Avon Magazine June 2022

MAGAZINE

JUNE 2022

OF GREECE FATHER & SON LOVE RUNNING OPA

HOT HAPPENINGS Check Out All Hendricks County Has to Offer This Summer and Fall HENDRICKS COUNTY SUMMER 2022 BUCKET LIST

TownePost.com

Now accepting new patients!

Avon health services We founded American Health Network, part of Optum on the belief that health care is a collaborative effort. It needs to be proactive, not just reactive, meaning we need to help patients stay healthy and avoid sickness in the first place.

Our address: 8607 E US Highway 36 Avon, IN 46123

Primary care providers • • • •

Daniel Storey, MD Abbie Tolliver, MD Jennifer Pelley, NP Mary Schmoll, NP

N County Rd 900 E

Eric Hewitt, DO Mark Lamb, MD Thaddaeus Poe, MD Adriana Segatta, MD

Dan Jones Rd

• • • •

Get in touch!

We’re now accepting new patients and would be honored to help you achieve your healthiest life! To find a primary care provider or schedule a video visit, call our office at 317-745-5403.

American Health Network does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in its health programs and activities. For accommodations of persons with special needs at meetings, call 888.255.2246.

ATTENTION: We provide free services to help you communicate with us such as letters in other languages or large print.

Or, you can ask for an interpreter. To ask for help, please call 888-255-2246. ATENCIÓN: Si habla español (Spanish), hay servicios de asistencia de idiomas, sin cargo, a su disposición. Llame al 888-255-2246. 請注意：如果您說中文 (Chinese) 我們免費為您提供語言協助服務 。請 致電：888-255-2246.

Visit us at

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IN THIS ISSUE

JUNE 2022

PUBLISHER DARREN BOSTON darren@townepost.com 317.716.8812

TOWNE POST NETWORK, INC. FOUNDER/CEO TOM BRITT tom@townepost.com 317.496.3599 PRESIDENT JEANNE BRITT jeanne@townepost.com 317.810.0011 PRODUCTION COORDINATOR ERIN TURK DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT JOSH BROWN CREATIVE DIRECTORS TONI EADS VAL AUSTIN COPY EDITOR JON SHOULDERS

6 6

27

Father & Son Love Running Opa

How Your Doctor Can Help

FLAVOR OF GREECE

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29

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT™ Wellbridge Surgical

HENDRICKS COUNTY SUMMER 2022 BUCKET LIST

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HOT HAPPENINGS

REAL-TIME ANALYTICS Scan the QR code to see this magazine’s real-time reach and distribution numbers.

TOWNE POST NETWORK, INC. 8800 North Street, Suite 117 Fishers, IN 46038 Phone/Text: 317-810-0011

BACK AND NECK PAIN

Check Out All Hendricks County Has to Offer This Summer and Fall

RICHARD CRAIG NAMED REGION 5 SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER OF THE YEAR

19

35

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE

Glenn Timmis Celebrates 50 Years of Working the Indy 500 and Many Other Races

GET VOCAL

Avon Choir Students Experience Success, Camaraderie and Fun

24

LIFE AFTER LOSS

Freelancer Writes About Grief, Healing and Moving On

#SPOTLIGHTINGLOCAL

KEY CONTRIBUTORS

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AMY PAYNE / CHRISTY HEITGER-EWING / CLAIRE-ANNE AIKMAN DR. NATHAN PRAHLOW / FRED KURTZ / JOSH DUKE / JAMIE HERGOTT KEVIN CARR / PERFORMING ARTS PHOTOGRAPHY / RENEE LARR

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Father and son duo Gus and Dimos Dagres own Opa.

FATHER & SON LOVE RUNNING OPA Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photographer / Amy Payne

Gus and Dimos Dagres have been a lifelong team. The father and son have always been joined at the hip, and they share a mutual admiration for each other as well as a passion for cooking Greek food. Gus, born

and raised in Greece, relocated to Chicago, Illinois, when he was 18. Like his mother, he liked to cook, and he passed that passion along to his only son Dimos, who often helped out in the kitchen starting at age 12.

Gus and his three daughters, Tina, Angela 6 / AVON MAGAZINE / JUNE 2022 / TownePost.com

and Eleni, along with Dimos, lived in Chicago until 2006 when they moved to Avon and opened Hotcakes Emporium.

Several years later, Gus and Dimos decided to venture out and open another restaurant, one that would pay homage to the family’s Greek roots. In April of 2014, the pair

opened Opa, finalizing the menu the night before they opened.

Though it can be difficult to mix business and family, Dimos maintains that he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“My father is my best friend,” he says. “He’s been there for me no matter what, and he has the biggest heart of anyone I know.”

Gus also cherishes the bond he shares with his son.

“We communicate well with each other and understand each other,” Gus says. “He’s an extra right-hand man for me and I’m the same for him.”

