Announcements
Be sure to check out the Happenings page for town events, merchant’s live music nights, art receptions, children’s activities, and much more!
Through October Help light up the Village this holiday season! Order your Holiday Magic in the Village Tree to support the VRA and other local groups! Pick-up will be Nov 19th and 20th.
Oct 3rd and 4th (Monday and Tuesday) Village Brush and Limb Pick-up; north/south streets on the 3rd; east/west streets on the 4th.
Oct 11th (Tuesday) VRA October Meeting; 7:30pm at SullivanMunce; Tour SullivanMunce, learn about upcoming events in the village, and vote in elections for VRA board members. All welcome.
Oct 14th and 15th (Friday and Saturday) GhostWalk; 6:30 to 10pm; The VRA will be selling fall snacks both nights as a fundraiser; See you there!
December 3rd (Saturday) Annual VRA Progressive Dinner; this dinner is for VRA members ONLY with limited seating! Go to “How To Join” to become a member today.
Letter From The President
I am still so excited about last weeks Annual VRA Block Party Picnic on the bricks. We had nearly 90 people come to this pitch-in event, and it was so great to meet a lot of new people and catch up with people we haven’t seen in a while!
I think I did my best job of delegating yet, and in that we had so many people help out to make the event a huge success. Not only did we have at least 300 desserts, but there were all manner of salads, sides, dips, stuffed peppers, pork carnitas and on and on! I have to tip my hat to the huge crew of people who chipped in to make it possible, Brad Monique Schnabel who opened their “little house” for an impromptu comfort station, doing set up and tear down, and doing all the leg work. Brad, Ted Schrader, Guinn Doyle, Kerry Dienhart, David Brown and Bill Burgman all worked hard to retrieve, set-up, tear-down, and return all the tables and chairs. Kerry and Brad also did a stellar job on the grills. If you got a flyer at your door, it was because Judy Varner, Bill Burgman, Heather Lusk, Delma Mindel, Ted Schrader, or Barry Hicks went door to door to get out the word about the picnic. Sarah Zack also had plenty of things for the little ones to do which was priceless. I am sure Kathy Brown and Carol Dienhart spearheaded the party cleanup and got everything wrapped up just before the downpour! Thanks to everyone for making the effort to come to our block party picnic. I hope you had fun and I hope if you couldn’t make it, you’ll be able to make it next year.
Don’t forget that our next events are coming up quick with a trip to the Sullivan Munce Historical Center for our October 11th meeting, followed quickly by the Ghost Walk on October 14th and 15th. Many of you will be working for at least a little bit to make that a big success this year, and I hope the rest of you will take the Ghost Walk and enjoy such a fun village weekend.
We are also looking for a few people to “support some cider”! A donation of $5 will help us purchase the cider and other supplies for the Ghost Walk. Money that we collect at the Ghost Walk will go towards fun things like the Picnic and the Progressive Dinner as well as topical things like the Town Council Candidate Forum. Contact president@zvra.com to make a donation or learn more.
A couple of news bits to keep your eye on… the progress on the1st Street beautification process keeps coming with research on how to work in consolidated trash cans and finish up the design. Kathy Scales interviewed many of the merchants about their needs regarding the 1st Street project, and then turned in a well documented report to the town for consideration in the process. Nothing final has been decided, and information on the sites are on the town’s website or at:http://www.reasite.com/firststreet/
Also, there is some movement on the Citgo property at the corner of Main and 116th. The town is working towards demolition of the structures, and the owner is in negotiations with a buyer. The potential buyer, a developer called Monument Construction is looking to buy the property from Citgo to Compton’s Trailer park. Their plan is to put in a mixed-use development that includes retail space on the main level and apartments on the upper floors—up to 30 apartment units per acre on the acres that are not in a flood plain. Monument is based in downtown Indy and according to their website has “participated in a number of multifamily and light commercial projects, ” and has completed “multifamily projects utilizing Section 42 tax credit allocations and other municipal funding sources.” We will try to keep you up to date with this, but this is definitely something that will affect our neighborhood quite a bit.
See you at the Sullivan Munce on October 11th!
Chris Bucher
Zionsville Autumn Artscape October 8th
When you think of autumn, a palette of colors comes to mind, like the leaves falling from the trees. Set those hues to paint, sculpture, and wood, and you’ve got a picture of the third annual Zionsville Autumn Artscape.
