duneland today summer 2016

presented by the duneland chamber of commerce

Beverly ShoreS Burns HarBor CHesterton Dune aCres porter

SUMMER 2016

#TrendingSweetville featuring Designer Desserts

Porter county community foundation Pediatric rehabilitative center Jacob's Ladder

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3DUNELAND TODAY SUMMER 2016

DUNELAND TODAY IS PUBLISHED BYDuneland Chamber of Commerce220 Broadway • Chesterton, Indiana 46304www.dunelandchamber.org219.926.5513

COMMITTEE Publisher/ Duneland Chamber of Commerce

Advisory Board/ Maura Durham, Duneland Chamber of Commerce; Jane Delligatti, Duneland Family YMCA

Managing Editor/ Heather Augustyn, Community Member

Marketing Director/ Beth Luncsford, Duneland Chamber of Commerce

Copy Editor/ Janice Custer, Community Member

Membership Coordinator/ Jennifer Marinangeli

Layout & Design/ Cassandra Vereb, Graphic Designer

Photographer/ Kyle Telechan

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12

16

c ntents

meet the team

meet the team

meet the team

Cassandra Vereb / Graphic DesignerCassandra, freelance designer, has been designing Duneland Today since 2007. With 14 years of design experience, she is an accomplished creative thinker, has a keen eye for detail, a strong technical ability and a love for all things design. Cassandra is in love with ideas; building them, cultivating them, and watching them come to life.

DunelandChamber of Commerce

Explore the Difference

INSIDE STORY Sweetville featuring Designer Desserts 4

CURRENTS Clothing/Jewelry 6 Technology 8 Food/Drink 10 SANDS OF TIME Porter County Community Foundation 14 HELPING HANDS Jacob’s Ladder 16 MAKING WAVES

Duneland Chamber Events 18 LAUNCH PAD

Welcoming New Members 28 MILESTONES Celebrating Member Anniversaries 30

Kyle Telechan / PhotographerKyle Telechan, photographer, has done freelance work for the Times of Northwest Indiana since graduating from Indiana University in 2007 and has over eleven years of experience in photojournalism. His interest in nature, architecture, and urban decay drives much of his non-photojournalistic work. Kyle currently lives in Portage with his wife Elise.

Beth Luncsford / Marketing DirectorBeth has over six years of experience in the design and publishing industry. After obtaining her degree in Graphic Design, she worked as a graphic artist for Lake Maga-zine in LaPorte. She later worked at Schofield Media in Chicago, where she was responsible for the design and layout of four industry publications. A lifelong resident of northwest Indiana, Beth currently lives in Michigan City with her husband, Aaron, and their young son Jacob.

Heather Augustyn / Managing EditorHeather Augustyn is a Chesterton native. She has been a correspondent for the Times of Northwest Indiana since 2004 and she teaches English composition at Purdue University North Central and writing at Chesterton Montessori School. She has published four books on ska music and lives in Chesterton with her husband and their two sons, Sid and Frank.

presented by the duneland chamber of commerce

BEVERLY SHORES BURNS HARBOR CHESTERTON DUNE ACRES PORTER

SUMMER 2016

#TrendingSweetville featuring Designer Desserts

PORTER COUNTYCOMMUNITY FOUNDATION Pediatric Rehabilitative CenterJacob's Ladder

ON THE COVER Adam Wiltfang

LOCATION Sweetville featuring Designer Desserts, Chesterton Indiana

DUNELAND TODAY SUMMER 20164

Ask Adam Wiltfang, owner of Sweetville featuring Designer Desserts, what he loves about his job and he says it’s simple. “It’s art.” Raised in Hebron, Indiana, Wiltfang has a gift for turning that art into something delicious—cupcakes and candy. “I went to school for art and now I get to make art. I make it, share it, someone eats it, and thenI get to make it again.”

Wiltfang opened up his first location in downtown Valparaiso in October 2004. He says that the Chesterton location started as a partnership last year and they opened officially as Sweetville featuring Designer Desserts in May 2015. “We were approached by Steve and Raymond Brickner of the Flower Cart about coming in to selling cupcakes and it evolved from there. We were looking at Lake County because we have a lot of clients there, but with Chesterton we like the downtown and you don’t get a downtown like that in many places. We are looking forward to the summer crowds with the beach nearby and the marketand events,” Wiltfang says.

Sweetville featuring Designer Desserts offer a variety of specialty flavors that simply cannot be found anywhere else, which is what makes his job so fun, says Wiltfang. “Cupcakes have been popular for about six or eight years now and so we have grown to add flavors to what we offer. We have grown from 40 flavors, to now offering 105. Our Valparaiso location

Candy lines the walls of Sweetville featuring Designer Desserts.

Designer Desserts Serving Up Sweet Art

Adam Wiltfang, owner of Sweetville featuring Designer Desserts, serves up specialty cupcakes as well as gourmet and novelty candy.


has a rotation of 50-60 flavors a day, and in Chesterton about 20-25 a day. Odd flavor combinations are popular, or taking something old and giving it a modern twist. We do a root beer float cupcake that is very popular, as well as our orange dreamsicle. We have a birthday cake mashup, cherry cola, margarita, pink champagne, and chocolate stout which are reallypopular lately,” he says.

