Progress 2014: Government & Education

News and Tribune 05.30.2014

PROGRESS GOVERNMENT & EDUCATION

Munkhtsetseg Nandigjav looks into the crowd during the Purdue University College of Technology’s commencement ceremony at the Ogle Center at IU Southeast in 2012. The college tries to make sure students have jobs in their field lined up before they go through commencement. Photo by Jerod Clapp

All together, now Regional Works Councils focus on partnerships with business, K-12 and colleges

By Jerod Clapp jerod.clapp@newsandtribune.com

S

tudent success isn’t all about scholarships, acceptance letters and the declaration of a major.

Leaders in several sectors say it’s about getting graduates on a path that works for them, whether it’s pursuing a degree or a career in manufacturing.

Under Gov. Mike Pence’s statewide college and career readiness initiative, regional Indiana Works Councils have brought education and business leaders together to see how they can coordinate efforts to prepare more young Hoosiers for available jobs in Indiana, but also provide companies with a steady stream of trained workers and attract business to the state.

As part of Region 10, Clark and Floyd counties have a strong representation of all the players involved — four K-12 districts, post-secondary campuses, a career and technical school and major industrial developments — but strengthening the links from one to the other is the council’s latest focus.

“One of the things that became clear to us is that if we’re going to get education and industry aligned with each other, we’ve got to have a specific and regular dialogue going on,” Paul Perkins, chair of the Region 10 Works Council and president of Jeffersonville-based Amatrol, said.

After getting leaders across the sectors involved in conversations, Perkins said they’re on the way to forging the connections, but they’ve still got several pieces to work out. As the leaders in each field meet to discuss needs, wants and ideas, they’re working out just how to adjust their approaches and make partnerships that work for everyone’s end of the initiative.

POURING THE PAVEMENT Perkins said Region 10 has a strong foundation to make the career and college readiness initiative work. With all of the Work Council’s counties feeding high school students into the Prosser Career Education Center, he said the potential to put students on track for college or jobs is huge.

But he said schools in Region 10 have to lay more groundwork to solidify those pathways for students.

“We’ve got a lot of good programs but we’ve also found a lot of gaps,” Perkins said. “We found through the data that we should have a much larger percentage of students pursuing the [career and technical education] component if we want to meet the needs of our region.”

With reports compiled by the council on what jobs are available in the region, what kind of training for those jobs is within reach locally and how high school programs gear students toward those fields, Perkins said they can get a picture of how to direct their efforts. Right now, he said schools need to offer a complete Career and Technical Education series of courses.

After a student completes three one-hour-per-day courses in the same field for three years, it’s considered a CTE completion that results in college credit or could qualify a student as an entry-level employee in that field. Perkins said even though schools might be able to close those spaces, they’re not facing an easy task.

“What we’re finding is we have a lot of students taking CTE courses, but there’s not a high percentage of them completing them to a point of entry-level employability or going to college with some level of advancement,”

Perkins said. “The schools just don’t have the resources for all of those courses. They have a lot of individual CTE courses, but they don’t have those series.”

But school districts are working to at least get students in the mindset to prepare themselves for whatever they do after high school. Career pathways, which help students figure out which courses best benefit their professional ambitions, are used by many school corporations in Clark and Floyd counties.

At Greater Clark County Schools, Superintendent Andrew Melin — who also sits on the Region 10 council — said he expects students to tell anyone who asks which pathway they’re on. Along with courses in Project Lead The Way starting in middle schools and looking at other ways to supplement the initiatives, its found creative cost-shifting solutions.

“From a staffing perspective, we started to shift current teachers in the Project Lead The Way paths,” Melin said. “We didn’t hire new staff, but we gave current staff specialized training. That was expensive, but it’s obviously leading to make sure our teachers are certified to give our students meaningful experiences.”

He also said through partnerships with Ivy Tech and Prosser, its trying to get some movement in an advanced manufacturing project.

Perkins said the opportunities for manufacturing in the region outnumber those in health care, transportation, construction and business services, nearly by a 2-to-1 ratio.

