Let Your Light Shine Again

Deer In Headlines II

By Gery Deer

Insecurity affects people in different ways, from a simple annoyance to debilitating anxiety. It can be especially jarring when you were just there, doing your thing, and then, out of the blue, something rocks your confidence. Insecurity generally occurs when we compare ourselves to others, giving in to the ridiculous and constantly varying standards set by society.

The 1942 children’s book, “The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge,” by Hildegarde H. Swift and Lynd Ward, has been an inspiration to children around the world. Myself included. I learned to read very early because of this book but, for me, its influence was far more literacy. The story itself, one of self-worth and perseverance, was also something to which I gravitated.

“The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge,” is a simple story about a real lighthouse that sits on the banks of the Hudson River in New York City. As described in the book, “It was round and fat and red. It was fat and red and jolly. And it was very, very proud.”

Anthropomorphized in the story, the Lighthouse’s self-confidence stemmed from its own sense of importance in keeping boats safe along the river. Every night it flashed – one second on, two seconds off, with a big fog bell outside that clanged, “warning,” during bad weather.

The Lighthouse was originally built in 1889 as the North Hook Beacon, in Sandy Hook, New Jersey. In 1917, the lighthouse was shut down, but it wasn’t quite finished working yet. Four years later, it was moved to its current location in Manhattan’s North Washington Park in an effort to improve navigational support along the river.

Early in 1927, however, work began on the great span of the George Washington Bridge, directly behind the Lighthouse. By 1948 it was felt the bridge lighting overcast any need for the smaller light on the river and The Little Red Lighthouse was extinguished – seemingly forever.

Paralleled in the story, when the Lighthouse saw the large beam of light from atop the tower of the Great Gray Bridge, it was left feeling small, insignificant, and unimportant. At the same time, something had delayed the man who came every night to turn on the light. The Lighthouse felt abandoned and no longer needed.

Later, as a terrible storm came in, the Bridge called down, “Little Brother, where is your light?” The Bridge explained its duty to the ships of the air, but the Lighthouse was still important to safeguard the boats. Eventually, the caretaker arrived and turned on the gas, allowing the Lighthouse’s beam to shine brightly once more.

In reality, the Lighthouse was slated for demolition. But, in 1951, thanks to the popularity of the children’s book, an unprecedented public outcry to preserve The Little Red Lighthouse led the U.S. Coast Guard to deed it to the New York Department of Parks and Recreation. Nearly three decades later, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places and eventually designated a protected landmark of New York City.

Now safe in the shadow of the Bridge, the Lighthouse story’s simple message of self-worth was one that has resonated with people for more than 70 years. We all need it to feel relevant and valued but anyone can suffer from insecurity at some point. 

Like the Lighthouse, any of us can be unsure of our place in the world, comparing ourselves to those around us who seem bigger and better. Feeling irrelevant can be devastating.

That feeling, caused or fueled by deeply-rooted insecurity can sabotage the confidence of even the most self-assured person. And, sometimes we need a “Big Brother,” like the Bridge, or someone else we admire or respect to hold a mirror up for us so we can see our real value. That’s something my own Big Brother has done since I was very small, and, even as an adult, I still turn to him sometimes for that reassurance.

No matter how insignificant we may feel sometimes we all have something to offer. Just remember the courage of “The Little Red Lighthouse,” look for that one spark of inspiration, and, as the Bridge said to the Lighthouse, “let your light shine again.”

Fear not the techno-babble

Deer In Headlines II

By Gery Deer

“Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun. Orbiting this at a distance of roughly ninety-two million miles is an utterly insignificant little blue-green planet whose ape-descended life forms are so amazingly primitive that they still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea.”

That’s how British writer, Douglas Adams, described us in 1979 at the opening of his book, “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.” Adams, who was an avid fan of technology, observed quite correctly that Humans, as a species, are pretty proud of their technological advancement, and can’t wait to define themselves by it.

Learning to get the most out of it, however, was another issue entirely. Even more challenging, if you happen to be one of those who choose the simple life of the Luddite, you could be left in the flotsam and jetsam of a digital tsunami.

Regardless of your generation, X, Y, Z, or PDQ, sometimes all this techno-babble can just make you feel … stupid. To start with, there’s the word – technology. It conjures visions of computer screens, smartwatches, and self-driving cars. But when “Hitchhikers” was published, most of that stuff was science fiction. Back then, a typewriter was still the prominent piece of office tech and the hottest new home entertainment was the video cassette recorder (VCR) – and none of us could set the clock.