At Sweetville featuring Designer Desserts, Wiltfang says he likes to offer a little novelty mixed with a little oddity. He says, “We brought in all new candy lines, and the more obscure, the more demand. We offer a line of gummy candy from a company in Australia that makes gummy chicken feet, a gummy human skull, gummy pigs, and five and ten pound gummy bears. Adults really love our chocolate-covered almonds that look like martini olives and our cordials

with brandy. We make our own fudge and chocolate here but we want to get into some of the molds that are really different and fun, like all the breeds of dogsand more vintage designs.”

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Gourmet and truffles from Sweetville featuring Designer Desserts

At Chelle’s in downtown Chesterton, owner Machelle Wagner says they are focused on trends that are good for the earth. “Most of the lines that we carry are from highly-conscious manufacturers. We look for natural dyes and fibers and keeping things out of the landfills to make our earth a little healthier. We have lines that are made of materials that are repurposed, such as a line of pens that last for seven years, so the cartridge is larger to last longer and they are still very affordable. Aztec is a line that uses old sail cloth to make handbags so they repurpose that material,” she says. “We carry a brand called Ecòths, pronounced, “Ecos,” which is a line of clothing for men, and it is completely eco-friendly and made in the U.S.A.,” says Blount. Ecòths, according to the company marketing,

“combines natural fabrics with style, comfort, and personality, while at the same time accentuating and shaping one’s character and guiding beliefs and ideals toward community, and a better place to live.” Wagner says that this line of clothing, as well as others they carry, fulfill the greater good of being kind to the earth.

Stephanie Swanson says that her custom-ers who come to see her jewelry shop inside the Flower Cart in Chesterton are always looking for something personal. “A lot of people want customized pieces. They want something unique that they can’t find elsewhere. Big box stores try to sell jewelry that they have in stock and my

customers don’t want that, so we work together to create a special piece. Many times I will use the customer’s own gemstones from an existing piece or maybe an heirloom diamond from a ring that was their grandmother’s and they want something a little more modern or redesigned. We also see a lot of restoration of family pieces so that people can wear them with confidence. We do a lot of pearl restringing too, but more and more we have customers who want to take something old and make it new again. It doesn’t have to be expensive. It could just be a $50 pair of earrings,” Swanson says. She encourages people to look around but says that her prices are affordable because of her relationship with manufacturers and diamond


#TRENDINGClothingJewelry

GiftsLooking your best this

summer season is easy with

help from Duneland’s

retailers. Whether adorning

oneself, or bestowing a little

beauty on someone else,

there are plenty of options

throughout Duneland.

Trending in Duneland, clockwise from top left, ring from Stephanie Swanson, Funko Pop! at Alice's Garden Toy Boutique, eco-clothing from Chelle's, and recycled sailcloth bags at Chelle's.


brokers as a metalsmith. “I don’t have to mark it up to cover a middle person,” she says. She adds that white gold is still very popular but she is also seeing many people wanting two-tone pieces, yellow and white gold.

Alice’s Garden Toy Boutique Want to give a popular gift to someone else, or perhaps start a collection of whimsy and nostalgia yourself? Look no further than the Funko Pop!, a vinyl collectible character carried at Alice’s Garden

Toy Boutique in Chesterton. Co-owner Zach Kinsey says that the line of toys are from the makers of the famous bobbleheads. “Pop! started in 2011 but it is just starting to catch on around here. These characters represent all types of pop culture—not just today’s pop culture, but from older generations as well and there are over 2,000 figures from which to choose. We carry characters from Hanna Barbera, Marvel, DC, Disney, Star Wars, and others and they really make something that can appeal to everyone,” says Kinsey who collects Pop! himself. “I’ve been a collector for a while and so I decided to carry them. They’re very popular and are doing really well. They sell for $12 each and we have weekly specials as well as quan-tity sales—buy five, get one free,” he says. Popular characters include Superman, Batman, Penelope Pit Stop, Dr. Who, and a vast array of video game characters. Kinsey says, “Even though they come from vastly different universes of pop culture, they all look like they are part of the same world.”

Clockwise from top left, Zach Kinsey of Alice's Garden Toy Boutique and Funko Pop!, seven year pens from Chelle's, jewelry from Stephanie Swanson, and Jeweler Stephanie Swanson.


