Brownsburg Magazine February 2022

FEBRUARY 2022

MAGAZINE

LOCAL MIDDLE SCHOOLER TYLER MACKE IS A WORLD KARATE CHAMPION

7 DATE IDEAS FOR A MEMORABLE VALENTINE’S DAY STEPS TO HELP PREVENT HEART DISEASE

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7 DATE IDEAS FOR A MEMORABLE VALENTINE’S DAY

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AWARENESS MAKES A DIFFERENCE

STEPS TO HELP PREVENT HEART DISEASE

STRIKING SUCCESS

AWARE Campaign Puts Focus on Cognitive Disabilities for First Responders

Local Middle Schooler Tyler Macke Is a World Karate Champion

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7 DATE IDEAS FOR A MEMORABLE VALENTINE’S DAY

V

1. GO SKATING

Writer / Abigail Hake Photography Provided

alentine’s Day is coming up, which means it’s time to start planning the perfect date for you and your special someone. Do you prefer a typical dinner with your loved one or would you rather enjoy a Valentine’s Day that’s a little more memorable? Whatever you like, here are a few ideas that you may or may not have thought of before.

Lots of outdoor ice rinks are still open through the end of February so check out your options. Skating under the stars can be very romantic. If outdoor skating isn’t an option, look into skating times at your local indoor rink or even roller rink.

Gliding around together and holding hands is always a good time. If you aren’t comfortable with skating, grab some hot chocolates and go watch others do it. This

can actually be quite entertaining and definitely leave you with something to talk (or laugh) about!

where your first date was, and take a walk down memory lane - it’s sure to give you all the feels.

2. RECREATE A FAVORITE MEMORY

3. PLAN A PICNIC

Whether it’s your first or 15th Valentine’s Day together, there’s probably a memorable moment between the two of you that stands out. Do your best to recreate that special moment. Go back to where you met or 6 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / FEBRUARY 2022 / TownePost.com

While you might not be able to do this outside, there are plenty of indoor-friendly ways to have a picnic. Set up in the living room in front of the fire, crack open a bottle of wine, and enjoy some light snacks and appetizers while getting to know each other

a little better - or, if you’ve been together a while, getting to know each other again.

4. DO A DRIVE-IN DATE

Load up the car with some folding chairs, cozy blankets and lots of snacks, and head to your closest drive-in theater for an evening with a throwback feel. Depending on the weather, you could set this up in your backyard, at the park or even in the basement if the weather won’t cooperate. If you plan to do it at home, string some bistro lights for a little extra magic, and don’t forget the popcorn.

Remember, just because it’s Valentine’s Day, that doesn’t mean it has to be a twoperson event. No matter where you are on the relationship spectrum, we’ve all had a crazy past couple of years and we all deserve a little treat. If there’s not a significant other in the picture, or maybe you just can’t be with the one you love so dear, spoil yourself and indulge a bit. Grab some chocolates, treat yourself to a nice dinner, or just take some time for yourself - because you deserve it!

5. ENJOY A QUICK GETAWAY

Getting away is always refreshing for those involved. Whether it’s an evening at the local boutique hotel or a cabin in the woods a couple hours away, enjoy the uninterrupted time together. You might even seek out a treehouse to rent as those have a truly magical and romantic feel, which is sure to make for a memorable Valentine’s date.

6. GET ACTIVE TOGETHER

If you don’t regularly work out together, this might be a fun one to try. Set up a personal training session, go for a run together or plan a hike with a special surprise at the top. Getting the endorphins going together could really help get the sparks going. Plus, it’s always fun to cheer each other on when doing hard things.

7. CREATE A BUCKET LIST

Bucket lists are always fun to come up with and even more fun to complete. Why not make one just for the two of you?

Come up with all the things you can do without the kids, or maybe before you have kids, depending on where you are in the relationship. Make sure to include all kinds of ideas - fun, silly, extreme, romantic, easy and hard. Start by checking one of the items off the list THIS Valentine’s Day.

