Center Grove Community Magazine October 2017

OCTOBER 2017

COMMUNITY MAGAZINE

STANDING FIRM CENTER GROVE BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR TO RECEIVE SUSAN G. KOMEN’S LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

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CENTER GROVE COMMUNITY MAGAZINE

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STANDING FIRM: CENTER GROVE BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR TO RECEIVE SUSAN G. KOMEN’S LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Thirty years ago, when Marilyn Freeman was just 32 years old, she discovered a lump in her breast.

Josh@TownePost.com

OCTOBER WRITERS

Christy Heitger-Ewing / Michelle Kaufman Jon Shoulders / Matt Roberts Lynda Hedberg Thies

OCTOBER PHOTOGRAPHER Brian Brosmer

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From Salon to Boutique: Sweet Olive & Company Opens New Greenwood Location

14 Good Things in Store: IKEA Fishers

Opens its Doors October 11

18 The Legacy of the 1987 Pan-Am

Standing Firm: Greenwood Breast Cancer Survivor To Receive Susan G. Komen’s Lifetime Achievement Award

Meet the Crew: Crew Carwash Delivers Dynamic Customer Service, One Wash at a Time

25 Remember When: Greenwood Park

12 Putting the Garden to Bed in October

The Center Grove Community Magazine is published by Towne Post Network, Inc. and is written for and by local Center Grove residents.

Submit story ideas to PR@atCenterGrove.com.

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Games: Indianapolis Celebrates 30th Anniversary of the Event October’s Luckiest Hoosier Alive: Gerald Miller Mall Stirs Up Fond Memories For Long-Time Residents

27 Out Of This World: Planetary

Brewing Lands In Old Town Greenwood

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Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photographer / Brian Brosmer

had another dream as well, becoming a mom.

Kat Murray has always loved shopping boutiques because they tend to carry specialty items that can’t be found at retail outlets. Though she always dreamed of someday running her own boutique, she

In July 2016, Murray and her friend and former coworker, Erica Dildine, opened Sweet Olive & Company, a hair salon in Franklin, Ind. Two months later, her baby dream became a reality when she

learned she was pregnant. Shortly after her daughter, Linnleigh, was born, Murray saw her other vision through to fruition when she and Dildine added a boutique to their salon.

The ladies decided to expand once more in December 2016, opening a second store in

4 / CENTER GROVE COMMUNITY MAGAZINE / OCTOBER 2017 / atCenterGrove.com

Greenwood — this one solely a boutique.

Greenwood is home to Murray. It’s where she was raised, and in 2010 she graduated from Center Grove High School. Today she’s still really involved in the community.

She helps out with the show choir program at Center Grove and her husband, Matthew, builds sets for the theatre department and sets up live streaming for the football team.

Located at 1675 W. Smith Valley Road, Sweet Olive & Company Boutique carries HomeGoods products perfect for baby and wedding showers, including kids’ clothing, picture frames, jewelry and pillows. One hot seller is the Moda Luxe 100 percent genuine leather bags.

“We can’t keep them in stock,” Murray says. Another fun item is a line of bracelets called Erimish, a personalized bracelet bar where customers can pick and choose to create their own stack.

“People have a lot of fun with that,” Murray says.

The co-owners have vastly different fashion palates, which Murray perceives as an asset because that way the store carries something for everyone’s taste.

“We’re like the characters in the show Gossip Girl,” Murray says. “My style is similar to Blair Waldorf — very classic, simple yet elegant. Erica is like Serena van der Woodsen. She’s more of a risk taker when it comes to her clothes — edgier and more risqué.”

Dildine spends a good portion of her time styling hair in the Franklin location, while Murray stays focused on motherhood and the Greenwood store where she feels right at home.

Susie Simmons, her mom Linda Gibson and family friend Owners Kat Murray and Erica Dildine.

Bill Maze operate Honey Creek Bee Farm along State Rd 135.

“I love the fact that people can walk through the door and we immediately know each other,” says Murray, noting that her favorite thing about owning a boutique is helping her customers feel good about themselves.

atCenterGrove.com / OCTOBER 2017 / CENTER GROVE COMMUNITY MAGAZINE / 5

“I like to empower women,” Murray says.

And she does so through personalized customer service techniques. For example, she had a plus-size consumer who often struggled to find nice clothing in her size at other stores, so she would regularly frequent Sweet Olive & Company Boutique to peruse the selection. To help her save time, Murray offered to text the woman pictures of the in-stock merchandise. She then held those items the woman was interested in.

“I like taking care of my customers in that down-home, personalized way,” Murray says. “And I love being a part of this truly wonderful community.”

6 / CENTER GROVE COMMUNITY MAGAZINE / OCTOBER 2017 / atCenterGrove.com

Marilyn Freeman is a long-time Komen volunteer, a breast cancer survivor, and will be receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at Circle of Hope this November.

STANDING FIRM CENTER GROVE BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR TO RECEIVE SUSAN G. KOMEN’S LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

atCenterGrove.com / OCTOBER 2017 / CENTER GROVE COMMUNITY MAGAZINE / 7

intensely alone.

“You’ve got to remember that years ago, cancer was a taboo subject,” Freeman says.

