Beacon Aug 2023

INSIDE 

The BEACON 

Ewbank Smith 

Homestead Reunion 

The event is open to all. Page 8A 

Class of 2023 

Seniors celebrate graduation and 

what lies ahead. Page 7B 

Fifty Years! 

Gutzwillers celebrated their 

wedding anniversary. Page 10B 

The Beacon 

(USPS #25510) 

ISSN 2835-5067 

Volume 29. Issue 8 

is published monthly by Beacon News Inc, 

8018 State Road 48, Aurora IN 47001 

Periodicals postage at 

Lawrenceburg, IN and at 

additional mailing offices. 

POSTMASTER: 

Send address changes to The Beacon, 

PO Box 4022, Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 

CMHC- Leading the Way to a Healthier Community 

The famous poet John Milton once 

said, “Every cloud has a silver lining.” 

The seventeenth-century poet could 

not have fathomed how right he was. 

While one could argue that the recent 

pandemic was the cloud that broke 

the rule, a closer look reveals some 

positive repercussions- flexible work 

hours, more focus on family relationships, 

and a greater awareness concerning 

mental health. 

Southeast Indiana is fortunate to 

have an all-encompassing resource 

for mental health and wellness. The 

Community Mental Health Center 

(CMHC) is dedicated to improving the 

Iconic Round Barn Stands Proud for Generations 

By Maureen Stenger 

The Ohio River is essential to the 

health of our ecosystem and before 

the inventions of automobiles and 

airplanes, the river was the main mode 

for settlers to navigate their way to 

new lands. The Ohio River continues 

to serve as a major artery for the transportation 

of goods and it also supplies 

drinking water to millions of people. 

Being a river town is also nostalgic. 

But unfortunately, as we all know, 

sometimes the river can get angry and 

she spills out of her banks. The good 

townspeople clean up the mess left 

behind and get on with their lives because 

that is just what one does. There 

is no time to wallow- life goes on and 

bills need to be paid. 

An Aurora-born and raised gentleman 

by the name of Clayton Lischkge, 

who grew up on Decatur Street, had 

a knack for all things mechanical. 

He worked hard as an apprentice for 

THE 

BEACON 

www.goBEACONnews.com | PUBLISHED MONTHLY SINCE 1994 | August 2023 

A ferris wheel added to the fun in 

Lawrenceburg. 

Maria Coudret spreads the word 

at a summer event about all 

of the great things offered by 

SIEOC. 

quality of life and reducing stigmas 

surrounding mental illness. CMHC 

provides services that encompass 

overall wellness by developing and 

maintaining both physical and behavioral 

health for every patient while 

centering its values around integrity, 

collaboration excellence, and empowerment. 

The result is a healthier community 

as a whole. 

Leading the team at CMHC is Greg 

Duncan, President, and Chief Executive 

Officer. Since taking on this role 

in 2020, Mr. Duncan has dedicated his 

time to increasing awareness of both 

the services needed by the community 

Harper Turner, daughter of 

Jennifer and Chris Gabbard, and 

Abigail Bashan, daughter of Cynthia 

and Jason Bashan enjoying 

lunch at a community picnic. 

Summer Fun! 

Area events bring smiles 

and fun to the community. 

Photos by Debbie Acasio 

Adam Collins and Bob Waples 

catch up at an event in Bright. 

little money just so he 

could learn the trade. 

One would never have 

guessed that the determined 

Clayton only 

possessed an eighthgrade 

education. 

In 1924 he started 

his own business in 

a building on Second 

Street in Aurora. His 

granddaughter Lori, 

and now president of 

Lischkge Motors Inc. 

shared, “He only had 

an eighth-grade education 

but he would do 

all sorts of engineering 

work. He created his 

own drawings and he 

had a lot of vision. He was a selftaught 

man with natural mechanical 

ability. He and my father, Bobby, both 

made parts. If you couldn’t go get a 

and the relationships that will ensure 

success. Mr. Duncan has a long history 

with the development and implementation 

of federally-qualified health 

centers. He was also instrumental in 

creating an eleven-county service area 

for counseling services. His experience 

is invaluable when overseeing 

the growth of the services provided by 

CMHC to Dearborn, Franklin, Ohio, 

Ripley, and Switzerland Counties in 

Indiana. 

A recent study showed that 21% of 

adults in the United States struggle 

with mental illness. Over 2.7 million 

Continued on page 3A 

Reunion to 

Celebrate 

Pioneer Days 

By Robert Ewbank 

The memories of the pioneer generations 

were preserved by the Methodist 

Congregations of the East Fork 

Church and the West Fork Church on 

Tanners Creek. In 1877, their children 

and grandchildren formed the Tanners 

Creek Pioneers Association. The 

Association met annually, alternating 

meeting sites between the East Fork 

stone chapel and the West Fork Methodist 

Church until well into the early 

20th Century. 

The Ewbank and Smith Families 

carried on the Pioneer tradition for 

over one hundred years and have held 

reunions every five years, the next being 

held here on August 5, 2023. 

The East Fork Church still stands, 

but unfortunately, the West Fork 

Church burned down several years 

ago, but the cemetery is still maintained. 

On August 9, 1877, the local media 

reported, “The Pioneer meeting held 

at East Fork Chapel on Tanners Creek 

on August 3, 1877, was one of interest. 

The Reverend H.G. Prim delivered 

an exhortation of considerable length 

after a sumptuous dinner was spread 

by the ladies. After dinner, Art Collier 

introduced some of the speakers. 

Uncle John Ewbank, being the oldest 

man there, broke the ice with a short 

speech, followed by John Hansel, 

Martin Ewbank, and Joseph Hall. After 

which, Art Collier wished to know 

how many had ever seen a wooden 


The Round Barn circa 1964. (Photo courtesy of 

the Lischkge Family) 

part, you had to make the parts.” Clayton’s 

motto was “All repair work must 

give satisfaction.” 

Clayton married Jesalena Rogers. 


THE BEACON 

PO Box 4022 

Lawrenceburg, Indiana 47025 

812-637-3700 glennschollinsurance.com 23947 Salt Fork Rd, Bright, IN 

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Page 2A THE BEACON August 2023 

By 

Tamara 

Taylor 

Happiness is the Key 

I recently attended a horse 

show. Not just a horse show, 

but the most prestigious 

equestrian event in the world. 

Horses from all over the globe 

are flown into Lexington, KY 

to compete in this three-day 

event. One part of the competition 

involves a cross-country 

course. Horses and their riders 

take the course at breakneck 

speed (literally) and sail over 

almost impossible jumps and 

water obstacles. What a rush! 

While I was anxiously 

awaiting the passing of the first 

rider at one of the jumps, a battered 

pickup truck pulled up. 

An older woman was driving. 

As she got out of the vehicle, 

one could tell that she had 

lost the spryness of youth. Of 

course, I struck up a conversation 

with her and learned that 

she was the master designer 

for the 6,520-meter crosscountry 

course that included 

twenty-eight fences and fortynine 

jumping efforts. She has 

been designing and overseeing 

the course for thirty-five years. 

The woman was 85 years old. 

The next time I see something 

that needs to be done, 

I will remember that woman 

and realize that we are never 

too old to make a difference in 

someone else’s life. 

This leads me to the upcoming 

Bright Parade. It all 

started with the vision of four 

residents who wanted to bring 

a little happiness to their community. 

The following story 

was written by Karen Blasdel, 

a leader in our community. 

Everyone Loves 

a Parade! As the 

story goes, that 

thought is the 

basis for the Bright 

Parade which has 

been held annually 

since it began 

in 1991. With one 

exception- 2020- 

the year that Bright 

and the World shut 

down. 

The communities 

of Bright 

and Logan were 

ravaged by an 

F4 tornado on June 2, 1991. 

Destruction ranged from a 

few loose shingles to homes 

completely blown away. 

People were feeling the pain 

of their friends and neighbors, 

even if their properties were 

left unscathed. Community 

members came together and 

helped each other through this 

tragedy. 

Four members of the Community 

decided that a parade 

was just what was needed 

to lift everyone’s spirits and 

spread good cheer. The bonus 

of the parade was bringing a 

crowd to the Bright Fire Department 

Festival to help thank 

the many volunteer firefighters 

and EMS for all the help they 

had provided when they were 

needed most. The committee 

of the late Gary Morris, Art 

Little, Dale Lutz, and Jody 

Blasdel, and their families 

brought the parade to life. 

The first parade route began 

on JEB Dr., continued up 

Stateline Rd. to the reviewing 

stand in the Presbyterian 

Church lot, made a left onto 

Salt Fork Rd., and ended at the 

Brightwoods Firehouse. The 

route was later changed to start 

at the Bright Christian Church 

and again end at the Brightwoods 

Firehouse. They say 

history repeats itself… again 

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 

One of the jumps designed at the most 

prestigous equestrian event in the world. 

and again. This year the parade 

will follow that same route on 

Saturday, July 29th starting at 

11:00 A.M. Line-up begins at 

9:00 A.M. No preregistration 

is needed. Simply show up, 

register, and the magic begins! 

Throughout the years, the 

parade has been filled with all 

sorts of parade participants. 

Lee Hamilton, a longtime US 

representative from the 9th 

Congressional District was at 

the 1991 parade, and every 

politician imaginable from 

State offices to our local officials 

has been marching year 

after year. For every parade, 

Grand Marshals have been 

selected because of their dedication 

to the community. The 

distinguished list of honorees 

can be found on a plaque in 

the foyer of the North Dearborn 

Library. 

The Bright Parade has 

always been a great place 

to show the area what our 

community is all about. It has 

been filled with Kings and 

Queens, Princes and Princesses, 

Scout troops, ball teams, 

bands, business floats, antique 

cars and tractors, church 

groups, fire trucks from all 

over the area, Shrine motorcycles 

and cars, dance groups, 

great philanthropic groups 

like the Lions, and even some 

TV stars from shows like the 

Over 22,000 distribution & growing! To advertise, call 812-637-0660 

THE 

BEACON 

For advertising rate inquiries 

and to submit news and photos: 

editor@goBEACONnews.com 

Phone: 812-637-0660 

website: 

goBEACONnews.com 

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. 

Mike and Diane Bender 

Beverly Hillbillies and the 

Andy Griffith Show! The entries 

are filled with great ideas 

and have no limits. 

The parade is called the 

Bright Community Parade, 

and it’s easy to see that the 

Community is the star of the 

show. With all of the entries 

involved and the hundreds of 

people either walking or riding 

in the parade, one would 

think that no one would be left 

to come and watch the parade. 

But the parade route is always 

lined with hundreds of people 

who love to see what the community 

has to offer. It is often 

the catalyst for reunions and 

gatherings as well. If you’ve 

never been involved in the parade, 

this is your year to come 

out and join in the fun. 

This year will be the 32nd 

year of the Bright Community 

Parade. It is hosted by the 

Bright Area Business Association 

as well as some of the 

founding members of the Parade 

Committee. While some 

things have changed, some 

will stay the same. The Parade 

was started and continues to 

bring the community together. 

This year’s Grand Marshals 

will be Mike and Diane Bender 

from the Logan Supermart. 

The long list of community 

service that this couple does 

is never-ending. Being Grand 

Marshals is a great tribute to 

a hard-working couple whose 

names will be added to the 

plaque on the library wall. 

The Community will 

continue to be the star of the 

Parade, participants will come 

from near and far to show 

off their latest and greatest, 

and people will come out in 

droves to enjoy a good oldfashioned 

parade. Although 

Bright Fire and EMS have 

decided that they will no longer 

have a festival, we should 

all show our support for this 

mostly volunteer group who 

put their lives on the line for 

the Community in our times 

of need. The idea that came 

to life 33 years ago in 1991 

will continue to be the parade 

motto in 2023. Let’s help our 

neighbors, lift some spirits 

and showcase our beautiful 

Community to all because as 

the saying goes - everyone 

loves a parade! 

The BEACON - Great News for Great People.

August 2023 THE BEACON Page 3A 

This month’s item 

What Is It? 

Last month’s items were Top Value stamps. “This 

month’s items are Top 

Value Stamps. Oh, how we 

cherished accumulating 

those, when my turn came 

to cash them in, I chose a 

red fluffy dog. It became 

my prized possession for 

many years,” reminisced 

Linda Gutzwiller, New 

Alsace. 

The stamps were identified 

Last month’s item: Top 

Value stamps 

by Ron Stegemiller, Lawrenceburg; Jean Asher, 

Cincinnati; Rita Chambers, West Harrison; Barb Ward, 

Dillsboro; Doug Tepe, Lawrenceburg; Vi Adams, 

Cincinnati; Luann Konradi, Sunman. 

“You received stamps at the grocery store and gas 

station. I saved them when the kids were small. All stamps 

were pasted in little books so next you could scour through 

the catalog for how many books each item would cost. I 

saved many books and took them to the store or warehouse 

in Cincinnati to get my first card table & chairs! Still using 

them now for about fifty-plus years,” said Shirley Bocock, 

Milan 

Also submitting answers were John Henne, 

Lawrenceburg; Janine Schorsch, Lawrenceburg; Patricia 

J. Ertel, Batesville; Sue Angilecchia, Lawrenceburg; John 

Kruse, Sunman; Gayle Rolfes, Harrison, OH; Erin A. 

Peefer, Aurora; Margie Schaffeld, Lawrenceburg. 

“The ‘Top Value Stamps’ and S&H Green Stampswere 

given out at grocery stores in an amount proportional to 

how much you spent… they were collected and then could 

be placed in books (lick them just like postal stamps used 

to be)…when the books were full, they could be mailed in 

and traded for items out of a catalog… an early rewards 

program. Remember my mom collecting both when I was 

a kid!” Kennith Lovins, Greendale 

Sara Duffy, West Harrison, shared, “Just last week, I 

was explaining to my thirty-year-old niece what yellow 

stamps were. We were given yellow stamps as a bonus 

for shopping at grocery stores and gas stations. The 

stamps came in several denominations. The more money 

you spent, the more stamps you got. Some stores gave a 

different reward — green stamps. We licked the stamps 

and pasted them into special paper books. The books of 

stamps were then redeemed for “valuable prizes” of all 

sorts of household goods. Grandmother Lucy saved her 

stamps for years, traded them in, and gave me a complete 

set of silver plate knives, forks, and spoons when I 

married. Back then, margarine also came in aluminum 

containers that made indestructible drinking cups.” 

“I actually got a tennis racket for my redemption and 

thought I was hot stuff!” from Carol Morton, Brookville. 

Loraine Rumsey, Aurora, (one of the sweetest women on 

Earth), shared, “ Top Value Stamps earned at the grocery 

store back in the sixties and seventies. Have several books of 

stamps, the catalog of things that could be earned by cashing 

in the stamps, and probably some ‘treasures’ earned.” 

This month’s item may be more challenging. Share your 

story as well as your guess! Please e-mail your answer 

and where you live to editor@goBEACONnews.com by 

Wednesday, July 19, 2023. 

sponsored by Cornerstone Realty and Lutz Auctions 

CMHC Provides Services for Everyone 

Continued from page 1A 

youth experience severe 

depression. Approximately 

116,000 residents in southeast 

Indiana utilize services provided 

by CMHC each year. 

CMHC offers a variety 

of programs to help those in 

the community who struggle 

with mental health issues. 

The primary division, Outpatient 

Mental Health, provides 

assessment used for proper 

referrals to specialized levels 

of care along with counseling 

and medication if needed. 

An Addiction Services 

Outpatient program is also offered 

by CMHC. They work 

closely with other organizations 

to encourage group 

therapy, recovery coaching, 

and individual therapy. The 

goal is a substance-free lifestyle. 

Two living establishments 

are managed by CMHC. One 

is Unity House, a residential 

treatment facility for adults 

who have serious and persistent 

mental illness as well as 

substance use disorders. The 

second is FOCUS House, 

a recovery residence that 

provides an array of services 

for mental, physical, and 

substance abuse for those with 

persistent mental illness and 

co-occurring substance use 

disorders. 

While the previously 

mentioned services focus on 

treatment for adults, CMHC 

also addresses mental health 

concerns for the youth. Intensive 

Family Services (IFS) 

are offered to youth up to 

twenty-six years old and their 

parents/guardians. Situations 

where multiple social, emotional, 

and behavioral needs 

can be addressed through an 

individualized and holistic approach. 

School-based services 

provide similar care on site 

as Aftercare/School-based 

programs. 

Many mental health issues 

are rooted in traumatic experiences. 

CMHC focuses on a 

learning collaboration that 

requires every member of the 

team to be well-versed in the 

effects of trauma. 

Some of the most comprehensive 

programs offered 

by CMHC are Wraparound 

Services. The process creates 

a team-based activity where 

caregivers, professionals, and 

family members facilitate a 

plan to ensure youth and their 

families achieve success in 

the community. 

One particular program 

that sets CMHC apart concerns 

youth ages fourteen to 

twenty-six and their families. 

Finding Improvement 

by Reaching Empowerment 

(FIRE) is a unique program 

because of its philosophy that 

the youth are the most qualified 

to design and implement 

programs with the greatest 

success. 

Medical issues often play a 

pivotal role in mental health 

concerns. To address these 

issues, CMHC utilizes a 

program entitled Harmony 

Health Primary Care. Personalized 

medical care is offered 

to all ages and works cohesively 

with current mental 

health issues that the patient 

exhibits. 

The need for self-care became 

even more evident during 

and after the Pandemic. 

CMHC encourages everyone 

to take notice of his or her 

surroundings and the effects 

of those surroundings. Providing 

assistance to those who 

have questions or concerns is 

a continual goal of CMHC as 

exhibited by the multitude of 

programs offered to the community. 

CMHC is certified as a 

community mental health 

center, psychiatric hospital, 

residential services provider, 

and managed care provider 

for mentally ill adults, emotionally 

disturbed youth, and 

those with substance abuse 

issues. CMHC provides a program 

for addressing compulsive 

gambling. 

For more information about 

behavioral services and substance 

use disorder services, 

visit cmhcinc.org. Additional 

information can be obtained 

by contacting CMHC at 812- 

537-1302. On-call therapists 

are also available twentyfour 

hours a day at the same 

number. 

Get it All at www.goBEACONnews.com


Historic Lischge Round Barn- The Largest in the State 


He worked hard to ensure that 

their business survived even 

during the most desperate 

times. Clayton also made sure 

that his employees brought 

home a paycheck no matter 

what, sometimes by dipping 

into his and Jesalena’s savings. 

When the great flood of 

1937 put the town of Aurora 

underwater, Clayton carried 

on. That next year in 1938, he 

became an authorized Mack 

Truck Distributor. Clayton’s 

son, Bobby, joined the family 

business in 1946 after serving 

as a Corporal in the United 

States Army in World War II. 

By the year of 1964, the Ohio 

River had flooded several 

times and Clayton and Bobby 

sought to get the business to 

higher ground. 

Up the hill on U.S. Highway 

50 a few miles West of 

Aurora near Dillsboro, John 

and Inez Largent owned a 

farm with a huge round barn 

on it, thus known as Round 

Barn Farm. The Largent’s 

purchased the farm in 1959 

from William Beckett who 

was the nephew to the farm’s 

original owner, his uncle 

Wymond Beckett. Wymond 

Beckett was a congressman. 

Legend has it that a potent 

The bill of sale dated 1924. 

(Photo courtesy of the 

Lischkge family) 

thunderstorm fiercely hit one 

summer day, so he and his 

farm helpers took shelter in 

a barn. Once inside the barn, 

Mr. Beckett spotted a wooden 

barrel and a light bulb went 

off for him. He was planning 

on building a new barn 

already, and now he had an innovative 

idea to construct one 

that was round like the barrel 

that caught his eye. 

