December 6, 2022 — Carmel

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Founded October 24, 2006, at Carmel, IN Vol. XVIII, No. 7

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30 South Range Line Road Carmel, IN 46032 317.489.4444

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A redevelopment project pro posed near the Johnson Addi tion neighbor hood includes two-story townhomes connected to a six-story apartment build ing. (Image from documents filed with the City of Carmel/Studio M Architecture and Planning)

Neighbors feel city ‘moved the goalpost’ in allowing 6-story project

By Ann Marie Shambaugh AnnMarie@youarecurrent.com

Demler said after the BZA meeting that he was surprised by the vote against the appeal.

DISPATCHES

Miler Series registration open — The 2023 500 Festival Miler Series running/ walking events will start at a new loca tion: Fowling Warehouse Indianapolis. The series features a 3-mile course on Feb. 11, a 6-mile course on March 4, and a 10-mile course on April 1 to help par ticipants prepare for the Mini-Marathon, which is 13.1 miles, in May. Registration for the series is open at IndyMini.com/ Milers.

Synergize benefits HCSO foundation

— Synergize members supported the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Com munity Foundation at its November 4:30 Meetup held at Hotel Carmichael. The event raised funds for the foundation’s Shop with Kids program, which will use the funds to make Christmas brighter for local families. The next 4:30 Meetup will take place on Dec. 13. For more, visit synergizeindy.com.

CITY NEWS

The Carmel Board of Zoning Appeals voted 5-0 Nov. 28 against an appeal supported by several residents in the Johnson Addition neigh borhood asking the city to essentially require a variance — and thus a public vote — for a six-story apartment building proposed near their homes.

The redevelopment of the former AT&T site at 210 3rd Ave. SW includes a six-story apart ment building and two-story townhomes, with the for-rent townhomes immediately adjacent to the neighborhood. The neighbors claim that the project, described as a 75-foot single building in an initial application filed with the city Sept. 23 by developer Bucking ham Companies, violates an ordinance that states buildings in C2 zoning districts may be no taller than 35 feet when adjacent to single-family residences. An amended appli cation submitted by developers more than a month after the appeal describes the project as two buildings, although its size and foot print didn’t change.

The neighbors asked the BZA to appeal a decision by Mike Hollibaugh, director of Carmel’s Dept. of Community Services, to accept and docket plans for the project. They believe the 75-foot building height should have triggered a variance request that would require BZA approval.

Johnson Addition resident Charlie Demler, whose property is among the closest to the proposed project, filed the appeal on Oct. 19.

The BZA rejected the appeal based on the amended application, which the neighbors feel was updated in response to the issues they raised in the appeal.

“We obviously feel they’re not seeing what their own ordinance is. It is one building, it’s pretty clear, but they’ve moved the goalposts on us,” Demler said. “It just seems that we have very solid evidence proving that they’re going against their own ordinance, but they see it different, and they’re the ones to make the rules.”

Hollibaugh said Nov. 29 he always con sidered the two elements of the project as independent buildings.

“I believe it was two buildings from its inception,” he said. “It really was more a matter of how it was described in the filing. Ultimately, when you look at the construc tion of it, the townhomes will be construct ed separately.”

Buckingham Companies did not respond to a request for comment. At the BZA meeting, Justine Massonnier, Buckingham Companies vice president of design and production operations, said the site will be split into separate parcels for the townho mes and apartment building and that the townhomes and apartments are “two very different product types.”

With the appeal denied, the neighbors could take the matter to court. Demler said the neighbors will discuss whether that is an op tion they wish — and can afford — to pursue.

Site plan and design approval for the project was set to be reviewed by a Carmel Plan Commission hearing officer at 11 a.m. Dec. 1. Hollibaugh was set to serve as the hearing officer. City code states that a hear ing officer reviews plans in C1 and C2 zoning districts rather than the full plan commis sion, Hollibaugh said.

Criminal mischief suspect sought — The Carmel Police Dept. is investigating a criminal mischief incident that occurred at approximately 8:43 p.m. Nov. 12 near Main Street and 3rd Avenue SW. The individual pictured is suspected of causing dam age to a vehicle in that area by spray painting it. Anyone with information regarding the identity of the suspect is asked to contact Officer Darby Morris at 317-571-2500 or Crime Stoppers of Cen tral Indiana at 317-262-8477. Reference CPD case number 22-72720.

Health board member steps down — Laurie Pylitt is stepping down from the Ham ilton County Board of Health after 18 years of service. The retired physician assistant was first appointed to the board in 2004.

During her career, Pylitt directed assessment and accreditation activities for the Indiana University Family Medicine Residency and Butler University’s Doctor of Pharmacy pro gram. Now retired, she and her husband are making plans to travel. The Hamilton County Commissioners have appointed Westfield resident Naomi Penney to re place Pylitt on the board.

Pylitt

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CHS grad nets goal of World Cup internship

By Ann Marie Shambaugh AnnMarie@youarecurrent.com

As a longtime soccer player and fan, Northwestern University journalism student Matthew Placzek decided to see if it would be possible to land an internship covering the World Cup, which runs through mid-December in Doha, Qatar.

BROADCASTING

The Illinois-based school didn’t directly provide any opportunities to cover the monthlong event, but Placzek, a 2021 Carmel High School graduate, worked with a pro fessor to build connections with Northwest ern’s satellite campus in Qatar, and from there, FOX Sports, which is broadcasting the tournament in the U.S.

Placzek reached out to FOX Sports a week before beginning fall semester classes. A few weeks later, he learned his dream of covering the World Cup was about to come true. He’ll remain in Qatar until Dec. 24 and resume his studies at Northwestern in early January.

He answered the following questions from Current from Qatar: What are your duties during your time in Qatar?

I started as a runner for our operations team based in the International Broadcast Centre. I made a point of always saying “yes” to whatever they needed, and a few days ago they asked me to help one of our camera crews film the practice session and post-match presser for the U.S. Men’s National Team. I had the opportunity to ask USMNT players Matt Turner and Yunus Musah a question each at the press con ference. Although rather unimportant in the grand scheme of this tournament, it was such an unreal experience to be the youngest person in the room for the type of pressers I’ve watched on TV and YouTube for years.

On Nov. 18, I was moved to the main stage FOX Sports has set up on the Corniche, the major street in Doha. I will be working as a production assistant for our World Cup To day, World Cup Live and World Cup Tonight shows. Some of my duties include printing and distributing rundowns, shot sheets and look-ahead schedules for our stage talent. What is it like to be covering the World Cup as a journalist?

It’s impossible to describe. There are sto

ries everywhere you look. There’s so much to talk about and it’s only amplified by the exponential increase in people coming into the country for the tournament. It’s a feel ing that you can’t get in any other profes sion anywhere else in the world.

What are you most looking forward to during this internship experience?

I want to learn as much as I can. This tournament happens once every four years, and there is nothing else in sports that can claim to exist at the same level as the World Cup. FOX Sports has brought the best people in our industry — commentators, reporters, directors, producers, etc., — and my goal is to absorb as much as I can from them be fore I come back home.

What has been the most surprising as pect about your time in Qatar so far?

It’s difficult to describe just how different Qatar has become over the past week alone. When I first arrived, the city felt empty. (Days later), the country ballooned as teams and fans poured into Doha. There are people congregating and celebrating on the street 24/7. The general aura is so energetic, and it feels like I woke up to the beginning of a monthlong festival.

What are your career goals?

My dream is to work at a World Cup as a play-by-play commentator or analyst.

Are you a soccer player and/or fan?

I started playing soccer when I was 4 years old. Since then, I’ve been fortunate enough to travel across the country and compete against incredible players at a number of different tournaments and com petitions. I currently play for the Northwest ern club team, which sits right below our NCAA (Division I) team.

NO ONE HAS MORE CREDIBLE REVIEWS THAN US.

Matthew Placzek, center, pauses with Alexi Lalas, right, a FOX Sports analyst and member of the U.S. men’s national soccer team in the 1994 World Cup, and Stu Holden, a FOX Sports analyst and member of the U.S. men’s national soccer team in the 2010 World Cup. (Photo courtesy of Matthew Placzek)

Longtime owners look to sell Smokey Row Family Swim Club

By Ann Marie Shambaugh AnnMarie@youarecurrent.com

For Jason and Cindy Leuking, owning the Smokey Row Family Swim Club for the last 17 years has been a fami ly affair, as their children took lessons, competed and worked at the pool in the summers.

RECREATION

Now, with their youngest daughter at tending and swimming at the University of Notre Dame, they are looking to sell the club at 4255 E. 136th St. to new owners.

“It’s been great to meet a lot of different folks over the years, but it’s time to move on, as our kids have gotten older and we’ve gotten older as well,” said Jason Leuking, who is looking forward to having more free dom to travel during the summer.

The Luekings bought the club in 2005 along with Cindy’s uncle, Mike Troy, a twotime Olympic champion and world-record holder. Troy, who died at age 78 in 2019, split time between Indiana and Arizona, where he operated a swim school. He brought expertise to the operation that the Lueking’s didn’t initially have. Cindy’s broth ers are also co-owners, but the Luekings primarily manage the facility, which was built in 1980, because they live nearby in the Cool Creek North neighborhood.

As owners and operators, the Luekings said they enjoyed building relationships with many of their neighbors each summer. They saw couples who would eventually marry meet at the pool, and many swim mers and divers went on to success in col lege and beyond, including Steele Johnson, who earned a silver medal in synchronized diving at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

“(Johnson would) impress the crowd with the dives he could do at our pool,” Jason Lueking said.

