The Lakes Magazine March 2020

FREE MONTHLY PRINT MAGAZINE WITH CORRESPONDING MOBILE APP AND SOCIAL MEDIA FEATURING THE PEOPLE, BUSINESSES, AND EVENTS IN AND AROUND KOSCIUSKO COUNTY.

MARCH 2020

MAGAZINE

Bart’s Water Sports Celebrates Nearly 50 Years in Kosciusko

TheLakesMagazine.com

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TOWNE POST NETWORK, INC. THE LAKES

16

THE LAKES PUBLISHERS

John & Mandi Lewandowski John@TownePost.com / 574-249-9217 Mandi@TownePost.com

TOWNE POST CEO Tom Britt

Tom@TownePost.com

TOWNE POST PRESIDENT Jeanne Britt

Jeanne@TownePost.com

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Robert Turk

Rob@TownePost.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Austin Vance

ADVERTISING DESIGNER Valerie Randall

EDITORIAL MANAGER

RIDING WAVES OF SUCCESS: BART’S WATER SPORTS CELEBRATES NEARLY 50 YEARS IN KOSCIUSKO

Not unlike many successful, long-running businesses, Bart’s Water Sports began when its founder recognized an opportunity to fill a unique niche, locally and regionally.

6 MudLOVE & Belove: Local Couple Gives Back Locally & Globally Through Art

9

The Olde House: Local Shop Offers Baked Treats & Unique Gift Items

12 People Powered: Juko-Ryu Toide & Martial Arts Center Offers Valuable Self-Defense Classes

16 Riding Waves of Success: Bart’s

Water Sports Celebrates Nearly 50 Years in Kosciusko

21 Miller Hardwoods: Owner Talks

Services and Customer Satisfaction

25 Creative Corner 27 5 March Madness Watch Party Essentials

37 How’s the Weather? National

Weather Service Northern Indiana Celebrates 20th Anniversary

45 Family Furnishings: Reinholt’s

Town Square Furniture Offers a History of High Quality

47 Milford Animal Clinic Offers Range of Services for Small & Large Animals

49 Ink Up: Mosthigh Tattoos Offers Unique Atmosphere & Diverse Tattoo Services

51 Whetstone Woodenware: Company

Josh Brown

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MARCH WRITERS

Angela Cornell / Jon Shoulders Julie Yates / Lindsey Thompson Mary Lowry / Matt Keating

MARCH PHOTOGRAPHERS

Elizabeth Hubbard / Jubilee Edgell

SHOP LOCAL! Help our local economy by shopping local.

Advertising supporters of the The Lakes offset the costs of publication and mailing, keeping this publication FREE. Show your appreciation by thanking them with your business.

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHTS ARE SPONSORED CONTENT

The The Lakes is published by the Towne Post Network and is written for and by local area residents. Over 13,000 copies are distributed each month in The Lakes area.

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53 What’s Happening In March at the Lakes

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TheLakesMagazine.com TownePost.com

MudLOVE owner Luke Wright

MudLOVE & Belove Local Couple Gives Back Locally & Globally Through Art Writer / Mary Lowry Photographer / Jubilee Edgell

They say love makes the world go round, and Luke Wright strives to exemplify this idea through his Warsaw-based store MudLOVE. Luke’s business, which offers handmade clay mugs and tumblers in addition to jewelry, partners with organizations locally and abroatd. It all started in a tiny garage in 2009.

“I was working with my dad doing

construction, but he was going to retire so I was looking for a backup option,” Luke says. “I didn’t want to work for somebody else at the time, so I figured I’d start my own business.”

At that point Luke began transitioning from construction to the retail world.

He grew from throwing pottery in his garage after shifts of construction work to opening his own store, and working there full time. From the start he knew that he wanted to help people, and he gives the credit for that thought to divine inspiration. He felt called to partner with Water for Good, a charity based in the Central African Republic.

“We give a portion of each product sale to Water for Good that equals a week of clean water,” Luke explains. “We’ve been able to align with them and understand the work that’s being done.”

MudLOVE also works to give back 6 / THE LAKES / MARCH 2020 / TheLakesMagazine.com

to local residents. Luke’s wife Whitney does so through the couple’s second store, Belove, located in Winona Lake. The shop resides in the same garage that MudLOVE started in, and carries MudLOVE products as well as Bel Kai handmade jewelry. Five percent of all sales from Belove are donated back to the community.

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“We basically want to be addressing a need,” Luke says. “We like to give to things we think can help people, typically nonprofits.”

This love for others seeps into every aspect of the MudLOVE concept. Luke describes his vision for the business as putting love into action, and one of his favorite ways of doing this is through his stamped bracelets. Each bracelet comes emblazoned with an inspirational word or short phrase, and patrons can also customize the bracelets.

Customers make many types of connections through Luke’s products - in fact, so many people connect to his bracelets that since opening his doors eight years ago, he’s sold over one million stamped MudLOVE bracelets.

Besides his customers, another group of people Luke values is his employees. He says the store simply would not be possible without them, and his employees love the brand just as much as he

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does. They share a common goal - helping to spread love through art.

Visit MudLOVE at 122 South Buffalo Street in Warsaw, and give the store a call at 844-683-5683. For more info, visit mudlove.com.

Belove is located at 804 Park Avenue in Winona Lake. Call 574-453-1575 and go to belovegiftshop.com to learn more.

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The Olde House Local Shop Offers Baked Treats & Unique Gift Items Writer / Matt Keating Photographer / Elizabeth Hubbard

Becky Whiteman, owner of The Olde House Bakery & Gift Shoppe in Silver Lake, had a dream to open her own business, and has worked hard to make that dream a reality.

“I bought the shop in 2015, and I was also working full-time at Carson’s department store in Warsaw at the time,” Whiteman says. “I stepped down in 2017 to a part-time position at Carson’s, and I opened (The Olde House) in the fall of 2017.”

To achieve her goal of owning and running a business, Whiteman had to work extremely hard.

