North Indy Magazine April 2024

Same Chick, Different Town

Two Chicks District Co. Opens New Location in Noblesville

Beyond Horizonthe

Horizon League Leaders Continue to Build a Strong On-Court Culture

A CROSS-CULTURE SUCCESS

FERNANDO’S MEXICAN & BRAZILIAN CUISINE CELEBRATING ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

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APRIL 2024

5 BEYOND THE HORIZON

Horizon League Leaders Continue to Build a Strong On-Court Culture

10 A CROSS-CULTURE SUCCESS

Fernando’s Mexican & Brazilian Cuisine Celebrating One-Year Anniversary

15 SAME CHICK, DIFFERENT TOWN

Two Chicks District Co. Opens New Location in Noblesville

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BEYOND THE HORIZON

HORIZON LEAGUE LEADERS CONTINUE TO BUILD A STRONG ON-COURT CULTURE

Writer / Ely Ayers Photography / Michael Durr

As winter’s chill gives way to the highly anticipated warmth offered by spring, the Midwest region undergoes an annual transformation that grants more than blooming flowers and days increasing in length; it heralds the arrival of a cultural spectacle deeply etched into the Hoosier

fabric - March Madness.

The landscape of American collegiate athletics is a tapestry woven from diverse competition from a multitude of conferences, each with its own competitive spirit and unique impact. Indianapolis, with its rich basketball history, proudly hosts its share of sports excellence, but only the Division I conference has its headquarters

in the Circle City: the Horizon League.

The Horizon League, which has put great emphasis on developing a competitive and forward-thinking culture, has a storied past filled with success throughout collegiate sports history. Founded in 1979 as the Midwestern City Conference and later changed to its modern name, the Horizon League offers a diverse athletic landscape

that encompasses 19 sports including both men and women. In its Division I basketball sector, the Horizon League is comprised of 11 universities scattered across the Great Lakes and Midwest region. Embracing transformation as a key concept in its future, the league puts emphasis on the belief that being more than just another Division I athletic conference is paramount in its journey to developing a premiere identity. Being headquartered in Indianapolis, the Horizon League cultivates a flourishing symbiotic relationship with its host city, demonstrating a commitment that extends far beyond the larger-than-life competition that takes place inside Indiana Farmers Coliseum.

In the summer of 2023, the Horizon League announced a new campaign titled “Brand Recharge,” which included a slick new logo, a social media campaign (#OurHorizon), and most importantly, a strategic initiative centered around the way the Horizon League and its students leave their footprint in their communities. Shawn Sullivan, the Horizon League’s associate commissioner

for messaging, branding and strategic initiatives, explained that for the Horizon League, the focus is more than just the games, and that the Horizon League’s impact on students and communities lives longer than the duration of one game, one season, or even four years of a student’s collegiate athletic life.

The Rinebold Company, along with strategic design agency Section127 and Sullivan, spearheaded the brand strategy, emphasizing a more personal voice in the league’s narrative. The refreshed communication strategy revolves around four pillars - Major Cities, Major Experiences, Major Moves and Major Impact - showcasing the Horizon League’s commitment to exposure, competition, innovation and community leadership.

“Part of our brand recharge was really looking into the process of building on the pride that already existed among students, and growing with the community to be a better community partner to them,” Sullivan said. “We also wanted to modernize who we

are as a league in a way that connects with people. We’re interested in leaving a quality and lasting footprint in the communities that our students and league members are active in.”

The Horizon League’s dedication to its student-athletes finds a strong parallel in its commitment to the cities that their universities are in as well. Since 2020, the Circle City has proudly hosted the semifinal and championship games for both the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. This partnership, however, transcends mere event hosting. Recognizing the importance of fostering a deeper connection with the city, the league actively seeks to enrich its cultural tapestry through various initiatives.

“We currently have around 50 people in our local organizing committee and work closely with the Meridian Kessler neighborhood throughout the year,” Sullivan said. “Barbasol, KeyBank, and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield really play a big part in what we do, and helped contribute to our brand recharge in terms of resources.”

Sullivan noted that much like the athletics that are a part of the Horizon League, pushing the Horizon League vision forward takes a team.

The Horizon League’s partnership with the Indiana Farmers Coliseum, near the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center, has been a resounding success. This connection is further strengthened by the league’s extended partnership with the City of Indianapolis, securing the city as the host of the championship games through 2026. This long-term commitment signifies the league’s unwavering dedication to the city’s cultural and economic growth.

