Avon Magazine March 2018 by Towne Post Network, Inc.

MARCH 2018

MAGAZINE

FORMER AVON FOOTBALL STAR TACKLES STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACHING JOB AT IU

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MAGAZINE

TOWNE POST NETWORK, INC. AVON MAGAZINE FRANCHISE PUBLISHER Darren Boston

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MARCH WRITERS

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

XTRA REPS: FORMER AVON FOOTBALL STAR TACKLES E STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACHING JOB AT IU

7 On the Fast Track: Avon Track &

30 Avon Firefighter Has a Gift

13 Extra Reps: Former Avon

34 Support Your Partner During Labor 36 Conserving Water in the Kitchen 38 On Air with Nicole: Local WYRZ

Football Star, Isaac Guerendo, is Chasing Down His Dreams Football Star Tackles Strength & Conditioning Coaching Job at IU

19 A Fair Share: Hendricks County

Veterans Service Office Helps Veterans Receive Their Benefits

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

26 March Events 28 March Crossword Puzzle

for Woodworking

Personality Nicole Kendall Pursues Her Lifelong Passion

MARCH PHOTOGRAPHERS

Darren Boston / Jennifer Guerendo Visit Hendricks County

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49 From the Ground Up: Town of Avon Gives the Lowdown on the Satori Pointe Construction Project

52 Q&A with Lora Lacey, Washington Township Parks & Recreation Director

54 March Word Search 4 / AVON MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018 / AvonMagazine.com

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

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AVON TRACK & FOOTBALL STAR, ISAAC GUERENDO, IS CHASING DOWN HIS DREAMS Writer / Melissa Gibson Photographer / Jennifer Guerendo

Jennifer Guerendo recalls even as a toddler, it was clear, her son Isaac had special talent. “I noticed right away with basketball and football. He’s never not had the ability and now, he’s just doing phenomenal things,” she says.

Those phenomenal feats include what Avon track coach, Zach Toothman says makes Guerendo one of Avon’s “all-time greats.”

history,” Toothman says.

Isaac is a once in a generation type of athlete. Most people know him as an “Isaac has currently won four school records incredible football player, which he is, but from last year’s performances – the long his track and field accolades are even better.” jump (State Champion, 24’5 ½”), the 100 meters, 200 meters and is a part of Guerendo attended Avon through middle our school record for the 4x100m relay, school and as a freshman at Cascade, he was which owns the fifth fastest time in Indiana involved in football and track at the varsity AvonMagazine.com / MARCH 2018 / AVON MAGAZINE / 7

level, slowly building his confidence. Soon, the decision was made to move back to Avon as a junior, and it was then, he started catching the attention of fans, coaches and recruiters. Over the past year, the Avon High School football and track star has been causing a stir with his record-breaking stats. “Over my 23-year coaching career at Avon, I’ve had many athletically gifted jumpers, but non compare to the ability of Isaac,” says Avon’s long-jump coach, Rick Finchum. “His scoring results at the 2017 Indiana State Track Meet Finals were the best of any athlete, culminating with winning the long jump and only being 2.5 inches off the state meet record. He had all of these accomplishments and was only a junior.”

Signing day with Wisconsin Badgers

Not only is he breaking records in track, its football that has the colleges knocking on his door. In fact, Guerendo boasts an average 31.4 yards per catch, 1,258 for the 2017 season and 19 touchdowns. He was named Indiana Mr. Football Wide Receiver and was included in All State Top 50, All Conference, All County and Indy Super Team. The 17-year-old senior signed a full-ride scholarship for football with Big Ten Champions, University of Wisconsin on Dec. 20 amid multiple offers and also plans to join the track team. Jennifer says they spent time visiting many schools and the entire family fell in love with the Wisconsin campus. “It’s a beautiful campus,” she says. “I just loved the quality and character of their athletes. They have a 98 percent graduation rate, and I just feel really comfortable with him being there. The Wisconsin games are full of energy and they have great fans. He already has a lot of them following him. It’s just an all around good school.” For now, Guerendo is focusing on finishing 8 / AVON MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018 / AvonMagazine.com

“My next step is to play football in college, graduate and if playing pro is an option, then I’d like to do so, but if not, I will pursue whatever career I decide.” Perhaps more importantly, friends and family say it’s his personality that makes him shine.

his senior year and continuing to improve upon an already impressive record. “I’m really trying to beat Indiana’s State record on long jump, which is 25’ 1”, he says. “That is the farthest jump by a high schooler in Indiana.” One thing is for sure, the sky is the limit for the senior as many watch for what he does next. “It feels nice to be honored and noticed for your accomplishments,” Guerendo says.

“We are most proud of how caring he is toward others,” Jennifer says. “He has a lot of special gifts and talents, yet he’s so humble. He’s always been a super loyal friend with good morals. He’s mature for his age and thoughtful.” That maturity and determination seem to be what Guerendo has used to become Avon’s football and track star. “My thing would be to stick with it,” Guerendo says. “Some younger athletes think they don’t like something and quit, but if you stick with it, then it all works out in the end.”

