By Nancy Bowman 

The Tipp City Foundation is marking its $2.75 millionth dollar grant award for amenities at the new Jesse Chamberlain Pond located east of the city on State Route 571.

The award is special not only for the financial milestone but for the foundation’s opportunity to again honor the late Chamberlain. He voluntarily served the foundation for more than 50 years, said Heather Bailey of the foundation.

“We have a very soft spot in our hearts for this new wetland area that has been named for him,” she said. Chamberlain died in 2021 at age 100.

The grant for $2,395 was awarded to the city of Tipp City for providing benches and trash receptacles at the pond.

The Tipp City Council voted to name the pond after Chamberlain following his death.

Finishing touches are being planned for the Jesse Chamberlain Pond, said Tim Eggleston, city manager.

The property is not a park, he emphasized. People can fish at the site at their own risk, if they wish, Eggleston said.

Motorized watercrafts are banned. The pond bottom is not flat and there are tree trunks and gravel areas of different heights designed to accommodate aquatic and wildlife, Eggleston said.

Work remaining at the pond by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service includes adding more gravel and a sign, which also will be a foundation project, Bailey said.

“Just some final touch ups and it will be done,” Eggleston said of the project started in 2021.

The wetlands area was created along the Great Miami River as part of the state Off-Channel Wetland H2Ohio Project.

The wetlands are created by excavating areas prone to flooding and then re-establishing a connection to the river channel. The areas are designed to restore fish habitat, improve overall water quality, expand off-river storage during flooding and reduce erosion to the river.

The Tipp City project cost of more than $250,000 was paid 100 percent by the State H2Ohio program, said Donnie Knight of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service program. The city hired a contractor for the job but did not have any financial commitment, Eggleston said.

This project is designed to off load flood waters from the river and allow nutrients and sediments to settle out and be up taken by plants, Knight said. 

“It reduces stream scour in the river which provides benefits to fish, freshwater mussels and other wildlife as well as protection to lands downstream by reducing bank erosion,” he said when the project was initiated.

A majority of the foundation grant was awarded from its Warren E. Miltenberger Parkland Fund. Funding also was provided from the advisers of the Wahl Family Fund, Bailey said.

By Nancy Bowman

Scams are nothing new, but they have increased considerably the last few years. Everyone is a target, but the elderly are among the favorites of scammers.

Two local organizations – the Tipp City Foundation and Minster Bank - have joined efforts to present an educational program on scams.

The free seminar, Become a Pro at Not Getting Conned, by scammers is open to the community. It will be held 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. June 15 at the Tipp Center.

RSVPs should be made by June 8, at Minster Bank at 1-866-646-7837 or minsterbank.com/RSVP.

The presenter will be Sylvia Pla-Raith, director of the elder justice unit for Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.

“The volume of scams has increased heavily over the past few years. With technological advances, we always see increased nefarious uses for that,” said Detective Sgt. Tony Smith of the Tipp City Police Department. He and Detective Michael Morgan listed the following most common scams:

-      Calling an elderly person and telling them that their grandchild is in jail. The scammers start by telling the grandparent the child does not want their parents to know to hopefully prevent them to reaching out to someone who might recognize the scam. The caller says money is needed for the grandchild to bond out of jail and often asks for upwards of $20,000 to post bond.

-      A caller will state that the victim’s computer or phone has been contaminated by a virus or has been identified as containing child pornography. In order to avoid prosecution or to release control of the device, they need to send money.

-      A victim will receive a call from someone identifying as an officer within the IRS or the Tipp City Police Department. The caller will tell them that they have a warrant for their arrest, and they need to send money immediately in order to cancel the warrant. To be clear, neither the IRS or the Tipp City Police Department will ever call and ask for money over the phone, the detectives said.

-      Another increasingly popular scam is targeting teenagers, Smith and Morgan said. The scammer will meet the teen on a social media platform and develop a relationship. Over time, they will send nude photos and ask the teen to send some back

Once they receive nude photos of the victim, they then demand money, or they will send the photos to their family and friends. The scammer will then, much like the others, demand money be sent through electronic means or gift cards.

“Getting snapped in the trap of scammers is an increasing problem for people. It's not a big city problem, it's an everywhere problem. The confidence of criminals grows with every technological advancement,” said Heather Bailey of the Tipp City Foundation.

"These scammers are smart, so people need better tools to stay ahead of the bad guys. This seminar is a way to help our citizens hang onto their savings,” she said.

Although the foundation typically funds the work of nonprofits delivering projects to the community, the seminar presented a different type of opportunity,” Bailey said.

