inMiddlebury Magazine P.O. Box 68 Middlebury, IN 46540
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PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE ECRWSSEDDM PAID Berne, IN Permit No. 43
Celebrating Life in Middlebury, Indiana
APRIL 2022
2 inMiddlebury Magazine | APRIL 2022
Table of Contents
10
7
Middlebury Parks Department
Outdoor Living, 6 Dr. Carla Gull Nest Detectives
14 Science Olympiad Teams Compete at State
Scholar Athlete, 18
Rising to the Challenge: NRDT Season Six
Boys & Girls Club, 8 Middlebury Member Receives Award
21
CONTRIBUTORS: PUBLISHER: Don L. Hurd
EDITOR:
Desirée Beauchamp-Boucher
ADVERTISING: Scott Faust
GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Magdalena Franke
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Dr. Carla Gull, Chris Wheeler, Elma Chapman Desirée Beauchamp-Boucher
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS: Dr. Carla Gull, Kris Mueller, Russ Draper Linnea Wheeler, Desirée Beauchamp-Boucher
Major of Dogtown Chris Wheeler
Northridge Athletics, 24 Russ Draper
Tactical Urbanism Grant, 12 Mary Cripe
27 Give a Shout of Gratitude!
ON THE COVER – Northern Lights Show Choir “We’re gonna fight until the break of morning light ‘cause we are warriors, warriors tonight.” – Photo By Carrie Norris
Advertise with us Share your message with every home and business within the Middlebury School Corporation. We mail the magazine to homes and businesses throughout the Middlebury School District and publish it online. Your ad can reach each home for as low as 1.5¢ per address. Design is free with purchase of your ad. Our Account Managers are here to help, just give us a call at 574-228-3080 or email advertising@hurdmedia.com.
Advertising deadline for the April issue
is April 19.
inMiddlebury Magazine | APRIL 2022 3
Hello Middlebury!
APRIL
WEEKLY
WED: Middlebury Exchange Club, Essenhaus – 6:30 a.m. FRI: Optimist Club Breakfast, Essenhaus – 6:30 a.m.
Happy Apri! The daffodils and tulips are all springing out of the earth and warmer weather is here. I hope that life feels refreshed for all of you as well. Allow the joy of spring to let you love more loudly as we are entering all of the fun activities and community events that come with this time of year. Looking forward to seeing everyone out and about. Desirée Beauchamp-Boucher
MONTHLY AMERICAN LEGION DINNERS 5 -7 p.m., Public welcome 1st Friday: All-You-Can-Eat Fish by the Legion 2nd Friday: Grilled Smoked Pork Chops by Legion Riders 3rd Friday: Shrimp or Chicken Tender Dinner by SAL 4th Friday: Manhattan Dinner by the Legion 5th Friday: Brats by Boy Scout Troop 7 Last Saturday: Steak Grill – Call 825-5121 for more info
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
1ST & 3RD MONDAYS: Town Council Meetings at Town Hall – 6 p.m. 1ST & 3RD WEDNESDAYS: Middlebury Men’s Club Meetings at the American Legion – 7 p.m. 2ND AND 4TH MONDAYS: Middlebury Lions Club - 7 p.m., American Legion Hall
JANUARY – DECEMBER: MIDDLEBURY THEN & NOW SELF-GUIDED TOURS Pick up your free tour book at the Middlebury Community Historical Museum, Das Dutchman Essenhaus, Middlebury Visitor Center or other area locations and walk or drive to the various historical homes, businesses, cemeteries, parks and landmarks throughout the Middlebury area. Exterior tours only unless location is open for business. Free APRIL 15 – HOP INTO SPRING 4:00-6:00 PM; Stevens Puppets production, “Wizard of Oz” and a child-friendly craft; East Park (Library Community Room for inclement weather). Free 4 inMiddlebury Magazine | APRIL 2022
NOTABLE DATES APRIL 1 APRIL 7 APRIL 10 APRIL 15 APRIL 17 APRIL 27 APRIL 29
APRIL FOOL’S DAY NATIONAL CARAMEL CORN DAY NATIONAL SIBLINGS DAY TAX DAY EASTER SUNDAY WILDFLOWER & WETLAND WALK 5-6 p.m., Riverbend Park, see page 7 ARBOR DAY
National/World dates are brought to you by holidayinsights.com
April Birthdays 3/9 4/8
Braxton Nagy, 15 Chloe Breniser Happy Sweet 16! 4/10 Julie Bontrager 4/13 Rachel Schaut 4/14 Lori Ray
Happy 2nd Birthday Sweet Nolan! Love Grandma & Grandpa Raber
Happy 40th Birthday to the love of my life Marcus Boucher!
