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On Coordinating Community Mental Health Services
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Have some fun and help us support our community by attending the Carmel Gala where Scot Pollard will be acting as the emcee. Get your tickets and/or tables for this year’s Carmel Gala at carmelgala.org!
housesincarmel.com Dawn Pollard (303) 669-4425 Scot Pollard (317) 900-3500 Joe Kempler (317) 523-6405
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MONTHLY
28 COVER STORY
Hannah Cowles: On Coordinating Community Mental Health Services This month, we are pleased to introduce to our readers Hannah Cowles, Carmel Police Department’s (CPD) first official crisis intervention manager who is responsible for community mental health services coordination and management for residents in need. As the city of Carmel’s population continues to grow, CPD recognized the need of providing additional mental health services for the community and relieving its officers from coordinating these services, which was the catalyst for hiring Cowles. We welcome Cowles to her new position and congratulate CPD for addressing a need of the citizens of Carmel. Cover Story Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photo // Laura Arick
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Carmel Symphony Orchestra Welcomes Edgar Meyer to the Palladium and Announces Its 2022–23 Season! Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael presents: Five For Fighting With String Quartet OSO Floors: Transforming Dull Concrete Into Stunning Concrete Floors Center Presents: Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band
CARMEL MONTHLY PUBLISHER / Neil Lucas neil@collectivepub.com / 317-460-0803 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / Neil Lucas neil@collectivepub.com / 317-460-0803 PUBLISHER / Lena Lucas lena@collectivepub.com / 317-501-0418 DIRECTOR OF SALES / Lena Lucas lena@collectivepub.com / 317-501-0418
Wood Wind Golf Course Completes Numerous Improvements to the Course and Facilities
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Dr. Beresford and His Paw Pal Jim Dandee Bring Smiles to Carmel Clay Schools The Annual Carmel Gala Benefiting Carmel Youth Assistance Program Returns in Person!
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Carmel Symphony Orchestra’s (CSO) final “Experience the Exceptional” concert closes as Edgar Meyer—a graduate of Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music—joins the CSO in performing “Bottesini Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra” and his own “Concerto for Double Bass in D.” The concert also features works by William Schuman, Scott Joplin and George Gershwin. The orchestra rounds out the evening with a performance of Badelt and Zimmer’s beloved film score “Pirates of the Caribbean.”
A Carmel Symphony Orchestra Welcomes
Edgar Meyer to the Palladium and Announces Its 2022–23 Season!
MASTERWORKS 5 The Palladium // Saturday, Apr. 23, 7:30 p.m. ET
Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Jim McGuire and Kim Kiely
s a solo classical bassist, Mr. Meyer can be heard on a concerto album with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra conducted by Hugh Wolff, featuring Bottesini’s “Gran Duo” with Joshua Bell, Meyer’s own “Double Concerto for Bass and Cello” with Yo-Yo Ma, Bottesini’s “Bass Concerto No. 2” and Meyer’s own “Concerto in D for Bass.” In 2006, he released a self-titled solo recording on which he wrote and recorded all of the music, incorporating piano, guitar, mandolin, dobro, banjo, gamba and double bass. In 2007, recognizing his wide-ranging recording achievements, Sony/BMG released a compilation of “The Best of Edgar Meyer.” In 2011, Mr. Meyer joined cellist Yo-Yo Ma, mandolinist Chris Thile and fiddler Stuart Duncan for the Sony Masterworks recording “The Goat Rodeo Sessions,” which was awarded the 2012 Grammy Award for Best Folk Album. For tickets, visit thecenterpresents.org.
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Come Experience the Carmel Symphony Orchestra Like Never Before!
Janelle Morrison: Why did you choose to attend IU’s Jacobs School of Music out of all of the nation’s universities and music conservatories? Edgar Meyer: I started college as a math major at Georgia Tech. Indiana looked like a place where I could do music at a high level but still continue the math, so I transferred. Eventually, I finished the music degree but not the math. JM: I read that American jazz and blues singer Ray Brown heavily influenced you as a musician. How did he influence your affinity for the double bass as it relates to jazz specifically? Meyer: I was influenced by Ray Brown the jazz bass player. In fact, Ray is the bass player that I am the most indebted to. His combination of funk and sophistication still lights me up.
JM: Your second album “Not Our First Goat Rodeo,” with fellow collaborators Yo-Yo Ma, Chris Thile and Stuart Duncan, came out in 2020. What would you like to share about producing this recording, along with performing with these remarkable musicians? Meyer: It is a privilege to be friends with Stuart, Chris, Aoife and Yo-Yo. Between the four of them, they cover remarkable amounts of knowledge and skill, which always results in a joyous musical expression. JM: Would you mind sharing your opinion on the importance of creating and performing music, especially in times of national/global challenges? Meyer: The example of Bach’s music reminds us that humankind is capable of creating things of great beauty. When staring at the horror of what humans can do, it is important to remember that the beauty is also part of our nature.
