Summer 2014
the
Life in Hendricks County
FOREIGN STUDENTS EXPERIENCE LIFE IN THE U.S.
YATS BRINGING QUALITY CREOLE TO THE AREA
RANDY SIMPSON HAS A PLAN FOR LUCAS OIL RACEWAY FALL FUN AND MUCH MORE! TURN THE PAGE FOR 32 PAGES OF FEATURES!
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CONT ENTS volume 5
issue 25
summer 2014
DEPARTMENTS
FEATURES
17 SAVINGS
Grocery costs drop slighty
21 Q & A
David Gaston, Hendricks County Surveyor
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CREOLE IN AVON Yatz offers a unique dining experience
12
MAN WITH A PLAN Randy Simpson hoping to improve Lucas Oil Raceway
30 HEALTH
It’s time to get fit
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8109 Kingston Street, Ste. 500 Avon, IN 46123 317-272-5800 www.flyergroup.com
ANTIQUES
22
Gilley’s antiques offers treasures from days gone by
28
PET ADOPTION
Process is fairly easy in Hendricks County
TheHCFlyer
Publisher Harold Allen
harold.allen@flyergroup.com
Sales Director David Johnson david.johnson@flyergroup.com
Production Director/Design Terry Ballard terry.ballard@flyergroup.com
Graphic Designer Patrick McCauley pat.mccauley@indianamediagroup.com
Editor Kathy Linton
kathy.linton@flyergroup.com
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SUMMER 2014
File photos There will be plenty children’s games, including this corn box, at the Heartland Apple Festival at Beasley’s Orchard in Danville. The 28th annual Heartland Apple Festival is the first two weekends in October.
COUNTY OFFERS
FALL FUN By Brenda L. Holmes brenda.holmes@flyergroup.com
The fall in Hendricks County is full of festivals, corn mazes, and other fun things to do with the family. Beasley’s Orchard kicks off the fall by hosting its annual Corn Maze from Sept. 19 through Oct. 31. The Corn Maze is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. This is a seven-acre maze which includes a mind-boggling puzzle of four miles of trails. Participants will be aided with a series of questions on a passport. For more information, call 745-4876 or visit the website at www.beasleys-orchard.com. The North Salem Old Fashion Days will take place Aug. 30 to Sept. 1. This is three days of Summer 2014
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family fun and free entertainment. The event includes the largest parade in Hendricks County, booths full of crafts, collectibles, and antiques. There will be a breakfast smorgasbord, pork shop dinner, and other food booth. There will also be music from the stage, children’s entertainment, carriage rides, horse pull, truck pull, pet parade, and car show. There will also be a 10K run 5K walk and cash raffle prize. The event will take place in various locations around North Salem. For more information, call 7450500 or visit the website at northsalemoldfashiondays.com. The Fair on the Square takes place Sept. 13 and 14 in downtown Danville. There will be live entertainment along with vendors offering food, crafts, antiques, jewelry,
The Biz Academy of Musical Theatre created this scarecrow display on the grounds of the Hendricks County Courthouse in Danville in 2013. The Scarecrow Display will take place from Oct. 4 through 30 on the square in Danville.
and more. This event is free and open to the public. It is put on by the Danville Tri Kappa. For more information, call 432-1175 or visit the website at www.danvilletrikappa.org. Fall Festival at McCloud Nature Park will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at McCloud Nature Park. The event will include sampling a variety of apples and fresh-pressed cider. There will be activities for all ages including a scarecrow building contest, corn hole competition, and autumn crafts. Families and individual will be able to high the nature trail and check out the park’s prairie maze. For more information, call Linda Bruner by calling 718-6188 or visit the website at www. hendrickscountyparks.org. The Quaker Day Festival runs Sept. 19 through 21 in the Plainfield Town Center. There will be an arm-band night that Friday at the carnival. The event features a parade at 10 a.m. Saturday, car show, food, and craft vendors at the Plainfield Friends Meeting. There will also be a Family Fun Tent with games and prizes for children at the Al and Jan Barker Sports Complex. The Plainfield’s Got Talen Show is set for 2 p.m. in the Launch Pad Entertainment Tent. There will also be music, food, and more fun on Sunday. This event is hosted by the Plainfield Chamber of Commerce. For more information, call Rebecca Todd at 839-3800 or visit the website at www.quakerdayfestival.weebly.com. The Avon Community Heritage Festival takes place Sept. 27 in the Washington Township Community Park. The event celebrates the past, present, and future of the Avon community. The event is free and includes family fun and fireworks. It is hosted by Hendricks Regional Health and the Town of Avon. For more information, call Doug Waterfield at 213-3376 or email him at djw@iquest.net. The first two weekends in October are full of activities at the 28th Annual Heartland Apple Festival hosted at Beasley’s Orchard in Danville.
Shaun Melton of the Kettle Corn booth from Peru stirs the popcorn during the annual Fair on the Square in Danville in 2013. This year’s Fair on the Square is Sept. 13 and 14 in downtown Danville.
The event includes hayrides to the pumpkin patch, live music, kids’ activity zone with inflatables, face painting, an arts and crafts market, a challenging corn
maze, wine tastings by Indiana Wineries, and a variety of food including pork burgers, rib eye sandwiches, and fried biscuits with apple butter.
The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 4, 5, 11, and 12 at Beasley’s Orchard. For more information, call Lyra Baitis at 563-1212 or e-mail
Jim Switzer drives his 1936 tractor “Old Rusty” during the 2013 North Salem Old Fashion Days. This year’s event will take place Aug. 30 and Sept. 1 in North Salem. Below: The Quaker Day Festival includes carnival rides at the Al and Jan Barker Sports Complex. The Quaker Day Festival runs Sept. 19 through 21 in the Plainfield Town Center.
her at Festival@beasleys-orchard.com. More information is also available on the website at www.beasleys-orchard.com. The Scarecrow Display will take place from Oct. 4 through 30 on the square in Danville. Those who visit can vote for his or her favorite hand-crafted scarecrow. The display is hosted by the Downtown Danville Partnership and is designed to user in the fall season. For more information, call Laura Parker at 745-3007 or e-mail her at lparker@danvilleindiana.org. More information is also available on the website at www.visitdowntowndanville.com. The Fall Fest will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Messiah Lutheran Church to help raise funds for Jordan’s Place. Jordan’s Place is a non-profit organization that supports foster families. For more information, call Pat Lusk at 408-2412 or e-mail to palusk@hotmail.com. More information is also available, on summer 2014
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the church’s website at www. messiahelca.com. The Indiana Short Film Festival will take place Oct. 10 and 11 at the Royal Theater in Danville. The festival will showcase independent short films in all genres from as far away as Australia, Ireland, and Spain, and as close as Canada and the United States. The event is being hosted by the Danville Public Library.
For more information, call Loren Malloy 745-2604 or e-mail to lmalloy@dplindiana.org. For information, is also available on the website at www.inshortfilmfest.com. Haunted Hargrave Hall will be open from Oct. 18 through 25 in the Danville Town Hall Hargrave Gym. Come check out why some folks in Danville believe that the
old Hargrave Gym is haunted. The cost for the Haunted House is $5 per person and it takes place from 7 to 11 p.m. Oct. 18 and 25. There will also be a “lights on” version from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 25. This event is hosted by the Danville Parks and Recreation Department. For more information, call Will Lacy at 745-3015 or e-mail to wlacey@sbcglobal.net. More information is also available on the website at www.danvilleindiana.org. The Hendricks County Flyer Craft Show will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 8 in the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds and Conference Complex. This craft show will include more than 140 booths filled with crafts and other items. For more information, call Cathy Wilson at 272-5800, ext. 207, or e-mail her at cathy. wilson@flyergroup.com. More information is also available on the website at www.flyergroup.com.
