December 13, 2022 — Carmel

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Indoor playground planned with unique features

By Ann Marie Shambaugh AnnMarie@youarecurrent.com

An indoor playground planned for the Monon Community Center is set to be unlike any other in the state.

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It won’t be the first project in Carmel designed by Connecticut-based Luckey LLC, which is known for its netting-enclosed climbing structures that can be built over any type of surface. But unlike most other Luckey playgrounds, including the one along the Monon Greenway in Midtown, this one will include slides and lighting features that activate as children climb.

The $3.3 million project is set to be constructed in the KidZone and adjacent multipurpose room west, which formerly housed a cafe. CCPR officials are still working to identify full funding for the renovation, but they plan to have it open within two years.

“It will be especially beneficial for families on days like today when it’s incredibly cold and not as enjoyable to be out in the parks,” CCPR Director Michael Klitzing told the Carmel City Council during a presentation at the council’s Dec. 5 meeting.

The KidZone, which offers child care for MCC members while they work out or otherwise use the facility, will continue to offer services during designated times in the new space. There will also be open hours for the new playground when MCC members and guests with a day pass can visit.

Klitzing said CCPR aims for the indoor

playground to help “flatline” MCC membership levels, which tend to rise in the summer when The Waterpark is open and peak again around New Year’s Day.

CCPR has been looking to add an indoor playground to the MCC for several years, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the project.

kiddie pool renovations proposed

By Ann Marie Shambaugh AnnMarie@youarecurrent.com

Founded October 24, 2006, at Carmel, IN Vol. XVIII, No. 8

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30 South Range Line Road Carmel, IN 46032 317.489.4444

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Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation is planning several renovations at The Waterpark in the coming years to keep pace with changing needs and technologies.

“The Next Big Splash Plan” will guide redevelopment of The Waterpark, which operates during the summer at 1195 Central Park Dr. W., over the next 15 to 20 years. Major improvements are planned for the activity and kiddie pools that include expanding the number of cabanas available to rent.

“One of the things when we first built The Waterpark and were advised by our consul-

tants is that every three to five years, we should always provide something new, not necessarily to gain additional participation but to keep it fresh so people want to continue to go,” said Michael Klitzing, CCPR director, during a presentation to the Carmel City Council at the council’s Dec. 5 meeting.

Renovations proposed in the activity pool area include developing a beach-like entrance and converting the lap pool into additional leisure space, as lap swimming is offered year-round in the adjacent Monon Community Center.

The additional leisure space in the pool would include a swim channel, an area that encourages gathering and that Klitzing expects would be popular with pre-teens. The space would be available for water exercise

classes offered outside of The Waterpark hours.

In the kiddie pool area, CCPR plans to remove the open water area and create a splash pad experience that’s different from the splash pads available in several public parks throughout Carmel. The changes would permit the kiddie pool area to be open without lifeguards, which is not currently possible.

The renovation plan calls for expanding the number of cabanas available to rent, as the cabanas typically sell out during The Waterpark’s busiest days, Klitzing said. This change will be one of the first to occur, as additional cabanas are expected to be installed for the 2023 season.

The indoor playground planned at the Monon Community Center is set to feature climbing petals that light up when activated. (Photo courtesy of CCPR)

Council shifts funds for concert

By Ann Marie Shambaugh • AnnMarie@youarecurrent.com

The Carmel City Council met Dec. 5 to appropriate and transfer funds to accommodate 2022 costs that didn’t match the budget, including for a 2023 concert featuring a pianist and deputy mayor from a Sister City in Italy. The council also made a final change to the comprehensive plan and adjusted the per diem rate for travel.

What happened: The council voted 6-2 to approve transferring $55,500 within the 2022 mayor’s office budget to support the arts.

What it means: The funds will help pay for a concert planned in February 2023 that will feature Francesco Attesti, the deputy mayor of Cortona, Italy, one of Carmel’s sister cities. Attesti, a classical pianist, will perform with the Carmel Symphony Orchestra. Councilors Tim Hannon and Tony Green voted against the appropriation. The funds were available and unused in other line items within the mayor’s budget.

What happened: The council approved a final change to the new comprehensive plan, finalizing the document.

What it means: After the council approved its version of the city’s comprehensive plan in October, the Carmel Plan Commission made one change. The commission removed “building materials” from an objective to “protect single-family neighborhoods from dissimilar adjacent uses” because commissioners believe review of building materials is covered elsewhere and didn’t fit in this section of the plan. After a brief discussion about the change, the council voted to approve it.

What’s next: Learn more about and view the plan at carmelcomprehensiveplan. com.

What happened: The council amended the per diem paid to city employees traveling on city business.

What it means: Previously, the per diem was $65 for travel outside of Indiana and $50 if traveling within Indiana. The amendment states that the per diem shall be paid at the current U.S. Internal Revenue Service per diem rate for meals and incidental expenses, which varies based on the location of travel.

What’s next: As the IRS rates are amended, the city’s will automatically adjust with it.

What happened: The council appropriated $104,394 to cover relocation of a fiber optic line associated with the replacement of a culvert on the Monon Greenway.

What it means: Utility relocation costs associated with the culvert replacement were not known until the project was under way. The funds were transferred from the Parks and Recreation Non-Reverting Capital Fund, which had excess unencumbered funds to cover the cost.

What’s next: Officials plan to request another appropriation to cover another utility relocation associated with the project at a future council meeting.

ELF VISITING CARMEL ROUNDABOUTS

Inspired by the Elf on a Shelf, the CARMELF is appearing in a different Carmel roundabout each day this holiday season. Carmel City Councilor Jeff Worrell and his wife, Shari, are helping the elf discover new locations and sharing his adventures online. Their son, Brad, came up with the idea during Thanksgiving dinner. “Our family loves Carmel and we thought this would be a fun way to contribute to holidays in Carmel and hopefully bring a smile or two to our friends,” Worrell said. See where the CARMELF will show up next by visiting facebook.com/carmelJeffWorrell. (Photo courtesy of Jeff Worrell)

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Site plan, design approved for former AT&T site

By Ann Marie Shambaugh AnnMarie@youarecurrent.com

A proposal to build a six-story apartment building and connected for-rent townhomes at 210 3rd Ave. SW took another step forward Dec. 1 when the Carmel Plan Commission hearing officer approved the site plan and designs.

Mike Hollibaugh, director of Carmel’s Dept. of Community Services, served as the hearing officer. Because the project is in an area with C2 zoning, the plans went before a hearing officer instead of the full commission.

The $133 million project is a public-private partnership between the Carmel Redevelopment Commission and developer Buckingham Companies and other partners.

Since learning about the project in 2021, several residents in the adjacent Johnson Addition and Wilson Village neighborhoods have remonstrated against it, which, among other concerns, they say is too tall to be built so near single-family homes.

During the public comment portion of the Dec. 1 meeting, John Babcock, a Wilson Village resident, said he felt the city did not seriously consider the neighbors’ feedback during the review process.

“None of the design team, none of the city has taken into account neighborhood input. All you’ve done is ramrodded through what you wanted to do. The Dept. of Community Services is now basically a department for developer services, because you do not serve the community,” Babcock said.

“You’re fox-guarding the henhouse. There are no checks and balances to this system.”

Before approving the plans, Hollibaugh pointed to a 2016 ordinance amendment that requires building heights to increase gradually on property adjacent to residential neighborhoods. He said the ordinance is working as intended, as developers placed two-story townhomes on the side of the project nearest the neighborhood to help transition to the taller apartment building.

“I share your frustration. I appreciate it, but this project meets the ordinance. You might not like it, but it does meet the ordinance,” Hollibaugh said. “The fact that the BZA has already been allowed to weigh in on this, and they denied the use variance, hopefully there’s a wee bit of satisfaction in that, although I know there’s not a lot of love for the project in general in (Johnson Addition and Wilson Village).”

In July, the BZA denied a variance request to allow office use in residential zoning, as part of an office building as originally proposed stretched into a residentially zoned area.

At the hearing officer meeting, CRC Director Henry Mestetsky also pointed to the project as an example of the ordinance working as intended.

“This project really gives us the best of everything we could’ve hoped for: Good architecture, a proper transition to surrounding neighborhoods and it grows our Midtown vibrant economic development area,” he said.

Construction of the project is expected to start in summer or fall of 2023.

CITY NEWS

The site plan and design of a 6-story redevelopment project at 210 3rd Ave. SW was approved Dec. 1. (Image from documents filed with the City of Carmel)

Carmel resident Greg Pilling finished fifth in the Nov. 5 Tucson Lightweight Championships at the Tucson Celtic Festival and Scottish Highland Games in Arizona. Pilling, who threw the hammer as one of his throwing events, won the Lightweight National Championship in June and set two cham-

with

Hills Marketing)

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 multi-use path is under construction along 106th Street from Pennsylvania Parkway to College Avenue.

Expected completion: Road expected to reopen this month, 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.

FISHERS

Project: Interchange construction on 146th street.

Location: The intersection of Ind. 37 and 146th Street. Best detour is bypassing 146th street by taking 141st street.

Expected completion: The updated completion date on the 37 Thrives construction website claims expected completion of the Ind. 37 Improvement project is set for May 2023. The 146th street interchange construction is expected to be completed by the end of November according to the 37 Thrive website.

