Dishing it Out
SWINGING FOR THE FENCE
Carter Webb Talks Career in Aerial and Pole Arts
Vitality Living St. Matthews
PUBLISHER
COREY BOSTON corey@townepost.com (502) 407-0185
KEY CONTRIBUTORS
ASHLEE BORUFF
DERRICK DIXON
TRE’SEAN DURHAM OF SUPPLY LAB MEDIA
MELISSA GIBSON
GAVIN LAPAILLE L S MILLER
CARRIE VITTITOE
STEVE WISER JULIE YATES
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
MANAGING EDITOR DEVON DEAN
COPY EDITOR JON SHOULDERS
TOWNE POST NETWORK, INC. 8800 North Street, Suite 117 Fishers, IN 46038 Phone/Text: (317) 810-0011
CONTACT
DISHING IT OUT
LAS MARGARITAS MEXICAN CUISINE KEEPS THINGS FRESH AND FLAVORFUL
Writer / Julie Yates
Rene Hernandez Cortes is a living example of how hard work and the desire to achieve can lead to success.
Now 37 years old, Cortes came to the United States from Tlapala (Veracruz), Mexico, when he was a teenager. He began working in Danville as a dishwasher in a Mexican restaurant. Today his restaurant chain, Las Margaritas Mexican Cuisine, has five locations in Danville, Middletown, Lawrenceburg and Louisville.
The concept of Las Margaritas restaurants
is simple; customers come back again and again for excellent food and great service. Each location has colorful decor that is a feast for the eyes and includes photofriendly, Instagram-able backdrops.
For many Louisville-area families, the eateries have become a place to celebrate special occasions such as birthdays, graduations or anniversaries.
“When I was 16 years old, the restaurant I was working in gave me the opportunity to step up as a food runner,” says Cortes. “I kept moving positions until I made it to
assistant manager. I learned English from an old notebook a co-worker found. Working in that restaurant made me be interested in owning my own restaurant. I later moved to Louisville in 2011 to be closer to my family.”
“I am part of a big family,” he adds. “I have four brothers, four sisters, lots of nephews and nieces, plus four beautiful kids. What inspired me to create Las Margaritas was cooking for my family and friends. I could see how much they loved my food and I was always receiving compliments. Everyone started to tell me to open my own business, so I thought I’d give it a try.”
Cortes says he believes Las Margaritas stands out from similar restaurants because of their Mexican cocinas, or kitchens. The dishes are made from scratch and many are authentic to the Veracruz region. All the recipes were developed by Cortes.
The menu ranges from appetizers to desserts and has a variety for everyone, including vegetarians. There are five different nacho choices and soups that are not typically found in Mexican restaurants, such as Pozole, Tlatonile, Caldo de Camaron, Birria Soup and Caldo de Res. Salads, burritos, enchiladas, tacos and fajitas are on the menu.
The most popular entrée items are carnitas, tender braised and seasoned pork, and mole poblano, boneless chicken thighs cooked with a sauce made from chiles, chocolate and seasoning. Diners also love tlayollos, seasoned cornmeal dough cooked in banana husks and topped with cochinita pibil pork. The salmon dishes are also in demand, such as Salmón Madre Tierra, cooked with homemade garlic butter and salmón Maya topped with shrimp.
“The biggest surprise I’ve had happened when a chef from New York came to my first restaurant,” says Cortes. “I didn’t know who he was. Three days later I found out and he gave me a five-star review on my cochinita pibil.”
The restaurant also offers a full drink menu that includes a variety of cocktails and soft
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drinks. There are at least 17 variations of margaritas. Besides the classic made with lime juice, the choices include: a Jalapeño Margarita; a Sunset Margarita made with vibrant blue curaçao and strawberries; and a Corona Rita, a margarita with a small beer sunk inside it.
Also available from the bar are fun and tropical cocktails. Besides the expected mojitos, piña coladas and tequila sunrises, there are specialty drinks. Offerings include My Veracruz made with rum and citrus juices, and the national cocktail of Brazil,
the Caipirinha. Non-alcoholic choices are Aguas Frescas, Horchata and bottled flavors of Jarritos.
All locations offer catering, reservations, and space for hosting parties for business meetings or family events such as baby showers. Happy hour is Sunday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Customers are invited to celebrate Easter on April 20 and Cinco de Mayo on May 5 at a nearby Las Margaritas.
“When I first started out, one of my dreams
was always going back to Danville to open a Las Margaritas,” says Cortes. “I fell in love with that little town. It’s where I had my first job. It taught me a lot about the restaurant business. People always come back to a Las Margaritas for good atmosphere and good service. Customers are always giving compliments about how good the food is. They especially love dishes such as mole poblano and birria tacos because those specialties are authentic Mexican.”
