Allison Melangton tackles the role of president and CEO of the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee

Step inside Allison Melangton’s downtown Indianapolis office, and it’s immediately clear that she’s an in-demand woman with a lot on her plate.

Her desk is stacked with papers, and numerous thick binders are lined up in the credenza above. Newspaper clippings and business cards cover a bulletin board, and a wide three-month calendar is propped against one wall –– a reminder of dates for taxi-driver training, press conferences and volunteer orientations. Boxes of Super Scarves, each folded in a plastic bag, are grouped together in one corner.

With its bright yellow walls, the room seems to emit its own energy. Since May 2008, Melangton has channeled that energy –– and endless hours of hard work –– into her role as president and CEO of the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee.

Years of planning, organizing and managing sporting events have led to this opportunity. Now, as Super Bowl XLVI approaches, Melangton’s efforts take center stage as Indianapolis and thousands of volunteers roll out the red carpet to the world.

A passion ignites
A large part of Melangton’s life growing up in Auburn, Maine, was sports, namely skiing. Her father was an elite national-level ski jumper who competed in two Olympic trials.

She was captain of her high school gymnastics team for two years and assisted her school’s athletic director with small projects.

“I think working in the athletic office got me thinking that I could make a career out of managing sports,” she says. “That’s probably what sparked my interest.”

When it came time to apply for college, Melangton didn’t have the advantages of school visits and online research. She was drawn to Colorado State University for a few reasons. Although she had never been to the state, its outdoor activities interested her. CSU had a gymnastics team. And it offered a major that not many schools did at the time: sports management.

Despite being far from home in an unfamiliar state, Melangton loved the experience.

“Once I got there, I never thought I would leave,” she says. “I thought I would be in Colorado the rest of my life.”

When she was a freshman, the school hosted the gymnastics World Team Trials, for which Melangton and her teammates helped organize volunteers and transportation. That experience sealed the deal for her. Sports management was exactly what she wanted to do with her life.

“It was in the sport I love, and it was organizing and helping other people –– two things I was drawn to,” she says. “It was good exposure for me.”

After graduation, Melangton accepted a six-month position with the U.S. Olympic Committee, working on the 1983 National Sports Festival. Around that time, Indianapolis leaders were starting to build a sports tourism industry, luring national governing bodies of various sports to move their headquarters to the city.

One of those was USA Gymnastics. After her tenure with the USOC, Melangton interviewed over the phone for a position with the organization. Without ever having set foot in Indiana and knowing anyone here, she accepted a job, packed up her car and headed east.

Not only was she again settling in a state she had never visited, Melangton found a roommate via an ad in The Indianapolis Star and moved in with a woman she had never met.

“Times are different now,” she says with a laugh.

Gaining experience

As USA Gymnastics’ transportation coordinator, Melangton booked airline tickets and hotels for men’s and women’s teams of all levels. Under executive director Mike Jacki, whom Melangton counts as one of her mentors, she advanced to manager, director and then vice president, eventually running the organization’s major events.

Throughout her career, Melangton has worked seven Olympic Games, four of those as associate producer of gymnastics coverage for NBC Sports. She has earned four Emmy Awards for her work.

Melangton loved her time with USA Gymnastics, but the constant travel was starting to wear on her. By this time, she and her husband, Tom, were thinking about starting a family.

“I knew I needed to make a change to make sure I had some balance,” she says.

During her time with gymnastics, Melangton developed relationships with Jack Swarbrick, corporate counsel for USA Gymnastics and chairman of the board at the Indiana Sports Corporation, and Sandy Knapp, board chairwoman of USA Gymnastics and founder of ISC.

Both Swarbrick and Knapp informed Melangton of a job opening at ISC. In 1994, Melangton bid adieu to life on the go and joined the organization as director of events.

At ISC, Melangton put her planning and organizing skills to use to secure bids for events like the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament, the World Swimming Championships and dozens of others in track and field, diving, synchronized swimming, gymnastics and men’s basketball.

She was doing what she loved with one important difference.

“The big transition to the Sports Corporation is that I got roots in the community,” she says, “roots with corporate individuals and civic organizations. It was a big change for me, but it was a welcome change.”

The greater picture

Melangton takes it all in on the Budweiser Terrace of Lucas Oil Stadium. Hundreds of members of the media will transmit from the Terrace during Super Bowl XLVI.

What is it about Indianapolis that has made the city so successful in landing sporting events? Melangton attributes it to the leadership who not only had a collective vision to create a sports industry in Indy, but actually executed that vision and grew it to what it is today.

“I don’t think they realized how successful it was going to be,” she says. The Pan American Games in 1987 caused a big shift in how people looked at Indy –– including those who lived here, she adds. The games drew more than 35,000 volunteers.

“People looked at themselves differently. Look at what we just did. I loved being a part of that.”

Melangton recalls a conversation she had with Jim Morris, who said that if Indianapolis hosts a sporting event and doesn’t do something great for the community while the event is in town, a huge opportunity will have been missed.

“That happens a lot in other cities,” she says. “They just host the event, and then it’s over.”

That strong belief in involving the community carried over into Melangton’s next role: planning Indianapolis’ biggest event to date.

It’s ours
Melangton served as bid coordinator for Super Bowl XLV in 2011. Months of hard work and fun turned into disappointment when the city lost the bid to Dallas. But it wasn’t all for nothing.

“We knew that we had made people pay attention and that Indy was going to be around for Super Bowl bids,” she says. “I think we laid a lot of great groundwork for that.”

After it was decided that Indy would aim to land the 2012 game, Melangton and crew had about 2 1⁄2 months to finalize their bid. Many of the logistical requirements carried over from 2011. The tough part came in deciding how to make the Super Bowl Indianapolis’ own. A big part of that was the inclusion of the Near Eastside Legacy Project, a long-term effort to revitalize the area.

“I think it really resonated with the owners,” Melangton says of the 32 individuals who would vote on Super Bowl XLVI’s host city.

The few weeks to finalize the bid were “fast and furious.” But the group felt good about Indy’s chances.

Finally, in May 2008, it was time for the decision. After their presentation, Melangton and about 10 others were quietly sitting in a room in an Atlanta hotel when Colts owner Jim Irsay came in wearing a big smile.

“He said, ‘We got it,’” Melangton recalls. “It was great. I’m a hugger, so there was a lot of hugging going on. Even the people that weren’t huggers were hugging.”

Melangton didn’t have long to relish the decision. Shortly before she left for the Olympics in Beijing, ISC chairman Swarbrick urgently asked to meet with her. He was taking the athletics director position at the University of Notre Dame, and he, along with Mark Miles, host committee chairman, wanted to offer Melangton the role of Host Committee president.

“I said, ‘That’s great. How long do I have to think about it, because I’m leaving for China tomorrow?’” Melangton remembers.

The decision needed to be made that day.

“I went home and talked to my husband, and he knew that it would be us taking on the Super Bowl, not just me,” she says. “It was a job for our family.”

After careful consideration, Melangton and her family decided the role was too great to turn down. She accepted the offer and headed to Beijing.

Down to business
After returning from China, Melangton began a three-year stint of living and breathing Super Bowl XLVI. Her days are full of staff meetings, committee meetings and presentations –– a schedule that’s only intensified over the past couple of months.

And forget about leaving work at work. Melangton frequently burns the midnight oil at home.

In the very beginning, one of the Host Committee’s main goals was to engage as many people as they could –– football fans or not. It’s a goal they’ve worked on every day leading up to Feb. 5.

“Because it’s not Allison’s Super Bowl; it’s not Mark’s Super Bowl; it’s everybody’s Super Bowl,” she says. “I loved that philosophy.”

While Miles got busy on the Legacy Project, Melangton jumped right in to a few pet projects of her own. One was 1st and Green, a web-based program where participants log environmentally friendly activities, like carpooling and taking shorter showers.