Initially, the plan was for Opa to be a small, fast-food place with a drive-through window, but then they decided to spruce it up a bit. Still, the establishment started out relatively modest with just 12 tables.

They later added a patio, then expanded

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“People love to see that cheese light on fire,” Dimos says. Guests also get a kick out of the staff members who sing “Happy Birthday” to them, then break a giant plate and yell “Opa!” to celebrate the occasion.

“We have younger couples, older couples, families, small children, you name it,” Dimos says. That’s what they want - to cater to everyone.

They never expected the business to grow so much, but they are pleased with the result. Now they have 40 tables inside and 12 outside, and can seat around 200. the awning on the patio, installed a wind guard, created a bar top, purchased the space next door and opened the shared wall up, and redid their giant mural of Greece.

“We’ve expanded four times in seven years,” Dimos says. “We just felt we needed more seating because lines were creeping up over an hour.”

The last renovation was complete two weeks before COVID-19 hit. Though Opa, like many restaurants, took a hit for several months, they filled a lot of carry-out orders, and customers were extremely generous in their tips for the staff.

Their menu offers something for everyone’s taste buds. Their most popular dishes are gyros and saganaki (a flaming cheese dish that is flambéed at the table by the waitstaff).

8 / AVON MAGAZINE / JUNE 2022 / TownePost.com

“We want people to know that they can come in here in the afternoon and get a gyro sandwich and not have to be dressed up, or they can stop by at nighttime, dressed up with a date,” Dimos says. “We want it to be comfortable for everyone.”

They offer large portions of tasty food at reasonable prices.

“The way we prepare the food, the way we keep it and give it to the customer, is 100% quality on service, preparation, everything,” Gus says. “That’s hard to find these days.”

Most of their recipes originate from Greece - specifically from Gus’s mother Konstantina.

“They are family recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation for a long time,” Dimos says.

Not only do they have delicious, non-fatty food made with clean spices, fresh herbs and olive oil, but they also offer quality Greek wines.

“Our food is cooked to order,” Dimos says.

“Nothing is pre-made for the week.”

Now ting Accep its!

Depos

Though they do not offer catering or delivery per se, they take bulk orders for events like office parties.

“We put it together buffet-style - for example, a pan of gyros, a pan of shish kebabs, a pan of rice,” Dimos says.

“We’ve had between 40 and 60 people come here and eat,” Dimos says.

Gus and Dimos treasure getting to know their customers, many of whom come in and eat on a daily basis. Often they sit in the same seats and order the same cuisine.

“We love to see them and appreciate their loyalty,” Dimos says.

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They can accommodate large parties in the restaurant as long as guests call ahead to let them know (for parties over six).

Many people frequent Opa for the happy atmosphere. Between the music, the mural and the staff, they feel as if they’ve been transported to another place - namely, Greece. They also appreciate the way the owners make them feel at home.

E COUNTY RD 200 N

“I’m here seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.,” Dimos says. “I approach every single table individually to ask if everything is OK and if their food is good. We do this

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because this is not a franchise operation. It’s a family-owned restaurant and we want our customers to feel like family.”

Though Gus and Dimos work hard, they play hard too. In fact, they participate in a Greek band called New Wave (Neo Kyma, in Greek). Dimos plays piano. Gus sings and plays the bouzouki, a musical instrument similar to a mandolin that’s popular in Greece. Sometimes they play at Opa, but most often they road trip to Chicago where they perform until the wee hours of the morning, then drive home and work the next day.

to Greece for a month of relaxation - not that Gus sits still much during those trips.

“We were born and raised around music,” Dimos says. “Greeks know how to party.”

“There’s so much to do there,” he says. Still, taking a breather is good for the soul - especially when you’re inhaling the fresh, Greek air.

When they aren’t working or jamming, they occasionally take time for some rest and relaxation. For instance, every year they travel

“We’re trying to slow down a bit,” Dimos says.

They know so many people that they can’t go out into the community without running into a loyal customer.

“When I see my customers it brightens up my day,” Dimos says.

“They make me feel good.”

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Founders of WellBridge Surgical Dr. Eric Inman, local entrepreneur Jeff Williams, and Dr. Ron Piniecki

WELLBRIDGE SURGICAL Writer / Renee Larr Photographer / Amy Payne

6300 Technology Center Dr. Zionsville, IN

317-480-4200

wellbridgesurgical.com

WellBridge Surgical is disrupting the healthcare model for surgery in Indiana.

The country’s second-ever cash-pay surgery center offers Hoosiers fixed and transparent pricing for surgery.

Local business owner Jeff Williams noticed the cost of health care was rising tremendously for his small business.

Williams didn’t want to increase his deductible for his employees, nor did he want to increase his rates by a high margin. Instead, Williams partnered with longtime friends Dr. Ron Piniecki and Dr. Eric Inman, both anesthesiologists, to revolutionize the way patients pay for their surgical care.