The outdoor art fair on Saturday, October 8th puts Zionsville’s most vivid season on display, along with the works of more than 40 Indiana artists.
The Autumn Artscape is sponsored by the Zionsville Chamber of Commerce, which created the event in 2009 to celebrate the creative energy for which Zionsville is known.
“Zionsville is already a popular and respected arts destination, so we’re excited to offer a high quality art fair alongside our other attractions,” said Dusky Loebel, a Zionsville artist who has helped coordinate the Autumn Artscape for three years. “Our artists are very enthusiastic about this event, and several of them will be demonstrating their art for our visitors.”
Painters, potters, jewelry artists, and more from around Indiana will take part in this juried show. Their work will be on display and for sale at a wide array of prices, appealing to the casual art lover as well as the art aficionado.
Like last year, the Autumn Artscape will coincide with the Annual Chili Cook-off near the Friendly Tavern.
In addition to the variety of art, musical artists will perform, and Matt Kenyon, an instructor at the Indianapolis Art Center, will present a glass-blowing demonstration, sponsored by Robert Goodman Jewelers. Bartenders will offer a variety of wines and beers.
The Zionsville Autumn Artscape runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the event and parking are free. It will be located at the corner of Main and Pine Streets in historic downtown Zionsville. Come and spend an hour or a day celebrating the beauty of art and autumn in Zionsville.
For more information, visit ZionsvilleChamber.org or call (317) 873-3836, and find us on Facebook.
The Breath
by Lisa Daugherty
Inhale. Exhale. How often do you notice your breath? At its most basic, the breath is an exchange of gases between the lungs and the atmosphere. Throughout the day, your breath takes on different forms and embodiments. The long, slow, even breaths that you take during deep sleep are much different than your awake and alert breath. If your day is busy, you may not even notice your breath the whole day. Waking up with a head cold guarantees that the breath will be affected. You may struggle to clear the nostrils and eventually give up, and have to rely on mouth breathing. For those who suffer from asthma or other forms of respiratory distress, the quality of the breath and breathing take on an added dimension of importance and relevance. The breath certainly changes during and after aerobic forms of movement and exercise. On a crisp, cold day, the breath may sting and invigorate. On a humid, hot day, the breath may feel thick and shallow.
Also, the breath takes on and reflects the nuances of your emotional states. The breaths that accompany strong emotions may remind you that the breath is multi-dimensional. It is physical and meta-physical. For example, when you are nervous or scared, you hold your breath. When you are in the throes of sorrow or grief, the breath may become gasping or heaving. If you are feeling joyful and happy, the breath takes on a lilting, easy quality.
Yogis, monks and experienced meditators throughout the ages, have shown us that the breath can be controlled through the power of the mind and the will. The breath can be used to slow down or speed up the heart rate of the practitioner. The breath can be forced in one nostril and out the other. The breath can be manipulated to become rapid or slow moving. Practitioners of breath control can create a breath that is audible and rhythmic or nearly silent and imperceptible. Athletes, singers and players of wind instruments also have copious amounts of control over their patterns of breathing.
Have you ever seen a baby draw in its first breath after emerging from its mother’s womb? Have you experienced a dying person’s final breath? These gateway breaths have substance to them….they feel important. But, what about the breaths that come and go – the everyday breaths? We humans breathe, on average, about 20,000 times each day. How many of these breaths do you notice?
For the next few moments, follow your breath. Don’t try to change it or make it different than what it is. Just place your awareness on your next inhale – then, your exhale. How did that feel? What did you notice? Was your breath shallow or deep? Was it choppy or smooth? Can you feel a pause at the top of your inhale – a pause at the bottom of your exhale? Do you feel the breath in one nostril and not the other? Luckily, there are no right or wrong answers to these questions. The idea is to simply notice what is already there. See if you can take a few moments every day to become aware of your breath. For without breath, life ceases to exist. “Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts.” Thich Nhat Hanh (Vietnamese Buddhist monk, poet, scholar and human rights activist)
Lisa Daugherty is a mother, yoga instructor and lover of all things kind and beautiful – check out her yoga classes at Simply Yoga in Zionsville www.simplyyogaindy.com, or her blog at www.familyoga.wordpress.com.
