Plainfield Magazine March 2018

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MAGAZINE

MARCH 2018

DOWNTOWN DREAMS TOWN MANAGER, ANDREW KLINGER, TALKS PLAINFIELD DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT PLANS

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WELCOME TO

PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE Over 11,000 copies of the new monthly Plainfield Magazine have gone out to you and your neighbors throughout the Plainfield community.

Each month, you’ll receive our full-color magazine highlighting the local happenings, people and businesses in Plainfield. We look forward to showcasing the best and brightest of Plainfield and invite you to be a part of the journey.

If you would like information on advertising your business or event, please contact me anytime.

Darren Boston Publisher (317) 716-8812 Darren@PlainfieldMag.com PlainfieldMag.com

On behalf of the Plainfield Chamber of Commerce members, we would like to welcome the Plainfield Magazine to our community. We have seen a lot of changes and have watched our town transform into a nationally recognized transportation center. With all of this growth, there are many new opportunities and challenges.

I’m certain that within the new magazine’s pages, residents will find positive information about our already thriving community. We should all be proud of the things that have been accomplished and look positively to the future.

Plainfield Magazine will bring some of the human stories into our homes and hopefully inspire a new generation of community leaders and involvement.

Brad DuBois President Plainfield Chamber of Commerce

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OWNTOWN DREAMS: TOWN MANAGER, ANDREW KLINGER, D TALKS PLAINFIELD DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT PLANS

A little over a year ago, a developer approached Andrew Klinger, Town Manager of Plainfield, and explained that he’d like to create a conceptual downtown redevelopment plan. Klinger and his team liked the idea but first embarked on a year-long process of asking the community for their input. Klinger held several public meetings and also posted on social media to garner feedback. The two biggest issues that came up include a desire to increase both parking and entertainment options in downtown.

6 Business Spotlight:

The Real Food Shoppe

8 Downtown Dreams: Town Manager, Andrew Klinger, Talks Plainfield Downtown Redevelopment Plans

13 Extra Reps: Former Avon

Football Star Tackles Strength & Conditioning Coaching Job at IU

19 A Fair Share: Hendricks County

Veterans Service Office Helps Veterans Receive Their Benefits

23 Spring Break Local: There's Plenty To Do In Hendricks County as Spring Hits

28 March Crossword Puzzle 30 Avon Firefighter Has a Gift

34 Support Your Partner During Labor 36 Conserving Water in the Kitchen 38 On Air with Nicole: Local WYRZ Personality Nicole Kendall Pursues Her Lifelong Passion

46 Yearly HCDGC Tournaments Raise

Funds, Canned Goods for Those in Need

47 Business Spotlight:

Rejuva Wellness and Yoga

48 The History of Plainfield 53 Family Promise of Hendricks

County: Offering Help, Hope and Housing to the Homeless

MARCH WRITERS

Christy Heitger-Ewing / Jamie Hergott Josh Duke / Melissa Gibson Steven Penn

MARCH PHOTOGRAPHERS

Brian Brosmer / Darren Boston Jennifer Guerendo Visit Hendricks County

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For Advertising, Contact Darren Boston Darren@PlainfieldMag.com / 317-716-8812

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Chris, Brownsburg

As a defenseman for the Junior Fuel, Chris knows what it takes to crush his goals—and his competition. The 17-year-old Brownsburg High School student trains hard in the gym and at the rink to reach peak athletic performance. When lower back pain sidelined his hockey practice time, Chris met with Dr. Robyn Fean of Hendricks Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, and together they worked with the physical therapy team at Hendricks Regional Health to develop a treatment plan. Now Chris is back on the ice pain-free and stronger than ever before. Request an appointment at HENDRICKS.ORG/SPORTSMEDICINE.

THE REAL FOOD SHOPPE 208 E Main St Plainfield, IN 46168 317-203-4097 therealfoodshoppe.org

A family-owned health food store in Plainfield is working to help your family live a healthy life that’s practical and affordable.

Starr is sympathetic to those who are concerned about the costs of healthy eating.

“I always tell my customers, ‘you have to find your why.’ When you find your why, it makes it easier to take the time to prepare home cooked foods and eat healthier,” she says. “In the beginning, it’s more expensive to eat healthier, but in the long run – for us – it’s been cheaper, but we also feel that we can pay now or pay later. Not putting the right things in your body can lead to many long term health problems, which over the years become very expensive. For Starr decided her family needed to change their lifestyle after her 9-year-old daughter was born. Her daughter had some development us, food is our biggest expense, but we’re okay with that.” delays and stomach problems and eventually developed severe skin allergies. “That’s when I realized what we were putting in her and on However, Starr makes sure to stock the store with foods that make her were harmful,” she says. sense for families on budgets and busy lifestyles.

“We are passionate about it [healthy living] because we had to be.

We were never into this kind of thing at all – eating healthy, taking supplements and using essential oils – but I think that’s what helps me relate to my customers,” says The Real Food Shoppe owner Tabatha Starr.

Two ingredients you will never find in any of the products sold in The Real Food Shoppe are high fructose corn syrup or food dyes.

“We want people to understand how food, environmental factors and beauty products are affecting your body,” Starr says.

“I made sure to put items in the store you can afford to buy,” Starr says. “We know families are busy and somedays all you can do is a can of vegetables or some Mac n cheese. We wanted to provide those items as well. All the local products sold are chosen carefully and selected based on their integrity. We try to choose local products that

6 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018 / PlainfieldMag.com

fit our standards of quality ingredients as well as companies that are passionate about the integrity of our food system.”

The Real Food Shoppe also sells Industrial Hemp derived CBD oil.

They carry trusted brands such as Charlottes web and CV Sciences PlusCBD. Starr spends a lot of time researching CBD to be able to educate customers on the products as well as advocating for the hemp industry as a whole. Earlier this year she testified on the senate floor on behalf of her customers and all Hoosiers to have continued access to legal CBD oil.

Starr says they are also actively looking to get an organic skin care and make up line in the store.

The members of the Starr family are running the business. You can find Tabatha in store every day, and you can often find the family of four behind the counter. Her husband, Aaron and kids stock the shelves. The girls also run the cash register and bag your groceries on the weekend.

The Real Food Shoppe is located at 208 E. U.S. 40 in Plainfield.

Their hours are Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m.

– 5 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday.

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DOWNTOWN DREAMS TOWN MANAGER, ANDREW KLINGER, TALKS PLAINFIELD DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT PLANS

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing . Photographer / Brian Brosmer

A little over a year ago, a developer approached Andrew Klinger, Town Manager of Plainfield, and explained that he’d like to create a conceptual downtown redevelopment plan. Klinger and his team liked the idea but first embarked on a year-long process of asking the community for their input. Klinger held several public meetings and also posted on social media to garner feedback. The two biggest issues that came up include a desire to increase both parking and entertainment options in downtown.

According to outside consultants, downtown Plainfield has “good bone structure,” meaning it has a nice core block of historic buildings that are already occupied by businesses.

“There aren’t a lot of empty store fronts, so it’s not a situation where we’re creating a downtown from scratch or trying to resurrect a ghost town,” Klinger says. “We have a good base on which to build.”

The old Village Theatre, however, has sat vacant for 17 years. The public has voiced an interest in acquiring that space and putting it back into production, perhaps as a performing arts center.

“We want to create a village environment with a nice streetscape that’s pedestrian-friendly,” Klinger says.

Planners realized early on that US 40 makes that tricky given the 25,000 vehicles that pass through every day. Nevertheless, the thoroughfare is a lifeblood that acts as both a blessing and a curse.

While it brings a great deal of traffic though the town, which is good for businesses, pedestrians struggle to cross the street.

“There’s a fine balance that has to be struck because while change can be good, we want to ensure that the small-town feel is not lost in the process,” says Brad DuBois, Plainfield Chamber President.

“After all, that’s why people move here — to get away from the hustle and bustle of big-city life while still having quick, easy access to big-city amenities.

Town Manager of Plainfield, Andrew Klinger alongside Plainfield Chamber President, Brad DuBois

“I can be home from a Pacers game in less than 30 minutes, or be to

“IT’S OUR HOPE THAT EVERYONE WILL FIND A PLACE WITHIN THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT.”

Brad DuBois, Plainfield Chamber President

the airport in 15,” says DuBois, who agrees with Klinger that it’s place-making that draws people to communities.

People love Plainfield because it’s got a park system that is second to none. In fact, Hummel Park is the largest township park in the state. Plus, folks can walk to just about anywhere within the town on a trail.

“That’s a huge draw,” DuBois says. “I see people drive into Plainfield with bicycles to get on the trial to ride. Others run, rollerblade, and walk their dogs.”

Plainfield also has a tremendous school system.

“Hendricks County is very fortunate to have all five school systems that are very good,” DuBois says.

And then there are the awesome community events, which include the Fourth of July Festival that draws an estimated 10,000 people to Hummel Park for the fireworks display. In addition, in late July the Chamber puts on ‘Play’nfield in the Park — a performing arts festival held in Hummel Park that exposes folks to live theatre, ballet, orchestra and music.

They also have food trucks, bouncy houses, puppet shows and a library book truck.

The Chamber holds an annual parade in September that coincides with the Quaker Day Festival. Then there’s the Plainfield Farmers Market, held every Wednesday from 4-7 p.m. throughout the summer.

“Our Market is the only one I know of that’s on grass and in the shade,” DuBois says. “That’s pretty nice on scorching hot days.” The Farmers Market includes 40-60 10 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018 / PlainfieldMag.com

vendors and draws well over 8,000 people every season.

The greatest draw to Plainfield, however, are the people. Time and again, the community has pulled together in times of need. For instance, last summer when Hurricane Harvey decimated Houston, a local business owner approached DuBois with a request.

He said, “I have a semi-trailer. Can you help me fill it?”

DuBois kicked it into high gear with a social media blitz to rally the community.

Within a couple of days, the semi was filled to the brim with food, water, diapers, rubber gloves, boots, blankets, baby food and more.

“The people of Houston were without anything because everything was

Food and supplies collected by the people of Plainfield for hurricane victims in Houston

Andrew Klinger, Town Manager of Plainfield

underwater,” DuBois says. “It was astounding to see how everyone came together so quickly to offer support.”

Because Plainfield is already so wonderful, Klinger and DuBois are eager to make it even better. That’s why in this plan they are addressing Plainfield’s aging infrastructure, citing issues with utilities, drainage and roads. After so many years of resurfacing roads, they get built up and up to the point of losing curbs and sidewalks. In addition, future plans look to try and pull the creek back into downtown.

“On the other side of the creek we have great green space, existing trails and the pedestrian bridge, but we’d like to tie in both sides of the creek between 40 and Franklin Park,” Klinger says. This would grant the community better access to green space where they could host various events.

The conceptual design also includes the creation of something similar to a Georgia Street in downtown Indy where traffic can be blocked off to facilitate pedestrianfriendly events. They also want to produce better east-west connectivity than what currently exists.

“It’s our hope that everyone will find a place within this new development,” says Klinger, who promises that they will take good care of business icons such as Flap Jack Pancake House as well as historic buildings and residences.

Consultants anticipate that the full buildout of this long-range plan would involve a three-phase process spanning 15 to 20 years. Phase 1 — public infrastructure improvements — will commence shortly as will an expansion to Town Hall, since a number of employees are currently PlainfieldMag.com / MARCH 2018 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / 11

working in hallways and in spaces that used to be closets.

“This conceptual downtown redevelopment plan is a guide for developers so that if someone says they’d like to build something here, we can show them our vision,” says Klinger, noting that a building up on US 40 might stand four stories high, whereas buildings in residential areas would consist of low-density cottage homes, courtyard apartments or two-story duplexes that would blend into the existing landscape.

“Our hope is that now that we’ve been given the green light, private developers will come alongside of that public investment that the community is making into downtown,” Klinger says.

For more information, visit townofplainfield.com.

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Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography provided by Ballou Family & Greg Kincaid

“Maybe you don’t have to push yourself forward,” writes author Doe Zantamata. “Maybe you just have to stop holding yourself back.”

David Ballou can relate to such a sentiment. Born in Indianapolis, Ballou moved to Avon when he was in seventh grade. At the time, he was huge into basketball. Then one day he put on shoulder pads and slammed into somebody on the football field and —boom — he was hooked.

“The physicality of the sport triggered something within me,” says Ballou, who played running back and linebacker at Avon High School under Coach Jim Kaiser. Ballou’s power-lifting uncles taught Ballou how to train and eat properly. Once he started lifting weights, he noticed immediate improvement.

“My body responded quickly. The more I trained, the stronger I got and the better football player I became,” says Ballou, who graduated

AHS in 1996, then played full back for Coach Bill Mallory at Indiana University. After playing from 1996–1999, he graduated in 2001 with a degree in Kinesiology.

Given his background, it should come as no surprise that Ballou would gravitate toward the study of human movement.

During his last season at IU, he sustained a significant knee injury that would keep him from going pro. But around that same time, he began working as a student intern in the weight room with strength coaches and found his life’s purpose.

“I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” says Ballou, who was hired in August 2001 by Avon High School as their first strength and conditioning director. Ballou enjoyed coming back to the town where his love of the sport was born and to reconnect with the people of Hendricks County, who had always been supportive of his football career.

“When I lived in Avon, it still had that small-town feel,” Ballou says.

MARCH 2018 / AVON/PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE

“Everyone knew and pulled for one another.”

Ballou is quick to clarify that the Avon community is still very supportive of its players. It was just that back in the mid-90s, the football team was making a name for itself.

“We were a small deal and were working to put our name on the map,” Ballou says.

Ballou’s long-term vision was to one day become a head college strength and conditioning coach. His initial plan was to remain in Avon for a handful of years. As it turned out, he got married (to Leah) and had two daughters: Mallory (now 13) and Aubrey (10). Next thing he knew, he’d been at Avon High for 14 years.

When IMG Academy, a preparatory boarding school and sport training destination in Bradenton, Florida, offered him a job, he jumped at the chance as he was eager to tackle a new challenge.

“The best way to describe that place is like Disneyland for athletes,” Ballou says. “It’s the best of the best on a day-to-day basis, with access to all the resources you need. I was like a kid in a candy shop.”

