Brownsburg Magazine April 2019

MAGAZINE

APRIL 2019

BROWNSBURG FIRE TERRITORY FIREFIGHTERS GIVE BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK, TALK SERVING THE COMMUNITY

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HEATING UP: BROWNSBURG FIRE TERRITORY FIREFIGHTERS GIVE BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK, TALK SERVING THE COMMUNITY

It’s not an easy schedule, but nothing about being a firefighter is easy. Working 24/48, firefighters with the Brownsburg Fire Territory come in at 7 a.m., work a full 24 hours and are off for 48 hours. Catching some sleep is no picnic, either, as firefighters must adjust to lying in a room that goes from pitch black and silence to bright lights and bells, then jump out of bed and gear up in a matter of seconds.

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APRIL WRITERS

Christy Heitger-Ewing / Jamie Hergott Gretchen Becker / Carrie Petty Stephanie Weber

APRIL PHOTOGRAPHERS Amy Payne

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23 Trendy In Indy: Five Wardrobe

Enhancing Education: Brownsburg Education Foundation Is Making a Positive Impact On District Schools

9 Sycamore Services: Local

Organization Fosters Confidence & Independence In Those With Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities

15 Business Spotlight: K1ds Count

26 Coping With Caregiver Stress 28 When Disaster Hits: The Medical

Reserve Corps of Hendricks County is Ready to Serve

33 Brownsburg Public Library Begins

Major Renovations

36 Heating Up: Brownsburg Fire

LLC Pediatric Therapy & Behavioral Services

April Gardening Bliss: Pruning &

Prepping

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Territory Firefighters Give Behind-the-Scenes Look, Talk Serving the Community

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Dr. Keith Huff, Medical Director of Immediate Care Centers and Occupational Health

Immediate care is for when you don’t have an emergency, but you want to see a doctor now. It’s perfect for cough, colds, flu, minor cuts, bites and rashes— and other times when your regular doctor isn’t available.

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Enhancing Education Brownsburg Education Foundation Is Making a Positive Impact On District Schools Writer / Gretchen Becker Photography provided by Brownsburg Education Foundation

To witness the impact of the Brownsburg Education Foundation (BEF), Brownsburg residents just need to step foot in any district school. Volunteers in Real Men Read recite tales to kindergarten students. Middle school boys receive lifechanging mentorship during Young Men of Purpose. High school photography students teach special needs elementary friends how to take photos.

Since it formed in 1987, the

Foundation has supported the Brownsburg Community School Corporation following the motto, Enhancing Education Together. The nonprofit foundation operates separately from the school corporation, says executive director Rene Behrend. The money raised all goes back into the schools in the form of grants and scholarships to enhance the curriculum and fund projects or programs that wouldn’t exist without the foundation funds.

“We fund things that are cut or aren’t part of the budget,” Behrend says. “We fill in the

gaps. We do special things that wouldn’t happen without our grants.”

The foundation works closely with the district’s administrative team so programs and tools they fund support the already existing curriculum. Recently, grants have funded work to refurbish a log cabin on district property that added a pioneer immersion experience for third-grade students. Others paid for classroom calculators, STEM club materials, musical instruments, elementary running club supplies and an

6 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / APRIL 2019 / BrownsburgMagazine.com

author visit.

Each school also has a representative who attends BEF board meetings and reports back, Behrend says.

Beth Oburn, Brownsburg High School Family & Consumer Sciences Department Head, serves in that role. She received a District Excellence Award in 2017-18 that provided new kitchen appliances and equipment for her students.

“Prior to their arrival, we were down to one food processor and a handful of blenders,” she says. “The others had parts that had become brittle and

broken off over the 30-plus years they were used. My students take more pride in the care of it than they did with our older equipment.

I have written several grants over the years, and I appreciate the continued support from Brownsburg Education Foundation in making teachers’ and students’ dreams possible through their annual grants.”

The foundation board and grant and scholarship committees determine where and how the money gets distributed, Behrend says. Backing comes from fundraisers, individual donors and corporate sponsorships.

School staff can donate through payroll deduction and that money goes toward senior scholarships.

When Kevin Kerzee moved to Brownsburg in 2015, started giving to the foundation to positively impact the community. He views his sponsorship as marketing dollars for his insurance

agency. He believes giving means much more than the dollar amounts on the checks he writes.

“This is an investment,” says Kerzee, who has two students in Brownsburg. “You can say it's giving. I see where the money goes and see the pride in our schools. I walk in a school, and right away it's a feeling of there’s no place I'd rather be than living in a town like Brownsburg. Education is the reason people come here.”

Kerzee sponsors three of the foundation’s fundraising events. At the annual gala, he also has fun dressing up as a crawfish to auction off a crawfish boil. As a board member, Kerzee has goals such as expanding the scholarship program and following up with seniors to see how the scholarships impact their education.

His favorite opportunities come when the foundation supports non-traditional clubs or teams.

success, but they had to wait up to a week for parts. Plus, the BEF grant helps stretch their budget.

“The CNC mill has exponentially expanded the capability of the team,” says chief engineer and 2019 senior Jon Miller. “This year we have created parts out of various metals, plastics and acrylics that are such high quality they will be used on the final robot.”

“The reason I’m doing this today is because somebody gave us a chance at some point,” Kerzee says. “It perpetuates the cycle. If I lose this passion for education and community activities, then I’m just in insurance.”

The BHS Robotics team, known by the names Team 3176 and Purple Precision, experienced the impact of a grant. The 2018-19 team purchased a CNC milling

machine to cut out parts they use to participate in the FIRST Robotics Competition.