Go to lasmargaritasresturant.com for more info, and also visit them on Facebook.
“I LOVE THAT IT IS A FUSION OF ART AND SCIENCE”
— CARTER WEBB
ON-AIR TALENT
CARTER WEBB TALKS CAREER IN AERIAL AND POLE ARTS
Writer / L S Miller
If tenacity had a poster child, it would be Carter Webb.
Spend five minutes with her on the phone, and you soon realize that just past her bright and bubbly personality is a woman who carries herself atop a sturdy foundation of sheer determination and downright grit.
Carter is in her 40s, living what she describes as a “pretty normal” life. But just past her daily routines and 9-to-5 job is an incredibly deep commitment to a sport she loves. Webb is a competitive aerialist who recently completed her third world competition.
But browse her bio and you might get stuck on words that carry weight: double mastectomy, cervical spine injury, as well as hamstring, ATFL and labrum tears.
While most would see these health hurdles as setbacks, Webb has taken these impediments to propel her - no pun intended - from one personal chapter to the next.
“I discovered pole and aerial arts at the tender age of 30 and am now a competitive aerialist,” said Webb, who has been performing for the past 11 years. “I have trained locally with both Louisville Turners Circus and Suspend Louisville.”
She may have stumbled upon the sport of aerial arts later in life, but Webb came to her love of the performing arts honestly; her mother was a dancer and her sister, six years
her junior, is a circus school instructor. By age 3 Webb enrolled in dance and continued in that arena, learning tap, ballet and jazz into her high school years.
“Both my sister and I went to [duPont Manual High School],” she said. “I was a dancer there and she was more music theater. But there definitely was that foundation of, ‘This is what we love to do - performing arts.’ Later I would be the one to find the sport of aerialist first.”
Webb had just moved back to Louisville from Chicago, and a friend suggested she try circus.
She did her first showcase in hoop silks, handling fabric that measures approximately 27 feet from the ground up.
“My sister was there to watch me perform and afterward she was blown away,” she said. “She immediately started taking classes, joined circus school, and now she is an instructor. And my mom also now does clowning. So this really is a family adventure, always.”
The draw to be involved in the arena of circus and aerial arts competitively began early on for Webb.
“That first time I was in competitive dance, it was so intensely competitive and fun,” she said. “There was so much going on and there were so many different routines and
participants. I had never been to a regional, a national - any venue like that. The level of creating was just incredible. That’s when I think I knew this is definitely for me.’”
Webb continued on as a member of duPont Manual High School’s Dazzler and Planet Dance All Stars as a competitive dancer. After high school she lived in Chicago for a few years, and continued training and dancing as a professional cheerleader for the Chicago Storm (2007-2008). Webb then moved back to Louisville and joined Louisville Dance Alliance and their VDFC modern dance company.
“It was at this time that I was introduced to circus aerial arts by company members,” Webb said. “So that was 2012. I started pole classes late that year and joined Louisville Turners Circus for aerial arts shortly thereafter in 2013.”
She began competing in this capacity in 2018. Her first competition was the Pole Champion Series at the Arnold in Columbus where she placed fifth in the intermediate division.
In 2020 she switched to virtual competitions due to the lockdowns.
She then began ramping up competitions in 2021 and placed first at Pole Sport Organization nationals for her division (Entertainment Level 4) in Orlando.
“In 2022 I competed in [U.S. Pole Sports Federation] nationals,” Webb said.
“And this entire time, in my adult life at least, this has not been a full-time job,” she adds jokingly.
But one aspect of the sport has been; injuries have peppered her career - so much so, that she is known as the comeback kid.
“I’ve been known as that, yes - because the ‘offs’ in my career, specifically with aerial and pole competition, haven’t always been at my discretion,” she said. “I have had to restart my journey several times due to various health issues.”
Age 39 in particular was the year of injury, Webb said.
“That was the year everything started happening,” she said. “In January I was training rope and suffered an ATFL tear. I adjusted to that recovery, kept going, and
then in May was my first big fall. I fell on my neck; I fell on the crash mat. A lot of people use crash mats for safety when training, and they do work. I just landed in such a way that the herniated disc happened. And then I got somewhat better from that. In November I was in Vegas. I tore my hamstring off the bone. I thought that was the end of my career, but I’m so bullheaded.”
She would power through, chalking up hundreds of hours of physical therapy, relying on her grit and determination to help heal her body, and remembering what she had already been through in her career up until that point.
“I remember in my late 20s and early 30s,
and I could see my performance regressing,” she said. “So I got a new skill set. I knew that if I could do that, then I could get through to a healthy physical state - maybe even participate again.”
