LWV

Nothing about the guest speaker suggested power or prestige. She was the quintessential teacher, comfortable and ready to engage in a crushed velvet smock, black leggings, and comfortable shoes. She’d pulled her long hair up into a ponytail. Yet Dr. Jennifer McCormick was the last elected Superintendent of Education in Indiana, and she knew her…

The morning after straight-line winds pummeled Crawfordsville in May 2017, it looked like a tiny tornado had waltzed Main Street, crushing cars and bashing houses. Fat tree limbs rendered some blocks impassible except on foot. Milligan Park and dozens of other areas had lost venerable old growth. Thankfully no one was killed. High winds, flooding,…

Let’s play “what happens when?” What happens when a senior falls and no one there is strong enough to help her up? What happens after an adult overdoses in their driveway? What happens when a friend shows signs of a manic episode, talks about religious conspiracies and spends hundreds of dollars carelessly? Or, a man…

Happy New Year, Montgomery County! How about a David Letterman-style top ten list about Montgomery County’s year-long bicentennial efforts? Here’s a humorous recap of the hard work of the bicentennial planning team and will be almost as good as celebrating over tacos in January, which County Administrator Tom Klein said the team plans to do.…

Let’s hear it for the sun, the source of light that warms the planet, cheers hearts and provides one of the cheapest sources of energy. These days, harnessing solar power is proving to be “the cheapest fuel in history,” according to International Energy Agency. With the cost of fossil fuels climbing, the IndyStar reported that…

This column could be part three of “Why I Love My Town.” Recently we have hailed the upgrade to Frances Wooden Park and Oak Hill Cemetery’s natural burial options. This week, the League spotlights a surprising technology partnership that will promote economic development in Crawfordsville and Montgomery County. In a partnership with Indianapolis-based VisionThree, Crawfordsville…

There’s an anecdote about Lew Wallace that comes to mind when considering the through line between a woman’s right to vote and her self-determination. When attendees persuaded Lew Wallace to speak at the 1880 Indiana Equal Suffrage Association Convention in Crawfordsville, he chose not to speak about women’s suffrage. Instead (to use modern parlance) he…

What is a nation? How we answer the question ripples all the way to our borders, north, south, west, east and influences immigration and border policy. If what binds a nation together is the idea that we are an exceptional liberal democracy ruled by majority with rights for minorities, as Paul D Miller asserts in…

Last week, the League of Women Voter’s column celebrated Crawfordsville for its new park, and this week, we can tootle our trumpets for another fabulous feature of Montgomery County. For a minute, though, let’s hold the suspense. In about a week, many Hoosiers will gather around the table with friends and family to give thanks.…

With the election behind us, let’s take a cleansing community breath and celebrate Crawfordsville parks, especially the swanky update slated for Francis Wooden Park. After an anonymous donor infused new life into the Kathy Steele Park on West Main, the donor said, “Let’s do this again.” For Mayor Todd Barton, Frances Wooden Park was on…