Plainfield Magazine July 2022

JULY 2022

MAGAZINE

SUMMER SUN SAFETY TIPS IN THE GENES LOCAL ADOPTEES SEARCH FOR THEIR BIRTH PARENTS

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IN THIS ISSUE

JULY 2022

PUBLISHER DARREN BOSTON darren@townepost.com 317.716.8812

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PRODUCTION COORDINATOR ERIN TURK DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT JOSH BROWN

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COPY EDITOR JON SHOULDERS

Hendricks County Robotics Teams Compete at World Championships

Local Adoptees Search for Their Birth Parents

MARKETING CONSULTANT CAMERON WEST

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CREATIVE DIRECTORS TONI EADS VAL AUSTIN

BUILDING CHARACTER

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SUMMER FUN GONE WRONG

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IN THE GENES

Danny Wimmer Presents Continues to Grow Its Louisville Festival Events

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How To Prevent an Emergency Room Trip

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SOUND APPROACH

SUMMER SUN SAFETY TIPS

Indiana School of Lutherie Teaches Students to Build Guitars

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LEARNING FROM LOSS

Animal Grief Support Group Helps the Healing Process KEY CONTRIBUTORS AMY PAYNE / CHRISTY HEITGER-EWING CARRIE VITTITOE / KURTISS MCKISSICK

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Team A won the Judges Award for their exemplary effort and perseverance at the event and team accomplishments throughout the season.

BUILDING CHARACTER HENDRICKS COUNTY ROBOTICS TEAMS COMPETE AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided

and fifth-graders competed in multiple competitions.

Communication. Collaboration. Critical thinking. Problem solving. These are all skills we want our children to master in life. Students engaged in robotics programs are getting a jumpstart on such skills. Jennifer Gray, a fourth-grade teacher at Brentwood Elementary, has been coaching the school’s robotics team for the past six years. This year 27 fourth-

These students, along with 110 teams from other Indiana elementary schools, participated at a state competition in March of this year.

In May, 517 elementary teams competed at the VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas, Texas. Gray’s four Brentwood teams, along with her 6 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / JULY 2022 / TownePost.com

husband’s two independent home-based teams, are the only Hendricks County teams who competed there.

“I never thought I’d be taking all four teams to state at Lucas Oil, let alone all four teams to Worlds in Texas,” says Gray, who is grateful to their generous World Championship sponsors - Duke Energy, Hendricks Power, and Hendricks County Community Foundation.

Each team includes a teacher or parent/ mentor coach.

“These parents really help our teams be successful,” Gray says.

When students ask her a question, Gray poses a question back to them. If they get frustrated, she asks, “What else should you do? What else should you try?”

“It’s really exciting when they learn something new,” she says.

In the VEX IQ Challenge, students, with guidance from their teachers and mentors, build a robot using snap-together VEX IQ parts to solve an engineering challenge that’s presented each year in the form of a game. Teams work together to score points in Teamwork matches, and get to show off their skills individually in drivercontrolled and programming Robot Skills Challenges.

“I’m proud of these young students for their ability to take what they’ve learned and apply it to building and programming a robot, and then going through the rigors of competing with their creation,” Gray says. “The VEX IQ Challenge has truly sparked their natural curiosity about STEM subjects, which will serve them well throughout their education.”

During practices, each student has a role on their team - documenter, builder, supply manager, driver, programmer or competition manager. The team records prototype info, problems, solutions, accomplishments, scores, goals and drawings in their team notebooks. These notebooks are evaluated by judges at the competitions.

WHAT STUDENTS LEARN FROM ROBOTICS “TEAMWORK IS ESSENTIAL TO KEEPING THE TEAM TOGETHER AND HAVING SUCCESS.”

“ROBOTICS IS NOT ALL ABOUT WINNING. IT’S ABOUT HAVING FUN AND LEARNING.”

- MATTHEW -

- CARTER -

“YOU CAN DO ANYTHING IF YOU BELIEVE IT.”

“HELPING OTHER TEAMS LEARN AND SUCCEED WITH THEIR ROBOT.”