4/16 4/16 4/20 4/26 4/29 4/30
MeLinda Taylor Kathy Huys Isa Juroff Nolan Cripe, 2 Marcus Boucher, 40 Brian Mueller
Happy Birthday Lori!
Happy 13th Birthday Isa! We love you so very much! Mom, Tristan, and Indigo
Have a celebration in May?
Let us know by April 18 Email inmiddleburymagazine@gmail.com or call 260-463-3660. Be sure to include Name, Birth or Anniversary Date, Age or Years Celebrating. Don’t forget a photo and a short note if you like.
inMiddlebury Magazine | APRIL 2022 5
OUTDOOR LIVING
NEST Detectives
Birds are busy making and using nests each spring! We recently attended a program by Phelicia Jozwiak from Elkhart County Parks (ECP) to learn more about nest building. Since ECP has a permit for educational purposes, we were able to see many recovered nests up close, using clues from the materials, shape, and size of the nests to figure out which bird had made it. Some of the nests we investigated included: • Ruby-throated Hummingbird—tiny nests made of light colored lichen and spider webs • Red-winged Blackbird—wide grasses and weed stems woven into a deep cup and lined with delicate plant fibers • Eastern Phoebe—cup-like, made of moss and mud, lined with delicate plant fibers • American Robin—a deep cup shaped nest of mud and stems/grasses
We also made nesting balls. Using a variety of natural materials—bark, cattails, grasses, twigs, moss, and more—we were able to create a ball of grape vines filled with nesting materials for the birds in our area. We then were able to hang this in our yard to watch as the birds build nests nearby.
As we progress in nesting season, watch (from afar) the birds and nearby nests. What nests might you find? How can you help the nesting birds? Dr. Carla Gull blogs at www.insideoutsidemichiana. com and hosts the podcast Loose Parts Nature Play. She is often seen with her four adventurers in the greater Michiana area.
Phelicia Jozwiak holds a Baltimore Oriole nest.
• House Sparrow—a messy pile of grasses, straw, trash, string and paper, with hair, feather, or wool inside • House Wren—another messy nest of twigs with fine fibers and downy feathers • Baltimore Oriole—a woven bag made of string, plant fibers, and hair, lined with fine plant fibers • American Tree Swallow—dried grasses lined with white feathers While we have seen many of these nests in the wild, including a phoebe nest out the kitchen window, a messy house wren nest in our mud kitchen bucket, a cup shaped robin nest in a nearby gazebo, and a tiny hummingbird nest on a branch in our front yard, seeing all these nests together allowed us to compare the different building approaches, materials used, and sizes and textures of the nests. We could see similarities and differences and marvel that a bird created this special place to hatch eggs and raise young, protecting them from predators and the elements.
Each nesting ball had materials birds can use for nesting.
Hummingbird nests are about the size of a quarter.
Program participants enjoy learning more about nests! 6 inMiddlebury Magazine | APRIL 2022
WILDFLOWER AND WETLAND WALK WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 5-6 PM
Join Park Superintendent Tom Enright at Riverbend Park to walk through the wooded wetlands looking for some of the first wildflowers of the year, like Jack in the Pulpit, Marsh Marigold, Violets, and Buttercups. Learn how the wetlands in the park act as a sponge to hold the flood waters that typically take place in spring. Wetlands also act as filter to keep the river clean. You will leave with a better appreciation for the wetlands of Riverbend and the free benefits they provide for our community. Meet in the pavilion in the park.
