B Magazine Summer 2016

MAGAZINE Enjoying life in Boone County

FABLED STORY Village home transformed

HAVE AN ADVENTURE Take a zip line ride

Share your skill Be a mentor SUMMER 2016

B TABLE OF CONTENTS

11 Zip line for family fun, thrills

4 Introducing the sport of polo Also inside B a Gourmet B a Volunteer Believe It or Not B There

Page 3 Page 6 Page 10 Page 14

Story and Photos

By Andrea McCann

Blake Lewis and Lauren Lowrey pose with daughter Samantha on the stairway of their remodeled century home.

The stairs originally were farther to the right but had to be moved so they could be brought up to code. With an empty corner remaining where the stairs had been, the couple decided to add a modern "wine wall," which they plan to enclose in glass.

Storied village home remade Couple renovates fabled Century home blending old and new

Renovations and research have unveiled almost more questions than answers about “the Country Time lemonade house,� located at the corner of Second and Cedar streets in Zionsville.

Continued on PAGE 7

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B A GOURMET

Rich Sandwich/Poor Sandwich:

The Surprisingly Storied History of Pimento Cheese

E Scott Hutcheson, Ph.D., is an educator, a writer and an economic and community development strategist living in Ulen in Boone County. Visit his website at www. scotthutcheson. com.

mily Elizabeth Wallace didn’t write the book on pimento cheese; but she did write the thesis. A thesis submitted to (and approved by) the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of American Studies.

The title of this compelling manifest is “It Was There for Work: Pimento Cheese in the Carolina Piedmont.” In it, Ms. Wallace notes that, at its simplest, pimento cheese is merely cheddar, pimento peppers and mayonnaise; but it can also help reveal a particular history, place and context within the Piedmont region of North and South Carolina.

This history is one of experience, memory and regional identity.

The thesis title, the curious part found before the colon, are the words of Ms. Wallace’s mother, Myra Rothwell Wallace, as she recalled pimento cheese as ever present in the icebox of her youth, although, she never remembers eating it herself. According to the senior Ms. Wallace, all of her family meals were hot meals, never sandwiches, and the spread was used only to slather between two pieces of bread for the lunchboxes the men of the house — fathers and brothers with jobs at the nearby textile mills — took to work.

Wallace goes on to trace pimento cheese from these humble workingclass beginnings to when food manufacturers started mass producing Continued on PAGE 5

PIMENTO CHEESE WITH SRIRACHA • • • • • •

16 ounces grated, sharp cheddar cheese 1 cup mayonnaise (I suggest Duke’s) 2 tablespoons jarred diced pimentos, drained 2 tablespoons Sriracha 1 tablespoon Worcestershire 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder In a bowl, mix together all ingredients. Chill for about two hours before serving. Can be refrigerated for up to four days.

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B PROFILE

‘Friday night football of the summer’ Chandlers want to introduce polo to more people

By Elizabeth Pearl | Staff writer

G

reg Chandler first fell in love with polo when he was 19.

He’d already been riding horses for many years by then, having started riding when he was about 7, accompanying his father on fox hunts and steeplechases, or long-distance horse racing. But polo, of all these equestrian sports, is what stuck with him. It became his passion.

“It’s a very passionate game,” said Chandler, a now 35-year veteran of the sport. “For the horse and the player. And it’s an addictive game.

You keep learning more and gaining more knowledge. The horses are very keen on it. Some of them get really into it, some are extremely passionate.”

It’s also a dangerous sport, one where falls can break bones and leave bruises. Chandler himself has broken both collarbones while playing, and has seen one man break all of his ribs.

But it is the thing he loves to do. So much so that 14 years ago, he built a polo club in Whitestown with his wife, Donna Chandler, who manages and runs the club. According to the U.S. Polo Association, there are more than 300 polo clubs in the United States. Hickory Hall Polo Club, located at 7551 E. CR 100 N. in Whitestown, is the only one in Indiana.

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JAKE THOMPSON

Zionsville resident Zubair Hamir leads the pack as they race for the ball during a practice session at Hickory Hall Polo Club in Zionsville.

It wasn’t the first in the state, however. In the early 1970s, some friends from South Africa moved to the U.S. and convinced Greg Chandler’s father, Tom Chandler, to try the sport. He did, and became so enamored that he, along with some friends, started a team that played on a field at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Lawrence. The field had been used to play polo in the early 1900s.

In the late 1970s, one of the team members built a field in his backyard in Zionsville, and the Indianapolis Polo Club played there through the 1980s. Later, they played in Westfield, at the Faraway Farms Polo Club, which Greg Chandler helped run.

