Fort Ben presentation focuses on how animals survive the coldest months / P14
December 17, 2024
Current in Lawrence/Geist geistcurrent.com
Indy Fuel plays to a sold-out crowd at first Fishers Event Center hockey game
By Leila Kheiry leila@youarecurrent.com
The 7,500-seat Fishers Event Center was packed Dec. 6 as Indy Fuel fans cheered their team’s first home game of the season, and the first game at the new facility.
DEBUT
Prior to the game’s start, team owner Jim Hallett and Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness carefully walked to the center of the slick ice to welcome everyone to the new center, which opened in late November after many years of planning that stemmed from a conversation between the two men about 10 years ago.
“I want to thank our very, very loyal fan base, all of our sponsors, all of our employees and everyone who had a hand in making this wonderful event center come to fruition,” Hallett said. “We hope we have provided something for everyone of all ages. We hope that this building will create many memories that will last a lifetime, that you can share with your children and your grandchildren.”
Hallett credited Fadness for his vision and follow-through on big ideas like the event center.
Fadess kept his comments brief.
“Welcome to each and every Fuel fan here today, tonight and many nights into the future,” he said. “We’re a city on the move. Let’s go have some fun. Let’s go Fuel!”
Although the Fuel lost 4-3 that night to the Iowa Heartlanders, the energy from the crowd was electric as fans chanted “Let’s go Fuel, let’s go!” and waved rally towels — a tradition that started in the mid-1970s.
The crowd was especially appreciative when fights broke out among players — the first fight happened less than two minutes into the first period — and overall, the game was fun to watch, even for someone whose hockey knowledge primarily stems from the 1977 Paul Newman movie “Slap Shot.”
Joe Zollo is director of digital media for the Indy Fuel. In an earlier interview, he said the team didn’t have much practice at the new center prior to the Dec. 6 game. There was one practice a couple weeks earlier, he said, and they had a few hours the morning of the game. The event center hosts numerous events in addition to
hockey, which means it’s not always available for practice.
“I wouldn’t say it makes it more challenging. I think it does maybe play a factor in the guys getting used to the ice — each arena is built differently,” he said. “I know from the first practice they had on there, a lot of our guys are saying the ice is very — it was very, very nice. They liked the playing surface. They were very happy with it. I know that was something they were maybe a little worried about with a new venue, but they had nothing but good things to say about the playing surface when they had their first practice on it.”
Zollo said it’s not only the ice that the team appreciates.
“They’re ecstatic about the player facilities and the locker room and the player lounge, the training facilities,” he said. “I mean, it’s top notch. There aren’t many better spots in the ECHL, if any, than what they have to work with here. The guys who were here last year and saw last year’s facilities compared to this, they said it’s a night-and-day difference.”
Zollo added that home games have been selling well, too, which indicates fans are willing to come to Fishers along with the team. He believes the Fuel has attracted additional ticket holders in Hamilton County, as well.
“I think what we’ve seen is Hamilton County as a whole has really accepted the team and kind of been excited about it, because this is something, especially for Fishers, they can take pride (in),” he said.
“This is a professional arena, professional event center. We have a pro team here. They’re going to have three pro teams.”
In addition to the Fuel, the Fishers Event Center will be home base for the Fishers Freight professional indoor football team and Indy Ignite professional volleyball team — which has its first home game Jan. 11.
For now, though, it’s hockey season, and although the Fuel lost both games during its opening weekend at the center, the team and its fans have plenty more opportunities coming up. For a schedule of games, visit indyfuelhockey. com/#schedule.
3
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Founded Jan. 27, 2015, at Fishers, IN Vol. X, No. 45
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The Indy Fuel’s first home game Dec. 6 at the new Fishers Event Center was sold out to an enthusiastic crowd. (Photo courtesy of Indy Fuel)
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More than 68,000 children lack access to healthy food.
Triton Brewing Co. co-owners Jon Lang, left, and David Waldman. (Photo courtesy of Jon Lang)
Triton closing its Fort Ben bistro & brewery
By Leila Kheiry leila@youarecurrent.com
Triton Brewing Co., one of the first businesses in Lawrence’s Fort Ben area, opened its doors to customers for the last time Dec. 14.
BUSINESS
The owners of the brewery and bistro at 5764 Wheeler Rd. cited increased competition and decreasing demand, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic left them with no financial cushion to help ride out a few lean years.
Co-owner Jon Lang said the first quarter of the year starting in January is typically the start of their slow season, which is why they chose this month to close for good.
Lang said he and David Waldman opened the brewery in 2011. They didn’t have a kitchen initially, but they did partner with food trucks. They added the kitchen in 2018, and he said that part of the business took off, especially as Fort Ben’s ongoing development added more housing and more businesses.
“There was nothing here when we came in,” he said. “We were the first publicly open company on the fort. There are other companies here, but nothing open to the public. And then Jockamo (Pizza) moved in and, you know, things, things started blowing up,”
With increased competition from other restaurants moving into the Fort Ben area, there was a little bit of a slowdown before the pandemic, he said, but the resulting lockdowns led to depleted savings. When they were able to reopen, Triton also faced a lot more competition from other craft breweries.
