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IT AIN’T BEANBAG

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IT AIN’T BEANBAG

GAVEL GAMUT By Jim Redwine

As described by Winston Churchill, “Democracy is the worst political system except for all the others”. And as we suffer through our ongoing political pandemic and naively hope for a November 03 cure the political sausage-making gives evidence of Churchill’s observation. On the other hand, if we step back from the splattering mud, we might find some passing amusement in the process. Of course, that is only if we personally or people we care about are not running for office.

The first political campaign I cared about involved the presidential race between Lyndon Johnson and Barry Goldwater in 1964. As I was active military at the time I was quite interested in each candidate’s position on the “police action” in Vietnam. Also, 1964 was my first chance to vote as I had just turned 21 and the 26th Amendment lowering the voting age to 18 was not ratified until 1971. You may recall, if you lived through the ’60’s, or you may have seen old black and white TV images of that famous political advertisement run against Goldwater showing a little girl plucking a daisy as a mushroom cloud rose in front of her. Well, I saw it in 1964 and heard Johnson promise not to send “American boys to die in an Asian war”. As I was one of those American boys, that sounded good to me so I voted for Johnson. That was my first lesson in political reality.

1964 temporarily cured my faith in voting but I relapsed in 1972 when as a young lawyer I decided to save the criminal justice system by supporting a friend of mine in his bid to be elected county prosecutor. Another idealistic attorney friend of mine and I dove head first into election day politics. We stayed up all night making political signs then at o’dark-thirty started putting them up at polling places. We were involved. We felt virtuous.

Then we pulled into a large precinct where many people were lined up to vote. As we each grabbed a sign with our champion’s name on it and jumped out of my old Ford sedan a large woman hustled up to us and asked if we had been sent by “Headquarters”? Neither of us knew what a political party’s headquarters was so we stared at her blankly as she loudly proclaimed, “Well, you better get some ‘supplies’ out here as these people ain’t voting right!” We headed home.

No, democracy is not perfect but it is not all bad and you have to admit it is often interesting. Peg and I still vote every time we have the opportunity even though we are aware our government is staffed with humans, not Plato’s recommended Philosopher Kings. Do we sometimes get disappointed by our choices; certainly?  Do we get discouraged; yeah. Do we want any other political system; nope!

For more Gavel Gamut articles go to www.jamesmredwine.com

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Indiana Arts Commission Announces 2020 Recipients of State’s Highest Honor in the Arts

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Indiana Arts Commission in partnership with the Office of the Governor announced the 2020 recipients of the Governor’s Arts Award.

Originally presented in 1973, these awards recognize excellence in artistic achievement, philanthropy, arts education, and leadership in the arts and are presented biennially at a public event. The public event for the 2020 recipients has been postponed to 2021 due to the public health crisis.

More information about the public event, including the date, will be available early next year.

2020 Governor’s Arts Award Recipients:

Jim Bodenmiller, Advocate (West Lafayette, IN)
Jim‘s work on behalf of the arts has had a long history of impact in the Tippecanoe County region. He has served on the board of many arts institutions, with a leadership style that was instrumental in putting several on a path to sustainability. As an IAC Commissioner, and later as chair, Jim oversaw the implementation of the Regional Arts Partner system which continues today as a successful model for equitably distributing funds to all the state’s 92 counties. In 1997, Jim retired from Eli Lilly after 35 years with the company. He continues as a strong advocate for the arts in the state, presenting to legislators and committees of the General Assembly.

Michael Cleveland, Musician (Henryville, IN)
With a Grammy win and a record-setting 12 wins as Fiddle Player of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association, fiddler Michael Cleveland’s indomitable spirit, rare talent and work ethic have brought him to the pinnacle of his profession. His masterful playing attracts an all-star roster of guests on his 2019 release, TALL FIDDLER. The album, co-produced by Jeff White and Sean Sullivan along with Cleveland,  is peppered with the same level of musical potency that first lit a fire in Cleveland, prompting him to form his band Flamekeeper, recently profiled in the inspiring documentary Flamekeeper: The Michael Cleveland Story, and take the stage as a touring musician.

Hurley Goodall, Advocate (Muncie, IN)
Born in 1927, Hurley graduated from Muncie Central High School in 1945, worked in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1945-47 and was a civil rights leader in the 1950s-60s. In 1976, he co-authored a book entitled A History of Negroes in Muncie. In 1980, he presented the Black Muncie History Collection to the Ball State University Bracken Library where it is still available in its Archives and Special Collections. Hurley Goodall was instrumental in the development of the Indiana Arts Commission Arts Trust and the passage of the enabling legislation for the Arts Trust.

