1. SAMPLES OF PUBLISHED WRITING
From Pitcheo.com:
Brand Your Startup On A Shoestring
Focus On: Andrea Shillington
A Brand New Day
In more ways than one, it’s an exciting new global market out there for business.
Customers are choosing brands that align with their values because they see through
marketing superlatives. In other words, the new consumer can see through the fluff. Ask
Andrea Shillington about it, and she might point out, “There’s a whole new type of
shopper. A conscious shopper.” She adds, “Consumer behavior is changing. Information is
available right now and people are yearning for an authentic connection with the products and
services they buy.”
With a world operating at breakneck speed, brand and credibility become essential. Sure,
anyone can hire an agency, buy a logo, choose a color scheme, adopt a catchphrase, and dive
into the business pool with their very own Startup. Andrea takes it a step further. As she puts it,
“Just buying a logo is not approaching things strategically from the beginning.”
Not to mention the fact that hiring an advertising agency is expensive. Based in Vancouver,
British Columbia, Andrea states that 98 percent of Canadian businesses earn less than $250,000
in annual revenue. On that note, she’s put together a Play called “Brand Your Startup On A
Shoestring,” which is featured on the website, StartupPlays.com. “Branding is helping
businesses determine who they want to be,” Andrea says. “A brand is who you are. It’s a CEO
initiative test. A truthful, authentic reflection of who the leader is.”
In five steps, Andrea’s Play guides the entrepreneur through the rigorous task of creating a brand
for the very first time; or, how to re-brand an existing business. Today’s global market has
created completely new ways for marketing businesses. “The social network has leveled the
playing field,” Andrea says.
THE LIKE, KNOW, AND TRUST FACTOR
Andrea got her start in the corporate world, including stints in Europe and more than five years in
Dubai. In fields ranging from hospitality to government, she “cut her teeth in Brand Strategy.” A
self-described brave, crazy decision first led her to follow her dreams oversees, and then she
returned to Canada to apply her experience in the growing startup scene around Vancouver.
And, perhaps, because she missed the mountains. “I ended up following my heart,” she says of
her journey.
Andrea is quick to point out that “customers are smart.” She speaks about the like, know, and
trust factor that’s necessary for a successful startup. She speaks about probing the aspiring
entrepreneur to find out what drives them, what is their vision, what is their purpose. “We all have
a purpose to live in this life,” she says. “Business is a way to channel that purpose.”
What Andrea offers is not a prescription. She does not tell people what to do. That is something
that, in order to be successful, they have to discover for themselves. Indeed, Andrea is not
limited to Brand Strategy; what Andrea offers could be described as a Clarity Specialist. “I’m not
going to judge,” she emphasizes. “Everyone knows their own answer.”

2. INFORMATION IS CURRENCY
“Brand Your Startup On A Shoestring” is a Play filled with tools that ultimately will help the
entrepreneur find his or her path to a successful startup business. One nugget of advice Andrea
offers: “You need to figure out what you can give away for free.” This doesn’t have to be a
product or a gimmick. It could be information in the form of a report, a blog, or, as in Andrea’s
case, an eBook. Sharing information builds trust, especially when that information comes from
experience and hard work.
The ultimate goal, of course, is to create a business for yourself that compels you to get
up every morning and put in the work. Andrea’s Play is organized under the headings, or
milestones, of Purpose, Vision, Values, Positioning, and Promise. For example, if you’re
thinking in terms of where you want to be in five to 10 years, it might influence what you
name your business today and possibly save you the expense of a re-brand in the future.
Discovering the core values of your business and articulating them in a truthful manner,
anchors your business and keeps everyone on the same page. A positioning strategy is
key to making your business stand out from the crowd. One way to do this is to learn
about your audience. A tagline is creating a Promise that will inspire customers to take
notice.
In the end, it’s all about discovering and being true to your greater purpose. This will lead to a
successful business strategy. Whether you do it now or down the road, Andrea explains, “You
will eventually do it.” She adds, “A startup business can make a big difference for the greater
good of the world.”
SNAPSHOT: Andrea’s eBook is available at www.brandsforthepeople.com/brand-tools
Published in The Downtowner Fall 2000
IN THIS TOWN BALLET ROCKS
Dayton Dancers Judd Gibbs and Anna Kirker Make Art Athletic
By Rick Eichhorn
Dancers Justin “Judd” Gibbs and Anna Kirker are standing at the edge of the balcony of the
Victoria Theatre. It’s early afternoon, the seats are empty, but the air seems thick anticipation.
Maybe it’s just the gorgeous décor of the renovated Victoria. Still, it’s impossible not to feel the
excitement conveyed in the eyes of Gibbs and Kirker. Their passion for dancing comes across
even when standing quiet and still. Kirker, with her sleek beauty, and Gibbs, with his intense
energy, seem as if they were created for the spotlight.
