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14441 US HWY 20 • MIDDLEBURY, IN 46540 2 inMiddlebury Magazine | MARCH 2022
Table of Contents
10
7
Middlebury Parks Department
Outdoor Living, 6 Dr. Carla Gull Indiana Children and Nature Network
14 Northridge Counselor Spotlight
The Annual Bridal Guide, 18
Scholar Athlete of the Month: Jonah Steiner, 8
20
CONTRIBUTORS: PUBLISHER:
The Maple House Chris Wheeler
Middlebury teen lovings sharing what the club means to him
Northridge Athletics, 24
Rockin’ The Schoolhouse, 12 NMS Production
27 Give a Shout of Gratitude!
ON THE COVER – The Gonzalez family Photo by Will Johnson
Don L. Hurd
EDITOR:
Desirée Beauchamp-Boucher
ADVERTISING: Scott Faust
GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Magdalena Franke
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Dr. Carla Gull, Chris Wheeler, Elma Chapman Desirée Beauchamp-Boucher
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS: Dr. Carla Gull, Kris Mueller, Russ Draper Will Johnson, Desirée Beauchamp-Boucher
Advertise with us Share your message with every home and business within the Middlebury School Corporation. We mail the magazine to homes and businesses throughout the Middlebury School District and publish it online. Your ad can reach each home for as low as 1.5¢ per address. Design is free with purchase of your ad. Our Account Managers are here to help, just give us a call at 574-228-3080 or email advertising@hurdmedia.com.
Advertising deadline for the April issue
is March 16.
inMiddlebury Magazine | MARCH 2022 3
Hello Middlebury!
MARCH
WEEKLY
WED: Middlebury Exchange Club, Essenhaus – 6:30 a.m. FRI: Optimist Club Breakfast, Essenhaus – 6:30 a.m.
Like all towns and the rest of the world, we sometimes have our ups and downs. We are made up of people with great diversity and sometimes different thoughts than our own. At times it may feel hard to see the people vs those differences. But I try to see the people of Middlebury, and we are a community that is so full of love and support. For our children, for our neighbors and for each and every person that makes up this wonderful community. There is a spirit of generosity and fellowship that makes this town so great. We are all in this together and that lifts my spirits. Bless every one of you!
MONTHLY AMERICAN LEGION DINNERS 5 -7 p.m., Public welcome 1st Friday: All-You-Can-Eat Fish by the Legion 2nd Friday: Grilled Smoked Pork Chops by Legion Riders 3rd Friday: Shrimp or Chicken Tender Dinner by SAL 4th Friday: Manhattan Dinner by the Legion 5th Friday: Brats by Boy Scout Troop 7 Last Saturday: Steak Grill – Call 825-5121 for more info 1ST & 3RD MONDAYS: Town Council Meetings at Town Hall – 6 p.m. 1ST & 3RD WEDNESDAYS: Middlebury Men’s Club Meetings at the American Legion – 7 p.m. 2ND AND 4TH MONDAYS: Middlebury Lions Club - 7 p.m., American Legion Hall
JANUARY – DECEMBER: MIDDLEBURY THEN & NOW SELF-GUIDED TOURS Pick up your free tour book at the Middlebury Community Historical Museum, Das Dutchman Essenhaus, Middlebury Visitor Center or other area locations and walk or drive to the various historical homes, businesses, cemeteries, parks and landmarks throughout the Middlebury area. Exterior tours only unless location is open for business. Free JANUARY – DECEMBER: TRAIL TALES Bring the family outdoors to read a children’s book while walking a short path at Riverbend Park; book pages are placed in special kiosks along the path. New books are installed monthly. Free 4 inMiddlebury Magazine | MARCH 2022
- Desirée Beauchamp-Boucher
COMMUNITY CALENDAR NOTABLE DATES MARCH 4 MARCH 6 MARCH 10-12 MARCH 11 MARCH 11 MARCH 12 MARCH 13 MARCH 15 MARCH 17 MARCH 20 MARCH 20 MARCH 23 MARCH 26 APRIL 27
EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION DAY NATIONAL OREO COOKIE DAY IN STATE BUTTON SHOW & COMPETITION Essenhaus, see page 15 TRIVIA NIGHT NHS Cafeteria, see page 16 ROCKIN’ THE SCHOOLHOUSE 7 p.m., NMS Auditorium, see page 12 NATIONAL PLANT A FLOWER DAY DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME BEGINS NHS BLOOD DRIVE Fieldhouse, 9:15a-3:15p, see page 12 SAINT PATRICK’S DAY EARTH DAY FIRST DAY OF SPRING NATIONAL PUPPY DAY NHS PANCAKE & SAUSAGE BREAKFAST 7:30 - 11 a.m., NHS Cafeteria, see page 13 WILDFLOWER & WETLAND WALK 5-6 p.m., Riverbend Park, see page 7
National/World dates are brought to you by holidayinsights.com
March Birthdays Happy Birthday Courtney!