“In 2011, we were the 37th brewery to
open in Indiana, or to be open at that time in Indiana,” Lang said. “Last time I talked to the Brewers Guild, there were 215ish in the state.”
On top of increased competition, Lang said people are drinking less beer now.
“Articles I’ve read earlier in the year, beer as a whole, nationally, is down 13 percent — for craft beer,” he said. “I read another article about Oktoberfest this year, they had 10 percent of their sales in Germany was nonalcoholic (beer). So, there’s a lot of change going on in the in the industry.”
Lang said younger generations are drinking less alcohol overall and when they do drink, there’s been a shift to craft and canned cocktails.
The legalization of cannabis in many parts of the United States also could be a factor. Lang said although cannabis is illegal in Indiana, it’s easily obtained in neighboring states and he believes it has affected his business.
Lang previously worked at Barley Island Brewing Co. in Noblesville, which closed in 2022. He said he had already been thinking about branching off when he met Waldman, who had always wanted to run his own brewery.
With Triton closing, the two don’t have firm plans for the future right now. Lang said he has “turned wrenches” in the past as a mechanic and likely will return to that work.
Lang said he will miss his customers and he’s heard from many who are unhappy that the brewery is closing.
“It was an emotional roller coaster before we announced, and now I’m getting people coming in and bringing up stories and — we made a mark, which makes me happy,” he said.
Women in agriculture series kicks off in January 2025
FARMING
Boone County is a host site for a multistate extension workshop series for women in agriculture to offer strategies to evaluate and improve farm estate and transition plans.
“Leaving a Lasting Legacy for Midwestern Farm Women: A Succession Planning Series” takes place at 6 p.m. Jan. 21; Jan. 28; Feb. 4; and Feb. 11 at the Farm Bureau Inc. Community Building at the Boone County 4-H Fairgrounds in Lebanon. The series is a collaborative effort by extension programs at Kansas State University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Purdue University.
Topics will include motivation for succession planning; communicating with family; the financial aspects of estate and transition plans; and the legal aspects of putting a plan in place.
“Planning for what happens to your things when you’re gone can be daunting,
but it’s so important, especially in agriculture, so that the transition to the next generation goes smoothly,” Purdue Women in Agriculture co-chair Jenna Nees stated.
“This series will help women learn best practices and new strategies to help the transition and estate planning processes so they can take that back to their farm or ranch and help lead the way in creating or reevaluating their plans.”
Nees said the program’s structure is intended to strengthen networks of women in rural areas, which can provide opportunities for building trust and sharing information.
“Connections are so important to rural women,” she stated. “We have seen the benefits that come from knowing your peers, having a place to share difficulties and mitigate the isolation that so many of us in agriculture often feel.”
Registration is $60 before Jan. 13, 2025, and increases to $75 after. A virtual option also is available. Learn more and register at purdue.link/Legacy.
If you’re searching for a spot that’s all about community, friendliness and respect for one another, Colonnade Townhomes in McCordsville, IN, has a small-town atmosphere to rave about.
Envision quiet weekend mornings meandering along walking trails dotted with wide open spaces and a shimmering pond. When you’re ready for a day out, head to nearby Fishers and Fortville, and mark your calendars for the upcoming McCord Square Downtown District! Your favorite artist might just come to the planned outdoor amphitheater.
DISPATCHES
Fort Ben Winter Market — A new Fort Ben Winter Market has kicked off for local vendors to showcase crafts, creations and goods this winter. The Winter Market will take place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Dec. 19, Jan. 16 and 30, and Feb. 13 and 27, with all the markets taking place at Lawrence Community Park’s community center. 5301 N. Franklin Rd.
Golden Hour Game Days launched — The City of Lawrence is hosting a new social opportunity for the community’s seniors with games and activities every Thursday from 11 a.m. to noon at Lawrence Community Park’s community center, 5301 N. Franklin Rd. Activities will include card games, board games and perhaps some lunch-andlearn sessions and group exercise classes.
Winter break child care — Lawrence Township schools is offering child care during winter break, 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 27 and 27; and Jan. 2 and 3 for students in first through sixth grade at Forest Glen, Skiles Test and Mary Castle elementary schools. Kindergarten students will stay at their registered school for winter break care. Registration is open through the parent
Diaper drive — The Indiana Diaper Bank is collecting diapers, training diapers, wipes and monetary donations through the month of December in the 2024 #ShareTheLove diaper drive. The goal is to collect $30,000 — approximately 120,000 diapers — by the end of 2024. The drive assists struggling families through the Indiana Diaper Bank’s social service organization partners. Indiana Diaper Bank distributes up to 600,000 diapers every month throughout the state to programs that support Hoosier families who struggle to afford diapers. Organizations that wish to participate can sign up at tinyurl.com/2p8wjts6. Learn more at indianadiaperbank.org.
Free smoke detectors — The City of Lawrence Fire Department, in partnership with Koorsen Fire Protection, is offering free smoke detectors to households that don’t currently have one, while supplies last. After a request is received, the LFD Fire Marshal’s office will get in touch to arrange a convenient delivery time. To apply, visit cityoflawrence.org/ smoke-detector-request.
Walker to serve on three State Senate committees
news@geistcurrent.com
State Sen. Kyle Walker (R-Lawrence) has been appointed by Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray (R-Martinsville) to serve on three committees for the 124th Indiana General Assembly.
