Young Firefighters in Training

Announcements

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Youth Art Month

By Sarah Zack

Youth Art Month (YAM) is an annual observation each March to emphasize the value of art education for all children and to encourage support for quality school art programs. Established in 1961, Youth Art Month provides a forum for acknowledging skills that are fostered through experience in the visual arts that are not possible in other subjects offered in the curriculum.

THE PURPOSE OF YOUTH ART MONTH:

• To direct attention to the value of art education which develops divergent & critical thinking; multicultural awareness; as well as technical, communication, and expressive skills.
• To increase community, business & governmental support for art education.
• To recognize art is a necessity for the full development of a better quality life for all people.
• To expand art programs in schools and stimulate new ones.
• To increase community understanding and interest in art & art education through involvement in art exhibits, workshops, and other creative ventures.
• To provide additional opportunities for individuals of all ages to participate in creative learning.
• To encourage commitment to the arts by student, community organizations and individuals everywhere.
• To recognize art education as a viable component in the total education curricula that develops citizens of a global society.
• To reflect & demonstrate the goals of the National Art Education Association that work toward the improvement of art education on all levels.
• To build the recognition and self esteem of student artists as true artists in their own right.

ACTIVITIES AND DISPLAYED ART IN ZIONSVILLE:

• Artwork created by students of the ZFAD (Grades 1-12) will be on display at Zionsville Community School’s Educational Services Center, Zionsville Town Hall, and the following Zionsville merchant establishments: A Space to Create, Eagle Creek Coffee Company, Robert Goodman Jewelers, Akard True Value, Earth Explorer Toys, Salem Art Gallery, Art IN Hand, Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Library, Serenity, As the Crowe Flies, Jack and Jill Children’s Shoppe, State Bank of Lizton, Avalon Jewelers, Kern Bros Shoes, SullivanMunce Cultural Center, Ballerinas and Bruisers, Le Dolce Vita, The Village Perfumeries, Black Dog Books, Lilly's Boutique & Z Upscale Consign, Witham Health Services, Browns on Main, Montgomery Aviation, Zionsville Eyecare, Carolina Grill in Stonegate, Old National Bank, Zionsville Meadows, CCA Gallery, Patrick’s Kitchen & Drinks, Zionsville Times Sentinel, Corner Vise Gallery & Frame Shop, Prudential, and many more…
• Youth Art Month First Friday event at Robert Goodman Jewelers on March 2, 2012, 5-8pm. Hosted by Zionsville Merchants Association.
• Free Art classes taught by Zionsville Community School Art Teachers are scheduled at Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Library on Saturday, March 3, 2012. Classes include: Marc Chagall-Style Tissue Paper Stained Glass Window (Grades 1-4) and Georgia O’Keeffe-Style Tissue Paper “Painting” (Grades 5-8). Space is limited. Register at: http://www.zionsville.lib.in.us/hmmpl/page/events.
• The Zionsville Fine Arts Department is selling T-shirts ($12) & Yard Signs ($20) with the logo represented above. All proceeds will be used to support Art programs in the community of Zionsville. Please contact a ZCS Art Teacher for more information.

Check the Zionsville Fine Arts Department /ZFAD/ Page on Facebook for updates throughout the month of March.

*ZCS Fine Arts Department would like to thank the community of Zionsville for its support of Art Education.

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Letter from the President

I hope that everyone was able to take some time to enjoy both the Super Bowl activities in Indy as well as some of the Z’Bowl activities all around the Village all during that first week in February. Several people who had never been to Zionsville asked about the weather while they were in town for the Super Bowl and I was always quick to assure them that 60 degrees and sunny is the norm for February in Zionsville!

For those that had the opportunity to partake in the Z’Bowl activities, I am sure you had a great time. Plenty of great kid’s activities, being able to take the Z’Ride bus to the Super Bowl Village and especially Friday night’s Pop-Up-Chef were a huge success. I know there are shouts for the Pop-Up-Chef event to become somewhat of a regular event, perhaps with enough volunteer offers that could become a reality.

If you see any of the volunteers or coordinators of the Z’Bowl, make sure to give them a thanks for a job well done!

Our February 16th VRA meeting was a ton of fun and full of great information and a great way to get to know the great people who take care of us. It really made me think about what a great community with great people that we have here in Zionsville. Make sure to say thanks to the guys from the ZFD next time you see them!

