Avon Magazine January 2021

JANUARY 2021

MAGAZINE

SMOOTH OPERATION Tropical Smoothie Cafe is Making Its Mark in Avon KICK OFF THE NEW YEAR WITH HEALTHY GOALS

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S mooth O p e ration : Trop ical S mooth ie Cafe i s Makin g Its Mar k in Avon Wh ite ston e Min istr ie s: Local O rg an ization Collab orate s with O th e r s to H e lp th e H ome le ss K ick O ff th e New Ye ar With H e althy G oa l s Q &A: Rob e r t Pop e, Avon Town Cou n cil Me mb e r

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Owners, Suzanne & Andi

SMOOTH OPERATION T R O P I C A L S M O OT H I E C A F E I S M A K I N G I T S M A R K I N AV O N

Writer / Jamie Hergott Photography Provided

Walking into Tropical Smoothie Cafe on Rockville Road feels like ambling into an oceanside cafe. The bold colors and island music immediately transport customers to an island getaway where they can order fresh, customized smoothies and food.

That was always the goal, according to owners and best friends Suzanne Joseph and Andi Baker.

“It’s a casual fast-food cafe that provides people with healthier options, leaving them feeling better,” Baker says. “We have nothing else like this in Avon. We prep the food fresh every day.”

This health-conscious chain originated in

Florida, and in addition to the smoothies, they offer toasted flatbreads, wraps, sandwiches, quesadillas and bowls.

“What’s nice is you can bring the whole family here because everything is customizable,” Baker says. “Kids love the quesadillas and flatbreads, and any carbconscious consumer can turn any wrap into a bowl.”

“We want Chick-fil-A customer service,” Joseph says. “And really, that stems from corporate. We also have very high standards. The customer is always right, and we’ll call customers ourselves if something needs to be fixed. We take it very personal when someone is dissatisfied.”

When the women met 12 years ago, a mutual friend noted their shared interest in health and encouraged them to be workout Having opened their doors on May 22, just buddies. Baker and Joseph hit it off as soon a couple months after their original opening as they met and have been best friends ever date, Baker and Joseph haven’t once felt the since. sting of the pandemic as other businesses have. The women, who had never been “Our fitness journey brought us together,” in food retail before this venture, worked Joseph says. “We’ve worked out together nearly 100 hours per week in their first at least three times a week since then. Our few weeks after opening, to keep up with husbands are friends, and we adore each demand and their own extremely high other’s kids.” standards.

AvonMagazine.com / JANUARY 2021 / AVON MAGAZINE / 7

Baker has a background in entrepreneurialism, having owned a skin care business. Joseph and her husband are also entrepreneurs. Joseph’s husband is in construction management, and Joseph herself owned a dance studio and custom apparel shop in Plainfield.

This shared entrepreneurial spirit ignited a desire to own a business together. They originally wanted to start an Orangetheory Fitness location in Avon, because that’s where they loved working out together, but someone else beat them to it.

“We want people to know we are part of this community. We live in Avon. We brought it to Avon with a purpose. I want people to know we heard you. We knew you needed this, and we hope it’s fulfilling your needs. Eat better and feel better.

That’s our motto every single day.”

- Andi Baker

Joseph took a group of her dancers to compete in a show in Branson, Missouri, and stumbled across the perfect business idea. She and her students were looking for smoothies and happened upon a Tropical Smoothie Cafe.

“We went there four or five times in the span of two days,” Joseph says. “It was a complete hit. The kids loved it. I spent my time peoplewatching and looking at the product. It looked like a simple enough buildout that my husband could do, and I of course loved it. I called Andi and said, ‘I think I found it.’”

Upon returning to Avon, they were discussing the idea when the owner of Orangetheory mentioned he and his wife knew the owners of a Tropical Smoothie Cafe in Bloomington, and asked to connect them.

Joseph and Baker got all their questions answered, and embarked on a journey to bring Tropical Smoothie Cafe to Avon.

