The Chamber SceneHUNTINGTON COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
305 Warren Street • Huntington, Indiana 46750 • (260) 356-5300 • www.huntington-chamber.com • May 2014
Thirteen hot air balloons will once again
grace the skies over Heritage Days from
Friday, June 20 through Sunday, June 22.
The Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring
the Hot Air Balloon Festival, which will in-
clude a balloon launch at 7 p.m. and a glow
at dark on Saturday, June 21, on the front
lawn of Huntington North High School as a
part of Heritage Days celebrations. Morning
and evening launches will also take place
weather permitting during the weekend.
Chris Smart of the Dream Catcher Bal-
loon Team, along with his sister Pat John-
son, is coordinating the activities and
welcomes people to attend the Saturday
evening event and “learn more about bal-
loons.” He invites people to walk up to the
balloons and explore their fascinating fea-
tures. Weather permitting hot air balloon
launches will take place from the high
school on Friday evening at 7 p.m. Saturday
morning and evening and Sunday morning
launches will take place at a site determined
by Smart based on the weather and wind
conditions. The flights will last approxi-
mately one hour and 25 to 30 people will be
in the air in each session. Smart’s brother
Dick will be the DJ for the evening.
The public is invited and encouraged to
attend the Disaster Team Car Show from 1
to 8 p.m. and the Bed Race at 7 p.m. which
also will take place on Saturday at HNHS.
The Car Show is being coordinated by Max
Kaylor and the Bed Race by Dan Juergens.
Food will be available from the Boy Scouts,
the Waggin’ Tails 4-H group and Faith
Lutheran Church of Roanoke will sell pies.
Helicopters and other emergency vehicles
will also be on display. The winner of
“Huntington’s Got Talent” will perform and
dancers from the YMCA will also be per-
forming between the Bed Race and the bal-
loon glow. To enter the Bed Race contact
Juergens at (260) 356-5214, the Chamber at
(260) 356-5300 or complete an entry form
at www.huntingtoncountychamber.com.
Balloon sponsors for the event currently
include TCU, PHD Inc., Apex, RE/Max,
Bendix, Dean Foods, Culp, BSB/ Beacon
Credit Union, CSP, WSI, Quality Inn, State
Farm-Jake Stroup and Pioneer. They are in
need of crew members for this event and
will be hosting a “learn to crew night”
which will take place prior to Heritage Days
for those interested in helping out during the
festival. Those interested in learning to be a
part of a hot air balloon crew should contact
Smart at (260) 224-0251 by May 15. Partic-
ipants must be 16 years of age to crew.
Smart began ballooning as a crew mem-
ber in 1989 and received his FAA Certified
Commercial Pilot’s license in 1992. As a
crew member under the direction of local
hot air balloonist Bill Shockley, Smart
learned the ropes of ballooning. Smart went
on to purchase his first balloon after receiv-
ing his pilot’s license. The first balloon is
the Dream Catcher, a Cameron C-80 with a
volume of 80,000 cu. ft., which stands 61
feet tall (6 stories) and is 172 feet around.
Smart said to put the volume in perspective,
80,000 cu. ft. is the equivalent of 80,000
basketballs. The wicker weave carriage, or
basket, will accommodate three or four peo-
ple and two 15 gallon propane fuel tanks for
a flight duration of one to two hours.
With full fuel tanks the basket weighs
485 pounds and the envelope weighs 200
pounds. The airborne propane heater with
an ultra-single burner generates 22 to 26
million BTU per hour and powers the bal-
loon. This is equivalent to 15,000 horse
power and enables the aircraft to lift 1,600
pounds of gross weight. A hot air balloon
flies at the speed and direction of the air cur-
rent it is in. It does not return to its take off
point to land.
The Dream Catcher has every safety fea-
ture available in hot air balloon construc-
(Story Continued on Page 2)
Hot Air Balloon Festival, car show,
bed race on Heritage Days Saturday
Shown in the photo is a hot air balloon during last year’s Heritage Days festival as it trav-els over the city of Huntington. The Hot Air Balloon Festival will be back at Huntington NorthHigh School during this year’s Heritage Days
Page 2 Huntington County Chamber of Commerce May 2014
(Story Continued From Page 1)
tion, including Kevlar nonconductive ca-
bles, instead of steel cables, throughout the
envelope. In addition to possessing superior
engineering design and high quality mate-
rials, Cameron Balloons are subjected to
rigorous pre-release testing, supported by
the fact that Cameron has never had an FAA
Airworthiness Directive, the balloon indus-
try's equivalent of a product safety recall.
Two hot air balloons are currently owned
by Smart. The material they are made of is
“Rip Stop” nylon and the second balloon is
called The Dream Racer. The Dream Racer
has a volume of 70,000 cu. ft. and is 65 feet
tall and is used mainly for competition.
