Check out this story and others in the Examiner‘s 2025 Indian Lake summer tab, which publishes in today’s print edition.
The Indian Lake Development Corporation (ILDC) has a lot planned for the community, and finishing up the pickleball courts at Old Field Beach is just the beginning. But their main focus at the moment is creating a gateway sign at Lakeview Harbor, where State Route 235, State Route 366 and U.S. Route 33 intersect.
According to Dale Frymyer, president of ILDC, the 30-foot by 50-foot sign will feature two-feet-tall letters saying “Welcome to Indian Lake State Park.” He added it will be “something you can’t miss.”
But first they need to raise close to $50,000, which they have already started working on. Frymyer’s goal is to have the sign up and greeting residents and visitors by the end of the year.
With the pickleball courts nearing completion—they’re waiting for the rain to stop long enough to coat the blacktop—the ILDC has other projects to focus on, like replacing the trees destroyed during the March 14, 2024, tornado.
“We were able to raise $17,500 this year,” Rachel Kubic, ILDC vice president, said. “We used half of that last October to plant trees around the lake to replenish what had been lost. We’ll use the rest to do a second planting, probably this fall.”
The ILDC is working closely with Hiedie Whitman, Indian Lake State Park manager, and naturalists to make sure they choose the right trees for the area.
A donation of $3,500 each came in from Grand Lake Improvement Association (GLIA) in St Mary’s, Indian Lake Watershed, ILDC, Indian Lake Chamber of Commerce and Cranberry Resort. Dustin Wickersham with Indian Lake Watershed as well as Keith Westrick with GLIA helped raise the funds for the trees.
Another project at the top of their list also comes as a result of the tornado—replacing the destroyed shelter once located on Fox Island. With that in mind, the ILDC recently met with the Ohio House of Representatives to request funding for it.
In addition, they’d like to install a new shelter house on the north side of the lake, near the Chippewa boat ramp.
Still, Kubic said, the biggest requests from the public involve expanding the bike path to Indian Head and adding a source of water to the dog park at the beach.
Which means the ILDC is staying busy. In fact, Kubic admitted, “We probably have 10 different things to work on.”
Since their mission is to restore and improve Indian Lake State Park, the ILDC is always open to feedback and suggestions from the community.
For more information, visit ildcohio.com.
