December 17, 2024
TO HAVE CURRENT DELIVERED TO YOUR PHONE
SEEKING A SPARK
City considering ways to revitalize, redevelop Meridian Corridor economic engine / P15
CCS: Shifted grade scale, test retakes boost learning / P3 Carmel man joins military veterans hall of fame / P7 German exchange program launches local careers / P9
Former football coach returning to lead CHS / P10
January 17– 19, 2025
The 2025 Festival of Ice at Carter Green features:
• Professional ice carving demonstrations in the Arts & Design District
• Fast-paced ice carve-off competition at The Ice at Carter Green
• Firehouse chili cook-off
• And more!
A special thanks to Allied Solutions for participation and sponsorship of many of our holiday events.
Shifted grading scale, test retakes boost desire to learn, Carmel educators say
By Ann Marie Shambaugh AnnMarie@youarecurrent.com
Carmel Clay Schools is in the middle of a long journey to revamp its grading systems, an effort intended to boost student learning and engagement — even if it takes a few tries.
EDUCATION
The school board took a deep dive into the district’s progress during a workshop last month. Amy Dudley, CCS assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, prefaced the discussion by noting the topic is one that often generates strong feelings.
“Grading is very much based on traditions,” she said. “It’s very much based on people’s opinions, and to change those traditions is a slow-moving process.”
But it’s worth the effort, she said.
“The most important thing is that we know that when it gets to the end of the semester, whatever the grade is, we want that grade to reflect the content they’ve learned, not whether they haven’t turned something in,” Dudley said.
CCS has been consulting with grading and assessment experts for years to study systems in place and implement new ones. Some of the earliest changes began in elementary schools decades ago when educators began looking at assessments as a method to learn rather than solely a tool to measure learning.
Dudley, an elementary school principal at the time, said educators saw that success on assessments could be motivating but that failure — with no opportunity for improvement — often had the opposite effect, encouraging students to give up.
This led the CCS elementary schools several years ago to scrap the traditional A through F grading system based on a 100 percentage point scale and implement a standards-based approach, with students either meeting, approaching or not meeting the benchmark. The new system launched for kindergarten and first grade 25 years ago, and by 2018 CCS had phased in all elementary grade levels at all schools. More recent changes have occurred at Carmel middle schools, which still use A through F grades but align them with a 50 to 100 percentage point scale. This means that students who fail to turn in an assignment automatically receive 50 percent credit rather than a 0. They also will receive notice of a missing assignment.
Kristen Taylor, Carmel Middle School math teacher and department chair, explained the reason for the change to the school board. On a traditional grading scale, each letter grade correlates to 10 percentage points, except an F, which is any score of 59 percent or below. This gives a failing grade disproportional weight, she said, especially for missed assignments that result in a 0.
“What is the incentive for a student to keep trying if they know that they’re going to fail, even if they turn in the next assignments and do very well on them? Why would they even try? It doesn’t accurately reflect their ability,” Taylor said.
Instead, Taylor said teachers work hard to hold students accountable for missing assignments to ensure they learn the content and have motivation to remain engaged.
“(Students) don’t get a 50 percent and
DISPATCHES
Shackell helps set world record — Carmel High School senior Alex Shackell helped Team USA set a world record in the 4x100 freestyle relay short course Dec. 10 at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. The relay team of Shackell, Kate Douglass, Katharine Berkoff and Gretchen Walsh finished with a time of 3:25.01. The previous world record of 3:25.43 was set by an Australian team in 2022.
CCS conducting survey — Carmel Clay Schools has released a communitywide survey to gather feedback as administrators
ride off into the sunset,” she said. “We’ve adopted basically having 50 percent as the floor. Each (grading system) has an F, but by putting the floor at 50 percent, the categories are rationally distributed.”
Carmel High School Principal Tim Phares spoke about why the school allows students to retake tests if they perform poorly on all or a portion of it the first time.
“If the kid doesn’t nail (the test), we feel a sense of accountability to make sure that student is going to learn. We want to take the responsibility to be able to pull that student along to say, ‘Look, you may not have it right now, but you might have it in two weeks or on the next unit test or paper that you’re writing,’” Phares said. “We know that some students need additional opportunities. It’s not about just that one moment of time.”
Some school board members questioned whether the opportunities for retakes and an automatic 50 percent on missed assignments encourages students to be lazy or fail to develop organizational skills. Phares said he has not seen trends toward those behaviors and that the biggest “unintended consequence” is students with a good grade seeking to retake tests for an even higher score. He said the district discourages those students from “grade chasing.”
School Board President Kristin Kouka said she supports the district’s shift to a “continuous growth mindset.”
“You don’t just come to a job and you’re fired because you haven’t learned something on the second day. It’s a continuous process in any job,” she said. “I think that teaches our kids a really good skill that you don’t have to just come in and know it all. You’re there to learn. You’re there to get better.”
shape the 2025-28 strategic plan. The survey is available through Dec. 21. Administrators will present survey results to the school board in early 2025 and will conduct listening sessions and focus groups from February to April 2025. The strategic plan draft will be presented in the summer of 2025. Take the survey at CCSsurvey. com.
Recycle holiday lights — Carmel residents may recycle holiday lights through Jan. 10, 2025, at White’s Ace Hardware & Garden Center at 731 S. Range Line Rd. Since the start of the collaborative program in 2011, more than 17 tons of holiday lights have been recycled.
About us
Founded October 24, 2006, at Carmel, IN Vol. XIX, No. 7
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Current Publishing, LLC
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Dudley
Shackell
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Manager accussed of stealing $92K from company, clients, bank
By Ann Marie Shambaugh AnnMarie@youarecurrent.com
An Indianapolis woman has been charged with stealing more than $92,000 from her Carmel employer, some of its clients and a bank.
INVESTIGATION
Magen Peters, 40, was arrested Dec. 6 and booked into the Hamilton County Jail facing fraud, forgery, identity deception and theft charges. Her bond was set at $75,000.
deck project, the affidavit states.
After The Deck Store fired Peters, the company audited her emails and discovered she had opened an account at Regions Bank using personal information of a former employee who had reported to her, the affidavit states. After making an initial deposit in the account, she overdrew it by more than $3,000.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the investigation began in November 2023 when the operations manager of The Deck Store in Carmel contacted police after noticing monetary discrepancies in cash deposits made by Peters, a manager at the company. The operations manager had instructed Peters to deposit $8,200 at the bank but discovered Peters had only deposited $5,200 and that the deposit slip was altered to make it appear the full amount had been deposited.
In addition, investigators discovered Peters made 19 fake refund transactions totaling more than $25,000 by using store clients’ past purchase invoices to generate returns and spent the funds on personal expenses, according to the affidavit. An inventory revealed the items were not returned to The Deck Store.
The affidavit also states that Peters made thousands of dollars in purchases from The Deck Store using stolen credit card information from one of the company’s clients to reportedly complete a deck project for her parents.
The investigation also revealed that Peters processed five unauthorized credit card payments from The Deck Store clients to pay down the outstanding balance in the account of another client tied to her parents’ reported
“Ms. Peters transaction history indicated that she had intended to defraud the bank by intentionally over-drafting funds and acquiring overdraft fees that negatively affected (the victim’s) credit,” the affidavit states.
