January 21, 2025 — Carmel by Current Publishing

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

TO HAVE CURRENT DELIVERED TO YOUR PHONE

‘A VISUAL RESISTANCE’

Carmel professor among world’s leading experts in Mongolian art / P10

CHS names court after longtime coach, AD / P3 Shapiro, Wheeler join Carmel Clay school board / P5

Winter Games bring competition to outdoor rink / P8

Restaurant to open inside North End’s historic house / P15

• Direct access to the Monon Trail

• Community Pool & Urban Garden

• State-of-the-art Fitness Center

• Cozy Coffee Shop & Bakery

• COMING SOON! Charming Farm-to-Table Restaurant

LOCATED AT 136 TH AND MERIDIAN

Carmel Winter Games

J anuary 2 4 – 25

This event builds real team spirit through on-ice, non-skating competitive games like:

Human Hungry Hippo

Human Curling Ice Trike Relays

S enso r y-Friendly Skate Day

Wednesday, January 29

A sensory-friendly event for families, especially designed for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sensory Processing Disorder or any type of special need.

Free admission and skate rental for the entire family. Wheelchairs are welcome on the ice and ice walker supports are available to share. Rink will be closed to the general public. Guardians must accompany on ice.

CHS court naming ultimate honor for late coach

By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com

Billy and Dave Shepherd earned the coveted Indiana Mr. Basketball crowns, but their late father, William “Bill” Shepherd, might have gotten an even more noticeable recognition.

BASKETBALL

The Carmel High School basketball court was officially christened Bill Shepherd Court Jan. 11 to honor Shepherd, who was the Greyhounds coach from 1958 to 1970 and served as athletic director for more than three decades, retiring in 1992. He died at age 91 in 2019. The Carmel Clay Schools board of trustees voted Nov. 25, 2024, to name the court after him.

“In the state of Indiana, there is probably no greater honor for a basketball coach,” said Billy, who was named Indiana Mr. Basketball in 1968. “It would be something that would humble him to no end.”

Dave said support for naming the court started building in the last year with the help of several people, including CHS athletic director Jim Inskeep and former CHS athletic directors Lee Lonzo and Bobby Cox. Dave’s sister, Cindy Shepherd McCurdy, helped garner support for it as well.

“Carmel did a fabulous job on this recognition,” McCurdy said. “I’m very humbled. It was well deserved and much appreciated.”

Dave said it’s a fitting tribute to his father.

“Big Bill was a special guy. Much of his life was devoted to Carmel athletics,” Dave said. “People stood up and said it’s time to give him his honor.”

When Dave was a senior in 1970, the Greyhounds reached the state championship game before losing to East Chicago Roosevelt. Dave was named Mr. Basketball, and his father retired as coach to devote time to the growing athletic program.

Clarification — In the Jan. 7 edition of Current in Carmel, a story about Robert and Terri Bogue’s founding of Robust Futures stated the nonprofit’s launch occurred after their son, Alex, died by suicide. This is referring to Terri’s son, Alex Hedlund.

A third son, Steve, a 1979 CHS graduate, played on the first Greyhounds team to win a state title in 1977 as a sophomore.

“(My father) spent a lot of time in the community,” Steve said. “He was heavily involved in the Carmel Dads’ Club. He was involved with all the sports. He knew all the kids’ names.”

Steve said his father was supportive of all the coaches and helped build the girls athletics programs, which grew in the 1970s.

Carmel Dads’ Club president Jack Beery, a 1983 CHS graduate, said Shepherd made a huge impact on Carmel sports and in the community.

“Mr. Shepherd was very instrumental in the creation of Carmel Dads’ Club,” Beery said, “He knew the importance of a strong feeder program and how it set the tone for championship high school teams.”

Carmel won its first 49 state championships under Shepherd’s leadership, with the first being a boys golf state title in 1970.

“As an athlete, you go through ups and downs,” said Steve, the youngest of the

four siblings. “At home, he was more of a father than a coach. That’s another testimony to the man he was. He supported us through the ups and downs. He was loved by a lot of people.”

Shepherd’s wife, Edith, who died in 2011, deserves credit for the support and understanding she gave her busy husband, said McCurdy, a 1972 CHS graduate.

“My mother was Carmel’s biggest fan,” she said.

Under Shepherd, the Greyhounds won their first basketball sectional title in 41 years in 1966. Shepherd would win four more in a row.

The Greyhounds had a 50-game home winning streak from 1967 to 1970.

“I know I never lost a game on Bill Shepherd Court,” Dave said.

Prior to coming to Carmel, Shepherd coached nine seasons at Mitchell High School. A 1945 Indiana All-Star at Hope High School, Shepherd played basketball and baseball at Butler University. He was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975.

Walmart fire — Crews responded to a fire at Walmart on 151st Street and Greyhound Pass in Westfield around 4 p.m. Jan. 13. According to the Westfield Fire Department, a large stack of pallets caught fire near the rear of the building. Crews quickly extinguished the fire and prevented it from spreading into the building. The building was evacuated as crews put out the flames. A thick cloud of black smoke was visible from the road for several miles. The cause remains under investigation and no injuries were reported. Westfield and Carmel fire departments responded to the call.

About us

Founded October 24, 2006, at Carmel, IN Vol. XIX, No. 12

Current Publishing, LLC

525 North End Dr. Ste. 175 Carmel, IN 46032

317.489.4444

Contact the editor

Have a news tip, calendar item or photo to share?

Contact Managing Editor Ann Marie Shambaugh at annmarie@youarecurrent.com or call 317.489.4444. You also may submit information at currentincarmel. com. Our print deadline is eight days prior to publication. Submissions for online accepted daily.

Share your thoughts

Letters to the editor may be sent for consideration to letters@youarecurrent.com. Letters have maximum word count of 300 words. Please include your city of residence and a contact phone number for verification. Current Publishing may refuse letters.

Advertise your business

If you’re interested in reaching the Carmel market (38,529 households), you may obtain more information by emailing ads@youarecurrent.com (subject: Carmel advertising) or by calling 317.847.5022.

Legal advertising legals@youarecurrent.com Obituaries obits@youarecurrent.com

Delivery questions

circulation@youarecurrent.com

Join our community facebook.com/currentincarmel x.com/youarecurrent instagram.com/youarecurrent

Opinions

The views of the columnists in Current in Carmel are their own and do not necessarily reflect the positions of this newspaper.

From left, Sally Shepherd, Dave Shepherd, Cindy Shepherd McCurdy, Steve Shepherd, Billy Shepherd and Connie Shepherd gather on Bill Shepherd Court for the renaming ceremony at halftime of the Carmel High School boys varsity basketball game against Westfield High School. (Photo by Ann Marie Shambaugh)

School board appoints policy liasons

By Ann Marie Shambaugh AnnMarie@youarecurrent.com

The Carmel Clay Schools board of trustees welcomed two new members and made several annual appointments Jan. 13, leaving one board member out of a position he hoped to obtain.

EDUCATION

After being sworn into office, new trustees Jon Shapiro and Kristina Wheeler joined Kristin Kouka and Jennifer Nelson-Williams in a 4-1 vote to reappoint Nelson-Williams and appoint Wheeler as policy liaisons. The decision came after Greg Brown attempted to amend the motion to appoint himself instead of Wheeler.

Brown, the only trustee who ran for office on openly conservative principles, said his two years of experience on the board made him a better fit for the position — which reviews and recommends policy changes — than the newly elected Wheeler. Brown also said his appointment would continue diversity of thought among the liaisons, as he and Louise Jackson, who held the role until her term recently ended, in 2024 were the only two board members to vote against keeping a challenged book on library shelves.

