Byline: John Ketzenberger

Oct. 4--A HUGE YEAR FOR HELPING THE LITTLE GUYS: Jean Wojtowicz has lent the money that helped create nearly 23,000 jobs in Indiana -- 20 and 30 at a time.

Evan Lurie is the latest recipient. Lurie just opened an art gallery on Main Street in Carmel and used a loan brokered with the Small Business Administration to make it work.

"It makes starting your own business a lot more doable than not," said Lurie, who employs about 10 people full time and has 15 more artists under contract. "It makes the potential small-business owner look at the options and say, 'Yeah, I can do this.'"

The Indiana Statewide Certified Development Corp., which ...