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The La Porte County
A trek to remember
Union Mills man hikes Appalachian
By GABRIELLE GONZALEZ Staff writer (219) 326-3870 ggonzalez@heraldargus.com
By Matt Fritz
Staff writer 1-866-362-2167 Ext. 13887 mfritz@heraldargus.com
La PORTE — A black mass of fur rushed out of the forest, its large body crashing through the trees, its clawed feet tearing through the underbrush. Its destination, Union Mills native and recent college graduate Cody Buchanan. On a 14-state hike through the Appalachian Trail, Buchanan had just stumbled across a baby bear. The little tyke was up in a tree, staring down at him. Buchanan made some noises so the animal wouldn’t be alarmed, but then the little ambassador from the Pennsylvanian forest got curious and came down to greet him. A few moments later it started whimpering. Momma wasn’t far behind. So Buchanan did the one thing he wasn’t supposed to do. He ran. “You’re not supposed to turn away,� he said, “but instinct took over and fortunately nothing else happened. It was a close encounter.� It was one of the many strange encounters Buchanan witnessed while trekking 2,186 miles from Georgia to Maine this past spring,
summer and fall, a hike that included close calls with rattlesnakes, bites from Lyme disease infected ticks, and freezing ice storms, all amidst the grand vistas of the Appalachian Mountains. A 28-year-old graduate with a masters in business administration, Buchanan said he wanted to explore the country one last time before starting a career. He previously volunteered in the Peace Corps, worked in the Dominican Republic with Habitat for Humanity, and was a volunteer for the United States Forest Service in Nevada. “I’m kind of always keeping my eyes peeled for the next adventure,� he said. So he chose a 170-day hike with only his wits and a 40 pound backpack full of
supplies to keep him safe. “I wanted to explore this country and the East Coast and small town America,� he said, “and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to do it on foot.� Living in South Carolina at the time, Buchanan left for Georgia on March 31 to start a nine-mile hike to reach the top of Springer Mountain, which served as the starting point for the trail. Then he began his walk alone. “I would get up by 6 a.m.,� he said, “pick up my tent, eat breakfast, and I would try to do 20 miles a day. It varied.� He said he had his first Submitted photos encounters with rattlesnakes ABOVE: A moose grazes along the Appalachian Trail, during the trip, and always one of the many animals encountered by Cody Buhad to keep his eyes open chanan. TOP: Cody Buchanan reaches the summit of Mount Katahdin in Maine, the finish line forw the ApSee TRAILS, Page A3 palachian Trail.
La Porte County Patriotic Council sets Service Medals to be presented public hearing on Eastport demolition By Matt Fritz
Staff writer 1-866-362-2167 Ext. 13887 mfritz@heraldargus.com
La PORTE — County officials want area veterans to know they have the opportunity to receive a special medal recognizing their service this weekend at the La Porte County Complex. On Saturday at 10 a.m., La Porte County officials will be presenting the La Porte County Patriotic Service Medal to veterans who are from La Porte County, currently residing in the county or joined the military in the county. The ceremony will take place in the meeting room of the government complex by the court house in La Porte. La Porte County Veterans Service Officer George Watkins said these medals have been given out since 2003. “It’s a little distinction veterans in our county can have that veterans in other counties don’t get,� he said. He said he originally wanted veterans to have
Subdivision voices flood concerns
By JESSICA O’BRIEN Staff Writer
Photo by Matt Fritz
La Porte County Veterans Service Officer George Watkins holds up the La Porte County Patriotic Service Medal, which will be presented to veterans this weekend. their applications in by Wednesday, but that deadline has been extended to Friday. And if they fail to meet that application deadline, he said they can still bring their military discharge or separation forms on the morning of the ceremony