The 6,800-seat arena sees over onemillion spectators annually, with a significant portion being dedicated Horizon League fans. The league’s commitment to its community is palpable, evident in events like the International Women’s Day Celebration during the 2022 championships, bringing together leaders and allies to celebrate women’s achievements. Utilizing their community platforms has been major in the process

of fostering dialogue within the community.

Another example is the league’s hosting of an interactive Fan Zone, offering free entertainment and activities just steps away from the Indiana Farmers Coliseum. This commitment to community engagement goes a long way in establishing a two-way street where the league and the city benefit from each other.

Beyond branding, the Horizon League boasts a storied history in NCAA men’s basketball tournaments. From 1995 to 2011, the league produced 24 qualifiers, earning the distinction of the only non-BCS conference with five Sweet 16 appearances during that span. The Horizon League remains an alwaysactive contender in collegiate basketball.

After the highly competitive regular season that basketball offers, the Horizon League Tournament is held annually, and features all 22 teams in the Horizon League - 11 on the men’s side and 11 on the women’s side. Each first round and the quarterfinal round game will be played at the home arena of the higher seed. This year the semifinals and the championship game will be played at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum.

Oakland (20-11, 15-5 Horizon) became the outright winner of the conference regular-season crown for the first time since joining the Horizon League in 2013-2014, after knocking off rival Detroit Mercy 75-70 at home. On March 12, after fighting for a chance at the tournament championship, the

Oakland men found themselves across Milwaukee for the 2024 Horizon League championship game, and went on to win 83-76, earning themselves a chance to go dancing in the field of 64 in the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament. After 13 seasons of striking out, Oakland is entering the big stage feeling more confident than ever.

The Cleveland State women’s team (284, 18-2 Horizon) entered the Horizon League tournament on a high note after capturing the 2023-2024 Horizon League regular season title - the first in the program’s tenured history. In a game against the Green Bay women’s team on March 12 for the women championship, Cleveland State fell short, 40-64.

As the echoes of the final game fade away and the lights dim in the Indiana Farmers Coliseum, it’s a moment of reflection for the Horizon League and the City of Indianapolis. Together they’ve not only put on highly successful events and games for the athletes, students and fans, but also forged a clear fire that transcends the court. The league’s growth, exemplified by initiatives like the brand recharge, mirrors the city’s own evolution, with each milestone marked by shared triumphs and challenges overcome. As they gaze towards the horizon, both the Horizon League and Indianapolis stand poised for the next chapter of their journey, guided by a shared commitment to excellence and community.

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A CROSS-CULTURE SUCCESS

FERNANDO’S

MEXICAN & BRAZILIAN CUISINE CELEBRATING ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Writer / Michelle Kaufman Photographer / Michael Durr

Owners Cristiano Rodrigues and Elizabeth Fernandez

At Fernando’s Mexican & Brazilian Cuisine, the family-focused atmosphere starts with the name on the window, and continues throughout the restaurant and into the kitchen.

Cristiano Rodrigues and Elizabeth Fernandez’s restaurant is about to celebrate their one-year anniversary in the heart of Broad Ripple.

Opening Fernando’s has been a dream for Rodrigues since he moved to the United States. When he and his mom first moved to the U.S., they worked as dishwashers at a restaurant and were frequent Broad Ripple visitors.

“The Broad Ripple crowd is always very open to new things and new foods,” he said.

“It was also important for me to be centered so Brazilian people that want to come can access our food. I am able to showcase different dishes from Brazil.”

Rodrigues is from Brazil, while Fernandez is from Mexico. The restaurant is named after their son, Fernando, and the menu is a cultural collaboration of traditional Brazilian and Mexican foods.

All of the Brazilian menu items are recipes from Rodrigues’ mom, who is also the executive chef at Fernando’s. On the Mexican side, the cooks have freedom to create new dishes that they grew up eating.

“We have regulars who come once a week, so it’s been great to build a family-like culture,” Fernandez said. “That’s what we’ve always wanted - to be more like a family and not just a restaurant to come eat at.”

Best sellers include picanha, a prime part of top sirloin that isn’t easy to find in central

Indiana but is very popular in Brazil. It’s served with Brazilian white rice and Brazilian black beans. Chicken stroganoff, chicken azteca and shrimp tacos are also well-loved by customers.

All of the red meat and chicken is sourced from Indiana-based farms.