Melin said though Greater Clark continued on page C4

April Powerll and Peyton Pierce, eighth-graders at Highland Hills Middle School, flip through a yearbook. While high schools offer paths for students to pursue career and technical education, research by the Region 10 Works Council suggests more courses are needed. Photo by Jerod Clapp

“As we try to bring business and industry into our community, they want to ensure they’re going to have a good supply of skilled workers, so they’re going to look at the educational training programs in this area.

We need to provide the skilled training for that.”

— Alan Taylor director of Prosser and Region 10 Works Council seat-holder

ON THE WEB Indiana Works Councils in.gov/irwc

C2 | PROGRESS GOVERNMENT & EDUCATION | News and T Tribune ribune rib une | 05 05.30 05.30.2014 30.201 2014 4

Southern Indiana is home to Charlestown, a “Great Place to Live and Raise a Family.” Amazing schools, a new Family Activities Park, good neighbors and civic pride create a fun, comfortable place to call home.

The Charlestown Family Activities Park, with phase 1 open since mid-2013, has a Sprinkle Pad, a Piratethemed playground and a huge covered roller-skating rink.

Skates may be rented or skaters may bring their own. A concession stand, chock full of goodies, is open to satisfy the sweet tooth or the growling stomach, and there are several party rooms available to rent for your special occasion.

This summer, an 18-hole miniature golf course and an outdoor walking path will be added to the park.

AT LEFT AND BELOW: In winter, the roller skating rink is transformed for ice skating and the entire park is transformed into a Christmas wonderland adorned with lights, filled with the smell of hot chocolate, and brimming with holiday cheer.

Above is the Express, aglow with its Christmas lights, during “Christmas in Charlestown.”

The celebration makes Charelstown one of the best places to be, with your family, during the holiday season.

Stationed at the Family Activities Park is the Charlestown Express, an old-fashioned train that is a fun-filled way to make an excursion around the city.

News and Tribune 05.30.2014

PROGRESS GOVERNMENT & EDUCATION

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Charlestown State Park, left, is an outstanding place for a hike, to have a picnic, launch your boat or ride a bike.

If you want a little less adventure, but a similarly relaxing environment, try Greenway Park, below, in the middle of Charlestown.

Founders Day,Charlestown’s annual birthday celebration, is held in late June each year.There are carnival rides, arts and crafts on the Square, a wide array of food choices, local musical talent and big name regional bands like the Louisville Crashers and Endless Summer. The festivities culminate in a grand fireworks display on Saturday night.

Youngsters, pictured above, prepare for a water-melon-eating contest during Charlestown’s Founders Day. A 5K race is held in conjunction with Founders Day and a Pirate Fun Run takes place in August. Whether it is by running in a 5K, hiking in the Charlestown State Park, playing Little League or participating in school athletic programs, physical fitness and competitiveness is a way of life in Charlestown.

The Charlestown Excellence in Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization, strives to assist local schools with their mission to prepare our future leaders for life after graduation by helping them to have a plan before they move their tassels and toss their hats in the air.

Banners along our streets celebrate CEEF Champions.

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PROGRESS GOVERNMENT & EDUCATION

News and Tribune 05.30.2014

Anthony Deutsch, a senior at Breckenridge County High School, finishes up after cutting off a backing bracket from a butt joint for Prosser’s sixth annual welding competition in May 2012. Prosser has been called a model for the state in Career and Technical Education by Governor Mike Pence. Photo by Jerod Clapp

Works Council continued from C1

— along with other districts — made sacrifices in its budgets to support the governor’s initiative. It hasn’t sacrificed anything so important that “it was noticeable.”

But he said school districts still need to work on the details of making the initiative work for them.

“It’s going to be a new concept,”Melin said. “From a K-12 perspective, I think it’s going to be a new approach, frankly.

I believe that we as a school corporation, because we’ve been approaching the career pathway approach, we put it in place because we think it’s important for our students as they’re preparing for life after high school. I’m not sure they’re quite where we are yet, but I think that’s part of what our Works Council will be about.”