Smart has logged over 1,300 hours in over
1,400 flights during his ballooning career.
Smart also requires a crew of an additional
two to three people who are “trained indi-
viduals” to assist with his flights.
Smart has been the top hot air balloon
pilot in the nation and is a five time state
champion in racing competitions. Smart is
also qualified to fly the RE/Max official hot
air balloon. Each state has its own RE/Max
balloon and it is not permitted to leave its
home state.
When someone wants a hot air balloon
ride, Smart begins to ask them questions
and formulate a plan. He asks them what
they would like to see and where they
would like to go. He says where a balloon
is going to end up is crucial to the plan. He
also said scheduling is tough as he must an-
ticipate the passengers schedule, his sched-
ule and the weather. Even when a plan is put
in place, Smart said it is subject to change
at a moment’s notice if the weather or wind
changes.
From late spring through the summer
months and into early fall, balloon flights
must be made at sunrise and just before sun-
set. During these warmer months, the flights
in the mornings must be terminated before
the sun generates thermal turbulence and
the wind speed increases. In the evening
flights cannot be made until the thermal ac-
tivity has stopped, and the wind speed has
decreased. Landings must be made before
sunset.
During the late fall, winter and early
spring, flights can take place at various
times of the day. The sun does not generate
thermal turbulence, however, the wind
alone during these months is the dominating
factor due to the rapid movement of weather
frontal activity. Passenger flights do not
take place when the surface winds are fore-
cast to increase above 7 mph as this makes
a landing a “bit more rough.” In passenger
flights the objective is to fly low and slow
to enable passengers to observe the many
sights in detail. According to Smart, “An
ideal speed to fly in a balloon is 5 to 7
mph.”
Smart explained that one of the biggest
dangers in ballooning is power lines. At
times, he has had to alter his course for
landing because of wind changes or ob-
structions below. He also explained that the
hotter the air temperature is, the less weight
he can take on the flight. In order to fly with
Smart, he asks that individuals not be over
240 pounds in weight and be able to jump
off of a chair without injuring themselves.
Smart has this requirement in place because
most of the time a balloon lands smoothly,
but every once in a while the balloon will
land a little harder than anticipated and rid-
ers must be able to simulate the motion of
jumping off of a chair at landing.
According to Smart, “Flying in a hot air
balloon is unlike any other experience of a
lifetime. From the moment of arriving at the
launch site, the excitement will start to
build. It will continue to build as the hun-
dreds of yards of fabric stretched out on the
ground start to rise and take shape as the in-
flator fan starts to purr. As the fabric rises,
the beautiful color design on the hot air bal-
loon becomes evident, and its enormous
size, larger than a two story house, rises
above. After, the pilot has completed all pre-
flight safety checks, riders are assisted into
the basket by the flight crew. From that mo-
ment on, the experience will live forever in
the rider’s memory. Without a feeling of
motion, the balloon will gently lift above
the trees. Any feeling of fear or sensation of
height a rider may have had quickly disap-
pears as the trees and fields transform into
a pattern like a carpet at the rider’s feet.”
The duties of the flight crew start before
they arrive at the launch site. These duties
include refueling the propane tanks and
loading all items on the inventory check list.
At the launch site, they are responsible for
unloading and layout of the envelope, bas-
ket and inflator fan. During the inflation,
each crew member is assigned a specific
task. While performing these tasks they,
along with the pilot, inspect the envelope,
rigging the basket to insure that all equip-
ment is airworthy and safe. They then assist
the passengers in boarding. After the bal-
loon is launched, the flight crew follows the
flight path of the balloon in the chase vehi-
cle. During the entire flight the pilot and
crew are in constant contact via radio. They
keep the pilot advised of any change in sur-
face wind speed and direction, power line
and tower locations and any other informa-
tion that could be important to the pilot to
insure a safe flight.
Before landing, the pilot will request the
flight crew to evaluate a particular location
as a possible landing site to determine if
there are any hazards at the location he can-
not see from his view of approach. When a
suitable site has been selected, the crew
chief contacts the landowner and receives
permission before the landing is made. The
flight crew immediately proceeds to the
landing site and assists the pilot during the
landing if necessary.
Each time Smart’s balloons land safely,
he offers up a toast with his passengers.
This tradition dates back to the days when
celebrating a good balloon landing meant
walking away from it. He also recites The
Ballooner’s Prayer, “The winds have wel-
comed you with softness. The sun has
blessed you with its warm hands. You’ve
flown so high and so well that God has
joined you in your laughter and set you back
in the loving arms of Mother Earth.”
The first free flight made by a man in a
hot air balloon dates back to November 21,
1783 in Paris, France. Two brothers, Joseph
and Etienne Montgolfier, built the first hot
air balloon when they discovered that a fire
under a bag would cause it to rise in the air.