Being 10 minutes from the beach wasn’t bad, either. For the two years he worked there, IMG was ranked fourth in the country one year and first in the country the next. Though he was enjoying his time in the sunshine state, when Notre Dame called,

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asking him to join their team in a co-director role of strength and conditioning, he couldn’t pass it up.

“When you get a phone call from Notre Dame, you listen,” Ballou says. “Plus, Coach [Brian] Kelly is unbelievably awesome.”

After one year in South Bend, however, another call came in — this time from his college alma mater.

“After spending five years here, enduring all the blood, sweat and tears you grind out playing the game of college football, you grow a genuine love for the university,” Ballou says. Plus, his wife is from Bloomington, so the timing seemed right. Tom Allen, who Ballou describes as the greatest football coach but even better human being, offered Ballou the role of Director of Athletic Performance. Ballou started the job in January 2018, dividing his 98-player roster into four lift groups that he trains for 75-minute sessions, five days a week.

“I dig into each guy, trying to find his flaws so that I can fix them,” explains Ballou, who finds these flaws by using science and data. He takes specific measurements and implements certain exercises to accentuate weaknesses. Maybe the right leg is putting out 15 percent less power than the left leg; Ballou needs to balance that out in order to minimize injury.

“If you don’t fix these problems, the issue compounds. In the end, fixing the flaws is how you keep guys healthy,” Ballou says.

“You’re never going to prevent injuries in football because it’s a collision sport, but you can certainly try to minimize them.”

A third of the daily workout all players do, a third of the workouts some players do (depending on their weaknesses) and a third of the workouts are individually tailored to each player’s specific needs. NCAA rules dictate that coaches can train each player a maximum of eight hours per week.

According to Ballou, if training is being attacked in the right way, eight hours is plenty of time.

To ensure that players don’t run out of gas by the fourth quarter, Ballou increases work capacity in his athletes by focusing on work-to-rest ratio.

“In the weight room, it’s about changing rest intervals because in actual conditioning they’re coming in and out of energy zones,” says Ballou, noting that if a coach pushes an athlete before he’s acclimated, that stresses the player’s body. Ballou likes to push players out of their comfort zone, however, because doing so produces sweet results.

“It’s fun to see the look on their face when they do something that you knew they could do but they really didn’t,” Ballou says.

These days he finds that the biggest hurdle to success lies in attitude.

AvonMagazine.com MARCH 2018/ MARCH / AVON/PLAINFIELD 2018 / AVONMAGAZINE MAGAZINE / 15

Senior Year at AHS in 1995

“In my world, there’s a high level of accountability and a high level of expectations and it never wavers — never, no matter what,” Ballou says.

He asserts that most students want to be held accountable.

“In my career, I’ve found that players want to be pushed. They want to work hard. And they want you to give them a reason to work hard,” Ballou says.

He maintains that the biggest way football has evolved through the years is the speed component. Though it’s always been a part of the game, today speed wins games. That’s why learning how to develop speed is a big part of Ballou’s job, incorporating drills, exercises and variations.

“We attack speed on a day-to-day basis both in the weight room and out on the field,” Ballou adds.

When asked about his childhood idol, Ballou mentions Bo Jackson.

“He was just such a physical specimen — a freak of nature,” Ballou says. The same could be said for Ballou, who weighs 275 and whose best bench press has been 565 lbs. It’s safe to say that Ballou both pushes forward and never holds back.

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HENDRICKS COUNTY VETERANS SERVICE OFFICE HELPS VETERANS RECEIVE THEIR BENEFITS Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photographer / Darren Boston

The Hendricks County Veterans Service Office is, unfortunately, one of the best kept secrets in the county. Though Hendricks County has 31,000 veterans, last year only 4,000 of them utilized the office.

“Most of the time veterans learn about us through word of mouth — from their buddy at the American Legion or from

someone at a nursing home or assisted living facility,” says Jennifer Navara, assistant Veteran Services Officer. “We’d like to see all of our veterans get what they need.”

and Navara often see elderly veterans who need help with their pension and costs associated with in-home nursing care.

Though it’s a free service, nefarious lawyers sometimes prey on elderly veterans, taking In a nutshell, Navara and her colleague advantage of their trust and charging them Lori Turpin, Veterans Service Officer, help to help with their pensions, then draining veterans receive the benefits they deserve by their resources. assisting them with claims for disability or pension, helping them get their health care, “That’s illegal and when we learn that’s been and making sure they receive Indiana State done, we report it,” says Navara, who has benefits as well as Federal benefits. Turpin found that many veterans don’t know that MARCH 2018 / AVON/PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE

they are able to file a claim for medical issues that happened while in service.

The top claim Navara sees is hearing loss and ringing in the ears because hearing protection wasn’t very good decades ago.

“A lot of soldiers were on the flight line or were on a ship and they slept under the racks of the weapon gear,” Navara says.

“The first question I ask older vets is, ‘How’s your hearing?’”

“WE’D LIKE TO SEE ALL OF OUR VETERANS GET WHAT THEY NEED.” - JENNIFER NAVARA -

DIC (Dependency Indemnity Comp) is a payment made by the Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) to the spouse of a member who dies due to a serviceconnected illness or injury. Navara cites the example Agent Orange, which was a powerful mixture of chemical defoliants used by U.S. military forces during the Vietnam War that caused major health problems for many who were exposed to it.

“Many veterans have experienced health issues and not realized it’s something associated with Agent Orange,” Navara says.

“So, if they pass away from a lung cancer that was associated with Agent Orange, we’re able to go back and get the spouse the help that they should have had before the husband passed in the first place.”

Surviving spouses of veterans may also be eligible for certain benefits, particularly if they are frail.

“Spouses don’t always realize there are benefits for them once their spouse has passed away outside of the burial allowances we have,” Navara says. “It can be a struggle for elderly women when their husband passes away because they lose that income. This is an opportunity to put a little more money in their pocket. If they move into assisted living, it helps cover some of that cost, too.”

The Hendricks County Veterans Service Office, open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, is located at 355 S. Washington Street, Suite 216 in Danville. Veterans may call the office and schedule an appointment with Turpin or Navara to go over their service information. For more info, call 317-745-9239.

Lori Turpin & Jennifer Navara

AVON/PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018

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Perillo’s Pizzeria? How about Kid’s Planet?

The Urban Rustic Farmhouse?

Since joining Visit Hendricks County, I have marveled at how little residents know about their own county. Here at VHC, we target visitors with our marketing dollars because our entire budget comes from a visitor passthrough tax, meaning our budget rests solely on overnight stays at Hendricks County hotels.

Our goal is to encourage visitors from outside the county to come, stay and play here.

I won’t be able to touch on all those attractions in this column. But if I have piqued your curiosity, check us out at VisitHendricksCounty.com.

Along the way, I have found we often educate our locals as much as our visitors.

I’m sure you are aware of Splash Island Family Waterpark, Lucas Oil Raceway and the Mayberry Cafe. But have you heard of

In this issue, as the flowers and trees awake from hibernation and your kids earn a well-deserved break from school, I want to share some spring activities that are closer and much more affordable than traveling hundreds of miles away.

During the holidays, we call it Shop Local.

So, I will steal that concept and call this Spring Break Local.

MARCH 2018 / AVON/PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE

FAMILY FUN For those of you who already know about Splash Island Family Waterpark, did you know there is an indoor version of this popular attraction inside the Richard A. Carlucci Recreation & Aquatic Center in Plainfield?

The indoor version is smaller, but after months of being cooped up inside, your children won’t care. The facility usually has extended spring break hours for the indoor waterpark, which boasts a two-story water slide, an interactive children’s play area, a gentle winding river and a pulsating vortex.

Your admission into the indoor waterpark

also gains you access to all the facility’s other amenities, including numerous basketball courts, a massive kids zone area, ping pong, foosball tables and more.

I mentioned Kid’s Planet above. Well, it arrived in Brownsburg about this time last year and has already become a popular spot for families with children. Located in a warehouse along Northfield Drive next to John Force Racing, this attraction boasts a giant, four-story play structure designed for children ages 2 to 14.

The play structure includes slides, a foam pit, tunnels, ball shooters and so much more. A special area for kids four and under allows younger children to play in a separate space next to the play structure so you don’t have to worry about your toddler getting run over by bigger kids. A large party room, concession area and arcade round out its amenities.

I have merely scratched the surface of the many indoor family fun things to do in Hendricks County. You can find Monster Mini Golf, Hot Skates Roller Skating Center and Xtreme Lazer Tag in Avon. A few other free indoor playgrounds that truly are hidden gems for families with young children can be found at the Well.

Community Center in Brownsburg and at Plainfield Christian Church.

ARTS & CULTURE Do you have a budding artist in your family or would you just like to find a creative activity that the whole family will enjoy without ruining the walls or carpets in your home? I have three recommendations for you.

The first two — Bisque Barn Pottery Paint Studio in Avon and uPaint Pottery Studio in Plainfield — are relatively similar with just a few minor differences. Both offer endless options of unpainted pottery that you can decorate, and both provide all the supplies and clean up the mess after you’re done.

The Bisque Barn also offers do-it-yourself wood sign designs and canvas paintings. uPaint offers glass fusion. The staff at both locations are equally great, so it probably AVON/PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018

comes down to what you want to do, or which one is closer to you. Either way, you can’t go wrong.

My third recommendation is The Tie Dye Lab in Avon. Choose a T-shirt, bandana, bag, socks, hat, pillow case and more, and turn them into tie dye creations.

With experts at the ready at all three locations, anyone, regardless of age, talent or any other factor, can participate and will have a blast.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE Until now, I have assumed your family would rather stay indoors for Spring Break.

If your family would rather be outside, here are a few options:

prairie land and boasting a 100-year-old iron truss bridge that serves as the gateway to miles of hiking trails with beautiful views, you and your family can soak in the fresh air and commune with nature.

McCloud even hosts Maple Syrup Days, an early spring, must-experience event the first two Saturdays in March. The park also offers an indoor, interactive Nature Center that includes a bird-watching area, nature programs on Saturdays and much more.

A few other favorite parks include Hummel Park and Sodalis Park in Plainfield, Washington Township Park in Avon and Avon Town Hall Park and its 18-hole disc golf course, beautiful lake and outdoor ping pong tables.

McCloud Nature Park near North Salem in the northwest corner of the county would by my first choice. Surrounded by acres of

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MARCH EVENTS 2

MAGICIAN CHRIS HENDERSON Washington Township Park Pavilion 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

FREE

2&3

AVON HIGH SCHOOL VOCAL INVITATIONAL

This event is a show choir and concert choir contest for high schools in Indiana and surrounding states.

Avon High School Friday: 5:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.

Saturday: 8:00 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. $7-$12/person

2-4

SHREK THE MUSICAL Avon Middle School South Friday: 7:30 p.m.

Saturday: 7:30 p.m.

Sunday: 2:30 p.m. $13 Adults | $10 Youth (4-18) & Seniors (62+) FREE Ages 3 & Under

9&10

FRIENDS OF AVON LIBRARY BOOK SALE

This event is a show choir and concert choir contest for high schools in Indiana and surrounding states.

Avon-Washington Township Public Library 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

9-11

RISING STAR MUSICAL Avon Middle School South Friday: 7:30 p.m.

Saturday: 7:30 p.m.

Sunday: 2:30 p.m. $13 Adults | $10 Youth (4-18) & Seniors (62+) FREE Ages 3 & Under

11

HENDRICKS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONCERT Music for Lent Avon United Methodist Church 3:00 p.m.

FREE

AVON/PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018

13

KNOT TYING

Registration Required Washington Township Park 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. $3.00/person, Free for Navigators

17

SENSORY EASTER

Registration Required Washington Township Park Pavilion 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

FREE

SIGN UP TO RECEIVE EVENT NOTIFICATIONS IN YOUR AREA AT AVONMAGAZINE.COM

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AVON FIREFIGHTER HAS A GIFT FOR WOODWORKING

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided by the Jenkins Family

As a young boy, Mitch Jenkins watched intently as his family — particularly his grandfather — created items out of wood.

When Jenkins turned 10, his grandpa began teaching him the hands-on of woodworking by making cabinets.

“We had a detached two-car garage that I basically took over at age 14,” Jenkins says.

“That’s when I started buying tools and experimenting with my own projects.”

Though he always had an affinity for woodworking, Jenkins wasn’t sure what career he wanted to pursue. Then his father, a police officer, handed him an application for the volunteer fire department.

“I liked the idea of helping people just like my father always had, so nine years ago I joined the volunteer fire department,” Jenkins says. “I liked participating in

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community awareness programs.

Driving a big red truck for a living is also fun.”

He earned a degree in public service administration from IUPUI and got hired at a fire station near the Indianapolis Airport before joining the Avon Fire Department in 2016 at Station 142 on Ronald Reagan Parkway. Though he loves the community aspect of the job, he admits that the most challenging runs are those involving children.

“It’s so hard — especially those emergencies with young children or newborns who can’t speak,” Jenkins says. “But that’s what’s great about having a crew with you. When there are five or six other guys there, you always have one that’s great with kids.

Everyone has their strengths.”

One strength all firefighters must have is adapting to fragmented sleep schedules and going long periods without food. Though there are shifts when maybe only one or two calls come in, other days the station may receive 15 or 20 calls. And that often translates to no time for meals.

“Sometimes we’re halfway through cooking dinner and a call comes in. Or it’s five or six at night and we haven’t made it to the store to buy food,” Jenkins says.

Adjusting to crazy hours is another challenge — mostly for his wife, Kirsten, who has had to get used to him working 24 hours on, 48 hours off. Though it was rough at first, Jenkins enjoys the schedule since it allows him to have two days off to do anything he wants. Usually that entails woodworking in his garage.

“I get so pumped up doing these projects,” says Jenkins, who launched his own company, MK Fire Designs, in 2015 (MK stands for Mitch and Kirsten). He’s been hesitant to build a website because he keeps plenty busy filling orders for folks who find him on Facebook or hear about him

through word of mouth.

Though he sells a number of carved, framed signs at craft shows with phrases such as “Thankful & Grateful,” “Love You More” and “Every Day I Love You,” his focus for 2018 will be mostly on producing custom flag signs, which are 19.5 x 37 in size and fashioned out of pine (with oak in the center). He makes a ton of them for fire stations, carving in their particular logo and station number and then painting it.

AVON/PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018

“I’ve had a number of fire chiefs contact me, asking for one for their firehouse,” says Jenkins, who gives them to retiring firefighters as gifts. Each flag costs $250.

