PINES | When water contamination tests began signaling a townwide problem, residents in this community bordering LaPorte County sprang into action and demanded results.

Testing by federal and state agencies beginning in 2000 found elevated levels of arsenic, lead and other contaminants in residential wells. Two years later, they'd learn a power plant biproduct stored at a neighboring landfill flowed right toward the town and was among its causes.

Pines Town Council President Vanessa Sick has lived in the town for most of her life and said having to band together created some lingering ties.

"I really didn't know any of my neighbors before the water issue," Sick said.

Now, Town Council member Cathi Murray said, more than two-thirds of Pines residents finally have clear, drinkable water being piped in from nearby Michigan City.

Bordering LaPorte County to its east and the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to the north, Murray said it was the town's location that drew her and her husband to start a family in Pines in 1990.

"We came from Chicago, and we we're looking for something close to the lake but still affordable," she said.

Murray, who has two children, said Pines has been a good place to raise a family and newer residents who have ties to Chicago enjoy the town's proximity to the South Shore commuter rail line. The town also benefits from being adjacent to the national lakeshore, with bike trails leading into the park and residents only having to take short treks to Central Beach and Mount Baldy.

Tourists visiting the park flock to the town during the summer, filling rooms at the tiny town's three motels. Few businesses are actually located within the town's limits, making Pines a primarily residential community. And, having slightly fewer than 800 residents, it can seem as though everyone knows everyone else.

"It has a quiet little town personality," Sick said.

Population: 798

Males: 416 (52.1%)

Females: 382 (47.9%)

RESIDENTS

Median resident age: 40.1 years

Median household income: $41,875

RACE:

White: 96.2%

American Indian: 1.4%

Two or more races: 1.6%

Source: 2000 Census]]>