Yats brings quality creole to Avon By Brent Glasgow
brent.glasgow@flyergroup.com
W
hen siblings John Sutton and Brittany Franken decided to open a Yats, as the restaurant’s first franchisees, Avon was high on their list of possible locations. Unable to find the ideal spot, they opened in 2013 at Traders Point on the Northwest side of Indianapolis. Still, Avon was on their minds. “We got a lot of Facebook feedback wanting us to come to Avon,” Franken said. “Ever since we opened at Traders Point, which had immediate success, we were thinking about Avon.” A Hendricks County location was realized in May, with the opening of the siblings’ second Yats, at the former Lenny’s Sub Shop in Rockville Station across from Wal-Mart. The duo spent a lot of time scouting for the ideal spot. “We drove around, at lunch, dinner, weekdays and weekends,” said Sutton, who along with Franken is
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Photos by Jake Thompson Yats dishes come with one selection, or split plates.
also Yats’ first multiple-franchisee. “We liked the access here, especially that it had a stop light. We liked the landlord and the end spot of the building.” For the uninitiated, Yats serves creole-style sauces and stews atop white rice, with a side of spicy French bread. It made a name for itself in Broad Ripple, and now has 13 locations, including two in Ohio: Cincinnati and Columbus. “I lived less than a mile north of the original lo-cation, and went there often,” Sutton said. “I always liked the food, and always saw the place was busy and people enjoyed it. Customers that go to Yats become a fan of the brand, and there’s a lot of loyalty there.” Yats’ menu is posted daily on a sizable chalk chalkboard. It typically includes around a dozen choices, as well as fresh-baked desserts. Among the popular étouffées are chili cheese with crawfish, Maque Choux with chicken, chicken/ mushroom/curry, Caribbean jerk and spinach/mushroom. Drunken chicken, jambajamba laya and various white chili options are also offered.
Peanut butter pie is another popular dessert.
Despite opening a Yats location at Traders Points, siblings John Sutton and Brittany Franken had always considered Avon a target destination. Inset: A dozen daily selections and desserts are posted to the chalkboard behind the counter.
If Sutton and Franken have their way, Avon’s choices will eventually include beer and wine, including craft selections such as Sun King and 3 Floyds. While no liquor licenses are currently available in Hendricks County, the hunt is on. “We’re actively looking for a license, and are really interested in getting beer and wine added to the menu like we have at Traders Point,” Sutton said. The location had a grand opening celebration July 18-20, during which a temporary license allowed a craft beer tasting. It featured live music and a tasting bar, where customers could try dishes they were curious about
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but perhaps didn’t order because they had a longtime favorite, which is often the case at Yats. So far, business has been solid, but there’s always room for more. “It has been good and steady,” Franken said. “I think we could pick up on the lunch crowd. It has been more at night here. Our other location is more of a daytime lunch crowd, so they’re kind of opposites that way.” Yats in Avon is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. It is at 9259 E. U.S. 36.
Follow Flyer staff writer Brent Glasgow on Twitter @ BGlasgow37.
“It has been good and steady, I think we could pick up on the lunch crowd. It has been more at night here. Our other location is more of a daytime lunch crowd, so they’re kind of opposites that way.” – BRITTANY FRANKEN
Simpson ready to recapture raceway’s glorious past
By Jake Thompson and Brent Glasgow
B
ROWNSBURG — Few people are as good a fit at their job as Randy Simpson and his role as Lucas Oil Raceway General Manager.
Simpson came to Lucas Oil last winter from Chicagoland Speedway and Route 66 Raceway in Illinois, after serving as the event development manager. In that capacity, Simpson oversaw event planning, promotions, budgeting, track preparation, marketing
jake.thompson@flyergroup.com | brent.glasgow@flyergroup.com
strategies and even worked in sales. A graduate of Illinois State University, Simpson holds a degree in business administration, and while those credentials sound like he’s a good fit for the position, there’s more. Simpson is a second-generation drag racer with a successful racing resume. His father, Terry, and brother, Jerry, began drag racing in the late-1970s, and it’s been in the family’s blood ever since. Beginning as an 8-year-old in the Jr. Drag Racing League, Simpson and his older sister, Tara, competed across the nation.
Simpson won the 1997 NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing national championship and was victorious at the 2005 Division 3 Race of Champions. Simpson and his father have been to 23 consecutive U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil, with his first trip coming at 3 years old. “From a personal standpoint, there is an affinity I have for this facility,” Simpson said. “The track has always meant a lot to me. It’s refreshing to come somewhere where motorsports is such a part of the culture.” Simpson’s job is to take Lucas Oil, which has weathered the
country’s economic crash and the loss of a signature event, into the future. “If racing or Lucas Oil Raceway were going to go away, it would’ve already happened,” Simpson said. “Those that made it through the downturn are stronger, and more savvy than before.” The facility took a major hit when NASCAR pulled its Nationwide and Truck series events from the ultra-popular Speedfest, a three-decade-old festivity that led up to the Brickyard 400. That move ended what many locals thought was the best pure racing
event in the area, including the Indy 500 and Brickyard. “We owe it to ourselves every year to look at how we can bring those events back,” Simpson said. “Still, we have a lot of untapped potential in the ones we have here. “I like to think our history with NASCAR isn’t over. We want it to come back, but we’re not going to dwell on it.” Lucas Oil will see the return of the ARCA Racing Series after a one-year hiatus, on the Friday prior to the Brickyard. It will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1, which reaches 80 million viewers. “We’re looking to get the facility’s name out there, along with sponsorship signage, and you need that TV coverage to do that,” Simpson said. Simpson is focused on a multi-pronged effort to maximize the raceway’s attractiveness to frequent attendees and potential spectators. One facet is the planned in-house creation of events to fill the void left by the reduction in third-party entities like the Super Chevy Show. There are currently no Chevy, Ford or Mopar dates on the schedule. “It’s been a few years since those kinds of events have been to the track, so now we’re looking at ways that we can be in the driver’s seat,” Simpson said. “We need to be back in the business of being self-promoters again and producing our own events.” For fans and competitors, Simpson wants to elevate Lucas Oil’s victory commemorations and ceremonies, to add to the excitement. “We need our own ‘Kiss the Bricks’ moment,” Simpson said. “And I think we need to change trophies, away from the small, acrylic type … something big.” Simpson also wants to honor Lucas Oil’s rich history, in unique ways. This year’s 60th annual U.S. Nationals will feature Don Garlits recreating his legendary beard-shaving after he broke the seven-second mark at the 1967
event. It’ll be the first of many such tributes. Fans and the community at large will benefit from an upcom-ing project. The Town of Browns-burg recently green-lighted a plan for a 17,000-square foot hospitality facility, that will replace long-used tents. While primarily used for Nationals, Simpson hopes it will be utilized for much more than that. “It’s not going to happen this year, but hopefully it’ll be done for future years,” Simpson said. “It’ll be a great asset for us, but also for the Town of Brownsburg, which doesn’t really have anything like that currently.” The project is indicative of the raceway’s effort to reach more county residents. “What’s good out here in Hendricks County is that we get to be a big fish out this way,” Simpson said. “Do we still need to break into Indianapolis? No question about it, but we want everyone out here to know about our tradi-tion and what we’re doing.” Simpson acknowledges the challenges Lucas Oil faces.