and get their medal on Saturday. When the medals were originally issued, he said there were an estimated 14,000 veterans in the county. That number has since dropped to 10,447. He See VETERANS, Page A3
MICHIGAN CITY — A public hearing will be held at the next meeting of the Michigan City Common Council regarding the appropriation of funds for the demolition of Eastport School. During Tuesday’s meeting, a first reading was held introducing an ordinance which requests $227,171 to be approved for this project. These funds include the cost of demolition of the former school as well as asbestos removal. Included is $193,337 to Actin/TRI for the asbestos abatement, demolition and site restoration, $14,500 to Amereco, Inc. for project management and $19,334 to Amereco, Inc. for contingency to “cover any unforeseen matters that may arise during the work.� This ordinance was referred to the finance committee for a review. A second reading and public hearing
will be held at the next council meeting, which will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. Also at Tuesday’s meeting, a second reading was held for an ordinance requesting funds for the purchase of material and labor for an emergency generator and other electrical repairs and upgrades for the central maintenance department. Included in the $85,414 requested by Superintendent Ben Neitzel is the cost for the replacement generator and the cost to bring the Central Maintenance building to code, such as the replacement of interior and exterior lights and the replacement of two furnaces. A resolution supporting the La Porte County Veterans Treatment Court was passed unanimously by the council on Tuesday. This resolution, introduced by Councilman Richard Murphy, supports the creation of See COUNCIL, Page A3
La PORTE - Enbridge Energy Partners LP’s Public Affairs Advisor Jennifer Smith said the placement of piping in Indiana has been going well. Smith said Enbridge is projecting to have the all the piping in the area in the ground by the end of the year. She said the resurfacing and overlay on the pipeline will be expected to be done within the first quarter of 2014 and the restoration project will continue afterwards. The biggest local concern recently has been from the Jongkind Park community off of Johnson Road. They are concerned about their homes being flooded due to the construction. Representatives of Enbridge, including Smith, met at the Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church on Tuesday with the subdivision’s homeowners to address this issue. “The flooding continues and increases each year,� said Alice Shingler, president of the Jongkind Park subdivision. She showed the county officials present and Enbridge representatives pictures of her neighbors’ houses and yards from storms in the past. “I don’t think there will be a problem,� said Mike Polan, president of the La Porte County Municipal Separated Storm Sewer System (MS4) Board. “But I can’t sit here and say that Mother Nature won’t come in and have four inches of rain come down in an hour. Many subdivisions have been flooding because of the extreme weather we have been having. Even the best designed ones.� Polan said it is the board’s job to make sure Enbridge stays in compliance with what has been agreed upon through the licenses and contracts. “We, MS4, not only respond to the few complaints where Enbridge has complied to the needs, like too much dirt on the road, but we are proactive and check areas where there haven’t been complaints and find that they are in compliance there too,� said Polan. MS4 Coordinator Mike Brown said the fault should be blamed on the design of the park and not Enbridge. “This is an old design that See FLOODING, Page A3
THURSDAY WEATHER HIGH LOW 45 33 MOSTLY SUNNY
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Local
Judge hears from AG in Ritz-board of ed legal tilt By TOM LoBIANCO Associated Press
Cody Buchanan stands on the edge of McAffee’s Knob in Virginia.