In 2002, the Chandlers opened Hickory Hill Polo Club. Donna Chandler, who used to play, runs and manages the club with Austin Chandler, their son, and his fiancée. Austin Chandler also plays and teaches lessons to new players.

The Chandlers built a family organization, but Greg Chandler wanted more. Polo had long been kept private, and he had an idea of total inclusion in mind.

The club hosts matches every week, on Fridays or Saturdays, and the public is welcome to purchase tickets for $20 per car. This year’s season will start on June 17 and run through September. The Chandlers pick a different charity each week and donate all the proceeds to the organization.

“Polo had rarely been about the public,” Greg Chandler said. “My club is private, but I don’t mind if people come and watch.”

On its best days, the club attracts hundreds of viewers, including one group of 20-somethings who rode in last summer on a party bus and bet on the matches, Austin said.

Austin, a sales executive at Cummins Inc., has been riding horses since he was born, and started playing polo at 4 years old. Like his father, he dreams of polo as an all-inclusive, family-friendly sport that anyone can enjoy.

“This is the Friday night football of the summer,” Austin Chandler said. “That’s what we want this to be. When people think of polo they think two things: the sport of kings and ‘Pretty Woman.’ That’s the stereotype we try to avoid. We want everybody involved. This is an organization for the community.”

Hickory Hall will also host the 13th Annual Boone County Polo Charity Saturday, July 9. Gates open at 11 a.m., and the match begins at

1 p.m. Proceeds from the annual fundraiser benefit Boone County Senior Services, Inc. Polo matches can be confusing for people who have never seen them.

Each team consists of four players, and the matches are divided into four to eight chukkers, or periods, each seven and a half minutes long.

The purpose of the players is to score by knocking a hard plastic ball in eight-foot-wide goals. A regulation polo field is 300 yards long and 160 yards wide, more than seven times the area of a football field.

The danger of the sport comes in when players foul one another but getting in front of other charging “polo pony,” the sport’s term for the horses.

Hickory Hall has 18 playing members, more than enough to make up several teams that play each other. The members practice twice weekly, and match against teams from as far away as Illinois, Ohio and Kentucky, Greg said.

To be a successful polo player, you have to be JAKE THOMPSON Boone County resident Sergio Gonzalez-Piriz athletic and a good rider, chases the ball after hitting a well-placed shot. with a keen eye to see where everyone else is on the field, Greg said. The sport is physical and demanding for the players, but even more so for the horses.

“Horses are 80 percent of the sport. Some people would say even more, and I’d probably tell you more if you caught me on the right day,” he said. “The better the horse is the better the player is.”

It’s the animals that make polo unique, Austin said. Not only does a player have to focus on finding and hitting a ball, but they have to keep in constant control of their horse and stay attune to its needs. The horses need to be exercised daily and kept healthy, he said.

“When you play polo you’re not only a player on the team, you’re a coach, because the other players are your horses,” he said.

The Chandlers themselves own 12 horses, and about 50 horses are housed at the club that belong to the members, Greg Chandler said.

Polo players are allowed to change mounts after each period so the animals don’t get too worn out. Austin Chandler sometimes even changes in the middle of a period.

The club leases horses to new members for up to one year, while they get a feel for the sport and decide whether or not they want to continue playing, Greg Chandler said.

In addition to a good pony, polo players need leg wraps for their mounts, which support and protect the horses’ legs from injury, according to the U.S. Polo Association’s website. Players wear leather boots that extend up to their knees, cloth or leather helmets made of carbon-filter, foam and fiberglass, padded knee guards, mallets made of bamboo and hardwood and tack for the horse, including bridles, saddles and saddle pads.

Hickory Hall offers lessons for new members, and will allow them to use the club’s equipment if they aren’t ready to commit to purchasing their own. Some knowledge of horses helps, Greg Chandler said, and the club will send people to take riding lessons at stables if they aren’t ready for the sport.

Age and gender don’t matter in polo, Greg Chandler said. Hickory Hall has club members in their early 20s and as old as 70. What matters, he believes, is a love of the sport.

“It’s my passion,” he said. “You certainly don’t make money in polo.

For all our members it’s a passion.” 

Continued from PAGE 3 it and marketing it to the South’s more refined palates.

She notes this ad copy from Kraft: Printed underneath the sketch of a man dressed in an open-blouse and scarf who carries a bountiful basket of pimientos high on his shoulder, the text reads: It was a cook in sunny Spain who first enriched and softened the flavor by boiling the pimento in oil. It was a Spanish epicure who first used it in cheese. But it remained for the patented Kraft process of blending and sterilizing to bring this toothsome combination to its full, delicious perfection and make it a marketable delicacy. When you open — with the key — a tin of the Pimento style of Elkhorn Cheese and remove the delicate parchment protection, there before you is a symmetrical round of wholesome goodness, studded, like rubies, with scarlet bits of imported Spanish pimentos — nothing could be more tempting, except the flavor.