“We aren’t battling an interest or cost issue, as much as we are a time issue,” Simpson said. “People are busier than ever, and there’s a lot more competition for the entertainment dollar. It’s our job to give them more of a reason to say, ‘You can’t miss one, because if you do, you missed out.’”
Randy Simpson took over as general manager of Lucas Oil Raceway last winter.
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By Steven Penn
Steven.penn@flyergroup.com
It was a successful round of Relay for Life events here in Hendricks County, with local teams brining in close to $180,000. According to information from Relay for Life Specialist Casey Trojner, who oversees the Hendricks and Putnam county events, Brownsburg’s event, which took place May 17 at the Town Hall, raised about $83,000, with 30 teams and 424 participants. Avon’s Relay for Life brought in about $40,000 with 33 teams and 263 participants. The event took place on June 13 at Avon Middle School North. “It went well. We had great entertainment and activities and it seemed like we had a pretty good public appearance out there,” Alyssa Clark, Relay for Life Avon event chair, said. We were hoping that our new location would kind of help out with that. It was perfect weather. In Danville, the Relay for Life took place on June 6 at the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds. The event raised about $35,000 with 17 and a total of 77 participants. Plainfield’s event took place on June 7 at Hummel Park, bringing in about $22,000. In all, 11 teams and 57 participants took part in the event. Trojnar said the fundraising season comes to a conclusion at the end of August, so it’s possible the amounts could grow. She added that Hendricks County does a great job with the fundraising. “Hendricks County does a lot,” she said. “We have some great involvement from our teams, espe-
cially the hospitals and a lot of our corporations and the businesses in Hendricks County really do a great
job getting involved.” Relay for Life was started when a doctor, who was sick of seeing
his patients pass away, wanted to take a proactive approach to fight cancer. He decided to walk for 24 hours straight for cancer and started a movement that spread across the country. All of the money that is raised at the Rely for Life and its accompanying events goes directly to the American Cancer Society (ACS) to fund research and programs throughout the country and locally. Each community’s event follows a model that it has to last 24 hours and it has to feature a component for survivors. But after that, the Relay for Life takes on its community’s feel. Trojnar said those interested in donating can do so by logging on to the website www.relayforlife. org and finding the town closest to them or that they have a tie to. The next big fundraising event coming up for the ACS is the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk. Hendricks County’s event will take place Oct. 4 at the Hendricks Regional Healthy YMCA. Trojnar said she is looking for new committee members for the Making Strides event. Those interested should contact Trojnar at 344-7835 or e-mail to casey.trojnar@cancer.org.
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Avon Writers Group offers area authors a place to be creative By Steven Penn
Steven.penn@flyergroup.com
A
von Writers Group moderator Steve Craig took over the group in 2002 to continue to give aspiring authors and poets a place to work out their creative process. The group, which typically
Group moderator Steve Craig.
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meets the second Saturday of each month at the Avon-Washington Township Public Library, moved to Craig’s house in Plainfield while remodeling was taking place at the library. Craig said he hopes to be back to meeting at the library in August. As for the meetings, he said they’re very informal. “We get together and we critique each other’s writing and we do writing exercises,” Craig said. “There are no dues, no bylaws — we mostly keep each other company.” The group also publishes its own collection of works. “We publish a magazine once a year called Derivatives of Finn,” Craig said. “That’s in
Each year, the members of the Avon Writers Group put out a collection of their work.
(reference) to what Ernest Hemingway said one time. He said (in part), ‘All modern American fiction is derived from a single book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn. Finn.’ So we call the little magazine Derivatives of Finn Finn. It includes short stories, essays, and poetry.” Craig said the group affords writers a place to better their craft. “It’s kind of difficult to write in a vacuum,” he said. “Quite often, people will have an infor informal group around them anyway. They’ll have a family member, or a neighbor, or a lifelong friend who also writes or who likes to read a lot. But if you don’t have anybody in your life like that, you have to kind of go out outside the family, outside your close circle of friends. We provide that companionship.” Craig said he has about 15 to 20
authors on membership and he gets about 10 at each meeting. Writing is something that has always been of interest to Craig, but he says he didn’t have much time to pursue it until retirement. “I’ve got something of an eclectic background,” he said. “I started out wanting to be a minster, then wanting to be a school teacher. I spent a short time in the broadcasting industry and then I went to work at an honest job. Then I retired in 2009 and I’ve been pursuing writing for some time anyway. I retired to write full time. My wife and I also tutor young children in reading at Clarks Creek Elementary School in Plainfield and at White Oak Elementary School in Avon.” Craig said new members are always welcome to join the group. For more information, call him at 838-7559, e-mail him at craig4445@att.net, or attend a meeting.
Annual survey shows grocery prices decreasing statewide GROCERY ITEMS
SP. 2013
FA. 2013
SP. 2014
APPLES 1 LB.
$1.56
$1.66
$1.88
POTATOES 5 LB.
$2.53
$3.51
$2.64
BAGGED SALAD MIX 1/2 LB.
$2.34
$1.93
$2.11
ORANGE JUICE 1/2 GAL.
$3.33
$3.43
$3.30
GROUND CHUCK 1 LB.
$3.68
$3.29
$3.70
SIRLOIN TIP ROAST, 1 LB.
$4.56
$4.09
$3.86
BACON, 1 LB.
$3.85
$4.74
$4.12
SLICED DELI HAM, 1 LB.
$5.24
$4.60
$5.08
BONELESS CHK. BREAST 1 LB. $2.91
$2.96
$2.54
WHOLE MILK, 1 GAL.
$3.27
$3.24
$3.12
SHRED. CHEDDAR CHEESE 1 LB. $4.01
$3.44
$4.33
GRADE A LARGE EGGS, 1 DOZ. $1.78
$1.83
$1.92
FLOUR, 5 LB.
$2.42
$2.35
$2.55
VEGETABLE OIL, 32 OZ.
