Carmel is closing out its 50th year as a city with one last party, and this one is pulling together all four of its living mayors under the same roof. The free event, called Mayors, Players, and Pacers, runs from 5:30 to 7:45 p.m. Thursday at the Carmel Clay Public Library, 425 E. Main St., and is open to anyone who wants to show up, according to You Are Current.
The evening is billed as the grand finale of Carmel's 50th anniversary as a city, according to readthereporter.com, which reports the Rotary Club of Carmel is presenting the event in partnership with the Carmel Clay Public Library. Carmel was incorporated as a city in 1976, and organizers say the night will celebrate the people and partnerships that shaped the city since then. The gathering is a chance to celebrate 50 years of Carmel as a city.
Four Mayors Share the Spotlight
The night opens with a Mayors Community Reception from 5:30 to 6 p.m., expected to bring together Carmel's four living mayors — Jane Reiman, Dorothy “Dottie” Hancock, Jim Brainard and Sue Finkam — in one setting, as noted by You Are Current. The same segment is also set to honor two business figures: Ed Engledow, representing Carmel's past business growth, and Justin Moffett, representing its future.
It's a notable lineup for a city this size to assemble at once, four people who have each taken a turn steering Carmel through different chapters of its growth. The reception sets the tone for an evening built around continuity — handing the story of the city from one era to the next before the conversation turns to basketball and football.
Purdue Stars Reflect on a Shared Hometown
From 6:05 to 6:50 p.m., the program shifts to a segment called The Carmel Connection, featuring former Carmel High School teammates Bart Burrell and Mark Herrmann discussing their bond through sports and friendship, per the same outlet's report. Both were members of Carmel High School's 1977 state championship basketball team and went on to play football at Purdue University, according to youarecurrent.com's account. Organizers say the two will trace that friendship from their Carmel days through Purdue and into the present.
Pacers Personalities Close Out the Night
The final stretch, from 7 to 7:45 p.m., brings in a handful of names tied to the Indiana Pacers. Television play-by-play announcer Chris Denari, studio analyst and former Pacer Eddie Gill, Sarah Baird of Pacers Sports & Entertainment, and Rick Fuson, former chief executive officer of Pacers Sports & Entertainment, are all expected to take part, per a report from You Are Current.
The final segment is called “A Pacers Blue and Golden Anniversary Celebration,” according to The Reporter.
Mayors, Players, and Pacers is the capstone of Carmel's 50th-anniversary year.