TWO “PLAN A’S” Students across Clark, Floyd, Scott, Washington, Harrison and Crawford counties attend the Prosser Career Education Center. Pence has called the facility a model for the state in CTE. High schoolers can earn dual credits or industry certifications in more than 20 programs.

But Alan Taylor, director of Prosser and Region 10 Works Council seat-holder, said it won’t end there. It still looks at its existing programming and tries to figure what makes sense to keep, eliminate, adjust or grow.

“I think we are doing a good job of that currently in our CTE district,” Taylor said. “We’ve worked very hard to elevate our programs and curriculum.

There’s always room to improve that, but a lot of our students are getting dual credits or industry-based certifications.”

Prosser changed the name of the school about two years ago to eliminate the word “vocational” from its title and lexicon. Taylor said preparing high schoolers for something other than college has come with a stigma, but he thinks the governor’s initiative is a good step in eroding that negative view.

Pence has framed the idea in terms of “two plan A’s,” where training for a job right out of high school shouldn’t get viewed as a lesser ambition than going to college.

“It shouldn’t be that way, they’re all plan A’s,” Taylor said. “Everyone needs training, but we need to open our thought process on what post-secondary training is. It’s university, it’s technical college, it’s an apprenticeship or on-the-job training. The best choice is the one that matches your career plan.”

Taylor said as more students across the state and the country either quit college with piles of debt or graduate without prospects for jobs, CTE can play a big role in boosting the economy.

He said as far as getting students to a level of employability in any of those programs, Prosser plays a big role in preparing a workforce for existing and incoming job opportunities in the region.

“As we try to bring business and industry into our community, they want to ensure they’re going to have a good supply of skilled workers, so they’re going to look at the educational training

Alan Taylor, director of the Prosser Career and Technical Education Center, takes suggestions from business and education leaders on how to better prepare students to enter the workforce at one of their forums. The council meets periodically to give education and business leaders an opportunity to exchange ideas.

Photo by Jerod Clapp

programs in this area,” Taylor said. “We need to provide the skilled training for that.”

But to continue serving those needs, Prosser’s home school district — the New Albany-Floyd County Consolidated School Corp. — has worked on securing funds for an update. In 2015, its board hopes to bring a referendum to the ballot to fund projects throughout the corporation, but spending a large chunk on an update to Prosser’s campus.

Perkins said he’s impressed with Prosser’s offerings, but hopes the community supports the referendum.

“While Prosser is clean and wellmaintained, it was built quite a long time ago,” Perkins said. “I think it’s important to have a modern appearance because people associate that with how up-to-date the programs are. Having a pleasing look and updated look would be helpful in attracting students to the programs. I think they definitely need more capacity, they have some rooms that are cramped and they’ve maxed out capacity in some of their rooms.”

APPLYING THE COLLEGES Post-secondary education also has a role in the initiative, especially with several players in that field within Clark and Floyd counties. Indiana University Southeast and Ivy Tech Community College of Southern Indiana have been in the game for a while, but a relative newcomer has also stepped up.

Andrew Takami, director of the Purdue College of Technology at New Albany, also holds a seat on Region 10’s Works Council. He said faculty has taken ownership of local school districts to see how it can help foster the governor’s initiative, which fits in with his campus’ strategic initiative to form strategic partnerships and alliances in the community.

He said since the formation of the councils, everyone with a role to play has a venue to communicate their needs and find solutions.

From his perspective, he said, the councils help everyone involved better facilitate the needs of businesses, schools and students.

“What I see is the K-12 network working more diligently than ever to make sure more kids are college and career ready by offering them these pathways, as well as dual credit opportunities and so on,”Takami said.“There’s a lot of benefit, I think, when you put community leaders together across different sectors to have open dialogue. I’ve been very encouraged by the governor’s interest to kind of connect community leaders.”

Perkins said studies show about 60 percent of available jobs in the coming years won’t require a four-year college degree. But he said for the 40 percent that do, colleges aren’t meeting the needs of training in science, technology, engineering and math.

Takami said Purdue’s focus on the STEM subjects can help fill that gap with the addition of the arts, which he called a STEAM approach.

