55th reunion!

The Oakwood High School Class of 1951 had their 55th class reunion this past weekend. 21 classmates and their spouses were hosted by Dr. Richard and Dorothy “Moon” Cummings on Friday night with a party followed by a dinner at the Greene Country Club on Saturday night and a Sunday brunch on Sunday at Carillon Park’s Culps Cafeteria.

Oakwood Resident spearheads Aug. 26 AleFest

Who is this guy?

Joe Waizmann, an OHS alumni, long-time Oakwood resident and beer advocate will host the 8th annual AleFest Dayton. And if you enjoy the Dayton event you may want to mark your calendars for upcoming AleFests in Cincinnati, Columbus and Chicago.

The AleFest Dayton will be held Saturday, Aug. 26 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Carillon Historical Park. It is a charitable craft beer festival showcasing the finest beer styles of the world in an educational, responsible, and enjoyable fashion. Proceeds will go to the Diabetes Association of the Dayton Area.

For more information visit www.alefest.com.

Richard DeWall gets write-up in national journal

By Lance Winkler

Oakwood medical pioneer and inventor Dr. Richard DeWall had a half-page feature in the August 16 issue of the Investor’s Business Daily (Leaders & Success section) about early inspiration and personal tragedy that led up to his invention of the pump-oxygenator machine which revolutionized cardiovascular surgery and is the template for today’s heart lung machines.

“You can deal with anything if you have a mind-set to go at it,” Dr. DeWall is quoted as saying regarding the challenges placed before him by his mentors at the University of Minnesota. Spurred on by the tragic memory of his own father’s premature death from a badly-performed abdominal surgery in 1943 and having witnessed a scarlet fever outbreak at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center a few years later, he undertook a public service internship and met a patient with rheumatic mitral valve disease. That set him on the path toward cardiovascular research.

“In my opportunities at the university, they never told me what to do,” DeWall said. “They just said, ‘Here is an opportunity. If you want it, run with it.’’ C. Walton Lillehei, one of DeWall’s mentors and later known as the father of open-heart surgery, told him not to read too much of the current medical literature of the time dealing with pump-oxygenator systems at the time.

“He thought it would prejudice my mind and block original thought,” DeWall said. “The main lesson to be learned is to keep an open mind. Don’t go to the literature as though it is the end of all knowledge locked in there,” DeWall told the IBD reporter. Good advice for any researcher – or anyone.

The Investor’s Business Daily can be found at the Wright Library in the periodical section.

An interview with our new Safety Director

By Jessica Moore

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with the most recent addition to the Oakwood Police Force, Chief Alex Bebris, a man whose character seems to salvage the declining reputation of so many public officials.

A Wisconsin native and graduate of Marquette University, Bebris assumed the position of Fire Chief and Police Chief, two roles encompassed in the title,” Director of Public Safety” on July 14 of this year.

Here is a glimpse into our conversation, one which left me more encouraged than any movie ever could.

Alex Bebris is in the middle of training at the State Fire Marshall’s Office in Ohio, where he has been taking classes for several weeks now to prepare him for his new role. A voluntary act of his own suggestion, taking these classes will enable Bebris to understand what the men under his command encounter when answering fire calls as well as assisting other agencies.

“I think that it’s important for any chief to be certified in and have a working knowledge of the things that those under him go through every day. I want my guys to know that I truly understand their jobs,” Bebris said. For the past month he has been balancing his time between training and successfully moving his family from their home in Wisconsin to their new home in the Dayton area. As our conversation continued, it became evident that family is paramount to Bebris, a quality that will serve him well in the Oakwood community. I ask him to tell me more and listened as he affectionately told me about his wife Carrie, an accomplished novelist, and his two children, Katherine and James.

A former Sheriff Chief in Adams County Wisconsin and a former Chief of Police in St. Charles Minnesota, Alex Bebris combines experience with the personal character and dedication to justice that any town would be honored to have on its side.

His accolades are many. He graduated first in his class from the Police Academy, and has worked in a Special Investigations unit. He has worked in the training unit where he mentored aspiring, young officers and gave them the same encouragement that inspired him in his youth. Having devoted nineteen years of his life to the police force, Bebris thought that it might be time for him to take a backseat position to law enforcement and begin training America’s future officers in the classroom. After a year spent teaching college level criminal law and criminal procedure, however, Bebris realized that he wasn’t yet ready to hang up his hat. I asked Bebris why Oakwood appealed to him as a community and his answer resonated with me.

“Oakwood is a solid community with quality, dedicated officers who know how to take care of their own. This dynamic allows for proactive growth rather than damage-control and rebuilding activities. That’s what I’m excited about,” he said. Bebris also shared his desire to organize community outreach programs and children’s programs as well. He feels that this is possible primarily because Oakwood, already such a solid community, allows for further growth and development.

The Oakwood community is proud to welcome Alex Bebris as our new Director of Public Safety.

Whispers among top 5 Intima stores nationwide

Whispers Fine Lingerie and Gifts, in the shops of Oakwood, has been selected as a finalist for the Best Shop Awards 2006.  At the awards ceremony in New York during the Lingerie Americas show, Whispers was recognized as one of the five best lingerie boutiques in the United States in the Personal Touch category.  

Judy Wyatt, Owner, said, “We are very proud of our boutique and truly appreciate this national recognition.”  “Our success can only be attributed to our wonderful and supportive customers and to my dedicated staff, who go beyond to provide the best customer service possible.”

According to Best of Intima, the sponsor of the award, there were 352 participating stores and 152 nominees from which 25 finalists were chosen.  There were five categories, with 5 finalists in each group.  The finalists were selected by the 18 exclusive brands representing the awards program.  

Whispers recognition included being featured in the Fall issue of Best of Intima magazine.  The Personal Touch category is defined as a shop that revolves around the personality of the owner with items personally and carefully chosen by the owner. This is the second award for Whispers as they were a finalist in the Personal Touch
category in 2004, the first year of this prestigious award.

Pictured, left to right at Lingerie Americas show in New York: Whispers owner Judy Wyatt, Karen Webb, Caroline Thickel and Katy Duning, `

Whispers recently completed an expansion of the current store at 8 Triangle Avenue.  In addition to the fine lingerie and gift items for women, men and baby, Whispers trained staff will assist its female customers with bra fittings to find the best solution.  Bra sizes range from 30-44 AA-H.  Sizes not available can be special ordered.   Alterations can also be made.  In addition, Whispers provides bridal and gift registration, complimentary gift wrap, shipping services.

Coming soon to Oakwood will be Whispers newest venture — Whispers Home  - offering fine linens and finishings at 2426 Far Hills Avenue, just one block south of the Whispers Lingerie store.   Opening October, 2006, Whispers Home will carry the complete line of Yves Delorme, beautiful European bed, bath and table linens, Natori Home, including bedding and top of the bed items, Feraud terry robes, towels and more.

Whispers Fine Lingerie & Gifts opened in November, 2001.  Offerings include lingerie, loungewear, yoga wear, linens, legwear, slippers and gift items for women, men and baby, from the United States and around the world.

Pas de Deux Divettes

Miss Camille’s Ballet Camp class held at the Oakwood Community Center graduated recently with full honors.

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