At first their theory was that the more
smoke and foul odors in the smoke, the
greater the lifting power that fire would
generate. They built fires using straw, wool,
old leather shoes, rotten meat and dead an-
imals to generate good lifting power. Even-
tually, it was determined that the lifting
power was related to the amount of heat the
fire generated.
Smart loves to fly hot air balloons. He
commented that each time he goes up in a
balloon it feels like his first ride; each flight
is just as exhilarating as the last. To sched-
ule a ride contact Smart at (260) 224-0251.
Hot Air Balloon Festival, car show, bed race continued
May 2014 Huntington County Chamber of Commerce Page 3
MAYBusiness of the Month
Kline’s CPA Group
Kline’s CPA Group, 2826 Theater Avenue, was chosen as the Business of the Monthfor May by the Chamber Ambassadors. The Ambassadors nominated Kline’s CPAGroup because of their long-standing membership and support of the Chamber alongwith their many years of serving individuals and businesses in Huntington County.
Shown in the front row, from left, all from Kline’s CPA Group are Brenda Jones, TrentWolfe, Brandy Swope, owner; Mark Parker, owner; Audra Uher, Alyssa Hurlburt, SherryRidgeway, Christi Heffelfinger and Rhonda Beaver along with Belinda Clancy, MarkleHealth & Rehabilitation and Chamber Ambassador. Back row, from left, are JoDeaneKnowles, TCU; Gene Snowden, Real Living Ness Bros.; Davin Smith, Bowers BrewerGarrett & Wiley LLP; Paula Whiting, Lake City Bank; Les Graham, Evolv; Misty Harri-son, Community Link Federal Credit Union; Michelle Crone, Wells Fargo Bank; SteveGodfroy, Perfection Wheel and Terry Miller, Real Living Ness Bros. all Chamber Am-bassadors. The Chamber would like to congratulate Kline’s CPA Group as being se-lected as Business of the Month for May.
Board of Directors
2014Chairman of the Board
Stefan Poling
Rollo Harter & Poling LLP
Chairman of the Board Elect
Michael Zahn
First Federal Savings Bank
Treasurer
Kay Schwob
Huntington University
Assistant Treasurer
Ryan Lemon
Novae Corporation
Arthur Daronatsy
Dean Foods
Trace Hinesley
Huntington County Community School
Corporation
Lori Mickley
Bendix Commercial Vehicle
Systems, LLC
Lee Pasko
iAB Financial Bank
Jeremy Penrod
Walgreens
Mike Perkins
Parkview Huntington Hospital
Foundation
Steve Petry
W.A. Zimmer Co.
Joe Santa
TrophyCenter Plus
Sandra Seacott
Teachers Credit Union
Adam Stroup
Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance
Randy Warner
Terry L. Reckard CPA
STAFF
Steve Kimmel
Executive Director
Ellen Prange
Bookkeeper
Angie Garcia
Office Administrator
A structure built by CME Corporation of
Fort Wayne, has been honored by Varco
Pruden Buildings, one of the nation’s
largest providers of metal building systems.
CME Corporation has been named to
Varco Pruden’s 2014 Hall of Fame for the
Two EE’s Winery in Roanoke. The 6,000
square foot winery and tasting room was
recognized as the “Best” in the retail cate-
gory and was designed by Nathan Moore,
AIA, of CME.
The highly competitive Hall of Fame
Awards are presented annually to the inde-
pendent authorized Varco Pruden builders
whose work reflects outstanding integration
of building systems, products, architectural
appearance, end use and design. With over
1,000 independent builders in the United
States and
Canada, they
are presented
for a range of
i n d u s t r i a l ,
commercial,
retail and municipal projects. “The Hall of
Fame is proof positive that our builders con-
tinue to challenge the boundaries by seek-
ing new and innovative ways to prove that
pre-engineered buildings are the system of
choice,” said Chuck Haslebacher, president
of Varco Pruden.
“We are excited to share this recognition
with everyone at Two EE’s who allowed us
to participate in their vision,” said Mark
Hellinger, president of CME. Visit
www.Twoees.com.
CME Corporation receives national award
Page 4 Huntington County Chamber of Commerce May 2014
May 2014 Huntington County Chamber of Commerce Page 5
Thomas E. Carnes, CPA
430 N. Jefferson St., P.O. Box 266Huntington, IN 46750-0266
carnescompanycpa.com
“We Love Small Business”Tel: 260.356.8888
Fax: 260.356.8873
Welcome New MembersFabric and Friends Quilt Shoppe
126 West Second Street, Roanoke, IN 46783
Jimmy’s Barbershop & Shave1213 South Briant Street, Huntington, IN 46750
Three students went on to win a $300 scholarship from theHuntington County Chamber of Commerce. Winning the schol-arships this year are front row, from left, Elizabeth Freck, Family& Consumer Science; Alex Easley, Business and Doyle King, In-dustrial Technology. Pictured with the students are back row, fromleft, Tracey Shafer, superintendent of Huntington County Com-munity School Corporation; Stefan Poling, Rollo Harter & PolingLLP and chairman of the Huntington County Chamber of Com-merce board and Chad Daugherty, principal, Huntington NorthHigh School.
