The Rushville Truth

Not Gossip - The Cooker's Closed

One of my very favorite quotes is very prophetic in being in tune with this story, and I'd like to share it with you.

"Gossip is just news running ahead of itself in a red satin dress. -Liz Smith"

On April 18, a prelude to "RR&RT" in our local newspaper condoned gossip as an evil. To a certain degree, I have to agree with the editor. I also do not understand why so many people feel compelled to spread information when they have no idea whether or not it's true. But on the other hand ... the truth usually starts somewhere.

As much as I hate rags like “The National Enquirer” or “The Star” tabloids, sometimes a kernel of truth happens to shine through. It's not done so in a very classy or reputable manner, but it's the truth.

In the April 18 edition of Rants & Raves, our local editor was lamenting the fact that he was given "the business" about not doing a story on the closing of the Country Cooker. After research and calling their manager, it was revealed that Clancy's headquarters, who actually owns the Country Cooker, assured him that there were no plans to close the restaurant.

One month later, in May, the rumors swirled yet again that the Cooker would be closing its doors, and still it prevailed…until yesterday.

According to a news release that came rather hurriedly from Clancy's Inc., the restaurant ceased operation Monday at 2 p.m. The general manager claimed that the decision to close was done without his knowledge or input. The story also stated that no future plans or uses for the site were known, but we have a pretty good idea of what may happen under its inevitable new ownership ... can anyone say temporary parking lot?

It's sad that yet another Rushville eatery has fallen, but it's also sad that so much is done to dispel rumors regarding the closing of these eateries (remember the Flatrock Grill gossip firestorm?), yet in the end, closure is exactly what happens anyway. No wonder people form their own opinions and regard them as the "Gospel truth."

I also find it sad that in the face of the closure of some of these restaurants, and the opening of a few new ones, and the prolonged survival of those that have been around for awhile, OUR Chamber has an advertisement on their sign for a Shelbyville eatery. Sad, but true. I understand that these businesses pay for that usage, but when YOUR town that YOU'RE supposed to be promoting is struggling, I think I'd be doing whatever I could to get the word out about my own community. That's just me though, and the Chamber is a business.

In the end, gossip will prevail. Show me someone who never gossips and I'll show you someone who isn't interested in people. A rumor without a leg to stand on will get around some other way, and trying to squash one is like trying to un-ring a bell.

“There are a lot of terrible lies going on in the world, and the worst of it is that half of them are true.” - Winston Churchill

Show me some investigative reporting, and I will show you where the rumors may start to cease.
 
And the questions continue:
 
1. Has an offer been made?
2. Will this be a parking lot for future construction projects?
3. Did the clinic just score points with a new world recognized hand doctor?
4. Can you use stimulus money to acquire land?
5. Is it an irony that this was announced on the same day those responsible to publish a planning editorial?

Happy Father's Day!

Any man can be a Father,
but it takes a special person
to be called Dad.

With so many interesting developments coming in the near future, I thought it would be acceptable to take a short break to reflect on one of lives bigger issues. The body of this article was contributed by the talent from www.morning-glow.com.  

___________________________

The idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909.

Having been raised by her father, William Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless, and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.

In 1926, a National Father's Day Committee was formed in New York City. Father's Day was recognized by a Joint Resolution of Congress in 1956. In 1972, President Richard Nixon established a permanent national observance of Father's Day to be held on the third Sunday of June. So Father's Day was born in memory and gratitude by a daughter who thought that her father and all good fathers should be honored with a special day just like we honor our mothers on Mother's Day.

The excerpt below is from the Silver Anniversary Book on Father's day published in 1935. I would like to thank William Jackson Smart's great granddaughter, Bonnie, for sharing this with me.

"This year, 1935, the Silver Anniversary of Fathers' Day is being observed. Thirty-seven years ago, in the Big Bend hills of Washington, the day had its nativity in a lonely farm dwelling. There Sorrow ministered amid the moaning of the March winds.
A father sat with bowed head in his aloneness. About him clung his weeping children. The winds outside threw great scarves of powdered snow against the window panes, when suddenly the last born tore himself from the group and rushed out into the storm calling for his mother. Yet even his baby voice could not penetrate the great silence that held this mother.

Hurriedly, the father gathered him back to his protection and for more than two decades, William Jackson Smart, alone, kept paternal vigilance over his motherless children.

This poignant experience in the life of Mrs. John Bruce Dodd of Spokane, Washington, who was then Sonora Louise Smart, was the inspiration for Fathers' Day which materialized through the devotion of this father and the father of her own son, John Bruce Jr., born in 1909. Through the observance of the love and the sacrifice of fathers about her everywhere, her idea of Fathers' Day crystallized in 1910, through a formal Fathers' Day petition asking recognition of fatherhood."

What Makes a Dad

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it ... Dad
Author is unknown

Here are those fun little questions:

1. Did you honor you father this fathers day?
2. If you are a father, did your children honor you?
3. Was anyone offended by the writing of this article?
4. Is parenting the most important job we have in life with the least formal training?
5. Did you have a happy father’s day? (I hope so!)

Up in Smoke

When you pick up the paper and the headlines reads, “There is not problem.”, that usually means there is a problem. I have recently have opened the local newspaper to find printed infomercials in varying sizes from a full page to one third of a page. The ad was titled, “The Reality about Newspapers” written by John F. Sturm, President and CEO of the Newspaper Association of America. Mr. Sturm is attempting to dispel any and all concerns pertaining to the newspaper print industry. The specific topics that the author titles as myths are discussed are as follows:

1. No one reads newspapers anymore
2. Young people no longer read newspapers
3. Newspaper leadership is tanking
4. Many newspapers are going out of business
5. Newspaper advertising doesn’t work
6. There are no creative options in newspapers
7. If newspapers close, you will still be able to get the news from other sources

At each item he makes claim to the strength of the industry using statistics, demographic breakdowns, economic comparisons and flourishing terms such as “exploded” and “healthy.”

The discussion of print media’s struggle has been discussed previously on this site, so I won’t go into great conversation. I address topic because this infomercial is the first evidence of a marketing effort targeted to dispel the concerns that this site vocalized when discussing the contraction of the local paper has experienced.

He closes with the following reassurance of, “This is not a portrait of a dying industry. It’s illustrative of transformation. Newspapers are reinventing themselves to focus on serving distinct audiences with a variety of products, and delivering those audiences effectively to advertisers across media channels.”

