South | Spring 2014

SOUTH Indy’s southside magazine

Spring 2014

Johnette Cruz Also inside:

Dance studios, backyard pools, worth-the-trip cocktails, Indiana farm stays

CANCER DOESN’T

DEFINE

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©2014 The National Bank of Indianapolis

www.nbofi.com

Member FDIC

contents Stage 1 Dance Academy

on the cover

Johnette Cruz, page 74.

Photos by JOsh Marshall

104

Feature Stories

82 90

Summer school

96

Horsin’ around

104

Local teachers take different roads on their time off

Pool parties When temperatures rise, the Pearson family heads outside

Rhonda Brown and Ann Bastin hit the trails

Dance fever Southside studios get all ages moving

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contents

Departments

15

This & That

Southside news and views

21 In Style

Mother’s Day ideas

25 Taste

Fountain Square

34 Worth the trip Cocktails

40 Authentic Indiana The Wild Olive

46 Good will

Johnson County Community Foundation

52 Home trends Eco-friendly pools

46 66 Travel Farm stays

58 Health & Fitness 74 Profile Mud runs and marathons

In Every Issue

8 Welcome 112 South weddings

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Johnette Cruz

116 123 130

Our side of town Calendar of events A look back

21

oyster perpetual subma riner date

rolex

oyster perpetual and submariner are trademarks.

welcome

W On The Horizon

Well, I think we’ve made it. Almost. While I admit that we’re not quite out of the water (or in Indiana’s case, snow and ice) yet, we’re awfully close to spring’s official arrival. For that, I’m more than happy to kick off my snow boots and celebrate.

Though I’ve enjoyed much of the past winter’s antics—the snow-covered Hoosier land has been beautiful to behold, and I’ve spent many days and evenings snuggled up under a plush blanket next to a relaxing wood fire—I am now ready to shed the nearly six layers of shirts and sweaters and scarves and jackets and coats I don every morning in trade for flouncy dresses and cotton shorts and breathable sandals. Really ready.

As we were putting together this issue of SOUTH, I think the shock of this ferocious winter was still wearing on me. I edited stories about where to get cocktails around Indianapolis, how to go green with your swimming pool and where the city’s upcoming marathons and obstacle course races were to be held, and it was hard to imagine that any of those things would ever actually matter again.

Would we see above-freezing temperatures someday soon? Would we actually want to put on a swimsuit (without long underwear underneath!) and enjoy an afternoon in the pool? Would an evening spent savoring cocktails outside on a patio even be possible (without hypothermia setting in)?

The answer, as hard as it sometimes was to believe, was yes, yes, YES! Summer is just around the corner, and spring, our oh-so-beloved spring, is finally upon us. If anything, maybe the craziness of this past winter will

teach us to enjoy each and every beautiful spring and summer day just a little bit more. Yes, we shall have cocktails out on the patios of our favorite restaurants this spring. We shall suit up and hit the pool, the lake or the beach. We pledge to go on hikes, ride our bikes and grill out as many times as possible. We will enjoy every minute of what this season has to offer us. At least I know I will. I hope you will, too.

And if we have to endure an occasional thunderstorm, maybe a little flash flooding or perhaps a few days of stifling heat, we’ll take that, too. Anything, please, but another sub-zero freeze.

sdugger@indysouthmag.com

Keep up with SOUTH happenings on Facebook.

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SOUTH Indy’s Southside Magazine

Spring 2014 | Vol. 9 | No. 4

Publisher Home News Enterprises Chuck Wells

Editorial Editor

Sherri Dugger Copy Editor

Katharine Smith Contributing Writers

Alisa Advani Paige Harden Caroline Mosey Teresa Nicodemus Amy Norman Ashley Petry Jon Shoulders Clint Smith

Art Senior Graphic artist

Margo Wininger contributing advertising Designer

Amanda Waltz Contributing Photographers

Andrew Laker Josh Marshall Scott Roberson Joe Saba Stock images provided by ŠThinkstock

Advertising Advertising Director

Christina Cosner ACCOUNT Executive

Miranda J. Stockdall

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SOUTH Indy’s Southside Magazine

Your trusted, custom home builder—

for all stages of life

reader services mailing address 2575 N. Morton St., Franklin, IN 46131

phone

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fax

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Copies of South magazine are available at southside Kroger, Marsh and Barnes and Noble locations.

Subscriptions

To subscribe to SOUTH magazine, please send $12 for 4 issues, or $24 for 8 issues to the mailing address above. Call (800) 435-5601 to subscribe by phone or place your subscription request online at indysouthmag.com.

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Back issues

• Granite • tile & WooD Floors • Pocket Doors • VaulteD ceilinGs

To order back issues of SOUTH magazine, please send $5 per issue (includes S&H) to the mailing address above or call (800) 435-5601 to order by phone. ©2014 by Home News Enterprises All rights reserved. Reproduction of stories, photographs and advertisements without permission is prohibited.

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Watch Reese’s story or tell us what your scar means at MyScarMeans.com. #MyScarMeans

Compiled by Ashley Petry

this & that

Not Your Grandmother’s Furniture Store At the new Marshmallow Monkey boutique in Franklin, owners Nicole and Brandon Nicoloff combine a floral shop, gift store and furniture-restoration business into one cozy shopping experience. Open since July, the store specializes in vintage home décor and modern reproductions.

“We find old, cool furniture with character, and we paint it and restyle it,” Nicole Nicoloff says.

“We bring furniture back to life, so if grandma has an old piece, we can make it look cool.” She refers to herself as a “legacy keeper,” carrying on the tradition of a grandfather who sold greenhouse vegetables and a mother who sold flowers. “I grew up in a greenhouse with flowers in the background,” she says. That legacy spills over into the boutique’s new outdoor gardening center, which is scheduled to open this spring.

The boutique has also launched Monkey Paint, a line of inexpensive paints that are specially formulated to give new life to your outdated wood furniture. 436 E. Jefferson St., Franklin; (317) 523-8575; www. themarshmallowmonkey.com Marshmallow Monkey owners Brandon and Nicole Nicoloff with their children.

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this & that

Q&A:

Kristen Schwark Southside Cyclist

Are you thinking of buying a bicycle this spring, or perhaps dusting off the old bike you haven’t used since college? With expanding options for on-road bike lanes and off-road trails, southside cyclists—such as Southport real estate agent Kristen Schwark and her husband, Jim Schwark—have more opportunities than ever to see the world on two wheels.

How did you get started with cycling as a hobby?

We initially thought, “Hey, let’s go out and ride around the neighborhood,” and then we did the Hilly Hundred that year on our hybrid bikes.

That’s when we said it was time for a road bike, and that turned into meeting people who ride at a higher level and getting into racing.

What are the benefits of cycling for you?

Well, obviously health. I’m 48, going on 49, and I think it helps keep me young. And

the social aspect: I’ve met a lot of really great people, and a lot of friendships have developed over the years with that common bond.

What is your training regimen like?

My husband and I joke that we don’t get our shorts dirty for anything under 25 to 30 miles, except in the winter, when we’ll take anything we can get. In the summer, I probably ride at least four to five days a week. In the fall I like to mountain bike. What’s nice is that at Southwestway Park the Hoosier Mountain Bike Association got a grant and expanded the trails out there, so it’s a great place to go mountain biking.

How has the cycling scene changed in the past few years?

People are becoming a little more aware of Schwark goofs off in Southwestway Park

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Schwark at The Mayor’s Ride.

cycling, and the bike lanes downtown and along the (Indianapolis) Cultural Trail open up other opportunities to get downtown. But it would be nice if the southside could connect somehow to the Monon and have a trail system like that.

Do you still have concerns about safety?

Absolutely. We have drivers who don’t understand the cycling laws and the rights that cyclists have to the road, and texting has certainly added another danger, with people not paying attention.

We’ve had a few close calls, and I have friends who’ve been hit, and we get things thrown at us and get called names. It’s probably mostly impatience and frustration from drivers who think we shouldn’t be on the road.

Other than your bikes, what’s your favorite gear?

The most important thing besides the bike is your

helmet. I’ve had a few crashes, and I can say it definitely saves your life.

For example?

I was out at Southwestway riding my mountain bike, and I don’t know if I hit a root or what, because it happened so quickly, but I went over the front of my bike and landed on my shoulder and the left side of my head. I remember sitting up and saying, “Wow, that hurt.” I took my helmet off, and it had a big crack.

What advice do you offer to beginners?

Go to a local bike shop and talk to somebody there who has knowledge about bicycles. And don’t set some big, lofty goal of, “I’ve never gotten on a bike before, but I want to do the Hilly Hundred tomorrow.” Seek out people who ride bikes, who enjoy it, and start riding with those people.

this & that

The Jerky Boys

» If you’re bored with the same

From left, Carrie Sullivan, Georgiann Pangallo and Melissa Pyatskowit

Three female nurse practitioners have joined forces to open the CMG Family Wellness Center in downtown Franklin, one of just a handful of medical practices across the state owned by nurse practitioners. “Our focus will be on not only treating illness but also wellness and preventive care,” says co-owner Melissa Pyatskowit. Soon, the owners hope to add a medi-spa offering laser treatments, chemical peels, massage therapy and other spa services with potential medical benefits. 198 E. Jefferson St., Franklin; (317) 408-4091

Say Spa

old beef jerky, head to Tommy’s Jerky Outlet. The new southside store—the first Indiana location for a booming Ohio-based chain— offers a variety, such as kangaroo sausage and blindingly spicy jerky made with ghost peppers. “I have hot ones, sweet ones and a variety you just won’t find anywhere else,” says Bill Winand, owner. Of course, you could just stock up on traditional, house-blend beef jerky, but why would you? 8902 S. Meridian St., (317) 213-3524, www.tommysjerky.com

Get Your Goat The cycling business is booming at Gray Goat Sports’ southside location, which offers bicycle maintenance workshops, coordinates group rides and stocks many coveted bike brands. Soon, Franklin residents will have easier access to that bounty. This spring, Gray Goat plans to open an additional location (25 E. Court St.) in downtown Franklin. Watch the website for details. www.graygoatsports.com

Kraut and About

Indy-based Fermenti Artisan, which has been juried into the prestigious Indiana Artisan program, is known for fermented food products like sauerkraut and kimchi. Greenwood’s Country Nutrition recently started stocking the products, which also appear on shelves at Nature’s Pharm in Greenwood and Franklin Cornucopia Health Foods. Our personal recommendation: the memorable apple-ginger sauerkraut, a perfect balance of sweet and tangy.

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this & that

Book Nook

Provided by Greenwood Public Library

“Bellman and Black”

By Diane Setterfield “Bellman and Black” follows the life of William Bellman, who kills a rook with his slingshot when he is 11 years old.

For some time, his life seems perfect, and he ascends through his business as easily as a bird through the sky.

However, the deaths in his family soon begin to rack up, and he is haunted at each funeral by a man in black. It becomes hard to tell if the ghosts in his life are real or of his own making. This book has a dream-like quality with a menacing, atmospheric undertone.

Reviewed by Becky Preston, teen services librarian, Greenwood Public Library

“The Golem and the Jinni”

By Helene Wecker Set in New York City, two magical beings find themselves alone in an unknown land. Chava, a creature made of clay called a golem, befriends a rabbi and learns how to blend in and serve as golems are meant to do. Ahmad, a creature made of fire called a jinni, finds it harder to live in a world of humans as the jin always considered themselves above the human race. These two unlikely creatures form a friendship despite their different natures, cultures and beliefs. As their friendship grows, they find they have more in common than they could have possibly imagined.

Wecker’s novel is a beautifully written, magical read that sticks with the reader long after the last page.

Reviewed by Valerie Moore, reference librarian, Greenwood Public Library

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“The Interestings”

By Meg Wolitzer “The Interestings” follows six teenagers from a summer camp for the arts through adulthood. It wrestles with the ideas of hope and perspective and how these things change with age.

Those who seemed to have the most promising lives do not necessarily go on to fame and fortune, and those who do succeed might wish they hadn’t.

With quirky, well-developed characters, this story offers a read that makes you feel as if you’ve actually lived six lives.

Reviewed by Becky Preston, teen services librarian, Greenwood Public Library

“education “educationisisnot notthe thefilling fillingof ofaapail, pail,

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in style

Photography by Andrew Laker

Vera Bradley Little Hipster bag, Canterberry Magenta, $45, Brianne’s Boutique

The Mother Lode Let’s face it: Moms rarely get their time to shine. Tireless mothers everywhere serve as chauffeurs, chefs, personal maids … and that’s not to mention the days spent at the office or lending us an ear as our first and very best of friends.

With Mother’s Day around the corner, we decided it was high time to honor and celebrate mom. We met with Teresa Dillard, owner of Teresa’s Hallmark, and Dillard’s daughter, Sara Bowers, who owns neighboring Brianne’s Boutique, for their picks of this year’s perfect mom gifts.

Teresa Dillard and Sara Bowers

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in style

1

2

3

1 Paige Danielle Scarf, $18.99, Teresa’s Hallmark, 49 N. State Road 135, Greenwood, (317) 888-1206, www.teresashallmark.com

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2 Davinci Bracelet, $12.99, Davinci Necklace and Bracelet Charms and Beads, $6.99 each, Buy 4, Get 1 Free, Teresa’s Hallmark

3 Hydrangea Hand and Body Lotion, $16.99, Teresa’s Hallmark

in style

4

5

6

7

4 Silicone Lids and Drink Covers, $9.99-$19.99, Teresa’s Hallmark

5 Brighton Contessa “Love is Everywhere” Jeweled Necklace, $82, and Clip-On Earrings, $78, Brianne’s Boutique, 49 N. State Road 135, Greenwood, (317) 888-8995

6 Willow Tree Figurative Sculpture, $21, Teresa’s Hallmark

7 Pouchee Deluxe Organizer Purse, Plum, $34, Brianne’s Boutique

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Compiiled By Sherri Dugger and Jon Shoulders // Photography by Josh marshall

taste

Anything but square Thanks to continued openings of restaurants, bars and retail shops in the area, Fountain Square is now considered a heavy-hitting provider of top-notch eats and late-night noshes in Indianapolis. Should you find yourself in the mood for something a little different, consider hopping over to this near-southside neighborhood, which is not only garnering a good name for itself among Hoosier consumers, but has been getting a good deal of national attention, too. Here, we offer you dozens of reasons to head to the “Square� hungry.

Chicken and Hoecake Sandwich Thunderbird

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taste

TAKE THE KIDS »You have plenty of options to keep the kids happy and sated in Fountain Square.

B’s Po Boy (1261 S. Shelby St., 317-916-5555, www.bpoboy.com) offers a Cajun and Creole menu chock full of po-boy sandwiches, salads and Louisiana-inspired sides, as well as two outdoor bocce ball courts for play during warmer weather. Other kid-approved restaurants include Maria’s Original Pizza (1106 Prospect St., 317-786-9283, www. mariasoriginalpizza.com), an area favorite for more than 50 years; Pure Eatery (1043 Virginia Ave., Suite 3, 317-602-5724, www. pureeatery.com), which uses local ingredients in its sandwiches, paninis, salads and burritos; Tortas Guicho Dominguez y El Cubanito (641 Virginia Ave., 317-658-0735, tortasguicho.com), purveyor of authentic gourmet Mexican sandwiches, tacos and quesadillas; and Smokehouse on Shelby (1105 Prospect St., 317-685-1959, www. fountainsquareindy.com/smokehouse), which offers pulled pork, wings, baby back ribs and hand-dipped milkshakes.

For more fun: Atomic Bowl Duckpin & Action Duckpin Bowl, located, respectively, in the basement and on the fourth floor of the Fountain Square Theatre Building (1105 Prospect St, Indianapolis, 317-686-6010, www. fountainsquareindy.com), take guests back in time. Both alleys, filled with bowling memorabilia, make use of retro duckpin-sized pins and balls and offer a snack bar menu for cravings. At Blue Moon Games (874 Virginia Ave., 317-822-4263), your young ones can fuel up at the café, which features sandwiches, paninis, light snacks and beverages, before immersing themselves in some serious tabletop gaming. Stacks of games are provided for patrons, and gaming supplies are also available for sale. While you’re in the area, stop at Hero House Comics (1112 Prospect St., Indianapolis, 317-636-7990) to find comic books of all genres for sale and grab a cone at Cultured Swirl (1026 Virginia Ave., 317-6028808, areyoucultured.com), Indy’s only organic, gluten-free frozen yogurt shop.

