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Washington Park may close earlier

By Alicia Ebaugh
Staff Writer
Published: Friday, June 4, 2010 8:31 AM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — Washington Park’s gates may be locked at 10 p.m. every night if parks officials vote in favor of it later this month.

“We feel that is what would be best for the park, but we really want the public’s input on this,” said Park Superintendent Jan Orlich.

Orlich told Park Board members at their Thursday meeting she got some disturbing news when she met with Michigan City Assistant Police Chief Mark Swistek, who has been in charge of monitoring nighttime activity at the beach for the past week. Police began more patrols at the park after a woman was shot there nearly two weeks ago.

“He said after the parking operation shuts down at 10 p.m., there is a stream of cars that enter the park. The park gets vandalized, signs, flowers, broken bottles, and (there are) assaults,” she said. “The police department witnessed a male taking a boombox radio and slamming into the head of a female subject right in front of them. They had to wrestle the assailant to the ground and arrest him.”

Police also wrote several tickets for loud music and glass containers, which aren’t allowed in the park, Orlich said. The community’s safety is their highest concern while considering an earlier closure, she said, but tourism also suffers from the bad reputation given to the park after dark.

“If we don’t do something to curtail the extracurricular activities that take place after 10 p.m., the park’s reputation could suffer, be it summer festivals, events, the splash park, or the beach itself,” she said. “We are trying to promote Michigan City and Washington Park as a tourist attraction. In order to do that, we need to take control of our park.”

The park now closes at midnight, but people can be found in the park at all hours of the night.

As a test, police have locked the gates to Fedders Alley at 10 p.m. for the past week, and residents near the area have noted a “big difference.”

“We can sleep now after 10 p.m.,” said Barb Malewicki, a Dunescape resident in the 100 block of Lake Shore Drive. “It has really quieted down.”

The Park Board voted Thursday to continue locking the gate to Fedders Alley at 10 p.m. indefinitely. Most of the problems, however, are occurring in the main parking lots by the beach, Orlich said.

Park Board Attorney Jeff Katz said that if the gates are locked to those parking lots, he thinks people will just park by Millennium Park and walk in, or create parking problems in the Port Authority lot by the harbor, which is currently open 24 hours a day.

“You need a comprehensive solution to make sure the closure is effective, if you do it,” he said. Orlich said she plans to work with the Port Authority on the issue.

Orlich said the 10 p.m. closure was chosen because Swistek told her police would be much more effective at emptying the park at that time. Two shifts of officers would be available then each day to get the job done quickly. The park would stay open later for special events, she said.

All four Park Board members said they were in favor of the earlier closure time, but they want to hear public input at the board’s June 17 meeting. The meeting will be at 5 p.m. at the parks and recreation department headquarters at Washington Park.

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Washington Park focus of police efforts

From Staff Reports
Published: Thursday, June 10, 2010 4:14 AM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — The Michigan City Police Department Traffic Division announced officers will concentrate enforcement efforts on traffic and city-ordinance violations within Washington Park as the violation of the month for June, said Sgt. Jeff Loniewski, Traffic Division commander.

The Traffic Division, along with officers assigned to the Beach Patrol and Special Operations Group, will focus on:

• Consumption of alcoholic beverages. City ordinance prohibits the possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages within 50 feet of any parking lot, street or roadway within Washington Park or the California Avenue parking lot. The violation fine is $50.

• Glass containers. City ordinance prohibits anyone to have in his/her possession a glass container on any street, walkway, parking lot, roadway or beach property within Washington Park or the California Avenue parking lot. The fine is $25.

• Animals in the park. City ordinance prohibits anyone from bringing any type of domestic animal (including dogs) into Washington Park unless they are contained in a motor vehicle. The fine is $50.

• Loud music. City ordinance prohibits any unnecessary loud noises (including defective mufflers and loud music) that can be heard at a distance of more than 25 feet. The fine is $75 for the first offense.

Additionally, officers will enforce the 5 mph speed limit in Washington Park. Park patrons are reminded that no loitering will be allowed in Fedders Alley after 10 p.m. each night.

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Board takes no action on park closing time

By Matt Field
Staff Writer
Published: Friday, June 18, 2010 4:13 AM CDT
MICHIGAN CITY — After hearing arguments Thursday night for and against closing Washington Park at an earlier time, the park board decided to put off making a decision for now.

Residents in favor of closing the park earlier got a boost from Assistant Police Chief Mark Swistek, who recommended such action.

Swistek, who soon will take the reins as police chief, said police run into more trouble after 10 p.m. He said if the park closed earlier, the department would have more officers to help close it.

“So it is the recommendation of the Police Department that we would like to see Lot 1 be closed at 10 p.m.,” Swistek said, referencing the main parking lot.

Swistek told the park board police frequently respond to calls at the park. Sunday nights are the worst, he said.

Rick Nichols, who lives in Dunescape near Washington Park, said the noise in the park late at night is unbearable. He splits his time between Chicago and Michigan City and said he’d like to retire here, but would reconsider if the situation at the park doesn’t change.

“The park is a beautiful park, and nothing good is happening after 10 o’clock,” he said.

But former City Councilwoman Virginia Martin said she’s in favor of keeping the park open late. Martin wants residents to have more access to the fruits of their tax dollars. She told the board most people follow the rules.

“If you move in a townhouse right next to the park, what do you expect?,” said Martin after the meeting. “I moved next to a train, but I knew that when I moved.”

Martin wants the parks to remain open until midnight.

While the park board has given itself more time to consider the issue, board member Jim Powers said he’s inclined to support closing the park earlier.

“My personal feeling is that we should listen to the police recommendations,” Powers said after the board meeting. “The police have the biggest challenge in dealing with all the calls.”

The board began mulling closing the park after recent incidents of violence, including a shooting in May in which a woman was injured. In that case, police were dealing with a large nighttime crowd at the park and weren’t even aware someone was shot.

Among the many constituencies the board must juggle are fishermen, a handful of whom came to Thursday’s meeting. The fishermen want a place to park as they fish in the area.

Richard Hedgepetch, Valparaiso, said many fishermen arrive early in the morning for what he calls world-class fishing.