CSO recently announced a spectacular, diverse 2022–23 season lineup! This upcoming season will feature a rousing tribute to the Queen of Soul—Aretha Franklin—featuring guest artist Capathia Jenkins. The lineup will also feature the very best from the master of the movie score John Williams, a fiery Latin celebration featuring guest artists Clarice Assad and Pavel & Direct Contact and a reimagined Holiday Pops featuring guest vocalists Josh Kaufman, Lean Crane and additional performers to be announced. These are just a few of the delights awaiting fans as CSO announces its 47th season, a schedule filled to the brim with an exceptional mix of classical and pops performances. CSO Artistic Director Janna Hymes shared a few of her thoughts on the perseverance that CSO has exhibited throughout these challenging last couple of years and how elated she and the entire CSO organization are with the remarkably diverse and exhilarating 2022–23 season lineup. “There’s a renewed sense of being together again, and we’re just so grateful, now we’re on the other side of [COVID-19],” Hymes expressed. “We postponed some of this season’s concerts, and we put them into this next season. So, this upcoming season is going to be quite big! We decided that we would just hit it out of the park!” Hymes continued, “In three years, CSO will have our 50th anniversary and want to gear the community up to be as excited as we are about this amazing orchestra. We play in this gorgeous venue—the Palladium—that many people still haven’t stepped inside of yet and who haven’t come to hear their orchestra, so we want people to know that there is something for everyone in this [upcoming] season!” Tickets for the upcoming season will be available soon at CarmelSymphony.org and at the Palladium Fifth Third Bank Box Office, (317) 843-3800.
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MASTERWORKS 5 April 23, 7:30 pm with guest artist, 5-time GRAMMY® Award-winning double bassist
Edgar Meyer concert sponsor
May 14, 3 pm
FamilyFun!
An introduction to the classics featuring this year’s Young Artist Competition winner, Carmel HS Senior Violinist Abigail Ko, plus a post-concert Drum Circle!
guest artist sponsor
Tickets plus details about our 2022-23 season at CarmelSymphony.org!
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World Class Cabaret at Carmel City Center April 1 & 2
JOHN LLOYD YOUNG John Lloyd Young is the Tony and Grammy award-winning Frankie Valli from Broadway’s Jersey Boys as well as the star of the Clint Eastwood directed Warner Bros film. John Lloyd Young: Modern Classics is a celebration of classic hits from the ‘50s and ‘60s presented in the authentic acoustic style of original rock ‘n’ roll, Doo-Wop and R&B standards.
April 15 & 16
SCOTT COULTER
In the middle of New York City, in the heart of Times Square, sits The Brill Building. From the halls and offices of 1619 Broadway came the sound of America in the 50s and 60s -- considered by many to be the greatest music ever written. The Brill Building was home to Carole King, Neil Sedaka, Lieber & Stoller, Neil Diamond, and Barry Mann & Cynthia Weill among others. Take a journey into the music -- and the stories -- of the singers and the songs that defined a generation with one of New York’s most honored vocalists.
April 30
FRANK CATALANO Legendary Saxman Frank Catalano will be touring the USA, Europe and Asia extensively as well as releasing a collection of recordings from his many performances at New York’s legendary Birdland Jazz Club. These recordings feature Herbie Hancock Headhunters alum Mike Clark and will be Frank’s 5th album on the Ropeadope label.
April 7 & 8 LUCIE ARNAZ
For nearly three decades, LUCIE ARNAZ has toured her critically acclaimed nightclub acts throughout the United States and Europe, making stops in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Reno, Miami, Feinstein’s at the Regency and @54 Below, Birdland Jazz and the Caf Carlyle in New York, and now Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael in Carmel, Indiana. Along with Ron Abel, the multi-award winning composer, producer, arranger, orchestrator, conductor and musical director this show is one you won’t want to miss!
April 22 & 23 SPENCER DAY
Performing songs from his new “BROADWAY BY DAY” album, Spencer Day is the #1 Billboard jazz/pop singer and songwriter for a second time! Enjoy an evening of reimagined theater songs with surprising and inventive genre-blurring arrangements. As well as jazz, Latin, and some old and new standards. Widely regarded for his original songs that blend compelling melodies, smart lyrics and lush arrangements, Day has wooed audiences around the world.
May 5
RICHARD GLAZIER
ATI is thrilled to welcome back home to Indiana award-winning pianist Richard Glazier as he presents From Broadway to Hollywood. An expert interpreter of the Great American Songbook, Glazier has both personal as well as professional connections to his music. Offering a rich context to the beautiful music of the Great American Songbook, which is at the core of many a Hollywood musical, Glazier’s program is sure to engage as well as educate viewers as then enjoy Glazier’s fine performances and personal stories.
May 12
ADAM B. SHAPIRO Native Hoosier, Adam B. Shapiro left Indianapolis 18 years ago to chase his Broadway dreams in New York City. In recent years, he has appeared in the North American premiere of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish and as the cantor in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Now he returns to his beloved hometown with stories and songs galore about how the road you think you’re on isn’t always the one you expect. He’ll take you through the pitfalls and pratfalls of children’s theater cruise ship work, and close calls, before a leap of faith lands him a job with the National Yiddish Theater, which takes him farther than he ever would have dreamed.
For tickets go to feinsteinshc.com or scan QR
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1 Carmichael Square, Carmel, IN
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Thursday, May 19, Friday, May 20, and Saturday, May 21, 2022 Doors 6 p.m. // Showtime 7:00 p.m. Don’t miss this exhilarating experience with Five For Fighting! Get your tickets at feinsteinshc.com. A $25 food and beverage minimum is required for all reserved table seating.