I remember it well. There it was, that flashing, digital “12:00” that teased and mocked us from our easy chairs, daring only the bravest of the tech-savvy to make it do anything else. Little did we know that those four blinking LCD characters were the innocuous vanguard of a technological invasion soon to consume every first-world ape-descendent in the whole of this little blue-green planet. It would happen fast and in ways that no one could have ever anticipated. Resistance would be futile, even though some still try.

I don’t get why people struggle with technology – not so much its use, but the very idea of it. I used to think it was generational. But some people just refuse, age, education, and intelligence notwithstanding. Admittedly, I come at this from a unique perspective.

Even though I grew up a farm boy, I was always fascinated by advancing technology. I had one of the aforementioned digital watches and even taught myself programming on a Commodore VIC 20 home computer when I was 12. I went to college in engineering and computer science and worked in those fields in my early professional career.

For me, just like a hammer is for a carpenter, a smartphone or tablet computer is just another tool. They provide me with information and help me manage my personal and professional life.

As I get older, I understand how people can be resistant to change. But I’m not wired that way, at least where technology is concerned, I am constantly learning. I have an interest in science, technology, engineering, astronomy, all of it, so adjusting comes pretty easily to me.

Technology also improves medical care, public safety, and education for our kids. We have a responsibility to make it work for us, to apply those technologies that improve our lives, not take them over.

Like the first caveman who used a stick as a tool, eventually, most of us adapt to the tech that we’re forced to use. If you had a VCR and bore any hope of actually using the machine’s most sellable feature, recording TV shows we weren’t home to see, you learned to set the clock.

But it all might just be too much for some people, and, oddly, I kind of get it. Technophobia and digital fatigue are genuine problems, albethey somewhat self-induced. Keep in mind you don’t need every new high-tech gadget just because it’s popular.

To the tech-obsessed, I have one thing to tell you. Your Apple Watch might be cool, but it doesn’t have the answer to life the universe, and everything, so calm down. And, my old analog Timex may not have Bluetooth, but it actually shows the time, unlike the clock on my VCR – which is still flashing twelve.

One Moment, Please.

Deer In Headlines

By Gery L. Deer

It’s been said that times change, but moments don’t. The Cambridge Dictionary defines a moment as an indefinitely short period of time or particular occasion. In life, a moment generally represents an instant we can’t get back, one that we either cherish or regret, depending on its personal significance. Together, the moments we experience weave an intricate tapestry of our past, a delicate collage unique to each of us.

A single moment in life can challenge us forever, define us in completely new terms, open doors, or close the path to opportunities. It can be simultaneously life-changing and heartbreaking, glorious yet gut-wrenching.

We usually take those moments for granted, even when we should be paying more attention. Sadly, we are rarely given advance notice of the importance of any given moment. When a moment in life truly changes us and alters our perception, it’s usually either joyful or tragic, forever burned into our memory and our psyche.

Young children may be the luckiest of us because they live in the moment, constantly meeting the world with new wonder. Even if they don’t appreciate its significance, they experience every minute, the “now,” with unaware abandon. Unfortunately, maturity sometimes robs us of that wonder, replacing it instead with the day-to-day problems of life.

Wouldn’t it be great, though, if we could manage to slow time a bit, live more in the moment like kids, and better recognize the meaning and noteworthiness of one instant? As adults, the trick is first to recover the childlike vision that may have faded. Then we have to learn how to recognize the significance of a mere instant in the whole of our lives.

As they whiz past, like blurry telephone poles along the highway, recognition becomes increasingly difficult. But, while trying to capture the most important moments, we may completely miss them because we’re too busy trying to get a video of it on our mobile devices.

This big, bright, world is presented live, in 3-D, and high definition. Still, we stare through artificial eyes at a 3-inch screen in awe of the events unfolding before us. Unfortunately, while we’re trying to capture a digital memory, we’re missing the nuance of the moment. Genuinely seminal moments deserve our full attention.

It reminds me of people who are constantly snapping pictures during a fireworks display or their child’s school play. I get wanting a quick photo or video clip. But holding the phone up the entire time to watch through a screen minimizes the importance of the moment. Personally, if I’m there, I want to experience and appreciate what’s going on right in front of me.

