MARCH 2015
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4 / FISHERS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER / MARCH 2015 / atFishers.com
home!
PUBLISHER Tom Britt
Tom@atFishers.com / 317-496-3599
BUSINESS MANAGER Jeanne Britt
Jeanne@atFishers.com / 317-288-7101
DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION Toni Folzenlogel
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Alyssa Sander
COVER STORY
38 DON’T WAIST YOUR BELT!
EDITORS
Allie Nash Katelyn Bausman
Cover Photo / Brian Brosmer
ADVERTISING DESIGNER Austin Vance
Writer / Kara Reibel
Fishers resident Olivia Keith may be young, but she has already started two not-for-profit groups to help children. Find out what she does and how you can help!
Allie Nash / Kara Reibel / Kathi Moore / Janelle Morrison / Janet C. Striebel / Julie Yates / Laurie Quinn / Lynda Hedberg Thies / Suz Huntzinger / Tom Britt
FEATURED 7 11 33
MARCH WRITERS & CONTRIBUTORS
Fashion Forward
Redemption Aleworks
SHOP LOCAL!
Merging Mountains, Two Chambers at a Time
14 Making an Impact Locally 15 Knowing the Signs 16 Superheros Wanted 18 Immersed with Scott Jones 22 The Venture of a Lifetime 25 Campaign Against Cancer 35 Maple Creek Golf & Country Club
atFishers.com
37 Insuring Success 41 Fishers Mom of the Year
Help our local economy by shopping local. Advertising supporters of the Fishers Community Newsletter offset the costs of publication and mailing, keeping this publication FREE. Show your appreciation by thanking them with your business.
Candidates
42 Fishers Resident Breaks
STORY SUBMISSIONS
Guiness World Record While Helping Others
Post your stories to TownePost.com or email to info@atFishers.com.
44 School Funding for HSE at a Critical Juncture
46
Bloggers Tour Fortville
Business Spotlights are sponsored content
MAILING ADDRESS
P.O. Box 36097 / Indianapolis, IN 46236 Phone: 317-288-7101 / Fax: 317-536-3030 The TownePost Newsletter Fishers Edition is published by Britt Interactive, LLC and written for and by local Fishers area residents. Newsletters are distributed via direct mail to more than 14,000 Fishers area homeowners and businesses each month.
atFishers.com / MARCH 2015 / FISHERS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER / 5
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MB Fishers Geist Community Newsletter March 2015 6 / FISHERS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
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Assisted Living | Transitional Memory Care Memory Care A SPECTRUM RETIREMENT COMMUNITY / MARCH 2015 / atFishers.com
FASHION FORWARD
Writer / Julie Yates Photographer / Brian Brosmer
When Dottie Couture Boutique opened in Greenwood five years ago, it was welcomed by fashion conscious yet budget minded southside women who were thrilled to discover a local clothing shop that was stylish but affordable. The word began to get out and northsiders began to take notice. A following developed, and in 2013, owner Brooke Magdzinski opened a second location in Keystone at the Crossing. The buzz continued and now Fishers residents are happy to see that one of the first retail establishments in the new downtown commercial development, The Depot, is a third Dottie Couture Boutique. Magdzinski began her retail career after being in management in the healthcare industry. She didn’t enjoy it so she starting working in a small apparel store. It was such a positive experience that in 2006, she opened B Boutique in Bloomington. After having her first child, she sold the Bloomington store in 2010. She used the knowledge she gained from that first plunge into the fashion merchandising world, rebranded and the same year opened Dottie Couture Boutique in Greenwood.
FISHERS 8594 E. 116th St. 317-578-8201 KEYSTONE 8555 River Road 317-844-5848
GREENWOOD 789 N. US 31 317-888-8242
FOLLOW DOTTIE COUTURE BOUTIQUE dottiecoutureboutique @dottiecouturebtq @dottiecouturebtq shopdottie/dottie-couture-boutique wanelo.com/dottiecouture
The name comes from her grandmother Dorothy. “My grandma’s name is “Dottie” for short,” said Magdzinski. “She is a fashion icon to me, very stylish and proper. I love it when people call and ask for Dottie, it makes me giggle!” The Greenwood location seemed like a logical move since she was living in Center Grove, and she realized that if ladies wanted to shop in a boutique they had to drive to the northside of Indianapolis to do it. She felt that Greenwood would be a perfect spot to open a shop. After moving to Fishers, she saw the need for a Dottie Couture Boutique there. “I really felt like we needed something like Dottie,” Magdzinski said. “I chose 116th Street because it is a high traffic area and close to the places most women frequent.”
atFishers.com / MARCH 2015 / FISHERS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER / 7
“Don’t get caught up in sizes, but buy what fits and lays nicely, and if you don’t love it, don’t buy it.”
8 / FISHERS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER / MARCH 2015 / atFishers.com
Each store carries the same merchandise: stylish clothing for women of all ages, accessories such a jewelry and handbags, and gift items. Magdzinski attends trade shows and markets but also visits her vendors directly. Most of her buying is done in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta. And she has some advice for customers. “Don’t get caught up in sizes, but buy what fits and lays nicely, and if you don’t love it, don’t buy it.” The staff at the boutiques are not on commission and each location wants shoppers to have an enjoyable experience and to genuinely love their purchases.
at this point and shoot three to four times a week,” said Magdzinski.
supply room, then moved to an office building, and now is located in a 6,000 square foot warehouse. Internet customers hail from all over the world and the constant growth is thrilling to Magdzinski. “A year ago I could take our packages to the UPS store myself and now we have a UPS truck with a U-haul attached picking up our daily outgoing packages.”
Besides word of mouth, social media is a large component of what drives business to the retail stores and internet sales. Along with the Dottie Couture website, the business has thousands of followers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Each site features photos of models wearing The brick and mortar stores are just one facet of Dottie Couture Boutiques’ business. the clothes offered as well as beauty and style ideas. The women who showcase the The largest part is online sales from the website, dottiecouture.com. The website was styles and how to wear them on the social media sites are local. “Most of the models launched at the same time the Greenwood also work in the stores or have worked for shop opened. Inventory for the Internet sales was initially housed in the Greenwood me in the past. They are full-time employees
Dottie Couture Boutique also has a presence on Wanelo, a virtual shopping mall for online buying. Magdzinski feels that social media has been an important way to reach customers and keep them engaged. It allows window shopping but also encourages feedback. Magdzinski usually buys merchandise every single day to keep up with the demand. “I love what I do. I shop for a living, and who can complain about that?” She admitted that she is always brainstorming for the future, but she could not be more thankful for the present success of Dottie Couture Boutique. Julie Yates is a former teacher and current food blogger. She enjoys sharing quick, easy, and healthy recipes with people who love to cook. Visit her blogs are yatesyummies.com and orangesandalmonds.com.
