PEDCO will host an economic luncheon

The Portage Economic Development Corporation will host the 2009 Northwest Indiana Economic Forecast Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 11 at Woodland Park, 2100 Willowcreek Road.

Panel members will be Dale Clapp, of Citizens Financial Bank; Donald Coffin, of the Indiana University Northwest School of Business & Economics, and Dewey Pearman of Construction Advancement Foundation.

Tickets are $20 per person. RSVP by Dec. 8 at Portagein.org or (219) 762-9761.

PORTAGE

Police Merit Board calls off its Dec. 15 meeting

The Portage Police Merit Board has canceled its Dec. 16 meeting. The board will meet next Jan. 20.

The city's Redevelopment Commission has also canceled its Dec. 24 meeting and will next meet Jan. 28.

PORTAGE

Recycling Department to pick up electronics

The City of Portage Recycling Department will begin curbside pick up of electronic items beginning today.

Department Superintendent Chuck Haskell said residents can put out electronic items with their trash, but separate from their regular trash, on trash day and they will be picked up by the recycling crew. Items that will be picked up include computers and their components, televisions, stereos, clock radios, microwaves and other electronic goods.

Haskell said the service is being provided at no additional cost to the city and that by removing the electronic goods from the regular trash, which ends up in landfills, could save the city money in landfill costs.

PORTAGE

INDOT deems traffic lights unnecessary

Director of Public Works Craig Hendrix told fellow members of the Portage Traffic Commission Thursday morning that work began Wednesday on the installation of a traffic signal on U.S. 6 between Kmart and Wal-mart.

The signal is part of the U.S. 6 improvement project.

Hendrix also reported that the Indiana Department of Transportation has found that traffic signals are not warranted on U.S. 20 and its intersections with Dombey Road and Woodland Village Mobile Home Park.

Hendrix said residents had requested the traffic lights and he forwarded the requests to INDOT, which did and assessment. While neither intersection met the criteria at this time, he said INDOT would continue to monitor the Dombey Road intersection because of an increase in traffic.