Though many have urged him to raise his prices given the items’ high quality, Jenkins refrains.

“You look online and prices vary, but I’m not looking to get rich doing this,” he says.

“I’m in it to provide a meaningful service to firefighters, police, military — the brotherhood.”

Though flags are his top seller, other popular items include personalized cutting boards (ideal for wedding presents) and the Star Wars Aztec calendar, which is typically made out of MDF (medium density fiber board) and hung on the wall, though he can carve it into a coffee table or something else if that’s what the customer wants.

Every order is 100 percent custom. He draws 3D images on his computer with four different colors, which he then sends to his clients.

“It was wild to see a locomotive in pieces,” Jenkins says. “I was there for 16 hours.

Clean-up lasted for weeks.”

Though Jenkins and his wife don’t yet have children, he hopes to grow their family soon. As for now, the couple owns two dogs — Oakley, a 2-year-old black lab whom they rescued from the Hendricks County Shelter, and Chief, a 6-year-old

mastiff/lab mix Jenkins found alongside the road last spring.

When Jenkins does become a dad, it’s safe to say that his children will learn the fine art of woodworking. The only question is, “Will Mitch share his garage?”

To see more of Jenkin’s woodworking designs, search him on Facebook.

“It’s endless what I can do,” says Jenkins, who also designs furniture. “If I don’t know how to make something a customer requests, I have enough tools and experience to figure out how.”

A good portion of his week, however, is spent serving the public. Though there’s no way of knowing when an emergency will occur, many EMS runs happen in the wee hours of the morning and fire alarms often sound at 7 a.m. when office buildings open.

Not surprisingly, car accidents ramp up during heavy congestion and when snow starts falling. The three Avon fire stations definitely stay busy. According to Dan Smith, Avon Fire Chief, Washington Township/Avon Fire made a total of 4,962 runs in 2017.

Besides tending to calls, firefighters also spend time cleaning their trucks, working out at the station’s gym, talking to school children about fire safety and attending various PR events.

They also do several training exercises during every shift —some regarding medical, others regarding fire or hazmat safety.

“That’s something the public probably doesn’t know is the amount of training and EMS refreshers we do to practice protocols and stay up on certifications,” says Jenkins, whose most memorable experience on the job happened several years ago when two massive CSX freight trains in northwest Indiana collided going 50 mph. The carnage from the crash was massive.

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It’s no secret that mom does most of the heavy lifting during pregnancy, but she needs support from her partner. What are the best ways to support your partner through the journey to parenthood? Find out with these tips from Dr. Marwan Saleh, OB-GYN at Indiana University Health West Hospital.

How can I show my support to my partner before she’s in labor?

“It’s important to play an active role in the pregnancy long before your partner delivers,” Dr. Saleh says. “Educating yourself will make you feel more involved in the process, and you’ll be more prepared. Make prenatal and ultrasound appointments a priority, attend childbirth education and delivery classes and help your partner develop a birth plan with the doctor.”

Remember that education doesn’t stop after the baby is born. Ask your care team about child education classes offered at the hospital to learn how to hold and swaddle a

newborn, change diapers, burp a baby and look for nonverbal cues.

Partners can also help get ready for the baby’s arrival by childproofing the home and preparing the car seat, crib, basinet and diaper bag.

How can I be supportive during the delivery process?

“It’s helpful for partners to know what to expect during labor,” Dr. Saleh says.

“Understand that childbirth is a process that happens in stages, it’s not an event.

Although occasionally it does happen quickly, that’s not the case for most women.”

Your labor and delivery team will provide expert care in order to keep mom and baby safe and healthy, but remember that you too can be your partner’s advocate.

“Continue to check in with your partner during the delivery and after,” Dr. Saleh adds. “Bring your own music and offer a massage to help her relax. Does she need a AVON/PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018

break from visitors? Help her communicate her wishes to the labor and delivery team.

Don’t hesitate to ask for help.”

Follow this timeline to learn how to be there for your partner through every stage of pregnancy, from the first weeks through your baby’s arrival.

First Trimester (Weeks 1–13) “In the first few months of pregnancy, your partner may feel tired and moody,” says Jennifer Sollman, clinical manager of maternity and special care nursery at IU Health West Hospital. “She may also experience nausea and vomiting due to morning sickness, but contrary to the condition’s name, it is possible for this to strike at any time.”

To support your partner: • Go to prenatal doctor visits when you can.

• Pitch in more around the house so she can get extra rest.

• Support her healthy choices and participate in her healthy lifestyle.

• Don’t take it personally if she seems cranky or has mood swings. Be understanding and give her space to complain.

Second Trimester (Weeks 14–27) “This is the stage when your partner is likely to be feeling her best,” Sollman says.

“Morning sickness usually subsides, moods even out and energy returns. Around midtrimester, she’ll start feeling the baby move.”

To support your partner: • Help prepare the house for baby’s arrival, that way, you’ll have less to do at the last minute.

• Discuss parental leave options with your employer.

Third Trimester (Weeks 28–40)

Labor and Delivery

“During the last months of pregnancy, your partner may feel more physically uncomfortable,” Sollman says. “Her belly is larger and her body is getting ready for the impending birth. She may have trouble sleeping or walking fast. As the big day draws closer, she may be feeling a mix of anxiety and excitement.”

“This is your chance to put the strategies you learned in birthing class to good use,” Sollman says.

To support your partner: • Encourage her to share how she’s feeling and be a good listener.

• Take a birthing class together. Learning what to expect helps calm anxiety and boost confidence.

• Install a rear-facing infant car seat in your vehicle. You’ll need it to bring your baby home.

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• Time her contractions and know when to alert her birthing team.

• Massage her shoulders and back, if that makes her more comfortable.

• Walk with her, unless she’s been ordered to rest.

Once labor and delivery are underway, it is important to stay calm and encouraging.

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CONSERVING WATER IN THE KITCHEN It is a good idea to conserve water around the house because it benefits the environment, while reducing your water bills. If you’d like to start conserving water, a great place to start is in the kitchen.

It can be as easy as using the refrigerator to cool water, washing food in a basin, or changing the way you wash your dishes. Details for each suggestion are listed below.

As an added benefit, some containers are equipped with a water filter that can better purify your home’s tap water. Though most tap water is adequately filtered before reaching your home, a second filter can help remove additional contaminants.

1. COOL WATER IN THE REFRIGERATOR

If you find yourself washing fruits and vegetables under a running faucet, consider using a water-filled basin instead. Your produce can be cleaned just as well, while conserving a great deal of water in the process.

Instead of letting the tap run each time you want a glass of water, keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator. Because it will no longer be necessary to run the tap until the water is cold, much less water will be wasted.

2. WASH FOOD IN A BASIN

Should a clean basin not be available, a well cleaned sink will

AVON/PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018

work just as well. Just insert the stopper and fill the sink with enough water to thoroughly wash your fruits and vegetables. A short rinse under the tap may be required.

3. CHANGE YOUR DISHWASHING STRATEGY Do not run your dishwasher unless you have a full load of dishes ready to be washed. Because the same amount of water will be used regardless of the load size, the fewer loads you wash, the less water will be used. If you plan to buy a new dishwasher, look for a water efficient model.