- RILEY -

- ANDREW -

“I HAVE FRIENDS BESIDE ME THAT I CAN TRUST AND COUNT ON TO ENCOURAGE ME AND HELP OUR TEAM.”

“MAKING FRIENDS AND HAVING FUN LEARNING HOW TO PROGRAM OUR ROBOT.”

- ABDUL -

- CHARLOTTE -

“NOT TO GET MAD WHEN I MESS UP DURING A MATCH. INSTEAD, I TRY TO THINK HOW I CAN IMPROVE THE NEXT TIME.” - DREW -

“These 9- and 10-year-olds get interviewed by judges from all over the world - Australia, Canada, China, Colombia, Germany, Ghana, Japan, Morocco, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey and United Arab Emirates,” Gray says.

“I’m super impressed by the students’ communication skills.”

The final results from Dallas are as TownePost.com / JULY 2022 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / 7

follows: Out of 57 teams in each division (each of their teams were in a different division), with 570-plus elementary teams total, Team A placed seventh (having made it to division finals). They also earned the Judges Award for their exemplary effort and perseverance at the event, and team accomplishments throughout the season. Team B took 24th place. Team C placed 10th (they also

made it to division finals). Team E got 21st place, having just missed finals by two points.

“What a great season we have had, ending with such a wonderful and memorable experience,” says Gray, who has a team of all fifth-grade girls, and has loved watching their confidence and curiosity grow over time. “Robotics really transforms these

8 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / JULY 2022 / TownePost.com

kids into problem solvers for our next generation, which makes the future so much more exciting. We talk about what kinds of jobs they can have in the STEM field in robotics. This has been a great program.

We’re excited to see it thrive in the future.”

To learn more about Robotics Club and camps, contact Jennifer Gray at jgray@ plainfield.k12.in.us.

CENTER STAGE DANNY WIMMER PRESENTS CONTINUES TO GROW ITS LOUISVILLE FESTIVAL EVENTS and a location that is a stone’s throw from the bourbon capital of the world - Bardstown.

More than 10 years ago, music industry veteran and concert promoter extraordinaire Danny Wimmer discovered for himself what made Louisville special. With his staff at Danny Wimmer Presents, he has spent the years since creating several destination music festivals to help people outside the city’s boundaries explore what makes Louisville so special, and remind locals what the city has to offer guests who visit.

Danny Wimmer Writer / Carrie Vittitoe Photography Provided

Louisville is a city with a lot to offer - a decent cost of living, a vibrant arts community, a reputation as a foodie town,

Life was born in 2014.

Even though music festivals typically last one weekend, they are definitely not an inexpensive endeavor, which is why the Danny Wimmer Presents team took its time in bringing a second festival to fruition.

“When we enter a new market, we go in with one festival and see if that market has the legs to sustain a second, third or fourth festival,” says Chamie McCurry, chief marketing officer at Danny Wimmer Presents. Louder Than Life’s success led to the creation of Bourbon & Beyond Danny Wimmer’s initial visit to Louisville five years ago. “The emphasis of Bourbon wasn’t related to music. He had become enamored with bourbon and was considering & Beyond from day one was always to launching his own brand. “I immediately felt highlight the bourbon as much as the at home everywhere I went in Louisville,” lineup,” McCurry says. he says. “There was a real pride, sense of While Louder Than Life is a very rockcommunity and charm that I just fell in love specific festival, Bourbon & Beyond with. It’s my home away from home.” includes country, classic rock, alt-rock, bluegrass and indie-alt, and is what He decided he wanted to create a music festival that would focus on rock music, but McCurry calls a lifestyle festival. “It has several genres represented,” she says. “It has remain rooted in the local landscape with a little bit of everything for everyone. The bourbon as an integral part. Louder Than JULY 2022

bourbon and culinary aspect is elevated at that festival.”

Both festivals are held at the Kentucky Exposition Center, last four days each, and include an opportunity for attendees to camp on-site. Different pass options give concertgoers the ability to pick and choose which days (or all the days) they want to attend. It is possible for attendees to make an entire vacation out of the festivals, since there is so much to do in Louisville and surrounding areas on the days in between.

