Carmel Magazine August 2023

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Providing A Safety Net To Families Of First Providers

The Heroes Club Honors Indiana State Police Trooper Aaron N. Smith

Trooper Smith died tragically after being struck by a suspect’s vehicle while attempting to de-escalate a chase by deploying stop sticks

The Heroes Club, along with several other Law Enforcement Support organizations, were quickly engaged to provide both financial and emotional support

The Heroes Club donated a bank of hotel rooms for all visiting family members for multiple nights for the honoring ceremony and beyond

Your donations to The Heroes Club do not sit idle. When a tragedy occurs and there is a need, The Heroes Club will rise to the call

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FOUNDER/CEO

TOM BRITT tom@townepost.com 317.496.3599

TOWNE POST NETWORK, INC. PRESIDENT JEANNE BRITT jeanne@townepost.com 317.810.0011

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR ERIN TURK

CREATIVE DIRECTORS TONI EADS VAL AUSTIN

EDITORS

PLATT

CULTURAL GEM

The Carmel Clay History Museum Breaks Ground

WELCOME HOME Finding Community at North End

THE NEXT WAVE Carmel Swim Academy Opens New Facility

VITAL VOICES Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation Offers Community Survey for Five-Year Master Plan

KEY CONTRIBUTORS

CULTURAL GEM

THE CARMEL CLAY HISTORY

MUSEUM BREAKS GROUND

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided

On June 14, the Carmel Clay Historical Society broke ground on the Carmel Clay Depot, which is still very special to us, but it was 950 square feet so it wasn’t conducive to

voted to fund a new three-story museum on property next to the depot. However,

subcontractors and began work on what’s expected to be a 16- to 18-month build.

“We hope to move into the space in December 2024,” Gangstad says. “We want

The first floor of the museum, open to the public, will have a large area for an exhibit or programming. One side of the first floor will also house an old mercantile/general store replication, while the other side will have a

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“We’re going to make it more of an interactive experience rather than walking in, looking at something and walking out,” Gangstad says.

THE NEXT WAVE

CARMEL SWIM ACADEMY OPENS NEW FACILITY

Carmel Swim Academy (CSA) construction is complete, and members of the club couldn’t be happier.

The Carmel community recently raised over $700,000, and the Carmel Swim Club added another $635,000 to support the facility, located on the west side of the Carmel Total Fitness building. The academy opened in early July.

Carmel Swim Club Head Coach and CEO Chris Plumb says the Carmel community

truly came through.

“Carmel Swim Academy would not be possible without the strong support of both our Carmel Swim Club and larger Carmel communities,” Plumb says. “The enthusiasm of donors to this project, and the additional investment by the Carmel Swim Club, demonstrate an unwavering commitment to creating a safer, healthier and stronger community through swimming.”

Plumb notes that opening this facility

represents CSA’s mission, including their community-based, noncompetitive programs.

“Ongoing efforts for fundraising will continue as we work to grow critical, life-saving programs, including free swim lessons for children in families experiencing financial need,” Plumb says. “While drowning is one of the leading causes of injury-related death in young children, participation in formal swim lessons can reduce a child's risk of drowning by

Writer / Matt Keating Photography Provided

88%. Opening the doors of Carmel Swim Academy will immediately quadruple the capacity of our existing free swim lesson program, and additional donor support to grow this and other initiatives is important.”

Plumb says construction on the new facility started in 2021. CSA was inspired by the need for families in the area to have a safe place to learn lifelong skills such as water safety and swimming competency.

CSA’s training pool has six 25-yard

swimming lanes, and there is also an attached shallow-water instructional area. The facility includes a mezzanine where parents can watch swim lessons, as well as family-friendly locker rooms.

“We firmly believe that everyone deserves to carry the life-saving skill of knowing how to swim,” Plumb says. “Our promise is to provide the highest-quality swim instruction from professional and friendly staff, making our community safer with each person who learns to swim. CSA

is our community’s welcoming facility designed with your family in mind, offering exceptional programming for all ages and all abilities. With safety as our top priority, families can trust that children are safe while they have fun and grow their confidence in the water. Swimming is for everyone, and everyone belongs at CSA.”

Plumb says couldn't be more excited about the facility.

“Personally, I'm thrilled this project is coming to fruition,” he says. “It's been a dream of mine for more than a decade for Carmel Swim Club to have its own pool where we could introduce more young people to the sport of swimming, and more fully live out CSC’s mission - ‘Teaching excellence through swimming, for life.’ Our competitive hub remains at Carmel High School, while the new Carmel Swim Academy facility offers us a warm - literally, the water is much warmer here - inviting space to engage community members of all ages and abilities with the water.”

Plumb hopes to see some new faces at the academy.

“I am excited to connect more people in our community with best-in-class aquatics

Carmel Swim Academy's (left to right) Brittany Van Meter (Aquatics Director), Maggie Mestrich (Director of Business Development), and Nicole Bills (Senior Director).

programs,” Plumb says. “Carmel Swim Academy harnesses our organization's nearly 50 years of unparalleled expertise and excellence in the pool, and shares it more broadly with central Indiana. Come swim with us!”

CSA is open to people of all ages and includes space to teach more than 1,300 children per week. It has 55 hours of adultfocused programs planned per week. Several new options will also be offered including water aerobics, adult swim instruction and infant caregiver classes. CSA will also expand its free swim lesson program, offering up to 1,600 children free lessons each year.