Although the title wasn’t removed, it led the board to reexamine its book removal policy, a process that is ongoing. Before joining the board, Wheeler spoke as a candidate and parent against changing it.

“Now, we’re putting two people in the policy liaison position that have the same view. I’m not criticizing the view; I’m just saying we’re not representing the community as broadly,” Brown said. “I think we need to look for intellectual diversity of thought on this board.”

Nelson-Williams said Wheeler’s experience as an attorney will be helpful in vetting policies. She also said guidance she received at the National School Boards Association conference supports bringing “a fresh perspective” to the role.

Wheeler said she would defer to the majority opinion of the school board on who would fill the liaison role. She also said she was “rather surprised” to already be discussing the book review policy.

“Folks were adamant this wasn’t an issue of book banning in that election,” Wheeler said. “Here we are at 6:15 (p.m.) on Day 1 and we’re talking about the book removal policy.”

Brown’s amendment did not advance.

CARMEL SCHOOL BOARD WELCOMES

2

NEW TRUSTEES

Hamilton County Judge Andrew Bloch, left, swears in Carmel Clay Schools board of trustees member Kristina Wheeler, second from left.

PRIVATE BANKING

Hamilton County Judge Andrew Bloch, left, swears in Carmel Clay School board member Jon Shapiro, second from right.

CCS to review DEI role after coordinator resignation

By Ann Marie Shambaugh AnnMarie@youarecurrent.com

Following the resignation of its first diversity, equity and inclusion coordinator, Carmel Clay Schools will review the role and its responsibilities before deciding whether to fill or alter the position.

EDUCATION

Terri Roberts-Leonard stepped down as CCS DEI coordinator Jan. 17 to focus her efforts on higher education and writing books, according to CCS Director of Communications Emily Bauer.

tion is evaluated.

The CCS school board accepted Roberts-Leonard’s resignation as part of the personnel report approved at the Jan. 13 meeting.

CCS Assistant Superintendent Thomas Oestreich, who is set to become superintendent this summer, said Roberts-Leonard’s job responsibilities will be divided among other administrators as the posi-

“We’re going to (review the position) through the strategic planning process and the focus sessions and listening sessions that I’m going to have as the next superintendent and all wrap that into the strategic planning process,” Oestreich said. “It’s an important position in the district; however, we’re going to take a look at those job responsibilities and see how we can continue to support students at very high levels.”

Oestreich is leading efforts to develop the district’s 2025-28 strategic plan, which outlines vision and goals for CCS for the next three years.

Before joining CCS in December 2020, Roberts-Leonard worked at Franklin College and held positions at several universities. She is the author of a series of children’s books featuring Danda the Panda, and the third installment is expected to be released this year, according to Roberts-Leonard’s website.

PROTECT WHAT YOU’VE BUILT WITH PRIVATE BANKING

Our Private Banking clients receive exceptional personal service and advice from our experts. Private Bankers work with you, and our extended team of Wealth Management specialists, to provide comprehensive lending, investment management and trust services that meet your goals.

Jennifer Phillips

Kip B. Robbins, CFA Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager

Melanie D. Newkirk Vice President and Trust Officer

Roberts-Leonard

Two new members joined the Carmel Clay Schools board of trustees for their first meeting Jan. 13. At the beginning of the meeting, Hamilton County Judge Andrew Bloch conducted a swearing-in ceremony for Jon Shapiro and Kristina Wheeler, who were elected to at-large seats on the board in November 2024. Family members stood alongside both new school board members as they took the oath of office. (Photos by Ann Marie Shambaugh)

Carmel garages go ‘commercial’

By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com

You might not recognize it, but the garage at the home of Carmel residents Tom and Barbara Conlin has a prominent role in a national commercial.

BASKETBALL

The spot features Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark and the character Jake from State Farm, played by Kevin Miles. In it, a young driver had backed out of a garage not realizing it wasn’t open. Clark pops in and says, “Rookie move.”

Barbara said they learned about the insurance company’s interest from a note left on their door saying it wanted to use the garage in a national commercial. She was skeptical until she remembered the home of Brian Hagaman, a Ponds West neighbor, was used for an NBA playoffs promotion earlier in the year. Hagaman had a work connection with the logistics coordinator from Chicago-based scouting firm Levinson Locations.

What the locator liked about the family’s garage is it is L-shaped with two bays on each side.

Barbara said State Farm didn’t initially say who was in the commercial.

“They just referred to them as the talent,” she said. “We found out who the talent was before they got on-site, but they asked us not to reveal that ahead of time, so folks didn’t show up to distract from the filming process.”

The crew came Oct. 20, 2024, a Sunday, to set up and came back the following day to film.

“Monday, they asked us to vacate the property because it was sound sensitive,” she said. “We have a dog, and he can be loud, so we had to leave.”

The couple rented an Airbnb in Broad Ripple for the day, leaving home at 7:30 a.m. during set up.

“They used the inside of the house for the staging and the talent,” Barbara said. “They rearranged our dining room so the executives could view as they were shooting the video and see if they wanted to change anything.”

The Conlins returned in the middle of the day to a neighbor’s house.

“The neighbors sent us pictures throughout the day because they showed up in force,” Barbara said. “There were 10 to 15 vehicles. It was a pretty big production.”

A fake garage door was used to show the damage.

“Our garage door was still there but it was just raised,” Barbara said.

The couple was paid a daily rate to rent the house for two days.

“They threw in some bucks for clean-up,” Barbara said. “They take pictures and put everything back the way it was, so there really wasn’t much clean-up.”

Barbara said they didn’t get to meet Clark or any of the actors.

“They set up catering and lunch tables outside, and one of our neighbors got to interact with the crew and he got to meet Jake from State Farm,” she said.

The commercial at Hagaman’s house was called “Playoff Mode. It’s a Thing.” The commercial was shot during the NBA AllStar Game in Indianapolis in February 2024.

NBA stars, including Damian Lillard and Nikola Jokic and commentator Shaquille O’Neal, were all featured briefly.

“They had to find a location for fans to cheer in the living room,” Hagaman said. “They needed another space for an arcade where Lil Wayne was in. So, they used my living room and garage. The stars were at other locations. But at my house, actors came into acting as a family and threw up popcorn (to the action).”

Like the Conlins, Hagaman had to vacate the house during filming.

“We had snow that day, so they went in a whole different direction because of the snow,” he said. “They were going to have a motorcycle jump over a monster truck, and it all was going to be filmed in our driveway. It was an elaborate scene. With the snow, they canceled that idea and went in and turned my garage into an arcade.”

Hagaman received a parting gift. He got to keep the Pop-A-Shot that was used in the arcade.

Watch the commercial filmed at the Conlin’s at youtu.be/vFBG3OYL9nM

Tom and Barbara Conlin in front of their Carmel garage. (Photo courtesy of Barb Conlin)

OBITUARIES

Egidio M. Martínez Fuenzalida, 103, of Carmel, IN passed away peacefully on January 11th, 2025. Born on May 23, 1921, in Santiago, Chile to Adela Fuenzalida de Martínez and Pedro Martínez García. From a young age he was very athletic, an avid swimmer, a gymnast, cyclist, and soccer player. He also enjoyed horseback riding, which he had the opportunity to perfect during his military service as part of the Chilean cavalry infantry in 1939.

Missouri. In 1984 he and his wife Violeta proudly became American citizens.

