Current In Carmel


FROM THE MAILBAG: READERS WRITE 6/16/2008 (To have your letter published on our Web site, please include your hometown and a daytime phone number. Send your letter to info@currentincarmel.com. Posted letters will remain on the site for approximately one week.) OLYMPIC WITHDRAWAL The 2008 Olympics held in Beijing are over! I’m glad I did not become an Olympic addict like some of my associates. No withdrawal symptoms for me. I can go on with my life completely untouched by what I had seen on TV for 17 days, 408 hours, 24,880 minutes. The morning after the closing ceremonies, I did a double flip out of bed and stuck my landing. I strolled into my Water Cube, dived into the bathtub, creating barely a ripple. Without touching the bottom, I did a few backstrokes. With my nose guard in place, I struck a ballet-like pose, one leg straight out of the water, painted toenails directed toward the ceiling. I wrapped myself in a flag – er, towel - hurdled the cat, and dashed for the kitchen. I back-flipped the pancakes, passed them off to the family without any drops. I vaulted to the closet, selected my clothes, but what jewelry would I wear? Ah, go for the gold! I sprinted across the lawn, giving a tip of my hat to the Bird’s Nest. After spiking the volleyball lying in the yard, I looked for someone to hug or a butt to pat. I high-jumped the sand box, did a one-arm high twist on the kids’ swing set with a double somersault dismount – a little wobbly, so deduction of one/tenth of a point – then darted for my car. I guided my Mustang over some water hazards, relayed by phone that I was running behind but closing the gap. The competition was tough but I targeted the one empty parking space. Bull’s-eye! I dashed into work, crossed the finish line in record time. Another day, another medal! (Actually, I did watch all the Olympics from the spectacular opening ceremonies to the stirring closing. I enjoyed every competition from fencing to Ping Pong, I mean table tennis. Do those people ever change expressions? - Marie J. Albertson Carmel OBSERVATION: 'BICYCLISTS ARE UNABLE TO SEE RED STOP SIGNS' A couple weeks ago, while having breakfast at a restaurant south of 131st street on the Monon Trail, my son and I observed several cyclists running the stop sign. As we were ready to leave, two cyclists came into the restaurant after having not stopped at the sign. I ask one of them why they did not stop, and after some hesitation he said, "Because I don't have to." This past week on Thursday morning at breakfast on the Monon between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., I counted 19 of 19 cyclist failing to stop, some going so fast they could not have stopped if they had to. Again as I was leaving a couple of ladies, who had not stopped, came in and I asked them why they hadn't stopped and they replied, "We slowed down." I am very conscious of cyclists, but I think they (most, not all) think they are above the law or that it does not apply to them. I have seen this action at 126th and Range Line, 131st and Keystone, Carmel Drive and Keystone, and I am afraid that when someone is injured, or worse, the fault will be placed on the driver and not the cyclist. - David Shanks Carmel NOT A WILSON FAN Please remove my address from your mailing list. I emphatically do not want to receive your publication. When I first began receiving your paper, I did read it, and I enjoyed being informed of local news and events. The puzzles were somewhat engaging, as well. However, the increasing debauchery presented by the malcontent, (columnist) Ms. (Danielle) Wilson on the "Community" page has nauseated me to the point that I cannot tolerate even those pages absent of her "witticisms." Her opinions do not reflect the type of community that Carmel is, nor should it become so. From her demeaning and amoral view of the PTA fundraiser, to her faithless view of marriage and the joy she expresses at no longer having to raise her kids every hour of the day while they are at school, her opinions mirror a society gone awry, although she says it was "tongue in cheek." None of my neighbors, friends, co-workers or family who read these articles are laughing. Wilson also has the audacity to use her "community" column to ask those in that community to leave her family alone. Yet she feels no compunction, no remorse at having speared those PTO volunteers who actually do something positive for the community. When she chose to put her picture in the paper, to use the power of the press to eviscerate a PTO community, to paint a portrait of marriage as something other than a holy, God-ordained relationship, and to defile what it means to be a loving mother, she also chose to open herself to opinions other than her own. She chose to become a public figure. Ms. Wilson, if you can't stand the heat, then you should not have started the fire! I have no confidence that this will be published, but I am sure that these opinions reflect the real Carmel community. - Bren VanArsdall Carmel * * * * * RALLY FOR THE CURE AT WOODLAND ON SEPT. 20 By Claire Shultz For Current in Carmel The 2008 Ladies’ Rally for the Cure Golf Event will be held at Woodland Country Club on Tuesday, September 16th. Over 100 golfers will be participating in the annual fund-raiser to benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The lady golfers will be greeted by a “pink ribbon walk,” designed to celebrate and honor friends and loved ones. Registration for the Rally for the Cure begins at 7:30 am. A putting contest is scheduled from 8:00 am until 9:00 am. A shotgun 9:00 am start will kick off the 9-hole ladies golf event. In addition, a celebration luncheon and auction will be held in the Woodland Country Club Ballroom at 12 pm. “Sponsorship is at an all-time high for the Rally,” according to Marie Davis, Woodland Country Club Member & Chairwoman of this year’s Rally for the Cure. 2008 Rally Sponsors include Vera Bradley, The Breast Care Center of Indiana & Dr. R Thomas Schmidt, Carmel Total Fitness, Dean Foods, Smith Barney, Steamatic of Indianapolis, Kutche All American & JS Marten Jewelers to name a few. Davis added that “this year’s partnership with Dr. Schmidt’s office, in conjunction with the St. Vincent’s Breast Center, helped to increase sponsorship awareness & participation again this year”. In conjunction with Woodland Country Club, Rally for the Cure introduced a new program this year to help raise funds to beat Breast Cancer. Members can donate their old golf clubs in the Woodland Pro Shop and the value of the clubs will be converted to dollars benefiting the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. This is the 10th year for the Ladies’ Rally for the Cure at Woodland. Proceeds will go directly to “Rally for the Cure”. For more information, call 846.2588. * * * * * PUBLIC SAFETY DAY IS SEPT. 20 By Nancy Heck City of Carmel The Carmel Clay Fire Department, Carmel Police Department and St. Vincent Carmel Hospital, are hosting this year’s Public Safety Day. The event will take place on Saturday, Sept. 20 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. in the St. Vincent Carmel Hospital back parking lot, located at 13500 N. Meridian Street in Carmel. This is a free event and everyone is welcome. While the focus of the event is to better inform the public about safety issues, all the activities are planned with family fun in mind. The kids’ Big Wheel races are always entertaining and visitors young and old seem drawn to the public safety helicopters, which are fully equipped with the latest life-saving technology. Safety Day will also feature educational booths sponsored by local businesses and organizations designed to teach children and families basic safety techniques in a wide range of topics including health and wellness. The activities planned are designed to test participants’ knowledge and allow them to ask questions about safety, health, or wellness issues. The hands-on activities help children and adults remember the lessons learned at Safety Day. Attached is a flyer with event times listed. Safety Day also allows visitors the unique opportunity to see some live demonstrations that are otherwise unavailable to the public. Exciting presentations are given by the Carmel Police K-9 unit, SWAT Rappelling team and the Carmel Fire Department vehicle extrication squad. In addition, many departments from the City of Carmel are participating in this year’s event to share their knowledge and role in the community. There will be information about street maintenance, water quality, recycling and household hazardous waste disposal. As in the past, our goal is for the families to leave Safety Day knowing more than they did when they arrived. Together we can teach, reinforce, and introduce safety concerns to all those in attendance. For more information about Public Safety Day, please call Keith Freer at 571-4245 or Ann Gallagher 571-2720. St. Vincent Carmel Hospital is the main sponsor of this year’s Public Safety Day. St. Vincent Health is the state’s largest healthcare employer, with 17 health ministries serving 45 counties in central Indiana. * * * * * MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGERY SERIES AT CLARIAN NORTH By Joy Smith For Current in Carmel With the availability of minimally invasive surgical options, surgery no longer has to mean severe pain and long recovery periods. The public is invited to learn more at Clarian North’s free Minimally Invasive Surgery seminar series, which begins September 9. Individuals benefit from minimally invasive surgery because it causes less tissue disruption and blood loss, significantly less pain, fewer side effects and less scarring. In addition, patients are likely to experience a shorter recovery period and be able to return to everyday activities much more quickly than if they had traditional open surgery. The upcoming free seminars offer information about minimally invasive surgery options for various conditions and procedures. They are: * Orthopedic Surgery for Joint Pain September 9, 6:30-7:30 P.M. Presented by Dr. John Hur: Methodist Sports Medicine * Laparoscopic and da Vinci Hysterectomy September 23, 6:30-7:30 P.M. Presented by Dr. Louis Star: Associates in Women’s Health; Dr. Sheldon Weiss: AHN Women’s Care OB/GYN; Dr. Amy Moon: Women’s Health Alliance; Dr. Victoria Ball: Zionsville OB/GYN * Use of the da Vinci Robot for Prostate Cancer September 29, 6:30-7:30 P.M. Presented by Dr. David Hollensbe: Urology of Indiana * Use of the da Vinci Robot for Uterine Fibroids September 30, 6:30-7:30 P.M. Presented by Dr. Leo Bonaventura: Bonaventura Reproductive Medicine * Laparoscopic Abdominal Surgery October 14, 6:30-7:30 P.M Presented by Dr. Larry Stevens: Tower Surgical * Female Pelvic Floor