- July 4th Celebration in Lions Park with festivities beginning at 5 pm. (Rain date July 9)
- Zionsville Farmers Market, 8-11 am, July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
- Lincoln Park Concert Series (Free), 7-8:30 pm, July 6, 13, 20, 27
- Free Sunday Concerts in Lions Park, 7 pm, July 10, 17, 24, 31
- Next Town Council meeting, Tuesday July 5 at 7 pm at Town Hall
- Next Board of Zoning Appeals meeting, Tuesday July 12 at 6:30 pm at Town Hall
- Next Zionsville Plan Commission meeting, Monday July 18 at 7 pm at Town Hall
President’s Letter by Sara Martini
Dear Neighbors,
Summer is flying by! It is hard to believe it is already July. It was great seeing some of the neighbors at the Lincoln Park Concert in June.
It is such a wonderful event where you can spend time with family and enjoy life in the village. At the Lincoln Park Concert on July 6th, the VRA will have a table at and will be passing out information on our association. Please stop by and say hello!
June has been a very busy month! The Plan Commission Committee voted 5-0 to send an unfavorable recommendation to the Town Council for the “200 West” development. Thank you to everyone for their support and to all of those who have tirelessly devoted their time and energy to help preserve our town. It truly takes a village!
The next town council meeting is on July 5th. If you feel strongly about this development, then I encourage you to attend the council meeting.
On a different note, the VRA is currently in the process of setting up a new service for you! A common issue in the village is the conditions of the streets, curbs, and drains. If you know of a problem area with a street, curb, or drain, we are inviting villagers to send pictures and explanations of the problem to the e-mail address streets@zvra.com. The pictures and e-mails will be compiled and submitted to the street department for response/repair. We encourage villagers to update the VRA on the progress. Accolades on responses/repairs are also always appreciated. If a street was plowed during a heavy snow storm or sidewalk fixed, we would love to hear about it!
Lastly, our next meeting will be our annual Brick Street Picnic on September 17th. This is such a great time to meet new neighbors and relax with friends. I look forward to seeing you there and around town!
Sara Martini
President
Town Council Insights by Josh Garrett
Since joining Town Council I’ve tried to meet with each of the department heads and learn more about their organizations. I recently had the opportunity to spend the morning with Barry Cook, who is our superintendent of wastewater and tour our treatment plant.
The treatment plant is located just west of the village and is close to Starkey Park. Here they take everything generated by the sewer system throughout Zionsville. Most of it is fed by gravity, although there are lift stations throughout the Town that assist. Despite the perceived “yuck factor,” it was a fascinating learning experience. Barry took me through the entire process of how they intake the water/waste and break it down through a number of steps and removing all the harmful elements of the water. One piece of really ingenious machinery separates the solid waste through a giant conveyor belt and puts it in a truck for disposal. Everything is very tightly regulated and monitored by the government to ensure environmental compliance.
Barry certainly knows his job, having risen through the ranks of the department. He is always on call, especially during thunderstorms that can put a lot of additional water into the system (although it is a separate system from the rainwater sewers run by Lance Lantz). I was also impressed by the newer technology that now assists in the process. Barry can remotely control the entire system from home in the event of warnings or the need to relieve pressure within the system at an odd hour.
While this department might not be as sexy as the police and fire departments, it is certainly something that we should appreciate having and running well.
July 4th Celebration in Lions Park
Airbnb Use Variance Request continued until July
At the June 14 Board of Zoning Appeals meeting, the petitioner’s attorney requested a postponement for the hearing on a use variance to operate an Airbnb in the Residential Village Zoning District. The attorney stated he and his clients were gathering additional documentation to support their request. The continuance to the July 12th docket was granted subject to the petitioners submitting an affidavit describing any rental activity between the Town’s cease and desist order through the current date.
Checkout What’s Fresh at the Market!
July is the best time of the month to buy local and fresh Indiana corn! There’s nothing better than the corn grown right here in Indiana. Where else to buy the best corn in America? Zionsville Farmers’ Market! Starting in July the market will have fresh, local corn available.
A favorite easy summer recipe is the Sweet Summer Corn Salad. This salad is a great compliment to grilled steak, barbeque ribs, hot dogs and hamburgers. Check out the recipe below for this crowd pleaser. Happy eating!
Summer Corn Salad
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients
- 6 ears of corn, shucked
- 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 3 tablespoons cider or red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup julienned/chiffonaded fresh basil leaves
Directions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When boiling, add the cobs of corn to the pot of water and bring to a rolling boil. Boil corn for 5 minutes. Remove the corn from the pot. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.
- Toss the kernels in a medium bowl with the red onions, tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Recipe courtesy of melskitchencafe.com
Market… free strawberry shortcake always draws a crowd!
Lions Club Concerts in July
FREE Sunday Concert Series in July is a fun filled night for the entire family. Concerts start at 7pm in the Gazebo. Bring your own lawn chair or blanket. Food and drinks are available for a donation to the Zionsville Lions Park. (Rain location is the Zionsville Lions Clubhouse.)
The concerts for 2016 are:
July 3 – The Golden Age of Patriotic Music at the White House
July 10 – The American Songbook on Broadway
July 17 – The Golden Age of Jazz
July 24 – A Tribute to Tony Bennett – His Most Requested Songs
July 31 – As Time Goes By – The Frank Sinatra Legacy
Remember: RAIN SITE IS AT THE LIONS CLUBHOUSE
Sound provided by David Thompson. Concert Director Lion Joyce Lee Davis. For more information, contact Lion Leigh Ann Akard at LeighAnn@truevalue.net.