Happy Birthday Linda!
Happy Birthday Mary!
3/15 Courtney Bowers 3/18 Linda Pieri 3/23 Mary Cripe
Have a celebration in April?
Let us know by March 16 Email inmiddlebury maga zine@gmail.com or call 260-463-3660. Be sure to include Name, Birth or Anniversary Date, Age or Years Celebrating. Don’t forget a photo and a short note if you like. inMiddlebury Magazine | MARCH 2022 5
INDIANA CHILDREN AND NATURE NETWORK OUTDOOR LIVING
Community members explore macroinvertebrates at Wellfield Botanic Gardens.
Natural and other loose parts make great art!
Toddlers stack tree cookies.
Mud play is a great way to spend time outside!
6 inMiddlebury Magazine | MARCH 2022
How often do your children get outside? Indiana Children and Nature Network (ICAN), part of the Environmental Education Association of Indiana, strives to help children and families enjoy nature and dismantle myths around outside time. ICAN notes: Our mission is to foster the connection of children, families and communities to the natural environments so they can receive the physical, emotional and intellectual benefits of spending time outdoors, while building a lifelong love of nature. ICAN does this by: • Raising awareness of the many benefits of connecting children with nature; • Promoting unstructured play and time outdoors for children and adults; • Engaging a diverse network of people and facilitate collaborations. Additionally, ICAN has several initiatives: • ICAN Play 30—Pledge to spend 30 minutes outside daily. ICAN suggests making nature part of your regular routine, with ideas such as reading outside, exploring new playgrounds, creating a nature bucket list, or jumping in puddles. There is even an #ICANPlay30 hashtag to share the outdoor play on social media and a downloadable certificate on the ICAN website. • Nature Play Days—Groups across the state host Nature Play Days in early June. For 2022, Nature Play Days are being held June 4th-12th. Watch for (or even host) a play in Middlebury or a nearby town. ICAN hosts a resource packet, promotional materials, NPD success tips, social media items, and a map and list of play days across the state. I have hosted several of these in the area—what a fun time to play and gather with other community members. There is a webinar on March 24th to learn more about hosting this. Find details on social media or the ICAN website. • Community Outreach—ICAN hosts Family Nature Club training and Brown Bag lunches to help promote children getting outside. We also hosted a webinar about enjoying winter with children recently, including a spotlight with Megan Coryell, educator at York Elementary School. Find it at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaDV5fIuSy4 • Resources—The ICAN website lists places to play in Indiana, resources for the medical community, nature play blogs, and more. Through each of these initiatives, ICAN helps support children and communities getting outside, just as we can in our community. Join the initiative and conversation at https:// www.indianachildrenandnature.org/ Dr. Carla Gull blogs at www.insideoutsidemichiana.com and hosts the podcast Loose Parts Nature Play. She is often seen with four tag-along explorers in the greater Michiana area.
DON’T FORGET
TRAIL TALES!
While there is no specific parks programming for March, and snow and ice may have kept you away from the parks recently, remember the book in the Trail Tales stations is changed each month, even during the winter and early spring. Come out to Riverbend and follow the trail to read a new book each month. And while you’re there, explore our other trails!
OUR HISTORICAL MARKER
Did you know that Middlebury has one of 14 state historical landmark designations in Elkhart County? The historical marker honoring the Krider World’s Fair Garden is located near the intersection of Bristol and Railroad Streets. It was recognized in 2001 as a state historical site. The text of the sign reads: “Krider Nurseries constructed and exhibited Krider’s Diversified Garden at Century of Progress International Exposition in Chicago 1933-1934. Some plants and structures were returned to Middlebury, and garden was reconstructed here 1935. After falling into decay, garden was restored by community 1995. Founded 1896 by Vernon Krider (1876-1955), Krider Nurseries produced its first catalog 1906. Primarily regional wholesale business; also served mail-order market. Bought patent to produce and sell first thornless rose. For many years, Krider’s was one of Middlebury’s largest industries. Ceased operation 1990.” To find the other historical markers in our county go to www.in.gov › history › state-historical-markers
Wildflower and Wetland Walk Wednesday, April 27 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Join Park Superintendent Tom Enright at Riverbend Park to walk through the wooded wetlands looking for some of the first wildflowers of the year. We will also observe how the wetlands in the park act as a sponge and filter to hold and clean the flood waters that typically take place in spring. You will leave with a better appreciation for the wetlands of Riverbend and the free benefits they provide for our community. Meet in the pavilion in the park.
