[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=41808.57

Michiana Shores Elections Heated

Laurie Wink
The News-Dispatch

MICHIANA SHORES - One of the smaller communities in the area has the most hotly contested town council races.

While Michiana Shores, with 325 homes, has two uncontested positions - First Ward Councilman Gray Carlson, the lone council Democrat, and three-term Republican Clerk-Treasurer Steve Millick - the four Republicans on the town council are facing opposition from four Democrats.

Incumbent are Jean Poulard in Ward 2, Richard Young in Ward 3, Joan Lewis in Ward 4, and Richard Pliske in Ward 5. They are being challenged by Democrats Joseph Brekke in Ward 2, Melissa Dillon in Ward 3, Lorna Chronis in Ward 4, and Dana Dabagia in Ward 5.

The incumbents all say the town's biggest challenge is to fund the installation of new water mains and fire hydrants, improve drinking water and enhance safety. The town's 50-year-old water system was developed when the town had fewer residents, said Lewis, who serves as council president.

To fund the water project, Lewis said the council voted to build a cell tower to add between $15,000 and $40,000 to the town's treasury. A group of 12 Michiana Shores residents have since filed a lawsuit against the council over that decision, claiming it violates town ordinances and was made without advance notice to residents.

Michiana Shores also faces a lawsuit filed this year by a resident unhappy with a decision by the town's Board of Zoning Appeals to approve a home remodeling project. The suit claims the BZA decision violated town code.

Pliske, who also is a planning commission member, and Young, president of the BZA, said the town attorney has advised council members not to comment on the lawsuits. In a candidate profile, Young said, "This is an unbelievably frivolous lawsuit which should be dismissed and I am confident it will be."

The legal battles have had a negative impact on the town's budget. Carlson said at the Oct. 9 council meeting he was concerned that more than $12,000 of the bills approved at the meeting were for the services of a Munster law firm hired to defend the town.

Dillon says the town's most critical problems are inconsistencies in zoning and building inspection, secrecy about financial records and poor decision-making.

"I would solidify town rules, adhere to the laws that already exist and ensure that everyone is informed and held accountable," Dillon said.

Several challengers expressed a desire for more transparency in town business. Chronis said about 60 percent of Michiana Shores property owners are not full-time residents but they pay taxes and find it difficult to find out about town meetings.

"They are unable to attend meetings because of not being informed about the schedule in a timely manner," Chronis said. "We're not invited to be involved in the town's decision-making process."

Chronis complained that the "Town Flyer," a town newsletter distributed to all Michiana Shores residents, reports on meetings that have already taken place but doesn't announce proposed ordinances, meeting agendas or future activities.

Brekke, a Michiana Shores property owner for 12 years, is running for a council seat because he is concerned about the closed way in which the "select few" on the council have been operating. He opposes what he calls "their unwillingness to be forthcoming in discussing finances and other decisions."

He favors an open door policy that would involve the entire Michiana Shores community in the process of "making the what it should be."

Brekke is challenging Poulard, who has lived in Michiana Shores for 33 years. Poulard has challenged Brekke's claim, made on a filed candidate form, to have a primary residence in Michiana Shores. The completed form is considered a sworn statement.

County Clerk Bob Behler said Brekke is registered to vote in Michiana Shores, not in Illinois as Poulard contends, and said Brekke pays taxes and utility bills here. The County Election Board ruled on Sept. 11 that Poulard's evidence was not sufficient to remove Brekke from the ballot.

According to Behler, Poulard has also challenged the residency of 24 registered voters in Michiana Shores. All four Republican incumbents deny there is tension between full-time and part-time residents.



Contact Laurie Wink at lwink@thenewsdispatch.com.

[RexKickass]

The amount of backbiting that's been going on in this town has been ridiculous since 1998.

[Roger Kaputnik]

I know some of the people involved, and if I can, I will get some inside skinny.

[RexKickass]

So do I.

[Roger Kaputnik]

I understand the governor is bringing back a battalion of National Guard troops from Eye-rack to monitor the polling station.

[RexKickass]

Ha! My impressions aren't far off that mark either.

[Roger Kaputnik]

Here are some wacky things from MS:

1. A volleyball court and its installation was donated. Part-timers are complaining that it is not needed, plus that the tennis courts are never used. How would they know??