Disorders October 21, 6:30-7:30 P.M Presented by Dr. Douglass Hale: Urogynecology Associates To register for each seminar, call 688-2746 or visit clariannorth.com. All seminars are held in the Learning Center at Clarian North Medical Center, 11700 N. Meridian, Carmel. * * * * * CITY OF CARMEL OFFERS C.E.R.T. CLASS By Nancy Heck City of Carmel Members of the Carmel Clay Fire Department and Carmel Police Department will be holding a Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T.) class starting the first week of October through the middle of November 2008 at the Carmel Fire Department Headquarters at Two Civic Square. The C.E.R.T. class will teach members of the community skills used to help citizens in their local neighborhoods in times of large scale disaster. In these types of situations, police and fire services are called to respond to numerous incidences simultaneously. During these rare occasions, we need to rely on neighborhood C.E.R.T. teams to help with localized issues. Class content will include topics such as: Disaster Preparedness, Fire Suppression, Medical Operations, Light Search & Rescue, and Disaster Psychology. Carmel’s C.E.R.T. class will be held from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on the following dates: October 2nd, 6th, 13th, 16th, 23rd, 27th, 30th and November 3rd. The last class will be held from 8:00 a.m. to noon on November 8th. Carmel C.E.R.T. class instructors are looking for neighborhood teams of 5 to 7 members to apply for the fall 2008 class. All team registrations are due by September 17th, 2008. Only one team member needs to contact us for the necessary registration information. Please contact Bruce Knott at 571-2619 or e-mail bknott@carmel.in.gov to register. Class space is limited.
FIRE CLAIMS DAIRY QUEEN 5/30/2008 Brandon Bowman The Dairy Queen restaurant at 951 S. Range Line Rd. was horribly damaged in a fire Thursday evening. No one was injured in the incident, which rendered the wooden eatery closed. The facility, which had been a community staple since 1960, caught fire at approximately 6:35 p.m. Eight employees and an unknown number of patrons were on hand when the blaze started in the rear of the building. Carmel Fire Dept. crews eventually doused the fire, keeping it from spreading to an adjacent business. Range Line was closed while firefighters worked. For hours after, the stench of wet, burned wood wafted across Carmel, a haunting message that contrasted with the good times shared at DQ by the community down through the years. Parents would take their young children to the restaurant, almost as if on cue, after school plays and concerts, after the last Carmel Dads’ Club game of the season, to soothe hurt feelings, or, as one caller put it, “just because.” CFD said the cause of the fire is undetermined, but an employee told Current in Carmel that perhaps a worker or a drive-through customer inadvertently tossed a smoldering cigarette butt at or near the storage area that contained paper and plastic goods. At that point, the blaze was on. Another employee, manager Elaine Lotz, said, “It started out as a small fire on our storage shed. ... Everyone is safe and OK.” (Do you have a favorite DQ memory? Share it with us at info@currentincarmel.com.)
Well Done 3/25/2008 By Ellen Gilmer, Current In Carmel By Ellen Gilmer Current in Carmel Just weeks from retirement, Carmel restaurant owner Dieter Puska looks back on his 32 years in business with appreciation. Puska will close The Glass Chimney and Deeter’s in April to focus more on his health. “Times change, and things change, and now it’s time to take it a little easier,” he said. “Business requires a lot of time. I’m working 65-70 hours a week, and it’s just getting to be too much.” The business is for sale, and he is negotiating with several potential new owners. Puska said it might end up with a Carmel resident who would make relatively few changes to the décor and menu. “(The prospective new owner) may make some minor changes here and there, but overall, it’s going to stay pretty much the same, I think,” he said. “But once it’s out of my hands, I have no control over what they do.” Puska said he expects to close the deal within the next month or two. The Glass Chimney and Deeter’s contributed to the Carmel community by being one of the first to offer unusual or exotic foods, instead of steak and fried chicken, he said. The menu ranges from filet mignon to wiener schnitzel to brandied chocolate mousse. This variety in menu is what originally attracted Puska to the restaurant industry. As a child in Austria, Puska witnessed his parents’ time spent in the grocery store business and was instantly drawn to cooking. He practiced and studied to become a chef and was eventually offered a job in Cincinnati in 1967. After arriving to the United States, the Ohio restaurant asked if he would like to work in Indianapolis instead at the restaurant, King Cole. He didn’t know anyone in either city, so Puska said he was happy to make the switch. His only desire was that he could cook. “Cooking lets you be creative,” he said. “It’s never the same, and you’ve got endless possibilities. You will never know it all.” In 1976, Puska decided to start his own restaurant and opened the Glass Chimney in Carmel. The restaurant was successful from the start, Puska said. Through the years, however, he said he has witnessed significant change in the restaurant business in the United States, with a shift toward fast food with low quality. “There’s been an influx of restaurants in general but mostly chain, unfortunately,” he said. “It’s less ‘dining;’ it’s more just having supper.” However, Puska said his restaurant has retained its high standards despite competition. Also, the fact that it offers fine dining (at the Glass Chimney) and casual dining (at Deeter’s) helps it to meet the needs of the community. Since the restaurant’s successful opening, Puska said he has had several opportunities to host celebrities and dignitaries. However, he said he is thankful for every customer who has supported his business. “As far as I’m concerned, every customer that walks in here is a celebrity, and that’s the way we treat them,” he said. “I would like to thank all my patrons that have frequented the place. Without them we’d be nothing.” In fact, Puska could not seem to talk enough about restaurant patrons. Out of all of the honors and special guests the restaurant has received, he was adamant that the best day at work has always been simply any day that customers leave happy. “Any day people are happy is a great day,” he said. “I have the greatest customers anybody could have. They put up with me for a long time, and I appreciate it.” When he is not working, Puska said he enjoys cooking at home and has passed on the talent to his two children, who now live in Colorado and New Zealand, his two stepchildren and his wife, though none cook professionally. When he officially retires in April, Puska said he’ll spend some time fishing, reading and visiting the restaurant under its new ownership. He might even help with some restaurant consulting elsewhere. Puska said although he cannot give the time to run his own business full-time, he would like to remain connected to the industry he is so passionate about by working with other restaurant owners to help them start a business or improve an existing one. Until then, however, he’s focused on serving his customers. “We’ve been extremely busy,” he said. “Hopefully we can do as good a job as we have done for 32 years … that’s all we can do.” About Dieter Puska: Family: Wife, two children, two step-children Hometown: Originally from Austria In business in Carmel: 32 years What’s next? Relaxing and part-time restaurant consulting
GOSPELS DON’T ALWAYS AGREE 3/18/2008 By Bruce Braden When Mel Gibson produced his movie, “The Passion of the Christ,” New Testament writers provided him with alternative scene selections. (See books such as “Gospel Parallels.”) Matthew depicts the Sermon on the Mount as delivered only to the disciples after leaving the crowd below. Luke has Jesus descend from the mountain to stand on a level place before giving the sermon to disciples and the crowd. John has Satan enter into Judas at the Last Supper. According to Acts, Judas buys the potter’s field; in Matthew, the chief priests purchase it. Matthew says Judas hanged himself. Acts says Judas dies from falling headlong in the potter’s field, bursting asunder so that all his bowels gushed out. Only Luke has Jesus, contrary to his “resist not thine enemies” admonition, instruct his disciples to buy swords before going to the Garden of Gethsemane. In Matthew, John and Luke, the cock crows just once after Peter’s three denials, as predicted; in Mark, the cock crows for the second time after the third denial, as predicted. Matthew places Jesus in a scarlet cloak; Mark, a purple robe. Matthew, Mark and Luke offer Jesus a cross-bearing helper in Simon of Cyrene; John has Jesus “bearing his own cross” to Golgotha. Mark has Jesus crucified at the third hour (9 a.m.); John at the sixth (noon). Matthew and Mark depict both thieves crucified with Jesus as reviling him; Luke gives us the “good thief” who does not rail on Jesus, but instead rebukes the other thief for reviling Jesus. John has one woman come to the tomb; Matthew, two; Mark, three; Luke more than three. Mark has the women come to the tomb at sunrise; John, while it is still dark. Luke has two men standing at the tomb; Matthew, one angel sitting outside on the entry door stone. Matthew said Jesus would be entombed three days and three nights; Mark reports Jesus was only in the tomb two nights and barely two days. After the reported resurrection, Luke and John have Jesus first appear to the disciples indoors at Jerusalem; Matthew at a mountain in Galilee. Acts has the Ascension from Mt. Olivet; Luke from Bethany. Bruce Braden is an author and poet. He is the editor of “Ye Will Say I Am No Christian: The Thomas Jefferson/John Adams Correspondence on Religion, Morals, and Values.”