“When I was diagnosed, there were no support groups. People didn’t talk about it. I didn’t know a single woman who’d had breast cancer. So, when I met this scared, lonely woman, I made a commitment to be more of an advocate in order to encourage others. I wanted folks to see that it was possible to go through it and come out the other side.”

Marilyn Freeman is in her 44th year of teaching.

first-grade teacher.

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photographer / Brian Brosmer

Thirty years ago, when Marilyn Freeman was just 32 years old, she discovered a lump in her breast.

“Don’t worry about it,” the doctor told her.

“You’re young with no risk factors and no family history of breast cancer. You’re fine.”

But months passed and the lump didn’t go away so she got a second opinion.

“Young women have dense breasts,” he said.

“You’re fine.”

Despite repeated confirmations that she was fine, Freeman, a Center Grove resident, had a hunch that she wasn’t. Finally, a third doc said simply, “Let’s see what the darned thing is.”

A mammogram revealed unfavorable results. She had a biopsy the following week and within 30 minutes of getting those results was admitted to St. Vincent for a mastectomy.

Diagnosed with an aggressive form of stage 2 breast cancer, Freeman was told she had a 35 percent chance of survival if she just had the surgery. With chemotherapy treatments, her survival chance increased to 70 percent.

Following surgery, she endured twice-amonth chemo treatments for six months — usually scheduling them for late Friday afternoon to not interfere with her work as a

Freeman, who calls herself a worker bee — “just give me a job!” — is the person “I was adamant that I’d be there for my the foundation calls when they need a students. I wasn’t going to have any child volunteer to represent the Komen Central not learn to read because they had a sick Indiana group. Through the years, she’s teacher,” says Freeman, who despite nausea, distributed educational materials at events, exhaustion and hair loss only missed folded t-shirts for races and helped with five days of school the entire year. Her preparations for the Pink Tie Ball (their supportive husband, Dan, made her days brighter by giving her flowers following each annual formal fundraiser). Freeman, chemo treatment and making sure she ate a currently in her 44th year of teaching high-protein diet to strengthen her immune (kindergarten kiddos now), has even gotten her students involved by selling tulip bulbs system. and donating the proceeds to Komen.

“Chemo is different these days,” she says.

“Back then, the toxic drugs killed everything Next month Freeman will receive the off, compromising healthy cells as well as Lifetime Achievement Award at Circle of cancer cells.”

Hope for her years of service to the Komen Foundation.

Nevertheless, she was willing to do whatever it took to survive. She recalls reading a book “I’m honored that they’ve chosen to that talked about “quality of life.” recognize me for doing what we all do there — be a cheerleader for others,” Freeman “I thought, ‘Forget quality. I want quantity!’ says.

I want to live a whole lot longer so that I can become a mom,” says Freeman, who The biggest message Freeman wants later adopted her daughter, Maggie, from women to absorb is to always stand up for China in 1993. “I never thought of myself as themselves medically. When she first found a victim. Nor did I see my ordeal as a fight. her lump, she told the doctor that she had a If we tell cancer patients to fight and they friend who died of colon cancer after a year lose, it’s implied that they didn’t fight hard of being told repeatedly by professionals enough. It’s not a battle. It’s a journey.” that she had irritable bowel syndrome.

Freeman didn’t want to suffer the same fate.

And because Freeman knew, firsthand, what “I learned to be my own health advocate that journey was like, in 1995 she began because I know my body better than anyone volunteering at the Susan G. Komen Breast else,” Freeman says. “If you have a feeling Cancer Foundation. The idea was planted that something isn’t right, keep looking until after meeting another young survivor at you find someone who will listen to you.” a Komen race who confided that she felt

8 / CENTER GROVE COMMUNITY MAGAZINE / OCTOBER 2017 / atCenterGrove.com

MEET THE CREW

CREW CARWASH DELIVERS DYNAMIC CUSTOMER SERVICE, ONE WASH AT A TIME

In 1978, the company switched to an exterior-only concept, so they could deliver a fast and quick experience for the In 1948, brothers Joe and Ed Dahm started customer. Then in 1985, they opened their Mike’s Minit Man, Indiana’s first automated first location in Indianapolis on Allisonville carwash and one of only 18 in operation in Road. Through the years, they’ve added the U.S. Located in Ft. Wayne, it was initially multiple locations and currently have 23 in a full-service carwash, which included both the Indy area. interior and exterior care.

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photographer / Brian Brosmer

“Back then they would attach a chain to the vehicle and pull it through the wash on a conveyer, then hand-scrub it,” says Sally Dahm Grant, Joe’s granddaughter and current Executive Vice President of the company.

Through the years, technology has changed significantly and now includes computercontrolled equipment and touchless hot air dryers. One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the company motto on which the founders built their business.

“My grandfather and his brother believed strongly in treating people the way you want to be treated,” says Grant, whose father, Bill, is the CEO. “That goes for both our customers and our employees.”

The family later dropped the words “Minit Man” so it read Mike’s Carwash.

“We were blessed to be here in the mid-80s when the city was vibrant and experiencing explosive growth,” Grant says.

Three years ago, Bill Dahm and his brother, Mike, went through a friendly reorganizing of the business in which they divided the locations between them. Mike took 19, many of them in Ohio. Bill kept 26, most of them in the Indianapolis area, and changed the name to Crew Carwash.

