Beverly Aikins transforms her life and inspires others on their path to recovery
BY KATIE SIMPSON
Breaking Barrıers Resilient Revıval
How two Butler Tech innovators are redefining tech and entrepreneurship
BY KATIE SIMPSON
Fall 2024 • Vol. 6, No. 4
INSIDE
Teacher Spotlight
Middletown High School
Biology teacher, Mark Miller
Healthy Middletown Breast Cancer Awareness
Student Spotlight
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18
Middletown Senior, Hunter Yarber
Middletown Events
Fall events around town
Breaking Barriers
Meet two Butler Tech innovators
Middletown History
Bright lights, little city
Resilient Revival
Beverly Aikins transforms her life 7 8 11 12 14 16 18
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PUBLISHER: One Pride Publishing, LLP
WRITERS: Kyle Boomershine, Shari Botts, Hannah Burney
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[ TEACHER SPOTLIGHT ]
Mark Miller
Hands-on learning grows in Middletown High’s agricultural science program
■ FROM APIARIES to grow beds, animals, ponds, and more, Mark Miller, a biological science teacher, has big plans for the students of Middletown High School.
After working as a scientist on short term research projects, Miller realized he wanted a change. He decided to pursue teaching while living in North Carolina and put in several years as a teacher there. A native Ohioan, Miller has now worked at Middletown High School for three years.
Miller prefers a non-traditional class structure that allows for project planning and hands-on experiences rather than focusing on notes and test taking. Everywhere he has taught he has brought the classroom outside through unique learning experiences such as gardens and apiaries. “I always enjoyed classes where I got to spend some time outside,” Miller said.
At Middletown High School, Miller has been able to expand those unique learning experiences into a class he created called Agricultural Science. This class gets students learning through an array of outdoor agricultural projects.
Early in the semester, students work to design their projects. During class time, they might check on their gardens and do weeding or fertilizing, build something for a project — such as rabbit hutches — tend to the compost, or care for the ponds. Miller says his class is loosely governed and students take the lead in getting work done.
Grow beds are a big project for the class, and students have grown crops
BY HANNAH BURNEY
“With this subject matter, you can literally do anything. The sky’s the limit really. I just want to keep adding new and different things.”
such as broccoli, lettuce, carrots, and celery. They were even able to harvest and sell tomatoes as a fundraiser to put back into class projects.
Miller believes students learn valuable life lessons and skills through his class. With more freedom in structure, students are able to take initiative and be themselves more. “I was surprised how students who maybe don’t have experience with this kind of thing can get interested and involved in it,” he said. “They can be really interested in that kind of stuff.”
The school has been supportive. It was leadership at the school that
originally approved the class and did the initial funding for some of the supplies that are still in use today. Students also enjoy the class. Hunter Yarber, a senior, says there is always something different to do each day and attributes that largely to Miller and the environment he has created. “He makes me actually want to show up at school and come to class,” Yarber said.
The future is full of more plans and opportunities for the students of agricultural science. This year, students will make pickles, cheese, and butter in class. Miller is also hoping to start more livestock projects, and has plans for adding rabbits, quail, and chickens. Long term, if the funding and resources are available, he would like to expand to add barns and do larger scale cultivation. “With this subject matter, you can literally do anything,” Miller said. “The skies the limit really. I just want to keep adding new and different things.”
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS
How mammograms and community efforts are saving lives BY
■ OCTOBER IS HERE! For many that means pumpkin spice, football, and bonfires. To women over 40, it is a reminder to get that mammogram!
One in eight women in the United States will receive a breast cancer diagnosis in her lifetime, so chances are that you, or a woman you know and love, have been touched by breast cancer. This year, an estimated 320,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed, and there are over 4 million women currently living with breast cancer. The survival rate is improving; when identified in the early stages, the 5-year survival rate is 99 percent and the 10-year survival rate is 84 percent. This improved survival rate is attributed to awareness, early detection and ongoing advances in treatment. While men can get breast cancer, our focus in this article will be female breast cancer as women are about 100 times more likely develop breast cancer.