As the oldest boy in a family of 8 children, he took charge of the family business following his father’s passing. After a few years of training, two of his younger brothers took over the business, so he could continue his studies. He attended the Facultad de Comercio y Ciencias Económicas at the Universidad Católica de Chile, where he earned a degree in business administration. He was also the oldest member of the university’s gymnastics team. In 1947, Egidio met his sister’s best friend Violeta Gana Navarro. It was love at first sight, and the couple married January 16, 1949, beginning a life journey that lasted 74 years. They settled in Santiago, where he owned and operated several businesses until 1974, when they emigrated to the United States. The family settled in Springfield,

Bettieann Ahern, 92, of Westfield, IN, was called home to the Lord on Monday, January 6, 2025, surrounded by her loving family at St. Vincent Carmel Hospital. She was born on July 19, 1932, in Ottawa, IL, to Frank and Marie McGrath.

Bettieann moved to Indianapolis with her late, loving husband of 60 years, Jack Ahern. Together, they raised a family of six children, ran a local insurance agency for many decades, and were heavily involved in the St. Maria Goretti Catholic church community, where they were founding parishioners. Throughout the Westfield/Carmel community, Bettieann loved to share her gift of turning any stranger into a good friend -- but her greatest joy in life was her strong relationship with her family and God.

Egidio worked at St. John’s Hospital, later Mercy Hospital, until his retirement in 1992. In 2010 the couple moved to Carmel, IN to be closer to their daughter and her family.

Egidio is preceded in death by his beautiful wife, who passed October 4th, 2023. He is survived by his daughters Viviana Koukoulomatis (Dimitri), Odilia Martínez de Gatica (Pedro), who reside in Chile, 3 grandchildren and 7 greatgrandchildren, a brother Enrique Martínez (Blanca), and many nieces and nephews.

Family and close friends will gather to celebrate Egidio’s and Violeta’s long, beautiful lives in a private Mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church, followed immediately with Inurnment at Our Lady of Peace Cemetery 9001 N. Haverstick Road, Indianapolis. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Egidio’s & Violeta’s memory to The O’Connor House online at theoconnorhouse.org and/or to the Merciful Help Center, 1045 W. 146th St., Unit A, Carmel, IN 46032.

Leppert Mortuary & Crematory Services is privileged to assist the family in arrangements.

and cared for -- no matter who they were or how long she’d known them. To us, she was an angel on Earth, and now, she is our guardian angel in Heaven.

In addition to her parents, Bettieann was preceded in death by her husband, Jack; children, Mike Ahern and Sue Roller; brothers Bill (Jean) McGrath and Tom (Wanda) McGrath; and her identical twin, Johanna (Bill) Hawkings.

Survivors include her children, Jack (Brenda) Ahern, Tom Ahern, Lynn (Allen) Collicott, and Pam (Dave) Sidery; sister, Mary Hepburn; her beloved 12 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Let us all remember, “In the end, there are three things that last: Faith, Hope, and Love. And the greatest of these is Love.”

Carmel Winter Games to bring friendly competition to rink

By Lavanya Narayanan news@currentincarmel.com

With the holiday festivities of the Carmel Christkindlmarkt over for the season, the outdoor activities will continue at Carter Green through the Winter Games, set for Jan. 24 and 25.

EVENT

An annual tradition that began in 2019, the Winter Games are a “creative way to bring community members together and engage (The Ice at Carter Green) during the winter months,” according to Kenna Dishmond, City of Carmel community relations specialist. Admission is free.

The city’s goal, Dishmond said, is “to foster a sense of camaraderie through friendly competition and provide a fun and engaging experience for our residents.”

The games will kick off at 6 p.m. Jan. 24 with the Hometown Hero-Olympics, featuring teams from four of Carmel’s city departments which, Dishmond said, “provides a platform for the city’s civic teams to come together for a friendly, spirited competition.”

The Jan. 25 events will showcase competitions between nine teams, each representing a different organization. Games include Hungry Hippo Games, Trike Races and Human Curling.

The second day of competition will feature a Meet the Mascots session from 1 to 3 p.m. at The Ice at Carter Green, during which attendees can interact with local mascots that include Butler University’s Hink, the Indianapolis Indians’ Rowdie and

Kathleen A. “Kathy” Knott, 77 of Carmel, passed away at her home on Tuesday, January 7, 2025 surround by her loving family. Kathy was born July 4, 1947 in Springfield, MA to the late James and Catherine Gray.

the Indy Fuel’s Nitro.

The Carmel Winter Games has always focused on giving back.

“Since its inception, the goal has been not only to host a fun and engaging event but also to support local organizations,” Dishmond said. “Each year, winners of the Carmel Winter Games are given the opportunity to choose one of six Carmel-based organizations to receive the event proceeds. The charities are selected based on their impact in the community. We aim to support causes that make a meaningful difference in Carmel and help enrich the lives of its residents.”

Learn more at carmel.in.gov.

and traveling with her husband. Family was a very important part of her life; she loved being a mother and grandmother.

Bettieann would often say, “My favorite pastime is prayer.” She loved spending time praying, tending to her flower garden, and hosting lovely gatherings for her family and friends. Bettieann was a lighthouse to many people. She had a special quality of making anyone she encountered feel special, loved

Family and friends will gather on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at 10 am in St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church, where the Memorial Mass will be conducted at 11 am. Bussell Family Funerals is privileged to assist the family in arrangements.

Kathy was a nursing graduate of St. Luke’s Hospital, Pittsfield, MA. She was a nurse for 50 years. From 1987-2012 she was a nurse at St. Vincent Carmel Hospital. Before moving to Carmel, Kathy was a nurse at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Atlanta, GA. Kathy loved helping people, nursing was a natural fit.

Kathy enjoyed spending time at the beach

Family and friends are invited to gather on Thursday, January 23 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm at Flanner Buchanan-Carmel, where a service celebrating Kathy’s life will follow at 4:00 pm.

Kathy is survived by her husband of 53 years, Doug; sons, Matthew J. Knott and Brian D. (wife, Tatum Garofolo) Knott; granddaughter, Gemma Knott. She was preceded in death by her son, Adam D. Knott and her sister, Maureen Scanlon.

A human curling participant slides across the ice. (Photo courtesy of the City of Carmel)

Noblesville senior balances basketball, travel softball

By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com

Brookelyn Grayson’s collegiate future is on the softball diamond.

But for now, she is enjoying her final season on the Noblesville High School girls basketball team.

“I love the girls and atmosphere,” said Grayson, who will play softball for Duke University next season. “We’ve been really successful, and this year we were kind of the underdog. A lot of people counted us out. We have a better record than we did at this time last year. This year has been fun to be a part of.”

Grayson, a 5-foot-5 backup guard, encourages younger girls to be versatile.

“You can be really good at your main sport, but if you enjoy basketball, or even another sport, you can still develop and play that sport,” Grayson said.

Grayson doesn’t play high school softball but concentrates on travel softball. She plays for the Indiana Shockwaves’ 18-and-under team, coached by her father Tommy Grayson. Her older sister, Cameron, is a sophomore pitcher for the University of

BROOKELYN GRAYSON

Favorite athlete: Sydney

McLaughlin-Levrone

Favorite TV show: “The Vampire Diaries”

Favorite musician: Rihanna

Favorite vacation spot: California

Minnesota.

During basketball season, Grayson and the Shockwaves practice Sundays at Indiana Baseball Academy.

Brookelyn Grayson primarily plays shortstop but also can play second or third base. She batted .570 for the Shockwaves last season as the team’s leadoff hitter.

