United States
Midwest storyteller and roller coaster enthusiast. Pale gal willing to pay the price to feel the sun on my face. The world can be dark yet beauty abounds when you seek the stories. alwilsonwrites.com
Shirley Heinze Land Trust was born in 1981 to preserve and restore natural lands and waters in northwestern Indiana and to engage communities in nature.
"K9s are the first ones in and the last ones out," says Lisette Guillen, Chicago ambassador for Vested Interest in K9s. "They want to protect as much as possible."
VOL. 20 ISSUE 4 | FALL 2020 LESLIE PLESAC Leslie Plesac Life Coaching U niquely Successful
VOL. 20 ISSUE 3 | SUMMER 2020 MATT WELTER Wayne Enterprises CEO Happy at
There's nothing like a quarantine to give you extra time to notice all the areas of your home you've been neglecting. From dusty ceiling fan blades to bathtub soap scum, there's no time like the present to reassess how clean your house really is.
The size of the gap between open jobs and available trades workers is widening. The spring issue of Valparaiso Magazine takes a closer
The magazine of the Greater Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce
What's a frog's favorite drink? It's "croak-a-cola." This is just one of many groan-inducing jokes Amy Howard, a language arts teacher at Robert A. Taft Middle School, Crown Point, shares with her sixth-grade class in her beloved "joke-of-the-day." "I love to joke and have fun with the kids," Howard says.
There are few feats of educational instruction more daring than feasting on a Mexican cricket. Yet foreign delicacies are all part of the lesson plan in Barb Snyder's sixth grade classroom at Union Township Middle School in Valparaiso. Each student chooses a country to feature for Snyder's holidays-around-the-world project.
The magazine of the Greater Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce
In this issue we take a look at all things summer--farmers markets, vineyards, ice cream, makers, and so much more.
George Bibich Elementary School was one of seven Indiana schools to receive the U.S. Department of Education's 2018 Blue Ribbon Award. Created in 1982, the Blue Ribbon Schools Program honers private and public elementary, middle, and high schools that are academically high-achieving or have shown significant improvement.
Each day is a novelty shaped by unique circumstances, unexpected challenges, and new faces that come with providing maternity care services for veteran Porter Regional Hospital nurse Cindy Fultz. "Every day is so different from the one before, and it's so rejuvenating to come back each day to a new day," she says.
To the relief of retail business owners and residents alike, Valparaiso isn’t keen to say goodbye to its brick-and-mortar stores. As shuttered storefronts are becoming increasingly common, what is the secret to Valpo stores’ resilience?
Action-hero dreams of fearless stunts and daring adventures aren't limited to boys and boys-at-heart. Girls and women, too, yearn to race, compete, and conquer. Little action-hero wannabes grow up to hold stable jobs and keep families together, but the inner adrenaline-junkie remains.
Lisa Sitarz's tendency to tough things out almost did her in when she tried to manage the symptoms of an assumed panic attack on her own last December. The 51-year-old recalls shortness of breath, nausea, and the way her arms, neck, and jaw began aching as she was cleaning her house one Sunday afternoon.
Though teaching may not seem to have much in common with military service, Army and Iraq War veteran Joseph Weil says mentoring soldiers helped prepare him to fulfill his dream in the classroom.
Being the odd kid out isn't easy. Ask Shira Murzyn, who teaches kindergarten at Winfield Elementary School in Crown Point. Her childhood experience as an immigrant inspires her to ensure that every one of her students feels valued and connected. "When my parents, sister and I came to the U.S.
Pacifiers - or binkies - are both godsend and curse for exhausted parents of infants and toddlers. They can calm a fussy baby and help him sleep ... until that middle-of-the-night wail raises the alarm that the beloved binky is on the floor.
Think the PAV (Pavilion at Wolf Lake) is just a place for rocking concerts and festival fun? True, the Pavilion is well known for top-notch concerts and festivals, but it’s so much more. The PAV also offers a variety of free classes and events for everyone in Northwest Indiana.
"Budget is not a bad word," insists Eric Jaeger, owner of MB Events, Crown Point. MB Events partners with Trysh Jaegar Photography (Eric's wife) and How Sweet It Is Event Coordination and Design to offer a full range of wedding services. Jaeger has DJ'd and emceed hundreds of weddings throughout Chicagoland, and knows the importance of setting a budget.