1. Do you believe in what is stated in this article?

2. In this article, he claims that “newspapers make a larger investment in journalism.” Is that true?

3. What is your definition of journalism?

4. As he states, “No amount of effort from local bloggers, non-profit news entities or TV new sources could match the depth and breadth of the local-produced content.” Is that true?

5. Is the nation’s newspaper industrial correlative to the local newspaper?

Did he say, “racket science”?

I want to take this opportunity to applaud Mr. Barada on his recent editorial on the topic of community pride. I, too, have heard the comments, “why would anyone want to live here,” and “why would a business want to relocate here”. I, like Mr. Barada, find this disheartening and frustrating. I know that the hate/fear mongers are going to accuse this site as being the reason for the lack of community pride and being the negative nanny that wards off anyone moving or relocating here, so before you start, let me say “stow it.”

Mr. Barada hit the nail on the head. This community has a pronounced lack of leadership with long-term vision for this city. We need leaders who will move us forward and who are not hell-bent on maintaining the status quo. I hear it all the time...”why can’t we have an Applebee’s”...etc. etc... It takes more than wishing to make things happen.

A classic example of this lack of vision is the announcement that the 16th Street extension will need donated land to make it happen. Where was the forethought that land would be needed? We need to expect and demand more, period. We are paying taxes to our local government which goes to salaries to effect progress and betterment of our community. You can’t just show up to a meeting, vote “yea” or “nay” and pick up your check. It requires more than that. I understand time constraints, job commitments and other obligations, but these are factors that need to be weighed when accepting a party call to run for office.

As a community, we need to come to an understanding of where we are and where we want to be in 5, 10 and 20 years. Can someone tell me the last time the county leaders, city leaders, ECDC, educational leaders and business owners all got together and worked out a long range plan? A real plan that could be presented to the community for comments and buy-in? One person or one institution cannot build or formulate the future of a city. It has to come from the heart of the citizenry. If you don’t have the backings of those who must do the push-ups and who are going to have to carry the water, the vision, no matter how good, will fail.

The one exception I take with the column, Mr. Barada, is that you have been critical of blog sites with anonymous authors. I find the comment about institutions that are “supposed to provide visionary leadership. They know who they are” dripping with irony. You have a blog site that names these institutions and individuals and you abhor the thought that the author doesn’t put a name to it. You put your name on your article, but then you refuse to enlighten the public as to who the people and institutions are. Which does more for the citizens, Mr. Barada? If people don’t know who the offenders are, how can they hold these individuals or institutions accountable? Just something to ponder. I want to close with a “thank you” to Mr. Barada for going as far as he did. Let’s hope this gets the ball rolling for the sake of the community.

1. What institutions are considered visionary leaders?

2. Do you believe our leaders have the “care-taker” mentality that Mr. Barada suggested?

3. Are some in leadership positions waiting for a reason to leave town while others are playing it safe with their only vision on only the next election?

4. After an article like this, does Mr. Barada know what it is like to have a conversation with himself?

5. Will the ECDC make Mr. Barada retract this column, too?

6. Could our present leaders be our own worst enemy?

7. If people where honest and forthright in their intentions, would there be a need for a blog site?

Give me a little stimulus

I was reading local paper article that covered the city council meeting, and I stumbled upon a mystifying request. Apparently the Economic Development Direct was giving his update on the progress of the North industrial Park when at the close, the following apparently transpired:

“Buening also asked the Council to award an additional $10,000 toward the ECDC’s budget and match Rush County’s $75,000 funding level. The Council will consider the matter but several members indicated they want to wait until the first tax settlements arrive. The Council told Buening they were not saying no, just asking for more time.”

So, during what most are considering the second worst economic period in the countries history and with budget shortfalls at every level of government, we are asking for more money? It seems to me like this would be a good time to batten down the hatches and wait it out, but what do I know?
Not to mention the fact that excluding the nation’s economic situation, and the states shortfalls, the local budget cutbacks, we have also had to deal with the closing of Futjitsu 10, the suspension of the Copeland expansion, and the moving of the tool and die portion of INTAT – can you show me the money?

I thought I read in an article for the local paper by Brad Buening on May 4th, 2009 titled, “ECDC has active and diverse membership” and that the ECDC was “very fortunate to have an outstanding membership that is both active and diverse. This year we are fortunate to have new members”. Couldn’t that bridge the budget gap until times loosen up?

Maybe we should just take the advice of a county sage, Bill Ward, who has in the past contributed his thoughts to this site when he wrote on Friday May 01, 2009,”Good things come to those who wait.”

Another peculiarity I ask myself is, “Didn’t the time when the city and county both gave $75,000 support a two person payroll at ECDC?” and “wasn’t that decrease of $10,000 by the city used as the reason they let go of the second employee?”

1. Is it me or are the numbers always moving?

2. Oh, and if they move, how do you verify them?

3. So, are we hiring a second person in the ECDC office?

4. What does “severance for silence” package mean?

5. Anyone want to bet where the additional taxpayer money goes?

6. Did anyone else see what the $10,000 was to be used for? Puzzling since the city and county have directly funded any needed economic development improvements (ex. NIP).

7. Why is justifying a request seen as a threat to some?

8. Is accountability insulting?

9. By the way, what does it mean when the Director stated in his article that “the ECDC make-up has been unregulated?”

10. Haven’t we seen this PR tactic used elsewhere?

A Tribute

Today is Memorial Day; a day when we are to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their county. I thought that it would be disrespectful to write anything but a piece on the purpose of the day. Then I was forwarded this email that had obviously been received around county, state and county by those who have patriot sympathies. 
 
This article said what I wanted to say, but much more pointed and eloquently. It is as follows:
 
“‘A Reflection on Memorial Day’
by Bob Kerrey

I stand on a bluff in Normandy, France, overlooking the English Channel. The beach below was called Omaha. 9,387 white crosses mark the remains of young Americans killed here or in other places in France following the June 6, 1944, invasion. They're all dead. Another 1,557 names are on a wall here but their bodies could not be found. They're all dead, too. They did not come home to kiss their girlfriends or wives. Their children grew up without them. They did not enjoy the GI Bill. They did not build a new house. They did not see their commanding officer elected President twice. They never heard rock and roll. They didn't grow old.
Try to remember them today. Try to hear their youthful laughs. Try to know their fear. Try to feel their promise realized in your life, through your actions, your humility, your respect.
Contributor's Note: Former Nebraska governor and US senator Bob Kerrey was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and the Bronze Star for his service during the Vietnam War. He is currently president of The New School University in New York City.”
 

As I was surfing the net...