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Tree City USA Community

30 PARKS AND 5 GOLF COURSES located within 7 miles of the center of Town

Town Hall Park is an 80 acre park that offers paved trails, 18 hole disc golf course, radio control race track, 2 outdoor table tennis tables, bocce court, shelters and playgrounds. Avon’s community events include:

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Rib Fest/Balloon Glow Avon Heritage Festival Artscape Farmers Market Spring Fling Radio Control Festival Outdoor Concerts and Movies in the Park

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

“Maybe you don’t have to push yourself forward,” writes author Doe Zantamata. “Maybe you just have to stop holding yourself back.” David Ballou can relate to such a sentiment. Born in Indianapolis, Ballou moved to Avon when he was in seventh grade. At the time, he was huge into basketball. Then one day he put on shoulder pads and slammed into somebody on the football field and —boom — he was hooked. “The physicality of the sport triggered something within me,” says Ballou, who played running back and linebacker at Avon High School under Coach Jim Kaiser. Ballou’s power-lifting uncles taught Ballou how to train and eat properly. Once he started lifting weights, he noticed immediate improvement. “My body responded quickly. The more I trained, the stronger I got and the better football player I became,” says Ballou, who graduated

AHS in 1996, then played full back for Coach Bill Mallory at Indiana University. After playing from 1996–1999, he graduated in 2001 with a degree in Kinesiology. Given his background, it should come as no surprise that Ballou would gravitate toward the study of human movement. During his last season at IU, he sustained a significant knee injury that would keep him from going pro. But around that same time, he began working as a student intern in the weight room with strength coaches and found his life’s purpose. “I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” says Ballou, who was hired in August 2001 by Avon High School as their first strength and conditioning director. Ballou enjoyed coming back to the town where his love of the sport was born and to reconnect with the people of Hendricks County, who had always been supportive of his football career. “When I lived in Avon, it still had that small-town feel,” Ballou says.

MARCH 2018 / AVON/PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE

“Everyone knew and pulled for one another.” Ballou is quick to clarify that the Avon community is still very supportive of its players. It was just that back in the mid-90s, the football team was making a name for itself. “We were a small deal and were working to put our name on the map,” Ballou says. Ballou’s long-term vision was to one day become a head college strength and conditioning coach. His initial plan was to remain in Avon for a handful of years. As it turned out, he got married (to Leah) and had two daughters: Mallory (now 13) and Aubrey (10). Next thing he knew, he’d been at Avon High for 14 years. When IMG Academy, a preparatory boarding school and sport training destination in Bradenton, Florida, offered him a job, he jumped at the chance as he was eager to tackle a new challenge. “The best way to describe that place is like Disneyland for athletes,” Ballou says. “It’s the best of the best on a day-to-day basis, with access to all the resources you need. I was like a kid in a candy shop.” Being 10 minutes from the beach wasn’t bad, either. For the two years he worked there, IMG was ranked fourth in the country one year and first in the country the next. Though he was enjoying his time in the sunshine state, when Notre Dame called,

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asking him to join their team in a co-director role of strength and conditioning, he couldn’t pass it up. “When you get a phone call from Notre Dame, you listen,” Ballou says. “Plus, Coach [Brian] Kelly is unbelievably awesome.” After one year in South Bend, however, another call came in — this time from his college alma mater. “After spending five years here, enduring all the blood, sweat and tears you grind out playing the game of college football, you grow a genuine love for the university,” Ballou says. Plus, his wife is from Bloomington, so the timing seemed right. Tom Allen, who Ballou describes as the greatest football coach but even better human being, offered Ballou the role of Director of Athletic Performance. Ballou started the job in January 2018, dividing his 98-player roster into four lift groups that he trains for 75-minute sessions, five days a week. “I dig into each guy, trying to find his flaws so that I can fix them,” explains Ballou, who finds these flaws by using science and data. He takes specific measurements and implements certain exercises to accentuate weaknesses. Maybe the right leg is putting out 15 percent less power than the left leg; Ballou needs to balance that out in order to minimize injury. “If you don’t fix these problems, the issue compounds. In the end, fixing the flaws is how you keep guys healthy,” Ballou says. “You’re never going to prevent injuries in football because it’s a collision sport, but you can certainly try to minimize them.” A third of the daily workout all players do, a third of the workouts some players do (depending on their weaknesses) and a third of the workouts are individually tailored to each player’s specific needs. NCAA rules dictate that coaches can train each player a maximum of eight hours per week. According to Ballou, if training is being attacked in the right way, eight hours is plenty of time. To ensure that players don’t run out of gas by the fourth quarter, Ballou increases work capacity in his athletes by focusing on work-to-rest ratio. “In the weight room, it’s about changing rest intervals because in actual conditioning they’re coming in and out of energy zones,” says Ballou, noting that if a coach pushes an athlete before he’s acclimated, that stresses the player’s body. Ballou likes to push players out of their comfort zone, however, because doing so produces sweet results. “It’s fun to see the look on their face when they do something that you knew they could do but they really didn’t,” Ballou says. These days he finds that the biggest hurdle to success lies in attitude. AvonMagazine.com MARCH 2018/ MARCH / AVON/PLAINFIELD 2018 / AVONMAGAZINE MAGAZINE / 15

Senior Year at AHS in 1995

“In my world, there’s a high level of accountability and a high level of expectations and it never wavers — never, no matter what,” Ballou says. He asserts that most students want to be held accountable. “In my career, I’ve found that players want to be pushed. They want to work hard. And they want you to give them a reason to work hard,” Ballou says. He maintains that the biggest way football has evolved through the years is the speed component. Though it’s always been a part of the game, today speed wins games. That’s why learning how to develop speed is a big part of Ballou’s job, incorporating drills, exercises and variations. “We attack speed on a day-to-day basis both in the weight room and out on the field,” Ballou adds. When asked about his childhood idol, Ballou mentions Bo Jackson. “He was just such a physical specimen — a freak of nature,” Ballou says. The same could be said for Ballou, who weighs 275 and whose best bench press has been 565 lbs. It’s safe to say that Ballou both pushes forward and never holds back.

