SIL - Mar/Apr 2019

Woodworking Artist | New Harmony, IN | Gilda’s Club Awards 

Southern 

IndIana 

Mar / Apr 2019 

Living 

Summer Fun 

Special Edition

Helping you shine as long 

and bright as you can 

Serious illness can strike 

any person, at any stage of life. 

But, thankfully, Hosparus Health 

will always be there with the 

answers and care you need. 

Our compassionate Care Teams 

provide hospice and palliative care – 

from pain and symptom management 

to specialized care to spiritual and 

grief counseling – all provided 

wherever you call home. 

We’re here for you 24/7 

Call 812-945-4596 today 

Mar/Apr 2019 • 2 

HosparusHealth.org | A Nonprofit Organization

Event Facility 

• Unique, historic, redwood structure • Accommodates 185 people • Hardwood floors 

• Exposed beams in ceiling • Two large functional stone fireplaces • Peaceful wooded country setting 

• Located in beautiful southern Indiana • Shelter house nestled in the woods • Kitchen area 

Just 15 minutes west of Corydon 

Call now for a showing. 

812-267-3030 

Check out the newly updated website... 

www.MerryLedges.com 

Missi Bush-Sawtelle, owner 

Along Blue River 

CABIN RENTALS 

Make your Reservation now 

for the 2019 Season 

Call 812-267-3031 for reservations 

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Leavenworth, IN • On the Ohio River 

Missi Bush-Sawtelle, owner • 812–267–3030

Mar/Apr 2019 • 4

18 

Featured Stories 

12 | MORE THAN BLOOMS 

Lavender Hill Florist offers locally made items and botanically 

inspired gifts 

22 | PAPER MEMORIES 

Three from Southern Indiana win awards in Gilda’s Club 

Kentuckiana contest 

30 | WOODWORKING WONDER 

Marengo artist creates unique pieces 

Southern Indiana Living 

MAR / APR 2019 

Special Section: Summer Fun 

33 | FUN FOR EVERYONE 

The perfect family friendly vacation is close to home 

In Every Issue 

7 | FLASHBACK PHOTO 

Historic Place of Worship, New Albany, IN, 1975 

33 

9 | A NOTE TO BABY BOOMERS 

Taking a Stand on Falling for Anything 

10 | A WALK IN THE GARDEN WITH BOB HILL 

Growing in Love 

18 | OUR TOWN 

New Harmony, Indiana 

26 | COMMUNITY PAGES 

Spotlight on Salvation Army’s Bed & Bread Gala, the 

Falls of the Ohio, and more! 

28 | #BUYLOCAL 

Local Business Spotlight 

45 | REAL LIFE NUTRITION 

Savor the Flavor 

12 

46 | EVERYDAY ADVENTURES 

The Blame Game 


Q. When Does 1 = 3? 

A. Right Now. 

For Every 

Dollar You Give, 

Your Community Gets $3! 

Right now, every dollar you give to a Builder’s 

Fund at the Harrison County Community 

Foundation will be matched by $2 from 

the Lilly Endowment Inc. So your $100 

gift equals $300. A $2,500 gift turns into 

$7,500. A $10,000 gift becomes $30,000. 

Why is this important to you? 

Builder’s Funds provide money that is not 

restricted to a particular use but rather 

allows the foundation to direct it to the most 

pressing community needs. Funds are used 

to address needs that exist now, but equally 

important, Builder’s Funds provide the means 

to meet the needs of the future. 

Your gift to a new or existing 

Builder’s Fund will leverage outside 

money into Harrison County. Once 

here, that money can be put to work 

for our community. 

If you’ve ever wished you could honor a 

loved one or denote a special occasion, now 

you can by creating a new Named Builder’s 

Fund. The minimum to establish a new 

Builder’s Fund is $2,500. 

From now until the end of 2020 you can 

“seed” that permanent endowment and then 

grow it to the minimum level. When you do, 

the Lilly Endowment Inc. matching program 

will turn that $2,500 into $7,500! 

Triple Your 

Impact Today! 

• Donate online at hccfindiana.org. 

• Mail your gift (payable to HCCF) to 

P.O. Box 279, Corydon, IN 47112 

• Call 812-738-6668 for more 

information. 


Southern 

IndIana 

Living 

MAR / APR 2019 

VOL. 12, ISSUE 2 

PUBLISHER | 

Karen Hanger 

karen@silivingmag.com 

LAYOUT & DESIGN | 

Christy Byerly 

christy@silivingmag.com 

COPY EDITOR | 

Jennifer Cash 

Flashback Photo 

Historic Place of Worship 

New Albany, Indiana 

1975 

COPY EDITOR | 

Sara Combs 

ADVERTISING | 

Take advantage of prime 

advertising space. 

Call us at 812-989-8871 or 

e-mail karen@silivingmag.com 

SUBSCRIPTIONS | 

$25/year, Mail to: Southern 

Indiana Living, P.O. Box 145, 

Marengo, IN 47140 

Contact SIL 

P.O. Box 145 


812.989.8871 

karen@silivingmag.com 

ON THE COVER: A view 

of the Legend roller coaster 

from the water park at 

Holiday World & Splashin’ 

Safari // Photo provided by 

Holiday World & Splashin’ 

Safari 

Photo courtesy of Stuart B. Wrege Indiana History Room, New Albany-Floyd 

County Public Library. 

Check out more 

features and stories 

on our EPUB Exclusive! 

www.silivingmag.com 

Southern Indiana Living is 

published bimonthly by SIL 

Publishing Co. LLC, P.O. Box 

145, Marengo, Ind. 47140. 

Any views expressed in any 

advertisement, signed letter, 

article, or photograph 

are those of the author and 

do not necessarily reflect 

the position of Southern 

Indiana Living or its parent 

company. Copyright © 2018 

SIL Publishing Co. LLC. No 

part of this publication may 

be reproduced in any form 

without written permission 

from SIL Publishing Co. LLC. 

SIL 

Magazine 

is a BBB 

accredited 

business 

This building at 315 East 5th Street was orginally built by the German Methodist 

Church, and was sold in 1890 to the Bethel African American Methodist 

Episcopal Church. 


APrIl 14 

@ 9 anD 10:30aM 

April 19 

@ 7pM 

APrIL 20 @ 5PM anD 

april 21 @ 9 anD 10:30aM 

Join us as wE cElebraTe thE 

sacrifIce anD ReSuRrECTion 

oF chRisT JESUs! 


A Note to Baby Boomers 

Taking a Stand on Falling for Anything 

I 

am not the most healthy guy. Life insurance 

agents keep their distance. 

I am decently good, though, at 

coping with the bad. Doctors would 

have to moonlight at Walmart if everyone 

was like me. 

Not that I ever stop worrying. 

Blessed with few real crises, I nonetheless 

fill the void. Don’t sweat the small 

stuff? I need a shower every hour or two. 

I collect worries like I used to collect 

baseball cards. Only some of these worries 

fall within the bounds of sanity. I worry 

about drinking more buttermilk, for instance. 

I am one of the 19 people left on 

Earth who loves buttermilk. But it no longer 

loves me. My stomach says no, the rest 

of me says yes. 

What happened to my stomach 

minding its own business? 

I worry about when my car needs an 

oil change. I can’t tell if the time-honored, 

every-3,000-miles thing is right for my engine 

or just right for Pennzoil. At least I 

finally stopped asking for tune-ups. 

Of course I worry about the kids and 

grandkids. I worry if Indiana University 

ever again will be No. 1 in basketball. I 

worry if the lawnmower will re-start this 

spring and I worry how TV’s “Game of 

Thrones” will end. There’s little to nothing 

I can do about any of it. 

Like that matters. 

And I worry more and more about 

falls. World peace should matter more 

than not tripping over the vacuum cleaner 

cord. Seniors have enough on our fading 

minds. What places offer the best senior 

discounts? What time are those early-bird 

specials? Must hearing aids cost as much 

as our first houses? But here I am, one slip 

or stumble away from real pain and possible 

peril. 

After my last big fall, my ribs hated 

me for months. A lot of us fall. Falls can 

kill or seriously injure people. I knew a 

man in New Albany who fell from one of 

those two-or-three step ladders. He was 

putting together a swing set for his little 

ones. 

He never walked again. He became 

a quadriplegic, and he could not so much 

as turn his head. Looking at his family, he 

told me he felt lucky, all in all. 

I still too often don’t look on the 

bright side myself. While I get my mind 

right, I can keep trying to keep my body 

upright. 

My grandparents took like a day 

and a half to go up or down stairs. Now 

I do. And if I’m on the move in socks but 

no shoes, well, pray for me. Plus, I’m halfdizzy 

half the time, an unavoidable joy 

of senior citizenship. Falls scare me like 

snakes and sweet potatoes do. I admit it, 

I am psyched out. 

Handrails are my new heroes. If 

holding on for dear life is as pitiful as I get, 

though, that really is lucky. Aging is both 

to be accepted and to be confronted. I cannot 

turn back the clock. None of us can. 

