Announcements
- Saturdays 8-11am Farmers Market
- August 3rd (Saturday) 6-11pm Zionsville Street Dance
- August 3rd (Saturday) Dunk Tank at the Zionsville Street Dance
- August 9th (Friday) 8pm Z’Sparkle Party Drag Race
- August 10th (Saturday) Celebrate National Farmer’s Market Week at Zionsville Farmer’s Market with chef demonstrations, special vendor features and giveaways and much more
- August 18th (Sunday) Garden Club Meeting
- August 24th (Saturday) 9-2 Free Household Hazardous Waste Collection Electronics Recycling
Letter from the President
What a great summer it has been–We are starting to get real tomatoes out of the garden and finally there are eggs in our chicken coop!
In early July, I got an email and phone call from Captain Morris of the Zionsville Police Department about some thefts in the Village. This email was sent along to the VRA membership via our usual eblast route and we had a pretty fair amount of response. As the town gets larger additional crime is probably inevitable.
The biggest question has been, “What should we do?” and the answers that the ZPD has given are probably the simplest things in the world—just lock your cars and homes. In most of these cases the thefts were from cars that were unlocked and garage’s that were open.
In looking at the police reports on these types of crimes, 8 of the 20 events in the first 3 weeks of July happened in the Village. As I have no statistical history to compare this to, and since the Police seem to be concerned, I think it merits a bit of effort on all our parts to redouble our vigilance in making note of things out of the ordinary.
Several people have remarked to me that recently they seem to think that there has been an usually large amount of solicitors in the Village. Zionsville does have an ordinance regard solicitors and door-to-door salespeople. People coming to your door must have a solicitor’s license as issued from the Zionsville Police Department and they are required to show it to you if you ask to see it. A copy of this license is below, so that you know what to look for. Click on the image to enlarge.
Don’t hesitate to ask solicitors for the permit–that is what it is for! If you are refused or if you are uncomfortable with the sales tactics or whatever, please call the police. The permit can be just as easily revoked.
I hope the rest of everyone’s summer is great.
Be careful out there!
Chris
President@zvra.com
Home Safety Tips
1) Always lock your home when going away, even on a short errand.
2) Make sure the exterior doors are solid core wood or metal.
3) Make sure that you have good dead bolt locks installed on your doors.
4) Install a peephole viewer in your doors with a view angle of at least 180 degrees.
5) Secure all of your sliding glass doors with a strong wooden dowel in the door track or a
commercially produced product that stops the door form movement.
6) Secure all double-hung windows with a small bolt, nail or commercially available product to
block the window from being raised.
7) Make sure that walkways and entryways are well lit after dark.
8) Use timers on lights and set a staggered pattern throughout the house.
9) Keep shrubbery and trees around the house trimmed back. This will avoid leaving places for
criminals to climb to second stories or hide around windows and doors.
10) Never hide keys to the house outside. The hidden key trick is well known by criminals.
11) Should you purchase a new home or lose your keys, re-key the doors to the house.
12) List, photograph and engrave your valuables. If possible video tape your property and make
sure that this information is stored in a safe place off site.
Vehicle Safety Tips
1) Every time you leave your car make sure the windows and doors are secured, even if you are
only away from your car for a few minutes.
2) Do not leave personal belongings on display in your car; handbags, mobile phones, laptops,
any electronics and wallets, as all attract thieves.
3) Never leave keys in the ignition when the car is unattended, especially when you are at a gas
station. It only takes a second for a criminal to drive off with your car.
4) Take your personal belongings with you. There may be times this is not possible, keep them
out of site, locked in the trunk or glove box.
5) Make sure you park your car in a well-lit location; darkened streets make it easier for would be
thieves.
6) Store your owner’s manual in another location as it may contain details and security
information or an emergency key.
7) While in slow traffic, keep your doors locked and windows up as the climate dictates. When
in this type of traffic, it is easy for criminals to have access to your car.