Cindy said watching the club’s swim team, which initially could “barely get a win,” progress to become invitational cham pions several years in a row is among her favorite memories.

“It was a really fun four years, because you got to watch the kids grow,” she said. “We were the worst in the league, and then we got some kids that moved (the team) into one of the better ones in the league.”

The Luekings said they have spoken to several possible purchasers of the facility, which they would like to see remain as a neighborhood pool. They are hoping the new owners will expand pickleball and tennis offerings at the club.

Learn more about the pool at Smokey RowPool.com.

DISPATCH

Holiday Lights Recycling Drive — Carmel Clay Schools’ Green Teams, City of Carmel Utilities, City of Carmel, Tech Recyclers and White’s Ace Hardware are working together to offer a Holiday Lights Recycling Drive. Residents can recycle used and unwanted holiday lights through Jan. 20, 2023, at White’s Ace Hardware, 731 S. Range Line Rd. Since the start of the collaborative program, more than eight tons of holiday lights have been recycled. Recycling inoperable or inefficient holiday lights keeps those items out of landfills, which reduces the long-term carbon impact on the environment.

The Lueking family has owned the Smokey Row Family Swim Club since 2005. (Photo courtesy of the Lueking family)

By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com

It took more than 50 years, but Diane Johnson Speck was finally recognized for her contributions to Uni versity of Notre Dame athletics.

Speck, a Carmel resident, served as the coxswain on the men’s heavyweight 8 boat for the Notre Dame rowing team for three years. The coxswain steers the boat. Speck was recognized as part of a Title IX cere mony at Notre Dame’s Oct. 22 home football game with UNLV. Title IX was enacted in 1972, prohibiting sex-based discrimination at uni versities that receive federal funding. That opened the door for more women’s athletics programs across the United States.

“They presented us with letter jackets,” Speck said of the ceremony. “It’s cool, but what does a 69-year-old woman do with a monogram jacket? We got the same cere mony as any other athlete. It was nice, even 50 years later to acknowledge this.”

Speck, a 1975 Saint Mary’s College gradu ate, said nearly half of those honored were Saint Mary’s graduates (1972-1977).

Speck was a freshman at St. Mary’s in the fall of 1971. Notre Dame didn’t admit females until the fall of 1972.

“Saint Mary’s and Notre Dame were sup posed to merge and that merger didn’t hap pen,” she said. “The females that entered Saint Mary’s in 1971 were told they were going to be the first Notre Dame graduates. Our class got to take classes at both Saint Mary’s and Notre Dame.”

Speck said Rev. John I. Jenkins, Notre Dame’s president, said if it wasn’t for the women from Saint Mary’s filling in athletic programs from 1972-77, it would have been hard to build the women’s programs.

“There was a minimum number of women admitted to Notre Dame,” Speck said.

Speck said the Notre Dame team rowed on the Harlem River in New York and a large lake in Madison, Wis.

“University of Wisconsin had a top-notch rowing program in the ’70s. They had an indoor tank for the men’s rowing team,” Speck said. “We were out on the (St. Joseph) River in snow, rain and ice. It was a very different experience, but it was fun.”

Speck missed most of her final season because of surgery.

Busy with her career as a nurse, Speck

didn’t compete in rowing much after college.

“A few years back, I went to Eagle Creek because there are adults that do pick-up rowing there, and I went out on a bout a few times with them,” Speck said. “My eyes aren’t as good now. You have to have good distance vision.”

A Notre Dame football fan, Speck was of fered the opportunity to buy football season tickets in 2012 as a former athlete, so she bought the tickets.

Speck worked as a nurse in St. Louis, Worcester, Mass.; Washington, D.C.; and Pittsburgh. Speck, who grew up in Evans ville, moved to Carmel in 2007 and worked at St. Vincent Heart Center in Carmel. She retired from that position in 2017, but subbed as an Ascension Health nurse in the Carmel and Zionsville school systems when needed. Speck had to give up her po sition as a school nurse sub when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021. She concluded chemotherapy a year ago.

Diane Johnson Speck attends a Oct. 22 ceremo ny recognizing her contributions to Notre Dame rowing. (Photo courtesy of Diane Johnson Speck)

Diane Johnson Speck, far left, as the Notre Dame heavyweight 8 coxswain circa 1972. (Photo cour tesy of Diane Johnson Speck)

Hamilton Southeastern senior linebacker ‘tackles’ success

By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com

Hamilton Southeastern senior outside linebacker Clayton Allen found it easy to pinpoint his biggest improvement — tackling.

“I almost doubled my tackles from last season to this season,” he said.

Allen had 76 tackles, including 26 solos and 50 assists for the Roy als, who finished 12-1 after losing to Fort Wayne Carroll in the Class 6A semistate.

Allen had 26 total tackles as a junior and primarily played special teams on varsity as a sophomore.

“He had some medical issues his fresh man year and overcame a lot of adversity and became a really good high school foot ball player,” Royals coach Michael Kelly said. “He’s a smart kid, just an all-around great kid.”

Kelly said one way Allen made improve ment was his commitment to working hard in the weight room.

MEET CLAYTON ALLEN

Favorite athlete: Michael Jordan

Favorite subject: Math

Favorite TV show “Riverdale”

“Last year, he was in the battle for a po sition, whether he was going to be a starter and he wasn’t a starter last year, but he kept fighting,” Kelly said. “He came in and was one of our best players on defense.”

The Royals won their first sectional title since 2011 and first regional since 2005.

“We have a phenomenal coaching staff,” Allen said. “Coach Kelly is such a great head coach. He really has instilled a culture of

I’M BACK TO LIVING A NORMAL LIFE.

For Jay, the thing that pained him most wasn’t his back, it was living within the limits his back pain set for him. Skipping workouts. Contorting to pick up a shoe. Avoiding playing with Agnes. Now that Goodman Campbell physicians treated not only his pain, but the underlying spine issues that caused it, Jay is back to living the life he loves.

Learn more about Jay and his story at GoodmanCampbell.com.

”

hard work and dedication in HSE. I think that was key, especially on the defensive side. Our defensive coordinator had us pre pared for every single game. There wasn’t a single game where I wasn’t prepared for what coverage we were going to be in.”

Allen said he is eager to see how the team progresses next season.

Allen competes in the 400 meters and the low and high hurdles for the track and field team, but football has always been his top sport.

Allen started playing flag football in kin dergarten and moved to tackle football in second grade.

“I used to be a running back through elementary (age) and junior high, and then I kind of developed and ended up liking defense more than offense,” said Allen, who became a linebacker as a freshman. “I fit right in at the outside linebacker spot.”

Per his college plans, Allen said he wants to go to a larger school, perhaps in the Big Ten, for education, so he might not play football in college. He is leaning toward majoring in business, but also is considering engineering or computer science.

Jay R., Goodman Campbell Patient

Hamilton Southeastern senior outside lineback er Clayton Allen was key contributor to the Roy als’ 12-1 record. (Photo courtesy of Clayton Allen)

Allen

CARMEL HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND PARTICIPATES IN MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE

The Carmel High School marching band participated in the 96th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade held Nov. 24 in New York City. CHS marching band drummers pass by Radio City Music Hall. (Photo by Jeff Day/Groupphotos.com)

Banners identify the Carmel High School march ing band for the parade crowd and those watching coverage on TV. (Photo by Frank Zimmermann/ Groupphotos.com)

The CHS marching band participates in the Ma cy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. (Photo by Frank Zimmermann/Groupphotos.com)

Worrell to seek reelection to at-large seat

By Ann Marie Shambaugh AnnMarie@youarecurrent.com

With Carmel voters set to elect a new mayor in 2023, Jeff Worrell is aiming to provide consistency on the city coun cil, as he recently announced a reelection bid for his at-large seat.

time with grandkids who do not live in Carmel, I felt like I would not be the right person to have another full-time job,” Wor rell said. “At this stage in my life, I feel like I could better serve Carmel by remaining a city councilor.”

ELECTION

Worrell, a Republican, joined the council in 2016 as the representa tive for the Southeast District. Four years later, voters elected him to an at-large position.

During his campaign, Worrell expects to continue his efforts to help residents understand complex fiscal issues and invites questions and feedback from constituents.

“I’m going to focus on prudent financial investment, Carmel’s model for financial success, explaining spending and infrastructure investment and debt. I’m going to share with the constituents what I’ve learned studying this.”

“I’m going to focus on prudent financial investment, Carmel’s model for financial success, explaining spending and infra structure investment and debt,” Worrell said. “I’m going to share with the constitu ents what I’ve learned studying this.”

After Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard an nounced in September that he would not run for an eighth term, some speculated that Worrell would seek to replace him. Worrell said he considered it but decided the timing wasn’t right.

“I always dreamed about it and thought I was preparing (for it), but as the years have gone by, and as I am looking to what my family situation is and wanting to spend

Among his recent accomplish ments in office, Worrell said he is proud of his efforts in 2021 that led to a new ordinance allowing those who live within 2,500 feet of a Car mel Clay Schools campus to request their street become a no-parking zone between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Worrell met with various city departments and residents of a neighborhood near Carm el High School that had essentially become a student pick-up zone, leading to gridlock and safety concerns, to address the problem.

Worrell and his wife, Shari, have lived in Carmel for 33 years and have two adult children. The couple enjoys trav eling, running, snow skiing and the arts and are longtime volunteers for CarmelFest and their church, Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Worrell is also a member of the Carmel Ro tary Club.

– JEFF WORRELL

Three of Carmel’s nine city council seats are at-large. At-large councilor Tim Hannon plans to seek reelection, and Rich Taylor, president of the Carmel Clay Parks & Recre ation board, has announced he will seek an at-large seat. Hannon and Taylor are Republi cans. At-large councilor Kevin “Woody” Rider, also a Republican, will run for mayor in 2023.

