Brownsburg Magazine July 2020

JULY 2020

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A WALK IN THE PARK: BROWNSBURG PARKS DIRECTOR TALKS IMPORTANCE OF PARKS AS A RESOURCE TO THE COMMUNITY

While studying recreation services at Ball State, Travis Tranbarger worked for the university’s rec services, managing the gym, fitness center and intramural sports.

After completing a post-graduate internship that helped him learn more about event management and overall facility management, he joined the Indianapolis Parks & Rec department where he managed Brookside Park on the east side of Indy.

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JULY WRITERS

Christy Heitger-Ewing / Josh Duke Meredith Iacocca / John Dickerson

JULY PHOTOGRAPHERS Amy Payne / Jeremy Ryan Visit Hendricks County

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6 Healthy Living: Why the Best

Summer Diet May Be No Diet At All

21 Top 10 Hendricks County Trails 25 You Are Not Alone: Finding Hope,

9 Poking Fun: Local Comedian

15 Country Roots : Levi Riggs Talks

A Walk in the Park: Brownsburg

Parks Director Talks Importance

of Parks As a Resource to the Community

Sensation & America’s Got Talent Finalist Ryan Niemiller Loves to Entertain

Local Upbringing and the Music Industry

Peace & Joy

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Writer / Meredith Iacocca, AbundantPlateWellness.com

I hear it like clockwork when I speak to women as warmer weather approaches.

School is out, kids are getting restless and vacations are on the horizon. But what is the one thing of utmost priority?

“Oh, I’ve been doing (insert fad diet) because we’re going on vacation in a few weeks and I don’t want to look like this in my swimsuit!”

“I’m cutting out carbs because I need to slim down before going to Cancun!”

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I hear it All.The.Time.

Insecurity and outward comparison I’m sure play a huge role in making us feel so self-conscious to look our best. But really what do you gain by obsessing over how you will look in that suit? Does it bring peace of mind? Most likely not.

And is cutting out entire food groups a sustainable and healthy lifestyle for you?

Again, probably not!

Well, I’m here to tell you, you will look great! Probably the only person who cares how you look is you. Instead of focusing on the physical, I want to discuss just a few other things to pay mind to as summer comes along. Things that are not about a diet or a number on the scale but can help you feel energized, grateful and get the most out of your summer.

1. GO OUTSIDE FOR VITAMIN D The sun is the best source of vitamin D we cannot obtain through food. We’ve been fear mongered to believe that even an ounce of sunshine will ruin you with skin cancer, but, in reality, going outside and being in nature and sunlight is good for you! Not only is it linked to helping with anxiety and depression, but it keeps your skin and bones healthy as well.

2. GET TO YOUR LOCAL FARMER’S MARKET One of the many reasons I love summer is because of the amazing farmers markets

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we have. Not only is it a great way to support your community and local economy, but it’s a great place to bring your family to learn a little more about where food comes from. The produce you will find there will blow your typical grocery store produce out of the water. Most local farms practice much more natural and organic farming methods that are better on the soil and keep more nutrients in the produce because they are grown free of pesticides and chemicals in soil that is healthy!

3. INVEST IN A BETTER SUNSCREEN This may sound contradictory to point number one about getting more sun but hear me out!

There is a huge difference between going outside to soak up some rays versus being outside and in the sun to the point of sunburn. Overexposure can be extremely dangerous especially when repeated over and over. But do you know what’s in your sunscreen? Often what we turn to for sun protection is riddled with toxic, harmful chemicals that are just as damaging as the sunburn it’s protecting us from. One common additive, oxybenzone, has been labeled a hormone disruptor, affecting testosterone levels in young boys and even being absorbed into women’s breastmilk. After all, our skin is our largest organ. It’s so easy to forget that what we apply to it can have a negative impact on our health. Instead, look for sunscreens with a Made Safe Seal on them, which signifies they are made without harmful ingredients.

4. BE PRESENT Sounds easy, right? But being mindful to your inner thoughts and creating gratitude for what’s around you can take some practice. It’s so easy to let the negative thoughts overcrowd being present in the moment. By focusing on what’s behind or what’s ahead of us, we lose sight of what’s right in front of us. Which if you think about it is really the only thing that’s important. Your ‘now.’

