craftsmen. A
spin-off of Granger Products,
McFeely’s is the creator of
the original SQUARE DRIVE
SCREWS, which they offer
with other screws, glues, and
sandpapers. Currently doing
online sales, they do anticipate
having a walk-in service
in a year. Tim Grote gave
me, Kevin Gerke, and Tim
Miller a tour of what they are
doing. Right where I used to
do deposits and other business
there are now shelves
that they access by forklift.
Tim loves the building. He
says it is like Fort Knox with
the concrete floors, and he
even plans on keeping the big
walk-in safe, which contained
a smaller safe inside of it,
that he was told is the original.
Tim Grote, welcome to
Aurora. The American State
Bank by the railroad tracks
has been purchased by Todd
Thompson, a financial advisor
currently located on Third
Street. The building is currently
being remodeled and
will include other available
office space. I’m thrilled, as
they are a first-class group
that we are keeping in Aurora.
What will happen????
On Father’s Day weekend,
Hard Hat Hangout on June
17, from 9 A.M. to noon, in
the Lions parking lot. Bring
your kids to see and enjoy
trucks, tractors, and construction
equipment on display. A
totally free event with goodies
for the kids, as well as drinks
and hotdogs. Main Street
Aurora and Aurora Utility
sponsor this event with help
from Woody Bucher, Bill
Yelton, and other local companies
providing equipment.
The Aurora Fire Department
also provides a great show of
their trucks and activities for
the kids!
LIGHT UP AURORA will
be on July 1 from 6-10 P.M.
in Gabbard Park. Live music,
a cruise-in, a beer garden,
food vendors, and a kids’
area. The fireworks will be at
10 P.M. My nephew, Benny,
NEW ALSACE
By
Laura
Keller
Community
Correspondent
newalsace@goBEACONnews.com
As I’m writing this article,
the end of the school year has
ended or is coming to an end
for many students. Katelyn
Osman, daughter of Eddie
and Brenda Osman, recently
graduated from Mount St.
Joseph University where she
was awarded the Outstanding
Management Student in the
College of Business. Katelyn
completed her bachelor’s
degree in only three years.
Congratulations to Katelyn!
I was gifted a copy of
The History of New Alsace
Indiana by Anthony A. Fette,
which was published in 1951.
Capturing the history of New
Alsace began in 1948 when
Father Lawrence Weinzapfel
who was the pastor of St.
Paul’s Church (now part of
All Saints Parish) received
a request for a baptism
and First Communion date
Aurora
Events
Aurora Kids FREE
Summer Time
Dine-n-Dive
Aurora City Park
244 City Park Circle
Weekdays, Noon - 1pm
Through July 28th
Enter drawing for a free pass
to the pool for that day.
Main Street Aurora
& Aurora Utility
Hard Hat Hang Out
Saturday, June 17
9am - Noon
Aurora Lions Club Parking Lot
Main Street Aurora
Coffee & Walking Tour
of the Windows of Aurora
Saturday, June 24 10am
$10.00 RSVP
812.926.1100
Meet Plug’s Sweet Tooth
313 Second St.
Get it All at www.goBEACONnews.com
Jim Koons of Rising Sun
and Patti Shannon Viers of
Patriot took a helicopter ride.
(Photo by Debbie Acasio)
knows that I love fireworks.
If you know him, voice your
input. I think he doesn’t like
writing this check, but come
on Benny, it’s once a year!
As I said, I love this time of
year!
Katelyn Osman earned the
Outstanding Management
Student in the College of
Business from Mount St.
Joseph University. (Photo by
Brenda Osman)
from Anthony Fette. Father
Weinzapfel asked Mr. Fette
if he had any historical facts
about the parish that he could
share. This inquiry prompted
Mr. Fette to begin writing a
narrative of his experiences
living in New Alsace. He
obtained information from
publications such as History
of Dearborn and Ohio Counties,
History of Dearborn
County and The Dearborn
County Atlas of 1975, in addition
to interviewing many
New Alsace residents. I just
started reading The History of
New Alsace Indiana and as I
learn interesting facts, I will
share them in future columns.
If you have any history of
New Alsace you’d like to
share with me, please contact
me at the email address listed
at the end of the article.
The North Dearborn American
Legion is also hosting
their monthly euchre tournament
on July 16 and August
20. 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@goBEACON
news.com.
