March 12, 2024 — North Indy

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elements, their extensive paint offerings cater to diverse tastes and functional needs. Additionally, their expertise extends beyond mere paint application; they assist customers in selecting the ideal colors and finishes to achieve desired aesthetics while providing expert guidance on maintenance and care. With a steadfast commitment to professionalism and customer satisfaction, CertaPro Painters of Indianapolis stands poised to transform spaces into showcases of beauty and durability, offering tailored solutions that elevate properties and exceed expectations.

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CertaPro Painters® of Indianapolis stands as a trusted name in the realm of professional painting services, offering a comprehensive range of solutions tailored to meet the diverse needs of residential and commercial clients alike. With a commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction, they provide a spectrum of services encompassing interior and exterior painting, staining, power washing, and full carpentry services. Their team of skilled professionals utilizes industry-leading techniques and top-quality paints to deliver flawless finishes that enhance the aesthetic appeal and longevity of any space. Whether revitalizing a home’s facade, transforming interior walls with a fresh coat of paint, or enhancing the appearance of a commercial property, CertaPro Painters of Indianapolis combines precision craftsmanship with personalized attention to detail, ensuring each project exceeds expectations.

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Current Publishing is proud to deliver Current in North Indy grace to your mailboxes every other Tuesday in an effort to bring you insightful, research-backed reporting that dives deep into the heart of our community.

This newspaper is by, for and about the people of North Indy. We go beyond the headlines, refining information to a hyperlocal level that empowers you to make informed decisions and improve and/or enrich your life. Each turn of the page is

designed to help you become healthier, wealthier and wiser.

We believe “news is what our readers say it is,” which is why we take a bottom-up approach to newsgathering and presentation. Unlike other media outlets that guess at what matters to you, Current in North Indy listens closely to understand your needs and deliver the relevant, impactful news you crave.

As we continue to grow, we welcome your participation and feedback. Together, we can ensure Current in North Indy remains a vital resource for the North Indy community.

By Samantha Kupiainen NorthIndy@youarecurrent.com

The American Health Care Association estimates that there are 30,600 assisted living communities across the United States. A few common problems the communities face include an uneven ratio of caregivers to residents and isolation, according to the organization.

At Senior Home Companions, those issues don’t exist, according to its president, David Morgan. Senior Home Companions is an assisted living community that provides boutique, non-medical, elderly companion care to older residents in Indiana — including Carmel and the north Indianapolis area — and Florida.

“(Senior Home Companions) is dedicated to serving with integrity, effectiveness and compassion,” Morgan said. “Basically, we handpick the very, very best caregivers in Indianapolis and we intentionally match them with clients that help them have more support in their life.”

Prior to joining Senior Home Companions, Morgan worked in ministry for several years and eventually earned an MBA from Dartmouth College. He said joining the company was the perfect combination of his two passions.

Morgan said in-home caregivers at Senior Home Companions assist clients with activities of daily living, such as transportation, light housekeeping, companionship, running errands and more. It serves the Indianapolis area and its surrounding communities, including Carmel, Zionsville, Fishers and Greenwood.

Besides in-home care, Senior Home Companions offers residential homes called Story Cottages for memory care residents. Story Cottages launched in 2019 and are in the Williams Creek neighborhood in Indianapolis and in Carey Grove and WestClay in Carmel. A fourth Story Cottage will open in the Meridian Hills area of Indianapolis in May.

“People can just live together and find purpose and meaning in their days, in spite of the memory loss situation,” Morgan said.

prefers to keep people in their homes as long possible because that’s obviously their preference. But over time, he said, the staff recognizes that it can be challenging for families to support their loved one with memory loss and ultimately make the decision to move their loved one into a Story Cottage community.

“These are boutique memory care houses that serve clients in a residential setting with an unparalleled ratio of staff to clients,” Morgan said. “It’s usually a 3-to-1 ratio where we have three clients to one staff, and that’s just unheard of in the senior care space.”

Story Cottages are approximately 5,000 square feet and comparable to a large ranch house. They typically have between eight and 10 rooms.

Morgan said Senior Home Companions

Story Cottages are fully staffed with caregivers and a chef. They also have concierge nurses who oversee medication and doctor appointments.

For more, visit seniorhomecompanions.com.

A residential home Story Cottage in Carey Grove in Carmel. Each house is about 5,000 square feet and is home to between 8 to 10 residents.

(Photo courtesy of Brian McGuckin)

By Tirzah Rowland tirzah@youarecurrent.com

Indianapolis-based Cambri Builders acquired Electric Today in January and plans to open new corporate headquarters in Zionsville, housing both companies, by early fall.