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B’s Po Boy

taste

La Margarita Restaurant and Tequila Bar

MEET YOUR PALS

Revolucion

» We can still remember a time when only a few bars populated the streets of Fountain Square, and now we lose track of all that’s there. For Mexican, meet your pals and grab a bite at Revolucion (1132 E. Prospect St., 317-4239490, www.facebook.com/RevolucionIndy), Fountain Square’s own cantina and tiki bar, or La Margarita Restaurant and Tequila Bar (1043 Virginia Ave., Suite 1, 317-384-1457, lamargaritaindy.com), where you’ll find dozens of tequilas and tequila cocktails on the drink menu. If fish and chips are more your style, head to Red Lion Grog House (1043 Virginia Ave., 317822-4764, www.redliongroghouse.com), which claims to be Indy’s only upscale English-style restaurant for menu staples like shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash and Scotch eggs.

For more fun: After dinner, skip over to Radio Radio (1119 E. Prospect St., 317-955-0995, www.futureshock.net), one of Indy’s mainstays for live original music from local, regional and national acts, or grab a custom brew like Hop for Teacher or the Preacher’s Daughter at Fountain Square Brewing Co. (1301 Barth Ave., 317-493-1410, fountainsquarebrewery.com). Snacks from Nameless Pizza, also located in the Fountain Square district, are regularly offered to accompany the beer. Last but certainly not least, White Rabbit Cabaret (1116 Prospect St., 317-686-9550, www.whiterabbitcabaret.com) also offers late-night entertainment with a speakeasy/variety show vibe.

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taste

Thunderbird

Woo your sweetheart » Everybody’s talking about Thunderbird (1127 Shelby St., 317-974-9580, thunderbirdindy.com) these days—and with good reason. The latest restaurant installment in the area offers a Southern-inspired menu with hipster flair. Equally impressive on the culinary scene is Bluebeard (653 Virginia Ave., 317-686-1580, bluebeardindy.com; also included in our cocktails story on page 37 of this issue), where you can dine on upscale Mediterranean-inspired cuisine made with local meat and produce. Fresh bread from Amelia’s, which specializes in hearth-baked Italian bread, is on sale daily at the Bluebeard lunch counter. For something a little more intimate and less-traveled, you can’t go wrong with the Peruvian-inspired delights to be found at Mama Irma (1058 Virginia Ave., 317-423-2421, www.mamairma.com), the fresh traditional Asian dishes at Naisa Pan Asian Café (1025 Virginia Ave., 317-602-3708, www.naisacafe.com) or the always flavorful Thai appetizers and entrees at Siam Square (936 Virginia Ave., 317-636-8424, siamsquareindy.com).

For more fun: Stop in for a sip at the family-owned New Day Meadery (1102 Prospect St., 888-632-3379, newdaymeadery. com), home of delicious hard ciders and meads; Brass Ring Lounge (1245 Shelby St., 317-635-7464, www. thebrassringlounge.com), an art deco-inspired bar and restaurant with a quirky menu of its own; or Imbibe Lobby Bar (1105 Shelby St., 317-685-1959, www.fountainsquareindy.com/imbibe), where you’ll find handcrafted cocktails, craft beers and a small selection of wines, as well as lighter fare like jumbo shrimp cocktail, hummus and fresh baked pretzel sticks.

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taste

COFFEE BREAK » Getting tired? For a caffeine fix, hop over to Calvin Fletcher’s Coffee Co. (647 Virginia Ave., 317-423-9697, www. cfcoffeecompany.com), which serves organic and fair trade coffee, organic teas, sodas and pastries or Funkyard Coffee Shop and Gallery (1114 Prospect St., 317-822-3865, www.facebook.com/ Funkyard.Indy), an art gallery and café rolled into one.

Calvin Fletcher’s

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taste

Fish out of water

F

Bonefish Grill offers four seafood-inspired recipes

By Caroline Mosey

Few kitchens know seafood like the one at Bonefish Grill. Chefs here are masters at coaxing forth the fresh flavors found deep in the ocean, then crafting them into decadent dishes you’ll find yourself dreaming about. And the best part?

They’re sharing their secrets.

We’ve uncovered the recipes for four of the restaurant’s most popular offerings. Try your hand at replicating the menu or pull up a chair at Bonefish Grill and leave the cooking to the pros.

Bonefish Grill White Sangria “This sangria is really refreshing and works well with all of our fish dishes.”

—Sarah Kiszewski bar manager, Bonefish Grill in Greenwood

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Ingredients

4 ounces Chardonnay 2 ounces Prosecco or Champagne 1 ounce mango juice ½ ounce Cointreau

1 ounce soda water 2 lime wedges 1 fresh cherry Sprinkle of cinnamon

Directions

Squeeze two lime wedges over glass and drop in glass. Drop cherry in glass.

Add ice to wine glass, filling it to the top. Add all ingredients to glass. Pour mixture into shaker tin and roll back and forth two times to thoroughly mix contents, pouring back into wine glass. Fill glass to top again with ice. Lightly sprinkle cinnamon on top.

taste Shrimp and Scallop Skewers

Grilled Mahi topped with Mango Salsa

(Serves 2)

(Serves 2 to 4)

“We like to dress the shrimp and scallops as simply as possible to let the fresh flavors shine through.”

“Mango gives this fleshy fish a light, tropical flavor, perfect for a light dinner.”

—Jabal Sole

—Jabal Sole

culinary manager at Bonefish Grill in Greenwood

culinary manager at Bonefish Grill in Greenwood

Ingredients

Ingredients

8 jumbo shrimp (peeled and deveined) 8 each jumbo sea scallops 3 teaspoons kosher salt 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 to 4 8-ounce mahi fillets Mango salsa (recipe below) Salt and pepper

Directions

Flat leaf sprigs of parsley to garnish Peel and devein shrimp. Remove the abductor muscle from each scallop.

Skewer the shrimp so they barely touch each other. Skewer the scallops so they barely touch each other.

Season one side of the shrimp and one side of the scallops with the kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and then brush them lightly with olive oil.

Place on heated grill, seasoned side down for approximately 3 to 4 minutes.

Flip over and brush seasoned side with lemon juice and olive oil.

Allow the skewers to rest on the edge of the grill for three minutes. Note: Make sure scallops are done, but still moist.

Serve family style on a warm platter.

Mango Salsa

Salmon with Spinach, Bacon & Cheese (Serves 4 to 6) “The grill really gives this dish a deep, smoky flavor enhanced even more by the bacon.”

—Brian Newlin managing partner at Bonefish Grill in Greenwood Ingredients

3-6 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled 4-6 bacon strips 1½ cups spinach (sautéed) 4 to 6 fillets (desired size) fresh salmon 3 tablespoons seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay) 4 to 6 lemon slices 1 tablespoon minced garlic ½ tablespoon olive oil Pinch of salt

½ cup red onions, diced 1 cup ripe mango, diced ¼ cup red bell peppers, diced 2 tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce (store bought) Directions

Peel and dice red onion. Peel, seed and dice mango. Stem, seed and dice red bell peppers.

Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl with Thai sweet chili sauce and toss to coat evenly. Spoon ingredients into aluminum foil and gather the foil at the top to create a pouch.

Season mahi fillets with salt and pepper.

Place mahi fillets and foil-wrapped salsa packets on the grill over medium heat and grill until fish is cooked through.

Carefully remove foil from the grill with a pair of tongs, as it will be hot. Carefully open the foil with a sharp knife; be careful, as hot steam will escape foil pouch when opening. Use while warm by spooning dollops over mahi fillets.

Directions

Sauté bacon strips, then cut each in half and set aside. Lightly season the salmon fillets and grill to medium. Sauté the spinach with olive oil, garlic and salt.

Top each fillet with desired amount of spinach and ½ to 1 ounce of cheese.

Cover the grill and allow the cheese to melt. Pull fillets off the grill.

Plate and top with crispy bacon strips.

Squeeze lemon wedge over top.

Bonefish the Southside Way Bonefish Grill has 194 locations, but each one is unique and works hard to satisfy local customers. “We look at every piece of fish, every single day. We hand cut and trim each piece,” explains Brian Newlin, managing partner in Greenwood.

And libations are no exception. “I try to find great wines with great stories behind them so that my guests can always find something new and interesting to try,” he says. “Each cocktail has months of thought behind it, and they’ve all been shaped by what our guests enjoy.”

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taste

WINE

DINE

FIND

Spring is here, and Buck Creek Winery (11747 Indian Creek Road South) has the perfect bottle to celebrate.

Embrace the season and crack open a bottle of the winery’s sweet rhubarb wine, which pairs perfectly with light, bright dishes. “It’s a great wine—one of our best sellers,” says owner Jeff Durm. Rhubarb wine is available at Buck Creek Winery for $11.95. (317) 862-9033, www.buckcreekwinery.com

Bargersville newcomer Bistro 226 opened in August in the former site of Harvest Bistro, treating customers to a fine dining experience without the stiff atmosphere that can sometimes come along with it. Owner Cody Flynn describes the restaurant’s offerings as “rustic fine dining,” with everything from tender beef filets to down-home fried chicken on the menu. “I serve Indiana grown beef and pork and the freshest seafood I can get,” Flynn says. “We try to bring the fine dining experience to a small town.”

226 S. State Road 135, (317) 422-4226

If you like Brozinni Pizza, you’re in luck. In addition to the New York style eatery, Brozinni is now rolling a mobile pizza truck around town to satisfy your pizza craving on the go. “We’ve been in business for six years now, and we’re really excited about this new venture,” says James Cross, owner.

Look for the N.Y.C.-themed truck throughout the southside and downtown areas, with locations posted on its social media sites.

(317) 865-0911, www.brozinni.net

Perfectly Paired We called on Vino Villa owner Paul Jacquin for expert advice on wines to accompany seafood dishes. Here, Jacquin weighs in on the best pairings for a delicate and delicious maritime menu.

“A nice, dry Riesling pairs really well with seafood,” he says.

“The acidity you have with lemon makes Riesling a nice choice with that flavor. For saltier dishes that include cheese or bacon, I would go with a nice Chardonnay. It lends a nice balance.”

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taste

‘Get Zesty’ We have to admit—we’re happy to leave the heavy soups and casseroles behind and start lightening up in the kitchen. Springtime ushers in brighter, lighter flavors, and at Cerulean in downtown Indianapolis, chef Caleb France knows exactly how to achieve the effect: citrus zest. “I love to add lemon zest to almost any pasta,” he says. “Add it in right at the finish, and it brightens the palate and perks up the tongue.”

Lime and orange zest also punch up flavor. “I like to zest oranges into crème fraiche,” France says. Add citrus zest to cookies and cakes, glazes, sauces and dressings for an instant, easy boost. Cerulean, 339 S. Delaware St., (317) 8701320, ceruleanrestaurant.com

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worth the trip

Juice Joints

In search of the perfect cocktail?

Look no further than Indianapolis.

By Clint Smith

Cocktails at Bluebeard

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There was a time when the tedium of discovering a decent place to grab a top-notch cocktail in Indy was, well, enough to drive you to drink, and perhaps the ultimate result was settling on sub-par libations. Yet, similar to the metamorphosis taking place in the city’s food scene, the heralds of Indy’s culinary alterations—Neal Brown (The Libertine), Micah Frank (Black Market), John and Abbie Adams (Bluebeard)—are paying just as much attention to what the city’s drinking.

Call them liquor bars, gastro-pubs or trend-setting taverns, these hot spots are providing new dimensions for how Hoosiers imbibe. And it’s happening one drink at a time.

Photos provided

worth the trip Smoke and Mirrors at The Ball & Biscuit

»Black Market

922 Massachusetts Ave., Indianapolis, (317) 822-6757, blackmarketindy.net Cleaving through a dark, heavy curtain, customers entering Black Market are confronted with a set of wide, wooden tables that function as a communal dining area—an inviting, unpretentious seating arrangement that also serves as an ideal spot to appraise the cocktails being created behind the bar.

The restrained decor at Black Market is deceiving, particularly when considering the complicated care that goes into not only the composition of the food and beverage menus, but the effort taken to make them work in tandem. “We make all of our mixes and syrups in-house and take cues from the kitchen when it comes to striving for zero waste with ingredients.”

That’s from Chris Coy, general manager at Black Market. For example, “When the cooks pickle vegetables or fruit,” says Coy, “we try to utilize the brines from those pickles in our drinks by matching them with some of our syrups and spirits.”

But the food-drink relationship is also reciprocal. “When we make our shrubs (vinegar that has been infused with fresh fruit, spices and herbs), we take the ‘spent’ fruit back to the kitchen,” Coy says, and those ingredients are then utilized in braising liquids, marinades and sauces.

One of Black Market’s most popular “old favorites” is the Jackie Treehorn, a potent trio of Woodford Reserve bourbon, artisan maple syrup from Burton’s Maplewood Farm (Medora) and spiced apple shrub. “Each year,” Coy says, “we end up making 10 to 15 gallons of apple shrub” just to keep up with the high demand for the drink.

No matter the drink selection, the subtle, savory signatures of the kitchen will be appreciatively apparent, and in Coy’s estimation, this is the key to Black Market’s overall philosophy. “Working closely with the kitchen to share ideas and ingredients is the most important idea to us,” he says. “It’s a collaborative effort between the bar and the kitchen, and allows us to connect the dots between the cocktails and chef Micah Frank’s food.”

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»The Ball & Biscuit 331 Massachusetts Ave., Indianapolis, (317) 636-0539, ballandbiscuit.com

Just a short jog south of Black Market is The Ball & Biscuit, one of the more established and beloved libation stations on Massachusetts Avenue. As intended, the collaborative masterminds behind Ball & Biscuit have captured a number of

Hanky Panky

speak-easy aesthetics—including antique items strategically placed in the nooks and crannies along the mortar-and-brick walls—all giving a wink and a nod to the throwback vibe of this jazz-groovy “gin mill.” And the “classic” drinks only add to the nostalgia.

Hanging over the main bar is a bank of lights, each dimly lit coil ensconced by sleek and austere glass bulbs, bringing to mind the sort of implements one would find in Tesla’s laboratory. Perhaps this is an apt association when accounting for the bygone alchemy taking place behind the counter at this “juice joint.”

A notable offering is the Sazerac, an indefatigable classic made with Jim Beam, house-made simple syrup and Regan’s Orange Bitters, served in a glass “rinsed” with Vieux Carre absinthe (a potent spirit known as the “green fairy” in cocktail parlance). Another usual suspect is the Old Fashioned, featuring Elijah Craig bourbon, a super-premium, 12-year-old whiskey produced by Heaven Hills Distillery in Bardstown, Ky. And what’s with the name? While the B&B certainly enjoys the robust speculation the title elicits, the “ball and biscuit” is actually a nickname for a 1930s-era microphone manufactured by Standard Telephones and Cables Ltd., a British subsidiary of Western Electric—just another conversation piece bubbling to the surface of the pleasantly rowdy neighborhood bar.

worth the trip

»Delicia

»Bluebeard

5215 N. College Ave., Indianapolis, (317) 925-0677, deliciaindy.com Taking both its cuisine and cocktails beyond the realm of common, Latin fare is Delicia, which opened on Cinco de Mayo in 2013. Since opening, Delicia has ceaselessly redefined how guests eat and drink from its rotating menu.

Enclosed by walls of white-washed brick juxtaposed with smooth wooden planking, the warmly lit interior is an ideal space for a comfy menu-tour of frosty cervasas (beers) and stiff bebidas (drinks). Both Latin and craft drafts are available on tap, and there’s a requisite selection of Mexican bottled beers—Corona, Bohemia, Tecate.

But it’s the contingent of cocktails that will truly get your attention. New twists are added to the margarita, substituting the humdrum tequila and sweet-and-sour with a mix of blue agave

653 Virginia Ave., Indianapolis, (317) 686-1580, bluebeardindy.com Fire N Ice

reposado tequila paired with fresh lime and agave nectar. Indy-based Wilks & Wilson, self-proclaimed purveyors of fine elixirs, makes an appearance in a top-shelf mojito with its lime mint simple syrup, complementing Appleton Estate Jamaican white rum.

For those who desire a little spice, check out the Fire N Ice, an assertive solution of jalapeno-infused tequila, fresh herbs and habanero reduction stirred with a three-chili iceball.

And for the wine buffs, Delicia provides an extensive list, which does away with the typical delineation, opting instead for “crisp and fresh” whites and “big and intense” reds.

While esteemed Indiana writer Kurt Vonnegut is the titular inspiration of Bluebeard (a 1987 novel by the Hoosier literary legend), the creative team at this community hangout is constantly capitalizing on local sources of inspiration.

John and Abbie Adams, the husband-andwife duo at the helm in the kitchen, employ the services of a capable cast of cooks in the back of the house, producing plates of food with jam-band adaptability. Drinks and drafts are concocted by a fleet of mixologists overseen by bar manager JB Andrews.