It was there for work.

Studded like rubies.

So, which is it, working class staple or caviar of the South? Surprisingly, pimento cheese became, and has managed to continue to be, both. The spread remains an affordable choice for nearly any budget. You can also find it on the menus of some of the best, most costly restaurants in the United States. Nowhere is this dual role more evident than at the Masters golf tournament, held each year at Augusta National in Georgia. Tickets can cost thousands of dollars, yet the pimento cheese on white bread sandwiches they sell wrapped in green wax paper cost only $1.50.

Whether you are the Masters type, the pack-your-lunch type, or the type that does both, here’s my own version of the Southern classic, with an added spicy Far East kick from Sriracha. If you make it, when you take a bite say a little word of thanks to our good neighbors to the south for their gentle ways, their colorful history, and of course, for the pimento cheese. 

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SUMMER 2016

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B A VOLUNTEER

Boone County Mentoring Partnership Organization’s address: P.O. Box 215, Lebanon Organization’s phone number: Matt Wilson, executive director: 765-8910031; Tiffany Perdue, program director: 765-481-0129 Date organization was founded: December 2015 What is your organization’s mission statement? The BCMP develops the life skills and educational achievement of local youth, by ensuring that they are connected with a caring and supportive adult who can help them realize their dreams and potential.

How can services be accessed? At this time, the BCMP takes referrals from schools within the county and from a few youth serving organizations.

Volunteer opportunities: BCMP’s greatest need is for mentors. There are currently kids waiting to be matched with mentors. Mentors spend a minimum of four hours a month with their mentees, and the BCMP facilitates activities if the matches choose to participate in those. As a BCMP mentor, you are covered under the organization’s liability policy and are provided with training.

How do you raise funds/gather donations? BCMP is funded by grants and through the gifts of generous donors who believe in the program. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, our donations are fully tax deductible.

Short-term goals: Raise awareness. We need for our fellow Boone County citizens to understand that 1 in 3 youth do not have a strong role model in their lives, and when they do, they are 55 percent more likely to enroll in college and 46 percent less likely to begin using drugs.

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MEGAN DEBRUYN

Matt Wilson and Tiffany Purdue hold a round-table mentor orientation for prospective leaders interested in the Boone County Mentoring Partnership.

“To really change a person’s life is a rare opportunity, and it doesn’t require a lot,” Purdue said.

Long-term goals: We want to alter the self-fulfilling prophecy that many youth impose upon themselves by exposing them to other opportunities.

We want to change the outcomes of these youth by ensuring that they have someone in their lives who can encourage, listen, advocate and cheer for their success. We want the youth of Boone County to realize their full potential and to pursue it.

Biggest need: The BCMP does not exist without volunteer mentors willing to invest in the life of a child. We need individual mentors, and also for Boone County companies to partner with us. When a company becomes a “Community Partner,” they endorse the program as a company, allow their staff time to mentor, invest in the program and, in the end, reap the benefits of a more workforce ready population. We see this program as a win-win for the entire county.

Continued from PAGE 2

A

story that the home’s charming wrap-around porch, with its gingerbread trim, was used in a Country Time lemonade commercial seems to pretty much be taken as gospel around town. Another rumor has a Crest toothpaste commercial being filmed there, and local residents told new owners Blake Lewis and Lauren Lowrey that the home might’ve been a boarding house when the railroad depot was across the street.

“Those rumors are nice tidbits of information,” Lewis said. “The people that I’ve talked to are confident their information is correct. I’ve tried to reach someone at Kraft Foods, since they own Country Time. But as we all know, it’s very challenging to extract dated information from such a large company.”

Even county records and SullivanMunce Cultural Center files haven’t been entirely enlightening, although Lowrey and Lewis have discovered enough to piece together a patchwork history of their new home at 20 S. Second St., Zionsville. For instance, the address was 365 W. Cedar St. until sometime in the ’20s or ’30s.

“SullivanMunce didn’t have a wealth of information, but we have found some things,” Lewis said.

An old news article they found describes a “porch party” that took place there when Madge Rickey owned the home near the turn of the century. It describes the floral decor that “festooned” the porch; “the young ladies in their light, airy dresses of pink, blue and white organdy”; music drifting through the parlor window; refreshments of “ice, cake and punch”; and the nosegays the ladies took home as favors.

