They only had eyes for the belle. The Belle of Cincinnati that is. Along the shore Friday night from dusk to the time the crescent moon rose, passers-by were on the shoreline waving to the paddle wheeler as she glided serenely up and down the Ohio River. Speedboats and pontoons would pull up alongside so their crew could snap photos of her stately grace.

For the second time in as many years, the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization pulled out all the stops for a fund-raiser by bringing up the Belle from her home downriver to Ironton for an evening dinner-dancing cruise.

Approximately 400 attended the event, including local captains of industry and public servants.

“This is a great event for fellowship,” Bill Dingus, director of the Lawrence County Economic Development Corp., said. “It’s very serene here. Friends can associate in a casual time and with the beauty of the river.”

Nearby sat Mayor Rich Blankenship who said the event was a successful way to showcase the city.

“It shows what Ironton has to offer,” Blankenship said. “We have a lot of people from different areas coming into Ironton who have made comments on how they like how Ironton looks. When the community comes together, things happen.”