North Indy Magazine June 2024

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4 A GUIDE TO PRIDE

8 A DRIVEN INITIATIVE

IndyGo Implementing New Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy

12 MODERN DAY WINDOW & DOOR

Bringing Your Dream Home to Life

18 TASTE OF INDY

Annual Festival Is Back With Mouth-Watering Morsels, Music and Much More

FEATURED PARTNERS 4

22 RESTORING THE WHITE RIVER

Emrichsville Dam’s Path to Removal

27 WHAT A SHOT

Local Filmmakers

Complete New Project at Indy-Based Laundromat

PUBLISHERS

MICHAEL & LINDSAY DURR michael@townepost.com (630) 853-1142

KEY CONTRIBUTORS

MICHAEL DURR

SHAUN HUGHES

ALESHA MCCARTY

RENEE LARR

DANIEL WOODY

TOWNE POST NETWORK, INC.

FOUNDER, CEO TOM BRITT tom@townepost.com (317) 496-3599

PRESIDENT JEANNE BRITT jeanne@townepost.com (317) 810-0011

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR ERIN TURK

CREATIVE DIRECTORS VAL AUSTIN TONI EADS

COPY EDITOR JON SHOULDERS

TOWNE POST NETWORK, INC. 8800 North Street, Suite 117 Fishers, IN 46038 Phone/Text: (317) 810-0011 FOR FRANCHISE INFORMATION, VISIT FRANCHISING.TOWNEPOST.COM

CONTACT THE PUBLISHER

Have a story idea or suggestion for the magazine?

Hey foodies - we’re back for Season Two of the IndyFoodKing guide to Pride, and I would like to start by recognizing the beautiful, creative and dedicated people across the state that make our Pride season possible. From the committees, organizations and individuals making this celebration of love and life bigger and better each year, thank you. From all of us, thank YOU. The time has never been more important to show up, show out and support our community.

From Fort Wayne and Spencer to Jeffersonville and our capital city of

Indianapolis, LGBTQIA+ members and supporters can celebrate the welcoming sights and sounds of the 2024 Pride season all throughout Indiana. Whether you are visiting the city for the first time or have spent your entire life here, welcome, and I wish you a happy Pride.

So, someone told me you’re hungry and looking for things to do this June. Well, gosh…toss on your favorite pair of shoes and take a walk with me through the flavors, experiences and people joining us this June to celebrate love and acceptance. My food recommendations are strictly based on personal preference, and how safe I have felt being in these establishments. We have so many incredible business owners, dining options and safe spaces, and here are a few of my recent favorites.

GATHER 22: 22 E. 22ND ST.

Adam and Pablo bring the community a safe space with some of the best cocktails and dishes in the city. Chicken skewers,

biscuits and gravy pizza, and the rice bowl with pika chicken, are my favorites. Kick off a sunny Saturday in their back patio garden and stay a while.

BIER BREWERY: ALL OVER THE INDY AREA

Their newest location in Noblesville is absolute bliss. With space for furry friends and the whole family, they plan to offer an array of events, American and German-inspired beer, and great bites out of the kitchen.

8TH DAY DISTILLERY: 1125 E. BROOKSIDE AVE., SUITE D06

(Circle City Industrial Complex)

Familiar faces, locally distilled spirits and some of the funniest bartenders around - this group makes me feel at home when

I step into their cocktail bar. Cocktail specials are updated often! My personal favorites are their Gin & Tonic alongside the Vodka is Boring.

ENGLISH IVY’S:

944 ALABAMA ST.

The fried chicken special on Wednesdays feeds my soul. Their buffalo chicken wrap alongside the Caesar salad with grilled chicken added are typically spotted on my bill. Great pizza here too!

TOP OUT CAFÉ:

1411 ROOSEVELT AVE.

(Upstairs at North Mass Boulder)

Step into the eagle’s nest and dive into their barbecue chicken panini. I sub onions for spinach. The Indiana Cobb Salad will hit the spot alongside their avocado toast. There’s beer on tap for the thirsty queens!

SAM’S SILVER CIRCLE:

1102 FLETCHER AVE.

Try the large pizza with pepperoni and extra cheese, plus an order of bosco stix (you heard that right) with marinara and nacho cheese. Cheap drinks and TouchTunes! Get cozy and eat your heart out.

BODHI: 922 MASSACHUSETTS AVE.

Panang curry, drunken noodles, and the chicken pad thai would all make your

stomach happy. Plus, seasonal cocktails! Get there early as they do not accept reservations, but there is plenty to do around the area to pass the time.