“We just loved it, and when we saw that we said we have to have a century porch party,” said Lowrey, WISH-TV Channel 8 Daybreak anchor.

The original house was built somewhere between 1870 and 1890, and there have been three, possibly four, additions since that time. Based on personal knowledge – Lewis has a background in construction, and the couple has “flipped” houses – and a little detective work, they believe the first addition was constructed in the 1930s, a second one in the 1950s.

They were able to confirm a final addition was built in 1998. In all, the additions more than doubled – probably tripled – the size of the home.

The small front part of the house, which has a basement, is original, according to the couple. Lewis estimates it had six small rooms, including a receiving room, a formal sitting room and a piano room. He believes the first extension added two rooms, the second added another, and the third added the garage.

“There were all these additions put on, and no one connected them,” Lowrey said. “It was a maze.”

There were doorways everywhere, leading from room to room or to outside.

BEFORE

BLAKE LEWIS

These five rooms were opened up to create one large living area.

AFTER

ANDREA MCCANN | TIMES SENTINEL

Several walls were removed to make a more open, living area. It was discovered during renovation that the ceilings in these rooms had been dropped, so Lowrey and Lewis decided to use the space to make cathedral ceilings.

The wiring was old.

“Our electrician had to pull out every single wire,” Lowrey said, “It took him 10 days to pull it all out.

“None of the floor was even. We had to go under the house and evenup the flooring.”

Underfoot, there might be a drop or a bump of inches between additions.

Continued on PAGE 8

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Previous owners had placed new flooring over old numerous times, making the floors so heavy the joists began to buckle.

Shown here, original wood plank is covered with vinyl sheet flooring, another layer of thinner wood flooring, a subfloor with tile, and a final layer of modern vinyl click/lock tiles.

Blake Lewis and Lauren Lowrey found some unusal items in the walls when they remodeled. Shown here is a collection of bottles; a rusted, antique wrench; an old toy car; a gum wrapper; and cans of Postum, a wheat grain and molasses drink often used as a coffee substitute.

BLAKE LEWIS

Continued from PAGE 7

PHOTOS BY ANDREA MCCANN

LEFT: Lewis and Lowrey kept details such as this doorknob as close to original as they could when they remodeled the historic home at Second and Cedar streets.

RIGHT: The home at 20 S. Second St. was named a Century Structure by the Zionsville Historical Society.

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Amplifying the problem were multiple layers of flooring that various homeowners had installed throughout the years without removing the previous material.

“It was a layer of original wood plank, covered with vinyl sheet flooring, and then another layer of thinner wood flooring,” Lewis said. “Over that was another layer of subfloor with tile, covered with a final layer of modern vinyl click/lock tiles.

“The smaller floor trusses used back then couldn’t bear the weight of the floor and was starting to show signs of overloading. We ripped everything out and installed newer trusses in order to level the floor and bring it up to code.”

They saw a similar issue above their heads. One room would have 7-foot ceilings; the next would have 10-foot ceilings. They discovered the ceiling in one area had been dropped, so they took advantage of the space to create a cathedral ceiling there.

Though they initially intended to restore the home’s original features, some of the obstacles they ran into made that impossible. So they worked with what the structure revealed to them, brought it up to code and modernized it, while still keeping as many of the original features as possible.

“We incorporated the new with the old, and hopefully that’ll keep it around another hundred years,” Lewis said. “We probably would’ve trended more toward the original if we hadn’t had so many structural issues.

“We just wanted to show it some love.”

To eliminate the maze effect, the pair removed several walls.

“We opened it up,” Lowrey said. “The spaces were very formal and enclosed.

“We took down two walls and flipped the stairwell in the original section. It took the least amount of work.”

The stairs had to be changed to bring them up to modern code.

Lowrey and Lewis believe the second addition was used as a living room;

it is now their kitchen. The old laundry room is the new breakfast nook.

“We’ve given it an entirely different function,” Lowrey said, of the back portion of the home.

“We’re making things right and beautiful.”

Had someone without their knowledge, resources and desire to restore the home purchased it, Lewis believes it would’ve been razed and commercialized in just a few years.

“This house sat on the market for two years before we bought it,” he said. “It’s no wonder.

It has been a money pit. We went significantly over budget.”

Fortunately for them, they have experts close at hand. Lowrey’s dad is an architect, which they estimate saved them $5,000 to $10,000.

“He helped us figure out the function of the spaces,” Lowrey said.

Her mom is an interior designer, and they were able to order exquisite fixtures from the lines she carries.

Renovations began in May 2015, and the couple took up residence in September. They welcomed a daughter, Samantha, shortly after.

