Carmel MONTHLY - November 2019

MONTHLY

Scot and Dawn Pollard COLLECTIVE PUBLISHING PUBLICATION

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NOVEMBER 2019

Winning Against Cancer

2019-11-07 11:51 AM

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2019

Holiday Events 2019 Carmel Christkindlmarkt November 16-December 24

More than 45 holiday huts surround The Ice at Center Green featuring authentic handmade German gifts, sizzling sausages, hot pretzels, cold German beers and the first “Tower of Glühwein” in America!

The Ice At Center Green

November 16-March 1 Visit The Ice at Center Green for a majestic evening of skating with family and friends. Reserving your ice time is easy, just visit TheIceAtCenterGreen.com to book your time.

Holiday at Center Green November 23; 3:30-6:30 p.m.

Kick off the season and visit Santa, help light our holiday trees, enjoy music, make crafts and check out live reindeer and other animals from Silly Safari.

Holiday Trolley Friday, November 29; December 6, 13 & 20; 5-9 p.m.

Saturday, November 30; December 7, 14 & 21; 2-9 p.m.

Ride the festive and free trolley to experience the wonder of the holidays in Carmel, visit Santa and check items off your holiday shopping list. Trolley route includes Christkindlmarkt, The Ice at Center Green, City Center, Midtown and the Arts & Design District.

Holiday in the Arts District December 7; 2-5 p.m.

Santa returns as Main Street shops and art galleries celebrate with food, music, live animals from Silly Safari and holiday activities.

Holiday PorchFest December 14; 4-6 p.m.

Enjoy live music played along the neighborhood streets in the Arts & Design District on 2nd Avenue NE – followed by the holiday edition of Meet Me on Main.

Meet Me on Main Second Saturday of the month; 5-9 p.m.

Browse the new exhibits and features in the Arts & Design District galleries and shop for your one-of-a-kind holiday gifts.

Center for the Performing Arts Holiday Shows

From classics and carols to swing and more, the Center for the Performing Arts has a wide variety of shows that are sure to get you in the holiday spirit. Visit TheCenterPresents.org for a complete line-up.

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Catch classic holiday shows on

three stages at the Center for the Performing Arts, enjoy fine dining and fun times at City Center, Midtown and the Arts & Design District.

Skate under the stars on a crisp winter's night surrounded by festive music and lights of the holidays at Carmel Christkindlmarkt and The Ice at Center Green.

Hop on the Holiday Trolley, visit with Santa and his reindeer, listen to live music along the neighborhood streets in the Arts & Design District at Holiday PorchFest and peruse the local galleries and unique shops during Meet Me on Main.

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Merry Christmas!

Visit Online @Tonysofindianapolis to take advantage of our gift card promotion. tonysofindianapolis.com

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MONTHLY

27 COVER STORY

Scot and Dawn Pollard: Winning Against Cancer With basketball season in full swing and former Indiana Pacer Scot Pollard on the cover you might expect our cover story to center around our state’s favorite past time— basketball. That is not the case. Our cover story is about how Scot and his wife Dawn faced—as a team and with the help of family and friends—her diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Thankfully, they are winning that battle. We want to thank the Pollards for sharing their touching story in hope that it will be a siren call for other women not to delay in getting a mammogram.

Cover Story Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photo // Dauss Miller

6 Tony’s Steaks and Seafood of Indianapolis Continues to Champion for Carmel 8 Hoosier Skylights: Let the Sunshine In 10 Kingdom Roofing Systems: A Local Roofing Contractor with a Mission 12 Motor District: Creating A Community For Car Enthusiasts and More 14 Zander Sterling: A Step Above for Expatriate and Foreign Nationals Tax Services 16 The Spirit of Christmas Is Alive and Well in Zionsville 18 A Brand-New Cultural Feature Opens at Carmel Christkindlmarkt 20 Celebrating the Season with the Carmel Symphony Orchestra 22 A Special Collaborative Production of the Nutcracker 25 The Center Seeks First-Ever Corporate Naming Partner 30 Ron Carter: Your City Thanks You for Decades of Service

CARMEL MONTHLY PUBLISHER / Neil Lucas neil@collectivepub.com / 317-460-0803 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / Neil Lucas neil@collectivepub.com / 317-460-0803 PUBLISHER / Lena Lucas lena@collectivepub.com / 317-501-0418 DIRECTOR OF SALES / Lena Lucas lena@collectivepub.com / 317-501-0418 HEAD WRITER / Janelle Morrison janelle@collectivepub.com / 317-250-7298 NOVEMBER WRITERS / Janelle Morrison, John Cinnamon, Crist Trautner, Neil Lucas Business Spotlight is sponsored content.

Stay informed on news and events in Carmel by following us on Twitter and Facebook CARMELMONTHLYMAGAZINE

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Go to gooddaycarmel.com to receive its e-newsletters for events in Carmel.

NOVEMBER 2019

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Tony’s Steaks and Seafood of Indianapolis Continues to Champion for Carmel Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Staff Submitted

Once again, Tony’s Steaks and Seafood of Indianapolis, Carmel Travel Company and Carmel Monthly are proud to sponsor the third private dinner and wine-pairing event to benefit the Carmel Clay Public Library Foundation (CCPLF) coming up on Tuesday, November 19.

T

he two previous events of this quarterly series were sellouts and astounding successes for CCPLF. Owner Tony Ricci and his remarkable staff at Tony’s have been showcasing their best culinary skills and superb hospitality to the attendees, comprised of CCPLF board members and other supporters of CCPLF and the library in general. The proceeds of these specific tasting events are going to CCPL Foundation, which in turn will be used to support the Carmel Clay Public Library’s digest of expansive programs—2,200-plus free programs— for library members of all ages.

The general manager at Tony’s of Indianapolis, Michael Morgan, is as much a showman as he is an impressive host.

He and Corporate Chef de Cuisine Ryan Montgomery have been wowing the attendees of these events with the exquisite food and wine pairings but also with their overall presentation and knowledge of the courses’ and wines’ origins without overindulging on the pomp and pretention. “[Chef] Ryan and I have worked together off and on for close to 20 years now, so I know his style of cooking, and I know what ingredients he likes to use,” Morgan shared. “And he knows that if I want to showcase a certain wine, he’ll incorporate

it into one of those dishes just to ensure that the two are going to complement each other.”

Every pairing at these events for CCPLF has been a perfect marriage between the wines and the courses, and nothing has been served in duplication. Each experience has truly been first class.

The friendship and level of professionalism between Morgan and Montgomery is apparent in their private dinner presentations, and the pair play off each other rather brilliantly. Montgomery’s reputation for culinary excellence and talent in the kitchen is unrivaled in Central Indiana, in this publication’s opinion. The amount of effort and creativity that goes into the private dinners at Tony’s is extraordinary.

When it comes to preparing for the private dinners, Montgomery shared, “I like to use simple ingredients, and I cook whimsically, so it’s hard for me to be very symmetrical, but at the same time I’m both [whimsical and symmetrical], and that’s pretty weird. These [charity] dinners do a lot for the culture in our kitchen, and I think that one of the things that consistently stand Tony’s apart from other restaurants is hosting these dinners that we have that kind of passion for.”

Montgomery shared that the upcoming dinner for the CCPLF will have a

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German theme and will contain “explosive” and “flaming” surprises for the beverage pairings! “There’s a lot of German heritage in the area, and I think Michael will have a lot of fun pairing wines with German food.”

Morgan added, “It’s very humbling to us [at Tony’s] that people continue to show up to our restaurants, whether it’s for a charity function or to celebrate a birthday or anniversary. Tony [Ricci] always says, ‘There’s always room for one more at the dining table,’ and we want people to know that we’re not formal—we’re a come on in and take a load off, we’ve got food in the kitchen and wine in the glass kind of experience. When the kitchen opens and service starts, that’s when the party starts, and everybody just has a blast.”

To request more information and/or to reserve your seats for the next Tasting at Tony’s of Indianapolis Benefiting the CCPL Foundation on November 19, 2019, please email Elizabeth Hamilton at ehamilton@carmel.lib.in.us. Tickets are $175 per person and include a themed dinner and selected wine pairings in one of Tony’s private dining rooms.

For more information about or to make holiday reservations at Tony’s at Indianapolis, visit tonysofindianapolis.com.

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Optional Accessories Joe said many people choose to add an optional light kit to their Solatube Skylight when replacing an existing light fixture.

“We can put the light inside the tube, so at night they can use it,” he said. “It allows for 24-hour functionality.”

Another popular option is the Daylight Dimmer. “You can close off 99% of the light with the dimmer valve,” said Harrell.

For bathroom placement of a Solatube skylight, there is a Ventilation Add-on Kit. It performs just like a typical bathroom exhaust fan but much quieter and twice as effective as a standard fan.

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Let the Sunshine In

Writer // John Cinnamon • Photography // Laura Arick

Joe Harrell is a licensed Realtor, so he knows all the “tricks” to selling a house. “During a showing, [the Realtor] will turn on every light and open every window,” said Harrell.

“So when the buyer goes in, they say, Oh, this place is gorgeous! Then when they get all their stuff in and window coverings up, they say, Why is this kitchen so dark?”

