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General Tooley is guest speaker
Citizens honored at chamber dinner
Wanda English Burnett - Editor

An impressive number of valuable silent auction items were available for those attending the Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner of the Ripley County Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, September 15, at the Jac-Cen-Del Elementary Cafeteria in Osgood.

Denessa Benkie, secretary for the chamber, noted that it was the first year for the chamber to offer the silent auction and will most likely be revisited at the next annual meeting.

Citizen of the Year - Cathy May announced the Citizen of the Year - Paul C. Hardy. Among the numerous volunteer contributions Hardy has made to the community are those of serving his church, St. Peter's in a variety of positions, served as secretary and president of the Osgood Lions Club, Osgood Masonic Lodge as past master, and member of Osgood Area Kiwanis. He's served as a precinct committeeman for nearly 30 years.

Hardy joined the Indiana National Guard and graduated from their academy in 1957 and was commissioned as 1st Lieutenant in 1960. He served as Commander of the Greensburg National Guard Armory and Osgood American Legion Post Commander and finance officer.

Hardy has celebrated 50 years of marriage to his wife Rosella and the couple have raised five children. He also runs his own business, Hardy Insurance Group.

Accepting the award, Hardy said, "As a boy growing up, I was always used to being the pitcher when playing softball. I'm just not used to being the catcher." He further noted that he was appreciative of his parents, who "created a work ethic for him." He thanked his "sweetheart, wife, and business partner" and his family and friends.

Business Person of the Year - Deborah Johnson, owner of Recollections, an antique store in Osgood, was named Business Person of the Year.

Johnson, who is a lifelong resident of Ripley County, is new to the Osgood area and is building her antique business with great success. It was noted her interest in antiques and collectibles date back to her childhood where she was raised in a household that included grandparents, and a great-grandmother who was born in the 1870's. She said she knew when she retired she wanted to pursue her dream of owning her own antique business.

Before retirement, Johnson worked for River Valley Resources and Head Start as a home visitor. She is a member of the Osgood Area Kiwanis Club. Along with husband Eddie, the couple have three children and five grandchildren.

When accepting her award, Johnson said she was honored and "really appreciated the award."

Educator of the Year-

Richard Gambrel, art teacher at South Ripley for 33 years, was named Educator of the Year. He has actually taught art for 38 years and is going to retire at the end of this school year. He has coached four sports at South Ripley: basketball, baseball, cross country and track.

It was noted that Gambrel is the "model educator who cares deeply for his students, fellow teachers and the community." He has used his artistic talent to design the miniature golf course at Ohio Rod, designed the South Ripley logo and is responsible for all the painting and art work at Tyson Auditorium and the South Ripley gym.

He is a member of the Classroom Teachers Association and has been on the bargaining team for the past six years. He recently attended a rally at the state house to support funding for all schools and is currently a member of the task force that is responsible for the school improvement plan.

Gambrel and wife Edith have two children and six grandchildren.

In accepting the award, Gambrel said it "seemed like yesterday" when he began teaching, and couldn't believe it had been 38 years. He said the award came at a perfect time for him and while others might be more deserving, he was greatly honored.

Guest speaker-

Brigadier General Omer Clifton Tooley, Jr. was the guest speaker for the evening. He is the Deputy Joint Forces Commander for the Army Indiana National Guard, who now inhibits the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center near Butlerville.

General Tooley referred to September 11, 2001, and noted "the world we live in is remarkably different. We'll never be the same." He said the training center is one of a kind, "there is no site like this in the world." He called MUTC the 'benchmark' and said the southern half of the state from Terre Haute to the Jefferson Proving Ground is involved in this huge training process.

"The most elite units are training there (MUTC)", General Tooley told the crowd. He said within a year there will be 2,000 people on the site at any given time and during trainings, that number will swell to seven or eight thousand.

He noted that the National Guard "wants to leave as big a footprint as we can" on the surrounding areas of Muscatatuck. He noted that they are looking for people to run restaurants and other businesses within the facility. Those interested need to contact MUTC, as they are compiling a list at this time.

New members recognized-

The chamber has several new members and four were recognized at the meeting: Bear's Den Trading Post, Inc., Osgood; Meisberger & Associates, Versailles; Moon-Lite Motel, Versailles; and Denessa Benkie, Versailles.

The Board of Directors for the Ripley County Chamber for 2006-2008 were announced. They are: Carla Stenger, Ron Green, Cathy May, Jason Smith, Shirley Franklin, Jenny Darnold, and Denessa Benkie. Executive Officers are: Darla Westerfeld, president; Barry Lauber, vice-president; Denessa Benkie, secretary and Bill Foster, treasurer.

Sponsors for the dinner included: MainSource Insurance, Gold; Bear's Den Trading Post & Somewhere in Time, Gene's Party Service, Home Federal Bank, Southeastern Indiana REMC, Silver; and Bronze sponsors were: Bonaparte's Retreat Restaurant & Lounge, Christopher R. Brown, DDS, MPS, Eaton & Day, Attorney at Law, Jeff French & Assoc. Land Surveying, Gilpins Monuments & Signs, Halcomb Home Center, Inc., Integra Bank, Margaret Mary Community Hospital, McDonald's of Versailles, and Senator Johnny Nugent.

WANDA ENGLISH BURNETT PHOTO

Pictured from left are: Deborah Johnson, owner of Recollection, who was named Business Person of the Year; Richard Gambrel, South Ripley art teacher, who was named Educator of the Year; and Paul C. Hardy, who was honored as the Citizen of the Year at the Ripley County Chamber of Commerce's Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner, Thursday, September 15, at the Jac-Cen-del Elementary Cafeteria.