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

The Hendricks County Veterans Service Office is, unfortunately, one of the best kept secrets in the county. Though Hendricks County has 31,000 veterans, last year only 4,000 of them utilized the office. “Most of the time veterans learn about us through word of mouth — from their buddy at the American Legion or from

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

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

they are able to file a claim for medical issues that happened while in service. The top claim Navara sees is hearing loss and ringing in the ears because hearing protection wasn’t very good decades ago. “A lot of soldiers were on the flight line or were on a ship and they slept under the racks of the weapon gear,” Navara says. “The first question I ask older vets is, ‘How’s your hearing?’”

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

DIC (Dependency Indemnity Comp) is a payment made by the Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) to the spouse of a member who dies due to a serviceconnected illness or injury. Navara cites the example Agent Orange, which was a powerful mixture of chemical defoliants used by U.S. military forces during the Vietnam War that caused major health problems for many who were exposed to it. “Many veterans have experienced health issues and not realized it’s something associated with Agent Orange,” Navara says. “So, if they pass away from a lung cancer that was associated with Agent Orange, we’re able to go back and get the spouse the help that they should have had before the husband passed in the first place.” Surviving spouses of veterans may also be eligible for certain benefits, particularly if they are frail. “Spouses don’t always realize there are benefits for them once their spouse has passed away outside of the burial allowances we have,” Navara says. “It can be a struggle for elderly women when their husband passes away because they lose that income. This is an opportunity to put a little more money in their pocket. If they move into assisted living, it helps cover some of that cost, too.” The Hendricks County Veterans Service Office, open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, is located at 355 S. Washington Street, Suite 216 in Danville. Veterans may call the office and schedule an appointment with Turpin or Navara to go over their service information. For more info, call 317-745-9239.

Lori Turpin & Jennifer Navara

AVON/PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018

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Perillo’s Pizzeria? How about Kid’s Planet? The Urban Rustic Farmhouse?

Since joining Visit Hendricks County, I have marveled at how little residents know about their own county. Here at VHC, we target visitors with our marketing dollars because our entire budget comes from a visitor passthrough tax, meaning our budget rests solely on overnight stays at Hendricks County hotels. Our goal is to encourage visitors from outside the county to come, stay and play here.

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

Along the way, I have found we often educate our locals as much as our visitors. I’m sure you are aware of Splash Island Family Waterpark, Lucas Oil Raceway and the Mayberry Cafe. But have you heard of

In this issue, as the flowers and trees awake from hibernation and your kids earn a well-deserved break from school, I want to share some spring activities that are closer and much more affordable than traveling hundreds of miles away. During the holidays, we call it Shop Local. So, I will steal that concept and call this Spring Break Local. MARCH 2018 / AVON/PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE

FAMILY FUN For those of you who already know about Splash Island Family Waterpark, did you know there is an indoor version of this popular attraction inside the Richard A. Carlucci Recreation & Aquatic Center in Plainfield? The indoor version is smaller, but after months of being cooped up inside, your children won’t care. The facility usually has extended spring break hours for the indoor waterpark, which boasts a two-story water slide, an interactive children’s play area, a gentle winding river and a pulsating vortex. Your admission into the indoor waterpark

also gains you access to all the facility’s other amenities, including numerous basketball courts, a massive kids zone area, ping pong, foosball tables and more. I mentioned Kid’s Planet above. Well, it arrived in Brownsburg about this time last year and has already become a popular spot for families with children. Located in a warehouse along Northfield Drive next to John Force Racing, this attraction boasts a giant, four-story play structure designed for children ages 2 to 14. The play structure includes slides, a foam pit, tunnels, ball shooters and so much more. A special area for kids four and under allows younger children to play in a separate space next to the play structure so you don’t have to worry about your toddler getting run over by bigger kids. A large party room, concession area and arcade round out its amenities. I have merely scratched the surface of the many indoor family fun things to do in Hendricks County. You can find Monster Mini Golf, Hot Skates Roller Skating Center and Xtreme Lazer Tag in Avon. A few other free indoor playgrounds that truly are hidden gems for families with young children can be found at the Well. Community Center in Brownsburg and at Plainfield Christian Church.

