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MCC Litter League
Three huge opportunities are coming up to beautify Miller:
Friday, April 29 Charter School of the Dunes students and faculty clean Old Hobart Road from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. The City will close the road for everyone's safety. CSD students and faculty will clean from the south while Miller Litter League will clean from the north. Meet at the school or at American Legion for bags and buddies; bring your favorite gloves and tools. sknight@csdunes.org and suerutsen@gmail.com for more information.
Saturday, April 30 from 7:00 to 11:00 am Annual MCC Miller Cleanup. This granddaddy of all cleanup efforts has been happening for 50 years and draws more than 100 volunteers. Meet at the old Ralph's at the corner of Grand Boulevard and Miller Avenue. Bags will be provided. Bring your own tools, gloves, etc. Maps and recommended work areas will be available. georgerogge88@gmail.com for more information.
Saturday, May 14 from 9:00 am to noon Bayless Dune and Nobel School Cleanup. Meet in the parking lot of Nobel Elementary School at the intersection of Pottawatomi Trail and N. Vanderburg Street. To help Shirley Heinz Land Trust plan for this event, please call 219-242-8558 or email volunteer@heinzetrust.org to tell them you are coming. The event will be led by Tom Cera and Marcella Gregory.
Sign up to receive notification of next MCC Litter League work days by emailing suerutsen@gmail.
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Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education
Ranger Led Miller Woods Hike on the Paul H. Douglas Trail Sundays, May 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 from 1:30 to 3:30 pm. This amazing hike goes through globally rare black oak savanna and around towering sand dunes and wetlands on the way to the shore of Lake Michigan.
Drop-in Volunteering - Trash Trekkers Daily from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Trash Trekkers is a drop-in program to keep our trails and beaches clean. You can help today. Sign in and grab a trash bag at the Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education.
Self Directed Hike through Miller Woods: Open every day 6:00 am to 11:00 pm. Get to know this 3 1/2 mile out and back trail. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 1 1/2 hours to complete. This is a popular trail for hiking and other nature trips, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash.
Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education is located at 100 North Lake Street. Follow them on Facebook, call 312-395-1824 or online at DouglasCenter.
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Friends of Marquette Park and Shoreline Committee
Beach Public Safety and Parks Community Meeting Thursday, May 12 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts. Doors open at 6:00 PM. This meeting is open to the public. Learn about plans for the beach season from Lake County Sheriff’s Department, Gary Police and Fire Departments and the Park Department. News about local organizations will be on display. Please join us.
Friends of Marquette Park - Friends of Marquette Park 7th Annual Meeting/Celebration takes place Wednesday, June 8 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Pavilion Lounge & Patio. Cost $15.00. Join Friends of Marquette Park, enjoy light hors d’oeuvres and hear about our accomplishments and new projects for Marquette Park.
Marquette Park Statue Garden Work Days Tuesday afternoons from 1:00 to 3:00 pm weekly. If the weather is at least 45 degrees and not raining, volunteers will be pruning, raking and weeding to keep the main entrance to the park looking good. Interested? Contact Carol Smith at pandcsmith@comcast.net.
Public Sculpture We are getting closer! Miller Beach Arts & Creative District, Friends of Marquette Park and the Miller Garden Club joined forces to make this happen. We are hoping to have some stunning additions in three locations by the beginning of June: two in Marquette Park and one on Lake Street. Almost all of the required documents have been approved. We are seeking donations to support this project, once we have full approval.
Disc Golf A revised proposal for a disc golf course in Marquette Park that avoids the protected oak savannah has been submitted to the Park Department. We anticipate a decision at the April 26 Park Board meeting so that we can move forward.
FMP Website Under Construction Our website is still a work in progress.
FMP Membership May begins our FMP Membership Drive! Mail your membership/donation to FMP, PO Box 2645, Gary, IN 46403 or go online to Legacy. Our member donations are the reason we can do special projects in the park. Please join us. Questions? Email us at FriendsofMarquettePark@gmail.com.
Friend us on Facebook.
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Miller Beach Arts & Creative District
Ready or not here we come, with some fabulous events and activities at the Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts!
Smokin' Art is in the House! Next time you visit the Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts, check out our vintage cigarette vending machine filled with handmade art created by several community artists. Tokens are $5 and $10; we promise you won’t be disappointed!