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and adhere to policies and procedures that demonstrate the intent to operate as age 55 or older housing, and comply with HUD’s rules for age verification of residents. In other communities, all residents must be age 62 years or older (with limited exceptions). You are encouraged to review community documents and disclosures for applicable restrictions before purchasing. Please consult with a Lennar New Home Consultant regarding any questions regarding this community’s age policies. Features, amenities, floor plans, elevations, and designs vary and are subject to changes or substitution without notice. Items shown are artist’s renderings and may contain options that are not standard on all models or not included in the purchase price. Availability may vary. Plans to build out this neighborhood as proposed are subject to change without notice. Please see your New Home Consultant and/or home purchase agreement for actual features designated as an Everything’s Included feature. Sq. ft. and acreage are estimated; actual sq. ft. and acreage will differ. Garage/bay sizes may vary from home to home and may not accommodate or be accessible to all vehicles. Models/lifestyle photos do not reflect racial or ethnic preference. Scenes may be of locations or activities not on a Lennar property. All product and/or company names are trademarks TM or registered trademarks ® of their respective owners, and use of these marks does not imply any sponsorship, endorsement, support, or affiliation between the trademark owners and Lennar. This is not an offer in states where prior registration is required. Void where prohibited by law. Copyright © 2022 Lennar Corporation. Lennar, the Lennar logo, Everything’s Included and the Everything’s Included logo are U.S. registered service marks or service marks of Lennar Corporation and/or its subsidiaries. Date 12/22

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The Nov. 1 Indiana Conference for Women in downtown Indianapolis featured speakers, breakout sessions and more designed to encourage and inspire attendees. The annual event is the largest women’s conference in the Midwest. Learn more at IndianaConferenceforWomen.com. (Above) Several City of Carmel employees attend the conference, including, back from left, Anne O’Brien and Nancy Heck, and front from left, Ebony Moon, Melanie Brewer and Megan McVicker. (Right) Lucia Mar of Carmel attends the event. (Photos by Amy Pauszek)

NHS sophomore basketball player develops into ‘stat stuffer’

By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com

Noblesville High School sophomore Meredith Tippner has had a memorable calendar year.

She has already been a part of state championships in soccer and basketball and now is off to a strong start in the 2022-23 basketball season. In games through Dec. 3, the 5-foot-10 Tippner was averaging 16 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 2.6 assists for the Millers, who were 7-2 during that span.

“Meredith has been awesome for us this season,” Millers coach Donna Buckley said. “She is a stat stuffer. She scores, rebounds, defends and has the ability to impact the game in so many ways. She is an unbelievable talent and an even better kid.”

Tippner said her biggest improvement has been rebounding, inside post presence and using her body to establish position.

Noblesville captured the IHSAA Class 4A girls state title in February. Prior to this

MEET MEREDITH TIPPNER

Favorite athlete: Steph Curry

Ideal vacation spot: Florida

Favorite subject: Math

Favorite TV show: “All American”

school year, Ashlynn Shade, who has signed with the University of Connecticut, transferred to La Lumiere, a prep school in La Porte.

“Ash cannot easily be replaced,” Tippner said. “But I think the best way we replace her contributions is as a team. We all need to score more efficiently than last year, rebound more and defend at a high level. I

have been focused on trying to make the best decisions for my team. I feel like that’s what we all need to focus on in order to make another run. A better decision, a deflection, an extra pass, these are the things that make winning teams.”

Tippner already has collegiate basket-

ball offers from Ball State University, the University at Buffalo, Butler University, the University of Evansville, Purdue University Fort Wayne, the University of San Francisco and the University of Toledo.

In soccer, Tippner scored 15 goals for Noblesville’s girls team, which captured the IHSAA Class 3A state title Oct. 29 at Carroll Stadium in Indianapolis.

Tippner loves both sports, but basketball is her favorite because she said she is always in a position to make a contribution.

“With a soccer field being so large in comparison, the action may be 40 yards away,” Tippner said. “But in basketball, I’m always just feet away from making a difference, even if it’s just getting into a passing lane, bumping a cutter, or taking a charge.”

Tippner said one sport helps the other with vision, explosion, judging speed and direction of teammates and opponents and making something a player could do on their own easier by combining with a teammate.

“Both sports are actually very similar as far as what it takes to win,” she said.

Tippner said being part of two state championships was exciting.

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.

”

R., Goodman Campbell Patient

Jay

Noblesville basketball player Meredith Tippner prepares to shoot a free throw. (Photo courtesy of Matt Tippner)

Tippner

Ram celebrates year’s successes

By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com

Rajeev Ram marked his memorable year by returning home to his Carmel Racquet Club roots.

TENNIS

The 2002 Carmel High School graduate recently unveiled the new Ram Family Championship Court banner, which updated his accomplishments from 2022. Ram took questions from fans and signed autographs at the event.

The court, which was dedicated in 2021, is named for Ram and his parents: his mother, Sushma, and father, Raghav, who died in April 2019.

Ram said this year was probably the most special of his career. On Oct. 3, at 38, he became the oldest first-time No. 1 in the ATP Doubles rankings history. Ram, who had been ranked No. 2 since April, switched places with his doubles partner Joe Salisbury, from Great Britain. The rankings are based on points earned on a rotating 52week calendar.

“Getting to No. 1 was pretty neat,” Ram said. “Hopefully, I’ll get back there again. When you start playing, it feels so far away. It feels like you’ve got to have such good results for such a long time, you don’t know if I was actually going to get there. To be No. 1 in anything is pretty special.”

Ram held the No. 1 ranking for five weeks before dropping to No. 3 at year’s end.

Ram and Salisbury had repeated as U.S. Open doubles champions in September. They capped the year by winning the Nitto ATP Tour World Doubles.

“The Tour finals is a title that had got away from me a couple times,” he said. “To win it undefeated was a great way to end our year.”

Ram had lost in the Tour doubles championship in 2016 with Raven Klaasen and 2021 with Salisbury.

Joining Ram, who moved to Carmel when he was 12, for the ceremony was Carmel

Racquet Club pro Mark Woldmoe, his coach from ages 12 to 16.

“I told him when he was 15 or 16 that he had the potential to be a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon in singles,” Woldmoe said. “I think that was the carrot that got him believing he was something special. I knew his hands were special. I tried to talk him into playing doubles only 10 years ago.”

The 6-foot-4 Ram switched to only playing doubles in 2017. He has two singles titles on the ATP Tour, both on the grass courts at Newport, R.I., in 2009 and 2015.

Besides the two U.S. Open titles, Ram has three other Grand Slam titles. The other three were in the Australian Open, where he won the mixed doubles title with Barbora Krejcikova in 2019 and 2021 and the men’s doubles with Salisbury in 2020.

Ram and Salisbury, who began playing together in 2019, also were ranked No. 1 as a team during the year. They also won ATP Masters 1000 tournaments in Cincinnati and Monte Carlo this year.

“I plan to play until I can’t anymore,” Ram said. “We still have goals we want to achieve. We are really gearing up for next year and, hopefully, we can keep momentum.”

DISPATCHES

Carmel UMC gives back — It’s been a busy season for Carmel United Methodist Church. The congregation recently partnered with Bags of Hope Indiana to help pack and distribute more than 400 duffle bags for children entering foster care, distributed nearly 700 jackets through Kids Coats of Hamilton County, provided gifts for more than 100 children through a Salvation Army Angel Tree and served more than 200 local

families monthly through the church’s food pantry.

Cookie Walk — Cornerstone Lutheran Church, 4850 E. Main. St. in Carmel, will hold a Christmas Cookie Walk from 9 to 11 a.m. Dec. 17 in the gymnasium. Stop by and fill a bakery box with a variety of Christmas cookies and other festive home-baked items, stocking stuffers and crafted gifts.

From left, Carmel Racquet Club marketing director Helen Petersen, Rajeev Ram and Carmel Racquet Club pro Mark Woldmoe display the new banner honoring Ram and his family. (Photo courtesy of Helen Petersen)

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We invite you to drop by the community Welcome Center to experience everything this boutique community will feature. Surrounded by the best of Westfield, Carmel and Zionsville, you’ll have plenty of entertainment, dining, parks and sports destinations just minutes away. Don’t spend another day in an aging home that no longer fits your needs. Live well every day in a new Epcon luxury ranch home that works for you now and for years to come.

CHURCH DONATES TOYS TO MILITARY FAMILIES

Carmel library’s Winter Reading Program begins Dec. 16

By Shelly Gattlieb news@currentincarmel.com

CCPL west branch manager and program planning committee member.

LIBRARY

The Carmel Clay Public Library’s annual Winter Reading Program is set for Dec. 16 to Jan. 31, giving children and adults an opportunity to support local nonprofits and be entered for prizes as they enjoy a good book.

Participants can log their progress in the Beanstack website or app, which tracks progress and rewards. This year, the program will benefit Hamilton County Kids Coats, which collects and distributes winter clothing to local families in need.

“Readers of all ages can log their reading on the Beanstack tracker app and help support a great cause. We are so excited to be able to partner with Hamilton County Kids Coats this year,” said Katherine Huddle,

Through the program, adults and teens can earn entries into drawings for several gift card options. In addition, children who complete the program will not only practice their reading skills but will also receive a free book.

When users have registered, they can explore additional reading programs the library offers year-round, including the 100 Books Before Graduation and 100 Books Challenge for teens. CCPL also includes a free service for customizable reading suggestions through the personalized pick service shelf service, where unique lists of adult or teen recommendations are directly emailed to participants.

To sign up for the reading program, visit carmel.beanstack.com.

During November, Cornerstone Lutheran Church collected toys for children of Indiana National Guard members. The toys were collected from the church’s Carmel campus Nov. 30 to be distributed to families in the Terre Haute area. From left, Technical Sgt. Bob Osborn, Master Sgt. Adam McCullough and Airman and Family Readiness Program Manager Margaret Amos of the Indiana Air National Guard, Verne Hanson, Sandy Hughey, Cornerstone Lutheran Church Pastor of Outreach Jason Taber and Barbara Malmloff pause at the church during the collection event. Cornerstone Lutheran Church has campuses in Carmel, Fishers, Indianapolis and the Eagle Creek area. (Photo by Ann Marie Shambaugh)

Recycle beyond the blue bin

Commentary by Cindy Muse

Attention, recyclers! A resource for many of your disposables is the Hamilton County Household Hazardous Waste Center. Located at 1717 Pleasant St. in Noblesville, the drop-off center accepts many hazardous and nonhazardous products from Hamilton County residents.