…I saw a story that I thought was very interesting and touched on a series of topic that was relevant today and will have more relevance as the worlds speed continues to increase. The article included below was posted on Yahoo-Tuesday May 12, 2009 8:57AM EDT:

Irish student hoaxes world's media with fake quote

By SHAWN POGATCHNIK

DUBLIN - When Dublin university student Shane Fitzgerald posted a poetic but phony quote on Wikipedia; he said he was testing how our globalized, increasingly Internet-dependent media was upholding accuracy and accountability in an age of instant news.

His report card: Wikipedia passed. Journalism flunked.

The sociology major's made-up quote — which he added to the Wikipedia page of Maurice Jarre hours after the French composer's death March 28 — flew straight on to dozens of U.S. blogs and newspaper Web sites in Britain, Australia and India.

They used the fabricated material, Fitzgerald said, even though administrators at the free online encyclopedia quickly caught the quote's lack of attribution and removed it, but not quickly enough to keep some journalists from cutting and pasting it first.

A full month went by and nobody noticed the editorial fraud. So Fitzgerald told several media outlets in an e-mail and the corrections began.

"I was really shocked at the results from the experiment," Fitzgerald, 22, said Monday in an interview a week after one newspaper at fault, The Guardian of Britain, became the first to admit its obituarist lifted material straight from Wikipedia.

"I am 100 percent convinced that if I hadn't come forward, that quote would have gone down in history as something Maurice Jarre said, instead of something I made up," he said. "It would have become another example where, once anything is printed enough times in the media without challenge, it becomes fact."
So far, The Guardian is the only publication to make a public mea culpa, while others have eliminated or amended their online obituaries without any reference to the original version — or in a few cases, still are citing Fitzgerald's florid prose weeks after he pointed out its true origin.

"One could say my life itself has been one long soundtrack," Fitzgerald's fake Jarre quote read. "Music was my life, music brought me to life, and music is how I will be remembered long after I leave this life. When I die there will be a final waltz playing in my head that only I can hear."
Fitzgerald said one of his University College Dublin classes was exploring how quickly information was transmitted around the globe. His private concern was that, under pressure to produce news instantly, media outlets were increasingly relying on Internet sources — none more ubiquitous than the publicly edited Wikipedia.

When he saw British 24-hour news channels reporting the death of the triple Oscar-winning composer, Fitzgerald sensed what he called "a golden opportunity" for an experiment on media use of Wikipedia.
He said it took him less than 15 minutes to fabricate and place a quote calculated to appeal to obituary writers without distorting Jarre's actual life experiences.

If anything, Fitzgerald said, he expected newspapers to avoid his quote because it had no link to a source — and even might trigger alarms as "too good to be true." But many blogs and several newspapers used the quotes at the start or finish of their obituaries.

Wikipedia spokesman Jay Walsh said he appreciated the Dublin student's point, and said he agreed it was "distressing so see how quickly journalists would descend on that information without double-checking it."

"We always tell people: If you see that quote on Wikipedia, find it somewhere else too. He's identified a flaw," Walsh said in a telephone interview from Wikipedia's San Francisco base.

But Walsh said there were more responsible ways to measure journalists' use of Wikipedia than through well-timed sabotage of one of the site's 12 million listings. "Our network of volunteer editors do thankless work trying to provide the highest-quality information. They will be rightly perturbed and irritated about this," he said.

Fitzgerald stressed that Wikipedia's system requiring about 1,500 volunteer "administrators" and the wider public to spot bogus additions did its job, removing the quote three times within minutes or hours. It was journalists eager for a quick, pithy quote that was the problem.

He said the Guardian was the only publication to respond to him in detail and with remorse at its own editorial failing. Others, he said, treated him as a vandal.

"The moral of this story is not that journalists should avoid Wikipedia, but that they shouldn't use information they find there if it can't be traced back to a reliable primary source," said the readers' editor at the Guardian, Siobhain Butterworth, in the May 4 column that revealed Fitzgerald as the quote author.

Walsh said this was the first time to his knowledge that an academic researcher had placed false information on a Wikipedia listing specifically to test how the media would handle it.

The cunning of he story was admirable, but the magnification of the vulnerability of the all access instantaneous nature of the Internet.

Questions:

1. Is the manipulation of history a concern?

2. If you read it on the Internet, is it true?

3. Who will be the watchdog for the verifying facts in media stories?

4. Is the move from a print media to an Internet based media perceived as less credible?

5. Does the saying hold true “Once anything is printed enough times in the media without challenge, it becomes fact”?

We're on the Road to Nowhere...?

This article will be pleasing to some and disconcerting to others. I have had several people ask me if I know when the construction on the SR 3 widening through Rushville will take place. Well, that is a good question. Earlier schedules from INDOT showed that the project should be beginning soon. So I went back to their site and saw that the project had been kicked back from April of this year to January of next year. Well that should please the “Don’t Maul Main Street” crowd; they get to enjoy the trees and their front yards a little longer, but for others, this change is cause for concern. It would seem with the Major Moves money and the stimulus money from the Feds, this project should have been well under construction by now, not pushed back at least a year.

For those not familiar with the project, the State has approved and obtained right of way to widen SR 3 from roughly the Marsh Grocery Parking Lot south to about the Railroad tracks to include a dedicated turn lane, more commonly called a suicide lane. While many are rightfully concerned about the loss of beautiful trees and chunks of their front yard, others feel that this addition of a suicide lane will help ease the traffic that can back up two or three blocks as cars try to turn across traffic. The original plans show the State placing new trees and decorative elements to replace mature trees removed as part of this project.  I hope our City leadership holds the state’s feet to the fire to make sure that the scalp job done east of town on SR 44 as part of the bridge widening does not happen here.

Now for some questions:

1. Has Rush County lost clout with the State with the retirement of our own Senator Bob Jackman?

2. Is Senator Jean Leising not as concerned about projects in our fair City and County?

3. Is this a sign that our County’s connection at the state is not as strong as it used to be?

4. If we are having trouble keeping this project on track how could we hope to attract a new road project from the State?

5. Should the local Democratic leadership have the pull to obtain Federal dollars from a democratically controlled Washington, D.C.?

6. Does this mean that Rushville is falling further down the list in population and importance?

7. Didn’t anyone pay attention to our planning and zoning director when he gave his vision to the Commissioners?

8. Does this mean we are truly on the road to nowhere?

I Love a Parade

I was driving down Main Street when I saw one of Rushville’s finest coming the other way with lights and sirens. So as a good, law-abiding citizen I pulled over to let him pass. As I waited for what seemed like an interminable amount of time, I noticed he was being closely followed by a RMH Ambulance. It is as they passed that I noticed they were not on the way to an emergency to save someone’s life, but they were heralding spring as sure as the first robin. They were leading the first of what will be many poker runs through Rushville.