TRAILS From Page A1
for wildlife. “Even in Virginia there are places you walk where there’s all these wild ponies,� he said. “You’re just walking around and you see these wild ponies running by, these moose, these falcons. The views I would see from the top of the mountains were incredible. You would see these spectacular vistas, these panoramic views of everything. It was worth the effort.� Then there were the deer ticks. Buchanan said he contracted Lyme disease from tick bites in Pennsylvania, and had to hike a whole day, suffering from fever and nausea, to reach an urgent care facility for treatment. He wound up spending six days in a hotel recovering. Then, when he started the trek again, he had to take another two days off because his body was reacting nega-
FLOODING From Page A1
wasn’t prepared for a 100-year storm,� said Brown. “We are having more intense rains and I think a lot of these problems are inherent with the old design of the subdivision.� He said Enbridge can only lay the area back to its original state and not create extra barriers to help the rainfall from flooding the park. Smith said Enbridge will do all it can to not aggravate the area but they cannot do more than what they are contracted to do. She said she is not aware of a similar situation where excessive flooding has occurred. “We work hard to try to work with the community,�
COUNCIL From Page A1
this court which “is our community’s response to the growing need for an alternative to incarceration specifically for justice-involved veterans.� Judge Jennifer Koethe attended Tuesday’s meeting, speaking in support of the establishment of this court. “As we approach Veteran’s Day, we honor those who have served our country,� she said. “Unfortunately, as many of those veterans return from Iraq or Afghanistan, they have trouble readjusting to everyday life.� According to the resolution, “one in five veterans have symptoms of a mental disorder or cognitive impairment, one in six veterans from Operation Enduring Freedom and
Submitted photo
tively to the medication. Along the way Buchanan occasionally came across other hikers. Even though they had dissimilar backgrounds, he said they often banded together because of the similar challenges they faced along the trail. “I encountered more people than I expected,� he said, “but it really dropped off the longer the trail went on. Quite a few aren’t able to finish because of injuries and other reasons.� And hikers also got to see the seasons change, moving from spring to summer to fall as they trekked north. Buchanan said it was scorching hot in July with 100 degree temperatures, but then the weather turned cold once he got into the northern states, leading to freezing ice storms. These extremes weren’t something he was used to handling on foot. “I have only camped outside maybe five times before
this, which is why it was such a unique adventure for me,� he said. “I enjoy the outdoors, but I didn’t really hike and camp and that’s what intrigued me about it because it was outside of my element.� He wound up finishing the trail, which ended at the top of Mount Katahdin in Maine, on Sept. 16. He was 44 pounds lighter. Buchanan said he knew hikers lost a lot of weight so he gained about 20 pounds before starting the trip. Now back in Union Mills, Buchanan said he is looking forward to starting a career. He said his dream job would be working for an international relief organization or social services. He said he isn’t so sure about starting another hike. “I think I’d need to forget how much my body hurt,� he said, “and how much weight I lost.�
said Smith. She said they try to work with the landowners of each property, where the pipeline is laid, on an individual basis. On Sept. 16, a member of a Michigan environmentalist group protested the pipeline by standing on a platform in a 20-foot-tall tree with supporting ropes attached to Enbridge trucks at a construction site off of Goldring Road. Smith said since the tree incident, there haven’t been any issues. Polan said Enbridge has been a great company to work with and they have maintained compliance. He said if there is dirt on the road they will send a sweeper truck to take care of the road. He said the biggest issue was at the beginning of the project
when four inches of rain fell and flooded a few areas. Polan said the crews working on the ground tried to fix the situation. According to Smith, workers who have stayed in the area while working on the pipeline have seemed to like Northwest Indiana. She said some of the workers bring their entire families to the area while working. Smith said this brings in money to the communities, which the workers spend on food, gas and entertainment. She said, on average, each worker spends about $600 a week locally. On average the workers will be on-site for 22 weeks. Smith said about 40 percent of the workers are from Northwest Indiana.
Operation Iraqi Freedom suffers from substance abuse issues and research continues to draw a link between substance abuse and combat-related mental illness.� The Veteran’s Treatment Court will consist of a group of judges, treatment providers, mentors and other support providers, and will bring treatment geared specifically toward veterans, helping them function in everyday life. Hoping to be in place by April 1, the group is currently seeking those with military experience to serve as mentors. Those interested may contact project coordinator Agnes Meer through the mayor’s office. In other business: • Council members voted 8-1 in support in the reestablishment of a full-service Indiana Workforce Development
Office in Michigan City, with the vote against coming from Councilman Marc Espar. “I feel this is overdue with an office being in La Porte for such a long time. And with the cost of living going up I feel this is the right thing to do,â€? Council President Duane Parry said. • Public hearings will be held during the second readings on Nov. 19 for ordinances on the reinstatement of the position of director in the Michigan City Human Rights Department as well as the approval of appropriation for the purchase of information technology upgrades for city facilities. • The council voted unanimously to approve Mayor Ron Meer’s request to reappoint James Guerrucci and Sunny Akhigbe and appoint Sharon Wright as members of the Human Rights Commission.
