17TH EDITION FEBRUARY 2020 A PUBLICATION FOR AND BY THE RESIDENTS OF OAK MANOR Photo by Larry Clarino
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17TH EDITION FEBRUARY 2020
A PUBLICATION FOR AND BY THE RESIDENTS OF OAK MANOR
Photo by Larry Clarino
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PRESIDENT: Kyle Hunsucker
VICE PRESIDENT: Sarah Soukup
SECRETARY: Libby LePere
TREASURE: Alfred Nelson
DIRECTOR AT LARGE: Steve Dierckes
COVENANTS & COMPLIANCE: Contact CASI on TownSq at, https://www.townsq.io or at
317-875-5600
LANDSCAPING: Tom Linnen
PONDS: Len Selvaggio
CLUBHOUSE RESERVATION & USAGE: Book through TownSq at, https://www.townsq.io
POOL INFORMATION/VIOLATIONS/KEYS: TownSq at, https://www.townsq.io
SOCIAL COMMITTEE: Linda May
COMMUNICATIONS: Larry Clarino
Pam Clarino
(Gazette Newsletter Staff) Larry Clarino (Editor)
Pam Clarino (Designer)
Mike Birk (Local Government News Editor)
Sue Kappen (Real Estate)
Cindy Garloch (Life Uncluttered)
MJ Kurdys (Resturant Reviews)
Caleb Decker (Cocktail Corner)
Welcome to the seventeenth addition of the Oak Manor Gazette. We need your news.
Be sure to join Town Square, the web based information/community center for Oak Manor’s new management partner, Community Association Services of Indiana, (CASI). Please set up your account! You will need your CASI account number to sign-up at: https://www.townsq.io. It is available on your invoice and also by contacting our representatives at CASI;
Our Oak Manors’ Representative at CASI, the OM management company is Michelle Waugh [email protected] 317-875-5600. It is really important to sign-up, with Town Square. Here you can track your account, file for improvements, make comments, ask questions, and report problems.
As usual we will be working closely with CASI and Town Square, but we will continue our email blasts and the Oak Manor newsletter, The Gazette. We still want and need your contributions. A big thanks to all of you who have contributed to the newsletter. It is such a big help.
If for any reason you need to get in touch with a board or committee member please contact:CASI
on TownSq at https://www.townsq.io or at 317-875-5600 and they will put you in touch with them.
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It’s that time of year!
Your Oak Manor Property Owner’s Association dues invoice
is in the mail. You should be getting an invoice from the
Community Association Services of Indiana, CASI, part of
ASSOCIA, anytime now. CASI is the management company for
Oak Manor.
You can pay your dues on the TownSq website, https://www.townsq.io or mail a check as
per the instructions on your invoice.
If you haven’t set up an account on Town Sq, it really is a good idea to do that. Go to;
https://www.townsq.io
Note: You will need your CASI account number to set up a Town Sq account. That number
will be on your dues invoice or you can contact CASI Customer Service at 317-875-6500.
We, at the Gazette, are working closely with CASI and with Town Sq, most all of you
questions and answers, can be handled right there. It is the best way to communicate with
our board of directors too.
Of course, you can still send messages and questions to [email protected] but is faster to use Town Sq.
m Note from Associa, CASI, the property management company for Oak Manor;
Don’t forget that we have a customer service team that can handle requests and they will involve Michelle as needed. Their phone number is 317-875-5600 and they can be emailed at [email protected].
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LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEWSby Larry Clarino
Oak Manor’s own Scott Willis is a brand new Westfield City Councilman. He was elected back in November to represent us in the city’s first district, that includes all of Oak Manor. The new council was sworn into office on January 13th, and they have really hit the ground running.
Councilman Joe Edwards, returning for a second term, was elected by the council to be council president with Scott as the vice president.
High on the agenda was the establishment of a Fiscal Oversight Committee. “The city has done a great job with our money, but we formed this committee to keep an even closer track on, not only what we are spending, but how we are spending it,” said Wills. “We are modeling this after the way Noblesville is set up. It gives us oversight of any spend, in excess of $150,000.”
A new look at both commercial and residential development is in the works. In today’s competitive commercial environment, a city must use all the tools available to lure constructive, worthwhile, commercial development. Westfield is now being looked at by companies as Abbott Labs, and Bastian Solutions, as well as smaller international companies as Germany’s SONAX, as a prime location. This is all still pretty new to us as we have only been incorporated as a city, for twelve years.
Likely a more stringent approach to residential development will be applied to new future housing construction in Westfield. In a very real way, quality of life in Westfield, has lead us to this point of increased commercial and business growth we are now seeing. Now we must maintain the standard we have become noted for. That will be the job of the new council Residential Development approach.
We at the Gazette are pleased to announce neighbor and Councilman Scott Willis, will be doing a column in future issues of the Oak Manor newsletter, the Gazette.
