Duneland Today - Fall 2022

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Kelly,

ON THE COVER Chesterton High School Basketball's George Vrahoretis

MEET THE TEAM

Heather Augustyn / Contributing Editor

Heather Augustyn is a Chesterton native. She is a continuing lecturer of composition at Purdue Northwest and was a newspaper journalist for 12 years. She has published seven books on ska music and lives in Chesterton with her husband and their two sons, Sid and Frank.

Kyle Telechan / Photographer

Kyle Telechan, photographer, has done freelance work for the Times of Northwest Indiana since graduating from Indiana University in 2007 and has over 11 years of experience in photojournalism. His interest in nature, architecture, and urban decay drives much of his non-photojournalistic work. Kyle currently lives in Portage with his wife, Elise.

Elizabeth Kelly / Managing Editor & Graphic Designer

Elizabeth has over 16 years of experience in the design and publishing industry. A lifelong resident of northwest Indiana, Elizabeth currently lives in Chesterton with her children, Jacob and Everly.

CURRENTS

The Duneland Chamber of Commerce held their annual Community Awards luncheon to celebrate members who have contributed to the community in a number of ways. President Maura Mundell led the event which was held on July 20, 2022, at the Spa Speakeasy & Special Event Center. “It is the Duneland Chamber’s honor to recognize organizations, businesses, and individuals at today’s Annual Community Awards luncheon,” says Mundell. “These winners make the Duneland community a better place to live, work, and play.” This issue of DunelandToday Magazine pays tribute to those award winners.

PUTTING DUNELAND ON THE MAP

Chesterton High School Boys Basketball

The Chesterton High School Boys Bas ketball team sure gave March Madness a whole new meaning last season. That month, the team proudly finished as IHSAA State Final Runner-Up after winning the No blesville Holiday Tournament along with the DAC title enroute to an undefeated regular sea son. In addition, they won their second IHSAA Sectional championship in four years. They then defeated South Bend Adams and Penn to win the school’s first ever Regional Championship and followed that with a victory over Kokomo to win the Semi-State Championship. The Trojans finished the year with an overall record of 29-1.

Head Coach Marc Urban led this determined team of boys through a successful season, guid

ing them to be strong members of the team, as well as the community. As a result, Marc Urban is recipient of the Putting Duneland on the Map award which was presented by Duneland School Corporation Superintendent Dr. Chip Pettit.

“When I first got the job,” said Urban, “I told our players that we were going to do what ever it took to put this program on the map. So, receiving an award that is named ‘Putting Duneland on the Map’ is pretty neat. What made our run so special was the support that we had from our school and community. Hearing stories of where people were watching the game if they were not at the game was really fun. This is a special community and we feel very lucky to be a small part of it.”

Urban says the excitement that the season brought to the community is inspiring and mo tivates him to continue this season. “When we came back from Regionals and Semi-State and there were people in the streets standing in the rain to welcome us back was really special. Even though we came up short at State, to look up into the stands at Gainbridge and see and hear the amount of people that made the trip to Indy was incredible and something that we will never forget,” he says.

Dr. Pettit stated, “Marc does a tremendous job leading every aspect of the basketball program. The team sure took the community on a magical ride this past winter. It was so much fun to watch everyone come together to support this team.”

Chesterton head coach Marc Urban gestures to his team during a game.

Chesterton's Travis Grayson.

DISTINGUISHED WOMAN

Darlene Kittredge

The Distinguished Woman award was presented by last year’s recipient of the award, Heather Compton, during the Duneland Chamber Community Awards ban quet in July. Heather explained that the award is presented annually to a Duneland resident who demonstrates the spirit of humanitarianism in her service to the community, contributions to her business or profession, and initiative and creativity in assisting other women to reach their full leadership potential. “Darlene Kit tredge,” said Compton, “has been a part of the Duneland community for over 50 years and has contributed through many different avenues. She has raised three children here, two of whom have successful businesses in town and also give back to the community through town politics and serving on not-for-profit boards. 38 years ago, Darlene established and still continues to be an integral part of the accounting firm Kit

tredge & Zehner.”

