“This year’s group of award recipients was of such a high caliber and truly exemplify the categories they were chosen for,” said Christy Gillenwater, president & C.E.O. “These individuals and businesses serve as role models for all and help to make Bloomington a great place to live and work.”

Community Enhancement Award: Bailey and Weiler Design/Build – Recognized for contributions to the enhancement of Bloomington’s community image and economic environment while making a positive impact on the community.

Family Friendly Business Award: Technology Service Corporation – Recognized businesses excels in creating flexible, friendly and enjoyable workplaces.

Trailblazer Through Technology: e2Taxi – Recognized businesses demonstrates business innovation, enhances the Bloomington community, serves as model from which other companies can learn.

Nancy Howard Diversity Award: Bloomington Bagel Company – Recognized organization that demonstrates a commitment to attracting a diverse workforce and maintaining an environment in which all can be successful.

Franklin Initiative Golden Key Award: Adam Wason – Recognizesd individuals demonstrates outstanding service and dedication to the Chamber’s Franklin Initiative and to Monroe County youth through exemplary volunteer participation in our local schools.

Lloyd Olcott Community Service Award: Oliver Winery - Recognizes business provides outstanding community service and fosters a spirit of volunteerism.

Diane Breeden Lee Award: Carol Maloney, 100+ Women Who Care – Recognized individuals demonstrate an ability to create consensus and motivate others to accomplish a greater goal.

Morgan Hutton Visionary Award: Steve Smith, Smith Neubecker & Associates – Recognizes leader for special contributions or achievements that improve Bloomington’s business climate through a vision of true resourcefulness, innovation and accomplishment in government or public service sectors.

The Johnson family on the front porch of their new home with Habitat Signature Builders Craig Bailey and Don Weiler of Bailey & Weiler Design/Build.

On June 15, Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County dedicated the new home of the Jason and Jessica Johnson family. The 4 bedroom, 2 bath home was constructed over a two week period by generous and dedicated contractors, suppliers and volunteers. Bailey & Weiler Design/Build is proud to have been a Signature Builder for the Johnson home.

For the Johnson family, home ownership was always in the plans. The problem was the timeline kept getting longer and longer.  “We had the five year plan of trying to buy a house,” said Jason, who works at PrintPack in Bloomington. “We couldn’t save enough to get ahead. Something else in our trailer would fall apart or break. We kept looking at the five year plan thinking it was turning into the ten year plan.” Jessica agreed, “We had our hands tied. We felt really helpless. It was a never ending cycle – an awful, vicious cycle.”

But now, thanks to their hard work and preparations, their plan for home ownership will be complete in June 2012, when their Habitat home is built during the Builders Blitz event. This growing family including Jason and Jessica, along with their children Zoe (age 5), Emme (age 4), Kinsley (age 1), and a little boy (“Finally!” said Jason) due May 2012, Grady, will all be in their new home this summer.

Jason grew up moving every year. He wants a different childhood for his own kids – one with stability. He said, “We wanted this to be the last move. Not changing school districts each year.” While he was working hard as a bag operator at PrintPack, it wasn’t enough to provide decent housing. “For a family our size it was impossible,” he said. “(Monroe County) is set up for roommates in a college town. But when you have one income and one family, you can’t do that.” Now they will live in Cedar Chase, Habitat’s neighborhood community on Bloomington’s southwest side.

Jessica is looking forward to moving out of their trailer, which is falling apart. The floors are falling through, water heater has gone out, and it’s not insulated. She is grateful that she will have her children in a decent home.  “I’m terrified of storms now and being in the trailer when the tornado sirens go off. Now we’ll have a sturdy, stable home to stay in during thunderstorms.”

Now the Johnsons can dream about the future in ways they never could before. Jessica said, “We sat down that night after we got the call to say that we were going to have a Habitat home and said ‘Now we can start saving money for college for our kids. We can plan for the future now!’” The kids are all looking forward to having more space to play – inside and outside. Jason can’t wait to have space too. He wants to start family traditions and host people for holidays and cookouts. Most of all, they want to share their gratitude. “It’s all happening so fast but we are very grateful that there are people out there who are willing to devote so much time to Habitat like this,” said Jessica. “This gave us hope. Our future just looks better now!”

The new Johnson home in the Cedar Chase neighborbood.

Mary Frances McCourt was the lucky winner of the Bailey & Weiler Dream Playhouse at the St. Charles Gala, held at the IU Memorial Stadium Henke Hall of Champions on April 28. Mary plans to use the structure as a potting shed for her beautiful backyard garden. The playhouse was constructed and donated by Bailey & Weiler Design/Build. Local artist Molly Petersen will add the finishing personal touches for Mary.