It was two years from the day the idea was first introduced until the day the doors opened. The owners feel it’s the perfect addition to Avon.

“People are seeking healthier journeys and lifestyles,” Baker says. “We knew Avon needed something like this. We live in Indiana where people love drive-throughs, and they love fast food. But people are seeking healthier lifestyles, and we knew a lot of people would benefit and appreciate this option.”

They were proven right by the overwhelming response throughout last summer, consistently reaching the top 30 in sales 8 / AVON MAGAZINE / JANUARY 2021 / AvonMagazine.com

nationwide (there are approximately 900 cafe locations) and even the top 10 a few times.

Baker eats lunch at the cafe five to six times per week.

“I can keep my active lifestyle, still reach my goals, and definitely not get burnt out on the food,” she says.

One regular customer came every day for lunch, and without changing anything else in her lifestyle, lost 13 pounds within two months of switching her lunches to Tropical Smoothie Cafe.

Fan favorites include the Sunrise Sunset, Bahama Mama, Island Green and Acai Berry Boost smoothies. At the top of the food list are the Chipotle Chicken Club SIDE 1 Flatbread, Santa FeCP Chicken Quesadilla, Caribbean Jerk Chicken Wrap and Baja Chicken wrap.

purpose. I want people to know we heard you. We knew you needed this, and we hope it’s fulfilling your needs. Eat better andSIDE feel better.

CP 1 That’s our motto every single day.”

MARDI GRAS FLAVORS ON PARADE

“We want people to know we are part of this community,” Baker adds. “We live in Avon. We brought it to Avon with a

Tropical Smoothie Cafe is located at 10720 East U.S. Highway 36 in Avon. For more info, call 317-941-7337 and visit tropicalsmoothiecafe.com.

GRAS MARDI MARDI GRAS NEW FLAVORS HURRICANE FLAVORS ON PARADE SMOOTHIE ON PARADE

All smoothies are made with ice and water.

A cheat sheet at the register may help new customers decide what to try. Some regulars come in for smoothies, adding proteins, greens or fruits depending on their needs for the day. Other fresh add-ins include spinach, kale, ginger, flaxseed, probiotics, chia seeds and even multivitamins. Protein options include whey, soy and pea protein. Other options are oats, peanut butter, almonds, vitamin C and more.

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“People may want to work on their gut, their memory or their energy,” Baker says. “We customize anything and everything. Nothing is pre-made.”

NEW

The ladies haven’t wasted any time getting involved in the community. Tropical Smoothie Cafe is an Eagle Sponsor at the YMCA, and a sponsor of several other organizations including the Avon choir program, local Humane Society and Indiana Lyons basketball team.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe also caters, offering two kinds of box lunches with everything served cold. Fresh fruit, chips and a 12-ounce smoothie makes for a meal that’s different than many lunches people might expect for gatherings.

“People walk in and feel like they’re on vacation,” Joseph says. “There’s tropical music, island-flair sandwiches, and you can pretend you’re somewhere else. During a pandemic people aren’t traveling, so have a little getaway of your own.”

NEW

CAJUN NEW SHRIMP WRAP & CAJUN CAJUN SHRIMP ©2021. Tropical Smoothie Café, LLC. SALAD SHRIMP WRAP

CAJUN SHRIMP WRAP & CAJUN SHRIMP SALAD Limited Time Only

& CAJUN SHRIMP SALAD$

Limited Time Only

©2021. Tropical Smoothie Café, LLC.

$3.99

3.99

10720 E. US HWY 36 | AVON | (317) 941-7337 ANY 24 OZ ANY 24 OZ $ S$ MOOTHIE SMOOTHIE TROPICALSMOOTHIECAFE.COM ©2021. Tropical Smoothie Café, LLC.

3.99

ANY 24 OZ SMOOTHIE

$3.99 $3.99

Expires 3/23/21. Valid only in-cafe at participating locations. Not valid with any other offer or discount, third party services, online orders or the Tropical Smoothie Cafe® app. Must surrender original coupon at time of purchase. Copies not accepted. Price plus applicable tax. Modifications, fresh add-ins and supplements extra.

