August 1, 2023 — Lawrence/Geist

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Founded Jan. 27, 2015, at Fishers, IN Vol. IX, No. 26

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30 South Range Line Road Carmel, IN 46032 317.489.4444

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Lawrence council discusses ongoing court case

By Leila Kheiry leila@youarecurrent.com

An ongoing court case between City of Lawrence Mayor Steve Collier’s administration and the Lawrence Common Council was the main topic of discussion during the July 19 council meeting.

GOVERNMENT

During the time for council member comments, Councilmember Rick Wells said he had recently found out through a city employee and then through a Current article that the council had added Fire Chief Dino Batalis as a co-defendant in the council’s counterclaim against the mayor’s administration.

“I’ve made most of the recent meetings,” Wells said. “I know this situation has been brought up, but I don’t recall any decision made that the fire chief be named.”

Council President Tyrrell Giles said the issue of new Fire Station 38’s bay doors was extremely important to the council, so much so that the council specified what kind of doors were to be installed. in the 2021 bond ordinance funding that construction

“The fire chief decided to write a letter in defense of some of the other issues that were going on with the administration, and in doing that he admitted that he ignored our direction,” Giles said. “(It’s) another example that the directive of this council has not been followed.”

Giles said he supported adding Batalis to the council’s counterclaims to back up the council’s authority. The council voted in a previous meeting to allow the council’s attorney to file motions related to the lawsuit, working with Giles.

The council’s attorney, Kristina Wheel-

er, said the court has indicated that the council can add the claim if it chooses, and said that the fire chief had not been served with a claim. She also cautioned the council against discussing ongoing litigation in a public forum, which effectively ended discussion of the issue.

The fire chief was added as a co-defendant through an updated motion from the council submitted to the court for consideration. The presiding judge on the fivejudge panel, Kurt Eisgruber, approved the update on July 13. A summons for Batalis was approved on July 17. According to court records, the summons states: “You are hereby notified that you have been sued by the person named as counter-petitioner and in the court indicated above.”

The counter-petitioners named in the summons are all nine members of the Lawrence Common Council: Giles, Wells, Sherron Freeman, Maria Rusomaroff, Tom Shevlot, Lauren Russel, Lisa Chavis, Shawn Denney and Deborah Whitfield.

In its amended motion, the council notes that during discussions in 2021 about the new Fire Station 38, the council expressly supported including four-fold bay doors that could be opened in the event of a power outage. That stipulation was included in the bond language, according to the motion. City officials later chose overhead doors, citing significant cost differences.

Collier’s administration filed a petition March 23 in Marion County Superior Court over the council’s decision to appropriate $250,000 to investigate who was at fault when the city’s 2022 budget was not submitted to the state by deadline in late fall

CORRECTION

The news report regarding candidates for the City of Lawrence Nov. 7 municipal election did not include newly filed Lawrence Common Council District 1 candidate Carl Barnett, a Republican who was nominated by the Marion County Republican Party chair. Bar-

of 2021 and reverted to the previous year’s budget. The council started the investigation in late 2022, early 2023 after learning that the city had been operating for all of 2022 under the 2021 spending plan.

Collier’s petition asks the court to declare the appropriation null and void, based on state statutes that say an appropriation cannot be made without the mayor’s recommendation. Collier’s petition also asks the court to rule that the council was at fault for the 2022 budget issue because it allegedly failed to provide details needed for that budget to be submitted on time.

In its response to the petition, the council alleges that through the petition and other actions, Collier’s administration is attempting to avoid investigation. The council’s lengthy response denied specific allegations in the mayor’s March 23 petition and included counterclaims against the mayor’s office.

For more stories on this topic, search for “Lawrence Court Case” at youarecurrent. com.

Also during the July 19 meeting, the council postponed action on a proposal that calls for about $3 million of the city’s American Rescue Plan Act funds to be spent on a variety of city projects. The council has repeatedly postponed action on that proposal while waiting for the Finance Committee to review it. The first committee review was on July 10. The council decided later that same night to refer the proposal to a committee of the whole, which is not yet scheduled to meet.

Freeman had been a cosponsor of the proposal, but she asked that her name be removed. Shevlot is the sole sponsor remaining.

nett’s name was not included in the original information available after the deadline on the Marion County elections website. Candidate information provided by Marion County was updated after the original story was published.

DISPATCH

Geist Christian Church plans event for women — Geist Christian Church is hosting a women’s event Sept. 30, with keynote speaker Julie Butchtenkirch. Butchtenkirch “is a writer and speaker who uses humor and inspirational messages so that we, as women, are able to see ourselves as God sees us — empowered, loved, and called to live the abundant life that He has

planned for us,” according to an announcement from the church. The event will be held at Geist Christian Church’s Promise Road campus at 12756 Promise Rd. from 9:30 am until 2 pm. There is no cost to attend, but donations will be accepted. Registration should be completed by Sept. 15 at geistchristian.org/ womensministry.

Wells Giles

Heartland Film Festival moved to Lawrence earlier this year.