“Other than the name, nothing has changed,” Grant says. “We’re still familyowned. We’re still committed to delivering dynamite customer service. We’re still surrounded by positive, high-energy people.”

Grant, a graduate of Indiana University, worked in Chicago and Cincinnati before returning to her roots 14 years ago to join the team in a marketing capacity.

INDY METRO / OCTOBER 2017 / TownePost.com

“My grandfather always said, ‘We’re really in the people business. We just happen to wash cars,’” Grant says.

“Joe said that nobody cares about what you did last week or last year, they only remember their last visit,” adds Tom Wiederin, recruiting director for Crew for the past 17 years. “That’s why it’s vital to never become complacent so that we consistently deliver the ‘wow experience’ to customers.”

It seems to be working as Grant says when customers speak about the Crew Carwash experience, the first thing they mention isn’t how sparkling clean their car is but rather how dazzled they are by the team who washed it. That team is assembled by careful design. Many are high school and college students with stellar attitudes and winning smiles. The company also hires talented individuals into its fast-track management program, which starts at a competitive annual salary.

“The bulk of these people come from the restaurant and retail industry because they have experience managing and leading a team,” Wiederin says. “That makes them successful candidates.”

In addition, the company offers up to $2,500 of tuition assistance to college students, which they can use on rent, books or other expenses. Employees appreciate the perks and pay but mostly they like the respect they receive.

“When we survey our employees, the number one thing they like about working here isn’t the comp time or the scheduling or even the paycheck,” Grant says. “It’s their colleagues. That’s why we have good retention.”

Wiederin agrees.

“We can teach skills, but we can’t teach a great work ethic,” he says. “We make a point to hire people with happy demeanors and good attitudes.”

That happiness, in turn, extends to even the smallest, most discerning customer.

Years ago, Joe (the founder) noticed that children were scared to go through the automatic carwash. To help ease their anxiety, Joe purchased several stuffed puppets and set them out throughout the carwash, making sure to have one in the blower room so that the experience would be fondly anticipated rather than dreaded.

“That tradition started decades ago, and it’s one we’ve carried on at all our locations,” says Grant, noting that they switch out the toys every few weeks and spend thousands of dollars monthly on the fuzzy friends.

“Not many businesses have a line item budget for stuffed animals.”

Joe is now 90 and a grandfather and great-grandfather. He lives in Ft. Wayne except for the months he spends wintering in Florida.

“His attention to detail and sincere customer focus is unparalleled,” says Grant, proud to carry on the family legacy. “We strive to continue on what he started.”

Sign up now for the Unlimited Wash Pass for $29/month. For locations and more information, visit crewcarwash.com.

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PUTTING THE GARDEN TO BED IN OCTOBER

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Writer / Carrie Petty

The subtle transition from late summer to fall is one of the most beautiful times of the year in Indiana.

I have always said, “No one does fall better than Indiana!” And it’s true. The colors are so vibrant in our state. So, get out there and enjoy these autumn days. Many chores to get done right now, this is the month to put the gardens to bed for winter.

There are lots of seed heads to collect in the garden for re-sowing in the springtime, and do not forget the birds. Keep those feeders clean and full to the brim. They will be hungry as the berries get eaten and insects become less available. Begin your winter prep by cutting back perennials and cleaning up yard debris. Also, this is a great time to put down your lawn weed prevention for spring weeds. If you do not want dandelions, this is the time to treat.

This year we have a very high chance of an abundantly vibrant foliage season. Carbohydrates and sugars are not just about watching a girl’s waistline, they also have a great deal to do with the colors that appear on our Indiana foliage. When our fall season is at the peak (around October 15), we should see an abundance of reds, purples and oranges. I press leaves and bring in acorns to dry for my fall dinner table centerpieces. A little touch of gold spray paint is great on the acorn caps.

The United States National Arboretum states that, “A growing season with ample moisture that is followed by a rather dry, cool, sunny autumn that is marked by warm days and cool but frostless nights provides the best weather conditions for development of the brightest fall colors. Lack of wind and rain in the autumn prolongs the display.

Wind or heavy rain may cause the leaves to be lost before they develop their full color potential.”

We are headed for the perfect mix here in the Hoosier State this autumn.

When the days are sunny, I love to drive down the Indiana country roads and forage for great flowers to hang-up and dry for fall arrangements. I use my back-hall closet to dry flowers, because it is dark and I have a great closet shelf rod I use. Goldenrod is one of my favorites to harvest. Many believe it is what people get hay fever from but that is an honest mistake because it looks much like the culprit, Ragweed. God is an amazing creator. There are more than 100 different types of just Goldenrod.

Who knew?

CARRIE’S FALL GARDEN CHECKLIST Cut perennials back to 3 inches high, but leave some seed heads for the birds Be sure to shake any full seed heads back into the Garden Harvest all final flowers and veggies Plant bulbs, bulbs and more bulbs until ground freezes Harden off plants to bring indoors, stop bugs by misting 1-part rubbing alcohol to 10-part water.