The timber to construct the 

unusual barn would come 

from the Beckett farm which 

at the time traversed eight 

hundred acres. Construction 

Credibility • Advocacy • Education • Visibility 

What Can The Chamber 

Do For You? Just Ask! 

812-537-0814 

www.dearborncountychamber.org 

A BETTER WAY TO GET 

THE MONEY YOU NEED. 

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. 

The mortgage for the round 

barn to Clayton R. Lischge 

and Wife dated 1937. (Photo 

courtesy of the Lischkge 

family) 

The round barn as it appears 

today. (Photo by 

Maureen Stenger) 

of the eclectic building began 

in 1901-1902 and would 

prove to be challenging as 

Mr. Beckett was summoned 

from his work in Washington 

to return home to help guide 

the workers. The round barn 

would be three hundred and 

seventeen feet around. The 

distance from the roof to the 

floor is one hundred feet. It is 

the largest round barn in the 

state of Indiana. The barn is 

viewed as a masterpiece in 

architecture. Many have come 

to study it over the years. 

At one time the barn had 

a well in the center which 

would provide running water 

The center roof structure of the Round Barn Circa 1964 

(Photo courtesy of the Lischkge family) 

The old garage in Aurora where Lischkge Motors was 

located before moving up the hill to the round barn. (Photo 

courtesy of the Lischkge family) 

in every field on the Beckman 

farm. The barn also had 

a windmill on the top to pump 

the water. The Beckman farm 

was a working farm with 

mules, horses, dairy cattle, 

and hay. In its “hay day” the 

barn would be filled to the 

brim with harvest. 

In 1964 on Good Friday, 

Clayton and Jesalena purchased 

the Round Barn Farm 

to move their Mack Truck 

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Agency there. It would 

provide the additional room 

and higher ground they were 

seeking. The Lischkges had 

to remodel the landmark barn 

to make it what they needed 

for their business. The barn 

was all wood but is now made 

of block and steel. Making 

this happen took two years. 

They used the center structure 

of the barn as a form like an 

umbrella. As they tore down 

the wood, they came around 

to build it back up with block 

to the roof, which is still 

original. Lori Lischkge shares 

that at the time they couldn’t 

get the block here fast enough 

for the renovation. They also 

needed to raise the eight-foot 

ceilings to get the big trucks 

in there. But between all of 

the new modern amenities 

and office spaces created in 

the barn, the ways of the old 

days still have a way of shining 

through. In the upstairs of 

the barn, the old pulleys still 

remain from when they used 

to pick up the big bunches 

of hay that came in from the 

fields. 

In 2005 the round barn’s 

roof was redone. Lori credits 

Dave Staggs for saving the 

roof for them. At my home, a 

weathervane sits atop my barn 

roof like most barns around 

but in the normal fashion. The 

round barn needed something 

a bit more distinguishing. So, 

Dave Staggs had the idea 


fcnbank.com 



Round Barn Home to Family Business for Generations 

The old round barn prior to renovations. (Photo courtesy of 

the Lischkge Family) 

Robert and Lori Lischkge are carrying on the family business. 

(Photo courtesy of the Lischkge family) 

Clayton and Jesalena 

Lischkge (Photo courtesy of 

the Lischkge family) 


that a Mack Truck Bulldog 

should adorn the top of the 

round barn. He took a hood 

ornament from one of the 

Mack Trucks and handed it 

to an employee whose son is 

an artist. Artist Chris Govan 

created the famous bulldog 

THAT still sits atop Lischkge 

Motors Inc. keeping watch. 

In 1974 Clayton and Jesalena 

retired. Clayton passed 

away in 1983 after dedicating 

his life to his business. 

Jesalena had served as the 

company’s bookkeeper for 

fifty years. A third generation 

has now stepped up to run 

the family business. Siblings 

Robert and Lori Lischkge 

took over once their father 

Bobby passed away. 

Lori shares, “I was kind of 

thrown into it with my father 

passing away in 2021, I never 

thought much about him being 

gone and what was next.” 

Robert’s and Lori’s father 

Clayton Lischkge’s floorplan for the barn renovations. 

(Photo courtesy of the Lischkge Family) 

The Mack Truck Bull Dog 

being installed on the round 

barn. (Photo courtesy of the 

Lischkge family) 

worked at Lischge Motors up 

until he passed on, and they 

have kept his office just the 

same. Robert and Lori may 

have been thrown into the 

mix, but they have done a 

phenomenal job picking up 

the reigns. The Lischkge family 

is proud to be the oldest 

Mack Truck distributor in the 

world. 

Next year the business will 

celebrate one hundred years. 

The pandemic of course 

took its toll, but Lischkge Motors 

kept working since they 

were deemed essential. They 

had learned from the best that 

you don’t let hard times break 

you. The company also boasts 

many dedicated forty-year 

employees, which is really 

saying something. Clayton’s 

philosophy of taking care of 

his employees has clearly 

been passed down- it’s one 

big family. The barn holds 

sales offices, the shipping and 

receiving department, and an 

employee lounge, but upstairs 

remains Lori’s father Bobby’s 

room, filled with all of his 

machines. This is where he 

built his parts. As Lori says, 

“Dad lived up there.” 

Patient 

Satisfaction 

2021 Statistics 

Healing 

Rate 

Lischkge Motors will 

expand once again in the near 

future, as they are preparing 

to build another building 

on the same land they own 

near their famous round barn. 

Their thriving company needs 

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Next year the business will 

celebrate one hundred years. 

One may find it hard to 

imagine in our modern global 

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there was once a time when 

an Aurora-born entrepreneur 

with just an eighth-grade 

education built his own parts 

in his hometown with a knack 

for all things mechanical and 

a dream. The dream of Clayton 

and Jesalena lives on, and 

so does their work ethic and 

resilient nature. No raging water 

nor global pandemic could 

destroy what they worked so 

hard to build. 

The fact that their homegrown 

business is based in a 

historical landmark is fitting. 

That iconic structure reminds 

us all as we pass it on US 

50, in the midst of all of our 

modernness, the remnants 

of days gone by are still all 

around us. 

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Master Sergeant Timothy 

Lynn “Griz” Martin 

MSGT Griz Martin was 

born on July 9, 1955. His 

father was a career Air Force 

sergeant who traveled all 

around the country during his 

service. Griz traveled with 

the family until he was sixteen 

when he moved in with 

his grandmother in Aurora. 

He graduated from Aurora 

High School in 1974 and had 

already decided to pursue a 

military career. 

Griz completed Airborne 

Ranger School, Jumpmaster 

training, Special Forces 

qualified, a Combat Engineer, 

Special Forces Underwater 

training, and Jungle Warfare 

training. He proudly wore 

the National Defense Service 

Medal, Defense Meritorious 

Service Medal, Combat 

Infantry Badge (CIB), Ranger 

tab, Bronze Star with “V” 

for valor, and the Purple 

Heart. He was also awarded 

the Silver Star, our nation’s 

third-highest award for Valor, 

and just under the Medal of 

S 

ALUTE 

Honor and Distinguished 

Service Cross. He was 38 

years old when he died doing 

the job he loved. On Oct. 

3, 1993, Griz was killed in 

Somalia on what would have 

been his last deployment 

before his retirement. 

MSGT Tim “Griz” Martin 

was serving with the HHC, 

2nd Ranger Battalion when 

he was mortally wounded as 

part of a convoy that became 

lost on a mission in Somalia. 

His actions are depicted in 

the movie BLACK HAWK 

DOWN which tells the story 

of the eighteen men who died 

that day serving our nation. 

Griz is buried at Arlington 

National Cemetery. 

Griz is remembered as a 

True American Hero who 

volunteered to serve our 

great nation. He left behind 

a family he had so much 

love for, his wife, Linda, and 

three daughters, Diana Lynn, 

Katherine Rose, and Jessica 

Faye. He died during Operation 

Gothic Serpent (Battle of 

Mogadishu). 

Retirement Checklist 

TO THE MILITARY 

Master Sergeant Timothy 

His Silver Star Citation 

reads: The President of the 

United States takes pride in 

presenting the Silver Star 

Medal (posthumously) to 

Timothy Lynn Martin, Sergeant 

First Class, U.S. Army, 

for conspicuous gallantry and 

intrepidity in action against 

hostile enemy forces while 

serving with the 1st Special 

Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, 

Task Force 

Ranger, Special Operations 

Command, during combat 

operations in Mogadishu, 

Somalia, on 3 and 4 October 

1993. 

Sergeant First Class Martin 

was mortally wounded as a 

part of a convoy that became 

lost and was taken under fire. 

His gallantry in action was in 

keeping with the finest tradition 

of the military forces of 

the United States and reflect 

the highest credit upon 

himself and the United States 

By Alan Thorup, CRMP 

Good credit is important 

in many aspects of adult life 

these days. As most of us 

know, if you are applying for 

a loan or line of credit at a 

lender, having good credit, 

including a good credit score, 

is an essential factor in determining 

whether or not your 

application is approved. However, 

your credit and score 

impact more than that! 

In today’s world, beyond 

a decision to approve a loan 

or not, your credit and score 

may impact the pricing/cost 

Army. 

Gary “Bo Diddley” 

Walston lives in Rising Sun, 

IN, and graduated with Griz 

from Aurora High School in 

1974. He said Griz was the 

quiet type but always talked 

about going into the service 

after graduation. Bo recalls 

the love Griz had for cars and 

that he built an engine for his 

“pride and joy,” a green 1969 

Dodge Dart Swinger. The car 

had a 340-cubic-inch engine 

and was his “baby.” 

Bo said he had no doubt 

that when the time came to 

help in any situation, Griz 

would be right there doing 

the best he could to take care 

of the men with whom he 

was serving 

Griz Martin is a True 

American HERO and we 

must never forget him or 

those who have served to protect 

our freedoms. Our children 

need to be taught about 

of the loan being applied 

for as a lower credit score is 

indicative of a higher risk of 

default than a higher score, 

and therefore, the lender 

prices in that greater risk with 

a higher interest rate, fees, 

additional conditions, or a 

combination of them. Additionally, 

credit and credit 

scores are being utilized by 

insurance companies, employers, 

and landlords in 

making business decisions for 

their customers. 

Consumers’ ability to be 

able to review their credit was 

The BEACON - Great News for Great People. 

Lynn “Griz” Martin MSGT 

these two types of heroes so 

that they know why they can 

enjoy the many freedoms we 

have today. May Griz rest in 

eternal peace. 

The Importance of Good Credit / Credit Score 

After spending decades in the working world, the last thing you want is for small details to trip you up 

in the home stretch toward retirement. Doing each of the things on the checklist below can help ensure 

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. 

Evaluate Investment Portfolio 

Your investment allocations may have worked well thus far, but it’s common for retirees to change 

their approach to avoid volatility once they have saved enough for retirement. 

If you’re uncertain or need help with any of the 

areas above, a dedicated financial professional from 

Conservative Financial Solutions would be happy 

to help. Contact our team today to set up a no 

obligation appointment! 

CONTACT US 

Phone: 513.367.1113 

Email: info@conservativefinancialsolutions.com 

Securities offered through Madison Avenue Securities, LLC (MAS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered only by duly registered individuals 

through AE Wealth Management, LLC (AEWM), a Registered Investment Advisor. MAS and Conservative Financial Solutions are not affiliated companies. AEWM and 

Conservative Financial Solutions are not affiliated companies. 835296 - 3/21 

enhanced years ago by the 

development of the website 

annualcreditreport.com by 

the three major repositories 

of credit; Equifax, Experian, 

and TransUnion. This site 

allows consumers to access 

their credit report with each 

repository for free once every 

twelve months. This report 

can be printed out, and for 

a fee, consumers can obtain 

a credit score. However, the 

credit score that is on there 

will not be the same one used 

by lenders or others for two 

reasons: 1) Credit scores are 

‘dynamic’ and are subject 

to change every day, and, 2) 

Credit scores vary based on 

the reason the credit report 

is being used as there are 

different scoring models for; 

mortgages, consumer loans, 

employment, insurance, etc. 

Credit scores, developed in 

the late 1950s by Fair, Isaac, 

and Company (FICO), were 

introduced into the consumer 

market in 1989 and gained 

wide acceptance. The five major 

components are payment 

history (35%), amounts owed 

(30%), length of credit history 

(15%), credit mix/types of 

credit (10%), and new credit/ 

applications (10%). What is 

not considered in the score 

is the consumer’s age, income, 

race, or occupation. 

These models are periodically 

updated with new information 

and evaluations of their 

performance. 

Also, credit inquiries 

include what are called ‘hard 

pulls’ such as for loans and 

lines of credit, and ‘soft pulls’ 

such as consumers checking 

on their credit as well as general 

promotional offers such 

as for credit cards. In the case 

of hard pulls, multiple credit 

inquiries for different purposes 

(i.e. a mortgage, credit 

card, auto loan), will bring 

down a credit score, whereas 

soft pulls will not. However, 

multiple credit inquiries for 

the same type of loan within 

thirty days will be treated as 

one as the models take into 

consideration that a consumer 

may be shopping for the best 

deal/rate. 

Finally, if there are errors 

in the report, consumers have 

the opportunity to challenge 

them and have them removed, 

and, resources for this are 

available on the annualcreditreport.com 

website with 

links to the Federal Trade 

Commission and the Consumer 

Financial Protection 

Bureau. This is especially 

critical these days given that 

identity thefts and the number 

of ‘hacks’ in organizations’ 

systems across the country 

continue to grow.


FROM 

H ere 

By 

Ollie 

Roehm 

Did you know there is a 

new community theater group 

serving our area? I didn’t 

think so. Here’s the scoop. 

The group had their first 

meeting on Aug. 4, 2022. 

Since then they have established 

a board of directors, 

incorporated a set of bylaws, 

acquired nonprofit status, and 

have chosen a great name, 

Harrison Center for the Arts 

(HCA). 

These are experienced, 

highly committed people and 

they aren’t messing around. 

They have secured a place 

to rehearse, chosen a cast, and 

are currently in rehearsal for 

their first production. 

It amazes me that they 

were able to put all of this 

together so quickly and so 

professionally. Their first 

play will take place exactly 

one year from their initial 

meeting. 

HCA will offer us their 

version of “Tuck Everlasting” 

on Aug. 4-5 at the Ross 

High School auditorium. Visit 

harrisoncenterforthearts.org 

for more information and to 

purchase tickets. 

HCA is led by Harrison 

native Mary Klopfstein Lenning, 

president and artistic director. 

She has had a lengthy, 

successful, and storied career 

in professional theater and as 

a theater educator. 

Mary taught at the School 

for Creative and Performing 

Arts in Cincinnati for 

a number of years. But she 

always had the desire to start 

a “home for the arts” in her 

hometown of Harrison. 

Mary is receiving invaluable 

assistance from actor, 

singer, and dancer Benjamin 

Watts. 

Ben is a graduate of the 

American Musical and 

Dramatic Academy. He was 

a working actor, dancer, and 

producer in New York City 

where he appeared in a slew 

of productions over the years. 

Full disclosure: Ben is our 

next-door neighbor and a 

heck of a good man. 

Nina Quinlivan was the 

first person Mary called 

when she began the project, 

and she now serves as the 

secretary and musical director 

for HCA. Nina is an 

accomplished pianist, singer, 

and songwriter who earned 

a Bachelor’s degree from 

Miami University in music 

education. She majored in 

piano and minored in voice. 

Nina is also the assistant 

director and accompanist for 

Harrison VOCE, a choral 

group celebrating its 10th anniversary 

this year. 

Mary and all of the folks 

involved in HCA hope their 

organization develops into 

more than just a community 

theater group. According to 

the HCA website, they would 

like to expand the area’s cultural 

horizons. 

“It is our goal that in the 

future we have a center that 

not only supports theater but 

includes art, dance, music, 

and all things creative.” 

The group prides itself on 

inclusiveness. HCA heartily 

welcomes folks from 

southeastern Indiana and 

western Hamilton County to 

participate in their worthy 

endeavor. 

My friends, we are very 

lucky this group of wonderful 

people are giving us this 

beautiful gift. Most communities 

in America don’t 

have much in the way of the 

theatrical arts. We do. 

To participate, donate, or 

just find out more about the 

HCA vision, go to harrison 

centerforthearts.org. 

Another full disclosure: My 

wife is a proud member of the 

HCA board of directors. 

Lights! Camera! Action! 

By Jake Moore, Lawrenceburg 

Public Library District 

Director and Denise 

Freitag-Burdette, Communications 

Manager 

The Lawrenceburg Public 

Library District offers a 

variety of fun, free programs 

every month. As the 

2023-24 school year begins, 

we are going to let some of 

the library’s teen patrons 

take center stage. 


is a teen-led program held 

from 4-5 P.M. on the first 

Wednesday of each month 

at the Lawrenceburg Main 

Library. The program 

encompasses all aspects of 

theater including acting, 

singing, writing, and building 

sets. 


began with an idea presented 

by Lawrenceburg 

High School sophomore 

Storm Lowe. “I wanted a 

safe place in town to share 

my love of theater,” said 

Mr. Lowe. “Sometimes 

other theater programs 

need to charge fees, but 

not everyone can afford to 

participate,” he said. The 

program at the Lawrenceburg 

Library is free. About 

five core members have 

been participating thus far, 

and the group would love 

more teens to join them this 

fall. “We plan to do a play 

each year and make people 

feel more comfortable with 

the experience,” said Mr. 

Lowe. 


hopes to record the productions 

and eventually post 

them online shared Lee 

Atkins-Alford, LPLD Youth 

Services Teen Specialist. 

“I think this program is an 

awesome idea and is going 

to give teens opportunities 

to express themselves 

through a creative outlet 

that not all schools can offer 

due to a lack of funding. I 

am so proud of Storm and 

the rest of the group for the 

work they have put into the 

program. I hope more teens 

will see how cool this is 

and join us.” 

Mr. Lowe added, “I want 

people to feel more comfortable, 

to see what is truly 

exciting about acting.” He 

wants people to get out of 

their comfort zones, but not 

to the point that they never 

want to try theater again. 

Teens also can expect free 

snacks, teamwork, and a lot 

of fun at Lights! Camera! 

Action! 

For anyone interested 

in participating or learning 

more, the next two 

programs will start at 4 

P.M. Wednesday, Aug. 2, 

and Wednesday, Sept. 6, 

at the Lawrenceburg Main 

Library. No registration is 

needed. Just show up! 

B 

Beacon 

USINESS 

NEWS ABOUT OUR 

ADVERTISERS 

Small Business and 

Insurance is Changing 

in 2023 

By Matthew Hatoway, 

Mansfield Insurance 

As we begin to move 

out of COVID and start to 

normalize, many things have 

changed. We have lingering 

effects of what our lives 

were like in 2020 and 2021. 

Inflation continues to average 

about 7%. Gas, Groceries, and 

those things we buy everyday 

continue to fluctuate in price 

depending on supply. Many of 

us don’t think about how our 

favorite small business has 

been changed. Our favorite 

restaurant or hobby shop 

has had to make significant 

changes in the last two years 

to be able to stay in business. 

For example, many restaurants 

are still offering delivery 

services and/or more efficient 

carry out operations with call 

ahead, order ahead from your 

phone, in-store pickups. Some 

are doing all of them at once 

to offer their customers the 

most opportunities to interact 

with their food and service. 

The National Restaurant Association 

report showed that 

66% of adults are more likely 

to order takeout than they 

were before the pandemic. In 

some restaurants you can now 

order alcohol with your carryout 

order. Those restaurants 

that were willing to innovate 

through tough times are the 

ones who fared the best. 

But what does that mean for 

their insurance? 

Restaurants expanded 

their risks greatly. These 

new operations have created 

holes in their coverage. Cyber 

insurance has become something 

very important now that 

businesses are doing so much 

interaction online. 