Working to build a stronger community.
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MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS
Mike Birk by Larry Clarino
When Oak Manor resident Mike Birk, joined the Westfield Lions Club he
simply wanted to get involved with the group as a way of giving back to the
community. He sure did that!
Mike, who lives on Live Oak Lane, jumped in as the chairman of the Lions Poker-for-Sight fund
raising efforts. The Club hosts the two gigantic Texas Hold’em poker tournaments each year, both
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with a $25,000.00 purse, with $10,000.00 to the winner. “People from all around the nation come to
our tournaments. Most all the Westfield Lions’ fund raising is done by the tournaments,” said Mike.
This year the Lions are adding a new event to the Spring contest; a raffle for 2-VIP Box seats,
Lounge access, and VIP Parking at the Zach Brown Band concert in September. “We are really
thrilled to make this awesome event possible to our wonderful Lion Club supporters,” said
chairman, Mike Birk, “This is the first time we are adding a raffle to our charity fund raising event.
The chance to win this VIP package is really exciting.”
The Birk’s, moved into Oak Manor five years ago from Carmel after razing two sons; both Mike and
Cathy are now retired, but certainly are keeping busy. Cathy is the current director of The
Museum of Miniature Houses in Carmel at
111 East Main and Mike’s philanthropic
activities keeps both really busy.
Some of you may have seen Mike driving
his 1954 Bentley Type R, the one with the
steering wheel on the right (wrong) side
that looks like a baby limousine. His car
has won several trophies at area car shows.
Mike is a certified judge at the national
level with the Rolls Royce/Bentley Owners
Club.
“We love Oak Manor, the neighbors are all wonderful. Just a neat place to live,” said Cathy. “Where
else does the entire street go out for dinner together?”
If you are interested in seeing one of the greatest
Country/Rock bands, in the world, The Zac Brown Band
and with VIP seats to boot, call 317-804-1875. Don’t
wait! With only 500 tickets this should sell out fast.
Or maybe you want to play some poker and win $10,000,
call that same number, 317-804-1875 or email the Lions
AVENUE OF FLAGS
The Kiwanis Club of Westfield invites you to participate in their patriotic community service Program and fundraiser called THE AVENUE OF FLAGS. It is a wonderful way to
honor our troops and veterans. All proceeds will support youth scholarships, Riley Hospital for Children, and other Westfield organizations and needs in the community. Members of Kiwanis will place a 3' by 5' American flag on a 10' pole along the curb of participating residences for the following holidays: Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veteran’s Day
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Here just a few of the house that were decked out with holiday lights this past Christmas. If we missed you house we are sorry we only had a limited time to photograph homes in December.
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CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
This program is available to homes north of 146th street, Westfield. If you need additional information, please call 317-763-0131 or go to; https://kiwanisofwestfield.portalbuzz.com/Page/34394
$50 ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION Sign up or RENEW before March 31st; Early Bird Rate — $45.00
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT
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WECAN REPORT
This is the group started my Mayor Cook to be a pipeline between the city and the communities as well as a sounding board and meeting
place for the communities.
News from WeCan:What Is the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census counts every person living in the 50 states, District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories.
The count is mandated by the Constitution and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, a nonpartisan government agency. The 2020 Census counts the population in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Each home will receive an invitation to respond to a short questionnaire — online, by phone, or by mail.
The census provides critical data that lawmakers, business owners, teachers, and many others use to provide daily services, products, and support for you and your community. Every year, billions of dollars in federal funding go to hospitals, fire departments, schools, roads, and other resources based on census data. The results of the census also determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives, and they are used to draw congressional and state legislative districts.
It's also in the Constitution: Article 1, Section 2, mandates that the country conduct a count of its population once every 10 years. The 2020 Census will mark the 24th time that the country has counted its population since 1790.
By April 1, 2020, every home will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census. You will have three options for responding:
• Online.
• By phone.
• By mail.
In mid-March, households will begin receiving official Census Bureau mail with detailed information on how to respond to the 2020 Census.
The results of the 2020 Census will help determine how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal fund-ing flow into communities every year for the next decade. That funding shapes many different aspects of every community, no matter the size, no matter the location.
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Life UnClutteredby Cindy
5 Things I Will Not Make Time for Again I love the feeling of freedom that I can make time for what is important to me. I find joy in the fact that my calendar isn’t jam-packed all the time. On a regular basis, I look to edit things that aren’t adding value to my life. We all have a few of those things. Some cannot be changed. But, some can. When I begin to feel overwhelmed, I take a closer look at where I am spending my time.
Here are 5 things I will not make time for again.
1. Explaining or proving myself. Sure, I want my friends, family and neighbors to be safe and well and happy. But I also want that, too. People pleasing is hard work and often disappointing. Don’t get me wrong. Other people’s opinions do matter to me but, in the end…we have to do what feels right for us.
