OCTOBER 2019
MAGAZINE
Drawing Outside the Lines Longtime Editorial Cartoonist Gary Varvel Recalls the Journey to a Dream Job
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RAWING OUTSIDE THE LINES: LONGTIME EDITORIAL D CARTOONIST GARY VARVEL RECALLS THE JOURNEY TO A DREAM JOB Gary Varvel will never forget the day he walked down the magazine aisle of Danner’s 5&10 and spotted the face of gap-toothed, freckle-faced Alfred E. Neuman. When he picked up a copy of MAD Magazine, something shifted inside him. Twelve years old at the time, Varvel describes the humor magazine as “mesmerizing.” On rainy days, he sketched characters he saw within its pages.
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OCTOBER WRITERS
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6 Stop & Go: A Day In the Life of a
19 Beasley’s Orchard Celebrates
Brownsburg Bus Driver
9 Drawing Outside the Lines:
Longtime Editorial Cartoonist Gary Varvel Recalls the Journey to a Dream Job
Three Generations of Food, Fun & Family Festivals
24 Breast Cancer Diagnosis,
Then What?
26 Hunting Pumpkins 14 The Best Medicine: The American 28 Sweet Paige’s: New Cake Shop Cancer Society Supports Others With Resources, Partnerships & Programs
Brings Sweet Treats to Brownsburg Main Street
30 Putting the Garden to Bed in October
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A Day In the Life of a Brownsburg Bus Driver in your own car with just a handful of passengers. What if you had 70-84 kids in Have you ever wondered what makes a good your backseat? To navigate a large vehicle, school bus driver? Amberly Massingale pay attention to the road, be a defensive knows because she’s been doing it for 19 driver and still act as an authority figure to years. She asserts that a well-skilled bus your students is multitasking at its best. Not driver must be able to drive defensively to mention there are twice as many students through traffic while maintaining safety and on a bus as in a classroom and they’re all control of the students in their care. sitting behind you. Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing
“School bus drivers have to multitask more than any other driver on the road with the most distractions,” Massingale says. “Not only do we need to be skilled at driving an extremely large vehicle, but we also need to be able to do it around other drivers who do not want to be caught behind us. All the while, making sure Johnny isn’t bullying Joe or telling Sally to sit down in her seat for the 20th time.” Think about how difficult it is to concentrate
“There are days when you are the student’s person for first aid, guidance and just general questions and education,” Bottema says. “Most importantly, though, you are the first face they see in the morning and the last face they see at the end of the school day. You can either make or break a student’s day and that I take very seriously.”
Though bus drivers don’t have eyes in the backs of their heads, every bus is equipped with cameras, which help minimize behavior issues, including roughhousing and bullying.
Bottema, a lifelong resident of Hendricks County, was first drawn to the career when her husband was having some medical issues and she was looking for a career that would enable her to be more accessible to him.
Jean Bottema, who has been driving for the Brownsburg Community School Corporation since November 2014, says a bus driver needs to be focused, friendly and willing to listen.
“Where else can you get 14 weeks of vacation a year, have free time in the middle of the day, and pick up extra money through field trips?” Bottema says. “The job offered great flexibility in this stage of my life.”
6 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / OCTOBER 2019 / BrownsburgMagazine.com
Massingale’s entire school bus driving career has been with Brownsburg Community Schools. She started when her children were young and she was a stay-athome mom. When finances got tight, she wanted to find a job that would help make ends meet and still allow her to be active in her children’s school lives. “It was a perfect fit for me and my family,” says Massingale, who has seen the transportation system evolve a good bit since she first started working nearly two decades ago, transforming from a farm community to a diverse suburb of Indianapolis with the best schools in the state. The number of drivers necessary to service the entire corporation has grown significantly. So has the amount of routing that has to be accomplished to service the ever-growing area. “If memory serves, we only had around 60 buses when I started,” she says.
Now, according to Nick Meyerrose, Coordinator of Transportation for Brownsburg Schools, the corporation owns 110 buses and employs 91 full-time bus drivers and 19 substitute drivers. “We currently have 7,073 students scheduled to ride the bus,” Meyerrose says. “The corporation runs 147 routes in a day. This includes all general ed routes, special needs routes and special runs.” The department is always looking to create not only the most efficient routes but also the safest ones. For instance, they pick up students on the door side of the bus so that children aren’t crossing county roads. “Brownsburg has had the policy in place for a long time to have door side pick-up/dropoff on State and County roads for the safety of our students, but I’m astounded at the number of people who run our stop arms,” Massingale says. “A day doesn’t go by that [it doesn’t happen.]”
