When I became a school board member, I shared the attitude I’m sure many of you have about school athletics – that the emphasis and support school leaders grant it should instead be redirected toward academics. Full disclosure: I’ve never been an athlete. In fact, I was the kid who was always picked last, and … Read more
Whenever longtime Plainfield Town Manager Rich Carlucci would call his Avon counterpart, Tom Klein, he’d ask how things were going “up there in North Plainfield.” While the athletes from each town’s high school may be fierce rivals, the two managers simply enjoyed ribbing each other. They also shared mutual respect and a willingness to help … Read more
Have you ever stopped to think what would have happened if the basketball world didn’t come to an agreement that the rim has to be exactly 10 feet above the floor? A coach lucky enough to start giants might set the basket at 12 feet, knowing their opponents would struggle to grab rebounds. There’s a … Read more
Whether as a participant or an observer, I’ve taken part in any number of ceremonies and events over the decades. The one that touched my heart the most was when I was lucky enough to witness a naturalization ceremony at Union Station in Indianapolis. I was there to watch our high school’s We The People … Read more
Many people don’t realize there’s a profound difference between ignorance and stupidity. Ignorance is when you’ve never had access to a particular piece of knowledge, so you’re not to blame for not knowing it. But stupidity … that’s when you do (or should) know better, so you make yourself look like a complete idiot. Take … Read more
Of all the nonsense that pops up on local social media chatter pages, one of the most dependable appears every time someone intends to convert open land into some kind of development. An announcement that the town’s (or county’s) plan commission will meet to discuss the proposed project appears … and current residents instantly lose … Read more
One of the most misunderstood areas of local government revolves around the concept of economic development. Residents seem to believe that their town (or county) council is in charge of deciding which restaurants, stores, and other employers will open their doors locally. It’s as though they believe there’s a menu local officials order from. “Yes, … Read more
I’ve got a great idea for reducing your property taxes. We’ll just get rid of your community’s school buses. We won’t have to buy any more of those overpriced things, we won’t have to pay drivers and mechanics, and we won’t have to buy all that fuel that just keeps getting more expensive. Seems like … Read more
It’s a commonly repeated myth that makes me cringe every time I hear it. Interestingly, I’ve never heard it from people who define themselves as liberals or moderates – only from those who insist they’re “strong” conservatives. They’ll claim that local governments like school boards and town councils are so stinking greedy and foolish that … Read more
Across my 23 years as an elected school board member, noting bemused me more than the people who’d say, “Well, the school board thinks …” Because, you see, school boards don’t think. Their members do. And while the popular perception is that board members think and act in lockstep, nothing could be further from the … Read more