More Plans Revealed for North Judson Community Center

March 23, 2016AuthorMichael Gallenberger, WKVI 

More details have been revealed about the new community center planned for North Judson. A public hearing was held Monday to give residents the chance to offer input, as well as learn more about the project.

During the meeting, project organizer Bill Crase said he envisions a community center that can be used for many different types of events and activities. “Not only can it be used for the rental of weddings, birthdays, and stuff like that, but we’re going to try to plan for senior citizen functions there as well, and other things along that line for the community to actually use this facility,” he said. “We want it to be a true community center.” The new building would also be available for use as an emergency shelter, in the case of severe weather or lengthy power outages.

Crase says they plan to build the new facility on donated land, “At this time, the projected location would be to the north of the fire station. It would be on the railroad bed back there north of the fire station.”

The Town of North Judson is collaborating with Wayne Township in an effort to get grant funding from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs. Kankakee-Iroquois Regional Planning Commission Executive Director Edwin Buswell was also at the meeting to explain how the funding process will work. “Total project cost right now is estimated at $830,000 but that is not a set number yet,” he said. “That’s pretty much the high end of the estimate. It could come down easily. So it has a $430,000 local match that will come from the town, the township, and in-kind donations. A letter of intent is due April 8 and then the application is due June 10 and we’ll hear results, I think, in probably August.”

Crase believes the town’s chances of getting a grant are good, but says organizers are also coming up with some alternate plans in case funding falls through. One idea is to use some of the North Judson-San Pierre School Corporation’s property, at a time when school officials are looking to downsize the facilities to match the decline in the number of students.

More public hearings are expected to be held as the grant application process moves forward.

Planning, Fund Raising Continue for New North Judson Community Center

March 10, 2016AuthorMichael Gallenberger, WKVI 

Council Member Justin Davis, President Wendy J.Hoppe, Council Member Josh Brown, Council Member Jane Ellen Felchuk, Clerk-Treasurer Alicia Collins, Council Member Nathan Bradley, Town Superintendent Marshall Hortsmann, Town Attorney Rachel Arndt , Town Marshal Douglas Vessely, not pictured is Fire Chief Joe Leszek. Photo by North Judson Town Photographer Peggy Bohac

Plans for a community center in North Judson continue to move forward. Clerk-Treasurer Alicia Collins says drawings of some prospective designs are available for the public to view at the Town Hall.

Residents will also have the chance to share their input on the proposed facility during a public hearing. It will be held Monday, March 21 at 6 p.m., before the regular town council meeting.

During this week’s council meeting, town officials discussed ongoing fund-raising efforts for the new building. As part of those efforts, the North Judson-Wayne Township Fire Department will be hosting a Country Breakfast on Saturday, April 9 beginning at 7:30 a.m. Tickets will be eight dollars, with the proceeds going to the community center project. In addition to asking for donations, residents and town officials have also been working on getting grant funding for the new community center.

Also during Monday’s meeting, the town council approved updates to the town’s Fair Housing and Drug Policy ordinances. The updates were required as a condition of accepting grant funding from the state, to pay for rehabilitation work on the town’s two water towers.

North Judson Considers Adding Community Center

February 5, 2016AuthorMichael Gallenberger, WKVI 

Council Member Justin Davis, President Wendy J.Hoppe, Council Member Josh Brown, Council Member Jane Ellen Felchuk, Clerk-Treasurer Alicia Collins, Council Member Nathan Bradley, Town Superintendent Marshall Hortsmann, Town Attorney Rachel Arndt , Town Marshal Douglas Vessely, not pictured is Fire Chief Joe Leszek. Photo by North Judson Town Photographer Peggy Bohac

The Town of North Judson is looking into the addition of a new community center. Resident Bill Crase brought up the possibility of getting grant funding for a new community center during Monday’s town council meeting. He was previously involved in getting a grant for the town’s volunteer fire department.

Clerk-Treasurer Alicia Collins says no specific funding source has yet been identified for the community center project. Collins, along with council members Wendy Hoppe and Justin Davis, will serve on a committee with Crase to look into the project and get ideas from the public.

Collins says no location has been decided at this point, and the town doesn’t currently have any land available. She says planning for a community center is still in its early stages, but the project will depend entirely on grant funding. Residents are invited to share their ideas during town council meetings, held the first and third Mondays of every month at 6:30 p.m.

Also during this week’s meeting, the North Judson Town Council voted to renew the town’s trash contract with Richard’s Disposal. Terms of the deal will stay the same for next year.

Country Christmas Bazaar

The Country Christmas Bazaar is scheduled for Saturday, December 1st from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. CT at the Community Center (old firehouse) in North Judson.

20 vendors will have a variety of items including handmade jewelry, wood crafting, scarfs, crocheted baby and children's hats, decorative wooden holiday displays, candles, painted gourds, crafts, silk floral Christmas arrangements, primitive wooden cabinets and picture frames, and Breast Cancer Awareness ribbons and hats.

Santa Arrives in North Judson December 1st