John Green, Author (Indianapolis, IN)
John Green is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns, The Fault in Our Stars, and Turtles All the Way Down. He is also the coauthor, with David Levithan, of Will Grayson, Will Grayson. He was the 2006 recipient of the Michael L. Printz Award, a 2009 Edgar Award winner, and has twice been a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Green’s books have been published in more than 55 languages and over 24 million copies are in print. John grew up in Orlando, Florida before attending Indian Springs School and then Kenyon College. He currently lives in Indianapolis with his family.

Harrison Center for the Arts, Arts Organization (Indianapolis, IN)
The Harrison Center is a force for cultural development in Indianapolis and a model for community arts, education, and urban revitalization programs across America. The organization addresses community problems with cultural solutions: art, music, education, and grassroots activism. The Harrison Center also cultivates emerging art patrons by redefining the boundaries of artist and audience: everyone is part of the art.

Robert and Barbara Stevens, Advocates (Columbus, IN)
Since moving to Columbus, Indiana in 1985, Bob and Barbara Stevens have been leaders in business and supporters of the arts. The Stevens believe in giving back and leaving a legacy for their community and Columbus has benefited from their support of numerous arts and community-based organizations. Their commitment to Columbus and the surrounding area can be seen in the range of projects, causes and Indiana artists they have supported including the Columbus Area Arts Council, Columbus Indiana Philharmonic Orchestra, the New Commons Building in Columbus, Indiana University J Irwin Miller Architecture Program in Columbus, the Brown County Art Gallery Expansion and the new Visitor Center at the T C Steele State Historic Site in Brown County.

2020 Governor’s Emerging Artist Award Recipient:

Amy Oelsner, Musician (Bloomington, IN)
Amy Oelsner’s homemade pop songs sparkle with these eternal truths: that story-telling is part of being alive, and excavating the past is part of growth. Oelsner, who records as Amy O, is a lifer of the indie-pop underground. Her latest, Shell, brims with poetic granular details of everyday life; it’s her third studio album, and tenth including her many years of home recordings. In addition to music, Amy was the Assistant Director of Rhino’s Youth Center and led the Zine Writing Program, which encouraged adolescents to share their own stories and engage with the public in creative ways. More recently, Oelsner has dug even deeper into her work as an educator and arts organizer. She’s been teaching songwriting at Ivy Tech Community College and is the Founder/Director of Girls Rock Bloomington, a music camp for girls, trans and non-binary youth that teaches positive self-esteem and self-expression through music education and mentorship.

EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT

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EPD REPORT

“Left Jab” and “Middle Jab” and “Right Jab” October 18, 2020

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“Right Jab And Middle Jab And Left Jab” was created because we have a couple of commenters that post on a daily basis either in our “IS IT TRUE” or “Readers Forum” columns concerning National or International issues.

The majority of our “IS IT TRUE” columns are about local or state issues, so we have decided to give our more opinionated readers exclusive access to our newly created “LEFT JAB and Middle Jab and RIGHT JAB”  column. They now have this post to exclusively discuss national or world issues that they feel passionate about.
We shall be posting the “LEFT JAB” AND “MIDDLE JAB” AND “RIGHT JAB” several times a week.  Oh, “LEFT JAB” is a liberal view, “MIDDLE JAB” is the libertarian view and the “RIGHT JAB is representative of the more conservative views. Also, any reader who would like to react to the written comments in this column is free to do so.

Better Books Book Sale – Now 50% Off

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Adopt A Pet

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Peanut is a female American rabbit! She’s 3 years old and was surrendered due to landlord issues. Her adoption fee is $50 and she’ll go home spayed and microchipped. Get details at www.vhslifesaver.org/adopt!

 

HEALTH DEPARTMENT UPDATES STATEWIDE COVID-19 CASE COUNTS

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VANDERBURGH COUNTY RECENT BOOKING RECORDS

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https://www.vanderburghsheriff.com/jail-recent-booking-records.aspx

Adopt A Pet

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Super cute male black kitten. His adoption fee is $60 and includes his first vaccines & deworming, flea treatment, neuter, microchip, and more! Get details at www.vhslifesaver.org/adopt!