One of these companies, Starin Marketing, has found a niche market in turning technological ideas into reality for the workplace. Jim Starin, chairman and founder of Starin Marketing, says that they have been involved in teleconferencing and audioconferencing technology for decades, but recent innovation has rapidly advanced the market. Starin says, “We are a wholesale-only company that made just over $140 million in rev-enue last year. We sell to installers and retailers. We provide technology for the conference room as well as amplified audio or video for any environ-ment. We also import electronics for musicians.” He says that their expertise in the field has allowed them to help developers with new technologies. “We have a lot of fun when we meet an inventor or a corporation who has a new idea and we can take that idea to reality into the marketplace. We can take an item off the production line in China and do everything else. Our responsibilities vary according to the item,” Starin says. One new item that Starin Marketing’s team has helped bring to the market is called the Barco Clickshare. Starin explains, “15 minutes of every meeting is spent on trying to get the presentation from the computer to the projection wall, and that is expensive, so with Barco Clickshare, there is a button that is plugged into the USB port on your computer and instantly, wirelessly, whatever is on your screen is on the screen on the wall. It communicates through Wi-Fi. We created the sales channel for them and we sold millions of dollars of these boxes. That product has been a huge winner and it is still going super strong. It is revolutionary and there are many other features to the technology.”

Another item is a system that allows for better communication during conference calls. “With most conference calls, by the time you get up and running there is a rat’s nest of wires on the table. We had a guy come to us with wireless battery-powered microphones for the table. This system allows little tiny wireless microphones to be placed at each person’s chair at the table and they are encrypted so that they are approved by the govern-ment for safety. It took off like wildfire. Audio capture is ideal with these microphones,” says Starin. Other items include an mass-alert message system for schools or the workplace for safety and emergencies, and an affordable mixing console for concert halls, churches, and musicians or presenters on the road. Starin says they have even sold this portable item to Taylor Swift and other famous celebrities.

Franciscan Omni Health and Fitness Any fitness aficionado these days probably has bought into the FitBit craze. But at Franciscan Omni Health and Fitness in Chesterton, Fit-ness Center Manager Carrie Ranta says that they have taken this technology to the next level with MyZone which they launched last March. Ranta says, “MyZone is a belt that is worn like a heart monitor. It straps around your chest to determine your heart rate during exercise using EKG technol-ogy. Unlike other activity trackers that estimate your steps and calorie burn, this is 99.9% accurate because of the EKG technology. It has an app and you can upload the results to your phone. There are effort streams that tell you your current exer-tion percentage, but also how many calories you’re burning along with your heart rate. You can have

your history and activity calendar and as soon as you take your belt off you get an email telling you of your movement and other information.” Ranta says that they have incorporated MyZone technology throughout the fitness center and they encourage their members to use the app to its full potential. “There are even social connections too and they offer global challenges for prizes for people who get the most MyZone points. Through the social connection you can search for other people who have MyZone to connect and compete with them. There are leader boards and you can compete with your friends. It records your food intake and body metrics and it ensures you get the most efficient use of your workout as possible. It pushes you to work harder. We have monitors in our cycling studios and our instructors program their workouts using them. Our small group train-ing is also centered on MyZone training. Members are loving it because they can create a profile for

#TRENDINGTechnology

Some may throw up their

hands and claim that life

was simpler when Apple and

Blackberry were just fruits, but

love it or hate it, technology is

ubiquitous, especially here in

Duneland. Fact is, technology

has made life better in many

ways and Duneland is ripe for

the picking as technology com-

panies utilize developments in

Duneland’s infrastructure that

make it a bounty of wealth.

MyZone fitness technology at Franciscan Omni Health and Fitness.

Audio communication technology from Starin Marketing aids in the facilitation of business meetings.


themselves. Wearables are really where fitness is going, and MyZone seems to be at the top.”

Westchester Public Library One might think that libraries are the last place for technology, amid stacks of books and magazines. But technology waits for no man, and Westchester Public Library Director Leea Yelich says that of-fering technology, such as their newest addition, the Maker Space 3D printing lab, fits perfectly into their mission. “We provide the community with access to new technology and a knowledge-able staff for the betterment of their lives, for education, and to learn and innovate with an idea. Patrons can generate a prototype to see how

things function, or they can troubleshoot problems with their invention on a smaller scale. You can come here and learn with the freedom to experi-ment. It’s fun, but it is also functional. We are not a print-on-demand service, but we want our patrons to learn and be involved in the process,” says Yelich.

The Maker Space is equipped with two 3D scan-ners and printers that Rhonda Mullins, automa-tion and serials manager, says have been very popular. One of our printers is a M2 Maker Gear like the one used at Chesterton High School so that students can finish their projects, and because it may be familiar to them. We also have a Type A Series One Pro with a 12 by 12 by 12 built plate. People can come in, make a mess, we close up, they come back tomorrow and continue. It’s a workshop for them. We do this because we want to introduce people to technology, for people

who are curious and want to see what 3D printing is all about.

IT Manager Joe Harry and IT Assistant Dan Hatch lead the instruction. While there are periodic classes and plans for a “maker club,” any library patron is invited to drop by at any time. The cost to use the lab is $1 per hour of printing time, so a small 20-sided Dungeons and Dragon die will set you back about 25 cents. “The filament used for printing comes in spools and the amount of stuff we can produce from a spool is amazing. You can use thingiverse.com for digital designs, or make your own design using CAD software. People print everything from spaceship models to cookie cut-ters, figurines, spoons, cellphone cases, earrings, and we’ve even had two full chess sets printed. Sometimes the printer can be difficult because it is temperamental, but all of our staff are trained and are here to assist and teach,” says Harry.

