Wedding______________________________________

Sellers - George

Tristen Marie Sellers married Peter Mohan George on November 11, 2006.

Tristen is the daughter of  Bill and Julie Sellers of Dayton, Ohio. Peter is the son of Jake and Cathy George of Hudson, Ohio.

The bride graduated with a degree in Social Work from Miami University and is employed with the Judson Center in Royal Oak, Michigan.

The groom graduated with a degree in Engineering Management from Miami University and is employed with Daimler-Chrysler in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

The ceremony was officiated by Pastors Brian Thie and Dave Dorr at Oakwood United Methodist Church with the reception following.

The maids-of-honor were Shana and Carly Sellers. The best man was Michael George. Other attendants included: Lindsay Smith, Emily Reed, Amanda Carlson, Scott Warrington, Jon Kroeger, Tim George and Jesse Sellers.

The couple enjoyed a trip to Cancun for their honeymoon. They will reside in Royal Oak, Michigan.

Donovan visiting judge on Ohio Supreme Court

Oakwood resident Judge Mary E. Donovan of the 2nd District Court of Appeals served as a visiting judge on the Supreme Court of Ohio today and heard oral arguments in three cases.

Judge Donovan was selected by Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer to sit in place of Justice Alice Robie Resnick, who recused herself from State v. George Evans, Case No. 2005-1693, State v. Ralph R. Wilson, Case No. 2005-2186, and Debra Shay v. Larry Shay Jr., et al, Case No. 2005-2277.

According to the Ohio Constitution, in the event of a recusal by a Justice, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court can select any of the 68 sitting Ohio appellate court judges to sit temporarily on the Supreme Court.

“We are pleased to have Judge Donovan join us today,” Chief Justice Moyer said. “Her participation provides the parties in the case with a court of seven justices despite the recusal of Justice Resnick.”    

State of Ohio v. George Evans examines whether a court of appeals can vacate multiple sentences for different convictions imposed against a defendant by a trial court on the grounds that one sentence was improper.

State v. Ralph R. Wilson addresses what standard of proof a court of appeals should apply in reviewing a trial court’s ruling concerning a “sexual predator” under Ohio law.

Debra Shay v. Larry Shay Jr., et al involves a case addressing Ohio’s uninsured/underinsured motorist statute.

Judge Donovan’s legal experience includes time as a private practice attorney, public defender and prosecutor. Prior to her election to the 2nd District Court of Appeals in 2005, Judge Donovan served on the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas. She also serves as a member of the University of Dayton School of Law Alumni Board, the Prison Advisory Board, and as vice president of the Volunteer Lawyers Project Board.

DeFranco merits Creative Best award

Tom DeFranco, son of Judy DeFranco of Oakwood, recently won an Award of Merit in the Columbus Society of Communicating Arts’Creative Best competition. CSCA’s
Creative Best annually honors excellence and innovation in graphic design.

DeFranco was recognized for a book cover design created while a student at the school of advertising art in Kettering.

A 2006 Honors Graduate of saa, DeFranco is employed as a graphic designer by Thomas Nelson Publishing, Nashville, TN.

Dixon-Engel organizes Vietnam Veterans Day parade

They marched wearing parts of their uniforms…hats, jackets, medals…anything that didn’t fit too snugly. They marched in blue jeans. They marched in crisply creased Dockers and polo shirts. But whatever they wore as individuals, as a group they wore pride, gratitude and just a hint of relief.

The Vietnam veterans who marched in the Veterans Day Operation Welcome Home parade in Lancaster, CA were finally treated to the long-missing part of their service to country – a triumphant homecoming.

Operation Welcome Home is the brainchild of retired Air Force Lt. Col Mike Jackson and Oakwood resident Tara Dixon-Engel, Ohio natives and co-authors of the book, Naked In Da Nang, an affectionate and humorous recollection of Jackson’s own Vietnam tour of duty. After titling the book’s epilogue “We never got our parade” the authors decided that it was time to change things. As National Chairmen for Operation Welcome Home, the duo spearheaded numerous small celebrations in 2005, and then coordinated a huge four-day OWH event in Las Vegas, NV in November 2005.

“We thought that was the culmination of our vision,” Jackson remembered. “And it was fantastic, but there were a lot of people who couldn’t get to Las Vegas…a
lot of people who still needed the kind of healing that comes from being told ‘your service and sacrifice meant something.’”

Two veterans who did make it to Las Vegas were Gary Chapman and Ray Santana of California’s Antelope Valley. The two friends were so overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and gratitude from the Vegas community, they decided to hold an Operation Welcome Home in their own neck of the woods. In July 2006 they contacted Jackson and Dixon-Engel for endorsement and assistance.

“We tell people that Las Vegas gave legs to our idea…but the Antelope Valley gave it heart,” said Dixon-Engel. “For a community 1/16th the size of Las Vegas to put together an event this significant – and to have it go so smoothly and heal so many – is nothing short of a miracle! The organizers knew what they were doing – they did the right thing for the right reasons and the end result was wonderful!”

The Nov. 11 parade included over 100 units, an F-117 flyover, the Patriot Guard, and two of the remaining WW II Navajo Code talkers, who made the 1,000 mile journey against doctors’ orders in order to show support for their Vietnam brethren.

In a speech following the parade, Jackson brought the multitude of veterans and citizens to their feet with wild applause as he admonished “to any politicians in the crowd…and I know you’re here…I ask you to never again commit our troops to combat and then interfere with their ability to win!” He went on to describe the soldiers of Vietnam as “good guys who did the right thing when it wasn’t very popular.”

Dixon-Engel told the crowd that it was time, once and for all, to dispel “the myth of the Vietnam veteran.” “Popular culture has perpetuated an unsavory picture that just isn’t true. These men are our brothers, fathers, husbands, and friends. They are doctors, lawyers, engineers, musicians and artists. They have made meaningful contributions to society and it is damn well time we said ‘thank you.’”

For more information or to find out how to participate as a sponsor or volunteer, contact Jackson or Dixon-Engel at their Tipp City office, 937-669-2040. You can find out about Operation Welcome Home at www.NationalOperationWelcomeHome.com.  Dixon-Engel lives in Oakwood with her son Michael, who attends Oakwood Junior High.

‘Dayton’ depicts past in postcards and pictures

There is a great new book out by Dayton historian and author Kurt Dalton. The book is called Dayton and is published by Arcadia Publishing. The rise and near destruction of Dayton in the early 20th century is chronicled in this visual postcard history.

The postcards showcase some of the city’s unique commercial buildings, hotels, churches, and residences, many now long gone due to urban renewal and highway construction in the 1960s and 1970s. Chapters include: Government Facilities, Hotels and Banks, Hospitals and Institutions, Education, Parks and Recreation, Streetscapes, Buildings and Factories, and Bridges, Rivers and the 1913 Flood.

Landmarks featured include the National Soldiers’ Home, built for veterans of the Civil War in 1868, and there is an entire chapter dedicated to the events of the 1913 flood that forever changed the face of the city. Early illustrations of Oakwood, known back then as The Far Hills, are also featured.

The book sells for $19.95 and is available at Books & Co., the Carillon Park gift shop and online at www.daytonhistorybooks.com.

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