But I can embrace whatever time is 

left. I’d better. 

Going slower still involves going. 

Eating out at 5 p.m. still means getting 

out and about. Changing the car’s oil — 

whenever it is right — still means driving. 

It signals flipping the bird to dependence. 

If falling can be avoided, I certainly 

intend to avoid it. If not, I plan to get up 

and to get back to shuffing into the future. 

If I must fall, please may it be on my way 

back from the bathroom, not on my way 

to it. 

That’s not asking for too much. 

I fell for my wife back when cars indeed 

needed tune-ups. I fall occasionally 

for songs and shows and shirts and sales. 

I fall for dogs and for hot dogs. Falling can 

be so terrific, as well as so terrible. 

I’m not sure how I’ll cope if I fall 

over a dog, or my wife. 

Strangers call and write, eager to 

help by selling me something. If anyone 

knows the sure-fire secret to keeping 

on one’s feet, though, he or she has not 

shared it. I actually might pay for that if I 

can get a senior discount. 

I forge ahead instead, acutely aware 

that forging ahead is not guaranteed. Getting 

wobblier, like getting more wrinkly, 

goes with aging. Falling and I again will 

I collect worries like I used to collect baseball 

cards. Only some of these worries fall within 

the bounds of sanity. I worry about drinking 

more buttermilk, for instance. 

meet. I can get used to taking my time like 

I got used to the ringing in my ears. 

If I can co-exist with cancer and heart 

disease, I can cope with the fear of falling. 

Especially since I have great people 

in my life to help me back up. I hope you 

do, too. • 

After 25 years, Dale Moss 

retired as Indiana columnist for 

The Courier-Journal. He now 

writes weekly for the News and 

Tribune. Dale and his wife Jean 

live in Jeffersonville in a house 

that has been in his family 

since the Civil War. Dale’s e- 

mail is dale.moss@twc.com 


A Walk in the Garden with Bob Hill 

Growing in Love 

The couple that plants together stays together 


Janet Hill lived on several rented 

Northern Illinois farms as a child; her 

father an itinerant, interesting, hardworking, 

tavern-owning, booze-imbibing, 

native-born Hoosier who, in his 

early youth, had followed the wheat combines 

across mid-America. 

He always had gardens on those 

rented farms; no weeds allowed. Janet 

helped some with that, picking tomatoes 

and beans, gathering eggs, adding life 

experience, her indefatigable work ethic 

and her mother’s love of flowers along 

the way. 

Bob Hill might have planted a flower 

or two somewhere in his youth and teenage 

years, but memory might give way 

to myth somewhere in all that. Let’s just 

say that the reasons for Bob and Janet’s 

56-year marriage continuing so happily 

at what’s now our Hidden Hill Sculpture 

Garden lean heavily in her favor. 

You can grow a marriage and a garden 

at the same time. 

That combination mostly began 

about 44 years ago, when we purchased 

our now 155-year-old Utica farmhouse 

with its leaky tin roof, faded rooms, dogscratched 

doors, six acres of weeds and a 

mortgage we could handle. 

Our first flowers came from Janet’s 

Aunt Helen, a woman whose work ethic 

and sense of home, garden and place 

is best described in the incident during 

which she was feeling heart palpitations, 

an ambulance was called but she 

wouldn’t leave until she finished washing 

the dishes. 

Uncle Elmer, her husband and a 

distillery warehouse employee, worked 

steadily in the monster vegetable garden 

on the hill behind their house and shared 

a tiny crabapple seedling that now that 

looms about 30 feet above our driveway. 

Janet Hill. Aunt Helen. Uncle Elmer. 

Three of a kind. 

So fast-forward into our endless 

cleanups, building a barn, building stone 

walls, cutting down trees, planting more 

trees, removing water lines, adding water 

lines, raising beef, not raising beef, tearing 

down old fences, building new fences, 

building new sidewalks, tearing down an 

arbor, building a new arbor, putting a new 

roof on the house, adding rooms to the 

house, adding actual working plumbing 

to the house, putting a new heating system 

in the house, putting a new heating 

system into our summer kitchen, adding 

a back porch with screens, repairing the 

front porch, tuck-pointing the chimneys, 

tuck-pointing the chimneys again and, 

oh yeah, raising two wonderful kids and 

having mixed luck with a lovably psycho 

Irish Setter and several aloof-to-needy 

cats. 

Maybe about five years into all that, 

Janet Hill decided we needed a monster 

vegetable garden in our side yard, giving 

her personal satisfaction along with the 

opportunity to can and freeze those homegrown 

crops. 

The creation of this quarter-acre 

vegetable garden required cutting down 

a few maverick trees, a monster cleanup 

of existing grass and weeds and the discovery 

we were planting said vegetable 

garden over the top of our very ancient, 

hand-poured cement-and-tile septic system. 

We didn’t have the time or money to 

deal with all that so we just figured tomato-plant-roots 

wouldn’t go that deep; let’s 

just move on here. 

Plant we did — under Janet’s specific 

directions. Old school stuff. Lettuce. 

Cabbage. Tomatoes. Potatoes. Beans. 

Peas. Sweet corn. Sinking ever deeper 

into Janet’s family gene pool, we planted 

enough vegetables to feed the city of Cincinnati, 

were it just a little closer. 

We tilled, weeded, mulched and 

wore out several hoes. We soon had our 

huge vegetable garden. Stuff we could 

eat. Stuff we could give away. Stuff we 

couldn’t give away. Stuff that required 

Janet’s canning and freezing. Stuff we 

did enjoy all winter –– and maybe the 

following winter. Some canned food that 

lingered in the basement longer than the 

Ronald Reagan administration. 

Have I neglected to mention the 

strawberry beds at the edges of this garden? 

They did provide our great summerfresh 

fruits until we discovered a Huber’s 

just up the road that would do all that 

planting for us. This awakening followed 

the acid-loving blueberry patch that never 

got the blue-fruit memo. Our failed apple 

orchard. The pathetic peaches. 

I was good at coming up with broad 

ideas. Janet was good at the necessary details. 

The organization. Actual plans. The 

financing. The cleanup required at the end 

of all my strokes of genius. She is, I had 

become very fond of saying, “The rest of 

me — the best of me.” 

I meant it. But it did take awhile to 

bury my 1950s masculine instincts, and 

not always successfully. 

As we grew this garden we evolved 

a plan, joking, sort of, that as long as we 

stayed at opposite ends of our acreage 

during certain key moments in its development, 

most of this would work. 

It did. I went large. She was most 

happy with the smaller, tighter areas; her 

daylily bed and greatly reduced vegetable 

garden. This evolved into a formally 

designated “Janet’s Garden” — a tight 

boxwood and area with antique planters 

and a fountain in the middle encircled by 

shrubs, metal fence and dogwood and 

That combination mostly began about 44 years 

ago, when we purchased our now 155-year-old 

Utica farmhouse with its leaky tin roof, faded 

rooms, dog-scratched doors, six acres of weeds and 

a mortgage we could handle. 

blackgum trees. She could weed one section 

of it for hours. I got tired of weeding 

about 1997. 

The work is never done, even as we 

have greatly reduced Hidden Hill’s retail 

operation to focus more on art and entertainment. 

Our best times are when just 

the two of us are here on a quiet evening 

— Janet cleaning up some needy bed; me 

messing with trees and shrubs. 

Some nights, we will ride around in 

a golf cart. Just the two of us — me taking 

in the wonder of what we have created; 

Janet fussing about the weeds. So it goes 

for now — even while knowing it can’t 

last forever. • 

About the Author 

Bob Hill owns Hidden Hill 

Nursery and can be 

reached at farmerbob@ 

hiddenhillnursery.com. 

For more information, 

including nursery hours 

and event information, go 

to www.hiddenhillnursery. 

com 


Local Spotlight 

More Than Blooms 

Locally made, botanically owned flower shop offers 

flowers and gifts for all ocassions 

Story by Darian Eswine 

Photos by Michelle Hockman 


Carolyn Minutillo was always 

drawn to flowers. As a child, she 

spent time in flower shops and 

inherited a love of gardening 

from her European grandparents. After 

going to school for nursing, she realized 

her true passion was floriculture and 

ended up creating Lavender Hill Floral. 

“I wasn’t in the program but a few 

months and was offered a job — an apprentice 

position,” Minutillo said. “I 

wound up working with them and that’s 

how I got trained.” 

In later years, Minutillo went on to 

complete more education and is now certified 

with the American Institute of Floral 

Designers and has a European Masters. 

“There’s more of an art influence in 

European design,” she said. “The culture 

of flowers is much more of a daily experience 

to Europeans than Americans. It’s a 

different mindset.” 

Minutillo started out working from 

home in Chicago. She was known for 

custom silks, permanent flowers and 

weddings. In 1993, her family moved to 

Southern Indiana and she began to grow 

the shop in a space in New Albany. 

