Noblesville Magazine September 2018 by Towne Post Network, Inc.

SEPTEMBER 2018

MAGAZINE

CHAMPIONSHIP PEDIGREE NEW NHS HEAD FOOTBALL COACH JUSTIN RODEN AIMS TO TAKE MILLERS TO NEXT LEVEL

NOBLESVILLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE P.O. Box 2015 Noblesville, IN 46061 317. 773.0086 noblesvillechamber.com

Darlington Owner, President, and CEO Phil Hockemeyer (left) and Senior Vice President/General Manager of Brands Division Ryan Hockemeyer

A SMALL BUT TOUGH COOKIE Writer / Sarah J. Reilly

They find custom solutions for their clientele.

Sandwiched between a golf course and a neighborhood, an inconspicuous brown building contains the ingredients for dozens of baked goods, crackers, and other snacks. No, this building isn’t the company’s production facilities—those are located in Joplin, Missouri. This building is the headquarters of Darlington, and the ingredients are the team.

“We listen to customers and develop products to meet their needs,” Ryan says.

Darlington is an international family-owned commercial bakery, providing cookies, crackers, bars, and other snacks to schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and day care centers. Their products can be found in all fifty states, beyond U.S. borders, and right here in central Indiana—from Hamilton and Marion County public schools to local YMCAs.

Ryan credits the personnel.

The food service company’s three brands—homestyle Darlington, whole grain Appleways, and zesty, flavor-packed Crave-N-Rave— provide all natural, nutritious, nut-free snacks that taste good and are good for you. “We produce better-for-you products that kids also enjoy eating,” Ryan Hockemeyer, senior Vice President/General Manager of Brands Division, says. The Appleways brand was specifically created as a response to higher school nutrition standards initially created by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. “We take great pride in our ability to truly listen to our clientele, assess their needs, and then develop snack solutions that meet their requirements,” their website says. As Owner, President, and CEO Phil Hockemeyer says, “It’s the Darlington solution to the food service problems.”

Darlington’s responsiveness to its customers’ feedback and needs ensures that products meet new health regulations and customer demands efficiently and effectively.

“We’re an agile, creative, fast-acting team,” he says. “We’re a small team, but we compete with the big guys. The tight-knit group is “like a family” according to International Marketing Coordinator Luiza S. Faro. From cookouts on the back patio to birthday celebrations in the basement bowling alley to yoga classes led by one employee, Darlington is a community-oriented company. But the company reaches beyond their Darlington family, serving the larger community of Noblesville by sponsoring the Boys and Girls Club of Noblesville’s annual Bed Race fundraiser, hosting Noblesville High School interns, and donating snacks to local summer camps, church groups, and other programs. Darlington may be an international company, but it’s a Noblesville business through and through. Darlington is located at 8001 E. 196th Street and online at darlingtonsnacks.com. The Noblesville Chamber of Commerce Spotlight showcases the action and work taking place behind the scenes of local businesses.

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FRANCHISE PUBLISHER Brandon Baltz

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CREATIVE DIRECTOR Austin Vance

CHAMPIONSHIP PEDIGREE: NEW NHS HEAD FOOTBALL COACH JUSTIN RODEN AIMS TO TAKE MILLERS TO NEXT LEVEL

Football has always been much more than a sport to Justin Roden. “I had some very humble beginnings — my parents didn’t have a lot of money,” Roden says, looking back on his childhood years. “Football was a good escape for me — a way to help me get through some things.”

ADVERTISING DESIGNER Valerie Randall

EDITORIAL MANAGER Josh Brown

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SEPTEMBER WRITERS

Jon Shoulders / Matt Keating Nicole Sipe / Seth Johnson Suzanne Huntzinger

SEPTEMBER PHOTOGRAPHERS Amy Payne / Michael Durr Ron Wise

SHOP LOCAL! Help our local economy by shopping local. Advertising supporters of the Noblesville Magazine offset the costs of publication and mailing, keeping this publication FREE. Show your appreciation by thanking them with your business.

4 White River Plan: City of

20 Student Spotlight: Clay Merchent

Indianapolis, Hamilton County Tourism Team Up For $1.5M Vision Plan

Is Enjoying Life on the Greens

24 Hometown Celebration: Gaither Family Resources Fall Festival Coming Up Sept. 21-22

9 When Disaster Strikes: Local

Emergency Service Organization IDES Provides Worldwide Aid

26 Championship Pedigree: New NHS

Head Football Coach Justin Roden Aims to Take Millers to Next Level

12 Business Spotlight:

Noblesville Imports

16 Outdoor Living: Suburban Indy

29 Mercantile 37: Father-Son Duo

Shows Returns With Fall, Holiday & Spring Shows

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHTS ARE SPONSORED CONTENT

The Noblesville Magazine is published by the Towne Post Network and is written for and by local Noblesville area residents. Magazines are distributed via direct mail to more than 16,000 Noblesville area homeowners and businesses each month.

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President & CEO of Hamilton County Tourism, Inc. Brenda Myers (left) and Emily Mack, director of the City of Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development.

CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS, HAMILTON COUNTY TOURISM TEAM UP FOR $1.5M VISION PLAN Writer / Jon Shoulders Photos provided by Ron Wise & City of Indianapolis

Indianapolis certainly has its claims to fame — the Indy 500, Kurt Vonnegut and the Colts come to mind. But famous for its bodies of water? Not so much. However, Hamilton and Marion County leaders are taking steps to change that with the White River Vision Plan, a strategic initiative to enhance and beautify 58 miles of the White River that runs through both counties.

“We don’t have mountains and we don’t have an ocean, but we have this incredible waterway that runs right through the center of our county,” says Emily Mack, director of the City of Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development. “We’ve done a really good job for decades of turning our back on this incredible asset, and now it’s time to embrace it.” The 12-month planning project, which is a joint venture of the City of Indianapolis and Hamilton County Tourism, Inc. in collaboration with Visit Indy, kicked off in April. The goal, according to Mack, is

to beautify and improve the ecological condition of the White River while better connecting residents to a feature of Central Indiana she feels hasn’t gotten its due. Potential enhancements could range from concerts along the river to pontoon boating and dinner cruises to the development of nature preserves, as well as improved access to hiking and biking trails. “Some people may want active destinations like kayaking or even a beach on the White River,” Mack says. “Others might want

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nature parks, wetlands and opportunities to observe the bald eagles at Southwestway Park. Right now we are assessing the best options for all portions of the river throughout the 58 miles.” During the first of the plan’s three phases, which ran from April through July, project leaders from both counties researched existing plans along the river, demographic and economic trends, as well as ecological and hydrological conditions. Mack says conversations about implementing a strategic regional river plan started happening between Indianapolis and Hamilton County leaders and elected officials in 2016, through which the current Vision Plan county partnership emerged. “We realized so many places — Conner Prairie, Noblesville, Carmel and others — have a vested interest in engaging the river,” she says.

The groundwork for the Vision Plan was being laid well before 2016, however. Twenty years ago the White River Alliance, a non-profit consortium created to improve water quality in the region and connect locals to the river, was founded, and in 2015 Visit Indy created a Tourism Master Plan that called for the transformation of the White River into a key attraction for the city. “With all of these things put together you see some real momentum that was building for the river,” Mack says. “We started having very in-depth and detailed discussions about forming a team to help us and what the scope of work would look like.” The design team for the Vision Plan project is being led by Massachusetts-based consultancy Agency Landscape + Planning. Principals and co-founders Brie Hensold and Gina Ford have previous experience with riverfront site design in Cedar Rapids

and Chicago, and Ford contributed to the design process for White River State Park in her capacity as a landscape architect. “We’re in the discovery phase right now, to understand the hydrology of the river and what’s possible in terms of recreation as well as restoration projects,” says Hensold, whose background is in urban planning. “We’re trying to understand the ecology and what the historic frame of the river was from an ecological perspective and where there are places that we can think about restoration along the whole 58 miles.” The total budget for the Vision Plan is $1.5M shared between Marion and Hamilton counties, and Mack says costs are allocated toward hydrological and ecological impact studies, destination development, outreach and programming. “Fishers has parks plans right now, Carmel

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is updating its parks plans, Hamilton County has a master parks plan — so it’s taking all of these projects together and looking for ways where we don’t replicate each other but complement each other,” says Brenda Myers, president and CEO of Hamilton County Tourism, Inc.

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The first rounds of public meetings for resident input on the project were held in July, and Myers says project leaders will be engaging the community in a variety of ways through the fall and winter. “We’ll be at farmers markets, concerts and hopefully do events actually on the river,” she says. “We want to reach out to the communities, particularly the six or seven ones that cluster around the river. We want to hear everybody’s thoughts on what they’d like to see or not see and change or not change.” Improvement and maintenance of water quality and surrounding natural habitats is a key component of the Vision Plan, according to Mack, and she says the Citizen’s Energy Group DigIndy project, a $2 billion, 28mile tunnel network that has kept millions of pounds of sewage from spilling into the White River, was a precursor of sorts to the plan. Project leaders will assess the river’s ecological condition and research potential areas for development where the least environmental impact would occur. “We’ll be looking at water quality, existing flood control measures, wildlife protection, what can and can’t be modified along the river and other factors along those lines,” Mack says. “Part of this project is making sure the recreational and environmental pieces are compatible.” Visit mywhiteriver.com for additional information on the White River Vision Plan, for details on volunteer opportunities and to sign up to receive updates.

Learn how to become a member or schedule your event today!

For membership information contact Justin Werkley @ 317.877.3611 or justin.werkley@harbourtrees.com For event booking information contact Timberly Orbell @ 317.877.3612 or timberly.orbell@harbourtrees.com

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Exectuvie Director Rick Jett

Writer / Jon Shoulders Photographer / Michael Durr

For more than four decades the International Disaster Emergency Service (IDES), headquartered in Noblesville since 2015, has been reaching out to localities all over the globe in times of trouble to lend physical, emotional and spiritual assistance. The organization was launched back in the early 1970s when Milton Bates, a Navy veteran and pattern maker for General

Motors based in Marion, read about a major cyclone that had torn through Bangladesh. A regular churchgoer, Bates began wondering how independent Christian churches throughout the U.S. might get more involved in times of disaster — both domestically and internationally. Working out of his kitchen, Bates and his wife Janet began writing hundreds of letters to church leaders, ministers and bible college presidents nationwide to gauge interest in forming an organization that

local churches could turn to for significant aid to those affected by floods, hurricanes, earthquakes and other disasters. “By 1973 Milton got nine men to respond, and they were interested but wanted him to take the lead,” says Rick Jett, current executive director of IDES and the late Bates’s son-in-law. “In June of that year, those guys met with Milton at the North American Christian Convention in Indianapolis. That’s when he started working on it making it an official 501(c)(3) non-profit.”