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atFishers.com / MARCH 2015 / FISHERS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER / 9
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Friday afternoon and Saturday appointments available 10 / FISHERS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER / MARCH 2015 / atFishers.com
REDEMPTION ALEWERKS A DESTINATION MICROBREWERY Writer / Lynda Hedberg Thies Photographer / Hannah Switzer
When brothers Brandon and Ben Smith, cousin Josh Smith and Brewmaster Cameron Fila considered opening up a microbrewery in the Indianapolis-Fishers area, their vision was much larger than just a place to sample craft beers. They wanted to create a destination to not only redeem your beer taste buds with great craft beers but create a place for the community to gather. Think “Central Perk” of the sitcom “Friends” meets “Cheers, where everybody knows your name” sitcom and you will have some idea how cool it is to hang out at Redemption Alewerks.
atFishers.com / MARCH 2015 / FISHERS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER / 11
To create an atmosphere where the community will want to gather, Redemption Alewerks will have theme nights! MONDAY Movie Night TUESDAY Trivia Night WEDNESDAY Fermenting Faith (a local pastor leads faith-filled conversations) SATURDAY Live Music
Get rid of your debt and pay off your mortgage in 10 years or less with a STAR Debt Free Mortgage. Whether you want to purchase a new home or refinance your current mortgage, STAR’s debt free product offers discounted rates that help you save as you pay it off. Choose a 10-year term with an APR of 2.75%* or a 7-year term, which has an APR of 2.625%.* Either way, STAR’s Debt Free Mortgage is a great solution for:
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12 / FISHERS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER / MARCH 2015 / atFishers.com
“WE REALLY WANT TO BE A GATHERING PLACE FOR THE AREA AND WILL WORK WITH ANY GROUP WANTING TO UTILIZE OUR SPACE FOR MEETINGS, AN EVENT OR BUSINESS.” Inspiration for Redemption Alewerks came from a trip to Traverse City, Michigan, where there are seven such microbreweries on one block and they were all doing well. According to Co-owner Josh Smith, “We were impressed that all were thriving!” The collaboration of prior business experiences and their love of great craft beer resulted in the establishment offering a full service bar and menu along with a variety of themenights, live bands with the furniture literally being sold to customers and replaced to create a new experience every visit. “We really want to be a gathering place for the area and will work with any group wanting to utilize our space for meetings, an event or business,” said Josh. Brewers Cameron Fila and Brandon Smith are expecting their equipment to be
installed this month and plan to provide a glass partition so that patrons can observe the brewing process. The brewers plan to offer six house beers: an India Pale Ale, an extra special/strong bitter, an American Pale Ale, a cream ale, a nitro vanilla porter, and an orange blossom honey wheat, in addition to six seasonal selections. They will also offer craft cocktails for those that may accompany a craft beer-loving friend or spouse. The menu will complement the quality of beverages they are serving and offer a pairing for each meal. Want to hang out and play cards or a board game? Yep, they have that too. Sometime later in the spring, they will open up an additional 50 seats outdoors. There are so many reasons to come visit or three or a dozen.
Redemption Alewerks is a local business with a big heart, and after one visit, you will be hooked and will come back and experience all that it has to offer. Because this is a family business, you are sure to see one of the Smith family members and undoubtedly feel right at home. Doors are open Monday – Friday at 11 a.m. and 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Welcome to the neighborhood!
Lynda Hedberg Thies is a freelance writer, entrepreneur and Executive Regional Vice President with Arbonne International for over 10 years. A lifelong Indianapolis resident, she is married with two children. What she loves most about her experience is making a difference to others and her community.
FOR REHABILITATION CHOOSE ASPEN TRACE Where you’ll find all this and more: CarDon’s signature STARS program for inpatient/outpatient rehabilitation from illness, injury, surgery, or other challenges A full range of professional therapies and skilled nursing care Progressive therapy gym and private suites in a beautiful neighborhood See what our family can do for yours. Friendly faces, inviting spaces, and a full spectrum of professional care help people get back to living the life they love as quickly as possible – that’s what our STARS program is all about. Call us today at (317) 535-3344 to schedule a “prehab” tour or visit www.aspentrace.us. 3154 South SR 135, Greenwood, Indiana 46143 Aspen Trace offers Rehabilitation, Memory Care, Assisted Living, and Long-term Care atFishers.com / MARCH 2015 / FISHERS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER / 13
MAKING AN IMPACT LOCALLY
Hot for Romance?
Check Out Local Author, Jillian Jacobs
Writer / Laurie Quinn . Photographer / Brenda Staples
Soon graduation will be upon us. This is a time that is thought to be full of potential and new beginnings. It is not typically a time we think of as hopeless, but this emotion is prevalent in our schools. According to the Gallup Survey, which is a survey that measures noncognitive metrics that predict student success in academic and other youth development settings, 37 percent of HSE students in grades 7-12 feel hopeless and discouraged. With statistics like this, Fishers residents should feel very fortunate to have a program such as the Youth Mentoring Initiative (YMI) actively involved in our schools. YMI offers mentoring in HSE schools by inviting caring adults into the program, training them and connecting them to students to be a listening ear. The mentors are volunteers who will not judge the students and will help them to see their full potential as a student. One such mentor is Bill Bultman. Bultman is a native Indiana resident, who upon retirement from his career in New York, moved to Fishers to come back home to his roots. He found that he had the desire to give back to his community. For the past five years, he has been a mentor for YMI. “Life was simple when I went to school. It isn’t simple anymore,” Bultman said. In his five years of mentoring, he has found a few factors come into conversation, including divorce, parental job loss and family health issues, that have a large impact on the students. These factors can start a spiral of issues with self-image and confidence, grades can slip, and many feel like loners searching for a group in which they can feel a sense of belonging. Bultman is passionate about giving back to Fishers. He is actively showing his mentees that he is involved in keeping Fishers on the track of being a great place to live. He is a member of the Fishers Rotary Club and the President of his homeowners association on top of volunteering his time with YMI. When Bultman is not picking a Bluegrass tune on his banjo, power walking or playing golf, he can be found making a true difference in the lives of the people in our community. For more information on YMI, go to ymionline.org or call 317-370-9070. The first step to making a difference in a student’s life is reaching out for more information. You too can make an impact in our community.
What happens when a lonely water-girl finally finds her shore?
/AuthorJillianJacobs
She spent her life fighting for middle ground, and now that she’s found it, she’ll fight for her life.
@GreenMooseProd
14 / FISHERS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER / MARCH 2015 / atFishers.com
KNOWING THE SIGNS STUDENTS AND PARENTS HAVE A CHANCE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND TEENAGE DEPRESSION AND HOW TO HANDLE IT Writer / Suz Huntzinger
In July of 2013, the lives of Mike Riekhof and his family changed forever. Mike’s daughter, Peyton, who battled teenage depression, ended her life at the age 18, just one month shy of going away to college at Kansas University. Instead of holding the enormous burden of grief inside, Mike and his family created The Peyton Riekhof Foundation to spread awareness about teenage depression. “I’m no expert,” said Mike. “I’m just a dad who lost his daughter and I’m using this format to save others. If I can spread the word and save one life, this will all be worth it.” As many parents of teens would agree, teens tend to deal with challenges by holding it inside. “That’s what Peyton did, and I want kids to know they don’t have to. It’s ok to talk about,” Mike said. To help him spread the word, he and the foundation have enlisted the help of well-known motivational speaker and sufferer of teenage depression Kevin Breel. Mike found Breel about two months after Peyton’s passing when he started to hear about “TED Talks.” TED Talks, from the nonprofit organization, are aimed at spreading ideas worth talking about. The idea began after a 1984 conference dealing with topics on Technology, Entertainment and Design. Today, these talks cover all topics from around the world. Many of these short “TED Talks” are available on YouTube, and that’s where Mike found Kevin Breel has appeared on the “Today Show” and MTV, and he’s spoken at Harvard and at the United Nations.
