January / February 2011

Evansville Living

Five Fancy Fingers

Having numb and frigid fingers isn’t fun. As the cold weather lingers, it’s smart to get a fashion accessory that looks cool yet keeps you warm.

The Best of Everything

Stylish shops, inspiring people, and plenty of fun — it’s hard to pick favorites, but every year, our readers and editors cast their ballots and declare what makes our city great. From the classic to the quirky, we present this

Flu Fighter

One line on the flu webpage for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states, “Flu is a serious contagious disease that can lead to hospitalization and even death.” Oh boy. And, the H1N1 virus (first known as the swine

Feeling Groggy

In the 1700s, as one theory goes, British sailors discovered the proof and flavor profile of Caribbean rum overpowered the algae-laced warm water stowed on ships. That discovery became Grog, a rum-based cocktail — a way to stretch their daily

Persian Persuasion

State Street nosedives toward the Ohio River in downtown Newburgh. Two- and three-story buildings packed tightly together line the street. Children’s boutiques sit near antique furniture stores. A small Italian market nestles by a stained glass shop. A red telephone

South of Philly Cheesesteak

To a native Philadelphian, a cheesesteak simply can’t be considered authentic if it’s prepared more than an hour from the city. However, I couldn’t resist the challenge posed to me by a fan of Evansville Living’s Facebook page: Create a

Soda Shop

A century ago, Zaharakos was a bustling soda fountain and ice cream parlor in my hometown of Columbus, Ind., three hours northeast of Evansville. But five years ago, the once-vibrant Downtown institution, founded in 1900 by a trio of Greek

Working (Out) at Home

In 2008, when Cindy Nevins and her husband, Howard, moved from Newburgh’s Victoria Manor to Boonville, one of their house-hunting priorities was space for a home gym — a longtime staple in their residences. Two elliptical machines, a treadmill, a

The First Day of Forever

Three recently married couples offer inspiration for the perfect day — and a peek inside their wedding albums. Lacey and Eric Vollmer of Huntingburg, Ind. Married Nov. 6, 2010, at St. Henry Church in St. Henry, Ind., with a reception

Peas in an iPod

A few e-mails after meeting my husband, Jason, on the online dating site Plentyoffish.com, I realized we were made for each other. We both loved computers, video games, and technology in general, worked as graphic designers and Web developers, and

Crocodile Hunters

In 1981, Don and Breeze Sobek elbowed their way through a crowded flea market in Paris, France. They shopped aimlessly until they found a three-foot African rosewood crocodile. Such an item had intrigued Don ever since a friend had visited

Feel Good Furniture

A sign in the Evansville Association for the Blind’s furniture showroom reads, “When life gives you lemons…” The metaphor of making lemonade is fitting for EAB. For 55 years, the nonprofit organization serving blind and visually impaired individuals performed subcontract

A Groom’s Guide to Weddings

When I was engaged, there was a lot of talk about what it takes to be a great husband. It was useful, but late last year, before I married, I also needed advice on being a great groom. Here, as

Picture Perfect

As a graphic designer at Evansville Living, I work with photos daily, so after my longtime boyfriend Josh proposed, photography became a key component for our wedding plans — and that includes engagement pictures. Here are a few steps that

Center of Attention

Heart and Soul

When Julie Stucki was born, she was one of seven babies in the neonatal intensive care unit with tetralogy of Fallot, a rare congenital heart defect. All of the babies died — except for Stucki. Thirty-three years and four open-heart

Editor's Letter

Reading List

What books are you reading now? That’s a question I’ve been asked quite a bit recently. It’s a natural question this time of year; you likely received a book or two as a gift this holiday season. Maybe you bought

Chew On This

Chew On This

Truffles Eatery & Catering has opened in a former Dairy Queen (4833 State Road 261, Newburgh). In addition to catering events and parties, the facility, owned by Ralph Wilson, serves breakfast Monday-Saturday: grits with spiced apples, pumpkin stuffed French toast,

Check It Out

Lasting Impressions

In the 1870s, a group of French artists shook up their nation’s art culture by painting city streets, outdoor cafés, picnics, and the countryside. Provocative, non? These subjects were radical at a time when paintings with classical, religious, and mythological

Brown Bagging It

To celebrate the opening of the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana’s new gallery in 2007, executive director Mary Jane Schenk brought in the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra’s Eykamp String Quartet for a public performance. In attendance was EPO conductor Alfred Savia,

Just Desserts

When Lynn Kyle arrived at the Lampion Center 16 years ago, the nonprofit organization needed a major fundraiser, she thought. As the new executive director, Kyle tapped the advice of her twin sister, Leslie Luebcke, a marketing specialist. From Luebcke’s

Cheap Eats

Top Dog

I’ve written about the Fall Festival — that heavenly first week in October when booths with fried food line West Franklin Street — so much that just writing about it makes me feel full. When I heard about the bacon-wrapped

Evansville Centric

Women First

When Albion Fellows married Hilary Bacon, a prominent Evansville businessman, she quit her job as a court stenographer and lived a tranquil, comfortable life in a First Street mansion. But Fellows Bacon, born in 1865, felt called to more. A

Comfort Zone

Second Chances

At the front door of Ruth’s House, a flowered wreath and stained-glass panels welcome visitors. Upstairs, inspirational drawings from local elementary school students — Crayola rainbows and butterflies with the words “Keep on trying!” — line the walls. Lamps cast

Digging In

The Killers

When I was growing up, yews and barberries trimmed as geometric shapes were all the rage. Today, it seems knockout roses and goldmound spirea are the frontrunners for the most overused plants. These plants, known for their dependability, are great in

Art Talk

Speak Up

In the corner of the small coffee shop are Kathy Ewing, 82, and Paula Boenigk, 60. The two longtime high school theater teachers use their indoor voices, but with 30 minutes until close, the shop sits mostly empty while a

Departments

The Protector

When Tess Grimm first entered the Reitz Home in 1973, the water-damaged First Street mansion was without electricity and covered in dirt and dust. The home’s previous resident, the late Bishop Henry Joseph Grimmelsman, had painted the canvassed artwork, patterned

Gulf Coast Comeback

Exactly one week before I arrived on the Alabama Gulf Coast, something happened that had me — and the entire nation — concerned. The Deepwater Horizon, BP’s offshore drilling rig near the U.S. southern shoreline, exploded, causing an estimated 53,000

Culture

May Make You Laugh

In 1989, Sam Kinison was a foul-mouthed comedian who screamed his jokes to his audience, and his popularity soared. Ralphie May was then a 17-year-old upstart who was honing his skills at hotel bars and pizza restaurants in Clarksville, Ark.,

Cheryl Ann Sanders

Until Evansville native Cheryl Ann Sanders was 15 years old, she wanted to be a professional race car driver. But during her first season in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation/Public Education Foundation’s summer musical program, Sanders, then a North High

Creating

Natalie Jost

One midnight around Christmas, a 5-year-old Natalie Jost awoke with the urge to “just get up and make something,” she recalls, so she cut up a pile of hair ties and transformed them into a tree ornament. The San Diego

Online Exclusives

Link Up

Roller Rules: In E the People, readers discovered the combined weight of the roller derby team, the Rollergirls of Southern Indiana, had a combined roster weight of 2,100 pounds. That’s an average of 150 pounds per skater. These women make

Let It Snow

Last year, nearly 60 million skiers and snowboarders reported to U.S. slopes. One resort looking to cash in on the snow bunnies with downhill passions is Paoli Peaks. The nearby winter attraction waits for cold weather every mid-December through March,