“For three days a week I worked at Carson’s, until we found out they were closing the store in 2018,” Whiteman says. “I had to figure out how to make my business work full time, and that’s when we put the bakery in.”

Many Silver Lake residents are happy Whiteman made the decision to offer delicious baked goodies at The Olde House. Some customers come in to buy one of her delicious strawberry, blueberry, cherry, apple or chocolate pies, while others might choose to purchase a tasty cupcake.

Owner Becky Whiteman

The cinnamon rolls, cookies and cakes at The Olde House are also popular. Whiteman does specialty cakes

as well, and customers can call for pricing. Her cakes have been a big hit at weddings, showers and graduation parties.

“We sell some baked goods in the store, but we also do a lot of bakedto-order items,” Whiteman says. “I’m a small bakery owner, so I can do custom stuff and also make items from scratch.”

Positive word of mouth has helped Whiteman tremendously. She has already garnered return customers and friends who like her sweet treats and special gifts.

“People are still finding me, but I do have several loyal customers that come in to get pies, cookies or, a store favorite, our cake balls,” Whiteman says. “Our shop is small, but very charming as well.”

Whiteman has plans to expand her business in the future with additional products.

“I am always trying to figure out how to grow my business, so in a couple months we will be adding produce to our shop,” she says.

Whiteman strives to make the gifts in her shop extra special for consumers.

“We are always trying to make as many handmade items as we can, just to keep us unique,” she says, adding that The Olde House also offers jewelry, tea and coffee. “We have primitive home decor, candles, soup, and dip mixes, as well as our baked goods.”

Whiteman is very fond of Silver Lake, and local residents who have become friends.

“The Silver Lake area is home to us, and I feel the town is growing with some unique businesses here,” she says. “It’s hard to be a small business in a big world, but I know this is my passion, and that it’s a very special little shop.”

Visit The Old House at 608 N. Jefferson Street in Silver Lake. For more info, call 260-802-1346 and visit facebook.com/theoldehouse608.

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People Powered Juko-Ryu Toide & Martial Arts Center Offers Valuable Self-Defense Classes Writer / Matt Keating Photographer / Elizabeth Hubbard

Matthew S. Smith, owner of Juko-Ryu Toide & Martial Arts Center in Warsaw, thoroughly enjoys teaching people how to protect themselves.

“My wife Karissa and I are the owners and headmasters of Juko-Ryu Toide & Martial Arts Center,” Smith says. “We opened in April of 2018.

We get people excited about martial arts and how to protect themselves.”

Smith’s long-time enthusiasm for martial arts is shared by his students.

“I have been a student of the martial arts since I was seven years old,” Smith says. “I started with self-defense basics, and later went into Tae Kwon Do. I then went into Wing Chun about seven years ago. I was introduced to Juko-Kai International, and had the privilege of going to a clinic held in the South Bend area. After that first class I was hooked.

I remember thinking, ‘This is the real deal.’”

Owner Matthew Smith and his wife Karissa.

Smith has continued his study of Juko-Kai ever since.

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“Once I met my wife I convinced her that she should also study and train, since I couldn’t always be there to help protect her,” Smith says. “She too has been studying and training. We are both personal students of Juko-Kai International’s founder and headmaster Dai Soke Rod Sacharnoski.”

Before starting the dojo business, Smith worked as a professional ballroom, Latin and swing dance instructor.

“I also co-owned a couple of dance studios,” Smith says.

“I do still teach dance to those who like to learn. I also worked at different factory jobs here and there.”

Smith notes that new students at his facility can expect to learn exactly what it takes to protect themselves and their loved ones.

“We are all about teaching how to protect yourself in real-world situations - none of the fantasy and play,” Smith says. “You need to know you will make it home to your family, and that the techniques you are learning will actually work in full-on, hand-to-hand combat situations.”

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The learning environment at the facility is very welcoming.

“We take everyone through the basics, and build them up in an easy-to-understand and comfortable-to-learn environment,” Smith says. “We make sure that everyone fully understands what it is we are teaching them. Last but not least, the new student can expect to have a lot of fun, get a great full-body workout, and meet others who have like-minded goals and who will be excited to train and grow along with them.”

The facility has classes for a range of abilities and ages, and youth classes are available. The center also offers private individual and group sessions, including team-building self-defense courses.

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Smith has been inspired by his students.

“We could not ask for better students,” he says. “They are all very supportive and work hard to reach their goals. We often quote our motto, ‘Let’s Live Empowered,’ and the students here definitely do just that by drawing together for growth, and having a passion to spread the gift of self-protection to the rest of the community around them.”

Juko-Ryu Toide & Martial Arts Center is located at 704 South Buffalo Street in Warsaw. Call 260-415-6803 and visit letsliveempowered.com for more info.

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7185 N. S.R. 13 North Webster, IN 46555

Manager Mike Wilson

Bart’s Water Sports Celebrates Nearly 50 Years in Kosciusko Writer / Jon Shoulders Photographer / Jubilee Edgell

Not unlike many successful, long-running businesses, Bart’s Water Sports began when its founder recognized an opportunity to fill a unique niche, locally and regionally.

equipment elsewhere,” Wilson says. “When he went to different ski club competitions he would run into people who would tell him they couldn’t find certain things. He had the idea of being the one who could provide it for all these people he would talk to.”

Bart’s Water Sports began solely as a retail business, but it didn’t take Culver long to realize he could establish a much wider customer base through adding a mail-order component to his business concept.

In 1972 Bart Culver, a lifelong water sports fan, Indiana University grad and member of the North Webster Ski Bees ski club, began a small retail shop that would eventually grow into a far-reaching mail-order and online water sports equipment and apparel business. “A lot of the people at the different competitions he’d go to, who needed products, were from Ohio or Michigan, and (Culver) “Bart grew up around the lakes and was active in all the water sports started a mailing list and put out some black-and-white flyers early - if he wasn’t working he was around water,” says Bart’s Manager on,” says Wilson, a former schoolteacher who started working at Mike Wilson.

