Evansville natives Dennis Walls and Kim Coslett had a hobby of touring properties during open houses, even though they were happy in their home in Newburgh, Indiana. One Sunday, they walked through a home in McCutchanville and fell in love. “When we came in, there was a lot to do from top to bottom — painting, a lot of remodeling, and things we wanted to do,” says Walls. “But just the land, the property, the pool were attractive and seemed to fit.”
Space often is referred to as the “final frontier” of human exploration. But for a team of engineering and physics students at the University of Southern Indiana, space exploration a little closer to home is their ultimate goal. In April 2016, NASA awarded a grant to enable USI students to design, build, and operate a CubeSat as part of the program’s Undergraduate Student Instrument Project. CubeSat units are miniature satellites — 10 by 10 by 34 centimeters in size — known as U-class spacecraft generally used as a way to help gather data in space.
When brainstorming ideas for the Evansville Living July/August 2017 cover, the Great American Eclipse eclipsed them all. As a once-in-a-lifetime experience sure to be remembered for generations to come, the eclipse is more than cover-worthy.
Cloche hats and drop waist dresses had a turn in the spotlight once again during a collaborative photography project shot at the Reitz Home Museum in April for the University of Southern Indiana. The project, which involved local Evansville photographers and USI students, was inspired when photographer Tom Barrows noticed a display of vintage dresses at USI’s David L. Rice Library. The clothing once belonged to and was worn by Evansville resident Evadean Gordon, who donated the collection to the library.
Much of Shari Wagner’s poetry finds inspiration drawn from nature — she frequently takes to the woods in search of beauty and insight for her pieces. Wagner might have acquired this habit in her hometown of Markle, Indiana, on the Wabash River, but her original poetic inspiration came at the age of 13 during a mission trip to Somalia, in the Horn of East Africa, when she viewed an arid but beautiful desert.
Alisa Palmeri was 5 years old when Germans bombed her city of Belgrade, Yugoslavia, on April 6, 1941. In November 1941, Palmeri and her sister Ena Lorant, mother, grandmother, uncle, two aunts, and one cousin were among the last to escape the city, leaving behind the country they had called home and their father, who was fighting against the Germans in the war.
Experience a weekend full of world-class, automotive-powered hydroplane racing with the 2017 Evansville Hydrofest this Labor Day weekend. The hydroplanes will compete for the American Powerboat Association’s North American Championship along the Ohio River at Evansville’s Downtown waterfront Sept. 1-3. The powerboats, with speeds that can reach over 170 miles per hour, will compete on the 1.25 miles race course from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the weekend of Hydrofest.
It’s a murder most foul and the Reitz Home needs your help solving the case at the museum’s annual mystery event. This year, the murder mystery is taken from the 1907 Evansville murder of Josie Grey. The cast will use newspaper accounts and court testimony of the murder to put on the performance. Those in attendance will follow the clues and help solve the crime while helping raise funds for the museum.
When pianist Garry Bailey received an email from Victoria, British Columbia, he assumed it was spam. All of Garry’s previous performance bookings had come from inside the U.S., so he ignored the message. It wasn’t until his son Christopher Bailey, a singer for the vocal trio Tenore, insisted he open the email that Garry learned the booking was for a tour throughout Canada and the U.S. as a pianist for the same group. The tour has been his longest to date, beginning in January and ending in May.
If you’ve ever strolled through the artsy Downtown district of Haynie’s Corner and wondered how it got its name, a new history display has the answer.
Looking around the children’s ministry area at One Life Church’s West Side location on the W. Lloyd Expressway, visitors can see colorful decorations hung on the walls and ceiling, a small stage, carts with craft supplies, and a vintage bar from the old Rathskeller tasting room. Many would think a beer brewery and church could never mix, but, for One Life, the location was a match made in heaven.
If you peruse the shops lining the streets of downtown Owensboro, Kentucky, you may have seen a 3-foot-wide, 2-foot-deep, Tiffany-style chandelier hanging in Peachtree Gallery Antiques, 108 W. Second St. The stained glass chandelier is valued around $3,000, though it is not for sale, according to owner Larry Peech. “It has a lot of beautiful colors in it — bright blues, burgundies,” says Peech. “It has that Italian look.”