Video footage abounds on the internet that shows some of the dangerous ways aggressive drivers behave when they get antsy behind a bus. Some people try passing a bus on the right. Some jump the curb and go through a yard. In addition, buses have been hit by distracted drivers who are looking down at their phones rather than paying attention to the road in front of them. It’s wise for the public to be cognizant of the fact that a school bus is 40 feet long. There’s eight feet to the bus behind the rear axle so when that turns, the part of that bus that’s behind the axle swings into the adjacent lane. Bottom line: exercise patience and give buses space. “I don’t think people realize that when they pull out in front of you or run your stop arm how many lives they are putting at risk because we cannot stop those buses on a dime,” Bottema adds. “People also don’t seem to recognize how serious a bus
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accident can be. If it catches on fire, we have 90 seconds to get those kids off safely. That may not be a big deal when you only have 20 high school kids on a bus, but try getting 80 elementary kids off a bus in 90 seconds.” Massingale has also had her fair share of close calls. For example, she’s had semi-trucks coming off of I-74 not bother to yield to oncoming traffic and pull right out in front of her. She’s also had cars pass her and then immediately slam on their brakes to turn into a parking lot. Despite all of the pressures, Massingale insists that the kids make the job worth it. “Children are the reason I come back each year,” says Massingale, who knows each student by name. “They know I care for them deeply, even when I’m calling them out for bad behavior.” She also adds fun to each day. For instance, on Fridays with her elementary students, they listen to songs the students have picked (clean ones). They also have library days where students read to themselves or to a younger student. “They share with me things they’ve accomplished in the classroom or exciting news from home,” Massingale says. “Nothing is better than to hear the laughter of a child.” Bottema loves building a rapport with the kids as the semester progresses. It takes some time with the high school kids as they tend to be more standoffish, but the elementary kids warm up quickly. “They cry at the end of the school year because they’re going to miss you and are excited to see you at the start of the school year,” says Bottema, who says the highlight of her year is enjoying Breakfast with Bus Drivers at Cardinal Elementary. “I pick boys and girls — one from each grade level — so that upperclassmen get to know the kindergarteners,” she says. Massingale says her most precious memory was from three years ago. She’d had surgery that kept her away from work for seven weeks. The Monday she returned to work and pulled up to each elementary stop, the children started jumping up and down and cheering. “Many a tear rolled down my face,” she says. “My heart could not have been fuller.” 8 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / OCTOBER 2019 / BrownsburgMagazine.com
Longtime Editorial Cartoonist Gary Varvel Recalls the Journey to a Dream Job Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photographer / Amy Payne
Gary Varvel will never forget the day he walked down the magazine aisle of Danner’s 5&10 and spotted the face of gap-toothed, frecklefaced Alfred E. Neuman. When he picked up a copy of MAD Magazine, something shifted inside him. Twelve years old at the time, Varvel describes the humor magazine as “mesmerizing.” On rainy days, he sketched characters he saw within its pages.
“Oh, it’s terrible,” says Varvel, a Brownsburg resident with his wife, Carol, for 20 years. He might not have had the guts to pursue such a dream were it not for his Danville Community High School journalism teacher, Nancy Sutton. One day she invited Anne Ely from The Indianapolis Star to be a guest speaker. When Ely saw Varvel’s cartoons, she suggested he contact Jerry Barnett, the editorial cartoonist at The Indianapolis News.
“That’s how I learned to draw caricatures,” Varvel says. “I was fortunate in that I wasn’t really gifted to do anything else.”
“I went to a payphone and called him right away, not realizing that the call would change the course of my life,” says Varvel, who later met with Barnett.
He jokes about his talent, though the truth of the matter is that pursuing a career in cartooning isn’t easy.
Though Barnett believed in Varvel’s talent, he warned his protégé that OCTOBER 2019
the editorial cartoonist business was a tough one to crack. For two years, Varvel attended the John Herron School of Art before landing a job at a local newspaper in Brownsburg in 1977. Don Richer, the publisher of the County Courier, hired Varvel to work as the production manager. “Don told me, ‘If you draw a cartoon that’s good enough, I’ll put it in the paper,’ but he taught me how to lay out ads and operate the copy camera,” Varvel says. “That job is how I learned the business.” When the County Courier folded a year later, he struggled to find work. He was at the unemployment office when he was paged by Barnett, letting him know that he was recommending Varvel for an artist position in the newsroom. “I went from being unemployed on Monday to Tuesday morning having my cartoon on the front page of The Indianapolis News,” says Varvel, who remained with the paper for 16 years doing maps, charts and story illustrations. Throughout that time, Varvel steadily applied to any opening he found for cartoonist positions. “I was rejected by every single one,” says Varvel, who kept all the rejection letters, an act that not only kept him humble but also offered a healthy perspective. “I learned that losing doesn’t make you a loser,” he says. “Quitting makes you a loser.” In 1994 when Charlie Werner retired from The Indianapolis Star as an editorial cartoonist, Varvel applied for the job. A month passed before his phone rang with news that after two decades in the business, he’d finally landed his dream job. “I about dropped the phone,” says Varvel, who was 37 years old at the time — the youngest in the department. Everyone else was 10 or 20 years his senior, which he relished. “I loved soaking in knowledge from the others who had been around the block a few times.” Later, those people retired, Gannett bought them out and slowly things started changing. “One thing I learned in journalism is that you have to adapt,” Varvel says. “If you don’t change, you die.” He saw many cartoonists lose their jobs because they refused to do color. He found that color was a good thing because it was more adaptable for the Internet. Like all editorial cartoonists, Varvel has been criticized for being biased. OCTOBER 2019
“My world view doesn’t match everyone else’s and that’s okay,” he says. “We can all have different points of view and not throw a fit about it.” He rolled with the punches. He once received an e-mail from a reader who wrote, “You obviously don’t know what you’re doing because this cartoon was the worst.” Varvel wrote back, “You obviously aren’t paying attention because I’ve done much worse than this.” The man immediately fired back, “Okay, that’s hilarious.”