“It’s been a lot, but I’d do it all over again,” Lewis said.

Lowrey and Lewis moved to the area in 2011 for Lowrey’s job at WISH-TV. Originally from South Carolina, the couple met in 2006 in Myrtle Beach, where he worked in the construction industry, and she worked at a TV station and also at a dance studio teaching ballroom dancing.

“One day as she was walking into the dance studio, I also happened to be walking into the sub shop next door,” Lewis reminisced. “We caught eyes for a moment, and five minutes later I found myself strolling into the dance studio for lessons. I paid $360 to hold her hand every Tuesday night, and the rest was history.”

They left South Carolina for Toledo, Ohio, in 2008, where Lowrey worked in TV until land-

ANDREA MCCANN | TIMES SENTINEL

It's easy to see why rumors have this house at Second and Cedar streets being used for commercials.

From Cedar Street, its two-sided porch looks inviting. ing the Indianapolis job; Lewis began working in the insurance industry and continues to remodel in his spare time.

“When we arrived here, it didn’t take long for us to find Zionsville while seeking out a place to call home,” Lewis said. “We’ll never forget turning off of Michigan Road onto Sycamore.

After a mile or so, I thought, ‘This must be a little farm town in the middle of nowhere.’ When we crossed over Eagle Creek, we immediately spotted Lions Park and the hundreds of kids playing baseball and softball.

“Just moments before arriving at the traffic light, my GPS notified us that we had arrived.

Confused, because the only thing we could see was the old, abandoned gas station on the corner, we pulled onto Main Street and found ourselves in the middle of the farmers market. We immediately got that Small Town USA feel – a feeling very familiar to us since we both grew up in small towns. It felt like home.”

Outside of work, the pair spends their time playing with Samantha, working on the house,

and training for triathlons.

Although the bulk of the work on the house is done, they said it’s still a work in progress.

They affectionately refer to their remaining plans as “phase 2.”

“For phase 2, we plan on converting the recreation room to a master suite, waterproofing and finishing the basement, new porch deck, restoring the porch spandrels, brackets and columns,” Lewis said. “After that, possibly replacing the roof and siding if the budget allows.

Any extra time we have after that will go to continuing the picket fence around the property and refreshing the landscape.”

He said a passerby last summer told them a Master Gardener used to own the home, which would explain the lovely landscaping. Just one more mystery to solve at the house on 20 S. Second St. “Maybe one day we’ll get the facts straightened out,” Lewis said “If we can confirm this, you can bet on little Samantha selling Country Time Lemonade from our front porch.” 

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BELIEVE IT OR NOT

The story behind Serum Plan Road

S

outh and east of Thorntown runs, for about 1-1/2 miles, a county road remarkable now only for its name: Serum Plant Road.

A century ago, classical swine fever — then known as hog cholera — was the plague of the pork industry.

The disease was declared eradicated in the United States in 1978, although it remains endemic in Central and South America and Madagascar.

In 1915, though, the disease was virulent, killing nearly 100 percent of the animals it infected. Outbreaks in 1886, 1887 and 1896 each killed more than 13 percent of the nation’s swine herds, and more than 10 percent of the herds in 1913, according to historical records from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

An anti-hog-cholera serum was successfully tested in 1907 by USDA scientists. Hog farmers were desperate to obtain the treatment.

And that is why several hundred Indiana swine producers, led by Lon Hodson and E.J. Barker, formed the Swine Breeders’ Pure Serum Company and constructed just outside of Thorntown — on what came to be known as Serum Plant Road — what an April 1916 advertisement in “The Swine World” magazine termed “one of the most modern and best equipped hog cholera serum manufacturing plants in the United States.”

Among the hundreds of “veterinary biological products” licenses issued in 1918 by the USDA were those to Swine Breeders’ Pure Serum

PHOTO COURTESY LEBANON PUBLIC LIBRARY

The photo of the Swine Breeders’ Pure Serum Co. from 1931 is of the rebuilt plant. The original was destroyed by fire that same year.

Company — and to the Pitman-Moore Company of Zionsville.

The Swine Breeders’ Pure Serum Company facility was destroyed by fire in 1931, Dudley Diggs Davis wrote in a 1941 history of the Indiana Farm Bureau Co-operative Association.

The Farm Bureau assumed management of the company in 1937; by 1948, production of hog cholera serum had been transferred to Farm Bureau Co-ops. 

advertising works call our advertising department at 765-482-4650 10

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B OUTDOORS

Zip line for family fun, thrills I

A guide at Indiana Zipline Tours monitors a rider.

f you’re looking for an outdoor adventure that combines the thrills of extreme sports with safety and a family-friendly environment, consider sliding over to one of the several zip line facilities near Boone County.

