July 10, 2007 - Volume 16, No. 28

a Winkler Company publication

Also featuring photos from our monthly supplement...

'Willow Grove'

Oakwood robbery suspect arrested
By Capt. Randy Baldridge

Adam Gafford

Since the beginning of May, the Oakwood Police Department has responded to a rash of approximately 60 thefts from vehicles, garages and residences in the city. This includes the robbery of a resident on June 29.

On that day, the department, acting on a citizen’s report of a suspicious person entering vehicles, located and arrested Adam Gafford, a 22-year-old white male who listed his address as “at large.” The arrest came from the June 29 incident, when he was found breaking into a car in a resident’s garage. When confronted by the resident, Gafford threatened him with a knife.

The arresting officer, Ofc. Glen Evans, nabbed the suspect by parking his cruiser a block away and sneaking up on him on his bike patrol 10-speed. A second individual with Gafford fled from officers and eluded arrest. Detectives are still actively working this case, following up on several leads in an effort to identify the second suspect.

At the time of Adam Gafford’s arrest on July 1, he had in his possession credit cards and property belonging to several residents. He also had a pair of gloves and two knives in his possession. He was taken to court and charged with a misdemeanor; however, he bonded out on that charge. But because Gafford threatened the resident with a knife, the charge became more serious; On July 3 Oakwood detectives went to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s office where they obtained a felony robbery charge. Appearing before Oakwood Court’s Judge Deddens, he was placed under a $100,000 bond, and at this time is under arrest in Montgomery County jail. This investigation remains open and ongoing. The department hopes to identify the second suspect. At this time, the department is hopeful that they can clear a number of other open cases.

The Oakwood Public Safety Department continues to ask residents to be vigilant for any and all suspicious activity and immediately notify the Safety Department so we can investigate. An alert resident was responsible for this subject’s arrest.

The department also requests that residents remove all valuables including loose change from their vehicles, lock their car doors, secure garage doors, leave exterior lights on and watch out for any suspicious activity in their neighborhoods. By eliminating the opportunity for criminals to commits thefts, we can deter other similar often drug dependent and dangerous individuals from coming into the community.

Relay For Life slated July 13 and 14

Have you heard about the Relay For Life in Oakwood on July 13 and 14? This is the first year that this fundraising event to fight cancer will be held in Oakwood, at Mack Hummon Stadium at Oakwood High School. Relay For Life is an all-night event where teams of friends, family, and co-workers walk the track, recognizing that cancer never sleeps. The Relay starts off with a Survivor Lap, where we invite those who have survived their battle against cancer to walk the first lap of the Relay, and receive our congratulations and a special meal in their honor. At dark, we will have a Luminaria Ceremony, where luminarias purchased in honor of those who have survived, or in memory of those we’ve lost, are placed around the track and lit, and stay lit all night as we walk. The night will also include fun events, games for the kids, camping available in the practice field, food and drink, fun for the whole family!

If you are a cancer survivor, or are one of thousands of us in Oakwood who have been touched by cancer in some way, won’t you please come out on July 13 and help us fight cancer? If you would like to create a team, donate to the event, or volunteer in other ways, all the details can be found at www.oakwoodrelay.com

All night activities for Relay for Life

Opening ceremonies for Relay for Life begin at 6 pm, Friday, July 13 and then the fun begins.

Activities for the period of the Relay include the Survivors Lap, Wind Jammers Band, Meet the Teams La, People Bingo, frozen T-Shirt Contest, Luminaria Ceremoney , BuzzCats Band (Rock/Blues), Water Balloon Toss, Best Camp Site Judging, X-Box Tent Opens, Cracker Whistle Relay, Mr./Mrs. Relay Contest, DJ Music, X-Box Tournament, Dress the Mummy Lap, and at midnight a Pizza Party and Trivial Pursuit Tournament.

It continues at 12:30 am with Scrabble Laps, Movie Under the Stars (Shrek), Scavenger Hunt, Quitters Lap/Nap Lap, Bad Song Laps, Poker Laps, and at 4 am on July 14 Movie Under the Stars (Caddyshack). At 4;30 am there will be a Pajama Lap, then The Price is Right Challenge…and it all ends with a Boxer Short Decorating Contest.more and more goes on until noon, Saturday, July 14. Call for the rest of the schedule.

It’s an all-night heap of fun at the football field – and it raises dollars for the American Cancer Society in its fight against cancer. So plan to be part of this first-ever Relay for Life.

Arcade group meets to shape building’s future

Interior of Downtown Dayton Arcade

For citizens concerned about the fate of the Arcade, a renewed effort may finally secure its safety from demolition, or worse. A second meeting of Friends to Save the Arcade (FSA) is scheduled to meet Thursday, July 26 at noon at the downtown Dayton Metro Library.

This newly-formed group met for the first time on Wednesday, June 13. More than 75 interested citizens met in three separate sessions where they heard Arcade owner, Tony Staub give up-to-date information on the current conditions of the Arcade.

The first meeting set in motion a strong, organized effort to find solutions for the building’s preservation. FSA has stated its mission as an effort to “raise public awareness/mobilize public opinion about the endangered Arcade; find champions for the Arcade by fundraising $270,000 to pay the tax lien due 12/31/2007; to utilize volunteers to promote the public grassroots meetings on progress to save the Arcade.”

The Friends to Save the Arcade has been organized by Maribeth (Eiken) Graham, who was a founding member in 1975 of the nonprofit that saved the Victoria Theatre; Leon Bey, tour leader of Gem City Circle Walking Tours; and Oakwood resident Joanne Granzow, founder and trustee of Grassroots Dayton.

FSA has been given free office space downtown Dayton in the Barclay Building, 137 N. Main St., Dayton 45402. For more information call Diane Wallace, 937-296-4154. Their website is Savethearcade@yahoo.com. Their blog site is: friendstossavethearcade.wetpaint.

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