Zionsville MONTHLY - September 2017 by Collective Publishing

MONTHLY

A Life Lesson

COLLECTIVE PUBLISHING PUBLICATION

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SEPTEMBER 2017

John Stehr shares what he learned from a life threatening condition

2017-08-24 3:12 PM

WORKING WONDERS. 4 YEARS IN A ROW! WITHAM HEALTH SERVICES HAS BEEN NAMED A 2014 THROUGH 2017 TOP WORK PLACE IN CENTRAL INDIANA. According to the Indianapolis Star, our employees know there’s something very special about this small hospital — which is why Witham was named one of the Top Workplaces in Central Indiana 4 years in a row. This distinction was earned thanks to our employees recognizing Witham as a supportive, appreciative and inclusive working community. Thank you to our associates for helping make Witham such an incredible place. To join our team, visit witham.org.

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MONTHLY

17 COVER STORY John Stehr

With this month’s cover we checkup on longtime Zionsville resident John Stehr. As many of you may know, in July Stehr was stricken with a life-threatening heart condition that required him to take an extended leave of absence from his news anchor duties at WTHR to recuperate. Although not yet 100%, John was gracious enough to spend a little time with us discussing his current condition and what such a traumatic experience has taught him about life. Cover story Writer // Janelle Morrison Photo // Courtesy of WTHR

Local Women on the Move

ZIONSVILLE MONTHLY

What’s Brewing in Whitestown

PUBLISHER / Neil Lucas neil@collectivepub.com / 317-460-0803

22 Supporting the Honored Tradition of Scouting

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / Neil Lucas neil@collectivepub.com / 317-460-0803

24 Special Section: Early Education

PUBLISHER / Lena Lucas lena@collectivepub.com / 317-501-0418

34 Meet the New Councilor, Jason Plunkett

DIRECTOR OF SALES / Lena Lucas lena@collectivepub.com / 317-501-0418

36 Birthday Bucket List Leads Zionsville

HEAD WRITER / Janelle Morrison janelle9496@me.com / 317-250-7298

Pair on Global Adventures

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY / JJ Kaplan colormyworldstudio@yahoo.com / 317-753-3434

38 Zionsville Man Earns Spot

SEPTEMBER WRITERS / Janelle Morrison, Rebecca Wood and Ann Craig-Cinnamon

on the Drone Racing League

Stay informed on news and events in Zionsville by following us on Twitter and Facebook ZionsvilleMag

@ZionsvilleMag

For advertisement sales call Lena Lucas 317-501-0418 or email lena@collectivepub.com COLLECTIVE PUBLISHING, LLC - PO BOX 6326 - FISHERS, IN 46037 ZIONSVILLE MONTHLY

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Local Women on the Move

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Haley McMillan is the latest Master Stylist to join the Salon Lofts as an independent owner of Elisa & Lee Salon near the fashion mall. McMillan has been in the industry for 9+ years and is certified through Aveda’s New York Advanced Academy. She joins an elite group of salon owners who are female and under the age of thirty. McMillan’s clients include some notable individuals from the Zionsville and surrounding areas. She resides in Zionsville with her husband, Bill.

Laura Martin a Zionsville resident and author of the Edge of Extinction series about dinosaurs and underground civilizations, will be featured at the annual Guilded Leaf Book & Author luncheon presented by the Carmel Clay Public Library Foundation. Martin taught 7th grade English for the Carmel Clay Schools before having a daughter and being offered a book deal. Martin lives in Zionsville with her husband, Josh; their daughter and son, and their two bulldogs.

Gail Robbins the president of the Zionsville Lions Club was presented with the Leadership Award for Exceptional Sustaining Support to Indiana Lions Speech & Hearing this summer on behalf of her club. Indiana Lions Speech & Hearing is a project of the Indiana State Lions that assists those with speech and hearing impairments in the state. Robbins became president earlier this year of the Zionsville club that is supported by a membership of 150 dedicated individuals.

If you know of any women who should be included in this monthly segment, please send your suggestions to: Janelle@collectivepub.com. ZIONSVILLE MONTHLY

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SEPTEMBER 2017

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If you love craft beers, then you won’t want to miss out on the 3rd Annual Whitestown Brew Fest, on Saturday, September 16. The Whitestown Parks & Recreation Department and IndianaOnTap.com are excited to host on the expanded site of the Whitestown Municipal Complex.

his premium event will feature approximately 25 Indiana breweries and wineries and is expected to showcase hundreds of craft beer releases, making it one of the largest and most unique craft beer festivals in the central part of the state. The event will also again play host to a one-of-a-kind Indiana home brewer competition with an opportunity for attendees to sample pours and cast a vote for their favorite. Proceeds from this nonprofit event will benefit the Whitestown Parks & Recreation Department. The founder and president of Indiana On Tap, Justin Knepp, is the architect

behind the home brewer competition that takes place at this festival. “Moontown Brewing Company, who is opening up their brewery in Whitestown, was the first year’s home brewer competition winner,” Knepp explained. “After winning that competition, they decided to go professional and open a brewery in town. One of the reasons that the town approached us was to help them do an event that would draw attention to the area. I must credit the town of Whitestown who is impressive to work with. “The festival was the brainchild of Nathan Messer [director of Parks and Recreation for the town of Whitestown]. He and I started talking about a year before the

first festival, and he sold me on the idea that it was a great destination for a huge craft beer festival. He wanted to bring Indiana On Tap on as a partner because of our reputation for managing, organizing and marketing craft beer events, small or large. We marketed the event aggressively that first year and got a lot of interest as a result.” Messer is pleased with the growth of the brew festival over the last couple of years and was excited to share what is new for this year’s event, including a brand-new event hosted at the same location the night before. “We’ve been working with the Boone County Convention and Visitors Bureau