“We were working on that two weeks out of the gate,” she says. “We got it rolling early enough that I think it can really make a difference.”

To date, participants have offset more than 1.3 million pounds of carbon and conserved 2.3 million gallons of water.

Traci Runge (in white), a breast cancer survivor, was Melangton’s inspiration for creating Indy’s Super Cure. Runge is one of two women to have donated both healthy and cancerous breast tissue. She and Melangton have been friends for more than 10 years.

Another is Indy’s Super Cure, inspired by Melangton’s friend and breast cancer survivor Traci Runge. Super Cure is designed to increase breast tissue donations and raise both awareness and money for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Tissue Bank at the IU Simon Cancer Center. During a fundraising gala last November, supporters helped reach the goal of raising more than $1 million for the bank.

“That’s special to me, because I feel like we’re making a big difference beyond Indiana borders,” Melangton says.

With the NFL’s lockout at the beginning of the season, one might think the Host Committee was thrown into a panic. Melangton admits she worried at times. But Miles calmed her with an oft-uttered mantra.

“Mark had a great saying: Don’t let the distraction be a distraction,” she says. “Every time I’d start worrying, he’d say, ‘Let’s deal with where we are right now.’ We didn’t let the staff be distracted by it, and we kept moving. If we hadn’t, we wouldn’t be ready.”

Miles, who has worked closely with Melangton since the bid was won, says Allison has the perfect balance of left and right brains.

“She is analytical and creative. She is extraordinarily organized, and, at the same time, has great people skills,” he says. “Those are rare combinations to see together.”

One example of that is the Super Scarves program, born on a Friday after a particularly frustrating week for Melangton. She had fielded dozens of phone calls from people wanting to donate their time to the Super Bowl effort, and each time she had to turn them down.

“I’d say, ‘I’m just not quite organized enough; I’m not quite ready for you,’” she recalls.

She wanted to harvest their energy and passion in some way. A brainstorming session led to the creation of Super Scarves. Volunteers from 46 states and four countries have produced more than 13,000 blue-and-white scarves, far surpassing the 8,000-scarf goal.

Miles admits he initially thought the idea was “preposterous.”

“It seemed far-fetched,” he says.

But it was vintage Melangton.

“For Allison, it’s a good illustration of her intuition, insight, persistence and good judgment,” he says. “It exceeded everybody’s expectations.”

Melangton’s goal for Super Bowl visitors is that they see the amenities Indy has to offer in terms of visiting, living and working.

“In many cases, you have to come here to know the benefits,” she says, pointing out that this was exactly her situation when she left Colorado. “I drank the Kool-Aid,” she adds with a laugh. “I’m all there.”

What will make the Super Bowl successful, she says, is the experience of those visitors, the thousands of volunteers and Indiana residents.

“If our community thinks it’s great and wants another one, that’s a great experience in my mind. I guess it’s about how everybody else feels,” she adds with a smile.

Knapp, who has known Allison for more than 25 years with USA Gymnastics and ISC, says Melangton is one of her biggest “success stories.” In the nonprofit world where the work can be long and hard, Melangton’s work ethic and enthusiasm made her stand out.

“She’s magical,” Knapp says. “She’s fabulous. I am so excited to see what she has grown into.”

Knapp points out that not only is she proud of Melangton’s myriad accomplishments, she’s equally proud of how she has reached them.

“Over the time she’s lived in Indianapolis, you’d be hard-pressed to find anybody that would have a negative thing to say about her,” Knapp says.

The game and beyond
When Feb. 5 rolls around, fans around the world will gather around TVs with snacks and drinks. But what Melangton will do that day depends on how well prepared the host committee is.

“If everything is nice and smooth, I’m going to the game. If we’ve got some holes we’re trying to fill or a major weather event that day, I’m sure I won’t be at the game.”

After the Super Bowl crowds have left and Indy is back to normal, Melangton’s busy life will continue. She’ll remain with the host committee until June 1 to pay bills and wrap up everything. Shortly after her son Cameron graduates from Carmel High School in May, she’ll head to London to again work for NBC at the Summer Olympics.

When asked what she likes to do in her spare time, Melangton quickly answers that she doesn’t have any. But regardless the events of her day, spending time with Tom and Cameron is at the top of her to-do list.

“I make sure that, no matter what, I spend time reconnecting with them and talking about their day,” she says.

Planning Indy’s biggest event ever has been an honor.

“I take very seriously the legacy of the folks that started the sports movement here,” she says. “I want to do a great job because they started a great thing.

“I feel like Indianapolis does things that no other city can do because our community can pull together. To be a part of that is very special.”

An Idea Takes Flight

During her time planning Super Bowl XLVI, Melangton has had her share of successes. But one that stands out above the rest is the day the Host Committee’s 2012 bid was delivered to 32 NFL team owners.

“We were trying to think of a creative way to deliver the bid that also made a statement about Indianapolis,” she says.

In a meeting with Jack Swarbrick and Mark Miles, it was suggested that what’s important to the city is its youth and their future. One idea was to fly 32 eighth-grade students –– who would be high school seniors in 2012 –– to each of the NFL cities to hand-deliver the bids.

“My mind instantly started going into logistics,” Melangton recalls. “I’ve got to get 32 airline tickets, find 32 kids and get 32 parents convinced that it’s OK to fly their eighth-grader across the country with a chaperone.

“I had an eighth-grader at the time, so I was really relating to the conversation.

“I started doing the ‘but, but, but.’ Jack looked at me –– I’ll never forget it –– and said, ‘Don’t ever let logistics get in the way of a good idea. We’ll find people here to help us do this, and we’ll get it done.’ He was exactly right.”

Amid the chaos of finalizing the bid, it was just what she needed to hear.

After choosing 32 students based on academics and citizenship, the day came to deliver the bids.

“It was one of the best days I’ve ever had in my life,” Melangton says. Half the kids had never been on a plane, she adds. At the airport, their departures, bid deliveries and arrivals back in Indy were tracked on a giant board designed like a football field. Each student’s helmet was moved along the “field” until they crossed the goal line, i.e., returned home.

Most of the trips were completed in one day. Some, like those to Seattle and San Diego, required an overnight stay.

What once seemed unlikely turned out to be a triumphant hit.

“It was a great day,” Melangton says.

From risk factors to common misconceptions, our experts delve into the heart facts that will help you live a longer, healthier life

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, claiming more lives than the next six leading causes of death combined. During February’s American Heart Month, we’re reminded of the prevalence of cardiovascular disease — as well as the importance of prevention.

From understanding the difference between heart disease in men and women, to learning what factors you can control and steps to a healthier heart, our Healthy Heart Handbook provides important tips from local doctors.

Click here to read the handbook in the zMag, our online edition of Indianapolis Woman magazine.

3 things you should know about your man’s health

Men and women are completely different creatures. It can be tough to know what he’s thinking and feeling –– especially when it comes to his health.

It would be unfair to say that all men put off seeking medical help, but studies show that, on average, men are more reluctant than women to get regular health checkups or to see a doctor if they feel ill. This reluctance can lead to more serious medical issues if an illness is neglected.

So, what can you do to ensure that a significant other, family member or close friend gets the medical attention they need?

While it’s hard to walk the fine line between nagging and persistence, it is important to encourage men to get regular checkups and watch for new symptoms. Help maintain your loved one’s health with prevention and treatment options for three common medical conditions men may encounter.

Heart disease
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both women and men in the United States, and the total costs of cardiovascular disease in the U.S. in 2010 were estimated to be $444 billion, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Even though genetics may increase a man’s risk to develop the disease, there are things he can do to reduce his risk. Regular exercise, a healthy diet, and refraining from or quitting smoking are essential. Try suggesting that you both workout together, either before or after work. You can also learn how to cook healthy meals together, and take turns packing heart-healthy lunches. Know your numbers to help manage blood pressure and cholesterol.

Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, other than skin cancer, and one in six men will get it during his lifetime. However, it’s also very treatable. Five-year survival rates for localized prostate cancer are near 100 percent.

The American Cancer Society recommends that men start discussing screenings with their health care provider at age 50 for those who are at an average risk of developing prostate cancer, or age 40 to 45 if they are at higher risk. Screenings include a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and a digital rectal exam (DRE).

Treatment for prostate cancer can range from radiation or hormone therapy to surgical removal. Proton radiation therapy is another form of external beam radiation offered at IU Health Proton Therapy, one of only nine centers in the country.

Sleep apnea
This is one disorder that could affect you both, particularly if your spouse’s loud snoring makes it harder for you to sleep. But sleep apnea is a serious condition: without treatment, it can lead to high blood pressure, stroke, or even depression.

People with sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly as they sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night, according to the American Sleep Apnea Association. Because it can be a serious health condition, encourage your spouse to visit a doctor and take a sleep study.

Getting your man to pay attention to his health doesn’t have to be a struggle. With reliable information about men’s health and a commitment to helping your spouse improve his health, you can both look forward to a healthier future.

Sharmin T.M. Kent is a writer who lives with her husband on the north side of Indianapolis. This article reminds her that both she and her husband should get around to scheduling physicals with their family doctor.

Healthy recipes to spice up your Valentine’s dinner

For many, Valentine’s Day means a romantic, candlelit dinner with their Valentine, followed by an evening of snuggling and whispered romantic nothings. For others, February represents American Heart Month and increasing awareness about heart disease. According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women!

If you would like to woo your honey with a homemade dinner — and in honor of American Heart Month — try out this heart-healthy meal for two.

Red and Green Gazpacho
Start your meal off with a delicious gazpacho that will add color to your table while warding off heart disease!
Makes 6 servings

3 large red and/or partially green tomatoes, chopped
2 11 ½ ounce cans tomato juice (about 3 cups)
2 medium tomatillos, chopped (optional)
½ cup chopped cucumber
1 large jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup finely snipped cilantro
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
¼ teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce
1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and chopped (optional)
Lime wedges

In a bowl, combine tomatoes, tomato juice, tomatillos, cucumber, jalapeño pepper, green onions, garlic, cilantro, oil, lime juice and hot pepper sauce. Cover; chill at least 1 hour.

If desired, top each serving with avocado. Serve with lime wedges.

Sublime Wine Crackers
What better appetizer for your gazpacho than homemade crackers? Additionally, research shows red wine, in moderation, contributes to heart health. So add your favorite wine and enjoy!
Makes 24 crackers

1 cup all-purpose flour
Desired herb/spice option*
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons desired wine*
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine flour, desired herb/spice option, salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine wine and oil; gradually add to flour mixture, tossing with a fork until combines. Form dough into a ball. Dough will appear dry, but will come together when gently worked with hands. Avoid adding more liquid, as this will make the crackers tough.

Transfer the dough to a floured surface; flatten into a rectangle. Roll out into 12×9-inch rectangles. Transfer rectangles to an ungreased cookie sheet; sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake about 18 minutes or just until crackers start to brown and are firm to the touch. Transfer to wire racks and cool completely.

* Wine and herb/spice sugggestions:
> Sauvignon Blanc and Basil: ¼ cup chopped fresh basil and 2 tablespoons pine nuts, finely ground.
> Riesling and Tarragon: 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon and ¼ teaspoon paprika.
> Cabernet Sauvignon and Rosemary: 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary.
> Champagne and Mustard: 2 tablespoons dry mustard.
> Chardonnay and Fennel: 2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed.

Mandarin Orange Salad
Mandarin oranges add a fresh twist to an otherwise mundane salad, while assisting with heart health. Delicious!
Makes 6 1-cup servings

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon olive, canola, or canola-soybean blend
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon dry mustard
6 cups mixed greens
1 10 ½ ounce can mandarin orange sections, drained
½ cup fresh raspberries
¼ cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted (toasting can be done in conventional or wall ovens, on stovetops, or in microwaves, depending on your preference)

In a screw-top jar, combine the vinegar, orange juice, sugar and mustard. Cover and shake well.

Place greens in a large salad bowl. Pour dressing over salad. Toss gently to coat. Arrange orange sections and raspberries over greens. Sprinkle with almonds.

Salmon and Asparagus
Salmon is rich in omega-3s, while asparagus is free from fat, cholesterol and sodium, making this a perfect heart-healthy main course.
Makes 4 servings

1 pound fresh asparagus spears, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 ½ teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Course sea salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
1 pound fresh or frozen salmon fillets with skin
1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
1 teaspoon snipped fresh parsley

Place two (1 large and 1 medium) cast-iron or oven-safe skillets in a cold oven. Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine asparagus and ½ teaspoon olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil on both sides of fish; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Carefully remove hot skillets from oven. Place fish skin side down in the large skillet. Place asparagus in medium skillet. Return skillets to oven. Bake for 12 minutes, or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork and asparagus is crisp-tender.

To serve, sprinkle fish with lemon peel and parsley.

Black Cherry Sorbet
There’s no better way to end a meal than with a light sorbet!
Makes 10 servings

5 cups fresh or frozen pitted dark sweet cherries
1 ½ cups water
1 cup sugar
1 cup sparkling juice or champagne
2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel

Thaw cherries if frozen; do not drain. In a blender or food processor, combine cherries and 1 cup of water. Cover and blend or process until puréed. Press cherry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve; discard pulp.

In a large bowl, combine strained cherry mixture, remaining water, sugar, fruit juice/champagne and lemon peel, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour into a 2-quart square baking dish. Cover and freeze 5 to 6 hours, or until almost firm. Break the frozen mixture into chunks.

Transfer chunks to a large, chilled mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth (but not melted). Return quickly to the cold dish. Cover and freeze for 6 to 8 hours more or until sorbet is firm. Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to serve into dishes.

So, this month, forgo the drug store chocolates, and make your sweetheart a memorable, heart-healthy meal.

Sarah Wilson is a heath nut who loves Valentine’s Day and plans to spend it with her two delightful children.

Five Indianapolis artists contribute their talents to the 46 for XLVI mural project

The first creation of a colorful partnership between the Arts Council of Indianapolis and the city of Indianapolis became a reality last June when artists’ imaginations were set free along the White River Canal as part of the 46 for XLVI mural project.

Though the first 10 of 46 murals were created along the canal, the remaining murals can be seen in various locations around the city, says Kate Pell, marketing and public relations coordinator for the Arts Council.

“The project was an opportunity for Indianapolis to participate in a public art program,” Pell says.

This joint venture helps the city prepare to host Super Bowl XLVI by beautifying communities and elevating arts and culture. Council members chose 35 artists from more than 100 applications, carefully voting on diversity and style variety for the mural project.

“Of 35 artists, most are local,” Pell says.

Introducing out-of-state artists to the city and helping to successfully merge the high energy of Hoosier sports hospitality with the compelling beauty of the arts has proven to be a win-win effort. Each of the 46 murals is so unique that many individuals leave the comforts of their own neighborhoods “to go out and explore the murals in some of the other neighborhoods and communities,” Pell says.

Thousands will visit Indianapolis this month, greeted by the 46 for XLVI project –– and a message that the Super Bowl murals act as vehicles to bring people together.

Proudly sharing their talents, the following five artists, all from Indianapolis, took a few moments away from their sketch pads to discuss their personal inspiration and dedication to this highly visible public art project.

Rebecca Hutton
Rebecca Hutton, a self-taught photographer, proudly holds tight to her roots.

“I grew up in a family where people work hard with their hands,” she says of her father and uncles, who install drywall. “They take pride in their work. That really influenced my thinking.”