The fixed payment method means patients know their all-in total cost for surgery prior to the procedure and don’t receive a surprise bill in the mail. Pricing includes the facility charge, surgeon fee and anesthesiologist fee. Patients pay a one-time consultation fee of $150 that is credited to the cost of the surgical procedure.

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Not only is the pricing up-front and transparent, but patients also pay, on average, 30% to 60% less than they would at other facilities in Indianapolis. Williams says WellBridge can offer their patients 2022 AND RELOCATION / 23 12 / DIRECTORY AVON MAGAZINE / JUNE 2022GUIDE / TownePost.com

those savings by not adding hidden facility fees. For instance, the WellBridge cost for ear tubes is $2,380, while the Indianapolis average is $6,804.

WellBridge Surgical offers general surgery, orthopedics, gynecology, otolaryngology, urology, podiatry, and gastroenterology procedures. Patients contact WellBridge and are paired with a surgeon based on their specific surgical needs. The prices of surgical procedures are listed on the WellBridge Surgical website. The patient will know their total cost immediately.

“Dr. Piniecki and Dr. Inman have worked at some of the biggest hospital systems, so they know most of the surgeons in Indianapolis,” Williams says. “We’ve partnered with some of the best surgeons in the city.”

“Our first surgical patient was a smallbusiness owner,” Williams says. “He and his wife were so thankful to find us. They have insurance but they never knew what they would pay for care. It made us feel like we were proving our theory right.”

Hoosiers pay the fourth-highest surgical costs nationwide according to a 2020 RAND Corporation study. WellBridge aims to make a difference with the uninsured, individuals with high-deductible insurance plans, and those with self-funded plans.

HOT HAPPENINGS

CHECK OUT ALL HENDRICKS COUNTY HAS TO OFFER THIS SUMMER AND FALL Writer / Josh Duke Photography Provided

It truly is an exciting year for events in Hendricks County, with a NASCAR race returning, an international festival growing, and many of our traditional summer and fall favorites resuming after a crazy couple of years.

So, get your calendars ready or pick up your phones to block out these weekends for you and your family to enjoy. For simplicity’s sake, I have put them in chronological order.

Hendricks County Rib-Fest & BBQ When: June 25 Where: Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds & Conference Complex, Danville Details: Even though organizers removed the balloons from the festival name, those hot-air favorites aren’t gone. Participants can expect the same fun and entertainment that has made this festival a local summer destination including great food from local barbecue vendors and nonprofit groups, children’s activities, live entertainment, and a balloon glow and fireworks show at the end of the night.

Hendricks County 4-H Fair When: July 17-23 Where: Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds & Conference Complex, Danville Details: In my humble opinion, this is one of the best county fairs at one of the best fairgrounds in the state, and I have been to many others. You can expect usual fair favorites including exhibits, animals, carnival rides, fair food and demonstrations.

Organizers also do a good job of changing up the entertainment so that each year feels different and offers new surprises.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series When: July 29 Where: Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway JUNE 2022

Park, Brownsburg Details: NASCAR will finally make its return to Hendricks County this year after a hiatus of more than 11 years. As a result, organizers expect this event to sell out quickly. Make sure to get your tickets soon for this historic event that will include a racing doubleheader. The ARCA Menards Series will kick off the night with the Reese’s 200, and then the NASCAR trucks will take center stage with 400 laps of racing.

North Salem Old Fashion Days When: September 3-5 Where: North Salem Details: This annual event takes over the entire small town of North Salem, transforming it into a three-day mecca of fun throughout Labor Day weekend.

Showcasing small-town Americana at its finest, this event features craft vendors, a large parade on Saturday morning, truck

JUNE 2022

and tractor pulls, a pizza-eating contest, and the popular bed races down Pearl Street on Monday, among many other activities.

Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals When: August 31-September 5 Where: Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Brownsburg Details: The most prestigious drag-racing event in the world occurs every Labor Day weekend in Brownsburg. Stars of the National Hot Rod Association do battle to claim their sport’s top prize. But this isn’t just an event for racing enthusiasts - visitors get unprecedented access to the drivers and their crews, as every ticket is also a pit pass. The event also provides a memorable experience for families with interactive activities for the kids and so much more.

So, even if you aren’t a race fan, I encourage you to give this event a try. You won’t be disappointed.

Sunflower Festival When: Mid-September (final date TBA) Where: Beasley’s Orchard, Danville Details: The date of the Sunflower Festival always hinges on Mother Nature and the farm’s sunflower crop, as organizers want the fields to be at peak perfection. Pencil it in for mid-September for now, and check out our website’s events calendar for updates. This event allows visitors to explore seven acres of sunflowers at Beasley’s Orchard while also picking their own stems. Yard games are also on-site, and the festival provides a popular time and location for photography.

Hendricks County International Festival When: October 1 Where: Talon Stream Park, Plainfield Details: This family-friendly, educational event honors and celebrates various cultures throughout the world through demonstrations, live entertainment including traditional dancing from other countries, food tastings, interactive booths, and so much more. In its third year, this event continues to grow in popularity.