“I love this theater,” Gibbs said. “It’s so intimate. The audience is right there—you can sweat on
them. You actually feel you can touch the people. You can see their facial expressions.”
Gibbs recalls the time a visiting choreographer saw him dancing on stage and said, “You love it
up there.” He replied, “Yeah, it’s like a whole other world.”
“No,” the choreographer said. “It is your world.”
Since the fall of 1994, the Victoria has been Gibbs’ world. He grew up in Grand Rapids, Mich.,
and started dancing when he was 7 at the studio of his best friend’s mom. At first, he and a
group of about 15 friends imitated dancing they watched on TV—such as Janet Jackson videos
or the movie Flashdance.
“It was a lot more interesting for us boys to see something on TV and try to reproduce it,” he said.
Kirker, a self-described tomboy, is more reserved than the gregarious Gibbs. Growing up in
Baltimore, Md., she was in Brownies, studied piano, played basketball and baseball. “I was
always on the boy’s team, too,” she said.

3. “I started dancing when I was 10 years old,” she added, “It was a Dolly Dinkle school. I started
my real training when I was 15.”
A Dolly Dinkle school?
“It basically describes a school where you learn a lot of different type of dances, pay a lot of
money, have a lot of costumes and put on one recital a year,” Gibbs explained.
After leaving her Dolly Dinkle, Kirker, two years later at the age of 17, was a paid professional
with the Memphis Concert Ballet in Tennessee.
Both Kirker and Gibbs agree that it is typical for dancers to try all sorts of activities before
concentration on dance. Gibbs said he is by nature a daredevil. Growing up, he did all the crazy
stunts that attract attention. And he played football, track and baseball.
But in the end, more than any other sport, they said, ballet captures the mental, the physical, and
the spiritual. “When we pick the one thing, we pick the dance,” Gibbs said. “It’s trying to make
ourselves better at something we can never achieve. You can always do one more turn. You
can always get your leg an inch higher.”
The Company
Beth common, director of marketing and development, is quick to praise Dermot Burke. He is the
executive and artistic director of the Dayton Ballet, and Common said he is only one of two
people in the country to hold both titles at a company. Common is also excited about the
upcoming season, which is adding a fifth show to the usual roster of four.
“In an era when most ballet companies are cutting back, we are expanding,” she said. “I would
venture to say we are one of the most successful dance companies in the country. This
community is so generous to us. They flock to our shows.”
In turn, the Dayton Ballet is generous to the community. The company gives more than $60,000
worth of discounts to local arts organizations, provides dance lessons to inner city children, and
awards full dance scholarships to the Dayton Ballet. Since Burke became director, Common said
that the dancers’ pay has more than doubled. Still under $20,000 per season, Dayton’s pay scale
is near the top rate in the country.
Dancers also receive full medical insurance and equipment such as 42 pairs of shoes a year.
That’s important—point shoes can cost up to $60, and dancers typically go through a pair a week.
The company maintains a resident costume designer and has a full-time production shop for
building sets. All this helps Dayton, home of the second oldest company in the country, attract
dancers and choreographers from around the world. The like the fact that Burke runs an
ensemble-type company as opposed to a hierarchal. Every time a show is cast, all the dancers
have a chance at the leads.
“The myth that if you’re going to be a dancer you have to be in either New York City or San
Francisco—that’s not true anymore,” Common said. “We are getting a tremendous amount of
talent coming to Dayton and wanting to live a normal life.”
Opening Night
The last time the Dayton Ballet performed Dracula, which was a couple of years ago, Gibbs said
the lead split his pants. “We called him Cracula for the rest of the year.”
Mistakes happen, but the finely tuned dancers operate like a machine and can usually cover it up
without the audience knowing anything went wrong. Although Gibbs said that when Dracula’s
pants split, the audience gasped.
Both Gibbs and Kirker love everything about Dayton: The Victoria, the convenience of having
studios in the building, the audiences, the director and staff and especially the camaraderie.
Having danced in other companies, they feel the work environment is particularly friendly and
supportive.
“The thing about Dayton is that everybody wants you to do well,” Kirker said of the company.
“Kirker said of the company. “They all want to help you.”
Kirker said that all of the dancers live downtown. She lives with another dancer in the Dayton
Towers, and their apartment has a balcony that overlooks the city. “It’s a really cool party place,”
she said.

4. All dancers maintain some type of work-out schedule that involves strength training as well as
aerobic activity. In addition to their dancing, Kirker said that the company strongly suggest that
they belong to the YMCA.
Rehearsals begin Sept. 8, and the season runs through mid-May. Dancers have time to
themselves during the summer, but they are expected to show up in top form in September.
Most take classes or teach during the summer and they usually take a couple of weeks of
vacation. Summer is also the time to recover from injuries. Many dancers finish a season with
an injury, getting through performances by smearing their bodies with a triple-strength Ben-Gay-
like substance that Gibbs calls barbecue sauce. It heats the muscles.
