The Times from Munster, Indiana • 24

3: Crown Point i nil rA i 15 Get to know what's going on near you Page 8 Senate panel OKs area for development Page 7 1 ntd -sir- fV(f' jj f-jiy jV.j i) yjf 11 SiCk Tl 9 mav ororo zvo cmo P.m.. iimhi Mlll ni m.i.ni.n.niu uu.mji..! uu.i 1 ULI iS'1 Jr" 4 1L Party financing to be discussed with new chairmen By THOMAS INKLEY Times Staff Writer MARK SKERTIC Times columnist EAST CHICAGO Lake County Democratic Party Chairman Robert Pas-trick may drop the "2 percent club" that finances the party as he overhauls the county organization. The "2 percent club" is the popular name for the 2 percent deduction county Democratic patronage workers are asked to give the party from their paychecks. "I want to change the financing in the Governor forgets party," Pastrick said, "and Pd like to do away with that 2 percent thing if I can. And do away with some other things we've done in the past." Pastrick already has met with key Democrats who supported him in the bitter challenge by Lake County Sheriff Stephen Stighch for the county's chairmanship last month.

"The people who supported me were very concerned how the party was going to be run in the future," Pastrick said. "Fm giving them the latitude to sit down with me to discuss the future of the party, the policies we're going to adopt, what directions we going to go in and how we're going to raise finances." The first political casualty among Pastrick's opponents was Gary Deputy Mayor Richard Comer, who was re placed as city chairman by Lake County Commissioner Rudolph Clay. Clay was in Pastrick's camp. Comer supported Stiglich for county chairman until just before the party convention and became neutral at the urging of Gary Mayor Thomas Barnes. Another Pastrick backer, Hammond Democratic Chairman John Smriga, was See PASTRICK.

Page 2 who elected him Merchants, residents 1 ling for hopi big payoff By RICK MARKLEY Times Correspondent WHITING The 119th Street renovation has left the drafting table and taken to the street, and residents and businesses are prepared for a summer of heavy machinery and congested traffic. Hoosier Flower Shop Owner Jan Cantrell isn't too concerned about her business tapering off during the reconstruction. "I am not worried," she said. "A lot of our customers are phone orders." Kelly Lesar, an employee of Calumet Bakery in the construction area, said she thinks the wait will be worth it. "Beautifying it will bring more customers; it will make the city more attractive." Whiting embarked on the 119th Street renovation project last week.

See MERCHANTS, Page B-2 11 icillLCl inr n' Times photo by Todd Panagopoulos Buster Smitt, a 60-year Whiting resident, says, 'What this town needs is Musicians band together to help comrades recoup loss By KATHY JULOVICH Times Correspondent The race to pass bills is entering the home stretch down in Indianapolis, and again it appears Lake County's interests will be bringing up the rear. Casino gambling? Blam! Shot down in a Senate committee. Riverboat gambling at The Hammond Marina? Wham! Wiped out by a House committee. The ability to enact tougher gun laws in crime-ridden cities like Gary? Ka-pow! Taken away by House members. State lawmakers have given their blessing to economic development efforts at the Gary Regional Airport.

And school funding reform still stands a chance of becoming reality. But many measures that could have had a major impact on Lake County -for good or bad all had one thing in common. Gov. Evan Bayh never let anyone voters or lawmakers know how he felt about them. Where was Evan? Making tough decisions.

Taking a stand on controversial issues. Those are things people have a right to expect from their elected leaders. But all too often all we've gotten from Evan Bayh is visits to ask for votes or tour a local school. He's the state's governor, and he should represent the interests of all people. But he's also told us that Lake County is very important to him so he ought to be letting people know his thoughts on issues important to this corner of the state.

He feels so deeply about Lake County that he finished his campaign. "We decided to end this campaign in the most Democratic county in the state," he told supporters. "And Lake County is going to lead the way." And he was right. The Democratic machine geared up and turned out the vote. Bayh won in a record-breaking landslide and Lake County led the way.

But since then, the governor hasn't always led the way for people here. When Sen. Larry Borst mobilized his forces in Indianapolis against casinos, he was telling reporters that this wasn't a big issue. If it was, why hadn't the governor taken a stand one way or the other? Borst rightly asked. It's not just a case of the governor not wanting to take stands on politically sensitive issues.

Last year, during the height of the push to get federal money for a new courthouse in downtown Hammond, Bayh admitted he was ignorant of the controversy. He'd seen a few things in the Indianapolis newspapers, he told a group of editors and reporters during a pre-election interview. But he really didn't know much about the issue. If he cared about Lake County -about its people and its future and not just its votes wouldn't he have someone at least monitoring the papers from this part of the state? Broken promises The state Constitution prevents Bayh from running for another term as governor, but his political career will likely continue. He's been mentioned in many circles as someone who someday could run for federal office.

