Voice of the People

What is happening to Chesterton?

I’ve lived here 28 years. I had always come to expect something fun and fascinating to do in this town - always something to look forward to. I was always proud to be here, because this town was something really special. WAS…a 3-letter dirty word. Well, I’m not sure exactly who is ruining our town, but it seems like “the Boards” are out to do just that. We’re the poorest little rich town I’ve ever seen.

We can’t afford to have our town celebrations held in our own town anymore. No, let’s give that money to Valparaiso. We don’t need it. We don’t want new businesses to come here. Oh goodness no, we’re too good for them. Let’s give the income that we’d get from those sales taxes to Valparaiso, too. I’m wondering exactly how long it will take for our town Christmas parade to be traveling down a Valparaiso street instead of ours. How many other things are left to get rid of in this town? Does no one see it changing for the worst?

Does no one see that our children have nothing to do - nowhere to go for enjoyment in this town? No, let them travel down the dark roads at night to Valparaiso, Portage or Michigan City. Push them away from our supervision when they’re in their vehicles, and let’s see how many more of our young ones we can bury. And why? Because this town provides absolutely nothing to keep them here. Many years ago, this town had a movie theater, but, not now, when the population is higher than it’s ever been. Why is that do you think?

While we’re destroying this town, let’s chop off the intersection of 1100N and S. Calumet Rd., because that’s easier than making it right turn only and putting in a barrier to prevent left turns from Calumet onto 1100N. Then, enforce the law that people not turn left there, and in the process, why not help destroy the businesses which are located on South Calumet Road.

Instead of bringing in the mall on SR 49 and 1100N, so there is more to our tax base in this town than just residential homes, let’s just gripe and complain that there’s no money for the events we’ve ALWAYS had. It’s so much simpler to give it all to Valparaiso (who’s laughing all the way to bank at OUR expense), then to work to keep it for our own.

When the new homes go in on 11th Street near Porter Ave., in an area that was, until a short while ago, marsh land, will no one care that it will cause flooding elsewhere in town the way the Tanglewood subdivision has been affected by the building of the new high school? Why not? Will it be because they don’t live there and the flooded basements won’t be theirs?

We’re losing ourselves, people. Why is no one trying to BETTER this town? Why are people so willing to tear it down or give the best parts of it all away without a fight? It’s like watching the country being destroyed the way it is happening - only this is OURS. Yet, still, we’re letting it happen. Is there absolutely no one out there who will stand up and do what’s right for this town we call HOME?

What really is happening to Chesterton? Why do so few seem to care? I DO still love this town and this area. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have bothered to write this. But this is the first time in 28 years that I’ve written to the Voice of the People.

Andrea Ello

Posted 3/19/2008