The interior’s a tidy mix of bookshop-warehouse and curio shop. Here and there—on overhead ledges and wooden sills—writerly touches like antique typewriters and the time-worn spines of novels are nestled next to meticulously faced bottles of spirits.

Distinctive Kitchen & Bath

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worth the trip So It Goes

Cat’s Cradle at Bluebeard

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The bar staff is attentive and immediately opens the floor for questions about cocktails and menu items. Bluebeard covers its beer bases by providing some familiar, city-centric brews (Fountain Square Brewery and Sun King Brewing Co.) and even gives a wink to the east by providing an India Pale Ale from Daredevil Brewing Co. in Shelbyville.

In addition to the positive press the cuisine has garnered, Bluebeard has gained national attention for its trio of gin and tonics: the House Gin & Tonic (featuring Bluecoat Gin); Hopped Gin and Tonic (made with Small’s Gin and tart, grapefruit bitters); and Old Tom and Tonic (Bitterman’s celery shrub bitters paired with Old Tom Gin). All three potent potables feature a special tonic made exclusively for Bluebeard.

And the restaurant would likely disappoint visitors if there weren’t Vonnegutinspired drink titles on the menu; present are the So It Goes (made with Laird’s Applejack) and the Cat’s Cradle (Journeyman Gin, Old Bardstown Bourbon), among several others.

»The Libertine Liquor Bar

38 E. Washington St., Indianapolis, (317) 631-3333, libertineindy.com Though the narrow space occupied by the Libertine Liquor Bar is shotgun-house slim, it’s an ample venue for Neal Brown and his crew to exercise staggering feats in the mediums of food and drink. Like the other establishments mentioned in this piece, the Libertine has accumulated both micro and macro accolades.

Aesthetically speaking, the Libertine’s symmetrically minimalist approach plays like a speak-easy constructed by IKEA. The thin branches of a white sapling break through a dark wall, which seems Absinthe to absorb the dim, at Libertine amber-cozy light; a Liquor Bar teak-tinted, cubbycompartment shelving unit dominates the backdrop behind the sleek bar, many of the square chambers containing a single, hand-selected object of curiosity— vintage photos, collectible ceramics, bottles of first-rate liquor.

The stylish attention to detail invested in the decor imparts itself in the meticulous execution of the Libertine’s libations. One of the mixologists making magic behind the bar is Michael Toscano, a Beech Grove high school graduate who keenly crafts drinks that not only harken to a historic era in American cocktails but also elevate to a new level. “These are the cocktails that created the idea of cocktails,” says Toscano, noting famous names like the classic Sidecar (a brandy-based beverage paired with orange liqueur) and the rye whiskey-centric Sazerac.

The Screw & Bolt—a complex concoction of gin, orange blossom water and aromatic tonka—has proven to be a big draw, but drink profiles shift, particularly those not on the menu. “We have cocktail evaluations every quarter,” explains Toscano, who created a drink that fellow bartender Andrew Hayden classified as capturing all the elements of a true, “late night” cocktail: a mixture of Jamaican rum, reposado tequila, Luxardo liqueur and mole bitters.

Meet our new chef!

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Taste of the Wild

C

Sample olive oils and balsamic vinegars at the flavor-filled Brown County shop

By Sherri Dugger Photography by Josh Marshall

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Cari Ray remembers the first time she walked into an olive oil and balsamic vinegar sampling room. It was in 2009 at a shop in Michigan. She tasted several of the store’s offerings and “fell in love with the flavors,” she says. “I walked out with a case.”

Ray now hopes to inspire those same feelings of passion in customers—whom she affectionately refers to as “Wild Ones”—who enter her Brown County tasting room and store.

Ray and business partner, Michelle Damrell, opened The Wild Olive in Nashville’s Big Woods Village building in May 2012. The idea to open the shop was born, first, of necessity. Ray, a singer/songwriter, was looking for a second income stream

that would leave her more time to focus on her music. The second reason to open the store was simple: It was a good idea. “I was surprised no one had done it here,” she says.

“It’s such a great fit.”

The few stores Ray says she had visited tried “to do an elegant thing with their tasting rooms,” she says. “It comes off as unapproachable. Our idea was to create a vibe that was bright, warm and inviting.”

And their idea worked. Despite the shop’s original second-floor spot (the store has since relocated to the first floor of the same downtown Nashville building), The Wild Olive has met with quick success, thanks—in part—to its sweet-tasting offerings. The shop is lined with rows of flavored

Local producers, merchants and entrepreneurs

Michelle Damrell and Cari Ray.

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44 N. Van Buren St. (812) 988-9453, thewildolive.com

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balsamic vinegars and olive oils that guests can sample before deciding on what to buy.

The Wild Olive offers approximately 40 flavors of single varietal and flavor-infused oils and balsamics, with options like basil, garlic, Tuscan herb and black pepper olive oils and garlic cilantro, red raspberry and coconut white balsamic vinegars, all bottled in the store.

The store’s balsamics are made in Modeno, Italy. Its oils come from California and places as far away as Argentina and Spain, depending on the quality of each season’s groves from year to year. Ray and Damrell purchase their products from “importers who buy from both hemispheres so that we can buy the freshest oil we can,” Ray says.

“These olives were hanging on a tree within the last year, which is really important to the quality as well as the naturally occurring health benefits.”

Ray goes on to discuss polyphenols, the natural antioxidants found in fresh olive oils, but which are often lost in brands on the shelves of big box stores. The health benefits of both olive oil and balsamic vinegar are listed on The Wild Olive’s website. Balsamic, said to be high in cancer-fighting antioxidants, is touted as a natural appetite suppressant. Olive oil, a natural anti-inflammatory, is said to lower cholesterol, blood pressure and the risk of coronary disease.

Beyond the health aspects, balsamic vinegar and olive oil are most often thought of for use in salad dressings and marinades.

But they can be used for so much more, says the shop’s co-owner. Ray uses “balsamic as a condiment,” she explains. “I will take hickory balsamic and drizzle it over a turkey sandwich. You’re going to use half as much as you would a regular condiment

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because you don’t need much. It (balsamic) gives new life to foods.”

The Wild Olive also sells local honey, produced specially for the store, as well as gourmet pantry items like mustards, tapenades, marinades, stuffed olives and spice blends. Later this year, Ray and Damrell hope to create a section of their store dedicated to “local flavor,” Ray says, which will feature locally made or grown foods.

In the end, it might come as a surprise to some that a dedicated musician spends so much of her time selling kitchen goods, but Ray’s latest venture is, in fact, closely aligned with her other artistic impulses.

“People often say to me, ‘You’re a musician; what are you doing with an olive oil store?’” she says. “Cooking and being in the kitchen, creating color and flavor, have always been another creative outlet for me.”

Proudly serving the south side.

317 | 933-2623 www.YourOutdoorOasis.net Find us on Facebook

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Perfect Pairings With so many options, choosing which oil and vinegar to mix can be tough. Here, Cari Ray offers four of the store’s most popular combinations.

Black Pepper Olive Oil + Hickory Balsamic

Persian Lime Olive Oil + Coconut White Balsamic

Basil Olive Oil + Strawberry Balsamic

Tuscan Herb Olive Oil + 25 Star Aged Balsamic

Substitute Teacher Cari Ray suggests substituting olive oil for the fat (butter, shortening, etc.) in any recipe. If the recipe already calls for a liquid oil (vegetable, canola, etc.), you can substitute olive oil 1:1. For other, solid fats, use the handy conversion chart below.

These ratios are especially important when baking to ensure proper texture. “Using infused oils, this is not only a way to make a healthier option, but also a great way to bring added flavor,” Ray says. “For example, use a citrus-infused oil in cakes, pancakes or cookies. One of our favorites is blood orange extra virgin olive oil as a substitute for vegetable oil in brownies. Or add jalapeño or chipotle olive oil to cornbread or any homemade bread for a savory kick.”

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Butter = Extra Virgin Ol ive Oil (EVO O) 1 TEASPOON BUTTER = ¾ TEASPOON EVOO 2 TEASPOONS BUTTER = 1½ TEASPOONS EVOO 1 TABLESPOON BUTTER = 2¼ TEASPOONS EVOO 2 TABLESPOONS BUTTER = 1½ TABLESPOONS EVOO ¼ CUP BUTTER = 3 TABLESPOONS EVOO ½ CUP BUTTER= ¼ Cup + 2 TABLESPOONS EVOO 1 CUP BUTTER = ¾ CUP EVOO

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good will

Spring 2013 recipients of the Community Impact Fund gathered at JCCF to receive their grant checks. A total of $82,148.10 was awarded to 18 organizations.

Leaders in giving The Johnson County Community Foundation unites people who can help with causes that need them

T

By Paige Harden

Thanks to the Johnson County Community Foun-

dation, Chelsi (Mobley) Harper feels her life has been forever changed. It was 2007 when Harper was awarded a scholarship through the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program, which covers full tuition and fees for a student who is pursuing a baccalaureate degree in an accredited public or private college in Indiana.

It was a gift that Harper says she passionately prayed would happen. In order to receive the scholarships, students must have graduated from an Indiana high school and have shown a high level of community service and a record of high academic performance. During her high school years at Franklin Community High School, Harper met all the requirements.

She served as student council president and vice president of

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National Honor Society, among other roles. She also served on projects for Riley Children’s Foundation and for the local community through an annual Christmas celebration that helped families in need during the holiday season.

“My life was immediately transformed through the Johnson County Community Foundation,” Harper says. “I was able to attend college and devote my attention to learning and serving without having to carry the burdensome load of debt that is associated with a college education.”

While attending classes at Butler University and Franklin College, Harper continued to serve (class president at Butler; student body president at Franklin), and it is this same spirit of servitude that drives the Johnson County Community Foundation (JCCF).

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good will

Chelsi Harper, a 2007 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship recipient, spoke to young scholars at the 2010 annual meeting. Above right, Trent Tatlock and Hollis VanFossen were the 2013 recipients of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship. Here they are displaying their certificates during the Lilly scholar reception.

A leader in philanthropy in Johnson County, the foundation, which started in 1991, brings together those in the community who wish to give of their time or finances with the causes and organizations that need them.

In 2013, the Johnson County Community Foundation awarded 170 higher education scholarships, totaling more than $400,000. In 2012, the foundation supported the growth of more than 200 funds. It granted $379,754 to local causes and awarded $373,713 in higher education scholarships to 165 students.

“Together, we have helped strengthen education, support the arts, promote civic life, protect our environment, ensure strong health and social services, and offer thousands of Johnson County students scholarship opportunities,” says Gail Richards, JCCF president and CEO. Money earned on the organization’s assets, which are currently at a record high of $20 million, is awarded to community agencies and nonprofit organizations through grants. A nine-member committee makes decisions on how the organization’s endowment funds are invested.

“Each committee member takes (his or her) role very seriously,” Richards says. “The endowment belongs to the community, and we work very hard to grow and nurture it.”

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“My life was immediately transformed through the Johnson County Community Foundation. I was able to attend college and devote my attention to learning and serving without having to carry the burdensome load of debt that is associated with a college education.”—Chelsi Harper

Some donations are allocated for specific funds, but all are granted to help the community in one of the organization’s core areas of focus: education; health and human services; arts and culture; civic and community development; enrichment; agriculture; scholarship; and circle of friends.

The foundation has established more than 240 funds.

“We are proud to support such an amazing group of nonprofits that are leaders in meeting the diverse needs of the community,” says John Shell, grants chairman of the Johnson County Community Foundation. “We believe that supporting our local organizations is a critical step to helping build a better, brighter future for our community.”

Funds from the Community Alliance to Promote Education (CAPE) help JCCF support early learning and literacy programs.

good will

The foundation awarded Creekside Elementary School’s Boomerang Backpacks program a $5,000 grant from the Community Impact Fund. The program provides economically disadvantaged students with weekend lunches.

One way it does this: helping to fight the Johnson County hunger war—one backpack at a time. The foundation gives funding to Creekside Elementary School’s Boomerang Backpack program, which provides economically disadvantaged students with weekend lunches. “It is absolutely certain that some of our students would go hungry on weekends without the food from Boomerang Backpacks,” says Samantha Lowe, Creekside counselor.

The school would not be able to help these students, Lowe says, without the support of JCCF. “Their generosity has undoubtedly made this program possible.”

Richards encourages Johnson County residents to actively learn about and participate in the foundation’s efforts. “The best way to understand Johnson County is to get involved with an organization such as the foundation,” she explains. “Because of our flexibility in providing grants to organizations, the foundation touches every conceivable field of interest. There is no better way to understand everything going on in the world around you than to get involved.”

Family is

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3154 South SR 135, Greenwood, Indiana 46143 NOW ACCEPTING RESERVATIONS FOR ASSISTED LIVING APARTMENT HOMES SOU T H

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good will

Youth Philanthropy Initiative of Johnson County (YPIJC) volunteered at the Gateway booth at the 2013 Johnson County Fair. From left, Gavin Franklin, Jackson Hughes, Claire Meade, Kevin Stahl and Christine Bay.

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Richards says many donors choose to donate to JCCF because they know their investment will make a significant impact on the community. “This organization is complex and involves a great deal of trust on the part of the donor to make an investment with us,” she says. “Because we are so flexible, we have donors who structure their legacy to provide annual support to multiple causes. We are a one-stop shop for charitable giving.”

Richards says community members do not need to give a financial donation to help JCCF. She says there are numerous volunteer opportunities that also are crucial to the strength of the organization.

“Our mission is to enhance the quality of life for all citizens of Johnson County, now and for generations to come, by building community endowment, addressing needs through grant making and providing leadership on key community issues,” she explains.

Harper graduated from Franklin College with a degree in secondary education with concentrated studies in government, economics and history. Just prior to

good will

The Johnson County Community Foundation:

2013 scholarship recipient Paige Lundy and her mother admire her award certificate at the 2013 annual meeting and scholarship recognition event.

graduating in the spring of 2011, she was hired by Brownsburg Community School Corp. to teach. She has since moved to Clark-Pleasant Middle School in Greenwood, where she teaches eighth-grade U.S. history.

And Harper has her own hard work, as well as the support from the Johnson

County Community Foundation and the Lilly Endowment, to thank for it. “At my heart’s core I know that every opportunity I found during my college education, every mission I was able to set and accomplish, every person that I was able to reach out to, and every dream that I was blessed to watch transpire into reality

»Encourages giving for the good of the community. »Builds and manages funds to respond to the community’s current and future needs. »Provides flexible giving options so donors can do charitable works for the community. »Serves as a partner in providing leadership on key community issues. »Responds to community needs through grants and scholarships.

was made possible by the altruistic gift I received,” she says. “The Johnson County Community Foundation embodies the power of giving.”

To learn more about the Johnson County Community Foundation, visit www.jccf. org. To make a donation or to get involved, contact the foundation at (317) 738-2213.

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home trends

Angie’s Pool and Spa salt water pool.

Swimming in Green

G

Welcome the pool season with an eco-friendly wave

By Teresa Nicodemus

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“Go green” is the buzz phrase for

energy-conscious homeowners seeking cost savings and a more efficient approach to living in today’s challenging economy.

The green philosophy spans not only how we heat and cool our homes, wash our clothes, recycle our trash and eat our food, but also how we spend our summer fun in the backyard pool. Local experts help us dive in to the basics of eco-friendly pool equipment and maintenance.

Clean and Green Taking a cue from the green movement, pool manufacturers have developed innovative alternatives to sanitizing pools by using less chlorine and more state-of-theart technology. Why? Chlorine can be an irritant, causing red, itchy eyes and dry skin, and for a number of people, it can cause allergic reactions.

Chris Newett, owner of Pool City in Greenwood, explains a few options for Photos provided

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F o u n d aT i o n

home trends

Salt pool system.

reducing or eliminating chlorine use in the pool. Mineral reservoir systems in conjunction with automatic chlorinators, for example, can regulate proper usage of chlorine and reduce amounts of chlorine needed. The use of silver and limestone minerals in a reservoir system can cut chlorine usage by at least 50 percent. “We have also installed salt generators,” says Newett, “which produce chlorine and eliminate the need for consumers to purchase large amounts of chlorine to sanitize their pool.”

The term “salt generator” can be confusing. “Often pool owners will believe salt systems are chlorine free, but the systems actually generate chlorine,” explains Allie Shrum, general manager of Angie’s Pool & Spa Inc. in Greenwood. “Even with special chlorinating equipment, shocking the pool at least once a week as needed rids the water of any contaminants.”

A non-chlorine shock alternative is an oxidizing procedure. This unique powder solution activates the inactive chlorine existing in your pool, creating a cleaner

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home trends

shock that makes the pool water crisper, according to Shrum.