If you’ve ever wondered what architectural style your home is, you’re not alone. In fact, there is a good chance your home pulls from multiple styles, many of them having gone through several rounds of revivals from their original appearance. In American home styles throughout the nation, the Victorian (with its multiple types and broad influence), the Tudor revival, Colonial, Craftsman, and Ranch styles dominate much of both old and new home design.
Stepping over the threshold of Karen’s Upscale Resale is like entering a luxurious contemporary abode. The home-like atmosphere at the upscale furniture and accessories shop, 1324 N. Fares Ave. in northeast Evansville, allows customers to envision the high-end furnishings in their own house, says owner Karen Bender. “We are incredibly unique compared to a typical resale store,” says the Evansville native. “The store is arranged in vignettes, like you would see walking into someone’s home.”
When it comes to summer in Southern Indiana, you can’t go wrong with roller coasters and camping. Combining these two favorite pastimes, I recently traveled to Santa Claus, Indiana, to explore Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari and Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort.
Mo’s House, 1114 Parrett St., is now open. The cocktail house, located in the former Haynie’s Corner Pub, offers specialty cocktails, craft beer, and wine. Fidel’s Bourbon Bar and Cigar Lounge, 950 Parrett St., is now open above Walton’s International Comfort Food serving premium bourbon and Prohibition-era cocktails. (Watch Fidel’s Facebook page for news on when the cigar lounge area opens.) River Kitty Cat Cafe, 226 Main St., is now open.
Both the French Creole and the Italians have a word for it: “lagniappe” (French Creole) and “omaggio” (Italian) — a little something extra, complimentary, a tribute. Most commonly this refers to a merchant offering a free gift on top of what already is being purchased.
In northeast Evansville, more than 70,000 residents occupy what 19th century writers referred to as Evansville’s City of the Dead.
For centuries on end, eclipses have been revered as life-altering phenomenons. Dates have been smudged to align historical events with eclipse occurrences. Paintings, texts, and other documents are filled with depictions of the celestial happening.
The championship series for the 2016 Frontier League baseball season was tied at two games each when the Evansville Otters took on the River City Rascals Sept. 16, 2016, at Bosse Field. By the end of the night, the Otters hoisted the championship trophy for the second time in franchise history. It was a win that showed the Otters still know how to take the River City out to the ball game.
Food culture is a term most often used to refer to practices and beliefs associated with making, serving, and eating food. And it’s something Pangea Kitchen owner Randy Hobson is passionate about. “I’ve always loved food and cooking,” says the Vincennes, Indiana, native. “This place came from my desire to give back and bring something different to Evansville.”
If you’re looking for the iconic waffle dents at Honey Moon Coffee Co., 612 S. Weinbach Ave., they are nowhere to be found. Instead, the café provides local breakfast lovers a dish that is all the rage on social media — a Hong Kong-style bubble waffle. “We knew we just didn’t want to offer the same sort of foods you would find at other coffee shops. It had to be something unique,” says Honey Moon co-founder Zac Parsons.
Summer is tough to tolerate with its high heat and excessive humidity, driving many inside on those unbearable days. But that doesn’t exactly match up with the seasonal agenda of grilling out as much as possible.
Various food trucks from around the area gathered together at the Old Courthouse May 26 for the first Lunch on the Lawn, bringing a mix of culturally diverse menus Downtown. From Korean cuisine to all-natural twists on classic American dishes, we give you the lowdown on the tasty dishes you can find in the Tri-State.
For our July/August 2017 issue of Evansville Living, we discussed poetry and inspiration from Indiana’s natural landmarks with the state’s 2016-2017 Poet Laureate Shari Wagner. In the interview, Wagner mentioned her poem “The Soloist,” which reflected on the Native Americans who called Angel Mounds Historic Site home. Wagner graciously shared her poem with us below.