“I like hitting leadoff because I’m the

Brookelyn Grayson, who signed to play softball for Duke University, plays basketball for Noblesville High School and travel softball. (Photo courtesy of Callie Grayson)

first one out there,” she said. “I think my (softball) IQ is really high, so I can see the pitcher’s spin and what she’s trying to do, whether she is trying to work one side of the plate or try to mix it up. Even if I don’t get a hit or get on, I can try to help my teammates have an advantage when they come to bat.”

She said playing travel softball is an advantage because the Shockwaves play in tournaments in the South during the spring.

“Schools in the South play high school softball in the fall instead of spring,” she

said. “We get a team of girls who don’t play high school softball and we go down to Georgia maybe once every three weeks or once a month. I’m still getting live at-bats and more reps.”

Grayson said she chose Duke because it has strong academic and athletic programs.

“I was getting a top 10 education with a top 10 softball program,” said Grayson, who plans to major in biology and pursue a career in dentistry.

She is working on sharpening her softball skills.

“Once I get to Duke, I know I am going to have to prove myself, because they are at such a high level, I’m going to have to make an impact right away if I’m going to see playing time,” she said. “My goal is to work on my game and continue to be a leader on my team. From a hitting standpoint, I want to make sure I am hitting the ball hard.”

Grayson, a first-degree black belt in Taekwondo, began playing softball when she was 5 years old.

To nominate a high school student for Athlete of the Week, contact mark@ youarecurrent.com.

‘A VISUAL RESISTANCE’

Carmel professor among world’s leading experts in Mongolian art

By Les Morris news@currentincarmel.com

One of the world’s leading experts in Mongolian art enjoys finding beauty in her new hometown of Carmel.

Orna Tsultem and her husband, Ron, moved to the city in March 2020, only weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic closed the world. She was a professor at the University of Iceland in Reykjavik and moved to the Indianapolis area to begin a position as an associate professor and the Edgar and Dorothy Fehnel chair in international studies at the Herron School of Art + Design.

“I’m feeling so fortunate that we found this beautiful place surrounded by all the trees and parks we have here,” she said. “We enjoy living in Carmel and all the landscapes we have.”

Tsultem’s heritage traces to Mongolia, an Asian nation between Russia and China. Her father, Nyam-Osoryn Tsultem (1924-2001), was a renowned Mongolian artist and an innovator of an iconoclastic painting style known as Mongol Zurag.

As a tribute to her father and to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his birth, Tsultem recently organized a Mongol Zurag exhibition in Venice. The exhibit, “Mongol Zurag: the Art of Resistance,” was displayed April through November 2024 and showed 25 paintings by four artists, including her father.

Mongolia’s geography is key to its modern political history and art. The Mongolian Revolution in 1921, backed by the Soviet Union, ended the Chinese government’s occupation of Mongolia and led to the formation of the Mongolian People’s Republic in 1924, which was essentially a Soviet satellite state.

Communism ruled in Mongolia until 1990, when the waves of political and economic reform in the Soviet Union that began in the late 1980s, known as perestroika, spread to Mongolia. The nation became Asia’s first to successfully transition from communism to a democracy.

Until that political upheaval, Moscow control applied to Mongolian art, too. The Mongol Zurag style rose up in opposition to that.

“It was a visual resistance against mainstream Russian influence,” Tsultem said of the movement that developed in the 1950s and 1960s.

The style is notable for its flat, nonlinear quality and emphasis on Buddhist symbols, such as clouds, flames and fire. Buddhism is Mongolia’s dominant religion but was not permitted to be represented artistically in the Soviet mainstream style.

Painting in the opposition Mongol Zurag style was not without personal risks, and Tsultem’s father also painted in the conventional socialist realism style.

“But he was concerned about the heritage, the tradition and the dominant influence of Moscow,” Tsultem said of her father.

Assembly of Clouds,” a 1974 painting by NyamOsoryn Tsultem, Orna Tulstem’s father. (Photo courtesy of Orna Tsultem)

The spirit of resistance inherent in Mongol Zurag art continues today, albeit with a different emphasis. Current Mongol Zurag artists respond to pressing global issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic, environmental concerns and political failures worldwide.

Tsultem grew up in Mongolia the youngest of four children. She’d watch as her father complete painting after painting. She’d wash his brushes after each painting was finished. Today, her three siblings are practicing artists in Mongolia.

She was the outlier who went into academia. She lived in Mongolia until 2002, when she moved to Berkeley, Calif. She received a doctorate in art history from the University of California at Berkeley, where she also served as a

Orna Tsultem’s awards, fellowships and grants include:

• IU Presidential Arts and Humanities Inaugural Fellow, 2022-2024

• IUPUI Arts and Humanities Institute Research Grant, 2022

• Enhanced Mentoring Program with Opportunities for Ways to Excel in Research (EM-POWER) grant, IUPUI, 2021

• Alice and Robert Schloss Faculty Support Fund Award, 2021

• College Art Association Publication Award, 2019

lecturer in the history of art department. Her dissertation was focused on Mongolian Buddhist art between the 17th to 20th centuries.

The Venice exhibition received funding support from an Indiana University Presidential Grant and from Herron. Tsultem was present for the exhibit’s opening and closing ceremonies.

ON THE COVER: Orna Tsultem at the closing of the “Mongol Zurag: the Art of Resistance” exhibit in Venice, Italy. (Photo courtesy of Coriolis Company)

Orna Tsultem is an associate professor and the Edgar and Dorothy Fehnel chair in international studies at the Herron School of Art + Design. (Photo courtesy of Coriolis Company)

Cheap Trick founder to promote vodka brand in Carmel visit

By Ken Severson editorial@youarecurrent.com

Even when he talks on the phone, Cheap Trick founder and lead guitarist Rick Nielsen wears his trademark baseball cap and jacket.

And that’s what he’ll wear for his appearance from 1 to 4 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Niemann Harvest Market in Carmel, to promote his new spirit, ROCK’N Vodka.

Nielsen will sign bottles of ROCK’N Vodka and possibly flick guitar picks at customers, too, another trademark of the veteran rocker who used to toss used picks at concert goers in the 1970s.

This isn’t the first time Nielsen has invested in a business.

An investor in the Hard Rock Casino in his hometown of Rockford, Ill., and a longtime owner of Piece Brewery & Pizzeria in Chicago, Nielsen partnered with ROCK’N Vodka founders Andy and Isabelle Roiniotis in 2020 to help the married couple establish the brand and lift the community.

“I wanted other people to have jobs,” Nielsen said. “And good quality vodka and ROCK’N Vodka is the hottest new vodka on the market.”

ROCK’N Vodka has won several awards for quality, which Andy Roiniotis attributes to a unique distilling process incorporating sugar cane.

“There’s only a few sugar cane vodkas in the world,” Roiniotis said. “Our customers are going to get a top-shelf vodka at a reasonable price.”

Nielsen initially started out as a spokesperson but is now an equal investor.

“He’s been amazing for our brand,” Roiniotis said.

Few bands in the world have toured more than Cheap Trick.

Formed in 1973 in Rockport, Ill., Cheap Trick has toured nonstop for six decades and performed more than 5,000 shows. Throughout its history, the band has

played venues ranging from bowling alleys to rib fests to Olympic arena.

“I’ve been playing longer than Cheap Trick,” said Nielsen, 76. “I’m too dumb to quit.”

Cheap Trick, whose hits include “Surrender,” I Want You to Want me” and “Dream Police,” was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.