(File photo)

Heartland Film Festival among the 25 ‘coolest’

By Leila Kheiry leila@youarecurrent.com

A HEALTH NETWORK THAT PUTS YOU AT THE CENTER.

Lawrence-based Heartland Film Festival and its Indy Shorts Film Festival both made MovieMaker Magazine’s list of the 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World for 2023.

AWARDS

“We’re thrilled that moviegoers, filmmakers and industry alike all feel welcomed and enjoy their time at our two festivals in Indianapolis,” Heartland stated in an announcement. “Join us this year and you can be cool, too!”

In the entry for Heartland Film Festival, the magazine stated that festival organizers show they really care about filmmakers.

“The events and parties took place all around Indianapolis in cool and modern places,” the magazine stated. “One of the parties took place at a bowling alley, and it was such a great way to meet and mingle with filmmakers while playing a game.”

The magazine states that the 31-year-old Heartland Film Festival has a team that defines the word cool, combining Midwestern hospitality with “sublime taste.”

Heartland Film Festival’s 2023 festival is set for Oct. 5-15.

Heartland’s six-day Indy Shorts Film Festival, which wrapped up July 23, started six years ago to highlight short films. MovieMaker Magazine noted the Indy Shorts’ strong programming and the great prize money available to reward filmmakers.

“Along with Heartland, it’s one of our ’50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee,’” the magazine stated.

Heartland Film Festival moved this year from the Fountain Square area in Indianapolis to the Sterrett Center, 8950 Otis Ave., in Lawrence. An official ribbon cutting for the festival’s new headquarters was in February.

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Lawrence PD plans National Night Out

By Leila Kheiry leila@youarecurrent.com

BE COOL!

POLICE

The City of Lawrence Police Department will participate in the Aug. 1 National Night Out, a nationwide effort to build relationships between communities and law enforcement.

LPD Director of Crime Prevention Lisa Harvey said that traditionally, National Night Out events are held within a local police department, but in Lawrence, officers go out to the neighborhoods.

“My favorite part of National Night Out is the camaraderie,” she said in a city video about the event. “Being able to laugh and talk and see the kids playing, seeing the kids ask questions, and the officers really interacting with the neighborhood.”

LPD Chief Curtis Bigsbee said some neighborhoods host barbecues with music and games for National Night Out.

“It’s all about building relationships, building trust and building that commit-

Officers and public officials participating in the event will convoy to neighborhoods throughout Lawrence. The locations and times for different neighborhood visits are:

• Benjamin Court: 5:30-6:30 p.m.

• Benjamin Square, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

• Winding Ridge, 6-8:30 p.m.

• Lenox, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

• Watson Farms, 6-8 p.m.

• Maplewood MHP, 5-8 p.m.

• Trilobi Hills, 6:30-8 p.m.

Lawrence Police Department officers will visit neighborhoods throughout the community Aug. 1 for the National Night Out event.

(Photo courtesy of the City of Lawrence)

• River Oaks, 6-7:30 p.m.

• CAFÉ, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

• Franklin Apartments (Indy Realty), 5:30-7:30 p.m.

• Heritage Place at Parkview Apartments, 6-8 p.m.

• Kensington Farms, 6-8 p.m.

• Eagle Pines, 6:30-8 p.m.

• Fox Pointe, 5-9 p.m.

• Wickshire Fort Harris, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

• Historic Standish Estates, 6-8 p.m.

• Arbors Condos, 6-8 p.m.

• Boston Commons, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

• Laurel Oaks, 6-8 p.m.

Bigsbee

Lawrence honors citizen, officers

By Leila Kheiry leila@youarecurrent.com

The City of Lawrence Police Merit Commission honored three individuals during its July meeting for providing lifesaving assistance to a man trapped under a vehicle.

RECOGNITION

During the meeting, LPD Deputy Chief Gary Woodruff told the commission that on June 2, officers Tyler Morgan and Jason Heiney responded to a residence in Lawrence following a report of a person trapped under a car. Officers found the victim pinned beneath a vehicle on a sloped driveway, Woodruff said, and that person had sustained injuries.

“Officers were concerned about attempting to lift the vehicle due to the slope and risk of causing more serious injuries,” Woodruff said.

That’s when Israel Lara Ponce, a bystander, stepped in to help.

“Mr. Ponce selflessly went to the front of the vehicle where he, Officer Heiney and Officer Morgan lifted the vehicle off of the victim,” Woodruff said. “It gave him just

enough room that he was able to free himself from under the vehicle and roll away from it and receive treatment from medics.”

Police Chief Curtis Bigsbee also lauded the three men’s actions.

“It’s great when we have citizens who will go out of their way to help assist our officers, and for our officers to take immediate action,” he said. “I’m happy that we’re here tonight to recognize not only the citizen but the officers.”