After deciding they were looking for 

more visibility, Minutillo found a space in 

downtown Jeffersonville. 

“As this whole downtown area has 

changed, there’s been this whole renaissance 

of people coming over the bridge 

and discovering us,” she said. 

The shop stayed in that building for 

14 years before moving to the building 

across the street. Lavender Hill now occupies 

the entire building, with consultation 

space upstairs. The shop also uses the 

space for design classes, terrarium parties 

and other special events. 

“When we first moved down here, it 

was more the dream and the possibility of 

the bridge opening,” Minutillo said. “A lot 

of the original businesses, we were sitting 

tight while seeing these things progress.” 

Minutillo said there were a few unexpected 

challenges. For example, businesses 

expected traffc to increase when 

the Sherman Minton Bridge was closed, 

which it did. However, people were more 

interested in getting home than stopping 

to smell the flowers. 

Now that the bridge is back up, 

downtown business is on the rise. 

“It’s amazing to see all of the people 

come over. Experiencing this side of the 

river is not like experiencing the other 

side,” she said. “It’s really great to hear the 

really positive comments from people.” 

Aside from downtown growth, Jeffersonville 

is also looking at residential 

expansion in the form of new apartment 

buildings, plus a new school was recently 

proposed. There’s also an art district de- 

“There’s more of an art influence in 

European design. The culture of flowers is 

much more of a daily experience 

to Europeans than Americans. 

It’s a different mindset.” 

- Carolyn Minutillo 

Owner of Lavender Hill Floral 



Lavender Hill participates in the 

community as much as it can and even 

carries art created by local artists.

veloping across Court Street. 

Lavender Hill participates in the 

community as much as it can and even 

carries art created by local artists. “We really 

try and carry locally made things.” 

While the shop’s focus is flowers, it 

also offers amenities that aren’t found at 

an average flower store. 

“The main thing we always do is 

the florals, flowers for all occasions, weddings, 

corporate work,” she said. “But 

we also have some unique gift items for 

people — locally made or botanically inspired.” 

Minutillo said plants are the new 

babies for Millennials. The shop always 

stocks up on interesting plants and has 

hosted terrarium parties and some floral 

design classes. 

As part of its focus on community, 

Lavender Hill also carries macarons from 

the Macaron Bar in Louisville. Customers 

have the opportunity to not only stop in 

to the shop to have some, but also to add 

macarons to any of their floral deliveries 

or gifts. 

“We also can add dessert treats,” 

Minutillo said. “We work with Adrienne’s 

and Sweets by Morgan to be able to serve 

customers. You can also add Schimpff’s 

candy.” 

Minutillo said she also wants to focus 

on the education not only of the community, 

but of the craft. Recently, a group 

of second-graders visited Lavender Hill 

and they worked on a floral project in the 

shop before taking a tour. 

“We showed them very unusual 

tropical flowers that they never would 

have seen,” she said. “We want them to 

see the different varieties of nature around 

them.” 

This spring, the shop is offering tulips, 

garden roses, hellebore and amaryllis, 

among others. 

“March, April and May have great 

stuff — a lot of fragrant flowers,” Minutillo 

said. “Spring is a perfect season for 

flowers.” 

Overall, Minutillo wants to make 

sure customers leave with a sense of calm 


and inspiration. She also hopes they learn 

about the knowledge behind the career 

choice of those who work at the store and 

about the artistic inspiration they incorporate. 

“I want them to see they are able to 

have an experience they didn’t think was 

available to them in their area of town,” 

she said. 

Minutillo has had the chance to 

work with a few families multiple times, 

providing arrangements for different life 

events. 

“We have this rapport with them — 

we know the vibe of the family, know their 

tastes, we kind of know their aesthetic, we 

know their price point, we’re able to just 

service them,” she said. “We’re their family 

florist, just like you have a hairdresser 

and dentist.” 

She said it’s great to have an ongoing 

relationship with clients and have repeat 

experiences. • 

Lavender Hill can create and provide arrangements 

for all types of events. They also carry 

candles, locally made jewelry, lavender, succulents 

and other home gifts. For more information, 

check out facebook.com/lavenderhillflorals. 

“We have this rapport with them — 

we know the vibe of the family, know their tastes, we kind of know their aesthetic, 

we know their price point, we’re able to just service them. 

We’re their family florist, just like you have a hairdresser and dentist.” 

- Carolyn Minutillo 

Owner of Lavender Hill Floral 


Pictured: (right hand page, top) Lavender Hill carries macarons from Macaron Bar in Louisville. 

Customers can stop in the shop to get some, or include them in floral deliveries; (right hand page, 

bottom) Terrariums and other botanically inspired gifts are sold in the shop. 

(this page, top and bottom right) Lavendar Hill sells a wide variety of merchandise, including beautiful, 

fragrant lavendar, and locally made or botanically inspired items. (this page, bottom left) The 

shop cat, Katy, welcomes customers. 


Our Town 

Our Town: 

New Harmony, Indiana 

The Harmonist Labyrinth 


New Harmony is one of those 

towns in Southern Indiana that 

many are familiar with, even if 

they’ve never been there. It’s 

a darling little town with quaint antique 

shops and delicious restaurants. New 

Harmony is the perfect place for a romantic 

weekend getaway or destination for a 

family-friendly road trip. 

New Harmony attracts folks yearround, 

especially during the good weather 

seasons. The elder generations flock 

to landmark institutions like the Main 

Cafe and Firehouse Antiques, while the 

younger crowd gravitates toward photoworthy 

stops like the Harmonist Labyrinth 

and the Roofless Church. The town 

feels like home, and it’s also one of the top 

wedding destinations in the state. But, as 

those brides stroll down those tree-lined 

streets, it seems that the newlyweds and 

their parties know little of the history that 

molded the village of New Harmony all 

those years ago. 

The village was originally settled 

in 1814 by the Pennsylvania Harmonists 

— also known as Rappites — who 

were an ultra-religious communal German 

congregation. They called the settlement 

“Harmonie.” Led by German minister 

Johann Georg Rapp, the Harmonists 

achieved unheard-of economic success 

within a utopian community and became 

recognized as a wonder of the west. 

When trade began to decline, and 

residents started to die off by the dozens 

(they weren’t exactly prepared to live 

in the rugged new frontier), Rapp sold 

the entire town and surrounding lands 

to Welsh industrialist and philosopher 

Robert Owen for $130,000 in 1824. Owen 

wanted Harmonie for his socialist community 

experiment. Owen, a man who was 

obsessed with utopian ideals, changed the 

town’s name to “New Harmony.” Owen’s 

sidekick was William Maclure, a wellknown 

geologist, who attracted famous 

movers and shakers to New Harmony, 

including American naturalist Thomas 

Say; French naturalist Charles-Alexandre 

Lesueur; educators Joseph Neef, Phiquepal 

d’Arusmont and Madame Marie Duclos 

Fretageot; Dutch geologist Gerard 

Troost; and Frances Wright, a Scottish 

early feminist. 

With these people, Owen based his 

Story by Molly Williams 

Photos by Stephanie Susie Cemetary 

communal concept on education for the 

masses. His goal was to create a perfect society 

through free education and to abolish 

social classes and personal wealth. 

At first, this New Harmony was wildly 

successful. They opened the first free library 

in the U.S. in 1824, nine years before 

the Peterborough, New Hampshire, 

library opened. 

But while Owen was a great thinker, 

he was a horrible planner. Almost immediately 

after setting up the community, 

Owen left New Harmony to support his 

other business ventures out east. He had 

plans to return within a year, but the folks 

he left in charge, including his son Robert 

Dale, didn’t know how to survive outside 

of urban civilization. 

When Owen did return about two 

years later, the colony was in shambles 

and wrought with economic ruin. The 

small community was on the brink of 

starvation and mutiny. In 1827, the community 

disbanded and the lands, because 

of the incurred debts, were returned to the 

public domain. Some folks stayed, keeping 

the settlement going for the next pioneers.

You can view many of New Harmony’s 

restored historic buildings, as well as 

a few notable contemporary editions, including 

the following: 

The Harmonist Labyrinth (1815) 

301 North St. 

The Labyrinth is one of the most 

well-known landmarks in New Harmony. 

It was designed by the Rappites upon 

their arrival in Harmonie. In fact, the Rappites 

built a similar labyrinth in each of 

the three towns that they created in the 

19th century. If you look into Rappite theology, 

you’ll find that they used labyrinths 

as a symbolic challenge that represented 

overcoming issues in their lives. Because 

the original labyrinth wasn’t maintained 

after Owen purchased the town, it disintegrated 

back into the earth. Luckily, 

the Harmonists left behind architectural 

drawings that allowed conservationists to 

re-create the maze in 2008. The creation is 

a true labyrinth as there is only one true 

course to the center, where a re-creation of 

a Rappite stone grotto stands. 

The Rappite Burial Ground 

Main Street 

This site became the resting place for 

over 200 members of the Harmonist community. 

