early fall 2003 paris dunning house - prospect hill · plots were marked off with stone curbs,...

Prospect Hill Neighborhood | Prospectus Newsletter | Early Fall 2003 | page 1...

Paris Dunning HouseThe Key Landmark of Prospect HillChris Sturbaum

Early Fall 2003

The Prospect Hill NeighborhoodAssociation uses the Paris DunningHouse as it's logo. This old structurehas been central to the history of ourarea over the years. Built around 1850,it's rolling hills and farmland becamemuch of the neighborhood we callhome. In this era, Third Street was a dirtroad on which farmers brought their pro-duce into Bloomington from the west.The Civil War Governor of Indiana, ParisDunning once occupied the house andhe and his two wives are buried at thesoutheast corner of Rose Hill cemetery.

When I was growing up, thedisheveled house was home to a sweetold lady and a large number of cats. Thebrick was covered in breaking downstucco and the yard was overgrown.

Time had nearly caught up with the oldplace.

Then in the early 80's, at a time nottoo distant from the near loss of ourCounty Courthouse, a plan was devel-oped to demolish the Dunning Houseand about 30 other houses on WestThird Street. This was to make way forthe conversion of Third Street to a highspeed four lane highway. You can stillsee the intent clearly in the design of the

underpass and the four lanes approach-ing Rogers Street, which aim directly atthe Dunning House and our ProspectHill Neighborhood. People in the areawere very worried and Bill Sturbaum andDan Allen (Prospect Hill's first president)helped organize a fledgling neighbor-hood group to address the issue. Wewere helped and given hope and direc-tion by a local preservationist of historicnature herself, Rosemary Miller. Shewas instrumental in the creation ofBloomington Restorations Inc and formany years was the president of BRIand the driving force of the preservationmovement in Bloomington. Rosemarycame to one of our early meetings andsuggested a strategy of putting theDunning House (we didn't call it thatthen) on the National Register in order

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to save it and thereby block the ThirdStreet widening project. The law thatwould save Prospect Hill had been bornin a struggle to save (get this) theFrench Quarter in New Orleans fromimmanent demolition! The year was1963 when nearly everyone in theLouisiana government, both state andlocal, thought that a new highway goingthrough the French Quarter's ruins,would be the best thing for Louisiana inthe long run. However, some localpreservationists (little old ladies in tennisshoes as they were called) disagreed.Since there was no help in the state,they went to the U. S. Congress and theNational Trust. These visionary activistsfound some powerful friends and a lawwas enacted which required a review ofhistoric properties when the use of fed-eral money is involved and this lawsaved The French Quarter and yearslater, our own neighborhood.

Bloomington Restorations Inc. didmore than just get the Dunning Houseon the National Register. It then pro-ceeded to restore and market the prop-

erty, using the tax credits which comewith a commercial property on the NR.They got themselves deeply in debt andbravely persevered until a buyer wasfound. The area around the DunningHouse and on Rogers Street became aNational Register District through theefforts of the now official neighborhoodassociation. In 1986 our neighborhoodbecame officially one of the first suchassociations in the city. The nameProspect Hill was resurrected from oldmaps showing the original creation ofour subdivision in the late 1800's. No-one had called the area "Prospect Hill"for nearly a century. In 1991 the neigh-borhood petitioned for and with someeffort succeeded in becomingBloomington's first local historic district,in order to protect and nurture our areawhich was still threatened by demoli-tions and commercial incursions. As thedistrict became more stable, peoplewanted to move in and BRI loaned BillSturbaum and others the money toinvest in this area in which banks wouldnot loan sufficient money, due to the lowappraisals. Golden Hands Constructiongot a lot of its early experience rebuild-ing Prospect Hill houses.

Looking at the neighborhood today,

you see no signs of the struggle thatwent into saving and building up ourneighborhood from decaying and evencondemned houses. Forty years havepassed since I first came to ProspectHill. The changes have been so won-derful and so positive that I can hardlybelieve it has happened this way. Thelessons of our neighborhood's historyare also positive but they tell the talethat good things don't just happen bythemselves. Hard work, dedication andperseverance on a local level and legalaction on the national scene all cametogether to save Prospect Hill. What allthese actions and preservation law havein common is a love of place, a respectfor history and an affirming, positiveactivism for the common good. Theproof, my neighbors, is all around usthat many people working together witha shared vision over a period of timecan accomplish things little short of miracles! I'm happy and proud to live on the west side in our little neighbor-hood of Prospect Hill. We are now partof the ongoing story. See you aroundneighbor!


Paris Dunning Housecontinued from page 1

Rose Hill Cemetery sits squarely onBloomington’s west side. The gravesiteshere date back over one hundred andsixty years, making it the oldest burialground in the county.

Bloomington, the seat of MonroeCounty was founded in 1818 by many ofthe citizens whose remains lie at Rose Hill.Men such as David Rogers, RobertsonGraham, Dr. David Maxwell, and WilliamLowe, among others. Cemetery recordswere not kept until the end of the 1800s,so the only sources of information avail-able that pre-date this are newspaper arti-cles, obituaries, and the stones them-selves.

According to these stones, the first per-son to be buried here was Mrs. KitturaHardesty, the wife of Samuel Hardesty.She died on January 1, 1821, and wasburied in “The Grave Yard”. The firstrecorded burial was that of SenatorRichard A. Fulk’s wife Mary, on October 6,1897. Over ten thousand people choseRose Hill as their final resting place. Many

Bloomingtonians, but the gravestones tellus that many nations – the Philippines,Hungary, Bavaria, Greece, and the BritishIsles – are represented here.