Cambri Builders expands BUSINESS

A nationwide commercial builder, the acquisition of Electric Today brings a local connection to the growing business, and the new building will bring Cambri closer to home for owners Eric McKinney of Carmel and John Vyverberg of Zionsville.

“We specialize in commercial buildouts ranging from franchises to ground-up projects with national developers,” Vyverberg said.

McKinney and Vyverberg founded Cambri, currently in the Park 100 area, seven years ago and continue to look for ways to diversify their business.

“Early on, we realized the competitive edge of an in-house electrical division and have seen it grow along with the company,” Vyverberg said.

When McKinney and Vyverberg heard that

Electric Today, formerly of Muncie, was for sale, they determined it would be an ideal fit for their business plan.

“The price point was good and the volume of work they were doing was just spot on,” McKinney said.

Vyverberg agrees.

“We’ve been talking about branching out — what other kinds of businesses could we run and it be kind of a natural transition, a natural fit? And an electrical company was, in our opinion, a very natural transition,” Vyverberg said. “We already kind of knew

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Special Agent Kathy Guider FBI (retired)

Special Agent Doug Kouns FBI (retired)

John Vyverberg, left, and Eric McKinney co-own Cambri Builders, which recently acquired Electric Today. (Photo courtesy of Electric Today)

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the lingo. We knew the ins and outs of how to run an electrical division.”

Electric Today, servicing central Indiana, consistently receives high reviews on Home Advisor (average 4.8) and Anji (all 5-star).

“This speaks volumes to their employees and their interaction with the customers and the integrity and ethics and quality that Electric Today puts out on a daily basis,” Vyverberg said.

The company also has an A+ BBB rating.

“With that that sort of rating, you know these guys have really been doing well,” McKinney said, “So, it’s right in line with what we strive for every day and just fit perfectly with our mindset and how we view projects.”

Electric Today also installs EV stations,

generators, service pools and spas and provides warranty work and some commercial work, but “residential is our sweet spot,” McKinney said.

Electric Today employs five electricians and a dispatch operator. Former owner Justin Chaplin of Westfield continues as lead field electrician.

McKinney and Vyverberg said the transition has been seamless thanks to the Electric Today staff and operations manager Gary Bough of Noblesville, who moved over from Cambri.

The new building, at 6400 Technology Center Dr. in Zionsville, will house the two companies and several tenants (to be named later) and is almost fully leased.

For more on Electric Today or to schedule a service, visit electric-today.com/. For more on Cambri Builders, visit cambri.com/.

2024 Kick off May Coloring Contest — The 500 Festival and STAR Financial Bank have announced the launch of the 2024 Kickoff to May Coloring Contest. The contest invites children 12 and under to participate. The coloring sheet and entry form can be downloaded at 500Festival.com/Color. Winners will be chosen based on creativity and originality. The two grand prize winners selected will receive a scholarship of $500, courtesy of STAR Bank, and a free one-year membership to the INDYCAR Nation Rookie Program courtesy of INDYCAR. All entries must be received by Noon, April 8. For more about the contest entry rules, visit 500festival.com/kickoff-to-may-coloring-contest-rules.

TOP COP

New police chief has a history with IMPD, and a vision for the future

By Leila Kheiry leila@youarecurrent.com

Chris Bailey doesn’t remember a time in his life when he didn’t want to be a police officer.

The new Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department chief started going on ride-alongs with cops he knew from his old neighborhood in Indianapolis’ west end when he was 18. He joined the force in 1999 at the age of 23.

An Indianapolis native, Bailey now leads the largest municipal police department in the state. Formerly serving as chief on an interim basis, he was officially appointed to the position in mid-February by Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett.

Bailey started as a patrol officer in the south district, and said he spent many years there, including a stint as a bicycle officer. He was promoted through the ranks with different responsibilities and assignments along the way.

His favorite assignment was commander of IMPD’s North District.

“That’s really where my heart is,” Bailey said. “That’s been my favorite assignment as an executive on our police department. was leading north district. The great neighborhoods of North District — Butler Tarkington and Crown Hill neighborhoods, and Meridian Kessler and Brightwood, and the Oxford neighborhood and Broad Ripple and Geist — all those neighborhoods, I fell in love with when I was up there. North District, and (Indy’s) north side has a special place in my heart, for sure.”

Part of the district’s appeal is its diversity. he said.