TASTE OF INNOVA WINGS + GREENS: THE AMP FOOD HALL (STALL #8)

I truly feel like I’m meeting a group of angels when I talk to members of their team. The food is incredible, and they deserve your order of southern barbecue wings. Visit the Amp and add them to your list of must-try spots in our city!

BLACK CIRCLE BREWING

MUSIC BAR:

2201 E. 46TH ST. Black Circle is known for the variety of live music and events that support the LGBTQIA+ community, locally distilled spirits, and breadth of dining options - a part of their hospitality family spotted down 46th Street. Jump into Loom, GoldLeaf and Beacon

for more! The chicken parm sandwich is iconic.

New places are slated to open in the coming months, and you’ll find me there when they open. Out on Mass is scheduled to open later this year at 607 Massachusetts Avenue.

Now that you have satisfied your bellies, let’s talk about the events taking

INDY PRIDE - FULL EVENT SCHEDULE

CONGRATULATIONS TO THIS YEAR’S WINNERS OF THE 2024 INDY PRIDE PAGEANT:

Miss Indy Pride 2024: Lisa St. Laurent

MR Indy Pride 2024: Aijaye Finesse

MX Indy Pride 2024: Luna Magick

PET PRIDE: Saturday, June 1 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Riverside Park)

INTERFAITH CELEBRATION: Sunday, June 2 from 10 a.m. to noon (Riverside Park)

COMMUNITY PICNIC AND BAT N’ ROUGE: Sunday, June 2 from noon to 4 p.m. (Riverside Park)

DEAF PRIDE: Monday, June 3 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. (Tinker House)

“THE BROKEN HEARTS CLUB” presented by Kan-Kan Cinema and Stonewall Sports on Tuesday, June 4 at 7:45 p.m.

PRIDE COMMUNITY MUSIC NIGHT: Wednesday June 5 at 7:30 p.m. with Pride of Indy Bands, Indianapolis Women’s Chorus and Butler Community Arts School

GIRL PRIDE: Sapphic Celebration with special guest Daya on Thursday, June 6 at 8 p.m. (The Vogue Theatre)

INDY PRIDE PARADE AND FESTIVAL: Saturday, June 8 with the parade starting at 10 a.m. (Mass Ave & Military Park)

ROCK THE RUINS WITH INDY PRIDE: Orville Peck on Sunday, June 9 at 7 p.m. (Holliday Park)

BI+ PRIDE on Thursday, June 13 at 7:00 p.m. (10 East Arts Hub)

INDIANA PRIDE OF COLOR PRESENTS: BLQ+ on Saturday, June 15 at 9 p.m. (Cinderwood Events Center)

DRIVE-IN MOVIE NIGHT on Friday, June 21 at 7:30 p.m. (Tibbs Drive-In)

LATINX PRIDE: Noche Tropical on Saturday, June 29 at 7 p.m. (Vogue Theatre)

A DRIVEN INITIATIVE

INDYGO IMPLEMENTING NEW DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION STRATEGY

Writer / Renee Larr

Photography / Michael Durr

IndyGo, the largest public transportation provider in Indiana, is executing a new diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategy to build a greater sense of belonging for its teammates. The initiative, aptly named IndyGo DRIVE, is the brainchild of Lloyd Daley-Graham, IndyGo’s director of DEI.

“As I began in my initial role as diversity and inclusion and workforce development manager in May of 2021, I started by gaining a better understanding of where IndyGo was as it pertains to building belonging,” says Daley-Graham. “I focused on diversity, equity and inclusion. As my role evolved and I could devote more time to DEI work, I quickly realized IndyGo was engaging in a wealth of commendatory DEI initiatives. Still, there was an absence of an overall plan that focused on IndyGo-specific needs related to building belonging. There was no strategy to tie everything together and assess progress to ensure adequate

and timely improvements. Thus, DRIVE was born, and the process to develop it included a climate survey, focus groups and think tanks.”

Daley-Graham says every employee should feel supported, cared for and valued. Three pillars guide this mission:

Education and Development: Equipping IndyGo’s workforce with the knowledge, skills and professional development opportunities to promote belonging at IndyGo and in the Indianapolis community.

Recruitment, Hiring and Retention: Enhancing the diversity and fulfillment of our team through intentional recruitment efforts and equitable, employee-centered practices.

worthwhile communication channels, and continually evaluates progress toward an inclusive environment.

Daley-Graham says through the work of three pillar committees of approximately 10 IndyGo teammates, each from various departments, IndyGo DRIVE will tackle 57 goals over three years to build belonging at its agency. There is also a 10-person steering committee that oversees the entire process.