I

ts that kind of insight and experience that makes Joe and Maria Harrell uniquely qualified to provide the very product that can brighten that dark kitchen ... or any room.

Their business, Hoosier Skylights, Solatube Tubular Skylights, an innovative skylight system that brings natural light to virtually any corner of your home at a fraction of the cost of traditional skylights with no structural changes to your home. The Solatube captures daylight with a small acrylic dome on your roof.

Hoosier Skylights is the only Premier Dealer of Solatube Daylighting Systems in the state of Indiana.

“We can go up to 30 feet without diminishing the amount of light that goes through the tube,” said Joe, “and can reach places that wouldnt be accessible through traditional means.” Thats a big advantage of the Solatube system over typical skylights.

Smaller Spaces Solatube Skylights are available in 10-inch and 14-inch diameter tubes. “We can get these in smaller spaces, like closets, laundry rooms and hallways where youre not going to put a traditional, big skylight,” said Maria. Installation only takes about two hours. And Solatube Skylights eliminate the heat and cold transfer of traditional skylights while blocking UV rays, so theres no worry about faded carpets or furniture

Decorative Fixtures Every Solatube Daylighting System comes with their standard Vusion Diffusor, but you can choose from a variety of optional decorative fixtures to enhance the look of the skylight. The TierDrop and JustFrost have a clean, contemporary design and create a softer, more diffused light, while the OptiView uses special glass to provide dazzling, brighter light throughout the room. The fixtures are available in round or rectangular to fit any decor.

Each Solatube Skylight is fitted with a small, solar-powered NightLight battery inside the tube. The NightLight stores solar power throughout the day. Then at night, two small LED lights come on automatically, providing a soft glow just bright enough to allow for safe movement through your home.

And the best part? Because its solar-powered, it makes the entire Solatube unit eligible for a 30% federal tax credit.

Hoosier Skylights provides all the information and paperwork you need to take advantage of the tax savings.

Other Products from Hoosier Skylights In business since 2014, Hoosier Skylights offers many other products that can improve the look and comfort of your home, including solar-powered attic fans, whole house fans, interior replacement doors, and solar-powered window awnings.

Call Hoosier Skylights today at (317) 642-7787 to find out if the Solatube Daylighting System can add value to your home and save you money on energy costs.

Visit Hoosier Skylights websites to see their full line of home improvement products: hoosierskylights.com, homestorydoors.com and Sol-Lux.com.

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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Kingdom Roofing Systems A LOCAL ROOFING CONTRACTOR WITH A MISSION Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photos // Laura Arick

Are you looking for a local, trusted and established exterior remodeling and restoration contractor in the Carmel or Zionsville area that specializes in roofing, windows and siding? Rest assured, Kingdom Roofing Systems is the contractor you’re looking for and a company that you can trust.

K

ingdom Roofing Systems was founded by Daniel Young and his partners more than a decade ago and has become Indiana’s top elite exterior remodeling and restoration contractor that has earned prestigious designations by national manufacturers such as Owens Corning, GAF and Duro-Last.

With over 10 years of experience in the construction industry, Young’s experience, philosophy and business standards set him and his company apart from his competition.

Locally Owned and Operated A native of the southside of Indianapolis, Young grew up in the construction industry with several family members involved in various roles in the

and eventually added a group home for women with checkered or tragic pasts. The goal was and continues to be to help men and women in need of trades, basic life skills and a fresh start so that they can become self-reliant, trustworthy members of the local workforce and local communities.

The vison grew beyond Young’s expectations and has turned into what is called “Hope City” in Marion, Indiana.

“We take 18 to 25 men and women, some are local, and some have come all the way as refugees from Africa who were sex slave victims,” Young explained. “Some of these men and women are coming out of addiction issues, and some don’t have any family and were totally homeless. We teach them everything from how to change oil to getting a

construction, real estate and insurance-related fields.

He graduated from Purdue University, having majored in construction technology, and designed structural steel in the engineering department for Marion Steel in Marion, Indiana, after graduation.

Young started Kingdom Roofing Systems in 2010—in Marion—and later expanded with a second location in the Park 100 area in the northwest Indianapolis area. Kingdom Roofing Systems serves both residential and construction markets throughout the state of Indiana.

A Company Built on a Foundation of Integrity and Humanity In 2007, Young saw a great need in his community and started a group home for men

job, and we’ve partnered with Indiana Wesleyan University so that these men and women get full-ride scholarships valued at $30,000 a year.”

While developing this program, Young met his business partners, and Kingdom Roofing Systems was created. As Kingdom Roofing Systems evolved and grew, it has maintained its philanthropic origins.

“We bring people into our program, take them through our training and give them four-year degrees in construction tech,” Young said. “We support the people in Hope City and do everything we can in the way of teaching them a trade, teaching sales and project management and other skills across the board so that they have an opportunity to make a living and give back to their community.”

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Kingdom Roofing Systems is a key financial partner of Hope City and even hires some of the promising individuals from Hope City as part of the rehabilitation/ education program.

“We scrutinize, and we give drug testing and do rigorous background checks,” Young emphasized. “We know who we’re hiring, and we know their backgrounds. We run a very tight ship and have a very tight level of accountability, and that’s why manufacturers like Owens Corning backs us.”

National Accreditations and Accolades Kingdom Roofing Systems is one of eight contractors that holds the prestigious Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor designation.

“We’ve had a very heavy focus on making sure that every one of our people are factory trained and certified,” Young explained. “We carry the most prestigious certifications and accolades in the industry, such as Owens Corning’s Platinum Preferred program. There’s about 250 in the United States, and we’re one of them.”

Young explained that his customers benefit from his company’s certifications as well.

“Compared to other roofers, if we put a roof on for you, years one through 50 of your materials are covered 100%—nonprorated,” Young shared. “Additionally, where workmanship is typically the biggest issue and where the warranty is only as good as the company who performed the work, our work is trusted so much by Owens Corning that they carry our workmanship warranty. Our customers get a

being honest, and people sometimes feel that there is a ‘used-car sales’ vibe or are subjected to high-pressure, low-integrity and high-pricing situations in this industry. We don’t play those games with our customers, and we work from a very high level of integrity and transparency.”

lifetime workmanship warranty and years one through 25 are 100% covered.

Our certification gives massive protection to our customers.”

Young continued, “If we put a roof on and then after six years, you find out that we installed a shingle upside down or backwards or used bubblegum and no nails on your roof, Owens Corning is going to pay for the repair at their expense.

If you called me and I’m out of business and you have your [Owens Corning] certificate, Owens Corning will send out a tech rep or the closest Platinum Roofing Contractor to assess the damage, and Owens will pay for the repair or installation of a new roof.”

Kingdom Roofing Systems has also been recognized by several organizations for their exceptional workmanship and customer service.

Products and Services While roofing is the bulk of work that Kingdom Roofing Systems performs each year, it also provides superior quality siding, and it provides exceptional quality flat or low-slope commercial roofs.

“We do a lot of low-slope or flat roofs,” Young said.

“We are a Duro-Last Master Contractor—one of the few in Indiana. Duro-Last offers a PVC product in lieu of rubber roofs that are not warranted against ponding water. Every flat roof ponds water, and the rubber roofs are very inferior but very popular. Our roofs are white instead of black and are Energy Star rated.”

As a Duro-Last Master Contractor, Kingdom Roofing Systems can cover up to 30 years for material, labor and workmanship.

“Duro-Last will pay for the material and labor to replace the roof and any damages to flooring, etc.,” Young stated.

“Duro-Last sends a tech rep and inspects every single roof we install before they warranty it.”

On the siding installation services side, Kingdom Roofing Systems is a James Hardie Preferred Contractor—one of only two or three in the state at this time.

The Kingdom Roofing Systems Standard According to Young, Kingdom Roofing Systems installs 500 roofs and 700 jobs total every year—40% commercial and 60% residential projects.

The company employees roughly 30 employees on average.

Kingdom Roofing Systems has a 90% recommendation rate, and since being an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor in 2013, Young reports that the company has had no claims.

Young added, “Nine out of 10 people recommend us, which puts us at the top of our industry. There are [roofers] in the industry who do not have a reputation for

Warranties Are Great, but Are They Transferable?

Young guarantees that all these warranties are transferable when you go to sell your home.

“The warranty is 100% transferable,” Young said. “Our customers know that outside of an act of God—which would be covered by most homeowners insurance—the roof that we install will be the last roof they have to mess with. The average life expectancy of a roof is 12 to 15 years—ours are 50.”

Why Should You Consider Kingdom Roofing Systems?

In addition to its national accreditations and extensive list of certifications, Kingdom Roofing Systems is also accredited by the Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce and Angie’s List. The principles are all prominent members of the local community and lead their company with honesty, leadership, professionalism and fair pricing.

They are dedicated to their customers and provide firstrate customer service before, during and after each project, so if you’re looking for an experienced contractor dedicated to their workmanship, their clients and their community, contact Kingdom Roofing Systems and get your project started—today!

