WINONA LAKE — Two new reserve officers were officially sworn in during the Winona Lake Town Council meeting on Tuesday, March 21.

Ben Sanders and Daniel Clemens will bring the total number of reserve officers in Winona Lake up to 11. The officers will be filling two volunteer positions that were recently made available. David Rapp, sgt. of reserve officers, thanked the council for supporting the reserve program.

“We have one of the best, if not the best, reserve programs,” said Rapp. “The reserve program is extremely important to the Winona Lake area.

He continued explaining the work on a volunteer basis and are instrumental during all the summer activities. Each officer must undergo the same training requirement of regular officers. Sanders and Clemens were both officially sworn in after the board approved their appointment.

The council also heard about two large events taking place in the upcoming months, The Fat & Skinny Tire Fest and the Winona Lake Cottage Tour.

Greg Demopoulos, cycling club president, presented information about the 14th edition of the Fat and Skinny Tire Fest. The event will take place on May 19 – 21. Demopoulos said the event would be pretty similar to previous years except this year the community will celebrate the renewal of the Bicycle Friendly Community status. Board members thanked Demopoulos and the planning crew for all their hard work.

“It’s a fabulous event for many people,” said councilmember Danny Duncan. “We really appreciate it.”

Lyn Creighton, executive director of The Watershed Foundation, presented information on the first ever Winona Lake Cottage Tour. The tour will happen on Sept. 9 and will serve as a fundraising opportunity for the foundation. Creighton described the event as a “parade of homes tour on a pontoon boat.”

Three Winona Lake homes have already signed up to be featured on the tour. More information and ticket availability will be available once the date nears.

In other news:

• The board approved hiring Meghan Hawn for the accounts payable/general ledger clerk position. Cindy Nolton, the current clerk will be retiring in April.
• Yesterday marked the twelfth anniversary without town employees losing work days due to work-related incidents.
• The fire department ISO rating has dropped from a six to a four. This will result in savings on insurance premiums for older homes in the area.