This was not Peters’ first arrest for financial fraud. In 2015, she was charged with fraud and check fraud, and in 2019 she was convicted of identity deception after using identifying information of a client at the real estate company where she worked to open a fraudulent bank account. She also was convicted of forgery after missing a pretrial conference and creating fake medical documents to state she had been receiving radiation treatments at the time. Investigators discovered no evidence that Peters had cancer or had been receiving treatments, the affidavit states.
Peters declined to speak with police regarding her most recent arrest, according to the document. Current attempted to reach her but did not receive a response.
Current reached out to The Deck Store but did not immediately receive a response. As of Dec. 6 Peters was listed online as an employee at TheHomeMag, but owner/publisher Edward Enslin told Current she has not been employed there for a month. He had no further comment.
Peters is listed as a board member for the Constructing Our Future, but the nonprofit did not respond to Current’s request for comment.
DISPATCH
City hires chief information officer — Kevin Cusimano has been named chief information officer for the City of Carmel. His first day with the city was Dec. 9. His responsibilities include providing vision and leadership for developing and implementing the city’s technology initiatives. Cusimano most recently worked as an executive director with Indiana University Health. He earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Indianapolis and a Master of Business Administration from Anderson University. Cusimano
Peters
Join us in helping people live the lives they’re capable of living.
More than 68,000 children lack access to healthy food.
CCPR updates park rules
By Ann Marie Shambaugh AnnMarie@youarecurrent.com
The Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation board approved several amendments to its rules of park operations. The changes, approved at a Dec. 10 meeting, set a unified speed limit on the Monon Greenway and outline provisions for the scattering of human cremains. The amendments are set to go before the Carmel City Council next month and are intended to align the rules with city code and address issues that have arisen in recent years.
RECREATION
Changes include:
• Clarifying that parks are closed from sunset to sunrise. Previously, the rule stated they were open a half hour before sunset and after sunrise.
• Adding provisions, modeled off the National Park Service, regarding the scattering of human cremains, which is permitted by state law.
• Specifying that equine animals are not permitted in parks or on greenways.
• Removing the prohibition against swimming in creeks or rivers unless a “no swimming” sign is posted. This allows for creek stomping at Flowing Well Park.
• Prohibiting motorized watercraft on CCPR lakes, ponds or creeks (this does not apply to the White River).
• Establishing a maximum speed of 15 mph for bikes within parks and greenways, making the speed limit uniform on all sections of the Monon.
• Prohibiting drones from being used over an aquatic center, dog park, greenway, playground or splash pad.
Adopting the rule changes into city code will ensure Carmel Police Department officers can enforce them, according to CCPR Director Michael Klitzing. CCPR is working to launch a park resource officer program in early 2025, with two officers assigned to parks full time.
Carmel man joins Indiana Military Veterans Hall of Fame
By Samantha Kupiainen news@currentincarmel.com
Carmel resident James M. Thompson joined the Indiana Military Veterans Hall of Fame Nov. 12 alongside 14 other inductees in front of 260 family and friends at Primo Banquet Hall in Indianapolis.
While serving in the U.S. Air Force, Thompson worked predominantly on military space programs, serving as a liaison officer to NASA for the space shuttle program for two years. He was also an aircraft maintenance officer with hurricane hunters in Bermuda for three years. He retired in 1980.
Thompson has been a member of the Carmel Lions Club since 1980 and served as its president. He was a Lions Club district governor of District 25D.
For 20 years, Thompson managed the Supermileage Challenge and received the Sagamore of the Wabash Award from former Gov. Mike Pence.
Thompson is a member of the Service Club of Indianapolis and served as its president and editor of its weekly newsletter, and he has held various volunteer positions at Carmel United Methodist Church.
Being nominated for the Indiana Military Veterans Hall of Fame came as a surprise to Thompson.
Thompson has devoted himself to community service since retiring from the military because of the community support he received while on active duty.
“It really meant a lot to me to be able to give something back to the community,” he said. “I really had a deep desire to do that. I found that in the Lions Club and in the Supermileage Challenge.”
“I felt very, very honored to be inducted,” he said.
In addition to being a veteran, other criteria to be inducted include having been born in Indiana or entering military service from Indiana or living in Indiana for a minimum of five years; receive an honorable discharge from the U.S. military service; and having no felony convictions.
Learn more at imvhof.com.
Thompson
German exchange program launches career paths
By Ann Marie Shambaugh AnnMarie@youarecurrent.com
Soon after arriving in Germany for a year of living abroad, Maria Adele Rosenfeld was intrigued by a postcard featuring a Christmas pyramid in a host family’s home.
The recent high school graduate wasn’t familiar with the traditional German holiday decor, so the family pulled the real thing out of storage to show her how it worked.
“They put the pyramid up and lit the candles. It’s a non-air-conditioned German home in the middle of July, and we’re watching this Christmas decoration. I was mesmerized by German Christmas culture from the first month I arrived,” Rosenfeld said. “I could never have imagined now being in a position where I’m selling thousands of those pyramids through the Christmas market in Carmel each year.”
Nearly 20 years later, Rosenfeld is CEO of the Carmel Christkindlmarkt, which fills Carter Green in the weeks leading up to Christmas with huts selling German treats and trinkets. Rosenfeld said spending a year immersed in German culture through the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange was key in launching her career journey.
CBYX began in 1983, during the Cold War, to build ties and connections between the two nations by offering competitive scholarships to students to travel and learn culture through immersion. Nearly 30,000 students have participated in the program, which is funded by the U.S. Congress and German Bundestag.
Last month, Rosenfeld reunited with two other CBYX alums when Mark Tomkins, president of the German American Chambers of Commerce Midwest chapter, traveled from Chicago to visit the Carmel Christkindlmarkt. Marlene Albershardt, an Indianapolis resident who operates a hut that sells German collectibles at the Carmel Christkindlmarkt, is also a former CBYX participant.
Tomkins, an Iowa native and first member of his family to travel overseas, was part of the 1990-91 CBYX cohort.
“It certainly shaped my entire career path,” he said. “Up to that point, I thought I was going to be a mathematician.”
Tomkins, who chairs the CBYX Alumni
From left, Carmel Christkindlmarkt CEO Maria Adele Rosenfeld; Mark Tomkins, president of the German American Chambers of Commerce Midwest chapter; and Marlene Abershardt, operator of the Marlene’s German Collectibles hut at the Carmel Christkindlmarkt, at the Carmel Christkindlmarkt in November. All three are alumni of the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange and spent a year living in Germany. (Photo courtesy of Maria Adele Rosenfeld)
Association, helps coordinate the Chicago Christkindlmarkt through his work with GACC. He described Carmel’s market as a “great experience” that offers an authentic taste of German culture.
Albershardt’s year abroad spanned 198788, an era of political unrest in the region. She remembers her host father in West Germany telling her that he expected the Berlin Wall would come down, but likely not in their lifetime. The following year, it was demolished.
