By Nancy Bowman

Brukner Nature Center has a new way to promote its offerings thanks to the Tipp City Foundation.

A grant for $1,709 received in 2020 was used to buy materials to increase the nature center’s presence in surrounding communities through participation with a booth at public events, volunteer fairs and other activities.

Due to COVID-19 the materials were first used this year at a downtown Troy nonprofits night on the Public Square’s Prouty Plaza, said Deb Oexmann, executive director, Brukner Nature Center.

“We used the money to purchase a tablecloth, table runner with our logo, monitor with portable battery power to show videos, and a rolling tote to carry it all in,” Oexmann said

“We also used some of the funding to create some new videos to share not only at these events but also with our members, on our website and Facebook page.  Some funding was also used to create fun stickers to pass out at events to engage kids and their families,” she said.

The Brukner staff loves the new booth and materials although there hasn’t been a lot of time so far for public feedback, Oexmann said. The stickers already are a big hit with the children, she said.

The public relations campaign for Brukner Nature Center is an ongoing effort. “The more people who learn about us and our mission, the more memberships grow, the more wildlife myths are busted and the more friends and partners we create!” Oexmann said.

The center continues to be a popular destination. Its trails remained open during closings forced by COVID-19. The restrictions didn’t stop people from taking in the center’s outdoor offerings – Oexmann said a 20 percent increases in visitation was experienced in the past year and a half.

The center has been closed some this summer as its new driveway and parking lot project is underway. The areas are being paved with concrete. “I am so thankful for the support of our members, community foundations and our Board of Trustees.  This project was by no means the least expensive fix for our aging drive but it is by far the best environmentally friendly option,” she said.

Upcoming events at Brukner Nature Center include its annual fundraiser, The Art of Nature, scheduled for Oct. 3. An online auction is planned for members with some of the larger items available at the Oct. 3 auction.

Work on the annual Arts and Crafts Show on Dec. 3 is underway. Vendor applications are now being accepted. Everything offered at the show must be handmade or somehow related to nature, Oexmann said.

For more information on Brukner Nature Center, visit www.bruknernaturecener.com.

By Nancy Bowman 

The number of Tipp City homes whose history can be documented at least 100 years is growing, as is the effort to recognize those structures.

The Century Home Project was created by and in tribute to Paula and Phil Lantz, who came to the community in the early 1970s and made it their home.  After Phil Lantz passed in January 2017, Paula worked with Heather Bailey, the Tipp City Foundation and the Tippecanoe Historical Society to create the Century Home program as a tribute to him.

Homes that are confirmed by official documents to being at least 100 years old qualify. The homes will be awarded a brass Century Home plaque along with a framed award featuring the home.

Phil and Paula Lantz came to Tipp City in 1973 from Lima to be closer to his new job in Moraine. While heading home after checking out possible places to move in Kettering and Oakwood, they made a chance stop in Tipp City for gas.

Paula Lantz said she and her husband were attracted by the community’s charm and its houses. “It was such a unique spot in the world,” she said. “It has been a wonderful place to live. This program is another little piece that makes our community special.”

They ended up finding a home and over the years lived in four in the community.

The Century Home Project slowed the past year or so due to COVID-19 but again is in action.

Lantz is working on the project with Jackie Wahl of the Tippecanoe Historical Society. Houses in both Tipp City and Monroe Township can qualify for the recognition.

To promote the program, hangars were placed on doors of some houses that appeared to meet the century age criteria. Several applications were received and more are being taken.

A change in the program now has the Century Home Project volunteers verifying the age of homes using records now more readily available at the Miami County Courthouse. In the past, applicants were asked to provide that information, which could have been a deterrent for some owners.

“They may really love their old house, but don’t have the time to dig into public records,” Wahl said.

There is a $20 application fee.

Lantz said the project continues to evolve as the women work on the quickest, easiest way for those with a Century Home to apply. She is not aware of another program like it.

The project is a positive for the community, Wahl said. “It is one of the feel good things that help celebrate our community,” she said.

For more information on the Century Home Project, email info@tippecanoehistoricalsociety.org.