Support MBACD by participating in our JustBe Coffee Fundraiser! We are joining forces with Northwest Indiana’s JustBe Coffee Roasters for a spring fundraiser offering specialty branded Miller Beach coffee blends: Light Market Blend, Medium Beach Day Blend and Dark Artistic Blend. Proceeds raised from coffee sales will directly benefit arts programming and cultural activities at MJG. Fundraiser begins Friday, April 29 and will run through Sunday, May 15. Visit MBACDCoffeeFundraiser2022 to stock up these special brews for a limited time offer! And a special bonus, JustBe Coffee will be a new vendor at the Miller Beach Farmers Market!
Join us on Friday, May 6 at 6:00 pm for the Opening Reception of QUILTS! This new exhibit will feature a collection of quilts handcrafted by Miller Beach resident, Chris Sass. Come experience some of the most extraordinary and beautiful – many original – quilts executed by the artist. Chris will also be exhibiting a quilt made by Caryl Bryer Fallert-Gentry, internationally recognized for her award-winning art quilts, Feather Study #20. Gallery hours will be extended for this show to Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 6:00 to 8:00 pm and Sundays 2:00 to 4:00 pm. The exhibit will run through Friday, June 10.
Miller Community Theater is making preparation for their inaugural production of The Mad Women’s Cabaret, a summer theater showcase coming this August. The Mad Women’s Cabaret asks the question: What if the maligned and misunderstood women of history had their moment in the spotlight to set the record straight? The characters include women from history, myth, and imagination all of whom have dealt with difficulties in their lives. The play is intended as a celebration of women and their ability to work through their problems by communicating them, in this case through speech and song. A special fundraising event in support of this production will be held on Thursday, May 19 at the Sparkle House from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. For tickets visit Eventbrite. AND auditions are open to the public and will take place on Sunday, June 12 at 4:00 pm and Monday, June 13 at 7:00 pm at the Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts. For more info email millercommunitytheater@gmail.com.
May is National Foster Care Month! In recognition, the Institute for Community and Family Resilience will be presenting a FREE reading of What’s Your Name, Who’s Your Daddy? A one woman play by Jeanette Yoffe about growing up in Foster Care and Adoption. Playwright Yoffe is an adoptee and a Los Angeles Psychotherapist healing families connected by trauma, loss, grief, open adoption, family reunification and reunion. Saturday, May 21, Doors Open at 1:30 pm and play will begin at 2:00 pm. For more information, please call 219-512-2642.
Movie Night is Thursday, May 26, and we have one for the Gen Xers, the 1995 cult hit, Empire Records. An American coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Allan Moyle, starring Anthony LaPaglia, Maxwell Caulfield, Debi Mazar, Rory Cochrane, Johnny Whitworth, Robin Tunney, Renée Zellweger, and Liv Tyler. The film follows a group of record store employees over the course of one exceptional day. The employees try to stop the store from being sold to a large chain and learn about each other along the way. Doors open at 6:30 pm and movie starts at 7:00 pm. $10 entry fee includes popcorn and soft drink. A cash bar serving beer and wine will also be available.
Yoga and Pilates! MBACD is enhancing its offering of mindful movement classes. Expand your mindful practice and participate in one or more of our Miller Movement Classes:
Candlelight Yoga with Dani Hart Monday evenings 6:30 to 7:30 pm. $10
Pilates with Angie Reens Tuesday evenings 6:00 to 7:00 pm. $10
Family Yoga with Dani Hart There will be NO family yoga in May but will return Saturday, June 4.
Please visit our Facebook page to check on schedule adjustments or special presentations.
Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts / 540 S. Lake Street, Gary IN 46403
MillerBeachArts / mbacdarts@gmail.com / 219-885-9114
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Nelson Algren Museum of Miller Beach
The Nelson Algren Museum of Miller Beach presents What You Don’t Know About Nelson Algren by Algren scholar Bill Savage. Savage is the co-editor of the 50th anniversary critical edition of Algren’s The Man with the Golden Arm and provided annotations for the 60th anniversary edition of Chicago: City on the Make. Savage teaches Chicago literature, history, and culture at Northwestern University and the Newberry Library of Chicago. He has led many tours for his students on the CTA, on bicycles, or in various vehicles and for the Chicago History Museum, on topics as varied as the 1893 World’s Fair, historic bars, and the history and design of Chicago’s hot dog stands. He is at work on a book about Chicago’s street grid and is the sort of person who has favorite bridges, viaducts, and alleys. He is a lifelong resident of Rogers Park, though he spends much of his free time on the South Side.
Join us Friday, August 5 at 7:00 pm at the Nelson Algren 616 Sound Stage, located at 616 S. Lake Street. For more information go to www.nelsonalgrenmuseumofmillerbeach.com.
