Chesterton Tribune

 

 

Idea of dog run at Dogwood Park floated

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By KEVIN NEVERS

At its meeting last month, the Chesterton Park Board announced that--with the proceeds of the 2015 bond issue completely spent on a wide variety of high-profile improvement projects--it’s now in the market for some big bang/small buck ideas.

It was with that in mind that Kim Goldak floated the notion of dog run at Dogwood Park at the Park Board’s meeting Tuesday night.

“There is clearly an ample amount of room,” Goldak said, and the project itself would be “low cost,” needing not much more than the “simple fencing of a large area and another smaller squared holding pen area with two gates and couple of wastebaskets and doggie bags.”

“There would be nothing to do in the interior of the fenced-in area,” Goldak explained. “It would act as a place to throw a ball and not have your dog run away. Perhaps the Park Department already has some fencing that could be used. It’s a matter of putting the posts in. Either the Park Department could do this or we could request Rebuilding Together to take up this project.”

“And we could start a fund to help pay for the bags or request donations from various pet companies so the cost to the town is minimal,” Goldak added.

Members liked the idea very much but did express some concerns, namely, over the likelihood that scofflaw dog owners wouldn’t clean up after their canines and over the town’s liability in the case of dog bite.

Associate Town Attorney Connor Nolan told members that he would research the issue and determine “what immunity might apply and what liability issues there might be, in addition to injuries.”

Members voted unanimously to take the matter under advisement.

Duneland Soccer Club

In other business, members voted unanimously to grant usage of the soccer fields at Dogwood Park East to the Duneland Soccer Club for the 2020 spring and fall seasons.

Mark O’Dell, president of Duneland Soccer, said that 313 kids, in 31 teams from U-6 to U-14, will be participating this season, and as is usual he made a donation to the Park Gift Fund, in the amount of $939: $3 per child.

O’Dell also noted that, as is usual, Duneland Soccer will provide the paint for striping the fields, at a rough cost of $3,000; will maintain and fertilize the fields, at a cost of $1,000; and will provide five portable restrooms throughout the spring, summer, and fall, at a cost of $5,000. In addition, Duneland Soccer has purchased and donated to the Park Department a $900 roller.

O’Dell noted that, during the summer, a men’s soccer league, then a women’s, and then the CHS boys soccer team, all use the fields at Dogwood Park East.

Corkscrew and Brew

Members also voted unanimously to grant usage of Thomas Centennial Park to the Duneland Chamber of Commerce for its annual Corkscrew and Brew event, from 12 to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 14, with the understanding that setup will begin at 9 a.m. that day and tear-down completed by 6 p.m.

Approximately 20 beer and wine vendors will be at Corkscrew and Brew, with live music in the bandstand. The Chamber will be providing some additional portable restrooms to complement the boxcar restroom at Thomas Park.

Duneland Flyers

And members voted unanimously to grant usage of one of the two diamonds at Dogwood Park West to the Duneland Flyers from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays; and both of the diamonds from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays.

The Park Board accepted a $400 donation from the Duneland Flyers.

At their January meeting, members granted the Indiana Lightning travel teams usage of the other of the two diamonds at Dogwood Park West from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays; and one of the diamonds at Dogwood Park East from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursdays.

Department Update

Meanwhile, Assistant Superintendent Shane Griffin reported that the shelter at Dogwood Park West immediately west of the playground has been removed and a new one is under construction there.

Griffin also reported that the department is in the process of hiring a new full-time maintenance worker.

Trail Signage

Town Engineer Mark O’Dell, for his part, reported that uniform wayfaring signage is being installed along the Town of Chesterton’s length of the Prairie Duneland Trail, purchased through an 80/20 grant from the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission.

Most notably, a sign has been placed at the eastern terminus of the trail, off South 15th Street. O’Dell said that he can’t say for sure whether another sign--welcoming eastbound users to Chesterton and westbound users to Portage--has yet been installed on the west side of the bridge over Ind. 149.

Welcome to Liaison

President Candy Tucker took a moment at the end of the meeting to welcome the Town Council’s 2020 liaison to the Park Department, Member Jennifer Fisher, I-5th. “I look forward to working with you,” Tucker said.

 

Posted 2/5/2020

 

 
 
 
 

 

 

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