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The Lawrence Police Merit Commission honored Israel Lara Ponce and police officers Tyler Morgan and Jason Heiney, for rescuing a man trapped under a car. Back, from left, are Ron Christiansen, Kathy Walton, Bob Hendrickson and Charles Wheeler; and front, from left, Deputy Chief Gary Woodruff, Israel Lara Ponce, Officer Tyler Morgan, Officer Jason Heiney and Chief Curtis Bigsbee. (Photo courtesy of the City of Lawrence)

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Geist Half Marathon & 5K is fast approaching

By Leila Kheiry leila@youarecurrent.com

The change from spring to fall was a strategic decision, McSoley added.

new Geist Waterfront Park.”

EVENT

Although the race is still a little more than a month away, registration for the annual Geist Half Marathon & 5K on Sept. 16 has been ongoing for about nine months.

The race, which was founded about 15 years ago, has gone through some changes in the past year. The two biggest changes are that it now is organized by the City of Fishers, and it switched from its traditional May timeframe to September.

Jake Reardon McSoley is director of recreation and wellness for the City of Fishers. He said the group that previously organized the annual race approached the city about taking it on.

“We went through some productive conversations for the better part of six months and ultimately came to a really good place,” he said. “We were able to open registration around the holidays.”

McSoley said it’s typical for longer races to open registration early. It allows participants to plan and train in the months leading up to the run.

“We did quite a deep dive with the past board and learned that they actually had interest in exploring that prior to the pandemic and had heard some input from the community,” he said, noting that September works better for families. “Every month is busy, but May might be especially busy (and the) second part of May is especially busy to try to get a race done, so September felt like it might be a little cleaner.”

He said the May race date was also too close to the popular Indianapolis Mini Marathon, part of the Indy 500 Festival.

“There’s just not a lot of folks that are excited to do two mini-marathons two weeks apart,” McSoley said. “We felt like this gave us a chance to really engage a broader community.”

What has not changed for the Geist half marathon is the course. McSoley said they decided it’s pretty great as is.

“There’s more than 14 opportunities for runners and walkers to see the beautiful Geist Reservoir and get great vistas of the water,” he said. “We got a lot of great feedback that the course was awesome, just

the way it was.”

The 5K course, though, will have a slight change, which McSoley said should improve the experience.

“There was a section of the 5K in the past that really was added in just to get to the correct mileage,” he said. “It was a little bit awkward in that it was in and out of sort of like a cul de sac area of a neighborhood. We were able to cut that part out, but then we were able to add in the brand-

City of Fishers Community and Public Relations Assistant Director Stephanie Perry said the Geist Half Marathon & 5K is special for many reasons.

“It’s the 15th annual race, so this is a community tradition that has been around for over a decade and it’s really important to the Geist community where it started to really showcase their neighborhoods and their beautiful scenery, but it’s really become a Fishers tradition,” she said. “And being the only half-marathon in Fishers, it’s a really exciting opportunity for everyone to kind of come together. It’s not just about the runners and walkers — you have people who will come outside their house cheering others on, (and) with the addition of the Geist Waterfront Park this year, that’s a new spot that people can gather and cheer. So it’s so much community support and involvement, which is really exciting.”

More information about the Geist Half Marathon and 5K, including how to register, is online at geisthalf.com. You can also find information by searching for Geist Half on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Participants in a previous Geist Half Marathon leave the starting line. (Photo courtesy of the City of Fishers)

State chamber ranks lawmakers

By Matthew Kent matthew@youarecurrent.com

percent, according to the Legislative Vote Analysis report.

The chamber said the success or failure of 37 key pro-economy, pro-jobs policies — introduced in bills or amendments — was used to determine lawmakers’ scores.

POLITICS

Indiana Chamber of Commerce officials said they were pleased with state lawmakers, including those from Hamilton County, after the General Assembly session concluded in the spring.

The Indiana Chamber released its annual Legislative Vote Analysis that scores state legislators on how they voted on important business legislation during the session. All but one local legislator representing Hamilton County fared well this year.

State Rep. Chuck Goodrich, R-Noblesville, received a grade of 86 percent this year, up from 81 percent a year ago. State Sen. Scott Baldwin, R-Noblesville, received a grade of 92 percent, a boost from the 85 percent he received last year.

State Rep. Donna Schaibley, a Republican who represents northeastern Boone County and western Hamilton County, received a grade of 85% this year, up from the 77% she received in 2022. A Democratic freshman lawmaker from Fishers, Victoria Garcia Wilburn, received a grade of 59

Garcia Wilburn voted against nine of the House bills that were supported by the chamber, according to the report. She supported all but two Senate bills backed by the chamber, the report says.

Bills included for examination in the Legislative Vote Analysis are tied to the Indiana Chamber’s economic development initiative known as Indiana Vision 2025, officials said.

Legislation included in the report includes the state budget; tax relief for pass-through entities; state pension investments and environmental social governance matters; auto-enrollment in the 21st Century Scholars program; and mandatory completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid for high school students.

For more, visit indianachamber.com/ wp-content/uploads/2023/07/LegVoteAnalysis2023.pdf.

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MYSTERY SNAPSHOT CHALLENGE

Hey there, folks! Take a good look at this zoomed-in image we’ve snagged from a spot in Lawrence. We want you to channel your inner Sherlock and head over to youarecurrent.com/mysterysnapshot to submit your best guess about where this photo was taken. Ready for the challenge? Check back next week for the answer.

