To my many friends and neighbors in Historic Meridian Park — Thank you for your interest, enthusiasm, participation and kind words of encouragement during my presidency. Over the past two years I have truly enjoyed leading the efforts of our special neighborhood and representing you in the Indianapolis community at meetings with other historic neighborhoods, the Mayor’s Office, and with neighborhoods within the Mapleton Fall Creek area and beyond. Our Centennial Celebration and Charrette Beautification Planning Project were certainly two of the more exciting activities we undertook. But we also joined together in successful fights against unsuitable reuses for Winona Hospital and the destruction of Crown Hill’s woodland area. In 2007, I enjoyed representing the neighborhood at the Maple Road ribbon cutting, leading the charge to unite Mapleton Fall Creek neighborhoods and speaking out about the “retail void” in our area.
My personal philosophy has always been that we each take a turn stepping up and leading. When it is our turn, we do our best and then we step aside to give someone else a chance. It is imperative that we give respect to those who are willing to step up and serve their turn. I am thrilled that Doug Day has agreed to lead this association. He will represent you well.
Our association has thrived because we have had people who are willing to participate – to step up – whether it be in a big way or a small way. As an association, we recognize that residents are comfortable participating in many different ways…as a board member, a block captain, attending meetings or socials or picking up trash during our two alley cleanups. It all contributes. For a neighborhood of our size – 225 homes – we have amazing involvement.
I leave the presidency of this association strong – with residents having a greater appreciation for these beautiful homes and with the greater community knowing more about this wonderful place. We may have been drawn here by the magnificent homes, but we stay because of the magnificent neighbors—young and old, rich and poor, traditional and non-traditional families, blue collar, white collar and clergy collar. The thank yous are many. First, my family—Rick, Maggie and Rachael—a HUGE thank you for your patience and willingness to share my time (really their time) during evenings, weekends and weekdays. Thanks to our terrific board—Jeanne Rieger, Karla Johnson, Larry Sanner, Doug Day, Jerry Johnson, Jess LaNore, Steve Towns, and Ora Triplet. And to neighbors Amy Rubin and Jay van Santen (electronic communications); Ora Triplet, Anne and Chris Gautier, Jeanne Rieger, (Alliance for Senior Advocacy Program); Jess LaNore and Krista Edstene (newsletter editors); Anna Tyszkiewicz, Bob, Lilly, Grace and Henry Bronson (newsletter distribution), Doug Day, Andre Cunningham, Jerry Johnson, Carlene Hiner, Jess LaNore, Rob and MeKeeba Lomax, Annie Owen, Richard McCoy, Larry Sanner, Sharon Smith, Jay van Santen, Mike Walsh (newsletter block captains); Gretchen Turner (web mistress); Dick, Margie and Hattie Luchtman (alley clean-up coordination); Babs Button, Chad Christensen (Safe Neighborhood Awareness Program coordinators); Jeanne Rieger, Stephanie Johnson (Social Committee); Larry Sanner, Jean and Lamar Richcreek, Julie Scott, Don Watson, John Carmer (Gardening Committee); Julie Scott (Yard Sale); and Lee Smith and Mark Webb (countless contributions of time, talent, and treasurers). My hats off to the dozens of other neighbors who participate in our Local Historic Designation Committee, Beautification Committee, Delaware Tree Brigade, or as a Safe Neighborhood Block Captain, or a member of the Centennial Committee or Centennial Home Tour Committee. Historic Meridian Park has been very blessed by the generosity of Trinity Episcopal Church and the Children’s Museum and have benefited from class projects at St. Richard’s School. Did I mention our neighborhood involvement IS AMAZING?!
Thanks for the awesome adventure!
—Lorraine Phillips Vavul