Heartland Apple Festival When: October 1-2 & 8-9 Where: Beasley’s Orchard, Danville Details: Always held on the first two

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Ascension St. Vincent Brownsburg — 590 Pit Road, Brownsburg, IN 46112 Ascension St. Vincent Plainfield — 2155 E. Main St., Plainfield, IN 46168 Schedule your mammogram when most convenient for you. To schedule an appointment, call 765-560-0690 (Brownsburg) or 765-295-3400 (Plainfield) A 3D mammogram may require an additional fee if your insurance carrier does not cover the full cost.

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weekends in October, this annual tradition has become one of central Indiana’s most popular fall events. Packed with family entertainment, visitors can tour the orchard, take a hayride to the pumpkin patch, pick apples from the U-pick area, enjoy live entertainment, buy WE Accept most allfresh produce and other goods in a Civil WarInsurance includingera barn converted to a rustic market, and wind their way through a huge corn maze.

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held in many of our communities, the farmers markets, and so many more events and festivals. You can discover all the Hendricks County events coming up this summer and fall, as well as things to do, places to eat and so much more, at visithendrickscounty.com.

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LIFE IN THE FAST LANE

GLENN TIMMIS CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF WORKING THE INDY 500 AND MANY OTHER RACES Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided by Fred Kurtz

Raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Glenn Timmis had what some might describe as the perfect childhood. Glenn’s dad traveled five days a week, but his next-door neighbor was Ernie Flowers, the right-fielder for the professional men’s fast-pitch softball team, the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons. Across the street lived Harry Burden, a car salesman who did some race-car driving at the local level.

“Since dad was gone during the week, if Ernie wasn’t taking me to a ball game, Harry was taking me to a race,” says Glenn, now 84. Not surprisingly, Glenn developed an affinity for both sports but took a particular shine to the racetrack. In the 1940s his dad would take him to the Indianapolis 500 qualifications. He didn’t attend his first Indianapolis 500 race, however, until 1956 when he was a senior in high school. He attended 10 Indy 500 races as a spectator before he began working at the racetrack. In 1970 Glenn became an observer, a track official whose job entails standing next to the track wall with a headset and being the eyes and ears for race control.

volunteer organization.

“I was never paid a dime from USAC,” he says. “They gave us a meal ticket, but the cafeteria line was always too long to ever use it.”

He didn’t earn a wage at the Speedway until the Indy Racing League (IRL) took over in 1996, which later morphed into IndyCar in 2008. With the IRL, Glenn traveled to racetracks across the country including the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.

“I saw some great racing there,” he says. “When that green flag dropped, you held your breath until the end of the race. That was a cool racetrack and different from Indy because you could see all the way around it.”

“Essentially you’re an extension of safety, making sure the track is clean and that no issues arise,” says Glenn, a Hendricks County resident.

He traveled to Japan seven times.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has 15 observer stations, usually with two to a station. Observers are not to be confused with spotters, who work for the race teams to keep their drivers informed of their surroundings during a race. In 1971 Glenn worked for the United States Auto Club (USAC), the sanctioning body at the time for the Speedway. When Glenn worked with the USAC, it was a

Unfortunately, it was destroyed by a tsunami several years ago.

“That racetrack was super unique,” he says. “It was essentially on top of a mountain. Honda chopped off the top of the mountain and built a racetrack. It was an engineering marvel.”

It’s hard for Glenn to single out a favorite race.

JUNE 2022

“I can’t tell you the number of races where the winner was a blink of an eye,” he says. “A lot of them, you could throw a blanket over a dozen cars that were so close they could have shaken hands with each other.”

In October of 2011, Glenn was working as an observer at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He found an open space at the fence so he moved down to have a better line of vision.

“I saw two cars start to get a little bit out of shape at the end of turn two, so I got on the headset and said, ‘I have two cars,’” Glenn recalls. Then two more. Ultimately, 15 cars were involved in a wreck.

“Then I saw a car in the air and said, ‘Oh, my god,’” Glenn says. “I stepped back away from the fence because I knew there would be flying debris.”

Tragically, Dan Weldon, the 2005 and 2011 Indy 500 champion, perished in the crash. Glenn and his colleagues picked up parts of race cars outside of the fence for nearly an hour.

Glenn’s wife Mary didn’t go to that race, but when she learned that it had been red-flagged due to a bad crash in turn two, she began calling Glenn to be sure he was OK. His daughter Kim recalls a handful of times when she was in a panic, not knowing if her father was hurt.

“There’s an element of danger in this job,” Glenn says. “You don’t take your eyes off of the track and you don’t turn your back on a race car. You don’t dare hesitate in this job. If you do, it could kill you and certainly could kill other people.”