“You have to give your body a rest,” Kirker said. “You have to take some time off—be a normal
person, eat what you want, stay up late. You need to escape ballet.”
Both Kirker and Gibbs stick to low-fat diets pretty much the whole year, with one day a week
designated a “fat day.” On that day, they can eat whatever they want.
Once the season begins, every show has six weeks of rehearsal. During that time they arrive at
the studio early in the morning and stay late into the day. This regimen goes on six days a week,
with Mondays off. Tuesday, the week of the show, is the first day out of the studio and in Victoria
Theatre. This day begins at 5 p.m. Tuesday nights are devoted to what Gibbs calls “spacing and
tech.” This is a much a rehearsal for the stage crew as the dancers, but by now the dancers are
ripe with anticipations.
“Dancing at night, it makes it feel more special,” Gibbs said. “It’s so much harder to rehearse that
it is to perform.”
Dancers get home by 10 or 11 p.m., and then come back the next day at2 p.m., to take class and
go over notes from night before. Wednesday night has two run-throughs of the show: A tech and
a dress rehearsal. Thursday night is opening night.
“Opening night always has a lot of energy,” Kirker said. After Sunday, dancers get Mondays off,
and then the process starts over for the next show.
“When I started this job, I thought I would’ve been around the world three or four times by now,”
Gibbs said. “But that just doesn’t happen anymore.”
But Gibbs isn’t complaining, if it wasn’t for the career and need to have other companies on his
resume, he said he’d be happy to spend the rest of his life in Dayton.
“We have the greatest audiences,” he said. “They come up to you on the street. They cheer and
shout out names during performances. Our audiences here, rock.”
Published on thejobsdailymail.com, in April, 2015
WISCONSIN SET TO BECOME 25th
RIGHT-TO-WORK STATE
By RICK EICHHORN
By a party-line vote of 62 to 35, the Wisconsin State Assembly passed Senate Bill 44,
commonly referred to as right-to-work legislation. Following Friday’s passage,
Republican Governor and likely 2016 presidential candidate, Scott Walker issued a
statement that he will sign the bill on Monday. Under Wisconsin law, the bill would then
go in effect the following day.

5. “This freedom-to-work legislation will give workers the freedom to choose whether or
not they want to join a union, and employers another compelling reason to consider
expanding or moving their business to Wisconsin,” Governor Walker stated.
Democrats and unions opposed to the law believe it will lower worker wages, hurt the
middle class, and increase workplace injuries. In addition, the Assembly Democrats were
upset that the bill was fast-tracked by the Committee on Senate Organization. An
“Extraordinary Session” was declared and discussion carried through the night before the
9 a.m. vote. Ten amendments were proposed on Thursday, on a variety of issues that
included criminal penalties, political contributions, and work injury supplements. None
of the amendments were adopted.
Assembly Democratic Leader Peter Barca responded with a strong statement condemning
the legislation. He emphasized that the bill will drive down wages, hurt small businesses,
put the state’s training programs at risk, and not have any positive economic impact.
“At a time when Wisconsin families need higher wages and more economic opportunity,
our workers instead will suffer at the hands of this cynical political maneuver that puts
right-wing special interests and Gov. Walker’s political ambitions above the people and
businesses of Wisconsin. This is a very destructive bill for the middle class and small
business that is an example of right-wing extremism on steroids,” Rep. Barca stated,
adding, “Seventy-five years of labor peace is rammed through in less than two weeks.”
Right-to-work laws prohibit employers and unions from requiring an employee to pay
dues or fees to a union in order to keep his or her job. The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947
prohibited requirement in union membership; however, unions circumvented this law by
charging fees, often called “agency fees,” where a worker received union representation
but was not a union member. Such fees are prohibited by law for use in certain activities
such as supporting political parties. Union members have expressed concerns about
freeloaders, workers who receive the benefits from unions without any contributions.
Wisconsin now joins Michigan and Indiana as Midwestern right-to-work states. Up until
2012, the majority of right-to-work states were in the south. Midwest proponents of right-
to-work legislation believe the laws are needed for states to have any chance to compete
for new businesses.
Vincent Vernuccio, director of labor policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy,
spoke before the Wisconsin legislature on Feb. 24. He characterized right-to-work laws
as protecting worker freedoms. He said that wage growth as well as union membership in
right-to-work states has outpaced non-right-to-work states.
“Unions can’t take dues for granted,” he said of right-to-work states. “They have to
prove themselves. It will make them stronger.”
Published, Dayton City Paper, January 2015

6. BLUEGRASS AT THE MAYFLOWER
The Three-concert Series Continues with Ma Crow and the Lady Slippers
by RICK EICHHORN
Bluegrass music has a rich history in the Miami Valley. Take the Corndrinkers, for example.
Based in Miami Valley, they’ve been together for more than 39 years. So it was only natural that
the historical Mayflower Arts Center, built in 1928, become a venue for a series of three bluegrass
concerts.