Clean up garden bench Prepare bird feeders and buy seed for winter Keep broken ceramic pot chips to use for drainage inside container base Take cuttings of plants to start or propagate indoors Flush sprinkler systems and shut off Turn off hose nibs after final use Treat lawn for spring emerging weeds Clean up debris everywhere Rake leaves and start a compost pile with nondiseased plants, alternating with fall leaf layers Plant Paper Whites and Christmas Amaryllis bulbs for indoor decorating Disinfect pruner blades and make final deadwood pruning cuts Create a garden grocery list to keep by garden bench for spring supplies Mulch tender perennials and roses to protect from snow and heaving Power wash sidewalks and porches and wash windows for ample sunshine

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IKEA FISHERS OPENS ITS DOORS OCTOBER 11

Writer / Jon Shoulders Photographer / Jamie Sangar

Representatives from the new IKEA home furnishings retail store in Fishers will be getting out their celebratory saw on Wednesday, October 11 when the store officially opens to the public at 9 a.m.

Yes, a saw – you read that correctly. In lieu of a traditional ribbon cutting, Sweden-based IKEA commemorates e ach new store opening with an official log-sawing ceremony.

“Under Swedish custom, sawing a log helps bring good luck to a new home and its INDY METRO / OCTOBER 2017 / TownePost.com

future guests,” explains Joseph Roth, IKEA public affairs manager for U.S. expansion.

“So, that’s how we inaugurate IKEA stores.”

After officially filing building plans with the city of Fishers back in November of 2015, IKEA will celebrate its grand opening less than two years later with furniture was

live music starting at 6 a.m., and a formal ceremony featuring the raising of the American, Swedish and Indiana flags and brief remarks from IKEA representatives and public officials. The store is the company’s 45th in the U.S. Customers can begin lining up to enter two days in advance of the 9 a.m. opening for the freebies and festivities – the company welcomes tents and sleeping bags, and employees typically even organize games and activities to help pass the time for those willing to wait for long stretches. If past grand openings are any indication, the store will give out a number of free sofas corresponding to the number of U.S. IKEA stores.

While the company has not announced giveaway details for the Fishers grand opening, giveaways at past openings throughout the U.S. have included armchairs, mattresses and gift cards, as well as free home delivery for those making purchases on the day of the opening.

Founded in 1943 in Sweden, IKEA specializes in affordable and mostly unassembled furniture, appliances and home accessories at more than 390 stores in 48 countries. Roth says the Fishers location, at the 116th Street exit on the east side of Interstate 69, seemed like a no-brainer when the company TownePost.com / OCTOBER 2017 / INDY METRO

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seeking out the right spot for its next U.S. store a few years ago.

“Whenever we’re looking for locations for an IKEA store, we’re looking for good freeway access and visibility,” he says. “The access there on I-69 is just so easy. We wanted it to be fairly accessible to all points within the metropolitan area.”

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The 289,000-square-foot store, which sits on 35 acres, features solar panels on its roof, a children’s play area inside and a restaurant that seats 325. Roth says the 250-plus employees hired for the store are mostly locals – including Indiana native Holly Davidson, who will serve as store manager – and a few transfers from other U.S. IKEA locations.

“The city of Fishers was very organized with a clear vision,” Roth says of the planning and construction process.

“They had already planned for addressing infrastructure support for anything that could go in that location, so it seemed like a great fit. People around the city are very excited and welcoming for IKEA. Many of them have shopped at other IKEA stores and recognize how it can increase the draw to other businesses in the area.”

IKEA is located at 11400 IKEA Way in Fishers, near the intersection of 116th Street and I-69. For more information, call (888) 888-4532 or go to ikea.com.

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THE LEGACY OF THE 1987 PAN-AM GAMES INDIANAPOLIS CELEBRATES 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE EVENT Writer / Lynda Hedberg Thies Photos provided by the City of Indianapolis

The vision to utilize sports to revitalize downtown Indianapolis’ image was part of a strategic plan that started nearly 50 years ago. Unique opportunities along the way opened the door for the city of Indianapolis, which recently celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the Pan American Games. The 1987 Pan Am Games not only were successfully produced by the city of Indianapolis but were the most successful in Olympic history and became the catalyst that established Indianapolis as the Amateur Sports Capitol of the World.

The Indianapolis Mayors Office and Parks and Recreation Department hosted a panel discussion in August to discuss the event and the impact it had on the city.

“The City That Pan Am Built: How Indy Became the Amateur Sports Capitol of the World” featured local business and community leaders that were instrumental in the 1987 Games. The panel discussion held at Garfield Park Arts Center, featured three prominent leaders on the Pan Am Games Indianapolis Organizing Committee knowns as PAX/I. Bill Benner, now Senior Vice President of the Indiana Pacers, was a sports reporter for the Indianapolis

Star back during the games, served as the moderator for the panel which included Ted Boehm, retired Indiana Supreme Court Justice and lawyer who helped launch many of the city’s premier sporting events and Mark Miles, President and CEO of Hulman & Company, the former President of the Pan Am Games. Susan Zurbuchen, Associate Professor and Chair of the Arts INDY METRO / OCTOBER 2017 / TownePost.com

Department at Butler University, was the coordinator of the 1987 Pan Am Games Arts Festival.

“The original idea was to use sports to rebuild the city’s image was born when Congress passed the Amateur Sports Act, which was intended to create sports governing bodies for every sport rather

than allowing a few entities to control all Olympic sports and that there be a governing body for each sport,” according to Boehm, whom Benner called a visionary. “The plan was to strategically make Indianapolis an attractive place to house their headquarters and also provide the facilities that would accommodate their sports. Indianapolis was at the right place at the right time to take advantage of this change in the infrastructure, and they got to work building facilities, the Natatorium, the track and field, a cycling track and continued to build a lot of facilities that a lot of cities simply did not have.”