Worrell

Influential stranger’s kindness in NYC leads to dream come true

By Edward Redd news@currentincarmel.com

Samir Myers and his father, Andy Myers, were enjoying a meal at a Nick’s Pizza in New York City on July 31 when a stranger stopped and asked a question: “What would you do if I got you an Aaron Judge signed baseball?”

Samir, 12, initially thought it was a joke, but when the stranger revealed that he was Carl Heastie, speaker of the New York State Assembly, Samir realized he was in the right place at the right time.

The Myers were in New York as part of a celebratory father-son trip to see the Yan kees play the Kansas City Royals.

“We were in New York because I gradu ated from fifth grade from Cherry Tree (Ele mentary),” Samir said. “After the game, Dad comes up to me and he’s like, ‘Do you want to see if you can get some autographs from the players?’”

Myers said he got signatures from Yan kees’ play-by-play announcer John Sterling and pitcher Wandy Peralta, but not from his favorite player, Judge.

“He hit 62 home runs this season, and that’s the (American League) record,” Samir said. “I’m not that amazing of a batter. I want to strive to be like him, where I can hit that well.”

Myers and his father later went to Nick’s Pizza in the Bronx, where they encountered Heastie. Andy believes Heastie overheard them talking about Judge.

“I think he could hear the excitement, especially in Samir, and he saw the opportu nity to do something cool,” Andy said.

Heastie came through, and on Nov. 7,

Samir received a baseball in the mail auto graphed by Judge.

In an email, Heastie told Current he is glad that Samir has a positive memory of his visit to NYC that will “last a lifetime.”

“When I met the father and son duo in Nick’s Pizza located right in my neighbor hood and overheard their story, it just took me back to being a kid again. Samir was so excited about going to his first Yankee game, a once in a lifetime feeling and mo ment I believed should be commemorated,” Heastie stated. “Getting Samir the signed Aaron Judge ball not only gave joy to Samir and his family, but also put a smile on my face.”

Andy said the experience in New York serves as a reminder to show kindness to others.

“I took it as an example,” he said. “There are opportunities. I can’t necessarily get a kid a cool autograph, but If I keep my eyes and ears open, there are nice things I can do for people.”

Samir Myers holds his baseball auto graphed by Aaron Judge. (Photo courtesy of Andy Myers)

The annual Holidays in Carmel event took place Nov. 19 at Carter Green adjacent to the Carmel Christkindlmarkt. The event included perfor mances, a visit from Santa and a tree lighting at dusk. (Above) The Carmel Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet performs before the tree lighting. (Right) Elizabeth Meek works at the Vogel Ger man Lace hut. The shop sells gifts such as traditional lace tablecloths and decorations. (Photos by Edward Redd)

Books draw kids to architecture

By Chris Bavender news@currentincarmel.com

Writing a children’s book has been a dream for Carmel resident Gary Vance since he was a junior at Ball State University.

as urban design, landscape design and construction management. The kid architect can go anywhere to explore and learn about architecture and public art.

AUTHOR

“My mom was 58 when I went to college, and she passed away when I was a junior and she had 11 grandkids, so upon that happening I thought it would be nice to do a children’s book and honor her,” Vance said.

Thirty-nine years went by and Vance, an architect, said he always had “that to do and this to do,” and his goal of writing a book remained a dream.

“But I started working for myself and had control of my schedule and what I did, and so I created it as a project, and once you do that as an architect, it gets time and atten tion,” Vance said.

The concept he came up with was “Kid Architect,” a way to introduce young chil dren to architecture and related fields such

The first book, “Kid Architect goes to Co lumbus,” is focused on buildings in the town that were designed by famous architects.

“I design hospitals and well ness centers, and I have worked with the hospital in Columbus for 24 years, so they connected me with their bookstore,” Vance said. “Then the Columbus Visi tors Center took me under their wing.”

That book led to two others, “Kid Architect goes to Indiana”

Nolan is the largest Black-owned architec ture firm in the nation.

To learn more about the series, visit vancebm.com/kidArchitect. Books can be purchased on that site or Amazon. Ques tions can be sent to kidarchitect@yahoo. com.

The 11th annual Bolt for the Heart 5K Run/ Walk on Nov. 24 helped raise funds to pur chase AEDs to be placed in Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Dept. vehicles. The Thanksgiving Day event began and ended at Carter Green in Carmel. Learn more at Bolt fortheHeart.com.

From right, IMPD Sgt. Genae Cook and Officer

Hamer greet runners and distribute med als just past the finish line.

OBITUARY

Karen Rae West Reiman, 80, of Indianapolis, Indiana, passed away on November 27,2022 after the long decline of dementia.  She was born on February 26, 1942 in Indianapolis to Eula Oleta McConn West and Raymond Edward West.

She is survived by her family: her devoted husband, Tim Reiman; her three children: Kelly Eskew, Phil (Noriko Hara) Eskew, and Kevin (Deb) Eskew; four grandchildren: Takara Hara and Kamryn, Jack Henry and Peyton Eskew; her brother, Kent West and nephew Andy West. She is also survived by two step stepdaughters, Catherine (Arthur) Turcotte and Leslie (Neal) Yoder; five step grandchildren, Caroline (Mat) Pennington, Sarah Turcotte, Julia (Bob) Onghetich, Reid (Bethany) Yoder, and Jana (Kevin) Brown; and five step great

grandchildren.

Karen graduated from Broad Ripple High School and DePauw University, where she was a member of Delta Gamma sorority.  She was a faithful volunteer at her church, St. Luke’s United Methodist, as well as the Salvation Army, Carmel Lions Club, and the White River Yacht Club.  She loved traveling the world with her husband, snow skiing in Colorado, playing bridge, reading, and spending time with her children and grandchildren.

To honor Karen’s memory, donations may be made to St. Luke’s United Methodist Church or the Salvation Army. Visitation will be held Saturday, December 17 from 11 am to noon, with funeral service at noon at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, where Karen was a member.

Walkers head south along the Monon Greenway as they near the end of the course. (Photos by Ann Marie Shambaugh) Runners near the finish line.

Aaron

Chinese language teacher wins People’s Choice Award

By Chris Bavender news@currentincarmel.com

Carmel High School teacher Tungfen Lee received the People’s Choice Award and a $1,000 prize at a Nov. 19 ceremony for the U.S. Heartland Chinese Teacher Award.

ACHIEVEMENT

Lee was one of five finalists for the Heartland Chinese Teacher Award, which is designed to show appreciation for those teaching Chi nese in the Heartland region. She was not among the three teachers to win the top award and a $5,000 cash grant.

“I still feel honored and humbled to have been selected as one of the finalists. I wanted to thank whoever voted for me for the People’s Choice Award. I believe that many of them were from our Carmel city and school community,” Lee said. “I even saw a surprise video recording from Mayor (Jim) Brainard to support me at the award ceremony. I really appreciate so many people’s recognition and encouragement. I will continue to make a positive impact and spread Chinese language and culture at school and in the community.”

Lee was born in Tai wan and is a graduate of National Taiwan University. She came to the U.S. to continue her education, earning a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Because of her hus band’s job, the family relocated to Carmel in 2000, and she said the city has become her “second home.”

“The first few years when I taught at Carmel High School, I only had two classes — one of Chinese 1 and one combined class of Chinese 2 and 3 levels. This year, I have six classes and teach Chinese 1, 2, 3, IB and AP. Not only has the program increased in enrollment, but student perfor mance on AP tests indicates high levels of academic achievement as well.”

Since the AP program’s inception in 2017, more than 100 students have taken the AP Language and Culture test with an average score of 4. The IB Mandarin program started in 2021, and students’ results were between 6 and 7, which are the highest.

Lee considers herself “lucky and blessed” to have the opportunity to share her love for the Chinese language and culture with her students.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to teach Chinese to high schoolers and spread the love of Chinese language and culture beyond the classroom and to their families and friends in the community.”

Lee started teaching Chinese at her sons’ weekend Chinese school in 2002.

“The more I teach, the more I feel like I need to expand my knowledge and pedago gy in this profession,” Lee said. “Therefore, I returned to school in 2007 and became a certified teacher.”

Lee joined CHS in 2009. At the time, the Chinese program had 50 students. It has nearly 150 this year.

“Chinese is considered a distant and difficult language to many students, so the enrollment grows very slowly,” Lee said.

Like many teachers, Lee uses her own money to buy classroom materials to en rich her students’ cultural experience. She will use the People’s Choice Award prize money to update materials and equipment that have wear and tear after many years. Future goals include participating in state wide or national world language teacher conferences to expand her knowledge in the field; upgrading to premium accounts for online tools which sup port in-class activities and support students studying at home; and sponsoring the Chinese New Year celebration at CHS and in the community.

– TUNGFEN LEE

“Having opportuni ties to learn world languages like Chinese will create more positive attitudes and less prejudice in the community. Moreover, learning Chinese culture enables people to gain a more profound understanding and appreciation of their own culture,” Lee said. “With cultural awareness and understand ing, people in the community will respect each other more, and they will foster a sense of community. I am honored to have the opportunity to teach Chinese to high schoolers and spread the love of Chinese language and culture beyond the classroom and to their families and friends in the community.”

Lee

Santa touring Carmel neighborhoods through Dec. 18

Two years after making his inaugural tour of Carmel in a firetruck — visiting families sheltered at home during the COVID-19 pan demic — Santa is making a return visit this holiday season with more opportunities to see the Jolly Old Elf and his friends from the Carmel fire, police and street departments.

