Michael “Mike” Robert Pastewski, 59, of LaPorte, IN, formerly of Burnham, IL, passed away peacefully at 8:15 p.m. Monday, Aug. 19, 2019, in his home.

He was born March 31, 1960, in Chicago, IL, to Robert and Margaret (Cadle) Pastewski.

Mike was a fork lift driver for Atkore International, formerly Allied Tube and Conduit, Harvey, IL, for 38 years. He enjoyed watching NASCAR racing, attending drag races and working on his friends’ stock cars. He also enjoyed woodworking, building, working outdoors, having bonfires and setting off fireworks and explosions. His favorite holiday was the 4th of July. Mike was motivated to lend a helping hand to whomever needed it. Mike volunteered at the Heston Steam Museum, helping stock them with their supply of wood to fuel the trains by cutting trees and splitting logs for other people. He was known to many as “Moe” and to his family as “Grandpa Moe.”

Surviving are his mother, Margaret Pastewski of LaPorte; significant other, Gerry Bowman of LaPorte; two children, Lt. Nicholas (Mie) Pastewski of Aiea, HI, and Lisa Westling of Tinley Park, IL; one sister, Debbie (Bill) Koche of LaPorte; two grandchildren, Bryanna and Jacob; one niece, Anne Schmitt of LaPorte; one nephew, Kenny Koche of LaPorte; one great-nephew, Kayden Schmitt; numerous friends; and his beloved dog, Cape.

His father preceded him in death.

Cremation will take place. A graveside service celebrating his life will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 1, at Carmel Cemetery, LaPorte. Burial will follow the service at the cemetery. Lakeview Funeral Home & Crematory, LaPorte, is handling arrangements.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the LaPorte County Small Animal Shelter, 2855 W. Ind. 2, LaPorte, IN 46350, in memory of Mike Pastewski.

Messages of condolence may be posted below on WNLP as well as at www.LakeviewFHC.com.

From Mary Ketchmark of Wanatah: “For the last two years I’ve been taking photos of a pair of bald eagles that live in Valpo. Last year they had two eaglets and this year they had another pair of eaglets. I got all of these shots from a pontoon boat and was lucky enough to find them around in the trees on the lake. This is the young one, about 4 months old.” Thanks, Mary. Glad to know they’re sticking around. If you have a Great Shot or a few to share, email the photos as .jpg attachments to wnlp@whatsnewlaporte.com. Be sure to include the photographer’s name and a bit of information about the photo.

Compiled by Mary Hedge, LaPorte County Public Library

Aug. 23, 1919 — A LaPorte girl goes to Michigan City to wed a Chicago man who does not arrive. Her mother had some objection to the ceremony. The girl says she will have the man regardless.

Aug. 23, 1969 — Some residents of St. Joseph County’s Olive Township may seek to secede the entire township to LaPorte County via a 1970 referendum.

Aug. 23, 1994 — An Iowa man drives 240 miles on a riding lawn mower to visit his Wisconsin brother. Neither brother can see well enough to get a driver’s license, but neither wants to let someone else drive.

Aug. 23, 2009 — A sixth grader from Valparaiso wins the Tour de LaPorte’s 3.3-mile race. He trains with the Calumet Region Striders, a running club.

Information from LaPorte Park and Recreation Department

The Healthcare Foundation of LaPorte’s annual Tour de LaPorte will take place Friday through Sunday in Soldiers Memorial Park. Please be aware road restrictions will take place in the vicinity of the event, including Waverly Road, Garden Street, Small Road/Orchard Avenue, Lakeshore Drive, and Grangemouth Road.

Police and course personnel will monitor traffic and residents living along the course will be permitted to enter and exit the routes during slow periods of the race.

Motorists are advised to use caution and be especially careful when approaching intersections or pulling out of driveways.

For more information, visit www.tourdelaporte.org.

This INDOT photo shows the truck up against the bent overhead sign at the corner of the overpass and Lincolnway. INDOT shadowed the logos on the semi.

Update from the LaPorte INDOT office at about 2 p.m.: “Southbound traffic is flowing now, northbound likely soon. However, the signal will be converted to a four-way stop until at least Saturday afternoon while we work to replace that (sign) structure.”

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From the LaPorte office of INDOT at about 1 p.m.: “Traffic is currently blocked both northbound and southbound on the U.S. 35 bridge at Ind. 2 in downtown LaPorte due to a truck taking out an overhead sign structure. Folks, the signs prohibiting trucks from making that turn from westbound Ind. 2 onto northbound U.S. 35 are there for a reason.” No word on when the overpass might reopen.