Pool equipment manufacturers have developed a plethora of alternatives to chlorine, from the use of copper plates in ionization systems, which can reduce dependence on chlorine by up to 90 percent, to ozonators attached to your pool’s filtration system, which use ozone gas to kill bacteria.

“These sanitizing systems all need to be monitored and tested on a daily basis throughout the swim season to properly regulate the unit’s production,” says Newett. “These innovations certainly help in reducing the use of chemical sanitizers to keep your pool sparkling clear.”

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loss in the water, which in turn reduces use of the pool heater. “The most common accessory with in-ground pools in the last 10 years is an automatic cover,” Newett says. “With a flip of a switch, the pool cover shields and encapsulates the entire pool’s surface, eliminating dirt and debris, reducing chlorine consumption and heat loss, and most importantly, pool covers offer the safety value of not having to worry about an open pool.”

Automatic covers offer behind-thescenes cost savings to pool owners, too. By instantly and completely sealing the pool, durable automatic covers prevent water evaporation, which is a contributing factor to heat loss. Making your heat pump work less, along with the added benefit of using less water and pool chemicals, a covered pool can save 90 percent of water used, compared to a pool that is un-

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home trends

Salt generator.

covered. Additionally, water in a covered pool is kept cleaner from debris, lessening the energy costs of the pool’s pump and filtration system.

Another option for energy and cost savings is to consider purchasing a pool filtration pump with a variable speed motor.

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These motors are becoming more popular in new pool installations and renovations, according to Newett. “There can be a substantial energy reduction by using an energy-efficient variable speed motor to adjust the proper speed necessary to filter your pool,” he says. The motors reduce electrical use 30 percent to 40 percent.

To green your pool even further, consider a heat pump. These energy-thrifty pumps require less energy to keep your pool heated at the desired temperature. They also require less electricity than a standard electrical heater. By using ambient air to produce temperature rises in the pool water, they are not dependent on the cost of gas and the possible cyclical price increases.

All in all, prevention is key. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” says Shrum. “A pool will be better for you if you stay on top of the water chemistry.

It’s cheaper and easier to maintain a pool than it is to clean it. If it becomes cloudy with algae, it’s much more expensive to clean at that point.”

home trends

Open Season Thanks to the ever-changing weather in Indiana, there’s not a set perfect time to open your pool, but Angie’s Pool & Spa operations manager Josh Henry says most of his customers start uncovering their pools and purchasing needed chemical and maintenance equipment around mid-April. Here, Chris Newett, owner of Pool City in Greenwood, offers some tips for a no-fuss pool opening.

» Drain the water off the winter cover completely and clean all debris off the cover’s surface before removing it. This will help prevent any debris from falling in the water as you remove the cover. » Remove all plugs in pool inlets and returns; then fill the pool to a proper level. » Make sure you put all drain plugs into the pool equipment properly. Inspect the filter equipment and check that all the connections are snug.

» Add the proper chemicals to begin balancing your pool water. It is highly recommended to have a water sample taken to your local pool professional to have it tested. The pool professional can help you in the proper procedure in the treatment of your pool water. Be sure to monitor your pool water for the next several days, to assure no leaks appear, the equipment is working properly, and the water is testing in the proper range, so you can appreciate the clarity of the pool in a week or two.

» Turn the pool system on, inspect for any leaks around the pool equipment. The pump may need to be primed, and the heater may need to have the pilot lighted.

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health & fitness

M Dirty Girl Mud Run

Playing Dirty Mud runs and obstacle courses offer athletes a new brand of racing

By Alisa Advani

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Mud runs have exploded in popularity. Their insane terrains draw athletes who are bored with slogging away on treadmills and sweating through rote exercise DVDs. This new fitness trend attracts all levels of runners, from the weekend jogger to the serious marathoner who trains to win a spot among the best.

The races are typically off-road, 5K or 10K in distance (3.1 and 6.2 miles, respectively), with lots of mud and obstacles in between. Unlike a regular mini or marathon, participants face multiple hurdles in addition to the distance challenge.

From mud pits to rope climbs, runners will find a bit of everything during these races, explains Callie Stephens, national brand ambassador for Dirty Girl races. Dirty Girl, Indy’s premier women-only race, supports Bright Pink, an organization created to help women recognize the signs and symptoms of breast and ovarian cancer. With clever obstacles like the PMS (Pretty Muddy Stuff) mud pit and the Get Over Yourself wall climb, Dirty Girl participants will at least be amused, if not physically challenged, while playing in the mud. This year’s event takes place on May 17.

Marine Paul Courtaway started the original Mud Run–Warrior Dash, which takes participants through grueling, military-style challenges, such as climbing up an 8-foot tower and leaping into a pit of mud. Chicago-based Red Frog Events, which now manages Warrior Dash, has 35 Warrior Dash races scheduled in 2014.

“We are still in the process of planning the international races,” says Stephanie Schell, one of 10 Warrior Dash race directors. “The most we have ever had was in 2013 with 50 races in one year.”

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Southside Warrior Dashers will need to make the annual pilgrimage to Tom’s Marine in Crawfordsville to run this year. The Indiana race has been located there since arriving in the state.

Mudathlon-Indianapolis, in its fifth year in downtown Indianapolis, is three miles long with 40 obstacles. “We pride ourselves in having more obstacles and a highly organized and safe execution for a great event,” says Anna Ryan, marketing manager for Vision Event Management.

One of the nice things about these races is the spirit of the event itself, she adds.

Groups of friends come out and form teams. Participants of all abilities and all ages arrive to have fun. “Mud runs are a lot shorter, have a festival atmosphere with waves going off throughout the day,” explains Ryan.

The fun vibe of these runs definitely lends itself to team building, and teams are integral to the experience. “About 90 percent of Dirty Girl participants join a team,” says Stephens. “Whether it’s family, friends or co-workers, Dirty Girl (and other obstacle races) are best experienced

health & fitness with pals. There’s nothing better than laughing with girlfriends all the way to the finish line.”

Schell feels that multiple factors contribute to the rising popularity of these races.

“First, anyone over 14 can participate,” she says. “You do not have to be in perfect shape to run these races. People of all fitness levels finish. Some choose to walk the course in between obstacles.”

Races are not timed, she adds. “It is more about having fun and participating. Mud runs are not as intense as regular marathons.”

Kevin Brown, a Southport resident and fitness instructor who has been running in races for the past 19 years, says that he considers both his fitness goals and the opportunity to enjoy a sense of community when planning his spring and summer race schedule. “I like running in different events because I get to be around others that share that common goal,” he says. “It’s like runners are a huge family.”

Like most athletic events, these courses are paved with stories of courage, philanthropy and goodwill. “It is exciting to have

Mudathlon

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health & fitness Mudathlon

another reason to tighten your laces and do some good,” says Brown.

As an organization, Warrior Dash has raised just under $7.5 million for St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.

“Our St. Jude Warriors who fundraise get access to private showers, food and drinks, a private St. Jude Warrior tent on race day,” says Schell. In 2013, the top three fundraisers for St. Jude each won a free trip for two to any domestic Warrior Dash event in 2014.

At a local event in North Vernon, the last Tame the Terrain racer to cross the finish line in 2013 had tears streaming down her cheeks. “She was overjoyed because she finished,” recalls the Rev. Jonathan Meyer, who is one of the race’s coordinators. Tame the Terrain was created to help raise money for the youths in Meyer’s parish. He and some friends got the idea while training at Muscatatuck Park, also in North Vernon.

Long term, Meyer thinks that the obstacle course is the “new 5K run.” The obstacles break up the monotony with fun challenges along the way. “It’s like playing army or Tarzan when you were a kid,” he says.

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»Upcoming Races Mudathlon – Strip ’n’ Run

The inaugural 5K course winds through downtown landmarks and neighborhoods. Shed layers of clothes at the four strip stations.

(No birthday suits allowed.) The clothes you give away will be donated to charity.

Date: April 13 Location: Indianapolis Cost: $30 for early registration

Dirty Girl Mud Run

Take on 3.1 miles of 11 obstacles designed by an elite ex-Army ranger. Three hundred complimentary entry slots are available for cancer survivors.

Date: May 17 Location: Indianapolis Cost: $65 for early registration

Indianapolis 5K Foam Fest Approximately 15 to 30 obstacles on a 5K course with the added excitement of a mud/foam run.

Date: June 14 Location: Indianapolis Cost: $60 for early registration

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Sticking with Tradition

NMLS #186732

gaining in popularity, Indianapolis still provides serious and prospective runners plenty of opportunities to lace up and test their skills in traditional running races.

The Indianapolis Monumental Marathon (IMM), for instance, provides the community with a full marathon, half marathon, 5K and a children’s fun run.

This past year, IMM presented $122,000 to the IPS Education Foundation, the Simon Youth Foundation and the College Summit. Already the state’s largest marathon, the race has continued to experience unprecedented growth.

St. Francis Hospital, on Indy’s southside, sponsors the marathon. The organization’s dedication to community health mirrors IMM’s general mission to get people of all ages outside and running.

“Promoting health and wellness benefits our entire community, particularly our youth and local schools,” says Robert J. Brody, president and chief executive officer for Franciscan St. Francis Health. “Truly, the marathon is a test of endurance for athletes, and the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon puts the spotlight on our city.”

Indianapolis Monumental Marathon

Carmel Marathon Weekend A marathon, half marathon, marathon relay and Carmel 8K. Date: April 12 Location: Carmel Cost: $85 (full); $65 (half)

OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon & Finish Line 500 Festival 5K The nation’s largest half marathon, with approximately 35,000 participants each year.

Date: May 3 Location: Indianapolis Cost: $75 (half); $40 (5K)

Indianapolis Marathon A marathon, half marathon, marathon relay, 5K run/walk and 1K kids marathon.

Date: Oct. 18 Location: Indianapolis Cost: $65 (full), $55 (half)

Indianapolis Monumental Marathon

Course runs through downtown Indianapolis and surrounding neighborhoods.

Date: Nov. 1 Location: Indianapolis Cost: $80 (full); $65 (half)

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travel

Farm Stays

Tyner Pond Farm

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Photos provided

Take a break from city life and experience country charm firsthand

By Ashley Petry

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travel

In the years before the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette built a fake farm village in her backyard, complete with a flock of sheep— perfumed, of course—that she sometimes pretended to tend.

Fortunately, travelers no longer have to resort to such tricks if they want to spend a day (and even a night) on a working farm. After a long, gloomy winter, a farm stay seems like the perfect way to reconnect with the bounty of nature. Here are six Indiana options to try.

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Mary Rose Herb Farm and Retreat

23112 Cattail Road, Bristow; (812) 3572699; www.maryroseherbfarm.com »Founded in 1999, the Mary Rose Herb Farm and Retreat offers a unique lodging option: yurts. The free-standing circular buildings, which are made of insulated canvas and wood frames, let guests fall asleep to the sounds of nature.

Even better, the roofs can be opened for an unparalleled view of the stars.

Owners Dick Betz and Rosa Lee Sheard scaled back the herb-farming aspect of the business in recent years, primarily for health reasons (which caused them to close the inn for a few months this winter). Sheard passed away on Jan. 31 of this yaear, but Betz planned to continue the business and reopen on March 1.

Stick around for a few days to explore other southern Indiana agritourism destinations, such as Capriole Farmstead Goat Cheese (Greenville) and Huber’s Orchard, Winery and Vineyards (Starlight).

Michaela Farm

3127 Indiana 229, Batesville; (812) 933-0661; oldenburgfranciscans.org/farm.asp »On a budget? Although space is limited, you may be able to snag a spot in the Volunteer in Residence Program at Michaela Farm, which is operated by the Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg.

Volunteers can stay for up to two weeks, working at least five hours a day on the farm in exchange for free lodging.

The Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg, has farmed the property since 1854, but production decreased in the 1970s and 1980s before stopping entirely in 1987. In 1991, the Sisters revived the farm, a 300-acre property that encompasses peaceful pastures, woodlands and prairies. With the help of volunteers, they now tend multiple herb, flower and vegetable gardens; in addition, more than 200 chickens and 70 beefalo currently call Michaela Farm home.

“We grow things as naturally as possible, so people who volunteer with us learn about the ways we produce and manage a garden without harmful chemicals and synthetic fertilizers,” says Becky Miller, head gardener. “They get a better idea of how a farm works as a complete ecosystem.”

travel

Mirror Lake Bed and Breakfast

11463 N. Road 150W, Rome City; (260) 854-4675; www.mirrorlakebb.com »Located in the heart of Amish Country, the Mirror Lake Bed and Breakfast is a perfect home base for exploring Indiana’s farming heritage. Guests stay in a tranquil, private lakeside cottage and enjoy the bounty of a farm breakfast, often accompanied by a soundtrack of clopping horse hooves.

But the real highlight is the “Farm to Farm” tour package. Guests start their day right on the Mirror Lake farm, learning about grain and cattle farming.

Owner Kathy Fought says guests are also welcome to help with the horse chores or, during harvest season, to hitch a ride on the combine.

Next, Fought sends guests on a customized itinerary of tours at nearby farms, which specialize in products ranging from bison to alpacas to maple syrup. Bonus: She also provides a packed picnic lunch, which includes foods from the same farms her guests have chosen to visit.

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7408 E. Road 200S, Greenfield; (317) 442-2679; www.tynerpond farm.com »After your blockbuster technology startup is acquired for $2.5 billion, what’s left to do? For Chris Baggott, one of the founders of Indy-based ExactTarget, the answer was clear: Buy a farm. With fellow farmer Mark Farrell, Baggott now owns Tyner Pond Farm in Greenfield. It’s named for Elijah Tyner, a pioneer who established the farm in 1820, just four years after Indiana achieved statehood.

Tyner Pond Farm offers daily tours of its sustainable operation,

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which specializes in pasture-raised beef, chicken and pork. “We have no secrets at the farm,” says business manager Chandra Chaves. “We’re very open about how we run things.”

The farm’s four-bedroom farmhouse, which sleeps nine, is available for rent year-round. The fridge and freezer can be stocked, on request, with Tyner Pond Farm products, or guests can pick up supplies at the farm store, located just a few steps away. Fishing in the stocked lake is another fun option.

“It’s a good gathering place for families,” Chaves says. “And it’s peace and quiet in a beautiful setting.”

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travel

White Violet Center for Eco-Justice

1 Sisters of Providence Road, Saint Maryof-the-Woods; (812) 535-2930; spsmw.org/ white-violet-center-for-eco-justice »The White Violet Center for Eco-Justice is a mission of the Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-the-Woods, but you don’t have to be Catholic—or even religious— to participate in the center’s Private Earth Retreats. Although the center was created to demonstrate the Sisters’ belief in the interconnectedness of all creation, many people come here just to get some peace and quiet, perhaps by tending the organic vegetable garden, caring for the growing alpaca herd or making some fiber art.

Although the center offers several lodging options, including dorm-style residence halls, the best bet is to reserve a private

cottage. One is sustainably insulated with hay bales, and two are made of recycled materials, but all come with modern, fully equipped kitchens and bathrooms.

If a solitary retreat isn’t your style, try planning your visit around one of the

many educational workshops the center offers. Topics include fiber arts, such as spinning and weaving, as well as caring for fruit trees, fermenting vegetables (think sauerkraut) and celebrating Earth Day in style.

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Wild Winds Buffalo Preserve

6975 N. Ray Road, Fremont; (260) 495-0137; www.wildwindsbuffalo.com ÂťFor a (temporary) home where the buffalo roam, steer your wagon toward the Wild Winds Buffalo Preserve. Founded in 1992 by a retired dental surgeon, the 400-acre preserve has a herd of more than 250 buffalo, plus a handful of horses.

Start with the guided tour, conducted in open-air trucks or on horseback, to get close enough to touch (and even feed) these historic animals. Wild Winds also has an on-site cafĂŠ and gift shop.

But you only get the full Wild Winds experience if you stay overnight. Book a room in the fivebedroom bed and breakfast, where meals often include a generous portion of bison sausage, or stay in one of the outdoor tepees nearby.

Even better, get an adventurous glimpse of the buffalo by moonlight by reserving one of the safari tents, which are set on raised wooden platforms out amongst the buffalo.

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Speaking of Faith Johnette Cruz left behind a career in television to pursue interests closest to her heart

By Jon Shoulders | Photography by Josh Marshall

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profile

G

Greenwood resident Johnette Cruz has lived on

both coasts and in several cities in between, she has toured as a dancer, and she has worked at three major media outlets in Indianapolis since relocating to the city in 2004. Currently, Cruz serves as communications director at Mount Pleasant Christian Church in Greenwood, and the job, as well as her current station in life, feels like home to the 31-year-old wife and mother. In fact, she maintains, there’s no place she’d rather be.

