K12 Gallery and Tejas

The K12 Gallery and Teen Educational and Joint Adult Studio (TEJAS) located at 341 S Jefferson Street is a visual arts center inspiring people of all ages to create art in an encouraging environment. There are over 400 on-site art classes and exhibitions and over 1000 off site classes at 15 urban locations. The center was created in 1993 by teacher Jerri Stanard. Through her dedication to engaging people through arts, she has turned the non-profit into the leader for visual arts in the Dayton area.

One avenue of community engagement is introducing the healing power of arts to low-income students, youth on probation, adults with disabilities, and survivors of domestic violence. K12 Gallery & TEJAS continues to organize public art projects to further reach the community.

For information on art classes at K12 & TEJAS, please visit their website at: https://k12tejasgallery.org

Upcoming Sara Kaushal Author Events

More events are likely to be added, but here is the current list of events where you can meet Sara, hear about her books, and buy a few!

  • Murder & Mayhem in Dayton and the Miami Valley Book Talk
    August 29, 10 AM, Charles Lathrem Senior Center in Kettering
  • Dayton Ghosts & Legends Book Talk
    September 24, 6 pm, Jamestown Library
  • Spooky Presentation
    October 3, 330, Brookville Library
  • Huber Haunts Truck or Treat
    October 6, 1-4, Thomas Cloud Park
  • Urban Legends Presentation
    October 10, 11 AM, Vandalia Senior Center
  • Fairborn Halloween Festival
    October 11-13
  • Dayton Ghosts & Legends Book Talk
    October 15, 7 pm Centerville Washington Township RecPlex
  • Urban Legends Presentation
    October 19, noon, Dayton Metro Library Downtown
  • Dayton Ghosts & Legends Book Talk
    October 23, 2 pm, St Leonard’s Community
  • Urban Legends Presentation
    October 28, 6 pm Northmont Library

Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams Earley

Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams Earley has received some recognition recently. The Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams Earley Women’s Clinic was dedicated at the Dayton VA Campus on June 12. This will be her second namesake honor. On April 27, 2023, Fort Lee in Virginia was officially renamed Fort Gregg-Adams in honor of Lt. Gen. Arthur Gregg and Lt. Col. Charity Adams.

Charity Edna Adams was born in Kitrell, North Carolina in 1918. Her father was a minister, and her mother was a former teacher. When she was a young girl, her family moved to South Carolina, which she later considered home.

Charity was intellectually gifted and started school in second grade. By the end of elementary school, she was tested and scored ready to start high school. Her parents decided not to advance her any more grades since she was already a few grades ahead of her age group in school. Charity graduated school two years early as valedictorian. At Wilberforce College, Charity majored in Latin, Math, and Physics. She held a part-time job and was involved in many student activities before she graduated in 1938.

During WWII, Charity was the first African American female officer in the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC, later called WAC). She led the 3rd Training Regiment, made up of two white and one black platoon. At Fort Des Moines, she was promoted to Major, which made her the highest-ranking female officer at the fort and one of the highest-ranking WAC officers in the country. She then deployed to Europe and led the first Black WAC unit to serve overseas. For her work in Europe, Charity was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, the highest possible rank for WAC.
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More Upcoming Events

This summer is shaping up to be a summer of fun with so many events happening!