Doran Ray Boudreau, 73, of Michigan City, IN, passed away peacefully at 7:27 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019. at Franciscan Health Hospital, Michigan City.

He was born April 16, 1946, in LaPorte, IN, to George and Irene (Pomranke) Boudreau.

Doran honorably served his country in the United States Army. He was formerly a guitarist for a band that played Beatles classics. Doran worked for Weil-McLain as a maintenance foreman for almost 33 years. He was a member of the United Church of God, Munster; American Legion, Michigan City; VFW, LaPorte; and Izaak Walton Gun Club. He was a farmer at heart and loved his John Deere equipment.

On Aug. 21, 1982, in Michigan City, he married Nora Lee (Halfacre) Boudreau, who survives.

Also surviving are one brother, Douglas Boudreau of Westville, IN; two children, Tim (Phyllis) Riley of Newark, AR, and Charlotte (Randy) Hess of Chesterton, IN; four grandchildren, Starla (Matt) Fagerstrom, Matthew (Ann) Nash, Michael Nash and Jennifer (Eugenio) Martinez; nine great-grandchildren; aunt, Charlotte Solberg of Michigan City; and several extended family members.

Preceding him in death were his parents; one son, Gary Riley; and several aunts and uncles.

A funeral celebrating his life will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 26, at Lakeview Funeral Home & Crematory, LaPorte, with Pastor Shawn Cortelyou officiating. Visitation and viewing will be held from 4 p.m. until the service Monday at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the United Church of God, International Association, P.O. Box 541027, Cincinnati, OH 45254-1027; and/or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, in memory of Doran Ray Boudreau.

Messages of condolence may be posted below on WNLP as well as at www.LakeviewFHC.com.

Compiled by Mary Hedge, LaPorte County Public Library

Aug. 24, 1919 — The Johns Bus Company will have two extra buses to take people coming to LaPorte on the Hanna and Wanatah lines during the fair on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights.

Aug. 24, 1969 — Iraq executes 15 persons, including two Jews, on charges of spying for Israel and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Aug. 24, 1994 — Average unleaded regular gasoline prices are $1.398 a gallon, up 4 cents from a month ago and 7.8 cents from a year ago.

Aug. 24, 2009 — The “cash for clunkers” program expired. It offered owners of gas guzzlers up to $4,500 off when they upgraded to newer, more fuel-efficient models and left auto lots bare.

Left side back row: James Clarke, Dr. Gary Wheeland. Left side front row: Tim Larson, Jim Kaminski, Daniel Kaminski, Rory Bunce, Drumm Osborn. Right side, back row: Rich Schmitt, Jeffrey Bernel, Jane Nelson, James Laughlin. Right side, front row: Maria Fruth, Kathleen Lang, Hester Muller, Amanda Wolf.

WNLP photos (below) by Bob Wellinski

Information provided

On Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019, the Healthcare Foundation of LaPorte (HFL) broke ground on a new facility in LaPorte, IN. The structure will become HFL’s new headquarters and will house a conference & learning center. The new building will be located 1.7 miles southeast of the current HFL office and will serve as a great resource for the foundation and surrounding community.

The center will be 12,815 square feet and will be completely accessible. HFL is utilizing the expertise of the architects at Shive Hattery and the team at Larson-Danielson Construction to conceptualize and bring their vision into fruition. The site, nestled in a tranquil location surrounded by nature and located just south of Fishtrap Lake, will be constructed using natural materials that will complement the land. There is even a previously established hiking trail, the Chessie Trial, alongside the site, and HFL will add a water/rest stop for trail participants to use. The exact location is McClung Road and East Shore Road, near the north-side LaPorte city fire station.

The Healthcare Foundation of LaPorte stated it sees potential for the Chessie Trail to improve the health and quality of life of the community. Its grant to the project of $232,020 provided the 20 percent match for the federal grant LaPorte City received.

The primary function of this center will be to host many educational opportunities for not for profits sponsored by HFL, such as the Not for Profit Leadership Academy, Board Governance Academy, and other speakers and seminars. It will be a productive space to meet, learn, retreat and plan, offered free of charge to nonprofit organizations that engage in charitable activities benefiting the residents of LaPorte County and other public entities. It also holds the potential to host health and wellness seminars and speakers.

The building will feature a large conference room that can be split into 3 smaller rooms and will be capable of seating 10 to 223 people. This will offer a variety of room configurations and each room will include state-of-the-art audio/visual equipment, wi-fi and conference telephones. There will also be a large warming kitchen located close to the conference room(s) that will serve as a convenience for events that will host a hot meal.

