Making Sense by Michael Reagan

It’s clear President Obama —- despite the boos from Flyover Country — doesn’t plan to get off the national stage any time soon.

Unlike most former presidents, he’s not going to leave Washington next month and quietly live out the rest of his days in one of the many hoods he grew up in.

He could buy a big home in beautiful Hawaii, where the golf season never ends and Washington is 4,700 miles away. Or at least move back to Chicago.

That’s where he made his political bones, where he worked and taught law, and where he became the great candidate of hope and change.

Sure, Chicago’s war-torn streets are mean and deadly with gunfire.

But since Obama and his family will get lifetime protection from the Secret Service, there’ll always be half a dozen agents around to cover them whenever they have to go out to the corner store for a carton of milk.

Unfortunately, President Obama and his ego are not going anywhere, at least not until his youngest daughter finishes school.

He’ll stay in Washington, close to his friends in the mainstream media, where he can be the always available commander in chief of the Democrats’ raggedy Trump Resistance Movement.

Obama is already rehearsing his new role as America’s Other President.

Recently he made headlines by boasting he could have beaten Donald Trump and been reelected to a third term by running again on his message of hope and change.

Too bad the Constitution got in the way. But Obama’s big ego can’t be limited by the Constitution — or reality.

He still doesn’t get it it:Trump’s victory was not just a punishing defeat of Hillary Clinton and her bad political ideas.

A majority of voters in states not called New York and California clearly didn’t want another four years of Obama or his amateur act.

In 1988, when George H.W. Bush was elected, he was effectively serving Ronald Reagan’s third term. Bush took advantage of the successes my father had in the 1980s.

Hillary was her own worst enemy, but she lost in large part because of Obama’s eight years of failure. Everything President Obama touched at home and abroad he left in wreckage.

During his reign the Democrat Party shriveled in power in Washington and lost more than a thousand legislative seats in state capitals across the country.

The alleged Obama economic recovery was so feeble it’s nearly invisible.

Except for the oil and gas fracking booms in Texas and Pennsylvania, which happened in spite of the Obama administration’s green energy policies, does anyone know a place where the American economy is prospering?

The wealthy counties around Washington, D.C. —- made rich by budget-busting spending spree of Obama’s federal government — don’t count.

Obama’s long string of foreign policy fiascos is even more shameful —- Iraq, Egypt, Libya and Syria. His legacies are ISIS and his Iran nuke deal, which is a ticking time bomb that a future president will have to stop.

Meanwhile, before he leaves office, Obama is still causing as much trouble as he can.

He’s not merely doing the usual innocentthings — creating a few new national monuments out West or pardoning a few hundred nonviolent drug offenders.

The future ex-president is still playing games with Vladimir Putin over Russian’s alleged interference in the presidential election and playing with fire in the Middle East.

He and his hacks at the State Department have been caught orchestrating a United Nations resolution condemning Israel’s plans to build new settlements in East Jerusalem.

Not vetoing the anti-Israel vote in the UN was a public bitch-slapping of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu by a petty American president.

Netanyahu is lucky. He won’t have to wait long for his pal Donald to kiss and make up with him and begin treating his country like the valued friend it is.

But President Trump and the rest of us will be dealing with all the messes “Third Term” Obama has made for a long time.

“The Volunteer Lawyer Program of Southwestern Indiana is pleased that local attorney and former Evansville Bar Association President Scott Wylie will become the organization’s new full-time staff director, referred to as a Plan Administrator by the court system, in mid-January,” announced VLP Board Co-Chair Judge Greg Smith of the Daviess County Circuit Court.  He will assume the role after nearly a decade as a board member and then Director of the Vanderburgh Community Foundation.

VLP provides indigent legal services and coordinates attorney pro bono efforts in the eleven counties around the Evansville metropolitan area.  Wylie has been involved with VLP since 2007.  This will be the first time the organization has had a full-time director.  “We are delighted that Scott will be heading our efforts going forward.  He is a national leader in the delivery of civil legal aid services and will bring decades of experience to this role,” said VLP Board Co-Chair Vanderburgh County Magistrate Sheila Corcoran.

