Community

Luminaries of Dayton: Joseph W. Green

November 12, 2017 By Angie Hoschouer

Joseph W. Green was born in Dayton, Ohio and worked for his father’s cracker company, the Green & Green Co. It was famous for supplying 6.5 million pounds of cracker-like bread, known as hardtack, to American military forces in WWI. The company custom-designed machinery to make special soldered tins that would ensure the product remained fresh and palatable in the worst of conditions.

After the war, the Green family moved into their Oakwood home across from Hawthorn Hill. Soon the company’s Edgemont cracker was its most popular cracker, a product similar to a saltine. Today, Green & Green Co. is best remembered as the originator of a small, square cracker – a cracker. Its orange color and unique flavor comes from paprika and it is the leading selling cracker in the United States. Can you guess its name? Yep! … It’s Cheez-Its.

So where are Cheez-Its made today? In 1931, Joseph Green was president of the American Manufacturing Company, and manager of Loose-Wiles, which later became the Sunshine Biscuit Company. The Sunshine Co. identified itself with the sun symbol and with bringing sunshine into people’s lives. In 1996, Keebler bought Sunshine Biscuit. Today Cheez-Its are made by Kellogg, which acquired Keebler in 2000, but the company still uses the iconic sunshine trademark on every box.

Joseph and Eleanor Green are located in Section 105 Lot 2231 at Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum.

Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum is located at 118 Woodland Avenue off of Brown Street near the UD Campus. The Woodland Office is open Monday through Friday 8 am to 5 pm and Saturday 8 am to 12 pm. The Cemetery and Arboretum are open daily from 8 am to 6 pm. The Mausoleum is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. Fore more information call 937-228-3221 or visit the Woodland website.

Wheat Penny Benefit for Sonoma & Napa Fire Survivors

November 7, 2017 By Lisa Grigsby

On Sunday, November 19th from 3-7pm Wheat Penny Oven and Bar will host a very special dining event to support the families in need of help from all the fires in Sonoma & Napa Valley. Guests will be asked to purchase tickets in advance for $30 or two for $50, and that ticket will include food and a trip to the luxury tasting bar for a sample of your choice. There will be appetizers, pizza, salads, vegetables and more finishing out with a dessert buffet. Local wine reps will be pouring each ticket holder tastes of California wines, with some especially rare bottles being sampled.

Additional cash bar will be available, as well as a silent auction, wall of wine, and door prizes from provided by our best local restaurants and wine distributors.

You can pick up tickets at Wheat Penny, Meadowlark, both Arrow Wine stores and all 3 Dorothy Lane Market locations.

Miami County HomeGrown Stories: Connor and Hannah Haren

November 3, 2017 By Lisa Grigsby

Haren’s Market wants to bring the farm to market experience to Troy. The market is owned by Connor and Hannah Haren who are both Miami County natives. Connor purchased the Troy Meat Market in 2011, two years after he graduated from high school. The Troy Meat Market officially became Haren’s Market on May 7, 2016. Besides offering a wide variety of fresh cut meat, the market also sells local produce, eggs, and dairy. Connor and Hannah married in the fall of 2014 and are expecting their first child this December.

On their connection to Miami County:
Connor – I was born in Troy. Actually, my mom went into labor with me in the store. I was born at Stouder Hospital and grew up in Troy. I graduated from Troy High School in 2009. I haven’t traveled far since birth. I got a job here after high school at what was then Troy Meat Shop.

Hannah – My grandparents, Joyce and Bill Fulton, started Fulton Farms. My mom is their oldest daughter.

How they met:
Hannah – My friend tipped me off about Connor. She said “The owner of the meat market in Troy is really cute. You should look into him.” The next day I was working at the Fulton Farms market and Connor came in. I was talking to my brother and sister-in-law and said “Is that the guy that owns the meat market?” and it went from there.

About Haren’s Market:
Connor – I bought the meat market August 1, 2011. That was about 18 months after I started working here. The guy that owned the place at the time didn’t want it anymore. He basically offered it up to me. I thought “No way” – I was 19 at the time. I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t know how to cut meat. I didn’t know how to run a business. I was a recent high school graduate. After about a year after he offered to sell it, we closed. Within that year I realized it could be a good starting point for a career. I could sell the business in ten years or keep it and make a life out of it. There was some potential – it wasn’t what you see today – and I thought “let’s give it a shot.”