GOVERNMENT
According to an announcement from his office, Walker will serve as a member of the following Senate committees:
sponsible, balanced budget that reflects the priorities of Senate District 31,” Walker stated. “In addition to addressing other key issues, I am committed to pursuing meaningful property tax relief for homeowners and ensuring we remain good stewards of Hoosiers’ hard-earned money.”
Committee hearings can be viewed online at iga.in.gov. Legislative calendars, agendas, vote tallies and proposed legislation also can be found at that site.
• Insurance and Financial Institutions, ranking member
• Public Policy, ranking member
• Tax and Fiscal Policy
“As we approach the 2025 legislative session, I am eager to work with my fellow legislators to pass a fiscally re-
The 2025 legislative session ceremonially began Nov. 19 with an organizational day. The Senate is scheduled to reconvene Jan. 8 for session.
Walker represents Senate District 31, which includes portions of Hamilton and Marion counties.
European Cottage takes top honor
By Marney Simon marney@youarecurrent.com
Five custom luxury homes created by local builders were showcased during the 2024 BAGI Home-A-Rama at Promontory of Zionsville in September. When the three weekend-long showcase was over, one home stuck out among visitors as the best of the best.
HOME-A-RAMA
The European Cottage, a creation of Zionsville-based Randy Shaffer Custom Homes and Kent Shaffer Homes, was named Home-A-Rama People’s Choice winner.
The 8,741-square-feet home has six bedrooms, five full bathrooms and two half bathrooms. The home’s features include a waterfront view, large-scale windows, floating stairs, an abundance of natural light, a covered porch with motorized screens for year-round usability, a lower-level bar/lounge area and a gourmet kitchen with dual islands.
“I think it was a combination of the decorator, the architect and all the people who had their hands on it — the subcontractors and the carpenters,” Randy Shaffer said of
the home’s unique charm that earned the People’s Choice award. “It was a totally different house than any other house in the showcase.”
Shaffer said the house — which was sold before Home-A-Rama began — was coordinated with the architect, the builder and the homeowner in order to meet the needs and wants of its new occupants.
Shaffer said as a custom builder, Shaffer Homes — established in 1985 — has the ability to focus on the fine points that turn a regular home into a luxury product.
“I think it’s a combination of 40 years of experience and we’re still doing things the old way, but also doing some things the new way,” Shaffer said.
Learn more at randyshafferhomes.com.
99 E. Carmel Drive Suite 100 Carmel, IN
Walker
The European Cottage built by Shaffer Homes was the People’s Choice winner at the 2024 BAGI Home-A-Rama. (Photo courtesy of BAGI)
Little Star therapy center provides unique offerings for adults
By Marney Simon marney@youarecurrent.com
An Indiana nonprofit that provides applied behavioral analysis therapy services has expanded its offerings at its Carmel location.
SERVICES
Little Star ABA Therapy provides a variety of services to people with autism. Although the center provides daily services to children, the Little Star Psychological Services department is focused on teens and adults who are underserved in the Indianapolis region.
The program assists adults with time management, money management and social skills.
“The psych-services department at Little Star is relatively new. We’ve only been around since 2020,” said Lauryn M. Toby, a behavior analyst, psychologist and vice president of Psychological Services at Little Star Therapy Center. “We’ve just been slowly trying to grow these services.”
Toby said most people served at Little Star are younger and more impacted by autism symptoms, which often require intensive therapy. But the psychological
services program focuses on adolescents and the adults who are in school or have recently finished school but are struggling in certain areas.
“A lot of times with higher-functioning autism or people who are less impacted by their autism symptoms, that doesn’t start to really affect them as significantly until they become adults,” Toby said. “Where they struggle is with keeping a job and living independently and all of those skills that you need to be successful as an adult. And so, our goal has really just been, ‘What can we bring and what can we provide to fill in those gaps?’”
One way Little Star assists the adults is through social skills groups, where those receiving services can form connections and practice hands-on skills — sometimes as simple as role-playing how to act in a social setting, from answering the door to hosting friends to interacting with others at a party.
Jennifer Baker, a behavior analyst and Little Star’s Psychological Services director, said working with adult groups led to the inaugural Infinity Market, which took place in November at the West Fork Whiskey
event center in Westfield.
“The Infinity Market was kind of born out of individuals in our adult group noting that they really struggle with traditional employment for a variety of reasons,” Baker said. “So, we would have lessons
on interviewing and traditional 9-to-5 instructions. We had a lot of anxiety and fear (over workplace settings), just a lot of different sensory concerns which is typical with autism.”
Adults in the program can set up booths at the market to sell their own goods, such as handmade journals, cutting boards and purses. It was a way to introduce creators to alternative career opportunities.
“It’s also a representation,” she said. “It’s not very often that they might see other autistic people being really successful in their careers.”
Baker said the idea behind the fair was not only to provide a space to sell their wares, but to serve as inspiration for others to consider similar career options.
“We wanted to create a space for them where we were really thinking about the sensory accommodations that we need there and they have a lot of support,” she said.