HOLIDAYS

The tours began Nov. 27 and include 10 routes through Dec. 18. Each tour will be from 5 to 8 p.m. on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

“Even though Santa Tours started as a way to celebrate the season safely in 2020, we discovered that many residents appre ciated this type of holiday festivity,” stated Nancy Heck, City of Carmel director of community relations and economic develop ment. “Bringing Santa to our neighborhoods has become a popular way to bring holiday

cheer to families, especially those that have members challenged by large crowds or with transportation. That is one of the rea sons we are continuing to offer this event,” Santa Tours will also incorporate senior living facilities, schools and parks for those who don’t live along one of the neighbor hood routes.

Remaining tours are:

• Dec. 7 – Comet’s Crossing (northwest)

• Dec. 9 – Cupid’s Course (east central)

• Dec. 11 – Donner’s Run (northeast)

• Dec. 14 – Santa’s Track (central/ Midtown)

• Dec. 16 – Blitzen’s Boulevard (west central)

• Dec. 18 – Rudolph’s Route (central north)

• Dec. 21 and 23 will be makeup days if tours are canceled because of weather. Check the Santa Tracker at bit.ly/3iuNFpC to view the routes and find out when he’s close by.

HAMILTON COUNTY HARVEST

CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION

CARMEL

Project: Roundabout, multi-use path construction

Location: The intersection of 106th Street and College Avenue is closed for construction of a roundabout. The multiuse path is under construction along 106th Street from Pennsylvania Parkway to College Avenue.

Expected completion: Road expected to reopen in December, with full and partial closures planned in the spring to finish the project.

Project: Culvert reconstruction

Location: The Monon Greenway is closed from north of west Smoky Row Road to the Hagan Burke Trail.

Expected completion: End of the year

Project: New roundabout

Location: E. Main Street and Lexington Boulevard.

Expected completion: The project is set to conclude with median reconstruction between Lexington Boulevard and Richland Avenue in 2023.

Project: Widening and improvements along Smoky Row Road

Location: Between the Monon Greenway and U.S. 31. The road will be fully closed during the project.

Expected completion: The road is expected to reopen this month with closures planned in the spring to complete the project.

Project: 1st on Main construction

Location: North Range Line Road is closed just north of Main Street to accommodate construction of the 1st on Main mixed-use development.

Expected completion: The road is expected to reopen in January 2023.

Project: Storm water work

Location: Along 116th Street and Washington Boulevard near the intersection with Pennsylvania Street. Closures are not expected, but lane restrictions may be in place.

Expected completion: December

Taekwondo team fights for success

By Chris Bavender news@currentincarmel.com

After a successful showing at a national event in Las Vegas this summer, the ath letes on Carmel’s High Performance Martial Arts Taekwondo team are preparing for the next competition.

ACHIEVEMENT

At the Las Vegas event, two members of the team brought home medals: Alberto Staffolani earned a gold medal, while Max Hammond received a bronze. The event was attended by more than 7,000 athletes from around the country.

“To compete at that level takes a serious amount of dedication and hard work,” said coach Andrew White, owner of High Perfor mance Martial Arts. “Although winning big competitions is fun and the ultimate goal of our team, I am most proud of their com mitment and desire to make small improve ments every day at practice.”

Staffolani, a senior at North Central High School, started taekwondo in March 2021, first in the recreational classes and then joining the Elite Sparring team this past May. “I was interested in martial arts for a while due to the many values it teaches such as discipline, respect, self-control, integrity and focus,” he said. “I was also always a big fan of martial arts movies such as ‘The Karate Kid’ and ‘Enter the Dragon,’ which also sparked an interest.”

Hammond, a sophomore at Westfield High School, has been involved in taekwondo for 11 years. He said participating in martial arts has taught him discipline and improved his mental toughness.

White, who has been involved in the sport for 29 years and has a 5th degree black belt (he is eligible to test for his 6th degree in 2023), said the team is already training and “pushing themselves” to bring home more medals at the 2023 national competition.

From left, Max Hammond, Coach Andrew White and Alberto Staffolani. (Photo courtesy of Andrew White)

By Ann Marie Shambaugh AnnMarie@youarecurrent.com

For Jill Olecki, losing both of her legs wasn’t nearly the most difficult challenge she faced in the last three years.

Despite multiple cancer diagnoses, months she doesn’t remember, a totaled van and two amputations, the mother of five said being away from her children was the hardest battle to face.

“With COVID, there were huge amounts of time they couldn’t come (to the hospital) at all,” Olecki said. “Thank God for FaceTime, especially when I was in for months this past year. I didn’t get to see them but may be once under special permission. That was super hard for me.”

So, this holiday season has been extra special for Olecki, who is embracing every minute with her husband and children, who range from age 4 to 14. After all, it was on Thanksgiving in 2021 that she was rushed to the hospital for what would turn out to be a five-month stay. She doesn’t remember much of it, including last year’s Christmas and New Year’s celebrations.

“This year, experiencing (the holidays) is such a gift, one not to be taken for grant ed,” Olecki said. “I’m going to do my best to stay healthy to keep it going.”

A DIFFICULT JOURNEY

Olecki, 40, grew up in a military family stationed in Terre Haute. She graduated from Terre Haute South Vigo High School and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, where she studied mechanical engineering and met her husband, Dave. Olecki moved to Carmel in 2004, and approximately five years ago she and her family moved to Westfield. They are active in the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and Holy Rosary parishes in Car mel and Indianapolis, respectively.

In February 2019, Olecki, who hadn’t been feeling right for a while, started experienc ing severe back pain during a workout. Trips to an urgent care center and emergency room didn’t provide answers, but an even tual MRI revealed a compression fracture in her spine, an injury typically seen in elderly patients, Olecki said.

Soon, she was diagnosed with non-Hod

gkins lymphoma, a cancer that originates in the lymphatic system and can spread to other parts of the body. Treatment included chemotherapy treatments and a stem cell transplant using her own cells.

For a time, it appeared her recovery was going well, but the following spring she be gan to experience headaches, foot drop and other “weird symptoms,” Olecki said. For the second time in two years, she was diag nosed with lymphoma, this time a version that affects the central nervous system. Olecki said it isn’t clear whether treatment from her first diagnosis failed to remove all the cancer or if it popped up independently.

“It wasn’t big tumors. It was more like sprinkling in different places of my body,” said Olecki, who lost vision in her right eye as a result.

This time, treatment involved altering some of Olecki’s T cells in a laboratory to fight the disease that had invaded her body. The process removed the cancer from her central nervous system, but eventually an MRI showed it had returned to her upper spine, where it initially appeared. Donor cells successfully treated the recurrence.

A couple of months later, Olecki returned to the hospital with graft versus host dis ease, as the transplanted donor cells began

to attack her body. She received treatment and returned home until Thanksgiving, when she became unresponsive after bat tling a fever and chills.

She doesn’t remember much of what happened next, but Olecki said it’s a miracle she made it out of the hospital, as she was intubated three times and nearly died twice. When she finally went home in April, she still had sores on her legs that didn’t appear to be healing. Doctors discovered bacteria inside the knee bone of her right leg, which they recommended treating through am putation. She underwent the procedure in mid-April.

“Once I got that infection out of my bones through the first amputation, I felt so much better,” Olecki said.

In the following months, with little im provement on the left leg, doctors told her they could try a treatment — that wasn’t guaranteed to work — that would require her to stay off the leg for a year, or they could amputate, and she’d likely be walking again within months. Olecki chose the latter and had her left leg amputated below the knee at the end of August.

“As of right now, we have no evidence of cancer,” Olecki said. “I’m just dealing with the aftermath.”

Megan O’Connor, who met Olecki through an exercise class when their oldest chil dren were babies, said it’s been difficult to watch her friend suffer so many setbacks. At the same time, Olecki has been an inspi ration, she said.

“It’s been heartbreaking for everybody close to her, because she’s just a good person and she loves her family so much. It seems like she keeps getting one difficulty after another,” said O’Connor, a Westfield resident. “But it’s also been really inspiring to watch her, because her faith in God is so unwavering. She works so hard at ev erything because she wants to get back to being with her family and doing regular mom stuff.”

A USEFUL GIFT

Returning to normalcy got a little easier Aug. 28 — two days before the second am putation — when the St. Nicholas Neighbor in Need Foundation presented the Olecki family with a wheelchair-accessible van the nonprofit purchased after raising more than $125,000 in donations, which also helped fund renovations to make the family’s home

After years of medical setbacks, mom of 5 finds strength in blessing others

Jill Olecki has had to learn to walk as a doubleamputee. (Photo courtesy of Jill Olecki)

Jill Olecki, center, enjoys a sweet treat while surrounded by family and friends. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Krcmery)

more accessible.

The family’s need for the van became more urgent in July after their van was T-boned during a vacation in Michigan. Olec ki wasn’t in it, and no one was seriously injured.

The van is but one of many blessings — including three years of nearly every meal being provided by a friend or community member — poured on her family since Olecki first became sick. Though she has many reasons to mourn what she’s lost, Olecki instead has chosen a heart of gratitude.

“There are days when I’m tempted to de spair, but I think about all these people who are rooting for us and praying for us,” Olecki said. “As hard as whatever it is that day I’m going through, God is still keeping me here for something. It helps me to keep fighting and to be here for my kids, to try to trust in him and share that trust and perseverance with my family and the community. There’s a reason I’m going through this, and my family is going through this. I might not know on this side of heaven, but in the meantime, I’ll keep praying and keep fighting.”