Before I bought the market, I was hesitant. I like the outdoors, I was traveling a bunch and I always wanted to farm. But I realized I also liked the idea of owning a business. Running the business, marketing, finances, all that combined. I also really love food – especially good quality, local food.

We’ve changed a lot of things aesthetically. We spruced the place up, upgraded equipment and did a lot of painting. We redid the ceiling and floors, added some pretty murals. Then we started selling a lot of local grocery items. We also added different cuts, not just the standard cuts you find in the grocery store. They’re creative cuts and novelty items. And then I met my wonderful wife, and from her produce market background, she brought changes. She quit her corporate job about 18 months ago and brought a lot of her produce knowledge to the market.

About their farm where they grow much of the produce sold at Haren’s Market:
Hannah – We bought a little farm 4 years ago. A lot of what we do on the farm is here. We have over 150 chickens so we sell fresh eggs. We have our own honeybee hives and sell our honey here. We have grass-fed lamb that we sell in the meat case. We’re also working on beef. There’s a lot more we want to do.

Connor – Yeah, that’s my second job out there.

Hannah – We want to sell more quality, local produce. Most of what we sell is from our farm or Fulton Farms. I go out every morning and bring it in here. If something is in season I like to get it locally.

Connor – This is more or less our “farm to market” experience – you know like you’ve heard about “farm to table” restaurants. My idea was to be a hub for local farmers and growers to come in and sell their stuff so we can sell it to the public. Our farm has been a huge asset to the business.

On the community response to Haren’s Market, and the name change from Troy’s Meat Market:
Connor – People love it. You know, I work pretty hard – so does she – and I think all the hard work we’ve put in warranted putting our names on it. It shows it’s a local market with a local family. It’s a different place today. Our regular customers recognize the changes and thought it was a great idea.

Hannah – The response has been excellent. With that being said, we’re still not where we want to be. There’s more that we want to do. We’re expecting a baby and it’s exciting to think about where the business will go with the next generation. Maybe they won’t ever want to do it – maybe they’ll want to be a CEO in Chicago [laughs]. But it’s still exciting.

What they love about Miami County:
Hannah – Miami County is a good place to own a business. The community is very supportive. We have a lot of awesome customers. Troy, in general, is very supportive of each other. I like that it’s a small hometown. I lived in Columbus for about 5 years but I like the small town feel.

Connor – Troy is a nice place to live. And as Hannah said, the feeling of community is great. Going out you know everybody. As big as Troy is and is getting, it’s still a very small town in the sense that you can be connected to a lot of people. Roots run deep in Troy.

Their Miami County recommendations for out of town visitors:
Connor – Just go explore. There are a lot of things to do. Rent bikes from the bike shop and roll around the bike paths in Troy. Go to K’s and eat a double cheeseburger with a peanut butter shake. Go drink whiskey at Indian Creek Distillery.

Hannah – And come to Haren’s and get some meat [laughs]!

Haren’s Market
502 Garfield Ave
Troy, Ohio, OH 45373
Facebook: @HarensMarket
Instagram: @HarensMarket

This story first appeared on the Miami County Convention and Visitors Bureau website. Follow author, storyteller and interviewer, Courtney Denning, at ThisOhioLife.com.

WYSO Staffers Win National Awards

November 2, 2017 By Lisa Grigsby

Two WYSO staff members are the recipients of national media awards for their work.

Neenah Ellis

In late September, WYSO general manager Neenah Ellis was awarded the 2017 Madison Hodges Innovator Award for Public Media Advancement. The award is given by the University-Station Alliance, which recognizes professionals who strengthen the public media system through their relationship with their licensee. Ellis was recognized for enhancing WYSO’s tradition of community engagement through the station’s Community Voices initiative.

WYSO managing editor Jess Mador received a First Prize award in the Topical Reporting, Small Newsroom category from the Online News Association for her “TruckBeat” project, produced independently in collaboration with Knoxville public radio station WUOT news director Matt Shafer Powell, prior to Mador joining WYSO in 2016. TruckBeat was one of 15 “Finding America” projects, part of the nationwide Localore initiative produced by AIR, the Association of Independents in Radio.

