– Fedex is already abated for this tax through TIFF, this bill makes tax loss permanent
– County level decision would decide on a go forward basis
HJR3 (Gay marriage amendment to State Constitution)
-Built company in Chicago with LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender) as active participants in its success
-That’s why I did not support it
-Should have spent the time on healthcare instead
Department of Workforce Development (DWD)
-Small business owners frustrated with DWD?
-FICA/unemployment benefits take too much time for small business owners
Lack of transparency in IEBC
-New bill already demands more information of IEBC
Obama Care
-Federal government couldn’t tell us whether it would be $200 million or $2 billion
-Therefore, Healthy Indiana Plan did not adopt Obama Care
Meet the Merchant
by Kathy Scales Brown
The Lampshade Store
315 N. 5th Street
873-2284
What the heck is going on in the gray building at the corner of Elm Cedar long known as Zionsville Lighting Center and Firehouse Antique Mall????? David Brown is returning his lampshade business back to Brown’s on Fifth where it all started 69 years ago.
John Spurgeon and Tim Overmyer will own and operate a downsized version of the Zionsville Lighting Center. Concept 7 Fitness is leasing the east side of the building with a rear entry access for their growing business.
When you enter Brown’s on Fifth at 315 N. 5th Street, now also known as The Lampshade Store, you will see the same large selection of contemporary and traditional lampshades for both table and floor lamps previously found at the Zionsville Lighting Center. If you can, bring your lamp so David can get the best fit possible.
www.brownslampshades.com will be transitioned into the 5th Street location as well. From this website, lampshades are sold and shipped to individuals, hotels and corporate clients across the United States.
Brown’s on Fifth will continue to carry their well-known selection of antiques, vintage merchandise and gifts.
Now you know.
Old House Love
by Jennifer Bucher
There is one thing about old houses that you will either find charming or insanity inducing: almost any and every project you start on in an old house will have so many twists and turns the plot will rival an O. Henry story. When you start a project in an old house-let’s say something simple, like replacing stair treads-you must be fully prepared for the project to include aspects you never considered-let’s say like insulating the entire side of the home once said stair treads have been removed.
I tend toward finding this charming. Removing those stair treads also revealed a hidden space that held newspapers from the early 1900’s. The papers contained articles about President Roosevelt. Teddy.
To me, not knowing quite what to expect is a reason to love an old house. I can’t help but think that with every project or restoration I’ll find something that will help solve the mystery of the house. Sometimes that mystery is a rotted floor board, but sometimes it is the reward of the discovery of a window that had been covered up or the realization that one of your register boxes was made with wood from an old cracker box. In my home on Main Street, we tore out an old wall board and found a love note written on the wall behind it (“Happy us! Marcia + Rob). I can’t imagine such a find in a new home.
(Actually-my sister moved into a brand new condo where she was the first owner. Following her first use of the bathroom shower, she looked up on the wall and could faintly make out the word “Jesus” showing through the paint. After her initial shock, she reasoned that it had been the name of one of the painters who had signed his work.)
When considering a project in an old house, you must be prepared for anything. You just don’t know what you will find under a floor or behind a wall. This can be quite daunting-especially if you have a budget for the project (which, honestly you should throw out the window, since we all know it’s going to cost a lot more than that). In my dining room, our builder (my brother-in-law) told us that there appeared to be some water damage in the ceiling. He told us he was going to open it up a bit and check it out-“just to be safe” he said. Twenty-four hours later the ceiling and all of the (100 year old) insulation was all over our dining room; once the ceiling was open he discovered that the bathroom above was only sitting on 2×4 rafters. We were getting ready to put a marble shower in that bathroom….
The Upstairs Bathroom
So far, the upstairs bathroom is the only room that we really had to “gut.” I refused to use this bathroom when we purchased the home. Now before you go saying “oh come on, how bad could it be” or “really, couldn’t you suck it up?”, I must tell you that before I moved to the Village, my husband and I spent several months traveling the country and living in a pop-up trailer. The trailer did not have a bathroom. I happily used a lot (I mean, a lot!) of pit toilets and other questionable facilities on this trip and I would not use the pre remodel upstairs bathroom in the home.
There was a cruddy bath insert and a really old toilet. The walls were covered about ¾ of the way up with this strange mottled vinyl and all the fixtures were 1980s brass.
Fortunately, the plaster walls were in pretty good shape and the window and its hardware were adorable. We started tearing up the vinyl floor and hoped for nice hardwoods, but the glue on the vinyl had become one with the wood underneath and it all had to go.
We installed a shower with hex tile on the pan and subway tile on the walls. Another window was added. We purchased salvaged marble at White River salvage and had it cut for a bench and shower threshold. We found an old marble sink as well and added a new faucet. My father custom built the cabinet below the sink. A new toilet (of course) was installed in a different spot and the entire floor was covered in hex tile-with very extravagant and luxurious radiant heating underneath.
Finally, we added bead board to the ceiling and ¾ of the way up the plaster walls. Put in some lights (from Kogans on Main) and painted everything a crisp, clean white.
The bathroom is absolutely charming.
If you have a story of old house love you’d like to share, please send it to editor@zvra.com.
Of course, I am perfectly willing to continue the love with my home.