Plainfield Magazine September 2023

SEPTEMBER 2023

MAGAZINE

BLESS ING TO THE PROGRAM PLAINFIELD FOOTBALL LOOKS FORWARD TO CONTINUED SUCCESS UNDER HEAD COACH TYLER BLESS TIES THAT BIND IndyBlended Helps to Strengthen Marriages and Stepfamilies WORLD WONDERS Hendricks County International Festival Focuses on Cultural Enrichment

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SEPTEMBER 2023

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Town of Plainfield and PCSC Partner to Provide Students With New Chromebooks

Appreciating Our Pets and Other Animals of the World

SCREEN TIME

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ANIMAL NATURE

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HEART SCANS

TIES THAT BIND

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IndyBlended Helps to Strengthen Marriages and Stepfamilies

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BLESS-ING TO THE PROGRAM

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Hendricks County International Festival Focuses on Cultural Enrichment

Plainfield Football Looks Forward to Continued Success Under Head Coach Tyler Bless

KEY CONTRIBUTORS AMY PAYNE / JAMIE HERGOTT / MELISSA GIBSON STEPHANIE SINGH / TARA DORSETT / DR. ZIAD JARADAT

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SCREEN TIME

TOWN OF PLAINFIELD AND PCSC PARTNER TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH NEW CHROMEBOOKS

Writer / Stephanie Singh Photography Provided

The Town of Plainfield and the Plainfield Community School Corporation (PCSC) are partnering to provide PCSC students with new Chromebook laptops, ensuring they are fully equipped to embrace the digital age and thrive in their academic endeavors for years to come.

The Town of Plainfield will grant the PCSC $2,125,000 over five years, toward equipping students with the necessary tools for a technologically advanced education, while PCSC will fund the additional costs. This grant and partnership allows Plainfield schools to preserve the use of the education fund for teachers and educational materials.

“We appreciate the Town of Plainfield’s partnership with Plainfield Schools and their commitment to the technology grant, which will help furnish all students with Chromebooks that will be used to provide individualized and group instruction, while also improving technological literacy,” says Superintendent Scott Olinger. “We recognize that we are extremely fortunate to have leaders within the Town of Plainfield that prioritize the education of the students in our community, and we are grateful for their 6 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / SEPTEMBER 2023 / TownePost.com

forward-thinking stewardship.”

The technology grant has been designed to sustain and enhance digital literacy, and provide every student with access to cutting-edge educational resources.

With the continued usage and updating of Chromebooks, Plainfield schools are taking a proactive approach to nurturing digital literacy and essential technology skills.

The acquisition of new Chromebooks will open up a wide range of educational opportunities for students. These lightweight, portable devices enable access to a wealth of online resources, research materials and school-provided interactive learning platforms. In today’s interconnected world, proficiency in utilizing digital tools is vital for success in higher education and the workforce. By integrating technology into the curriculum, students will develop the necessary digital literacy and critical-thinking abilities needed to navigate the digital landscape effectively.

“Over the course of five years, we will be helping the schools equip over 5,700 students with their own take-home laptops,” says Town of Plainfield Council President Robin Brandgard. “The Town of Plainfield continues to be committed to supporting Plainfield schools and their students. The town has found creative ways, using tax increment financing resources, to support the Plainfield Community School Corporation directly.”

One of the key goals of the technology grant is to address any existing disparities in access to technology. By providing Chromebooks to all students, regardless of their socioeconomic background, The Town of Plainfield and Plainfield schools are ensuring that every student has an equal opportunity to learn and thrive in the digital age.

This initiative aims to level the playing field and bridge the technology gap that may hinder students’ educational progress.

By equipping students with Chromebooks, school and town leaders are empowering them with the tools necessary to excel in a rapidly evolving world.

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TIES THAT BIND INDYBLENDED HELPS TO STRENGTHEN MARRIAGES AND STEPFAMILIES

Writer / Jamie Hergott Photography Provided

Mark and Jennifer Strege first met in a grief group in 2004 after experiencing unspeakable tragedies in their lives.

Now, almost 20 years later, they share their story of healing and redemption by supporting stepfamilies in the Indianapolis area through workshops and counseling, with their nonprofit agency called IndyBlended, Inc.

IndyBlended’s mission is to cultivate community among blended families, share practical strategies for strengthening stepfamilies, and provide information that would otherwise have to be learned through years of painful trial and error.