TruckBeat is an interactive multimedia health storytelling project featuring the voices and images of East Tennessee.

Reporters take a bread truck turned mobile studio out on the road to report on community health topics in depth: addiction, obesity, mental health, access to health care – and why zip code may matter more to health than genetics.

“With TruckBeat we aimed to help document the impact of health disparities in rural and urban East Tennessee, and capture the complicated reality of the Knoxville region’s fierce opioid epidemic. It was critical to establish a relationship of mutual trust with underreported Appalachian communities,” Mador says.

TruckBeat was also nominated as an Online Journalism Awards finalist for Excellence and Innovation in Visual Digital Storytelling, Small Newsroom category.

Public radio station WYSO 91.3 is licensed to Antioch College with studios in Yellow Springs. It broadcasts on multiple platforms: 91.3 FM, live streaming at WYSO.org, on HD radio and on NPR One, a mobile application. WYSO is the Miami Valley’s only NPR News station with programming from NPR, Public Radio International, American Public Media, PRX and the BBC as well as the work of local and independent radio producers.

Wreaths Across America

November 2, 2017 By Lisa Grigsby

REMEMBER. HONOR. TEACH.

Each December on National Wreaths Across America Day, their mission to Remember, Honor and Teach is carried out by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as over 1,200 additional locations in all 50 U.S. states, at sea, and abroad. On National Wreaths Across America Day, Saturday, December 16, 2017, volunteers place wreaths on individual veterans’ graves in over 1,200 locations throughout the U.S., with ceremonies at sea, and at each of the national cemeteries on foreign soil. Wreaths Across America started as a grass-roots effort to remember those willing to serve and sacrifice. But each year they are seeing an increasing number of corporate and industry donors who step up to help them honor more veterans, at Arlington National Cemetery and in over 1,200 local communities nationwide.

On Saturday, December 16, 2017, volunteers will place wreaths on veteran gravestones at Dayton National Cemetery beginning at 10:00 am. The ceremony will begin at 12:00 noon. Whether you are a single individual, a corporation, a volunteer group, there are plenty of ways you can get involved in helping us honor and remember our nation’s fallen servicemen and women.

If you’d like to help you can Donate to help purchase enough wreaths to cover the 2 area locations,Dayton National Cemetery on West Third Street and Woodside Cemetery in Middletown. You can also Volunteer to participate in the wreath laying ceremony on Saturday, December 16, 2017.

When you donate to Wreaths Across America, your money sponsors a wreath first. $0.86 of every dollar donated goes toward wreath sponsorships, shipping costs not covered by our trucking partners, and fundraising group paybacks. WAA operates on the remaining margin, keeping overhead low and paying wages to just eight full-time employees; their Executive Director and Chairman take zero salary and are 100% committed to the mission.

Luminaries of Dayton: Leslie C. Mapp and Mikesell’s Potato Chips

November 1, 2017 By Angie Hoschouer

Mike-sell’s Potato Chips. A Dayton Favorite!

Mike-Sell’s was founded in 1910 by Ohio native Daniel W. Mikesell. Mikesell was born in Miami County, Ohio, in 1883. In 1906, when he was 23, Mikesell moved to Dayton with the desire to start his own business. He started out working for a wholesale and retail dry goods store before serving a short stint as a collector for the Home Telephone Company. Finally, in 1910, he started his own venture. He saw advertised in the newspaper a used dried-beef slicing machine. He bought the contraption and set up a makeshift meat shop in two rooms next to his home. He started selling dried beef and sausage snack foods that he processed with his machine. He delivered his products to customers via bicycle. Mikesell upgraded his delivery system to a horse and buggy after a few years. At about this time, Mikesell became engaged in the potato chip business when he took advantage of an opportunity to purchase equipment designed to manufacture chips, which were relatively unknown in Dayton at the time.