Health and wellbeing are so much more than the number on the scale. It’s about your mental health, nutrition and overall disposition of your life. Focusing on the minutia of one number brings you nothing more than an unnecessary stressor and a skewed view of what’s important.

So, go outside a little more, enjoy what’s surrounding you and eat food that makes you feel good!

8 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / JULY 2020 / BrownsburgMagazine.com

Local Comedian Sensation & America’s Got Talent Finalist Ryan Niemiller Loves to Entertain

So after graduating in 2006, he packed up his car and drove to L.A. When he arrived out west, he did an internet search on “how Being born with short arms, one might to get started in stand-up comedy” and went expect that Ryan Niemiller would be selffrom there. At just 24 years old, he claims conscious about his disability and do his the “ignorance of youth” helped him push best to blend into the background. However, past his fear of failure. ever since he was young, he has gravitated toward the spotlight.

“I think I’m wired backward to the way most Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided

“I watched a ton of stand-up comedy in high school and always wanted to try it,” Niemiller says. “But I mistakenly thought that you could only do it in L.A. or New York. I didn’t know you could start here in the Midwest.”

His dream simmered on the back-burner as he studied theatre at Indiana State.

people are,” Niemiller says. “I just had this feeling that it would all work out.”

He enrolled in an eight-week comedy class, which provided the basic foundation for stand-up. Mining material for his sets has always come easy.

“When you have a disability, a lot of stuff happens for you,” he says. He does what he calls “observational comedy” in which he “I love theatre, but I was getting tired of observes how people treat him or others and telling other people’s stories,” Niemiller says. works it into his set. He notes that stand-up “I was ready to tell my own.” comedy is one of the few art forms in which

JULY 2020

because if not, that could have affected my confidence and changed the trajectory of my career,” he says.

Niemiller lived in L.A. until 2009, at which time he bopped around from Terre Haute to Indianapolis to Pensacola, Fla., taking various “real jobs” to begin saving money to buy a house. He found, however, that as much as he liked having health insurance, he couldn’t stomach a desk job.

“My brain just couldn’t do it,” he says.

the only way you know you’re good is by performing in front of other people.

“If you want to learn guitar, you could spend 10,000 hours in your bedroom and know you sound pretty good before you ever let another set of ears hear it,” Niemiller says. “With stand-up, however, you may think your material is hilarious, but you don’t actually know until you do it for others.”

The first official show Niemiller performed was on October 2, 2006, at an empty coffee shop.

“I’d gone to an open mic to get a feel how it worked and found out that my teacher had signed me up to do a set,” Niemiller says. “I was totally put on the spot. I don’t know if it was performer’s pride or stubborn male pride, but I didn’t want to back down from a challenge.

He performed in front of four other comics and a barista and scored a few chuckles.

There’s a joke amongst comedians that it typically takes 15 years to become an overnight sensation.

“I beat that trend. It only took me 13,” he says with a snicker. His big break came in the summer of 2019 when Niemiller competed on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” (AGT), performing in front of judges Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Julianne Hough, and Gabrielle Union, along with 3,400 spectators at the Dolby Theatre. The experience didn’t faze him.

“That felt at home,” Niemiller says. “Now, if you told me afterward to go ask the girl

out who was sitting in the fifth row, that would be mortifying to me. Large crowds have always been easier than one-on-one interaction.”

Though he didn’t get teased much as a child, he suspects that’s because he learned, early on, that if he made the jokes first, people left him alone.

“It became my default,” he says. “Whether it’s fair or not, it’s kind of on me to make other people comfortable with me.”

It didn’t hurt that he had a natural affinity for easing tension through humor. Though he calls himself the “cripple threat of comedy,” refers to his fan club as “club nub” and regularly incorporates his disability into his sets, he admits that having a disability is difficult.

“As much as I’ve come to terms with it and made the best of it, it’s not what I would have chosen,” Niemiller says. “Yes, I use it in my comedy, but it’s not a crutch. It’s me talking about my life.”

Niemiller, who recently turned 38, notes that one of the toughest parts of this career is the way it affects the timeline of his life.

“Being a touring stand-up comic puts strain on a lot of things,” he says. “When you’re 25, not married, no kids, on the road all the time with no health insurance, that’s easier to power through than when you’re 35 in that same position.”