“Seventy percent of remarriages with kids fail within two to three years,” Mark says.

“We want to help couples get through that and know there’s a long-term payoff.

We want them to know their struggles SEPTEMBER 2023

are typical, and that they’re not the only ones experiencing it. They aren’t dysfunctional.”

Forty percent of families are blended, which means the family consists of a couple and children from the current and previous relationships. One-third of all marriages are remarriages. Even with these numbers, there are no organized, community-based or churchbased support organizations in Indiana.

IndyBlended, Inc. was created to fill this gap.

Mark and Jennifer teach from their own years of experience and research.

They want people to know they are not alone. While their 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization was formed last fall, the couple has spent months researching and putting together material for their workshops, created out of their own painful trials.

In 2004 Jennifer’s husband at the time was struggling with severe depression and decided to take his life, leaving Jennifer behind with their 5-year-old daughter. That same year, Mark’s wife at the time was driving with their three small children, lost control of her car and collided with a pickup truck. His wife and 10-year-old daughter did not survive.

Jennifer and Mark found themselves clinging to hope in a grief group,

supporting each other as friends who endured something most people couldn’t imagine. Jennifer admired Mark for his tenacious faith, and when they began to date, they had a very positive outlook on potentially bringing both families together.

Eventually they married. What they

thought would be fitting together simple puzzle pieces turned out to be much more complicated.

“Our outlook was very positive and we had almost no fear,” Jennifer says. “I thought it’d be great because God was with us, and I knew we’d work really hard.”

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Mark was reading a book about stepfamilies at the time, and the book stated that it took seven years for the average stepfamily to come together.

“I was like, ‘My God is not a God of statistics. It will not take us seven years. It will take us seven days,’” Jennifer says. “In reality it took us more like 12 years. We want to now share from our experiences and insights from experts, to help other stepfamilies advance in their relationships much more quickly.”

There was so much at play in bringing their families together that Mark and Jennifer felt almost blindsided. They realized they hadn’t considered their kids’ perspectives.

“The kids were outliers,” Jennifer says.

“They said, ‘We did not choose this.’

We had a lot of grief coming in from all different personalities.”

She admits their first flaw was not considering their kids’ personalities, birth orders and individual grief. In fact, she had been wanting to have another child with Mark, but their struggles made her think twice. One month later, she found out she was pregnant with a daughter.

This child became a glue that helped to bring the family together, but it still took years.

“It’s all very typical,” Mark says. “When stepfamilies are remarried, kids have their own journey of recovery through brokenness or grief that’s happened.

Typically spouses are the ones moving ahead, and kids have to be cared for so they’re not left behind. We cover that in our stepfamily workshop.”

Mark feels the need for stepfamily support is tremendous. He says churches tend to avoid the topic due to the stigma of divorce, and many counseling agencies are not trained in the stepfamily dynamic.

He says many topics are covered about marriage and parenting, but typically from the biological perspective.

Workshop topics include stepfamily SEPTEMBER 2023

parenting, stages of stepfamily development, priorities of a healthy remarriage, co-parenting, and parenting with emotional intelligence, to name a few. Their workshops also offer smallgroup time, led by couples who have experienced the unique challenges of having a blended family.

Jennifer and Mark lean heavily on their faith but don’t push it at their workshops.

“God has done such incredible work through this process, and personally we’ve seen him so close to us through this,” Mark says. “We share a little bit of our faith through the workshop, but we don’t hit people over the head with it.

God shows up and that makes it all worth it. There are things as humans we can’t control. He loves us, and has a plan and purpose for each of our lives.”

Mark and Jennifer intentionally made the workshops affordable, with each

workshop lasting 10 hours throughout a day and a half, at a cost of only $30, which includes everything.

“It represents over four months of intensive stepfamily therapy,” Mark says.

“It can help take the place of years of doing trial-and-error of stepfamily living.

The value is tremendous. Women will often recognize the value quicker than men, but I like to speak to the guys and say this is worth it.”

Their main message is hope. The couple has persevered through so much, and they experience the richness of a blended family now. They want to share all they’ve learned to support other families and help them do the same.

“Growing up as part of a stepfamily, I know that divorce isn’t an end,” Jennifer says.

“God redeems everything. We didn’t have divorce as part of our current family story, but everyone can begin again with hope.”

They’ve presented pilot workshops, and will host their first weekend workshops in August and November. Registration is open and can be found at indyblended. com.

