HAMILTON COUNTY Hamilton County’s Hometown Newspaper www.ReadTheReporter.com REPORTER Facebook.com/HamiltonCountyReporter TodAy’S Weather Sunday, March 7, 2021 Today: Sunny. Tonight: Mostly clear. Arcadia | Atlanta | Cicero | Sheridan Carmel | Fishers | Noblesville | Westfield NEWS GATHERING Like & PARTNER Follow us! HIGH: 50 LOW: 34 Carmel’s Rich Furniture building A look back to be restored to original design at normal “We interrupt this COLUMNIST The REPORTER wonderfully normal Turner Woodard, the for- life …” What? mer majority owner of the It was March 13, Stutz Business and Arts Cen- 2020 – the day I en- ter, is now preparing for his tered The Covid Twi- next redevelopment project in light Zone. My "nor- the heart of downtown Carmel. mal" would never In February, Turner, an In- look the same. I often dianapolis thought Rod Serling JANET HART LEONARD From the Heart resident, would show up and purchased bring us the nightly the for- news. We all found ourselves in a "stranger mer Rich than fiction" reality show. Only, it was our Furniture real life. building I was selling cars and trucks at Don in Carm- Hinds Ford. I sat in the same pew at church, el, 1030 every Sunday. After yoga, Chuck and I ate S. Range breakfast at Ginger's Cafe every Friday. We Line Road, Woodard had a routine. and says he plans to bring the building back to how it was See Normal . Page 2 originally designed as a bou- Photo provided tique office and retail space. Turner Woodard, Indianapolis, says he plans to return the building to its original use “I’ve always loved the as a multi-tenant office building, while maintaining the unique design and features. building since the very first always had a unique character is our future plan – to create a “I’ve been an Indianap- time I walked into it to buy and a wow factor,” Woodard new office option for Carmel olis guy my entire life,” furniture for my Indianapolis said. “During our due dili- businesses.” he said. “However, recent- office decades ago. It might be gence, we learned the property Woodard said he’s excited ly I’ve been spending more the massive atrium, the glass was originally designed as a to add the Arts and Business time north of 96th Street elevator, or the floor to ceiling multi-tenant building when it Center concept he created at windows, but the building has was built in the 70s, and that the Stutz to the suburbs. See Woodard . Page 2 Campbell Colbert Carmel & Westfield-based Bastian Women chosen to chair political parties Solutions has 400 jobs available now By FRED SWIFT By HANNA MORDOH tions, and he said 120 of those ReadTheReporter.com jobs are in manufacturing in WISH-TV | wishtv.com For the first time in history, women Greenfield and Westfield. The now head both political parties in Ham- One local business is des- remaining jobs are corporate ilton County. The quadrennial reorga- perately searching for employ- positions in sales and engi- nization of Republican and Democratic ees and has hundreds of open neering that can be done local- parties produced the historic 'first' on jobs for Hoosiers. The pan- ly and remotely. Saturday when the precinct organiza- demic is causing Bastian Solu- “We have always kind of tions of the parties conducted their vote tions business to boom, but the hinted we are the best-kept se- for party chairs and other officers. search for workers is slower cret on the north side of India- Laura Campbell has been head of than expected. napolis,” Conner said. the GOP for the past four years, and The Indiana Department of Bastian Solutions is a mate- was re-elected in a party caucus held at Workforce Development said Photo provided rial handling systems integra- the 502 East Event Center in Carmel. December’s unemployment Bastian Solutions said its year, we need to hire roughly tion company and helps other rate was 4.3 percent. That rate has part of the solution, with 400 people,” said Greg Conner. companies automate their dis- See Women . Page 2 is way down from 16.9 percent around 400 open jobs. Conner is the Vice Pres- tribution operations. in April, but higher than March “Our biggest problem right ident of Global Sales and 2020 by about 1 percent. Now now is hiring. In this calendar Marketing at Bastian Solu- See Bastian . Page 2 Indiana Design Center holding Spring Open House The REPORTER The Indiana Design Center (IDC) will welcome design professionals and the pub- lic to a Spring Design Open House from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 11. The Spring Design Open House is a wonderful Photo provided way to talk with participating showroom associates and design professionals at the IDC who can help solve your design dilem- New artwork on Edge parking garage in mas and