According to legend, a chef named George Crum invented the fried food at an upscale resort in Saratoga Springs, New York, when railroad baron Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt sent his french fries back to the kitchen, complaining that they had been sliced too thick. Disgusted, Crum sliced thin shavings from a potato and threw them into hot oil. After they had fried to a crisp he sent them back to the table, to Vanderbilt’s delight. “Saratoga chips,” as they were first called, became popular throughout the eastern United States. With help from his wife Mikesell began producing the chips with a few cooking kettles, baskets, and stirrers. The operation was truly vertically integrated, with Mikesell and his wife peeling, slicing, frying, packaging, and then delivering the tasty potato chips to customers.

Customers who tried Mikesell’s unique fried potato chips loved them. Mikesell continued to deliver snack food products other than potato chips, because most people considered the chips a seasonal picnic item, but it was clear that the chips were a big hit for the fledgling venture. Indeed, the Mikesells eventually employed their four children peeling potatoes to keep up with demand. Mikesell marketed the chips through county and state fairs, and the entire family traveled during the summers to operate the D.W. Mikesell Co. booth at such events. The Mikesells lived in a tent while traveling and sold the chips out of a glass case, scooping them into nickel bags. In 1913 Mikesell purchased a Ford delivery truck. Evidencing Mikesell’s penchant for innovation, his was the first delivery panel truck in Dayton. The side of the truck was embossed with a new, more descriptive moniker: D.W. Mikesell Co. Food Specialties.

Fast forward to 1965. After the death of Dan Mikesell, leadership of the chip company fell to Leslie C. Mapp. Under Mapp’s direction during the next 30 years, Mike-Sell’s expanded geographically, retained its quality focus, and continued to be an industry innovator.

Les Mapp’s rise to the presidency of Mike-Sell’s was the embodiment of the American dream. His parents had immigrated to the United States in the early 1900s with the dream of owning farmland. They achieved that dream in Ohio, where the elder Mapp became a successful dairy farmer. Mapp received his education in a one-room schoolhouse near Springfield, Ohio, and then attended Bliss College in Columbus for two years before completing his degree at the Dayton Young Men’s Christian Association night school (later named Sinclair College).

Early in his career Mapp was an administrative officer of the Miami Valley Milk Producers Association in Dayton. He helped that organization multiply several times in size during his tenure. It was also through that job that he became involved in numerous trade associations. Mapp, with a broad food industry background, eventually joined Mike-Sell’s and in 1952 was named chief administrative officer. He oversaw the construction of a new manufacturing plant in 1955 and was integral to the implementation of modern manufacturing and marketing techniques during the 1960s and 1970s. In addition to updating and expanding production facilities during the 1970s and 1980s, Mike-Sell’s reached out into new geographic markets on the perimeter of its established customer base. In addition to his success at Mike-Sells, Mapp was a leader in the snack food industry. In 1977, for example, he was elected head of the Potato Chip/Snack Food Association, International, for which he established several new programs including key legislative initiatives in Washington, D.C.

Leslie C. Mapp was born September 15, 1912 and died April 2, 2005 at the age of 92. He is resting peacefully in Section 61 Lot 1624 at Woodland Cemetery.

Daniel W. Mikesell was born March 12, 1883 and died May 19, 1965 at the age of 82. He is resting peacefully at Dayton Memorial Park in Section 2 Lot 490.

Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum is ocated at 118 Woodland Avenue off of Brown Street near the University of Dayton Campus. The Woodland Office is open Monday through Friday 8 am to 5 pm and Saturday 8 am to 12 pm. The Cemetery and Arboretum are open daily from 8 am to 6 pm. The Mausoleum is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. For more information, call 937-228-3221 or visit the Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum website.

Second Story Secrets Tour in Troy

October 31, 2017 By Dayton Most Metro

What’s Upstairs in Downtown? That question led Troy Community Works, in collaboration with Leadership Troy, to create the Second Story Secrets Tour in 2014. Now back for its fourth year the tour keeps getting better. The 2017 tour will be held on November 4, 2017 from 3pm-7pm.