The city created a sports commission in the late 1970s that would later become the Indiana Sports Corporation. This level of collaboration between civic and business leaders allowed the city’s common goal of reinventing its image to take place more efficiently.

This allowed them to host the 1982 Sports Festival, which gave the country a view into what Indianapolis was creating.

This was the key event which caught the attention of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

The city utilized 3,000 volunteers.

When the 1987 Pan American Games original host, Chile’ backed out and Ecuador had to decline due to a lack of financial resources, Indianapolis received the invitation to bid on the games.

Indianapolis was awarded the games, but had the daunting task of only having two

years to pull the event off.

Despite having only half the time to organize the games, the city thrived in its quest to lead the sporting industry.

They handled political challenges involving Fidel Castro, who threatened to boycott the games, they established a plan to offer not just national media coverage but one that allowed international media coverage, raised the necessary funds and created a diverse staff, which Miles stated was critical.

The organizing committee, known as PAXI, not only raised the $33 million dollars to host the event in under two years, but they saved money with the help

of 36,000 volunteers, and they already had all the facilities in place to host the event. They put themselves in the perfect position and they pulled it off beautifully on the world’s biggest stage.

In the past 30 years, the city has played host to multiple NCAA Regional Tournaments, Final Fours and the NCAA organization eventually relocated here.

Each event cemented the city’s ability to host bigger events, including the Super Bowl in 2012. Indianapolis capitalized on the success, and with each event, the city’s image gained momentum and became the clean, green and vibrant sports “Indiashow-place” city that it is today.

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DOUBLE THE TROUBLE, TWICE THE LUCK Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing

We’ve all had bad days, but Carmel resident Gerald Miller may well take the prize for the worst one yet. In fact, all his trouble happened in the span of just a few short hours back in October 1982.

Miller, 30 years old at the time, was on active duty in the Navy, stationed as a pharmacist on board the U.S.S. John F. Kennedy.

The aircraft carrier was undergoing refitting in the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia, when he made plans to go visit a friend in Norfolk. He hopped in his Chevy Vega and started down the road. Not five minutes into the trip, he noticed that an oncoming car traveling at high speeds wasn’t slowing down prior to the intersection. The hairs on the back of Miller’s neck stood on end as he quickly braced himself for the inevitable.

“I could see that the other driver wasn’t going to stop for the blinking red light and sure enough, she slammed into me, spinning my car so hard that it was turned in the opposite direction,” recalls Miller, who amazingly sustained no injuries. The same could not be said for his Chevy Vega, which was totaled.

After filling out the police report, Miller accompanied the tow truck driver to a local body shop.

“I got a good look at the gun and immediately handed over everything I had,” Miller says. That included his Quartz watch, his keys to the ship’s pharmacy, a master key to all medical spaces on the U.S.S. John F. Kennedy and his wallet, which had cash, his driver’s license, credit cards and military ID. Being wiped clean of all forms of identification proved to be Miller’s third disaster of the night as he had to find a way to prove he was the ship’s pharmacist, not a Soviet spy, to gain access to the ship. (Ultimately, his Division Officer personally identified and cleared him.)

“It was tricky because we were to be deployed to the Mediterranean in the next few days, and I had a lot of loose ends to tie up with the car and my identification prior to leaving,” Miller says. “Boy, that was a long night followed by a trying few days.”

Though Miller was single at the time, his wife of 33 years loves to have him recall the story for those who have never heard it.

“Honestly, my favorite time to share the details of that night is when I’m sitting with people who are complaining about what a rough day they’ve had,” Miller says. “I tell them, ‘Hey, I understand, but believe me, it could be worse.’”

“The driver was lowering the car down off the wrecker when suddenly two young masked men in their mid-20s ambushed us,” Miller says. “They hollered, ‘Get down on the ground!’ and then proceeded to clean out our pockets.”

Once they hear Miller’s wild and crazy tale, they tend to agree.

Nevertheless, Miller recognizes that although that night was one of the worst days of his life, it was also one of the luckiest.

Neither Miller nor the tow truck driver resisted when they saw one of the men was aiming a 38-special revolver at their faces.

“I’m lucky to be alive because I could have been killed twice in a matter of two hours,” Miller says. “After that fateful October evening, all subsequent reunions have felt sweeter.”

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GREENWOOD PARK MALL STIRS UP FOND MEMORIES FOR LONG-TIME RESIDENTS Writer / Michelle Kaufman

For decades, children and families have visited Santa at Christmastime. For Julianne Butler growing up, Santa Claus was someone she saw all year — her grandfather.

Butler has photos of her and her sister sitting on Santa’s lap at the Greenwood Park Mall before the mall was enclosed and before they knew that Santa was their grandfather. J. William Betner was a mason and member of the Scottish Rite and owned a ring that Santa also wore.

Santa would come to the Greenwood Park Mall after Thanksgiving in a small helicopter.

He would get out, pass out candy to all the kids who had gathered around the parking lot, and then meet Santa in a little house outside of Woolworth’s.

Butler’s grandmother never went in the helicopter or to the mall with her grandchildren. Butler’s older sister found out who Santa was before her but continued to play along.