Each year the team builds a robot to complete a specific task, says Harrison McCarty, BHS 2019 senior and team project manager. Previously the team, which operates like a small business on the $30,000 they raise, relied on area businesses to cut the parts from students’ calculations, McCarty says. This drove the team’s

Nathan Heidegger, volunteer co-sponsor and a Rolls Royce engineer says the machine gives students real-world experience and accurate prototypes to create a precision-manufactured part in a matter of minutes.

“The BEF grant was the catalyst that helped our team explore a brand-new design and manufacturing approach to creating parts for our robot,” Heidegger says. “Some of the team's corporate sponsors are local manufacturing firms and racing teams that have similar,

8 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / APRIL 2019 / BrownsburgMagazine.com

albeit more advanced in-house milling capability. With the BEF grant, now we can make a direct connection with what the students are exposed to on our team with professional STEM skills being used every day here in Brownsburg.”

Making real-world connections and celebrating success in education drew incoming board president Krista Tschaenn to volunteer with the foundation after attending the annual gala. Recently her middle school-aged son showed off a project he printed on a 3-D printer paid for with funding from a foundation grant.

“It’s exciting for me to see something he was excited about,” she says. “And I played a small part in that. A goal I would love to see happen is for every parent in the school system to be aware of the foundation, what BEF does and the impact the foundation has.”

Sycamore Services Local Organization Fosters Confidence & Independence In Those With Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities they began serving students with a wider variety of disabilities.”

As these children grew into adults, it was clear that additional services were needed. That’s how the employment services division got started. Sycamore Services branched beyond Hendricks County several decades ago and now serves close to 30 counties in central and southern Indiana.

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided

Times have changed, and that’s a good thing. Sixty years ago, those with developmental delays didn’t get much, if any, assistance to help them along the way in life. But in Hendricks County, at least, that all changed in the late 1950s when several families in Danville who had children with special needs joined forces to create an organization that would offer services to their sons and daughters. The group was formalized in 1959, and additional families joined.

Now known as Sycamore Services, Inc., it is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization devoted to providing individualized training and services to adults and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities by increasing their independence and enhancing their quality of life.

“In 1959, most of the children had intellectual disabilities,” says Aimee Ketterer, Sycamore Service’s Director of Community Relations & Business Solutions. “But as the needs and issues facing the kids in the group grew and changed, the group grew and changed, and

The organization provides a variety of services — everything from a First Steps program, which provides speech, physical, behavioral and occupational therapy to those up to age 18 to transition planning for older students, which are essentially supported internships where students learn job skills and work in the real world during their senior year. They have partnered with the state of Indiana government center downtown for Project Search.

“We had one student who went through the program working for Suzanne Crouch, an auditor for the state,” Ketterer says. “When Suzanne moved to the Lt. Governor’s office, she invited him to move with her because she said he was one of the best hires she’s ever had.”

APRIL 2019

Ketterer says they hear that same sentiment from many of their employers who are impressed with the work ethic they see from those with special needs.

“People with disabilities take their jobs extremely seriously and are very enthusiastic about doing a great job,” Ketterer says. “We hear time and again that they are among the best employees because their attitude is outstanding.”

Sycamore Services also offers a Day Series program, which is a type of supported work center that is designed for those who are more severely affected by their disability and therefore require more assistance on a regular basis.

Sycamore Services

The supported Work Center is in between Day Services and Employment Services.

About 70 adults come to the work center every day to learn job skills such as sorting, counting and packaging. It’s considered pre-vocational. Though some stay in the Work Center for decades, others ultimately transition into Employment Services and eventually land jobs in the community.

Sycamore Services also provides residential services for those who require some assistance with cooking, cleaning, budgeting and managing medical appointments. Finally, they provide respite care for primary caregivers so they can have a few-hour break to shop or just take time for themselves.

“People with disabilities are just like you and me in that they want to be a part of community and hold down a meaningful job,” Ketterer says. “They want to get up, go to work, be productive, live a normal life and have as much freedom as possible.”

Job coaches (called employment consultants) at Sycamore Services work one-on-one with applicants for a “discovery period” where they carefully prescreen applicants for employers to determine the best environment for them. The applicants may do some job shadowing, practice interviewing, conduct a skills assessment and even do a trial run with an employer.

“We identify their skills and interests and learn what motivates them,” Ketterer says.

“We ask, ‘What do you want to be? What APRIL 2019

do you want to do?’

“We want to help them grow and become more independent so we listen carefully to what they say,” Ketterer adds.

For instance, if somebody expresses an interest in washing dishes at a restaurant but they don’t have the speed necessary to work in a fast-paced environment, the job coach will assess their skills and guide them into something similar that is a better fit. The whole point is to help ensure that the applicant succeeds.

Last fall they placed a bright student named Ben in the kitchen of an assisted living facility. Though he had a photographic memory, he was directionally challenged, which made it difficult to deliver meal trays to residents given the number of hallways that all looked the same. Ben’s supervisors came up with a numbering system, labeling the food trays to correspond with the hallways, and it worked beautifully.

“The staff is thrilled and so is Ben,” Ketterer says. His supervisor told Ketterer that Ben says he wants to work there forever. He’s found his home.

Fite-Avon-Mag-4_75x7_125-OUTPUT-030119.pdf 1 3/1/2019 5:14:20 PM

“When we’re able to match up someone to a job that’s a great fit, it’s a beautiful situation all the way around,” Ketterer says.

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“Especially when you consider that we’re building confidence in these individuals because sometimes they have abilities that they, themselves, can’t see until we identify them.”

Ketterer shares the story of a nonverbal gentleman with autism who possessed an amazing ability for numbers and number sequences. He was placed in a role where he was able to identify a major computer glitch within the state’s system because he had memorized number sequences as he was doing data entry.