“The long-term growth of this is that we want people coming in for two weeks and experiencing Louisville on the days when there isn’t an active festival happening,” McCurry says.

The influx of attendees from all over the country provides a financial boon to the city. According to McCurry, a 2019 independent study calculated the economic impact of both festivals at more than $43 million. Of course, COVID-19 affected

many public events and their financial windfalls for communities. While Louder Than Life took a hiatus in 2020 and came back in 2021, Bourbon & Beyond is only just now returning after a two-year break, which in some ways feels like starting over.

“We’re working to reintroduce that brand to the marketplace,” McCurry says.

Through the years some things have changed with the concerts, which is to be expected.

Both festivals began as two-day, two-stage festivals, but their popularity has led to growth. Both festivals now have four stages of music, and Bourbon & Beyond has two additional stages for workshops and presentations. The lineup has expanded as well. Louder Than Life now showcases 90 musicians and bands, while Bourbon & Beyond sees more than 50 musical acts performing.

Putting together music festivals this large takes a massive amount of planning, not only because of the music, but also because

JULY 2022

of the camping option and all the logistics that ensue. “Across the street we have car, tent and RV camping,” McCurry says.

“Fans can arrive on Wednesday, set up their campgrounds and live on-site with us for the festival weekend.”

the parks department, the Kentucky Expo Center, the Louisville Police Department.

We have an entire office and production team that works closely with our local partners in building out the most fanfriendly and safe concert experience.”

The staff members at Danny Wimmer Presents spend all year preparing for these festivals to ensure attendees have the best experience possible. Essentially, McCurry says the company is building a small city.

“We plan all year for it,” she says. “We work very closely with the City of Louisville,

The boots-on-the-ground staff in Louisville frequently checks on little things in the months and weeks before the shows, like how the grass is growing and how rainwater drains, so that any problems can be addressed beforehand.

JULY 2022

Before, during and after the music festivals, Danny Wimmer Presents uses social media to assess attendees’ expectations and experiences. “We’re able to make changes and adapt pretty quickly,” McCurry says.

In 2021, when rain prevented grassy areas from draining at Louder Than Life, staff brought in tons of gravel to alleviate standing water. After the event, surveys are sent to attendees to get their feedback. “We know it is a very competitive marketplace for consumers’ entertainment dollars,” McCurry says. “We want them to feel very satisfied.”

channel, DWPresents, which streams original content from unsigned musicians and bands, some of which have gotten signed and made it to the Louder Than Life stage.

The feel of Bourbon & Beyond is a little different. It’s a little more mellow, and could be considered the slow and steady wind-up to Louder Than Life the following weekend.

Of course this doesn’t mean the musicians who perform at Bourbon & Beyond this year, from September 15 to 18, can’t totally rock it out. Jack White, Pearl Jam, Kings of

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In 2021 Louder Than Life became the biggest rock festival in the country, with 160,000 passes sold. “Now we’re doing everything we can to get 40,000 people a day there,” McCurry says. The headliners for the Louder Than Life festival, which runs from September 22 to 25, include Nine Inch Nails, Kiss, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the festival is also shining a light on up-and-coming bands.

The Danny Wimmer Presents talent team spends a lot of time and energy booking artists that are getting airplay and buzz. In 2021 the company introduced its Twitch

JULY 2022

Leon, and Chris Stapleton are some of the big-name headliners. To be sure, part of the attraction of Bourbon & Beyond is the “beyond” aspect, which includes different bars, workshops and experiences with bourbon experts. Bourbon lovers can get their fill of rare and experimental bourbons at The Silver Dollar Hunter’s Club. And if you don’t like bourbon, don’t worry - there will also be a wine garden and craft beer area.

For more info, visit dannywimmerpresents.com.

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Summer Sun Safety Tips

prevent skin damage.

Story & Photos Provided

Summer break is in full swing, and your children will be spending a lot of time outdoors. Outside play and activities are an important part of keeping children active and healthy.

While it is true that some exposure to the sun contributes to our body’s production of Vitamin D, excessive sun exposure can greatly increase the risk of skin cancer and cause severe and painful burns. You can help protect your children by follow these guidelines.