Delivery services create 

large amounts of risk for the 

employees. The auto insurance 

exposure changes. The liability 

coverage can change due to 

employees leaving the premises 

in order to service a customer. 

As costs continue to rise, 

small businesses’ revenue 

has begun to rise as well. 

They have had to continue to 

increase their pricing to keep 

up with the labor and materials 

increases. An ice cream 

cone at the Drive-In across 

from one of my agencies has 

increased almost a dollar this 

year over what it cost last year. 

Is the insurance policy covering 

these increasing costs? 

Unfortunately, probably not. 

Costs for construction and 

property have increased 40% 

since 2020. Although they are 

beginning to level off, they 

are not decreasing to prior 

levels. Those businesses that 

own their own building are 

having to deal with increasing 

repair and remodel costs 

along with increasing insurance 

premiums. 

Businesses need to work 

with their Agents. 

It’s important for business 

owners and insurance agents 

alike to work together. Both 

parties need to keep pace with 

the changing business models. 

Like the example above, 

rising revenues create a need 

for increased business income 

coverage. Businesses should 

do their best to review what 

increased costs and revenues 

look like. The insurance agent 

needs to endorse the policy in 

accordance with this new data. 

The business income limit can 

be the difference in keeping a 

business afloat during a claim 

or the business owner having 

to close completely. 

Business owners should 

seek out insurance representatives 

that keep them 

up to date on what is occurring 

in the market. We have 

gone through unprecedented 

times. Insurance companies 

are doing their best to catch 

up to the same rising costs 

we are dealing with. No one 

likes increasing insurance 

premiums, but you want your 

insurance company to be 

operating at a correct level. If 

they are paying out more in 

claims than they are making 

eventually your policy will be 

at risk. A good agent will let 

you know what is happening 

and why it’s happening. An 

independent agent might also 

be able to provide you with 

other quotes from different 

insurance carriers. As times 

change and operations change 

the relationship between the 

business owner and the insurance 

agent continues to be 

most important. 

Matthew Hatoway is a 

second-generation insurance 

agency owner. His company 

Get it All at www.goBEACONnews.com 

Hatoway Insurance Partners, 

Inc owns Mansfield Insurance 

Agency in Bright, IN. 

Matt and his family have been 

working with top-tier insurance 

carriers for over thirty 

years. His agency specializes 

in small businesses, personal 

insurance products, and 

Medicare.


Ewbank-Smith Pioneer Days Celebration For All 


moldboard plow. “ 

The 1878 Tanners Creek 

Pioneers Association Reunion 

was held at Hunts Grove. 

Chaplain Chidlaw conducted 

an opening religious service 

and read a paper on the 

“early settlers, their character 

and deeds, and a biographical 

sketch of Ezekial Hughes. The 

Hunts Grove Reunion was 

advertised earlier with transportation. 

The round-trip fare to the 

pioneer picnic at Hunts Grove 

next Saturday will be as follows: 

From Aurora 35 cents 

From Lawrenceburg 25 cents 

From Elizabethtown 20 cents 

Both trains will make a 

close connection at Valley 

Junction, and there will be no 

transfer. (Valley Junction was 

on Oberting Road). 

In 1881 we know that the 

Pioneer Association was held 

at Liddles Grove, which was 

just beyond the entry to Sawdon 

Ridge on the other side of 

Tanners Creek. 

Story of the Early Pioneers 

At the end of the eighteenth 

century, John Ewbank had 

become a successful farmer 

and businessman. He pledged 

part of his savings as surety 

in a business venture with a 

partner. In the early 1800s, 

England was in a deep financial 

depression caused by the 

disruptions of the Napoleonic 

wars. The business went under, 

the partner disappeared, 

and John’s investments disappeared 

also. To top things off 

and make matters worse, his 

landlord would not renew 

his lease, because John and 

Ann Ewbank had converted 

to Methodism. The final blow 

came when John was passed 

over by the landholder and 

the tenancy of the family farm 

went to someone else. 

By 1805 John and Ann 

Ewbank had nine children 

with a tenth on the way; they 

were disinherited, broke, and 

discriminated against because 

of their religion. Following 

Mark Twain’s advice, John 

decided it was time to “light 

out for the territories”. 

After immigrating near New 

York City, John prospered 

as a partner in a stockyard 

and saved enough money to 

buy land in the “Gore”. The 

Gore was the result of a treaty 

settlement that granted the 

United States ownership of 

land bounded by the Ohio 

River to the South, the Indiana-Ohio 

border to the east, 

and the Greenville Treaty 

line to the West. The western 

boundary of Dearborn County 

follows the Greenville Treaty. 

This land was open for sale 

by the government at $1.25 

an acre, payable in annual installments. 

The sales required 

a purchase of 640 acres, 

which represented a section of 

land. The attraction of owning 

property rather than being 

forever a landlord’s tenant 

was irresistible. After a long 

journey by flatboat down the 

Ohio River from Pittsburg, 

John Ewbank and his family 

arrived at the head of the 

navigation on Tanners Creek 

at the Cambridge Settlement, 

near where Perfect North 

Slopes is located. The Cambridge 

Settlement was made 

up of Revolutionary War 

Veterans who accepted new 

land in lieu of back pay from 

the War owed to them by the 

Continental Congress. The 

leader of the community was 

Lt. Jacob Blasdel, a Veteran of 

the Massachusetts continental 

line, and another one of our 

grandfathers. 

From Cambridge, the 

family loaded their property 

onto sleds and dragged them 

across the rocks of Tanners 

Creek three miles to the new 

land holding. They arrived in 

November 1811 and camped 

for the winter in an abandoned 

one-room squatters’ 

cabin by the creek. At that 

time the Ewbank family was 

the deepest settlement on the 

Indiana frontier. They arrived 

in a time of war. The great 

Shawnee Warrior, Tecumseh, 

had raised a confederation 

of tribes to evict Americans 

from the Northwest Territory, 

encouraged by the British 

with army units who remained 

stationed in Detroit in defiance 

of treaty obligations. 

The very month of the family’s 

arrival, William Henry 

Harrison won his greatest 

victory over the Shawnees at 

the Battle of Tippecanoe. But 

the frontier remained closed 

for several years. 

It was a cold, dangerous 

place for a single family to 

live. In September of 1812, a 

Shawnee war party massacred 

civilians at Pigeon Roost, not 

fifty miles away. During this 

time, the Pioneer families 

found solace and the rare 

opportunity to interact with 

other people when they could 

draw upon their religion. 

The Ewbank homestead 

became the headquarters of 

the Methodist movement in 

the area. With the coming of 

Peace in 1815, the settlement 

of the Indiana frontier began 

Ewbank Smith Family reunion Sept. 3, 1887. 

in earnest. One of the new 

families to settle in the valley 

of the Tanners Creek was 

that of John and Jane Smith 

also from Thirsk, England, a 

market town in York Shire, 

not far from the home of John 

Ewbank’s ancestors. 

This new family settled less 

than a mile north and west 

of the site of the old East 

Fork Church. The ten Smith 

children became the nearest 

neighbors of the ten Ewbank 

children. 

After so many years in isolation, 

nature took its course, 

and by 1820, no fewer than 

three Smith children had married 

Ewbanks. 

John Ewbank, Jr. and Ellen 

Smith were one of these marriages. 

John, Jr. inherited the 

family Homestead. With their 

fine English education, they 

were gifted storytellers. They 

are the source of much of our 

knowledge of the early settlement 

of the area, telling the 

stories to their grandchildren, 

who in turn passed them on to 

the following generations. 

John Ewbank, Sr. maintained 

extensive correspondence 

with friends and 

relatives in the old country. 


He announced in a letter back 

to his brother, Pylus, that 

America was a great country 

for a poor man. Most of the 

new immigrants, along with 

many of the children of the 

Ewbanks and Smiths moved 

westward as soon as new land 

opened up. We find them in 

farming communities across 

the United States and into 

California and Oregon. In 

August, many of the descendants 

will find their way back 

to the Homestead for another 

reunion. 

One of the return letters 

we found was addressed on 

the envelope to “John Ewbank, 

Tanners Creek, North 

America”. Some of these 

early settlers remained, and 

you can hear their names on 

some of the ridges, including 

Kaiser Ridge, Collier Ridge, 

and Sawdon Ridge. 

The settlers soon constructed 

more permanent dwellings 

for the worship of God 

and themselves. An Uncle 

named Christopher Brown 

came to America with John 

Smith. Christopher Brown 

was a skilled builder and a 

Veteran of twenty years in His 

Majesty’s service as a Royal 

Marine. He is buried at the 

old East Fork Cemetery and 

constructed several of the 

stone homes in the Tanner 

Valley, including the Homestead 

and the stone church. 

The old Homestead is 

now owned by Robert and 

Mary Ewbank and has been 

renovated to stand for at least 

another one hundred years 

and will open its doors for the 

Ewbank and Smith descendants 

and all others who want 

to celebrate Pioneer Days on 

Aug. 5, 2023. The event will 

begin at 11 A.M. and will 

include lunch and a program. 

Tickets are available to the 

public. For more information, 

email EwbankSmith@gmail. 

com or call the Ewbank Law 

office at 812-537-2522. 

Want to 

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of Dearborn, Franklin, 

Ohio, and Ripley Counties 

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By 

Melanie 

Alexander 

I suspect that I’m not the 

By 

only person that Maxine has volunteered 

to bring Klump a snack/dessert 

to a meeting or other get-together 

several Community days in advance 

Correspondent 

only to remember in the 

morning the event will take 

maxineklump.thebeacon@yahoo.com 

place with no idea of what 

treat you will share. That was 

my dilemma yesterday. And… 

of course, I also had several 

other tasks to be completed 

during the day and those tasks 

involved the use of my oven 

for most of the day. 

The solution I devised was 

to use cake mix as the base 

for a batch of cookies. I had 

found a recipe for a chocolate 

peanut butter cookie using 

just four ingredients during an 

online search for another dish 

and the timing worked out 

just right. 

Best of all, the cookie tasted 

just like a well-known peanut 

butter cup candy bar. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter 

Cookies 

1 package (2-layer size) 

devil’s food cake mix 

4 oz. cream cheese, softened 

to room temperature 

½ cup peanut butter 

1 egg 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Place all ingredients 

into a large mixing bowl. Beat 

with an electric mixer on low 

speed for two minutes. Beat 

an additional 2 minutes on 

medium speed. 

(Note: My peanut butter 

was extremely stiff so I added 

an additional 1-2 teaspoons of 

water to allow the formation 

of balls.) However, the dough 

will be stiff and in small 

crumbles. 

Shape into 1-inch balls. 

Place, 2 inches apart, on 

baking sheets. Flatten each 

ball, in a criss-cross fashion 

using the tines of a fork 

dipped in sugar. Bake for 7-8 

minutes or until the edges of 

cookies are set. Cool for 2-3 

minutes on a baking sheet 

then remove to wire racks to 

cool completely. Makes 3 ½ 

dozen cookies. 

These lemon and cream 

cheese cupcakes are refreshing 

and taste like you spent 

hours in the kitchen. The 

frosting is a fluffy cream 

cheese flavor that complements 

the lemon cake. 

The cakes are baked in 

miniature (2½-inch cup) muffin 

tins. 

1 package (2-layer size) white 

or yellow cake mix 

1 package lemon flavor instant 

pudding mix. 

(4-serving size) 

1 cup water 

2 whole eggs 

2 tablespoons oil 

1 package (8 oz) powdered 

sugar 

1 package (8 oz) cream 

cheese, softened 

¼ cup butter, softened 

2 tablespoons lemon juice 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Beat cake mix, dry 

pudding mix, water, eggs, and 

oil in a large bowl with an 

electric mixer, on low speed, 

until moistened. Beat for an 

additional 2 minutes using 

medium speed. (The batter 

will be thick.) Spoon evenly 

into 24 2 ½ inch muffin cups 

(lined with paper liners.) 

Bake for 21-24 minutes 

or until a wooden toothpick 

inserted into the center comes 

out clean. Cool in pans for 10 

minutes then remove to cool 

on a wire rack. 

Frosting: Beat powdered 

sugar, cream cheese, butter, 

and lemon juice with an 

electric mixer until blended 

using low speed. Frost cooled 

cupcakes. 

Educators Save by Using Creation Station 

By Stefanie Hoffmeier 

Back-to-school shopping 

is right around the corner. 

Local stores are starting to 

change over seasonal aisles 

that were once lined with 

pool toys and flags to school 

supplies. Backpacks, lunch 

boxes, crayons, markers, 

and pencils are emerging 

and replacing those aisles of 

summer fun. Even though 

parents are asked to purchase 

many items for their students, 

teachers often purchase extra 

supplies, including decorations 

and educational tools 

for their classrooms. Those 

brightly decorated classrooms, 

welcoming students 

back to school, come with a 

cost. According to the National 

Education Association, 

more than 90% of teachers 

spend their own money on 

school supplies and other 

items their students need 

to succeed. Most educators 

spend well over $700 out-ofpocket 

on school supplies, 

with no chance of reimbursement 

from their school. 

In 2004, the Dearborn 

County Recycling Center 

started a not-for-profit reuse 

center called Creation Station 

for school and craft supplies. 

Its purpose is to divert reusable 

materials from disposal 

in landfills, while at the same 

time supplying educators 

with valuable materials. Supplies 

in Creation Station are 

donated by the public and 

local businesses. Any notfor-profit 

adult educator in 

Dearborn County may obtain 

supplies from Creation Station. 

This includes but is not 

limited to classroom teachers, 

4-H leaders, Scout leaders, 

homeschool parents, nontraditional 

educators, and 

VBS teachers. The educators 

using Creation Station must 

prove not-for-profit status 

and demonstrate intent. 

Adult educators can shop 

for classroom supplies, 

school and office supplies, 

and craft supplies every 

Wednesday from 1-6 pm. 

Teachers in Dearborn County 

are encouraged to stop by 

during their summer break 

to shop and check out the 

variety of items in Creation 

Station. The Dearborn 

County Recycling Center 

also provides a free monthly 

delivery service during the 

school year for teachers in 

the school districts in Dearborn 

County, as well as the 

private schools in Lawrenceburg 

and Aurora. Creation 

Station is a great resource for 

newer teachers that are just 

starting to stock their classrooms 

with educational materials 

and supplies. Creation 

Station is not meant to supply 

a teacher with enough school 

supplies for an entire class. 

However, a teacher can get a 

few extra sets of notebooks, 

folders, or other supplies to 

help fill the needs of students 

that were not able to afford 

those items. 

If your students attend a 

school in Dearborn County, 

their classroom has probably 

benefited from supplies 

donated to Creation Station. 

You can help educators by 

donating gently used and 

new art supplies, school 

supplies, office supplies, and 

classroom supplies to the 

Creation Station. Donations 

can be dropped off in the 

Dearborn County Recycling 

Center Drive-Thru during 

normal business hours. A list 

of items that are accepted 

for donations can be found 

online at dearborncounty 

recycles.com/creation-station/. 

All donations and supplies 

in Creation Station are given 

to the educators for free. 

There is never any money 

exchanged for supplies taken 

or delivered to the schools. 

In fact, many teachers donate 

back to Creation Station their 

extra supplies and educational 

materials at the end of 

each school year. 

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! 


C 

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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. 

This issue features part two 

of chapter 12. The first half of 

the chapter can be found in 

the July issue of issue of The 

BEACON. 

By Mary M. Greiner Randell 

Chapter XII- Part 2 of 2 

At this place we used no 

matches. We had a big fireside 

and kept a hickory chunk 

covered with ashes that would 

hold fire for a week. 

When I was fourteen years 

old my father took me to 

Greeensburg to find a place to 

work. In those days, the girls 

would go to the minister’s 

house and the minister’s wife 

would find a job for her or 

maybe have lined up already. 

If the girl wanted to give her a 

piece of money she would 

Author 

Mary Randell 

take it, but 

she made no 

charge. I 

found a 

place with a 

young 

couple who 

had one 

child. In 

those days 

the working 

girls did the washing and the 

ladies all wore trails on their 

dresses. They would walk 

downtown that way with their 

skirts dragging the sidewalk. 

Every time they went out they 

had to put on a clean dress. It 

took more time to do up those 

dresses than to do all the other 

housework. 

About eight or nine o’clock 

at night I had to carry the 

baby to sleep while the parents 

were reading. Sometimes 

I would be so tired I would 

almost drop the baby. When 

I would tell the mother I was 

www. 

goBEACON 

news.com 

tired she would say, “Oh carry 

her a little while longer.” 

When I would stop walking 

the baby would cry. 

One day this lady took me 

to Cincinnati with her, and 

then it was worse than ever. 

She would go out to see her 

friends and I was left with the 

baby to take care of. We were 

there five weeks and if I could 

have found a different job I 

would not have come back 

with her. But in those days 

work was scarce. So when we 

came back she put on those 

long dresses again and I got 

tired of washing them. My 

mother came to see me and 

she acted so hateful that we 

sat up all night and the next 

morning my mother went 

home. I didn’t stay long after 

this. 

I wrote to Indianapolis and 

asked the minister’s wife to 

get me a place to work and 

told her that I would pay her 

for it. So I told the lady I was 

going and her sister found 

it out. The sister begged me 

to stay, but I said I couldn’t 

stay any longer. She was a 

very good woman; she and 

her husband went to the same 

church that I did and before I 

left they bought me a Bible. 

They told me to read it and 

not to forget that Jesus suffered 

and died on the cross to 

save the whole world. They 

prayed for me before I was 

converted. So I did what they 

told me. I have never forgotten 

those words. They have 

helped me all my life. 

When I went to Indianapolis 

to work I worked in another 

girl’s place until her mother 

got well. The name of this 

family was Tudweiler. But she 

didn’t get well, she died when 

she had been sick a month. 

Then the girl came back and 

I got another place to work. 

At this place I didn’t have to 

wash by myself. The lady of 

the house used to go out riding. 

She would take the children 

with her and one day one 

of the children took a spasm 

and fell off the seat onto the 

sidewalk. I heard her scream. 

I picked up the child and put 

it in a tub of warm water, then 

took it out and wrapped it in 

a flannel blanket. By this time 

the doctor had come and she 

asked him if that was the right 

thing to do. He said, “She 

couldn’t have done anything 

any better.” Then she asked 

me if I could unhitch a horse 

THE STORY OF MY LIFE 

Making My Own Way 

and I told her I had unhitched 

many a horse. 

I liked this place of work, 

but I was only a helper and 

I was afraid I would forget 

what I knew about cooking. 

In those days they didn’t have 

any cook books; at least I had 

never seen one. 

At another place where I 

worked they were American 

people. Mr. Span was a real 

estate man. The first child was 

John, the second James, the 

third child was a girl named 

Mamie, and the fourth child 

was Charley. This man would 

go to market and buy quail 

and wild ducks. One time he 

bought a half of a deer. He 

hung it in the wash house and 

his wife asked him where 

he expected us to wash our 

clothes. This was on Tuesday, 

and on Sunday I put the 

last of the deer in the oven to 

roast. There were ten in the 

family, counting an aunt and 

a niece. At this place they had 

a woman to help me wash, 

but not to iron. No shirts were 

sent to the laundry either, 

and in the winter the washing 

had to be carried up two 

long flights of stairs to the 

attic. These people had also 

a girl to do the upstairs work 

and wait on the table. They 

had a colored man to black 

their shoes every night and 

set them in the hall in a row. 

He tended the furnace every 

morning and took care of the 

yard. He went to market with 

Mr. Span and carried a heavy 

basket; and in the afternoon 

he took the family out riding. 

This man bought two houses, 

and had them moved away so 

he could have a place for the 

boys to play croquet. 

One day these boys brought 

home some limburger cheese 

and put it in the cupboard. 