For those unfamiliar with the term, a poker run is a charity event put on by motorcycle groups. They are quite a fixture on rural State Roads all over Indiana. Well I was not surprised to see RPD leading the poker run through town, but I was surprised to see it accompanied by an ambulance. I have always figured as with a funeral procession, the police car escort improves safety for the bikers and the traveling public. Add to the fact that there are usually several local police cars on duty at any given time, so it probably does not adversely affect public safety. But for the life of me, I cannot figure out what good the ambulance was doing. Since there are only two ambulances on duty at any given time and they now not only cover central Rush County, but also appear to be covering the southern stretches as well, it does not seem like a County (taxpayer) funded ambulance should be used as an escort for a poker run. I am hoping that there was more to it than using our fuel and ambulance crews for a P.R. opportunity.

Some questions that bear asking:

1. So is it the Hospital Board, County Commissioners or the Hospital that give approvals for loaning out the ambulance for escort duty?

2. If we qualify this as a parade, we could at least say it went down Main?

3. If the ambulance has to leave due to an emergency call will the motorcycles know which one to follow?

4. Could the police and ambulance practice some synchronized divergening like the synchronized moves of the Indianapolis motorcycle unit?

5. Could a medic be the hood ornament?

Newspapers are dying...but does it matter?

For die-hards in the print media industry, these are not the best of times, and they are certainly the worst of times. Arthur Miller mused that "a GOOD newspaper, I suppose, is a nation talking to itself." When they're on their game, newspapers hold governments and companies and individuals to account. But they're slowly becoming like the polar bear, the coelacanth ... one day our children's children, or perhaps even our children -- fine, at this rate, even we we may see it in a museum as an example of relics past. Right next to the stuffed mammoth and the rotary phone. The Society of Professional Journalists may start airing commercials with sad little newspapers blowing around on the street with the likes of Hunter S. Thompson and Ernie Pyle pleading with the general public to donate money to save the print media industry ... "it's up to us, America, donate to the SPJ Save the Polar Bear ... ahem, newspaper fund today (as said sad little newspapers float away on a chunk of melting iceberg)."

So, who to prosecute for this heinous crime, this murder of newspapers? Folks on the left are blaming greedy newspaper owners for running their businesses into the ground. And folks on the right are blaming biased journalists. Both are scarlet letters, no doubt. The clunky limitations of its production are the biggest problem. No one can ignore that young America is throwing away the "old" medium of print and reading their news online. According to a recent article in "The Economist," advertising is also following readers out the door. Mostly, it is due to the fact that the internet can match buyers with sellers and is a proven source of money well-spent. So, not only is the business of selling words to readers dying, but the art of selling readers to advertisers is also falling apart.

According to the Newspaper Association of America, the people employed in the industry fell by 18% between 1990 and 2004. Shares are also dropping like flies prompting outcry from investors, mostly from your big dogs in the industry like Knight Ridder and the New York Times Co.

The death throes are prompting action, much like cancer patients would go to chemotherapy and brave their disease, the news industry is also putting on their battle gear and loading the cannons. In order to cut costs, less is being spent on journalism. Newspapers are also trying to lure in that gen-X crowd that's essentially killing them by doing less "hard" news (your gloom and doom rollover, children are starving in Africa stories for those of you not familiar with the "industry") and more "fluff" (entertainment, lifestyle, etc.).

But as the newspaper crumples and fades, who will hold the corrupt in the world accountable? As sad as it will be to one day never hold a daily paper in-hand, it's not going to be as harmful to society as one may fear. According to the same article by "The Economist," who put it better than I could ever try: "That is partly because a few titles that invest in the kind of investigative stories which often benefit society the most are in a good position to survive, as long as their owners do a competent job of adjusting to changing circumstances. Publications like the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal should be able to put up the price of their journalism to compensate for advertising revenues lost to the internet—especially as they cater to a more global readership. As with many industries, it is those in the middle—neither highbrow, nor entertainingly populist—that are likeliest to fall by the wayside."

But that doesn't mean that those mediums aren't struggling ... it's not just the little daily papers like our own that are experiencing cutbacks of every capacity. The Rocky Mountain News, Arizona Citizen are already on the rest in peace list; the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Christian Science Monitor online only. L.A. Times and Chicago Tribune are in bankruptcy. McClatchy which bought Knight Ridder on its deathbed is going to close the Sacramento and Fresno Bees along with the Miami Herald if they can't find new owners. And Gannet is also sinking faster than the Titanic. The Washington Post is "restructuring" and the New York Times has persuaded a Mexican billionaire to rescue them.

Essentially, my friends, that means that little local papers like our own most likely have just received a terminal diagnosis. Of course, only time will tell, but it's a foreboding nonetheless.

There is a solution. Those savvy enough to be able to predict the future of the industry are saying that "a new force of citizen journalists and bloggers" are going to be the ones to hold politicians to account (see, THE TRUTH is ahead of its time, is all). Bloggers as a whole are capable of being biased or having their own agenda, of course, just name a reporter lately who isn't, but as a group, "bloggers offer the searcher after truth boundless material to chew over." So chew on that.

Personally, I think that local news is the local watchdog. But it's also the state's watchdog. With the government preparing to reach its sticky fingers into waaaaaaay too many cookie jars -- our banks, our healthcare, our homes -- we need thoughtful, skeptical and courageous people on the forefront, preparing to hold them accountable and let the rest of those not on the battle lines know what is going on.

My Curbside questions:

1. Could a purely internet based news source survive in Rush County?

2. Was the combining of the newspaper (a source of trusted news) with a comment and blogging forum (less accountable) the cancer that has done in some small town papers?

3. Can you sign your name to a story that exudes the truth in a small town?

4. What will fill the media void in the local market?

5. Have you picked up the papers from the surrounding communities? –you might notice some familiar names scurrying to adopt a regional base.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

In May, Rush County's news coverage will change with cutbacks at the local paper. Late last week, Managing Editor Kevin Green published what was most likely a hard pill to swallow ... that the paper was going to be published only three days a week.

Many communities who are Rushville's size have a small newspaper, most of which do only run three days a week. Some of communities don't even have a local paper, so even though there are setbacks, we should consider ourselves lucky in that aspect.