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for these events, and they are paying for the stage and Duke Tumatoe who will be performing at this year’s brew festival,” Messer said. “We wanted to bring more entertainment to the event and to step it up. From spring through fall, there is a brew fest somewhere every weekend. We wanted to find a way to make ours stand out even more. New this year is the first annual Boone Flavor Fest that will happen the Friday night before the brew festival. The featured band will be The Flying Toasters who are sponsored by Tom Wood Toyota who is opening behind the Cracker Barrel, and the event is geared for people of all ages and is family-friendly. Mike with Noble Order in Zionsville will be set up, selling beer and wine on Friday night.” Some of the area’s favorite breweries will return or debut at the Whitestown Brew Fest later this month. Upland Brewery, Union Brewery and Danny Boy Beer Works from Carmel will be returning, and Deviate Brewery from Carmel will exhibit for the first time. Noble Order from Zionsville is a returning exhibitor, and Moontown Brewing Company will give people a sneak preview of what they will be offering at their brand-new brewery coming to Whitestown in a few months.

“I can guarantee that our beers will be something that deviates from the norm,” enthused Greg Ortwein, co-owner of Deviate. “We are a small-scale brewery and tasting room purpose-built to allow brewing flexibility with a dedication to deviation as well as offering eight constantly rotating taps of deviating hand-crafted beer. Our sales focus will be on pint, growler and special bottle release sales through an onsite tasting room to support our goal to be small, intimate and local. We support BYOF (Bring Your Own Food). We want to concentrate on making high-quality craft beers and leave food options to the customer. We support local restaurants that deliver to us or customers can bring their favorite food from their house.” Their name reflects their fundamental brewing and business philosophy which revolves around the concept of deviating from the norm. Plus, their beer is just plain good on the palate and fun to consume. A local favorite in Boone County, Noble Order will feature some of their latest brews for the season. Co-owner Mike Miller shared, “We are making a harvest vint beer. When we go through crush in our vineyard, we are taking the traminette juice and blending it with a Belgian wit beer. What will make this unique is that we are working with Earlham College’s Biochem department to extract yeast off the grape and grow it up and use for the fermentation. This will make for a true harvest beer.” The first

year’s home brewer winner and soonto-be latest brewery on the map of brew tours is Moontown Brewing Company. “This year is particularly special in that we are on track to be selling beer out of our tap room by January 1,” expressed Robert Mattingly, owner. “We expect to open in three phases ... Phase One will be our event space that will open up around October 15. Phase Two will be our taproom/bar with a small food menu around January 1. We’re extremely excited to bring people in. Phase Three will be our grand opening around March/April of 2018 that will include a full kitchen, 21+ bar area, family dining area and outside patio. We hope to be ambassadors for the Whitestown Beer Fest in coming years and host breweries/vendors for pre/postbeer fest festivities. For the brew fest, we should have four to five beers to sample. That will include our Oktoberfest, Breakfast Stout, Cream Ale, Red IPA and Citra Hopped Pale Ale. It should be a great time.” For tickets and information on the Whitestown Brew Fest, visit whitestownbrewfest.com. Gates will open for exclusive VIP entry from 12-1 p.m. with General Admission beginning at 1 p.m. The festival will conclude at 4:30 p.m. with ‘last pour’ taking place at 4:15 p.m. Designated Drivers will be admitted FREE upon ID check courtesy of Mike McKeever, State Farm Agent. VIP and GA tickets will include unlimited beer samples (with a complimentary and commemorative tasting glass) from all the breweries and free access to the live music entertainment..

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L i f e

L e s s o n :

John Stehr shares what he learned from a life threatening condition Writer // Janelle Morrison â&#x20AC;˘ Photography // Courtesy of WTHR and the Stehr Family

The loyal viewers of WTHRâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eyewitness News have probably seen updates on the 22-year veteran co-anchor, John Stehr, regarding his recovery from heart surgery this past July. Stehr was diagnosed with a slight aneurysm in his aorta nearly a decade ago. His doctors kept a close eye on it over the years until it was time to take preventative action.

