Kiwanis Christmas Party

Vicki Emmons, Proud Owner and successful bidder

 

Greenfield Kiwanis held their 30 second auction to benefit the Kiwanis Scholarship Fund at their Christmas party on Decemeber 18.  Members bid on wrapped presents that have clues as to their contents.  Presents ranged from a rubber chicken to retauarant gift cards.

 

The auction raised over $1,000 for the scholarhsip fund.

 

Dorothy Gunn Receives Burt Curry Award

 

Dorothy Gunn received The Bert Curry Healthy Community Award awarded by the Hancock Regional Hospital Foundation at a dinner on Friday, Decemeber 14.

 

The following is her letter of nomination:

 

If  God puts angels upon this earth, Dorothy Gunn is surely one of them.  This quote from Dawn Earlywine summarizes very well the feelings of  the legions of people who have known and/or been cared for by Dorothy in her sixty years in Hancock County, over fifty of which have included being a nurse or volunteer at Hancock Regional Hospital.

Dorothy grew up on a small farm near Roachdale , Indiana where she acquired her tremendous work ethic by helping on the farm, starting with milking cows at age seven.  After graduating from High School , she entered the school of nursing at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis .  Completing her nurse’s training in 1951, she married a young man she had met at the Indiana State Fair during her high school years.  That young man was Jim Gunn from Hancock County and he did all of us a tremendous favor by bringing Dorothy to our community. 

Dorothy and Jim had four children, three boys and one girl, so Dorothy didn’t work in nursing for ten years.  She was contacted by the head nurse at our hospital in 1961 and asked to come to work which she did.  After five years of general nursing, she moved to the surgery recovery area where she would remain until her retirement in 2005.  She was supervisor of the recovery area nurses for many years and helped redesign the physical recovery area to what it is today.  Even as a supervisor she insisted on being a working nurse and many of us have awakened from surgery to see Dorothy’s smiling face and reassuring words. We knew we were in good hands.  Dorothy is one of the most compassionate individuals any of us will ever meet.  During her working years she was selected as the outstanding nurse of the year by the physicians, won the Vocational Service Award from the Greenfield Rotary Club in 2001and honorable mention(third place) in the Indianapolis Star’s Salute to Nurses in 2003.  Upon her retirement, the hospital established an annual award in Dorothy’s name for excellence in nursing. 

Shirley Torok who worked in Recovery with Dorothy for fifteen years had the following comments.  Dorothy led by example and had the total trust of physicians, patients and co-workers. The patients received excellent care. The atmosphere in which the recovery room team worked with Dorothy as leader made that an idyllic time. They affectionately called her “Mother Gunn”.   Patients planning to have elective surgery were known to postpone surgery until Dorothy returned from vacation.  Some children waking from surgery would find Dorothy saying, “come to Grandma” and they felt secure in her arms.  Dorothy’s co-workers witnessed  her remarkable compassion because Dorothy demonstrated it in and out of the hospital.  A nurse’s aide developed a serious illness and couldn’t work anymore.  Dorothy visited her regularly and took food and financial support until her death.  

Sandy McClarnon was a patient who was so impressed with “the kind voice, gentle face and loving care” as Dorothy cared for her that she sent Dorothy a thank you card.  Many years later, Sandy took her mother to the hospital for tests and was met by Dorothy with a smile and a wheelchair.  Sandy wasn’t at all surprised to learn Dorothy was now a volunteer.  Sandy felt that was “soooo Dorothy”.  Sandy ’s conclusion is that ”This world is a better place because Dorothy Gunn is in it”. 

Dorothy’s hospital volunteer activities extend far beyond the Information Desk.  She has been:

          A member of the Guild since 2006

          A Women Helping Women committee member for eight years

          Foundation Golf Outing for three years

          Foundation Motorcycle Run for Breast Cancer for three years.

She has accumulated over 2500 hours of volunteer time in the relatively short period of her retirement.

She is also active outside the hospital.  She has been a Relay for Life committee member for 4 years, nursery teacher for her church for twenty years, camp nurse for Brownie scouts, worked with Toys for Tots, supported the Upward Basketball program in her church and is a member of Friends of the Library.  Dorothy is a valued and active member of the Kiwanis Club of Greenfield and delivers Meals on Wheels to local residents.  She has been a member and officer of the Shorthorn Cattle Ladies Association.  She and husband Jim are highly revered icons at the Hancock County 4-H Fair.

Dorothy Gunn spent forty three and one half years working as a nurse and nursing supervisor at Hancock Regional Hospital .  It has been estimated that Dorothy cared for approximately 2000 patients per year average.  Those 87,000 patients received superb care from Dorothy and her associates.  Her positive impact on her friends and cohorts and upon the good name of Hancock Regional Hospital is impossible to quantify but is tremendous.  There can be no question that Hancock County is a much healthier, kinder, more compassionate place to live because of Dorothy Gunn.  The Kiwanis Club of Greenfield is extremely proud to nominate Dorothy Gunn for  the Bert Curry Healthy Community Award.

Pearl Harbor Survivor

 David Willis, program chair and Lester Hartley, Pearl Harbor Suvivor.

Lester Hartley joined the U.S. Navy on September 6, 1940.  On November 11, 1940 he was assigned to the USS Jarvis, a destroyer.   They sailed from Seattle, Washington to San Diego, California and then west to Hawaii.  On December 6, 1941, the Jarvis was in port at Pearl Harbor for routine maintenance.  Lester Hartley received orders to be transported back to the mainland to enroll in Navy Diesel School.  He presented his orders to receive transportation but was told to return to his ship.  Lester told the Kiwanians, “I guess you know what happened the next day.”

From the machine room on the Jarvis, Lester heard planes buzzing nearby ships and saw them drop something.  He said they were always doing maneuvers and gave it no mind until he saw more planes and debris and smoke.  About that time general quarters was sounded and Lester reported to the Number 4 Gun where he shot at incoming enemy planes.  Lester stated that, “He did not see any ships hit by torpedoes or bombs because everyone had too much to do to stand around and watch.”

The Jarvis made its way out of the harbor and Lester was safe.  He did receive an injury when a watertight door shut on his wrist but no harm from combat.   In January, 1942 the Jarvis rescued 187 men from the torpedoed fleet oiler Neches.  Later that year Hartley received orders to report to Diesel School at Norfolk, Virginia.  He made it there this time.  The Jarvis was part of the Guadalcanal campaign and on August 8, 1942 was attacked and sunk in the Pacific.  None of the 233 men on the Jarvis survived.  

Hartley continued in the Navy until his discharge on November 3, 1946 and later enlisted in the Naval Reserves where he served his country for another 18 years.  Hartley worked for Detroit Diesel Allison in Indianapolis and currently resides in Hancock County.  He was active in the National Pearl Harbor Survivors Association until that organization ceased existence on December 31, 2011. 

Santa Claus visits Greenfield

 

Santa Claus visited Greenfield on Saturday, December 8 at the Santa Claus Breakfast at the American Legion.  Santa's helpers are Kiwanis members under the leadership of Tom Billings.  

40,000 Pounds of Food Drive



Skip Harper and grandson, Denny Chapman, Bob Gullion, Scott Kleine, and Don Hoffman resting after unloading the 2,477 pounds of food gather by Kiwanis and it's youth organizations.

Kiwanis donated 2,477 pound of food to the 40,000 pounds of food drive held Saturday, December 8.  The food is distributed to the local food pantries, Hope House, and the Butler Soup Kitchen.  The food is in addition to weekly donations members of the club make to the Hancock County Food Pantry. 

One of the clubs special projects is keeping birthday bags on hand at the food pantry.  Birthday bags consist of a box cake mix, a can of icing, napkins, paper plates, and candles.  The bags are distributed to families whose child will celebrate a birthday in the month they receive food at the pantry.

The Food Pantry is open Monday: 1 - 2:30 PM, Tuesday: 9 - 10:30 AM, Wednesday: 7 - 8 PM, and Thursday: 7 - 8 PM.  The pantry is located at 741 1/2 S. State Road 9, Greenfield, In. 46140.  Its phone number is 317-468-0273.  

UPDATE:  The food drive met and exceeded it's goal for the first time by raising over 41,000 pounds of food!

B.C Brew Coffeee House

 

Jan Jackley. Program Chair with Lisa Muegge of  B.C. Brew Coffee and A.D. Bleu Jeans LLC 

Lisa Muegge explained her mission in her businesses that she founded to help other,.  The restaurant tip jar proceeds are donated to local charitable causes.

Meet Your Kiwanians

Jim an Yvonne Polise recently joined Kiwanis.  They spoke of their life adventures and explained how they found their way to Greenfield and Kiwanis.

Tyner Pond Farms

Chris Baggott, owner of Tyner Pond Farm, a local farm utilizing sustainable agriculture practices spoke to Kiwanis about his venture.   The farm located at 7408 East 200 South in Greenfield was purchased by Baggott in 2010.  The farm now hosts laying and broiler chickens, cattle, pigs, a chicken processing area and a rental farmhouse.   Baggott says environmentally sustainable farms depend on multiple businesses being based on 1 farm and the direct marketing and sales of products.

In 1900, Indiana had 222,000 farms.  By 1962 the number of Indiana farms had dropped to 126,000.  In 2012 the number of Indiana farms is estimated to be 58,000.  The majority of these farms buys their supplies and sells their products to companies based outside Hancock County.  It is estimated that the Hancock County households spent $180 million last year on food.  Local sustainable farms can capture a part of that $180 million and create an enterprise that will yield  more than just crop farming willing on comparable acreage. 

Sustainable agriculture based on grass feeding of livestock requires fencing and chicken houses must be moved from one area to another of the farm on regular basis.  Baggott can raise and process and then sell the meat and eggs directly through online orders.  He hopes to be able to have store that does not require reservations of sales. 

For more information you can visit the website, www.TynerPondFarm.com , visit their Facebook page, or drive out to 7408 East 200 South and visit the farm.   

Mental Health Gift Lift

 

Kiwanis heard from Mental Health America of Hancock County about the Christmas Gift Lift for 2012. Kara Harrison, Executive Director; Jill Null, Gift Lift Chair; and Nancy Striebeck, Personal Care Gift Chair told Kiwanians that volunteers provide individualized gifts and a personal care box for 500 individuals.  The Gift lift serves isolated senior citizens, chronically mentally ill, and developmentally disabled identified from local nursing homes, group homes, and mental healthcare providers. 

Gift Request tags for specific gifts can be picked up at the tree in Wal-Mart, local churches and the Mental Health America Office.  Gifts of personal care items including shampoo, toothpaste, hand soap, lotion, facial tissues, lip balm, body wash, toothbrush, hand sanitizer, deodorant, comb, calendars, and puzzle books can be left at the donation box in Wal-Mart or brought to the MHA office.  Financial gifts, Wal-Mart gift cards, and gift cards for fast food restaurants in Greenfield are also needed. 

Individual and group volunteers to wrap gifts and put care packages together are needed as well.  To make a contribution or drop off presents or volunteer contact the Mental Health America Office at 98 East North Street, Suite 204, Greenfield.  Their phone number is 462-2877.  Further information is available at their website www.mentalhealthamericahc.org .

Halloween Fun

Scott Kleine, Martie and Dave Crider in costume at Tuesday's Halloween party.

 

The October 30 Kiwanis meeting was a Halloween Party.  Several members came in costume.  After dinner the members tried to guess how many pieces of candy were in a jar.  Jan Jackley won the contest with a guess of 197 and there being 198 pieces.  A Halloween Trivia quiz followed with members answering questions about the Great Pumpkin, Batman,  Wolfman,  and Dracula.  Julie Dishman and Marcy Hoffman led a team charades contest.  

Alzheimers Association

 

Diana Dijak, a volunteer with the Alzheimer’s Association of Indiana spoke to Kiwanis about the disease and her experience with her husband who has the disease.   The Association’s mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.

The association provides:

·         A toll free helpline 1-800-272-3900

·         Education programs

·         Support groups

·         Social workers who provide care consultation

·         Early stage programs

·         Alzheimer’s Association TrialMatch that helps people locate trials based on diagnosis and location,

·         Medic Alert + Alzheimer’s Association Safe Return

·         Advocacy for increasing funding  for Alzheimer’s research

For further information access the website  ww.alz.org/Indiana.

Kiwanis Newest Member hears about library

 

Pat Parker sponsor of the newest member, Jacob Arland.

 

 

Jesse Keljo Manager of Adult Services, Hancock County Public Library

 

Greenfield Kiwanis inducted their newest and youngest member, Jacob Arland, at their regular meeting on Tuesday.  Jacob is a recent graduate of Greenfield-Central High School where he was an active member of the Key Club, a Kiwanis sponsored youth organization.

Jesse Keljo, Adult Services Manager of Hancock County Public Library told the club about the services that the library offers beyond what you can find using the Internet.   The library offers research assistance that can help you filter the information.  In addition the library offers many services and products not available to the general public for free. 

Genealogical research can be performed using the resources available in the Local History/Genealogy Room .  The room houses newspapers on microfilm from 1860 through the present, county, death records, school yearbooks,  and cemetery records for the local area.  In addition numerous online database genealogy resources are available at the library and through the library website including Ancestry Library edition.

In the near future Zinio magazine service will be available through the library allowing the patrons to check out magazines available through the Zinio service.

The library also offers live entertainment and classes including software classes.

In 2011, the library circulated 725,000 items.  In September, 2012 the count of people walking through the door to use the library was over 27,000.  For further information see the website http://www.hcplibrary.org/  or visit the main library at 900 West McKenzie in Greenfield or the Sugar Creek Branch, 5087 W. US 52 , in New Palestine.

Indiana BMV Commissioner

 

R.Scott Waddell the Commissioner Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles was theguest speaker at the Kiwanis meeting Oct 9th. Waddell spoke about the continued drive to improve operational efficiencies and customer services  thru more responsive center for phone inquires. He has also implemented branch visit monitoring technology and touch screen computers for knowledge testing. He has overseen the upgrade of the myBMV.com website and increased customer communication about the customer choice program. As a result  the BMV is seeing over 50% of all transactions are completed online.

