Should local history, community concern or your Mayor’s color preference dictate what is and what isn’t a safety hazard on a major waterway?

To some it may seem kind of silly, but to many boaters, sailors and residents in Hammond and Whiting, Indiana, The Big Orange Pier serves as some sort of a landmark.

The Big Orange Pier, as it was referred to, is located in Whiting Park off the southern shores of Lake Michigan. The Pier is used for fishing and is also a local attraction for people that like to gaze into the beauty that is Lake Michigan.

Straight ahead you see the lake meet the sky, look towards your right on a clear day and you can view Chicago's magnificent skyline, however looking to the left you see industrial landscape like the BP Amoco Refinery. This panoramic vision combines an interesting mix of splendor and industry.

As far as the history of the pier goes, all we can say is that it has always been orange. According to some residents, “It has been that way as long as I can recall.” That was until April 2006.

The once easily recognizable Orange Pier has received a recent facelift that has seen its hunter-friendly façade replaced with a controversial green hue. A popular rumor is that it was painted green because their high school colors are Green and White.