While Rapp led them to Southern 

Indiana, he did not prepare his members 

for the hostile living environment 

of the frontier. There are no gravestones, 

as the society believed in equality in life 

and in death. There are also several Native 

American burial mounds at the site. 

Documents show that both the Harmonists 

and Owenites performed their own 

excavations and explorations of the burial 

mounds. 

Community House (1822) 

410 Main St. 

This building was built by the Harmonists 

in 1822 to use as housing for 

members who didn’t have family homes. 

Later, the building was used as a cigar factory, 

a rooming house and a cafe, among 

other things. It was purchased by the state 

of Indiana in 1940. 

Thrall’s Opera House (1824) 

612 Church St. 

This building was built by the Harmonists 

as community living quarters 

shortly before their departure in 1824. 

The Owenites used it as a multipurpose 

building. In 1859, the building was transformed 

into a theater. It eventually came 

to be named Thrall’s Opera House after 

The town feels 

like home, and it’s 

also one of the top 

wedding destinations 

in the state. But, as 

those brides stroll 

down those treelined 

streets, it seems 

that the newlyweds 

and their parties 

know little of the 

history that molded 

the village of New 

Harmony all those 

years ago. 

Community House No. 2 


Thrall’s Opera House 

a famous acting company that called it 

home. The building has had its ups and 

downs over the years (it was even turned 

into a gas station), but it is now safely in 

the hands of the state of Indiana, which 

maintains the site. 

Scholle House (1820) 

604 Tavern St. 

This beautiful home in the Harmonist 

style is now operated as an exhibition 

gallery. The house was built in 1820 and 

was the home of a Harmonist shoemaker 

named Mathias Scholle. The Scholle family 

were early members of the Rappite following. 

This home is one of the most intact 

examples of Harmonist architecture. If 

you’re visiting the Scholle House, be sure 

to take a look around outside. The home 

sits on a block where three of the corners 

are home to original Harmonist buildings. 

The Owen House (1830) 

421 North St. 

The name of this house implies that 

an Owen, maybe even Robert Owen, lived 


under its roof. Names can certainly be deceiving. 

The home was built in 1830 by 

Robert Owen’s offspring, Robert Dale and 

David Dale — and they never lived there. 

Instead, they rented the home out until 

1838. Robert Dale became a well-known 

abolitionist and politician (he helped 

found the Smithsonian Institute), while 

David Dale was a renowned government 

geologist. 

John Beal House (1829) 

613 Church St. 

John Beal built this house for his 

wife and child when they arrived from 

the east with the mass of Owenites. Beal 

was a carpenter who worked on many of 

the buildings in the town and repurposed 

materials left over from the Harmonists. 

The Roofless Church - 1960 

420 North Street 

This structure is one of the most 

well-known in New Harmony, but it’s 

roots aren’t that deep. The building is considered 

a modernist masterpiece of architect 

Phillip Johnson and was completed in 

1960. While the name implies that there 

is no roof — the structure has a shingled 

dome. That being said, the sides of the 

building are open, therefore giving the effect 

of being “roofless.” 

The Roofless Church is an ethereal 

building that draws thousands to New 

Harmony every year and is a popular site 

for weddings and other events. The aura 

of the space is calming — similar to that 

of the Harmonist Labyrinth. While the 

church is non-denominational, it’s easy to 

see how the space would please the past 

spirits of the Harmonists and Owenites. • 

If you find yourself in town, be sure to stop by 

the Atheneum Visitors Center (401 N. Arthur 

St.). There, you’ll find information on New 

Harmony then and now, as well as walking 

tours of the district. For more information, 

visit:usi.edu/hnh, indianamuseum.org/newharmony, 

and visitnewharmony.com

Owen House 

John Beal House 

The building is considered a modernist masterpiece of architect Phillip 

Johnson and was completed in 1960. While the name implies that there is 

no roof — the structure has a shingled dome. That being said, the sides of 

the building are open, therefore giving the effect of being “roofless.” 

The Roofless Church 


People of SoIN 

Paper Memories 

Lynlee Jerke 

Peyton Lamb 

Three from Southern Indiana win awards in Gilda’s Club Kentuckiana contest 

Story by Julie Engelhardt 

Photos by Luis Munoz (except where noted) 


Coping with the death of a loved 

one is diffcult, yet for younger 

people the experience can be an 

especially hard concept to process. 

Southern Indiana residents Lynlee 

Jerke, 11, Peyton Lamb, 13, and Gabi 

Clark, 18, all know what it’s like to experience 

the death of a family member. 

They’ve all lost loved ones to cancer. As a 

way to process their grief and honor these 

special people, the girls participated in the 

Write Stuff Teen Essay, Poetry and Visual 

Arts Program this past fall, a contest sponsored 

by Gilda’s Club Kentuckiana. Two 

of the girls wrote essays and one submitted 

artwork, and all three were winners in 

the competition. 

Gilda’s Club Kentuckiana started the 

contest in 2012. “We want kids to have that 

opportunity to share and express themselves 

when it comes to a cancer journey 

that they, or loved ones, experienced. It’s 

incredibly meaningful,” said Janet Gruenberg, 

the organization’s chief operating 

offcer. Students in grades six through 12 

in Kentucky and Southern Indiana are eligible 

to enter one of six categories: essay 

survivor, essay middle school, essay high 

school, poetry, dimensional art and video. 

Jerke and Lamb entered the contest 

for the first time in 2018 and it was the second 

entry for Clark. Jerke received second 

place and Peyton received third in the 

middle school essay category. Clark’s 2017 

picture won second place in dimensional 

art and she won an honorable mention in 

that same category for 2018. 

Students are informed about the 

competition in August via schools, churches, 

hospitals and other cancer support organizations, 

and then they have until Sep-

tember to submit their entries. Their work 

is turned over to 45 judges who assess the 

essays, pictures and videos. Judges come 

from Kentucky and Indiana and include 

local educators, librarians, lawyers, stayat-home 

moms and even TV personalities 

such as Dawne Gee from WAVE-3 News. 

The judges follow certain criteria 

when viewing the work. They are reminded 

that these young people aren’t professional 

writers or artists. “We tell them to 

try to put aside any grammatical errors 

and really look at the content and heart of 

the information,” Gruenberg said. “Also, 

look to see if they have used an original 

and engaging voice, what insight do they 

share, and what have they learned during 

that cancer journey.” 

Jerke, a sixth-grader at Scribner 

Middle School, wrote her essay about her 

grandfather Jerry Nikirk. He was first diagnosed 

with colon cancer in 2004 then 

subsequently diagnosed with leukemia, 

passing away in August 2018. Her winning 

essay is titled “My Amazing Papaw.” 

It begins: “My Papaw was one in a million. 

It was literally like my Papaw and I 

were peanut butter and jelly. It all began 

when my Papaw started babysitting me 

at just four months old. He would stay 

two nights in a row just to watch me! My 

Papaw lived an hour and a half away, but 

that didn’t change anything about our relationship.” 

Jerke received a trophy and 

$250 for her essay. 

Jerke has fond memories of her 

grandfather. Her story describes their experiences 

together, whether her papaw 

was watching her perform in a production 

of “The Little Mermaid,” sharing a burger 

at McDonald’s or sitting together on 

a bench at Holiday World. She reflected 

on his selfless nature. “He was very nice 

and very generous,” she said. “He would 

tell funny stories about himself and make 

a joke out of it. He was kind to everyone 

and he would do something for anyone. 

He would help you in any way you needed 

it.” 

Jerke says that participating in the 

contest helped her to express feelings 

about her papaw’s passing. “I don’t like to 

talk about it,” she said. “I needed a way to 

express it, so that helped me.” 

Lamb, who attends Hazelwood 

Middle School, wrote her winning essay, 

“One Last Parade,” to honor her grandfather 

Ronald Dietrich. Dietrich was diagnosed 

with cancer in October 2017 and 

passed away on Nov. 30 that year. When 

Peyton heard about the Write Stuff contest, 

she knew she wanted to enter. “It’s 

easier for me to write from my heart,” she 

said. “I didn’t think I was a good writer 

until the Gilda’s Club contest.” 

Dietrich was a float builder who 

dedicated countless hours to perfecting 

his creations. Float building was a family 

affair involving his children and grandchildren. 

His daughter Carie Lamb says 

that one of his proudest accomplishments 

was the construction of a train float. “Dad 

always wanted to build a float for the Harvest 

Homecoming Parade,” his daughter 

explained. “The train is 25 years old and 

has been in over 200 parades.” Dietrich’s 

float won awards in every parade, and if 

he won prize money, he’d take his winnings 

to build more floats. The family 

agrees that his favorite was the train float. 

“He always had a dream that he wanted 

that float to be in a Christmas parade lit 

up with lights,” Carie said. His wish came 

true when the family was contacted by the 

city of Corydon to include his float in their 

Christmas parade. He was able to participate 

just before he died. His final request 

was to have his casket carried to the cemetery 

on the train float. His wife, children 

and grandchildren made that wish come 

true. 