“(Americans) are used to having so many freedoms, and seeing a culture that didn’t have those freedoms was really interesting,” she said. “I’m glad it’s not that way anymore, but I’m glad I got to experience it so you can appreciate more of the freedoms we have.”
Albershardt met her husband of 30 years through CBYX, as he was a Californian participating in her cohort.
All three alumni said they remain in contact with host families and others they met through the program, and they recommend the experience for young people looking to explore another part of the world.
“It’s one of the best programs out there,” Albershardt said. “It allows you to see yourself and your country from other people’s eyes.”
Learn more about CBYX at tinyurl. com/2ruhhvnn. Learn more about the Carmel Christkindlmarkt at CarmelChristkindlmarkt.com.
This Week’s Market Magic!
Werkstatt
Dec. 16-24, Anja Werner, Plauen Woodworking Artist
Kinderecke
Dec. 16-20, Woodworking with Deeply Ingrained
Spielhaus
Dec. 17, 4-9 p.m., Storytelling & Roz Puppets
Dec. 20, 12-3 p.m., Music & Dance with Copper Z Wellness
Dec. 21, 4-7 p.m., Snow Queen & Happy Snowman
Dec. 22, 12-6 p.m. & Dec. 24, 12-4 p.m. Santa
Entertainment
Dec. 17, 6-7 p.m., 6-7 p.m., Dianna Davis and Mario Joven
Dec. 20, 7-9 p.m., 7-9 p.m., Duke Tumatoe & The Power Trio
Dec. 21, 4:30-5:30 p.m. & 8-9 p.m., Mike Schneider Band
Dec. 22, 12:30-1:30 p.m. & 3:30-4:30 p.m., Mike Schneider Band
November 23 - December 24
Wright looks to get CHS football back on track
By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com
For Kevin Wright, returning to Carmel High School as football coach made perfect sense.
Wright left CHS after the 2014 season to take the coaching job at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. After five seasons, he left to take a job as tight ends coach on former Indiana University coach Tom Allen’s staff from 2020 to 2023.
Wright moved back to Carmel in the summer. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have family in the area.
“It was the opportunity to be in a good place where we could make a home base for both of us and be part of a great tradition,” Wright said. “It’s a very good school system. It was exciting to have that opportunity. You have familiarity with what you are going into and some of the people. It’s kind of going full circle.”
Wright replaces his former defensive coordinator, John Hebert, who had succeeded Wright as head coach. Hebert won IHSAA Class 6A titles in 2016 and 2019, but the Greyhounds were 3-7 in 2024 and 5-5 in 2023.
Wright said after the IU staff was let go, he took time to contemplate his future.
“Whatever was next, it would feel right to us, and that’s kind of what happened with this situation,” Wright said.
Wright won three Class 5A state titles at Warren Central and one at Carmel in 2011. His teams were state runners-up in the first two 6A state finals in 2013 and 2014. He will return as a CHS physical education teacher in January. Then he will begin to examine why the Greyhounds have struggled of late.
“John (Hebert) is a good friend of mine and a tremendous football coach and a tremendous human being,” Wright said. “I think the number of kids at the high school level has not gone down. It’s one of those things where it’s going to take me three to six months to see why things are a certain way.”
Former Carmel High School standout ready for Ignite
By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com
Former Carmel High School volleyball player Carly Skjodt can’t imagine a better scenario.
VOLLEYBALL
Skjodt will play for the Indy Ignite of the Pro Volleyball Federation. The Ignite will play their games at Fishers Event Center, with the season opener set for Jan. 11, 2025.
ence for her to be back at home.
“My parents love volleyball and love to support me,” Skjodt said. “My sister is having babies now. I get to be around my parents and it’s a special time in my life and their lives. They are first-time grandparents, and my siblings are in town.”
“It was never a thought when I was in college, but it’s only grown exponentially with the college scene growing and growing,” Skjodt said. “Being able to play (professionally) in the U.S., I can’t even say I dreamed of because it was never even a possibility. When I was growing up, overseas was the only option. I tried it out for a bit in Portugal.”
After playing indoor volleyball at the University of Michigan, the 2015 CHS graduate played two seasons of beach volleyball at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif.
“That’s more of a hobby because the money you can make in that is not comparable,” said Skjodt, who was an All-American at Michigan. “When PVF was talked about, I wasn’t even sure I could get back into the indoor game. It had been three years since I played. It’s so special to be a part of. It’s really a full-circle moment for me to play.”
A 6-foot-1 outside hitter, Skjodt played with Orlando earlier this year in the league’s first season.
“It was an amazing experience, and for the first year of the league it was really well put together,” Skjodt said. “They treated us great. We have so many resources. It was so much fun to be part of a team again. When you are playing beach (volleyball), it’s just you and your partner. Being part of this movement of volleyball in the U.S. was really cool. I loved my team in Orlando.”
Skjodt said it is an unbelievable experi-
Skjodt has spent the fall as the executive assistant to head coach Steve Aird for the Indiana University women’s volleyball team.
“Depending on my playing career will determine the next steps,” she said. “I’m really enjoying it. Coach Steve gave me this really cool opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the college game from the outside, not being a player.”
Skjodt said she is determining if she wants to be involved with college volleyball in the future.
“It’s interesting to see the changes in college sports,” she said. “I’m not quite sure if it’s the route I’m going to take, but it’s awesome to be a part of it and see what life would be like in college sports.”
Skjodt helped lead CHS to its only IHSAA state volleyball state championship when the Greyhounds won the Class 4A title her senior year in 2014.
“It’s crazy (volleyball) is finally getting the recognition it deserves,” Skjodt said. “I’m obviously biased but volleyball is such an entertaining and enjoyable game for people to watch and play.”
The Ignite reported Dec. 1 to training camp. Skjodt said she has been working out on her own at IU.
“We’ll have a month and two weeks to get the team ready,” she said. “I’m so excited to play in Fishers Event Center. Growing up, I felt Indiana was a volleyball state, in my opinion. I think Indiana is such a perfect market for volleyball because it’s small and intimate enough for people to appreciate it. Women’s sports (are) on the rise as a whole with the (way the Indiana) Fever are taking off. I think our community is really going to show up for us.”
DISPATCH
“Dine at the Disco” to benefit CEF — The Carmel Education Foundation’s Taste of Carmel fundraiser is set to return March 7, 2025, at 502 East Event Centre in Carmel. The theme is “Dine at the Disco.” Tickets cost $75 for general admission, $175 for VIP admission and $1,300 for a reserved table for 10. Early bird discounts are available through Jan. 12, 2025. Learn more and purchase tickets at tasteofcarmelindiana.com.
Skjodt
Infinity Squared to present student math competition
By Lauren Weidinger news@currentincarmel.com
Infinity Squared Mathematics, a nonprofit founded by two Carmel High School juniors, will host a free virtual math competition for students in middle school and younger Dec. 21.
EDUCATION
The competition will last one hour and consist of 20 questions covering algebra, geometry, combinatorics and number theory.
Sponsors including Wolfram Alpha, Art of Problem Solving, Desmos and Awesome Math will contribute prizes for participants and winners. Prizes include Wolfram Alpha notebooks, gift cards to the Art of Problem Solving and monetary prizes.