In 1868, the Grave Yard passed fromthe jurisdiction of the County Board to thetown government, and its name wasupdated to City Cemetery. In 1892, theLadies’ Cemetery Association was formedto assume management of the grounds,taking over this responsibility from thetown government. This Association, com-prised of eight industrious Bloomingtonwomen, took complete charge. Their firsteffort was to clean up the grounds.Vandalism and recreational activities hadreduced the cemetery to a play area withno rules. A caretaker was hired, and a wellappointed home for him was built adjacentto the grounds. The dirt driveways werecovered with crushed stone for easiermaneuvering in inclement weather. Familyplots were marked off with stone curbs,called “pens”. A smaller number werefenced in wrought iron. A fountain and

striking entrance gate were built, fundedby donations from the citizenry. Henry B.Gentry held one of his famous GentryBrothers Dog and Pony shows as a bene-fit, raising $173.80 for the stone entrancegate off Fourth Street.

Finally, hundreds of flowers, mostlyrosebushes, were donated for the causeof beautification. The Ladies’ Cemetery

Rose Hill Cemetery: A Spacious, Gracious History LessonJennifer E. McClung

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An inscription still remains on the WPA


Association discarded the name “CityCemetery”, and chose “Rose Hill” in itsplace.

Roses were found not only on thegrounds, but on the gravestones as well.Most common as a symbol of motherhood,the rose was also extensively used in nine-teenth-century gravestone carving to repre-sent youth and beauty. A rosebud signifieda life not yet in full bloom, and a brokenstem indicated a life cut short.

Gravestone art in the nineteenth centu-ry incorporated many designs. Hands wereprobably the most common devise. A handpointing heavenward indicated thedeceased had gone to his or her reward.The hand portrayed was usually that of theopposite sex of the deceased, and withvery few exceptions, it was a right hand.Clasped hands, in a gesture of farewell,were also frequently seen. Again, the gen-der of the deceased dictated the carving:for a male, the illustration would be that ofa female hand clasping the male hand,and the reverse if the deceased wasfemale. Crossed hands, as in prayer, areanother variation, seen in sculpture formon the memorial of Ivan Adams carved forhimself and his wife shortly before hisdeath in 1968. The sculpture is titled “Ladyof Peace”.

Willow trees appear in endless vari-eties, beginning in the 1840s. These“weeping” trees are a common symbol ofmourning.

Angels, in contrast to other designs, arerarely seen in Rose Hill. The example onthe Irene Bunger stone is a commercialdesign found on several other MonroeCounty gravestones. Angels were the sym-bolic messengers sent from Heaven tocarry the soul back with them.

Symbols were sometimes combined.The lamb and willow designs on theSemantha Simonton stone indicate both achild and mourning. The hand and crowncombination on the Wylie Bates stone indi-

cates the certainty that he wouldreceive his crown in Heaven.

Doves and lambs were sym-bols of childhood, and are stillfrequently employed on moderngravestones. At the turn of thecentury, these figures beganappearing as miniature statueson top of the tiny stones.

A serene classical figurestands protectively over thegraves of the Beers and Farisfamilies. Judging from the dateson the surrounding stones, shehas been in Rose Hill for aboutone hundred years.

Bronze sculptures of period soldiersremember Monroe County’s sacrifices tothe Civil War and World War I. The WorldWar I monument was commissioned anderected in 1923. Made of Indiana buff lime-stone, it was executed by local stone carv-er B. Correll. The bronze statue andplaque were paid for with donations, most-ly from the families of the 34 men whogave their lives in the war.

In sharp contrast to these elaborate

tributes, the two Bloomington men whoserved in the Revolutionary War areremembered only modestly. JohnCampbell died in 1838, at the age of 82.His simple stone, among those of his fami-ly, states that he was “A soldier and aPatriot of the American Revolution”.Andrew Ferguson was only recently givena tombstone, although he died in 1855.The only black Revolutionary War soldierto have resided in Bloomington, Fergusonwas born in Virginia and served as a sol-dier from 1780-1783. He came toBloomington around 1830, and died hereat the age of 90. Monroe County historianMr. Oscar Curtis and local DAR membersobtained a tombstone for Ferguson, thislong-overlooked soldier of the Revolution.It was placed and dedicated on MemorialDay 1984.

Other names at Rose Hill are morefamiliar to residents of Bloomington.Indiana Seminary was founded in 1821,and became Indiana University in 1838.Among its pioneers were ProfessorAndrew Wylie, the University’s first presi-dent; Dr. David Maxwell, Bloomington’sfirst physician; and Governor ParisDunning.

Andrew Wylie was born in 1789, inPennsylvania. He moved his wife andtwelve children to Bloomington in 1829 toassume Indiana Seminary’s first presiden-cy. He held that office for 22 years, until hisdeath on April 12, 1851. A thirteen-foot tall

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Rose Hill

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A miniature soul house is the resting place

obelisk of Indiana limestone marks thegraves of Andrew and Margaret Wylie inthe oldest section of Rose Hill. Andrew’sepitaph is carved in both English andLatin, a fitting tribute to this learned man.