By Heather Bailey

The Tipp City Foundation recently awarded over $29,000 in scholarships. Many awards went to graduating high school seniors while $8,000 went to renewable awards from prior years. Of the 53 endowment funds within the Foundation, 14 represent scholarships. 

Often these funds commemorate inspirational values of the scholarship founder; when this is the case, applicants are measured against those standards. Winners are determined through a vetting process led by an independent body of judges. To read more about the stories behind each of the scholarship funds or to apply for future scholarships, visit www.tippfoundation.org.

Graduates from Tippecanoe, Bethel, Miami East and Troy are represented. 

Ernest Clay Back Scholarship for History – (not awarded for 2021)

Lester & Cleon Bowers Family Scholarship – Sophia Markley

Jeanette C. Gaston Memorial Music Scholarship – Samantha Thieman

Gilmore Family Scholarship – Kaitlyn Hemmelgarn

Sarah Gross Scholarship for Sportsmanship – Samantha Thieman

Life is a Journey -Don't Stop Believing Scholarship – Elijah Niemi

Katherine G. Lobo Memorial Scholarship – Lauryn Williams

McKee Family Matthew 5:16 Scholarship – Kenna Smith

Sarah Merritt Memorial Scholarship – Dakota Schroeder

John and Louise Miller Memorial Scholarship – Madison Spaeth

Robert E. Nessle Memorial Scholarship – Alaina Yarwick

Elizabeth Spano Scholarship – Kaitlyn Hemmelgarn

Tipp City Rotary Club Scholarship – Alexander Holbrook, Alayna Liskey, Alicia Miller

Tipp City Rotary Club Renewal Scholarship – McKenzie Dean, Jessica Gilbride, Emily Graham, Taylor Haggerty, Tristian Johnson, Noah McElhose, Olivia Rust, Leena Vyas

Tippecanoe Alumni Scholarship – Ashleigh Mader, Ashlyn Tarzinski

Wenzlau Family Scholarship – Jack Baldwin

By Nancy Bowman

Sometimes, there’s just not enough money in the budget to go around.

The decisions a person at times has to make on how to spend the money they do have can be a huge challenge.

Members of the 2021 Teen Leadership Academy in Tipp City in early June spent time taking a look at personal finances and participating in a poverty simulation game led by Richard Bender, chief financial officer of the United Way of Miami County, and Sean Ford, the organization’s chief executive officer.

During the simulation, a scenario was laid out and the students as a group were asked how they would spend a limited amount of money as they tried to balance work, finances and those unexpected expenses that arise in life.

Do they take a child to the doctor, approve a costly surgery for a pet, buy a birthday present for a friend’s party or approve preventive work on a car?

“It’s easy for me to talk about situations like this but the game requires the participants to think about each situation.  What would you do, how do you make tough choices, would I actually do that if I was in that situation?  These are some of the questions the teens have to consider while playing the game,” Bender said.

“I believe that the teens gain a better understanding of what it would be like to live day by day. The situations are ones that could be happening to their friends or neighbors.  It helps them be more aware of what others may be going through,” Bender added.

The poverty simulation exercise was used to help prepare the teens as they were then asked to consider applications for grants from non-profit organizations and whether or not to approve each request. They had $5,000 provided through the Tipp City Foundation

Of 17 requests, the students chose to distribute money to 11 specific projects during a presentation program held on the final day of the week-long leadership academy.

Among the teens participating in this year’s Teen Leadership were those from Tippecanoe High School, Bethel High School and Troy Christian High School. Among them was Ethan Spencer.

“I was interested in this program because I wanted to look into the inner workings of city government. I had heard a lot of good things about the program from my former teammates on the soccer team, so I knew I had to apply,” Spencer said.

He said he learned “many valuable lessons” through the leadership program. “For example, Simon Patry taught me how to stay quiet in an argument. We learned how a committee can work smoothly from the Miami County commissioners,” Spencer said. “Liz Sonnanstine (Tipp City chamber director) taught us the most out of everyone we met. She taught myself and other leaders how to create connections, a valuable skill that we will use for the rest of our lives.”