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3D object (dragon, model) made in the Westchester Public Library's new Maker Space.

A 3D printer forms a "Ghost", from the video game Destiny, in the Westchester Public Library Maker Lab.

The MyZone belt monitors your heart rate during exercise.


Bartlett’s Truckin’ Good Grub Be on the lookout for Duneland’s newest munch-mobile, Bartlett’s Truckin’ Good Grub. This food truck will be making stops starting this spring and summer, says proprietor Nicole Bissonnette. “Part of the inspiration for the Food Truck was our son, Ian, who was on a national cooking show. His food dream was to own a food truck. We hope that there will be time in his busy sports and activities schedule to cook with us this summer! But truly, the trend in food now is toward healthy, quick fare and Truckin’ Good Grub which will service this idea. Families are so busy, but still want freshly made healthy fare, proven by the rise in popularity of mail order home meal kits like Hello Fresh and Blue Apron. We certainly will have some Bartlett’s favorites, like BBQ and sandwiches, but we intend to also serve healthier fare like salads and small plates that clients can take home or even to the beach. For the stops in Beverly Shores, we think that our truck will be a great complement to the Rolling Stonebaker Pizza Truck, drawing more guests from the surrounding areas to come eat with the whole family in the natural surroundings of the dunes,” she says.

The food served at Bartlett’s Truckin’ Good Grub will feature many of the same foods as Bartlett’s Gourmet Grill. Bissonnett says, “It is inspired artisan street food and mobile catering avail-able for events, festivals, private caterings and corporate stops. Our food truck will give you the same culinary perfection and high quality service that you get at Bartlett’s Gourmet Grill. Stops are planned for Beverly Shores, possibly New Buffalo and Valparaiso, we are working on schedules

now. From sandwiches to interesting salads and gourmet small plates; burgers to smoked pork and chicken wings, we will do our best to carry just what you need for your private event or festival, or farmers market. The crew has done many festivals in the past and understands the systems needed for speedy execution of food.”

#TRENDINGFood and Drink

Whether you’re a hard core

foodie searching for that

special nosh, or a busy

person on the go looking to

grab something quick without

killing your health, Duneland’s

food and drink offerings

are both substantial and

scrumptious. No need to tune

into cable television to see

what is hot and innovative

tune into Duneland!

Top: Nicole Bissonnette of Bartlett's brings the Truckin' Good Grub to locations around Duneland beginning early this summer.


Mindful Nourishment A new product, Frozen Garden, is offered by Allyson Straka, holistic health educator, food-ist, and founder of Mindful Nourishment. These handcrafted, ready-to-blend green smoothies go from the freezer to the blender. Straka explains, “If there is one way that people could improve their diet, this is the way to do it. People under-stand that green leafy vegetables are healthy and it is gradually becoming more mainstream. Ten years ago green leafy vegetables weren’t read-ily available, but now we don’t have to convince people that this is the way to get nutrient rich foods into your diet. The recipes are handcrafted and we have made layers of flavor by putting a lot of work into building these creations. We source through a Community Supported Agriculture who plants spinach and kale just for us. Smoothies are a much better method of preparation that eating these greens in a salad because of how we chew them. They can be hard to digest. Blending them into a pulp makes them easier to digest. We source local produce and work with several different local farmers to acquire as many products as we can, and we blast freeze this produce as close to 24 hours as possible after they are picked. You can keep frozen food indefinitely so they are convenient. We launched six different recipes, but we will change them out as the local produce comes in season. We have summer and fall recipes, as well as seasonal flavors that will rotate throughout the year.”

The smoothies come frozen and ready for use. “They are frozen in a standup pouch with a clear front so you can see the spinach and fruits and vegetables in them. You dump them into your blender and add your liquid of choice. I make them from plenty of dark leafy greens with other fruits and vegetables. We do single one time purchases, or 10 or 20 a month. You order online at thefrozengarden.com and pick them up in Chesterton and Valparaiso. Our Chesterton location is at Mindful Nourishment and in Valpo we’re in Washington Township at our warehouse. We will be at Chesterton’s European Market as well as other locations,” she says.

Aftermath

The latest trend in drinks is not a new thing at all, says Nicki Caylor, proprietor of Running Vines and their newest venture, Aftermath, a hard cider company. “People ask me why cider is so popular right now,” says Caylor, “and I tell them that cider is just making a comeback. It was the drink of choice in the colonial era and we’re seeing it come back around because now many people have gluten free diets and hard cider is gluten free.

It’s slightly sweeter than beer so it appeals to both men and women.” She says that the hard cider they have brewed has been a hit seller, so they decided to open a location in Valparaiso devoted entirely to the apple-based beverage. “We’ve been making hard cider for a while now and in October last year when it was ready, it sold out faster than anything we’ve seen. We sold 10 kegs in a week, completely selling out,” she says.

