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Whitewater Valley Guide Intro-ing a new column or how I got Scribd By Gary August Schlueter You should be introduced

to the Whitewater Valley Guide since you will now see i t each every week roughly in the place where I assume you are looking right now. Whether or not you read it is your own business. I suggest you do in order to a ttain Valleyhipness. (Or for those who can only watch from the sidelines, Valley hipreplacementness.) This is a condition resulted by the reading of the Whitewater Valley Guide Enter tainment Guide. Good English or not it shows a surprising display of the usual a nd unusual attractions, many for free, happening in any given week in the Whitew ater Valley, our Valley, back home in Indiana. For if you are reading this, I assume you are citizen of the Whitewater Valley a s well. If you hadnt thought of it before consider yourself christenened (please note the lower case c) as a Valley citizen (please note the upper case V). I dont kno w of anyone or body who is interested in issuing certificates as such, but its an idea. The Whitewater Valley Guide looks at perfectly good calendars covering only one section of the entire Valley, picks out items of interest and consolidates that information into a Valley wide Guide for you. But as we intimated before, you ca n lead a horse to water but you cant make em drink. You then are expected to glance through it to help you plan your week and to kee p up with the latest ideas other organizations in other places are promoting. Wh en you start seeing the patterns thats when the hipness kicks in. I know from exp erience you conceivably could make one trip on one day and cram it full with pos sibilities you picked up from the Guide. One great thing about possibilities is the having of them, the doing of them is altogether different. Why do I keep capitalizing the V in Valley?, I hear you ask so I ask myself. I t hink we all should capitalize from it, the big Valley V. What we have here is a market. What it needs is recognition. For those who may be looking in from the o utside, the Whitewater Valley follows the Whitewater River in the southeastern c orner of Indiana. It is the fastest, cleanest river in Indiana and Ohio where it briefly runs to meet the Greater Miami a few miles north of where both become w hat the Shawnees called the Beautiful River, the Ohio. This is a step towards the recognition that we are an interesting and lively pla ce to be even though we mostly live in rural ways. We are always mobile and the Guide is intended to enhance that mobility by presenting places of interest and things to do all over the Valley to all the people in the Valley, excepting, of course, those people who we wouldnt want to see there anyway. Here at the Guide its only entertainment, but its Valley-wide and stretches from w ay up by Fountain City to way down upon the Ohio, with the lowest point supposed ly in Franklin Countys Butler Township, or so Im told. Reading the Guide each week youll read about opportunities for entertainment, edu tainment and every other kind of a tainment and festival across the whole valley. Hopefully youll see something that sparks you to go there and do it. Coming back with the tee shirt is optional and I think going out of style. Vallyhipness. Theres worse places to be. If youd like to receive the Guide in your email box each Tuesday or so send an em ail to whitewater.valley.guide@gmail.com . In the Subject line write Subscribe a nd send it. Words of support or suggestion are always welcome as well if you nee d to write something. Otherwise, just Subscribe will do. The Whitewater Valley Guide is digitally archived and available for your inspect ion at www.whitewatervalleyguide.com. It is a primitive site updated weekly. No bells or whistles yet. We hope to advance to that stage. Youre always welcome to visit and catch-up.