Alternately, if you hand wash your dishes, don’t run a continuous stream of water for rinsing. If possible, use a second sink for rinse water. If you only have one sink, wait to rinse your dishes until the dish rack is full. Then, fill a container with warm water to rinse all of the washed dishes at once.

Many people are looking for ways to use less water at home. As the average kitchen uses a large amount of water, it can be a great place to start conserving. By cooling water in the refrigerator, washing your food in a basin, and changing your dishwashing strategy you will not only help the environment, but also lower your water bills.

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LOCAL WYRZ PERSONALITY NICOLE KENDALL PURSUES HER LIFELONG PASSION

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photographer / Darren Boston

Somewhere deep down she always knew she’d find her passion. It just took a winding path for her to get there. For over a year, WYRZ on-air personality Nicole Kendall has hosted a weekday radio show called “On Air with Nicole.” Prior to that, however, she achieved success in several other fields.

After graduating from the University of Evansville, she pursued a career in banking and insurance for eight years before becoming an advertising consultant.

“I worked for some wonderful organizations and made good money, but I always felt like something was missing,” says Kendall, who became friends with Shane Ray, station manager at WYRZ 98.9 FM. She shared with Ray her passion for music and proposed the idea of her doing a 70s radio show.

Just as Kendall was sticking her pinky toe into the radio world, the abdominal pain she’d been experiencing for several years turned excruciating. It got to the point that she struggled to lift her leg to walk, wear a seatbelt or even get into a car. Despite multiple trips to various specialists, nobody could provide a diagnosis.

They just kept trying to prescribe pain medication. Some days she could tolerate the pain, other days left her bedridden, which meant missing out on outings with her husband Andrew and their daughters Reese (9) and Taylor (6).

“My husband would take the kids to the zoo and I had to stay home because I couldn’t walk the hills,” Kendall says.

Then one day an advanced medicine doctor (who happened to be an oncologist) discovered that she had a herniated abdominal wall and her uterus was pushing through it when she sat upright. Her pelvic organs had also been fused together with severe scar tissue from previous cesareans, requiring a hysterectomy and hernia operation. Six weeks post-surgery, she had a new lease on life accompanied by a

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brand-new perspective.

“I remember sitting in the waiting room with women who were dying of cancer and thinking, ‘I’m being given a chance to feel better, to live and be able to do what I want in life. I’m going after what I really want to do, and I’m not looking back,’” Kendall says.

When she first told her parents that she was pursuing a radio career full-time, she expected they’d be disappointed, but they understood her passion for music because they were the ones who instilled it in her.

“My mother loves classic rock and my father loves the funk era from the 70s,”

Kendall says. “They let me watch “Soul Train” as a kid, and I would try to imitate Tina Turner’s gyrating hips and flailing head tosses.”

Back then she repeatedly rewound tapes in her boom box and wrote down the lyrics to her favorite songs.

“The songs with true raw emotion are the ones that resonate,” Kendall says. “Think of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Landside’ with its powerful lyrics: ‘I climbed a mountain and I turned around. And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills, and the landslide brought me down.’ She also relates to Stevie Wonder’s song “Higher Ground” that says, “I’m so glad that I know more than I knew AVON/PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018

then. Gonna keep on tryin’ till I reach my highest ground.”

A fan of Aerosmith, Journey and Chicago, Kendall notes the unifying comforting nature of music.

“You might be having a bad day, a happy day, a sad day,” Kendall says. “The great thing about music is that it’s always there for you, no matter what’s going on in your life.”

WYRZ plays top-40 hits from the mid-60s to the mid-80s — everything from the Beach Boys to Prince to Van Halen. Living in a digital world means that radio stations are always fighting for the listeners’ ears.

“That’s a struggle for anyone in radio,

fighting the digital monster because people are pulled to iTunes and music apps they can download,” Kendall says. “But there are still people who love the connection they get with radio.”

For instance, listeners love it when Kendall mentions her two rescue dogs — Emma, a 15-year-old beagle, and Stella, a 2-year-old basset hound.

They can relate because they, too, have beloved pets.

Since just three staff members work at WYRZ, they learn every aspect of radio.

“We learn the tech side and the personality side,” Kendall says. “We edit our own shows. We voice our own shows. We find our own content. We do our own social media, and we like it that way because we build a wealth of experience.”

In addition to her weekday show “On Air with Nicole” from 1–4 p.m., she hosts Central Indiana Today Wednesdays at 7 p.m. Though the show was initially established as a political format, when Kendall took it over, she began interviewing “difference makers” in Central Indiana who are doing positive, uplifting things.

“People want to hear the good stories,” says Kendall, who shines a spotlight on people who are doing constructive things. “It’s an opportunity to spread their mission in hopes that others will back them.”

One of the proudest transformations Kendall has witnessed in herself is her newfound fearlessness. For instance, her future career goals include trying to be picked up by a network such as iHeart or Cumulus.

“You only get yourself out there if you put yourself out there,” Kendall says. “That’s what I try to teach my daughters. If you want to do something with your life, you’ve got to be fearless to get to the next level.”

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YEARLY HCDGC TOURNAMENTS RAISE FUNDS, CANNED GOODS FOR THOSE IN NEED Writer / Steven Penn

Every winter, the Hendricks County Disc Golf Club braves the elements with a purpose: To help those in need.

For the past few years, the winter months have provided opportunities for the club to raise funds and collect canned goods while playing disc golf tournaments.

“One tournament is part of a series named Western Indiana Frozen Fundraiser Series,” says John Strifler, co-founder of the Hendricks County Disc Golf Club, along with John Lowery. “These events are hosted throughout central and western Indiana, with each host site choosing a charity to support. Last year, we supported two of our fellow disc golfers, who had chosen to serve in international mission fields. One was in Kenya, and the other is now in Belgium.”

This year marks the Fifth Western Indiana Frozen Fundraiser Series event. Strifler says the other fundraiser is in its seventh year and is known as “The Ice Bowl.” “(The Ice Bowl) is part of an international, multi-site, series of events,” Strifler says.

“These are specifically aimed at supporting local food pantries. Over the last few years we have focused our support on the Avon

Parkside Church of the Nazarene Food pantry.”

hole in the ground, disc golf uses baskets to catch the disc.”

Strifler says their next fundraising event is planned for March and that more information can be found at hcdgc.com.

Those who want to participate do not have to be members of the Hendricks County Disc Golf Club.

Another difference is disc golf holes are measured in feet rather than yards.

“These events will have pre-registration available with walk up sign ups available,” he says. “Our tournaments are on Saturdays and usually involve two rounds of golf, with a lunch break.”

Strifler and Lowery founded the Hendricks County Disc Golf Club in 2008.

“We started the club intentionally to promote disc golf as an enjoyable activity and to be able to more effectively promote the game and sport,” Strifler says. “Because it is easy to learn, yet a challenge to master, it is a perfect activity for any age.”

Disc golf, he says, is similar to regular golf.

“You throw a disc rather than hit a golf ball, with the goal to have the fewest possible strokes/throws to hole out,” he says. “Many of the same terms are used. You have a starting tee for each disc golf hole, which are often concrete for traction. Rather than a 46 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018 / PlainfieldMag.com

“In comparison, a 220 yard golf hole would be considered a 3 par, with a good birdie opportunity,” Strifler says. “In disc golf, a 220 feet hole would be a 3 par, and a good birdie chance. Most holes in disc golf are par 3, until a hole is 500 feet long or has a complicated fairway path to the hole — then a par 4 is common.”