Their mother was such a little 

woman that she couldn’t 

reach everything even when 

standing on a chair, so she 

had to hunt for it. They had 

put it in a tureen with a lid on 

it. The two oldest boys were 

about 20 years old when I 

worked there. After I left they 

went to New York, and when 

each came back brought a 

wife with him. The morning 

I left they gave me two vases 

and I have them yet. 

Well, in the next place I 

worked I could cook, and that 

suited me fine. They were 

Jewish people and believed 

in lots of cooking. I had 

chickens to dress and geese 

and ducks; and we surely did 

enjoy eating them. I learned to 

pluck geese before I got there. 

At this place I had big loads 

of wash. The girl that did 

the kitchen work always had 

to do the washing and the 

ironing. The upstairs girl had 

to wait on the table and take 

care of the children, and take 

them out in the evening and 

undress them and put them to 

bed. When it came her turn to 

go out and be free one afternoon 

each week and every 

other Sunday, I would take 

the children out. Of course, 

this pleased the mother very 

much. She would give me 

some money to spend for the 

children. One time we went 

to an outing and stayed until 

dark expecting to come home 

on the street car. When the 

first car came along it was 

crowded; then I waited for 

the second and it was more 

crowded, so we started to 

walk home. I put as many as 

I could in the baby buggy. 

There were four children and 

we were three miles from 

home. Sometimes I carried 

one on my arm and wheeled 

the buggy with the other hand. 

This gave me a lesson never 

to go that far from home 

again. I got three dollars a 

week at this place and all the 

clothes that I needed to wear. 

The names of this man and 

his wife were Mr. Lieberman 

Mosler and Rachel Mosler. 

The first child was called 

Issie, the second Isabel, 

the third Moras, the fourth 

Blanche, and the fifth Gertrude. 

It may be that some of 

them may come across this 

book. My name then was 

Mary Margaret Greiner, but 

they called me “Maggie.” 

There were eleven in this 

family, and I had to do all the 

cooking for that many outside 

of the wash days and ironing 

days- in those days they didn’t 

know anything about sending 

their clothes to the laundry. 

Skirts had to be done up at 

home, and in the winter I had 

to carry them up two flights of 

stairs to the attic to hang them 

up to dry. That was sixty years 

ago. 

With all this work I got 

only three dollars and a half 

a week. This was before girls 

could work in factories. Nowadays 

white working girls are 

scarce. With all the work I 

used to do, I would go to her 

sister’s next door and sew on 

the sewing machine. I made 

clothes for the children to get 

more money for myself. I was 

with this family five years 

and they liked me so well that 

they bought nearly all my 

clothes. When the nurse girl 

would have her afternoon off, 

I would arrange my work so 

that I could take the children 

out. I was also paid for that. 

That was on Thursday afternoons. 

While I stayed at this place 

the lady of the house went to 

Cincinnati to see her parents. 

She took one child with her 

and one Saturday night; the 

robbers cut the slates on the 

shutters and a piece of glass 

out of the window so they 

could unlatch the window. 

This was in the second story. 

The man slept in the same 

room where the children 

slept. We girls slept in the 

third story and never heard 

anything. He said he had $80 

in gold under his pillow. The 

robbers took that and his gold 

watch. 

Once when I was working 

at Indianapolis all or nearly 

all of the horses got sick and 

they had to send away to get 

oxen to pull the bakers wagons, 

the milk wagons and the 

butchers wagons. The folks 

that went to the grocery had 

to carry their goods home or 

do without. Those that had 

carriages had sick horses and 

those that didn’t have haulers 

to do it for them had to carry 

their goods home themselves. 

The hired girls had too much 

to do to go to the stores. 

In those days the girls had 

to pick (pluck) the feathers 

off chickens and dress 

them. Nowadays they go to 

www.GarrettBacomLaw.com 

204 Short St. 

Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 

812.260.8154 


the butcher shops and get 

the chickens all dressed, also 

geese and ducks and turkeys, 

quail and pigeons and guineas. 

Everything like that had 

to be done by the hired girls. 

The bare kitchen floors had 

to be scrubbed, kneeling; 

nowadays one uses mops and 

vacuum cleaners. 

When I was sixteen years 

old women wore dresses 

with trails when they went 

downtown. When they came 

back of course the dress had 

to go in the wash. In those 

days there was no laundry. If 

a girl didn’t know how to do 

up skirts, she couldn’t hold a 

job as kitchen girl. Kitchen 

girls had to do the cooking 

except on wash days when the 

upstairs girl had to do it. 

One thing I failed to mention 

was that hired girls would 

quit their jobs and get work in 

a new place to avoid buying 

new clothes. After this I got 

another place to work, with an 

American family, where I had 

to have lots of patience. The 

lady I worked for was always 

dissatisfied about everything. 

One day her minister’s wife 

came to see her and offered 

her a music box. But, she 

said, “I couldn’t stand any 

music.” Then the minister’s 

wife offered to bring her Polly 

parrot down to Mrs. Pattison 

for company, but she refused 

that too. Then the minister 

came to see her and she 

complained to him that the 

high board fence bothered her. 

He said, “Well there won’t be 

any in heaven,” and he went 

home. 

At this place I had time to 

sew. I got $2.50 a week and 

had a chance to make some 

of my wedding clothes. There 

were three in the family, Mr. 

and Mrs. Pattison, and a girl 

named Nellie. This girl laid 

her diamond ring down on a 

chair and three men came to 

put up a stove, but I saw the 

ring and saved it for her. 

This woman wasn’t very 

kind; she had trouble with 

her feet, and was very hard to 

please. So I did my sewing at 

the minister’s house. While I 

was there I also took care of 

her children, so the minister 

and his wife could go out 

calling among the members. 

One day she wanted me to do 

some stitching for her. I didn’t 

think it suited her, but I didn’t 

rip it out because I knew it 

was alright. 

I used to tell the minister’s 

children some of my childhood 

stories and I don’t think 

they had time to think of their 

father and mother, let alone 

cry after them. One day, when 

they came home, the children 

said, “I wish you and Daddy 

had stayed out longer, Mary 

has been telling us some 

stories.” Now, all those that 

can’t tell children stories 

should get a book and read to 

your children. A child likes to 

be entertained. I always loved 

children. Just two years ago, 

I was at my son’s house and a 

lady came with two children. 

She began to worry about 

them and I offered to take 

care of them. She said, “Oh, 

what a relief.” I showed them 

some pictures and when they 

got tired of those, I cut out the 

pictures and mixed some flour 

paste and spread newspapers 

on the floor. They pasted 

until they went home. I kept 

a wet cloth lying on a chair 

so I could wipe their hands. 

When they were just outside 

the door began to clean up the 

mess and it didn’t take five 

minutes. 

Children should be treated 

in such a way that they should 

have confidence in you 

and come to you with their 

troubles instead of going to 

the neighbors. I have raised 

seven good children.


How’s Your Garden Looking? 

Some of you are gifted with 

a green thumb. You have the 

right touch, attention, and 

know-how to make things 

grow. Me, not so much. My 

wife and I joke about our 

reputation for killing plants. 

We were once given an Air 

Fern as a gift with the statement, 

“You can’t kill this 

thing.” Guess what? We killed 

that sucker too! 

I don’t say this to brag but 

rather to say how pathetic we 

can be at taking care of things 

that we claim are important 

to us. The Bible speaks many 

times about the fruit of our labor. 

In particular, in Matthew 

7, Jesus makes several statements 

about what the fruit of 

someone’s labor reveals about 

them. Matthew 7:16-20 gives 

us several statements about 

the quality of the fruit that we 

are producing. “By their fruit, 

you will recognize them…”. 

As we are in the midst of 

our growing season we look 

at our gardens and have to 

make some decisions about 

what it is producing. Is it going 

to produce the amount and 

quality of fruit that we want to 

feed our family? If not, what 

do we need to do to get the 

garden back to good health; 

water, fertilize, weed, prune? 

Time is short, so we better do 

whatever is necessary to end 

the growing season well. 

The garden metaphor holds 

true in our lives. Consider 

these things to help you get 

your life back to a place of 

good health and start producing 

the life you desire. 

1. Make an honest assessment 

- Look at what you 

have in your life. Is it what 

you dreamed of and desired? 

Did you have a vision for a 

particular job, marriage, lifestyle, 

etc…? What does that 

look like today? Are you on 

M 

DEAR 

ARIE 

By 

Marie 

Segale 

marie@goBEACONnews.com 

Dear Marie, 

I was stirred by the column 

you wrote last month about 

retirement. 

I am a single retired person 

on a limited income. I live on 

Social Security. The investments 

I made have not produced 

the income I expected 

and my savings account has 

dwindled along with my 

bucket list. My list was never 

very detailed or exotic, the 

largest item being to see our 

beautiful country in my own 

big motor home. I wanted 

track? Are you happy with the 

progress? Are you frustrated 

and seem to be off course? 

Answer these kinds of questions 

with honesty to make 

your best decisions moving 

forward. 

2. Decide your next action 

steps - Fertilizing and 

Watering - Are you giving 

your life the daily essentials 

needed to grow? Daily habits 

and practices that build what 

you have. Going to work or 

school, taking care of yourself, 

taking care of relationships, 

practicing your faith. 

etc… Weeds- Are you so 

busy with things that take 

your energy away from what 

you want in your life? Do 

you need to reduce your 

busy schedule? Learn to say 

“NO” to being overly committed? 

Stop worrying about 

things you have no control 

over. Weeding is sometimes 

necessary because weeds steal 

energy and nutrients from 

what is good. Maybe it’s time 

to get rid of the things that are 

stealing your energy. Pruning 

- Are we doing things 

that simply take away from 

what we claim we want in our 

lives? Similar to the weeds 

that draw the nutrients and 

energy away from us, pruning 

is necessary because we are 

doing things that take energy 

away from ourselves. Even 

a healthy tree needs pruning 

sometimes, so it will bear 

more fruit. We may have to 

cut back on some good to get 

to the better things in life. We 

also have things and activities 

that we may see as “guilty 

pleasures” or “vices.” Do 

these things need to be pruned 

out of our lives? 

3. Protect your garden - 

Just like storms, intruders, 

and diseases that will attempt 

to destroy or steal from our 

to travel to see the countries 

from which my ancestors 

traveled in ships across the 

ocean in the 1800s. Realistically 

I knew I would never 

do those things by myself. I 

am more likely to read all of 

those books I said I wanted to 

read and perhaps learn to play 

chess. I may write that book 

that has been churning inside 

for many years. 

I believe some of my 

bucket list is still achievable, 

although travel may not be 

attainable. As I have gotten 

older, I can see how much 

effort is needed to travel. I’m 

not sure I have the energy or 

the desire anymore. 

So many have put off retirement 

until age seventy, and 

many have gone back to work 

because of need. I have seen 

some very elderly greeters 

at local stores. This whole 

retirement thing needs to be 

sorted out and planned before 

it begins. 

Linda in Dearborn 

gardens, we have the same in 

our lives. We must recognize 

that these things are possible 

and guard against them. It 

could be the unforeseen loss 

of a job, diagnosis of cancer, 

or a thief that breaks into our 

house or steals from our business. 

We must set up the necessary 

precautions to protect 

our future. 

4. Enjoy your fruit - A 

farmer doesn’t plant his 

crops only to give them all 

away and starve himself to 

death with nothing to eat. 

First and foremost, he reaps 

the benefits for himself and 

his family! He enjoys and is 

nourished by the fruits of his 

labor. He can sit back and 

see that what he was able to 

produce is good. One of the 

simplest pleasures in life is 

the feeling of contentment 

from a full stomach. In that 

moment there is a sense of 

being fulfilled. We too should 

take the time to have that fulfillment 

in our personal lives. 

It is what gives us the energy 

and hope to know that our life 

has a purpose well beyond 

ourselves. 

As we see this growing season 

coming to an end, take a 

moment to think about where 

you are in your life’s growing 

season. Are you producing 

the things you claimed you 

wanted? Or, are you getting 

more frustrated as you see a 

lack of production or a poor 

quality of production? Just 

as a quality garden must be 

grown intentionally, so too is 

a quality life that bears much 

fruit. 

Merrill Hutchinson is 

the President of Rock Solid 

Families, a faith-based marriage 

and family coaching 

organization in St. Leon, IN. 

For more information, contact 

812-576-ROCK. 

Dear Linda, 

You are so right. Having 

a retirement plan is more 

important now more than 

ever. The younger a person 

can start adding to a 401K or 

personal plan, the better the 

future will be for them. 

Having a bucket list of 

dreams to fulfill does not 

mean it has to wait for 

retirement. You can start a 

new hobby anytime- learn 

to dance, go bird watching, 

hiking, fishing, baking, 

mentoring, and volunteering. 

So many activities 

that are not expensive and 

can keep you active. Being 

with people having fun 

and laughing is important 

for one’s health at any age. 

Establish good habits while 

you are young to keep you 

going well into your golden 

years. 

Have a pressing issue? I 

can help. Please email your 

question to Contact Marie@ 

GoBEACONnews.com 

Join Our Team at Ripley Crossing 

The Joy of Giving 

Back! 

DCRTA and Foundation attendee Back Row: Pat 

Harper, Jo Sloan, Jascia Robinson, Etta Boswick, 

Janet Hart, Betty Bourquein, Mark Guard. Front Row: 

Cathy Mund, Judy Mosier, Peg Loots, Sharon Moder, 

Jim Pierce. 

Local Retired Teachers 

Win Statewide Awards 

Volunteerism among Dearborn County retired teachers took 

center stage at the 58th annual Representative Assembly of 

the Indiana Retired Teachers Association (IRTA). Long-time 

Sunman-Dearborn School Corporation teacher Jim Pierce 

received the Association Member Benefits Advisors Award in 

Area 10 for his outstanding service, receiving the Volunteer 

Clock Award. As well, Etta Bostwick, Marlene Dozier, and 

Janet Hart were honored for their continued volunteerism. 

The Dearborn County Retired Teachers Association (DCRTA) 

also completed the most total volunteer hours in the state with 

32,642 hours. Dearborn County also received Outstanding 

Awards for its public relations, communication, and website 

work. 

MEET OUR 

TALENTED TEAM 

Kelly Roark 

Family Nurse Practitioner 

Don’t be surprised if you see Kelly walking with a 

patient in the parking lot. Kelly takes extra steps 

to learn about patients before crafting the best 

diagnosis and remedy possible. This caring mom 

lives on a small farm with her family. She’s just 

another reason we are More than an Urgent Care. 

ripleycrossing.com 

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! 

Ripley Crossing is a beautiful 

Senior Health Campus. Services range 

from Independent Living 

to specialized dementia care. 

Excellent pay and Benefits. 

Call today for more information 

812-654-2231 

ACCUDOCURGENTCARE.COM 

PAMPERED PETS 

CERTIFIED GROOMER 

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SMALL CLIENTELE FOR BEST RESULTS 

CALL 513-374-9231 MAUREEN 

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Specializing in Yorkies, Shih Tzu’s, Lhasa’s, 

Smaller Terrier Breeds and Other Small Dogs 

BOARDING AVAILABLE 



Sue and Jeff French in 

Luckenbach Texas for 

the 48th Annual Luckenbach 

Texas Hug-In 

Dance. 

B 

eacon 

Vacation 

John and Nikki Wood, Lawrenceburg, and Annette and Matt Meltebrink, Aurora, took 

the BEACON on an Alaskan cruise. They also explored Juneau, Alaska. 

TAKE YOUR 

BEACON 

ON 

VACATION 

If business or 

pleasure takes you 

out of town, 

bring your 

hometown 

newspaper along 

for the trip. 

Send your photo, 

displaying the 

Beacon, 

to 

editor@ 

goBEACON news. 

com 

Please include 

where you live. 

It’s interesting 

to see how 

well-traveled our 

readers are! 

Cathy and Don Siemers 

of Greendale enjoying 

a round of golf in Evergreen, 

Colarado. 

Elementary/middle school/high school friends from Milan’s Class of 1981 had a 

girls’trip. Front row Angela Kroner Rivera, Diane Laws Alloway, Linda Volz Meyer, 

Sheryl Hankins Ison. Back row: Billie Jo Kraus Bresnen (from Hamilton, OH), Lisa 

Spaulding Snow (now resides in Georgia ), Lori Mullins Hundt (now in Bremen, IN), Jill 

Belew Burns (now in KY), and Debbie Scudder Stutler, Florida. 

Next 

Beacon 

Ad Deadline 

July 24 


thank you to Bright 

Fire and EMS 

Absolute Web Marketing 

AmeriFirst Mortgage 

Andres-Wuestefeld 

Funeral Home 

At The Barn Winery 

Beacon News, INc. 

Blasdel Inc. 

CalComm LLC 

Casey’s Outdoor Solutions 

Civista Bank 

Cornerstone Realty 

Edward Jones/Lonny Barnett 

First Financial Bank 

Five Star Building Inspections 

Friendship Insurance 

Friendship State Bank 

George’s Family Pharmacy 

Gibbons Insurance Agency 

Gutapfel Roofing 

Hidden Valley Golf Club 

Indiana Region 9 

JDC Remodeling 

Jay Knowles Real Estate/ 

Keller Williams Realty 

Lawrenceburg Public Library 

(North Dearborn) 

Logan Supermart 

Lutz Auction Services 

Mansfield Insurance Agency 

Merilees’s Hardware & 

Supply 

Millennium Business Systems 

Nicotine Action Alliance 

One Dearborn, Inc. 

Optimum Chiropractic 

Quad BBQ 

Schindler Wildlife Solutions 

TriForce Fitness LLC 

Trinity Design & Remodel 

Tri-Township Water 

Corporation 

www.brightareabusinesses.com 


debbystutz.thebeacon@yahoo.com 

August 2023 THE BEACON Page 1B 

S 

BEACON 

PORTS 

SCENE 

By 

Chris Jack 

Nobbe 

Zoller 

beaconsports 

@live.com 

sports@goBEACONnews.com 

PRIME CUTS 

NOW AVAILABLE 

East Central Track- 

State Placers 

East Central Track and Field 

coach Ashley Andres celebrated 

two relay teams placing at 

the IHSAA State Finals. The 

two teams would bookend the 

running events for the meet 

and would both come away 

with hardware. 

The 4 x By 800-meter relay 

Maxine 

team has Klump been pursuing and 

inching toward a new school 

record throughout Community the season. 

They began Correspondent the day with a 

tremendous performance that 

maxineklump.thebeacon@yahoo.com 

would see the Lady Trojan 

team of Erika Wells, Ashtyn 

Gindling, Rachel Campbell, 

and Callie Bentley finally set 

the new school record with a 

time of 9:18.2, and in doing so, 

they placed sixth in the state. 

The 4 x 400-meter relay 

kept the same athletes save for 

Jorjia Ferguson in the place of 

Gindling for the sprint event. 

This team competed in the second 

of three heats at the state 

finals, which is not among the 

nine fastest teams to qualify, 

so they were competing in the 

race as well as with the clock 

in an attempt to place. 

The team won the second 

section of the finals but would 

have to wait to see if their 

posted time would best the 

teams in the “fastest” section 

of qualifiers. The team 

recorded a time of 3:55.87. 

When all the dust settled from 

the last section, the Lady Trojans 

would beat six of them to 

place fourth. 

All-State Softball Picks 

The Indiana Softball 

Coaches’ Association recently 

awarded honors to some of 

the top players in the state 

for this past year. Two local 

softball players were chosen 

as members of the 3A/4A 

Third Team All-State. South 

Dearborn senior Cori Cornett 

and Franklin County sophomore 

Brooke Stang were each 

picked by the coaches around 

the state for their tremendous 

play throughout the season. 

Congratulations to them both 

and their coaches and programs 

represented as well. 

