Kokomo Magazine January 2024

Dig In

Burlington Boathouse Provides Food, Fun - and a Little Local History

Style Sense Hidden Possibilities Home Decor Boutique Blends New and Vintage Aesthetics

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ANGELA BLESSING 2023 STATE HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR

JANUARY 2024

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BLESSING INDEED

Angela Blessing Named Indiana High School Principal of the Year

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2023 YEAR IN REVIEW

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DIG IN

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MEET THE WRITER

PUBLISHER KIM SENKUS kim@townepost.com (317) 501-1743

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KEY CONTRIBUTORS JOHN BOLINGER NATALIE PLATT JULIE YATES

Julie Yates

Burlington Boathouse Provides Food, Fun STYLE SENSE and a Little Local History Hidden Possibilities Home Decor Boutique Blends New and Vintage Aesthetics

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MEET THE WRITER Natalie Platt

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KOKOMO’S PAWPULAR PETS /ATKOKOMO

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TIPTON’S PAWPULAR PETS

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/KOKOMOMAGAZINE

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2023 YEAR IN REVIEW

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CROWNING GLORY Emma Conrad Is 2023’s Tipton County Pork Festival Queen

/TIPTONMAGAZINE 4 | January 2024 | TownePost.com

/TIPTONMAGAZINE

TOWNE POST NETWORK, INC. FOUNDER, CEO TOM BRITT tom@townepost.com (317) 496-3599 PRESIDENT JEANNE BRITT jeanne@townepost.com (317) 810-0011 PRODUCTION COORDINATOR ERIN TURK CREATIVE DIRECTORS VAL AUSTIN TONI EADS COPY EDITOR JON SHOULDERS TOWNE POST NETWORK, INC. 8800 North Street, Suite 117 Fishers, IN 46038 Phone/Text: (317) 810-0011 FOR FRANCHISE INFORMATION, VISIT FRANCHISING.TOWNEPOST.COM CONTACT THE PUBLISHER Have a story idea or suggestion for the magazine?

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1. Text, briefly 4. Atmospheric hazard 8. Nile slitherers 12. Shooter missile 13. French bread 14. Cote cooer 15. Cockpit reading (abbr.)

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28. Final Four game 2. Cheesy lunch order 29. Drawn 3. Content fully 30. Hardly illusory 4. Veteran seafarers 31. Hippocratic, for one 5. The word, if you’re 35. Ramen soup strips silent 6. An eye for the poetic? 38. Do a butcher’s job 40. Scand. land 7. Joint malady 8. Old pearls of wisdom 42. Harbor craft 45. Met attraction 9. Bart, to Homer 47. Certain sax 10. Pipe material 48. Humor 11. “Didn’t I tell you?”

49. Bedazzled 17. Attorney’s field 50. Gremlin 19. Miss. neighbor 51. Meadow, in verse 22. Ran in the wash 52. Delay 23. Coleslaw and fries 25. “Seven Years in Tibet” 53. Company perk, perhaps role 54. Mandela’s org.

37. Drink for Beowulf 39. Cause to explode 41. Cove kin 43. “Vamoose!”

44. Early development 46. It’s acted seriously 50. Unreasonable 55. Appliance setting 56. Important statistic

57. Rooftop fixture 58. Turning point?

59. Book section?

60. Compass doodles 61. Lacking a match Solution can be found on the magazine Facebook page

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BLESSING INDEED ANGELA BLESSING NAMED INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR Writer / Julie Yates Photography Provided

Kokomo High School principal Angela Blessing was named the 2023 Indiana High School Principal of the Year by the Indiana Association of School Principals (IASP).

Already the High School Principal of the Year for District Five, she was chosen for the state title from a talented field of contenders representing other districts. Following the award ceremony at the IASP’s annual fall professional conference in Indianapolis, Blessing expressed her gratitude for both the honor and the positive light it will shine on Kokomo High School.

Ironically, Blessing never considered being a principal at

the high school level. Before earning an administrative license from Butler University, she got her undergraduate degree in elementary education. She was serving as principal at Bon Air Middle School when the position at Kokomo High School dropped in her lap.