Lamb received a trophy and $125 in 

prize money. She wants to use her winnings 

to purchase a memorial for her 

grandfather. “My grandpa loved church. 

That was his home,” she said. “I was 

thinking of getting a stone with his name 

or picture on it to place at Grace Lutheran 

in New Albany.” 

Clark’s cancer journey is one she 

experienced through her cousin, Gabby 

Lincoln. Lincoln was diagnosed with leukemia 

when she was 6 and went into remission 

at age 11, yet according to Clark’s 

mom, Christina, she was affected by cancer 

for the rest of her life. “Her respiratory 

system was compromised because of the 

turmoil from the leukemia,” Christina 

said. “As she grew older, she kept having 

issues.” Lincoln was placed on oxygen 

full time when she was 15 and had a lung 

transplant at 17. Shortly after that, she 

contracted pneumonia and passed away 

in 2016. She was just 18 years old. 

Clark recalled that her cousin loved 

butterflies, so her 2017 entry is a picture 

of lungs with butterflies. Her second entry, 

designed using charcoal and watercolors, 

is a picture of Lincoln looking out of 

a window with a blue butterfly near her. 

As a way to process their grief and honor 

these special people, the girls participated 

in the Write Stuff Teen Essay, Poetry 

and Visual Arts Program this past fall, 

a contest sponsored by Gilda’s Club 

Kentuckiana. Two of the girls wrote 

essays and one submitted artwork, and all 

three were winners in the competition. 

Gabi Clark 


Her artist statement said: “My drawing 

is a representation of an actual photo of 

Gabby peering out of one of the hospital’s 

windows. Whenever she peered out 

the window, she always talked about her 

plans for the future and her love of butterflies. 

Her conversations would bring her 

out into the world and into the future. The 

clouds represent the storm that continued 

throughout her life with the beautiful butterfly 

symbolizing her strength and perseverance.” 

When asked how she feels about her 

creations, Clark said, “It’s kind of therapeutic, 

and I can give them to her adopted 

mom and it makes her feel better and remember 

her in a certain way. It’s like the 

memory of her on paper.” Clark received 

a trophy for her entry. a trophy for her 

entry. • 

To read the essays and view the students’ 

work, log onto Gilda’s Club Kentuckiana’s site 

at gck.org/winners2018.html. For more information 

about Gilda’s Club Kentuckiana, go to 

gck.org or call (502) 583-0075. 

Pictured: (top, left) Payton Lamb and her grandfather, Ron Dietrich; (top, right) Lynlee Jerke and her grandfather, Jerry 

Nikirk; (bottom) A parade float built by Payton Lamb’s grandfather, Ron Dietrich. Ron and his family rode on the float in 

the Corydon Christmas Parade. 

“It’s kind of therapeutic, and I can give them to her adopted mom and it makes her feel 

better and remember her in a certain way. It’s like the memory of her on paper.” 

- Gabi Clark 


Exercise Across All Ages 

The leading causes of death in women include heart 

disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. Did you know 

that completing as little as one hour and 15 minutes 

of vigorous intensity aerobic activity or 2 hours and 

30 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity 

every week can decrease your risk of developing 

these health conditions? In fact, research has shown 

that physical activity can reduce risk of developing 

cardiovascular disease, diabetes and metabolic 

syndrome, colon cancer, and breast cancer. 

Other benefits of physical activity include weight 

control, improved strength of bones and muscles, 

improved mental health including mood, improved 

sleep patterns, and even an increased likelihood 

of living longer. Recent studies have found 

improved brain function with physical activity 

in preadolescents and further research is being 

completed to determine if it will actually improve 

brain development. 

At Harrison County Hospital, our Rehabilitation 

Department is able to care for you across your 

lifetime helping you maintain the ability to reach 

your physical activity goals and maintain a healthy 

lifestyle. Our rehab team is here to help you recover 

from injury, stroke, cardiovascular events, surgery, 

and many other impairments that keep you from 

reaching your physical activity goals or beginning a 

physical activity routine. Let our Rehab Department 

help you find the exercise that works for you! 

HCH Rehabilitation 

1141 Hospital Drive NW 

812-738-7888 


Your Community presented by 

Salvation Army of Southern Indiana 

BED & BREAD GALA CELBRATES CHANGED LIVES 

All ages rallied in the IUS Hoosier Room Feb. 8 for the annual Bed and Bread Gala to support the Salvation Army’s vast services to 

Clark, Crawford, Floyd, Harrison, Scott, and Washington counties. The festivities included live and silent auctions, dinner, moving 

testimonies, and award presentations. The evening surpassed its goal and raised approximately $90,000. 

Top, Left: Chuck Grantz, winner of the Service to Mankind Award; Bill Amerson, winner of the Lifetime Service Achievement Award; and Capts. 

Catherine and Jonathan Fitzgerald, Salvation Army commanding offcers. Bikes or Bust, a non-profit that collected 1,200 bikes for kids, also received 

the Service to Mankind Award. 

Top, Right: Dennis and Kara Reasoner and lead sponsors Susan and Warren Sellers at the restaurant tree raffe item. 

Bottom, Left: Sharion Berryman, Connie Grantz, and Carl and Kathie Booth. Carl was a lead sponsor, and Kathie is a board member. 

Bottom, Middle: Seated: Jenny Wasson and Debbie and Charles Adams. Standing: Rev. Dr. George Wasson and emcee Keith Kaiser of WDRB-TV. 

Bottom, Right: YMCA Day Campers who helped at the gala: Megan Harrigan, Natalie Saydera, Janika Wilson, Olivia Saydera, and Jacorey Webb. 


These pages are sponsored by Idealogy

New Albany-Floyd County Schools 

COMMUNITY HONORS DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. 

“We Rise by Lifting Others” was the theme of the school system’s 24th annual 

MLK Commemorative Dinner with guest speaker Dr. Derrick Miles of Greater 

Friendship Baptist Church in Louisville. He focused on the works of Dr. Martin 

Luther King, Jr., and the positive things students can do to likewise make a difference. 

Hazelwood Middle School’s hand bell choir, the Bell Pups, performed 

for the crowd of 350. 

Right: Dr. Derrick Miles was all smiles as he greeted guests. 

Bottom: Among the Bell Pups members were Alysia Bailey, Izzy Fenwick, Josey Neidiffer, 

and Addison Harvey. // Photos by Emily Peters 

6500 State Road 64 • Georgetown, IN 47122 

www.ideology.biz • 812-399-1400 

Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center 

2019: IT’S A SILVER ANNIVERSARY PARTY! 

Two days of activities in late January drew area individuals 

and families to the state park on the banks of the Ohio River in 

Clarksville to celebrate the center’s 25th year. The site is popular 

for its exhibits, programs, speakers, tours, gallery displays, 

films, fossil beds, reenactments, and educational opportunities 

throughout each year. An edible design of the center was icing 

on the cake that was served to guests. 

Top: Assistant property manager Dale Brown, board member Kenny 

Karem, volunteer and board member Paul Olliges, volunteer 

Judie Moore, interpretive naturalist Alan Goldstein, and property 

manager Lucas Green. 

Right: Interpretive naturalist Robert Lane and Kyra McCormick 

with her grandsons and daughters, Kelly Payne visiting from Texas, 

and Ashley McCormick. 

These pages are sponsored by Idealogy 


Southern 

IndIana 

Living 

Local Business 

Spotlight 

Respite Care 

Respite stays are an option for those who need 

care on a short term basis. Many find respite 

stays the perfect option for recovery from surgery 

or hospitalization. Should a short stay require 

extended care, we can 

accommodate that, too. 

ASCCare.com 


Local Business Spotlight 

Theresa J Lamb Ins Agency Inc 

Theresa Lamb, Agent 

1523 State Street 

New Albany, IN 47150 

Bus: 812-945-8088 

1001174.1 

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State Farm is there. ® 

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*Discounts vary by states. 

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company 

State Farm Indemnity Company, Bloomington, IL 

Gift Certificates Available 

TIRES 

WHEELS 

BRAKES 

SHOCKS, ALIGNMENTS 

812-347-3134 

1529 Hwy. 64 NW 

Ramsey, IN 47166 

1-800-847-0770 

Fax: 812-347-2166 

www.vanwinkleservice.com 

Waxing Hair Massages 

Pedicures 

812.246.1400 

Make-Up 

Facials 

Nails 

102 Hometown Plaza Sellersburg, IN 47172 

Celebrating 20 Years of 

in Crawford County 

Contact us for your philanthropic needs 

Christine Harbeson 

Executive Director 

• Administration 

• Development/Estate Planning 

• Fund Management 

• Public Relations 

Laken Fraime 

Finance & Program Manager 

• Accounting/Finance 

• Grants 

• Scholarships 

• Programming 

4030 E. Goodman Ridge Rd., Box D 


CF-CC@CF-CC.org | 812.365.2900 | www.cf-cc.org 


Art in SoIN 

A Woodworking Wonder 

A wood puzzle 

Marengo artist creates unique pieces 

Story by Sara Combs 

Photos by Cathy Blair 


Retirement means golfing, 

traveling and just kicking back, 

right? 