Webb did not just persevere to live another day in the sport; she is a world champion. In 2024 she competed at the Pole Sports & Arts World Federation’s (POSA) and International Pole & Aerial Sports Federation’s (IPSF) respective U.S. nationals, hosted in Europe, and then qualified for both team USA squads.
She won gold in Amateur Silks Art and silver in Amateur Hoop Art at POSA’s World Aerial Arts Championship in Athens, Greece, and
gold in Artistic Aerial Pole PRO in IPSF’s World Pole & Aerial Championship, hosted in Sweden.
So what exactly is it about this acrobat-in-theair lifestyle that keeps Webb practicing four to five days per week, even more excited for future competition than the past?
“I love that it is a fusion of art and science,” she said. “I was a math major so the puzzle aspect of the sport is perfect for me. When you go through these competitions, there are all these elements - strength, flexibility, technical bonus are some - and the judges will point you based on those elements in the Code of Points. So when you are creating the routine you have to come up with a
complete package, but at the same time you are choosing elements to make this story. So I like tinkering with it. That art and science and balancing, it is exciting to me, almost like actively working on a puzzle. I find that super fun.”
She isn’t one to sit on her laurels, and she does have one last little item to check off her bucket list. In March she will enter as a semipro in the Louisville Turners Circus festival competition with more than 700 other performers.
Webb said this truly might be her final frontier. Vying for a spot in a traveling circus is no joke, after all.
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“It’s funny isn’t it, just to say out loud?” she said. “I am running away with the circus. It isn’t what I expected to be possibly saying at this point in my life.”
She said this sport is something she will continue to do until the bittersweet end.
You can catch Carter’s next performance (along with more than 250 other local performers) in Louisville Turners Circus’ 73rd annual spring production of “Fanfare” on March 14-16 and 21-23 at American Turners of Louisville. More details and tickets at www.LouisvilleTurners.org
SWINGING FOR THE FENCE
WENDELL LLOYD JONES SHEDS FRESH LIGHT ON LOUISVILLE GRAYS BASEBALL TEAM WITH NEW BOOK
Writer / Carrie Vittitoe
Imagine hot dogs, Cracker Jacks, and an ice-cold beer to wash them down.
A tall, furry mascot dancing through the stands, offering high-fives to little ones. The sound of an organ piping the “Let’s Go” chant through the loudspeakers. Of course, these are all scenes from a baseball game, long known as America’s favorite pastime. You might be surprised to learn that Louisville’s connection to baseball predates mascots (1894), Cracker Jacks (1896) and organ music at games (1946).
What might be even more surprising is that local attorney, baseball enthusiast, and now author Wendell Lloyd Jones discovered through extensive research that a Louisville baseball scandal that tarnished the city’s name for decades is completely false.
The National League began in 1876, and one of its charter teams was the Louisville Grays, which had formed in 1875 with the help of numerous businessmen. One of those, Walter Haldeman, was owner of
the The Courier-Journal newspaper who became the team’s president. The Grays played their first game in 1877, and by late summer of that year they were first in the league. They went on a lengthy road trip to play other league teams, resulting in numerous quick wins. But soon the team had a stretch of seven losses to teams in Boston and Hartford, resulting in Boston winning the championship. To some people, this streak of losses after such a strong start seemed…odd.
What made it even more strange is that the team’s vice-president, Charles Chase, received an unsigned telegram telling him to watch his team since gamblers were betting against the Grays. After the team’s repeated losses, he began to give closer scrutiny to his players, as did The Courier-Journal sports writers, particularly John Haldeman, son of Walter Haldeman.
The story goes that the younger Haldeman accused pitcher James A. Devlin of throwing the games and discussed his accusations with Chase. Chase confronted players, demanding they turn over any telegrams they had received. At this juncture, several of them admitted losing on purpose or implicated others in doing so. Devlin and three of his teammates, George W. Hall, Alfred H. Nichols and William H. Craver,
Photography /Tre’ Sean Durham of Supply Lab Media
Wendell Lloyd Jones
Photo by Tre' Sean Durham of Supply Lab Media
were banned from playing baseball for the remainder of their lives.
Within two years the Louisville Grays resigned from the National League, and the city hasn’t had a major league baseball team since.
If you’re into baseball, you may already know this story. Wendell Lloyd Jones had heard it. He has been a baseball fan since childhood, as well as a history buff, so in 2019 he began diving into the history of Louisville baseball with the intention of writing an overall historical text, which he is still working on. He read about how Louisville became connected to major league baseball, and says “I was fascinated by the overall story, the way they talked about baseball at the time - the terminology.”
As he worked, he realized that what he understood about the Louisville Grays and the gambling scandal, what he calls the “Charles Chase version of events,” which
Chase wrote eight years after the gambling scandal, was wrong. “Every history follows that narrative, but everyone complains that there’s a lot of holes, a lot that we don’t know,” Jones says.
