By David Slone
Times-Union

WINONA LAKE – Upcoming events in the town and a transfer of a parcel of land were the highlights of the Winona Lake Town Council’s 10-minute meeting Tuesday, March 15.

On the transfer of parcel, Town Manager Craig Allebach said the Winona Lake park is “actually on property that is deeded to the Winona Lake park, which this building (Town Hall) sits on, as well as all the way down to the creek and maybe even a little bit beyond that.”

He said the park department is working on a grant.

“If we transfer a parcel that the town owns, which is right across the street, to the park, then they get more points to make it more feasible that they would be successful at their grant application,” said Allebach.

The grant is for $500,000. 

“The town owns it all anyway,” Allebach said. “So what we want to do is transfer the parcel that is across the street here, which is where the asphalt parking is as well as all that green space in there. That’s what the transfer is referring to.”

Councilman Denny Duncan made the motion to transfer the parcel to the park department, with Councilman Austin Reynolds providing the second. The motion was unanimously approved. 

The Winona Lake Limitless Park (WLLP) “Egg My House” fundraiser is April 15-16, according to Allebach a few minutes earlier in the meeting. 

Holly Hummitch, WLLP and Senior Center director, said, “So, instead of the traditional Easter egg hunt that we have in the park, the last few years the weather has not cooperated, we’re doing an Egg My House fundraiser this year. Basically, people can buy eggs – they’re candy- and toy-filled eggs – and we’ll either deliver them to their front porch in a basket or we’ll actually hide them in their yard.”

She said a Google form for people to fill out to register would go live either Tuesday night or today, and people pay online.

On March 24, there will be a WLLP fundraiser at American Table. Hummitch said it’s another give-back fundraiser where 20% of purchases will go toward the park. There’s a “token” that you have to have and it’s on the park’s Facebook page and will be on the town’s website. The fundraiser is all day. 

Beginning today, March 16, through Saturday, March 19, Allebach said the NCCAA Basketball Championships are at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center. 

At 10 a.m. March 26 is World Compassion Network’s Run for Hunger 5K at the park. 

Nick Hauck, managing director for The Village at Winona, said The Village is doing its annual Village Madness shopping contest. 

“So you can get a passport at any one of the shops and the more that you go into an individual shop, get stamped for buying a product, then you get entered in to win the grand prize, which is either $50 of merchandise or a $50 gift card from all the shops in The Village. So the grand prize is worth a minimum of $1,100,” he said.

If a person buys something five times, they get one entry to win the grand prize. Ten shops gets you two entries and all 20 shops gets you 10 entries. 

All the information is available on The Village website. 

“So the more you shop, the more stamps you get on the passport, the more chances you get to win that grand prize,” Hauck said.