WINONA LAKE — A Stellar Communities presentation by the mayor and parking restrictions were the main topics, after a bit of lighthearted fun, at the Winona Lake Town Council meeting, Tuesday, May 17.

The meeting opened with Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer bringing a small gift for the town of Winona Lake; a 1913 postcard of Studebaker Spring sent by an 87-year-old man from Stockton, Calif. The elderly gentleman said he found the postcard in an antique shop and decided to send it back to the town to enjoy.

Thallemer read from the letter, “It’s an old classic, for sure. So, I thought to myself, ‘By golly, I’ll send it back home where it can be appreciated.’ The man penned, “Our heritage is important to all of us, lots of changes over the years, I suppose. Enlarged and posted it will make for some nice conversation.” The letter continued with, “Well, I gave $6 for it, so if you want it for $7 or $8, that’s okay. Throw in a little postage if you want to,” which sent laughter ringing through the meeting room.

The man said he’s “87-years-old and still going strong” and he likes to call his hobby a redistribution of happiness, as “our world sure needs it.” In closing he wrote, “P.S. if I wrote before and forgot, please forgive me,” which again, sent laughter flowing. Thallemer told those present he was going to send the man $10.

After the laughter died down Thallemer began his presentation about Stellar Communities. Thallemer explained to those present, “Stellar Communities is a consortium of 10 state agencies who banded together and will set money and technical advice kind of off to the side for a designated Stellar Community. If we are named a Stellar Community, we will have the benefit of access of up to $6.5 million of funds.”

Warsaw and Winona Lake partnered for the application and are now one of three Stellar Community Finalists. The other finalists are Shelbyville and Rushville. If Warsaw and Winona Lake are named Stellar Community designees some of the projects that will be targeted are:

• A roundabout on Winona Avenue.
• Housing improvements; Little Crow Lofts residential living.
• Market Street reconstruction.
• Gatke Maker Space — Thallemer will be traveling to the  Columbus Idea Foundry, in Columbus, Ohio, on June 2. The Gatke Maker Space will provide machines and equipment for anyone to use.

Thallmer told those present if the towns are invited to the State Fair on Aug. 18, the two towns have become Stellar Community Designees.

Winona Happenings:

• May 20-22, Fat and Skinny Tire Fest 13 in the Village at Winona.
• 9:30 a.m. May 30, Tracy Yeager Memorial 5K at Winona Lake Park.
• June 4 and 5, Art Fair in the Village at Winona.
• 9 a.m June 18, Blackburn Run for Others in the Village at Winona.
• 7 p.m. June 18, Jazz Fest at Winona Heritage Room.
• 8 a.m. June 25, Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Triathlon in the park.

In other business:

• The town council approved an appropriation of $217,670 out of the Motor Vehicle Highway Fund and will be going toward Muirfield Road project.
  
• The council approved and signed a sub-recipient agreement with Housing Opportunities of Warsaw.
• Mike Foster was promoted to Chief Deputy Town Marshal.
• The speed limit on a portion of Pierceton Road has been reduced from 35 miles per hour to 30 miles per hour.
• West Canal Street all the way down to about 400-feet of 12th Street on the south side is now “residential parking only.”
• There is “no parking” on Mineral Springs, from Kings Court to Chestnut Street.
• The board approved $20,000 for a fund match for the tennis court improvements and for “Beachy” the bison, the town’s Bison-tennial project. Warsaw will also have a bison. The money will come from the Rainy Day Fund.
• Herbert Teeter, of Winona Lake, didn’t get the canal space he wanted that was adjacent to his son’s property. He received one two spaces down.