I was at the EDC Strategic Plan Working Group meeting on February 9th. Most of the meeting was taken with going through the results of the residents’ questionnaire that was accessed through the town. You can see the results at the Town Website. After reading all the responses I was so proud that there were so many positive and constructive thoughts going forward regarding our town and its future growth. I also thought that the discussion at the meeting was positive and saw the potential for responsible growth being put forth in this plan. The real proof will be in the final product though. Will this EDC plan just roll forth more generic suburbia right to the doorsteps of the Village, or will it be a good plan with smart and unique development that helps to diversify our tax base. It is incumbent on the residents of the Village to let the people in town government what they want our town to look like in 10, 20 or 50 years.

At February’s Town Council meeting the committee appointments were made and it should surprise no one that besides the members of the Architectural Review Committee, there were very, very few appointments made from the Village. Congratulations (or perhaps condolences) to VRA member and past VRA President John Tousley for garnering a post on the RDC. I was very disappointed in the lack of Village representation in all the boards and committees.

As of this writing, the only news I have on the Citgo property is that there were Surveyors on the property on at least two occasions in the middle of the month and Councilman Steve Mundy has said that Monument Development has been in touch with the town, but he didn’t know what information they shared. We have sent numerous invitations to them to share their thoughts and plans with us and they have repeatedly said that they would let us know, but that “timing was critical”. I am sure it is.

Spring is almost here!
Chris Bucher
ZVRA President

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Zionsville Art Gallery Association (ZAGA)

ZAGA's signature month event is "Art After 5", the first Friday of every month. The galleries are open late and many offer live entertainment, drinks and meet the artist’s opportunities.

There are many art galleries within walking distance of each other in the Village of Zionsville. Below are member galleries of ZAGA.













Become a Friend of Facebook: http://www.faceboo.com/zionsvilleart
Email: Info@zionsvilleart.org

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Village People, Meet Your Merchant Neighbor: Persnickety Stitchers 58-A North Main Street

Why would Vicki Cooper, an MBA from Cornell, leave a secure position in 1997 as a Systems Analyst at Eli Lilly for potential ownership of a cross-stitch and needlepoint supplies store on Main Street? To follow her childhood passion!

Walk into Persnickety and one will find two stories jam-packed with patterns for counted cross-stitch from a broad array of designers with a diverse range of subjects –reproduction samplers, landscapes and scenes, florals, animals, contemporary samplers, quilt designs, inspirational sayings, and so much more. Vicki stocks hand-painted canvases, again from many different designers and covering many different subjects. She has patterns for the newer trend of counted canvas, fabrics and blank canvas to create your own designs, threads, threads and more threads – soy, stranded silk, twisted silk, stranded cotton, perle cotton, overdyed cotton, wool, silk-wool blends, angora, cashmere, alpaca, linen, velour, metallic, ribbons in all the colors of the rainbow – you name it, Vicki seems to have it.

For the latest trends in adding embellishment, texture, and dimension to one’s work, Persnickety has buttons, charms, beads, (bangles, baubles, bells, whistles), scissors, laying tools, and totes to carry all one’s supplies.

While the major portion of Persnickety’s clientele is women from Indiana, Ohio and Illinois, men are also involved in the stitching industry. Many are surgeons or engineers who enjoy the intricacy and challenge of the advanced stitches. Members of the Society of Creative Anachronism (a group who research and re-create the arts and skills of pre-17th-century Europe) use Persnickety’s supplies for the re-creation of their medieval designs. Although Vicki ships her supplies across the country, she has devout followers in California.

Personally, Vicki finds it relaxing to stitch a painted canvas. She loves the challenge of deciding which threads to use to give texture and life to the design that will enhance the artists’ vision and says it enhances her own creativity to help other stitchers decide on their colors and stitches.

Vicki is observing a trend toward smaller projects which can be carried along for those odd moments of peace and quiet. She has ornaments, inserts for luggage tags, checkbook covers, CD cases, computer totes, and weekender bags. She has pictures for framing, pieces for pillows, Christmas stockings, and more. (This doesn’t sound like grandmother’s needlepoint anymore!)