With all their attention focused on some gadget, they miss the “IRL” visuals, the sounds, the reactions of those around them, and, most importantly, the company. These are meaningful, shared moments that will never come again. By the way, if you’re not up on your text-speak, IRL means “In Real Life.”

Staying in the present can be hard, no matter what we’re doing. A moment cannot be measured on a stopwatch or added as a calendar event. It’s here, you’re in it, then it’s gone, all at once. It’s up to each one of us to determine what it means, hopefully during but, at least after we have experienced it. We all have our own values system for guidance.

So the question remains, how do we create more mindful awareness in our daily lives? How do we appreciate those life-altering moments as they happen? I suppose I could just spout the same stuff you’d find if you Google all the self-help gurus. They’re going to say to do things like slow down, meditate, eat healthier, exercise, take in nature, put away your technology, and so on. There is certainly a place for all that. We should probably be doing all those things anyway.

Instead, I will only say this, paraphrasing one of the prolific producer Norman Lear’s television theme songs. “This is it, this is life, the one you get, so go and have a ball.” And it’s fine to snap a photo, but remember to be in the moment. Be present, put away all the tech, and experience life – IRL.

The Fork in the Road

Deer In Headlines II

By Gery Deer

It’s been said, probably so often as to be cliche, that life is a journey. In my opinion, it’s one with no map and very little direction. Almost from the moment we’re born, when other human beings are making decisions for us, our path is dictated by a series of directional cues. We are constantly confronted with forks in the road, a seemingly endless succession of them. We encounter one after another, each outcome depending on whether we turn left, right, or stay the course. 

With every decision comes an alternate reality, like you’re in a plot-your-own adventure story or the biological component of some if-then-else loop in a logic program. How you proceed is determined by the results of the choices you’ve made. Too bad there isn’t some kind of warning when we go the wrong way, like that irritating buzzer when you touch the sides in a game of Operation. I never could get the funny bone out!

Sometimes figuring out how to make those choices can be pretty fuzzy. That’s especially true when your life is filled with obstacles almost from the moment you leave your mother’s womb. That’s how it was for me. 

I rarely discuss this, but I was born with a long list of birth defects, ranging from hip and pelvic issues to major organ complications. I no sooner hit the air than I was suddenly popped into an isolation crib and studied like a bug in a jar, it even had air holes in it! 

When those forks in the road have “No Outlet” signs on pretty much every option, your previously endless choices are quickly reduced to none. My parents were faced with exactly that situation. They were told from the beginning to be prepared for a long fight. Every decision determined the path of my treatment, some successful, some not so much. Everything about my situation was new, experimental, and risky. 

Young Gery Deer, 1967, in an isolation crib at Grandview Hospital.

I remember my Dad telling me a story about the doctor coming out to see him after I had been moved to a children’s hospital and examined more thoroughly. At the onset, the prognosis was uncertain, to say the least. 

Dad was sitting alone in the waiting room and my mother was still at the hospital across town where I’d been born. Although the overall birth was routine, given my issues, they wanted to keep her there longer. So there he was, my Dad, a strong, hard-working man who hadn’t made a decision without my mother since he was 18 years old, now alone, scared, and exhausted. 

The doctor appeared from the exam area and sat down next to my father to explain the situation as clearly and thoroughly as he could. All estimates were that I wouldn’t walk, I would have lifelong physical and possibly mental debilitation, and, because of the likelihood of infection and limited treatment options, they shouldn’t expect me to survive beyond the age of 5.

Visibly shaken, Dad must have looked like his world was caving in around him. The doctor put a hand on his shoulder and said, plainly, “How much faith do you have?” My father’s response was true to his character – “How much do I need?” Put more simply, what Dad said was, “Let’s do this!”

That was the path Dad and Mom chose, the road they headed down. For them, there was no other choice and they didn’t go tentatively but with the gas pedal on the floor and in high gear. As predicted, it was a long fight, and there were countless surgeries and procedures into my twenties, one experiment after another. But, as you can see, I made it past age 5, by a half-century, actually. 

And I’m here and able to share this story because my parents made choices in extraordinary circumstances of a kind I can’t even fathom but for which I will be forever grateful. Before my parents died, I had to make very similar kinds of life-changing decisions for their care as they had made for me. The moral of all of this story is that your journey isn’t complete and the only one who can really choose the correct path for you is you!

Beavercreek Chamber of Commerce Announces 2022 Annual Award Winners.

Beavercreek Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting and Awards was held on November 17, at Mills Park Hotel in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Chamber CEO Wendy Rodgers, opened the event by reflecting on the success of the past year and recognized valuable community partners, expressing the organization’s vision moving forward into 2023.   

“We have some amazing members in our chamber and the award selection was a challenge this year,” Rodgers said. “I’m grateful for the support and participation of all of our award winners and we hope recognition will encourage more participation in the chamber and the business community we serve.” 

The Annual Award Winners for 2022 are as follows: 

(Pictured left to right)

Chamber Volunteer of the Year – Jessica Miller, TrueNorth Global Training Institute 
Awarded to an individual who is active and engaged with the Beavercreek Chamber of Commerce. A member who has performed exemplary acts to promote the mission of the chamber throughout the year. 

Chamber Young Professional of the Year – Matt Peck, Atomi Financial 
Awarded to a member in good standing, between the ages of 21 and 40. One who is active and engaged with the Beavercreek Chamber, looking to strengthen and enhance their leadership abilities. 

Outstanding Chamber Business of the Year – Back to Business I.T. 
An active and engaged member of the Beavercreek Chamber of Commerce, located in Beavercreek as well as positively impacted the Beavercreek business community. 

Gussie Jones Civic Award – Beaver Creek Wetlands Association 
Awarded to an individual or organization having performed outstanding service for the betterment of the Beavercreek Community.  Must possess characteristics including honesty, sincerity, and integrity.  

Military Award (In Memory of Ret. Col. Len Holihan) – Ret. Col. Rafi Rodriguez, Rodriguez Financial 
Awarded to an individual or organization, also a member of the Beavercreek Chamber who has enhanced the relationship between the Beavercreek Community and the military.  

E.G. Shaw Lifetime Achievement Award – Don Adams (not pictured)
Awarded to an individual who has exemplified the character and memory of E.G. Shaw: service to others, characteristics including honesty, sincerity, and integrity. One who has performed outstanding service for the betterment of the Beavercreek Community. 

The event also featured the premier presentation of the Beavercreek Chamber’s first Business Development Grant, funded in part by BCC Annual Gold Sponsor, Back To Business IT. “The purpose of the grant is to provide business capital and promote growth through increased capacity, the addition of a new venture, or to fund other expansion,” Rodgers said. “We hope to increase the amount of the grant and support more local companies each year.” 

The first recipient of the Beavercreek Chamber of Commerce Business Development Grant is Patrick Stilwell for his company, 937 Home Inspection. Stilwell applied for the grant to purchase the necessary training and equipment to conduct radon gas measurements with his current home inspections.  This grant will allow him to be able to begin this process, increasing his profit per inspection by just over 24 percent.  Additionally, the funds will allow the company to serve clients more comprehensively, retain more revenue within the City of Beavercreek, and create a safer community by detecting this harmful gas sooner for residents. 

BCC GRANT AWARD 2022 WINNER – Patrick Stilwell, 937 Home Inspection

Rodgers also officially announced the promotion of Operations Manager Chris McClure to Vice President in recognition of his dedication and service since taking the job in 2021. “Chris is my right hand,” Rodgers said. “I don’t think we would be where we are today without his hard work, and the promotion is well deserved.” 

For more information on the annual awards, and the Business Development Grant, or to join the Beavercreek Chamber of Commerce, go online to www.beavercreekchamber.org. 
 

Memorial Day Weekend Century Ride in Dayton to Support Wounded Warriors

Dayton, Ohio – April 12, 2021 – On Memorial Day Weekend, avid cyclists and casual riders alike are invited to participate in the Dayton Century Ride, a 50 and 100-mile bike ride to support the Wounded Warrior Project. This is the second year for the event and there is no cost to participate, however organizers are hopeful participants will encourage family and friends to sponsor their ride and donate to the Wounded Warrior Project campaign. https://communityfundraising.woundedwarriorproject.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.personalCampaign&participantID=3976

The event begins at 8am on Sunday, May 30, 2021 – Starting point will be at the Creekside Trail near the intersection of Springfield St and N Smithville Rd. Participants will follow the Creekside Trail to Xenia where it meets up with the Little Miami Scenic Trail.

Riders will continue south to Cartridge Brewing, located right on the bike trail and a perfect 50 miles, one way. Participants can either have friends and family pick them up at Cartridge Brewing after a well-earned rest around noon or head back north to complete the full 100-mile century ride.

“The first ride was completed in 2020 by a few Air Force officers while stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB,” explained Mark Adams, one of the event organizers. “We hope to make the ride a staple event of the Dayton area, growing in number and impact as the ride becomes better known. We hope you join us on this great ride for a great cause!”

All proceeds support life-changing programs that empower, employ, and engage America’s injured Veterans. Thanks to the generosity of those who donate, warriors and their families never pay a cent for these services.

For more information, please call Mark Adams at 815-307-5004, or email mark.adams@alumni.purdue.edu.

Starting Point:

Midpoint for Century or Endpoint for 50 …

Former Greene County agriculture teacher, trucker, Gary Deer, Sr., dead at 87

Gary Deer Sr., of Jamestown, Ohio, passed away July 1st at the age of 87. Gary is pictured here with younger son Gery and their 1967 International 1600 show truck at the 2019 Caesar’s Ford Summerfest. Photo Courtesy Greene County Parks & Recreation.

Some people are farmers or mechanics. Others are truckers or teachers. Still more are welders and masons. Gary Deer, Sr., of Jamestown, Ohio, was all of those things – and more. Born and raised at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in the tiny village of Hanging Rock, Ohio, he came north in 1951 with his wife Lois in search of a better life. Gary passed away on July 1, 2020, at the age of 87 after a long battle with complications from Parkinson’s disease. This story, though, isn’t about how he died, but how he lived. 

When he first came to Dayton, Gary got a job at AT&T but went on to work nearly 20 years as a machinist with NCR. Gary and Lois raised two children, Gary, Jr., and Cathy, in Fairborn, before settling in 1977 on a small farm outside Jamestown where their younger son, Gery, grew up.

Gary was the original master of the “side hustle,” as it’s known today, making a lifelong career of creatively applying his skills and talents to support his family. Over the years, he hauled scrap iron, worked on cars, drove trucks, and poured concrete. 

In the late 1960s, Gary became a teacher of vocational agriculture and heavy equipment mechanics at the Greene County Joint Vocational School (now the Greene County Career Center). The position included advising students in the Future Farmers of America (FFA) and his teaching style and fatherly image created a fierce loyalty and respect from them, many of whom became lifelong family friends. 

But to many, he may be best known as the “Sawdust Man,” because he started hauling sawdust in 1961 under the name “Gary Deer & Son,” updated to “Sons” when Gery came along. The business is still operated today by Gary, Jr., and supplies sawdust for bedding to some of the most prominent stables and dairies in the area, including Young’s Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs, Ohio.

Gary never forgot what it was like to grow up with nothing. He and his family always worked to help others, sponsoring families at Christmas, giving to various charities, and helping out those around them however they could. (Read the story about the Deer family’s Christmas philanthropy, now free from Amazon Kindle – “A Special Place at a Special Time” by Gery Deer)

His family kept him as active as possible in his later years, hanging out with the family band, The Brothers & Co., or attending car shows with their 1967 International show truck. He was a weekly regular at the Antioch Wellness Center where he continued his physical therapy to help maintain his strength and mobility as his Parkinson’s advanced.

“We should all try to remember how those we’ve lost stay with us; not from “things” they leave behind, but in how they made us who we are, like a tapestry of life experiences,” younger son, Gery, shared. “Dad taught me self-reliance but more than that, he will be with me every time I feel like giving up – because he never did. He showed me, by example, how to use every skill and talent I have to provide for myself and my family.”

“When I look back later at what I’ve written and documented through photos and videos about my time looking after him, I want to be reminded of what mattered most. Not how he died, but how he lived. He was never perfect, but he was always there. And I guess, in my own way, he always will be. But our lives will never be the same without him. We’ll see you on the flip-side, ‘Sawdust Man.’”

Gary’s wife of 60 years, Lois, passed away in 2011 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He is survived by his three children, Gary Deer, Jr. (67), Cathy Wolf (64), and Gery Deer (52), all from the Jamestown area, and their respective spouses, Diana, Robert, and Barbara. He also leaves behind a sister, Yvonne Kay Hughes (84) of Ironton, Ohio, 5 grandchildren – Melissa Van Oss, Jessica Simmons, Jodi Castillo, Tiffany Knapp, and Henry Dill, (and their spouses), 7 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. 

