February 14, 2023 — Zionsville

Contact us:

Have a news tip? Want to submit a calendar event? Have a photograph to share?

Contact the editor Natalie Gargiulo at natalie@ youarecurrent.com or call 317.489.4444 ext. 805. You may also submit information on our website, currentzionsville. com. Remember our news deadline is typically eight days prior to publication.

News tips/story ideas: stories@youarecurrent.com

Letters to the editor/ guest columns: letters@youarecurrent.com

Advertise your business:

If you’re interested in reaching virtually 100 percent of the Zionsville market (11,553 households), you may obtain more information by emailing ads@youarecurrent.com (subject: Zionsville advertising) or by calling 317.847.5022.

Obituaries: obits@youarecurrent.com

Legal advertising: legals@youarecurrent.com

Delivery questions: circulation@youarecurrent.com

Join

www.facebook.com/currentzionsville www.twitter.com/CI_Zionsville instagram.com/currentpublishing

Field set for May 2 primary election

news@currentzionsville.com

Candidate filing for the May 2 municipal primary election ended Feb. 3. Candidates to file are:

Mayor

• Jane Burgess (R)

• John Stehr (R) Town Judge

• Samantha Spencer (R)

• Judith Coffey (D) Council District 1

• Bob Harris (R) Council District 2

• Jason A. Plunkett (R)

• Jason D. Ramer (D) Council District 3

• Craig Melton (R)

• Kyle Campbell (R)

• Kendrick Davis (R)

• Monisha Mitchell (D) Council District 4

• Heather Lusk (R)

• Nicholas Plopper (R)

• Sarah E. Sampson (R) Council District 5

• Brad Burk (R)

• Tiffany Stoner (D) Council at-large (vote for two)

• Elizabeth Childers (R)

• Alex Choi (R)

• Evan M. Norris (R)

• Aaron Williams (R)

• Joseph (Joe) Stein) (R)

• Amanda Rubeck (D)

Child exploitation task force executes search warrants in Boone, Tippecanoe counties

news@currentzionsville.com

The Zionsville Police Dept. served a search warrant Feb. 1 at the Wabash Township Fire Dept. in Tippecanoe County and served another search warrant the same day at an undisclosed location in Boone County.

Members of the Boone County Child

Abuse and Sexual Exploitation Task Force, which includes ZPD officers, conducted the searches, according to the ZPD. The search warrants were the beginning of an ongoing investigation.

Capt. Sterling Drake of the ZPD confirmed that a search warrant had been served at the fire department in Tippecanoe County

but provided no other details.

“This search warrant was executed (Feb. 1). However, no arrests were made,” ZPD Capt. Sterling Drake said. “As a result of the search warrant, the investigation is still ongoing. Thus, we have no additional information to provide.”

necessarily reflect the positions of this newspaper.

Stoner seeks Zionsville town council seat Kendrick seeks Zionsville town council seat

By Natalie Gargiulo natalie@youarecurrent.com

Democratic candidate Tiffany Stoner announced she will run for the District 5 seat on the Zionsville Town Council in the May 2 primary election.

Stoner will run against Republican incumbent Brad Burk, council vice president who occupies one of the council’s two at-large seats. He has amended his candidacy to run for the seat in District 5, his home district. District 5 incumbent Josh Garrett is not seeking a third term.

“I am aware that an at-large incumbent recently changed his filing to District 5,” Stoner said. “But as a small business owner and mother of four who has lived in this district for 23 years, I believe I am uniquely positioned to listen to and represent residents. I look forward to bringing a collaborative, respectful approach that Zionsville’s government absolutely needs.”

Stoner, a Zionsville resident for 23 years, said she is running for town council in an effort to bring community leaders together for the benefit of the community. She is a graduate of Ball State University and has a master’s in information and communications sciences. She worked as a network architect and senior program manager in the communications and high technology industry for

17 years.

Stoner has co-owned Nathaniel Edmunds Photography, which specializes in corporate photography, with her brother since 2001.

Stoner said she favors continued development of Creekside Corporate Park and the expansion of pedestrian walkways and bike paths.

“In recent years, Zionsville has suffered from division that has hampered forward progress,” Stoner said.