“My husband and I moved to Chesterton 51 years ago and raised our three children here,” says Kittredge. “It has been a wonderful place to raise a family. I have worked in the com munity for 51 years, initially as an employee of another firm and 39 years ago I started my own firm. The community was very welcom ing and receptive to me. The Chamber has been a large factor in my firm’s growth and success. The educational system for our children and the community support for my business has inspired me to be active in the Chamber, educa tional organizations and my church.”

Kittredge has held all offices for the Dune land Chamber of Commerce throughout the 1980s and she was the first female president of the Chamber in 1985. She has also served on municipal boards, bank boards, church ad ministration, and in the mid-1990s she helped

to begin the Duneland Education Foundation with several other town leaders and served on their board for 15 years. She also works to sup port other small businesses and in 2018 she was recognized by the Indiana CPA Society for be ing the first woman in Indiana to be involved with the organization for 50 years.

“Receiving this award is a great honor,” said Kittredge of the Distinguished Woman award. “I feel privileged to be included with the many wom en who have preceded me. We don’t do what we do for recognition, but it is an honor to be recog nized. I will continue to be active and am proud to have two children who live in Chesterton and are active members of the community.”

Kittredge & Zehner, P. C. 209 S. Calumet Rd., Suite 1, Chesterton (219) 926-8836 www.dlkcpa.com

Duneland Distinguished Woman Darlene Kittredge holds the necklace given to her for obtaining the title.

Duneland Distinguished Woman Darlene Kittredge at Kittredge & Zehner in Chesterton.

CURRENTS

OF THE YEAR

Mental Health America of NWI

The Humanitarian of the Year award was given to Mental Health America of NWI for their dedication to the community. President and CEO Andrea Sher win says that the demand for mental health services has been higher than ever and they have been responding to that call. “In 2020, the number of individuals seeking mental health support skyrocketed across the nation, and our community was no exception. Between Co vid-19 and events that amplified a collective cry for social justice, people took on significant emotional health constraints: fear, anger, lone liness, isolation, and more. At Mental Health America of NWI, we saw an increase in requests and response for support and services of 1214% across our programs. What we all thought was going to be an isolated spike due to the pandemic turned into a longer-term norm, as we continue to manage the needs of our com munity even today,” says Sherwin.

She continues, “Responding to the growing need for mental health support has required both collaboration and creativity. We have added programming that helps educate, in form, and support our community; and we

have found new ways to provide outreach and support to existing clients, including virtual services. Leveraging decades-long partnerships in the community, we have also joined com munity action committees and cohorts in order to share resources and make referrals to ensure 360-degree care for all NWI residents.”

Being recognized with this award only mo tivates Sherwin and her staff to continue their work. Sherwin says, “As a mission-based orga nization, our end goal is always the health and welfare of our community. We are grateful to be recognized for the work we do to educate, em power, and strengthen the way individuals and families function for life. This award is a gracious reminder of our “why”—and recognition of the incredible work by our program teams each and every day. We accept this honor with great hu mility and pride in service to the community. We are incredibly grateful for our entire team and happy to thank and honor two phenomenal team members who make our work in the Dune land Community possible—Alyssa Zilz, Porter County Program Director, and Grace Gidley, Porter County Program Specialist.”

In identifying programs that have been espe

cially beneficial to the community, Sherwin says that two programs specific to the Porter County Community have greatly contributed to the health and wellbeing of Porter County residents. “Bridging the Gap and Open Door Social Club. Bridging the Gap provides emergency assistance to residents of Porter County who are in finan cial distress and are unable to pay for medications prescribed to treat their mental illness and/or ad dictions. With the crisis need met, clients are aided in locating long-term resources through follow-up services, moving them from crisis mode to im proved financial stability. Open Door Social Club (ODSC) provides individuals living with mental illness a space to come together with peers to work on socialization and build life skills. Program par ticipants have expressed great appreciation for this program due to the safe, non-judgmental space in which to combat social isolation, practice social competencies, and be part of a community that might otherwise feel inaccessible to them.”

Mental Health America of NWI 5311 Hohman Ave, Hammond (219) 937-7733

www.mhanwi.org

Porter County Program Director Alyssa Zilz accepting the award from Duneland Chamber's Kelly Sieman at the Duneland Chamber Community Awards.