He decided to try to plug the holes and came to a stark conclusion. “Almost immediately, what I realized is that the Chase narrative didn’t fit the facts,” he says. He compiled all the statistics of the Louisville Grays for the 1877 season during which the gambling was alleged, and realized that nothing made sense.
During the period when the Louisville Grays won 14 out of 16 games, Jones says “they were hitting way above their seasonal average,” and when they then lost eight games in a row, “they were all way below their season average except for James Devlin.” He started looking at more data and from different angles. While he doesn’t know that the real story of what happened will ever be known, he felt compelled to
pause writing his large baseball history book and focus solely on this story. The culmination of his research has been published in his first book, titled “The Louisville Grays and the Myth of Baseball’s First Great Scandal”.
One of the more interesting pieces of information Jones discovered is a November 1877 article in The Courier Journal that John Haldeman wrote, which doesn’t fit the Chase story in any way. Jones was intrigued because in that article, Haldeman admitted that he lied about the scandal in the hopes that the guilty parties would turn themselves in. “I didn’t bring that up too much in the book, but there’s a journalistic ethics question there of, ‘Is it OK for a journalist to lie to the public in pursuit of an agenda even if they think it’s a righteous agenda?’” he says.
For his research, he looked not only at The Courier Journal, but also at other
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newspapers such as Brooklyn Eagle and The Boston Globe for contemporaneous stories of the games. “I wanted to get their perspectives and see what they knew or thought they knew,” he says.
When Jones finished writing the book and began looking into publishing, he had to write a proposal in which he discussed why his book about the Louisville Grays is unique. In that proposal, he mentioned
several books that got the story wrong, all of which were published by McFarland Publishing, the same publisher he was soliciting. McFarland was interested and offered him a contract.
The gambling scandal wasn’t the only interesting story that Jones discovered in his deep dive into Louisville baseball. One of the interesting nuggets he learned was how women were encouraged to attend baseball games, and not only to attract men. “Women’s presence was considered very important for the legitimacy of the game,” he says.
His favorite story related to the role of women at the games was one he discovered in a letter from Sally Yandell (of the famous Yandell family) to her brother in 1867. She was talking about important events in Louisville, including baseball. “She talked about how the ladies would show up at the game with their ‘cockades and badges bearing the colors of the club they
supported,’” Jones says. Jones was intrigued by her use of military dress terminology and its connection to social defiance. “At that time, as a spectator you were supposed to be nonpartisan,” he says. “What these ladies were doing, showing up in team colors, was being very partisan.” He always assumed team colors were a more modern trend, and loved the cleverness of these women of the 1860s who didn’t go along with social dictates.
As Jones promotes his new book and continues work on his original larger history, he has found that the Louisville Grays gambling scandal and the rabbit hole he went down to research it has reinforced his love of history. He has discovered interwoven stories and relationships he didn’t expect to find, and hopes people interested in Louisville, history, baseball, or all three, will enjoy the fruits of his labor.
You can find Jones’ book at Carmichael’s Bookstore and other local bookstores.
Preserving the Past
EXPERIENCE THE LOUISVILLE HISTORICAL LEAGUE’S PROGRAMS AND EVENTS
“In the room where it happens” is a popular phrase from the award-winning play “Hamilton”. This phrase references being in a location where history is made. This is what the Louisville Historical League is all about - going to the places in the metro region where notable history happened.
Founded in 1972 by historians Reverend Clyde Crews and Allan Steinberg, the League has held events at hundreds of locations around Jefferson County and southern Indiana. The very first event was a bicycle ride along Fourth Street, from Central Park in Old Louisville to the Ohio River wharf. Along the way, the participants saw firsthand how the city developed
Writer / Steve Wiser, FAIA
and changed. This is the best way to fully understand how history happened.
Members of the League have visited every public historic house, including Locust Grove, Farmington, Gardencourt, Conrad Caldwell, Nunnlea, and Whitehall. Members have also toured most neighborhoods, from Butchertown and Clifton to Germantown, to Anchorage and New Albany. At most of the programs, there are fascinating speakers like local historian Tom Owen, Civil War historian Bryan Bush, and African American historian Martina Kunnecke.
While the League has about nine monthly
programs a year, it also assists with preservation efforts. Several important actions have included saving Whiskey Row, Colonial Gardens and Louisville Male High School from demolition, as well as the Olmsted-designed Shelby Park. Old St. Paul on Broadway at Brook and the Ouerbacker House on Jefferson at 17th Street would most likely have been razed if it weren’t for the League’s initiatives. Over 20 properties have been saved from demolition and repurposed, in part due to the League’s preservation advocacy.
The League’s mission statement is: “Dedicated to promoting the appreciation and preservation of Metro Louisville’s
cultural heritage and historic environment.” There are several hundred members and a board of directors comprised of local historians who direct the organization’s functions. The League is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with no paid staff. All of the League’s events are coordinated by volunteers who are passionate about Louisville history. Board meetings and some events are held at the historic Peterson Dumesnil House in Crescent Hill.
One question most often asked is how the League differs from the Filson Historical Society, which is based in Old Louisville. The simple answer is that the Filson focuses on the entire state of Kentucky and the Ohio Valley region, whereas the League concentrates only on this local area. The Filson also has a paid staff and the majority of its programs are held at its headquarters. The League is all volunteer-based and its programs are almost never in the same location.
The League, or LHL as it’s usually referenced, also recognizes significant efforts in history and preservation during the Annual Awards program. Individuals and organizations are acknowledged for their advocacy in saving important buildings or historical research. LHL’s Founders Award is bestowed on a person who has made career achievements in local history or preservation. Founders Award recipients have included urbanist Gill Holland, preservationist Bill Weyland, African American historian Martina Kunnecke, and Kentucky Derby/ Churchill Downs historian John Asher. LHL’s Neighborhood Advocate award is named for Martha Elson, who was a longtime Courier-Journal reporter who wrote on neighborhood developments. Recent recipients include Steve Magre of Germantown and Cynthia Johnson, former director of the city’s Landmarks Commission.
Another important award is the Branden Klayko Civic Advocacy Award. Klayko was a passionate, dedicated Louisville champion of local history and preservation, and an LHL board member. His Broken Sidewalk blog was, and still is, a tremendous resource
of urban development information. Sadly, Klayko passed away in 2017 at too young an age. Thus, LHL memorializes his legacy with this award. Stefanie Buzan of the Kenwood Hill district and University of Louisville Professor John Hans Gilderbloom are several recent recipients of this award.
LHL recognizes local history books with the Sam Thomas Book Award. Thomas was a distinguished Louisville historian who wrote over 20 local history books such as “The Architectural History of Louisville, 1778 to 1900”, “Cresent Hill”, “Oxmoor” and “George Rogers Clark”, among many other important works.
One very popular program the League holds each year is the Jason Fenwick Lecture. Since 2003, this lecture has honored the memory of Jason Fenwick, who was on the staff of the Kentucky Heritage Council in Frankfort. He was a devoted preservationist and beloved by all who interacted with him
on restoration projects. Recent Fenwick lecturers were John David Myles, who lives in Shelbyville and is the author of several remarkable history books; Tim Tomes, archivist for the Louisville Catholic Archdiocese; and Winfrey Blackborn and R. Scott Gill for their books “Gideon Shryock”, “Country Estates of Louisville” and “Kentucky Houses of Stratton Hammon.”
There are Heritage Awards for various preservation and heritage projects. Recent awards were provided to Simmons University, Jeffersonville’s Fire Museum, the Masonic Lodge renovation in Jeffersonville, the Oldham County History Center, and the Bingham family for facilitating the Courier-Journal photo archives to the UofL
photo archive Center.
As in past years, the League has many exciting history programs planned for 2025, including a walking tour of the Falls of the Ohio by historian Kenny Karen, a program on the upcoming 200th anniversary of the visit to Louisville by the Marquis de Lafayette, a presentation on African American history by Martina Kunnecke, and the annual, very popular Pub History & Spirits tour, which will feature taverns in the Clifton neighborhood.
With all these informative and fascinating events, you may be wondering how much it costs to join the League. In 2025, there will be no membership dues. Donations will be
welcomed at these events. To join, simply email the League at louhist@hotmail.com and your name will be added to the email list.
To find out more about the League, visit louisvillehistoricalleague.org or the LHL Facebook and Instagram pages. There is also a Louisville Historical League channel on YouTube, which has over 100 videos of LHL programs and other local-history-related topics.
Be “in the room where it happened” and learn more about the Louisville Historical League!
Steve Wiser, FAIA, is a local architect, author and historian, and president of the Louisville Historical League.
DONE BY NOON HANDYMAN SERVICES
Writer / Gavin LaPaille
Dependability. Trustworthiness. Quality. This is what Done By Noon Handyman Services strives to achieve with every job.
Started back in 2018 by Jim Noon, Done By Noon has grown enough over the years to add two more Noons to the mix - Jim’s sons, Craig and Adam. The trio ensures every job is done to high standards, and by a Noon.
“When I started, I was by myself,” Jim said. “When I first started this business, I wasn’t thinking about growing it. I was just trying to bring money in. When it kept getting bigger, Craig was in the same line of work
and the opportunity came to bring him in. Two years ago Adam was doing the same thing, and we grew enough that we needed another person and he wanted to come along. Slowly but surely, we built the business.”
Done By Noon tries to be transparent in pricing, breaking down different aspects of each job in invoices to show customers exactly what they’re paying for. They also don’t subcontract any of their work out.
Before starting Done By Noon, Jim worked as a Snap-on tools franchise dealer for 23 years, while Craig and Adam were managing supervisors for
property management companies. All three had a great deal of experience with customer service - something they’ve brought to their new business.
“Customers are always amazed, when they get calls back, at our level of communication we have with them,” Craig said. “Customer service seems to be a component that sets us apart, along with our high standards and ability. All three of us come from demanding customer service roles, and we have brought that into our business.”
Done By Noon takes on a variety of jobs including tile work, painting, drywall and deck work. Most of their requests come in Jefferson County, but they will go to southern Indiana and other surrounding counties as well. Oftentimes the trio will go to a job together, but in the instances they will tackle three separate projects. Spending so much time together is a beneficial dynamic for the father and sons.
“We get along a lot better than what people would expect,” Craig said. “We grew up working in the garage, and on cars and projects on the house. We work well together. We can sit and have a conversation without saying much.”
Done By Noon generally schedules projects out three to five weeks in advance.
CONNECT
Adam Noon, Jim Noon and Craig Noon
THROUGH A REGIONAL LENS
HOODOX STREAMING PLATFORM DELIVERS REGIONAL CONTENT TO A GLOBAL AUDIENCE
Writer / Ashlee Boruff
Hoosiers know how to support local restaurants, shops and music venues all over the state. It’s time to support the arts as well. Welcome to Hoodox.
The Hoodox website is a place to watch and support Hoosier documentaries. This streaming service is 100% Indiana focused, with films being made in Indiana or about Indiana. The Hoosier state is at the forefront on this streaming site.
Entrepreneurs and filmmakers Rocky Walls and Zach Downs founded Hoodox in 2021 because they saw a need for a place storytellers could showcase their work and build an audience. The website started with 20 nonfiction titles and now boasts over 100 movies to choose from.
“Hoodox is a nonprofit organization with a mission to support and promote Indiana storytelling that helps Hoosiers stay connected, spark conversations and create positive change,” Walls said.
The site brings together local storytellers and gives back to the
community to create positive change. Every subscription goes back to the artists who are putting the stories in your hands. Like the big-name streaming companies, Hoodox has a small subscription price of $10 per month or $100 per year. This subscription gets you instant streaming access to hardto-find local content all in one place.
“When I tell people about Hoodox, they are often surprised at how many incredible films are being made right here in Indiana,” Walls said. “I have to admit that I am still amazed by the breadth of stories represented on Hoodox. With over 100 titles available to our supporters for streaming, there are feature-length films, short films, student films, historical documentaries, stories about art and nature, and even stories about people and places from outside of Indiana told by Hoosier filmmakers.”
Not only can movie fans binge on films at watchhoodox.com, but local producers can also apply to have their own work on the site. Content on Hoodox is carefully curated, with all submissions going through an approval process through the programming committee. Hoodox welcomes applications from any nonfiction storytelling
films or series.
“Hoodox had no seed funding, and we asked all of the filmmakers who licensed their films for streaming at the very beginning to allow us to license them at no cost, trusting that we would stay true to our mission and that financial support would come soon,” Walls said. “Since our founding, we’ve now given over $50,000 to
filmmakers across Indiana and we’re aiming to grow that support even more in the coming years with the help of donors who support our mission.”
As Hoodox grows, the team has also partnered with several Indianapolis theaters, specifically Kan-Kan Cinema and Restaurant along with Heartland International Film Festival, to host their
now-annual PitchDox documentary film competition.
“PitchDox is a documentary film competition that invites Hoosier filmmakers to submit their unfinished documentary projects - at any stage, from concept to postproduction - for a chance to win a $10,000 financial award to support the production of their film,” Walls said. “The PitchDox main
event is held during Heartland International Film Festival at the Kan-Kan Cinema and Restaurant. We’re fortunate to have both organizations as partners to help fulfill our mission.”
The 2024 PitchDox winner was the film “Bloom” produced by Malakai Tyne Bisel, Victoria Britton, and Derek Hockemeyer. “Bloom” tells the story of super gardener Alex Babich and his quest to grow America’s tallest sunflower, all while balancing the needs of his family and the challenges of nature.
“Making films isn’t easy, and Hoodox gives Indiana filmmakers a platform to showcase their hard work,” Britton said. “There are endless stories waiting to be discovered and shared with audiences. Having a destination for these narratives, and an audience ready to support you, is a filmmaker’s dream come true.”
