Only a couple of hours after Chesterton residents received letters from the U.S. Census Bureau notifying them of the upcoming census forms they’ll be receiving—in about a week—Town Manager Bernie Doyle’s administrative assistant took to the podium at Monday’s Town Council meeting to give members an update on her census education outreach.

Stephanie Kuziela told members that, with the $300 donated by sponsoring local businesses and deposited into a gift fund created expressly for the purpose, she’s purchased 800 get-the-word-out-about-the-census bookmarks, half of which have been distributed at the Westchester Public Library and at Chesterton Middle School.

Meanwhile, 250 children at Liberty, Jackson, and Elementary schools are getting a lesson in the census this week, with seven more classes scheduled for next week, taught by volunteers from Purdue North Calumet.

Why educate the kids about the census? wondered Member Dave Cincoski, R-3rd.

“Even if the kids don’t completely understand the census,” Kuziela said, “they’ll go home and tell their folks what they learned that day and get the message out that way.”

“Stand up and be counted,” urged Member Emerson DeLaney, R-5th. “It’s a great return for our community.”

It’s been estimated that for each resident not counted by the census, a community stands to lose $4,000 in federal and state funds.

While she was at it, Kuziela reminded folks that the new municipal website is slated for launching on March 15. It’ll be a great place for up-to-date information on the town as well as a venue for making reports and leaving comments, she said. Kuziela also put in a plug for the town’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. So far the Facebook account has 2,300 fans, the Twitter account only 43 followers, but both are also great ways to stay updated, she said.

In other business, and at the request of the Chesterton/Duneland Chamber of Commerce, members voted 4-0 to cancel the contract with Rauscher Image Marketing, under which Rauscher was supposed to provide, in conjunction with the Chamber, promotional banners to be fixed to the street lights in the Downtown.

President Jeff Trout, R-2nd, was not in attendance.

As Chamber Executive Director Heather Ennis told the council, Rauscher “didn’t live up to expectations. Some businesses paid their money but didn’t get their banners up.”

Town Attorney Chuck Lukmann said that he would “pull the contract out and get a letter out to the fella.”

For his part Member Dave Cincoski, R-3rd, noted that businesses do have the option of filing a complaint with police or of pursuing a civil action if they believe they’ve been taken.

When Ennis said that the Chamber, in lieu of Rauscher’s services, will be undertaking the banner program itself, Member Emerson DeLaney, R-5th, asked who would be the responsible party for maintaining the banners, inasmuch as some of them are beginning to look pretty ratty.

Ennis said in reply that the Chamber is right now taking bids “from persons in the area with a bucket truck.”

Meanwhile, members voted 4-0 to authorize Doyle to join the other communities in the country trying to entice Google to build a regional center in their area. The competition is likely to be ferocious. Doyle told the Chesterton Tribune after the meeting that Google’s facility will be a $100 to $150 million project.

Fire Chief Mike Orlich announced that he and nine other firefighters—as well as Det. Cpl. Don Maloney of the Chesterton Police Department—have recently completed a 64-hour course in fire investigation. Orlich thanked Police Chief George Nelson for allowing Maloney to take the course.

Street Commissioner John Schnadenberg announced that the Street Department will begin taking applications today for the position of laborer. He expects to take applications through March 24. Apps are available at the town hall at 726 Broadway and the Street Department at 609 Grant Ave.

A CDL license is preferred. Otherwise the successful applicant must obtain one in the first six months of employment.

Newly hired Utility Superinten-dent Pat Geisendorfer made his first appearance on Monday at a council meeting. Geisendorfer told members that he’s been meeting with employees, working with Town Engineer on the various bond projects, and will be meeting with Lukmann later in the week.

The Chesterton Police Depart-ment responded to 678 calls in February and has responded to 194 so far in March and to 1,568 in the year-to-date, Nelson reported.

Posted 3/10/2010