Sculpture maintenance – Work is under way to touch up and maintain two sculptures in Carmel roundabouts. Flower petals with peeling paint have been removed from the Grace, Love and Joy sculpture at Old Meridian and Pennsylvania streets to be repainted. Work is expected to take two weeks. Repainting of some areas of the Homage to Hoagy sculpture at City Center Drive and 3rd Avenue SW will take approximately one week and may lead to traffic restrictions. According to a press release from the City of Carmel, both projects will be done at no cost to the city.
Register to vote by April 3 – The deadline to register to vote in the May 2 primary election is April 3. Registration may be done online, by mail or in person. Voter registration forms are available at any public library in Hamilton County, any license branch, any city or town clerk-treasurer’s office and the Hamilton County Voter Registration Office in Noblesville (Room 106). Register online at IndianaVoters.in.gov.
Valor names Head of School – Valor Classical Academy, a charter school aiming to open in Hamilton County this fall, has named David Wright as its founding head of school. Wright has taught at public and private schools and developed upper school classical curricula as the literature curriculum developer for Memoria Press. He has spent his summers on the Bering Sea operating a commercial salmon fishing boat. Learn more at ValorClassicalAcademy.org.
Democratic club elects officers – The Carmel Democratic Club recently elected four officers to run the organization for the coming year. They are Erin Retif, president; Beth Sprunger, vice president; William Howard, secretary; and Robert Draper, treasurer. The club meets at 6:30 p.m. the last Thursday of each month at the John W. Hensel Government Center.
Ben’s Ranch board members – Carmel-based nonprofit Ben’s Ranch Foundation has elected four new board members. Bill Cummings of Indianapolis, Fishers’ Mike Miles, Carmel’s Amy Marsh and Susan Rider from Westfield will each serve a two-year term. Learn more at BensRanch.org.
Parade tickets on sale – Tickets are on sale to the public for the 2023 AES 500 Festival Parade. Parade tickets start at $25 and can be purchased online at 500festival.com/tickets. Proceeds from all 500 Festival ticketed events help support the organization’s free programming and events for Indiana youth and college students. The parade will take place at 11:45 a.m. May 27 in downtown Indianapolis. The grand marshal is Frank Shorter, Olympic gold medalist and the winner of the first OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon.
Library After Dark – The Carmel Clay Public Library Foundation will present Library After Dark, an after-hours event for ages 21 and over from 7 to 10 p.m. April 15 at the Main Library, 425 E. Main Street. The event will include food, drink, music, indoor mini golf and other activities throughout the newly renovated library. Tickets for Library After Dark are $40 for an individual and $75 for a pair. Learn more and purchase tickets at carmelclaylibrary.org/foundation.
Residential burglary – The Carmel Police Dept. is seeking the public’s help identifying a person they believe is tied to a March 7 residential burglary in the 14100 block of Helen Drive in Carmel. Anyone with information regarding the identity of this person or incident is asked to contact CPD at 317-571-2530, or Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477. Reference CPD case number 23-16876.
Bicentennial Ambassadors selected – Carmel residents Ben Boyce, Ridhi Dondeti, Christopher Foote, Jane Martens, Sophia Stephens and Elizabeth Parkins are among 11 high school sophomore and juniors selected to serve as Bicentennial Ambassadors through the end of the year. They will serve as a bridge from the past to the future through conversation and public engagement. Those chosen expressed a genuine interest in history and how communities function. They also met criteria for being a student in good standing at their high school. All of the Carmel students attend Carmel High School except Parkins, who attends Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School.
Breakfast at the Brickyard – Tickets are on sale to the general public for the 500 Festival Breakfast at the Brickyard, set for 9 a.m. May 20, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Gallagher Pavilion. Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett will host and honor more than 70 mayors from across Indiana for their work in advancing Hoosier communities. Guests will enjoy a traditional breakfast and hear from Indianapolis Motor Speedway executives and 500 Festival leaders. Purchase tickets at 500Festival.com/Breakfast.
Apply for CMYC – Applications are being accepted for the 2023-24 term of the Carmel Mayor’s Youth Council, a youth-led organization with a goal to serve the community. Learn more about the group and how to apply by emailing CMYC Advisor Candy Martin at [email protected].