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But there were definitely tough times. Following the 9/11 attacks, Varvel drew a cartoon that encapsulated the honor, pride, sadness and sacrifice that all tied into the tragedy that rocked our nation. It was the image of Uncle Sam carrying a firefighter through the debris. The comic was inspired by a photograph Varvel had seen after the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing where a child was being carried by a firefighter. “I thought, ‘How ironic that the firefighters became the victims this time,” says Varvel, noting that 343 firefighters died in the towers that day. He was reminded of John 15:13 about there being no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
“That’s what these people did — especially when the first tower went down,” he says. “They had to know their time was limited when they went in.” Varvel’s editor Andrea Neal was so moved by Varvel’s work that she suggested making the comic into a poster that they could sell to help with the relief efforts in NYC. They printed up 1,000 and booked Varvel to appear on Channel 13 to promote it. When he arrived at work, there was a line around the block with people coming from Kokomo, Richmond and surrounding areas to buy a signed poster. They raised $130,000. Over the course of Varvel’s 24-year career at The Indianapolis Star, he drew nearly 8,000 cartoons. When he began his career in 1974, Varvel estimates there were 200 full-time salaried editorial cartoonist positions in America. Today, he guesses that number has dropped to 20. In 2000, Varvel wrote the book Varvelous. For years, fans have inquired when he would pen a second. Finally, the timing seemed right so just last month Varvel released Drawing the Right Way: A Conservative Cartoonist’s View of the World. It’s a compilation of the last decade, focusing on the Obama and Trump years. Varvel includes a chapter on Mike Pence and another on Hoosier politics. Though he plans to schedule some local signings, fans may purchase copies at Garyvarvel.com.
Since retiring from The Indianapolis Star in January, Varvel has been busier than ever. He illustrated a graphic novel called The Birth of the First Amendment and collaborated on a junior high book called Old Whiskers Escapes. He’s been commissioned by people, near and far, to draw for them, including the Bob and Tom staff to create a poster of their crew. Plus, he still draws four cartoons a week for Creators Syndicate. Earlier this year when MAD Magazine announced that they were ceasing publication after 67 years, Varvel was disappointed. “It’s like losing a friend,” says Varvel, who was sad yet not shocked because he feels the magazine hasn’t been able to reach the next generation of cartoonists. “Honestly, I came along in this business at just the right time,” says Varvel, who feels blessed that he got to live this life. “For me, it was the best job in the world.” Now, however, he looks forward to tackling his next dream, which is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others by using his talents. In 2014, he co-wrote and produced a movie with his oldest son, Brett, called “The War Within.” “I’ve had people say they came to know Jesus because of the film,” Varvel says. “That’s better than making people laugh. Changing someone’s life for eternity — there’s nothing better.”
OCTOBER 2019
Varvel’s new book, “Drawing the Right Way”, will be available October 11th at garyvarvel.com
Varvel’s Awards & Accolades • 2018: Advancing American Democracy Award, sharing the award with 2 two-time Pulitzer-Prize winners • 2015: Inducted into Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame • 2012: National Headliners Award for editorial cartooning • 2011: Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for Cartooning • 2010: National Cartoonists Society Reuben Award for Best Editorial Cartoonist Division • 2010: Grambs Aronson Award for Cartooning with a Conscience for his Path to Hope series on Child poverty • 2006: H. Dean Evans Legacy Award for community service • 15-time 1st place winner of the Indiana Society of Professional Journalists' Award for Best Editorial Cartoon • 13-time 1st place winner of the Best Editorial Cartoonist in the Hoosier State Press Association Contest
OCTOBER 2019
The American Cancer Society Supports Others With Resources, Partnerships & Programs Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography / Amy Payne & Provided
whole town banded together for whatever philanthropic event there was.”
When cancer strikes, it’s often a life-changing event for the entire family. Such was the case for Tatijana Marsee, who was in fifth grade when her mother was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Her mom immediately went on the defensive and empowered herself through advocacy work with the American Cancer Society (ACS).
Watching her mother be a champion for her community lit a fire within Marsee, and by middle school, she, too, was volunteering with ACS.
“She started our first school Relay for Life team,” Marsee says. She also became the point of contact for anyone in the vicinity who received a cancer diagnosis. “If anyone in our town was diagnosed with cancer, they would contact my mom and she would go to their house and talk with them about what ACS had to offer and who they could partner with to get the best treatment,” Marsee says. “Mom was such a great inspiration in our town.” That town, by the way, was Milan, Indiana, made famous in the basketball film “Hoosiers.” “Milan is really small with no stoplights,” Marsee says. “Pretty much the
During college, Mwwarsee studied communications and public relations. After graduating, she became the marketing manager for a printing and mailing company. Though she loved her clients, she missed the philanthropy. Then one day while attending the Indy Hub Community Involvement Fair, she was offered the position of Community Development Manager for ACS. “The number one thing most people don’t usually know about ACS is that they are a national nonprofit that helps on a local level,” Marsee says. “We basically take all the resources and connections we’ve made across the nation and bring that to the local level.” Though through the decades their hands have been in every major cancer research investment, they’ve always been behind the scenes funding doctors, conducting their own research or providing grants and foundational money to hospitals such as Riley or IU West.
OCTOBER 2019
“Our college students and our doctors right here in our home town are actually funding the cancer research, which is really cool,” Marsee says. Though the American Cancer Society has been around for more than 110 years, their programs have evolved through the years. For instance, they had a “look good, feel better” program that helped people working through cancer treatments make sure they felt good about the aesthetic side of things. “This is important because we never want somebody to not finish their treatment because they’re self-conscience about losing their hair,” Marsee says. Now the ACS is more focused on access to care programs. For instance, Hope Lodge is for cancer patients who have to travel for treatments and need somewhere safe and clean to stay for free or at a discounted rate. “Here in Indiana we partner with local hotels who supply us with rooms for the patient and their caregiver so they don’t have to suffer that financial burden,” Marsee adds.
ACS Community Development Manager, Tatijana Marsee
The idea behind the free or discounted lodging is that they want patients to be able to go to whatever location offers the best treatment for their particular type of cancer. ACS has other programs and partnerships that also offer a personal touch. For instance, one partners a current breast cancer patient with someone who has walked that road before.
OCTOBER 2019
“Someone who has been through it themselves knows the ins and outs,” Marsee says. “They can offer tips or suggestions for what to ask the doctor.” In addition, they have a 24/7 hotline that patients can call for support. Their newest program, called Road to Recovery, is where local residents donate their passenger seat and their time to transport patients to and from their treatments. “We have quite a few Hendricks County residents who are Road to Recovery drivers,” Marsee says. “Some are retired. Some have battled cancer themselves.” Robert Sexton maintains that volunteering as a Road to Recovery driver has been the most rewarding thing he’s ever done. He notes that assisting patients when they are enduring a difficult time requires understanding and patience but is so worth the reward. “It’s not a stretch to imagine a friend or family member or even yourself being in this situation,” says Sexton. “So, give the good people at the ACS a call and inquire about the Road to Recovery program. You’ll love it and patients will love you.” The big fundraising events typically take place in the spring and summer, though they fundraise all year long. According to Marsee, Brownsburg is ranked fourth in the state for top fundraising. “We blew our goal out of the water this year by $15,000,” Marsee adds. “Brownsburg and surrounding communities raised $135,000. Greater Hendricks Relay has done great at fundraising.” Sharon Hammer, a member of the Relay for Life Event Planning Team for the past 13 years, is dedicated to ACS’ mission of raising funding and awareness for cancer research. “Relay for Life allows us to celebrate caregivers and survivors, honors those who have lost their battle, brings awareness to children and adults alike, and provides financial support to help find a cure,” says Hammer, who is grateful for Marsee’s fierce devotion to ACS. “Tatijana has been a huge support to each of us providing her expertise, guidance, support and encouragement throughout the months leading up to our relay. We would never be able to host such an amazing relay without her support and the support of the rest of the ACS staff.”
ACS’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Hendricks County will take place on October 5 as October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The funds raised for this event go specifically to breast cancer research. Other fundraising platforms, such as Relay for Life, is all-encompassing for all cancers. The event, which will take place at Washington Township Park, is a noncompetitive walk designed to honor those who have battled breast cancer. Registration starts at 9 a.m. and the walk will begin at 10. “This day is meant to be a celebration,” says Marsee, noting that 90% of their events are volunteer-led. “Volunteers lead these missions throughout the community,” Marsee says. “We’ve had Brownsburg, Avon and Plainfield schools get involved as well.” For instance, Cardinal Elementary in Brownsburg has a Relay Kids Club where the students host their own fundraisers such as Muffins with Moms, Doughnuts with Dads and Breakfast with Santa. “At these events, the kids serve the breakfast and run the activities,” Marsee says. Community members and cancer survivors are grateful for the support they’ve received through the ACS. Hammer says the programs ACS provides for cancer victims, survivors, caregivers and families continues to be a huge source of support for all those touched by cancer. “Everyone knows someone affected by cancer,” Hammer says. Andra Ignas, a 15-year Relay for Life captain, is currently battling the insidious disease for the third time. “ACS has provided me with so much emotional and physical support and resources,” says Ignas, who calls herself a “survivor and thriver.” “It’s wonderful for a community to come together and support one another,” she says. “Tatijana is so passionate about ACS. She makes me want to work harder to continue to raise money and help.” For more information, visit cancer.org, call 317-344-7858, or email Tatijana.marsee@cancer.org.