ENVIRONMENT

Items collected include:

• Electronics, such as computers, monitors, televisions (small fee charged), vacuums and general household appliances

• Freon-containing appliances such as refrigerators and freezers

• Household cleaners

• Fluorescent lamps

• Garden/lawn products, fertilizers and other pesticides

• Tires

• Paint-related products

On average, more than 2,000 residents per month use HHW’s Drop-Off Center. In October alone, HHW collected 22,752 pounds of chemical waste, 28,011 pounds of latex paint, 28,220 pounds of electronics, 11,961 pounds of freon and 7,200 pounds of tires. The center also accepts nonhazardous recyclables, such as cardboard, plastic and paper. It has a separate orange bin to recycle glass bottles and jars, which, unlike recycling available in residential bins, can essentially guarantee the glass will be recycled because it is not commingled with other recyclables. Just make sure the bottles and jars are clean.

HHW is designed to provide a vital service for the proper disposal of hazardous household products that should not be placed in the trash, storm drains, dumped on the ground, ditches or sanitary sewers. Hamilton County residents can do their part by dropping off their recyclable materials and hazardous products from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. For more, visit hamiltoncounty.in.gov/262/ Household-Hazardous-Waste.

Cindy Muse is a board member with Carmel Green Initiative, Inc. Learn more and contact the group through carmelgreen.org.

•

• Special musical performances by local talent

• Remarks from the Bicentennial Commission and dignitaries

• Attendees receive a goodie bag and limited-quantity commemorative item (upon availabilty)

JINGLE AND MINGLE BENEFITS ASSISTANCE LEAGUE INITIATIVES

Assistance

The Assistance League of Indianapolis, which includes more than 45 members from Carmel, held its annual holiday event, Jingle and Mingle, Dec. 1 at Ritz Charles in Carmel. The event included a silent auction, 50/50 raffle, vendors and a fashion show by The Secret Ingredient. Susie Main and Lynne Hurlbutt chaired the event, which raised $75,000 to support the ALI’s philanthropic programs. To help kick off a new trial literacy program, centerpieces were created with a reading-inspired theme. Guests could purchase the centerpiece and donate the book to the trail program. For more, visit ALindy.org.

Silver Pen writing competition —

The Stratford is accepting essay submissions through Feb. 10, 2023, for the 10th annual Senior Living Communities Silver Pen writing competition. The Stratford will award three local high school seniors with cash prizes up to $2,500 to assist with their post-graduate plans. Award recipients will be announced in the spring. For the full rules and to submit an essay, visit Silverpen-SLC.com.

DISPATCHES

Bicentennial kickoff — The Hamilton County Bicentennial will open the county’s 200th year with a free, family-friendly event at 3 p.m. Jan, 22, 2023, at the Palladium in Carmel. Michael Feinstein, artistic director for the Center and founder of the Carmel-based Great American Songbook Foundation, will perform and emcee the program. Attendees will receive a goodie bag as well as potentially a special, limited quantity commemorative item. Tickets for this seminal event are free but must be reserved in advance at thecenterpresents.org/ tickets-events or by phone at 317-843-3800.

Hosted by Michael Feinstein, artistic director for the Center for Performing Arts and founder of the Great American Songbook Foundation

League members served as models for the fashion show. (Photos courtesy of the Assistance League of Indianapolis)

Cindee Potterack of Carmel models fashion from The Secret Ingredient, a clothing store in Indianapolis.

The tables featured centerpieces that provided an opportunity to donate to ALI’s new literacy program.

From left, Deb Myers and Carol Gambrel, both of Carmel, attend the event.

The measure of love

Commentary by Lorene Burkhart

Love can be described as affection or fondness toward another person, but it’s so much more than that. When we reflect on all the love in our lives, past and present, we begin to realize how many ways there are to love: parents, children, in-laws, grandchildren and friends. And the list grows as our life marches on.

PLAIN TALK

If we started to actually list all of the people we love, we would be amazed to discover how long the list has become. As parents, remember when you had your first child and couldn’t imagine that you could ever love another child as much? And then you did, no matter the number that came later.

Then there is the “second level.” These are the people that are acquaintances, service providers and others that we personally know. Now think about the people on both lists. Would you be on their lists?

– LORENE BURKHART

Is it easy or difficult for you to express your feelings? How times have changed. Until the past 20 or more years, family mem bers didn’t say “I love you” as they parted company or said goodbye on the phone. Now, it’s the first words that little tykes learn. It’s thrilling to hear their baby voices on the phone when they are urged by their parents to say the words to you.

I even end phone calls to close friends by telling them, “Love you,” or sometimes it comes out as one word, “loveya.” Either way, the recipient gets the message that you cherish them.

When COVID-19 kept us from hugging, we relied even more on vocal expressions of love. Don’t waste the opportunity to express your love for others.

HolidaysInCarmel.com

Lorene Burkhart resides at The Stratford in West Clay. She is the author of seven books.

Enjoy a spin around our city entertainment districts or hop on and off at stops along the way. The free Holiday Trolley will stop in the Arts & Design District, Midtown Plaza, Carmel City Center, the for the Christkindlmarkt and Ice at Carter Green.

See Santa before he makes his way back to the North Pole for Christmas Eve

Visit Santa’s House in the Indiana Design Center parking lot and let him know what you’re hoping for this holiday season.

Sponsored by

Don’t waste the opportunity to express your love for others.

Conner Prairie celebrates Native American Heritage Month

By Rebecca Fending rebecca@youarecurrent.com

As part of Conner Prairie’s “Curious Conversations” series for Native American History month, the living history museum in Fishers presented an online webinar last month about the rich culture of the Native American Lenape, or Delaware, people.

EDUCATION

Curator of Native American History & Life at Conner Prairie Sara Schumacher hosted a webinar entitled “Learning Through Objects in Lenape Culture Confirmation.” The webinar focused on the tradition and culture found within the clothing and objects of the Lenape people. Three citizens of the Delaware Tribe of Indiana spoke on the topic, including Mike Pace, who works at the Conner Prairie Lenape Indian Camp as a cultural liaison between his tribe and visitors.

“Each tribe developed in different areas of the country,” Pace said. “The resources were quite different. We had to learn to adapt to where we are, where we were forced to move. The things used for traditional art are based on the tribe’s environment. Each tribe has their own way of expressing that.”

Pace is a member of the Delaware tribe and is the great-grandson of Charles Elkhair, the last hereditary ceremonial chief of the Oklahoma Delaware. He is knowledgeable about many topics, including how to throw a tomahawk, the intricacies of beadwork and Delaware inter-

actions with fur traders.

“Earlier clothing was based on buckskin, and later, cloth

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with the fur trade on the East Coast,” Pace said. “For instance, with beadwork, everything was handmade and done one bead at a time. The glass beads later came from Europe in trading, which brought about more colors to work with. Cloth from the trade was also used as a recreation of ribbon work. The styles were indicative of specific tribes, and even (are) still today.”

Schumacher said traditional clothing evolved to blend with the Europeans’ style, which meant that modesty became the focus of Native Americans’ wardrobe. Different tops became more popular as they lived among the Europeans in the area.

Annette Ketchum, a Delaware citizen whose husband was chief of the tribe from 1998 to 2002, shared her knowledge about women’s traditional clothing.

“Clothes back then really have not survived, especially skirts,” Ketchum said. “But they have evolved based on the recreation materials available today. I think, probably, our ancestors used shells and dried seeds to make beads for beadwork necklaces. Today, not so much.”

Pace said traditional tribal clothing and objects are a form of art that connects community and culture.

“Art is something so important, but to be able to retain the art of your tribe is of greater importance,” Pace said. “The art is shared through saving and reproducing artifacts. The artifacts need to be passed down, either orally or physically. And as elders, it’s our privilege to pass on the skills we possess.”

Michael Pace, left, great-great-great-grandson of Chief William Anderson (Kikthawenund) and artist-in-residence at Conner Prairie, with Delawares (Lenapes) Annette Ketchum and her husband, Dee Ketchum, of Bartlesville, Okla., in a recent issue of The Hoosier Genealogist. (Photo courtesy of Conner Prairie)

Volunteer inspires through model railroad at library

By Elle Kreamer elle@youarecurrent.com

running to the table and climbing onto the benches to watch the trains and search for intricate details in the scenery.

“Seeing those faces, that hits you,” said McClanahan, holding back tears. “I’ve never seen that before, but it happens every day.”

EDUCATION

A volunteer at the Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library in Zionsville has been ‘conducting’ the trains that run around a 6-by8-foot tabletop model railroad in the youth section since the table was built in fall of 2020. Mike McClanahan, a Carmel resident affectionately known as “Mr. Mike the Train Guy,” has devoted his retirement to volunteering at the library, maintaining the display and cultivating imagination in the minds of people of all ages.

McClanahan’s nephew, Zionsville resident Brian Hull, was hired by the library in 2020 to build the table that the railroad would sit on. When the library asked Hull if he could add a model train display to the table, Hull called on his stepfather, Westfield resident Bill McClanahan, and Mike McClanahan, Bill’s brother, to help design and build the display.

To keep the children engaged with the tabletop display, McClanahan, 73, said he has them look through catalogs for scale model

scenery, giving them notecards where they can write down item numbers for any new pieces they would like to add.