Gary Schlueter, as I mentioned before. Below I pick out a few hot spots and further below is a Valley-wide calendar of events should you decide to be eventful this week. We, editorially we, put out a n ew one each week. Come back often and tell your friends. Whitewater Valley Guide October 11, 2011 Plein Air outing In whats becoming an annual tradition, plein air artists from around the tri-stat e region will fan out from Brookville and paint what they see again this weekend . They are a week late of the peak color for some trees but theres still enough t o make for very interesting canvases. The works of these artists will be on disp lay, wet or dry, this Sunday at the Brookville Public Library. Folks around Franklin County help out by locating likely spots for the artists t o paint. Locating where the pictures were painted is part of the fun. In seasons past the car park near Metamoras Corn Maze has been a favorite spot for artists t o render the canal. This year J.P. Hall, Indiana Landmarks new man on the ground in our area, will be making a presentation Friday evening in the library. Richmond-rich music What better place to hear live music than the mansion of an old music lover, in this case the former home of Henry Alice Gennett, founder of Gennett Records tha ts a hypothetical question so I wont use a question mark. A mention in WayNet (an excellent source of information about Wayne County from whom we crib liberally for our Valley-wide calendar) says Music @ The Gennett Ma nsion is promoting jazz and roots music live every Thursday night and Sunday aft ernoon. So heres two more reasons to put Richmond on your travel calendar, the rare exper ience of wandering through an old mansion and sitting down in a listening room t o hear live music as it was meant to be heard, up close and personal. The produc ers provide the listening room as an intimate experience with the artist and invit e guests, which could mean you, to circulate to other rooms nearby that lend them selves to conversation and listening. You may bring your own B, and for your nibs a light nibbly menu is available. To f ind out who is currently playing at any hypothetical time you might require such information, peek at: www.reverbnation.com/venue/thegennettmansion. Some favorites from the Metamora Music Festival make up the next three performan ces on the current schedule. Dean Phelps sings modern folks songs and plays his version of the Travis Pick. He is truly one of Indianas finest guitarists. Go to his website and play My Dog Jesus for a smile and a tear. Hell be at The Gennett Ma nsion this Thursday at 6:30 pm. This Sunday at 3 pm or so Gene Webb and Paula Stout perform. Then next Thursday the odd combination of bluesman Brian Keith Wallen and the hammer dulcimer maste r Ted Yoder. Doors open at six next Thursday. Just west on the National Road from Richmonds Main Street where the Gannett Mansi on resides is Earlham College where performing at the Performance Gym is or are Playing for Change of YouTube virality. The Earlham Artist and Lecture Series ca lls them remarkable artists and offers their concert this Saturday night at very reasonable prices. Ghostly business There is a proliferation of paranormal societies in the Whitewater Valley and I think technology is the reason. Ghost hunting gear which used to cost millions b ack in the days when Bill Murray busted ghosts is now available for a song. As y oud imagine theres even a phone ap to check for ghostly presences. Inexpensive digital cameras sometimes catch ghostly orbs which may or may not ac

company the eye-watering, arm-chilling heebie-jeebies of a full-blown encounter. In this weeks calendar there are at least two mentions of paranormal investigator s more commonly known as ghost hunters. We have the Spiritual Hope Society appea ring in Aurora and the Southeastern Indiana Ghost Hunters Society, creating the carefully crafted acronym SIGHS, making a ghostly presentation at the newest festi val in the Whitewater Valley, the Moores Hill Heritage Festival. And thats all we can see. How many other such societies are lurking in the shadows awaiting our recognition, urging us to understand something just beyond our ken. Read more about it at www.whitewatervalleyguide.com. Web exclusive I know of one new group forming in Metamora. They call themselves the Whitewater Valley Paranormal Society, knowing full well how membership under that name cou ld be construed as admitting to being abnormal. They met the first time on the f ull moon in September. It was a warmish night and the small group that formed by word of mouth, digital no doubt, numbered 13 as we came to the bridge where a d octors wife met her death in the 1930s or thereabouts. Many photos were taken and more than youd expect had orbs in them, sometimes many orbs of various sizes, some close, some further away. One taken near the Martin dale Hotel, which is noted for its ghost, shows a bluish orb larger than the ris ing full moon very close to the head of Dave Henninger who owns and operates the Old Meeting House across the canal. This trend of societies forming to investigate the paranormal adds an almost unt apped new commodity to our Valley-wide economy. It seems one thing we have in co mmon and in abundance is ghosts. Who would have thought that such a spectral com modity could find a way to generate capital, but it seems to be doing just that. So many people, so many smells Theres little left by Monday afternoon of the busy village that bloated the town of Metamora, the shopping village called Canal Days, three days of two cops per day serving traffic bedlam on the old Brookville Pike and the endless crowds pas sing over US 52 incessantly back and across again. Some people just like to be p art of the human wave and weave with their friends and family back and forth thr ough the crowds drawn forward by the next booth or the next bargain, that thing youll only see here and will regret later if you dont buy it now. The shape of Canal Days changes every year. New things are added some good, some kind of questionable. One of the good things this year was a trolley service pr ovided by a Metamora health responder, Dustin Glisson. Last year he drove some f olks up Gravel Hill in his gas powered cart and they were so grateful it gave hi m an idea. So he fabricated a very neatly designed six-passenger trolley he pull s as a trailer behind his EZ Go. He said he gets great gas mileage and the only mechanical problem he encounters is a heavily heated bottom because the drivers s eat sits over the engine. The beauty of it to me is that he only has to ask people if they want a ride. No haggling with price or pointing to a sign. The only sign on the trolley asks fo r donations which are deposited in a metal box among the artificial flowers at t he back of the two outward facing seats. He is offering a necessary service on the honor system and as a health responder he tends towards helping people rather than necessarily cornering the buck. He told about carrying one very fragile older couple up the hill only to find out t hey werent parked there. They were lost and confused but he stayed with them, dis covered they were parked over in Penningtons lot back down the hill and drove the m there. And all for a donation. Theres brilliance in there somewhere. Another of the good things was the homemade pies. Metamora Apple Pies are made w ith Franklin Countys finest Jonathon and Yellow Delicious apples, their sign said