$2.99
$3.01
$2.88
CEREAL, 10 OZ. BOX
$2.85
$2.81
$2.66
WHITE BREAD, 20-OZ. LOAF
$1.41
$1.40
$1.53
TOTAL
$48.73
$48.29
$48.22
Grocery prices are down slightly from a year ago and remain almost unchanged from last fall, according to Indiana Farm Bureau’s semiannual “market basket” survey. The average price on the 16 food items included in the informal survey decreased from 2013 by 51 cents for an overall total of $48.22. The same items were down 7 cents from the fall 2013 survey. Eight of the items in the survey decreased in price compared to spring 2013. These results differ significantly from the national survey coordinated by the American Farm Bureau Federation. The national survey, which combines the results from 27 states including Indiana, showed that the total cost of the 16 food items was $53.27, up $1.73 from a year ago. “Farmers are consumers, too, so we’re just as glad as anybody else when food prices don’t rise,” said Isabella Chism, IFB second vice president and chair of the IFB Women’s Leadership Committee, which coordinates the survey. “But whether prices rise or fall, it’s important to remember that the farmer’s share of our food dollar
remains really low. On average, 15.5 cents out of every food dollar goes to the farmer, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The remaining 84.5 percent goes to the other parts of the food industry — those that get that food from the farm to our grocery stores and restaurants.” As retail grocery prices have increased gradually over time, the share of the average food dollar that America’s farm and ranch families receive has dropped. John Anderson, AFBF’s deputy chief economist, noted, “Through the mid-1970s, farmers received about one-third of consumer retail food expenditures for food eaten at home and away from home, on average. Since then, that figure has decreased steadily.” The item showing the greatest decrease in Indiana’s survey from spring 2013 to spring ‘14 was sirloin tip roast, which dropped by 70 cents per pound to $3.86. The other beef product on the list, ground chuck, increased in price, but
only by 2 cents per pound to $3.70 per pound. Bacon, on the other hand, increased by 27 cents per pound to $4.12. Eggs also increased, rising 14 cents per dozen to $1.92. “Several typical breakfast items increased in price, accounting for much of the modest increase in the (AFBF) market basket,” Anderson said. Other meat products also showed decreases of varying amounts, including a pound of sliced deli ham, down 16 cents to $5.08, and 1 pound of boneless chicken breasts, down 37 cents to $2.54. Other items that decreased were bagged salad mix, down 23 cents for a 1-pound bag to $2.11; a 10-ounce box of cereal, down 19 cents to $2.66; a gallon of whole milk, down 15 cents to $3.12; a 32-ounce bottle of vegetable oil, down 11 cents to $2.88; and orange juice, down 3 cents for a half gallon to $3.30. Besides the meats and eggs mentioned earlier, other items that increased were apples, up 32 cents per pound to $1.88; shredded cheddar cheese, up 32 cents to $4.33 per pound; 5 pounds of flour, up 13 cents to
$2.55; bread, up 12 cents for a 20-ounce loaf to $1.53; and 5 pounds of potatoes, up 11 cents to $2.64. The year-to-year direction of the market basket survey tracks closely with the federal Consumer Price Index (www.bls.gov/cpi/) report for food at home. AFBF, the nation’s largest general farm organization, conducted an informal quarterly market basket survey of retail food price trends from 1989 to 2012. In 2013, the market basket series was updated to include two semi-annual surveys of “everyday” food items, a summer cookout survey and the annual Thanksgiving survey. According to the USDA, Americans spend just under 10 percent of their disposable annual income on food, the lowest average of any country in the world. A total of 89 shoppers in 27 states participated in the latest AFBF survey, conducted in March.
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SUMMER 2014
Submitted photos Mao Uno, a Japanese foreign exchange student, experiences cleaning and carving a jack-o-lantern for Halloween at the Atherton home. Inset: Vicki Eklof made a point to celebrate each teen’s birthday with cake and gifts. Gaser Radwan from Egypt and Nursultan Abilov from Kyrgyzstan were surprised at the celebration.
Foreign students experience life in the United States By Melissa Gibson
Melissa.gibson@flyergroup.com
Imagine being a teenager, traveling to another country, speaking a different native language and staying there for a year with a new family, new culture and new school. That’s what thousands of foreign exchange students sign up for each year with hopes of the experience of a lifetime. “I am amazed at the amount of courage it took to be that far away from home and everything you know,” said Sandy Atherton, first-time host mother of Japanese native, Mao Uno. Families in the United States can speak
to the experience from the other side of the coin as well. Connie Whikehart, a five-time host mother, said, “[For my family] it’s just the cultural experience — seeing things through their eyes and them sharing their culture with us.” Vicki Eklof, upon conclusion of her second year of hosting, said for anyone considering the program, “Do it. It’s a fun experience. You should be open to cultural differences and remember it’s all a cultural experience for them too.” Teenagers from all over the world apply through their home organization for a year-long cultural exchange. Information is sent on to one of several
programs in the United States, and from there, the student is either rejected or placed with a host family. Students can request a specific state or area to live, but that’s usually not guaranteed. Vicki Lighthall, a placement coordinator with International Student Exchange, said often the requests are based on what they’ve seen on television, or what a friend recommended. The teens are also asked about religion. Do they associate strongly with a religion or are they open to other religious family backgrounds? Lighthall said,” I’ve had Buddhists that have put up a Christmas tree for the first
Maria Afridi traveled to Disney World with fellow exchange student Aryuna Samdonova and host mom, Vicki Eklof. It was there that she experienced her first roller coaster ride.
time, and next year, I have an atheist going to a Catholic allgirls school.” Being open to a different situation than what they’d find at home often result in the experiences that surprise the students the most. Maria Afridi, an exchange student from Pakistan, said she was surprised at “teenagers actually doing jobs after school and making their own living, which is completely different from Pakistan. Here, most teenagers are not expected to work and earn money until they graduate college. I was really impressed by this concept and want this in my homeland too.” Every experience is different for both the student and the host family. Whikehart has hosted two stu-
dents from Germany, one from Vietnam, one from Norway, and one from Columbia. She feels the attitude of the teen makes all the difference in the world. “This is a year of their life,” Whikehart said. “I want them to get the most out of it. They need to be able to get out there and make friends.” Atherton agreed and added, “I had this image in my head. I felt like the student that came to me was in it for the wrong reasons. She was insecure and came with certain expectations. I think it was a little shocking to her, because she thought her English was a lot better than what she found at school.” Issues that arise with the student should be handled by a support group within the
In some cases, students have never seen snow. Vicki Eklof took Aryuna Samdonova from Russia and Maria Afridi from Pakistan tubing as well as outside to build a snowman.
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SUMMER 2014
organization that assisted in the placement. “My goal is to make every experience great,” Lighthall said. “Call me with even little issues because I can’t fix a mole hill that’s now grown into a mountain.” Host families often travel with the student and show them other areas of the United States. Eklof has family in Chicago, so her students traveled with her several times to visit. She also took her students to Disney World and Times Square on New Year’s Eve. “It’s fun. I love watching their expressions and introducing them to new things,” Eklof said. “Seeing their faces for the first time is priceless.” Whikehart also visited New York City and Washington, D.C., with her first foreign exchange student, Leo, from Germany. “It was nice that my daughter Katie and Leo were the same age,” Whikehart said. “Katie’s friends became his friends and we really just enjoyed him.” And the experiences don’t
The Atherton girls — Celia, Carissa and Sadie — enjoyed one last meal at The Cheesecake Factory before sending their ‘sister,’ Mao Uno, back to Japan in late June.
stop with travel. Atherton said her Japanese student, Mao Uno, “taught us Japanese and made a couple of dishes we really liked.” She and Uno put together a Halloween costume that won first place at the Lions Club contest in Clermont. Eklof’s organization, Foreign Links Around the World (FLAG), hosted a cultural dinner for all students in the program. “There were tons of excit-
ing things that I did this year, like snow tubing, Pacer games, Graffiti Run, Chicago, Florida, The Pottery, prom, homecoming, birthdays, baseball and soccer games,” Afridi said. “Out of all these things, my favorite is the trip to Orlando, Fla., where I went to Disney World and Universal Studios and actually experienced a roller coaster for the first time ever in my life.” But it’s not all fun and games.
