Oktoberfest back at German Park this year

By Sarah Woodruff

The German-American Klub will be celebrating their 36th Annual Oktoberfest on Sept. 9-12 from 4- 11 p.m. at German Park. The celebration of the 36th annual Oktoberfest attests to the organization’s rich history. The mission of the German-American Klub is “To promote the German and American culture, heritage, and tradition, to provide functions for the members and their families.” According to the Klub’s Treasurer Lorra Schroeder the Federation of German Societies was formed in 1932 by 22 local German organizations. In 1934, this group purchased 26 acres of land south of Indianapolis known today as German Park. In 1971, a committee was formed to build the German American Klub. The first Oktoberfest was held in 1975 to raise monies for a German Park clubhouse which opened in December of 1979. The idea behind Oktoberfest goes back even further to the year 1810. Oktoberfest originated as a royal party to celebrate the October 12 marriage of Prince Ludwig I of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The citizens of Munich, Germany were invited to the festivities. Oktoberfest became a traditional German celebration. Although traditionally held in October, President of the German American Klub Chuck Kemp said they decided to have it in September due to warmer weather. Kemp said the Oktoberfest originally moved to the Indiana State Fair because it had an indoor facility. Kemp is happy to have the event back at German Park and compares it to getting back to the Oktoberfest’s roots. “The Oktoberfest is what built this building and helped keep it running,” Kemp said. This year’s Oktoberfest is a family friendly event and will include plenty of traditional food prepared by the staff of the Klub’s restaurant Edelweiss and many fun activities. There will be two stages of musical and dance performances and a special rootbier garten for children of all ages. The Kindertanzgruppe (children’s dance group) will also perform. Members Chuck Kemp, Lorra Schroeder and Patty Johns (President of the German-American Klub Ladies Auxiliary) all agree that the charm of the Oktoberfest is definitely the people and the hard work of all their volunteers. “The ambiance of the park is unmatched, there is this environment of people, music, and the great smell of bratwurst”, Johns said.

Buck has made a name as painter, teacher

By Mike Alexander

When Luke Buck touches a brush to canvas, a picture of several thousand words is about to materialize. The 69-year painter makes his home and studio with wife Coleen in the serene landscape of Princess Lakes at Nineveh in southern Johnson County. Buck, who has done over 3,000 paintings, has taught around the country and world, creating a world-wide following among art enthusiasts. Soft-spoken and about 6-feet tall, the bearded artist does much of his traveling, with sidekick Coleen in back, riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle. Much of his teaching has been with the South Side Art League in Greenwood. He once lived and worked in Beech Grove. Buck grew up in a family of artists on the east side of Indianapolis. He shared a studio with his father, Harold, for many years. After graduating from Indianapolis Arsenal Technical High School in 1960, he studied figure drawing for a year at John Heron Art Institute in Indianapolis. He worked as an illustrator in the Army during 1963-64. Later, Buck worked as a designer and illustrator of class rings and signet jewelry for Herff-Jones in Indianapolis. He began freelancing as a commercial artist in 1970. He came into his own when he devoted full time to the fine arts 11 years later. A major lesson in Buck’s career came from his father. “First, satisfy yourself. If you’re happy with it, others will be happy, too.” Once he completes a painting, Buck will add a personal touch by leaving his finger print in an inconspicuous place. Buck will have exhibits in the Applewood Orchard Show Aug. 28-29. He will be part of a workshop in Northwood Plaza in Franklin Oct. 15-17. He has been featured in Northlight Books. His paintings have been in the National Wild Turkey Federation and in The Friends of NRA. He was won several awards in nearby Nashville, Indiana, as well as Disney’s Festival of The Masters, and Masterpieces in Miniature in Alberta, Canada. He has been honored in the Nature Art Festival in Jamestown, New York. In 1997, Luke contracted with Mill Pond Press, which publishes limited edition reproductions. The publishing company distributes Buck’s art through a network of galleries nationwide. If you ever travel the winding by-ways of southern Johnson County, you may see Buck and his wife on their Hog in search of more Americana landscapes and American wild life. It’s an obsession: he’s got to get them on canvas.

