Michael Carmichael suggested to his toddler son that they add some coats of colorful paint to an old baseball, with a plan to watch the layers dry and add up, creating an internal kaleidoscope collage that began in 1977 in their small town of Alexandria, Indiana.

Fast-forward nearly half a century, and today, the Carmichael family’s now infamous “World’s Largest Ball of Paint” on display in Alexandria has grown to 30,000 layers of paint, weighs more than 5 tons and draws curiosity seekers and tourists from around the globe to snap photos of proof of the painted feat.

This paint and impressive numbers roadside attraction is one of the many oddities and interesting anecdotes included in “Secret Indiana: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful and Obscure” by author Jamie Ward (2025 Reedy Press $27).

Released in April, the 187-page paperback spans the unusual wonders around the Hoosier state, such as an underground tunnel in the floor of a bookstore, a 64-ton fountain shipped to Indiana from Brazil, and a jail that rotates with the turn of a hand crank.

“With the story of the ball of paint, it was never something intended to grow to that scale in size,” Ward said.

“The father had planned to slice the ball up after the first few layers of paint to show what the interior looks like with the added layers. This guide is intended to lead readers to Indiana’s most unusual gems, providing a fresh perspective on the state’s history, culture and attractions, along with a few compelling stories and eerie tales.”

Ward’s previous works as an author include “100 Things to Do in Indiana Before You Die,” and she is co-author of the “Midwest Adventures” series.

Some of her favorite tales included in the book are the final concert venue of Elvis preserved as a time capsule, the childhood home of the “real” Little Orphan Annie, the location of a towering 25-foot Bigfoot named “Otis,” as well as haunted bridges and sites associated with urban legends.

The book is available online, in stores or at reedypress.com.

Brotherly book

A book signing and free lecture at 3 p.m. Thursday at Barrington Club, 780 Bracken Parkway in Hobart, is devoted to the 2020 published book “Brothers in Arms: Remembering Brothers Buried Side by Side in American WW II Cemeteries” (2020 Brothers in Arms Press LLC $33), written by Kevin Callahan of Elgin, Illinois. The 350 full-color pages showcase more than 700 historical photos accompanying 72 stories of brothers who fought together during WW II and ended their lives buried together in American WW II cemeteries overseas. Included is the story of the Dombrowski brothers, Peter and Hank, who hailed from Gary and now reside together in eternity in the Brittany American Cemetery and Memorial in Normandy, France. For more information, visit www.brothersinarmsbook.com.

A fine Wine

More than 350 guests gathered in the elegant ballroom of the Center for Visual and Performing Arts on Ridge Road in Munster on May 7 for the 53rd annual May Wine Luncheon hosted by the Women’s Association of Northwest Indiana Symphony Society. This month, WANISS President Tresa Radermacher and WANISS Treasurer Charlene Tsoutsouris conducted the group’s annual business meeting and presented a proceeds check for $25,000 to South Shore Arts Executive Director Jonathan Canning to benefit the Northwest Indiana Symphony.

Philip Potempa is a journalist, published author and radio host on WJOB-AM 1230.

philpotempa@gmail.com