Anna is a true success story as she moved into her own apartment where she cooks her own food, does her own laundry and makes her own bed.

“He recognized that these numbers had come through before and that it was a huge programming error,” Ketterer says.

One of Ketterer’s favorite stories is of Anna, a woman in her mid-30s with Down Syndrome who started out working with Sycamore’s Day Services with the long-term goal of finding a job and living on her own.

“After a few years of working in Day Services, her personality started to bloom,” Ketterer says.

She landed a job bussing tables at Chili’s and this past year was promoted to hostess.

“She’s so excited that she gets to work up front and greet people as they come in,” Ketterer says. “She has the neatest personality. She’ll talk your ear off, which is funny when you think of how shy she was initially.”

“Think about how differently things would have gone for someone like Anna 50 years ago,” Ketterer says. “A lot of people never would have given her a chance. She might have been institutionalized or lived with family her whole life and no one would have given it a second thought. It’s amazing how far we’ve come and the opportunities we’ve been able to provide for people with special needs. Because it’s not all about the disabilities. They really do have amazing abilities.”

Sycamore Services, Inc. is located at 1001 Sycamore Lane in Danville. For more information, visit sycamoreservices.com or call 317-745-4715.

APRIL 2019

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K1DS COUNT LLC PEDIATRIC THERAPY & BEHAVIORAL SERVICES 1353 East Main St. Brownsburg 317-520-4748 kidscounttherapy.com

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography / Jenna Mason & Amy Payne

Lindsay Knez has had a passion for working with children with autism since she was a teenager. She worked her way through college as a Community Living Specialist at a group home for children with autism. During this time, she discovered that many children with autism struggle with communication, which prompted her choice to pursue a career as a speech-language pathologist. After earning her master’s degree in speech-language pathology, she felt blessed to find a position at a large residential facility for children with autism. Her caseload consisted of approximately 60 children with severe autism during her years at this facility.

“I took pride in helping the children find their “voice” whether it was through speech, PECS or a communication device,” Lindsay says.

“However, problem behaviors often interfered with learning during therapy, which is why I returned to school to become a boardcertified behavior analyst or BCBA.” Lindsay always had a passion to own a business similar to where she worked in college, a place that could holistically serve children.

After driving past an old farmhouse for sale in Brownsburg for two years with a dream to serve kids, she and her husband, Frank, knew it was the perfect place. In January 2015, they opened K1ds Count LLC with a goal to provide pediatric speech, occupational, physical and ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) therapy services.

Initially, K1ds Count consisted of one house that was used APRIL 2019

primarily for ABA, speech and occupational therapy. The couple soon realized, however, that the needs of the community were much bigger than what just one house could serve.

“We felt a calling to do more so that we could help as many families as possible,” Frank says.

Today, K1ds Count has grown from a farmhouse into a small campus of blue buildings on Main Street in Brownsburg with a second facility in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Together the two locations serve approximately 100 children in the autism services program and approximately 300 children within the outpatient speech, occupational and physical therapy program.

K1ds Count’s ABA and autism services program focuses on teaching children speech, language, social, play and daily living skills while also decreasing barriers to learning through consistent application of ABA principles and strategies. Each building on the K1ds Count campus simulates different settings, including an actual house as well as two other buildings with classrooms, to assist in generalizing skills to the natural environment. The children have many opportunities to engage in group learning with peers throughout the day.

“We look to add an additional classroom to Brownsburg this year,” Lindsay says.

All children with autism in the ABA program also receive speech and occupational therapy regardless of insurance coverage. A collaborative approach to serving each child is such an important part of the K1ds Count mission. It takes a whole team to reach each milestone, big and small. That team consists of the child, family, RBT (registered behavior technician), BCBA, speech therapist, occupational therapist, physical therapist and teacher.

“We want our therapists to feel that they have not just a team, but an extended family at K1ds Count,” Frank says. “They lean on each other each day to serve not only children and families but also each other."

K1ds Count cares about each team member’s personal and professional development as well as their feedback to continue making K1ds Count the best employment experience possible.

Each quarter, K1ds Count administers anonymous surveys to gain feedback from all team members.

“That feedback has really taken our culture to the next level,” Frank says.

Throughout the year, K1ds Count hosts multiple events that are open to all children — children at K1ds Count as well as all children in the community. For instance, they invite the APRIL 2019

“Lindsay and I want to thank all of the

community to Fall Fest, Bubble Day and Doughnuts with Santa (which attracted a whopping 250 people in 2018).

“It is important for us to be invested in the community we serve,” Lindsay says.

In addition, K1ds Count provides parent training for families at K1ds Count and will soon provide open house training for all parents in the community. These trainings include BCBAs, speech therapists, occupational therapists and physical therapists as well dentists, dietitians, financial specialists and more. The training consist of booths that focus on a variety of topics related to autism.

“Parent training is a fundamental part of our program,” Lindsay says.

“It is important for parents to attend the group and community training we put on, but we also provide individualized training on the child’s treatment and behavior intervention plans at the center.”

Frank and Lindsay, parents to sons Franklin (4) and twins Asher and Oscar (3), are sure to also keep K1ds Count moms and dads in the loop through daily communication with therapists, monthly newsletters and social media.

“It’s important that parents know and understand the goals that their child is working on as well as what goes into that behavior intervention plan so they can carry those out outside of this environment,” Frank adds. “The end goal is for the child to be successful at home, at school and in the community.”

Through the years, Frank and Lindsay have witnessed a transformation in the children they have served.

Kids may come into therapy at K1ds Count without basic communication, play or social skills. These difficulties lead to frustration and sometimes problem behaviors. Give them time at APRIL 2019

parents that trust our Team to serve their child and recognize our Team of talented, caring, hard working, and committed people that allow K1ds Count to provide quality services, be a purposeful and fulfilling working environment, and positively impact our local communities."