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Lawrence Community Park was the site of the city’s recent Fourth of July festivities. (Photo by Leila Kheiry)

MYSTERY SNAPSHOT CHALLENGE JULY 25 SOLUTION

A NEW CHAPTER

After decades of planning, state-of-the-art IPL branch to open Aug. 19

By Leila Kheiry leila@youarecurrent.com

The Fort Ben Branch of the Indianapolis Public Library is nearing completion following a little more than a year of construction and about two decades of planning.

The grand opening for the Fort Ben Branch at 9330 East 56th St. is set for 10 a.m. Aug. 19, with a ribbon cutting, cake, music and activities lasting through 4:30 p.m.

Branch Manager Shelby Peak said that leading up to the big day, she and library staff will be busy moving into their new home.

“We’re unpacking supplies, and the collections (are) arriving next week,” she said in a late-July interview. “So, we’ll be spending the next several weeks shelving books and getting all those fine details ironed out.”

Peak said they broke ground on the Fort Ben Branch in April of 2022.

“But plans for this branch have been in the works for over 20 years,” she said. “It’s been a long time coming. There have been some people who’ve grown up waiting for this library.”

Peak said that when Fort Benjamin Harrison closed in the mid-90s and the land given back to the community, residents in Lawrence said they wanted — among other amenities — a new library at the former fort site. There were various reasons for the delay in fulfilling that, she said — including the COVID-19 pandemic — but now, those plans are finally coming to fruition.

There has been a Lawrence-area library branch at 7898 Hague Rd., and that branch will remain open. Peak said the area is large enough to warrant two libraries.

“It opens the door for a lot of potential now that we have more staff and more resources for the community,” she said. “The current Lawrence branch will not close. They will continue to operate like they have been. We have just split the area a little bit between the two branches so that way we can provide better service.”

Peak said they hope to strengthen their current work with the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township and form

new partnerships with various nonprofits serving Lawrence.

“I have spent the last 18 months being out in the community and getting to know some of the organizations in the area and just seeing where the need is, because we do have some underserved populations that really struggle to get to (the library),” she said. “Having a physical location in the area

is going to be a big deal for a lot of the folks here, because it’s a lot easier to get to us by bus, through biking or even walking, in addition to driving.”

Peak said the new branch will have about 22,000 gross square feet holding about 50,000 titles in its collection. The library branch will aim for energy efficiency, with a rooftop solar electricity system, and it

A WELCOMING SPACE FOR ALL

The Fort Ben Branch of the Indianapolis Public Library system is working toward becoming a certified autism center, said Branch Manager Shelby Peak.

Staff is undergoing training now to better serve patrons on the autism spectrum, or those with sensory needs. Peak said she hopes the certification will be in place by the time the branch opens Aug. 19, but if not, it will be very soon after.

“It’s going to be a useful tool to empower our staff to see what programs could we modify to be more inclusive and sensory friendly? How are we publicizing our events? Are we including

offers study rooms, a community meeting room with space for up to 100 people, computer access and spaces for children, teens and adults.

The Fort Ben Branch also will include a special display about Fort Benjamin Harrison’s history with images and information. Peak said that was something brought up at community meetings during the planning stages for the new branch, and the library wanted to make it happen for residents.

“There will be a few familiar elements for those that grew up in the area, and so they’ll definitely feel that nostalgia from the time when the fort was active,” she said. “But we’re hoping that everyone will be able to pick up on something new through the exhibit.”

When the new branch opens Aug. 19, it will officially become the Indianapolis Public Library system’s 25th location.

“I’m looking forward to finally welcoming people into the (library branch) and really seeing just what other potential is there,” Peak said. “We are working really hard to make sure that we are providing an accessible and inclusive space and that everyone is welcome.”

The $14.3 million Fort Ben Branch project was funded through bonds approved by the Indianapolis City-County Council. Peak said the bonds did not lead to any increase in the city’s debt service tax rate.

For more, visit indypl.org/locations/fort-ben

ON THE COVER: The Fort Ben Branch, the newest branch of the Indianapolis Public Library, opens Aug 19. (Photo courtesy of Indianapolis Public Library)

general sensory information that will be helpful? And even just personal interactions when they’re checking out books or using the computers,” she said. “I think a big step in the library’s commitment to being more accessible and inclusive.”

Once the certification is in place, she said, the Fort Ben Branch will be only the second library in the United States to have completed this level of training.

The training is through the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards. For more, visit ibcces.org.

The adult seating area is one of the amenities at the Fort Ben Branch, the newest branch of the Indianapolis Public Library. (Photo courtesy of Indianapolis Public Library)

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ESSAY

Each day, it seems our technologies deluge us with an array of would-be crooks, ready to steal our hard-earned cash or even our very identities. Through subterfuge and guile, they get us to give that which they could not get, at least not without our agreement: personal information. This kind of crime, as could be supposed, is the same as many others in that the criminal employs deceit and manipulation rather than pistol and dagger. Theft by prevarication may do no less harm to the victim than one at knife point. Sure, most of us would rather suffer the humiliation of an empty bank account than suffer a stab wound, but the emotional damage caused should not be underestimated.