Students are required to maintain a high grade average and host families are expected to include the student in all family activities. “Don’t treat them as a guest, give them chores to do around the house,” Lighthouse advises. Eklof discussed the gravity of the decisions made with the students. “My goals are to help you become fine young adults, money management, responsibility and everything that comes with that,” she said. Whikehart added, “They came here like kids and when they left they were grown men and women.” Lighthall said, “The biggest sign of success for a family is when tissues are required at the airport when it’s time to go home.” Afridi summed up her experience saying, “All in all, this year taught me so much [more than a person] can learn all their lives. Exchange is not a year in your life, it’s life in a year.”
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Q&A David Gaston, Hendricks County Surveyor
How long have you worked for Hendricks County government? I have been the Hendricks County Surveyor since July 24, 1998. I took over for Neil Ott who resigned before his term was over. What was it like campaigning to be re-elected in the primaries a few months ago? It was extremely difficult and time consuming. I and my family knocked on 2,500 doors over a two-month period, as well attending the entire meet the candidate nights. However, I still had to do my job as the Hendricks County Surveyor during the day, which meant that every night and Saturday we were on the campaign trail. Sundays were sacred for us because I have always felt that it was a day of worship and rest. Also, the stress of having to re-apply for your job every four years is filled with anxiety. Yet, it is very gratifying when the voters re-elect you. It’s their way of saying “You’re doing a good job.”
ally do love what I do. What is the most difficult part? Explaining the Regulated Drainage System in Hendricks County and how it affects their property. Also, trying to explain to citizens why the Drainage Board is required to raise their drainage assessment to meet the State Board of Accounts requirements that every Regulated Drain must maintain a positive balance. It is impossible to adequately explain this concept to citizens. They just assume that government is raising their taxes for no reason. Why do you feel surveyor is an important job? The county surveyor was one of the original elected offices in the Constitution of the State of Indiana. The county surveyor is the technical authority on all matters that appear before the Drainage Board. The county surveyor deals with all of the Regulated Drains in the county as well as all surveying
matters. The information that the county surveyor provides is considered Prima Facie evidence in a court of law. This office is the most highly technical elected office in the county. Also, the county surveyor is the only person in the county that has the authority to perpetuate the corners of the original public land survey system. Every land owner’s deed description is described from at least one of these corners therefore; every landowner is affected by what the county surveyor does. Since land is one of our most valuable assets, it is, in my opinion, one of the most important offices in the county.
What is the best part of your job? Helping the citizens and solving their problems and knowing that I was able to help them. That is the very best feeling in the world. I also enjoy finding the corners of the original public land survey system. Each corner stone is like a real life Sherlock Holmes mystery. I re-
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GILLEY’s ANTIQUE:: The Plainfield antique mall is the site of Sandy Flippin’s office, for Class Act Auction. The busy location features collectibles behind glass display cases as well as craft booths. Right: Gail Metcalf stayed on after two partners moved on to other things. She only accepts cash or check, using an antique cash register.
By Melissa Gibson
Melissa.gibson@flyergroup.com
Gail Metcalf has been decorating her home in antiques since 1978. “Quite a few years ago, when I first started my home, I couldn’t afford new stuff,” Metcalf said. “I’d go to garage sales and drag things home and clean them up. I didn’t know an antique from used furniture.” A knowledgeable neighbor would visit and comment on her finds, suggesting the true value of a piece, and peeking Metcalf’s interest. Metcalf sold items in a garage sale once a year, cleaned the pieces up and was “actually making money” to recycle back into more pieces for her home. “I would call it upgrading,” she said. Metcalf worked at a few antique shops while learning the process and finally “decided what I was going to want out of an antique shop.”
Finally, she opened Avon Antiques 21 years ago, moving to 192 N. S.R. 267, within seven years. The state fair recommendation for an antique is 50 years, but experts say according to the item, the value could increase or decrease based on the year it was made. “I want furniture to be more like 100 years old. Some things like the Pyrex mixing bowls and the cool stuff from the ‘50s – those are okay,” Metcalf said. “Vintage to me, means used. It’s just a fancy word for used.” After many years in the antique market, Metcalf fields phone calls and referrals from people who are downsizing or have space they are trying to clear. She advises new antique collectors to read a lot of books and do their research. “There’s a lot of TV — now, they’re a little bit inflated — it’s a TV show, so they do want the drama,” Metcalf said. Sandy Flippin of Class Act Auc-
tion agrees. So intrigued by antiques and the history behind them, she went to auctioneering school at Midway Auction in Mooresville this past spring. “An auction is only worth the amount of money on the floor,” Flippin explains. “If you have $10,000 worth of merchandise, but people come with only $5000 to spend, then you don’t have what you thought.” Ultimately, her goal was to gain credibility and knowledge for clientele. Flippin’s full-time job postretirement is to sell items for her clients through her EBay store for commission. Her office is now located in Gil the Plainfield antique mall, Gil-
ANTIQUE TREASURES The Antique Treasures coffee table book asks treasure seekers to “pick their way across Indiana.” Antique Treasures, a beautiful hardbound book offers a variety of antique shops, appraisers, restoration experts, auctions and estates, boutiques and consignment shops, and historic museums and venues, all in the State of Indiana. The guide gives antique collectors, pickers, and seller’s brief overviews of each venue across the state. More than 450 venues are features in an organized, easy-to-read format and provide historical references to the area, as well as the types of antiques found at each location. The cost is $24.95 per book and books may be purchased online through Amazon at http://indianaantiquetreasures.com or at the Hendricks County Flyer office at 8109 Kingston St., Ste. 500, Avon. For more information, call 272-5800.
Sandy Flippin has earned her auctioneering certificate and spends most of her day behind her computer. Her EBay store sells more than $10,000 per month in antiques and collectibles. Below: Items throughout Gilley’s antique mall offer historical references from more than 100 years ago.
Avon Antiques offers large items like this hall tree, painted in sea green from previous owners, to small pocket watches and jewelry displayed behind glass.
ley’s. Flippin visits homes, garage sales and liquidation auctions to collect items of value. “It’s amazing what’s in people’s closets,” she said. For example, the jewel tea dishware Flippin recently acquired from an Avon family included a butter dish with a butterfly handle. Looking for a “sleeper” — an item not thought to have any value, she searched in EBay for the highest priced jewel tea butter dishes and found the butterfly handled pieces marked at $2,500. “I called the family up and told them I owed them more money,” Flippen said. If the butter dish had gone through an auction, its worth might have never been caught. Metcalf agrees, “I bought a standing candle mold a few months ago. I paid $75 for it and marked it for $150 in the store. One lady came in and said she’d have it for at least $500 in a store
of hers and then another came in and said she saw one just like it for $8,000.” Both Flippin and Metcalf agree; the worth of each item is fluid as it’s only worth what a buyer deems it to be. “You’re looking at 150 years of history at most auctions,” Flippin said. “[Auctions] are really good at what they do. They get things liquidated, but for the cream of the crop, an auction is not the place to go.” The variety alone requires a vast knowledge of history and value of particular items. “I’ll buy the most feminine thing, jewelry, and then I’ll buy a World War I sword if I can get my hands on it,” Metcalf said. Popular items right now include all kinds of advertising (particularly automotive), and military items. Of course, popularity changes over time.
Metcalf refuses to deal in new collectible items, but there’s always a risk of an item not moving. “We call it scrambled eggs,” Debbie Herbert, a volunteer at Avon Antiques said. “Sometimes when you scramble it up and make it look different, people come in and suddenly notice it. “Gail is a true collector. We’ve had some fun stories through the years.” Picking is not a glamorous job. Herbert reminds Metcalf of the snake they found in an old barn box and Metcalf remembers more severe cases of rats and questionable, remote locations. The rush they get from the results is the same Flippin feels when nabbing a 1929 Spanish piece that once hung on the restroom wall at the Indiana Repertoire Theater. “I love being able to hear about the history and the stories about these items, “ Flippin said. “Sometimes I wish I could say, ‘Talk to me. Tell me your story.’” Ultimately, it’s the yard-sale like
bartering and trading that seems to be the bug antique dealers catch. “I want people to get good deals in here,” Metcalf said. “I want them to come back. I know what I need to make a profit. If someone thinks it’s a good deal, they’ll come back.” Other antique dealers in the county includeRed Horse Livery at 4951 Milton St., Coatesville, (765) 386-2959; The Danville Trading Post, 170 Old Farm Road, Danville; and Kaye’s Antique Barn, 5789 U.S. 40, Plainfield.
TIPS FROM THE PROS Suggestions on buying and selling antiques from both Metcalf and Flippin include: • Before you spend money on Ebay, research the seller. Look at the ‘feedback’ section on the account. • Look at the big picture; so many people think selling on EBay is fast cash, but there’s a lot of work and time that goes into preparing items for a store. • Don’t overprice yourself. If an item doesn’t move over a period of time, be
willing to make a deal. • Take advantage of a good sale when available. The item might not move a couple of years from now. Use beeswax to clean up and care for antique furniture. It nourishes the wood. • Be willing to look into the value of an item. ’Sleepers’ are everywhere. • Be honest. Honesty establishes credibility with the customer and brings them back again and again.
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summer 2014
One of Infinity Dance Academy’s dance room.
“My life has been blessed by the wonderful students and staff that have always been a part of TDP. It is a labor of love, contentment and happiness. It just keeps getting better.”
t u o rt a e h r u o y e c n a D By Devan Strebing
Devan.strebing@flyergroup.com
The Dancers’ Place of Avon and the Infinity Dance Academy of Plainfield are just two dance studios that are offered to students here in Hendricks County. The Dancers’ Place offers instruction at different skill levels in tap, ballet, jazz, tumbling, cheer and yoga. In addition to the annual recital, students perform at community events, area retirement centers, and sporting event halftime shows. The philosophy of the Dancers’ Place is to offer students of all abilities the opportunity to integrate the awareness of body, mind, and spirit while studying the physical arts. The discipline, strength, stamina and conditioning skills acquired through their training are designed to provide a strong foundation for healthy lifestyle choices. Director, owner and instructor Terri Click has been in Hendricks County for 34 years. She bought the current location and converted it into a dance center. She has a bachelor of science degree from Indiana University in physical education, health and recreation and a minor summer 2014
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in dance. She has current certifications in yoga, senior yoga, Tai Chi, and arthritis exercise. She has taught physical education and health for five years in grades kindergarten through eight and has taught dance and tumbling for more than 30 years. She is also the physical education director at the Harrison Retirement Community in Indianapolis. Her students are between the ages of 3 and 18, but she also teaches adult yoga too. The 40 classes offered are usually from 5 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and some Saturday and Sunday mornings. “We have an excellent teaching staff, a great group of women,” Click said. “Ammie Hultman, Danielle Yantiss, the dance line choreographer, Browyn Collier, Anita Collier, the first dance student I ever had who now volunteers, and Beth Dimmick who teaches ballet … all are very dedicated and helpful.” Ammie Hultman has grown up in the studio and she now teaches jazz, tap, ballet, hip hop and lyrical to all ages. Danielle Yantiss has been teaching tap, jazz, ballet/lyrical, and tumbling as well as
being the choreographer for the DanceLine for 11 years. Browyn Collier was a member of The Dancers’ Place dance line while she was a student there. She presently instructs dance, tumbling and cheer. Bowyn is a senior at Plainfield High School. Beth Dimmick worked at various dance studios in Texas and owned the Rachal Dance Studio for 11 years before moving to Indiana where she decided to teach once again with The Dancers’ Place. Click also has student apprentices who are all involved with their schools and are usually academically high. “We have a lot of leaders,” Click said. “When you’re really involved with this, lots of things correlate with Avon; such as different competitions and some students are on the Avon dance line.” Click also works with small businesses around the community, employing them to help with the upkeep of the studio. Some of the past performances the dancers have done include performing at Indianapolis Colts and Indiana Pacers games and half time shows at Avon, Danville, Plainfield and Brownsburg.
The Dancers’ Place students have been active in The Heritage Festival Parade in Avon and The Quaker Day Parade in Plainfield and the 500 Festival Children’s’ Day performances on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis. Recently, The Dancers’ Place Dance Line was featured as the opening entertainment for Family Night of The Indiana Fever at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. In June the students finished their performance in their two annual recitals at Avon High School. “Dance becomes a part of you,” Click said. “Dance has helped so many of our students in performing and talking and writing and approaching people … it’s a rewarding experience.” Click says dance and fitness is her passion. “My life has been blessed by the wonderful students and staff that have always been a part of TDP,” she said. “It is a labor of love, contentment and happiness. It just keeps getting better.” For more information about The Dancers’ Place, visit the location at 103 S. C.R. 625 E., Avon, or visit the website at http://www. dancersplaceinc.com/details/ enrollment. Infinity Dance Academy of Plainfield is in its eighth season. Director Suzanne Joseph started the studio under a different name with a business partner eight years ago. After she moved on, Joseph bought the studio and she is currently completing her third year of sole ownership. An accountant by trade, she began her career at OrthoIndy and then together with her husband, opened a construction management firm in 2003. The studio is more or less her full-time job now. She has kept the same teachers from eight years ago at her studio and has added a few along the way. Infinity Dance Academy offers both competitive and recreational dance programs for students ages 3 to 18. The academy is open every day during the week and one morning a week in the fall. It offers dance instruction designed to improve coordination, rhythm, and self-confidence while engaging in an activity that encourages physical fitness. Classes provided include jazz,
tap, ballet, hip-hop, pointe, tumbling and a pre K dance class for children ages 3 to 4. Recreational Dance is for anyone between the ages of 3 and adult. These classes exist to highlight the basic fundamentals of dance and give students the chance to learn and perform in front of an audience. The program is offered in sixweek sessions throughout the year to increase interest and enhance creativity. “If the kids were to leave my studio and go somewhere else, they won’t feel like they’ve wasted their money,” Joseph said. “They know their basic skills and terminology. You get kids coming from other studios that don’t know their terminology. That defines us. You learn technique and terminology that you could take away.” The Competitive Dance program is designed for students who are serious about their dance training and continually put forth great effort to perfect their technique. Enrollment for these classes is offered by audition or invitation only. Upon acceptance into the program, students will participate in a rigorous training and rehearsal program. The competitive team will compete between the months of January and May. This group of dancers will compete in regional and national competitions. The staff and/or professional choreographers will create dances for the group. Students in the competitive program take a pre-determined number of ballet and jazz technique classes each week. “With the competitive dance, you get the family atmosphere,” Joseph said. “We’ve gone from 15 students the
first year to 70 now on the team. Everyone knows each other and they treat each other with respect.” They have four competitions a year — one in St. Louis, Mo., three regional competitions in Indianapolis and a national competition in Kansas City that they go to in the begin ning of July. begin“You go every year to defend your titles,” Joseph said. At the Olympics a few years ago, 19 students were able to travel to London where they danced and entertained in parks there.