Aftermath opened on April 27th and is located at Greenwich and Union Streets. Because of its proximity to a particular notable structure, the name of the business reflects the connection. “We are located two blocks from Valparaiso University’s Doppler radar, so we decided to go with a storm theme and we named it Aftermath. A percentage of all of our cider sales will go toward

disaster relief organizations,” Caylor says, adding that they will be able to go from a production of 55 gallons of hard cider to 2,500 gallons.

#TRENDINGFood and Drink

Above: Inside of Aftermath now open

Cider from Aftermath is now on tap

Aftermath Cidery and Winery owner Nicki Caylor pours a glass of cider


Frozen Garden offers ready-to-blend green smoothies

Frozen Garden smoothie samples

Below: Allyson Straka, founder of Mindful Nourishment, blends together a Frozen Garden smoothie.


This year, the Porter County Community Foundation celebrates its 20th anniversary. From its humble beginnings it has been dedicated to serving the residents of Porter County by promoting philanthropy. The Foundation has connected with over 6000 donors who in turn have created 365 funds supporting a wide variety of charitable purposes. and serve educational, community, and religious missions, to an organization that has funded and aided the course of some 6,000 other organizations county-wide, The Porter County Community Foundation truly is a gem in the region, building a stronger Porter County.

The mission of the Porter County Community Foundation is to inspire giving and engage the community to improve lives in Porter County now and forever. President Emeritus Barbara Young says that this mission came after a group of area leaders gathered to conceive of an organization that would help support other not-for-profits. “It started because of an appeal from the Lilly Endowment, an Indiana-based philanthropy, that has as its mission three core areas—one religion, one education, one community. For community the Lilly Endowment is focused on the state of Indiana. Prior to 1990 most of Lilly’s work was done in the Marion County area since they are centered in Indianapolis, but they wanted to reach out across the whole state. They were reluctant to say what was best for each county and wanted each county

to help themselves, and they would prime the pump. So they came up with Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT), a program they started in early 1990. There were 12 community foundations already in existence so they then created a matching grant program for those who wanted to create a community foundation,” says Young. Porter County was late in recognizing the potential for this type of organization and the opportunity for funding. Young says, “Lake and LaPorte counties got involved, calling themselves the Legacy Foundation in Lake County, and the Unity foundation in LaPorte County. With a second initiative in 1996, Lake and LaPorte folks came to Porter County and said you’re

missing out. They described how a community foundation works, how the Lilly Endowment funds it, and Harley Snyder and Chip Lesch agreed to invite another group of folks to the table to serve on the founding board. We had probably a dozen people, and

Lilly said if we raise a million dollars locally they would give us a matching grant of a half million as permanent endowment along with some additional operating support, so we applied. We were lucky to receive a fairly large lead gift from the Snyder family. The GIFT program has come out with a series of matching grant opportunities and since our inception we received over $6 million from Lilly for our unrestricted endowment fund. In addition to that, they have helped us in many ways including operating support.” Since their inception, the Porter County Community Foundation amplifies the power to do good by connecting people to the causes they care about. They are a nonprofit that serves other nonprofits, creating grants and programs for good, and endowments forever. The Porter County Community Foundation helps people do more. There are many options for giving and getting involved—options designed to help each person or organization help in their own way. Some people want to write an annual check while others wish to create an estate plan. They can help with both. Some wish to be involved in volunteering while others wish to remain anonymous. Some have a lot to give and some have a little. They are here to help people find the best ways to make a positive impact in the community. Young says, “The goal is to build our endowment to help other community organizations build their endowments, so we are kind of endowment specialists for the whole community. We help not-for-profits build their security and help support the key issues in the community, to bring people together. We also help with donor services and help donors connect with the issues they value. partners so we make grants to them, have an endowment fund for them, or both. We have over 350 funds, so we might have 12 funds that all service the

The Porter County Community Foundation supports county-wide efforts, including rain barrels from the Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County, the Boys & Girls Clubs, the Indiana Dunes Learning Center, and the YMCA.

PoRTER CoUnTy CoMMUniTy FoUndATion

Leveraging two decades of service to the community to last a lifetime


same organization, like Valparaiso University, and we give out about $2 million a year in grants and scholarships. We have connected with over 6,000 donors and our assets are right at about $45 million. The Foundation has accumulated over $45 million in philanthropic assets which enables us to award over $2 million annually in grants and scholarships. One of the newest ways that the Porter County Community Foundation is able to help support community not-for-profits is through the use of their new facility at 1401 Calumet Avenue in Valparaiso.