RISK FACTORS
Genetic risk factors for developing breast cancer include:
• First-degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) with breast cancer. These women are nearly twice as likely to develop breast cancer.
• Older age. Older women are at increased risk.
• Race. White women are at higher risk to develop breast cancer, while black women are at higher risk to develop more aggressive breast cancers at a younger age and are more likely to die.
• BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. Women with mutations in these genes are at increased risk.
SHARI BOTTS, BSN, RN, CPHQ, C-ONQS, CIC
• Dense breast tissue. Women with dense breast tissue are at increased risk. The FDA now requires all breast centers to disclose to women when their mammogram indicates dense breast tissue.
REDUCING RISK
While we cannot change genetic risks, there are lifestyle changes that can help to lower the risk of developing breast cancer:
• Stay physically active. Regular exercise lowers risk.
• Eat a healthy diet. Eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, limiting processed foods and avoiding saturated and trans fats lowers risk.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Obesity increases the risk.
• Avoid or limit alcohol. Women drinking 2–3 alcoholic drinks per day are at higher risk than women who do not drink alcohol.
• Breastfeed babies. Breastfeeding lowers risk.
• Quit smoking.
RISK CALCULATOR
An online Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool (BCRAT) is available from the National Cancer Institute. For more information: bcrisktool.cancer.gov
Breast Cancer Screening Saves Lives Early detection is key, and the primary
screening method for breast cancer is mammography. Mammography has come a long way since first becoming an accepted technology in the 1960s and an official recommendation by the American Cancer Society (ACS) in 1976. Today, we have 3D technology which detects cancer an average 15 months earlier and finds about 50 percent more invasive cancers. Breast ultrasounds and MRIs are also available for higher risk women or to further examine suspicious findings on mammography.
Organizations such as the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and the ACS make recommendations for mammography screening. The USPSTF recommends women get screened every other year starting at age 40 through age 74. The ACS recommends women begin annual mammograms at age 40–44 and continue through age 54; women 55 and older can choose to switch to every other year and should continue as long as they are in good health and expected to live at least 10 more years.
It is important to note that these are recommendations for women at average risk; there should always be shared decision making between a woman and her healthcare provider based on a review of her individual risks and benefits.
BOOBIE BASH
Back in the summer, I noticed some photos being shared on facebook of a couple of my friends who were participating in a “Boobie Bash,” a sisterhood of women who were getting together for their mammograms. I had to know more, so I reached out to friends Cathy Blevins and Kathy Christen who connected me with the creator, Jennifer Wilson. Jennifer’s best friend from high school was diagnosed with breast cancer when
she was just 30-years-old (there was a history of breast cancer in her family). At the time of her diagnosis, she insisted that all her girlfriends also get screened. Jennifer gathered a small group of friends to get their mammograms together. That was over 20 years ago.
Eventually, friend and owner of Jimmy’s Limousine began donating a limousine to take the girls down to the ProScan Pink Ribbon Center on Red Bank Road. After the mammograms, they would return to Jennifer’s and have a party! By the time Cathy joined her first boobie bash around 2010, they
had moved up to a huge party bus, and ProScan dedicated their schedule for the day for members of the bash. Cathy stated, “For me, I’ve loved supporting a few who’ve experienced their very first mammogram. . . being with them before and after their scan to calm their nerves!” In December 2022, Jennifer reached out to the UC Health to see if a mobile mammography unit would be willing to come to Jennifer’s house to provide the mammograms for the group, and that annual partnership began in July of 2023. I absolutely love this example of women supporting women. As Jennifer stated, “It brings me joy that us women are getting together for such an important health risk that can be detected early and save lives. We are all here for each other, for the good and the bad.” She added “It makes me happy knowing that I started something that might save someone’s life one day.”
We are too Jennifer! What an inspiration! I was also happy to hear that Jennifer’s original inspiration, her friend from high school, successfully completed treatment and has been cancer free for 32 years!
LOCAL RESOURCES
3D Mammography services are offered at our local hospitals and via mobile mammography.