Bart’s during summers from the late 1970s until 1988 when he joined the company on a full-time basis.

Culver studied biology and education at Indiana University, and after an unsatisfying stint as a student teacher, he decided to pursue In 1975, the small Bart’s staff published its first water sports product a career path quite different from teaching. catalog, and began filling orders for customers locally, regionally “He started selling water skiing equipment to people as a very small business for people who were having trouble finding such

and even on a national scale.

Bart’s has been headquartered at three different locations in North

16 / THE LAKES / MARCH 2020 / TheLakesMagazine.com

Webster since its inception, and Culver began the business by converting a small house into a retail shop and showroom. Since 1995, the company has been located on East 800 North, and the staff currently welcomes customers for tours of its warehouse facility.

If it’s related to water sports, you can probably find it at Bart’s. The company stocks surf boards, skis, kayaks, snorkel gear, towable tubes, boat accessories, life jackets and more - as well as a wide range of men’s, women’s and kids’ apparel.

“We don’t sell boats and never have, and we don’t sell PWC’s (personal watercraft) or anything like that,” Wilson says. “Other than that, anything you need to participate in water sports, we’ll probably have it. Anything you can do behind or around your boat for fun or relaxation - we try to offer those kinds of products.”

Wilson says the staff consists of seven full-time employees, and company leaders typically bring on between 12 and 22 seasonal staffers.

“Our seasonal help fits into three categories,” Wilson says. “There’s our retail showroom, which is busy in the summer, and warehouse work. There’s also customer service, which years ago was just answering the telephone, but now that most orders are online it’s a

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matter of answering emails and live chatting.”

Wilson says the Bart’s staff works constantly to process orders from all over the U.S. and the world.

“We don’t do as many big international orders as we used to because our manufacturers and vendors have better coverage around the world than they used to,” Wilson says. “More companies have distributors in different companies, with the way the world has gone as far as online business.”

Bart’s inventory has evolved through the years to account for trends in water sports, and the advent of new water activities.

“When we first started, if people did something behind the boat it was water skiing,” he says. “Through the years wakeboarding has become popular, and tubing has changed a lot with different shapes and sizes. Tubing is easy for people to learn and do now. More recently wakesurfing has also gotten popular. So we’ve gotten more and more categories of products to sell.”

Despite its growth and increased market reach through the decades, Wilson says Bart’s remains as focused on customer service as when Culver and his small staff were operating out of a converted house in the ‘70s.

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“We’re really still a small company,” he says. “We try to evolve and try to keep up and watch the competition. There are a lot of big online businesses that we have to keep our eye on, and our philosophy is that competition makes you stronger and better because you have no choice but to compete. We embrace that and have tried to get better wherever we could.”

Wilson adds that the Bart’s staff regularly looks for ways to give back to the North Webster community, through outlets like volunteer opportunities and local food pantry donations.

“North Webster is a town of about 1,000 people, so it’s not like we have a huge labor pool to pull from,” says Wilson, who grew up in Central Indiana and attended Manchester University before eventually moving to North Webster in the late 1980s when he joined Bart’s as a full-time employee. “This past spring, we hired a college grad who had worked here in the summer, but other than that our newest employee has been here 20 years. So we haven’t had much turnover through the years. We joke that because everybody’s got so much experience and things run so efficiently, the place can kind of run itself.”

Bart’s Water Sports headquarters is located at 7581 East 800 North in North Webster. For more information, call 574-834-7666 and visit bartswatersports.com to sign up for an email list and for product info, a frequently-asked-questions page and more.

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Miller Hardwoods Owner Talks Services and Customer Satisfaction Writer / Matt Keating Photographer / Elizabeth Hubbard

Levi Miller, owner of Miller Hardwoods, has made his business successful by ensuring that his customers are satisfied.

“I’ve been doing it that way since I started,” Miller says. “I began working in this business in February 1975. I worked with a portable sawmill, and I didn’t know one tree from another. I really had a lot to learn, but I worked hard at it.”

Miller started out part time, but was eventually able to turn his work into a full-time venture.

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“I was also working at a trailer factory,” he says. “I worked full time at Fairmount Trailers, in the metal department. I put metal on the exterior of the trailers.”

Miller says he no longer works with hardwoods, and now focuses all of his attention on the mulch side of his business.

“The sawmill I worked with lasted several years, and now we are all about mulch,” he says. “We previously worked with green lumber, which is called hardwood. We had our own cutting crew that did a great job over the years. In 2006 we shut down the mill. We had a good run with it.”

Miller is glad he kept the mulch aspect of his business, which has thrived.

“We have between 80 and 90 semi trucks of mulch a year,” Miller says.

“We have used two semis for deliveries, but we usually only use one semi.”

Miller Hardwoods dyes their mulch black and dark brown, which customers appreciate.

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“Our customers are really happy with the mulch they get,” Miller says. “We keep really close tabs on all of our customers, and stay in touch with them to make sure they are satisfied with everything. They tell us they really like the texture of the mulch. I have a good reputation with my customers, and that really means a lot to me.”

Miller added that he regularly asks his customers what Miller Hardwoods could do to improve.

“We’ve received a lot of compliments over the years, and there’s nothing better than that,” he says. “I regularly call my wholesale customers, and ask them what I can do to enhance my products. I really want to get their feedback so I can work even harder to make them even more satisfied.”

Miller credits his employees with much of the business’s success.

“My wife Mary Ellen has been my secretary for the last 45 years,” he says. “We will have been together for 47 years this coming June.

We have a good working relationship, and we enjoy working together.”

The couple believes positive word of mouth from happy customers has kept them in business for so long.

“We have a good delivery service, and we know how to treat people right,” Miller says.

“We also use high-quality mulch that is not ground up. Our mulch is a premium mulch.

Miller Hardwoods,llc Levi Miller, Owner

Our customers love it. When they are happy, I’m happy.”

Miller Hardwoods is located at 8760 West 1350 North in Nappanee. Call 574-7739371 for more info.