The invitation by Minster Bank to jointly present the consumer affairs seminar was attractive, she said. “Our co-sponsorship is also personal for several on our board. Many of us know someone who has fallen into the trap of a scammer, and we stood by helplessly as it happened,” Bailey said.

By Heather Bailey

The Tipp City Foundation recently awarded over $33,000 in scholarships. Many awards went to graduating high school seniors while $8,000 went to renewable awards from prior years. Of the 61 endowment funds within the Foundation, 18 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, and

Miami East are represented. 

Ernest Clay Back Scholarship for History – (not awarded for 2023)

Lester & Cleon Bowers Family Scholarship – Dottie Everett

Marlene E. Chapman Memorial Scholarship – Ameila Campbell

Jeanette C. Gaston Memorial Music Scholarship – Theodore Thompson

Gilmore Family Scholarship – Kaitlyn Dankworth

Sarah Gross Scholarship for Sportsmanship – Eliza Zweizig

Life is a Journey - Don't Stop Believing Scholarship – Cami Gingrich

Katherine G. Lobo Memorial Scholarship – Sean Nicholas

McKee Family Matthew 5:16 Scholarship – Makenna Gentry

Sarah Merritt Memorial Scholarship – (not awarded for 2023)

John and Louise Miller Memorial Scholarship – Lydia Brannan

Robert E. Nessle Memorial Scholarship – Max Colby

Elizabeth Spano Scholarship – Jillian Magato

Tipp City Rotary Club Scholarship – Lydia Brannan, Emma Davis, Connor Snider,

Tipp City Rotary Club Renewal Scholarship – Kylie Balkcom, Emily Graham, Alexander Holbrook, Alayna Liskey, Kailey Longo, Luke Norman, Noah McElhose, Alicia Miller

Tippecanoe Alumni Scholarship – Ayeva Tilley, Shelby Hept

Wenzlau Family Scholarship – Connor Snider, Kayla Williams

Willhelm Family Scholarship – Benjamin Anticoli

The Tipp City Foundation is a member fund of The Troy Foundation. If you would like information about how to establish an endowment fund or to make a tax-deductible contribution, please contact Heather Bailey at (937) 528-2482.

For more information visit www.tippfoundation.org or Tipp Foundation on Facebook.

By Nancy Bowman

Read Across America Week was celebrated earlier this month at Nevin Coppock Elementary School with local illustrator Liz Ball drawing students into the world of hidden pictures.

Ball, creator of the Hidden Picture Puzzles books, shared tips on developing a hidden picture using items associated with the students' and their teachers’ interests to grab the young people’s attention.

Read Across America Week is celebrated each year on or near March 2, which is the birthday of beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss.

The nationwide celebration of reading was created by the National Education Association in 1997 as a means to promote literacy and encourage a love of reading among young children, said Nancy Carus, a Nevin Coppock teacher. The Nevin Coppock Literacy Committee developed the local activity.

Ball was invited this year to demonstrate for kindergarten and first grade students the creative stages of developing illustrations.

The week’s theme, “We Can Be Reading Detectives,” was reflected in activities centered around the hidden pictures and mystery books.

“Students read with magnifying glasses, flashlights, solved clues of a mystery reader and dressed as their favorite book character. During Liz’s visit, students enjoyed having the opportunity to create their own hidden picture,” Carus said. “They were proud of their work and had fun finding the objects in the pictures Liz created.”

Ball said she first led students and teachers in an exercise where she made a personalized hidden picture for a teacher with students helping provide information on the teacher’s favorite things such as animals, hobbies and activities.

She then led students through a step by step how to make a hidden picture. “This is always fun, and their drawings are adorable!” Ball said.

She also allowed time for the students to ask her questions.

"Their enthusiasm, concentration on drawing and behavior made it a pleasure to be part of their day.  Besides helping with spatial skills, hidden pictures also improve eye coordination, memory retention and concentration--but kids (and adults) just look at them as fun,” she said.

The Read Across America Week project received funding through a grant sought from and awarded by the Tipp City Foundation.

By Nancy Bowman

Read Across America Week was celebrated earlier this month at Nevin Coppock Elementary School with local illustrator Liz Ball drawing students into the world of hidden pictures.

Ball, creator of the Hidden Picture Puzzles books, shared tips on developing a hidden picture using items associated with the students' and their teachers’ interests to grab the young people’s attention.

Read Across America Week is celebrated each year on or near March 2, which is the birthday of beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss.

The nationwide celebration of reading was created by the National Education Association in 1997 as a means to promote literacy and encourage a love of reading among young children, said Nancy Carus, a Nevin Coppock teacher. The Nevin Coppock Literacy Committee developed the local activity.

Ball was invited this year to demonstrate for kindergarten and first grade students the creative stages of developing illustrations.

