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Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Ind. Courts - More on "Old courthouse in Crown Point hit by money woes"

Updating this ILB entry from Jan. 18th, Kathleen Quilligan of the NWI Times writes today:

CROWN POINT | Although the Old Lake County Courthouse is feeling financially squeezed, the board of directors who runs the private building is working on ideas to help keep the "Grand Old Lady" in good shape.

Carol Drasga, a member of the board of the Lake Court House Foundation Inc., is working on an investigative marketing and research committee that is looking at ways to help the courthouse raise money. The foundation is operating at a deficit for the first time since the organization took control of the building in the 1970s.

"Many people don't understand exactly what (the courthouse) is," Drasga said, who pointed out that many people are surprised to learn the foundation doesn't have a lot of money.

The nonprofit foundation receives no support from taxpayer dollars. The board that governs the building consists of volunteers, and the only person on the payroll is a part-time secretary.

Drasga said that starting this year, the committee would like to market the courthouse and will take its ideas to the full board. One idea is to ask for families to send something as simple as a $5 donation.

"If each family in Lake County sent $5, we'd have a lot of money," Drasga said.

Drasga said, after talking with people, she has discovered that many have driven past the courthouse but never been in it.

Board member Martha Wheeler said the foundation has been running at a deficit of $1,000 to $2,500 per month. While the courthouse has a steady income from renting shops on the lower level and offices in the upper levels, it's not enough to cover the expenses of running the building or taking care of a major problem, such as the roof or cracked marble.

"We're the stewards of the building," Drasga said. "Financially we really need the money for the next big shoe that drops."

Posted by Marcia Oddi on January 20, 2009 09:15 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts