Historic building to remain open
By Holly Neumann
Tom and Melody Fucik have announced the sale of The Millstone and Iola Mills to Ed and Angie Lemar, along with David Arkin and Anni Tilt.
It’s a moment that Tom Fucik described as bittersweet.
“We bought the Mill in 1996 and have put a lot of heart and soul into this building,” he said. “It’s hard to say goodbye. We loved this place, but I am getting older and the upkeep is getting harder and harder for me to do.”
The business first came across Angie Lemar’s radar as she was visiting her midwife at a neighboring building.
“I stopped in once or twice when I had appointments,” she said. “I always felt pulled to the Iola community, so when I caught wind that Tom might be selling, we started to look into it.”
Conversations about purchasing the business went on for quite a while, she said.
“When we finally sat down together with all our skills combined, it was like a match made in heaven,” she said. “It took us a bit to get to this point, but now is the moment.”
The new owners will work side by side with the Fuciks through Halloween to learn the ins and outs of the business.
Angie and Ed will see to the daily needs of the business, while Arkin and Tilt will focus on the history, restoration and preservation of the buildings.
They are not planning any drastic changes in 2022, but will use the year to get to know the business.
“The gelato will stay and the pizza is a great tradition and worthy of staying as well,” Angie said.
The new owners would eventually like to bring locally grown foods into their business.
“We have a lot of friends in the area that are farmers,” Angie said. “If we can bring that to the community, it seems like a natural thing to do.”
Gathering space for community
They would also like to highlight the Mill as a gathering and event space for weddings, open mic nights, graduation parties or events of every kind.
“This is not just going to be a place to come to for people visiting the area, it is for the locals as well,” Angie said. “We have good expertise in that and we hope to enhance this as time goes on.”
In addition, they would like to preserve the historical aspects of the building: to keep working on what the Fuciks started and move forward.
“We have already received a grant to work on the sawmill office to bring that back to life so it can be utilized,” Angie said. “Other improvements will come with time based on what the business and community needs.”
They couple is quick to point out how connected they are to water and silent sports.
“Nothing is set in stone yet, but we would like this to be a place for paddlers to stop and eat, a place where others who enjoy silent sports can enjoy as well,” Ed said.
They have lots of ideas, such as the addition of paddleboats and kayak rentals and maybe even some swan boats that can be taken out on the lake.
“Tom already has a kayak launch below the dam,” Angie said. “What a fun trip to take along the river to Scandinavia to enjoy all the beauty and venues along the way.”
Their biggest focus for now is absorbing all that they can from the Fuciks and getting to know the community.
“We are excited to become a part of Iola,” Angie said. “This building isn’t going to be just ours, it’s for the community as well.”