Monday, August 12, 2024
CALL IT A WASH
Eastside Carwash, 1400 E. State Road 44, is preparing to reopen under new ownership following renovations. The new company, based in Washington state, purchased the car wash from an LLC early this year for $1.5 million. The LLC had purchased the property in August 2023, according to property records. | photos by JACK BOYCE
Food Waste Bins Made Available as Composting Takes Off in Community
Compost bins for yard waste are located in the back of the Community Garden in the 300 block of West Taylor Street. | photo by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS
Since buying a compost bin some 20 years ago, Kris Schwickrath hasn’t felt quite so guilty about produce occasionally going bad in her fridge.
“At least it’s going back to the earth in some capacity,” she said, laughing.
Schwickrath keeps her basic plastic container in her downtown backyard, feeding it a range of items, from grass clippings to cut-up banana peels and eggshells.
“I have an antique bowl in the house that I take out every few days,” she said. “I’ve been really diligent with it.”
She cuts most food items into smaller pieces, mixes in yard waste, and covers the bin with a lid, which serves the dual purpose of producing needed heat and keeping out critters.
“(The mixture) needs to cook,” Schwickrath said. “And there should be a balance between the moisture and the microbes. Just like our gut needs microorganisms, so does soil.”
For others who want to keep food waste out of landfills but aren’t quite ready for a compost commitment, the Shelby County Recycling District this month announced a new Food Waste Recovery Program for all county residents. Free five-gallon compost containers are now available at the center, 1316 N. Michigan Road. The containers can be used to collect food waste - such as fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds and eggshells - and returned and dumped at the facility.
The City of Shelbyville Street Department picks up yard waste. Wooden compost bins for yard waste, built by David Roller, are also available in the rear of the community garden in the 300 block of West Taylor Street, maintained by the Shelby County Master Gardener Association.
There, the gardeners pile grass clippings, leaves and dead plants for composting.
“We did a lot of leaves last year, and they turned into soil,” Schwickrath said. “We could actually use that soil in the same season, which is rare.”
While Schwickrath, the new Recycling District program and the Community Garden operate at an individual, residential level, Caldwell’s Inc., Morristown, is handling commercial bulk organic waste and using it to create nutrient-rich crop fertilizer for local farmers.
The Addison Times took a tour of Caldwell’s to see the process in action. A Depackaging Facility is located on the same site where owner Jordan Caldwell worked as a kid, sorting recyclables back when the City of Shelbyville and neighboring communities had mandatory programs.
These days, boxes of Gatorade, Jose Cuervo, ketchup and margarita mix, to name a few, wait to be opened by machines and have the organic and inorganic compounds separated through filters and screens in a hammer mill. Large blue barrels of syrups, purees and lemon juice wait to be put in a barrel tipper, poured, mixed and eventually turned into a slurry.
“We want our slurry to be blended because it’s a better product,” Caldwell said. “We want some food; we want some liquid; we want carbon products. The more diversity you have, the better the fertilizer is.”
Like Schwickrath, Caldwell compares the company’s mixture philosophy to a person’s stomach. “Your stomach blends several items; you don’t just eat one thing all the time,” he said.
The resulting mix of high-nutrient organic items and sugar create the desired slurry, which is retrieved via a vac-truck and hauled to a nearby compost facility. Every product at Caldwell’s, including horse manure from the track, at one point simply went to the landfill. Now, it’s going into organic fertilizer.
After launching the business, Caldwell used the first harvest of organic fertilizer on his own farm ground and saw a dramatic yield increase. He has since opened the product line to others, and business has been good. He’s sold out for next year. In fact, he has a waiting list.
Long-time composters like Schwickrath are happy to hear about the commercial marketability of something they’ve practiced for years.
“It’s about renewal, it’s about transformation and enhancing the soil,” she said.
Those interested in obtaining a food waste compost bin can pick one up at the Shelby County Recycling Center on N. Michigan Road, Shelbyville, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. or contact the center at 317-392-8904.
NOTEBOOK:
The Shelby County Board of Zoning Appeals on Tuesday will hear a use variance petition to allow a 1,200-square-foot detached garage with a half bathroom at 2629 S. Sugar Creek Road, Franklin, which would be used for storage of residential items. The ordinance requires a home to be located on the lot, but the petitioners, Randy and Lori Russ, do not intend to build a home on the property until they retire in eight to 10 years. The planning staff is recommending approval, primarily because established trees and vegetation will screen the use and development on the property from adjacent properties and the road. The county BZA meets at 7 p.m. in the county annex building.
428 E. Washington St., a two-story brick structure at the intersection of Vine St., is back on the market after the buyer’s financing fell through the day before closing. The building was recently zoned residential by the Shelbyville Common Council, but once housed Mark Burial Vault and numerous other businesses, including a beauty shop and diaper service in the 1950s.