ZIONSVILLE MONTHLY

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he multiple Emmy award-winning anchor joined the WTHR news team of the 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts in July 1995. He came to WTHR from CBS News in New York where he was a network correspondent. He reported on business and personal finance for “CBS This Morning” and “CBS Morning News”; he was also an anchor for the latter. What many might not know about Stehr is that he was a founding anchor of CNBC and anchored business news for CNBC’s “The Money Wheel.” Prior to that, he was a news anchor and reporter at KUTV-TV in Salt Lake City, Utah. He began his broadcasting career while attending Gannon University at WJET-AM Radio and WJET-TV in Erie, Pennsylvania. He is the only one of his graduating class to receive a “Distinguished Alumni Award.” Stehr and his wife, Amy, live in Zionsville and have three sons (two surviving)

and three daughters. We sat down with Stehr at his home where he openly discussed his road to recovery and the lessons that this forced pause in his life has taught him. “I’ve learned a lot about patience,” he said. “My wife will say that I’m very much a Type A personality, and patience isn’t something that always comes naturally to me. They gave the recovery plan to follow after leaving the hospital, and it says to walk for five minutes three times a day. Prior to, I’ve been walking seven to eight miles a day, getting up early in the morning to walk the trails and the town. “Originally, I thought, ‘Five minutes? That’s nothing,’ but when I got back home, just walking the length of my driveway was really hard. Then after a couple of days, I could make it to my neighbor’s driveway and then the next driveway, and I eventually worked

ZIONSVILLE MONTHLY

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my way up to going all the way to the corner after a couple of weeks. That was a big day. Having the patience to work through that process has not come easily to me. So far, I’ve been able to have that patience, but it hasn’t been without a lot of work.” Stehr first discovered his aneurysm several years ago when Amy was being treated for a different heart issue. Their cardiologist, Dr. Rich Fogel, became friendly after Stehr accompanied his wife to her appointments. He mentioned to Dr. Fogel that he had a stress test done a few years earlier at which point Dr. Fogel asked if he could review Stehr’s results. Appreciative of the gesture, Stehr submitted his results to the doctor who informed Stehr that he had seen something on the EKG that he wanted to investigate further. “He said maybe we’ll have you come in for a heart scan and maybe an ultrasound, and that led to a CT Scan,” Stehr recalled. “He noticed a slight aneurysm in my aorta. He said it could just be the way I am, or it could be something that will grow and we should watch it. We started a schedule where I would come in every year, get a CT Scan and check on the status of the aneurysm. The first couple of years, there was no change. But five years in, it started to grow a little bit, and the next year it had grown a little bit more. In the last few years, it had accelerated its growth, so instead of checking it yearly, we were on a six-month schedule. It then reached a point that it became clear that something was going to have to be done, and it became a question of when.” So how does one schedule something like heart surgery into a busy life and work schedule? We tend to keep calendars booked and put the demands of our personal and professional lives before our health. Sometimes, it is the very same drive that has earned us our success in life that causes us to ignore subtle signs that something is “off” and doesn’t feel quite right. Stehr was lucky to have caught his aneurysm early, and that undoubtedly saved his life. Not everyone is as fortunate.

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Stehr is over a month into his recovery and has been spending a lot of quality time at home with his family and his best pal, Cash, the family Goldendoodle who sits at his owner’s side in a loving and watchful manner. We asked Stehr what kind of impact the operation and recovery have had on him and on his thoughts of getting back to his normal routine. Would this redefine his definition of the “norm”? “We’ll have to wait and see how much that ‘norm’ has changed,” he replied. “What I’ve been focused on is sticking with the plan that I’ve been given, taking the medication, taking the short walks and not lifting anything over five lbs. I’ve been taking naps during the day and find myself getting really fatigued a couple of times a day. I don’t have a choice but to rest, so we’ll see when I go back to work how I view it [my routine] differently. Hopefully, some of the patience that I’ve gained in the

last month or so will carry over, and I’ll be more patient with people and more patient with the process. “Clearly, I’ve been given a second chance, and I am grateful and blessed to

have that second chance. I’ve thought a lot about how much I appreciate the life that I have and the wife and children that I have.” Stehr would like the message to be that he didn’t wait and

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let his condition become an emergency situation. “We’ve been on top of this for a long time,” he stressed. “Part of the lesson here is that preventative medicine is the best medicine. If you know that you have something like this, you need to address it and stay on top of it. If an aneurysm breaks loose, it doesn’t matter how well your heart is pumping if there is nowhere for the blood to go. What I’ve been told is if that happens and you’re not actually in the hospital at the time, your odds of surviving are not very good.” Amy mentioned that while her husband displayed no symptoms of his condition, there are times that you just have a sixth sense that something isn’t right, and you should trust your instinct and have it checked out, even if nothing is ever found. There is the peace of mind in knowing one way or the other. “I just think that there’s this intuition that plays into it sometimes because

[John] had zero symptoms, and it was just by chance that they found it,” she said. “There is just no symptom that goes along with it. In some cases, people are afraid of what it is that they are going to hear from their doctor, so they don’t go. That’s not going to help them or their family.” “I’ve heard a lot of heartbreaking stories of people who lost their spouse at the age of 40, for instance,” Stehr said. “How they were there one day and gone the next. I’m hearing stories now from people who were measured with a 4.5 aneurysm a few years ago but haven’t gone

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back to their doctor. My response is go back to your doctor and get that checked. You need to stay on top of this. You can’t let it go. You have to take the advice that the medical professionals are giving you very seriously. I understand what it’s like to be traveling down the highway, and all of a sudden, you hit a stop sign. That can be very jarring. Eventually, you will get back up to speed, get back on the ramp and join the flow of traffic again.”