. This is what we like to see, local people luring Canal Days crowds with food s tuff grown in Franklin County and made in Metamora. Canal Days means breaking the rules. For instance, folks were allowed to sit on the Ben Franklin long before the horses were harnessed for the next ride, making the canal boat a great place to catch a rest, watch the passing crowds and reco nnoiter the odd purchase. One of the questionable things was the sign reading LIVE WILDLIFE EXHIBIT LIVE G RIZZLY BEAR! COUGAR! COYOTE!WOLF! It was stuck up near the canal boat on Lovers La ne and Bridge Street and detracted from the beauty of the buildings on that famo us signature corner. The old town which never changes much, changes a lot on Canal Days. Little marke t places turn up in a field which normally has No Trespassing signs on it. Even the back street housed only on one side had its small share of vendors who paid a discount price to set up beyond the edge of the press of the crowds. See the web for more coverage and all the photos. www.whitewatervalleyguide.com. Web exclusive. I had my own personal epiphany. I learned that kettle corn has sugar on it. I do nt know if I would have paid $5 for a medium sized bag if I knew it had sugar in it or on it, showing its wise to sample and any good kettle shaker will offer you a sample of what they sell. So many people. So many smells. The smells from the food were especially alluring but not everyone found the bes t stuff at the right time. Smells rise. So the inveterate food freak will be wis e to find a nearby tree and climb it. Or failing a tree a nearby hill if it is d ownwind of the cookers. The problem with being up a tree to find the best smelli ng place is the time it takes you to get back down again. Then secondarily theres that old discrimination bug-a-boo. Up a tree you might be able to pick out whic h aroma belongs to what meat, but back down on earth the smells change and you m ight lose one and pick up another. I suspect a bloodhound would go crazy at Cana l Days. So many people. So many smells. So many cars. So much money going round. Even th e people who live in Metamora but dont have a shop capitalize from Canal Days. Th ey rent out spaces in their yards or on their lawns. Others make from a little t o a lot parking cars. Whitewater Valley Guide Entertainment Guide October 11 17, 2011 Thursday, October 13 Dean Phelps Music@The Gennett Mansion 6-9 pm, $10 The Gennett Mansion 1829 E. Main Street Richmond, In 765 462-9934 Playing for Change Concert $10 adults, $8 students&seniors Performance Gym, Earlham College 801 National Rd.West, Richmond, In 765 983-1373 Richmond High School