For more information and scheduling:
Christ Hospital: 513-585-2668 or www.thechristhospital.com/services/ womens-health/your-care-andtreatment/breast-health
Kettering Health: 800-373-2160 or ketteringhealth.org/services/ breast-health
TriHealth: 513-569-6777 or www.trihealth.com/services/ breast-care
UC Health: 513-584-PINK or www.uchealth.com/584-pink
[
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT ]
Hunter Yarber
Driven by farming roots, Hunter Yarber excels in agricultural science
■ CONSISTENT, hard working, genuine — these are just a few of the words used to describe Middletown High School senior Hunter Yarber.
Yarber is originally from Stanton, Kentucky, but has lived in Middletown for a large part of his life. Throughout his life, he has spent a lot of time living on farms, and farming is what he is knowledgeable about.
That interest in farming is how he connected with Middletown High School teacher Mark Miller. Through Miller’s agricultural science class, Yarber has been able to do what he knows best, and keep learning more about the topic. “I’ve lived on countless farms all my life, so it just comes natural,” he said.
“His willingness to take initiative and tackle tough jobs without hesitation sets him apart.”
Yarber is a motivated student who consistently works hard and exceeds expectations in the classroom. In the agricultural science class, he does a lot of physical projects such as collecting compost, construction projects, gardening, and digging ponds. Yarber and a couple of other students even got their tools going and built a rabbit hutch for the class. “He demonstrates a strong work ethic by actively participating in hands-on activities,” Miller said.
The way the agricultural science class is structured to allow for independent work is something Yarber appreciates.
BY HANNAH BURNEY
They get to do different things each day and experience quite a variety of learning scenarios throughout the year. This class makes him excited to go to school each day.
When not in class, Yarber finds it important to help his family. He supports his sister in her pursuit of cheer and wants to help her be the best she can be and attain her goals. Eventually, Yarber hopes to be able to
use his knowledge of agriculture and farming after graduation. He dreams of owning a large amount of land to raise cattle on. He also hopes to run heavy machinery as a career.
With a drive to work hard and a passion to succeed in the area of agriculture, Yarber stands out. “His willingness to take initiative and tackle tough jobs without hesitation sets him apart,” Miller said.
MIDDLETOWN
DOWNTOWN MIDDLETOWN
South Main Haunted Walking Tour
Friday, October 18
• 6 – 8 p.m.
• The Windamere
PAWS Zombie Walk & Furry 5k
Saturday, October 19
• 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• Gravel Road Brewing
Jazz & Spirits Spookeasy Lounge
Saturday, October 19
• 7 – 11 p.m.
• The Windamere
Middletown High School & Middletown Middle School Choirs
Thursday, October 24
• 6:45 p.m.
• Middletown High School
• Come out to enjoy a concert put on by MMS and MHS choir students. Fill the auditorium and support all the hard work they have put in so far for the year.
Haunted Ohio Trivia
Thursday, October 31
• 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
• NEW Ales
First Friday — ‘Channel the Flannel’ Friday, November 1
• 6 – 7 p.m.
• Governors Square
Middletown Musical Arts Club
Annual Holiday Craft Show
Saturday, November 16
• 10:45 a.m. – 5:45 p.m.
• Middletown High School
• MMAC Holiday Craft Show features crafters, artisans, vendors, and food trucks! Get a head start on your holiday shopping by picking up unique, locally made art and craft wares for everyone on your holiday list! Grab some delicious food and snacks while you browse.
Holiday Moss Wreath Workshop
Saturday, November 16
• 10 – 11:30 a.m.
• Middletown Art Center
Small Business Saturday Saturday, November 30
• 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
• Governors Square Park
Home for the Holiday Santa Parade
Saturday, November 30
• 5 – 6:30 p.m.
• Downtown Middletown
Middletown High School Band/ Orchestra Concert
Thursday, December 5
• 6:45 p.m.
• Middletown High School
• Come out to enjoy a concert put on by MHS band and orchestra students. Fill the auditorium and support all the hard work they have put in.
First Friday — ‘O Christmas Tree -Tree Decorating Competition’ Friday, December 6
• 6 – 7 p.m.
• Governors Square Park
Middletown Middle School Choir Holiday Concert
Tuesday, December 10
• 6:45 p.m.