Cruz’s parents hail from Puerto Rico, where much of her extended family still lives, moving to the States during the 1960s.

When Cruz was 9, her family moved from New York to Chula Vista, a city in the southern metropolitan area of San Diego.

During her formative years, Cruz developed a passion for singing and dancing. “When I was a little girl I wanted to be a choreographer, and I was a cheerleader in high school,” she recalls. “That was my thing to do.”

Upon graduating from high school, Cruz left for Las Vegas, where she attended a community college and trained at a local dance academy on the side. Eventually, dance opportunities took her on another journey, this time to Virginia Beach, where she was hired to work as a backup R&B dancer.

It was in Virginia Beach where Cruz met her future

Photo of Puerto Rican and American flags taken by Cruz on her 2008 honeymoon.

Right, Mount Pleasant senior pastor Chris Philbeck baptizing Cruz at age 23.

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husband, Mike, approximately 12 years ago. A southside Indianapolis native who attended Center Grove High School, Mike was also living in Virginia Beach. The two dated for a year before Mike’s job brought him back to the Indianapolis area. “At that point I had lived in several different places, and I thought OK, I’ve never tried the Midwest before, so let’s try it and see how it works,” she says.

With a new city came a new career path. In 2005, she took a position in the promotions department at Clear Channel Radio. “I realized I needed to get realistic about a career, and I thought, well, since I love music so much, how about radio?” she says. From 2008 to 2010, she worked for 92.3 WTTS. Radio soon led to TV: She landed the traffic anchor spot for

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Not long after moving to Indy, Cruz had become a member at Mount Pleasant Christian Church. Early on, she began hosting televised announcements for the congregation there, which provided some much-needed experience in preparing her for a career in broadcasting. Ironically, volunteering also got her noticed at the church— and it foreshadowed yet another eventual shift in her career path.

In January 2013, Cruz left Channel 6 to become communications director at Mount Pleasant.

She decided to make the move “because that is where my heart truly is,” she says.

“Church was at one point not in my life, and now it’s part of every little thing that I do.”

Her faith, she explains, has been growing ever since she moved to Indianapolis, and it is now her passion. She feels as though she traded in one passion—broadcasting—for another. “I’m able to use everything that I’ve learned in radio and TV in my position now,” she says.

The move also gave Cruz more time with her young family, something she says she was lacking with the early hours of her TV career. For her morning show, she would often have to wake up at 2:30 a.m., and it affected the quality of her family time. “I wanted to be more awake with my son, and my husband’s and my schedule was just completely opposite,” she explains. “As soon as he got home from work, I was getting ready for bed, so it made it hard to have any family time throughout the week.”

“Church was at one point not in my life, and now it’s part of every little thing that I do.”

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In her new position, Cruz now oversees the communication aspects of all of Mount Pleasant’s ministry programs; she also works daily to help build community relationships.

Chris Philbeck, senior pastor at Mount Pleasant, says Cruz’s commitment and enthusiasm as a member of the church— which with more than 3,000 weekly attendees has reached “mega-church” status—add a personal touch in her position as one of the church’s voices in the community. “In a church our size, communication is always critical,” Philbeck explains. “It’s critical not only for our regular weekend services and ministries, but also for the extended ministries we have.

Johnette does an excellent job staying on top of all these things.”

“There are so many giving people in our community willing to help others in need, and we wanted to be able to spread the word about all of these great organizations.”

In 2013, Cruz helped to coordinate a partnership between Mount Pleasant and Team World Vision Indianapolis to host a half marathon. The event raised money to provide clean water for communities in Africa. She is an on-air host for “Difference Makers,” a feature on local Christian radio station Shine.FM that showcases nonprofit organizations located around the city.

“To be able to highlight other nonprofit organizations that are truly making a difference in our own backyard is just incredible,” she says. “There are so many giving people in our community willing to help others in need, and we wanted to be able to spread the word about all of these great organizations.”

Cruz also tours the U.S. helping with a women’s conference called Finally Free, organized by Fishers-based Tabor Minis-

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profile

tries. Cruz is a publicist for the conference and helps out as emcee and host.

Still possessing a love for music, Cruz also sings in Mount Pleasant’s weekend choir and on its vocal team, and she created a program at the church that takes members of the church’s ministry into the city to visit the sick and elderly.

During these visits, she explains, vocal team members share songs and prayer with those in need.

In her spare moments, she looks for creative ways to fit in quality time with Mike, who works in sales in the food industry, and their 4-year-old son, Cruz.

“My husband and I just instituted a date night, and I’m so glad that we’ve been able to set aside some time for ourselves,” she says. They regularly go to the movies and work out together.

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Ultimately, however, quality time is about spending time as a family—an extended family. “When we do something, it’s not just me, Mike and Cruz,” she explains. “It’s normally everyone—my sister-in-law and her husband, and my niece and nephew. I love to shop, and my sister-in-law is my partner in crime. We really try to be family-oriented

and do different things with the kids. We genuinely love each other and want to be around one another all the time.”

As for living in Greenwood, Cruz says she “wouldn’t change where we are for the world. I’ve never experienced, in all the places I’ve been in, such a feeling of community (as) here.”

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By Paige Harden Nina Phagan

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Photography

By Josh Marshall

Breaking from the

Norm When school is out, many teachers take off on a new path

Every spring, children in classrooms across the country begin the countdown to summer. Even with the balanced calendar, the eight-week summer break is the longest of the year. For teachers, the break also offers them a reason to be excited: Summer brings opportunities to explore, to learn and to grow.

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A LongDistance Lesson In 2011, Nina Phagan started a summer journey that has pushed her in ways she never imagined possible. Each year, she requires her students at Perry Meridian Middle School to complete a project in which they do something they’ve never done before.

“I didn’t want to just assign the project. I wanted to do it with them,” says Phagan, an eighth-grade social studies teacher. “The first year, I researched motorcycle history and completed all safety courses to obtain my motorcycle license. I wanted to encourage my students to pursue their dreams, just like I was.”

The following year, she took her project another step forward. She applied for and received a grant from the Eli Lilly Teacher Creativity Program to ride her motorcycle across the country. She named her project “Get My Motor Runnin’—Experiencing the American West on Steel Horses.”

Phagan drove her motorcycle, sometimes in the rain, more than 5,500 miles in 26 days. She made countless stops at national parks and sites on the National Register of Historic Places so she could document her trip and use handson lessons in her classroom. She updated her blog, phagansonsteelhorses.blogspot.com, often so students could follow her progress.

“It was the biggest adventure of my life,” Phagan says. “But it tested my physical and emotional stamina and strength. I wasn’t sure if I could finish the cross-country trip after being sunburned, frozen and beaten by the wind.”

Along her journey, she stopped at several national treasures, including Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park, Sandhills Scenic Byway, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon and Arches National Park.

“I am a different person now than I was before I took that trip,” Phagan says. “I originally planned on the trip teaching me more about our country. It did teach me more about our country and its beautiful landscapes, but it taught me more about myself than I ever would have imagined.

It taught me that I can do anything.”

It also changed her as a teacher.

“I now empower my students and show them that they can do anything they want if they work hard,” she says. “I tell them how scared I was, how I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it and that I almost quit. I think it inspires them. I think I have opened up worlds for students that they didn’t know existed. They are inspired now to go, to see and to experience the world.”

“I think my stories of the country interest them.

I think seeing my blog makes history more real to them.”

Phagan says she thinks her project has also helped her students become more engaged in her U.S. history lessons. “I think my stories of the country interest them,” she explains. “I think seeing my blog makes history more real to them.”

Phagan again drove her motorcycle west during the summer of 2013. In 2014, she plans to drive east to follow history trails through Philadelphia, Boston and countless historical sites.

“These trips have strengthened me in so many ways,” she says. “They have also reinforced my desire to teach the whole child, heart and soul, not just U.S. history.”

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Building a Future During the school year, Brian Luse teaches calculus, probability, statistics, discrete mathematics and geometry at Franklin Community High School. During the summer, he also uses his math skills at the helm of his own business, Luse Custom Construction, LLC. “We build anything from a small deck to an entire house,” Luse says. “I try to hire students to work with me in the summer. At the end of the day, I will put the math of the project we completed on paper and hand it to the student and say, ‘Take this to your buddies and show them how you used math today.’”

Luse says the road to where he is today was anything but straight.

He graduated from Trine University in Angola with a degree in mechanical engineering. He worked as a mechanical engineer for six years, and in his free time he coached high school baseball. He also volunteered to visit a middle school once a week to talk about business fundamentals. “I was a teacher for an hour a day, once a week,” he says. “That opportunity showed me that teaching was what I was meant to do.”

Luse continued to work as an engineer while he went back to school to earn his teaching certificate. He took his first teaching job at Pioneer High School, where his mother once taught. “I was spoiled growing up because both of my parents were teachers,” he says.

“We had a great life because we could go on vacations and do things that other families couldn’t do because my parents had school breaks. After living the life of an engineer for a few years, I knew that wasn’t the lifestyle I wanted to have for my future family. ” As a teacher at Pioneer, Luse accepted the position of head baseball coach at In-

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dian Creek High School. While coaching, he met Alex Girdley, who would change his life forever. Girdley was a teacher and track coach at Indian Creek. He also built homes in the summer and hired Luse to help.

“We started at sunup and didn’t quit until 5 p.m.,” Luse says. “I really liked working outside, the physical part of the job and being able to walk away from a project and see the finished product. The extra cash came in handy, too.”

Girdley and Luse quickly became good friends. “It was so much fun working with Alex,” Luse says. “He took the time to teach me the trade. He also was very patient teaching the students that he hired to help.”

In 2002, a brain tumor took Girdley’s life prematurely. Luse finished the projects Girdley was working on prior to his death, and the memory of his friend inspired him to eventually start his own construction company.

“I try to hire students to work with me in the summer. At the end of the day, I will put the math of the project we completed on paper and hand it to the student and say, ‘Take this to your buddies and show them how you used math today.’”

“When I was working with Alex, it never entered my mind that I would want to own my own business,” he says. “I just enjoyed showing up every day and finishing the list of instructions. I was so fortunate to have worked with Alex. I learned everything from him.”

Now, Luse says, he has the best of both worlds.

“I get to do what I love during the nine months of the year that I’m teaching math, but I also have the opportunity to do something different.”

The change in pace is rejuvenating. “It keeps me positive in both of my jobs,” he says. “It’s nice to be able to switch gears. In August I know it’s time to put the tools in the shed and break out the textbooks.”

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In Plain Language Jill Hamilton says she always knew she wanted to be a teacher. “I love finding ways to break down information and finding logical connections between ideas,” she says. “Growing up, I loved school and was very blessed to have plenty of great teachers as role models.”

Hamilton graduated from college with a degree in elementary education with an endorsement in middle school social studies. Not long after graduating, she began an AmeriCorps assignment working with English as Second Language students.

“I loved it, so I went back to school to get a master’s degree in ESL,” Hamilton says.

“Along the way, I decided to become licensed in language arts, Spanish and math.”

She now teaches Spanish, ESL and character education at Greenwood Middle School.

“I love that every day is a new challenge and a new opportunity to impact students’ lives,” she says. “I love the insight that my students have and the way they keep me on my toes.

Every day you have the opportunity to challenge yourself and your students in new ways.”

Hamilton believes some parents might not realize all that goes into a teacher’s day. “By

the time the first bell rings, there are days that I’ve not just prepared for classes, but talked to parents, sewn a ripped sweater and lent an ear to a student who is upset about something that happened outside of school,” she explains.

“Teachers are not just educators, but surrogate mothers, mentors, cheerleaders, disciplinarians and social workers. That’s why our jobs are so exciting and absolutely never boring.”

The substantial demands placed upon teachers make summer break critical, says Hamilton, who spends her summers working at La Plaza, an Indianapolis-based organization that provides Latino families with access to health and social services and educational programs.

The center helps prepare Latino students for educational success. She teaches students who are transitioning from first to second grade.

“I love summer break because it gives me an opportunity to do something really different than my normal routine,” she says. “With so much pressure during the school year to achieve, it’s fun to have time in the summer

“Getting the opportunity to speak Spanish with native speakers really helps keep my Spanish skills sharp.”

to just play with kids, rather than trying to push them to hit the next benchmark.”

Teaching at La Plaza helps Hamilton in her middle school classroom. “Getting the opportunity to speak Spanish with native speakers really helps keep my Spanish skills sharp,” she explains. “And most of the teachers come from different school districts, so it’s also nice just to have the opportunity to talk with each other about different ideas and strategies that other schools are using.”

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basic addition

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Kim and Kenny Pearson’s newest home customizations have family-friendly appeal

by Jon Shoulders + photography by Josh Marshall

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n 2002, Kenny and Kim Pearson custom built their fourbedroom, 6,000-square-foot house in Franklin and, as avid swimmers, included a pool out back. Ten years and three grandkids later, the couple decided to transform the backyard area into what Kim calls “a little vacation space” for family and friends—an idea that originally grew out of Kenny’s simple desire for more garage space a few years ago.

“It all started because we needed some kind of place for Kenny’s tractor, something that would look nice,” Kim says. Now, a fourcar garage anchors an expanded backyard entertainment area that provides plenty of space for their large family, which includes three children—Amy, 31, Austin, 28, and Kyle, 21—three grandchildren and 12 combined siblings and their families, to relax and spend quality time together. Attached to the garage, a covered living area with a fireplace, a grilling station, a kitchen and a bar have become a part of the master plan.

The lounge area sits adjacent to the family’s expansive in-ground pool.

The Pearsons enlisted the help of local designer Dale Hughes, owner of Franklin-based Dale Hughes Interior Design, to make it all happen. “I know the Pearson family well and knew how important family is to both of them (Kim and Kenny), so it made my job easier to help create an outside living space that could comfortably house their growing family and their many friends,” says Hughes, who also helped the Pearsons redesign their master

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bedroom and enhance their main interior living area five years ago.

Hughes worked with the Pearsons to pick out the granite, stone and brick used in the project, as well as the concrete pattern and color and bar design. Throughout the planning stages, he regularly told Kim “that we were going to transform the area from drab to fab,” he recalls.

“Before we did this, there was no shade or anything and no place for everyone to come together outside,” Kim recalls.

“Even before the house was finished, we would bring picnic lunches and hang out at the pool on the weekends when the workers weren’t here, and it was fun, but there wasn’t any place to gather. Now we have a place where all the kids can come and hang out on the weekend.”

The couple’s thematic vision for their covered sitting area involved merging comfort with contemporary furnish-

Kenny and Kim Pearson

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“Before we did this, there was no shade or anything and no place for everyone to come together outside.”

—Kim Pearson

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ings, resulting in what Kim describes as a combined outdoor living and family room. All-weather wicker seats and a fireplace made of Indiana river rock add to the relaxed aesthetic, which Kenny says the family enjoys even when temperatures drop.

Those lounging in the living area need only turn slightly to enjoy the flat-screen TV mounted above the sink in the nearby bar and kitchen space, which also features granite countertops, a microwave, an ice machine and a stainless steel refrigerator perpetually stocked with goodies for the grandkids, Brooklyn, 7, Colton, 4, and Zehr, 14 months. Vinyl windows, which open and close garage door-style via remote control, help to protect the kitchen and bar area from the elements when family festivities are forced indoors. Even the pool is family-friendly at 5 feet deep throughout, a feature the Pearsons take advantage of for family pool-volleyball games.

Born and raised locally, the Pearsons became high school sweethearts when Kim was a freshman and Kenny was

a senior at Franklin High School. The couple currently owns Greene’s Auto & Truck Service on Raymond Street in Indianapolis, which specializes in repairs and maintenance for retail and commercial customers, and they have a second location downtown that services Citizens Energy Group exclusively. Fleet Services Solutions in Carmel, Kim and Kenny’s second auto business, handles on-site fleet auto maintenance and repair, and with clients based in Carmel, Louisville and Cincinnati, Franklin’s centralized location is one of many reasons why they’ve enjoyed calling the southside home.

“One of the biggest companies my business serves right now has a presence in both Carmel and in Louisville, and so it’s great to be right in between those two locations,” Kenny says. “And in this area, you’re far enough away from the city that you get more of the small town values and small town sense of community.”

The Pearsons’ grand designs for their home and backyard area are almost fully developed, but by no means finished.

Next on the list is a home office that

Hughes is in the process of designing and a guesthouse that will be built on the side of the outdoor living area, opposite the kitchen an d garage, which will provide Kenny’s mother a place of her own during extended summer visits from her home in Pompano Beach, Fla. “We put that part of it on hold for a little while, but it was part of our original idea when we started thinking of what we wanted, because we were dreaming real big,” Kim says.

The outside construction process lasted from May to October of 2012 and included a few landscaping flourishes around the exterior of the home, which sits on a total of 18 acres.

