This summer celebrates the 61st birthday of Donna, who, when she was four, came to Evansville from Memphis. In her startling old age, she has survived her mate, Kley, by 30 years, outlived all of her eight children, and still enjoys five-gallon popsicles in July. She has arthritis, eats 12-and-a-half pounds of grain a day, and is the oldest living Nile hippopotamus in the world. Still, Donna’s not quite as old as her home at the Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden.
Sitting on a bluff overlooking the river, Mike and Rachel Martin’s aluminum refuge is one of their favorite getaways — even if it’s just parked on their four-acre riverfront lot in Henderson, Ky.
It’s been 10 years since Cedric Hustace first was featured in the pages of Evansville Living (“Artistic Attorney,” March/April 2002). A retired lawyer, an avid race walker, and a proven painter, the Hawaiian native also was featured in the magazine’s 2003 Best of Evansville as the Best Local Artist, and again in 2010 (“Race for the Thrill,” November/December) after a bad accident caused him to have double knee surgery.
Although this isn’t the first appearance Jill Wilderman has made in Evansville Living (“Hollywood Lights,” November/December 2007 and “Teen Spirit,” July/August 2010), we’ve uncovered more topics to discuss with the Posey County native and twice Emmy-nominated producer of courtroom series hit show Judge Judy.
Urban churches in the 19th and early 20th centuries had few rivals in design, materials, and decoration. Carved wood and stone, stained glass, gilding, and stenciling testified to the importance society placed on houses of worship. In the current century, many of these wonderful landmarks sit neglected or vacant, sad artifacts of social, religious, and demographic change.
Nothing is really ended until it is forgotten. These words were particularly fitting at the grave marking for Maj. Gen. Samuel Hopkins in Henderson, Ky. For nearly 60 years, his final resting place and legacy were nearly forgotten. “Did you know that it was Hopkins, not Richard Henderson, who was the founder of our city?” asks Mary Alice Springer, a local member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. “He laid out the very wide streets of our downtown area and until recently, there was no place here to go and honor him.”
As a part of Evansville’s Bicentennial Celebration, organizers hope a commemorative park, across from Downtown’s Old Post Office, will revitalize the city while providing a well-designed destination that improves the quality and strengthens the character of the Downtown atmosphere.
During the two-plus hour bus ride from Evansville to Shepherdsville, Ky., tour guide Pam Reimann delighted us passengers with a few interesting — arguably useless, but incredibly entertaining — facts about shoes. The day ahead was soon to be filled with shoe shopping and wine tasting, and as the Zappos Shoe Outlet was our first stop, Reimann made sure we knew our shoe trivia.
The Reitz Home Museum presents it’s 20th Murder Mystery Event on Saturday, Aug. 18, with the production of Murder on Slaughter Avenue, written by local author and Evansville Living contributor Kelley Coures. This is Coures’ fourth script for the Museum. Local celebrities and community leaders perform the characters in the plays, which raise considerable funds for the preservation of the Downtown landmark.
A few days ago, my family discussed two concepts of time: “procrastination is the thief of time” and “punctuality is the thief of time.” The topic arose relative to my habits, though I am unsure who brought it up. We were in the car – no doubt we were running slightly late somewhere, though I can’t say for sure where we were headed. (We’re so busy, these days; I’ll get to that in a moment.)
The stunning countryside that has nurtured The Oaks Golf and Tennis Club was headed for an ignominious demise earlier this year. The club in McCutchanville was going into foreclosure — even closing two days in March — until a small group of Evansville entrepreneurs stepped in.
The first Saturday of each month has become a day for the community to give back. While Mayor Lloyd Winnecke was running for office last year, he introduced an initiative to improve the image of Evansville.
Mark Woods may well be the first person you meet when you walk into the downtown Roanoke City Market. Flowers and bedding plants, fresh vegetables, and homemade candies are among the colorful items at the block-long farmers market — and Woods has the premier location. He has earned his upfront spot as the fourth generation of his family to bring farm goods to Roanoke tables. He can tell you what is in his eight greenhouses and how many acres of various fruit trees he has. He might also be willing to tell you about his family.