“Both in demographics — the way people look — but also in the types of neighborhoods and there’s diversity in issues,” Bailey said. “You have some absolute poverty, and you have some absolute wealth, all in the same service district, and talking to all those groups and managing their expectations for law enforcement was a unique experience because they all had unique challenges or unique expectations.”

Bailey said the district managed expectations for those different neighborhoods through multiple community meetings and partnering with residents who wanted to help keep their neighborhoods safe.

“I still hear from people up there — (one resident had) a neighborhood with several hundred houses in it and worked to put together a crime watch group that was so successful that they haven’t had a burglary in the neighborhood in over 10-plus years,” Bailey said. “He still contacts me, and I stay in touch with him and several other people there.”

It’s still early days in Bailey’s tenure as IMPD’s chief, but he is making plans to attract new officers and to make sure the next generation of law enforcement is ready to take the reins. He recently put together his executive team and command staff, which he said is a diverse group, “not only in the way they look but also their vast amounts of experience.

“As we move forward, we have a newer generation of leaders that are taking on the challenge of leading police departments in the 21st century,” he said. “As I step out in a few years, there’ll be leaders prepared to lead the agency into the next 20-25 years of whatever policing holds. I’m proud of the team I put together. It’s about 35 percent African American and 30 percent women — the most diverse command staff in the department’s history.”

Bailey said a police department should reflect the community it serves. That helps recruitment because residents see there are opportunities for people who look like them. Recruitment is essential, he said, with the department down about 300 officer positions.

Bailey said his No. 1 focus is reducing violent crime, and a key component to achieving that is hiring more officers.

He also wants to reduce the number of officer-involved shootings in Indianapolis. Bailey said there were 18 of those shootings in 2023, which is above average.

“Those aren’t all fatal, but they usually average around 10 since (the record of 22 in) 2015,” he said. “So, while it wasn’t a record year, it still causes some concern in our community.”

A new initiative launched in late February is a mental health bureau, which builds on an earlier program that pairs clinicians with officers. The teams respond to calls regarding nonviolent incidents and work together to help people

experiencing a mental health crisis without resorting to taking those people into custody.

“If we can avoid having the police interact with those people, that’s the goal,” Bailey said. “This new bureau’s responsibility is to try to interact with all those people that are dealing with mental health and try to figure out ways that law enforcement can be better when we respond — or not respond at all and turn that over to someone else, like the clinician-led response team that exists in the downtown district and on the East District 24 hours a day that does not involve a police officer at all. I put somebody in a command level position to help coordinate all those efforts so that we’re all rowing the boat in the same direction.”

Before his appointment to chief, Bailey served as an assistant chief to former IMPD Chief Randal Taylor, who stepped down in late 2023 after four years in the position.

TRAINING BROUGHT SKILLS, CONTACTS TO IMPD

New Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department

Chief Chris Bailey has had multiple training opportunities inside and outside of Indiana. Those include four weeks of leadership training in the state, 10 weeks at the FBI National Academy and a three-week training in Florida with PERF — Police Executive Research Forum.

“It’s a think-tank out of Washington, D.C., that’s been engaged in working with law enforcement agencies across the country to find best practices and do studies on how we can do things better and different,” Bailey said. “As part of that class, we had instructors from MIT and Harvard and Boston University.”

Through the various training opportunities, Bailey said he learned skills that he still uses today.

“Even more important than those things are the contacts and relationships that I’ve been able to build up,” he said. “I could pick up the phone and call (someone) in any major city across the country, and even smaller places, to ask a question to find out what they’re doing that’s different than … what we’re doing or ways to make our police department better or even learn from their mistakes.”

Bailey said building relationships is a big part of each of those programs, “so that we can all learn from each other and serve our communities better.”

ON THE COVER: New IMPD Chief Chris Bailey has his badge pinned on his uniform by his wife, Dawn. (Photo courtesy of IMPD)

New IMPD Chief Chris Bailey speaks during a news conference about the Indiana Crime Gun Task force initiative that he helped start in central Indiana. (Photo courtesy of IMPD)

Brown featured in Indy Opera’s ‘Charlie Parker’s Yardbird’

By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com

The role of Addie Parker was made for Angela Brown.

PERFORMANCE

Brown debuted the role of Charlie Parker’s mother, Addie Parker, in June 2015 at Philadelphia’s Perelman Theater. She will reprise the role in the Indianapolis Opera’s production of “Charlie Parker’s Yardbird,” set for 7 p.m. March 16 at Madam Walker Legacy Center in Indianapolis.