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Miller Garden Club
Miller Garden Club Plant Sale takes place Saturday, May 7 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Aquatorium in Miller Beach. Members can start shopping at 9:00 am! Come see 50 varieties of trees and shrubs (half of which are native), as well as perennials, annuals, herbs and veggies, native plants, pond plants, deer resistant plants, houseplants and hanging baskets Mom will love for Mother’s Day Sunday, May 8. Also, don’t miss the curated rummage sale, tool sharpener, herb cookery and plein air painting demonstrations, pies and tea breads by Marilyn’s Bakery, and The Cheesy Food Truck featuring 6 different gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches.
We’re Going Native, Again…On Saturday, May 21, the Miller Garden Club will return to the native prairie at Indiana University Northwest on Broadway in Gary. “We'll primarily cover the low-lying wetland areas and challenges for spring prairie flowers,” says IUN professor Spencer Cortwright, who conducted our tour last fall. It will be fun and interesting to see the plants in the spring. Park right by the preserve sign on the south side of the lot or meet at the Aquatorium at 9:30am to carpool. The tour will start at 10am.
Our work and workers continue to amaze! Clean up at the Aquatorium before last month’s meeting went well. We have plans for a major new feature inside the courtyards. Watch that space! Father Marquette Statue Garden is looking good. Woodson Library branch is getting ready for its “close up” when it is one of the featured gardens on the Secret Gardens tour. The library tour will feature techno savvy info presentations to aid in identifying and understanding more about the roses there.
Coming up roses! Mark your calendars: Saturday and Sunday, July 9 and 10 Green Thumbs Up! is our 21st Annual Secret Gardens Walk from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Begin at the Aquatorium. Tickets are $15 and are available at Ayers Realty, Lake Street Gallery and Miller Schoolhouse Shops & Spaces.
Go to our website: www.millergardenclub.org for more information and an up-to-date calendar of all our events.
The Miller Garden Club’s mission is to provide gardening education on all levels; to protect native trees, plants and wildlife; and to beautify the Miller Beach community in Gary, Indiana. Join the Club! Dues are only $20 a year, or $30 for a family. Go to our website for more information at MillerGardenClub.
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Water Safety Society
Water Safety is learned - it is not intuitive. Water safety is a personal responsibility to take seriously. The Water Safety Social Group provides water safety education and programming to help all become water smart in order to enjoy Lake Michigan safely.
First Friday on Lake Street Silent Auction and Live Band Kick Off To Summer Friday, May 6 at the Nelson Algren 616 Sound Stage, located at 616 S. Lake Street, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.
What is YOUR beach? You will have the opportunity to bid on YOUR beach sign during our Kick Off to Summer event. In 2020, Friends of Marquette Park, in partnership with WSS, replaced the green street signs that marked each street for the past 20 years with highly visible blue signs. The green signs are now available to you! Here’s your chance to display your favorite street sign in or around your own home! The Water Safety Committee is hosting a Social and Silent Auction Friday May 6 at the Nelson Algren 616 Sound Stage featuring The Nick Danger Band! Come and enjoy live music and bid on your favorite sign! The silent auction starts at 6:00 and ends at 7:30 pm. Bid winners will be announced from the stage at 7:45. There will be a BUY NOW price listed on the bid sheet.
Safety Stations Thank you to all the volunteers who helped with DIG DAY! It was a huge help to have so many people dig up the buried stations and put them back. It is so important to maintain the stations!
Know where they are and how to use them. On your way to the beach be sure to spot where the closest safety station is. Practice makes perfect - take the equipment down to the beach and practice with it then put it back. It is always better to be familiar with it prior to an emergency. Learn how it is connected to the post so that you are able to release the equipment quickly if needed in an emergency. Feel free to use the life jackets any time, just put everything back when you are finished using it.
The life jacket is for the rescuer. Never enter the water to rescue a distressed swimmer without a floatation device/life jacket. Never enter the water for a rescue if you are not capable of doing so. Many good intentions have resulted in the would-be rescuer becoming the victim.
Interested in sponsoring a Safety Station? There are a few locations available: Wayne Street, 2 at Marquette Park, 3 new locations between Marquette Park and Lake Street. Cost is $200 and you have the sponsorship for 2 years. Please email us at Watersafetysocial@gmail.com. We’ll also post opportunities for sponsorship via our our Facebook Page and NextDoor.