After one of Glenn’s friends got killed before qualification day in 1973, he vowed not to get personally attached to the drivers, as it was too heart wrenching. He spoke to most of the drivers through marshaling the green and yellow flags during Indy qualifications for 29 years.

“If you ask Roger Penske, A.J. Foyt or Bobby Rahal if they know Glenn Timmis, they would say, ‘Who?’” Glenn says. “But if you ask them about the guy who handled those flags for qualifications, they would say, ‘Oh yes, I remember him well.’ ”

JUNE 2022

Though he loved his job, Glenn always promised himself that he wouldn’t be a 70-year-old observer. When he reached his 70s, however, he changed his tune. Then he claimed he wouldn’t be an 80-year-old observer…and yet there he was, still at it when he was 82. Ultimately, in 2020, he decided to hang it up after a 50-year career.

“I like round numbers, and 50 seemed like a good time to go,” he says. Of course, he had no way of knowing that a global pandemic would serve to make his last race so anticlimactic.

The 2020 race had no spectators in the stands, and the workers all had to wear masks. His family was certainly disappointed.

“I had big plans for dad’s retirement and it all went up in smoke,” Kim says.

As for Glenn’s feelings on retirement, he has mixed emotions.

“I did what was right for me,” he says. “I did what was right for the IndyCar Series, but the adjustment sucks. I could see the light coming. It was like I’d crossed a finish line and I told my wife, ‘Even good things come to an end,’ but I miss the heck out of it.”

On the plus side, last year was the first time Glenn got to watch

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the race in the stands with his family. He hasn’t missed a race since 1963. As anyone who has attended the Indy 500 can attest, the atmosphere on race day is electric.

“When you see those 11 rows of three cars coming at you, it’s hard to describe the rush,” Glenn says.

Glenn is a member of the Oldtimers, which is for former Indy 500 workers. Members are required to have worked 20 years at the Speedway to be eligible. Glenn helped get the late Arthur Carter (Indiana’s own Tuskegee Airman) into the club. In 2014 Glenn proudly served as guardian for Carter’s Honor Flight to

Washington, D.C. Now that he’s retired, Glenn confides that he sometimes feels irrelevant, but nothing could be further from the truth. He’s beloved by countless people who appreciate him for countless reasons.

“My dad is such a wonderful guy and I feel so lucky to have him as my dad,” Kim says. “I’ve always said that Glenn Timmis is the ultimate nice guy. He is as humble as they come, but he’s left such a mark on the many people he has met along the way.”

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MAGAZINE

LIFE AFTER LOSS

FREELANCE WRITER PENS BOOK ABOUT GRIEF, HEALING & MOVING ON

Writer / Jamie Hergott Photography Provided

As a full-time freelance writer, Christy Heitger-Ewing is no stranger to sharing her true and authentic self with the world.

Ever since she was a child, she’s grown from writing short stories and comics to being published in more than 60 magazines and writing more than 2,500 magazine articles.

Heitger-Ewing, who regularly writes for Avon, Brownsburg, and Plainfield Magazines, recently published her 14th story for the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” collection, titled “Muted Joy.” It’s about one of life’s greatest pains - losing her mother.

“I’ve always been super transparent in my writing,” she says. “This story shares how I walked that path and started breathing, living and laughing again.”

When Heitger-Ewing first started freelance writing 18 years ago, she submitted article ideas to various magazines and anthologies, “Chicken Soup for the Soul” being one of them.

She was drawn to these publications because they are a collection of poignant stories written from personal life experiences, and it gave her an opportunity to share her life with others.

Many of her “Chicken Soup” stories center around her mother, Rozella, who was Heitger-Ewing’s biggest supporter in life.

“She was kind, gentle, generous and had the hugest heart,” she says. “Unfortunately, she also wrestled with clinical depression. Sadly, she lost that fight in April 2013. That’s when my world fell apart.”

After losing her mother to suicide, HeitgerEwing was plagued with agony, guilt, anger, JUNE 2022

sadness and confusion. The feelings were relentless, like the constant push and pull of ocean waves that cannot be contained. They were so overwhelming that she wasn’t sure she could bounce back from the pain.

Heitger-Ewing recognized that her mother’s generation did not speak of mental illness often. They especially did not share internal struggles with others. Her mother kept her pain to herself, and that is precisely why Heitger-Ewing has decided to write about anxiety and depression.

“It breaks my heart to think of her suffering in silence,” Heitger-Ewing says. “After she died, I became a huge mental health

awareness advocate and began volunteering with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). In the past nine years I’ve written a great deal about depression, anxiety and suicide because I want others to know they are not alone, that there is help available, and that people care.”

In “Muted Joy” she tells the story of how hopeless, helpless and lifeless she felt after her mother’s death. She shares the pain and path she walked, and she also shares

the life-giving tools she used to heal from that pain. One of those tools was a support group at Hendricks Regional Health in Danville. She said the group was her lifeline through the first two years after her mother died.