ARTS & CULTURE Do you have a budding artist in your family or would you just like to find a creative activity that the whole family will enjoy without ruining the walls or carpets in your home? I have three recommendations for you. The first two — Bisque Barn Pottery Paint Studio in Avon and uPaint Pottery Studio in Plainfield — are relatively similar with just a few minor differences. Both offer endless options of unpainted pottery that you can decorate, and both provide all the supplies and clean up the mess after you’re done. The Bisque Barn also offers do-it-yourself wood sign designs and canvas paintings. uPaint offers glass fusion. The staff at both locations are equally great, so it probably AVON/PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018

comes down to what you want to do, or which one is closer to you. Either way, you can’t go wrong. My third recommendation is The Tie Dye Lab in Avon. Choose a T-shirt, bandana, bag, socks, hat, pillow case and more, and turn them into tie dye creations. With experts at the ready at all three locations, anyone, regardless of age, talent or any other factor, can participate and will have a blast.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE Until now, I have assumed your family would rather stay indoors for Spring Break. If your family would rather be outside, here are a few options:

prairie land and boasting a 100-year-old iron truss bridge that serves as the gateway to miles of hiking trails with beautiful views, you and your family can soak in the fresh air and commune with nature. McCloud even hosts Maple Syrup Days, an early spring, must-experience event the first two Saturdays in March. The park also offers an indoor, interactive Nature Center that includes a bird-watching area, nature programs on Saturdays and much more. A few other favorite parks include Hummel Park and Sodalis Park in Plainfield, Washington Township Park in Avon and Avon Town Hall Park and its 18-hole disc golf course, beautiful lake and outdoor ping pong tables.

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

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MARCH EVENTS 2

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

2&3

AVON HIGH SCHOOL VOCAL INVITATIONAL

This event is a show choir and concert choir contest for high schools in Indiana and surrounding states. Avon High School Friday: 5:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. Saturday: 8:00 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. $7-$12/person

2-4

SHREK THE MUSICAL Avon Middle School South Friday: 7:30 p.m. Saturday: 7:30 p.m. Sunday: 2:30 p.m. $13 Adults | $10 Youth (4-18) & Seniors (62+) FREE Ages 3 & Under

9&10

FRIENDS OF AVON LIBRARY BOOK SALE

This event is a show choir and concert choir contest for high schools in Indiana and surrounding states. Avon-Washington Township Public Library 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

9-11

RISING STAR MUSICAL Avon Middle School South Friday: 7:30 p.m. Saturday: 7:30 p.m. Sunday: 2:30 p.m. $13 Adults | $10 Youth (4-18) & Seniors (62+) FREE Ages 3 & Under

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

AVON/PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018

KNOT TYING

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

SENSORY EASTER

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

Y O U ’ R E I N V I T E D T O

E A S T E R A T

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Join in the fun SATURDAY

MARCH 31

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AVON FIREFIGHTER HAS A GIFT FOR WOODWORKING

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

As a young boy, Mitch Jenkins watched intently as his family — particularly his grandfather — created items out of wood. When Jenkins turned 10, his grandpa began teaching him the hands-on of woodworking by making cabinets. “We had a detached two-car garage that I basically took over at age 14,” Jenkins says. “That’s when I started buying tools and experimenting with my own projects.” Though he always had an affinity for woodworking, Jenkins wasn’t sure what career he wanted to pursue. Then his father, a police officer, handed him an application for the volunteer fire department. “I liked the idea of helping people just like my father always had, so nine years ago I joined the volunteer fire department,” Jenkins says. “I liked participating in

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community awareness programs. Driving a big red truck for a living is also fun.” He earned a degree in public service administration from IUPUI and got hired at a fire station near the Indianapolis Airport before joining the Avon Fire Department in 2016 at Station 142 on Ronald Reagan Parkway. Though he loves the community aspect of the job, he admits that the most challenging runs are those involving children. “It’s so hard — especially those emergencies with young children or newborns who can’t speak,” Jenkins says. “But that’s what’s great about having a crew with you. When there are five or six other guys there, you always have one that’s great with kids. Everyone has their strengths.” One strength all firefighters must have is adapting to fragmented sleep schedules and going long periods without food. Though there are shifts when maybe only one or two calls come in, other days the station may receive 15 or 20 calls. And that often translates to no time for meals. “Sometimes we’re halfway through cooking dinner and a call comes in. Or it’s five or six at night and we haven’t made it to the store to buy food,” Jenkins says. Adjusting to crazy hours is another challenge — mostly for his wife, Kirsten, who has had to get used to him working 24 hours on, 48 hours off. Though it was rough at first, Jenkins enjoys the schedule since it allows him to have two days off to do anything he wants. Usually that entails woodworking in his garage. “I get so pumped up doing these projects,” says Jenkins, who launched his own company, MK Fire Designs, in 2015 (MK stands for Mitch and Kirsten). He’s been hesitant to build a website because he keeps plenty busy filling orders for folks who find him on Facebook or hear about him

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

“I’ve had a number of fire chiefs contact me, asking for one for their firehouse,” says Jenkins, who gives them to retiring firefighters as gifts. Each flag costs $250. Though many have urged him to raise his prices given the items’ high quality, Jenkins refrains. “You look online and prices vary, but I’m not looking to get rich doing this,” he says. “I’m in it to provide a meaningful service to firefighters, police, military — the brotherhood.”

Though flags are his top seller, other popular items include personalized cutting boards (ideal for wedding presents) and the Star Wars Aztec calendar, which is typically made out of MDF (medium density fiber board) and hung on the wall, though he can carve it into a coffee table or something else if that’s what the customer wants. Every order is 100 percent custom. He draws 3D images on his computer with four different colors, which he then sends to his clients.