• Middletown High School
• Come out to enjoy a concert put on by MHS band and orchestra students. Fill the auditorium and support all the hard work they have put in so far for the year.
FALL EVENTS
Middletown High School Choir
Holiday Concert
Thursday, December 12
• 6:45 p.m.
• Middletown High School
• Come out to enjoy a concert put on by MHS band and orchestra students. Fill the auditorium and support all the hard work they have put in.
Santa Run 1 Mile & 5k
Saturday, December 14
• 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• Gravel Road Brewing
Blitzen Cocktail & Cookie Walk
Saturday, December 21
• 6 – 10 p.m.
• Governors Square Park
SORG OPERA HOUSE
Gabriel Sanchez — The Prince Experience
October 18
• 8 – 11 p.m.
• Sorg Opera House
• Tickets | $25
• The look, sound and essence of the Purple One explode on stage when The Prince Experience delivers hits such as “Lets Go Crazy,” “Purple Rain,” “Kiss,” as well as all the
timeless classics. This show brings to life the Purple Rain Era of Prince, complete with costumes, props and choreographed dances.
Simply Queen — Live Tribute
November 8
• 8 – 11 p.m.
• Sorg Opera House
• Tickets | $25
• This COMPLETELY LIVE tribute performs all the iconic songs that have made Queen one of the most legendary rock bands of all time and faithfully recreates the grand scope of Queen’s live shows — musically and visually capturing the amazing live Queen experience that has filled stadiums around the world.
Chicago Transit: A Tribute to Chicago
November 9
• 8 – 11 p.m.
• Sorg Opera House
• Tickets | $30
• There are a lot of bands doing a tribute to the band Chicago, but back in the early 90s, when Powerhouse decided to put together their Chicago Transit tribute act, they were the first in the world to do so. And they remain today as the longest running Chicago
tribute band and the only one to carry four lead vocalists, just as the band Chicago does.
Rise Up Performing Arts presents “Frozen Jr.”
November 21 – November 24
• For a list of dates/times visit sorgoperahouse.org/tickets
• Dive into the enchanting world of Frozen Jr., where magic, music, and unforgettable moments await! This delightful adaptation of the beloved Disney film brings the story of sisters Anna and Elsa to life with vibrant performances and heartwarming songs.
Rise Up Performing Arts presents “42nd Street”
December 5 – December 8
• For a list of dates/times visit sorgoperahouse.org/tickets
• Step into the dazzling world of Broadway with 42nd Street! This spectacular musical celebration of dreams, determination, and the magic of the stage will leave you tapping your feet and singing along.
BREAKING BARRIERS
How two Butler Tech innovators are redefining tech and entrepreneurship
BY KATIE SIMPSON
■ GEN Z. The generation that asks, “Why?” Having been born between 1997 and 2012, they’re the first generation to truly not know a world without technology. If they’ve had questions, they’ve had a world of answers at their fingertips since day one. Whether through books, computers or cellphones the answer to a question was never far away. So it’s no wonder that now, as many of them are entering into the workforce, going into college, and planning their futures. They are asking questions, looking for answers, and blazing their own trails in a way that only Gen Z can. Two of those Gen Z trailblazers are Kamila Nieto and Rhiana Webb.
Both Kamilia and Rhiana are students at Butler Tech who weren’t happy with simply sticking to the status quo and doing things the way they’d always been done. They decided instead to forge their own paths. To ask questions. And in doing so, they’re inspiring others, changing the world around them for the good, and living their lives with a purpose and direction that will no doubt lead to two very bright futures.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Gen Z is sometimes misunderstood by older generations. It can be a challenge to be taken seriously, especially when entering the workforce. But for Kamila and Rhiana the challenges don’t stop there. They’re also both females. And although being a woman is a gift.