- Frank Knez

K1ds Count, however, and that can change. Though every child walks a different path, many see improvement. In fact, many children have transitioned out of therapy and successfully into a school setting. Also, several of their older children participate in vocational opportunities at the 1911 Grill in Speedway, helping with various restaurant tasks.

Another helped the Brownsburg Parks & Recreation Department plant flowers last summer.

Lindsay has one student whom she has worked with since he was seven years old, before K1ds Count even existed.

“He proudly tells people he was the first K1ds Count kid,” Lindsay says. “Now he drives a car and has grown to become a peer mentor.

Last year, he was employed here for his first real summer job. That was really cool to see.”

Over time, Frank and Lindsay have established strong partnerships with the Brownsburg School Corporation, the Town, the Parks & Recreation Department and, of course, all of the K1ds Count families.

“No one organization can do it alone,” Frank says. “It’s been an overwhelmingly welcoming experience, and, going forward, we want to make things even better.”

K1ds Count is located at 1353 E. Main Street in Brownsburg. For more information, visit kidscounttherapy.com.

APRIL 2019

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We have been in the lead of using more biology and less chemistry. One of our founders is an Agronomist from Purdue, a soil scientist. He works with the team at TLC and with various manufacturers, distributors and developers of lawn products to find the right products and combinations to build the soil.

We are utilizing biology to replace some of the chemistry as we build the soil.

Many of the newer lawns have poor soil, a clay-pea gravel mix that leaves a lot to be desired. These soils have low nutrient value as well as they bind up the nutrients that tend to be there. Just using organic fertilizers doesn’t help reduce the amount of nitrogen being put on the lawns, it’s just another form of it.

With the use of only organic fertilizers, we still have that whole nitrogen cycle which ends up with ammonification and nitrates into the water system.

By using biosolids and a variety of things like kelp, humic and fulvic acids, amino acids, mychorrhizea, micro nutrients and other ingredients we are increasing the microbial activity in the rhizosphere.

When we increase the microbial activity we are getting nutrients released from the soil which are then more readily available to the turf plant through its root system.

The soil and the root system both have a negative charge, and when we can break off these nutrients with a positive charge from the soil they can then be taken up by the root system. By adding carbon into the soil we increase the surface area where these nutrients can also be stored and not just passed through the soil. Some of these products also cause small microfractures of the soil particles leading to more surface area to hold onto these nutrients as well.

We practice IPM, Integrated Pest Management, and with our low pressure, low volume applications we can reduce our pesticides as well. We have a great team. Many of our team members have been with us for more than five years, up to 25. We have seven guys with more than 25 years of experience in the field.

APRIL GARDENING BLISS: PRUNING & PREPPING Writer / Carrie Petty

April bring us 30 days of pure gardening heaven, you know why? Because you are in the honeymoon phase, with dreams of all the good things to come, and let’s face it — we are all glad winter is almost over.

Brutal! But you must proceed with a bit of gardener’s cautions, our last hard frost date in the area is always around May 15. I plant like a seasoned gambler, keeping lots of old sheets on standby for frost protection.

If there is one thing you will do in the garden this month is work your tail off!

Get outside and clean up that winter debris all over the ground and begin to uncover the little green spouts that are underneath all the months of brown. There are many good things to be found in the garden and even some spring blooms. Bulbs will begin to emerge and the buds on most blooming trees and bushes will begin to swell. I fertilize absolutely everything in the month of April. You can get a jump-start on all the spring chores this month, giving you more time to enjoy May and June.

Pruning trees and bushes is a perfect first garden chore. Just be sure not to prune early flowering varieties. Like, Fortyish,

APRIL GARDEN CHORES • Go for a walk in the woods to view the spring flowers blooming.

• Fill your containers with pansies before annuals arrive in May. • Give your home a deep clean.

• Fill your water features after a good cleaning.

• Weed, edge, mulch…repeat.

• Get hoses out of storage and turn on outside spigots.

• Toss out any old tools, hoses and gardening pots. Not worth the effort.

• Make new plants by dividing big clumps of perennials.

Azalea, Rhododendron, Lilac, Dogwood trees or Redbud trees until AFTER they bloom. They all bloom on “old wood” or last season’s growth. You do not want to cut off your blooms.

I love the Fiskars line of pruning tools.

Sharp and clean blades are a must. And make sure when you make a cut, to make it 0.25 inches above a “bud union” (That place where you see a swell in the branch) APRIL 2019

• Feed lawns, weed application and mow.

• Continue sowing seeds indoors.

• Divide early blooming bulbs and replant.

• Feed roses.

• Spray fruit trees.

• Wash garden furniture.

• Power wash and stain deck.

• Be prepared for hard freezes and frost with extra bed sheets for coverage.

• Enjoy the month and begin entertaining outdoors!

and always cut at an angle to allow rainwater to run off the freshly cut opening, so not to cause rot and disease. Then I add a little 10-10-10 granular fertilizer to the base of the tree and make sure there is no mulch touching the base of the trunk.

Pruning does a couple of things. It helps to encourage new growth. It cuts out any dead or broken branches, and, most importantly, it maintains the shape of the plant. It is a

wonderful way to get up close and personal with your trees and bushes, to really observe closely the branching order of things and make a few adjustments. Just like people, we all need a little pruning!

For us, May 15 is ‘go time.’ That is the date when you can safely plant your annuals in the ground or sow seeds directly into the soil without the fear of a hard frost. So think of it this way, April is for prepping and May is for planting. But like I said, I am a bit of a rebel, and I start much earlier, and if a threat presents itself, I just cover up what I have put down.