  • What: Passport to MetroParks
    Date: May 24 (tonight!!)
    Time: 6-9 PM
    Where: 237 E Monument Ave, Dayton
    Description: A preview of events taking place at each MetroPark this summer. There will be live music, food trucks, and park rangers. Representatives from upcoming festivals will be there to detail their upcoming festivals.
  • What: Cheese Fest
    Date: May 25
    Time: 3-10 pm
    Where: Austin Landing, 10400 Innovation Drive, Miamisburg
  • What: Kettering Block Party
    Date: May 29
    Time: 6-8 PM
    Where: Fraze Pavilion, 695 Lincoln Park Blvd, Kettering
  • What: Halfway to Hauntfest
    Date: May 31
    Time: 9 pm to 2 am
    Where: NextDoor Bar, 454 E Fifth Street, Dayton; Oregon District
    Description: To celebrate the halfway mark to Halloween and reveal the theme for this year’s Oregon District Halloween festival. 21 and over
  • What: Dayton Pride
    Dates: May 31-June 1
    Times: 6pm-10 pm May 31
    11am-4pm June 1
    Where: Greater Dayton LGBT Center, 136 North Main Street, Dayton
  • What: Troy Strawberry Festival
    Dates: June 1-2
    Times: 10 am to 9 pm June 1
    10 am to 6 pm June 2
    Where: Downtown Troy
  • What: St. Christopher Festival
    Date: June 7-9
    Where: St. Christopher Catholic Church, 425 East National Road, Vandalia
  • What: St Helen Spring Festival
    Date: June 7-9
    Where: St. Helen Private Elementary, 5086 Burkhardt Road
  • What: Jewish Cultural Festival
    Date: June 9
    Time: 11 am to 7 pm
    Where: Temple Israel, 130 Riverside, Dayton
  • What: Versailles Poultry Days
    Date: June 14-16
    Where: 459 South Center St, Versailles
  • What: Celtic Fest Ohio
    Date: June 15
    Time: 11am-10pm
    Where: Renaissance Park, 10542 E Ohio 73, Waynesville
  • What: Pride Art Show
    Date: June 21
    Time: 5 PM
    Where: Secret Chamber of Oddities and Artwork 17 West Main Street, Fairborn

Sara’s Ghost Tours

Teaming up with the Downtown Dayton Partnership, Sara is hosting two walking tours in downtown Dayton to highlight some haunted buildings! The tour will be approximately one mile and last for one hour.

When: May 11th at 2 and 4pm
To register for this event, visit this link

Ghost Tour

Officer McCain to Detective McCain

Beavercreek Police department has the first female detective in their history. According to Police Chief Jeff Fiorita, “Officer McCain has consistently demonstrated exceptional professionalism and dedication throughout her career. Her assignment to detective is a testament to her exemplary service to the Beavercreek community and leadership qualities. We are proud to have her as the first female detective in our department’s history.

Casey McCain obtained her Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission certification in November 2015 from Clark State. She started her career as a dispatcher at the Champaign County Communications Center from 2013 to 2016. She then went on to serve the city of Urbana in 2016, where she remained until 2022. She moved to Beavercreek Police in February 2022, as one of ten female officers sworn in to their roster of fifty, the highest number of women in Beavercreek Police history.

Other Daytons (Part 2)

Here is more information about the other Daytons in the US! We covered the first half in Other Daytons Part 1.

  1. Dayton, Nevada – the second-oldest settlement in Nevada and home to the oldest hotel in Nevada, and once a hotspot for gold miners. Named for a local surveyor, John Day in 1861.
  2. Dayton, Newark, New Jersey – a neighborhood in Newark, named after Jonathan Dayton.</
  3. Dayton, New Jersey – an unincorporated community in South Brunswick. Originally known as Cross Roads but was renamed to Dayton in 1866, but it is unclear if it is named for William L. Dayton or Jonathan Dayton.
  4. Dayton, New York – founded around 1810 when settlers arrived and mistakenly thought they were in Chautauqua County (but they were in Cattaraugus County). Formed from the town Perrysburg.
  5. Dayton, Oregon – founded in 1850 by Joel Palmer and Andrew Smith, a native of Dayton, Ohio.
  6. Dayton, Pennsylvania – a small borough in Armstrong County. Population as of the 2020 census was 549 people.
  7. Dayton, Tennessee – Settled around 1820 and was named Smith’s Crossroads. Renamed to Dayton in 1877, after Dayton, Ohio. Was also the site of the 1925 Scopes Trial that decided if evolution should be taught in public schools.
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Mz Jade’s Soul Food becomes Local Hero in One Fell Scoop

When Donovan Elementary School in Lebanon made this Facebook announcement:

“…A Student must have money on their account to purchase an ice cream. If a student has a negative balance they will not be able to purchase ice cream even if they bring their $1 for ice cream. Students are only allowed to purchase 1 ice cream and are not permitted to buy an ice cream for a friend…”

Naturally, the public was outraged. Children who have issues paying their lunch bill are singled out and have to watch their peers eat ice cream without them.

Mz Jade’s Soul Food in Middletown wasn’t going to let this happen. As soon as she saw the post, she called the school asking if she could pay the balance. Not only did she pay the balance, but she paid for all the children to eat ice cream on the first Ice Cream Friday.

Community support is so important, so let’s give Mz Jade’s Soul Food some support too! They are located at 1131 Central Ave, Middletown, OH 45044. Check them out on Facebook to see specials, hours, and menu options.