Hendricks County

Thomas Little Home in Danger of Demolition

The Thomas Little house sits within viewing distance of U.S. 40 at the west edge Plainfield.

The house was rated “Outstanding” in the Hendricks County Sites and Structures Inventory as an example of the Queen Anne style of architecture.

The rating indicates a “property has enough historic or architectural significance that it ...should be considered for individual listing in the National Register of Historic Places.”

No effort was made to place the structure on the National Register.

By Melissa Gibson

Earlier this month, Hendricks Regional Health (HRH) posted a YouTube video describing their plans for the Plainfield property along U.S. 40.

HRH President and CEO Kevin Speer explained on the video, what’s known as the ‘Little’ house, at 5328 East US Highway 40, the large, Queen-Anne style home sitting on the property, had not been maintained since their purchase in 2017.

The home has fallen victim to wild animal inhabitants, the interior is rotted and so much damage has been done in HRH’s opinion, it’s unsalvageable.

The video went on to say the home did not have historical significance and HRH planned to use some of the wood from the home in their new, 10,000 square foot medical office building.

However, according to the Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library, the historical significance is evident.

The property has been in the Alexander Little family since 1830. Alexander served as a member of the Indiana State legislature. His son, Samuel, was president of the Plainfield and Cartersburg Gravel Road Association and he was a stakeholder for the First National Bank in Danville.

His son Thomas built what now stands on the property in 1885.

The home has remained a fixture in the community and many remember Montello and Gertrude Dailey owning a large goat farm on the property and hosting festival events throughout the 50’s and 60’s.

Today, many in the tight-knit community of Plainfield is expressing concern and dismay over the home’s future.

One Plainfield resident took all of the Facebook comments and public conversations and put those words into action – asking for assistance from Indiana Landmarks to work with Speer to reconsider the fate of the ‘Little’ house.

Hendricks Regional Health is planning a new medical office building on the property.

“I had always known about the Little house. I drive by it at least once a week, if not several days a week and I saw a post with a picture of it on Facebook and people seemed upset about it being torn down,” Amanda Engle said.

At the time, Engle and her mother had a conversation about it and after several months, it became apparent nothing had been done. The two talked about several ideas, settling on bringing the house to the attention of Indiana Landmarks.

“I contacted Indiana Landmarks and without hesitation, they immediately knew what house I was talking about, but did not know of any demolition plans. They were immediately concerned and said, ‘let’s see what we can do’,” Engle said. “They have reached out to Kevin Speer and in the meantime, they said it would be helpful to set up a petition to show how many people care about this.”

In the original site plans, a typed note states, “Existing house and outbuilding to remain. Clearing in and around the existing house and building to remain shall be coordinated with the owner prior to commencement.”

Engle was shocked to see more than 1,700 signatures on the petition in less than 36 hours and as of press time, nearly 2,500 have signed as the numbers continue to climb. “I think everybody thought they were the only ones,” Engle said. “Once someone started the petition, everyone came out of the woodwork. I’ve reached back out to Indiana Landmarks with the petition link and they had not yet heard from HRH.”

The hospital has set the YouTube video to private and has not responded to Indiana Landmarks or The Republican for comment but Engle and many others are still hopeful they can work something out with the property owners.

We would love to work with Mr. Speer,” Engle said. “Plainfield wants to work alongside the hospital and we just think surely there could be a compromise. I have read every single comment on both Facebook and the petition and I feel like after reading them, people just want it saved. They don’t really care what the end purpose is, we just want the house to remain standing. People have suggested a café, museum, gift shop, offices, a halfway house and they’re happy to just incorporate the house into HRH’s plan. We just want it to be taken care of instead of demolished.”

When no one argues the condition of the house is less than desirable, why do they want to save it?

“It’s so important to know where we came from as a town and as a community. That starts with preserving our history,” Engle said. “It doesn’t have to be out with the old and in with the new. The old and new can come together.”

The small-town feel of downtown Plainfield is often threatened by modernization and new buildings, however, the community has voiced their concern and opinion about holding on to the history and value of the town they love.

Over the years, the community has developed organizations to protect the history and support the local businesses. They’ve been vocal about saving buildings like the Prewitt Theater in downtown Plainfield and have a thriving genealogy department at the town library.

“We can see [through the petition] that thousands value the ‘Little’ house. It’s brought the town together. If we demolish it, what does that say about the community? We’re not an angry mob – we want to compromise and work with the hospital. We aren’t out to ruin their plans,” Engle said.