Aurora High School Museum
All Classes Alumni Dance
Saturday, June 24
7pm - 10pm
228 Second Street
Aurora Lions Club
Hoxworth Blood Drive
Wednesday, June 21
Noon - 6pm
228 Second Street
513.451.0910
Main Street Aurora
& City of Aurora
Light up Aurora
Saturday, July 1
6 - 10pm
Fireworks
10pm
Gabbard Riverfront Park
River City Classic Car Club
Cruise In
Wednesday, July 5
5:30pm - 8:30pm
200 block of Second St.
Judiciary to Main Sts.

July 2023 THE BEACON Page 7B
O
ur
Communities
Jean Fouch, Ellen Perfect, Anna Wooderson, Amy Maqua,
Susan Steigerwald, and Peg Loots at Tri Kappa state convention
donning attire from the 1920s for their banquet at
French Lick.
LAWRENCEBURG
By
Debbie
Acasio
Community
Correspondent
lawrenceburg@goBEACONnews.com
Each month as I sit down
to write my Lawrenceburg
article for the month, I hit
writer’s block. What do I
have that is interesting to
share?
I can’t remember doing
much this month (not true).
Then I look at my photos on
my phone where moments of
my life are preserved forever.
Then I realize… Wow- Lawrenceburg
is an interesting
happening town! Beginning
with the community
picnic, to softball parades,
car shows, and the awesome
activities at the library and
adult center, something is going
on daily.
The community picnic
with free rides and free food
was a great event for old and
young. As is the case with
most early spring events, the
weather threatened to shut it
down.
Sure, you had to hang on
for dear life to your lunch
plate due to high winds, but
the food was delicious.
Multiple vendors gave
away free stuff from t-shirts
to hand sanitizer, and there
was something for everyone.
The door prizes given out
at specific times by area
merchants were extremely
generous. Thank you Lawrenceburg
Main Street for a
great event.
The 7th annual Cruisin
For a Cure Car Show in the
streets of Lawrenceburg was
a huge success even though
it too was threatened by rain.
That didn’t stop five hundred
cars (yes, that’s right) from
showing up. The $41K raised
for the ALS Association in
memory of Carlos Lawrence
was sent to aid with medical
research for those fighting
that disease. I saw a VW
Beetle that was for sale for
almost the same price as
John Craig with his 1941
Ford Super Deluxe at the
car show.
my first house (yes, I’m that
old). While it didn’t take first
in the show, the 1941 Ford
Super Deluxe belonging to
John and Christine Craig of
Greendale was one of my favorites.
I love that green car!
Central Elementary provided
a program over the
last few months called Girls
on The Run. This program
stresses not only physical
fitness but also gives
life lessons for our young
people. The 5K scheduled
in downtown Cincinnati for
all Tri-state girls was rained
out at the last minute but that
didn’t dampen their spirits.
Not to be discouraged-- and
through the beauty of modern
technology (texting),
some girls still managed to
get in a run locally before
the rain began.
Upcoming events in
Lawrenceburg? Music on
the River starts June 8 and
continues through August
24 every Thursday from 7-9
pm. Check out the Lawrenceburg
Main Street website
for upcoming events such as
Fourth-grader Aubrey Mondary,
daughter of Jennifer and
Ryan Mondary, practicing for
the 5K with Girls on the Run
the Farmer’s Market every
Saturday, movies in the
park on Tuesday nights, and
Summerfest. You may want
to check out the Wednesday
afternoon bingo at the Adult
Every First
Sunday
May - October
Indiana’s Largest “Antiques & Vintage-Only” Market
Vance Barhkeimer, son of
Carl and Emily Barhkeimer,
at work on E-learning day at
the Lawrenceburg Library.
Center from 1-3 pm. Concession
and split-the-pot are
available. Let the kids splash
in the splash park in the City
Park. Here’s to a long-awaited
beautiful summer!
Sunday, June 4, 2023
Upcoming Shows: July 2 • August 6 • September 3 • October 1
Lawrenceburg, Indiana Fairgrounds - US 50
1 mile west of Exit 16,I-275 (Cincinnati Beltway)
Admission: $5.00 • 7am - 3pm EDST Rain or Shine (Earlybirds at 6am)
LawrenceburgAntiqueShow.com • 513-702-2680
Thrill As Cyclists Once Again
Race in Downtown Lawrenceburg!
JULY 15
FREE ADMISSION
1PM – Men’s 60+, Women’s 40+ ........... 40 min.
1:50 – Junior U15 Boys and Girls............ 25 min.
