January 2012

Upcoming town meetings:
Jan 3rd (Tues) at 7pm in Bev Harves Room for the Town Council monthly meeting
Jan 17th (Tues) at 7pm in Bev Harves Room for the Plan Commission monthly meeting
Jan 18th (Wed) at 7pm in the Community Room for the Economic Development Commission (EDC) monthly meeting
Jan 19th (Thurs) at 8am in the Community Room for the EDC Strategic Plan Working Group Meeting

Feb 2nd to 5th- ZBowl needs you!
Zionsville has been officially named a Super Celebration Site by the Indy Super Bowl Host Committee. The ZBowl is a week’s worth of events that includes fun things to do related to families, food and art. This is a grassroots effort, and we need your help to make it a huge success. Volunteers are needed to staff various activities; from the welcome desk, to the football camp, and many other great opportunities. For more information and to sign up, visit the ZBowl website at www.ZBowl2012.com.

With Christmas in the rearview mirror and our New Year upon us, we have a lot to look forward to in the coming year. Some interesting and exciting things will be continuing from last year; such as the First Street Project, which now has some elaborate plans and will be up for community review in the upcoming weeks.

While I am sure there are those that will love it, there will be some issues as well. This will drastically change the look and feel of First Street; so before we start picking at the plan, realize that this will do exactly what most of the Village Residents wanted—add green space and pedestrian friendliness to an under utilized part of the Village. Our next step is to make sure that we can overcome any small issues, such as losing some parking spaces, and start really using and promoting the Village as a very “walk-able” place. This is something we should all participate in more.

We are still waiting to hear back from Monument Construction on the status of any sort of real development at the Citgo Site and a potential meeting from them to answer questions and how their plans impact the village. I have been assured from Town Staff as well as Tim Haak and Steve Mundy that there has been no contact with the town from Monument besides a report to the RDC several months ago. I am looking forward to seeing how this progresses.

The EDC strategic plan is also still a work in progress. To quote Town Manager Ed Mitro in regards to the December 14th Meeting-“To say it was extremely well attended would be an understatement.” Thanks to all of you who were there and listened, learned and put in your two cents worth. Also, thanks to those of you who filled out the town survey on the EDC plan as American Structure Point has been busy sifting through a huge number of those. We will see how the thoughts from the people who are potentially most effected (Village Residents and Zionsville Road Residents) are integrated into the plan. We will do our best to keep you updated with the meeting schedules for this, as well as the upcoming Land Use Strategic Working group. The Land Use working group will also have a large impact on our community. Hopefully this new Land Use plan will look at all of Zionsville, and not just the TIF district.

We will be convening meetings of the VRA Legislative Affairs Committee and the Village Voice Editorial Board in the middle of the month. For those of you already on those committees, you will receive emails when those dates are set, and those dates will be on the happenings calendar at www.zvra.com. If you would like to be part of those groups, we definitely need your help! Your opinion and talents are needed to make sure these important parts of the VRA continue to help inform other residents of what is going on in the Village, and inform the town leaders of the thoughts and views of the Village.

Make sure to check out www.zvra.com for info on all the great stuff going on in Zionsville this year. And take some time to help out with all the great Super Bowl events we have right here in Zionsville with our own Z’Bowl events-www.ZBowl2012.com.

Have a great New Year and I hope to see you often over the course of 2012!
Chris Bucher
VRA President

 By Delma Mindel

Happy New Year

Greetings to all you intrepid gardeners already perusing the stacks of garden catalogs and dreaming about what plants you could possibly tuck into your garden, all the while comfortably ensconced In your cozy living room, fireplace merrily ablaze, perhaps a kitty or two snuggling next to you keeping warm, icy rain and sleet rattling against your window panes. The memories of sweat running into your eyes, the aches and pains from bending over, crouched over, kneeling, digging, pulling, grasping, hauling, and don’t forget watering,—are quite a distant and fuzzy memory. The beautiful glossy prints of the promised blooms in the catalogs are just so…well, devoid of all that hard work that goes into getting them to grow and bloom in exactly the way they are pictured. May I share with you a few of my catalog “have to have it” favorites? From Garden Gate Magazine, the astibles…’Ostrich Plume’ with gently cascading, feathery pink plumes’, and ‘Color Flash, with vivid lime-green leaves that mellow into elegant burgundy by late summer. Yum! From Gardens Alive, Blue Chip Miniature Butterfly Bush, a new cultivar perfect for smaller gardens and mixed borders, blue, lilac-like flowers from early summer to mid fall. Ah fellow gardeners, spring is on its way. And if you are hankering to do something in the garden right now, mulch your roses…this is the best time to do it.

For those of you who missed our last garden venture, Ellen and Jeff Butz hosted the VA Garden Club in September. We listened to future plans to re-do the brick path, enjoyed the container pots verdant with blooms, and the elegant and lovely borders that meandered in an orderly fashion along the fence. The “Secret Garden” was just that, access gained only through the house. The garden was a stand out in all its shades of green. The lighter-leaved plants glowed in the shadows, and with the gentle sound of water cascading over the lovely fountain Jeff built by hand, the garden was a restful and serene delight.

Our next event is March 3rd, 6pm, at the home of Marianne and Guinn Doyle. Bring a covered dish to share. Let Marianne and Guinn know you are planing to attend and what food you’re bringing. (mhdoyle@indy.rr.com) If you’re a mind to, bring seeds to share (in labeled envelopes) from your favorite flowers. (Please, please RSVP to Marrianne and Guinn!) This is our annual planning meeting, where we discuss future outings and encourage our group to open their gardens for viewing. Monique and Brad Schnable, Mark Zalonis, and Beth Bugbee have agreed to host our group, next summer. In June: Schnables, May or July: Zalonis, August: Bugbee. Remember, as always, no garden is deemed unsuitable or unworthy. We are a gentle,helpful and knowledgeable bunch. And- don’t forget- convivial!

Comedy greats like John Belushi, Dan Akroyd, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Mike Myers, Steve Carrel, Tina Fey and Stephen Colbert all exercised their comedy chops at the infamous Second City Comedy theatres (www.secondcity.com). Now a second generation of new gut bustin’ comedians takes no prisoners in satiric comedy that leaves no politician, no Hollywood socialite and no Beltway blowhard untouched in their second appearance in Zionsville! So in the dead of Indiana winter when you really need a good laugh, join us for Second City’s Laugh Out Loud Tour! For flyer, go to www.zboponline.org/2ndcity/index.html

Always wanted to learn comedy improv? Join Second City professionals for a 1hr. 30 min improv workshop on Friday, February 10, 4:15-5:45 pm. The workshop is for all ages but space is limited to ensure a great group experience. You can learn the secrets of Second City Comedy by joining in on the games and group participation or just watch and learn! Custom small group workshop available, please contact Ann for more information.

For questions and workshop reservations, email Ann at apagano3@aol.com

Tickets can be ordered at TIX.com and Marsh in Boone Village and N. Michigan Road starting January 9th. Advance tickets $15; at the door $17.
Comedy Improv Workshop $15, workshop and show $30.

Live! at the Zionsville Performing Arts Center
Friday, February 10th 7:30 PM

By Jennifer Bucher