Her love affair with the arts initially began with dance.

“But as I was dancing, I discovered that I love doing outreach more than performing. I wanted outreach to be my focus.”

In 2000, she met her business partner, Dante Ventresca, who shared that love.

“And we’ve been working together ever since.”

Besides showcasing her photography, the mural project was a powerful way to challenge and excite Hoosier teens. Hutton embraced opportunities to teach youth, through photo documentation, how to think about and look at their world behind a camera lens and celebrate their community.

To launch the concept for the mural, she encouraged middle school and high school students to explore and reflect on their communities. As a group, they photographed new beginnings, such as the construction of an apartment complex for seniors and a neighborhood health center.

“I live near our mural on the northeast side,” Hutton says. “So I wanted it to be in the context of the neighborhood. What was important to me was that the project be approached as a high-quality arts program.”

Hutton’s mural, located on East 10th Street, is a constant splash of color, storytelling and the roots of neighborhoods and what they mean to the people who live there.

“These are photographs that the kids have taken and photos of me taking photos of them,” she says of the students’ work, more of which is now on display in various locations around the city. “These are simple beauties in the way the kids see the community, who they are and what they mean to the community.”

Where to find Hutton’s mural:
2015 E. 10th St.

Barbara Zech
Before making a final creative decision, Barbara Zech visited the designated mural spaces several times. She found herself continually drawn to the flowing water and the quiet way nature mixes so beautifully with an urban environment.

“The idea came to me from watching water drops in a puddle,” Zech says. “I then took that concept and made it into a pattern.”

In mid-August, Zech, who specializes in contemporary ceramics and handcrafted custom-tile murals, tirelessly created hundreds of tiles in her Indianapolis studio. By November, she had begun the installation. While she worked, people stopped to watch.

“It was just great,” Zech says. “So many people asked questions. They were curious about the finished product. As an artist, mosaic work is natural to me. But it was amazing to a great number of people passing by.”

Now complete, the amazingly intricate mosaic murals, circular designs that mimic the ripples and waves of the canal, are enjoyed by hundreds every week as they jog or walk along the waterway on Vermont Street.

A high school art teacher encouraged her to pursue her love for art, Zech recalls with a laugh. “That’s who I blame.”

After high school, Zech took her teacher’s advice and studied ceramics, sculpture work and papermaking at the Herron School of Art and Design.

Through the years, she has traveled the globe to feed a rather insatiable desire for learning. In Japan, she studied papermaking and ceramics as part of a Creative Renewal grant. She has also worked in clay tile studios in Malawi. Her creations brighten the IU Simon Cancer Center, Joy’s House and Community North Hospital.

“A lot of what I love about mosaic work is the technical quality of clay and doing something with my hands,” Zech says. “There are always new things to learn. It fascinates me.”

Where to find Zech’s work:
Along the downtown canal on Vermont Street

Barbara Stahl
For many years, Barbara Stahl has provided the community with all sizes and shapes of murals, including anti-graffiti work for Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, mini-murals in school corridors, themed pieces at numerous parks and the schedule wall next to Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Speaking of the Pacers and Fever schedule wall, Stahl proudly notes an additional skill.

“I drive the big boom truck when I work on the wall,” she says with a laugh. “There aren’t a lot of women who drive those things.”

After completing her undergraduate work at Indiana University and master’s level study at the University of Pennsylvania, Stahl says the majority of artistic opportunities have come to her with pre-determined specifications.

This time, however, her vision was the only one associated with the blank canvas, which was an 80-foot by 9 1⁄2-foot section of the canal wall on West Ohio Street.

“I’ve done so many murals and portraits. But I’ve never really been hired to do a mural that was just mine,” she says. “I am so proud that I got to do this.”

When she initially went to the mural site, one idea floated around in her head as she began to sketch.

“But it felt forced.”

Stahl abandoned the first idea, opened her sketchbook and began to think about a magnolia tree she loved while living in Florida a few years ago.

“After it rained, those flowers would smell so good. I would drag a ladder out there and crawl up in the branches and sketch the magnolias. Maybe it was a kooky thing to do.”

Stahl would sit quietly to study the moss green canal water.

“I really wanted to play with that color,” she says. “And then the idea just started to flow. It was like magic. The color of the water was the No. 1 influence. I was really happy that I stuck with what felt right.”

She immediately went to work with “teeny-tiny brushes,” Stahl says. And the result is an intricately colorful space appropriately named “Morning Magnolias.”

“On a very calm day, you can see the reflection of the flowers on the water. It looks like the flowers are floating on the water. I put my heart and soul into that mural.”

Where to find Stahl’s mural:
Along the downtown canal below Ohio Street near the Indiana Historical Society

Pamela Bliss
For Pamela Bliss, some of the best moments of life are experienced with a paintbrush in her hand 30 feet off the ground or higher.

On the side of a building on Massachusetts Avenue, Bliss recently completed a 38-foot-tall image of beloved Hoosier author Kurt Vonnegut.

“It’s almost easier for me now to do murals than other pieces,” she says. “It’s a very logical way of painting, but in abstract form. You’ve got a 25-foot-tall head with a nose that is 4 feet wide. I get to paint a little more impressionistically. But I usually get obsessed with little details.”

She is now adding finishing touches to a second mural, located on the wall of Musicians’ Repair and Sales at the corner of Capitol Avenue and Vermont Street.

“There will be seven or eight jazz musicians in the mural when it’s complete. These are the guys who played jazz on that corner back in the 1950s and ’60s,” Bliss says. “I am also painting the photographer who documented the history of jazz. I think he should be included in the mural. He was such an important part of documenting that time.”

When the weather and temperature comply with her paints, Bliss can usually be found standing on scaffolding. Her day begins by 7 a.m., but the amount of time she spends in the air is always a toss-up.

“A lot of artists are like that. They just get in the groove and forget about the time,” Bliss says with a laugh.

Originally from Wayne County, Bliss completed her undergraduate and master’s level work at Indiana University. Since 1998, she has worked as an adjunct professor of fine arts at IU. She also directs a mural and sculpture competition each year in her home county.

Bliss, a jazz fan herself, admits she had a long-time hankering to paint jazz musician Wes Montgomery before relocating in 2000 to Indianapolis. Painting larger-than-life memories of Montgomery and other talents has been a thrill.

“When a city displays public art, it makes the city seem more conscious and open-minded, making it more appealing to locals and visitors,” she says. “These murals will become part of Indiana’s history.”

Where to find Bliss’ murals:
345 Massachusetts Ave. and 322 N. Capitol Ave.

Amy Rheinhardt
Growing up the oldest of eight children, Amy Rheinhardt’s family life was hectic and noisy. But she still heard that inner voice –– the one that assured her that her destiny in life had a lot to do with paintbrushes and color.

After high school, Rheinhardt left her hometown of Richmond to attend the Herron School of Art and Design, where she won numerous local and regional honors. Before making her home and launching her career in Indianapolis, Rheinhardt left her mark on her family’s community by creating two murals there.

Because murals are viewed as public art, more opinions and inspirations are often at work, says this freelance muralist.

This is the case for two of Rheinhardt’s murals, set to be installed at Concord Urban Farm. To finalize creative decisions for the projects, she diligently worked with several people to reach a shared vision with a folk-art flavor.

Because the project involved helping hands from the 2011 Eli Lilly Day of Service, Rheinhardt also created specific sections that volunteers painted. With so many hands involved, the Concord murals will give a new dimension of ownership to those in the community who helped create them.

“A mural is definitely a challenge,” she says. “It’s a whole different animal, really, than painting on canvas.”

An additional mural, located in Broad Ripple, involved the expert skills of Rheinhardt’s husband, Jeremiah Jackson, who is also an artist. Together, they created an intricate story of color and characters.

