Greenwood Magazine October 2020

SPECIAL ISSUE: Salute to Women-Owned Businesses

OCTOBER 2020

MAGAZINE

BEST FOOT

FORWARD

SOUTHSIDE FOOT CLINIC CELEBRATES 50 YEARS

COOL CORRESPONDENCE Local Resident Becky Moore Launches Pen Pal Agency

SMOKIN’ CONCEPT

The Smoke Pit Specializes in Premium Cigars

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EMPOWERED LOCAL WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES GEEK IN PINK COMPUTER REPAIR

Regina Miller 317-882-1606

My passion is making people’s technology work for them.

Whether it’s fixing account lockouts, printer problems, or smart home & computer help, it’s very satisfying to see frustrations lifted and customers enjoying the convenience and quality of life improvement brought by working technology.

Many people learn to live with the little hiccups that accumulate over time or they simply stop using their computer. Our customers are often pleasantly surprised that we not only fix the problem they had us out for, we are ready to tackle their whole laundry list. Needless to say, we love our job.

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Lindsey Jones 765-894-1540

I take branding to the next level by adding impactful visuals based on company needs. But let’s not forget the individuals with one-off projects. Everyone needs a professional, affordable graphic design option and that’s where I come in. From big to small, digital to print, I can help with it all!

INDIANA BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU ACADEMY

AJ Clingerman 317-946-9447

Building a community of people who are more confident, able to defend themselves, healthier, and just over all happier.

STORMI ROSE PHOTOGRAPHY

Madison Haglund 812-528-0070

As with most moms, my children and family drive everything that I do. I wanted to be able to contribute to my household and be able to spend everyday with my family.

I even modeled my business name after my kids. (Storm and Charlotte-Rose). I hope that one day they will be able to chase their dreams as I’ve chased mine. That is, and always will be the drive behind Stormi-Rose.

THE STUDIO KATE

Katie Plummer 317-340-6247

Kate is passionate about empowering and inspiring other women. Whether it’s a Senior, Family or Head Shot session we want to create images that make girls and women see themselves for how incredibly beautiful they are, taking their own focus off their flaws. We believe in using our high fashion photo sessions to build a woman’s confidence in a way that stays with her throughout her life.

FARM GIRL MERCANTILE Tracy Bohler 317-476-3235

Farm Girl Mercantile, Franklin, is a 25 year old dream of mine come true. I’ve always had a passion for fashion, home decor and antiques. So I combined them all in a cute nostalgic setting. I love inspiring other women too by encouraging their talents with their small businesses.

Three years in business in September.

October is National Women’s Small Business Month, and we are honoring local women-owned businesses. Female entrepreneurs have made incredible progress over the years as more and more women-owned businesses are started and successfully running.

Take a look at these great women-owned businesses in the area and be sure to #SupportLocal this month!

WRITE MOORE LETTERS - AN INTERNATIONAL PEN FRIENDS AGENCY Rebecca Moore 317-908-0025

When I was a middle school student at Center Grove Middle School, my study hall teacher shared a list of students in England that were interested in a pen friend from the the US. I was ecstatic!

I have continued my love for the hobby of pen friends throughout my life and now want to share that hobby with others. Especially in this day and age when most people don’t even communicate via snail mail – everything is done by text or social media!

Writing to pen friends is a fun way for students (and adults!) to learn good writing techniques and gain a deeper understanding of subjects such as history, geography, music, languages, commerce, literature and art. Above all, you have the opportunity to discover the cultures of foreign lands.

SPOTLIGHT STRATEGIES Erin Smith 317-738-3434

Erin Smith, an accomplished health care administrator turned business owner, brings rare behavioral expertise to the world of small business. Susan McCarty, a serial entrepreneur since the mid ‘80s, has diverse multi-business management experience.

Combining their firms in 2011, they now lead a top printing firm in the Greater Indianapolis area.