Jennifer Hu and Allison Shen, co-founders of Infinity Squared Mathematics, created the math problems for the competition. They want to inspire others to participate in math events and spotlight the subject.
“We want people to learn the joy that mathematics can bring, not only in a math class but also in your daily lives,” Shen said.
Hu and Shen launched the competition to increase their outreach to other states and nations.
Students of all skill levels are invited to compete.
“(They) don’t need a lot of math knowledge as long as they want to do math and have fun with mathematics. It is a great opportunity for everyone,” Shen said. Register for the competition at tinyurl. com/infinitysquared2024. Learn more at InfinitySquaredMathematics.org.
OBITUARY
Kathleen L. Ditlinger, 83, of Carmel, passed away on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, surrounded by her family. She was born the fourth of twelve children in Batesville, IN, to the late Lawrence G. and Loretta G. Niese. Kathleen was a graduate of Immaculate Heart Academy in Batesville and a longtime member of St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church in Carmel.
well as euchre and bridge parties.
Kathleen was married to her devoted husband, Tom for 65 years, with whom she shared a lifetime of happiness and laughter. She found great joy in spending time with her large and loving family throughout her life. She was deeply involved in the lives of her children and grandchildren, each of whom shared a special bond with her.
Kathleen was an avid gardener, an accomplished artist, and a gifted painter, with horses and wildlife often the subjects of her artwork. A true creative spirit, she was also a talented home designer who could make, sew, or build anything she needed. Kathleen enjoyed baking, entertaining, and hosting many memorable holiday meals, as
Kathleen is survived by her husband, Tom. She was a loving mother to Mark (Brenda), Greg (Cindy), and Pam (Curt) Walquist, and a cherished “Grandma Katsy” to her grandchildren: Sarah (Spencer) Ditlinger-Mapes, Laura (Jacob) Ditlinger, Ben Ditlinger, Anna Ditlinger, Alexa Walquist, Evelyn Walquist, and Noelle Walquist. She also leaves behind two great-grandchildren, Lavender and Silas. Kathleen was a dear sister to her siblings: Ginny Schmeltz, Russ, Alvin, Harold, John and Ray Niese, and Charlene Hountz. She was also a beloved aunt to many nieces and nephews. Kathleen will be welcomed home by her son, Brian Ditlinger and siblings, Rita Kinker, Lavina Gutzwiller, Ken and Andy Niese. A funeral Mass was celebrated on Tuesday, December 10 at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Cancer Treatment 262 Danny Thomas Place Memphis, TN 38105 (www. stjude.org/childhood-cancer).
From left, Infinity Squared founders Jennifer Hu and Allison Shen. (File photo)
Motorists miss dog ambassador
By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com
Daisy loved watching the wheels go round and round with her owner, Larry Ingraham. And motorists and pedestrians passing by on Carmel’s busy 116th Street looked forward to seeing her, too.
PETS
In Daisy’s prime, Ingraham would walk his beloved dog all around his Carmel neighborhood of Eden Estates and surrounding areas.
“In the last year when Daisy couldn’t walk as well, she would go to the end of the driveway,” Ingraham said. “She plopped down by the curb of 116th Street. She would lay there and watch the traffic.” Ingraham, 75, would bring water for Daisy, a husky, and kept a chair nearby. This became a ritual through morning, mid-afternoon and evening rush hours.
After Daisy died in mid-November at age 14, Ingraham and his wife, Shizuko, figured they better let people know, so he created a sign with Daisy’s picture and RIP. He placed it at the edge of the driveway. What follows has been an outpouring of
Larry Ingraham and his dog Daisy, who died Nov. 17, watch traffic along 116th Street. (Photo courtesy of Larry Ingraham)
sympathy along with appreciation for the joy Daisy brought to the neighborhood.
Ingraham said there have been several bouquets of flowers, sympathy cards, a Christmas wreath and even a turkey casserole.
“The notes say how happy Daisy made them feel as they drove by,” Ingraham said.
“It has really moved my wife and I.”
One card described Daisy as the “Ambas
Zionsville athlete more than a passing success at Brebeuf Jesuit
By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com
Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School senior quarterback Maverick Geske put up some eye-popping numbers during the football season.
“He’s had amazing production in his high school career,” said Matt Geske, his father and Brebeuf Jesuit’s head coach. “He finished in the top 14 all-time in career yards.”
A Zionsville resident, Maverick’s single-season total of 4,039 yards in 2024 is fifth on the IHSAA state list.
“Outside of his production and physical attributes from his freshman year to now has been the leadership, the ability to get his teammates all playing together, the camaraderie, the work ethic, all those things combined has made (him) a special on-thefield player and, more importantly, brought our team along with him,” Matt said.
Maverick, who is 6 feet and 205 pounds, completed 211 of 346 passes (61 percent)
MAVERICK GESKE
Favorite athlete: Baker Mayfield
Favorite TV show: “Succession”
Favorite vacation spot: Grand Cayman
Favorite musician: Drake
Favorite subject: Social studies
with 40 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions. He also rushed for eight touchdowns and caught a TD pass for the Braves (8-3), who reached the Class 4A sectional semifinal before losing to Roncalli.
Maverick completed 62 percent of his passes for 3,084 yards as a junior. He became the starter during his sophomore season, throwing for 1,651 yards while
Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School quarterback Maverick Geske threw for 4,039 yards this past season.
LJ Lesing)
completing 56 percent of his attempts. He was recently named to the Indiana Football Coaches Association’s Class 4A All-State Senior Team.
His production earned him an offer after the season to play football at Indiana University and he accepted this month.
“Being with a lot of those guys for the past four years in the weight room and offseason, it was pretty fun,” Maverick said. “We got a couple of special things done, like beating Carmel. We didn’t go as
far as we planned but it was definitely a fun season.”
Maverick said his main improvement has been in leadership
“My leadership has improved drastically over the last two years,” he said.
On the field, he said his decision-making has been the biggest improvement. Studying game film helped in that aspect, he said.
Maverick, who will graduate this month, plans to enroll at IU in January to take part in spring practice.
“I want to put on some weight to compete with those (older) guys,” he said. “I want to get a little stronger. My goal weight is 215.”
Maverick, who turns 18 later this month, had a 7-1 record for Brebeuf’s baseball team last season as a pitcher. The Braves reached the IHSAA Class 3A state championship before losing to New Prairie.
“Baseball has been a close second, but football has always been my No. 1 sport,” Maverick said.
To nominate a high school student for Athlete of the Week, contact mark@ youarecurrent.com.
(Photo courtesy of
Geske
SEEKING A SPARK
City considering ways to revitalize, redevelop Meridian Corridor economic engine
By Ann Marie Shambaugh AnnMarie@youarecurrent.com
As companies continue paying top dollar to lease space in Carmel’s bustling Midtown area, city leaders are turning more of their attention to office buildings in another part of town that are showing their age.
Once the pinnacle of Carmel’s corporate community, the towering structures surrounded by acres of parking lots along the Meridian Corridor have a vacancy rate that’s significantly higher than the rest of the city. At the end of September, more than 22 percent of space in the corridor was vacant, compared to only 2 percent elsewhere in Carmel, according to commercial real estate firm Colliers Indianapolis.
the success of Midtown, which features a mix of uses and public spaces, for inspiration, at least in part.
