You’re invited to be a part of a community conversation about all aspects of the dunes and Indiana's lakeshore with a local roundtable discussion on July 22 at 9am at Third Coast Spice Cafe in Chesterton.
The direction of the conversation will be to “know, grow, and go” - what organizations and individuals serve our lakeshore in some way, and what we can be doing to help get the word out about the programs and opportunities offered by the dunes, what initiatives are on the way or on the table to help preserve and grow participation in our shores, and what all is available that people may not know everything about with our beaches, trails and parks .
Already confirmed for the community chat include representatives for the South Shore Convention & Visitors Authority (Speros Batistatos and Bethany Randolph), Indiana Dunes State Park (Brandt Baughman), National Park Service (Paul Labovitz), Dunes Learning Center (Sandi Weindling), Indiana Dunes Tourism (Ken Kosky), Portage Parks and Recreation Department (Jenny Osburn) and Diana Twyman from Miller Bakery Cafe, who serves along with Dale Engquist in large capacity with the nonprofit Save the Dunes.
"We always look for opportunities to work with our partners at Ideas in Motion Media, this event will also allow us to educate community members about the Dunes National Park Association and the organization's work to improve the National Lakeshore," explained Speros A. Batistatos, President/CEO of South Shore Convention & Visitors Authority.
“Attending the Community Coffee Talk will not only be a great opportunity to inform the public of the latest developments in the Indiana Dunes, but will also provide a forum for each agency to learn about what other similar entities are doing, perhaps giving us a chance to coordinate our activities,” explained Brandt Baughman, Property Manager at the Indiana Dunes State Park. “It will also give us a chance to steal some of their great ideas!”
“People who have lived in the area their whole lives will be surprised at what they can learn about the Indiana Dunes,” said Ken Kosky of Indiana Dunes Tourism. “From great spots that few know about to interesting facts and tidbits, the Community Coffee Talk will change people’s thinking about the dunes and Northwest Indiana."
The format for the discussion will be an informal roundtable conversation, open to any community member who wants a say. The first-ever Community Coffee Talk was held in June at Blackbird Cafe with the topic of discussing homelessness in Porter County.
Join us, have a cup of coffee and some great food from Third Coast Spice Cafe and learn and share about one of our region's greatest assets.
For more information, contact Jenny Craig at jenny@ideasinmotionmedia.com or 219.707.5023. Click here to join this event on Facebook!