2. That Steele guy that was in the paper requested paperwork--ONE THOUSAND PAGES! Can anyone believe that his request was not the number 1 priority of that day?

3. Bohacek's squeeze doesn't talk, HE does.

4. The phone tower is going in the best place where there are already public buildings--more whining, of course.

[RexKickass]

The phone tower also will give them the money they need to upgrade the water system for Michiana Shores, which if you've ever showered in that town you'd know that it really needs more pressure.

[Roger Kaputnik]

While I have sweated in MS, I have never showered there. I will take your word for it.

[RexKickass]

Turned out to be a Republican sweep in Michiana Shores, and it wasn't even close. All the contested seats were decided by margins of 20 to 38 points.

I heard a rumor that one of the candidates on the losing side, didn't actually remember to vote.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=37492.74

Michiana Shores Stays The Same

Deborah Sederberg
The News-Dispatch

MICHIANA SHORES - The voters of Michiana Shores returned the current town council members to office in Tuesday's municipal election.

The lone Democrat, Gray Carlson in the 1st Ward, was unopposed. In the contest races, no Republican candidate got less than 60 percent of the vote.

Steve Millick, the Republican clerk-treasurer, also was unopposed.

"The voters were saying the council did a good job," Millick said. Heading into his fourth term in office, he added, "We have to realize this is about service to the people."

In the hotly contested 2nd Ward race, incumbent Republican Jean V. Poulard prevailed with 62 percent of the vote over Democrat Joseph E. Brekke, who received 37.9 percent.

"This race was not about a Republican vs. a Democrat," Poulard said Tuesday evening. "(Brekke) was a ghost candidate." Poulard challenged Brekke's residency, charging that while he owns a home in Michiana Shores, Brekke actually is a Chicago resident. The La Porte County Election Board disagreed and its decision was upheld in court.

Poulard said his victory is particularly sweet "because The News-Dispatch and The Herald-Argus were against us. The good people of Michiana Shores have spoken tonight."

Poulard bears no ill will toward Carlson, but said he resents what he sees as interference from people who do not live in town.

Also returning to office are Richard Young in the 3rd Ward, who bested Democrat Melissa Dillon with 68.75 percent to 31.25 percent; Joan M. Lewis in the 4th Ward with 60.34 percent of the vote to Democrat Lorna D. Chronis' 39.66 percent; Richard Pliske, who was re-elected to the 5th Ward with 63.22 percent of the vote to 36.78 percent of the votes collected by Democrat Dana Dabagia.

Contact Deborah Sederberg at dsederberg@thenewsdispatch.com

[Roger Kaputnik]

Bohacek tried to vote twice: He "forgot" he had already cast an absentee ballot. What a knucklehead.

[RexKickass]

Roger:
Do I know you?

[Roger Kaputnik]

I do not know; prob just from here.

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=51665.77

Michiana Shores Coverage Slanted
In spite of the fact that the local newspaper, The News-Dispatch, was obviously anxious to help get the Republican candidates of Michiana Shores voted out of office, the good people of our town overwhelmingly voted to re-elect all five candidates.

You only deemed it necessary to send a reporter to one meeting in four years and that was one month before the election. After the meeting this reporter spent more time interviewing members of the previous, embittered town council. A week before the election you ran two articles on the front page about our town and the up-coming election.

One article mostly criticized our town clerk and most of the quotes were again from the previous, embittered town council president, Ian Steele. The second article about the upcoming election had two paragraphs from the Republican candidates. There were at least eight paragraphs quoting the Democrats.

These quotes were taken from a questionnaire sent to all of the Michiana Shores candidates. These questions were very biased against the Republicans and were more like accusations than questions. If we didn't know better, we would say these questions came from the former town council president, Ian Steele.

So in spite of your attempt to influence our election, the good voters of our town based their decision on facts, not accusations, and re-elected the Republican slate by a 63-37 percent margin.

Hopefully in the next four years you will try to cover more than one meeting in Michiana Shores and get your facts from the actual people elected to govern our town.

Richard Young

Re-Elected Town Councilman

Michiana Shores

[Roger Kaputnik]

Ian Steele is a joke! He publishes an alternative MS newsletter--you will not believe the name of it! I will try to get a copy.

[JHeath]

An alternative MS newsletter? Do tell...what's the name of it?