One ’toon at a time

By Mike Beas

Converse with Justin Barnes and Daryl Pyle alone or together and inevitably you’re introduced to Walt. As in sentences that begin with, “Walt said” or “What Walt did”, followed by the no-look point to the black-and-white poster occupying wall space inside the men’s workplace. Inside Cartoon Express, a business that, fittingly, utilizes the front pages of various cartoon books as its primary source of decoration and inspiration, the poster of a fairly transparent Walt Disney serves as the instantly recognizable focal point, as does the inspirational quotation beneath him: “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” Asked how regularly they gaze at the figure, the words, the 25-year-old Barnes and Pyle, 34, nearly respond in enthusiastic unison. Every day, they answer, though one gets the feeling that by their obvious reverence for a man who has been deceased for 44 years it runs more along the lines of once per hour. Whether or not Barnes and Pyle eventually attain Disneyesque heights in business much less achieve the supposedly unachievable remains to be seen. In the interim, they along with the other employees at Cartoon Express plan to have as much fun as humanly possible attempting to get to that point. A 2002 Greenwood High School graduate, Barnes three years ago teamed with Pyle to develop Cartoon Express, a company whose singular objective is to teach persons of all ages how to inflate their imaginary horizons by creating their very own cartoons and comics. “Cartoons were a huge part of my life growing up. They were so fascinating how they basically make you feel emotion. I was always drawing as a kid. You hardly ever saw me without pencil and paper,” says Barnes. “I decided I wanted to make comic books for a living. Then one day, a friend of my wife’s asked if I would like to teach a class at the Greenwood Public Library. I did and I fell in love with it.” One day in late 2006 Barnes and Pyle, introduced through a mutual acquaintance, met for lunch. While consuming burritos at the Greenwood Taco Bell at Hwy. 31 and Thompson Road, they hatched a plan which became reality in April 2007. Since then they have taught art camps in libraries, schools, churches and day camps throughout Indiana and are in the process of taking the program national and perhaps one day even global. Able to exhibit a zeal for their craft without so much as a granule of intimidation, Barnes and Pyle are well received by audiences, the majority of which are comprised of individuals who look both men straight in the waist. “We have our supply, we’re just looking for our demand right now,” says Barnes. “We want to be able to take what we know and what we love and inject it into camps. Basically, to get the best out of kids so that someday they can go out and start their own business or maybe invent something crazy.” The advent of modern technology such ensures the possibility of unlimited reach for Cartoon Express. So secure is Barnes in the company that he has gone back to school in order to gain even greater knowledge of how to grow his business. By 2013 Barnes projects he’ll have his associate’s degree in business management and a bachelor’s degree in marketing and advertisement from Indiana Wesleyan. The hope is that by then Cartoon Express will be in demand both here and beyond state lines, imagery that puts a smile on the face of its co-founders. “We have not scratched the surface of what Cartoon Express is going to be. I can’t wait to see what this is like 10 years from now,” says Pyle. “If you love what you do, the money will follow, and I still love to draw and to get kids excited. As long as they’re having fun and learning …” His voice trails off. Pencil has left paper. As for the infectiously buoyant approach Barnes and Pyle bring to and encourage throughout Cartoon Express, it’s here to stay which somewhere must have the ultimate cartoon futurist, Walt Disney, smiling. Make that just Walt.