Having to wait another six months before the weather would allow the family to reap the poolside benefits was more than worth the wait. “Kim said that they used the pool area more last summer (after the area was completed) than they had the entire time that they have lived in the home,” Hughes says. “It is a beautiful area that will be the center of many good memories for years to come.”

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‘Who Gets To

Do This?’

Two Johnson County friends count life’s blessings— on horseback

By Sherri Dugger Photography by Josh Marshall Rhonda Brown and Ann Bastin

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Rhonda Brown and Ann Bastin

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hey regularly break into song—more specifically, into the theme song from the 1960s television show, “Bonanza.” They giggle, share inside jokes and finish one another’s sentences with ease.

They are friends who some might say are having the times of their lives these days.

And, if you ask them, Rhonda Brown and Ann Bastin will likely agree. After all, the Johnson County horse owners and friends are self-proclaimed “bad a** cowgirls.” They have “big girl playhouses” (their RVs), which they often take on weekend camping trips with their other horse-loving friends. They participate in local rides and charity events through groups like the Red Hats and Purple Chaps and American Competitive Trail Horse Association. And, back at home, they each have barns filled with treasured equines.

Life for Brown and Bastin is good.

Really good.

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From Pepto to Proud

Though they didn’t meet until much later, Brown, now 52, and 49-year-old Bastin each grew up with a love for horses. Brown recalls two Shetland ponies that lived across the road from her family’s home, and she spent all of her free time as a young girl “at the fence line feeding them grass,” she says.

When she wasn’t outside with the horses, Brown was inside “drawing them,” she adds. “All I did was draw horse after horse after horse. It (the love for horses) was just there. You’re either crazy about them or you’re not.”

As for Bastin, someday owning a horse was long on her bucket list. “I’ve always loved horses,” she says. “I always wanted to have them. It was always on my list: I was going to have five acres and a horse.”

Brown bought her first horse—Jenny, a Tennessee Walker mare—approximately 25 years ago. It was also around the same time that Brown and Bastin first

crossed paths. In a tiny hair salon owned

by Brown’s mother on Indy’s eastside, Bastin was a customer of Brown’s mother. There, she says, she would admire Brown, also a stylist at the salon, from afar. “I knew she had horses,” Bastin recalls. “I was so jealous.”

Bastin wasn’t able to cash in on her dream until about 10 years later, in September 2000, when she bought Buddy Bastin, an American quarter horse, who she said was “the best horse in the entire world.”

Since those first purchases, the two have bought, raised and even bred more of the animals. Bastin now has eight horses in her barn, including a racehorse named Ms. Smitty who has acquired a great deal of recognition and fame around Indiana.

(See the sidebar on Ms. Smitty.) Brown has three horses—or two-and-a-half, she says, if you consider one of her horses is a miniature horse named Augustus. One of Bastin’s, Einstein, is also a miniature.

Brown and Bastin reconnected around 2007 when Bastin called upon Brown, who by then worked as a stylist out of her home, to do her hair. That year, they got to know each other better, occasionally going on rides and to training clinics together.

Since those first rides, the pair, along with other women riders in their growing group of friends, have increased their outings to as many as 24 events each year—

Left, celebrating at a fundraiser ride in Martinsville. Above, Brown and Bastin during a fall ride in 2011.

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“Rhonda was very calm and very assuring and a wonderful friend to talk me off the ledge many, many times. She … helped me keep faith both in myself and, most importantly, in my horse.”

—Ann Bastin

Ann Bastin

basically whenever they can fit the rides into their busy schedules.

Over the years the two have become great friends. “We encourage one another if something comes up to unnerve us,” Brown says.

Both Brown and Bastin admit to lacking confidence with their horses at times. As a new horse owner, Brown says she “read every little thing I could read about horses. There’s such as a thing as knowing too much. You scare yourself to death. You know every little thing that could go wrong. I got to that point. I read so much that anything the horse did had me worried.”

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And there were times when things did go wrong. Horses became sick with colic and had to be put down. Early on, Brown actually jumped from one of her mares who took off in a panic. The ground, she found, “was unforgiving,” and she came away from that ride with her confidence in riding considerably shaken.

On other group rides, deer have jumped in front of their horses, foxes and wild turkeys have rattled the animals, and Brown says her riding horse, Cash, is definitely not a fan of gunfire. “We had a really good run up a mountain of a hill full speed to retreat from it (the unexpected gunfire),” she recalls.

All in all, however, having horses has been a growing experience for both of the women. “It is a bit of an ego boost,” Brown says, “to take off on a wonderful, huge animal that trusts us.”

“It (having horses) is a pride thing, a feel-good thing,” Bastin adds. “I was a city girl. I’d never even driven a truck, let alone hauling a horse trailer or backing one up. I always picked her (Rhonda) up (to go on rides), then she got her own 24-foot RV, a big girl playhouse we call it. Then in another six months or so, she got a horse trailer, and she’s pulling her own horse like it’s no big deal. Now you talk about bad a**. That’s where you feel so good about this.”

“It is a good feeling,” Brown concurs.

“And it does translate into everyday life.

I went from drinking Pepto (Bismol, for a nervous stomach) to hooking up and hauling my trailer to several campsites in southern Indiana. Ann has helped me to realize I can do all these things from haul my own trailer with horses to campsites, do quadrilles and parades and ride for hours in our state forests away from our busy lives, rather than stay in my own pasture riding.”

“I may have a lot of confidence in myself, but when it comes to being confident on the back of a beast of burden like that (a horse), well, I value my brittle bones,” Bastin says.

“Rhonda was very calm and very assuring and a wonderful friend to talk me off the ledge many, many times. She … helped me keep faith both in myself and, most importantly, in my horse.”

Recharging Their Batteries Typical days for the women involve working—Brown is still an at-home stylist; Bastin is a managing director at Your Encore Inc. in Indianapolis—as well as

Randy and Rhonda Brown in their stables.

taking care of their horses and tending to their families.

Twice a day—rain or shine or subzero temperatures aside—the women, often with the help of their husbands (Brown is married to Randy Brown; Bastin’s husband is Terry Bastin), feed the horses, giving them fresh water, hay and grain.

They clean their stalls, and, depending on the weather, allow the horses some time to graze.

Brown has two sons, both of whom have married and now own homes in Indianapolis; she will welcome her first granddaughter in May. Bastin and her husband, Terry, have six children, all also grown, as well as seven grandchildren.

Life can seem hectic for the women, but that doesn’t keep them from making time for their horses. Brown and Bastin regularly take riding clinics to learn to better handle their horses; they credit instructor Michaella Walker for much of their training. They also ride in parades and charity

events to raise funds for local nonprofit organizations. In 2011, they put together a four-member team to participate in a drill team competition at Kentucky Horse Park.

Then there are the day trips to Brown County for trail rides and weekend camping trips to Hoosier National Forest and Deam Lake in southern Indiana. “On our trail rides we discuss how beautiful our horses are or how funny their personalities are,” Brown says. “We talk about our lives and our families’ lives, their ups and downs, twists and turns.”

Bastin acts as organizer for the girls getaways, and she says she plans as many trips as possible so that the women can relax and recharge. On the trips “we can drown our sorrows and really and truly refresh our batteries,” Bastin says.

Their trail rides give the women a chance to unwind and to appreciate all that they have in their lives. “We enjoy this sport of riding, of being out in nature with our horses and enjoying

“On our trail rides we discuss how beautiful our horses are or how funny their personalities are. We talk about our lives and our families’ lives, their ups and downs, twists and turns.”

—Rhonda Brown

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the cadence of their journey through the woods and over mud and stones and brush and logs,” Bastin says. “And all the while we are breathing fresh air. ... We watch for new flowers, mushrooms, plants.”

Johnson County resident Sarah Hume lives near both Brown and Bastin and often goes on rides and camping trips with the women. “They are hilarious together,” Hume says of Brown and Bastin. “For the first 10 minutes on our rides, they’re always singing and dancing on their horses.

Their energy just feeds off of each other.

It’s so entertaining when they get wound up and excited.

“They just love their horses,” Hume adds.

“They’re fun to ride with because they’re out there appreciating all that they have and all that’s out there in the woods.”

“Our number one phrase when we get out riding is: ‘Who gets to do this?’”

Brown says.

“How lucky are we?” Bastin asks. “We 102

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never forget how lucky we are that we get to do this.”

The women take special care to prepare and enjoy “gourmet” meals while they’re camping. “We have nice meals every single time, breakfast, lunch and dinner,” Bastin says. “We just eat good. We have microwaves. We have campfires. We have refrigerators and freezers.”

“We don’t rough it,” Brown explains.

“All of that, at the end of the day, planning our meals and having our beer and having our special coffee,” Bastin says, “that is where we breathe and recharge so that when we come back, we can deal with our lives.”

After their meals, the friends relax by the campfire, having positioned their seats just so to enjoy the view of their beloved horses nearby. “We sit in our lawn chairs, and we’re not looking at the ocean,” Bastin says.

“We’re sitting there looking at our horses.”

“And we’re in heaven,” Brown explains.

A winner’s tale » On Jan. 16, Ms. Smitty, a 4-year-old Johnson County racehorse, safely arrived at Tampa Bay Downs in Florida.

There, she was first treated to a “spa day,” during which she had her winter coat trimmed. After the sprucing up, the hard work soon began. Ms. Smitty is in the middle of an approximately 10-week training schedule at the Florida track before returning to her home state.

An Indiana-bred horse owned

by Terry and Ann Bastin, Ms. Smitty has earned quite a following in the local racing world. She has more than 140 followers on her Facebook fan page, and at times, Ann Bastin says, there have been as many as 90 people crowded into the winner’s circle to celebrate the horse’s successes.

At first, Bastin says, Ms. Smitty’s popularity grew simply because of accessibility and marketing. “The ordinary person doesn’t know someone who has a racehorse,” Bastin explains. “I happened to have a catered dinner party at my house the day after she was born. So a lot of my colleagues met her when she was only a day old. They’ve watched her grow up.”

That first party wasn’t in honor of the newborn. But now Bastin and her husband are planning their third annual fan club party to celebrate the horse, which this year was named 2013 Champion Older Mare Indiana-Sired by Indiana Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.

Ms. Smitty began her racing career in 2012, finishing five races that year. She ended the 2013 season with four wins and three third- and two fourth-place finishes. “Most people

in the business have a bunch of horses, and they’re trying to make money with them,” Bastin says. “For us, this is a homebred baby. At first, we started the fan club and had these buttons made. I started the Facebook page. It got stupid, really. Then, she actually started being a good racehorse.

Then people who we didn’t even know were becoming fans of her. They recognize her talent. That’s just exciting.”

Named after Bastin’s late father, Don “Smitty” Schmidt, Ms. Smitty will return to Indiana to embark upon another season—what may be her final season—of racing in April.

“She will be 5 this year,” Bastin says. “It depends on her health (whether Ms. Smitty will race another season in 2015).

We didn’t think we’d race her another year, (but) this (past) year, she was sound; she was healthy. She enjoys it.”

And Bastin is convinced Ms. Smitty is good for business at Indiana Downs, where she regularly races. “When Smitty races, the alcohol and the food go triple—I swear,” Bastin says. “When she’s racing—when the horses are coming down the stretch—people are screaming like crazy. ‘Smitty!

Go, Smitty, go! I’m pretty proud.”

Ms. Smitty with a freshly shaven coat in Tampa on Jan. 27, 2014. Inset, Ms. Smitty at 3 days old.

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just

dance Classical ballet, modern dance, jazz, hip-hop and tap—regardless of how you move, Indy’s southside has a studio for that

By Alisa Advani

Photography by Josh Marshall 104

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Stage I Dance Academy

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Aspiring dancers in search of diverse learning environments need look no further than Indy’s southside.

There, through supportive networks, a shared passion for dance and a desire to collaborate, studio instructors find ways to care for their students both inside and outside the mirrored walls.

Talk with instructors at any of the southside’s studios, and you will hear stories of triumph, of friendship and of caring. In the end, these trainers touch their students’ lives in more ways than simply teaching them how to move to the music.

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»Stage I Dance Academy Visitors to Stage I Dance Academy in Greenwood will find class options in ballet, tap, jazz, musical theater, contemporary dance, hip-hop and tumbling. Instructor Beverly Smithey, who has owned the studio for 53 years, also offers piano and voice lessons, as well as adult fitness classes.

Smithey describes her studio as family-oriented with high morals. “We use age-appropriate music and costumes for our dancers,” she explains.

Many of the instructors who run classes at Stage I also got their own starts in dance at the studio when they were youngsters.

“They (the instructors) know firsthand the curriculum, procedures and policies that make our studio successful,” she says.

Smithey herself has studied dance since she was 4 years old and began teaching when she was just 15. “It is the only job that

I have ever done,” she says. “Each day I continue to find pride and excitement in the dance studio and with the many dancers I have taught.”

Melanie Mobley, an 18-year-old dancer who has studied at Stage I since she was 2, feels that the southside and “her excellent teacher Miss Beverly” have prepared her for college and beyond. “Everyone expects New York, Chicago and L.A. to have incredible dance opportunities,” she says. “No one would really guess that southside Indy has so much going on in dance. There are quite a few great studios in this area.

“Just in this last year alone, the Stage I dancers have had the opportunity to take classes from someone in the national tour of Broadway’s ‘Wicked,’” Mobley says. “We have learned choreography for competitions and recitals from three amazing guest instructors from three different states, and we have had the chance to travel and perform on a Carnival cruise ship.”

Mobley plans to study dance in college

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Stage I Dance Academy

Beverly Smithey

and eventually wants to break into the commercial aspect of dance. “From music videos to TV commercials to films to even Broadway, as long as I’m dancing, I know I will be happy,” she says. “I have been accepted to schools in New York and L.A., but I am still undecided as to which one I will attend in the fall.”

Aside from seeing her dancers thrive, one of Smithey’s proudest accomplishments was raising money for the Emily Hunt Foundation for Spinal Cord

Research. Over the course of a decade, Stage I raised more than $100,000 for the foundation.

In 1996, at the age of 4, Emily Hunt was injured in an amusement park accident. The accident resulted in legislation—Emily’s Law—being passed that toughened amusement park regulations.

As a young girl, she had hoped to one day become a ballerina. Eventually—despite her disability—Hunt became a member of Stage I’s ranks, and she

performed in productions with the group at an annual fundraiser held at the Murat Theatre in Indianapolis.

“In the early years, Emily (who now attends Ball State University) would attend the fundraisers and be honored at the performances,” says Smithey. “As she got older (between 2003 and 2005), she actually performed in them from her wheelchair. One year, she was actually able to stand with the help of a brace for the production.”

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»Dance Refinery When Lynn Herrick, who runs the Dance Refinery on Shelby Street in Indianapolis, sees one of her families hit with hardship, she springs into action and raises scholarship money to pay for classes, costumes and shoes for the dance student. “We just had a student lose a parent,” says Herrick. “Our goal is to try to help keep the child’s life as normal as possible. We want to help her maintain this outlet. She can come here and just have fun.”

Herrick, who owned the Dance Refinery for 33 years before turning it into a nonprofit organization, has personally experienced the benefits of keeping up with regular dance classes during a childhood tragedy. “I had a sister who died of brain cancer when I was a child,” she says. “The people who helped my parents keep things stable for me were godsends.”

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Lynn Herrick

In addition to that life-changing event, Herrick also spent her childhood thinking she would one day lose the use of her eyes. “When I was 6, doctors told my parents that I had a macular degeneration condition that would eventually take my sight,” she explains. “After the diagnosis, my mom enrolled me in dance lessons because she wanted me to have as much experience as possible moving freely before my vision was gone.”

At 21, Herrick learned that she had been misdiagnosed. By then, her love of dance, however, was set in stone. Dance “was always my favorite thing,” she says.

“I put myself through college at Butler (University) by working at night running my studio.”

The Dance Refinery offers classes for children as young as 18 months through 110

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adults. Natalie Clevenger, a 16-year-old who attends Mooresville High School, has studied at the Dance Refinery for four years. “I take everything: ballet, jazz, tap, tumbling, contemporary dance,” she says.

“I dance competitively. We compete at two regional and one national competition.”

Clevenger, who has danced since she was 8, plans on auditioning at Juilliard, Point Park, Butler and Arizona universities. “It’s good to have a life away from things,” she says. “Dance can take you away. You can express your emotions and just be yourself.”

Girls are not the only ones benefiting from dance. Males also have a strong presence in the southside dance scene.

Austin Madden, a 22-year-old Purdue University industrial technology and biology major, took dance lessons with

his sisters as a youngster growing up in Center Grove. Madden, like many others, began lessons at the age of 2, and he continued dancing until he graduated from Roncalli High School at 18 and left for West Lafayette. His dance experience, he says, made his stint from 2011 to 2013 as a Purdue cheerleader much easier.

