Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the 2009 annual report

by Nancy McAlpin

Foundation Secretary Nancy McAlpin sat down to interview Gordon Honeyman for this feature. In typical Gordon fashion, he chose to shine the light on the work done by others and not on his own significant contributions. But the sentiment of the Foundations’ members is unanimous: Gordon made a great organization even greater through his involvement.  Here is what Nancy learned:

Gordon had interest in finding a spot on a local Board in 1994. As he looked around the Tipp City community, the Tipp City Area Community Foundations became a natural choice for his service. He was strongly attracted to the organization because of the people in charge and the people who had been the stewards of the organization over the years. Ruth Hawley and Jim Kyle were among those leaders, along with Mr. Orville F. Whitmer, an active member and organizer of the Foundations. Each of them had made a difference to Gordon in the past and to our community, so he threw his hat into the ring.

At that time, there was not a large endowment, but it wasn’t long before Miss Helen Timmer left the Foundations a substantial sum of money through her estate. With that generous gift, the Foundations had money to begin a history of worthwhile projects and support of the community.

Through his membership, Gordon began an acquaintance with Lucille and Bill Milner. Lucille served on the board of the Foundations, was very active in the community, and extremely involved with the Eastern Stars. She had a love of nature and had a home built at 10 Parkwood Drive, which is now Gordon’s beautiful home. The 33 trees in that yard became a steppingstone for the many trees that have since been planted throughout Tipp City funded by grants from the Lucille Milner Trees for Tipp Fund.

Gordon recalls some of the early grant requests. One, involving welcome signs at either end of the Tipp City limits, stands out in his mind. He also remembers working closely with the Tipp City Lion’s Club to find a way to assure that Anne Kepple, a beloved retired Tipp City Schools music teacher, received a much-needed Opticon reading machine, an adaptive device for the blind.

Gordon, appointed by the school board to the Foundations, has always loved the concept of supporting our local schools. This has been a clear focus of his attention. The Foundations has ensured that many students have access to items and activities that might not otherwise have been possible. The technical demands, the field trips, and the teacher support make the Foundation a “feather in the school’s cap.” Gordon’s pride and enthusiasm for our local schools brings a generous smile to his face.

Gordon sees a strong future for the Tipp City Area Community Foundations. The recent economic recession has been hard, but as the economy returns to a more normal footing, great growth is to be expected.  The Tipp City community will see the impact of the Foundations’ new Funds (such as the as the Warren G. Miltenberger Parkland Fund and the Urban Stewardship Fund) and want to follow this path of generosity for generations to come.

It was a cloudy day when I talked with Gordon but that did not matter; his clear focus and love of our town generated enough light for all of us that day. Thank you, Gordon, for a job well done and a continued passion for being the Foundation’s friend and supporter.

MAYOR’S PROCLAMATION

“In the spring of 2009, Gordon Honeyman ended his long years of service to the Foundations. Joining Ruth Hawley and Jim Kyle, he is now an emeritus member of the organization.

During his years of service, Gordon worked tirelessly to support and promote not only the Tipp City Area Community Foundations but also his beloved hometown, Tippecanoe. In 1994, he became a member of Tipp City Area Community Foundations’ Distribution Committee.

His steady hand, calm nature and the confidence that he inspires in others lent credibility to the work of the Foundations. Since joining the board, thirteen new, named funds were added to the Foundation’s roster. 

As the Tipp City Exempted Village School Board’s named representative to the Foundations, it was natural that he would also serve as a founding member of the Tippecanoe Educational Endowment, a fund of the Foundations.  He took on that community leadership role beginning in 1999.

Therefore, we name Gordon Honeyman an Emeritus member of the Tipp City Area Community Foundations and a treasure of his hometown.“  -Mayor Tim Evans

Fun Facts about Gordon

Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Gordon

What year did your ancestors settle in this area? 1790s in Monroe Township 

What were your parents’ names? Paul and Gladys Honeyman  

Tell us about your folks. Dad had Honeyman Electric; he was in the Main Street building that burned in 2009, next to what is now Benkin’s Antiques. Mom stayed home and looked after the Honeyman children.