Native Plant Landscaping Workshop

Homeowners and anyone else interested in learning native plant landscaping that benefits pollinators and other beneficial insects while improving soil health is invited to a free 5:30 p.m. workshop May 11 at Porter Farms.

The hands-on planting experience is led by county resident Laura Essex of Favor Native LLC.

Porter Farms is located at 4680 W. US 36. Clean Water Indiana funds the workshop. Hendricks County Soil & Water Conservation District is the host.

RSVP to brianna.ollier@in.nacdnet.net, or call (317) 386-6206.

Pittsboro Local & Social

Your Venture Church Garage Sale: April 22, 23, 24. Next week April 29 and 30th. 9:00 AM-5:00 PM. The church is located at 7865 N CR 100 N, Lizton.

The Gleaners Food Truck will be at Pittsboro Christian Church on Saturday, May 1st from 10:00 AM until Noon.

Mark your calendars. The next Blood Drive at Pittsboro Christian Church will be Monday, May 3rd from 3:00-7:00 PM.

I absolutely love the smells of Spring!

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

Senior Center Food Pantry

Hendricks County Senior Services offers a food pantry for Hendricks County seniors, including perishable, nonperishable, and hygiene products.

The food pantry is open by appointment. Please call 317-745-4303 to make an appointment to come to the food pantry.

Hendricks County Senior Services reserves the right to limit the number of visits. Individuals must be 60 years old or older and a resident of Hendricks County, to use the food pantry. Donations are always needed, accepted and appreciated.

Initiated Into Honor Society

Jessica Pietras, of Brownsburg, was recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. Pietras was initiated at Purdue University.

Tri-West Scholarship

The Jackie & Larry Sparks Memorial Scholarship opened March 1, 2021.

Tri-West High School Alumni seeking an undergraduate degree who will complete at least one year of post-secondary schooling by June 1, 2021 are eligible to apply. Up to two scholarships will be awarded this summer.

This is a three-year renewable scholarship, increasingin amount each year. Applications are due May 31, 2021.

To apply, go to Tri-West. DollarsforScholars.org.

Libraries Assist with Vaccine Registration

Hendricks County libraries are partnering with the Hendricks County Health Department to assist with scheduling and registering eligible people for the COVID-19 vaccine. Currently, individuals 65 and older are eligible to sign up and register for the vaccine at any location in the state of Indiana.

In order to sign up for the vaccine, individuals may go online to www.ourshot.in.gov or call 211 for assistance.

Both the website and 211 have been experiencing high traffic and wait times can be lengthy, which is where Hendricks County libraries come in to assist.

Anyone who needs assistance with scheduling and registering for their COVID-19 vaccine can contact any of the following Hendricks County libraries for assistance:

▪ Avon: In Person Only

▪ Brownsburg: 317-852- 3167

▪ Clayton: 37-539-2991

▪ Coatesville: 765-386- 2355

▪ Danville: 317-745- 2604

▪ Plainfield: 317-839- 6602

WYRZ Welcomes Avon Chamber of Commerce as Sponsor

The Greater Avon Chamber of Commerce has joined the growing list of WYRZ’s community partners. The Chamber is now the official sponsor of The Music Machine, where all the solid gold music is heard on the radio station, according to WYRZ Executive Director Shane Ray.

WYRZ has been a member of the Avon Chamber of Commerce since it first signed on the air in 2015. During this time, the radio station has worked together with the Chamber for various promotions for Avon events, including the Hendricks County Ribfest and various Avon Chamber fundraisers. Tom Downard has appeared on the WYRZ’s monthly public affairs radio show, Central Indiana Today, several times.

Shane Ray said, “The Avon Chamber of Commerce and WYRZ are both non profits in the county and it’s simply a natural fit. Being an Avon Chamber member, we support what it stands for and how it works to make businesses in the town of Avon grow in a positive direction.”

Downard added, “The Avon Chamber of Commerce is excited to partner with Shane and WYRZ. The Music Machine sponsorship will allow the Chamber to help promote its brand countywide. The partnership will allow the Chamber to promote its major event, Hendricks County Ribfest, in the upcoming months.”

Downard also commented that it’s also a great way to promote the 25th anniversary of the Avon Chamber of Commerce.

WYRZ listeners will hear multiple times a day that “…all the solid gold music WYRZ is broadcasting comes from the Avon Chamber of Commerce Music Machine!”

As in the past years, the Chamber will be sponsoring a live remote from the 2021 Hendricks County Ribfest and also a second live remote from the 2021 Hendricks County Fair.

For more information about WYRZ, visit the radio station website, https://www.wyrz. org. Questions can be addressed by emailing info@wyrz.org or by calling (317) 852- 1610.