Dr. David Maxwell was Bloomington’sfirst physician, and a pioneer settler ofMonroe County. He arrived here with hiswife, Mary Dunn Maxwell, in 1819, andestablished himself as a co-founder ofIndiana Seminary, a city councilman, apostmaster, and drafter of the first IndianaConstitution, in addition to his duties asphysician. He died on September 17,1854, and was buried beneath a marbleobelisk, in the shadow of the Wylie monu-ment. Maxwell Hall, on the IndianaUniversity campus, and Maxwell Streetwere both named for him.

The Honorable Paris Dunning madeBloomington his home both before andafter an illustrious career in state politics.Here he practiced law and medicine, andmarried Sarah Alexander, a descendant ofthe Dunn family who sold their family farmfor what was to become the IndianaUniversity campus. Dunning served asGovernor of the State of Indiana from1848-1849. He returned to Bloomingtonafter his term, and built the magnificenthouse, which still stands at Third andJackson Streets. Sarah died in 1863, andwas buried in the southeastern corner ofRose Hill, barely a block from her home.Dunning collapsed during a courtroomspeech in May 1884, and was laid to restnext to Sarah.

Professors Kirkwood, Ballantine, andWoodburn are other educators who hadrecognizable campus buildings namedafter them; all are now in Rose Hill.Bloomington’s favorite son, HoagyCarmichael, was born on November 22,1899, on South Grant Street. He and hisparents and sisters moved away a numberof times, but always felt most at home inBloomington. Hoagy returned here on hisown in 1919 to earn his diploma fromBloomington High School. He graduatedfrom Indiana University in 1926 with a lawdegree, and promptly left for Florida. Butthe music was in him, and he chose to fol-low it rather than the law. In addition tocomposing some of the finest songs of thecentury, Hoagy acted in a number of films,co-starred in a television western, hosteda radio program, and authored two booksabout his life in Bloomington. His death on

December 27, 1981, brought nationwidemourning. His body was returned toBloomington, and buried next to his par-ents and sister Joanne.

Many others who were of historical sig-nificance to Bloomington and Indiana alsochose Rose Hill as their permanent restingplace.

Rose Hill is a peaceful spot. At the turnof the century, the fountain in EvergreenArbor was operational, and the tall shadetrees provided a haven for picnickers.Today the fountain is gone after years ofvandalism made it inoperable. Fortunatelyit has been restored, and can be seentoday in Third Street Park. The family pic-nics have been replaced by solitary pur-suits – joggers, people walking their dogs,or occasionally someone with a camera ornotebook, researching genealogy.

A close walking tour suggests interest-ing questions, and reveals tantalizingpieces of information. Who can guesswhat distracted the stone carver enough torecord little Carl Newton’s date of death asFebruary 30th, 1918? Monroe Countydeath records list the actual date of deathas January 30 of the same year.

Ellettsville quarry owner John Craftonwas lost at sea in the 1912 Titanic disas-ter. A cenotaph, a memorial stone erectedwhen the body lies elsewhere, sits in thefamily plot.

Alfred Patton’s 1853 headstone statesthat he was killed by lightning. This maybe the only nineteenth-century stone todetail a cause of death in Monroe County.Modern gravestones are becoming morepersonal, with photographs laser-etchedinto granite, and details of the deceased’slife – sometimes even their death – includ-

ed on the gravestone.Brothers John and David Claman are

buried beneath a single stone. The handsrepresented are pointing down, rather thanup, differing from the usual style. A handpointing down is a Puritan symbol for theHand of God, meant to remind the viewerof his own mortality. In this case, thehands may have a much more functionalpurpose: to indicate where each brother isburied.

A more ancient custom – the soulhouse – can be found in modernized ver-sions at Rose Hill. The soul house was aplace for the soul to live after death of themortal. Mausoleums are a large-scaleform of this memorial. On a smaller scale,we have the Banks stone, resembling acozy cottage, and Marietta (Ettie)Stephenson’s marker, which appears to bea cross between a doll’s house and aVictorian mansion. Miss Stephenson diedin 1890 at the age of nineteen, of con-sumption, what we now call tuberculosis.She may have been too grown-up for doll-houses, but would apparently remain hermother’s little girl for eternity. Her parentsare buried beside her, as the custom ofthe days gone by was for families to beburied together. According to his obituary,William Stephenson’s 1895 funeral wasthe largest in Rose Hill history; the proces-sion reached one-half mile in length.

Rose Hill reflects different aspects ofsociety. In the old section, we find head-stones bearing names like America, Dovie,Euphrasia, Indiana, and Wygonda. Everyflower and precious stone name imagina-ble is represented, following the Victorian



Rose Hill

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Sarah Dunning, wife of IndianaSymbolic meaning and sculptur-

trend. Common, too, are obscure Biblicalnames, like Jeheil, Naaman, Nimrod,Sampson, and last, but not least, Zeno.

Individual gravestones have alwaysbeen the most popular form of memorialsto the deceased. In 1917,Bloomingtonians were offered an alterna-tive – the first public mausoleum in south-ern Indiana was built at Rose Hill. A small-er “lawn crypt” was added in the 1950s.Three private mausoleums, or familycrypts dot the grounds, dated 1927, 1932,and 1940.

The old stones bear symbolic carvingsladen with meaning for the nineteenth-century survivors of the deceased. Thewhite marble was imported from Georgia,

Tennessee, and sometimes Italy, thenfashioned into gravestones here inBloomington. There were very few monu-ment makers in town, so most of thestones in any given decade have a certain“sameness” to them. By far and away themost prolific carver was Tolbert Sudbury,who worked here from the mid-1860s untilhis death in 1912. We also find stonessigned by David M. Johnston, Edwin Burt,Isaac Walker, and Jonathan Corsaw. Allbut Burt, whose burial place is unknown,are now at Rose Hill.