When that happens, and Bayh makes a visit to Lake County to tell us how important we are to him and how he needs our votes, remember how well he took care of this area as governor. Some good things have happened during his time in office. Marina development finally got started. Indianapolis got the United Airlines maintenance hub and a U.S. Postal Service mail hub -two large operations that will give a boost to the state's economy.

But when it's time for that election a few years from now, remember 1993 and the leadership Bayh provided on the issue of casinos. Or think back to the lack of a state effort on behalf of a new federal courthouse anywhere in Northwest Indiana. Those plans were for more than just buildings. They meant jobs and the potential revitalization of depressed areas. Than ask Evan Bayh if your vote is so important to him, why isn't the community it will be coming from? Mark Skertic is The Times' Northlake Bureau editor.

The band's competitors and fans have organized a benefit to help the band recoup the approximately $40,000 loss. Ten area bands are donating their time for the event, called "Ripped but not Unplugged," from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. Saturday at Leory's Hot Stuff, 33 W. U.S 20 in Porter.

Admission is $10. Tickets can be bought at the door or in advance at Eddy's Appliance Sales and Service, 1237 Central Ave. in Lake Station, or at Leory's. The lineup includes Joey Dee and The Blues Bandits, Edgewise, Randsom, Jagged Edge, Sugar Train, Pieces, The Bones, Pump EthaL The Devil Dogs, Intruder and Shuddup Drive. The band first lost about $15,000 worth of equipment when a tornado swept through Hobart in July 1992.

Its equipment was on an outdoor stage set See BAND, Page B-2 PORTER Friendship is proving to be more powerful than a 1992 tornado and a March theft that together left local band Shuddup Drive without stage equipment. T'" Narrower streets sought for Avalon 1 niQVll'S, Purdue University Calumet nursing students Anne Kozanda of Schererville, left, Gary Becker of Lowell and Nicole Kupchik of Schererville load Easter baskets Wednesday that they made for the Head Start program in Cedar Lake. The baskets will be delivered today. di 1: Times photo by Zbigniew Bzdak Nursing students hop to it for youngsters By DIANE CALDERONE JOSTES Times Correspondent CEDAR LAKE The Plan Commission was asked Wednesday to approve secondary streets in the proposed Avalon subdivision that are narrower than town ordinances require. Developer Jack Kovich wants 30-foot-wide streets on secondary streets in the subdivision.

Town ordinances call for streets that are 33 feet wide. Kovich said the wider streets will increase his costs, will make drainage more complicated and will produce more area for snow removal. He said plans still call for 33-foot-wide main streets. He said some subdivisions in town already have streets that are narrower than ordinances require. Kovich said the subdivision's streets probably will not be used by pedestrians because Avalon will have sidewalks.

Town Engineer Chuck Childs said he knows of some subdivisions where the streets are only 30 feet, but said he wants to talk to the town's Police and Fire departments. Childs said the narrower streets could create a problem with traffic flow when parking is considered. He said the Plan Commission could consider restricting parking to only one side of the street. Some of those decisions are expected to be made when the Plan Commission meets April 21. Kovich said he is still in the discussion stages with the owner of Utilities Inc.

to provide water to the subdivision instead of drilling his own wells. Douglas Sheehy, who would direct the project, said Utilities Inc. has hired an engineer to study routes for the water lines. He said he has hired a lawyer who will study easement requirements. Sheehy said the Indiana Department of Environmental Management has also been notified of the proposed See AVALON, Page B-2 By C.L BOBBITT Times Correspondent HAMMOND More than 50 Head Start students will get an early visit from the Easter Bunny today when nursing students from Purdue University Calumet deliver baskets full of goodies.

The delivery will conclude the community project for the associate nursing program's sophomore class, a required part of their curriculum. "We wanted to give (the kids) an opportuni- 3r they wouldn't otherwise have had," said stu-ent Anne Kozanda, co-vice president of the sophomore class. The class chose to help the 4- and 5-year-old Head Start preschool students because there were quite a few of them in one area, said nursing student Vicki Mosca of Dyer. "Instead of five here, 10 in another (place), we wanted to do it for one place," she said. The baskets will go to the Cedar Lake Head Start program, which is based at South County Community Services, 7000 W.

137th Place, and has 51 students. Ten nursing students gathered Wednesday at the Purdue Calumet campus to put together 60 baskets stuffed with candy, toys, trinkets and even Barbie dolls. Although many of the materials were donated by businesses throughout Lake County, the students spent more than $600 on the project. Mosca said the project took about a month to pull together, but was worth the time and See HOP, Page B-2 1.