“I want the kids’ imaginations to come alive,” McClanahan said. “That’s why I keep adding things like zombies, ‘Where’s Waldo,’ a yeti, a Sasquatch, mermaids, dragons.

That’s all stuff the kids asked for, and if they ask for something, there’s a reason why they wanted it.”

McClanahan, who retired from a long career in radio and television, said although many people visit to see the train display, children often show the most enthusiasm,

McClanahan traces his passion for model trains to experiences from his own childhood growing up in Indianapolis. He recalled a trip to Union Station in downtown Indianapolis in the 1950s with family members. Alongside posters for long-distance train rides was an architect’s model of a building with a smokestack that he said still stands at the northwest corner of Fall Creek Parkway and Keystone Avenue.

Robyn Bowers, a children’s librarian at Hussey-Mayfield, said McClanahan has made the youth section of Hussey-Mayfield into a destination for children and their families.

“He has such a passion for this, and he shares that with the kids,” Bowers said. “He wants the kids to feel ownership for it. He spends so many hours, more than a lot of people work in a week, to make this special for them, and he wants to teach them how to run it.”

From left, Mike McClanahan teaches Liv Lewallen, 4, and her sister, El Lewallen, 7, of Carmel how to operate model trains.

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Historian finishes book series examining Carmel’s past

By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com

Carmel Clay Historical Society historian Andrew Wright set out to write the definitive history of Carmel. His series concludes with “From Bethlehem to Carmel,” which covers the time period 1822–1899. The book was released earlier this month.

CCHS

“From Bethlehem to Carmel” begins with a chapter on the city’s Quaker roots. Quakers founded the Town of Bethlehem, now called Carmel, in 1837, but renamed it in 1846 because there was already a post office in Bethlehem, Ind., which is on the Ohio River 25 miles northeast of Louisville. Wright said when the town incorporated in 1874, it did so as Carmel.

Wright’s book project began in 2016 with the goal of thoroughly researching the history of Carmel and Clay Township.

“It was supposed to be one book, but we wanted to get these stories out there, as we knew it would be years before the project was finished,” Wright said. “We published each story in our newsletters as we completed them. Then the stories started to get longer, and we moved away from print newsletters, so we started to make small books in limited print runs. The project snowballed, and now we have 11 books.

“From

“I think now that we have collected the stories, we’ll discontinue some of the books and combine them into the single Carmel history book we had originally intended, after we take a break. It’s been a long process.”

Wright said perhaps his favorite story from the final book was that of Joseph Duffy, who was born into slavery in Georgia in 1841.

“When Gen. William T. Sherman began his March to the Sea from Atlanta to Savannah in November 1864, Joseph left his master’s property and entered the camp of the 12th Illinois Infantry,” Wright said. “He enlisted and became a free man. Over the next six months, he marched a thousand miles all over the South with the Union Army until the war’s end.”

One of Carmel’s most distinctive features in the late 1800s was its shade trees. (Photos courtesy of CCHS)

While serving with his unit in 1865 in Louisville, Duffy met Sibbie Ann Richardson, who had also been enslaved. They married in 1869 and moved to the Nora area the following year.

“In 1882, the Duffys moved to Carmel’s east side, where Joseph and Sibbie Ann lived the remainder of their lives. Both are buried in the Farley Cemetery at 106th and Keystone,” Wright said. “Joseph’s story gives us a way to understand and talk about slavery from the perspective of someone who had been enslaved that we did not have before.”

Wright said one of the town’s most distinctive features in the late 1800s was its shade trees.

“The summer after John F. Mendenhall graduated high school in 1866, he organized some friends and neighbors to plant trees all along the streets of Carmel,” Wright said. “After several decades, the trees matured and formed shady archways over the streets. The shade trees were what the tiny town was known for until the town board passed an ordinance in 1920 that required the removal of all branches and limbs that cast a shadow on the streets. Mendenhall was also largely responsible for getting the Monon located through Carmel.”

The book is available for purchase at carmelclayhistory.org/carmel-books.

Bethlehem to Carmel” is the 11th and final book by Carmel Clay Historical Society historian Andrew Wright.

By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com

For Mike Kinney, it was finally time to share his inspiring story of survival.

The Carmel resident released a book in mid-October about his dramatic rescue and recovery from a near-fatal automobile accident. The book is called “Out of the Fire: How an Angel and Stranger Intervened to Save a Life.”

The accident happened on Aug. 16, 2002, when Kinney and his friend, Matt Blickendorf, were on their way to Blickendorf’s parents’ lake house in Cicero. Kinney, then a 17-year-old Noblesville High School senior and a member of the varsity swimming and diving team, was following Blickendorf, a Carmel High School junior. The two friends had met through Northview Church in Carmel.

“Matt saw me swerve off the road in his rearview mirror and helped pull me out of the truck,” Kinney said. “I was wedged underneath my dash and my car was on fire. I was unconscious. He tried to pull me out. He burned his arm trying to get me.”

A motorist, John Kirby, stopped and helped Blickendorf pull Kinney out.

Blickendorf witnessed the violent impact of Kinney’s truck slamming into a telephone pole. Kinney later learned he suffers from narcolepsy.

“When I first saw Mike through the passenger window illuminated by the fire already burning under the dashboard, unconscious with his limp body leaned forward against the seat belt with his chin resting on his chest, I actually thought he was dead,” Blickendorf said. “It was only after I managed to get the mangled driver’s side door open and heard his gurgled breath sounds that I realized he was still alive. And that was when my motivation and determination to get him out increased infinitely.”

Blickendorf said he and Kirby pulled Kinney from the wreckage and set him in the grass next to the truck. Blickendorf said Kinney’s legs were on fire.

“I took off my shirt and smothered the last flames away,” Blickendorf said. “John said he was worried Mike was still too close to the truck, which he assumed was going to blow up any second, so we pulled Mike

near-fatal car crash

away from the burning truck into the soybean field.”

Kirby left Blickendorf and Kinney alone in the still and quiet field, waiting for help. Blickendorf prayed earnestly for healing, then looked up to see the silhouette figure of a man walking toward them with an oldschool black doctor’s bag.

“To this day I believe it was Jesus himself. Not because I made out his facial features or because he looked like American renderings of Christ, but because he had the attributes of Christ I’ve read about in the Bible. He answered my call and, in that moment, demonstrated that he is personal. I remember him kneeling opposite me on the other side of Mike, opening that old doctor’s bag, and working on Mike,” Blickendorf said. “I’ll never forget that moment for the rest of my life — it’s the moment that forever cemented my belief that Jesus is the one true living God. Then the sheriff’s deputy walked up and started talking to me, and that silhouette of a man was gone, but Mike was alive, and I knew he was going to make it.”

Kinney said he likes to joke that he was Blickendorf’s “first save,” since Blickendorf, a Carmel resident, is an emergency room physician for Community Health Network.

Kinney was flown by medical helicopter to Methodist Hospital for a long recovery from a significant brain injury, a shattered eye socket and burns on his legs, back and arms. He needed several surgeries.

“I was in cognitive rehab, learning things and rewiring my brain over the next 14 years,” he said.

Kinney said NHS officials went to great lengths to help him graduate on time in 2003. He also was motivated to get back to swimming the 100-yard freestyle in a high school meet.

“I had a sharkskin suit that covered the burns on my body,” he said. “I got an ovation from the crowd, and that’s something I’ll never forget. I had a lot of support from the community and the swim team. My times weren’t near as good as my junior year, but the fact that I was able to swim at all was amazing.”

After graduation, he attended Anderson University, majoring in marketing.

Carmel resident’s book recounts survival, recovery after

Mike Kinney pauses with his wife, Liz, and three children, from left, Caroline, Jack and Henry. (Photos courtesy of Mike Kinney)

Mike Kinney holds the guitar Pete Townshend signed and sent to him after the accident.

Mike Kinney’s truck after the accident.

Mike Kinney, holding book, with his friend and rescuer, Matt Blickendorf, at the book launch party.

“I had a second accident two years later on the exact same day, Aug. 16, in the afternoon, and that’s when I learned I had narcolepsy,” he said. “That’s what had caused the first accident.”

In his first accident, Kinney just figured he had fallen asleep because he was tired, and it was 11:30 p.m. He had swimming practice earlier that day, then led worship at Northview and had gone to a CHS football game with Blickendorf before leaving for the lake.

Kinney spent several hours a day playing guitar while in college. He plans to release a song he has written about the accident.

“It’s been a journey to figure out how God wanted me to use my music to help people,” Kinney said.

Kinney shared his story several years ago at NHS with Blickendorf, and it had an impact on a girl who had contemplated suicide.

“She sent me a note that she felt God had saved my life to save hers,” Kinney said. “That gave me a lot of hope over the years.”

Kinney said he wanted to thank people for the support they showed him.

“I want them to know the impact they had on my life,” he said.

Blickendorf, who said he often sees injuries like Kinney’s in the emergency room, is thrilled his friend shared his story.

“What distinguishes Mike’s story is the persistent and unrelenting grace of Christ meeting him in his deepest times of need, whether Mike was full of faith or full of doubt,” Blickendorf said. “That’s the story worth reading, because each of us yearns to know if there’s really a God who cares about us. We yearn to know a hope beyond the struggles in this life. Mike’s story answers these questions with a resounding ‘Yes.’”

Kinney works in new sales for Fischer Homes. He and his wife, Liz, have three young children: Jack, 6, Henry, 4, and Caroline, 11 months.

For more, visit mikekinneystory.com.

ON THE COVER: Mike Kinney of Carmel recently released a book about a 2002 vehicle accident that nearly took his life. (Photo courtesy of Mike Kinney)

Mike Kinney created a device called a Kinney Capo to help others with limited mobility or skills play the guitar. He received a formal patent in 2018. After his accident, Kinney used partial capos to simplify chords when playing the guitar.