For more information or to schedule a free estimate, visit www.kingdomroofingsystems.com

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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Motor District CREATING A COMMUNITY FOR CAR ENTHUSIASTS AND MORE Writer // Neil Lucas • Photos // Submitted

There is a new trend sweeping the nation - from coast to coast, Car Condominium Communities. These Garage Condominiums are space you own and customize - much more than just a place to house your car; they’re a lifestyle that is being embraced by car aficionados of all sports, classic, racing, exotics, hot rods and well... collectible cars! Golfers have their country clubs and boaters have their yacht clubs, but until now, local car enthusiasts have not had a community of garages they own to gather regularly and share in their mutual love of cars. With the recent announcement by local developers of the creation of Motor District, that is about to change.

W

hile Motor District “car condos” will provide a secure facility for individuals to store their cars, it is much more than merely a storage facility. Motor District is a lifestyle designed to offer car owners a unique space with an opportunity to be a part of a larger community, where they can socialize and share their passion for cars.

What Is Motor District?

Motor District, in its simplest terms, is a new car condo project that just began construction in Westfield near the corner of Highway 32 and Ditch Road. Although the car condo concept offered by Motor District has been successful in other areas of the

Jay Farmer grew up in the Indianapolis area and has loved cars his entire life. As a testament to Farmer’s passion for cars, he has attended the Indy 500 for the past 50 years in addition to enjoying a number of high-performance sport cars. Having spent 30 years in public companies as a partner in a large management consulting firm and as a corporate executive, Farmer retired to pursue several interests in real estate projects. Designing and developing the “car condo” concept through the Motor District project seemed to be a natural extension combining his passion for cars with his interest in real estate development.

Eric Bachelart is someone whose passion for cars is unquestioned when you look at his resume. He has spent his entire life in auto racing, both as a driver and as a racing team owner. In 1991, Bachelart was the inaugural Indy Lights champion and went on to make several Indy

country, it will be the first in the Indianapolis area. Motor District will be constructing buildings and offering for sale garage spaces including mezzanine quarters, instead of living spaces like most condos. Conversely, instead of offering one-, two- or three-bedroom condos, Motor District’s condos come in four, six- and eight-car sizes. Just like a housing condo, Motor District members will own their space and personalize and decorate their space to the level they prefer.

The People Developing Motor District The principals behind Motor District—Jay Farmer, Eric Bachelart and Travis May—are all local business leaders with a shared passion for cars.

500 starts. Currently, he is the owner of Conquest Racing running multiple cars in the Ferrari Challenge series as well as prototypes. Farmer and Bachelart became friends through their mutual interest in racing and have been working on this concept over the last two years.

Travis May grew up in Noblesville and, admits that he was one of those kids growing up that always had a supercar poster on his wall.

In addition to his love of cars, May also enjoys dirt bike racing and track days with his sports cars. He owns several racing dirt bikes and has hosted a GNCC race In Peru Indiana since 2017. May has been involved in real estate in the Indianapolis area for over 15 years. His company, William Tres Development and affiliates, do all phases of high quality commercial and residential development and construction. He is currently developing hundreds of acres in Westfield and around Indiana.

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with your family. We already had this past year two baby showers take place within our client’s garages. There’s a thing we do—we jokingly call it a cave crawl—but it’s a progressive dinner between the units, and we do this on a regular basis. It becomes a way for the members and their extended family and special friends to all gather.” According to Silikowski, they even had one member have their kids’ wedding at the campus.

We asked Silikowski about the resale of car condos at AutoMotorPlex. Silikowski

really allowed us to go quickly and accelerate our progress on the project.”

A Look at AutoMotorPlex as a Peek into Motor District’s Future Recently, we spoke with Silikowski about how the AutoMotorPlex has evolved over the years.

According to Silikowski, his idea behind AutoMotorPlex arose as a solution to a typical problem that other car owners experience. “I thought I was safe with the four-plus car garage, I mean, you could literally

Seeking Guidance from the Best As mentioned earlier, the car condo concept is not totally new, and there are several car condo developments around the U.S. of differing styles and levels of success. As the Motor District team scoured the country researching other existing developments, one in Minneapolis, called AutoMotorPlex, stood out as being incredibly successful and really attuned to the Motor District team’s vision.

The AutoMotorPlex was created and developed by Bruno Silikowski. Shrewdly, Motor District has brought Silikowski on board as a consultant and to license his intellectual property.

Silikowski brings the knowledge and experience he has gained from developing not just one but two successful projects. Farmer commented with respect to the benefit of bringing Silikowski on board, “We contracted with the AutoMotorPlex in Minneapolis to utilize their designs and intellectual property, and that’s

expand.” Astonishingly, Silikowski reports that they have over 200 people on a waiting list looking to buy in at the first facility.

The Perfect Solution for Many Baby Boomers As baby boomers and other empty nesters look to downsize, they are faced with the dilemma of wanting a smaller living area but would love to have access to additional storage space for the extra car, motorcycle, RV or wine collection.

As many have found out at the AutoMotorPlex, the extra space that Motor District would provide can also be a great place for family and friends to get together and be surrounded by like-minded enthusiasts.

The Plan for Motor District

eat off the floors. It was awesome, but I quickly realized that I literally was all alone, and so I was enjoying it, but I was enjoying it by myself. It was one of these things that I could not find, so I ended up having to build it.” That single problem turned into an initial car condo project of 15 acres and 146 units, and a subsequent project with 20 acres and 180 units.

Silikowski surprisingly reported, “So, what you’ll find is that it’s a place where it’s morphed into the urban cabin for your family. Birthday parties happen for the kids, and it’s where you celebrate your Thanksgiving dinner

responded, “What mostly ends up happening is people who bought wait for somebody next to them who organically need to leave, like they’re moving out of state, experience a significant life change, those kinds of things. And they [existing owners] tend to buy most of the units that pop up for sale to expand their existing unit.

Well, so here’s the thing. What ends up happening when you buy a new toy, you tend to play with it for a while, and after you get tired of it, you put it aside Fascinating about this is just the opposite happens.

Most people realize that they did not buy enough space for the things that they enjoy and

Groundwork at Motor District has begun with construction to begin in spring. According to Farmer, “We’ll start with the first two buildings with the plan for 12 buildings total. The first two buildings will be 24 units and 120 units in the total complex. We’ll keep adding two buildings at a time.” In addition to the buildings, there will be a central plaza that will be used for car shows or other events.

Motor District to Offer Preconstruction Specials Now is the time to contact Farmer and his team because they are offering some terrific preconstruction specials.

In addition, if you buy now, Motor District can talk to you about any special changes you might want to incorporate into your unit before construction begins.

To learn more, visit motor-district.com or call (317) 763-0167.

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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Zander Sterling A ST E P A B OV E FO R E X PAT R I AT E A N D FOREIGN NATIONAL TAX SERVICES Have you relocated to or from the United States, or simply worked in the U.S. or another country for part of the year? If so, then your tax matters have likely become complex, timeconsuming and considerably more risky.

C

hris Cornelius and his team at Zander Sterling in Indianapolis can help.

They are experts in tax matters related to U.S. expatriate and foreign national individuals.

Zander Sterling is a CPA firm that specializes in providing a wide array of services designed to help globally mobile individuals or the companies that employ them. The firm’s clients are companies, including the Fortune 500, who temporarily relocate their employees around the world as well as higher net worth individuals, including C-suite executives, professional artists, athletes and physicians.

The firm does not provide corporate, partnership or other entity-level tax services.

Within the U.S., Zander Sterling frequently works with immigration legal counsel to deliver more cohesive service to U.S. foreign nationals or their employers. Outside the U.S., Zander Sterling delivers its services through a specialized network of tax and law firms that spans nearly 100 countries. In many instances, these firms are able to provide both

foreign national tax specialty practice for the Indianapolis office. “I raised my hand, and they said, have fun with that, good luck to you,” Cornelius said with a laugh. “And I’ve been doing it ever since.”

Several years later, Cornelius left Ernst & Young to work at Cummins in their international human resources group, focused on the Cummins employees located outside the United States. Ernst & Young soon recruited him back, and he went on to become a partner in the Big Four professional services firm.

In 2005, Cornelius’ wife was unexpectedly diagnosed with cancer, and he retired from Ernst & Young to help care for her and their three young children. “But I love what I do, in large part because of the wonderful people I get to meet from around the world. So even when I was away, I helped [other companies out] for a period of time.” His wife won her battle with cancer, but those challenging times altered his priorities in life. A change was needed. So, with his wife’s encouragement, Cornelius started his own tax services firm.

immigration and tax counsel, a great benefit to travelers and workers outside the U.S. As a regulated CPA firm that transacts business globally, Zander Sterling meets or exceeds the same quality assurance and data privacy standards, including the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), that one would expect from only the largest CPA firms.

Highly Experienced Tax Specialists Cornelius, a CPA, has been providing expatriate and foreign national tax services for nearly 30 years. He grew up in Indiana, spending his formative years in the farming community of Burlington, where he developed lifelong friendships and his strong work ethic. His parents then moved his family to La Porte. After high school, he attended Indiana University in Bloomington, where he earned his degree in accounting, and then joined Arthur Young (a predecessor firm of Ernst & Young).