National Code: 1157

ANY 24 OZ SMOOTHIE

ANY 24 OZ

S M OatOparticipating T H I E locations. Not Expires 3/23/21. Valid only in-cafe valid with any other offer or discount, third party services, online Expires 3/23/21. Valid only in-cafe at participating locations. Not ® app.

Mustthirdsurrender orders or the Tropical Smoothie Cafeoffer valid with any other or discount, party services,original online orders or the Tropical not Smoothie Cafe® app. Must coupon at time of purchase.

Copies accepted.

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Modifications, freshand add-ins and supplements extra.

National Code: 1157 National Code: 1157

$

AvonMagazine.com / JANUARY 2021 / AVON MAGAZINE / 9

3.99

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Expires 3/23/21. at participating locations. Not A NValid Yonly2in-cafe 4 O Z valid with any other offer or discount, third party services, online STropical M OSmoothie OTH app. Must surrender original orders or the CafeI® E coupon at time of purchase. Copies not accepted. Price plus applicable tax. Modifications, fresh add-ins and supplements extra.

ExpiresCode: 3/23/21.

National 1157Valid only in-cafe at participating locations. Not valid with any other offer or discount, third party services, online orders or the Tropical Smoothie Cafe® app. Must surrender original coupon at time of purchase. Copies not accepted. Price plus applicable tax. Modifications, fresh add-ins and supplements extra.

National Code: 1157

$3.99

Expires 3/23/21. Valid only in-cafe at participating locations. Not valid with any other offer or discount, third party services, online orders or the Tropical Smoothie Cafe® app. Must surrender original coupon at time of purchase. Copies not accepted. Price plus applicable tax. Modifications, fresh add-ins and supplements extra.

National Code: 1157

$3.99 $3.99 ANY 24 OZ $3.99 SMOOTHIE

ANY 24 OZ SMOOTHIE

Expires 3/23/21. Valid only in-cafe at participating locations. Not OZ valid with A any N otherYoffer2or4 discount, third party services, online app. Must surrender original orders or the CafeI® E STropical M OSmoothie OTH coupon at time of purchase. Copies not accepted. Price plus applicable tax. Modifications, fresh add-ins and supplements extra.

National 1157Valid only in-cafe at participating locations. Not ® ExpiresCode: 3/23/21. valid with any other offer or discount, third party services, online orders or the Tropical Smoothie Cafe® app. Must surrender original coupon at time of purchase. Copies not accepted. Price plus applicable tax. Modifications, fresh add-ins and supplements extra.

National Code: 1157

ANY 24 OZ SMOOTHIE

Expires 3/23/21. Valid only in-cafe at participating locations. Not valid with any other offer or discount, third party services, online

orders or the Tropical Smoothie Cafe app. Must surrender original Expires 3/23/21. Valid only in-cafe at participating locations.

Not not accepted. Price plus coupon at time of purchase. Copies Modifications, fresh add-ins and supplements extra. valid with any other offer or discount, thirdapplicable partytax.services, online National Code: 1157 orders or the Tropical Smoothie Cafe app. Must surrender original coupon at time of purchase. Copies not accepted. Price plus applicable tax. Modifications, fresh add-ins and supplements extra.

National Code: 1157

$

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Jeff & Danielle Battson

Local Organization Collaborates with Others to Help the Homeless Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided by Gronde Photography

D plans.

anielle Battson and her husband Jeff had plans to start a Christian ministry, and they say the Lord called on them to adjust their

“We began to feel God shifting things in a new direction,” Danielle says. “The more we prayed, the more he showed us what steps to take, and it all led to serving the homeless population.”

It can be a challenge to start a new endeavor under the best of circumstances, and launching a new ministry in the midst of a global pandemic is especially tough.

Nevertheless, that is precisely what Danielle and Jeff felt called to do last summer when they started Whitestone Ministries, located in Hendricks County.