7:30, Donation Marching Band Concert Civic Arts Performing Arts Center 380 Hub Etchison Parkway Richmond, In 765 973-3350 Bootleggers and ScalawagsProbition in Dearborn County Program by Joyce Baer of Lawrenceburg Library Free, 6:30 pm, Brookville Library Brookville, In Friday, October 14 J. P. Hall, Indiana Landmarks presentation Free, 7 pm Brookville Public Library Main Street, Brookville, In True Brew, library fundraiser 6-8 pm, Great Crescent beer sampling $25 (21 and over) Tickets 812 539-4251 Lawrenceburg Public Library courtyard 150 Mary Street, Lawrenceburg, In Saturday, October 15 Moores Hill Heritage Festival Free, 10 am-7 pm, Carnegie Hall Main Street, Moores Hill, In 513 505-7647 St. Marys Octoberfest 3-11 pm, St. Marys Activity Center 206 5th, Aurora, In 812 926-0060 Ghosts in the Museum Tour Paranormal investigations of Hillforest Victorian House Museum 213 Fifth Street, Aurora, In $20. Reservations required 812 926-0087 Special Spooky Night Cruise Jeff Kuehl, storyteller Ben Franklin Canal Boat, Metamora, In $4 per person, 7:30 pm 765 647-6512 Sunday, October 16 Concert in the Park Pavilion Local treble choirs perform Free, 7 pm Park Avenue, Aurora 812 539-4251 Plein Air Artists weekend works Public showing, 1-3 pm Brookville Public Library

Main Street, Brookville, In Music@The Gennett Mansion Gene Webb and Paula Stout $10, 3-6 pm, BYOB Gennett Mansion 1829 E. Main Street, Richmond, In 765 462-9934 Hauntings and seasonal on-goings Haunted Museum Fridays and Saturdays in October $5, 7-10 pm, Gateway Park Museum Metamora, In Haunted Village of Metamora Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 14&14, 21&22 $5, 7-10 pm, hayride & guided tour included Streets of Metamora Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde Adults $15, students&seniors $12 Richmond Civic Theatre 1003 East Main Street, Richmond, In Friday & Saturday, Oct. 14 & 15 7:30 pm Sunday Oct. 16, 2 pm, Haunted Museum Tour Friday and Saturday October 14-15 & October 21-22 6:30-9 pm $3 adult/$2 child (non-scary tour) Wayne County Historical Museum 1150 North A. Street, Richmond, In 765 962-5756 Fuzzys Freak Show Halloween Haunted House Adults $8, Children $4 Williamsburg Area Community Center 8441 N. Centerville Road, Williamsburg, In 7:30-11:30 pm each evening Fridays and Saturdays October 14,15 & 21, 22 & 28, 29 Nightmare on Volunteer Drive Haunted Firehouse $5, 7-11 pm, Fridays & Saturdays October 7th-29th 812 926-1122 On-going Metamora Corn Maze Saturdays and Sundays in October 1-5 pm One mile east of Metamora on US 52 $5 admission.

Southeastern Indiana Art Guild Fall Art Show October 15-22, Lawrenceburg Public Library 150 Mary Street, Lawrenceburg, In View during normal library hours. Pan Fish Cup Tournaments 8 am-1 pm $40 per team includes boat rental Miami Whitewater Forest 9001 Mt. Hope Road Harrison, Oh. 513 521-7275 Art Exhibition: Personal Times and Spaces 11 area artists display Free, 8 am 10 pm Through November 11, 2011 Voice of America Learning Center West Chester & Liberty, Oxford, Oh. Franklin County Library Book Sale October 1 - 5 Brookville Regular library hours. Civil War Exhibit Free through December 23 Includes Miamis Special Collections Third floor, King Library Miami University 513 529-3323 Ten Year Survey Painting and Drawing 2000-2010 Artist - Karen Lebergott Leeds Gallery, Earlham College Runyan Center, 801 National Road, Richmond, In. 9 am8 pm Free Call 765 983-1294 ArbLeaf Self-guided leaf collecting trail Free through Oct. 21 Hayes Arboretum 801 Elks Road, Richmond 765 962-3745

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