2:25 – Junior 15-18 Boys ....................... 25 min.
2:26 – Junior 15-18 Girls ....................... 25 min.
3:00 – Men’s 3/4/Novice 35+ ................. 40 min.
3:55 – Men’s 4/Novice .......................... 30 min.
4:40 - Women’s 3/4/Novice ................... 30 min.
5:20 - Celebrity Tri-Cycle Races
5:45 – Men’s Masters 40+/50+ ............. 40 min.
6:40 – Men’s 3/4 ................................... 50 min.
7:45 – Women’s Pro Open ..................... 50 min.
9PM – Men’s Pro 1/2/3 ......................... 60 laps
The event also features a Cornhole Tournament,
“kids on bikes”, Celebrity Tri-Cycle Races, Jump Jam
Skateboarding event Noon – Dusk, Destination
Dining and more.
Sponsored by
More information at:
www.THINKLAWRENCEBURG.com
SHOP LOCAL and tell our advertisers you saw them in The BEACON!

Page 8B THE BEACON July 2023
DOVER
By
Rhonda
Trabel
Community
Correspondent
O
ur
Communities
dover@goBEACONnews.com
A longtime resident of
Dover just recently hit a
milestone of a birthday.
Chuck Johnson turned ninety
years young on Apr. 26. He
is known throughout the area
as an auctioneer and enjoys
his family, farm, Farmall-H,
Ferguson, fish sandwiches,
and fixing fences. He married
the love of his life, Thelma
Fuchs, on Sept. 20, 1958,
sixty-five years this September.
They have five sons
- Roy, Ralph, Roger, Rick,
and Ray Johnson. Three
daughters-in-law- Susan,
Roger’s wife; Connie, Rick’s
wife; and Lisa, Roy’s wife.
Topping it off are six grandchildren.
Roger and Susan
now run the family auctioneer
business even though Chuck
can still hold a chant. I have
known Chuck all of my life
and consider him to be one of
the friendliest guys I know.
He is very fortunate to be able
to continue his farming tasks
and drive his tractors. Don’t
know too many guys who can
Class of 1971 members. Front row: Greg Wiedeman, Mary (Lieland) Trabel, Nick Knue,
Debbie Drury, Rhonda (Hiltz) Trabel, Peggy ( Reid) Ravenscraft, Carol (Fassold) Hylton,
and Susan(Dunevant) Carson. Back row, left to right: Dan Cormican, Connie (Benning)
Hopper, Fern (Grubbs) Hall, Debbie( Woods) Grossman, Lynn (Swango) Calhoun, Fran
(Darling) Johnson, Cindy(Walker) Holland, Shirley(Kerns) Schalk, Donna (Neal) Dole, Betty
(Ryder) Brandes, Vivian (Dooley) Sizemore, Gary (Bud) Hiltz, Monica Connolly, and Danny
Metcalf. Also present but not pictured were Elijah Grossman and Joann ( Gehring) Beatley.
still do that at this age. Just
keep on doing what you are
doing, Chuck. You must be
doing something right. Best
Wishes for a milestone year.
Keep on truckin’ Chuck!
The annual North Dearborn
High School Reunion was
recently held. Approximately
three hundred alumni and
guests attended. The proceeds
from the reunion are used for
scholarships given to seniors
each year at East Central High
School. This year donations
were also accepted for a
monument to be placed on the
property where the school was
located on North Dearborn
Road. More details on this
project will become available
in the coming months. Fran
Celebrating lives
of the ones you love.
Roy, Ralph, Thelma, Chuck, Roger, Rick, and Ray Johnson.
Johnson came all the way
from Australia to be at this
reunion. It was a pleasure to
get to see her and meet her
husband after all these years.
Congratulations to Evan
Kuhn on receiving the Carolyn
Hegel Memorial Scholarship
named after the longtime
Indiana Farm Bureau
second vice-president who
served the organization for
twenty-six years. Evan will attend
the University of Northwestern
Ohio. Recipients
of this scholarship must be
incoming or current college
students pursuing a degree
in agriculture and members
of the Indiana Farm Bureau.
Evan graduated from East
Central in the Class of 2023.
He is the son of Mike and
Kathy Kuhn of Dover. Best
Chuck Johnson with his
Massey-Ferguson tractor.
of luck to Evan in college and
all of his future endeavors!
Now that we are into the
summer months I hope everyone
enjoys this time whether
it be at home or on a vacation.
Signing off from Dover now.
Enjoy your summer and be
safe!