To find out more about Carmel Swim Academy, visit the new facility at 830 City Center Drive in Carmel, call 317-575-

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WELCOME HOME

FINDING COMMUNITY AT NORTH END

Writer / Karyl Davis Photography Provided

Have you noticed the new, beautiful community on the north side of Smokey Row Road, just north of the Arts & Design District in downtown Carmel? This beautiful mix of custom homes, townhomes, apartments and commercial space is the recent brainchild of Old Town Companies. At a quick glance, this community may look similar to other

but North End is quite unique. In addition to luxury home customization options, a multitude of amenities, an urban farm, a community pool and a farm-to-table restaurant, this integrated community was built with a direct focus on inclusion.

Gone are the days when people knew their neighbors, checked in on each other from time to time, and enjoyed getting together for a block party or impromptu potluck dinner. Although these notions may seem dated or nostalgic, the North End development seeks to modernize true community through care of neighbor.

Companies, in partnership with RDOOR Housing Corporation and Village of Merici, a local nonprofit organization whose mission is to deliver an innovative approach to services and housing for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, came together on creating the North End project. Through this collaboration, they were awarded funding through the Moving Forward 2020 state initiative to develop 40 attainable apartments designated for adults with disabilities. These apartments are interspersed throughout three multilevel apartment buildings within the larger North End community, creating true integration

with all neighbors.

Another component of funding for this project incorporates advanced technologies with each apartment. For the 40 individuals with disabilities living in the North End community, utilizing emerging technologies customized to each person will become a way of life, and decrease the reliance on state-subsidized, in-person support.

It is true that most adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities do not drive, may be unemployed or underemployed, sometimes feel socially isolated, and need to

rely on others from time to time. Old Town Companies understands these obstacles and established a welcoming, integrated community open to all.

With the current availability of affordable housing at a crisis level throughout the state, many families realize the significance of this project, especially located within the Carmel area. Molly Warmelink, mother to Michael, sums up the magnitude of the move as follows: “We are excited about him moving in. We will be sad to not have him at home anymore, but we realize this is his next step. The only way for him to grow is

for him to be out on his own.”

Through the use of advanced technologies and support services, adults with disabilities are able to live independently and enjoy being on their own within the greater community.

For more information about this community, email Hannah Harless, community and technology support coordinator, at hannahharless@ villgeofmerici.org.

“WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT HIM MOVING IN. WE WILL BE SAD TO NOT HAVE HIM AT HOME ANYMORE, BUT WE REALIZE THIS IS HIS NEXT STEP."

— MOLLY WARMELINK

VITAL VOICES

CARMEL CLAY PARKS AND RECREATION OFFERS COMMUNITY SURVEY FOR FIVE-YEAR MASTER PLAN

In the heart of Carmel’s bustling community lies a cherished network of parks, serving as an oasis of tranquility and recreation for residents and visitors alike.

As the Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation (CCPR) 2024 five-year master plan comes to fruition, the department invites the public to participate in an online survey to determine the community’s vision for the plan. The survey will remain open through August 23.

The five-year master plan is a document that the CCPR does every five years to help guide the development and management of

the parks system.

“What makes the five-year plan so powerful is that it is grounded on feedback that we receive from the public and from key members of the community,” says CCPR Director Michael W. Klitzing. “We do as much as we can to really make sure we understand what the residents want and expect from the parks system.”

As stewards of CCPR’s green spaces, Klitzing says the primary goal is to ensure that the park system aligns with the desires and expectations of the community.

“To achieve this, we have undertaken a significant step forward by conducting a statistically valid community survey,” Klitzing says.

Through collaborating with a professional survey company, CCPR embarked with extensive effort to gather input from the community’s diverse population. This inclusive approach aims to represent the voices of both avid park-goers, who frequent these green havens day in and day out, as well as those who have not yet explored the parks but envision a system that meets their needs.

“The parks are a shared asset, and it’s

Writer / Natalie Gargiulo Photography Provided

crucial for us to provide a park system that truly reflects what the community wants,” Klitzing says. “We take our role as stewards seriously and strive to utilize our resources effectively to meet the community's expectations."

The survey's scope encompassed a broad range of topics including desired park amenities, suggestions for improvements and feedback on current offerings. With a 95% confidence level, the survey results provide an accurate representation of the community's sentiments.

"Our partnership with the survey company

was vital in making this effort successful," Klitzing says. "Their expertise in survey administration and analysis allows us to gain valuable insights, ensuring we make informed decisions for the park system's future."

One of the survey's most powerful aspects is its focus on public engagement. The community is encouraged to actively participate and voice their thoughts.

"We want every member of the community to have a chance to influence the park system's direction," Klitzing says. "By reaching out to various demographics and neighborhoods, we ensured a comprehensive understanding of our community's needs."

As the survey results are analyzed and interpreted, CCPR remains committed to transparency. The park administration eagerly awaits further feedback, believing that ongoing dialogue with the community is fundamental to creating a thriving park system.

"Our journey towards an exemplary park system is a continuous one," Klitzing says. "The community's input will continue to guide our decisions, fostering a park system that we can all take pride in."

The statistically valid community survey has set a strong foundation for the future of CCPR’s park system. By listening to the community's voices and incorporating their aspirations, the survey helps in create parks that remain vibrant, inclusive and cherished for generations to come.

“We’re very fortunate to be in a community that loves its parks, and appreciates and understands the impact the parks have on quality of life,” Klitzing says.

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