Location sought for 2007 Glass Days (06/13/06)

DUNKIRK — Glass Days is looking for a new home.

Mayor Sam Hubbard said Monday the Indiana Department of Transportation will let bids in the fall and begin construction next spring on an Ind. 167 improvement project which will stretch from the north city limits to the south.

“That ought to cause a lot of problems,” Hubbard said.

The project will involve milling off the old pavement on Main Street, resurfacing the street, and installing new curb, gutter, sidewalks, and catch basins.

“When it’s done, it’s going to be great, but it’s going to be a mess for awhile,” said Hubbard.

Union and management representatives from Saint-Gobain, the glass bottle manufacturer which is Dunkirk’s largest employer, were on hand at Monday’s city council meeting to urge that another location be found for the annual Glass Days festival, which has been a fixture on Main Street for 40 years.

“Our goal is we want to definitely have it ... whatever we can work out,” said plant manager Joe Drago.

Hubbard estimated the festival occupies about 50,000 square feet with booth space and midway rides. In addition to space, there are questions of liability, parking, traffic control, water service, and electrical capacity.

Among the possible options discussed informally Monday were Hoover Street in the area from near Saint-Gobain’s plant to the Dunkirk Pool, side streets off Main in the downtown area, a flat field between Saint-Gobain and the old Kerr Manufacturing dump area, and the old Indiana Glass Co. parking lot.

Hubbard indicated he would oppose any Glass Days plan that would damage Dunkirk City Park.

“You folks want to do this, and we want to do this, and I’m sure we can figure out a way,” the mayor said. “We’ll make every attempt to find a spot.”

In other Glass Days related business, committee chair Pam Brown submitted her resignation effective June 16. “I appreciate everybody’s support the seven years I was chairperson,” she said.

Owners of Second Chance Bar and Restaurant complained to the council that they had encountered problems with the Glass Days committee the past two years. Located on Commerce Street, the business had encountered difficulty in establishing a booth to serve food and drinks.

See Glass Days page 5

Continued from page 1

“The Glass Days committee gave us problems all through Glass Days,” said co-owner Susan Duran.

Hubbard announced that the Dunkirk Industrial Development Corporation hopes to close on the former railroad depot property adjacent to Webster Depot Park on Thursday. The building has been a private residence for the past eight years, but the owners are re-locating to New York.

In other business, the council:

•Re-appointed Debra Whitesell to a four year term on the Dunkirk Library Board.

•Received budget estimate worksheets from clerk-treasurer Jane Kesler so council members can begin work on the 2007 city budget.

•Approved the compliance statement of benefits for from Saint-Gobain for a 1998 tax abatement.

•Heard suggestions from Mayor Hubbard to limit 2007 city pay increases to 2.5 percent and the overall budget increase at no more than 3 percent. “We’re going to have to watch our spending,” he said.

•Approved an expenditure of $839.56 for repairs on the city street sweeper.[[In-content Ad]]