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Today, the IDES staff of 12 works exclusively with independent Christian Church and Church of Christ congregations and missions in areas where disaster strikes, acting as an aid organization to which those churches can apply for resources to help at the local level. “Our main mission is to enhance the outreach of each local church we are helping,” Jett says. “We’re saying, ‘Here are the resources that we can bring to your congregation, but we’re going to look to your congregation for the manpower and volunteers.’ So wherever we have local congregations or missionaries working in different countries, that’s who we look to for the manpower to channel the resources through.” Along with disaster relief, IDES has four additional focus areas — hunger relief, community development and sustainability, medical care, as well as evangelism projects and spiritual assistance. Jett says the vast majority of the organization’s annual budget is allocated toward disaster response, and the annual IDES budget is around $4M. “Our income will fluctuate some because of disasters. For example, Hurricane Harvey upped our income because that was such a huge event,” Jett says. “So we have spikes with events like Katrina and the tornado in Joplin, Missouri. Also, our operation is supported by the churches so when individuals donate, that goes directly toward projects and helping people. We don’t take any percentage out of our individual gifts.” In addition to providing emergency food and medical supplies, IDES volunteers construct and deliver mobile storage units for individuals and families who are waiting for their homes to be repaired and in need of temporary storage for salvaged belongings. “It’s so they don’t have to pay a monthly fee for a storage unit,” Jett says. “Again, we look to the churches to do a case study to find the families that can use them. We get volunteers locally to put them up. We sent a bunch to Texas after Hurricane Harvey.”

IDES also runs a food packing program through which volunteers can help prepare sealable meals that are shipped to the organization’s partners and local churches to be distributed to hungry and malnourished populations around the world.

want to be at the table and involved here in Noblesville,” he says. “We’ve connected with the Good Samaritan network, and we’ve been talking to the Hamilton County Emergency group about who we are and what we do.”

Jett says the company has recently been speaking with Hamilton County leaders about coordinating during emergency situations at the local level.

Jetts adds that the uniqueness of IDES lies in its ability to enhance the reach of local churches in times of trouble.

“We’re always busy with international stuff, but we certainly want to be good neighbors and if anything happens in this county we

“Instead of us just coming in, setting up, doing our thing and leaving, we’re trying to empower the people in the local communities that live there,” he says. “The

local people know what their needs are and sometimes that might just be comfort and some emotional and spiritual assistance. Hopefully, after things settle down, the church can continue to reach out to the people and minister to the emotional and spiritual needs of the community.” For additional information on IDES including a donation page, news updates and individual and group volunteer details, call 317-773-4111 or visit ides.org. Donations to IDES are tax deductible. IDES headquarters is located at 355 Park 32 West Dr. in Noblesville.

NOBLESVILLE IMPORTS 12226 Greenfield Avenue Noblesville, IN 317-456-5446 Noblesvilleimports.com

Co-owners Jeff Long (left) and Zach Yale

Writer / Jon Shoulders Photographer / Amy Payne

business that would offer a diverse selection of cars, trucks, & SUV’s.

In under two years, Noblesville Imports has established itself as a premier northside used car dealer.

“Our goal is to provide reliable import vehicles, such as Hondas, Toyotas, Nissans, etc.,” says Long. “We carry everything including trucks, vans, SUVs, as well as things like BMW and Mercedes, we just try to weigh it towards the more reliable imports.”

Co-owners Jeff Long and Zach Yale were no strangers to the car industry prior to founding the company. Long served as marketing director for a large Indy dealership for four years, and in 2016 he felt the timing was ideal to open a northside-based car

Approximately 70 cars typically fill the lot, all of which are hand-picked, serviced

and detailed and most of which have under 100,000 miles. Long says while the company has seen a steady amount of local drive-in traffic since selling its first car back in January of 2017, online sales comprise a large portion of its business. “The used dealership market is really an internet-based world now, so if a car someone wants is 300 miles away, they’ll come get it,” says Long, adding that the company also buys and trades used vehicles and offers free shipping within 150 miles. “It’s