Weber said the city could consider a variety of options to improve the area, from infill development to renovations to razing buildings in poor condition and constructing something new from scratch. The Carmel Redevelopment Commission could work to upgrade the area through public-private partnerships using TIF or other revitalization tools.
At the same time, Weber said the Meridian Corridor is meeting a need that Midtown can’t. He wants to ensure it remains well positioned to do so.
“Over the years, the corridor has been the economic engine for the community, but post-COVID, the way we worked before isn’t necessarily how we work today,” said Mike Hollibaugh, director of Carmel’s Department of Community Services. “I think it’s pretty common knowledge there are some vacancies in the corridor and the general health of the old office pattern is questionable. So, we want to take advantage of the opportunity to look at it and assess where we’re at and see what the city can do as far as changing the way that we look at it, if we can help invigorate and bring full health back to the corridor.”
Although the buildings are privately owned, the city is considering a variety of ways it can encourage revitalization of the area, from renovations to fullscale redevelopment.
Carmel Mayor Sue Finkam said the corridor has long-generated tax increment financing dollars that help pay for other projects throughout the city, so it’s important to ensure the area remains vibrant.
“We anticipate decreased assessed values (in the Meridian Corridor), thus decreased commercial tax revenues as a result,” she said. “Because those tax revenues support our big TIF — the Palladium
bonds and City Center, some of the bigger projects that were done early — it’s of prime importance to us to make sure those revenues stay strong, so the residential taxpayer doesn’t have to make up the difference.”
WORKING DIFFERENTLY
The Meridian Corridor aligns with U.S. 31, a key north-south thoroughfare that connects Indianapolis to South Bend and continues into Michigan. In Carmel, former Mayor Jane Reiman is credited with paving the way for the stretch of road to become a corporate corridor in the 1980s, and many of the buildings date back to that era.
At the time, it was among the few opportunities to lease Class A office space outside of downtown Indianapolis, according to Nick Weber, who joined the City of Carmel in March to fill the newly created position of Director of Economic Development. He described the Meridian Corridor as “visionary and successful for a very long time” but not ideal for many looking to lease office space today. He said building owners have worked to add or upgrade amenities, but the lack of walkability and other factors have made the space more challenging to fill.
These changes occurred before the COVID-19 pandemic began, but its impact on office buildings — which stood largely vacant as employees were mandated or allowed to work from home — hastened the shift, according to Weber and other experts. Many of those employees didn’t return to the office full time or at all. Now, even much of the leased space is underutilized.
“Carmel is not the only city dealing with this,” said Aaron Snoddy, a vice president at Colliers Indianapolis. “It started with the pandemic in 2020 that forced employers to rethink how they use office space, and we’ve seen a trend over the last handful of years of total flight to quality office products.”
Weber said highly amenitized office buildings constructed in the last decade — such as those in Midtown — are experiencing a surge in demand. He’s seen a trend of companies choosing to downsize and relocate to more desirable areas.
“Their overhead costs remain the same, even though they’re in a better quality of space because they have less of it,” Weber said.
A MODEL FOR SUCCESS
As Carmel leaders refresh their vision for the Meridian Corridor, they are turning to
“Companies who want to be in Carmel, but for a variety of reasons can’t support the overhead cost of the rents or there’s not availability in the center core, will go a little farther out, and that includes the Meridian Corridor area,” Weber said. “But long term, it probably means we need to be looking at that area as a redevelopment opportunity to create the type of walkable, dense urban environment that we’ve seen so successful in other parts of Carmel.”
The City of Carmel has been working to finalize a sub-area plan outlining development guidelines specific to the Meridian Corridor area. The Department of Community Services is working with consulting firm Yard & Co. to refine elements of the plan before reengaging in early 2025 with a stakeholder group that includes landowners, property managers and employers in the area. The city also expects to hold discussions with nearby residential subdivisions. The sub-area plan draft is expected to be presented to the Carmel Plan Commission late in the first quarter of 2025.
ON THE COVER: City of Carmel leaders are looking to Midtown for inspiration in revitalizing the Meridian Corridor. (Photo by Ann Marie Shambaugh)
Hollibaugh
Snoddy
Finkam
Weber
Source: Colliers Indianapolis
Songwriter Berlin’s rare piano on display
Submitted by Great American Songbook Foundation
As the air fills with the familiar strains of Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” – the bestselling pop single of all time — the Great American Songbook Foundation is unveiling a piece of music history once owned by the man who wrote it.
Irving Berlin, a Jewish immigrant from Russia, revolutionized American popular music with many classic songs that have become part of the fabric of our culture: “Blue Skies,” “Cheek to Cheek,” “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “Anything You Can Do,” “Happy Holiday,” “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” and even “God Bless America,” to name a few.
His success came despite interesting personal limitations: Berlin did not read or write music, and as a self-taught pianist, he preferred playing on the black keys, corresponding to the key of F-sharp. As time went on, he commissioned piano makers to build transposing instruments — pianos with mechanisms enabling the player to shift the keyboard left or right and play in any key without changing hand position.
One of those rare instruments was donated recently to the Songbook Foundation’s vast Songbook Library & Archives by Berlin’s family. Built circa 1955 by Sohmer & Co. of New York, it is a well-constructed but simple upright piano with a twist: a transposing lever mounted under the keyboard.
After some restoration work at Piano Solutions in Carmel, the unusual instrument is back at the Songbook Library & Archives, near the Songbook Foundation’s headquarters at Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. Later this month, it will be publicly displayed for the first time in conjunction with Civic Theatre’s production of “White Christmas” at the Center’s Tarkington theater, a musical adaptation of the 1954 Bing Crosby film that features 17 songs by Berlin.
(“Moon River,” “Hooray for Hollywood”) and Richard Whiting (“On the Good Ship Lollipop,” “Ain’t We Got Fun?”).
Kept in the songwriter’s New York office, the piano was one of three Sohmers left to Berlin’s three daughters after his death in 1989. His daughter Mary Ellen Barrett died in 2022 and passed it down to her daughter Elizabeth Matson, who donated it to the Songbook Foundation.
“I learned about the Great American Songbook Foundation a few years ago, and knew right away it would be the perfect place to donate this treasured family heirloom,” Matson said. “There could be no better place for Irving Berlin’s special instrument than in this museum devoted to celebrating the legacy of all the Great American Songbook writers.”
Songbook Foundation Executive Director Christopher Lewis said the priceless artifact will receive the respect and attention it deserves.
“Few artists exemplify the American Songbook more than Irving Berlin,” Lewis said. “We are eternally grateful to the family for entrusting us with this historic instrument and to the Piano Solutions staff for their expertise in helping us to preserve it. This piano will soon have a prominent place in our Songbook Exhibit Gallery at the Palladium and it ultimately will be a highlight of our planned music museum and visitor experience.”