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SEPTEMBER 2017

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Scouting

S u p p o r t i ng t he H on ored Tradition of

Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Submitted

Scouting in Indiana has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, of serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live. Scouting in Zionsville has a long-honored tradition as well and continues to cultivate its membership generations later.

he Scouts council that serves Boone County, Crossroads of America Council (BSA Council #160), is headquartered in Indianapolis. Carolyn Small, development director for Boy Scouts of America – Crossroads of America Council, is working once again with Mayor Haak, local community members and former Scouts on hosting the 2nd Annual Zionsville Mayor’s Breakfast for Scouting on Thursday, September 21 at Lions Park. “The mayor’s breakfasts have been occurring for a long time and for more than 10 years in Hamilton County,” Haak said. “When the mayor’s office became official in Zionsville, Anna Hudak and Carolyn Small, who are with the Scouts, reached out to me to discuss hosting a breakfast in

Zionsville. I attended an event for Mayor Cook in Westfield and learned more about these events from Hamilton County officials and community leaders. I learned about how these events benefit the Scouts and their programs. My family has been active in scouting for a long time, so it was something that I obviously wanted to support.” Part of the proceeds from these mayor’s breakfasts goes towards subsidizing the cost of the programs for Scouts who otherwise couldn’t afford to participate. Additionally, the funding goes towards the myriad of incredible programs that the organization provides for their Scouts. Haak enthusiastically explained that last year’s inaugural breakfast was slated to raised $20,000 as a first-year event but

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exceeded everyone’s expectations when it raised an outstanding $40,000. “It was an incredibly successful event last year, and we would like to exceed our goal this year,” Haak said. “It’s a very unique event being held outside, under a tent, in Lions Park. These events are usually held indoors in a banquet or conference center. It was amazing how it brought members of the community together to network and talk about scouting. It shows how deep scouting is in Zionsville. Almost half of all first grade boys are in scouting. We have more Eagle Scouts, per capita, than anybody else in the council. It’s a very active program here in town.” The mayor explained that the Scouts are always on the scene to clean up after

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We loa wa clie

Ou val

Fam for

the Fourth of July and Fall Festival events, and they are engaged in Scout projects all over town. “Whether the public realizes it or not, the Scouts leave their mark everywhere,” Haak emphasized. Small spoke about why having a mayor’s breakfast in Zionsville is important to the overall fundraising efforts of the organization. “The council organizes a number of these mayor’s events across the council which covers all of central Indiana,” she said. “It is a format that has worked well for scouting as it engages community leaders and members and raises awareness of scouting while generating financial support on the fundraising side. “We were really fortunate when the Zionsville’s mayor’s office became official and to have Mayor Haak’s support who is deeply involved with scouting with his family. I have to brag on my committee who worked on last year’s event. It was phenomenal. The two co-chairs, Martin Rice and Mark Maucere, and the fantastic group of folks who worked on this last year were the most active, productive and engaged volunteer committee that I’ve ever worked with, and I’ve been with the Scouts for 11 years.” Small explained that scouting in Zionsville is rather unique. It has a strong density, one of the strongest in the nation, and from the fundraising side, it is strong in terms of the support. “We knew that it had potential to be successful, but we were super excited when we hit the $40,000 mark at the inaugural breakfast,” Small exclaimed. “The

other cool thing about the event is that it’s held at Lions Park where a lot of the service projects are completed and is so heavily used by the Scouts in the Zionsville community.” Last year’s event attracted over 150 of the community’s leaders, businesses, former Scouts and parents of Scouts. The program begins with a warm welcome and a breakfast that is catered by Palamino Ballroom culinary team. It is a fairly short program kept to an hour. Throughout the program, local Scouts are highlighted as well as the scouting programs in Zionsville. The keynote speaker is Mayor Haak. “We try to bring it all together and make it meaningful, so people walk away excited and proud about what

scouting is now and what it continues to do throughout the community,” Small said. “People can get involved in the breakfast by being a table sponsor (table of 10), as a table host where they come as an individual but invite nine other folks to support the table or they can come as an individual. There are many different ways to support the event and the Scouts, but our main goal is to have as many people as possible attend the mayor’s breakfast, so we can share the program and raise awareness about scouting in Zionsville and the positive effects that it has.” For information on sponsorships and tickets to the 2nd Annual Mayor’s Breakfast for Scouting, visit tinyurl.com/zionsville2017

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S p e c i a l

S e c t i o n

Education

Education P u r s u i t

o f

Writer // Ann Craig-Cinnamon

Enrichment Opportunities for Kids in our Communities

nother school year is upon us, and with it comes analysis of the job we, as a community, are doing in educating our children, especially at a preschool level. Are we properly preparing them for what lies ahead in their schooling? We spoke with several experts in the field of preschool education for this special section on education.