Madden believes his time at Dance Refinery also enhanced his high school years. “It (a dance studio) is just a different atmosphere,” he says. “I got to meet a different set of people and share an interest. I had connections with people from all over the place. Taking dance helped my agility and endurance when I played football. It really helped me sprint.

I also opened myself up to new things, and it helped me through high school to be open to other things.

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Dance Refinery

dance

STUDIOS Stage I Dance Academy

740 Fry Road, Suite D, Greenwood (317) 881-2021

Dance Refinery 8335 Shelby St., Indianapolis (317) 245-8543

Tippy Toes School of Dance

5135 Commerce Square Drive, Indianapolis (317) 881-7425

Center Stage Dance Academy

5002 Madison Ave., Indianapolis (317) 783-4306

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weddings

Megan Johnson & Fabian Puello Wedding: Jan. 5, 2014. Ceremony and reception: The Sanctuary, 701 N. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis

Throughout most of her life Megan Johnson has traveled all over the world on mission trips with her parents, Rick and Katy Johnson.

It was on one such trip, during the summer of 2011, when Megan met her future husband. Fabian Puello was working as a translator for the Johnsons’ church group, which had just arrived for a week’s worth of missionary work in Cartagena, Colombia.

Over the course of that first week of working together, Fabian developed an interest in Megan, but it wasn’t until she and her father returned on another trip to the area in 2012 that Fabian asked her father for permission to take his daughter out for coffee. From there, a relationship bloomed and after repeated visits and trips—Megan eventually moved to Colombia for several months—Megan and Fabian returned to the States to tie the knot on Jan. 5. Their winter-themed wedding—snowflake-shaped sugar cookies adorned each table at the reception—got the added bonus of Indy’s first near-blizzard for 2014, which blanketed more than 11 inches of snow on the city on the day of their nuptials.

Photography by Jenny Tod of Turquoise Feathers

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Rebecca Shehorn & Matthew Bridges Wedding: Oct. 18, 2013. Ceremony and reception: Barn Swallow Farm, 2458 S. Post Road, Indianapolis

It took a surprise blind date to get Rebecca Shehorn and Matthew Bridges into the same room. Mutual friends of the couple had been trying to get them to meet for months, but neither was interested, so they set up a faux “pool party” and invited them both. What Shehorn and Bridges quickly realized upon their arrival: They were the only two guests invited to the party. Two years later, to the date, Shehorn and Bridges were engaged. One more year later, to the date, they were married. “It turns out they (their friends) knew us a little better than we knew ourselves,” Shehorn says.

“Good friends.”

Their ceremony was “something we thought about in great detail,” Shehorn recalls. “We hand chose each reading, wrote our own vows, and one of the most unique aspects of our ceremony was our unity custom. Instead of a candle or sand, we did a foot washing ceremony. To us, it was more intimate, romantic and symbolized our humility and desire to serve one another. It was really one of our favorite parts to the ceremony and something we felt really set the mood for our ceremony and marriage.”

Photography by Jessika Feltz Photography

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Daddy/Daughter Dance 2

Feb. 15 // Beeson Hall

1. Ken Miller and Briley, 6.

2. Wren Davis, 2, dancing with her dad, Marcus.

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3. Dads and daughters dance to the “Chicken Dance� song.

4. Megan Meriwether, 6, grabs snacks along with her sister, Madison, 11, and dad, Mathew.

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5. Jerry Preilis and daughter, Gwen, snap a photo of themselves.

6. Ava Ott, 5, dances with her dad, Joey, and her sister Juliann, 3.

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7. Josh Marshall and daughter, Molly, 6.

8. Franklin Mayor Joe McGuinness dances with his daughter, Ella.

9. Rob Henderson poses with his daughter, Abbie, 10, for a picture holding a LOVE sign.

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10. From left, Delaney Johnston, 11, Morgan Sandrock, 8, and Lauren Sandrock, 10 11. Michael Rickelman poses for a photo with daughter, Olivia, 9.

12. Michael Navarro and daughter, Jillian, 6.

13. Juliann Ott, 3, dances near her dad.

14. Ken Sandrock dancing with his daughter, Lauren, 10.

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Jim Rhoades Memorial Hog Roast Dec. 5 // Johnson County Fairgrounds 1

1. Members of the Franklin Rotary Club serve foods 2. Franklin Community High School senior Madi Kireta, 17, talks with Ann Copple of Franklin.

3. Franklin Rotary Club member Jacqueline Miller serves a pork chop to Gary Stout of Bargersville.

4. Bob Murray and other members of the Franklin Community Brass Choir perform.

5. Ester Edwards puts chocolate syrup on her ice cream made by the Indian Creek FFA.

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Taste of the Southside Feb. 23 // Valle Vista Golf Club and Conference Center 1. Pepe Maya of McAlister’s Deli serves some samples of their food to Zach Crammer. 2. Brittany Hay from Stone Creek offers samples. 3. Marcella Moreman of Monarch Beverage pours beer for Marty Rosenberg.

4. Bistro 226 offered fare. 5. Vicki Perry, Leslie Weisenbach, Robyn Pollom and Kelli Limbach. 6. Angie Neville tries some samples from Lorrie Garrigus of Fireside Brewhouse. 7. Lee Ann Hall, Janet Gonzales and Tina Calber. 8. Mandy McGovern of Pinocchio’s Italian Ice Cream gives samples to Jon and Jenna Wright.

Photos by joe saBa

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Daily Journal Bridal Show Jan. 19 // Valle Vista Golf Club and Conference Center 1. Kate Casselman samples cakes from Indy Cakes. 2. Mike Briggs of Louie’s Tux Shop registers Joe Warner and Hannah Cave. 3. Tresa Lancaster (top left) and Kaylin Foley serve appetizers at the Place for Hair booth. 4. Kim Burkhead (left ) and Brittany Burkhead talk with Five Star Dance Studio manager Natalie Drake about dance lessons. 5. Shaun Kendall of 3 to 1 Video goes over details about wedding videos with Cindy Haywood and ReeAnn Rhea.

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Photos by Joe Saba

Print is

DEAD.

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Our full-service Personal Trust Division includes: Revocable and Irrevocable Trusts

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Life Insurance Trusts We are ready to respond with the highest level of personal service, privacy, confidentiality, and attention to detail.

In the ever-changing world of financial services, our Personal Trust Division is a constant.

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events

Compiled by Amy NOrman // photos provided

“West Side Story” | APRIL 22-23

MARCH ONGOING

March 25, April 29, May 27 Craft Club. All crafting enthusiasts are invited to join in to create a random crafting project.

Participants are always encouraged to bring any projects they’re working on as well.

Time: 6 p.m. Location: Greenwood Public Library, 310 S. Meridian St., Greenwood.

Information: www.greenwoodlibrary.us.

Classic movies are shown on the big screen at the Historic Artcraft Theatre in Franklin.

All movies start at 2 and 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays unless indicated. Location: 57 N. Main St., Franklin. Information: (317) 736-6823 or historicartcraft.org.

THROUGH MAY 6

“Enjoy the World Travel Exhibit: Photography & Fiber by Daren Redman and

Kyle Spears.” Time: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Tickets: Free. Location: Columbus Learning Center, 4555 Central Ave., Columbus. Information: (812) 314-8507.

MARCH 11

Bob Weir and RatDog perform. Time: 8 p.m. Tickets: $29.50-$59.50. Location: Old National Centre, 502 N. New Jersey St., Indianapolis. Information: livenation.com.

MARCH 12

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, which has performed for an estimated 23 million people in 48 states and in 71 countries on six continents, performs in Bloomington. The Ailey company highlights the multicultural beauty of the American experience through works that celebrate the struggle, elation, joy and pain of its citizens’ past, present and future. Time: 8 p.m. Tickets: $44-$59. Location: IU Auditorium, 1211 E.

Seventh St., Bloomington. Information: (812) 855-1103 or iuauditorium.com.

MARCH 13

The Sing Off Live Tour stops in Indy. Time: 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $29.50-$39.50. Location: Old National Centre, 502 N. New Jersey St., Indianapolis. Information: livenation.com.

MARCH 14

The Johnny Clegg Band & Ladysmith Black Mambazo perform. Johnny Clegg, a singer, songwriter, dancer, anthropologist and musical activist, is one of South Africa’s most celebrated musicians. For more than 40 years, the voices of Ladysmith Black Mambazo have married the intricate rhythms and harmonies of their native South African musical traditions to the sounds and sentiments of Christian gospel music. Time: 8 p.m. Tickets: $20-$35. Location: Clowes Memorial Hall, 4602 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis.

Information: (317) 940-6444 or cloweshall.org.

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Participants must register by March 10. Cost is $4 per entry (limit three entries). Information: (317) 736-3689 or franklinparks.org.

Southside Harley-Davidson Women’s Garage Party. Get hands-on demos geared toward women with limited or no riding experience.

Learn how to get geared up, pick up a bike and throw a leg over a Harley, start it up and shift it through the gears. Pre-registration is required.

Space is limited. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Event begins at 6 p.m. Location: 4930 Southport Crossing Place, Indianapolis. Information: (317) 885-5180, SouthsideHarley.com.

MARCH 16

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater | MARCH 12

Crosby, Stills & Nash perform. Time: 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $40.50-$80.50. Location: Old National Centre, 502 N. New Jersey St., Indianapolis. Information: livenation.com.

23. Location: Franklin Active Adult Center, 160 E. Adams St., Franklin. Information: (317) 736-3689 or franklinparks.org.

MARCH 14-15

The Elegant Vintages International Wine Auction is a black-tie optional event that includes both live and silent auctions. All proceeds benefit the Indianapolis Zoo. Guests will enjoy a multi-course gourmet dinner paired with exquisite wines and live entertainment following the auction. Time: 6 to 11 p.m. Tickets: $175. Location: Conrad Hotel in downtown Indianapolis. Information: indyzoo.com.

Platinum award-winning singer/songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway celebrates the music of one of America’s most powerful and enduring musical artists. Singing timeless classics from five decades of Barbra Streisand’s multi-faceted career, Callaway puts unique pop/jazz spin on unforgettable songs from Streisand’s Broadway years to her film works and everything in between. Tickets: $15-$88.

Location: Hilbert Circle Theatre, 45 Monument Circle, Indianapolis. Information: (317) 639-4300 or indianapolissymphony.org.

Challenge your skills at spotting energy foes, conduct water quality experiments, plan your own garbage garden and create masterpieces of recycled art during Going Green. Location: Indiana State Museum, 650 W. Washington St., Indianapolis. Information: (317) 232-1637 or indianamuseum.org.

MARCH 14-23

Our Town Players, a community theater group based in Franklin, will perform “The Odd Couple.” Cost: $10 for adults; $8 for seniors and children. Show times: 8 p.m.

March 14, 15, 21 and 22; 2 p.m. March 16 and

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MARCH 15

Come join the fun at the Shamrock Run & Walk by participating in either the 4-mile run (with timing tag) or the 4-mile Fitness Walk (without timing tag). The course starts at Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis and goes to Fountain Square, home of the Irish Hill, before finishing back on the circle. Time: 10 a.m. Cost: $25.

Hit the streets for the Shamrock 5K Beer Run in Indianapolis. Time: 3 p.m. Location: Georgia Street in downtown Indianapolis.

The Ethos Art Show gives local artists a chance to showcase their talents. The show is open and free to the public. Ribbons and cash prizes will be awarded to first, second and third place in each category.

If you’re feeling like a little run, head downtown for the Big Ten Hoops Day 5K. Time: 11 a.m. Cost: $20 in advance; $25 day of the event. Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis.

Information: indianasportscorp.com.

Everyone has a story to tell, and when the art of storytelling is set to music, audiences young and young-at-heart become captivated by the drama, humor and fantasy of even the tallest tales. “Play Me A Story” showcases how the orchestra can transport people to different settings and bring characters to life through some of the most popular music ever inspired by stories.

Time: 3 p.m. Tickets: $12-$20. Location: Hilbert Circle Theatre, 45 Monument Circle, Indianapolis. Information: (317) 639-4300 or indianapolissymphony.org.

MARCH 17

The 34th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade is made up of high school bands, floats, Catholic schools, Irish dancers, bag pipe and drum bands, Irish organizations and dignitaries. Time: 11:30 a.m. The parade also hosts a festival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Vermont Street with live entertainment, food and interactive displays. Information: indystpats.com.

MARCH 21-23

A handsome outlaw in disguise, the sheriff in hot pursuit and a garter-snapping, pistolpacking heroine who will do anything to save the man she loves will appear in “Girl of the Golden West,” presented by the Indianapolis Opera. The performances are in Italian with English supertitles. Times vary. Tickets: $25-$100. Location: Clowes Memorial Hall, 4602 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis.

Information: (317) 940-6444 or cloweshall.org.

events

MARCH 21-30

The Buck Creek Players perform “The Women.” Gold-diggers, schemers, gossips and social climbers populate this 1936 comedy by Clare Boothe Luce. Tickets: $16. Location: 11150 Southeastern Ave., Indianapolis. Information: (317) 882-2270 or buckcreekplayers.com.

MARCH 22

Celebrate creativity from a woman’s perspective at the Women in Art Market.

See and buy one-of-a-kind handmade artwork from more than 40 regional artists, including works in basketry, jewelry, fiber arts, ceramics, painting, photography and more. Location: Eiteljorg Museum, 500 W. Washington St., Indianapolis. Information: eiteljorg.org.

Southside Harley-Davidson Spring Open House. Kick off the riding season, see the new 2014 Harley-Davidson models and the newest apparel in the spring collection.

Enjoy free food starting at 11:30 a.m. (while it lasts), live music and more. Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Location: 4930 Southport Crossing Place, Indianapolis. Information: (317) 885-5180, SouthsideHarley.com.

MARCH 23

We the Kings performs. Time: 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $20. Location: Old National Centre, 502 N. New Jersey St., Indianapolis.

Information: livenation.com.

MARCH 25

Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin presents “Nobody’s Perfect: Achieving Inclusion, Diversity and Access.” Time: 7:30 p.m. Tickets: Free, but required.

Location: Clowes Memorial Hall, 4602 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis. Information: (317) 940-6444 or cloweshall.org.

MARCH 27

Neutral Milk Hotel, featuring Jeff Mangum, Scott Spillane, Julian Koster and Jeremy Barnes, performs. Time: 8 p.m. Tickets: $35. Location: Old National Centre, 502 N. New Jersey St., Indianapolis.

Information: livenation.com.

MARCH 28

Motionhouse presents “Scattered,” which delves into the majesty and savagery of water. Seven dancers plunge into an ocean, tumble down a waterfall, gasp with thirst under a scorching sun and slide on

an avalanche to a frozen landscape of arctic beauty. Motionhouse creates and delivers an extraordinary range of dance performances, acclaimed for striking use of imagery, theatricality and immediate impact. Time: 8 p.m. Tickets: $25-$40.

Location: Clowes Memorial Hall, 4602 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis. Information: (317) 940-6444 or cloweshall.org.

MARCH 28-29

the most recognized graphic designers of the 20th century. This newly donated collection includes a range of works spanning more than three decades. Big Art Bang is a think tank, two-day design conference for art and design. Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost: Free. Location: Ivy Tech School for Fine Arts & Design, 4475 Central Ave., Columbus. Information: (812) 374-5139 or ivytech.edu/columbus/fad.

In this performance of “Romeo & Juliet,” British conductor Michael Francis joins the ISO for a program showcasing three composers, all inspired by Shakespeare’s famous story of the star-crossed lovers.

Tickets: $15-$80. Location: Hilbert Circle Theatre, 45 Monument Circle, Indianapolis. Information: (317) 6394300 or indianapolissymphony.org.

MARCH 29

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra is composed of 15 of jazz music’s leading soloists under the leadership of musical director Wynton Marsalis. The orchestra will feature the entire Marsalis family, whose story is both inspiring and significant in jazz history. Time: 8 p.m. Tickets: $50-$125.

Location: Clowes Memorial Hall, 4602 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis. Information: (317) 940-6444 or cloweshall.org.

MARCH 30

Kari Jobe performs. Time: 7 p.m. Tickets: $25-$35. Location: Old National Centre, 502 N. New Jersey St., Indianapolis.

Information: livenation.com.

Demi Lovato brings her Neon Lights tour with special guests Cher Lloyd and Fifth Harmony to Indianapolis.

Time: 7 p.m. Tickets: $29.50-$65.

Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis.

Information: bankerslifefieldhouse.com.