presents
Five For Fighting with String Quartet Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Love Imagery and submitted
S
inger-songwriter John Ondrasik has spent the past decade writing deeply personal songs that include social messages, invoke the human spirit and make an emotional connection. With the past six albums by Five For Fighting, the hockey moniker stage name under which he performs, Ondrasik has seen multitudes of successes. Five For Fighting’s breakthrough came in 2001 with the Grammy-nominated song “Superman,” and Ondrasik’s performance at the 2001 Concert For New York at which he performed alongside other big-name artists like Paul McCartney, The Who, Elton John, Billy Joel and dozens more. Ondrasik proceeded to become part of the American songbook with the iconic hits “One Hundred Years,” “World,” “The Riddle,” “Chances” and “What If.” On-
drasik’s music has been featured in over 350 films, TV shows and advertisements, ranging from “The Blind Side” to “The Sopranos.” In 2018, Ondrasik was the musical voice for the CBS hit show “Code Black.” Ondrasik has also been deeply involved in supporting our troops. From USO tours, supporting several veteran-oriented charities and distributing over a million “CD for the Troops” to service members and their families around the world. This past February, Ondrasik was featured on The Miraculous Love Kids’ newly recorded Tom Morello-penned song, “God Help Us All,” along with an all-star lineup of guest musicians—Tom Morello, Victoria Williams, Beth Hart, Julien Baker, Nandi Bushell, Serj Tankian (System Of A Down) and other distinguished musicians. The song was produced by
Lanny Cordola and Sarmad Ghafoor. The Miraculous Love Kids is a 501(c)(3) consisting of war-torn, poverty-stricken girls in Kabul, Afghanistan. Ondrasik is currently working on a Broadway musical, various television projects and a new Five For Fighting album, while giving keynotes across the country to corporations and various organizations.
JANELLE MORRISON: I was listening to “Superman” as I was watching what’s been unfolding oversees [in Ukraine], and I thought, you know, that song is just as relevant today as it was when you wrote it after 9/11. JOHN ONDRASIK: I kind of have the same feelings as I did after 9/11. And you never want to have a song have a place in history based on events like that, but on the other hand, we need songs like that. Music transcends and provides a certain solace and impact that other mediums can’t. And certainly, it’s not just “Superman”— it’s many other songs. The same with “Blood on My Hands”—it’s a different “event,” but it’s the same point. We need songs that basically reflect history through music. When you listen to the music of the ’60s and the protest songs, you get a sense of history in a way that you can’t get by just reading a book or seeing a documentary. So, it’s really melancholy for me, but I’m glad the songs are there—especially “Superman” because it makes a difference for some people, but some of the reasons why it makes a difference are heartbreaking. I think we’re kind of right back in that spot with Afghanistan and Ukraine. Seeing it on our televisions every night, it just breaks our hearts.
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JM: I’m curious what kind of music will be
JM: I’m very excited about your three
shows coming to Feinstein’s because it is an intimate venue where you really feel like it’s a conversation between the artist and the audience. You’ll be performing your iconic songs, and we’ll be experiencing these thoughts and emotions in community. What is the experience that you hope we have while attending your performances? ONDRASIK: The unique thing about what we’re doing with you guys is that we’re playing three nights in a row, and I never do that. But I saw this come up for this tour, and I was like, “Let’s do this!” It will be great to actually be in one place for a few days—without the exhaustion of traveling—and to get into the music. You can play different songs, experiment with songs, play new songs and do things you don’t necessarily do for a typical three-hour show. With my shows, I just hope people walk away feeling better than they did when they walked in. They may laugh at one of my dumb jokes or cry at one of my songs—remembering where they were almost 20 years ago when they heard “100 Years.” My shows are family friendly, and I’m grateful for all walks of life, all ages, all ethnicities and all incomes who come to my shows. And veterans are always very welcome at my shows. There’s always a military component—a salute—at my shows.
created and what kinds of songs will be sung depicting the stories of what’s happening now. I’m optimistic that one day, we’ll hear some very powerful stories that will be told through song, highlighting the best of the human spirit. What are your thoughts on that? ONDRASIK: I hope so. I just don’t know. I personally had hoped that there would be a dozen songs about Afghanistan because it was such a human rights travesty that’s continuing as we speak. We live in such a cancel-culture age where people are hesitant sometimes to write things out of fear of being cancelled. I’m concerned about free speech and being able to express yourself without feeling that your livelihood may be compromised. I think it’s a dangerous time. And I tend to be an optimistic person. I think there should be 1,000 songs about [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy, this one man who was a comedian and is now showing the world strength, freedom and all the things that we in the West have valued. I hope with some of the events that have happened, and are happening, and with this new perspective that most of us have, there will be some artistic projects and powerful stories that will inspire us and show us who we really are. I hope that art and history reflect on them [peacemakers] well, and that we tell their stories.
JM: You were one of several distinguished
musicians that collaborated with The Miraculous Love Kids. Can you share more about Lanny Cordola, the group’s founder
and director, who recorded a number of songs with the girls, including “God Help us All”? ONDRASIK: You should do a story on Lanny because he walks the walk. There’s a lot of people that like to say things, but they don’t really back it up with action, but this guy—he moved to Kabul, and he’s teaching the girls guitar school, and his heart is just full of love.
JM: While many of us feel helpless against
things like pandemic and war and are using creative outlets—like Lanny—to find some kind of release, I find it helps by dedicating some time and resources to causes that are important to me as a way to feel like I’m doing something other than nothing. Care to share your thoughts on how to stay physically/mentally healthy in these times? ONDRASIK: This is a time of high stress and anxiety for all of us. I was talking with my wife about this, and you find yourself watching the news 20 hours a day, and you certainly want to know what’s going on because it’s important, but for your own wellness, you have to take time to escape. You can’t be on your phone all day. You have to get out and get under the sky and move around because it will actually make you better and healthier. So, again, going to a show or picking up a guitar and writing a song—all of those things are probably more critical now than ever. It’s not going to minimize what we’re seeing in the world. Frankly, it heightens it and makes us healthier to fight the good fight and support the causes that are worth supporting.
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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
OSO FLOORS:
Transforming Dull Concrete Into Stunning Concrete Floors
Epoxy floor finished
Do you have a concrete floor in your home’s garage or basement or in a commercial facility that really needs an update? Recently, we met with Erin Rodriguez, owner of Oso Floors, to talk about the options they can offer to turn those dull and boring concrete floors in your garage, basement or commercial office space into stunning improvements that will last a lifetime.