For now, he’s riding the success of AGT

IF YOU WANT TO LEARN GUITAR, YOU COULD SPEND 10,000 HOURS IN YOUR BEDROOM AND KNOW YOU SOUND PRETTY GOOD BEFORE YOU EVER LET ANOTHER SET OF EARS HEAR IT. WITH STAND-UP, HOWEVER, YOU MAY THINK YOUR MATERIAL IS HILARIOUS, BUT YOU DON’T ACTUALLY KNOW UNTIL YOU DO IT FOR OTHERS.” - RYAN NIEMILLER

“I’m lucky that I got a couple of laughs JULY 2020

after placing third in the show and returning for AGT’s The Champion’s show in January 2020.

“If you make the finals on AGT as a standup comedian, your career gets a huge bump,” says Niemiller, noting that his social media following grew throughout the season but doubled between the semifinals and finals. When he made finals, the number of bookings he got quadrupled.

Growing up poor in a trailer park and not owning a bed until he was in college,

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Niemiller found comedy to be his ticket to travel. And travel he has, week after week.

Take last November, for instance. He performed 25 out of 30 days that month.

Calling himself a “road dog,” he says he has a reputation for doing 14-hour drives to get to the next gig.

Prior to the pandemic, his day-to-day was driving to shows, hotels, airports and more shows. But he made the best of it, exploring new places whenever his schedule allowed.

“I like to try local restaurants — find at least one place that’s unique to that location,” Niemiller says.

In the future, he hopes to return to acting, perhaps doing television, movies and podcasts.

“As much of a life-changing experience as AGT was, if I’m still the dude from AGT years down the road, I’ve screwed up somewhere,” Niemiller says. “I want there to be more.”

Niemiller, who currently lives on the southside of Indy, played several soldout shows at Avon’s Red Curb Improv Comedy Club earlier this year. He also appeared on WZPL’s Smiley Morning Show and the Pat McAfee Show. He loves performing locally as he says Hoosiers always have his back.

With 2019 AGT Champion, Kodi Lee

“A lot of people have been surprised that I still live here,” Niemiller adds. “They are trained to think that if AGT says I’m from Indiana, that must have been years ago.

Then they see me at Kroger and are like, ‘Oh, you’re actually here!’”

And he’s happy to be here, as he adores Indy’s small town and big city feel.

“There’s theatre, pro sports and great restaurants, but you don’t feel like you’re in this huge metropolis where you have to struggle to get around,” he says. “If there’s traffic in Indy, it adds 10 minutes to your trip whereas in L.A. it can legitimately add four hours.”

JULY 2020

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Levi Riggs Talks Local Upbringing and the Music Industry Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided by Jeremy Ryan

“Success is just a stack of little victories you’ve achieved over time,” says Levi Riggs, a country musician from Hendricks County.

Riggs lived in Danville for the first six years of his life before his father’s job took his family to Minnesota. A couple years later the family relocated to Texas, which he calls both a culture shock and weather shock. While living in the Longhorn State, Riggs developed an affinity for country music. While he was in the fifth grade, the family packed up once more, this time to return to Danville for good.

AvonMagazine.com / JULY 2020 / AVON MAGAZINE / 19

encouraged him to step out of his comfort zone.

“We bumped heads at first,” Riggs says. “I remember she made me stand up and sing.”

Back in Indiana, classmates took notice of Riggs’ musical talent and encouraged him to pursue singing. However, he was more interested in sports.

“I was all about football, basketball and track,” Riggs says.

During his sophomore year at Danville Community High School, Riggs broke his ankle in two places during football season.

At that point his choir director, Erin Slavens, now a teacher with Avon schools,

his audition, on that song.”

Riggs still loved sports but couldn’t deny his appreciation for music, which is why he acquired the nickname, “The Singing Quarterback.”

Slavens spotted raw talent and was eager to mold it. She told Riggs not to take his talent for granted, and that while he was sidelined from sports, he might as well focus on music. He reluctantly agreed and ultimately landed lead roles in three of the high school’s musicals.

Riggs gravitated to iconic stars like Johnny Cash, Elvis and Roy Orbison, appreciating their blend of country and rock-and-roll music. He also enjoyed the harmonies of groups Alabama and the Eagles. After graduating from Danville Community High School in 2003, Riggs studied agriculture at Purdue University. While there, he joined the Purdue glee club, which performed every weekend.