OCTOBER 2019
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Oct 5-6 & 12-13: 33rd Annual Heartland Apple Festival Oct 19-20: Dog Daze at the Maze
We encourage guests to bring their furry friends to enjoy the orchard fun! 50% of the maze proceeds this weekend will go to local area animal rescue groups.
Oct 26-27: Halloweekend
Costume contest & pumpkin carving contest. Open 7 Days A Week 2304 E. Main St | Danville, IN 46122 • (317) 745-4876 beasleys-orchard.com • facebook.com/beasleysorchard
Monday, Sept. 30 “Shine the Light ”Annual Vigil 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Sheltering Wings
Sunday, Oct. 13 “Purple in the Pews” Wear purple to church, share it with us on social media #PurpleInThePews
Tuesday, Oct. 8 “Men IN Action” Annual Breakfast 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at Washington Township Park Pavilion, Avon
Thursday, Oct. 24 “Dine Out Against Domestic Violence” All day at Boulder Creek in Brownsburg, Charbonos in Avon, Stone Creek and Bru Burger in Plainfield
For more information and to RSVP visit shelteringwings.org/dva or contact Melissa Echerd at mecherd@ shelteringwings.org or 317-386-5061.
OCTOBER 2019
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Owner, Calvin Beasley & Managers, Jordan & Jim
Beasley’s Orchard Celebrates Three Generations of Food, Fun & Family Festivals Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photographer / Amy Payne & Beasley Orchard
Like a lot of people who grow up around a family business, after living and breathing life at Beasley’s Orchard since he was a tot, Calvin Beasley was eager to get away from it for a bit. Absence made the heart grow fonder, as the saying goes, and while studying economics at IU, he had a revelation. “It dawned on me that most people go to work, watch the clock and bolt at the end of the day, but that wasn’t how I felt,” Calvin says. “I saw the farm as this incredible opportunity to do something that was not only meaningful to me but also to my family.” He appreciated how hard his parents worked to build up the business because he
witnessed it firsthand. “When they first started, it was nothing like you see today,” he says. His grandparents, Milton and Irene, actually purchased the original 80 acres of Beasley’s Orchard in 1946. At the time, it was used as a hog farm. Early on, Calvin’s grandparents ran what would now be considered a garden center located in the metal building right off the road. When his grandparents bought the property, the barn, which is estimated to have been erected around the time of the Civil War, was on the verge of collapse. In the mid-70s, Calvin’s dad and his friends renovated the dilapidated structure. In the late 60, early 70s, Calvin’s father, OCTOBER 2019
John, got heavily involved in the family business, and he planted the first orchard. He grew cantaloupe, tomatoes and sweet corn (now Beasley’s also grows strawberries, apples, pumpkins, cucumbers, okra, green beans and asparagus). John met Debbie, and the pair married in the 80s. “My mom brought in retail experience and that’s when the market grew a lot,” says Calvin, noting that around that time Beasley’s started carrying other things besides produce such as jams, jellies and mixes. According to Calvin, the small to mid-sized farms that used to sell to local grocers was no longer profitable when corporate farming took over.
“A lot of the family farms were left wondering what to do,” Calvin says. “Agritourism was an opportunity to keep the farm going.” The Heartland Apple Festival began in 1986 and as the years progressed, priorities continued to shift more heavily towards agritourism. “It became less about having a produce market and more about giving people a destination,” Calvin says. “We’re focused on making ourselves a place where people want to come and spend a whole day and do that multiple times a year.” This fall marks the 33rd Annual Heartland Apple Festival where folks can pick a pumpkin, navigate the corn maze, take a hayride, listen to live music, shop from local food and craft vendors, and play in the barnyard bonanza, which includes a giant jumping pillow, ball zone, and apple cannon. Guests can also indulge in tasty caramel apples and the best apple cider in the state. In the winter, Beasley’s devotes two consecutive weekends to Christmas at the Orchard where kids can get pictures with Santa and parents can purchase gift boxes that include cheeses, jams, jellies, salsas, syrups and honey. Even though they have events scheduled throughout the year, fall remains the cherished season when they host things like Hometown Heroes, Dog Daze at the Maze and Halloweekend. “For the most part, everything we do is building up to fall,” says Calvin, who OCTOBER 2019
Upcoming Fun at Beasley’s Heartland Apple Festival: October 5-6 & Oct. 12-13 Dog Daze at the Maze: October 19-20 Halloweekend: October 26-27 Christmas at the Orchard: November 23-24 & November 30-December 1
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Plus, it’s a great educational opportunity to show kids how fruit is grown and picked. Calvin thinks there is a huge need in today’s world for people of all ages to learn about where food comes from and how it’s grown. “There’s so much false information about what agriculture looks like and what we do that’s far off base,” Calvin says. “We provide an up-close chance for the public to talk to the actual people who are growing it. Building that trust between consumer and farmer is really important.”