Grind and Polish floor finished
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ith a 20-year history of reconditioning concrete floors, the crew from Oso Floors has the experience to deliver a beautiful, revitalized concrete floor, no matter how big or small the job may be. While the work in preparing the concrete for a particular finish is very similar, according to Rodriguez, there are three different finishes that Oso Floors offers to upgrade a concrete floor: epoxy, polished concrete and grind and seal.
PREPARING THE CONCRETE FOR FINISH Knowing how to properly prepare the floor is essen-
tial, irrespective of which finish you choose. The pros at Oso Flooring will make sure that this preparation process is done properly. It is essential that the floor is properly cleaned. But before cleaning begins, any cracks or patch areas that need care will be addressed. In garages, oil spots will need to be removed and the floor will need to be degreased.
demands. Moreover, concrete floors covered with an epoxy coating can be stunning with respect to the color and design that a professional can incorporate into the finish. Not surprisingly, an epoxy floor finish is the most expensive of the three concrete floor coverings offered by Oso Floors.
POLISHED CONCRETE Polished concrete is as it sounds, a process where Oso Floors will come in with the proper grinding equipment and grind the concrete surfaces, whether new or old, to a high-gloss finish. The heavy-duty machines are used to gradually grind
EPOXY An epoxy coating will have a hardener and a resin that, when mixed and applied to concrete, creates a very strong and chemically resistant floor that is able to withstand nearly any set of
down a concrete surface to the desired degree of shine and smoothness, similar to sanding wood. The advantages of polished concrete for residential clients are that it is less expensive compared with traditional floor coverings, such as hardwoods or carpeting, less vulnerable to damage, easy to clean and available in a wide range of colors. If you have ever seen the damage a large dog can do to hardwood floors, you might want to check out polished concrete floor. Compared to epoxy-finished floors, polished concrete flooring uses no harsh chemicals and it will produce
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exceptions. That is why you need to consult the professionals at Oso Floors to determine if your floor is suitable for polishing.
GRIND AND SEAL
little to no toxins during installation. Polished concrete also increases light reflectivity by up to 100%—not quite as much as epoxy flooring, but enough so that many people will still see lower
A grind-and-seal concrete floor is exactly as it sounds. The concrete floor is ground, cleaned and finally has a topical sealer applied. A stain color can be added during this process with several varieties of colors available. Oso Flooring will recommend the best type of sealer for your project, depending on your floor goals, requirements and space. How is grind and seal different from polished concrete, you ask? It may be hard to spot the difference between
utility bills due to a reduced need for extra lighting. While almost any structurally sound concrete floor, whether old or new, can be polished with proper preparation, there are some
polished concrete and sealed concrete because they can look almost identical. The principal difference is that with polished concrete, the concrete is polished using finer grits of diamond abrasives until the floor reaches the desired level of shine and with sealed concrete, the finish is achieved from a topical sealer. Upgrading the appearance of your concrete floor can add life and vibrance to almost any existing concrete floor in your home or a commercial space. However, to do it right we recommend you contact a professional like Osos Floors. For a free estimate call Erin at 317-762-2776 or go to osofloors.com
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CENTER PRESENTS:
KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD BAND
THE PALLADIUM // SATURDAY, APR. 16, 8 P.M. ET Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Courtesy of The Center for the Performing Arts
Guitar phenom Kenny Wayne Shepherd signed his first recording contract at 16 and quickly became one of the most successful blues-rock artists of his generation, as well as a prominent champion of blues tradition. The Louisiana native’s releases have routinely topped Billboard’s Blues Albums chart, and he has collaborated or toured with such names as B.B. King, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Robert Randolph, Stephen Stills, Ringo Starr, the Rolling Stones and Van Halen. Along the way, he has earned five Grammy nominations, two Billboard Music Awards and the Blues Foundation’s Keeping the Blues Alive Award, among others. The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band’s current tour celebrates the upcoming 25th anniversary of his sophomore album, “Trouble Is…,” which sent three singles to the Top 10 of the Mainstream Rock chart: “Blue on Black,” “Everything Is Broken” and “Somehow, Somewhere, Someway.”
FOR TICKETS, VISIT THECENTERPRESENTS.ORG.
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Janelle Morrison: Before we get deep into the 25th anniversary of “Trouble Is…,” tell me, how good does it feel to be out touring?
Kenny Wayne Shepherd: It feels pretty amazing. Obviously, nobody saw all that coming—being shut down for as long as we were. There were so many false starts. We would have a tour booked, and we would have to cancel and reschedule. We had some shows that got rescheduled like four different times. The shows that we’re doing this year are probably about half of what we would do in a normal year. Not knowing if we’d have to reschedule it all over again, it was better to reschedule half the dates instead of the entire tour. Obviously, this is our job and how we support our families, but it’s also what we thrive on doing. So, to be out there, being able to serve that purpose is good. My goal, when I walk out on stage every time, is to try and bring some light and joy into people’s lives through the gift of music and give them the opportunity to forget all the bad stuff, the stuff that’s bothering them, and give them something to kind of dig into. And being able to fulfill that purpose is very satisfying.
PERFORMER SPOTLIGHT JM: From the audience’s perspective, it’s been really cathartic to get back out into a more natural habitat and come together as a community to listen to songs that take us back to a simpler time. From the singer/songwriter’s perspective, what can music do to help us right now?