SERVICES: Handled by Powers-Kell Funeral Home (WEBSITE/OBIT) Tuesday, July 7, 2020 – Public Graveside – Woodlawn Cemetery in Bowersville, Ohio.  – Viewing/Visitation 10AM / Service Starts 11AM. Followed by a Celebration Open House at Gery Deer’s home, 3604 N Lakeshore Dr., Jamestown, Ohio 45335. Call 937-675-6169 for information.

For those wishing to pay their respects from a distance, in lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in his name to the Parkinson’s Foundation or the Greene County Council on Aging. 

The Deer family would also like to thank the following people as well as countless others for their contributions during Gary’s illness and care: Julie Barth, Debra Bays, Ed Jones, Robert Wolf, Rob Simmons, Lynn Martin, Bette Byerly, Misty Myers, New Jasper Township Fire & Rescue, and Dr. Courtney Stroble. 

Check out our photo gallery of Gary from over the years.

Gary Deer attends a Parkinson’s boxing class with Gery at Drake’s Gym in Dayton, OH in 2019.

Melissa Van Oss, Gary Deer Sr., and Jodi Casillo in 2019

Gary Deer. Sr, with younger son Gery and aunt Margaret Daniel, around 1970, Franklin Furnace, Ohio

Gary Sr. (right) around 1969, Fairborn, Ohio.

Gary Sr., and sister-in-law Regina Marshal on his Harley around 1960

Gery, Gary, Sr., and Gary’s sister, Yvonne K Hughes, 2019, Ironton, Ohio

Gary, Sr. waits for the start of the Jamestown Bean Festival Parade in 2017

Lois Deer, Gery Deer, and Gary Sr., around 1981

The Deer Family as it was around in 1977

Gary, Sr., stands with some of the antiques he and Lois collected around 1968.

Gary, Sr., with Gery, Barbara, Julie Barth and Evan Barth at Carillon Park in 2018

The Deer Family in 1968

Lois and Gary Deer in 2010. Jamestown, Ohio

Gary, Sr., and Gery at a Dayton Dragons Baseball Game, 2017.

The Brothers & Co. with Gary Deer Sr. and their late mother Lois Deer at the Wheeling Jamboree Radio Show, 2010

Gary, Sr. with the entire extended Deer family of children, grand children and great-grandchildren, 2019, Bowersville, Ohio

Jamestown Advertising & PR Firm To Discontinue IT Support Services June 1

JAMESTOWN, OH – May 21, 2020 – GLD Enterprises Communications, Ltd., a 22-year-old advertising and public relations agency, based in Jamestown, Ohio, has announced it will discontinue the IT and technical support arm of the business as of June 1st of this year. Existing clients will be referred to local resources for continued service or provided with appropriate instructions for in-house technical staff to take over.

GLD Enterprises Communications, Ltd. merged with its sister company, Deer Computer Consulting, Ltd., in 2015 and continued to service existing tech support clients. Started in London, Ohio, in 1997, Deer Computer offered on-site support for computers and related technology, throughout southwest Ohio. Services ranged from hardware upgrades and software installations to tech consulting and networking support for small businesses. 

Once merged, GLD Enterprises Communications, Ltd. continued to offer a limited technology service under the parent flag but has moved further away from that to focus more on content marketing, video and audio production, and public relations.

“Deer Computer started as one of the first on-site, in-home technology support firms in this part of Ohio and it’s been a difficult choice to completely phase out that end of the business,” said the founder of both companies and CEO of GLD Enterprises Communications, Ltd., Gery L. Deer. 

“We have had some clients who were with us for nearly 20 years and we have always been grateful for their loyalty and confidence. It is our hope this move will allow us to continue to grow the creative production and content marketing side of our company in-part because of our deep technical experience.”

GLD Enterprises Communications, Ltd. technology clients can get more information on the change, by contacting their representative. Contact information is available on the company’s official website, http://www.gldenterprises.net.

Drive Merry, Bright, and Sober This Holiday Season. Remember: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving

XENIA, OH — This holiday season, the Greene County Safe Communities Coalition, part of Greene County Public Health is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to remind all drivers about the dangers of drinking and driving. We’ll be working together to remind everyone of the importance of planning a sober ride home before heading out to enjoy the holiday festivities and en route to seasonal travel destinations. This holiday season and every day remember: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.