“It was wild to see a locomotive in pieces,” Jenkins says. “I was there for 16 hours. Clean-up lasted for weeks.” Though Jenkins and his wife don’t yet have children, he hopes to grow their family soon. As for now, the couple owns two dogs — Oakley, a 2-year-old black lab whom they rescued from the Hendricks County Shelter, and Chief, a 6-year-old

mastiff/lab mix Jenkins found alongside the road last spring. When Jenkins does become a dad, it’s safe to say that his children will learn the fine art of woodworking. The only question is, “Will Mitch share his garage?” To see more of Jenkin’s woodworking designs, search him on Facebook.

“It’s endless what I can do,” says Jenkins, who also designs furniture. “If I don’t know how to make something a customer requests, I have enough tools and experience to figure out how.” A good portion of his week, however, is spent serving the public. Though there’s no way of knowing when an emergency will occur, many EMS runs happen in the wee hours of the morning and fire alarms often sound at 7 a.m. when office buildings open. Not surprisingly, car accidents ramp up during heavy congestion and when snow starts falling. The three Avon fire stations definitely stay busy. According to Dan Smith, Avon Fire Chief, Washington Township/Avon Fire made a total of 4,962 runs in 2017. Besides tending to calls, firefighters also spend time cleaning their trucks, working out at the station’s gym, talking to school children about fire safety and attending various PR events. They also do several training exercises during every shift —some regarding medical, others regarding fire or hazmat safety. “That’s something the public probably doesn’t know is the amount of training and EMS refreshers we do to practice protocols and stay up on certifications,” says Jenkins, whose most memorable experience on the job happened several years ago when two massive CSX freight trains in northwest Indiana collided going 50 mph. The carnage from the crash was massive.

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

How can I show my support to my partner before she’s in labor? “It’s important to play an active role in the pregnancy long before your partner delivers,” Dr. Saleh says. “Educating yourself will make you feel more involved in the process, and you’ll be more prepared. Make prenatal and ultrasound appointments a priority, attend childbirth education and delivery classes and help your partner develop a birth plan with the doctor.” Remember that education doesn’t stop after the baby is born. Ask your care team about child education classes offered at the hospital to learn how to hold and swaddle a

newborn, change diapers, burp a baby and look for nonverbal cues. Partners can also help get ready for the baby’s arrival by childproofing the home and preparing the car seat, crib, basinet and diaper bag.

How can I be supportive during the delivery process? “It’s helpful for partners to know what to expect during labor,” Dr. Saleh says. “Understand that childbirth is a process that happens in stages, it’s not an event. Although occasionally it does happen quickly, that’s not the case for most women.” Your labor and delivery team will provide expert care in order to keep mom and baby safe and healthy, but remember that you too can be your partner’s advocate. “Continue to check in with your partner during the delivery and after,” Dr. Saleh adds. “Bring your own music and offer a massage to help her relax. Does she need a AVON/PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018

break from visitors? Help her communicate her wishes to the labor and delivery team. Don’t hesitate to ask for help.”

Follow this timeline to learn how to be there for your partner through every stage of pregnancy, from the first weeks through your baby’s arrival. First Trimester (Weeks 1–13) “In the first few months of pregnancy, your partner may feel tired and moody,” says Jennifer Sollman, clinical manager of maternity and special care nursery at IU Health West Hospital. “She may also experience nausea and vomiting due to morning sickness, but contrary to the condition’s name, it is possible for this to strike at any time.” To support your partner: • Go to prenatal doctor visits when you can. • Pitch in more around the house so she can get extra rest.

• Support her healthy choices and participate in her healthy lifestyle. • Don’t take it personally if she seems cranky or has mood swings. Be understanding and give her space to complain. Second Trimester (Weeks 14–27) “This is the stage when your partner is likely to be feeling her best,” Sollman says. “Morning sickness usually subsides, moods even out and energy returns. Around midtrimester, she’ll start feeling the baby move.” To support your partner: • Help prepare the house for baby’s arrival, that way, you’ll have less to do at the last minute. • Discuss parental leave options with your employer.

Third Trimester (Weeks 28–40)

Labor and Delivery

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

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

To support your partner: • Encourage her to share how she’s feeling and be a good listener. • Take a birthing class together. Learning what to expect helps calm anxiety and boost confidence. • Install a rear-facing infant car seat in your vehicle. You’ll need it to bring your baby home.

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• Time her contractions and know when to alert her birthing team. • Massage her shoulders and back, if that makes her more comfortable. • Walk with her, unless she’s been ordered to rest. Once labor and delivery are underway, it is important to stay calm and encouraging. You’re about to graduate from your ninemonth crash course in fatherhood, and one of the most rewarding jobs in the world is waiting for you.

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CONSERVING WATER IN THE KITCHEN It is a good idea to conserve water around the house because it benefits the environment, while reducing your water bills. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to start conserving water, a great place to start is in the kitchen. It can be as easy as using the refrigerator to cool water, washing food in a basin, or changing the way you wash your dishes. Details for each suggestion are listed below.

As an added benefit, some containers are equipped with a water filter that can better purify your homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tap water. Though most tap water is adequately filtered before reaching your home, a second filter can help remove additional contaminants.