The tour offers a rare chance to slip inside the upper floors and little known spaces around downtown. Tickets are $25 or 2 for $45 until Oct. 31st. After that tickets increase to $30 each. After picking up your map and tour brochure at the CAS Building participants can visit the locations in any order. Tour guides are on hand at each location to give information about the building. They include:

Coleman-Allen-Saidleman (CAS) Building – owned by TCW and home to MT Studios, and the starting point of the tour- 1 E. Main Street,
Zeal Life Coaching & Apartment- 3 E. Water Street,
Dave Murray & Company- 104 N. Market Street,
Smithfly- 210 E. Water Street,
3 Weird Sisters Studio- 15 S. Market Street,
Westfall Apartment- 116 S. Market Street,
Mayflower Arts Center- 9 W. Main Street,
Trojan City Music- 106 E. Main Street,
Thrive Classical Pilates- 2 N. Market Street
Hemm Warehouse- 110 E. Canal Street
The Dye Building – 5 S. Market Street
The Secret Location!

Ticket holders can tour the sites and stop at the Elks Lodge Historic 2nd Floor Bar to “refuel” and use their 2 drink tickets to enjoy beer, wine, cider and snacks. The Elks will also be crafting a signature cocktail for purchase just for the evening! Ticket holders will also receive 10% off dinner if they show their ticket at any of our partnering restaurants: La Piazza, Smith’s Boathouse, The Caroline, Greenfire Bistro, Sakai, and Tokyo Peking!

Tickets will be on sale online, but prices increase after October 31st to $30 per ticket. Online ticket holders will be contacted via email and your physical ticket will be held at the door until the day of the tour. You may also purchase tickets at the following locations around the square from September 26-October 31st: Mayflower Arts Center, Troy Chamber of Commerce, and MT Studio. Tickets are $25 each or 2 for $45. All proceeds benefit Troy Community Works.

New Webster Street Bridge Will Open Thursday

October 30, 2017 By Dayton Most Metro

Dayton’s new Webster Street Bridge will open on Thursday, Nov. 2. The community is invited to walk the bridge at 6 pm; a ribbon-cutting ceremony follows at 6:30 pm.

The $11 million bridge over the Mad River replaces a 99-year-old structure demolished in early 2016. The new bridge features five traffic lanes, wider sidewalks, observation decks, “sky beam” lighting and roadway improvements at either end.

The bridge is a key connector for downtown Dayton, Tech Town, the Water Street District, north Dayton, and SR 4. It will have an estimated daily vehicle count of 8,000.

Webster is the 10th of 11 bridges replaced by the City of Dayton since 2006. The final bridge in the City’s replacement program will be the Helena Street Bridge, to open by January 2018. Montgomery County and the Ohio Department of Transportation have also constructed new bridges in Dayton in recent years, with more planned.

Funding was provided by the federal Surface Transportation Program, the Ohio Department of Transportation Municipal Bridge Fund, the Ohio Public Works Commission (Ohio Issue 1), and the City of Dayton capital fund.

The bridge was designed by EMH&T, of Columbus, and built by Eagle Bridge Company, of Sidney.

DP&L Free LED Bulb Trade In

October 27, 2017 By Dayton Most Metro

Want a Free LED Bulb and Start Saving Energy?

DP&L is partnering with Walmart during the Energy Star® for an Incandescent Bulb Turn-In Event Change the World Tour Event.

LEDs use 70-90 percent less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs and can last up to 25 times longer. By just replacing incandescent bulbs with energy efficient LEDs, families may receive significant energy savings over the life of the bulb. CFLs will not be accepted as a trade.

The LED distribution is part of DP&L’s ongoing energy efficiency efforts for customers, which also include rebates on appliance recycling, heating and air conditioning, discounts on energy-efficient lighting and rebates for business customers.

Be a Savings Champion! Learn more valuable energy savings tips, by visitinghttp://savewithdpl.com/

DAI holds Bond Burning Ceremony

October 26, 2017 By Dayton Most Metro

A brief ceremony and symbolic “bond burning” were held at The Dayton Art Institute today, Thursday, October 26, to announce the early payment of $11.7 million in bond debt held by the museum.

“This is an important step forward in our continuing efforts to ensure a sound financial future for The Dayton Art Institute, as the museum prepares to celebrate its centennial in 2019,” says Director and CEO Michael R. Roediger. “Since 2011, the museum staff, Board of Trustees, and Finance and Endowment Committees have been committed to reducing debt and being financially sound and responsible. In that time, The DAI has reduced its debt from $16.5 million to less than $600,000.”

