Volume X | December 2022

Millersville 2022 Year in Review A community spotlight from Millersville at Fall Creek Valley

Dear neighbors, From the Millersville Board of Directors, we wish you a prosperous 2023 filled with a renewed community spirit, one volunteer act at a time. Happy New Year!

Millersville Matters

Millersville Annual Community Meeting 2022

SAVE THE DATE for our next Annual Community Meeting MARCH 15th 2023 Thank you Cathedral HS for hosting!

Here are some highlights from guest speakers at our well-attended Annual Community Meeting on March 10, 2022 at Cathedral HS: City Planner Keith Holdsworth presented on the achievements of MFCV in executing the Millersville at Fall Creek Valley's Village and Corridor Plan, which established short and long-term goals for safe pedestrian connectivity, Fall Creek waterway sustainability; neighborhood and schools' support; and Village placemaking. Health by Design Executive Director, Kim Irwin, and Indiana Public Health Association reaffirmed the importance of safe connectivity through "Safe Routes to Schools." Morgan Mickelson from the Indianapolis Office of Sustainability presented THRIVE, Indianapolis's first sustainability and resilience action plan, which includes new curbside recycling in 2025. Keep Indianapolis Beautiful President Jeremy Kranowitz updated neighbors on Adopt-A-Block opportunities, an overall reduction in littering, and the positive impact of Heavy Trash Days to decrease illegal dumping.

"Kessler Mansion" Development Plan Approved Goodbye, Kessler Mansion! Rezoning for the "Kessler Mansion" was approved at the Metropolitan Development Commission meeting on August 3rd. Compliance will be monitored, as the new Development Plan will allow 10 rental units, an on-site property manager, and fitness center, as well as 26 parking spots, shielded to the north by evergreens. Although rezoning was a contentious issue for the community, the owner has pledged to be a good neighbor. He advised this month that contractors will be removing some decking and beginning initial grading of the front yard, and, once all Plans are approved, that multiple crews will be on site with the goal of June 1st occupancy. NEW Millersville Fall Creek Overlook Greenspace Our beautification efforts ramped up this year with the addition of a new greenspace, the Millersville Fall Creek Overlook. Our volunteers and supporters teamed up in recent months to carve out a scenic overlook where everyone can enjoy the view. It's amazing! Click here to see the incredible progress and more fun pictures. This new trail-side clearing with seating and some native wildflowers to watch for next spring is located just off East Fall Creek Parkway, North Drive, between 56th Street and Emerson Way.  A million thanks!  This remarkable transformation couldn't have happened without help from: ·        Matt Benson, for volunteer project leadership/management ·        The Indianapolis Department of Public Works (DPW) Office of Land Stewardship and Department of Parks and Recreation for supporting the project and connecting us with Mendoza Landscape Contractors ·        A very generous Millersville at Fall Creek Valley, Inc., board member and volunteer for major funding ·        The Herb Simon Family Foundation, through Reconnecting to Our Waterways (ROW), for their additional, generous donation ·        The Indiana Wildlife Federation for their donation of wildflower bed planning, native plants and planting day help (Jenny Blake, Emily Wood and their team) ·        Millersville at Fall Creek Valley VOLUNTEERS who helped with planning, networking and organizing; finding funding; selecting and purchasing stone blocks; wildflower planting, mulching and watering; ongoing landscape maintenance; publicity and communications; and signage planning: Matt and Mollie Benson, Cac Diehr, Geoff and Melinda Hall, Amy and David Hammes, Chris Jaros, Nicki Laycoax, Chris Pitzer, Sallie Rowland, Brad and Laurie Schrader, Mary Ann Shurig. (If we have missed someone, by mistake or because they didn't sign in at an event, please let us know so we can thank them the next chance we get.)