There are a lot of creative Hoosier filmmakers who have partnered with Hoodox to bring their films to you. Hoodox has bridged the gap between artists and viewers so films are now easily accessed and supported. Film supporters can subscribe monthly or simply donate to keep Hoodox growing and giving back to the film community.
“I want to continue being a champion of Hoosier documentaries through Hoodox and our programs, and through our own films we produce at 12 Stars Media,” Walls said. “The past few years have been by far the most exciting in my nearly 20-year career, and I have a feeling this is just the beginning.”
Stay up to date on new films and events by following @watchhoodox on social media. Be on the lookout for 2025 PitchDox details as well. Most importantly, sign up and stream on any device at watchhoodox.com.
We test it out, make you an offer and CUT YOU A CHECK ON THE SPOT.
AROUND THE COMMUNITY, 2025
MARCH
LOUISVILLE AREA EVENTS
1
ANNUAL SPEED ART MUSEUM BALL
Speed Art Museum 6 PM
The Speed Ball is the most significant annual fundraiser for the Speed Art Museum, providing critical support for the mission of the Speed. speedmuseum.org
THE RESET: AN IMMERSIVE SOUND HEALING EXPERIENCE
Old Forester’s Paristown Hall, 724 Brent St. 11:30 AM kentuckyperformingarts.org
TAILSPIN ALE FEST
Bowman Field, 2700 Gast Blvd.
3 - 7 PM
Buckle Up for Tailspin Ale Fest’s 12th Anniversary at Bowman Field! tailspinalefest.com
2 MANIA: THE ABBA TRIBUTE
The Brown Theatre, 315 W. Broadway 7:30 PM
5 JIM HENSON’S FRAGGLE ROCK: BACK TO THE ROCK LIVE!
Louisville Palace, 625 S. 4th St. 7 PM
Doors open at 6 PM. All sales are final. No refunds or exchanges. Everyone, regardless of age including babes in arms, must purchase a ticket.
7
THE FOUR HORSEMENTHE ONLY ALBUM-QUALITY METALLICA TRIBUTE
Mercury Ballroom, 611 S. 4th St. 8 PM
Dedication to excellence is what separates U.S. metal heroes The Four Horsemen from the ocean of tribute bands in existence today.
GUIDED MUSEUM TOURS
21c Museum Hotels
5 - 6 PM
Curious about contemporary art? Learn about 21c Louisville’s current exhibition “This We Believe”, our site-specific artworks, and the artists behind it all. Gather in the lobby at 5 PM to explore! 21cmuseumhotels.com
8
SHELBYVILLE SPRING FESTIVAL
Shelby County FairgroundsFloral Hall, 1513 Midland Trail 10 AM - 4 PM
Celebrate warmer days ahead by attending our fourth annual art and craft festival! artsparkproductions.com
9
THE ART OF BOTANICAL FACIAL SERUMS - INPERSON WORKSHOP
Yew Dell Botanical Gardens, 6220 Old Lagrange Rd. 12:30 - 2 PM
Tonya Tate, creator of Nature’s Bath Soap and all their luxurious products, leads this discussion on the importance of facial serums in the fight against the signs of aging. yewdellgardens.org
9
PUBLIC OPENING RECEPTION FOR BETWEEN SKY AND EARTH, NATURE IN HARMONY
Capacity Contemporary Exchange, 641 W. Main St. 11 AM capacitycontemporary.com
12
MANDY PATINKIN IN CONCERT: BEING ALIVE
The Brown Theatre, 315 W. Broadway 8 PM kentuckyperformingarts.org
18
UOFL HEALTH - PEACE HOSPITAL THIRD ANNUAL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SUMMIT
L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, 2550 S. Floyd St. 8:15 AM - 3:30 PM
Gen Z + Mental Health: What is impacting our youth and young adults today? eventbrite.com
21
LOUISVILLE TATTOO FESTIVAL
Kentucky International Convention Center, 221 S. 4th St. 12 - 10 PM
Our tattoo festivals are unlike any tattoo event you have ever attended.
louisvilletattoofestival.com
29
ZZ TOP
Caesars Event Center at Caesars Southern Indiana, 11999 Casino Center Dr. SE
The venue reserves the right to implement security procedures designed to protect the experience for all our customers. Must be 21 or over with valid photo ID to attend the show.
30
SILENT DISCO KID’S CRUISE
401 W. River Rd.
1 PM
Calling all silent disco fans! Whether you’ve experienced the fun before or you’re new to the silent disco trend, we say just add water for the ultimate family event.
The Lou Lou tradition continues in Middletown with our new location. 12717 SHELBYVILLE RD (502) 208-0882 NOW THERE ARE 3 LOU LOU’S TO LOVE!
This Creole Champion of St. Matthews, Lou Lou Food & Drink has thrived for years by delivering Louisville’s Louisiana connection in culinary delight. The New Orleans vibe is also alive at Lou Lou on Market.