“We are a Christian ministry so everything we do, we pray about first,” Danielle says.

JANUARY 2021

“We pray for God to lead us to organizations that will be good for the ministry that he is putting together.”

Instead of starting separate initiatives on their own, the ministry partners with other organizations like Wheeler Mission Shelter for Men, A Tiny Act of Kindness, and Roberts Park United Methodist Church, to help them. Most of the organizations they collaborate with serve the homeless and lowincome households. Whitestone Ministries helps to create and distribute various hygiene and/or dental kits and care packages to homeless camps, and others in need. Now that winter has hit, kits include hats, gloves, socks, scarves, blankets and pillows. They also bring what they call a mobile closet, which includes clothes, shoes and socks.

“We have a group of church women who are making mats for the homeless,” Danielle adds.

When the Battsons started Whitestone Ministries, they didn’t know how quickly their message would spread, but they’ve been pleased with the reception they have received.

“The way it’s growing so fast makes it clear that many people are desperate to spread love,” Danielle says. “People are hungry for this type of thing. They just need direction.”

The organization’s “Prayers for the City” journal began when a member of their prayer committee set up a table in a parking lot where they were distributing clothes and food. Danielle recalls a grandmother who approached the table.

“She told me about her grandkids she’s raising because their mother was murdered and their father overdosed,” Danielle says.

“She also mentioned that she was concerned about Christmas and how she was going to be able to make that special.”

The committee member jotted down everything the grandmother said in a journal. After others saw what was happening, they came over and did the same. Danielle was blown away by the number of people who were eager to share their stories.

“THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF OUR MINISTRY IS TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY ARE KNOWN, THEY ARE SEEN AND THEY ARE LOVE.” - DANIELLE BATTSON

“We had no idea so many people would open up,” Danielle says. “It was so touching.”

Many shared how they feel invisible when passersby avoid eye contact with them and keep walking.

During the week, members of the Whitestone Ministries committee meet to share what has worked and what they could do better, and also attend to prayers from the journal.

“The most important part of our ministry is to make sure people know that they are known, they are seen and they are loved,” Danielle says.

When Danielle and Jeff started the ministry last June, all of their energy was focused on showing the homeless population that they are people too. As Jeff and Danielle watched racial protests and demonstrations unfold JANUARY 2021

in Indianapolis and around the world last summer, they felt driven to dive in and do their part. Folks were interested in hearing what they had to say as an interracial couple.

Danielle and Jeff were open to sharing how racial tensions affect them.

“Being that voice that they were not hearing a lot of, diffused much of the anger,” Danielle says.

What she found even more healing, however, was sitting back and letting people talk.

“People needed us to listen, learn and love,” Danielle says. “It was both impactful and heartbreaking.”

Prior to starting Whitestone Ministries, Danielle worked for 10 years in Christianbased day care. She’s always had a passion for giving back to her community. In fact, she calls it her heartbeat.

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“To be able to do that every day is a dream for us,” she says. “We’re humbled to regularly work with all these selfless people.”

Though they are still a relatively new ministry, Danielle is already feeling inspired to help veterans.

“We’re so excited about that and are currently lining up organizations to help us with that,” says Danielle, who has a background in mentoring women at the So Big Mountain House in Whitestown, which is a small, Christian-based shelter for pregnant women. She first went there to pray over their land and house, and the women there began talking to Danielle and were drawn to her loving spirit.

“Now I pray over them and God gives me the words to speak to them,” Danielle says.

“The women say it gives them hope and joy, and empowers them to envision life outside of that environment.”

Danielle is happy to shower anyone with love, whether they receive it or not.

“You meet with different personalities, but it’s so satisfying to be that face of Christ for the city,” she says.

Some days can be difficult, especially when seeing firsthand how pervasive homelessness is.

“We want to cure homelessness but we can’t,” Danielle says. “We can, however, put a dent in it.”

She’s also proud to be involved in a ministry that endured when the going got tough.