“About a year after the accident, I had a dream going into my birthday, which is May 20, about a capo,” he said. “A capo is something musicians use to change a key to a song and put it on the neck of a guitar. The dream was to develop a capo that allows you to play individual strings selectively. The reason it was inspiring is it made the guitar more like a piano and removed limitations. For me, that was important because I felt I was facing more and more limitations after the accident. This capo gave me hope I could make it through these challenges and rise from the ashes.”

May 19 is The Who’s legendary guitarist Pete Townshend’s birthday. Townshend had sent Kinney a signed guitar with the saying “This is the Phoenix” while he was in the hospital.

“The Bob & Tom Show” encouraged radio listeners to send guitar picks to Kinney.

“People were sending me picks with scriptures and encouragement,” Kinney

said. “(Bob and Tom) reached out to Pete Townshend’s team in London for a guitar pick and he sent me a (Gibson) guitar. That inspired me.”

At the time, Kinney didn’t even know about Townshend or The Who.

Kinney’s guitar had burned because it was in his car during the accident. Tom Griswold, of Bob & Tom, had already given Kinney a guitar like the one that was destroyed.

Kinney said he wanted his capos to help beginning guitarists.

“I was hopeful this device would make it possible for me to share my story with more people and they could find hope through the story,” he said.

Learn more at KinneyCapos.com.

ESSAY

’Tis the season

Commentary by Terry Anker

Among the many blessings of aging is that along with the extra pounds and fine lines comes a considerable amount of perspective. Although a few of us get a bit crankier as our bones begin to creak, there are just as many that come to better understand the difference between the truly unacceptable and the merely inconvenient. Life is long, and much learning occurs. Things that we found to be beyond the pale in the rigid certainty of ignorant youth come to light with greater nuance as we travel through life. The “I will nevers” of a teenager become the “I can understand whys, even tolerate” of a fully developed adult.

Despite social media, politics and the 24-hour news cycle, this is a season to pull together. What does it really matter if Aunt Jane disagrees with us on the genesis of the pandemic if she makes killer sweet potato pie? And even if Uncle Mitchell demands that we defund this or that, he still used to attend all of our childhood softball games, cheering the loudest.

If Ecclesiastes has it right and “to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven,” why can’t this be a season of acceptance? If we are so certain in our position or simply too immature to get over ourselves, can’t we just overlook the disagreement and seek to find commonality for a few short weeks? With the cold, gray days of February, we can return to disliking each other again. But maybe, just maybe, we will have realized that it all didn’t really matter as much as we thought. Grandma only had one brother, and it would make her very happy to know that he came over for dinner — even if he is a Patriots fan!

CURRENTOON

Slept in heavenly peace

Commentary by Danielle Wilson

Friends, you’ll never believe what happened this weekend. No, I didn’t win the Powerball, but it was like hitting the lottery in some ways. I slept through the night! I know, a true Christmas miracle.

Prior to having children, I could sleep eight hours without even turning over. Solid, deep, delicious ZZZs almost every single night. I’d awake rested, energized and generally in good spirits. Pregnancy changed all that, what with raging hormones and an ever-growing belly that made staying in bed for more than 120 minutes a pipe dream. Then of course, once the rugrats arrived, my time became their time. Feedings, diapers, bad dreams, sudden coughing and the random thunderstorm all colluded with my little ones to ensure I never reached REM sleep.

The tween and teen years were no better, as my kids became independent creatures of the dark. I’d jolt awake to a toilet flush or a microwave beep, possibly a poorly concealed guffaw. And once they started driving, it was always the post-curfew garage door opening that thrashed my hopes of uninterrupted slumber.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

And despite being an empty nester now, I still generally wake up two to three times. Basically, the combination of motherhood and middle age has made me a perennial light sleeper with superhuman hearing and little bladder control. Go figure.

You may email him at terry@ youarecurrent.com.

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.

Which is why I am rejoicing this morning. I went to bed at 9 p.m. and can’t remember seeing the clock until 5 a.m. What? I had to confirm this tremendous feat with my husband because I simply couldn’t believe it. My sleeping through the night?

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.

“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it.

READERS’ VIEWS

Move shows mayor will do what he wants

Editor,

The recent Current in Carmel article about the movement of the “Morning Sun” sculpture is just another example of the mayor’s — and city council’s — disregard for the recommendations of those chosen to represent the citizenry of Carmel.

As the article stated, the Carmel Public Art Advisory Committee voted unanimously that they did not want to see public funds used to relocate the sculpture but recommended either selling it or using private funds to relocate it. Whether or not one likes the sculpture is irrelevant in my opinion. What is relevant is the seemingly complete disregard of recommendations by committees put in place for such decisions. This is a committee that was put in place only after what was considered some poor decisions over art purchases.

So, after the committee’s strong opposition for the means of movement of the sculpture, what was the decision? To move

it, anyway, using $50,000 of public funds!

To quote (City spokesman Dan) McFeely’s statement from the article: “But it is important to understand that it is the responsibility of the elected mayor and his staff to decide how to handle city financial matters.”

Translation: The city really does not honor your opinion or recommendation; we are going to do what we want, anyway. There did not even seem to be any investigation or attempt to look into raising private funds.

In this writer’s opinion, this is just another example, albeit a small one, of how the mayor and city council have done whatever they have wanted during this entire administration. I am, perhaps optimistically, looking forward to a new mayor and city council that has more regard for the citizens, the committees and oversight they themselves put in place. What purpose are they allowed to serve if they are often seemingly ignored?

Thomas Beck, Carmel Editor,

Should mayor have final say on art?

In your recent article regarding the “Morning Sun” art piece, I find it amazing that this particular art is pretty much universally disliked. Yet, it was still purchased and set and is now to be moved at an additional cost.

What I find more amazing, and very troubling, is that the mayor has the final say on all art and purchases to that effect. How did this happen? The Carmel Public Art Advisory Committee is an advisory committee only, a lame duck if you will. However, it sounds like they are a better representative of the taxpayers of Carmel than our spendthrift mayor. Everytime this article mentioned “the City” I just automatically read it as “Jim

Brainard.” I would be interested in knowing how many other decisions are made by “the City,” only.

I believe the only reason Mr. Brainard is not running for mayor after this term is that the piper will have to be paid soon. “The City” doesn’t want to be in office when tax rates are raised. He will leave that to the new mayor who will have no choice, and unfortunately will be greatly criticized. “The City” will get all the glory and subsequent mayors will be the scapegoats.

Putting expenses like this, which is into the millions of dollars by now, in the hands of one person, is a huge oversight. It needs to be corrected, and soon.

Don Masten, Carmel

Cost a factor in buying glasses online

Editor,

In Dr. Jeremy Ciano’s commentary (in the Nov. 29 edition of Current in Carmel), he failed to mention the motivation for millions of customers switching to (buying glasses online): cost!

My most recent online purchase for progressive trifocal glasses cost me $55 compared with what would have been near-

ly $400 at a brick-and-mortar optician. His assessment of online purchases reminds me of retailers early on that dismissed Amazon and others for similar reasons.

I was so pleased with my online purchase that I subsequently bought prescription sunglasses for $77. I have shared my great experience with all my neighbors and friends.

John Fisher, Carmel

Have time for a fob story?

Commentary by Dick Wolfsie

This kind of thing could only happen to me (in a way, that’s good, because if things like this happened to you, you’d have your own humor column).

Kevin asked where my spare fob was, and I told him it had been missing for several weeks.

HUMOR

The other day as I got into my car and pressed the button to start the engine, it fired up as usual. But wait: My key fob was not hanging on its little knob where I always put it.

I went inside the house, and sure enough, there it was on the table. How could my car start without the fob? It was way out of range. It meant anyone could get in my car and drive off.

I was on my way to visit my friend, Bob. I said to him, “My car started this morning, but it wasn’t supposed to.”

“Were you out of gas?”

“No, my car is not supposed to start without the fob inside.”

“Your fob was not inside?”

“Yes, it was inside — inside the house.”

Bob was no help. He reminded me that a month ago I drove around with my cellphone on the hood of the car, so this didn’t surprise him. He suggested I go to the dealership.

I headed over and spoke with my service advisor, Kevin.

“You have great technicians, right?” I said.

“Only the best, Dick. What’s wrong?”

“My problem is that my car started.”

“Hmmm. In 25 years, that’s the oddest complaint I’ve ever heard.”

“BingoI It must be somewhere in your car,” he said, “Go home and look for it. I have people waiting with serious powertrain issues. I can’t help you now.”

Back in my driveway, I looked for it under the seats, between the seats, under the floor mats. The problem was the fob is black, the seats are black, and the carpet is black. Looking for it in the daylight was not working, so I waited until it was dark out and used a flashlight. Mary Ellen came outside and found me on my knees searching the car. I explained what happened.

“Do you want me to call it?” she asked.

“Jeesh, it’s a fob Mary Ellen, not a cellphone.”

I finally found it, lodged on the track that the seat slides back and forth on. I put the extra key in a safe place, and I felt relieved.

By the way, I’m not the only one in my family who loses things. The next evening, Mary Ellen said she wanted to prepare a holiday dessert ahead of time and couldn’t find our electric mixer that we keep in the basement.

I told her not to worry, that I’d give it a call first thing in the morning.

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

Dick

“Bob was no help. He reminded me that a month ago I drove around with my cellphone on the hood of the car, so this didn’t surprise him.”

– DICK WOLFSIE

Resounding Joy aims for growth

By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com

Lindsay Zehren is a huge proponent of the many benefits of music therapy.