Maybe, but Robert E. “Bob” 

McIntosh doesn’t see it that way. Instead, 

the 76-year-old former LG&E worker 

spends his time creating one-of-a-kind 

wood pieces — often using lumber from 

torn-down buildings and fallen trees. 

“I like to make something people can 

enjoy,” he said. “And I want to use material 

that might otherwise go to waste.” He 

also likes to capture a bit of history when 

he can. 

“I have made some pieces with 

wood from the old Marengo Academy,” 

he said. The school brought much acclaim 

to the town in the 1870s. Bob said that the 

lumber had been rescued once when the 

school was torn down, and it was used in 

the construction of a local property. When 

that house was razed, he decided to use 

the material to honor a legacy. 

A 2004 tornado destroyed many 

trees in Marengo, where Bob lives. Those 

trees provided material for several pieces. 

Like all of his creations, they are labeled 

with the kind of wood used, the artist’s 

name and the date created. The pieces also 

include a small tornado symbol. 

“They are very popular,” said 

Brenda McIntosh, Bob’s wife of 57 years. 

“There are only two left and we recently 

had a request for one of them.” 

Evidence of Bob’s talent is displayed 

throughout the couple’s home. A 150-yearold 

German flat-back bass sits in front of 

a picture window — Bob not only rebuilt 

and refinished the 6-foot-tall instrument, 

but he also plays it on music nights at both 

Schwartz Family Restaurant and at the 

Crawford County Public Library, as well 

as dances and other events. 

The McIntosh home contains many 

other beautiful, intricate wood pieces and 

several items of furniture Bob built. There 

is a chess set, multiple bowls and a grouping 

of urns — one made for Brenda to 

observe their wedding anniversary — as 

well as a television cabinet and several occasional 

tables. One of the most-admired 

pieces is a birthday gift Bob made for 

Brenda using a vibrant yellow wood that 

is inscribed: “You are my sunshine.” 

Bob retired in 2000 after 32½ years 

with LG&E. “It took me several years to 

catch up on odd jobs around the house 

that I had put off while I was working full 

time,” he said. 

Brenda added with a bit of a smile, 

“That included a little fishing time.” 

After catching up with the painting, 

repairs and yard work, Bob found a real 

passion for woodworking — he already 

knew he had a love of wood and had 

made several pieces of furniture. 

It wasn’t long until he took up woodturning 

(the process of using a lathe to cut 

a symmetrical shape around an axis of rotation) 

and discovered he was good at it. 

“I started with a small, fairly cheap 

lathe I bought from a friend,” he said. 

Soon, he saw the need to move on to 

a larger lathe. “This one I bought new, and 

it was more expensive.” 

Bob’s love for his work and the material 

he uses shows. His eyes light up when 

he describes various woods, their colors, 

grains and knots, and the methods he uses 

to craft them. This includes a wide array 

of unique articles, such as a chess set, toy 

farm trucks, racecars, a bulldozer, puzzles, 

Christmas tree ornaments and tops, as 

well as the more traditional pieces. 

Bob’s family benefits from his talent. 

When his grandson, now a teenager, 

was born, Bob got busy right away building 

a guitar for him — not from a kit, but 

from scratch. It is an accomplishment that 

Robert McIntosh in his workshop 

A 2004 tornado destroyed many trees in 

Marengo, where Bob lives. Those trees 

provided material for several pieces. Like 

all of his creations, they are labeled with 

the kind of wood used, the artist’s name 

and the date created. The pieces also 

include a small tornado symbol. 

earned him praise. “But,” he added with 

a grin, “I didn’t know at the time Alex 

would be left-handed.” 

When his granddaughter wanted a 

box to store her treasures, she sketched 

out a plan. Bob followed it and the result 

was deemed “perfect.” Daughters Cathy 

Blair and Robin McIntosh also prize numerous 

articles their father crafted for 

their homes. 

Bob advanced to complicated segmented 

work (with multiple small pieces 

of wood) in 2008, and then in September 

2018, he went to the next level: open segmented 

pieces (where not every piece is 

fully attached to the next). 

“Some of my designs are original; 

some I got from YouTube,” he said. “You 

can learn a lot from YouTube, but you have 

to be careful and make sure the people 

teaching are really experts. Some of them 

scare me. But the real experts like Dennis 

Edwards can teach you a lot.” 


Segmented pieces require math 

skills, “and I always liked math in school,” 

Bob said. For instance, when he crafts a 

bowl, Bob first draws a pattern on a plain 

sheet of paper, sketches out a half bowl on 

graph paper, then uses a complicated formula 

to finish it. 

The larger bowls can use more than 

900 pieces and take up to 60 hours to complete. 

“Wood is expensive,” Bob said, “so 

I often use what I have. Once, I had some 

curly maple — some light, some dark — 

not enough of either for the bowl. So, I alternated, 

and it turned out better than if it 

had all been the same color. That’s often 

the case.” 

Sometimes, material turns up in 

unexpected places. “I had been wanting 

some sumac,” he said. “We went to an 

Amish farm to buy eggs and I asked the 

farmer if he knew any place I could get 

some. He told me, ‘Just look over there.’ 

I did, and there were a lot of sumac trees 

he wanted cleared to make room for his 

horses. I cut the trees, stacked the brush 

and it benefited us both.” 

Tools are expensive, too, Bob said. 

“For instance, an index wheel costs about 

$100. I looked at one and thought, ‘I can 

figure out how to make that.’” And he did. 

He also discovered that he could use an 

Allen wrench to hollow out small items, 

instead of buying a costly tool for that 

purpose. • 

His work is available at the Marengo Cave Gift 

Shop and at Traditional Arts in Ferdinand. He 

also has a booth at the Christmas show at the 

Crawford County 4-H Fairgrounds. Bob’s 

items sell for $1 for a small toy up to several 

hundred dollars for a large open-segmented 

bowl. 

KEEP LEARNING… 

KEEP GROWING! 

 

 

 

 

 

Adult Education Classes 

English Language Learner Classes 

High School Equivalency Testing 

Test Proctoring Services 

Accuplacer Exam 

 

 

 

College & Career 

Preparation 

WorkKeys Assessments 

Computer Education 

Classes 

Harrison County 

Lifelong Learning 

812.738.7736 


Special Section 

Summer Fun 

in Southern Indiana 


Enjoy a 20-mile panoramic view of the Ohio. 

Mile-High Pies 

Now taking reservations 

For EASTER . . . Call Today! 

The Overlook Restaurant sits on SR 

62 in Leavenworth, and is located 

only 3 miles from I-64, off Exit 92. 

It is uniquely positioned high above 

the Ohio River. The view only rivals 

the delicious food and friendly 

service. 

We feature weekend specials that 

can be viewed on Facebook and our 

web page. 

Now taking Easter 

reservations which 

can be made for 

parties of 2 or more. 

We open daily at 11:00 and close at 

7:00 Sunday-Thursday and 8:00 on 

Friday and Saturday. You can reach 

us by phone at 812-739-4264, on 

Facebook, or check out our website 

www.theoverlook.com. 

We take reservations, simply call 

ahead an hour prior to your arrival. 

We welcome large parties and set 

up buffets for parties of 25 or more. 

Call us to reserve your next Party, 

Corporate Gathering, or Holiday 

Celebration. 

Overlook Restaurant | 812-739-4264 | www.theoverlook 



Fun for All Ages 

The perfect family friendly vacaton is close to home 

Miniature golf at Lake Rudolph Campground 

Story by Josh Phillips 

Photos provided by Lake Rudolph Campground & Resort 

All year long, Santa Claus and his 

team are working together for 

his once-a-year ride around the 

world. Santa has lots of work to 

oversee and he must be exhausted by the 

time his magical journey is over. 

During his downtime, Santa has go 

somewhere to rest and prepare for his next 

sleigh ride, right? But where does Santa 

go during the summer months? Surely, he 

would want to rest and relax in a warmer 

climate, perhaps surrounding himself 

with peaceful countryside and rolling 

fields, and be close to the fun and excitement 

of an amusement park celebrating 

holidays. It all makes perfect sense — Santa 

must spend his summers right here in 

Southern Indiana! Santa Claus, Indiana, 

might just be the North Pole — South. It 

surely has all the similarities of the North 

Pole, with street names such as Candy 

Cane Lane and Mistletoe Drive. You can 

shop at a year-round Christmas store, visit 

a Santa museum and stay at a Santa lodge. 

You can enjoy dinner at a diner named after 

Frosty and even fish at Lake Rudolph. 

Roughly an hour west of the river cities, 

Santa Claus, Indiana, is an easy drive 

for family fun and adventure. The area 

is most famous for its main attraction — 

Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari — and 

of course its celebration of Christmas 365 

days a year. Lake Rudolph Campground 

& RV Resort has been named one of the 

11 most family-friendly campgrounds by 

U.S. News and World Report and a top 

10 best campground for families by travelchannel.com. 