KWS: I have to say music is most definitely a healer. I did a show recently, and somebody in the audience yelled, “Kenny Wayne Shepherd for president!” I was like, “Hey, man, thank you, I appreciate the sentiment!” But, in today’s world, politics just divides people. It’s so divi-
sive and so polarizing. Music brings people together. So, I’m going to stick with music. I want to bring people together. I don’t want to fight with people. I don’t want to participate in all of that. Going to a show like this is an opportunity for people to come together, no matter what their belief system is, what their politics are or how they choose to live their lives. They can all come into the same building, under one roof, stand next to each other and enjoy a moment in life without all that stuff being brought up, coming in between us. And that is what we aim to provide. JM: Well, you’ve been doing that for over two decades now. When I think about when “Trouble Is…” first came out [1997], life was very different. Since then, you’ve been able to engage and attract another generation of blues-rock fans. I’m curious, when you reflect back on that album and how it propelled your career, is there anything that strikes you as, “I didn’t really think about THAT then, but I’m thinking about it now?”
KWS: I will say that every time you put out a record, you don’t know what to expect. You do the best that you can with it and hope for the best. But it’s up to whoever you trust to help get the music out there and to do their job, and then it’s up to the people to react to it and to connect to it or not. We didn’t know what we had when we put that record out. We thought we had something special—especially with “Blue on Black” in particular. We knew that was a special song. But we didn’t know what it was going to end up really accomplishing. In retrospect, we go “Wow” at all of what we’ve accomplished, and not just with that particular song. We did sell over one million copies of the record, and the song “Blue on Black” sat the top of and was—at the time—the longest running No. 1 single in the history of the Billboard Rock charts. And then a few years ago, it went on to do it again and was No. 1 when Five Finger Death Punch did a version of it with me, Brian May and Brantley Gilbert.
JM: How has the recording industry changed since the days of topping the charts and “going platinum”?
KWS: Looking back, we were at the very end of what I think was really the “golden age,” where you would put out a record, the radio stations would get copies of your music where it would be heard for the first time and then you’d watch it run up the charts, sell a million copies of that record and have a platinum record on the wall. All of that stuff is kind of a bygone era for most people nowadays. You don’t even count success in album sales anymore. It’s all about how many streams you have. It’s like the whole industry was upended and has settled down into this new way of doing business, and we’ve had to navigate all that. JM: Sure, it’s not like you started out [in this career] thinking you were going to have to engage and manage your social media.
KWS: No, not at all. And frankly, I’m not wired that way. In theory, you’re supposed to have this direct connection with your audience. That was a big bait and switch. Because Facebook and all those platforms are like, “Come over here and build up an audience, and you can connect with them directly.” Then they choke it off, and they make you pay so that the audience that YOU’VE built up actually sees your stuff that you’re putting out there. It’s kind of a racket, but we’ve had to navigate it. I’m kind of a dinosaur in some respects in this social media world because I’m not wired to be on there, constantly pumping out what I’m doing. I’m kind of a private person offstage, so having to reassess how business is being done is interesting, to say the least. JM: Well, thank you for not posting your breakfast, lunch and dinner. As your fans, I think most of us care about what you’re working on, but we really don’t care what you’re eating.
KWS: [Laughing] I know, right?
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CENTER PRESENTS:
KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD BAND
JM: Share with me a little bit about what’s going on with this anniversary tour, some of the things that you’ll be sharing with the audience when you come to the Palladium in Carmel and if there’s a cache of songs perhaps that you’ve been sitting on, waiting to get out there and try on us?
KWS: Right before everything shut down, we had just finished recording a brand-new record. So, I’ve been sitting on that for two years. I didn’t feel like it was appropriate to put a new record out when we couldn’t go out and support it. I do have a bunch of new material, but I’m kind of old school when it comes to that. I don’t like to play new songs until the record is also out there so people can really hear it. I don’t want somebody’s
first impression of a song to be from a cell phone. I don’t mind cell phone videos at all, but I don’t want that to be the first impression because it might not be the best quality and the sound might not register right. So, all the new stuff will be coming out soon, but right now we’re focusing on the 25th anniversary of “Trouble Is…” We’ve never played the whole album in a concert before now. We’re playing the whole album, backwards from the last song to the first, on these anniversary shows. Then, when we come back for the encore, we play some more recent material so that people who haven’t seen a show of ours in a few years can hear some of the music that we’ve been putting out since then. We’ve still been very active. It’s been a really fun opportunity to revisit all of these songs on the “Trouble Is…” record. We haven’t played these in a really long time, so getting reacquainted with the album in a live setting has been pretty interesting and fun.
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Wood Wind Golf Course Completes Numerous Improvements to the Course and Facilities As many of you who have traveled around 161st Street and Towne Road over the past couple of years know, the area has experienced a tremendous amount of change with the development of several residential subdivisions. Wood Wind Golf Club, which sits at the corner of 161st and Towne Road, has been dealing with the disruptions caused by the construction. From rumors that it was closing to installing a few temporary golf holes, Wood Wind Golf Club management was challenged to offer a quality golf experience during this time. As the major construction elements have reached completion, Wood Wind has added several improvements and amenities to the facility. As a result, Wood Wind Golf Club is back and better than ever!
IMPROVEMENTS TO THE COURSE
UPGRADE TO PRACTICE AND WARM-UP AREAS
Beginning in 2020, the course opened four new golf hole designs on holes 5, 8, 9 and 17. Additionally, two new bridges were installed on the 10th hole and a pond restoration and redesign in front of the 13th green, along with major improvements to the course’s irrigation and drainage systems. Planned for completion by end of April is the restoration of 16 greenside bunkers.
In addition to the improvements to the course, there have been significant upgrades to the practice and warm-up areas. Completed in 2020, a new stateof-the-art short game area, practice putting green and warm-up range area with artificial turf mats and netting is now available. You can take your game to a new level when you combine the improvements to the practice area and
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the place for you. The renovations to the event pavilion included repainting, new carpet, new roof, new chairs and tables and a completely improved presentation of the event pavilion. Along with the improvements to the event pavilion, Wood Wind has created the Oasis Outdoor Living Beer Garden that includes firepits, yard games, and the addition of live music. Check the Wood Wind website for a schedule of the music events.