“Kevin’s message is so powerful because he lived it,” said Mike. “He was an athlete at the top of his game, but he was suffering from depression. So, he found a way to hide it, holding it in day after day, masking it through humor. Until one day he decided he needed to tell someone.” Now Breel travels the circuit delivering his powerful message through humor and compassion. A guest last year at Hamilton Southeastern and Fishers High Schools, Breel is back to deliver his message to those schools and Cathedral High School. The junior classes of HSE and Fishers high schools will listen to Breel Monday, March 2, in the morning. Those presentations will be closed to the public. Later that evening, Breel will give a shortened version of his presentation during a community program open to anyone interested at Fishers High School from 6-8:30. Breel’s presentation will be followed by a panel discussion and Q&A session. Before and after the presentation and panel discussion, there will be time for the public to interact with representatives from more than 15 different local organizations. Guests can visit the individual tables, talk with a representative, and grab helpful resource materials and handouts. Last year, the community presentation drew in a crowd of more than 500 people.
hold an adults only presentation, “Finding Hope: Understanding Adolescent Mental Health,” featuring Dawn Crossman of The Center for Hope. The goal of this program is to help parents understand and deal with the struggles and issues facing our youth. Crossman will address important topics like the warning signs of depression, what to do, when to medicate, how to approach it from a spiritual perspective, best practices and more. Riekhof wants people to be aware of what could happen. “Suicide is a permanent consequence of mental health,” he said. “But there is hope. Don’t brush it off.” For more information on mental health and hope, go to thepeytonriekhoffoundation. com. For more information on Kevin Breel, visit kevinbreel.com.
Cathedral High School, still mourning the loss of two of its students last year from teen suicide, will hear Breel’s message Tuesday, March 3. The entire student body along with their parents will attend the presentation in the morning. Then in the evening, Cathedral will
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SUPERHEROES WANTED! Writer / Allie Nash
Elizabeth Cramer is on a mission to serve her community by helping people find their inner Superhero. Cramer started Superheroes to help children, teens and women identify their strengths and weaknesses, build better relationships and more. But that doesn’t mean that she didn’t face struggles getting Superheroes started. After actually opening in July, Cramer was diagnosed with a chronic illness, meaning she couldn’t work at all. Then as she started to feel better, she was faced with the failing health of her mother. But that wouldn’t stop her from going after what she considers her calling. “We actually thought we were going to have to close,” said Cramer. “But I expect this to be successful. I know what we are doing is important and needed.” Cramer takes the obstacles in her life as learning lessons to help others with their own struggles. And with a background in education and counseling, she has seen the need for help. “I was a counselor at Geist Elementary and saw first-hand the effects of bullying, social skills and anxiety,” said Cramer. “I know there is a need to reach a lot of people. I started this ministry as a way to serve, not to make money.” But Cramer doesn’t want to be confused with a typical counseling service, she likes to think of her services more as coaching. “We have a mixture of coaching and counseling, but counseling seems so clinical,” said Cramer. Some areas that Cramer specializes in are ADD/ ADHD and divorce. She also wants to teach areas like positive identity, conflict resolution, study skills, time management and social competencies. Cramer has her bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in counseling, and she hopes to hire on more people who specialize in serious therapy needs and nutrition. Cramer also plans to offer alternative medicine to her clinics which includes vitamins, essential oils and aromatherapy. To meet Cramer and see her new space, come to an open house of Superheroes March 20 and 21. And for more information, visit wesuperheroes.com.
Elizabeth Cramer 16 / FISHERS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER / MARCH 2015 / atFishers.com
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Writer / Kara Reibel . Photograher / Brian Brosmer
S
tudying someone’s process of how they achieve success can only help others. Scott Jones generously shares his methodic approach of how he tackles challenges and projects through immersion.
One can only imagine how proud Scott Jones’ parents were to find out that their son was hired on as a research scientist at MIT’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, only to discover that after spending six years at IU, including summers, he had not yet earned a degree. A mere technicality of one economics course and a language requirement was needed for Jones to move to Boston. The econ credit was completed via correspondence. What is interesting is the manner in which Jones studied for his Spanish language fulfillment exam – by locking himself in his grandmother’s attic for 10 days. Oddly, while immersing himself in his Spanish textbooks, Jones listened to German music. During his time at IU, Jones applied to study abroad in Hamburg, Germany. However, Jones was not accepted into the program because he had not done well enough in class. Ironically, while attending MIT, he lived with a family from Hong Kong. There were four generations under one roof speaking Cantonese, which is more challenging to learn than Mandarin. Jones became mildly fluent in Cantonese conversation through this immersive experience. The earliest memory Jones has of his extended focused attention was the time when he completely dismantled his journalist mother’s Selectric typewriter and reassembled it, which took all night. “I think it worked all right after I was done with it,” Jones recalled, smiling, from his reverse engineering experience. This pattern of immersion would continue during the creation of Boston Technology, a voicemail company he co-founded. The hard-working crew barely left their offices, sleeping under their desks, ordering in
carry-out and completely immersing themselves into their voicemail services project. While this did result in a nice liquidity event for Jones, his partner and their investors, the process was not without moments of panic, sometimes expressed by partner, Greg Carr. What concerned Carr was Jones’ constant stream of entrepreneurial ideas. “While perhaps valid ideas, most of these did not pertain to our project at hand,” said Jones. “And Greg was absolutely right, these were distractions for us.” TownePost.com / MARCH 2015 / TOWNEPOST NETWORK
Jones knew that in order to achieve what the team of Boston Technology set out to do, he had to get rid of all unrelated distractions. They vi rtually did not leave the building for two years. His immersion paradigm would prove successful. Jones needed to somehow release all other percolating ventures out of his head. “I realized if I wrote these ideas down in journals, I could clear my head and focus,” shared Jones. By writing down his extemporaneous thoughts, Jones was able to declutter his brain and focus.
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After the Boston Technology liquidity event, Jones explored those notebooks of ideas. He has been able to “play” in a spectrum of playgrounds. A few results of this are: Gracenote music services which are integrated into every iPhone, ChaCha human-powered search, Precise Path Robotics, Galaxia Lighting, Escient Home Automation, Gazelle TechVentures and now Eleven Fifty Academy. With the proven success of Jones’ immersive style, this quintessential entrepreneur — with an innate understanding of technology — has repeated this pattern of immersion in everything he does. His process is not without moments of doubt or fear creeping in.
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It was a fear of failure that initially delayed him from diving into programming while at IU, but once he immersed himself into coding, he spent most of his time with computers in the basement of the HYPR building. As challenges arise during Jones’ creative process, Jones focuses on the question, such as, “How can I solve this?” before he would sleep, then awake with an answer. If this doesn’t work, he goes outside to walk and contemplate the solution. During the Boston Technology days, Jones hiked around the famous Walden Pond in Concord, contemplating a snag that had arisen and a solution would inevitably surface. Another coping mechanism that Jones employs is to look at all possible outcomes. “I mentally fast forward to what’s going to happen,” shared Jones. “I look for what can
be done to prevent as many of the failed scenarios as possible and move forward.” He has trained himself to take risks. Back in 2005, Jones co-founded Indy Robotics, LLC, which funded a team of 120 researchers to create an unmanned vehicle in a competition sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Of the researchers, about 20 of them spent one month camped out in the Mohave Desert doing nothing but working on their 6,000 pound, autonomous robot vehicle. In truth, there was no other choice. They were in the middle of the Mohave Desert with the closest hotel 45 minutes away.
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“The 20 of us made more progress during that month in the desert than the full team of about 100 managed during the prior 18 months leading up to the race,” said Jones. Jones’ latest collaborative effort, Eleven Fifty Academy, puts immersion into practice. For 12-14 hours a day, for seven days, students are writing code. Food is catered in, the distractions are minimized — the only thing to do is to focus on programming.
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The coding classes are often offered in Jones’ home. A proven forward-thinker, Jones believes it is essential to have the skill of programming. While Jones may have a dozen or more major projects going on all at once, Jones has proved time and again that, while immersion isn’t the only way to learn, he has proven how effective it can be. For more information on coding classes, please visit elevenfifty.com.
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THE VENTURE OF A LIFETIME IU KELLEY SCHOOL PROFESSORS EXTEND THEIR PASSION BEYOND THE CLASSROOM Writer & Photograher / Kara Reibel
What do two high-energy individuals who are passionate about their work consider fun? Investing in startups, consulting with business owners, mentoring, holding Board positions, supporting charitable organizations, traveling and training for triathlons. Todd Saxton is an associate professor of strategy and entrepreneurship for the IU Kelley School of Business. He is also the 2015 president of the board of directors for the Venture Club of Indiana and Indiana Venture Faculty Fellow. Kim Saxton is a clinical associate professor of marketing at the Kelley school, leads Lean In Circle for women MBA students, and holds a doctorate in statistics. As popular professors, both instruct an unusually high number of classes per year, across a number of Kelley’s leading programs. Not only are Todd and Kim committed to education, they are involved beyond the scope of their jobs and have immersed
themselves in the venture community. For example — 15 years ago — Todd sought opportunities to strengthen the relationship between Kelley and the Indianapolis venture community, so he joined the Venture Club of Indianapolis, of which he is now president. Both Todd and Kim are involved with numerous
other organizations, including being board members for Marlon Jackson’s Fight for Life organization, which facilitates social and emotional learning programs for kids. Entrepreneurs at heart, neither set out to be educators, but eventually tapped into their natural talent in the area, as both have parents that were teachers. The two met as employees of a startup company in D.C., providing competitive analysis and acquisition support for Fortune 500 companies. The appeal of IU’s doctorate and MBA programs brought them to Indianapolis. “We were looking for a program that would work with the needs of our growing family,” said Todd. IU won out over several schools, including a few Ivy League options. Once their girls were older, Todd and Kim made a commitment to each other and set new goals to celebrate turning 50. After years of shorter events, some with their daughters at kids’ triathlons, they decided to train for an Ironman distance event. No small undertaking, this fits right in line with their “all in” modus operandi.
TOWNEPOST NETWORK / MARCH 2015 / TownePost.com
“My parents encouraged me early on to find the activities that I most enjoy and pursue them,” shares daughter Lindsey. “Going to their triathlons has helped foster part of my giving nature. At triathlons, you’re not just cheering on the people you’re there with; you’re supporting every runner that passes you, as well as other spectators.” Everything that Todd and Kim do is done with intensity and tenacity of purpose. An Ironman race is the pinnacle of a personal fitness challenge, consisting of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run over the course of one day. Supportive and dedicated, the time spent training only brought Kim and Todd closer. Todd and Kim are people of initiative and action, engaging and energetic. Whether it is triathlons, corporate ventures, the entrepreneurial community, or teaching, the Saxtons are fully engaged. The Saxtons note many parallels between the triathlon and venture communities. Both are made up of supportive, fun, inspiring and very generous people taking on very complex and challenging endeavors; but ones nearly all of us could be successful in undertaking with the right encouragement and training. “There is an entrepreneur inside of all of us. Depending on circumstance and provocativeness, it can come out at any time,” said Todd.
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CAMPAIGN AGAINST CANCER Writer / Tom Britt Photographer / Brenda Staples
Luke Andritsch was the official starter of the 2010 St. Vincent Geist Half Marathon & 5K.
I
n early 2010, I received a phone call from a Geist resident telling me about a 5-year-old boy battling leukemia named Luke Andritsch. He was diagnosed on Mother’s Day at the age of 3. Through The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, they had formed a Team in Training group called Team Luke and began running various races around town in his honor. They were talking about running the St. Vincent Geist Half Marathon & 5K, and I thought this would make for a good story for our Geist Community Newsletter.
The Andritsch family in their Geist home.
Arriving at their front door, Luke greeted me donning a Spiderman costume complete with padded muscles. He was short, chubby and nearly bald. Vicky, Luke’s mom, gave me and our longtime photographer Brenda Staples a tour of their home ending in Luke’s bedroom upstairs. Luke was anxious to show us his superhero toys, “get well” letters on his walls, and his stuffed animal toys wearing scrubs and surgical masks. Vicky told me that trying to explain leukemia to a child is difficult. “We told him that the cancer was a bunch of bad guys in his blood, and the chemo was the good guys going in there to kill them.” Now the Spiderman suit made more sense. In many ways, the visit and ensuing story was inspiring. In other ways, it was heartbreaking. No child should have to deal with such a horrific disease as leukemia.
Luke framed his Spiderman costume which now hangs in his bedroom. I’m wearing one of the Team Luke capes which gives whoever wears it superpowers.
It was through the Andritsch family that I learned more about the research work being funded and sponsored by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. In 2011, Luke was named their “Boy of the Year” and participated in a 10-week fundraising campaign called “Man and Woman of the Year.” After the Grand Finale Gala, the Andritsch family had a party of their own for Luke. His chemo port in his chest was removed that summer and the Team Luke TOWNEPOST NETWORK / MARCH 2015 / TownePost.com
followers and friends hosted a “Port Party” in his honor. Luke was cancer-free and done with chemo. Last fall, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society called to inform me that I had been nominated to run for the 2015 “Man of the Year.” After seeing how they had helped the Andritsch family and several other friends and neighbors dealing with blood cancers over the years, I accepted the challenge. Much like a political election, the man and woman who raise the most money during a 10-week campaign (Feb. 26 – May 9) wins the title. My campaign will look and sound much like a political campaign; after all, we are in primary season. You’ll see campaign posters at restaurants around Indy like Mama Bear’s and Lincoln Square Pancake Houses. You’ll hear my “negative campaign” commercials on various radio stations. You might even spot a political yard sign asking you to “vote against cancer.” A campaign against cancer is personal to everyone. Only cancers of the respiratory and digestive systems, including lung and colon cancers, are more deadly. Leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among children and young adults under the age of 20. One person is diagnosed with blood cancer every three minutes. Every 10 minutes, another person loses the fight.
