THE BEACON
www . goBEACONnews . com PUBLISHED MONTHLY SINCE 1994 Dec . 2017
INSIDE The BEACON
Salute to the Military
Five veterans are noted for their service to our community and country .
Pages 6-7
21,000 distribution & growing ! To advertise , call 812-637-0660
Area Residents ' Efforts Touch Lives Across the World
Aurora was recently filled with busy bees who donated a mere one and a half hours of their time to make a huge impact on lives around the world . They joined together at St . Mary ' s Activity Center and partnered with Love the Hungry to package much-needed meals for starving children around the world . Thanks to the coordination efforts of Sharon Hunger and Teresa Brown , the opportunity for area residents to make such a worldwide impact has been an annual event since 2011 . One hundred twenty-five area residents gathered with the staff of Love the Hungry , Inc . to assemble nutrient-rich meals for starving children and adults worldwide . Over 36,000 servings were assembled and packaged in this short period .
Love the Hungry , Inc . is owned by Lawrenceburg ' s native son , Dale Oelker , and his wife , Tonja . Dale and Tonja started Love the Hungry because they had traveled the world and had seen firsthand the extreme poverty that exists . Having been a part of similar charitable events in the past , the Oelkers wanted to use their gifts to " give back " and help those in dire need .
" It ' s our goal not just to help kids survive , but we want them to thrive ," stated Mr . Oelker .
Love the Hungry provides the components of fortified food rich in nutrients that can be cooked with a few cups of
water . Twenty-one vitamins and minerals , along with twelve grams of protein , are in each serving . These nutrient-rich meals can alleviate and reverse the effects of malnutrition in young children .
The process consists of stations set up to accommodate eleven people who put together the components of a meal . The result is a pouch that will feed six individuals .
Ensuring that the meals reach those in need is a continual challenge and requires the establishment of good relationships and trust with non-corrupt government entities . Often the end goal is to get these meals to schools and orphanages in areas such as South Sudan , Haiti , West Africa , and Central America that are torn apart by war and civil unrest . Many of the relationships that have been cultivated by Dale and Tonja are with faith-based , non-government organizations that have been vigorously vetted and share similar goals to help the impoverished .
Results of efforts to deliver these meals and ensure that they reach the right hands are measured through word of mouth and videos shared through modern technology . The goal of this year ' s event held in Aurora was to create meals for those in need in Puerto Rico . “ This is our seventh year of having this event , and it was a great success ,’ stated
Continued on page 3
History & Community
A rare opportunity to tour one of the area ' s most historic structures . Page 8
Family Sorghum Mill
Ripley County ' s sweet secret . Page 9
( photo by Kelsey Halpain )
The beauty of the Park
Dearborn County Park Board encourages volunteers and visitors . Page 20
PRSRT STD U . S . POSTAGE
PAID DAYTON , OHIO Permit No . 41
Aurora Red Devils Class of 1972 shared old memories and made new ones on a float in the 2017 Aurora Farmers Fair Parade .( photo by Kelsey Halpain )
Festivals , Fairs , and Fun !
Danielle Clements was smiling ear-to-ear at the Navy Bean Festival
Southeast Indiana was filled with festivities this fall . Great weather made all of the events even better .
Pam and Dan Inman enjoyed Rising Sun ' s Navy Bean Festival with Myla , Jessica , and Conner Offill .
Sean , Laura , Jim , Sean , and Bebe Kinnett took advantage of the great weather and attended the first annual Beer Bands and BABA-Q . Next year ' s event is already shaping up to be bigger and better !
By Susan Ray
Although the school bell is now silent and the halls are mostly empty , the stories and music of a community continue to fill Carnegie Hall , a statuesque landmark located just off SR350 , in the town of Moores Hill . Completed in 1908 , this impressive structure was the second and smaller of two educational buildings on the Moores Hill College campus .
The men and women who were fortunate enough to attend twentieth-century classes in the stately building still recall the marble steps leading into the main hallway , and the thick velvet drapes in the acoustically balanced auditorium . Alumni Gary Norman is a bassist with the band , Burlap Bag of Bobcats . He and his fellow musicians , all of whom were once local to the area , will return to Carnegie Hall on December 2 to perform a fund raising concert during the annual Winter Luminaria Walk holiday event . Mr . Norman said , “ This auditorium was built for the acoustics , so we have to keep the amps down . ” He looked toward the
Thousands Benefit from DAC Grant
The City of Lawrenceburg was recently awarded a grant for the rehabilitation of the Dearborn Adult Center by the U . S . Department of Housing and Urban Development . The Community Development Block Grant awarded to the city is designed to spur economic revitalization through the improvement of community facilities typically located in rural communities to ensure health and safety while improving citizens ' quality of life .
Built over twenty-one years ago , the Dearborn Adult Center ( DAC ) has grown to serve so much more than just the residents of Dearborn County . Seniors from Dearborn , Ohio , Ripley , Franklin , and Switzerland counties take part in programs and services offered at the DAC such as Silver Sneakers exercise classes , colored pencil classes , and Tai Chi . Over one thousand people take advantage of all that the DAC has to offer each week . Participants range in age from 55 to 100 years of age . The staff and coordinators are dedicated to accommodating everyone with programs including karaoke , bridge , line dancing , bingo , pool , and billiards , just to name a few . Every Friday evening area residents enjoy a Jamboree hosted by the DAC featuring a dance with a live band .
In an effort to promote teamwork for the benefit of area residents , the DAC partners with Lifetime Resources and Ridgewood to provide a meal site for
Continued on page 3
The History of the Grand Carnegie Hall Continues
Moores Hill has been home to the stately and beautiful Carnegie Hall since its cornerstone was laid in 1907 .
stage and continued , “ It ’ s one of the best places we ’ ve ever played . You can stand on the balcony and talk and hear it
Continued on page 4
THE BEACON Over 21,000 readers and growing !
THE BEACON PO Box 4022 Lawrenceburg , Indiana 47025
Covering Dearborn , Ripley , Franklin and Ohio Counties in Indiana and to nearby Ohio communities .