Hip-hop teacher Branden Wilburn and teacher and past student Jessica Troyer have fun in the studio. Above: Some of the girls from The Dancers’ Place who performed for Indiana Fever’s season opening this year.
“It was really fun for them,” Joseph said. Infinity Dance Academy also has a two-show recital each June at the Ransburg Auditorium at the University of Indianapolis. Joseph says she runs a noconflict studio and she tries to keep the price margins down to make it more affordable for everyone. “It’s been fun and challenging,” she said. Infinity Dance Academy will have an open house and registration for fall classes from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Aug. 13 and 14. For more information about Infinity Dance Academy, visit the website at http://www.infinitydanceacademy.com/ or stop by the location at 1005 E. Main St., Plainfield.
Photos by Brenda Holmes Patterson and Nicol’s garden is 12x24 feet and is surrounded by fencing. Below: The Pittsboro Farmers’ Market includes a variety of vegetables from local gardens.
By Devan Strebing
Devan.strebing@flyergroup.com
Residents here in Hendricks County are finding the best food is home grown. Pittsboro Chief of Police Christi Patterson, together with her partner Erica Nichols, once owned a hobby farm where they grew their own produce. But now they have an intensive garden, a 12x24-feet garden filled with about the same amount of food. The purpose of an intensively grown garden is to harvest the most produce possible from a given space. “It was a change, but I like to have a smaller area to weed,” Patterson said. “We have the same amount of area to plant and it doesn’t take a lot of time.” The couple’s garden has a variety of fruits and vegetables — onions, radishes, turnips, lettuce, green beans, tomatoes, peppers, squash, peas, zucchini, carrots, summer 2014
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herbs, bell peppers and chili peppers. Patterson also freezes and cans her vegetables for the winter. “My son and I (Robert Patterson) can tomatoes,” she said. “It’s a bonding experience. He loves it and we canned so much that we still have tomato juice from two years ago. We will can all day. It’s nice for the winter when I want chili and I don’t have to buy tomato juice … it’s saving you money going into the winter.” About five years ago. Patterson and Assistant Chief of Police Linda Ash decided to start a farmers’ market where people could come and buy fresh, home grown food. “There was one year we both had good gardens and we had all this leftover food,” Patterson said. “We were just giving it to people, and we looked at each other and decided to start one.” The Pittsboro Farmers’ Market started at Scott Park with three
vendors. Now they average about has been traveling to the Pittsboro Farmers’ Market for three eight or nine vendors at the new years. location, Scamahorn Park, from 9 BFE Trading Post runs its own a.m. to noon every Saturday from Swap Meet and market at 11388 July through August. N. C.R. 900 E., North Salem, and Because Patterson and Ash travels to the farmers’ markets in don’t have green houses or hoop houses, the market doesn’t open until July because no one has their food ready. Farmers that start in May or The Pittsboro Farmers’ June have greenhouses Market includes a and hoop houses to variety of vegetables from local gardens. grow early. The market is free for vendors to sell, seeing that the town of Pittsboro does not charge them to use the facilities. “A lot of markets have a contract you have to sign, meaning you have to be there for a number of Saturdays, but with ours there is no fee,” Ash said. “It’s for those people who grow a local garden and have too much food they’d like to share. We’re promoting eating and growing local.” This year the market managers are allowing homemade crafts, plants, fruits and vegetables and baked goods. The Farmers’ Market also has a woodworker, a candle maker, a person who sells honey, and a vendor who brings in crocheted items. “We’re offering a place for everyone to come buy fresh produce and all of these other great products,” Ash said. Many of the vendors that come to the Pittsboro Farmers’ Market also travel to other markets in Hendricks Plainfield, Brownsburg and Avon County. as well. BFE (Blessings from Earth) They sell fresh produce, jams Trading Post is one vendor that and jellies, salsa and homemade travels to the different farmers’ pasta and bread. markets. “You will get the best meals Market Manager Dawn Burden
you will ever have from BFE,” Patterson said. “The best meal is when you pick up fresh tomatoes, pasta and bread. You can go home and make your own spaghetti sauce.” Burden says it’s important for
them to know how their food is raised. “We want to grow our own; we know how to raise our food and our animals,” she said. “It’s something we chose to do a few years
ago. There’s no comparison to fresh chicken and pasta; fresh is far superior to the grocery store.” The North Salem market is open the second and fourth Saturday of each month from April through October. Ash says everyone should buy from these markets. “It’s really about how you can buy anything you’d really need not from a grocery store,” she said. “It’s here and it’s local, and the amount of people that are doing this is expanding, especially because the cost of groceries is going up. I know I will continue to buy fresh, whether or not I have a garden. Since starting this I haven’t bought store eggs. This has changed what we eat in our home.” Patterson and Ash say they usually get a good turnout throughout the two months, but they’re always trying to attract more people to come out to see what the market has to offer. “It’s really about how fresh this food is,” Patterson said. “The cost of what it would be for buying groceries is a lot more than when you’re just buying and watering your seeds.” Ash added, “This food is healthier and it’s better for the environment. It’s so much better for you. I know it’s important; I’ve raised my kids eating well, and how easy would it be to show up and sell your tomatoes at our farmers’ market if you have them?” If there are vendors that want to join the Pittsboro Farmers’ Market, call Linda Ash at 892-8030 or visit the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pittsboro.farmers. market.
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summer 2014
Numerous animal shelters from across the state came together to offer the Indy Mega Adoption Event in June. During the event, 12 rescue groups helped find forever homes for 750 animals in two days. Submitted photos
Adoption process is relatively simple in Hendricks County By Brenda L. Holmes
brenda.holmes@flyergroup.com
Adopting a pet is one of those things that can make a family complete. A new furry family member is just the thing for some people. And adopting instead of purchasing one can give a home to an animal that might not live to see another day. The Hendricks County Animal Shelter is now under the director LaDonna Hughes. She has been the director for a year but has been with the shelter for seven years. “I started out working in the kennels,” she said. “I’m an animal lover. I have animals at home and I consider all these guys here my animals too.” The shelter has five employees and is open during specific hours seven days a week. “We’re in the middle of changing our adoption process,” Hughes said. “We’re working with area vets to have the animals spayed, neutered, and vetted before they’re adopted.” All animals are now spayed or neutered, receive a full regimen
of vaccinations, and are microchipped before they go to their new families, which helps reduce pet overpopulation in the county. On average, hughes said the shelter is home to 60 animals including dogs, cats, and any other animal surrendered to them. She said they’re able to adopt out about 10 animals a month. “A lot of times these are great dogs,” she said. “A lot of them are pure bred dogs. I would encourage anyone looking for a new pet to go to a shelter. If we don’t have one you connect with, try another shelter. Please rescue something. Don’t just go out and buy it.” Since the shelter is a government run facility it has a responsibility to accept all animals surrendered to them. They also must take animals that have been abandoned, abused, neglected, strayed, or even hoarded. Recently, there was an animal hoarding case in Coatesville and the shelter had to take responsibility of 64 animals from this single incident. “It was mostly dogs, but there may have been about 10 cats or so and four birds,” Hughes said.