The Goddard School The Goddard School is an early childhood education provider with more than 460 franchised schools in 36 states and hundreds of markets, including the Indianapolis area, reaching more than 65,000 students. For 30 years, the Goddard School has taught children from 6 weeks to 6 years old. Their slogan is “Learning

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for fun. Learning for life.” school. We are an incredibly Each Goddard School nurturing school that beis individually owned lieves children must be and operated. happy and safe before Megan Greek has they can learn.” owned and operatGreek says that ed her school, the teachers are their most Goddard School City important asset. “The Center in Carmel, for four Goddard School is different years. She says her catalyst from other schools in that all ABOVE Megan Greek of our Lead Teachers hold a degree for buying a Goddard School was her own three children. “My two younger in Education. Families can be assured boys still attend my school, and my that this is a career choice for our teachmeasure of every classroom is whether ers, and it lends more professionalism I would be happy with my own children and investment to the classroom,” says attending. My oldest son graduated from Greek. our Pre-K program two years ago and West Carmel Goddard Schools’ on-site has been very successful,” she says. “I owners Lynn and Joe Newkirk have believe his time at The Goddard School owned their school for four years. They, was great preparation for elementary too, say they appreciated the benefits

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RIGHT Joe and Lynn Newkirk

The Goddard School offered their children. “When we ask parents what makes The Goddard School in West Carmel different, we consistently hear ‘the teachers,’ says Lynn. “Plus, our school also offers a unique outdoor experience with the Eco Lab, Gardens and Outdoor Classroom, in addition to the age-appropriate playgrounds.” Lynn says parents are attracted to the West Carmel Goddard School because it offers a safe, loving and nurturing environment with a wide variety of enrichment programs, including STEAM learning activities that allow children to explore Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Math. “We know The Goddard School prepares children for future success,” she says.

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S p e c i a l

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Education

Primrose Schools Established in 1982, Primrose Schools is a national system of accredited private preschools that provides early education and childcare experience for children and families. Primrose has 350 schools in 29 states, including Indiana. Primrose Schools live by the motto, “Forging a Path That Leads to a Brighter Future for All Children.” Leslie Brezette and Ron Habenicht have been the franchise owners at the Primrose School at Anson-Zionsville since 2010. Their school accepts children from 6 weeks to full day Kindergarten and before- and after-school care. Leslie, who has a master’s in Education and taught for eight years in the Hamilton Southeastern Schools District, says her passion for early education brought her to Primrose. “I continue to be impressed by our exclusive balanced learning approach. What makes it different from other such

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schools? Our people, our commitment to service excellence and our exclusive Balanced Learning approach,” she says. “Balanced Learning is a comprehensive approach that nurtures intellectual, creative, physical and social-emotional development through an inquiry-based early learning cycle that encourages discovery through questions, exploration and creative problem-solving.”

ABOVE Julie & Bryan Bowman

Scott Smith and his wife, Mindy, own and operate both the Primrose School of Carmel and Primrose School at Gray Eagle. They opened Gray Eagle in 2007 and Carmel in 2010. Both Smiths have multiple degrees in Mechanical Engineering and in Business. In moving from Colorado, where their son was enrolled in a Primrose School, to Indiana where there were no Primrose Schools, they eventually decided to open their own. Scott says it quickly became the most rewarding thing they had ever done. “We were not only able to provide this great learning environment for our own children, but we were also able to partner with hundreds of families to give their children the same loving and educational experience that we wanted for our own children,” says Scott. “We operate our schools with the ‘do what’s right and the rest will follow’ mantra. The children are always our top priority.” Scott says that early education is important. “Research consistently shows the importance of early childhood education on a child’s future success. During these years, children actually develop what we refer to as the ‘electrical wiring’

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2017-08-22 1:58 PM

S p e c i a l

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Education

L of their brains. The connections that get used are strengthened, and those that are not used are pruned away. At Primrose, we are continually keeping children engaged, active, curious and challenged in a way that helps them develop a strong neural network,” he says. Julie and Bryan Bowman are the owners of the Primrose Schools at WestClay, Bridgewater and West Carmel. Julie, with more than 12 years of teaching experience in Hamilton Southeastern Schools, including as principal of Sand Creek Intermediate School, and Bryan, with an engineering and business background, say that Primrose is different. “Primrose curriculum is a balanced learning approach which is research-informed. It combines renowned early learning philosophers like Montessori, Piaget, Gesell and Vygotsky and also includes some best practices in current development studies,” says Julie. “Learning should be fun and engaging for children.”

ABOVE Scott Smith

They point out that Primrose offers Primrose Curriculum which includes eight different learning domains, plus social, emotional, physical, creative, cognitive and character development. Primrose also has proprietary programs encompassing music, art, gardening, life skills and foreign language, which were all created exclusively for Primrose Schools.

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S p e c i a l

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tor and has owned the learning center for nearly a year. Reddy says Eye Level has been providing high-quality individualized math and English curricula for 40 years. “Eye Level Learning Centers offer individualized math and English programs that enhance students’ critical-thinking and problem-solving skills while building confidence and self-directed learning habits. Self-directed learning does not mean that the student learns alone. It simply means they ‘direct’ their learning. They take charge of it,” says Reddy. “Eye Level Math and English programs are based on the philosophy that successful learning takes place at the eye level of your child. By understanding the unique learning needs of each student, our instructors are able to set appropriate goals and tailor the curriculum to help the students attain them.” Carmel Eye Level Center Director Sath Annamalai opened that center in 2014 because of a personal need. “I was looking for an after-school program for my kids where they look at the student level and provide the academic coaching when they need it, plus workbooks, and Eye Level came on top of my list. It is affordable and a primer program at an affordable price.”

