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68 GUIDE TO YELLOW SPR INGS | 2021– 2022 A version of this article was originally published in the October 5, 2017, issue of the News. FIXING UP ‘STUFF,’ BUILDING BONDS By AUDREY HACKETT A t least two old radios turned up at the last Repair Café. Deborah Dillon brought one, an early digital clock radio her brother had sent her from Japan in 1971. “What’s wrong with our friend?” Duard Headley asked. The volume didn’t work, Dillon explained. Hadn’t for 15 years, but she didn’t want to part with the radio. “It has a very unusual alarm,” she confided to this reporter. Rather than beep- ing, it chirped like a bird — a very determined, slightly demented bird. Headley plugged it in, turned it on, noted that it was “roughly” tuned to WYSO, and fiddled with the volume. The sound went up, the sound went down. “It works,” he said. Dillon seemed delighted. And so did Headley. It was easily the easiest “fix” of the afternoon. Twenty-five people brought in items ranging from laptops to old slippers to electric boot dryers to the Repair Café at the Bryan Center, organized by the Yellow Springs Time Exchange. There were nine volunteer “fixers” on hand to help. Some items could be fixed, others were beyond repair. People swapped stories as well as fix-it tips, with some attendees lingering an hour or two beyond the actual repair just to chat. The event was free — donations accepted — Joe Ayres opened up an electronic keyboard at the February 15, 2020, Repair Café. | PHOTO BY RE I LLY DIXON REPAIR CAFÉ • Master teachers • Small class size • Children engineer their own learning • Empowering community • Students as scientists and inventors • Creativity and art • Children learn from play • Outdoor learning • Oldest democratic school in the country, est. 1921 Planting seeds for a beautiful life. 937-767-7642 • P.O. Box 242, Yellow Springs www.AntiochSchool.org • Nathan@AntiochSchool.org