The theme of the St. Charles Gala was “Rise Up Like Hawks.” Over 230 people attended the event, which raised over $61,000 for the benefit of the students and faculty of St. Charles School.

Russ Bridenbaugh (right) holds a piece of the stump from his original "memorial tree" that was cut down and stolen from Bryan Park, as he talks with Don Weiler of Bailey & Weiler Design/Build. Weiler and members of Cook Center Business Roundtable organized the planting of a replacement blue spruce tree. David Snodgress | Herald-Times

By Mike Leonard
December 13, 2011

The light rain seemed to accentuate the bittersweet occasion Tuesday morning as workers replaced the blue spruce memorial tree vandals cut down in Bryan Park more than a week ago.

The tree had been donated by nearby resident Russ Bridenbaugh, who watched as Designscape owner Dan Gluesenkamp, Don Weiler of Bailey & Weiler Design/Build and others pitched in to dig a hole, plant a new tree and right the wrong inflicted not only on Bridenbaugh but patrons of Bloomington’s most popular urban park.

Bridenbaugh told the assembled group that the second thing he does every morning — after making coffee — is to open up the dictionary and choose a word for the day. “Today’s word is gratitude and today, I feel great gratitude for all of you. Thank you,” he said.

Russ Bridenbaugh watches as Don Weiler of Bailey & Weiler Design/Build and the Designscape landscaping crew plant a new blue spruce in Bryan Park near the spot where his original "memorial tree" was cut down and stolen.

Bridenbaugh, a retired wine journalist, had donated the tree to the city after moving from the north side of Bloomington to an apartment on the south side of Bryan Park. The city planted it on a hill where Bridenbaugh could see it from his apartment and he cared for it as if it were still his own, pruning it frequently to keep it perfectly shaped.

Bridenbaugh intended for the 22-year-old evergreen to long outlive him and be his memorial tree.

Members of a Cook Center Business Roundtable group read about the theft of the tree and offered to replace it. It didn’t hurt that Gluesenkamp, the owner of a horticultural business, was a member of the Ivy Tech/Cook Center for Entrepreneurship roundtable.

“I just went out to our nursery in Brown County and picked out the biggest blue spruce we had,” he said Tuesday morning. “We don’t have a lot of blues — mainly Norways.”

A Designscape crew brought the 10-foot tree through the park using a small, front-end loader. After volunteers hand-dug a hole, the tree was gently maneuvered into it. Excess dirt was loaded back into the loader bucket and a load of bark mulch was spread to cover the base of tree, making the newly-planted spruce look as if it had always been there.

“We are pleased to celebrate the planting of this new tree,” said Don Weiler, a member of the business group. “It serves as a reminder that simple acts can have a significant impact.”

Copyright: HeraldTimesOnline.com 2011

Russ Bridenbaugh stares at the stump of a 22-year-old blue spruce tree he had nurtured and donated to Bryan Park.

Cook Center Business Roundtable businesses pitching in to help put another tree where Bridenbaugh’s stood

Once a tree is cut down and stolen, it can’t be replaced.

When vandals took the 22-year-old blue spruce that Russ Bridenbaugh donated to the city and saw planted within eyesight of his apartment on the south perimeter of Bryan Park, they took a tree the longtime Bloomington resident had nurtured for more than two decades — and had intended to be his memorial tree after his death.

A business roundtable group read about the theft of the tree Tuesday morning and unanimously agreed to help put a new one in its place. “I’m very moved by that,” Bridenbaugh said when he heard of the plan. “I’m deeply grateful.”

Don Weiler of Bailey & Weiler Design/Build said his group, the Cook Center Business Roundtable, was not only moved by Bridenbaugh’s loss but fortunate that one of its members is Dan Gluesenkamp, owner of Designscape Horticultural Services. “We wanted to rectify the situation for this gentleman,” Weiler said. “Dan’s a good resource to have.”

Bloomington’s urban landscaper, Lee Huss, said he’d be happy to work with the business group to fill the gap left by the purloined tree. He noted that he had just learned that someone recently cut down two blue spruce trees at RCA Park as well.

“Unfortunately, it doesn’t surprise me,” Huss said. “It seems to happen every year.”

“The irony is, blue spruces don’t make good Christmas trees,” said Bridenbaugh on Tuesday. “They will drop every needle within about 48 hours of being cut. Whoever did this is sitting there looking at a bare-framed tree with a pile of needles on their living room floor.”

By Mike Leonard
December 7, 2011

 Copyright: HeraldTimesOnline.com 2011