Almost all the Hallmark Channel movies remind us of the danger of a “stolen” heart. Some handsome Lothario or lovely Maleficent wiles their way into the good graces of the naïve, unassuming hayseed. Ultimately, the ruse is exposed, and hard lessons learned. The cardiac muscle is not actually taken but the trusting nature of the mark is forever changed, hardened. We wrongly give away our hearts. They are not robbed.

It is said that once educated, no one can take the knowledge from us. But does the nature of what it means to hold knowledge shift as time passes? Can we go from being a computer expert and a decade later become obsolete? Can Father Time steal our skills just as easily as our youth? Or do we have the opportunity to replace our waning talents by updating or new learning? Is vigilance always required? Clicking on a link in a random email, falling in love too hard or too quickly, and believing that we have completed our education once the degree is in-hand — each opens us welcomingly to invited thievery.

Warming up to icy travel plan

Commentary by Danielle Wilson

Avid readers may recall my family’s December 2022 vacation competition, when we each pitched a potential destination (within a given budget and timeframe, of course) and then voted on our favorite. Our younger son won with his beautiful PowerPoint presentation of Iceland and a promise of Northern Lights and breathtaking landscape (in case you’re wondering, I finished dead last with my Costa Rica all-inclusive. Whatever. My kids are idiots).

HUMOR

So, we purchased airline tickets out of Chicago, booked an Airbnb and wasted many a weekend searching for affordable snowmobiling and volcano tours (of which there are none). But in May, I learned I’d be attending a teaching conference in Seattle that ended less than 25 hours before our pseudo-Arctic adventure began. It seemed silly for me to fly home when I could just reschedule my flight to meet everyone in Reykjavik. So, that’s what I did. Obviously.

This meant that for the first time in nearly 25 years, I prepared for a big trip with only me in mind. I know! No pre-buying plane snacks for picky eaters, no making sure everyone has clean clothes and appropriate footwear and no triaging electronics chargers and sunscreen on the kitchen table. Tough stuff, offspring! You’re on your own!

And that made a huge difference in my stress level. Managing one person, it turns out, is way simpler than wrangling four young adults (and on occasion, a man-child husband) as they prep for international travel. Packing, passports, protein bars — not my problem.

I still wish our destination was a tropical paradise with unlimited Rum Runners, but fjords and glaciers are cool, too. Iceland, here I come. Alone. Peace out.

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

There’s an app for that?

Commentary by Dick Wolfsie

I subscribe to several health publications, and most of them offer some advice on avoiding medical scams. A few years ago, a dermatologist in Southern California avoided jail time by the skin of his teeth. He had been marketing an app for smartphones that emitted a bluish light, which he claimed would cure acne. Dr. Smith sold about 20,000 of these. Now, ironically, he has a blotch on his once-unblemished medical record.

Most of the experts agreed that these lights can’t hurt you, but if a kid is holding his Android or iPhone against his pimply nose while driving, he’s likely to back the Volvo into a mailbox. No instructions were provided with the app, so one of the difficulties was knowing exactly how far from the problem area to hold the device. Some of Dr. Smith’s accomplices — I mean, associates — are now thinking of adding a GPS, a global pimple searcher, that will automatically zero in on any facial imperfections.

Nine out of 10 teenagers with zits will believe anything you tell them if they think it will clear up their faces. That is why I spent most of the ninth grade with lemon wedges and a heating pad on my forehead at night. Another researcher was equally concerned, noting, “I am worried about this because bacteria on the phone could lead to other skin infections.” Wait! There are germs on cellphones? That’s the last time I’ll hold my iPhone between my teeth while

I make a U-turn.

The app emitted 660 nanometers of light, which anyone with a post-doctoral degree in laser technology knows can’t hold a candle to a good glob of Clearasil. If you are one of those people who paid five bucks for this cyber rip-off, it still might not be a bad idea to rub the smartphone across your forehead. Maybe the smart part will rub off on you.

Even the people at Apple were concerned about the legitimacy of this application, warning customers that it’s “for entertainment purposes only.” Yes, this warning comes from the same people who now offer an app to notify you if you’re going to have a bad hair day, or one that tells you the best time to hit the john during a movie so you don’t miss any plot development, which I have used with great success.

Dr. Smith claimed if he had gone to jail, he would have taken the punishment like a man. He’s been directed by his PR people to say, “Breaking out is not an option.”

His wife was worried that even a short prison sentence would jeopardize their marriage. Dr. Smith confirmed their love. “She’s my main squeeze,” the dermatologist told everyone. Which is not something his PR agency wanted him to say.

POLICIES

Letters

“Wait! There are germs on cellphones?

That’s the last time I’ll hold my iPhone between my teeth while I make a U-turn.”

– DICK WOLFSIE

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

Versatile duo set for Carmel Jazz Fest performance

By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com

Bethany Robinson is confident the inaugural Carmel Jazz Fest will spark more interest in jazz year-round.

