Make Your Move to the Country In This Spacious Home Located on Over an Acre Just North of Lakeland High School in LaGrange Indiana

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• Over 3,000 Square Feet
• 1 Acre Lush Green Lawn with Irrigation System
• Professional Landscaping
• 4 Bedrooms and 3 Baths
• 3 Car Attached Garage
• Master Suite has dual sinks, shower, whirlpool tub
• Full Basement
• Entertainment Area Features Wet Bar and Pool Table

Stop by Sunday at 1890 E 150 N

in LaGrange, Indiana

Just North of Lakeland High School

LaGrange County Habitat for Humanity

Starts Our 19th Home!

We arrived Saturday morning hoping the cold drizzle would end. The basement had been dug and the foundation was finished by local contractors. The rain soon stopped for the rest of the day.

There were over 80 volunteers who showed up to help. There were locals and folks from out of state. The age of volunteers ranged from teenagers to senior citizens. Some volunteers make their living building homes and some were picking up a hammer for the first time. It's fun to watch the sense of accomplishment on the faces of those who are learning.

In the true spirit of Habitat for Humanity, families we have partnered with in the past come to help build the home with the new family.

The walls are assembled and then carried to the house.

By 10:00 am, 3 exterior walls were set.

In the next hour, roof trusses were put in place and we were wrapping the exterior walls. This will be our second energy star rated home!

When we stopped for lunch at noon, it was really looking like a house!

When we finished for the day at 4:00, the roof was 1/2 shingled, and the windows were in. The exterior walls were sealed and ready for siding.

The large turnout of volunteers meant we got further than we ever had on the first build day. All of the interior walls were built and set in place! I'm always amazed at how much can be accomplished by a group of volunteers in a single day! I just can't describe how wonderul it feels to work with a family to build their first home. It is such an emotional day for everyone involved.

Just like they did last year, the KZ-RV employees showed up the following Friday and spent the day working. They built the back porch, shingled the other 1/2 of the roof and put the siding on the house. There are photos from that day, and our second build day at LaGrange County Habitat's website.

Indiana is once again holding a free fishing weekend June 6th and 7th. Kids 17 and under never need a license. If you haven't fished for a while and don't have a license, this weekend is your chance to try it again without buying a license. So dust off that fishing pole and tackle box, invite a child you know that's never learned to fish, and teach a new generation to enjoy what our local lakes have to offer in LaGrange County.

Here's the DNR Free Fishing Weekend Page

No Such Thing As a Free Lunch?? Mark Your Calendar!!

The LaGrange County Lakes Council is announcing a free seminar for folks interested in improving and protecting their lake investment. A team of professionals will make presentations and answer questions at the Lakes Council's Spring Seminar to be held on Saturday, May 16th.

The presentation will be held at LaGrange County's newest park: Pine Knob Park, just 2 miles east of Howe on SR 120. The program begins at 10:00 a.m. and lunch will be provided by the Council.

Featured speakers and their subjects include: Gwen White, DNR biologist-Lake and River Enhancement (LARE); Jeremy Price, DNR enforcement-Pier regulations and rules; Scott Banfield, Aquatic Enhancement and Survey- measures for controlling aquatic vegetation; Shannon Winks, DNR Urban Wildlife Biologist-Options for controlling Canada geese and swans.

I have attended two of these seminars in the past and they are always informative with plenty of information and handouts. If you haven't yet visited Pine Knob, it is a beautiful addition to our park system.

Watch for the complete agenda and schedule in the Spring Newsletter of the LaGrange County Lakes Council, due out early in May.

Lakes Council opens office

The LaGrange County Lakes Council has opened a new office in downtown LaGrange at 111 West Spring Street, Suite 8.

Having an office is expected to provide additional awareness of the Council's work and will allow centralized organization of the equipment and supplies that have previously been maintained by board members.

Jack Dold has been named interim administrator for Lakes Council operations and will work towards the eventual hiring of a permanent part time administrator.

The new phone number for the Council is: 260-499-LAKE (5253).

Stop in Saturday March 28th from 1-3 and tour

LaGrange County's First

5 Star Energy Rated Home

• New Construction

• 3 Bedrooms

• 2 Baths

• Appliances Included

• Walkout Basement

This home was custom built for value minded environmentally friendly buyers!

Conserve Energy-Protect Resources-Save Money

Priced to Sell: $125,000

Click here for more details and the virtual tour.

0195 W 060 S (off of Townline Road in LaGrange)

What Does it Mean to "Be Green"?

It's in the news, in the magazines, and on HGTV- green building or being more green in a remodel. I understand the concept in general, but when our office listed the first new home in our county with a 5+ Energy Star rating, I wanted to better understand the significance. I was familiar with the Energy Star rating I had seen on appliances. But, I didn't know Energy Star is a joint program through the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy to help save money and protect the environment. A 5+ rating is the highest a home can receive and the grade is based on items such as: insulation, windows, tightly sealed construction, efficient heating and cooling, appliances, lighting, and water heaters. This house offers great savings on utility bills and less impact on our environment.

The National Association of Home Builders recently adopted the National Green Building Standard.

How Green Are You?

My search led me to several online tools that you can use to test how green you and your household are. They also offer tips that can save you money and reduce the impact on our environment.

Energy Star's Home Energy Yardstick See how your usage compares to other U.S. households and how you can improve your efficiency and save money.

EPA Personal Emissions Calculator Estimate your greenhouse gas emissions and find out how you can reduce your energy and waste disposal costs.

American Public Radio's Consumer Consequences Shows you what the world would look like if everyone lived like you, your ecological footprint based on the global acres your lifestyle consumes.

Low Impact Living Calculator shows you way to reduce global warming and offers green project ideas for around your home.

Get With Green.com offers a widget that gives homeowners eco friendly news and information on new products and ideas- you can easily add it to your blog, myspace, facebook, etc.