The Southsider Voice
Visit us at these places!
  • Home
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • Sports
    • Car Nutz
    • Stilley Goes Trackside
    • Southside Deaths
    • Personal Recollections
    • Reminiscing
  • About the Voice
  • Advertising
  • Contact
  • Newspaper Archive
  • Classifieds

‘Thank you for being my friend’

9/22/2023

0 Comments

 
PictureBILL CIRIELLO 1929-2023
By Al Stilley
Editor

Friends of the late William (Bill) Joseph Ciriello, Sr., 94, of Beech Grove knew right away when you were his friend.

With appreciation, he would tell you: “Thank you for being my friend.”
​
Ciriello passed away Thursday, Sept. 14, one day after this year’s Beech Grove Promoters Club Fall Festival began on Main Street and significantly two days before the annual festival parade, also on Main Street. Ciriello and his famed black 1959 Cadillac El Dorado convertible were an annual staple of the parade for years.

Saturday, Ciriello was honored during the parade. Club member John Gillespie drove his Camaro convertible with a black wreath near the front of the parade with a Ciriello Plumbing truck following behind. Ciriello founded the company in July 1952, a few years after settling in Beech Grove. Then at the reviewing area in front of the Beech Grove branch library, Taps was played in honor of his military career in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

Fittingly, Ciriello himself played Taps many times on a trumpet that was among his WWII artifacts at memorials. During WWII, he played Reveille each morning while stationed on the USS Dayton light cruiser.
“I’m a proud veteran,” Ciriello would say.

In his later years, he continued mingling with friends and other WWII veterans often on Monday evenings at Mikie’s Pub where the Southside’s own singer/entertainer Steve Jeffris would honor all veterans during his performances. And he enjoyed many breakfasts with Beech Grove Mayor Dennis Buckley.

An early civic advocate, he joined the Beech Grove Exchange Club and later founded the Beech Grove Promoters Club in 1953 so that collected funds would go directly to needy groups and organizations. The club also promotes the Fourth of July fireworks at Sarah T. Bolton Park.

Ciriello is best described as a father, grandfather, great-grandfather, World War II veteran, a self-made business owner, and community advocate.

He was born May 17,1929 to the late Tony and Lola Ciriello in Rochester, Pa. He married Betty Jo Baker and they settled in Beech Grove. They were married for 72 years before her death. He is survived by four children, seven grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren, and eight great-great grandchildren.

His funeral service is at 11 a.m. today (Wednesday) at G.H. Herrmann Funeral Home, The Gardens at Olive Branch in Greenwood with burial in Forest Lawn Memory Gardens, Greenwood.
​
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Beech Grove Promoters Club or Indy Honor Flight.

Picture
Bill Ciriello takes part in the 2022 Beech Grove Promoters Club Fall Festival Parade. The first parade was held in 1954.
​(JOHN GILLESPIE PHOTO)
0 Comments

Royal Spa smack in middle of I-69 and Ind. 37 changes near I-465

9/16/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
Royal Spa owner/founder Bob Dapper proudly pauses in showroom at company headquarters on the Southside at West Epler Avenue and Ind. 37.

(SOUTHSIDER VOICE PHOTOS BY AL STILLEY)


THIS WAS PUBLISHED IN THE SEPT. 13, 2023 EDITION
By Al Stilley

Editor

“We’re learning where everything is going as it happens.”

Royal Spa co-founder and owner Bob Dapper made that comment while seated in his office at the company’s headquarters on the Southside at West Epler Avenue and Indiana 37.

Rightfully, Dapper calls the area behind the building as the “dust bowl” because the landscape about 100 yards west is undergoing a dramatic change.

Interstate 69 is going right behind the property. Progress can be seen from the West Epler bridge that goes over the interstate that has followed the footprint of Ind. 37 until it veers north of Southport Road to eventually connect with a new I-465 interchange between White River and the highway.

The I-465/Harding Street (Ind. 37) interchange is to be redesigned so motorists can access those businesses without going onto I-69. Some of those businesses south of that location include a truck stop, Royal Spa, Everett Transit Group, Reardon’s Carpet, and Trackside Powersports. On the westside of Ind. 37, the Gateway South complex features Denny’s Marina, American Freight Liquidators, and ABC Supply among businesses with easy access from Epler Avenue.