Historic Polk Place renovation moving ahead toward 2011 completion

By Mike Alexander

Polk Place in the center of Greenwood is about to take another monumental place in history. Husband-and-wife team Randy and Julie Faulkner took on the renovation project in April of last year, and they said things, so far, have gone smoothly. Polk Place is located at 435 E. Main St., about eight blocks east of Madison Avenue. Built in 1907, Polk Place was a major Midwest cannery and dairy employing 550 workers at its glory in the early 1900s. The cannery was founded by James T. and Laura Polk, along with Jim Henry and sister India. Soon, there were 150 farmers under contract, and the company was processing 26,000 cans of tomatoes a day. Marketed as Polk’s Best, the company canned tomatoes, corn, peas and other vegetables. Later, Polk expanded with the purchase of 220 Jersey cows and created a dairy business. The Polk Co. was the first dairy to personally deliver milk in Indianapolis. A highlight of operation was when the Polks came up with a nursing milk product for babies. During World War I, Polk landed a contract with the United States government to can beef and other foods for military provisions. In 1930, Stokely Co. (Later to become Stokely-Van Camp) bought the Polk Company and operated it until 1959. The site had been in decline for about 10 years until Faulkner took it over. The renovation includes taking all outside entrances and taking them inside for greater convenience to occupants. Much of the building is being restored as office space. About 80 percent of the 1907 brick has been retained during the renovation. Faulkner and employees of his company, Peak Home Improvement, have been working on the buildings steadily for the past 16 months. On a recent tour with electrician Eric Key and Tim Wood, one could see the rich interior of colors accented by the 1907 brick. A tasteful-looking conference room is available for use by any of the businesses at one end of the upper hallway. Faulkner’s elegant office is on the upper floor and houses the operations of his businesses, Peak Home Improvement and Christian Phone Book. Jesse Garner manages Peak Home Improvement. Restoration Church, with the Rev. David Stephenson as its pastor, recently held its grand opening, after moving across from its previous location on Main Street. The church is located at the south end of the site. Businesses having offices in a portion of Polk Place since last fall are Putnam & Comp Services, North Star telemarketing, Cornerstone Autism Center and Prosper Group. Small businesses on the main level include an attorney’s office, hair salon and a sales group. Faulkner has been in the construction business most of his life. But Polk Place is his first big job where he is at personal risk. “At the same time, I’m the customer, builder and tenant, and I have all of this personal freedom to get the job done,” he said. The Faulkners hope to have Polk Place completed by the end of next year. Faulkner already has leased out most of the upper level and 40 percent of the lower level. Persons interested in leasing space should get in touch with broker Bruce Richardson at (317) 507-3285. Richardson said he has had already several inquiries about space.

Global Daughters Program connects two countries to prepare girls to be self-sufficient one stitch at a time.

By Nicole Palmer

Andrea Reed never would have guessed when she opened Sophia’s Bridal Tux & Prom in Greenwood, that her business could impact the lives of girls in Cambodia. In July, Reed and dress designer, Nicole Krajewski, took a two-week trip to the country to investigate, but ended up establishing Daughters Project, a vocational program teaching girls to sew formal dresses. A skill the girls will use to earn money so they won’t be sold into the sex trade. “An important thing we really realized on the American side of it is we can do a lot with what we have,” Reed said. “I own a bridal shop. It’s such a vain industry but I have been wondering what can be done globally to help people. So to think that we were able to empower women around the world, you don’t have to do a lot. If you have a gift there is a way to use it.” Before this, Reed purchased most of her dresses from China and said she did not feel good about supporting their labor practices. Knowing about the issue surrounding sex trafficking in Cambodia, she asked advice from Chris Alexander, owner of Center for Global Impact, located in Indianapolis. Alexander’s faith-based organization assists with establishing projects to help people around the world. “She wanted to use her particular business to help individuals,” Alexander said. “This project has moved forward rapidly. We had a teacher eager to train, a dress shop prepared to buy the dresses and churches willing to donate.” Reed purchased a house for the girls to live in, which will have a housemother to take care of the girls. At work, there will be a sewing instructor and the girls will go to his shop every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reed hopes to find 10 girls to become seamstresses. Currently they have three. “We know they will make money because we will buy the dresses from them,” Reed said. “We are taking it step by step. But if other stores would be interested in purchasing this line, then we can expand it. The more people that can sell the products, the more people we can give jobs to.” For the next prom season Reed will purchase 1,100 dresses. 200 of these will be from the Cambodian girls. But even with the money she will give the girls for their work, they still need sponsors to maintain their house, which Reed said will cost about $50,000 a year. She would like to find more people to sponsor girls, which will cost $300 a month. This money will be used for their living costs and a $20 a week stipend to the parents as part of an agreement to stop the practice of the girls being sold into the sex trade. Reed estimated that in two years, the girls will know how to make the dresses and have the capability to sustain themselves on their own. Reed and Krajewski will visit Cambodia twice a year to check on the progress. “If people are called to action or want to know more, they can contact us,” Reed said. “We believe we can pick up on the American side because its’ really the only fair trade products known right now. It’ll catch on just for that.” Anyone interested in donating or learning more about the Daughters Project may contact Reed at (317) 882-1244, Alexander at (317) 989-4602 or visit daughtersbridal.blogspot.co.