At workshops, attendees work on a stepfamily action plan, and have a mentor couple to contact for the times when they need extra support for ongoing connection. Mark and Jennifer want stepfamilies to know they aren’t alone in their struggles, they aren’t dysfunctional, and they can have a thriving family life.

“We just want people to have hope,” Jennifer says. “We want people to know they’re not alone, there’s support, there’s encouragement and there’s help. You can stick with it. It will be a beautiful thing in the end.”

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SEPTEMBER 2023

WORLD WONDERS HENDRICKS COUNTY INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL FOCUSES ON CULTURAL ENRICHMENT

Writer / Stephanie Singh Photography Provided

Indiana’s third season of the year is known to bring us fall foliage, pumpkins, apple cider, hayrides and football. In Hendricks County, fall is also the time to celebrate our cultural differences.

On the first Saturday in October, the Hendricks County International Festival (HCIF) brings people together to celebrate and explore cultures from around the world through dance, food and conversation. This year, the HCIF is relocating to a county staple, The Shops at Perry Crossing, bringing new energy to the event. The fourth annual HCIF is a free, family-friendly event, lasting from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.

The rich colors, the unique sounds and the tasty cuisines are what bring us all together. In an effort to break down the barriers around our differences, event organizers are putting a special emphasis on food this year. Over 10 different food vendors will be present offering cuisines from around the world.

While grabbing a bite to eat, patrons will have the opportunity to set up lawn chairs to view dance performances from India, Africa, Japan and other regions around the world.

Some of the most educational aspects of the festival are the cultural exhibit booths, ranging from henna tattoos to living-room setups encouraging attendees to really step in the shoes of SEPTEMBER 2023

those from other cultures.

Farah Effendi, an HCIF exhibitor, praises the mission of the last year’s festival. Effendi felt so moved by the event, she has since joined the planning committee. Farah, having had some negative experiences due to her race in the community, says this event shows how far we’ve come as a county. “Seeing this [event], having the International Festival - Islamic, Pakistan, all these different cultures, and the different dances from other countries - this is a huge step for this community,” Effendi says.

Farah is not alone. The sense of pride this event brings to the residents and visitors of Hendricks County radiates on that first Saturday in October. While we are celebrating our differences, we are sharing our similarities at the same time.

As the community grows, the diversity within it does as well. The HCIF planning

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committee is intentional in looking for other cultures to spotlight during the four-hour event. New this year will be presence from Bangladesh, Peru and China. The Chinese lion dance, which is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture in which performers mimic a lion’s movements in a lion costume to bring good luck and fortune, will move throughout the festival.

Festivalgoers will have plenty of opportunities to participate in different activities as well, including Chinese lantern painting, making their mark with “hands around the world,” and painting in the park, all focused on cultural enrichment.

Mark your calendars! Also, it is not too late to participate as a sponsor, vendor or volunteer. Visit hcinternationalfestival.com to learn how to support the HCIF mission.

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ANIMAL NATURE

APPRECIATING OUR PETS AND OTHER ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Writer / Tara Dorsett Photography provided

I believe people fall into three categories When I was 9 years old, my fourth-grade teacher gave my class when you mention a writing assignment. We had to answer the question, “What animals - they dislike all would you do with a million dollars and why?” While my living creatures, they like classmates were scribbling about the houses and cars they would their own pets and tolerate buy, and the places they would visit, I wrote one sentence: “I other critters for short would buy a zoo and make sure everyone could afford to visit periods of time, or they as much as they wanted so they could learn about animals.” love critters of all kinds While my originality impressed my teacher, he still wanted a and can be particularly full-page essay. Here is that essay from a slightly more grown-up obsessed with their perspective. own pets.

Whether you believe Darwin’s theory or the Genesis account of life, there is one fact they both agree on - animals existed before humans. There must be a reason for that, but I will leave that up to you to find out. Throughout the centuries, animals have played a prominent role in history. Horses carried settlers and explorers across the country. Cattle and sheep provided food and helped clear the land. Cats and ferrets controlled the rodent population on ships. Pigeons carried messages. Dogs patrolled land and guarded livestock.

For the people who dislike the animal world, I will only say that I believe you are missing out on a great part of life.