1. COOL WATER IN THE REFRIGERATOR

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

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

2. WASH FOOD IN A BASIN

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

AVON/PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018

work just as well. Just insert the stopper and fill the sink with enough water to thoroughly wash your fruits and vegetables. A short rinse under the tap may be required. 3. CHANGE YOUR DISHWASHING STRATEGY Do not run your dishwasher unless you have a full load of dishes ready to be washed. Because the same amount of water will be used regardless of the load size, the fewer loads you wash, the less water will be used. If you plan to buy a new dishwasher, look for a water efficient model. Alternately, if you hand wash your dishes, don’t run a continuous stream of water for rinsing. If possible, use a second sink for rinse water. If you only have one sink, wait to rinse your dishes until the dish rack is full. Then, fill a container with warm water to rinse all of the washed dishes at once. Many people are looking for ways to use less water at home. As the average kitchen uses a large amount of water, it can be a great place to start conserving. By cooling water in the refrigerator, washing your food in a basin, and changing your dishwashing strategy you will not only help the environment, but also lower your water bills.

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LOCAL WYRZ PERSONALITY NICOLE KENDALL PURSUES HER LIFELONG PASSION

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photographer / Darren Boston

Somewhere deep down she always knew she’d find her passion. It just took a winding path for her to get there. For over a year, WYRZ on-air personality Nicole Kendall has hosted a weekday radio show called “On Air with Nicole.” Prior to that, however, she achieved success in several other fields. After graduating from the University of Evansville, she pursued a career in banking and insurance for eight years before becoming an advertising consultant. “I worked for some wonderful organizations and made good money, but I always felt like something was missing,” says Kendall, who became friends with Shane Ray, station manager at WYRZ 98.9 FM. She shared with Ray her passion for music and proposed the idea of her doing a 70s radio show.

Just as Kendall was sticking her pinky toe into the radio world, the abdominal pain she’d been experiencing for several years turned excruciating. It got to the point that she struggled to lift her leg to walk, wear a seatbelt or even get into a car. Despite multiple trips to various specialists, nobody could provide a diagnosis. They just kept trying to prescribe pain medication. Some days she could tolerate the pain, other days left her bedridden, which meant missing out on outings with her husband Andrew and their daughters Reese (9) and Taylor (6).

“My husband would take the kids to the zoo and I had to stay home because I couldn’t walk the hills,” Kendall says. Then one day an advanced medicine doctor (who happened to be an oncologist) discovered that she had a herniated abdominal wall and her uterus was pushing through it when she sat upright. Her pelvic organs had also been fused together with severe scar tissue from previous cesareans, requiring a hysterectomy and hernia operation. Six weeks post-surgery, she had a new lease on life accompanied by a

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brand-new perspective. “I remember sitting in the waiting room with women who were dying of cancer and thinking, ‘I’m being given a chance to feel better, to live and be able to do what I want in life. I’m going after what I really want to do, and I’m not looking back,’” Kendall says. When she first told her parents that she was pursuing a radio career full-time, she expected they’d be disappointed, but they understood her passion for music because they were the ones who instilled it in her. “My mother loves classic rock and my father loves the funk era from the 70s,”

Kendall says. “They let me watch “Soul Train” as a kid, and I would try to imitate Tina Turner’s gyrating hips and flailing head tosses.” Back then she repeatedly rewound tapes in her boom box and wrote down the lyrics to her favorite songs. “The songs with true raw emotion are the ones that resonate,” Kendall says. “Think of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Landside’ with its powerful lyrics: ‘I climbed a mountain and I turned around. And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills, and the landslide brought me down.’ She also relates to Stevie Wonder’s song “Higher Ground” that says, “I’m so glad that I know more than I knew AVON/PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018

then. Gonna keep on tryin’ till I reach my highest ground.” A fan of Aerosmith, Journey and Chicago, Kendall notes the unifying comforting nature of music. “You might be having a bad day, a happy day, a sad day,” Kendall says. “The great thing about music is that it’s always there for you, no matter what’s going on in your life.” WYRZ plays top-40 hits from the mid-60s to the mid-80s — everything from the Beach Boys to Prince to Van Halen. Living in a digital world means that radio stations are always fighting for the listeners’ ears. “That’s a struggle for anyone in radio,

fighting the digital monster because people are pulled to iTunes and music apps they can download,” Kendall says. “But there are still people who love the connection they get with radio.” For instance, listeners love it when Kendall mentions her two rescue dogs — Emma, a 15-year-old beagle, and Stella, a 2-year-old basset hound. They can relate because they, too, have beloved pets. Since just three staff members work at WYRZ, they learn every aspect of radio. “We learn the tech side and the personality side,” Kendall says. “We edit our own shows. We voice our own shows. We find our own content. We do our own social media, and we like it that way because we build a wealth of experience.” In addition to her weekday show “On Air with Nicole” from 1–4 p.m., she hosts Central Indiana Today Wednesdays at 7 p.m. Though the show was initially established as a political format, when Kendall took it over, she began interviewing “difference makers” in Central Indiana who are doing positive, uplifting things. “People want to hear the good stories,” says Kendall, who shines a spotlight on people who are doing constructive things. “It’s an opportunity to spread their mission in hopes that others will back them.” One of the proudest transformations Kendall has witnessed in herself is her newfound fearlessness. For instance, her future career goals include trying to be picked up by a network such as iHeart or Cumulus. “You only get yourself out there if you put yourself out there,” Kendall says. “That’s what I try to teach my daughters. If you want to do something with your life, you’ve got to be fearless to get to the next level.”