Sometimes making others see just how valuable that gift is can be daunting. For Kamila, who has always had a love for computers and learning, choosing the male dominated field of Information Technology was where she knew she belonged. Having always been intrigued by technology, Kamila found herself more and more drawn to the field. It was when she started rushing through her assignments in class, just so that she could get back to doing what she loved, which was programming, that she knew it was time to make the move to Butler Tech. Even armed with the knowledge that right now women only make up around a third of the workforce in the
field, Kamila wasn’t deterred. She knew it was where she was meant to make her mark. In her program at Butler Tech, there are three girls. The year before she started, there were none. In a study done in 2022, women were asked why they didn’t go into the technology fields. An astounding 85 percent chose, “It felt like it wasn’t an option for me.” Kamilia didn’t let that stop her though. Knowing just how important an education is, she pushed aside the feeling of isolation she sometimes felt, and got to work. Now, as a Senior, Kamila isn’t merely doing the work in her program, flying under the radar. Instead, she’s boldly speaking about her Information Technology
KAMILIA (LEFT), AND RHIANA
program at Butler Tech as a Student Ambassador. She was also elected Campus Ambassador by her peers to represent Butler Tech as a whole, and she’s seizing every opportunity to build relationships throughout the school and the business world.
Much like Kamila, Rhiana is taking hold of every opportunity she can to make her dreams come true and to make the world a better place. For her though, the mission she’s on is one that started from a place of love for her brother. Rhiana is in the Business Program at Butler Tech, but is also an inventor and entrepreneur. When Rhiana saw her little brother, who is level 3, non-verbal autistic, struggling with products that just weren’t up to the standard they should be, she decided to
without hurting them in the process. Women in business and invention, just like women in technology, are among some of the most unrecognized, yet have had some of the greatest impacts on the world around us. Rhiana, will no doubt, be one of those world changers.
Women in technology and women in business have proven themselves time and time again to be a force, to be successful and to offer a perspective that is much needed. Statistically, in many cases, they’re even performing three times better than their male counterparts and code written by women is accepted four percent more than code written by men. Yet, they’re still deemed, whether consciously or subconsciously, as less suitable for tech and business careers. Why is
and joy stealing. The longer I thought about that the sadder it made me.
There is some hope though. To have grown up in a time when women couldn’t even get a business loan without a man cosigning with her (that didn’t happen until 1988). To now be sitting down and speaking with two young ladies so full of drive like Kamila and Rhiana, genuinely makes me hopeful for the future.
As two young ladies who are such an inspiration, it begged the question- Who inspires them? For Kamila it was her mom and her dad. Her dad for teaching her the importance of an education and seizing every opportunity. And her mom, because she showed her that it’s never too late to be who you wanna
“KAMILA AND RHIANA ARE BOLDLY DEFYING THE ODDS, CHASING THEIR DREAMS, AND INSPIRING NOT JUST THOSE WHO COME AFTER THEM, BUT THE ONES THEY MEET ALONG THE WAY.”
do something about it. Working with the school’s entrepreneurship coordinator, she’s trying to get a product made and produced that would make life a bit easier for her brother and others who live with autism. Schedule is extremely important in the day to day life of her brother and many of his peers. The laminated piece of paper that helps him with that schedule though, has been both a blessing and a curse. More times than she can count, her brother, who often puts things in his mouth, has cut himself on the lamination. Seeing him hurt by something that was so necessary for him, broke Rhiana’s heart. She felt like so many of the tools that were being offered to her brother were being made by people who didn’t actually have first hand knowledge of what life is like for people with autism and their families. So she decided to do something about it. Her invention will be made of a soft rubber material, will be durable and will fill the need that people like Rhiana’s brother have,
that? Is there even one simple answer? Maybe, maybe not. But one thing that’s undeniably true, is that the world needs more young women like Kamila and Rhiana. Young women who are boldly defying the odds, chasing their dreams, and inspiring not just those who come after them, but the ones they meet along the way.