Little Star ABA Therapy is at 12650 Hamilton Crossing Blvd. in Carmel. Additional centers are in Bloomington, Clarksville, Newburgh and West Lafayette. Learn more at littlestaraba.org.
Little Star ABA Therapy’s psychological services department hosted its inaugural Infinity Market in late November in Westfield. (Photo courtesy of Little Star ABA Therapy)
A new place to thrift
By Leila Kheiry leila@youarecurrent.com
About 20 hardy Hoosiers withstood 16-degree temperatures — with a windchill of 1 — to be among the first shoppers at the newest Uptown Cheapskate store in Indiana, which opened Dec. 5 at 5151 E. 82nd St., in the Clearwater Springs Shopping Center at the corner of 82nd and Allisonville Road.
SHOPPING
The doors opened promptly at 10 a.m. and customers quickly filed in — each getting a free tote with some goodies inside — and began shopping in earnest.
Uptown Cheapskate franchise owner Brad Hill, who attended Hamilton Southeastern High School and whose mom still lives in Fishers, was impressed with the people who stood in line outside.
“With the weather being a little colder than we expected, we weren’t really sure,” he said. “But we definitely had a lot of people just from the community reaching out, ‘Hey, when are you guys opening?’ There definitely was a lot of excitement around that.”
Hill said he expects as more shoppers get to know the store’s brand, its popularity will grow.
Uptown Cheapskate, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a resale clothing chain that buys gently used men’s and women’s clothes, shoes and accessories from community members — either for cash or store credit — and then resells them. The chain has franchises throughout the United States, including Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky.
Hill said that was one reason he wanted to open a store in the Indianapolis market.
“Thrifting, resale — it’s one of the quickest growing markets out there, especially (because) it’s good in bad economic times and good,” he said. “That’s kind of the thing that also kind of turned us on to it.”
Although the store didn’t open for shopping until Dec. 5, it did need to collect merchandise ahead of the big day. Hill said they spent some time buying clothes and other items from members of the community.
“We were just buying — not selling anything — probably for the first month and a half,” he said. “And in that time, we took in (about) 30,000 items. We were very busy. I think customers were very excited to have us as another option in the Indianapolis market.”
Hill said the store serves customers of all ages but seems to be particularly popular with shoppers between 18 and 30.
For more, visit uptowncheapskate.com.
Customers shop on the opening day of the new Uptown Cheapskate store. (Photo by Leila Kheiry)
Customers brave the cold Dec. 5 as they wait for the new Uptown Cheapskate store on 82nd Street and Allisonville Road to open. (Photos by Leila Kheiry)
DISPATCHES
500 Festival Miler Series dates announced — Registration is open for the 500 Festival Miler Series, presented by OrthoIndy, through Feb. 2. The series, held at Fowling Warehouse Indianapolis, includes three races designed to help participants train for the IU Health 500 Festival Mini-Marathon. The Miler Series kicks off with a 3-Miler Feb. 8, a 6-Miler on March 8 and a 10-Miler on April 5. For more, visit IndyMini.com/Challenges.
State parks survey – Hoosiers are invited to make suggestions about the future of Indiana State Parks by completing an online survey. The Indiana DNR is seeking responses on how the interests of visitors have changed over time. Park patrons can share opinions related to facilities, services, natural and cultural resources, and more. The results help the Indiana DNR establish strategic priorities. The survey takes about 15 minutes. Users are asked to rate service, value and facilities at state park properties and inns. Take the survey at in.gov/dnr/state-parks/about-us/ whats-new.
Happy Little (Virtual) 5K registration open – The Indiana DNR and the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation will host the third annual Happy Little (Virtual) 5K event April 19-27, 2025, to benefit state park programs. Registrants can complete the 5K anywhere outdoors on foot, bike, skate or paddle during the race window, which encompasses Earth Day on April 22 and Arbor Day on April 25. Registration is $36 and includes a t-shirt, commemorative bib number and a Bob Ross-inspired finisher’s medal. In 2024, more than 1,000 people participated in the virtual race, raising more than $18,000 for tree plantings and healthy forest initiatives in Indiana State Parks. Register at tinyurl.com/4ket8eew.
Scam alert — Indiana State Police has received an increase in reports of a common email extortion scam. These scam attempts target a victim by including the person’s name, address and sometimes a photograph of their home. In the email, the scammer claims to have installed Pegasus spyware on the victim’s phone and attempts to extort money from them. Report cybercrimes like this by visiting ic3. gov. More information about cybersecurity is available at in.gov/cybersecurity. A resource to learn about scams or to check a suspicious email is ScamTracker.com, operated by the Better Business Bureau.
Fishers Rotary supports clean water program
news@currentinfishers.com
Fishers Rotary’s annual Water is Life gala is both a fun party and a serious fundraiser for a project that saves lives.
PHILANTHROPY
The Dec. 7 event marked the gala’s 16th year, according to an announcement from the organization, and the club has raised about $2 million over the years to fund new wells in the West African nation of Sierra Leone.
According to the announcement, with a population of over 8 million people, Sierra Leone has been recovering from a civil war that ended in 2002. More than half of its inhabitants live in poverty and almost 60 percent lack access to clean water, which contributes to water-borne illnesses.