That’s what Al Turnbull believed, anyway. Turnbull plays the bass fiddle in the five-piece
Corndrinkers band that kicked off the series last Saturday. He approached Lisa A Bauer,
owner/director of the Mayflower, and said, “How’d you like to play some music here.”
“That’s basically the genesis of it,” Turnbull said, adding “During the winter there’s not a lot going
on around here.”
The Mayflower Arts Center started out as a 650-seat theater that through the years has run the
gamuti
of entertainment including everything from vaudeville acts, traveling shows, performances,
to movies. Bauer purchased the building in July of 2012, and by then it had been split into four
theaters. She held the center’s first concert in October of last year.
“The turnout was fabulous,” Bauer said. “Given the fact that we are right downtown on the public
square, you couldn’t ask for a better location.”
Add to that the audience’s appreciation of the intimate setting of the 132-seat theater. The theater
boasts comfortable seats, wide aisles, and effective lighting. Bauer noted that the community
“lauded the fact that we added music concerts to our repertoire.”
Up next in the concert series is the all-female band Ma Crow and the Lady Slippers, who will
perform on Saturday, February 21. The Cincinnati-based group features Ma Crow on vocals and
guitar, Trina Emig on banjo and mandolin, Margie Drees on vocals and fiddle, and Vicki Abbott on
vocals and bass.
A legend in the Cincinnati area, Ma Crow was a 1999 recipient of a CAMMY, a Cincinnati Grammy.
Her name comes from a time in her life when she was in a “motherly way.”
Inspired by ancestors, Ma Crow said, “I felt like the name reached through the walls of time. I felt
like it was given to me. It was very spiritual.”
When she was young, Ma Crow said she listened to everything from young Beatles, to rock n’ roll,
to soul. So when asked who her influences were she quickly replied, “Who wasn’t my influence?”
She then paused and said, “My biggest influence was my mother and father,” adding that when he
picked up the guitar and they sat down to sing, “Their harmonies moved me.”
The Lady Slippers have been playing together for nearly four years and are currently working on
their third CD. But before the Lady Slippers, Ma Crow played with another renowned all-female
band called the Motherpluckers.
Explaining that the Lady Slipper is an endangered wild orchard that grows in the Appalachian
Mountains, Ma Crow said she needed a more appropriate name for her new band. “These women
were more ladylike.”
Trina has been playing banjo since 1988, and has written a book on how to play the banjo titled,
“Becoming Banjo Worthy.” On bass fiddle, Margie is known for demanding rigors rehearsal to get
their harmonies pitch perfect. She also writes a lot of the groups songs. Until recently, Vicki was a
DJ on the on-line radio station WorldwideBluegrass.com. The Lady Slippers lured her away from
the band, East Fork Junction.
“She has that genteel DJ personality,” Ma Crow noted. “She’s the heartbeat of our band.”
Known for their “sweet mountain harmonies,” the band plays everything from ballads to bluegrass,
to old-time to contemporary. All seasoned pros, they have shared their love of acoustic music all
across Ohio and in several states including West Virginia, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
“It’s supportive,” Ma Crow said about an all-female band. “I enjoy the fellowship. We enjoy each
other’s company and playing together.”
The Lady Slippers offer an ideal representation of what Turnbull once described as “the music that
is the foundation of all the music we grew up with.” The final band in the series will be Sugar Grove
on March 21. As always, the venue of the Mayflower will further enhance the concertgoer’s
experience.

7. Featured in the Lobby at the Mayflower are themed exhibits by local and regionals that rotates
every five weeks. Upstairs is the Artist Den Gallery, consignment gallery, and the venue also has
studio space for classes.
While concerts are fairly new to the Mayflower, the theater has been put to use for Indie/Art movie
screenings and event rental. Plans are in the works for a Guest Lecture Series that will be held on
the third Thursday of every month at 7 p.m., and will be free to the public. As the Mayflower is a for-
profit company, these lectures will require sponsorship.
Guest lecturers will be experts or professionals from a wide range of fields and topics: Anything
from music to sports to you name it. The speaker’s presentation will last about 45 minutes, and
then there will be about a 15 minute Q & A period for the audience. It’s all designed as a way to
reach out to the community.
The Mayflower still has two theaters to utilize and ambitious plans are underway to create a multi-
purpose space. Boasting 20-foot ceilings and plenty of square-footage, events for this area will be
limited only by one’s imagination. Tentative plans call for the renovation to start in early summer.
Ma Crow and the Lady Slippers will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb.21 at the Mayflower
Arts Center, located at 9 W. Main St. in downtown Troy. Advance tickets are $10 at
BrownPaperTickets.com, or $12 at the door. For more information please visit macrowmusic.com,
or mayflowerartscenter.com
From the Downtowner July-August 1998:
Acquired Taste
David Glynn makes strong move into downtown restaurant market
By RICK EICHHORN
For Downtowner
Catching up with David Glynn can be a little tricky these days. In May, he took the Dayton
restaurant scene by storm, opening up Peasant Stock on the River and the Dublin Pub in the
same month.