If you have any Dover news
you would like to share please
email me at dover@go
BEACONnews.com.
(812) 576-4301 • 25615 STATE RT 1 • DOVER, IN
NICOLE WUESTEFELD
WWW.ANDRES-WUESTEFELD.COM
403 Walnut St • Lawrenceburg, IN 47025
(812) 537-2020 • lawrenceburgeyecenter.com
Get it All at www.goBEACONnews.com

July 2023 THE BEACON Page 9B
Bees on the bleachers.
Cuz’s robin hatchling.
GREENDALE
By
Linda
Cromer
Community
Correspondent
greendale@goBEACONnews.com
Psst... over here. Time we
talked about the birds and the
bees.
It’s that exciting season
again – Greendale pool
is now open for all, but
cannon-balling birds took
the first plunge. Undeterred
by countless attempts at
plugging the water pipes on
O
ur
Beekeeper Muncy to the
rescue.
the slide, relentlessly nesting
birds sacrificed their recently
hatched offspring to the thrill
of the ride. Extreme sport in
the extreme; a moment of
silence would be appropriate.
Gifted girl athletes and
their families gathered in
Oakey Park just weeks ago for
softball practice and found as
much action in the bleachers as
on the field. A queen bee of the
honey variety decided to hang
out on the corner of the bottom
row of bleachers and brought
her swarming ball with her.
To their great credit,
onlookers kept a respectful
distance and watched,
entranced, after Park Board
members contacted a
beekeeper to move the living,
buzzing bee-ball to a new
home. What an amazing
thing to see as beekeeper Jeff
Muncy coaxed the bees into a
carrier box for safe relocation.
One might say bees are getting
their buzz on throughout
the city. Greendale resident
Ron Eckstein got the go-ahead
to site a constructed bee hive
in our thriving community
garden. Sited in an out-of-the-
Communities
way corner and with appropriate
signage in place to alert
gardeners and visitors, the
hive perfectly represents the
spirit of cooperation that’s
part of the culture in our great
community. A beautiful location,
an amazing learning opportunity,
and busy workers in service to
the greater good. SWEET!
A town tour shows
Greendale residents are
planting pollinator-friendly
plants in ever-greater numbers.
Garden Club Secretary-
Treasurer Valla Sears reports
spring plant sales leaned
heavily toward Lantana in a
rainbow of colors; delightful
for the bees and butterflies
flitting about as well as for
appreciative passers-by
green with garden envy.
Several homeowners chose
to participate in the national
“No Mow May” movement
to provide food for earlyarriving
pollinators. Consider
being part of this growing
environmental initiative by
accessing more information at
www.beecityusa.org.
Honey bees aren’t the
least bit interested in you as
long as you go about your
business and let them go
about theirs. Not so for some
other critters. That includes
a robin who dive bombs any
unwitting victim walking up
our driveway near her nest in
a trellised honeysuckle vine
scaling the house.
That nest is a disgrace to the
avian community at large and
has been for over a decade -
rebuilt by a succession of redbreasted
birdbrains in the same
spot with a loose tangle of
twigs and a que sera attitude.
Baby robins can be counted on
every year to fall out and raise
a ruckus loud enough to attract
the predation of a vile parade
of neighborhood cats. Circle
of life my hind end.
All of which leads me to
confessing my shameless
appropriation of my next-door
neighbor’s blood relation.
While I could and should
address said gentleman as Mr.
Rouse, or Michael, or even
the perhaps-too-familiar Mike,
I salute this stellar human
being, garden guru, and keen
observer of the natural world
simply as ‘the Cuz’. I have
had to eat my hyperbolic
words about the general nestbuilding
lassitude of robins
upon seeing the photos taken
by the Cuz of “his” robin’s
nest and nestlings. I suspect
you’ll agree the bird in
question hired a contractor.
The birds and bees are busy
all around us. Let’s not get too
busy ourselves to enjoy the
show.
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Page 10B THE BEACON July 2023
VERSAILLES/
RIPLEY CTY
By
Cheryl
Damon-
Greiner
Community
Correspondent
O
ur
versailles@goBEACONnews.com
The time of year has come
when many of us are starting
our flower and vegetable gardens.