President and CEO William Higbie says that the facility serves three purposes. “We are calling it a center for community philanthropy. It is supported by three pillars. Arguably the most important is the non-profit conference center where groups can have access to meeting space free of charge to advance their cause—for meetings, retreats, and training. The facility also gives us the opportunity to facilitate professional development opportunities for them. The second pillar is that the facility gives us space to showcase the power of philanthropy. It gives us the opportunity to tell stories of people who have been generous. The third

pillar is to serve as administrative offices for the Porter County Community Foundation. The building is about 12,000 square feet and over half of that space is dedicated community space. It has been completely remodeled and will be here to serve the community for many generations. It will help people envision ways that they can help their own community, leaving this place better for the next generation. Philanthropy plays a huge role in that,” Higbie says. Young adds, “It is really important to us that this is a Porter County facility. We are here to connect to Chesterton, Porter, Portage, Valparaiso, and the south county. We really are a county-wide organization.” Young says that it has “been a great 20 years.” She says that she hopes that the Porter County Community Foundation has raised the profile of the non-profit community. “We help them do what they do better by providing professional development in addition to grants. I think we have done a good job of convening people around particular issues and just raising awareness of how important philanthropy is for a community. Now after 20 years, people can come and see what philanthropy has made possible all throughout Porter County. But there is much more that can happen in the next 20 years.”

KIDWORKS Developmental Intervention Center

1120 South Calumet, #3 Chesterton, IN 46304

219-983-9675 www.kidworksllc.com

Pediatric Occupational, Speech, Physical, Developmental, and Nutrition Therapies. Toddler play groups, and social skills groups, Indiana First Steps

providers for all of Lake, Porter and La Porte Counties.

The Porter County Community Foundation is pleased to open doors to their new facility in Valparaiso.


Since they opened their doors in Porter County in 1998, their services and facility has grown to service the needs of children and families in the community since early intervention is crucial to development. Candace Arvin, director of marketing and business development, says that Jacob’s Ladder is named after the founder’s son who saw a need in the community for special needs services. “Our organization was founded in 1998 by Mariann Frigo who is a special needs mom and an occupational therapist. She was aware of the work that needs to be done early for special needs kids. Her son, Jacob, went through the state program through age three and afterward Mariann had trouble finding services to meet his needs. Since she was a therapist and she knew he had milestones

he needed to meet, she and her fellow therapist friends

founded Jacob’s Ladder.

Arvin says that over the past 18 years they have come to serve countless individuals with a variety of special needs. “When we first started, we saw eight children in the first week of operation at Jacob’s Ladder. At that time there was not a pediatric therapeutic facility in Northwest Indiana. Our goal was to serve 40 to 50 children each week in the Porter County area. Today we complete anywhere from 350 to 400 weekly visits

through the Indiana First Steps program for babies and toddlers in the children’s homes, and at our outpatient center in Chesterton for school-aged children we provide about 150 to 200 visits weekly. We provide occupational, physical, speech, and developmental therapies and we specialize in children ages 3 through 14. We are a not-for-profit organization and we do not cap the number of Medicare cases we take. Half of our outpatient center visits are Medicare cases. We fundraise to subsidize those therapy sessions,” she says.

Jacob’s Ladder has tripled in size just over the last five years since Arvin says they have seen an increase in diagnoses and access to services. “We have grown our auxiliary programs like our nutrition program. We have a nutritionist who gives free consultations to families and for a small fee they can implement programs in their home. Another big challenge for our families is community interaction. Through our Lights Up Sun Down program in conjunction with the Portage Goodrich Theatre, families with children on the autism spectrum can attend a special screening of a popular movie, which is also open to the community, but it is a judgement-free zone. The lights are on a little brighter and the sound is turned down a little and afterwards the families gather in the party room upstairs for lunch and activities. The parents can talk to each other and know they are not alone. Another program is our Respite Program funded by the Porter County Community Foundation’s Women’s Impact Fund. Our parents sometimes don’t get a break or they are single family homes, so the Respite Program gives parents a break and offers educational activities for the kids. Another program is our Aquatics Therapy Program that is funded through the Porter County Community

Children utilize Jacob's Ladder's Therapy gym at their new facility in Chesterton.

Jacob’s LadderJacob’s Ladder,

a pediatric rehabilitative

center, is proud to call Duneland

home, having recently relocated 1595 S. Calumet.

Slides, trampolines, and climbing walls are available to Jacob's Ladder Pediatric Rehabilitative Center patients.


Foundation. This program gives our children the opportunity for gravity-free movement with an underwater treadmill. For some of our kids who don’t have the strength to walk on land, they can take steps underwater and it is highly motivational.”

Arvin says that the support of local organizations who help to fund their programs, as well as the community allows Jacob’s Ladder to serve as many children as they do. She says, “There is a huge need and we thank the generous support of our community. We relocated to Chesterton on February 1st. The Starlight Children’s

Foundation has given us a $58,000 for our brand new therapy gym with a playground and pirate ship and bubble tube. Sometimes with therapy and children you have to make hard work fun. We also thrive through the help of our volunteers. Ruth Parks is our all-star volunteer and she has been wonderful for us, donating over 1,000 hours a year by working at our front desk. She is so passionate about this cause. Also, none of this would be possible without our board of directors who volunteer their time and talent, and the community and sponsors who help support us as well.”