Rest Area Re-opening
The Pumpkinvine Rest Area will be reopened around April 1 or maybe even sooner, depending on the weather.
Contact us via email at parks@middleburyin.com Follow us on Facebook @ http://www.Facebook.com/ MiddleburyParks or call us at 574-825-3283 THIS PAGE SPONSORED BY
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inMiddlebury Magazine | MARCH 2022 7
NORTHRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL
SCHOLAR ATHLETE OF THE MONTH
JONAH STEINER Jonah Steiner is the son of Sarah and Rob Steiner and a senior at Northridge High School. Jonah plays on the basketball team, and is a member of the National Honor Society. Jonah says, “What I enjoy most about being a part of a team here at Northridge is the competitiveness and discipline, along with the friendships I’ve made. Making connections with the community through Northridge Basketball is also something I am grateful to have experienced.” Outside of school, Jonah attends Belmont Mennonite Church and works in the mornings at Ziggity Systems Inc. through a work based learning program. He also has enjoyed coaching younger kids through Raider Ball. Jonah plans to go to college at either Marquette or Xavier University on an academic scholarship. He plans on majoring in business.
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MIDDLEBURY CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAYS April 22 & 23
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Middlebury Teen Loves Sharing What Club Means To Him Highlighting the growth and experience teens gain through Club is a key part of the Youth Of The Year competition. All four Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County Clubhouses are selecting their winners who will move on to compete county-wide in February. Andrew Deal will represent the Middlebury Club. He said he had no hesitation entering the contest. “I really look for every opportunity. I want to represent our Club and what I think Club will do for others,” he said. Deal said he was challenged by the requirements for the competition, which includes public speaking and essays. “They (essays) were challenging. It helped me think through and organize my ideas. What really felt good was looking back at all I’ve done at the Club,” he said. That sentiment was echoed by Rhonda Eicher, the program manager for the Middlebury Club.
“Club has impacted me in many ways. It’s my home away from home. It’s a family here. It’s not perfect, but it’s fun. I couldn’t imagine Club without the people we have here. It wouldn’t be the same,” he said. Now, he’s looking forward to meeting the winners from the other three Clubs at the countywide competition and sharing his story. “I do like the competition, but it’s really about sharing what Club means to me -- what it stands for. I like the feeling of being around people who are trying to do the same things as me and go to the same places. I’m anxious to see what they do with their talents,” Deal said. Eicher said she’s confident Deal will continue to show his leadership skills beyond Club walls. “I know he wants to be on the national Keystone Conference Steering Committee. He would be the first from Middlebury to be on it. I feel Andrew has grown to the place where he could do that,” she said. “He’s a great story of a Club kid who has been super involved and a great example of what Club can do.”
“I’ve seen him grow up in the Club over the past seven years, and have loved watching all the activities he’s been involved in here,” she said. “It has been amazing to watch him grow into the leader he is today.” Deal said he considered the influence Club has had on his life as he worked through the materials for the award.
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Enrich. Connect. Inspire. 101 East Winslow St. • Middlebury, IN 46540 P: 574.825.5601 • F: 574.825.5150 www.middleburylibrary.org
March Programs and Events Please visit our website for more details on library events and programs.
3
Lego Crew for Kids 4-4:45pm
5
Fly Tying & Fishing 9am-1pm
8
Let’s Talk About It 7-9pm
9
Pages & Pints 5:30-6:30pm
10
Board Meeting 6-7pm
15
Books & Brews 5:30-6:30pm
19
Tales to Tails 11am-12pm
Family Story Time Tuesdays at 2pm & 5:30pm Wednesdays at 10:30am
March is . . . Women’s History Month National Deaf History Month
April Preview
Save the Dates
• Norval Poyser Seed Library Launch • Poetry in the Garden: A Nature Poetry Writing Workshop • Closed Good Friday (4/15/22)
• Middlebury Literary Carousel June 13-18 • Summer Reading 2022: Oceans of Possibilities • Yak, Snack, and Read Summer 2022
Follow us on
Join our digital newsletter and stay up to date on what’s happening at the Library! Sign up at the front desk of the Library or contact us.
inMiddlebury Magazine | MARCH 2022 11
Rockin’ the SchoolHouse
FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2022 Beginning at 7:00 p.m.
NORTHRIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL AUDITORIUM Tickets are on sale for $8.00 at
NORTHRIDGETP.LUDUS.COM Tickets will be $10.00 at the door Come join us as we travel to see persons, places, and things (nouns), unpack our adjectives, and explore outer space with Interplanet Janet. It’s going to be great! It’s SchoolHouse Rock,Jr. LIVE! Northridge Middle School takes you back to the days when watching TV could actually be educational with its musical production of SchoolHouse Rock, Jr.LIVE! As Tina prepares for her first day as a teacher, she stresses over her lesson plans and how she will manage to teach all the subjects she is responsible for. With the help of her TV friends from SchoolHouse Rock, Tina is soon ready to rock out her first day as a teacher. As with everything, COVID has taken its toll on the theater program at the middle school. Our last production of High School Musical, Jr. was canceled the week it was supposed to open. Last year, protocols didn’t allow any production. So this year, this small but enthusiastic group of students is ready to rock the stage again with this light-hearted, fast-paced, fun musical based on the TV series.
BLOOD DRIVE - The need for blood is at crisis level right now. Please consider donating. Antibody testing will also be done at the time of donation.
Northridge High School
BLOOD DRIVE Fieldhouse – Middlebury
TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 2022 9:15 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
• Students, sign-up for you blood donation appointment in the library.
Members of the cast include the following: GEORGE Noah Troyer, Chorus/Ensemble DORI Elliott Hoard, Alyssa Ardoin SHULIE Claire Gorsuch, Natalie Checkley* JO Gracie Gerwels-Simons, McKenna Deckert DINA Ashlen Buczkowski Evie Hunsberger JANET Annika Buczkowski, Sophia Khattri-Chettri TINA Riley Deckert, Anya Noneman Ava Pletcher Ella Rasler Austin Taylor* Natalie Yoder* Austin Wilson *Indicates high school assistant Raina Wickey*
• Make sure you have a photo ID and some form of identification with your birthdate on it when you come to donate. • 16-year-olds will need a signed permission form which is also available in the library. • The public is asked to enter the school for the blood drive at Door #11 (pool door)
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inMiddlebury Magazine | MARCH 2022 13
Northridge Counselors Spotlight National School Counseling Week 2022 (#NSCW22) is Feb. 7-11, 2022, to focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems. National School Counseling Week, sponsored by ASCA, highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. National School Counseling Week is always celebrated the first full week in February. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Events-Professional-Development/Events/National-School-Counseling-Week Kyle Martin from Orchard View Elementary: Having a counselor in our building has allowed us to grow and develop more thorough relationships with our students and families. We are moving more toward the multi-tiered systems of support model of having levels of interventions for RTI, BPIS, and Emotional learning. The school counselor has been an invaluable addition to support academics, behaviors and helping students regulate and get into their “upstairs brain.” I honestly feel like we are so much more proactive with our students and also do a much better job of supporting our teachers. As a school, we are connected to more resources such as SCAN, TRIPLE P, Stable Grounds, etc. and are purposeful about following through with our families. In addition, we are able be more responsive to ever changing student needs whether this is done through classroom lessons, small groups or individually. Trachea Brickner at Jefferson Elementary: We have been able to create a tiered system that involves relationship building, on-going lessons given by the counselor that connects to the needs of our building, and students are getting the consistency they need when struggled with often very traumatic situations. Tim has time to implement more things that help all of our students. We have classroom Think Tanks for students. These Think Tanks have strategies displayed for students to learn to apply coping and problem-solving skills in the classroom. Tim can work with students in class at the time of a struggle to teach students in the moment which is always the best way for 14 inMiddlebury Magazine | MARCH 2022
students to learn how to use these strategies. Teachers have felt very supported with ideas on how to support students in their classrooms. Having him at Jefferson has been very beneficial to our staff and students. Joe Kominowski at York Elementary: Our building has been completely transformed with the addition of our school counselor. She has made huge impacts with our students, has lasting connections with our families, and has been a tremendous resource for our teachers. This year alone she has implemented Blessings in a BackPack and completely transformed our ARMS mentors program. Our students have more adults in their lives that care about them, our families are having their needs met, and our office referrals are way down because of her proactive lessons. I can't say enough about the impact she has made here at York ASCA is the National model of school counseling that all of our school counselors are following. This link will provide more information about what the role of a school counselor is: https://www.schoolcounselor.org/AboutSchool-Counseling/School-Counselor-Roles-Ratios
THE 2022 80TH ANNUAL INDIANA STATE BUTTON SHOW & COMPETITION LEARN MORE ABOUT ART AND HISTORY THROUGH COLLECTING AND PRESERVING CLOTHING BUTTONS.