On the personal front, Nielsen recently finished playing some gigs with his family band, The Nielsen Trust, with his sons Miles and Daxx.

“I still play all the time and just played three straight nights,” Nielsen said. “I like what I do, and I like when other people like it.”

And he’s still throwing out those ubiquitous guitar picks of all colors and designs.

Cheap Trick returns to the area Aug. 9 when it opens for Rod Stewart at Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville.

As for the Carmel event, Nielsen will sign bottles of vodka and visitors can bring their hat and jacket.

“I’ll be there,” Nielsen said. “Just take your cap and jacket off.”

IF YOU GO

WHO: Rick Nielsen, founding member of Cheap Trick

WHAT: ROCK’N Vodka bottle signing

WHERE: Niemann Harvest Market, 2140 E. 116th St., Carmel

WHEN: 1 to 4 p.m. Jan. 25

Customers are encouraged to arrive early and there will be a cutoff point. Prizes will be awarded. Nielsen will sign bottles purchased and one other item. For more, visit rocknvodkas.com

‘MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS’

“Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express” runs through Feb. 9 at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre in Indianapolis. For more, visit beefandboards.com.

‘EVOLUTION

OF JONI MITCHELL’

“The Evolution of Joni Mitchell Starring Lauren Fox” is set for 8 p.m. Jan. 24 at the Palladium at the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. For more, visit thecenterpresents.org.

‘DESCENDANTS THE MUSICAL’

The Drama Dept. presents “Descendants The Musical” Jan. 24-26 at The Cat, 254 Veterans Way, Carmel. For more, visit thecat.biz.

‘BREAKIN’ CLASSICAL’

Carmel Symphony Orchestra will be joined by breakdancers from FLY Dance Company at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Palladium at the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. For more, visit thecenterpresents.org.

WYNTON MARSALIS

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis is set for 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Palladium at the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. For more, visit thecenterpresents.org.

FEINSTEIN’S CABARET

“The Magic of David Ranalli” is set for Jan. 23 with comedian-musician Heyward Banks Jan. 24-25 at Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael in Carmel. All three performances are at 7:30 p.m. For more, feinsteinshc.com.

DISPATCH

CIDE’s 25th anniversary gala set — To commemorate its 25th anniversary, Central Indiana Dance Ensemble will host an anniversary gala Jan. 25 at Iron & Ember in Carmel. The event will be emceed by Carmel City Councilor Jeff Worrell and will include refreshments and a performance by the senior company. Proceeds will support the future growth of the nonprofit. For tickets, visit cidedance.org/25th-anniversary-gala.

Cheap Trick founder and lead guitarist Rick Nielsen will sign ROCK’N Vodka bottles. (Photo courtesy of ROCK’N Vodka)

Cirque du Soleil shows set

By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com

Emily McCarthy saw her first Cirque du Soleil performance when she was 12 and immediately knew she wanted to be part of it one day.

PERFORMANCES

By age 16 in 2012, she had joined the Canadian-based entertainment company.

McCarthy is an acrobat on Cirque du Soleil’s “CRYSTAL,” which will be on the ice Jan. 2326 at the Fishers Event Center.

McCarthy started gymnastics at age 6 and moved to acrobatic gymnastics when she was 11. She competed for the Great Britain team for acrobatics from ages 13 to 16.

McCarthy has been a part of the creation of “CRYSTAL,” which started in 2017.

“I play one of the Crystals. The male Crystal is an ice skater and I do an act called hand-to-trapeze, which blends the acrobatic skills and ice skating together,” McCarthy said. “It’s a beautiful number where Crystal gets to tell a piece of the story.”

McCarthy said the story is very relatable.

“Not just for young women, but for every human being that has felt like they

Emily McCarthy is an acrobat in Cirque du Soleil’s “CRYSTAL.” (Photo courtesy of

don’t fit in or feel misunderstood. That’s the narrative of Crystal’s story,” she said.

“She doesn’t fit in at school and her family thinks she’s a bit weird. The whole show she is trying to figure out who she is and find the love for herself and find the beauty of the quirks. I do love the show for that reason. I also get to blend my acro-sport background and my arial skills.”

Besides ice dancing, pairs and solo skating, synchro and extreme skating, there are more than seven Cirque du Soleil disciplines in the show, including banquine, handto-hand, acro/tumbling, juggling, trapeze, poles, chair balancing and aerial straps. For more, visit fisherseventcenter.com.

CSO presents ‘Breakin’ Classical’

By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com

Growing up in Paris, Mélisse Brunet always stopped to watch the breakdancers in the streets. However, Brunet never dreamed she would conduct a concert with breakdancers.

PERFORMANCE

classical music with breakdance, so it’s interesting for me to combine the two with some of the most popular classical music,” she said. “It will be songs everybody knows, and then there is going to be some breakdancing on top of it.”

The Carmel Symphony Orchestra will perform with FLY Dance Co., an all-male theatrical hip-hop group from Houston, for “Breakin’ Classical” at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. Brunet is the guest conductor.

“It is mesmerizing to see two very distinctly different art forms combine for a totally new experience,” CSO Executive Director Anne Marie Chastain said. “This is exactly what is needed to ignite the senses during the winter months.”

Brunet said the breakdancing competition in the Summer Olympics in Paris last year renewed interest in the art form.

“I love dance, but you don’t see a lot of

Brunet

Brunet said to have hip-hop breakdance mixed with orchestra brings a lot of communities together.

“Breakdancing is an art form, which is real physical,” said Brunet, who will have three hours to rehearse with the dance company earlier on the day of the performance. The music will be timed to give the dancers rest.

“You cannot have them dance nonstop, otherwise we would have dead men instead of dancing men,” she said. “We’ll alternate with big classical tunes that people will know from movies or commercials or on the radio. (They are) very beautiful melodies.”

One piece will be Georges Bizet’s “Carmen Suite,” which celebrates its 250th anniversary in March.

For more, visit carmelsymphony.org.

Cirque du Soleil)

Pianist ready for Carnegie

By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com

For pianist Clare Longendyke, this won’t be just any concert appearance.

MUSIC

The Fishers resident and flutist Lindsey Goodman will perform at 8 p.m. Jan. 24 in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in New York City.

“Carnegie Hall is such a recognized venue and name that every musician hopes to have their moment on the stage,” Longendyke said. “I’m excited (my moment) is aligning with a wonderful collaborative colleague in Lindsey and sharing music. It’s going to be a formative moment and I’m very much looking forward to it.”

past two years.

“This is the second project we’ve worked on together and the most extensive project we’ve been able to undertake together as far as number of performances (and) there was a CD recording,” Longendyke said.

This concert will feature selections from their 2024 Navona Records release, “In the Company of Music.”

“Navona is a very well-respected label for new recordings by living composers,” Longendyke said. “They were able to prioritize this project and then get us a spot at Carnegie.”

Longendyke said there are pieces for flute and piano and pieces for solo flute.

Longendyke said Weill Hall is known as a chamber music hall.

“So, it’s a more intimate setting,” she said. “A duo is perfect for Weill Hall.”

Longendyke was on Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall stage as a Boston University choir member several years ago.

Longendyke and Goodman, based in Columbus, Ohio, have collaborated for the

“I’m doing a world premiere of a solo piano piece by Los Angeles-based composer Dika Chartoff, called ‘Retrospects in Reverb,’” she said.

Longendyke, who has a master’s degree and doctorate from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, has lived in Fishers since 2022. She previously lived on the north side of Indianapolis.

For more, visit clarelongendyke.com.