“It was my safe place where I could go and be in the company of others who knew exactly how I was feeling without me having to explain it,” Heitger-Ewing says.

“Again, it comes back to sharing honest,

JUNE 2022

true, real feelings.”

Heitger-Ewing wants others to know they are not alone. She is passionate about sharing the hope she found in her path of grieving. She recognizes grief can be deep and gut-wrenching, the kind that physically hurts. She knows that pain well, but she wants to let those who are grieving know that the degree to which the pain incapacitates you will not last forever.

“When you are struggling to eat or sleep or think or function, it will not always be that way,” Heitger-Ewing says. “You can’t skip it, go around it or pretend like it’s not there, or you’ll prolong the pain. If, however, you let yourself feel your feelings, if you find proper support systems, if you utilize tools to help you process your grief, slowly that pain begins to subside.”

Besides her support group, Heitger-Ewing leans heavily on her other go-to tools, such as exercising, journaling and volunteering.

These have all aided her in slow healing from her loss.

She feels that her story is particularly poignant during this time in history because there has been a spike in anxiety and depression across all demographics since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Enduring a sustained trauma is so hard on us psychologically,” she says. “I want people to recognize that it’s understandable if they are struggling. I want them to not be afraid to seek help from a mental-health professional.”

Heitger-Ewing also has much to live for and knows that life goes on after loss. She and her husband Eric have two sons and four rescue cats. Her passion for running and writing, both of which she does daily, are activities that feed her soul. At the height of her heartache, running helped her tap into her emotions while also giving her a break from the daily grind of grief.

“Being out in nature and putting in some quiet miles as tears streamed down my face was extremely cathartic,” she says.

Her love for human-interest stories has led JUNE 2022

her to contribute to a number of local and national publications, always wanting her writing to “inspire hope and uplift weary souls,” she says. “I share the good, the bad, the ugly, but also the beautiful. I don’t like fake. What’s the point in that? When we share our authentic feelings, that’s how healing happens.”

Visit her author website at christyheitgerewing.com.

Hendricks Regional Health’s support group for survivors of suicide loss meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. For more information, contact Sharon Samsell, bereavement and community support group coordinator, at 317-718-4360.

BACK AND NECK PAIN HOW YOUR DOCTOR CAN HELP

Writer / Dr. Nathan Prahlow, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physician at IU Health West Hospital Photography Provided

Back and neck pain seems to be a part of everyday life. It can originate from a variety of causes including sprains and fractures, dislocations, stress from overuse, obesity, infections, and disorders present at birth (congenital). It can cause mild to debilitating discomfort that impacts your ability to move or use your arms and legs.

Determining the cause of the pain and finding the right treatment option can help you get back to your normal activities.

A PHYSICIAN CAN HELP YOU DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PAIN.

Your spine has five sections of vertebrae the neck or cervical spine, the mid-back or thoracic spine, the lower back or lumbar spine, the base of the spine or sacrum, and the tailbone or coccyx. Pain generated from each area can have different causes. Some of the conditions that cause pain in these areas include muscle or ligament strain, disc

herniation and degenerative disc disease, sciatica, spinal stenosis, scoliosis, ankylosing spondylitis, spinal (or even some brain) tumors, torticollis and whiplash. To treat your back and neck pain, your physician must first determine the cause. They begin by using a combination of your medical history, a physical examination and basic diagnostic tests like X-rays. Once your physician determines the origin of your pain, they can work with you to develop the best treatment plan to address your specific condition and pain. This will often begin with physical therapy and may include medications.

as an electromyogram (EMG) to study nerve and muscle function, a myelogram to study your spinal cord, and nerve blocks to identify generators in the spine.

THERE ARE SEVERAL TREATMENT OPTIONS.

Your physician may prescribe a variety of medicines to reduce pain and inflammation of your spinal region. These can be taken orally, intravenously or by one of several pain management techniques. Physical and occupational therapy are utilized to restore you to pain-free movements and to strengthen your muscles. However, if regular medicines and physical therapy do TESTING MAY not improve your pain, your physician may BE NECESSARY. prescribe more advanced pain management Depending on your progress, your physician techniques. These include steroid injections, or neurosurgeon may use a variety of EMG-guided botulinum injections, and advanced tests to further look at your even implanted spinal cord stimulators and back and neck to diagnose the source of pain pumps. Surgery may also be an option your pain. These may include magnetic if recommended by your physician. resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scans. Sometimes even If you suffer from persistent back or neck more specialized tests may be obtained to pain, call your physician to learn about your better understand your condition, such options.

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HENDRICKS COUNTY SUMMER 2022 BUCKET LIST

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The snow has stopped, and summer is upon us. This Hendricks County Summer 2022 Bucket List will help you have tons of inexpensive fun. I can’t wait to see you around!