During our interview Kamila and Rhiana realized that they both have brothers who they care for deeply, and who have autism. It was in that discovery that we began talking about autism and some of the statistics. One statistic that stood out was just how often girls and women with autism go undiagnosed. Two of the main reasons for that are masking and social camouflage. Which essentially, is learning to mimic social behaviors and act in a way that’s deemed “normal” so that they’ll fit in. It leads to crippling depression, anxiety and a mental exhaustion that is positively depleting
be. After having her family, her mom decided to go back to school where she got her degree in the field of nursing. For Rhiana, she finds inspiration in her Grandpa. She said that even though he has struggles with his health he’s still such an uplifting person. He doesn’t let the circumstances of life determine the outcome of his mindset. She also said that his unwavering support, no matter the road she chooses in life, has been inspiring and helped her throughout her life. For both girls, who are Gen Z, to cite people from different generations, are their main sources for inspiration, so beautifully reinforces just how much we all need each other. No matter where we come from, what generation we were raised in, whether male or female, we all bring gifts and talents and skills to the table. What a beautiful world it could be, if we, like Kamilia and Rhiana, could step into who we’re meant to be, using the gifts we have, while also leaning into and appreciating the gift of wisdom that generations before us have gained.
MIDDLETOWN HISTORY
BIRGHT LIGHTS, LITTLE CITY MIDDLETOWN’S TOWERS OF POWER
BY RICHARD O JONES
■ ONE LATE April evening in 1881, a crowd gathered around a small brick building where Manchester Avenue met the Miami-Erie Canal to gawk at the new “electric machine.”
It was “a strange new contraption,” according to a 1959 article in the Middletown Journal, a sort of reflector and two thick “pencils of carbon,” their points almost meeting, mounted
on a pole. Two wires ran from the carbon rods into the building, which was in turn linked by a belt to a steam engine.
A voice rose above the murmur of the crowd shouting: “Turn ’er on.” The belt on the steam engine began to spin and someone inside the building flipped a brass switch. The carbon pencils began to whir and buzz “like an angry
wasp. They sputtered sparks. Then a brilliant blue-white light flooded over the crowd.”
And the crowd cheered as “early spring bugs, dazzled by the brilliance, swarmed around it. The bats flew in and had a ball.”
Electric street lights had long last come to Middletown. The Middletown
Electric Light Company, which had just formed earlier that year, declared an end to “the gas light era.” The carbon arc light was a flash into the future.
The advent of electric street lights was not universally welcome. The Middletown Gas Light & Coke Co., which had provided the village with dim gaslights since 1873, led the opposition to electric street lights. It was a major issue for the prior campaign for village council when voters backed a pro-electric slate of candidates. The pro-electric contingent was headed by Horace P. Clough with Nicholas Graf, David Frisch, Joseph Naughton, and Joseph Neiderlander in his bloc. The only “gas man” on the council was William Barnet.
The Journal wrote: “We regard the 1880s as a pretty conservative era, but it’s interesting to note that the cost of the novel electric lighting was substantially more than the cost of gas lighting... yet the voters plumped for [sic] the innovation... Middletown citizens fairly stomped up and down with impatience” for the towers to be erected.
Clough had the support of Paul J. Sorg, the city’s best known and wealthiest industrialist, who had led a junket of local businessmen to Cleveland to see the dramatic electric lighting towers there. “They wanted the same sort of program for their own little village,” the Journal wrote.
Clough and Sorg met with the Brush Electric Company and struck up a deal to buy equipment, then formed the Middletown Electric Light Co.
The Middletown Signal, the prominent newspaper of the day, was almost giddy in its coverage of the new tower, having long complained about the inadequacies of the existing gas lamp system.
“It was true that the ancient gas lamps provided the village streets with something better than total darkness,” it wrote, “but the lamplighter sometimes was lax in his duties. We don’t suppose it is any of our business, but we would like to know why the street lamplighter does not light the lamp at the corner of Sixth and Broadway.”
A month later, its complaints neared a threat: “He [the lamplighter] is said to be quite a stranger to our neighbors across the canal. They are praying for his scalp.”
In the run-up to the tower of power, the Signal wrote: “The Brush Electric Light Company of Middletown will be ready to light the streets, manufactories, storerooms and churches... and three lights for the river bridges and CH&D depot and yards... “Look out for the electric light!”
They seemed a little less pleased at the reality. After the grand debut, it wrote: “We will give the electric light a fair trial before we pronounce it a success.”
A month later: “The electric light grows better. Perhaps it is like wine.”
In May, the Middletown Electric Light Co. began work on a taller tower, 226 feet with an 18-foot underground base, at the corner of what is now Central Avenue and Verity Parkway (“on the south side of Third Street at the canal, hard by the Sebald Brewery). It was to hold eight carbon arc lamps, enough to light up the entire village.