Their strategic partnership in Spotlight Strategies utilizes their unique talents and strengths to service other businesses through, print, apparel, promotional items and signs.

atGreenwood.com / OCTOBER 2020 / GREENWOOD MAGAZINE / 5

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Kim Henderson 317-494-6250

At Edward Jones, I partner with individuals, families & business owners to develop a personalized strategy to help reach your financial goals. I invest my time to understand what you are working toward before you invest your money.

No matter what stage you are at with financial goals, we will work together to help ensure you stay on track, adjusting as needed, all while providing top-notch client service. I am committed to helping you succeed.

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BARN AT BAY HORSE INN 317-201-7753

Amanda Johnson

I wanted to create a venue that not only myself and family would feel proud of, but also our clients and community.

I take pride in running a successful business that is well-maintained, beautiful and a great place for celebrations. I love the fact that we are able to promote and partner with other local businesses through Bay Horse Inn. The relationships we have been able to build through these partnerships, serving our community and clients, and employing great people has been such a blessing.

Owner Becky Moore

COOL CORRESPONDENCE LOCAL RESIDENT BECKY MOORE LAUNCHES PEN PAL AGENCY Writer / Julie Yates Photographer / Amy Payne

Moore became a pen pal enthusiast when she was 13 years old. She was attending middle school in Center Grove when her study hall teacher, who had a pen pal from England, offered the class the chance to exchange letters with British students. That experience led to years of enjoyment as she received letters from faraway places.

enjoy it too.”

Due to the coronavirus crisis, Moore found herself in a position start a pen pal agency.

She was working in the hotel industry as an event planner when she was laid off in the midst of the government-mandated business shutdowns. Suddenly, she found herself beginning a business she had However, Becky Moore has an answer. She “It is my passion, my favorite thing,” Moore dreamed about in the past. recently started Write Moore Letters, a U.S. says. “I’m embarrassed to say I have 50 agency for Australia-based International pen pals. I only hear from some about two “When I was young, I went through a Pen Friends. It facilitates pen pal matchups times a year, but there are about 20 of them company that would send these little blue so people of all ages can develop a that I get a letter from once a month. I have coupon books with pen pal names,” Moore relationship with someone from a different so many of my own, I had to stop. Now I says. “I remember it was magical. One country without leaving home. can help others get pen pals so they can of my very first pen pals sent me some One of the best aspects of foreign travel is meeting people of different nationalities.

Due to coronavirus-related restrictions, such experiences aren’t always possible these days.

6 / GREENWOOD MAGAZINE / OCTOBER 2020 / atGreenwood.com

Nottingham lace. I used to daydream about having a pen pal store for children and adults.”

Moore began using the services of International Pen Friends about five years ago.

more than one million people of all ages with pen pals for the past 53 years. The organization’s membership database is internal and is not on the internet, so it can’t be hacked. There are packages available for different numbers of pen pals, and prices range from $25 to $45.

“On their website they had a blurb about becoming an agent for their company,” she says. “Since I had the time, I pursued it. I had to learn how to create a website, which I did this summer through a free online class offered to graduates of the University of Evansville.”

“Over the years I’ve had some great experiences,” Moore says. “One pen pal from New Zealand recorded a message that was played at my wedding. I actually met another when she came to visit her son who was an exchange student at Southport High School.”

International Pen Friends has provided

Moore says there are multiple benefits to

being a pen pal.

“It develops patience because when you mail letters, it does take a while,” she says. “You learn about another country, government and culture. If you can speak another language, it opens up what countries you can request. It can help someone learning another language. It’s a great tool for foreign language classes.”

Visit ipf-writemooreletters.com for more information, and email questions to admin@ipf-writemooreletters.com.

atGreenwood.com / OCTOBER 2020 / GREENWOOD MAGAZINE / 7

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SMOKIN’ CONCEPT THE SMOKE PIT SPECIALIZES IN PREMIUM CIGARS Owner Reid Storvick and Manager Rob Boyland

atGreenwood.com / OCTOBER 2020 / GREENWOOD MAGAZINE / 9

Writer / Matt Keating Photographer / Amy Payne

Reid Storvick, owner of The Smoke Pit in Greenwood, says the name of his new cigar lounge was inspired by his days as a Marine.