Piano Solutions owners Greg Durthaler and Brian Hostetler have serviced several historic pianos for the Songbook Foundation, including instruments owned by songwriters Harold Arlen (“Over the Rainbow,” “Stormy Weather”), Johnny Mercer
Despite their decades in the business, however, the Berlin instrument was the first transposing piano they had worked on. They described the project as a “conservation” job, returning the long-dormant instrument to its original working condition with a minimum of replacement parts. The piano had to be dismantled to a large extent, with the keyboard removed to reveal the machinery within. The meticulous work included reglueing joints and cleaning and lubricating scores of small parts, rebuilding rather than replacing any broken or worn elements. The wooden case was deep-cleaned and treated for mildew but not refinished.
The first priority was to figure out how the transposing mechanism was designed and how to get it working again. Hostetler deduced that the piano’s central pedal had to be pushed all the way down to allow the lever and the keyboard to move freely, sliding left or right in increments to cover the 12 keys of Western music. A small brass plate with markings indicates the current key.
“It’s ingenious, but it also can cause problems if you’re not really careful with it,” Hostetler said. “Over the years, the device can actually break parts that you don’t want broken.”
Now fully functioning, the Berlin piano will be viewable publicly for the first time during the Dec. 20-21 final weekend of Civic Theatre’s “White Christmas” at The Tarkington. The lobby display also will include other relevant items from the Songbook Library & Archives, including an original promotional poster for the movie, a written arrangement of “White Christmas” owned by co-star Rosemary Clooney and a snow globe gifted by Berlin to Clooney as a memento of the production.
The piano also will be employed for a tune at the Songbook Foundation’s upcoming presentation Songbook Academy Sings the Songs of the Season, with two sold-out concerts by Songbook Academy alumni scheduled Dec. 22 at the center’s Studio Theater.
‘A CHRISTMAS STORY’
Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre’s production of “A Christmas Story: The Musical” runs through Jan. 5 at the Indianapolis venue. For more, visit beefandboards.com.
FEINSTEIN’S CABARET
“A Sinatra Christmas” is set for Dec. 18, followed by “Deception: An Evening of Magic and Lies: Dec. 19 and Frank D’Ambrosio Dec. 21-22 at Feinstein’s cabaret at Hotel Carmichael in Carmel. The performances start at 7:30 p.m. For more, visit feinsteinshc.com.
‘WHITE CHRISTMAS’
Civic Theatre presents “White Christmas” through Dec. 24 at The Tarkington at the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. For more, visit civictheatre.org.
‘FESTIVAL OF CAROLS’
Indianapolis Symphonic Choir’s “Festival of Carols” is set for 8 p.m. Dec. 20 and 3 p.m. Dec. 21-22 at the Palladium at the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. For more, visit thecenterpresents.org.
‘SEUSSICAL’
Carmel Apprentice Theatre’s production of “Seussical” runs through Dec. 22 at The Cat, 254 Veterans Way. For more, visit thecat.biz.
DISPATCHES
‘Nutcracker with a Twist’ set — Ballet INitiative puts its fresh spin on a holiday classic with “Nutcracker with a Twist” Dec. 20-22 at the Basile Theatre at the Historic Athenaeum in Indianapolis. “‘Nutcracker with a Twist’ features multiple styles of dance besides ballet, including tap, contemporary, hip-hop, and plenty of Charlestons and foxtrots,” said Ballet INitiative Executive Director Christina Voreis. For more, visit balletinitiative.org.
‘Voices of Christmas’ concert set — The Indianapolis Opera’s “Voices of Christmas” concert is set for 3 p.m. Dec. 22 at the Basile Opera Center, 4011 N. Pennsylvania St, Indianapolis. The concert includes the Indianapolis Opera Chorus and an appearance by the Indianapolis Youth Orchestra. Tickets are $25.
SONGBOOK FOUNDATION
Songwriter Irving Berlin’s Sohmer transposing piano was donated recently to the Songbook Library & Archives in Carmel. (Photo courtesy of Songbook Foundation)
‘Nutcracker’ returns to Murat
By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com
Indianapolis Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” has been a holiday fixture at the Murat Theatre at Old National Centre in Indianapolis for several years. Althought the story remains the same, it’s always a new look.
INDY BALLET
“The production is staged every year in a similar way, but it is never the same as it is a live performance,” said Victoria Lyras, Indianapolis Ballet’s founding artistic director. “It is a wonderful time of the year to share the love for this art form with our audiences through this magical production.”
Indianapolis Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” will be presented Dec. 19-22. The production has been at the Murat since 2016 except for 2020, when the performance was canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In this year’s production, we feature three ballerinas as the Sugar Plum with three different Cavaliers,” Lyras said. “We also have three Snow Queens with their three Snow Kings. Clara is danced by a student from the Indianapolis School of Ballet and ‘The Nutcracker’ is performed by three different dancers in the company.”
The Nutcracker Tea, featuring characters from the performance, is set for noon Dec. 21 in the Tunisian Room at the Murat Shrine. Those buying Nutcracker Tea tickets receive a 20 percent discount on the same-day matinee tickets.
“The Nutcracker Tea is very popular, especially combining it before our Saturday matinee,” Indianapolis Ballet Executive Director Don Steffy said. “Families receive two holiday experiences in one afternoon — the Tea and the performance of the full-length ‘Nutcracker.’”
For tickets, visit indyballet.org.
ISC to present ‘Festival of Carols’
By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com
Mary Jo Wright has been with the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir for 11 years, but being a member never gets old.
CONCERTS
“I love singing with the choir because it just provides an outlet to do really beautiful music with people that love music as much as I do,” the Carmel resident said. “I’m not professionally trained, but that is not a requirement to be in this choir, although you do have to go through an audition every year for quality control. I love that part of it and it’s challenging.”
Wright said the music changes every year, but the group always performs Handel’s “Hallelujah, From Messiah.” The ISC also annually performs “The Dream Isaiah Saw.”
There will be three performances of the ISC’s “Festival of Carols” at the Palladium at the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. The performances are at 8 p.m. Dec. 20 and 3 p.m. Dec. 21-22. There will be a 7:30 p.m. performance at the Schrott Center for the Arts in Indianapolis.
“We get our Christmas music in October and we start working on it,” Wright said. “It really is the most wonderful time of the year. It’s music we all love and people come to hear it.”
“We usually end the concert with those two songs because it’s a very poignant part of the concerts,” Wright said.
Wright said they are revisiting “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” with longtime award-winning journalist Debby Knox doing the narrator’s part. The Lawrence Central High School choir will do two pieces and join for the final two songs.
Alden Wagaman, a 25-year-old Noblesville resident, is in his first year with the choir.
“It’s something I wanted to do my whole life as a young aspiring musician,” he said. “Being in the Symphonic Choir has been amazing.”
Wagaman, the director of choral activities at Lincoln Middle School in the Pike schools system in Indianapolis, said ISC Artistic Director Eric Stark creates a good grouping of sacred and secular songs.
“There are fast and slow tempos. There is a nice wide variety,” Wagaman said.
For tickets, visit thecenterpresents.org.
CURRENT CRAVINGS LONE PINE
Commentary by Mark LaFay
Lone Pine Steakhouse, 710 S. Range Line Rd., Carmel, is the new bistro on the block featuring a menu full of classic dishes with plenty of personal touches.
