Brownsburg Magazine December 2022

PUBLISHER

DARREN BOSTON darren@townepost.com 317.716.8812

TOWNE POST NETWORK, INC.

FOUNDER/CEO

TOM BRITT tom@townepost.com 317.496.3599

PRESIDENT JEANNE BRITT jeanne@townepost.com 317.810.0011

TOWNE POST NETWORK, INC.

8800 North Street, Suite 117 Fishers, IN 46038 Phone/Text: 317-810-0011

FOR FRANCHISE INFORMATION, VISIT franchising.townepost.com

WONDERS OF WINTER

Writer / Josh Duke Photography Provided

The holidays can mean so many things to so many people, but here at Visit Hendricks County, this season allows us to focus on our locally owned shops and attractions, and ways to support them.

Our organization has already embarked on a milestone holiday season. For the 10th consecutive year, we unveiled our Hendricks County One-of-a-Kind Finds

holiday gift guide. This guide has become a passion project, as we encourage locals and visitors alike to support these local small businesses rather than buying everything on Amazon or in those big-box retail stores.

In addition to uncovering our hidden shopping gems, we also love finding and sharing attractions and activities that families and individuals can enjoy this season. As you hopefully know, our organization has become known for our

popular events calendar, and providing options for things to do here locally. So, let’s get to all the great places to shop and fun things to do this season:

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

Our Holiday Gift Guide highlights the best local, one-of-a-kind gifts we found this year. Please help support the featured businesses. They really need our help now more than ever. You can learn much more about each specific gift and where to find

them at visithendrickscounty.com/gift.

We have highlighted some of our favorite food, fashion, local experiences, home decor and much more. What we truly intend with this Gift Guide is to give you a reason to visit these businesses. We believe getting visitors into their doors is key, because once you walk into these businesses, we know you will be surprised by what you find and the service you will receive.

INDOOR ATTRACTIONS

Here’s just a sampling of indoor activities in Hendricks County. You can check out all the options at visithendrickscounty. com/winter.

X-GOLF - PLAINFIELD

This new indoor golf facility at The Shops at Perry Crossing allows visitors to play many of the best golf courses in the world without leaving the county. This fun, virtual experience has become a hit and is perfect for a family, group or holiday gathering.

Press Play Gaming Lounge - Brownsburg

This large, indoor fun center provides plenty of room to spread out including family pods, virtual reality stations with numerous games, a foam war area, a threepoint shootout, a BEAM system for young visitors, as well as food, a bar and more.

THE TIE DYE LAB - AVON

Offering a fun, do-it-yourself experience, the Tie Dye Lab helps participants color T-shirts, hats, socks, bandanas and other attire. You choose your design and colors, and the experts there guide you through the process. The tie-dye process is both easy and mess-free, and within an hour you get to leave with your creation.

KIDS PLANETBROWNSBURG

Those with younger children will love this

multistory, indoor play area, which will help release some of their pent-up energy. The play structure includes slides, a foam pit, tunnels, ball shooters and more. A special area allows kids aged 4 and under to play in a separate space.

OUTDOOR WINTER ACTIVITIES

We have so many options to highlight here, but will limit them to just a few of our top recommendations, though you can find more at visithendrickscounty. com/winter.

PENGUIN PARK - AVON

Penguin Park is back this holiday season at a new location - Murphy Aquatic Park, at 753 South County Road 650 East in Avon. Enjoy ice skating (skates provided) on a synthetic rink on Friday nights, Saturdays and Sundays through February, rent an igloo for a gathering or birthday party, and enjoy concessions.

HOLIDAYS AT BEASLEY’S ORCHARD - DANVILLE

Most people associate Beasley’s Orchard with fall, but this family farm can be equally enjoyable in December when the barn is transformed to ring in the holiday season. Enjoy their award-winning apple cider, peruse their aisles for late-arriving apple varieties, and get your picture taken with Santa on an antique sleigh.

HORSEBACK RIDES AT NATURAL VALLEY RANCHBROWNSBURG

Natural Valley Ranch offers guided horseback rides year-round, weather permitting, but there is just something fun about bundling up and going out in the fresh, crisp air for a horseback ride. You do need to contact the ranch in advance to make a reservation before arriving.

SANTA’S TRASH COOKIES

What you’ll need:

• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• ½ cup brown sugar

• 1 large egg

• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda (make sure it’s not expired)

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ⅓ cup crushed potato chips

• ⅓ cup crushed pretzels

• ½ cup mini white chocolate Reese’s Cups

• ½ cup mini chocolate Reese’s Cups

• ⅓ cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips

• ½ cup M&M’s (I used red, green and blue)

• ⅓ cup white chocolate chips

• ¼ cup sprinkles of choice

• Sprinkles of flaky sea salt for tops of cookies

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Next, in a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together until they are combined, then set aside.

With a mixer, cream the butter and sugars together in a large bowl until light and fluffy, usually about one to three minutes. Once the mixture turns pale yellow and has a light fluffy texture, it’s done. Make sure to not over-cream the mixture. Then, beat in an egg until it’s combined.

