Beacon Oct 2023

Page 2A THE BEACON October 2023
By
Tamara
Taylor
Making It Happen
The town of Bright was the
center of the universe recently
when international superstar
Jason Aldean (Lutz) dropped
by for a visit. Rumor has it
that young ladies left and right
were swooning as the country
music legend passed by in the
Bright Parade, especially one
Rachel Lutz! Good thing the
Bright Fire and EMS were on
hand...
Yet another Bright Parade
is in the books thanks to the
illustrious group of volunteers
who eagerly make it all happen.
The annual tradition was
started thirty-three years ago
when three wise men decided
the world needed some good
community fun after a devastating
tornado had left the
community in shambles. Supposedly
Art Little, Dale Lutz.
and Jody Blasdel concocted
the plan for the parade and
drew it out on a napkin at a
pizza parlor. I hear that napkin
is Art’s prized possession
now...
This year, Dale and Jody
were still at it, setting up
cones, directing traffic, putting
up signs... Yet again they
were joined by their spouses
and families. Plus a handful
of volunteers from the Bright
Area Business Association
gathered to make it all happen.
Bonus- we all got to
enjoy a beautiful, peaceful
morning together before the
fun kicked in!
Many thanks to Terry Hahn
and Mike Dermody who kept
the crowd in stitches with
their commentary about the
parade entries. My hat is off
to the illustrious Dave Wisman
who graced us with his
talents by singing the National
Anthem. And of course, who
could be anything less than
stunned by the energy and
dedication of Nicole Wuestefeld
who was just one day shy
of delivering a beautiful baby
girl! (Personally, I thought
Nicole should have named the
baby Jodaleart, but they chose
Josie instead!)
The next time a thought
of doing something nice for
someone flits through your
mind, don’t let it pass. That
thought may grow into something
that will make others
smile or help lift their spirits
long after it enters your mind.
Three years ago, I had the
idea of hosting a party on a
bridge- how fun would THAT
be?!! As I pondered the idea,
I thought about
how the event
could benefit
a group in our
community,
something that
greatly and
deeply affects
all of us. And
then it hit me-
JCAP. Judge
McLaughlin’s vision that
led to the creation of the Jail
Chemical Addiction Program
(JCAP) years ago has done
exactly that- the program
greatly and deeply affects all
of us with a success rate of
over 80% recovery for those
who are battling addiction.
The little bridge idea blossomed
into the creation of A
Community Bridge, Inc., a
nonprofit organization that
hosts unique opportunities that
raise awareness about organizations
that have far-reaching
impacts on our community.
Even before the kickoff
of the event, A Community
Bridge has worked its magic.
Hosting a dinner outdoors, on
a bridge, no culinary amenities,
no parking, no lights...
WHAT FUN!
What has made this event
so enjoyable is the plethora
of volunteers who have risen
to the occasion to make this
event a reality and to give
back to the community by
giving to JCAP.
Countless hours have been
spent by Vicki and Terry Stephens
as they leveled the historic
bridge floor, made wine
serving trays, created artistic
displays for artwork created
by the students of ECHS, and
gave their time to coordinate
details for the event. Jim Red
Elk had a hand in the artistic
displays as well. Yet another
Jim (Thatcher) shared his
expertise in logistics, a very
treasured gift.
And then there’s Jim (Helfrich)
who is responsible for
getting the Knights of Columbus
involved in serving, along
with Sir Knight Jim (Stohr)
who coordinated everyone
and even created amazing
embroidered aprons for all to
wear. Oh yes, there’s another
Jim (Mansfield) who worked
tirelessly to spread the word
on sponsorships for the event
and helped coordinate all of
the moving pieces.
To break the pattern of
“Jims,” note Kevin Havlin, the
amazing lighting expert who
makes the bridge come alive
with wonderous creativity and
beauty. His talents span far
beyond what he gives to the
community as the fire chief of
the Manchester Fire Dept.
Add to the list Bob Hrezo
who spent hours analyzing the
Guilford Covered Bridge and
its structural integrity. And
the Dearborn County Park
Board, Highway Dept, Commissioners,
etc.
The Ewbanks came out in
fine fashion, bubbling with
excitement, great ideas, and
all things Ewbank to fill the
evening air with festivities.
Lest we forget those who
have been supporting JCAP
since inception- Judges
McLaughlin, Negangard,
Humphrey, Bascomb... okay,
that last one is simply a vision
of mine for this attorney’s
bright future!
The list goes on and on,
but the space doesn’t. Tune
in next time for more on the
volunteers and A Community
Bridge. Same Bat time, Same
Bat channel...
The next time you have an
idea, make it happen. You never
know where it may lead...
SICK DAY OR
A COUGH?
LET US HELP
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