A 90 YEAR

continuEs...Tradition

opEn dAilY, 7 dAYs A wEEk BY AppointmEnt onlY

219.841.6677333 n. minERAl spRings RoAdpoRtER, in

Zeda Pingel smiles during an exercise with physical therapy assistant Alicia Nofsinger as her mother, Amy, looks on.


making

WAVES1

ribbon cuttings 1/ February 18: Symphony of Chesterton 2/ March 16: Jacob’s Ladder Pediatric Rehab Center 3/ April 27: Aftermath Cidery & Winery

Premier Partner: Platinum Sponsors:

Gold Sponsors:

Horizon BankSilver Sponsors:

Dune

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er of

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aPril 13, 2016 – after Hours: Waterbird banquet center 9/ John Marx of JM2 Webdesigners, dennis novak of Signature Graphics, Jennifer Marinangeli of duneland Chamber of Commerce, deedra Johnston of Le-Vel, and Kirk Futrell of Lakeside Wealth Management Group

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Help us welcome the newest members of the duneland chamber of commerce community. We look forward to a prosperous and profitable future.

aftermatH cidery & Winery 454 S. Greenwich St. • Valparaiso219.390.9463 www.aftermathcidery.com Part of the Running Vines Family, Aftermath, is a local family owned business ran by Valparaiso native and Chesterton resident, nicole Caylor! Aftermath Cidery & Winery will be serving ciders and wine starting in 2016! aseracare HosPice 808 Vale Park Rd., Ste. 200 • Valparaiso219.462.6398 www.aseracare.com

AseraCare is part of Golden Living, one of the nation’s premier providers of post-acute healthcare services. AseraCare’s mission is to provide patients and their families the best possible quality of care and quality of life. We provide palliative medicine and hospice services as a way to help improve the lives of patients and their families as they transition throughout the post-acute care continuum. decisions throughout the organization are based upon a foundation of clinical excellence, and we focus our resources on serving the needs of our patients and their families with a sense of care and compassion. gastro 49 361 N. Calumet Rd. • Chesterton219.926.1814 www.facebook.com/Gastro49 Gastro 49 Pub and Eatery is open seven days a week, serving new and traditional food, burgers, sandwiches and more! Enjoy lunch, dinner and drinks. We take reservations, walk-ins and great for groups! Stop in today!

le-Vel 130 Joal Drive • Chesterton219.898.1382 www.djohnston41.le-vel.com

Thrive is a premium formula and a premium approach to your daily lifestyle. The THRiVE experience is an 8 week premium lifestyle plan, to help individuals experience and reach peak physical and mental levels. Le-vel’s mission is helping people live the life they deserve physically with the THRIVE product line, and financially by promoting THRiVE and the THRiVE 8 week experience.

traPmasters Plumbing 1720 Wood Street • Chesterton219.926.2400 www.trapmastersplumbing.com Trapmasters Plumbing is a family owned company founded in 2005 in Chesterton, in and remains locally owned by Brain, who has been in the plumbing field for over 20 years! Brian ensures that nothing shy of impeccable work gets carried out by his employees. our team of professionals have the motive of doing work with the end result exceeding the satisfaction of the customers. With much time and dedication, Trapmasters Plumbing has expanded over the years with the help of many satisfied customers. ValParaiso uniVersity 1700 Chapel Dr. • Valparaiso219.464.6700 www.valpo.edu Valparaiso University is a private, independent Lutheran university located just one hour southeast of Chicago and two and one-half hours north of indianapolis. Founded in 1859, Valpo offers a thorough grounding in the liberal arts as well as professional training and graduate study, helping students find their own paths to lifelong personal, spiritual, and professional growth.

Venice Pizza 1453 Broadway • Chesterton219.728.6438 www.facebook.com/Venice-Pizza our pizza is made fresh daily with fresh ingredients. We hand roll our dough when you order. We are happy to make your favorite pizza the way yoU like it. Thin and crispy to deep dish. We also have a Chicago stuffed pizza that is sure to please. if you are in the mood for a classic sandwich, we have plenty to choose from. don’t forget the wings and fresh rolled and baked bread sticks. We look forward to making you dinner ToniGHT! VP Homes, inc. 4983 W. US Hwy 20 • Michigan City219.221.6500 www.vphomesinc.com We are a family owned and operated with more than 35 years of homebuilding experience. We understand the importance of strong neighborhoods and schools; we only pick the best communities for you and yours. Passion is who we are and what we do. We don’t settle for less and don’t want you to either. We embody the care and craftsmanship essential for you and your family. WasHington Park zoological society 115 Lake Shore Drive • Michigan City219.873.1510 www.washingtonparkzoo.com it is the mission of the Washington Park Zoological Society to dedicate and promote the appreciation of animals in ways that delight and educate audiences through public display, while meeting the biological and psychological needs of the animals.