“We heard from several different people that said when the pandemic hit, all of the ministries left,” Danielle says. “That’s crushing, but we’re trying our best to earn their trust and let them know that we are

JANUARY 2021

here for the long haul.”

For more information about Whitestone Ministries, call 317-410-1929, email whitestoneministriesin@gmail.com, and visit whitestoneministriesin.org.

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Writer / Dr. Adam Maclauchlan, Family Medicine Physician at IU Health West Hospital Photography Provided

The new year is a popular time to set resolutions for self-improvement. It can be daunting committing to big changes.

Understanding the “why” behind your goals can make them easier to stick to. Setting goals to look after your health is a great way to start 2021.

CO OK AT HOM E Home-cooked meals are usually healthier than takeout. Aim to have at least one home-cooked meal per day. If you find yourself low on time, a good option is to prepare in an organized way. Set one day aside for grocery shopping, prepping meals, and storing them in containers for the rest of the week.

D RINK E NOU GH WATE R Our bodies need water to function properly.

Help your body out by drinking enough water. The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends 3.7 liters of water for men, and 2.7 liters of water for women, per day. Make it a goal to cut out sugary drinks and replace them with water.

a better mood and increased productivity.

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Instead of riding elevators, take stairs when you can. This is a quick fix for adding more movement throughout your day and burning some extra calories as well. It can also be an energy booster. According to a study outlined in Physiology & Behavior, a scientific journal, tired women who climbed stairs for 10 minutes received a bigger energy boost than those who drank a can of soda or half a cup of coffee.

S ET A S LE E P S C H ED ULE Getting enough sleep gets you ready for the next day. A good night’s rest can lead to JANUARY 2021

Prevention is a key component for staying in optimal health. Adults should see their primary care provider, optometrist, gynecologist (for females) and dermatologist once per year, and their dentist once every six months. Put your health first and book your health appointments for the year to ensure they are on your calendar.

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WHAT DO YOU LOV E ABOUT AVON?

Writer / Jamie Hergott Photography Provided

TE LL US ABOUT YOUR HO B B IES.

WH AT I S YOUR E DU C AT I O N A L AN D C AR E ER BAC KG R O UN D?

I’m a geek through and through. I like to tinker. I’m a licensed commercial drone pilot, so I like to fly drones. On the rare occasion that I have time, like any millennial I like to play video games. I also enjoy 3D printing.

I was born and raised in Indianapolis, attended K through 12 at IPS, and did a year at IUPUI after serving active duty for four years. I finished my degree at Harrison College and got my bachelor’s degree in information technology. My career outside of the Army is all information technology focused. I work for a contract company, and we contract for the federal government.

T E L L U S AB O UT YO UR FA M ILY. We are a blended family. Between us, my wife and I have four daughters between the ages of 8 and 25, with one 2-year-old grandchild. I choose to believe I am very blessed. We also have the house filled with furry animals and have five dogs.

WH AT B R O UG HT YO U TO AVON ?

Honestly, all of it. I grew up on the west side of Indianapolis, just outside of Speedway.

For me, growing up, Avon was the suburb that you wanted to raise your family in.

Avon was where you wanted to be. My wife is from California, and I’m from Indianapolis. Avon’s always been the place. Of course, the top of our list was the schools for the kids - how do you argue with Avon schools? That, with the housing market, made it a no-brainer. Avon was the place to go.

AvonMagazine.com / JANUARY 2021 / AVON MAGAZINE / 21

The community. It sounds so clichéd. I don’t think you’ll find a person who doesn’t have the experience you need or are looking for.

It’s a very loving community. People are willing to help, not just direct neighbors but anyone. Because they live here, they want to help. It’s a very compassionate community.

Also, this community is rather diverse for Hendricks County, which I love. The kids here are getting a great experience with that.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT IN AVON AND WHY? Pho 36 is our favorite. Outside of COVID, my wife and I had a standing weekly lunch date there. It’s delicious, of course, but if I can throw two in there, I’ll add Cabin

Coffee. Their food is fantastic, and their white coffee palomino is unbeatable.