But by bringing in the business leaders from the region to discuss the deficiencies they’re seeing in their employees, they’re not only working out training programs to fill the gaps, but also working on how to better prepare college graduates.

“We’re at this table and we’re actually hearing the challenges that business and industry have,” Takami said. “We have been able to better communicate with them some of the things we have available to them at Purdue University to assist. But it’s also a two-way street, we’ve heard their challenges and trying to figure out how to fit that into curriculum.”

He said, though, getting the needs of businesses integrated into their courses doesn’t just serve companies, but also students once they graduate. He said before most of the students collect their degrees at commencement, they’re already hired with a job in their field of study.

“We don’t want to just churn out stu-

dents, we want them to have careers,” Takami said. “We don’t want them to not have the salary advancements that are expected with being a college graduate.”

WHAT’S AHEAD Perkins said workers from Louisville have supplemented the workforce in Southern Indiana, but he thinks that could decline, leaving Hoosiers with the opportunity to fill the gap.

“One of our advantages in Southern Indiana is that we do have a large labor force nearby in the Louisville Metropolitan area,” Perkins said. “Louisville’s had a large manufacturing area for a long time, but some older industries have declined. I think it’s created a moderate pool of technical workers that are available, but I think that pool will be quickly exhausted.That’s why I think we have a need to produce better programs and see where the best opportunities are.”

As other states such as Louisiana and Alabama spend tens of millions of dollars to make CTE programs more robust, Perkins said he wouldn’t be surprised if Indiana followed suit.

“Legislature is taking note of the needs for CTE,” Perkins said. “I think they realize how critical this is to the economy of our state and I think we’re likely to see legislation for the funding of specifically CTE.” He said as businesses in and out of the River Ridge Commerce Center form alliances with schools, colleges and universities to help with new or existing programs, the pool for CTE support in the region can only grow.

Taylor said as the focus on career education grows, students, schools and businesses will reap the benefits.

“I’m very glad that not only locally, but statewide and nationally, we’re talking about the value of career education,” Taylor said.“It’s taken a while, but I hope that pendulum that has finally swung stays at that level. We need more career and technical education for our young people to ensure they’re successful, that they’re college and career ready.”

News and Tribune 05.30.2014

PROGRESS GOVERNMENT & EDUCATION

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Greater Clark County Schools on the rise District begins initial phase of College, Career Readiness initiative NEWS AND TRIBUNE newsroom@newsandtribune.com Students in the Greater Clark County Schools district may find it easier to prepare for post-secondary opportunities through a new initiative implemented this school year.

In response to economic development and political calls for action, the district began its first year of the College and Career Readiness initiative, which helps students with job opportunities and educational success after high school.

“Our mission of our school corporation is to make sure that all students graduate and are being accepted to a post-secondary opportunity,” said Andrew Melin, superintendent of Greater Clark County Schools.“The most important thing we’re trying to do is make those connections between our K-12 educational system and what life needs to look like for our students when they graduate.”

EARLY STAGES Graduation rates for Greater Clark have steadily increased in the past few years, from 81.4 percent in 2011-12 to 88.4 percent in 2012-13. However, this year the district exceeded the state goal at 90.2 percent.

From here, Greater Clark hopes 100 percent of 2014 graduates are accepted into post-secondary opportunities.

These opportunities are defined as attending four or two-year schools, apprenticeships, the military or fulltime jobs in the workforce.

While the initiative is in the early stages of implementation, the district has already accomplished a few of its goals this year, including mandatory career classes for sixth and ninth-graders. In addition, the district has also started career centers at Jeffersonville and Charlestown high schools, where educators will build partnerships with the business community.

With several other components to the initiative, Melin said it’ll take about three to five years before the district begins seeing its full impact.

“We’ve really started pieces of it this year,” he said.

“With every year, it’ll become more ingrained in what we do.”

ACTION PLAN AND PATHWAYS In December, Greater Clark created the College and Career Readiness Advisory board to join community leaders in education, workforce and government. Together, these members developed an action plan to create program partnerships and provide various opportunities to students.