There are currently four publicly accessible disc golf courses in Hendricks County.

Plainfield course is located between Calvary Baptist Church and the north side of Hummel Park.

“There are two other courses supported by churches as well,” Strifler adds. “West Bridge Church in Danville has a simple 9-hole course and Bethesda Baptist Church in Brownsburg has just recently installed an 18-hole course.”

The fourth course is located in Avon at the Avon Town Hall Park.

For those interested in becoming part of the club, Strifler says they can join by attending any of the events or on the club website: hcdgc.com.

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Rejuva Wellness and Yoga Offers a Natural Alternative to Health & Wellbeing Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing

Rejuva Wellness and Yoga focuses on five pillars that are vital to overall health and wellness. These include: 1) promoting relaxation/stress reduction, 2) improving cellular health, 3) boosting the immune system, 4) ridding the body of inflammation and toxins, and 5) putting the body in a state of homeostasis or balance. Yoga, aromatherapy, hot stone aroma touch therapy, pulsed electro-magnetic field therapy, whole body vibration therapy and thermal massage bed therapy are all incorporated into treatment.

Rejuva’s signature treatment is the Hot Stone Aroma Touch therapy, which involves eight essential oils that are used along the back and bottom of the feet. Reflexology techniques and hot stones create a sense of deep relaxation and provide therapeutic value.

“Every disease has its root in inflammation.

Stress causes inflammation and inflammation slows the production of serotonins that help us deal with stress,” says Cathy Stopczynski, owner of Rejuva

Wellness & Yoga. “What we do here is retrain the body on how to relax and stay in a balanced state for optimal health.”

Pulsed electro-magnetic field therapy (PEMF) is a FDA-approved device for cell rejuvenation.

“It mimics the magnetic field of the earth.

If you’ve ever walked barefoot in your yard or on the beach, you’ve connected with that magnetic field because there’s no interference,” Stopczynski says. “That magnetic field is important for relaxation because it provides a grounding effect.”

PEMF reduces pain and inflammation, balances the immune system, and improves blood pressure, cholesterol levels and circulation.

“Clients leave feeling energized yet relaxed and typically experience a more restful sleep for several days following,” says Stopczynski, who observes that more and more people are recognizing that there are natural solutions to achieving good health. “The old model is going away. In its place is this new PlainfieldMag.com / MARCH 2018 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / 47

model that offers natural solutions to health and wellbeing.”

The thermal massage bed, FDA-approved for hypertension and Type 2 diabetes, relaxes the organs, enabling them to function more efficiently.

“When organs get stressed, they don’t work properly,” Stopczynski adds.

She offers a “Spa Day Special” and “Just Chill Special” as well as three monthly memberships that offer the best value — Silver, Gold and Platinum. For instance, the Platinum Membership is $99, which includes two hours of relaxation each month — stone aroma touch, thermal massage treatment, PEMF & vibration therapy, plus four free yoga classes. Besides yoga, Stopczynski also offers healthy living classes, essential oil classes and therapeutic facials.

See Stopczynski for a free consultation.

Rejuva Wellness & Yoga is located at 1070 W. Main Street, Suite 161 in Plainfield. For more information, visit rejuvawellness.com or call 317-406-3989.

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photos by Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library

for March issue of Plainfield Magazine If you’re looking to be mesmerized, entertained and transported back in time, befriend a librarian. That’s what I did recently when I met Reann Poray, Manager of the Indiana Room (Local History/Genealogy Services) at the Plainfield Library. Poray worked at the Plainfield Library first as a student and later (starting in 2001) as a professional. Needless to say, through the years she’s collected a great deal of knowledge when it comes to Plainfield’s rich history.

The town got its name from a group of Quaker pioneers, who came from North Carolina in 1820 and settled in the White Lick Creek area south of what is now Plainfield. They named their new township “Guilford” after their former home in Guilford County.

“The 1827 survey for the National Road, just north of their settlement, encouraged other North Carolina Quakers, who wanted to avoid slavery problems in the South, to move here,” says Poray, noting that the early Quakers established several meetinghouses throughout the county, including the 48 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018 / PlainfieldMag.com

Western Yearly Meeting of Friends. The Plainfield Friends building, located at 105 South East Street, was built and the first Western Yearly Meeting was held in 1858.

“Yearly Meetings were established to hold a larger gathering of Quakers in an area,” Poray says.

Though yearly meetings used to be held only in Richmond, Indiana, once folks on the western side of the state began to weary of travel, the Western Yearly Meeting in Plainfield was established. Early Quakers established several Friends meeting houses

PLAINFIELD HAS GONE FROM A SMALL, RURAL TOWN TO A LARGER SUBURBAN TOWN WITH A SMALLTOWN FEEL. in the Guilford Township area, including Sugar Grove, Fairfield and Bridgeport.

“The meeting used to last about a week, with people coming from Indiana and Illinois to conduct business and hear speakers,” Poray says. “In early days, it was a social event for the entire Plainfield community, whether Quaker or not.”

Plainfield folks still gather today on the first Wednesday of each month for a lunch and a sharing of “old-time” stories.

“There’s a group of Plainfield old-timers who gather at noon at St. Marks Episcopal Church on Buchanan Street,” Poray says.

“They have a speaker at each meeting and then just sit around and recounting the good old days.”

In 1839, Plainfield was incorporated as a town. The incorporation charter was given up more than a decade later after unsuccessful attempts at town government, and the town returned to township government. On May 16, 1904, Plainfield again voted in favor of incorporation. The vote total was 319 with 190 in favor and 129 not in favor. Plainfield was officially incorporated.

If you love a good political or horse story, Poray shared PlainfieldMag.com / MARCH 2018 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / 49

a doozy that combines the two. The National Road was completed in Plainfield in 1830, prompting rapid settlement and development of the area. The National Road was converted to planks in 1850, then paved in 1923.

President Martin Van Buren had vetoed a bill passed by Congress to improve the highway, and the residents of Plainfield didn’t forget this action. Van Buren was beginning his campaign for the 1844 election when he decided to visit the Midwest. He stayed with Governor Samuel Biggers on June 11, 1842. Two days later, he left Indianapolis for Terre Haute on a mail stage operated by a Plainfield company. Instead of walking the horse team the last half mile into town, down the east hill, the driver sped them into a gallop in order to purposefully dump Van Buren from his carriage out into a muddy section of the National Road.

Resident Emma Hiss’s mother, who was 11 years old at the time, was an eyewitness to the scene. She recorded the following account: “As the

presidential stage neared a treacherous mudhole, a favorite wallow for hogs, the driver yanked hard on his left rein. The team reared and backed. The carriage slewed around to the left, its wheels cut under, climbed the bank and finally banged against the roots of a great tree. Slowly — very slowly — the stage overturned to land with a splash in the

50 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018 / PlainfieldMag.com

center of the wallow. The agile driver jumped to safety.”

According to Poray, this is why there is an historical marker rock on the lawn of the Friends Church. It marks the spot where the elm tree stood and where Van Buren was tossed. For many years the Van Buren Elm stood as a snapshot to a piece

of history. Sadly, the tree was damaged in a storm in 1929 and taken down.