Follow Matt Fritz on Twitter @matt_fritzHA.
VETERANS From Page A1
said this is a loss rate of 125 veterans a month. He said his office wants to make sure all the veterans eligible for the medal receive it. The medals are distributed once a year. For more information, contact Watkins at 326-6808, ext. 2216 or email him at gwatkins@ laportecounty.org. The La Porte County Veterans Service Office is located at 555 Michigan Ave. Ste 105, in La Porte.
INDIANAPOLIS — A Marion County judge could decide by Friday whether School Superintendent Glenda Ritz’s lawsuit against the other members of the State Board of Education may proceed. Deputy Attorney Gener-
‘Bundle Up La Porte’ program distribution is Saturday La PORTE — La Porte area churches, Cutler Funeral Home and the La Porte Community Schools has geared up for their annual “Bundle Up La Porte� program. They will provide coats, hats, gloves, snow pants, socks and underwear for elementary aged children in they community. They can accommodate ages preschool through fifth grade. They have been collecting items in sizes from preschool to adult and ask donors to consider that many of the children in this age group may wear larger sizes, up to XXL. Items will be distributed on Saturday from 8 to 10 a.m., at La Porte First Church of God, 2020 E. Lincoln Way, La Porte. This will be done first come first serve. They will have light refreshments and will be giving away other donated items. Donation drop off locations are at the City of La Porte Fire Stations, Cutler Funeral Home and Cremation Center, and local participating churches. Donations can be dropped off through Friday at any of these locations. Cash donations will also be accepted through Friday. One hundred percent of monetary donations will go
al David Arthur told Judge Louis Rosenberg Tuesday that Ritz could not file suit in her role as a state official without approval from the attorney general. But Ritz lawyer Michael Moore argued the suit should proceed because the state school superintendent has standing as a separate constitutional office.
AREA BRIEFS toward the program. Checks are to be made to Cutler Funeral Home, with “Bundle Up� as the memo. Monetary donations may be mailed to, Cutler Funeral Home, 2900 Monroe St., La Porte, IN 46350. For more information, contact bundleuplaporte@ gmail.com or Cutler Funeral Home 362-2828.
La Porte Special Education Cooperative will hold public forum La PORTE — South La Porte County Special Education Cooperative will hold an informational session with the Indiana Department of Education consultants and IN*Source regarding the academic success of students in a general education setting. The session will be held Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Swanson Senior Activity Center, 910 State St. This public forum is to provide parents and community partners the opportunity to assist the Indiana State Board of Education in gathering information on the setting in which students receive special education services in your corporation. During this session, information will be shared with parents of students with disabilities and community partners. Public input is needed for continual academic improvement for each child.
Ritz claims the board members violated the state’s open meetings law when they asked that calculation of “A-F� school grades be conducted by the General Assembly’s bill-drafting arm. The board members say Ritz dragged her feet in releasing the grades and argue there was no meeting in violation of state law.
TransPorte will be in operation on Veteran’s Day La PORTE — La Porte TransPorte will be in operation on Veteran’s Day Monday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Veteran’s Day is a city holiday, but TransPorte will be available for those who would like to utilize the city service for their transportation needs. To learn more about fares, how to schedule a ride, or download their brochure, visit www.cityoflaporte.com/140/ TransPorte
New Prairie Middle School will hold Veterans Day program NEW CARLISLE — On Monday at 7:30 a.m. in the NPMS Gymnasium, New Prairie Middle School will hold its annual Veterans Day program. The school choir will perform and students will provide information on the history of Veterans Day as well as the Tomb of the Unknowns. Taking part in the program will be the Color Guards of VFW Post 9423, AmVets Post 911, and American Legion Post 297. The guest speaker for the program will be Greg Dettinger, NPHS principal and USAF veteran. All local veterans and their families are invited to attend this program so that the school can recognize their service and sacrifice to our country. The program will last one hour.
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