For some local families,
the planting season started
months ago. Instead of flower
beds, they are planting hundreds
of acres of crops, rotating
between soybeans, corn,
and wheat. The Schmaltz
Family of Elrod has been
farming the same land near
Versailles, since 1903,
when Wallace and Thelma
Schmaltz first put down
roots, so to speak. Keeping it
in the family, Jodi Schmaltz
and her son Orion now live
in the original farmhouse. If
you look out the side window
you can see the house that her
father built down the road and
where she grew up. The acres
surrounding the farmhouse
are still farmed by Chris
Schmaltz with the support
of his wife, Mary. Chris also
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Communities
serves as a Ripley County
Commissioner, and Mary
teaches at the Southeastern
Career Center in Versailles.
A local church took on the
remarkable task to provide
support and encouragement
to people who are currently
struggling in the Ripley
County area. Knowing that
the needs of families and
individuals can vary significantly,
they decided to host a
Community Yard Sale where
everything was FREE! Nicholas
Hill said the assortment
ranged from appliances to
clothing, toys, and household
items. Dozens of volunteers
gathered at 6 A.M. to sort and
set up, then assisted ‘customers.’
Cory and Jessica John
and all of the tired volunteers
are recalling the smiles and
gratitude of everyone involved.
The onset of warmer weather
means Summer Haircuts to
beat the heat! They aren’t just
for people, though. Several
‘longhairs’, AKA alpacas, live
in our area, including in Aurora,
Dillsboro, Milan, Elrod,
Batesville, and Brookville.
These Peruvian natives,
smaller than llamas, get their
annual shearing this time of
year to prevent overheating
in the hot and humid days
ahead. Speaking from experience,
the number of pounds
of wool that come off of one
alpaca is amazing. These
friendly, fluffy creatures look
completely silly after their
buzzcut!
Chris Schmaltz
Shopping Local helps the
community. If you operate
one of the places where
people come for local goods
or services, meeting with
other business operators is
helpful to swap ideas, build
connections and support each
other. Business owners came
together and organized the
monthly Veri-Good BASH
(Business Associates Social
Hour). The networking opportunities
geared toward busy
local business operators and
entrepreneurs.
More and more activities
are happening on the Courthouse
Square, and a plan is
in the works to add the charm
of bells ringing in the clock
tower. As often happens in
small towns, Ripley County
Courthouse in Versailles has
an oddity. The building itself
belongs to the county, but the
clock and its non-functioning
bells belong to Versailles.
It was gifted in 1932 to the
town of Versailles upon the
death of Florence Grether
Jodi Schmaltz on the family
homestead.
The Clock Tower on the
Courthouse.
as a memorial to her late
husband, Charles. A tower
designed by Walter Rump of
Dillsboro had to be built on
the courthouse roof, which
belongs to Ripley County,
to house Versailles’ impressive
new clock. Now, almost
ninety years later, Versailles
Town Council is making
plans to repair the bells and
then give the clock to the
county. Would it be wrong to
say, “It’s about time?”
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Get it All at www.goBEACONnews.com
Garrett Bascomb was recently
bestowed the honor
of speaking at the graduation
ceremony of his Alma
Mater, Mount St. Joseph.
DILLSBORO
By
Lorene
Westmeier
Community
Correspondent
dillsboro@goBEACONnews.com
The Summer Concerts on
The Lawn have started.
The wonderful Jazz
musicians performing at the
Art Center, On The Porch
include Mandy Gains, Brad
Meyers, and the Cincinnati
Contemporary Jazz Orchestra.
The SDHS Opening
Knights Band won their
Division in Pigeon Forge,
Tenn. Congratulations!
‘Neat’ entertainment could
be found at South Dearborn
when the Music Dept.
presented “Beauty and the
Beast.” Taci Hughes from
Farmers Retreat was the star
of the show. The director
for these musicals is Justin
Selmeyer from DILLSBORO!
“Dillsboro In Bloom,”
organized by Melissa Walston,
was a big success. Lots of
crafters and yummy food.
As this article is being
written, another event in town
is being organized. Rides and
concession stands have been
set up. A lot of work goes into
the Dillsboro Homecoming.
Watch the next Beacon for
event highlights.
Until then, enjoy the
beautiful summer weather and
the gorgeous flowers that go
with it.
God Bless you, your family,
and your friends.

July 2023 THE BEACON Page 11B
MANCHESTER
By
Lisa
West
Community
Correspondent
O
ur
Manchester Math Club Front Row: Chase Hamlett, Kaylee
Brewer, Charleigh Fox, Lincoln Graff, Piper Cole, Teagan
Pfaffl, and Jade Miller. Back Row: Ande Marshall, Lily Kauffman,
Pypier Noel, Darby Terrill, Geno Dent, William Kirkpatrick,
Zeke Hanson, and Caliah Waulk.
