Union City News: Celebrating downtown Union City

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“Antiques & Arts” will be celebrated Oct. 10 from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Five antique shops, Carol Strock Wasson Gallery and the Art Hub will be participating – just look for vintage cars outside the business and join in the fun of shopping in Union City.

Plus the ‘Collectibles Exhibit and Sale at the Community Room at 101 N. Columbia St. Tables are still available to sell your collections for $10. Call Ted Leahey at 765-964-5370. Watch a classic Laurel & Hardy Film at The Fire House Pipes on North Plum Street, in Union City with Justin Nimmo. Great concert pipe organ music and more all at the Fire House Pipes the film will be shown at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

First Friday in Union City

This Friday, from 5:15-7 p.m. Host: Calvary Assembly of God Union City, Indiana, Community Room, 103 N. Columbia St., Union City, Indiana. Snacks, soft drinks and bottled water will be available.

The work to complete the amphitheatre is continuing in Artisan Park in Union City, the schedule for concerts will be announced soon. Watch for this announcement.

Preservation Society of Union City, Indiana-Ohio receives significant award.

Indiana Landmarks presented its annual Servaas Memorial Awards for outstanding achievement in historic preservation on Sept. 12 in Indianapolis. Winners include a couple from Cambridge City and a nonprofit preservation organization in Union City.

Indiana Landmarks Honorary Chairman Randall Shepard, former Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice, presented the awards at Indiana Landmarks’ 55th annual meeting in Indianapolis. Each winner received an original Servaas Memorial Award sculpture, “No Doors to Lock out the Past” by Evansville artist John McNaughton. James and Norma Bertsch of Cambridge City, winners in the individual category, took home $1,000. The Preservation Society of Union City, Indiana-Ohio won $2,000 in the nonprofit category.

In the nonprofit category, the Servaas Memorial Award went to the Preservation Society of Union City, Indiana-Ohio, a nonprofit group whose town straddles the state line.

“The organization has a unique approach to real estate projects. Instead of buying endangered buildings, it leases a dilapidated structure with an option to buy it for the pre-restoration price. The members fix it up, using a combination of sweat equity and hired expertise,” Shepard noted.

The Preservation Society of Union City rescued the Kirshbaum building in 1987 when it was threatened with demolition. The group operates an antique mall in the restored building. The society saved another historic building that filled a critical role in the downtown streetscape. The city planned to demolish the structure until the preservation society tackled it, fixing it up in phases and installing a museum, community room and gallery.

“In the end, the city bought back the renovated building from the preservation society to use as city hall and gave the museum and community room sections back to the group. The Preservation Society invested the money from the sale in a preservation fund at the Community Foundation of Randolph County. From Indiana Landmarks’ perspective, that’s triple win,” Shepard declared.

The Preservation Society’s most recent lease-and-restore project is a commercial building at 207 E. Elm St., which it hopes to sell for a coffee shop or wine bar. In the meantime, it leases refurbished space to an art gallery and hosts community events in the building.

Shepard reports that the award selectors were impressed by the Preservation Society’s preservation advocacy on behalf of threatened landmarks and its active schedule of First Friday gatherings, annual tours, and education programs for school kids. “The Preservation Society of Union City, 135 members strong, makes an out-sized impact on the quality of life in its community. It’s creative, committed, and a consistent high achiever in preservation,” says Marsh Davis, president of Indiana Landmarks.

Indiana Landmarks revitalizes communities, reconnects us to our heritage, and saves meaningful places. With eight offices located throughout the state, Indiana Landmarks helps people rescue endangered landmarks and restore historic neighborhoods and downtowns.

Plenty to do in Union City. Union City Redefined!

What have you done for your community?

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By Linda DeHaven

Linda DeHaven is the new author of the weekly column Union City News for The Daily Advocate. She may be reached at [email protected]. Viewpoints expressed in the article are the work of the author. The Daily Advocate does not endorse these viewpoints or the independent activities of the author.

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