Up for the Fight
BRITT REDMAN EMERGES TRIUMPHANT IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE AFTER CANCER BATTLE
Writer / Melissa Gibson
Photographer / Derrick Dixon Photography
Christian Academy of Louisville (CAL) won its third state championship in a row last month, a first in CAL history.
It was a special time for the school, the coaches and the athletes, but extra special for one particular player, wide receiver Britt Redman.
Britt comes from a long line of football athletes.
“My grandfather and my dad played for the University of Louisville, so I was third generation,” said Redman’s dad, Chris Redman. “I played nine years in the NFL and now Britt has won his third-straight state championship with CAL.”
Chris is the University of Louisville’s all-time passing leader with 12,541 yards. He’s one of only three Football Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks to throw for at least 12,000 yards in a career.
In college he was a two-time all-state quarterback and Parade’s National Player of the Year in 1994 before going on to play for the Baltimore Ravens, winning a Super Bowl there, and then signing with the Atlanta Falcons for five more seasons.
Today he’s coaching quarterbacks on the CAL team and cheering on his son in football, but more importantly, in life.
One year ago Britt, a 16-year-old high school junior at the time, was diagnosed with testicular cancer, and perhaps for the first time in years, football would be put on the back burner.
“I wouldn’t want any parent to go through what we had to go through as far as conversations with the doctors,” Chris said. “When we found out it was testicular cancer, when we knew it was beatable and we had a chance to get through this, things just turned around.”
In what seemed like a whirlwind in November of 2023, Britt underwent six surgeries and four rounds of chemotherapy. He spent six months focused on nothing but getting better.
“At my lowest point I weighed in at 104 pounds,” Britt said. “My normal weight was about 185. That was pretty scary at the moment.”
Perhaps even more surprising to some, it never stopped Britt from moving forward. He thought he might not get to play his senior year, but the high school senior did what all of the Redmans do - he fought back.
“I was out of football for six months,” Britt said. “When I started going back, I was only doing spring practices. I was still pretty weak and didn’t have all my speed and strength yet. I’m really blessed to almost be back to my normal strength, speed and weight now. Six months after chemo, I scored my first touchdown.”
For Chris, his wife, Ashley, and Britt’s sister, Josie, it was heart-wrenching to watch him struggle with extreme illness, but the entire family remained by his side cheering him on.
“Ashley was a rock star through the whole process,” Chris said. “I was so proud of how she handled everything. People handle tragedies differently and you can learn a lot
about a person when you see them going through a tough situation.”
Britt’s teammates had his back too.
“My team really rallied around me and supported me through everything,” Britt said. “They wore my number six on the back of their helmets and they all wore red at school because of my name. It was just really cool to see that, and I’m really grateful to be surrounded by their prayers and great people at Christian Academy.”
In March of 2024, doctors said Britt was officially in remission, making his senior year and eventual state championship even more special.
Looking forward, Britt hopes to attend the University of Mississippi with a major in finance and minor in communication.
“Winning the state championship is a great note to go out on my football career, and
I was really thankful to God for giving me the opportunity to come back,” Britt said. “I’ve had a great time and it’s been a lot of fun. I’m happy to have made it to the championship with my team.”
He doesn’t think football is in his future, but he knows giving back and inspiring others is.
“I want to develop a foundation to raise funds for kids who have cancer,” he said. “I’ve been there and know what it’s like. There were younger kids than me on the same floor and they had it a lot worse than me.”
It’s taking the perseverance and drive that football requires to a whole new level.
“I think we can turn this into a positive and help the many other kids who are in the hospital and scared to death,” Chris said. “You don’t know what’s going to happen next and here’s Britt, eight months later after
his last chemotherapy. He’s on the football field, making touchdowns and he has this opportunity. I had a platform of playing professional football and God gave him the platform of being a young cancer survivor. To me it’s a blessing and I’m proud of him for using it.”
The foundation will likely be launched in the summer of 2025 and a local physician has already expressed interest in partnering with the Redmans.
“We’re going to do a lot of cool things with schools in this state and across the country, so we’re excited to take this thing to the national level,” Chris said. “It’s also a great opportunity for Britt to learn about business, how to help others, and it’s a great opportunity for him to grow as a person.”
Looking back at the way his team rallied around him and his family stood by his side, Britt hopes to spread a positive message, and to never forget the way God has worked
in his life.
“I want to encourage kids to stay positive,” he said. “When you say we’re going to get through this and we’re going to beat this, it really has an effect on your mental health and then how your body will perform throughout all that. It’s like in a football game. A lot of it is mental. A lot of it is in between your ears.”
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For advertising information, contact:
COREY BOSTON
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