MEMORIES TO KEEP 3/11/2008 By Christine Bavender By Christine Bavender For Current In Carmel We all have family memories we like to share – to tell and re-tell, to pass along to our children. But as time passes, sometimes it’s hard to remember every detail of the story and slowly it starts to fade away. Now a Carmel man and his wife have a solution for that – a free Web site named for their two daughters, Madeline and Margaret. The site – www.madmarg.com – was launched in late February at the Circle of Stars gymnastics event at the Indianapolis Convention Center. “The focus of the site really is for kids,” Steve Churchill explained. “I’ve got kids and I want to save their stories and pictures and most people do. But everyone is someone’s kid and a lot of people realized they can save their own stories or their parents’ stories as well.” At the event, Churchill got the same response over and over – “Wow, what a great idea. I need to do that – I need to save those great stories I have about my kids.” Churchill started thinking about a site like this after realizing he’d forgotten a lot of the stories his dad had told him growing up. “I was actually at a cocktail party and telling people about a friend whose dad sat down before he died and wrote down all of his memories from being a kid to in the Marines to getting married,” he said. “And when he was done he had 12 spiral bound notebooks. So my friend would read those stories to his kids at night as bedtime stories.” He tried to emulate his friend and write a story a week, but soon Churchill said he and his wife, Jennifer, realized they just couldn’t do it – that the pace of life went by so fast there just was never enough time. “So we thought wouldn’t it be great if there was something that reached out and reminded you to do this,” Churchill explained. “That something is what we call a nudge. It’s just a reminder – set to come in by e-mail whenever you want – to take five minutes and write a story.” The way the site works is fairly simple. You set up your family in a profile – you can include everyone from yourself to your kids and even grandparents and other relatives – and then you just add stories and pictures to the Web site. Categories are available to choose from for a story – ranging from academics to sports and vacations. “You can add stories any time you want,” he said. “You don’t have to wait for a nudge and the key is it’s free and it’s easy to use and we want people to use it to write the stories they have – and not just about their children. I think back to my dad and all the stories he told that as a teen I just didn’t care about. My dad died in 1997 and now I wish I could go back and record those stories, but they are gone.” He now has his mother set up on the site so she can write the story of her life for Churchill and for his children. As of the end of February, Churchill said about 350 people were signed up and using the site. “But the market on this is huge,” he said. “If you think that everyone has stories then at some point there could be hundreds of thousands of people using it.” One big key to the site is the security, Churchill explained. “It is so kid-oriented that we wanted to make sure a friend of a friend could not read a story about your child. You have complete control over who can get in and read it – you just invite them. And I think that is really key. The last thing I want is some stranger looking at pictures of my daughters and reading stories about them. That is really dangerous and so that was the No. 1 priority – to make this site as secure as possible.” The site continues to expand with new features. Soon you will be able to add pictures to the stories as you write them so they are coupled together if you ever want to take the stories and make a book out of them. Another new feature – a list of story topics so that the nudges can say, “tell me a story about when you met Mom,” or “Tell me a story from your college days.” “So not to just tell a story but to tell a story of something specific – bring you back to the moment and help you think more clearly and be able to elaborate,” Churchill said. Signing up is easy. Simply go to www.madmarg.com and it will walk you through how to register. If you want to see how it works first, a site tour is available that walks you through exactly what the site is and what you can do on it. The site itself is free to set up a profile and write stories, but Churchill does plan to add a feature in the next 60 days where you can edit and publish a book of the stories online and submit it to be published. “A lot of sites do that now. It would be like a coffee table book and you would simply put in your credit card info, hit submit and soon after get a book in the mail.” Meet Steve Churchill: Age: 38 Wife: Jennifer. They’ll be married 15 years in June. Daughters: Margaret, 12 and Madeline, 11 Born: In Illinois. Moved to the Westfield, Carmel area when he was 6. Schools: Carmel High School and Purdue University Studied: Building construction technology Job: Owns a software company that is an IBM software reseller Favorite book: “The Whisperers” by Orlando Fieges Favorite quote: “Life is good” Web site: www.madmarg.com
ECLECTIC ENDEAVORS 3/6/2008 Bryan Unruh By Bryan Unruh Current in Carmel Cheri Piebes and John Heinzinger aren’t typical art-gallery owners. The couple met at IBM’s headquarters in New York more than 20 years ago, their positions in the advertising and technology departments a far cry from their duties now at Artisan Masterpiece. Their love for art quickly became a source of common ground, but in the fast-paced lifestyle of corporate New York, it wasn’t exactly their top priority. That is, until Piebes retired from IBM and decided to move home to Indiana. Raised in Kokomo, she was eager to return to her roots. In her 30 years in New York, she says, she learned more about life and business than she could have ever imagined. Now it was time to use that knowledge to be her own boss. “Once I decided to retire, I wanted to come home,” she said. “IBM was a wonderful company, but I wanted to run things the way I thought they should be run. Within the confines of IBM, I could be creative, but I couldn’t push the envelope that much.” Heinzinger’s decision to leave New York wasn’t as easy. He was born and raised there, and much of his family still lived in the area. He’d grown used to the city life, and the thought of leaving that behind made him nervous. But after Cheri’s retirement, he knew it was the right time to relocate. “I was a little apprehensive about moving,” he said. “But meeting people here and being a part of the community has made me realize how much I didn’t know. It’s great here. People are friendly and accessible, and there is a real sense of community and progress.” After arriving in Indiana, they decided to pursue their dream of owning and managing an art gallery. During their time in New York, the couple made frequent visits to other parts of the world, both for business and pleasure. In all their travel, they noticed that other countries seemed to possess a greater appreciation for hand-crafted art. They wanted to bring that sentiment home. In 2004, they opened a single-level store in Merchant’s Square and started turning their dream into a reality. Piebes’ experience studying women-owned businesses at IBM came in handy, as did Heinzinger’s technology savvy. Best of all, they were working together, which was one of the major reasons for opening the gallery to begin with. “Some husbands and wives are perfectly happy doing their own separate things, but we like to be together all the time,” Piebes said. “To me, that is what retirement is all about.” After a year and a half at their original location, the couple decided to expand their business, moving into a three-story location at Main Street and Range Line Road in Carmel’s growing Arts & Design District. More than ever, the store began to mirror their unique personalities. The first floor – they call it the “artist’s gallery” – features a wide range of handcrafted pieces, ranging from glasswork to carved tables and lamps, and includes a number of Indiana artists. The second floor, or women’s boutique, is chock-full of Piebes’ favorite clothing, much of which is exclusive to the store. Perhaps her favorite floor, however, is the third, which houses a variety of art classes. She hires teachers for both children and adults, helping them learn to create pastels, stained glass and pottery, among other things. In the summer, the store hosts a children’s arts and crafts camp. Geared to accommodate working parents, kids can come to the camp for a full-day or half-day on whichever days best suit them. Piebes said the camp is “wildly successful,” and she considers it one of the most rewarding elements in owning Artisan Masterpiece. “I think every child needs to have a creative outlet,” she said. “I love these kids, and it is just wonderful to see their faces when they make something they are proud of.” After three years working full-time at the gallery with his wife, Heinzinger decided last year to go back to his “day job.” He is a full-time technology adviser at Electronic Strategies in Indianapolis, but still finds time to help out at the store, working evenings and weekends and spending as much time with his wife as possible. Piebes, meanwhile, uses her sparse free time to stay involved in the community. She is president of the Carmel Arts Council and the Merchant’s Association in the Arts & Design District, and serves on the advisory board for the Carmel Business Leader and Carmel International Arts Festival. Getting away from the shop is tough, but she finds the time. “When you want to do something and it is important to you, you make time,” she said. “Working at IBM, there is no time to get involved with the community. When I retired, I knew I wanted to get involved.” Despite his initial uncertainty, Heinzinger said moving to Carmel was the perfect decision. The city’s love and appreciation for art has made Artisan Masterpiece a booming, award-winning gallery, and the constantly growing community will only help it grow. “People around here are just really into what we’re doing,” he said. Cheri Piebes and John Heinzinger: Children: Ashley and Regan Hometowns: Kokomo (Cheri) and Scarsdale, N.Y. (John) Education: Cheri - Purdue University. John - Pace University, magna cum laude Favorite TV show: “24” (both) Hobbies: interior design Community involvement: Cheri is president the Old Town Arts District Merchant Association, president of the Carmel Arts Council, and board member of Carmel’s International Arts Festival.
School Board OKs redistricting plan 2/26/2008 Ellen Gilmer, Current In Carmel This week, after months of research, discussion and proposals, the Carmel Clay School Board voted unanimously to approve a redistricting plan that will move approximately 500 elementary school students. Steve Dillon, director of the Educational Services Center, said the plan will ease overcrowding in West Clay Elementary and College Wood Elementary and prepare the school system for potential future growth. “Had we not redistricted, we would be facing serious overcrowding,” Dillon said. In a final amendment, Carmel Elementary was allowed to keep its current districting. So far, Dillon said he has encountered a balanced amount of positive and negative responses from the community and anticipates support from the community when the plan is implemented for the 2008-2009 school year. “(The response) has been about 50/50,” he said. “I would expect that our community will express its concerns but will be supportive and ready to move forward.”