Pit, which will have a cigar lounge.”

“I’m not on active duty anymore, but when I was serving in the Marine Corps we would get together on the bases, or the places we were stationed at, and congregate in an area for smoking that was called the Smoke Pit,” Storvick says.

During his time in the Marines, Storvick served in Afghanistan among other places.

“I loved having a good smoke with friends when I was in the Smoke Pit,” Storvick says. “It brings people together. You can calm down and relax with a good cigar. It was a great feeling of friendship. I wanted to create that same experience for other people, so that’s how I came up with the concept for a nice place like The Smoke

Storvick says he wants the shop to be a place customers can go to when they want to unwind and get away from the stresses of life.

“Enjoying a good cigar with friends can be a great way to celebrate an accomplishment, or just relax with your spouse or some good friends,” Storvick says. “In these crazy times, I want to offer people a nice place to get a premium cigar and just unwind. I’ll have an area to accommodate couples, and another area for bigger groups. People can come in dressed nice, or just in jeans and a T-shirt.”

Storvick has big plans for The Smoke Pit. “We have a large, walk-in humidor able

to store 140 boxes of cigars,” Storvick says. “We will have high-end, boutique, premium cigars and accessories. We will also sell humidors, including some nice travel sizes. We will have eight-count and 25-count humidors.”

Storvick says the cigar brands for sale will include Perdomo Habano Connecticut, Viva La Vida Club 500, Platinum Nova and Southern Draw, among others.

“We also have local cigars called Cedar Creek, which are great and have a local flavor,” he says.

Storvick adds that he is seeking an alcoholic beverage permit.

“My goal is to be able to serve people some whiskey or bourbon, which goes great with

10 / GREENWOOD MAGAZINE / OCTOBER 2020 / atGreenwood.com

Enjoying a good cigar with friends can be a great way to celebrate an accomplishment, or just relax with your spouse or some good friends.

a premium cigar,” he says.

When Storvick isn’t busy with The Smoke Pit, he works as a firefighter for the Indianapolis Fire Department.

“I’ve been with the Fire Department since 2017,” he says. “I’m a substitute firefighter.

I go around to 43 different fire stations in different areas. It’s a job that I love and enjoy.”

When Storvick was first thinking about how nice it would be to have his own cigar lounge, he jokingly ran the idea past his wife Jessica.

“A few days later, she brought me a business plan that was a rough draft,” he says. “There were a lot of great ideas in the plan. I was thrilled to see she was supportive of my dream, so I edited the plan and got myself in gear.”

Storvick is the son of David Storvick, pastor and director at Greenwood-based

148 Ministries, a nonprofit organization that seeks to help women who have been wounded physically, emotionally and sexually.

“I’m always inspired by my father and the great work he does, and I’m inspired by my wife and family, which includes our 10-year-old twin boys and a seven-year-old daughter,” Storvick says. “They make me very happy and motivate me all the time.”

Storvick is also motivated to make The Smoke Pit a success.

“I hope the COVID-19 restrictions start to ease more, and people will be able to go out more and have a good time,” he says. “I can’t wait to make this a relaxing destination for people.”

The Smoke Pit is located at 221 West Main Street in Greenwood, For more info, call 317-883-7550 and visit facebook.com/ thesmokepitindy.

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BEST FOOT

FORWARD SOUTHSIDE FOOT CLINIC CELEBRATES 50 YEARS

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photographer / Amy Payne

D

r. Wendy Winckelbach fondly remembers accompanying her father, Dr. J Winckelbach, to the hospital to see patients when she was a little girl.

As they went on rounds, Wendy carried her dad’s medical bag and he lovingly referred to her as his “bag lady”.

Wendy spent her summers through high school and college working at her father’s practice, and was always struck by how podiatrists are often able to alleviate a patient’s problem or suffering in one office visit.