“Zipping” is an activity where the participant is strapped into a harness affixed to a pulley that rides on a downward-sloping steel cable. The rider slides at speeds from relaxing to exhilarating, flying like a bird through meadows, across wooded hillsides and even over lakes. Many companies offer night tours and if you venture across the Ohio River to Louisville, Kentucky, you can slide completely underground on a zip line in Louisville’s famed Megacavern.

Indiana Zipline Tours is located just south of Crawfordsville and according to owner Bill Hallett, people love to zip line because, “it’s an adventure and it’s exhilarating. It’s almost like being a bird,” he said. Hallett should know, as Indiana Zipline Tours was voted Best Zip Line in Indiana by Indianapolis Monthly magazine in 2014. Among other

Brent T. Wheat is a freelance outdoor writer based in Lebanon and Publisher of WildIndiana. com. He can be reached at btwheat@ wildindiana. com.

Continued on PAGE 12

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Continued from PAGE 11 things, the course offers a 2000-foot slide, the longest in Central Indiana.

With a growing number of zip line courses in the state, what should a first-timer know and consider before taking that first ride?

The activity is suitable for a wide range of ages and physical abilities since the rider doesn’t really do anything except enjoy the passing scenery and the sensation of flying 80 feet or more in the air. While some courses are just a single line (typically at private camps or recreation areas), all commercial operators in the state offer multiple line courses that will take at least an hour or two to traverse.

As a large vertical drop is required for the system to operate, there might be climbing involved though many operators try to minimize the ascent in order to maximize guest enjoyment. “People are surprised that there is not a lot of physical exertion (at Indiana Zipline Tours); we only have 11 steps,” said Bill Hallett. However, many courses require the rider to climb towers or other elevated platforms.

Indiana Zipline minimizes the climbing by starting the course on a bluff and eventually gliding down into the Sugar Creek valley where a bus transports visitors back to the office.

People who are deathly afraid of heights or falling might reconsider, but most courses are set up to help minimize such concerns.

“We’ve only had a few that decided not to go forward,” notes Bill’s wife and co-owner Cori Hallettt. “Once they do the first line, they realize it’s more of a glide and not a jump (off the platform).”

However, riders should understand the facility they will be using beforehand as some courses include treetop rope scrambles or other challenges that are sure to bring out the acrophobia (fear of heights) in sufferers. Every course is unique and may or may not fit the individual preferences within your group.

Indiana Zipline Tours will take children as young as three years old while others have higher minimums, usually 10 to 12 years old.

In most cases, there is a weight limit but there are tandem rigs that offer the thrill of soaring with a friend.

Pregnant women and those with injuries or significant medical problems should not use a zip line, but at most courses anyone healthy enough to walk into the office is welcome.

“Our only stipulations are closed-toe shoes and a weight limit of 275 pounds,” Cori Hallett said.

Safety is always a concern among both guests and course operators, though Indiana has only seen a few minor injuries and no fatalities associated with zip line courses, unlike other states. With any new, rapidly expanding industry there are worries of less-than-reputable operators.

When asked about choosing a zip line facility, Cori Hallett said, “Make sure the course and guides are certified and ask about insurance.”

Moreover, she added that you should heed any inner concerns you have 12

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ZIP LINE FACILITIES WITHIN A ONE HOUR DRIVE OF BOONE COUNTY France Park Zip Line 4505 W. US 24 West, Logansport, Indiana 46947 574-753-2928 Go Ape! Eagle Creek Park 5910 Delong Road, Indianapolis, Indiana 46254 1.800.971.8271 Indiana Zipline Tours 4641 W. 450 S., Crawfordsville, Indiana 47933 765-866-0006

ABOVE: A guide for Indiana Zipline Tours waves as he tests the line before the first rider of the day.

LEFT: A sign welcoming riders to Indiana Zipline Tours near Crawfordsville.

Soaring Eagle Zip Line 1101 Indianapolis Rd, Mooresville, Indiana 46158 317-831-9550 White River Zip Lines 5211 S. New Columbus Rd., Anderson, IN 46013 (317) 489-3732

about the facilities, maintenance or professionalism of the staff. “When you drive up, you sorta know (if the course is safe and well-maintained),” she pointed out.

At Indiana Zipline, they follow industry “best practices” and the course itself is certified by both the builder and insurance carrier while all 14 guides are likewise trained and certified.

Zip lining at night adds a whole other dimension to the thrill. Many courses offer some type of low-light fun but it is usually a bit more expensive. “We have to add additional guides at night for safety,” Cori Hallett noted.