Budget cuts and layoffs in Beech Grove

By Submission For The Southside Times

Mayor Joe Wright recently released a statement regarding Beech Grove facing layoffs and further cuts to make it through the end of 2010. In the statement he says he wants to ensure that despite the budget cuts, the City continues to provide basic services for residents. “Despite continued monitoring of revenue received throughout the year, with new figures recently provided by the State, our challenges are greater than anticipated,” Wright said. In addition to the transition of Beech Grove’s dispatch, the City is looking at additional cuts in staff with every employee position being evaluated. Layoffs will take place within the next several weeks. Municipal governments throughout Indiana are dealing with property tax revenue reductions as a result of property tax caps mandated by House Bill 1001. The Indiana General Assembly passed this legislation in response to taxpayers’ demand for property tax relief. Wright says he understands that the mandates are good news for taxpayers, but the City is facing more challenges. Additional cuts were made in the budget as soon as they received the updated revenue reduction figures from the State, but more have to be made. “With recent revenue figures in, we have more clarity regarding our financial condition and the resulting actions I warned everyone about late last year now are upon us. I have delayed layoffs as long as possible to preserve employees’ jobs, but unfortunately, we are out of time,” Wright said. In the next several days, Wright will be meeting with staff to determine the course of action to be taken. Employees will be notified of layoffs once plans are known.

Treating autism with applied behavior analysis

By Jennifer Pherigo

It is estimated that one out of every hundred children will be diagnosed with autism this year in the United States. In Indiana, it is one out of every ninety-two. According to the Autism Society of America at autism-society.org, by definition “autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others.” Indiana ranks 7th in the nation of the number of persons diagnosed with autism. Establishments such as the Cornerstone Autism Center, 360 Polk St., Greenwood, and Applied Behavior Center for Autism, 450 S. S.R. 135, Greenwood, have opened to provide services to this population. Pharmaceuticals may be prescribed by doctors to treat a child’s autism, but Ken Weadick, clinical director of Cornerstone Autism Center, believes using applied behavior analysis (ABA) with an emphasis in verbal behavior is the most effective. Instead of using drugs, both Cornerstone and Applied Behavior’s center therapists work with children one-on-one to help target the problem. In a teacher-student setting the child will learn interpersonal skills to apply in different situations and have fun while learning them. ABA has been used for more than thirty years and is still the only scientifically proven therapy for autism. Autistic children shown in media coverage often have significant talents, but Weadick says that this applies to or represents a very small percentage of people with autism. He goes on to explain that if a child has a specific interest, the therapists would use that to further gain a connection to help them learn. For example, if a child was fascinated with trains the instructor would have the child recite the names of colors and then move on to naming the parts of the train to build on comprehension and verbal skills. Jane Grimes is the market and public relations director for Applied Behavior Center for Autism and is the mother of an 11-year-old autistic child. She believes that most people do not realize that “one of the key things with autism is that every child is different” unlike other disabilities, which have specific traits to identify the disability. As a mother she cannot compare her child with other autistic children, because of the wide variance in degree of disability. Grimes’ co-worker, Kyle Mitchell, has been a board certified behavior analyst for 12 years and has been with the center for over five years. He urges parents with autistic children to have them treated using ABA by those who are board certified in behavior analysis and have experience in the field. He has used ABA to treat autistic children and has found that even those with autism paired with another disorder can be helped through the therapy. Children can be diagnosed as early as two-years-old by their pediatrician. The Autistic Society of Indiana Chapter has a list of warning signs for parents at autism-society.org. If left undiagnosed or untreated, autistic children often do not develop necessary interpersonal and life skills. Both Weadick and Grimes explain that even with treatment there is no cure and one cannot simply grow out of it. Services in autism centers vary and a pediatrician may be able to refer parents to centers appropriate for each child. More information on the Cornerstone Autism Center can be found at cornerstoneautismcenter.com or by calling (317) 888-1557. The Applied Behavior Center can be reached at (317) 889-KIDS or appliedbehaviorcenter.org.