Fear of the dark isn't limited to childhood nightmares. The threat of memory darkness from Alzheimer's disease and dementia casts a shadow over those in their twilight years and their loved ones. But knowing the early signs of Alzheimer's and dementia helps people fight the diseases.
For years, we've known that cigarette smoking leads to a variety of serious illnesses including emphysema and cancer, as well as significantly reduced lifespans. And yet, we still smoke. Smoking claims the lives of some 480,000 Americans annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Youth is overrated. When it comes to successful career switches, wisdom gleaned through years of skill building and experience trumps blind employment bias favoring those in their twenties. Whereas job coaches traditionally advise job seekers past the age of 30 to downplay experience and achievements that betray their age on their resumes, those who choose to blaze their own paths into new careers utilize years of expertise and wisdom to their – and their clients and surrounding community's...
A new year, a new you. Everyone has at least one change they'd like to see in themselves or in their lives, and many people view the new year as a perfect, even magical, time to make that change happen. The motivation for change is usually good; it's the resolution method that's bad.
1. As Johnny Nash sang about in his famous ditty, stepping outside to enjoy a "bright, sun-shiny day" can make those bad feelings disappear, thanks to increased oxygen levels which help you relax. 2. Even when the sun is hiding during a Chicagoland winter, just 10 minutes of fresh (albeit biting cold) air will enhance your mental capacity and energy levels.
Don't dismiss Northwest Indiana as a region of has-beens. The heydey of King Steel may be over (though steel is still a major pillar of the region's economy), but business is good in Northwest Indiana. Look past the remains of shuttered factories and see what's here and on the horizon - a beautiful diversity of entrepreneurs, innovators and business leaders with the vision and grit to usher Northwest Indiana forward into prosperity.
Woodland creatures amidst a glimmering, snow-covered winter wonderland of pine cones, evergreens and crystal goblets. No, this isn't the strangest winter stroll that you've ever undertaken; it's a beautiful tablescape that you've created to welcome your family and friends to a holiday meal.
Envy. It's a hot topic these days, especially with the novel ways in which social media venues such as Facebook and Instagram can plant those ugly seeds of inadequacy, when we see daily images and words that remind us of how we're not living up to the fabulousness of what we see on our screens....
From the time that it’s mined to its final fruition in a uniquely beautiful jewel creation, every magnificent center stone at Moriarty’s Gem Art has quite a tale to tell.
The generations who make up today's senior population are not the type to go quietly into the twilight years, rest on their laurels and watch the world pass by. No, the Greatest, Silent, and Baby Boomer generations that fought in World War II, marched for civil rights, and boldly declared that love and not war is the answer are ensuring that senior living is a time for enrichment and enjoyment.
Everyone has to go but not everyone can easily. Though not considered topics for polite conversation, constipation and other bowel-related issues are common sources of discomfort and distress. One in 6 Americans experiences constipation, which can lead to complications including bloating and hemorrhoids, according to a study by Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
The greatest treasure is often hidden in plain sight, and "IN" Coast owner Jenny Soffin is a proud devotee and promoter of the hidden gem that is the Northwest Indiana Lake Michigan coastline.
I toured across Eastern and Western Europe. During my first tour outside of the Soviet bloc nations, I saw that capitalists were actually living a pretty nice life. It made me angry when I understood that the propaganda we were raised on was done to keep everyone in the dark.
The greatest beauty and adventure is often found in unexpected places, and the diverse wonder of Northwest Indiana took British travel agent Cathie Odea, Travel Counsellors, by surprise.
What was once a manufacturing has-been is heating up as a destination hotspot for Valparaiso and the Chicagoland metro area.
Solitary endeavors rarely lead to success. Lasting legacies and institutions result from the contributions of many with one uniting goal in mind: to see Valparaiso prosper and its people enjoy the abundant life.
Déjà vu can be the sweetest sensation, especially when it’s a reflection of unrelenting high standards and continual success. For a record-breaking third time, the Valpo Chamber has been recognized as Indiana’s Chamber of the Year.
Regina Biddings-Muro, vice chancellor for institutional advancement at Purdue University Northwest, is leading a charmed professional life. Responsible for fundraising, marketing and communications, alumni relations, and university events, she says, “It’s personally fulfilling to visit with both students, whose lives are transformed by their degrees, and donors, who are so joyful about providing opportunities for students. It makes me jump out of bed and smile.”
A word of warning: a few minutes into a conversation with go-getter and super-achiever Theresa Mudd-vice president and community market director of First Merchants Bank, wife to Mark, and mother to Chloe and Caden-and you may quickly feel like a slacker. Or, you may feel motivated to do and achieve more for yourself, your family, and your community.
Chuck Vandever grew up surrounded by dogs and cigarette smoke. Everyone in his family smoked; Chuck himself started at 11. The Lake Station resident recalls weekly card games in his grandmother's house in which the air was thick with smoke, enveloping everyone including the family Rottweiler, Raja.
Every mom-to-be delights in dreaming of baby's room. Whether the dream's imbued with pastel shades of blue or pink, or veers outside of tradition with neutral-shaded palettes that allow whimsical and bold accents to shine, baby room décor always has heart, as the primary resident is fiercely beloved.
For children and children-at-heart, there's nothing like the heady anticipation of the arrival of Santa Claus. An assortment of goodies, gadgets, and goodwill are anticipated by those who've earned a place on Santa's good list. We've compiled a list of some of the places in Northwest Indiana where the elusive Ol' Saint Nick will be making a stop in the days leading up to Christmas.
Every in-the-know Region resident knows that fall doesn't simply mean trotting out cozy sweaters for cooler temperatures and hearing the delightful crunch of colorful leaves under those new boots. Fall also signals the arrival of football season and fun-filled tailgate parties to help usher in Chicagoland's favorite time of year.
Pain and vulnerability can blind you to the possibility of hope. When you're recovering from a major injury, unrelenting pain and sheer exhaustion can make the world bleak and the path to wellness unclear. When that persists and relief seems unattainable, recovery itself is at risk.
When trick-or-treating time rolls around, kids are more than happy to dress the part and hit the streets for delectable Halloween treats. Typically, the so-called "scary" things of Halloween-ghosts, skeletons and mummies-simply elicit nervous chuckles or excited squeals of delight. But for children with food allergies, it's not the things that go bump in the night that produce a fright.
Christmas is most magical when it delights the senses and the imagination. Ogden Dunes Community Church's Journey to Bethlehem does just that. The walking tour tells the Christmas story through an indoor and outdoor production with some 50 actors and live animals set in scenes reminiscent of the Bethlehem of Jesus' birth.
When it comes to helping children grow up to be responsible, productive citizens who give back to and enrich their local community, it's all about character, and the Dusty Rhode Portage Boys & Girls Club has been proudly promoting character in Portage by caring for and committing to Portage youth since 1996.
The human body can withstand a lot of abuse, but even the most hard-headed child and mightiest athlete are vulnerable to concussion. A concussion is more than just a simple hit to the head, explains Dr. Anthony Levenda, orthopedic surgeon with a specialty in sports medicine for Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute in Chesterton and team physician for Valparaiso University and Chesterton, Wheeler and Portage high schools.
Two NWI organizations use creative means to impact youth.
Pain management comes in many forms. Elite Chiropractic & Sports Care in Munster is just one of them. Operated by Dr. Randy Rosenthal, Elite works to take the kinks out of access to quality care. Chiropractic techniques have been used to relieve patients' pain and improve quality of life for thousands of years.
For Tatjana Nenadovich, a Serbian Orthodox Christian, Christmas is a time to celebrate the roots of family, the birth of family, and a new beginning. Both Nenadovich's parents and her husband Nick's parents emigrated from Serbia to the United States.
Many creatives fear that receiving treatment for mental illness, particularly mood-altering medications, will kill creativity. But, Wehle says, "Don't be afraid that you'll lose your creative edge if you seek help. Even with support and medication, you'll still see the world in a unique way."
The Duneland Chamber of Commerce is taking its popular Chesterton European Market on the road this year to the Burns Harbor Food Truck Square, in a partnership with the Burns Harbor Redevelopment Commission. "The Town of Burns Harbor wanted to see their Food Truck Square event grown and we wanted to grow," Jacqueline Thomas, European Market director, says of the Burns Harbor and Duneland Chamber partnership.
Beloved holiday feasts are a cherished all-American way to spend quality time with family and friends while enjoying delectable culinary delights.
The Indiana Dunes Department of Tourism invites visitors to the Dunes to shake off the sand and take advantage of all that nearby Valparaiso has to offer, and thatōs exactly the spirit in which Fort Wayne residents Bethany and Ted Johnson got married in September 2015. Bethanyōs love for all things beach was established and nurtured by childhood visits to the Dunes, which is why Ted and she chose the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore as the perfect actualization of her dream beach wedding.
imes change and technologies evolve, but the quintessential American dream of owning one’s own business still burns bright. And yet, even the best dreams flounder without support and planning. Thankfully, Valparaiso dreamers have allies through the solid support systems of the Northwest Indiana Small Business Development Center, SCORE, and the Regional Development Company. These expert dream teams are dedicated to helping Valparaiso innovators and entrepreneurs turn passion into profit and...
Local icons and beloved people come and go but they leave behind lasting legacies of home and community.
Michelle Samardzija and her family were enjoying country living when the vision of a charming gingerbread Edwardian house in downtown Valparaiso changed everything. Two years ago, Samardzija and her family were living on two acres on the south side of Valparaiso and her children were enrolled in a downtown Valparaiso preschool. As she waited for her kids to get out of school, she recalls staring at the 1901 Edwardian gingerbread house across the street from the preschool. “I’ve always been a...
Valparaiso’s past lingers in unexpected and spine-tingling ways. Memorial Opera House (104 Indiana Ave.) Executive Director Scot MacDonald has made peace with leaving the lights on after closing. “When I leave the building for the day, I turn the lights out,” he says. “I get in my car, look back and see that the lights are back on. I’ve learned to just leave them on.”
Valparaiso has a legacy of people caring for their neighbors, of paying it forward,” says John Seibert, Director of Valpo Parks. “It’s a culture of ‘we want our next generation to have those same advantages we had,’ a selfless epic of the village helping to raise kids.” Fortunately for Valparaiso, paying it forward is paying off in a big way for both its student population and community at large.
Women typically provide the foundational support for families, businesses, charities, and the very fabric of our society. But, like the foundation of the buildings that house our places of business and residence, the essential is often invisible and women’s needs too often go unacknowledged and unaddressed. Women-focused organizations such as the Valparaiso Woman’s Association, Women in Bloom and Business Women United Network support and aid local women with needed resources, encouragement,...
For many generations, women’s progress meant incremental access to token roles of influence and power. From business owners to doctors, managers to entrepreneurs, key leadership positions were reserved for the few and exceptional. Progress in the 21st century means that seeing a “Ms.” in a leader’s title no longer causes a pause or a second glance. Valparaiso’s women influencers and innovators prove that leadership is a gifting that transcends gender.
Since ancient times, women have been nurturers serving as family and community caretakers and healers. But, decision-making and expertise status in clinics and boardrooms have traditionally been allocated to the men – doctors and executive leaders – at the top, leaving women to serve solely in support roles. Modern healthcare is gradually becoming less lopsided as increasing numbers of men move into essential supporting roles and women provide leadership on the hospital floor, in the clinic,...
The glorious mess and racket of construction heralds exciting changes and a promising future for Valparaiso students and residents alike. Thanks to funding made possible by the construction referendum, by July 2018, Superintendent Dr. Ric Frataccia says, “The community will have a new set of schools.”
Valparaiso is home to myriad cultural, entertainment, and epicurean delights, but some adventures call for a road trip. Whether it’s an immersive movie viewing experience, yearround fun and pampering for executives and families alike, or a date with lady luck on Lake Michigan, the Region is home to destination havens worth the drive for Valparaiso residents.
he effects of brokenness and suffering spread beyond the borders of towns and cities, but so do genuine, roll-up-yoursleeves- and-do-something charity-based solutions. Food insecurity, children who don’t know their worth, and a wounded ecosystem aren’t “out there” problems but “all around us and right here” needs. Just as Valparaiso isn’t solitary in its needs, it doesn’t stand alone in Northwest Indiana when it comes to addressing those needs.
Technology evolves, and trends come and go, but quality never goes out of style.
"Every day is a memory," says Michaelle Gamba, manager at her family's restaurant, Gamba Ristorante in Merrillville, as she waves a friendly hello to six men arriving for lunch, regulars she's known since childhood. When asked if she has any favorite memories to share, Michaelle has a hard time pinning down just one particular moment or person.
Owning one's introversion has become trendy these days yet this is not an introvert-friendly world. Noise and busyness abound with countless smartphone notifications, phone calls, emails, and the ever-increasing, ever-present audio and visual drone from our 24-hour society. Add in multiple open browser windows (on the screen and in our head) and the pressure of...
Unlike the heroes in the popular Marvel movies, real-life community heroes don’t typically don capes and disguises. Local heroes—leaders in our community—do their good deeds in plain sight, yet in such a humble and seamless way that you’re unaware of the who behind community greatness. Two local heroes, Bill and Sandy Bach, were recently recognized for their work in the community when they were named 2016 Citizens of the Year by the Munster Chamber of Commerce.
Every in-the-know Region resident knows that fall doesn't simply mean trotting out cozy sweathers for cooler temperatures and hearing the delightful crunch of colorful leaves under those new boots. Fall also signals the arrival of football season and fun-filled tailgate parties to help usher in Chicagoland's favorite time of year.
Do a quick Google search of insurance agents in Northwest Indiana, and the first noticeable thing is the vast number of them. In what can seem like an overwhelming sea of insurance agents, how does one find a knowledgeable agent who has his clients’ best interests in mind?
Every mom dreads finding that note in her child's school folder informing her that a fellow student has lice. Or perhaps it's a phone call from the school nurse stating your child won the unlucky lice lottery.
For Stewart McMillan, CEO of Task Force Tips, the Valparaiso-based, worldwide distributor of firefighting equipment, innovation is a profitable passion that inspires, saves lives, and provides an all-American way to do business and serve the community.
Living-and waiting-in denial is the biggest mistake made by those who are struggling with infertility, says Dr. Amos Madanes, board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and director of Midwest Fertility Center, with locations in Munster and Valparaiso as well as Chicago and Downer's Grove. "Denial that there's a problem getting pregnant means that people postpone seeking help for too long," he says.
Perhaps the scariest part of bringing baby home is the ride home itself. Our children are our treasures, which is why it's essential that you don't simply wing it when it comes to installing child safety seats, says Jennifer Homan, trauma program coordinator for Franciscan Health hospital in Crown Point.
War heroes and exotic sea ports make for exciting stories, but great cities are more typically formed by practical considerations than by noble aspirations.
She discovered her love for yoga and macramé during what initially appeared to be career lows. Baum's short residency in St. Louis included a job that didn't work out with a newly discovered love for yoga, and she funneled this love and expertise into caring for the relay runners' well-being with one-on-one yoga sessions through roadsideYOGA.
Teachers of Excellence Kenneth J. Allen honors teachers for outstanding contributions to education
I toured across Eastern and Western Europe. During my first tour outside of the Soviet bloc nations, I saw that capitalists were actually living a pretty nice life. It made me angry when I understood that the propaganda we were raised on was done to keep everyone in the dark.
When I was twelve years old, I saw a car commercial which offered a "what if" scenario of 2018. I let my mind wander to the future adventures I'd enjoy when I was...as I did the math, I came to...
There is nothing quite so comforting, healing, and inviting as the smells of happy memories, of holidays past and present, and of the anticipation of a change of season. They say you can never go home again, but the vintage-inspired candles of Antique Candle Works come close, as with its top-selling Christmas Day candle, which Antique Candle Works founder and owner, Brittany Whitenack, raves, "is exactly what Christmas smells like."
So many bemoan the disappearance of mom-and-pop stores, small town values, and originality, but maybe they just missed the exit off the interstate. Chesterton is easy to get to from anywhere in the Region, yet it's a world away from the impersonal hustle-and-bustle of Chicago.
For years, people flocked to the suburbs for safety and status, yet the magic of downtown never dimmed. Occasional trips downtown were treasured traditions for rural residents and suburbanites to shop, dine, and take in the sights and sounds of diverse happenings and people. But, increasing numbers of people aren’t content to simply “go to town” from time to time; they want to live where the magic is.
The love story of Portage residents Rob and Laurie Rodriguez began with a war. As high school seniors, they recall seeing TV images of the Persian Gulf War and, like others of their generation, felt compelled to act. "The military was a family tradition for both of us," Rob explains.
Hard work can be endured drudgery or passion fuel. Businesses are established through hard work, tenacity, and long hours, but they flourish when they’re a labor of love.