With those additions, Glynn now oversees four restaurants in the region, the other two being B.R.
Scotese's in Beavercreek and the original Peasant Stock in Kettering. Scotese's, which was the
old Fairfield Inn, opened in November of 1997; Glynn purchased the Peasant Stock in October of
‘93.
“All I ever wanted to do since I was a child was be a chef,” he says. “I really feel blessed that I
can do something that I’ve always dreamed of.”
Glynn has a handsome Mediterranean face, and dressed in a double-breasted chef’s coat, black
pants and a serious-yet-colorful tie, he epitomizes the look of a successful restaurateur. He has a
seemingly endless supply of energy, bounding up steps three at a time, patting employees on the
back while offering a motivating word to everyone he greets. Even when late, and he’s
consistently late, he easily wins over acquaintances.
“My philosophy is that if I’m late for everything in my life, than hopefully I’ll be late for my own
funeral,” he says.
The oldest of five children, Glynn was born in Kettering to what he describes as a “full-blooded
Italian” mother and an Irish-German father. He said that the Italian side of the family monopolized
family gatherings, and he remembers growing up with “food everywhere.” An epiphany of sorts
happened at about age nine, when he complained about his mother’s burnt French toast. As he
tells it, his mother threw the spatula at him, saying to his siblings, “If you guys are hungry and
want to eat breakfast, from now on your brother’s going to cook it.”
“We started with scrambled eggs and went from there,” Glynn adds.

8. At age 21, he attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. After
completing the two-year program, he returned to Dayton, gathering experience as a chef in
several local restaurants. In ‘88 he landed the executive chef position at Peasant Stock, the place
where he had begun his restaurant career as a dishwasher and busboy.
Today, Glynn is quick to cite Jay Haverstick, proprietor of Jay’s Restaurant, as his mentor, calling
Haverstick the consummate professional. Glynn is a strong supporter of the independent
businessman, and a strong believer in downtown Dayton.
“Dayton is really the heart and soul of the region, and if Dayton isn’t strong and thriving, the rest
of us are just going to be mediocre,” he says.
That said, he also noted that when he creates a restaurant, he tries to give people a suspension
of belief that they’re in Dayton, Ohio, through ambiance and quality of product.
Named after his grandfather, Scotese's features simple, peasant-style contemporary Italian
cuisine. Mark Shannon of Shannon Construction Group traveled to Ireland to get ideas for the
Dublin Pub. And Peasant Stock on the River is designed to have the New Orleans flavor of a
French Quarter restaurant.
“We thought it would make a nice marriage with the river,” Glynn says.
Across town, just outside the Oregon District, an old abandoned Shell gas station was completely
made over to become the Dublin Pub. Originally, Glynn had envisioned a cigar bar for the site,
but decided on a pub that served simple Irish-American fare and had an atmosphere that was
conducive to cigar smoking.
“I came to the realization that a cigar bar itself can’t be sustained in Dayton, Ohio.”
As a businessman, Glynn says he strives to give back to the community by charitable works and
by passing on his knowledge. He considers his best attribute to be his expertise at organizing,
motivating and teaching.
“I’m a big believer in promoting from within,” he adds. “I try to give people a piece of the action so
that they have a vested interest.”
Glynn has no immediate plans to open another restaurant, although he’s quick to say that he’s
not ruling out anything. Glynn and his wife, Dianne, have four children, and he looks forward to
the day when he can spend more time with his family.
“My only plans right now are to start paying off my debts and find a spot on a beach to relax for
awhile,” he says.
From the Citrus County Chronicle, April 17, 2003:
The Inside Smile
Relocating tortoises is rough but rewarding work
By RICK EICHHORN
For the Chronicle
Pity the poor gopher tortoise. It could be called the Rodney Dangerfield of the protected species.
With no flashy moves, no luxurious fur coat, and no ferocious roar, the humble creature seems to
get no respect.
Still, with its friendly cartoon features, the tortoise is capable of lighting up a child’s face by simply
venturing out of its burrow, or by shyly hiding its head inside its shell. Don’t be fooled, however,
the slow-moving tortoise is actually one busy reptile that does more than its share of the
ecological workload.
Count Sharon Karsen as one person who has come to respect, admire, and appreciate the
tortoise. Growing up in Tampa in the 1950s, Karsen said that she enjoyed a neighborhood that
included an abundance of nature and wildlife, including the gopher tortoise. She left Florida when
she married her husband, Hank, moving to his home state of New Jersey. They lived in New
Jersey for more than 30 years, returning to Tampa occasionally for visits her parents. It was

9. during those visits that she noticed that the natural oasis of her childhood was fast being
overtaken by development. Then, in 1996, the Karsens returned to Florida, settling in Sugarmill
Woods.
"It reminded me of Tampa when I was a kid in the fifties," she said, "because the wildlife was
abundant and Sugarmill Woods was supposed to be founded on the principal of living in harmony
with wildlife and nature."
But, Karsen said, even though Sugarmill Woods contained an extensive system of greenbelts,
and wildlife was abundant, not all was harmonious. The gopher turtle was a prime example.
"The more I looked into it I didn't see that anyone was living in harmony with gopher tortoises,"
Karsen said. "They were being bulldozed right and left."
She said that the tortoise population in the state has decreased 50 percent in the last three
decades. This is due primarily to loss of habitat and to development.
Native to Florida, the gopher tortoise is classified by the state as a "species with special
concerns." An herbivore, the harmless reptile prefers upland habitats with soils deep enough to
dig burrows 6 to 22 feet deep that can twist and turn for up to 45 feet. The burrow is also key to
the survival of other rare and endangered species, and the burrowing activities of the tortoise stir
up minerals that replenish the top soil. Therefore, the tortoise is considered a "keystone species."
Unfortunately, some of the tortoises most favorite spots to burrow, such as Sugarmill Woods and
western Citrus County, are also the favorite spots of developers. They both like the highlands.
When the Karsens moved into their Sugarmill Woods home, there were four burrows nearby.
Thanks to her vigilance, the burrows are still active.
But around the neighborhood, she came to notice, when a lot was sold the builder would come in
with a bulldozer and level the land, including any burrows and tortoises. Karsen noted that the
state laws were ambiguous at best when it came to surveying individual lots for protected species
before building.
"I couldn't understand how a protected species had no protection," she said.
In many ways, the builders were caught up in a sort of environmental catch-22. Being a protected
species, moving a tortoise off a lot required a permit, and a permit could take one-to-three
months.
That’s when Karsen discovered Ray Ashton, one of the directors of the Ashton Biodiversity
Research & Preservation Institute, Inc. One of the group's projects is the Gopher Tortoise
Conservation Initiative (GTCI). Their goal is to come up with economic and environmentally
sustainable solutions for protecting the gopher tortoise. Karsen organized a speaking
engagement for Ashton at Sugarmill Woods.
"His whole life is dedicated to coming up with logical solutions to help save and preserve the
gopher tortoise," Karsen said of Ashton.
With his guidance, a group of volunteers learned how to obtain a permit, as well as the proper
way to trap and relocate a tortoise. Then, because of Sugarmill Woods abundant greenbelts,
Ashton was able to obtain a "blanket permit" for Sugarmill Woods from the state. Technically, the
volunteers were not actually relocating the tortoises, the tortoises were staying within the
development of Sugarmill Woods.
The volunteers, known as Gopher Tortoise Community Stewards, divvied up the areas of
Sugarmill Woods, with Karsen coordinating Cypress Village. Another coordinator, Deborah
Christensen, handles Oak Village South, and she said she finds the work very rewarding.
"People are interested in trying to keep as much of the flora and fauna in Sugarmill Woods as
possible," Christensen said.
That's not an easy task. Building a trap for a tortoise is heavy work. In the summer, traps need to
be checked three times a day, because the intense heat could kill a trapped tortoise in a few
hours. Then, once a tortoise is caught, the first priority is attempting to discover if the reptile has
another burrow. That means patiently watching the tortoise to see where it goes. Bursts of speed,
sprinting, are not exactly in a tortoise’s repertoire.
"If you actually catch a tortoise it can be a very interesting high," Christensen said. "You get that
inside smile."
By anyone's measure, the volunteers have been successful, relocating a high number of tortoises
last year. Even more exciting, a number of golf ball-sized eggs were found, and some of these
were hatched by using Ashton's methods. The hatchlings were then released.

10. These days, Karsen often finds herself with bug bites and ticks up to her knees. Her trunk is filled
will all sorts of equipment, for building traps and such.
Some people have started calling her "Tortoise Lady," but she just shrugs and says that she
doesn't mind. People that get involved in causes often seem to get a moniker, she said. "I know a
Bear Lady."
She added, "I was not a tortoise fanatic until I moved here. I've always been an animal lover.
Human beings are their caretakers."
FACT BOX:
Able-bodied volunteers are needed in SMW. For more information, contact the Oak Village
Association at (352) 382-8992. For Cypress Village, call (XXX) XXX-XXXX.
For more information about the Gopher Tortoise Conservation Initiative, call (352) 495-7449.
DAYTON AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE GUIDE Published 1998
(Writer’s note: This text was laid out among numerous photos and ads, with an introduction and
nine sections.)
By Rick Eichhorn
A PLACE TO CELEBRATE Introduction
On a muggy May afternoon in 1904, Orville Wright lay prone across his plane’s lower wing.