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Traders Point Christian Schools Traders Point’s mission is to challenge and educate students within the framework of a biblical worldview while leading them to a personal faith and transformed life in Jesus Christ. The vision of Traders Point Christian Schools is: TPCS will prepare and equip students to reach their highest individual potential and impact the world for Christ. Ryan Gallagher, Chief Advancement Officer at Traders Point Christian Schools, says they are the only private K-12 school in the northwest corner of the greater Indianapolis area. “Our school offers 21st-century

facilities with small class sizes and a low student-to-teacher ratio, which allows us to educate each student according to their individual needs while enjoying the benefits of utilizing the space to grow relationships. We’re like a tight-knit family.” He says the Traders Point programs teach and enrich even their youngest students. “Children grow by serving others. They learn by seeing the world through a different lens and feeling the satisfaction of making an impact,” he says. “Our students are enriched by experiences that enhance and build upon what is taught in the classroom.”

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SEPTEMBER 2017

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M e e t t h e N e w e s t C o u n c i l o r ,

Jason Plunkett Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Jan Van Velse McHugh and Submitted

This past June, Jeff Papa, former Zionsville Mayor and Zionsville Town Council member, stepped down from the town council after accepting a position with Barnes & Thornburg, making his seat available. The Boone County Republican Caucus selected Jason Plunkett in May as the next member of the council. Plunkett was sworn into office on July 1, 2017.

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lunkett, a Ball State University graduate, is a financial advisor for Northwestern Mutual in Zionsville and has held various positions with the organization over the last 15 years, including College Unit Director, Field Director and Recruiting Field Director. He serves on the Boone County Convention and Visitors Bureau and is a member of the Zionsville Chamber. He has served as the President of the Zionsville Community Development Corporation. In addition to serving his local business and municipal organizations, he has participated as a Big Brother with the Big Brother Big Sisters of Central Indiana for the last 13 years. Plunkett grew up on a small farm in Advance just outside of Lebanon in Boone County and graduated from Western Boone High School. After college, he returned to his home county. He resides in Zionsville along with his wife, Brittany. Married in 2013, the couple welcomed their first child, Lauren Marie, on June 8, 2017. We asked Plunkett what inspired him to throw his hat into the political arena with a young family and businesses to look after. He credits his wife for her support and encouragement. “I think that it would be foolish of me to leave out the fact that I had multiple conversations with my wife about this before I made the decision,” Plunkett said. “Regardless of what I am doing or what she is doing, we are a team, and we make these decisions together. I’ve been talking with folks here in the county and the town for the last couple of years about different opportunities to get more involved in the community and to help voice some of the concerns that we have as residents and those of our neighbors and friends. I’ve wanted to get more involved for those reasons. “ Plunkett described his experience of meeting and talking with people about the due process and the issues that people are concerned with as “humbling.” “My objective is not to come in and make all of these sweeping changes,” he

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said. “There are a lot of exciting changes that have already been set into motion, and now that I am involved, it gives me the opportunity to see the benefits of those decisions and participate on the backend of some of those decisions. There are a lot of exciting things coming down the pike that I think the people in town are going to be really excited about. Zionsville is a cool and quaint town, and while there are these exciting things going on, it is important that we don’t forget the roots of this community. “Zionsville is a wonderful community,

and I’ve been involved in the community from a business aspect for the last 15 years. I’ve met a lot of people and have a lot of clients in the area, and I feel that the most valuable asset that the town has are the people. We have a lot of wonderful businesses and restaurants throughout the town, and I think that it’s important that the residents support all of the businesses and restaurants. There is a lot of attraction power, and there are a lot of opportunities to introduce corporate development and bring in businesses. At the same time, we need to make sure that we’re strategic about that development and doing the right things, not just for today but for the town 20-30 years down the road. The decisions that we make today, whether on the council or the various committees that are associated with the town, are decisions that are going to affect the long-term plan, and we can’t make decisions that are near-sighted.”

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Top of Mt. Kilimanjaro. (l-r) Chad Killian, Jay Hermacinski (kneeling) and Tom Kaplan (standing to the right)

Birthday Bucket List Leads Zionsville Pair on Global Adventures Writer // Rebecca Wood

In 2015, Zionsville’s Jay Hermacinski was on the cusp of a major milestone birthday. With his 50th birthday looming, he contemplated ways to ring in his next decade. An intimate dinner or quiet party didn’t seem like the right fit for someone who wanted to celebrate the occasion in a big way. As he sifted through options, he remembered a vow made several years earlier.