Carmel's population grew 35 percent, Census shows 2/4/2008 Current in Carmel The population of Carmel has grown to 68,677, a 35 percent increase over 2000, according to the Special Census conducted this summer. This count includes those residing within Carmel’s current city limits. It does not include southwest Clay Township or Home Place. The city estimates that the updated population count for Carmel will result in an additional $3.5 million in state funding for Carmel. The cost to conduct the census was $900,000 so that amounts to more than $2.5 million in additional revenue. This additional revenue goes into the Local Road and Streets Fund to be used for road projects in the City. The Special Census that was conducted this summer was an actual recount of all residents in Carmel’s City limits. Enumerators went door to door collecting population data, but with a questionnaire that is abbreviated from the Census data collected each decade.
'IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BLING' 1/16/2008 Stephanie C. Curtis A passion for fashion and the desire to design football jerseys with a flattering fit kicked off an idea for two Carmel moms. They caught the ball, ran with it, and created JSK Apparel, a line of stylish, sophisticated, figure-flattering sportswear detailed with a little bling. “We’re all big sports fans,” said Jeanine Stewart, one of three founding partners of JSK Apparel. “We were bored with the few options available, like over-sized men’s jerseys.” Stewart often attends ballgames with her friends and JSK partners, Carmel mom Kelly Carlile and Sherry Compton, who lives in the Geist area. “We always complained that we had nothing fun to wear,” Carlile said. “Jeanine started adding sequins and beads to a football jersey and that became the prototype for our product.” After months of fumbling with the idea of creating chic fan wear for women, they determined there was a market for their jazzed-up jerseys and formed a partnership in March 2005. “Our goal was to offer the female sports enthusiast a fashionable, great fitting product to wear while supporting their favorite team,” Stewart said. As the 40-something ladies tackled their new business venture, they realized transforming a concept into reality can be challenging and frustrating. They approached one cut-and-sew operation after another, and were turned away by manufacturers in New York City and Los Angeles. “Going through the process was eye-opening,” Carlile said. “We could not find anyone who wanted to make the jerseys. We were told it was too labor intensive and that we should take it overseas.” The JSK team was adamant about fabricating American-made fashions. Despite multiple rejections, they were not willing to give up. That perseverance led them to a manufacturer in their own end zone, Coffield & Company, based in Indianapolis. According to Diana Baisa, president of Coffield & Company, her company rarely talks with upstarts anymore. “Everyone thinks they have a great idea, but they are unprepared and have a lousy business plan,” said Baisa. “Jeanine had done her homework and was very prepared.” Securing a manufacturer was akin to a first down. The young apparel company was off and running but still had a long way to go. According to Carlile, the group was able to score some great coaching from her dad, Dave Cremeans, an experienced retailer, as well as attorneys, accountants and friends who own businesses. Not all new companies have access to quality advice, so the U.S. Small Business Administration is a key resource for upstarts. According to the SBA, small businesses create most of the nation’s net new jobs, and they bring dynamic ideas, innovative services and new products to the marketplace. JSK Apparel partners emphasize how important it is to learn as much as you can about the industry you are targeting. Stewart admits although she has a passion for fashion, entering into the business of manufacturing and marketing ladies apparel is a whole different ballgame. “You need patience to get through the initial bumps,” Stewart said. “There is an assumption that most small businesses fail within the first year, but that’s just not true,” said Rhonda Crouch, public information officer, SBA Indiana District Office. “Sixty-six percent of new businesses survive the first two years and 44 percent succeed for at least four years.” “You have to believe in your idea no matter what anyone says,” Carlile said. And believe they have. The original line of fashion jerseys has expanded to include halter tops, T-shirts and ball caps. “Finally something cute to wear to the games,” said Nancy Curless, sporting a sparkling IU T-shirt and coordinating baseball hat. JSK customer Jill Schuman said, “I’m all about the bling.” Using what Stewart calls “gorilla marketing,” JSK Apparel was able to line up a long list of boutiques that agreed to sell their glitzy product. In addition, JSK negotiated collegiate licensing deals adding their bling to sportswear bearing the logos of Notre Dame, Purdue, Indiana University and University of Kentucky and the items are sold on campus and online at www.jskapparel.com. “We continue to look at the collegiate level for new opportunities,” Stewart said. “And we are in talks with two NBA teams that will go unnamed at this time.” Both Stewart and Carlile agree the most rewarding thing about their business is seeing someone they don’t know wear their designs. “It’s so cool to think that someone likes our product enough to buy it with their hard-earned money,” Carlile said. The JSK team hasn’t made a touchdown yet as every dime they make goes back into the company to pay for inventory, raw goods and licensing. But those first downs keep coming, the company keeps growing, and female sports fans are finding fun flashy fashions to wear when rooting for their favorite team. JSK Apparel: Owners: Jeanine Stewart, Kelly Carlile (both of Carmel) and Sherry Compton. Carlile has four children, second grade through high school; Stewart has two preschool-age children Product: Stylish, sophisticated, figure-flattering sportswear More info: www.jskapparel.com
WELCOME TO AMERICA 1/1/2008 Brandon Bownman By Brandon Bowman As the sun rose over the horizon Dec. 22 at Dry Tortugas National Park off Key West, Fla., Karl Ahlrichs, a Carmel resident, was jarred from his sleep by his stepson, Paul O’Connor, a Carmel High School graduate living in Colorado. The two were camping along the Gulf of Mexico at the park. The younger man had been awakened by voices in Spanish coming from the direction of beachfront. The two men rose from their sleeping bags and went to investigate. What they found was an international incident: A homemade boat carrying 18 Cuban refugees from Havana had just arrived. “The park that we were in is the absolute closest piece of (American) land to Cuba. The distance is something (less than) 90 miles,” Ahlrichs said. The United States offers 20,000 visas to the Cuban government each year, but that’s not enough for the overwhelming number of Cubans with desire to leave the island nation. Many Cubans then decide to make the dangerous journey from Cuba to the mainland on their own. The boat that carried these refugees was supplied with oranges and water for the trip, which took them a little more than a day. “The engine they used was from an old truck. It was just some old diesel four-banger that used an old army dairy can to hold gas,” Ahlrichs said. The refugees said the boat took four months to build. “After I heard about this, all I could think about was the number of people who try to come over here and don’t make it,” Ahlrichs said. Ahlrichs and O’Connor observed the refugees from a distance at first and soon realized that they would be the unofficial welcoming committee. The refugees were lucky; Ahlrichs speaks Spanish. “When I got out to where they beached the boat, everyone was in good spirits. They were hugging each other and kissing the sand before they got the supplies off the boat,” Ahlrichs said. Cubans who decide to come to the United States on homemade boats are treated under a “Wet-foot, Dry-foot” policy. Once they reach dry land, each person has a chance to become a citizen. If immigrants are caught in open water, they are sent back to Cuba under the Cuban Adjustment Act. Ahlrichs approached the refugees, welcomed them to the U.S. and then asked who was in charge. All of the refugees smiled and pointed at someone else in their party. “After that, one of the taller guys came forward and it was obvious that he might be in charge,” Ahlrichs said. The first question the refugees asked was about the adjacent fort near where they landed. “They wanted to know if it was a prison, and I happily told them that it was just a fort in a park,” Ahlrichs said. He kept talking to the refugees as more people from the six campsites around their landing area started to gather. Ahlrichs made three phone calls to family members of a refugee named Miguelito. “I finally got a call back and let them know that everyone made it all right,” Ahlrichs said. One refugee credited the Virgin Mary for their successful trip. He carried a medallion with her emblazoned image on it. One of his companions, a woman, disagreed. She said it was because of her Spanish language copy of The Watchtower, a publication of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. A scream was heard from the growing crowd of other campers. A woman ran back to her tent and grabbed her English copy of The Watchtower, and the two embraced before trading addresses. “It was a great moment,” Ahlrichs said. Once park rangers arrived, Ahlrichs and O’Connor had to let the rangers talk to the new arrivals. “Since we were so tan, and most of the Cubans were dressed better than we were, the rangers corralled us with them and wouldn’t let us go back to the campground,” Ahlrichs said. After some explanations, they were finally allowed back to their campsite. Ahlrichs and his stepson believe that this experience made their Christmas. “I later found out that they had left for Miami at 6 p.m. that afternoon and would make it to be with their families for Christmas,” Ahlrichs said. His meeting with the refugees reminded him of what brought his ancestors here. “My family has had five generations in this country. After all that time you forget the drive that they must have had to get here,” Ahlrichs said. With all the controversy that comes with immigration these days, Ahlrichs couldn’t help but look on in awe as they smiled and rejoiced as they took their first steps on American soil. Said Ahlrichs: “It just made me feel so proud.”