The week’s theme, “We Can Be Reading Detectives,” was reflected in activities centered around the hidden pictures and mystery books.

“Students read with magnifying glasses, flashlights, solved clues of a mystery reader and dressed as their favorite book character. During Liz’s visit, students enjoyed having the opportunity to create their own hidden picture,” Carus said. “They were proud of their work and had fun finding the objects in the pictures Liz created.”

Ball said she first led students and teachers in an exercise where she made a personalized hidden picture for a teacher with students helping provide information on the teacher’s favorite things such as animals, hobbies and activities.

She then led students through a step by step how to make a hidden picture. “This is always fun, and their drawings are adorable!” Ball said.

She also allowed time for the students to ask her questions.

"Their enthusiasm, concentration on drawing and behavior made it a pleasure to be part of their day.  Besides helping with spatial skills, hidden pictures also improve eye coordination, memory retention and concentration--but kids (and adults) just look at them as fun,” she said.

The Read Across America Week project received funding through a grant sought from and awarded by the Tipp City Foundation.

A robust variety of grant requests were submitted for the Tipp City Foundation’s first quarterly meeting. Perennial favorites among them addressed literacy, children’s dental care, and new high school stadiums. Read more about these below.

Other requests stood out for the scale and scope of the need. One of those is Bethel Hope’s expansion into book bags and backpacks for incoming refugee students. These essentials for building a new life in a new country are in demand as resettled families move into the Bethel community.

Ultimately, 12 organizations were chosen to receive 13 awards. Grants totaled $43,612 for the first quarter.

The following is a list of recipients, award levels and the impact these grants will make. Any additional support that donor advisors gave through their grantmaking is included.

ARTS & CULTURE

Project T.I.P.P. (Teens Impacting and Promoting Philanthropy), $5,000, gives teens grantmaking responsibility in conjunction with the Tipp City Chamber of Commerce’s Teen Leadership Academy. 

Tipp City Exempted Village Schools, $1,635, hosts children’s book author and illustrator Will Hillenbrand in K-1 classes, to discuss the creative stages of making a book.

Tipp City Exempted Village Schools, $699, updates the high school band room with a Harmony Director, a keyboard that helps make teaching more effective.

Tipp City Seniors, $5,000, fills out a newly renovated space by purchasing tables and chairs. Members will be able to show off this new space in just a few months. Awarded, in part, from the Jim and June Kyle Family Fund and the August Henke Comfort for the Needy Fund.

EDUCATION

Bethel Local Schools, award, pilots the Positive Behavior Support Rewards project in the elementary. A Robinson-Walters Family Fund grant.

Troy-Miami County Public Library, $2,000, supports Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

ENVIRONMENT

Brukner Nature Center, $1,278, warms orphaned and injured wildlife in three new incubators. Nearly 1,300 wild patients pass through this rehabilitation unit annually. 

HEALTH & SAFETY

Miami County Dental Clinic, $5,000, supports Traveling Smiles, a dental care program for uninsured and underinsured children from our community.

RECREATION

Bethel Local Schools, $5,000, represents a payment towards the Foundation’s commitment of $25,000 to build a new stadium. Awarded, in part, from the Bethel Arts Fund.

Tipp Monroe Community Services, $3,600, defrays Camp Kern excursion costs for 95 campers.

Tipp Pride Association, $7,500, represents a payment towards the Foundation’s commitment of $75,000 to build a new stadium in City Park.

SOCIAL SERVICES

Bethel Hope, $3,000, purchases book bags and school supplies for incoming students in need. Many of these students are from resettled refugee families.

DREAM Pet Rescue, $2,400, spays and neuters dogs from the Miami County Animal Shelter.

GIVE Medical Ministry, $1,500, supplements durable medical equipment for this lending source.

Quarterly grant deadlines are February 15, May 15, August 15, and November 15 each year. Jim Ranft is available for your grant-related questions at 937-528-2482. Applications are available online at www.tippfoundation.org.

Since 1943, the Tipp City Foundation has awarded $2,713,187.86 through December 31, 2022.

Members of the Foundation are Heather Bailey, Richard Bender, vice president, Bryan Blake, Mary Bowman, Diana Featherstone, treasurer, Dee Gillis, Joellen Heatherly, Bruce McKenzie, Glen McMurry, Patrick Reese, Jim Ranft, president and distribution chair, Julie Taylor, Jackie Wahl, and Bill Wendel, secretary.

The Tipp City Foundation is a component fund of The Troy Foundation. If you would like information about how to make a tax-deductible contribution or how to establish an endowment fund, please contact Heather Bailey at (937) 528-2482.

For more information visit www.tippfoundation.org or Tipp Foundation on Facebook and Instagram.