Ben Riehle Competes in 

State Finals 

Milan junior Ben Riehle 

competed in the IHSAA State 

Track and Field State Finals 

Steer-Rite Farm 

Grain Fed Home Raised Beef 

*All Steaks, Briskets, & Roasts are weighed & priced 

Filet Mignon 

Ribeye (Boneless) 

New York Strip 

T-Bone Steak 

Top Sirloin Steak 

Sirloin Steak 

Flank steak 

Sirloin Tip Roast 

Chuck Roast 

Brisket 

Stew Meat 

Beef short ribs 

18 - 1/3 lb. Steak Burger 

Patties 

Bulk 

Ground Beef 

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 

IATCCC Hall of Fame inductee 

Chris Giesting with 

his high school coach Lisa 

Gausman. (Photo courtesy 

of Lisa Gausman) 

on June 2. He qualified in the 

400-meter dash and finished 

16th overall with a time of 

49.61. Riehle competed last 

year and placed 21st in the 

same event. This is also the 

third year in a row that Milan 

has had a state entry in the 

event with Peyton Cavins 

finishing 25th in 2021. Hopefully, 

next year will result in an 

Indian on the podium. 

Charlie Schebler Ninth 

Bulldog To Play in North- 

South Game 

Batesville senior baseball 

standout Charlie Schebler 

was chosen to compete as 

a member of the South All- 

Star team. The North-South 

All-Star Game is put on each 

year by the Indiana Baseball 

Coaches Association and has 

some different rules in effect 

in an effort to allow all of the 

players chosen to play in the 

games. 

Schebler, who led the Bulldogs 

in nearly every offensive 

category for the season, was 

selected as a third baseman 

and was able to contribute well 

in Saturday’s games where the 

teams split a pair of one-run 

games. 

In the first game on Saturday, 

Schebler served as a pinch 

hitter and then played the field. 

He went 1 for 2 with a double 

and an RBI as well as getting 

a stolen base. He also helped 

complete a double play in the 

game. The South team would 

win the first game 4-3. 

Schebler would again go 1 

for 2 in the second game of the 

day playing as a designated 

hitter. The South served as 

the home team in the second 

game. Schebler recorded a 

double, a stolen base, and 

scored a run for the South, but 

the North would win the second 

game by a score of 6-5. 

 

 

 

Jorjia Ferguson, Callie Bentley, 

Rachel Campbell, and 

Erika Wells placed fourth in 

the 4x400 relay at the IH- 

SAA State Championships. 

(Photo courtesy of Ashley 

Andres) 

Batesville’s Charlie Schebler 

with Batesville head coach 

Tyler Burcham. (Photo courtesy 

of Tyler Burcham and 

Batesville High School) 

Schebler is the ninth Bulldog 

to be selected from the program 

for this series of games. 

The teams selected three 

players for a home run derby 

and then played a wooden 

bat game to finish out the 

weekend. Congratulations to 

Charlie Schebler on the honor 

and for his performance in the 

games. 

Sam Bond Leads State in 

Home Runs for Season 

Sam Bond, a leader on the 

East Central baseball team this 

past season, was also a leader 

in the state in the home run 

category. Bond led the state 

with 13 home runs for the 

season, which also ranks high 

nationally. 

Chris Giesting Inducted 

into Indiana Hall of Fame 

Batesville native Chris 

Giesting, who now resides in 

South Carolina, was recently 

honored with induction to the 

Indiana Association of Track 

and Cross Country Coaches 

Hall of Fame as an athlete. Giesting 

was a high school standout 

who won the state title in 

the 400-meter dash in 2011 as 

a senior for the Bulldogs. 

He would go on to win the 

Midwest Meet of Champions 

that year among other top high 

 

 

Erika Wells, Ashtyn Gindling, 

Rachel Campbell, and Callie 

Bentley set a new school 

record and placed sixth at 

the IHSAA Championships. 

(Photo courtesy of Ashley 

Andres) 

EC tennis player Payton 

Pies is shown holding the 

sectional crown she and 

her teammates won. (Photo 

courtesy of EC Athletics) 

school runners from the region 

of the nation. His time of 46.89 

in his final race is still considered 

to be the fastest time ever 

run by a Hoosier high school 

athlete. 

Upon graduation from 

Batesville High School, Giesting 

went on to an impressive 

career at the University of 

Notre Dame where he earned 

All-American status several 

times in both the indoor and 

outdoor championships as well 

as setting school records for 

the Irish in both individual and 

relay events. 

After his illustrious career 

at the amateur level, Giesting 

began competing professionally 

after college. Giesting 

ran for Team USA and won a 

gold medal as a member of the 

4x400 relay team at the 2016 

World Indoor Track and Field 

Championships. He would also 

compete at the 2016 Olympic 

Trials attempting to earn a spot 

on the United States roster for 

the 2016 Games. 

When he later began competing 

in the 800 instead of 

the 400, he continued to find 

success. In 2018, he helped 

to set a new world record in 

the indoor 4x800 relay with 

a time of 7:11.30. What an 

honor for his accomplishments 

in high school as well 

as recognition of a tremendous 

career in the sport. 

EC’s Payton Pies Finishes 

With Accolades on the Court 

East Central senior tennis 

player Payton Pies was named 

to the All-District Team for the 

second consecutive year. Pies 

was both the EIAC and Sectional 

singles champion this 

past season along with helping 

the Trojans to a sectional title. 

FALL CLASSES START AUGUST 21 

ENROLL 

NOW 

Flexible class offerings include 

in-person, virtual, and online 

to help fit into your schedule! 

APPLY NOW AT IVYTECH.EDU/APPLY 

VISIT OUR 

CAMPUSES IN 

LAWRENCEBURG & 

BATESVILLE 

Go to 

IvyTech.edu/Visit 

to schedule 

a tour 

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

Page 2B THE BEACON August 2023 

BRIGHT/ 

SUGAR RIDGE 

By 

Bob 

Waples 

Community 

Correspondent 

O 

ur 

Communities 

bright@goBEACONnews.com 

A few weeks back, I had the 

pleasure of meeting a young 

man whose story I found not 

only fascinating but courageous 

and heartwarming as 

well. I am speaking of Benjamin 

(Ben) Parniuk, the son 

of Bright residents Donna and 

Alex Parniuk. After leaving 

his job as a chef in Seattle, 

Ben traveled to Kyiv, Ukraine 

where he now serves as a volunteer 

cook for an organization 

called Magic Food Army. 

The group prepares and serves 

food to the Ukrainian Special 

Forces on the southern 

front of the war. Ben’s Dad 

(from Ukraine) was born in a 

refugee camp. He immigrated 

to the US with his parents and 

aunt when he was four years 

of age. 

Ben, a graduate of East 

Central High School, played 

soccer during his high school 

years. He also earned the 

Men’s Soccer Trojan Award. 

He went on to earn a degree 

from Purdue. Ben is a Hoosier 

and especially one of our own 

in Bright. He is so proud to be 

an American but had great difficulty 

sitting by and watching 

his ancestral country fight for 

its freedom. He was driven to 

do something to help. 

Ben sold his car and all his 

belongings to pay for his oneway 

ticket to Ukraine, At the 

end of May he made the journey 

to Ukraine. I try to touch 

base with him once a week or 

so just to let him know he is 

in my thoughts and prayers. 

I hope all of you will do the 

same and bring Ben home 

safely. Thank you and be safe, 

Ben, as you follow your heart 

in this effort. 

The Bright High School 

reunion was recently held. 

The photo shown is somewhat 

deceiving. One would think 

the two ladies just graduated 

in the past few years, not 

eighty-plus years ago! Congratulations 

and a BIG hug to 

Ben Parniuk communicates 

online from Kyiv. 

A picture of two beautiful 

ladies at the recent Bright 

High School reunion, Thelma 

Stutz and Faye Pope. 

Bob Waples and Nancy 

Condon visited Holland/ 

South Haven, MI. 

Thelma 

Stutz 

and 

Faye 

Pope. 

Congratulations 

to Liz 

Morris 

for 

being 

elected 

The De Zwaan 

windmill. 

President of the Association 

of Indiana Counties, Southeast 

District. Thanks for your 

service to our county, Liz. 

Finally, my Sis (Nancy 

Condon) and I took a mini 

trip to Holland/South Haven, 

MI, in mid-June. We visited 

the De Zwaan windmill in 

Holland, the only authentic 

working Dutch windmill in 

the US. It is two hundred 

fifty-one years old and was 

brought to the US in 1964. 

Enjoy your summer and 

remember…. “The one thing 

that I regret as an adult is 

growing up.” 

The Gators swim team members at Hidden Valley. 

HIDDEN 

VALLEY LAKE 

By 

Vivian Kist 

Community 

Correspondent 

hvl@goBEACONnews.com 

All the outdoor activity is 

evidence that many people in 

HVL are enjoying the summer 

of 2023! I hope you have participated 

in the many special 

activities offered by our community! 

As you read this article, 

two of our major summer 

holidays are in the rearview 

mirror, but many warm and 

sunny days are yet to come for 

you to soak up the sun, enjoy 

the beautiful nature trail, play 

volleyball on the beach, go 

for a swim at the pool, play 

pickleball with friends, play 

a round of golf, go fishing 

for that elusive seven-pound 

bass, or try a new and daring 

maneuver wakeboarding or 

water skiing. 

Since our nation’s founding, 

fireworks have been an 

integral part of celebrating our 

independence. HVL residents 

and their guests celebrated our 

nation’s two hundred fortyseventh 

birthday with another 

spectacular fireworks display. 

Parades and picnics were on 

tap for the day with hundreds 

of people participating in 

the bike parade and the boat 

HARRISON 

By 

Amanda 

Kirchner 

Community 

Correspondent 

harrison@goBEACONnews.com 

An improvement project 

will be starting in the summer 

of 2023 on West Road 

overpass of I-74. The road 

will be expanded to include 

a seven-foot-wide pedestrian 

walkway and add muchneeded 

lighting. The overpass 

Boats gathering on the lake to watch the fireworks. 

is on the section of West Road 

between Harrison Avenue and 

Countryview Drive. 

This overpass accommodates 

many people on foot or 

on bikes who cross daily. 

Currently, no sidewalk or 

extra space is available on the 

side of the overpass bridge 

roadway for pedestrians 

to cross safely. Sadly, in 

September of 2018, a fatality 

occurred when a woman 

walking across the bridge on 

a very dark and rainy night 

was struck by a car. This 

tragic death lead to a safety 

grant by the Ohio Department 

of Transportation (ODOT) 

parade on the main lake. 

The annual Kids Fishing 

Derby was held at Lake Melody. 

This event was sponsored 

by the Fish and Game Club, 

HVL Lakes Committee, and 

the HVL POA. The lake was 

stocked with over five hundred 

catfish which provided 

a great fishing experience for 

HVL families and young anglers. 

Prizes were awarded for 

the biggest, smallest, and most 

fish caught. 

Each month the HVL 

Garden Club identifies one 

homeowner as the “Yard of 

the Month” and awards a 

$50 gift certificate. Ron and 

Cindy Barton won the award 

in June and gave us all something 

beautiful to look at as 

we drove along Alpine Drive. 

The Gator Swim Team’s 

2023 season has ended. The 

Gators again broke several 

existing records! However, 

looking back, the most important 

part of being an HVL 

Gator was not just the opportunity 

to become an accomplished 

swimmer but to also 

create lasting friendships and 

build strong character. Please 

continue to support the new 

HVL Snack Shack at the pool 

so this very important summer 

program will continue! 

Mondays are open golf days 

at Hidden Valley Golf Club 

except if a special event is 

scheduled. Contact the Pro 

Shop to check availability. 

Reservations for the Cincinnati 

Reds Community Night 

on Sept. 9 are being taken. 

The Reds will be playing the 

St. Louis Cardinals. Get your 

tickets early - this event is 

always a sell-out and a great 

time for all! For additional 

information or to purchase 

tickets, visit https://fevogm. 

com/event/Hiddenvalley. 

A reminder that the HVL 

Board of Directors meetings 

are held on the fourth Thursday 

of every month. Plan to 

attend if you are interested in 

HVL Future Planning, upcoming 

events, and any new 

business issues. 

to fund a majority of the 

overpass update while the 

City of Harrison funded the 

remainder. 

Watch for different traffic 

patterns or possible detours 

on the West Road overpass 

during this project. The 

update is expected to be 

completed in 2024. 

Per ODOT, in 2025 the 

Dry Fork Road overpass 

expansion project is set to 

start which will widen the 

overpass to include turn lanes. 

Both expansion projects 

are a welcomed improvement 

to our growing Harrison 

community. 

Try Our 

New 

Entrees! 

Try Our 

New 

Entrees! 

Try Our 

New 

Entrees! 

*Lime Only 

$3.99 Margaritas 

ALL DAY Monday 



*Lime Only 

*Lime Only 



24486 Stateline Road 

Bright 

$2.49 Bottle 

domestic beer 

Saturday 

$2.49 Bottle 

domestic beer 

Saturday 

$2.49 Bottle 

domestic beer 

Saturday 

We accept 

(Limit competitor’s 

$5 maximum per 

coupons 

$30 Or More. 

coupon When You Spend 

(Limit Or 1/2 $5 price maximum on 2nd per coupon 

meal. 

Not When Valid You Friday Spend or $30 Saturday.) Or More. 

Or 1/2 price on 2nd meal. 

Not Valid Friday or Saturday.) 

812-747-7262 

812-747-7262 


Try Our 

New 

Entrees! 

Buy 24486 1 Lunch Stateline or Road Dinner 

Bright 

at regular price 

Get 1 Lunch We or accept Dinner 

competitor’s 

at 1/2 coupons price 

Excludes steaks (Limit $5 and maximum seafood 

per coupon 

When You Spend $30 Or More. 

Expires Aug. July Or 1/2 12, 11, price on 2023 2016 2nd meal. 


Not Valid Fri. or Sat. 

Not valid with 812-747-7262 

daily specials. 

*Lime Only 



Try Our 

New 

Entrees! 

$2.49 Bottle 

domestic beer 

Saturday 

24486 Stateline Road 

$5 Bright 

off purchase of 

on 

$30 

purchase We of accept 

$30 

Expires Aug. 12, 2023 

Expires Not Valid July competitor’s 

Fri. 11, or 2016 Sat. 

Not Valid Fri. 

coupons 

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

Not valid When 

with You Spend 

daily $30 Or More. 

specials. 

*Lime Only 



$2.49 Bottle 

domestic beer 

Saturday 

$5 off on 

Or 1/2 price on 2nd meal. 


812-747-7262 

Buy 1 Lunch 

at regular 

Get 1 Lunch o 

at 1/2 p 

Excludes steaks a 

Expires July 1 

Not Valid Fri 

Not valid with da 

$5 off 

purchase 

Expires July 

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Buy 1 

a 

Get 1 

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$ 

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LOGAN 

By 

Susan 

Carson 

Community 

Correspondent 

O 

ur 

Communities 

ST. LEON 

By 

Debbie A. 

Zimmer 

Community 

Correspondent 

logan@goBEACONnews.com 

stleon@goBEACONnews.com 

Randy Lutz, auctioneer and 

farmer, recently contacted Tom 

Beck, a farmer on Mt. Pleasant 

Road to ask if he and his 

son Jeffrey could take care of 

a twin calf that wasn’t feeding 

well. Tom’s son Jeffrey, 

is a twenty-seven-year-old 

Special Needs individual who 

is non-verbal and goes to New 

Horizons Rehabilitation. The 

history between the Beck and 

the Lutz families goes way 

back. Randy’s grandmother 

Helen Lutz (nee Nowlin) grew 

up on the farm where the Becks 

now live. One year when Helen 

was a child, she and her twin 

sister went with their mother 

to take lunch to the men who 

were working in the fields on 

Sawdon Ridge. They walked 

down through the valley from 

Mt. Pleasant and up to Sawdon 

Ridge on the other side. Helen’s 

sister was wearing the new pair 

of shoes she had just gotten. 

When they got home, she had 

developed a huge blister on her 

foot. Subsequently, the blister 

became infected, and she died. 

In 1962, Helen’s brother, 

Norman Nowlin, and his wife 

Mary were living on the farm 

and Tom’s parents, Don and 

Audrey Beck, were living ½ 

mile north of the Logan corner, 

also on Mt. Pleasant Road. 

The Becks had purchased the 

Nowlin farm, and the Nowlins 

Jeffrey Beck feeding his calf 

(4 weeks old), along with his 

dad, Tom. 

were moving 

to the 

Beck house. 

So, they 

used a silage 

wagon (because 

it had 

sideboards) 

to move the 

furniture. 

Load up at 

Beck’s, and 

take it to 

Nowlin’s. 

The Logan 

water tower- 

FINISHED! 

Load up Nowlin’s, take it to 

Beck’s, and so on. 

During this time, farmers 

typically also had dairy herds. 

The family names of Beck 

(Clyde and Don), Steele, Gellert, 

and Lutz were the Logan 

names that I recall. By 1978, 

the Becks had sold their herd 

to Dale Lutz, Randy’s Dad. 

Continuing with the spirit of 

neighbors and friends, Dale 

taught Tom (age 21) to drive 

a school bus, which he did 

for many years. Tom recently 

retired from driving under 

Randy’s watch. 

So, what is that calf’s name? 

Tom’s first idea was to call 

her Lutzielle, but his wife said 

“no”. Her name is Randi. 

St. Leon Volunteer Fire 

Department will be having its 

Firemen’s Festival on Friday 

and Saturday, Aug. 4-5. Come 

out to St. Leon for some good 

food and have a great time. 

We always need volunteers to 

help with this huge event- get 

in touch with me at stleon@ 

goBEACONnews.com if you 

would like to help out in any 

way. Your help will be greatly 

appreciated. (See ad on page 

8B) 

Cooper Barrett celebrated 

his twelfth birthday and Ciara 

Barrett celebrated her third 

birthday on June 14 with 

friends and family. 

St. Joseph American Legion 

Post 464 recently completed 

the installation of their impressive 

Purple Heart Monument 

dedicated to all of our 

veterans who were wounded 

in the wars. The Post also presented 

a fifty-year membership 

award to Chuck Hautman 

on Memorial Day. 

Deepest sympathies go out 

to the families of Amy Bulach 

Kurelic, Ed Osman, and Betty 

Dunbar. Also to the family of 

Evelyn Wagner who recently 

passed at the age of 100. Our 

thoughts and prayers are with 

all of their family members. 

A total of ninety-eight donors 

participated in the recent 

Hoxworth Blood Drive at St. 

Cooper Barrett 

Joseph American Legion Post 

464. A big thank you to all 

who came to give their time to 

help save someone’s life! 

This year’s Girl Scout day 

camp at Lake in the Pines was 

a huge success according to 

Sally Bertram. Thank you so 

much to Terry and Fawn Williamson, 

Veronica Mullins 

and her crew, Sally’s husband 

and children, program aids, 

all the leaders, lifeguards, arts 

& crafts ladies, cooks, and 

most of all Neil and Christy 

Roy. This completes Sally’s 

twenty-eighth year of camp. 

All of the campers and adult 

volunteers had a great time. 

This year’s theme was Blast 

Off in the Pines. Thank you to 

everyone who posted pictures 

for all to see. 

Ciara Barrett 

Chuck Hautman 

A very special birthday 

wish goes out to my nephew 

and godson, Steven Kramer, 

on Aug. 1. Hope you have a 

wonderful day, Steve! 

Get in touch with me with 

any news items for the column 

at stleon@goBEACONnews. 

com 

#theplace2play 

Visit Southeast Indiana 

August 2023 

Various Dates – Lawrenceburg 

Farmer’s Market - Saturdays, June - 

Mid October 9:00am-1:00pm. Info: www. 

downtownlawrenceburg.com. 

August 2 – River City Classic Car 

Club Cruise In - 5:30pm - 8:30pm. Info: 

812-221-0205 or 812-614-2644. Second Street, 

Aurora, IN near Ohio River & Gabbard Park. 

August 3 – B-I-N-G-0 2023 - Doors 

open at 6:00 pm, games begin at 7:00 pm. 

Aurora City Park Pavilion. Enjoy a fun night 

out and the opportunity to win grand 

BINGO prizes. Benefits Hillforest Museum. 

Reservations are required. Call 812-926-0087. 

Cost $25.00. Info: www.hillforest.org 

August 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31 – Music 

on the River - Free live music. 7:00pm 

- 9:00pm at Lawrenceburg Civic Park. Info: 

www.downtownlawrenceburg.com 

August 4 & 5 – St Leon Volunteer 

Firemen’s Festival - Admission Free, 

Music, Games, Refreshments, Food, Fun for 

everyone. 28870 St. Joe Drive, St. Leon off 

State Road 1 North. Info: 513-407-0455. 

August 4, 11, 18, 25 – 

Lawrenceburg Motorcycle 

Speedway - Dearborn County 

Fairgrounds, Lawrenceburg, IN. Registration 

@5pm; Racing @ 7:30pm. www. 

lawrenceburgmotorcyclespeedway.net 

August 5-19 – Southeastern 

Indiana Art Guild 11th Annual 

Regional Show - 302 Second Street. 

Info: www.southeasternindianaartguild.org 

August 5-Sept 30 – Art Exhibition 

in Friendship Gallery - Reception 

August 11th. 12926 Bank Street, Dillsboro, 

IN. Exhibition features portraits. Info: 812- 

907-0504 or www.dillsboroarts.org. 

August 5, 12, 19, 26 – Party on the 

Patio - At The Barn Winery. Live Music at 

7pm. Info: www.atthebarnwinery.com 

August 5, 11 – Holtkamp Winery 

- Live Music 7-10pm at Holtkamp Winery, 

10868 Woliung Road, Sunman, IN. 513-602- 

5580. www.holtkampwinery.com 

August 5 – Lawrenceburg 

Speedway - Kelsey Chevrolet Sprints, KOI 

Auto Parts Modifieds, Impact Sports Pure 

Stocks, Bessler’s U Pull & Save Hornets. Info: 

www.lawrenceburgspeedway.com 

August 6 – 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. 

August 12 – 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. 

August 12 – 2023 Fire Truck 

Pull - 12-4pm. Benefits Special Olympics 

Indiana - Ripley-Ohio-Dearborn 

Counties. Lawwrenceburg Civic Park. Teams 

compete to pull a fully loaded firetruck 

weighing 74,000 pounds. Info: 812-584-6861 

or www.soindiana-rod.org. 

August 12 – 812 Day - Celebrating 

Community in the 812 Area Code. Info: 

812-537-2275. 

August 17-19 – Aurora City Wide 

Yard Sale - 9:00am - 2:00pm. Info: www. 

aurora.in.us 

August 18 – Get Wine(d) and 

Dine(d) in Downtown Aurora - 

5-9pm. Pickup participant card at Main Street 

Aurora, 231 Main Street. Info: www.aurora. 

in.us. 

August 19 – Whiskey City Summer 

Fest - a celebration of summer sun and 

music in the streets of Lawrenceburg 

featuring Austin Tyler Lee featuring Josh 

Wells, Dallas Moore and Confederate 

Railroad. Info: www.downtownlawrenceburg. 

com/summer-fest. 

August 19 – Youth Archaeology 

Club - 424 Walnut Street, Lawrenceburg, IN. 

10am-12pm. Open to all students grades 6-8. 

Learn about different aspects of archaeology 

with real archaeologists! Experience an 

archaeological excavation and go on field 

trips to different archaeological sites. To 

register. www.exploreari.org 

August 19 – Dearborn/Ohio 

County Relay For Life - Todd Creech 

Park, Lawrenceburg, IN. 

August 24 – Aurora Historic 

District Churches Walking Tour - 

6:30pm - Meet at 231 Main Street. Info: 

www.aurora.in.us. 

August 26 – Main Street Aurora’s 

Play Music on the Porch Day - Info: 

www.aurora.in.us. 

August 29 – Shakespeare in the 

Park - Live theater comes to Lawrenceburg 

Civic Park. 7-9pm. Free to the public. Info: 

www.downtownlawrenceburg.com/ 

shakespeare-in-the-park. 

Dearborn County 

Convention, Visitor and Tourism 

320 Walnut St. • Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 • 800-322-8198 

www.VisitSoutheastIndiana.com 



BATESVILLE 

By 

Sue 

Siefert 

Community 

Correspondent 

O 

ur 

Communities 

batesville@goBEACONnews.com 

The St. Louis School 

Student Council members 

visited the Ronald McDonald 

House of Greater Cincinnati 

to deliver one hundred twenty 

pounds of pop can tabs and 

donations students collected 

throughout the year. Way to 

serve others, Cardinals! 

Keeping Batesville Beautiful 

Visitors to Batesville often 

comment on the attractiveness 

of the downtown and parks 

areas as well-kept flower 

gardens, hanging baskets and 

planters of blooms adorn our 

quaint community and are the 

result of one of Batesville’s 

most admired organizations, 

the Batesville Beautification 

League “BBL”. Founded in 

1949 by a group of civicminded 

ladies and originally 

called The Garden Club, it 

underwent a name change to 

the BBL in 1961. While ladies 

comprise the majority of the 

BBL’s roster, several men 

have aided the organization’s 

efforts through the years and 

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER 

BRINGS TIME TO READ 

IT’S NOT HOARDING, IF IT’S BOOKS 

101 N Walnut, Batesville, IN | 812 934 5800 

Hours: Closed Sun-Mon Tues-Fri 11-5 

Sat 11-2 by chance, please call 

Over 250,000 used books on hand for trade or ½ Price 

Used books are now accepted in limited quantities 

Your Local Independent Booksellers since 1980 Chris & Ken Fairchild 

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 

St. Louis Student Council members. Back: Belle Young, Olivia 

Leising, Rebecca Durham. Middle: Middle: Avery Austin, 

Damien Brelage. Front: Leigh Walmsley, Lillian Scheibler, 

Maci Smith, Mary Kara Wanstrath, and Cayden Lieland 

BBL members Betsy Bauer 

and Jeannie Gutzwiller 

beautify the downtown area. 

BBL President Clara Goble 

and member Jeannie 

Siefert preparing the 

Christmas stars. 

continue to do so today. 

BBL president, Clara 

Goble, shared, “This year 

we planted over five hundred 

sixty-eight plants throughout 

downtown and 395 begonias 

at Liberty Park in addition 

to the 70 hanging baskets. 

Through the years we have 

purchased three bronze 

statues, benches, and cement 

planters and have provided 

funds for the Mayor’s Youth 

Council for the flowers at the 

Liberty Park entrance. The 

Parks Department does an excellent 

job of keeping everything 

watered throughout the 

summer and greatly assists as 

we change our displays.” 

The BBL’s efforts go beyond 

the flowering season as 

they help establish the city’s 

Christmas glow. From stringing 

thousands of lights and 

adding yuletide greens and 

wooden décor to the city’s 

planters, they ensure a warm 

holiday welcome for Santa 

and all who visit during the 

holidays. Members return 

in the spring to decorate the 

planters at Easter and later 

transform the planters with 

summertime blooms. 

Ms. Goble added, “We are 

fortunate to have dedicated 

Every First 

Sunday 

May - October 

Indiana’s Largest “Antiques & Vintage-Only” Market 

artists at Batesville Community 

Schools, St. Louis School, 

and Oldenburg Academy who 

create many of the wooden 

decorations that we add to 

our planters. It takes a village 

– and we have a village full 

of dedicated volunteers! We 

meet the first Friday of each 

month and always welcome 

new members!” 

Thanks to the BBL for 

keeping Batesville beautiful 

since 1949! 

Sunday, July 2, 2023 

Upcoming Shows: 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 

SDHS Archery Team, Coach Matt Crisswell, Abigail German, 

Calvin Cowell, Jon McClanahan, Jackson Chipman, 

Makayla Hiltenbeitel, Jacob Post, Adam Strasemeier, 

Austin Hoskins, Savanah Dietrich, Andin Oles, Trevor 

Drew, Brayden Huddletson, Makayla Crisswell, Coach 

Robin Monday 

MANCHESTER 

By 

Lisa 

West 

Community 

Correspondent 

manchester@goBEACONnews.com 

Manchester has been hitting 

some bullseyes lately! 

Manchester resident Makayla 

Crisswell has helped ‘shoot’ 

the South Dearborn High 

School Archery team to a very 

successful year. Based on 

outstanding scores in previous 

competitions, the team 

qualified for the 2023 NASP 

(National Archery School 

Program) World Competition. 

Out of all the top US schools, 

SD placed 23rd! Sophomore 

Makayla notched a score of 

288 out of 300, which placed 

her first in the girl’s sophomore 

division and fourteenth 

out of three hundred fifty-six 

US high school girl archers. 

Senior Jackson Chipman 

of Moores Hill shot 292 out of 

300 and came in sixth in the 

boy’s senior division boys and 

twelfth out of three hundred 

fifty-three high school boy 

archers. 

The 2022/23 high school 

archery team consisted of thirteen 

athletes, and was coached 

by Robin Chipman Monday, 

Makayla Crisswell, SDHS 

Girls Sophomore Archery 

World Champion 

who is also Jackson’s mom. 

The assistant coach was Matt 

Crisswell, who is Makayla’s 

dad. Coach Monday has been 

a part of the school program 

since its inception eight years 

ago, and Coach Crisswell 

joined as an assistant coach 

three years ago. 

In addition to archery, 

Makayla is an SDHS Varsity 

Cheerleader, Honor Roll 

student, and Officer in FFA 

(Future Farmers of America). 

She commented, “Based on 

where I started, I’m surprised 

I was able to make it as far 

as I have in the competitions! 

I’m thankful for everyone 

who has helped me along the 

way, especially my dad. I’m 

looking forward to my final 

two years to see how far I can 

grow as a person and in the 

NASP program.” 

Sprinkle some sunshine … 

Our community lost a library 

of knowledge, a lifetime 

of storytelling, and a friend 

to all she met when Mary 

“Joyce” Harmeyer passed in 

June. My late Mama once 

commented, “She puts the Joy 

in Joyce!” Known to sprinkle 

sunshine everywhere she 

went, the former St. Mary’s 

resident left a legacy of humor 

and kindness. I believe 

the best way to keep one’s 

memory alive is to be the 

qualities you miss most in that 

person … to that end, I hope 

my columns sprinkle a little 

sunshine in your day! 

That’s Sue’s news for now! 

want 

more? 


BRATER - WINTER 

FUNERAL HOMES 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



DOVER 

By 

Rhonda 

Trabel 

Community 

Correspondent 

O 

ur 

Communities 

dover@goBEACONnews.com 

Memorial Day Services 

took place in Dover at 

St.John’s Cemetery. North 

Dearborn Post 452 Legion officiated 

the ceremony. Among 

those attending were Sophia 

and Landen Lawrence, 

daughter and son of Danielle 

and Marc Lawrence of 

Penntown. Danielle’s grandfather 

was in the service and is 

buried there. I hope everyone 

had a wonderful holiday while 

honoring our service men and 

women. Seeing the young 

ones participate is important 

so they realize the importance 

of this holiday. 

Congratulations Evan 

Kuhn, an East Central 

Graduate from Dover. He 

was recently selected as one 

of the outstanding students 

of the month. He has been a 

four-year member of FFA, 

a member of the National 

YORKVILLE 

& GUILFORD 

By 

Laura 

Keller 

Community 

Correspondent 

yorkville@goBEACONnews.com 

Hoosier Boys and Girls 

State is a week-long intensive 

government and leadership 

program sponsored by the 

Indiana Legion and Indiana 

Legion Auxiliary. Each year, 

young men and women from 

across the state participate in 

the program, where they learn 

about the primary process and 

select a government or political 

position to which they 

want to be elected. There are 

two political parties, nationalist 

and federalists. Students 

also learned about presenting 

new laws and debating the 

best way to run the state in 

their mock government. 

The legion and auxiliary 

work with the local high 

schools to obtain a list of 

eligible candidates. Requirements 

include completion 

of junior year, a 3.0 GPA or 

higher, and an interest in the 

program. The North Dearborn 

American Legion and Auxiliary 

try to send students with 

ties to the legion, such as a 

son/daughter or grandchild 

of a legionnaire or auxiliary 

member. 

This year, Nathan Graf 

attended Hoosier Boys State 

the week of June 11 at Trine 

University in Angola, IN. 

Nathan’s grandfather, Robert 

Graf, is a Vietnam Veteran 

and member of the North 

Post 452 Color Guard entering the cemetery. 

Honor Society, ECHO Club, 

and FCCLA, and the only 

2023 senior to have perfect 

attendance for four years, 

especially since those years 

were Covid years. Evan is 

also a ten-year member of 4-H 

and a lifelong member of All 

Saints Parish. He was brought 

up on the family farm of his 

parents, Mike and Kathy 

Kuhn, which sparked his 

interest in agriculture plus I’m 

sure his hard-working values 

were achieved while working 

on the farm. Plans have 

been made for Evan to attend 

the University of Northwestern 

Ohio and major in diesel 

mechanics and agriculture 

technology. Best of luck in 

Dearborn American Legion 

Post 452 in New Alsace. He is 

the son of Michael and Sara 

Graf of Yorkville. A rising 

senior at East Central High 

School, Nathan holds a 4.0 

GPA, and is a member of the 

Boys Tennis Team and the 

National Honor Society. 

Nathan enjoyed meeting 

new people at Hoosier Boys 

State and hearing their different 

viewpoints. He was a 

member of the federalist party 

and he chose to run for county 

judge, where he was elected. 

Nathan was grateful for the 

experience. 

Mark your calendars for 

Sunday, July 23 for the annual 

St. Martin’s 5K Country Run, 

the oldest 5K in Dearborn 

County. The race begins at 

9:30 a.m. at All Saints – St. 

Martin campus in the heart of 

Yorkville. The race is familyfriendly, 

and my son and I 

enjoy cheering on the runners 

achieving your goals, Evan. 

I would like to mention 

a milestone birthday of a 

resident of Dover. Bob Graf 

turned 75 on June 3. He 

celebrated with grandkids 

Nathan, Nicole, and Evelyn 

Graf, Marlene Graf (Bob’s 

wife), and Matthew Graf. 

Also joining in were Ben 

Keller, Bob, JJ, and Agnes 

Graf. Good to hear Bob was 

able to celebrate out of the 

hospital. . 

Bob Gaynor recently had 

knee surgery. Prayers and well 

wishes to him for a speedy 

recovery. 

Condolences to the family 

of Alice Klaserner, 86 yrs old, 

of Dover. Alice passed away 

Nathan Graf giving his 

speech during Hoosier 

Boys State (Photo courtesy 

of Nathan Graf) 

and walkers as they cruise 

past our home. Register for 

this year’s race at www.race 

menu.com/events/216370- 

Saint-Martin-s-5K-Country- 

Run. 

If you have any news in 

the Guilford or Yorkville area 

you’d like me to share, please 

contact me at yorkville@ 

goBEACONnews.com. 

Evan Kuhn 

Sophia and Landen Lawrence 

peacefully. She will be missed 

by her children, nine grandchildren, 

and ten great-grandchildren. 

Alice is preceded in 

death by George her husband 

of sixty years. She grew up 

on the family farm on Gaynor 

Ridge Rd. She was one of the 

select few at that time to earn 

a full ride to Oldenburg Academy. 

Alice was a member of 

All Saints Parish. 

Condolences also go to 

the family of Milton Edward 

Osman of Dover. He passed 

away on June 2, 2023, at the 

age of 77. Ed, as most of us 

knew him, married Barbara 

Brinkman on June 9, 1965, 

in Lawrenceburg. They spent 

more than fifty-seven years 

together before he died. Ed’s 

best friend was Spot the dog. 

The chicken dinners and 

festivals have started. Come 

one, come all for the best 

chicken dinners around (See 

ad on this page.). Have fun, 

enjoy your summer, and be 

safe. 



AURORA 

By 

Randy 

Turner 

Community 

Correspondent 

aurora@goBEACONnews.com 

Hello Beacon readers, 

What a great time of year, 

with so many things going on. 

All of the schools wrapping 

up their year being the best. 

Time for the young to take a 

break. I had the opportunity 

to see my granddaughters 

for Grandparents Day at St. 

John. Molly, the youngest, 

had papers on her desk about 

us. She had us being born 

in the ‘60s, I will take that. 

She filled in “My grandfather 

would WORK every day if he 

could.” You got me, Molly. 

Her big sister, Katie, did a 

story with the subject of Dr. 

Phil, with his pictures covering 

her desk. Watching Katie 

and her classmates, I can tell 

they are a talented bunch who 

will be heading to high school 

next year. Their graduation 

was an exciting night, as the 

church air conditioner started 

smoking, so the Aurora Fire 

Department was called in. No 

injuries or damages, but they 

will remember the night’s 

excitement. 

South Dearborn High 

School held its graduation on 

the football field, as the gym 

is being remodeled. I would 

have loved to have seen that. 

All of the graduations that 

I have attended were held 

inside. I did get to hear about 

the awards night from Lions 

committee members who 

attended. Larry Petty and 

Jeff Cotton presented thirteen 

O 

ur 

scholarships to seniors heading 

toward higher education, 

for a total of $8,100. The 

recipients are Macie Teke, 

Eastern Kentucky Univ./ 

Criminal Psychology; Kaylee 

Marsh, Ball State Univ./ Elementary 

Ed; Emma Seaver, 

Ivy Tech/ Dental Hygiene; 

Kori Cornett, Wilmington 

College/ Pre-Vet; Aubrey 

Young, Ivy Tech, UC /Pharmacy; 

Adam Bruner, Ball 

State Univ./ Math Education; 

Max Burger, Taylor Univ./ 

Human Physiology; Lillie Davis, 

Indiana Univ./ Accounting; 

Jacob Daugherty, UC/ 

Financial Planning; Danielle 

Lusby, Florida Int. Univ./ 

Psychology; Isabella Bear, 

Western Kentucky Univ./ 

Nursing; Lauren McHenry, 

Ball State Univ./ Psychology; 

Adam Strasemeier, Ivy Tech/ 

Business. The scholarships 

are funded through the Lions’ 

raffles, pancake breakfasts, 

and, of course, the Farmers 

Fair. Larry Petty has been 

with this committee since the 

first scholarships were given 

at $250 each. He shared that, 

all total, just over $250,000 

has been awarded since then. 

So, a big thanks to all who 

supported us through the 

years, and best wishes to these 

bright young people. 

On the topic of smart 

young kids, my hat goes off 

to library director Leslie 

Sutherlin, and her staff. On a 

recent trip to the post office, 

I found a calendar of summer 

activities at the library. Parents, 

take those cell phones 

away from the kids. Libraries 

have loads of activities. 

Many years ago, Mary Alice 

Horton would let me take my 

boys into the kids’ area to lay 

on the floor and read to them. 

Chuck, Roger & Susan Johnson 

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Communities 

Theo Rogers, Adam Boyd’s 

great-nephew, masters the 

forklift. 

If we had activities like they 

offer now, we would never 

leave! 

Some things change for 

the better, so get down to the 

libraries and enjoy their fantastic 

events. Even adults can 

get into the fun. I’m signed 

up for computer lessons, 

which should make Tamara 

Taylor happy. My first war 

with computers was forty-five 

years ago at Xavier Univ., and 

that computer was bigger than 

the Utility Office. My training 

has been at the patience of my 

sons and my Office Managers. 