8) Keep your license and fuel cards on your person, not in the glove box.
9) When your car is parked at home, secure it. Leave nothing of value in it. Remember to
secure your garage door opener. If they get to your car parked outside, they could now have
access to your garage and your home.
A wonderful selection of beer and wine will be available for the adults. Tickets for Zionsville Street Dance are $8 in advance for adults, $3 for children under 12 and $10 at the door for adults, $3 for children under 12. Tickets may be purchased online at www.zionsvillechamber.org, and at the Zionsville Chamber office Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Tickets are also available at Cobblestone Grill and Akard True Value Hardware.
Street Dance Dunk Tank
What do a police officer, a Harley Davidson mechanic, a purveyor of fine jewels and a bearded man in a flowered bikini have in common? They are all stepping up to make a “splash” in the fight to end Alzheimer’s!
On Saturday, August 3rd from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at the Zionsville Street Dance, members of the Zionsville Police Department, local business owners, Z’Sparkle “dragstars” and other community leaders will line up to take a dunk for a good cause at the “Z’Sparkle Fight to End Alzheimer’s Dunk Tank” located at Pine and Main Street.
So please stop by and bring the family. Dunk a Dude and make a Difference!!
Proceeds from the Dunk Tank go to the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Indiana Chapter.
Friday, August 9th, 2013
Main Street – Between Hawthorne and Oak Streets
An evening of merriment and memories!
VIP Tent $10.00 – over 21 only – advance tickets available at Akard’s True Value Hardware, Chamber of Commerce or at the door. Opens at 7:00 pm. Main and Pine Street, featuring food, music, and cash bar – meet and mingle with the “dragstars” and new this year – the “dudettes” (ladies dressed as men!)
Live Music by 11 piece band, Henle and the Loops!
Parade Race Free, Open to the Public – Donations encouraged!
Parade/Race begins at 8:00pm. Hosted by MCs Anne Ryder and Ray Cortopassi The community’s finest and bravest ladies dude up in their manliest gear and the gentlemen don their best dresses and high heels and parade and then race down Main Street in a sparkly parade of splendor in exchange for donations to the Alzheimer’s Association.
“Dragstars” and “Dudettes” will be collecting donations along the route. Bring your cash and checkbooks!
New this year – Also at the event:
Popp N Go Photo – the First Mobile Photo Booth!!! Literally operating on a mini bus, you and your friends and family have another option to help end Alzheimer’s! Choose from a ton of fun props, take four ridiculous photos, and seconds later you will have a timeless souvenir from Z’Sparkle Drag Race!!!”
Best of all, Popp N Go Photo will donate a portion of the proceeds back to the Alzheimer’s Association!
For families with children that want to enjoy the event but can’t enter the over 21 tent – Zionsville Pizzeria directly across from the VIP tent will be serving up pizza by the slice and donating proceeds back to the cause as well!
For more information visit www.ZSparkleDragRace.com
Proceeds from this event go to the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Indiana Chapter.
Free Household Hazardous Waste Collection Electronics Recycling
August 24, 2013
Location: Zionsville Town Hall
Start Time: 9:00AM
End Time: 2:00PM
Sponsored by: Boone County Solid Waste Management District
Guidelines and Limitations: 8/24/2013 Household Hazardous Waste Collection Electronics Recycling Flyer
Boone County Household Hazardous Waste Website
Present and Past Zionsville Fall Festivals
Compiled by Ralph W. Stacy
This year will be the 60th Anniversary of the Zionsville Lions Club Fall Festival. The Festival will begin on Friday evening September 6th, and continue the 7th 8th so please check our local media for a complete schedule. This Festival has become the largest fund raising event for the financial support of this privately operated and owned Zionsville Lions Park. It is not taxed supported but does have a great group of merchants, Partners in the Park; and Friends of the Park, individuals and in-kind donors that help each year to fund different activities and capital improvements.