“Being able to make an impact like that for people on a day-to-day basis is a really great way to spend your working life,” she says.

Wendy chose to follow in her father’s footsteps, becoming a third-generation practitioner as her grandfather also practiced podiatry.

J had originally planned to become an archeologist. He took medical courses and 28 hours of Spanish so he could work in Mexico and Guatemala. Ultimately his cousin, a podiatrist, persuaded him to switch gears.

“Instead of working on dead bones I worked on live bones,” says J, who opened the Southside Foot Clinic in 1970.

J moved the office in 1973, 1976 and 1981.

Several years later a group of physicians asked J if he wanted to join them to build an office on County Line Road, east of Shelby Street. J was there for nearly 15 years before moving to an office west of that location. At that point Wendy joined her father in the practice. The pair were there for five years, and then moved to the company’s current location at County Line Road and Old Meridian Street.

“Each time I moved, the practice increased significantly in size,” J says. “Plus, I had to

move every so often. It’s the only way I’d clean off my desk.”

Dr. Kathryn Alleva

Father and daughter worked together for 11 years before J retired in 2013. Dr. Michael Carroll joined the practice in 2008. A former classmate of Wendy’s, Carroll chose the field after shadowing a podiatrist and noticing that his patients were always happy to see him as they left his office received of pain.

procedures with a plastic surgical closure, where the sutures are under the skin. They place different tapes over the incision to protect it. Carroll jokes that gone are the days of telling patients to spray themselves with Febreze for two weeks in lieu of a shower. Depending on the type of surgery, patients can potentially get their foot wet after two days.

As the years have gone by, the field of podiatry has dramatically changed.

“Thanks to advancements made in podiatry, what used to be an amputation can now be salvaged,” Carroll adds. “That’s life-changing for a patient.”

“It’s amazing the changes that have occurred in the modernization of care,” says J, noting that when he first started, there were no lasers, power surgical equipment or scopes for surgeries.

Carroll says recent progress made in surgical instrumentation is considerable.

“Even doing arthroscopic work, going in and cleaning out someone’s ankle with a scope, the visualization that you can get far exceeds what it was 10 years ago,” he says.

Carroll says the staff handles most closure

Dr. Kathryn Alleva joined the practice in July, and has trained with more than 30 podiatrists in the area. She met the Southside Foot Clinic team through her residency, and the team members were impressed with how she matched up with their surgical, professional and personality standards. She was equally impressed with how much the patients at Southside Foot Clinic loved their doctors.

Physicians at the clinic are board certified.

They can handle reconstruction, various types of injuries, and treatment for all ages.

“There isn’t anything in the foot and ankle that we can’t fix,” Carroll says.

Alleva says the staff approaches each patient holistically.

“Our goal is to not only manage the patient’s foot pathology, but allow the patient to participate in decision-making and feel comfortable with their treatment plan,” she says.

The doctors also help to train podiatry residents at Community Hospital in surgeries each week.

J served for 40 years as podiatry section chief at Community and St. Francis hospitals. When he stepped down, Wendy was voted in as section chief at St. Francis, and Carroll was voted in as section chief at Community South.

“It’s nice that we have a say in what

14 / GREENWOOD MAGAZINE / OCTOBER 2020 / atGreenwood.com

”

Our goal is to not only manage the patient’s foot pathology, but allow the patient to participate in decision-making and feel comfortable with their treatment plan. happens with our profession moving forward at the hospitals,” Carroll says.

”

J’s father was president of the Indiana Podiatric Medical Association. J later became president, and in 2018 Wendy assumed the role. Carroll will serve in that capacity next.

Wendy, a Greenwood native, is grateful to be able to deliver quality care to people on the south side, where she makes her home.

“I feel privileged to have the opportunity to interact with patients who were my father’s, as well as the occasional patient who saw my grandfather back in the day,” she says.

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J’s wife Susan lends her baking talents to the practice as well. It’s a tradition that dates back to 1973, when she found a cookie cutter in the shape of a foot.