A final payment of $11.7 million was applied to the 1996 museum renovation bond–originally totaling $14.4 million–which was paid off nine years ahead of schedule. This final payment was made possible thanks to the strategic financial leadership of The DAI’s staff, Board of Trustees, and Finance and Endowment Committees; gifts from benefactors Jim Dicke I and Jim Dicke II; unrestricted planned gifts; and a strong stock market. It is the second major prepayment on this bond in the past year, following a $1.2 million prepayment at the end of 2016. The bond originally helped fund museum renovations in the mid-1990s, which included the addition of the Entrance Rotunda and James F. Dicke Gallery of Contemporary Art.

In addition to paying off this debt, the museum has reduced the annual draw from its endowment to five percent or under for the last five years, and has created and implemented a centennial master plan for building enhancements, capital improvements, and gallery reinterpretation.

“For any organization, moments like this are a cause for celebration and a reaffirmation of new and exciting times ahead,” said Jim Dicke II, Emeritus Chair of The DAI’s Board of Trustees. “The support of Dayton, the Miami Valley and southern Ohio continues to make The DAI a special gem in the state. This is a landmark day.”

The Dayton Art Institute will celebrate its centennial as an organization in 2019. The museum’s historic building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was completed and opened in 1930. Today, the museum’s permanent collection contains more than 26,000 objects, spanning 5,000 years of art history. The museum galleries display about 1,000 works from the permanent collection at any time. In addition to exhibiting its permanent collection and outstanding special exhibitions, the museum is renowned for education programming that includes an array of offerings for diverse audiences.

For more information about The Dayton Art Institute, please visitwww.daytonartinstitute.org or call 937-223-4ART (4278). Connect with The Dayton Art Institute on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for additional information, behind-the-scenes photos and exclusive offers.

Dayton Mayor’s 2017 Award Winners

October 25, 2017 By Lisa Grigsby

The Mayor’s Award honors outstanding individuals, neighborhood groups and organizations/businesses making a positive impact on the Dayton community through various activities. Back in July the Mayor put a call out for nominees, who must be located within the Dayton city limits.

AWARD WINNERS FOR 2017

Family Friendly:
An organization that supports employees through family-friendly policies. Honoree – Porter Wright.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Quf790mVLzg

Community Service:
An individual or organization performing extraordinary service to the community. Honoree – Scott Murphy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9F3DsUTDN8w&feature=youtu.be

Giving Back to Neighborhoods:
An individual or neighborhood group supporting and inspiring their neighborhood. Honoree – Nicole Carver-Wishart.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8Hm9SUnSZI&feature=youtu.be

Education Champion:
An individual or organization working to provide a brighter future for our children. Honoree – Pat Meadows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLda7pS20eg

Workforce Pipeline:
An individual or organization promoting skill or trade development in students. Honoree – The Victory Project.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBErOKSuyZ0&t=5s

A three-member committee (a community member, a business representative and a City official) selects one winner in each category. Winners are recognized at a Dayton City Commission meeting and featured in a special video production.

PK33: LOVE & DEATH

October 25, 2017 By Lisa Grigsby

The objective of PechaKucha is to introduce the creative community to each other and Dayton’s PK Nights have done exactly that!

It all started for Dayton Pecha Kucha August of 2009 at c{space. A crowd of 75 gathered to hear speakers do a 20×20, which means each talk is illustrated by 20 images that show for 20 seconds each, a total of six minutes and 40 seconds.

It was South Park resident Jill Davis that brought the concept to Dayton, entering into a verbal licensing to present these PK Nights 4 times a year. In a 2013 interview with Meredith Moss Davis claimed, “despite my shyness, I harbored a fantasy of maintaining a salon, like Madame de Recamier, so I would be surrounded regularly by really interesting people,” she said.

Yet tonight, at the 33rd Dayton PK night Jill and her PK partner Matt Sauer will hand over the reigns to a new leadership team (Shayna, Katy + Ryan). We owe them both a huge round of applause for creating such an amazing quarterly tradition that has become a must attend event for eight years. They’ve carefully cultivated an amazing group of speakers, exposed us to some amazing venues and found sponsors to keep it free to the public and even included free beer!

THANK YOU JILL & MATT!

