Beacon Oct 2023

Page 6B THE BEACON October 2023
O
ur
Communities
The Aurora High School Class of 1973 reunion.
AURORA
By
Randy
Turner
Community
Correspondent
aurora@goBEACONnews.com
Hello Beacon readers,
The back-to-school sales
should be over, and the Halloween
and Christmas decorations
are on the way to the
store shelves.
First, we must recognize the
annual event that every true
Auroran has come to expect
parks
dearborn
county
with fall weather, the unparalleled
and unrivaled festival in
our local communities, “The
Aurora Farmers Fair!” An
ongoing presence in our lives,
the 114th Fair will be Oct. 4-7
this year. Estimated crowds
of 10,000 people will attend
the festivities for musical acts,
amusement rides, carnival
games, and food booths of
all kinds placed right in the
middle of downtown Aurora.
Started in 1910 as a fall event
to celebrate rural farm life, the
Fair still features an exhibit
hall for 4-H, arts and crafts,
home gardening, and cooking
for people to showcase their
the Dearborn County Parks Foundation.
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Live Auctions, Online Auctions, USPAP Appraisals
ATTENTION registered voters of Aurora.
Cast your WRITE-IN VOTE for
WRITE-IN candidate for mayor
Church Leader, Married 48 years,
Father - Grandfather, Conservative,
U.S. Army Veteran, American Legion member,
ACTIVE City Councilman 4th District (2016-2019),
ACTIVE visionary as City Mayor (2020 – present)
Member of multiple Regional boards
~
Mayoral accomplishments include, but not limited to:
*Completion of successful Family Aquatic Center.
*Negotiated for: US 50 flooding repairs, vacant land
acquired/donated for development &/or trails, utility
garage abatement, sewer, equipment for Fire, Park, &
Street Departments. *Façade Improvement Program,
*Market Street and multiple other streets & sidewalk
paving & retaining wall projects, *utility infrastructure
projects. *Secured millions in grants from Indiana
Department of Health, Community Crossings, Next-
Level Trails, Office of Rural & Community Affairs,
Dearborn County Community Foundation, Rising Sun
Regional Foundation. Working to increase tax base
through housing development.
mark.drury4mayor@gmail.com
Paid for by: Candidate Mark Drury’s Committee
hobbies and skills.
Most important of all, the
Fair provides a chance for
families and friends to gather,
which explains the long history
and success and it certainly
follows this year’s Fair theme,
“Community First”.
The Fair has been hosted by
the Aurora Lions Club since
1959, through the Aurora
Farmers Fair Committee. This
group puts in many long hours
as planning begins in January
for the events and ongoing
support from Fair sponsors.
Volunteers find the Fair can
become a big part of their
lives. Joe Burkart is Chairman
for his fifth year, a Kentucky
transplant and we will
not let him go back there. The
real workhorse is Fair Manager
Larry Petty having served
since 1985. Larry inherited the
job from his brother Carl Petty,
who only did it for fifteen
years. Larry has brought his
son Scott into the fold as well,
and his wife Jan has followed
Larry to every known festival
in the tri-state, to search
for new rides and ideas. The
Petty family are not ones to be
singled out for praise, but they
sure deserve it! Larry is the
first to push for recognition
of those having booths that
make the Fair happen. This
year he nominated “Harley of
Cochran” for being the Grand
Marshals of the Fair. This had
my vote immediately as you
will not find a better group of
people.
They have had a raffle booth
since 1980, Tim Young, a
friend and original member
said the first raffle was a live
HOG. Well, things got messy
in the booth and they learned
to have a processed HOG
after that. I asked Tim what
was his favorite part of being
a member, and he quickly
answered the poker runs. Tim
will be in the raffle booth this
year for sure.