Water Safety Yard Signs Please find your yard signs from last year and put them back out before Memorial Day weekend! As the weather warms up it is important to be reminded how to enjoy Lake Michigan safely with these water safety tips. The WSS Group was honored with an award from the Great Lakes Water Safety Consortium for our creative idea of community involvement and water safety. THANK YOU to all who helped by putting signs out. We will be creating a new sign this spring. If you don't have a yard sign please reach out to us at Watersafetysocial@gmail.com and we will arrange to get you one.
Cold Water Information Boating and paddling reminder - always dress for the water temperature and not the air temperature. Have the correct gear before you go out. This time of year the air is warm and the water is dangerously cold. Cold water is life threatening. As with all activities, do your research and know before you go! This website is a great resource. www.coldwatersafety.org. Go to Northwest Indiana Paddling Associates and sign up for classes.
Become Water Smart! Water safety is a personal responsibility. Follow the Water Safety Social Group on Facebook to learn about activities and water safety messages.
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Humane Society of Northwest Indiana
Saturdays, May 21, June 18, July 16 and August 20 Adopt-a-thons at Pet Supplies Plus, 1676 E Summit Street, Crown Point. Visit from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm and fall in love with one of our critters available through the store.
Saturdays, April 30, May 28, June 25, July 30, August 27 and September 24 at Albanese Candy Adopt-a-thons. Come for the sweet treats—both edible and four legged and take home a new four-legged friend.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, June 18 for a Woof, Wags and Wine event at the American Legion. Details to follow on our website.
Because of all the construction related to the Double Tracking Project, there has been, and will continue to be, significant changes to the landscape on all boundaries of the Humane Society property. We have lost some of our dog-walking space and we are hemmed in by new roads and parking areas. We are making plans to adapt to these changes, including new landscaping (with the help of the Miller Garden Club) and new fencing. We hope to raise money through donations to cover the cost of these very necessary changes.
Come by our location at 6100 Melton Road and check out all our residents. We get new pets every day. Don’t forget to check our Facebook page and our website to see a wish list of needed supplies and a connection to AMAZON that allows you to have items sent directly to us.
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Miller School Shops & Spaces
So many fun things are happening at the Miller School Shops as summer approaches, including hosting the Miller Beach Farmer’s Market in our parking lot on Sundays from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm beginning on May 15! Take a class, compete in an upcycling contest, or simply browse our vendors – we looking forward to seeing you!
Flip the Schoolhouse Upcycling Contest! Contestants wanted for upcycling contest at the School Shops! Buy low, embellish, refurbish, re-imagine your item and sell high, win cash! Individuals and 2-person teams welcome. Kids 12 & up can enter with parent or guardian. No purchase necessary – the MSSS will cover the cost of the item up to $50. Vote for your favorite item to win the Peoples Choice Award! Celebrity Guest Judge: Jamika Smith of Affirm My Design.
- Sign up by Saturday, April 30
- Shop the weekend of May 6, 7 & 8
- Create Monday, May 9 – Friday, June 3
- Contest begins Friday, June 3, ends Sunday, June 5
Magic of Macrame Class Saturday, May 14 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. Join artist Vickie Wykoff to learn about the magic of macramé! Cost is $20 which includes all materials. Class size is limited to 7 participants ages 12 and older. RSVP during business hours soon as this class will sell out!
Become a vendor or a teacher! Did you know we have SEVEN new vendors since last month? Would you like to join them? The Miller School Shops is currently accepting applications for new vendors and those who would like to teach a class or workshop. Please stop by and see us at 665 S. Lake Street during business hours Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm to inquire.
Follow us on Facebook. Miller School Shops & Spaces is located at 665 S. Lake Street.
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Miller Beach Farmers Market
Join us Opening Day Sunday, May 15 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at E. 7th Avenue and Lake Street just south of the Miller School Shops & Spaces. Award winning journalist for the Times of Northwest Indiana, Iraq War veteran and IU graduate Joseph Pete will be in attendance on opening day with his new publication Secret Northwest Indiana: A Guide to The Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure. Joe was born in Hammond and lived by the city for most of his life. Joe is also the Northwest Indiana Literary Journal editor and a frequent guest on Lakeshore Public Radio. His previous publications include Lost Hammond and 100 Things to Do in Gary and Northwest Indiana Before You Die.
Farmers and other vendors offer produce, cheese, eggs, soap, pies and much more. Sale of homemade bread begins May 22.
Also on hand will be Lake County Eats Local to facilitate SNAP/EBT transactions. A Legacy Foundation initiative, check out their mission at LakeCountyEatsLocal.org.