Kiwanis at the 2012 Riley Festival

 

Fred and Debby Applegate led the Riley Parade

 

Kiwanis Football Toss

 

Kiwanis Booth

Past Presidents Honored

 

 

 

Karen Kleine, President 2011-2012

 

 

Bob Gullion President 2010- 2011

 

Bob Gullion, Kiwanis Club president from 2010 - 2011 and Karen Kleine president ftrom 2011-2012 were pesented with plaques honoring their services to the Greenfield Kiwanis club at the conclusion of the officer's installation October 2. 



Second Season

Dee Dellacca, owner of Second Seasons consignment shop in downtown Greenfield spoke to Kiwanis about her family’s decision to move to Hancock County and their founding o Second Seasons.   Dellacca received her undergraduate degree from Indiana State University and her MBA from Indiana Wesleyan.  She and her husband chose to move to Hancock County in 2005 from another community in central Indiana.  They chose Greenfield after visiting many other communities surrounding Indianapolis. 

Second Season opened in 2008 at 22 East Main Street with about 1,000 square feet including storage.  They now have almost 3,000 square feet.    The shop accepts items they think will sell on consignment. When the items sell, the seller will receive 40% of the selling price.

Clothes that do not sell after 60 days are either returned or donated to various charitable groups such as Give Back, Hope House or Circles of Life.
Second Seasons website provides more information at http://www.2ndseasons.com/

IPS School 74

Tim Clevenger, Principal at Theodore Potter, IPS School 74 spoke to Kiwanis about the challenges of urban education.  School 74 is an IPS Kindergarten through 6^th grade Spanish Immersion magnet school.   Clevenger is completing his seventh year as principal of the school.  The school received the Top Gainer School Award in 2007, 2008, and 2010.  It received National Magnet School of Distinction in 2009 and National Magnet School of Excellence Award in 2010 and 2011.  Half of the school day is taught in English and the other half is taught in Spanish to all students.  The Spanish portion is taught by teachers who speak Spanish as their native language.  

Clevenger used data from the IPS districts, Hamilton Southeastern and Greenfield-Central school districts to show the demographics of his school in comparison to suburban schools.  Children in poverty in Marion County are 28.2%, 8.0% in Hancock County, and 5.8% in Hamilton County.  He also contrasted English language learner, free and reduced lunch and special needs populations.  

Since 2009, the 3^rd grade percentage of students passing both sections of ISTEP has risen from 37.2% to 67.6% in 2012. 

Spelling Bee Chamions

 

The Greenfield Kiwanis Spelling Bee team won the 24^th Annual Hancock County Adult Literacy Coalition Spelling Bee, Tuesday night at the Hancock County Public Library.  The team members Jennifer Knecht, Ellen Manolopoulos, Chris Thompson, and Debbie Applegate defeated ten teams to win the championship.  The Hancock County Bar Association team had Kiwanian Bob Bogigian and the Tri Kappa team had Kiwanian Kristin Fewell. 

2012 Riley Festival

Tom Billings, President of the Riley Festival spoke to Kiwanis about the 2012 festival whose theme is “The Bear Story”.  The 43^rd annual festival will occur from October 4 through the 7^th in downtown Greenfield.  Approximately 475 booths will feature food, artisans, crafts and games. 

New to this year’s festival will be the quilt and photography will be displayed in the courthouse annex.  The fine arts will be on display at the Crazy Lake Art Center. 

The flower parade began in 1912.   The festival began in 1970 and has been a member of the state festival association since 1975.  The Riley Festival is featured on the cover of this year’s  Indiana State Festival Association booklet.

A full list of activities can be found on the festival website www.rileyfestival.com

Meet the Tarwaters

The Kiwanis Club got to know two of its newest members at the meeting on Tuesday as Jan and Reed Tarwater spoke to the members about their background and interests.  Both are natives of Tennessee who met at Maryville College.   Jan graduated with a degree majoring in mathematics and mathematics education.  Reed graduated with a degree in chemistry.  After college they married and moved to West Lafayette where Reed studied medicinal chemistry at Purdue, receiving a PhD.  Jan completed a Masters in Mathematics.   Jan also taught in the Monticello school system while at Purdue.

Upon completion of their Purdue education they moved to Chicago, then to Birmingham Alabama, and then finally to Hancock County where Reed worked for Eli Lilly and Co.  He retired from Lilly and was a consultant to another company for 8 years.  Jan taught Mathematics at IUPUI and the University of Indianapolis. 

They have been active members of Bradley United Methodist since moving to Greenfield.  They are avid travelers having logged trips to all 50 states, most of the provinces of Canada, much of Europe, Kenya, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.  They are also avid antique car enthusiasts.

They reside in Greenfield and are parents of a son, who resides with his wife and daughter in North Carolina and a daughter, who resides with her husband in California.