Pillar committees are responsible for the following:

• Developing and implementing the goals outlined in the agency’s DEI strategic plan.

• Identifying and recommending strategies to promote the goals of the DEI strategic plan.

Access, Advocacy and Assessment: Ensuring IndyGo provides innovative and gratifying accommodations as well as

• Assessing the goals based on the metrics identified in the DEI strategic plan.

• Raising awareness of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives among teammates. Serving as a resource for teammates on DEI matters.

“Members were selected based on their interest in DEI, commitment to the agency’s mission and ability to collaborate effectively,” Daley-Graham says. “There was also an overall goal to create diverse, well-represented IndyGo teams.”

Daley-Graham says the plan has the potential to benefit employees’ psychological safety, overall wellness, mental health, happiness, sense of self and more. More specifically, there are a great deal of tangible benefits, such as more opportunities for education, personal and professional development, standardizing processes to promote fairer practices, employee resource groups, recruitment strategies for minoritized populations, mentorship/leadership programs, policy and pay audits, and evaluating/ addressing professional coach operators’ perceptions of safety.

“In turn, DRIVE creates a fulfilled workforce that is better able to serve the Indianapolis community,”

Daley-Graham says. “As you increase the sense of belonging for any organization, you begin to reap the benefits of what you have sown. Retention increases, turnover/ absenteeism decreases, productivity rises and engagement grows. These positive impacts will undoubtedly trickle down to Indy residents through improved service, fewer delays and issues, more responsiveness, better engagement and more innovative opportunities. Investing in our people is an investment in the future of our community.”

“Currently the Indy Pride Planning Committee commits a great deal of time and effort to prepare IndyGo to participate in Indy Pride,” he adds. “The committee acts as an affirming space for all individuals who participate, welcoming all identities to the table and hearing their input. It further provides an opportunity for all IndyGo employees to participate in one of the most thrilling LGBTQ+ experiences in the world, filled with education, entertainment, resources and love. Committee members and IndyGo volunteers regularly share how much this opportunity means to them and that nothing compares to IndyGo’s involvement in this endeavor.

Additionally, the committee is responsible for the bus wrapped in a Pride theme that travels Indianapolis streets daily, spreading the good gay news and proudly celebrating all people. The committee will also transition into a more traditional employee resource group in the near future and branch out beyond Indy Pride.”

IndyGo held a kickoff event on April 19, and committees started meeting the following week. Thirty goals are being addressed in the first year. Work for the first year started in April 2024 and will be ongoing. Twenty goals for the second year are projected to start in June 2025, and seven goals for the third year will begin in June 2026.

For more information, visit indygo.net.

MODERN DAY WINDOW & DOOR

BRINGING YOUR DREAM HOME TO LIFE

Story & Photography Provided

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TASTE OF INDY ANNUAL

FESTIVAL IS BACK WITH MOUTHWATERING MORSELS, MUSIC AND MUCH MORE

Writer / Alesha McCarty

Photography Provided

Communities thrive on connection to create a culture of collaboration. Indianapolis is a diverse city with various cultures, backgrounds and neighborhoods. One factor that brings the city together is good food. Indy is blooming with foodies and individuals who love a good meal. What better way to celebrate our diversity than a single festival that gives us a chance to come together for one day in a harmonious blend of savoring all this city has to offer?

Taste of Indy 2024 is making a comeback this year on July 6 at White River State Park.

The Taste of Indy festival started in 2012 with 5,000 attendees celebrating local food, and in 2019 the festival had grown to 18,000 attendees, but as with many other ventures in this city, regulations related to COVID-19 led to its closing in 2020. After a break and time to regroup, Michael Barnett and Jonathan Warren knew that for 2024, Indy needed

this day of festivities, tasty food, good entertainment and community spirit.

They grew up on the west side of Indy together, which has always been a mecca of diverse food and culture. Perhaps it is where they were inspired by how food can bring a community together. Warren went on to be a food inspector in the military and they both have a profound love of a good meal. They went on to offer food consulting and training for restaurants. Industry folks wanted more marketing, and Taste of Indy was born.

Taste of Indy is one of the most affordable festivals of the year, with the entrance being $15 for the day (kiddos 10 and under get free entry). Once you enter the festival there will be lots of experiences like live local music from DJ Topspeed, Indianapolis’s finest turntable wizard, and Indy’s own River Road Band, an American country band.

You’ll also be able to participate in karaoke, a

photo booth, a climbing wall challenge from the U.S. Army, a kids play area, local business booths for shopping, street performers, and a variety of photo opportunities.