The zip line season in Indiana runs April through October though most operators will make other accommodations depending on weather and available staff. “Fall is a really beautiful time to zip line and we’ve done a few over snow. It’s really neat,” Cori said.

Weather isn’t a big factor. Hallett explained that tours continue even in light rain so long as there isn’t lightning. As most summer storms last minutes rather than hours, there are few cancellations.

A zip line course provides a great way for a family or group of friends to share a few hours of adrenaline-filled outdoor action within a safe, controlled environment. With locations all over the state, there are plenty of opportunities to take the plunge and soar with the birds over Indiana’s wonderful wildlands. 

World-class & local:

EXPERIENCE MARRIOTT’S TOP SPAS WITHOUT LEAVING ALABAMA From relaxing massages to invigorating facials and body treatments,

Montgomery and the Spa at Ross Bridge are in the Top 7, followed closely

Marriott is known globally for having great spas. In North America, five of

by the Battle House in Mobile. All five of these spas are part of the RTJ

the top Marriott and Renaissance spas are found in Alabama. For guest

Resort Collection and feature innovative treatments inspired by Southern

satisfaction, the Spa at the Marriott Shoals in Florence remains the top

Hospitality. Clearly great golf and spas work well together in Alabama.

ranked Marriott spa in North America. The Spa at the Grand Hotel in Pt.

Come experience them for yourself.*Renaissance and Marriott spa guest

Clear also is in Marriott’s Top 10. For Renaissance Hotels, both the Spa at

satisfaction rankings in North America, as of Oct. 1, 2014.

FLORENCE · HOOVER · MONTGOMERY · MOBILE · POINT CLEAR The

Resort Collection on Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail · rtjresorts.com/spacard

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THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN BOONE COUNTY

B THERE June June 25: Relay for Life of Boone County, 11 a.m. at Lebanon High School, Lebanon.

June 25: Fourth of July Beautiful Baby Contest at 9 a.m., Little Miss Boone County at 11:30 a.m., Little Boy Boone at 1:30 p.m. at bandstand in Lebanon Memorial Park.

June 25 and 26: Third Annual Shalom Garden Tour, features six local gardens, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 the day of the Garden Tour. Children 12 and younger free. Tickets are available at Lebanon and Thorntown libraries Proceeds support the Lebanon Community of Shalom’s food programs.

June 26: Symphony at Sunset, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra concert capped off by a fireworks display beginning with table decorating, gates open at 5:30 p.m., concert at 8 p.m. at Abner Longley Park.

June 28: Fourth of July carnival begins and ends July 4.

June 28: Preteen Almost Anything Goes Contest, Bandstand, Lebanon Memorial Park. The first of several Almost Anything Goes contests begin at 6:30 p.m. in Lebanon’s Memorial Park Bandstand, 130 E. Ulen Drive.

Starting with a pre-teen division and going up to a senior division, teams compete in various relays.

June 28: Tri Kappa Dinner and Ice Cream Social, 5 to 7 p.m., Memorial Park Shelter House June 29: Teen Almost Anything Goes, 6:30 p.m., Memorial Park Bandstand June 29: Lebanon Christian Church dinner, 5 to 7 p.m., Big Shelter House, Memorial Park June 30: Community Band Concert, 6 to 7 p.m., Memorial Park Shelter House June 30: Music Boosters Steak Fry/Community Concert, 5 p.m., Memorial Park Shelter House June 30: Adult Almost Anything Goes, 6:30 p.m., Memorial Park Bandstand

July July 1: “A Laugh in the Park” Comedy Show, featuring Dave Dugan, 7 p.m., Memorial Park Bandstand July 1: Balloon Release, 8:15 p.m., Memorial Park Bandstand 14

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July 2: Stars and Stripes 5K Color Fun Run and Walk, 9 a.m., Lebanon High School July 2: Pedal Parade, 2:30 p.m.

Memorial Park July 2: Darlington Road concert, 7 to 10 p.m., free, Memorial Park Bandstand July 2: Lebanon Fire Auxiliary Hog Roast, 5 p.m., Big Shelter House, Memorial Park July 3: Celebrate Praise Concert, 2 to 6 p.m., Memorial Park Bandstand, local churches and praise groups.

July 3: Fireworks, at Eagle Church, Whitestown, includes food, live music and kid zone.

July 4: The Fourth of July Parade is one of the biggest Boone County attractions as more than 100 entries are expected to entertain a crowd of more than 10,000. The parade begins a 2 p.m. at Lebanon High School, 510 Essex Drive. Parade route passes by county’s historic courthouse. Visit www.bccn.boone.in.us/4th July 4: Fireworks, 10 p.m., Lebanon Middle School, Grant Street, Lebanon, and at dusk, Lions Club Park, Zionsville (rain date July 5).

July 9-10: Jeep Frenzy Weekend July 9: 13th Annual Boone County Polo Event, Hickory Hall Polo Club, 7545 E. County Road 100 North, Whitestown. Gates open at noon, match begins at 1 p.m. Stomp divets, compete for the prettiest woman and bid on valuable items while watching

a captivating polo match and raising money for Boone County Senior Services Inc. Tailgaiting is encouraged.

July 10: Lions Park Concert Series at 7 p.m., continues Sundays through July 31. Bring a blanket and enjoy warm summer evenings every Sunday in July, Zionsville Lions Park.

July 22-28: The Boone County 4-H Fair promises to be a crowd pleaser again this year featuring the accomplishments of more than 1,200 Boone County youth who participate in the 4-H program. Every year the fair is full of animals, but also other nightly events, including musical entertainment, the open show, mud bogs and demolition derbies for the whole family.

August Aug. 6: Taste of Zionsville Street Dance, 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Zionsville’s biggest party under the stars on Main Street, featuring fun, food by local restaurants and food trucks, and music by Polka Boy on the brick street.

Aug. 6: Country Music Festival, Advance Volunteer Fire Department Aug. 6: Battle of the Barbecue, Boone County Cancer Society, Lebanon Memorial Park. This year’s event will include a 5K run in the morning and a special Pink Firetruck from the Pink Heals Foundation in Illinois.

Aug. 6: “Bicentennial Ball,” to be

held at the county courthouse.

Aug. 13: Paws and Claws Ride for Rescues, escorted motorcycle ride ending with lunch and auction at Whitestown Municipal Complex, benefits Humane Society for Boone County.

Aug. 13: Zionsville Paint Out, throughout town of Zionsville, this one day event in Zionsville features professional and amateur artists alike spending the day capturing Zionsville in paint then culminating at the end of the day for judging and awards.

Aug.20-21: American Indian Pow Wow, Boone County 4-H Fairgrounds Aug. 29-Sept. 1: Second Annual Boone County Senior Services Olympics, events include euchre, swimming, nature walk and more.

The event’s mission is to promote and encourage physical and mental health and wellness for Boone County adults age 60 and older. Pickle ball is being added this year.

September Sept. 4 and 5: Advance Labor Day Festival.

Sept. 5: Labor Day Sept. 9-11: Lions Club Annual Fall Festival, featuring Miss Outstanding Teen contest as part of three days of rides, food and booths. Parade down Main Street on Sept. 12 starting at 10:45 a.m. Parking in Lions Park for a $5 donation. This year’s theme is “Back to the 80s.”

Sept. 16 and 17: Back to the Fifties as Lebanon’s courthouse square goes back in time with a Main Street food court, arts and crafts booth, lots of family fun as Lebanon relives the coolest era ever in this popular annual event. Free admission. Visit www. fiftiesfestival.com.

Sept. 17: 5K Rock-n-Roll Run & Walk at Witham Family YMCA and continues on a course through the city with registration at 6:30 a.m. The event benefits Symphony at Sunset.

Sept. 17: Whitestown Brew Fest at

the Whitestown Municipal Complex, 6210 S. County Road 700 East. This event will feature approximately 45 Indiana breweries and is expected to showcase hundreds of craft beer releases—making it one of the largest and most unique craft beer festivals in the central part of the state. Gates will open for exclusive VIP entry from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., with general admission beginning at 2 p.m. The festival will conclude at 5 p.m. with ‘last pour’ taking place at 4:45 p.m.

Sept 23-25: Festival of Turning

Leaves,Thorntown – A classic town festival that kicks off with a big parade on Saturday, with great food, live music, antiques, crafts and art booths, lots of activities for kids and the whole family throughout downtown Main Street Thorntown.

Free admission. Visit www. thorntownfestival.org.

Sept. 24-25: Lincoln’s Lebanon and Civil War Enactment in Lebanon’s Memorial Park at the Herr Cabin.

The public is invited to enjoy pioneer demonstrations, square dancing, food, and meet Mr. Abraham Lincoln in

person on Saturday. Event includes a re-enactment of civil war life through camping, activities and live war skirmishes.

Sept. 24: Ninth Annual Boone County Senior Health and Wellness Expo, senior fair returns from 9 a.m. to noon at the Boone County 4-H Fairgrounds, Lebanon. The focus is to provide knowledge of health care and quality of life for current and future senior citizens, as well as their adult children, family members and other supporters or caregivers. The event is free and open to the public. 

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