For a number of years, Friday evening kicks off this festive weekend with the VIP Carnival. The event is specially designed for our special needs friends to be able to take part in the Fall Festival. The event is free to those guests and their families, thanks to sponsorships from many individuals, merchants, and groups and includes a free dinner. The carnival provides free rides for the VIP’s and an escort on the rides if needed.
In recent years, Saturday, Lions Park is the destination for everyone after the Fall Festival Parade. The Parade was organized for 21 years by the Zionsville Kiwanis Club until this year when the Lions Club took over the responsibility as it was in 1953. Between noon and one o’clock, the Festival in the park is in full swing. There are tents for merchants, arts and crafts, and entertainment, food vendors, kids’ area activities, carnival, pet pavilion and much more. Saturday also brings special events like a Silent and Live Auction and Lion Palooza, a drug alcohol free event co-sponsored with the Zionsville Police and Fire Departments.
Sunday activities usually begin with a light breakfast near the shelter house followed by a community church service, the American Dream Car Show, the Lions International Peace Poster Contest, and some great entertainment for a grand finale to the weekend. The weekend is full of fun, food, laughter with special memories for a lifetime.
Looking back even further one remembers as did Joan Praed Lyons and Sandra Brock Cline who compiled and edited “Zionsville The First One Hundred Years”, a Zionsville oral history project. In the book it was interesting to read statements from Marjorie Bundy Parks.
“In the fall, we would have the Fall Fair. This was the pre-runner of the Fall Festival. It was held in the Town Hall, in the Old Town Hall. The farmers and the people who lived in town would bring produce. See, the people who lived in town had gardens anyway. And they would bring in produce and that would be on the lower floor. And the upstairs would be baked goods and the crocheting and the tatting and the embroidery and the flower show. At that time, we were known as the Dahlia City, and everybody had dahlias. So there were loads of dahlias that were brought to the Fall Fair.”
Mary Amy Mills Smith who I also knew and respected commented.
“As a community, we used to have a Fall Festival all the time. This was in the old Town Hall on East Cedar Street. And about in the early ‘30s, my father had a booth and he showed some furniture from his furniture store. I worked with my father when he had the furniture there. He had a brand new living room suite, and it really was pretty. It was different, I always felt like I sold it ‘cause I talked a lot to the lady who bought it.
They gave away yardsticks and loaves of bread. I think one of the bread companies around here gave little loaves of bread, and you just picked up all kinds of things. Everybody in town went. Of course, there weren’t nearly this many. That was back when there were 1,600 or something like that in town, and everybody knew everybody else.”
Another very special event that helped to reactivate and shape the Fall Festival today was the Centennial Celebration and Parade that was held on Saturday, August 9, 1952. Three residents, Adron Sluder, town historian and school teacher; Bernard Clayton owner and editor of The Zionsville Times and Marshall Brown, local antique dealer started the idea and followed through with a legion of volunteers and organizations making the 100th Anniversary of Zionsville a very special historical event and a great memory in our hearts and minds. One of the organizations that stepped forward was the Lions Club with Lions Bernard Clayton, Glen Cruse, and D.K. Mills raising the money to finance the program. Festivities began with a square dance on East Cedar Street on the night of Friday, August 8. Most everyone dressed in costume reminiscent of the past with many men growing beards and sideburns. The Parade the next day had 90 units, with 3 bands from various high schools, Indiana Governor and Mrs. Henry F. Schricker. I was nine years old and was in the Parade on the local U. S. Post Office float along with Bill Patton and we were both dressed as mail carriers. The Parade route began on Fifth Street, down Ash, down the brick Main Street and ended in the Lions Park where various festivities happened with a street dance at 9:00pm in front of the Fire Station on East Cedar Street. Mary Jane Brown, Marshall Brown’s wife, said in the oral history book that “the centennial celebration was not sponsored by a certain group. After we organized it and decided on what we wanted in a centennial, each sorority and each organization did their utmost and fell right in line.” The next day on Sunday the 10th the continued filming of each of the in town churches; Methodist, Christian and St. Alphonsus Catholic Church with their members exiting their respective churches with many in period costumes of circa 1852!