Early in his career, Ernst & Young gave him the opportunity to lead the expatriate and

A Deeper Mission in Defense of Children When Cornelius created Zander Sterling in 2016, he designed it to deliver personal client service experiences, not a transactional ones. And because it’s remarkably easy for people to become overwhelmed by the complexity of international tax laws, the firm would focus exclusively on this niche area of taxation. By doing so, he believed the firm would be better positioned to help its clients understand the laws that apply to them and, in turn, minimize their taxes and avoid costly penalties.

But he also had a deeper mission for the firm. He wanted it to be socially responsible.

As a result, the firm donates a percentage of its income to organizations dedicated to helping abused and neglected children, including Childhelp, Children’s Bureau, Inc. and CASA, the court appointed special advocate for children.

Expatriates For U.S. citizens and lawfully admitted permanent residents who relocate to another country (commonly

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referred to as an “expatriate”), it’s critical for them to understand, Cornelius said, that “irrespective of where they live in the world—and some people move and never come back—they will forever be required to file an annual U.S. income tax return and declare their worldwide income on it [meaning any money you make anywhere in the world].”

“Whether or not you are taxed by the host country where you have moved to or where you have lived—generally depends on the length of time you’ve been in that country and the nature of your activities while there. If you are only vacationing, you won’t need to file a tax return with that country. If you are in that country to work, however, you will typically need a proper work permit to do so. And applying for a work permit or visa is frequently the ‘trigger’ to being subject to taxation in the host country,” Cornelius said.

“A common misperception

by U.S. expatriates is that if they work in another country, they will become subject to tax in that country and their earnings will be double taxed—first by the foreign government and again by the U.S. But that rarely happens to U.S. citizens and tax residents because of special exclusions and credits available to them,” Cornelius said.

In addition, the U.S. has executed a number of income tax treaties and social tax agreements with other countries. “Navigating the complexities of these treaties and agreements for the benefit of our clients is one of the key advantages we provide to them,” Cornelius added.

Foreign Nationals

The internal laws of most countries will assess tax based on an individual’s residency status, Cornelius said. Generally, residents are subject to tax on their worldwide income, while nonresidents are subject to tax only on income earned within the country. So the first thing you want to figure out is at what point do you become a resident? In general, a person’s residency status for tax purposes isn’t necessarily determined by a person’s immigration status. Instead, it’s frequently based on how many days you’ve been physically present in a country—which is why keeping detailed records of your travel becomes crucial.

Because tracking days is so important to internationally mobile individuals, Zander Sterling provides its clients with a calendar tool to help them more easily monitor and track their days in each country.

U.S. has that other countries don’t, including what is known as the FBAR disclosure. “The FBAR is an annual filing where a qualified individual has to disclose all of their foreign financial accounts, including bank accounts, foreign pensions, brokerage accounts, etc.,” Cornelius explained.

“While this disclosure doesn’t assess any tax, the fines for noncompliance start at $10,000 per account that a person fails to disclose, irrespective of the amount of funds in the account. That’s scary.”

The FBAR is filed separately from a tax return and is enforced by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a bureau of the U.S. Treasury.

“Everyday individuals become burdened and placed at risk by this compliance requirement.

It’s unfortunate because 99.9% of them are not the intended target of this legislation,” he said. “So we help them comply.”

As you can see from this overview, properly complying with the income tax and other disclosures is extremely complicated and burdensome.

If you are a U.S. expatriate or foreign national, call on the tax experts at Zander Sterling.

They’ll help you develop a plan to avoid costly mistakes and properly manage your compliance obligations around the world.

Information Returns and Disclosures

Visit zandersterling.com or call (317) 610-3293.

resident, the full $50,000 gain is taxed, so you’ll net considerably less than expected. In contrast, had you sold the stock one day sooner, on December 31, 2019— when you were a nonresident status taxpayer—none of the gain would have been subject to federal income tax. A single day can make a huge financial difference.

Under the U.S. tax code, everyone residing outside of the U.S. who is neither a U.S. citizen nor permanent resident (i.e., green card holder) is generally classified as a nonresident status taxpayer. As a nonresident, a person only pays federal income tax to the U.S. on U.S.-sourced and effectively connected income. Once a nonresident relocates to the U.S. (commonly referred to as a “foreign national”), the “clock starts ticking” on his or her U.S. resident status, Cornelius said.

A person becomes a tax resident of the U.S. when he or she either becomes a lawfully admitted permanent resident of the U.S. (i.e., green card holder) or meets the requirements of something called the Substantial Presence Test, whichever occurs first. The Substantial Presence Test uses a specific formula and set of rules to determine if a person has accumulated 183 days of qualified presence within the U.S. over a contiguous three-year period. Once a person meets the Substantial Presence Test, he or she is considered a U.S. tax resident and all income, worldwide, is subject to U.S. taxation.

How could this impact you?

Let’s say you decide to move to the U.S. from another country in August 2019 and you fail to qualify as a U.S. tax resident that year. For 2020, however, you are a tax resident of the U.S. for the entire year. On January 1, 2020, you sell some of your stock portfolio that you’ve owned for years, yielding a gain of $50,000.

In your home country, income from the sale of stock isn’t subject to tax. Since you sold the stock when you were a U.S. tax

Residency and Its Effect on Taxation

The U.S. operates one of the most complex systems of individual taxation and financial reporting in the world. Part of the complexity stems from a number of potential information returns and mandatory financial disclosures that the

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The Spirit of Christmas is Alive and Well in Zionsville Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Courtesy of the Zionsville Chamber of Commerce and Tell the Story Photography

In less than a couple of weeks, Zionsville residents and guests of our town will be able to step into a figurative painting of Christmas as the heart of the village—downtown Zionsville—transforms itself into a nostalgic masterpiece evoking all things holiday and magical.

A

s the members of the Zionsville Christmas in the Village (CIV) planning committee have already been working feverishly to create the annual menu of holiday activities, we checked in with CIV chair Erica Carpenter, owner of Fivethirty Home and Zionsville Chamber of Commerce board member, to see what’s new this year and what residents and visitors can anticipate throughout the entire CIV experience that officially kicks off on Saturday, November 30, with the annual Christmas in the Village Parade.

“We are partnering with a Zionsville-based company and chamber member, Second Nature Landscapes, whose

winter business is holiday decor and lighting,” Carpenter shared. “They’re going to decorate around and professionally light Santa’s house. Santa’s house will include a full-size mailbox for letters to Santa.

Second Nature will also be professionally decorating and lighting the tree at Pine and Main streets.”

Carpenter also shared that the chamber and the town’s street department will be collaborating on an initiative that will hopefully become a long-standing tradition. “We [chamber and street department] will be hanging wreathes on the lampposts from the start of the business district on North Main Street all the way through South Main Street to 106th

Street. The planters will be updated for the winter months as well.”

While it is a condensed holiday season due to how the holidays fall this year, Carpenter ensured that all of the popular events, such as the Christmas Crawl, will be part of this year’s CIV calendar of events along with a new addition, “Santa on the Move.”

Santa on the Move will be visiting a couple of local businesses before heading over to the Santa House. It’s a secret until the day of, but the Zionsville Chamber of Commerce has filmed some “clues” that will be posted to social media in the days leading up to those events. The morning of, Santa will reveal the location he’ll

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be at for the day, before arriving at the Santa House.

“The parade is on November 30 at 5 p.m. this year, and the theme is ‘Jingle Bells,’” Carpenter said. “At the end of the parade, we let everybody get situated and then move down to Main and Pine [streets] for the tree lighting with Santa.

We do a little countdown and flip the giant light switch, and then Zionsville is officially ready for Christmas.”

Carpenter thanked the main sponsors of this year’s Christmas in the Village—Duke

Energy, N.K. Hurst Co., Inc. and Second Nature Landscapes—for their sponsorships and incredible support of the town’s most beloved holiday traditions.

Speaking of thanks, Santa Claus himself took a few minutes of what was left of his vacation to interview with our publication and offered his deep appreciation for all the planning committee is doing to prepare for CIV and for the awesome upgrades that are being done to his house.

“The news is so wonderful, and it makes me feel right at home,” Claus said.

“All of these people are certainly going on the ‘nice’ list for putting all this together without Santa even knowing about it!

And without me having to encourage them to do something nice.”

When asked what we should be focusing on this holiday season, Claus reminded us, “We need to focus on how much it means to have friends and family and togetherness.

It’s part of the atmosphere that makes the season that it is and what it should be. Santa is just so excited about the season of giving, but giving doesn’t just mean gifts—it means giving of your heart to other people.”

For a complete list of Christmas in the Village activities, including when Santa is in residence at his house on Main Street, visit zionsvillechamber.org. Also, follow the events on the Zionsville Chamber of Commerce Facebook page and be sure to take photos, tag and share with the chamber and Zionsville Monthly!

FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF EVENTS www.zionsvillechamber.org

The Village of Zionsville

Celebrates the Season

SAT/NOV 30

The CELEBRATION CONTINUES...

4 pm Trolley Service 4:30 pm S’more Station 5 pm Christmas Parade

Visit Santa at the Santa House and enjoy carolers, live music, wagon rides and more! Weekends in December.