Back-to-School Bicycle Safety
Zionsville Fire Department
Many bicycle-related crashes resulting in injury or death are associated with the bicyclist’s behavior, including such things as not wearing a bicycle helmet, riding into a street without stopping, turning left or swerving into traffic that is coming from behind, running a stop sign, and riding the wrong way in traffic. To maximize your safety, always wear a helmet AND follow the rules of the road. RIDE SMART RIDE SAFE
Rules of the Road:Bicycling on the Road
• Stay Alert at All Times. Use your eyes AND ears. Watch out for potholes, cracks, wet leaves, storm grates, railroad
tracks, or anything that could make you lose control of your bike. You need your ears to hear traffic and avoid dangerous situations; don’t wear a headset when you ride.
• Obey All Traffic Laws. A bicycle is a vehicle and you’re a driver. When you ride in the street, obey all traffic signs, signals, and lane markings.
• Yield to Traffic When Appropriate. Almost always, drivers on a smaller road must yield for traffic on a major or larger
road. If there is no stop sign or traffic signal and you are coming from a smaller roadway you must slow down and look to see if the way is clear before proceeding. This also means yielding to pedestrians who have already entered a crosswalk.
• Look Before Turning. When turning left or right, always look behind you for a break in traffic,then signal before making the turn. Watch for left- or right-turning traffic.
• Be Predictable. Ride in a straight line, not in and out of cars. Signal your moves to others.
• Watch for Parked Cars. Ride far enough out from the curb to avoid the unexpected from parked cars (like doors opening, or cars pulling out).
• Go With the Traffic Flow. Ride on the right in the same direction as other vehicles. Go with the flow – not against it.
Rules of the Road:Sidewalk Versus Street Riding
The safest place for bicycle riding is on the street, where bicycles are expected to follow the same rules of the road as motorists and ride in the same direction.
• Children less than 10 years old, however, are not mature enough to make the decisions necessary to safely ride in the
street.
• Children less than 10 years old are better off riding on the sidewalk.
• For anyone riding on a sidewalk:
o Watch for vehicles coming out of or turning into driveways.
o Stop at corners of sidewalks and streets to look for cars and to make sure the drivers see you before crossing.
o Enter a street at a corner and not between parked cars. Alert pedestrians that you are near by saying, “Excuse me,” or,
“Passing on your left,” or use a bell or horn.
A Helmet How-To
Bike helmets are so important that the U.S. government has created safety standards for them. Your helmet should have a sticker that says it meets standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). If your helmet doesn’t have a CPSC
sticker, ask your mom or dad to get you one that does. Wear a bike helmet EVERY TIME YOU RIDE,even if you are going for a short ride. Your bike helmet should fit you properly. You don’t want it too small or too big. Never wear a hat under your bike helmet. If you’re unsure if your helmet fits you well, ask someone at a bike store.Once you have the right helmet,
you need to wear it the right way so it will protect you. It should be worn level and cover your forehead. Don’t tip it back so your forehead is showing. The straps should always be fastened. If the straps are flying,it’s likely to fall off your head when you need it most. Make sure the straps are adjusted so they’re snug enough that you can’t pull or twist the helmet around on your head.
Take care of your bike helmet and don’t throw it around. That could damage the helmet and it won’t protect you as well when
you really need it. If you do fall down and put your helmet to the test, be sure to get a new one. They don’t work as well after a major crash. Many bike helmets today are lightweight and come in cool colors. If you don’t love yours as it is, personalize it with some of your favorite stickers. Reflective stickers are a great choice because they look cool and make you more visible to people driving cars.
Why Is Bicycle Safety So Important?
Bike riding is a lot of fun, but accidents happen. The safest way to use your bike is for transportation, not play. Every
year, about 300,000 kids go to the emergency department because of bike injuries, and at least 10,000 kids have injuries that require a few days in the hospital. Some of these injuries are so serious that children die, usually from head injuries. A head injury can mean brain injury. That’s why it’s so important to wear your bike helmet. Wearing one doesn’t mean you can be reckless, but a helmet will provide some protection for your face, head, and brain in case you fall down.
While you are out enjoying the beautiful weather on your bicycle, stop in the fire
station for a tour of the stations and check out our fire apparatus!You can also call and arrange a tour for your family, community group or friends.