Emalyn Terrill with Dr. Insecta
at STEM day (yes, that is
a bug on her head!)
manchester@goBEACONnews.com
The Magnificent Manchester
Mathematicians are a
group of elementary students
who are having fun with their
math facts! In January, teacher
Amy Bulach organized
this team of fifteen fifth- and
sixth-graders in after-school
practices to hone their number
skills. Among other things,
they have learned that “pi”
is not just a great dessert but
also a math function used in
building construction, medical
procedures, and much more.
The team competed in the
annual math bowl at Dillsboro
Elementary. Many of the
spectators left asking, “Am
I smarter than a 5th grader?”
Way to go, Shiners!
In other news, Manchester
and Dillsboro Elementary
recently participated in a joint
S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Math)
event day. Students and community
members took part
in a multitude of activities
including police dog training,
wind energy demonstrations,
pH level testing, design and
problem-solving stations, and
other interactive areas. One
very interesting station was
hosted by Cynthia Basham
where students learned about
binary code and how to use
it to store information on
computers. They then created
binary bracelets with two
colors of beads to represent
their initials in binary code.
Enthusiastic students shared
that the day was great!
Communities
RISING SUN/
OHIO COUNTY
By
PG
Gentrup
Community
Correspondent
risingsun@goBEACONnews.com
I was recently surprised by
Greendale Mayor Alan Weiss
and Jim Fulton. They had my
family get me to Greyhound
Manor by telling me we
were going to supper at the
restaurant across the street. I
argued that it was closed, but
they said it was reopening. We
arrived and naturally, it was
closed and I wasn’t too happy.
I noticed people going across
the street to the memorial and
I jokingly told them I should
go see what was going on.
Paula said we should show
our granddaughter, Carli, the
memorial since we were there.
I saw Jerry Williams and
was told a plaque was being
unveiled to honor Jerry’s dad,
Kenneth Wayne Williams,
who is a True American Hero
from WWII. I looked at the
crowd and noticed my brother
and his wife, Rhonda. Now, I
was suspicious. Mayor Weiss
then uncovered another plaque
that was dedicated to me. I
was shocked. Just like any
other award I have received,
I accept it to honor all our
veterans, especially those who
didn’t get to come home to
Live the American Dream,
like I do. It’s quite an honor.
Congratulations to the
winners of the Biggest Loser
Contest in Rising
Sun, Tammy
Weaver and
Lenny Sams.
The second-place
winner was Drew
Powell.
The Ohio
River Valley
Conference
(ORVC)
announced the
All-Conference
Basketball Team for 2022-
23. Players from Rising Sun
honored are Dylan Martin,
Peyton Merica, and Brady
Works. For the Girls, Baylee
Morris and Alyssa Simpson.
Congratulations to Christina
Rumsey and Deb Cappel,
along with their committee
helpers, for another successful
Rising Sun High School
Prom. Congratulations to
the King and Queen, Peyton
Merica, and Lexi Carrigan.
Prince was Matthew Bujak,
and Princess was Cloe
Ballard.
Congratulations to Dylan
Martin and Avery Davies for
their first-place finishes at the
Vevay Media Group Track
Invitational.
Congratulations to the
Lawrenceburg girls 4X100
meter relay team of Morgan
Manford, Aubree Labazzo,
Riley O’Brien, and Lucy
Thornton for setting a new
record at the Invitational.
Lucy Thornton is the granddaughter
of Vietnam Purple
Heart Recipient, Tim
Albright.
Our Southeastern Indiana
Honor Guard continues to
pay that final respect to our
departed veterans. Take time
to consider having an Honor
Guard present when your
time comes. You have earned
this very respectful tribute
with your service to our great
nation. Make sure they have a
copy of your DD-214 handy,
your honorable discharge
paper. Too many times a
veteran passes away and then
it’s a scramble to try to find
that important document.
BINGO
Every Friday at 7:00 P.M.
Doors open at 6:00 P.M.
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
VERSAILLES AMERICAN LEGION
Lic. 000195
Ref #157971
Carli and Kelli Pettit. PG and Paula
Gentrup, and Mayor Alan Weiss.
Enter across from the post office
Food available.
SHOP LOCAL and tell our advertisers you saw them in The BEACON!

Page 12B THE BEACON July 2023
Get it All at www.goBEACONnews.com