FROM THE MAILBAG: READERS WRITE
6/16/2008

(To have your letter published on our Web site, please include your hometown and a daytime phone number. Send your letter to info@currentincarmel.com. Posted letters will remain on the site for approximately one week.)

OLYMPIC WITHDRAWAL

The 2008 Olympics held in Beijing are over! I’m glad I did not become an Olympic addict like some of my associates. No withdrawal symptoms for me. I can go on with my life completely untouched by what I had seen on TV for 17 days, 408 hours, 24,880 minutes. The morning after the closing ceremonies, I did a double flip out of bed and stuck my landing. I strolled into my Water Cube, dived into the bathtub, creating barely a ripple. Without touching the bottom, I did a few backstrokes. With my nose guard in place, I struck a ballet-like pose, one leg straight out of the water, painted toenails directed toward the ceiling. I wrapped myself in a flag – er, towel - hurdled the cat, and dashed for the kitchen. I back-flipped the pancakes, passed them off to the family without any drops. I vaulted to the closet, selected my clothes, but what jewelry would I wear? Ah, go for the gold! I sprinted across the lawn, giving a tip of my hat to the Bird’s Nest. After spiking the volleyball lying in the yard, I looked for someone to hug or a butt to pat. I high-jumped the sand box, did a one-arm high twist on the kids’ swing set with a double somersault dismount – a little wobbly, so deduction of one/tenth of a point – then darted for my car. I guided my Mustang over some water hazards, relayed by phone that I was running behind but closing the gap. The competition was tough but I targeted the one empty parking space. Bull’s-eye! I dashed into work, crossed the finish line in record time. Another day, another medal! (Actually, I did watch all the Olympics from the spectacular opening ceremonies to the stirring closing. I enjoyed every competition from fencing to Ping Pong, I mean table tennis. Do those people ever change expressions?

- Marie J. Albertson
Carmel

OBSERVATION: 'BICYCLISTS ARE UNABLE TO SEE RED STOP SIGNS'

A couple weeks ago, while having breakfast at a restaurant south of 131st street on the Monon Trail, my son and I observed several cyclists running the stop sign. As we were ready to leave, two cyclists came into the restaurant after having not stopped at the sign. I ask one of them why they did not stop, and after some hesitation he said, "Because I don't have to." This past week on Thursday morning at breakfast on the Monon between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., I counted 19 of 19 cyclist failing to stop, some going so fast they could not have stopped if they had to. Again as I was leaving a couple of ladies, who had not stopped, came in and I asked them why they hadn't stopped and they replied, "We slowed down." I am very conscious of cyclists, but I think they (most, not all) think they are above the law or that it does not apply to them. I have seen this action at 126th and Range Line, 131st and Keystone, Carmel Drive and Keystone, and I am afraid that when someone is injured, or worse, the fault will be placed on the driver and not the cyclist.

- David Shanks
Carmel

NOT A WILSON FAN

Please remove my address from your mailing list. I emphatically do not want to receive your publication. When I first began receiving your paper, I did read it, and I enjoyed being informed of local news and events. The puzzles were somewhat engaging, as well. However, the increasing debauchery presented by the malcontent, (columnist) Ms. (Danielle) Wilson on the "Community" page has nauseated me to the point that I cannot tolerate even those pages absent of her "witticisms." Her opinions do not reflect the type of community that Carmel is, nor should it become so. From her demeaning and amoral view of the PTA fundraiser, to her faithless view of marriage and the joy she expresses at no longer having to raise her kids every hour of the day while they are at school, her opinions mirror a society gone awry, although she says it was "tongue in cheek." None of my neighbors, friends, co-workers or family who read these articles are laughing. Wilson also has the audacity to use her "community" column to ask those in that community to leave her family alone. Yet she feels no compunction, no remorse at having speared those PTO volunteers who actually do something positive for the community. When she chose to put her picture in the paper, to use the power of the press to eviscerate a PTO community, to paint a portrait of marriage as something other than a holy, God-ordained relationship, and to defile what it means to be a loving mother, she also chose to open herself to opinions other than her own. She chose to become a public figure. Ms. Wilson, if you can't stand the heat, then you should not have started the fire! I have no confidence that this will be published, but I am sure that these opinions reflect the real Carmel community.

- Bren VanArsdall
Carmel

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RALLY FOR THE CURE AT WOODLAND ON SEPT. 20

By Claire Shultz
For Current in Carmel

The 2008 Ladies’ Rally for the Cure Golf Event will be held at Woodland Country Club on Tuesday, September 16th. Over 100 golfers will be participating in the annual fund-raiser to benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The lady golfers will be greeted by a “pink ribbon walk,” designed to celebrate and honor friends and loved ones.

Registration for the Rally for the Cure begins at 7:30 am. A putting contest is scheduled from 8:00 am until 9:00 am. A shotgun 9:00 am start will kick off the 9-hole ladies golf event. In addition, a celebration luncheon and auction will be held in the Woodland Country Club Ballroom at 12 pm.

“Sponsorship is at an all-time high for the Rally,” according to Marie Davis, Woodland Country Club Member & Chairwoman of this year’s Rally for the Cure. 2008 Rally Sponsors include Vera Bradley, The Breast Care Center of Indiana & Dr. R Thomas Schmidt, Carmel Total Fitness, Dean Foods, Smith Barney, Steamatic of Indianapolis, Kutche All American & JS Marten Jewelers to name a few. Davis added that “this year’s partnership with Dr. Schmidt’s office, in conjunction with the St. Vincent’s Breast Center, helped to increase sponsorship awareness & participation again this year”.

In conjunction with Woodland Country Club, Rally for the Cure introduced a new program this year to help raise funds to beat Breast Cancer. Members can donate their old golf clubs in the Woodland Pro Shop and the value of the clubs will be converted to dollars benefiting the Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

This is the 10th year for the Ladies’ Rally for the Cure at Woodland. Proceeds will go directly to “Rally for the Cure”.

For more information, call 846.2588.

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PUBLIC SAFETY DAY IS SEPT. 20

By Nancy Heck
City of Carmel

The Carmel Clay Fire Department, Carmel Police Department and St. Vincent Carmel Hospital, are hosting this year’s Public Safety Day. The event will take place on Saturday, Sept. 20 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. in the St. Vincent Carmel Hospital back parking lot, located at 13500 N. Meridian Street in Carmel. This is a free event and everyone is welcome.

While the focus of the event is to better inform the public about safety issues, all the activities are planned with family fun in mind. The kids’ Big Wheel races are always entertaining and visitors young and old seem drawn to the public safety helicopters, which are fully equipped with the latest life-saving technology.

Safety Day will also feature educational booths sponsored by local businesses and organizations designed to teach children and families basic safety techniques in a wide range of topics including health and wellness. The activities planned are designed to test participants’ knowledge and allow them to ask questions about safety, health, or wellness issues. The hands-on activities help children and adults remember the lessons learned at Safety Day. Attached is a flyer with event times listed.

Safety Day also allows visitors the unique opportunity to see some live demonstrations that are otherwise unavailable to the public. Exciting presentations are given by the Carmel Police K-9 unit, SWAT Rappelling team and the Carmel Fire Department vehicle extrication squad. In addition, many departments from the City of Carmel are participating in this year’s event to share their knowledge and role in the community. There will be information about street maintenance, water quality, recycling and household hazardous waste disposal.

As in the past, our goal is for the families to leave Safety Day knowing more than they did when they arrived. Together we can teach, reinforce, and introduce safety concerns to all those in attendance. For more information about Public Safety Day, please call Keith Freer at 571-4245 or Ann Gallagher 571-2720.

St. Vincent Carmel Hospital is the main sponsor of this year’s Public Safety Day. St. Vincent Health is the state’s largest healthcare employer, with 17 health ministries serving 45 counties in central Indiana.

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MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGERY SERIES AT CLARIAN NORTH

By Joy Smith
For Current in Carmel

With the availability of minimally invasive surgical options, surgery no longer has to mean severe pain and long recovery periods. The public is invited to learn more at Clarian North’s free Minimally Invasive Surgery seminar series, which begins September 9.

Individuals benefit from minimally invasive surgery because it causes less tissue disruption and blood loss, significantly less pain, fewer side effects and less scarring. In addition, patients are likely to experience a shorter recovery period and be able to return to everyday activities much more quickly than if they had traditional open surgery.

The upcoming free seminars offer information about minimally invasive surgery options for various conditions and procedures. They are:

* Orthopedic Surgery for Joint Pain
September 9, 6:30-7:30 P.M.
Presented by Dr. John Hur: Methodist Sports Medicine

* Laparoscopic and da Vinci Hysterectomy
September 23, 6:30-7:30 P.M.
Presented by Dr. Louis Star: Associates in Women’s Health;
Dr. Sheldon Weiss: AHN Women’s Care OB/GYN;
Dr. Amy Moon: Women’s Health Alliance;
Dr. Victoria Ball: Zionsville OB/GYN

* Use of the da Vinci Robot for Prostate Cancer
September 29, 6:30-7:30 P.M.
Presented by Dr. David Hollensbe: Urology of Indiana

* Use of the da Vinci Robot for Uterine Fibroids
September 30, 6:30-7:30 P.M.
Presented by Dr. Leo Bonaventura: Bonaventura Reproductive Medicine

* Laparoscopic Abdominal Surgery
October 14, 6:30-7:30 P.M
Presented by Dr. Larry Stevens: Tower Surgical

* Female Pelvic Floor Disorders
October 21, 6:30-7:30 P.M
Presented by Dr. Douglass Hale: Urogynecology Associates

To register for each seminar, call 688-2746 or visit clariannorth.com. All seminars are held in the Learning Center at Clarian North Medical Center, 11700 N. Meridian, Carmel.