• Spray sunscreen is not recommended for use with children.

Some of the risks with using spray sunscreen include inhalation of the spray possibly causing lung irritation, not getting full coverage due to spray pattern or windy conditions, and sprays are flammable when not completely dry.

Sun Safety Tips!

• Sunscreen should be re-applied at least every two hours, after sweating, drying off or after swimming.

• For children under 6 months old, the AAP recommends that infants avoid sun exposure when possible. Use lightweight, long pants, long-sleeved shirts, brimmed hats and keep infants in the shade to prevent sunburn. If these interventions are not available, you may apply a minimal amount of sunscreen to exposed areas, taking care around the infant’s eyes.

• Select a “broad-spectrum” sunscreen with a SPF of 15 to 50 to

• Sunscreen should be applied 15 to 30 minutes prior to going outside to give time for proper absorption.

• A pply sunscreen to all exposed areas of skin, using caution around the eyes.

• Use a wet cloth to gently wipe eyes if the child rubs sunscreen into their eyes, then wash their hands.

• R emember, UV rays are the strongest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

JULY 2022

Earlier and later outside play would be best.

• Use sunscreen even on cloudy days. Up to 80 percent of the sun’s rays come through the clouds!

• Encourage your children to wear hats and sunglasses with UV protection.

• Engage in activities in the shade when possible.

• Water and sand reflect the sun’s rays. Use caution when swimming or at the beach, sunburns may occur more quickly.

What can you do if your child does develop a sunburn?

If your child is younger than one, or if it is a severe sunburn involving, pain, fever or blisters, you should contact your Pediatrician right away. Medicated creams should be used only under the advisement of the pediatrician.

Applying a cool compress or cool water to the affected area can be soothing and help lessen the intensity of the burn. If the sunburn is particularly painful, pain medications, such as acetaminophen, may help ease the pain. Take care to avoid sun exposure with your sunburned child until the sunburn is fully healed.

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LEARNING FROM LOSS ANIMAL GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP HELPS THE HEALING PROCESS Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided

is grieving the death of a pet, and for individuals who work with animals on a regular basis.

“In the case of disenfranchised grief, some people have choked down a story for decades because when they tried to deal with their pain, they got hurtful reactions,” Tishken says. “As a result, they keep choking down that hurt and grief for a long time because they don’t feel there is a soft place to land that story.”

This is precisely why Tishken wanted to offer an animal grief support group.

“This is a grief that is otherwise going unaddressed,” he says. “The goal with this group is to provide a pastoral service to the community that you’re not going to find anywhere else.”

A

nyone who has experienced the agony of grief knows that it’s harsh and unrelenting, especially during those first several weeks and months when you are trying to find steady ground in an upended world. Typically, what gets us through those difficult days is the support we receive from friends, family, colleagues, counselors and support groups.

But what about when we have to say goodbye to a beloved pet? It’s not that society is unfeeling, but sometimes grief is discounted when the loss is “just an animal.”

“Grieving animals is a form of disenfranchised grief, which occurs when your loss goes against cultural norms and therefore isn’t seen as valid, understandable or acceptable,” says Reverend Joel Tishken, a part-time minister at Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Hendricks County (UUCCHC).

In the summer of 2021 Tishken took part in a training through the Association for Veterinary Pastoral Education. In March of 2022 he started a monthly Animal Grief Support Group (sponsored by UUCCHC) to provide a safe space for anyone who JULY 2022

The idea was conceived by animal chaplain Reverend Russell Elleven, who trained a handful of chaplains in this area. The support group follows a small-group model, meaning that each participant takes a turn to speak, saying whatever is on their heart. The rest of the participants do not respond, but rather just provide a listening ear.

“The idea is simply to be a supportive and loving presence to the others,” Tishken says. “It’s for people to be able to speak their heart without any judgment. You don’t have to stifle or qualify what you are saying.”

Tishken notes that when it comes to animal grief, society often mutes or minimizes it.

As a result, the grieving person is hesitant to open up.