“I remember one audition when Levi came up on stage and sang ‘Danny Boy’,” Slavens says. “It was mesmerizing. His tone was so clear. It was very musical and it was perfectly in tune. He later joked about how he had just decided, five minutes before

“The primary focus of the club is to be ambassadors for the school,” says Riggs, who went

Levi’s Favorites

Favorite song: Elvis’ “How Great Thou Art” Favorite contemporary artists: Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Zach Williams, Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors.

Favorite part of touring: Building relationships and friendships, and hearing fans tell me that my music impacted them.

Favorite piece of advice: Erin Slavens used to tell me, “You better use your talents. They can be taken away.”

JULY 2020

from milking cows to belting out tunes at glee club gigs.

Though it was a huge commitment - the club did 100 shows per year - he fell in love with performing.

During his junior year at Purdue, Riggs saw “Walk the Line”, a film about Johnny Cash’s life.

“Everything I envisioned in my head, I saw on the screen,” Riggs says.

The following year Riggs scheduled his classes in the morning so he could spend afternoons recording songs at a studio in Lafayette. He then began pitching songs in Nashville, Tennessee, to promoter Jerry Duncan, who worked with George Strait and Martina McBride. His first song, “My Best Friend’s a Girl”, did well on Spotify in 2012. He released a fulllength album, “She’s Everything”, in 2016.

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Riggs will never forget the first time he heard his voice playing on the radio airwaves. He was driving home from work in Lafayette when, all of a sudden, his song started playing.

“I had all my windows down and the song blaring,” Riggs says. “That was the coolest moment ever.”

Riggs admits that he’s always nervous about how listeners will perceive a song.

He knows that some will be fans and some will not.

“You have to be vulnerable and just put it out there,” he says.

Riggs graduated from Purdue in 2007.

Since then, he has split his time between Nashville and Danville, devoting part of his time to music and part to farming.

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, Riggs was packing venues with upwards of 1,500 JULY 2020

fans. In the spring his touring schedule came to a grinding halt. As of now he has no definitive timeline as to when touring will resume, but he’s set to perform at the 2020 Kentucky Derby, which is scheduled for September 5.

“My rock-solid foundation is here in this town and this community,” Riggs says.

“Music in itself is a very hard business, but I’ve been fortunate to be able to pursue music and agriculture careers hand in hand,” says Riggs, noting that many of his friends in agriculture attend his concerts.

“Levi led the singing of it as they brought the two of us on stage,” Slavens says. “He always had a star quality.”

During Riggs’ senior year, Slavens went on maternity leave and the choir prepared a song for her daughter Olivia.

came full circle, when Slavens sat in the front row at Purdue’s Elliott Hall of Music for one of his shows.

“I feel blessed to have been a part of Levi’s journey,” Slavens says. “He’s worked very hard to get to where he is today. I’m very proud of him.”

In 2013 Riggs’ relationship with Slavens

Riggs, 35, has always enjoyed performing in his hometown with his band, all of whom he considers his extended family.

“We’ve loved and supported one another through all the highs and lows,” Riggs says. “We have a good time, and it’s been fun to see our families grow.

We all have kids about the same age.”

Riggs’ family consists of his wife Brittany, their children, Stella (8), Maizie (5) and Leland (2), and a baby girl expected this year.

Riggs, who has written songs for Brett James and Carrie Underwood, pens his own music. This spring he released “Cash Black”, a song he wrote after befriending a man who used to design Johnny Cash’s dark wardrobe.

Five years ago Riggs wrote a novelty song called “Tailgate Time”, which 13 NFL teams and a few college teams asked him to customize.

“People go to concerts to have fun, relax and get away,” Riggs says. “They laugh, cry and dance. Music takes you places mentally. It also has an ability to pull people together, even across languages, continents and countries. It’s like an instant glue.”

Riggs loves performing in Hendricks County because he knows he’ll see people who have always encouraged and believed in him, including former teachers and coaches.

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TOP 10 HENDRICKS COUNTY TRAILS Writer / Josh Duke Photography Provided by Visit Hendricks County

park leaders, I have compiled a list of the top 10 most popular Hendricks County Trails to explore and become one with nature.

I don’t pretend to be a walker, hiker, biker or horseback rider. So I’m the last person in the world who should provide our visitors and residents insider advice on the top trails in Hendricks County, Indiana.

