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(12/13/13 5:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission voted ‘yes’ on the Illiana Expressway Thursday, Deputy Director and Director of Planning for NIRPC Steve Strains said.This was a necessary step for the project to receive federal approval.The Illiana Expressway is a 47-mile highway from Interstate 55 in Illinois to Interstate 65 in Indiana. The two departments of transportation are working on the project together as a public-private partnership, meaning a private contractor will design, build and operate the new roadway. Strains said the vote was 29 to 8 in favor.“Indiana and Illinois are demonstrating that regional problems require regional solutions,” Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., said in a press release. “By partnering together on the Illiana Expressway, we can solve some of our region’s biggest transportation challenges.”Some local residents see issues with the project. Thomas Tokarski, a spokesperson for Citizens for Appropriate Rural Roads, said he does not support the Illiana Expressway.“In general, I think we need to stop pouring money into more and bigger highways and begin to fund more public transit and rail alternatives,” Tokarski said.The Illiana Expressway will cost about $1.5 billion, of which Indiana will pay about $500 million. According to the press release, the project would create about 9,000 construction jobs during a 30-year period. The Indiana segment of the highway will be 12 miles long, with potential interchanges at I-65, I-55 and U.S. 41.Tokarski said he does not support the expressway in part because of the environmental effect it will have.Highway congestion is a problem in urban areas, Tokarski said. “One lesson we should have learned decades ago is that we cannot build our way out of congestion,” Tokarski said. “The more roads that are built, the more people drive.”Tokarski also said people need to take climate change seriously and cut back on carbon emissions. Internal combustion vehicles, he said, are a major source of those emissions. “New highway construction can be hugely damaging to the environment. I-69, for example, is an environmental disaster,” Tokarski said. “We can’t go on abusing our environment in this way if we expect to have a livable environment in the future.”The Illiana Expressway is expected to be constructed from 2015-18.“What was unique about this project compared to I-69 is that it’s a bi-state project,” Strains said. Tokarski said the aging population would benefit more from an affordable public transit system as driving becomes more difficult for them.“Younger people are not driving as much as in previous generations, and we can encourage that trend by supporting public transit,” Tokarski said. Tokarski said people need to plan for the transportation future, not past.In a press release discussing NIRPC’s approval, Coats said, “This is an important step toward beginning construction of the Illiana Expressway, and I commend NIRPC for moving the development process forward.”Follow reporter Mary Hauber on Twitter @mary_hauber.
(12/13/13 5:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission voted ‘yes’ on the Illiana Expressway Thursday, Deputy Director and Director of Planning for NIRPC Steve Strains said.This was a necessary step for the project to receive federal approval.The Illiana Expressway is a 47-mile highway from Interstate 55 in Illinois to Interstate 65 in Indiana. The two departments of transportation are working on the project together as a public-private partnership, meaning a private contractor will design, build and operate the new roadway. Strains said the vote was 29 to 8 in favor.“Indiana and Illinois are demonstrating that regional problems require regional solutions,” Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., said in a press release. “By partnering together on the Illiana Expressway, we can solve some of our region’s biggest transportation challenges.”Some local residents see issues with the project. Thomas Tokarski, a spokesperson for Citizens for Appropriate Rural Roads, said he does not support the Illiana Expressway.“In general, I think we need to stop pouring money into more and bigger highways and begin to fund more public transit and rail alternatives,” Tokarski said.The Illiana Expressway will cost about $1.5 billion, of which Indiana will pay about $500 million. According to the press release, the project would create about 9,000 construction jobs during a 30-year period. The Indiana segment of the highway will be 12 miles long, with potential interchanges at I-65, I-55 and U.S. 41.Tokarski said he does not support the expressway in part because of the environmental effect it will have.Highway congestion is a problem in urban areas, Tokarski said. “One lesson we should have learned decades ago is that we cannot build our way out of congestion,” Tokarski said. “The more roads that are built, the more people drive.”Tokarski also said people need to take climate change seriously and cut back on carbon emissions. Internal combustion vehicles, he said, are a major source of those emissions. “New highway construction can be hugely damaging to the environment. I-69, for example, is an environmental disaster,” Tokarski said. “We can’t go on abusing our environment in this way if we expect to have a livable environment in the future.”The Illiana Expressway is expected to be constructed from 2015-18.“What was unique about this project compared to I-69 is that it’s a bi-state project,” Strains said. Tokarski said the aging population would benefit more from an affordable public transit system as driving becomes more difficult for them.“Younger people are not driving as much as in previous generations, and we can encourage that trend by supporting public transit,” Tokarski said. Tokarski said people need to plan for the transportation future, not past.In a press release discussing NIRPC’s approval, Coats said, “This is an important step toward beginning construction of the Illiana Expressway, and I commend NIRPC for moving the development process forward.”