The Huntington County Chamber of Commerce held its Stu-
dent Awards Day on Monday, April 14. The event was held at
the Habecker Dining Commons on the campus of Huntington
University. The winners of the awards and scholarships are se-
lected each year by their teachers. The teachers this year were
Curt Hackney, Dave Blocker and Betsy Motter.
The Chamber honors students each year from 15 different dis-
ciplines during its April board meeting. The Chamber also
awards three students with a $300 scholarship. This year the stu-
dents recognized were Doyle King, CAD Mechanical, sponsored
by PHD; Houston Lehman, Project Lead the Way, sponsored by
Shuttleworth; Alex Riggers, Transportation, sponsored by Ben-
dix Vehicle Systems and Parker Brundige, Manufacturing, spon-
sored by UTEC.
Also honored were Corbin Clarke, Construction, sponsored
by Builder’s Mart; Daniel Zahm, Vocation Automotive, spon-
sored ty LKQ- Transwheel; Brooke Lengerich, I.C.E., sponsored
by Schneider Electric/Square D. Co. and Dilan Buuck, Machine
Trades, sponsored by UTEC.
Other students recognized were Kristen Dyson, Accounting,
sponsored by First Federal Savings Bank; Leah Ness, Informa-
tion Technology, sponsored by Bowers Brewer Garrett & Wiley
LLP; Alex Easley, business, sponsored by Bippus State Bank;
Josi Strange, Early Childhood Education, sponsored by TCU;
Elizabeth Freck, Family & Consumer Science, sponsored by
Kim Haneline of RE/Max Professional Group; Blake Brown,
Family & Consumer Science, sponsored by Huntington Univer-
sity and Lauren McCullough, Health Services, sponsored by
Miller’s Merry Manor.
Tipton HouseA Senior Living Community by Assisted Living Concepts, Inc.
Office: (260) 356-2028
Cell: (260) 609-0649
Fax: (260) 356-2087
460 Forks Of The Wabash Way
Huntington, IN 46750
www.alcco.com
Mindy MuchowResidence Sales Manager
Fifteen students honored
on Student Awards Day
Select My Business Card
Bill Busch
Business Consultant
1102 Chestnut Hills Parkway, Suite 101, Fort Wayne, IN 46814T: 260.436.3878 F: 260.436.7692 C: 260.409.0870TF: 800.837.4787 E: [email protected] SKYPE: billbusch2www.xcelhr.com
Select My Business Card
Brenda Kirkpatrick Dan Stoffel
Ryan Briggs
Business Account Executive
720 Taylor StreetFort Wayne, IN 46802Office: 260-409-4473; Fax: 260-458-5256ryan.briggs@cable.comcast.comwww.business.comcast.com
305 Warren StreetHuntington, IN 46750
Presorted
Standard
U.S. Postage
Paid
Huntington, IN
Permit No. 194
Visit Us o
n the Web
!
www.hun
tington-c
hamber.c
om
Mark Your
Calendars
Tri Kappa Follies 2014
“AYE AYE KAPPA Follies 15”Thursday to Saturday, May 1, 2 & 3
Huntington North High School Auditorium
After HoursThursday, May 8, 4 to 6 p.m.
Quality Inn (formerly Northview Inn & Suites)
2820 Hotel Avenue
Huntington County Senior EXPOThursday, May 22, 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Huntington University Fieldhouse
Heritage Days 2014Wednesday, June 18 through Sunday, June 22
Downtown Huntington and
Huntington North High School
ADDRESS SERVICEREQUESTED
PROFESSIONAL JANITORIAL
SERVICE, INC.Industrial and Commercial Cleaning
Since 1985
SAFEGUARD SERVICES, INC.Security Guard and Patrol Service
Since 1962
430 Warren Street Huntington, IN
(260) 356-4726
VACANCY OFFICE SPACELocated at 1312 Flaxmill Road
BEST LOCATION IN HUNTINGTON
First Year Rent FreeCURRENTLY AVAILABLE, AMPLE PARKING
WITH UP TO (10) INDIVIDUAL OFFICES
OWNER WILL MAKE CHANGES TO
MEET YOUR NEEDS!
CALL LIZ McCLAIN OR GENE FLECK AT:
First Year Rent Free
356-6577