NATIONAL NEWS: The early data is in, and last year 3.4 million households got $8 billion in tax credits for energy efficiency improvements, some of the first incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act. That legislation can make it up to 30 percent cheaper up front to switch to more efficient options, and that’s actually a beat on expectations given earlier projections of their expected popularity. About 750,000 of those households tapped into rooftop solar installation with the credits. Less than 300,000 got the tax credit for electric or natural gas heat pumps, which was slightly below expectations, but that number is expected to rise over time. (E&E News/Numlock)
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580 West Taylor St.
Editor’s Note: The following is the next installment in a serialized version of “580 West Taylor Street,” by Joseph E. “Joed” Landwerlen.
by JOSEPH E. LANDWERLEN
My Cousin
My cousin was five months older than me. He lived on a small farm on State Road 244, just over the Rush County line from Shelby County. The farm had a large two-story house, a big barn, and a small creek running behind it. When I was six or seven, I started spending a week or two in the summer out on the farm with my cousin. Then he would spend that same amount of time in town with me.
After the war, when things got settled down, my cousin’s parents moved to the place that holds most of my memories. The partially-completed house was closer to town. It was still on 244 and included a huge barn. They had plenty of acreage to raise oats, corn, wheat, and had a small herd of milk cows that had to be milked twice a day. This farm sat on the banks of Conn's Creek, which ran through the entire property.
All through the area where this new farm was located, retail gas pockets had been located. Shortly after moving into their new home, my aunt and uncle took a gamble and invested in digging a well for natural gas. The well was drilled and it was a success; they were blessed with a great pocket of natural gas. The gas line powered their home and all their appliances. They quite literally had no cost for power, except for lights. The gas-powered refrigerator always had a half-gallon of ice cold water in a big aluminum pitcher. If you were the one to finish it off, you had better fill it back up from the hand pump and replace it, and give it some time to get cold for the next person.
I remember the day they blew the well. My dad loaded up George, Jim, and myself into the borrowed milk van, and we went to my cousin's house. We stood around with a big crowd of people. The drillers then dropped nitroglycerine down to the bottom of the well. They announced that the well had been “blown.” All of a sudden, a bit of something called slag flew up out of the well. My uncle ran to the head of the well and threw a lit match inside of the cloud of natural gas, which was still hissing from the open valve. There was a massive fireball about 10 feet high. I still have a couple pieces of slag that I picked up that day. After the well was blown, they shut off the valve to contain the gas, and there was a huge celebration.
For the first few years of our lives, Donnie and I spent all of our days being boys on the river and in the woods. With little responsibilities, we would swim and fish all over the river. My aunt and uncle had a herd of milking cows.
Sometimes, one or more cows would decide they were going to be stubborn. Donnie and I would have to go out and round ‘em up and bring ‘em in. Early on, the cows were milked by hand. Sometime in the late 40's, a vacuum milking system was installed that let them buy and milk more cows efficiently.
As I got older, around 11 or 12 years old, I found out that there were certain chores that I was expected to do while I was on the farm. My cousin was no longer allowed to spend a week in town with me, as there was too much for him to do on the farm. When I was 12, my cousin's dad bought a baling machine. My cousin and I had numerous experiences being the ones that sat on the baler, and as the baling machine pushed the bales down the track we tied the twine that held the bale together. As it was one of the only balers around, we were quite busy. After sitting on the baler all day, we were filthy. My uncle Delbert had purchased a surplus Jeep for $75 after the war and fastened blocks of wood on the pedals so that Don and I could reach them. We would drive the Jeep home from the fields, straight to the swimming hole on Conn's Creek, and just jump in, clothes and all.
One of my best memories of the farm was in April. When the weather and the river was right, the men would come to the farm on that Sunday morning after church, and bring a huge net with them. The men and my uncle would place the net across the river, and my cousin and I would get in the cold river upstream about 50 to 60 yards and start walking toward the net and beat that cold water, driving the fish (white suckers) toward the net. At the proper time, the men would raise the net up and it would be full of fish!
The catches were placed into wash tubs and taken to the milk house for cleaning. After setting the net several times, it would be deemed that enough fish had been caught, and the nets would be put away. The men then cleaned and prepared the fish for the meal planned for later that afternoon. In the later afternoon, people would start gathering from all around, bringing dishes of all kinds to compliment the main entree. My uncle would start frying the suckers and all of the dishes that you could imagine were there.
In addition to the food, we had hand-cranked ice cream, roasted marshmallows, and there were spiked watermelons and beer for the adults and RC Cola, Big Red, and Nehi Orange for the kids. There was always a hayride and a huge bonfire, and everyone had a great time.
SHS Courier Archive Highlights:
October 3, 1969, Part I
Mr. Howard Ribble’s journalism class toured the Shelbyville News office, guided by Norman Thurston, General Manager.