Beautification in Full Force for 2022 Beautification is the hallmark of our community-focused power. Clean spaces where neighbors can actively engage with each other and nature promote health and well-being for all. Our legendary Quick-Hitter Litter Cleanups continue for its 5th straight year in 2023 under the volunteer leadership of Phyllis Starks. Our annual Great Millersville Cleanup, in partnership with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful this past April, was so well-attended, the efforts had a huge impact on litter collecting in the hard-to-reach spots around the Fall Creek Preserve and the area beyond Millersville Village. We are so proud of our dedicated group of volunteers who show up all year 'round to tackle the litter - see below for how you can join us next time!   In addition, the beautiful and welcoming Gateway Gardens at the traffic medians in Millersville are lovingly maintained by community volunteers throughout the year - spring, summer, fall, and winter! Planting, watering, litter cleanup, and broken pot removal (!!), are all required to maintain these quintessential Millersville spots. Many thanks to Chris Pitzer, pictured above, for her leadership this year!   Volunteer power also helped save a lot of native plants and trees from being choked out by invasive vegetation along one stretch of our Fall Creek greenway and opened up an amazing view of the creek from the trail. Twenty-five high-spirited, hard-working volunteers tackled a small jungle, cutting and clearing, to help restore nature's balance in a spot hard-hit by a thick cover of invasive porcelain berry vine and bush honeysuckle. Our project partner, Marion County Soil & Water Conservation District Manager John Hazlett not only planned, but also provided supplies and education about the benefits of safely and effectively clearing these invasives, supervised on-site, and, as a licensed applicator, treated remaining vine cuts and bush stumps with creek-safe herbicide to minimize regrowth. Find a full list of all of our AMAZING 2022 VOLUNTEERS here!

Millersville Village Continues to Grow in the New Year! Did you know our Millersville community exists because of the small local economy established around the grist mills of the mid 1800s? The Millersville Village thrived in 2022 with exciting new developments coming in 2023! Check out our updated Business Directory for a list of small businesses to support in the new year!

We've been busy neighbors! Here's a recap of fantastic MFCV events from 2022 Thursday, March 10th: Annual Community Meeting at Cathedral High School Saturday, April 9th: Great Millersville Cleanup Saturday, April 23rd: Invasive Removal workday along Fall Creek Parkway Thursday, May 5th: Seeding & hay-spreading on invasives-cleared site Friday, May 6th: Millersville Fall Creek Overlook wildflower planting & mulching Saturday, May 21st: Millersville Gateway Gardens planting at traffic medians Saturday, May 21st: Spring Stream Steward Workshop at the Millersville Preserve Saturday, May 21st: First Millersville walk with Nicki  Saturday, Oct 22nd: Fall Stream Steward Workshop at the Millersville Preserve

MFCV Board of Directors Expands in 2022 Millersville at Fall Creek Valley, Inc, is pleased to announce new membership on the Board of Directors: Calvin Johnson Sheila Roumpf Brad Schrader We thank them for their community spirit and dedication to improving Millersville! The Board of Directors and Initiative leaders actively seek out opportunities to enhance our shared space, advocate for our community, build and maintain relationships across the State and City, and organize volunteers to make a positive impact in our corner of Indianapolis.

Are you interested in joining our fun and effective team of volunteers? We have a Vice President spot open and lots more! Contact President Cac Diehr at cac.diehr@gmail.com for more information.

Neighbors making a HUGE DIFFERENCE in 2022

We are an all-volunteer, donation-driven grassroots community organization. Your contributions go directly toward improving our community and we can't thank you enough for dedicating your time, your talent, and your treasure to enriching the Millersville area for us all.

Upcoming Events

2023 ANNUAL COMMUNITY MEETING SAVE THE DATE WEDNESDAY MARCH 15th, 2023 7:00 PM Cathedral HS

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, AT 10:00 AM: QUICK-HITTER LITTER CLEANUP Couldn't make it to our Quick-Hitter Litter Cleanup last month? Bundle up! The trash never quits, but neither do we! Meet us at Starbucks and we'll have trash bags and gloves. Find more information on our website!

MILLERSVILLE MASONIC LODGE COMMUNITY DAY 2023 Save the date for another fun-filled day of music, food, and small business booths at the Millersville Masonic Lodge. SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 16th, 2023 Contact Tammy Sweezy at tammysweezy@gmail.com for booth registration.

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. Cac and 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 cac.diehr@gmail.com 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.

FOLLOW US on social media @millersvillefcv