2. Feeling guilty for saying no. I help a lot of people do a lot of things to make their lives easier. I volunteer. I take non-client donations to charities. Sign up for roles at meetings. I will continue to do these things. But, when I feel I am truly drowning, I will put my mask on first so I can breathe and then help you when I get enough oxygen. When I can’t, I will not feel guilty.
3. Laundry needing special care. Dry cleaning? That’s a hard no! Hand wash only? No thanks. Laundry doesn’t make me happy. I am not sure it makes anyone happy. Simple is better. Less loads, less stress, less time. More time to say yes to what’s important!
4. Analyzing the past. It happened. It’s over. No one died. Rehashing the past only prevents you from enjoying the present and the future. I am so guilty of this. I am working on it and getting better. Someone once told me, If it isn’t going to matter in 5 years, don’t spend 5 minutes thinking about it. Great advice!
5. Procrastinating…as much. This is a pretty common issue for many. I struggle, too! I found that if I do my least favorite task first thing in the morning, my day is less stressful and is happier in general. No all-day dread. If you suffer from procrastination, check out Brian Tracy’s “Eat That Frog”. It is based on the premise that if you eat a live frog first thing in the morning, the rest of your day has to get better. It is an easy read and chocked full of helpful tips. I highly recommend it!
How are you spending your time? I encourage you to take some time to figure out what is important to you, what adds value to your life and what brings you joy most of your days. When I make time for those things, it is easier to let go of those 5 things above not serving me. Give these things some consideration and let me know how it positively impacts your life. I look forward to hearing from you!
Cindy Garloch is a professional home organizer/owner of Organizing Remedies, LLC. She loves helping busy people live with less and organize the rest. Cindy also enjoys speaking to groups about simplifying and organizing their lives. She can be reached at (317) 442-2450 or [email protected]. Follow her on FB and Instagram where she shares organizing tips, humor and inspiration.
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Prep Time: 5 days, then 1 minute
DIRECTIONS:
Not available in stores around Westfield…so head to the internet
(thelongdrink.com) and buy yourself some of Finland’s finest — the Long Drink. Wait a few days for it to arrive via FedEx Find a tall glass, a long glass. Add ice. Crack the can then pour.
REVIEW: In Finland, long drink (in Finnish lonkero) refers to a mixed drink
made from gin and, most commonly, grapefruit soda, although other long drink
flavors include cranberry and lime. In the US you can find it in a can in
about seven states, including Ohio…whereas in Finland the long drink is
ubiquitously available both in stores and in restaurants, usually on
draught. This particular turquoise can of long drink I got my hands on is
of the grapefruit variety.
It was sparkly, but not too sweet…the Finnish are on to something here.
It tastes a bit like a Fresca. Very refreshing. Not like a seltzer, but rather
this long drink has a bit more body. You can taste the gin but not like a
gin & tonic. Better actually. “Natural grapefruit and juniper berry
flavors with gin” says the can. 5.5% ABV, 92 calories, zero sugar. COCKTAIL CORNER RATING: — 5/5 This Lonkero is deserving of all 5 umbrellas!
QUESTIONS? RECOMMENDATIONS? Got a question? Would love your feedback. An idea for the next newsletter? Send me your drink ideas and recipes to me at [email protected] Any drinks that are profiled, and receive 4 or more umbrellas will get your very own limited edition Oak Manor cocktail corner t-shirt.
Shopping List: 1 internet cart with Findland Long Drink Tall Glass
Ice
by Caleb Decker
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REUSING NEWSPAPERS IN THE HOME AND GARDEN ©The Farmers’ Almanac/ by Margaret Boyles
IN THE GARDEN
With two woodstoves in continuous use from late November through April, we use most of our winter newspapers as fire starters. The ashes we don’t use to provide traction on icy walkways, we add as a pH-raising amendment to our garden soils.
The papers have other horticultural uses, too:
During the growing season, we use newspapers as a weed- suppressing mulch. We lay them down several pages thick and cover the paper with a thin layer of hay, pine needles, or wood chips to make aisles between our garden beds.
To create a new garden spot without mechanical tillage, I lay down a thick layer of newspapers (flattened cardboard boxes work well, too); top it off with a thinner layer of hay, straw, or leaves; and let the space sit a year. By the following spring, the grass underneath will have died, and voilà! — a soil ready to fertilize, amend, and plant.
I also protect young vegetable seedlings from cutworms by wrapping the lower stem with a tight collar of wet newspaper that extends an inch into the soil and at least an inch above the soil line.
To ripen green tomatoes indoors, I harvest blemish-free fruits when frost threatens, wrap each in a piece of newspaper, and set them in a cool, dark cellar. Sometimes they last through Thanksgiving.