“The holidays are a special time for every community, and it’s more important than ever for us to stress the importance of safe driving habits,” said Jillian Drew, Safe Communities Coordinator and Health Educator at Greene County Public Health. “We know everyone is rushing around, finishing those last-minute errands and attending various holiday parties. But before you ever head out to the festivities, make sure you plan a sober ride home, because driving drunk should never be an option. Help us spread the message: Even one drink is one drink too many. Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.

According to NHTSA, 37,133 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2017, and 29% (10,874) of those fatalities occurred in crashes during which a driver had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) over the legal limit of .08. In fact, 885 people lost their lives in traffic crashes involving a drunk driver during the month of December 2017 alone. The holidays prove to be extra dangerous to drivers, as more people — drivers and pedestrians alike — are out on the roads.

Drunk driving isn’t the only risk on the road: Drug-impaired driving is also an increasing problem, for men and for women alike. If drivers are impaired by any substance — alcohol or other drugs — they should not get behind the wheel of a vehicle. It is illegal in all states to drive impaired by alcohol or drugs.

Remember: Driving while impaired is illegal, period. The bottom line is this: If You Feel Different, You Drive Different. It’s that simple.
Drinking and driving should never be combined. It’s essential to plan a sober ride in advance if the holiday celebration will include alcohol. The alternative could change your life, not to mention the lives of your passengers, of pedestrians, or of other drivers and passengers nearby.

This holiday season, the Greene County Safe Communities Coalition, Greene County Public Health, and NHTSA urge drivers to designate a sober driver before heading out for the evening. If you plan on drinking, plan on not driving.

Party with a Plan
First and foremost: Plan ahead. Be honest with yourself: You know whether you’ll be drinking. If you
plan to drink, plan for a sober driver to take you home. Is it your turn to be the designated driver? Take that role seriously — your friends are relying on you.
• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic
beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home
safely.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, report them by calling 1-800-GRAB-DUI or *DUI when it
is safe to do so.
• Have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get
your friend home safely.
For more information about the Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving campaign, visit
https://www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov/get-materials/drunk-driving/buzzed-driving-drunkdriving/holiday-season.

For more information on the Greene County Safe Communities Coalition, call 937-374-5683 or email jdrew@gcph.info.
Greene County Public Health… Your Trusted Local Public Health Authority Since 1920

Jamestown Marketing Firm Produces Video Series Greene County Council On Aging

Free Legal Chat educational series went live in October and includes a podcast companion.

Xenia, Ohio November 6, 2019 — Jamestown-based marketing firm, GLD Enterprises Communications, Ltd., has produced a series of informational videos and companion podcasts for the Greene County Council On Aging. Titled, “GCCOA Legal Chat,” each program covers a common legal question affecting seniors and caregivers, ranging from wills and probate to guardianship. The videos are now available free of charge on the GCCOA’s YouTube channel and the audio programs can be found by searching for “Greene County Council on Aging” on most podcast streaming services such as Spotify and Stitcher. Direct Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCseUznkCiXQ_lUMgMQKN-xQ

GLD Enterprises Communications, Ltd. is a strategic, creative marketing agency founded in 1998 by Gery writer/entrepreneur Gery L. Deer. The firm provides everything from business consulting, public relations and branding to digital marketing, content creation and campaign implementation. The agency expanded in January of 2019 to include in-house audio and video production overseen by Julie Barth, who joined the firm at that time as Media Director.

“I’ve been a caregiver to both my parents over the last decade and I produced these programs with people like me in mind,” said Gery Deer, GLD Enterprises Communications, Ltd. Owner and Creative Director. “The Greene County Council on Aging does a wonderful job helping inform and educate seniors and caregivers and this series is just another in a long history of that commitment.”

The Greene County Council on Aging is a not-for-profit, county-wide organization that promotes independence and quality of life for Greene County senior citizens and caregivers. GCCOA was originally established in 1979 and is governed by a Board of Directors. The Council’s primary funding source is the 1.4 mil Senior Services Levy renewed in 2019.

GCCOA provides a broad range of services and programs, including the Partners in Care (PIC) care management program, the Kinship Navigator Program (for grandparents raising grandchildren and other individuals raising someone else’s child), educational and support programs for caregivers, a caregiver resource center, and service grants to area senior centers and other service providers.

Each video and podcast features GCCOA Benefits Coordinator, Susan Allen, speaking with Attorney Dave Cusack, of Cusack Law Offices in Beavercreek, Ohio. The series was designed to supplement the GCCOA’s live informational sessions to offer valuable the same information to those who are unable to attend in person.