“It’s hard to be vulnerable when you know

you’re going to get hurt,” Tishken says. “In this case, people don’t have to have any of those worries because we simply thank them for sharing their heart.”

Following the death of either a human or a pet, many people are prone to offering remarks like, “It’s God’s plan,” or, “They’re at peace now.”

“The problem is that if that isn’t your worldview, it’s not helpful at all,” Tishken says. “In fact, it can be hurtful.”

Anyone who works with animals, such as veterinarians or those at animal shelters or humane societies, are also welcome to attend the support group to help them process their work, which can be emotionally taxing. As Tishken points out, suicide rates among veterinarians and vet technicians are high.

“People often take their anxiety out on veterinarians in a way that they don’t with human doctors,” Tishken says. “People have weird expectations like that they should get a price break on a certain procedure, and if the vet doesn’t agree, they accuse the vet of not loving animals. Plus, vets see humanity at its worst when they see starving or clearly neglected animals.”

Tishken, a huge animal lover himself, owns 14 adopted critters including nine cats, four guinea pigs and a bunny. As a minister and chaplain, he has led his fair share of human support groups during his career.

“Dealing with people when they are hurting - those skills are clearly transferrable to this group,” he says. Support groups can be helpful because being among a group of people, even if they are not sharing your identical situation, is healing because they can empathize in a way that others cannot.

“There is power in speaking your truth,” Tishken says.

Tishken’s Animal Grief Support Group takes place virtually on the fourth Wednesday of each month from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, email minister@ uucchc.org.

JULY 2022

In the Genes

LOCAL ADOPTEES SEARCH FOR THEIR BIRTH PARENTS Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided

Kim Baver and her adoptive parents, Trent and Janet Wilheim.

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Lisa Dulcich-Suyeyasu grew up with wonderful parents who were always open with her about the fact that she was adopted.

her that Jim had always expressed that he wished he had a daughter.

When they took her to Jim’s gravesite, she sobbed.

“My dad was into genealogy and had family records going back to the 1800s when some of his family immigrated here,” she says.

“That always fascinated me. My parents always knew someday I’d search for my birth parents.”

“I was shocked by how emotional I got about it,” she says. “I think partly it was because he’s not here anymore, but also finally to have that final piece of the puzzle.”

Two years ago Dulcich-Suyeyasu, executive assistant at the Greater Avon Chamber of Commerce, started a side business that involves helping adoptees with birth-family searches and general genealogy research. To date, she has solved roughly 55 cases.

“When you decide to search, you have to make sure you’re mentally, physically and emotionally prepared for whatever the outcome may be,” she says.

And that she did. Thirty years ago she located her birth mom, Sue, using traditional genealogy methods, as genetic genealogy didn’t exist back then. The two were able to meet, and Sue has since passed away.

In 2015 Dulcich-Suyeyasu did DNA testing on herself because she was battling breast cancer and was unable to fill out the paternal side of the health questionnaire.

Adoptees tend to get excited at the notion of a happy reunion, but that excitement is based on expectation.

“They have this expectation that everything’s going to be rainbows and unicorns, and that’s not always the case,” she says, adding that she warns her clients that not all cases end happily. Sometimes a match can’t be found. Other times the truth can be dark and Because genetic testing in the genealogy world was just becoming sad. She’s found that sometimes birth parents, particularly birth more popular, it took a while for results to mean anything. Once moms, are in denial if they carry a lot of shame in their decision. more people started testing, she was able to locate her birth father, Back in the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s, that shame kept them from Jim, who died in 2007, never having known that she existed. Still, she is grateful to have met her cousins on her paternal line, who told talking about it.

“When you’re going through cancer you have freak-out moments,” she says. “I was extremely upset because I didn’t know anything.”

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“Some birth moms didn’t even tell their own families they were pregnant,” she says. “Now all of a sudden, because of genetic genealogy, adoptees are finding their birth parents and some of these birth families don’t want to be found.”

however, she felt compelled to share her story.

One day in 2020, Kim Baver stopped in at the Avon Chamber and began chatting with Dulcich-Suyeyasu. At the time Baver worked with Hendricks County Senior Services, and Dulcich-Suyeyasu asked if she would be interested in working with seniors on genealogy research projects. Baver’s ears perked up out of personal interest, as she was adopted when she was 6 weeks old.