Married 38 years, there is not much Norm and Vivian Miller do not agree on. Nowhere is this more evident than when they talk of the motivation to build their new house, the third home they have constructed on the hilly lane bearing their family name alongside Rolling Hills Country Club in Newburgh, Ind. Drawing on a shared deep wellspring of solid family values, intellect, and appreciation for nature, Norm and Vivian turned their laser beam focus to designing and constructing a Craftsman-influenced design home to serve the couple in their next chapter.
As a smaller plant, the heuchera, commonly called coral bell, is a versatile perennial that works well in large masses or as an accent plant for almost any garden. Although coral bells produce a delicate stem of beautiful, bell-shaped flowers that extend over the plant in the early summer, they are grown mostly for their unique leaf colors. The perennials tend to be evergreen, holding their leaves through the winter months, although that depends widely on the severity of our winters.
When Robin Aldrich’s boxer developed cancer at age five, veterinarians recommended leg amputation and chemotherapy, and still predicted a life expectancy of only one year. The news shattered Aldrich, an Evansville native, but she was determined to find other medical options for her dog Quiggley. Aldrich investigated online for holistic practices and began implementing alternative therapies for cancer treatment via natural dog foods, herbs, and intermixing a raw diet.
Escaping the summer heat doesn’t have to mean staying inside. Ideal for an outdoor patio, retractable awnings provide the perfect amount of shade for a more enjoyable social gathering in the great outdoors. This SunSetter Motorized Retractable Awning has been a life-changer for Sean and Amy Powers of Posey County, Ind. Installed two summers ago by Martin Brothers in Newburgh, Ind., Amy says the shade now allows her to sit on the deck while her kids play in the pool.
Keeping your vinos at just the right drinking temperatures — it’s a great dilemma. When the wine’s too cold, it masks the vintner’s uniquely crafted flavors and aromas. Too warm, and the flavors may take a backseat to the alcohol.
In honor of Evansville’s Bicentennial celebration, the city of Evansville, Keep Evansville Beautiful, and several other organizations are offering the Citizen’s Challenge, a community goal of planting 2,012 trees in 2012. Larry Caplan, a horticulture educator at the Purdue extension office, says the project is well on its way to completion. “We want everyone to get involved,” he says. “The trees can be in your front yard, back yard, wherever. They don’t have to be publicly accessible.”
As the season for outdoor activities settles in, it’s time to start thinking up ways to make outdoor living spaces more comfortable. Adding a touch of style, a fiery glow, and crackling acoustics, a concrete burning bowl is the perfect go-to project to improve your backyard ambiance. Below are the items needed to create your own unique fire bowl.
Castle High School alumnus Ernie Haase (class of ’83) had just returned from a European tour — performing in Glasgow, Belfast, and London — and already was re-packing for a weekend performance in Gatlinburg, Tenn., when he took a break for a few minutes to talk with Evansville Living. That in itself is newsworthy, because slowing down is not something Haase does often.
Half a mile from Main Street, Bokeh Lounge is nestled on Haynie’s Corner in the Evansville Arts District. Corey Christy, house bassist and bartender, says the bar, which opened last summer, fits perfectly into Downtown’s historic neighborhood. “Bokeh Lounge plays a large role in helping to revitalize the arts district,” he says. “We not only support artists, but more importantly we are helping to change the city’s perception of what Haynie’s Corner has been over the past 20 years.
Comic snap and crackle, dark humor, drama, the marriage plot — pick your poison, because at New Harmony Theatre there’s something for everyone. In the midst of NHT’s 25th season, producing artistic director Elliot Wasserman promises the best of contemporary entertainment with a sprinkle of refreshing classics.
Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari is breaking records once again, and is now home to the Mammoth, which bills itself as the world’s longest water coaster. Standing 69 feet tall with seven drops, this three-minute thrill ride can handle more than 1,000 riders per hour. Inspiration stemmed from the popular Wildebeest water coaster and the opportunity to decrease line wait times.
Few, if any, American Cancer Society events have been as successful as its annual Relay for Life event. From 6 p.m.-6 a.m., July 21-22, participants in the Vanderburgh County Relay for Life support the fight against cancer at the Metro Sports Center on Evansville’s East Side.
When the executive board members of Vanderburgh County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) met early this year to brainstorm ideas for their annual soirée, they came up with a theme that allowed them to walk their walk and talk their talk — literally. On Aug. 3, CASA and Shoe Carnival present their first-ever footwear fashion show to raise funds and garner attention for CASA’s mission: to aid physically or sexually abused, neglected, or abandoned children 18 years old and younger.
From gardening to grilling out to lounging poolside, summertime is filled with outdoor activities most of us will never grow out of. As a kid, one of my favorite activities on a hot summer day was making homemade ice cream. Back then, we used the crank-style makers (which made it difficult to lift the spoon after so much cranking), but nowadays, as technology takes the manual labor out of most endeavors, all it takes for that same delicious, creamy, homemade ice cream is a little bit of patience — and some close observation for good measure.
Since opening in the summer of 2011, the Bokeh Lounge in Downtown’s Arts District has served cocktail concoctions sans hard liquor. But its owners, Mike Millard and Dustin Barrows, are no rookies at creating unique mixes with high alcohol content. When the humidity and heat are unbearable this summer, we suggest heading to this craft beer and wine lounge for a Bokeh Breeze.
Need a way to fit healthy meals into crazy, clockwork lives? Don’t have time to cook for yourself or your family? Culinary Solutions offers on-the-go everyday-ers easy and healthy ways to fulfill their needs. We tried skinny chicken enchiladas served with fiesta salad: Large Skinny Enchilada $35 — Large Fiesta Salad $18 Small Skinny Enchilada $18 — Small Fiesta Salad $9 Nutritional info: 159.5 calories, 5.9 grams of fat, 17.8 grams carbs, 16.2 grams protein, 8.3 grams fiber.
Enjoy dining al fresco? There are plenty of local eateries ready to serve on a terrace, deck, or patio. Whether you prefer brunch in the breeze, a sunset supper, or a long lunch, it all tastes better outside.
Tucked away on Princeton’s Broadway Street, right next to the town’s public library, Farmer’s Daughter Bakery and Cafe nearly blends in with its neighboring shops and local dives — save for the bright yellow décor table and matching chairs sitting outside, two blue flags mounted on purple siding that read “Open,” and the restaurant’s large nameplate that takes up the entire front window.
Inlumi Café & Bakery (4833 State Road 261) has opened in Newburgh, Ind. Owners Ligo and Tiffany Laws and Sam and Becky Wagoner have created a unique menu that includes traditional, country-style breakfast dishes, contemporary lunches, and various Belize-inspired meals. Fresh Baked by Tracy (833 S. Ninth Ave.) opened in Haubstadt, Ind. After gaining experience as a pastry chef in Boston, owner Tracy Wilzbacher used her knowledge to open a bakery business in her hometown of Haubstadt.
Never much of a root beer enthusiast, I distinctively remember how surprised I was after my first sip of a root beer float. My 10-year-old taste buds delighted in this familiar, yet unfamiliar, concoction, and if I remember correctly, I went back for seconds. Whatever it was about the sole taste of root beer that I didn’t like was somehow disguised when poured over vanilla ice cream.
The one-third scale replica of Christopher Columbus’ flagship, the “Santa Maria,” has been landlocked at Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden since 1933, but continues to raise fascinated eyebrows from its visitors. The concrete ship was the brainchild of Gilmore Haynie, one of the masterminds behind the zoo.
To show how stories in our July/August 2012 issue fit into the broader context of world events, this edition of Link Up brings the Internet to you. No Google search required.
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