An Incubator Space will also be available within the building. This space will be a dedicated area for nonprofits to work and collaborate with their mentors, designers, accountants and other industry experts. It will ideally be a space for young nonprofits to remove barriers and should help ease them into the  often costly process of establishing administrative and financial systems.

“HFL’s evolution is logical as money alone cannot change a community. A significant part of the plan relies on the development and enhancement of deeper partnerships with and across organizations and our community,” said Maria Fruth, President & CEO of HFL. When asked about the foundation’s strategic roadmap, Fruth added, “It is only by working together toward common goals that we will successfully reach our vision – to be among Indiana’s top 10 healthiest communities by 2030.”

The Healthcare Foundation of LaPorte is a not-for-profit, independent, private foundation dedicated to promoting health and wellness for the residents in and around LaPorte. This foundation was initially funded in March 2016 from the proceeds of the sale of LaPorte Hospital. With their shared vision, the LaPorte Hospital Foundation and the Healthcare Foundation of LaPorte blended their financial and operational efforts together as of Jan. 1, 2017.

For more on the Healthcare Foundation, visit https://www.facebook.com/hflaporte/

WNLP story and LP-NP game shots by Mike Kellems

The season opener for football teams in LaPorte County kicked off Friday night, Aug. 23, 2019,  with some explosive play and a whole lot of points on the board. Undoubtedly the most anticipated game of the night was the annual rivalry matchup between the LaPorte Slicers and the New Prairie Cougars, this one at Kiwanis. This game often draws a large crowd on both sides of the field and Friday night was no exception. Because of the cross-county rivalry, the players on both sides have a lot of bragging rights on the line and much to the credit of the Cougars, they will get to do a lot of bragging for the next 364 or so days.

The game started with some doubt as to the dominance as the Slicers recovered a New Prairie fumble on the fourth play of the game; however, LaPorte failed to capitalize. It wasn’t until the 5:42 mark of the first quarter that New Prairie scored, however once they turned on the scoring faucet, the Slicer defense had a difficult time turning it off. The Cougars, with an offensive line made up of what appear to be giants, opened up holes that allowed score after score until they reached 48.

For their part, LaPorte kept fighting and eventually was able to put 14 on the board. But give credit where its due: New Prairie looked like a well oiled and well coached machine. Despite their struggles to score, the Slicers showed a few brights spots. It is early in the season and there are a lot of Friday nights left, so stay tuned.

In other LaPorte County football action, Michigan City steamrolled Griffith at home in a 60-7 win. The South Central Satellites started against Triton slowly, however built their momentum late in the game. The Satellites narrowly lost the battle, 26-24.

From the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office: The intersection of Johnson Road and County Road 400 North remains closed due to the ongoing construction project. Do not violate the “ROAD CLOSED” signage by driving around the barricades! Within an hour, afternoon shift deputies stopped approximately 20 vehicles for violating the closure during a 20-minute time period. Deputies will continue to monitor the construction zone, watching for motorists who choose to ignore the road closure signage.

WNLP photos by Bob Wellinski

Leave it to Wellinski to find the bizarre along the bike trail. “It was just a matter of time before I would catch up to Bigfoot. Who would have thought it was going to be during the Tour de LaPorte?” This metal cutout of the creature (or so he says) was at the first stop located at the Firefly Farm on CR-700W. No word on whether Bigfoot finished the race.

The 3-day hiking and biking event, sponsored by the Healthcare Foundation of LaPorte, was held Aug. 23-25, 2019. “The weather was perfect all three days for the more than 1,000 people who took part in the running and biking events,” Bob said. Friday’s trail run started near the Stone Lake beach house and wound through the trails in Soldiers Memorial Park. Saturday’s running events included a half-marathon run, 5K and 10K runs, and a 5K walk. Sunday’s biking events included 5, 15, 25, 40, 60 and 100 mile routes through beautiful LaPorte County. Bob notes: “How come there are cemeteries located at the top or near the top of some of the hills with long, steep inclines?
“My brother Steve and I did the 25-mile route. (‘modified’). Sometimes my brother and I become like Lewis and Clark (Steve says it’s more like Abbott and Costello) and we blaze our own trail in order to get in position for good photos.” Thanks, Bob. Only you could find Bigfoot.

Compiled by Mary Hedge, LaPorte County Public Library

Aug. 26, 1919 — Seven years ago today, the People’s Trust & Savings Bank opened its doors to the public. It has $1,012,016.19. LaPorte is second to Lafayette for the wealthiest Indiana city per capita.

