Grandpa Murphy turns 101

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Kyanne and Grandpa Murphy 101My grandfather, William K. (Bill) Murphy, turned 101 yesterday.  Unfortunately he’s out at Miller’s Merry Manor, but he is doing pretty well for his age.  Better than a lot of younger residents there!  In any case, if you would like to wish him a Happy Birthday, he enjoys the company and has more than a few stories to tell.

The selfie to the right is grandpa with his great granddaughter and my niece, Kyanne.  (Not being a selfie person, can anyone tell me why selfies reverse the picture???)  Kyanne came up from Bloomington to join the party.  We had cake and ice cream.  The cake was big enough to share with the rest of the residents.

Hopefully I will luck out with a few of his good genes and more than a few of his good traits!  He’s always been a gentleman and someone of which I’m proud.

Invest in Marshall County!

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Four Year Capital Campaign “Invest in Marshall County” Launched  

Plymouth, IN (April 27, 2015) – Bill Davis, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Marshall County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC), announces the launch of “Invest in Marshall County,” a four year campaign with the goal of increasing private sector participation to further grow and strengthen the county economy.

“Local governments across Marshall County have been very supportive of MCEDC’s economic development program over the past seven years,” stated Mr. Davis.  “In anticipating the need for private sector participation, the Board adopted a long range strategic plan that will guide economic development activities and growth for the next five to ten years.”

Economic development is extremely competitive. The most successful programs are based on a number of key elements coming together, and funding from both the public and private sectors is a must.

The strategic plan, as adopted, highlights four specific programs:

  1. Business Expansion and Retention (BEAR) – Through the use of interviews with business leaders, the BEAR program aims to learn about the issues companies face so MCEDC can develop solutions.  In particular, the BEAR program will uncover expansion opportunities, and assist in these expansions.
  2. Business Attraction – MCEDC will identify and develop our county’s business assets, and market them to targeted businesses in order to attract new industries to the area.
  3. Entrepreneurial Hub – MCEDC, with area partners, will develop an entrepreneurial center, incorporating elements for success and allowing innovative business ideas to prosper.
  4. Workforce Development Program – MCEDC, with area partners, will develop an immediate plan to address the availability of workers and ensure that our future workforce has the skills that our employers require.

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The Lorax is here!

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Dr. Seuss's The Lorax
Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax

The much anticipated focal point for Yei-Yei’s Game Room arrived this week.  The 600+ pound bronze Lorax has taken his place on the pedestal we built for him.  The crew had given me a hard time about over-designing the structure for the pedestal base, but I think they changed their tune (toon?) when it took five stout men to move it into place.  The delivery company sent two guys to place it and there is no way that would have happened.  We were able to move it around adjacent to the exterior doors with a forklift, but from there it was all Egyptian style moving through finished space… in some cases over wood floors and ceramic tile that had to be protected.  Fortunately we were able to accomplish this without mishap.

John Singleton as The Lorax
John Singleton as The Lorax

When he realized that he was going to have to help move the statue, John volunteered to take its place rather than do the heavy lifting.  That was until it was pointed out that the Lorax is naked in the sculpture.  John agreed with the rest of us that, “No one wants to see that!”  Poor Lawana!

In any case, the statue is in place with no damage to it, the room or the movers.  We are pleased to help the Owner realize their vision.  The Lorax looks like it was meant to be there… which it was!

Regional Cities Overview with Governor Pence

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Please join us tomorrow, May 1st at 10:15am as Governor Pence visits to provide an overview of the 2015 legislative session at The Vault (located inside The Exchange), 112 W. Jefferson Blvd., South Bend.

 

This is a great opportunity for business and community leaders from our region to thank the Governor for his advocacy of the Regional Cities Initiative and for making it a priority in budget negotiations with the legislators.  Also to demonstrate the great enthusiasm and regional collaboration occurring in north central Indiana as we now move forward in the competition to earn half of the $84M slated in the budget to support our Regional Cities of Northern Indiana projects.

 

If you are not able to attend the update, please consider sending a note to Governor Pence via his constituent representative at: kkane@gov.in.gov. Having the governor hear a huge thank you from the business community will be extremely helpful for future funding years.

Provided by Linda Yoder, Executive Director, Marshall County Community Foundation

Image Source:  Inside Indiana Business

Ole Olsen Memorial Theatre Project

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Ole Olsen TheatreWe are currently helping the Ole Olsen Theatre troupe in Peru, Indiana with repairs to the dormers on the old railroad depot that they use as their base.  The old wood siding on the dormers have gaps to the point that our crew said you could see from one side of the dormers out through the other side!  We are replacing the old siding with vinyl and wrapping the existing window trim with new rot resistant materials.  The window glass will be protected and insulated with Lexan covers.

Ole Olsen Theatre Dormer (before)It’s unfortunate that the previous roofing project was poorly executed.  Flashings were not installed properly around the dormers causing damage over the years.  The shingles were not properly laid out, so the lines are uneven and do not match on either side of the dormers and there is a round turret where the shingle line waivers up and down as it rises.  All this detracts from what is an impressive historic structure.  The details on the building are quite impressive, though as is often the case with historic structures, neglect has taken its toll over the years.  Bob Cooper and Ken Stiles have been our crew on site and they are struggling to fix past mistakes and blend the new work to fit with the historic structure.

This postcard supposedly shows the first CR&M (C&O) depot in Peru, Indiana. I would rather think this really the freight house, even though it resembles a depot. The brick and stone depot was built in 1901, which was the year the CR&M started running to Peru. I can’t explain the train order board. I did talk with a C&O retiree and he said he remembered the building as a yard office after it had been moved near the river. I am open to comments on this one. Postcard from Bob Albert collection.

Apparently there have been a plethora of gawkers sharing their comments and perspectives with Bob and Ken.  One of them spoke very authoritatively on the structure and stated as fact that the structure was over 200 years old.  The guys found that a little suspect since the State won’t be celebrating its 200th birthday until next year.  I did a little internet research, which I admit is also always a little suspect, but I found references to the railroad first coming to the Peru in 1854 on the Indiana Transportation Museum site.  Since is seemed a little unlikely that the depot was built in anticipation of the railroad that didn’t arrive for another 40 years, I did a little more digging.  I found the picture to the right showing a picture of the original depot with a reference to the current brick and limestone depot being constructed in 1901 on the Hoosier Valley Railroad Picture page.  114 years old is still impressive, but a little short of the 200 year claim.

Historic structures are always interesting and challenging.  We are attempting to be cognizant or the theatre troupe’s limited funds, where more extensive work might be appropriate.  We want to thank the Ole Olsen Theatre Troupe for their faith and confidence in Easterday Construction Co., Inc.