“We started making foot sugar cookies with red and green icing, and distributing them to doctor’s offices who referred patients to us as a thank-you for their support every Christmas,” J says.

Each December Susan spends five days baking, during which she whips up between 3,500 and 5,000 foot-shaped cookies. Though it’s a lot of work, receptionists throughout the area are ecstatic when the treats are delivered.

The Southside Foot Clinic is located at 33 East County Line Road, Suite B in Greenwood. For more information, call 317-882-9303 or visit southsidefootclinic.com.

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WINNER’S CIRCLE

EMMA DEJONG IS AN EQUESTRIAN WORLD CHAMP AT AGE 14

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photographer / Amy Counts

Emma DeJong was first introduced to horseback riding when she was four years old.

“My grandma got me riding lessons with our neighbor,” she says.

After a year of lessons, DeJong’s neighbor had a suggestion for her mom.

“It’s time to buy a horse and build a barn,” the neighbor said.

DeJong’s neighbor saw something in her that many others would come to see, including her trainer Tommy Sheets, a professional All-Around Horseman with

four decades of experience. He began training DeJong in 2019 and immediately knew she was something special.

“She had so much raw talent,” he says. “You can’t create that. Her talent just shines, but she had a lot more talent than she had horse power.”

Sheets proposed that DeJong get a new horse, one with little training so they could develop the horse they wanted.

When DeJong first met Houston (a.k.a.

Just Call Me Lazy), Sheets wasn’t sure the horse was a good fit for DeJong because he was aggressive, which can lead to riding difficulties. DeJong, however, loved Houston’s strong-willed nature as it mirrors her own.

“He had this fire in him, and I wanted a challenge,” DeJong says.

It took a lot of work and patience taking Houston from a two-event to a sevenevent horse, but the pair did it, and DeJong has had an incredible year in circuit wins, having won titles at the Youth World, NSBA World and AQHYA World competitions. This makes her number one in the nation for All-Around.

“Winning Youth World was a dream come true,” DeJong says.

Sheets has never had a student win at the world level for equitation prior to DeJong.

Typically, a youth rider will elect to focus on one event in order to excel in that particular field. DeJong, however, wanted

18 / GREENWOOD MAGAZINE / OCTOBER 2020 / atGreenwood.com

HORSES ARE MY LIFE. -Emma DeJong-

to excel at English, Western and Trail.

“Tommy is a good trainer for All-Around and one of the best in the nation for Trail,” says DeJong’s mother, Amanda Cottingham Johnson.

DeJong enjoys equitation because of its flowing patterns.

“There’s not a lot of stopping and turning,” she says. “You’re following the pattern and doing different things. Houston loves it because he gets to run faster. I like Trail because every pattern is different, as well as the different obstacles.”

DeJong’s favorite part of the sport is simply being with the horse.

“I like communicating and connecting with them - building trust,” she says.

That trust is crucial, given that the horse doesn’t know a given pattern and the rider must guide them every step of the way.

“You have to have a bond to be able to do that,” says DeJong, now a high school freshman at the Indiana Agriculture & Technology School in Morgantown.

She transferred there from the Center Grove school system because she travels so frequently to shows in Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Arizona, Florida and Oklahoma. Many of the shows are 10 to 14 days long. At the Agriculture & Technology School, she can do all her schoolwork online.

“It’s like a charter school,” Cottingham Johnson says. “Every Tuesday she goes to the farm in Morgantown to learn everything about the 600-acre farm.”

In a few years DeJong hopes to attend a Division I college on a scholarship, and ride on an equestrian team.

“I want to go to a college that’s going to support my horse riding and my academics,” says DeJong, who plans to pursue a degree in sports medicine.

According to DeJong, to excel in this sport, one must have strong calves and thighs, a strong core, and be extremely driven. It’s also important to keep anxiety at bay, as horses can pick up on how a rider is feeling.

“They’ll feed off of your emotions so if you’re tense or scared, they’ll try to take advantage of you and do what they want,” DeJong says.