Festival food will be available for purchase with a ticket system, ($1=one ticket), and food options will be no more than five tickets each for a sampler portion. You can stop by for a meal or stay all day and choose how much you want to try. The event starts at 11 a.m. when you can come for coffee and breakfast, and it ends with late-night bites at 9 p.m. There will be up to 40 different vendors including food and beverages, so you can truly sample what makes up Indianapolis’s food culture. Follow along on social media @tasteofindy for festival updates on vendors.

Indy is a melting pot with almost every culture represented throughout the city. To tantalize your taste buds, you can expect to try flavorful traditional Mexican food from El Meson, comforting food with a kick from T’Days Jerk, plant-based, decadent hardy nibbles from

Black Leaf Vegan, a culinary fusion full of umami in a hand-held bite at Tako Seoul, and comfort food cooked low and slow from JINYA Ramen Bar, just to name a few. From high-end restaurants to small mom-and-pop shops, food trucks, Indy’s catering community and so much more, you can ready your taste buds for a Taste of Indy. You can even watch some of your favorite chefs make scrumptious meals during the live chef cooking demonstrations.

Watch members of the city create one-ofa-kind art displays during the live artist demonstrations throughout the day. In addition to the food and entertainment, you will also find a variety of beverage options from local wineries, cideries and breweries and more, as well as some great nonalcoholic options.

The festival will unfold against the iconic backdrop of the White River State Park, which is easily accessible from the north, west, south or east side of the city by car, IndyGo Red Line, Pacers Bikeshare, or a quick walk from downtown.

Much like Indy itself, the Taste of Indy festival will provide something for you to do all day long. In this city adventure never ends, and there is an abundance of moments to savor and avenues to explore. You can find more information at tasteofindy.org or follow on social media @tasteofindy.

Whether you’re a local foodie looking to discover your new favorite restaurant, or looking for a way to connect with the community, one thing is for sure - Taste Of Indy on July 6 should be on your calendar.

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L: Teresa (Ruff) Rogers, Certified Personal Trainer/Spin Instructor

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RESTORING THE WHITE RIVER

EMRICHSVILLE DAM’S PATH TO REMOVAL

Writer & Photographer / Daniel Woody

At Friends of the White River (FOWR), our mission has always been clear: protect, preserve and promote the vitality of central Indiana’s most precious natural resource. As advocates for recreational paddlers, anglers, boaters and riverfront landowners, we have a vested interest in river safety and the ecological well-being of the White River. This includes addressing the historical impact and current dangers of the Emrichsville low-head dam.

Emrichsville Dam was constructed in 1899 for aesthetic and recreational purposes, as part of the development of Riverside Park upstream. Until 2018 it also provided for emergency

intake pumps for Indy’s municipal water supply. While serving these purposes, the lowhead dam significantly fragmented the White River watershed’s natural ecosystem. Lowhead dams prevent upstream fish migration, harming native species like smallmouth bass. The effect on the river’s water quality, pooled up behind the low-head dam, was largely negative, especially during Indiana’s hot summers.

Low-head dams are notorious for creating deadly recirculating currents just downstream of the structure, known among river safety experts as “drowning machines.” These currents pose significant risks to paddlers,

boaters and anglers, tragically claiming lives over the years. The most recent fatalities occurred in April 2024, resulting in the tragic loss of two paddlers. This has illuminated the urgency of removing the dam to other stakeholders and further bolstered our advocacy efforts.

In parallel with the Emrichsville Dam’s history, Belmont Beach emerged as an important cultural space for Indianapolis’s African American community. Located in the Haughville neighborhood, just south of the low-head dam, the beach served as a vibrant gathering place, despite its waters being heavily polluted due to industry waste. While this

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section of the river was used to reinforce racist segregation policies, black residents also used it for community bonding and cultural expression, all shaped by the altered landscapes the low-head dam produced.

Since our founding in 1985, FOWR has been deeply involved in various initiatives to protect and restore the White River. Our efforts intensified following the death of a teenager at Emrichsville Dam in the spring of 2021. We have demanded action by local authorities to remove the low-head dam, installed upgraded warning signage, collaborated with lowhead dam removal experts, and mobilized community support to advocate for the removal of this and other low-head dams within the White River’s watershed.

The recent approval of a $750,000 grant by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, marks a significant victory in FOWR’s three-year campaign. This funding, announced in April 2024, will facilitate the full removal of the Emrichsville Dam, aiming to restore unimpeded river flow, enhance fish migration, improve water quality and ensure safer recreational access.

This project not only represents an ecological restoration, but also a return to safer, more enjoyable river experiences for our community. Removing the low-head dam will increase the river’s accessibility for activities like paddling, fishing, and boating crucial for the physical and mental well-being of Marion County residents and visitors.