You can either bring your 

own RV or rent one already on property. If 

sleeping in a camper isn’t your cup of cocoa, 

opt for a cottage or cabin rental. The 

check-in process is smooth, with cottages 

on the other side of the grounds. Families 

are often found playing games and laughing, 

sitting by the campfire and enjoying 

their time together at Lake Rudolph. Santa 

is likely somewhere close by doing the 

same things. 

The cottages feature a living area, 

loft bedrooms for children, a galley-style 

kitchen and a large bedroom. Their inviting 

covered patios includes a gas grill, a 

picnic table and a few rocking chairs. Decorated 

golf carts roam the grounds. 

Guests can fish or paddleboat at the 

lake, try their hand at mining gems or play 

mini golf. There’s a camp store and Blitzen 

Kitchen, along with Santa’s SplashDown 

WaterPark and the Blitzen Bay pool. In the 

evenings, there are planned family activi- 


ties, golf cart rentals and games. 

A park shuttle transports guests to 

Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, which 

is right next door. Holiday World has 

invested $5.5 million for the 2019 season 

including Santa’s Merry Marketplace, 

with five serving stations offering varying 

menus, plus Candy Cane Confectionary, 

Sugarplum Scoop Shoppe, and the Polar 

Expresso. 

“With Santa’s Merry Marketplace, 

we’ll start a new tradition at Holiday 

World, as Santa Claus greets park guests 

each morning from the bell-tower balcony,” 

says park president Matt Eckert. 

“We also plan to work in some reminders 

of our Santa Claus Land days and other 

magical surprises.” 


Splashin’ Safari was named one 

of the world’s best water parks by the 

world’s largest travel site - TripAdvisor. 

com. Opening day for Holiday World for 

the 2019 season is May 4. 

Lake Rudolph Campground & RV 

Resort and Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari 

are absolute must-stay and play parks 

when visiting the area. With friendly staffs 

and a list of action-packed amenities, you 

don’t have to travel far to spend quality 

time with family and friends. The memories 

you’ll create are a true gift that will 

last a lifetime, just as Santa would want. • 

Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort is 

located at 78 N. Holiday Blvd. in Santa Claus, 

Indiana. For more information call 888-929- 

7010 or visit lakerudolph.com for reservations 

and a list of activity dates. 

Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari are 

located at the junction of Highways 162 and 

245, Santa Claus, IN. For more information 

check out the website for 2019 park hours at 

www.holidayworld.com. 

Pictured: Lake Rudolph Campground & Resort. 

(page 35) Miniature golf is fun for all ages; 

(below, from top, clockwise) The holiday cottages sleep 5-7 

and include a screened-in porch; the campground offers 

RV sites, and RV rentals; the Dasher Splasher play area; Golf 

cart rentals are available for your stay at the campground. 

(left hand page, from top, clockwise) Santa’s Splashdown 

Waterpark at Lake Rudolph; the view of Holdiay World’s 

“The Raven” rollercoaster from the Lake Rudolph Campground; 

one of two playgrounds at the campground. 


RV and tent camping, fishing, hiking, and boating. 

Also unique shopping and eateries, museums, 

great hotels, B&Bs and more! 

Contact us at: 

www.washingtoncountytourism.com 

or call 812-883-4303 to plan your trip! 


crawfordcountyindiana.com • 812-739-2246 


COME STAY 

AND PLAY! 



Spring into the Wild 

French Lick Resort 

March 8th - April 7th 

Jazz Under the Dome Weekend 

West Baden Springs Hotel 

March 15th - 17th 

Wine Experience Weekend 

West Baden Springs Hotel 

March 15th - 16th 

I’ve Got the Music in Me 

Abbeydell Hall 

Select Dates March - April 

Chocolate Tasting Trains 

(21 years and up) 

French Lick Scenic Railway 

March 22nd, 29th, April 5th, June 

1st, July 20th 

Bourbon Tasting Trains 

(21 years and up) 

French Lick Scenic Railway 

March 23rd, 30th, April 6th 

51st Annual Orleans 

Dogwood Festival 

Orleans 

April 20th - 27th 

French Lick 

Family Classic Fun Run 5K 

French Lick Hotel 

Event Center Plaza 

May 18th 

Memorial Day Weekend 

French Lick Resort 

May 24th - 26th 

Sunset Wine Cruises 

Patoka Lake 

Select Fridays June - August 

Thunder Over Patoka 

Patoka Lake 

July 6th 

Alice Dye Invitational 

Pete Dye Golf Course 

August 4th - 6th 

#MyFrenchLick • 812-936-3418 

vflwb.com 



World-class entertainment as seen in Branson, MO is now in French Lick, IN at the Abbeydell Hall. The theatre sits on a 

beautiful estate, formerly known as the residence of basketball legend Larry Bird. Now transformed into a dinner theatre, audiences experience a 

variety of original musical productions. Audiences find themselves singing along, connecting with the performance and yes, even dancing in the 

aisles. Each show is a one-of-a-kind experience and fun for all ages! 

The Abbeydell Hall is a dinner & show venue and the buffet is sure to delight those attending. With slow-cooked meats, vegetables, salads, 

delicious sides, dessert, and drinks included, there is something for everyone. There is also a show only option available. 

The American Variety Show 

Reminiscent of The Andy Williams Show, The Carol Burnett Show, The American 

Bandstand, and many other classic variety shows we all grew to love. From rock 

n’ roll, country, pop, jazz and Broadway...this show has it all! “The AMERICAN 

Variety Show” also includes an original segment paying tribute to the United 

States of America. Featuring comedy, dancing, incredible vocals, live musicians 

and fun, there is something for everyone. Enjoy the best of entertainment! 

I’ve Got the Music In Me 

A Branson, MO style show featuring music of the 1960’s and 70’s. This hit musical 

production will take you back to the days of beach blankets to the BeeGees, the 

British Invasion and Motown. With over 70 songs represented, audiences enjoy 

selections such as Breakin’ Up Is Hard To Do, It’s My Party, Bridge Over Troubled 

Water, and who can forget the tight harmonies of Frankie Valli and The Four 

Seasons...the list goes on. Enjoy this outta site journey of music, dance and the 

rockin’ harmonies of the day. 

Tickets: LegendOfFrenchLick.com or call 812-936-5300 

Abbeydell Hall • Legend of French Lick • 7328 West County Road 100 North • West Baden Springs, IN 47469 

An Uncommon 

Ice Cream Experience 

Uniquely Served 

SUMMER FUN! 

Ethan Phillips having fun at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari and Lake Rudolph 

Campground. // Photo by Josh Phillips 

Hours: 

Mon. - Thur. – 1:00 to 8:00 

Fri. & Sat. – 1:00 to 9:00 

Closed Sunday 

518 Vincennes Street 

New Albany, IN 47150 

812-948-2957 

Upper Room available for parties and meetings 


Personal Counseling Service 

Wellness of body, mind & spirit 

Individual & Couple Counseling 

Music Therapy 

Marriage & Family Counseling 

Play Therapy 

Addictions Counseling 

Trauma Therapy 

Medication Management 

Pet Therapy 

Pastoral Counseling 

We served over 

4,750 

individuals in 2018 

1205 Applegate Lane 

Clarksville, IN 47129 

812-283-8383 pcs-counseling.org @personalcounselingserviceinc 


It’s Friday night and you’re finally off 

work and ready to enjoy the weekend, 

so you’re heading out to meet friends 

for dinner and drinks. Or maybe 

you’re a stay-at-home parent and you’re 

so relieved the kids are down for the night 

and you can relax with a tasty meal and 

a glass of wine. In both scenarios, food is 

involved. It always seems to be involved. 

Food brings people together — it’s 

comforting, it’s a celebration and it’s rewarding. 

In today’s world, it is much 

more than nourishment for the body. 

It has a heavy presence in our lives, but 

more often than not, food choices tend to 

be an afterthought. 

Along with being social, comforting 

and fun, food can also be the enemy. It’s 

the thing people are so eager to change, 

give up, modify or eliminate. It’s what’s 

going to help someone lose 20 pounds, or 

someone else “make gains.” So, let’s become 

more mindful of our food choices 

and eating environment. 

Mindfulness is the ability to bring 

full attention and awareness to a current 

experience without judgment. When you 

add eating to the equation, it means bringing 

one’s full attention to the food and the 

experience of eating without judgment. 

There are numerous reasons to become a 

more mindful eater — for one, it allows 

us to recognize our feelings of hunger and 

satiety, something many people lack the 

ability to do. 

