Monday, August 19, 2024

Aug 19, 2024

Candace Chrzan, Marilyn Chrzan and Nancy Stephenson enjoy Music in the Park on Friday in the Blue River Memorial Park picnic shelter. An AC/DC tribute band followed Blues Skies, a local group comprised of Todd Green, Lindsey Flannery, Scot Shrader and Zach Brown. | photo by JACK BOYCE

MHP’s Dining Service Receives Rave Reviews

Sean McKenzie, Director of Food and Nutrition Service at MHP, receives a celebratory haircut Friday from Executive Chef Matt Gindhart while Luke Hampton, Chef Retail Manager, looks on. | photo by ANNA TUNGATE

Two years ago, Sean McKenzie said that if MHP’s Blue River Cafe reached the 90th percentile in patient satisfaction surveys, he would shave his head. Given satisfaction ratings were only in the teens then, it seemed like a safe bet.

But on Friday, the staff celebrated reaching the 93rd percentile, and McKenzie, Director of Food and Nutrition Service at MHP, kept his word, if not his hair.

“It happened,” he told the staff moments before Executive Chef Matt Gindhart manned the clippers.

The event took place one day after McKenzie celebrated two years at MHP. “I made it this far and I still have my hair, for now,” he said.

The dining staff is part of a contract service company, Forefront, which oversees the cafe, room service and even contributes to Meals on Wheels. The ascendant rise in patient satisfaction was no accident.

There were immediate changes to the menu two years ago, with an emphasis on fresh items and dishes made from scratch. Adding variety, such as a flatbread station, made-to-order salads, grill fare and hot and deli sandwiches, was also an important factor, Gindhart said.

“The salad bar was already there, but we amped it up a little,” he said.

Blue River Cafe, located off the main concourse near Entrance #3, is open to the public and features a daily healthy option, called a “well-being meal” with a set amount of calories for only $4.45. There are also discounts for employees.

“There are other stations that have premium items, but you’re still paying way less than you would if you went to a restaurant, and you're getting restaurant-quality food here,” Gindhart said.

The survey is also a reflection of service.

“We really, really pride ourselves in loving, caring and kindness, and those are the attributes that we ask of everyone that we hire,” McKenzie said.

With the celebration complete, McKenzie, sporting his new haircut, said he’s already thinking about the future.

“Keeping (satisfaction rates) there will be the next biggest challenge,” he said.

NOTEBOOK:

HOOSIER NEWS: The cost of HVAC equipment has doubled in the last three years, a heating and cooling company owner told Indiana Public Media. And starting next year, companies will be required to buy a new kind of refrigerant, the part of the air conditioning unit that takes the heat out of the air and transfers it to a condenser that makes the air cold. New equipment is being developed to lower its global warming potential. As a result, the cost of equipment will increase even more, up 20 to 30 percent. (Indiana Public Media)
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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

Hell-Fire in a Bottle

Since the time that we were born and all attended Calvary Baptist Church on Colescott Street, we were accustomed to hearing Reverend Hagar talk about hell-fire and brimstone, but we really knew that hell-fire came in a bottle. It was called mercurochrome, and we boys called it the fire in a bottle.

When we were out doing our thing, it was very hard to keep from having little cuts and scrapes, but they just happened. We did not do them on purpose. We knew that sooner or later we would have to face Mom and her little bottle of fire.

When we got home, we would try to keep our wounds hidden from her and her little bottle of fire. The bottle was a tiny thing about the diameter of a nickel and as tall as your middle finger. The screw cap when removed had a glass stylus used as an applicator, and the applicator was then dipped into the innocent-looking, greenish, bluish, pink solution and smeared on the cut or scrape which brought out the fire and pain and the screams and the tears. We would do anything to avoid Mom getting that bottle out and smearing the liquid on our cuts and scrapes.

Picture this, Mom just found out that I scraped and cut my knee, but the bleeding had stopped hours ago, and I am pleading with her and I'm backing away from her. By now she has the little bottle in one hand and is trying to grab me with the other hand. The other boys were cheering me on and saying "Run, Joe; she's about the grab! You, run!”, but Mom always wins as she catches me and unscrews the cap from the bottle and applies ample amounts of the Hell-fire in a bottle on my injuries.

We all hated that stuff and tried to hide it, but she always found it. Then later, we found out that she also had reinforcements called tincture of iodine and Merthiolate, all three solutions equally painful. To show you how painful and dangerous these items were, they are no longer sold in the USA. As soon as the kids my age grew up, the first thing we did was to outlaw them.