(12/04/13 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Every year around Dec. 1, World AIDS Day, the Community AIDS Action Group is host to a Ceremony of Celebration and Remembrance.The ceremony took place Tuesday evening at the Fountain Square Ballroom. The goal is to raise money and get the word out about testing so people know whether they’re HIV positive, said Rebekah Sinders, Community AIDS Action Group secretary. Sinders said there is a stigma with HIV/AIDS, which means many people die regardless of how fast the medical world is keeping up.This was a celebration of those people who are still around and able to live a normal life, she said. It was also a celebration of the sciences that are conquering bits and pieces of every disease every day, Sinders said. The 2013 Celia Busch “Making a Difference” Award was presented during the ceremony by Jill Stowers. The award recognizes the hard work and commitment of someone in South Central Indiana who contributes in a positive way to the lives of those living with HIV/AIDS. During the Remembrance Ceremony, a black board with a red-backed glass ribbon was lit with candles in memory of people lost to AIDS. Participants came to the microphone and shared the first names of family and friends they have lost to HIV/AIDS.“Every year there are two or three names added, and it’s always really hard to hear those new names and know that they’re no longer with us during the name ceremony,” Sinders said. The night was centered on performances by various local artists.The Quarryland Men’s Chorus performed two songs, IU musical theater student Maddie Shea Baldwin sang “Whispering” from “Spring Awakening,” Jim Stevens sang “You’ve Got a Friend,” musical theater student Hannah Slabaugh sang “Maybe This Time,” and Justin Teague and Amanda Biggs performed “I Look to You.” Sinders said every five years there is a new theme, and during the current five-year span the theme is “Getting to Zero,” which is comprised of multiple facets.Zero new births, zero new infections and zero discrimination are a few focuses under the theme.“It may not be something that you can tangibly get to that year, but it’s a thing that we focus on for that year,” Sinders said. Nancy Woolery, health projects coordinator for Bloomington Community and Family Resources, presented the World AID’s Day Proclamation.One goal of the proclamation is to remind Bloomington that HIV has not gone away and that there are many things yet to be done, Woolery said.Woolery said Dec. 1, 2013, is Worlds AIDS Day in Bloomington, and she urged everyone to remember those who lost their lives to AIDS, as well as to support those living with the disease. “It’s a pretty moving thing that we do every year,” Sinders said. Follow reporter Mary Hauber on Twitter @mary_hauber.
(11/22/13 5:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Rep. Rebecca Kubacki, R-Syracuse, chairman of the Family, Children and Human Affairs Committee, plans to cosponsor day care ratio bills this year, which would impose new rules on unlicensed, federally-funded day cares.Ratios in day cares are the number of children per number of staff members present.“What we’re hoping to do this next session is to take it a little bit further and deal more with ratios,” Kubacki said.Kubacki said she wants fewer children per the number of staff members present. Some other things Kubacki has worked on are ensuring day care providers have national background checks performed and master basic CPR skills.National background checks allow employers to see applicants’ crimes committed in any state, not just in Indiana.Any day care that receives Family and Social Services Administration funding will have to adhere to the legislation child care reforms.“Anyone that receives FSSA have to abide by the same principles,” Kubacki said.Kubacki said these reforms are important to her because she is a mother and a grandmother.Many mothers have to work because they have no choice, she said. They are low-income families, but just because they are low-income does not mean they should have sub-standard care, she said.“Children need to be taken care of properly, especially if you’re getting federal funding,” Kubacki said. “That’s supposed to take care of that problem.” Kubacki said she is not sure why day care reforms have not been an issue before, but she has made it an issue now. “I can’t tell you why it hasn’t been done, but in the future, it’s going to be a priority of mine,” Kubacki said.If ratios were to be enforced, it might affect day cares who try to offer a lower price child care option.Hiring more staff to meet the staff member-to-child ratio quota would mean the day care would have to raise the tuition price in order to cover staff salaries. Therefore, parents might not be able to afford it. Tamra Mullins, owner of Kozy Kids Daycare, a licensed home day care, said her day care follows the ratio of 15 children to two providers. She said she believes the ministry day cares, which are operated by a church or religious organization, will be affected because the amount of children they can take is based on square footage and not ratios, while her home licensed day care has a cap of 16. “You don’t want 50 kids with two people watching them,” Kubacki said. “The reason you want ratios is because in a fire or anything like that you want to have enough people to take up the children you’re taking care of.”Follow reporter Mary Hauber on Twitter @mary_hauber.
(11/18/13 3:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Potential entrepreneurs had 54 hours to create a startup business this weekend.At Startup Weekend Bloomington, participants put the final touches on their pitch presentations Sunday evening at Bloomington City Hall. Startup Weekend is a global movement of entrepreneurs who are learning the basics of founding startups and launching successful ventures, according to its website startupweekend.org.This is the fifth Startup Weekend in Bloomington, said Meghan Turner, organizer of Startup Weekend Bloomington.The event is a 54-hour weekend of business model creation, coding, designing and market validation. The weekend started with 31 pitches Friday, which was cut down to nine after a vote on which ideas would go through. Once the ideas were picked, participants formed groups around which idea interested them. Groups spent the weekend developing their ideas, business models, how they will make money and customer validation, Turner said. The weekend ended with presentations in front of local entrepreneurial leaders. Startup business Kick Ass Data Structures is a website that will help teach data structures to students, Albert Chung, Startup Weekend participant, said.“At the moment, this is a study tool built for us and our classmates,” Chung said. Coding 4 Kids is a program that will teach kids how to code, creator Kevin Tsoi said. The group handed judges a demonstration of the program on iPads. The program will address computer science illiteracy in the United States, he said. Coding 4 Kids is a unified platform on web and mobile for ages 8 to 13 that teaches concepts to empower children to be creators. An app called Wait Worthy intends to make the wait for restaurants more convenient. The app is designed to allow customers to see the wait time of restaurants around them. “Here in Bloomington and everywhere you go, if you want to go to a restaurant or any establishment there is going to be a wait time,” Sarah Hatteberg, a Startup Weekend participant, said. “Waiting is frustrating for everyone, and it’s a universal problem.”Turner said networking is one of the most valuable aspects of the event. Each team had five minutes to give their presentation in front of the judges. Judges for the event were Travis Brown, director of strategic initiatives for IU, and Chris Martoglio, cofounder and CEO of Blue Burro. Raymon Smith, engineer and organizer for Startup Weekend Bloomington, participated in a previous startup weekend.“It gave me a much better understanding of what entrepreneurship is and what it takes to start a business,” Smith said. Christian Leighton, a Startup Weekend Bloomington participant, said he got involved in the startup event because he is going to study business, and it taught him more about the market in Bloomington. Leighton’s group aimed to start a brewery for those age 27 and up that focuses on quality beer and a good experience. Startup Weekend gets people to the point where they can talk about start-ups, learn how to do it and possibly create the connections for something to come out of it, Turner said. “The goal is to encourage startup connections in Bloomington,” Turner said. Follow reporter Mary Hauber on Twitter @mary_hauber.
(11/13/13 4:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Community members discussed the possibility of a new charter school in Bloomington Tuesday night. Presentations were given at the Academy of Science and Entrepreneurship to help people understand charter schools and how they will affect the Monroe County Community School Corporation. Former MCCSC school board member Valerie Merriam and IU Associate Professor and Attorney Suzanne Eckes presented information.Charter schools are public schools with more freedom to experiment, Eckes said. In return, they are held accountable for achievement.There are currently 71 charter schools in Indiana, and most are located in Indianapolis and Gary, Eckes said.“They receive high praise in some states, and in some states they’ve been shut down,” Eckes said. “Some do an excellent job, and some should have been shut down yesterday.”Eckes said according to a study, charter schools are generally more segregated than traditional public schools. This segregation is apparent in niche charter schools, which focus on a particular population of students. Examples of niche charter schools are ones who serve special needs students or gifted and talented students, Eckes said.Eckes also said many charter schools have a Christian emphasis.They are often accused of blurring the line between the church and state entanglement, Eckes said. “Absolutely there are simple things that could be done to assist with improving traditional public schools and keep them (students) within the school systems,” Eckes said. Merriam discussed the problems she saw at the Green Meadows Charter School public hearing and her discussion with Robert Marra, executive director of the Office of Charter Schools for Ball State University.Merriam said she noticed a lack of diversity in the audience, and she said she thought the avid individuals talking about the Charter did not let the public know they were connected with it, which was misleading, she said.“I was concerned with what I was hearing in the meeting and what I was reading,” Merriam said.First, the proposed school location was out of city limits, which means the city bus could not reach there, and she said did not have faith in a carpool system. Merriam said she lined up what Green Meadows Charter School proposed to do and what MCCSC already does. She said MCCSC does so much of what Green Meadows Charter School wants to do and more.“We don’t need duplication when there’s already limited resources,” Merriam said.The monies MCCSC will lose if another charter school comes will not only offset programs for the MCCSC children, but ultimately the students who come from the other schools and join MCCSC in middle school or high school, Merriam said.Merriam said Green Meadows Charter School will focus on sustainability and the arts, which are focuses already in place in MCCSC.“This would dilute or destroy some of our most successful programs,” Merriam said.After the presentation, people in attendance were invited join MCCSC board members at tables to further discuss charter schools. “What is so different or spectacular about this charter application?” Merriam said. “Does it really warrant the adverse effects it would have on the MCCSC curriculum?”Follow reporter Mary Hauber on Twitter @mary_hauber.
(11/12/13 1:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A Bloomington city official is leaving his position to join the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs.Daniel Grundmann, City of Bloomington human resources director, will leave his post Nov. 24 and become a faculty lecturer in SPEA.Adam Wason, communications director for the City of Bloomington, said in an email, a replacement has not been named. Grundmann said teaching at the university level is a passion.“I’ve enjoyed the experiences as an adjunct faculty member significantly, and I am really excited about the idea of dedicating myself fully to teaching,” Grundmann said.Grundmann has been the director of human resources for Bloomington since 2001, served as the department’s assistant director from 1998 to 2000 and was hired by the city as director of safety training and communications in 1997.During his 17 years with the city, Grundmann has made many valuable contributions, Wason said.“Daniel’s efforts to transition our city government benefits structure to the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns Trust Fund is saving taxpayers literally millions of dollars,” Wason said.Grundmann said the innovation projects he has worked on with a team have had a significant positive effect on the city.“I’ve been here a long time, and I’ve been involved in a whole lot of wonderful things with the city,” he said.Grundmann was also involved in the revision of the compensation and benefits structure for the city, development of performance appraisal and job evaluation systems, revisions of the employee handbook and policy manual, and negotiations of 14 collective bargaining agreements with three labor unions, Wason said. “Under his leadership, the department established an organizational development program, an extensive internal training curriculum and implemented a new human resources information system,” Wason said.Grundmann was one of four members who served on Mayor Mark Kruzan’s budget team and was a member of the city’s strategic planning team and innovation committee, Wason said. Grundmann has been teaching in SPEA as an adjunct faculty member since 2002.“I am most looking forward to focusing my mental energy on teaching, on course design, on the students and on the School of Environmental and Public Affairs,” Grundmann said.Follow reporter Mary Hauber on Twitter @mary_hauber.
(11/08/13 3:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A plot of land on Bloomington’s south side could soon be used for BMX biking paths, a disc golf course or a low-barrier shelter.In 2002 Monroe County purchased a plot of 85 acres located within Bloomington city limits on South Rogers Street.On Thursday evening at the Monroe County Courthouse, a community meeting sought input on what to do with the property.Julie Thomas, vice president of the Monroe County Board of Commissioners, said one of the main goals for the development is sustainability.“Think sustainability, think revenue neutral or revenue generating,” Thomas said.Likewise Thomas said the commission wants the project to be something that is at best environmentally positive and at worst environmentally neutral.Funding is a fundamental part of the project, Thomas said. The project chosen will have to have a funding source and a plan for management and operations.“That’s an important aspect. Some would say it’s a restriction, I say it’s a fact of life,” Thomas said.Monroe County can sponsor the project by the land, but cannot afford to operate a project or manage a project, she said.The cost of putting in the roads, sidewalks, storm-related infrastructure, sanitary sewers, water and design alone would cost 3.5 million dollars.The meeting featured presentations by Thomas and Monroe County Highway Engineer, Bill Williams, followed by a discussion to identify potential uses for the property.The first half of the community meeting was to give information on the property and the rest of the time was to get input from the crowd.“The fruit of this exercise is the ideas,” Dave Parsons, chair of the Monroe County Environmental Quality and Sustainability Commission, said.Large maps of the property were placed on tables in the room and table groups drew on the maps and discussed with ideas for the property.“Uncap your pens and start discussing,” Ashley Cranor, Monroe County grants administrator for office of the commissioners, said.During a break, the maps from every table were hung up on the walls to give people a chance to see other tables’ ideas.The information from the meeting will be evaluated and possibly used to develop a Request for Proposals in 2014. People can email their initial ideas for the land to countythomsonproperty@gmail.com until Nov. 30.Before any projects can be final, the City Plan Commission and the City Council must approve them, Thomas said.“One of the things that we’d like to see is something wonderful done with this property,” Thomas said.
