In Lisa Strueh’s memory, a trail for the community ready for dedication
Plus, West Lafayette slows the emergency over the ATO house demolition request. Mail carriers ready to take your food donations. And prepping to welcome home the Honor Flight
Thanks this morning to sponsor Stuart & Branigin for support to help make this edition of the Based in Lafayette reporting project possible.
The new trail around Immanuel United Church of Christ, the one that bears Lisa Strueh’s name and memory, was a draw from the start.
“It has been amazing to see people come to the trail,” the Rev. T.J. Jenney, pastor at the Lafayette church, said about a project that started in 2019.
“From the very moment we just staked it out with yellow flags, people of every age began walking it and bringing their friends and family, as well as their pets,” Jenney said. “People will come up to me all the time and want to thank the church for the trail.”
On Saturday, they’ll dedicate Lisa’s Faith and Fitness Trail, a 0.41-mile paved path that circles Immanuel and runs along the edges of the church property, just off South 18th Street.
That same morning they’ll hold the annual Laces for Lisa 5K, a run and walk in memory of Lisa Strueh, a McCutcheon High School and Purdue graduate killed by an impaired driver in April 2016. Strueh, who grew up in the Immanuel United Church of Christ congregation, had been on her way to her home in Avon from a shift at Community Hospital East in Indianapolis.
She was 26, a former cross country runner at McCutcheon who still ran half-marathons, ending each one with a thumbs-up photo. Weeks before she was killed, she’d been engaged to be married.
The trail includes a mix of fitness stations and spots for reflection, open dawn to dusk.
“I think one factor is that the trail is a gift from the Strueh family in honor of Lisa and her passion for running and life in general, but beyond that it is a gift for the community and not just the church,” Jenney said.
Denise Niblick is Lisa Strueh’s sister. We talked this week about the trail, the 5K and her sister.
Question: How many Laces for Lisa 5Ks will this be? And this is the first on the Lisa Trail, right?
Denise Niblick: This is the sixth annual Laces for Lisa 5K. The first three years – 2017, 2018, 2019 – took place in person at McCutcheon High School. 2020 and 2021 were virtual, due to the pandemic and city recommendations for group events. 2022 is the first year we will hold the event at Lisa's Trail and the route will take us through Jefferson High School campus and begin and end on the trail, which is 0.41 miles long, paved.
Question: Can you tell about how, after the crash, the Laces for Lisa concept got rolling?
Denise Niblick: Laces for Lisa began as a hashtag from our cousins who started posting photos of their shoes while running, hiking, doing chores, etc. This was shortly after Lisa passed away as a way to remember her. The cousins got together and decided they wanted to do an official 5K in her memory to honor her passion for fitness and serve as a way to fellowship together and spread awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving. Laces for Lisa then became an official 501(c)3 nonprofit.
Question: How did that lead to building the trail? I mean, how did the Lisa Trail come about? And how long did it take to get to this weekend’s formal dedication?
Denise Niblick: Building Lisa's Trail was an idea from a member of the Immanuel United Church of Christ congregation who worked with Lisa as a parish nurse. She suggested the idea of building a memorial trail around the property to allow community members to learn about Lisa's life and also share in her passion of fitness. The trail has been years in the making. It was broken down into three phases, which were conception/approval, paving and fitness stations. Before the trail was excavated it had to be cleared from overgrown branches, which was done by numerous church member volunteers.
Question: What were you hoping to build when you started? And how close did you come to making that happen, do you think?
Denise Niblick: In my opinion, the trail has become more than I had initially thought it would. I knew the paved trail would look much like it does, but the stations add such a great element of fitness and cross training. I don't think I expected them to be completed by now, and having little things like the dog clean up stations and signs to explain how to use the trail, it really makes it feel complete and welcoming for all community members. We hope to always be adding things to the trail to make sure it has good visibility, safe stations for users, and continues to spread joy to those who use it.
Question: When you tell people about Lisa, where do you start? And where does it take you?
Denise Niblick: Talking about Lisa is one of my favorite things. I think it can be really hard for others to broach the topic, because it's such a profound and tragic loss for our family. But I really enjoy sharing memories about her and still joking about sister rivalries as if she were still here. I share photos and stories about her often with people I meet, because I wear a lot of Laces for Lisa 5K shirts.
People ask about what Laces for Lisa means, and I can see it's hard for them to hear about the accident, which is usually what I lead with after explaining Lisa was my sister. I think sharing about the real life dangers of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol can make it a much more tangible experience. I often hear their stories of how they know of someone who has been lost to driving under the influence as well, which is heartbreaking. When I get to talk about Lisa's life, I love sharing how she lived a life of service to others. Hearing her age and how she recently became engaged also shows the impact of her loss in our lives.