Zionsville Fire Department
Station 91 located at 100 N. Ford Rd or Station 92 located at 998 S. US 421
Or call: 317-873-5356
Village Voice Arts
by Sarah Zack
Holiday Magic in the Village Tree Sale
by Caroline Robbins
In 2007, beautiful light-adorned Christmas trees started popping up in the Village the week after Thanksgiving. The trees, also known as “Holiday Magic in the Village”, have become an annual tradition and fundraising event benefiting the VRA, PZAZ and Boy Scout Troop #358. Starting right after Thanksgiving the trees bring a glow to the village all throughout the holidays. Zionsville residents, Caroline Brown Robbins and Jane Forbes brought this tradition to the village of Zionsville. The beautiful Scotch pine trees line the streets of the Village and both neighbors and merchants look forward to the event.
Zionsville has been named an official Super Bowl Celebration Site. This year residents are being encouraged to leave the trees out until February 7, as the warm light builds on the warmth of Zionsville hospitality. Residents are already expressing their desire to decorate their trees with their favorite NFL team colors!
Village resident, Kathy Scales, has bought a tree since the program’s inception. She enjoys leaving her tree up until spring and watching the birds huddle on the lights to keep warm. She places bread on the tree limbs and collects extra trees to lay at the base of her birdhouses to provide the birds with a shelter from the weather.
Trees may be purchased by:
Emailing: cvrobbins@sbcglobal.net
Emailing: janeforbes01@gmail.com
Calling: Caroline Robbins at 733.3509
Fresh Cut Indiana Scotch Pines 5 1/2- 7 feet tall
Prices range from $13.50 to $30.00 depending on what Boy Scout service you select.
Please order by October 31. No later than November 14th. Limited supply
Monthly Recipe:Congestion Relief with this Spicy Tomato Concoction
by Caron Peper
As I was struggling with severe chest and sinus congestion brought on by the recent chilly damp weather, I found this home remedy for chest and sinus congestion. I was surprised both at how well it worked and how pleasant (with a kick!) the taste was.
Spicy Tomato Tea
1 c tomato juice
1 t fresh minced garlic
1/2 t hot sauce (cayenne pepper will also work)
1 t lemon juice
pinch or two of celery salt
Warm drink and drink before it cools.
Backyard Delights: American Hazelnuts
When walking through a forest~ or any other natural place that radiates abundance~ I feel most alive. I know that I am far from alone when I write that I deeply sense the power behind and artistry within the way ‘eco~pieces’ fit so perfectly into a rich and dynamic whole. I lack an adequate description for how this harmony puts me at ease…
While enjoying the nutritionally rich ‘sparkle’ of a salad that was collected five minutes before meal time (when much of the produce at the market was grown a month ago) and curtailing grocery bills are both notable benefits of foraging~ one of the greatest treasures of collecting and eating wild foods is of a soulful and mindful nature. There is something about picking and noshing on wild plants that ‘charms in’ the most discerning of onlookers. Even folks who sport a serious disinterest in nature will toss out a dozen questions when they spot you, trail side, plucking up an ‘offensive’ weed and sticking it in your mouth. This intrigue is more than just inquisitive criticism; it is an outward expression of a deeper, more intuitive, nudging. Foraging reminds us that our food is not created in a factory or a supermarket. It is created by our Earth…and it reconnects us in a deep and sustaining way~ going far beyond the boundaries of physical nutrition. No advancement in science can make this variety of beautiful connection obsolete. While the below is about dining directly from Earth’s garden, if you have skills at reading between the lines, you’ll recognize a very sincere plea for less consumption and more self~reliance. I encourage all of us to do all that we can do to nourish ourselves, our children the planet that nourishes us all……
……dig up, dig in, ‘re~wild’ yourself…..and enjoy!!!
Hazelnuts
There are two main varieties of hazelnuts in North America; the beaked hazels stretch across the northern United States and parts of Canada…while the American hazelnut rules these Midwestern parts and is what you will want to (officially) look up if you would like to do more research before collecting—from this point forward, I’ll simply refer to these beauts as hazelnuts.