Program Specialist Grace Gidley and Porter County Program Director Alyssa Zilz.

SERVICEPERSON OF THE YEAR

Retired Chesterton Assistant Police Chief Dan Rocha

P

resenting the Serviceperson of the Year award, Town of Chesterton Liaison Kevin Nevers said he was delighted to make comments on behalf of Town Manager Dave Cincoski. The award was given to Dan Rocha who has retired from serving as Chester ton’s Assistant Police Chief. “It’s been a pleasure watching this officer rise steadily, and deserv edly, through the ranks of the Chesterton Police Department. He made detective after only five years, a rank of responsibility and wisdom for which he’s ideally suited. What impressed

me about this officer even in the early days is his demeanor. He blends, in an easy balance, professionalism with warmth, a seriousness of purpose with a fine sense of humor, modesty with confidence. In short, he’s exactly the sort of officer a Chief of Police wants in customer service: calming the angry, comforting the traumatized, taking a prayer meeting with the innocent until proven guilty,” Nevers said.

Rocha served with the Drug Task Force and was promoted to sergeant. He volunteered as a K-9 handler with his partner, Igor, and was

promoted to lieutenant and was tapped to com mand the Investigations Division. He was then promoted to assistant chief and was a recipient of a Life Saving Award, in addition to receiving numerous commendations. “I was very humbled and honored to be nominated for an award like this, let alone to receive it,” Rocha said. “I view myself as a guy who just showed up and did my job. The citizens that live in the community and the men and women that I work with, and the entire Town of Chesterton are very supportive of their first responders,” he says.

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When the world changes, we can help you prepare for what’s next

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Dan Rocha and Kevin Nevers at the Duneland Community Awards.

CURRENTS

RENOVATION OF THE YEAR NorthShore Health Centers

NorthShore Health purchased the Duneland Resale Shop property at 801 Broadway in Chesterton in order to relocate and expand its healthcare services. This renovation spanned approximately 15,000 square feet of space, where NorthShore Health will be relocating not only its existing facility, but also its Frontline Foundations substance abuse and addiction treatment facility. It was important for NorthShore to keep the West chester Neighbors Food Pantry headquartered in the building to keep everything as commu nity based as possible.

Tricia Hall, senior director of marketing and communication for NorthShore Health, says being recognized by the community is an af firmation of their commitment. “NorthShore Health Centers joined the Chesterton commu nity in 2015 offering family practice, pediatrics, and OB/GYN. The original building did not allow for much growth and as the demand for more services grew, NorthShore realized we needed more space to meet the needs of the community. Additionally, in July of 2019, NorthShore merged with Frontline Founda tions as a way to offer coordinated care to the whole person with physical and mental health services as one. NorthShore and Frontline as one company functioned under two sites due to space limitations in both buildings. As North Shore had been looking for a larger space for quite some time, the resale shop opportunity presented itself during the pandemic when the shop was forced to close in order to eliminate the spread of COVID-19. After a meeting with the owners of the resale shop, they felt com fortable with the idea of moving a healthcare organization into the building as they knew it would continue to impact the community in a positive way,” says Hall.

The new facility will meet the needs of the community through the services and resources that NorthShore is able to provide. Hall says, “Immediately, moving into this new building allowed NorthShore to provide more conve nient care for our patients since the medical and mental health services are now together in one building. We were also able to expand services to add a chiropractor, vision center, and phar macy in this building with dental coming in the near future. Our current medical services of family practice, pediatrics, and OB/GYN have

additional exam rooms allowing us to add more providers as the community demand increases and requires more medical services. These ad ditional services have also given us the ability to create more job opportunities in the Duneland community. NorthShore was also able to build out a space for the food pantry. The food pantry previously operated out of the Duneland Resale Shop and we did not want to jeopardize that resource. Now the food pantry does not need to relocate and NorthShore patients who are in need of this service can receive their medical care and resources in the same location.”

