Culver – Page 81 – Easterday Construction Co., Inc.

Are Golf Carts the Vehicle that would allow Culver to Annex the Lake?

September 2, 2009 by

Golf Cart 1 I’ve been watching all the hullabaloo about golf carts in town. It’s obviously a State-wide issue as the legislature has taken it up and clarified things. (Is that possible?) In the case of Culver and Lake Maxinkuckee, golf carts can be used within the Town of Culver as long as they meet minimum safety requirements and are registered with the Town. This puts 3/4’s of the Lake and a large portion of the Culver Academies on the wrong side of the law when it comes to operating golf carts on public streets and highways.

Child restraints? We don't need no stinkin' child restraints!

The new State Law really hasn’t changed anything for the residents outside the Town. It was and remains illegal to operate golf carts on public right-a-ways. The new Law clarified the rights of Cities and Towns to license golf carts for use on their streets if they chose to to so. Culver’s Golf Cart Ordinance is available for review on the town website here.

C'mon! Do you really think this would stand up to a collision with the real thing?

It’s unbelievable how passionate people are on this issue! I find it somewhat unfathomable that so many people are willing to send their children out in these vehicles to compete for right-a-way with cars, trucks, SUV’s and Semi’s. I’m sure some of these same people check out Consumer’s Reports for crash test ratings before buying a car. How would a golf cart rate in a collision with a car? To paraphrase a classic movie line, “Child Restraints? We don’t need no stinkin’ child restraints!”

But that’s not why I’m typing at you today. Tongue firmly in cheek, I propose that the Culver Town Council is missing a wonderful opportunity to Annex the Lake! This has always been a divisive issue. The Town always feels that they are providing services to property owners that don’t support them through taxes. The Lake residents feel that they are already under too much Town control without representation. Are golf carts the vehicle that would allow Culver to annex the Lake? I say, “Full speed ahead!” Heck, it’s only a golf cart… What is that, like, maybe 20 mph?

At least one current Town Council Member, Lynn Overmyer, has a golf cart and uses it around town regularly. I would suggest that she run for re-election on a Golf Cart Platform. Admittedly a precarious position where she would have to balance many issues… but could this be the issue that unites the Lake, Town and Academies? I’m picturing Lance driving the cart while Lynn expounds on the virtues of community in a rousing oratory from the bag rack… like off the back of a train, Herbert Hoover style…

Marshall County with Union Township in Orange — Marshall County with Union Township highlighted

Personally, I think we should think big on this. Our Man Mitch would like the State to do away with the townships. Let’s be a progressive community and form our own smaller version of Indianapolis’s uni-gov by absorbing all of Union Township while we’re at it. There’s only a thin ribbon of area to the south and west between Culver’s Zoning boundary and the County Line anyway. Burr Oak and Hibbard will become suburbs! Culver will once again have train service. Our boundaries will encompass a river and a couple of additional lakes. (They’re small, but they’ll look good in the brochure text.) We’ll pick up a connection to another state highway (110) and bring us within spitting distance of State Road 8.

Oh, sure… There are naysayers that will bring up issues like water and sewer as well as police protection. Those are just details. Our Senators are voting 1,200 page bills into Law without reading them, so we shouldn’t get caught up in the details when we can vote for… wait for it… “Change”!

Oops! I slipped off my original soap box onto an adjacent one. Sorry. We were talking about golf carts. Annex the Lake! Annex the Lake!

There are lots of good reasons for pursuing additional annexation. Unfortunately, good reasons aren’t often good enough. The Town is pursuing annexation on South Main Street, but one property owner is threatening to oppose it. Why? No apparent reason. The property is already within Culver’s zoning boundary and any tax increase would be minimal since the property is undeveloped. Since part of the package is the extension of water and sewer to this area, the annexation would only enhance the property and increase the value. Apparently those aren’t things worth consideration.

Towns are either growing or dying. There is no staying the same. Culver needs to plan for growth and pursue it diligently. The golf cart debate is kind of silly. Annexing the Lake should remain on the table for consideration.

Antiquarian Entrance

August 4, 2009 by

Culver Antiquarian and Historical Society Museum Entrance

We’ve been working on a couple of projects for The Antiquarian & Historical Society of Culver. This is a continuation of the Museum room renovation we completed for them in the basement of the Culver Union Township Public Library. We’ve been working with their Museum Designer, Ted Swigon of Chicago Scenic Studios, Inc., as he creates the displays for the museum build-out. The first project is a simulation of the train station shelters in the hall leading to the museum entrance. Mr. Swigon had us recreate one of the posts from the west pavilion at the Town Park. The Park pavilions were formerly attached to the train station and served as shelters for loading passengers. The pavilions were later relocated to other areas in the park. We also created a simulation of the dentils at the top edge on a slightly smaller scale. We reduced them in size and eliminated some of the details. Mr. Swigon wanted the feel of the station but didn’t want the details to be overwhelming. The “CULVER” sign is a scaled recreation of the sign found shown in pictures of the station when it was in operation. A vintage picture of a train at the station will be blown up and adhered to the doors beneath the display. This not only will draw visitors to the museum entrance, but helps disguise the existing mechanical room doors at the end of the hall.

