GreatNews.Life Student Voices: Growth and celebration in La Porte brings public service, local businesses and classic cars together

What’s recently happened?

After months of anticipation, Blockhead Beerworks opened their second location in La Porte.

Blockhead is a Valparaiso-based, Asian Fusion restaurant that combines high-end techniques with bold flavors that can’t be seen anywhere else. From smash burgers to noodle dishes, there is a wide variety of items to choose from. Many of these items are gluten free and vegan, or can be modified to be either.

La Porte has a variety of restaurants, but many community members travel outside the area to find these unique places that aren’t always in town.

“When people come into my place of employment, some ask for good food recommendations in La Porte. In all honesty, sometimes I don’t really know what to say because a lot of food establishments around La Porte are fast food. Sometimes they’re looking for a certain type of food and that makes it even more difficult due to the lack of food diversity, which is why Blockhead is so important for La Porte, it’s really starting to add variety to the area,” said Carly Jones, local community member.

Outside of food, Blockhead is known for their alcoholic beverages. Most of their spirits are brewed in-house and made from local Indiana produce. Each spirit is made in small batches to ensure quality, and these can be found in Blockhead’s signature cocktails.

Many beer options are made in-house, and seasonal items are available, giving customers new options to choose from. One of these is “Welcome To The Block Parade” which is made using local Fluid coffee.

Blockhead is open Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday brunch will be coming soon. The address to the La Porte location is 1100 Lincolnway.

What’s coming up?

The La Porte County Historical Society is hosting the 18th annual Old Car Show at the museum on Saturday, July 18.

This event has grown exponentially in popularity over the past 17 years, and car fans from across Northwest Indiana travel to see the variety of cars. In previous years, over 100 cars with varying models have been seen at this event. Many muscle, classic, and collectable cars can be seen at the car show.

If one is interested in entering, note that vehicles entering the show must be at least 30 years old. Entrants will receive dash plaques and will compete for a variety of awards and trophies. Some of these awards include Staff Choice, Public’s Choice, Mayor’s Choice, and more.

This event is more than just cars, there is also free admission to the museum with the ticket. There will also be food trucks for viewers and society members.

Tickets for visitors cost $3 per person, while society members and kids below the age of 18 are free. This event is located at 2405 Indiana Ave.

Community Member Spotlight:

Representative Randall Novak has been a member of the La Porte community since 1969, and has been advocating for residents of Indiana for several years.

Novak didn’t take the traditional path through higher education. Throughout his career, he completed fire science courses through Ivy Tech and earned numerous state certifications and licenses. With these experiences, he was taught leadership, budgeting, problem-solving, and how to serve the community effectively.

During and after his education, he spent 33 years with the Michigan City Fire Department, serving as union president and eventually retiring as fire chief before becoming a realtor in 1998. With his career changes, his goal never changed throughout his job experiences: he wanted to help others and advocate for his community. Eventually his service led him to work for the Michiana Shores Town Board, then In 2014, he was elected to the La Porte County Council, where he worked on budgets and local issues before eventually being elected to the Indiana house of representatives.

“My years as a firefighter taught me lessons I use every day as a state representative. As a firefighter and later as fire chief, I learned how to stay calm under pressure, make difficult decisions, solve problems, and put people first,” Novak said. “In the fire service, you don’t ask whether someone is a Democrat or a Republican before you help them—you simply do what’s best for the people who need you. I’ve carried that same approach into government. My focus is on finding common-sense solutions, working with others, and serving the people of Northwest Indiana.”

Novak is community driven in his policies, and with this, his main goal is to serve and advocate for his community. This philosophy has been with him his entire career even before politics, and this has helped him create relationships and to make a difference in the lives of Indiana residents.

“I want to help build safer communities, keep utilities affordable, strengthen public education, support first responders, create opportunities for good-paying jobs, and ensure that working families and seniors have access to affordable housing and the support they need,” Novak said. “I also want people to know they have a state representative who listens, is accessible, and puts people ahead of politics. If, years from now, people can say I helped make their community a little safer, their government a little more accountable, and their future a little brighter, then I’ll consider my service a success.”

Novak’s focus on putting the people of Indiana first has led to overwhelming support for many of his ideas. When there is a need for results, Novak uses his experience and knowledge to deliver.