Followed by:

Tree Lighting Live Entertainment Barrel Train Rides Photos with Santa Photos with Live Reindeer Horse-drawn Wagon Rides

» LADIES NIGHT OUT, DEC 12 » SNOWFLAKE SEEK & FIND, DEC 14 » CHRISTMAS CRAWL, DEC 19 » REINDEER FOOD STATION, DEC. 22

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A Brand-New Cultural Feature Opens at

Carmel Christkindlmarkt Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Courtesy of Christkindlmarkt

Shortly, the Carmel Christkindlmarkt will officially open for its third season.

Last year’s main attraction featured the ever-popular 33-foot-tall Germancrafted Glühwein Pyramid, adorned with 3,000 lights, that serves an impressive assortment of Glühwein as well as alcohol-free beverages at the market.

B

rand new to Carmel Christkindlmarkt is the addition of a Kulturecke—a German history museum that will be just south of the Palladium steps in a 12-by30-foot hut that has been transformed into a cultural center displaying not only German holiday traditions but also showcasing Indiana’s deep-rooted German American heritage and the impact that it’s had on Hoosier commerce and society.

The Carmel Christkindlmarkt has partnered with the Indiana Historical Society and the Indiana German Heritage Society for the creation and development of the Kulturecke.

“We’re telling a story about the folks who helped create what Indianapolis and the state of Indiana is today,” Daniel Gonzales, director of exhibitions research at

the Indiana Historical Society, explained.

“German people—over a period of several waves of immigration—brought a variety of cultural influences, but they also helped to establish many of the institutions and traditions that we enjoy today. These are things that we should recognize, talk about and educate folks about, and this [Carmel Christkindlmarkt] is a wonderful place to do that. There are tons of people that come through here every year, and they come to enjoy these holiday traditions that maybe they don’t know some of the roots of, so this is an opportunity to give them that broader context.”

Sandra Richardson, a member of the Carmel Christkindlmarkt seasonal team, was born and raised near Dresden, Germany. She has offered immense support and input to the Kulturecke script and

planning and is an instrumental member of the team that translates for the German woodworkers at the market. She also organizes the children’s activities in the Kinderecke [Kid’s corner].

“The little museum is close to my heart because it will really help show the folks in Carmel and all the visitors how deep German heritage runs in Indiana and throughout America,” Richardson expressed. “My role in the [Kulturecke] exhibit was to narrow down information and to create a little German living room that will fit in the exhibit. We picked wallpapers and curtains, and we’ll have a Christmas tree that will be decorated in authentic and traditional German ornaments.”

A founding member of the Indiana German Heritage Society and local historian, William (Bill) Selm was named 2019 Hoosier German American of the Year. Selm shared why IGHS felt it was important to be donors/sponsors of this museum at the Carmel Christkindlmarkt and how much of an impact German Americans have had on the development of the city of Indianapolis and the state of Indiana, though much of this knowledge has begun to be forgotten outside of German American households throughout the last several decades.

“It [German-American impact] is probably one of the best kept secrets in Indiana and in America,” Selm said. “I’ve got an interesting quote from an Indianapolis historian, Jacob Piatt (J.P.) Dunn, from 1910 that I use in my presentations: ‘The Germans have had a larger influence in the development in the Indianapolis,’ and

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you can include Indiana in that, ‘than any other foreign nationality. But the nature and the extent of this influence is not generally understood by American citizens.’

In Dunn’s book, ‘Greater Indianapolis: The History, the Industries, the Institutions, and the People of a City of Homes’ (1910), he has a chapter just on the Germans.”

Selm went on to explain how the IGSA is contributing to the history, along with the IHA, to provide accurate timelines, artifacts and images that will be on display at the museum at this year’s Carmel Christkindlmarkt.

The myriad of American holiday traditions that originated from Germanic-speaking countries will be highlighted, along with blurbs about the origins of Christmas trees and other favorite holiday symbols and popular treats.

While many modern Americans know that the Christmas tree originates from Germanic-speaking countries, many may not realize that it is documented as far back as the 1600s, long before Prince Albert and Queen Victoria instituted the Christ-

mas tree in Buckingham Palace in 1848.

“The Christmas tree is documented to the 17th century in some places and more so in the 18th century through literature,” Selm stated. “And it’s none other than the novel “The Sorrows of Young Werther,” written by the great German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, that helps spread the tradition.

It then becomes not just an isolated folk tradition but extends and spreads to the middle class and the aristocracy.”

According to Selm, the Christmas tree was popularized by a queen, made fashionable in the U.S. through publications and by the end of the 19th century, was popular in homes across the country.

The Carmel Christkindlmarkt CEO/ Market Master Maria Murphy shared more about what people can expect to see in the Kulturecke.

“When one enters the exhibit, the first thing you’re going to see is a little bit about the IGHS and the HIS, as they are our sponsors and have been amazing to work with on this project,” Murphy

expressed. “The next thing that you’ll see is general information about the impact German immigrants had on Indiana and a display we’ve titled, ‘Ten American Christmas Traditions You Didn’t Know Were German.’”

Murphy explained that in addition to the architectural, cultural and social impacts that German Americans had on the growing city of Indianapolis and the state of Indiana, they also played a major part in the economic development of the entire region. The museum will highlight these impacts as well as feature a prominent German family—the Vonneguts— whose family would make significant contributions to the city and whose name would become internationally renowned by their descendant, Kurt Vonnegut Jr.— a famous author from Indianapolis.

Join us this holiday season at the Carmel Christkindlmarkt for all of this year’s happenings at the market and ice skating at Ice at Center Green. For a complete schedule of events and detailed market information, visit carmelchristkindlmarkt.com.

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Celebrating the Season with the

Carmel Symphony Orchestra Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Courtesy of CSO

Baby, it’s cold outside, but the season’s entertainment in Carmel is hot, hot, hot! The Carmel Symphony Orchestra (CSO) will be the place to be this December, and tickets for these incredible upcoming performances make for memorable gifts.

D

on’t miss these extraordinary performances by the remarkable musicians of the Carmel Symphony Orchestra, led by Maestro Janna Hymes, and their special guests for the upcoming IU Health Holiday Pops and Sinatra and Friends.

What is becoming an incredible holiday tradition for seasoned music lovers, families and holiday enthusiasts alike, the IU Health Holiday Pops will feature special guest artists Sarah Scharbrough, The Wright Brothers and the Carmel High School Ambassadors.

Patrons can choose from two performances on Saturday, December 14, at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Center for the Performing Arts at the Palladium. The afternoon show is geared especially for children with a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Then be sure to mark your calendars and the start of the “Roaring 2020s” with the show of the year! CSO and Janna Hymes welcome back special guest artist Steve Lippia to the Palladium for

Sinatra & Friends on January 11, 2020.

Lippia, a Grammy-nominated recording artist, has become one of the most prominent, in-demand vocalists in America, known for his youthful, energetic interpretations of “standards” and traditional pop music. Patrons will enjoy a wide variety of songs Ol’ Blue Eyes and his friends performed in the ’40s, ’50s, ’60s and beyond. Attending the concert dressed in period attire is not mandatory but is highly encouraged!

Hymes wanted to remind our readers that the symphony is for everyone and all are welcome.

Bring your friends and/or your families and enjoy this brand-new season at CSO and all that it has to offer.

“We have some amazing guests like The Wright Brothers,” Hymes expressed.

“They will have been performing for 50 years, so this [performance] is sort of a big deal. We will have Sarah Scharbrough, who is a phenomenal singer and her range is incredible—everything from gospel, pops and jazz. We are actu-

ally arranging music for her, and we will also have the Carmel High School Ambassadors joining us for the IU Health Holiday Pops.”

In addition to performing some of Frank Sinatra’s most memorable and hit songs, CSO and special guest Lippia will be performing some other hit songs by legendary artists such as Tony Bennett and other favorites from that era.

“I think Steve [Lippia] will create an incredible aura right away because he’s amazing,” Hymes said. “He’s a Las Vegas singer who sounds like Sinatra and is bringing an arrangement and an array of music with him. The orchestra loves playing this music, and again, this is for audiences of all ages.”

For tickets and performance information, visit carmelsymphony.org or call the Palladium box office at (317) 843-3800. Recently announced, CSO has been invited to accompany multi-platinum GRAMMY® winners Amy Grant and Michael W. Smithduring their holiday concert at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Monday, December 2, at 7 pm. Tickets are currently available for the one-night concert and can be purchased at 1-800-745-3000 or at Ticketmaster.

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do something like that. And actually, what was wonderful about “Singin’ in the Rain” was that I was playing a nonspecific person of racial characteristics with Gene Kelly! So, that happened. I thought, “This is it, and everything is going to be fine,” and of course everything was not fine. I did a lot of little sexy spitfires, Indian maidens and everything but an “American” role.

THE PALLADIUM

PERFORMER SPOTLIGHT

I love you on the reboot of “One Day at a Time”!

Isn’t it fun? Isn’t Lydia hilarious? She is a piece of work! [Laughing] I’m doing my mom’s accent, and I just love playing her [Lydia]—she is delicious!