1 to 5recognizing you chamber anniversaries for member anniversaries July – september

Addison Pointe Health & Rehab / 4 Affordable Heating and Cooling LLC / 1

AdS Logistics Co., LLC / 4 Artsmith Studio / 2

At Home Quality Care / 2 Bleu Lotus yoga, LLC / 2 Calibrated Surfaces / 4

Carney Construction / 5 Chelle’s LLC / 4

Chesterton Family dentistry / 2 City Electric Supply / 2

dean’s Tire Pros & Auto Care / 1 dunes national Park Association / 4

duneland Carpet Connection / 2 El Cantarito Mexican Cuisine / 4

Guru Authentic indian Cuisine / 1 H & R Block of Chesterton / 2

Housing opportunities / 1 JM2 Webdesigners / 1

Latitudes at Marina Shores / 1 Midwest orthopaedics at Rush / 1 Modern Woodman of America / 1

needmore Coffee Roasters, LLC / 1 one Guy With Tools of

Valparaiso, LLC / 1 Parkdale Center LLC / 1

Peter duda, Community Supporter / 1 Popo’s Parties / 2

Realty Executives Premier / 2 Reins of Life / 4

RePurpose Place of neighborlink / 2 Rita Jackson, Sculptor / 4

Round the Clock / 1 Servpro of LaPorte & Porter County / 2

State Farm insurance - Kristoff / 4 Summers Plumbing

Heating & Cooling / 1 Taltree Arboretum & Gardens

Foundation, inc. / 4 Tonn and Blank Construction, LLC / 5

Urschel Laboratories, inc. / 1 Vogelsang Asset Management / 2

yoga Mecca LLC / 1

AM 1420 - WiMS / 9 BMo Harris Bank / 10

Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County duneland Unit / 10

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Bernhardt / 6

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Gottleber / 8

dental Arts Group / 8 doler Services, LLC / 6

Edible Arrangements / 7 Flower Cart / 9

George’s Gyros Spot / 9 HMS Midwest LLC / 7

James o’Connor Martial Arts & Fitness / 9

neighborlink Porter County / 6 nWi Small Business

development Center / 7 octave Grill / 6

Rebuilding Together-duneland / 9 Reprographics Arts, inc. / 7

RE/MAX Pace Realty Ghuman / 6 Sand Creek County Club / 10

Treasure Homes inc. / 6 Trinity Salon / 8

Visiting nurse Association / 8

Ark of the dunes / 15 Ellis Electric, inc. / 15

Franciscan omni Health & Fitness / 15 Hogan Consulting / 12

Sue Edds, Community Supporter / 15

Lucrezia / 18 Reliable Transportation / 17

Walgreens / 17

Centier Bank, Chesterton downtown Branch / 24

Centier Bank , Chesterton South Branch / 24

Computer Education institute, inc. / 24

Edward Jones investments / 29 Lee’s Hallmark / 28

Leroy’s “Hot Stuff” Homemade Mexican Food / 26

Town of Chesterton / 30

duneland School Corporation / 43 niPSCo Public Affairs / 43

6 to 10

11 to 15

26 to 30

16 to 20

21 to 25

25Porter County Expo Center

46general insurance services, inc.

31steven Walker d.d.s.

41 to 45

Porter County Expo Center

Outpatient TestingDiagnostic Appointments:

800-809-9828

Walk-in Laboratory and

General X-ray Hours:

Monday - Sunday:

8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Find a Physician

2 9-286-3700

Information:

1

Immediate CareNo Appointment Needed

219-286-3707

Hours:

Monday - Sunday:

8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

3800 St. Mary DriveValparaiso, IN

www.comhs.org

��ality, �o�ve�ie�t care...all i� o�e locatio��

��N � Days� | 8 am � 8 pm | �1��8��3�00

It is comforting to know that when you have an

illness or injury, quality, compassionate care can be

found close to home. The Valparaiso Health Center

of St. Mary Medical Center is your one-stop-shop

for Immediate Care Services, family medicine,

specialty physician practices, laboratory and

diagnostic testing for patients of all ages. Open 7

days for your convenience!

To experience the best healthcare right in your

neighborhood, visit the Valparaiso Health Center of

St. Mary Medical Center located at State Road 49 and

Burlington Beach Road. For more information about the

services we provide, call 219-286-3700.

Scan hereto find uswith Google Maps

occupational medicine that works as hard as you do.

Porter regional hospital is directly or indirectly owned by a partnership that proudly includes physician owners, including certain members of the hospital’s medical staff.

the health at work program at Porter regional hospital provides a full suite of job-related medical services, including 24/7 access to service Coordinators. our goals are to help prevent and reduce workplace illnesses and injuries, avoid lost-time accidents, and lower your healthcare-related expenditures. Promoting healthy behaviors, reducing risk factors, and careful case management are just a few of the ways we accomplish these goals. to learn why more employers are choosing porter Regional Hospital’s Health at Work program, or to schedule a consult, call 219-263-7200.

Portage CliniC - Portage HosPital • 3630 WilloWCreek road, PortageValParaiso CliniC • 809 laPorte aVenue, ValParaiso

• pre-employment physical exams

• dot physical exams• on-site udS & Bat• Health and wellness

screenings and promotion• occupational and injury

management• mRo and random drug

screening management• audiometry• pulmonary function testing• ekgs• educational in-services

occupational Health and corporate Wellness

Services offered

87430_PORTE_HAW2016_8_625x11_25c.indd 1 12/30/15 1:06 PM

duneland today summer 2016

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