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all about pricing, options and dealer ratings. So we do quite a bit of out-of-state sales where people fly in or we ship them the car.” Yale, a long-time friend of Long and fellow Fishers native, says the duo was excited to open up shop in the area where they grew up. “It’s great to be operating in this community, and we try to focus on the customer,” he says. “There have been times where we’ve gone over and above to make the customer happy. We’re excited to grow organically here locally, being northside residents and having grown up here.” Yale and Long say their small-scale approach - Noblesville Imports currently consists of six employees and will soon acquire two more for a service center that opens this fall - gives them an edge over many competitors when it comes to customer service. “We get people who come in dreading the dealership side of things, and we tend to change a lot of people’s perceptions of the used-car buying process,” Yale says. “We like to make it a quick, low-pressure experience. With our small-scale model, we’re able to focus on the customer.” Next spring Long and Yale will open a second Noblesville Imports store at a location on the northside to be announced at a later date. Long says the company’s success so far lies in its combination of small-scale, customer-focused service and big-franchise-like capability. “We’re a young dealership but the owners come from a lot of industry experience, so we’re the small guy that operates like a large franchise,” he says. “We do everything from full-service warranties to in-house financing to free delivery of the car. We do it all as a small operation, and we’re still growing.” Noblesville Imports is located at 12226 Greenfield Avenue in Noblesville. For more info, including a listing of current inventory and financing details, call 317-456-5446 or visit noblesvilleimports.com. atNoblesville.com / SEPTEMBER 2018 / NOBLESVILLE MAGAZINE / 13

The Belfry Theatre: Our Town

Sept 14-30 The Belfry Theatre, Noblesville $17 adults, $14 children 12 and under

Caravan Classes: Wednesday Art Classes:

$15 per session 1:30-2:30 p.m. Homeschool Art for ages 6-11 4:00-5:00 p.m. After-school Art for ages 6-11 5:00-6:00 p.m. Teen Art 6:30-7:30 p.m. Adult Art Class Family Art Time Sept 5, 12, 19, 26: 11-11:30 a.m. $5 email caravanclasses@gmail.com or call 765-557-1969

Fishers Arts Council: Art in City Hall: Photographs of the World

CELEBRATING OUR ARTS COMMUNITY! We have been forging arts connections and resources for six years and it’s time for some sweet celebration at our Anniversary Gala on Sept 12th. Reserve your tickets now for the premiere event of the Hamilton County Arts season. Our Anniversary Gala includes the Nickel Plate Arts Award ceremony, which honors artists and supporters of the arts who have made an impact in the past year. The event is Sept 12th from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the Milltop Banquet and Conference Center, with a VIP cocktail hour from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Visit nickelplatearts.org for details!

MORE NICKEL PLATE ARTS EVENTS:

Sept 5-28, Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

facebook.com/pg/FishersArt/events

Hamilton County Artists’ Association: HCAA’s 68th Annual Exhibit Aug 22-Sept 10, Mon-Thurs: 9-9, Fri: 9-7, Sat: 9-5, Sun: 1-5 Carmel Clay Public Library, 55 4th Ave SE, Carmel Noblesville Visitor’s Center HCAA Featured Juried Artist Members Revolving Exhibit: Antonio Menendez Aug 1-30, Fri-Sun: 12-5 p.m. Noblesville Visitor’s Center, 839 Conner St., Birdie Gallery Drop-In Open Studio Thursdays Sept 6, 13, 20, 27, 1-3 p.m. Birdie Gallery: Celebrate Art! Exhibit Sept 10- Oct 6, Thurs: 1-3, Fri: 1-4, Sat: 10-4 Asian Grill Revolving HCAA Juried Artist Members’ Exhibit hcaa-in.org

Logan Street Sanctuary Workshop for 2019 The Polk Street Review Sept 8, 2-3p.m. Second Saturday Songwriters Showcase Sep 8, 8 p.m.

First Friday: Sept 7, 6-9 p.m.

Featuring live music by Andy Schomberg, a showcase of pottery and glasswork by Kris Gruppe and Darlene Patterson, and meet local author Amy Shankland

Judge Stone House Exhibit: A Time to Re-Member, featuring the work of Nickel Plate Artist Members Sept 7-29, Wed.-Fri., 12-5 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Showcase Exhibit:

Shifts and Changes in Clay by Kris Gruppe and Darlene Patterson Sept 1-31, Wed.-Fri., 12-5 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Special Reception Sept 29th.

$10 suggested donation Genna & Jesse in concert Sept 21, 8 p.m. $10 suggested donation Fourth Friday Young Songwriters Series Sept 28, 7-10pm

$5 requested donation at the door 4th Annual NICE (Noblesville Interdisciplinary Creativity Expo) Sept 29, 6-10pm FREE! Donations welcome! loganstreetsanctuary.org

Noblesville Cultural Arts District: First Friday: Live Music And Chocolate Trail Sept 7, 5-8 p.m. Noblesville Square & surrounding areas Wine Down with Art Sept 7, 7-9 p.m. Federal Hill Commons Duck Race Sept 8, 3-7 p.m. Historic Home Tour Sept 15, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

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“I get a lot of comments from visitors and exhibitors thanking me for bringing this show to this side of town,” Walton says.

Writer / Suzanne Huntzinger Photography Provided

Not all home shows are created equal. Donell Walton, Owner of Suburban Indy Shows is making sure show guests and exhibitors see the difference. Walton has been doing home shows for 17 years, and she’s seen what works and what doesn’t. Walton has set out to create a group of shows that proves she’s listened to the comments of show visitors and exhibitors. “I wanted to design shows that I would want to go to,” she says. Choosing an ideal venue is a major factor in creating a show where people want to attend, and vendors want to exhibit. Located right in the heart of rapidly expanding Westfield and conveniently accessible, amidst a sports destination of soccer fields, baseball diamonds and more, the brand new Grand Park Event Center in Westfield is that ideal location for these targeted shows.