As we celebrate this milestone, we also look

to the future. The removal of the Emrichsville Dam is just one of many steps needed to fully realize a restored White River. We invite you to join us, whether through volunteering, a sustaining membership or a one-time donation, to help continue these efforts.

FOWR sponsorships and donations are mostly tax-deductible and offer a meaningful way to positively impact our river’s future.

With your support, we can enhance public access, improve water quality, restore native

habitats, and ensure the White River remains a vibrant part of our community for generations to come. Together, we can turn the tide towards a sustainable and thriving river ecosystem.

For more information on how you can get involved or to make a donation, please visit our website at friendsofwhiteriver.org. Your support helps us continue vital programs that connect people to the river, advocating for a clean, healthy and accessible White River.

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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WHAT A SHOT

LOCAL FILMMAKERS COMPLETE NEW PROJECT AT INDY-BASED LAUNDROMAT

Writer / Michael Durr

hen you think filmmaking you might not think Indy, but writer and director Rocky Walls is one of many local filmmakers working in our area. Walls and his cofounder, Zach Downs, have been leading their team at 12 Stars Media, creating documentary films for years, but now they have taken on the creative ambition of producing a fictional, narrative film.

The journey began with a spark of inspiration, born from a stressful circumstance of having $20,000 in gear stolen from them while on a client project in San Francisco. You may want to follow up with Walls on that part of the story. On the journey home, Walls began writing as a means of distracting himself from the unfortunate cards

Photography Provided

they had been dealt. What began as a single blank page quickly became the structure of what would become his first narrative film.

After about a week of writing, drawing on personal experiences from his own life, Walls had the first draft of his independent feature film, titled “Dirty Laundry.”

“I’ve always wanted to film something inside a laundromat, and there was an image that I started to build everything around,” says Walls, writer and director of the film.

With a story in place, it was time to find the perfect location that had the right blend of aesthetics and practicality. What ended up emerging at the top of the list was Tony Ray Laundromat, a humble yet characterfilled local laundromat located at 56th and Keystone. After a subtle mission of snagging iPhone photos and discussing the location with his team, it was time to approach the owner and pitch their idea.

“The film is a coming-of-age story about truth and friendship, set in the ‘90s with a little magic and shenanigans mixed in,” Walls says. “Visually it’s an extremely tight and intimate story that is almost exclusively captured within the walls of the laundromat.”

The initial meeting with the owner of laundromat went well, but it wasn’t until Walls came back with a production schedule when the owner saw that this guy was serious. The owner was incredibly accommodating; his only request was that the building be used when not in operation, which meant call times started at 9 p.m. and production through the night. In the film, the laundromat, with its vintage coin machines, becomes a character in its own right, as a mysterious stranger leaves magic coins that put the main characters under a truth-telling spell. Over the course of 10 production days throughout the month of December, the team, comprised of primarily local crew and cast, started bringing the vision into reality.

“It was awesome,” Walls says. “I could not have asked for a better location, cast and crew. Maybe we just had an incredible stroke of beginner’s luck, or maybe we just have a lot more movie magic in Indiana than so many people realize.”

The cast, including lead actors Mitchell Wray (as Kyle Miller) and Charlie Schultz (as Eric Hernandez), was assembled from another series of circumstances that seemed to fall in place as things progressed. Friendof-a-friend scenarios and a random walk-in to the Talent Fusion offices in Indy led to one fortunate encounter after another. Miraculously, within a couple of months a full cast and crew had assembled.

Behind the scenes on set, the relatively small crew worked tirelessly, juggling multiple roles and responsibilities to ensure that every frame was perfect. From lighting a scene to the on-screen talent delivery and all the pieces in between, Walls and his crew ended with a final film coming in at just over 70 minutes.

Walls believes that here in Indiana, we are rarely more than a phone call or an email away from talking to anyone, and this is a unique opportunity for filmmakers to connect and network with individuals in a number of different ways when working on films here in Indianapolis.

“Dirty Laundry” is sure to be a shining example of creative collaboration, born right here in our great city. We also have a physical location, the laundromat, that now stands as a symbol of our community’s artistic spirit - a reminder that magic can be found in the most unexpected places.

The plan right now is for “Dirty Laundry” to have its world premiere this fall here in Indy. You can follow along for more details by visiting the film’s website, dirtylaundry2024.com, and signing up for their email newsletter. The filmmakers also have an Instagram account @dirtylaundry.2024. We hope you take the time to follow this project and support it when it is released.