Our past makes up our future and the present takes it forward!
Farmers Market Vendor Spotlight: Fried Egg Farm
by Patricia Scott
On any given Saturday, the Zionsville Farmer’s Market is as much about a parade of pets as it is about acquiring the freshest seasonal produce and artisan foods. For the last two years the fun has expanded to include live chickens, courtesy of Fried Egg Farm. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Beth, owner and proprietor of the delightful farm-stand, to discuss all things eggs and chickens.
So tell me how Fried Egg Farm began.
Beth: First of all, the name is based on our last name which is pronounced FREED (rather than fried). We thought it would be a fun play on words since most people mispronounce our name as fried. So technically, our full name is pronounced “Freed” egg Farm.
We got started raising chickens 3 years ago. I am basically a city girl and knew nothing about farm animals. We purchased a large property in Zionsville 10 years ago and thought it would be cool to have chickens. We thought that chickens would be the easy to raise. I pictured starting out with about 3-4 chickens. The next thing I knew, my husband had ordered 35!
Did you originally intend to start a business with your chickens?
Beth: NO, but with 35 chickens, we quickly had more eggs than we could consume. We started giving them away to friends and then people started buying them form our home. Two years ago we started at the Zionsville Farmer’s Market. We now have 75 chickens and cannot keep up with the demand for our eggs. We could sell far more eggs than our chickens are able to produce.
Is Fried egg Farm more of a business or a hobby for you?
Beth: We started chicken farming for fun. Now, the proceeds from selling the eggs simply cover the upkeep of the chickens. There is no way that a small farm can compete with the mass producers that supply the grocery store. It is definitely a labor of love, rather than a money making venture.
Tell me about the eggs you sell and the breeds of chickens from which they come.
We sell chicken eggs in a variety of colors from multiple breeds as well as duck eggs from our 5 Pekin rescue ducks.
Currently, we raise the following breeds: Speckled Sussex, Barred Plymouth Rock, Dominique, Light Brahma, Ameraucaunas, Aracana, Black Austrolorp, Buff, Brahma, Silver Laced Wyandotte, White Rock, and Wellsummer.
I also want to make the point that we do not eat or sell our chickens or ducks.
How did you come to own rescue ducks?
My friend, who rescues exotic animals, rescued 5 Pekin Ducks she found wandering outside in the winter cold. Pekin ducks need shelter here to survive since they do not fly south for the winter and are unable to survive our freezing temperatures. We agreed to take them in and care for them.
Describe the care and feeding your chickens and ducks receive.
Our chickens have barn shelter and access to a fenced pen as well as two large pasture areas. In the winter, they have heated water. 75% of their diet is organic; they eat better than we do most of the time! We are continuing to work toward an all organic diet for the chickens, but the cost of organic/non-gmo feed is very expensive, and we would have to raise the price of the eggs considerably. I read an article recently about how people say they want pasture-raised, organic eggs, but when it comes to actually purchasing them, those same people purchase the cheaper ones in the supermarket.
The whole family shares in the care and upkeep of the chickens, ducks and their eggs. It includes, feeding, cleaning and filling their water, cleaning and filling the duck pools, collecting, washing, and packaging the eggs, cleaning out their coops, taking care of any health issues that arise, catching them when they escape. It might average out to a couple hours a day, but most days we spend less than an hour taking care of them.
What is the advantage of buying your eggs over those available from a supermarket chain?
Our eggs are gathered from humanely raised and pastured chickens that are fed a predominantly organic diet. The eggs are also super fresh and less than a week old when you take them home.
Wow! That is fresh. I have read that supermarket eggs, by USDA requirements, must be packed within a week of being laid but can be sold up to 4-6 weeks beyond that date. So do your eggs taste different than store-bought?