The Show will be held at the Essenhaus Conference Center and Inn 240 US 20, Middlebury, IN
THURSDAY, MARCH 10 4:00-6:00 P.M.
FRIDAY, MARCH 11 1:00-5:00 P.M.
Theme:
“BUTTONS & BARNS” PUBLIC WELCOME - $5 (children 17 and under free)
SATURDAY, MARCH 12 9:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M. Contact:
Pat Cooper at 317-431-9693 cooperltc@myninestar.net
Clothing button enthusiasts and collectors from all over Indiana and Michiana will hold a three-day Indiana State Button Society Show at the beautiful Essenhaus Conference Center in Middlebury. Anyone who has an interest in buttons is invited to attend this large event, and there will be button dealers from various states offering beautiful buttons for sale. Twenty-two competition awards will be judged on Friday morning and displayed on Friday and Saturday, and raffle tickets will be offered for items donated by dealers and other members. Many of the same people who participated in the last three Button Expo events will be there! As a result of those shows, two button clubs were formed in northern Indiana: The “Button Keepers Club” in Nappanee, and the “Classic City Button Club” in Auburn. If you’re interested in learning more about clothing buttons, feel free to contact one of our members above. There are two additional button clubs in Indiana, the Indianapolis Button Club and the Wabash Valley Button Club in Terre Haute, IN. Various members in the local clubs give educational programs on Art, History, Culture, Fashion, Politics, Military, Religion, and Materials such as Mother-of-Pearl, Beautiful Glass, Horn, Bone, Enamel, Porcelain, Metals, Bakelite, China, etc. At the shows, there are banquets, programs, and sometimes entertainment. The National Button Society was formed in 1939. It now has more than 2,250 members on four continents, with 39 of the 50 states represented by state and local button clubs. People travel from all over the country (and a few internationally) to participate in annual national button shows. State button societies have spring and/or fall shows at hotel conference centers, where competition awards are given to members for their creative and historic button card entries.
Dianne Chmidling at 574-349-3561 diannemarie7@gmail.com
The Indiana Button Society’s first Show and Competition was held in 1941, just a year after the first National Button Society (NBS) awards convention was held in Chicago, with just 200 NBS members, so this year Indiana celebrates their 80th Show! (We didn’t have our show in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.) The NBS, State Button Societies, Regional Button organizations, and local clubs host button shows and sales as well as promote educational exhibits, encourage research, publish and disseminate information, and preserve for future generations all that is beautiful and historic in buttons. Check out these websites for more information about button collecting: Indiana Button Society www.indianabuttonsociety.org National Button Society www.nationalbuttonsociety.org Also search on Facebook for (1) National Button Society, (2) Indiana State Button Society, (3) Michigan Button Society, and (4) Button Keepers – Nappanee, Indiana
This year the Indiana State Button Society’s show theme is “Buttons & Barns.” There are many clothing buttons which feature all kinds of farm animals, barns, and country life. Some of our competition awards this year include them, so look for those trays on display after they have gone through the judging process.
inMiddlebury Magazine | MARCH 2022 15
16 inMiddlebury Magazine | MARCH 2022
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inMiddlebury Magazine | MARCH 2022 17
The Wedding Planner
TIPS ON TYING THE KNOT
Explore various wedding styles during planning
Every wedding is different, even if many share some common components. As couples plan their weddings, learning about some popular wedding styles can help them create a ceremony that suits them. Classic wedding Classic weddings are the storybook traditional weddings that many people dream about for years. Key elements include a tuxedo for the groom and a white gown for the bride. Formal attire is reserved for the rest of the wedding party. The ceremony is conducted in a place of worship before everyone retires to a fancy catering hall for the reception. Traditional weddings also may include the time-honored customs like toasts, cake cutting, bouquet toss, and parent-child dances. Beach wedding Beach weddings often are casual, laid back affairs. Dresses may be less structured and flow with sea breezes, while guys may even don shorts with linen shirts or jackets. Guests can expect the party to be much more
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free-flowing and the traditions of classic weddings may not be part of the celebration. Modern wedding Brides and grooms who crave contemporary and current trends may prefer a modern wedding. Graphic color schemes, clean lines and minimalistic flowers might be part of a modern wedding. Attire may be angular and edgy, and the venue may run the gamut from sleek museum to a city rooftop. Destination wedding Couples who love to travel and don't want to worry about the minutiae of wedding planning may find a destination wedding is a good fit. Destination weddings last more than one day and focus on relaxation, activities and lots of fun. Wedding styles are as unique as the people getting married. Choosing a theme that has the right feeling can help couples make the most of their special days.