The earliest gravestones were madefrom limestone, easily accessible, and aform of sandstone native to western Ohio.White marble became fashionable with thelaying of the railroad. Imagine how strikingthe pristine white stones must havelooked! This material fell out of favor in the1890s, and was replaced by the always-reliable Indiana limestone. By the 1920s,the old marble stones had eroded, faringworse than the homemade limestone andsandstone markers of earlier days. A newmaterial was found to me both durableand attractive: granite. This stone, quarriedmainly in Vermont, has remained the normin gravestones for over seventy years.

Rose Hill exists peacefully with its sur-rounding neighborhoods. The roses thatgave the cemetery its name have van-ished. Peonies, the Indiana state flower,have replaced them to such an extent thata former Rose Hill superintendent once

commented that the name ought to bechanged again – to Peony Hill. It is a spa-cious, gracious history lesson onBloomington and its inhabitants.



Rose Hill

Habitat for HumanityStraw Bale House The Center for Sustainable Living,Harmony School and Bloomingfoods haveraised more than half of the $47,500 nec-cessary to be able to build the first StrawBale house in Bloomington house.Construction is scheduled to start onSeptember 27th.

If you would like to help on the build orhelp us raise the rest of the $$$, pleasecontact our volunteer coordinator DeniseTravers at 333-4439 or email: [email protected]

You can send donations to: Habitat forHumanity Straw Bale House ProjectP.O.Box 1441 Bloomington, IN 47402-1441 Help make this amazing projectcome to life!

Nearly 100years old, thislady of stonestands silentwatch overthe Beers andFaris plots.Flowers canoften be


A Garden of Her OwnLaura Ley

My flower garden at the corner of MapleStreet and Smith has evolved over theyears. I bought the house in 1982 andwas drawn to the house because of thelarge garden plot out back. I had previ-ously lived in the country and grew andcanned lots of vegetables.

This plot started out as an all-veg-etable garden with a few marigoldsthrown in. Gradually it became a flowergarden with a couple of tomato plants,now it's all flowers. Change is good.

Over the years I have swappedperennial with my Prospect Hill neigh-bors, things such as poppies, surpriselilies, monarda, black-eyed susans,asters, lily of the valley, and buttercupsto name a few. I then started addingannuals, which can be very beautifuluntil the first frost.

The flower garden is an ever-chang-ing process and is never "done". Myhusband, Barry, has added some fish-ponds, fountains and water plants overthe past few years. The fish have grownquite large and the fountains add asoothing sound to work by.

One word. Work. A garden takes constant care throughout the season.Once everything is planted, I make adaily look around to take care of weeds,bugs, check growth, pick and deadheadflowers, and do the watering and hoe-ing. Several years ago I started a gar-den journal to help myself rememberwhat works well together and whatdoesn't. I refer to it often and alsorecord when flowersare peaking in bloom,and weather extremesare too hot, too dry, toowet, etc.

There are lots ofbeautiful gardens in ourneighborhood. I enjoykeeping tabs on howthey progress andwould welcome anyoneto come and take a walkaround in mine.

Garden SwapSaturday, October 49 a.m. – 11 a.m.Community Garden at Euclidand Howe Streets

Add to your own yard or garden! It’sdividing time and that can only meanmore flowers and seeds for everyone toshare. Come share the bounty as we dig and divide community garden peren-nials Bring something to tradeA free Iris for everyone who attends!

In The Garden

CSX/McDoel SwitchYard & Rail CorridorOpen House Thursday, September 11, 2003

11AM - 1PM & 5PM - 7PM

City Council Chambers of City Hall

The City of Bloomington has been plan-ning the conversion of the McDoelSwitchyard and Rail Corridor into anurban greenway for the past severalmonths. This project will provide oppor-tunities for businesses, neighborhoods,and residents along the trail, as well asadd to the quality of life Bloomington isrecognized for nationally.

The City has contracted with RatioArchitects, in association with RQAWCorporation, Christopher BurkeCorporation, and J.F.New and Associatesfor the professional planning and designservices of creating the CSX/McDoelSwitchyard and Rail Corridor MasterPlan. Staff from the City of Bloomingtonand the professional design team hasbeen making progress internally and feelit is necessary to get input from propertyowners adjacent to the trail.

An Open House will be held onSeptember 11, 2003 from 11 am - 1 pmand from 5 pm to 7 pm in the CouncilChambers of City Hall. If you are inter-ested in learning more about this projector expressing your ideas about the futureuses of the trail, please join us.

If you have any questions about theOpen House, please call my office at349-3406 or the Parks and RecreationDepartment at 349-3700.


Kids’ Corner

W antedKid and teen writers &reporters ages 8-17!

For the next issue - December 2003 - you

could tell about your favorite holiday

book, your favorite memory of this

neighborhood, report on something

that you and your friends are doing,

or share a game, craft, or story!

For more details, email Lucy Schaich

at [email protected] or Brenda

McNellen at [email protected].

The first volunteer who completes a piece for thenewsletter will receive a yo-yoand a book of yo-yo tricks!