FOMP
Spring is a time of renewal, and now is the time to renew your Friends of the Middlebury Parks (FOMP) membership. If you’ve been a member, you should get a letter in the mail. If you haven’t been a member, you can become one by sending your membership dues to FOMP, P.O. Box 1235, Middlebury IN 46540. Dues are $30 for an individual, $50 for a family, and $200 for businesses. Dues support the Middlebury Parks Department programs, and members are encouraged to volunteer their time for events if possible.
Contact us via email at parks@middleburyin.com Follow us on Facebook @ http://www.Facebook.com/ MiddleburyParks or call us at 574-825-3283
TIME TO REGISTER FOR
SUMMER FUN
Summer Fun will run from June 13 – July 22 (excluding the week of July 4 – 8) from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Riverbend Park for kids ages 6 – 12. There are four field trips planned this year: Dutch Creek Farm Animal Park, the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo, the South Bend Chocolate Company and Howard Park, and the Kroc Center in South Bend. (The daily camp is free, but parents are asked to pay the entry fees if their children attend a field trip.) Last year water slides and inflatables replaced the field trips, but this year we hope to have both. Varns and Hoover, Affairs to Remember, and the First State Bank are sponsors for this year (Thank you!), and we are still looking for a few more to cover the costs of the water day activities. This program has been in existence for over 40 years and serves kids from Middlebury, Jefferson, and York Townships as well as the Town of Middlebury. Applications are now available at http:// www.middleburyin.com/.../park.../just_for_kids.php
IMPORTANT DATES IN APRIL April 22 is Earth Day. April 29 is Arbor Day. And April 17 – 23 is National Volunteer Week. Do something good for the environment! April 23 - Town Arbor Day Planting – Meet at Town Hall at 8 am for coffee and donuts.
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inMiddlebury Magazine | APRIL 2022 7
Boys & Girls Club members from across Elkhart County spent the winter creating artwork for a county-wide art show and competition in January. Twentyseven members from the Middlebury Club showcased their work at the show. Winners were selected in a variety of categories, but one piece caught the eye of President and CEO Kevin Deary. He was struck by the colors and detail in a painting by Middlebury Club member Jaeli Hart, 13. The work featured a winterscape against a colorful background with a deer standing in the snow. “I was looking at all the works at the art show, and I just kept coming back to it over and over. It just drew me in. I couldn’t take my eyes off it,” Deary said. “She captured the snow bending the branches. I loved the nightscape theme with the sky and the colors.” Hart said she was inspired to create the work by the beauty of the winter season. “I wanted to do something with the woods and an animal. I did what came into my mind. It was the first image that popped into my head,” she said. Deary praised Hart’s talent and encouraged her to keep working on her skills. “She is a blooming Thomas Kinkade. She has a lot of natural talent,” he said. In addition to receiving the CEO Choice Award, Hart’s painting was featured in a display at Essenhaus Restaurant. Other Club members also won recognition at the art show. Keiara Reed won first place for a multi-colored drawing. Adrian Ochoa won second place for a sculpture.