‘SOPHISTICATED LADIES’

“Sophisticated Ladies” runs through Aug. 20 at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre in Indianapolis. For more, visit beefandboards.com.

FEINSTEIN’S CABARET

CONCERT

“This will provide different options to hear live jazz,” she said. “Hopefully, it will spark interest in people coming to The Jazz Kitchen.”

The Noblesville High School music teacher said it will benefit her students to have opportunities to see several different jazz bands perform during the festival because so much jazz is played in 21-and-older bars or clubs.

“I’m really excited to get my students to as many events as possible,” she said.

Robinson and Sarah Scharbrough will perform from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 11 in the Carmel Jazz Fest at The Tarkington at the Center for the Performing Arts. The twoday festival, held at indoor and outdoor venues, ends Aug. 12.

“It will be my first time playing The Tarkington and I’m most excited to be playing among Indiana jazz legends,” said Scharbrough, who lives in Noblesville. “Bethany and I pull from our backgrounds incorporating jazz standards, pop classics with twists and I write lots of original tunes for our performances.”

Scharbrough said the two started performing together in 2009 and have played hundreds of times together.

“I think a fun thing that happens when we’re together is that we both bring our training — reading, lessons, disciplined musical study and then allow our ears and intuition to bend that construct,” Scharbrough said. “It’s a fun mashup of planned and off the cuff. We enjoy playing all kinds of events and styles. This coming event will have more of a jazz vibe but, per normal, with our own take on it. It’s going to be fun.”

Robinson said they will play some of Scharbrough’s original songs and some of their favorite jazz standards.

Robinson, who plays upright and electric bass, said keyboardist Scharbrough performs lead vocals. Robinson provides backup vocals.

Scharbrough’s husband, Jeff McLaughlin, a Westfield High School music teacher, will play drums for the group during the festival. Scharbrough’s brother, Stephen, plays guitar.

Robinson plays with different groups and artists around the Indianapolis area, including Katherine Nagy, who performs folk, Americana music and Irish music.

“Bass is so versatile that the thing that I love about it is I can play every genre any night of the week,” Robinson said. “It’s really fun to play so many different types of music.”

Robinson, a Fishers resident, is the Noblesville High School jazz band program director and assistant band director. She has been with the school district for 18 years.

Scharbrough’s daughter was a freshman in Robinson’s jazz band this past school year.

As a Yamaha Performing Artist, Yamaha

sponsors Robinson when she speaks at music conferences or as a guest artist at schools.

“I spend a lot of evenings and weekends not being bored,” she said. “Most of the time I’m able to do it around my school schedule and don’t have to take time off.”

Robinson was the 2022 Grammy Music Educator Award finalist. She was the 2015 Noblesville Schools Teacher of the Year and 2014 Indiana Jazz Educator of the Year.

Jazz groups from the University of Indianapolis, Butler University, Ball State University and Indiana University will perform Aug. 12 at the Studio Theater at the Center for the Performing Arts.

A small group of Robinson’s jazz students from Noblesville will open as a combo for Spyro Gyra, which is the Carmel Jazz Fest headliner at 8 p.m. Aug. 12 at the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts. Spyro Gyra is a separate ticket event through thecenterpresents.org.

For a schedule and tickets, visit carmeljazzfest.org.

Brittany Brumfield presents Baby Grand Dueling Pianos at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 2 at Feinstein’s cabaret at Hotel Carmichael in Carmel. For more, visit feinsteinshc.com.

‘THE SOMEWHAT TRUE TALE OF ROBIN HOOD’

Main Street Productions presents the youth production of “The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood” through Aug. 6 at Basile Westfield Playhouse. For more, visit westfieldplayhouse.org.

‘LA CASA AZUL’

Gregory Hancock’s production of a concert of “La Casa Azul” will feature the Carmel Symphony Orchestra and Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre at 7 p.m. Aug. 5 at the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. For more, visit gregoryhancockdancetheatre.org.

‘MURDER

ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS’

The Carmel Community Players’ production of Ken Ludwig’s “Murder on the Orient Express’’ is set from Aug. 6 to 13 at The Cat, 254 Veterans Way, Carmel. For more, visit carmelplayers.org.

DAVE DUGAN

Carmel comedian Dave Dugan will perform at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 4 at the Echo Room, 124 S. Lebanon St., Lebanon. For more, visit madhattershows.com.

DISPATCH

Indy Shorts issues awards — The 2023 Indy Shorts International Film Festival, presented by Heartland Film, concluded July 23 with a record number of film submissions (more than 3,900). The festival’s three grand prize-winning films, “We Were Meant To” (Tari Wariebi, United States), “Oasis” (Justine Martin, France) and “Rosemary A.D. (After Dad)” (Ethan Barrett, United States), will receive Academy Award qualification in their respective categories and $5,000 in cash prizes.

Bethany Robinson, left, and Sarah Scharbrough will perform at 7 p.m. Aug. 11 in the Carmel Jazz Fest. (Photo courtesy of Bethany Robinson)

Saturday, August 12, 2023 | Four Day Ray, Fishers Register at WoofstockRocks.com or scan below!

