September / October 2012

Evansville Living

Best of Evansville 2013

Vote for the Best of Evansville! Tell us the latest and greatest the city has to offer! The 12th annual Best of Evansville competition is your chance to vote for your favorites. So, what people and places stand out to

Local Movie Connections

Bernie University of Evansville alumni Matt Williams and David McFadzean (both class of 1973) started Wind Dancer Films in 1989, and were joined by Dete Meserve, president of Wind Dancer Films and UE 1984 graduate. Williams and McFadzean have an

Cinemaddict

For some people, just watching movies isn’t enough. Jakob Bilinski, an Evansville-grown and Central High School graduate (1999), had to be there, behind the camera, and directing the action. Bilinski created Cinephreak Pictures in high school, a production tagline that

Local Stars

Carrie Preston Television star Carrie Preston, a 1989 University of Evansville graduate, is most known for her role as Arlene Fowler in the hit series “True Blood.” Her husband, Michael Emerson, played anti-hero Ben Linus in “Lost.” Preston also appeared

Wind, Reel, and Print

With the right script, a knowledgeable director, a creative cast and crew, and a dedicated pool of community support, a successful comedy, science fiction, or western movie can be filmed at an unconventional location. Meet three local filmmakers who recently put

Mushroom Lentil Soup

Fall is my favorite time of the year for smells. From sweet, apple pie-esque aromas to the earthy essence of brightly colored leaves and their cool, dry fragrant dustiness. Fall also comes with some amazing seasonal flavor combinations. One I’ve

30 Years Strong

Considered by many “experts” to be a team that could never seriously contend with the powerhouse schools from northern Indiana, the 1982 Castle High School Knights capped off an undefeated season with a championship that had been born six years

Living in History

Hiding in plain sight, rarely seen by most of Evansville, is one of the city’s most historically significant homes. “Once you get in tune with, and outside of, what would have been for me my West Side and suburban culture,

A Swirly Sensation

Five years ago, Oklahoma-born and California-raised Gigi Butler received a call from her brother in New York City who told her a cupcake craze was taking over the Big Apple. At the time, she owned a cleaning company, which she

An Evansville Original

Since beginning as a staff writer for Tucker Publishing Group last year, I’ve been added to the taskforce of finding local restaurants worthy of putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) for a comprehensive food story. Evansville is full

Taking Care of People

Five months before Evansville’s YWCA celebrated its 100th anniversary in March 2011, the organization turned over a new leaf of leadership to Chicago native Erika Taylor. The YWCA is a shelter for domestic violence victims and a transitional home for

A Healthy Alternative

In the southwestern corner of Evansville’s Downtown YMCA parking lot sit two rows of 4-by-4-foot metal boxes. Much like safes, the 30 cubical containers are thick and locked tightly shut, each holding a tool for a better life. After meeting

Rural Route

From hieroglyphics to today’s modern sculpture, the most interesting and beautiful art is the art that tells a story. In Daviess County, Ky., a leisurely drive through the country can rival a trip to The Guggenheim with stories told by

Game On

Bridge, the mysterious, complex card game you remember your grandmother and her friends playing on folding tables in your living room, is for everyone today. With books on how to play the game and monthly magazines dedicated to the art

Take Your Pick

Michelle Buse first became interested in antiques as a child growing up in the farming community of Huntingburg, Ind. As she learned more about antiques, she discovered that many were quite expensive. Her dream for a future business was a

The Red Riveter

Rivet, one of several beer choices at Franklin Street’s new Tin Man Brewing Co., promises to whet your senses with caramel malts and Willamette hops to produce a more colorful and flavorful version of its English relatives — the bitter

Sweet Victories

Kelsee Newman does not play volleyball. She is not a pole-vaulter, gymnast, hurdler, sprinter, or curler. In fact, she is not an athlete of any kind. However, the 21-year-old Evansville native has the unique pleasure of calling herself an Olympian.