The four Suburban Indy Shows include the Fall Home and Outdoor Living Show, the Holiday Show, the Spring Show and the Women’s Show. The Event Center’s many amazing features made it an obvious choice. A brand-new event venue finished in 2016, the center boasts modern facilities including a full cafeteria and restaurant and bar on the second story overlooking the show floor. “You can eat, drink and be merry. What can be better than that?” Walton says. Convenient access for north-siders just off State Road 32 and having plenty of free parking and shuttles from the outer lots right to the doors of the Center are big added bonuses. Even more important is what you’ll find inside the shows. At the Fall Home and Outdoor Living

Show, September 20-23, you’ll find more than 200 exhibitors. “At other shows, there are wall-to-wall exhibitors and you just can’t possibly see them all,” Walton says. “Visitors want a small show. Quality is more important than quantity. We have good quality exhibitors.” Scoring good quality exhibitors for the Fall Home and Outdoor Living Show is a little easier because of the show’s short run. “Getting exhibitors to commit to just four days instead of nine or 10 is much easier,” Walton says. “It’s hard for owners to take that much time off work, but they can for just a few days.” At the Fall Home and Outdoor Living Show, you’ll see companies that offer anything to do with improving your outdoor and indoor living spaces, like exhibitors who offer painting services, cabinet makers, window and door companies, home automation (security systems) companies and more.

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Outdoor living exhibits are a popular attraction, and you’ll see these days it’s become more than just for the summer months. “You’ll see all kinds of displays that show you how you can extend your outdoor living season by adding things like fire features,” Walton says. Providing an opportunity for potential customers to meet face to face with contractors to be able to make decisions is what the home show is all about. “Visitors like meeting face to face with a representative of the company who oftentimes is the owner,” Walton says. “It builds trust in the product, the pricing and customer service.” Visitors are also going to love some other features at the Home and Outdoor Living Show. “We created a Neighborhood Marketplace area with 30 smaller spaces for vendors and artisans to feature their handmade products and goods,” Walton says. “It’s all in one convenient area for the visitors, and the booth space is a lower price for exhibitors in this section. It’s a win-win.” A stage area will be set up in a central location where visitors can come and watch an educational presentation or demonstration and even see appearances by local radio and TV personalities. You’ll find plenty to do and see at the show no matter which day you choose to attend. But if you plan to do the outing as a family, you may want to plan for Sunday, September 23. “Sunday is Kids’ Day. It’s our biggest and most popular day,” Walton says. “We’ll have princesses, superheroes and other fun stuff for the kids.” If you can’t make it to the Fall Show, you’ve got three others to choose from. The Holiday Show, November 15-18, features all kinds of gift ideas. Shop the clothing and jewelry vendors, toys, food atNoblesville.com / SEPTEMBER 2018 / NOBLESVILLE MAGAZINE / 17

and wine gifts and even get décor and entertainment ideas. Kids won’t want to miss the entertainment with appearances by princesses, magicians and even Santa. The Spring Home and Outdoor Living Show is February 8-10, 2019. If you missed the Fall Show, this is your perfect opportunity to visit Home and Outdoor Living exhibitors and get inspired just in time for Spring growing season to heat up. Ladies, you won’t want to miss the Women’s Show, March 22-24, 2019. This first-ever ladies event is much more than a girls’ night out. The show features everything you want to feel pampered. There’s plenty of shopping, food and wine, entertainment, fitness, lifestyle, spa treatments and more. For more details on all the shows, visit suburbanindyshows.com. You can get tickets online and read all about the exhibitors.

Last year, seasoned realtor Jessica Birkle started her own real estate company so that she could combine her two passions: people and mission work. In March 2017, she launched Birkle Real Estate in order to help clients buy and sell their homes while also doing a good deed. The realty group donates 10 percent of its commission to the 501(c)3 nonprofit of their client’s choice. For example, a $300,000 house would typically yield a $900 donation.

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NOBLESVILLE EVENTS 1, 8, 15, 21, 29 13 MOVIES IN THE PARK AT FOREST PARK

The Noblesville Parks Family Summer Movie Series is entering its 11th year this season. Join us at Shelter 1 in beautiful Forest Park for a movie on the big screen under the stars. Movies start at dusk and are free to the public. In case of a rain out, we will do our best to reschedule or move indoors at Ivy Tech Community College. September showings include: Sept. 1: Beauty and the Beast, Sept. 8: Despicable Me 3, Sept. 15 Jumanji, Sept. 21: Cars 3 and Sept. 29: Wonder. Forest Park 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Join us at Purgatory Golf Club for the Noblesville Chamber of Commerce’s annual golf outing fundraiser. Enjoy networking, golfing and Indiana craft beers while supporting the Noblesville Chamber and its work for area businesses. Register online today! Purgatory Golf Club 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

14,28

FLASHBACK FRIDAY CONCERTS

ALL COUNTY NETWORKING BREAKFAST

Join the Noblesville Chamber, the Westfield Chamber, OneZone and the Northern Hamilton County Chamber for this all county networking breakfast. At this event, you’ll network with people from all over Hamilton County and enjoy the best breakfast of the year provided. Houlihan’s (Noblesville) 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Flashback Friday concerts will pay homage to various decades of music from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90’s at First Merchants Pavilion at Federal Hill Commons in Noblesville. Shows are free to the public. Each show will start at 7 p.m. and food and drink vendors will be on site for guests to enjoy. September 14 will feature Mike and Joe, while Hairbanger’s Ball with Ripple Effect will perform on September 28. Federal Hill Commons First Merchants Pavilion 7:00 p.m.