WOOD WIND HAS EVERYTHING TO MAKE YOUR EVENT A SUCCESS the world-class instruction now being offered by the Golf School of Indiana at Wood Wind. GSI offers private instruction for golfers of all ability levels. GSIa’s instructors have varying levels of expertise, so different price points and packages make instruction possible for players on all budgets.
RENOVATION TO MAIN CLUBHOUSE The main clubhouse has undergone a freshening-up with repainting throughout and new flooring. A new parking lot has been constructed and additional lighting has been added to existing parking lots.
TWO NEW PICKLEBALL COURTS
EVENT PAVILION UPGRADED AND A NEW BEER GARDEN AND LIVE MUSIC ADDED
With the explosive growth of pickleball, Wood Wind has added two pickleball courts that are available to the public for play on an hourly basis. To reserve a court, you can go online at woodwindgolf.com or call the pro shop.
If you are looking for a terrific space to hold an event, whether it’s a wedding, family gathering, party, milestone celebration, graduation, corporate outing, or charitable fundraiser, Wood Wind’s newly renovated event pavilion is just
While the improvements to the course and facilities are important, Wood Wind has also taken another important step to making your event the best it can be, naming Brooke Beegle as its tournament and outing manager. Beegle is singularly committed to making your outing or event a success. At other courses, the person responsible for helping you to organize and oversee your event is the same person running the pro shop, giving lessons and taking tee times. Having one person specifically responsible for your outing is a big advantage to holding your event at Wood Wind. Call today, and Beegle will be happy to lock in a date for your event.
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I
spoke with Dr. Beresford about how he became associated with the Indiana Canine Assistant Network (ICAN) and what compelled him to get involved with the organization.
The Purpose of ICAN
Dr. Beresford and His Paw Pal Jim Dandee
Bring Smiles to Carmel Clay Schools Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // CHS HiLite and submitted
The students and staff at Carmel Clay Schools (CCS) welcomed a new member of the CCS family last fall. CCS Superintendent Dr. Michael Beresford introduced Jim Dandee, a 2-year-old golden retriever, to the students and staff at the end of last September. Over the last several months, Dr. Beresford and several staff members have seen the positive impact that Jim Dandee has made on the student body throughout the school district. It’s pretty incredible how the unconditional love and acceptance of a trained facility dog can bring a sense of calm and joy to the classrooms, and at no cost to the CCS families or taxpayers.
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ICAN trains and places assistance dogs with individuals with disabilities and provides foundational life skills to inmates through their experience as trainers. ICAN is the only accredited service dog training program based in Indiana. There are different categories in which ICAN’s dogs are specifically trained. Facility dogs, such as Jim Dandee, have been trained to work with professionals who incorporate the dog into the care of their clients, patients or students, and are most frequently placed in hospitals (i.e., physical therapy departments) or schools with special needs students. ICAN dogs placed in facilities work with professionals who incorporate the dog into the care of their clients, patients or students. ICAN places facility dogs in pre-K through grade 12 schools, courthouses/CASA, rehab/nursing facilities and hospitals. For those applying for a school facility dog, in order for the dog to be fully utilized, the dog needs to be facilitated by an applicant who is in a social work/counselor position. Dr. Beresford explained that he first became involved in ICAN’s Furlough Volunteer Program after developing an interest in the organization and its mission. As the dogs advance through various levels of comprehensive training inside the correctional facilities, ICAN wants its dogs to be well-adjusted to a life of serving each client for a specific purpose. The role of the ICAN furlough volunteer is to practice skills the dogs are learning in the facilities from the inmate handlers.
Joining the CCS Family Dr. Beresford shared that Jim Dandee is the school district’s fourth service dog. “We’ve got Auggie ‘the doggie’ at Clay Middle School—he was our first official service dog,” Dr. Beresford shared. “Then we’ve got Palmer at West Clay [Elementary], and we’ve got Sirius Black at Carmel
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Middle [School], and those dogs are in those buildings every day. And we have Jim Dandee.” “When I first got here [CCS], I told the team that I didn’t want them to buy me presents for my birthday or holidays because I don’t want them spending money on me for presents but rather have them do something for somebody else and tell me about it,” Dr. Beresford said. “So, I think it was on my birthday, several people here donated to ICAN. And ICAN came out [to CCS] with a black Labrador puppy and a retired service dog. I had been talking about my interest in service dogs and wanting to learn about the program.”
After seeing the retired service dog perform some of his 70-plus cues, Dr. Beresford thought that it would benefit the school district to have service dogs, and so a policy shift was made to allow service and/or therapy dogs in school facilities. Dr. Beresford waited two-anda-half years before receiving a call from ICAN informing him that they had a good match, and while he waited for his dog, he participated in the furlough program. “It was just a crazy coincidence, but the dog that I picked up from the women’s prison was the same black Labrador that I had met two years ago,” Dr. Beresford shared. “I got to work with him for two to three weeks, and I did a lot of online training through ICAN. Then kind of out of the blue, I got a call from ICAN, and they had a match for me, and I met Jim Dandee. The family that sponsored him named him ‘Jim’ after the father of the family in his memory, and Jim’s mom’s name is Dandelion, and they shortened it, so he is Jim Dandee.” According to Dr. Beresford, Jim Dandee knows 30–40 cues and does “tricks” or cues with sight words, and he can tell “secrets,” which is where he puts his nose in your ear like he’s telling you something. “He’s just a lot of fun, and he’s really good around people,” Dr. Beresford said.
