Guest Commentary: In defense of shopping locally

Making croissants from scratch is a lengthy affair.

Once you add the yeast to warm water, you are committing to a process that takes about 20 hours. Deciding to start a batch at 10:30 p.m. on a Sunday night wasn’t my smartest idea — especially when I discovered that I didn’t have enough milk. Partially blinding myself by plunging outside into the dark night, I rode my bike toward the commercial heart of LaPorte in search of milk — Would Overland Foods be open so late? No. Might the gas station be open? No. My hopes of rescue were rapidly dwindling. What about the Swing Station? Yes, they were clearly still open for business. I sidled up to the bar and waited.

By Mandy Kotzman,
Laporte

“This may sound like a strange request, but might you have some milk?”

“Not always, let me have a look.” I was in luck, she returned and filled up a plastic cup for me, refusing any payment.

“I’m sorry, we don’t have any lids; will this be OK?”

“No worries, I’m on my bike … thank you so much!”

After a lurch and a wobble (I’m recovering from a broken foot), I managed to mount my bike and ride home, milk in hand. The croissant dough was completed and set to rise slowly in the refrigerator overnight.

Next morning, I rolled out the dough and folded it around a pad of butter, and then over the course of the day, repeated rolling and folding to create 27 layers of butter laminated with dough! This was then formed into the familiar crescent shapes and allowed to rise again before baking.

I was ready with an insulated bag to transport a couple of the finished croissants, still hot from the oven, directly to the Swing Station as my way of saying thank you for superior service.

This experience just adds to the many times I have been grateful for the wonderful, convenient, high-quality services offered in LaPorte. I recommend you give them a try.

In the commercial heart of LaPorte you can find:
Overland Foods – groceries and more
LaPorte Animal Supply – comprehensive pet supplies
LaPorte Animal clinic – care for your four-legged, furred or feathered family members
Asian Massage Therapy – massage
LaPorte Hardware – Do-It-Best supplier of all things hardware
LaPorte Post Office – full Post Office services
Swing Station – bar and music venue
Shell gas station and convenience store
TNT Tattoo – body art
Empire Express – Asian food, eat in, take out or delivery
Mountain Lion Garden supply – garden grow lights, media, fertilizer and much more
LaPorte Pizza – pizza, subs, Italian specialists
The Branding Iron Liquors – alcoholic and other beverages
LaPorte Car Wash – manual and touchless-automatic car wash and vacuums
LaPorte Auto Repair – auto service, testing and repair
TAZ Auto Sales – older vehicles for sale

A little further from the heart to the west we have:
Me Oh My Coffee and Pies (rumored to be moving to the new building on the corner of Overland Trail and West County Road 54G)
The Old Feed Store – pet food, animal feed, supplies, sundries, candy and soft drinks
Little Poudre Family Clinic – health and wellness care provider
Vern’s Place – gas station and restaurant with famous cinnamon rolls, food and knick-knacks

To the east, we have:
Poudre Laundromat – self-serve and drop-off laundry
Judson’s Art Outfitters – everything for painting
Carissa’s Chinese Massage – massage
4-K Painting & Drywall
Sandy’s Designs – family salon
Creative Designs and Engineering – custom plastic sealing machines
Lawson Construction – road and trail construction, repair and rehabilitation
Emotional Freedom Center – health and wellness coaching, yoga, Reiki, EFT etc.
Technique Clothing – custom textile printing
The Plantorium – garden and landscape supplies, seedlings, shrubs and trees

To the east after the Plantorium –
Morgan Timber Products – timber
Viney Trucking – trucking, heavy hauling, trucking and warehousing-related and products and services in LaPorte
Cooper Autobody – auto collision and body work
Charlie Browns Auto Repair – air conditioning specialists, minor repairs, service or total overhaul
The American Legion – a veteran’s organization
The Farm Stand – locally grown seasonal produce

The most obvious benefit of having these services right here in LaPorte is the convenience – no need to drive into town. The less obvious benefit is the personal and high quality service you receive, while supporting local small businesses. Familiar and friendly faces, people you can get to know, and who get to know you. They can’t survive without patronage, and LaPorte would be less without them. Let’s help them to thrive while raising our own quality of life – shop locally in LaPorte!