MIDDLEBURY CLUB MEMBER’S ARTWORK RECEIVES “CEO CHOICE AWARD”
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RISING TO THE CHALLENGE: NRDT SEASON SIX
“Know Your Why, Endure Any How”
The Northridge Raiders Dance Team (NRDT) recently completed their 6th season of competitive dance. NRDT is composed of the Emeralds high school competition team, the Raiderettes middle school competition team, and the non-competition JV team. The Emeralds and Raiderettes once again competed in several Indiana High School Dance Team Association (IHSDTA) invitationals, the Northern Regional Championship, and finally the IHSDTA State Championship on March 12. The Emeralds and Raiderettes ended their season with some of the best performances of the year, full of emotional commitment to each and every routine! Members of the 2021-2022 Emeralds include sophomores Cydel Miller, Brooklyn Yoder, Elle Zimmerman, Makenna Helm, Payton Pippenger, Rylie Eichorst, Serafina Opacich, and Shelby Mack; junior, Wrigley Koch; and seniors, Natily Cripe, Katie Walther, and Grace Wittmer. Raiderettes members are Ashley Coil, Claire Bartley, Evelyn Barth, Kendall Meloche, Kya Elias, Maegan Schoenherr, Miley Mast, Wyatt Birky, Zayna Johnson, Zech Johnston, Bella Horvath and Zoe Barth. The JV non-competition team is made up of members Alyse Groves, Daphne Schuelke, Gigi Hilary, Gwen Mellott, Isabella Barron, Kaylin Shuff, Kendal Shuff, Mallory Miller, Brooke Miller and Zoey Tepen. Besides competing in Jazz, Hip Hop, and Pom team competition, dancers 10 inMiddlebury Magazine | APRIL 2022
competed in IHSDTA solo and ensemble competition as well. The passion, dedication, commitment, and work ethic these dancers put into their routines was evident with every routine these dancers floored. Dancers competing in IHSDTA solos include Zech Johnston, Wrigley Koch, and Grace Wittmer. The small ensemble was made up of four Emeralds; Rylie Eichorst, Serafina Opacich, Shelby Mack, and Makenna Helm. Team Regionals were held on February 26th at Lake Central High School inSt. John, Indiana. The Raiderettes Hip Hop performance placed 1st, giving them the title of Northern Regional Champions in Junior High Single A Hip Hop Competition! The Emeralds were also named Northern Regional Champions, placing 1st in both Varsity AA Competition Jazz and Hip Hop. These placements sent all of the NRDT teams to the state championship. The IHSDTA State Championship was held Saturday, March 12 at Jefferson High School in West Lafayette. The Raiderettes had their best performances of the year! Their Hip Hop and Pom performances each placed 6th in the state in the Junior High Single A division. The Emeralds placed 4th in the state in both Varsity AA Jazz and Pom, but it was their Hip Hop performance that earned the Emeralds
the title of IHSDTA State Champions in Varsity AA Hip Hop for the 2nd year in a row! All of this would not be possible if it weren’t for the talent and leadership of Coach Casey Nordman. Coach Casey was awarded the IHSDTA Coach of the Year Award! The 6th Annual NRDT / CKDance Recital will be held at The Lerner theater on Saturday, April 30, from 2pm-5pm. Join us for an afternoon of family fun entertainment as we celebrate our 6th year of dance! A variety of styles will take the stage to showcase their hard work this pastseason! Tickets can be purchased at thelerner.com.The 7th season of the Northridge Raider Dance Team is going to start soon! If you’re interested in trying out for the 2022-2023 dance team, there will be a callout meeting on Thursday, May 19, at 6:00 pm(location TBD). Tryouts will then be held May 23-26, 2022. All current 4th -11th graders are welcome to try out.