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Deputy Chief Joe Aldridge (Plainfield) Major Andy Watts (Brownsburg) Captain Jack Sadler (HCSD) Deputy Chief Brian Nugent (Avon) Sergeant Chase Wilson (Danville PD)

AWARENESS MAKES A DIFFERENCE AWARE CAMPAIGN PUTS FOCUS ON COGNITIVE DISABILITIES FOR FIRST RESPONDERS Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided

For years Officer Brian Nugent, deputy chief of the Avon Police Department, has acted as the Hendricks County law enforcement liaison to Project Lifesaver, which is a proactive response to identifying individuals who tend to wander away from their caretakers. As the program’s liaison, Nugent regularly fields questions from families who inquire as to whether they qualify for the program. Though a number of these individuals have cognitive

disabilities, they do not meet the criteria for “We have no way of knowing if somebody in needing a 24/7 caretaker for their loved one. that vehicle may have a cognitive disorder,” Nugent says. “We have no clue what that “I saw that as a gap,” says Nugent. diagnosis could be, what the limitations are, or the best practice for engaging that Though the police department has been particular individual that may have a mental integrating mental health awareness into disability and cognitive disorder.” trainings for years, there is always room for improvement and growth. However, Even if officers approach a vehicle or there are multiple variables at play. Nugent residence with a toolbox full of resources, explains that when officers stop a vehicle or there is no way to immediately know which respond to an emergency call, they are up tool or resource to apply first. against the unknown.

“I realized that we needed a simple, FEBRUARY 2022

meaningful, identifiable way to be armed with information, and a sticker on the back of a vehicle seemed like a good way to do that,” Nugent says.

Since police officers put about 30’ of distance between their cruiser and the vehicle they are stopping, the emblem needed to be large enough for officers to see when getting out of their car. Hence, Nugent created the AWARE emblem, a 4” circular sticker that adheres to cars (and doors of homes) to let police, fire, and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel know that someone inside is likely to have a cognitive disability.

The sticker provides information before any words are even exchanged, and that’s key. In an emergency situation, an officer or EMS worker may show up to a serious accident and find the caregiver incapacitated. If an individual in the car is acting irrational, the AWARE sticker can empower first responders to assess the matter with more information.

That’s important because irrational behavior is often correlated with criminal behavior or perhaps substancerelated impairment when, in these instances, that’s not the case.

“We are branding this AWARE emblem to be a de-escalation and a mental health awareness platform for law enforcement,” Nugent says.

There are programs within the dispatching center that allow one to enter what is called a premise hazard.

This is data the public can enter that may state, for example, “I live at 123 Main Street. If you respond to this residence, please know I have an

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elderly male with dementia.” This lets law enforcement officers and first responders know, while en route to a residence, what they will encounter upon arrival. Creating a program that transcends those limitations to provide visual recognition upon arrival on the scene can be tremendously helpful.

Nugent feels confident that such a tool will make a difference. He recently got a call from Arin Sparger, a local mother whose 8-year-old daughter Emma is part of Project Lifesaver.

She shared with Nugent that she was recently involved in a car accident in which she was rear-ended. Though it wasn’t a serious collision, her kids were shaken - particularly Emma, who is hearing impaired and has Down syndrome.

“I was concerned about my daughter’s safety and what was going on with her physically, but unless you understood her health history, there was no way to identify our situation,” Sparger says. “I felt like if there was some way to convey what was going on without having to explain it, on top of all that I was processing with the accident itself, there would have been tremendous value in that.”

Sparger mentioned to Nugent that she wished the AWARE program had been in place when she had her accident, as she knows it would have made a traumatic situation much better.

Sparger also has a father with Alzheimer’s, and she’s thrilled this program will benefit so many different demographics.

A critical piece to this program is figuring

out how to get the AWARE stickers into the hands of those who need them, so the Avon Police Department has created a physician referral form.

“Anyone who thinks they qualify to get this emblem for their vehicle or residence can ask their physician, counselor or therapist for a referral form,” Nugent says. “They would then bring us that form and we would give them the emblem.”

The physician referral forms can be found on the program website at awareprogram.info.

This program is free to the public and free for agencies to join. Agencies just have to make the decision to support it, and designate someone to accept physician referral forms to obtain the emblems.

Part of the Central Indiana Police Foundation’s mission is to support law enforcement officers, both personally and professionally. Therefore, according to Executive Director Lisa Rollings, any time they can help create a positive experience between citizens and officers, they want to do so.

“Backing this program was a no-brainer,” Rollings says. “By supporting and promoting this program, we hope to influence positive interactions between officers and folks who have cognitive disabilities.”