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“He’s been to ball games, classrooms and just about everywhere I’ve gone, where it’s appropriate.” Jim Dandee has joined Dr. Beresford while he has substitute taught and even makes special appearances throughout the school district as an incentive or reward implemented by teachers and principals, or for other special occasions. The impact that Jim Dandee has made on the students has been verbalized between the staff members and Dr. Beresford. Several instances where students who were withdrawn or incredibly timid have come out of their corners to pet Jim Dandee and engage with him and Dr. Beresford. “I’ve subbed at Carmel High School, and during passing periods, he gets a bunch of kids around him, petting him,” Dr. Beresford stated. “As they’re petting the dog and talking about the dog or to the dog, you can see their breathing slow down and they relax. I say you kind of pet the stress away. It’s been very positive, and I do think there’s something special about an animal, and kids can learn from them. This has been a long stretch of what I would call chronic uncertainty for the last two years. But when I look back on this, it will be about how the community came together to make sure our kids got the best education that they could during a very difficult time. I’m grateful for the way everybody has worked together to take care of our kids, and I’m grateful for the four dogs who are taking care of our kids too.”
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Hannah Cowles O n Co o r d inating Com m u n it y M e n ta l H e a lt h S e rvic e s Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Laura Arick
This month, we are pleased to feature Carmel Police Department’s (CPD) first official crisis intervention manager who is responsible for community mental health services coordination and management for residents in need.
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armel resident Hannah Cowles is originally from West Lafayette, Indiana, and graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science degree in child development in 2000. Cowles earned her master’s degree in social work from Aurora University in Illinois in 2005. Cowles previously worked at the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), where she has served as a policy director since 2019. Prior to working at the BMV, she worked as a deputy section chief for Indiana Department of Homeland Security from 2016 to 2019. Cowles and her
husband have been residents of Carmel since 2013, and their two children attend Carmel schools.
Developing a Passion for Social Services “I’ve always valued public service and have been my happiest when I’m working with people and families,” Cowles expressed. “So, social work was just a natural fit.” Cowles’ father was on faculty at Purdue University, where she grew up on campus and later earned her bachelor’s degree. Before becoming a dedicated social worker, Cowles began her career as
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a juvenile probation officer in a suburb of Chicago. “It was a phenomenal experience and really innovative department,” Cowles shared. “I was also getting my master’s [degree] while I was working full time. I got my MSW [Master of Social Work] in 2005. And then we came back to Indiana when I had my first child, and I completed my Ph.D. coursework through the IU School of Social Work and went to work at the state for the past seven years. I really focused on program development and implementation, which really prepared me for this position with Carmel. It could not be a better fit.”
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Recognizing the Need for a Mentally Healthy Community As the city of Carmel’s population continues to grow, CPD recognizes the need for providing additional mental health services for the community and relieving its officers from coordinating these services, which was the catalyst for hiring Cowles. “ I think people are becoming more aware of mental health and the need to address that,” CPD Lt. Tim Byrne stated. “It’s been a trend over the last few years where the number of mental health issues and people in crisis that we’ve been dealing with has been on a steady rise.” Byrne stated that the pandemic and current national and international affairs are not helping matters with regard to people’s mental health. He also emphasized that bringing on a crisis intervention manager such as Cowles has been something the department identified as needing and began looking at a couple of years ago. “It’s been in the works for a couple of years,” Byrne said. “The [CPD] staff and the city both recognize that there is a need for this, and the hope is, if we bring on someone such as Hannah—who is extremely qualified to deal with these types of things and put together a really solid program for the department—we could begin to address these issues and eventually get out in front of them. We can get services to the people that need them and address the [mental health] issues that they’re having, and we can free up our officers so that they can address other criminal matters and keep our crime numbers down.” Byrne continued, “We can provide citizens with the assistance that they need so that we don’t have to go back out there on a later date and deal with another [mental health-related] issue. It’s all about the welfare of the citizens of Carmel as well. That’s the end goal—we want people to be healthy, and we don’t want things like suicide and those types of things happening. So, the more that we can do to address those issues and
Kindness has been the catalyst for someone to make a really important change on their pathway to recovery, so this work is really important.” get those people the assistance that they need, it’s better for them and it’s better for us as an agency.” Cowles thanked the mayor and both chiefs of CPD and Carmel Fire Department for having the forward thinking to create the position of crisis intervention manager. “I’d like to thank Mayor Brainard and Chiefs Horner and Haboush for their support in creating this position,” Cowles stated. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for their leadership. So, I really appreciate that they were so innovative and able to create this position.”
Moving the Needle in Terms of Coordinating Services “Whenever I go out to a home, I have Sgt. Phil Hobson with me, who is phenomenal,” Cowles said. “Between the two of us, we figure out who we need to get involved. For example, if I get called out on a hoarding situation, we will call code enforcement because they are phenomenal at what they do, too.” Cowles added, “Phil has almost 28 years on the job and was an SRO with that unit for almost 15 years. He knows
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everybody, which is great because that really helps me. He’s a lovely person, and we are a good team.” Cowles shared the studies and statistics that she follows state that 1 out of every 5 people has a mental illness. “But that doesn’t accurately capture how many people are impacted by that person with mental illness,” Cowles emphasized. “My point is mental illness touches all of us in some way, shape or form. Community engagement is so important. Phil and I are great, but we can’t do it all. People tend to take a step back from folks in crisis, but those people who are struggling really need people who are willing to step forward and have a kind heart and open ear. Kindness has been the catalyst for someone to make a really important change on their pathway to recovery, so this work is really important. And community engagement can look like volunteering at a mental health organization, a crisis line, social change through a mental health campaign or just checking in on people that you love. There are so many ways that people can actually make a difference in their world and in Carmel.”