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Tactical Urbanism Grant By: Mary Cripe, Town Manager Middlebury is blessed to have the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail running through our community. This trail is a favorite of our local residents and visitors to our community. Last year, our trail counter recorded 126,494 counts for 2021, with the daily average being 347 counts and the peak day count on Saturday, September 4, 2021 with 2,365 counts. Trail users have expressed concerns with regards to safety at various public streets where the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail crosses. One of those locations is the skewed intersection of Bristol Avenue/Railroad Street/Pleasant Street. Based on the crash data and existing roadway geometry, there is a possible sight distance issue for northbound traffic on Railroad Street, and in the narratives fo the incident reports drivers have indicated they have had diffficulty seeing oncoming vehicles. In a recent engineering study of Bristol Avenue, it was recommended that an all-way stop be considered at this intersection to address the roadway geometry and sight distance along Railroad Street, and to promote a safer crossing for the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail users. Currently, Railroad Street and Pleasant Street have stop signs. Temporary stop signs will be installed on Bristol Avenue to make this intersection a four-way stop. Other items that will be installed to forewarn motorists will include: yellow delineator posts along the centerline of Bristol Avenue to slow down traffic, painted rumble strips on Bristol Avenue, and an improved painted crosswalk for the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail users. Other items that will be installed for the users of the trail include signage on the trail to educate the trail users. Another location with safety concerns on the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail is where the trail crosses the intersections of Wayne Street and Berry Street. Since the opening of the Hilltop Restaurant just west of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail and Berry Street intersection, traffic on Berry Street has increased. 12 inMiddlebury Magazine | APRIL 2022
The Berry Street/Railroad Street/Wayne Street intersection was already a challenging intersection to navigate through for all modes of transportation. Temporary delineators and barricades will be placed along the trail crossing crosswalk at Berry Street to eliminate the Berry Street intersection with the trail. A temporary access from the trail to the Hilltop Restaurant will remain in place for access along Berry Street. See attached Berry Street Closure Map. Another safety concern at Berry Street is the lack of parking for the patrons of the Hilltop Restaurant. The Town of Middlebury owns the land on the north side of Berry Street, and town officials hope to some day build a new Town Hall/ Police Department building at that location. In the meantime, Town representatives are working with the owners of Hilltop Restaurant on a lease of a portion of the town-owned land for the construction of a temporary parking lot. See attached Preliminary Sketch. The lease agreement would require the leasee to construct and maintain the parking lot. In response to these safety concerns, the Town of Middlebury and Middlebury Parks Department are preparing to implement temporary traffic calming measures at this intersection during the week of April 25. The work is funded by a Tactical Urbanization Demonstration Grant awarded by the Indiana State Department of Health, which encourages safe and active living through providing safe places for walkers and bikers. The temporary traffic calming measures will remain in place for 30 days. The town will seek feedback from trail users and motorists using the intersection on a regular basis, which will then be used in determining whether the traffic changes will be made permanent. All users are encouraged to complete a survey on the Town of Middlebury website, at www.middleburyin.com. Your feedback will be critical to the Town Council’s decsion whether to make the temporary changes permanent.
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SCIENCE OLYMPIAD COMPETES AT STATE
On Saturday March 14th, the High School and Middle School Science Olympiad Team traveled to Purdue University for their State tournament. The High School Team led by a strong performance from their Senior Class finished 7th overall. This marks 21 straight years that the High School program has finished in the top 10 of the state. The Middle School Team had an even better day and finished 5th overall and brought home a team trophy. This is the Middle School’s highest finish ever tying with the 2001 team. For the past 16 years, the Science Olympiad Program has hosted the largest Invitational in the State at Northridge. It is with a heavy heart, however, that we have decided that the next Northridge Invitational will be the last. So on January 14th, 2023 we will be hosting our final Invitational. 14 inMiddlebury Magazine | APRIL 2022
The Science Olympiad Coaching Staff is asking for help from the community to contact our Alumni. One of the great joys that we have had over the year’s is having our students, now all grown up, come home and help us run it. We love seeing everyone, and with this being the final one we would like to have as many of the Alumni come for it as possible. If you are an Alumni, or know one of our Alumni, please have them contact Mr. Gerber for more information at gerberj@mcsin-k12.org. We are currently planning a reception for our Alumni, and hope to see them all there! Mr. Gerber, Head Science Olympiad Coach, was awarded the “Above and Beyond,” award this year at the State Tournament for his years of service in Science Olympiad and for assisting in the planning of a Regional Tournament that was hosted at Northridge this past February.
Congratulations, Chloe!