“I was the last to find out,” Butler says. “We did that for many, many years. It’s so funny “So, as we got a little bit older and a little because a few years ago a lot of my Facebook more observant, we were like ‘why does friends that I went to high school with …

Santa have the same ring as Papa?’ [Our they would put a picture of them on Santa’s mom said] ‘well, they’re in the same club.’ My lap, and it’s my grandfather,” Butler said. sister and I just kept buying it,” Butler recalls.

Even when Butler found out Santa wasn’t

real, she still didn’t piece it together until that next Christmas. A photo of Butler and her sister on their grandfather’s lap is on display in Butler’s home all year.

“We just thought it was so cool that our grandpa acted like Santa. Rather than being disappointed, we thought we were cool because our grandfather was Santa,” Butler says.

She still lives in Greenwood, and said despite all the growth that Greenwood has seen, she still runs into people she knows often.

“I love to see our town grow, our city grow, just all the great things that are happening,” she says. “It’s so funny because my sister and I laugh, we never thought we’d be those people that are like, ‘I remember when the mall was only five stores,’ but we do

atCenterGrove.com / OCTOBER 2017 / CENTER GROVE COMMUNITY MAGAZINE / 25

that now,” Butler says. “I remember when it was enclosed- that was a big deal when it became enclosed. We thought we had arrived, like we were getting the best mall ever because they were enclosing it.”

Becki Habig worked at three stores in the Greenwood Mall and remembers when it was enclosed. She had cheerleading competitions and her senior prom at the mall as well.

P

r i v a t e

She spent a lot of time at the mall working and also going to Woolworth’s café with her dad.

“It was like a Saturday thing,” she says.

“We’d always get milkshakes and sit on those round stools. That was also so cool.

I remember Sears had a cafeteria too, so sometimes we’d eat there.”

Habig’s first “real” job was at The Shirt Shack in the 80s, and she remembers having B

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all the different shirts customers could choose from all around the room.

“All the cool kids came in and got t-shirts printed,” Habig says. “I mean, we were stacked from the front of the store to the back of the store, people in line.”

Jeff Thompson currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, but his career was inspired by the mall’s construction. He was in high school when the mall was being renovated, and he didn’t realize the significance of the architecture of the old building until later.

He saw how the mall’s renovation allowed Simon Property Group to maximize the land to build restaurants that are now Chili’s and On the Border.

Thompson is currently a real estate appraiser and development consultant.

He looks at demographics and spending patterns and says it takes a certain level of objectivity to fully utilize real estate.

“A lot of [my job] is looking to maximize highest and best use of property, and I’d like to think that my formative years of thinking along that line was witnessing the changes that were made at the mall,” Thompson says.

“They were utilizing land economics that you didn’t normally find in Indiana, land economics that you’d find in bigger cities across the country and it was really cutting-edge.”

When he moved to Atlanta, Thompson met people who work at Chick-fil-A headquarters, and a lot of them knew Greenwood. In the 80s, Greenwood was one of the first places that Chick-fil-A expanded to.

“It was sort of a key location for them outside of the southeast, and back then, Chick-fil-A was not a known thing,” Thompson says. “All we knew is that this company from Georgia was opening up a restaurant that sold nothing but chicken sandwiches and it was in the mall.”

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Today, the Greenwood Park Mall is a part of the Simon Property Group. The mall has more than 150 stores both indoors and out, and includes restaurants like The Cheesecake Factory and BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse. To learn more visit simon. com/mall/greenwood-park-mall.

26 / CENTER GROVE COMMUNITY MAGAZINE / OCTOBER 2017 / atCenterGrove.com

Out of this World PLANETARY BREWING LANDS IN OLD TOWN GREENWOOD atCenterGrove.com / OCTOBER 2017 / CENTER GROVE COMMUNITY MAGAZINE / 27

Andrew Groves has created an out of this world anchor for the redevelopment of Old Town Greenwood.

“Revery (restaurant) came in just a few months before us, and I think the city saw us as a good addition to the area.”

east of downtown.

The space was functional but not especially conducive to retail traffic. Groves decided to expand into a historic location and help bring visitors and customers into the Old Town section of Greenwood at the corner of Madison and Main Streets. The original space still operates as Planetary’s beer production site, but in November 2016, Groves opened the new taproom at 188 South Madison.

Writer / Matt Roberts Photographer / Brian Brosmer

What started out as a hobby for Andrew Groves grew into an avocation, then a growing business and now provides a new anchor for the redevelopment of Old Town Greenwood.

Planetary Brewing opened in 2013 as a nano-brewery in an office park just

“The brewery space is tucked away and surrounded by neighborhoods. Most people didn’t realize it was there and still don’t,” he says. “It’s limited space and not easy to find. We talked to the mayor and he said, ‘We need to get you downtown’. The city is starting a facade renovation project, and it was the right time for us to move. Over the next five or 10 years, this area is really going to grow.

Initially, Planetary leased the space for the taproom, but Groves’ family purchased both the present building and the one next door. They’ve begun renovation on the second building to turn it into an expanded taproom with a kitchen and space for events.

The property dates back to the turn of the century and has housed a variety of businesses over the years.