The paper's publisher echoed that the decision was based on the size of the community, and that the change would be a more effective way to produce the paper. The days that were picked for publishing were chosen to provide "the best sports coverage and local news that were the best fit for the community." But in a "read between the lines" quote, Publisher Laura Welborn said, "Rushville is a marvelous community and deserves the best possible community newspaper that it will support."

Does that mean that Rushville doesn't support its newspaper, hence the cutbacks? Or that if Rushville doesn't support its newspaper, more cutbacks are coming?

There is no doubt that the newspaper industry as a whole has been dealt a serious blow with the economic downturn. Advertising revenue for newspapers fell 9.4 percent to $42 billion in 2007—the worst drop in more than 50 years—according to the figures released by the Newspaper Association of America. According to

Editor & Publisher, there are signs that even online revenue is beginning to slow. In 2007, Internet ad revenue increased 18.8 percent. In 2006, its online revenue grew 31.4 percent—the same increase Web advertising saw in 2005.

But is the decline of the local newspaper solely based on the economy? Or is there more to the story?

According to the paper's press release on its new format, the managing editor and his staff will still produce just as many stories, which will also be posted on the website, which will also be more frequently updated.

The packaging and delivery of the newspaper will also change, which is sounds another alarm. How many people at the Republican, delivery staff and writers, secretaries, etc. will experience cutbacks on hours, pay, etc.? It's a sad forecast, especially with industry and employment as a whole in the area already taking a serious blow.

Stay tuned later in the week for an in-depth look at the decline of the newspaper industry.

Now, your favorite part ... QUESTIONS!

1. Will your paper subscription stay the same or decrease?

2. How will those who rely on the paper to get their word out survive?

3. Do you think that the papers perceived decline in integrity add to their decline?

4. If they said the cutback from 6 days print to 5 days was not a warning sign, then what is the cutback from 5 days to 3 days seen as?

5. What percentage of you audience do you lose when going from print to internet based news?

6. Will the paper be printed weekly within 12 months?

7. If things don’t get better will they charge you to access even the online version?

Upcoming Story

After looking at the commissioner’s meeting the other day, it has become apparent that the ambulance service is a topic that has the potential to loom large in Rush County’s future. The direction the community takes on this topic seems to be pregnant with consequences and thus, should be researched to a greater degree than the average topic. 

I hope to unearth some history related to this topic. I see that from the comments at the end of the story that ran in the paper and from the emails to the site that others folks in the community have valuable insight into this topic. Thus, I plan on taking a week or so to dissect this issue. I hope that there will be some light shed on the finances of the topic as well as the underlying political necessities that have driven it.

So, if you have additional or useful information, please feel free to email it to the site so that all sides are represented.

So ladies and gents, please stay posted until more on the topic is researched further!

Seeking public input

If you have not bought the printed version of the Tuesday 24th, 2009 issue of the local paper, I would encourage you to buy a copy.  It is well worth the 50 cents if for no other reason than to experience the puzzling seriousness or, if you choose, comedic value.  In what one reader termed as a cross between Don Corleone meets Green Acres, our Mayor Merv Bostic has started his own version of the restaurant-based town hall meeting.

The fitting inaugural location was his unofficial campaign headquarters and business-owned home to his future newest employee.   

I am not sure if this was an impromptu photo op or if this was really planned.  I can only assume it was set to convey an illustration of meaningful contact with the masses. I am pretty sure the investigating journalist will follow-up with his photo with a story that lays out the schedule for the times and restaurants that will play host to the new future town hall meetings, and expect that these times will be made public so that all in the community can fully witness the wisdom and insight of this community sage.

So as I leave this topic with a still perplexed look on my face, I ask the following questions:

1. Do you have to hire the proprietor of the restaurant before the restaurant qualifies as a site for the meeting?

2. I see Chief Ron Cameron, but did I miss Assistant Chief Fish?

3. Do you think that photo ops help Kevin convince his “Rants and Raves” readers that the paper has the only thing that is of value to a newspaper – integrity?

4. Wouldn’t looking a future for your voters be a more use of time?

5. Will the other half of the Mayor’s office host a forum of his own?

6. On a different topic: why would the chase vehicle for the ambulance service be parked in front of the Bluebird in Morristown?  I would think that would hinder a quick response?

Carol's Story

Let's call her Carol although that's not really her name. Her story needs to be told, but it needs to be told with a few changes so as not to reveal who she really is.

Carol has been employed by the same employer for the past 22 years, working in an office for a factory engaged in the supplying of parts to auto manufacturers.

Carol has been very happy with her job, very content in most aspects of her wages and benefits. She has strived to be the best she can be nearly every day she has gone to work, giving of herself above and beyond what she was required to do. Her job has not only been her salvation when it comes to self esteem, but it became even more important when her husband had to go on disability unexpectedly a few years ago. Overnight Carol became the major breadwinner of the family with her sights at that time set on retirement in early 2012.

All that changed less than a week before Christmas of 2008.

Carol had noticed early on in 2008 that not quite as much work was coming across her desk. She was noticing she was able to get her daily workload done in a shorter than usual time, and she was becoming suspicious of just how well her company was doing. After several conversations with a couple of different bosses, they assured her that things had slowed down, but not enough that she should become alarmed or worried about her future. Her job was secure, she was needed, and all would be well.

Less than a week before Christmas she was called into her immediate supervisor's office and told that she was being "laid off," for lack of a better way of explaining it. When she asked her surpervisor how long she would be off work, he looked down at his hands in his lap and explained to her that probably she would never be returning to her job, ever.

She felt her world beginning to crumble beneath her feet.

As luck would have it, she had her childrens' and grandchildrens' Christmas already bought and paid for. However, there was the second mortgage on their home and the few credit card bills they had. She decided that just maybe she could go ahead and start an early retirement and find a part time job to make ends meet.

She checked into her 401k plan and discovered that during last years economic problems that she had lost close to eighty percent of her money. Retirement would be out of the question. So would part time employment. She needed to find a full time job and find one fast

She then discovered just how bad our economy had become. The only jobs she could find barely paid much more than minimum wage and those that did would involve long commuting which would mean more money leaving her paycheck each week just to cover travel expenses.

Right after her husband became disabled his insurance company changed hands and his hospitalization insurance became unaffordable so they had to rely on Carol's insurance through her work.

Her insurance ran out in mid-January, leaving them with no personal medical insurance and her husband on permanent disability.

They've cut back everywhere they possibly could, setting their thermostat back to 60 degrees this winter and they have gone to eating two small meals a day. All unnecessary frivolities were gotten rid of. No cable tv, no satellite, no cellphones. They turn their lights off in the evening and save more money on electric by sitting in the dark most nights.