More than 1.6 million people in the United States are living with or are in remission from a blood cancer. To date, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has funded more cancer research than any other voluntary health agency in the United States or Canada. When they started in 1949, the survival rate for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (which is the type of cancer Luke had) was only three percent. Today, thanks to advances in research, the survival rate is more than 90 percent. For other blood cancers, the survival rate has doubled, tripled and even quadrupled. However, one third will not make it five years post diagnosis. We have a long way to go. On a personal note, I’ve had several friends and family suffer through cancer. My wife and I started a charity event the year we met the Andritsch family called Vines for Life, which raises money for three local cancer charities supporting patients and survivors. While we’ll continue to help those dealing with the fallout of cancer, this is our one opportunity to get out ahead of cancer and fund the cure. My hope is that we’ll have a cancer-free society in my lifetime. I’m asking each of you to donate to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and support our campaign against cancer. There is a donor envelope in the center of this publication that you can send back with your generous donation. You can also visit my website at TomBritt.com to learn more about the campaign, sign up for emails from the campaign trail, and donate online via a secure link. You can also read about the latest advancements and treatments that The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has funded. Every dollar you donate gets us one dollar closer to the cure. As for Luke, he’s a healthy 11-year-old boy that still visits Riley Hospital for Children every month passing out “rhythm pax.” Team Luke is now its own charity that raises funds year round to give other children and families who have been dealt the cancer card some hope. Please join us in our campaign and thank you in advance for any and all support you offer us along the way.
Luke framed the front cover of the Geist Community Newsletter from 2010. Today, he’s a healthy 11-year-old boy.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
There are several ways you can join our negative campaign against cancer:
• Sponsoring • Volunteering • Host a “Meet and Greet” • Emailing Your Friends • Liking my “Tom Britt 2015” page on Facebook To find out more information and to follow the campaign, go to TomBritt.com. TownePost.com / MARCH 2015 / TOWNEPOST NETWORK
DONATE AND VOTE AGAINST BLOOD CANCERS
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MERGING MOUNTAINS, TWO CHAMBERS AT A TIME
Writer / Janelle Morrison . Photographer / JJ Kaplan
Dan Canan, past-President of Fishers, explained why the merger was announced Members of the Chambers of Commerce in 2015. “I have been a member of the in Fishers and Carmel ratified their boards’ Fishers Chamber for four years and I am decision on Feb. 20 to become one chamber now the Executive Vice-President under known as OneZone. Operating as a the OneZone organization,” Canan said. chamber since 1970, the Carmel Chamber “What we have are two organizations, the and the Fishers Chamber of Commerce, Carmel and the Fishers Chambers, that established in 1991, will have a combined were both doing well and comparable in membership of approximately 1,200 as the size. Geographically we border each other, OneZone organization. and when looking at it from the surface,
it certainly made a lot of sense to have a discussion about merging. A couple of years ago, Mo [Merhoff] and I sat down and we started discussing if it made sense to take it to the next level of discovery. The notion of chambers merging has been floated long before I got here. For 15 years, different chamber directors have discussed it, but they never took it to the next step. After several conversations, Mo and I felt that it made sense to take it to our executive boards.
atFishers.com / MARCH 2015 / FISHERS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER / 33
When each gave it a ‘thumbs up’ the discussion went to each full board. Both boards voted to conduct further investigation and studies to see if it really made sense for both organizations. “Twenty months later, we came out and announced the merger. We had to conduct and review a financial analysis, the legalities of it and the branding of the new organization. When we were discussing the branding and logo design, we wanted something that would be relevant, not only to our current members, but to the next generation and moving forward. As a business organization, we have to constantly look at ourselves and ask if we are delivering the best value that we can for our membership, if we are providing the most opportunities, and if we can we do it better and more efficiently. That was the genesis for the conversation of merging the two chambers together. With OneZone, we will continue to have joint events that include the other four chambers in Hamilton County. They are very important to us. We’re all in Hamilton County and we all care about our county.” The outgoing board chair, Ron Hanson, has been serving on the board of the Carmel Chamber for seven years and has been a member for 30. “I think it brings great resources together for the whole business community,” Hanson stated. “The merger gives us a much bigger voice so that we can help business grow in this part of the county, for all of the county and beyond. I think that it gives members an opportunity to showcase their business to a larger audience and learn from each other as members. This decision was made from a point of strength when the boards of both organizations made decisions based upon what is best for the business community, individual businesses and the people who work each day to build a stronger, more wholesome community to work and live in.”
“The time for bold change is when you are strong,” Merhoff expressed. “It is when you are on top of your game. When you look at the two chambers, we had completed the best two years in our respective histories. We could certainly have ridden off into the sunset leaving behind strong organizations. Except, we both believe that a memberserving organization in Hamilton County, a strong one with a big voice, needed to exist. We want to continue from that position of strength and so we looked at where we are geographically located, we looked at the fact that businesses don’t see municipal boundaries, they see opportunities for business and we asked ourselves, ‘if not now, when, and if not us, who?’ We were the two largest chambers in the county, both in very strong positions and we decided that the businesses deserved more.
will house their united chamber and their blended staff and board members. “We can’t work together if we can’t be together so as soon as possible, we will get together under one roof,” Merhoff confirmed. “Our staff members stay, our boards have merged and we now have 25 people on our board. That was the huge benefit of our two organizations that we have kept everybody. We really joined together as a team; a team of staff and a team of board to be what we hope will be a preeminent organization for business.
“Members will get their choice of which luncheons to attend. The majority of our network events were already done collaboratively. Our major events, we have two super golf outings that have different personalities, will continue as they have One of the reasons why it took us so long and we will keep them both. And there is to develop this plan, and in retrospect I am no reason why we can’t host east and west glad that it did, was because we wanted to ‘Taste’ oriented events. Both events have be strategic and look at other organization’s been really successful. We will host the March experiences. One Southern Indiana was one luncheon at Oak Hill Mansion and that will of the beginning groups that we studied along be the State of the Chamber. Our members with the greater Indianapolis Chamber who need to know that the dues remain the same. combined four different organizations under They became members of the fourth largest their umbrella within the last couple of years.” chamber in the state for the same amount of money. This merger has been the topic of two board retreats, and the topic of the day during There are others throughout the state our board meetings for 22 months. It was all that have merged their organizations and necessary to get to where we are today.” served as examples to the Merhoff and Canan as they worked through the process. Stepping into the role as president of OneZone, the past-president of the Carmel They studied board cultures, how they Janelle Morrison is the owner of MADD Media Solutions and a Chamber of Commerce for the last 14 years, operated, what their primary goals are for their members and how would they mesh. freelance writer. She specializes Mo Merhoff spoke about the process and in PR and marketing for small Both were intent on maintaining their the rollout of the merger over the course of businesses and individuals. She is existing staff. Now they look to where they nearly two years. also a Zionsville resident.