(11/07/13 3:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This state fiscal year, more low-income Hoosiers have access to quality childcare.Indiana has already started enrolling more children in childcare programs due to the additional $23 million available to cover childcare expenses for low-income Hoosiers, said Melanie Brizzi, child care director for Bureau of Childcare.Federal law gives each state the opportunity to transfer up to 30 percent of its funds from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program to supplement the Child Care Development Fund to help families afford child care. Indiana’s Family and Social Services Administration decided to make the maximum percent transfer for the 2014 fiscal year, Brizzi said.“It’s about utilizing the resources in the most affective way possible,” Brizzi said. “TANF had the ability to transfer money to CCDF to serve more low-income children.” In fiscal year 2013, Family and Social Services Administration transferred $39,158,599 from TANF to CCDF, and in fiscal year 2014, FSSA will transfer $62,039,733 from TANF to CCDF.This increase in transferred funds will help serve an additional 4,500 children on average per month, according to the FSSA press release. “It’s not a one and done thing. We will continue to serve more children throughout the fiscal year,” Brizzi said. To receive vouchers, a family must meet income guidelines and must be working or going to school, Brizzi said. In Indiana, Brizzi said there is always a waitlist for voucher services. If a family qualifies, once they are off the waitlist, they will receive subsidies to help support the cost of childcare while they are working or in school.Waiting lists are a part of getting the childcare program vouchers and getting children into the day cares.Tim Dunnuck, director of early childhood education services at IU, said theoretically they may see more low-paid IU employees or low-income student families enrolling children into the program. However, the biggest problem on campus is getting the children into the program and off the waiting list. Dunnuck said he would love to serve more low-income families in the program, but it all comes down to the waiting list. Marianna Edmonds-Hogue, owner of Cookie Club Day Care in Bloomington, said she personally has not gained more children due to the change because most of her families are people who have been with her for a long time. “I hope they keep funding for early childhood because these years are really important for them,” Edmonds-Hogue said. Follow reporter Mary Hauber on Twitter @mary_hauber.
(11/06/13 3:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>By fall 2014 Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana in Bloomington will lease a new nursing building from the county for $1 a year.The Bloomington City Council approved the structure’s creation at a meeting last week. The County will own the building, and it intends to have the building on bond issue for 10 years while Ivy Tech leases the space. At the end of the 10 years, ownership of the building will revert to Ivy Tech, Ivy Tech Chancellor John Whikehart said.“This is an example of how the city and county cooperate to approve educational facilities,” Bloomington City Councilman Martin Spechler said.Ivy Tech is expected to renovate the building and redesign it so nursing labs replicate a hospital environment, Whikehart said.“It will provide opportunities in the future to locate another health science program in the same space, but it’s primarily for our School of Nursing,” Whikehart said.In the spring, Ivy Tech will begin renovating and moving into the new building and out of the Connie and Steve Ferguson Academic Building, which has housed the nursing program for almost 12 years.The new building will provide more space for the nursing lab simulation equipment. The Bloomington City Council and the Monroe County Council both had to approve the new building for Ivy Tech, Monroe County Attorney Jeff Cockerill said.The county created the westside tax increment finance district in the early 1990s, and the city annexed three pieces of ground as part of that TIF years later. The smallest southeast corner was annexed by the city, which is why the city and the county had to approve the building.A TIF is a mechanism to help spur economic development where the development is not occurring how it naturally would, Cockerill said. The Monroe County Development Commission will purchase the building with a bond issue, Whikehart said. If Ivy Tech does not meet its commitments to the lease, one of which is to have the building open for classes by fall 2015, its lease payment could jump, Cockerill said. Getting the infrastructure in place allows for better jobs to be available for people in the county, Cockerill said.Follow reporter Mary Hauber on Twitter @mary_hauber.
(11/01/13 2:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department is seeking approval from the Bloomington City Council for $1 million for park maintenance and upkeep. Generally, the money will be used for paving areas such as parking lots and golf cart paths, Parks and Recreation Director Mick Renneisen said.“The goal of this appropriation is to tend to the maintenance and repair needs of parks’ facilities throughout the community,” Mayor Mark Kruzan said in an email.Though the repairs are evenly distributed throughout the parks needing maintenance, Renneisen said some need more than others, such as the 38-year-old Winslow Sports Complex.Bryan Park also needs updates to its restrooms, tennis courts and playground surfaces, Renneisen said.Fifteen of Bloomington’s 40 parks require maintenance.“The capital and maintenance needs of our parks have not been fully met in recent years due to budgetary constraints, and we are now in a position to begin making these investments,” Kruzan said.The Parks and Recreation Department has annual repair money in its budget, but Renneisen said this is not the fund they are proposing to the council.“These are things above and beyond our annual budget,” Renneisen said.It has been about four or five years since the department has done significant work like this, but even then it was not up to this million-dollar threshold, Renneisen said.Renneisen said the department takes care of $50 million of city assets including the 40 park sites.“We’ve got a lot of things that we are responsible to take care of,” Renneisen said. Besides the repairs at Bryan Park, the lights will be replaced in Peoples Park and additions and replacements to drinking fountains and park benches will be made at various parks.It takes three weeks for the appropriation to transition the city council process, Renneisen said.Next Wednesday the council will consider the request.Then, on Nov. 13, the council will take a vote to approve or deny.“This is a great thing. This will be something our community notices, recognizes it needs to be addressed and supports,” Renneisen said.Renneisen said he believes the city will approve the appropriation. He said the council has been apprized to the various parks in need in their districts. “The projects will have an impact in all of the quadrants of the city and will benefit users at each of our city parks,” Kruzan said.Follow reporter Mary Hauber on Twitter @mary_hauber.
(10/30/13 2:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bloomington owns 12 of the 65 acres of the Certified Technology Park in the downtown area, which will be integrated into the fabric of downtown.CTPs are created as a tool to support the growth of high-technology business and to promote technology transfer opportunities. The State of Indiana gives the designation of CTP to communities that collaborate with research institutions and meet certain criteria, such as a commitment from a technology business to create jobs in the park, according to Bloomington’s website. Designation as a CTP allows for the local recapture of up to $5 million of state and local tax revenue, which can be invested in the development of the park, according to the CTP Master Plan and Redevelopment Strategy.The CTP in Bloomington is not a typical CTP, off an interstate or highway, because it is the heart of downtown, said Danise Alano-Martin, Economic and Sustainable Development Director.The CTP has a strong focus in sustainability, Alano-Martin said. “When a private sector creates new building construction, we ask them to focus on green building design,” Alano-Martin said.Another part of the green aspect of the CTP is sustainably managing storm water.This project will take about 15 to 20 years to be fully realized, Alano-Martin said.A good portion of the CTP is an area with an industrial history, Alano-Martin said.The CTP is the former home of the Showers Brothers Furniture Factory that was at one point the largest furniture manufacturer in the world.“We want to pay homage to that history, and there are some historic buildings that we want to see adaptively reused,” Alano-Martin said.The approach to redevelopment in the CTP is multifaceted, Alano-Martin said. It is one that emphasizes the historical aspects, working and living downtown and the technology business aspect.One of the primary motivating factors of the technology park is to create jobs in Bloomington, Alano-Martin said. CTPs, as a requirement, focus on tech companies and creating jobs, while also helping existing tech companies in Bloomington grow and attract companies. “It’s another piece of downtown where people might go to a café or a restaurant, work there, spend time in the green space or might actually live in the certified technology park,” Alano-Martin said.According to the Master Plan and Redevelopment Strategy, “This place is a vibrant downtown district, full of things to do and places to go, a place where collaboration thrives and where relationships are forged.”Follow reporter Mary Hauber on Twitter @mary_hauber.
(10/28/13 3:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Richard Lugar, former U.S. Senator for Indiana and Stephen Schwartz, editor of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies journal, discussed the unknown history of the nuclear triad in Ballantine Hall on Friday evening. The discussion was organized by the Center on American and Global Security.Schwartz’s talk was entitled “The Tale of the Triad: The Unknown History and Uncertain Future of America’s Nuclear Arsenal,” with commentary by Lugar.The nuclear triad refers to the nuclear arsenal, consisting of strategic bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missiles. The term was applied to United States’ long range or strategic nuclear weapons that would be used to attack adversaries in their homeland, Schwartz said.“We are at a very interesting time I would argue and a critical moment in U.S. arsenal,” Schwartz said.The ongoing work to reduce U.S. nuclear weapons, modernize and update them and budget frustrations are all factors to this critical moment, Schwartz said.Schwartz noted that while thinking more about the title of his talk, it would be more accurate to call it the ignored history of the U.S. nuclear arsenal, instead of forgotten or unknown.There are different theories of how the triad came about.One story goes that there was an analyst in the department of defense around the 1960s who came up with the concept, Schwartz said. Schwartz said whatever the origin of the triad is, it is critical to understand the triad was not the product of logical analyses, and no one planned on building it.“It’s an accidental artifact of the cold war,” Schwartz said. The triad is a product of competition spurred by a number of forces, Schwartz said.The competition was between the United States and the Soviet Union, but also between each military service such as the Air Force, Navy and Army, due to budgetary questions, Schwartz said. If a nation wanted to be a player in the nuclear age, it had to have nuclear weapons programs, Schwartz said.The amount of weapons pumped out at that time was driven by the rivalry of the competing services, Schwartz said.All the nuclear weapons derived from that time may also have been because they were supposedly going to be less expensive and considered a bigger bang for a buck, Schwartz said.They were seen as a way to safeguard the U.S. while not bankrupting it.In the end, nuclear weapons were actually more expensive due to the fact that they required tremendous amounts of extra security, were very labor intensive, required many specialists and created a need for reserve forces. “If you’re going to fight a nuclear war anywhere else and your adversary has nuclear weapons, your front lines will be wiped out, and you have to have a reserve force ready to go,” Schwartz said.Schwartz also discussed some benefits of the triad. For one, ballistic missiles were prompt and on constant alert, and it is possible to launch all the missiles simultaneously if desired. One of the arguments that is made for the nuclear triad is to compare it to a type of insurance policy for the U.S., Schwartz said. However, he said it would be a very peculiar insurance because it increases odds of the U.S. needing insurance.“Would you purchase a health care plan if getting the insurance increased your odds of getting sick or dying?” Schwartz said.It is important to know the history of the nuclear triad because the United States was spending money on things that were not necessary, Schwartz said.“Creating rational and cost effective policy for the future requires us to understand the past,” Schwartz said. After Schwartz’s talk, Lugar shared his commentary.For 40 years, the U.S. used the term mutually insured destruction, Lugar said.Lugar said it meant the United States believed that the United States and the Soviet Union had the ability to destroy every military installation, urban area and the entire population of both countries.Lugar said in 1989, the U.S. had a stock pile of 22,217 nuclear weapons and was spending $6.1 billion for the programs. Twenty years later, in 2009, the stock pile was reduced by 77 percent to 5,133 weapons, but the budget for the program was increasing.Follow reporter Mary Hauber on Twitter @mary_hauber.