When asked to share her thoughts on this transition, Jill says, “I’ll always be glad I took the plunge and am happy PKDayton is always a surprise to me. It keeps re-assembling itself into a bit of a new experience each time–with each venue, each new mix of speakers and each new audience. On we go!”

So now it’s time to celebrate this hallowed time of year with our 33rd set of intense but transient 20x20s. Thursday at 7:30pm at Top of the Market, 32 Webster Street.

Ancient rituals to celebrate the dead have meaning today. We love to dress, parade, feast, prank, remember past loves and tell stories in the dark. Like life, a 20×20 is fleeting, lasting a mere 400 seconds. Emcee Juliet Fromholt will be with us in the flesh to introduce these presenters:

Mary Sanders – Observing Halloween
Carolyn Bohler – Every Recipe in the Book
Angelina Hoschouer – Dayton’s Notorious Dead
Casey Moninghoff – Fermentation is our Friend
Tim Waggoner – The Art of the Horror Story
Justin Risner – The Late Great Dayton Triangles
Joy Levett – Festivals that Honor the Spirits
Tony Kroeger – Haunted Dayton
…others may walk among us…

There will be beer. Free to attend. Kind donations and spirits welcome.

Cardboard Crowns Sets an Opening Date!

October 24, 2017 By Brian Petro

Cardboard Crowns Logo For a few months now, the buzz around a new gaming cafe in Dayton has been building. Cardboard Crowns (147 N. Springboro Pike Dayton OH United States 45449) will be offering food, craft beer, and hundreds of games to be played. And we finally have an opening date! This grand new space near the Dayton Mall will be opening on November 6th for the public.

Before that, they will be doing a series of soft opening events for local charities as the space continues to come to life. Tickets for each of the events are $25 per person, with $20 going to the charity being supported. These events begin this Sunday, and will benefit:

Sunday, October 29th – The Historic South Park District, from 5:30 to 9:30 PM.
Monday, October 30th – Greater Dayton LGBT Center, from 5:30 to 9:30 PM.
Wednesday, November 1st – Film Dayton, from 5:30 to 9:30 PM
Thursday, November 2nd – Equitas Health, from 5:30 to 9:30 PM

In addition to the above events, from 10 AM on Saturday, November 4th to 10 AM on Sunday, November 5th Cardboard Crowns will be hosting the Extra Life Tabletop Marathon, with all proceeds from library fees benefitting Dayton Children’s Hospital. You can show your support for the Cardboard Crowns team here, or build your own team to compete for a great cause!

The space is coming along for Ben and his team, and they look forward to seeing many of their fellow Daytonians over the next week, learning new games with friends, enjoying delightful beers, and supporting local causes.

The owner, Ben Adams, cutting the sound panel fabric.

The space is starting to look like it is ready for gamers!

The sound panels rising…

The front bar, ready for thirsty patrons.

What gaming space would be complete without Kallax shelves?

Luminaries of Dayton: David A. Sinclair and Mary Belle Eaker

October 23, 2017 By Angie Hoschouer

David A. Sinclair was an early supporter of the YMCA movement. He came to Dayton in 1874 to represent the Hamilton, Ontario YMCA at a conference and was so impressed with the leadership of the Dayton branch that he accepted a position here. He could not understand why Dayton had so many jobless men. After asking local employers for their opinion as to the cause of the problem, the answer would be the lack of skills and training necessary to do the job. David became determined to do something about it. Under his leadership, the YMCA began to offer vocational training classes which eventually grew into Sinclair Community College. Sadly, David Sinclair did not live long enough to see it. Exhausted from efforts to build the first YMCA building at Third and Ludlow Streets, now Dayton City Hall, he died six years before the first college building opened.

David A Sinclair has a sidewalk plaque on Dayton’s Walk of Fame on Third Street near Broadway Street in the Wright-Dunbar Historic District. He was inducted into the Walk of Fame in 1996.

David A. Sinclair was born in 1850 and died in 1902. He is located in Section 113 Lot 54.

A friend helps out to see the project completed.

The Young Men’s Christian Association was probably Mary Belle Eaker’s greatest interest. It was her recreation. She left the Eaker homestead as a site for the proposed new building, explaining her gift as follows: “Much of my life has been passed in this home, and I gladly give it for this purpose, believing that it could be consecrated to no better use, and that the people of Dayton will build upon it a suitable Christian home for our young men.”