Unemployment is enabling them to exist, for at least the moment, but they are afraid darker days are to come. After all, unemployment won't last forever and Carol needs desperately to find a job. Problem is, there just aren't any jobs out there that pay enough for them to survive, at least for the present time.

At present, Carol spends her time searching for work, on someone elses internet, since they no longer can afford to have it on their own. She drives to other towns close by trying to seek out employment whenever she hears of a lead, but so far, that search has turned up little.

She does have a chance at a job in mid March, but she's not certain she'll get it. She has a couple of more interviews to go and the job she might get will pay her about half of what she made before.

She believes that along with her husband's disability check each month that they can probably make it on that amount of money, providing they still keep their necessary budgetary cutbacks in place.

Her smile remains fixed on her face and she stays steadfast in her belief that she will find a decent job and keep the family home.

With determination like that, I'm sure Carol will do exactly what she says she will...and may God bless all whose situation may resemble Carol's.

Health Care Headed in the Right Direction

On February 5th, the local hospital made an announcement that I think is a little bit of a baby step, but a step in the right direction. In a “For the Republican” article, the announcement was made that the local hospital had established a partnership with Emcare, an emergency room management and staffing company.

After wading through the typical marketing filler came the boiler plate quote of “Providing high-quality patient care is one of our goals here at Rush Memorial Hospital.  Working together with Emcare will not only enhance our ER services, but will allow us to continue the superior care our patients have come to expect and deserve. We are always looking for ways to improve patient satisfaction in all areas of the hospital”, stated CEO Brad Smith. This is a quote that is what you would expect -- sprinkled with the menu of the feel good buzz words and clichés that would come from any person in this position about a change in services. So, there was no real substance in the press release.

Please keep in mind that this deal could have many different nuances that you and I will never know. I thought that I might learn a little more when I saw what the paper’s follow-up story said. Sorry -- there was none. From the emails that readers sent to the sight, I feel I might have a little more insight into the topic, so I will try to break this down from the feel good lingo in the press release into a language that the average blue collar worker that pays the bills at the hospital can understand. The hospital appears to have brought on board a staffing and management company to oversee the operation of the emergency room. Those who have emailed the site indicate that the hospital was having emergency room staffing concerns and has hired a company that will provide staff and management for the hospital. Is this bad thing, no? This means that the local hospital, via a consultant, will have a more consistent product for the community, then the on they were being challenged to provide. Now what will happen to those staff members in the emergency room? I am sure some might be able to stay on, but some will part relations with the local hospital. Now, this change most likely will come at a cost, and that cost will trickle down to the user. So with another level of management to oversee the role of staffing and management emergency room, this should assure a properly staffed and managed department.

On reader questioned if the Emcare decision had anything to do with the recent change in the clinic moving from the emergency room side with little to no operating hourly limitations to the Health Care side where there are now hour restrictions for the clinic.

If you notice in the Emcare article CEO, Brad Smith says, “The transition will be effective February 9th, 2009.” This seems to synchronize with the ad the hospital ran which states:

Effective February 9th, 2009
In order to better serve you and reduce wait times in WALK-IN CARE CLINIC will no longer be located in the emergency room
New Location
New Hours
RMH Healthcare Associates
Walk-in Hours
RMH Medical Office Building
110 East 13th Street

No appointments needed
During these hours

Monday-Thursday
5 pm- 7 pm

Saturday
9 am - noon

So it appears that the agreement that Emcare signed to run an emergency room did not include the clinic. Thus the clinic that was placed at the emergency room to compete with the FMH clinic south of town has now been scaled. I am sure the departure of the FMH clinic has made this decision effortless. 

Many in the community have debated that the local hospital should go the way of many small town hospitals, that being to be acquired as a satellite facility by the larger regional or state-wide hospitals.

These new alternatives seem to be a satisfactory middle ground. The hospital management has found an area where it has struggled to get control of the staffing and management of the emergency room and has brought in, at a price, a firm that should provide a more acceptable final product. This seems like an acceptable way to bridge the gap.

The Emcare press release does not appear to be the end of the climate of change. With the regional and economic realities become very evident, I think what some might see as surrender, should be seen as a mature realization of the changing dynamics by those in charge in local healthcare. Surrounded by healthcare facilities such as Decatur County Hospital, Henry County Hospital, Hancock County Hospital, Shelbyville’s Major Hospital, Fayette Memorial Hospital and Brookville Clinic (sponsored by FMH), most of these are population centers whose numbers are increasing or are stable at a larger population then Rushville and Rush County. Rushville and Rush Countiy’s numbers have indicated further decline.

I have read that Rush Major Obstetrics and Gynecology are now taking patients. This is not what some in the community would ultimately want, but it is a concession that keeps the local hospital viable for greater length of time. Bring doctors who are based out of Major Hospital over to Rushville to practice under the name Rush Major Obstetrics and Gynecology (not what they practice under on Intelliplex Drive in Shelby County by the way). Some in the community would prefer that we go these endeavors alone, but with decline mentioned above the day where a local hospital can stand alone are long past.

With the times the way they are, and seeing no evidence of change, I hope that this practice of farming out services to consultants or neighboring regional hospitals will continue. As any farm community can relate to, “We may not own the cow anymore but it is sure nice knowing we are going to have an adequate flow of quality milk.”

Some additional information that might eventually benefit the community is the parent company of Emcare. Emcare is owned by a company called Emergency Medical Services Corporation (EMS) from their website they tout their major areas of expertise they are as follows:

Emcare- Management and staff for emergency rooms
AMR- American Medical Response- America’s leading provider of ambulance services

Also through its subsidiaries and affiliated companies they provide a wide range of healthcare services. That include:

Emergency Department Professional Services Billing
Emergency 9-1-1 Ambulance
Non-Emergency Ambulance
Medical Transportation Management
Fixed-Wing Air Ambulance
Physician Education and Training
Paramedic and EMT Training
Disaster Response
International Services
Outsourced Physician Practice Management Services

For more information www.emsc.net

It might be that at some point in the future, the management of the local ambulance service and the management of an air ambulance service. Both would be positive steps if they are found to be financially sensible

Here are some unbiased questions that the hospital and the paper might want to get together on and maybe do a press release:

1. With the new hours and reduced services will the community in hindsight miss the departure of the Fayette Memorial Clinic?
2. What is the difference in cost between the former emergency room arrangement and a consultant overseeing the emergency room?
3. How many patients will go to the emergency room thinking they are going to the clinic only to find out otherwise?
4. If we must pay more for middle management, should that save us at the upper management level?
5. Will that new pediatrics center allow the hospital to lease space to other regional hospitals to provide health care in our community?