(10/25/13 4:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Jody Chatelain had the task of sifting through 517 photos of overdose victims. She had to choose which ones to include on the memorial slide show for the Narcotics Overdose Prevention Education Candle Light Vigil at the First Christian Church in Bloomington Thursday evening. “It made me quite reflective because I realized this disease is no discerner of your race, disease or religion,” Chatelain said. “This disease doesn’t have any boundaries.”The vigil was to honor those who have lost the battle of drug addiction or are currently suffering. As the event started, Chatelain said 50 other NOPE vigils were started across the country.Chatelain said addiction costs the U.S. $650 billion every year, and about 2 percent of that goes to treatment.“That’s what we’re trying to change,” Chatelain said.Michael Paine, author and activist, told the story of his son David Michael Paine Jr.’s addiction.“My son began to experience difficulty with marijuana when he was 12 or 13 years old,” Paine said. Paine said he learned of his son’s disease after attending his own alcoholics anonymous meetings. Paine said at first, he tried to convince his wife to go to meetings, but after her first week she never went back. Paine stayed with the program.Paine Jr. was in prison for 7 years in Arizona and 7 years in California, both on drug related charges. Paine Jr. came out with a swastika on his chest and tear drops on his face.“Once you get into the system it’s hell to pay. It’s not an easy system once they get your name,” Paine said.Paine Jr. overdosed three times. One of the times, he was put on a ventilator for eight days, and survived, Paine said.Addiction is not a quick-fix illness, it is a disease that will kill you, he said.Paine said most alcoholics and drug users have experiences they do not share with people.“We have to get behind the mask to get at a root cause of what’s doing all this, and then we can start treating what’s happening,” Paine said. Paine said he did not find Paine Jr.’s mask until he was in prison in California. It was there he told his father he had been molested by the same clergyman Paine had asked to help him.Methamphetamine was the worst thing David had ever found in his life, Paine said. Paine said when dealing with someone on meth, people are dealing with someone charged up with a completely different personality, someone who is violent, has no respect and is dangerous. Paine said he heard about Paine Jr.’s friends dying and it crushed him, but he never connected that happening to his son because he was always getting his son help. “I don’t have the time to bore you with all the good points of his life. He was a very neat, spiritual kid every time he was sober, and he was a delight to be with,” Paine said. One day, Paine said he had been watching television when his son showed up at his house high on meth and wanted to come in. Paine told him no and to come back when he straightened out. Paine said the next thing he heard was his son crashing in the front doors. Paine’s son started hitting him, and eventually Paine shot Paine Jr. in the leg.“You shot me,” Paine recalls Paine Jr. saying.“I know I did,” Paine said. “Now, get to the hospital.”“I’d rather be dead than go to the hospital,” Paine recalls Paine Jr. saying. Paine called the police and eventually received the news that his son had died.“Don’t think you can’t die, because you can, and don’t think you can’t go to prison, because you will,” Paine said. Follow reporter Mary Hauber on Twitter @mary_hauber.
(10/24/13 2:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Jacob Franklin said he advocates efficient elections and the upkeep of county records.To make this happen, he is running for the office of the Clerk of Monroe County Circuit Court.He has been a deputy clerk for nine years, from 2003 to 2012, and said he has worked all the aspects of the elections.“I’ve spent a third of my life in that office, and so I’m pretty well-versed in it,” Franklin said.Franklin said he is a public service-driven person, and he loves helping others.“I’d like to see fair, efficient elections,” Franklin said.To become clerk, Franklin first filed his exploratory committee on Oct. 9 to seek the Republican nomination for the office of Clerk of Monroe Circuit Court during the 2014 primary election.In order to advertise himself for the office and take donations for a campaign, Franklin said filing for exploratory committee was the first step.In the first week of January, people wanting to take the clerk’s position file for declaration of candidacy.Franklin said people who file for exploratory committee do not always follow through to declare their candidacies.Franklin said he will declare it in January. He said he is currently getting his website built and ready for February.He wants his campaign to be as forthcoming and informing as possible, he said. Franklin said it is important that people know what the office does.Marriage licenses, pre-trial diversions, seat belt tickets and underage consumption tickets are all things that are taken care of at the clerk’s office, Franklin said. The clerk maintains all of the circuit court records, traffic tickets, criminal misdemeanors, criminal felonies, civil cases, child support and civil collections.The position also requires maintaining marriage and divorce records, Franklin said.Franklin said with all the IU students there is a lot of turnover with voter registration and a lot of address changes to be processed.The county clerk also maintains voting machines and equipment used to administer the elections. A face a lot of people see at the clerk’s office is mainly the elections office, Franklin said.Any candidate for a public office has to go through the county clerk. Franklin said the county clerk maintains all the documents from when the county was first established. “You’ll have records from the 1800s that are in severe need of maintenance,” Franklin said.He said he loves and believes in history because it shows where he comes from.“I think it’s important because the people need to always remember where they’ve been and look forward to where they’re going,” Franklin said. Follow reporter Mary Hauber on Twitter @mary_hauber.