IN THE HOME
During many years of freelance writing for newspapers (and always tending a big vegetable garden), I often joked about the fun of eating my words. But since this isn’t a gardening blog, allow me to share a few of the hundred and one others ways I use newspapers around the house:
Cleaning windows: Crumpled newspaper and white vinegar make an unbeatable ny water in the tank from freezing, which can damage the fuel pump.combo for washing windows and other glass surfaces.
Wrapping paper: Very chic, especially if you select the right news for the occasion or decorate the newspaper with potato prints.
Cut-flower holder: Torn or shredded, moistened, and stuffed into a vase, old newspapers will hold cut flowers, greens, or branches in place. Add more if you need to.
Shape-holders: Crumple newspapers and stuff them into shoes, handbags, and hats you don’t use often to help them hold their shapes.
Funny hats: I once worked with a colleague who’d previously spent many years as a daycare worker and was a master of newspaper-hat making. He had a hat for every occasion. Retirements, marriages, promotions, failed budget negotiations — Tom always came out with a news-hat that spoke to the occasion.
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By Larry ClarinoEddie Merlot’s Special Dinners
Eddie Merlot’s is a near-by steak house chain, that breaks the mold. First it
is owned by a Hoosier guy, Bill Humphries, from Fort Wayne, who started
in the restaurant business as a Subway franchise owner. He now has over
750 locations and is on the Subway board!
The Eddie Merlot’s restaurants, and there are fourteen of them around the
nation, are different in that they are the not the dark wood, ‘men’s club’
atmosphere of most other steakhouses, but lighter and ‘softer,’ dare we say,
a bit more appealing to women.
“First, we wanted to get away from the cigar and martini bar to a wine bar.
We offer 75 wines by the glass. We also have chairs designed for comfort
and special lighting that make people want to stay for a while. On our menus,
while we have the big hearty steaks, we also have smaller portion sizes, especially for shared
sides,” said Humphries.
The menu is pretty typical of what you would expect at an upscale mid-western steak and seafood
emporium. First class all the way, along with really great service as would be expected. The wait
staff will treat you as company. They are friendly and know their stuff.
A new twist added by local general manager, Arron Tann,
and his manager, Eddie Zelikovich, are the special dinners
with the goal to make them a monthly event.
We have attended three of the Murder Mystery series,
where, yes, someone is ‘killed’ and the guests must attempt
to solve the crime before the end of dessert! At the price of
$125/person, including a couple of glasses of wine and
gratuities, it is a real bargain.
Not only are the dinners the sleuths trying to figure out the
crime, several will get to play a roll as the incident unfolds.
Yes, sometimes the butler did do it. Best to leave your
inhibitions at home and go with the fun. There is no such
thing as over acting your part. The professional ‘mystery’ is
presented by The Murder Mystery Co., a Cincinnati based
group of actors.
They also have started a series of wine and whiskey dinners on a regular basis, co-sponsored by a
beverage distributer. You will learn about your favorite wine or spirt and have a great dinner paired
to adult beverages for the evening.
Private parties and banquets are a specialty of Merlot’s, Chef Dan Reskevich and his team, can do
way more than steaks and seafood. Danielle Soutendijk, sales manager, is more than happy to help
Mystery Dinner Menu
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with groups. “We have several banquet rooms, so parties from just a
few to over 100 are really no problem.”
Be sure to check out Eddie Merlot’s at 3645 East 96th Street,
Indianapolis, just a short 10 minutes from Oak Manor, now that the
construction is done at 96th Street. Reservations are a good idea,
317-846-8303 or https://www.eddiemerlots.com. The website has
menus listed and they change with the seasons, do not ignore the
seafood, either. While not inexpensive, we find Eddie Merlot’s is a
good value for the price.
Sue Kappen
Remax Legends Group
Cell: 317-432-9770
Oak Manor Real Estate Review: Active Homes: 3 Avg. List Price: $773,167
Avg. Sq. Feet: 3676
Avg. Price Per Sq. Foot: $206.04
Avg. Days on Market: 117
Pending Homes: 3
Avg. List Price: $518,267
Avg. Sq. Feet: 3367
Avg. Price Per Sq.Feet. $155.19
Avg. Days on Market: 58
Sold Homes: 9
Avg. List Price: $554,256
Avg. Sale Price: $536,611
Avg. Sq. Feet: 3101
Avg. Price Per Sq. Foot: $179,32
Avg. Days on Market: 52
*Note: Active Homes includes 1 home over $1,000,000 and Homes Sold includes all homes sold in the last 180 days.
For questions regarding this information please contact Sue Kappen, REMAX Legends Group at 317-432-9770.
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If you are interested in the charity raffle for Zac Brown VIP tickets, that Oak Manor Resident Mike Birk is in charge of for the Lions Club, check out the ad below.
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