Classes are arranged on demand. Pick from several in-house or choose your own project for private lessons. Call for schedule from beginners to advanced, young to old. (317) 873-5010 (800) 580-4515

On March 1, Persnickety will celebrate its 15th Anniversary on Main Street! Vicki Cooper, the Village Voice hereby declares you and Persnickety “Hot in the Village”!

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Village Voice Arts

click the image to zoom in

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Seeing the American Bald Eagle in Indiana

Have you ever wanted to see our national symbol in the wild? Well, once each year there is an opportunity to see American Bald Eagles in the wild and it is only about an hour and a half drive from Zionsville.

Each year at the end of January, Duke Energy opens its Cayuga Station, located on the Wabash River in Vermillion County, to the public. The area around the Cayuga Station is the largest wintering site in Indiana for the American Bald Eagle because it provides a wintering habit; timbered shoreline, open water and low levels of human disturbance. The cooling water discharge from Cayuga Station attracts fish which provides a ready food source for Bald Eagles during the winter months.

Eagle viewing day for 2012 was Saturday, January 28. Several Zionsville residents attended and were rewarded with the sight of Bald Eagles soaring high, and I mean high, in the sky. So if you go next year, be sure to take binoculars. Even though the Bald Eagles may be high in the sky, you will see a Bald Eagle, as well as other species of raptors, up close as Duke Energy augments eagle viewing day with a program put on by the American Eagle Foundation. The program, put on by the American Eagle Foundation, provides information on Bald Eagles as well as other species of raptors. In addition, there is a presentation about the efforts made by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources in conjunction with Duke Energy and others to reintroduce the American Bald Eagle in Indiana.

While the next scheduled eagle viewing day will be next year, I suggest marking your calendars to start searching the Duke Energy web site the end of this year for information on the next eagle viewing day. The web site address is http://www.duke-energy.com/environment/stewardship/eagle-viewing.asp.

Finally, along with seeing the American Bald Eagle in the wild, you will also have the opportunity to tour the Cayuga Station which will be a learning experience for those who have never seen how the electricity we use is generated.

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Resident Tourist: ZVRA February Meeting at Fire Station No. 91

Our February meeting was quite literally a blast! We met at Zionsville Fire Station no. 91, for a private VRA tour. Chief Jamie Van Gorder and his crew were the consummate hosts and prepared several demonstrations and activities for residents young and old. We divided into groups and took turns touring the bunk house, learning what it was like to be hooked up to an EKG monitor and being loaded into an ambulance, putting out a real fire with a fire extinguisher (way to go John Zack!) and getting the details on the station’s fire engines. However, the highlight of my evening was a trip up almost 10 stories (!) in the ladder truck. Ellen Butz and I (along with a host of our village neighbors) donned helmets and harnesses in order to get a bird’s eye view of Zionsville-a sight that my fellow residents and I won’t forget. For more photos of the event, go to http://www.chrisbucherphotographs.com/zvrafirestation/index.html


Don’t miss our next meeting on April 10th-you never know what opportunities you’ll be passing up!

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VRA Garden Club News

Last fall all the wooly worms in our garden were completely beige and devoid of any black bands around their fuzzy middles prompting my husband to predict: “We’re going to have a mild winter, the wooly worms are never wrong.” Snow drops and hellebores are blooming in our garden and in Schnables’ across the street— a clear and thrilling announcement that spring is coming, really. Wooly worms don’t lie.

Mark your calendars, pick up your phone, log onto your computer: Saturday, March 31st, the VRA Garden Club will have its annual planning, socializing and eating delicious food at the home of Marianne and Guinn Doyle, 635 Pine St., 6pm, in the upstairs “pub” above the garage. Bring food to share and please let Marianne and Guinn know you’re coming & what you plan to bring. Happenings for the evening will be: 1) find two more host gardeners, one for May, one for September; 2) bring seeds from your favorite plants to share, if foraging birds managed to leave any; 3) Marianne will display the concrete leaf bird bath she made last summer and tell you how she made it and 4) Delma will show how to create a mini-greenhouse from a gallon water jug and give a bit of information on when and how to fertilize your hydrangeas. Want ideas and inspiration and insights into creating a replica of Monet’s garden in Giverney? Plan to be there on March 31st. See you then.