Help With Installation of Child Carseats

Did you know Washington Township Avon Fire Department can help you with proper installation of child carseats?

You can schedule a 30- appointment by going to https://calendly.com/was.../ carseat-installation-appointment

A confirmation email will be sent once you sign up for a specific date and time with more information.

A Call To Honor: Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Replica Coming To Hendricks County

In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a traveling replica of the Tomb of the Unknown Solider will be coming to Hendricks County in May. Avon American Legion Post #145, Brownsburg American Legion Post #331, Brownsburg VFW Post #6128, Danville American Legion Post #118, Pittsboro American Legion Post #426, Plainfield American Legion Post #329, and Wa-Pe-Ke-Way Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NS- DAR) have partnered together to bring the replica to the Fairgrounds May 18 and 19.

The half scale tomb is an exact replica of the Tomb of the Unknown Solider. It is owned and maintained by the Exchange Club of Rome, Ga. The event will kick-off with an opening ceremony at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 18. The sponsoring partners will each lay a wreath at the replica and invites any business or organization that would like to also lay a wreath to contact 317.268.6273. After remarks by the group, at the conclusion of the ceremony, Taps will be sounded.

The display can be seen at the Hendricks County Fairgrounds, Danville in Pavilion A, on Tuesday, May 18, from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Wednesday, May 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to use the Fair entrance across from the Danville Post Office. Viewing is free to the general public.

Representatives from the Exchange Club, who are all members of the Society of the Honor Guard of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, will give presentations every hour on the hour and will be available to answer questions. Video will be played in a separate area that will provide additional information and history of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and through the video allow the visitors to take a peek into the quarters under the Tomb where the guards live. Exchange Club members will be available all day to provide information on the Tomb and answer questions.

The actual Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery includes the remains of unidentified soldiers from World War I, World War II and the Korean War. Remains of the Vietnam soldier originally interred in 1984 were identified using DNA in 1998 and were returned to his family to be interred elsewhere.

Rhonda Beck, DAR Service for Veterans Chair of the Wa-Pe-Ke-Way Chapter, said the sponsors are very excited to not only be working together but to be able to offer this opportunity to the public. Many people have never seen, nor have the opportunity, to visit Arlington Cemetery to pay tribute to those members of the United States Armed Forces who sacrificed their lives for our country and have not been identified.

To learn more about the work of today’s DAR, visit www.DAR.org or visit Wa-Pe-Ke-Way Chapter website at http://wapekeway.wixsite.com/wapekeway

North Salem Local & Social

Everyone looking forward to being out - but guess rain and snow might put a little damper on some of that.

Everyone still enjoying he Dollar General Store. A real asset for out town.

New restaurant to open real soon.

The Come Hang Out Store is well supplied with new summer clothes, toys, glassware, linens, and more. Drop in - sit at the round table and visit. You’re all welcome!

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Get well wishes to all. Prayers for your healing and comfort.

Sympathy to the family of Wanda Bunton Gordon - as far as I know she was the oldest graduate of North Salem High School. Her funeral was Monday, April 19, with burial at Roachdale.

A very sad weekend. The mass murders and other accidents claiming the lives of so many. Our prayers for all.

Our prayers for the family and friends of Chase Lynch on his tragic death. May God sustain each and everyone. Calling at the Hendricks County Fairgrounds was Sunday with many in attendance.

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The stockholders meeting of the North Salem State Bank was held Tuesday, April 13 at the Hendricks County Fairgrounds with a very large attendance. The North Salem Methodist Church prepared the usual very delicious dinner. Thanks to all.

Many new roofs, downed trees cut up, yards cleared of debris after last week’s storm. Another of Daisy’s grave stuffed animals returned by a neighbor 2 blocks away. Thanks!

Got to meet Nicole and her grandson, Matthew. Real nice lady. Glad to have them drop by.

Oh yes, still lots of food. Big brown eggs from Lanny Campbell; chili, pineapple upside-down cake, smoked pork chops, Gene McCullough. Now you know how I gain weight!

Aways happy to see Ron Kneeland, our town patrolman pass by - blink his lights and assure all he is here for us.

Just saw Remington run past. Guess he got tired waiting on Steve Garland - his owner - and was headed to their workplace. He never stopped to bother anybody - just anxious to be at work. Great dog.

Aways glad to have Jim Basham and his dog, Bella, stop for a treat. Bella is so pretty and knows she can stop here.

