What’s recently happened?
Construction is a never ending cycle everywhere you go. Construction workers have built work buildings, apartments, and restaurants in different areas of the Town of Munster. More people are moving into Munster and get to enjoy the newly updated area.
There were many potholes and bumps in the road, but the Town of Munster paved the way throughout the streets of Fran-Lin Parkway, Azalea, White Oak, Southwood Drive, and other main streets in the past few weeks. Now there are no potholes and there is a smooth drive or bike ride in the town.
Independence Day in Munster was a blast. Looking up at the sky, beautiful fireworks were presented throughout the month of July. On July 3, Centennial Park had its annual firework show starting at 6 p.m. Music was presented by The Crawpuppies and there were food concessions.
On Independence Day, a new parade route took place. Instead of it kicking off on Calumet Avenue, it started at the intersection of Ridge Road and Hohman Avenue ending at The Center for Visual and Performing Arts. The parade started off at 2 p.m. and included bands, military, the local police and fire departments and more.
Kids lined up along the streets ready for candy to be thrown. People enjoyed the music and the town was filled with pride and joy throughout the parade.
As summer continues, so does the Munster Town Hall summer concert series. On July 7, rock n roll was sung by The StingRays. Munster residents had a free interactive performance to enjoy the evening.
A fun event for the whole family to enjoy was Bark in the Park at Centennial Park on July 13. Dogs and their families wagged their tails on the exciting day. They had a chance to find pet care products, treats, and services. Local organizations gave pet owners demonstrations on how to use each product. For $10, dogs could race on a fun course.
What’s coming up?
The Summer Concert Series at Munster Town Hall invites residents to enjoy John David Daily on July 21. Starting at 6:30 p.m., the band will play its country and rock hits such as “The Highway” and “Pinebox.”
At Centennial Park on July 29, the CIVIC Monday Concert Series will be featuring the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. The orchestra will be entertaining residents with patriotic songs and music from Broadway and movies.
A special event for people of all ages who love bugs and little animals, the Community Park Social Center is hosting Incredible Bats and More on July 31 at 6 p.m. The registration ends on July 19 with a fee of $15 per person.
There will be animal experts that will give guidance to holding a bat, bunny, fennec fox, snake, hedgehog, millipede, and other exciting animals. There will also be a sloth on display and a playpen for skunks, rabbits, and armadillos.
The town’s National Night Out Week is coming up and on August 2, the Police Department will be hosting a canned food drive starting at 8 a.m. The non-perishable food items will be given to local food pantries for people in need.
The Summer Concert Series is almost at an end but Munster Town Hall still has a few more entertainers. The Dueling Pianos will be performing on August 4 at 6:30 p.m. This show is the perfect Summer event for comedy and music lovers. The interactive aspects make guests feel like they are the stars of the show. Residents get to request a song and the Dueling Pianos will perform and have everyone up on their feet singing and dancing along.
Community member spotlight:
Elizabeth Buksa is a resident of Munster. Before graduating from college, she wanted an internship and came across Jupiter Aluminum Corporation. She continues to work there as a Human Resource Generalist. Buksa got her Bachelor’s in Business Management and Digital Marketing after graduating from Saint Xavier University in 2021.
“I wanted to go into Business Management and Digital Marketing because of the flexibility it offers,” said Buksa.
Buksa focuses on recruiting, payroll, employee relations, labor relations, and human resource internal system tasks.
“Getting the opportunity to hire someone because it changes and impacts their life and their family’s life is my favorite part of the job,” said Buksa.
As a 2019 Bishop Noll Institute alumna, she had 27 college credits and took 27 credit hours during COVID-19 in 2020. Buksa graduated from college in five semesters while playing three seasons of volleyball.
Buksa has played volleyball for 15 years and is in adult leagues. She is a cycling instructor at the YMCA in Schererville. She used to love taking classes before which led her to become an instructor.
Something else she enjoys is reading. One of her favorite books she has read is “The Local Missing Woman” by Mary Kubica. Buksa also likes to watch horror movies and documentaries.