The Central Indiana Police Foundation initially funded the program to help it gain FEBRUARY 2022

traction in the state of Indiana. The initial rollout began in November. In addition to the Avon Police Department, all law enforcement agencies in Hendricks County are participating in the rollout of this pilot program. Ultimately, as the program garners support over time, Nugent hopes to make it a statewide and nationwide campaign. So far he has reached out to Hendricks County physicians as well as Indiana Disability Rights, Mental Health America of Hendricks County, accessABILITY, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, to spread the word.

“This is an opportunity for us to lead the way in Hendricks County, in the state and perhaps across the nation, to show people that we have to make intentional efforts in terms of our training and being proactive,” Nugent says. “It is incumbent upon us to find higher levels of accountability for ourselves and for this profession.”

For more information, visit awareprogram. info.

THE HENDRICKS COUNTY MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS HELPS IN TIMES OF CRISIS Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided

The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) was created to organize and train groups of volunteers to aid existing community response teams in the event of national, regional or local emergencies.

Needless to say, they have kept busy during the COVID-19 pandemic running vaccination clinics and testing sites.

Since its inception in 2007, the Hendricks County MRC has seen an ebb and flow to their volunteer pool. When COVID-19 vaccination clinics were ramping up, they put out a call-out, requesting volunteers since, at the time, they had just 75 members.

“We expected maybe 30 people to respond, but we added 500 members,” says Jeff Corder, public health preparedness coordinator and MRC coordinator.

On December 19, 2020, Hendricks Regional Health set up their first clinic, which utilized MRC volunteers. The MRC held their first vaccine clinic on February 1, 2021, and have been running weekly vaccination clinics ever since. MRC and hospital volunteers put in nearly 24,000 volunteer hours at clinics and related activities between December 2020 and December 2021.

Due to the enormous time commitment by so many Hendricks

County residents, the MRC recently held a recognition ceremony to present those who put in more than 100 hours with a presidential volunteer service award. Those who worked 10 to 99 hours received a special coin. In addition, they gave an award to Gail Douglas, a retired registered nurse, who in 2021 logged more than 500 hours with the MRC. Douglas, a nine-year MRC volunteer veteran, enjoys the camaraderie of working alongside like-minded people.

“I had a great role model in my mother, who demonstrated a love of community service,” Douglas says. “She never stopped volunteering until dementia took over. In her 80s she still wrote letters and painted fingernails on nursing home ladies’ hands.”

Response following a disaster situation is critical. It’s not a matter of hopping in a car and taking off. To be helpful, coordination, communication and an action plan are needed. For instance, in a disaster situation, Dawn Mason, the emergency management director for Hendricks County, would reach out to Corder, letting him know that she’s setting up a shelter with a volunteer reception center. Then Corder would deploy his volunteers, telling them where to go and what to do.

“Following the tornadoes that devastated Kentucky in December, a bunch of people self-deployed and drove down there on their own,”

FEBRUARY 2022

Corder says. “Though it’s a good thing that people want to help, it’s not good when you can’t organize those volunteer efforts.”

supplies, then call the Red Cross to request one person to oversee the shelter.

By setting up a volunteer reception center, however, volunteers know precisely where to go to get checked in. Plus, there’s a system in place to scan driver’s licenses for a quick sex-offender registry check.

“We contact them because they have the experience and knowledge that goes along with setting up shelters,” Corder says.

Some people don’t understand the difference between the MRC and the Red Cross. The Red Cross provides the sheltering aspect, but since there isn’t a Red Cross presence in Hendricks County, in an emergency situation the MRC may set up a shelter with cots and

Under the umbrella of the MRC is the Crisis Response Team (CRT), which is deployed in the aftermath of a traumatic event like the death of a student at a school.

“Our volunteers aren’t counselors but they’re there to listen,” Corder says. “If we think a student needs additional resources, we

FEBRUARY 2022

can point them in the right direction.”

Their CRT trainings were going strong, but the pandemic caused them to put their training plans on the back-burner. They have, however, resumed some classes. For example, they’ve offered Stop the Bleed trainings, Safe Worship trainings, and Animal Issues in Disaster courses, to name a few. For the latter course, sponsored in conjunction with the Board of Animal Health, they partnered with Misty Eyes Animal Shelter.

“If there was a flood or tornado in the county, we would assist in setting up a human shelter and Misty Eyes would handle the animal portion of it,” Corder says.

Though Misty Eyes can provide refuge for small animals following a disaster, Corder recognizes the portion of Hendricks County that’s rural and has horses, cows and pigs. Therefore, they’re in need of farmers who are experienced in large-animal rescue.

“We’re trying to be a resource in all different areas in the county,” Corder says.

Even though the MRC has grown in the past two years, they would like to continue to add volunteers. They especially have a need for

translators who are fluent in non-English languages. They’re also interested in recruiting veterans who are likely to be equipped with helpful knowledge and skills. They welcome anybody.

“We can use people at any time,” Corder says. “While the vaccine clinics have been the big focus recently, down the road we’ll need volunteers for other things. We hope people will volunteer even if they can only commit to a few hours.”

“In the MRC everyone can find a niche to serve,” Douglas adds.

The Hendricks County Medical Reserve Corps is located at 355 South Washington Street, #G30 in Danville. For more info and to apply to be a volunteer, visit hendrickscountymrc. org or call 317-745-9214.

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Photographs and renderings are for illustration purposes only and are not part of a legal contract. Please contact a neighborhood sales manager for additional details. Arbor Homes is an equal opportunity home builder.

FEBRUARY 2022

STEPS TO HELP PREVENT HEART DISEASE LIVING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CAN DECREASE YOUR RISK. By living a healthy lifestyle, patients can help improve their blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. This lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke. Manageable habits include consuming healthy foods and drinks, maintaining a healthy weight, getting regular physical activity and refraining from smoking.

Writer / Dr. Katsiaryna Tsarova, Cardiologist at IU Health West Hospital Photography Provided

Heart disease is the number-one cause of death in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 659,000 people in the country die from heart disease each year. Certain health conditions, your lifestyle, age, and family history can increase your risk for heart disease. Patients should not wait to schedule an appointment TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR MEDICAL CONDITIONS. with a cardiologist. IU Health is one of the highest-volume heart If you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes, you and vascular programs in the country. can take steps to lower your risk for heart disease. Patients should get their cholesterol checked at least once every four to six years.

Heart disease can affect anyone.

If they have already been diagnosed with high cholesterol or have Heart disease is the number-one killer of both men and women. a family history of the condition, it may need to be checked more It can happen at any age, but the risk goes up as a person grows often. Patients should also have their blood pressure measured older. It is important to take steps earlier in life to prevent yearly after the age of 40, and every three to five years if they are irreversible heart damage that can accumulate over years. younger than 40.

KNOW YOUR FAMILY HISTORY. The CDC states that genetic factors play some role in heart disease and other related conditions. The risk increases when traits passed from one generation to another through genes combine with unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as smoking and poor diet.

WORK WITH A HEALTH-CARE TEAM. Patients should work with a health-care team to prevent and treat medical conditions that could lead to heart disease. Those who have been told they are at risk should not wait to see a cardiologist to get ahead of any potential symptoms. For those who have already had a heart attack, health-care team members will work to help prevent another one. Treatment plans may include medicines, surgery or lifestyle changes.

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LOCAL MIDDLE SCHOOLER TYLER MACKE IS A WORLD KARATE CHAMPION while others were doing something,” Steve says.

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided by Chris Thornberry

As it turns out, karate instruction was the best decision they ever Some kids seem to be born with excessive amounts of energy, and Tyler made. It taught Tyler patience, discipline, respect and obedience.

Macke was one such child.

The instructor, known as the sensei, disciplines through pushups and calisthenics - a technique that Steve found helpful at home.

“He had endless energy from the moment he woke up until the moment he went to bed,” says his father Steve.

“Tyler often wasn’t complying because he had all this energy that was His robust vigor made it difficult for him to focus, listen or sit still. Steve and Megan, Tyler’s mom, struggled to find disciplinary techniques that worked on their son. Desperate to focus that energy in a positive way, his parents decided to enroll him in a karate class.

“We wanted him to learn to wait to be called upon when speaking or when addressing an adult, to look the teacher in the eye and stand with his hands behind his back, and to line up in a row and stand quietly

drowning out everything around him,” Steve says. “If I had him do 20 pushups or 30 jumping jacks, he could calm down and listen to what I had to say.”

When Tyler started karate, he quickly earned the nickname Fireball by his sensei.