EVENT

Resounding Joy is a nonprofit that started in San Diego in 2004. Zehren, who worked with Resounding Joy in San Diego, moved to Carmel from San Diego in November 2020. She launched Resounding Joy Indiana in July 2021.

In 2022, Zehren said Resounding Joy Indiana supported more than 2,000 individuals in central Indiana. The goal is to support more than 5,000 in 2023 with the addition of another music therapist to the team, she said.

Resounding Joy Indiana is hosting an inaugural year-end celebration and fundraiser from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 19 at Peace Water Winery in Carmel. The event will feature wine tasting flights from Peace Water Winery, hors d’oeuvres, cookie decorating with Lindy’s Cookies, musical performances from Brownsburg’s Randee Lantz and visiting bands Cath and Deau Eyes.

Zehren said Cath is comprised of three music therapists from San Diego who have worked for Resounding Joy. Deau Eyes is based in Virginia.

There will be opportunities to take home gift certificates for custom jewelry and clothing from Indy Facets Private Jeweler and Bespoke Initiative, Zehren said.

“Resounding Joy Indiana enhances the human experience through the therapeutic use of music,” Zehren said. “As a nonprofit provider of music therapy in central Indiana, the team uplifts individuals and families with challenging conditions, helps them achieve their goals, and supports health and wellness throughout the community. Music therapy is a unique therapeutic medium, applying rigorously tested techniques to individualized goals. The result is an effective treatment that enhances medical and personal outcomes while looking and feeling like musical play.”

For more, visit resoundingjoyinc.org/ indiana.

DISPATCHES

Carmel student accepted — James Stamper of Carmel has been accepted for enrollment for the fall 2022 trimester in the doctor of chiropractic degree program at Palmer College of Chiropractic’s Florida Campus in Port Orange, Fla. Palmer College of Chiropractic, the first and largest college in the chiropractic profession, also has campuses in Davenport, Iowa; and San Jose, Calif.

Diabetes Prevention Program — Franciscan Health is offering a Diabetes Prevention Program, an initiative that provides a supportive environment where participants work together in small groups to learn about healthier eating and boosting their physical activity to reduce their contracting diabetes. The program is led by a trained lifestyle coach in a classroom setting and delivered 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 CIRFranciscanWellCare@franciscanalliance.org or call 317-528-4962 to inquire about the program and to register.

Blood donation guidance updated — The American Red Cross invites those who spent time in the U.K., Ireland or France and have never tried to give blood because of concerns over variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) — related to mad cow disease — to give blood and help save lives. Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration updated its blood donor eligibility guidance on vCJD, eliminating the deferral for those who spent time in the U.K., Ireland and France between 1980 and 2001. In alignment with FDA changes, the Red Cross began accepting donations Oct. 3 from individuals who have not tried giving blood before due to the prior donation criteria. Learn more and schedule an appointment at RedCrossBlood.org.

WHAT IS TMS?

Resounding Joy Indiana founder Lindsay Zehren plays the guitar in a music therapy program. (Photo courtesy of Lindsay Zehren)

Regulation won’t increase supply

medicine is killing the patient.

APARTMENTS

Hoosiers are generally a pragmatic lot. We let the East and West coasts try the new ideas and policies first. We would rather see how long the fad lasts before spending our time and money to join the crowd.

All states, including Indiana, are facing a “perfect storm” of increased costs for building new apartment units to meet demand. Supply chain problems, the cost of materials and skilled labor, and well-intentioned regulatory hurdles that exacerbate the primary issue, have combined to create severe apartment supply shortages.

Hoosiers who fall below 80 percent of the area median income ($45,950 for individuals and $65,600 for a family of four) have access to federal programs that make finding an affordable apartment within reach. That is called “subsidized housing.” Cities are struggling, however, to increase the supply of “workforce housing” for those families who do not qualify for any federal housing programs. True to form, many local governments have rushed to “solve” the problem by passing “rent control” ordinances, which essentially prohibit landlords from raising rents by more than 3 percent in any given year. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Well, the

Misguided policymakers (none in Indiana) over the past two years have discovered what Hoosier common sense already tells us: More regulation of housing will not increase its supply. After passing onerous referenda or overreaching laws, the market has taught policymakers, in many cases, to drastically scale back policies.

Despite the increase in the number of multifamily developments in Hamilton County, the occupancy has remained strong, demonstrating the increased desire for multifamily housing in a growing area. Allowing more development will increase competition and keep rents affordable.

A recent national survey of apartment developers by the National Multifamily Housing Council concluded that 87.5 percent of developers steer clear of cities with rent control ordinances when planning new projects. The only sure way to hold down rents charged for rental units is to increase the supply of the product.

Ornament features roundabout art

news@currentincarmel.com

The City of Carmel has released its official 2022 ornament, which is shaped like a stocking and adorned with images of local roundabout sculptures as the city celebrates 25 years of roundabouts.

HOLIDAYS

Roundabout artwork featured on the ornament:

• Cyclo, by Brad Howe, was commissioned for the roundabout at Range Line Road and East Smoky Row.

• Homage to Hoagy, by Arlon Bayliss, in the roundabout next to the Palladium.

• Reckon, by Howe, in the roundabout at Range Line Road and Elm Street.

• Grace, Love and Joy, by Bayliss, in the roundabout at Old Meridian Street and Pennsylvania Street.

• Beacon Bloom, by Bayliss, in the roundabout at 96th Street and Westfield Boulevard.

• Wire Deer Family, by William Arnold, is

in the roundabout at 96th Street and Ditch Road.

The $20 ornaments are available at the Christkindlmarkt and the All Things Carmel store on Main Street. Proceeds help pay for community events and festivals.

Lynne Petersen is a Carmel resident and president of the Indiana Apartment Association. Read the full column at youarecurrent.com.

Commentary by Lynne Petersen

The City of Carmel ornament for 2022 features roundabout sculptures. (Photo courtesy of the City of Carmel)

Creative Companion combines art, friendship for seniors

By Chris Bavender news@currentincarmel.com

It was over a morning cup of tea that Zoe Hilger had the idea to combine her love of art with providing companionship to seniors.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

“After the initial spark of the idea, I began to think about my grandmother who passed away in 2020. Prior to her passing, she was a big influence to me with art,” the 22-year-old said. “Anytime she would take care of me, there would always seem to be art involved in some way.”

In 2015, Hilger’s grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

“This changed the ways that the two of us could interact, as she became increasingly more limited,” Hilger said. “I couldn’t help but feel that she was lonely in her home because of these limitations, but never knew how to help or what she would have needed.”

Now, through her company, Creative Companion, Hilger can provide a way for other seniors to channel their natural creativity and have somebody to connect with socially. Hilger makes home visits for 60- or 90-minute sessions to create art with the client.

“Making art lets us relax, explore our thoughts and is a simple way for us to connect. In all of the art classes that I have been in, I have noticed that while we are making art, people of all backgrounds suddenly are talking like we have known each other for years,” Hilger said. “I always

think it’s because it keeps our minds and hands busy enough to relax, while also stimulating our minds, allowing us to be our true selves. As for creating community, I want to get to know members of our area and give them the opportunity to share ideas, insights, memories and feelings.”

Hilger provides materials such as paper, paint, pencils, markers — and tea.

“I am a very avid tea drinker and would love to share a cup of tea,” she said.

Response so far has been positive.

“So many people are glad to see something like this in our community, especially for those with dementia (or) Alzheimer’s,” Hilger said. “I have also had several people feel connected to the idea as they also have seen a mom or dad struggle with Alzheimer’s and realize the importance of keeping your mind active and stimulated.”

While Creative Companion is primarily aimed at seniors, Hilger was recently approached to visit a person with autism who is in their 30s.

“I think this is another great idea, and I don’t see myself bound to serving any particulary demographic. I seek to connect with and serve members of our community,” she said. “So, I encourage anyone who thinks this may be for them or their loved one to reach out and we can figure something out.”

Hilger’s sessions are $25 for 60 minutes or $35 for 90 minutes, plus a $5 supply fee. For more, visit creativecompanion.my.canva. site.

DISPATCHES

Optometrist joins RevolutionEyes — Dr. Kimberly Hall, a longtime optometrist at Target Optical in Carmel, left the practice Dec. 1 to continue practicing primary care optometry at RevolutionEyes and its sister practice, LittleEyes.

Pence Media Group hires — Carmel-based Pence Media Group has welcomed three new team members to better serve a

growing client roster. New additions to the woman-owned company include Katie Kiel as public relations manager, Lexie Manor as a strategic account coordinator and Melissa Mattingly as an events and marketing strategist. Pence Media Group is a full-service media and marketing consultancy working with start-ups to Fortune 500s. The Pence Media Group consultancy was established in 2017 by Nicole Pence Becker to give women with rare and valuable skill sets an opportunity to showcase their talents in a flexible work environment.

Carmel Education Foundation

Hilger

Book examines pivotal moments

By Chris Bavender news@currentincarmel.com

power in the pivot,” Butcher said.

LEADERSHIP

A new book by Andrea Butcher, host of the podcast “Being at Work” and CEO of Carmel-based HRD, a leadership development company, shares lessons from pivotal moments in the careers of business leaders.

“The Power in the Pivot: Leadership Lessons from Being [at Work] to Take you from Chaos to Clarity” was released Oct. 25 by Red Thread Publishing.

“The book is a compilation of the stories from the first year of the leadership podcast, ‘Being [at Work].’ As the host (and book author), I asked each guest (52 executives) to tell me about a pivotal moment in their life that taught them a lot about their leadership,” Butcher said. “As I reflected on the stories, I saw three themes for leading through chaos that I knew would be helpful to anyone leading through challenge or transition.”