(10/17/13 3:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Between 100,000 and 300,000 American children are victims of sex trafficking every year.It’s an issue in Monroe County expected to grow, Monroe County Prosecutor Chris Gaal said.In Indiana there have been a total of 78 cases of human trafficking identified by law enforcement and more than 53 that have been identified by service providers, said Abigail Kuzma, chief counsel of the Consumer Protection at the Indiana Attorney General’s Office.Human trafficking occurs when people are recruited to work or provide services through use of force, fraud or coercion. The two types of human trafficking are sex trafficking and labor trafficking, according to Indiana Protection for Abused and Trafficked Humans.Bloomington Police Department Captain Joe Qualters said in an email the BPD has investigated complaints about human trafficking in Bloomington related to allegations of prostitution and unpaid forced labor in restaurants, but nothing has ever been substantiated.Last week, 54 people participated in a training on human trafficking at the City of Bloomington’s Public Safety Training Center, Gaal said. The training was organized with IPATH, the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office. “The importance of training on the subject of human trafficking is that it creates awareness within the law enforcement community of the existence and depth of the problem,” Qualters said. One of the goals of the training was to see how people identify victims and what to do once one has been identified.Kuzma said foreign-born persons are brought here to be trafficked. They are vulnerable because they do not have a legal right to be here, so they do what the traffickers tell them.“They don’t have any support system because they come here by themselves with no money, no community and they don’t know the language, so they don’t know how to find assistance,” Kuzma said.Although many are foreign-born, 83 percent of human trafficking victims are United States citizens, Kuzma said. Adverse child experiences are experiences such as sexual abuse, physical abuse, domestic abuse or a parent in jail, Kuzma said. A child with one or more ACES is more vulnerable to trafficking than a normal child, Kuzma said.Some people who attended the training were local law enforcement, health care providers, educators and victim advocates, Gaal said. “We know that it is a big problem in Indiana, and we’re only finding the tip of the iceberg. There are a lot more,” Kuzma said.Kuzma described a situation of sex trafficking. She said it is usually a child who is a U.S. citizen who has already been traumatized and is maybe feeling really lonely, and an older guy comes into the picture pretending to be her boyfriend. Kuzma said the man acting as a boyfriend will then take the child through a “grooming” process where he takes her away from her safety net, moves her out of the state and eventually offers her for prostitution. In the past, people have thought of prostitution as a victimless crime, Kuzma said. However, that is false, and there is a lot of violence involved. “It’s really important that we are not buying into the lies that we hear everyday about prostitution,” Kuzma said. The average age of people getting involved with the commercial sex industry is 12-14 years old, Kuzma said. “People don’t really want to hear about it, but we need to realize that it is everybody’s business because people are being abused,” Kuzma said.Follow reporter Mary Hauber on Twitter @mary_hauber.
(10/15/13 3:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Terri Steinberg considers herself a normal suburban housewife.Steinberg shared her story of her son, Justin Wolfe, who was put on death row in 2002 after being accused of murder-for-hire in the death of Daniel Petrole Jr. Steinberg shared her personal experience with the death penalty Monday evening at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Bloomington. The Indiana Abolition Coalition and the church’s Prisoner Task Force organized the presentation, which aimed to educate people about the death penalty. The goal of the Indiana Abolition Coalition is to build consensus to end the death penalty in Indiana through education, collaboration and activism, Dorris Parlette, director of the IAC said. The death penalty is only available for the crime of murder in Indiana, according to the Indiana Public Defender Council’s website. Parlette said the coalition believes people have some misconceptions on how the death penalty works.“Our goal is getting the information out,” Parlette said. “The best way is to hear from people who have been personally and directly involved.”Thirty-two states have the death penalty, according to deathpenaltyinfo.org Steinberg said the death penalty is not a subject people normally like to talk about. “I was a young mom with four young kids, I drove the minivan, I was a volunteer-aholic,” Steinberg said. “One day the death penalty came into my home and has threatened the life of my oldest child.”Steinberg said when it all began, her son called and told her not to worry and said he would be home in a few days.“It’s been 12 years, and he’s still not home,” Steinberg said. “Holidays and birthdays are always overshadowed by the fact that Justin isn’t here.”Wolfe had never even been in a fist fight, Steinberg said. She said he was falsely accused of the murder-for-hire. “I don’t see how people thought it would be okay to kill another human being to make up for the life Danny lost,” Steinberg said.After 12 years, Steinberg and her family were on their way to pick up Wolfe, who was scheduled to be released. When the family was 45 minutes away from the prison, they were informed that Wolfe was actually not going to be let out. “If you want a description of the words cruel and unusual, I had it in that car,” Steinberg said.Steinberg said she will continue to hope.“I hope people who hear his story realize that the choices you make would not only hurt you, but your brothers and sisters,” Steinberg said. Therese Bartholomew, filmmaker and educator, said sometimes people forget the human side of crime, and storytellers help people understand the intimacy of crime.Bartholomew’s brother, Stephen Leone was murdered in February 2003.“I feel like my role since I lost my brother in 2003 is to help change a culture,” Bartholomew said. “I think part of abolishing the death penalty is shifting our culture and thinking and changing the world we live in.”After seeing her brother’s murderer in court, Bartholomew said she was distraught by the feelings of forgiveness she felt for him. Bartholomew said she spent seven years making a documentary showing the human side.“We have a justice system that creates an abstract and I wanted to see the human, I wanted to see his humanity,” Bartholomew said. “However dirty and damaged and broken I want to sit in a room with it and I want him to see mine.”Follow reporter Mary Hauber on Twitter @mary_hauber.
(10/14/13 3:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Activists looking to halt a proposed Indiana Constitutional amendment further banning same-sex marriage pitched their agenda in Bloomington Sunday.Freedom Indiana, which organized a community meeting at the Unitarian Universalist Church, claims to be a statewide bipartisan coalition of businesses, faith leaders, civil rights and community organizations and individuals united to defeat House Joint Resolution 6.HJR-6 is an amendment that would ban all protections for same-sex couples and their families and remove existing protection for unmarried Hoosiers. If enacted, the amendment would prohibit future legislatures from passing a law that would allow same-sex couples to legally marry.Peter Hanscom, deputy campaign manager for Freedom Indiana, said this was the first community meeting in Bloomington.“We know we have a huge activist community here that’s used to being active and contacting legislature,” Hanscom said.During the meeting, people filled tables in the church while the group gave a presentation and shared its steps to defeat the amendment. Donations were also accepted during the meeting in order to support the campaign, and people were asked to help in multiple ways, from signing up for a phone-bank shift to throwing a letter-writing party. Rick Sutton, Indiana Equality action executive director, said they want to stop the legislation before it goes to ballot.If the legislation for HJR-6 gets passed again in 2014, then it will go to ballot, Sutton said.Sutton said the efforts are important because letting the already existing statute equivalent to HJR-6 get to the Indiana Constitution will make it much more difficult to change.Sutton said people need to contact all legislators in Indiana through personal visits, phone calls and letters. Matt Marko, a Freedom Indiana IU campus organizer, said he moved to Indiana from Maine to participate in the Freedom Indiana campaign and has also worked on marriage equality campaigns in Rhode Island and Maine. Hanscom said officials need to hear real stories.“Legislature need to hear from the people this is directly affecting,” Hanscom said.Follow reporter Mary Hauber on Twitter @mary_hauber.