How many brothers and sisters do you have? There are 6 siblings – I am #4

Where was the Honeyman home? 513 West Dow Street

What year did you graduate from Tipp High School? Class of 1957, and I have made it to every class reunion since then.

What Tipp teacher inspired you and why? Mary Kyle Michael, who taught English grammar and literature – she was wonderful.

Tell us what you did after graduating from THS.  I attended THE Ohio State University, where I earned a BA in Spanish.  That was 1961.  After that I joined the army, and from there I went to New York City, where I joined Merrill Lynch. In 1969 I returned to Tipp City.

Tell us more about Merrill Lynch: I’m a Vice President there and just celebrated my 44^th anniversary.

What’s your favorite thing to do on a summer weekend? Hang around our great little town.

What’s your favorite Tipp City restaurant of long ago? Easily Paddy’s Tippecanoe Inn (corner of Main and 2^nd Streets)

Where do you like to hang out these days? Harrison’s, Coldwater Café and of course the American Legion.

What volunteer organization is keeping you busy now that you have retired from the Foundations board? Tipp City United Way

Do you have a church affiliation? Lifelong member of the Tipp City United Methodist Church.

What are your favorite buildings in Historical Tipp City: The Monroe Township Building and the Old City
Building.  (The Monroe Township building is on the Southeast corner of 3^rd and Main Streets.  The Old City Building is on the Northeast corner of 3^rd and Main Streets; it was originally built as a fire engine house and currently houses Tipp Monroe Community Services.)

What Tipp City person did you know as a youngster who inspired you and why? Ann Ingerman, who lived in the Opera House – she taught me a lot about history and antiques.

Your favorite saying? Good Gosh!

What is the next thing that Tipp City should do to continue its trend of being a hip place to live? Make the historical buildings look like they did when they were built. And definitely change the name back to the original: Tippecanoe! 

By Eiliana Wright

Bethel Local Schools invested over $7,000 of grant funding from the Tipp City Foundation in 2025 toward student experiences in the arts.

On November 14, 2025, four teeming Bethel Local School buses steered in front of downtown Dayton’s Victoria Theater and unloaded 155 first graders and 15 chaperones onto the sidewalk.

Bethel first grade teacher and spearhead of the fieldtrip, Cydni Parrish, secured a grant from the Tipp City Foundation for the 2025-2026 first grade class to attend Victoria Theater’s Dayton Live Discovery Series event, “Singing Zoologist.”

Parrish found a way to weave an academic lesson and an arts experience together. Students learned about animal vocabulary in the classroom through a language arts module named “Creature Features,” then watched as a certified zoologist sang, danced and performed the vocabulary on stage.

“To read something in a book and see it in real life is a whole different moment,” Parrish said.

A student’s connection between an academic lesson and a real life experience is what Parrish calls an “aha” moment. After 23 years of teaching, it’s what she loves the most about her job.

The students will attend the Dayton Live Discovery Series once more this school year for another timely show connecting the language arts module “Cinderella Around the World,” to Victoria Theater’s “Fractured Fairy Tales” performance this February.

Another grant awarded to Bethel will send high school students further outside of Bethel and to Walt Disney World, where they’ll make the leap from audience members to performers.

From December 26 through the 31st, 40 Bethel High School choir students will travel by bus from Ohio to Florida to perform in Disney Springs.

Bethel Choir teacher Lara Wolford said at one time, overnight trips to travel and perform were an expectation in the Bethel music program. Since 2016, however, they’ve been less common, so she’s made it her goal to reinstate the trips for good. 2023 was the first year she was successful.

Wolford said the trips are an opportunity for students to meet people from around the world, make lasting memories and apply their choir studies in a more practical way. “It takes what we do in the choir room to a new level,” Wolford said. But the trips come at a price.

Transportation, two meals a day, a hotel and admission to four parks would cost each choir student around $1,449. “I don’t want to have a situation where I have a kid who desperately wants to go and money is what’s keeping them from going,” Wolford said.

The awarded grant of $3,000 from the Tipp City Foundation, amongst other fundraising and awarded donations, alleviates some of the cost, shaving off about $250 for students.

Bethel’s marching band has also invested in their program.

Bethel Music Boosters, who applied to the grant on behalf of the marching band, is a 501c3 nonprofit that supports the school’s music program by offering time and funding. Treasurer Andrea Williams said new band director, Megan Rust, is on a mission to win more competitions through improvements to the band’s look and sound.