Race in-person or virtually

Fundraise for PAWsome prizes

Leashed & in-stroller dogs welcome

Shirt, medal and swag for all participants

Proceeds benefit HSHC's Survivor Program and h d d f i l i d

Scan Here!

ZZ Top keeps rocking on

position to generate that exact kind of good -

The blues rock band joins Lynyrd Skynyrd Skynyrd, so it’s fitting the groups are again

DECLAN 2022 Top Fundraiser

with the Skynyrd outfit maintains a strident

touring in the late 1970s as drummer Frank -

“Each of us knew that peculiar break was accept, was and is to get out and make big

PUZZLE ANSWERS

times on deck.”

Gibbons and late-bassist Dusty Hill came back from the hiatus with their famous beards, and their status grew even larger with MTV videos.

“Quite unexpectedly, millions felt in touch with the ongoing offerings of ZZ Top videos,” Gibbons said. “Quite a league of followers liked what we were doing. It expanded the band’s horizons with a searing, serious reach. That, and the real Texas get-down approach became obvious — truly, a cross-cultural, cross-generational big bang.”

Hill died in 2021 and was replaced by Elwood Francis, who Hill had recommended as his successor. Francis had previously been the band’s guitar technician.

“La Grange” is always a special moment in the concert, Gibbons said.

“The two numbers delivering an unexpected personal charge is actually a collision of ‘Waitin’ For The Bus’ and ‘Jesus Just Left Chicago,’” Gibbons said. “That pairing wasn’t written as a combo. Tracks 1 and 2 on ‘Tres Hombres’ wound up without separation, which unexpectedly melded as a seamless single to the luck of the mastering slip of the blade. We took that coupling forward making certain they co-join with each performance.”

SPONSORED BY SHEPHERD INSURANCE

Answers to HOOSIER HODGEPODGE:

Toms: BRADY, CLANCY, CRUISE, HANKS, PETTY, SELLECK;

Stores: LULULEMON, NORDSTROM, POTTERY BARN, SEPHORA, TIFFANY; Body Parts: EYE, FUR, PAW, TAIL;

Towns: TELL CITY, TERRE HAUTE, TIPTON;

Beers: CORONA, MODELO; Station: WRTV

Billy Gibbons and ZZ Top perform Aug. 20 at Ruoff Music Center.

(Photo courtesy of ZZ Top)

Fair’s backyard BBQ contest returns

Commentary by Mark LaFay

The Indiana State Fair is coming back around. I love our annual celebration of Hoosier agriculture. The animals, the competition, the fried food, it is all great! This year is going to be extra special because it will be the first post-pandemic year for the backyard barbecue competition. Team Old Major took home the grand champion prize in 2015 and 2017. We are champing at the bit for a rematch and have been putting in the work to prep for this year’s competition! Here are three ideas to get the juices flowing as you are dreaming up what to get on the grill this weekend!

SAUSAGES

I often get asked my preferred method of cooking a sausage. It isn’t an easy answer. It depends on what sausage I’m cooking. I love smoking Old Major Jalapeño Cheddar Brats. In 2015, we won the loin category by making a fresh jalapeño cheddar brat with pork loin. I also love grilling brats, Argentine chorizo and boerewors over hardwood charcoal!

BURGERS

Our default burger is a blend of Hoosier beef and Old Major Bacon. But there is more to burgers than beef! Shoup’s makes a pork burger that is as easy as it gets. Joe’s Butcher Shop in Carmel also has ground pork and beef. Bulk sausage is great for making patties and grilling on charcoal. Breakfast burgers with runny egg? Yes, please.

BRISKET

Entire books have been written about this, so I’ll be brief. Find a nice brisket, don’t over-trim it. Season it based on the weight of the brisket: 1.5 percent salt, 0.75 percent brown sugar and 0.25 percent ground black pepper. Rub it down. Wrap it in plastic. Rest it for 24 hours. Smoke it at 215 degrees with hickory or pecan wood until the temperature of the point is 195 degrees. Don’t wrap it at all while cooking.

Where’s Amy?

Where’s Amy attends Heartland’s Indy Shorts

Where’s Amy attended the Heartland Film’s Indy Shorts International Film Festival kickoff party July 20 at High Alpha in Indianapolis and attended the awards ceremony July 22 at Tinker House Events in Indianapolis. The festival included short films and filmmakers from around the world. Next up is the Heartland International Film Festival, set for Oct. 5-15. For more, visit heartlandfilm.org.

