Plainfield Magazine December 2022

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Chief Kyle Prewitt

STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE MEET KYLE PREWITT, PLAINFIELD’S CHIEF OF POLICE

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photographer / Amy Payne

It’s not always easy trying to figure out your path in life. When Kyle Prewitt first went to college, his plan was to become an attorney. He earned a degree in criminology, appreciating the fact that his major didn’t require a lot of math courses. He was, however, obligated to complete an internship in corrections and law enforcement. To fulfill the corrections side, he worked at a residential detention facility

for male juveniles. When it came time to secure a placement for the law enforcement requirement, he saw an ad declaring that Clinton, Indiana, was in need of reserve officers.

“I called to ask what that was, and learned that you needed to be trained as a police officer but that you didn’t get paid - that seemed like a great idea, right?” says Prewitt with a chuckle. As he went through the training, he started to look forward to going.

He liked that he could potentially bring some stability to perhaps the worst day of someone’s life.

“I realized, ‘I’ve got a talent here. Maybe I could make this a living,’” Prewitt says.

He graduated in May of 2003, married his college sweetheart, Amy, in October of 2003, and began working as a reserve officer. In February of 2004 he was deployed to Iraq with the U.S. Marine Corps during

Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2006 he joined the Plainfield Police Department (PPD).

At first, living in Plainfield was an adjustment after being raised in a small, southern Indiana town. While Plainfield isn’t big-city living, things were more fastpaced than he was used to. He did, however, appreciate the wonderful school system, all of the resources in the area and the close proximity to Indianapolis.

“As a kid, going to a Colts game was an allday event,” he says. “Here, it’s an afternoon. I’ve come to love living here. It feels like home.”

While at the PPD, Prewitt has served as a sergeant, lieutenant and deputy chief of operations. In June of 2022 Prewitt was named chief of police after serving as interim police chief since April. When he joined the PPD, he never aspired to become the chief of police, as he was happy in a patrol capacity. He enjoyed the variety of service calls and the fact that every day was different. As police chief, he’s trying to find ways to get community members more involved at the department. The department has held citizen academies for the town and will plan more in the future. He also wants to see the department get more involved in educating civilians on how to protect themselves, both physically and from online scammers.

Prewitt loves taking care of his community, and community members appreciate his level of care. He has had domestic violence survivors tell him that, thanks to his compassion and the resources he provided, they were able to escape a dangerous situation. He’s also had grateful folks tell him they got clean after their arrest. Just recently he was approached by a woman in a grocery store who tearfully shared that he was the reason her son got off of drugs. Following an overdose, he’s now flourishing.

“I don’t take those moments for granted,” Prewitt says. “It’s good to know you’ve made a difference in someone’s life.”

This career is suited for Prewitt, as he’s able to maintain a calm, cool head in the

face of chaos. “I tend to flourish in chaotic situations,” he says. “My wife gives me a hard time because I can make all these hard decisions at work, but then come home and can’t decide what to have for dinner.”

This fall Prewitt was confronted by his two biggest fears - losing an officer and losing a child. Officer Seara Burton was taken off of life support in Richmond after she was shot during a traffic stop. Around that time, a 4-year-old autistic child went missing in Plainfield. Sadly, her body was found in a retention pond.

“Those are hard things to deal with,” Prewitt says. He’s pleased, however, with the way the department has made progress in this area.

“When I first started [in law enforcement], you would go to a particularly nasty traffic accident or suicide - things that were difficult to see - and the method for getting beyond that was to take the next call,” Prewitt says. “If you talked about it at all, it was with the next officer during a shift change, over a cup of coffee.”

The department now takes a more proactive approach, with a wellness manager who works with public safety officers, creating a

network of counselors with whom officers can talk.

“It not only lets everyone know that it’s OK to not be OK, but it also helps navigate back to normal,” Prewitt says.

Time and again, he’s been impressed by the citizens of Plainfield. For instance, when the child went missing this fall, community members showed up to search the area.

“Any time we’re dealing with something major, the community shows up in ways we would have never expected,” Prewitt says. This is why he likes being involved in community activities. He and his wife have three children, Kaylee, 18, Brody, 14, and Lyla, 9. In his free time, Prewitt enjoys coaching youth sports. This past year he served as the varsity baseball associate head coach at Plainfield High School.