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Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing

For months, the town of Avon has been abuzz trying to decipher what’s being constructed in the area in front of the YMCA off of Rockville Road. Confusion has mounted because, over time, plans have changed and evolved. The original concept that was pitched to the Town of Avon in 2009 was for multi-level, multi-use buildings with retail on the bottom, office space in the middle, and living quarters (either apartments or condos) on the top. It’s the kind of unique design that has popped up in Carmel and surrounding towns. But then confusion mounted and rumors swirled about what actually was going to be built. “We went through a year of misinformation and misinterpretations about what was going to happen there,” says Aaron Tevebaugh, Avon Town Council President. Residents raised concerns about various issues. For instance, some speculated that the current road, Satori Parkway, wasn’t built to handle a higher traffic volume due to increased residential traffic. Others worried that apartments would yield an increase in crime and create more police runs for the area.

“Our Public Works Director, Ryan Cannon, gave us all the data on that and reported that retail actually has more traffic than residential because it’s so fluid in people coming and going,” Tevebaugh says. After finding the traffic flow was of no concern, they reviewed police data and found that there was no validity to that concern either. In addition, Tevebaugh spoke to Washington Township trustee Don Hodson to address fire safety. “Hodson said that as long as the buildings are constructed properly, apartments are no more prone to the prospect of fires than single family residences,” Tevebaugh says. “We vetted all the data and really tried to dig deep into the concerns to see if they were genuine and there really wasn’t anything that came about over all of that.” The difference in how the plan has changed is that though the area will still be multi-use, now developers are constructing 270 multilevel, 1- and 2-bedroom residential apartments with a minimum of 65 internal garage units and a minimum of five detached garage units totaling 25 units. Each will include private covered patios, and residents will have access to a resort style pool, clubhouse, workout room and small fenced dog park. The project will also

connect to the existing trail system. “There will be 10 buildings all together,” says Jodi Dickey, Director of Planning and Building. Construction began in October on the apartments, which will be erected in phases, though all construction is estimated to be completed in 2018. “They’ve got all the footings done and framing is starting to go up,” Dickey says. “They are raising the buildings on the east side first and then west side will be second.” These high-end apartments, which will rent at market rate for an average of $1,000-$1,200/month, will be constructed in all the middle lots between the front lots that back up to the frontage on 36 and the YMCA. The front lots are reserved for future retail development, which was zoned to C-2 to be a catch-all retail. “It could be any number of things that go in there — a grocery, restaurants, banks,” says Dickey, who is thrilled to see something develop since it was originally approved nine years ago. “We are a community full of single family detached housing, and although it seems like we have a lot of apartments in Avon, only about 20 percent of our housing stock is apartments,” Dickey says. “We want to provide a wide variety of housing options for folks, which includes apartments, smaller housing on smaller lots and larger homes on larger lots.” The dense development and current infrastructure means that no new roads will have to be built and no new water or sewer has to be put in. Plus, its proximity to the YMCA and the hospital is a big draw. “I think there is a section of the younger population — mainly millennials — that this type of plan appeals to,” Tevebaugh adds. “A lot of millennials are in their 20s and they want to be surrounded by the things they’re going to use the most.” Tevebaugh notes the national trends and data that report communities desire a project like this. “There’s a subset of the population that doesn’t want to have the two-story house and the big yard to take care of,” Tevebaugh says. “This will be the first of its kind in Avon. Only time will tell if it’s something that’s going to be real popular here.”

with Lora Lacey Washington Township Parks & Recreation director Writer / Jamie Hergott

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF. I was born and raised here in Avon. My parents live in the same house I was born in on Old 36. Right now, I live in Stilesville. It’s nice to still work in the place you grew up. You feel like you have a little bit of closeness to it. I feel like I am giving back to the community that helped raise me. My boyfriend and I live in Stilesville with our two kids, ages seven and three. We all usually end up back at my parents’ house on Friday nights. I went to Indiana State University. Originally, I went for teaching but I switched to Recreation and Sport Management. HOW DID YOU KNOW YOU WANTED TO DO THAT INSTEAD? I went to the counselor’s office. I really liked working with kids, but I didn’t want to be in a classroom environment. I wanted to do something more. She referred me to a professor in the recreation and sport

management department. He is one of those people who is so energetic, it is infectious. So, I changed it, and I loved it. When you know, you know. I just knew when I started it’s what I wanted to do. WHAT DO YOU DO AS A PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR? WHAT IS INCLUDED IN YOUR JOB? The question we get most is, “What do you do in the wintertime?” Right now, a lot of what parks does is plan programming for people in community. We have an event venue, and we rent it out free as a meeting space during the week. We raise awareness about the park. We get the community involved. We work with organizations in the community to help our youth and target demographics. As you get into it more, you think big picture stuff. One thing we do is all the parks directors in Hendricks County meet four times a year, and we come up with different goals together. One goal we have is trying to connect parks through trails. Also, 52 / AVON MAGAZINE / MARCH 2018 / AvonMagazine.com

we talk about ways we can help the whole county, not just our own towns. A lot of it is health and education, nature education, getting kids outside and off screens. We are very happy with the direction we are going. A lot of it is raising awareness of everything we have going on. And we stay involved. My number one goal is getting people to the park. WHERE DOES YOUR PASSION FOR PARKS AND RECREATION COME FROM? DID YOU ALWAYS WANT TO DO THAT FROM A YOUNG AGE? I grew up playing in these parks, especially Ellis Park. My brother has worked for Danville Parks for 10 years now. A lot of people don’t know about this side of it. They go into recreation management and think they’ll run a sports team or work for the Colts or be a wedding planner. Not everyone can be a wedding planner and not everyone will run the Colts franchise. But we need more people in parks and recreation. It really is a need to

a community. If you look at polls people take, people move here for recreation, fire protection and police, not for how many Starbucks we have. WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT AVON? I would say the thing I like best is how involved the community is. I’ve worked at other parks departments, and it was so hard to get people to participate in programming. It was hard to get businesses to help out. Avon is a community where everyone is willing to help out. It’s so great. For our Ghosts and Goblins event, we have almost 60 vendors that come out for a fourhour event on the trails, passing out candy. It’s great there’s so much for the community that’s cheap and cost-effective. WHAT IS A TYPICAL DAY LIKE FOR YOU AT THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT? The best part about this job is there is no typical day. One minute I could be at my desk working on a board report, and then the next hour I am at the Chamber of Commerce giving a speech about the new park we are building. Then I come back and I’m helping the counselors out at camp. Or suddenly, a kid is bleeding and I have to run up to camp to check on the kid. There is no typical routine. It’s something new each day. We make the job what it is. It would be just as easy to sit at this desk all day and make policies and procedures, but I’d rather go and talk to maintenance or go build the foam machine or go fix this or that. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PROGRAM OR ASPECT OF YOUR JOB? I would say my favorite program would have to be the concert series and movies we do with the town. We work really well with the parks department for the town. I get to help plan. My favorite aspect is getting out in the community and talking about the park. It’s my favorite thing to do. I joke it’s the funnest place on earth. It sounds crazy, but I enjoy coming here. I genuinely enjoy coming to work, which not many people can say. It’s what I honestly believe that I’m supposed to be doing.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO TO RELAX? I really enjoy kayaking. I am big into exercising. I go running every day. It’s a stress reliever. It is a stressful job working in the public because everything you do is out there. Sometimes you work so hard on something for everybody, and there’s a few people who go on social media and are upset about it. I spend a lot of time here instead of with my family, so it gets to me sometimes. Fishing, camping, that’s what we all like to do together. That’s where you’ll find me in the summer. We make our kids go camping every weekend. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT IN AVON? Opa’s, hands down. Any time we do a work meeting, that’s where we go. DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR YOUR YOUNGER SELF? I would say to be patient and let things work themselves out. But also take chances. When I was at my previous job, I didn’t have any plans to leave but also had just had a baby, worked a lot of nights, weekends and almost 60-hour work weeks. I just wasn’t happy. This position opened up. I wasn’t sure if I was qualified enough for it or if I was able to do it. My brother said, ‘well, you’re not happy now so take a chance. Plus, it’s good to move up.’ I took a chance and I am happy I took that chance. I have been here three years. IN A WORLD OF IPADS, SMARTPHONES AND SCREENS EVERYWHERE, WHAT’S SOMETHING THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT CAN OFFER THAT THESE THINGS CAN’T? I can offer memories that will last a lifetime. I can give you an experience instead of a thing. Your kids will grow so fast, in the blink of an eye, and you want to have those memories. Nothing is guaranteed in life. You want those experiences with them. Make memories with them. Any type of park will give you that. Just get out with your family and make memories. A friend wanted to give her daughter experiences instead of presents, so she gave her a AvonMagazine.com / MARCH 2018 / AVON MAGAZINE / 53

gift card to paint pottery. She gave her memories instead of things. WHAT’S COMING UP THIS YEAR FOR THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT? OR WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE DEPARTMENT IN THE FUTURE? This year is going to be a big year because we just got approved by town of Avon to start building our new park. Pecar Park will be on 150 North. It will have a nature center, campground, nature play playground, low ropes challenge facility, wetland education and an outdoor classroom. We have geared each aspect for educational purposes. We also have a facility for nature education. It also includes a 2.5-acre fire prevention pond. The scheduled completion is for the end of September. The National Recreation and Park Association is having their annual conference in Indy this year, too. It’s huge and only happens once every 15 years. We are really involved with the State Association, so we will be helping with National when it comes. That’s a huge draw for Indianapolis. DO YOU WATCH PARKS AND REC? IS IT AN ACCURATE REPRESENTATION OF YOUR LIFE? WHO DO YOU RESEMBLE ON THE SHOW? Yes. The first two seasons, it was more about parks and turns more to small town government after that. But it is that ridiculous sometimes. People are just like that. My favorite episode is where they’re at a town council meeting and someone says, “You put a sign out on your well that says don’t drink the water, so I made sun tea with it.” Those are the types of things we hear. People get lost a lot, and all the team must go out to find them. We get the craziest questions, like, “There’s a dead opossum, what do you plan to do about it?” I could keep a quote book. I like that about this job. I am always surprised. Follow Washington Townships Parks and Recreation Department to stay up to date by visiting them online at washingtontwpparks.org.

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