It was Mr. Sinclair, as a friend and source of information about the Y. M. C. A. that probably decided the matter. Their friendship was most close and sincere, and through him she followed step by step the growing needs of the Association, and its advance in usefulness.

In 1902, Miss Mary Belle Eaker left her home on the northwest corner of Third and Ludlow to the Association. The new building that was constructed there was the second largest YMCA building in the world and opened in April 1908. It contained six stories and was valued at $500,000.

Mary Belle Eaker died on May 30, 1902 at the age of 80. She is buried Section 65 Lot 35.

Miami Valley Gaming Added $5 Million Expansion

October 22, 2017 By Dayton Most Metro

Second outdoor gaming patio, new indoor high limit room added

Miami Valley Gaming just completed their $5 million expansion project. The racino, just off I-75 at Exit 29, has added a second outdoor gaming patio and new indoor high limit room to their facility.

“We are very excited about these new additions to our facility,” said Domenic Mancini, President and General Manager at Miami Valley Gaming. “The additional outdoor gaming patio and new indoor high limit gaming room will help us continue to serve our patrons in these very competitive Cincinnati and Dayton markets.”

MVG, which opened in December 2013, broke ground on this recent $5 million expansion project last June. The expansion brings their total number of Video Lottery Terminals to over 1,800.

Upcoming events at Miami Valley Gaming:

The Amazing Kreskin

Miami Valley Gaming Grandstand

October 27, 2017 7:30 PM

With a showman’s flair, a comedian’s wit, and the capacities of a bona fide Mentalist or thought reader, The Amazing Kreskin has, for six decades, dramatized the unique facets of the human mind…his own. His very name has become an integral part of pop culture throughout the world.

Friday, November 17^th

The Search for the next generation rock band is on!

Mark your calendar to see the finalists who will battle it out on stage in the grandstand here at Miami Valley Gaming!

Get discovered and have your music heard on radio!

If you have the songs, the drive and the talent, 96 Rock is looking for you! For more information go to purerock96.com

OKTOBERFEST FRIDAY BUFFET

$19.99 | 4–10 PM

Featuring old and new German favorites!

Pumpkin Ale Glazed Carrots
Pork Chop with Sam Adams Oktoberfest Glaze
Sourdough Pretzels with Beer Cheese
Apple Dumplings and more!Pumpkin Ale Glazed Carrots, Pork Chop with Sam Adams Oktoberfest Glaze, Sourdough Pretzels with Beer Cheese, Apple Dumplings and more!

Visit www.miamivalleygaming.com to learn more about MVG’s events, concerts, promotions, dining and over 1,700 gaming machines.

Gem City Market T-Shirt Contest

October 21, 2017 By Dayton Most Metro

Dayton, called the “Gem City”, is more precious to us than a real gem stone because of the culture and communities that thrive here. The Gem City Market is having a contest to find the best t-shirt design in Dayton and invites you to celebrate our community in your own creative way! Entries do not have to necessarily reference Dayton, but should speak to the Gem City Market movement and the communities we serve.

Entries MUST:
•Include “Gem City Market” name in the design.
•Maintain that the design fits within a 10”x10” block and is vertically oriented.
•Submit original art. No trademarked characters or other depictions will be allowed.
•Submit one color artwork for printing. (Please suggest the color t-shirt you envision with your design.)

•SUBMIT ENTRY FORMS AND DESIGNS BY NOVEMBER 17th, 2017.
These can be emailed to etanaj.hhi@dayton-unitedway.org or mailed or dropped off by 5:00pm to:

United Way of the Greater Dayton Area
Attn: Etana Jacobi, T-Shirt Competition
33 W. First Street
Dayton, OH 45402

Other Notes:
The contest is open to everyone, but limited to two entries per person. Entry forms must be taped to the back of the image. Digital entry forms must be submitted in a separate document than the design to ensure fairness in judging. The GCM outreach team and related volunteers will judge the entries. One first place winner ($150) and two honorable mention winners ($50) will be announced by December 1st. All winning entries become the property of Gem City Market and may be reproduced for promotional purposes.