“The two buildings used to be joined, but the city’s records only go back to about 1900,” Groves says. “It was originally a grocery store, and by 1920 it was a restaurant. After that it was a barber shop, a boutique, a bike shop, and in the 90s it was briefly a coffee shop. Over the years, the area declined and it sat empty for several years.

“Like any old building, there are at least five layers of brick underneath the floor,” he adds. “The building next door

28 / CENTER GROVE COMMUNITY MAGAZINE / OCTOBER 2017 / atCenterGrove.com

with its new space, Groves must carefully schedule his equipment to make sure he can keep a variety of beers on tap.

has 18-foot ceilings, and at some point the owner created a second floor. We hope to make that into a reception/events center and then expand the taproom and kitchen on the first floor.

“Our Chemtrails Cream Ale and McGilvery’s Irish Red will always be on tap,” he says. “And then we’ll always have a dark beer, alternating between Parallax Citra-hopped Amber and Solar Milk Chocolate Oatmeal Stout. That gives me one fermenter to play around with.

“Our customer base dictates which beers we make, and we’ve got a pretty good handle on what sells the most,” Groves adds. “We’ve hung our hats on providing our customers with a variety, because that’s what they expect.”

Planetary Brewing Taproom is open from 4-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 4-10 Fridays, 2-10 Saturdays, and noon until 6 on Sundays.

“We really need to add food,” Groves says. “We don’t mind patronizing other businesses and allowing customers to bring their food in, but we want to offer our own as well.”

Groves can’t project an opening date for the kitchen. “Everything seems to take about a year,” he laughs. “It all depends on the building. We have a lot to do structurally, with new plumbing and electrical.”

The taproom highlights the astronomical theme throughout the first floor and a second-floor alcove. There is a space mural on the wall, a rocket on the ceiling and various sci-fi and space references throughout the room.

In a world of change, our focus is steadfast.

“I like science fiction,” Groves says. “I like astronomy and took some classes in college. The deeper you get to it, the more mathematical it gets, and that’s kind of tedious, but I’m still interested in it.

“When I started, there weren’t many space-themed breweries. There are a bunch now. But back in the 90s there was a video named ‘Planetary Traveler’, and I wanted to make several different beer styles, so I started thinking of each beer style as being a planet. And I wanted to visit them all. You’d never guess you were walking into a space-themed taproom from the exterior. And we like that surprise factor.”

Until there is food made on premises, Planetary’s beer selection will have to draw the customers in. Though the operation will triple beer production

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Annual Subscription ONLY $9.99 “In a job which requires spending many hours away from home, the folks here become your family,” says Dave, now a Lieutenant at ladder 41.

THE FIREFIGHTING FOUR LOCAL FAMILY HAS FOUR GENERATIONS OF FIREFIGHTERS Writer / Suzanne Huntzinger Photographer / Brian Brosmer

• Always With You: They stay with you no matter where you go.

Saving homes, saving lives and saving families is what retired Assistant Carmel Fire Chief Jim Martin has done for decades.

It’s a legacy he’s shared and passed down to his two sons, Dave and Rick, and now his grandson D.J., too.

In a world where every second means saving a life, there is little opportunity to take time to appreciate those who keep us safe. But through the Carmel Fire Buffs Museum, Martin is giving everyone in the Carmel community a place to honor and appreciate the men who’ve dedicated their lives to serving others.

Martin and his family, the history of the museum and the fire department have a much more significant meaning.

Martin’s history with the Carmel Fire Department began in 1960. As a young man, Martin’s world was working as a mechanic along with his brother, Charlie, in their father’s repair shop, Martin’s Garage. The world changed one day for the three men when they were in the shop and saw smoke coming from a fire. They headed for the fire to help, and when they arrived, they found Cyrus “Skip” Clark, fighting the fire.

Clark was one of Carmel’s first paid firemen and a classmate of Martin’s brother. In the brief conversation the men Most visitors see the museum as a place to had after the blaze was extinguished, Clark climb aboard vintage firetrucks, peruse fire shared that the Carmel Fire Department department memorabilia and pretend if even was in desperate need of volunteers and only for a moment that you’re experiencing he urged the three men to attend a callout the adrenaline rush of a fire run. But to meeting that night for those interested 20 / CARMEL MAGAZINE / AUGUST 2017 / atCarmel.com

in answering the call. The conversation would be the last the Martins would have with Clark. Later that day while en-route to another fire emergency, Clark was struck by another vehicle and did not survive the accident.

In honor of their friend, who remains CFD’s only casualty in the line of duty, the Martins answered the call and attended the fire department callout meeting.

“I don’t know if we would’ve joined the department if that hadn’t happened,” Martin says. “But now I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

In his 36 years with the Carmel Fire Department, Martin responded to countless emergencies, repaired and maintained fire engines at the station and raised a family.

That family included not only his two sons, Dave and Rick, but the Carmel Fire Department family.

Dave Martin

THE FIREFIGHTING FOUR LOC AL FAMILY HAS FOUR GEN ER ATION S OF FIREFIGHTERS

Saving homes, saving lives and saving families is what retired Assistant Carmel Fire Chief Jim Martin has done for decades.

It’s a legacy he’s shared and passed down to his two sons, Dave and Rick, and now his grandson D.J., too.