NOBLESVILLE MINI MARATHON/10K/5K/KIDDIE RUN

MUSIC & ALL THAT JAZZ

Grab dinner downtown, bring your lawn chairs, gather your friends on the courthouse square and listen to various music genres. The time is 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. for all performances. The September 7 show will feature the David Hartman Band. Noblesville Main Street 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

WINE DOWN WITH ART

BIRDIES & BREWS GOLF OUTING

Wine down your week and enjoy a summer evening with a delicious meal, tasty wine and local art at the park! Wine Down with Art will take place at Federal Hill Commons from 7 - 9 p.m. featuring live music, local artists and wine and more. Federal Hill Commons 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

This scenic event offers runners and walkers a tour of beautiful Noblesville and showcases the area’s most beloved attractions such as the Courthouse Square, Forest Park, Morse Beach and Potter’s Bridge. Multiple distances will be offered to appeal to runners and walkers of any ability. Boys & Girls Club of Noblesville 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

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DEGREE?

College and transferring ty could save you

CLAY MERCHENT IS ENJOYING LIFE oblesville ON THE GREENS

students attending Ivy ear.

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Writer / Matt Keating Photography Provided

Clay is looking forward to playing golf in college.

challenge a championship course of that caliber presents.”

One of the best ways to become a great golfer is to start at a young age.

“I think the challenge of being a studentathlete will help me manage my schedule and time better in the future,” Clay says. “Plus, I’m looking forward to winning as many trophies for the Gators as possible.”

Clay’s dad, Mike, owner of Purgatory Golf Club, is happy Clay has become a great golfer, but he’s even happier it was a choice Clay made for himself.

Just ask Clay Merchent, a senior at Noblesville High School who was recruited his sophomore year to play at the University of Florida. “I love playing golf because of the everchanging challenges it presents and the lessons it teaches you about life itself,” Clay says. “I started playing golf at the age of six. I got involved in the game because I wanted to spend more time with my dad. Over time, I developed a love for the game and eventually played in my first tournament at the age of nine.”

“Clay took a liking to golf when he was at a very young age, but it wasn’t something I pushed,” Mike says. “He always had access to golf, but he enjoyed other sports while he was growing up. He really enjoyed “I enjoy this event so much because of the playing the other sports, but he just always hospitality the facility provides and the fact gravitated back to golf.” that I was playing against the best players Mike noted that Clay still practices all the in the world,” Clay says. “The Jr. Players Tour is also a great event. This is one of my time. favorite events that I’ve played, because “As he was getting older, he started winning of the history the course has and the Clay’s favorite tournament was the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley Golf Club in Graniteville, South Carolina.

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some big golf tournaments, which just made him work even harder,” Mike says. Clay spent part of his past summer in golf tournaments in Louisville, Kentucky and Bowling Green, Kentucky, and also at the U.S. Junior Amateur tournament at the Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey. “Clay will be in the Mason Cup Invitational, the Junior Players Championship at the Tournament Players Club, the PING Invitational and the Junior Rolex Invitationals,” Mike says. “He has really strived to become a better golfer.”

“I LOVE PLAYING GOLF BECAUSE OF THE EVERCHANGING CHALLENGES IT PRESENTS AND THE LESSONS IT TEACHES YOU ABOUT LIFE ITSELF.”

Mike added that he is inspired by Clay all the time. “He’s a really good kid,” Mike says. “He’s an old soul. He takes golf very seriously and is very focused.” Clay visits a chiropractor to help him with his back. He also gets helpful advice from golf coaches. “The college coaches at the University of Florida have a lot of faith in the kids in the golf program, and they will be able to help Clay get better,” Mike says. “The Noblesville High School coaches have really been great with helping him, too.” Mike says that Clay has also enjoyed playing at Purgatory Golf Course.

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“He was exposed to golf enough growing up, so I didn’t force it on him,” Mike says. “When he was old enough to drive, he wanted to drive to a golf course, so he really made the decision to keep at it all by himself.” Mike believes Clay would be great at anything he sets his mind to. “He’s a good golfer because he’s committed to what he does,” Mike adds. “He will be that way with everything.”

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atNoblesville.com / SEPTEMBER 2018 / NOBLESVILLE MAGAZINE / 21

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22 / NOBLESVILLE MAGAZINE / SEPTEMBER 2018 / atNoblesville.com

This fall, let’s plan an outdoor space to be proud of.