WH AT A R E YO UR FAVO R IT E T HI N GS TO D O OR T R AD I TI O N S I N AVO N ?

I love meeting the people in the community, and we love the parks. I’ve really enjoyed using the mountain bike trail at Washington Township Park. I also want to try disc golf, once summer comes back. I’m looking forward to our amazing disc golf course and hope to add that to my repertoire.

T E L L U S H OW YO U C AM E TO B E O N THE TOW N COUN C I L .

I was seated in January of 2020. I volunteered for a campaign back in 2018.

Helping them win was important, but for me, I had a personal goal of wanting to learn how a campaign is run. During that process, I was confronted by a couple people saying, “Have you considered running for an office yourself?” I was finally talked into it. I lost by 56 votes out of 7,000 cast. I decided it was too much work and impossibly challenging, but people were coming out of the woodwork telling me to run again. After a couple months of consideration, my wife finally talked me into it. I ran again last year and won. It’s evidently possible.

WH AT I S YOUR VI SI O N

FO R AVON? First and foremost, we have to solve some of the problems we have currently on our plate. Our most important problem to solve is our tax base. We are, last I heard, 86% residential in Washington Township in Avon. With the state constitution tax caps, we can’t grow with having a bedroom community. We can’t do anything extra.

We really can only get by doing the bare minimum. First, for me, I’d like to see tax diversification. We’re getting there. We’re right on the edge of some greatness.

As far as a longer-term plan than that, I want to see Avon and Washington Township unifying. We have 20,000 in Avon proper, and 60,000 live in Washington Township. That’s a difference of 40,000. If I were to ask, 99% of them would say they live in Avon and 100% of them would be wrong. They don’t. To me, put aside any vision. For me that’s wrong because they are impacted by my decisions on council and have no say in what goes on. The bottom line is, that’s an American democracy issue that’s wrong and needs to be fixed. Those go hand in hand. Both of those are gravely important to what Avon will look like in the future.

W HAT’S COMING UP FO R AVON? The latest rumor is that Costco is in talks with Avon. That will be huge for Hendricks County. They believe this location draw will go from Zionsville to Mooresville with 22 / AVON MAGAZINE / JANUARY 2021 / AvonMagazine.com

people traveling here just to go to Costco.

This is going to be fantastic for the area.

Also, there’s some truth to the rumors that we may be getting a Rural King. We are working with our staff to make sure both locations will fit the standards that we want to see here. We want to bring businesses here that have met high quality standards and that are going to live up to what we believe in and should be.

In 25 short years, this small, bedroom community has grown into the largest population center in Hendricks. Along the way, we’ve grown into a top-notch community to live and play while growing more diverse and stronger. Give us a few more years and it’s going to be a great place to work as well.

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AV ON SC HO OL R E SOURCE OF F ICE R S A R E M A K I NG A DI F F E R E NCE Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided by Amy Payne and the Avon Community School Corporation

In the past, the Town of Avon had two police officers stationed at Avon’s schools every day, but town leaders found they needed that extra help on the roads. Plus, the school district wanted to develop consistency inside the schools so that students would see the same officer each day. Therefore, discussions began surrounding the idea of launching a police department dedicated to Avon schools.

Last year Avon’s Chief of Police Sean Stoops met with Maggie Hoernemann, former Avon schools superintendent, and Scott Wyndham, the current superintendent, and all agreed that hiring a handful of school resource officers (SROs), assigned to a particular school or set of schools, would be beneficial.

Step one was hiring a chief, and they found a seasoned chief in Chase Lyday, who previously launched a school police department in Decatur Township. Prior to that, he worked in Marion County in both AvonMagazine.com / JANUARY 2021 / AVON MAGAZINE / 27

“WE HAVE FIVE OFFICERS ON OUR TEAM THAT ARE TRULY COMMITTED TO SERVING STUDENTS, AND I’M EXCITED TO SEE THE POSITIVE IMPACT THEY WILL HAVE ON OUR STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY.” -SCOTT WYNDHAM

the public service and criminal divisions, serving warrants and working large events in Indianapolis. He also worked at the juvenile detention center in Marion County.