n a 2001 trip to Africa, Hermacinski and his wife Cara flew over Kilimanjaro en route to a safari vacation in Tanzania. As he gazed at the cratered top from the airplane, he thought, “One day, I’d like to climb that mountain.” He mentally added “Hike Kilimanjaro” to his bucket list. Fast-forward 15 years and climbing Kilimanjaro seemed like the perfect feat for a birthday celebration. This one decision would open the door to global adventures and lifetime memories for Hermacinski and his pal, Tom Kaplan. “I’m pretty sure I should be in the Guinness Book of World Records for taking the longest time to climb Kilimanjaro … It took me 15 years!” Hermacinski states. Hermacinski recruited Kaplan, also from Zionsville, to join in the Mount Kilimanjaro excursion. The pair spent months training for the adventure. Hermacinski hiked around Eagle Creek and hit the StairMaster and inclined treadmill. Kaplan stayed in aerobic shape by running a few times a week and performing treadmill climbs while wearing a 50-pound weighted vest. The duo traveled to Colorado and tackled three 14,000-feet summits to practice acclimating to alti-

tude and uphill hikes. In December 2015, Hermacinski, Kaplan and 21 other friends and family members made the trek to Africa. Six members of their crew joined them on their quest to climb Kilimanjaro. Kilimanjaro is located in Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro National Park. At 19,341 feet in elevation, it is the largest free-standing mountain in the world and the highest mountain in Africa. Each year, roughly 35,000 tourists attempt to hike Kilimanjaro with only half actually reaching its peak. Acute mountain sickness, high-altitude pulmonary edema, high-altitude cerebral edema and falls are dangers View from Karanga Camp (13,231 feet) on Christmas night. Moon over camp with Mt. Meru in the background. (this is from Kilimanjaro hike)

ZIONSVILLE MONTHLY

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associated with the hike. Temperatures at the summit are frigid. “The altitude was the tricky part,” Hermacinski contends. “It affected all of us at different times and to different degrees. I felt awful when I got to 15,000 feet. But after a few hours, I recovered and had no problems getting to the top.” The last three miles of the hike were brutal. It took eight hours for the climbers to travel three miles while battling freezing weather and some degree of altitude sickness, but the entire group reached the summit and enjoyed an hour at the top of Africa before taking the long trip back downhill. Kaplan calls the diverse scenery a highlight of the climb. A hike up Mount Kilimanjaro takes travelers through five of the Earth’s habitats – savannah, rain forest, heather and moorland, alpine desert and arctic. After Kilimanjaro, Kaplan spearheaded the next adventure. Seventeen years earlier, Kaplan had visited Mount Rainier and pledged to return. This time, it was Kaplan who enlisted Hermacinski for their next trip. While the pair knew how to train for mountains, Mount Rainier would present different challenges from the ones they faced on Mount Kilimanjaro. Mount Rainier, located about 60 miles outside of Seattle, is the highest mountain of the Cascade Range in the Pacific Northwest. At 14,411 feet, it is the highest mountain in Washington and the most heavily glaciated peak in the lower 48 states. Because climbing Mount Rainier involves traversing large glaciers, hikers

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must possess technical climbing skills and carry the proper equipment (crampons, an ice axe, harness and rope). Climbers face the challenges of variable weather, icefalls, avalanches and hypothermia. Unless granted a special solo pass, most climbers are required to travel with an experienced guide and group. About 8,000 to 13,000 people attempt to climb Mount Rainier every year with only half reaching the summit. In August, Kaplan and Hermacinski arrived at the base of Mount Rainier. On a Friday morning, they hiked five hours with 40-pound packs strapped on their backs. After a five-hour hike, they arrived at Camp Muir. At camp, they refueled and attempted to sleep in a bunkhouse with 18 other climbers. Around 10:30 p.m., the two woke up and started the ascent up the mountain. Teams of three to four people were tied into ropes. Hikers carried packs and wore crampons (metal spikes attached to shoes that help secure footing on snow and ice). The climb was broken into chunks of 6090 minutes with 10-minute rest breaks. “Though scary at times, it was amazing to see the glaciers, crevasses and waterfalls,” Kaplan asserts. Hermacinski adds, “I’ll never forget

reaching our base camp at 10,000 feet in the middle of the afternoon and hearing a massive ‘crack.’ We looked up to see big rocks come tumbling down the mountainside. We were not in danger, but the message was clear – the mountain is alive, and you have to respect it.” Both men stopped short of reaching the summit. When Hermacinski hit 12,300 feet, the pace was quicker than his comfort level. Taking breaks was not an option, so he returned to base camp with a guide and three other hikers who were also battling fatigue and altitude sickness. For Kaplan, at 13,600 feet, the group encountered a collapsed ice bridge across a major crevasse that made travel to the top impassable. At that point, there were 30 minutes left to climb to the summit. “It was incredible to see the gap where the day before, there was a large ice bridge. Our guide said he had been over that bridge many times this season and never thought that was an area that would move because of how large it is,” Kaplan says. Kaplan and his group were forced to return to base camp. During the descent, they battled a flash thunderstorm and several other challenges. He claims that the downhill was actually the most

challenging part of the climb due to loose snow and difficult footing. “It was beautiful but definitely unsettling to see how close we were to large crevasses and windows in the glacier through which we saw huge underground caverns,” Kaplan comments. “Knowing that the glacier was moving, and we were walking sometimes within a foot of a crevasse or over top of a cavern not knowing how thick the roof was was pretty unsettling.” Since the climb, both have settled back into their lives in Zionsville. Kaplan is an orthopedic hand surgeon for the Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center. He and his wife, Linda, have four children. Hermacinski, a former WISH-TV news reporter, is a communications manager at MISO Energy. He and his wife, Cara, have two daughters. This pair has more adventures in their future. Hermacinski says a trip to New Zealand is on his bucket list, and Kaplan is considering Mount Whitney in California and Aconcagua in Argentina. Hermacinski encourages everyone to follow his or her own adventures. “If you have something on your bucket list, go do it. Life is too short to talk about all the things you wish you could do. Go do one of them and then another and another.”