The story focuses on the legendary saxophonist and one of the inventors of bebop. The premise has Parker’s soul linger between life and death, and his spirit returns to his famous New York City jazz club called Birdland, where he is challenged to compose a final masterpiece.

The Indianapolis soprano said the story follows Addie from a young mother to the time of her son’s death from a heart attack at age 34 in 1955. Charlie Parker was a heroin addict.

“Addie is a role that was created for me, so I was able to put my fingerprints on her first and being able to draw from all of my ancestors like my mother and my grandmother and thinking about all the Black mothers in the community,” Brown said. “When I was growing up, that poured into me. I’m able to put flesh on the bones of Addy and just imagine how she felt hav-

ing a son that was multitalented that she loved and adored, but that had vices in life and the fear and the anguish and the pains that she gets to come out four separate times in this 90-minute opera. She’s giving you frustration, she’s giving you joy and adulation. She’s giving you fear and she’s also giving you grief, so it’s been great to portray.”

Brown said she has reprised the role in all but two of the presentations. It was the first opera to be performed at the Apollo Theater in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood. It’s also been performed in London.

“I never gave birth to a child, but I have three stepsons,” Brown said. “I know how much I love them and seeing them go through as Black men in America. This was a woman before the Civil Rights Movement who was proud of her son but she knew he was a drug addict. He also was married and had a child, but he also was playing around on his wife and he liked white women. She knew at that time she could be lynched or killed in Kansas City, Mo.”

Brown said the music is accessible to audiences.

“You hear the names of the different pieces that he made famous,” Brown said. “It was all scored on a saxophone. You feel the influences of bebop throughout the opera.”

Continued on Page 8

Angela Brown performs as Addie Parker in New Orleans Opera production. She will perform in Indianapolis Opera’s production of “Charlie Parker’s Yardbird” March 16. (Photo courtesy of Jeff Strout Photography)

MELODIES MELODIES In Bloom In Bloom

THE LINE UP

Continued from Page 8

Brown described the opera as a 90-minute “ghost story,” which opens with Parker dying.

“The premise is Charlie Parker is coming back to write a symphonic piece that he’s always wanted to write,” Brown said. “He dies in a white woman’s apartment, his benefactor. So, he has been placed in a morgue as John Doe. He comes back in spirit form. While his spirit is writing this music, he is visited by his mother, his best friend Dizzy Gillespie and his three wives. They are all telling him he’s a genius, he’s well-loved but he has to get off the drugs. Finally, there is a funeral and he is set free.”

Brown can’t remember the last time she performed at Madam Walker.

“I’ve done special programs,” she said. “I’ve never done an opera or some type of stage play, but I’ve definitely sung there.”

Brown said it’s fitting to be held at Madam Walker because Parker performed at the jazz clubs nearby on Indiana Avenue. For more, visit indyopera.org.

PUZZLE ANSWERS

Answers to HOOSIER HODGEPODGE: Doubles: BOILER, DATE, ENTENDRE, JEOPARDY, PLAY, SPACE; Ingredients: BELL PEPPER, CHEESE, EGGS, HAM, ONION; States: IDAHO,

Musical gives fresh look at crime

By Mark Ambrogi mark@youarecurrent.com

A chorus girl, actress and model, Evelyn Nesbit has been described as one of the first to be labeled an “It Girl.”

READING

Nesbit was at the center of what was billed as one the crimes of the century when, in 1906, architect Stanford White was killed by Nesbit’s husband Harry Thaw. Nesbit alleged White raped her when she was intoxicated or unconscious, but she later had an affair with him.

A reading, which includes musical numbers, of “Evelyn and the Eternal Question” is set for 2 p.m. March 16 at the Carmel Clay Public Library’s Community Room. Admission is free for the Actors Theatre of Indiana’s Lab Series program. A registration link is on atistage.org.

Scott said she knew the story of “Girl in the Velvet Swing,” and E.L. Doctorow’s “Ragtime,” both movies about Nesbit.

“I used to work at the Indiana Historical Society, and they had a tiny collection of books in the break room,” Scott said. “One

of the books in the collection was ‘American Eve’ by Paula Uruburu, which gave a more detailed account of Evelyn Nesbit’s life. I started reading this book at the beginning of the #MeToo movement and during the (Supreme Court justice Brett) Kavanaugh hearings, and a light bulb went off in my head. I saw the pattern of history repeating itself, particularly when someone speaks truth to power and gets damaged by it. Every popular reference to her is always told in cartoonish ways where we forget that Evelyn was a teenager put in impossible situations. The choices were limited then. So, I wanted to explore this story from a victim’s advocacy perspective. Not to judge her or make her a cartoon, but to demonstrate how easy it is to get trapped in these situations with dangerous people.”