A Garden Court for Culver (part II)

May 2, 2011June 24, 2009 by

Culver likely next Garden Court community — Culver Garden Court Article from the June 18, 2009 addition of the Culver Citizen

A special meeting of the Culver Town Council was held on June 9, 2009 to discuss the possibility of a Garden Court in Culver next year. As discussed earlier here, I had approached several property owners around Town about the potential for a Garden Court project on their land. I was given the opportunity to discuss it with several of them and one, Mr. Wade McGee, has chosen to pursue it with us. Mr. McGee and I met with the Town Council on the 9th and discussed various goals including water extensions, sewer extensions, fire protection, annexation, rezoning and future plans for that property as well as the adjacent properties. Some members of the Plan Commission and the BZA attended that meeting as well and the implications regarding their various needs and requirements were also discussed.

All and all the meeting went well. In premise, it was agreed that Mr. McGee would continue to work with Garden Court on their proposed facility and would request annexation, while the Town Council agreed to extend water and sewer to the property and to support the rezoning of the property from S-1 Suburban Residential to R-2 Residential. This change is in keeping with the Comprehensive Plan and with other goals currently being pursued by the Town Council.

Following that meeting was the regular Town Council meeting. At that meeting, Reverend Liechty, President of Garden Court, Inc., renewed their request for the Town Council to support the new Garden Court for Culver and to renew their financial pledge towards the project. A letter was requested verifying that a Garden Court would be acceptable on the proposed property. All these things were agreed to by the Council.

It looks like we’re moving forward!

Easterday Constuction set a New Record Today…

June 19, 2009 by

Record Display created for Easterday Construction Co., Inc. — Record Display created by Easterday Construction for the Culver Boys & Girls Club Fundraiser

Carol Zeglis commissioned the construction of a display piece for use at the Boys & Girls Club Fundraiser. She wanted a large “Record” that guests could walk through. This goes with the Fabulous 50’s theme they are using for the this evening’s event. She wanted something substantial that could be repainted and used again in the future. The picture shows it in place at the Culver Academy’s Multi-purpose building during preparations for the event.

We designed this based on concept pictures and design discussions with Mrs. Zeglis. We constructed this using an expanded foam interior wrapped in a plywood veneer. It is divided at the top and has removable bases. In the picture, it is shown before the bases were installed. It has rope lighting accents around the inner edge. The diameter of the circle is over 12′ and the record stands approximately 9′ tall. It is approxiately 19″ thick. Schoberg & Schoberg from Plymouth did the painting that makes it look like a record. (Nice job Martha!)

Fundraiser Cafe' Tables made with tops donated by Easterday Construction.

This is also the event where our table tops will be put to use. They dressed up pretty nicely with table cloths on them! These were previously discussed in our blog here.

I was pleased to see the party set up and it’s unfortunate that I won’t be able to attend. There seemed to be quite a few interesting auction items and it looks like a good time will be had by all!

Best of luck to Carol and all the organizers. We hope their efforts are rewarded. The kids they are serving deserve our support.

Culver Boys and Girls Club Fundraiser

June 8, 2009 by

Fabulous '50s Fundraiser for the Culver Boys and Girls Club

The Culver Boys and Girls Club is having its annual fund raising event at the Culver Academies on Friday, June 19th in the Multi-Purpose Room. The theme this year is “The Fabulous ’50s”. Support the kids and have a great time at the Fabulous ’50s Silent Auction & Party. Enjoy food, beer, wine, and cocktails from local restaurants all while having the opportunity to bid on exciting silent auction items from vaction stays and sports tickets and memorabilia, to orginial works of art. See a special performance by acclaimed hula hoop artist Kara Vogt and cheer on 11 local celebrities as they compete in a spirited hula hoop contest. Tickets are $40 each or 2 for $75 and may be purchased in advance or at the door.

This group does a wonderful service helping Culver Youth with after-school activities, homework help and general good citizenship. For more information regarding the event you can visit their site here. There is also a silent auction and they have pictures of many of the auction items at the website as well. There are also opportunities to sponsor events.

If you go to the event you may be sitting your drink on one of the 9 cafe table tops donated by Easterday Construction Co., Inc. for the event. We sent those out last week for assembly by the table base makers. We appreciate all the efforts of the volunteers that run this organization and were pleased to be able to help with this event.