Think quick! Which Northwest Indiana community is the most scenic and picturesque this time of year? Yes, without
a doubt it’s a must-see destination point in the region that welcomes out-of-town visitors like old family. That’s right,
it’s the lovely town of Dune Acres, which doesn't want you and your kind inside their idyllic utopia by the lake.
I haven’t visited the self-described “unique” tiny lakefront oasis for more than a year, since officials there tried stopping me from cruising through their winding streets to their gorgeous Lake Michigan beach. Since the town’s
hired security guards called Big Brother on me back in September, 2006, when I decided to pay the town a cordial visit. Yep, since the town’s Big Brother, aka its cranky road commissioner, followed me in his green minivan up one hill and down another before finally coming clean with me by smirking, “You didn’t come in here to be welcomed.”
And he was right. I didn’t. And I wasn’t.
If you recall, I wrote a column called “Welcome to Dune Acres! Now please turn around,” pointing out a hush-hush,
wink-and-nod fact about the town: It’s about as private as a public town can get. And it did this through a decades-
old practice of illegally stopping visitors at a little guardhouse at its only entrance – on a PUBLIC ROAD – and
screening them for their worthiness. Or trailing visitors through town on PUBLIC ROADS, like they did with me, until
even the friendliest of guests got the message and fled.
Well, since that column ran I’ve been repeatedly told that the town was forced to change its illegal and
discriminating you’re-not-welcome ways.
“The guards are no longer allowed to ask any questions or stop anyone. They are only allowed to speak if they are
asked a question first,” one resident recently told me under promised anonymity.
(And no, it’s NOT Helen Boothe, the long-time Dune Acres dweller who gets blamed for everything that rankles the
old guard in that tiny lakefront, pseudo-gated community.)
“Your article was the best thing that ever happened to Dune Acres,” the rebel resident told me.
Really? So anyone is now welcome to visit the town for some leisurely sightseeing and they won’t be hassled
anymore at the guardhouse or along its scenic roads?
Yes, I was told. But…
But?
Yes, “but perhaps you should test it,” to see if it’s true, I was told.
Test it? Hmmmmmm.
Well this, my new blogosphere friends, is where you come in.
Surely, the guards there will now allow ME into town, after years of screening me for where I was going, who I was going to visit, and how long I would be in town.
No, the real test would be if John or Jane Q. Public – aka YOU – cruised past the guardhouse to see if anyone
hassles them. And then maybe cruise up one street and down another without being tailed or bothered.
This is where, I'm come to find out from inside sources, a long line of region motorists have already entered the town, beginning on Sunday morning, to simply see if they could. And for a $25 gas card that I offered for the first credible update of the town's new entry situation.
Unfortunately, I'm told, many of these motorists weren't very nice to the guards yesterday, and that's a shame.
I have nothing against these guards. It's not THEIR fault that town officials -- their employers -- have tried to illegally keep out the hoi polloi of the region. (I'm guessing these guards are part of the hoi polloi, in other words, us.)
And it's simply not right to keep abusing them today, Monday, simply because they're the most visible tip of this discriminating situation.
So, by the time most of you read this first entry, I would have already chosen the recipient of the $25 gas card, and I'll announce who received it in my Tuesday blog.
However, I still would like to hear other readers’ comments, complaints or concerns about this issue on my blog. For instance, have you ever been denied access into Dune Acres? Do any other Northwest Indiana communities use a similar screening practice? Were you aware of Dune Acres' screening practice before reading my initial column in 2006, or reading this blog today? And, is it simply a matter of "directing" out of town traffic, like I've been told by some townspeople, or is it a legal way to illegally keep visitors out of that town?
(For the record, Dune Acres residents/readers are always welcome to visit this blog. I promise not to screen you at MY cyberspace guardhouse.)
As I’ve said since my first column ran almost a decade ago, my goal is always to create a dialogue with readers,
not a monologue. Same goes with this “Observations from the edge” blog, which I will update regularly with my
own comments, complaints and concerns.
I'm here.
Jerry Davich is the metro columnist for the Post-Tribune Newspaper. Since 1995, he’s written thousands of columns and stories with one goal in mind – to create a dialogue with readers, not a monologue. He hopes this blog expands his goal into cyberspace.
Hey Jerry:
The big stop sign and the speed bump are still there but the guard doesn't even leave his chair. He'll return your wave as you go by and doesn't even appear to be getting your license plate number. My guess is that they've gone high-tech and have a camera trained to get that pesky little bit of information for them.
So now one can drive through without getting hassled but there is one caveat--keep driving. With the exception of the little playground area, there is absolutely no place to legally park your car.
Good morning,
We read with interest your proposal offering a $25 gas card to the first person to interlope through Dune Acres but we couldn't get in. It seems that your article produced a traffic jam at Checkpoint Charlie and cars were backed up to Route 12... We thought we would encounter the greatest resistance since we rented a 1958 Pontiac from "Rent-a-Wreck" and conned the Black neighborhood kids (all with attitudes) to drive us in.
No such luck! We were unable to get a parade permit on a Sunday and the entire entourage of gas guzzling, smoke belching, road hogs were told to come back another day.
Keep your gas card... We will try again posing as white middle-class site seers looking for the Shirley Heinz band of wildflowers.
Keep up the good investigative journalism.
It seems like people try to take away everything else we have and now you have to get permission to go to this little town..I believe in safety but this is a little ridiculous. There is a beautiful road in Chesterton..one of the prettiest at all seasons..you go north on Meridian to 1050 W. turn left before the new high chool and the road will take your breathe aay any season of the year...it looks like a tunnel with all the trees towering over the road and guess what it is FREE.
I attempted to drive into Dunes Acres in April 2007. They had a stop sign at the guard shack with a guard standing out front to make sure you actually did stop. He told me I wasn't allowed to proceed as it was private property. He wouldn't let me pull forwards to turn around and made me back out. If they allow people in now perhaps the guard is just too lazy to stand out in the cold or perhaps they have cameras installed as one other reader suggested.
Keep up the good investigative journalism?
While what you print may be true, how does it help the greater good for Society?
How can you as a reporter be around Lake/Porter County government and typically only report on the corruption after Joe VanBokkelen hands it to you?
Jerry,
Have you ever been to the west beach of Dunes Acres. Please walk down it sometime. You can get there from the walking trails. As you walk down the beach please notice all of the trash (beer cans, plastic containers, etc...) that has been left behind from the visiting boaters who anchor their boats and then come to shore. It is actually quite sad and disgusting. It seems there are visitors who do not understand the beauty of Dune Acres as you see it. I have spent many an hour cleaning up from those visitors. And you wonder why the residents of Dune Acres worry about unwanted visitors. Maybe you can visit and help us clean up instead of giving $25 gas cards, do something useful.
25 yrs ago a group of us guys from Miller went on a hikeing and fishing trip to Nipsco's Baily plant.It sits next to Dune Acres.Instead of walking back to our cars through the woods we decided to go east down the beach and walk trough Dune Acres.The first car that past us had two olker women in it.They looked at us and drove on.Ten minutes later Porter county Police and everyone else came flying up on us.To our stunned amazment we were told they were four guys walking around with guns.They were are fishing poles.We took the woods the next trip back.Dave Repya