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The Annual Carmel Gala
Benefiting Carmel Youth Assistance Program
Returns in Person! Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Submitted
Returning as an in-person event, the annual Carmel Gala “Design Bright Futures,” benefiting Carmel Youth Assistance Program (CYAP), will take place on Saturday, April 30, at Ritz Charles in Carmel. Once again, Carmel Monthly is proud to be a sponsor of this remarkable fundraising event and a longtime supporter of CYAP.
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his year’s gala will feature Carmel resident, NBA player and TV personality and local broker associate at West Clay Realty Scot Pollard as this year’s emcee and Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard will again serve as honorary chair of the gala.
Design Bright Futures for Carmel Youth CYAP was formed in fall 2015 to help strengthen youth and families through community involvement. CYAP works in collaboration with the Carmel Clay School District, City of Carmel and the Hamilton County Superior Court. CYAP
connects families and youth to various resource, including mentoring, tutoring, mental health supports, food and clothing assistance, financial assistance and much more! CYAP early intervention advocate Maggie Figge shared that the pandemic has increased the need for services offered by CYAP as well as the need for mentors and volunteers. Figge and the CYAP board are also anticipating the need for services and the number of their summer meals program recipients to be as high or higher this year as a result of the ripple effect of the pandemic and rising costs of food and transportation.
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“CYAP runs the summer meals program with the help of lots of community partners that contribute to that in many ways,” Figge stated. “The initial impact [of the pandemic] was food insecurity—that was huge. We saw that in 2020 and even through 2021. In 2019, we had 250 kids who were signed up for the summer meals program, and in 2020, we had 550. We had about 400 in 2021.” In addition to food insecurity, Figge explained that there is a growing trend of anxiety, depression and truancy issues among the community’s at-risk youth. “We partner with the local food pantries, and we have some amazing ones in
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Carmel and throughout Hamilton County,” Figge said. “But people aren’t going to donate as much when their own grocery bills are skyrocketing. So, that means our [at-risk] families are feeling that too, and food stamps won’t stretch as far when you go to the grocery store. I think our summer meals numbers are going to be up again. Additionally, transportation has always been a barrier for our families for many different reasons. So, our kids don’t have a routine because their lives are a bit more chaotic, and they live dayto-day type lives.”
someone with the ability to fill that gap. It’s about notification, so that’s why these events are so important, so that you can let people know what the needs are and how to address those needs.” Dawn added, “West Clay Realty likes to give back whenever we can. Like Scot said, we will do anything that we can do to help raise awareness. It’s always inspiring to see him [Scot] get excited about these events because he’s so passionate about giving back. He was an at-risk youth himself, so this is important to him.”
It’s Time to Come Together Again in Community and in person!
Ways for Local Residents and Businesses to Help CYAP In addition to buying tables/tickets to this year’s Carmel Gala, residents and businesses have a myriad of ways that they can give back and assist CYAP. “We need volunteers, and we need mentors,” Figge expressed. “There’s a lot of unique and traditional ways that we can use volunteers. There is training for our mentors, and the commitment for a mentor is one hour a week for at least a year. Many of our mentors often go above and beyond that [commitment]. Our goal is to recruit 15 new mentors by the end of 2022.” CYAP mentor Diane Braun is a retired school nurse from Carmel Elementary School who has been paired with her mentee, Belle, since last October. “I picked the elementary age because of my experience with that age group,” Braun shared. “I had some extra time on my hands and felt like I wanted to help and become a friend to the next generation. That’s what’s been really fun for both of us. I am not parenting at all, and I am not disciplining. I am just being a friend. I think that’s such a wonderful blessing on both sides. I would say to anyone thinking about becoming a mentor, don’t wait too much longer! Don’t talk yourself out of it, and don’t think that you’re not qualified because it’s just human nature— it’s the art of kindness. You don’t need any special skills. You just need to be able to provide some quality time with a child.” There are countless ways that local businesses can get involved with CYAP as well. Some businesses choose to sponsor
or donate, and some volunteer with a variety of events and tasks, such as packing summer lunches, wrapping holiday gifts and sponsoring families during the holidays—and there are many more creative and purposeful ways of giving back. Carmel residents and businesses owners Scot and Dawn Pollard with West Clay Realty have stepped up to answer the call for assistance and the advocacy of CYAP. “As a local business and residents of Carmel, we pride ourselves on supporting local,” Scot said. “We want to service our neighbors, our community, our village. Once a need is identified, then somebody in the ‘village’ has the ability or knows
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Check out what’s new at the Carmel Gala this year! “We are looking forward to being back in person after being virtual last year,” Melanie Brewer, event chair and ex-officio CYAP board member said. “This year, we’ve got the Brothers Footman band, a lively and fun bunch of guys who performed at PorchFest and on the Midtown stage during the IMCL conference. They’re pop, country and soul—just a little bit of everything. We’re going to have a 360 cam, so think ‘Grammys.’ It’s this cool 360-degree camera, and attendees will be able to pose and share the video on social media.” Brewer also shared that the gala will feature a “Boozy Ring Toss” carnival-like game along with the traditional favorites: Bubbles & Bling raffle, Dessert Dash, dinner, dancing and a silent auction that is loaded with exquisite and exciting items donated by an extensive list of local businesses. Brewer could not express enough appreciation for all the businesses and individuals who have donated to this year’s gala and contributed to the auction and raffles. Brewer concluded, “The businesses in Carmel have stepped up, and they do it like no other! This event would not be what it is without them and without their partnerships.” For more information on how to get involved with CYAP, visit youthassistance.org/carmel. Get your tickets and/or tables for this year’s Carmel Gala at carmelgala.org!
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