34 / FISHERS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER / MARCH 2015 / atFishers.com
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Writer / Kathi Moore
Back in 1961 Heather Hills Country Club opened on Indy’s east side. It was the first 18-hole course designed by worldrenowned course architect Pete Dye, leading him to build other golf courses throughout the world. The course was reputed to be one of the most challenging layouts in Indianapolis, with mature silver maple trees, multiple bunkers and a meandering creek serving as a beautiful backdrop to the sport.
manager. “There is not much competition on this side of town that does all of what we do.” All the amenities of a country club from unlimited golf and personal lockers to banquet facilities, a driving range and swimming pool exist. In addition there is a full-service restaurant and Pete Dye’s Pub.
can play unlimited golf with no cart fees,” Lorenzano said. If you’re not a golfer, but want access to other amenities, there are also social memberships and pool memberships.
Some aspects of the club will still be open to the public, such as the restaurant. Pizza & Pasta nights are every Wednesday along with Trivia Night. For Easter Sunday there The real selling factor is how inexpensive the will be a full brunch buffet and the famous Easter Egg hunt. Mother’s Day will also course is for members. “For just $3,500 a year for singles or $5,000 a year for families feature a full brunch buffet. Look at the new Fast forward to 1989, Heather Hills was website or call for reservations. Also, the you get full access to everything the club renamed Maple Creek Golf & Country Club has to offer,” explained Joe Lorenzano, facility is available to service organizations and continued to have a strong membership membership sales director and former and business groups during the week. until the economic downturn of 2006. The Cathedral H.S. golfer. club was destined to be sold to a housing Of course golf lessons are always available, developer. But then a local businessman and “Payments on a monthly basis include food even for non-members. Swing by former club member Dave Bego stepped sometime! and beverage minimums and members in, determined to protect the legacy of Pete Dye’s first masterpiece. His father had been a long-time member and Bego had grown up playing on the course, so he wanted to preserve the historic value of it. Under Bego’s tutelage from 2007 to 2015 the semi-private/public club has been recognized as “Indy’s Best” Golf Course (2013, 2014) and “Indy’s Best Kept Secret.” Bego brought back Pete Dye to assist with some course design tweaks, a pavilion was built for large (up to 220 persons) parties and golf outings, the pro shop was rebuilt and the club’s pool facility has been updated. And now, in 2015, the club has reverted back to a private country club, to better serve its members. “We are targeting golfing families as a much more economical club,” said Jim Grossi, course PGA pro and general
MARCH = MEMBER PREVIEW MONTH!
Book a free tour and social experience showcasing the value of being a member at the club. Call Joe Lorenzano at 317-894-3343 to RSVP.
atFishers.com / MARCH 2015 / FISHERS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER / 35
Pat O'Brien and Tom Coverdale of American Family Life Insurance. 36 / FISHERS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER / MARCH 2015 / atFishers.com
INSURING SUCCESS TOM COVERDALE TEAMING UP WITH PAT O’BRIEN
Writer / Janet C. Striebel Photographer / Hannah Switzer
Tom Coverdale, a renowned Indiana sports figure, has recently joined forces with Pat O’Brien, a successful American Family Insurance agency owner. Both graduated from Indiana University and share common goals with what they want out of life. They remain committed to their family, community, customer relations, and career all while strategically maintaining life balance, stability and purpose. “I like being a part of a team atmosphere where we work toward common goals,” said Tom Coverdale, licensed agent at Patrick D. O’Brien American Family Insurance Agency. “We build each other up. When one of us wins, we all win,” he said. You probably have heard the name, “Tom Coverdale” attached to the title, “Mr. Basketball” in 1998 when he was a senior at Noblesville High School. Or perhaps you remember how he was recruited by Bobby Knight and played basketball at Indiana University where he led his team to the 2002 NCAA Championship Game against Maryland. Later, Coverdale coached college basketball in Louisiana and Texas but eventually returned home to Hoosier territory. “When I was away, I realized that being home with family and friends is what’s most important,” said Coverdale. Three years ago, Tom began his career in the insurance field as a licensed agent and has been advising a variety of both small and large businesses throughout Indiana as well as personal accounts. Married a year and a half to his wife, Rachael, Coverdale said, “I’ve lived in many places, but we’ve settled in Fishers to be close to my hometown and everyone we care about.”
Pat O’Brien, an IU graduate and a huge IU basketball fan, started his insurance agency from scratch in 2004. After three years as an agency owner, he accepted the opportunity to become an Agency Sales Manager in 2007, and held that position for six years before returning to agency as an agency owner the fall of 2013. “I have lofty goals and I know that to grow this agency I need talented professionals,” said O’Brien. “I like running the office according to my mission that includes being involved with community and with my customers. Everyone in our office works within a specialized role, allowing our unique service to function most effectively.”
They both served as “Table Captains” for the Legacy of Hope Breakfast event. Coverdale’s wife, Rachael, serves on the board for Brooke’s Place and happens to be friends with O’Brien’s longtime friend, Lori Winkler, owner of WDM Creative and president of the board at Brooke’s Place. In establishing their relationship over time, O’Brien and Coverdale realize they share common values between them especially for how they go about making a positive impact on people and their community. “When I met Pat I knew we were moving forward in the same business direction,” said Coverdale. “The more we talked, the more we aligned in our way of thinking. We believe in giving the best honest advice to our customers, which is what we would expect if we were sitting in the other seat.”
And that mission is what attracted Coverdale to the agency. “Pat’s goals for his business and for his family very much align with what I want for myself and my family as I continue building a career in the insurance But it’s not just about making deals at business,” said Coverdale. O’Brien Insurance. “We don’t sell insurance, we listen to our customers and make It is not just Coverdale who knows that recommendations,” said O’Brien. “We don’t O’Brien is on a mission. “Pat has always just provide a quick-fix proposal; we consult been driven to succeed, and he experienced and provide guidance thereby allowing our a lot of success prior to agency, but as an customers to make conscious decisions to agency owner he is able to do what he buy.” loves, which is helping people,” said Shawna O’Brien, marketing & communications for To learn more about the Patrick D. O’Brien the agency and O’Brien’s wife. Agency visit amfmpob.com or call 317-577-7872.
TWO PATHS CROSS AT BROOKE’S PLACE O’Brien and Coverdale met a couple years ago through mutual friends while volunteering for Brooke’s Place, which is a non-profit organization that helps grieving children who have lost their parents (brookesplace.org).
Janet C. Striebel is a Fishers resident and freelance writer. She and her husband, Doug, have three children: Ryan, Jessica and Justin. She has been writing for atGeist.com for more than seven years and claims that the best part is meeting all the interesting people in her community.