MARCH 31

Cheryl Strayed, the author of “Wild,” “Tiny Beautiful Things” and “Torch,” will speak as part of the Visiting Writers Series.

Tickets: Free, not required. Time: 7:30 p.m.

Location: Clowes Memorial Hall, 4602 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis. Information: (317) 940-6444 or cloweshall.org.

Ivy Tech School for Fine Arts & Design presents the Paul Rand Workshop: Big Art Bang Event. Paul Rand was one of

The Ethos Art Show | March 15

APRIL APRIL 1-4

On your mark, get set, go! The Indiana State Museum and the Boy Scouts of America Crossroads of America Council invite you to race your derby cars and watch as they zip down the two-story, 125foot track headed for the finish line at the 2014 Indiana State Museum Pinewood Derby: Fun Runs. Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Location: Indiana State Museum, 650 W. Washington St., Indianapolis. Information: (317) 232-1637 or indianamuseum.org.

APRIL 1-6

“Memphis” is a Broadway musical that bursts off the stage with explosive dancing, irresistible songs and a thrilling tale of fame and forbidden love. Inspired by actual events, it is about a radio DJ who wants to change the world and a club singer who is ready for her big break.

Times vary. Tickets: $25-$70. Location: Clowes Memorial Hall, 4602 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis.

Information: (317) 940-6444 or cloweshall.org.

APRIL 3

Okkervil River performs. Time: 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $17 in advance; $20 day of SOU T H

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$12 for reserved seats; $10 for the lawn.

Location: 501 W. Maryland St., Indianapolis.

Information: indyindians.com.

APRIL 11

Cher brings her Dressed to Kill tour to Indianapolis. Her previous tour was one of the most successful ever by a solo artist. Time: 8 p.m. Tickets: $27.50$133. Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, 125 S. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis.

Information: bankerslifefieldhouse.com.

2014 Indiana State Museum Pinewood Derby: Fun Runs | APRIL 1-4

Excision performs. Tickets: $30 in advance; $35 day of the show. Location: Old National Centre, 502 N. New Jersey St., Indianapolis. Information: livenation.com.

APRIL 11-12 the show. Location: Old National Centre, 502 N. New Jersey St., Indianapolis.

Information: livenation.com.

Violinist Itzhak Perlman takes the stage. Time: 8 p.m. Tickets: $38-$69.

Location: IU Auditorium, 1211 E. Seventh St., Bloomington. Information: (812) 855-1103 or iuauditorium.com.

APRIL 3-5

Esteemed conductor Hans Graf returns to the Hilbert Circle Theatre in a showcase of the ISO’s own musicians including principal trumpet Ryan Beach in Copland’s poignant “Quiet City” during Stars of the ISO. Tickets: $15-$52. Location: Hilbert Circle Theatre, 45 Monument Circle, Indianapolis. Information: (317) 639-4300 or indianapolissymphony.org.

APRIL 4

“Peter and the Wolf” will be presented as part of First Fridays for Families. Cost: Free. Time: 6 p.m. Location: The Commons, 300 Washington St., Columbus. Information: (812) 376-2534.

APRIL 5

Terry Clark performs a tribute to Leon Russell called “Mad Dogs and an Englishman.” The show will run the gamut of Leon Russell songs and a bit of rock ’n’ roll. Location: Harlequin Theatre at Fair Oaks Mall, 2380 25th St., Columbus.

Caroline Glaser performs. Time: 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $15. Location: Old National Centre, 502 N. New Jersey St., Indianapolis.

Information: livenation.com.

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Southside Harley-Davidson Women’s Garage Party. Get hands-on demos geared toward women with limited or no riding experience.

Learn how to get geared up, pick up a bike and throw a leg over a Harley, start it up and shift it through the gears. Pre-registration is required.

Space is limited. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Event begins at 6 p.m. Location: 4930 Southport Crossing Place, Indianapolis. Information: (317) 885-5180, SouthsideHarley.com.

APRIL 8

Spotlight Art @ Clowes 2014 Gallery Tour complements the annual performing arts fundraiser, Spotlight, to raise money for the Indiana AIDS Fund and HIV/AIDS education and prevention. Artists have agreed to donate a portion of their sales to the fundraiser. Time: 6 p.m. Tickets: Free, not required. Location: Clowes Memorial Hall, 4602 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis. Information: (317) 940-6444 or cloweshall.org.

Clowes Conversations: Ballet 101 introduces the art form of ballet in a brief history and interactive demonstration. Engage in a discussion, watch video clips and participate in a movement exercise (dress comfortably).

Time: 7:30 p.m. Tickets: Free, but required.

Location: Clowes Memorial Hall, 4602 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis. Information: (317) 940-6444 or cloweshall.org.

APRIL 10

The Indianapolis Indians battle the Toledo Mud Hens in the season home opener at Victory Field in Indianapolis.

Time: 7:05 p.m. Tickets: $16 for box seats;

Sean Chen, winner of American Pianists Association’s 2013 Classical Fellowship Award, performs Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto. Mozart’s Symphony No. 41, the “Jupiter” symphony, will also be part of the program. Tickets: $15-$80. Location: Hilbert Circle Theatre, 45 Monument Circle, Indianapolis. Information: (317) 639-4300 or indianapolissymphony.org.

APRIL 11-13

Escape the ordinary and surround yourself in an explosion of comedy, music and technology when the Blue Man Group heads to town.

Times vary. Tickets: $50-$65. Location: Clowes Memorial Hall, 4602 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis.

Information: (317) 940-6444 or cloweshall.org.

APRIL 12

Check out the screening of the documentary “Bidder 70,” which centers on an extraordinary, ingenious and effective act of civil disobedience demanding government and industry accountability. In 2008, University of Utah economics student Tim DeChristopher committed an act that would redefine patriotism in our time, igniting a spirit of civil disobedience in the name of climate justice. Time: 1 p.m. Location: Eiteljorg Museum, 500 W. Washington St., Indianapolis. Information: eiteljorg.org.

Gabriel Iglesias performs. Tickets: $42. Location: Old National Centre, 502 N. New Jersey St., Indianapolis.

Information: livenation.com.

The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure includes a Survivor Celebration, a 5K run/ walk and one-mile Family Walk. Join in

the fight to end breast cancer. Location: Military Park in downtown Indianapolis.

Information: komenindy.org/race.

Southside Harley-Davidson free helmet fitting workshop. April is Check your Helmet Month and when many motorcyclists begin their riding season. A good fit is vital. In this workshop, learn what you should check on your current helmet and how to get fitted for a new helmet. Time: 10 to 11 a.m. Location: 4930 Southport Crossing Place, Indianapolis. Information: (317) 885-5180, SouthsideHarley.com.

APRIL 14

Great Landmarks of Indiana. Experience the Great Landmarks of the Hoosier state without leaving Greenwood. Raina Regan of Indiana Landmarks will guide you through the sensational and everyday landmarks that enrich community life, from libraries, churches and residences to industrial and transportation sites. Please register online or by calling(317) 885-5036. Time: 6 p.m. Location: Greenwood Public Library, 310 S. Meridian St., Greenwood.

Information:www.greenwoodlibrary.us.

E XC L U S I V E O F F E R : FREE 5-Day Hertz Car Rental*and

Member Benefit: $50 per booking Activity Voucher valid toward a variety of select activities in Hawaii.

OR

FREE Hertz Car Rental Upgrade and Double

Member Benefit*: $100 per booking Activity Voucher

valid toward a variety of select activities in Hawaii.

Must be booked by 3/1 - 4/30/14!

FREE Vacation Planning Services for Members & Non-Members

AAA Greenwood

1309 E. Stop 11 Road • (317) 207-9262 Aloha Days Offer: Valid on new bookings made 3/1 – 4/30/14. Minimum 5-night hotel accommodations at participating property and roundtrip airfare required. *FREE 5-day midsize Hertz car rental valid for travel 3/1 – 4/12/14, 4/22 – 6/6/14 and 8/18 – 12/18/14. FREE one-category Hertz car rental upgrade (up to a maximum of seven days) and Double Member Benefit ($100 Activity Voucher) valid for travel 4/13 – 4/21/14 and 6/7 – 8/17/14. Member Benefit: Activity vouchers do not apply to air/car only bookings. Certain restrictions apply. Offer subject to change without notice. Not responsible for errors or omissions. [Pleasant Holidays acts only as an agent for the various travel providers shown above.] CST# 1007939-10. Copyright © 2014 Pleasant Holidays, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

APRIL 18-20

Through the universal language of music and dance, Shen Yun weaves a wondrous tapestry of heavenly realms, ancient legends and modern heroic tales, taking you on a journey through 5,000 years of Chinese culture. A Shen Yun performance features the world’s foremost classically trained dancers, a unique orchestra blending East and West. Times vary. Tickets: $60-$120. Location: Clowes Memorial Hall, 4602 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis.

Information: (317) 940-6444 or cloweshall.org.

APRIL 19

Rock the Relay offers a distance for everyone, both runner and walker alike. Teams of one to six participants will run a marathon consisting of a 2.2-mile loop around beautiful White River State Park. Feel like covering the distance alone? Register as a solo participant and complete all 12 loops. Time: 8 a.m.

Tickets: $45-$65. Location: White River State Park, 801 W. Washington St., Indianapolis.

Hop on over for the annual Easter egg hunt in Province Park. Children ages 2 to 10 can enjoy this free event. Bring your camera because Strawberry the Bunny will be there. The hunt will take place in a grassy area by Sunset Shelter. In case of rain, the hunt will take place in the Cultural Arts &

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events

Recreation Center. Time: 10 a.m. Location: 396 Branigin Blvd., Franklin. Information: (317) 736-3689 or franklinparks.org.

Southside Harley-Davidson photos with the Easter bunny. Climb aboard a Harley and get your photo taken with the Easter bunny.

Children, adults and pets are welcome. Prints are made within minutes. Time: Noon to 3 p.m. Location: 4930 Southport Crossing Place, Indianapolis. Information: (317) 885-5180, SouthsideHarley.com.

APRIL 21

Il Divo performs. Time: 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $52.50-$127.50. Location: Old National Centre, 502 N. New Jersey St., Indianapolis.

Information: livenation.com.

APRIL 22-23

“West Side Story” is one of the most memorable musicals and greatest love stories of all time. Time: 8 p.m. Tickets: $38-$62. Location: IU Auditorium, 1211 E. Seventh St., Bloomington. Information: (812) 855-1103 or iuauditorium.com.

APRIL 23

Enjoy the Very Special Arts Festival, which is a festival for physically and mentally challenged students to allow them to participate in a range of arts. Time: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Location: The Commons, 300 Washington St., Columbus.

Joe Bonamassa performs. Time: 8 p.m.

Tickets: $71-$91. Location: Old National Centre, 502 N. New Jersey St., Indianapolis.

Information: livenation.com.

APRIL 25

David Dyer takes the stage as part of the Yes Comedy Showcase. Tickets: $20 in advance; $25 at the door. Time: 8 p.m. Location: Yes Cinema, 328 Jackson St., Columbus.

Information: (812) 378-4937 or yescinema.org.

APRIL 25-27

Butler Ballet performs “Cinderella,” a magical three-act ballet based on the familiar fairy tale. Times vary. Tickets: $21.50-$28.50.

Location: Clowes Memorial Hall, 4602 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis. Information: (317) 940-6444 or cloweshall.org.

A preschooler’s dream comes true: “Sesame Street Live” arrives in Indianapolis.

Tickets: $18-$62. Location: Old National Centre, 502 N. New Jersey St., Indianapolis.

Information: livenation.com.

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Franklin Farmers Market

APRIL 26

Christina Perri performs. Time: 8 p.m.

Tickets: $$23.50 in advance; $25 day of the show. Location: Old National Centre, 502 N. New Jersey St., Indianapolis.

Information: livenation.com.

The Earth Day Indiana Festival, a free outdoor, family-oriented festival promoting environmental awareness, conservation of natural resources and sustainable living, features more than 140 exhibits, live music, children’s crafts and entertainment, a display of alternative fuel vehicles and more. Cost: Free. Location: White River State Park, 801 W. Washington St., Indianapolis.

Information: earthdayindiana.org.

Celebrate Earth Day by helping clean up the Franklin parks and downtown Franklin during the Franklin Clean Community Challenge. Participants mulch flower beds, pull weeds, paint, pick up trash and sticks, and much more. Information: (317) 736-3689, play@franklin.in.gov or franklinparks.org.

Voices from the Past Storyteller Series presents “Uncle Hobie,” co-sponsored by the Johnson County Public Library. Time: 2 p.m. Location: Johnson County Museum of History, 135 N. Main St., Franklin. Information: (317) 346-4500 or johnsoncountymuseum.org.

Southside Harley-Davidson spring demo day event. A variety of Harley-Davidson models will be available to test ride for free. Valid motorcycle license and proper riding gear required. Weather permitting. Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Location: 4930 Southport Crossing Place, Indianapolis. Information: (317) 8855180, SouthsideHarley.com.

MAY MAY

Every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. beginning May 10, the Franklin Farmers Market offers locally grown fruits and vegetables, art and crafts, and fresh flowers. Location: Corner of Jefferson and Jackson streets in downtown Franklin. Information: (317) 346-1258 or www.discoverdowntownfranklin.com.

MAY 3

The OneAmerica 500 Festival MiniMarathon isn’t just for runners and walkers.

Come down to the post-race party and cheer on the thousands of participants as they cross the finish line. Many activities are planned for all ages in addition to live music and a variety of food vendors.

Location: Military Park in downtown Indianapolis. Information: 500festival.com.

The Finish Line 500 Festival 5K uses the same start/finish line as the mini, but it carries a strict 56-minute time limit for completion. Time: 7 a.m. Cost: $40. Information: 500festival.com.

The Voices Spring Concert, sponsored by the Williams Endowment, promises to be a fun time. Time: 2:30 p.m. Location: Johnson County Museum of History, 135 N. Main St., Franklin. Information: (317) 346-4500 or johnsoncountymuseum.org.

Southside Harley-Davidson Women’s Garage Party. Get hands-on demos geared toward women with limited or no riding experience. Learn how to get geared up,

pick up a bike and throw a leg over a Harley, start it up and shift it through the gears. Pre-registration is required. Space is limited. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Event begins at 6 p.m. Location: 4930 Southport Crossing Place, Indianapolis. Information: (317) 885-5180, SouthsideHarley.com.

discover our limited release cabernet sauvignon

artist series

MAY 10

Bring the kids to Monument Circle for the Chase 500 Festival Kids Day & Rookie Run, the state’s largest outdoor free festival for children. Kids can ride a 70-foot Ferris wheel, race remote-controlled cars and test their skills in a race-car simulator. Time: Noon to 4 p.m. Cost: $6 in advance for the run; $10 the day of the event for the run. The other events are free. Information: 500festival.com.

MAY 11

The Indianapolis 500 Opening Day features a Dallara DW 12 development panel Q&A, pace car presentation and practice starting at noon. Time: 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Cost: $10; free for children 12 and younger.

Location: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 4790 W. 16th St., Indianapolis. Information: indianapolismotorspeedway.com.

Mallow Run WINERY

open daily 12-6pm with complimentary tasting daily 6964 W. Whiteland Rd. | Bargersville, IN | www.mallowrun.com

317.422.1556

MAY 13-18

The weird and wonderful family comes to life in “The Addams Family,” a magnificently macabre musical comedy created by “Jersey Boys” authors Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has a normal boyfriend, and for parents Gomez and Morticia, this shocking development will turn the Addams house downside up. Times vary. Tickets: $25-$79. Location: Clowes Memorial Hall, 4602 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis. Information: (317) 940-6444 or cloweshall.org.

EAster celebration weekend IS THE

HOW GREAT

MAY 17

The Franklin Aquatic Center opens, featuring an Olympic-sized pool with diving well, 190-foot water slide, a new heated zero-depth pool with a play structure, including 16 interactive play features, water basketball, concession stand and sun decks. Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Information: (317) 736-3689 or franklinparks.org.

The Victorian Tea and Program, sponsored by Mutual Savings Bank and A Step Back in Time Tea House, is a great tradition. Time: 2 p.m. Location: Johnson County Museum of History, 135 N. Main St., Franklin. Information: (317) 3464500 or johnsoncountymuseum.org.

April 18 April 19/20

(ASL Interpretation available @ 6pm service)

Bibleopolis children’s classes provided for nursery-4th grade

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a look back

Country Club Franklin’s Polo and Saddle Club was popular in the early 1900s. According to the book “Franklin: A Pictorial History” by M. L. “Beezer” Johnson (page 98, if you have a copy), the group had a clubhouse at the Johnson County Fairgrounds. This photo is undated and no people (or horses) are identified, but it is probably around the 1920s.

Photo courtesy of

Johnson County Museum of History

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