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Creative Corner Steps 1.

Ingredients Brownie Base 1 box (16 oz) Brownie mix Water, vegetable oil and egg called for on brownie mix box

2.

Filling 2 tablespoons butter, softened 3 oz cream cheese, softened 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream 3 cups powdered sugar ½ teaspoon mint extract (or to taste) Green food color about 10 drops or to desired color Topping ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream 1 ⅓ cups semisweet chocolate chips ⅓ cup butter

Little Lakers March Cow Jokes

What do you call a cow that eats your grass?

A lawn moo-er.

What do you call a cow in a tornado?

A milkshake!

3.

4.

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Line 9-inch square pan with foil, allowing some to hang over edges of pan.

Grease bottom and sides of foil with shortening or cooking spray. Make and bake brownies as directed on box. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 1 1/2 hours.

In large bowl, beat softened butter and cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons whipping cream; beat until blended. Slowly add powdered sugar; beat until fluffy. Beat in mint extract. Beat in food color until desired color. Spread over cooled brownies. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until set.

In 2-quart saucepan, heat Topping ingredients over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat; let stand 15 minutes.

Pour topping over filling; spread to cover. Refrigerate uncovered about 2 hours or until set. Using foil to lift, remove brownies from pan, and peel foil away. Before cutting, let stand 20 minutes at room temperature. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

Fun Cow facts: • Cows are known for their special type of stomach- one stomach with four different compartments (and you thought you could eat a lot)! Each of these has its own purpose in helping the cow eat and digest its food.

Why did the cow cross the road?

• Cows have hooves on their feet and can weigh up to 4,000 pounds.

To get to the udder side.

• They eat grasses and plants.

• Cows drink about a bathtub full of water every day. That would be one big water bottle!

• Young cattle are called calves, adult females are called cows, and adult males are called bulls.

• Thousands of years ago, cows were actually one of the first forms of money, and people would use them to buy and trade things.

Source www.coolkidfacts.com

Submit your cre ati ve ide as to mandi@townepost.com or message us on Facebook

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5 March Madness Watch Party Essentials Writer / Lindsey Thompson

The Cinderella stories. The upsets. The bracketology.

Whether you’re an avid college basketball fan or just enjoy picking your bracket based on the mascots, March Madness is an exciting time. This year, share that excitement by hosting your own watch party for your family and friends with this winning starting line-up. Here are 5 helpful tips for making your March Madness party a slam dunk.

1. Chow Down on Game Day Classics Food for your March Madness party should be simple and easy to eat with your fingers. Chicken wings, jalapeĂąo poppers, pizza and nachos are classic game day go-tos. Take your finger food game to the next round by choosing foods

that correspond with some teams in the tournament. For example, serve mini hot brown sandwiches in honor of Kentucky or pulled pork sandwiches for Kansas.

For dessert, decorate cupcakes in your favorite team’s colors or use orange and black icing to create mini basketballs.

It’s not a party without libations, and March Madness allows for lots of creativity for drinks. If a local team is in the dance, keep a cooler full of beer from area breweries. You could also choose local favorites from other teams in the tourney. Keep cocktails simple so that you don’t have to spend your whole party tending the bar. Try premixed drinks like margaritas, sangria and mojitos that you can mix up before the party and let people serve themselves. For the 21-andunder crowd, have bottles of Gatorade (bonus points for orange flavor to tie into the basketball theme!) and bottled water on hand.

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2. Don’t Skimp on the TV The bulk of the party will be watching the games, so you’ll want to have a nice-sized TV. If you can swing it, set up several TVs to watch multiple games at once, especially during the first rounds. Put your TV(s) in a spot where everyone can comfortably view it, providing spots for people to sit and watch if they want to. Think creatively for extra seating, repurpose poufs and stools as seating. Before the party, check your cable connection to be sure no one has to experience an expected blackout.

If your household is lacking the ideal television, many rent-to-own businesses and furniture rental companies offer short-term rentals.

If you’re in the market for a new TV anyway, keep an eye out for sales right before the Super Bowl and the weeks leading up to the start of March Madness.

3. Up Your Bracketology Game One of the best parts of March Madness is picking your teams and watching them advance along your bracket. Some people spend hours pouring over game notes and expert tips to pick their bracket, while others choose teams based on school colors, mascots or friends who attended that school. No matter how you choose, elevate your bracket game at your party with fun games and contests.

For each game that you watch, award prizes to the guests who choose the winning team on their bracket. You can also pass out prizes for guests who correctly guess the total final score, how many players foul out of the game or the winning team’s field goal percentage. Be sure to have extra brackets on hand for guests who haven’t had a chance to fill one out yet.

4. Entertain Guests with Other Games While the basketball games are the main attraction, have other games for guests to play during halftime or in between rounds. Break out the

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PlayStation or Xbox for a round of NBA Live or NBA2K. Head outside for a real game of hoops, horse or knockout. Let your guests show off their skills. You could also put up small basketball hoops around the house for trick shots and alley-oops.

5. It’s All About the Ambiance Tie it all together with a fun ambiance.

Have all your guests wear their favorite basketball jersey or other collegiate team wear. If your guests are willing to go all out, ask everyone to wear their best face paint and offer a prize for the coolest design. Join the fun too, donning a referee shirt and whistle to call any party fouls and award points for participation. Make the party atmosphere extra fun by playing Jock Jams songs in the background. Most party stores sell basketball-themed decorations. You also can’t go wrong with simple black and orange streamers and balloons.

No matter how you party, just remember to be safe and have fun!

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Barnwood Masters Offers Custom Reclaimed Furniture Writer / Angela Cornell Photographer / Elizabeth Hubbard

A piece of wood is, by its nature, a work of art. The interior rings a tree produces mark the years of its life. They also act as a sort of diary. Some of those rings mark where branches once grew.

Others tell of drought or flood years. The careful observer can even tell if the tree caught fire or struggled with disease at some

point in its life. A lot of wood has two stages to life, each of which can last decades - one as a tree and another as a building material. But Tim and Micah Bradley, the father and son coowners of Barnwood Masters in Mentone, give reclaimed barnwood another stage of life as custom-made furniture.

Like the wood they work with, the Bradleys have experienced

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some major changes in their family life.

For many years, Tim Bradley worked as a catastrophe claims insurance agent. That career ended abruptly years ago when a car accident resulted in a mild traumatic brain injury. This affected much of his life, including his ability to work and drive. It took five years for him to recover to the point where he could again pursue some of his interests.

One of the first activities his family encouraged him to attempt was woodworking, a long-time favorite hobby.

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“It was just something fun that we would do as kids with him in the shop,” Tim’s son Micah says. “(We would) tinker around a little bit and build 4-H projects, shelves and little cabinets.”

Since reclaimed barnwood is beautiful, versatile, and relatively easy to access in Indiana, Tim started using it when he again picked up the hobby.

It didn’t take long for others to notice Tim’s gift as an artisan, and he began selling what he made.

“He was getting enough orders, and there was enough attention to what he was doing, that it was time to make it into a real business,” Micah says.

That was three years ago, and since then the business has grown exponentially.

Barnwood Masters has two main services.

They dismantle collapsing barns, and make handcrafted furniture specifically for homes and businesses. Although Tim’s first love is building tables, Barnwood

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Masters offers a wide range of possible products, from chairs, cabinets and kitchen islands to bed sets and coffee tables.

“That’s one of the perks of being a custom shop - if someone has something specific in mind, then we can build it,” Micah says. “So if someone wants a barn-beam mantle for their fireplace, or if it’s just something simple like putting in some floating shelves - these are all things that we have done and we’re definitely willing to do.”

Micah says reclaiming barnwood holds a higher purpose than just making furniture. It’s also a way to preserve the earth’s resources.

“Sustainability is a big thing for us,” he says.

“We want to be good stewards of what God’s given us on this earth. So if it’s a way to reclaim, repurpose or reuse, then I think we have the responsibility to use that well.”

Visit barnwoodmasters.com or call 574-933-3805 for more information.

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How’s the Weather?

National Weather Service Northern Indiana Celebrates 20th Anniversary Writer / Mary Lowry Photography Provided

This year the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) celebrates its 150th anniversary as a government agency. The NWS Northern Indiana location in Syracuse recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, having opened to serve the public in August of 1999. Michael Lewis, a warning coordination meteorologist, has worked in Syracuse for the last 12 years, and he says

that serving the area has been his favorite part of working for the National Weather Service.

“With 122 weather centers in the United States, there are a lot of opportunities to move if you want to,” Lewis says. “I’ve moved all over the country. I can honestly call northern Indiana my home. In this area, with the influence of the lakes, we have a lot of unbelievably challenging weather here. There’s a crazy diversity of

weather here, more than anywhere else I’ve lived. The weather here is some of the most challenging, difficult and interesting weather. Every day brings something new and something you’ve never seen before.”

The staff at the Syracuse-based facility provides weather information for northern Indiana, southern Michigan and northwest Ohio, overseeing a total of 37 counties.

Most of those counties are in Indiana, in addition to five in Michigan and eight in

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www.weather.gov or use the NOAA weather app 7506 E 850 N Syracuse, IN 46567 (574)834-1104 x642 • Fax (574)834-3492 mark.frazier@noaa.gov www.weather.gov/iwx TheLakesMagazine.com / MARCH 2020 / THE LAKES / 37

Ohio. With 122 weather stations across the United States, Syracuse is lucky to have a weather center according to Lewis. There are only two centers located in the state of Indiana, and a total of six centers provide weather information for the state.

In his position as a warning coordination meteorologist, Lewis works closely with community partners to keep residents safe.

Doing so is one of his favorite parts of the job.

“My role here is to work with those partners to identify the ways we can deliver our services differently and adapt our services to their needs, in addition to what our agency can do based on what our partners are requiring,” Lewis explains. “I’ve never met a more honest and passionate group of people.”

The weather center staff works to give back to the community in other ways as well, including food and blanket drives after severe weather affects local residents.

Because the NWS exists to serve the public, the staff at the Northern Indiana facility welcomes visitors. The facility can typically accommodate tours Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. The center is closed on federal holidays.

The National Weather Service’s Northern Indiana office is located at 7506 East 850 North in Syracuse. The center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more info or to schedule a tour, call 574834-1104 and visit facebook.com/pg/ NWSNorthernIndiana.

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38 / THE LAKES / MARCH 2020 / TheLakesMagazine.com

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Pilcher’s Shoes Has Been Helping Customers For More Than 70 Years Writer / Angela Cornell Photographer / Jubilee Edgell

It’s a shoe store in a castle. Literally. What makes Pilcher’s Shoes unique isn’t the architecture, however, but rather the owner’s mission to bring those who struggle with back, hip, knee and foot pain one step closer to healing with the perfect pair of shoes.

“He would have athletes come in from school and they couldn’t find shoes that fit them,” Bob says of his father. “So he started buying these sizes - 13s, 14s and 15s.”

That decision put Pilcher’s Shoes on the map virtually overnight.

When women’s sports developed in the 1970s, Doug started carrying larger sizes for women as well.

Pilcher’s Shoes was founded after Bob Pilcher’s father Doug came home from World War II around 1945. His first job after the war was in a shoe store in Fort Wayne, and he fell in love with the business. When he heard a shoe store nearby was for sale in 1947, he bought it.

In 1977 the business again faced a change. Doug was facing openheart surgery. To help keep the business open, Bob quit his job as an accountant with Monsanto and moved home to help his dad with the family business.

At that point, many of his customers were athletes, and that came with a special challenge.

“It was a shock, going from something as big as what Monsanto was to as little as what our shoe store was,” Bob says. “It was a challenge and I enjoyed it.”

40 / THE LAKES / MARCH 2020 / TheLakesMagazine.com

When Doug passed away a few years later, he handed over the reins of the store to his son. Since then Pilcher’s Shoes has survived more than 30 years, including occasional periods of economic upheaval. Bob attributes the success of his business to God. “The lord just kept us in business,” he says.

Bob would be the first to admit that Pilcher’s Shoes had some close shaves during economic downturns. The mid-1990s were especially hard because of the popularity of shoe franchises.

“People started looking at what (shoes) cost and what they looked like, and started buying shoes that didn’t fit them,” Bob says.

Nevertheless, one of the store’s biggest challenges eventually became its salvation. The longer people wore shoes from bigbox stores, the more pain they experienced.

“They were starting to come back to us because their knees hurt and their feet hurt,” Bob says. “They were in trouble and they needed help. And now we’ve turned a corner - we’re growing.”

Although Pilcher’s Shoes still has quality footwear for all kinds of athletes, most of the store’s customers are working men and women who need shoes with strong support.

For Bob and his team, it’s all about helping people heal from the feet up, and the process begins as soon as a person walks into the store.

“After 40 years of doing this, before doing anything I can say, ‘Your shoes don’t fit you - I can see that the ball of your foot is in the wrong place,’” Bob says.

The next step is measuring to determine correct shoe size. Bob says many people wear drastically incorrect shoe sizes.

“When people walk through the front door for the first time, they’re all wearing the wrong size - all of them,” he says. “I don’t want to reinforce a bad fit.”

For that reason, Pilcher’s Shoes doesn’t have a large online store.

“Let’s say you think you wear a 9.5EE and you actually wear a 10.5B,” Bob says. “Now, I don’t want to sell you a 9.5EE online and you go, ‘Oh, their shoes don’t work.’ But if a person comes in and they buy a certain shoe from me, and they want to order it again, fine. I’ll ship it to them, no problem. But until I have a chance to look at their feet, I don’t want them just buying what (size) they think they wear. That’s why they’re here.”

Most customers return to Pilcher’s Shoes because of the benefits of wearing the right shoe size.

Helping people find the perfect fit since 1947.

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TheLakesMagazine.com / MARCH 2020 / THE LAKES / 41

“If I can get you in a shoe that lines your foot up, so that the ball of your foot lines up and the shoe lines up with the right width, then it squares your body up,” Bob says.

“The first thing that it does is it helps your hips. The second thing is does is help your knees, and the third is your feet. It’s like building a house. If the basement’s not level, the first floor is going to be out of

whack, but the second floor is going to be even worse. That’s your back and that’s your hips. So, square up the feet.”

Pilcher’s Shoes is located at 127 South Main Street in North Webster. For more information, call 574-834-7463 or go to pilchersshoes.com.

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44 / THE LAKES / MARCH 2020 / TheLakesMagazine.com

Steven Reinholt, Brent Reinholt, Andy McCleary, and Michael Rees.

Family Furnishings Reinholt’s Town Square Furniture Offers a History of High Quality Writer / Matt Keating Photographer / Elizabeth Hubbard

Reinholt’s Town Square Furniture in Warsaw has a rich history as a destination for high-quality furniture.

Brent Reinholt, one of several family members working at the store, says the history of Reinholt’s goes back a long way.

“My grandpa opened our original furniture store in Knox, Indiana, in 1936,” Reinholt says. “My dad, Donald, began working there in 1960. My uncle joined in 1966. By 1980 this store in a small community ceased being a two-family business, and talks began about making a change. My dad made contact with Dick Glover here in Warsaw, and a deal was struck to purchase Glover Furniture at the end of 1981.”

Reinholt’s son Steven now works as a fourth-generation family member at the store. This year Reinholt and his staff celebrate their 38th year in business although technically the company has been around a lot longer.

Reinholt’s brother Keith graduated from college in 1982, and started working at the store part-time while teaching at a middle school and coaching high school football.

“In 1984 (Keith) left teaching to work full-time here at the store,” Reinholt says.

“He was able to continue coaching football despite not being a teacher, which was pretty rare at the time. I graduated from college in 1990 and worked in accounting for a short time, and then sales. In 1993 I came back to the furniture store for good.”

Steven graduated from Warsaw High School TheLakesMagazine.com / MARCH 2020 / THE LAKES / 45

in 2015, and attended Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana.

Reinholt thinks of business like he thinks of a clock.

“All you see is the face - in our case a furniture store,” he says. “But underneath it all is a bunch of gears with different roles coming together to accomplish a single purpose.”

Reinholt believes what makes his family business unique is its longevity.

“Four generations into a family business is fairly unique these days,” he says. “I think there are a couple of good reasons why we have stood the test of time. The first is that we were led by example. We saw dad work - not just be here, but actually dig in, solve problems, find answers, make sacrifices and

stay committed. He taught us not just to put in the time, but to be productive during the time we put in.”

When it comes to mattresses, Reinholt’s has many options from the Tempur Sealy company, which offers Tempur-Pedic, Sealy, and Stearns & Foster products.

“Over the past five years or so, we’ve seen a big shift to adding an adjustable base,” Reinholt says. “This gives you the option to raise your head, and to open up your airway for better breathing and deeper sleep

through the night. It also allows you to raise your legs to help you relax, and take stress away from your lower back. We believe that finding the right comfort from the mattress along with the right body position on the base gives you the perfect recipe for a more restful, productive night of sleep.”

Reinholt has his own personal favorite pieces of furniture.

“I’m partial to dual adjustable bases with a king-size bed,” he says. “My wife and I have had this setup for several years, where we

46 / THE LAKES / MARCH 2020 / TheLakesMagazine.com

each control our half of the bed.”

Reinholt adds that the ultimate compliment is a repeat customer.

“It shows that you helped them and they appreciate it,” he says. “We do our best to treat customers the way we would want to be treated.”

Reinholt’s Town Square Furniture is located at 118 West Main Street in Warsaw. Call 574-267-5940 and visit reinholtsfurniture.com to learn more.

Dr. Tom Smith

Milford Animal Clinic Offers Range of Services for Small & Large Animals Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

Originally from Cassopolis, Michigan, he became familiar with the local area when he spent time as a student working at the Round Milford Animal Clinic has a 102-year tradition of providing medical Barn Theatre at Amish Acres in Nappanee. He took over the care for animals both locally and in the surrounding communities. ownership of Milford Animal Clinic in 2008, and currently lives in For much of its history, the practice was exclusively devoted to Milford. He and his wife Janelle have five children - Braden, Abby, large animals, but in recent times clinic leaders have embraced the Levi, David and Benjamin. The family maintains a small farm where care of small animals. Today the clinic has expanded to include they raise sheep. three doctors of veterinary medicine, five registered veterinary technicians, six veterinary assistants, and an office staff of five.

“I grew up on a farm and I’ve always loved working with animals,” Smith says. “My parents gave us the freedom to have lots of different “We are a true mixed practice,” says Dr. Tom Smith, clinic owner. species. Through 4-H projects I was able to raise cows, pigs and “The small animals are mostly dogs and cats but we also have a few sheep. I got my love of animals from my farmer dad and my medical small mammal patients such as guinea pigs, rabbits and ferrets. Our side came from my mom, who was a nurse.” large animal patients include horses, cattle, sheep, goats, alpacas, llamas and white-tailed deer.”

The clinic offers a large variety of services that span the needs of animals over their lifetime. The clinic’s wellness programs include Smith began working at the clinic in 2001 after graduating from immunizations, small animal radiology, isolation hospitalization, Writer / Julie Yates Photographer / Jubilee Edgell

TheLakesMagazine.com / MARCH 2020 / THE LAKES / 47

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pain management and microchipping. The clinic performs surgery for both large and small animals, as well as in-house lab services and euthanasia. The clinic includes a pharmacy within the office, and the staff can perform off-site inspections of kennels to fulfill federal requirements.

“Besides vaccinations, we also do lots of dental work with dogs and cats these days,” Smith says of the clinic’s small-animal practice.

“People are more aware of taking care of pets’ dental health. For large-animal health, we make a plan that fits the goals of each specific herd and farm. A closed herd may only need protection against mosquitos, but horses that are shown have contact with other animals and require different protection.”

At Milford Animal Clinic, a doctor is always on call. Services for all species are offered 24 hours per day.

“I really enjoy working with animals,” Smith says. “I get to see a large variety of different species every day, and every day is different.”

Milford Animal Clinic is located at 913 North Higbee Street in Milford. Visit milfordanimalclinic.com and call 574-658-4126 for more info.

1400 N 350 W Ligonier, IN 46767

Jonas Yoder, Owner Mon-Fri 7:00-4:00 VM: 250-593-2792 Fx:260-593-2791 Sat 7:00-11:30 48 / THE LAKES / MARCH 2020 / TheLakesMagazine.com

Owner Angel Rodriguez & tattoo artist Jessie.

Before Rodriguez opened his shop in 2016, he did silkscreen printing, graphic design work, murals, and worked in fine arts, in addition to other jobs.

“I wasn’t really interested in opening a shop,” Rodriguez recalls. “I just wanted to be a tattoo artist in Fort Wayne, but an opportunity came up and it was something that would bother me if I didn’t at least try.”

So he took a chance, and it paid off.

Mosthigh Tattoos Offers Unique Atmosphere & Diverse Tattoo Services Writer / Matt Keating Photographer / Elizabeth Hubbard

Angel Rodriguez, the sole proprietor of Mosthigh Tattoos in Warsaw, is lucky to work at a job he loves.

He has incorporated skills learned from other jobs, and used those valuable experiences to help him succeed.

“I owed it to the people of Warsaw, Indiana, to have something new and exciting,” Rodriguez says. “As far as the history of the shop, I feel we were pioneers, and are making history as we speak by achieving things that haven’t been done before in Warsaw. We’re even happy to say we’ve inspired people with our God-given success, and artists who have worked for us in the past have followed our lead by opening up their own studios.”

Mosthigh Tattoos has been successful through positive word of mouth from satisfied customers, and has become a popular destination for high-quality tattoos.

TheLakesMagazine.com / MARCH 2020 / THE LAKES / 49

“Some of our popular tattoos right now are infinity symbols and dandelions with birds flying into the sky, filled with mixed watercolors,” Rodriguez says.

Rodriguez has his own personal favorite tattoo styles.

“I love black and grey realism and colorful tattoos, alongside abstract watercolor pieces mixed with fonts and flowers,” he says.

Mosthigh Tattoos has a wide selection to satisfy a multitude of tastes and personal styles.

“We offer all styles,” Rodriguez says. “It’s

your one-stop shop. Tattoos start at $60 and up.”

Rodriguez has enjoyed a lot of repeat business.

“We’re the only shop in town who specializes in all styles, not just one specialty - whether you want a simple script tattoo or a colorful custom piece that suits your style,” he says.

Rodriguez notes that the shop is truly unique.

“We’re the only tattoo shop that offers laser removal, to either lighten a tattoo for a cover up, or simply remove it altogether,” he says.

“We also have the biggest jewelry selection in town, and offer walk-ins for any piercings you may want. We also offer canvas art lessons for enjoyable evenings with your friends and family.”

Tattoos Piercings Laser Removal Jewlery Clothing

Rodriguez adds that Mosthigh Tattoos is a special place to be.

“We are an aesthetically unique environment that can’t be matched or copied,” he says. “No expense is spared to make it look that way.”

Rodriguez is grateful to the Warsaw community.

“There is a lot of loyalty and respect that comes with our clients, who have gifted us with the joy of being able to serve them artistically, now and for years to come,” he says.

mosthightattoos

(574) 268-5292

Mosthigh Tattoos is located at 2124 East Winona Avenue in Warsaw. For more info, call (574) 268-5292 and visit facebook. com/mosthightattoos.

2124 E. WINONA AVE WARSAW, INDIANA 50 / THE LAKES / MARCH 2020 / TheLakesMagazine.com

“Dad was making kitchen cabinets as a hobby,” Sam Whetstone, current company president, says of his father John. “Mom asked him, ‘Hey, can you make me a wooden spoon that wouldn’t break?’”

The end result became a commonly used utensil in the Whetstone kitchen for years to come.

By 1984 John was ready to quit his day job as a truck driver and start his own business building furniture. The name of that initial business was The Carpenter’s Shop. Even as it paid the bills, turning out kitchenware on a lathe remained a hobby for John. One evening John invited a client from Chicago over for supper. Upon seeing the spoon, the client became enthralled with the craftsmanship.

“He said, ‘Hey, do you mind if I take one back with me to Chicago?

I think I have some friends who might be interested in it,’” Sam says.

“They were, and they ordered a few, then a few more.”

Seeing the interest people had in his hobby, John quickly added wooden kitchenware to his company’s product line.

By 1991, John’s kitchenware products were doing so well that the company was rebranded for kitchenware and custom work only.

It was also renamed Whetstone Woodenware at that time. As his customer base expanded worldwide and grew more enthusiastic about the products, John hired some local help.

“God blessed him and it just took off,” Sam says. “That’s where we are to this day.”

Currently, the company’s products are sold not only in its brickand-mortar store and through its website, but also in stores and museum gift shops across the nation.

Whetstone Woodenware Company Owner Talks Products and Family Legacy Writer / Angela Cornell Photographer / Jubilee Edgell

English poet John Dryden said, “Mighty things from small beginnings grow.” As for Silver Lake-based Whetstone Woodenware, its might began with a single wooden spoon in 1978.

As the business grew, so did the range of products, all of which are polished and treated with mineral oil for preservation. The company’s online store offers forks, knives, rolling pins, biscuit cutters, mashers, cutting boards, spatulas, scoops, and a wide range of serving utensils. The physical store houses an even wider selection. All the products are made by Whetstone Woodenware’s artisans, from maple and walnut wood locally sourced from Pike Lumber in Akron, Indiana.

The inspiration for these products came from a variety of places including customer requests, early American history books, museums, and pure imagination.

“I have to give credit to a long-time employee who is no longer with us, Dwight Hammond,” Sam explains. “He was one of dad’s right-hand people for a long, long time. Sometimes it would be just a matter of ‘Hey, here’s a scrap piece of wood. What can we do with this? What could we make with this instead of just throwing it away or burning it?’”

Some of Whetstone Woodenware’s products have received national recognition in publications such as the New York Times.

The company’s French rolling pin was even described as the best

TheLakesMagazine.com / MARCH 2020 / THE LAKES / 51

pin for most bakers by the website Wirecutter, an unsolicited designation that gave great pride to John.

It’s no surprise that woodworking has a special place in Sam’s heart, since he grew up watching his dad turn the wood lathe.

“Woodworking is always something I’ve loved,” Sam says. “It comes somewhat easily to me.”

Since John’s passing in September of last year, woodworking has also provided a way for Sam to honor his father’s memory.

“I think preserving dad’s legacy is the biggest motivation for me,” Sam says. “Dad trusted God to guide him and I’m very respectful of that - very grateful that God has given me the opportunity to carry on.”

Since taking over the business, Sam has been busy fulfilling a twopart purpose - continuing John’s legacy and serving his customers. “(The business) was his life, his love,” Sam says. “He was very humble. He didn’t want to take a lot of credit for the things he had done and accomplished.”

John was also pleased to know Whetstone Woodenware would continue in good hands.

“He looked at me and said, ‘You know, I’m glad that you’re taking over,’” Sam says of John.

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For Sam, serving his customers has been the best part of the job, especially when someone comes in with a specific piece of heirloom wooden kitchenware that they would like to see replicated.

“To see the joy on their faces of having that memory kept alive is probably the biggest thing,” Sam says.

Visit Whetstone Woodenware at 108 East Main Street in Silver Lake. Call 260-571-5450 and visit whetstonewoodenware.com for more info.

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52 / THE LAKES / MARCH 2020 / TheLakesMagazine.com

I N M A R C H AT T H E L A K E S S I LV E R L A K E

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W E LC O M E TO

MAGAZINE elcome to the inaugural edition of The Lakes Magazine for the Kosciusko region and surrounding communities. More than 38,000 homeowners and business owners throughout the region will receive our free monthly digital, print and social media publication.

We have pre-selected area homeowners in the region to receive this monthly-mailed, complimentary magazine year-round. You will also find many extra copies of this publication throughout numerous businesses in the area. Our audience is mostly comprised of year-round homeowners along with thousands of second home or vacation homeowners. We also own a similar nearby publication called The Lakes Magazine in the Marshall and Fulton County area.

The Lakes Magazine is part of the Towne Post Network, which collectively prints approximately 250,000 magazines monthly across Indiana and Kentucky. Since 2004, the Towne Post Network has been the dominant resource in each community because of its proven, unique business system and engaging content. Each month, you will find interesting stories covering new and historical restaurants, shops, local businesses and more. Many of these great business owners proudly display their contact information with flexible terms and attractive all-color advertising options in the magazine.

FREE MONTHLY PRINT MAGAZINE WITH CORRESPONDING MOBILE FEATURING THE PEOPLE, BUSINESSES, APP AND SOCIAL MEDIA AND EVENTS IN AND AROUND KOSCIUSKO COUNTY.

MARCH 2020 MAGAZINE

We are grateful for the overwhelming support we have already received and proud to be part of this incredible community. The Lakes Magazine is meant to highlight positive stories in the community and that will always be our goal. If you have an interesting story or would like to meet in person to discuss advertising opportunities, contact us by phone or email.

Enjoy the inaugural issue!

John & Mandi Lewandowski john@townepost.com mandi@townepost.com TheLakesMagazine.com @thelakesmagazineofkosciusko 574-249-9217 call/text

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Mullets Fencing & Supplies + Feed Store

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