SERVING HENDRICKS COUNTY SINCE 1847
Page A-6
Exploring Hendricks County
By Jackie Horn
The Republican
Thursday, September 9, 2021
Voices
Jackie Horn and her husband, John, transplanted from Warsaw to Plainfield to be near family. An Advanced Indiana Master Naturalist, Jackie is a retired substitute teacher who continues to teach (and learn) about all things outdoors. John is a retired CNC programmer and the photographer on the team. The Horns enjoy traveling, walking, hiking, kayaking, and bicycling. ______________________________________________
Hey Jerry…
Taking the Power Tour I’m always on the lookout for cheap (preferably FREE), fun things to do. When I find something interesting, I like to share it. Normally this column, “Exploring Hendricks County,” is about finding parks, nature preserves, and occasionally I throw in an article about a plant, animal, or natural phenomenon. This week I had a blast doing something completely different. It was still free and still fun. Instead of a quiet walk or leisurely bike ride, it was all about noise, power, and speed. On August 25 Lucas Oil Raceway welcomed Hot Rod Power Tour 2021. Billed as the “World’s Largest Rolling Car Show”, the Power Tour began in 1995 with only 16 cars, half of which were driven by the staff of the magazine which sponsored the tour. Taking off from Los Angeles, Calif., the group crossed the country finishing nine days later in Norwalk, Ohio at the Power Festival. Over the next 24 years, the venues have changed. The tour was limited to a week. The event, like so many others, was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19. This year, it returned with a reduced schedule of five cities (Norwalk, Ohio, Dayton, Ohio, Brownsburg, Ind., St. Louis, Mo., and Champaign, Ill.) in five days… and 6,000+ vehicles!
The thrill-seeking among the attendees could take a run on three of the venue’s drag strips ....even the family sedan! (Yep, he ran it with the bikes on top!). ____________________________________________________
Tour participants may enter any car or truck (no motorcycles) regardless of age, make, or model. Entrants may come for one day or every day. Those completing the entire tour route earn the title, “Long-Hauler” and receive special recognition. Each morning of the tour, the group gathers, and following a suggested route, travels to the next city. For car enthusiasts in the towns they pass through, it’s a miles-long procession of muscle cars, pickup trucks, restored vintage automobiles, and even minivans that looked like they just dropped off the kids before joining the parade. Participants are encouraged to drive their vehicles so no haulers are allowed on the showgrounds. If a vehicle is trailered, it must be unloaded off-site and driven into the show area. John and I arrived at the raceway in the early afternoon. The field surrounding the track was filled with the Power Tour participants and more were lined up to get into the grounds. Spectator admission was FREE. A courtesy shuttle was running between the parking area outside the track and into the grandstand area. Luckily it had rained earlier in the day, cooling the temperatures. Even with the overcast skies, it was HOT.
John and I strolled through the vendor exhibits gathering swag. We walked up and down several aisles checking out the cars, noting which models were familiar, and reminiscing over who drove what back in the day. We munched on pretzels and resisted the temptation of funnel cakes. And then the fun began… Drag races! Lucas Oil Raceway is THE world-famous, quarter-mile track where every Labor Day the National Hot Rod Association hold the U.S. Nationals. The entrance fee for the Tour includes unlimited runs on three of the venue’s drag strips. The opportunity to run a car down this historic strip is worth the Tour fee alone. There are no rules (other than safety equipment), no prizes, only the thrill of speeding down THE strip in your vehicle. As a car enthusiast and spectator, it was just plain entertaining. The venues for the 2022 Hot Rod Power Tour won’t be announced until later this year. If you’re interested in seeing some of this year’s participants, activities, and announcements for upcoming tours, check out their Facebook page at Hot Rod Power Tour. Just like looking at cool cars? It’s not too late this year to squeeze in a car show or two. Amo Fall Fest Car Show is on September 18 from 1:005:00 PM. The last First Friday Cruise-In at the courthouse in Danville will be on October 1st. Me? I’m calming my “need for speed” on Labor Day at the Nationals! ______________________________________________
“…we will be having the “topping out” ceremony next Wednesday at 9am for the new jail. We would like to invite you to the ceremony and to sign the beam if you like”, was the voicemail from Hendricks County Facilities Manager and all-around good guy, Kevin Cavanaugh. Never having been invited to a “topping out” ceremony, I straightaway put the event in my calendar. “Topping out” or “topping off” is a builder’s rite that goes back quite a ways. It signifies the completion of the structural portion of the building and moving on to the “finishes” portion. The tradition can be traced back to ancient Scandinavian days when a tree would be placed on top of a new building to appease the “tree-spirits” that were displaced when they were cut for construction. The tradition has lived on since then and a blue spruce was placed on the “top beam” along with the United States flag for good luck. Signing the beam for posterity is another tradition for those who played a part of the building project. This usually includes the contractors, vendors and local dignitaries. Being asked to sign the beam is an honor, and among other names on that top beam are the words: The Republican newspaper. Founded 1847. At around 9:00 a.m. prior to the lifting of the beam into place, Councilman Larry Scott and Commissioner Phyllis Palmer and construction manager Tony Anderson each said a few words about the project. Of course, Sheriff Brett Clark was the first to grab the microphone and in his hallmark fashion, took the time to thank everyone that had a hand in the project. Not missing a beat, the Sheriff looks straight at me and says, “Looking up some of the traditions of the “topping out” ceremony, I’m sorry to say Jerry, we won’t be going out and drinking a bunch of beer.” Believing that traditions are important, I was disappointed. Jerry Vornholt [Editor’s Note: Look for more about the topping out ceremony for the new jail in next week’s issue.] ______________________________________________
A Squirrel About Town By Archy
Side note: This is what I drove when I was a kid - ‘68 Camero - but mine was red and not in pristine condition. ____________________________________________________
“I have a theory,” Archy greeted me and plowed straight through my hesitation. “Humans have allowed meteroroligists to dull their connection with nature. Instead of looking at the weather they look at their phones to see if it’s raining.” The squirrel was right again. I had seen people do that very thing more often than I can count. “Humans used to make their own forecasts by studying what’s around them,” he went on. “They kept track of the weather by watching trees and plants and by observing the behavior of animals.” I recalled seeing the leaves on the trees “show silver” or turn their backs when rain was approaching. I’ve observed the leaves on the field corn cling tighter to the stalk to preserve moisture during a drought. “Precisely,” Archy said. “And you’ve seen the cows turn their backs on an approaching storm and felt the change in the wind when rain was close. Animals can sense the weather without the help of doppler radar.” The squirrel stopped, paused, then said, “You’re remembering standing in the rain.” It was after a long drought, when the earth sounded hollow when you walked on it and the dry grass crunched like shredded wheat before you poured the milk on it. I had been checking the garden and it began to rain. I stood in it a long time, remembering how it felt to run in the rain when I was a child, to jump in the mud puddles. How the wet grass felt like silk under my feet. “Some say people who don’t come in out of the rain don’t have good sense,” the squirrel said. “I think sometimes the people who stand in the rain have more sense than others.” ______________________________________________