Dripping with sweat but full of inspiration, he held on tight as his brother lifted the strut. At a
speed of 25 miles per hour, the plane took off from the cow pasture, flew into the blue sky, and
landed Dayton into the history books.
From those early flights at Huffman Prairie, a long tradition was established that would forever
make
Dayton known to the world as the birthplace of aviation. During the Wright Brother days, Dayton
became a mecca for visionaries wanting to leave their mark on the new century.
Creative, inventive and innovative are words that have long been used to describe the people
of the Miami Valley. But it’s the sheer determination of spirit that make dreams like flying come
true.
As the 100th
anniversary of flight approaches, the Dayton region is gearing up for a triumphant
celebration. These are exciting and prosperous time for the area—full of opportunities, full of
hope, full of dreams.
For the city of Dayton, it’s a time of rediscovery and rebirth. Several downtown projects are in
the works with goal of uniting the region, bringing people together to celebrate the past, and
create dreams for the future.
Indeed, lifted by the wings of inspiration, the Dayton region prepares to take off again! On the
horizon, the 21st
Century awaits.
Where the Rivers Meet
Five scenic revers flow through the Miami Valley, a valley that was named after the Miami
Indians. Where the Miami, Mad and Stillwater rivers come together, lies the proud structures of
the city of Dayton. With more than 180,000 people, Dayton is at the center of a metropolitan area
that includes seven counties. Across the region, more than 1 million people make their home in
the scenic hills and valleys.
Just north of Dayton is the intersection of Interstates 70 and 75. I-75 connects the northern
border of the U.S. to the southernmost tip in Florida. I-70 connects the east and west coasts.

11. This intersection is at the nucleus of a national network of 25 interstate highways and major state
routes.
Two dozen trucking terminals are located near this intersection, only minutes from the Dayton
International Airport. The airport includes a large foreign trade zone, allowing companies to store
goods tax fee. For fast, efficient shipping, companies can utilize the services of Emery
Worldwide, which maintains its North American distribution hub at the airport. Last year the
company announced a $55 million redesign and upgrade program that will increase capacity by
more than 30 percent and improve operating efficiency.
Dayton is the nation’s number one 90-minute air market, meaning 55 percent of the U.S.
population and 56 percent of the nation’s income can be reached within 90 minutes by air. Put
together with a highway system that ranks in the nation’s top 10 for accessibility, practically the
entire nation can be blanketed with one-day deliveries. In a world where moving goods fast is of
the utmost importance, Dayton continues to be at the forefront, taking advantage of its strategic
location to create a great place to do business.
Blue Skies Above
Location, invention and innovation have been key in creating a diverse economic base.
Automotive, aerospace, computer, construction and support industries, along with research and
development facilities, have made the region’s economy virtually recession proof.
Over 25,000 firms are located in Dayton, offering and endless array of employment
opportunities. When Charles F. Kettering invented the electric ignition and electric starter for
automobiles, he also started Dayton’s future as a “GM town.”
Today, GM employs nearly 20,000, making Dayton the largest “GM town” outside of
Michigan. At the Moraine complex, GM assembles the fast-selling sport utility vehicles. Air bags,
anti-lock disc brakes, and suspension systems are a few of the other high-tech GM products
produced here.
Employing more than 23,000, two-thirds of which are civilians, Wright-Patt is the largest
single-site employer in Ohio. The most important and unique U.S. Air Force Base in the world,
Wright-Patt recently came under the world spotlight as the negotiating site for the Dayton Peace
Accords. The base is headquarters for the foremost research and development center in the U.S.
Air Force and a vast, world-wide logistics system. As a result, the region has one of the highest
concentrations of aerospace firms in the nation.
While Wright-Patt’s future as a government institution remains secure, several other federal
facilities have made the successful transition to private enterprise. Creating new opportunities for
entrepreneurs and local communities are places such as the Defense Electronics Supply Center
in Kettering and the EG&G Mound facility in Miamisburg.
Having a diverse industrial base and a strong entrepreneurial spirit guarantees the region a
bright future. Other major employers in the region include the NCR Corp., the Mead Corp.,
Reynolds and Reynolds, Navistar and several hospitals and universities.
Dawn
An Angel, robed in spotless white, Bent down and kissed sleeping Night. Night woke to blush;
the sprite was gone. Men saw the blush and called it Dawn.
Paul Laurence Dunbar wrote the poem, Dawn, nearly 100 years ago, and it has since been
memorized by schoolchildren all over the world. Dunbar learned to read and write in Dayton’s
public schools, beginning his long love affair with words.
From kindergarten to post-secondary degrees, the educational institutions within the Dayton
region are noted for their excellence and diversity. Area students regularly receive national
attention for scholastic, athletic and artistic achievements.
Within a 35-mile radius of Dayton, 26 institutions of higher learning attract students from
around the globe.