Butcher said she hopes the book will inspire leaders to avoid feeling overwhelmed when facing obstacles.

“The themes in this book encourage leaders to press into the challenging situations in their lives recognize their own strength and to use the relationships in their lives. These are the key ingredients to finding

Writing the book was a 2 1/2year process with many challenges along the way.

“I fit it into my schedule because it was important to me. I did a couple of writing retreats in which I worked on big sections of content, and then I would spend a few weekend days here and there, and evenings filling in sections until it got to a place I felt good about,” Butcher said. “I never felt like it was ‘ready,’ and finally a trusted colleague encouraged me to just get it out there.”

Butcher wants readers to “recognize the power they have in moments of chaos.”

“I want readers to shift their thoughts beyond the muck of the current situation to imagine the possibilities of what could be,” she said. “I want readers to connect with the people in their lives who are most important to them for support and strength.”

“The Power in the Pivot: Leadership Lessons from Being [at Work] to Take you from Chaos to Clarity” is available through Barnes & Noble and Amazon for Kindle and in hardback.

DISPATCHES

Governor’s Fellowship — Applications will be accepted through Jan. 31, 2023, for the 2023–24 Governor’s Fellowship, which provides a unique experience in Indiana state government by placing fellows in various state agencies on a rotating basis throughout the year. The program is open to college graduates who receive a bachelor’s degree in the summer or fall of 2022 or spring of 2023. Fellows are paid, full-time employees who participate in the day-to-day activities of state government. Apply at in.gov/gov/governors-office/ governors-fellowship-program.

Student Leaders internship program —

The 2023 application for Bank of America’s Student Leaders paid internship program is now open through Jan. 13, 2023. Selected students will participate in an eight-week paid internship at a local nonprofit organi-

zation to learn first-hand about the needs of the community and the critical role nonprofits play. They will also attend a leadership summit to learn how government, business and the nonprofit sector work together to address critical community needs. Learn more and apply at bit.ly/3UFHsV9.

Conner Prairie re-accredited — Conner Prairie has again achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums, the highest national recognition awarded to the nation’s museums. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies and to the public. All museums must undergo a reaccreditation review at least every 10 years to maintain accredited status. This is Conner Prairie’s fourth re-accreditation since 1977.

Butcher

"The Power in the Pivot" features stories from Andrea Butcher's leadership podcast. (Photo courtesy of Andrea Butcher)

currentnightandday.com

Irish Christmas music coming to the Palladium

By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com

Celtic Woman violinist Tara McNeil views the group’s Christmas Symphony Tour as special.

‘IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE’

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

‘A

CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL’

CONCERT

“It’s a very different show than our spring tour,” McNeil said. “We get to perform with these incredible orchestras around the states. Every city has incredible musicians we get to share the stage with. It’s such an honor, especially for me because I’m from a classical background. As a violinist, I performed with orchestras at the start of my professional career. It’s special to make music with these people who have given their lives to it from a very young age.”

The “Celtic Woman: A Christmas Symphony Tour” concert is set for 7:30 p.m. Dec. 15 at the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel.

The 16-show tour, which began Dec. 2, ends Dec. 22 in Waterloo, N.Y.

“It’s been three years since we were last out on our Christmas tour (because of the COVID-19 pandemic),” McNeil said. “We missed it because I had got used to it being part of my Christmas routine. We are very grateful to be back. The Christmas music is always so much fun and everyone is in great spirits, especially the audiences.”

McNeil said the show begins with “Ding Dong Merrily On High,” a very energetic number.

The group will perform songs from their new EP, “Christmas Cards from Ireland.”

“We have songs that have never been performed that we are doing on this Christmas tour,” she said.

The songs include “The Toys’ Waltz” and “I Saw Three Ships.”

The concert includes new arrangements of “O Holy Night” and “Silent Night.”

“It’s going to be great to perform them,” McNeil said.

There are traditional Celtic Woman songs such as “Danny Boy” and “Amazing Grace.”

“Even though it’s not Christmas music, I don’t think it would be a Celtic Woman show without those two,” McNeil said. “We

wanted to include them, otherwise people might be kicking up a fuss.”

Celtic Woman formed in 2004. McNeil joined the group in 2016 and is now the longest-running member.

Hannah Traynor is making her first tour with Celtic Woman. Murgen O’ Mahony is making her first Symphony Tour.

McNeil replaced Mairead Nesbitt, the only other violinist for Celtic Woman. Nesbitt left to pursue solo projects.

“Celtic Woman is a combination of Irish traditional music,” McNeil said. “It brings in classical musical elements and brings in musical theater. It’s always been the platform for Irish women to perform and showcase their talents across the world. It’s always been made to be this platform for us. It’s always been about the music, and the music is the priority. We’re trying

to give a little piece of Ireland and our history. I think it will continue, and I hope it does for a long time.”

The group performs nearly 90 shows in the spring in North America. Typically, it tours Europe and China in the fall, but the pandemic has curtailed that the last three years.

“With our big 20th anniversary coming up (in 2024), I’m hoping we can do a worldwide tour,” McNeil said. “I feel very lucky to be part of Celtic Woman. I admired the women who were in the group before me. I wanted to find a way to showcase my talents. I feel lucky with these talented singers. They are some of the closest friends in my life.”

For tickets, visit thecenterpresents. org. For more, visit celticwoman.com.

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

‘CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS WITH ATI LIVE!’

Feinstein’s Cabaret will present “Celebrate the Holidays with ATI Live!” at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 15-16 at Hotel Carmichael in Carmel. For more, visit feinsteinshc.com.

‘UH-OH, HERE COMES CHRISTMAS’

Carmel Community Players will present “UhOh, Here Comes Christmas” through Dec. 18 at The Cat, 254 Veterans Way, Carmel. For more, visit carmelplayers.org.

‘MICHAEL BOLTON: GREATEST HITS & HOLIDAY FAVORITES’

‘‘Michael Bolton: Greatest Hits & Holiday Favorites’’ concert is set for 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13 at the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. For more, visit carmelsymphony.org.

‘GLORIA’

The Indianapolis Children’s Choir will have four performances of “Gloria” from Dec. 1618 at Second Presbyterian Church, 7700 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis. For more, visit icchoir.org.

‘FESTIVAL OF CAROLS’

Indianapolis Symphonic Choir’s “Festival of Carols will present concerts at 8 p.m. Dec. 16 and 3 p.m. Dec. 17-18 at the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. For more, visit thecenterpresents.org.

Vocal groups get Songbook honors — The Great American Songbook Foundation has selected three acclaimed vocal groups as its 2022 Songbook Hall of Fame inductees. The Lennon Sisters, The Manhattan Transfer and Straight No Chaser took part in a video induction ceremony and will be honored throughout the coming year with programming.

From left, Celtic Woman members Hannah Traynor, Murgen O’ Mahony, Megan Walsh and Tara McNeil will perform Dec. 15 at the Palladium. (Photo courtesy of Celtic Woman)

MUSIC AND LYRICS BY BENJ PASEK AND JUSTIN PAUL 12/2-12/24 ACS Ad for The Current.indd 1 11/10/2022 1:33:07 PM

Ballet plans Christmas show

By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com

Noblesville-based En Pointe Indiana Ballet’s Christmas show presents a true contrast between acts.

DANCE

“It’s inspired by Smuin Contemporary Ballet company in San Francisco, which is the last company I danced for,” said Robert Moore, who is En Pointe co-artistic director with his wife, Pollyanna Ribeiro. “The first act is classic Christmas, and the second act is cool Christmas. The first act is all classical ballet. It’s religious classical music and it’s all in white. The second act is more jazz inspired. It’s all in red and it’s done to the more popular Christmas music that we know today.”

“An En Pointe Christmas” is set for 7 p.m. Dec. 16 and 2 p.m. Dec. 17 at Noblesville High School.

The nine-minute finale is a rendition of Boston Pops’ “12 Days of Christmas.”

There are 109 dancers in the school. The ages range from 3 to 20.

“The talent is better than ever,” Moore said. “We have a pre-professional day program, and they dance almost 40 hours a

Noblesville residents Joseph Moore and Bella GoMillion will perform in “An En Pointe Christmas.” (Photo courtesy of En Pointe Indiana Ballet)

week. There are 23 of them dancing in the show and the age range is 14 to 20. They are all pursuing professional careers. I’m proud of the school and the talent we’ve been able to cultivate.”

Moore said the Christmas show is constantly evolving.

“We bring back some of the favorites we do each year,” Moore said.

For more, visit enpointeindiana.com.

‘Festival of Carols’ concerts set

By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com

Jim Toombs has watched as the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir’s “Festival of Carols” has come a long way. The Carmel resident said when he first started singing with the group, “Festival of Carols” was held in a local church.

“We were hoping that two/thirds or maybe the whole congregation was there,” Toombs said. “Nowadays there are usually three soldout performances at the Palladium with a full orchestra.”

“Festival of Carols” is set for 8 p.m. Dec. 16 and 3 p.m. Dec. 17-18 at the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. The ISC will perform the “Festival of Carols” at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14 at Clowes Memorial Hall at Butler University’s campus in Indianapolis

There you can spread out.”

Toombs, a tenor 2, has been a member for 27 years. He is a Steffen singer, which means he has been in the choir for more than 20 years. The honor is named after ISC founding conductor Elmer Steffen.

“The organization has really grown,” Toombs said. “We’ve been to Carnegie Hall several times. We’ve been invited to the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. In 2010, we went to China to sing in the Beijing Concert Hall.”

Toombs

The artistic director is Eric Stark, the director of choral activities at Butler.

“He is amazing,” Toombs said. “The quality of the performances are great. We’ve developed relationships with other music organizations.”

There are approximately 150 ISC members.

“The Palladium is such a wonderful facility to sing in,” Toombs said. “It’s easy to hear and easy to see. Some places you get stuck on these risers and your elbow to elbow.

A 1976 Carmel High School graduate, Toombs was a member of the Ambassadors, the mixed show choir, and played clarinet in the marching band at CHS. He is a deputy prosecutor with Hancock County.

For more, visit indychoir.org.

CHOIR

for ‘Gloria’ concerts

By Mike Beas editorial@youarecurrent.com

It could be said that Joshua Pedde saw the light when contemplating options for a potential theme to upcoming Christmas shows.

As a result, the Indianapolis Children’s Choir’s “Gloria” will be performed four times from Dec. 16-18 at Second Presbyterian Church, 7700 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis.

“Every year we look for a new theme of what our Christmas show should be,” said Pedde, a Carmel resident who is in his seventh year as the artistic director for the Indianapolis Children’s Choir. “The word ‘Gloria’ just kept coming up, and when I looked at the definition, it’s the abundance of light.

“As we continue to find our way out of the pandemic, it’s how we are coming back together, that sense of joy that we experience during the holiday season.”

The Dec. 16 performance of “Gloria” starts at 7 p.m., followed by shows at 3 p.m. and 7

p.m. Dec. 17.

The final “Gloria” will be presented at 4 p.m. Dec. 18.

Indianapolis Children’s Choir is comprised of 600 kids ranging in age from kindergarten through 12th grade. The afternoon shows will feature 400 singers, with 200 taking part in the lone evening performance.

In every performance, the choir will be accompanied by a 15-piece chamber orchestra.

Performance pieces include “We Need A Little Christmas,” “What Child is This?” and “A Tribute to Carols.”

All performances will be inside the church’s main sanctuary.

“I think the joy that I see, not only from the audience, but from the singers, is absolutely wonderful,” Pedde said. “I think it goes back to me having wonderful teachers, so to be able to do that for other students is just a great blessing.”

For more or to purchase tickets, visit icchoir.org or call 317-940-9640 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

A twist on ‘The Nutcracker’

By Mike Beas editorial@youarecurrent.com

Growing up just south of Milwaukee in the city of Oak Creek, Wis., Lauren Nasci was barely past her second birthday when she was introduced to the world of ballet. Now 30, her passion for this approach to performance dance has only increased.

DANCE

Nasci, a 2014 Butler University graduate who is a founder and community outreach director of Ballet INitiative, will take part in the upcoming productions of “Nutcracker with a Twist,” set for Dec. 16-18 at the Basile Theater at the Athenaeum, 401 E. Michigan St., Indianapolis.

Naturally, the question the Carmel resident receives most frequently centers on the so-called twist in the title of the holiday favorite.

“Our twist is that our first scene is set in the 1920s with Duke Ellington’s version of Tchaikovsky’s scores,” Nasci said. “Most ‘Nutcrackers’ are the classic Tchaikovsky score. We do use the classic score in our second act, so we do have a little mix of both.

“We wanted to have a fresh take to ‘The Nutcracker.’”

The Dec. 16-17 shows are at 7:30 p.m.; the Dec. 18 presentation begins at 2 p.m.

The show lasts between 1 hour, 45 minutes, to two hours, with a 15-minute intermission.

Adult tickets are $35 and can be purchased at balletinitiative.org. Tickets are $20 for those 13 and younger.

Ballet INitiative members, back, from left, Casie Nicole, Lauren Nasci, Ola Tarnowski and front, Christina Voreis. (Photo courtesy of Ballet INitiative)

Pedde

Where’s Amy?

BEHIND BARS: THE WHISTLER

The Whistler is a tart and refreshing cocktail featuring Hiatus blanco tequila, elderflower, grapefruit soda, lime.

To see a video of this drink being mixed, scan this QR code.

(Photo courtesy of Huse Culinary)

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.

From left, Brittany Hersey (Zionsville), Dawn Passafiume (Carmel), Susan Edel (Carmel), Abbey Edel Price (Carmel) and Katie Edel (Carmel) pause with a prop of “Ralphie” attended Civic Theatre’s Dec. 2 opening night of “A Christmas Story, The Musical” at The Tarkington at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. This family-friendly musical is sensational. Do not miss it. The feel-good holiday classic runs until Dec. 24. For more, visit Civictheatre.org or call 317-843-3800. (Photo by Amy Pauszek)

Blueprint for Improvement: Meridian-Kessler kitchen refresh

After

Sometimes, a little refresh is all a room needs to give it an entirely new look and feel. That was exactly the case with this Meridian-Kessler home. The previously-updated kitchen needed a style upgrade to transform the room into a brighter, more modern gathering space.

THE BLUEPRINT

• Zellige hex tile was used to transform the backsplash, providing a subtle yet vibrant pop of color, reflective of the homeowner’s style.

• Granite countertops were replaced with quartz for a more durable work surface with less maintenance and a more seamless, sleek appearance.

• Brass hardware was added to the existing cabinets, giving them an instant upgrade that blends classic warmth with modern style.

• New floating wood shelves provide additional storage and display space, with a rich chestnut stain that adds dimension to the bright space.

• The existing sink was replaced with a farmhouse sink, including a built-in soap dispenser and a goose-neck faucet that provides a more contemporary look.

Before

Larry Greene is the owner of Worthington Design & Remodeling (formerly Case). You may email him at lgreene@worthingtonindy.com or visit worthingtonindy.com for more remodeling inspiration and advice.

Commentary by Larry Greene

‘Gaslighting’ is Word of the Year

Commentary by Curtis Honeycutt

The folks over at Merriam-Webster are at it again. They are claiming that the Word of the Year 2022 is “gaslighting.” That is so typical of them. They can believe that if they want to, I guess.

a personal or political context, it is a way to manipulate someone into questioning their reality. This form of psychological manipulation ranges from mean and selfish to downright cruel and malevolent.

GRAMMAR GUY

According to their version of reality, Merriam-Webster defines gaslighting as “the act or practice of grossly misleading someone, especially for one’s own advantage.” That may be true for them, but I heard they’re all off their rockers.

If you haven’t picked up on it yet, ol’ Grammar Guy has been employing gaslighting in the first two paragraphs of this column. My passive-aggressive, flippant, subjective treatment of truth makes it sound like Merriam-Webster is full of morons, and I’m actually a better judge of words than they are.

Although gaslighting can be thrown around as a catch-all buzzword for being untruthful or generally passive-aggressive, it has a more nuanced, precise function. Whether you see gaslighting in

The term “gaslighting” comes from a 1938 play called “Gas Light” by British novelist and playwright Patrick Hamilton. In the play, a man tries to convince his wife that she is becoming insane. He blames her for the belongings disappearing, although he is secretly hiding them.

Additionally, the husband is searching for some hidden jewels in the attic late at night. As he turns on the gas-fueled lights in the attic, the lights in the rest of the house dim. The husband convinces his wife that she is merely imagining things.

“Gas Light” was adapted into a 1944 film called “Gaslight.” I find it interesting that the term quickly evolved into a verb.

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

Visiting the Chicago River and historic Navy Pier

Commentary by Don Knebel

Chicago has many excellent places to visit, any one of them justifying a trip to the nation’s third-most populous city. Today, we visit two of them — Navy Pier and the Chicago River for an architectural tour.

TRAVEL

Navy Pier is Chicago’s second-most visited site (after Millennium Park), drawing about 9 million visitors each year. The pier, extending 3,300 feet into Lake Michigan, opened in 1916 as both a dock for ships carrying freight and passengers and a waterfront recreation site. Originally known as Municipal Pier, it became Navy Pier in 1927 in honor of Chicago’s World War I veterans. The name became literal during World War II, when the United States Navy used the pier as a training center, employing about 10,000 people on its 50 acres.

After the war, use of the pier for shipping declined and it was reimagined, opening to the public in 1995 as a place for dining, relaxation and entertainment. Among its most popular attractions today are the Chicago Children’s Museum, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, a botanical garden, a large Ferris wheel and a drop tower. A variety of tour boats leave from Navy Pier, some offering dinner cruises.

The most popular cruises, departing from both Navy Pier and near the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive, tour the Chicago River and explore the city’s history and unique architecture. Probably the most informative of these tours is run by the Chicago Architecture Foundation. The 90-minute tour includes a description of 50 landmark buildings visible from the river, including the Wrigley Building, Tribune Tower, Marina Towers, the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower and the Montgomery Ward Complex.

Knowledgeable guides explain how the flow of the Chicago River was reversed to keep sewage from flowing into Lake Michigan and how some of the buildings along the river are perched above rail lines.

youarecurrent.com.

Navy Pier in Chicago at night. (Photo by Don Knebel)

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

The Chicago River in downtown Chicago.

A view of Chicago from the Chicago River.

Rides at Navy Pier.

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ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A SHOP TO CALL HOME?

Integrity Automotive is looking for a full time automotive technician. In business for 28 years in downtown Carmel with a solid, happy customer base and a positive, goodnatured work environment.

The best candidate is a motivated, well-organized technician with at least three years hands on experience in automotive diagnosis, problem-solving and repair. Able to interpret and apply diagnostic/repair information from computerized databases and other sources. Also able communicate clearly and effectively with your supervisor, your fellow employees and, as needed, with customers. A complete job description is available with a request to frontdesk@integrityautomotive.net.

We offer competitive pay with a Monday through Friday work week and (after 90 days) up to four sick/personal days per year and paid holidays.

To schedule an interview, send your resume with contact information to: frontdesk@integrityautomotive.net 40 S Rangeline Rd Carmel Indiana 46032 www.IntegrityAutomotive.net