Our society is constantly on the go 

and full of distractions, from our smartphones, 

social media, TV, work, deadlines, 

kids’ practices, family commitments and 

more. If you are constantly distracted, it is 

easy to forget to eat which is when hunger 

becomes hanger (hungry + angry), and 

overeating ensues. This happens because 

you never took the time to stop, listen to 

your body, assess what it needs, and then 

make a decision accordingly. Being so 

busy is also problematic because it takes 

20 minutes for the stomach to communicate 

with the brain that food has been 

consumed. Therefore, your “hangry” self 

will begin eating anything and everything 

in sight, and before you know it you are 

overfull and very uncomfortable. 

Being more present and aware also 

allows you to easily distinguish between 

physical, emotional and head hunger. 

Recognizing true feelings will help you 

identify triggers that cause you to eat, 

regardless of physical hunger, and better 

manage your response. For example, 

rather than eat when you’re happy, sad or 

bored, you can choose to do another activity 

because it’s not food that you truly 

need at that time. 

Mindfulness is a reason to slow 

down when eating. Allow yourself at least 

20 minutes to sit down at a meal and enjoy 

the taste, texture and smell of food. Doing 

so will increase the pleasure of eating, 

while also giving your body and brain 

time to process the food. 

There are several methods for becoming 

a mindful eater. Here a few tips to 

get you started: 

• Listen to your body. Eat when you 

feel hungry — look for cues like 

low energy or a growling stomach. 

• Stop when you feel full. Eat slowly 

and allow yourself time to recognize 

feelings of fullness. 

• Develop healthy eating environments. 

Sit down at a table and use 

plates and silverware rather than 

grazing cabinets, eating from packages 

or snacking because food is 

readily available. 

• Stop to consider what you’re going 

to eat. Avoid eating out of habit. 

• Consider eating foods that are 

nourishing, rather than only considering 

what you’re craving. This 

will encourage healthier choices, 

increased energy and improved 

long-term health. 

• When eating, only eat. Avoid multitasking, 

like working through 

Real Life Nutrition 

Savor the Flavor 

Being mindful of food choices 

and eating environment 

lunch, eating and watching TV, and 

eating while scrolling your phone. 

Focusing on the food allows you 

the opportunity to enjoy the taste, 

texture and sensation of eating. It 

also allows you the ability to sense 

your hunger cues. 

• Consider where your food came 

from. Doing so gives your meal 

more value and a sense of appreciation 

and gratitude to the people that 

harvested, stocked and prepared it. 

Knowing where your food came 

from contributes to the overall feeling 

of being present and aware during 

meal times. • 

Image: Rawpixel.com / shutterstock.com 

About the Author 

Maji Koetter-Ali, 

MS,RD,LD,CD is a 

licensed registered 

dietitian at Baptist 

Health Floyd. She 

uses a real-life approach 

to nutrition 

when counseling her 

clients, and encourages 

them to strive for 

progress not perfection. 

She is passionate 

about helping everyone find their own way to 

living their happiest and healthiest lives. 


Everyday Adventures 

The Blame Game 

Back in my day, we didn’t have 

Shark Week, Sharknado or even viral 

Baby Shark videos. All we had 

was Jaws, and for a preschooler 

taking his first trip to the beach, that was 

more than enough to make me petrified of 

stepping foot in the ocean. 

Jaws premiered in June 1975, the 

summer before this Indiana boy first visited 

the ocean. My aunt was stationed 

in the army in Savannah, and we took a 

family road trip to see her and hang out 

at the beach. Of course, I was too young 

to watch Jaws in the theater, but I’d seen 

enough TV commercials to know what 

lurked in the deep. 

To make matters worse, Jaws fever 

was sweeping the nation, which meant 

that in the mid-’70s, shark merchandise 

was everywhere. I even had the Jaws 

game, a more frightening version of Operation. 

The goal was to fish random objects 

out of the mouth of the great white before 

his teeth clamped down on your fishing 

pole like a bear trap. 

All of this had me primed for fear 

the second I stepped foot on the sand. No 

way was I going in that water. My mom, 

however, had no such reservations. Having 

traveled hundreds of miles to the 

ocean, she decided to take her life in her 

own hands and play in the waves. One of 

my earliest memories was watching her 

walk off toward the water while I stood 

there with my grandma. 

I was shark-savvy enough to know 

what was coming next and couldn’t believe 

no one was doing anything to stop 

her. For Pete’s sake, her own mother was 

right there and not lifting a finger to save 

her from certain doom. 

I was indignant. I told my grandma, 

“This is all your fault. You let her go in 

there. Now, you’re going to have to take 

care of me.” It was the only punishment 

I could think of to properly express my 

outrage. You did this. Now you’re stuck 

with me. 

Much to my surprise, my mom 

didn’t encounter any great whites that 

day. In fact, we’ve taken several trips to 

the ocean since then and none of us have 

yet to be eaten by a shark, though I did 

once see some dolphins swimming near 

us who looked a little shady. 

I did, however, discover another 

danger on the sands of that Savannah 

beach. It’s my propensity to blame others 

for my problems. This is nothing new. Human 

beings have been playing the blame 

game since the Garden of Eden. 

God gave Adam and Eve an entire 

world to enjoy, a tropical paradise overflowing 

with fulfilling work and adventure. 

Yet, like most of us, they wanted the 

one thing they couldn’t have, a piece of 

forbidden fruit that would, in fact, destroy 

them. When confronted by God with their 

disobedience, Adam pointed the finger at 

Eve and at God himself. He said, “It was 

the woman you gave me who gave me the 

fruit, and I ate it” (Genesis 3:12 NLT). 

Not only did Adam act like a coward 

by blaming his wife, he also showed that 

he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed by 

blaming God. Eve didn’t do much better, 

passing the buck to the serpent to try to 

absolve herself of any responsibility. 

Since that they day, we have all 

played the blame game in one way or another. 

Sometimes we blame others for our 

poor choices or just the bad things that 

happen in our lives. If something is going 

wrong, it’s surely someone else’s fault. 

There are times, of course, when the 

blame is legitimate. People wrong us. Others 

cause suffering and hardship in our 

lives. Yet, obsessing over it only leads to 

bitterness and ends up hurting us more 

than it does them. It distracts us from the 

choices we can make to heal and move on. 

Then there are other times, the times 

when we can’t find anyone to blame, and 

we end up blaming God. When a senseless 

tragedy occurs, we wonder why God 

didn’t prevent it. How could a good God 

let something like that happen? 

Why wouldn’t God do something 

about all the pain and suffering in the 

world? 

That’s a valid question, and honestly 

it’s one that’s tough to answer this side 

of heaven. Unless, of course, we remember, 

that God did do something to put 

things right. He became a man, stepped 

I was shark-savvy enough to know what was 

coming next and couldn’t believe no one was 

doing anything to stop her. For Pete’s sake, 

her own mother was right there and not lifting 

a finger to save her from certain doom. 

into this brutal, broken world, and died 

on a cross to make a way for the entire 

universe to someday be restored to a place 

of goodness, love and peace. 

But, in the meantime, it can be hard 

to trust God when things happen that we 

don’t understand. Last year, I had been 

praying for a family member who had 

had a string of bad luck. If God would just 

change this one circumstance, I thought, 

they could finally catch a break. I prayed 

repeatedly, but the situation went the 

other way. Though I’m usually quick to 

trust God, this time I didn’t. I said, “Really 

God? This would have been so easy 

for you to do.” 

I was mad, so I blamed God. What 

kind of friend was he? He clearly has the 

power to help someone I loved, but he 

didn’t do it. Thanks, I prayed. Thanks a 

lot. 

Moments later, I realized how dumb 

I sounded. God has come through for me 

so many times in the past, how I could I 

not trust him? I also remembered that 

there is evil at work in the world and 

sometimes bad things happen because of 

that. Finally, I reminded myself that this 

one circumstance wasn’t the end of the 

story, just a chapter. God is still writing 

the ending, and based on his track record, 

I believe it’s going to be a good one. • 

Jason Byerly is a writer, pastor, husband and 

dad who loves the quirky surprises God sends 

his way every day. You can catch up with Jason 

on his blog at www.jasonbyerly.com or on 

Twitter at www.twitter.com/jasondbyerly. 


The All-New 2019 Chevy Blazer now in Stock at John Jones Auto Group 

800-473-5546 • johnjonesautogroup.com 

SALEM • CORYDON • SCOTTSBURG 


WHAT 

GETS OUR 

BLOOD 

PUMPING? 

OFFERING THE LATEST IN MINIMALLY INVASIVE HEART CARE. In Southern Indiana, there’s no 

better place for your heart than Baptist Health Floyd. Here, you have easy access to comprehensive cardiac 

services, from advanced diagnostics and surgery to follow-up care. And we are the only hospital in Southern 

Indiana to offer the latest in minimally invasive atrial fibrillation procedures. Devoting our lives to taking 

better care of your heart; that’s cardiac care centered on you. Visit BaptistHealth.com/HeartCare to learn 

more and take a heart risk assessment. 

Corbin | Floyd | La Grange | Lexington | Louisville | Madisonville | Paducah | Richmond 

BaptistHealth.com

SIL - Mar/Apr 2019

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