The Indy Mega Adoption Event was at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
The shelter has been working hard to lower the number of animals euthanized. Several local rescue groups will frequently pull animals from the shelter to be adopted out through their programs. There is now a professional photographer who takes photos of
all adoptable animals and creates “mini ads” for each of them, which are then promoted on the shelter’s social media sites and on Petfinder. This increases the visibility of the animals. The shelter also recently launched a new website at hen-
drickscountyanimalshelter.org. The shelter participates in different events in and around the community and has extended its hours to include weekends. Recently they were part of the Indy Mega Adoption event at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. “It was overwhelming, especially that first day,” Hughes said. “It was a good learning experience and really nice to see all the people come out.” She said attendees of the event went through the normal process to adopt a dog. They filled out an application form and staff members questioned them to make sure it was the right fit. The Hendricks County Animal Shelter was able to adopt out 22 animals during that two-day event. Hughes said she’s hopeful the Indy Mega Adoption event becomes an annual or ongoing event that will take place from time to time. All in all, there were 419 cats adopted and 3013 dogs adopted during the event. The draw for many people to the Indy Mega Adoption event was the low cost. All of the different groups agreed to adopt out their animals for $30 instead of their normal rate. The Hendricks County Animal Shelter normally charges about $70 for adoptions. For more information about the
county shelter, call the office at 745-9250 or visit the new website at hendrickscountyanimalshelter. org. The Hendricks County Animal Shelter is at 250 E. Campus Blvd., Danville. The shelter operates from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Tuesday, noon to 6 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. The Hendricks County Animal Shelter is not the only local option for animal adoption. Misty Eyes Animal Shelter & Learning Center is a no-kill shelter that uses foster families to host animals until they are adopted. Misty Eyes has an office in Brownsburg and is under the direction of co-founder and executive director Renee Harlor. “We have between 25 and 40 animals at any given time,” she said. “We were founded in October 2011.” Misty Eyes started hosting animals through the foster program in February of 2012. That first year
they adopted out 53 animals. In 2013, they helped find homes for 182 animals. “And this year we’re projected to do about 250 or more adoptions,” Harlor said. “A lot of things changed when we moved into the adoption center last year. We’re also very involved in the community. We just completed the Fourth of July parade here in Brownsburg.” The program is run completely by volunteers. “We have volunteers doing everything,” she said. “We have a leadership team of 10 volunteers who are responsible for certain areas. The team leader then has their own set of volunteers they work with.” Harlor said there are some volunteers who will put in a 40-hour week. “We track all their hours and do volunteer recognition,” she said. “We also hold different classes for the volunteers. They can participate in the classes they’re interested in.” All animals from Misty Eyes are
up to date on vaccinations, have had a physical exam, and are spayed or neutered. The adoption fee for dogs and puppies is $180. Seniors are $100. Kittens (1 year and younger) are $100 each and the price drops to $50 for a second kitten adopted at the same time. Adult cats (1 year and older) are $50. Since Misty Eyes is a no-kill shelter and is not government funded, it can turn away animals if they don’t have space for them. “In May we had to turn away 90 animals,” Harlor said. “There are a tremendous amount of animals that need homes. We try to take the ones that are in immediate danger of losing their lives.” Misty Eyes Animal Shelter & Learning Center is at 640 E. Main St., Brownsburg. It has office hours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Individuals and families interested in meeting prospective pets can make appointments Monday through Friday. Inset: Misty Eyes Adoption Center in Brownsburg also adopts out rescued animals. This kitten was one of many animals up for adoption. To see animals available through Misty Eyes, visit the website at www.mistyeyes.org. Below: The Hendricks County Animal Shelter uses social media to let people know about the animals they have up for adoption. John Luke was added to the organization’s Facebook page on July 8.
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summer 2014
HEALTH cienpies | sxc.hu
Time to get fit
SUMMER 2014
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of governmental regulation. Test your knowledge regarding health, fitness and nutrition by answering the following true or false questions: • A fat-free diet is good for you. • You can lose fat around your mid-section by performing sit-ups or leg lifts. • Eating late at night is bad for you. • A slow metabolism is a result of your genetic disposition. • An all-protein diet is a safe and effective way to lose weight and keep it off.
feel bad; you aren’t alone. Most Americans share these misconceptions. Helping to cut through the clutter of misinformation, Life Time Fitness, the country’s fastest-growing health and fitness company, has launched an educational tool designed to help consumers obtain accurate and practical information regarding fitness and nutrition. Entitled “Master Your Metabolism,” this video program helps dispel many of the myths and misconceptions surrounding health and fitness, while providing view-
• You can lose weight more quickly if you combine exercise and an extremely low-calorie diet. • When you go on a very lowcalorie diet, your body will use its own fat for energy. • Counting calories is the solution for proper, long-lasting weight control. • The real purpose of exercise is to burn calories. If you answered “true” to any of these questions, it is a good indication that you don’t understand the basic information about your body and how it works. Don’t
ers with valuable insight into how the body functions and responds to exercise and what we eat. The 90-minute program summarizes years of biochemistry and exercise physiology research to provide a comprehensive understanding of how our bodies work, how metabolism can be slowed or accelerated, and how we can properly communicate our desired goals to our bodies by understanding its logic. “The human body is an amazing machine with incredible capabilities,” said Jeff Zwiefel, vice
president, Life Time Fitness Health Enhancement Division. “It operates on a pure and perfectly logical platform. Our job simply is to understand that logic and learn how to communicate with our bodies. With an easy-to-understand format, ‘Master Your Metabolism’ has been designed to help us gain this knowledge so that we can extend longevity and enhance lifestyle.” The company also amassed a team of independent, nationally renowned physicians, biochemists, nutritionists and researchers to help it develop a full line of Fast Fuel nutrition bars, and vitamin and mineral supplements specifically designed to help people achieve their health and fitness goals. The fact is that there is no magic formula when it comes to becoming fit and achieving the shapely and toned body we desire. The safe and effective solution to a long-term healthy lifestyle is simply gaining a big-picture understanding of how our bodies work. “When we better understand our bodies and make wise, informed choices around a balanced diet and exercise program, we transcend that once-per-year effort to get into shape for the summer to achieve a consistent, long-term and healthy lifestyle,” Zwiefel said. “Instead of being blindly lead by every new diet and exercise fad, consumers finally will possess the knowledge to understand what works, what doesn’t, and why.” For more information about Master Your Metabolism, visit the website at www.lifetimefitness. com or call (800) 430-5433. MeiTeng | sxc.hu
A balanced approach to diet and nutrition can provide long-term results. As the balmy late-summer days give way to the cool breezes of autumn, many people are inspired to tackle their fitness routine with new vigor, With kids back in school, parents have more time to get to the gym, and the crisp fall air makes it possible to exercise comfortably, free of the summer heat and humidity. Even with a fitness regimen in place, most people tend to be more sedentary in fall and winter; for that reason, it is important to incorporate a balanced approach to diet and nutrition into your plan. For example, most people don’t eat the recommended four to five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. But our health, energy, muscle development and more are all directly linked to the whole foods, vitamins and supplements we ingest each day. As a society, we are very interested in health and fitness, and yet it seems that this heightened curiosity has become our worst enemy. We constantly fall victim to the quick fix approaches promised by many diet and exercise companies. In doing so, we misunderstand our body and how it really works. Accurate information is imperative when considering a change to your diet. Unfortunately, too many people make their choices based on information from television, newspapers, magazine, books and myriad other mediums that lack scientific authenticity or any form