Pregnant with their second child and due to deliver in March, Rheinhardt says she and her husband used the mural-painting time as a date night when they could secure a baby-sitter for 19-month-old Lucy.

Participating in the 46 for XLVI project has not only been a professional perk, but also a personal validation for how art defines her life.

“I can’t be content for very long if I’m not creating art in one way or another,” she says. “It’s definitely a big part of me.”

Where to find Rheinhardt’s murals:
Concord Urban Farm, South Meridian Street and Bluff Road, and Broad Ripple, corner of Broad Ripple and Carrollton avenues

Indianapolis’ Super Bowl provides a prime opportunity to raise awareness about the Komen Tissue Bank

Click the photo to read in the zMag.

As published in the October 2011 issue of Indianapolis Woman magazine.

It started out as a typical girls’ get-together. Allison Melangton, president of the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee, invited a few girlfriends to her Carmel home one night in October 2010. With ESPN running NFL highlights in the background, the women started chatting about their lives, their kids –– and cancer.

One of the women there, Traci Runge, was right in the thick of treatment for breast cancer, which was diagnosed in April 2010.

Melangton’s attention turned to the TV.

“All the players were wearing pink,” she recalls. “I was looking at it, thinking, It’s amazing how much the NFL has grown in their support of breast cancer awareness. Even the referees’ whistles were pink.”

As the night wore on, they started journaling for Runge, jotting down her experiences in battling cancer.

And that’s when the night became not simply a girls’ night in, but the start of something much bigger. Melangton thought of the football highlights she had just watched. And she thought about what Runge was going through.

“Maybe it’s because I’m a female leading a Super Bowl Host Committee,” Melangton says.

Her idea was to use Indianapolis’ Super Bowl to raise awareness and money for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Tissue Bank at the IU Simon Cancer Center.

Shortly after that night, Melangton met with Cathy Langham, vice chair of the Super Bowl committee and president of Langham Logistics. With their plates not just full but overflowing, the women were reluctant to take on another project.

“She said, ‘We can’t afford not to do it,’” Melangton recalls. “‘We’re going to regret not doing it.’”

Indy’s Super Cure was officially off the ground. The initiative’s goals are to use the visibility of the Super Bowl next February to increase the number of donations to the Komen Tissue Bank, raise money to financially support the bank and increase awareness both in central Indiana and around the country.

Indy’s Super Cure boasts two invaluable supporters: Runge and Lisa Miller, both central Indiana residents and the only women to have donated both healthy and cancerous tissue –– potentially leading to groundbreaking achievements in breast cancer research.

A friendship blossoms

Allison Melangton

One night 13 years ago, Melangton’s doorbell rang. She was tired and overwhelmed after watching over her son Cameron while he was in the hospital with an illness.

There stood a girl –– “the most adorable little girl I’ve ever seen,” Melangton says –– with a large package and her mother standing behind her.

The girl, Hannah Runge, said, “‘I’m in Cameron’s class in school, and I heard he’s sick, and we wanted to bring some gifts to make him feel better,’” Melangton recalls.

“I told her how much we appreciated it, and that was the start of a long friendship.”

Hannah and Cameron were best friends throughout school. And their moms forged a friendship of their own.

“In many ways, we are so alike, and, in many ways, we are so different,” Melangton says. “I think we have similar spirits.”

The battle begins
While coaching cheerleading, Runge, a Carmel resident, watched as one of her students’ mothers fought breast cancer.

“My heart went out to her,” she says. “We were both pregnant at the time. I thought, How can I help save her?”

In 2007, after reading a story in the newspaper about the Komen Tissue Bank, it occurred to Runge that donating tissue was the best way to help. Along with a friend, she underwent the procedure at Clarian North Medical Center.

But it nearly didn’t happen.

“They almost turned us away,” she says. “You had to preregister. I said, ‘Can’t you take just two more?’”

Traci Runge

Three years later, Runge’s first thought after feeling a lump in her breast was that it was an injury from training for her first triathlon.

But a couple weeks later, Runge’s husband Dan noticed that the lump had grown. A mammogram and ultrasound showed cancer was present, but she had to wait for the biopsy results.

“That week of the unknown was awful,” Runge says. “You don’t say a thing to anyone because you don’t have answers.”

On April 15, 2010, after the couple’s three daughters (then 6, 12 and 16) were in bed, Runge received the news she was hoping and praying she wouldn’t.

“Dan just held me and we cried. I knew it was very aggressive. I knew it was my entire breast. You think, Am I going to die? I wanted to be there for my girls,” she says.

Runge, who volunteered at her daughter’s schools in the Carmel Clay district, started eight rounds of chemotherapy and had a mastectomy the day after her 42nd birthday.

“What a birthday gift,” she quips with a laugh. She had no family history of breast cancer.

Later that day, Runge and a friend headed downtown to pick up their Susan G. Komen for the Cure race packets. While there, it dawned on Runge to again donate tissue to the bank. It was the epiphany she had been looking for.

“That week of the unknown, I just prayed and said, ‘Lord, show me my purpose,’” Runge recalls.

Runge quietly walked the route the next day, the words “One-Day Fighter” on the back of her shirt. Surrounded by pink as far as the eye could see, it was the best possible situation for Runge.

“I think I needed to be there. I knew then I was going to have a positive attitude toward it and be there for others.”

Throughout Runge’s bout with cancer, Melangton was right there lending a hand.

“She took me to chemo, cleaned my house and made meals,” Runge says. “While I was sick, she was working to figure out how to bring awareness to the tissue bank.”

A self-described “fixer,” Melangton also urged Runge to accept help from those that were offering. “She always reaches out and does everything for everybody else,” Melangton says. “I encouraged her to be open and honest with what her family needed while she was having treatment.”

Doing her part
Unlike Runge, Lisa Miller has an extensive family history of cancer. Her mom is a breast cancer survivor. Her aunt lost her battle with ovarian cancer. Her cousin had breast cancer, which has come back after 17 years. And that woman’s daughter, who is 36, is battling cancer as well.

Lisa Miller

All of that is why she decided to be tested for the BRCA-1 gene in 2008. She learned she did carry the gene, and, at that point, opted to have a complete abdominal hysterectomy.

As an administrative assistant to breast oncologists for many years, Miller was familiar with BRCA-1 and bilateral mastectomies.

Earlier this year, though, those terms took on a much more personal meaning.

In January of this year, Miller decided to have a prophylactic mastectomy to reduce her risk of breast cancer.

On Feb. 27, despite the precautions, Miller learned she had triple negative breast cancer, a highly aggressive form of the disease. She began chemotherapy on March 17 and recently had a bilateral mastectomy.

“Having worked in and around breast cancer and patients and breast oncologists for the past 15-plus years, I knew what this diagnosis meant,” Miller says. “It was not only a physical fear I felt, but I immediately thought of my two daughters (23 and 26) and what this is going to mean for them.

“Knowing I was already a BRCA-1 carrier, I didn’t want them to go down this route ever.”

Through her job, Miller learned about the Komen Tissue Bank when it was still in its infancy.

“When you’re in and around that environment, you hear about studies going on and you think, Could I be a part of that study?”

Miller had blood drawn on the day the bank debuted at a Susan G. Komen for the Cure event downtown. In January 2008, she donated breast tissue.

“It was one of those things where you’re in and around it, and everyone else is doing it, so you going to go ahead and do it,” she says. “I really wasn’t motivated by one particular story; I just knew I wanted to do it.”

Miller’s doctor, Anna Maria Storniolo, professor of clinical medicine in the hematology/oncology division at the IU School of Medicine, encouraged her to donate tissue after Miller was diagnosed.

“I thought, Absolutely,” Miller says. “I want to beat this disease as hard as we can. It was a club I never anticipated being a part of and never wanted to be.”