During a monthly meeting, Rust presented the band’s need for a new xylophone. Williams described from the meeting that the xylophone was immobile, the keys on the instrument had changed color and warped and the mallets had fallen apart.

Williams applied for a grant through the Tipp City Foundation and was awarded about $2,500 for a new xylophone from Kincaid’s Is Music in Springfield. While Bethel Music Boosters can provide funds where necessary, Williams said that outside funds “give the school more money to be smart.”

“It’s interesting how nonprofits and grants work together,” Williams said. “It allows us to do even more… we’re just so incredibly grateful for it.”

Williams’ son Liam, a freshman on the basketball team, had a game on the same night that the xylophone was delivered, so Williams headed to the band room. There, she found four smiling students already gathered around the new instrument, excited and ready to play her a song with a fresh sound on the shiny new keys.

“The arts are hurting and every little bit helps,” Williams said.

By: Becky Gulden

From small businesses and preservation efforts to the people powering local partnerships, a new weekly podcast is giving Tipp City residents a deeper look at what makes their downtown thrive.

The Downtown Lowdown is a weekly podcast hosted by the Executive Director of the Downtown Tipp City Partnership,Tasha Weaver and her co-host Greg Enslen. Each week they share the stories and energy of the people behind downtown Tipp City.

“Listeners can expect relaxed, conversational interviews with business owners, community leaders, nonprofit partners, volunteers, and organizations that help shape our downtown,” explained Weaver. “Each episode highlights what makes Tipp City vibrant, from preservation and small businesses to events, partnerships, and the people who care deeply about this community.”

The podcast was all made possible thanks to a grant from the Tipp City Foundation.

“We are incredibly grateful for the grant because it allows us to tell these important community stories in a consistent, professional way. Without this support, creating and sustaining a podcast of this quality would not be possible. The grant is an investment in local storytelling, education, and connection,” said Weaver.

The money from the Tipp City Foundation goes directly towards the monthly costs of publishing the podcast along with editing and production costs.

“This ensures each episode is accessible, polished, and shared widely so the stories of downtown Tipp City can reach a broader audience,” said Weaver.

The podcast is produced and edited by Clock Tower Media which is owned by Greg Enslen. Weaver says Enslen’s expertise ensures high-quality production while keeping the conversations natural and approachable.

Weaver explains why she’s so passionate about podcasting.

“So much of the work happening downtown goes unseen or misunderstood. I wanted a way to slow down and tell the deeper stories behind the storefronts, the events, and the preservation efforts. A podcast allows us to go beyond headlines and social media posts and really explain the “why” behind what we do and who we serve,” said Weaver.

Weaver explains that podcasting lends itself for authentic long-form storytelling.

“When people hear directly from business owners, partners, and community members, they gain a better understanding of the passion, collaboration, and investment that make downtown Tipp City thrive. Hearing these stories builds pride, connection, and trust in a way short posts or ads simply cannot,” said Weaver.

Weaver says success of the podcast will be measured in several ways, including consistent listenership growth, engagement from the community, the diversity of the voices featured, and the number of collaborations or connections that happen because of the podcast

“A podcast strengthens the downtown core by amplifying local voices, promoting businesses and events, educating the public about preservation and economic development, and encouraging community buy-in. It helps people feel connected to downtown even when they are not physically there and reminds them that downtown is built on relationships, stories, and shared investment,” said Weaver.

The first interview of 2026 was with Richard Bender and Jim Ranft from the Tipp City Foundation. They talked about the Tipp City Foundation, some of their favorite projects, and how the foundation came to be.

If you are interested in listening to The Downtown Lowdown there is no cost to listen. Episodes drop weekly on Wednesdays and are available where you listen to podcasts, including the major platforms. They also have a direct link on the Downtown Tipp City Partnership website at https://downtowntippcity.org.

With new episodes released weekly, Weaver hopes The Downtown Lowdown will become a place where residents can better understand and feel more connected to the people and purpose behind downtown Tipp City. If you are interested in being featured on a podcast or have an idea for a topic just email Tasha Weaver at tasha@downtowntippcity.org.