Flowers bring extra beauty and happiness into our world, and the best kind of flowering plant is the kind that keeps coming back year after year. I have an entire garden bed dedicated to my favorite — The Perennial. Growing Perennials are one of the easiest ways to garden.

I have more than 40 varieties of perennials in my yard, I just love them because they give me a great ‘cutting’ selection all growing season long in which to make beautiful floral arrangements. Because for me, in the summer months, entertaining and gardening life go hand in hand.

DIVIDING PERENNIALS IS SIMPLE, REALLY: Take your garden spade and dig around the plant and push the spade down under the root ball, then lift up. Keep repeating until you can lift the entire plant out of the ground. Then, take a dividing tool, or two garden pitch forks and work your way through the center of the plant, making new little plant starts. Keep greens and root connected in large chunks of divisions and you will have great success. Now, plant. Just like any new nursery purchase. Dig your hole and plant your new division, be sure to keep the top of the root ball flush with the top of your newly dug hole. Press soil in around the new plant and water in well. You are good to go!

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Stephanie Weber, Trendy In Indy

F I V E WA R D R O B E T R E N D S TO T R Y T H I S S P R I N G

Writer / Stephanie Weber Photographer / Meryl, Lesley Jane Boutique

At this point in Indiana, most of us are happy to be packing up our Sherpas for the spring and breaking out the sandals and sundresses. The hype surrounding spring style is astounding as these trends are known to set the tone for what we might see the rest of the year.

You’ve probably noticed your favorite retailers highlighting their popular floral prints, best-selling sandals and bringing back rompers. Some spring trends may never die, while others just seem to be accentuated for the year. Read on for five spring trends to try for 2018 and how you can incorporate them into your wardrobe.

1. PASTELS Yellow, pink, purple, mauve, light blue, powder blue, lilac, blush. Whatever you want to call it, if it’s light and reminds you of coloring Easter eggs, it’s in. I personally lean towards the blush trend more than any as I feel like it’s one that’s versatile. You can transition it to summer, fall and winter with different layering pieces. Who doesn’t love a basic you can wear all year?

That being said, since the Pantone Color of the Year is Ultra Violet, we are seeing a huge influx of lavender for spring. It dominated the runways seen in shows such as Michael Kors and Victoria Beckham. You can find lavender tops and dresses at many of our local retailers.

APRIL 2019

Pastels are great to wear with light denim, distressed denim and white bottoms. Pair these with your favorite taupe or cognac sandals.

2. WINDBREAKERS What goes around comes back around and the windbreaker is no different. We started to see this 90s fashion comeback in 2017, but this year it seems that these jackets are a wardrobe must. I think this trend is one that anyone can try because it’s the definition of functional fashion.

Windbreakers are just good to have on those chilly, rainy spring days.

I’m planning to sport one with a graphic tee, light wash distressed denim and my Adidas

sneakers. Windbreakers are a great compliment to the athleisure trend, perfect for those who have a more casual sense of style.

3. WHITE We often relate white pieces to events surrounding a wedding or to those family beach pictures where everyone is a little sunburnt. But this year, head to toe white is a fashion statement I encourage you to try.

Even I wasn’t sure how I felt about this trend at first due to my fair skin and eating-on-the-go lifestyle.

However, this color is timeless and encompasses those basic pieces we all need in our closets. If white on white scares you, try implementing it in various staple pieces.

For example, I love the white dress I’ve featured here from Lesley Jane. I could pair it with a white sandal, but I could also pair it with taupe, cognac or something more colorful to break it up.

4. PRINTS We’re seeing everything from florals to stripes to bold check prints. I find myself wandering through stores, ending up at the register with all stripes. I love that prints add so much to a simple look. You can use these pieces to layer or stand alone.

I know not everyone loves those bold floral prints, and I want you to know you are not alone. Although I will say, these are fun for a beach getaway. If florals are too much for your style, stripes are a good print go-to.

5. FLATS AND PLATFORMS Popular spring shoes include sandals, casual sneakers, flats, wedges and ankle booties. While I love all of those, we are seeing an increasing demand this year for flats and platforms. Steve Madden is my man for shoes.

I know the quality, I know how they fit and I know I will wear them. Dolce Vita and Franco Sarto are two other brands I love.

I suggest investing in some type of neutral flat, like mules or loafers, that you can dress up or down.

Platforms are a great option if you want something with a little height that’s more comfortable than a stiletto.

Spring fashion gives us an opportunity to try something new. I’d challenge you to pick a couple of these trends, head to your favorite local retailer and invest in some new pieces. You might never have guessed you’d fall in love with a white dress paired with a cognac platform sandal.

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Coping With Caregiver Stress Coping With Caregiver Stress If you help a loved one who is elderly, ill or disabled, you are a caregiver. Even though the bathing, feeding and other assistance you provide is a labor of love, this "job" can take its toll on you.

When caring for loved ones, it’s common for caregivers to put their own health and wellness aside, putting them at risk for many other health problems. Michelle Hoy, oncology social worker at IU Health West Hospital, offers the following advice to help caregivers cope with stress.

Take Care of Yourself It's important that you manage your stress and protect your health. Don't forget the following: •Get enough sleep, eat well and schedule regular health appointments.

• If you work, talk with your boss

about designing a work schedule that allows flexibility for your caregiver tasks.

• Research FMLA benefits that might help protect your job and offer the freedom you need to care for your loved one.

• Set aside time for regular exercise.

• Keep up your hobbies, interests and friendships. If it’s difficult to leave your family member, ask friends to come over for dinner or a movie.

• Join an in-person or online support group.