• • • • • • • • •

Shop local at a farmer’s market Enjoy Rib Fest Tour the B&O Trail Attend an event at Lucas Oil Stadium Watch the fireworks on Independence Day Go camping Cheer on the local 4-H kids at the Hendricks County Fair Ride bikes on the Vandalia Trail Have a water balloon battle with friends and family

• Go on a picnic • Admire the fancy cars at a First Friday Cruise-In • Get stuffed to the gills at the Amo Fish Fry Festival • Enjoy nature on a morning bird hike at McCloud Nature Park • Stay up late and stargaze • Attend a Game Night at Gibbs Memorial Park • Attend a Movie in the Park event • Visit a splash pad Let me know your favorite ways to enjoy Hendricks County so I can include them in my next Bucket List!

Claire-Ann is a West Side Realtor helping people make Hendricks County their home. You can reach her at 317-345-6640 or thepointinrealestate@gmail.com

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RICHARD CRAIG NAMED REGION 5 SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER OF THE YEAR lasting impression upon Avon’s students, staff and educators, but he is also making a worldwide impact Avon Schools Police Department School through his creative, compelling Resource Officer Richard Craig - @ use of TikTok. He joined the social TheOfficerCraig on TikTok - has been network to build connections with named Region 5 School Resource Officer students by meeting them where of the Year by the National Association of they are and, as illustrated in a recent School Resource Officers.

WRTV report, he now reaches more than 127,000 followers through the “I try to be the positive adult and role model platform. in students lives that I wish I would have had at their age,” Officer Craig says. “I was “We are proud of the dedication not perfect as a teen and often found myself Officer Craig shows to our kids, staff in trouble, mainly because I didn’t have and parents on a daily basis,” says positive guidance. I had great examples of Avon Schools Police Department what not to do. Young people are going to Chief Chase Lyday. make mistakes. We all do. However, we have to make it hard for them to fail. That is my Congratulations, Officer Craig! main objective.”

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They also perform at the Artsgarden, the Indiana State Museum, the Avon Christmas tree lighting, the Heritage Festival, the Avon Education Foundation, and the Lions Club.

The show choirs host a one-day kids camp where they teach elementary-aged students a song and dance, which they perform at halftime at a boys basketball game. The Allegros and Chamber Singers perform in the annual Madrigal Dinner. Choirs have also traveled to New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago to participate in competitions and festivals.

“We try to give our kids a well-rounded music education by teaching them to site read and by exposing them to all genres of music and composers,” says Leah Trigg, who began teaching choir at AHS in January of 2017. “We want them to be good at everything, not just one thing.”

AVON CHOIR STUDENTS EXPERIENCE SUCCESS, CAMARADERIE AND FUN Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided by Performing Arts Photography

Chamber Singers, Allegros, Accents, and Attraction.

When Rick Gamble first started teaching choir at Avon High School (AHS) 29 years ago, a total of 67 students were enrolled in three choirs. Today AHS has seven choirs, ranging from beginning to intermediate to advanced, with a total of 230 students. They include Oriole, Black & Gold, Symphonic,

The Avon choirs perform at concerts and community events throughout the school year. They put on a fall concert, a winter solace concert (in collaboration with the orchestra), a holiday concert, a preview concert, an organizational concert and a spring concert. Each one offers new music.

TownePost.com / JUNE 2022 / AVON MAGAZINE / 35

The choir room holds countless plaques and trophies the choirs have earned through the years. Their concert choirs have almost always finished in Group I, with outstanding sight-reading awards from the Organizational Festivals. The Chamber Singers have been grand champions numerous times at the Smoky Mountain Music Festival, and high finishers at Ben Davis, Pike, North Central and Mooresville.

They finished third in the ISSMA Concert Choir competition in 2019. The Allegros were ISSMA state champs four years ago.

The Accents, Allegros and Chamber Singers have been state finalists 17 times.

The choirs’ successes are due not only to inherent student talent, but also to the training they get from the Avon choral programming, starting before they enter high school. Erin Slavens directs the all-girls show choir and Attraction, and also teaches choir at Avon Intermediate School West.

Accents (the mixed show choir) has between 50 and 60 members. Attraction

has between 60 and 65 members. The show choirs compete in four to five Saturday competitions in January and February.

AHS also hosts the Avon Vocal Invitational, which draws in thousands of people each year. When show choir season is complete, they compete as a concert choir. This year, four concert choirs competed at the Group I ISSMA level.

“I tell the kids, ‘Our success is not determined by trophies but by work hard, having fun and delivering a good product,” Trigg says. “Trophies are icing on the cake.”

This year was the first time in the school’s history that both show choirs competed at state in the same year. Attraction placed second and Accents placed sixth. In addition, this past spring, several choirs traveled to Universal Studios to compete nationally. As the mixed show choir was waiting in line to enter the park, they got caught in a deluge just prior to their performance and had to perform their set

drenched from head to toe. Their spirit, however, wasn’t dampened. Kyler Casbon, who graduated from AHS last month, says his favorite memory from all his years in show choir was placing fourth in Orlando after performing soaking wet.

