A large pig, 3 feet tall and 5 feet long, will be the centerpiece of the new library garden being developed in Kouts. Artist Billy Pozzo, the sculptor, made the pig of high-density foam, steel, fiberglass and epoxy. “It’s going to be pretty darn neat,” Porter County Public Library System Director Jesse Butz said. “It’s going to be a fun little feature.” The pig is meant for kids to climb on it. Pozzo has done a lot of work for clients in Michigan. He was excited to do another work near his hometown, following up on two of his sculptures – Booger Bear and Stinker Fish – at the Valparaiso Rotary Library Garden. “There were a lot of companies that could do custom play sculptures that they normally do for play, but we really wanted it to be a local artist if we could,” Butz said. “He was excited to do something locally.” “It’s been interesting watching it develop and grow,” Butz said. Pozzo documented his work, starting with clay models and building the actual pig. Pozzo plans to install the pig in the spring when the weather is more suitable for the concrete pad to be poured. Some work has already been done outside Kouts Public Library. All but one of the posts for storyboards have been installed, paths are in place, lighting and a security camera are in place, WiFi is available, and cables for lights and sound have been buried. The frame for a shade canopy is in place, but the canvas awning has been removed for the winter. Butz walked through plans for the library garden, figuratively and literally, pointing to where different features would be placed. Among the features will be stone benches, steppingstones to hop on, a stone balance beam, a pollinator playhouse, a garden bench, fencing and musical features. The pig pays homage to the Kouts Pork Fest as well as the town’s agricultural heritage. “I wanted it to have more of a farming vibe,” Butz explained. Butz is excited about what the library garden means for children’s programs. Children’s librarian Dawn Ailes is “one of the best I’ve ever seen in the world,” he said. “She’s outstanding and has a dedicated following that comes in here.” “From a programming standpoint, she’s just chock full of ideas on a regular basis and is often landlocked from a very small room in here,” Butz said. “The thing is that she brings in as much attendance as a large branch would but has the facilities of a smaller branch, so in those good weather months she’s going to be able to make use of an expanded outside play area and really see some wonderful programs.” Porter County Public Library System Director Jesse Butz stands under a shade canopy structure – the yellow canvas is being stored until spring – at the Kouts Public Library garden on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. The garden is now under construction. (Doug Ross/for Post-Tribune) The pollinator playhouse is planting ideas for programming. “It shows, for example, a little box that is acrylic on one side so the kids could see the roots and watch the plants grow when they’re in there, and that’s on both sides of it,” Butz said. “The kids will do that as part of their story times here. They’ll plant it, they’ll water it, care for it and whatnot.” The musical features will have a garden theme in keeping with the concept. Unlike Valparaiso, Portage and South Haven, the Kouts library garden is being done in two sections, bisected by a sidewalk that pedestrians frequently use to access the library. “You’re talking about a patio here that was unused” except by staff, Butz said. The shade canopy will make that area more pleasant for patrons and staff alike. The larger area, also to be fenced but available for use 24/7, will have plenty of room for kids to run and have fun. Butz was strategic about where to place benches for parents to sit, reflecting on when his kids were little and he had to make sure he could properly supervise them while they played outdoors. The Town Council approved a variance so the four-foot-high ornamental fence could extend to the sidewalk. “Parents can feel safe while the kids are going to be in there,” he said. Butz is looking for sponsors for features to be installed in the library garden. A list with pictures and prices is on the library system’s website. “We want this to be a community-driven space,” he said. Once the library garden installation is completed, a QR code will be posted to direct potential sponsors to opportunities. “We want to be able to care for the garden long-term with maintenance,” so a separate fund for the Kouts Library Garden has been established, too. Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.