1. Arbuckle Acres Trail This paved trail is located in the lower section of Arbuckle Acres Park, at 200 North Green Street in Brownsburg, where hikers can enjoy an easy hike that winds through a 16-acre parcel of woods. The trail parallels White Lick Creek before climbing uphill to a bend in the trail. The elevated bridge to cross the creek provides a picturesque perspective of the creek and lower area.

Lucky for you though, I know who to ask. After extensive research, picking the minds of our amazing Hendricks County

JULY 2020

Length: Approximately one mile Difficulty: Easy to moderate 2. Avon Town Hall Park Trail Featuring a 10-foot wide paved trail that loops through Town Hall Park at 6570 East U.S. Highway 36 in Avon, this trail offers a diverse mix of scenic and environmental views. Some highlights include a nine-acre lake, open space, woods, and native Indiana prairie and wetlands. The trail is handicap accessible, and fun for all age groups and skill levels.

Length: 1.5 miles Difficulty: Easy 3. Beaver Ridge Trail This scenic trail in Sodalis Nature Park, at 7700 South County Road 975 East in Plainfield, offers hikers amazing views in a pristine wildlife refuge. The trail meanders through mature woodlands, providing views of the 5.5-acre pond below, and offers a chance to observe the flora and fauna.

While beautiful, the trail is also flat, making it a favorite for hikers with limited mobility, and it features benches to rest, relax and take in nature.

Length: 0.6 miles Difficulty: Easy

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4. Blanton Woods This scenic path provides great opportunities for both the inexperienced and experienced hiker. This trail through Blanton Woods, at 894 North Washington Street in Danville, offers a tranquil and relaxing place for views of White Lick Creek, wildlife or even a little mushroom hunting. Follow any of a number of trails to experience creek crossings, hill climbs, bird-watching podiums, bat houses, wildflowers and more. You can find parking in a small lot at the corner of Sycamore Lane and East Columbia Street, just north of Ellis Park and the amphitheater.

Length: More than 4 miles Difficulty: Moderate 5. Bluebird Trail Washington Township Park, at 115 South County Road 575 East in Avon, is home to numerous trails ranging from easy to difficult. The Bluebird Trail provides a picturesque, leisurely stroll through the woods, and also offers easy access to some of the park’s intermediate trails as well as the historic Iron Whipple Truss Bridge, built circa 1876.

Length: 0.13 miles Difficulty: Easy

6. B&O Trail The former railroad-turned-trail provides an easy hiking or biking experience in Brownsburg for anyone. The B&O Trail currently extends from Raceway Road westward past the Ronald Reagan Parkway and State Road 267 to approximately County Road 500 East in Brownsburg. Parking can be found at the State Road 267 trailhead.

The trail will eventually extend 16 miles through Hendricks County. Equestrian trails are planned for future expansion.

Length: Approximately 9 miles Difficulty: Easy 7. Maple Ridge Trail The main section of this crushed-stone trail in Williams Park, at 940 South Locust Lane in Brownsburg, isn’t rigorous, though a number of secondary trails that lead off of it are a bit more challenging. The natural trails sit on 45 acres, and provide a nice hike with elevation changes and ravines that lead to White Lick Creek.

In the spring you may stumble across a morel mushroom, and in the fall the colors are beautifully sprinkled throughout the property.

Length: 2 to 3 miles including secondary trails

JULY 2020

Difficulty: Moderate 8. Red-Tailed Ridge Trail This trail in North Salem offers hikers spectacular views of McCloud Nature Park as it passes over the park's centerpiece, its 100-year-old historic iron truss bridge over Big Walnut Creek. It then traverses mature woodlands and crosses through grasslands and prairie, providing a varied hiking experience that can be enjoyed by hikers of all abilities.

Length: 1.1 miles Difficulty: Moderate 9. Vandalia Trail In many ways, Hendricks County has two trails in one along the former Vandalia Railroad, as the two sections do not link.

A newly paved portion of the Vandalia Trail extends from Amo to Coatesville. This portion tends to be popular for horseback riding, far away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Ample parking in Amo provides plenty of room for horse trailers.

In Plainfield, the paved trail runs from County Road 500 South to a trailhead at County Road 900 South, and has some nice spots, especially when it crosses White Lick Creek at Franklin

Park. It also extends through older portions of Plainfield, behind subdivisions and businesses, and crosses several busy streets.

