The retrofit of the
boxcar restroom in Thomas Centennial Park should be completed and the
facility open for public use by the end of October.
So Chesterton MS4
Operator Jennifer Gadzala reported at Tuesday’s meeting of the Park Board.
In any case,
Gadzala added, that restroom will certainly be open for use well before the
Hometown Holiday Celebration on Saturday, Nov. 24.
Interior lighting
is currently being installed although the general contractor,
Larson-Danielson Construction Company of LaPorte, is still awaiting delivery
of a load of corrugated metal. “It’s a difficult-to-find gauge,” Gadzala
noted.
Outside the boxcar,
Larson-Danielson is building the deck and “it looks fabulous, very rustic,”
Gadzala said. “Larson-Danielson is doing a great job.” Meanwhile, metal
railings for the deck are in fabrication and a landscaping fence should be
delivered in three to six weeks.
Decisions have not
been made yet on landscape plantings nor on exterior lighting, Gadzala
added, and a water line serving a newly installed drinking fountain still
needs to be installed in-house.
Gadzala told the
board that at some point this fall--probably after the restroom is up and
running--a grand opening will be scheduled.
Chamber Events
In other business,
and by unanimous votes, members approved the full use of Thomas Park for the
following Duneland Chamber of Commerce events:
* Downtown
Trick-or-Treat, 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26. In past years only the Chamber
parking lot was used for this event, Chamber President Maura Durham told the
board, but some organizations have indicated that this year they would like
to distribute candy in the park. For the safety of the several thousand
people expected to attend, Broadway between South Calumet Road and Third
Street will be closed; as well as South Calumet Road between the Norfolk
Southern grade-crossing and West Indiana Ave.
* Hometown Holiday
Celebration and Small Business Saturday, Saturday, Nov. 24, two days after
Thanksgiving. Many of the European Market vendors will be on hand as well as
horse-drawn carriages. “Last year it brought a lot of people into the
Downtown for the whole day, not just for the Twilight Christmas Parade.”
Durham also requested and received from the board authorization to install
another giant Christmas tree in the park, after Park Superintendent Bruce
Mathias and Street Commissioner John Schnadenberg said that their
departments would be happy to assist with the installation.
* Mistletoe Market,
Saturday, Dec. 1. Last year only the Chamber parking lot was made available
for vendors but Durham asked for full use of Thomas Park “just in case.”