AAA Hoosier Motor Club named official partner of Devour Indy

editorial@youarecurrent.com

The Indiana Restaurant and Lodging Association recently announced that AAA Hoosier Motor Club is the official partner of the Devour Indy Restaurant Week. The partnership highlights AAA’s commitment to supporting local businesses and enriching the vibrant culinary landscape of central Indiana and beyond, according to the organization.

DINING

Devour Indy Restaurant Week, the premier dining event in Indianapolis, brings together food enthusiasts to experience special menus and exclusive offerings from some of the city’s top restaurants. The event runs Jan. 20 to Feb. 2 and showcases the culinary talents of participating establishments while driving community engagement and economic growth.

“We are proud to partner with AAA Hoosier Motor Club as the official sponsor of Devour Indy,” stated Patrick Tamm, president/CEO of InRLA. “Their dedication to sup-

porting local businesses and enhancing the experiences of Hoosiers aligns perfectly with the mission of Devour Indy. Together, we’re creating an event that not only celebrates our city’s thriving hospitality scene but also strengthens our community.”

As the official partner, AAA Hoosier Motor Club will play an integral role in promoting Devour Indy, bringing its resources and extensive membership network to support participating restaurants. AAA members also will enjoy special perks, including a sneak peek of restaurant menus prior to the public launch.

“AAA Hoosier Motor Club has a longstanding tradition of advocating for local businesses and enriching the lives of our members,” stated Matt Goins, president/ CEO of AAA Hoosier Motor Club. “Partnering with Devour Indy is a natural extension of our commitment to the central Indiana community, and we are excited to help highlight the incredible culinary talent our region has to offer.”

For more, visit devourindy.com.

1.9% FINANCING for up to 72 months based on approved credit for the 2024 Forester. Expires 1/31/25

Longendyke

Alternate View joins City Center

By Les Morris news@currentincarmel.com

OPTOMETRY

You’re not staring at some type of screen as you read this story. But many people are, and that’s the problem, according to Mollie Tavel Kaback, owner of Alternate View, the new upscale lifestyle eye experience that opened last month in Carmel.

“In today’s digitally focused environment, adults are spending at least eight hours a day staring at a screen that causes us to reduce our blinks and that leads to dry eyes,” Kaback said.

It’s become such an issue that every customer at Alternate View, in the new Wren Building at Carmel City Center, will be screened for dry eyes as part of the business’ comprehensive eye care services. Kaback envisions Alternate View as nothing less than a paradigm shift in eye care services.

“Alternate View was designed to take a different approach, a lifestyle approach, and to reposition eyecare as not solely a medical experience but as a lifestyle and

self-care experience,” Kaback said.

She certainly has the professional experience and bloodlines to understand the market. Her grandfather, Dr. David Tavel, started his eponymous eye care business in downtown Indianapolis in 1940. The family’s second generation, Mollie’s father Dr. Larry Tavel and her uncle Dr. Alan Tavel built on that foundation. Mollie, 36, worked in the business for five years.

The two other pillars of Alternate View’s offerings in addition to dry eye care are comprehensive eye exams and “facial-adjacent” treatments. Microneedling, lash cleaning and non-surgical lid lifting services will also be available.

For more, visit alternateview.com.

Alternate View offers a variety of glasses. (Photo courtesy of Mollie Tavel Kaback)

Freeland’s coming to North End

By Les Morris news@currentincarmel.com

An Indianapolis restaurateur who has earned national acclaim is opening a new spot in a historic house in Carmel.

RESTAURANT

Freeland’s at North End, a sister restaurant to Tom Main’s award-winning Tinker Street on E. 16th Street in Indianapolis, is expected to open at 875 Freeland Way in the North End mixed-use community by the end of the month in a two-story house built in 1845. Initially, dinner service will be available five to six nights a week.

It’s been a multiyear journey to reach the finish line, one Main didn’t always think he had it in him to undertake.

Main, who launched Puccini’s Pizza Pasta in March 1991 and Tinker Street in early 2015, said the COVID-19 pandemic dealt such a blow to the industry that he almost didn’t reopen Tinker Street.

Still, he said, when the business outlook brightened as the nation was coming out of the pandemic, he was intrigued by what was happening in Hamilton County.

In June 2021, Main met with a commercial real estate broker representing Old Town Companies, which developed North End. He remembers telling the broker there would be a less than 1 percent chance he’d be interested in moving forward.

“I was really at the point that I wasn’t going to open up another restaurant,” said Main, a North Central High School alum. “I’d had enough. This just seemed like an excellent opportunity.”

The most attractive part of that opportunity for Main, 67, was the ability for his new restaurant to offer work opportunities to adults with special needs living at North End. Forty units are set aside in the

Freeland’s is set to open this month at 875 Freeland Way. (Photo by Ann Marie Shambaugh)

development’s apartment buildings for residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Some of those residents work in the neighborhood’s Fields Market Garden, a nonprofit urban garden steps from the new restaurant. Freeland’s has made a commitment to purchase at least 50 percent of the garden’s output.

Matt Hamilton will serve as executive chef at Freeland’s. A Fort Wayne native, he attended culinary school in Chicago and has worked in fine restaurants from Alaska to Texas.

For Hamilton, food is a gateway to culture and a sense of place.

“I love the idea of thinking about why cuisines are like they are,” he said. “With Freeland’s at North End, we want to look at the roots of what Midwestern cuisine is.”

The menu, with two or three new dishes rotating in every month, will feature familiar foods with different ingredients to emphasize various locales.

Hamilton said his team “wants to lean into the history of the house” and is sourcing vintage china to use in place settings, among other period pieces.

Learn more at instagram.com/freelands. restaurant.

DISPATCHES

Telamon leadership change — Alex Herpin has become president of industrial solutions for Carmel-based Telamon Corporation. Herpin succeeds Tom Puza, who left the company to pursue other opportunities. In his expanded role, Herpin will oversee the direction and P&L performance of the Industrial Solutions business unit, advancing Telamon’s mission to deliver solutions to its global customers. Learn more at Telamon.com.

Merchants Bank hire — Merchants Bank has hired George Wilson as an agricultural lender to serve Hamilton County and the surrounding area. Wilson will be based out of the company’s headquarters in Carmel. A specialist with more than 40 years of experience in agricultural finance, farm machinery and consumer sales, Wilson will support Merchants’ lending team by advising current and prospective customers on their agribusiness and family farming needs. He is a graduate of Purdue University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture economics.

Blueprint for Improvement: Effortless elegance

Commentary by Larry Greene

Built in 1999 in Carmel’s Laurel Lakes neighborhood, this home’s kitchen was due for a contemporary facelift. Our team envisioned a timeless transformation featuring a classic palette, thoughtful storage solutions and strategic appliance placements, resulting in a functional and effortlessly elegant space.

THE BLUEPRINT

• A classic palette featuring tones of white, taupe and gray offers a versatile backdrop that adapts beautifully to evolving trends.

• Organic warmth is introduced through wood barstools, seagrass dining chairs and iron accents.

• Functionality is significantly enhanced by relocating the range off the island, providing additional prep and entertaining space.

• The removal of an impractical desk makes way for additional cabinetry, streamlining sight lines and increasing counter and storage space.

• The design is elegantly finished with a double-basin apron front sink, crown molding and brushed nickel hardware, bringing both charm and practicality to the forefront of this kitchen transformation.

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.

READER’S VIEW

Mail does not sit for days in Carmel post office

Editor,

As president of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 888, which represents city letter carriers in nine area offices, including Carmel and Fishers, I want to clear up a couple of things from your Jan. 7 article.