Jill

THINKING OF OTHERS

Jill Olecki has felt strengthened by the prayers and support of her community over the past three years, and she’s doing her part to bless oth ers, as well.

Even when she’s been confined to a hospital bed, she’s kept an updated list of needs so she can pray for and encourage others in her community.

“It helps me realize there are a lot of people going through all kinds of difficulties. It’s not just me,” Olecki said. “It helps me to pray for them. In that way it’s been such a gift to deepen my faith.”

Olecki’s longtime friend Megan O’Connor said Olecki’s faith and pos itivity have been an inspiration for many.

“Even when she’s been really, re ally sick, she’s always asking other people if she can pray for them, offer ing up her suffering for other people,” O’Connor said.

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ON THE COVER:

Olecki, front center, her husband, Dave Olecki, back center, and their five children, Ambrose, Zélie, Cooper, Addie and Iggy, attend a ceremony in August to accept a donated wheelchair-accessible van. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Krcmery)

ESSAY

Give or take?

Commentary by Terry Anker

Giving Tuesday has now officially passed, although the requests for the “final” gift of the year continue to flow in. Private philanthropy is a good thing. People make direct and immediate choices about the world around them and decide how they are willing to do nate their own labor to contribute to the cause. Instead of showing up hammer in hand to help raise the barn, most of us these days choose to spend the day at our own toil, whatever it may be, and forgo the benefit to ourselves and our families, and instead giving the fruit to some cause of our liking.

While it is important to follow laws regarding government revenue, one cannot claim a personal moral gold star if the tax collector eventually comes, gun in hand, to take from us the product of our labor. Conversely, there is honor to be had in working voluntarily for the benefit of others. We might contribute from excess, from gratitude, from a hope that others might care for us if we were in need, or from a genuine charity, agape. Whatever the motivation, we have worked so that some other — un able, unwilling or un-situated — does not. There is no exchange. There is little market. There is no expectation of inter est paid.

Even so, as some give, others take. Many of us hold our philanthropy to in clude direct service on boards or in the soup kitchens of nonprofits, in addition to our financial contributions. So, we be come both benefactor and beneficiary. What roles do — and should — we play? Is it right to expect gratitude from the takers? Is it right to expect gifts from the givers? Are there strings attached? Should there be? If Giving Tuesday is a mirror to Taking Tuesday, how do we make sure that doing the right thing is doing the right thing?

You may email him at terry@ youarecurrent.com.

CURRENTOON

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

It was nice while it lasted

Commentary by Danielle Wilson

I’ve been an empty nester officially now for three months, two weeks, and five days, and I have loved every single glorious moment. The quiet evenings, the relatively clean kitchen (my husband, Doo, still doesn’t seem to understand that we have a dishwasher), and the peace of mind that can only come when your babies-turned-youngadults are no longer underfoot have been simply magical. Which is why I am somewhat dreading the holidays, as my college kiddos will once again be home.

Don’t get me wrong, it’ll be great to see them, especially our twins who are studying in Colorado and California. But why, sweet mother, do classes not resume until the end of January? Why must universities start second semes ters so ridiculously late? Do they not realize the disruption these extended breaks will cause to my beautifully crafted, long-awaited parental mile stone? This is enough time to form ac tual habits, like 1 a.m. muffin baking and sleeping ‘til noon. This will enable my newly independent offspring to rejoin the dole, which in turn will fundamen tally alter our Meijer bill and undoubted ly drive me bat-poo crazy.

And one of them is bringing her cat! I haven’t even begun to wrap my head around how a temporary pet is going to add to the chaos. No, my only chance at survival will be to convince them to return early. Perhaps between a few white lies (“We’re vegetarians now” and “The dryer’s broken”) and guilt trips about their jobs (“The lab really needs you there!”), I’ll manage to convince them to leave ahead of schedule.

POLICIES

Letters to the editor: Current Publishing will consider verifiable letters of up to 150 words. Letters must be thoroughly vetted prior to submission. Current retains the right to reject or return any letter it deems to carry unsubstantiated content. Current also retains the right to edit letters, but not their intent. Send letters to info@youarecurrent.com. Writers must include a hometown and a daytime phone number for verification. Guest columns: The policy for guest columns is the same as the aforementioned, but the allowable length is 240 words. Guest columns should address the whole of Current’s readership, not simply special-interest groups, and may not in any way contain a commercial message.

Fingers crossed! Because I have grown to love being an empty nester. Peace out.

Danielle Wilson is a contributing columnist. You may email her at info@youarecurrent.com.

Terry Anker is an associate editor of Current Publishing, LLC.

“The rooms were very still while the pages were softly turned and the winter sunshine crept in to touch the bright heads and serious faces with a Christmas greeting.”

— LOUISA MAY ALCOTT

HUMOR

The Hammacher Schlemmer Christmas ’22 gift catalog just arrived! It’s the lon gest-running mail-order retail er of its kind, its pages filled with unique (if not quirky) selections. Here are some of my favorites. Who knows, maybe this holiday you’ll receive…

John Wayne’s Canvas Rancher Jacket: This hand-crafted jack et features a notched corduroy collar. I guess the notches each rep resent some poor soul Duke wasted in a mov ie. Do the five buttons denote the people he eliminated in his real life for not embracing the Second Amend ment? None of these jackets were returned, with customers saying, “You’ll have to pry that coat from my cold, dead hands.”

ry building, a jail, cops and police dogs. At kids’ bedtime when toys must be put away, parents can post a sign that says, “Decon struct the police.”

The Electronic Tag Game: This is a modern version of tag, where kids wear LED lights so they can see who has been tagged. Huh? When I was a kid, I wasn’t smart enough to reduce a fraction, but I sure didn’t need a light to know who was “it.”

This giant plush pachyderm sings, “Do your ears hang low, do they wobble to and fro?” At 8 years old and first discovering my body, that’s not how I sang the words.

The Warming Cat Bed: “Recommended by veterinarians,” says HS. But only two vets could make an honest endorsement — the only two small enough to fit in the bed. The catalog says it can also be used for a small dog — but I’d take the cat out first.

The Side Sleepers’ Ergonomic Pillow: Ideal for someone who is sleeping with someone on the side. The pillow adjusts to your head and neck, providing support (pro viding support is what you will have to do if you get caught).

The Perfect Spiral Robotic Quarter back: This training tool loads footballs and launches them 75 feet. You pump each ball, putting in as much air as you like. Endorsed by Tom Brady.

The Lego City Police Station: The 680-piece Lego set comes with a three-sto

– DICK WOLFSIE

The New York Times Jigsaw Puzzle of Your Birthdate: Ever wonder what the front page of the New York Times looked like the day you were born? Me, either. This 600-piece puzzle tests your concentration and pa tience. Remember the New York Times slo gan, “All the news we print will fit,” unless the dog chewed a piece.

The Personalized Animated Singing Elephant Chair: This giant plush pachyderm sings, “Do your ears hang low, do they wobble to and fro?” At 8 years old and first discovering my body, that’s not how I sang the words.

One favorite item from a past holiday edi tion is still available:

The Soft Kangaroo Wallet: This billfold is made from the hide of a kangaroo. How ironic that here’s an animal, one of the few on the planet with an actual pocket that can carry something, and we made him into a wallet.

Dick Wolfsie is an author, columnist and speaker. Contact him at wolfsie@aol.com.

Commentary by Dick Wolfsie

Candle-making interest sparks new business for Carmel man

In 2019, the couple moved to Carmel, and Zemelko set up a studio in his basement and began making candles again as gifts for friends and family. He still didn’t see it as a business. But earlier this year, he had an “ah-ha” moment while scrolling through Instagram.

“I see so many people selling candles online, I thought, ‘Why not me?’ Also, every where you go there are scented candles, and I realized that so many people love

scented candles as much as I do and prefer buying from small businesses,” he said. “At that point, in early 2022 we were expecting our first baby via surrogacy, so I knew it was now or never. If I was going to launch my own candle business, I had to do so before the baby came. Giving myself a dead line helped enormously.”

Roundabout Candles use all-natural soy wax and fragrance oils free of phthalates and carcinogens. Prices range from $13 for a 3.5-ounce mini jar to a 9 ounce jar for $24.

Zemelko has released five scents for the holidays.

“For me, candles are all about making my life a little better, a little happier,” he said. “I try to use that as my guiding principle when coming up with fragrance ideas and descriptions, because I hope my candles can make even just a little improvement in someone’s life.”

For more about Roundabout Candles or to place an order, visit roundaboutcandles. com.

Mike Zemelko displays Roundabout Candles’ “Sacred Honey” candle. (Photo courtesy of Mike

Local roofing company supports workers, communities

By Elle Kreamer elle@youarecurrent.com

Growing up with parents in the roofing industry, Zionsville siblings Gene and Randy Judd were no strangers to the hardships associated with the sea sonal nature of the busi ness. Randy said growing up in Rockford, Ill., their mother encouraged them to attend college and not become roofers.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Despite his mother’s ad monition, Gene followed his entrepreneurial dream and started his own roofing busi ness. After graduating from Indiana Univer sity in 1987, Gene, who now lives in Zions ville, worked out of his garage in Speedway as a roofer. He launched Bone Dry Roofing in 1989 and it now has 13 locations across the U.S., including Indianapolis.

“It was tough for (our parents) to make a steady living at the time,” Gene said. “We moved 13 times when I was younger because my parents would be looking for a job. I would come home from school and the sheriff would be there to move my family out of our home.”

Gene’s brother, Randy, who also lives in Zionsville, joined the business as its vice president in 1997. He is semi retired from Bone Dry Roofing.