Initially, Lyday had to write a 400-page document for which he researched best practices and standard operating Terance Smith

Richard Craig

procedures for a school police department, and he formulated these components to fit the needs of a school environment.

working with kids, and an ability to relate to different ages while still exhibiting professionalism.

“That was a massive project,” says Lyday, who began recruiting officers specially trained for the job.

“I always say that I can teach law enforcement to a lot of different people, but the special skill set required to work with kids is sometimes difficult to find,” Lyday says. “We look for someone who

He looked for officers with a passion for James Sheroan

Tyler Jean

28 / AVON MAGAZINE / JANUARY 2021 / AvonMagazine.com

Chase Lyday

Dan Rukes

has little disciplinary history, who has demonstrated proficiencies as a law enforcement officer, and who has a good context of why we do the things we do in law enforcement. We don’t want some rule enforcer coming in and punitively dealing with kids or teaching them a lesson in a negative way. We look for that special personality of officers who can work well with kids.”

SROs receive highly specialized training, different than what a typical police officer might receive. This includes 100 hours of training on everything from juvenile law and school law to cultural competency and mental health. The officers also study the adolescent brain and how it is formed due to trauma and adverse childhood experiences, as well as material on how to de-escalate situations involving kids experiencing a mental health crisis.

Lyday and his SRO team, which consists of officers Richard Craig, Tyler Jean, Dan Rukes, James Sheroan and Terance Smith, began working in Avon schools in July.

Lyday actually began working in Avon in February of 2020, but the pandemic shut down the school corporation 30 days later, for the remainder of the school year.

The SROs work proactively and build relationships with students and staff, interacting in the hallways, cafeteria, playgrounds and classrooms. The officers sometimes participate in convocations as well as carnivals, fundraisers and other activities.

“We feel blessed that the teachers in the Avon Community School Corporation have accepted our team and have welcomed us to be a part of the classroom environment,” Lyday says.

The SROs educate students about substance abuse prevention, and what to do in the event of a school intruder or, in the case of young kids, stranger danger.

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“We talk to the high school kids about what to do in a traffic stop and how to safely interact with the police,” Lyday says. “Whether those kids will ever have a negative interaction with law enforcement, that positive interaction on the front end most assuredly means that there would be a level of respect if those officers ever had to deal with those kids in a contentious way.”

The SROs are also in the schools to physically protect kids.

“There is only one thing in our school

district that trumps learning, and that’s safety,” Lyday says. “Students can’t learn if they don’t feel safe. When kids see our smiling faces and see us as consistent mentors, they feel safe to learn because they don’t have to worry about being hurt in their classroom.”

Officers make an effort to regularly stop in classrooms and join conversations. For instance, earlier this fall SROs at the high school talked with students about a book on law enforcement relations with the black 30 / AVON MAGAZINE / JANUARY 2021 / AvonMagazine.com

community. Officers who are black were able to share two perspectives - as black Americans and as law enforcement officers.

“When the discussion about police officers and cultural diversity happens, our kids don’t picture some vague idea of the police, but instead think of the face of the SRO that’s in their school,” Lyday says.

The SROs also handle child abuse investigations and social media investigations, and also provide appropriate

resources when dealing with problems like bullying. Sometimes the best prevention measures are the relationships that SROs build with students.

“Even though our police department is just beginning, our staff and students have already benefitted tremendously from our school resource officers and the relationships they have built,” Wyndham says. “We have five officers on our team that are truly committed to serving students, and I’m excited to see the positive impact they will have on our students and community.”

Lyday calls school-based policing the best form of community policing, and it’s all due to the relationships that are formed.

“Our kids in Avon are getting a good impression of law enforcement because of the relationships they have on a daily basis with our SROs,” he says.

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