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SUMMER’S STILL ALIVE

Lake Country’s Best Days on the Water Permanent Piers Extend the Season White Linen and Wine Above Lac La Belle Call Your Realtor Before You Spend a Dime 50 Years of Sending You Somewhere Better

“Lakefront & Lakeside Living at Its Best” Quality, Smart Products & Services foryou Your Family, Entertainment! 1 Tell them saw itHome, in ... Smart Living LakeHealth, Country & May 2026

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This Is What Tonight Was Made For.

TheCommodoreDelafield.com MAKE YOUR RESERVATION

262-563-8070

There’s a certain kind of evening that only happens outdoors. At The Commodore - A Bartolotta Restaurant, our terrace is perched right along the shores of Nagawicka Lake, and it’s quickly become one of the best seats in Lake Country. Arrive by land or dock your boat along our shoreline and enjoy our terrace as the sun begins to set and the lake shifts into gold. The air cools, the pace relaxes, and the view

does most of the talking. It’s the setting that turns a good dinner into a memorable one, whether you’re celebrating something special or simply making the most of a summer night on the water. Let us be the setting of your next memorable meal.

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August 2026

In This Issue Right in Our Region..............................Cover & p. 26 Summer’s Last Hurrah in Lake Country On the Water....................................................15 Year-Round Piers Extend Lake Season Inspiration & Worship ...................................16 God Hates Arrogance Your Home........................................................19 Open Floor Plans Offer Identity, Purpose Your Home........................................................23 Get More Days Out of Your Porch Your Dining ..................................................... 31 Lago Su Bella Bets on Oconomowoc Your Home ......................................................33 What to Skip before the Sale Your Travel ......................................................37 Tips for Choosing the Right Travel Advisor Your Health ......................................................41 The Big Difference in Eye Care Your Outing .....................................................43 Autumn on Parade Celebrates Community Your Fun ..........................................................48

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Bill Hughes Executive Editor/Web Editor Chris Linden Senior Editor Lindsey Lukas Managing Editor Jim Taylor Deputy Editor Steven Bonifazi Graphics Director Samantha Behling Graphic Designers Olivia Costello, Brandi Fier Contributing Writers Janine Pumilia, Peggy Werner General Sales Manager Brent Hughes Sales Manager Brad Hughes Advertising Sales Representatives Brian Hughes, Jeremy Jones, Jessica Greer Administration & Circulation Manager Lisa Hughes Director of Corporate Happiness Hana Hughes Published by Hughes Media Corp. 222 Seventh St., Rockford, IL, 61104 (262) 467-3228, Fax: (815) 316-2301 smartlivinglakecountry.com Smart Living. Copyright 2026 by Hughes Media Corp., 222 Seventh St., Rockford, IL, 61104. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

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Still Time

very May I start a list in my head of everything the summer is supposed to be: the lake days, the ballgames, the drives to somewhere I’ve never been. Every August I find I’ve made it halfway. What I feel this time of year isn’t sadness so much as something quieter, the way you get when something good is nearly over and you catch yourself running back through it. The Tuesday that turned into something, the evening nobody wanted to end. None of it was on the list. Summer doesn’t leave all at once. It slips out the back while we stand around watching the calendar. That’s what our cover story went looking for, and the list is longer than you’d think: everything from ski shows off Pewaukee and kayaks on Nagawicka to Highland Games over Labor Day weekend. John Suttner keeps renting pontoons at Buddy’s Beach Bungalow three weeks after most people quit. The calendar takes a beating in Whitewater, too. Summerset Marine Construction has spent 36 years building piers that withstand ice and wind, so nothing gets dragged onto the lawn in October. Most of us build our lives around a season we assume is closing. Others just refuse. Not everything inside is about the season: Dr. Aaron Holtebeck talks about the vision loss you can still preserve, and the agents at Stapleton Realty discuss why they’d rather hear from you before you update that new carpet. Travel Leaders in Oconomowoc turns 50, and owner Lynn Clark says to start with an activity, before you pick a destination. Ask who on staff has been there. So, I won’t be starting a list next May. I’d rather keep a few weekends open and see what happens. If something’s still sitting on yours, send it my way. I’ve got September left to spend, and I’m always glad to borrow a good idea. Steven Bonifazi Deputy Editor Tell them you saw it in ... Smart Living Lake Country