The biggest impact of Lisa's loss, for me, came when I had children of my own. I remember the wave of emotion that came over me after having my first daughter, named Lisa Eleanor, in the hospital. Having such amazing nurses taking care of me and how all I really wanted was to have my big sister visit me and hold my daughter. She would have made sure I was taken care of, because she was an amazing and protective big sister. I have those feelings often throughout learning as I go in motherhood and how much I wish I would be going on this journey with her by my side.
Question: The trail’s open to everyone, right?
Denise Niblick: Yes! Open to the public with plenty of parking and lots of great visibility for those who might enjoy sitting to enjoy some wildlife or those who would like to walk while children play at the church's playground area.
Question: How often do you walk the trail?
Denise Niblick: Personally? We live in Lebanon, so it isn't as close for us, but we make it to the trail at least once a month, more lately while working on all the additions. My daughter loves going to the playground while we clean up the pavement or do some walking.
Question: What else should people know about the trail, about the run, about Lisa?
Denise Niblick: Lisa lived a life of service. She served others in her career as a charge nurse, she served God through her faith and fellowship, she served family and friends by spreading joy and positivity to all she met, and she served herself. What I mean by "herself" is she made sure to take care of herself by staying active through activities like running and hiking, and she also nourished her body so she could continue to help others, which is what she found to be her calling in life. She was a true role model to others and an incredibly hard worker who was always up for a challenge or a little competition.
IF YOU GO: The Laces for Lisa 5K and dedication of Lisa’s Faith and Fitness Trail will be Saturday, May 14, at Immanuel United Church of Christ, 1526 S. 18th St. in Lafayette. Registration is available before Saturday online at www.lacesforlisa.com or starting at 8 a.m. the day of the run. There will be a walking tour of the trail at 8:30 a.m., with a dedication at 9 a.m. The 5K starts at 9:15 a.m.
This and that ..
EMERGENCY HEARING ON ATO HOUSE DEMOLITION ON HOLD: Change of plans … An emergency meeting the West Lafayette City Council scheduled for Thursday afternoon to decide whether to effectively stop the demolition of the former Alpha Tau Omega fraternity house has been canceled. Instead, the proposal – one that would force 314 Russell St. into its own local historic district to stop a demolition permit for a house built in the 1920s – will go to city council members at their next regular monthly meeting, Tuesday, June 7. Peter Bunder, city council president, said Wednesday that there were issues with guaranteeing enough council members would be there for a quorum Thursday. “And this should give the developer more time to consider his options,” Bunder said.
The house, built in a Tudor Revival and Collegiate Gothic style, has been owned by PCM Properties for roughly two decades. The house has been vacant since spring 2021, when PCM pursued a redevelopment project that included razing the house in favor of a 101-bed apartment building with retail on the ground floor. That plan was rejected by the city council in October 2021. This week, the West Lafayette Historic Preservation Commission ratified an interim historic designation for the property, which put the demolition permit application on ice, for now.
Here’s a look at how the discussion played earlier this week, when the West Lafayette Historic Preservation Commission recommended that the city consider a local historic district for the property:
LEADERSHIP LAFAYETTE’S VOLUNTEER FAIR: Looking for a place to plug into the community? Leadership Lafayette will hold its annual volunteer fair from 4-6 p.m. Thursday at River City Community Center, 2842 Old U.S. 231 in Lafayette. Dozens of nonprofit groups will be there making their pitches and recruiting volunteers.
HONOR FLIGHT RETURNS: The Greater Lafayette Honor Flight returns next week with the first one-day, there-and-back trip to Washington, D.C., since before the pandemic. The flight leaving from Purdue Airport Tuesday, May 17, will carry a mix of 84 Vietnam and Korean war veterans to visit monuments dedicated to their service, Kevin Bol, one of the organizers of the revived organization, said. The flight is expected to arrive back at Purdue Airport at 7:30 p.m. that same day. In the past, crowds have gathered near the tarmac to welcome the veterans back to West Lafayette. Bol invited people to the airport that night to continue that tradition to help cap the day.
MAIL CARRIER FOOD DRIVE: Heads up before you hit the grocery store at the end of the week … on Saturday, the mail carriers will pick up nonperishable food donations as part of the National Association of Letter Carriers’ annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive. The donations in Greater Lafayette will go to Food Finders Food Bank for distribution to the nonprofit organization’s partner agencies. (A bag for the food drive popped up in our mailbox Wednesday.) For more details, here’s your link.
Thanks, again, to the ongoing support from Stuart & Branigin for sponsoring the Based in Lafayette reporting project and helping to make this edition possible.
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