Next, add in the dry ingredients with the wet until they are combined. It will be very thick. After that’s combined, add in the pretzels, potato chips, M&M’s, Reese’s Cups, chocolate chips and sprinkles, and mix together gently.

Using a cookie scoop, scoop your dough balls onto your sheets with parchment paper and slightly press them down. Before putting into the oven, sprinkle lightly with sea salt. If you’d like, you can add additional pretzels, chips, candies and sprinkles to the tops of the cookies for a little extra pizzazz. If you prefer the cookies to be thicker, don’t press down as much.

Bake until the edges are just starting to get golden, usually about seven to eight minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool two to three minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Happy holidays from our kitchen to yours!

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photographer / Amy Payne

Owners, Hal & Michelle Frye

If you’ve lived in Hendricks County for any length of time, you are no doubt familiar with Frye Electric.

Hal Frye started the business back in 1974, running it out of his one-bedroom apartment before he moved it to a garage in Camby. He later moved to a fire station, then to a location on the northwest corner of Rockville and Raceway roads before relocating to the Gatherings shopping center for 15 years.

The Frye Electric team has recently moved to a new location and upgraded its facility, in order to substantially increase warehouse space. The 1952 black Dodge pickup truck that Hal’s grandfather purchased years ago when it was a hay wagon truck still sits in front of the business. Hal’s grandfather passed the vehicle on to his father and it sat for many years before Hal restored it, and emblazoned the Frye Electric logo across it to use as advertising for the business. Sometimes he takes it to car shows.

“Everybody seems to recognize our logos since we’re all over town,” Hal says.

Not only has the business been around for nearly 50 years, but Hal and his wife, Michelle, are also big supporters of the Avon community, including Avon High School choirs, Avon sports programs, activities and fundraisers. They are members of the Avon Chamber of Commerce and participate in the annual Rib-Fest. They also sponsor a number of golf outings each year for nonprofit organizations like the Rotary Club of Avon and the Wounded Heroes Fund. Plus, they sponsor the Gunshow Charity, a local event series that raises money and awareness for suicide prevention.

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“This

Michelle says.

Frye Electric, which Hal incorporated in 1974, started out small but has grown considerably. Through the years Hal has hired a number of experienced Indianapolis technicians. Michelle has helped run Frye Electric for 28 years, along with longtime employees Mike Watson (office director), Greg Wells (general manager), Chris Fisher (field supervisor) and Marley Bergquist (office staff).

Frye Electric does not wire houses, apartments or buildings. Instead, they are 100% service only, for houses, apartments and commercial businesses in Hendricks, Marion and surrounding counties (spanning a 50-mile radius). Doing this type of work means every job and every day is different. That’s just what the technicians like, because it means they’re constantly troubleshooting and are never bored. Every day offers a fresh challenge.

“My guys like the service-oriented work,” Hal says. “We are busy, that’s for sure, and no job is too big or too small for us.”

On the commercial side, in addition

- HAL FRYE -

is our community so we want to support the people who live here as best we can,”

“I’M 74 AND STILL LIKE WHAT I DO, AND THAT’S BECAUSE OF OUR CUSTOMERS. WE APPRECIATE THEM SO MUCH.”

to servicing apartments, they also do parking-lot lighting and sign repair. Some days they may have 35 jobs across their 10 trucks. Even with the 10 electricians on staff, Hal would like to hire 10 more, given their current workload. This is because they serve roughly 500 customers each month. In total, their customer base surpasses a whopping 58,000.

“We’d love to grow our team,” Hal says. It’s a great place to work with a welcoming atmosphere and friendly staff. They offer equal pay, equal benefits and, given their loyal client base, the promise of steady work.

“We are good to our employees,” says Hal, noting that as a family-owned business, they care about supporting the professional goals of their employees, so they emphasize teamwork and camaraderie. All of that translates to happy customers, which is why 80% of the work Frye Electric does is repeat business. They also get a lot of referrals. That’s all due to trust that has been built through the years. Same-day appointments and 24/7 emergency service are also appealing to customers.

Hal’s favorite part of working in this business is making his customers happy.

“I’m 74 and still like what I do, and that’s because of our customers,” Hal says. “We appreciate them so much.”

Frye Electric is located at 141 Casco Drive in Avon. For more information, call 317-271-1099 or visit fryeelectricinc.com. To submit your application for employment with Frye Electric, go to fryeelectricinc.com/ about-us/careers.

WINTER FALL PREVENTION:

HOW CAN YOU AVOID FALLING?

Writer / Dr. Ripley Worman, Medical Director of Orthopedic Surgery at IU Health West Hospital Photography Provided

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one out of five falls lead to serious injury, and 95% of hip fractures are caused by falling. Slipping and falling is a serious risk that comes with ice and snow. Here are a few tips to avoid falling this winter, and information on when you should see an orthopedic specialist.

WHAT ARE SOME WAYS TO AVOID FALLING THIS WINTER?