“This incident is why we have Van Buren Elementary School and, previously, the Van Buren Hotel,” Poray says.

Through the decades, the town of Plainfield has changed considerably in terms of population growth and economic advancement. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 1910 the population of Plainfield was 1,303 — a number that grew to 30,590 by 2015.

“Plainfield has gone from a small, rural town to a larger suburban town with a small-town feel,” says Poray, noting the 20 miles of popular trails the Town of Plainfield Parks has developed.

Many of the trails, which draw pedestrians from Plainfield, Avon, Danville, Brownsburg, are connected, making for safe exercising for pedestrians, bikers and parents with strollers.

According to the Town of Plainfield’s website, Hummel Park, Anderson Park, Swinford Park, Friendship Gardens, Franklin Park, and the Plainfield Recreation & Aquatic Center are all located in or adjacent to the White Lick Creek floodway. The Vandalia Rail extends east and west along the old Vandalia Rail bed. The Sugar Grove Trail extends west from Hummel Park to include several subdivisions Though Plainfield is recognized for its beautiful exercise trails, according to Poray, historically, Plainfield is best known for the Indiana Boys School, which was created in 1867 as a House of Refuge for juvenile boys. Located on U.S. Route 40 just outside of Plainfield, for 138 years it served as a correctional institution for adolescent boys.

“The school turned into more than just a place to house delinquents,” Poray says.

“It was a self-sustaining institution. They taught the boys vocations, which also helped provide for the running of the place — gardening, farming, dairying, printing, barbering, making leather goods, show making, baking, doing laundry — all this in addition to providing an education for them with proper schooling.”

For more on Plainfield, visit townofplainfield.com.

FUN FACTS ABOUT PLAINFIELD • Two notable Plainfield residents are actor Forrest Tucker and designer Mark Hampton.

Tucker, born February 1919, was an actor who appeared in nearly 100 films. Hampton, born in June 1940, was an interior designer who decorated the homes of George & Barbara Bush, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Estée Lauder.

• P lainfield-Guilford Township Public Library had the state of Indiana’s first bookmobile. It was called an Auto-Book Wagon.

• T he Keely Institute, a three-story, low-rise building located on the southwest corner of Center and Main Streets, was a drug and alcohol rehab facility in the 1890s and early 1900s. “[Such a facility was quite] progressive for the time,” Poray says. “The building remains today.”

• D elaware Indians once occupied this area, as evidenced by arrow heads residents have found on their farm land. According to the 1885 Hendricks County History, because the Delawares weren’t situated on any of the great war trails or Indian highways, the land “seemed to have been used for hunting ground and for a temporary abode.”

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FAMILY PROMISE OF HENDRICKS COUNTY OFFERING HELP, HOPE AND HOUSING TO THE HOMELESS

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing

organizations to assist families with basic necessities for up to 90 days.

Lisa, a working mother and full-time college student, was involved in a serious car accident last year. This set into motion a domino effect of bad fortune. Unable to drive, she couldn’t get to work. Not working meant no income, so she couldn’t pay rent. She and her two daughters eventually found themselves living on the streets.

On average, the wait list is approximately 12 families, though as many as 27 have been on the list at any particular time. Open since March 2015, Family Promise has assisted 22 families.

Desperate to turn things around, Lisa connected with Family Promise of Hendricks County, whose mission is to help homeless individuals overcome barriers that keep them from obtaining employment and, by extension, permanent housing.

According to Stacy Schilling, director of the program, some of those barriers include lack of childcare, limited transportation options, and poor credit.

Family Promise of Hendricks County, located north of the Avon Washington Township Library on Ind. 267, partners with local

“Homelessness in Hendricks County is very much a hidden population,” says Schilling. “But if you look for it, you’ll often find it.”

In fact, over 200 school-aged children in Hendricks County are currently homeless. Schilling acknowledges that families can be reluctant to seek help due to shame or fear. In these cases, they will stay with friends, sleep in their car, or bunk outdoors, weather permitting.

The problem is, such methods cannot be sustained indefinitely.

Family Promise of Hendricks County currently partners with 22 organizations. Some of those arrange for temporary housing and others provide meals and other services.

PlainfieldMag.com / MARCH 2018 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / 53

“It’s a hodgepodge of set-ups, but it all comes together,” Schilling says.

The Family Promise model relies on its partnerships with churches, clubs, medical facilities, school systems, and police departments. Hendricks Regional Health, in particular, has acted as a host site and has sponsored many of the program’s events.

“This community is so giving,” says Schilling. “We’ve found that if people can lend a hand, they often do.”

For example, high school students have pitched in to landscape and decorate the resource center, barbers have cut hair at no charge, photographers have provided free Mother’s Day photo packages, and community members have answered phones, donated meals, and arranged transportation for those needing rides to and from job interviews.

Family Promise also partners with Woodforest National Bank, whose branch manager teaches weekly budgeting skills and financial literacy classes.

“We don’t focus on past debt, broken credit, or evictions, but we do help our families process what happened to get them to this place,” says Schilling. “We do this because there’s a fragile chain of command where if one thing breaks, they’re back to being homeless.”

When the facility opened in the spring, Schilling says there were questions about how to best communicate with those needing assistance.

“You can’t teach someone how to swim when they’re drowning,” says Schilling. “When families are in crisis, throwing everything at them at once only serves to overwhelm them.”

Every 30 days, a case worker re-evaluates a family’s progress to assess what they’ve accomplished and to help outline plans for the future.

“Setting goals and improving accountability empowers families,” Schilling says.

Ultimately, Lisa found permanent housing and landed a job and she recently graduated from college.

“Last week she stopped by the office and was absolutely glowing,” says Schilling. “She persevered, and that’s why we’re here.”

For more information about Family Promise of Hendricks County, call (317) 296-3742 or visit its website at familypromisehendrickscounty.org/.

54 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018 / PlainfieldMag.com

FAMILY PROMISE OF HENDRICKS COUNTY 360 AVON AVE. AVON, IN 46123 317.296.3742 FAMILYPROMISEHENDRICKSCOUNTY.ORG Family Promise of Hendricks County provides emergency shelter for children and the adults who care for them. If you are seeking help during normal business hours please call the number above. After hours or on weekends please call Connect to Help at 211 or 317-926-4357.

LEARNING THROUGH PLAY IS NOTHING TO LAUGH AT. Tour your local Goddard School and experience why it’s the best preparation for social and academic success. Goddard Systems, Inc.’s program is AdvancED Accredited.

CALL TODAY! AVON • 8547 E. US Highway 36 • 317-272-1337 GoddardSchool.com

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The Goddard Schools are operated by independent franchisees under a license agreement with Goddard Systems, Inc. Programs and ages may vary. Goddard Systems, Inc. program is AdvancED accredited. © Goddard Systems, Inc. 2016

PlainfieldMag.com / MARCH 2018 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / 55

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At Indiana University Health West Hospital, our highly skilled team of doctors and nurses will provide you with exceptional care throughout the entire birthing experience. With comprehensive maternity services, from birthing classes to our Level II Special Care Nursery, each interaction is designed to make you and your family feel safe and special. Because when everything is taken care of, you can focus on your newest family member.

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