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atNoblesville.com / SEPTEMBER 2018 / NOBLESVILLE MAGAZINE / 23

Gaither Family Resources Fall Festival Coming Up Sept. 21-22 Writer / Nicole Sipe Photography Provided

The Gaither Family Resources Fall Festival is as much a celebration of gospel music and family as it is a celebration of the small town of Alexandria, Indiana, where Bill and Gloria Gaither built their home 54 years ago. The weekend-long festival includes live entertainment and tours of the Gaither Recording Studio, opportunities to dine with the Gaithers and gospel concerts at a nearby church in Anderson. “Our grounds will be full of great food, concerts everywhere and all kinds of friends to meet from every state and several countries,” says Gloria Gaither. “We will turn our bus barn — where we keep our tour buses — into a theater, our big

shipping warehouse into a giant food space and our big grassy field into a home for two huge tents where there will be other concerts and all kinds of craftsmen and artists. We will give tours of our little town and tell about the places both Bill and I have loved through the years.” Music has always been an important part of the Gaithers’ lives. From the start of their marriage, they wrote, sang, recorded and marketed their own music, first as the Bill Gaither Trio for more than 20 years, then as the Gaither Vocal Band for another two decades. After 40 years of making music together, plus two Grammy Awards and more than a dozen Dove Awards to their name, the couple considered winding down their career in the music business. However, life had other plans for them.

“The Gaither Vocal Band decided to make a tribute album to the groups and singers that enchanted them when they were growing up, inviting several of these aging heroes to join them in the studio to sing an old Gospel favorite by Stuart Hamblin, ‘Where Could I Go But to the Lord?’” Gaither says. “Little did they or we know, what began as a three-minute DJ cut for television would spawn a phenomenon called the Gaither Homecoming video series. Now, 300, 90-minute videos later, people come to our town to see where all this started.” The idea for the fall festival sprang from the Gaithers’ desire to reunite each year with the friends they have made that stop in their town to visit Gaither Recording Studio, shop at the Gaither Family Resources retail store and eat at their restaurant, Pure and Simple.

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“About 10 years ago, we decided to have a ‘homecoming’ and invited our friends from all over the world to come visit our little town of Alexandria,” Gaither says. “We wanted to fill our campus with music, Midwest artists and craftsmen and all kinds of fun activities and food that reflect this great heartland we call the ‘breadbasket of the world.’ And what better time to bring people who love our music than harvest time, when the apples are ripe and the grains are being gathered from the field?” With their festival, the Gaithers hope to meet, share a meal and enjoy great music and art with other people who enjoy gospel music and small-town Midwestern living. “We want people to experience our small town where Bill was born and where we have raised our family,” Gaither says. “We want visitors to feel as if they are family and that this Midwest heartland is way more than a ‘fly-over zone.’ It’s a place where people still take care of each other and go the extra mile when there is a need. We want people to know that music about the God who is the center of our lives still brings encouragement and gives perspective when times are hard and keeps us singing when life is good.” The Gaither Family Resources Fall Festival takes place September 2122. For more information and to purchase tickets to the festival, visit gaither.com/news/gaither-fall-fest2018-hometown-celebration. atNoblesville.com / SEPTEMBER 2018 / NOBLESVILLE MAGAZINE / 25

CHAMPIONSHIP PEDIGREE NEW NHS HEAD FOOTBALL COACH JUSTIN RODEN AIMS TO TAKE MILLERS TO NEXT LEVEL

Writer / Seth Johnson Photographer / Ron Wise

Football has always been much more than a sport to Justin Roden.

Growing up, Roden was granted many opportunities through football that he may not have had otherwise.

“I wasn’t the smartest kid in school, so the resources that football provided for me were “I had some very humble beginnings — my really important,” Roden says. “We didn’t parents didn’t have a lot of money,” Roden have anyone in our family ever go to college says, looking back on his childhood years. before, and both my brother and I were able “Football was a good escape for me — a way to be college graduates, which was a really to help me get through some things.” big deal in our family.” For this reason, he’s dedicated his life to coaching young men out on the gridiron. After leading East Central High School to an IHSAA 4A state championship in 2017, Roden has now moved on to his new role as head coach of the Noblesville High School football team, who kicked off their season in August.

Now, Justin and his brother Jay are still both involved in football. Jay Roden is currently the defensive coordinator at La Salle High School in Cincinnati. “Football really helped mold us into fathers and husbands, and that’s kind of the message with the kids now in Noblesville,”

Justin says. “I’m trying to emphasize to them that football really was much bigger to me than winning. It was a way for me to be a better person.” The head coaching job at Noblesville High School was appealing to Roden for many reasons. First of all, the area was one where he could see he and his family thriving. “When I went to go check things out, I quickly discovered that the community is beautiful,” Roden says of Noblesville. “The community is growing. It’s a pleasing mixture because you have the reservoir and the parks, but then you turn around and have all the modern stores and you’re close to Indianapolis. So for my wife and kids, those boxes all got checked. Right away, even before I could consider a football move

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or a job move, those had to work.” The Noblesville faculty also made sure that Roden, his wife, and his two children felt at home in Noblesville too. “During the interview process, the second time I went to Noblesville, they asked me to bring my wife and kids,” says Roden, who has a 16-year-old daughter and a 14-year-old son. “I had been on plenty of interviews, and no one’s ever asked me to bring my wife and kids. They took my wife and kids out to Alexander’s in Noblesville and showed them around. They showed my daughter and son around the school buildings. So they made them feel very welcome.” Roden was also quite impressed with the Noblesville High School athletic facilities as well.

