The Porter Town
Council appropriated $6,500 Tuesday for a memorial garden at Hawthorne Park
that fulfills the wishes of the late Bud Tilden, a two-time Porter Citizen
of the Year and past member of four town boards and commissions.
Tilden willed the
Park Department a monetary donation upon his passing in 2011 to develop a
garden in memory of his parents William and Margaret.
Park director Brian
Bugajski displayed plans for Bud’s Garden to be located at the former
fountain planter on the south side of vacated Rankin Street across from the
Hawthorne Park ballfield. Architect Scott Virtue donated his services to
prepare the site plan.
Some of the
original surfaces like concrete curbing and walks will remain for the 52
foot-wide circular feature area.
Bugajski said Bud’s
Garden will be accessible and incorporate original Porter brick pavers with
crushed stone pathways encircling a new central water feature ringed by four
park benches. Planter beds will enhance the project.
Corinne Peffers
believes Bud would approve.
“I think it’s a
great idea and a great way to honor my grandfather and my
great-grandparents. It’s using something that hasn’t been used in a long
time, and beautifying an area with trees and flowers,” she said.
Bugajski said he’s
hoping the historic Porter brick will be donated and that much of the
construction work can be done in-house by Porter town departments. Volunteer
days will be scheduled and a ribbon-cutting ceremony tentatively is slated
for September.
During his comments
Bugajski also said the Park Department raised about $850 at a recent
spaghetti dinner fundraiser hosted by Fazoli’s.
Fire activites
announced
Assistant Porter
fire chief Jay Craig said department members will be soliciting donations
for the Indiana Burn Camp this Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Wagner Road and
Beam Street intersection and possibly at others. During the afternoon
firefighters will do extrication training at the fire station.
May 31 Porter will
participate in a mass casualty drill on the South Shore tracks necessitating
the closure of U.S. 12 between Waverly and Wagner roads at 8 a.m. Several
agencies including NICTD, Porter County Emergency Management and hospitals
will be involved.
Craig said
residents should be aware ambulances and helicopters could be present during
the training event.
Craig also said the
new computer system onboard fire vehicles was slated to go 100 percent
active this week giving responders more information than ever before. At his
request the Town Council authorized Craig to seek $1,937 from the
Westchester Township Board to fund new software and maintenance of a
more-reliable fire reporting system.
Police dispatch
change near
Porter police chief
James Spanier said it’s been a long time coming but it appears the scheduled
May 28 merger of the Porter and Chesterton police dispatch centers is going
well. The center will be located at the Porter Police station.
Spanier indicated
the consolidation is requiring the towns to obtain a regional dispatch
license; both Town Councils will be asked to adopt resolutions authorizing
it.
On another matter,
the chief said a recent 1/2-marathon in Porter was a learning experience
that showed a road race of that length is too much for the Police Department
to handle because of the number of officers needed to close and monitor
roads.
The Town Council
approved an assembly permit for Discovery Charter School to host a fun run
May 23 from 12:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.
Clerk-treasurer
Carol Pomeroy again urged Porter residents not to fill their swimming pools
prior to June 16 or they will not receive the discounted summer sewer rate
based on water usage.