"The design of the new facility was based around the needs of the community," says Hall. “The Chesterton clinic is different than all of our other clinics as there is a check in desk per service. Medical, dental, vision, chiropractic, and substance abuse treatment all have different check in stations and medical suites since each service has different patient needs. Many of our locations have one reception desk for all servic es. Although this might seem convenient, as our services have expanded and our sites have got ten larger, we realized there are some issues with workflow. For example, during a busy time, pa tients might have the same appointment time but for a different service which creates a bot tleneck and a line for check-in. Different desks and suites allow for each patient to be addressed in a more efficient manner. Another reason for breaking the building into suites by services is medical staff and patients do not need to pass through other services to get to exam rooms positioned at the back of the building. Overall, this design is more compliant with ADA and HIPAA regulations and more convenient for the patients and the staff.”

The award has recognized this attention to the community and the hard work of the re model. NorthShore CEO David Hall says, “We are honored to receive this award. A lot of thought went into the design of the Chesterton clinic and we are confident that this new build ing will allow us to better serve the Duneland community and continue to build a healthy community, one patient at a time.”

NorthShore Health Centers 801 Broadway Ave, Chesterton (219) 763-8112

www.northshorehealth.org

Allen Grecula, director of substance abuse treatment with NorthShore Health Centers, and director of clinical services at Frontline Foundations, on right, leads visitors on a tour through the new facility at the NorthShore Health Centers Chesterton building.

Examination room in the new NorthShore Health Centers building in Chesterton.

NorthShore Health Centers employee Mary Carey, on right, fills a glasses prescription with help from Optician Barbara Chasko during the grand opening of the new NorthShore Health Centers building in Chesterton.

The lounge in the Frontline Foundations facility at the newly-opened NorthShore Health Centers building in Chesterton.

VNA Hospice NWI - Meals on Wheels of Porter Co.

his year’s Volunteer of the Year award was presented to the VNA Hospice NWI for the VNA Meals on Wheels of Porter County program. The award honors an individual or an organization that actively dedicates their time for the community. The VNA Meals on Wheels of Porter County helps homebound seniors maintain their indepen dence and nutritional well-being. There are over 40 seniors in the Duneland community that receive this service and more than 40,000 meals to homebound seniors in Porter County every year. Even more astonishing, they do this with only 23 rotating volunteers that help serve the community by delivering their meals.

Bob Franko, president and CEO of VNA Hospice NWI, says that the effort is a result of these dedicated volunteers who enable to serve those in need. “Our program has been around since the '80s. During the pandemic

we served many more people and we antici pate the program will grow. Most are seniors somewhat isolated in their homes who have trouble preparing a meal just for themselves, so that’s really the blessing of the program. For many of the seniors we serve in the program, this is sometimes the only person that knocks on their door all day long, so it helps to lay eyes on them and ask if there is anything they need,” Franko says.

It is also worthy to note that the VNA also received a $7,500 pet food and supply grant from Meals on Wheels America to provide the VNA Meals on Wheels clients with food and veterinary services for their pets, too. This new service is yet another way that VNA helps im prove quality-of-life for seniors and none of this would be possible without their volunteers.

Franko says, “It's awesome to be recog nized like this. We approach this work we

do with a huge sense of humility and we get the gratitude every day when we deliver the meals, but it’s great to receive gratitude from the community. It’s one of the programs that people don’t really know about and the service we bring. It’s about recognizing our volunteers and some of these people have been doing this for 20 years and have built relationships with people they deliver to. We can’t do it without them. We don’t need the gratitude—we pass it to our volunteers and to our partner in this, Pines Village. They are the ones who prepare and package these meals every day and tailor them to the need of each individual person.”

VNA Hospice NWI

501 Marquette St., Valparaiso (219) 462-5195

www.vnanwi.org

VNA Hospice NWI - Meals on Wheels volunteer Linda Burrus walks on the walkway outside of a veteran's house during delivery service in Chesterton.

MAKING

Rose Charo, Lori Hess, Samantha Steele, and Susan Ayala of Centier Bank

Doug Franz, Craig Beatty, Paul Boris, and Jim Ford of Pinkerton Oil

John Evans of Edmonds & Evans Funeral Home, Mark Ritzi of Horizon Bank, Gregory Babcock, Attorney at Law

Rob Dorsey of NIPSCO, Kevin Cardinas, Darrin Warne, and Dan Uzelac of NIPSCO

Ken Publicover, Melissa Pearman, Jeff Veach, and Jeff Fleming of Trans-United, Inc.