Gray’s Peak, Colorado at 14,278 feet. Jay Hermacinski is in the front with the poles and Tom Kaplan in the center

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Zionsville Man

Earns Spot on The Drone Racing League Local featured on ESPN series Writer // Rebecca Wood • Photography // Julie Curry Photography

Drone racing is the newest hit in the racing world. In competitions, pilots maneuver two-pound drones at speeds upward of 85 mph through obstacle courses and other interesting venues. The winner walks away with a generous prize. Networks have taken notice of its popularity; race broadcasts rake in millions of viewers.

ESPN telecasts The Drone Racing League, a series that shows 16 drone pilots competing at locations all over the world and vying for a generous cash prize. The pilots hail from many places around the globe, but this season, a Zionsville man was part of the cast. Jake Schneider’s arrival on the show was unexpected. He wasn’t one of the 15 pilots originally cast by the show; he earned a spot on the program by winning a competition. The fact that he won was remarkable as he had only discovered the sport two years earlier. Two years ago, Schneider stumbled upon YouTube videos of drone racers. He was captivated by the images and quickly downloaded a simulator on his computer that uses the same controllers as real drones. After logging 40-plus hours playing the game, he purchased an FPV (first-person view) drone and headed out to an open field in Zionsville to embark on his first flight. “It was a little scary because drones are not cheap, but it went well,” Schneider asserts. Building on his initial success, Schneider began to set up makeshift obstacle courses, and he connected online with other local drone racers.

He met up with his newfound friends and kept up with these experienced drone racers. The idea of racing drones began to surface in his mind. Caleb Schneider knew his brother had a future in drone racing. “Drone racing is not just about being fast, but it is also an

ability to focus and stay calm and collected when everything comes down to that one choice moment. These factors are what make Jake stand out. They give him the competitive edge he needs to thrive in competitive drone racing,” says Caleb. The next few months, Schneider entered local drone racing competitions, but his eye was on a much bigger prize: winning a spot on The Drone Racing League. The Drone Racing League has run for two seasons with almost 30 million viewers and major sponsors like Bud Light. In the show, 16 pilots compete

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for a six-figure prize. Fifteen of the pilots are handpicked for the show. The winner of the Bud Light tryout competition fills the remaining slot. Schneider hoped to land a spot on the show by winning the competition. For the months leading up to the tournament, he trained for hours a day. He stopped working to focus on practice for two weeks prior to the event. For the competition, anyone can download the DRL simulator onto their computer and enter the tournament. According to the DRL, 100,000 people downloaded it in the first three months. The top 24 finishers advanced to the Bud Light 2017 tryouts in New York City. Schneider, who goes by the nickname Jawz, earned a spot among the top finishers and a trip to NYC. “I knew that racing nerves can destroy you,” Schneider admits. “I had to practice slowing down for the competition.” Among the 24 pilots, Schneider won the competition, walking away with a $75,000 professional DRL contract and a spot on the show. “It was unbelievable,” Schneider gushes. “It was the most exciting moment of my life. I got to be a TV celebrity. Within 10 months, I had achieved my final goal of being a drone pilot.” Schneider returned to Zionsville, and the show sent him a drone. He continued to practice until filming the first episode in Atlanta. He admits to facing nerves during the first taping. “I had never had cameras on me,” Schneider confesses. “I was nervous because the only thing that most of these pilots and the world knew about me was that I had won a simulator contest. They didn’t really know if I could actually fly a real drone. I had to prove to everyone that I could actually compete with the real thing.” Schneider walked away with a fourth place finish and a renewed sense of confidence. The show continued to film in New Orleans and Boston. The top 12 pilots from the first four episodes earned a spot in the playoffs in Munich,

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Germany. Schneider secured a position in the playoffs, held in June. In Munich, he continued to perform well. “I was feeling less nervous, but it was getting very real. I wanted to win it all,” Schneider says of his time in Germany. Again, Schneider shined in competition and earned a spot among the top eight pilots and a trip to the World Championship in London. Schneider recalls not having a good day in London due to several mid-air collisions. “It’s one of the biggest challenges of the sport,” Schneider says. “Most of the time, neither pilot can see it is going to happen. You are sitting beside each other, and you can’t look around like you can with a car.” Schneider was disappointed by the results but felt proud of how far he advanced in a short amount of time.

Since the show, he continues to compete in local and national races. His next big race is the Drone Racing MultiGP Nationals in Reno this month. Caleb thinks the future is bright for his brother. “Jake will continue to become a better pilot every battery pack he runs. I think there is a spot for him in the highest level of drone racers in the world, and I think he is excited for what his future brings. “

“It was the most exciting moment of my life. I got to be a TV celebrity. Within 10 months, I had achieved my final goal of being a drone pilot.”

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