There are many ways to avoid slipping and falling in the winter, but the most important thing to do is to be careful and be aware of your surroundings. If you feel like the ground is too slick to walk on, or go up or down an incline, then try and

find an alternate route. Take your time and remember to wear proper footwear with good grip. During snowy or icy weather, stay indoors if you can, but if you need to go out, ensure your driveway and sidewalks are shoveled and clear. You may need to seek help from a family member, friend or neighbor to safely exit your home. When entering a building, remember to wipe your feet to remove excess water and ice that might make you more prone to slipping and falling. Inside your home, keep the ground clear of small items that may pile up in the winter and present a hazard to trip and fall over. Maintaining an active lifestyle and a strong core can also help improve your stability and prevent falling. Talk with your doctor about exercises to improve your core strength.

WHEN SHOULD I GO TO AN ORTHOPEDIC SPECIALIST?

Unfortunately, slips and falls still do happen. When they do, it can be hard to gauge the severity of any injuries. If you have any concerns, talk with your primarycare doctor or an orthopedic specialist. An orthopedic specialist is someone who specializes in injuries and diseases of the skeletal system, including bones and muscles. As orthopedic specialists, we can confirm the severity of the injury and offer treatment options. According to the CDC, half of people aged 65 and older fall and never tell their doctors, but there should be no shame in seeking guidance from a medical professional. Even if the fall seems minor, it can be valuable to make an appointment, to rule out potential injury and for peace of mind.

If you are concerned about falling this winter, please consult your doctor about precautions you can take.

HAVING A BALL

Writer / Ryan Kennedy Photographer / Jon Ellegood

Drew Storen fell in love with the game of baseball at a young age. His dad had him switch-hitting off a tee at the age of 1. He played tee-ball and Little League anywhere he could.

“The thing that really made me fall in love with it was playing Wiffle ball in my front yard with my neighbors,” Storen says. That’s also where he first discovered pitching. “I had some older neighbors that were bigger than me, so it was a fun way to kind of get at them a little bit,” he says. “I love that competitiveness of owning the ball and trying to embarrass them.”

Storen still remembers the first time he ever pitched in a real game.

“I was like 8,” he says. “It was such an adrenaline rush. I had a couple years under my belt of playing in the field and that was fun, but it wasn’t anything like being out on the mound.”

As Storen grew, he started throwing harder. Initially just hoping to walk on at Purdue, he started to garner significant interest from colleges. Around his junior year, professional scouts approached him and he started to believe he might be able to play baseball professionally.

He chose to play at Stanford University, where he transitioned to the role of relief pitcher. “I would come in in big spots and throw multiple innings, and that first game I went in and the adrenaline of that was just like, ‘OK, this is what I’m made for. It doesn’t get any better than this,’” he says. “I just fell in love with that.”

DREW STOREN FINDS PLENTY TO STAY EXCITED ABOUT AFTER PRO BASEBALL CAREER

Former Brownsburg Baseball star, Drew Storen

Storen was drafted out of Stanford by the Washington Nationals. He says he wasn’t even nervous during his Major League debut. “I really wasn’t because I had no idea what was going on,” he says. “It was just sensory overload, and it was so big and so many people that it really wasn’t possible to be nervous because I had no idea what to be nervous about.”

Storen played eight years in the major leagues for the Nationals, the Reds, the Mariners and the Blue Jays. When his playing career was over, he wasn’t done with baseball yet. Storen’s former coach, Jered Moore, reached out to him and asked if he’d be willing to help out with Zionsville Community

High School’s baseball program. Storen says he’s always enjoyed coaching and helping out, even when he was playing. He took Moore up on his offer.

“It’s a really good group of kids that listen,” Storen says. “It was really fun to see the progress and be able to go there because I was very lucky to have good coaches that helped me fast-track to the big leagues, or get to that next step and improve. If I can give one little piece of advice to a kid that helps them out, even if it’s just to get a guy out, the reward for that is pretty awesome.” He also says it’s nice to have a way to stay around the game of baseball.

Storen says the most important thing he can teach to young players is process and routine. He tries to teach players how to prepare the right way. That’s how you make it to the next level, he says - focusing on one thing to get better at each day.

Storen knew when he was done playing baseball that he would need something to pursue, so he decided to get into the bourbon business. A longtime collector of bourbon, Storen says the thing that always

attracts him to a bottle of bourbon, more than anything else, is a good story. As he thought about it, Storen kept coming back to two things - baseball and corn. A beverage has to be 51% corn in order to be considered bourbon. He decided to turn to what he calls the most famous corn in the world - the cornfield where the movie “Field of Dreams,” one of the most famous baseball stories ever told, was filmed.

Storen called the owner of the field and offered to buy all the corn he had. Triple Play bourbon was born. The drink is 5.43% alcohol, a play on the numerical symbol for the most common triple play in baseball, and 162 calories, representing the number of games in a Major League Baseball season. Triple Play will debut exclusively in Indiana next year.

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