Miller, whose husband Mark has known Melangton as a business associate for quite some time, says it was a no-brainer to donate tissue, especially after seeing the enthusiasm of the oncologists she worked so closely with for more than 15 years.

Now she’s an advocate for genetic counseling to fully understand the BRCA-1 gene, something both of her daughters carry.

“The information you gain from understanding this diagnosis of being a carrier is just incredible,” Miller says. “If somebody does crop up positive, everyone should have an excellent understanding of it.”

Despite each being dealt a hand of cancer, Runge and Miller look at their diagnoses as blessings in disguise –– especially given the possibilities that could stem from their tissue donations.

“You’re like, Wow,” Runge says. “What if they could find a cure? Do you know how many women’s lives that one donation could save?

“At the time, I was doing it, because if I was going to die, I was going to do everything I could to save my daughters. Now the possibility of not only saving my daughters but so many other people –– that’s the biggest blessing I’ve been given.”

Miller says most people ask her how she can look at cancer as a blessing.

“You have to look at whatever comes your way as positive somehow,” she says. “This journey, as awful as it’s been, has been positive.”

Miller says she’s in awe of Runge.

“We’re definitely in this together,” Miller says. “A close relationship has already begun. She’s an amazing lady.”

Indy’s Super Cure
The Super Bowl is expected to attract nearly 150,000 visitors to Indianapolis, the vast majority coming from out of state. That’s a lot of people to educate about the Komen Tissue Bank. But the goals of raising awareness and garnering more tissue donations aren’t solely aimed at out-of-state visitors.

“The tissue bank has had 1,500 tissue donors so far,” Melangton says. “The majority of that database is Caucasian. Our first goal is to help diversify the donors. I think we’re making great strides with that.”

Another goal is to raise money to financially support the bank, a large portion of which will come via a fundraiser on Nov. 19. And a third goal is to educate the public and researchers about the tissue bank and research advances that can come from it.

To these ends, tissue donations are scheduled for Jan. 28-29. The National Football League and the host committee are promoting Indy’s Super Cure on their websites, and researchers involved with the Komen Tissue Bank are out speaking to the public about it.

“We have a perfect storm here, being the location of the bank, having the first two residents that are matches and then the Super Bowl,” Melangton says.

Runge says Melangton has done so much to raise awareness not just in central Indiana but all over the country.

“It couldn’t have been done without Allison’s help,” Runge says. “I don’t know how it could have come to what it is today.

“I don’t feel any of this was an accident. I don’t think it’s ironic that we have the only tissue bank in the world, and she’s the female Super Bowl president. I think this was God’s plan. All the pieces fit perfectly.”

Melangton calls the tissue bank and its founders “amazing gems and assets in the community.”

“They are remarkable women doing remarkable things,” she says. “They’re solving breast cancer. There’s not a lot of people who can say that.

“They’re making traction. And it’s right here.”

The Only One Of Its Kind

A closer look at the Komen Tissue Bank

In 1998, the National Cancer Institute commissioned the Breast Cancer Progress Review Group to create a report looking back on 10 years of treating and diagnosing breast cancer, as well as looking forward 10 years to identify goals.

Dr. Anna Maria Storniolo

One goal was to understand the development of the normal breast in order to identify the origins of breast cancer, says Dr. Anna Maria Storniolo, director of the Catherine Peachey Breast Cancer Prevention Program and professor of clinical medicine in the hematology/oncology division at the IU School of Medicine.

Six years later, during a talk at a conference in Indianapolis, the importance of understanding the normal breast was again a hot topic. A young investigator reported that a lack of normal controls was a serious hurdle to the success of her research.

Audience members didn’t understand why a database of normal blood and tissue specimens wasn’t available. The keynote speaker, an NCI official, said that, even if there were a way to donate, women simply would not voluntarily donate breast tissue.

One woman in the audience, Connie Rufenbarger, refused to accept that.

“Connie piped up and said, ‘Have you ever asked women?’” Storniolo recalls. “The answer was, ‘There’s no way.’”

“Connie was not going to let go of this idea.”

In 2005, Bryan Schneider, assistant professor of medicine at the IU Simon Cancer Center, needed blood specimens from hundreds of women –– both with and without breast cancer –– for a study he designed.

Rufenbarger learned of this need and suggested collecting blood samples at that year’s Susan G. Komen for the Cure event.

And so it happened. With the help of more than 200 volunteers and phlebotomists, 750 samples were procured in three and a half hours. “Otherwise, it would have taken two to three years,” Storniolo says.

It became clear to researchers that women absolutely were willing to donate blood in the name of helping other women. With two additional blood collections under their belts, they started collecting breast tissue samples, slowly at first, with four samples before increasing that number to 30.

“We showed that all you had to do was ask –– at least in the good-hearted state of Indiana,” Storniolo says.

Eventually, a waitlist of women wanting to donate was established. In 2007, Susan G. Komen for the Cure awarded a $1 million grant, and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Tissue Bank at the IU Simon Cancer Center was officially established.

Storniolo is co-principal investigator along with Dr. Susan Clare, an assistant professor in the department of surgery at the IU School of Medicine.

How it works
Tissue collections take place about five times a year. Women complete an electronic questionnaire about their medical and family health history.

“These specimens aren’t just random samples,” Storniolo says. “We’re able to know quite a bit about the lady from whom that specimen came.”

Collecting a blood and tissue sample takes about one hour. As Melangton, Runge and Miller can attest, it’s a quick and relatively painless procedure.

Each donation consists of two to four tissue slivers and a blood sample. Those can be split up into various slides, so that each donation has the potential to be involved in 25 to 30 experiments, Storniolo says.

“Everything is collected by strict procedures,” she says. “The blood has to be spun within a certain number of minutes. The tissue samples have to be in liquid nitrogen within five minutes.”

Many samples also include a digital copy of the woman’s mammogram.

Researchers from around the world can request access to the specimens, provided they have proof of funding. Three independent reviewers ensure the proposed research would be a good use of the specimens.

Once the proposal is approved, the samples are sent to the researcher with the agreement that the data they find be sent back to the tissue bank to be made available to other investigators.

This is in an effort to accelerate research and the timeline for both prevention and a cure, Storniolo says.

Furthering research
Several researchers are using tissue samples to examine the development of the normal breast.

“I don’t think there’s another organ in our body that goes through more changes in a natural lifetime,” Storniolo says. “It’s a very complicated organ, and to understand what leads to cancer, you need to understand the processes and how they’re supposed to happen.”

One researcher is looking at gene analyses from women in two phases of the menstrual cycle, and another researcher is examining samples from women who have triple negative breast cancer and those that do not have cancer.

Storniolo says the Komen Tissue Bank is a model for other cancers and diseases.

“It’s also a model for getting the lay public involved and invested in research,” she says. “Until now, the only way you could participate in research was to have the disease.”

Storniolo recalls the story of a woman who came to the bank in a wheelchair with clearance from her cardiologist to donate. She had with her five daughters and one granddaughter, all of whom were from out of state.

No one in the family had cancer. But it was something the 86-year-old grandmother felt strongly about participating in.

“‘Unless women step up to the plate and help find out what’s going on, we’re never going to beat this,’” Storniolo recalls her saying.

“(Women are) coming of their own will and saying, ‘Take a piece of my breast.’ It just boggles the mind. We have a waitlist that will not end.”

Storniolo says the tissue bank, a true grassroots effort, owes its success to its location.

“It’s been said, half in jest, that this could only have happened in the Midwest. This is Hoosier pride and Hoosier spirit at its best. This is just amazing, amazing proof of how magnanimous people around us are.

“It’s the most humbling thing I could ever do. People say to me, ‘Next to my wedding and the birth of my children, this is the most exciting day of my life.’”

Executive Chef Joseph Martin helps master the art of crafting savory mustard

Using whole mustard seeds to make mustard is a commitment to a time-consuming process. Let our culinary artisan Joseph Martin, executive chef of 18 on the Square in Shelbyville, show you how to experiment with a variety of ingredients to find a favorite recipe.