Every piece of first-class mail that arrives in our office goes out for delivery that day. Every piece of mail that is dropped in a collection box, handed to a clerk at the counter, or given to a letter carrier on the street will leave our office for delivery that day. I have seen supervisors drive outgoing letters downtown late into the night, long after everyone has gone home, to ensure the mail collected that day went out. Mail would not sit in our office for eight days as stated in the article; there is no situation where that has or would happen.

Unfortunately, once it leaves our office and heads downtown for processing, it is out of our hands. All we can do is deliver the thousands of pieces of mail we receive

that day and send out every letter we collect, which we do every day.

I understand the frustration, as I mail almost all my bills, and our union does a lot of mailings. I have occasionally seen unusual, seemingly inexplicable delays. Occasionally, a multitude of issues can cause delays, especially as the postal service is in the process of modernizing its network. However, considering the amount of mail processed daily, it is still remarkable the speed and accuracy of nearly everything sent and received.

I would just like to stress the issue is not in your local office. I can assure you that in the Carmel office and the other eight area offices I represent, we have dedicated letter carriers, clerks and maintenance workers (working) through extreme weather, pandemics, staffing shortages or whatever is thrown at us when given the tools to take pride in serving our communities.

Josh Armacost, president of NALC Branch 888

The science is clear

Commentary by Jeff Worrell

As we continue our journey toward enhanced civility, science offers compelling evidence why I am focusing on gratitude to kick off the new year and believe it should be at the heart of our community initiatives. Recent research reveals that gratitude isn’t simply a pleasant sentiment — it’s a powerful force that can transform both individual well-being and community dynamics.

CIVILITY

According to the Neuroscience of Gratitude Research, an online compilation of work by various scientists, using advanced brain imaging has shown that gratitude activates areas in the brain associated with moral cognition, reward and social bonding. When we express or receive gratitude, our brains release dopamine and serotonin, neurotransmitters that immediately enhance our mood and promote lasting positive feelings. This biological response explains why grateful interactions in our community — whether at Carmel Porchfest

or during city council meetings — create lasting positive impressions.

Mental and Physical Benefits Studies from Harvard Medical School and UCLA demonstrate that regularly practicing gratitude can reduce stress levels by up to 23 percent, improve sleep quality, decrease anxiety and depression symptoms and increase overall life satisfaction. Individual benefits directly contribute to a communitywide healthy atmosphere in Carmel.

As we build a more civil Carmel, the science is clear: gratitude isn’t just a niceto-have — it’s a must-have foundation for community wellbeing. By understanding and applying these research findings, we can create lasting positive change in our community, one grateful interaction at a time.

Jeff Worrell is a Carmel City Council member and a civility proponent. To contact him, you may email jeff4civility@gmail.com.

Blast from my comedy past

Commentary by Dick Wolfsie

Thanks to an old friend, Bob, who, while researching a story about our high school alma mater, New Rochelle High School, found online an old student newspaper where I had written a humor column — possibly the first I had ever attempted.

Here it is, word for word. Be kind. I was barely 17 years old. Typos and misspellings are as they were. Catch any?

ROAMING AROUND

By Dick Wolfsie (Sept. 5, 1964)

Teachers at this school are distorting world history. Rome fell due to a traffic problem.

In 478 B.C., the problem created by thousands of chariots was unbearable. Maximus Speedlimit attempted the first solution to the problem—the license plate. Although many generals applauded the idea, the problem remained. Since Roman numerals were used exclusively, the plates were so long that everybody went into the snow plowing business.

(Note from me in the present day. I should mention here that it hardly ever snows in Rome, and no Roman Empire existed in 478 BC. Also, Mary Ellen told me no one would get that joke. I wish she had told me that 61 years ago.)

Unable to cope with the traffic problem, one famous general invented parking meters. However, soldiers wearing those funny skirts had no pockets for coins and often had their chariots towed away.

( A note from me: If I had that Google machine back then, I would have known that these skirts were called pteruges.) The Romana then invented the stop

sign. Traffic never moved. Romans waited for the sign to say GO. As you can see, nothing helped. They revoked all junior licenses and painted a white line down the Apian Way. They started breeding horses with less car power.

Finally, in the year 476, the Romans pleaded to their friends, The Huns, for help.

“Dear Huney,” Maximus wrote, “Please come to our aid.” The Huns’ plan called for an unmarked chariot to catch traffic offenders, but when that did not work, they decided to march to Rome. They were then confused by the funny-shaped signs telling them to stop. They were frightened by a brigade of snow plows, and the white line down the Apian Way confused them.

Soon, their friendliness returned to hostility. They saw slave girls standing near the meters. Some of the generals thought that for a few coins, the girls would go somewhere and park with them. This misunderstanding touched off the Gallic War.

To sum up, our teachers at this school are teaching us baloney. This was the real cause of the fall of the Roman Empire.

***

I know the column isn’t very funny. I wonder if I have improved as a writer over 61 years. When Bob sent me the article, he mentioned reading my stuff weekly on the Internet.

“You haven’t changed,” he said. “You’re the same Dick Wolfsie you’ve always been.”

Well, I guess that answers my question.

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

/ MUD ROOM

Trade shows and other events offer prime opportunities to showcase your brand and products, while cultivating valuable customer relationships. That’s a tall order, but the marketing communications experts at AlphaGraphics are here to help.

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.

NOTICE TO TAXPAYERS CARMEL, INDIANA

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS FROM THE PARKS CAPITAL FUND (FUND#103)

Ordinance D-2756-25

Notice is hereby given to the taxpayers of the City of Carmel, Hamilton County, Indiana, that the proper legal officers of the City of Carmel, at their regular meeting place at Carmel City Hall, One Civic Square, Council Chambers at 6 p.m. on the 3rd day of February 2025, will consider the following appropriation in excess of the budget for 2025:

$1,249,700 from the Parks Capital Fund (Fund #103) To Parks Capital Fund (Fund #103): Line Item 4462000– Other Structure Improvements$1,249,700

The source of revenue for the above is the Parks Capital Fund (#103).

Taxpayers appearing at the meeting shall have a right to be heard. The additional appropriation as finally made will be referred to the Department of Local Government Finance. The Department will make a written determination as to the sufficiency of funds within fifteen (15) days of receipt of a certified copy of the action taken.

Jacob Quinn, Clerk

NOTICE TO TAXPAYERS CARMEL, INDIANA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS FROM THE PARKS IMPACT FEE FUND (FUND#106) Ordinance D-2757-25

$784,424.96 from the Parks Impact Fee Fund (Fund #106) To Parks Impact Fee Fund (Fund #106): Line Item 4460715 – White River Corridor - $784,424.96 The source of revenue for the above is the Parks Impact Fee (Fund #106).

Jacob Quinn, Clerk

Cheers to sparkling wines

Commentary by Terry Anker

ESSAY

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE CARMEL PLAN COMMISSION

Docket No. PZ-2024-00237 PP and PZ-202400238 V and PZ-2024-00239 SW

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Carmel Plan Commission will conduct a meeting on the February 18, 2025 at 6:00 p.m., at the Carmel City Hall, Council Chambers, One Civic Square, 2nd Floor, Carmel, IN 46032, to hold a Public Hearing upon a PP & V & SW application for the applicant seeks primary plat approval, a design standards waiver, and a development standards variance for a new subdivision consisting of 4 lots on 7.2 acres that front and have access via a private drive. The site is location at 1225 E. 116th St. It is zoned R-11/ Residential and is not location within an overlay zone.