Rafael Mora, Blake Lemon,Sam Oliver, and Corey Oliver

CORKSCREW

MAKING

DUNELAND CHAMBER COMMUNITY AWARDS -

Kelly Sieman of Duneland Chamber of Commerce and Amy Wulf of VNA Hospice NWI

Maura Mundell of Duneland Chamber of Commerce and Todd Elliott of NorthShore Health Centers

Dawn Eidman of Dune Grass Surgical Suites

Dan Rocha and Kevin Nevers of Town of Chesterton

Mark Urban and Dr. Chip Pettit of Duneland School Corporation

Kris Hartrunft, Shelina Samanas, Darlene Kittredge CPA, Vickie Morales, Kari Zehner CPA,and Vanessa Zimmer of Kittredge & Zehner, P. C.

COLD AND FLU SEASON IS HERE! As you may know, that’s not because the temperature dropped; it’s because we spend more time indoors with dry air where we’re sharing germs. Our respiratory systems work harder in the dry air.

Now that winter is fast approaching, help your family ward off colds and the flu as best you can by ensuring your home’s air is clean.

The professionals at Kent Heating and Air Conditioning will perform a multi-point seasonal tune-up for smooth, efficient running, plus a full system safety check to keep you healthy and safe. These services are typically $110.00, but when you book your service before October 31st, Kent Heating and Air will finetune and clean your heating system for just $69.

You’ll not only have improved indoor air quality, but you may ward off BIG BILLS for preventable repairs or replacing your heating system.

MAKING

Chesterton Middle School new teachers: Marc Bruner - English, Donald Liles - Math, Kristine Prater - Spanish, Leanne JohnsonMath, Kailey Holmquist - Science, Robert Morris - Special Ed, Taylor Chamberlain - Math.

Chesterton High School new teachers: Tom Biel - Business/Computer Science, Jonathan Flodder - Band Director, Shalonda HendersonSpecial Ed, Mark Coleman - Special Ed, Matthew ChristensenAssistant Band Director, Doretta Kurzinski - English, and Kristen Myers - Science.

Duneland School Intermediate new teachers: Jake TrezakWestchester Intermediate (WIS) Special Ed, Nadine KavanaughWIS Reading Specialist, Kate Meyer - Liberty Intermediate Special Ed, Michael Cleary - WIS Special Ed. Absent from photo is Paige Hart - WIS Music.

Jackson Elementary new teachers: Kiersten Berry - Music, Jason Finner - Grade 3, and Casey Wszolek - Kindergarten.

Duneland School Elementary new teachers: Karli Kennedy - Bailly Elementary Grade 2, Renee Mundt - Brummitt Elementary Kindergarten, Ashleigh Claudio - Brummitt Special Ed, and Adona Elkins - Yost Elementary Grade 3.

Liberty Elementary new teachers: Lindsey Stainko - Counselor, Julie Miles - Special Ed, Morgan Olson - Kindergarten, Ashleigh Trumble - Grade 3, and Chris Nixon - Grade 3.

COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY

Cleveland-Cliffs is a major employer in Northwest Indiana and engaged with the communities where we operate. We focus on providing a safe, environmentallyresponsible work environment and quality jobs for our employees, and we partner with stakeholders to support healthy, vibrant communities.

The support of our host communities has been critical to Cleveland-Cliffs’ success throughout our Company’s long history, and we don’t take for granted the privilege of operating here. We want to be a responsible corporate citizen that acts as a partner in solving challenges and helping everyone thrive.

Want to join our team? We’re hiring for multiple positions across our Company!

FIND YOUR FUTURE IN STEEL

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Look forward to a healthy future by taking care of yourself now. At Northwest Medical Group, our healthcare providers take the time to identify your health risks and can help you prioritize good health. Regular checkups and age-appropriate screenings are important to be healthy now – and to stay well in the future.

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Make a strong choice for a healthy future. Make the most important appointment today. Visit NorthwestIndianaPCP.com.

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