I have heard, “NO, NO, NO” 

a lot! Reminds me of Saint 

Mary’s! 

Something that has made 

life better, Relay for Life! 

Under the direction of event 

leaders, Josh Richey and 

Sami Peddenpohl, this 

year’s event is slated for 

Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023, at 

Todd Creech Memorial Park 

in Lawrenceburg. Being a 

Survivor and knowing many 

others, I have to believe that 

the American Cancer Society, 

with events like this, has 

made a difference in our lives. 

Thank you, Josh and Sami, 

for leading the way. Work still 

needs to be done in this battle. 

One person in the battle now 

that I keep in my thoughts is 

Guinevere Banschbach who 

has met her cancer journey 

with steadfast good news and 

positivity. I also think of her 

when I drive by or ride by the 

bike rental stations. 

When she was beating the 

drum to get these put in, a lot 

of people said it would be a 

waste! Well, those bikes get 

quite the workout, and empty 

spaces are pretty frequent as 

people enjoy riding the Trail. 

If you are into biking as I am, 

you need to visit local ace 

repairman, Josh Mangold. 

Josh is keeping a lot of bikes 

on the road, not to mention 

showing off the fantastic 

display of new and antique 

bikes. I’m so tempted by the 

new E-bikes because I can’t 

do what I used to, but going 

faster could hurt more in a 

fall. I got lucky and caught 

Tim Weber in the store this 

Spring. He has an amazing 

collection of bikes, and you 

can spend some time checking 

them out. He even has the 

banana seat bikes that came 

out when I was a kid. I think 

Zerbe Withered had the first 

one, and he was the envy of 

all the neighborhood. 

A whole lot of music has 

been in the Aurora air, with 

Bobby & Lisa’s “Almost 

Live” doing Dancing on Main 

and the Aurora High School 

Museum Alumni Dance. 

Aurora Emergency Rescue 

kicked off their new truck 

fund raiser with a concert. 

We gotta support these hard 

workers! The big show will 

be Aurora’s Rocking on the 

River “Battle of the Bands,” 

which is slated for July 29 

from 12:30 P.M. to 10:00 

P.M. Area realtors have quite 

the event planned with food 

trucks, a petting zoo, craft 

booths, and loads of activities 

for the kids. 

Speaking of the AHS Museum, 

it is also still part of the 

scene. As of my last visit, they 

had received a 1925 yearbook, 

which was the year that 

Marion Linkmeyer graduated. 

This CLASSY LADY 

was later known as Marion 

Smith to AHS students for a 

lot of years. You can have a 

Aurora 

20th Annual 

Knight Flight 5K Run and Walk 

Saturday, July 15 

Weber Sports, 238 Main Street 

Start Time 8:30am 

A Tribute to Lonnie Mack 

Saturday, July 15th 

11am - 2pm 

River View Cemetery 

3635 E. Laughery Creek Road 

Plot U on Circle Dr downhill 

from yellow bricked chapel 

BRING YOUR OWN CHAIR 

Southeastern Indiana Board of Realtors 

3rd Annual 

Aurora’s Rockin’ on the River 

Battle of the Bands 

Saturday, July 29 

12:30 - 10pm 

Gabbard Riverfront Park 

Adam Boyd giving backhoe 

lessons at the Hard Hat 

Hangout. 

parks 

dearborn 

county 

the Dearborn County Parks Foundation. 

A Gift For all Seasons! 

www.dearborncountyPARKS.com 


Kevin Gerke demonstrating 

his expert skills in the dump 

truck. 

Theo Rogers was all smiles 

in the skid steer. 

good time looking over their 

collection of memorabilia. 

Keep the Devil’s Spirit going, 

guys and gals! 

Father’s Day weekend 

saw the sixth annual Hard 

Hat Hangout staged by Main 

Street Aurora and Aurora Utilities. 

Over two hundred kids 

enjoyed trucks, backhoes, and 

fire trucks with free lunches 

of hot dogs, chips, and drinks. 

A big thanks to our helpers, 

Aurora Fire Department, 

Paul Rohe Company, Pat 

McGraw, Curtis Gillman, 

Kevin Wang, Clint Siekman, 

and dear friend Bill 

Yelton. Wayne Schroeder 

was on hand. He did not paint 

anything, but his donation, 

as well as Pat McGraw’s, 

covered the hard hats, safety 

ducks, tattoos, construction 

bracelets, and goodies that 

each child received. 

So, get out and enjoy the 

summer living! Back-toschool 

clothes are coming… 

Editor’s Note: Aurora 

resident Donnie Hastings 

recently retired from a lifelong 

career as a Dearborn 

County dispatcher. Not only 

did he dedicate decades to 

keeping his community safe, 

he also served as Mayor of 

Aurora for sixteen years. Mr. 

Hastings looks forward to 

spending time with his family, 

especially Little Charlotte, his 

granddaughter. The BEACON 

thanks Mr. Hastings for all 

that he has done and wishes 

him the best. 

River City Classic Car Club 

Cruise In 

Wednesday, August 2 

5:30 - 8:30pm 

200 block of Second St. 

Judiciary to Main Sts. 

Southeastern Indiana Art Guild 

11th Annual 

Regional Art Exhibition 

Saturday August 5 - 19 

302 Second Street 

City Wide Yard Sale 

& Business Sidewalk Sale 

Thursday, August 17- 

Saturday, August 19 

9am - 2pm


O 

ur 

Communities 

Clyde Knigga, Teresa Martini and Judy Smith placing flags 

on the graves of the veterans of St. John Lutheran Church. 

Adaline and Harper Cox, 

grandchildren of Rhonda 

Brown on Memorial Day. 

Rob Thies, Kyle Graff, Lincoln Graff, and Wyatt Graff with 

his “tractor smile.” 

Debbie Acasio, Mike Krieger of Enochsburg, and Rachel 

Acasio of Greendale at Music on the River. 

Drew Tufts 

Ella Shelton 

Lucy Thornton 

Owen Schwier, son of Nani 

Schwier, starting an apple 

orchard on his grandmother’s 

property. 

LAWRENCEBURG 

By 

Debbie 

Acasio 

Community 

Correspondent 

lawrenceburg@goBEACONnews.com 

Just when we can’t possibly 

pack much more into the first 

month of summer, we are 

surprised by the never-ending 

whirl of activities! 

From Memorial Day 

celebrations to Music on the 

River, graduations, picnics, 

softball games, and getting 

those last flowers and plants 

planted, Lawrenceburg has 

been a buzz of activity. 

Congratulations to the 2023 

class at Lawrenceburg High 

School. 

May you enjoy a fun-filled 

summer before you start a 

new life working or college or 

traveling! Speaking of traveling, 

Emma Dunn, a 2022 

Vaida Cox of Greendale 

daughter of Rachel & 

Weston Cox with a llama at 

the 4H fair 

grad, just took a memorable 

Hawaiian vacation this summer 

with her family. Along 

with the beauty of the islands, 

they will long remember the 

best pancake house on Oahu 

with the amazing coconut 

syrup! (My family still has 

this syrup shipped to us!) 

The Civic Park in Lawrenceburg 

has certainly gotten 

a workout this summer. Music 

On The River has attracted 

enormous crowds with wonderful 

split-the-pots. 

Movies in the Park are a lot 

of fun-- but bring a blanket. 

No matter how hot it is during 

the day, there is always a chill 

in the air at night. 

Prior to the kick-off of Summer 

Fest, Central School girls 

who worked so hard on their 

Girls On the Run program 

were finally able to achieve 

their goal of running in a 5K 

with the Laurens Burg Hill 

5k. 

After a disappointing 

cancellation of their event in 

Avery Lansing, Lilly Scott, Jemma Schulze, and Grayce 

Gabbard enjoying treats at Summer Fest -Avery is the 

daughter of Amber Lansing, Jemma and Lilly are the children 

of Kim And Allen Duncan, Grayce is the daughter of 

Christy Gabbard 

downtown Cincinnati due to 

the weather, a make-up day 

in Lawrenceburg was a bonus 

for them. 

Lawrenceburg Main Street 

did an amazing job with Summer 

Fest. There were so many 

food trucks that the choice of 

what to eat was a difficult one. 

Jean Foutch said the 

lobster taco was amazing. I 

left with regrets that I had no 

room in my stomach at the 

end of the day for that treat. 

Free rides for the kids, a petting 

zoo, and a splash in the 

Ava & Alex Hughes at Summer 

Fest enjoying the animals. 

splash park were a bonus. 

Did you miss the Summer 

Fest in June? 

There is a second opportunity 

on August 19 for the 

Whisky City Summer Fest 

Celebration of Music. 

Check out the website 

ThinkLawrenceburg.com for 

a lineup of the Grammy-nominated 

bands that will perform 

that day. 

I attended a church picnic 

at the home of Sherri and 

Chuck Heck this month. 

Besides the wonderful pitchin 

with “church food” (as my 

daughter calls it), they displayed 

their antique tractors. 

The men were giddy with 

excitement as each tractor got 

fired up after dinner. Their 

grandson Wyatt was happy 

for me to snap a picture of him 

with his “tractor smile”. Enjoy 

your summer and may all your 

smiles be “tractor smiles.” 

403 Walnut St • Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 

(812) 537-2020 • lawrenceburgeyecenter.com 



OLDENBURG 

By 

Sue 

Siefert 

Community 

Correspondent 

O 

ur 

Communities 

oldenburg@goBEACONnews.com 

OA’s Graduation 

OA held its commencement 

on June 4 with the class 

earning over $4.3 million in 

college scholarships, 89% 

pursuing post-secondary 

education, and 11% pursuing 

a trade school or associate 

degree. 

The class includes 2 Next 

Generation Hoosier Educators 

Scholars, 8 Academic 

All-State Honorees, 2 Congressional 

Art Awards, and 4 

students who earned Centennial 

Service Awards. 41% 

of the graduates achieved 

the Indiana College Core 30 

through Ivy Tech Community 

College. 66% earned Indiana 

Academic Honors Diplomas. 

Congratulations to Valedictorian, 

Madelyn Henry, 

daughter of Brad and Miranda 

Henry, who will seek a 

degree in pharmacy at Butler 

University. Co-Salutatorians, 

Erin Pottschmidt, daughter 

of Todd and Carolyn Pottschmidt 

who plans to study 

architecture at Ohio State 

University, and Clare Van 

Meter, daughter of Daniel 

and Jennifer Van Meter, who 

will study architecture at the 

University of Kentucky. All of 

7247 State Road 46E 

Batesville, IN 47006 

812.932.3300 

the grads left with blessings 

from the faculty, staff, and the 

Sisters of St. Francis as they 

embark upon their plans for 

the future. 

Congratulations Power 

lifters! 

Those attending the fiftythird 

annual Summer Games 

of Special Olympics Indiana 

witnessed the extraordinary 

talents and unstoppable 

spirit of local athletes as 

they competed. With months 

of training and unwavering 

determination, the delegation 

from Special Olympics Indiana 

– Ripley Ohio Dearborn 

Celebrating lives 

of the ones you love. 

(812) 576-4301 • 25615 STATE RT 1 • DOVER, IN 

OA Class of 2023 (Photo courtesy of Alyssa Krekeler) 

Powerlifters team members Coach Tim Paul, Alex Kieffer, 

Corbin Johnson, Payton Amberger, Asst. Coach Heather 

Amberger. Front: David Paul, Joey Hountz. 

TOPSOIL 

(Regular and Shredded) 

FILL DIRT 

GRAVEL 

SPECIALIZED HAULING 

& DELIVERY 

NICOLE WUESTEFELD 

WWW.ANDRES-WUESTEFELD.COM 

Counties, (ROD) consisting 

of 64 exceptional athletes, 12 

Unified Partners, 14 passionate 

coaches, and 15 dedicated 

team members at the prestigious 

campuses of Indiana 

State University and Rose 

Hulman Institute of Technology. 

The Games featured a 

wide range of Olympic-type 

sports, including bocce, bowling, 

cycling, power lifting, 

swimming, track and field, 

and volleyball. The ROD 

delegation included 5 power 

lifters, 9 swimmers, 11 track 

and field athletes, 11 volleyball 

players, and 40 bowlers. 

Locally, power lifting coach 

Timothy Paul reported that 

“The 2023 ROD Special 

Olympic Power lifting Team 

came home with 18 Gold, 2 

Silver, and 1 Bronze Medal in 

the recent Special Olympics 

Meet! Members hit 44 out of 

45 attempts with 3 new competition 

PRs. David Paul was 

the number one bench presser 

in all weight divisions with a 

259 LB bench press and is an 

eight-time consecutive state 

champion in his weight division.” 

Coach Paul was raised in 

Oldenburg and is David “Big 

Dawg” Paul’s father. Coach 

lives in Milan with David and 

works in Oldenburg where a 

village full of David’s relatives 

and supporters reside. 

David may have been born 

with Cerebral Palsy, yet he 

never allows CP to define 

him or his capabilities as he 

continues to set weight lifting 

records. 

Congratulations to all the 

Special Olympics Athletes … 

especially “Big Dawg” for 

breaking records and inspiring 

us all! 

Das ist alles von der ’Burg! 

1954 basketball team members Gene White, Ray Craft, 

Roger Schroder, and Rollin Cutter. 

MILAN 

By 

Sialia 

Swainson 

Community 

Correspondent 

e 

milan@goBEACONnews.com 

With Independence Day 

celebrations in the rear view, 

we are settling in for the dog 

days of summer. Hope you 

get a chance to slow down 

and enjoy the sights and 

sounds and smells of summer 

in our little corner of the 

world. 

Ripley County EMS has 

spent the past few months 

settling into their newly 

renovated quarters in Milan. 

The building was originally 

constructed in 1992 for Milan 

Rescue 30 and built on property 

donated by the Porter 

Krick family. With the evolution 

of county sourced EMS 

services there was a need for 

more space so it was decided 

to expand and upgrade the 

Milan facility. The project 

was funded with ARP money 

at a price tag of $788,000. 

Like any home improvement 

project, a few hiccups 

occurred along the way, but 

the building was finally ready 

to occupy in late December of 

2022. I was given a tour recently 

by county EMS Director 

Scott Huffman and was so 

impressed with this beautiful 

facility. Having more than 

doubled the square footage, 

five parking bays, newly 

added sleeping quarters for 

EMTs and paramedics were 

added. The radio room, laundry, 

and kitchen/living area 

have all been updated. The 

common areas are bright and 

spacious while the sleeping 

rooms are private and quiet. 

Even a bit of green space with 

a small patio and garden plot 

are included. 

The county’s EMS has seen 

many advances under Mr. 

Huffman’s fifteen-year tenure 

as the director. The ambulances 

housed in Milan now 

carry sophisticated equipment 

including a LUCAS CPR 

Compression Device, cardiac 

monitors and ventilators, and 

VSCAN ultrasound devices. 

And sadly, a sign of the times 

we live in, the trucks also 

carry body armor to be worn 

by the EMTs and medics at 

volatile scenes. Milan area 

residents are fortunate to have 

these advanced services based 

in town and ready to serve 

them. The building project is 

now complete with the recent 

dedication of the Safe Haven 

Baby Box. 

Director Huffman had this 

to say about the sixty employees 

who provide life saving 

care for the community: “I 

am proud of the health care 

professionals that work for 

Ripley County EMS. They are 

hard working and dedicated. 

We are lucky to have such 

professionals working here 

in the county.” And if you’ve 

ever considered joining the 

EMS ranks, they plan to host 

an EMT class in Milan this 

fall. 

Another renovation 

wrapped up recently with 

the dedication of the new 

school lobby, an event that 

was well attended by patrons 

who came to see the beautiful 

new entrance that now greets 

visitors. Front and center is 

the ‘54 basketball trophy that 

is still a fan favorite of people 

from near and far. Above the 

trophy case is a large collage 

type mural that highlights 

the many successes of Milan 

athletes over the years. Four 

members of the ‘54 team 

(Gene White, Ray Craft, 

Roger Schroder, and Rollin 

Cutter) were on hand for the 

dedication and to sign autographs. 

A locally owned and operated 

family business started 

by Tom and Karen Poole, 

was the general contractor 

for both of these projects and 

is to be commended for the 

great work. Both buildings are 

a great asset for the town of 

Milan. 

Until next month, enjoy the 

summer and as always, if you 

have any news to share feel 

free to email me at milan@ 

goBEACONnews.com. 

ST. LEON VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT 

MUSIC FRIDAY 

7:30-10:30 pm EDST 

Dan Gutapfel 

Friday & Saturday • Aug. 4 & 5 

MUSIC SATURDAY 

7:30-11:30 pm EDST 

DJ Dan Morris 


Smoked Pork Chop (limited quantity) 

OR Fish Dinner 

Friday 5-8 p.m. EDST 

Chicken Dinner 

Saturday 3:30-8 p.m. EDST 

Games • Food • Refreshments 

Fun for Everyone 

License # 002511 -- IGC Reference # 158505


O 

ur 

Communities 

Greendale Pool lifeguard 

Seth Merkel. 

Waiting for Greendale Pool to open for the day. 

GREENDALE 

By 

Linda 

Cromer 

Community 

Correspondent 

greendale@goBEACONnews.com 

Writing this column gives 

me license to pretty much talk 

about anything Greendaleesque 

within the limits of 

common decency. The frisson 

of power is intoxicating…. 

although that may be a 

reaction to the essence of 

chlorine and sunscreen 

overspray emanating from the 

Greendale Pool. 

Expected norms weatherwise 

are a thing of the past. 

We can’t count on the hourly 

play-by-play projected by the 

weather app of our not-sosmart 

phones. That means 

every day at Greendale Pool 

is a whole new experience. 

Lifeguards and front desk 

cashiers, led by Pool Manager 

Sam Allgeier along with 

Kelsey Uhlmer and Corbin 

Walston, face each shift with 

competence and good cheer. 

Concessions Manager Tyler 

Goodwin and his super crew 

keep the masses fed and 

hydrated. (Can I get a drool 

for the Dipsy Dog?) Thank 

you to Chief Shane Slack and 

his officers for stopping by to 

say hello during pool hours. 

These young people should 

make us all proud, and they 

make me hopeful. I’d shower 

them with roses daily but 

don’t want to risk overloading 

the pool filters. Once you’ve 

seen a hairball resembling 

a Lhasa Apso decked out in 

goggles, assorted jewelry, and 

more fake fingernails than 

one cares to contemplate, you 

do nothing to pile on. Pool 

staff members have invariably 

shown grace and good sense 

beyond their years in thorny 

situations. When confronted 

by very unbecoming behavior 

coming at them from a few 

patrons, young and not so 

much, they have responded 

with courtesy and patience. 

It’s a challenge to explain to 

them just what’s wrong with 

some people. Coconut oil 

overload? Diving too deeply 

into the dark side of the 

current zeitgeist? I don’t get it 

either, and I’ve clocked a lot 

more years wondering. 

A shout out to lifeguard 

Seth Merkel who alertly 

identified an obviously 

special talisman for return to 

its grateful owner. These are 

the incidents, along with the 

happy laughter of splashing 

kids and their parents cooling 

off on a hot day that truly 

typify life at Greendale Pool 

in the summer. Good times. 

Hope for the future 

engendered by our fine pool 

employees is a belief that they 

may grow to enjoy productive 

lives filled with service to 

their communities, love for 

their families and friends, and 

faith in the face of adversity. 

They need look no further for 

inspiration than Greendale 

residents Janice and Roger 

Bipes. The scent of roses 

filled the air recently when the 

Bipes celebrated their sixtyfifth 

wedding anniversary. Not 

a typo – 65! Roger gifted his 

bride with a bounty of red and 

yellow blooms - one for each 

year of their marriage. The 

florist surely swooned, as did 

Janice. For those of you with 

an anniversary on the horizon, 

Roger and Janice Bipes 

no pressure. 