An Icon

Jeanne Amsler, professor of art history and humanities at Ivy Tech Community College, snapped a black and white photograph of the Ross Theatre right before its demolition in 1993. “The Ross was a big deal for young people in the

30-Year Legacy

The 2012 Castle High School football season promises to be a special one for Castle quarterback Mitch Gilles. If he repeats his performance from last year’s 11-1 campaign, the senior stands to own the Castle Knights passing record by the

Editor's Letter

The September Issue

 I hope you all had a good summer. “Where did it go?” everyone seems to be saying as we head into September, though hot weather came so early this year and at times we were quite sure it would never

Chew On This

Chew On This

Ginmiya Asian Diner (4827 Davis Lant Drive, Suite F) has opened on Evansville’s East Side. The eatery serves a complete menu of Asian specialties, including sushi, hibachi dinners, and chicken teriyaki. The restaurant seats up to 40 customers and is

Check It Out

Art Explosion

The Art Explosion Tour raises funds for Alhambra Theatre’s renovations. Built in 1913, the theater is transforming into the premiere entertainment space in Evansville’s Arts District. The exterior facade recently was completed, and now the interior restoration must be completed.

Rise of the Planet of the Plants

Learn from expert green thumbs at the Ohio Valley Garden Conference on Oct. 20, featuring Paul James, host of HGTV’s “Gardening by the Yard.” The Southwestern Indiana Master Gardener Association is a nonprofit organization with more than 400 local gardening

Wesselman Woods

As the summer heat abandons the River City, Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve becomes ideal for outdoor events among fall’s scenic backdrop. Next month, two annual events, the Wandering Owl Wine & Beer Trail and the Harvest Festival & Hayrides, showcase

The Art of the Show

The first Annual Evansville Fine Arts Show, presented by HotWorks, a fine art and craft show production company, will feature more than 75 of the nation’s most promising artists. From Nov. 16 to Nov. 18, this original event will showcase

Celebrating 50 Years

On Jan. 9, 1962, the Evansville Museum Guild, then known as the Evansville Museum Women’s Association, held its first meeting, electing Ona Dieckman as the president. The association’s membership included 60 women in the first year. The founding officers of

Cheap Eats

Catfish Craze

One mile east of downtown Boonville, Ind., sits the cozy and casual dining staple, Logsdon’s Restaurant. Its furnishings and decor channel a western lodge — a deer antler chandelier, buffalo and deer mountings, rustic and antique tools — and the

Encyclopedia Evansvillia

What a Difference A Day Makes

If you were an adult living in Evansville from 1947 until 1950, you likely began your morning with a cup of percolated Folgers coffee and the floor model radio in your living room tuned to WGBF, broadcasting from its studios

Digging In

Compost Maintenance

Recently, a friend asked me what the proper way to compost was. I chuckled, because composting can be as simple or as elaborate as you want it to be — a pile of kitchen scraps or truckloads of leaves and organic

Departments

A Timeless Argument

If you think it is tough cutting through the rhetoric of the presidential campaign, try grasping the referendum on the ballot in Vanderburgh County this year. Voters will decide on Election Day whether to consolidate Evansville and Vanderburgh County governments,

Sweet Home Alabama

Springtime in the south is an easy lure for me. I enjoy spring anywhere it is, and if it’s a few weeks earlier than ours, all the better. I was invited to spend a long weekend in Mobile, Ala., last

Culture

Triple Threat

Dominating the foyer of Evansville artist Billy Hedel’s Downtown home is a mosaic tile table. Hedel created it recently, and when asked about it he’ll demonstrate that the mosaic top is not attached to the legs that support it —

Who’s to Boo?

Since 1885, Willard Library has been a historic staple in Evansville. Throughout the decades, stories beyond the books began circulating the library, which stands stark and heavy off First Avenue. And as crude-faced Jack-o’-lanterns glow on porches and costumes are

Art Exhibit is a Scream

During the day, John Helfrich is a local butcher, but after sunset, he trades in his knife for a paintbrush. “It’s when I’m most relaxed,” says Helfrich, who has been drawing as long as he can remember. “The first thing

Creating

The Truth Behind the Music

On June 9, 2008, while Heath Eric was working as the director of marketing at the Executive Inn Rivermont in Owensboro, Ky., life as he knew it came to a sudden end. He learned that the hotel was closing, taking

Online Exclusives

Stars Continued

In our September/October 2012 issue of Evansville Living, we present three local filmmakers who used Evansville for their movie’s backdrop. Limiting the feature story to three creatives proved more difficult than imagined, as several other films have come out of

Link Up

To show how stories in our Sept/Oct 2012 issue fit into the broader context of world events, this edition of Link Up brings the Internet to you. No Google search required. Below Sea Level There is no denying that this