By Tamara Taylor

Bridges to the Future

Building bridges can be a long and arduous task . Sometimes expensive , sometimes in ways other than monetarily . This may take time , sacrifice , and compromise . I have noticed that " building bridges " comes up a lot in our community- the bridge on Bonnell that is being reconstructed after 101 years of use , and the Salt Fork Road bridge whose lack of structural integrity has affected the travel plans of thousands going to and from eastern Dearborn County , just to name a few . Many thanks to the members of our Highway Department who are on it- keeping us safe , juggling budgets to make it happen , and demolishing old structures while overseeing the construction of new ones ( that ' s the fun stuff !)

Then there are those interpersonal bridges- the bridges that bond us . The bridges based on strong communication and intense listening . For years , an imaginary " wall " existed between Lawrenceburg

and Aurora . The powers that be were always staring over the wall thinking , " What ' s that other side doing now ? Will it affect us ? Do we need to do the same ?" Recently that HUGE bridge of communication between Lawrenceburg and Aurora has been built . With a little effort and a tenuous level of trust , the mayors of Aurora and Lawrenceburg meet once a month to discuss what is going on in their towns , and how working together could benefit the residents and businesses . WOW ! I cannot express how wonderful it is to see this effort toward open communication . What a simple solution to an age-old problem . And it doesn ' t stop with Aurora and Lawrenceburg . Greendale , Rising Sun , and sometimes even Batesville mayors join in the conversations .

Many , many thanks to the gentleman ( who will remain nameless ) who was the first to put out his hand and started the process of building the bridge between these communities that will only make us stronger .

Several bridges have been made stronger by the continual , unselfish efforts of volunteers . One resident of Lawrenceburg , Ms . Linda Schneider , is that type of volunteer .

Linda Schneider , a longtime resident of Southeast Indiana , was a flight attendant for thirty years . A life of service

suited her well . Linda and her husband , Tom , bought a farm in Manchester on Platt Road in the late 1970 ’ s . After enjoying the farm life for many years , Linda and Tom moved to Hidden Valley Lake . Another move to downtown Lawrenceburg followed in 2007 , where the couple resides today .

Linda ' s and Tom ' s move to downtown Lawrenceburg was fueled by their purchase of an old , neglected building on High Street . Coincidently a handful of like-minded new residents shared the same vision that the Schneiders had . They saw a thriving , vibrant downtown Lawrenceburg in the future and wanted to be a part of it . Linda and Tom invested blood , sweat , tears , and dollars into the neglected building , revitalizing it so that they could bring their entrepreneurial business to downtown . Linda ’ s dream was to open a bookstore . Her dream came true when she opened Books on High in 2007 . She ran the store for about seven years and then retired for the second time . During Linda ’ s ownership of the bookstore , she was a member of the original Merchant ’ s Group that was an extension of Lawrenceburg Main Street from 2008-2015 .

Mrs . Schnieder has always been the entrepreneur to welcome other business owners to downtown . She is the voice of encouragement and information for many who have

inquired about the possibility of bringing their businesses to downtown Lawrenceburg . As a member of the Lawrenceburg Main Street , Inc . board for over five years , she has been a liaison for residents and new businesses by informing them about resources for programs and grants available through Lawrenceburg Main Street and the City of Lawrenceburg .

Linda currently holds the office of secretary for the Main Street board . She has been a devoted volunteer at Lawrenceburg Main Street events such as Party in the Street , Music on the River , Winter Wonderland and the Pub Crawl . She has also volunteered to help the City of Lawrenceburg with events like the Groom and Bloom and the Boat Races .

Linda was an active member of the Hyett Palma Process Committee that conducted a study on the revitalization of downtown Lawrenceburg in 2014-2015 . She was also a part of the follow-up Partnership Committee dedicated to keeping the revitalization process moving into the future .

Linda ’ s Christian and charitable soul transcends to every aspect of her life . Her kindness to animals , fellow neighbors , and friends always exemplifies her positive gratefulness for having the opportunity to help others . She has done kind deeds for

Linda Schneider sets the bar high for enthusiastically helping businesses and residents in downtown Lawrenceburg .

many of her fellow citizens along her journey . When she finds her neighbors struggling with the challenges of life , her solution is to find a hand up , not a handout .

Linda ’ s enthusiasm and community spirit are visible every day when she walks around town . She continuously keeps her eyes and ears open for new opportunities to make downtown Lawrenceburg a destination for both businesses and visitors alike .

Thank you , Linda , for all you do , as well as inspire us to do .