Aug. 26, 1969 — What some men refer to as “Petticoat Junction” came about on Aug. 26, 1920, when the 19^th amendment to the U. S. Constitution was ratified. It was the right of suffrage for women.

Aug. 26, 1994 — A Michigan father receives the heart of his 22-year-old daughter, who was killed in an accident.

Aug. 26, 2009 — The Northwest Region of Ivy Tech Community College, including the Michigan City campus, had a 50 percent enrollment increase compared to fall 2008.

Morse

County officers manning posts at intersections during the Tour de LaPorte smelled something other than the fresh country air on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2019. Sgts. Jon Burger and L. Scott Boswell were stationed at Small Road and 500W when a northbound white van passed, emitting the odor of pot. They alerted Det. Jim Fish, who was stationed at CR 150N and CR 500W, and he also smelled the smoke as the van passed.

Deputy Wade Wallace, who was also assigned to traffic control detail, started to follow the van and said he could smell the pot even with his squad’s windows up. After the driver made a couple of traffic infractions, Wallace made a traffic stop in the 6000 west block of Johnson Road. The driver, Michael M. Morse, 34, was ultimately arrested for Possession of Marijuana, A-Misdemeanor.

Friday at 4 p.m.

Just 24 hours later.

Same area the year before.

This trash can was dragged 100 yards from a home and dumped.

Column and photos by Mike Kellems
This past Friday, Aug. 23, while on my way home I saw a porta-john knocked over along the roadside. It was about 4:30 p.m. and when I spoke with a friend that lives nearby, I learned that at 2:30 p.m. the porta-john was upright. Sometime in that two-hour span, in broad daylight, someone knocked it over. Then, just to add insult to injury, a day later another kind soul (deep sarcasm applied) hit it with a vehicle and pushed it further down into a ditch.

Not to be outdone, the year before the same thing happened on the same stretch of road.

This missive is directed at the ne’er-do-well who took the time to vandalize the port-o-potty. Do you know why that portable bathroom is there? It was placed there by a local company, Johnson Johns, for use by athletes participating in the Tour de LaPorte. Do you know what the TDL does? It is a yearly run/walk/bike event that raises funds for the Healthcare Foundation of LaPorte. What does the HFL do with the money? They support our college-bound students by awarding scholarships. They award grants for playgrounds and parks so our little ones have a place to play. They provide assistance for those suffering through medical issues that they may otherwise not be able to afford.

They work to make our community better for everyone.

What possible pleasure can anyone get out of this?

In the same area, there is a gentleman who takes very good care of his lawn. Three or four times a year someone drives through his corner lot and damages the lawn. Trash cans dragged away from homes and dumped in the street. Pumpkins thrown from an overpass onto the highway and through the windshield of a passing vehicle. Again I have to ask, why?

What is wrong with a person who does this? This isn’t normal. This type of behavior has results that range from inconvenience to the potential to cause severe injury or death. Is this twisted behavior worth it? Evidently to some, the consequences of their actions carry no meaning.

I hope for the sake of the petty vandal(s) that they never need the resources of a group like the Healthcare Foundation or even Johnson Johns, for that matter. I hope that when you grow up, IF you grow up, you won’t have to suffer through the misery that you’ve caused for others.

Compiled by Mary Hedge, LaPorte County Public Library

Aug. 27, 1919 — All of Hungary is put under martial law. The situation is getting worse and there is great political uncertainty.

Aug. 27, 1969 — Over 100 persons crowd into the Tri Kappa auditorium at the YMCA for the reading of the eight bids for the new hospital. The total low bid for construction, electrical, etc. is $8.5 million.

Aug. 27, 1994 — Fifty-six children died of abuse or neglect in Indiana last year, an increase by nearly half over the previous 12 months. Most of the victims were toddlers.

Aug. 27, 2009 — Ted Kennedy, senator and family patriarch, is dead at age 77.

Opinion column by Leigh Morris, former mayor of LaPorte and former chairman of the LaPorte County Republican Party
The other day, I was driving down a road that was recently repaved but had not yet had striping to designate traffic lanes. It occurred to me that the signs cautioning drivers could well apply to voters as well:
As a political centrist, I’m beginning to think of myself as a part of an endangered species. It seems to me that the political center—the middle of the political road—has been shrinking rapidly, allowing the far left and the far right to increasingly dominate the political scene. Nowhere is that more evident than in the U.S. Congress, where there’s been such deterioration in the capacity to carry out its important role in dealing with scores of major issues.
No Labels, a group that advocates rising above partisanship, has evaluated our current political climate this way:
The far right and far left are holding America hostage—becoming ever more strident, uncompromising and making governance impossible. They are small in number but drive the national agenda because they are organized, because they vote, contribute to and volunteer for campaigns. In short, they show up, while the vast political center has remained on the sidelines.