“I enjoy exposing people to Brazilian food and the culture, and seeing people’s reaction as they try things for the first time,” Rodrigues said. “I get satisfaction out of teaching people. We aim to show people that Mexican food doesn’t have to be cheap and fast. Mexican food can also be made gourmet and from scratch with quality ingredients.”

“I enjoy meeting new people and getting to talk to families,” Fernandez said. “It has been fun trying to get people to try new things and pushing them to not get their normal comfort food. People love trying new things.”

The couple said Fernando already wants to

be at the host stand, and they are hoping to build something for him as he grows up.

“If restaurants aren’t the thing for him, we’ll be OK with that, but we just want him to have that financial freedom that we didn’t get as immigrants to this country,” Fernandez said.

In March, Fernando’s was the only Indiana

restaurant named to Yelp’s list of the “top 25 hot and new women-owned restaurants to visit in 2024.”

“It was very humbling,” Fernandez said. “I didn’t expect that at all and I didn’t know what to say except, ‘Wow, we did it.’ Every day is a new adventure and we take it for what it is.”

Fernando’s also has a full bar and mocktail menu. All desserts, such as the flan, are also made from scratch.

The restaurant is located at 834 East 64th Street in Indianapolis, and opens each day at 11 a.m. They can be reached at 317-3774779 or through Facebook.

Fernando’s Mexican & Brazilian Cuisine 834 E 64th St, Indianapolis

SAME CHICK, DIFFERENT TOWN

TWO CHICKS DISTRICT CO. OPENS NEW LOCATION IN NOBLESVILLE

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photographer / Sarah Browning

Mina Starsiak Hawk never had planned on becoming a TV personality, but in 2014 when the opportunity was presented for her and her mom, Karen, to have their own show on HGTV called “Good Bones,” the pair jumped at the chance. The mother-daughter duo were cofounders of Two Chicks and a Hammer, Inc., and they rehabbed homes in and around Indianapolis.

Although her mom retired five years ago, the Two Chicks brand is still going strong. There is Two Chicks Give Back, their nonprofit; Two Chicks Homes, a real estate brokerage (Starsiak Hawk is the broker who holds her own license); and Two Chicks District Co., the store that recently relocated to Noblesville.

The store first opened in Indianapolis in the summer of 2020. The reason Starsiak Hawk originally wanted to open the Two Chicks store was because whenever she watched shows on HGTV, she was always salivating over the merchandise and wanted to know how she could get her hands on a certain bed, throw or pillow.

“Either there was no way to actually find it, or if you did find it, it was five million dollars,” she says with a chuckle. “I wanted people to be able to watch [‘Good Bones’], and then either shop online or come to the store and

find the same thing or something very similar at an affordable price.”

Although she loved the store, the location wasn’t quite the right fit.

“I was invested in where I was downtown, but the neighborhood wasn’t invested,” she says. Therefore, the plan was to close up shop in 2023, just after the Christmas season. They were selling off their shelving when one day the owner of Moonshot Games suggested to Starsiak Hawk that she consider relocating her store to Noblesville.

“After spending some time here, I thought, ‘This might actually work,’” Starsiak Hawk says. “My brain works at breakneck speed, so within a span of three weeks I was telling my team, ‘Nope - actually we’re going to reopen the store!’ Luckily my manager, Alexis, said, ‘You’re crazy, but I’m with you girl!’”

Starsiak Hawk is excited about this new location and getting a second chance to make Two Chicks District Co. a success.

“Everyone in Noblesville seems super invested,” she says. When they did their soft opening, Starsiak Hawk invited all the merchants in town, along with the mayor, to the event, and immediately she was awestruck by the welcoming response.

“Rosie’s Place asked if they could make cookies for the opening, and the brewery across the street wanted to do a discount,” she says. “Everyone was so kind.”

The original Two Chicks District Co. included a bistro that served beer, wine and food. The new store doesn’t sell food and drink, as Starsiak Hawk is going back to her roots. This means selling larger pieces like furniture, tables, sofas and accent chairs, in addition to smaller items like pillows and tabletop decor as well as jewelry and candles. She will also continue to sell Two Chicks and a Hammer branded merchandise like hoodies, keychains and mugs.

“We don’t have a huge footprint so we can’t display 500 sofas and bed frames like IKEA, but we have access to so many beautiful pieces,” Starsiak Hawk says, noting that they have a binder in the store that’s full of items. If a customer comes in looking for, say, dining chairs, they have two on the floor but 20 more options in the binder, along with matching bar stools.