August 2026

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On the Water

A Pier That Stays Put Year-Round By Peggy Werner

n Lake Country, the season tends to end on a strict schedule: piers out after Labor Day, boats out soon after and nobody back on the water until Memorial Day. Engineered to stay in the water year-round through ice, wind and shifting water levels, permanent piers ditch the calendar. That’s why they’re a growing segment of business at Summerset Marine Construction, the Whitewater manufacturer behind the Lifetime pier line. Their permanent piers eliminate the twice-yearly install-and-remove cycle, along with the cost and weather delays that often accompany this cycle. “We want people to understand the advantages to having a permanent At Summerset Marine Construction, the furniture doesn’t come off the dock for winter. Piers are built to pier, not only to maximize their time stay, so when ice season ends, the only thing left to do is walk back out. The decking is made from a dense, weatherproof on the water, but also to remove the costs and stress of composite that carries the look of real wood without the seasonal installation and weather delays,” says Alivia Dufay, upkeep, meaning it won’t fade, splinter or warp with age. sales and marketing specialist at Summerset Marine. “Most There’s no sanding, staining or sealing to keep up with; a people put piers and boats in around Memorial Day and take rinse with the hose is the extent of maintenance. them out after Labor Day. Then, they end up on the lawn.” A permanent pier can also carry a permanent boat lift, Summerset’s permanent line comes in two models. The which means a boat can be winterized on the lake instead of All-Seasons pier is built for residential shorelines while the hauled and stored. From there, homeowners can add powered All-Seasons HD is reinforced for deeper water, bigger boats stairs, folding ladders, awnings, kayak racks, benches, cleats, and wave-prone conditions. Both are anchored on steel-frame bumpers and weather-resistant dock boxes. structures set on pilings driven deep into the lakebed. Summerset has designed, built and serviced its piers out of Whitewater since 1990 and now has six engineers who oversee everything from first sketch to installation. The company handles complex general contracting, custom barge manufacturing and professional dredge services while also offering consultations, installation, removal and turnkey solutions for lakefront properties. The operation is building a new, larger headquarters in the Whitewater University Technology Park to better accommodate its manufacturing footprint. The new facility is expected to open late this year or early 2027, Dufay says. “One customer described having a permanent pier as a “life changer,” being able to get together with the family more often and have a glass of wine on the pier when others have put everything away for the season,” she adds. ❚ Summerset Marine Construction is located at W3128 Wis. Hwy. 59, in Whitewater, with additional locations in Door County, Green Lake and Madison. To speak with a member of their team today, call (800) 816-9698 or visit Summerset Marine’s new Whitewater headquarters will more than double the company’s manufacturing space late this year or early 2027. summersetmarine.com. Tell them you saw it in ... Smart Living Lake Country

August 2026

(Photos provided)

Inspiration & Worship

God Hates Arrogance

ome things in scripture are crystal clear. One is that God despises arrogance. In hundreds of verses throughout the Old and New Testaments, God condemns arrogance and exalts humility. Indeed, it was Lucifer’s excessive pride that got him kicked out of Heaven. God told him:

“Since your vast business planning filled you with violent intent from top to bottom, you sinned, so I cast you away as defiled from the mountain of God ... Your heart grew arrogant because of your beauty; you annihilated your own wisdom because of your splendor. Then I threw you to the ground in the presence of kings, giving them a good look at you!” (Ezekiel 28:16-19, ISV)

King David, the only human God referred to as “a man after my own heart,” (I Sam. 13:14 & Acts 13:22), expressed humility. “O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my

eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.” (Psalm 131:1) Jeremiah 9:23 tells us, “... Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches …”

Jesus told his followers in Luke 14:11 (ESV): “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” When his disciples argued over

which of them was greatest, Jesus told them:

“If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” (Mark 9:35) Paul instructs, in Philippians 2:3: “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” And in James 4:6: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” How should we behave instead? “So be imitators of God, as his dear children. Live lovingly, just as the Messiah also loved us and gave himself for us as an offering and sacrifice, a fragrant aroma to God.” (Ephesians 5:1, ESV) ❚ – Janine Pumilia

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Your Home & Garden

Open Yet Separate By Amanda Coakley, Bartelt. The Remodeling Resource

Open floor plans offer conectivity among a homes spaces, but they don’t have to lose their identity. Small details help define each room’s character.

How to Achieve “Open Yet Separate”

An open floor plan doesn’t have to mean one expansive, uninterrupted room. Some of the most successful open interiors use architectural elements to subtly signal where one space ends and another begins. These details maintain sight lines and connection while introducing layers, character and a sense of permanence. Depending on the home and its architecture, that might include: • Large cased or paneled openings • Built-in shelving or cabinetry • Ceiling details, such as coffers, beams, arches, beadboard or tongue-and-groove paneling • Two-sided fireplaces • French or glass-paneled doors • Columns or millwork • Changes in ceiling height • Thoughtful flooring transitions • Changes in material, color or wall treatment Rather than treating these elements as an afterthought, they can become an integral part of the architecture, helping establish a natural rhythm as you move through the home.

Why Define Spaces?

(David Bader photo)

he term “open concept” has become a catchall for interiors with fewer walls and greater connection between spaces. The appeal is easy to understand: improved traffic flow, longer sight lines, more natural light, and the ability to move easily between the kitchen, dining and living areas while entertaining or spending time as a family. But openness alone doesn’t make a space feel inviting. Without thoughtful transitions and architectural details, an open floor plan can feel cavernous, undefined, or lacking in character and intimacy. The goal doesn’t have to be simply open. At Bartelt. The Remodeling Resource, we think in terms of open yet separate, creating spaces that feel connected while giving each room its own identity, sense of scale and purpose.

There’s no denying the benefits of rooms that are open to one another. They support the way many families live today, allowing people to cook, gather, entertain and move throughout the home without feeling disconnected. When everything occupies one large space, some of the qualities that make a home feel comfortable can be lost. Defining the kitchen from the living room or the dining

area from the kitchen, for instance, gives each space a more appropriate scale and creates a greater sense of intimacy. A wide paneled opening between rooms can frame a view without closing it off. Ceiling beams can visually establish the boundaries of a living area. A two-sided fireplace can provide separation while remaining a focal point from both spaces. Built-ins can create a transition while also adding storage and architectural interest. These details give the eye places to pause. Each room feels distinct, yet the overall floor plan remains cohesive. Just as important, defining spaces doesn’t sacrifice the practical advantages of an open layout. A host preparing dinner can still converse with guests in the living room. Parents can maintain sight lines to children in an adjacent space. Natural light and views can continue from one room to the next.

Creating Connection Without Sacrificing Character

“Open yet separate” is particularly valuable when remodeling older or historic homes, where removing too many walls can erase original character. Thoughtful details like cased openings, millwork, arches or ceiling treatments can preserve the home’s architectural language while supporting a modern lifestyle. Ultimately, a successful open floor plan isn’t measured by how many walls are removed. It’s about creating the right relationship between spaces, balancing connection with intimacy, openness with architectural interest and modern function with a sense of home. ❚ Bartelt. The Remodeling Resource is located at 528 Wells St., Ste. B, in Delafield. To speak with an interior designer, call (262) 646-8020 or visit barteltremodel.com.

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Your Home & Garden

Enjoy Your Porch for More of the Year By Peggy Werner

isconsin homeowners may love spending time outdoors, but the weather can make the outdoor season feel far too short. Helping homeowners enjoy the outdoors for more of the year is at the heart of Outdoor Oasis, 3815 N. Brookfield Road, Ste. 102, in Brookfield. The company specializes in three- and four-season sunrooms, porch conversions, patio covers, pergolas, retractable screens and awnings designed to provide protection from insects, rain, wind Four-track WeatherMaster windows open to 75 percent ventilation, letting homeowners close a threeand intense summer sun. “We are creating outdoor season room against a storm and open it back up when the weather turns. spaces for the ways people want to live and how they want to close it up when the weather changes and open it back up to use their home,” says Deanna Meyer, sales manager and when it’s beautiful outside.” co-owner of Outdoor Oasis. Meyer opened the business with Other homeowners are looking for ways to make patios her husband, Joe, in 2025. and decks more comfortable during the hottest parts of the “People invest a lot into their homes and their outdoor summer. Retractable awnings, pergolas, patio covers and spaces, but there are so many days when the weather keeps motorized screens can provide shade and weather protection them from using them,” she adds. “Our goal is to help without permanently enclosing the space. One client added homeowners get much more enjoyment out of the space they a retractable awning over an existing patio to make the already have.” backyard more comfortable on hot, sunny days, and now One of the biggest trends Meyer sees is homeowners plans to add outdoor furniture and a television. converting existing covered porches and screened porches “Sometimes a homeowner has a beautiful porch, deck or into three-season rooms. WeatherMaster windows are one patio, but they rarely use it because it’s too hot, too windy, option Outdoor Oasis offers for these spaces. The four-track there are too many bugs or the weather changes,” Meyer window system uses says. “When we can solve those problems and suddenly that flexible ViewFlex space becomes one of their favorite places in the house, that’s vinyl glazing along really rewarding.” with full fiberglass Outdoor Oasis products are also featured in the 80th mesh screens, and annual Metro Builders Association Parade of Homes, the window vents which runs through Sept. 7. Visitors can see an Outdoor can be moved Oasis three-season wall system in UBuildIt Custom Homes vertically to provide & Renovations’ Shadow Wood model in the Quietwood up to 75 percent subdivision in Menomonee Falls. The Parade is open from 11 ventilation. a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and Labor Day, and from 4 “For many to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. It’s closed Mondays except people, the goal Labor Day. isn’t to completely “Every home and every family uses their outdoor space change the character differently,” Meyer says. “The best solution isn’t necessarily of the space. They the same for everyone. It’s about understanding how they still want it to feel want to use the space and then helping them create something like a porch,” Meyer they are going to enjoy for years.” ❚ says. “They just To schedule an appointment, call 262-400-3161 or visit Sunrooms and porch enclosures keep outdoor space usable well past Labor Day. want the flexibility outdooroasiswi.com. Tell them you saw it in ... Smart Living Lake Country

August 2026

(Photos provided)

Right in Our Region

(Delafield Promotion and Tourism photo)

Summer’s Not Done with Lake Country

The water doesn’t check the calendar. Lake Country’s lakes hold their summer warmth for weeks after the beaches close, and the boats keep going out.

By Steven Bonifazi, deputy editor

Owner John Suttner rents through the end of September, and no boat in his fleet is more than two years old. A pontoon seating 10 to 12 goes out for several hours or the whole day, life jackets and orientation included. Booking happens online at buddyswi.org. “It’s a lot cheaper than trying to find a slip, insurance and maintenance,” Suttner says. “You have to store it and put it away.” Everything here is named for a dog. Suttner’s late wire fox terrier, Buddy, gave the business its name; the boats are Buster, Scooter, Boo Boo, Yogi and Jack Jack.

No Trailer Required

Start where the season doesn’t end. Along City Beach on Lac La Belle, in Oconomowoc, Buddy’s Beach Bungalow keeps food, drinks and rental pontoons within a minute’s walk of one another. The beach closes after Labor Day, and the boats go right on running without it. 26

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August 2026

Buddy’s Beach Bungalow rents pontoons on Lac La Belle through the end of September. No boat in the fleet is more than two years old.

To advertise call 262-467-3228

(Buddy’s Beach Bungalow photo)

ost of us feel it before anyone says it – back-to-school displays that went up weeks ago, the sun clocking out a little earlier, football on Friday nights and cool mornings that make everybody think the same thing. Some won’t say it out loud, because saying it makes it true: summer is on its way out. The calendar always surrenders long before the water. Crowds thin, concession windows shutter and the last cover band of the season loads out as the lakes hold their summer warmth like nothing happened. As we approach Labor Day weekend, Lake Country still has the better part of another month – water warm enough to swim, patios open, boats for rent and a festival nearly every weekend, minus the July crowds. Best of all, none of it takes much planning. “It’s not hard to plan a pretty full visit,” says Paige Brunclik, marketing and communications specialist for the City of Oconomowoc and Visit Oconomowoc. “You don’t have to have the agenda, you don’t have to get stressed out by having the itinerary. It’s just available.”

Right in Our Region

(Pewaukee Lake Water Ski Club photo)

Roughly 15 seasons on this beach make Suttner the right person to ask where to point a rental if you’re looking for a September sunset. He sends people to the sandbar off the northwest corner of Lac La Belle, where 10 or so boats anchor on a good evening. “It’s literally 2 feet deep, so you can anchor there and just watch it,” he says. “It’s quite amazing.” To the east lies Pewaukee Lake, Lake Country’s biggest body of water. It covers 2,437 acres, and two shops on Park Avenue put visitors on it without a reservation. Beachside Boat & Bait, 129 Park Ave., rents pontoons, fishing pontoons, kayaks and fishing boats through Sept. 30 and sells the bait to go with them. A few doors down, Paddle Pewaukee, 145 Park Ave., The Pewaukee Lake Water Ski Club has drawn Thursday-night crowds to Lakefront has been teaching people to stand up on a board since Park since 1984. The volunteer team’s finale is a Labor Day show on Sept. 7. 2012, with rentals, lessons, yoga on the water and glow-inSeptember Doesn’t Take the Hint the-dark tours after sundown. Once the heat fades, Lake Country’s festivals run three Nearby Delafield offers the same deal on quieter water. weekends in a row. Clear Water Outdoor, 803 Genesee St., rents kayaks and The Wisconsin Highland Games take over the Waukesha paddleboards a few steps from downtown, and 981-acre County Expo Center, 1000 Northview Road, on Labor Nagawicka Lake takes it from there. Naga-Waukee County Day weekend, Sept. 4-6. Gates open Friday at 5 p.m., with Park has the public beach, the boat launch and campsites for opening ceremonies at 6:15 and a ceilidh in the arena from anyone who wants to stretch the day into a weekend. 7 to 9 p.m. – live music, a fish fry and a room full of people who came to celebrate. The Best Free Show of the Week Saturday opens at 9 a.m. and runs on bagpipes and brute Evenings in Lake Country make the rest of the case, and the strength: solo piping and drumming, Scottish heavy athletics best one costs nothing. and the parade of tartans at noon. Elsewhere there’s sheep Every Thursday night through the summer, the Pewaukee and duck herding, a longbow tournament and, for the brave, Lake Water Ski Club puts on a free show at Lakefront Park, a haggis hurl. Leave the dog and the cooler at home. 222 W. Wisconsin Ave., at 6:30 p.m. in August; junior skiers The following weekend belongs to two towns at once. perform half an hour before. The season closes with a Labor Delafield’s Wine Walk & Brew Fest runs Sept. 12 from 4 to 7 Day show Sept. 7 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Bring a chair, pack a p.m., threading ticket holders through the historic downtown snack and watch a volunteer team that has been at this since for 20 wine or brew stops, with snacks along the way, thanks 1984 build pyramids and run barefoot across the water. to the Delafield Chamber of Commerce. “It’s made up of really talented local water skiers, and Oconomowoc’s Fall Fest takes over downtown Sept. 11they work in the offseason,” says Susan Schoultz, marketing 12. Rebel Grace plays the Village Green, 104 E. Wisconsin manager for the Waukesha Pewaukee Convention & Visitor Ave., Friday from 5:30 to 9 p.m. over a beer garden and food Bureau. “It’s entertaining and it brings you that northern trucks. Saturday the city closes East Wisconsin Avenue from Wisconsin vibe you don’t get in the southern part. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for a craft and merchant market, a kids area On Okauchee Lake, Weissgerber’s Golden Mast Inn, and three more bands, with a free trolley looping from the W349 N5293 Lacy’s Lane, has served supper on the water police department and Metro Market lots. since 1967, and its Bayrunner II keeps cruising well past the A week later, Waukesha closes the run. The Apple beach season. Thursday music cruises run 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Harvest Festival at Retzer Nature Center, S14 W28167 through Sept. 10, late enough that the boat is out on the lake Madison St., fills Sept. 19 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with an apple when the sky turns. Sunday afternoons sail 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. market of pies, crisps and cider, a beer garden, Scarecrow through Sept. 13. Both are two hours with a bar aboard, and Lane and planetarium shows. food is available if you order ahead. The cool mornings come anyway, and they don’t close Back in Oconomowoc, Twilight Concerts at Fowler Park, the lakes. Suttner has seen it firsthand. 500 N. Oakwood Ave., close things out on land Sept. 13, at “You see all these people walking around the lakes. You 6:30 p.m. when Dave Eggar’s Bristol Lightning, a Grammysee a great backdrop of beautiful nature,” he says. “I call it a nominated band that runs bluegrass through classical and Norman Rockwell painting that’s alive.” ❚ jazz, plays the last free show of the year. Tell them you saw it in ... Smart Living Lake Country

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Your Dining

(Photos provided)

Lago Su Bella Bets on Oconomowoc

Lago Su Bella offers daily views of Lac La Belle and the steel arches of Oconomowoc’s Veterans Memorial Park. Almost everything arrives fresh, including the branzino (right): sea bass roasted skin-on over saffron risotto with fennel, spinach and currants in a limoncello caper sauce.

By Steven Bonifazi, deputy editor

ichael Bertrand waited for Oconomowoc to be ready for a white-linen restaurant. When he decided it was, he put his own name on the door. Bertrand’s Lago Su Bella, 126 W. Wisconsin Ave., opened in March 2019 and has spent seven years proving him right. The ristorante sits above Lac La Belle where chef and partner Joseph Volpe cooks regional Italian inspired by his grandmother’s recipes and world travels. Bertrand designed and built the industrial chic dining room, which fills each evening with sunset off the water. “At the time we wanted to open Lago, I felt that Oconomowoc was now ready to accept and embrace a nice, high-end, elevated experience,” he says. Bertrand was born and raised in Delafield, though Okauchee Lake was his real stomping ground. As a boy, he swept sawdust through Hans Weissgerber Jr.’s additions to the Golden Mast Inn. He later owned and operated Pointe Comfort Restaurant for 18 years before stepping away to raise his four children. The time away told him the business was in his blood, and hard to get out. Italian was the natural fit. Volpe is Sicilian, with an instinct for keeping good ingredients simple, and Bertrand wanted a menu built around that. “We didn’t want it to be another spaghetti and meatball Italian restaurant,” Bertrand says. “We wanted it to be authentic, and we wanted to highlight the chef’s abilities.” Those abilities start at the back door. The kitchen sources as much as it can from local farmers, gardeners and herb growers, and the seafood served on any given night lands that day, packed on ice. “We do have a freezer, but the only thing that’s in it is gelato,” Bertrand says.

That commitment to freshness shows up first in the pasta. The ricotta gnocchi folds housemade Italian sausage and spinach into a rich dolce gorgonzola cream, the sausage mixed in house. The branzino arrives as a whole 12-ounce Mediterranean sea bass, filleted in house and roasted skinon before topping a saffron risotto with caramelized fennel, spinach and currants in a limoncello caper sauce. “A lot of flavor gets injected into the fillet by cooking with the skin on,” Bertrand says. The grilled Pinn-Oak Ridge lamb lollipops, served with garlic mashed potatoes, asparagus and verde sauce, come from a family farm in Delavan. Bertrand calls them second to none. For years, Lago joined Sobie’s Restaurant and the former Coco’s Seafood & Steakhouse in a rotating series of private five-course chef’s dinners that sent upward of $55,000 to the Oconomowoc Area Foundation. His Lake Country Wine Mixer followed, an event that tented Oconomowoc’s Village Green with 30 vendors pouring more than 1,000 wines. It drew some 3,000 guests and raised more than $50,000 for four veterans’ organizations in its first year. Seven years in, Lago Su Bella runs well enough that Bertrand made the same bet twice. Newport 1875, a steakhouse built to be Lago’s opposite, sits 300 feet away. “Oconomowoc has flourished and prospered in the last nine years,” Bertrand says. “Watching it grow, expand and come into its own, we decided we wanted to open up another elevated dining experience in the same ZIP code.” ❚ Lago Su Bella is open Tuesday through Thursday from 4 to 8:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday to 10 p.m. and Sunday to 8:30 p.m. For reservations, call (262) 354-3440 or visit lagosubella.com.

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Children’s clothing boutique located in downtown Oconomowoc with heirloom pieces shopfrayboutique.com

152 Wisconsin Avenue Oconomowoc, WI

262-269-5884

Womens clothing boutique located in downtown Oconomowoc with unique finds and one of a kind pieces! shopfrayboutique.com

132 E Wisconsin Avenue Oconomowoc, WI

262-269-5884

Your Home & Garden

What Not to Fix Before You Sell Your Home By Steven Bonifazi, deputy editor

home can come with a long list of projects before it goes on the market. Fresh paint in the bathroom, new kitchen countertops, a refinished deck, flooring that’s been an eyesore for years. The hard part isn’t finding projects to take on – it’s knowing which ones a buyer will pay for. Holly Renee Narloch, designated managing broker at Stapleton Realty in Oconomowoc, says the work that moves a sale is rarely the expensive kind. Cleaning, decluttering and a few strategic improvements can do more for a home than a costly renovation. “Cleaning and decluttering have the biggest return on the investment,” Narloch adds. “Minimal cost and maximum value.” The goal is to make a home feel less per- From left: Salina Judkins, David Adkins, Rob Zeutzius, Jenny Moylan, Joseph Moylan, Bonnie sonal without making it feel empty. Art collec- Lewis-Tschannen, Rick Russell, Holly Renee Narloch and Amy Snyder Russell. room to one purpose, Narloch suggests leaving it flexible. tions, walls of family photos and crowded countertops pull Your formal dining room may be the next owner’s office. a buyer’s eye away from the house and make it harder to Outside is where Narloch and Lewis-Tschannen recompicture a life there. mend lots of attention. Fresh mulch, a few pots of brightly “I’m not going to make you put your coffee maker away, colored flowers and a clean front entry cost a few hundred but I am going to ask you put away all the junk on the coundollars and shape the first photograph a buyer sees. Faded ters that you don’t need out,” says Bonnie Lewis-Tschannen, siding and rotting trim are worth addressing, because plenty broker associate and director of listings. “I don’t like it to of buyers drive past a house before they ever call. look like nobody lives there.” “If people are turned off by rotting wood or things on the The bigger projects are where sellers most often lose exterior, they’re not even going to make it through the door,” money. Kitchens, bathrooms, flooring and paint are matters Narloch says. of personal taste, and a remodel chosen for an imagined buyBefore listing, agents walk sellers through the home, er can narrow the pool of people interested in the house. New provide a checklist of what to finish and who you might call. carpet is among the A net-proceeds breakdown shows sellers what they can exmost common prepect to take home after the sale, to avoid any surprises at the listing purchases closing table. and one of the least None of it requires a homeowner to be ready to sell. Six reliable, since many months or a year out, they can still get a walkthrough and a buyers are movmanageable timeline – and often the news that the to-do list ing toward solid is shorter than they feared. surfaces and pull it Stapleton Realty is full service, with marketing, signage, out anyway. A deep professional photography, drone work, social media and light cleaning or carpet staging included in commission. The firm’s agents have nearstretch will often ly 94 years of combined real estate experience, building on carry a house to the legacy of founder Maureen Stapleton, who opened the closing for a fraction office in 1981 and retired after more than 40 years. of the cost. “Never be afraid to call,” Narloch says. “We are always The same prinhappy to help and serve.” ❚ ciple applies to renStapleton Realty is located at 112 N. Main St., in Oconoovations made long mowoc. To speak with an agent, call (262) 567-8910 or visit before a sale. Rather stapletonrealty.com. than committing a Maureen Stapleton Tell them you saw it in ... Smart Living Lake Country

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Your Travel

How to Choose a Travel Advisor You’ll Trust By Steven Bonifazi, deputy editor

lanning a trip has never required more research or delivered less certainty. Between review sites, travel blogs, neighborhood Facebook groups, and more recently, AI chatbots, opinions are endless and free. Still, weeks of gathering them rarely produces the nerve to book a vacation. That hesitation is what tends to walk through the door at Travel Leaders, in Oconomowoc. The agency celebrates 50 years of service this year. “They come to us because they lack confidence,” says Owner Lynn Clark. “They’ve done research on their own, but they’re reluctant to make that commitment or spend their hard-earned dollars on a trip without the help of a professional.” Before you book with any agent, ask who on staff has personally been where you are going. At Travel Leaders, specialties are assigned that way deliberately. Clark covers trips to Africa, along with Greece and Travel Leaders hands destinations to the advisors who have been there. Bree Moede covers Peru, Iceland and Asia, places she’s been. luxury cruising. Alaska, Disney and river cruises route to the advisors who have taken those trips the most. Third, ask how the agency gets paid, which is the “People want someone they can trust that has on-thequestion people are most reluctant to raise, Clark says. Her ground experience,” Clark says. fee for a mostly prearranged Mexico, Caribbean or cruise Next, lead with what you want to do, not where you want package starts at $50 per adult. A custom itinerary starts at to go. Arriving with a destination already chosen is normal, $300 per couple and climbs with complexity and party size. and Clark expects it. However, a traveler set on Puerto Those fees account for roughly 30% of the agency’s revenue; Vallarta who also wants to snorkel every day has picked two the rest arrives as commission from suppliers after a client things that do not fit together: the Pacific coast lacks the travels, which is why a Royal Caribbean sailing costs the reef structure for it, while Cabo San Lucas and the Sea of same booked through an agency or the cruise line. Cortez are among the best snorkeling water anywhere, Clark “I like to put that right out there up front,” Clark says. says. Naming the activity first is what surfaces that kind of “By being transparent and up front about it, it takes away all mismatch before deposits are down. of the mystery.” Finally, book earlier than feels comfortable. The mistake Clark sees most often is waiting on a last-minute bargain that no longer materializes. With suppliers like Funjet Vacations, purchasing travel protection triggers a best-price guarantee, and an agency can recheck the reservation against later price drops and adjust it downward. “Book now so you’re protected,” Clark says. “We’re going to help you between now and the time you travel.” Whichever agency a traveler lands on, the process should start the same way it does at Travel Leaders: with a conversation, before anyone recommends anything. After 50 years, with 13 employees, all of them women, the appeal of the work has not worn off, Clark says. “You’re talking about travel. It’s exciting,” she adds. “It’s not a hard sell; everyone wants to travel.” ❚ Travel Leaders is located at 970 S. Silver Lake St., Ste. 105, in Oconomowoc. To speak with an advisor, call (262) Good advisors keep traveling. What comes back with them is detail and insider information that helps people book a great vacation. 567-6658 or visit tljourneys.com. Tell them you saw it in ... Smart Living Lake Country

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(Photos provided)

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Your Health

The Biggest Difference in Eye Health By Steven Bonifazi, deputy editor

(Photo provided)

cataract diagnosis sounds like bad news, yet it’s often the best kind of eye news a patient can receive. Vision loss comes in two varieties, and telling them apart is the most useful thing a patient can know. That’s because some vision loss can be reversed, and some can’t. The category you fall into determines how much time you have to think it over. “There are some conditions like a cataract that can be removed and the vision is restored, so that’s a reversible cause of vision loss, whereas something like glaucoma or macular degeneration can cause irreversible changes,” says Dr. Aaron Holtebeck, a board-certified ophthalmologist and founder of Holtebeck Eye Center in Brookfield. “If we catch those conditions early, we can prevent that vision loss from happening. The only way to do that is by getting examined.” The reversible half is the good news, and it’s the common half. Cataract surgery is the Comprehensive eye exams can catch glaucoma and macular degeneration before vision loss bulk of the work at Holtebeck Eye Center. becomes permanent. The clouded lenses come out, and the vision comes back. recommends a baseline exam at 40, followed by exams every Cataracts are most common among older adults, but they can one to three years between 55 to 64 and every one to two affect younger people, too. years after 65. The other half is more dangerous: conditions in which Those exams only matter if the person doing them waiting can mean permanent vision loss. They rarely is someone a patient trusts. That’s why the surgeon who announce themselves. Glaucoma damages the nerve at the evaluates a patient at Holtebeck Eye Center is the same one back of the eye, usually when fluid pressure inside the eye who performs the surgery and handles follow-up visits. becomes too high. “You’re not dealing with another health care provider “Glaucoma can be known as the sneak thief of sight,” who doesn’t do the surgery. You deal with us,” Holtebeck Holtebeck says. “It takes the vision away without us knowing says. “Most patients like to know who it is that’s doing that it’s happening.” surgery for them ahead of time. That way, they can make an Caught early, glaucoma can be managed. The goal is informed choice.” to get the pressure down to reduce the risk of vision loss, Along with cataract surgery, the practice treats glaucoma, Holtebeck adds. macular degeneration – a breakdown of central vision – That’s why the exam and eye damage caused by diabetes. Cornea specialist Dr. schedule matters more than how Nausheen Abbas joined in September 2024, adding corneal your vision feels. Holtebeck transplant surgery. recommends an annual exam Holtebeck would rather people think of all this as once patients pass 55, when maintenance than as a warning. cataracts and glaucoma become “We never want to approach it to put fear into people,” more common, and an exam he says. “Encouraging people to get their eyes examined is any time vision changes. That’s just like we encourage people to see their primary doctor to more often than the American get their blood pressure checked.” ❚ Academy of Ophthalmology Holtebeck Eye Center is located at 18200 W. Capitol Dr., recommends for adults without in Brookfield. To schedule an exam, call (262) 393-2020 or symptoms. The organization Dr. Aaron Holtebeck visit holtebeckeye.com. Tell them you saw it in ... Smart Living Lake Country

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Your Outings

Where Community Spirit Takes Center Stage By Peggy Werner or 56 years, Autumn on Parade has celebrated a small town in a way that grows bigger every year with new vendors, more attendees and a greater spirit of community pride. “Our community has a special passion for this festival and all of the enjoyment it brings to people who visit from near and far,” says Meggan Dickson, marketing director and board member. “People save the date and plan special gatherings around the festival. There’s definitely a buzz in the air when fall comes around.” This year’s event, themed “Autumn Antics,” runs Oct. 3-4, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday in downtown Oregon, Ill. The heart of the festival has always been the market, a spectacle that grows larger every year. After starting with seven vendors, the market now has more than 200 booths surrounding the Ogle County Courthouse Square. New vendors and longtime favorites join each year, selling homegrown and handmade items such as fruits and vegetables, clothing, fashion accessories, quilts, baked goods, soap, jewelry, home decor, blacksmithing and artwork. A food court features small businesses. Gyros, Chicago hot dogs, Mexican cuisine, kettle corn, cinnamon rolls, and horchata are just a few of the items you’ll find. Autumn on Parade’s Fun Zone for kids includes a petting zoo, inflatables, interactive entertainment and more at the municipal parking lot on North Fifth Street. It also has quiet hours for sensory-sensitive individuals Sunday from 1-3 p.m. The Little Lambs Lounge is a quiet space with a diaper changing station and privacy for nursing mothers. “We love seeing families unplug for a while and just enjoy being together. That’s really what Autumn on Parade is about: creating memories,” Dickson says. A complimentary shuttle transports people between the festival and the Antique Tractor Show and Car Show, which had record attendance last year. Onlookers can see a wide variety of tractors, engines, and new and vintage cars Saturday 8 a.m.-4 p.m. These shows are made possible by local farming families and Focus House, a Rochelle, Ill., treatment facility that provides a continuum of quality services for at-risk youths. The Tractor Parade begins at 4 p.m. and travels from the show to downtown. Saturday’s free shuttle also takes festivalgoers to the Old English Faire at Stronghold Camp and Retreat Center, where you can tour the castle and hear madrigal singers. The Faire is Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and features royalty, horses and jesters, plus food trucks and artisan vendors. The crowd-favorite Harvest Time Parade begins Sunday at 1 p.m. and has around 100 entries, including marching bands, youth groups, tumbling acts, dance routines, Scout

The Harvest Time Parade is one of the main attractions during Autumn on Parade, which returns to Oregon, Ill., Oct. 3-4 this year.

troops, circus acts, vintage automobiles and tractors. Popular acts include the “Dancing Grannies” and the Jesse White Tumblers, who recently appeared on “America’s Got Talent.” A map of the parade route is online at autumnonparade.com. Proceeds from Autumn on Parade go toward next year’s event while also supporting the community. Most recently, proceeds helped to fund local food banks, scholarships for college-bound seniors at Oregon High School, and a new bench near the Oregon Park District’s new baseball diamond. Meanwhile, the community can support the festival in many ways, including sponsorships. Find more info online at autumnonparade.com. While you’re there, show your support by purchasing festival merchandise with this year’s logo and themed merchandise from past years. Items include T-shirts, hats, scarves, sweatpants, shoulder bags, totes, fanny packs, tumblers and coffee mugs. “These are shipped right to your home in time to show your support for the festival,” says Dickson. “Bring the festival logo travel mug and get it filled at our coffee vendor.” You can also buy raffle tickets. Past winners have won four-figure and five-figure cash prizes, says Dickson. “It’s a great way to be a winner and at the same time help offset costs for future festivals.” Dickson has a long history with the Autumn on Parade Festival. Born and raised in Oregon, she began by helping her mother, Debbie, a longtime volunteer and parade president, until she retired last year. Dickson’s dad, John, is on the committee and helps with facilities and the food court. Her brother, husband, and three sons also help with behind-the-scenes tasks. Dickson officially joined the committee five years ago to run their social media pages, and that led to her present roles. “When your family is involved, you’re involved,” Dickson says. “Our family has always put a high priority on civic duties. And whether you’re from the area, have moved here or once lived here, everyone enjoys the festival and wants to be a part of it.” ❚

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Your Fun Nixon Park Concert Series Through Sept. 24, Thurs. 6-9 p.m. Enjoy a night of summer music and fun including a beer garden for adults and a splash pad and playground for kids. Nixon Park Fine Arts Center, 175 E. Park Ave., Hartland, (262) 3672430, villageofhartland.wi.gov. Pewaukee Farmers Market Through Sept. 30, Wed. 3-6 p.m. Browse fresh produce and handcrafted goods from local growers and makers, with a rotating lineup of food trucks, live music and kids’ activities. Galilee Lutheran Church, N24W26430 Crestview Dr., Pewaukee, (414) 254-4392, galileelc.org. Wisconsin Highland Games Sept. 4-6, times vary. Wisconsin Scottish Inc. hosts three days of piping and drumming competitions, highland dancing, and clan gatherings honoring Scottish and Celtic tradition. Friday brings an evening arena party with live music and a fish fry. Waukesha County Expo, 1000 Northview Road, Waukesha, (262) 505-8227, wisconsinscottish.org. Thursday Night Music Cruises Sept. 10, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wrap up summer with a sunset sail on Okauchee Lake aboard

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Entertainment & Events

the Bayrunner II, with a live band on board and a full bar (credit card only). Weissgerber’s Golden Mast Inn, W349 N5293 Lacy’s Lane, Okauchee, (262) 567-7047, thegoldenmast. com.

Fall Fest Sept. 11-12, Fri. 4-9 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Two days of community celebration, opening on the Village Green with food trucks, a beer garden and a set from Rebel Grace. Saturday the city closes East Wisconsin Avenue for more than 100 artisan and merchant vendors, with music, the beer garden and a finale from Sons of Sconnies. A free trolley loops all day Saturday from the police department and Metro Market lots. Downtown Oconomowoc, (262) 567-2666, oconomowoc.org. Wine Walk & Brew Fest Sept. 12, 4-7 p.m. Sample pours from 20 stops in historic downtown Delafield; grab a bite at designated stops and take home a commemorative glass – with a shot at winning one of several drink baskets. Various locations, Downtown Delafield, (262) 370-3861, delafieldchamber.com. Clay Fest Sept. 19, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Shop handmade

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pottery from more than 20 local ceramic artists, watch live wheel-throwing demonstrations and see Raku firing in action. Visitors can also try glazing, browse pottery supplies and grab a bite from a food truck. The Potter’s Shop, 1314 S. West Ave., Waukesha, (262) 5471920, clayfestwi.com. ‘Sunday in the Park with George’ Sept. 24-Oct. 11, times vary. Lake Country Playhouse presents Sondheim and Lapine’s Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, following a 19th-century painter consumed by his art and, a century later, his great-grandson chasing his own creative calling. Lake Country Playhouse & Academy, 221 East Capitol Dr., Hartland, (262) 367-4697, lakecountryplayhousewi.org. Waukesha Oktoberfest Sept. 25-26, Fri. 5-10 p.m., Sat. noon-10 p.m. Frame Park turns Bavarian for two nights of brats, spanferkel and wiener schnitzel, a Masskrugstemmen stein-holding contest and a Laser-hosen light show over the ball diamond at 9 p.m. both evenings. Saturday adds a children’s area with free rides on the Little Lederhosen Express and a headlining set from folk-punk band the Dreadnoughts. Frame Park, 1150 Frame Park Drive, Waukesha, (262) 524-3500, waukesha-wi.gov. ❚

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