“When I hit my teen years I wanted to know about my birth family, so I did a bit of exploring and got some info from the adoption agency,” Baver says. She couldn’t, however, obtain the birth records.

She left for college, pressing pause on the pursuit, though it was always in the back of her head. When she met Dulcich-Suyeyasu,

“She asked if I’d considered searching for my parents,” Baver says. “When I told her, ‘Yes, but I’ve never gotten very far,’ her response stuck with me. She said, ‘Remember, you’re not getting any younger, which means your birth parents aren’t getting any younger.’ ” Baver decided it was time to try again.

“People who aren’t adopted don’t always understand why it’s important for us adoptees to find that missing puzzle piece of who we are,” says Baver, now a mortgage officer for Citizens Bank in Plainfield.

Dulcich-Suyeyasu suggested that she test with both the Ancestry Lisa showing Kim her genealogy reports.

JULY 2022

and 23andMe services to widen the search net.

Six weeks after doing both DNA testing kits, Baver received results that she had direct matches to her birth father, his daughter and his granddaughters.

With 23andMe and Ancestry, users get what’s called DNA matches, so within their system it allows the user to message the matched person if they have that ability activated. In December of 2020, Baver’s half-sister Colleen did just that. Though Baver was happy to hear from her, she had not yet touched base with her father Gary, so she held off on responding to the message.

The following day, she sent a message through the site to her birth father to let him know about her, and the fact that Colleen had recached out to her. Baver got a response from him that day.

“He didn’t know about me,” Baver says. “I was the surprise of his life. It was like, ‘Congratulations, it’s a girl - 52 years later!”

Dulcich-Suyeyasu had to dig to find Baver’s birth mother Mary. Once Baver had her birth mom’s phone number in hand, however, she had to work up the nerve to dial it. When the two finally connected, her mom said, “I’ve been waiting for your call for 52 years.”

“She said she remembered me every year on my birthday,” Baver says. “We talked about the challenging decision she made 52 years ago and she shared her story. Then we went through all of the family stuff.”

Meeting birth mother, Mary Adams, in Sept 2021

FIND YOUR STRENGTH

Baver reassured her birth mom that her adoptive parents were the best in the world.

“I told her that she put me in good hands,” Baver says. After that initial call, they sent text messages back and forth and made plans to meet in person in September of 2021. Then last Christmas, Mary met Baver’s adopted parents, Trent and Janet Wilhelm.

“My dad wanted to thank her for giving them the opportunity to raise me,” Baver says, tearing up at the thought.

In February of 2022 Baver and her husband Carl met up with

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Gary, his wife Pat, his son-in-law Joe and Colleen.

“At that meeting I experienced every emotion,” Baver says. “I was excited and so nervous, but they were fantastically wonderful.”

She was happy to get some health history information as she had never had that in her life, but they swapped fun info too. She learned that she and Gary attended the same university.

The first time Baver saw her birth father and half sister’s faces, her mouth dropped open.

“It’s weird,” Baver says. “You look in the mirror for so long and nobody looks like you, so to see that validation is pretty cool.”

Birth Father, Gary Watson

Meeting her half sister, Colleen

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Essential Fun July 18TH - 24TH

All of these events at the Fleece Performance Grandstand Monday –&Tuff Challenge || Wednesday Tuesday X Sunday - ? | Truck Monday Flat Track Drags | Tuesday–- ?-Moto Sunday Monday - Flat- Track Drags Moto X Wednesday – -ITPA Pull | |Friday IPRA Rodeo Wednesday - ?Truck | Thursday - Garden Tractor PullRodeo Thursday Garden Tractor Pull Friday -–IPRA Saturday – Demolition Derby Friday IPRA Rodeo | Saturday Demolition Derby Saturday - “Night of Destruction” – Demolition Derby *Admission Charges Apply

Grounds Acts Ground Acts Wolves of the World | Cowtown Museum

Swifty Swine Pig Races | TinoRoper Wallenda & the Flying Wallendas Rhinestone Roper Rhinestone | ???????