(10/10/13 6:31pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Suicide is the second leading cause of death among Indiana residents
ages 15 to 54. Between 2006 to 2010, 4,115 Hoosiers took their own
lives. Suicide rates have increased steadily during the last 10
years, said Joan Duwve, Indiana State Department of Health chief medical
officer. In 2010, there were 867 suicides in Indiana, and in 2011, there were 872 suicides.Suicide
is also the third leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 14 and
the 11th leading cause of death in Indiana as a whole, according to the
Suicide in Indiana 2006-11 report released in September. Earlier
in October, the Jed Foundation, a nonprofit focused on suicide
prevention among college students, released a list called “30 Colleges
With Excellent Mental Health Services.” IU was not on the list.There is a correlation between the economy and feelings of hopelessness and depression, Duwve said.“There may be some connection between people losing homes and job loss and increased rates of suicide,” Duwve said. Duwve said with the younger age group, the rate of suicide is related to bullying in school.“We know that bullying really affects how teenagers feel about themselves and their self-worth,” Duwve said. Duwve said 25 percent of high school students in 2011 reported being bullied.In
2011, 11 percent of high school students in Indiana had attempted
suicide, according to the Suicide in Indiana Report. The attempts
included in the report required medical attention, although many attempts do not.Nancy
Woolery, city liaison for the Monroe County Suicide Prevention
Coalition, said the coalition has been offering training for teachers.The Monroe County Suicide Prevention Coalition works to prevent suicide through research, education and advocacy, Woolery said.“We hope we can train every teacher,” Woolery said. Efforts are also being made at the state level to prevent suicide.Duwve
said the state has formed a suicide task force called the Indiana State
Suicide Prevention Advisory Committee, which is a group of
professionals from the State Department of Health, mental health
professionals, suicide survivors and others. Suicide survivors are family members or close friends of people who have committed suicide. The
group wrote the Indiana State Suicide Prevention Plan called “Journey
From Hopelessness to Health,” which explains what people can do to
prevent suicide.It also details what can be done at the state
level, schools, individuals, communities and what health care providers
can do, Duwve said. Duwve said the committee believes everybody plays a role in suicide prevention. This includes teachers, colleagues and parents.“Teachers
who have a better understanding of signs in a child who may be
considering suicide can help identify students and save lives,” Duwve
said. “There is something we can all do.”Duwve said it is important to increase awareness and break down barriers that keep people from getting healthy. There
is a stigma associated with mental illness that may keep people from
getting help, Duwve said. People need to know a mental illness is like
any other illness, and they need to be diagnosed appropriately and
treated effectively, she said.Woolery said the coalition works to reduce the stigma. Many
people do not like to talk about suicide or depression because they
think it is more a personal issue than a public health issue, Woolery
said.Some of the suicide warning signs include appearing
depressed or sad most of the time, talking or writing about death or
suicide, withdrawing from family and friends, feeling hopeless, feeling
strong anger, abusing alcohol or drugs and writing a will.Help for people considering suicide can be found by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-SUICIDE. “A
lot of people struggle with mental illnesses on their own because they
are afraid to tell anyone and don’t know how to seek professional help,”
Duwve said.
(10/04/13 6:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bloomington City Council members Susan Sandberg, Tim Mayer and Darryl Neher are working on a resolution for marriage equality.“A resolution is nonbinding. It is a statement that basically says this is our position that we feel in our hearts best represents our community,” Sandberg said.The resolution will state that Bloomington supports same-sex marriage and does not support the possibility of the state constitution only recognizing marriage between a man and woman.The first step was having a community listening session where the city council members co-sponsoring the resolution listened to the community’s thoughts, Sandberg said.“Before we ever get off the ground with a draft like this, it is important that we talk to people with a vested interest,” Sandberg said.Sandberg said it is time to stop discriminating against our brothers and sisters in the community who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. “We feel that it is morally wrong and materially wrong,” she said. “It is bad for business and sends the message that Indiana is backwards.”Sandberg said this is a plain and simple matter of civil rights and not having marriage equality will be bad for the economy. While trying to recruit talent, companies are looking for the brightest and best individuals, who could be gay or lesbian, she said. “People will leave the state because they can find opportunities in other states that do allow marriage,” Sandberg said. Sandberg said they hope to have the resolution in front of the council in December. “Knowing my colleagues on the city council, it would not surprise me if it was a 9-0 resolution,” she said.Mayer said Bloomington is considered a fairly liberal community, but issues surrounding sexual activity and gender tend to bring out people on both sides of the issue.“I just think it’s really the right thing to do. If people love each other, that’s great,” Mayer said. “I am not too concerned about who they are and what their gender is.”“We seek marriage equality among consenting partners,” he said.Once the resolution is done, it will be forwarded to the state legislature “because that’s who we’re really talking to here,” Mayer said.Other organizations are working to change the proposed definition of marriage.Freedom Indiana is a bipartisan coalition of businesses, faith leaders, civil rights and community organizations, and individuals who are uniting to defeat House Joint Resolution 6, the proposed Indiana Constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.“The Bloomington resolution reflects the will of the folks in Bloomington, and we believe it’s part of the larger dialogue about why this amendment is wrong for Indiana and our families,” said Jennifer Wagner, spokesperson for Freedom Indiana. The majority of Hoosiers do not want to debate same-sex marriage via the Indiana Constitution, Wagner said.Mayer said more and more the states seem to be moving in the direction of recognizing same-sex marriage. As a younger demographic comes into vote, there is more support for same-sex marriage and less concern. If anyone would like to provide information, data or opinions, they may send them to council@bloomington.in.gov.“There will be people who are opposed to it, and I understand that and respect it,” Mayer said. “People have to follow their values.”Follow reporter Mary Hauber on Twitter @mary_hauber.