Snow buddies

: Parks create open spaces, add to quality of life

MUNSTER | Ethan Barnas, 6, rolls down a hill at Centennial Park in Munster on Monday, March 19, 2012.

Goodbye, winter?

Robert Wojtowich takes senior portraits of his girlfriend and classmate Jackie Garcia on Monday at Centennial Park in Munster.

Goodbye, winter?

Ethan Barnas, 6, rolls down a hill Monday at Centennial Park in Munster.

Goodbye, winter?

Jenny Garcia gives her dog, Lilly, some water on a warm Monday at Centennial Park in Munster.

Study: Tourism contributes $1.6 billion to Lake County economy

Great Lakes surfer Jim Hoop rides a wave in Whiting, Saturday, May 14, 2011.

Catching waves in Whiting

Great Lakes surfers, who call themselves the South End Surf Club, wait for the perfect wave in Whiting.

Catching waves in Whiting

Surfer Jim Hoop waits for an opportunity to dive in and catch some unseasonably high waves Saturday in Whiting thanks to autumnlike weather.

Catching waves in Whiting

Great Lakes surfer Jim Hoop, an Illinois resident, rides a wave Saturday in Whiting. He said the waves typically are better in the fall, so Saturday's weather brought unexpectedly high waves.