Dunerider

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$44 million is a pretty hard number to me, and that was for a bridge on-third that length four years ago. So figure around $132 million. When the wind is right (which is often), you can smell the stench from the steel mills in that area. Bottom line, Dillon should worry more about maintaining what the Lakeshore has rather than some pie-in-the-sky project.

November 26, 2012 10:40 am on Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore suspension bridge envisioned
Dillon doesn't need a new job, he needs to go back to his old "job", making cheesy movies: he did "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" back in 1978 (it's true... look it up). The goverment is broke, heading towards a fiscal cliff. Hey, Dillon, why don't you take care of the National Lakeshore? You forcefully evicted the last of the leaseback residents back in 2009, and their houses are still standing, targets of vandals. And one of the historical houses that the Lakeshore has the responsibility to maintain (the House of Tomorrow on Lakefront Drive in Beverly Shores) is falling apart. In my opinion, Dillon is in over his head, and needs to be replaced.

November 26, 2012 6:51 am on Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore suspension bridge envisioned
boilerup1: Here is the whole story: "According to an affidavit filed by the NPS with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, two rangers, Anthony Papesh and Jennifer Jackson, were dispatched to the Dunewood Campground in response to a complaint of unregistered guests at three camp sites. They were unable to find those guests but in passing Mather Site No. 20 they observed a beer can on a picnic table, the NPS stated. Papesh and Jackson stopped and made contact with Young, who admitted knowing that the campground was closed to alcohol, the NPS said. Young advised the ranger that that can was the only alcohol at the site, but while he went to empty the can another person at the site, at the rangers' request, opened a cooler to reveal a six-pack of beer, the NPS said.
At this point Young became "agitated" and told the rangers that he would neither empty the can nor leave the campground, the NPS said. Young then approached Papesh and tossed in his face the contents of a dustpan containing cold campfire ashes, the NPS said.
Jackson immediately deployed her baton and struck Young once on the left calf, the NPS said, but Young grabbed it and struck Jackson on the left side of her skull, lacerating her scalp. Young then struck Papesh on the top of his head, the NPS said, also lacerating his scalp.
Jackson, whom the blow to the skull had left briefly "dazed," tried spraying Young in the face with pepper spray but it had "no visible effect," the NPS said, so she removed her sidearm and ordered Young and everyone at the site to lie on the ground. Young instead grabbed a 2-year-old boy who was at the site and used the child as "a shield," the NPS said, then walked away from the camp site in the direction of a restroom facility.
Papesh and Jackson followed Young at a safe distance and were joined by officers from the Beverly Shores Police Department, the Law Enforcement Division of the Department of Natural Resources, and the Porter County Sheriff's Police, who together were able to take Young to the ground, cuff his hands, and place him in custody, the NPS said.
Jackson received four staples to her scalp and Papesh seven when they were subsequently treated at St. Anthony Memorial Health Center in Michigan City, the NPS said. "

November 06, 2012 2:54 pm on 1 wounded in accidental shooting at National Lakeshore
boilerup1: Now you are just making stuff up. Why did you do this? It weakens your "argument" and makes you sound desperate. On May 7, 2008, rangers Jennifer Jackson and Todd Papesh were on patrol in the campground when they discovered a man with alcohol. A scuffle ensued, the camper grabbed Jackson's nightstick. The "rangers" called for backup.

November 06, 2012 2:50 pm on 1 wounded in accidental shooting at National Lakeshore
There is no hunting allowed in the National Lakeshore, so why were there guns involved? Or did this happen at the National Lakeshore's gun range off of Kemil Road? You can hear the Lakeshore's so-called "rangers" target practicing there often. That would make sense... they are like the Keystone Cops. I remember back in May of 2008 a drunk guy beat up two "rangers" in the Lakeshore's campground. They had to call in for backup from real cops (Porter County) as well as the Beverly Shores "cop".

November 06, 2012 6:16 am on 1 wounded in accidental shooting at National Lakeshore
Ridiculous idea! 400 people an hour? Where are these people going to park? The Visitor Center probably only has 50 or so parking spots. Then they have to build two bridges over highways 20 and 12. I like the ideas of using vintage rail cars, too, but this idea is impractical.

October 10, 2012 7:18 am on Vintage railcars to connect Dunes, visitor center?
It was paved. You have no idea what you are writing about. I was there way back in the '70s, obviously you were not. Trails.com wrote in an old review, "The demise of the paved Calumet Trail was a sad day for road cyclists. Mountain bikers, however, rejoiced in having the trail fall into their Lycra-clad laps... (after the pavement was replaced with gravel).

September 19, 2012 8:55 pm on Calumet Trail project sparks call for public input
And another thing... I mentioned in my earlier comment how the trail was previously paved, then fell apart, then replaced with gravel. I remember the details: the reason the pavement fell apart was because NIPSCO trucks use the trail for line maintenance (the trail is on NIPSCO property, by the way). So the pavement was replaced with a type of "self-healing" gravel that would automatically fill in ruts from heavy equipment. So why repeat history? A paved trail is not going to last! Besides, why spend tax dollars to "improve" something that is on NIPSCO property?!? If they itching to spend money, they should move the covered bridge to a less populated section (to discourage local vandals) and restore it.

September 19, 2012 8:20 am on Calumet Trail project sparks call for public input
First, the article states, "Charlotte Read, a Liberty Township resident who lives next to the trail...". The trail goes through Pine and Westchester townships. How can a Liberty township resident live next to the trail?!? Second, they want to pave the trail. The trail was originally paved back in the late 70s. Then it fell apart, and was replaced with gravel. You should not be spending money to improve something when you cannot even maintain it. For example, look at the covered bridge on the trail. Thoroughly vandalized and covered in obscene graffiti.

September 19, 2012 7:54 am on Calumet Trail project sparks call for public input