A Little Bit of HistoryGames in the 1920s

Many of the houses in the Prospect Hillarea were built by the end of the 1920s.In the late 1920s, a man named PedroFlores started making a brand new toythat became all the rage. It was the yo-yo! Although yo-yos had been aroundin ancient China, Greece, and Egypt,they became really popular in the thirtieswhen Donald Duncan started sellingthem to kids and adults. Duncan's firstyo-yos were made of maple wood, but inthe 1930s, red and black metal whistlingyo-yos were also popular. "Duncan Yo-yo Professionals" traveled to towns allover the U.S.A to demonstrate yo-yo tricks to admiring crowds.

Flavored SugarFlavored sugar is easy to make with herbs or flowers from your garden or theFarmer's Market! All you need is a pint-sized jar with a tight-fitting lid, 2 cups of sugar, and edible herbs and/or flowers (good choices include mint,roses, scented geranium leaves, lavender,and honeysuckle-make sure they havebeen grown without pesticides!).

Projects for Fall

Make Your OwnFlavored Sugar

Steps:1. Choose small flow-

ers and herb leaves.

W ash all the flowers

and leaves and make

sure that they are

absolutely dry before

you add them to the

sugar.

2. Fill the jar about …

full with the sugar and

add a layer offlowers/herbs.

3. Add more layers of

sugar and leaves until

jar is full. Put the lid on

and secure it.

4. Shake the jar and

store in a cool dark

place.

5. Let the sugar absorb

When I walked into Morrison's TV andAppliance on a Saturday morning a fewweeks ago, one of the questions I hadplanned to ask was answered right away.No sooner had I walked in the door whenI discovered that "Jacques" and

"Costeau," really doexist. They're the twoGerman Shepherds fea-tured in local cable TVcommercials forMorrison's. The dogs,whose master is storeowner Edie Morrison,usually spend their daysat the store and returnhome with Edie at night."Jacques"and"Cousteau" help makeMorrison's a uniquebusiness establishment.

Morrison's, located at900 W. Kirkwood, is athrowback to an erawhen store owners andtheir employees eitherknew or got to knowtheir customers on afirst name basis. Thebusiness was started inthe early 1950s by ayoung World War Twoveteran named JackMorrison. In addition tooperating the store, Jackwas very active in civic

affairs. He was born and raised in theProspect Hill area.

Jack perhaps is best known for hisservice on the city council where he wasa tireless advocate for Bloomington'swest side. During his tenure on the coun-cil , Jack actively lobbied to have severalhundred thousand dollars' worth of feder-al Community Development Block(CDBG) grants - better known as "re-development funds" - allocated to thecity's west side neighborhoods.

"Jack loved the West Side," hiswidow, Edie, said. When Jack died in1997, Edie decided to keep the storeoperating. "I felt this was the best way Icould honor Jack's memory," she added.Morrison said she's not had any secondthoughts or doubts about her decision tokeep the store open. She said she looksforward to serving the residents of theProspect Hill and Near West side neigh-borhoods for many years to come.

Morrison said the arrival of the massmerchandising appliance stores, betterknow as "big box" stores, in Bloomingtonhas not hurt Morrison's. In fact, shebelieves they have helped boost sales ather store. "An article in Kiplinger maga-zine suggests that some consumers aretiring of the 'big box' stores and are want-ing to return to traditional stores wherethey can get personalized service."

Morrison said her prices are competi-tive with those charged by the big appli-ance stores. Her store is affiliated with

Associated Volume Buyers (AVB), a pur-chasing cooperative which allows smallTV and appliance stores like Morrison'sto offer prices which are competitive withthe "big box" stores.

Morrison's TV and Appliance pridesitself on outstanding customer service."Although people tend to look upon us asa small, neighborhood store, we actuallyhave a staff of ten employees," the ownersaid.

Morrison's sells some the best knownbrands in the TV and appliance businessincluding Jenn-Air, Amana, Maytag,Frigidaire, and Crosby. In addition to thebrands sold at Morrison's, the store serv-ices over 20 other brands.

While Morrison's provides 1950s stylepersonalized service, the store has joinedthe Internet age with establishment of itsown website:www.morrisonappliances.com. OwnerEdie Morrison may be e-mailed at:[email protected]. She mayalso be reached by phone at the store at332-7694

Edie, always a believer in personalcommunications, hopes neighborhoodresidents will stop by the store and chat --even if they're not in the market for a newTV or appliance.While you're there,be sure to say helloto "Jacques" and"Costeau."


Business Profile

Editor's Note: This is the first in an occa-sional series of stories focusing on smallbusinesses located in or near theProspect Hill neighborhood. Many ofthese establishments are individually orfamily-owned and operated. We encour-age neighborhood residents to patronizethese establishments.

Morrison’s TV & Appliance Looks Toward the FutureRick Gudal


CONA Working onNew ZoningOrdinanceThe Council of NeighborhoodAssociations, CONA, through its planning committee has compiled a list of ordinances that it believes need to beincluded or revised when the new zoningordinance is adopted. One of CONA'sconcerns is the ordinance governing aPlanned Unit Development. A PlannedUnit Development permits the owner of a plot of ground to present to the PlanCommission a development that exceedspresent zoning requirements. CONAbelieves that a PUD must be regulated so that it conforms to an existing neighbor-hood plan.

The list of concerns will be discussedat upcoming CONA meetings. The list ispublished under NEIGHBORHOODS onthe CONA website. The address iswww.conaonline.org.