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Weddings are memorable for a host of reasons. While couples remember their weddings because they mark the day they officially tied the knot, guests may remember weddings for other reasons, including the food served at the reception. Some wedding venues are known for their stunning landscapes, while others build their reputations on unique interiors that provide unforgettable ambiance. But regardless of where weddings take place, guests are liable to discuss the food served at the reception. Guests might rave about the escargot or complain that the fish was flaky, but couples who choose reception menus wisely can go a long way toward ensuring there are more compliments than complaints once the dinner bell rings. Don't zero in on specialties. According to The Knot 2017 Real Weddings Study, a survey of nearly 13,000 brides and grooms who tied the knot in 2017, the average wedding hosted 136 guests. While couples might be tempted by specialty dishes when choosing their wedding menus, couples who are hosting dozens, if not hundreds, of guests should keep things simple.
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THE
MAPLE HOUSE
More Than Just a Place to Stay Photo Credit to Will Johnson Written by Chris Wheeler The Maple House and Guest Inn is a historic, Second Empire/Mansard-style house located walking distance from downtown Middlebury. It was built in 1883 by the Blough family and features a Queen Anne-style porch. Today, it is the home and brainchild of Alex and Lori Gonzalez, a couple with a story marked by hospitality, meaningful connection, and the discovery of wonder in the everyday. Alex and Lori met at Bethel University in Mishawaka (a college with over 1,600 students) in their junior year. Alex was born in Puerto Rico but lived the majority of his life in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood. He went to Bethel to study art, showing up at the last second with a black trash bag full of belongings to start the semester. Lori, who grew up in Chicagoland near Gary, was majoring in teaching with a minor in music. Alex got roped into singing in the same choir as her, a group of over 100 students, and met her through a mutual friend. Their choir year culminated with a trip to Mackinac Island, where according to Lori, “the magic was solidified!” They dated for six months and were engaged for the same length of time before marrying. If the fact that their paths crossed at all seems more like a miracle than just a chance encounter, buckle in. Shortly before graduation, Alex was working a cashier job at Sam’s Club when another chance encounter opened up an unforeseen opportunity. A shopper in line asked him what was going on in his life (“graduating from Bethel with an art degree,”) and the next shopper in line was a mom whose kids went to Covenant Christian, a private school that just happened to be in need of an art teacher. Of course, Alex had initially had other plans for post-graduation life. “In my mind, I was like: I want to go back to Chicago, open up a studio, and live the starving artist life.” However, he was also not one to shut the door on a potential opportunity, so he decided to show up at the interview. They hired him on the spot, and he joined the team teaching a little bit of everything: art, Spanish, and music. Lori’s first teaching job landed her in Middlebury at Jefferson Elementary, so she commuted from Mishawaka while Alex taught at Covenant. In the meantime, they bought their first fixer-upper in the Mishawaka/South Bend area. Three years later, Covenant was making cuts and told Alex that they had to let him go. Before they had time to panic or even to start looking for jobs, 20 inMiddlebury Magazine | MARCH 2022
Alex received a random call from a friend at Bethel University, asking if he had any interest in a position as a resident director. Lori came with him to the interview to visit Bethel, and they offered both of them the job on the spot. They moved into a new dorm with a men’s wing and a women’s wing on either side with their apartment in the middle, and for the next six years they oversaw resident life activities and poured into around 200 students, supporting and counseling them through a pivotal season in their lives. Alex also worked as director for multicultural affairs, running a scholarship program for minority students. During this time, with the freedom of living on-campus, they bought and flipped three houses. This season of their life turned out to be preparing them for the next. Lori said, “We’ve always wanted, from the get-go, to have a home we could fix up and bring to a new state of glory, where you can see its
potential again.” Alex cut his teeth on design and construction while flipping houses, a skill that is now a creative outlet for him as a self-employed designer. And of course, their experiences building relationships with many different personalities among their students also comes into play with their guests. Following their time at Bethel and the addition to their family of their girls Lily (now 12) and Adeline (10), they both returned to teaching at several Middlebury and Goshen-area elementary schools, including Heritage, Chamberlain, and Jefferson. This time, they moved to Middlebury to be a little closer, purchasing a beautiful log cabin on CR 10. Lori recalled, “That was going to be our forever home. I kept saying, when we are 50, this place is going to be amazing! It needed a lot of work.” As city-dwellers, they embraced country living by acquiring a pair of chickens, two ducks who were convinced they were chickens, and a dog named Donald from Dogtown. Their move to Middlebury was not solely due to employment, however. “Middlebury, for us, has been just so out of either of our realms of experience, growing up in Chicago,” Lori said, “This was such a place of wonder for us. It just felt like a simpler way of living that we’d never experienced or had access to.” Their favorite part of Middlebury, of course, is the people. Alex said, “There are so many young entrepreneurs; it really feels like you have a lot of