According to a 2019 study, diseases in Sierra Leone related to water, sanitation and hygiene remain among the leading cause of morbidity and account for 20 percent of all deaths, including 4,000 children each year.
A new well in Sierra Leone is among those funded through the Rotary Water Is Life philanthropic program. (Photo courtesy of Fishers Rotary)
Through its annual fundraiser and matching grants from the Rotary Foundation, Fishers Rotary has provided funds for more than 200 water wells that provide water to about 500,000 people.
Rotarian Tom Branum has been part of the project from the start.
“We are proud that 100 percent of the proceeds of the gala go to fund our next grant application and will push our total number of wells to 225,” he stated.
The Freetown Rotary Club in Sierra Leone is the local partner in the ongoing project and helps choose locations for wells, most of which are in small rural villages, schoolyards and near hospitals.
Among the benefits the wells provide is that girls and women no longer have to walk many miles for water, which takes time away from school and work and can be a safety risk.
Branum stated that it’s the club’s mission to give everyone in Sierra Leone clean water by 2030.
For more about Fishers Rotary Club and the Water is Life project, visit fishersrotary.org or fisherswaterislife.com.
Zionsville athlete more than a passing success at Brebeuf Jesuit
By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com
Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School senior quarterback Maverick Geske put up some eye-popping numbers during the football season.
“He’s had amazing production in his high school career,” said Matt Geske, his father and Brebeuf Jesuit’s head coach. “He finished in the top 14 all-time in career yards.”
A Zionsville resident, Maverick’s single-season total of 4,039 yards in 2024 is fifth on the IHSAA state list.
“Outside of his production and physical attributes from his freshman year to now has been the leadership, the ability to get his teammates all playing together, the camaraderie, the work ethic, all those things combined has made (him) a special on-thefield player and, more importantly, brought our team along with him,” Geske said. Maverick, who is 6 feet and 205 pounds, completed 211 of 346 passes (61 percent)
MAVERICK GESKE
Favorite athlete: Baker Mayfield
Favorite TV show: “Succession”
Favorite vacation spot: Grand Cayman
Favorite musician: Drake
Favorite subject: Social studies
with 40 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions. He also rushed for eight touchdowns and caught a TD pass for the Braves (8-3), who reached the Class 4A sectional semifinal before losing to Roncalli.
Maverick threw for 3,084 yards as a junior. He became the starter during his sophomore season, throwing for 1,651 yards while completing 56 percent of his
courtesy of LJ Lesing)
attempts. He was recently named to the Indiana Football Coaches Association’s Class 4A All-State Senior Team.
His production earned him an offer to play football at several schools, including a recent offer from Indiana University.
“Being with a lot of those guys for the past four years in the weight room and offseason, it was pretty fun,” Maverick said.
“We got a couple of special things done, like beating Carmel. We didn’t go as far as
we planned (in the postseason) but it was definitely a fun season.”
Maverick said his main improvement has been in leadership
“My leadership has improved drastically over the last two years,” he said.
On the field, he said his decision-making has been another big improvement. Studying game film helped in that aspect, he said.
Maverick, who will graduate this month, might enroll in college in January to take part in spring practice.
“I want to put on some weight to compete with those (older) guys,” he said. “I want to get a little stronger. My goal weight is 215.”
Maverick, who turns 18 later this month, had a 7-1 record for Brebeuf’s baseball team last season as a pitcher. The Braves reached the IHSAA Class 3A state championship before losing to New Prairie.
“Baseball has been a close second, but football has always been my No. 1 sport,” Maverick said.
To nominate a high school student for Athlete of the Week, contact mark@ youarecurrent.com.
Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School quarterback Maverick Geske threw for 4,039 yards this past season. (Photo
Geske
Werkstatt
Dec. 16-24, Anja Werner, Plauen Woodworking Artist
Kinderecke
Dec. 16-20, Woodworking with Deeply Ingrained
Spielhaus
Dec. 17, 4-9 p.m., Storytelling & Roz Puppets
Dec. 20, 12-3 p.m., Music & Dance with Copper Z Wellness
Dec. 21, 4-7 p.m., Snow Queen & Happy Snowman
Dec. 22, 12-6 p.m. & Dec. 24, 12-4 p.m. Santa
Entertainment
Dec. 17, 6-7 p.m., 6-7 p.m., Dianna Davis and Mario Joven
Dec. 20, 7-9 p.m., 7-9 p.m., Duke Tumatoe & The Power Trio
Dec. 21, 4:30-5:30 p.m. & 8-9 p.m., Mike Schneider Band
Dec. 22, 12:30-1:30 p.m. & 3:30-4:30 p.m., Mike Schneider Band
November
WINTER ADAPTATIONS
Fort Ben presentation focuses on how animals survive
By Leila Kheiry leila@youarecurrent.com
When the temperature drops and the sun sets well before 6 p.m., many humans face the winter by hunkering down inside warm homes with cozy blankets and a hot beverage. Indiana’s wild animals don’t have that option, though, and instead have found their own ways of managing the coldest months of the year.
Fort Harrison State Park naturalist Sarah Fox recently gave a presentation at the park’s Visitor Center about how wild animals deal with winter. The talk was called “Happy Hibernation,” but she explained that only a few animals are true hibernators — shutting down for the whole winter. Many instead have periods of dormancy followed by some activity.