THE PALLADIUM PRESENTS AN EVENING WITH

RITA MORENO

You bring to the character of Lydia a certain truth. And that truth is that a woman—at any age—can be vivacious and she can be sexual and strong.

Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Austin Hargrave RITA MORENO BELONGS TO AN ELITE GROUP OF ONLY 15 LIVING PERFORMERS WHO HAVE WON ENTERTAINMENT’S GRAND SLAM OF THE INDUSTRY’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS: THE OSCAR, THE EMMY, THE TONY AND THE GRAMMY (ACRONYM: EGOT). SHE IS EXCLUSIVE IN THIS GROUP OF HER PEERS FOR HAVING ALSO BEEN AWARDED THE SCREEN ACTORS GUILD LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, THE KENNEDY FRIDAY CENTER HONOR FOR HER LIFETIME CONTRIBUTIONS TO DECEMBER 6 AMERICAN CULTURE AND A PEABODY—WHICH SHE WAS 8 P.M. AWARDED JUST THIS YEAR.

THE PALLADIUM

M

oreno was born Rosita Dolores Alverio in Humacao, Puerto Rico. At age 5, she moved to New York City with her mother, where the precocious child soon began dance lessons. She made her Broadway debut at just 13 in “Skydrift,” starring Eli Wallach. Then, in true Hollywood tradition, a talent scout spotted her and arranged for the teen to meet MGM mogul Louis B. Mayer, who signed her to a film contract.

Her Hollywood career advanced steadily, including early films with stars such as Richard Widmark, Esther Williams, Mario Lanza, Susan Hayward, Tyrone Power and Gary Cooper. She appeared in the delightful “Singin’ in the Rain” starring Gene Kelly and was featured as Tuptim in the classic “The King and I” with Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr. After her Academy Award for “West Side Story,” Moreno was acknowledged as a major big-screen talent.

Expect standards from the “American Songbook” and stories from Moreno’s stellar career at her performance at The Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana. For tickets, visit thecenterpresents.org.

Your background as an immigrant from Puerto Rico who moved to NYC as a child gives you firsthand insight into the sacrifices and hardships that are made when trying to assimilate and live their “American Dream”. Please share with our readers how your life in America began.

I came from Puerto Rico when I was 5 years old because my mother felt that life was going to be a lot better there for us in NYC at the time. She divorced my father who was a philanderer, but she did something that was very interesting and very brave—she left me with my father, his new wife and my grandmother and grandfather, and she took a ship to NYC. She stayed with an aunt in the ghetto apartments and found work as a seamstress

in a sweatshop. When she had made enough money, she took a ship, went back to Puerto Rico and brought me to NYC with her.

Thank you! I love that! That’s why I was interested in doing this character. When I was invited to play [Lydia] by Norman Lear—aside from the fact that I wanted very much to work with him—I said to him, “I’d love to do it, but she [Lydia] has to be a sexual being.” At the time, I was 70-something—I’m 87 now, and I’m still playing younger than my age. And I said to them [Lear and the producers], “You don’t go to pieces simply just because you can’t bear a child. You can be sexy till the day you die!” and they love the idea of that!

What is it about the character “Lydia” that you enjoy the most?

It’s so much fun, and what I love about her is she’s an equal opportunity flirter. She’ll flirt with a fence post!

A lot of people at your point in their careers say, “I’ve been there, I did it and I’m done.” Why have you kept at it for more than seven decades?

You know what? They don’t love what they do, but I love what I do! I love to perform.

I love to make people laugh. I love to be funny.

I love to make people cry. I love to affect people.

And if I’m able to do that, then I think that’s a real skill and a gift.

You worked with some incredible casts and productions, such as the “King and I” and “Singin’ in the Rain.” When you look back at that now, what are some of the thoughts you have about that time in your career?

“Singin’ in the Rain” is still one of my favorite movies ever. That and the movie that I’m in called “The Four Seasons” are two of my favorite movies. But regarding “Singin’ in the Rain,” I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t get the lead part. It never occurred to me that I couldn’t

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A Special Collaborative Production of

The Nutcracker Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Courtesy of IBC

I would like to think Tchaikovsky would be pleased to know that his music will soon be filling the halls of the Palladium in less than a month. Accompanied by Tchaikovsky’s traditional music, for the first time in the history of the Indiana Ballet Conservatory (IBC) and the Indianapolis Children’s Choir (ICC), the two distinguished companies will create holiday and historic magic on the renowned stage Sunday, November 24, 2019, for a collaborative production of “The Nutcracker.”

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ickets are available for this adapted production of Indiana’s premier Nutcracker tradition to begin your holiday season and include an additional special guest performance by Cincinnati Ballet’s Thomas Curran.

Curran, a Rhode Island native, graduated last year from Butler University with a bachelor’s in fine arts degree in ballet performance. While attending Butler, he performed in several featured roles in “The Nutcracker” (Arabian Principal, Snow King, Flower Cavalier), “Swan Lake” (Russian Soloist), and

“Sleeping Beauty” (Waltz Soloist), as well as premiering new contemporary works (“Midwinter Dance Festival”).

Performing the role of the coveted Sugar Plum Fairy will be two IBC dancers, Kaitlin Casavan (16) and Amelia Happel (16).

Casavan is starting her fourth year with IBC and is a student in the Advanced Professional Day Program, along with being a junior honors student at Whitmore Online Academy. She has received Top 24 and Top 12 honors at Youth American Grand Prix regionals, attended YAGP Finals as an ensemble participant and has been honored to receive numerous scholarship offers.

Happel fell in love with “The Nutcracker” at three years old. She was born in San Diego, California, moved to Indianapolis and started dancing contemporary and ballet at the age of 11. After placing first at the Atlanta YAGP regional, Happel was invited to compete at YAGP’s international competition in New York in the spring and finished top 50 in the world.

While honoring many of the traditions of the original “The Nutcracker” ballet, founded in Russia more than 100 years ago, IBC founding artistic director Alyona Yakovleva-Randall has based this production on the 1934 choreography of Vasily Vainonen.

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A visionary in her own right, Yakovleva-Randall sought it fit to collaborate with her peer, Joshua Pedde, artistic director at Indianapolis Children’s Choir, and bring “The Nutcracker” to one of the world’s most spectacular halls—the Palladium.

“The collaboration with ICC has inspired our staff and our students because [ICC’s] quality is phenomenal,” Yakovleva-Randall said. “And when you put together two big children’s educational organizations—IBC and ICC—for the holiday season to perform ‘Nutcracker’ for the first time in the Palladium, with our talented students and the beautiful voices from ICC, it’s going to be even more memorable for our audiences.”

Yakovleva-Randall complimented the staff and production crew at the Center for the Performing Arts for their high-lev-

el professionalism throughout the planning and rehearsal periods.

“We have had to do modifications to the set for it to work on the Palladium stage,” Yakovleva-Randall explained.

“The [center’s] staff and production crew are very nice and professional, and along with everybody who is involved [in this production], they are working to make this a phenomenal experience for everybody. It is already an amazing atmosphere, and the audience—as they are surrounded by the beauty of the Palladium—will feel even more like they are part of the performance.”

On Sunday, November 24, IBC will be hosting a Nutcracker “Sweets” Meet & Greet at 4:30 p.m. This event, open to the public, will cost $15 in addition to the price of a youth ticket and take place in

one of the smaller areas of the Founder’s Room. Children will be able to meet with dancers, including the Sugar Plum Fairy, Masha, the Nutcracker and others. This will be the only opportunity for pictures with the dancers in costume and a great way to capture memories of this holiday tradition.

A reminder that if you don’t make it to IBC’s performance on November 24, IBC will be performing at their usual venue— the Tobias Theater at Newfields (IMA)— December 14 and 15.

Enjoy the wonderment of this holiday season while creating lasting memories this year with IBC’s “The Nutcracker” at the Palladium or the Tobias Theater with family and friends. For information on the performance locations and dates and to purchase tickets, visit indianaballetconservatory.org.

T H E PALL A D I U M

At the Center for Performing Arts One Center Green, Carmel, IN 46032

N OVE M BE R 24 T H

SUNDAY 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM Box office for Palladium 317-843-3800 www.TheCenterPresents.org

T H E TO BI AS T HE AT E R Newfields (IMA) 4000 Michigan Road, Indianapolis, IN 46208

D ECE M BE R 1 4 T H

SATURDAY MATINÉE 12:00 PM

D ECE M BE R 1 5 T H

SUNDAY MATINÉE 12:00 PM

Tickets at www.indianaballetconservatory.org

Alyona Yakovleva-Randall, Founding Artistic Director

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The Center Seeks First-Ever Corporate Naming Partner Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Courtesy of The Center for the Performing Arts

Last month, the Center for the Performing Arts announced its intention to seek its first-ever corporate naming sponsor. As the nonprofit educational, arts and cultural organization approaches its 10th anniversary, it has proven to be an “indispensable asset to economic development” and contributor to the quality of life in Carmel and its surrounding communities.

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e sat down with the center’s president/CEO, Jeffrey C. McDermott, to discuss this initiative and the overall status of the center as it approaches a monumental milestone—a decade of excellence.