people just trying to make something happen for the community. It’s great to be part of a solid community with a lot of familiar faces and names.” Both Alex and Lori absolutely loved their time as teachers. Lori (according to Alex: “an exceptional teacher!”) taught fifth grade at Heritage, her favorite grade to teach. “I love the concepts you teach, that their personalities are developing but they’re still so moldable right before they leap into middle school and get swarmed by insecurities.” Her return there felt like a homecoming of sorts. Alex (according to Lori: “a top-notch guy!”) taught specials at Goshen and Middlebury-area schools, especially enjoying his time teaching 3rd and 5th grade. “That age as an art teacher is great,” he said. “Their skills are developed, so it’s more than just cutting paper. And when you’re teaching art, you’re never the bad guy! I just loved being with the kids and the opportunity to pour into them.” When he later transitioned out of teaching into construction and design, it was a bittersweet moment. “My oldest daughter ended up being in my last third grade class, which made it an extra special year. We were all crying.” Alex and Lori had no way of knowing it at the time, but another transition was literally just down the road. The first time they saw The Maple House, they were accompanying Alex’s parents, who were looking for potential houses as they considered a move to the area themselves. Alex and Lori loved the 475-squarefoot guest house in the back and the Victorian-style decor. It wasn’t his parent’s style (they eventually found a home in Bremen), but something about the house stuck with both Alex and Lori beyond that initial visit. “We had just celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary, and we went to Chicago for one night and stayed in a ritzy hotel,” Lori recounts. For much of their married life, this kind of getaway was out of reach financially, so the experience was a watershed moment for them. “We came out of it feeling really tender-hearted, thinking that there’s got to be people like us who need to do this and aren’t able to. Even though that [trip to Chicago] was wondrous, we came back feeling that this place was wondrous too, and that there are people for whom coming here would be really meaningful.” All of this was running through Lori’s head as they got in the car after seeing the Maple House. In the meantime, Alex was sitting next to her dreaming about the potential of purchasing it and renting it out to guests in need of a getaway. Lori said, “We got back in the car after showing his parents the place, and neither of us wanted to say anything, because he’s inMiddlebury Magazine | MARCH 2022 21
seeing the business opportunity and I’m seeing the ministry opportunity. And I knew if I said something about it, he’d be like, let’s do it! Which would then involve a lot of risk.” When she eventually broached the idea, Alex immediately dived in headfirst approaching potential investors about business loans. After a number of options fell through, when they were concerned it might not work out at all, he approached Interra – which just so happened to be looking for opportunities to invest in the community. “We refinanced and had, almost to the dollar, the amount that we needed for the down payment,” Alex said. The next hurdle was renovating and furnishing the house, which they achieved through a combination of crowdfunding, Alex’s design and construction experience, and assistance from his bargain-hunting parents. “They love thrifting,” Alex said. “Mom was up at four in the morning scouring Facebook marketplace and
Craigslist.” They had a few friends “test-guest” the place in the spring of 2019, then listed it officially on Airbnb that summer. Since opening, Alex and Lori have hosted over 1500 people in The Maple House and Guest Inn. Guests hail from right down the street and all over the Midwest ((including many Notre Dame fans, Amish families, and a French chef who spent most of his stay cooking and drinking good wine). Some have come from as far away as California. Besides a plethora of amenities – a fully-stocked kitchen, beverages, close proximity to town, and the gas fireplace, among others – they have made a point of decorating it to feel like a home. Much of this feeling comes from the little details, everything from vacuum lines to the hand-written notes they leave for guests, from the way they fold the towels to the signs from Joyfully Said on the walls and locally-sourced soaps and curated boxes. Alex said, “It’s all intentional, so that when people come they feel like they’ve been thought of.” Lori added, “We are always looking at it being an experience for our guests – the wonder of what this community has been for us, and the wonder of this home. It’s so much more than just a place to stay.” Their reviews attest to this difference; guests note that The Maple House just feels different and more homey than other Airbnbs they’ve experienced. Others say they’ve never slept so well. The Gonzalez’s faith plays a big part in this sense of peace in the home. “This house has been so prayed over that whether or not those who come know it, they sense that there’s a greater purpose to living and leave with that in some way.” Shortly after they opened up The Maple House, they hosted a young couple in great need of a restful getaway in the guest house. Tragically, the husband had a sudden heart attack and passed away the morning of checkout. Even in the midst of this tragedy, however, they saw greater things at work. Lori said, “As we got to know Kelli [the wife], it became so evident that the Lord really had called us to steward this place for them, for her to have that time with him before he passed. They really rested and connected in their time there.” This experience came just when Alex and Lori were in the process of designing a renovation for the guest house, doubling the square footage so they could move in with the girls.