Diners can expect some familiar options with steak and frites, chops and seasonal seafood. Or they can venture into some of the dishes where chefs Ben Barnas and Aaron Hansen let it all hang out.
Starters like chicken liver pate with pickled plums, mustard seed and leek strands on crispy semolina toast, or “pizza” mushrooms, are a great way to kick off the meal, followed by either cassoulet, a stew of duck, sausage and beans, or brined and crispy fried Cornish hen for entrees. Even the desserts are scratch made and always change. Don’t forget the beverage program. Owner and Certified Sommelier Josh Mazanowski has curated a great bottle and by-the-glass wine list.
Lone Pine is open from 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; from 5 to 11
PUZZLE ANSWERS
p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday. It is closed Monday.
MOST UNIQUE MENU ITEM
Pizza mushrooms! Eli Creek maitake and oyster mushrooms sautéed in tallow butter with roasted red peppers and pepperoncini, pizza spices, basil aioli, pecorino cheese.
CAN I GET ANOTHER GLASS OF … Ridge Three Valleys
County.
Answers to HOOSIER HODGEPODGE: Teams: BEARS, BENGALS, COLTS, JAGUARS, LIONS, TITANS; Parts: ANCHOR, MOTOR, PROPELLER (ROPE); RUDDER, SAIL; Pickles: DILL, KOSHER, SOUR, SWEET; Orders: BOTTLE, CAN, DRAFT; County: FAIRGROUNDS, JAIL; Home: NOBLESVILLE
Zinfandel, Sonoma
A duck leg, sausage, and beans in a cassoulet (Photo courtesy of Lone Pine)
Lyras Wagaman Wright
Spicy local business
By Marney Simon marney@youarecurrent.com
FOOD
A Bridgewater-based chef, cookbook author and registered dietician has turned her love of cooking into a healthy, problem-solving resolution to one of the hardest questions out there — what’s for dinner?
Michelle Dudash created Spicekick in 2019.
“Dinner is always people’s source of pain — putting dinner on the table that is healthy, delicious and the whole family will eat but doesn’t take a lot of time to prepare,” Dudash said. “As a chef, I love to use spices. You can start with a piece of chicken, but what are you going to do to add flavor to it?”
Dudash was inspired to create seasoning packets similar to what one might find in the grocery store, but without the abundance of salt, sugar and filler that most seasonings have. The result was Spicekick — an array of gluten-free seasoning packets including taco, tuna, chili and sloppy joes designed for one-pot meals — that Dudash said is a “healthy
alternative” to mass-produced seasoning packets.
Dudash started selling her spices in October 2019 at the Carmel farmers market. Once the product proved successful, she began with retail packaging and moved production to a commercial kitchen in Indianapolis.
Spicekick products are sold online and at Fresh Thyme Market, Joe’s Butcher Shop, Market District and other retail locations locally. Find retail locations and online ordering information at spicekick. com.
State’s first L.L. Bean opens
By Lavanya Narayanan NorthIndy@youarecurrent.com
Outdoor gear retailer L.L. Bean opened its first storefront in Indiana Nov. 15 at 4030 E 82nd St, Indianapolis, in the Rivers Edge shopping center.
RETAIL
Founded more than 100 years ago by Leon Leonwood Bean in Freeport, Maine, the company is expanding its physical presence in the Midwest. Outside of Indiana, the brand has already opened three stores each in Illinois and Ohio; two in Wisconsin; and one in Michigan.
“We’ve long enjoyed the support of our Indiana customers, and now they have the opportunity to see, feel and try our high-quality products firsthand while also benefiting from expert advice from our knowledgeable employees, many of whom are outdoor enthusiasts themselves,” said Donna Fruehe, manager of the new Indianapolis store.
L.L. Bean launched as a boot company but now sells everything from coats, totes, flannel, slippers, pajamas and percale sheets.
“Our emphasis is on quality, and our purpose remains to enable people to experience the restorative power of being outside,” Freuehe said. “We like to say that the outside is inside everything we make.”
The new 16,000-square-foot store in Indianapolis is a short drive from Sahm Park and Fort Harrison State Park as well as Geist Reservoir, a popular spot for fishing and kayaking.
“Indiana offers endless opportunities for outdoor adventure, with its 24 state parks and abundant natural spaces,” Fruehe said. Learn more at llbean.com.
Michelle Dudash sells her Spicekick seasoning packets during the summer and winter markets in Carmel. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Dudash)
L.L. Bean held a ribbon cutting ceremony Nov. 15 for the opening of its new store in the Rivers Edge shopping center. (Photos courtesy of L.L. Bean)
That’s a (versatile) wrap
By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com
Tia Cramer wanted more than simply a plain white cranial helmet wrap for her son, Magnus.
INNOVATION
So, she began searching for a company to make a more colorful cranial helmet wrap, which is being used to fix a flat spot on her son’s head.
“The helmet is like a Band-Aid,” Cramer said. “It’s helping to reshape his head. He’ll wear the helmet for four to six months.”
Cramer, a Zionsville resident, started googling cranial helmet wraps. Eventually, she found three area companies, and Carmel-based White Rabbit Wraps quickly returned her call and made the wrap in late October. Cranial Technology in Carmel made the Doc Band brand helmet for the treatment of plagiocephaly.
“I got two sticker designs made,” she said. “My husband works for the Colts, and I wanted to figure out a way to put some blue in it. I asked the graphic designer if she could make it Colts blue, and she did.”
Billie Lou Merriweather, co-owner of White Rabbit Wraps, said the company has made a handful of cranial helmets so far.
“It’s quickly becoming one of the projects we’re most passionate about,” Merriweather said. “Cranial helmet wraps are a wonderful way to add a touch of personal-
ity and joy for families going through what can be a challenging time. It’s incredibly rewarding to see the smiles they bring to parents and kids alike.”
Merriweather said customers are often surprised to learn about the wide range of wraps the company offers.
“While vehicle wraps are our most popular service, we also specialize in wrapping architectural surfaces, like walls and windows, and even industrial equipment,” she said. “Our ability to personalize almost any surface with unique designs opens up so many possibilities, and people love discovering what we can do beyond vehicles.”
For more, visit whiterabbitwraps.com.
Little Star expands offerings
By Marney Simon marney@youarecurrent.com
An Indiana nonprofit that provides applied behavioral analysis therapy services has expanded its offerings at its Carmel location.
Little Star ABA Therapy provides a variety of services to people with autism. Although the center provides daily services to children, the Little Star Psychological Services department is focused on teens and adults who are underserved in the Indianapolis region.
The program assists adults with time management, money management and social skills.
“The psych-services department at Little Star is relatively new. We’ve only been around since 2020,” said Lauryn M. Toby, a behavior analyst, psychologist and vice
president of Psychological Services at Little Star Therapy Center. “We’ve just been slowly trying to grow these services.”
Toby said most people served at Little Star are younger and more impacted by autism symptoms, which often require intensive therapy. But the psychological services program focuses on adolescents and the adults who are in school or have recently finished school but are struggling in certain areas.
“A lot of times with higher-functioning autism or people who are less impacted by their autism symptoms, that doesn’t start to really affect them as significantly until they become adults,” Toby said.