• Realize that it's okay to lose your patience sometimes. Vent your feelings to a trusted friend or keep a journal.

• Be aware of the signs of depression, such as crying, loneliness and changes in sleeping or eating habits. Talk to your doctor if you notice signs.

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• Spread the Responsibility You can quickly burn out if you try to do everything yourself. Reach out for help when you can, and consider the following tips: • Develop a schedule that spreads the caregiving or household chores among other family members and friends. For example, ask older children to help feed a disabled or ill relative. This helps you, and it helps children build empathy and a sense of responsibility.

• Take the time to pinpoint those aspects of caregiving that seem the most difficult and demanding. You may find that

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When Disaster Hits The Medical Reserve Corps of Hendricks County is Ready to Serve Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided

O

n September 11, 2001, thousands of volunteers showed up at the World Trade Center in New York City, desperate to offer help. But given the mass chaos and the fact that folks lacked identification, credentials and an organized plan of attack, many well-meaning citizens were turned away.

Following this national tragedy and its aftermath, the Citizens Corps Council was formed and, as a byproduct of that, the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) — with a purpose to organize and train groups of volunteers to aid existing community response teams in the event of national, regional or local emergencies.

time recruiting people to get involved with the MRC.

According to Jeff Corder, the Public Health Preparedness Coordinator of the Hendricks County Health Department, a total of 900 units exist across the country with upwards of 200,000 volunteers. Prior to Corder’s current position, he was a Brownsburg firefighter for 25 years so he knows what it is to jump in and take charge during disasters.

Another reason folks are sometimes reluctant to volunteer is because they fear that in the event of a county disaster, they will be expected to abandon their families to come volunteer, but that’s not the case.

Having said that, volunteers should take their commitment seriously.

“When tragedy strikes, people often show up wanting to help, like with 911,” Corder says. “Those are what we call ‘spontaneous unaffiliated volunteers.’ We like to have affiliated volunteers who have background checks and have been trained beforehand so that they know what to do and we can organize them.”

The Medical Reserve Corps of Hendricks County, created in 2007, has had as many as 230 members and as few as 25. They currently have 50 and are always in search of more. Therefore, Corder spends a lot of his

“I think there’s often a hesitancy because of the term ‘medical.’ People assume they need a medical background to participate, but they don’t,” Corder says. “And Reserve Corps sounds military, which also is misleading.”

He stresses that they welcome people of all vocations — everyone from translators to veterinarians, electricians to construction workers, valets to amateur radio operators.

“Anybody and everybody can help out in a disaster situation,” Corder says.

Part of Corder’s job is making sure he has sites identified as Points of Dispensing (PODs) in the event of a public health emergency. For instance, if there is an exposure to a toxic element that requires mandatory countywide vaccinations in a short period of time, the MRC aids in that effort by supplementing the health department to staff PODS around the county. The main one they use is the Hendricks County Fairgrounds, though there are four schools in the county they use as well. It takes 42 people to staff one POD.

APRIL 2019

The question Corder gets the most is, “How is the Medical Reserve Corps different than the Red Cross?”

“People are confused because we do similar things,” Corder says.

And that’s precisely what he likes. In fact, when he first came on staff, he immediately met with a Red Cross representative to draft a letter of agreement between the two entities that stated that in the event of a disaster, the groups would work together to provide relief to those in need.

“I said, ‘I don’t want to see the MRC volunteers over here and the Red Cross volunteers over there,” Corder says.

“I wanted us to collaborate and share resources.”

Therefore, they run joint meetings and training sessions so MRC people know how to set up Red Cross shelters and Red Cross people know how to assist in Points of Dispensing.

“We’d like to have enough volunteers to set up at least two PODS,” Corder says.

The PODs can be set up for volunteers to distribute medication but can also be modified to hand out food, water, blankets or other essential items.

Corder enjoys working with all demographics, though most of his leadership consists of retired doctors, nurses and dentists who are eager to give back to the community. Retired physician Bruce Matis joined the MRC because he saw a great need for supplemental assistance in the case of a community catastrophe.

“I want the highly trained emergency personnel to be able to use their skills instead of doing jobs others can do,” Matis says. “In an operating room, one does not have five surgeons involved in a procedure but others assisting the highly trained surgeon. This way more can be accomplished.”

APRIL 2019

Corder encourages his volunteers not only to get involved in Hendricks County but all across Indiana. SERVE Indiana has a state of emergency registry of volunteers to pull from in the event of state disasters (called Emergency Management Assistance Compacts or EMAC requests).

For instance, following Hurricane Florence, 10 Indiana nurses traveled to North Carolina to lend a hand. A group of volunteers also were summoned to the U.S. Virgin Islands after Hurricane Maria hit. And during the wildfires in California, MRC units set up medical clinics.

Tornadoes and floods are the two most common disasters Hoosiers face, followed closely by power outages caused by winter storms or excessive heat in the summer. The MRC not only prepares for such events but they also plan for the potential for hazardous materials spills on major highways.

“We have I-70 and I-74 so there’s the chance for such incidents,” Corder says.

A big part of Corder’s job is simply letting the public know the purpose and mission of the MRC. “I’ll be honest. I didn’t know the MRC existed when I was a firefighter,” says Corder, who now attends fairs, festivals and other community outings to spread the word.

Joe Valorani joined the MRC when he heard that Corder was looking for someone to head up a disaster animal response team. A passion of Valorani’s for the past five years, he took a class on how to decontaminate animals.

“Jeff saw us working on the IMPD horses. Shortly after he asked me to head up HART, Hendricks Animal Rescue Taskforce,” Valorani adds.