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CITY OF CARMEL OFFERS C.E.R.T. CLASS

By Nancy Heck
City of Carmel

Members of the Carmel Clay Fire Department and Carmel Police Department will be holding a Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T.) class starting the first week of October through the middle of November 2008 at the Carmel Fire Department Headquarters at Two Civic Square.

The C.E.R.T. class will teach members of the community skills used to help citizens in their local neighborhoods in times of large scale disaster. In these types of situations, police and fire services are called to respond to numerous incidences simultaneously. During these rare occasions, we need to rely on neighborhood C.E.R.T. teams to help with localized issues. Class content will include topics such as: Disaster Preparedness, Fire Suppression, Medical Operations, Light Search & Rescue, and Disaster Psychology.

Carmel’s C.E.R.T. class will be held from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on the following dates:

October 2nd, 6th, 13th, 16th, 23rd, 27th, 30th and November 3rd. The last class will be held from 8:00 a.m. to noon on November 8th.

Carmel C.E.R.T. class instructors are looking for neighborhood teams of 5 to 7 members to apply for the fall 2008 class. All team registrations are due by September 17th, 2008. Only one team member needs to contact us for the necessary registration information.

Please contact Bruce Knott at 571-2619 or e-mail bknott@carmel.in.gov to register. Class space is limited.

FIRE CLAIMS DAIRY QUEEN
5/30/2008

Brandon Bowman

The Dairy Queen restaurant at 951 S. Range Line Rd. was horribly damaged in a fire Thursday evening. No one was injured in the incident, which rendered the wooden eatery closed.

The facility, which had been a community staple since 1960, caught fire at approximately 6:35 p.m. Eight employees and an unknown number of patrons were on hand when the blaze started in the rear of the building.

Carmel Fire Dept. crews eventually doused the fire, keeping it from spreading to an adjacent business. Range Line was closed while firefighters worked. For hours after, the stench of wet, burned wood wafted across Carmel, a haunting message that contrasted with the good times shared at DQ by the community down through the years.

Parents would take their young children to the restaurant, almost as if on cue, after school plays and concerts, after the last Carmel Dads’ Club game of the season, to soothe hurt feelings, or, as one caller put it, “just because.”

CFD said the cause of the fire is undetermined, but an employee told Current in Carmel that perhaps a worker or a drive-through customer inadvertently tossed a smoldering cigarette butt at or near the storage area that contained paper and plastic goods. At that point, the blaze was on.

Another employee, manager Elaine Lotz, said, “It started out as a small fire on our storage shed. ... Everyone is safe and OK.”

(Do you have a favorite DQ memory? Share it with us at info@currentincarmel.com.)

Well Done
3/25/2008

By Ellen Gilmer, Current In Carmel

By Ellen Gilmer
Current in Carmel

Just weeks from retirement, Carmel restaurant owner Dieter Puska looks back on his 32 years in business with appreciation. Puska will close The Glass Chimney and Deeter’s in April to focus more on his health.

“Times change, and things change, and now it’s time to take it a little easier,” he said. “Business requires a lot of time. I’m working 65-70 hours a week, and it’s just getting to be too much.”

The business is for sale, and he is negotiating with several potential new owners. Puska said it might end up with a Carmel resident who would make relatively few changes to the décor and menu.

“(The prospective new owner) may make some minor changes here and there, but overall, it’s going to stay pretty much the same, I think,” he said. “But once it’s out of my hands, I have no control over what they do.”

Puska said he expects to close the deal within the next month or two.

The Glass Chimney and Deeter’s contributed to the Carmel community by being one of the first to offer unusual or exotic foods, instead of steak and fried chicken, he said. The menu ranges from filet mignon to wiener schnitzel to brandied chocolate mousse.

This variety in menu is what originally attracted Puska to the restaurant industry. As a child in Austria, Puska witnessed his parents’ time spent in the grocery store business and was instantly drawn to cooking. He practiced and studied to become a chef and was eventually offered a job in Cincinnati in 1967.

After arriving to the United States, the Ohio restaurant asked if he would like to work in Indianapolis instead at the restaurant, King Cole. He didn’t know anyone in either city, so Puska said he was happy to make the switch. His only desire was that he could cook.

“Cooking lets you be creative,” he said. “It’s never the same, and you’ve got endless possibilities. You will never know it all.”

In 1976, Puska decided to start his own restaurant and opened the Glass Chimney in Carmel. The restaurant was successful from the start, Puska said. Through the years, however, he said he has witnessed significant change in the restaurant business in the United States, with a shift toward fast food with low quality.

“There’s been an influx of restaurants in general but mostly chain, unfortunately,” he said. “It’s less ‘dining;’ it’s more just having supper.”

However, Puska said his restaurant has retained its high standards despite competition. Also, the fact that it offers fine dining (at the Glass Chimney) and casual dining (at Deeter’s) helps it to meet the needs of the community.

Since the restaurant’s successful opening, Puska said he has had several opportunities to host celebrities and dignitaries. However, he said he is thankful for every customer who has supported his business.

“As far as I’m concerned, every customer that walks in here is a celebrity, and that’s the way we treat them,” he said. “I would like to thank all my patrons that have frequented the place. Without them we’d be nothing.”

In fact, Puska could not seem to talk enough about restaurant patrons. Out of all of the honors and special guests the restaurant has received, he was adamant that the best day at work has always been simply any day that customers leave happy.

“Any day people are happy is a great day,” he said. “I have the greatest customers anybody could have. They put up with me for a long time, and I appreciate it.”

When he is not working, Puska said he enjoys cooking at home and has passed on the talent to his two children, who now live in Colorado and New Zealand, his two stepchildren and his wife, though none cook professionally.

When he officially retires in April, Puska said he’ll spend some time fishing, reading and visiting the restaurant under its new ownership. He might even help with some restaurant consulting elsewhere.

Puska said although he cannot give the time to run his own business full-time, he would like to remain connected to the industry he is so passionate about by working with other restaurant owners to help them start a business or improve an existing one. Until then, however, he’s focused on serving his customers.

“We’ve been extremely busy,” he said. “Hopefully we can do as good a job as we have done for 32 years … that’s all we can do.”

About Dieter Puska:

Family: Wife, two children, two step-children

Hometown: Originally from Austria

In business in Carmel: 32 years

What’s next? Relaxing and part-time restaurant consulting

GOSPELS DON’T ALWAYS AGREE
3/18/2008

By Bruce Braden

When Mel Gibson produced his movie, “The Passion of the Christ,” New Testament writers provided him with alternative scene selections. (See books such as “Gospel Parallels.”)

Matthew depicts the Sermon on the Mount as delivered only to the disciples after leaving the crowd below. Luke has Jesus descend from the mountain to stand on a level place before giving the sermon to disciples and the crowd. John has Satan enter into Judas at the Last Supper. According to Acts, Judas buys the potter’s field; in Matthew, the chief priests purchase it. Matthew says Judas hanged himself. Acts says Judas dies from falling headlong in the potter’s field, bursting asunder so that all his bowels gushed out.

Only Luke has Jesus, contrary to his “resist not thine enemies” admonition, instruct his disciples to buy swords before going to the Garden of Gethsemane. In Matthew, John and Luke, the cock crows just once after Peter’s three denials, as predicted; in Mark, the cock crows for the second time after the third denial, as predicted. Matthew places Jesus in a scarlet cloak; Mark, a purple robe. Matthew, Mark and Luke offer Jesus a cross-bearing helper in Simon of Cyrene; John has Jesus “bearing his own cross” to Golgotha. Mark has Jesus crucified at the third hour (9 a.m.); John at the sixth (noon).

Matthew and Mark depict both thieves crucified with Jesus as reviling him; Luke gives us the “good thief” who does not rail on Jesus, but instead rebukes the other thief for reviling Jesus.

John has one woman come to the tomb; Matthew, two; Mark, three; Luke more than three. Mark has the women come to the tomb at sunrise; John, while it is still dark. Luke has two men standing at the tomb; Matthew, one angel sitting outside on the entry door stone. Matthew said Jesus would be entombed three days and three nights; Mark reports Jesus was only in the tomb two nights and barely two days.

After the reported resurrection, Luke and John have Jesus first appear to the disciples indoors at Jerusalem; Matthew at a mountain in Galilee. Acts has the Ascension from Mt. Olivet; Luke from Bethany.

Bruce Braden is an author and poet. He is the editor of “Ye Will Say I Am No Christian: The Thomas Jefferson/John Adams Correspondence on Religion, Morals, and Values.”