“WE DON’T SELL INSURANCE, WE LISTEN TO OUR CUSTOMERS AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS. WE DON’T JUST PROVIDE A QUICK-FIX PROPOSAL; WE CONSULT AND PROVIDE GUIDANCE THEREBY ALLOWING OUR CUSTOMERS TO MAKE CONSCIOUS DECISIONS TO BUY.” - PAT O’BRIEN atFishers.com / MARCH 2015 / FISHERS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER / 37
38 / FISHERS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER / MARCH 2015 / atFishers.com
Don’t Waist Your Belt! OLIVIA KEITH
Writer / Kara Reibel . Photographer / Brian Brosmer
Sand Creek Intermediate School’s Olivia Keith is making a difference in the lives of other children. Since being selected as Miss Indiana Preteen National Teenager, Olivia Keith was inspired to collect new and gently used belts for kids at IPS.
“Belts were mentioned as a needed item by many students who cannot afford them,” says Olivia. As a result, Don’t Waist Your Belt was created. Olivia, with the help of her parents and generous sponsors, placed bins at local YMCA’s and a few Fishers businesses. To date, Olivia has collected more than 770 belts since this past November’s launch.
Don’t Waist Your Belt is the second not-for-profit Olivia has started. Her first was inspired by her parents’ brain injuries. Olivia’s mom, As a component of her Miss Indiana Preteen National Teenager title, Darcy, suffered a traumatic brain injury from a car accident during Olivia has the honor of giving speeches, one of which was last June. college. Darcy has minor side effects that she still copes with daily. While giving the sixth grade commencement speech at IPS Francis Olivia’s dad, Chris, has experienced multiple strokes within the last Scott Key School 103, Olivia asked some faculty how she could help. few years.
atFishers.com / MARCH 2015 / FISHERS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER / 39
“Mom and Dad have brain injuries, so it is natural for me to share what I have learned with others in keeping safe while having fun and playing,” said Olivia. Living with parents with brain injuries, Olivia started speaking in front of her classmates and others about keeping your brain and body safe while playing. These initial presentations started Play It Safe, which has extended outside the classrooms. Olivia has attended several bike rodeos and procured donated helmets for kids. She recently received grants for $1,500 towards bike helmets to be given away to children who need them.
Tips to Play It Safe
Olivia Keith is a sixth grader at Sand Creek Intermediate School. In addition to being a full-time student and running two not-forprofits, Olivia plays the viola, sings, enjoys sports and does hip hop dance. Continuing her trend of helping and educating others, Olivia said, “I want to be an elementary school teacher when I grow up.”
1. Wear a helmet and make sure it fits properly. 2. When outside, always make sure you can be seen. 3. Play by the rules. 4. Buckle up when riding in a car. 5. Have an emergency plan and know how to respond.
Olivia will represent Indiana in Washington, D.C., as the middle school winner of the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards for her Play It Safe nonprofit organization! For more information, please visit DontWaistYourBelt.org and DarcyKeith.com.
40 / FISHERS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER / MARCH 2015 / atFishers.com
Thanks to our wonderful sponsors!
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Go to atFishers.com to vote for your favorite “Mom of the Year” candidate. You can vote one time per day until April 10. The winner will be announced in the May issue of the Fishers Community Newsletter. Good luck!
Allison Longest
Nominated by Chris Longest
Allison is the mother of two redhead boys, Braden and Zachary. Zac had open heart surgery at two weeks old and was released from Riley Children’s Hospital on Jan. 1, 2014. Allison has not only been an advocating nurturing mother, but has managed the day-to-day stresses of a full-time job (with a recent promotion), two young boys (1 and 3) and has gotten involved in fundraising for childhood heart disease along with providing meals for the Ronald McDonald House through a program with Geist Community Church.
Frieda Dunkerson
Nominated by Nancy Courtney
Our mom is the BEST! She’s 91 years young and still full of energy! She raised eight of us and that was a full-time job back when there were no microwaves, she used a wringer washer, hung clothes outside on a line to dry, and walked in the snow to a full-time job after our father was injured in a foundry accident. Mom is the first person our family and friends call for any kind of guidance, advice and most of all prayer. She has lived in the same home since 1969 in Fortville/ Fishers. No one deserves Mom of the Year more than ours!
Susan Tysen
Nominated by Carrie Sturges
As we grew up, my mom consistently gave her heart and time to my brother and me. Now my mom is a grandmother to four grandchildren including my daughter with a seizure disorder and cerebral palsy. In October my daughter began falling and blacking out. My mom graciously offered to care for her. She chose not to follow the easy path of letting my daughter become a TV-aholic. Rather, mom gave her time and expertise to accompany my daughter to school as her assistant, catching her when she fell, teaching her when she was well and comforting her all the while. Mom was and continues to be a source of hope, love and faith. She will always be our “Mom of the Year.” atFishers.com / MARCH 2015 / FISHERS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER / 41
FISHERS RESIDENT BREAKS GUINNESS WORLD RECORD WHILE HELPING OTHERS
Writer / Janet Striebel . Photographer / Hannah Switzer
According to water.org, 750 million people lack access to clean water. This is almost 2.5 times the United States population. Every minute a child dies from a water-related disease: more than malaria, AIDS and measles combined. Most of these deaths occur in underdeveloped countries. “Children walk miles in order to fill containers with clean water and then return to their villages for their families to use,” said Julie McKinney, Fishers resident and member of BridgeWay Community Church. “Being a Third World Country, they do not have easy access to water like we do. However, for only $2.50 (just 10 quarters), a school child in India can have clean water for drinking and bathing for an entire year.”
Back in June 2014, Julie and the children at BridgeWay Community Church in Fishers, decided to try and attempt to break a Guinness Book of World Record while raising money for drinking water for children in India. At BridgeWay’s summer program, called Mission Adventure Week, children collected and donated quarters for the cause. For every quarter they turned in, they received a strip of paper (17 inches x 1 inch) to decorate. On Sunday, June 22, Julie attempted to break the Guinness World Record by connecting all the lengths of paper to create the Longest Paper Chain made by an individual. She stapled over 4,300 strips of paper into a paper chain measuring exactly 2,556 feet and 5.4 inches (779 meters and 21 centimeters) using a hand stapler.
42 / FISHERS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER / MARCH 2015 / atFishers.com
Investing In You t
Although this record attempt was a group effort at BridgeWay, one young boy stood out in helping his mom achieve her goal — Zach McKinney, a 4th grader at Fall Creek Elementary. “I helped her set up before the attempt started," he said. "I helped her get water, refill staples in the staplers and helped get donations. I was there from the beginning until the end.”
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The paper chain was assembled within the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on June 22 in the parking lot of BridgeWay Community Church. Witnesses volunteered to watch the attempt for 3-hour segments. Two witnesses were present at all times. During the attempt, a celebration was held with bounce houses, games and food. Approximately 400 people attended over the course of the afternoon. “I have dreamed of being a Guinness World Record holder since I was 8 years old,” says Julie. “I would often look through the Guinness books for ideas. When I found out about BridgeWay’s fundraising opportunity, everything just fell into place.” This community effort not only helped raise $4,582.50 for drinking water for the children in India, but it also left lasting impressions. “I think about the kids in India getting water even today….I am proud to have a mom that is a world recordholder,” said Zach. For more information, call 317-577-4159 or visit the website at bridgewaycc.com to learn more. Janet C. Striebel is a Fishers resident and freelance writer. She and her husband, Doug, have three children: Ryan, Jessica and Justin. She has been writing for atGeist.com for more than seven years and claims that the best part is meeting all the interesting people in her community.