“The culture at Bone Dry has always been very employee-centric, as well as custom er-centric,” Randy said. “At the start, the company was highly based on referrals and reputation and word of mouth. So, we were very, very much concerned about all the customers being happy with our work, and that’s really how we were able to grow.”

Gene said he tries to maintain a consis tently supportive work environment for employees, no matter how much the com pany grows. He said the firm does its best to take care of employees by providing them with financial advisors, 401(k)s, paid-time off, health insurance and educational opportuni ties through the company’s training program, Bone Dry University, among other benefits.

The company has approximately 500 employees.

“When I started the business, I wanted to provide stability and peace of mind for my family to be able to offer them some of the

advantages that I didn’t have growing up,” Gene said. “I want my people to be able to have that peace of mind so they can support their families and have a secure position.”

Twenty-four years ago, Grant Costeel, a longtime roofer, was living in a trailer on the west side of Indianapolis. He said he was looking for better opportunities, so he flipped through the phone book looking for the biggest ad for a roofing company. When he found a full-page ad for Bone Dry Roof ing, he said he applied immediately.

Costeel was hired as a roofer and soon after was running the crew. He is now the manager for Bone Dry Roofing in Indianapo lis, and said he is proud to be a part of such a reputable and supportive company and to be able to support himself and his daughter.

“It’s great to go to somebody’s house, especially as a salesman or as an employee, and to be able to go to the door and say all these great things and know that they’re true,” Costeel said. “The brand is how we make people feel. They always say people won’t remember you for what you say or do, they remember you for how they make you feel.”

Gene said in addition to supporting em ployees, Bone Dry Roofing promotes a cul ture of giving through philanthropic work.

Gene said the company has been building roofs for Habitat for Humanity projects in the Boone County area for approximately 20 years, and it tries to do the same in each of the 13-plus communities where Bone Dry does business. He said the company is involved in other philanthropic efforts, including the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and conducts a ‘Bone Dry Loves Pink’ breast cancer awareness campaign every fall.

Gene Judd

Bone Dry Roofing employees construct a roof for a home built by Habitat for Humanity of Boone County in 2019. (Photos courtesy of Bone Dry Roofing)

Donut 5K set for Christmas Eve

By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com

The Donut 5K run will be a little different this year, since it will take place on Christ mas Eve.

EVENT

“We’ve always been the Sat urday before Christmas, unless Christmas falls on a Saturday,” said Todd Oliver, the president and race director for Carmel Road Racing Group. “This is the first time for the race that Christmas Eve has fallen on a Saturday, and we’re really excit ed about it.

The race, billed as the “The Sweetest Race in Indiana,” is set for 9 a.m. Dec. 24, starting at the Carmel Racquet Club. Jack’s Donuts will provide treats on the course and at the finish line.

“Before we moved to Carmel, we were downtown at the NCAA (Headquarters),” he said. “When the NCAA was the host venue, the race was always held the third Saturday in December. We switched to the Saturday before Christmas when we made our part nership with the Carmel Racquet Club. We were at the Monon Center for three years and we outgrew the Monon Center, and we went to the Carmel Racquet Club in 2017.”

The 2020 run was held in downtown Indi anapolis because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is the first time we’ve offered four animal rescues to be the beneficiaries,” Oliver said. “We’ve had three in the past, but we are expanding it to four because of the popularity of the connection of benefiting the animal rescues.”

The 5K is limited to 2,000 people, and Ol iver said it is on pace to sell out again. The cap is to ensure everyone receives a medal, shirt and the famous Donut Me stocking hat.

Oliver said because the event is on Christmas Eve, large groups and families are registering together. With Thanksgiving being such a popular day for families to run together, race organizers figured Christmas Eve might be as well.

Packet pickup and a post-race party will be indoors on the courts of the Carmel Rac quet Club.

There will be a cash prize for the top three male and female finishers.

“It’s considered one of the fastest 5Ks in the state,” Oliver said. “The reason for it is we have a lot of former collegiate and pro fessional runners who come home for the holidays.”

Since many participants walk with their dogs, there is a costume contest for the dogs. There also are awards for fastest and biggest dog.

To register, visit donut5krun.com.

DISPATCHES

Event raises $200K for Riverview — Riv erview Health Foundation’s Shaken, Not Stirred fundraiser held Oct. 28 raised more than $200,000 to benefit the acute inpa tient rehabilitation unit at Riverview Health. More than 260 attendees enjoyed an eve ning with casino-style games, magicians and musicians and learned of the need to update and renovate the current acute inpa tient rehabilitation unit.

Clinic receives $94K grant — The Trinity Free Clinic has received a $94,000 grant from the United Way of Central Indiana to provide access to medical certification courses that are not traditionally offered or easily accessible. The award was part of $950,000 the United Way of Central Indiana recently designated for 11 nonprofits from its Social Innovation Fund.

Diabetes Prevention Program — Franciscan Health is offering a Diabetes Prevention Pro gram, an initiative that provides a support ive environment where participants work together in small groups to learn about healthier eating and boosting their physical activity to reduce their contracting diabe tes. The program is led by a trained lifestyle coach in a classroom setting and deliv ered over a 12-month period. Participants must be at least 18 years old, overweight (body mass index over 25), diagnosed with prediabetic conditions or diagnosed with gestational diabetes at any time. Qualified participants can reach out to CIRFrancis canWellCare@franciscanalliance.org or call 317-528-4962 to inquire about the program and to register.

Runners participate in a previous Donut 5K. (Photo courtesy of Todd Oliver)

currentnightandday.com

Marie Osmond to make her Palladium debut

By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com

For Marie Osmond, Christmas is about memories, not possessions.

my sixth decade of music performing con sistently, which is crazy, so I’ll do a few things that people will enjoy.”

Osmond said she will share stories of her career during the concert.

‘IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE’

“I feel people need a little bit of hope, a little bit of laughter and some love,” she said. “They actually need to be togeth er. My philosophy has always been, ‘Do you remember what you got for Christmas five years ago?’ But I do remember the time I spent with friends and family, going to events and having dinner. Those are the things that make memories, and those are the things I like to provide for people.”

CONCERT

Osmond wants to add to the audience’s memories with an 8 p.m. concert Dec. 10 at the Palladium at the Center for the Per forming Arts in Carmel. It is Osmond’s first visit to the Palladium and is part of her symphonic Christmas tour.

“I’ve been associated with Christmas since I was a fetus,” Osmond said. “I started out with Andy Williams’ Christmas shows at 3. I did my first Bob Hope Christ mas show when I was 13, and he kind of became a second dad. I did USO Christmas shows and then Donny and Marie and Os mond Family (shows), so I know a little about Christmas. It’s super fun.”

Osmond will perform a couple of songs from her 2021 album “Unexpected,” which feature a collection of Broadway and opera classics that debuted at No. 1 on Billboard Classical Crossover Albums Chart.

“It blew my mind,” she said. “I didn’t think it would do anything. It was me spend ing 25 years learning to sing legit opera.”

Osmond, 63, said the type of Christmas music she performs fits well with an orchestra.

“It’s going to be musi cally diverse, eclectic,” said Osmond, adding she will mostly perform Christmas songs. “It’s

Osmond and her older brother, Donny, ended their 11-year residency at the Flamin go in Las Vegas in 2019. Donny now has a solo residency at Harrah’s in Las Vegas.

“He’s going to die Wayne Newton,” Os mond jokingly said of her brother. “It was lovely (that) people came 11 years to see the show. In my heart, I felt I needed to go to people, especially because traveling is costly right now. I love the road. I’ve probably performed more on the road than anyone in my family, whether it was doing Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ‘The Sound of

“I think the whole part of the holiday spirit is to interact,” she said. “I think a good location is important. I hand-pick all these areas. I wanted to go to places that I hav en’t been. Although I swear I’ve performed everywhere, from fairs to festivals to honkytonks, I wanted to put this show in places where I felt people would enjoy it.”

Her nephew, David Osmond, will per form with her.

“He’s a phenomenal talent,” she said. “I don’t use him because he’s an Osmond. I use him because he’s terrific. He has an amazing story. He teases me, ‘I know why you have me in the show, so you can make costume changes.’ I said, ‘OK, there you go.’ But, no, he’s terrific. There will be things that bring back wonderful Christmas memories. We’ll have some new

Osmond will perform with local orches

“I believe in (doing) that. There are so many talented musicians,” she said. “Some of them have been performing five or six decades, too. It’s nice to utilize local

One thing that drives

“It’s a Wonderful Life” runs through Dec. 23 at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre in Indianap olis. For more, visit beefandboards.com.

‘A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL’

Civic Theatre presents “A Christmas Story, The Musical” through Dec. 24 at The Tarking ton at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. For more, visit civictheatre.org.

‘THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT’

Mud Creek Players’ production of “The Christmas Spirit,” a holiday comedy, runs through Dec. 17 at Mud Creek Theatre, 9740 E. 86th St., Indianapolis. For more, visit mudcreekplayers.org.

‘UH-OH, HERE COMES CHRISTMAS’

Carmel Players will present “Uh-Oh, Here Comes Christmas” from Dec. 9-18 at The Cat, 254 Veterans Way, Carmel. For more, visit carmelplayers.org.

‘CHRISTMAS AT THE PLAYHOUSE’

“Christmas at the Playhouse” will feature six original one-act plays from Dec. 9-11 at the Basile Westfield Playhouse. For more, visit westfieldplayhouse.org.

Osmond is

“When we did the show in Vegas, the show would be an hour-and-a-half and my meet-and-greet would be like three hours,” she said. “I’ve been through a lot of difficult things and people know that I understand, so they will come and talk to me about things. God doesn’t care who you are in this life, he cares about how you do your job and how you treat other people. That’s my philosophy.”