The naming rights campaign stems from a strategic planning process undertaken by the center’s staff and board of directors—a group of strategic, well-respected community leaders. IEG, a leading sponsorship consultancy, conducted an independent analysis of the naming assets to help guide the center.

“This [naming rights campaign] is something that we have been working toward for some time and is not just an idea that we just came up with,” McDermott explained. “It has been contemplated by our strategic plan, which our entire board and management team put together about two years ago.”

Why Is Now the “Right” Time?

McDermott further explained why now is the “right time” to seek out and align the center with a corporate naming partner.

“The plan has been that we have to have a great product and a great history,”

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McDermott said. “Albeit, ours is a short one at just nine years, but we have to have both of those to be attractive enough to be in a position to where we are able to find a corporate sponsor who truly wants to partner with us, brand with us and interact with us. The timing is perfect right now because we have had multiple years of being well in the black on our budget, we have had performances/shows that have been selling better than we’ve ever sold before and we’ve had more sellouts than ever before.”

McDermott went on to say that the center has also had more diversity of programing, more educational programming and a more impressive number of new patrons than ever before.

“When you look at the success that we’ve had and you look at the timing of that success in connection with our strategic plan, we are right on target with where we wanted to be financially,” McDermott emphasized. “We’re on very solid ground, but the business side of me says that anytime you’re in a great financial position, it is also a great time to diversify your financial position to make it even stronger, and I think our board has agreed.”

McDermott continued, “Our board is filled with very bright, capable and passionate businesspeople who understand that they have a fiduciary responsibility to be very prudent with our resources and to grow our resources. And one way to grow resources is to diversify with a significant naming partner who will activate with us in ways that are yet to be seen.

We’re very excited about that.”

How a Naming Partner Would Benefit Programming One of many benefits provided by having a corporate naming partner would be the expansion of the center’s educational programming offerings, already an impressive list of programs that appeal to a wide demographic, though McDermott is immensely proud of what the center currently offers and is even more excited for what’s to come.

“We have a continuum of care [at the center],” McDermott said. “We have edu-

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cational programming for people ranging from ages 2 to 92. The Peanut Butter and Jam program brings in toddlers who experience music, musical instruments and artists for the first time in their lives. And at this year’s World Voice Day, we had the most senior gentlemen that had participated in our vocal classes and decided to perform at World Voice Day and perform on stage for the very first time at age 92.

We have ukulele classes, stand-up comedy classes, family programming, and as we head into our 10th anniversary year, we’re going to bump that up even more.”

Looking Ahead at the Center’s Future While McDermott, the center’s board and staff are stewarding the center through its current strategic plan and upcoming 10-year extravaganza, they are also planning for the future of the center and vetting carefully who the corporate naming partner will be to ensure that both parties are aligned in the mission,

values and goals that McDermott and the board have put into place.

“The ‘right fit’ is someone who’s going to share our mission, our values and share the dedication to excellence in everything that we do,” McDermott said. “And maybe more importantly, one who is going to activate with us. What I mean by that is, it will be someone who is not just going to associate and co-brand with us but someone who will be a true partner with us and not just a naming partner.”

When prompted to share what the center’s 10-year celebration might look like, McDermott replied, “Next year we will be unveiling what we’re calling our 10-year anniversary season. While we’re in the beginning of our ninth year, significant planning is already underway. As we approach the anniversary and look back at the great 10 years and the growth and success that we’ve had, we will turn the page to the future and look forward—not just at the next decade but many decades ahead—

and securing our first corporate naming sponsor will help secure our future.”

McDermott said that everyone can expect to take this season—an inarguably successful and spectacular season—and “put it on steroids.”

“Right now, we are in what I believe— and I’ve heard many of our patrons, board members and others express the same to me—the best season that we’ve had in terms of just total diversity of programming, name recognition of artists and quality of artists. Our community can expect to see more headliners— bigger headliners—and more innovative programming, more special events, more recognition and promotion of our educational programming and growth. I think it will be really hard to be anywhere in Central Indiana and not know about the Center for the Performing Arts.”

Visit the center’s website for more general or programming information at thecenterpresents.org.

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Scot and Dawn Pollard:

Winning Against Cancer Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Dauss Miller and submitted

You may have watched former NBA player and TV personality Scot Pollard on and off the basketball court and/or have seen him about town with his wife and teammate for life, Dawn, at many of the greater Indy area’s best galas and community events. What some may not know about these remarkable Carmel residents, parents and philanthropists is that they have happily survived Dawn’s sudden diagnosis with breast cancer this summer and beat it—together as a team—and with the support of countless family members, friends and strangers who became friends on social media.

S

cot and Dawn sat down with Carmel Monthly to share their personal journey—the highs and the lows—in hopes of encouraging people to take their own health seriously and inspire the ones who have heard from their doctors’ mouths the heart-wrenching words, “You have cancer.”

Not Your Ordinary Love Story but a Beautiful One “We’ve both been married before, and we knew each other while we were married,” Scot stated honestly. “Our relationship started out the wrong way, and now it’s the right way. She lived in Colorado, and I was bouncing around the NBA.”

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Dawn added, “What drew us to each other was that our dads passed away when we were young. My dad died of kidney cancer when I was 21 in 2000, and his dad had died when he was 16, so we bonded over those experiences.”

Scot mentioned that looking back now, they both feel that losing their dads gave them a lot of perspective

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Center. Both of us have had domestic violence in our previous relationships, with violence and manipulation, and so it touches home for both of us.”

The Pollards are contributors to many local organizations, such as Zoobilation, and attend many fundraisers and social events that advocate for a myriad of local charities and causes but are also involved within their tight-knit community of the Village of WestClay, where Scot is a real estate broker with his business partner, Joe Kempler, with Encore Sotheby’s International Realty.

The Diagnosis

leading up to what they went through this past summer.

“We both had dealt with tragedy and losing a father at a young age, and that either destroys your life and you could become a blamer—blaming your circumstances on whatever happens in your life—or you learn from it and become a better person. I think that’s what both of us have done is take those earlier losses and learned from [them]. We’ve become stronger people as a result of it.”

Life in Carmel As neither are native Hoosiers, the Pollards shared how they have made a home out of Carmel.

“I got traded here from the Sacramento Kings in 2003 and played here [for the Pacers] for three seasons,” Scot said.

“I played one season with Cleveland and one season with Boston to end my [NBA]

career. I moved back to Kansas because that’s where I went to school, but that was the end of my first marriage. We moved back to Carmel to try to make it work, and we ended up getting divorced here. My kids [from his first marriage] are here, and that’s why Dawn and I live here in Carmel.”

Building Community by Giving to the Community The Pollards thought the best way to become part of their Carmel and Hoosier communities was to not only live, work and play where they live but to give back as well.

“I think a lot of it started with Dawn,” Scot said, “with her idea to make [Carmel] our home. She said, ‘This isn’t home for either one of us, but let’s make it home.’

One of the first philanthropic organizations we got involved with is the Julian

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The world stopped on its axis earlier this summer when Dawn—having turned 40—went in for an annual exam and decided to schedule a mammogram. She had a previous mammogram when she was 35 prior to breast augmentation surgery, but nothing came up, and since kidney cancer was the only known threat in her family, Dawn felt that her screening should come back clean.

“I remember that phone call, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, they called me back, and they need a second mammogram,’” Dawn exclaimed. “They told me they saw something and needed a biopsy.

From there, it was a downward spiral of emotions. I was on edge until the day I got the diagnosis. I had ductal carcinoma in situ in my left breast.”

Scot added, “The Tom Petty song, ‘Waiting Is the Hardest Part,’ became our theme song because it felt like minutes turned into hours and days into months.

It was a lot of waiting. Now that we are here at this point now, we realize that we really had it so lucky. From July—when she was diagnosed—to now, she’s cancer free. So, compared to other peoples’ battles, we are very lucky.”

Dawn’s cancer measured at 10 centimeters at the time she was diagnosed.

Miraculously, it had not spread, but to play it safe, Dawn’s medical team decided to pursue a double mastectomy.

“From the time that I was 35 and had a mammogram for my breast augmentation to 40—a five-year span—I had 10

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centimeters of DCIS growing in my left breast,” Dawn said. “Who knows when it started? It’s something that I replayed a lot in my head and had to stop doing that so that I could focus on beating it.”

Scot, with an incredibly somber face, added, “We asked what if she had waited another year to get screened, and every single one of the doctors said nothing. They only shook their heads ‘no.’ The fact that it didn’t become invasive and break out all over her body is incredible. She simply went in for a mammogram because it is recommended at age 40 and had it not been for that, well, I just get chills when I think about it.”

Scot and Dawn’s love survived a great test, and Dawn survived to fight another day. The surgery was successful, and her recovery has been going well as she has steadily gained her strength back to the vivacious “Thaitalian,” as Scot lovingly refers to his part Thai, part Italian bride. But both admitted that it took the love and support of their family, friends and even strangers who reached out to help pull them through some of their most frightful and challenging moments.