That’s why Beasley’s Orchard hosts a ton of field trips. Last year, they had roughly 8,000 kids come through from all over central Indiana. They also host Future Farmers of America (FFA) for their national convention that’s held the last week of October in Indianapolis annually. “These are the students who are likely going to seek careers in agriculture so they really want to learn,” says Calvin.
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Though he adores his job, he also faces challenges — most notably, Mother Nature. “This is one of the few careers where you can plan diligently, be completely ready to execute your plan, and bad weather can take
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it all away from you,” Calvin says. “Take apple trees, for instance. You can have a great growing season the year before. You can keep the crop load at a manageable level so you get good bud development in the summer for the following crop. You can prune perfectly all winter long. They can be coming into bloom and look absolutely wonderful. And then you can get a late frost and lose all of them just like that.” And yet he wouldn’t trade this life for the world. His father, who battled Parkinson’s disease, passed away in June 2017. “I’m making my family proud,” Calvin says. “I also know that I’m building something for the next generation to come.” Though he doesn’t have children yet, he tied the knot last spring to his lovely wife Brittany. “This was the best place to grow up. I can’t imagine a better childhood,” says Calvin, who would join the picking crews when they harvested sweet corn. He also vividly recalls riding on the tractor with his dad as he brought in bins of apples from the orchard. And his mom’s presence on the farm made an indelible impression as well. “Watching Mom manage all of the employees and take care of the customers was a real learning experience,” says Calvin. “Even at a young age, seeing them work so hard instilled in me a great work ethic.” Calvin, a third-generation owner, now has the pleasure of serving third-generation customers. “We see people come out with their kids and grandkids for apples in September and hayrides and pumpkin picking in October,” Calvin says. “To see folks committed to these fall traditions tells me we’re growing in the right way.” Beasley’s Orchard is located at 2304 East Main Street in Danville. For more information, call 317-745-4876 or visit beasleys-orchard.com.
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Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Then What?
Treatment After a diagnosis has been determined, the patient is referred to a surgical oncologist who will recommend treatment options, which may lead to a referral with a radiologist, medical oncologist or other specialists. The patient’s goals, along with the side effects of treatment, will help determine the patient’s treatment decision.
Whether you or a friend have been recently diagnosed with breast cancer, knowing the next steps and understanding the process is essential in the coping process. Meghan McWhirter, RN and patient navigator in the breast clinic at IU Health West Hospital, shares what to expect after receiving a diagnosis. Staging Once the diagnosis has been made, your doctor works to determine the extent or stage of the breast cancer. This stage helps establish the best treatment options available. Although you have a diagnosis, some information may not be available until after surgery. Tests used to determine the stage of breast cancer include bone scans, CT scans, PET scans, MRIs, mammograms and blood tests. Breast cancer stages range from stage zero to stage four. Stage zero indicates that the cancer is noninvasive or within the milk ducts, while stage four shows that it has spread to other parts of the body.
Knowing the stage of cancer and what the oncologist recommends, treatment may include surgery, proton beam radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy drugs or immunotherapy. Support A new cancer diagnosis can change your life and the lives of those around you. To help patients and loved ones feel in control, McWhirter recommends patients gather information about the diagnosis from their care team and credible websites, such as the American Cancer Society. “Write questions down in advance of appointments and bring someone with you so that someone else can help you listen to and digest information,” she says. Lastly, McWhirter advises patients to assemble a solid support team and to ask for help when needed. Anxiety and depression are not uncommon when dealing with cancer, and a solid support system is critical and will help with finding an outlet for stress.
OCTOBER 2019
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HUNTING PUMPKINS Writer / Demi Lawrence
With Halloween fast approaching and our beloved summer months dwindling down, the time is near to curl up with some hot cider, munch on some candy corn and carve plump pumpkins. Even if you prefer not to mess with pumpkin “guts” or don’t care for the brisk autumn air, this time of year is definitely one full of opportunities for family fun. Here are some great places to go if you and your family want to make the most out of this colorful fall! 1. Beasley’s Orchard and Gardens – Beasley’s has been providing fresh produce and family fun since 1946, making 2019 their 53rd anniversary. To celebrate, Beasley’s will be hosting it’s 33rd annual
Heartland Apple Festival Oct. 5-6 & Oct. 12-13 as well as Dog Daze at the Maze Oct. 19-20. These are only two of the exciting activities the orchard has to offer, so head to beasleys-orchard.com for more information on the great things Beasley’s has to offer. 2. Hogan Farms – Just off East County Road in Brownsburg is Hogan Farms. Exclusively open for the fall months, this farm offers pumpkin patches, hayrides, a corn maze and even a petting zoo on the weekends. While the pumpkin patch is open throughout the week, the hayrides and corn maze are only open on certain days. You can visit brownsburgcornmaze.com to check out the dates and times for each event and to discover more of the fun fall festivities that Hogan Farms has to offer.