Leigh Morris

Former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman feels that one of the reasons that extremists are dominating so much of the political process is that the major political parties have become more ideological and fewer and fewer people are voting. She observed that political parties “used to be like umbrellas, where you had a central handle which was the shared core beliefs, and then you had all the spokes that held up the canopy, and those were different ways of interpreting those beliefs. But you could still have that central core.”
I’m a student of history, and I’ve been looking increasingly at the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower. Ike was a centrist. He called his political philosophy “The Middle Way.” He appealed to the majority of Americans by being neither a reactionary nor a socialist; neither an appeaser nor a warmonger.
Ike disliked extremists and demagogues, believing the far left and right were wrong on all political and moral issues. He referred to the political spectrum as a bowling alley and the extremes as the “gutters” and said he was on the right track when getting attacked by “both sides.”
In his book, “The White House Years,” author Jim Newton noted that Ike ‘was a gentleman, not a bomb thrower. He did not publicly insult opponents by name. He also avoided criticizing the intelligence and motives of other politicians, believing this was impolite and unforgivable.”
Times have clearly changed since the 1950s when Ike’s Middle Way enabled the political parties and three branches of our federal government to function productively. However, I think Ike’s basic principles are still valid. Revisiting them could lead us away from the current gridlock that comes from the prevalent “my way or the highway” approach to governing. I hope and pray we can find a way to regain some of the many advantages of Ike’s Middle Way.

We need more bees. Thankfully this one is in heaven, completely coated in pollen. Tammy Lidgard took this great shot of the bee on top of her bird feeder. Below that, Bill Power sends this shot with the info: “Last week LaPorte enjoyed a volcanic sunset. They’ve been seen all around the world. Not a cloud in the sky, just volcanic gases changing the colors.” Thanks for these Great Shots. If you have one or a few to share, send them to wnlp@whatsnewlaporte.com. Be sure to include the photographer’s name and a bit of information about the photo.

The 27th Door Village Harvest Festival will be held Saturday, Sept. 7, and Sunday, Sept. 8, at Scipio Township Park, 3501 W. Joliet Road. There is no admission charge to attend the festival; however, there is a $3 parking fee. All proceeds from the festival go to improving and maintaining the park.  

Many festival favorites will be returning. On Saturday morning, the VFW will present an opening flag-raising ceremony to recognize all branches of the military service. The Michiana Antique Auto Club’s Antique Automobile, Truck,  and Tractor Show and Parade will again be a special event on Saturday. Grandma’s Parlor will feature demonstrations of handmade crafts of yesteryear, while Grandpa’s Woodshed will demonstrate such skills as wood carving and woodworking. Grandpa’s Barnyard will include a variety of farm animals and llamas to delight children of all ages, and kids will also have the opportunity to have their faces painted. The Collector’s Corner will show fascinating collections of memorabilia from military to agriculture. A huge variety of craft vendors will also be displaying their wares.

The popular Horse and Wagon Tours of History narrated by Bruce Johnson and driven by Tammy Heinen and her handsome horses will take place both Saturday and Sunday.  You will learn fascinating facts about Historic Door Village including the early settlers, the 1832 Fort of the Blackhawk War, Parkinson’s LaPorte/Valparaiso Stagecoach, the New York/Chicago Electric Air Line Railroad, and many local homes and businesses of the past and present. 

Saturday morning will feature the annual Pancake Breakfast, and Sunday will feature the famous Pork Chop Dinner. A nice variety of foods will be available from local vendors at the Food Court, as well as the delicious homemade baked goods from the Country Bake Shop. There will also be old-fashioned baked beans and ham as well as chicken and noodles on Saturday.

On Sunday at 1:30 p.m. the annual Living Cemetery Tour will take place, when actors portray people who are buried in the 1834 Door Village Cemetery. At their gravestones, citizens from the past will share their stories researched and written by LaPorte County Historian Fern Eddy Schultz.

People of all ages will again enjoy walking through the Pioneer Village encampment of 1832 and the Civil War Camp visiting with re-enactors dressed in clothes of the era as they share and demonstrate artifacts commonly used at that time in history. 

Entertainers taking the stage during the weekend will be Phil and Dustin Anderson, Homemade Jamm, the Good Timing Barbershop Quartet, Folk Grass, and a group that is new to the festival called The Time Travelers.

For more information and times, visit Door Village Harvest Festival on Facebook.