IU student elected Village Idiot

Approximately 25 miles outside of Bloomington lies the town of Story, Ind., a town that consists of hardly more than one building -- the Story Inn. A popular tourist attraction and Indiana's oldest bed and breakfast, the inn is the sole employer in this tiny Brown County town.\n"We were once a real town, but the Great Depression hit the place hard," said Rick Hofstetter, an Indiana attorney and owner of the Story Inn, in a press release. \nThe area was first settled by Dr. George Story, who received a land grant in the woods of Brown County, in 1851.\nBecause of the town's size, an organized government is unnecessary. \n"We have no government here, don't need one," Hofstetter said in the press release. "During the week, we have more horses than people around here. It's quiet. Real quiet."\nBut Hofstetter said that democracy is still present in Story. Each year on April 1 the town elders -- tavern regulars of the Story Inn -- elect a "Village Idiot."\n"It's a tradition that appropriately goes back to the Clinton Administration," Hofstetter said in the press release.\nLast Saturday, Thomas Doane received the honor of being named Story's next "Village Idiot."\nEffective April 1, Doane, an IU student and part-time Story Inn employee, joined a long list of fellow "Story Idiots." \nThroughout the year, the bartenders at the Story Inn collect nominations from tavern regulars. The votes are tallied, and the final decision is made at midnight March 31. \n"So far, no one from the County Election Board has challenged this procedure, though it effectively disenfranchises adults under 21," Hofstetter said. "It's a tribute to the fermentation process."\nDoane, a 22-year-old English major from Indianapolis, edged out a handful of worthy candidates to take the 2006 crown of "Village Idiot." He will hold the title until March 31, 2007.\n"We had candidates who did crazier things, but cumulatively, Thomas still won the election, hands down," said bar and election manager Karl Hoffstetter in the press release. "Thomas exudes the qualities we look for in a Village Idiot." \nDoane is known to sleep in unusual places, such as in the stacks at the IU main library, in his car at the end of his own driveway and on the median of an Oregon highway, according to a press release at www.storyinn.com. He also habitually misplaces his car keys, leaves his car running for hours on end and forgets to deposit paychecks, running up nonsufficient funds charges on his debit card, according to the Web site. In one instance, Doane sustained a foot injury after working on a roof.\n"He didn't think it was a good idea to mount a metal roof in his Birkenstocks, so he took them off and attempted to do it barefoot," Rick Hofstetter said in the press release.\nUpon receiving his title as Village Idiot, Doane was confronted with a barrage of emotions. At first he felt dumb, then like an idiot, but after a co-worker was named employee of the month the same evening and received nothing, Doane said he was happy to accept his crown and the $100 bar tab that came with it.\n"I would much prefer to be named Village Idiot than employee of the month," Doane said. \nThe changing emotions continued throughout the evening as Doane celebrated his victory.\n"I felt dumb and then ... very shortly thereafter, I felt drunk because my boss kept feeding me shots of top-shelf scotch," he said.\nA large field of nominees provided stiff competition for Doane. Maintenance man Mark Carmichael took 2005's "Village Idiot" title after receiving several nominations for such antics as cutting through a live wire with a circular saw while standing on a metal roof. Carmichael posed a threat for the 2006 crown after flipping his tractor a week after winning last year's honor.\nAccording to the press release, other notable nominees from this year's election included former "Village Idiot" Angela Hofstetter, a natural blonde who won the title in 2003, and Carl Winchester, who won the title in 2004 and proudly sported his beloved jacket, embroidered "Story Village Idiot 2004," around in public, as well as Story Inn dishwasher David Zimmerman, who took down his own Chevrolet Cavalier while attempting to shoot a bow and arrow.\nHe might not be sure if he truly deserves the title of Village Idiot, but Doane said he is honored to accept the award, which is the only elected position in the town.\n"Did I deserve the award?" asked Doane. "That's not for me to decide; that's for the electorate to decide. I certainly feel honored to occupy the only elected office in the village."\nDoane said he will embrace the award, which he feels is an honorable title to hold in Story. \n"As almost everyone at Story has received a Village Idiot nomination at some point, being elected Idiot is more a sign of affection than anything," Doane said. "It feels like being a giant among men, only, instead, I'm a giant among idiots"