“I would like to bring a spirit of collaboration to the town council so that it can work more effectively alongside a new mayor to facilitate thoughtful growth for our community.”

Stoner said she supports robust communication so residents know what’s happening in town government, and councilors know which concerns are most important to residents.

“I believe that the town council must always prioritize fiscal responsibility and foster connections between Zionsville’s longtime families and newer residents, alike,” Stoner said.

Stoner’s husband, Tim, is a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves. They have four children who have all attended Zionsville Community Schools.

Outside of work, Stoner has been a volunteer leader and fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity, Zionsville Community Schools and multiple military charitable organizations.

By Natalie Gargiulo natalie@youarecurrent.com

Republican Kendrick Davis announced he will run for the District 3 seat on the Zionsville Town Council in the May 2 primary election. Davis, 38, will run against Republican incumbent Craig Melton, who has occupied the seat since 2019. The other Republican in the race is newcomer Kyle Campbell.

“I feel one thing that makes me the best candidate for the residents of District 3 is my perspective of the diversity of my district and my intimate knowledge of Zionsville from being a past employee of the town,” Davis said. “Between living out in the country of Perry Township and my knowledge of the diversity in residential and commercial areas of the remainder of the district, I feel it made me well-rounded for this position.”

Davis, a Zionsville resident for six years, said he is running for the seat to continue his service to the community. He has been a firefighter and paramedic for the Town of Zionsville for nearly eight years. He graduated from Avon High School and became a lieutenant at a volunteer fire department in Pennsylvania. Davis, an entrepreneur, has opened four local businesses in the past

10 years, including Ascend Property Management, which specializes in property maintenance.

Davis said he has three main priorities to focus on if elected.

“The first priority is reestablishing the cooperation of the council with the new (mayoral) administration,” he said. “Secondly, the town employees have been through a lot. They deserve an atmosphere with less turmoil and the ability to have open dialogue without fear of retribution. Third, there needs to be a more defined future for the incorporated area of Perry Township while focusing on responsible growth and sustainability throughout District 3.”

Davis said he supports the preservation of family values and the future growth of the town.

“If the residents of District 3 allow me the opportunity to serve as their representative, I plan to bring a level of professionalism and presence that represents the core values of Zionsville,” Davis said. “The responsibility of the town council is to allow our growth to be responsible, sustainable and fiscally sound.”

Davis and his wife, Amanda, have three children: Ava, 17, Anabelle, 15, and Knox, 12. All three have attended Zionsville Community Schools.

Lawmaker introduces bill to protect youths from abuse in sports

By Natalie Gargiulo natalie@youarecurrent.com

State Rep. Becky Cash (R-Zionsville) introduced a bill in the Indiana House of Representatives early last month to protect kids from abuse in youth sports.

trials unfold, where both coaches and other adults failed to make reports of suspected abuse,” Cash stated.

STATEHOUSE

Cash said she felt compelled to introduce the legislation following multiple child sexual abuse cases that recently went through Boone County courts, including one involving a former Zionsville gymnastics coach who was convicted last year of child molestation involving a former athlete.

“I was also concerned after watching the USA Gymnastics

The proposed legislation will formally place a duty to report suspected child abuse on youth sports coaches, athletic facility staff and individuals in charge of schools and athletic facilities. A report of child abuse would be made to the Indiana Dept. of Child Services, local law enforcement and the appropriate school or facility. Failure to do so would result in a felony charge.

“Every child should feel safe whether they’re at school or at

practice, and those adults around them have a responsibility to report suspected abuse,” Cash stated. “This legislation makes it clear that there is a duty to report these instances and failing to do so would be a felony offense. As a mother, former foster parent and legislator, I want to make sure we’re doing everything we can to protect our most vulnerable.”

The bill also would increase the penalty for failure to report from a Class B misdemeanor to a Level 5 felony, which is punishable by one to six years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

House Bill 1128 is assigned to the House Courts and Criminal Code Committee for consideration.

Cash

Kendrick

Stoner

I’M RIDING WITHOUT PAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME.