“I took the job as principal of Kokomo High School in the middle of the 2015-16 school year,” she says. “[Superintendent] Dr. Michael Sargent said, ‘You are coming to the high school. You would be a great fit.’ I said, ‘No, I’m not. I’m a middle school principal.’ But I did and it turned out to be the best place for me.”

Blessing has a strong desire to ensure that all students feel TownePost.com | January 2024 | 7

they can succeed. Although she has had many varied experiences with education in her life, two stand out. The first happened when she was in elementary school.

“When I was a little girl in first grade, I had an experience with a challenging teacher,” she says. “It hit me that I wanted a great place to go to school. My desire moving forward from that was I knew I wanted to make sure school was where all felt loved and cared for.”

“Later, after graduating from Anderson University I spent my first couple of years teaching at Anderson Community Schools,” she continues. “It was a neighborhood school in a high-poverty area, and no one wanted to teach there because it was going to be closed.

My mentor teacher and I walked around the area on foot so I could know about the kids I was teaching. I looped with my 16 students from fourth grade up to fifth, and we became a family. I knew I loved them, and I wanted them to be successful. The community adopted me, and I learned teaching is not just about the content. I still communicate with many of those students today.”

After her time in Anderson, Blessing moved on to Carmel Clay Schools where she taught elementary school and later became an elementary school assistant principal.

Eventually she became principal at Bon Air Middle School before moving to Kokomo High School. Today she lives in Kokomo with her husband, Aaron, and their two sons.

“We made it our goal to live where we worked,” she says. “It is so important to know the community where you live and where you teach, to advocate for the school. My husband is a teacher at the high school, and my son is a senior there. My youngest is a fifth-grader at Wallace. Our whole family bleeds red, white and blue, and we attend every event possible.”

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Blessing shares that when she took on the job as Kokomo High School principal, she thought it was important not to immediately start making a lot of changes. She felt it was important to reach out to individuals who had been there a long time. They helped her understand the reasons things were done

“HIGH SCHOOL KIDS WANT TO BE PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER THAN THEMSELVES. ‘LEGACY MATTERS’ UNITES AND INSTILLS A LOVE OF KOKOMO AS A PLACE TO COME BACK TO, BUT WITH THE IDEA OF ALWAYS IMPROVING.” —ANGELA BLESSING

certain ways; she realized those things would only be discovered by asking. The staff helped her uncover what worked and what didn’t.

Blessing is proud of several developments that have happened under her watch. For example, community partnerships have been cultivated, and dual-credit courses that count toward college credits and certifications have been developed. The graduation rate is above 95%. However, the initiative she is most proud of is the school’s motto, “Legacy Matters.”

“High school kids want to be part of something bigger than themselves,” she says. “‘Legacy Matters’ unites and instills a love of Kokomo as a place to come back to, but with the idea of always improving.

Part of the reason our graduation rate has improved is because there are so many options and choices for students; we provide pathways for every learner. We prepare them for college, the work force or the military.

Along the way, students change so much from their freshman year to their senior year.

I’m thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to see firsthand how our school challenges and mentors my own children. I wish other parents could see what I do daily.”

“I am so honored to receive this award, especially to showcase how great Kokomo High School is,” she adds. “I couldn’t be happier to be part of Howard County and the positive changes going on here. Kokomo High School is a place where students get tremendous opportunities to succeed, fail, grow, and figure out their future. I think people need to know how awesome our students are and what an amazing place Kokomo High School is.”

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2023 YEAR IN REVIEW

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2023 YEAR IN REVIEW

Kokomo’s Top Facebook Post Engagements 6. Joelle Orem Women in Business Spotlight 7. Jessica Pearson Women in Business Spotlight 8. Crystal Sanburn Women in Business Spotlight 9. Outside of farming, Joelle Orem is experienced and creative with a passion for storytelling within the agriculture space 10. Brian Mast Men in Business Spotlight

1. Misty Griggs, owner of the Kokomo Country Palace, says she couldn’t be more pleased about taking over the popular bar 2. Hey Taylor Community School Corporation grads…you did it!

3. Brad Zeck Men in Business Spotlight 4. Western High School’s Chad Shepherd wins 2023 IndianaMat 2A Coach of the Year 5. Josh Taylor Men in Business Spotlight

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11. Crista Tharp Women in Business Spotlight 12. Altered Fit in Kokomo is hosting several sewing classes, spring break camps, summer camps, and Sip and Sews, just to name a few

19. Fierce Yoga offers a variety of yoga classes and private lessons to help people connect their body, mind and spirit in a heated environment 20. Greg Hochstedler Men in Business Spotlight

13. Abbee McCollum Women in Business Spotlight 14. Susan Perry Women in Business Spotlight 15. Congratulations Eastern Howard School Corporation graduates!

16. Jim Rose Men in Business Spotlight 17. Community First Bank of Indiana is celebrating two decades of serving Howard County 18. JoAnn Davis Women in Business Spotlight

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DIG IN

BURLINGTON BOATHOUSE PROVIDES FOOD, FUN AND A LITTLE LOCAL HISTORY Writer / Natalie Platt Photographer / John Bolinger

If you’ve been to Burlington, chances are you’ve been to the Burlington Boathouse.

Maybe you’ve listened to the live music, sang karaoke, played in the euchre league, or even played basketball upstairs.

Knight says there is a nice selection of healthier options like their Chef, Garden, Cobb and Fried Chicken salads.

multigenerational customer base. The building is nearly 125 years old and has been a restaurant since the 1970s.

And don’t forget a staple entrée - Catfish.

Well, maybe you haven’t played basketball upstairs, but an uncle or grandfather might have.

Knight has been in the food industry business since 1977, starting at Arni’s in Lafayette. His mother, Brenda Cooper, was a manager at the local favorite from 1972 to 2001.

“Our guests were already accustomed to coming here,” he says. “It’s not unusual to have a table with three or four generations around it. That warms my heart the most good old-fashioned sitting around the table, sharing good times with laughter and some great food.”

That’s right - the Boathouse has a full-sized basketball court on the second level that was, at one point, used by the Burlington High School basketball team in the 1920s.

The lively bar and restaurant has been at 709 South Michigan Street in downtown Burlington since 2018. Owned by Rich Knight, a Lafayette native, the Boathouse, and its menu, is something Knight calls “eclectic.”

“We have a very diverse menu,” he says.

“Our pizzas are well-known in the area, with the Farmer’s Daughter and Chicken Bacon Ranch pizzas topping the list as more popular. We’ve also been developing a really strong reputation for our burgers with a little bit of something for everyone: a Chipotle Peanut Butter burger, Kahuna burger, and Monster burger are some of the specialities.”

14 | January 2024 | TownePost.com

“My love has always been for this crazy business,” he says. “I knew early on that I was not cut out for a corporate job, though I did work for a few corporations to learn the business from a well-defined, systematic approach. But I always knew I would run my own business, be it a little-bitty store, a bigger store or even multiple stores.”

Knight admits that, as with any business, ownership comes with obstacles. With the constant rise in prices, occasional shortages of goods, and supplier issues, there have been hiccups in the delivery system.

Knight fell in love with fast-casual dining after being fortunate enough to experience a full range of concepts, from fine dining, where a suit and tie was required, to small burger shops.

Knight has lived in Arizona, Los Angeles and Indianapolis. He prefers Burlington, and small-town life, much more than the larger cities.

“I knew I wanted to be in charge of my own destiny,” he says. “Whether I failed or succeeded, I needed to be in charge of the ship.”

He is proud of the Boathouse’s

“We persevere and overcome the best we can,” Knight says.

“You get to know the people and there is always a helping hand just when you need it,” he says. “What I am most proud of is our staff ’s continued involvement in the community. It’s a small town and everyone has to chip in for stuff to happen.

Whether it’s Little League, the volunteer fire department or fundraising, the community has to get involved.”

Knight says that is truly the American way.

“All of us are very self-sufficient but band together for common causes in a heartbeat,” he says.

You can visit the Boathouse at 709 South Michigan Street in Burlington, and contact the restaurant at 765-566-5056.

You can also visit their Facebook page @BurlingtonINBoathouse for more information.

Check us out!

Open Daily 709 S Michigan St, Burlington, IN • (765) 566-5056 • TheDockRestaurants.com TownePost.com | January 2024 | 15

MEET THE WRITER NATALIE PLATT

Writer / Natalie Platt Photography Provided

I don’t claim to know many things about life, or to be sure about many things, but I do know two of the main reasons I’ve always loved writing.

My mother, Susan Platt, had a very long and successful career as a seventh-grade English teacher at Lewis Cass High School. I remember “helping” her grade spelling tests when I was in elementary school, unknowingly setting the foundation for my love of words. As the years went on, we would sit in the living room, she in one armchair and I in the other, running through nouns, prepositions and my upcoming vocabulary test. And then I got older, and I vividly remember rolling my eyes when she, my mother, who taught for nearly 30 years, corrected my spelling or use of a word (how dare she).

But I smile now, thankful for those moments and realizing all of the corrections only made me better - and smarter- and I am so appreciative. And if you had Mrs. Platt as your seventh-grade English teacher, I know you’d agree.

My other point of inspiration came from my third-grade teacher at Thompson Elementary, Mrs. Boe. We kept a journal throughout the year, except I had journals. Plural. I wrote and wrote and wrote, each time with encouraging feedback from her at the end of each entry, complete with a smiley face in handwriting

I could instantly still recognize today. Mrs. Boe was so encouraging and kind, and made me feel like the best third-grade writer there ever was - and she also kickstarted my love for reading. I can’t thank her enough for both of those passions.

While I didn’t become a full-time journalist, I am the director of marketing for Veritas Realty, a commercial real estate company in Indianapolis. I graduated from Lewis Cass High School in 2006 and Indiana University in 2010, with a degree in journalism. Then I moved to Chicago for nine years where I worked for the Chicago Bears and a TV network on the advertising side, before moving to Indy in 2021.

So what spurred me to get back into writing on the side? I have a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit in me that I can never suppress, and freelance writing is a way to fulfill that. I received that drive from my father, Mike Platt, who built a successful insurance company (Jim Kitchell Insurance Agency) and was a talented athlete.

When you hear the last name Platt in Kokomo, you think of basketball. My father joined his father, Joe Platt, as a member of the Howard County Sports Hall of Fame by way of being a star basketball and baseball player for the Haworth Huskies in the early ‘70s. He will gently remind you that he was a better baseball player than basketball player (true), as

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Indiana’s favorite pastime often overshadows his success on the diamond. He went on to play at the University of Evansville where he was a three-year starter for the basketball team, played in 109 of 110 games, and was a two-time all-Indiana Collegiate Conference selection.

And for his baseball career? Well, he was a three-time all-conference selection and team MVP as a senior, before returning as Evansville’s head baseball coach for one season after graduation.

My late grandfather, Joe Platt, played basketball and baseball at Young America High School before becoming a three-year varsity player at IU, where he won a Big 10 title in 1936 and captained the Hoosiers team in 1938. He went on to coach at Winamac High School, Bunker Hill Naval Air Station and Carleton College, before returning to Indiana for a 14-year coaching career at Kokomo High School, winning the 1961 state championship.

My grandpa Platt is a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame as well as the Howard County Sports Hall of Fame.

The past year or so of consistently writing again has been such a great outlet for me, and I am thankful for my parents and Mrs. Boe for giving me the drive and inspiration to continue a passion I’ve always had, as a child and as an adult.

MEET THE WRITER JULIE YATES Writer / Julie Yates Photography Provided

into the food blogging world. Back then it was a lot less technical without the huge, monetized scene of today. My little blogs, Oranges & Almonds and Yates Yummies, each had Facebook pages. The Oranges & Almonds page grew to have over a couple thousand followers, which was substantial back in those days. It attracted the attention of some food writing businesses. For a Writing articles for the Towne Post Network while I contributed to the Christian Science Monitor, a company called Cooking PlanIt of regional magazines is my fun, afterand two no-longer-existing publications retirement job. I grew up on the northeast located in Greenwood. side of Indianapolis, but I had great aunts and uncles and several second cousins that A couple years later my husband and I lived in Kokomo. I have great memories of getting together with family at weddings and bought a motor home. Our travels all over other events held at their homes. These days the United States became my focus. Instead of food photography, I was absorbed in I live less than a half hour from downtown documenting the scenery of our gorgeous Tipton. Shopping there with a girlfriend country. I occasionally wrote for Towne or two is an activity I never get tired of, Post, but my blogging all but fell by the especially now that I know the owners wayside. When my husband unexpectedly behind the stores and boutiques. passed away in December of 2020, my world turned upside down.

I began writing in 2012 after I retired from teaching. To keep myself busy, I jumped Everyone does have a tale to tell! I truly enjoy interviewing and talking to people, whether they are telling me about developing a new business, overcoming a challenge or working for a cause. Later, when I reflect on our conversations, I delight in finding the right way to tell the story.

Instead of being bitter, I made the choice to make my life count. I knew that being depressed and continuing to mourn would not bring my husband back. I dove into family, volunteering and writing. My three grown daughters, Caroline, Jennifer and Allison, all live in the Chicago area. Caroline and her husband, Adam, now have two daughters of their own. It was the thrill of a lifetime to see the youngest take her first steps this Thanksgiving! I devote a lot of time to Assistance League of Indianapolis, which seeks to improve the lives of adults and children. Its arms reach into Howard and Tipton counties, working with partner agencies and hospitals.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to share the stories of Kokomo and Tipton. The amount of community spirit is wonderful to see. It’s evident that if a need arises, people come forward to meet it. That’s a testimony to the goodness of individuals living in a place with a heart.

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Tamatha Huston has always had an eye for design.

Her home decor boutique, Hidden Possibilities, showcases her ability to select vintage and antique items and repurpose them, giving spaces a fresh yet timeless look. It offers shoppers not only unique accent pieces, but also candles, women’s clothing, gifts and more.

Style Sense

but took their time in renovating the space.

“We have owned the property since November 2022,” Huston says, adding that the boutique has pieces for everyone and every style. “We stumbled upon it and fell in love with the idea of opening a location out of the front office space HIDDEN POSSIBILITIES HOME DECOR of the building.

BOUTIQUE BLENDS NEW AND We knocked down walls, redesigned VINTAGE AESTHETICS A Kokomo native, the space, and Writer / Julie Yates Huston has lived, renovated all Photography Provided worked and raised the fixtures and her family in the finishes to match area. After her twin our aesthetic and established Hidden Possibilities. daughters left the dreams for the nest and she concluded her career in the space. After months of construction, we Initially the business was situated within an were able to move in and make this location financial and banking industry, she set her sights on establishing on a business she had antique mall. As word of mouth spread and everything we’ve dreamed of and more.” it began to grow, the dream of having her a passion for. The joy of creating beauty own brick-and-mortar site arose. She and within her own home was something she When asked what her signature look is, wished to share with others, and in 2018 she her husband, Steve, found the perfect site Huston says she’s not sure she could narrow

Hemi

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it to a single genre. “If I had to put a word to it, I would say transitional or even timeless,” she says. “I like mixing old-world items and modern pieces to create a unique, finished look. My favorite spaces I have designed include tonal, neutral decor staples with hand-selected, ornate accents.”

Some of the pieces offered in the shop are hand selected by Huston from antique stores across the Midwest. Other items such as pillows, jewelry, candles, apparel and seasonal florals are sourced from wholesalers. Huston’s own flower arrangements and accent creations are popular, especially when she unlocks “hidden possibilities” by combining unexpected elements.

Huston suggests that anyone looking to give their home a spruce-up should start

with basic and timeless decor pieces.

Then add ornate accents to express individual personality. She feels that if the fundamentals are neutral, it’s easy to change accent pieces out, as styles evolve and change.

most offerings are currently only available within the store. Her focus is on developing sales at the brick-and-mortar location.

“We have been totally surprised and blessed by the support and love we received from the community,” Huston She also has advice for anyone who wants to says. “We are overwhelmed with the interest and appreciation our fellow open their dream business. “Pace yourself,” Kokomo community members shown us. she says. “Don’t be in a rush to get things We thank them all for the kind words and perfect, and just take one task at a time.

Eventually the pieces will fall into place and encouragement.” you’ll be grateful you took the time to do it Hidden Possibilities Home Decor right the first time.”

Boutique is located at 216 Corwin Currently, the website for the business offers Lane in Kokomo. For more info, go to a small selection of items available for online hiddenpossibilitiesbytamatha.com. Also visit the store on Facebook and Instagram. sale. Huston is exploring the possibility of expanding e-commerce in the future, but

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