Twenty-two girls were selected to assist in the library for the year. They were Carolyn Minor, Gaetana Smith, Joyce Watkins, Barbara Horton, Robin Livingston, Sandy Allen, Ruth O’Banyon, Connie Pearson, Karen Cadieux, Janet Fuquay, Sandy Reed, Connie Hurst, Marcia Neeb, Valerie Bennett, Cheryle Keppel, Bonnie Chance, Sharon New, Janet Minor, Teresa Holton, Clarice Neeb, Kris Kendall and Louella Sluss.
Juniors launched a candy sales effort during fourth hour from the gym lobby to raise funds for prom. The girls working the sales booth were Susan Ashley, Mary Bailey, Brooke Benefiel, Kathy Cover, Norita Hirschauer, Pat Landwerlen, Lynn LeClerc, Ruth Richomnd and Debbie Talbert.
A Sunshine luncheon was held at the Lincoln Motor Hotel in Indianapolis. SHS attendees included Amy Thurston, senior president of Sunshine; Sally Grigsby, sophomore president; Barb Bobeck, freshmen president; and Chris Werbe, junior treasurer. Sponsors present included Mrs. Shambach, Miss Maurer, Mrs. Durley and Miss Tudor.
Mary Jane Smith won an Indiana Pacers’ basketball during a pep rally. She received the ball for volunteering to compete against Coach Carl Hughes and Ron Pearson, Pacers representative, in a free-throw shooting contest.
An unsigned editorial complained that students “plowed up more ground milling around the concession stand than the (football) team does on the field. Either the students are starving or they simply aren’t interested,” the article said. “In most cases, it is the latter. To students, the game is to show off new fall clothes and dates.”
This Day in Shelby County History
News around Shelbyville and the surrounding area as reported on or about this date in history. Selections are curated from the Shelby County Public Library Genealogy Department.
2014: The Marietta Community Volunteer Fire Department celebrated its 60th annual event. Since 1954, the fish fry had helped the fire department support itself.
2004: The Shelbyville Police Department conducted the first-ever Operation Too Dark event to let drivers know if their vehicles passed or failed the window-tint inspection. Attendees received a copy of the state statue regarding tint from Traffic Safety Officer Bob Cook. The local department was giving 30 days of ticket-free enforcement before issuing fines up to $96.50. Mike Leffler, of Mike’s Mobile Tint, said he would be running a 15 percent off tint-removal sale for 30 days for customers who mentioned the “Operation Too Dark event.”
1994: Jennifer Wagner, 19, St. Mary St., was told she must get rid of Snuggles, her dwarf Vietnamese pot-bellied pig following complaints from neighbors and a 7-0 Common Council vote against amending the ordinance. “My wife and I went to see Snuggles, and she fell in love with her,” council member Roland Stine said. “But like the rest of the council members, I feel like we’re opening a Pandora’s box.” Tom DeBaun, city plan commission director, said he was aware of two other pot-bellied pigs and a miniature goat in town.
1984: The core of the Meredith Mann Water Tower was raised in the sky on McKay Road.
1974: Diana Denton, 17, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Denton, Shelbyville, was named a participant in the Miss Indiana Teenager Pageant, to be held in Gary. Denton, a senior at Shelbyville High School, had been a participant in the 1974 Miss Indiana World Pageant, 1972 Miss Indianapolis Teenage finalist and 1973 and 1974 Miss Lawrence Optimist Teenager.
1964: A Rushville boy was seriously injured at Sunrise Park when he was struck by a golf ball. He and a cousin had been hitting golf balls in the park when the young man was struck and knocked unconscious. He was rushed to Major Hospital and then to Methodist for surgery.
1954: George Wendling placed first in the heavyweight horse pulling contest. Forrest Updegraff finished second; Carl Courtney, third; Carl Mann, fourth; and William Kramer, fifth.
1944: Given rapidly decreasing funds, and since it was fair week, the Rec (Youth Recreation Center) would be opened on a greatly curtailed schedule for a week, the board announced. Sororities and other women’s organizations were requested to consider the matter of supplying volunteers for the Rec.
1934: Defective wiring caused a fire that destroyed a two-story frame building in Waldron and a small furniture repair shop structure. The lower floor of the two-story building had housed a restaurant and confectionery business operated by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Cunningham, owners of the building. The Cunninghams lived upstairs. Fred Fischer operated the furniture repair business next door.
1924: The Shelbyville Republican reported that Brookville had enacted an ordinance against masked parades in anticipation of a parade organized by the Ku Klux Klan. “The officials at Brookville have no objection to the parade if the participants are not masked,” the paper said.
1914: Several young people who attended the Chautauqua sessions gave a marshmallow toast on the fairgrounds at the close of the program. They were Emerson Brunner, Robert Holdt, Buster Robertson, George Gains, Miriam VanWay, Ethel Major, Mildred Blakely, Katherine Williams, Edna Comstock, Helen Steinhauser and Josephine Ray.
OBITUARIES
None today.
Know your food, you are what you eat.
Fantastic News on the home front. Community composting. Ahead of the curve Shelbyville.