When it comes to training, Sheets sometimes has his students work around the clock.

“At these shows, he’ll have the kids get up at 2 or 3 a.m. and practice when the arena is empty, then show all day long,” says Cottingham Johnson, owner of the Barn at Bay Horse Inn in Greenwood. “It’s exhausting. When Emma gets home, it takes a couple of days for her to get rested back up because she’s worked so hard.”

DeJong doesn’t mind the grueling practice schedule.

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“Horses are my life,” she says.

To some degree, horses are her family’s life by extension, because there is no off-season. The discipline involves yearround showing, usually every other week.

In between shows, DeJong gets driven to Louisville to train with Sheets. Her stepdad, Dallas Johnson, drives DeJong across the country in their RV for shows.

“My husband has been so supportive of Emma, and so have my parents, who go to almost every show,” Cottingham Johnson says. “I was gone for almost a month when she was at her world shows. It takes a village to do this.”

However, they wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I will always show and ride,” DeJong says.

“It’s who I am.”

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Matthew Mundy

WHAT A GAS Local Resident Enjoys His Texaco Service Station Replica Writer / Matt Keating Photographer / Amy Payne

During stressful times, especially in today’s world, it’s nice to have a pleasant destination to escape to - a place that brings back wonderful memories.

Garry Gilbert, a White River Township resident, has such a place.

Gilbert owns a replica of a 1960s-era Texaco service station in a wooded area of White River Township. He says it helps him relax and recapture his youth.

“When I was growing up in Taylor County, Kentucky, I would go to a local Ashland service station with my dad and grandfather, who was the local county sheriff,” Gilbert says. “We

would spend a lot of great times with the people who worked there and the local people who came in the station. My grandfather would get a call on his police scanner, and then leave for a while. My dad and I would hang out with everyone. My grandfather would come back later, and he would continue talking to everybody. I loved it there.”

Gilbert hired Jeff Snodgrass of Snodgrass Enterprises in Morgantown, Indiana, to build the Texaco service station replication, which has 1960s-era signage, gas pumps and other memorabilia. The station is reminiscent of the garage where Gomer Pyle worked on “The Andy Griffith Show”. It conjures up memories of a simpler time. Observers can almost imagine Andy Taylor and Barney Fife, characters from the show played by Andy Griffith and Don Knotts respectively, pulling up for some gas or a cold pop.

“The Texaco service station was finished in 2015,” Gilbert says. “The Texaco replica station brings back a lot of memories. I have old oil cans and gas cans from that time, as well as two original gas pumps. I also have old Coke machines and an old phone booth. I really wanted to recreate the look and feel of the station.”

Gilbert also has Clark Bar candy bars, MoonPies and soda bottles from the 1960s on display.

“The garage has a lift and equipment for both restoration and repairs,” Gilbert says.

“I also have restroom fixtures that are made from radiator pistons and auto parts.

I really enjoyed working on the planning and construction of the garage. It was a lot of fun.”

The station has been both a hobby and an escape for Gilbert.

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It’s my man cave and a nice way to remember a special time in my life. I spent years dreaming of building a place like this and I was thrilled when I was able to make it a reality. It’s my pride and joy.

- Gary Gilbert -

“It has been something that I have really enjoyed,” he says. “It’s my man cave and a nice way to remember a special time in my life. I spent years dreaming of building a place like this and I was thrilled when I was able to make it a reality. It’s my pride and joy.”

Gilbert also stores his 1967 Shelby GT500 car, which originally belonged to his father, and his 1966 Mustang GT 289 convertible, at the garage.

“I keep my ‘babies’, which are restored Ford muscle cars with original parts, on display behind a wall of glass inside the garage where I can really admire them,” Gilbert says. “I always feel relaxed when I’m here.”

Gilbert entertains family, friends and classic car enthusiasts at the garage with cookouts and conversations about cars and days gone by.

“This is a special place that helps me get back in touch with something that was special to me, and it’s not often you can recapture the past in a good way,” Gilbert says.

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