More astounding to excited Middletonians was the unique construction method that had them building the tower from the top down. It consisted of a series of iron cylinders. Workers hoisted the top section in the air while a crew riveted it to the section just beneath it. Then both were lifted into the air for the third section to be attached. And so on.
Two years later, the Middletown Gas Co. bought out the Middletown Electric Co. and took ownership of the two towers and a third one built on Girard Avenue. By 1896, the company became insolvent and Sorg bought the company “under the hammer,” ran it for a year, then sold it to a re-formed Middletown Gas & Electric Light Co. in 1898.
The big tower was apparently quite a sight while it lasted, but was not very long to shed its light. On December 22, 1909, less than 20 years after its crackling debut, workmen sheared the bottom rivets of the tower and “toppled it over with a mighty crash.”
Middletown Eye Care
We work hard to differentiate ourselves. We are dedicated to providing the best eye care available for the entire family by staying current with the newest developments in eye care, prescription lenses, and advances in contact lens technology.
Our vision center can provide you with the best vision, frame selection, advice and fit.
315 N. Breiel Blvd
Middletown, Ohio 45042 513.424.0339
Middletowneyecare.com
Nathan R. Bjork, OD Katherine Fisher, OD
Resilient Revival
Beverly Aikins transforms her life and inspires others on their path to recovery
BY KATIE SIMPSON
■ MIDDLETOWN HAS long been known as a steel town. But when you look deeper and get to the heart of the city and its people, Middletown is so much more. It’s also a stunningly diverse melting pot. It’s a place that, even from its beginnings in 1886, welcomes people from all walks of life. No matter your race, religion, or political affiliations you have a home in Middletown.
Through its diverse makeup of people, Middletown has produced olympic athletes, writers, political figures,
musicians, hall of fame athletes and coaches, and even filmmakers. Middletown and its people have long been fighters, having lived through World War I, World War II, The Great Depression and more recently, The Great Recession. They’ve also felt the heartbreak of the opioid epidemic. No matter what they’ve faced though, Middletown and its people have survived. They’ve faced the hard times head on, dug deep, and pressed on. They’re people with dreams, hopes, and a determination that’s inspiring.
They’re survivors, dreamers, people who have pride in where they’ve come from and for where they wanna go. One of those survivors is longtime Middletown resident, Beverly Aikins.
Aikins was born a Middletonian and will proudly tell you she’s a Middie. She loves the people here and can’t imagine living anywhere else. But make no mistake, she’s also proud of her family’s strong Kentucky roots and her resilient hillbilly genes. Just a few minutes with Aikins and you will quickly realize just how much she loves her family, and that being a grandma brings her more joy than she ever dreamed possible. She’s also a fighter who’s battled through unfathomable adversity. She’s resilient. She’s a survivor. She’s someone who never gave up on herself. She’s a woman who has
seen what rock bottom looks like and never wants to go back. But she also isn’t content to sit around and bask in her own accomplishments or brag about herself. Instead, she’s gone to work, as both a nurse and as chemical dependency counselor, supporting others as they navigate the path to recovery that she herself has journeyed down.
For many years, Aikins fought a hard battle with drug addiction. A drug addiction that would eventually lead to her losing her nursing license, being arrested and even losing her kids. Ten years ago though, she’d had enough. She no longer wanted the addiction that had taken so much from her and from her family, to be the sum total of who she was.
Checking herself into a rehabilitation center, the fighter in Aikins began to get stronger a little more every day. There were hard days, but she dug her heels in and she faced the fight head on. Then, after a lot of hard work, she moved into a sober living community. It wasn’t glamorous, it wasn’t always pretty, but she stuck with it. She healed a little more every single day. Battling to be the Aikins she knew she wanted to be. Then she got her own apartment. She paid her bills, got a job, and began the tough process of getting her nursing license back. She took weekly drug tests, kept going to meetings (meetings
she still goes to), and was eventually able to once again be a registered nurse. A job she greatly missed.