Northridge High School is proud to announce our 2022 National Merit Finalist, Miss Chloe Emenhiser. To become a National Merit finalist, Chloe had to score in the top 1/5 of 1% on the PSAT/NMSQT in her junior year. Additionally, she had to maintain top grades during her entire high school career in advanced/college level courses, score equally high on the SAT or ACT during her senior year, and write a strong application which included her participation in community and school activities, demonstration leadership ability, awards and honors received. Looking to the future, Chloe has interest in possibly majoring in mathematics and is still weighing out which college she would like to attend. We are excited to see all of what the future holds for this impressive Raider. – NHS School Board inMiddlebury Magazine | APRIL 2022 15
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Enrich. Connect. Inspire. 101 East Winslow St. • Middlebury, IN 46540 P: 574.825.5601 • F: 574.825.5150 www.middleburylibrary.org
April Programs and Events Please visit our website for more details on library events and programs.
7
Lego Crew for Kids 4-4:45pm
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Rockin’ the Garden 4:30-6pm
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Craft Crew for Kids 4-5pm
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Let’s Talk About It 7-9pm
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Pages & Pints 5:30-6:30pm
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Rockin’ the Garden 4:30-6pm
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Fly Tying & Fishing 9am-1pm
Poetry in the Garden: Writing Workshop 6-8pm
May Preview
Save the Dates
• Norval Poyser Seed Library Launch • Creativebug Craft Club • Foraging for Wild Food Program • Closed Memorial Day (5/30)
• Middlebury Literary Carousel June 13-18 • Summer Reading 2022: Oceans of Possibilities • Yak, Snack, and Read Summer 2022 • Shred Day June 4, 2022
Follow us on
Join our digital newsletter and stay up to date on what’s happening at the Library! Sign up at the front desk of the Library or contact us.
inMiddlebury Magazine | APRIL 2022 17
NORTHRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL
SCHOLAR ATHLETE OF THE MONTH MADYSON GORBALL Hello, I am Madyson Gorball. My parents are Jill and Jeff Gorball. I’m a Senior at Northridge High School. I play basketball and softball as well as I participate in marching band. What I like most about participating in sports is making new friends and having something to look forward to do after school. I also like the hard work that we do at practices to make me better for the games. Other activities I do out of school include camps for basketball like NYGBL. My plans for after high school are to either go to IUSB or Purdue to study elementary education so I can teach Kindergarten through third grade.
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Carolyn Manley: Mayor of Dogtown Article and photos by Chris and Linnea From early on, Carolyn Manley knew that animals were going to be a big part of her life. In a junior high report, she wrote that she would either be a vet or train dolphins, and she pestered her parents for a horse anytime the chance arose. Her early interest in animals was only rivaled by her interest in music. She studied music at Ball State, earning an Area Music Education degree majoring in flute, while learning other instruments. Her first year out of college she was a junior high band director in Okeechobee, FL, but she couldn’t stay away from Indiana long. She worked on her masters degree in music education and returned to teaching as an assistant high school band director at Elkhart Memorial and music instructor for gifted and talented programs in area elementary schools. She even received a job offer for peripatetic music instruction in the UK, traveling by motorcycle all over northern England for two years. When she returned to the states she transitioned into selling musical
instruments, traveling to almost all 50 states with Conn-Selmer (and completing her MBA). When she started traveling on a regular basis, she needed a trustworthy boarding location for her dogs, Abby and Lucy. She found the perfect spot in Dogtown Resort. Dogtown was started in 2000 by Russ and Kay Culver, initially focused on rescue animals and later open to boarding. Carolyn loved that her dogs would have plenty of space to run around outdoors and opportunities to socialize with other dogs. Eventually, however, she began to get a little jealous. “I was on airplanes, in airports, on trade show floors, etc. It was fun, but it started dawning on me that my dogs were probably having more fun than I was!” When the opportunity came to buy the business in 2010, she took the plunge. Due to Carolyn’s background, much of the business side of things came more easily, but there was still a learning curve. “I didn’t have to invent the system here, but figuring out how to get a water bowl in the water bowl holder was shockingly hard.” She laughs, inMiddlebury Magazine | APRIL 2022 21