Corder knows that a lot of people won’t

evacuate if they can’t take their pets with them. So, he wants to set up animal shelters near human shelters. Plus, if there was a situation with a lot of human fatalities, what would become of their pets? Given that Animal Control is at capacity, Corder has met with different organizations within the county, including the Humane Society, the State Board of Animal Health, Misty Eyes Animal Shelter and other animal rescue groups to determine what can be done.

“When I’m out at festivals or fairs, you would be surprised how many people tell me, ‘I’m just not as much into people as I am into animals. If you had something for animals, I’d be interested in volunteering,’” says Corder, who is trying to use Hendricks County as a model for setting up an animal response team. The State Board of Animal Health maintains that they would like to get every county

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Earlier this year, the MRC began retooling their volunteer system in Hendricks County in hopes of attracting additional volunteers.

“Basically, people put in an application, get a background check done, do some basic incident command training online and then are sent to where their interest lies in volunteering,” Corder says. “This will allow more people to volunteer across more areas to be useful for us in a disaster situation.”

If you are 18 years or older and would like to learn more about how to volunteer with the MRC of Hendricks County, email mrc@co.hendricks.in.us or call 317745-9214. The Medical Reserve Corps of Hendricks County is located at 355 S. Washington St. #210 in Danville.

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Brownsburg Public Library Begins Major Renovations Writer / Jamie Hergott Renderings by krM Architecture

The Brownsburg Public Library is undergoing some big changes this year, but it’s spearheaded by a woman who has been there for more than 30 years. Denise Robinson has been the Brownsburg Library Director since 2014, but her roots at this library started in 1986 when she was a junior in college and worked as a page shelving books.

Robinson nearly diverted from her path in library services in college. She got her business degree from IUPUI and considered accounting. But she began to consider the work, the hours and the clientele, and she remembered how much she loved being at the library.

Denise Robinson

BrownsburgMagazine.com / APRIL 2019 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / 33

34 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / APRIL 2019 / BrownsburgMagazine.com

“I decided to get my master’s in Library Science,” Robinson says. “I never looked back. I love reading, but I also love our atmosphere and everyone’s desire to serve here. What we do helps people, and it’s very rewarding.

opportunities at the library.

Over the years, Robinson worked her way up. She began as a page shelving books, and from there, she moved on to customer service. She stepped into bookkeeping for 10 years and then served as assistant director for 10 years. In 2014, the director at the time retired and Robinson was hired.

During renovation, Robinson’s goal is for the work not to impact the public in any way.

One of the biggest projects on Robinson’s plate right now is the long-awaited renovation taking place at the library. These improvements were planned specifically for this year because the library’s bond ending in 2019 allowed them to issue a new bond, which lets taxpayers keep the same tax rate and not pay any additional money for these improvements.

Patrons can expect all programming and schedules to continue as usual this year as renovations are being completed.

When the Brownsburg Library underwent its last renovation 20 years ago, it doubled in size from 25,000 to 50,000 square feet.

Robinson says the current renovation won’t add space as much as it will change the space. This reflects the morphing of public libraries over the years from a place to get books into community hubs.

Leslie Smyser, who has worked at the Brownsburg Library for 34 years, has noticed the change and feels the renovation will contribute to the community feel of the library.

“The library has changed a lot,” Smyser says. “It was a place to come and borrow books. Now, the patrons still borrow books, but they will stay for hours. And we have so much more to offer: computers, internet, meeting rooms, tech help, movies, ebooks, free notary, rokus hot spots and so much more.”

“I feel like the patrons are going to be like ‘Wow, we have a great library in our community,’” she says.

“Some things might move around, but it will all be accessible during the entire project. That’s our number one goal,” she says.

As a Brownsburg High School graduate, Robinson is happy to be a part of the community she grew up in. Her goal is to retire from the library. One thing she loves most is that every day is different and, with these renovations underway, that’s even more the case this year.

“I come with my list, and it never gets done,” Robinson says. “I do a lot of paperwork and prepping for board meetings, but sometimes I get to cover the desk, work the return room or shelf books. Some days I get the ability to do what I want and connect with people. I love this work. I love this environment. I love who we work with, and I love who we serve. I specifically like Brownsburg because it has a great culture and the community is awesome.”

While the ultimate scheduled date for completion is November 7, the Children’s Wing will be completed by April 30 just in time for the summer reading program to begin on June 1.

The Brownsburg Public Library is located at 450 South Jefferson Street. For more information, give them a call at 317-852-3167 or visit them online at bburglibrary.net.

The outside trombe wall along the west side will be dismantled and become a glass wall. All of the bathrooms, storage space, library shop and staff areas along that wall will move interior, and the area along the glass wall will be public space. The rest of the library will get new carpet, new flooring and LED lighting. While the library currently has a lot of wood finishes with warm, cozy colors, the new look will be clean, modern and neutral with a more contemporary style.

The number of study rooms will triple from three to nine, and they will be updated. The teen and tween program area will also be updated and more inviting for that age group by having a larger, more defined space. The book stacks will also have a better flow, and the Children’s Department will get a facelift.

The library celebrated its centennial birthday last year, and to preserve some of its history, there will be a brand-new storage and collection space for those interested in the past, where the library started and the history of the town including old photographs.

Smyser feels the changes will improve the look and the BrownsburgMagazine.com / APRIL 2019 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / 35

36 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / APRIL 2019 / BrownsburgMagazine.com

BROWNSBURG FIRE TERRITORY FIREFIGHTERS GIVE BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK, TALK SERVING THE COMMUNITY Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photographer / Amy Payne

I

t’s not an easy schedule, but nothing about being a firefighter is easy. Working 24/48, firefighters with the Brownsburg Fire Territory come in at 7 a.m., work a full 24 hours and are off for 48 hours.