Little Star ABA Therapy is at 12650 Hamilton Crossing Blvd. in Carmel. Additional centers are in Bloomington, Clarksville, Newburgh and West Lafayette. Learn more at littlestaraba.org.
Magnus Cramer wears a cranial helmet with a wrap by White Rabbit Wraps. (Photo courtesy of Tia Cramer)
Evolution of interaction
Commentary by Terry Anker
In the 1994 film “Nell,” two-time Academy Award winning actress Jodie Foster portrayed a young woman isolated in a secluded cabin in the mountains of North Carolina until the only human with whom she’d ever known, her mother and — some might say, captor — dies. Nell lacks the necessary socialization to speak English or understand the basics of social interactions. Years earlier, Patty Duke assumed the role of Helen Keller, the mute, deaf and blind young woman in the 1962 movie “The Miracle Worker,” where teacher Anne Sullivan, blind herself, became tutor to Keller in March of 1887. The animal kingdom is cleaved between the wild and the domesticated. Those creatures that enter this world as the latter are sometimes forced back into the woods. Yet, they never fully transition back to their natural state. We call them feral. Somewhat too uncivilized to be kept indoors and yet not quite instinctive enough to regress to a pre-evolutionary state of being. A dog never
exposed to the touch of a kind human might bite the hand that is attempting to feed it. The cat discarded by an uncaring owner might find great difficulty in reconnecting when a compassionate person attempts to build a relationship. Yet with the onset of winter, both might perish, lacking the necessary traits for survival.
We scold and admonish our youngsters for their supposed inability to interact. The role of isolation in mental health is at the forefront. Yet, if teenagers are trained to interact via handheld technology rather than interpersonal interaction, are we creating a feral child, not quite digital but still not exactly analog? Of the thousands of words they hear and say each day, what percentage of them come from a “real-live” person versus the PlayStation variety? If so, who will teach them to speak human, and when?
Watch and wait
Commentary by Dick Wolfsie
Technology terrifies me. I remember back in the ‘70s being a little confused even about Post-it notes. Did you know they have a sticky side?
HUMOR
Now, I have a major issue with my Apple Watch. I was having the time of my life with it when, with no warning, my watch asked me for my passcode, and then suddenly turned off. My watch had never asked me anything before. In fact, I was the one doing the asking. What day is it? What’s the weather like tomorrow? Who’s winning the Colts game? From my watch, I never heard a word. Not a peep. Do I even have a passcode?
Incredibly, I found it. I entered it carefully. I got a prompt that said my code was wrong. It also said I had to wait 10 minutes before I could try again, which was ironic because I didn’t have a working watch. I have no idea how long 10 minutes is. When my wife Mary Ellen says she’ll be ready to leave for dinner in 10 minutes, I swear it takes a half hour, so I never know who to believe, my wife or the grandfather clock in the living room.
I tried the code again. This time, the watch directed me to attempt logging in again in an hour. What kind of stupid security protection is that? What was I going to do for an hour? Later, my login failed again. Now, it said I had to wait three hours before another attempt. I decided to take in a movie.
I Googled the problem and was informed that I could reset the watch by pressing the side button. There were two side buttons on the watch — but which one to press? I once messed with the wrong wires on my automatic garage door, and everyone else’s door opened in the whole neighborhood — at 3 a.m.
I’m not sure this waiting time is an effective strategy to discourage some-
“I have no idea how long 10 minutes is. When my wife Mary Ellen says she’ll be ready to leave for dinner in 10 minutes, I swear it takes a half hour, so I never know who to believe, my wife or the grandfather clock in the living room.”
– DICK WOLFSIE
one with ill intentions. When I asked my wife out on a first date 45 years ago, she declined, claiming she was too busy, but she encouraged me to try again in three months. And I did. So, apparently, that method does work. Eventually. And what a great idea for home security systems. How about a voiceover to the burglar at your window saying, “I’m sorry, we’re here having dinner. Could you try breaking in again in three days when we are in Bermuda? Our security system just wants to confirm your criminal attempt.” I’m writing this column as I sit in the store where I purchased the watch. The manager told me it would be four hours before I could see the technician. I was very unhappy about the delay, but my watch had a big smile on its face.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR POLICIES
Current Publishing will consider verifiable letters of up to 300 words sent in a Microsoft Word document or in the body of an email. Letters may not be of a campaigning or advertising nature. Letters should be exclusive to Current Publishing. Unsigned letters and letters deemed to be of a libelous nature will not be published. Letter writers will be given once-monthly consideration for publication of submissions. Current Publishing reserves the right to end published audience debate on any topic. Current Publishing reserves the right to edit and shorten for space, grammar, style and spelling, and Current may refuse letters. Send submissions to letters@youarecurrent.com; letters sent to any other email address will not be reviewed. Letters must include the writer’s full name, hometown and daytime telephone number for verification purposes only.
Dick Wolfsie is an author, columnist and speaker. Contact him at wolfsie@aol.com.
LIFESTYLE
5. Exam for Butler MBA hopefuls
9. “Come again?”
13. Nepal setting
14. Prime 47 steak option
15. Sound of laughter
16. Apt anagram for DORMITORY
18. Change one’s story?
19. I-465 road goo
20. “Once ___ a time...”
22. Like an Indy car
25. Uppity one
26. Swampy ground
29. Japanese currency
30. Britney Spears: “Oops!...I ___ It Again” 31. Autocrats of old 33. In no way 36. Beat at the Mini Marathon
37. Apt anagram for WEST-
ERN UNION
39. Mar
40. Make sure
42. “We Have the Meats!” advertiser
43. Pen filler
44. Fishers-to-Omaha dir.
45. Colts stats
46. Arm bone
48. Europe’s longest river
50. UIndy instructor
51. Beatles: “___ the Walrus”
52. Leg hinge
55. Apt anagram for BUTTERFLY
60. Fruit trees
61. Voice quality
62. Clinton’s veep
63. Coagulate
64. Do laps in the Westfield Community Pool
65. At the summit Down
1. Depressed
2. CBS forensic franchise
3. Put on WTHR
4. Photo finish
5. Dog’s warning
6. Late Chinese leader
7. Beach Boys: “I Get ___”
8. ISO pace
9. One of the five Ws for a Current reporter
10. Peter, Paul and Mary: “If I ___ a Hammer”
11. Tuna type
12. Tit for ___
17. Talk, talk, talk
21. Kind of angle
22. Dictionary abbr. 23. Ex-Pacers coach: Slick
24. Buries in a vault
25. Locale
26. It may give a hoot on a farm
27. Using the soapbox
28. Channel with “Family
Feud” reruns
30. Calamitous
32. Proofreader’s mark
34. On the road
35. California coastal region
36. Short race, for short
38. Annapolis inits.
39. 86,400 seconds
41. Bygone airline
43. Company’s receivables
47. Some artists’ studios
48. Easley Winery container
49. Rolex rival
50. Annoying one
51. Tabloid pair
52. Col. Sanders’ chain
53. Indy Eleven’s zero
54. Sense of self
56. A third of tri-
57. Decompose
58. “My man!”
59. Slangy assent Answers on Page 17
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