Length: Approximately 2 to 3 miles Difficulty: Easy to moderate 10. White Lick Creek Trail Beginning at the Richard A. Carlucci Recreation and Aquatic Center, at 651 Vestal Road in Plainfield, the White Lick Creek Trail is the centerpiece of Plainfield’s trails system. This paved trail meanders south along White Lick Creek down to Hummel Park where it hooks up with a number of other wonderful trails. Hikers, bikers and walkers can get wonderful views of the creek. At Friendship Gardens Park, the trail crosses over White Lick Creek on an old iron truss bridge that was relocated from southern Guilford Township.

Length: 6 miles or more depending on route Difficulty: Easy to moderate To find more ideas on things to do, outdoor recreation and much more in Hendricks County, go to visithendrickscounty.com.

JULY 2020

1. Look to God.

Writer / Pastor John Dickerson

Whether you’re facing challenges in your marriage, finances, health or more, you can trust in Him to help. You can continue to look for Jesus even when you may feel isolated, overcome with discouragement, and hopeless during this challenging time. If you feel like you don’t have hope and feel anxiety creeping in, will you declare, “God, I look to you to be my hope”?

Where do you need some peace and joy in your life today? Life has been scary and stressful recently. The daily news reports create anxiety, fear and worry, and you may 2. Give hope to others in need. feel you aren’t provided for right now. I want God has given you talents and gifts. you to know you are not alone.

Whether you have the gift of hospitality, encouragement, understanding or another, In Romans 15:13, Paul wrote, “May the you can use those gifts to connect with God of hope fill you with all joy and peace others. Write a note of encouragement, as you trust in Him, so that you may deliver groceries or donate your time and overflow with hope by the power of the resources to help others. Serving others Holy Spirit.” increases your hope and joy while allowing you to experience God’s power firsthand.

I want to share with you three key ways you can find hope, peace and joy, even in 3. Reach out for help. the midst of a storm.

We know this season may be bringing new challenges to you, and we want to come

alongside you to help. If you need prayer, someone to talk to, groceries delivered or have another need, please call 317-858-4668.

We have people ready to serve, love and help you.

God wants to help bring hope and stability to you, our community and the world. Will you join me in continuing to read His word, pursuing what He says and believing the truth that God will fill you with peace and joy as you trust Him? If you were encouraged today, I invite you to sign up for my daily hope devotionals sent via text each morning. Simply text the word “daily” to 317-3501996 to be added to the list.

Together in Spirit, Pastor John Connection Pointe Christian Church Connectionpointe.org

BrownsburgMagazine.com / JULY 2020 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / 25

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While studying recreation services at Ball State, Travis Tranbarger worked for the university’s rec services, managing the gym, fitness center and intramural sports. After completing a post-graduate internship that helped him learn more about event management and overall facility management, he joined the Indianapolis Parks & Rec department where he managed Brookside Park on the east side of Indy.

“I enjoyed the transition from campus to public recreation,” says Tranbarger, who has learned a lot about risk management, establishing policies and procedures for facilities management, and how to navigate local government. “There were definitely different budgetary constraints and I like dealing with different demographics.”

Tranbarger has worked with the Brownsburg Parks since 2010, becoming the Parks Director in 2017. As director, Tranbarger works with a six-member park board and 19 full-time employees.

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He oversees the parks department and works closely with the town management on day-to-day operations. The department also typically hires 40-60 part-time seasonal workers during the peak park season, which runs from late spring until early fall.

The department is split into divisions. The parks division manages park grounds, trails, facilities and amenities such as shelters, the splash pad, and the dog park that is scheduled to open this summer. The recreation division oversees youth services programs, adult programs, fitness classes and special events. The administrative division oversees customer service and business matters.

“What I like about my career is that it involves a little bit of everything,” Tranbarger says. “Often parks & recreation employees are jack of all trades, master of none. We have to know a bit of everything but don’t specialize in one specific thing other than managing public spaces, programs, activities and events.”

Brownsburg Parks manages more than 300 acres, many of which are undeveloped or land banked for future development. They are tasked with being stewards of the towns’ natural resources, meaning that they are diligent about maintaining open space, woodlands and wetlands. Brownsburg Parks also manages more than 18 miles of trails, a plethora of facilities and amenities, and four developed parks: Arbuckle Acres, Williams, Stephens, and Cardinal.