Burmese seek refuge on south side

By Sarah Woodruff

Imagine hearing a knock at your door in the middle of the night and being asked to leave your home or face persecution. For 6,000 Burmese refugees living in Perry Township this knock on the door was a reality. With the influx of Burmese refugees known as the Chin population settling in the south side area, there was a town forum held on Wednesday, July 28 in the City of Southport community room. This forum was sponsored by the Greater Southport Business Alliance (GSBA) and moderated by Kevin Wheeler who is an agent for Cardinal Insurance and Board Member of GSBA. The panel included: Gary Loveless, Mayor Ballard’s liaison to Perry Township Gabrielle Campo, Director of the refugees program for Catholic Charities Kjack William, head liaison for the Perry Township school system Za Bik, Chairman of the Chin community. Bik works for Southport’s Chase Bank. Steve Ward and Don Dillard, of the Chin Ministry of Mount Pleasant Christian Church The audience included representatives of the Exodus organization and the superintendent’s office of the Perry Township Schools. Wheeler described this forum as a way to educate and inform and put faces to the folks in our community if you have specific issues and questions. Wheeler said he is also moved by the Burmese people and their stories. “Listening to the pastors and the stories these folks have are gripping and they have moved me. When you hear about these stories, you know how spoiled we are in the United States,” Wheeler said. According to the United Nations, refugees are people who are forced to flee their country due to persecution, whether on an individual basis or as part of a mass exodus due to political, religious, military or other problems. According to William and Za Bik, the Burmese government had a policy to assimilate the Burmese people as one race and one religion. Among these laws, Christianity was not accepted and the practice would lead to persecution. Za Bik said, “We have human right abuse. There is no democracy.” Organizations like Catholic Charities and Exodus lead the humanitarian effort to resettle the refugees by helping with living arrangements, school enrollment, ESL classes and job placement. One of the reasons Perry Township is so popular is due to the support of the churches and schools. “That Hoosier hospitality is alive and well and I think it has seen us through the years,” Campo said. In addition to Catholic Charities, Exodus and local churches helping with support, Senator Lugar is also advocating that more federal financial aid be available to communities that support refugees. Once refugees are helped into resettlement and gain jobs they can earn and save their own money. When they come to the United States they are protected as refugees and are legal residents. It is a five year process to become a citizen. According to Carleen Miller, Executive Director of Exodus, the Chin people’s population has expanded on the south side during the last ten years. She says the Chin people struggle with the English language. They want to learn English and the children pick up the language quickly. Another struggle for the Chin people is driving. Mt. Pleasant Christian and Southport Presbyterian Church provide referral services for Chin people to take driving lessons. One of the common threads of all Chin people is their strong family and community-centric values. Many of refugees share the same strong Christian faith. Dillard of Mt. Pleasant Church admires this quality in the Chin people. He describes that you may see many people in their community worshipping in their homes. “They believe America is their Christian home.” Dillard says. The forum ended with Steve Ward encouraging more conversation. “I think dialogue is very important, so that they can learn about us and we can learn about them,” Ward said.