Martin says he learned to cook from some of the greatest women in the world –– his mother and grandmother. So it’s only natural that his culinary insights help spread the love to your family and friends when creating this spicy condiment.

If you want your mustard to remain spicy, never heat the mustard seeds or powder.

“Once you have heated up the liquid that you soak your mustard seeds in, the cooking process activates their potency, which will dissipate very rapidly,” he says. But if you want a milder mustard, it’s OK to heat the seeds.

There are other ways to tweak the flavors. Substitute beer for the vinegar. Or use fresh herbs, incorporating them in the last possible step.

“The essential oils that are extracted from herbs dissipate very quickly, especially in heat or from overworking, like in a processor,” Martin explains.

“Dry herbs carry a different flavor profile and deliver a more ‘earthy, carbon-rich’ flavor than that of fresh herbs. Your desired final product should dictate which route you take. I use plenty of dried spices from allspice to turmeric, but hardly ever use dried herbs. The fresh flavor is just unbeatable.”

Martin provides these recipes and tips to add spice to your dishes with artisan mustards.

Basic Mustard Recipe
Makes 1 1⁄2 cups

6 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
6 tablespoons mustard powder
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup vinegar, any kind will do
Pinch of salt

Soak the mustard powder and seeds in vinegar for at least three hours or up to a day.

Once soaked, place mixture in blender or food processor and blend on low speed for one minute. For a smoother mustard, use a blender.

Add sugar and honey. Blend for another minute and season with salt.

Note: It’s imperative that you let the mixture rest for an hour or so to let the flavors develop and combine, Martin says.

This recipe is on the spicy side. If you’re a fan of milder mustard, heat the vinegar and mustard mixture to a simmer and cook on low for 3 to 5 minutes. Let it cool completely, and then follow the recipe from there.

Caraway Mustard
Makes 1 1⁄2 cups

1 1⁄2 cups whole-grain mustard
1⁄4 cup dark beer, like a porter or stout
1⁄8 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons toasted caraway seeds

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until incorporated. Season with salt to taste. Use for a pretzel dip, to accompany cheeses and cured meats or as a tasty sandwich spread.

Tarragon Mustard
Makes 1 1⁄2 cups

1 1⁄2 cups Dijon mustard
1⁄4 cup white wine
1⁄8 cup tarragon vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
Optional: 1 tablespoon chopped cornichon

Combine all ingredients in a bowl until incorporated and season with salt to taste.

Chef Profile

Executive Chef Joseph Martin

Executive Chef Joseph Martin started down the culinary path at age 17 while working a summer job at Middleton Place Plantation in Charleston, S.C. He cooked at several places while studying business at Clemson University.

Back in Charleston, he developed a true passion for creating food.

“Huck’s Lowcountry Table was the biggest springboard for my development,” Martin says. “I learned a lot about myself and what I really wanted to serve –– food that tastes great with a lean toward comfort food.”

His culinary philosophy is to keep dishes simple –– not add a lot of rare ingredients –– while still creating with flavors that develop on the palate.

“We’re crafting memories when people eat,” he says. “My fondest memories are around the table at my parents’ house, Thanksgiving time, Christmas breakfast, a crab boil or pig pickin’ (at a hog roast) out at my house.

“Of course, food has to taste good, but the companionship and memories associated with the food need to be priceless.”

To show what we can do.

“Give to the world the best you have, and the best will come back to you.” — Madeline S. Bridges

The world spotlight is shining brightly on Indianapolis as we host Super Bowl XLVI’s weeklong extravaganza. It’s a sure bet that we will give “the best we have,” and I believe we will be so successful that the Super Bowl will “come back to us.”

Did you know that of the 46 years only 26 cities have hosted the Super Bowl? Miami (my hometown) has actually hosted it 10 times. With that in mind, I am reminded that unlike Miami, Indianapolis is a walkable city, and the stadium is downtown. Above all, as Allison Melangton, president and CEO of the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee, says, “I feel like Indianapolis does things that no other city can do because our community can pull together.”

As the woman’s voice for our city, Indianapolis Woman has embraced several projects that are tied to Super Bowl XLVI. Two are of special significance to women and may interest you as well.

Indy’s Super Cure: This initiative has helped raise money for and increase healthy breast tissue donations to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Tissue Bank at the IU Simon Cancer Center. So far, more than $1.6 million has been raised. This is a program that truly affects women all over the world –– not just here in Indianapolis. For more information, log on komentissuebank.iu.edu or read our feature story, Super Woman, Super Cure.

Off The Field NFL Players’ Wives Association Fashion Show: Another way to be a part of the Super Bowl action and help make a difference is by attending the fashion show and brunch Feb. 3 at Saks Fifth Avenue. Former and current NFL players’ wives will be modeling clothing from Saks, and proceeds benefit JT’s Hand and Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital. Tanya Hand, wife of Jon Hand, and Ashley Manning, wife of Peyton Manning, will host the event. For tickets, log on otffashionshow2012.eventbrite.com.

In this issue, you’ll read about Melangton and how she’s led the Host Committee in planning this huge event (page 30), five local women who have lent their creative talents to the 46 for XLVI mural project (page 38), our top 10 picks for taking in Super Bowl-related activities (page 12), how local businesses are preparing for the increased business surrounding the big game (page 72) and how Super Bowl XLVI has given the near eastside an opportunity for revitalization (page 76).

Our goal in this issue is to give an insiders view of Super Bowl XLVI at its best. If you aren’t actively involved, I hope that you vicariously feel the commitment and pride in our great city.

Sincerely,

Mary B. Weiss
President/CEO, Publisher

Keep your nails healthy and in good shape

When polished and healthy, nails can add the perfect finishing touch to your appearance.

But when nails are splitting, peeling or your cuticles are dry, hands can look haggard and unattractive.

Keeping one’s nails in good shape is that much harder in the winter when regular hand-washing and exposure to cold temperatures can zap hands’ moisture and lead to nail woes.

Learn how to keep your hands and nails in good condition.

The problem: Weak nails
The solution: If your nails bend easily, consider taking a biotin supplement, says Lawrence A. Mark, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of dermatology at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Take 2,500 micrograms per day to thicken and harden the nail. An added bonus? Biotin often makes hair grow faster, Mark says.

If your nails are thin and curl up like a spoon, it could be a sign of iron-deficiency anemia. In that case, Mark says, it’s best to be seen by a physician.

To protect your nails, consider a gel overlay on them, says Indianapolis manicurist Jazmynn Taylor.

“It acts as an acrylic,” she says.

The problem: Yellow nails
The solution: Yellow nails are most often caused by residue left behind by dark nail polish. Your best bet, Mark says, is to let the yellow grow out, which can take up to six months.

Yellow discoloration under the nail, often appearing as an oily spot, can be a sign of nail psoriasis, Mark adds.

The problem: Nail tips that peel
The solution: The medical term for this is onychoschizia, Mark explains, and it’s usually due to some type of irritant, like nail polish remover or continued exposure to water.

Consider using gloves when you wash dishes, and limit your use of polish remover. Strengthen nails by taking biotin or vitamin B, Mark suggests.

The problem: dry cuticles
The solution: When your cuticles and the skin on the sides of your nails always seems to be dry, it could simply be a matter of not moisturizing enough. Make sure you’re applying hand lotion after each time you wash your hands.

“It’s always good to keep cuticle oil with you,” Taylor says. Some cuticle oils come in pens, so you can dab it on whenever it’s convenient. She also recommends looking into a hand cream that has a thicker consistency.

Mark points out that dryness could signal an allergic reaction. Symptoms include itchiness, redness, thickening and scaly skin.

The problem: Ridged nails
The solution: Nails can be ridged either horizontally or vertically.