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“The weight room in itself is one of the best in the United States,” he says. “When you have a facility like that, a weight room like that, and a strength coach like Coach Clark, there’s nothing but the tools in the toolbox to win.” In addition to all of this, Roden is simply looking forward to a new challenge.

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“I took East Central to the highest point,” he says. “I’m still ambitious. I want to do something different. So going to Noblesville and taking on the challenge of a program that hasn’t had a winning season in over a decade is more exciting to me than anything else. What better way to lead my legacy.”

St. Vincent Neighborhood Hospital 9460 E. 146th St. Noblesville, IN 46060 317-703-1999

Although he knows it may take a while to get Noblesville High School on the winning track, he ultimately hopes that his players will represent the city well each time they take the field.

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28 / NOBLESVILLE MAGAZINE / SEPTEMBER 2018 / atNoblesville.com

“I told the kids when you leave the field, you should feel like you have represented Noblesville. Not yourself, but Noblesville,” Roden says. “I want the people of Noblesville to be proud of the effort, integrity and toughness of my players.”

Co-owners JR (left) and Nick Roudebush

FATHER-SON DUO CREATE UNIQUE GATHERING SPACE WITH HOME DECOR SHOWROOM & CAFÉ Writer / Jon Shoulders Photography Provided

When Nick Roudebush and his father JR decided to open Mercantile 37, an establishment that is part showroom, part work studio and part café and market, they embarked on what has turned out to be a truly local endeavor - on several levels. Firstly, the showroom includes locally-made items crafted by Nick himself, who operates a separate home decor business called EM Meld Co. that blends ceramics, steel, wood and wax materials, as well as industrial lighting products made by JR’s company Upscale Industrial. Secondly, the Roudebush family has strong ties to the greater Noblesville area - Nick’s grandfather grew up here, ran a small grocery in town and served as county commissioner. “He ran a store called 10th Street Grocery,

and anybody with Noblesville ties knew about that grocery as a place where the community gathered and caught up with each other,” says Nick, who grew up in Cicero and studied art at Wabash College before obtaining a master’s degree in ceramics at Notre Dame. “It was kind of a community hub.” Adding to the local charm of the establishment, the Mercantile 37 building itself, previously occupied by Wheeler’s Restaurant, has a connection to Nick’s family - his wife Emma’s great-uncle built the structure in 1940, and her grandfather oversaw management of the building for several years. Inspiration for the Mercantile 37 concept started when Nick began taking notice of the then-vacant building during his daily commute, eventually suggesting to JR the idea of opening a shop that would offer the duo’s various custom home decor products.

“Dad spent 30 years in corporate food sales and had been interested in opening up a new shop in his retirement, for his industrial lighting business,” Nick says. “I was working on my wife’s family farm and around that same time, I had decided I wanted to make things for a living instead. Soon we were talking about making the building into a showroom and adding a shop in the back.” Those visiting Mercantile 37, located in Atlanta about 12 miles outside of Noblesville, can expect a singular experience - showroom browsers can sit for a while in Wheeler’s Café and Market (named in honor of the building’s previous occupant), which offers coffee sourced from Cicero-based Dark Side Roasters and a rotating breakfast and lunch menu featuring ingredients from local growers like Full Hand Farm, which sits less than half a mile from the establishment. “On our market shelves we’ll have some of the things on the café menu, so you

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might be able to order a sandwich that has a vegetable on it from Full Hand Farm or bacon jam from another local vendor and then be able to purchase those items individually from our market if you like them,” says Nick, who teaches ceramics at Indiana Wesleyan University. The showroom itself will feature products from 15 to 20 local artisans in addition to items handmade by the Roudebushs. “We make anything from lighting to countertops to candles, and then we’re also opening the showroom up to hightier woodworkers, textile artisans and metalworkers in the area, trying to fill all the different facets of home decor,” Nick says. “Everything is customizable too so if you see a table you like but you want it two feet longer, we want to be able to make that happen.” Nick and JR singlehandedly undertook the vast majority of renovations to the building, which sat vacant since 2000, including a complete interior overhaul and an addition at the back of the structure where the cafe sits. “We left the outside of the building pretty much original, and tried to play off of that,” Nick says. “We also exposed the original 1940s concrete flooring inside. If you look at what we added and then look at the existing building, it’s a blend of vintage and modern, which is what our products are.” Nick and JR hope their new facility will eventually serve as a destination space for locals interested in socializing, enjoying quality food and supporting local products at the same time. “The thing about Wheeler’s years ago was farmers would come in, sit and tell stories and have breakfast, similar to my grandpa’s grocery store,” he says. “We want to build up something like that here - a local hub. We’re kind of in the middle of nowhere but there’s still a community here, and we want to do what we can to support that.” Mercantile 37 is located at 25625 State Road 37 North in Atlanta, Indiana. Call 317-4310480 or visit mercantile37.com for more info. 30 / NOBLESVILLE MAGAZINE / SEPTEMBER 2018 / atNoblesville.com

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