Volume VIII | Summer 2021
Millersville Musings
A note from Board President Dr. Amy Hammes
Hi, neighbor!
We are thrilled to announce that NEW Millersville Village signs have been installed at three points around the Village. Through generous donations from community partners and Board members, plus planning, fundraising, design consultations and site inspections, we’ve finally achieved this much anticipated goal. Immeasurable thanks to Board member Tom Eggers for spearheading this important project!

It is especially meaningful to us that this project was in part funded through a grant from Reconnecting to Our Waterways (ROW). This organization strives to steward Indianapolis waterways by engaging the public in fun, responsible activities and educational programs, and providing technical assistance to support sustainable waterway improvements. Our community has benefited from a successful partnership with ROW over the years, and we share their passion to improve the quality of life for communities along the City’s waterways.

We deeply appreciate the role Fall Creek has had in the development of our community. The signs' design pays homage to our Village’s humble beginnings as grist mills along Fall Creek, connecting the past to present, and the bright colors reflect the vibrancy of our community as seen in the beautification efforts we make all year long. We owe much gratitude to the waterway for providing this area a natural resource that led to the economic development of the Millersville community and the City of Indianapolis. To show our appreciation, we continue to advocate for the health and vitality of Fall Creek through our partnership with ROW. Curious about this history of Fall Creek and the Millersville community? Read more here!

The Millersville Village signs were made possible by community stakeholders who have invested in Millersville's future, and there are many opportunities throughout the year for you to invest in it, too! Your resources - whether time, talent or financial contributions - are invaluable to us, and we hope you will consider making an investment in your community through some of the opportunities for volunteering and donating here!
Discover Millersville.
Millersville Matters
A BIG THANKS TO OUR WATERING TEAM!
A small heroic team of volunteers has been watering the giant flower pots on the two Millersville Gateway Gardens all season to keep our Village beautiful and show everyone we care about our community. (Talking about the traffic-median gardens at FCPkwy & 56th St. and FCPkwy & Emerson Way.) Volunteers created these 10 years ago and have been maintaining them since. Think about filling and hauling buckets of water out across traffic to these "island" oases through the sweltering drought we have had over much of the summer.

Special thanks to Geoff and Mel Hall, David Hammes, Monique Howell and Andrea Dalton, Chris Pitzer, Shirley Rohnke, Joe Scheidler, Katie Steel and Andrew for their tremendous effort in watering this summer! Thanks to John Zubak for providing access to the water!
THE HAWK IS BACK!
Hooray! The bronze sculpture of the red-tailed hawk at the Art Plaza has been replaced by Keep Indianapolis Beautiful through their Greenspace Sustainability Support. Artists Sharon Fullingim and Amy Brier replaced the hawk this summer with beefed up security to deter future theft. The sculpture looks complete again!
WITH HEARTFELT THANKS TO OUR RECENT CONTRIBUTORS

Home Owner's Associations
Mallard Lake Community Association: $500/2021
Windridge Co-Owners Association:   $500/2021

Business Sponsor for the Village Signage Project 
Rees Realty: $500

Beautification Program Support
Keep Indianapolis Beautiful: $1,000

HAVE YOU SEEN THE GORGEOUS SUMMER BLOOMS THIS YEAR?
Last fall, our Beautification Chair Matt Benson led a small team of volunteers to prepare the beds around the Art Plaza and Gateway Garden medians for bountiful blossoms this summer. In May volunteers filled the planters with annuals. Matt worked with Holeman Landscape for supplies and consultation on which native plants would be the heartiest for this area. All of that hard work, research, and preparation paid off! The Millersville greenspaces were fabulous this year! Be sure to keep your eye out for the goldenrod this fall.
Upcoming Events
MILLERSVILLE COMMUNITY DAY and FISH FRY AT THE MASON LODGE

Millersville Masonic Lodge invites you to their first Millersville Community Day… an interesting and fun day of community celebration and unity, providing shopping, awesome live music, and great food. This is also a great opportunity to make Millersville a destination point for one day of the year for its residents, as well as our neighbor communities. Hope to see you there for a great time.
Ron Featherston, P.M.
Millersville Lodge #126
Don't miss our MFCV booth on Saturday the 25th!
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, AT 9:30 AM: QUICK-HITTER LITTER CLEANUP
Couldn't make it to our Quick-Hitter Litter Cleanup last month? The trash never quits, but neither do we! Meet us at Starbucks and we'll have trash bags and gloves!

BIG THANKS to our neighbors who picked up litter in August:
Bill and Ginny Hacker, Ken Wiesert, Rob Latton, Geoff and Melinda Hall, Vicki Eident, Robbie Miller, Mary Shurig, Matt and Mollie Benson, Laurie and Brad Schrader, and Robin and Tim Zumbaugh.

Millersville History
A Peek Into Our Past: Millersville Bike Path
DID YOU KNOW? There’s no question the Fall Creek Trail is an asset to our community, but did you know that it was a cycling haven even back in the late 1800s?

Here is an abbreviated excerpt from a publication on the Millersville Bike Path from May 28, 1898, three months before it opened:
 
“The ride to Millersville is a favorite run for Indianapolis riders. There is no better ride in Marion County for the ordinary rider….On a moonlight night, when all the picturesque spots show to a double advantage, it can be easily ridden, with several rests, between 7 and 11 o’clock…. It runs along the creek for 5 miles, and many beautiful glimpses of the moonlight water may be seen through the trees that guard the banks.” What a lovely description!
 
More than 120 years later, our community still cherishes the beautiful glimpses of Fall Creek along the trail. Providing trail users with the same picturesque spots is at the forefront of our overlook project – a new greenspace planned that will clear away the brush and install educational signage with two limestone benches overlooking Fall Creek.
 
Imagine if our community was even friendlier to trail users and cyclists – spots for bike maintenance, an ice cream parlor or local brewery to cool off on a hot summer day…? More spots to rest and take in the scenic vistas of Fall Creek? More opportunities to host bike rides or morning walks for the community?
 
If you’re interested in ways we can capitalize on this incredible historical and fun resource in our community, contact [email protected] to share your ideas!

Many thanks to Millersville neighbor Monique Howell of the Indiana State Museum Library for contributing to this piece.
City Resources
Need to contact your city resources?
Bookmark our City Resources webpage, where you can find contact information for the Mayor's Action Center and our City County Councilors. Don't miss the latest neighborhood news from one of our Mayor's Advocates, Natalie van Dongen.
Got a few minutes during your next HOA meeting?
Big thanks to Boardwalk and the Masonic Lodge for inviting us to speak at their events. Amy would love to attend your next HOA or neighborhood meeting, either in person or virtually, to tell you about all the great things we're up to in the community! Email [email protected] to set up a date.
We'd love to have you on our team! Check out these volunteer opportunities to make a difference in our community.
Don't have time to volunteer?
Your donation helps us support our shared community.
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