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Go to atFishers.com to watch a short video of Fishers mayor Scott Fadness talking about the funding issues facing Hamilton Southeastern Schools.
SCHOOL FUNDING FOR HSE AT A CRITICAL JUNCTURE Writer / Allie Nash
The House has passed a bill that would increase the state education budget by a little more than four percent, giving K-12 $16.1 billion of the proposed $31.4 billion state budget for the next two years. Thus, education would be 52 percent of the state’s spending. The proposed budget, now in the Senate, would also mean changes for HSE schools, which had been struggling under the current state funding. A school funding problem is not new to Fishers residents. According to Fishers mayor Scott Fadness, now it is more important than ever to engage or else the greater Fishers community will suffer. “If we don’t see an adjustment in the school funding formula in the Statehouse for next year we will go for referendum,” said
Fadness. “In that referendum there are three options: Don’t go for a referendum which really isn’t an option financially, renew the one we currently have or go for more money. With the current situation, we would have to go for more money. When they [the school system] go for more money, they have seen every year referendums pass by less and less. So for it to pass, they are going to have to paint a picture of our school system in such a light that no one will be excited to move to Fishers.” Many people may not be aware of how the school funding formula works. The amount of money coming from the state per student is factored by base amount given to all students, or tuition, plus the complexity fund – based off the percentage of students in the free and reduced lunch program – and then federal dollars. Based on this current formula, Hamilton Southeastern Township schools are receiving $350 less per student than the state average.
And Fishers is not proposing that taxes be increased or more money added to the education budget, but rather that schools that are receiving the lowest amount and the highest amount come closer to the middle. HSE is the second lowest funded school system in the state – at only $4,300 per student – but that follows trend to other schools in the northern part of Central Indiana. Carmel is the lowest funded school system in the state with Noblesville, Zionsville, Westfield and Brownsburg schools in the bottom 20. Schools of the East Chicago system are seeing the highest amount of funding in the state at a little over $7,500 per student. Under the proposed budget, HSE would see an increase of $5,685 per student, or 5.5 percent, for 2016 then another increase in 2017, giving $5,836 per student. Fadness is quick to point out that Fishers is not asking to be funded at the same level as
44 / FISHERS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER / MARCH 2015 / atFishers.com
school systems with a history of problems. “We understand that our students shouldn’t be funded at the level inner city schools are, but we should funded adequately. We don’t argue that we shouldn’t be the lowest funded because we don’t have the same socioeconomic problems that others do, but this bottom is so low that we are literally bankrupting our local schools at least on this end of spectrum. So we are asking that we [state government] move everyone to the middle more.”
about school funding and referendums, now it is more important than ever. As the Statehouse gets ready to approve a budget for the next year – depending on what formula gets approved – Fishers residents would have a referendum this November.
This would not only affect the schools, but the economic growth that Fishers has seen the in past few years. But if residents engage with their legislators, support could be shown for the bill. Fadness stressed how thankful he was of the support of Speaker HSE has had to make major cuts – $13 Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, and Rep. million since 2008 – to continue to function Todd Huston, R-Fishers, for their support in a formula that would make the funding with the current funding formula. This more fair for school systems like HSE. And includes selling all assets, freezing benefits, Fadness is well aware that residents may be offering early buy-outs and not hiring new teachers, which has led to an increase in class tired of the topic, but wants them to aware sizes. The district would need a little over $6 of how important it is. million to hire the teachers needed to return class sizes to what they were in 2008. “It is becoming a sore subject frankly in our community as we continually ask our And while residents may be tired of hearing residents to pay more out of their pocket
to fund our school system while their tax dollars are going elsewhere throughout the state,” said Fadness. “So I think they are getting fed up with that issue and frankly I don’t blame them. So now we’re just trying to get one final push to say ‘please engage and please get involved’ because it is so critical.” To get more information, go to fishers.in.us/ schoolfunding or sign up for email notifications at the Hamilton Southeastern Funding Forum Facebook page. Hamilton Southeastern Schools has a page dedicated to “Fixing the Funding Formula” with sample letters to write to legislators, powerpoint presentations explaining the issues, and talking points to discuss with your neighbors and friends. That link is hse.k12.in.us/adm/news/funding.aspx. Allie Nash is the TownePost Network managing editor and a Geist native. She is a recent graduate of Franklin College with degrees in publication relations and broadcast journalism. Follow her on Twitter at @AllieNash.
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BLOGGERS TOUR FORTVILLE
Writer / Allie Nash
Indianapolis area bloggers got a taste of what makes Fortville great during the Fortville Mama Blogger Tour on Feb. 9. The McCordsville/Fortville Chamber also sponsored the event which showcased Main Street restaurants and shops. At the core of the event was social media, complete with #FabFortville, Instagram posts for prize drawings, and mentioning of the different vendors on Facebook that bloggers visited.
Stops on the tour included: Palette & Paper, Studio 309, Best of What’s Around, Java Junction, R-Smokehouse, Simply More Home Furnishings, The Gypsy Chicks, The Studio and Indulge. About 20 or so minutes was spent at each stop, giving bloggers an opportunity to meet the owners, browse and post photos on social media. Many of the shops featured special deals for the bloggers to shop. Studio 309 even let bloggers get a preview of what hosting a party there would be like by having an art project to work on. Taste tests were done at Java Junction, R-Smokehouse and Indulge, which will have bloggers back in Fortville tweeting for more. To learn more about Fortville Mama Blog or future tours, go to fortvillemama.blogspot.com.
CHUCK AND NORRIS
Brussels Griffon/Lhasa Apso Mix, 6 years old $55 adoption fee
SIERRA
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Domestic Shorthair/Mix, 3 years old I can play jump-up-to -catch-the-ball with $55 adoption fee the best of them. I am a very nice dog with If you are looking for a sweet kitty, you a lively personality and striking good looks. can’t go wrong with me. Besides being I attribute these to my very rare breed blend a beautiful black and orange calico, I am of Rottweiler and Australian Shepherd. Inquiet and friendly. I have been spayed. I am telligent and curious, I know the commands very shy and am not a fan of being picked sit, lie down, shake, stay, come, leave it and up, so I don’t think I would do well with kennel. I am of course spayed, housebroken very young children. But for a home with and crate trained. Yep, I am quite the whole adults and older children, I would make a package. wonderful companion!
Norris is blond with dark roots and Chuck is more grizzled black and white. Aside from being a tiny bit slow to warm up to new people and situations, we are adorable little guys! We have a sweet nature once we feel comfortable and we are both pretty healthy fellows. So obviously we are a bonded pair of brothers must be adopted together. We hope you understand and will come see us!
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Domestic Shorthair/Mix, 5 months old $75 adoption fee I am a grey an white male kitten looking for my forever home. I want somewhere safe where I can grow up and be happy! I am not declawed, but I will still be a great addition to your family!
Bodhi’s Buddies Bodhi Britt wants all of his friends at the Humane Society to find their forever homes!
46 / FISHERS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER / MARCH 2015 / atFishers.com
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