Let us know if you are interested in volunteering. We need volunteers each week at the Market and behind the scenes throughout the season. Email us at market@millerbeacharts.org. We are the longest running, most successful part of the Miller Beach Arts & Creative District. Check out the organization at millerbeacharts.org. Thank you, Miller Community Fund, for all your support!
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Marquette Park Playground Committee
Storyhour is back! Every Wednesday, starting May 25 at 10:00 am, we will gather at the shelter on the Marquette Park Playground. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Wednesday, May 25 we welcome retired teacher Kim Ehn, a representative of Dunes-Calumet Audubon Society, who will read Monty & Rose Nest at Montrose, a children's story of Piping Plovers in Chicago.
We will also kickoff Storyhour Season with a coloring contest!
It is often chilly on the playground so dress accordingly. A hard rain, strong wind and/or lightning automatically cancels Storyhour that day.
Storyhour is brought to you by the Marquette Park Playground Committee, Inc.
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Calumet Region Little League
Registration is still open to play! For now… If you have not yet registered to play, please do so now! Any players living or attending school in Gary, or in the area served by the Lake Station Community Schools, or in Merrillville, west of I-65 and north of US-30, are eligible to play Little League Baseball or Softball for Calumet Region LL. Games begin in late April or early May. Players can register for the season by following this link. If you need help registering, please contact Tracy at 219-226-5595.
Player Assessments will be held on Monday, April 4 at 6:00 pm at the Hudson-Campbell Fitness Center. You can also register in-person at that time. A few days after that, teams will be set, and it may be difficult to find a spot on a team. We had a large increase in the number of players this past season, and more coaches are needed this year for ages 7-12. Anyone interested in coaching baseball or softball this spring and any volunteers who'd like to help out in other ways should contact Tracy Brough at 219-226-5595.
Please “like” and follow our Facebook page Calumet Region Little League for updates.
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J&M Excursions
J&M Excursions is a kayak rentals and canoe environmental guided tours business taking reservations for Memorial Day Weekend Saturday, May 28 through Monday,May 30 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. One and two person, on top and sit in kayaks are available for safe fun on Marquette Lagoon in beautiful Miller Beach! Kayak Rentals or call Jeff at 219-888-9520. Special rates for all day rentals.
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St. Mary of the Lake Church
Save the Date - Second Annual Pasta Palooza Parade will be held on Saturday, September 10. More details to follow soon. Last year's event was such a success - we cannot wait to see what you have in store
for us this year! All are welcome to participate....
St Mary of the Lake Food Pantry will be Monday, May 16 from 9:00 to 11:30 am. If you have a need for food please do not feel shy. All are welcome but a valid ID is required. Please consider a donation to our Food Pantry - monetary and non-perishable food donations will be accepted.
St. Mary of the Lake Church is located at 6060 Miller Avenue. Call 219-938-1373 for more information.
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Temple Israel
Israel Study Group Wednesday, May 18 at 6:00 pm. Join us for a monthly study group exploring the history, current events and the religious/spiritual/ethical relevance of the state and the land of Israel. Contact templeisraelmiller@gmail.com for more information.
Sisterhood’s Annual Penny Harvest Wednesday, May 25 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. Arman’s Restaurant, 5875 Melton Rd, Gary, IN 46403. Join Temple Israel Sisterhood for our Drive-Up & Drop-Off Penny Harvest in the parking lot of Arman’s! Donate at least $18 and get a FREE hot dog, fries and a drink from Arman’s, paid for by Sisterhood and delivered right to your car. This is a great way to help us fund Sisterhood’s projects AND support a local business!
Temple Israel
601 North Montgomery Street
Gary, Indiana 46403-1299
Phone: (219) 938-5232
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Meals on Wheels
Swing into Spring and become a volunteer meal delivery driver at Meals on Wheels! Help continue our mission of delivering nutritious meals to those in need with the support of community volunteers. Be a part of something bigger than yourself and discover how you can become great by serving others - with only an hour and a half of your time. Corporate volunteer teams are welcome! Give back to the community and volunteer today!
The increased number of clients and meals we are serving means Meals on Wheels of Northwest Indiana urgently needs volunteer meal delivery drivers throughout Lake and Porter Counties, with a very urgent need in Miller. Volunteers pick up meals at lunchtime at a meeting spot in their community and deliver to local people in need. Our new Mobile Meals App saves time and is remarkably convenient.
Register now for an upcoming volunteer driver training scheduled Thursday, May 5 at 2:00 pm by contacting Charlie Misovye, Volunteer Manager at 219-756-3663 or charlie@mownwi.org. Attendance is limited.
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