22 inMiddlebury Magazine | MARCH 2022
They chose to cover the existing structure with black siding and the new structure in white, representing the transition from death to life. “We designed it around that story in many ways,” Lori said. “Where he passed is now where we gather as a family and have life-giving conversations.” Alex noted that the events of that year challenged them to reconsider their priorities for their time. “We were working 60 hours a week. We had zero time as a family.” Moving into a smaller house, along with Lori’s shift out of teaching during the pandemic and Alex’s shift into more freelance construction work, has relieved a good deal of stress and helped them to find more space to invest in family and in hospitality. Lori said, “We consider it a gift at this point to have this time together, with all of the unknowns.” When they first visited the house, the previous owner had shown them two maple trees she planted when her children (now grown) were babies. It had been her dream house, and for 30 years she had cared for every detail in making it a home. Alex and Lori are carrying on this tradition in a new era. For them, the story of The Maple House (and the community around it) is a story worth sharing, a place that invites people who need time away into something bigger than themselves. As they say in their mission statement for the house: “We believe that the Maple House exists to draw those who grace its presence into deeper rest, relationship and wonder. You are welcome here.”
inMiddlebury Magazine | MARCH 2022 23
Northridge Winter Athletics
Dominating the competition
24 inMiddlebury Magazine | MARCH 2022
Photos by Russ Draper
inMiddlebury Magazine | MARCH 2022 25
Attention
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Annual Golf Classic Save the Date: 8/12/2022
Don’t Let Winter Get You Down!
Call or Email For Additional Information 574-825-4300 or carmencarpenter@middleburyinchamber.com 26 inMiddlebury Magazine | MARCH 2022
The Middlebury Chamber of Commerce has free small business spaces, and twelve 101 Business Educational Workshops instructed by the Indiana Small Business Development Center. The SBDC Workshops are scheduled monthly at the Middlebury Chamber of Commerce. The first workshop is on March 11. SBDC also offers private business mentoring to small businesses, reserving a spot in the program. Phone Sheri Howland, Executive Director Middlebury Chamber of Commerce 574-8254300. Workshop Topics include but are not limited to: Instructor: Alan Steele, Regional Director - North Central Indiana SBDC • Marketing Topics Develop a Marketing Plan - Small Business with Google - Selling Online - Social Media • Management Topics Do I Need a Business Plan or a Strategic Plan? Keeping It Legal • Business Entities – selection, formation, ongoing obligations • Reporting and Compliance – Dept. of Revenue, Workforce Development, etc. • Licenses and Permits - Hiring and Human Resources Basics - Growing During a Staffing Shortage • Financial Topics - Making a Profit: Understanding Costs and Pricing - Finding Funding for Your Business - Accounting and Record-Keeping Basics Entrepreneurship Topics. The Middlebury Chamber of Commerce is an equal opportunity employer
If you know of a community member or group of people whom you would like to offer out a SHOUT of gratitude in a future magazine, please send your nomination to our editor Desirée Beauchamp-Boucher at Delightfullyhere@gmail.com Thank you to the street crews for keeping us on the roads during these harsh snow storms. – Anonymous
We love our MCS councelors and thank you for all of the hard work you put into helping our students. – Middlebury Parent
To the staff at the Boys and Girls Club, you guys rock! You’re amazing and the work you do with our youth is so greatly appreciated. – Club Parent
A shout to our choir directors for all the hard work you put in to making our kids sound and look so great in performances. – Choir Mom
Thank you to everyone who contributes so much to this magazine. – Desirée BeauchampBoucher
i wanted to thank Jan Vandermeer for snowblowing our front walk this winter. And also to the ones who keeps the bike path cleared so we can walk it in the winter time. – Laura Bailey
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