Our eggs are more dense, have a higher protein content and a richer yolk flavor. You can definitely see the difference when you crack one because the yolk is noticeably a more vibrant yellow than the store bought eggs you may be used to.
Is there a taste difference among the different color eggs that you sell?
Not really, but the duck eggs we sell are excellent for baking because they are richer still!
So what else do you sell at the market besides eggs?
We sell seasonal fresh produce from our farm that is raised by organic methods. We also grow and sell bouquets of wildflowers. In addition, we offer local honey. Once we became comfortable with chicken farming, we wanted to add bee-keeping so we have adopted two hives form RJ Honey. We are learning all the caretaking requirements and we hope to eventually own our own hives. The honey that we sell at the market is local honey that is gathered from all of the RJ Honey hives throughout Boone Co and then processed in batch. We are resellers of that honey.
Do you have any other future plans for the Farm?
I would eventually like to do a winter market and sell micro greens. Currently we only sell at the Zionsville Farmer’s Market during the summer. Someday I would like our farm to be a farm sanctuary for animals that would otherwise be euthanized. Maybe I will do that when I retire.
What do you find most rewarding about chicken and vegetable farming?
I find it peaceful taking care of the chickens and holding them. It is also really nice to eat food that you have grown yourself. I think everyone should know how to grow their own food.
What do you most enjoy about the market experience?
I love the dog parade! I also love talking to the people and educating them about growing their own food and raising their own chickens for eggs.
It has become very popular to raise backyard chickens for eggs. Do you have any advice for someone wanting to start out?
Raising chickens for eggs is fun and they are pretty clean and easy to take care of. Just remember that they do not lay eggs for more than a few years so once they are done laying you have to be ready to own a chicken as a pet!
Do you give tours of your coop?
Yes, if anyone is interested, they can see me at the Market and set up a time.
Thank you to Fried Egg Farm for sharing your labor of love and bounty from your farm with the Zionsville Farmer’s Market!
Beth Fried farms with her husband, Jonathan (an emergency room physician in Anson and Lafeyette), her son Nate and Daughter Audrey who are a freshman and junior at Zionsville High. The Frieds also have a 22 year-old daughter, Averie, who graduated from Zionsville High and now lives in Brooklyn NY.
Garden Club News
by Delma Mindel
I believe there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright.” ~ Henry David Thoreau
The ZVRA Garden Club met on July 8th at the home of Jeff and Penny Edmondson. The walk-around was intriguing with Jeff’s hydrangea garden on the north side of the house, Penny’s garden on the south side, the leaves of the tri-colored beech’s in the back yard aglow in the late evening light. Speaking of nature’s magnetism, if you slow down when driving past their home on N. Maple, you may get a glimpse of the bronze-red leaves of the redbud at the end of their driveway.
Next month’s gathering is on Sunday, August 18th, 7pm, at the home of Jean Apple, 205 N. Maple St. Jean’s home is one of the oldest in the village and its interesting history is on display at the Sullivan-Munce Museum. Jean’s garden is in the process of being re-designed and she is happy to discuss her future plans with all of us gardeners who usually believe that our own gardens are in constant need of being “done-over”. Please call Jean at 873-5752 or email, Zvjapple6@aol.com and let her know that you are coming and what food you’re bringing to share.
The House Girl by Tara Conklin
The story tells the lives of two women, a pre-Civil War slave, Josephine, and a present day lawyer, Lina. Lina is an ambitious young lawyer researching a class-action lawsuit claiming reparations for the descendants of American slaves. During her research, she discovers Josephine who is the house girl for a renowned artist, Lu Anne Bell. There is some sketchy documentation that the true artist is actually Josephine.
In need of a living plaintiff for the lawsuit, Lina must prove the true identity of the artist and then find a descendant. Not an easy task, particularly, when the lineage of slaves was so poorly documented.
This is a good read despite the painful reminders of American slavery. So visit the library and pour yourself a big glass of sweet tea and enjoy!