For Aikins, recovery for herself wasn’t the end of her journey though. In some ways, it was just the beginning. Today, as a nurse, she’s working at Seacrest Recovery Center. A rehab facility that offers men and women who are struggling with addiction not only help, but hope and grace. They hold their patients accountable and give them the structure they need to succeed, while also walking alongside them to celebrate every win and to be a support when they fall. At Seacrest, Aikins is not only using the nursing license she fought so hard to get back, but she’s using her own personal experiences to help others. She cares for patients as both a healthcare professional and as an addict who’s been clean for 10 years. She knows where they’ve been and the road that lies ahead of them. She does her job with care and compassion and a bit of tough love. For Aikins, working at Seacrest may be her livelihood but it’s also much more than that. It’s her mission, calling, and passion.
It’s been said that “addiction is a family disease. One person may use, but the whole family suffers.” And it’s true. Aikins will be the first to tell you just how much addiction cost her. Getting clean meant getting her family back, being a Mom her kids could count on,
and being the kind of grandma she dreamed of being. It also meant having a place to lay her head at night that was all her own, and working in a career she was proud of.
Much of what people know about Aikins they know from the book Hillbilly Elegy, a book that her son JD wrote. If you’ve read the book or even seen the movie, you get a glimpse at how the relationship she had with JD and his sister, Lindsay, wasn’t always what it is today. She’s open and real about not always being the mom she should have been and the hurts that had to be healed. But the contrast of who she was, and who she is now, is positively stunning. The woman that Aikins is today has her own home, she has a relationship with her kids and her grandkids, she paid off her car and she has a job she loves. All things that were once her reasons for getting clean are now her reality. A reality she never wants to lose. When asked what a defining moment was for her, a moment she was truly proud of, when she knew she’d gotten to a place where healing had started to be evident, she thought for a moment, and then, with a look of pride she said, “When I was able to hold each of my grandbabies,” A privilege and a joy that addiction nearly stole from her. She then continued to share one moment in particular that meant so much to her. She spoke of how for so many years
her relationship with JD had been strained, and how she so truly wanted to be his Mom. Not just in title, but a real-deal Mom. She said one evening he called her and said that Usha, his wife, was in labor and asked if she wanted to be there for the birth. She said “Yes” without hesitation, and although she didn’t have much money to make the trip, she knew she wanted and needed to be there for her son, his wife, and her grandbaby. When she arrived in Columbus Usha’s labor had slowed to the point that family members were getting hotels for the night. But JD looked to his Mom, handed her the keys to his home and asked, “would you care to stay at the house and let the dogs out?” It was such a simple request and yet, said so much. It was in that simple, yet powerful moment that Aikins realized, “that’s something you ask your Mom to do.” It was something he hadn’t been able to ask of her for a very long time. It was an act of trust, of acknowledgement for how far she’d come, and that showed so beautifully just how much they had healed as a family.
Transformation doesn’t just happen though, it takes work and dedication. If you ask Aikins what a key to her success has been she’ll tell you this, “If you wanna keep it, you have to give it away.” Don’t just hold onto what you’ve learned and what you experienced. Use it to help others, lift
them up, open your heart, because in helping others you’ll also be helping yourself. What a radically generous way to live your life. Whether you’ve struggled with addiction or not. To live and love others in such an open hearted, transparent way, is not only life-changing, but world changing.
Life isn’t always easy. We all have times of pain, of struggle, of heartache and to live a life without trials is rare. But what if we, as Middletonians, cared for our neighbors with an “if you wanna keep it, you have to give it away” mentality? What if we saw through the differences and instead, simply saw each other as humans. Humans
who we likely have more in common than we could ever imagine. What if we loved our neighbor? What if we showed grace? What if we understood that everyone has or is going through something? What if we, much like the steel that’s produced here, stood firm on the foundation that was laid so many years ago, and did our part to leave a legacy we can be proud of. A legacy made up of fighters, survivors, dreamers, and people who refused to give up. Middletown’s motto is “Bright past, even brighter future.” With a history as rich as Middletowns and with citizens like Beverly Aikins lighting the way, Middletown’s future looks brighter than ever.
Denzel Washington