Heading into a new year, Prewitt hopes to provide more training opportunities for his officers. In recent months, more than one Indiana police officer has been fatally shot. Therefore, he wants to find ways to better protect officers, perhaps by acquiring additional equipment or protective items, or maybe taking a different approach to handling certain calls for service.

“There are two phrases that drive me crazy,” he says. “One is, ‘That’s not my job.’ The other is, ‘That’s how we’ve always done it.’ I task all of our folks with coming up with a better way.”

The PPD, like many employers, is in a perpetual state of recruiting. Prewitt would like to get his uniformed officers out and about in town more frequently, at farmers markets and other events.

“We want to be approachable as we’re out in the community,” he says. “I tell our officers that everybody who works here is a walking billboard for the police department. How we conduct ourselves reflects on what we support and what we stand for as an agency. I ask them to strive for excellence in everything they do.”

Joe Aldridge, deputy chief of police with the PPD, notes that while this might indicate that no mistakes can be made, it’s actually quite the contrary.

“Officers are human,” he says. “We all make mistakes. However, even though perfection is not attainable, in pursuit of it, excellence can be found.”

SANTA’S TRASH COOKIES

What you’ll need:

• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• ½ cup brown sugar

• 1 large egg

• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

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

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ⅓ cup crushed potato chips

• ⅓ cup crushed pretzels

• ½ cup mini white chocolate Reese’s Cups

• ½ cup mini chocolate Reese’s Cups

• ⅓ cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips

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

• ⅓ cup white chocolate chips

• ¼ cup sprinkles of choice

• Sprinkles of flaky sea salt for tops of cookies

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy holidays from our kitchen to yours!

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photographer / Amy Payne

Owners, Hal & Michelle Frye

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

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

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

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

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

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“This

Michelle says.

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

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

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

On the commercial side, in addition

- HAL FRYE -

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WINTER FALL PREVENTION:

HOW CAN YOU AVOID FALLING?

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

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

WHAT ARE SOME WAYS TO AVOID FALLING THIS WINTER?

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

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

WHEN SHOULD I GO TO AN ORTHOPEDIC SPECIALIST?

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

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

WONDERS OF WINTER

LET VISIT HENDRICKS COUNTY HELP YOU NAVIGATE THE HOLIDAY SEASON

Writer / Josh Duke

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

Our organization has already embarked on a milestone holiday season. For the 10th consecutive year, we unveiled our Hendricks County One-of-a-Kind Finds holiday gift guide. This guide has become a passion project, as we encourage locals and visitors alike to support these local small businesses rather than buying everything on Amazon or in those big-box retail stores.

In addition to uncovering our hidden shopping gems, we also love finding and sharing attractions and activities that families and individuals can enjoy this season. As you hopefully know, our organization has become known for our popular events calendar, and providing options for things to do here locally.

So, let’s get to all the great places to shop and fun things to do this season:

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

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

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

INDOOR ATTRACTIONS

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

X-GOLF - PLAINFIELD

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

Press Play Gaming Lounge - Brownsburg

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

THE TIE DYE LAB - AVON

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

KIDS PLANETBROWNSBURG

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

OUTDOOR WINTER ACTIVITIES

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

PENGUIN PARK - AVON

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

HOLIDAYS AT BEASLEY’S ORCHARDDANVILLE

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

HORSEBACK RIDES AT NATURAL VALLEY RANCHBROWNSBURG

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

HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS FOR SENIORS

own holiday-themed family photo shoot for grandma, grandpa and the whole family to enjoy!

Storyworth: This is a great gift for engaging a parent or grandparent’s memory. With a Storyworth subscription, they are emailed a question each week, and at the end of a year, Storyworth will bind their life stories into a beautiful hardcover book. “I love the book because it brings back good memories and allows my loved ones to share them with future generations.” Go to storyworth.com to start a book for your loved one.