Storm Drain ProjectDuring September, Prospect Hill willbecome the first neighborhood to voluntarily participate in the City ofBloomington Utilities' (CBU) Storm DrainMarking Program. The primary goal ofthis activity is to change the wayBloomingtonians use and view stormdrains. Within the next month, theProspect Hill team, led by a CBU repre-sentative, will spend a weekend after-noon placing markers which read "NoDumping, Drains to Stream" on all stormdrains in the neighborhood. The small,colorful marker is easy to permanentlyaffix to the storm drains and sends animportant message in a rather aestheti-cally-pleasing way.

Storm drains are commonly misusedfor the disposal of waste such as paint,motor oil, antifreeze, pesticides and otherpollutants. This improper disposal canseriously damage our community's waterquality and environment. In addition,each time it rains, stormwater runoff car-ries street litter and other pollutants intostorm drains. This "non-point source pol-lution" is a significant source of contami-nation of Indiana's water resources andcosts the state thousands of dollars. Didyou know that our storm drains do notpurify and remove pollutants? In many

communities, storm water runoff is dis-charged directly into nearby streams,rivers, lakes, or even sinkholes andcaves, which are conduits to groundwater. Partners in this project include the City ofBloomington, Monroe County SolidWaste Management District, IndianaDepartment of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, andIndiana University.

If you are interested in learning about this issue and joining the Prospect Hill volunteer team, contact Matt Weber at 330-0250 [email protected]. More information can also be found atwww.city.bloomington.in.us/utilities/stormdrainor by contacting Kriste Lindberg at 339-7210 or [email protected].

The Von Lee has finally been sold as we hadfeared: with a covenant attached to its deedwhich prohibits any future film use. The newowner is considering turning the historic the-ater into a bar. IU has passed up opportuni-ties to buy the theater for two years now.Our subcommittee, Save the Von Lee, iscontemplating legal action. We have createda website for information on the issue. Weare hoping to bring to light this practice of theKerasotes Corporation which is intended tokill off small historic Main Street theatersthroughout their five state area. Over four-teen hundred people have signed our petitionto save the Von Lee and we have promoteda concessions boycott at Kerasotes Theatersfor a year and half.

Remember... No Popcorn Please!

Sadly, the legal action seems to be the onlything left to do. Kerasotes has just recentlyclosed the only downtown movie theater inCarbondale IL where a community group istrying to figure out what to do about it. The

same thing happened last year in Rantoul, IL.Rantoul's economic Development Director,Ray Boudreaux said of Kerasotes closing ofthe Wings Theater, " We are all going to missit. That place was packed with boys and girlson the weekend." We are going to need toraise legal funds to proceed. Our website iswww.geocities.com/savethevonlee/index.html.This action is the only way to get Kerasotesattention, as they have ignored the commu-nity's response in this and other communi-ties since their auto driven mall multiplexstrategy apparently includes the destructionof the traditional downtown theaters. If wedon't save the Von Lee for the immediatefuture but win our case, at least other com-munities across the Midwest might bespared the loss of their historic theaters.The Von Lee might also have movies in itsfuture. It was a deli for years between beingthe Ritz and the Von Lee and most barsand Italian restaurants come and go in thistown. We are actively fundraising for ourupcoming legal action. Our immediate goalis $2,000. Call 336-9171 to learn more.

Report from Save the Von Lee Campaign

Show Your ProspectHill PrideEver feel like you're entering a different worldwhen you drive across College into theProspect Hill neighborhood? Show peopleyou've been there with a deluxe Prospect Hillcar window-cling sticker. You can get a stick-er for free just by paying your Prospect HillNeighborhood Association membership duesfor this year ($5.00 for an individual or $10.00for a household). The stickers are being pro-

duced now and will be avail-able for pickup at the

Fall HomecomingParty on October 4(see back page).You can also get a

sticker by mailingyour membership dues

to Tom Roznowski, ProspectHill Neighborhood Association Treasurer, 706W. Third St., 47404 ( A membership form isincluded on the back page of this newsletter).Anyone living in the Prospect Hill neighbor-hood is encouraged to join.

Your membership dues keep our neigh-borhood strong by helping with the funding ofevents such as the annual Spring and Fallneighborhood celebrations and through infor-mation sharing through the email update,newsletter and web site. Welcome to theneigborhood neighbor!


City Council District 1 Candidate Q & A

Biographical Information:• Small Business Owner—Golden

Hands Construction since 1979 • Forty years of Westside living

and neighborhood activism • Past President of Prospect Hill

Neighborhood Association • Past Chair of the Bloomington Historic

Commission and current member• Bloomington Restorations Incorporated

Affordable Housing Committee Co-Chair • Helped build WFHB studio as a

volunteer and committee member.• City of Bloomington Neighbor of the Year 2001 • Bloomington High School '71 and Wabash College '75 • State honors BHS in wrestling and football. MVP football at Wabash • Has a plot in Rose Hill - Is here to stay!

Why I am Seeking Public Office:I love our town and my experience with local government is that itactually works. There is real democracy on this local level and peo-ple can make a difference. I think it is important who sits on our citycouncil and having grown up here and participated in politics at theneighborhood level and then as a commission member, I havebecome well versed in the way our city government operates. Ibelieve that I can use my experience to help our community byalways voting based on what is best for Bloomington.