A big reason for that dormancy is the drop in temperature, she said, which is related to a seasonal reduction of food.
“What coincides with this weather is a lack of resources,” Fox said. “So, a lot of their usual resources that are plentiful in the spring and summertime, they just kind of totally dwindle down in the winter. (Dormancy is) really a way that animals can make up for that lack of resources.”
Fox said the instinct to get ready for winter kicks in when the days start to shorten during fall.
“I think that’s really the most interesting part of all of this dormancy,” she said. “They just have this sense — they have this feeling that, hey, I need to start prepping for the change that’s to come.”
Preparing for winter looks different for each species, but there is one big similarity.
“First and foremost, food. Acquiring food, putting food away, caching food,” she said. “In the case of like a squirrel or a chipmunk, they like to store that away so they can get to it (later) and fall is the perfect time for that because a lot of nuts, seeds, berries (and) fruits are ripening.”
Other animals store food internally by building up fat reserves to use throughout winter.
They all find some kind of protected place to hole up when the weather gets really bad.
“They’re going to get these areas ready and prepared just so they can find a nice place to keep warm, keep away from the el-
the coldest months
ements,” she said. “Weather here, especially in Indiana, is pretty inconsistent. (Recently), I think it was about 70 degrees out, and now this morning it was 17. So, they need to really make sure that they’re prepared for anything in these scenarios.”
The most common type of winter adaptation is torpor, Fox said. It’s basically a short-term hibernation. Squirrels, raccoons, skunks and chipmunks are among the animals that use torpor for winter survival.
“All of these critters are able to stay active during the wintertime,” she said. “(But) if it’s a really, really miserable night, this torpor is something where they can kind of — it’s not really like a deep sleep, but I
Box turtles are among the Indiana reptiles that make it through the cold winter through brumation, a kind of torpor that’s specific to exothermic animals.
think a deep sleep is something that it can be compared to. Their body, all their body systems, just kind of go in slow motion.”
And that temporarily reduces their energy needs.
True hibernators spend most, if not all, of the winter in that slowed-down state. They include groundhogs and bats.
Among exothermic animals — reptiles and amphibians — the kind of torpor they use is called brumation. Fox said many will bury themselves underground first, to protect their bodies from frost, although some frog species have survived after they had been frozen in shallow water.
Other species simply leave. Among them
HOW TO HELP
There are a few simple ways to give wildlife a little assistance during the winter.
Leave the leaves. Fall leaves provide a layer of insulation that can help animals that burrow underground. The leaves also provide protection for insect eggs, which later become food
for birds. Don’t cut down that dead tree (unless it’s dangerous). Dead trees can make great winter dens for various animals. Put out birdseed. It doesn’t have to be a lot, but some seed or suet can help birds make it through the winter. As an added bonus, they’re fun to watch.
are monarch butterflies, which migrate to Mexico every year; and sandhill cranes, which stop in Indiana on their annual migration route. Many birds stick around for the winter, though, including the brightly colored cardinals and cedar waxwings. Fox said they retain body heat by fluffing up their feathers, similar to wearing a downfilled jacket.
Park visitor John Boyer attended the presentation and said he enjoys learning more about the natural world through the park’s programs.
“I didn’t know there were so many different kinds of hibernation,” he said. “I didn’t know that hibernation was just one type — one way that some critters survive the winter.”
Boyer, an Indianapolis resident, said he has been coming to the park regularly since it opened about 30 years ago.
For more about Fort Harrison State Park’s programs, visit in.gov/dnr/state-parks/ parks-lakes/fort-harrison-state-park.
ON THE COVER: Squirrels are not true hibernators. Instead, they have periods of torpor in the winter to conserve energy. (Photo courtesy of Sarah Fox)
Fort Harrison State Park naturalist Sarah Fox gives a presentation about how wildlife in Indiana makes it through the winter months. (Photos by Leila Kheiry)
Songwriter Berlin’s rare piano on display
Submitted by Great American Songbook Foundation
As the air fills with the familiar strains of Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” – the bestselling pop single of all time — the Great American Songbook Foundation is unveiling a piece of music history once owned by the man who wrote it.
Irving Berlin, a Jewish immigrant from Russia, revolutionized American popular music with many classic songs that have become part of the fabric of our culture: “Blue Skies,” “Cheek to Cheek,” “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “Anything You Can Do,” “Happy Holiday,” “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” and even “God Bless America,” to name a few.
His success came despite interesting personal limitations: Berlin did not read or write music, and as a self-taught pianist, he preferred playing on the black keys, corresponding to the key of F-sharp. As time went on, he commissioned piano makers to build transposing instruments — pianos with mechanisms enabling the player to shift the keyboard left or right and play in any key without changing hand position.
One of those rare instruments was donated recently to the Songbook Foundation’s vast Songbook Library & Archives by Berlin’s family. Built circa 1955 by Sohmer & Co. of New York, it is a well-constructed but simple upright piano with a twist: a transposing lever mounted under the keyboard.
After some restoration work at Piano Solutions in Carmel, the unusual instrument is back at the Songbook Library & Archives, near the Songbook Foundation’s headquarters at Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. Later this month, it will be publicly displayed for the first time in conjunction with Civic Theatre’s production of “White Christmas” at the Center’s Tarkington theater, a musical adaptation of the 1954 Bing Crosby film that features 17 songs by Berlin.