In addition to numerous local nonprofit boards, Wylie serves on the Board of Directors of the Indiana Bar Foundation, Indiana Legal Services, the Indiana Philanthropy Alliance, and he was recently appointed by Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta Rush to serve on the inaugural Coalition for Court Access.  Before returning to the Evansville Area in 2005, Wylie served as President of the California Bar Foundation and as a Vice President of the California Bar Association, the largest state bar in the nation.

Wylie will follow retiring Plan Administrator Beverly Corn, who recently received the Randall T. Shepard Award for Pro Bono Service for her years of service to the agency.

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by Amanda Decker

It appears boat racing will be coming back to the Evansville riverfront. A Facebook page called Evansville HydroFest says power boats will return to Evansville on labor day weekend, 2017.

But, the boats that will show up apparently will not be the unlimited hydroplanes that raced in Evansville for more than 30 years. The boats that are expected in Evansville next summer will more likely be one liter up to 5 liter boats. They are smaller versions of the unlimited hydroplanes.

A news conference is scheduled for next month to unveil full details of the event.

Veterans must make many adjustments when they separate from the military and transition back to civilian life. Missing the bonds with fellow soldiers is part of it. Mark Speckhard, a Marine veteran from Valparaiso, Indiana, found an unexpected form of camaraderie after his military service. He separated from the Marine Corps in the summer of 2012 and enrolled at the University of Evansville. He was a 22-year-old freshman. “It was intimidating,” he said. “I had been out of the classroom for four years, hadn’t read a book or written a paper in so long. But, the professors were understanding and helpful and classes were small, which made the transition easier.” Mark described the most difficult part of his transition to college as making choices that would affect his future and career. The easiest part was adapting to college culture and making friends.

Finding a New Brotherhood

Typical of most nontraditional-aged students on a college campus like UE, Mark was focused on his studies. His routine included going to classes and back to his apartment to study. But, as time went on and he got comfortable with school, he found himself wanting more. “All I did was go to class and study,” he explained. “I got bored, so I decided I needed to meet people.” That’s when Mark met members from one of UE’s fraternities, which he eventually joined. “I like the brotherhood,” said Mark. “I don’t think anything can compare to bonds you make through deployments and the military, but it’s similar. It’s a group of guys being there to support one another and achieve a common goal.”

Mark is not the only fraternity brother with military ties. There are two others currently in the fraternity and many more who came before them. Senior, Army National Guardsman, and ROTC cadet, Travis Cochren joined Mark’s fraternity, which he says he says has offered friendships and brotherhood that will last a lifetime. “Being a member of the military allows me to offer a different perspective to the fraternity.”

Since joining the fraternity, Mark has been elected chapter president for two terms and has received special recognitions from national headquarters. “All the members respect Mark,” said freshman Jacob Brenton. “When Mark talks, everyone else becomes quiet and listens to what he has to say.” When asked what he thinks about Mark being a veteran, Jacob said, “I don’t really think of Mark as being a veteran, I think of him as being a brother first and also being our chapter’s president. However, I think that it is great that we have a military veteran as our president because it has probably helped him develop strong leadership skills. That, plus a good personality makes people want to follow him and like him at the same time.”

Fraternity life was a good choice for Mark and other veterans at UE. “The brotherhood and camaraderie is very similar to that of the military,” said Mark. “Having a support network is important for anyone, especially veterans who might need help making the transition to college.” Mark encourages veterans to consider joining a fraternity and suggests that fraternities actively recruit veterans. “Fraternities and veterans benefit from being associated with one another.”

As for life after college graduation, Mark said, “My girlfriend and parents joke that when I graduate, I need to find the next brotherhood.” Maybe that’s why he is planning a career in fire-fighting or as a police officer. The camaraderie will continue for Mark, and for those who cross paths with this outstanding veteran, they will benefit as well.