Wheels of Agriculture

For details, to purchase tickets & schedule Forof details, to purchase tickets & schedule of events visit: events visit: www.4hcomplex.org www.4hcomplex.org *Additional Charges Apply

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SUMMER FUN GONE WRONG HOW TO PREVENT AN EMERGENCY ROOM TRIP Writer / Kurtiss McKissick, EMT, EMS Liaison at IU Health West Hospital Photography Provided

Summer is the time for fireworks, barbecues and water fun. However, these can also be potentially dangerous activities that could lead to a trip to the emergency room. Before families start planning summer fun, it is important to know simple safety steps that can prevent accidents before they happen.

FIREWORKS CAN BE DANGEROUS.

fireworks in your hands and never point them at another person. It may also be wise to keep a bucket of water or hose nearby to fully extinguish any accidental fires. If there is a burn injury, seek medical attention or call 911.

SIMPLE GRILLING TIPS CAN PREVENT BURN INJURIES.

When warm weather hits, many people begin cooking on their grills. According to the National Fire Protection Association, The best-case scenario is to let professionals between 2014 and 2018, fire departments handle the fireworks shows this summer. responded to an annual average of 8,900 However, many individuals and families home fires involving grills, hibachis and take matters into their own hands, especially barbecues. Simple grilling tips can help around Independence Day. Mishandling prevent fires and burn injuries. Keep the fireworks can lead to serious burn injuries. It grill at least 3’ from any structures, kids and is important to keep fireworks and sparklers pets. Open your gas grill before lighting. away from young children, and to make sure Keep an eye on your grill, fire pit or patio older children are closely supervised by torches. Do not leave them unattended if adults. Never use fireworks if impaired by they are already lit. Additionally, be sure drugs or alcohol. Wear protective eyewear to to clean your grill after each use to remove avoid eye injuries from sparks. Do not hold grease that can start a fire.

JULY 2022

WATER FUN CAN LEAD TO AN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISIT.

The National Safety Council reports that on average, emergency departments across the country treat about 6,400 pool- and spa-related injuries in children younger than 15 every year. The younger the child, the greater the risk. Parents should never leave their child alone, and should consider finding age-appropriate swim lessons.

Don’t let children play around drains and suction fittings. Never consume alcohol when operating a boat. For those planning on being in the water this summer, consider training in CPR and keeping a first-aid kit handy.

While summer activities can be fun and lead to lasting memories, they can quickly go wrong without the proper preparation.

If a serious injury does occur, call 911 or go to your local emergency department immediately.

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Mike Mitchell & Ryan Cobb

who taught Ross. “They were doing some next-level stuff. Jamonn is the lineage of our education and training.”

At the time, Zeiler and Ross were in the process of developing a school of lutherie, but Ross developed some health problems, which caused their plans to fizzle out. At that point, opening a school of lutherie became a long-term goal for Cobb and Mitchell. Cobb set up shop in Cincinnati and slowly began to acquire the tools he needed to do it on his own. At the same time, he taught guitar-building classes at Rockler Woodworking and Hardware in Cincinnati, where Mitchell was the manager. That gave Cobb the opportunity to develop his curriculum.

SOUND APPROACH

Indiana School of Lutherie Teaches Students to Build Guitars Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided

More than 15 years ago, Ryan Cobb was talking to a friend who had watched a DIY video on how to build a guitar. He suggested that they get some wood and try to do it. “I don’t know,” Cobb said at the time. “I think that’s going to be more complicated than you think.”

The video got him thinking, however.

Upon doing some research, Cobb stumbled

across a couple of guys located near Lawrenceburg, Indiana, who were luthiers in search of an apprentice. Cobb went to visit the pair, Mike Mitchell and Dann Ross, and they hit it off.

“I was thoroughly impressed with them,” says Cobb, who ended up parking a trailer in Ross’s front yard (a rural wooded area) and spending the next two years learning the craft from these two luthiers, in addition to Jamonn Zeiler, a Cincinnati performer TownePost.com / JULY 2022 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / 27

Once Cobb’s sister started having children, however, he got homesick and wanted to move back to Plainfield to be closer to family. He didn’t want to give up on his dream, however. In 2014 Cobb and Mitchell found a great building on Stafford Road.