In a world where every second means saving a life, there is little opportunity to take time to appreciate those who keep us safe. But through the Carmel Fire Buffs Museum, Martin is giving everyone in the Carmel community a place to honor and appreciate the men who’ve dedicated their lives to serving others.

Such was his life that he got a call from Hoosier Fire Equipment in Valparaiso about a fire truck available for sale. Jim went up to Valpo to look at the rescue truck, a 1953 Seagraves from the Kokomo Fire Department. Hoosier Fire was asking $2,000 for the truck, and Jim wanted it badly. He negotiated with the dealer who agreed to sell it for $1,000. Needing to come up with the money quickly, Jim phoned the department and told the Lieutenant to phone 10 people and ask for a $100 donation to start a Fire Buffs club. The Lieutenant found not just 10 donors but 18, and the Carmel Fire Buffs Club was born.

Now, visitors to the Carmel Fire Buffs and Fire Department Museum can see the 1953 Seagraves and a collection of other special fire rescue trucks. Each one has a story, as Jim will gladly share. Stories like the one behind the 1922 Dennis fire engine which made its way to the United States all the way from Masterton, New Zealand. Jim hasn’t been able to trace the fire engine’s full history, but once it arrived in Carmel, Martin began restoring it to its full glory.

“Our family lived there, but we were always at the station,” he adds. “We came here to celebrate birthdays, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s home.

Our dispatcher at the time, Sally Lafollette, would take care of us and even changed my diaper here in the basement.”

Writer / Suzanne Huntzinger Photographer / Brian Brosmer

So through the years, Jim went on raising his sons and taking care of his fire department family. Applying his mechanics skills, he helped repair and maintain the trucks and the building in between fire runs, saving the department hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. The department had not just become his family, it was his life.

Retired Assistant Carmel Fire Chief Jim Martin

Standing outside the museum, Rick, now a station engineer at ladder 43, points to a little white house just down the street that was once the family home.

Retired Assistant Carmel Fire Chief Jim Martin

Standing outside the museum, Rick, now a station engineer at ladder 43, points to a little white house just down the street that was once the family home.

“Our family lived there, but we were always at the station,” he adds. “We came here to celebrate birthdays, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s home.

Our dispatcher at the time, Sally Lafollette, would take care of us and even changed my diaper here in the basement.”

“In a job which requires spending many hours away from home, the folks here become your family,” says Dave, now a Lieutenant at ladder 41.

Most visitors see the museum as a place to climb aboard vintage firetrucks, peruse fire department memorabilia and pretend if even only for a moment that you’re experiencing the adrenaline rush of a fire run. But to

Martin and his family, the history of the museum and the fire department have a much more significant meaning.

Martin’s history with the Carmel Fire Department began in 1960. As a young man, Martin’s world was working as a mechanic along with his brother, Charlie, in their father’s repair shop, Martin’s Garage. The world changed one day for the three men when they were in the shop and saw smoke coming from a fire. They headed for the fire to help, and when they arrived, they found Cyrus “Skip” Clark, fighting the fire.

Clark was one of Carmel’s first paid firemen and a classmate of Martin’s brother. In the brief conversation the men had after the blaze was extinguished, Clark shared that the Carmel Fire Department was in desperate need of volunteers and he urged the three men to attend a callout meeting that night for those interested

in answering the call. The conversation would be the last the Martins would have with Clark. Later that day while en-route to another fire emergency, Clark was struck by another vehicle and did not survive the accident.

In honor of their friend, who remains CFD’s only casualty in the line of duty, the Martins answered the call and attended the fire department callout meeting.

“I don’t know if we would’ve joined the department if that hadn’t happened,” Martin says. “But now I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

In his 36 years with the Carmel Fire Department, Martin responded to countless emergencies, repaired and maintained fire engines at the station and raised a family.

That family included not only his two sons, Dave and Rick, but the Carmel Fire Department family.

20 / CARMEL MAGAZINE / AUGUST 2017 / atCarmel.com

DJ Martin

Rick Martin

30 / CENTER GROVE COMMUNITY MAGAZINE / OCTOBER 2017 / atCenterGrove.com

Dave Martin

So through the years, Jim went on raising his sons and taking care of his fire department family. Applying his mechanics skills, he helped repair and maintain the trucks and the building in between fire runs, saving the department hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. The department had not just become his family, it was his life.

Such was his life that he got a call from Hoosier Fire Equipment in Valparaiso about a fire truck available for sale. Jim went up to Valpo to look at the rescue truck, a 1953 Seagraves from the Kokomo Fire Department. Hoosier Fire was asking $2,000 for the truck, and Jim wanted it badly. He negotiated with the dealer who agreed to sell it for $1,000. Needing to come up with the money quickly, Jim phoned the department and told the Lieutenant to phone 10 people and ask for a $100 donation to start a Fire Buffs club. The Lieutenant found not just 10 donors but 18, and the Carmel Fire Buffs Club was born.

Now, visitors to the Carmel Fire Buffs and Fire Department Museum can see the 1953 Seagraves and a collection of other special fire rescue trucks. Each one has a story, as Jim will gladly share. Stories like the one behind the 1922 Dennis fire engine which made its way to the United States all the way from Masterton, New Zealand. Jim hasn’t been able to trace the fire engine’s full history, but once it arrived in Carmel, Martin began restoring it to its full glory.

DJ Martin

Rick Martin

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