MEMORIES TO KEEP
3/11/2008

By Christine Bavender

By Christine Bavender
For Current In Carmel

We all have family memories we like to share – to tell and re-tell, to pass along to our children. But as time passes, sometimes it’s hard to remember every detail of the story and slowly it starts to fade away.

Now a Carmel man and his wife have a solution for that – a free Web site named for their two daughters, Madeline and Margaret.

The site – www.madmarg.com – was launched in late February at the Circle of Stars gymnastics event at the Indianapolis Convention Center.

“The focus of the site really is for kids,” Steve Churchill explained. “I’ve got kids and I want to save their stories and pictures and most people do. But everyone is someone’s kid and a lot of people realized they can save their own stories or their parents’ stories as well.”

At the event, Churchill got the same response over and over – “Wow, what a great idea. I need to do that – I need to save those great stories I have about my kids.”

Churchill started thinking about a site like this after realizing he’d forgotten a lot of the stories his dad had told him growing up.

“I was actually at a cocktail party and telling people about a friend whose dad sat down before he died and wrote down all of his memories from being a kid to in the Marines to getting married,” he said. “And when he was done he had 12 spiral bound notebooks. So my friend would read those stories to his kids at night as bedtime stories.”

He tried to emulate his friend and write a story a week, but soon Churchill said he and his wife, Jennifer, realized they just couldn’t do it – that the pace of life went by so fast there just was never enough time.

“So we thought wouldn’t it be great if there was something that reached out and reminded you to do this,” Churchill explained. “That something is what we call a nudge. It’s just a reminder – set to come in by e-mail whenever you want – to take five minutes and write a story.”

The way the site works is fairly simple. You set up your family in a profile – you can include everyone from yourself to your kids and even grandparents and other relatives – and then you just add stories and pictures to the Web site. Categories are available to choose from for a story – ranging from academics to sports and vacations.

“You can add stories any time you want,” he said. “You don’t have to wait for a nudge and the key is it’s free and it’s easy to use and we want people to use it to write the stories they have – and not just about their children. I think back to my dad and all the stories he told that as a teen I just didn’t care about. My dad died in 1997 and now I wish I could go back and record those stories, but they are gone.”

He now has his mother set up on the site so she can write the story of her life for Churchill and for his children.

As of the end of February, Churchill said about 350 people were signed up and using the site.

“But the market on this is huge,” he said. “If you think that everyone has stories then at some point there could be hundreds of thousands of people using it.”

One big key to the site is the security, Churchill explained.

“It is so kid-oriented that we wanted to make sure a friend of a friend could not read a story about your child. You have complete control over who can get in and read it – you just invite them. And I think that is really key. The last thing I want is some stranger looking at pictures of my daughters and reading stories about them. That is really dangerous and so that was the No. 1 priority – to make this site as secure as possible.”

The site continues to expand with new features. Soon you will be able to add pictures to the stories as you write them so they are coupled together if you ever want to take the stories and make a book out of them.

Another new feature – a list of story topics so that the nudges can say, “tell me a story about when you met Mom,” or “Tell me a story from your college days.”

“So not to just tell a story but to tell a story of something specific – bring you back to the moment and help you think more clearly and be able to elaborate,” Churchill said.

Signing up is easy. Simply go to www.madmarg.com and it will walk you through how to register. If you want to see how it works first, a site tour is available that walks you through exactly what the site is and what you can do on it.

The site itself is free to set up a profile and write stories, but Churchill does plan to add a feature in the next 60 days where you can edit and publish a book of the stories online and submit it to be published.

“A lot of sites do that now. It would be like a coffee table book and you would simply put in your credit card info, hit submit and soon after get a book in the mail.”

Meet Steve Churchill:

Age: 38

Wife: Jennifer. They’ll be married 15 years in June.

Daughters: Margaret, 12 and Madeline, 11

Born: In Illinois. Moved to the Westfield, Carmel area when he was 6.

Schools: Carmel High School and Purdue University

Studied: Building construction technology

Job: Owns a software company that is an IBM software reseller

Favorite book: “The Whisperers” by Orlando Fieges

Favorite quote: “Life is good”

Web site: www.madmarg.com

ECLECTIC ENDEAVORS
3/6/2008

Bryan Unruh

By Bryan Unruh
Current in Carmel

Cheri Piebes and John Heinzinger aren’t typical art-gallery owners.

The couple met at IBM’s headquarters in New York more than 20 years ago, their positions in the advertising and technology departments a far cry from their duties now at Artisan Masterpiece. Their love for art quickly became a source of common ground, but in the fast-paced lifestyle of corporate New York, it wasn’t exactly their top priority.

That is, until Piebes retired from IBM and decided to move home to Indiana. Raised in Kokomo, she was eager to return to her roots. In her 30 years in New York, she says, she learned more about life and business than she could have ever imagined. Now it was time to use that knowledge to be her own boss.

“Once I decided to retire, I wanted to come home,” she said. “IBM was a wonderful company, but I wanted to run things the way I thought they should be run. Within the confines of IBM, I could be creative, but I couldn’t push the envelope that much.”

Heinzinger’s decision to leave New York wasn’t as easy. He was born and raised there, and much of his family still lived in the area. He’d grown used to the city life, and the thought of leaving that behind made him nervous. But after Cheri’s retirement, he knew it was the right time to relocate.

“I was a little apprehensive about moving,” he said. “But meeting people here and being a part of the community has made me realize how much I didn’t know. It’s great here. People are friendly and accessible, and there is a real sense of community and progress.”

After arriving in Indiana, they decided to pursue their dream of owning and managing an art gallery. During their time in New York, the couple made frequent visits to other parts of the world, both for business and pleasure. In all their travel, they noticed that other countries seemed to possess a greater appreciation for hand-crafted art. They wanted to bring that sentiment home.

In 2004, they opened a single-level store in Merchant’s Square and started turning their dream into a reality. Piebes’ experience studying women-owned businesses at IBM came in handy, as did Heinzinger’s technology savvy. Best of all, they were working together, which was one of the major reasons for opening the gallery to begin with.

“Some husbands and wives are perfectly happy doing their own separate things, but we like to be together all the time,” Piebes said. “To me, that is what retirement is all about.”

After a year and a half at their original location, the couple decided to expand their business, moving into a three-story location at Main Street and Range Line Road in Carmel’s growing Arts & Design District. More than ever, the store began to mirror their unique personalities. The first floor – they call it the “artist’s gallery” – features a wide range of handcrafted pieces, ranging from glasswork to carved tables and lamps, and includes a number of Indiana artists.

The second floor, or women’s boutique, is chock-full of Piebes’ favorite clothing, much of which is exclusive to the store. Perhaps her favorite floor, however, is the third, which houses a variety of art classes. She hires teachers for both children and adults, helping them learn to create pastels, stained glass and pottery, among other things.

In the summer, the store hosts a children’s arts and crafts camp. Geared to accommodate working parents, kids can come to the camp for a full-day or half-day on whichever days best suit them. Piebes said the camp is “wildly successful,” and she considers it one of the most rewarding elements in owning Artisan Masterpiece.

“I think every child needs to have a creative outlet,” she said. “I love these kids, and it is just wonderful to see their faces when they make something they are proud of.”

After three years working full-time at the gallery with his wife, Heinzinger decided last year to go back to his “day job.” He is a full-time technology adviser at Electronic Strategies in Indianapolis, but still finds time to help out at the store, working evenings and weekends and spending as much time with his wife as possible.

Piebes, meanwhile, uses her sparse free time to stay involved in the community. She is president of the Carmel Arts Council and the Merchant’s Association in the Arts & Design District, and serves on the advisory board for the Carmel Business Leader and Carmel International Arts Festival. Getting away from the shop is tough, but she finds the time.

“When you want to do something and it is important to you, you make time,” she said. “Working at IBM, there is no time to get involved with the community. When I retired, I knew I wanted to get involved.”

Despite his initial uncertainty, Heinzinger said moving to Carmel was the perfect decision. The city’s love and appreciation for art has made Artisan Masterpiece a booming, award-winning gallery, and the constantly growing community will only help it grow.

“People around here are just really into what we’re doing,” he said.

Cheri Piebes and John Heinzinger:

Children: Ashley and Regan
Hometowns: Kokomo (Cheri) and Scarsdale, N.Y. (John)
Education: Cheri - Purdue University. John - Pace University, magna cum laude
Favorite TV show: “24” (both)
Hobbies: interior design
Community involvement: Cheri is president the Old Town Arts District Merchant Association, president of the Carmel Arts Council, and board member of Carmel’s International Arts Festival.

School Board OKs redistricting plan
2/26/2008

Ellen Gilmer, Current In Carmel

This week, after months of research, discussion and proposals, the Carmel Clay School Board voted unanimously to approve a redistricting plan that will move approximately 500 elementary school students.

Steve Dillon, director of the Educational Services Center, said the plan will ease overcrowding in West Clay Elementary and College Wood Elementary and prepare the school system for potential future growth.

“Had we not redistricted, we would be facing serious overcrowding,” Dillon said.

In a final amendment, Carmel Elementary was allowed to keep its current districting.