SHS Courier Archive Highlights:

November 13, 1957, Part III

Members of the SHS Library Club held a “dusting party” and pitch-in supper at the home of Mrs. Moore, the librarian. The students spent the evening dusting shelves and books in the library and then went to Mrs. Moore’s home for a fried chicken dinner. Six of the nine library assistants were able to attend: Jean Sanders, Molly Thornburg, Sarah Coffee, Marilyn Hasecuster, Carole Weaver and Joan Daniels. Those unable to attend were Jan Cousins, June Allen and Pat Collins.
“Has anyone seen Paul Revere?” an article asked. “That is, the statue of Paul that used to be at the door of the assembly? Paul and his horse haven’t been around since the start of school. Maybe he got tired of having students put candy wrappers in his mouth. If you will remember, Paul and his horse were getting to be in pretty bad shape. Paul had several fingers broken off and his horse had a broken leg.”
Officers for the 1957-58 SHS band were elected: Jerry Barlow, Doyle Chaney, and Jim Sleeth. Mr. Chesser was the band director.
The new basketball season was set to open. The Bears had opened against Silver Creek High School of Sellersburg four consecutive years. Returning lettermen for SHS were Ronnie Richardson, Danny Thurston, Charlie Vaughn and Jack Krebs.

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 Shelbyville Police Department continued acquiring items from military surplus, a practice started about 15 years prior. Over that time, the department had acquired an armored truck, an infrared illuminator, a video conferencing system and other items.

2004: Sales were low for Dinner Under the Stars, to be held at Indiana Downs. The event had been held at Occasions Banquet Hall the prior two years. Previously, the event was held on Public Square during the Bears of Blue River Festival, but uncooperative weather and complaints from some attending about privacy led the directors to try something different. But even glow-in-the-dark stars decorating Occasions’ ceiling couldn’t stop some from complaining the event didn’t hold true to its name. The Indiana Downs event would take place under a large tent in the infield of the track.

1994: For the first time in the 122-year history of St. Joseph Elementary School, students were required to wear uniforms. “Studies have shown that you act the way you dress,” Principal Joan Livingston told The Shelbyville News. “And we realized last year that some of our students were not taking pride in what they were wearing. We especially noticed it when the kids were in church.” Five families had pulled their students out of the school over the new rule, the paper reported. But about 70 percent of parents said they were in favor of requiring uniforms.

1984: The Indiana State Board of Health forced Indiana Cities Water Corp. to pay for tests of its Shelbyville water well field to determine if it was a safe source of drinking water for the city. The safety of the well field had been questioned by the state because of chemical contamination that had infiltrated ICW’s wells three times in past years. Several nitrates, carcinogens and phenols had been linked to factories near and upriver from the field.

1974: Frank Barnes was the first person to sign a petition circulated by the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce to have the Shelbyville High School sports arena named in honor of 1947 basketball star Bill Garrett, who had died two weeks prior from a heart attack. The petition drive was led by Jack Warble and Dwain Laird. Barnes had coached Garrett and the ‘47 team to the state basketball championship.

1964: Meredith Mann purchased the city’s 1928 model Fox fire truck, which had been in service 36 years. Mann said he planned to use it in parades and place it on display at public events. He added that he “grew up around the truck and wanted to have it,” The Shelbyville News said. The truck had not been used on a fire run since 1956. “The old critter just wouldn’t stay hitched up and was more of a hindrance than a help” in fighting fires, Chief William Smith said.

1954: The 25 local residents who worked for the New York Central and Pennsylvania Railroads received new benefits, which included three weeks of vacation and seven holidays for experienced employees.

1944: Pvt. Elmer Wrotten, 19, of northwest Shelby County and a Moral Township High School graduate, had been killed in France in late July, a telegram informed his family. Helen Miley, 110 East Taylor St., received word that her son, First Lt. Harold Miley, was missing in action.

1934: Lewis Rutherford, an employee of Joe Smith’s restaurant on East Jackson St., was held up by a lone gunman at 1:45 a.m. on the dirt road running south from State Road 9, at the foot of Muchmore Hill. The gunman forced Rutherford and an unnamed companion parked on the road out of the car, and drove away.

1924: Several Shelby County farmers received shipments of pyrotol, an explosive reportedly the same strength of dynamite and left over from the world war, from the federal government. The farmers had paid a nominal fee for packing and shipping to obtain the explosive.

1914: A two-story residence on Dr. Richter’s farm, two miles north of Morristown, was destroyed by fire. The renters, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Olinger, were able to save only a few items. Dr. Richter lived in Carthage.

OBITUARIES

None today.

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