Editor, Times-Union: Today there was a gas line that was damaged during the beginning construction of a parking lot in Winona Lake. There were many different people and agencies that responded in both a timely and professional manner. I myself saw Winona Lake Fire and Wayne Township fire departments, Winona Police and Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department, NIPSCO and personnel from the Village At Winona. If there were other people and/or agencies that I didn’t mention, it is not a slight on my part, I just didn’t notice you as you went about your duties. Thank you all for your response and help in averting what might have been a much worse situation. There just lingers one question in my mind that I am not sure who to direct it to. With a major gas leak that led to the evacuation of the Village At Winona shops and businesses, and the closing of Administration Boulevard, why was Park Avenue never closed down and the traffic diverted from the area? There were even people walking along the sidewalks just a few yards from this gas leak. It would have taken only one cigarette hanging out a car window to have produced a totally different scenario then the safe one we experienced today. I’m hoping someone could explain the reasoning behind the decision to leave Park Avenue open to traffic. Hal Richard, owner LifeStyle Grocery Winona Lake, via e-mail