My Qualifications: I have many years of experience at leadership. I have run a suc-cessful and well respected business since 1979. I have made pay-roll every week and have been continuously responsible for projectsinvolving people's primary investment, their homes. I have exerciseda leadership role in my neighborhood association and more recently,have lead the Historic Commission as chair during the past few

Biographical Information:• Born – 10/20/1971• Part Time Resident of

Bloomington since 1977• Full Time resident of

Bloomington since 1997• BS in History from Ball State

University 1995• 1997-present Partner/General

Manager of small, family ownedbusinesses in Monroe County

• 2003 Managing Partner of ShortStop Partnership, Managing oper-ator Eastside Investments LLC

Why I am Seeking Public Office:I made the decision to seek this public office because I lovethe city of Bloomington and feel the citizens of this city wouldbe better served if there were a change of tone in city govern-ment. I have spoken with many people who feel that they aredisrespected and not adequately represented by the currentcity council. People feel that government has failed to pro-vide for the needs of the neighborhoods and business com-munity and has shifted its focus to what is best for those elit-ists in city hall. A change is needed. I want to help insurethat the long-term vision for Bloomington brings quality jobs,reduces crime, improves traffic flow, and reduces the size ofour current government bureaucracy. The people ofBloomington deserve Reasonable, Responsible, andRespectful government.

My Qualifications:Being the operator of a small business, organizer of a neigh-borhood association, homeowner and a soon to be husbandand step father, I have developed the three skills I believe to

Make Sure You are Registered to VoteIf you are not yet registered, you can register in person at theMonroe County Voter Registration Office in the Justice Building, 301 North College Ave. (Corner of 7th and College). You may alsoregister by mail. Contact the Monroe County Voter RegistrationOffice for a mail-in form. If you do not receive confirmation of yourregistration within two weeks or have any questions about your registration, call the Monroe County Voter Registration Office at 349-2690. Above all, if there is a question, do not assume your registration is still valid. Voter registration will end thirty days beforethe election (10/4/03).

Absentee VotingThere are several ways to cast your ballot in addition to voting atyour polling site on Election Day. Anyone over age 65 is eligible tovote by Absentee Ballot. In addition, you may vote absentee if youare disabled, work over 12 hours on Election Day, are in militaryservice, work in an official capacity on Election Day; take care ofsomeone who is disabled, or will be out of town on Election Day.In order to vote absentee, your must submit an application to the Voter Registration Office. Once your application is completed,there are three ways to vote absentee:

Vote by Mail: After receiving your application, the County Clerk'soffice will deliver your ballot through the mail with instructions.

Vote Early at the County Clerk's Office: A bipartisan board isestablished in the County Clerk's office at 301 North College(Corner of 7th and College) from 10/6/03 to 11/3/03.

Vote by Travel Board: If you are confined to your home, apartment, or any convalescent facility, a bipartisan travel boardcan come visit you and help you complete your ballot in person.

For more information about voting by Absentee Ballot call 349-2690.

Know Your Polling PlaceIf you have any question about your polling place or precinct,contact the Monroe County Voter Registration office at 349-2690. Please be aware that some polling places maychange before Election Day.

Dax Norton (R) Chris Sturbaum (D)

He s A Voter, She s A Voter.....Wouldn t You Like To Be A Voter Too?

Election 2003

be most important to be an exceptionalcouncilperson. First, one must have theability to listen to both sides of an argu-ment and find common ground in aneffort to create sound policy. Thisprocess happens at home when wehave to decide if the 4 year old will beable to watch cartoons, if the Kelly willwatch Oprah, or if I will watch the Cubs

lose the pennant all at the same time with one television inour house. Second, one must have the ability to spend whatmoney they have wisely. Doing a budget for a small busi-ness and for home has given me an education on how tospend money wisely in good and bad times. Third, one musthave vision. I have found it necessary to have goals andvisions for the business, the family and the stepdaughter.

List Three Key Issues in Our Community:1. Policy that insures the introduction of high wage jobs

to our community2. Public Safety ( Police and Fire Protection for our

Mothers, Children and Students)3. Traffic (Infrastructure plan)

How I Plan to Address These Issues:1. City officials need to create policy that attracts high wage

employers to our community and shy away from introduc-ing regulations and fees that repel them. Design reviewand sewage policies only create barriers to the introduc-tion of business in our community because employers willfind it rather difficult to settle in a city where they mayneed to spend four hours in one evening discussing thevinyl siding they want to use for their business project.We also need to open up the gates and develop thefringe. Organizations such as the BEDC, BUEA, SmallBusiness Development center, the STAR Center, and theChamber need adequate financial and legislative support.

2. Promises made to city police and fire departments mustbe kept. The number one priority of the city councilshould be the budget and efficient operation of all publicsafety departments.

3. Bloomington needs a long term infrastructure and trafficflow plan. Fitness trails, safe and efficient east/west corri-dors, proper placement of interchanges, and planningnew developments around infrastructure that is already inplace must be the focus of this plan. Bloomington isgoing to grow and with growth will come automobile andpedestrian traffic. If we solve our infrastructure problemsnow it will improve our quality of life, which will attractnew employers and increase our tax base.


City Council District 1 Candidate Q & A (continued)

years. My style is to see a problem and find away to resolve it. In my professional career Isimply can't just form a committee and put offthe solution. The problem must always beresolved satisfactorily. This pattern is reflectedin everything I do. Bloomington will alwayshave issues to resolve. I believe I can helpsolve them.