(“Moon River,” “Hooray for Hollywood”) and Richard Whiting (“On the Good Ship Lollipop,” “Ain’t We Got Fun?”).
Kept in the songwriter’s New York office, the piano was one of three Sohmers left to Berlin’s three daughters after his death in 1989. His daughter Mary Ellen Barrett died in 2022 and passed it down to her daughter Elizabeth Matson, who donated it to the Songbook Foundation.
“I learned about the Great American Songbook Foundation a few years ago, and knew right away it would be the perfect place to donate this treasured family heirloom,” Matson said. “There could be no better place for Irving Berlin’s special instrument than in this museum devoted to celebrating the legacy of all the Great American Songbook writers.”
Songbook Foundation Executive Director Christopher Lewis said the priceless artifact will receive the respect and attention it deserves.
“Few artists exemplify the American Songbook more than Irving Berlin,” Lewis said. “We are eternally grateful to the family for entrusting us with this historic instrument and to the Piano Solutions staff for their expertise in helping us to preserve it. This piano will soon have a prominent place in our Songbook Exhibit Gallery at the Palladium and it ultimately will be a highlight of our planned music museum and visitor experience.”
Piano Solutions owners Greg Durthaler and Brian Hostetler have serviced several historic pianos for the Songbook Foundation, including instruments owned by songwriters Harold Arlen (“Over the Rainbow,” “Stormy Weather”), Johnny Mercer
Despite their decades in the business, however, the Berlin instrument was the first transposing piano they had worked on. They described the project as a “conservation” job, returning the long-dormant instrument to its original working condition with a minimum of replacement parts. The piano had to be dismantled to a large extent, with the keyboard removed to reveal the machinery within. The meticulous work included reglueing joints and cleaning and lubricating scores of small parts, rebuilding rather than replacing any broken or worn elements. The wooden case was deep-cleaned and treated for mildew but not refinished.
The first priority was to figure out how the transposing mechanism was designed and how to get it working again. Hostetler deduced that the piano’s central pedal had to be pushed all the way down to allow the lever and the keyboard to move freely, sliding left or right in increments to cover the 12 keys of Western music. A small brass plate with markings indicates the current key.
“It’s ingenious, but it also can cause problems if you’re not really careful with it,” Hostetler said. “Over the years, the device can actually break parts that you don’t want broken.”
Now fully functioning, the Berlin piano will be viewable publicly for the first time during the Dec. 20-21 final weekend of Civic Theatre’s “White Christmas” at The Tarkington. The lobby display also will include other relevant items from the Songbook Library & Archives, including an original promotional poster for the movie, a written arrangement of “White Christmas” owned by co-star Rosemary Clooney and a snow globe gifted by Berlin to Clooney as a memento of the production.
The piano also will be employed for a tune at the Songbook Foundation’s upcoming presentation Songbook Academy Sings the Songs of the Season, with two sold-out concerts by Songbook Academy alumni scheduled Dec. 22 at the center’s Studio Theater.
‘A CHRISTMAS STORY’
Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre’s production of “A Christmas Story: The Musical” runs through Jan. 5 at the Indianapolis venue. For more, visit beefandboards.com.
FEINSTEIN’S CABARET
“A Sinatra Christmas” is set for Dec. 18, followed by “Deception: An Evening of Magic and Lies: Dec. 19 and Frank D’Ambrosio Dec. 21-22 at Feinstein’s cabaret at Hotel Carmichael in Carmel. The performances start at 7:30 p.m. For more, visit feinsteinshc.com.
‘WHITE CHRISTMAS’
Civic Theatre presents “White Christmas” through Dec. 24 at The Tarkington at the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. For more, visit civictheatre.org.
‘FESTIVAL OF CAROLS’
Indianapolis Symphonic Choir’s “Festival of Carols” is set for 8 p.m. Dec. 20 and 3 p.m. Dec. 21-22 at the Palladium at the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. For more, visit thecenterpresents.org.
‘SEUSSICAL’
Carmel Apprentice Theatre’s production of “Seussical” runs through Dec. 22 at The Cat, 254 Veterans Way. For more, visit thecat.biz.
DISPATCHES
‘Voices of Christmas’ concert set — The Indianapolis Opera’s “Voices of Christmas” concert is set for 3 p.m. Dec. 22 at the Basile Opera Center, 4011 N. Pennsylvania St, Indianapolis. The concert includes the Indianapolis Opera Chorus and a special appearance from the Indianapolis Youth Orchestra. Tickets are $25.
Foxworthy to perform in Fishers — Renowned comedian Jeff Foxworthy will perform live at the new Fishers Event Center Feb. 21, 2025, for the first Hamilton Southeastern Education Foundation Legacy Celebration. Tickets are on sale at FishersEventCenter.com. A portion of proceeds benefit staff and students of Hamilton Southeastern Schools. For more, visit jefffoxworthy.com.