Shaun Scudder is the current
president and says the
club became official in 1982,
their early meetings were held
in Dickie Clark’s garage in
the area west of Aurora called
Cochran. Several like-minded
motorcyclists wanting to form
a club, and with all riding
Harley Davidson motorcycles,
decided on calling themselves
Harley of Cochran! They held
monthly meetings, formed
a board of directors, and
held poker runs, field meets,
pig roasts, and other events
geared towards the interest
of the fast-growing numbers
of local motorcyclists. Shaun
says never judge a book by its
cover, as Harley of Cochran
has always worked hard to
build a reputation as a philanthropic
group, not a gang stereotyped
in the media. Monies
raised at their events have
always gone to serve others,
and not to benefit the club.
The YES Home, sports teams,
scholarships, assistance with
veterans causes, local people
having fallen on hard times,
have all been the focus of this
group. Their current project is
building a shelter for the Lauren
Hill Memorial dog park.
Sadly the first president
of the club, Bob Shinkle Jr.
passed this last June, but his
memory and other original
members will carry on with
the current thirty members.
Usually, Grand Marshals
ride our Lions float, but I
Get it All at www.goBEACONnews.com
think another ride is being
planned, so don’t miss this
parade! Some people may
be asking about the Cochran
community. Well, I will visit
that in a future column.
Other Fair news- Larry
Petty says the famed “Mouse
Game” will be back, so get
those quarters ready.
Shanna Gentry reports that
the “ Battle of The Bands”
had winners, who will be
on stage for encore performances.
First place went to
“Hoodoo,” and they will be
on Stage II Friday 8-10 P.M.
Second place winners “Crimson
Blue” will be on Stage II
Friday 6-8 P.M. Third place
winners “Handful of Jokers”
will hit Stage II Saturday 5-6
P.M. “Chorin” as the fourth
place winners will be seen on
Stage I on Friday 1-2 P.M. So
be there and enjoy these new
sounds.
A rip-roaring crowd favorite
“Battle On The Borders Pro
Wrestling” will return to the
Fair on Stage I at 1 P.M on
Saturday. These guys were a
big hit last year, and recently
they showed their talents at
the “Bash On The River”
held in Gabbard Park for the
Lions movie night. So there is
plenty of action headed your
way, enjoy it before the leaves
fall.
The Aurora High School
Class of 1973, who have always
been a close-knit group,
couldn’t wait five years for
their first reunion and instead
uncharacteristically had a
three-year reunion in 1976.
Since that time this class has
had reunions every five years
with the most recent Aug. 12,
their fiftieth.
The class was welcomed
into an elaborately decorated
Aurora City Park Pavilion
and was thrilled to have
classmates from Utah, Louisiana,
Florida, and Arizona as
well as Ohio, Kentucky, and
Indiana.
In accordance, with the
class’s kinship, each one of
the twenty-nine deceased
•Interior & Exterior Interior Lighting• & Exterior Landscape Lighting Lighting• • Landscape Decorative Lighting Fixture Installations•
Decorative Fixture Installations
• Device Replacement• Lighting Device Design• Replacement Electric • Lighting Service Design Replacement• New classmates’ Construction• names was read
Electric Service Replacement • New Construction aloud followed by a toast
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This Beacon reporter says,
“Stayin’ alive till 55.”
Residential & Commercial
Events
Aurora
St. John School Golf Outing
Saturday, September 16th 8:00am
Kelly’s Hidden Acres, Milan IN
812.926.2656 or jenwillo1215@gmail.com
Main Street Aurora’s
Coffee & Business District
Walking Tour
Working to make a difference!
Saturday, September 16, 10:00am
Meet at Spire Book & Coffee Co., 308 Third St.
$10.00 RESERVATIONS REQUIRED 812.926.1100
Spend a Week in the 926
Monday, September 25 Saturday, September 30
926 Week (Give back to your community)
Whether supporting local businesses, volunteering,
or donating every little bit makes our community
grow stronger. Show a Random Act of Kindness.
Hillforest’s American Bandstand
Friday, September 29, 7 11pm
Clayton Batchelor Pavilion, 233 City Park Circle
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED 812.926.0087
Aurora Lions Club
114th Aurora Farmers Fair
Wednesday, October 4 Saturday, October 7