“People can flip through the binder and say, ‘I like this,’ or they can bring in a picture of what they’re looking for,” Starsiak Hawk says. “We can find comparable or perhaps even the exact same thing. It’s fun helping people find the pieces they love.”

Starsiak Hawk and her designer, MJ, also offer in-home consultations for those who prefer that to an online consultation.

Starsiak Hawk, who grew up on the west side of Indianapolis, across from the Colts complex, is married to Steve, who runs a training platform called Hawk Fit (thehawkfit.com), a cutting-edge online program designed to elevate fitness and wellbeing. The couple have two children, Jack and Charlie.

“The kids are 3.5 and 5.5, so they’re at ages where they want to play with us all the time and want to be outside,” Starsiak Hawk says. “I love hanging out with them. Other than that, I really enjoy working.”

She and her husband just renovated the main floor of a lake house in Martinsville, which they filmed for a two-part special that will air on HGTV this spring or summer.

“My son, Jack, helped me demo a wall,”

Starsiak Hawk says. “Doing those things helps me relax.”

Although “Good Bones” wrapped at the end of 2023, Starsiak Hawk recently filmed an episode of “House Hunters.” In celebration of the 25th year of “House Hunters” on HGTV, the network invited 12 individuals who’ve had shows on HGTV to take the place of real estate agents and film an episode in their respective city.

“I loved doing ‘Good Bones’ so I’m trying to figure out another format that will be more sustainable than doing 13 full-gut houses all on my dime every 12 months,” she says. “I did that for eight years and it was overwhelming, but I hope to be able to work with the network again because HGTV is the place to be. They are amazing.”

Two Chicks District Co. is located at 957 Logan Street in Noblesville. For more information, call 317-379-5383 or visit twochicksdistrictco.com.

Eskenazi Health, please call 317.880.3344 or visit eskenazihealth.edu/careers

Indiana Eclipse Route featuring DNR properties

54 PROPERTIES PROPERTIES FOR BEST VIEWING

LAKES

1. Brookville

2. Cagles Mill (Lieber SRA)

3. Cecil M. Harden (Raccoon SRA) & Mansfield Roller Mill

4. Hardy

5. Monroe

6. Patoka

FISH & WILDLIFE AREAS

1. Atterbury

SCAN the QR code for a full list of properties and viewing times

1.

2. Blue Grass

3. Chinook

4. Crosley

5. Deer Creek

6. Fairbanks Landing

7. Glendale

8. Goose Pond

9. Hillenbrand

10. Hovey Lake

11. J.E. Roush

12. Sugar Ridge

13. Wabashiki

10.

11.

13.

14.

1. Abe Martin Lodge

2.

3.

4.

5.

1.

1.

STATE FORESTS

1. Ferdinand

2. Greene-Sullivan

3. Jackson-Washington

4. Martin

5. Morgan-Monroe

6. Mountain Tea

7. Owen-Putnam

8. Pike

14. Wilbur Wright STATE

9. Ravinia

10. Selmier

11. Yellowwood

NATURE PRESERVES

1. Big Walnut (Oscar & Ruth Hall Woods Trail) (Tall Timbers Trail)

2. Bluffs of Beaver Bend

3. Loblolly Marsh Wetland

* Nature Preserves have limited parking

The total eclipse is in April, but the REAL show-stopping event happens this Fall.

EXPLORE AT THE SPEED OF INDY.

Paddle With Us!

We are Friends of the White River. Since 1985, we’ve advocated for the preservation of the river as Central Indiana’s most precious natural resource. We represent the people who use the river for outdoor recreation, those who live near its banks, and all citizens who benefit from the river.

FOWR would like to invite you to come Paddle with Us this summer. Our River School program turns an urban corridor of White River into an environmental classroom for students, civic leaders and selected partner programs. Enroute, our guides discuss history, shoreline and aquatic wildlife, riparian flora, environmental science and water quality, all while engaging people in a first-hand look at Central Indiana’s most valuable natural resource.

We’re always recruiting volunteers to help with programs. Experienced paddlers can join the River School program as Raft Guides and use their skills on our White River Canoe Cleanups. You can also volunteer for a shore-based cleanup, or join Habitat Healers to restore streambanks. Check out the Events page

Memberships and sponsorship opportunities are available on our website. These donations are usually tax-deductible and provide an amazing opportunity to make a positive impact on Central Indiana’s most precious natural resource.

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