Being Put On Hold

I'm going to take a turn off our normal course here.  Call it a right turn or a left turn, but trust me, it's a turn way off from what I normally speak about here at RT.

You can't escape it on the news...cell phones needing to be banned from the highways. It's on the local news, it's on the national news. Some states have enacted legislation banning cell phone usage from the highways, and let's face it, some people have a hard enough time driving without even having a phone up to their ear, let alone them having a discussion that takes their mind even moreso off their driving.  Accidents happen at an alarming rate, and so much of the time, the cell phone seems to be a contributing factor. One need only drive down the road for a short distance and notice the number of people approaching from the other direction, phone planted firmly against the ear and the driver of the car heartily engaged in a conversation and the road literally taking a backseat to their attention.

More and more, however, cell phones seem to be taking over other areas as well.  A walk through a mall, a store or a visit to a restaurant more than proves this to be true as person after person seems to be totally immersed in their own private world where their cell phone is concerned.  It's a rare visit to a store that you don't see someone walking down an aisle, oblivious to those around, and carrying on a conversation with someone somewhere far removed from where they actually are.

I'm not saying phone usage is bad. I don't want anyone to assume this is what I'm implying. Sometime that phone call might be necessary, say for instance if you need to check and see if it was fifth or a quart of vodka you needed to pick up at the store. Maybe you needed to check on someone on the way home and you were simply being reminded by someone not to forget to do this. These calls I understand, and these calls I'm sure most of us have gotten. Okay, maybe not about the vodka, but you drink what you drink and I'll drink what I drink.

What I am speaking of is the times when you are standing in line at the bank or the grocery or the drugstore, and someone directly in front of the cashier is engaged in a conversation of totally meaningless value and is making the cashier wait until it is convenient for them to give them their attention and let them do their job.

On a recent trip to a local business, I was blessed with standing behind not one, but two customers who simply didn't care that they were holding up a busy line in a busy store on a busy day. They were more interested in their conversation about who got caught cheating on their husband the night before than tending to the business they stood in line to conduct. It didn't matter that the cashier was standing their, albeit as patiently as they could. It didn't matter about the five people that were standing behind them.  They only cared about the juicy little piece of gossip they had just learned about, probably from another call they had gotten in another store. The cashier and the other customers and their time were of no concern to them. All that mattered at that moment was their own selfish and senseless conversation.  Of course, when they did decide to bless the cashier with their attention for an all too brief moment, the first thing they said was, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I just hate cell phones." (and at that moment, so did the cashier and four of the five other customers standing behind this person.)

The next transaction took place at a much brisker pace. The person standing behind the person now being waited on who thankfully wasn't on the phone had terminated their own call, so I thought things were going to move along a bit faster.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

Phone abuser number two received a second call at this time, and I swear, when the cute little song started playing at maximum volume, the rest of us in line decided to stage a dance right their. It came to an abrupt halt when abuser number two took their call and the music stopped. This is when we learned that this person not only must have been hard of hearing but didn't realize how loud they needed to speak on the phone, because their voice bordered on a decibel range one normally uses on the artillery range to be heard above the sound of exploding ammunition.  They also had to make sure and look around to see just how many people were listening to their conversation. Apparently, they didn't think enough of us could hear, so they talked even louder, carefully choosing their choice of four letter words carefully. Something regarding a bull defecating was repeated over and over, and while I don't know who owned that bull, they had to have owned a donkey too because this person made mention of kicking it a few times.

All this time the cashier is waiting on this person to finish with their conversation regarding livestock and the fornication of something divine. I couldn't grasp it all, my head was hurting from all the yelling this customer was doing, but I don't think I was alone in my increasing anger because by now the cashier had turned a bright crimson color I thought only reserved for fresh beets.

Somehow this transaction found its end and the rest of us moved merrily through the line at a much faster pace. When it got to be my turn, I had to fight the urge to act like my own cell phone was vibrating with a call coming in, but I just couldn't do that to the sweet cashier who had done her best to remain pleasant and courteous.  I didn't want to risk the chance that her sense of humor might not be the same as mine.

I've also had the experience of a clerk in a store doing their business while engaged in their own personal call while supposedly doing their job. I've actually been made to feel like I'm taking them away from their phone call while I took the time to come into their establishment and do business with them. I can honestly say that it's a long time before I ever return to do business with them again, if ever. After all, they are being paid to work, to give their customers service, yet when the boss is away, they spend their time on the phone, providing poor customer service and poor attention to their customers while being paid to visit with whoever on the phone.

I jokingly remarked to a young man one day who was supposed to be helping me find something to purchase if I should come back when he was finished with his call. He put his finger up as if to say wait just a minute before I answer. He didn't get the chance, I simply left and went elsewhere to do my purchasing. Funny thing was, I don't think he realized until twenty minutes later after he had hung up that I had left without purchasing a thing.

Then we have the maniacs who text several hundred times a day. Texting becomes more important to them than anything. A bank teller made me wait one day while she hurriedly sent off a text message to someone. After I waited a longer than acceptable amount of time, she blessed me with her expertise, only to receive and send two more texts before I finished my banking. When I left the window, I wasn't thanked for coming in, I wasn't said good bye to or anything else for that matter.  And while I haven't changed banks because of this rude and insensitive service I received, I no longer let this particular teller wait on me. I will wait for another teller to become available because I can't be assured of the quality of service I might be receiving from this poor excuse of an employee.

I see managers, bosses and other people of power displaying this same lack of respect and unprofessional attitude in all types of businesses and all types of scenarios. In this economy, I can't imagine why any business would allow this type of behavior to take place.

Cell phones are everywhere and almost everyone has one, and thankfully, most people who use them use them responsibly and sensibly.

Unfortunately, others do not.

Trust me, if you are one of those who abuses their phones and uses them at inappropriate moments, it might surprise you to know that your call can be completed at a more reasonable time than right at that particular moment. Also, I don't know of any contest currently being held where you win a thing if you are the first to rub your keypad clean of letters and numbers.

Believe it or not, I wrote this entire entry without a call coming in on my phone.  Well, at least I think I did. I left it in the other room on vibrate.

Did you hear.....??