 

Reopen Evansville Task Force Update

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As you know, COVID-19 trends are going in the wrong direction for southwest Indiana. Last week, IN State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box, was in Evansville and shared data indicating problem areas in District 10 (Vanderburgh is 1 of 12 counties). Attached is the 2-week “snapshot” of testing data, hospital admissions, ICU/ventilator availability, and identified cluster locations from contact tracing. For your reference, the state dashboard updates daily – https://www.coronavirus.in.gov/2393.htm.

Keeping that information in mind, Mayor Winnecke and the Reopen Evansville Task Force continue to work in several areas.

Here are a few updates to keep everyone informed and engaged:

  • Large Gatherings – On Monday, October 19th, any gathering (inside the city limits only) of over 125 will need to have an approved health & safety plan approved by the Vanderburgh County Health Department. Here is the link to the form: https://vanderburghhealth.org/event-review/. Why 125? Local and state health officials agreed that was a manageable figure for contact tracing. Obviously, it is subject to change depending on continued COVID-19 trends. For your reference, the Mayor’s Executive Order is also attached. Please note that the order currently does not impact church services or private businesses. It is meant to address social gatherings.
  • Targeted Outreach – Based on contact tracing data and the District 10 report, the Vanderburgh County Health Department and the Task Force are pro-actively reaching out to specific industry clusters to meet their COVID-19 related needs and ensure a direct line of communication. For example, the Mayor will be hosting a meeting on Monday with local school leaders to discuss winter sports guidance from the IHSAA and how to better educate our local youth sports organizations on best practices, etc. Another example is the Vanderburgh County Health Department who has done a fantastic job of communicating and working with the long-term care facilities in Vanderburgh County. These relationships and lines of communication are incredibly important for contact tracing purposes.
  • Restaurant Town Hall – Early in the pandemic, workshops with industry groups were helpful, particularly with local restaurants/bars. These peer groups will continue to be developed through a partnership between local economic development organizations and the City of Evansville. Next week, the Chamber of Commerce of SW IN, Small Business Development Center and the City of Evansville will be hosting a Town Hall event for local restaurants/bars. Registration etc. will be sent out via social media soon.

PPE / Testing – The Task Force continues to assist local organizations with PPE needs. 30,000 disposable masks were delivered this week. As for testing, both Deaconess and Ascension St. Vincent have the testing capacity, along with the Optum Testing Site at CK Newsome. Anyone can register at www.lhi.care/contesting or by calling 888-634-1116.

  • Food Security Commission – One of the takeaways from the pandemic is the need to coordinate our community food resources/organizations more efficiently, thus a Food Security Commission is being developed via city code. More to come, but we also encourage everyone to spread the word about the Feed Evansville initiative, which is always in need of volunteers. Get involved at https://www.facebook.com/feedEVV/.
  • State Assistance – The Mayor’s Office is in discussion with the Governor’s Office on many pandemic related issues. Everything from enhanced contact tracing at the local/regional level, additional enforcement support from the ATC/Fire Marshall to ways that our health departments in southwest Indiana can coordinate more efficiently on a regional level are top of mind. The strong line of communication will continue as the state is ready and willing to support locals as much as possible.
  • Medical Advisory Group – We cannot thank our health and medical professionals enough! Deaconess, Ascension St. Vincent, and the Health Department have been great partners throughout the pandemic, particularly when our local officials are making decisions impacting the community.

Lastly, we need your help in spreading the following messages:

  • Stage 5 does not mean everything goes back to normal! Restrictions are still in place and a synopsis of the Governor’s presentation at Wednesday’s briefing is attached.
  • Wearing a mask remains the most important tool to combat COVID-19. Washing hands, good hygiene and social distancing are all actions that need to become part of our daily routines.
  • Get the Flu Vaccine. There are numerous free options, just check out https://vaccinefinder.org/.
  • Please follow, re-post, use hashtags, share and like the information on our social media accounts to get accurate information out to the public.
    • Facebook: @LloydWinnecke, @DeputyMayorSteveSchaefer, @VCHDevv, @StateHealthIN, @DeaconessHealthSystem, @AscensionStVincent
    • Twitter: @ReopenEvv, @MayorWinnecke, @sschaefer01, @VCHDevv, @StateHealthIN, @deaconessnews, @StVincentIN, @GovHolcomb

THANK YOU for reading this long update. Feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns or recommendations.

Steve Schaefer

Chair, Reopen Evansville Task Force

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