As one ages, vertical ridges become more common, Mark says.

“There’s nothing you can do about it other than buff the nails so they’re smooth,” he says.

Horizontal ridges, however, may indicate an underlying health condition, trauma or irritation and should be checked out by a physician.

No More Biting
If you consistently bite your nails, the good news is that doing so is not likely to cause long-term damage, according to the Mayo Clinic. But it’s not completely without risks.

Nail biting can exacerbate existing skin conditions, contribute to skin infections, and increase one’s risk of colds and other infections because of the spread of germs from nails and fingers to the mouth.

To stop your habit, the organization suggests the following:
> Avoid factors that can trigger nail biting, like boredom.
> Find healthy ways to manage stress and anxiety.
> Keep nails trimmed and manicured.
> Occupy your hands or mouth with alternatives, like chewing gum or cooking.

Trendy Nails

Like fashion, nail trends come and go.

Jonathan Cuellar, licensed nail technician and instructor at Honors Beauty College, explains what you’ll be seeing in the world of nails this year.

> Whether called crackle or shatter, these transforming top coats are still going strong. In fact, Cuellar says, “we can’t keep them in stock.”

Nearly every nail polish line offers a shatter top coat, making it easy to change the look of your manicure. They’re available in a wide range of colors, with black being the most popular, Cuellar says.

They are also a simple way to jump on the nail-art bandwagon, he adds.

> Spring usually brings with it a softer, more muted color palette, and this year is no exception. Expect to see subtle shades of light blue, mint green and gray, Cuellar says.

> Magnetics are gaining in popularity, Cuellar says, and he predicts that they’ll be the “next big thing.” While this polish is wet, you hold a magnet over it, which creates a design that you seal with top coat.

“It’s another way to feel glamorous,” Cuellar says, not to mention another way to try nail art.

> Though they may be better suited for the younger crowd, glitters are a great way to mix it up and add sparkle. For something less in-your-face, try a subtle glitter top coat.

> Cuellar foresees consumers moving toward natural nails and a greater awareness of salon cleanliness and the ingredients in their nail products.

Jump-start your spring with these new plants and products

With the help of these innovative garden products, tools and plants, this next growing season may produce your best bounty of fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers. Or, you can add a touch of whimsy to the waning winter months with the beauty of preserved greens or a backyard bird cam.

Some of these selections debuted at the Independent Garden Centers Show in Chicago this past August while others have been recognized with the 2012 Green Thumb Award for new plant varieties and garden products.

Take a peek –– you’ll likely be giving a thumbs-up to many of these green goodies.

Waiting for spring
With 21st-century technology, photographing birds in your yard has never been easier. The battery-operated Audubon BirdCam is a motion-activated camera that takes crystal-clear digital photos and videos of birds automatically.

The BirdCam is weatherproof and rugged for years of outdoor use.

Share the beauty of nature with friends, family and other bird lovers by emailing or printing the images that are recorded on an SD card or internal memory (32MB). No tools, wiring or additional software is required.

Source: Wingscapes, $159.95. (888) 811-9464, wingscapes.com.

Easy-access gardening
The Veg Trug Patio Planter is a raised bed made from fir and designed to be easy to work with –– even from a wheelchair.

The V-shaped bed can accommodate a variety of vegetables and can be easily netted or covered if necessary. Gardener’s Supply Company will start carrying the Veg Trug Patio Planter late February or early March.

Source: Gardener’s Supply Company, $269. (800) 955-3370, gardeners.com.

7 functions in 1
Think of it as the Swiss Army knife of wheelbarrows. The Muletto® is a thoughtfully designed and highly functional new product that combines the capabilities of a wheelbarrow, handtruck dolly, extended dolly, leaf-bag holder, cylinder holder, rock lifter and mover, flower-pot carrier and trailer mover –– all in one.

First sold in Canada in 2010, the Muletto® has been especially popular with women. It makes light of heavy chores and comes 90 percent pre-assembled –– just add wheels and two handles, no tools required.

“It’s an exciting product –– quite a contraption,” says Rad Thurston, operations manager of GSI HomeStyle, the exclusive U.S. distributor to retailers. “It is something that is going to fit in nicely with homeowners and gardeners since it’s multipurpose and takes up very little storage space.”

In the upright position, the Muletto® sticks out only 14 inches from the wall.

Home Shopping Network will feature this workhorse near the end of February. Retail shipping begins March 25, but most Ace Hardware stores will have the Muletto® in stock mid-April.

Source: Ace Hardware, approximately $189.99. (877) 685-3886, themuletto.com.

Inspiring gardens
A Guide to Smithsonian Gardens by Carole Ottesen makes you privy to the colorful gardens that surround the Smithsonian museums along the National Mall. Discover each garden’s unique design, plant inhabitants and purpose.

Gain the Smithsonian’s resources and knowledge for issues like maintaining botanical interest through all four seasons, experimenting with exotic plants, designing a garden that reflects the architecture around it and recreating historic or themed gardens.

Source: Smithsonian Museum Store, $14.95. (866) 945-6897, smithsonianstore.com/books-media.

A bevy of blackberries
Enjoy a bounty of delectable, big, richly flavored berries not once but twice. Black Magic™ blackberry plants will produce bounty both in the summer and fall. With the right growing conditions, Black Magic may even produce fruit throughout the entire summer.

Self-supporting and lightly thorned, the canes are easy to maintain and have impressive heat tolerance, even in 100-plus degree days.

Source: Henry Field’s Seed & Nursery Co., $19.99. (513) 354-1495, henryfields.com.
Note: Plants are shipped in the fall only.

Keep your gardens alive
Garden Pest Bait kills a wide variety of insect and inverterbrate pests in vegetable and flower gardens. The easy-to-use bait naturally kills cutworms, earwigs, sow bugs, ants, slugs and even snails.

The environmentally friendly active ingredients in Garden Pest Bait are a combination of Spinosad, derived from a naturally occurring soil-dwelling bacterium, and iron phosphate, a proven natural snail and slug killer.

Garden Pest Bait kills insect pests and lures snails and slugs away from plants, efficiently killing them as they move away from the garden.

Source: Gardens Alive!, 13-ounce bag for $14.95; 36-ounce bag for $24.95. (513) 354-1482, gardensalive.com.

Hummingbird magic
Brakelights® Red Yucca is the first Hesperaloe parviflora ‘Perpa’ PPAF to have true bright red flowers as opposed to orange-red.

This evergreen succulent is a semi-dwarf cultivar with 30-inch-tall flower spikes and dark-green strap-like leaves.

In full bloom, the Brakelights® Red Yucca is a hummingbird magnet. It’s heat tolerant and cold hardy in USDA zones 5-10.

Source: High Country Gardens, 1-gallon pot, $24.99. (800) 925-9387, highcountrygardens.com.

Take winter from cold to cool
The Bough Elegance Hanging Basket Ingredient Kit is easy to implement in your own hanging basket. This traditional design is simple yet elegant, and the African knobs will last for multiple seasons.

This kit is displayed in a moss basket, but it can also work well in a moss planter or wall basket.

The arrangement is available fully assembled as shown with a moss-lined metal Victorian hanging basket.

Source: Winter’s Wow, $69.99 unassembled; $109.99 fully assembled. (715) 634-5010, winterswow.com.

Grow, grow, grow
That is what your plants will do in an EarthBox®. Garden smart anywhere –– in small yards, balconies, porches, even rooftops or poor soil conditions –– with less effort. The box is on rollers, which makes it portable, and the gradient system makes it impossible to over-water plants. A mulch film eliminates weeding and pests.

The kit includes everything needed to start your garden –– even soil. Just add plants and water.
Source: EarthBox® Container, $32.95. Ready-to-Grow Kit, $54.95. (888) 917-3908, earthbox.com.