“At 4 years old I certainly was a fireball, but now I take karate more

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seriously,” says Tyler, who noticed a stark difference in his focus, concentration and demeanor once he began practicing karate.

“Karate has helped me in my determination to do tough things. It’s also helped with my endurance, my patience and my respect of authority figures.”

At 4 and 5 years old, karate class consisted mostly of playing games and doing exercises.

At ages 6 and 7 he started earning belts and worked his way up from there. Now he’s a seventh-grader at Brownsburg East Middle School.

When it comes to karate, there are two different worlds - self-defense and tournament competition. One might assume that earning a black belt is the highest milestone that can be reached in the discipline, but those in the karate world know that karate begins once you get your black belt. Think of it like graduating from a driver education class and getting your license, enabling you to get out on the road to hone your skills.

“Year after year I kept getting new belts,” says Tyler, who tested for his black belt at age 9.

20 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / FEBRUARY 2022 / TownePost.com

There is a youth and adult black belt.

Students are considered at youth level until age 16, at which point they can start in the adult ranks. Going from a first- to seconddegree black belt is generally a two-year process. Going from second to third degree is a three-year commitment, third to fourth degree takesstfour er years, and so on. The hanshi Webpatriarch ebstater e (the head over the entire program) e W u q i n u ech studio Tyler’sTkarate received his tenth-degree echniq ed d T e i f i t r his 60s - proof that karate canertifi Cein black belt C certainly be a lifelong discipline.

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Tyler joined the competition team at age 8, er loving it. competing at local tournaments er Webst and Webst ue ique n h c e hniq c At ages 8, 9 and 10 he wentTtorregionals, where e d T ie ied Ce tif Certif he qualified for nationals. He competed at nationals at ages 8, 9, 10 and 12 (he missed the competition at age 11 due to the pandemic).

In 2019 he also competed at an international tournament in Hawaii.

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Tyler, who turns 13 in June, has medaled at nationals in kobudo and kata all four years he’s competed - an impressive feat as there have been some large divisions. Youth competition includes age groups and four skill groups including beginner, novice, intermediate and advanced. Tyler has competed at nationals twice at the intermediate level and twice at the advanced level. At nationals the past two years, he scored high enough in his division to be invited to join the U.S. team at the world competition. In 2020 he was set to compete in Poland, but COVID-19 hit and everything was cancelled. In June of 2021 however, he travelled to Romania as one of three 12-year-olds chosen to represent the U.S. to compete in the World Union of Karate-do Federations World Karate Championships. He came home with gold, silver and bronze medals.

Though he’s proud of his many accomplishments, Tyler’s favorite part of practicing karate are the friendships he has developed.

“I have a lot of friends at my dojos,” he says. “I feel like I fit in there.”

In the spring of 2020, when COVID-19 temporarily shut down karate studios, Tyler elected to take a break from the discipline. Little did he know how much he needed it in his life.

“In the nine months I didn’t do karate, I went back to my old self and wasn’t behaving as well or doing as well in school,” Tyler says. “We realized that the thing in my life that had changed the most was the absence of karate. I regret taking that break.”

In another few years, Tyler will likely transition into a teaching role at the karate studio.

“Karate has given him a lot up to this point and will continue to for another few years, but once he’s a teenager he can start giving back by teaching his younger teammates what he has learned,” Steve says.

“That’s what this sport is really good at. It’s about lifting people up, and taking those people who have been lifted up to pass along to the next group and help lift them up as well.”

Three years into Tyler’s karate training, Steve decided to join his son and take lessons himself. One of Tyler’s best memories is throwing a baseball in his backyard with his dad as they quizzed each other on karate history for their black-belt test. Ultimately, father and son tested for their black belt on the same day, and that’s one of Steve’s proudest moments.

“Having that shared accomplishment will be something I’ll always remember and cherish,” Steve says.

As for Tyler, he says he doesn’t think he would be the same person if it weren’t for karate. Steve knows that’s true. That’s why he highly recommends that anyone who has children who struggle with focus, concentration, obedience, self-confidence or fine-motor skills should consider karate.

“I’ve never heard of any family who has ever left karate saying, ‘That made my kid worse,’” he says. “They’ve always gotten something positive from it.”

22 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / FEBRUARY 2022 / TownePost.com

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