List Three Key Issues in Our Community:1. Affordable Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization 2. Quality Jobs 3. Quality of Life

How I Plan to Address These Issues:1. Affordable housing must be a constant effort. We must continue to

nurture and expand our support of non-governmental agencies aswell as make our in-house programs more efficient. We need amultiple approach to the various levels of this issue. The Americandream of home ownership must not become out of the reach ofhard working people.Neighborhood revitalization is good for everyone. Substandardand unsafe housing affects everyone in the neighborhood. Wemust continue our programs which make our neighborhoods saferand more attractive. Quality affordable housing can have this pos-itive effect of making the neighborhood better while serving anoth-er social need.Crestmont is overdue for a major revitalization which could changethe image from "project" to neighborhood.

2. Quality Jobs: The factory jobs have gone to Mexico and they are notcoming back. We are in a new economy now and the brightestminds in the field call it "The New Geography". No longer does jobgrowth depend on railways or highways, because the new technolo-gy and biomedical industries can just about locate anywhere they like("like" being the key word here). The towns and cities that attract thebusiness people of the future and encourage the brightest to stayhome will do so based on quality of life issues. The cities that attractthe new entrepreneurs are places people really want to live.Bloomington has many of the characteristics of these new "Meccas".

3. Quality of Life: Enhancing our positives, taking care of our green-space issues, protecting our historic character, nurturing our artisticand musical community, building new buildings in context toenhance our cities viability and appearance, creating affordablehousing while enhancing our neighborhoods, addressing our park-ing issues and creating a viable mass transportation system alllead to an improved quality of life. This is good for us but isunmatched as the economic development tool of the future. How we enact our Growth Policies Plan will set the course. Wehave more jobs now than we have people in Monroe county,although too many of them are low wage jobs. This holisticapproach is more likely than traditional economic development tobring the good job growth that we all desire.

Make Your Choice Count - Vote Nov. 4!

The inclusion of these canidate profiles in the Prospectus does not imply Prospect Hill Neighborhood Association endorsement or support of either candidate, their activities or personal or political viewpoints.

This information is intended for informational purposes only. Answers were submitted by the candidates themselves.

Prospectus Newsletter | Early Fall 2003 | page 12...

Got Something to Report?Send your Prospectus submissions to the Prospectus [email protected].

CalendarNeighborhood Association Meeting Schedule:Monthly Neighborhood Association Meetings areheld the first Monday of the Month at 7:30pm inGallery West Espresso (702 West KirkwoodStreet). All neighbors are invited toattend.

Upcoming meetings (2003): September 9October 6 November 3December 1

Annual membership meeting: October 4 - 12 noon.

Become a Member

Prospect Hill Neighborhood Association Voluntary Annual Membership Dues Household: $10.00

Individual: $5.00

Name

Address

Email

Date

Please mail to: Tom Roznowski (Treasurer), 706 W. 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN 47404

Join the Email UpdateReceive monthly updates of neighborhood meetings,events and issues. Send your email address [email protected] to get connected today.

Prospectus Newsletter Committee:Terry Howe, Brenda McNellen,Lucy Schaich.

A Prospect Hill HomecomingAnnual Fall Neighborhood CelebrationSaturday, October 4, 2003 Noon-6pmToday's residents of Prospect Hill are inviting former Prospect Hillers (Hillites? Hillians?)to celebrate the neighborhood’s past, present and future at the first ever Prospect HillHomecoming. All former and current Prospect Hill residents are invited to this fun drop-in event, which will be held in the Building and Trades Park on Howe Street from Noon

until 6:00 PM on Saturday, October 4, 2003. The Prospect Hill Homecoming will beheld in conjunction with the neighborhood’s Annual Fall Neighborhood Celebrationand Membership meeting.

Only in Prospect Hill neighborhood can you find a former Indiana Governor’s man-sion, Bloomington’s oldest city cemetery, its only public park constructed from the for-mer site of a limestone quarry, the largest collection of restored WPA sidewalks in thecity, and homes spanning more than a century of architectural styles.

Former Prospect Hill residents will enjoy photo displays of the neighborhood dur-ing its long history and an opportunity to re-connect with past neighbors. Sponsoredby the Prospect Hill Neighborhood Association, admission to the homecoming is free.In addition to the potluck buffet supplied by neighbors, light refreshments will beavailable.

Homecoming guests are invited to bring their personal photos, clippings and memo-ries of the neighborhood to share and help build an archive of material about the richhistory of Prospect Hill. Opportunities will also be given to sign up for the neighborhoodoral history project. All historical information and materials that are gathered will bekept in the neighborhood to be used as a resource by local schools, historians and otherinterested parties.

Building and Trades Park is located on West Howe Street, just west of South Rogers.For further information, call 323-1882 or email [email protected].

Bring your photos, neighborhood memories, and a dish to share!

FIRST SEMESTER DAY 2003-2004Staff Meetings[ No School for Students ]

MondayTuesday

August 25August 26

CLASSES BEGIN Wednesday August 27Labor Day No School Monday September 1Fall Vacation No School Friday October 24Parent ConferencesElementary SchoolOnly no K classesgrades 1-6: 9-11:30

Thursday PMFriday PM

November 6November 7

Thanksgiving Recess NoSchool

Friday November 28

Winter Break Begins -- NoSchool

Monday December 22

Classes Begin After WinterBreak

Monday January 5

Last Day of 1st Semester Friday January 16Martin L King, Jr. DayNo School

Monday January 19

MCCSC Calendar

early fall 2003 paris dunning house - prospect hill · plots were marked off with stone curbs,...

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