On the back of her horse is Ginger’s favorite place in the world. When her chronic back pain became so bad that it kept her out of the stables, she realized how limited she’d felt for years. She turned to the expert care at Goodman Campbell to get her back in the saddle.

Learn more about Ginger and her story at GoodmanCampbell.com.

Campbell Goodman -

Recollections of reading aloud

Commentary by Ward Degler

I read a recent article about the benefits kids get when you read aloud to them. Start when they are babies, the writer suggests.

PLAIN TALK

Reading aloud sparks a love of reading at an early age and prompts a hunger for knowledge. Kids who have been read to learn more, and faster, than kids who haven’t been read aloud to, according to the article.

I was 5 when I received a set of books for Christmas. They were, “The Adventures of Wee Squirrel Fluffy Tail”; The Adventures of Hootie the Owl”; and “Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes.”

“Mother Goose” was OK, but I couldn’t get enough of that squirrel who constantly had to figure out why another squirrel he met one day was so different. I cheered each time Mom got to the last page and the stranger was identified as a chipmunk.

“Hootie the Owl,” on the other hand, was a cliffhanger. What Hootie liked best of all was Mouse Roly-Poly, and that menu item focused sharply on a family of mice that lived in a hollow tree. I always uttered a

sigh of relief when Mrs. Mouse packed her bags and moved her children out of the tree. The final picture showed a “For Rent” sign on the door.

When I was in the fifth grade, our teacher read aloud from “Treasure Island.” Every day after lunch, we got lost in the harrowing adventures of Jim Hawkins, a kid, it turned out, just about our age.

When my book, “The Dark Ages of My Youth,” was published, I was invited to read aloud to residents at a local nursing home. More than once, a resident would ask me to repeat one of the stories I had read previously. It had not occurred to me that adults would like to hear someone read aloud.

Our world is a lot busier today, and it’s a struggle to find time to read. Still, I fondly recall my mother’s soothing voice as she urged Mrs. Mouse to finish packing and move away.

Ward Degler lives in Zionsville with his wife. He is the author of “The Dark Ages of My Youth ... and Times More Recent.” Contact him at ward.degler@ gmail.com.

Rookie Run returns for kids

By Ann Marie Shambaugh AnnMarie@youarecurrent.com

Beth Spoonmore enjoys running, and she’s glad to see her children starting to love it, too.

500 FESTIVAL

Thanks to the 500 Festival’s Rookie Run, presented this year by Salesforce & JPMorgan Chase, her daughter and son have had the opportunity to participate in a race set to their scale.

“It’s a short enough distance that it’s not intimidating or overwhelming for their age, and it’s a really fun environment,” Spoonmore said. “They were both successful at it, and that made them feel good about themselves.”

This year’s event, set for May 14 in downtown Indianapolis, will feature courses for children ages 3 to 10 that range from two blocks to a one-third mile, with the distance increasing for each age group. The youngest racers will begin at 12:30 p.m., with the final group set to start at 2:30 p.m.

Participants in the event, which is noncompetitive, will receive a race bib, goodie bag and finisher medal and experience

running past a cheering section before they cross the finish line.

Matt Adams participated in the Rookie Run as a kid and remembers it as a “cool experience” to run through downtown streets. More recently, he’s attended the event as a volunteer and has enjoyed watching the young runners feel the same sense of awe that he did.

“Adults don’t really think of running as a fun experience, but to these kids it is something cool and they are really excited,” he said.

Registration for the Rookie Run opens Feb. 16. Learn more at indymini.com/ rookierun.

Rookie Run participants cross the start line in 2022. (Photo courtesy of Beth Spoonmore)

Carmel Jazz Festival set for debut in August

By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com

Carmel residents Blair Clark and Ashley Ulbricht want to celebrate their love of jazz and the city.

MUSIC

Thus, the Carmel Jazz Festival is set for an August debut.

Clark is the executive director/chief executive officer of the nonprofit. Ulbricht, an attorney, is the president.

Clark said part of the mission is to showcase Carmel’s state-of-the-art entertainment venues.

“It’s not only one of the best places to live, but it’s one of the best places to come for entertainment, and we have some great event spaces for that,” said Clark, a vocalist who also is a voice coach.

The Carmel Jazz Festival is set for Aug. 11-12 at several venues across the city.

“We want to bring the flavor, feel and flair of New Orleans to Carmel,” Ulbricht said. “We have all these venues, but we don’t have a dedicated music festival for Carmel that includes other international and national acts.”

Acts will perform at The Tarkington and Studio Theater at the Center for the Performing Arts and outside the venues on Carter Green. There also will be acts at the Carmel Gazebo.

“We are partnering with the Palladium for at least one act,” said Ulbricht, a violinist and backup vocalist for SixFigures.

Ulbricht said Feinstein’s cabaret at Hotel Carmichael also is a partner, and there will be multiple acts in the two-day period.

“We are putting up some pop-up performances, sponsored by the city, during Meet Me on Main, which is always the second Saturday of the month,” Clark said.

Clark said the event will be a great indoor and outdoor opportunity, which includes food trucks, for attendees.

“We’re focused on making our local vendors and businesses put their productions and their stuff up there,” Clark said.

Ulbricht said there will be VIP experiences throughout the two-day festival.

Clark said they are in conversations with national performers, including Evelyn “Champagne” King.

Carmel resident Josh Kaufman, the winner of Season 6 of “The Voice,” is expected to perform. Among other area performers expected to appear are soul and blues singers Tad Robinson and Jennie DeVoe and jazz musician Steve Allee.

“We’re bringing the top-end local acts around the state of Indiana,’ Clark said.

“We want to make sure it’s an all-inclusive experience of local, international and regional acts.”

Jazz bands from Indiana University, Ball State University and Butler University will perform Aug. 12 at the Studio Theater.

“Then all the professors from those colleges will be performing after that at The Tarkington,” Clark said. “We’re hoping to get the high school jazz bands as well. One of the missions is to get instruments

and lessons in the hands of underprivileged kids. We’ll be collaborating with other musical outlets to get them to donate instruments and the instructors to donate some free lessons.”

A portion of the proceeds from the festival will benefit that mission.

Current Publishing is serving as the media sponsor.

The hours are 5 to 10 p.m. Aug. 11 and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Aug. 12. Tickets are $25 for Aug. 11, $35 for Aug. 12 and $50 for both days. Attendees will get wristbands to enter different venues.

There will be separate tickets for performances at Palladium and Feinstein’s. For more information and tickets, visit carmeljazzfest.org.

‘FOOTLOOSE’

“Footloose” will run through March 26 at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre in Indianapolis. For more, visit beefandboards.com.

‘THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK’

Civic Theatre will present “The Diary of Anne Frank” through Feb. 25 at The Tarkington at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. For more, visit civictheatre.org.

‘NEW WORLD DANCES’

The Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre will present “New World Dances” Feb. 18-19 and Feb. 25-26 at The Florence at the Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre in Carmel. For more, visit gregoryhancockdancetheatre.org.

‘NIGHT MUST FALL’

Main Street Productions of “Night Must Fall” will be presented through Feb. 19 at Basile Westfield Playhouse. For more, visit westfieldplayhouse.org.

‘PROOF’

Mud Creek Players will present “Proof” through Feb. 25 at the Mud Creek Barn Theater in Indianapolis. For more, visit mudcreekplayers.org.

‘AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS’

The Belfry Theatre’s production of “Around the World in 80 Days” will runs through Feb. 19 at Arts for Lawrence Theater at the Fort, 8920 Otis Ave., Lawrence. For more, visit artsforlawrence.org.

‘THE MUSIC OF MANILOW’

Actors Theatre of Indiana co-founder Don Farrell will perform “One Voice: The Music of Manilow” at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 18 at the Studio Theater at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. For more, visit thecenterpresents.org.

‘ARTE D’ITALIA’

“Arte D’Italia” feature classical pianist Francesco Attesti, of Cortona, Italy, in a concert at 7 p.m. Feb. 19 at the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. There is another event at Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 17, featuring Attesti in a jazz trio. For more, visit thecenterpresents.org.

Blair Clark, left, and Ashley Ulbricht are the organizers of the Carmel Jazz Festival. (Photo by Mark Ambrogi)