Life is full of roses, 

metaphorically as a kind word 

or selfless act, or spilling 

Smiles. Kolttin Tibbets, the 

catcher for Lawrenceburg 

Badd Boyz baseball team, 

wearing a cross rescued by 

guard Seth Merkel. 

gloriously from a vase. We 

shouldn’t waste time dwelling 

on the thorns or we’ll miss the 

roses. 

Dial 811 before digging 

CALL BEFORE YOU DIG 

There are 4 easy steps to follow when beginning any excavation project. 

Call before you dig: 

811 

Allow the required time: 

2 full working days 

Respect the Marks: 

Flags or Paint 

Excavate with Care: 

Pothole or hand dig 

around possible 

pipeline locations 

Locate Guidelines 

PIPELINE SAFETY 

LEAK RECOGNITION AND RESPONSE 

HEAR a hissing sound 

SEE bubbling water, dead vegetation or flames 

SMELL a strong rotten egg odor 

Abandon any equipment 

Do not turn ON or OFF any electrical switches 

Do not use the phone 

Extinguish all open flames 

Do not light matches, cigarettes, etc. 

Leave area immediately 

Call 911 

Call Sycamore Gas at 

877-544-2726 or 

812-537-1921 

CALLING BEFORE YOU DIG ISN’T JUST 

A GOOD IDEA, IT’S THE LAW! 

WWW.SAFEGASINDIANA.ORG 

370 Industrial Dr., Suite 200, Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 

www.sycamoregas.com 

Phone-812-537-1921 OR 877-544-2726 Fax—812-537-3731 

OFFICE HOURS 

Monday-Friday: 9:00am-4:00pm Saturday-Sunday: Closed 

BEFORE you DIG or excavate in your 

road/street right-of-way or yard, please: 

Protect Yourself -Protect the Environment- 

Protect the Underground Infrastructure 

Indiana: Call Indiana 811 at 800-382-5544 

For more information go to www.Indiana811.org 

Gas Leaks 

If there is a strong gas odor, leave the premises immediately 

and call or have someone call Sycamore Gas Company at 

812-537-1921 or 877-544-2726 and the fire department/911. 

If you have any questions about gas safety, 

or need more information, 

call Sycamore Gas at 812-537-1921 or 877-544-2726. 

Sycamore Gas is proud to offer you clean burning, safe and reliable natural gas. Natural 

gas is brought to you by underground pipelines. Pipelines are the safest and most reliable 

form of transportation for natural gas. While natural gas is historically safe, it is 

important to understand some of the possible hazards involved should an incident occur. 

Natural gas can ignite in a 5 to 15 percent mixture with air. Natural gas can also displace 

oxygen which in turn can cause the possibility of asphyxiation. Sycamore Gas goes 

through great lengths to make sure their underground pipeline systems are safe and 

secure. Sycamore Gas does annual leak assessment surveys and cathodically protects 

their lines against corrosion. In the event a leak is detected or a section of pipe is found to 

be unstable, Sycamore Gas will quickly replace that section of pipe or fix the leak. 

Third party damages are the number one cause of pipeline accidents so it is important to 

call Indiana 811 two full working days ahead of any excavation to have your utilities 

located before you start any project that requires digging. 

Sycamore Gas has approximately 6500 customers and roughly 175 miles of underground 

infrastructure. We serve three counties in Indiana: Dearborn Co., Franklin Co. and Ohio 

Co. In these counties, we provide natural gas service to Bright, Greendale, Lawrenceburg, 

W Harrison, Brookville, Cedar Grove, Aurora and Rising Sun. 

For more information about Sycamore Gas call 877-544-2726 or 812-537-1921 and visit 

www.sycamoregas.com. We also encourage you to visit www.safegasindiana.org, 

www.Indiana811.org and www.in.gov/iurc—link—Pipeline Safety Division. 



NEW ALSACE 

By 

Laura 

Keller 

Community 

Correspondent 

newalsace@goBEACONnews.com 

Thank you to the North 

Dearborn American Legion 

Post 452 for hosting its annual 

Memorial Day ceremonies 

to honor those who lost 

their lives while serving our 

country and remembering 

the veterans who are buried 

in the local cemeteries. More 

than 100 people attended the 

ceremony at All Saints – St. 

Paul campus in New Alsace 

where trumpeter Jim Carter 

performed taps and several 

patriotic songs at the end of 

the service. 

Congratulations to Larry 

and Linda Gutzwiller, who 

celebrated their fiftieth wedding 

anniversary. They were 

married at St. Peter’s Church 

on June 16, 1973. A celebration 

in their honor was held at 

the North Dearborn American 

Legion Post 452 where Larry 

serves as the post commander. 

Larry and Linda have two 

children, Jennifer Pineda 

and Jason Gutzwiller. They 

also have a son-in-law Artie 

Pineda and two grandsons, 

Matthew and Joshua. We 

wish Larry and Linda many 

more years together. 

Each year, the Girl Scout 

O 

ur 

Veronica Mullins, Sally Bertram 

and Fawn Williamson. 

CommunitiesSUNMAN 

Larry and Linda Gutzwiller 

(Photo courtesy of Rhonda 

Trabel) 

Paul Stock’s casket pulled 

by his tractor. 

camp takes over Lake in the 

Pines campground for four 

days of fun-filled activities. 

This year’s theme was Blast 

Off in the Pines with campers 

and adults enjoying a 

variety of activities including 

swimming, canoeing, fishing, 

arts and crafts, archery, 

campfire cooking, and much 

more. This was Sally Bertram’s 

twenty-eighth year of 

camp. Sally, Terry and Fawn 

Williamson, and Veronica 

Mullins are instrumental in 

leading and organizing the 

camp that many children and 

adults look forward to attending 

year after year. 

Paul Stock, a life-long resident 

of New Alsace, passed 

away at age 95. Paul served 

in the United States Army 

from 1955-1957 as a mechanic 

and also received the 

Sharpshooter medal. He was 

a farmer who loved his John 

Deere tractor. For his funeral 

service at St. Paul’s Church 

(part of All Saints Parish), 

his family and friends got his 

tractor running, which led the 

procession to the cemetery 

with Paul on the wagon behind 

it. What a unique tribute 

to one of our local veterans. 

The North Dearborn 

American Legion, Post 452 

is hosting its monthly euchre 

tournaments on July 16, 

August 20, and September 

24. 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. 

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@go 

BEACONnews.com. 

By 

Cheryl 

Taylor 

Community 

Correspondent 

sunman@goBEACONnews.com 

Sunman has released a draft 

comprehensive plan that was 

developed over ten months 

with the assistance of an 

engineering firm. The plan 

outlines several opportunities 

such as strengthening 

downtown, updating water 

infrastructure, capitalizing 

on sewer expansions, new 

programming, and State 

Road 101/Meridian Street 

enhancements. The town 

received a grant from the 

Indiana Office of Community 

and Rural Affairs (OCRA) 

for the development of 

a comprehensive plan to 

address the community’s 

needs. Once adopted by the 

Town Council and the Ripley 

County APC, it will be used 

to guide future growth and 

development in Sunman. The 

draft comprehensive plan 

can be found at plansunman. 

com. PLEASE review the 

draft plan and leave any 

comments or suggested 

changes by emailing clerk@ 

townofsunman.org. 

Not too long ago, Sunman 

welcomed a new business not 

realizing the full scope of the 

blessings it was bringing with 

it. Elisha Hunley with her 

three daughters, Hailey, age 

18, Sophia, age 9, and Layla, 

age 13 share the beautiful art 

of making goodies for the 

store. When I saw the little 

Blessing Box all decked out 

in pink. 

I went in to talk to Elisha 

about it. I asked her about 

the box. She replied “The 

blessing box is important to 

me because I have been in 

‘those shoes’ of struggling. 

Either pride would get the 

better of me and not go to 

food pantries, or when I 

would have the moment 

that I would really need it, 

there were none open. With 

the blessing box, it gives 

flexibility for those in need 

that don’t want the judgment 

to come at any time or for 

ones who just can’t make it 

to the food pantry, it opens 

the window to work on their 

schedule. This also allows 

people in the community to 

help (most people want to 

help just don’t always know 

how). These small kind 

gestures can truly change 

someone’s life. Without the 

kind gestures of so many 

during my struggles in life, 

I would not be where I am 

today! It truly does take a 

village.” Elisha also sets up 

her mobile bakery weekly to 

benefit local organizations. 

Don’t forget to send me 

your summer adventures to 

sunman@goBEACONnews. 

com 

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 

MOORES HILL 

By 

Barbara 

Wetzler 

Community 

Correspondent 

mooreshill@goBEACONnews.com 

Congratulations to Jason 

Hail of Moores Hill, South 

Dearborn High School Class 

of 2023. Jason committed to 

playing soccer for Mount St. 

Joseph this fall while working 

toward a degree in business. 

He will be starting college as 

an academic sophomore after 

completing two classes at Ivy 

Moores Hill Fire held training for cadets, future firefighters. 

Steve Carter, volunteer firefighter for Moores Hill, is pictured 

along trainees in the field. 

Tech this summer. Jason is a 

certified soccer referee and 

lifeguard, and he plans on doing 

both this summer to earn 

money to put toward college. 

He is the son of Erik and 

Julie Gangloff Hail. 

FREE Junk Pick-Up 

Before you pay for this service, 

let us take a look at what you have. 

Don’t fret - Call Chet! 

THE 

BELEW’S 

BROTHERS 

812-744-3257 

South Sparta Community 

Church celebrated its homecoming 

event with Pastor 

Tom Holt conducting the service. 

He joined Rachel Holt 

in a special musical celebration. 

This community church 

was built in 1889. 

Karen Bolin and sixteen 

friends attended the Women 

of Joy spiritual weekend in 

Pigeon Forge. In addition, 

Karen celebrated Mother’s 

Day with her daughter and 

granddaughters at a pottery 

place, where they each made 

a unique keepsake. 

Summer is here! 

Need extra money 

for vacation? 

Join the Advantage 

Home Care Team. 

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We have openings for 

CNA •Home Health Aides •LPN • RN 

Lawrenceburg/Versailles/Sunman/Milan/ 

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Enjoy weekly pay, benefits package, 

one-on-one care, competitive pay rates 

All interested applicants please contact 

ADVANTAGE HOME CARE 

800-807-6839 • 812-537-0325 

460 Ridge Ave. Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 EOE 

HOURS 

MON—FRI 8:30—5:30 

SAT 8:30—1:00 

We buy used cars—call 

for pricing!! 

800.245.2886 

NOW OPEN ON SATURDAY FOR SCRAP 

AND AUTO PARTS 8:30am — 1:00pm 

Check out current scrap prices! 

Need a part—go to www.miamitownautoparts.com and “Search our Inventory” 

Cincinnati, Ohio 

513-451-1134 513-574-9518 


Jason Hail 

Volunteers Tom Allen, 

Shawn Meinzer, and Ron 

Jones fixing the roof at 

South Sparta Community 

Church.


VERSAILLES/ 

RIPLEY CTY 

By 

Cheryl 

Damon- 

Greiner 

Community 

Correspondent 

versailles@goBEACONnews.com 

Twice a year, around these 

parts, several things seem 

to coincide in early June 

and September: Rt 62 gets 

a detour, the weather turns 

very wet or very hot, strangers 

show up in local stores 

and restaurants while regulars 

disappear for a week, and 

everyone blames the uptick 

in RV traffic on “The Shoot.” 

For the uninitiated, it means 

the National Muzzle Loading 

Rifle Association is encamped 

in Versailles near Friendship, 

Indiana in all its primitive 

glory. A more fun-loving 

group of people would be hard 

to find. The event is more like 

a semi-annual family reunion 

for almost 4,000 friends from 

around the country. There are 

even international attendees 

who gather to share their love 

of history and appreciation 

for the skills and arts that our 

ancestors used to survive. The 

NMLRA provides hands-on 

classes in building your own 

muzzle-loading rifle for target 

competitions. Artisans will 

make you a pair of custom 

leather moccasins or personalized 

silver jewelry. Resident 

blacksmiths are on hand to 

repair tools or create iron 

art, and you can see expert 

marksmen hit a metal target 

five hundred yards away on a 

RISING SUN/ 

OHIO COUNTY 

By 

PG 

Gentrup 

Community 

Correspondent 

risingsun@goBEACONnews.com 

Summer is officially here 

and I am enjoying the warmer 

weather and looking forward 

to picking some ripe tomatoes 

real soon. 

A big change in my life this 

month. I turned the “Spirit of 

76” on June 12. Where have 

the years gone? I always joke 

that somebody has put my 

life on the “Reader’s Digest 

Condensed Version.” Somehow 

there just aren’t twenty-four 

hours in a day anymore. 

I enjoyed a visit from Jim 

Ketrow, who grew up with me 

in Greendale. He comes to the 

area once or twice a year and 

stays with me after he attends 

his Army Ranger reunions. 

Grandson Grady Walter 

discovered the game of golf 

this year. He and Gage Harris 

are finding out that it can be 

fun and frustrating. Rising Sun 

golfer, Nate Elliott, advanced 

to the Regional individually 

with a sudden death playoff 

hole to break a tie. 

Granddaughter Carli Walter 

finished up her freshman 

year of softball for the SD 

Knights. She made the EIAC 

All-Conference team along 

with “Splash Sister” Ava 

Cutter. Seniors Kori Cornett 

and Emma Seaver were 

also on the all conference 

team and Cornett was named 

team MVP. Thanks to the SD 

coaches, Anna Eggleston, 

Bill Rose, and Graci Cornett 

for their excellent leadership. 

Congratulations to Sydney 

Halloran, Peyton Merica, 

and Dylan Martin on being 

awarded their blankets for 

earning at least eleven varsity 

letters in sports at Rising Sun 

O 

ur 

hillside using an antique gun. 

This is all blended in with 

lessons in courtesy, safety, and 

family. The giant flea market 

that runs simultaneously 

during the Shoot is a separate 

event that draws many from 

the surrounding area. But if 

you think the two events are 

the same, you’ll miss a unique 

experience. You don’t need to 

take the kids to Williamsburg 

to see life as it used to be – 

just plan on visiting the Shoot! 

The Shop Local-Shop Small 

motto is very nice. Even nicer 

is when someone creates an 

opportunity for small, local 

vendors to showcase their 

specialties. That happened in 

Osgood in early June when the 

new owner of the once-vacant 

Freeman building threw a street 

party, invited food and craft 

vendors to set up, and invited 

everyone else to support them. 

Zack Rios is not only renovating 

his new/old building but he 

also produces the HGTV show 

Good Bones, about renovating 

almost hopeless homes in Indianapolis. 

Several cast members 

were there and they fit right in, 

mingling with the small-town 

crowd. Several of the small, local 

vendors are regulars at area 

farmers markets, too, so check 

out the markets close to you 

for great items made by your 

neighbors! 

I like to put a little gravel in 

my travels and take the back 

roads to enjoy the scenery. 

However, when construction 

zones force me to take 

the road less traveled, a short 

trip to the store can take a 

whole lot longer than planned. 

Recently, a flagger on the 

blacktopping crew offered 

me a shortcut rather than 

Communities 

waiting for a lane to open 

up. He made it sound so easy 

and quick- “Just pull down 

that road, take a sharp right 

until you come to a dead end. 

Then turn and you’ll see 129 

again”. I drove down some 

narrow, unmarked roads, 

past fields and woods, and 

came to a Y with a confusing, 

official-looking sign that said 

‘Delaware, Milan, Versailles, 

Yield’. Since I was headed to 

Batesville, I was glad that the 

map app on my phone was 

able to find me and get me 

back on track. It could have 

been a lot worse – at least I 

wasn’t that poor young man 

standing in front of frustrated 

drivers while breathing the 

fumes from the hot blacktop! 

One travel route I wouldn’t 

mind being lost on is the 

Southeast Indiana Coffee 

Trail. The Visitor and Convention 

Bureaus of Ripley, 

Dearborn, and other counties 

devised a genius plan to 

encourage travel throughout 

the region while promoting 

Shop Local/Shop Small. You 

can pick up a card listing the 

participating local cafes and 

coffee shops at your county 

bureau and take a self-guided 

tour. These shop owners open 

their doors with the sole goal 

SDHS Golf Team 2023 L-R: Adam Strasemeier, Kaden 

Smith, Gage Harris, Grady Walter, Braden Hurelbrink, and 

Coach, Gary Louden. 

Grady Walter and Gage 

Harris, South Dearborn golf 

letter winners. 

Jim Ketrow, Barry Nanz, PG, 

and Ed Bailey met for lunch. 

High School. Sydney, Dylan, 

and Peyton were also named 

the top male and female 

athletes. Merica and Halloran 

received the academic awards. 

Enjoy the warm weather 

and take care of yourself and 

stay healthy. God Bless all of 

you. 

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 

MIchelle Meador with Good 

Bones cast members Austin 

Aynes and Tad Starsiak. 

Korean War Veterans Al 

Bamberger and Bob Karp 

met for breakfast. 

George Klopp, 97, WW II 

Veteran, and Ron Spurlock. 

My name is Nancy Harris. I’m a retired 

RN. I have experience in all types of 

nursing. I love caring for the elderly 

who need help in their home. I am kind, 

caring and devoted to anyone I care for. 

I can give references, please call me at 

(513) 405-7007, Thank you. 

Enter across from the post office 

Food available. 

Jack Day, Steve Ward, Jake Sipples enjoying a concert on 

the courthouse square. 

of making you fall in love 

with their delicious brews and 

treats. What could be better 

than that? 

When happenings in town 

draw the participation of the 

country folks among us, you 

know you have a good event! 

And music seems to be that 

certain something that brings 

people together. We are so 

lucky to have free concerts by 

talented local artists, put on 

by almost every town in our 

counties. With the schedules 

rotating on different days and 

weeks, you’re sure to find 

more than one that will get 

you swaying in your lawn 

chair. Attending the music 

shows is another way to show 

LOCAL support. And to have 

a great time with friends and 

family! If you haven’t attended 

one of these outdoor 

shows yet, put it on your summer 

bucket list – you won’t be 

disappointed. 

BUSINESS & 

PROFESSIONAL 

DIRECTORY 

Wilson Electrical Services LLC 

27 Years of Residential & Commercial Experience 

Free Estimates 

Cornerstone Realty, Inc. & 

Lutz Auction Service, LLC 

“One Call Does It All” 

Dale Lutz 

. 

25980 Auction Lane, Guilford, IN 47022 

Office 812-637-2220 

Cell 513-266-1859 

cstonerealty.com lutzauctions.com 

513-659-8403 

A funny street sign. 

Licensed & Insured 

www.wilsonelectricalservices.com 

FLOORING SHOWROOM 

Joe Brandel 

20 E. Center St. 

Lawrenceburg IN 

812-537-0619 

FURNITURE SHOWROOM 

557 W. Eads Parkway 

Lawrenceburg IN 

812-537-0610 

FIREWOOD 

$100 per rick, delivered 

For your camping and fireplace needs. 

1 

/ 3 the cost of gas station bundles! 

FREE Delivery available 

812-744-3257 



7047065_100_seheda_print_ad_ortho_10x19_fa_x1a.pdf 1 5/1/23 5:09 PM 

“Is it possible to make 

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- Jason, Fort Thomas, KY 

C 

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CM 

MY 

CY 

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“Of course. 

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option that best 

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K 

Dr. Kevin Bonfield 

Sports Medicine 

At St. Elizabeth our sports medicine team is here to help you with nonsurgical 

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We understand you have questions, and at St. Elizabeth we personalize care 

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Beacon Aug 2023

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