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January 5, 2021
Love Letter to Zionsville From Mayor Emily
There is so much I love about our Town – the miles of parkland to explore, walking the Rail Trail in the fall under a canopy of changing leaves, our public school teachers who consistently deliver a high caliber academic experience in a supportive and nurturing classroom environment even during a pandemic, the charming and historic downtown unique to only here and the decades-long friendships I’ve sustained with neighbors. Over this past year, I’ve been able to add to this list and joyfully, share it with many of you. A role that I had not fully comprehended when I ran for mayor is how often I would serve as an ambassador for our community. On a regular basis, I’ll hear from
people who want to visit Zionsville for the first time and ask what they should include on their itinerary. It’s become such a fun adventure learning more about their interests and working to craft a day trip that showcases our retail, dining and recreation options. Often, they will write back to tell me how much they enjoyed their visit. And the best part of this story is that you and I get to live here every day. My new year’s resolution for 2021 is to live here like I’m a tourist. I want to buy postcards that feature our beautiful town and send it to family and friends out of state writing “Wish You Were Here.” I want to spend
more time in our parks and on our trails throughout every season. My budget-conscious tendencies generally fly out the window when I’m on vacation so I want to loosen the purse strings and spend out of my “vacation budget” here locally. But most of all, I want to keep connecting with you personally. Each time we have interacted, I’ve heard a great idea, a good story and a deep commitment to preserving our cherished sense of place, which is defined as much by its community as it is by its territory. Mayor Emily
January 5, 2021
MEET THE MERCHANT Q&A with Natalie Miller, Owner Brick Street Bridal 40 N Main Street www.brickstreetbridal.com Open by appointment only
Why did you decide to open a bridal shop? I have always wanted to have my own store in Zionsville. Growing up I loved everything clothing and everything wedding. I attended Savannah College of Art and Design to learn how to design and make clothing. While wedding dress shopping for my sister it suddenly hit me that I wanted to be a part of the experience that brides go through and be the one to help them find their perfect gown. With the goal to succeed and grow my store, I would like to one day include my own designs for purchase.
Tell me about the style or brands of dresses you sell.
Some of the designers Brick Street Bridal carries are a private label collection Rings by Justin Alexander, collections by Omelie Bridal and Temperley London Bridal. Our Couture Collection is by the amazing designer Lihi Hod. All her works are beautiful with a quality that is hard to come by.
What is something brides may not know about buying a dress that you can share?
Most sample sizes for the brides to try on are one or two sizes only. We carry size 12 and 14 sample sizes with a select few sample sizes for the curvier figure starting at 18W up to 24W. We will then make those sample sizes fit most figures with clips and stretchers. Keep in mind that bridal sizes run small.
What has it been like opening a business during a pandemic?
What changed the most were some of the health and safety concerns that I had to put in place and figure out how to make the best experience for the bride. I was lucky enough that even with the pandemic people are still getting married and it does not affect my situation as much as other businesses.
Why Zionsville for your location?
I grew up in Zionsville and have always loved the location. I have always believed there was a magical quality to Zionsville that makes me feel happy. It is one of those places that you see in movies and say, “where is that?” or “I wish I could go there.”
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January 5, 2021
Zionsville Parks & Recreation Tackles Invasive Species
In December, the Zionsville Parks & Recreation Department initiated an aggressive invasive species management project at Carter Station and along sections of the Big-4 Rail Trail. Both projects focused primarily on woody invasive species including Autumn Olive, Bush and vining honeysuckle, Bradford pear and multi-flora rose. Along the Big-4 Rail Trail, crews removed invasive shrubs and then treated the stumps to prevent resprouts. At Carter Station, the focus was removing invasives around the pond. Throughout the project, the goal was to open these areas up and remove the pressure that the invasive shrubs have caused. This will allow for native species to fill back in. Native species like dogwood, serviceberry, milkweed, blazing star, lobelia, little bluestem, and others provide necessary habitat
services, food, and shelter for wildlife. “It has been several years since any invasive work was done along the Rail-Trail or Carter Station, and we worked hard in 2020 to remedy that oversight,� said Park Naturalist Mindy Murdock. Next, the Parks Department will overseed the areas with native meadow seed mix to help with the restoration. Both the Big-4 Rail Trail and Carter Station improvements are part of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The Department is examining other potential opportunities to combat invasives in 2021, including a volunteer invasive task force and propagating native plants for continued park-wide restoration.
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January 5, 2021
Zionsville Rallies in Support of Local
This website, which acts as a hub for multiple stores’ live inventories, allows shoppers to search for local products from the safety and comfort of their home. The website also allows shoppers to schedule an appointment to try items on in-person. Through the Town of Zionsville’s Community Development Corporation (CDC), 14 local businesses were awarded grants address the burden of unplanned expenses and lost revenue incurred due to COVID-19. A total of $131,000 in grants has been awarded. Grant awardees are: Blooming Life Yoga Studio, Blooms by Dragonfly, Casalini Portraits, CV Art and Frame, Frances+Parke, Good Impressions Printing, Holistic Practice, Hopwood Cellars, Lesley Jane, Salon G, The Blue Moon Hair Place, The Scoop, Village Antique Mall and zWorks. Grants assisted these businesses with anything from lost revenue due to closing, to website updates, to creating marketing plans.
Throughout Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and the holidays, Zionsville residents and visitors masked up or shopped virtually and showed their support of small businesses by shopping local. According to Zionsville Chamber Executive Director
Allyson Gutwein, a number of retailers said Small Business Saturday was a record-breaking day. For those who preferred to shop virtually, the Zionsville’s Chamber of Commerce launched ShopZionsvilleChamber.com, which is now a permanent addition to the Chamber’s digital assets.
“With the launch of this grant program last summer, we have been taking action to support the economic sustainability of Zionsville’s local businesses. We are committed to helping lift up this vital sector of our local economy,” said Mayor Emily Styron. One of the silver linings during this time is a renewed appreciation for our essential workers and everyday heroes, which include the small-business owners in our community. Thank you, Zionsville, for shopping locally and helping our community thrive.