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Ladies’ Luncheon

The Jackson Township Historical Society will host “In the Eyes of the Beholder,” a very unique comedy routine on Saturday, May 9,

2021. Doors open at 11:30, lunch served at noon, at Cochran’s Catering, 29 West Main, Jamestown. Tickets are $15. Reservations are needed. Tickets available at the Tri-Area Library or call Suzy Rich 765-676-6483; Betty Burris 765-676-5453; Cookie Leeke 765-676-5379.

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2021 North Salem High School Banquet & Reunion Date: Saturday, June 5,

2021 Location: North Salem Elementary School Gym.

Time: Doors open at 4 p.m.; Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. (provided by Cochran’s Catering.) Cost: $20 per person. The evening’s schedule will be sign-in and visiting; Banquet; Business meeting; Sock Hop & more visiting.

Classes to be honored are 1940, 1941, 1945, 1946, 1950, 1951, 1955, 1956, 1960, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1970, 1971, 1975 (longer list due to last year’s banquet being canceled. We encourage you to contact other members of your class to maximize attendance and enjoyment of the evening. There should be many stories to share and opportunities to replay old times.

Please help keep current information on our fellow alums. A director of NSHS alumni is maintained by Linda Brownlee Szewc. All updates (address, deaths, etc.), please share via the reservation form or contact Linda directly at lszewck@ earthlink.net. You can also provide the information to one of the officers:

Larry Michael, President. Sharon (Zimmerman) Richardson, Vice President. Kay (Zimmerman) Michael, Treasurer Glenda (Hammond) Hieston, Secretary.

The event will fulfill Indiana pandemic rules at that time. It is likely masks will be required to be worn.

Loan Medical Equipment

Hendricks County Senior Services maintains a limited supply of medical equipment available for loan for residents of Hendricks County as part of the Danville Rotary Club Foundations, Inc’s Durable Medical Equipment Loan program.

Equipment is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. There is no charge for borrowing the equipment. Donations are graciously accepted to help offset the cost of maintaining the equipment. We offer walkers, wheelchairs, rollators, and canes. Call the Senior Center for more information at 317-745- 4303.

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The highest reward for a person’s toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it.

John Ruskin

NWHSC Cubs Preschool

NWHSC Cubs Preschool is located at North Salem Elementary School. This is an exciting program for our youngest community members and their families.

The parent handbook and registration forms, that explain the program in detail, are located on the North West Hendricks Schools website. https:// www.hendricks.k12.in.us/ cubspreschool/index

Class is limited to 18 students. Virtual Open House videos have been created to discuss important components regarding Cubs Preschool and can be found on the website. Applications are now being accepted.

If you have any questions in regards to the program, you may call the North Salem office at 317- 994-3000.

Senior Center Membership

Membership in the Hendricks County Senior not only provides extra benefits, but membership dollars are an important part of the funding that prove the wide variety of activities and workshops offered to all senior citizens in Hendricks County.

The annual membership fee is $55 per person. If you use the services of the Hendricks County Senior Center. The cost of membership is only $.22 per day for the 247 days the Senior Centeris open a year.

Membership enables you to participate in activities and programs that are exclusively for members and provides discounts to members when a fee is charged for an activity or program.

Becoming a member is easy. Simply visit the Senior Center, complete a Membership Form and pay the membership dues. Members can renew their membership online. Visit hcseniors.org to learn more.

New Jail & Sheriff’s Office Construction Underway

After weeks of groundwork, the new Hendricks County Jail is rising up on the former site of the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgronds. A crane is helping put up the framework for one of the two housing pods for the inmates. There’s room for two more units to be added, if needed, in the future.

The unique design allows for a minimal increase in staff to efficiently manage the planned capacity of 527 inmates.

The total cost including construction and soft costs are approximately $76 million dollars. That number includes the furniture and fixtures, too. The photo above shows the layout of the jail and support spaces. The completion date is expected to be in the fall of 2022.

Brownsburg’s Hayloft Farm-to-Table Store Continues to Grow

Sarah Adams works to create a cohesive, easy-to-shop set up for specialty groceries at the Hayloft Farm-to-Table store.

By Melissa Gibson

Sarah Adams was in need of a change.

She was working as a sports marketer for drag racing and it included weekend travel, long hours and a less than desirable social life.

With a dream of owning her own wedding barn, complete with a farm-to-table restaurant and making the property a weekend destination, Adams put a down payment on the perfect property, only to have it fall through.

“I was heartbroken,” Adams said. “But my fiancé said, ‘Why don’t you start with something small?’ and I began making a spreadsheet of local vendors and farms in the area.”