“I had to put all inside,” Scot admitted. “I went into ‘robot’ mode for Dawn and the kids. She is the strongest person I know, and I lean on her a lot, but she needed me to be the rock, and I needed to be strong for her. I held it all in until the day of her surgery, and after she went back, I went into a corner at the hospital—I had a sweater with me—and I bawled like a baby for f*****g hours. I finally let it out and got back to center so that we could deal with life again.”

A Giant Heartfelt “Thank You” from the Pollards To all of the people that reached out—family, friends, neighbors and even complete strangers—the Pollards wish to extend a sincere and heartfelt “thank you.”

“I could not have gone through these last several months without them, the phone calls, texts, food and flowers—oh, I had so many flowers, and all of that got me through this, so thank you!”

Scot concluded, “It’s like [John] Lennon said, ‘The love you take is equal to the love you make.’ Dawn gives so much, and that’s a testament to her. Her personality just exudes giving, and she was finally on the receiving end of all that love that she gives all the time.”

Pollards on Post-Surgery “Overall, I feel good,” Dawn emphasized. “It’s tough to keep me down, but I’ve been taking care of myself. It’s been two months [post-op], and I’m not getting tired mid-day anymore, and I’m back to running around.”

When asked if Scot made for a good nurse, she lovingly replied, “Yes, he had all of my medications set to a timer, so I didn’t have to think about it, even though I sometimes questioned whether or not I had taken the medication.”

Scot interjected, “Sometimes? I was like, ‘Wait, you’re the one on drugs. I’m sober. Stop questioning me!’”

Both husband and wife laughed at Scot’s teasing.

“I’m taking care of me, but I’ve always been hypersensitive, having lost a parent, about what I put into my body, so I try to eat healthy,” Dawn said. “But my oncologist told me to go ahead and ‘drink the wine’ when we asked if I could go on a trip we planned.

I needed that trip.”

Scot added, “You need to talk with your doctors, make the right decisions health-wise, stop smoking or whatever and yes, drink the wine but don’t drink all of it.”

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Ron Carter

Your City Thanks You for Decades of Service Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Staff

Last month, the City of Carmel publicy recognized Ron Carter, a dedicated resident, city councilor and volunteer of more than two decades, by renaming the green space formerly known as Center Green— between the Palladium and the Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre—to Carter’s Green. The surprise ceremony took place during the Carmel Farmers Market on September 21, 2019, and left its founder, Carter, speechless and overwhelmed.

A

s a sponsor of the Carmel Farmers Summer Market, our publishers thought it was appropriate to take a look back at the many significant contributions that Carter has made over his tenure as a city councilor and as a private citizen that led to such a distinguished accolade.

Ron Carter—Resident and Advocate Carter and his devoted wife, Barbara, are Carmel residents and are both avid bicyclists. They picked up their hobby while

living in Chicago and North Carolina before moving back to Indiana in 1987.

Carter earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Indiana University. His expansive and diverse background in marketing, marketing communications and sales management, working with national companies such as Rand McNally and then handling major accounts such as Burger Chef and Tropicana, set him on a course that eventually would lead him back to Indiana. After a successful career in the corporate sector, Carter turned his energy and passion to volunteerism and advocacy and to projects that were more civic-minded.

First elected into public office as a Carmel City councilor in 1995, Carter’s vison, leadership and business acumen helped shape the city to what it is today.

“When we lived in Chicago and North Carolina, we [Barbara and I] were avid bike riders, and when we moved back here, I somehow got involved with a group called the Hamilton County Alternative Transportation Task Force,” Carter said. “I was also involved with [as a founding member] the Monon Greenway Committee.”

As a member of the Monon Greenway Committee, Carter was instrumental in disseminating information and garnering support that would lead to the purchase of the abandoned rail line that ran through Carmel and its unincorporated areas and the eventual transformation into a first-rate rail trail.

Though there was much opposition that included property owners whose property was adjacent to the rail line, Carter and his committee’s perseverance won in the end.

“I was trying to get the city [Carmel] to take the rail line, which I have described on many occasions as a linear junkyard, and turn it into a functioning rail trail,” Carter said. “Our committee met once a month, and we put together petition drives, brochures, a logo, T-shirts and other collateral material that we needed to promote it.”

The Monon Greenway Committee gathered 3,000 signatures from people who were for the proposed Monon Rail Trail, and they presented it to the city council at that time.

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“This was the 1993 time frame,” Carter stated. “The council and the mayor at that time not only didn’t want it, they treated us rudely and would not even look at the petition. They didn’t have the vision or the care about parks and greenways in general—let alone creating a rail trail.”

Carter thanked Nick Kestner, Phil Anderson and the Carmel Rotary Club for their contributions and support of the Monon Rail Trail, which, he claims, would’ve “never gotten off the ground” without them. He also thanked Judy Hagen and Sue Dillon for their work through Parks and Recreation. Carter added, “Their work was so important to me, and they’re all such good people.”

The 1995 Election Carter had served on the Board of Zoning Appeals for a one-year term prior to running at-large for city council.

He was elected in the 1995 May primary—the same year Mayor Jim Brainard won the primary.

“The mayor [Brainard] and I first encountered each other at a candidate forum,” Carter recalled. “We both seemed to have a similar vision for the city, and when we were walking out to the parking lot, he said, ‘You and I need to have lunch.’

I ran my campaign on the revitalization of Main Street, the Monon Rail Trail, keeping taxes low, developing more parks and green space for the community and responsible development.”

At the time that Carter ran his first campaign for city council in 1995, there were less than 50 acres of parks and green space in the city and no bicycling infrastructure to speak of. Today, there are more than 500 park acres.

Nearly a Quarter of a Century of Impact Throughout his tenure on the city council, Carter helped Mayor Brainard complete the Monon Trail, the Center for the Performing Arts, the redevelopment of Old Town and City Center and served as president of the Carmel Redevelopment Commission.

Carter is also a founding member of the Carmel Farmers Market and is currently its president. Carter was named the 2006 winner of the Most Valuable Volunteer

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Award given by the former Carmel Chamber of Commerce (now OneZone).

Carter has been a major supporter of the Carmel Fire Department, its leadership, its firefighters and EMTs, both as a politician and as a citizen of Carmel.

“They’re [CFD] just wonderful people, and they have been such an important part of the overall ethos of this community from the standpoint that whenever and wherever they show up, they project the goodness of our community, so it’s not hard to get associated with them and want to support them in any way that we can,” Carter emphasized. “I enjoy being around the firefighters and enjoy helping them to be the accredited group that they are.”

Life After Politics After a devastating loss in last May’s primary, Carter and his wife have had some time to reflect about all the sacrifices made, the amount of support that was given to Carter and his family throughout the years, the battles won and the battles lost, as he moves ahead with what comes

next for him and his family.

“I’m not sure what comes next,” Carter said. “The biggest disappointment of my not getting reelected from a personal standpoint was standing with my grandkids and kids and seeing the sadness and hurt on their faces the night of the election. It was a moment I, unfortunately, won’t forget. I am going to stay involved with the farmers market.”

When asked when he looks back at the last 25 years of his civic career if he had any inkling that it would have all turned out the way that it has, Carter said, “None of this was a huge master plan.

Everything just fell into place, and then everything else was built upon that. While there has been a lot of planning, especially in the last decade, there’s been a great deal of luck also.”

In the Mayor’s Own Words “Ron was part of a very dynamic, brilliant team of people that got things done, and his role was critical at times when projects could have failed had it not been for a group of people—including

Ron—that took great political risks, and as a result, they changed the landscape of downtown Carmel forever,” Mayor Brainard shared. “One of the many accomplishments that Ron should be most remembered for is the establishment of the Carmel Farmers Market. Ron has been at the market almost every Saturday morning for over 20 years, in addition to all the planning and off-season work that has to be done and that the public never thinks about or sees.”

Brainard concluded, “I think Ron should be celebrated for his fierce advocacy for best-building standards and high aesthetic standards in our community. He was not afraid to put high standards in place, and as a result, the city’s development standards are some of the best in the United States. One of the reasons that I wanted to name the green after Ron is because of his public service and the lesson it provides for others, not just now but for future generations, about how local, unselfish civic leadership makes a difference in a community for generations to come.”

CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING THE HELPING HANDS AWARD WINNER FOR NOVEMBER

RANJ AGENCY RANJPUTHRAN PUTHRAN AGENCY

DONNA TUTWILER For more information about nominations or Ranj Puthran Insurance Agency, call 317-844-4683 or visit 815 W. Carmel Dr., Carmel

Donna Tutwiler and her family have lived in Carmel for 40 years. Donna has been an active volunteer over the years for the PTO, Dad’s Club, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Brownie Scouts and several school clubs. She has also been involved in the Indianapolis Junior League and was proud to be a part of developing Conner Prairie Alliance, as well years in service with Second Helpings. As President of the Carmel Arts Council she To nominate someone go toasFacebook.com/Ranjputhranhelpinghands helped in establishing the CAC’s Guild.

or ranjitputhran@allstate.com

Thanks you for your years of volunteer service to our community.

If you would like to nominate someone you know who is volunteering in the community, please email me at ranjitputhran@allstate.com

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