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3. Anderson Orchard – Anderson Orchard is open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., giving you and your family plenty of time to go out and experience the fun activities they have to offer revolving around fall. With weekend hayrides across the orchard’s 100+ acres and u-pick pumpkins, apples and more, Anderson Orchard offers loads of fun options for the autumn season. Visit andersonorchard. com for more information.
4. Adrian Orchards – Currently in its third generation of family ownership, Adrian Orchards just so happens to be where the world record was set for the fastest apple picker back in 1980 with 365.5 bushels of apples in eight hours. Aside from this fun fact, the orchard offers fresh apple cider as well as fresh picked apples throughout the fall season. To learn more about Adrian Orchards and what they have to offer, visit adrianorchards.com. 5. Stuckey Farm – Whether you’re looking for Indiana’s best apples and cider or simply a quiet place to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, Stuckey Farms is the place for you. Located off Hamilton Boone Road, Stuckey Farms offers Harvest Festivals every weekend until October 27. These festivals offer corn mazes, hayrides and many more family-friendly adventures. For more on the Harvest Festivals and the other activities that Stuckey Farm has to offer, visit stuckeyfarm.com.
BrownsburgMagazine.com / OCTOBER 2019 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / 27
New Cake Shop Brings Sweet Treats to Brownsburg Main Street Writer / Jamie Hergott
The sign above the fireplace in Sweet Paige’s Bakery on Main Street in Brownsburg reads, “My mom worked way too hard for me to just be ordinary.” And for Paige Barnhart, owning her own bakery at 24 years old is anything but ordinary. The old house turned bakery, with its hardwood flowers, black and white checkered front sunroom, and simple, bright décor boasts cupcakes, cookies, macarons and coffeecake daily. Barnhart keeps busy with custom orders for birthdays, weddings, showers, holiday parties and gender reveal parties.
Barnhart is a 2001 graduate of Brownsburg High School. She attended IUPUI for biology, her goal was to become an orthopedic surgeon. But in her junior year of college, she second-guessed the amount of school she would need. She switched to Marian University to study nursing. But it still didn’t feel right. “I would always bake as my stress reliever,” Barnhart says. “I have always baked with my mom, and I’d bake stuff for my friends.” One day, she had made a custom cake for her best friend’s little sister’s sweet 16 birthday. Someone commented that many people pay good money for beautiful, delicious cakes and that Barnhart should consider selling them.
“This year has been something out of another world,” Barnhart says, trying to describe her first year as a business owner. Owning a bakery was never even in her plan. “I mentioned it to my mom, and so we decided to just create a post on Facebook,”
Barnhart says, and she shrugged. “It took off from there.” That simple Facebook post in January 2018 led to more business than Barnhart could keep up with. She found herself living for the weekends when she could be done with her classes and finally bake to her heart’s content. Once classes finished in May that year, Barnhart decided not to return, and she poured herself into baking. From August to February, Barnhart baked full-time out of her parent’s kitchen. “My mom would joke, ‘Which days do I get my kitchen this week?’” Barnhart laughs. “So we looked for a place. And this place was just perfect.” Preparing the house was a family affair, with her parents helping decorate and paint the walls, trim, ceiling and fireplace. Her dad even built the front counter. The storefront officially opened in May: prime time for weddings and graduations. “It’s been so busy. I am not complaining that it’s busy. But it’s busy,” Barnhart says. “That first May, June and July were the three busiest months of my entire life.”
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reveals, and then I did those kids’ first and second birthdays. And weddings are fun because they’ll have those pictures of my cake forever. That’s just really special.” Even though Sweet Paige’s has only been open since May, Barnhart has made a point to give whenever she possibly can. She is sponsoring the Brownsburg High School Girl’s Crosscountry team, and she consistently donates to Sheltering Wings in Danville and the Brownsburg Education Foundation. “I do as much as I can,” Barnhart says. “I grew up here so I like to give back. I’d hope someone would do the same for me.” Barnhart’s parents regularly help with the business, her dad running errands for her in the morning and her mom helping with orders on the weekends. Even the featured coffeecake in the shop is her own mother’s recipe. Their most popular items are their snickerdoodle cakes and cupcakes. It’s become a favorite flavor in general at Sweet Paige’s. Barnhart also serves coffee (made from Julian Roasters out of Zionsville), tea, milk and soda. Barnhart’s older brother, who plays for the Cincinnati Reds, hasn’t been to the bakery yet but plans a visit during his offseason. “My parents always told us when we were younger, ‘Don’t work in a job you hate doing every day and to find something that makes us happy,’” Barnhart recalls. “Luckily we both did.” She arrived at the bakery at 6 a.m. and some days didn’t get home until after nightfall, once not even getting home until 6 a.m. the next day. The pace was unsustainable, and she took some time off in August to recalibrate. Since then, Barnhart has become more skilled, efficient and able to take breaks when she needs them. As September approaches, another busy wedding season, she feels more prepared.