— Jen Barnhart, Director of Product Integration & Business Development

Holiday shopping can be tricky. Do you lean more towards practical or personal presents? Older loved ones can be especially hard to shop for, as they seem to have it all — lifetimes of knick-knacks and keepsakes. How can you shower them with gifts that are new and different but also avoid cluttering their homes?

To keep up with its mission of being “local, helpful and personal,” CarDon & Associates — an Indiana-based senior living management company — compiled these staff picks of presents for seniors this holiday season! From space-saving gifts with universal appeal to Hoosier-specific ideas, you’ll surely find something for your loved ones on this list.

Skylight Frame: “Imagine a digital picture frame with rotating photos added in real time, and you have the Skylight Frame! To capture and share life’s many happy moments as soon as they happen, family members can simply email photos to the frame, where they will show up in a matter of seconds. This is an especially great gift for keeping loved ones connected to festivities if they won’t be able to visit during the holidays.” With a premium subscription plan, you can also include photo captions, create photo albums and send videos. Perhaps best of all, a digital frame is a great space saver for collecting memories. You can order this product directly from Skylight as well as Amazon or Walmart. — Kendra Fauth-Edwards, Chief Marketing Officer

The Simple Music Player: Reminiscent of an old-fashioned home radio, this music player instantly takes listeners down memory lane. Research shows that listening to familiar music improves mood and awareness in older adults facing memory loss. This music player works right out of the box with pre-loaded American classics, but gift-givers can also upload songs themselves, gathering all of their loved one’s favorites. “We loaded a mixture of my mom’s favorite songs, and she absolutely loves it! It keeps her company and brightens her spirits. We can also enjoy it together by reminiscing about when we first heard and fell in love with these songs.” Manufactured by SiMPL Technology, the Simple Music Player is available on Amazon, and it also ships for free from the MindCare Store and the Alzheimer’s Store. — Susan Bonner, Director of Marketing

Photo Shoot: The Internet has made it easier than ever to book photographers. Try Honeybook or PhotoSesh, and plan your

Personalized Picture

Blanket: Go online or head to Bed Bath & Beyond or Walmart to wrap your loved one in a warm blanket of memories over the holidays. What better way for them to curl up on the couch than with a cozy collage of pictures? This is an ideal gift, as it’s practical and personal, and it doesn’t take up as much room as photo albums.

The Gift of Experience: Make new memories over the holidays with experiencebased gifts for your loved ones. These are great alternatives to material gifts if you’re having trouble filling their stockings. “Visit the Indiana Historical Society’s Festival of Trees with them or take them to the Indiana Symphony Orchestra’s Yuletide Celebration. Getting tickets to fun, festive events like these will surely help make the season bright!” — Beth Cattoi, Regional Director of Marketing Book Club for Two: A book is a more traditional, physical gift, but you can make it special by sharing the reading experience with your loved one. Buy a copy for yourself, set mutual reading goals and schedule a time to meet with them — either virtually or in person — to discuss the book. What a beautiful way to bond!

Splurging on Something They Wouldn’t: “I love to find dependable splurge items for my parents — stuff they’d never spend the money on. Ugg is my go-to brand for slippers and cozy blankets. My parents fussed at me for ‘spending so much on slippers,’ but now it’s something they can’t live without. The slippers are nonslip, durable and super warm and fuzzy! The following year, I found the Ugg sherpa blanket for my dad, and it was another winner.”

Laurie Lasbury, Director of Community Engagement

—

For more information about CarDon & Associates, visit www.cardon.us

Three reasons why a mammogram is an important part of your preventive health

1

A mammogram can save your life. Early detection of breast cancer can increase a woman’s ve-year survival rate to 97%.

2

It doesn’t take much time. Mammograms are a quick procedure, only taking about 20 minutes.

3

Your risk of developing breast cancer increases as you age. The older you get, the more you are at risk of developing breast cancer. That’s why mammograms aren’t a one-and-done test.

Mammograms are vital to your health and longevity as a woman. Indiana University Health recommends routine screening mammography to improve the likelihood of detecting breast cancer early. If you have speci c questions about your level of risk for breast cancer, schedule an appointment with your primary care provider. Schedule your mammogram today. Call 317.217.3272.

iuhealth.org/mammo