Page 111 - Vacation Okoboji Tourist Guide 2022

IN THE LAKES REGION OF NORTHWEST IOWA...\u000ALiving costs are lower.\u000A3.6% less than West Des Moines\u000A4.6% less than Omaha\u000A18.4% less than Minneapolis\u000AHousing is more affordable.\u000A22.6% less than West Des Moines\u000A13.8% less than Omaha\u000A37.5% less than Minneapolis\u000ALearn how you can\u000A#GetALakesLife at\u000AGetALakesLife.com Cost of Living statistics compared to Spirit Lake, IA from BestPlaces.net\u000A\u201CWe got to thinking about starting a family and whether we wanted that to happen in a large city or give our kids room to roam, letting them be out playing, exploring like kids should.\u201D \u2013 Jordan Reed\u000A They, however, don\u2019t put a focus on or ask for recognition for the donations they\u2019ve made. But rather say they find deep satisfaction in being able to make the place they call home better with every passing year.\u000A\u201CMostly, we see a need, and we try to meet that need,\u201D Duane said.\u000ADuane and Willia have also donated their time to several boards over the years, including the Historic Arnolds Park Inc. board, otherwise known as HAPI, the Lakes Regional Hospital board, and the Dickinson County Conservation Board.\u000AWillia is also involved in the local chapter of the T.T.T. Society, which sends young girls to Camp Foster.\u000A\u201CWe work closely with the girls, and we follow them all the way through high school. We now have a scholarship program for the girls that would like to continue their education beyond high school.\u201D\u000AAnd as for the future of the Lakes Region? It\u2019s a wide-open vision, the Mueskes agree, fueled by talented and caring people in the region who\u000Ashare their same passion to make the lakes region all it can be.\u000A\u201CWe came from small towns in Minnesota, and understood what small-town life is all about: Its values, its sense of community and its heart,\u201D the couple said. \u201CThis area is made up of all those small-town attributes, but it\u2019s so much more.\u000AIt\u2019s the people that are dedicated\u000Aand hardworking that have come together to create great things for all who live and visit here. There are so many families that are second and third generation that love this area as Duane and I do. We feel so blessed\u000Ato have landed in this beautiful spot, and we are so grateful for the opportunity it gave us to raise our family and hopefully become an integral part of the community.\u201D\u000AIt\u2019s been quite a trip from their beginnings, and they feel it has been wonderful to watch this area change in so many ways, for the good.\u000AThey hope they have shown their appreciation to this community they call \u201CHome\u201D.\u000A VACATIONOKOBOJI.COM 109\u000A