St. Luke’s recognized – St. Luke’s United Methodist Church is one of the six national Interfaith Power & Light 2023 Cool Congregations Challenge winners who each have been awarded a $1,000 prize. The annual contest accepts applications from religious congregations around the U.S. who are working to address climate change by reducing their carbon footprint as they create models of sustainability within their communities. St. Luke’s won the Electric Vehicle Leader award for the work of their Creation Care Ministry in encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles as an important way to reduce the carbon pollution that causes climate change. Learn more at interfaithpowerandlight.org.
Mission Possible – Assistance League of Indianapolis will present its Mission Possible fundraiser on April 22 at the Eiteljorg Museum, 500 W. Washington St. in Indianapolis. This marks the first time the annual event has been held in person since before the COVID-19 pandemic. The fundraiser will include dining, a raffle and silent auction, and opportunities to view items in the museum. Learn more at alindy.org/mission-possible.html.
Kindergarten registration – Registration is open for the Carmel Clay Schools kindergarten class for the 2023-24 school year. Early registration helps CCS prepare for anticipated staffing needs and allows families to begin the kindergarten assessment process and receive communication from the district. Register for the Class of 2036 at ccs.k12.in.us/services/curriculum/kindergarten.
Candidate town hall meetings – Chuck Ford, a Republican for the North Central District Carmel City Council seat, is hosting a town hall-style meeting from 7 to 8 p.m. April 13 at the Carmel American Legion Post 155, 852 W. Main St. The event is open to the public and will allow an opportunity for community members to ask questions of the candidate.
Hamilton County Democratic Women meetings— The Hamilton County Democratic Women will not meet in April but will resume meeting on the third Saturday of the month May 20. The meeting will be from 9:10 to 11 a.m. at the Delaware Township Trustee Building, 9090 E. 131st, Fishers. All Hamilton County women are welcome.
Monthly beekeepers meeting – The North Central Beekeepers Club meets the third Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at Cool Creek Nature Center, 2000 E. 151st St. in Westfield. Meetings are free to attend by all levels of beekeepers located centrally north of Indianapolis. Those interested in becoming beekeepers are welcome. For more information, visit facebook.com/ncbclub.
Housing instability help – Hamilton County residents facing eviction or housing instability now have a free legal resource at their fingertips. A new desktop computer, scanner, and printer with access to IndianaLegalHelp.org were installed in the court’s Legal Self-Help Center last week. The Indiana Bar Foundation received a $13 million grant from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority to fund the development and deployment of 120 self-help kiosks throughout the state. Each kiosk provides legal forms, instructional videos, referrals to free and low-cost legal services and a statewide calendar of free legal advice clinics. Learn more at IndianaLegalHelp.org.
Strategic partnerships manager named – Antonette Burroughs has been named a strategic partnerships manager at WGU Indiana. Burroughs has served as a program mentor with the nonprofit, online university in the College of Business for more than three years. She also brings more than seven years of experience working directly in partnership development and management across different industries. She lives in Carmel, where she enjoys participating in several road cycling organizations, hot yoga and indoor cycling.
Motor club president to retire – AAA Hoosier Motor Club announced that President and CEO Kirk Hendrix will retire in July, starting a leadership transition process over the next five months. The Carmel resident has worked for the organization for 10 years. The Hoosier Motor Club board of directors will oversee the process of choosing Hendrix’s successor.
Bicentennial items for sale – The Hamilton County Bicentennial Commission has several items available for sale online to celebrate the county’s 200th anniversary. Alongside local partner Marketpro, Inc, the Bicentennial is selling apparel, drinkware and other items. Merchandise is available online at hamcoturns200.com/swag-merch.
Hospice volunteers needed – Brighton Hospice in Carmel is looking for volunteers to help office staff perform a variety of office duties such as organizing admission paperwork, filing, preparing and sending mail, answering phones, stocking supplies and helping with special projects and events. Hours and days for this volunteer opportunity are flexible and training will be provided. To learn more, contact Katresha Taylor, volunteer coordinator, by calling 317-798-2160 or by email at [email protected].