“I know what’s coming now,” Barnhart says. “Now I know how to balance it all, even though it will be busy.” One thing Barnhart adores about her job, besides being able to bake every day, is being a part of other people’s special days. “Baking is special in the sense I get to be a part of everybody’s celebrations,” Barnhart says. “That is so cool. I’ve done some gender
Barnhart is excited for new products in fall and winter, saying there will be more pies, hot chocolate and other cooler weather baked goods in the shop. There may even be some classes on the horizon, such as a macaron baking class. Stay up to date by visiting Sweet Paige’s on Facebook and Instagram. Sweet Paige’s is located at 405 E Main St. in Brownsburg. For more information, give them a call at 317-306-9561 or visit them online at facebook.com/sweetpaigescakes.
BrownsburgMagazine.com / OCTOBER 2019 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / 29
PUTTING THE GARDEN TO BED IN OCTOBER
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Writer / Carrie Petty
The subtle transition from late summer to fall is one of the most beautiful times of the year in Indiana. I have always said, “No one does fall better than Indiana!” And it’s true. The colors are so vibrant in our state. So, get out there and enjoy these autumn days. Many chores to get done right now, this is the month to put the gardens to bed for winter. There are lots of seed heads to collect in the garden for re-sowing in the springtime, and do not forget the birds. Keep those feeders clean and full to the brim. They will be hungry as the berries get eaten and insects become less available. Begin your winter prep by cutting back perennials and cleaning up yard debris. Also, this is a great time to put down your lawn weed prevention for spring weeds. If you do not want dandelions, this is the time to treat. This year we have a very high chance of an abundantly vibrant foliage season. Carbohydrates and sugars are not just about watching a girl’s waistline, they also have a great deal to do with the colors that appear on our Indiana foliage. When our fall season is at the peak (around October 15), we should see an abundance of reds, purples and oranges. I press leaves and bring in acorns to dry for my fall dinner table centerpieces. A little touch of gold spray paint is great on the acorn caps. The United States National Arboretum states that, “A growing season with ample moisture that is followed by a rather dry, cool, sunny autumn that is marked by warm days and cool but frostless nights provides the best weather conditions for development of the brightest fall colors. Lack of wind and rain in the autumn prolongs the display. Wind or heavy rain may cause the leaves to be lost before they develop their full color potential.” We are headed for the perfect mix here in the Hoosier State this autumn. When the days are sunny, I love to drive down the Indiana country roads and forage for great flowers to hang-up and dry for fall arrangements. I use my back-hall closet to dry flowers, because it is dark and I have a great closet shelf rod I use. Goldenrod is one of my favorites to harvest. Many believe it is what people get hay fever from but that is an honest mistake because it looks much like the culprit, Ragweed. God is an amazing creator. There are more than 100 different types of just Goldenrod. Who knew?
CARRIE’S FALL GARDEN CHECKLIST Cut perennials back to 3 inches high, but leave some seed heads for the birds Be sure to shake any full seed heads back into the Garden Harvest all final flowers and veggies Plant bulbs, bulbs and more bulbs until ground freezes Harden off plants to bring indoors, stop bugs by misting 1-part rubbing alcohol to 10-part water. Clean up garden bench Prepare bird feeders and buy seed for winter Keep broken ceramic pot chips to use for drainage inside container base Take cuttings of plants to start or propagate indoors Flush sprinkler systems and shut off Turn off hose nibs after final use Treat lawn for spring emerging weeds Clean up debris everywhere Rake leaves and start a compost pile with nondiseased plants, alternating with fall leaf layers Plant Paper Whites and Christmas Amaryllis bulbs for indoor decorating Disinfect pruner blades and make final deadwood pruning cuts Create a garden grocery list to keep by garden bench for spring supplies Mulch tender perennials and roses to protect from snow and heaving Power wash sidewalks and porches and wash windows for ample sunshine
BrownsburgMagazine.com / OCTOBER 2019 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / 31
When should I start getting screening mammograms?
It’s an age-old question, and we’re here to help. The expert team at Indiana University Health recommends that at the age of 40, women at average risk should talk to their primary care provider to determine when they should begin scheduling screening mammograms.
Call 317.217.3272 for an appointment or visit iuhealth.org/mammo for more information.
32 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / OCTOBER 2019 / BrownsburgMagazine.com