The men negotiated a deal with the Town of Plainfield to buy it and open Indiana School of Lutherie, a school dedicated to teaching the principles of traditional and modern lutherie. The first several years they were there, they kept a low profile by design.

“Our infrastructure wasn’t prepared to handle a lot of traffic,” Cobb says. “In fact, it was four or five years before we even put a sign on the building.”

Since then they have grown steadily, though the business is still a bit of a hidden treasure in Plainfield.

“A lot of people tell us, ‘I had no idea you guys were here,’” Cobb says.

He and Mitchell set up the school as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit so that they can raise money, because they knew they would not be able to survive on student tuition alone.

Up until COVID-19, they occasionally held fundraisers to, as Cobb says, “help keep the lights on.” Now that the pandemic is abating, they hope to raffle off a guitar. They also plan to do Sunday afternoon bluegrass jams in the parking lot, cookouts, and poker tournaments, every few months.

"WE DON’T LET YOU FAIL. WE HOLD YOUR HAND ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE BUILD.” - RYAN COBB -

Mitchell handles the administrative end of things and also teaches English at Ivy Tech. Cobb is the head luthier who teaches classes, and also runs a window washing company and is a coach of the Plainfield High School wrestling team.

Indiana School of Lutherie offers two types of classes. One is called an advanced demonstration, where five to six students watch Cobb build a guitar from scratch. In this case, students don’t leave with a guitar, but rather watch Cobb build one. The other class is an individualized, one-on-one build, during which the student works with Cobb through the course of many weeks to build an instrument of their own, which they then get to take with them. Though students make their own instruments, Cobb will handle certain steps so as not to risk messing up 12 weeks of work.

“We don’t let you fail,” Cobb says. “We hold your hand all the way through the build.” They offer five or six standard builds to students. They have, however, recently gotten into the computernavigated cutting world, which allows them to build a new shape.

them through the process.

“We lay it out digitally and the machine cuts out our bending molds, jigs and fixtures that we use to hold the instruments while we build them,” Cobb says. “Technologically, we’ve come a long way.”

“That includes your education, plus you’re leaving with an instrument that’s worth what you paid for the entire class,” Cobb says.

In the spring they had a couple of violin students who had a specific shape they wanted to build. Cobb and his staff led 28 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / JULY 2022 / TownePost.com

“It’s more expensive, of course, but if someone has a specific shape in mind, we can facilitate that,” Cobb says. The standard price for the build-your-own-guitar option is $4,200.

They operate by appointment only, and typically run about six months out since they can only take a handful of students at once. Cobb is extremely busy now, between working three jobs as well as

being a husband to Jennifer, a firefighter, and being a dad to their two young boys. He expects his time to open up next year, enabling him to take on more students.

“Most of my clients are retired professionals of some sort, which is great because we all learn from one another,” Cobb says. “Although I’m the one teaching lutherie, these guys offer professional insight on what they’re good at.”

For example, a machinist might provide a way to determine exactly how many thousandths of an inch that a jig is moving. A chemist may share something about a solvent when it comes to the finishing process or removing adhesives.

An engineer may figure out a certain calculation by providing a way to complete an arc of a radius.

TownePost.com / JULY 2022 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / 29

Not surprisingly, most of Cobb’s students are musicians. Cobb himself has been into music his whole life. Fresh out of college, he traveled the country studying music and supporting himself by painting houses.

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“That was good when it came to guitar building, because I already had a great understanding of clear finishes and lacquers,” he says.

He was looking to get away from the construction business when he was presented with the apprenticeship opportunity. It felt like fate, because Cobb loves nothing more than being able to build a great instrument and put it in the hands of a great musician.

“I’ve always been a sucker for the songwriter,” he says. “That instrument often pulls things out of that musician that another instrument may not have.”

Indiana School of Lutherie is located at 1501 Stafford Road in Plainfield. For more information, call 317-839-3912 or visit indianaschooloflutherie.org.

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