Something has been concerning me for some time now, but this year it seems to have gone from bad to worse -- rumors. (Funny I should say that, huh?) A rumor is defined as:

“A story or statement in general circulation with confirmation or certainty as to facts

Gossip; hearsay

A continuous, confused noise; clamor; din

To circulate, report, or assert by a rumor. “

I know that this site has been accused of doing nothing but being the manufacturer of rumors. And in response, I would say that this site has been willing to encourage conversation. The controversy of this site comes from the fact that it is willing, and sometime promotes, conversation on topics that are taboo, especially in a small town.

We all have experienced talking about a topic behind cupped hands in a public place. We hide the conversation – not because it was untrue—but because “you just don’t talk about those things – let alone in public.”

So now to the basis of this post: it seems that every year -- about this time -- rumors about our local businesses going out of business run rampant. This year, probably due to the economy, it is worse. The traditional one that seems to run the circuit is the Flatrock Grill. Every new year, the rumor spreads throughout the community that the local owners are going to fold up the tent and head for the hills. And every year, they stick it out because of their love of Rushville and continue to serve some of the best food this side of Indy. Those close to the situation have assured that the rumors of their demise have been greatly exaggerated. Those rumors hit The Grill restaurant especially hard because a large part of their business is catering and parties and patrons who hear rumors that they are going under may not book at the business because of the rumor.

Another one being generated by the rumor mill is the China Buffet. I have heard from several people that they have closed or are closing. Well, after asking some questions, it appears that they have no plans to close. I can only assume that they, like others, are having a down period as people watch their spending, but that does not spell there demise. There are other rumors including all types of businesses, but until the writing is on the wall I will refrain. Suffice to say, the rumors are just that.  They can be very damaging to any business.

I highly recommend that if you hear someone telling you that a particular business is going under or that one will close in a few weeks, please take it upon yourself to verify it with a reliable source. I again highly encourage everyone in Rush County to continue to buy local as much as possible. Remember, we need them and they need us. It is a win-win situation!

In a more serious tone here are the closing questions:

1. What businesses have already paid the price because of rumors?

2. If you patronize a business/restaurant simply because you fear it will close, shouldn’t you have been shopping/eating there all along?

3. This year, are you willing to make it a personal commitment to verify information given to you before informing another?

4. Does $15,000 + $15,000 = $30,000?

No Doubt These Are Hard Times

The economy is affecting each and every single one of us, but the downward spiral (which hopefully is in its death throes) is really affecting the business sector of Rushville, or what little one is left. Will there be a rebound? A rallying cry?

Hopefully. Things get worse before they get better, and hopefully we have seen the worst that it will get. But in the meantime, the bad economy has taken a few prisoners with it out of Rushville's businesses.

Want to get your tires rotated or get a new set of tires from a specialty tire store?  Big O Tires seemingly up and disappeared overnight. Now of course, there are still several auto repair shops and the like that also offer tire rotation, sales and repair, etc. etc. However, they have one less competitor thanks to the downed economy.

Another casualty? Rosey Posey Antiques. The owner who specializes in primitives and soy candles will take her business to an online format only. Boulware Photography on Main Street I noticed has also closed their storefront.
Then there is Denny's Dollar, everyone's local favorite place for a good bargain are they experiencing obstacles?  Not sure. 

So, what's next? Who will go now? My hope is that no one else will have to suffer. There won't be anything left! But rumors fly, as they will. Such and such business is on their way out, or this place will be closed by this date. 

So who's next? And what can we do to stop it?

Unfortunately, only time will tell. But in the meantime, try to shop locally as much as possible. These local warriors reigning on in retail and restaurants and etc. are what will hopefully draw other businesses in the future to our quaint little town!

And now, the ever pressing questions...

1. What efforts are being made to attract new business?
2. Does the ECDC have any leads on new industry that could attract new business?
3. Is there any hope in this economic climate?
4. Will a bad economy be blamed for inherent inadequacies?
5. Who else will be forced to give up on their small town?
6. When will we hear Rushville's new rallying cry?
7. Where are the two men from Shelbyville (come out, come out, wherever you are!!)?!

Are we missing an economic opportunity?

Our newsgathering partner, the Indianapolis Business Journal, had a recent article that caught my eye. It reported that in a time when the recession was causing job losses and cutbacks at most businesses, Kroger and Marsh were bucking the trend and spending tens of millions of dollars on expanding, refreshing and renovating their stores across Indiana. They are doing this to not only compete for ever-decreasing consumer spending and to take market share from each other, but to compete against the big box and discount grocery stores. The article goes on to say that since they cannot compete against Aldi and Wal-Mart on price, they must compete against them on service and selection. They are also trying to lure consumers into their stores with many ready to eat meals that are cheaper, healthier and easier to prepare than restaurant food.

It is with this information I pose this question: Are our local ECDC, chamber and city and county administrations doing anything to lure some of this money to our community? We have not only a Marsh and a Kroger, but we also have two Village Pantries. All these stores are kept clean, but a few could use some upgrades. Both flagship grocery stores are small by current standards. Kroger under went a fairly extensive remodel a few years ago so another one might press our luck. Marsh had a minimal makeover to transfer itself from LoBill back to a Marsh. An expansion of Marsh might allow for it to carry a greater selection and have more opportunities for carry-out food and other things we do not currently have available.

While these fairly minor suggestions would leave the Flagship stores in good shape, both Village Pantries are in need of a more extensive refurbishing. While the one on Main has had a decent, if not awe-inspiring, paint job, their curb appeal needs more work. Some of my suggestions that would help the stores’ drive-by appeal would be to resurface the crumbling parking lots, add some landscaping curbside and a general overall cleaning. Inside, both stores are in need a face lift. A new store layout, along with some new flooring and a paint job, might be what is needed to re-energize both locations. Both are on major thoroughfares and their appearances could be better representations of their parent company and the city.

Maybe whichever organization is responsible could work together this week to encourage the parent companies to bring money to Rush County to improve their stores and our community. One thing companies and people look for when relocating is what kind of day-to-day shopping do we have. We lost an opportunity of getting a Super Wal-Mart in part due to the apathy of our leaders; I hope we do not make the same mistake this time. If the money is going to be spent, why not have it happen in our community?

1. Why hasn’t whichever organization that is answerable gone to Marsh and Kroger’s Corporate Headquarters to express the desire for the investment in the community?

2. Where is the Mayor’s economic development plan that we were promised?

3. Could we get the two men from Shelbyville to road trip to Cincinnati and Indianapolis to lobby for improvements?

4. What does Connersville have on the horizon that would allow them to reportedly be in the process of luring a Super Wal-Mart within a year of the announcement that the planned one in Rushville would not be coming?