Dapper expects that motorists and customers would have continued access to Royal Spa as they do now by turning west off Ind. 37 and into the parking lot. The fate of a small access road (Belmont Avenue) between four businesses, including Royal Spa, would be eliminated, creating an inconvenient access for semitrailers and delivery trucks to Royal spa and three adjacent businesses. Belmont Avenue would become a local access road west of I-69 and connect with West Epler Avenue.

“Actually, the switchero of having Epler go over I-69 works in our favor because traffic would not be impeded getting into Royal Spa,” Dapper said. “Royal Spa is a destination so customers will find us again and eventually have less apprehension coming to our headquarters because they fear some difficulty like now to get in.”

Dapper is also concerned about moving the Royal Spa fleet of trucks with parts and equipment as well as semitrucks that deliver supplies to build spas to the loading dock on the west side of the building.

“We’ve been able to make lemons out of lemonade before,” Dapper said optimistically.

As owner of a campground in Bloomington, Dapper has followed construction of I-69 over the Ind. 37 footprint. He dislikes the disruption of businesses at the Ind. 144 exchange and the blockage of Smith Valley Road at I-69 in Johnson County, For example, the Busted Knuckle has relocated to Whiteland Road and Ind. 135. And Dapper noticed improvements and access to Oliver Winery that is now a more prominent destination point in Monroe County.

Eventually, Dapper is confident of the same outcome for Southsiders to continue to support businesses, including Royal Spa, that exist at or near the I-465/Ind. 37 interchange. The area lost R.J. Marlin Rentals and Stoops due to the new I-69/I-465 interchange.

Founded in 1981, Royal Spa manufactures hot tubs, float tanks, swim spas, icebaths, and custom-made fiberglass baptistries plus all spare parts and provides full service and repairs. Sales locations are at its factory showroom and headquarters at West Epler Avenue, plus U.S. 36 in Avon and 9820 Pendleton Pike on the city’s northeastside.

Dapper and co-founder Rick Bartlett started Royal Spa from scratch while they were engineering students at IUPUI. Dapper is a product of St. Matthews Catholic School and Cathedral High School. Bartlett is a Decatur Central High School alumnus. They struggled early-on with the business and had to cut lawns to help make ends meet.

They had confidence in their business and continued to improve the quality of hot tubs and swim spas through the years. Royal Spa later dabbled in manufacturing hovercrafts and plastic yard pools which they no longer produce.

Royal Spa also manufactures and sells float tanks and float pods for commercial and private use, a new product for individual float therapy with an Epsom salts solution. He has plans to open a multiple-tank floating center on County Line Road in the future.

Dapper also enjoys Cathedral football and the Indianapolis 500 where he has served as a crew member for several races, including the last 11 years for Dale Coyne Racing. Dapper’s first acquaintance was with team owner Bobby Rahal and later sponsored a race car driven by Roberto Guerrero in the “500” in exchange for two spas for his team owner. He has a framed photo of being a crew member for driver Sarah Fisher on the wall of his office at Royal Spa.

Looking out the window at Royal Spa headquarters, Dapper is sure that Royal Spa headquarters will continue to thrive at its current location.

“I’m taking every day, one day at a time to make this all come out in a good way,” Dapper said. “At one time, the interstate was to go right in front of us.”

Then he grinned and acknowledged he wasn’t sure what the road would be named just north of Royal Spa.
​ He laughed and said, “How about naming it Royal Spa Way?
Picture
Royal Spa headquarters provides showroom, sales, manufacturing, service and delivery from the Southside.

Picture
Indianapolis 500 enthusiast and sponsor Bob Dapper points to photo on the wall at Royal Spa headquarters of being a crew member for team owner/driver Sarah Fisher during a 500-mile classic.
Picture
Sign on West Epler Avenue will guide motorists to I-69 South just south of new I-69 / I-465 interchange.
Picture
Large billboard informs northbound motorists on Ind.37 to turn west onto West Epler Avenue to reach Royal Spa headquarters during massive road construction of nearby I-69.
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Archives

    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014

    Categories

    All
    Arts & Entertainment
    Lead Story
    Sports: 500
    Sports: Basketball
    Sports: Track

    RSS Feed

 DROP OFF: The Toy Drop 6025 Madison Ave., Suite D
Indianapolis, IN  46227  |  317-781-0023
MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 17187, Indianapolis, IN 46217

ads@southsidervoice.com | news@southsidervoice.com
Website by IndyTeleData, Inc.