The Photographer

“Truth, Lies, & Beauty”:  That’s the motto of Studio 142.  No, it’s not a spy novel.  It’s a photography studio run by M Blaze Miskulin.

“Beauty is not only skin deep, and the camera always lies. The skill is in finding the lie that reveals the greater truth about a person’s beauty.” explains the photographer.  “That’s why photography is an art, rather than a simple matter of record-keeping.”

Blaze grew up here in Lodi, the youngest child in an artistic family.  His oldest brother, Joey, is a Grammy Award-winning musician; his oldest sister, Therese, is a potter, painter, and art teacher; the next in line, Annette, expresses her creative side through cooking at the Northern Edge.

“Growing up, I was ‘that weird kid’ that wasn’t into sports.  I’ve always been an artist, and I’ve always looked at things differently.”

In one of those strange incidents where a small choice leads to big changes, Blaze took a theatre class in college, and ended up dropping his pre-med major for theatre.  After graduating from UW Green Bay with a BA in technical theatre, Blaze went on to work in several theatres–both large and small–and even spent 2 seasons on national tours.  After 11 years away from Lodi, he packed up his stuff and decided it was time to come home.

Over the years, Blaze kept up with his photography, but in a more documentary style.  “The photos I was taking weren’t my ideas. I was photographing shows, stage sets, costumes, and such for the shows’ producers.  It was all very dry.”

Inspiration for a distinctive style

In 2007, after setting down his camera for a few years, Blaze got to talking with a friend who told him she was getting into modeling.  He put her in contact with a another friend who was a photographer, and ended up sitting in on the shoot.  With only his old point-and-shoot “snapshot” camera, he managed to capture a few shots.  The experience was fun, and the shots turned out better than he had expected.

Having retired from theatre several years before, photography gave Blaze a new outlet for his creativity.  With the help of social networking sites–and several excellent models willing to take a chance on a “newcomer”–Blaze was able to build up both a portfolio and a reputation.

Blaze’s distinctive, dark style was another bit of serendipity.  “I was showing a friend some photos on my PDA, when I noticed that looking at the screen from the side made the background of the image go black.  That really struck me.  Up until then, I’d been using a professional style of lighting–key, fill, back–the way that it’s ‘supposed to be done’.  The images were good, but didn’t stand out like I wanted.  Seeing that dark photo tripped something in my brain.  I went back to my theatre roots and started using the harsh lighting I’d become familiar with in dance.  It’s difficult to shoot, and it’s very unforgiving, but the images that do turn out are amazing.”

After two and a half years of shooting for fun, Blaze decided to take the next step and open up his studio to paying customers. Studio 142 was launched in the winter of 2009.  While he doesn’t expect to make a living from his photography (he has 3 other jobs–including his own web-hosting company–to do that) he now has the portfolio and reputation to step up from being just a hobbyist.

In addition to paid sessions, Blaze also sells limited-edition prints of his artistic photos.

Blaze can be hired through his professional site:  Studio142.org
His art photos are available for view and purchase on his art site: fotoaparat.org

Lodi Farmer's Market

On any Friday afternoon in the Summer, you’ll find Lyn Lorenz sitting in her lawn chair in the parking lot of the Northern Edge restaurant.   But it’s not as strange as it sounds:  Lyn is watching over the weekly Farmers’ Market.  She’s got a smile and a hearty greeting for everyone that walks by–calling most by name and asking how things have been going over the past week.  She also has information, answers, and an occasional “Susie the Duck for President” button to give away.

The crowd that wanders through the market range from 5 to 95, and are wearing everything from bib overalls to business suits. The Lodi Farmers’ Market was the brain-child of Peg Zamisch.  In the winter of 2000-2001, Peg wrote an article in the Lodi Enterprise wondering if anyone would be interested in creating a market for farmers and local craftsmen to sell their food and wares.  The response was very positive.  And so, after much planning, the Lodi Farmers’ Market opened up in the summer of 2001.

Starting–and maintaining–a successful market takes more than just plunking down in an open space and saying you’ve got things to sell.   The organizers researched the project heavily and sought out the best resources they could find for information regarding the laws, best practices, guidelines, and tips to create a succusseful, sustainable market.  The UW Extension program was instrumental in getting the groundwork laid out.   There are no laws specifically governing markets in Wisconsin.  The UW Extension, however, was able put together a list of laws that govern the various activities that take place at the market.  The Market is very conscious of these laws and guidelines.

The rules are just the foundation on which the market is built.  The real structure comes from being a true part of the community.  The Farmers’ Market isn’t just a place where people buy stuff.  It’s a place where people interact, and a group which gives back to the community.   One of the most important parts of the market is what happens the morning after.  Inside the small barn are large ice chests.  These get filled with the unsold produce from vendors and donations from community members.  On Saturday morning, the Lodi Food Pantry stops by and collects the food.   The fresh fruits and vegetables are divided up and taken to needy families in the Lodi area and to the local senior citizens who can’t make it to the market.  The bounty of the community is given back to the community; nothing goes to waste.

Lyn in the Market Barn

The interaction between the market and the community continually builds on itself.  Lyn is very proud of the barn, for example.  The money for the small structure came from the Roberta Arnold Community Fund.  During her time as City Board Supervisor, Arnold took her salary and put it into a special fund for community projects.  Using the money they received, the Market purchased the materials to build their barn.  The labor for the project was donated by Laurent Soucie’s industrial arts class at the Lodi High School.  There’s  even a little bit of local history built into the barn; some of the boards used to build it came from a local barn that had been torn down.

With the Market’s barn in place, they gained room to store more produce for the pantry.  And so it comes full circle; the money and labor they received from the community is, in turn, used to give food and friendship back to the community. The Lodi Farmers’ Market hasn’t been without its bumps in the road–sometimes literally!

In its first year, the market resided in the parking lot between Spring Creek and Main Street.  Space was a little tight and traffic was occasionally an issue, but it was a place to start.   When construction started on Highway 113 and the new City Hall, they had to move.   The owner of the Lodi Bowl offered his parking lot.  So, they picked up and moved to a new location.  A sudden fire shut down the bowling alley, leaving the market unsure of it’s future.   The surrounding businesses, however, stepped in and offered their resources to help the vendors; electricity and bathrooms being the two most important offerings.  Thanks to the Piggly Wiggly and Susie’s Car Wash, the market made it through the season.

The search for a new location ended with them moving just a quarter mile down the road to the parking lot of the City Limits.  When Annette Fassbender moved into the building and started the Northern Edge, she made sure that the Market knew they were welcome to stay.  Because it doesn’t own it’s own property, the market is dependent on the friendship of local businesses.  They’ve never been disappointed.

A market, however, can’t survive on good will alone.  It has to offer something that the community wants.  The Market succeeds in that aspect, too.  Fresh fruits and vegetables, honey, and flowers fill the tables.  There’s buffalo meat and fresh seafood for those with heartier appetites.  And there’s an array of crafts for those who appreciate the outdoors.  There are also special events, bands, presentations, workshops with professional gardeners, and special guests. The average shopper is becoming more and more aware of local markets and the wide variety of produce available fresh from the garden.  As Lyn says “Quality is very important [to us]. You not only know the goods you’re buying, but you know who you’re buying them from.”

Stop by on a Friday this summer and get a taste of “the food less traveled.”

In 1936, Don Steckleberg stopped fixing boats in his spare time and started fixing them as a business instead. That was the start of Don’s Marine–a business that is still running strong, over 70 years later.

For almost 40 years, Don ran his business out of the barn on his farm outside of town. In 1974, Don’s daughter Jane and her husband Steve bought the business and moved it to its new larger site on the edge of town. They soon outgrew that building and made one more move to their current location. The last move was only a few hundred yards, but it allowed them the room to plan for future expansion. That was a smart move. The original showroom and storage shed have expanded to 2 showrooms and 3 warehouses for boat and materials storage. The facility also expanded its outside storage area, inventory, and sales force.

In 1978, Jane and Steve’s oldest sons–twins Mark and Neil–took their experience in the family business and started out on a business venture of their own: Manke Enterprises. While Don’s Marine continued to sell and service boats and motors, the twins took a different approach: sales and service of lakeshore equipment. Almost every lake-side home has a pier, and many have boat lifts. Manke Enterprises quickly became the company to call for equipment, installation and removal. With their crane barges, they also became the people to call for marine recovery jobs. These most often consist of pulling up boats that have sunk because of damage or heavy rains. It’s also included a few more unusual items such as snowmobiles and even an airplane.

While Mark and Neil were off building up their own business, their younger brother, Andy, was working his way up the ladder at Don’s Marine. In 2006, with Andy as the General Manager, Jane and Steve decided it was time to pass along the family business. In an interesting move, Andy became a partner in–and president of–Manke Enterprises, which then bought Don’s Marine.

A Family Tradition

What started as one man working out of his barn has grown to include over 25 employees and a million-dollar showroom. Don’s Marine has gained a well-earned reputation as one of the best, most reliable marine dealerships in the region. Manke Enterprises has earned the right to include cities, townships, state parks, and even the University of Wisconsin’s Athletic Department in their list of satisfied, long-term clients.

How do they do it? Simple. They constantly look forward, while never forgetting what their grandfather taught them: Always do your best, always be honest and friendly, and always give the customers what they want.

A walk through the showroom will show you that Don’s advice was good. The showroom displays a boat for almost everyone; Rinker sport boat for the more active clients, luxurious Bennington pontoons for those who prefer to pamper themselves, and solid Alumacraft fishing boats for beginners and pros alike. Manke Enterprises works with both local companies such as Wickcraft and national companies such as Shorestation.

The owners aren’t the only ones to be on their 3rd generation. It’s not uncommon to see customers talking about when their grandfather bought a boat from Don.

Lake Wisconsin, the Wisconsin River, and the other smaller lakes and rivers are an important part of life in the Lodi area. They provide relaxation and enjoyment to both residents and visitors, as well as a solid economic foundation for the entire area. Competition for that money is stiff, and it’s often tempting for a new business to step in and try to take advantage of the tourists. Those companies don’t last long. In an area where everyone knows everyone, who you are is just as important as what you sell. Everyone knows who the Manke brothers are: They’re people who take your fun seriously, so that you can spend more time enjoying the water.

A Part of the Community

As with most of the business owners in town, the Manke brothers are a part of the community. It’s not just that they grew up here, it’s how they continue to be involved. The business gives money and support to many local organizations, including the Lodi Area Fire Department, the Optimists, the Rotary Club, and local chapters of Ducks Unlimited and the Boy Scouts. But they do more than that. All three of the brothers have been active in the Lodi Agricultural Fair; it’s been a common site to see them running around the grounds before the fair, helping to get everything set up and running, and again after the fair making sure that everything is picked up and stored for next year. Mark is continually search stores–from antique stores to eBay–in search of antiques from the city’s businesses. This year’s fair will include a display of many of these items. Neil is active in coaching local youth sports, and brings his enthusiasm and energy to the mix–both on and off the field.

This interest and involvement in the community are what make Don’s Marine and Manke Enterprises more than just businesses. Customers can see it when they walk through the door; from the casual greetings to the antique poster on the office door advertising “Wisconsin’s New Vacationland”–the newly-created Lake Wisconsin.

Maybe in another 40 years, the next generation will take over and have a little corner display showing of a quaint bit of ancient local history: The first websites for Don’s Marine and Manke Enterprises.