By MARGARET L. WILLIS

The Chesterton Park Board, in their Tuesday evening meeting, divvied up the Chesterton Park units, with each board member to be a liaison for that park.

The board, with president Vince Emanuele absent, assigned park units which each board member plans to walk in frequently, noting general condition and repair issues and asking park goers they see for feedback.

In the plan devised by member Roy Flaherty, Emanuele was given Dogwood Park and Westwood Park; John Kroft, Coffee Creek, Thomas Centennial and Waskom Parks; Roy Flaherty, Chesterton Park and Kipper Park and newcomer to the board Eric Witt, the Skate Park, as it develops, and Golfview Park.

The Duneland Prairie Trail is to be a shared concern for all members.

Board members said they hope to continue to develop ‘wish lists’ to add to the parks’ five year plans and to look toward continually improving the parks.

The board members agreed by consensus to the plan.

Flaherty said he hopes the effort leads to more community involvement in the parks.

He said he hopes neighborhood groups send representatives to the park board meetings, but also noted that “the public is always invited to park board meetings.”

Plan for Chesterton Park

The board, also by consensus, agreed to a plan presented by park superintendent Bruce Mathias on placement of new tennis and basketball courts in Chesterton Park.

The old court surfaces had aged to such a degree that further patching was pointless, board members had agreed, and they were torn out. The new courts are part of the $2 million bond issue for the parks.

The new locations, proposed on the western edge of the park, nearer the Chesterton Middle School, will present less of a noise problem for neighbors and allow for additional open space on the eastern edge of the park, park board members agreed.

The reorientation will allow for two or more youth baseball/softball fields, though their placement is not yet certain. An additional picnic shelter is planned and the summer program shelter is to be re-sided.

“The idea is to leave as much open space as possible for summer play,” said Mathias.

Kroft noted that the Duneland Schools plows the sidewalks all around the CMS and the park. “That’s very nice of them,” he said, since it allows the use of the sidewalks for fitness walkers as well as easier access to the park.

In his superintendent’s report Mathias told the board the sewer line to the maintenance building is complete and that concrete flooring will be installed “when weather allows.”

He and his workers are readying the department trucks and mowers for spring.

Posted 2/7/2008