Catching some sleep is no picnic, either, as firefighters must adjust to lying in a room that goes from pitch black and silence to bright lights and bells, then jump out of bed and gear up in a matter of seconds.

“It’s an adrenaline rush for sure,” says Captain Ryan Miller, Brownsburg Fire Territory’s Public Information Officer. “But it’s all worth it to get to serve the public.”

The Brownsburg Fire Territory has three fire stations. Station 131, the largest of the stations, is located on Main Street, Station 132, built in 1995, is at 267 and 1000 North, and Station 133, the newest, is at 650 N and CR 1000 E, close to the rapidly growing area of Ronald Reagan and 56th Street.

They’ve renovated the sleeping areas in Station 131, changing them from a 14-bed open bunk room into dorm-style sleeping quarters.

This not only allows firefighters to snooze more soundly but they have also installed individualized alerting systems, which means that only those who need to be are alerted. In other words, if the medic truck is going on a run, those on the engine won’t be awoken.

Down the line, they may refurbish Station 132. According to Miller, they haven’t yet done so because they want to be fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars.

we furnish our homes with is made out of synthetics — furniture, clothing, carpet fibers. Plus, often structures are wrapped in vinyl siding.

“You combine that with all of the other plastics in the home and these fires are burning a lot hotter and faster than in the past,” Miller says.

Due to the materials that are burning, firefighters have been exposed to more carcinogens, resulting in a spike in cancer. According to Miller, research has found that the black hoods firefighters wear over their head and ears to prevent burns absorbs a lot of carcinogens.

Before learning this, following a fire, many firefighters would pull the hoods down around their throats where carcinogens absorbed into their bodies. They now educate firefighters to immediately throw their hoods into a dedicated bin for cleaning and decontamination.

“We’re trying to implement best practices to protect our people in the long term,” says Chief Larry Alcorn of the Brownsburg Fire Territory, who recently Full service landscape company lost a

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“When someone dials 911, they are likely having the worst day of their life,” Miller says. “When that day comes, we want to be sure we have the absolute best equipment, coupled with the best training so that we can provide the best service possible to our community.”

Through the years, both fires and firefighting have dramatically changed. Decades ago, houses were made out of real wood and furniture was made of natural materials. Today, however, everything

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In addition, technology has improved with devices built into their air tanks that enable crew members to locate one another should someone go down in a fire. Their turnout gear now offers better thermal protection, allowing firefighters to stay in hazardous environments for longer periods of time.

“There’s an ongoing discussion throughout the fire service pertaining to whether or not this is a good thing,” says Miller, who has been with the Brownsburg Fire Territory for 20 years. “While it allows us to get further back into buildings, sometimes that can prove dangerous.”

Recently, the Brownsburg Fire Territory started implementing drone technology to aid in search and rescue missions.

“We can get a bird’s eye view of an area, which allows us to cover ground faster,” Miller says.

Last year the Brownsburg Fire Territory had a total of 3,765 runs. Their calls range from the mundane to the miraculous. They field what they refer to as “smells and bells”—where someone sniffs an odor that worries them or an alarm of some sort sounds. Often these calls turn out to be someone using a charcoal grill in their backyard or burning garbage illegally. Other times massive flames are shooting through every window of a house.

They also respond to accidents and predicaments. For instance, one time a woman called, frantic because her puppy’s head had gotten stuck in the iron legs of a coffee table. Another day firefighters revived a cardiac arrest patient who had been declared clinically dead.

“We never know what we’re going to roll up on until we get there,” Miller says.

That’s why they have to be prepared.

“Every day in the fire service is a training day,” Alcorn says.

Brownsburg Fire Territory has a specialized training facility — the only one in Hendricks County — that has various shipping cubes, as well as cars, minivans and a school bus, all cut into pieces. They practice cutting different vehicles to gain quick access to passengers. Changing technology requires constant training. Take hybrid vehicles, for instance, which have high-voltage power lines going from the rear of the vehicle to the motor that’s in the front.

“It’s vital that we learn where it’s safe to cut a car because the last thing we want to do is slice through a high-voltage power line, potentially injuring ourselves and others,” Miller says.

The same holds true of airbags.

“In our line of work, we frequently see how airbags can be a lifesaver,” Miller says.

“But if we have an undeployed airbag in a car and we accidentally cut through the inflation cylinder, there are things that we have to be familiar with to protect ourselves and the people we are there to serve.”

One seasonal training they do is ice rescue training on the retention pond in the back

of their facility. This is essential because every year people wander out onto thin ice. Sometimes it’s kids. Sometimes it’s fishermen.

Sometimes it’s an owner trying to retrieve their pet.

“Being submerged in frigid water is a shock to the system and adversely affects our bodies physiologically,” Miller says. “It doesn’t take long for a person to start losing dexterity and consciousness.”

A big part of ice rescue training involves acclimating to wearing the specialized, insulated suits that are both bulky and buoyant, making it difficult to swim or even walk.

Township Fire Department,” says Alcorn, who became a volunteer firefighter at 19. “It’s the best job in the world. I’m extremely excited to be a part of such a noble profession. After all these years, I still love it.”

His colleagues would agree. Posted on the walls of the Brownsburg Fire Territory is their mission, leadership principles and vision statements. The words act as a visual reminder for their purpose in life: “Brownsburg Fire Territory’s reason for being is to provide the highest standard of vigilant service to all of those who may seek our help.”

“It’s like having a life jacket covering your entire body,” Miller says.

Firefighters also participate in regular EMS training.

“We never stop learning,” Miller adds. “If we’re not practicing, we’re doing a disservice to the public.”

Alcorn, a firefighter for 37 years, grew up across the street from a fire station and dreamed of one day joining the ranks.

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