The property address is: 1225 E. 116th St., Carmel, IN 46032.

The application is identified as Docket No. Docket No. PZ-2024-00237 PP and PZ-202400238 V and PZ-2024-00239 SW

The real estate affected by said application is described as follows: Parcel #: 17-13-01-00-00007.000.

All interested persons desiring to present their views on the above application, either in writing or verbally, will be given an opportunity to be heard at the above mentioned time and place Petitioner Name: Swinley Forest, LLC

NOTICE TO TAXPAYERS CARMEL, INDIANA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS FROM THE GENERAL FUND (FUND#101) Ordinance D-2758-25

$800,000 from the General Fund (Fund #101) To Fire Department (Fund #1120): Line Item 4112002– Unscheduled Staff Overtime$800,000

The source of revenue for the above is the General Fund (#101).

Some among us are halfway through a journey of “dry” January. Whether it is overindulgence, a desire to meet the New Year’s resolution of lower body fat or a need to jump on the bandwagon, many are giving up their favorite cocktails, wine and even beer for the month. While some might argue that taking a pass on imbibing adult beverages for 2.5 days per month works out about the same, devotees are committed to the cause and talking about it.

As such, it may be the wrong time to opine about hooch. Abstinence is on the rise. We’re all hoping to be better versions of ourselves. This is necessarily good. Still, “Tiny bubbles in the wine. Make me happy. Make me feel fine.” How can we survive for a month without them? 1970s Hawaiian singer Don Ho indelibly imprinted these simple, almost sing-songy lyrics — and they have remained a hallmark of his era and of South Pacific culture.

But did he tap into something more important? Why do bubbles make us happy? They tickle our noses and signal that nothing serious is about to happen. There have been few fistfights ever recorded in champagne bars. So, if whiskey tends to fuel our more aggressive natures (American author and champion drinker Ernest Hemingway once posited, “Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk -- that will teach you to keep your mouth shut.”), does sparkling wine make us a better version of ourselves?

Maybe it is the alcohol and only the alcohol that lifts our spirits. But unlike the hard stuff, where the intention may be inebriation, do sparkling wines lift our spirits more because of what they signal or the punch that they deliver? Is the cork pop a starting pistol for celebration?

Terry Anker is an associate editor of Current Publishing, LLC. You may email him at terry@youarecurrent. com.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE CITY OF CARMEL PLAN COMMISSION

Docket Number PZ-2024-00241 ADLS and Docket Number PZ-2024-00242 DP NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Carmel Plan Commission will conduct a meeting on the 18th day of February, 2025 at 6:00 o’clock p.m., at the Carmel City Hall, Council Chambers, One Civic Square, 2nd Floor, Carmel, IN 46032, to hold a Public Hearing regarding an application identified by Docket Numbers PZ-2024-00241 ADLS and PZ-2024-00242 DP seeking architectural design, lighting, landscaping and signage (ADLS) and development plan (DP) approval (collectively, the “Request”).

The subject site includes the parcels that are identified by the Auditor of Hamilton County, Indiana as Tax Parcel Identification Numbers 16-10-31-00-00-002.202; 16-10-31-00-00-001.000; 16-10-31-00-00003.000; 16-10-31-00-00-002.402 and 16-10-31-00-00-002.412, which parcels consist of approximately 33 acres which are located south of and adjacent to City Center Drive along the east and west sides of Kinzer Avenue (the “Real Estate”).

The Real Estate is currently zoned pursuant to the “2024 Gramercy PUD Amendment Ordinance, Ordinance”, No. 695-24 and the Real Estate is also referred to as “Gramercy East”.

The ADLS request pertains specifically to the multi-family (Section C) buildings to be constructed within the Gramercy East development on approximately 13.5 acres of the Real Estate that is located along the east side of Kinzer Avenue and south of City Center Drive.

The DP request pertains specifically to the urban residential component of the Gramercy East development consisting of the development plans for the townhomes, multi-family and mixed-use buildings to be situated on approximately 19.3 acres of the Real Estate that is located at the southeast corner of City Center Drive and Kinzer Avenue.

The Request and the associated plans and exhibits may be examined on the City’s website, through Public Documents – Laser Fische.

All interested persons desiring to present their views on the above Request are encouraged to submit written comments to bbutler@carmel.in.gov, up to 4:00 p.m. the day of the meeting, via email to Bric Butler Administrative Assistant City of Carmel Plan Commission, and/or, present their comments in-person by attending at this Plan Commission meeting. The Public Hearing may be continued from time to time as may be found necessary.

City of Carmel, Indiana: Bric Butler, City of Carmel Plan Commission Administrative Assistant Carmel City Hall One Civic Square

Carmel, IN 46032

Phone: (317) 571-2416

Email: bbutler@carmel.in.gov

Attorney for Applicant Buckingham Properties, LLC:

Jim Shinaver, Attorney

Jon Dobosiewicz, Professional Land Planner

Nelson & Frankenberger, LLC

550 Congressional Blvd., Suite 210

Carmel, IN 46032

Across

1. “Who’s there?” reply

6. Fever or Colts, e.g.

10. Birth-related

11. Planets’ paths

14. *”No more delays!”

16. Circuit 17. F1 neighbor

18. Practice for the Indiana Golden Gloves

20. Boone County Fair barn mom

21. Pie ___ mode

23. Sends an invitation for 25. Ludicrous

27. “Sorta” suffix

28. King Wok soup

29. Chaos

31. Robber

33. *”My Heart Will Go On” singer

35. Disreputable

37. Leniency

38. White River snakelike fish

39. Letter #26

41. Giraffes’ cousins

45. Mason’s tool

47. FedEx rival

48. IND posting

49. Employ

50. Mass Ave public art: “___ Dancing”

52. Turn upside down

53. *116th St. bagel guys

57. Sketched again

58. Make ___ of (botch)

59. Lays down the lawn

60. “Old MacDonald” refrain...and a hint to the answers of the starred clues Down

1. Visiting, so to speak

2. Some Chevy SUVs

3. Big first for a baby

4. Fire & Flow Yoga class need

5. Col. Lilly

6. Little piggies

7. Jong and Wheeler

8. Tummy muscles

9. Belarus capital

12. Rotation on some tennis shots

13. Wrap snugly 15. ___ culpa

16. Hawaiian garland

19. House top

21. Study closely 22. Jeans maker Strauss

24. Running gags, e.g.

26. Attention-getting sound

27. Frozen treat

30. “My treat!”

32. Georgetown athlete

33. Dieter’s concern

34. Let fall

35. Adam’s third son

36. Spookier

40. Tickled pink

42. First female Speaker of the House

43. “That’s correct”

44. Tree fluid

46. Meanders

47. Half of bi-

51. Defunct Indy newspaper

52. At no cost

54. Sellout letters

55. Scot’s denial

56. Fat stat, briefly Answers on Page 23

WE DO CONTACTLESS EXTERIOR ESTIMATES

Trim/Remove

Nationwide Homeowners Protection Agency LLC (NHPA LLC) is here to protect its members’ rights owning homes in an HOA. NHPA will force your HOA and/or Management Company to do the what’s expected of them. NHPA represents its members against all issues involving your HOA. Become a member today at www.nhpallc.com and Let us handle your HOA issues.

Grinding

Gutter Cleaning

kennel maintenance, and other duties, as assigned. Starting $15/hr. Exceptional customer service and good communication skills via in-person interaction. Team Member availability includes weekdays, weekends, and holidays. Interested candidates submit resume to: huntclubkennel@gmail.com.