SONGBOOK FOUNDATION
Songwriter Irving Berlin’s Sohmer transposing piano was donated recently to the Songbook Library & Archives in Carmel. (Photo courtesy of Songbook Foundation)
‘Nutcracker’ returns to Murat
By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com
Indianapolis Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” has been a holiday fixture at the Murat Theatre at Old National Centre in Indianapolis for several years. Althought the story remains the same, it’s always a new look.
INDY BALLET
“The production is staged every year in a similar way, but it is never the same as it is a live performance,” said Victoria Lyras, Indianapolis Ballet’s founding artistic director. “It is a wonderful time of the year to share the love for this art form with our audiences through this magical production.”
Indianapolis Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” will be presented Dec. 19-22. The production has been at the Murat since 2016 except for 2020, when the performance was canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In this year’s production, we feature three ballerinas as the Sugar Plum with three different Cavaliers,” Lyras said. “We also have three Snow Queens with their three Snow Kings. Clara is danced by a student from the Indianapolis School of Ballet and ‘The Nutcracker’ is performed by three different dancers in the company.”
The Nutcracker Tea, featuring characters from the performance, is set for noon Dec. 21 in the Tunisian Room at the Murat Shrine. Those buying Nutcracker Tea tickets receive a 20 percent discount on the same-day matinee tickets.
“The Nutcracker Tea is very popular, especially combining it before our Saturday matinee,” Indianapolis Ballet Executive Director Don Steffy said. “Families receive two holiday experiences in one afternoon — the Tea and the performance of the full-length ‘Nutcracker.’”
For tickets, visit indyballet.org.
‘Festival of Carols’ returns
By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com
Mary Jo Wright has been with the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir for 11 years, but being a member never gets old.
CONCERTS
“I love singing with the choir because it just provides an outlet to do really beautiful music with people that love music as much as I do,” the Carmel resident said. “I’m not professionally trained, but that is not a requirement to be in this choir, although you do have to go through an audition every year for quality control. I love that part of it and it’s challenging.”
There will be three performances of the ISC’s “Festival of Carols” at the Palladium at the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. The performances are at 8 p.m. Dec. 20 and 3 p.m. Dec. 21-22. There will be a 7:30 p.m. performance at the Schrott Center for the Arts in Indianapolis.
Wright said the music changes every year, but the group always performs Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” from the “Messiah.” The ISC also performs “The Dream Isaiah Saw” each year.
Lyras Wagaman Wright
“We get our Christmas music in October and we start working on it,” Wright said. “It really is the most wonderful time of the year. It’s music we all love and people come to hear it.”
“We usually end the concert with those two songs because it’s a very poignant part of the concerts,” Wright said.
Wright said they are revisiting “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” with longtime award-winning journalist Debby Knox doing the narrator’s part. The Lawrence Central High School choir will do two pieces and join for the final two songs.
Alden Wagaman, a 25-year-old Noblesville resident, is in his first year with the choir.
“It’s something I wanted to do my whole life as a young aspiring musician,” he said. “Being in the Symphonic Choir has been amazing.”
Wagaman, the director of choral activities at Lincoln Middle School in the Pike schools system in Indianapolis, said ISC Artistic Director Eric Stark creates a good grouping of sacred and secular songs.
“There are fast and slow tempos. There is a nice wide variety,” Wagaman said. For tickets, visit thecenterpresents.org.
Sound of laughter 16. Apt anagram for DORMITORY
18. Change one’s story?
19. I-465 road goo 20. “Once ___ a time...”
22. Like an Indy car 25. Uppity one 26. Swampy ground 29. Japanese currency 30. Britney Spears: “Oops!...I ___ It Again”
Autocrats of old
In no way 36. Beat at the Mini Marathon
37. Apt anagram for WESTERN UNION
39. Mar
40. Make sure
42. “We Have the Meats!” advertiser
43. Pen filler
44. Fishers-to-Omaha dir.
45. Colts stats
46. Arm bone
48. Europe’s longest river
50. UIndy instructor
51. Beatles: “___ the Walrus”
52. Leg hinge
55. Apt anagram for BUTTERFLY
60. Fruit trees
61. Voice quality
62. Clinton’s veep
63. Coagulate
64. Do laps in the Westfield Community Pool
65. At the summit
1. Depressed
2. CBS forensic franchise
3. Put on WTHR
4. Photo finish
5. Dog’s warning
6. Late Chinese leader
7. Beach Boys: “I Get ___”
8. ISO pace
9. One of the five Ws for a Current reporter
10. Peter, Paul and Mary: “If I ___ a Hammer”
11. Tuna type
12. Tit for ___
17. Talk, talk, talk
21. Kind of angle
22. Dictionary abbr.
23. Ex-Pacers coach: Slick
24. Buries in a vault
25. Locale
26. It may give a hoot on
a farm
27. Using the soapbox
28. Channel with “Family Feud” reruns
30. Calamitous
32. Proofreader’s mark
34. On the road
35. California coastal region
36. Short race, for short
38. Annapolis inits.
39. 86,400 seconds
41. Bygone airline
43. Company’s receivables
47. Some artists’ studios
48. Easley Winery container
49. Rolex rival
50. Annoying one
51. Tabloid pair
52. Col. Sanders’ chain
53. Indy Eleven’s zero
54. Sense of self
56. A third of tri-
57. Decompose
58. “My man!” 59. Slangy assent
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