“We try to design each park property to be its own entity because

“THOUGH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT CAN’T BE EVERYTHING TO EVERYONE, WE TRY TO BE THAT CONDUIT TO RECREATION, LEISURE TIME AND OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE. IT’S FULFILLING TO KNOW THAT WE ARE PLAYING A PART IN SETTING UP THIS COMMUNITY’S QUALITY OF LIFE FOR MANY YEARS INTO THE FUTURE.” -TRAVIS TRANBARGER

we want it to have its own recognizable amenities and facilities and take on its own characteristics,” Tranbarger adds.

Arbuckle Acres, which Tranbarger calls the “gem of the park system,” is likely the most recognizable as it’s located in the core of downtown. It’s where many of the larger annual events take place, such as the Fourth of July extravaganza put on by the Lion’s Club and the Chamber of Commerce Festival of the Arts. In addition, the parks department hosts the summer concert series in Arbuckle Acres Park.

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Williams Park is not as well-known as it’s tucked back into a neighborhood, but it’s the town’s largest park with 77 acres. It has a nature trail, the Watermill Splash Pad, and an outdoor classroom to help with nature education services.

“Many people refer to Williams as Blast Off Park because of the Blast Off playground, a large wooden play structure,” Tranbarger says.

Stephens Park is a smaller four-acre neighborhood park situated

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not far from Williams that has a picnic shelter, swings and playground.

Cardinal Park is the town’s newest park. Last year, during Phase I, they added a trail extension along Hornaday Road as well as 50 parking spaces that will become the B&O’s main trailhead. Phase II is scheduled to open this year and includes a dog park and yearround restroom facility.

Over the last several years, Brownsburg Parks worked with the town manager, park board and town council to establish the Department’s first-ever park district bond, which allocates money specifically to several park projects that have been in concept for many years but have never moved forward due to other priorities.

Therefore, a number of new developments are now on the horizon.

For instance, construction has begun on the first phase of White Lick Creek Greenway, which will stretch from the business district on Northfield Drive all the way to Arbuckle Acres. The trail under I-74 is already complete, and the first phase of the Greenway will connect to the trail.

“It’ll be a beautiful trail that will include a boardwalk and will eventually connect with the Town of Avon,” Tranbarger says.

Another project that will come from the bond is renovations to Stephens Park, which will add a restroom facility, update the playground, install outdoor fitness equipment and put in six pickleball courts. That project is finishing up design this summer and has a target opening date of late spring 2021.

Travis Tranbarger, Parks Director

Tranbarger is quick to point out that the park system’s success is due to the talented team they have assembled.

“They come from many different areas and bring their own expertise,” Tranbarger says.

“I’m proud of our team’s momentum as well as the support that we have from the town manager, assistant town manager, the park board, and the town council. They’re all making quality of life a priority for the town.”

July is National Park and Recreation month. In a typical year, the Brownsburg Parks would host a number of fun activities and events in July to celebrate the last hurrah before school starts.

This year, however, Tranbarger asks people to remain flexible as the COVID-19 situation remains fluid. For a time, the future will look different from what they had originally intended. This may mean putting on smaller events and forgoing fairs & festivals.

Nevertheless, one thing remains unchanged and that’s the healing power of nature and its ability to improve both our physical and mental states.

“Even before the coronavirus, we would hear daily how people love the parks, trails and programs we put on,” Tranbarger says. “During this pandemic, it’s been great seeing people discover or rediscover 30 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / JULY 2020 / BrownsburgMagazine.com

what they had, in some cases right in their backyard.”

He’s glad that the governor and local authorities recognized early on that open space and trails were important to public health and didn’t shut them down.

“I’m proud of the way our staff stepped up and continued to ensure the parks stayed clean and safe for people to use in this time,” says Tranbarger, who, along with his wife Keisha, their daughter Kendyl, son Trevan, and Labrador retriever Miles, likes to take advantage of the outdoors every chance they get by going to concerts, hiking and visiting water parks. Tranbarger also enjoys golfing and mountain biking. He hopes to get back to all that soon. For now, he’s just happy to help provide a valuable service to the community.

“Though the Parks Department can’t be everything to everyone, we try to be that conduit to recreation, leisure time and overall quality of life,” Tranbarger says. “It’s fulfilling to know that we are playing a part in setting up this community’s quality of life for many years into the future.”

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