At first, Scott was interested from what she described as a true crime nerd’s perspective.

“I love ‘Ragtime,’ and naturally, all of her photos are stunning, but I did not look too deeply into her life until I started writing this musical,” Scott said.

Scott

Blueprint for Improvement: Sleek and stylish Carmel living room

Commentary by Larry Greene

Built in 1992 in downtown Carmel, this home’s owners were ready to transform their dated living room into a modern and sophisticated space.

THE BLUEPRINT

• The fireplace now makes a sophisticated statement, with chic floor-to-ceiling tile and a custom gas insert for easy operation.

• Grass cloth wallpaper pairs perfectly with the sleek fireplace tile, adding texture and modern style.

• Luxury vinyl plank flooring unifies the living room with the adjoining kitchen, improving flow and elevating the aesthetic.

• A new island features a unique custom curved support that serves as a stylish transition piece between the living room and kitchen.

Larry Greene is the owner of Worthington Design & Remodeling (formerly Case). You may email him at lgreene@worthingtonindy.com or visit worthingtonindy.com for more remodeling inspiration and advice.

After

Before

Across

1. Like some WRTV newscast banter

6. Eli Lilly and Company inventory

11. “___ voyage!”

14. Deliberately mislead

15. Gold bar

16. Big name in ice cream

17. Send to the Indiana Senate

18. SUV at Bill Estes Chevrolet

19. Ages and ages

20. Michiana city that could be in the state’s menagerie

22. Poor imitation

24. Nary a soul

27. So-so

28. Seasonal Golden Arches sandwich

31. Rock genre

33. Lecherous look

36. FOX59 reporter Graves

37. Workshop items

39. Expunge

40. Peculiarity

42. Futuristic animated TV family

44. U-turn from NNE

45. Mario’s brother in video games

47. Wander

48. ___ Christian Anderson

50. Wildebeest

51. Grill brand

52. Chum

54. Chews like a beaver

56. John Roberts’ judicial grp.

59. Hamilton County city that could be in the state’s menagerie

64. Tuna type

65. Halley’s ___

68. Baby-to-be

69. Bar Louie spirit

70. Public persona

71. Amherst school, familiarly

72. Picnic pest

73. Interior design

74. Most of Santa’s mail Down

1. Sheltered, at sea

11. Marion County city that could be in the state’s menagerie

12. Fragrance

13. Big Apple inits.

21. Indy Zoo CEO Shumaker

23. ___ Speedwagon

25. “The Matrix” hero

26. Texting icon

28. What you’d be smart to join?

29. Northwest Indiana city that could be in the state’s menagerie

30. Hinkle Fieldhouse backboard attachment

32. Bullring cheer

34. Ocean vessel

35. Current big shots, briefly

6 Double ___

4 “I” US States

3 UND Fencing Team Blades

5 Denver Omelet Ingredients

2 UIndy Colors

1 “Pride in Progress” City

2. Shapiro’s pickle flavoring

3. Onion’s kin

4. Nagging desire

5. Garfield Park Conservatory garden type

6. “Same here”

7. Genetic letters

8. “Gross!”

9. Blunder

10. Power source

37. Getting even with

38. Full of tension

40. Campfire residue

41. Carry with effort

43. Weep

46. Paintball shooter

49. Had a seat

51. Conflict that ended on Nov. 11, 1918

53. Clearheaded

55. Subsequent

56. Heroic tale

57. Goatee site

58. A few

60. Prefix meaning “half”

61. IND postings

62. Corrosion

63. Leaky tire sound

66. ___ and cheese

67. Self-conceit Answers on Page 8

SCHEDULE

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Afterelements, their extensive paint offerings cater to diverse tastes and functional needs. Additionally, their expertise extends beyond mere paint application; they assist customers in selecting the ideal colors and finishes to achieve desired aesthetics while providing expert guidance on maintenance and care. With a steadfast commitment to professionalism and customer satisfaction, CertaPro Painters of Indianapolis stands poised to transform spaces into showcases of beauty and durability, offering tailored solutions that elevate properties and exceed expectations.

• Professional painters - We arrive on time. We work around your needs and schedule. We take pride in serving the Indianapolis community neighborhoods we live in, too!

• Color choices made simple - Talk to your sales consultant about options and schedule a free design consultation with a signed proposal.

• Transparent estimates - Schedule a free in-home painting proposal (QR code on cover) or or use our convenient mobile photo upload estimator here: