FEBRUARY 2020
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FOR THE LOVE OF FAMILY: THE PARKS FAMILY OF EIGHT RISES TO LIFE’S CHALLENGES Meet the new Plainfield Middle School 7th Grade Softball Coach Bryan Parks, his wife Carly, and their six amazing children.
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FEBRUARY WRITERS
Christy Heitger-Ewing / Aaron Tevebaugh Kara Kavensky / Carrie Petty Stephanie Weber / Dr. Omar Batal Jamie Hergott
FEBRUARY PHOTOGRAPHERS
Amy Payne / the Varvel Family H. Cole Photography / Collin Weber
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6 Local Writer Pens First Children's
24 What to Do If a Loved One is Having
9 Playing the Lovable Goof: Local
25 Q&A: Scott Flood: President,
Book
Resident Impersonates Barney Fife
15 A Reunited Love: Local Couple
Finds One Another 21 Years Later
20 How to Grow a Beautiful Life:
Forcing a Little Spring!
22 Trendy in Indy: 9 Winter Trends to
a Heart Attack
Plainfield Community School Corporation Board of School Trustees
28 For the Love of Family: The
Parks Family of Eight Rises to Life’s Challenges
Try Now
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Author Heather Chastain
LOCAL WRITER PENS FIRST CHILDREN'S BOOK Writer / Kara Kavensky
“Daddy is going to be here to get you off the bus today,” said Heather Chastain to her daughter Caroline one morning. “Where will you be?” is the first question Caroline asks immediately after learning of the new after-school plan. Before her mom can answer, she continues with, “You need to call Daddy and be sure he knows this and what to do.” Caroline is 8. “It is exhausting raising two independent women … one of whom is now a third-grader and the other is 5,” says Heather. She and her husband Blake, who is the owner of Management Recruiters out of Zionsville, celebrate their daughters each and every day. As soon as Caroline could speak, what came out was hilarious. Heather, an Emmy-winning news producer and writer, took detailed notes. Heather knew she needed an outlet to share these adorable gems, and by using an app called Little Hoots, she turned Caroline’s statements into cute memes and posted them to Facebook. Soon Heather had built a large following. “Word got out, literally … my mom’s friends and friends of my friends were sending me
friend requests with notes like, ‘Your daughter is so funny!’” shares Heather. Another fan wrote to her, “Oh my gosh, Heather, Caroline is hysterical. Keep it coming!” “Once when Caroline was about 2½, I told her we were going to Target,” shares Heather of an early example. “Her response was, ‘Great! I need a few things!’” While Heather’s parenting is an overwhelmingly positive experience, she feels it’s healthy to share little bits of the less-thandesirable moments, such as the screaming fits. “This girl belongs on stage,” says Heather of Caroline. But before Caroline may appear on stage, she is already in print. “Caroline Girls” is the first children’s book penned by Heather. Of course, she has plenty of material from Caroline. Heather has written five stories in total so far, and “Caroline Girls” is the first in the series to be published. “It’s cathartic for me to write. I love it,” shares Heather. It took a while for Heather to share them with her husband. She felt they were personal and held them close to her heart. When she did finally share them, Blake responded positively.
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“These are good,” said Blake immediately upon reading them. Heather responded, “Of course you like them. You’re my husband.” “No, these are really good,” Blake stated with the utmost sincerity. Heather set out to have a positive impact on the world and realized the best way for her is through children. The book is about the freedom of being accepted, no matter what your mood is that day or what you wear. The emphasis is on kindness and inclusivity. There are illustrations where a Caroline girl is in a soccer uniform, in a wheelchair, wearing a tutu or shown with braces on their teeth. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. “I receive comments and reviews that little girls insert their own name instead of Caroline, and that is the whole point!” shares Heather, who is all about empowering young girls. “And now that my youngest is almost 5, I am feeling a bit of pressure to write Kate stories, so we will see how that goes.” “Anyone with a heart of gold can be a Caroline girl is what I am told…” “Caroline Girls” is for sale on Amazon and from her website, carolinegirls.com.
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Playing the Lovable Goof Local Resident Impersonates Barney Fife Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided by Amy Payne & the Varvel Family
FEBRUARY 2020
I
n the mid-90s, Terry Varvel was asked by Paul Strychalski, a member of his church, if he would be willing to dress up like a security guard as part of a comedy/drama performance the church was doing for the community. Varvel agreed and then Strychalski threw out an idea. “I want you to do it as Barney Fife,” he suggested. Varvel, 35 at the time, had been a longtime fan of the "Andy Griffith Show” so he was all in. A police officer friend, Bill Wright, hooked him up with a uniform for the performance. A few months later, Clermont was having a parade that included the Mayberry car from Danville’s Mayberry Cafe. Once again Varvel was asked to play the part of bumbling and loveable Barney Fife, a character that was brought to life by the late Don Knotts. For the parade, Varvel wore a hat, a Mayberry badge, and a new tan uniform that Wright got for him. He quickly settled into character. “I was pretty shy in high school so I never had the nerve to try out for school plays,” Varvel says. By his mid-20s, however, he enjoyed entertaining friends with his Jack Nicholson and George H.W. Bush impersonations. When he was in his 30s, he saw a comedian do a Don Knotts impersonation, soon thereafter, Strychalski asked him to perform in the church show. “Because I’m four inches taller than Don Knotts was and don’t particularly look like him, I try to mimic his voice and his mannerisms,” says Varvel, who continues to work on his craft each time he dons the uniform. For the past three years, he has participated in Danville’s Mayberry in the Midwest, a three-day event that started in 2014 and includes live music as well as tribute artists who mingle with the crowd and reenact scenes from the show. David Browning, who is known as The Mayberry Deputy, played Fife the first three years. Browning and Allan Newsome (who has played Floyd for 27 years) are the two guys who got the tribute artists up and running. One of the tributes is Dixie Griffith, Andy’s daughter, FEBRUARY 2020
"It’s been amazing becoming part of the Mayberry community. It really is a fun job.” - Terry Varvel
who plays one of the “Fun Girls,” along with Michelle Bryson. “Michelle told me recently that I’ve come a long way in the past three years and that made me feel good because I’m always trying to improve what I’m doing,” says Varvel, a lifelong Hendricks County resident, who grew up in Danville. Before his first Mayberry in the Midwest, Varvel reached out to Browning for advice. “He was supportive and told me to just have fun,” Varvel recalls. “‘When you have fun, everyone else will, too. And besides, everyone wants to see Barney.’” At Mayberry in the Midwest, Varvel writes fake citations from his ticket book that includes his photo, email address and phone number so that fans can reach him. Last year as Varvel and his wife, Tonya, were leaving the event, they found a car parked illegally so Varvel wrote out a ticket that said, “You’ve been ticketed by Deputy Barney Fife” and stuck it on the vehicle’s windshield. A few days later, he received an email from the owner who asked if the citation was real. Varvel wrote back and explained that he’s a Barney Fife impersonator.
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“But I added, ‘P.S. You were illegally parked, though!’” Varvel says. For the past 25 years, Varvel has transformed himself into Fife for various parties, festivals, parades and community events. There’s an annual
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FEBRUARY 2020
festival in Mount Airy, North Carolina, called Mayberry Days that lasts an entire week. Varvel has participated in the event for the past two years when Kenneth Junkin (Otis) invited him to join the fun. According to Varvel, in total there are about a dozen Mayberry shows and festivals across the country, most of which occur in the south and Midwest. Though most teenagers have no clue who Barney Fife is, a good number of preschoolers are familiar with the character thanks to babysitting grandparents who watch the “Andy Griffith Show” in reruns. There is the occasional 20-something who geeks out to Barney Fife, however. For instance, last September when Varvel was working Mayberry Days, a group of college students told him that they had traveled to North Carolina from Minnesota to attend the festival. Varvel was shocked that they would come from such a distance. “We love the Andy Griffith Show!” they said. “We watch it all the time!” Earlier this fall, Varvel was dressed as Fife for a two-day car show at Conner Prairie. While there, Varvel issued a speeding ticket to “The Munsters” Eddie Munster (Butch Patrick) that was shown on WTHR 13
Sunday Morning News. On the way home, Varvel and his wife decided to grab a meal at the Mayberry Cafe in Danville. Still in uniform, Varvel walked around to a few of the tables, cutting up with the customers. “It was fun, and hey — I got a free meal out of it!” says Varvel with a chuckle. Tracy Whetstone of Visit Hendricks County has asked Varvel to perform as Fife when they have groups meeting at the Mayberry Cafe or a tour bus comes through town with a group of seniors. The owners of the Mayberry Cafe, Brad and Christine Borne, are also big fans of Varvel’s Barney. “They’ve been so supportive of me. I don’t think any of this would have happened if it wasn’t for the Mayberry Cafe,” says Varvel, who this year was also asked to travel to Kentucky to play Fife for a car show. “It was an organization that was raising money for a search-and-rescue team in their town,” says Varvel, who plans to go back in June when they pair the car show with a town celebration. Avon Police Deputy Chief Brian Nugent FEBRUARY 2020
asked Varvel to entertain at Avon’s National Night Out Against Crime for the past two years. It was there that Varvel issued a citation for vagrancy to WTHR 13’s Kelly Greene during one of her location spots. Browning and the Mayberry tribute artists do a big fundraiser every year in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for an organization called Eagle’s Wings that helps adults with special needs. “Those folks are so loving,” Varvel says. “They just love when the tributes come in and do their thing.” Varvel, at 59, is relatively new to the Mayberry community. Several of the other tribute actors were fortunate enough to meet Don Knotts, Andy Griffith and some of the other cast members. Browning even opened Don Knotts’ show in Branson, Missouri, dressed as Barney Fife. “Don Knotts gave the okay for David to be Barney Fife. That’s incredible to me,” says Varvel, who would have loved to have met those guys. He did, however, meet Betty Lynn, the actress who played Thelma Lou. He also met Knotts’ daughter Karen, a comedian who performs a one-act show
called “The Deputy’s Daughter." Varvel does get compensated for some of these appearances, however, it’s not enough to pay the rent so he works as a graphic specialist for 5MetaCom, an ad agency in Indianapolis. Varvel and his wife have two grown children: Alec, who married Natalie in 2018, and Alivia, a recent graduate of Ball State. “It’s been amazing becoming part of the Mayberry community,” says Varvel, who hopes to continue to score more gigs as Fife simply because it makes his heart happy. “It really is a fun job.” This year Mayberry in the Midwest will take place May 15-17. For more information about Varvel or to hire him for a party or event, call 317-4602768 or email tavarvel@gmail.com.
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Children’s Dental Health Month! To celebrate Children’s Dental Health Month, Dr. Blair Bumgardner is helping us answer some common questions parents have about teething. What are some common signs of teething?
This February, Dr. Blair Bumgardner and her team will move across the street to 7900 E. US Highway 36 in Avon. The new space will feature larger rooms, convenient parking and a kid-friendly atmosphere. Although our name and address will change, you can expect the same great care from the same great team.
When your child is teething, you’ll often find them chewing on objects or fingers because of their sore and tender gums. The gums may be puffy in the area where the tooth is about to erupt. You’re also likely to see an increase in salivation and, sometimes, a lowgrade fever of around 99°F. Your little one might even be a bit more irritable than usual.
What is the best way for parents to care for emerging teeth? Parents should run a clean, damp washcloth or soft infant toothbrush over your baby’s gums every day. This cleansing can keep bacteria from building up in your baby’s mouth. The American Board of Pediatric Dentistry recommends brushing with a rice-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. If your infant is still feeding at night, brush or wipe erupting teeth once feeding is over. To help alleviate your child’s discomfort, you can use oral pain medications, such as Infant or Children’s Tylenol or Motrin, and chilled teething rings. Over-the-counter teething gels are not recommended.
When should my child see the dentist for the first time? The American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommend scheduling a dental visit once the first tooth appears and no later than his or her first birthday. Dr. Blair Bumgardner is a board-certified pediatric dentist.
Schedule an appointment with Dr. Blair today by calling (317) 561-0090! Kid's Dentistree • 7900 E. US Highway 36, Suite K • Avon, IN 46123
Kevin and Molly Pattison
A Reunited Love Local Couple Finds One Another 21 Years Later Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photographer / H. Cole Photography
FEBRUARY 2020
T
he eighth-grade school trip to Washington, D.C. is all about diving into our country’s history. But for Kevin and Molly Pattison, the trip was historic for another reason. The year was 1991, and the students at Brownsburg Junior High were about to board their flight when Molly, a selfdescribed nerd, discreetly pointed out a cute boy to her mom. Convinced that Kevin Pattison was out of her league, Molly initially admired him from afar. During the trip, however, she worked up the nerve to approach him and when she returned home, she told her mom, ‘Remember that boy I told you
about? He’s my boyfriend now!’” Their first official date involved Kevin’s sister driving them to Applebee’s and then to Lafayette Square Mall. The pair dated for nine glorious months before splitting up. “The last time I saw him was at our high school graduation ceremony in 1996,” Molly says. Though they went on to live separate lives — Kevin joined the Marine Corps and Molly went to Ball State and later earned a degree in Health Information Management from IUPUI — somewhere deep in their hearts, a connection still lingered.
“I thought of him every year on his birthday. He was born on 7/7/77 so how could I forget?” says Molly, who had dreams of them reuniting. But dreams are just that — fun slices of fantasy reserved for our subconscious. Molly moved on with her life, marrying and having two children. When that relationship faltered, she threw herself into a fitness routine to improve both her physical and emotional well-being. One day in 2012, her gym posted her progress pic on social media. Kevin happened to see it and messaged Molly to congratulate her. “My mouth fell wide open when I heard from him,” Molly says. “It had been 21 years since we were boyfriend and girlfriend, My initial feeling was nervous but then excited.” When Kevin messaged Molly, he hadn’t a clue that she was finalizing her divorce. As it turns out, he was doing the same. In many ways, their lives paralleled each other and, once again, their interest in the other was syncing up. There was just one minor glitch. Kevin was stationed in Japan serving in the Marine Corps. He was about to be sent to California to serve for an additional two years. First, he was coming home for a twoweek visit with family. “I’d like to see you,” Kevin said. As soon as he got back to Indiana, they met up at Arbuckle Acres in Brownsburg. “It was late at night and we hung out on the playground. We thought it would be fun to act like kids again,” says Molly, who confesses that she momentarily lost her breath when she first laid eyes on her eighth-grade sweetheart. As for Kevin, he says, “It felt like we just picked up where we left off — like we never had 21 years in between. It was natural.” The two were inseparable during that twoweek period. “We spent every day together and fell back in love very quickly,” Molly says. “It’s funny. We didn’t even talk about whether we’d date long-distance. We just knew we were going to make it work.” And they did. Molly flew out to California
FEBRUARY 2020
three or four times per year and he flew home once or twice per year. They talked, texted and Skyped daily. On November 5, 2013, after a year and a half of dating, Molly got gussied up and accompanied Kevin to the Marine Corps Ball. Throughout the entire shindig, Kevin concealed an engagement ring beneath his hat. He invited her to go outside in front of the hotel’s giant fountain where he got down on one knee and privately popped the question. When they went back inside, the DJ announced their engagement to a roaring crowd. “It was the coolest thing to have a room full of Marines screaming in celebration,” Molly says.
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Marrying meant officially blending their families (Molly had two children from her previous marriage and Kevin had four from his). Thankfully, the transition was rather seamless.
The pair married on July 3, 2015 — exactly 24 years to the date that eighth-grade Kevin penned a letter to Molly while on vacation at his family’s cabin in Connecticut. That letter is framed and sits on the couple’s living room mantle. Sadly, Kevin's dad passed away from cancer eight months before their nuptials. “We honored him by having a chair designated with his picture in the front row of the wedding,” Molly says. “Our first fast dance included our kids and was to “Thriller" by Michael Jackson. Our first slow dance was to “Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers — the song Kevin and I danced to for the first time at an eighth-grade dance.” Kevin served in the Marine Corps for
18-plus years, retiring in August 2014. He was stationed in Marine Corps bases in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, Camp LeJeune in North Carolina, Camp Hansen in Okinawa, Japan and Camp Pendleton in California. He did two tours in Iraq. During his Marine Corps career, he also visited South Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Brunei, Singapore, Guam and Kuwait. After his retirement ceremony, Kevin and Molly hopped into his two-seater Chevy pick-up truck and drove cross-country along Route 66. They stopped at March Air Field Museum in Arizona, the Grand Canyon, Devil’s Rope Museum in Texas, Cadillac Ranch in Texas and the Blue Whale of Catoosa in Oklahoma. Today the family — Ryan (18), Justin
(16), Mark (15), Taylor (14), Gracie (12) and Emily (12) — resides in Avon. Kevin is a Generator Technician for W.W. Williams, working primarily commercial but also residential generators doing installs, repairs and maintenance. Molly is a coding consultant in the medical field. One of Molly’s all-time favorite memories of her husband is from when they were in eighth grade and shared a Christmas Eve kiss beneath the mistletoe. “It was the best kiss I’ve ever had in my life,” Molly says. “I literally felt like I was lifted off the ground.” Kevin still vividly recalls their first date in eighth grade. He stood in Molly’s entryway, at the bottom of the stairs, wearing a Cubs jersey and holding a single
Molly cheering at BHS
FEBRUARY 2020
red rose he had spritzed with Drakkar (the primo cologne of the 90s). Though drawing one in by utilizing olfactory senses certainly works, Molly cites communication as the key ingredient to maintaining a healthy marriage. And to communicate most effectively, Molly suggests learning your spouse’s primary love language. “Mine is physical touch so I like to hold hands, kiss and hug,” she says. “Kevin and I are very affectionate. The kids love it now that they’re teenagers— not! Kevin’s main love language is acts of service. He enjoys when I do little things for him like pack him a lunch or make his favorite dessert.” And we must never underestimate the power of laughter. For instance, during the March 2018 spring break snowstorm, Kevin suggested that they don swimsuits and sunglasses and lounge in the fluffy white stuff for a photoshoot. Molly was all in. “We like to make each other laugh,” Molly says. “I have video of him dancing in the aisle at Walmart on New Year’s Eve. I can be quite the goof as well.” Breakfast Served Until 10:30AM
Neither Molly nor Kevin take for granted this second chance at love that they were given.
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“It feels like fate,” Molly says. “He was my first love. I never really fell out of love with him.”
FEBRUARY 2020
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FORCING A LITTLE SPRING! Writer / Carrie Petty
Forcing bulbs to bloom indoors in the winter can make gray days feel sunny. Once you experience the satisfaction of forcing blooms in the winter, you’ll likely not let another year pass without planning for your indoor flower oasis. This is a fun and easy process. The bulb already contains everything it needs to grow and bloom. They are self-contained little miracles. Sleeping under the brown, onion-like layers lies enough energy to produce one or two beautifully intricate flowers. A bulb is essentially a self-contained,
underground pantry of food for a bloom. Roots are sent down from the bulbs base to find water and nutrients for stocking the “pantry,” and the stem grows up towards the sun to support the bloom. Once a bloom is finished giving you its full beauty (usually from one to two weeks) the foliage dies back. Often a forced bloom is too poopedto-pop again in the garden, so I put them in the compost bin. Amaryllis, however, can be left to grow out their foliage and this helps to replenish the bulb for another year. The fun begins with the selection of the bulbs. Flowers of the Narcissus family, or Jonquils, Paperwhites, Amaryllis and FEBRUARY 2020
Daffodils, are the easiest for indoor forcing. They are readily available in most garden centers. Select bulbs that are already ‘cooled’ or ready to force. The bulbs you choose should be well developed and hard to a thumb’s press, with no damaged or soft areas. The bigger the bulb, the larger the bloom. The brown paper-like covering should be left on to protect the fleshy layers beneath. Now, all you need is a decorative container, a few small stones, sunshine and water. Select a pot or saucer, which is “watersealed” to protect your furniture. Moisture will build under the dish so put it on a plate
or pretty platter. Always use containers that you love! Place small stones in the base of the dish and arrange you bulbs. I prefer the water method for forcing bulbs. But bulbs planted three-fourths deep in soil, just so the tips peek-out works perfectly. Once the bulbs are in the dish, just fill with water about one-third the way up. A great little tip is to place a small piece of charcoal under the stones, this helps keep the water supply fresh!
Place you beautiful dish in a sunny window and keep an eye on the water level each day. Within a few weeks you will be greeted with happy green sprouts. I love every, single growing stage. And I love having the fresh, crisp color of garden green in my kitchen window. It is crazy to me that the bloom is sound asleep inside the bulb, just waiting to come out! This is a fantastic task to do with children, it teaches them to take care of nature and to appreciate the beauty that surrounds them each day. Taking pleasure in the smallest of miracles.
To make your indoor blooms even more interesting, I suggest you sprinkle grass seed on top of bulbs planted in soil. Grass takes about seven to 12 days to germinate (when the seed breaks open and shoots emerge). I love having grass seed around for dinner party planters and special little pots placed at the head of each plate for place card holders. Gardening is a year-around event in the Petty household. Forcing flowers in the winter, it’s all a part of helping to teach you, “How to Grow a Beautiful Life!”
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9 W I N T E R T R E N D S TO T R Y N O W
Writer / Stephanie Weber Photographer / Collin Weber
I don’t know about you, but I feel like the temperature in Indy dropped drastically this year. I was ready for the change in weather though because my chunky knit sweaters were calling my name, although I might have a different opinion as the weather gets colder. If you’re like me, you’re probably having a slightly difficult time rolling out of bed in the morning to get dressed for the day. Your warm bed probably sounds much better
than putting on your work clothes and heading out into the crisp winter morning. To give you some inspiration, I wanted to share a few winter trends that are easy to include in your wardrobe this year. 1. STATEMENT JACKETS
I have to be honest in saying that I don’t always love to feel like a marshmallow in my winter coat and driving in it is the worst. It does keep me warm, but it’s great to have some variety with statement coats. We’ve seen the teddy jacket all over Instagram and Pinterest so that’s the one FEBRUARY 2019 2020
I’m adding to my coat closet this year. It’s soft, generally not too bulky and easy to layer. Statement coats are great for the day when you want to actually wear your coat as part of your outfit. 2. SHERPAS
Oh, they’re back! And still just as cozy. This was a trend we saw in every store last winter. It seemed like these oversized, cuddly pullovers were designed in every color, with pockets or without pockets. Sherpas are great for your weekend running around or your evening routine with your kiddos.
seeing a little bit of everything when it comes to animal print this year. Snakeskin booties or mules have been hugely popular with cowl neck cardigans and denim. I personally own at least three leopard sweaters or cardigans and a couple of shoes in the print. It’s neutral enough to be dressy and not overstated.
3. PLEATED SKIRTS
Now hear me out before you think, “no way.” Pleated skirts were seen all over the runways for winter this year. They are being styled with sweaters, band tees and moto jackets, turtlenecks and statement coats. I personally love these skirts because the length is appropriate for work or cocktail hour and the 6. SHADES OF BROWNS shoe possibilities are endless to complete the look. These skirts are also great for the holiday It feels like we went back to the 70s for this color to become a trend again, but designers are parties you have coming up. eating it up. Brown is one of those colors that I like because it’s different and can be used in a 4. OVERSIZED CARDIGANS variety of staple pieces. From sweaters to pants Sweater weather, cardi party, whatever term to dresses, you can find this shade in all of it. works for you, cardigans are in! It seems that the more oversized they are, the better. I personally 7. SLOUCHY BOOTS style these chunky knits with a striped long The boots I’m wearing here are some of my sleeve tee underneath and my comfortable favorite of all time. They combine two trends Hudson denim from Evereve. You’ll also find that I’m generally wearing a comfortable bootie with the plaid print and it’s funny how much these actually go with. Slouchy boots are great of some type for a relaxed look. with skirts or denim. 8. BLAZERS
5. ANIMAL PRINT
Hello zebra, leopard and snakeskin. We are
essential. I personally rock blazers with band tees, lace tanks, regular white tees or even over sweaters. You can do so much with this piece in your daily life and transition it across seasons so, for me, it’s a must. 9. PLAID
It’s the last trend I want to highlight, but probably one of the most relatable for those of us in Indy who enjoy a good sweater or cardigan layered with our favorite plaid flannel, curled up by the fire, sipping a White Russian. You can see the picture I’m painting and likely have a plaid in your closet right now. So, cheers to you, you’re on trend. Winter fashion is a great time to play with layers, new colors and even a fun print or two. If you’re wondering more about how to style these trends you can visit trendyinindy. com or head on over to Pinterest for some inspiration. Cheers to winter trends at their best!
Bring on the blazers because this is a wardrobe
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What to Do If a Loved One is Having a Heart Attack Dr. Omar Batal, Cardiology
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 790,000 Americans have a heart attack each year. A heart attack can happen to anyone at any moment. Dr. Omar Batal, cardiologist at IU Health West Hospital, provides steps to take if you believe your loved one is having a heart attack. Call 9-1-1 Symptoms are usually more-than-mild (moderate or severe) chest pain, or discomfort in the middle of the chest that is unprovoked (sudden onset) and lasts more than 15 minutes (or if it resolves, comes back with activity). Sometimes symptoms can be tricky and perceived as chest burning, arm pain, throat pain or back pain, but would be sudden in onset and outside of a person’s comfort level. First and foremost, dial 9-1-1. Do not drive your loved one to the hospital if they are experiencing symptoms or discomfort. It is important to begin treatment right away, and emergency responders can begin treating your loved one in the ambulance. Stay on the line with the dispatcher and wait for their instructions
until the ambulance arrives. While your initial reaction might be to physically try and help them, it’s important to understand that you are helping your loved one by getting them medical attention as soon as possible. Use aspirin If you know your loved one is not allergic to aspirin, give them one aspirin (325 mg) to swallow or chew. Aspirin helps to prevent blood clots, which can lead to a heart attack. When someone is having a heart attack, the aspirin works to keep their blood flowing. Have your loved one chew the aspirin to speed up the effects. Perform CPR If your loved one is unconscious, the 9-1-1 dispatcher may advise you to begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) until help arrives. The American Heart Association recommends performing chest compressions at a rate of 100-120 compressions per minute. While performing CPR, you can time compressions to the tempo of the song “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees. Consider participating in a CPR training workshop - you never know when you’ll need to use it. Aside from knowing what you can do if your loved one is having a heart attack, it’s just as important to be familiar with the signs of a heart attack. The most common symptoms of a heart attack include chest pain, shortness of breath, light-headedness, pain in the jaw, neck, or back, and pain in the arms or shoulders.
FEBRUARY 2020
Q&A: Scott Flood President, Plainfield Community School Corporation Board of School Trustees Writer / Jamie Hergott Photography Provided
Tell us a little bit about your work and career history. I’m a freelance business writer. I started in advertising and started my own business gig in 1995. I work for a lot of different companies and websites doing articles, blogs and some ghostwriting. I’m a transplant out of Chicago. Tell us about your family. I have three adult kids - one lives in Fishers, one lives in Philadelphia and one lives five minutes from me. They’ve all gone through Plainfield schools. I have a granddaughter at Little Quakers Academy. Being a grandparent, I’m basically a built-in babysitter. What do you love about being a grandparent? It’s fun to be a little kid again. It’s fun to do all those kid things, to get down on your hands and knees, play with Legos, that sort of thing. Of course, that means I’m stepping on Legos again too, but that’s ok. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? I’m a model railroader. I’m also an avid hiker. One of my favorite places to hike is the nature park at DePauw University. It’s an amazing nature park there, and it’s only about half an hour away. It’s an incredibly great place to take kids - quiet and PlainfieldMag.com / FEBRUARY 2020 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / 25
safe. There’s a built-in old quarry and a trail that follows a creek. If you go, you’ll walk out with your mouth hanging open. It’s that amazing. I’ll hike five to six miles. I’m a fair-weather hiker. I’m not crazy. What’s your favorite restaurant in Plainfield? I really like Stone Creek Dining Company. The Thai Orchid is a close second. What is your favorite thing to do in Plainfield? I like walking the trails. We have great trails. Sometimes I’ll go and bike the B&O trail too. How long have you been the school board president, and how did you come into that role? We rotate, so I’ve been president several times. I was first elected in 2000. It’s my fifth term on the school board. I was just a classic parent volunteer at the schools. I was involved in the PTO among other things. Some people suggested I run for the board, and I decided to do it. What do you like most about your role as president? It is nice to play a role in guiding the future of young people and helping them become successful adults. It’s also nice to do it here because Plainfield is such a supportive community in terms of education. When we reach out to the community and ask for help, they’re right there. We don’t have the battles other communities have. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to raise my kids. What makes Plainfield schools different? We hire very well. We support the people we hire at every level, from administrative to teachers to custodians, bus drivers and cafeteria workers. We hire people who have a genuine interest in seeing kids succeed and who have big hearts. What’s a typical day in the life of a board member like yourself? This is a particularly busy year for me as president. We have a couple of big construction projects going on. Over the course of the year, I spend probably 300 to 350 hours on school board things. It’s a lot of meetings and a lot of communication. The monthly board meetings are actually a small part of the job. It’s a lot of working with others in the community, visiting schools and spending time in the classroom.
We’re always discussing the Imagination Lab. All elementary students, kindergarten through fifth grade, visit once a month for what’s called Odysseys. The curriculum changes each month. It’s a part of Plainfield schools that gives kids hands-on opportunities to explore things that they typically have not received in the classroom. Research says that by the time kids reach sixth grade, they decide if they’re good at science, math, arts, etc. But exposure is limited. The goal is to get kids exposed to all those things so that when they hit that sixth-grade point, they’re saying, “I want more,” instead of saying, “I’m not good at it.” We talk about the power of yet. I don’t know this…yet. I can’t do this…yet. What can we expect in 2020 and the upcoming school year? We’ve got two big projects underway right now. We’re doing a complete renovation of our middle school. It originally was built and opened in 1956. We’ve taken good care of it, but it was not designed to be a school for the 2020s. We are transforming it into that. It will have a whole new design with new hallways, new spaces, a new layout and a brand new entrance. It will be far more efficient with more safety considerations. It will open in the summer 2022. We are also building a fifth elementary school called Guilford Elementary, and it’s also slated to open in summer 2021. It’s going to be big enough to accommodate six sections of each grade, although we won’t start there. There will be room to grow. Guilford Elementary will have some new, exciting design features. Each grade level will be housed in its own neighborhood, so to speak, with its own bathrooms, collaborative learning spaces and storage. There will be an amazing amount of natural light. We’re transforming the media center into something completely different than what we’ve done before, incorporating some of the lessons we have learned from using the Imagination Lab. We’re still working through redistricting, but we’ll try to do it with as little disruption as possible to the community. We are also working with the town of Plainfield on MADE at Plainfield. It will be an adult learning facility where we’ll bring together - at least initially - Ivy Tech, Vincennes and WorkOne. We are talking to some other universities about classes. It will be where these organizations can consolidate the classes that they have scattered everywhere so adults can get the skills they need for today’s jobs. We have the added advantage of it being across the street from the high school. That will allow us to offer dualcredit classes taught by Ivy Tech and Vincennes. We’ll be able to teach things like diesel technology, cybersecurity, medical assisting in
26 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / FEBRUARY 2020 / PlainfieldMag.com
the medical lab, and we’ll have a logistics training facility that will be used by people throughout the region. We are emphasizing social and emotional learning in 2020. Kids today frankly have greater needs. We’ve beefed up our counseling staff and resources. We aim to have more traumainformed classrooms by educating teachers on what that means. What do you want people to know about the Plainfield school board? There’s not a lot to say about us. It’s really a joint effort with others in the community. We changed our mission statement a couple of years ago, and it covers what learning in Plainfield is all about: Bringing joy to learning. It’s what we want. We’re talking about careers and technology, but ultimately we live for that moment when a first grader figures something out, jumps out of his chair and shrieks with joy. That’s what we want. We want that carried all the way through the grades. We want kids to want to come to school.
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COMPLETED HOMES READY FOR PURCHASE
The Parks Family of Eight Rises to Life’s Challenges Writer / Aaron Tevebaugh Photography Provided
Meet the new Plainfield Middle School 7th Grade Softball Coach Bryan Parks, his wife Carly, and their six amazing children. I have spent the last eight years working in leadership development and the last five years serving on the Avon Town Council. Needless to say, I have had the privilege of meeting a lot of people. However, it’s rare that I come across an individual, let alone an entire family, who I find absolutely impressive in all aspects. Though they love the competition and life lessons team sports provide, the Parks are a family first and athletes second.
I had the opportunity to meet the Parks family in the spring of 2017 when Bryan coached my daughter’s 8U softball team in Plainfield. Early on, I could tell there was something special about this family. His wife Carly was an assistant coach, his daughter Grace was also on the team, and the remaining family members were always hanging out around the fields. Yes, all the children, which were only four others at the time, and even grandparents were present to lend a helping hand. As the season progressed and I got to know more about Bryan and Carly, I could see they were exactly the kind of people I wanted coaching my daughter. In a world where fistfights and unruly parents at sporting events are the norm, I could tell these two had it together,
both on and off the field. When Bryan and Carly decided to start a family, they were faced with challenges from the start. They struggled for several years with infertility and after much research, thought, and prayer they came to the decision of entertaining adoption. They had some help in the process due to the fact a close family member had completed the process of adopting a girl from China. During the process of adoption, they received an amazing surprise, they became pregnant with their oldest daughter Sidney, who is now 13 years old. They were even more surprised two years later to find they were again expecting with their oldest son Jackson.
28 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / FEBRUARY 2020 / PlainfieldMag.com
A few years into their new family the Parks came to the realization they were very blessed to have their two children and believed it was time for them to pay it forward in some way. Believing they had enough love and resources to include an additional member in their family, they decided to proceed with the adoption service in China and Grace was brought home. Ironically, prior to the end of the process and trip to bring Grace home, Carly found out she was expecting another child, daughter Morganne who is now eight years old. Now many may think this family appears to be complete, but not quite yet. “We made a joke one day about having an empty seat in the van,” Carly says. “That ended up sparking our discussion for a 5th child.” In the end, the Parks were bringing a little brother home to the siblings, Haven who is now seven years old. Would he be the final member of the Parks family? The answer was maybe. “We had a serious discussion about a 6th child but wanted to ensure we could provide for an additional child without decreasing the quality of life for the other five,” Bryan says. “In the end, we decided we would go back to China for another child.” In 2017, the Parks brought River home and he made the family complete. Though the Parks’ home was full of love and joy in welcoming all the children into the family, they have not been without trials and challenges. Haven was diagnosed with osteogenesis imperfecta, better known as brittle bone disease. He has faced many struggles with simple things in life that most kids take for granted such as walking and playing. After River arrived home doctors diagnosed him with ventricular septal defect or a hole in the wall separating the two lower chambers of the heart. The Indianapolis doctors were surprised at how well River’s condition had been treated prior to his arrival. Grace lives and thrives with ectrodactyly, or limb difference. She does PlainfieldMag.com / FEBRUARY 2020 / PLAINFIELD MAGAZINE / 29
not allow the condition to slow her down, its actually quite the opposite. Grace has the heart of a competitor and the mind of a champion. She is by far one of the most impressive athletes I have ever watched, racking up multiple championships in various sports. “We push them all to embrace challenge,” Bryan says. “We want them to choose the hard path and appreciate the rewards that life’s challenges bring.” Bryan and Carly make a point to mention their appreciation for all the assistance they receive from both extended families. “Everyone has been great from both sides of our family,” Carly says. “From grandparents to aunts, uncles and cousins, we have such an amazing support system where everyone plays a valuable role.” Carly was accustomed to having a full house growing up as her parents were volunteers for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana. Bryan and Carly believe it is important to ensure Grace, Haven and River are exposed to as much of their original culture as possible. The family makes an annual trip to a local Chinese Community Church as well as celebrating Chinese New Year and MidAutumn Festival. “It’s a great experience and learning opportunity for all of the kids,” Carly says. “We are not a bilingual family and generally do not eat Chinese food but it’s important to educate all the kids on various aspects of the Chinese culture.” So why sports, I asked Bryan. What is it about softball that drives you to spend so much time at the diamonds year-round? “It’s a great way to affect a positive influence on a lot of young minds at once,” Bryan says. “It’s not about me or what I can do to compete, it’s about what I can do for them in focusing on fun but teaching them to learn, have a work ethic and about pride. Used in the right way, sports is an amazing life lesson.” Bryan and Carly both love being at the fields
and coaching their children. It’s no surprise they are so comfortable doing so as both were raised by coaches. Bryan’s father was a football coach, and his grandfather was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. Carly’s parents were both softball coaches and she too has fond memories of spending time at the fields as a child. So how does a family of eight who spends so much time at sporting events find balance in life?
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“It’s not easy, but we have a routine that we stick to,” Carly says. Bryan is the sole provider for the family working as a solutions architect in the data center field. “One thing that coaching allows us to do is spend time with the family and set our own schedules,” Bryan says. “As far as finding balance in our marriage, it takes a lot of work from both sides. We are lucky that we have two to three hours every night once the kids go to bed to catch up with each other, talk or just decompress and watch movies.” As I began to wrap my visit with the Parks up, I had to ask them both for the best advice they could give on parenting. Bryan replied quickly, “Always make joint decisions and have a united front. We never go through with anything we both are not 100% onboard with.”
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Carly was excited to follow up with, “Gratitude is the key to happiness in life and it’s contagious.” As for the future, Bryan and Carly are happy with their family and have no plans to make any new additions. They did however bring Noel, the family dog, home late last year. The kids seem to love having a dog in the house, and Noel seems to complete an already amazing family. Aaron Tevebaugh is a leadership and organizational development consultant and a member of the Avon Town Council. He can be reached at aarontevebaugh@gmail.com
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