So far, Dillon said he has encountered a balanced amount of positive and negative responses from the community and anticipates support from the community when the plan is implemented for the 2008-2009 school year.

“(The response) has been about 50/50,” he said. “I would expect that our community will express its concerns but will be supportive and ready to move forward.”

Carmel's population grew 35 percent, Census shows
2/4/2008

Current in Carmel

The population of Carmel has grown to 68,677, a 35 percent increase over 2000, according to the Special Census conducted this summer.

This count includes those residing within Carmel’s current city limits. It does not include southwest Clay Township or Home Place.

The city estimates that the updated population count for Carmel will result in an additional $3.5 million in state funding for Carmel. The cost to conduct the census was $900,000 so that amounts to more than $2.5 million in additional revenue. This additional revenue goes into the Local Road and Streets Fund to be used for road projects in the City.

The Special Census that was conducted this summer was an actual recount of all residents in Carmel’s City limits. Enumerators went door to door collecting population data, but with a questionnaire that is abbreviated from the Census data collected each decade.

'IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BLING'
1/16/2008

Stephanie C. Curtis

A passion for fashion and the desire to design football jerseys with a flattering fit kicked off an idea for two Carmel moms. They caught the ball, ran with it, and created JSK Apparel, a line of stylish, sophisticated, figure-flattering sportswear detailed with a little bling.

“We’re all big sports fans,” said Jeanine Stewart, one of three founding partners of JSK Apparel. “We were bored with the few options available, like over-sized men’s jerseys.”

Stewart often attends ballgames with her friends and JSK partners, Carmel mom Kelly Carlile and Sherry Compton, who lives in the Geist area.

“We always complained that we had nothing fun to wear,” Carlile said. “Jeanine started adding sequins and beads to a football jersey and that became the prototype for our product.”

After months of fumbling with the idea of creating chic fan wear for women, they determined there was a market for their jazzed-up jerseys and formed a partnership in March 2005.
“Our goal was to offer the female sports enthusiast a fashionable, great fitting product to wear while supporting their favorite team,” Stewart said.

As the 40-something ladies tackled their new business venture, they realized transforming a concept into reality can be challenging and frustrating. They approached one cut-and-sew operation after another, and were turned away by manufacturers in New York City and Los Angeles.

“Going through the process was eye-opening,” Carlile said. “We could not find anyone who wanted to make the jerseys. We were told it was too labor intensive and that we should take it overseas.”

The JSK team was adamant about fabricating American-made fashions. Despite multiple rejections, they were not willing to give up. That perseverance led them to a manufacturer in their own end zone, Coffield & Company, based in Indianapolis.

According to Diana Baisa, president of Coffield & Company, her company rarely talks with upstarts anymore. “Everyone thinks they have a great idea, but they are unprepared and have a lousy business plan,” said Baisa. “Jeanine had done her homework and was very prepared.”

Securing a manufacturer was akin to a first down. The young apparel company was off and running but still had a long way to go. According to Carlile, the group was able to score some great coaching from her dad, Dave Cremeans, an experienced retailer, as well as attorneys, accountants and friends who own businesses.

Not all new companies have access to quality advice, so the U.S. Small Business Administration is a key resource for upstarts. According to the SBA, small businesses create most of the nation’s net new jobs, and they bring dynamic ideas, innovative services and new products to the marketplace.

JSK Apparel partners emphasize how important it is to learn as much as you can about the industry you are targeting. Stewart admits although she has a passion for fashion, entering into the business of manufacturing and marketing ladies apparel is a whole different ballgame.
“You need patience to get through the initial bumps,” Stewart said.

“There is an assumption that most small businesses fail within the first year, but that’s just not true,” said Rhonda Crouch, public information officer, SBA Indiana District Office. “Sixty-six percent of new businesses survive the first two years and 44 percent succeed for at least four years.”

“You have to believe in your idea no matter what anyone says,” Carlile said.
And believe they have. The original line of fashion jerseys has expanded to include halter tops, T-shirts and ball caps.

“Finally something cute to wear to the games,” said Nancy Curless, sporting a sparkling IU T-shirt and coordinating baseball hat.

JSK customer Jill Schuman said, “I’m all about the bling.”

Using what Stewart calls “gorilla marketing,” JSK Apparel was able to line up a long list of boutiques that agreed to sell their glitzy product. In addition, JSK negotiated collegiate licensing deals adding their bling to sportswear bearing the logos of Notre Dame, Purdue, Indiana University and University of Kentucky and the items are sold on campus and online at www.jskapparel.com.

“We continue to look at the collegiate level for new opportunities,” Stewart said. “And we are in talks with two NBA teams that will go unnamed at this time.”

Both Stewart and Carlile agree the most rewarding thing about their business is seeing someone they don’t know wear their designs. “It’s so cool to think that someone likes our product enough to buy it with their hard-earned money,” Carlile said.

The JSK team hasn’t made a touchdown yet as every dime they make goes back into the company to pay for inventory, raw goods and licensing. But those first downs keep coming, the company keeps growing, and female sports fans are finding fun flashy fashions to wear when rooting for their favorite team.

JSK Apparel:

Owners: Jeanine Stewart, Kelly Carlile (both of Carmel) and Sherry Compton. Carlile has four children, second grade through high school; Stewart has two preschool-age children

Product: Stylish, sophisticated, figure-flattering sportswear

More info: www.jskapparel.com

WELCOME TO AMERICA
1/1/2008

Brandon Bownman

By Brandon Bowman

As the sun rose over the horizon Dec. 22 at Dry Tortugas National Park off Key West, Fla., Karl Ahlrichs, a Carmel resident, was jarred from his sleep by his stepson, Paul O’Connor, a Carmel High School graduate living in Colorado.

The two were camping along the Gulf of Mexico at the park. The younger man had been awakened by voices in Spanish coming from the direction of beachfront. The two men rose from their sleeping bags and went to investigate.

What they found was an international incident: A homemade boat carrying 18 Cuban refugees from Havana had just arrived.

“The park that we were in is the absolute closest piece of (American) land to Cuba. The distance is something (less than) 90 miles,” Ahlrichs said.

The United States offers 20,000 visas to the Cuban government each year, but that’s not enough for the overwhelming number of Cubans with desire to leave the island nation. Many Cubans then decide to make the dangerous journey from Cuba to the mainland on their own.

The boat that carried these refugees was supplied with oranges and water for the trip, which took them a little more than a day.

“The engine they used was from an old truck. It was just some old diesel four-banger that used an old army dairy can to hold gas,” Ahlrichs said. The refugees said the boat took four months to build. “After I heard about this, all I could think about was the number of people who try to come over here and don’t make it,” Ahlrichs said.

Ahlrichs and O’Connor observed the refugees from a distance at first and soon realized that they would be the unofficial welcoming committee. The refugees were lucky; Ahlrichs speaks Spanish.

“When I got out to where they beached the boat, everyone was in good spirits. They were hugging each other and kissing the sand before they got the supplies off the boat,” Ahlrichs said.

Cubans who decide to come to the United States on homemade boats are treated under a “Wet-foot, Dry-foot” policy. Once they reach dry land, each person has a chance to become a citizen. If immigrants are caught in open water, they are sent back to Cuba under the Cuban Adjustment Act.

Ahlrichs approached the refugees, welcomed them to the U.S. and then asked who was in charge. All of the refugees smiled and pointed at someone else in their party.

“After that, one of the taller guys came forward and it was obvious that he might be in charge,” Ahlrichs said.

The first question the refugees asked was about the adjacent fort near where they landed. “They wanted to know if it was a prison, and I happily told them that it was just a fort in a park,” Ahlrichs said.

He kept talking to the refugees as more people from the six campsites around their landing area started to gather. Ahlrichs made three phone calls to family members of a refugee named Miguelito. “I finally got a call back and let them know that everyone made it all right,” Ahlrichs said.

One refugee credited the Virgin Mary for their successful trip. He carried a medallion with her emblazoned image on it. One of his companions, a woman, disagreed. She said it was because of her Spanish language copy of The Watchtower, a publication of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

A scream was heard from the growing crowd of other campers. A woman ran back to her tent and grabbed her English copy of The Watchtower, and the two embraced before trading addresses.

“It was a great moment,” Ahlrichs said.

Once park rangers arrived, Ahlrichs and O’Connor had to let the rangers talk to the new arrivals. “Since we were so tan, and most of the Cubans were dressed better than we were, the rangers corralled us with them and wouldn’t let us go back to the campground,” Ahlrichs said. After some explanations, they were finally allowed back to their campsite.

Ahlrichs and his stepson believe that this experience made their Christmas.

“I later found out that they had left for Miami at 6 p.m. that afternoon and would make it to be with their families for Christmas,” Ahlrichs said.

His meeting with the refugees reminded him of what brought his ancestors here.

“My family has had five generations in this country. After all that time you forget the drive that they must have had to get here,” Ahlrichs said. With all the controversy that comes with immigration these days, Ahlrichs couldn’t help but look on in awe as they smiled and rejoiced as they took their first steps on American soil.

Said Ahlrichs: “It just made me feel so proud.”

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