Chesterton Tribune

 

 

Duneland Chamber gets okay from Park Board for winter beer/wine fest in Thomas Park

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By KEVIN NEVERS

The Duneland Chamber of Commerce is looking to generate a little buzz and traffic in Downtown Chesterton this winter, with a beer and wine festival in Thomas Centennial Park.

At the Park Board’s meeting Monday night, Chamber President Maura Durham told members that the new annual event is “still in the infancy stage” but the idea is to provide “a platform for local breweries, wineries, and maybe distilleries.”

The idea is also to get shoppers into the storefronts. “The retailers have been saying they’d like something in the Downtown during the winter season, when it’s slower,” Durham said.

The festival has not yet been officially named but it’s been set for Saturday, March 19: St. Patrick’s Day weekend.

A lot depends on the weather, Durham noted. “We’re thinking about a warming tent,” she said. “Maybe ice sculptures. But it’s getting to the end of winter and last year temperatures during that week in March were in the 50s. It hit 70 the day before St. Pat’s Day.”

The board happily gave Durham its approval to use Thomas Centennial Park for the event. “I think it’s a great idea,” Member Mark Dickinson said.

Durham will be seeking the Town Council’s approval as well, since the Chamber would like to use its offices’ parking lot at 220 Broadway, the old New York Central passenger depot, which the town owns.

Durham did take a moment to express her particular gratitude to the Park Department, and to the Police and Street departments, for their support of the Chamber’s activities and added that the Town of Chesterton has been named the Chamber’s Member of the Month for January.

Duneland Soccer Club

In other business, the board renewed its annual agreement with the Duneland Soccer Club for the use of the Dogwood Park fields.

In a letter to the board, Club President Mark O’Dell said that the spring season will run from April 2 to June 12, with approximately 300 boys and girls expected to play for 15 travel teams and 16 in-house teams.

The club as usual will fertilize the fields, provide at least three portable restrooms during the season, and make a $1,000 contribution to the Park Gift Fund.

O’Dell, remarking that the Dogwood Park is “one of the premier soccer facilities in the area,” said that the club “throughout the season continually receives compliments from other clubs on how well maintained the fields are and how great the new improvements for parking and drainage are.”

President Vincent Emanuele, for his part, had nothing but good things to say about the Duneland Soccer Club. “It’s really organized how they do it,” he said. “The garbage is always policed. The grounds are always respected. They fertilize the fields. They line them for every game. They get a real good turnout of volunteers.”

Great Job on the Christmas Lights

While he was at it, Emanuele also took note of Park Department employee Mike Billings’ knack for exterior illumination. Billings, he said, should get most of the credit for the fabulous job decorating Thomas Centennial Park for Christmas.

“It took Mike a lot of time and effort,” Emanuele said. “It really turned out beautiful. That was mostly his design and we’ve gotten a lot of compliments.”

Officers Elected

Members opened the meeting by electing Emanuele to the presidency, Jim Crawford to the vice-presidency, and Dickinson to the secretariat.

 

Posted 1/6/2016

 
 
 
 

 

 

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