connect you with the right prod- ucts and service solutions. Showrooms will highlight specific Fishers meant to exemplify inclusiveness themes and new spring arrivals, with some By LARRY LANNAN progress that we’ve made in Mucha, and Fishers Arts & and diversity.” offering special discounts. Professionals LarryInFishers.com arts and culture in our commu- Culture Master Plan when cre- Seasons Nouveau was will be on hand in showrooms to connect nity,” said Fishers Mayor Scott ating this one-of-a-kind series funded by Fishers Arts & Cul- When the Edge Building's Fadness in a city news release. for the city. ture Commission. See Open House . Page 2 parking garage was finished, “We still have a long way to go, “When proposing this “It is important to the Fish- the city of Fishers began setting but actions like this reaffirm specific design for Fishers, I ers Arts & Culture Commis- aside the east side of the struc- our commitment to making looked at the master plan for sion and the City of Fishers to Traffic Safety Partnership ture for works of art. A new Fishers a dynamic and vibrant Arts & Culture and I noticed be diverse and give the people will conduct sobriety artist's work will be featured at place to live.” that they had core values, that live and work here repre- that location for the next 12 to Indianapolis-based artist specifically the core value of sentation,” said David Decker, checkpoint on March 13 18 months. Seasons Nouveau Tasha Beckwith, a graduate of inclusiveness,” said Seasons Chair of the Fishers Arts and The REPORTER is now on display in the heart Herron School of Art and De- Nouveau artist Tasha Beck- Culture Commission. A sobriety checkpoint will be conduct- of the downtown Fishers Nick- sign, was inspired by the Art with. “I decided that it would The city produced a video ed on the night of Saturday, March 13. el Plate District. Nouveau movement, the work be important to present a de- about the project, which can be Impaired driving is one of the nation’s “I’m excited to see the of Czech painter Alphonese sign that tackled inclusivity viewed at this link. most frequently committed violent crimes. Just in Indiana in 2017, alcohol-related traffic crashes killed 99 people and injured another 1,788 people. Twenty-five percent County asking everyone to place candles in of all drivers involved in fatal collisions in Indiana were legally impaired. In Hamilton County in 2018, the State remembrance of those who died from COVID filed 989 cases involving impaired driving. The REPORTER resident who has passed away while supplies last. 506 S. Main St., Sheridan Of these, 170 drivers had prior convictions Hamilton County, along from the virus since its arrival • Cool Creek Nature Cen- • Taylor Center of Natu- for operating while intoxicated within the with the cities of Carmel, Fish- last year. The public is strong- ter, 2000-1 E. 151st St., Car- ral History, 12308 Strawtown last five years. ers, Noblesville, and West- ly discouraged from attending mel Ave., Noblesville To combat this crime, the Hamilton field, will pay its respects to the vigil in person. Instead, • Fishers Parks Office, • Town of Cicero Parks County Traffic Safety Partnership will set those who have lost their lives they’re encouraged to place 11565 Brooks School Road, Department, 1050 S. Pearl St., up sobriety checkpoints around Hamilton this year due to the COVID-19 battery-operated candles in Fishers Cicero County to aggressively deter, detect and ar- pandemic at a vigil on Satur- their windows to show their • Monon Community Cen- • Westfield Washington rest those drivers who make the decision to day, March 13 in downtown support. ter, 1195 Central Park Drive Township Trustee Office, 1549 drive impaired. Sobriety checkpoints have Noblesville. Free candles can be picked West, Carmel E. Greyhound Pass, Carmel proven successful in both raising aware- Dubbed a “Night of Reflec- up at any Hamilton County • Noblesville Parks, Forest The “Night of Reflection” ness of impaired driving and reducing the tion,” city and county officials library as well as the follow- Park Inn, 701 Cicero Road, can be viewed live at 7 p.m. on likelihood of a person driving after they will light a luminary in hon- ing locations. One candle will Noblesville Saturday, March 13 at hctv1. have been drinking. or of every Hamilton County be distributed per household • Sheridan Clerks Office, com. See Checkpoint . Page 2 2 News & Views Woodard Normal from Page 1 from Page 1 and it’s been amazing I knew the Hamilton We started feeling a bit canceled, flattening the seeing the growth and qual- County gymnasiums from anxious. Okay, a whole lot curve, herd immunity, social ity of life in Carmel.” Grand Park to Finch Creek.