“One of the best lessons I’ve learned from show choir is to give 100% to everything you do in life, even in practice, even when you don’t feel like it, even when you’re struggling,” he says.

Choir teaches skills that one often can’t get in sports, because in choir, everyone’s in the game the entire time.

“There is no putting somebody on the bench if they’re not doing well,” Trigg says.

“You don’t take this alto that’s singing it wrong and say, ‘I’ll just put in another alto who’s doing it better tonight.’ I don’t just take the best five people like the basketball coach. We are all in, all the time.”

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When COVID-19 hit, choir programs everywhere had to assess how to safely sing.

Though the Avon faculty wanted to be sure they took every precaution necessary to ensure students’ physical health, they also recognized the importance of preserving mental health.

“All sense of normalcy was ripped away,” Trigg says. “We knew that if we took away choir, students would have nothing.” They wore masks, spaced themselves out and quarantined when necessary. But they never stopped performing.

“We’re grateful for the support of our administration and parents,” Trigg says.

“We also appreciate the Avon Choral Boosters, who raise money for the program in order to keep fees relatively low.”

Though any student is welcome to join choir at any time during their high school career, getting started early has its perks.

“I’m glad I got involved in sixth grade because it helps you get a head start on sight reading, rhythms and clefs,” Casbon says.

Abby Lex, who will be a junior at AHS this fall, recommends show choir to younger students because of the community it creates.

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“Older members are happy to show freshmen the ropes and teach them years of tradition,” Lex says. “It’s 60 immediate new friends, sisters and brothers.”

Dylan Hensley, who starts his junior year this fall, says prior to joining Avon choir, the only singing he did was in the car with his mom.

“My confidence has improved extremely as a result of show choir,” Hensley says.

“I feel so confident on stage and can fully express myself. I have the best time ever when I’m on stage.”

That’s what it’s all about.

“We try to make our choirs feel like a family,” says Slavens.

Not only is singing fun, but it can also be cathartic.

“Choir is a place where you can release all the emotions you have inside of you through your voice,” Slavens says. “When you’re taught how to do it well, there’s no other feeling like it.”

The camaraderie is also a big part of why students love choir. Slavens says that’s because music connects people.

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“Choral music has been a huge part of my TownePost.com / JUNE 2022 / AVON MAGAZINE / 37

life, one that I’ve been privileged to undertake at one of the best music high schools in the nation,” Gamble says. He’s seen his former students thrive musically. Two have pursued a career in opera, another went to work in the Big Apple, and three are currently teaching music in Indiana schools.

In addition, many students go on to sing in their university choirs.

“The Purdue Musical Organizations have joked that they should send a bus down for the number of kids who participate in their organizations,” Gamble says. Indiana University’s Singing Hoosiers group also includes many Avon alumni.

“These students aren’t necessarily studying music,” Trigg says. “They just love it so much that they wanted to continue it in college. That’s what we always hope for, that our students develop a lifelong love and appreciation for all kinds of music, because life is better when you have music in it.”

This summer, AHS show choirs are offering a oneweek camp for students in grades 3 through 8. To register for the camp or to learn more about AHS choir programs, visit avonchoirs.com.

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7840 E US Hwy 36 • (317) 742-7212 8411 Windfall Ln • (317) 821-2943

9045 Crawfordsville Rd • (317) 757-2620 Mon-Thurs 11am-10pm • Fri-Sat 11am-10:30pm • Sun 11am-10pm TownePost.com / JUNE 2022 / AVON MAGAZINE / 39

10% OFF To Go Order BEFORE SALES TAX With this Avon Magazine Coupon. Not Valid with Daily Specials or Other Offers.

One coupon per guest check. Expires 7-31-22.

“When it comes to my breast cancer, I choose to fight.

I just need to choose a team to help me win.”

Get unmatched access to Indiana’s top breast cancer surgeons.

Whether you have been recently diagnosed or are seeking a second opinion, you won’t have to wait to get Indiana’s best cancer care. Our highly skilled breast cancer surgeons are ready to see you now.

Recognized as having the best cancer care in Indiana.

Find a Breast Surgeon today.

Visit iuhealth.org/breastcancer.

Betty Fan, DO Fellowship trained breast surgeon Dr. Fan completed a breast surgical oncology fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic. She first practiced at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Dr. Fan strives to empower patients in their care through education and communication so that they can share in the decision-making during their breast cancer treatment. She currently serves on several national committees, including committees of the American Society of Breast Surgeons.

Dr. Fan is currently accepting new patients. Call today to schedule an appointment: 317.944.7874.

IU Health Physicians | Surgical Oncology | 1111 N Ronald Reagan Pkwy, Suite C1100 | Avon, IN 46123 | T 317.944.7874 F 317.968.1067 The office is located inside IU Health West Hospital, near the Women’s Center entrance.

40 / AVON MAGAZINE / JUNE 2022 / TownePost.com

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