For tickets, visit thecenter presents.org.

Marie Osmond will perform at 8 p.m. Dec. 10 at the Palladium. (Photo

‘DAVE KOZ & FRIENDS 25TH ANNIVERSARY CHRISTMAS TOUR’

“Dave Koz & Friends 25th Anniversary Christmas Tour” concert is set for 8 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. For more, visit carmelsymphony.org.

CARMEL HOLIDAY PORCHFEST

Carmel Holiday Porchfest is set from 2 to 4 p.m. Dec. 10 at Midtown Plaza. The event features holiday music from Doug Resendez at 2 p.m., Elizabeth Lee at 2:45 p.m. and Odd Main In at 3:25 p.m. For more, visit carmel porchfest.org.

‘I’LL

BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS’

Indiana Wind Symphony’s “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” concert is set for 7 p.m. Dec. 11 at the Palladium at the Center for the Perform ing Arts in Carmel. There will be a matinee performance at 2 p.m. featuring a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus. For more, visit thecen terpresents.org.

courtesy of Marie Osmond)

musical

By Chris Bavender editorial@youarecurrent.com

Carmel’s Faith Apostolic Church will pres ent “Make Room,” an original production, at 6 p.m. Dec. 10-11. The musical was written by a member of the congregation and will feature more than 50 church members in the cast. It was first performed in 2021.

PERFORMANCES

“There are a few minor tweaks to the script and a couple of small characters have been added, but the biggest difference will be in the quality of the performance alto gether,” said Brett Evans, who wrote the script and score in 2021. “Most of the cast is the same as last year, so (I) had the priv ilege of beefing up character development, blocking and other small but impactful details.”

Evans wrote “Make Room” after a family trip overseas was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The musical is a take on the biblical Christmas story with the inn keeper as the main character.

Evans was inspired by a message from Faith Apostolic Pastor Matthew Ball. “I was surprised by the impact ‘Make

Room’ has made not only with the audience and cast members, but with my wife and me,” Evans said.

Proceeds from the production will go toward purchasing Christmas gifts for ap proximately 100 children staying in a hotel in Krakow, Poland, which is rented by the Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ World Missions.

Tickets for “Make Room” range from $7 to $13 and are available at fac.webtix.co. The church is at 1212 E. 1116th St.

Soloist returns for IWS show

By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com

After graduating from Carmel High School in 2011, Jessamyn Anderson began perform ing with the Indiana Wind Symphony.

CONCERT

The soprano soloist will appear with the IWS Dec. 11 for two performances at the Palladium at the Center for the Per forming Arts in Carmel. The matinee performance at 2 p.m. will include a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus. The 7 p.m. performance’s theme is “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”

Director Charles Conrad that kids would love the drama of the piece.

In the evening, Anderson will sing “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” “It’s the Most Wonder ful Time of the Year” and “O Holy Night.”

Anderson

“I am most excited about bringing my daughter to the afternoon kids’ show,” Ander son said. “It’s wild that I was a freshman in college when I first sang ‘O Holy Night’ with the IWS, and now I’m bringing my baby to the shows. I feel like I’ve grown up, profession ally speaking, with this ensemble. For the afternoon show, I will perform ‘Let It Go’ from ‘Frozen’ and our special, epic arrangement of ‘O Holy Night,’ a first for the matinee.”

Anderson said she convinced IWS Music

“It has been a joy to watch and hear her develop over those years into an outstanding operatic sopra no who has tremendous versatility,” Conrad said. “I am certain that we will be seeing her on stages around the world in the next few years. She is a wonderful artist with which to collaborate.”

Anderson and her husband live in Colum bia, Tenn., near Nashville.

“We love it in Tennessee, but I do miss being close to my family — and round abouts,” Anderson said.

The guest conductor for the concert is Catherine Maloney, who is the band teacher at Pendleton Heights Middle School. She has been accepted to be the next conductor of the Indiana National Guard Band following recent auditions. She has played flute with the IWS since 2013.

For more, visit indianawindsymphony.org.

From left, Jayden McClellan, Dr. Mike Tillery, Kenadi Wilson and Chloe Ball appear in “Make Room.” (Photo courtesy of Brett Evans)

by Robert Fulghum

Friday, December 9 - 7:30 pm

Saturday, December 10 - 7:30 pm

Sunday, December 11 - 2:30 pm

Thursday, December 15 - 7:30 pm

Friday, December 16 - 7:30 pm

Saturday, December 17 - 7:30 pm

Sunday, December 18 - 2:30 pm

BALLET

By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com

Anya Stephenson is eager for the chal lenges of portraying the Snow Queen. “Snow Queen has always been one of my favorite roles,” Stephenson said. “I enjoyed the music of the snow scene. I’ve been working with the snow pas de deux with my partner and it’s been a new challenge for me. I like working on a new character to bring to life for the audience.”

The Carmel High School freshman will appear in the Ballet Theatre of Carmel Acad emy’s production of “The Nutcracker” Dec. 16-18 at STAR Bank Performing Arts Center in Zionsville. The shows are at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17 and 2 p.m. Dec. 18.

“Something that has been important to me is building my stamina,” Stephenson said. “The choreography is very intricate and there is a lot to think about because

Carmel teen gets special role CCP to present holiday play

the Snow Queen has many entrances at the end of Act 1.”

Stephenson plays other roles in the scenes in the two shows when the other dancer, Indianapolis resident Miriam Danek, portrays Snow Queen. Stephenson is Snow Queen in the final two performances.

Stephenson Farley

“It’s one of my favorite ballets to watch and to dance in,” Stephenson said. “I love learning new chore ography every year and it never gets old.”

Ciara Farley, a homeschooled junior from Carmel, will perform as the Sugar Plum Fairy in the first two performances. She has been with BTCA for 11 years.

“This is one of my dream roles and I’m ex cited to have been cast as Sugar Plum,” Far ley said. “One of the things I look forward to is the artistry of the performances. I love ‘The Nutcracker.’ It has so many memories. It’s a magical experience.”

For more, visit ballettheatreofcarmel.org/ nutcracker/.

By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com

One of Kevin Shadle’s favorite authors is Robert Fulghum.

PRODUCTION

So, it’s not surprising Shadle would be a fan of “Uh-Oh, Here Comes Christmas,” a play based on Fulghum’s books.

Shadle, a Fishers resident, will perform in Carmel Community Players’ production of “Uh-Oh, Here Comes Christmas” from Dec. 9 to 18 at The Cat, 254 Veterans Way, Carmel. The play features a collection of stories, songs and vignettes.

“What I like about it is that it is very real,” Shadle said. “It’s very human. It’s not your usual Christmas show in that you don’t feel like you are sitting in church and it’s not sil ly. Everybody will be able to identify with so much in this show. That’s what I definitely love about this.”

Westfield resident Kate Hinman is the di rector, and it is her first time directing with CCP. She also is a Fulghum fan. So, when she saw on Facebook that CCP was looking for a director for the show, she asked to see the script.

“I was through three vignettes, and I said, ‘I want to do this show,” Hinman said. “It’s very funny. It’s an actors’ show be cause they are challenged because they are going from telling the story to interacting with invisible characters. Each actor has one to two monologues.”

Tonya Rave, a Lawrence Township resi dent, said the vignettes are poignant.

“A lot of what my character Peggy says resonates with me, so it makes it more fun to play the character,” Rave said.

For more, visit carmelplayers.org.

The cast of “Uh-Oh, Here Comes Christmas” in cludes back, from left, Kevin Shadle, Tom Riddle and Matt Trgovac, and front, from left, Joy Ried and Tonya Rave. (Photo courtesy of Tanya Haas)

BALLET

‘Christmas at the Playhouse’ set

By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com

Nicole Amsler is eager to direct her own one-act play as part of “Christmas at the Playhouse.”

Amsler said. “It’s about a family and you see all the dysfunction, but they are all writing those newsletters that are very sweet. They all say the best things but behind the scenes you realize that is not truly how it is.”

PLAYS

The group of six oneact original plays is set for Dec. 9-11 at Basile Westfield Playhouse.

Amsler, a Noblesville resident, wrote and directs “Holiday Cards.” She also is the director for “Clara The Christmas Tree Angel,” which was written by Enid Cokinos.

Amsler

Two plays, “A Requiem for Shermy” and “Last Minute Shoppers,” were written by Mark Harvey Levine. The other plays are “Garland, Gynos, and Gurneys” by Megan Ann Jacobs and “Tradition” by Josh Elicker. The short plays by Indiana writers are 10 to 12 minutes long. Amsler said Logan Laflin will sing between the acts.

Amsler said “Holiday Cards” started as a book she wrote during National Novel Writ ing Month several years ago.

“When I started playwriting, I decided it would make a really good short story,”

There are six performers in “Hol iday Cards” with a mother, her two adult children and significant others and a younger daughter.

“I’ve had this play staged before where I went to go see it and some one else directed it,” Amsler said. “It was done in New York and in Wis consin. It was very interesting to see other people direct that play, so I’m ex cited to be able to do it myself. If you don’t direct the ending correctly, there is a pretty big reveal that gets lost if you change the lighting or let people think it’s come to an end. There is actually a pretty big surprise at the end.”

Amsler said all the plays are uplifting and fun.

Earlier this year, Amsler acted for the first time in 27 years in “Calendar Girls” at Epilogue Players Theatre in Indianapolis.

For more, visit westfieldplayhouse.org.