Civilian and military engineers share labs and classrooms at the Air Force Institute of
Technology, University of Dayton and Wright State University. As a prime example of the

12. innovative spirit in the region, the organizations work together to leverage faculty, facilities and
equipment to create a world-class engineering program.
The Dayton region is home to numerous hospitals, medical centers, and treatment centers,
including a Level 1 Trauma Center and a Children’s Medical Center. An air ambulance insures
that all emergency health care needs are met.
Colorful Seasons.
The right touch of seasonal beauty creates the ideal setting for a home in the Miami Valley.
The housing market offers something for everyone’s lifestyle, at a reasonable price, in a stable
market.
Unlike the wild fluctuations that other areas in the nation experience, property values in the
Dayton region have appreciated at a steady rate since 1973. This trend is indicative of the high
quality of life and vibrant economic health of the region.
According to the Home Builders Association of Dayton, 3,345 building permits were issued in
1997. Nearly 1,600 new apartments were also started or completed, as well as more the 200
condominiums.
Over and over, realtors advertise a home as offering a “country lifestyle with city
conveniences.” At home, residents can relax away evenings on the back porch, where the only
neighbor within eye or earshot might be a white-tailed deer, a red fox or night own hoo-hooing its
commentary on the day’s events. Yet, in the morning, a short commute away is work, school or
other activities.
Fields of Play
Contributing to the region’s high quality of life is a wide array of recreational and cultural
activities. When residents want to get out and play, they have easy access to more than 72golf
courses, hundreds of tennis courts, 24 bowling alleys, indoor recreation facilities and plenty of
parks with athletic fields.
Five Rivers MetroParks offer 20 public facilities and 10,000 acres dedicated to year-round
recreation, education and conservation. Several state parks are within an hour’s drive, offering
more opportunities to explore nature.
Across the region, a growing network of bike and walking trails are reaching out to resident’s
doorsteps, offering a chance to ride past rivers, creeks, cityscapes, woods and country scenery.
When night falls, area theaters light up with performances by the Dayton Philharmonic
Orchestra, Dayton Opera, Dayton Ballet, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company or local theatre
companies.
The Ervin J. Nutter Center at Wright State is one of the nation’s top concert venues and
regularly presents the hottest performers. Fraze Pavilion offers an outdoor concert venue in a
park setting, showcasing local, regional and national entertainers.
After completing a major renovation, the Dayton Art Institute promptly landed the prestigious
Eternal China exhibit. The National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center, located at
Wilberforce College, celebrated its 10th
anniversary in 1998, and the center is planning a satellite
branch at the Zion Baptist Church in Dayton.
Celebrating the area’s heritage are Carillon Historical Park and the Dayton Museum of
Discovery. Celebrating the history of flight is the world’s largest and oldest military aviation
museum, The U.S. Air Force Museum, which is Ohio’s most popular free attraction.
Weathering Storms
When three strong storms hit Ohio on Easter in 1913, the Miami, Mad and Stillwater rivers
rose over their banks for the 10th
time in a 100years, this time devastating the city of Dayton.
Dayton decided to put an end to the flooding, and an ambitious project that included the building
of five earthen dams was engineered.

13. As a result of the dam across the Mad River, the entire town of Osborne—over 400 buildings
—was put on flatbeds and moved to a location next to the town of Fairfield, and the two towns
became known as Fairborn.
Stories of perseverance, determination of spirit, and ingenuity in the Mimi Valley date back to
1,000 B.C. when the Adena Indians built huge burial mounds. Hopewell Indians came next,
growing crops on the rich farmland and building houses composed of mud and sticks. In 1700,
the Miami Indians moved here, and they grew a special type of white corn that was traded with
the French and Englishmen.
The Miami Indians aligned with the British during the American Revolution, and in an Indian
town next to the Mad River, one of the longest battles of the war was fought and won by
American troops led by George Rogers Clark.
In the latter part of the 1800s, Dayton became a major center for manufacturing. In 1884,
John Patterson, established the National Cash Register Company, which would become a
cornerstone of the local economy while revolutionizing how workers were treated. Edward Deeds
and Kettering worked at NCR before founding the Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company, of
DELCO.
Around the same time, the Wright Brother founded the Wright Airplane Co., which would
eventually become Inland, and DELCO and Inland would later be sold to General Motors. Wright-
Patterson Air Force Base would grow into its present-day importance from humble beginnings at
Huffman Prairie.
Throughout the years, the strong entrepreneur spirit of the people of the Miami Valley have
continued to create on success story after another.
But the best story, and the most exciting, is the one that will be written next. As the region
heads toward the next century, the Miami Valley is posed once again to make history.
Sample email from last oDesk job:
Dennis Predovnik via oDesk: New message: Hours increased
Hi Richard, thanks, another excellent article. I'll try and upload tonight, let me know if you spot any corrections etc.. good thinking
with the end bit (I like the idea), I'll add that too and see how we go..

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