when they say, ‘Do you want to go to Dogtown?’ and the dogs just start spinning around in excitement.” Carolyn generally has a full schedule of boarders. However, during the pandemic fewer people were boarding their pets and the rescue side of Dogtown picked up significantly. Three area kennels closed their doors and the Humane Society was unable to meet all requests, so people began bringing more animals to Dogtown. Most of the rescue animals Carolyn receives come from people who have died without a backup plan for their animals, or who have been evicted without much notice, or who didn’t understand what they were getting into when they got the animal. Two things are evident from a brief tour of Dogtown: all of the animals are unique with corresponding unique needs, and all of them are cared for and loved. In one kennel is a young, highly energetic German Shepherd; Carolyn is getting a trainer out to help her be less reactive. One door down is Zane, a sweet 10-year-old shepherd with a limp who might as well have been called Zen. A few steps down is an elderly dog who is blind and deaf, but who can’t stop wiggling around excitedly, trying to find you with his nose. “Here I am, I bought a business, and I cannot put a water bowl in a water bowl holder! That surprised me. It was just humbling. You think you know, until you do it.” Learning something brand new, however, was not a new thing for her: “Music did that for me. If you’re teaching music and you haven’t had to learn something recently that didn’t make sense to you, you should do it, regardless of what it is. I just think it’s good for humans to try something different.” While she did eventually determine how to put the water bowl in the holder, the job is always presenting her with new challenges. These days, some of the challenges include finding part-time help (“It’s usually not what people think. It’s not just playing with dogs, and it’s a lot more cleaning…”) and managing the poison ivy on the property, which tends to pop up everywhere. Dogtown has enough room to comfortably board around 50 animals, with 30 kennels of various sizes in two buildings connected to large, open outdoor runs for exercise and socializing. Several of the kennels are large enough to comfortably host a happy, tailwagging Great Dane. In addition to boarding, Carolyn and her team of four part-time employees also host around five dogs for daycare during the week. This service also gives more energetic breeds the chance to work off their pent-up energy when a few daily walks just won’t cut it. “Some people have filmed their dogs 22 inMiddlebury Magazine | APRIL 2022
Carolyn regularly posts updates about these and other incoming and outgoing rescues on their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ DogtownResort). She points out that when she posts a picture of a healthy golden retriever, she is flooded with requests, while some of the more challenging animals (the elderly and those with injuries) are regularly passed over. Rescue cats are also challenging to place; at the time of writing, she has nine cats in need of adoption. Carolyn has seen her share of hard things during her years running Dogtown; some dogs are “lifers,” which means that the hard end-of-life decisions many
people eventually face with their pets come down to her. “Every job’s got goods and bads. The sads are the ends, but at least there’s somebody there caring for them.” Thankfully, one of the plus sides of the pandemic was that a larger number of people were home and looking for a fuzzy friend to keep them company. In the past year, Carolyn and her team saw around 100 animals placed with new families, and she hasn’t noticed any significant flip back when people began returning to work. Over the course of her time with Dogtown, she has placed over 700 dogs and 66 cats in new homes. She also receives many calls from people finding lost dogs, and due to her connections and familiarity with the community she can usually get the dogs back home within a day. After all of her travels, Carolyn finds Middlebury to be the ideal location, due to its scope (“you can get to know an awful lot of people!”) and its laid-back style. The Middlebury community has been a great support to Dogtown, providing services and donations of food, blankets, and toys. First State Bank holds a community day every year, where 10 or so volunteers come up and spend the day helping around the place. Churches will often pick a few Sundays in a row to come up and do yard work. Students from nearby schools volunteer (or are volunteered by teachers and principals) to work with the animals. ”As soon as I think we’ll never get another dog adopted, we’ll have four in a row. As soon as I think I don’t have enough help, I’ll have people knocking on the doors.” Recently, someone brought in a cat that had been hit on the road and needed hip surgery (a $500 price tag). Within ten minutes of posting the need, Carolyn received a call from a lady who sent her a check for the full amount; the checks kept coming throughout rehabilitation. And of course, people adopt the animals. “I really love it when the dogs go home, even when