My first experience collecting hazelnuts was over a decade ago. I was staying with a friend at (her great uncle) John’s house in Kentucky and we rode in the back of a pickup to a sweet stand of 10-or-so foot tall (thick foliaged and shrub-like) trees. I remember the clusters of funky looking ‘leaves.’ Carefully prying these leaves apart revealed a brown, smooth-shelled nut. I cannot recall how we cracked open these small hazelnuts that day, but I DO remember how incredibly delicious they were fresh from the tree……
Hazelnut trees, range from 8 to 12 feet tall and contain green, round’ish (almost heart-shaped), alternate leaves. The leaves are 8–12 cm long and 4–8 cm wide, are serrated, have pointed tips and a backside that is a bit lighter in color than the front. They are often found in old-growth woodlands as an understory shrub~ especially growing well in areas that have opened up due to fire, logging or the like. This tree/shrub also grows well and is easily found along riverbanks, abandoned fields and woodland edges. The nuts themselves will be covered in a leafy green shell (sheaths) and are typically found in clusters of 3. Due to their bountiful nature, hazels are an important wildlife food in North America. They are enjoyed by squirrels, mice and chipmunks…bears nosh on both nuts and sheathing, packing on the weight for the winter months, and deer browse on hazelnut twigs.
Nutritionally, hazelnuts would be a ‘must find’ food if you ever found yourself lost in a forest. Few foods would be as sustaining~ due both to their ease of collection and caloric abundance. Hazels are rich in beneficial oils, protein, fiber, the B spectrum of vitamins, vitamin E and minerals (manganese, potassium, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, zinc and selenium). That they are so agreeable, taste-wise, is also worth a mention;).
I’ve only enjoyed a handful of opportunities to collect hazelnuts since my first experience on ‘Uncle John’s’ farm, but I’ve learned enough for successful gatherings. When collecting hazelnuts~ twist the entire cluster from the tree, being careful to avoid pulling off the whole twig as well. The riper the nuts are, the easier it is to separate them from their leaf shells. If the nuts are already ripe, they can be removed from the sheathing by pulling both it and the base (called bracts or involucre- just below the flower, connecting to the stalk) apart and pushing the nut out. If it does not detach easily, it may not be ripe and/or the kernel may be bad. The nuts can also be spread out to dry (where they cannot be easily discovered by critters;)) for about a week or so—or until the base (bracts) turn brown allowing the nut to become a bit easier to remove from the shell.
After the nuts are separated from their sheaths- it is time to crack and eat!!! The nuts can be cracked with a traditional nutcracker (though their small size can make this a tedious task depending on the size of the cracker) or by using a hammer. When using a hammer to crack nuts, I like to either place the nuts in a bag or between two towels to keep the pieces from flying everywhere. Hazelnut meat can, then, be easily picked out by hand. While the flavor of fresh hazelnuts is, in my opinion, unbeatable~ they can be stored, both at room and cold temperatures, for fairly long periods of time.
Hazelnut Milk
In a high-speed blender, blend 1 cup of hazelnuts with 3 cups of spring or filtered water. Strain the mixture through a nut milk bag or a fine mesh colander. Enjoy as is, or add in flavors- such as vanilla, stevia, dash of sea salt, cinnamon, etc..
Pear and Hazel Torte
Crust:
2 cups hazelnuts, finely ground in food processor or coffee grinder
3 tablespoons high quality coconut oil or ghee
1 dropperful vanilla stevia (or 1-2 tablespoons of other natural sweetener—honey, maple syrup, etc..)
1 tsp. sea salt
In a bowl, mix together above ingredients until crumble-like, press into a pie pan.
Cream:
2 cups of coconut yogurt/kefir, coconut cream or traditional yogurt
1 dropperful vanilla stevia (or a dash of vanilla along with 1-2 tablespoons of other natural sweetener—honey, maple syrup, etc..)
Pour into crust, and top with slices of fresh pear and sprinkles of cinnamon.
(The one rule, sans exception, of foraging; KNOW YOUR PLANT. While the benefits of eating wild plants are significant and very worthy~ there is no room for error. You can, and should, take all of the time that you need to get to securely know a plant before consuming it…in a way that you can comfortably and positively identify it 100% of the time.)
Carrie Ciula is a writer and educator, focusing on health and sustainability through indigenous nutrition and vibrational medicine.
(Learn more at www.carrieciula.com)