Budget cutbacks affecting school districts differently

By Nicole Palmer

With school back in session, students and parents can expect changes at school this year due to the economy. Indiana school’s federal funding decreased by $300 million in December 2009. While some schools are still surviving, dreading another round of cuts, others have made tough decisions about which jobs and activities to eliminate just to balance their budget. Perry Meridian and Southport schools put together a plan to make up for a projected $6.75 million shortfall this year. First, the schools will transition from having a block schedule to a traditional schedule. This means students will now have six classes per day instead of four, creating a reduction in staff. They have eliminated a grand total of 42 teaching positions. “We have experienced much deeper cutbacks than ever before,” said Barbara Brouwer, principal for Southport High School. “If they continue to cut into schools, we have to cut more programs. We are doing the best we can with what we have.” The schools have not only decreased teaching jobs, but also 10.5 administrative employees and 22 support staff such as custodians, elementary media specialists, a private tutor and a social worker. They have also eliminated B team sports, 5th grade basketball, intramurals, holiday cards and publications. They did not offer summer school, so students will have to make up credits in an alternative way, which has not yet been determined. Salary employees will not receive pay raises. Neither Greenwood nor Beech Grove schools have lost any teaching jobs. Greenwood laid off a few teachers at the end of last school year, but enough teachers retired so those who were laid off can return. They did eliminate playground aides and crossing guards along with some other non-certified staff. “It’s definitely a difficult year,” said Randy Burns, Director of Fiscal Services for Greenwood schools. “I would not be surprised at the end of the year if we got more cutbacks.” The schools have cut back on energy costs by monitoring air conditioning and power usage. Beech Grove even had enough money left from the referendum they received last year to install voice lifts, a microphone for teachers to wear so children can hear them more clearly, in elementary classrooms. “We had enough flexibility to hold off any cuts,” said Paul Kaiser, superintendent of Beech Grove City Schools. “If they cut again in December though, we might have to think about it.” No school reported an increase in student fees. Center Grove and Franklin Twp. schools were not available for interviews.

WAMM Fest continues ‘doing it right’

By Sherri Coner-Eastburn

A couple of years ago, in a think tank-type of environment, some Greenwood-loving members of Sertoma Club sat down to talk about raising funds for the community. “We were brainstorming some ways to fundraise,” said Joyce Nies, a Greenwood Sertoma club member and a Greenwood attorney. In the midst of all the brainstorming, the concept was born. Mix 10 hours of live entertainment performed by heavy-hitter musicians in an environment where visitors can also stroll through more than 60 displays by incredibly talented artists while sipping a glass of wine or a cup of beer -- and you get WAMM Fest, Wine, arts, Music and Micro brew. “We were thinking, ‘We need to do a major music and culture type of event,’” said Vic Koons of Center Grove, another Greenwood Sertoma member. “And we said, ‘We can help change the face of Greenwood if we do this right.’” “Doing it right” included inviting the likes of popular musical groups such as Jennie DeVoe, Tastes Like Chicken and The Woomblies. “Doing it right” called for more than 15 of the most popular local restaurants, five wineries and three brew houses to set up shop in the park, where visitors could enjoy great food at their leisure. “Doing it right” meant to offer a family- friendly atmosphere, with balloon rides, dance groups and Ragtime piano while also featuring local teen bands, such as The M-80s and Side Affects. Last year, bad weather threatened the success of the first annual WAMM Fest. But even in the rain, 4,000 people showed up, Koons said with a smile. This year, organizers count on at least 8,000 people of all ages to crowd through the gates and spend the day. Although coolers are not allowed, people are encouraged to bring along lawn chairs or blankets if they want to sit close to the stages, especially since both stages rotate acts every 90 minutes. “It’s all about featuring local and national artists,” Nies said. “It’s all about us. It’s about Indiana.” Greenwood Mayor, Charles Henderson and the staff at Greenwood Parks & Recreation jumped on the band wagon, too, Nies said. Sertoma Club members have received nothing but support in their efforts to showcase the multiple talents found on the Southside while also raising much-needed dollars for area agencies and programs. Last year, he and the other members of the band enjoyed their performance time onstage at WAMM Fest, said Zane Franklin, 13, lead guitarist and lead vocalist for the M-80s. This year, the M- 80s will perform a 90-minute show and it’s packed with everything from old Zepplin and Bon Jovi to Nickelback. “It was really fun last year,” Franklin said. “But this year, we have a longer set and a bigger stage.” WAMM Fest provides all-day entertainment for all ages, but it is also important to keep an eye on the fact that it is a fundraiser for Greenwood, Koons said. Last year’s WAMM Fest dollars helped Greenwood Parks & Recreation Department, Greenwood Police and Greenwood Firefighters. Without community sponsors, the event couldn’t have blossomed from a brainstorm to a reality, Koons said. “Ray and Bill Skillman have been tremendous sponsors of this event. It’s unbelievable what they have done to help us. And we’ve got new sponsors this year, too,” Koons said. “Our event is for charity and it’s part of the evolution of Greenwood.”