Heartland board member John Dewey (Lawrence), Misty and Stan Soderstrom (Zionsville), a Heartland Film board member, and Kimberly Dewey (Lawrence). (Photo by Amy Pauszek)

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

Mark LaFay is a butcher, certified sommelier and founder of Old Major Market, 4021 Millersville Rd., Suite 107A, Indianapolis

Meet Current in Lawrence/Geist Managing Editor

Leila Kheiry from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, August 10 at Launch Fishers, 12175 Visionary Way, Fishers. Suggest story ideas, ask questions and learn more about Current in Lawrence/Geist. For more, email leila@youarecurrent.com

Visiting Icy Strait Point

Commentary by Don Knebel

In our continuing tour of Alaska, we stop at Icy Strait Point, about 30 miles west of Juneau, which provides a great experience and is a wonderful economic and cultural success story.

at Icy Strait Point each summer, providing an enormous economic boost to nearby Hoonah, a town of about 900, most of them indigenous Tlingit people.

TRAVEL

Icy Strait Point is a privately owned tourist destination on Chichagof Island, the fifth-largest island in the United States, which reportedly contains more bears per square mile that any other place in the world. In 1996, the Huna Totem Corp., owned by 1,300 indigenous Alaskans, purchased the 23,000-acre site using proceeds received under the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. They named the area, which includes a beachfront and a temperate rainforest, after Icy Strait, which separates Chichagof Island from the Alaska mainland, and began trying to convince cruise lines going to Juneau to stop there. In 2004, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship did stop, opening the way for other lines to make Icy Strait Point a regular destination on their Alaska cruises.

Today, more than 100 cruise ships dock

Visitors to Icy Strait Point have a variety of things to do. A building on the site that once housed the Hoonah Canning Co., now includes a museum, a restaurant, shops and some original fish-canning equipment. Whale-watching trips leaving from Icy Strait Point guarantee that passengers will see whales. A $30 million gondola transporter, completed in 2022, takes visitors to the top of Hoonah Mountain, where they can explore the rain forest or ride a mile-long zip line dropping more than 1,300 feet, considered one of the longest and highest in the world. Visitors can also take a 30-minute walk to Hoonah, where they can see authentic totem poles and experience the Tlingit culture.

The City of Fishers, Hamilton County, Indiana (“City”), pursuant to Ind. Code §6-1.1-18-5, hereby provides NOTICE that the City’s Common Council (“Council”) will conduct a public hearing during its August 21, 2023 regularly scheduled Council meeting for considering the following additional appropriation(s) in excess of the budget for the current year.

Addition Reduction

Court Record Perpetuation Fund– Supplies $7,000 $0

Continuing Education Fund – Capital Expense $35,000 $0

Sewer Fund – Professional Services $150,000 $0

Total $192,00 $0

The Council meeting will take place at 7:00pm at the Huston Theatre, Launch Fishers, 12175 Visionary Way, Fishers, IN. Taxpayers appearing at the meeting shall have the right to be heard. The additional appropriations as finally made will be referred to the Department of Local Government Finance (Department). The Department will make a written determination as to the sufficiency of funds to support the appropriation within fifteen (15) days of receipt of a Certified Copy of the action taken.

Dated this 21st day of July, 2023 CITY OF FISHERS

Lisa Bradford City Controller Hamilton County, Indiana

An orca statue at Icy Strait Point in Alaska. (Photo by Don Knebel)

Across

1. Pitch a tent at McCormick’s Creek State Park

5. “___, Brute!”

9. Big Hoffa’s BBQ rib order

13. Sheltered, at Geist

14. Mattress size

15. Scarlett of Tara

16. Start of an apt description of the Indiana State Fair 18. Bonkers

19. “In the ___ of the Night”

20. Worked hard or fast 22. IND posting 23. Vienna’s land 26. Yank’s rival 28. PC key 29. Butler frat letter 30. Botch it

31. Potter’s Bridge Fall Festival mo.

32. Abound 34. Stately tree

36. Words of understanding

38. State Fair description, continued

42. Waterpark feature

45. Fishers Farmers Market veggie

46. Emailed a dupe to

50. Colt foe

51. Photo ___ (media events)

54. Crater’s edge

56. Yes vote

57. Unrefined metal

58. Slangy refusal

60. DVR button

61. Made-to-order item?

63. Collectible print, briefly

65. Moral principle

66. End of State Fair description

69. Chilling

70. Repel (off)

71. Shoe part

72. Folk story

73. Carmel Racquet Club match units

74. Small bills Down

1. Traveling tot’s spot

2. Some

3.

35. Broom closet item

37. Col. Sanders’ chain

39. Newborn

40. Shore bird

41. “Who ___ that?!”

42. Sellout inits.

43. Petty or grand crime

44. “For real!”

47. Tim Campbell drawing

48. Mask feature

49. Solves a cryptogram

52. Indiana Statehouse figure, briefly

53. Shows derision

55. Jell-O shaper

59. Concur

62. Ivy ___ Community College

64. In that case

65. Car czar Wood

67. Colts QB mistake

68. Some Current staffers, for short

Answers on Page 14

Oversee negotiations

4. Banana skin

5. Biblical verb ending

6. Deuce

7. Form-fitting

8. Iffy

9. Yiddish synagogue

10. After a while

11. Circle Tower design style

12. Hoosier Park horse color

15. A Great Lake

17. High five, essentially

21. Knight’s title

24. Not new

25. Window ledge

27. “Incidentally,” in a text

33. Insane

Kevin Gregory’s Station