The couple completely renovated their Brownsburg location at 1016 E. Main Street in May of 2017 and began stocking local goods, ranging from fresh meat, produce and cheese. Customers can find a variety of breads, prepared salads and side dishes, pasta and sauces, and their favorite snacks.

The idea was to provide items customers couldn’t find at a local grocery store.

Before long, the Hayloft Farm-to-Table store was an indoor, year-long, farmers market for all the best the local community has to offer.

With 90 different cupcake flavors, Hayloft is sure to have your favorite on rotation.

If that wasn’t enough, Adams inadvertently started a cupcake craze at the Brownsburg store.

“On opening day, I had this bakery case I was using for a countertop and decided to bake cupcakes. That first day, we sold out three times,” Adams said. “It just took off – kind of on accident. Now, we have 90 flavors of cupcakes and I bake fresh every day.”

Four years later, Adams has expanded her “small” store and has what she calls the grocery side and the bakery side of the unique shop.

Graze boxes, filled with healthy fruit, veggies and cheeses are perfect for family gatherings or a relaxing weekend.

A natural at developing new ideas and paying attention to what customers are looking for, they also offer gift baskets, graze boxes and dessert boxes as well as online shopping for those that want their favorites delivered straight to their door.

She’s also developed relationships with local charities and non-profits.

“The food doesn’t have any preservatives, so things aren’t shelf stable for months, especially our meat, cheese and eggs. So, a lot is donated. The leftover produce goes to Oinking Acres (a pig rescue sanctuary in Brownsburg), the meat goes to a local wild animal rescue and places like that,” Adams said.

Blessed and glad things turned out the way they did, Adams said she doesn’t know how she would have ever kept up with the original plan.

“It’s always changing and evolving,” Adams said. “Some items sell out in one day and others aren’t as popular. Some of our vendors, unfortunately, go out of business and there are new ones added to the list.”

They’re constantly growing and Adams looks forward to the changes that await.

“I’d like to have a little seating area outside and maybe even add additional lines of product and other things to the business,” Adams said. “We are going to keep going with what works.”

Hayloft is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mon. – Fri. and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat. Items change daily and vendors are also subject to change. Visit https://www.thehayloftfarmtotable.com/ for an updated list of current offerings.

Work Zone Awareness Week

April 26–30 is National Work Zone Awareness Week. As lineworkers and road crews do their jobs to help the community, Hendricks Power Cooperative asks drivers to do their part in keeping workers, themselves and their passengers safe when driving through work zones.

Spring has arrived with its profusion of color: whites and pinks and orange — as in the orange of work zones.

National Work Zone Awareness Week is April 26-30. The focus of the week: reminding motorists to be careful around the men and women whose jobs put them along roadways and into harm’s way. But not all work zones are for road repair. Electric cooperative line crews also work along the roadsides to build, repair and maintain electric power lines. Sometimes, crews can be around the next corner or just over the hill — day or night.

“While routine line work is done during daylight hours, emergencies can happen at any time,” said Chris Gearld, Safety Director at Hendricks Power. “We want to remind motorists our crews can be out there working at any hour and to be careful when they see warning signs and flaggers.”

When motorists see the orange diamond-shaped work zone warning signs and vehicles with the flashing amber lights, they should slow down and prepare for the zone ahead.

Indiana law requires motorists to approach cautiously and change lanes away from emergency vehicles if they can do so safely. If not, they should reduce their speed to 10 mph under the posted speed limit and proceed with caution. The Indiana State Police said motorists should not stop in the roadway; this may cause a chain reaction rear-end collision with other vehicles.

Emergency vehicles protected by the law include:

• Police vehicles

• Ambulances

• Fire trucks and rescue equipment

• Highway incident-response vehicles

• Highway maintenance vehicles

• Utility service vehicles

• Tow trucks

Violating the law can result in a fine and a suspended license. Steeper penalties, including jail time, are enforced for infractions within highway work zones.

Though move-over laws are only for emergency vehicles, the Indiana State Police says drivers should always be courteous to those parked on the shoulder. Give them room to safely repair their vehicles and help prevent tragedies.

“Working on energized power lines up in the air at all hours and in all kinds of weather is dangerous enough for lineworkers,” added Gearld. “We ask folks to please not make it more dangerous by speeding so closely by them.”

Sources: Indiana State Police, Workzonesafety.org, moveoverlaws.com

About Hendricks Power Cooperative Hendricks Power Cooperative provides electricity and energy services to over 35,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in west central Indiana. Formed in 1936, the cooperative is owned and controlled by members they serve. For more information regarding Hendricks Power Cooperative and other related service, please visit www.hendrickspower.com.

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