they’re just boarding, all the joyful reunions we see,” Carolyn said. “I really like to make those connections. I’m not always wrong, but I’m often surprised at who I think the people are going to choose when they get here and then which dog they actually get. That part’s fun.” She also enjoys spending so much time out of doors and with the animals. Carolyn points out that she hardly ever has an unpleasant interaction with a customer. Apparently, people who like dogs are generally nicer people to be around. Prior to COVID, a school group of mixed ability kids often came out to spend time with the dogs. “Those kids and these dogs were such a good combination. People don’t necessarily talk to humans, but they’ll talk to dogs. One little guy told a dog more about dinosaurs than I ever realized was possible. And some dogs that you might be concerned about, you hand them to a child in a wheelchair and they turn into wet noodles. I love it, and I love that we have people who set those things up [in our community].” Carolyn believes that while making connections like this may not change the world, they certainly change people’s lives. In that way, running Dogtown is similar to making music. “[When I was teaching music], I always thought, you will be able to do this your whole life, and it will be a good thing. Music can help you meet people. Take a dog on a walk and you get people saying hi, and you think: This is good! Come on, humanity. We’re supposed to do this.”
inMiddlebury Magazine | APRIL 2022 23
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inMiddlebury Magazine | APRIL 2022 25
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2022 LEGACY MEMBERS: GOLD MEMBERS: L & W Engineering, Inc. and Community Foundation of Elkhart SILVER MEMBERS: Jayco Inc, Grand Design RV BRONZE MEMBERS: Edward Jones of Middlebury, Elkhart General Hospital, Forks County Line Stores, Hawkins Water Tech, Legacy Home Furniture and Goshen Hospital.
If you know of a community member or group of people whom you would like to offer out a SHOUT of gratitude in a future magazine, please send your nomination to our editor Desirée Beauchamp-Boucher at Delightfullyhere@gmail.com Thank you to whomever sent me the birthday wishes on the milestone page last month – Courtney Bowers Science Olympiad Team: Northridge High School and Middle School *Thank you to the dedicated Coaching Staff and Volunteers for a great 2021-22 Season Middle School Placed 5th at the State Competition High School Placed 7th at the State Competition *Thank you to the Science Olympiad Team Member’s Parents and Families for donations of items and time to the Northridge Invitational Concession Stand and for the food and drinks for the Science Olympiad Competitions * Thank you for supporting Northridge Science Olympiad Invitational Concession Stand: Bob and Andrea Detweiler Hawkins Water Tech Jo Jo’s Pretzels
Thank you to all of the people that made the 12th annual Middlebury Optimist Trivia Night a huge success. Middlebury has Enormous Hearts that beat for the children of this community & it seems that those hearts beat louder & stronger every year! Thank You Again for helping us help them! #coolestclubinelkhartcounty -Kris Mueller & Dawn Gage A huge thank you to Coach Hembree. You have made such an impact on the swim program for the last 11 years and to the hundreds of athletes that you have inspired. We are truly grateful to your contribution to our community. - The Swim Community I would like to thank the Middlebury American Legion and all who helped in the putting up of the pictures of our Veterans around Middlebury. It meant so much to us spouses, parents and loved ones of our special Veterans. They did so much for our country during their times. - Karen D. Northridge High School and Middle School Percussionist: Thank you Mr. Flynn, Northridge High School and Middle School Percussion Instructor, and the High School and Middle School Percussion students for the wonderful “Night of Percussion” Performance. What a joy to hear you and watch you perform! – The Taylor Family Middlebury 4-H: Thank you to 2022 Middlebury 4-H Club Leadership: New Organizational Leader: Rachel Buckley; Other leadership: Kori Cripe, Virginia Mansfield, Catherine Yoder inMiddlebury Magazine | APRIL 2022 27
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