By MARGARET L. WILLIS

The first returns on the $2 million investment in Chesterton’s Parks are coming in, Mark O’Dell, of the Duneland Soccer Club reported to the Chesterton Park Board Tuesday.

Teams from other communities, coming here to play tourneys with Duneland youth, are raving about the facilities, O’Dell said, as part of his request for the club’s continued use of the fields.

Chesterton has “the premier soccer facility” in Northwest Indiana right now, O’Dell told the park board.

The Duneland Soccer Club, which helps maintain the fields, uses four to five fields at Dogwood Park, hosting ten to 12 games in a day during some tournaments, he said. The club provides fertilizer for the fields and pays for three porta-potties to be placed in the park.

“We’ve gotten a lot of compliments, “ O’Dell told the board. “We appreciate the investment in the facility.”

As a thank you, the Duneland Soccer Club presented a donation check for the parks department gift fund at Tuesday’s meeting totaling $825. A small additional fee was added on to registration fees, O’Dell told the board so that the club could give some back to the park department for all their hard work in mowing the fields and cleaning up the park.

The spring soccer season runs from April 5 to June 8, O’Dell told the board. The club has 165 boys and girls signed up, making up 11 teams.

The only unmet need is for a smaller field for under 10 players, O’Dell said, adding that the space left on the north edge of Dogwood West might accommodate such a field easily.

Board members were very appreciative of the cooperation and help the club provides and of the donation.

“We appreciate this donation greatly,” said board member John Kroft.

O’Dell said the club will be happy to give more as the club grows.

The board was unanimous in their approval of the continued use of the soccer fields by the Duneland Soccer Club.

Posted 3/5/2008