DISPATCHES

Center’s special events staff grows — The Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel has made several personnel moves as it expands its special events and venue rental operations. Ramona Adams, who joined the Center in 2020 as director of events, has been promoted to the newly established position of vice president of events. Abigail Tomlin has been named event manager. Nicole Chernish and Sara Kious have joined the team as event coordinators.

Candlelight Theatre presents ‘Deck the Halls’ — “Deck the Halls,” a Candlelight The atre production featuring stories of holiday traditions with characters that leap from the pages of history, will run Dec. 8-11 at the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site in India napolis. Guests will be guided from room to room in President Benjamin Harrison’s home to meet some of the most beloved holiday personalities, alongside lesser-known tales and stories that will help enliven and inform guests’ appreciation of the season. Geist resident Donna Wing and Noblesville resi dent Ann Richards are in the cast. For more, visit bhpsite.org/events/deckthehalls/.

MUSIC AND LYRICS BY BENJ PASEK AND JUSTIN PAUL Based on the motion picture A Christmas Story distributed by Warner Bros., written by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown, and Bob Clark, and upon In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash written by Jean Shepherd. 12/2-12/24 ACS Ad for The Current.indd 1 11/10/2022 1:33:07 PM

‘A Christmas Carol’ returns to Beef & Boards — Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre will present its special one-hour production of the Charles Dickens classic, “A Christmas Carol.” The one-hour production features traditional carols and is on stage for eight more performances through Dec. 20. The remaining weekday matinees are at 1 p.m. Dec. 6, 9, 13, 16 and 20. The remaining week day evenings are at 8 p.m. Dec. 7, 12 and 19. For tickets, more information or show schedule, visit beefandboards.com.

Singer-songwriter Merchant to visit Palladium — Singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant will visit Carmel’s Center for the Performing Arts in May 2023 on a tour supporting her first full album of new material in nearly a decade. “An Evening with Natalie Merchant: Keep Your Courage Tour” is set for 7:30 p.m. May 16 at the Palladium. Tickets starting at $55 went on sale Dec. 2 at the Palladi um’s Fifth Third Bank Box Office, online at TheCenterPresents.org and by phone at 317 843-3800. Merchant first gained public at tention in the 1980s as front person for the alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs.

Don’t cut carbs this season

Commentary by Mark LaFay

CHRISTMAS MUSIC A day of Perfect for the whole family!

CHARCUTERIE

called Rustic Bakery. They make several dif ferent toasts, crackers, cookies and more. In fact, if you go to a wine tasting in California, the odds are good you will find Rustic Bak ery’s flatbread crackers at your wine tasting. Its Sel Gris flatbread crackers are delicious. Thin and flavorful, these crackers pack great flavor and pair wonderfully with anything you could have on your charcuterie board. They also go great alone (and they are great for resetting your palate when wine tasting).

The water cracker is great for meat and cheese because it is thin, light, savory and generally very mild in flavor. Carr’s Water Crackers are a very popular brand, and for good reason. Carr’s has been in business since 1832. The crackers are baked in a tradi tional brick oven, and they are thin, crunchy and tasty! Carr’s crackers are great for providing crunch without overpowering the meat, cheese or jams with additional flavor.

Whatever route you go, don’t leave off the crunch carbs from your charcuterie board.

Wind Symphony

In Northern California, there is a bakery

Where’s Amy?

Amy Pauszek is a photographer, award winning film producer and scouting and casting associate for Talent Fusion Agency in Indianapolis. She can be reached at Amy@ youarecurrent.com. To see more of her photos, visit currentnightandday.com.

Where’s Amy attends IBC’s ‘The Nutcracker’

In light of the great celebration of car bohydrates also known as the holidays, it is only fitting that we take a look at some great carby, critical charcuterie components (score 4 points for the alliteration). Crackers, bread, and toast are must-haves for a successful charcuterie board. They are delicious on their own. They also serve as excellent vehicles for deliver ing meat, cheese and accoutrements to your mouth. Unlike the ballpark hot dog bun, the crumble of toast and the crunch of a cracker provide additional dimension to your munch ing experience besides having tasty flavors that can be savory and sweet.

Toast is a great option for a charcuterie board. You can make your own toast by crisping up some brioche and cutting it into bite sized pieces. You could also opt to get a pre-made toast like Trois Petite Cochon Toast. These toast minis are made in France with natural ingredients and baked off into a crunchy, crumbly bite. These are great for sweet jams or savory toppings. I find the ‘crouton-esque’ nature of these toast minis to be quite pleasing.

Where’s Amy attended Indiana Ballet Conservatory’s annual “The Nutcracker” performance Nov. 26 at the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. The presentation included a special accompaniment by the Indianapolis Children’s Choir. For more on future performances, visit indi anaballetconservatory.org. (Photo by Amy Pauszek)

Keeping watch for sasquatch

Commentary by Curtis Honeycutt

Visiting Chicago’s Millennium and Maggie Daley Parks

Commentary by Don Knebel

Today, we visit Millennium Park and Mag gie Daley Park, which each year draw mil lions of people, including fami lies, to the heart of Chicago. Millennium Park lies just west of Lake Michigan, between Randolph and East Monroe streets. Named for the third millennium, the 25-acre park opened in 2004, four years behind schedule. The park cost $475 million to construct, about half provided by private donors in exchange for naming rights. The Jay Pritzker Pavilion features a band shell designed by architect Frank Gehry, with 4,000 permanent seats and lawn space for 7,000 more. The AT&T plaza features “Cloud Gate,” a three-sto ry sculpture designed by Anish Kapoor. Nick named “The Bean” because of its shape, the sculpture, made from 168 sheets of polished stainless steel, reflects the nearby skyline. Crown Fountain, named for Chicago’s Crown Family, includes a black granite reflecting pool between two glass brick towers. The 50-foot-tall towers display videos of the fac es of about 1.000 Chicagoland residents, with water appearing to flow from the subject’s mouth about every five minutes. The 2.5-acre

Lurie Garden, named for philanthropist Anne Lurie, features perennials, trees, grasses, shrubs and trees.

TRAVEL

Notice of Self Storage Sale

Please take notice Prime Storage - Fishers Britton Park Rd. located at 13323 Britton Park Rd., Fishers, IN 46038 intends to hold a sale to sell the property stored at the Facility by the below list of Occupant who is in default at an Auction. The sale will occur or otherwise disposed as an online auction via www.storagetreasures.com on 12/21/2022 at 12:00pm. Bernice Danyo unit #E24; Alyssa Vancleave unit #F19. This sale may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Certain terms and conditions apply. See manager for details.

Maggie Daley Park is named for the wife of longtime Chicago Mayor Richard Michael Daley. She died of cancer in 2011. Lying be tween Columbus Drive and Lake Shore Drive, the 20-acre park is linked to Millennium Park by the BP Pedestrian Bridge, a winding footbridge over Columbus Drive. The park includes many attractions for families and children, including a quarter-mile ice-skat ing ribbon, rock-climbing walls, tennis courts and a miniature golf course featuring Chicago highlights. A 3-acre Play Garden for children 12 and under includes the popular Enchanted Forest.

In 2021, Millennium Park and Maggie Daley Park collectively attracted about 25 million visitors, making them among the top 10 most popular destinations in the United States.

Don Knebel is a local resident. For the full column visit donknebel.com. You may contact him at editorial@ youarecurrent.com.

Notice of Self Storage Sale

Please take notice Prime Storage - Fishers Ford Dr. located at 12650 Ford Dr., Fishers, IN 46038 intends to hold a sale to sell the property stored at the Facility by the below list of Occupant who is in default at a Auction. The sale will occur or otherwise disposed as an online auction via www. storagetreasures.com on 12/21/2022 at 12:00pm. Markiara McDonald unit #324; Heather Koglin unit #359; Jeremiah Lockett unit #525; Rachael Dosun mu unit #904. This sale may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Certain terms and conditions apply. See manager for details.

GRAMMAR GUY

My daughter has started roaming the streets looking for Bigfoot clues. Accord ing to her kindergarten classmates, Big foot only comes out at night, and that’s when he drops clues around the neighborhood. While on walks with our puppy, my daughter finds interesting rocks, oddly shaped pieces of mulch and even the occasional rusty shard of unknown garbage. All of these items are clues. My friend Byron (the con spiracy theory enthusiast) is thrilled by my daughter’s new Bigfoot obsession.

As a kid, I wasn’t as concerned about Bigfoot. Instead, I lost sleep over the Okie Ogre, a nocturnal monster who ate family pets and spit out their bones in the driveway. Was the Okie Ogre merely a freakishly large raccoon, or had the abominable snowman missed a left turn at Albuquerque? Was it even real? It’s hard to say. Perhaps I should have been getting ready for a yeti or keeping watch for a sasquatch.

It’s time to make a hard pivot from

abominable snowmen to adnominals, or adnouns. No, these aren’t nouns you find in popup ads on websites; adnouns are adjectives used as nouns. While I’ve written before about the “verbification” of nouns; now we’re going to “nounify” some adjectives.

Here’s an easy example to understand adnouns: “…the land of the free and the home of the brave.” At the end of “The Star-Spangled Banner” (an unfortunate na tional anthem because who has that kind of vocal range?) we find two adjectives used as nouns. “Free” and “brave” stand alone as adnouns here.

In the “Sermon on the Mount” in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Here again we see an adjective — the word “meek” — standing alone as a noun.

Curtis Honeycutt is a national award-winning, syndicated humor writer. Connect with him on Twitter (@curtishoneycutt) or at curtishoneycutt.com.

The “Cloud Gate” sculpture in Chicago’s Millennium Park. (Photos by Don Knebel)

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