While we view animals a little differently today, they still have an important role to play in our lives. They provide help, companionship and entrainment. Even wild animals contribute to our welfare. Raccoons are natural gardeners. They till the land with their long claws as they search for rodents and worms. Possums and birds eat bugs that destroy crops and spread disease. Trees grow from nuts and seeds that are buried and forgotten by squirrels. Animals can make us laugh with amusement or sigh with frustration, but life will never be dull with animals around. Life is less lonely and more complete with animals beside us.

For the people in the third group, I applaud your crazy obsession with all things furred, finned, feathered and scaled.

To the people who like their own pets and extend a certain amount of tolerance to others, you are off to a good start and balance out the third group.

Whatever group you fall into, take some time to learn about the nonhuman beings around you. Walk through a park, read a book, add a feeder to your yard, watch a documentary. Maybe your opinion of animals will change and grow.

Someday, when my zoo expands beyond dogs, cats, ferrets, birds, fish, rabbits, lizards, tortoises, goats, pigs, raccoons, skunks and possums, I hope you will visit often.

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HEART SCANS: WHO SHOULD GET ONE? Additionally, at least 65% of people with diabetes die from some form of heart disease or stroke. Obesity is another risk factor. As your body mass index Anyone who is overweight, smokes or increases, so does the plaque inside has high blood pressure could be at risk your coronary arteries. This reduces the for heart disease. Patients can find out supply of oxygen-rich blood to the heart, their risk with a heart or vascular scan. and results in a higher risk of angina or They are convenient, simple, and can help heart attack. High blood pressure (HPB) detect heart disease before it becomes a exerts extra force on your arteries, which problem. could lead to blood clots, fat and plaque buildup, and damaged organs. People WHO COULD BENEFIT FROM with HPB are at a higher risk of stroke A HEART SCAN? and heart failure.

To be eligible for a heart scan, you must not have had one within the last five WHO COULD BENEFIT FROM A years, and must be 40 to 79 years of age VASCULAR SCAN? with one of several risk factors. If you An option to check for vascular disease have a family history of heart-related is a vascular scan. To be eligible, you issues, your risk may be higher. Almost must be 50 years of age or older, with one-third of coronary heart disease one of several risk factors. People with a deaths are attributed to smoking and family history of heart issues and aortic exposure to secondhand smoke, according aneurysms have a higher risk of stroke. to the American Heart Association.

Men who have smoked and are between Writer / Dr. Ziad Jaradat, Interventional Cardiologist and Peripheral Vascular Specialist at IU Health West Hospital Photography Provided

SEPTEMBER 2023

the ages of 65 and 75 should be screened at least once for an aneurysm, according to the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force. Smokers are at an increased risk for all vascular diseases, including peripheral arterial disease, stroke, heart attack, abdominal aortic aneurysm and subsequent death. Together, smoking and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease also increase the risk of stroke. High blood pressure increases your risk for heart and vascular-related conditions.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about eight out of every 10 people who have their first stroke have high blood pressure. Another risk factor is high cholesterol. When there is too much cholesterol in the blood, it builds up in the walls of your arteries. Over time, this buildup can slow the blood flow to your heart and cause a heart attack.

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34. Campaign creators 36. Freight weight

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SEPTEMBER 2023 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / 25

BLESS - ING TO THE PROGRAM PLAINFIELD FOOTBALL LOOKS FORWARD TO CONTINUED SUCCESS UNDER HEAD COACH TYLER BLESS Writer / Melissa Gibson Photographer / Amy Payne

26 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / SEPTEMBER 2023 / TownePost.com

n the spring of 2022, Plainfield High School hired a coach-in-waiting under now-retired Head Coach Brian Woodard.

I

Tyler Bless was brought in as director of the Plainfield Opportunity Academy and associate head football coach, and this fall he’s assumed the head coach position. After getting to know the faculty, staff and athletes over the past year, Bless is excited to get to work.

He’s a graduate of Mooresville High School and Franklin College. Like many coaches, he began sharing his love for the game after playing football for most of his life, leading teams at Defiance College in Ohio, the University of Indianapolis, Butler University and Lindsey Wilson College in Kentucky.

Unlike many coaches, when Bless came back to Plainfield to take a staff position under Woodard’s final season, many already knew his name.

“My dad is Mark Bless,” he says. “He just retired as head coach of Avon High School after 13 years. I have an uncle, Scott Bless, who is the head coach for Bloomington North High School, and my other uncle, Tim Bless, is retired as the head coach at Columbus North High School.”

Indiana Central College, now known as the University of Indianapolis, and Bless’s father and uncles all played under Bill’s leadership.

Bill Bless, the patriarch of the Bless men and Bless’s grandfather, was the head coach for

He’s had opportunities to coach alongside his uncle Tim at Columbus North and his

As a high school student, Bless played football under his own father’s coaching at Mooresville High School.

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father at Mooresville High School, but Bless is forging his own path on the football field as well.

as you go through life,” Bless says. “Football is good and it’s hard, but it’s really about how life is going to be outside of high school.”

Football, one might say, has been ingrained in the Bless family for decades.

When Plainfield Community School Corporation called, Bless says the position was a dream job for him.

“For me, as a kid growing up, football was all I’ve ever known,” Bless says. “My dad was already a head football coach and it was just a part of our life. Everything revolved around football. Some people who aren’t around sports or football might think, ‘That poor kid,’ but I think it showed my sister and I work ethic, dedication and giving back to a younger generation. It was the best childhood you could have.”

Today, Bless hopes to instill those qualities in his team, like his father before him, and he knows the benefits firsthand.

“This was a no-brainer,” Bless says. “My parents live in Plainfield. My sister is close by. From the family aspect, it was an easy decision, but Plainfield High School football is also a first-class program, rich in tradition.

It’s one of the three or four positions that I’ve always said, ‘If that opens up, that’d be the dream job.’ ” The coach-in-waiting position is unique for high school, and he was able to be a part of a fun and exciting send-off for Woodard’s final season.

The Plainfield Red Pride finished 6-6 and won their first sectional championship in 22 years.

Referring to football as “the greatest sport ever made,” Bless says making the choice to continue in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps was easy.

“It’s the closest thing to comparing what you’ll encounter

“Sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t, but this was a huge deal for our program and for our school,” Bless says.

“They’ve always had really good talent, and

it’s a challenging conference with excellent players.”

While Bless says he doesn’t intend to do a major overhaul of the current program, this summer he has added his own spin to it.

“I tell people, it was in good hands when I took over,” he says. “Coach Woodard did a great job since 2006. This program might need a fresh coat of paint, but the motor is good and the body is good and we’ll continue pushing that TLC - trust, love and commitment - with our guys.”

That fine-tuning Bless speaks of has been underway since the beginning of the summer with practices, planning, and a lot of commitment and encouragement.

“We’ve been going since June, working on conditioning and plays,” he says. “More than that though, our program standards say we do what is right, do your best and have a good attitude, and show people you care. This can be as simple as opening a door for someone, and relates to our relationships both on and off the field.”

28 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / SEPTEMBER 2023 / TownePost.com

Bless says football will eventually end for all those who play the game, but the lessons the young athletes learn are lifelong and the goal is to make an impact on each young man’s life.

“These guys will live the rest of their life with the skills they learned in football,” Bless says. “It’s easy to remember and hard to follow. We always want to strive for success.”

The program consists of more than 115 players on the varsity, junior varsity, and freshman teams, giving each athlete a chance to grow, improve and play throughout the season.

They also have a wide range of experience from the 18-plus coaches involved.

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“We have a great variety, from coaches who are volunteers and work somewhere in the private sector during the day, and teachers in the

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building who teach first and coach second,” Bless says. “We have alum come back and coach for us - guys in their 50s and have coached for 30 years, and others that have coached for two.”

In addition, the parents come through with full support. The parents club raises funds for pregame meals, breakfasts for those playing on Saturday mornings, and so much more.

They are behind the annual golf outing and partnering with local businesses for a fundraiser discount card. Their goal is to provide the best experience possible for their young athletes, and to partner with the program administration in meeting needs on the field.

“I’m extremely excited about this upcoming season,” Bless says. “I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made, and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish and watch these athletes continue to get better every day.”

As for his family, Bless says he was surprised when his dad chose to retire, but knows he still has support on all levels.

“I’m happy for him,” Bless says. “He’s coached since 1985, and I’m excited he can enjoy a new chapter in life and travel with my mom.

He comes around to our practices every now and then, and I rely on him all the time. We’ve

had multiple conversations about program development and plays. I’d always welcome him into our program. It’s a huge reason why I do it - to continue this legacy they’ve made for me.”

To follow the Red Pride football team, visit them on Facebook @PlainfieldFootball.

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