Of the various options, students will have the ability to seek pathway-specific job shadows and out-ofschool internships in a field of their choice. Other opportunities include field trips, worksite tours, career fair presentations and mentorships.

Another component students were introduced to this year involves four career pathways that were developed based on labor market research.These include business, information technology and logistics; health care and related science; human services, education and law; and engineering, manufacturing, technology and skilled trades.

Students in sixth and ninth grades were able to identify their pathways through career classes, while others chose them based on large group presentations.

“These are jobs inside those areas that are going to be available to our kids for the next 20 years,” Melin

TOP AND BELOW: Greater Clark County School district began its first year of the College and Career Readiness initiative to help students with post-secondary job opportunities and educational success. Submitted photo

For more info Greater Clark County Schools

• ADDRESS: 2112 Utica-Sellersburg Road, Jeffersonville • PHONE: 812-283-0701 • WEBSITE: gcs.k12.in.us • STUDENTS: 10,600 • EMPLOYEES: 730 certified employees, 670 other staff members

said.“That pathway can change over time, but the important thing is that they have a pathway so our kids have a focus as they’re going through their schooling.”

Next year, Melin said the district will begin introducing all of its teachers to those careers and place them in one of the four pathways by the end of the 201415 school year. Teachers will then have the opportunity to connect with members in the community and bring real-life applications to the classroom.

HARD/SOFT SKILLS Another aspect of the College and Career Readiness initiative is determining students’ levels of hard- and soft-skill acquisitions.

“We needs to make sure that we are not only preparing them for the hard skills they need — those essential reading, writing and math skills — but also the soft skills [teamwork, respect] that are going to be necessary to succeed in the workplace,” Melin said.

In order to better document hard skills, the district may implement an assessment called WorkKeys. Created by the ACT, this assessment can be taken by seniors in the areas of math, reading and locating information to determine their hard-skill abilities.

As for measuring soft skills, Melin said the district will be working more diligently to provide a Work Ethic Certification.The certification will begin in preschool and follow students until they graduate, identifying key traits each student contains that would make them proficient in a post-secondary environment.

“We want to connect those traits to those skills that are needed in the workplace,” Melin said.

Ultimately, the goal of the College and Career Readiness initiative is to minimize unemployment and allow students to develop skills necessary to have successful careers.

“Our goal is to do as much as we can through their school experience so that it will help them make better choices for that next step beyond high school,” Melin said.

Crossroads Driving School opens in Clarksville Business puts novice drivers on the road to a license NEWS AND TRIBUNE newsroom@newsandtribune.com When one door closes another door opens, and Anna Valladares said that was exactly what happened when she left her former company and started her own, Crossroads Driving School Corp.

Located in Clarksville, Crossroads is a new driver’s education corporation that celebrated its two-month anniversary May 17.The school offers driving courses to those 15 and older.

Valladares is the only person who works within the office but she has help from a few driving instructors and her brother, Ben Jacobs.

The decision to open her own school, Valladares said, came very suddenly. She said that she was happy with the work she was doing at her previous job, but she was simply unhappy where she was, and worried about the security of her job position.

“I was at a crossroads in my life when I started this company,” she said.“I have five children, one is going off to college — it just hit me,‘what am I going to do if I don’t have a job?’ This was a huge leap for me at this point in my life. I am a single mom and the idea of not having a steady income was scary, but I knew there was a demand for a program like this so I knew I would do well.”

At Crossroads, it is $389 for the full program, which includes an online class and six hours of one-on-one driving instruction, which is primarily offered to new or inexperienced drivers. For those looking simply to sharpen their skills on things like parallel parking, the cost is $370 for five hours of one-on-one instruction.

Valladares said that business is going very well and she expects it to pick up shortly.

“We currently have around 50 students,” she said.

“Once people find us, I expect to have even more.”

Gabriela Justice, a sophomore at Floyd Central High School, is taking driving courses at Crossroads. John Justice, her father said that he is very impressed with how much she has progressed as a driver by taking classes there.

“I’m very happy that I decided to use this driver’s education program,” he said. “Without all of the oneon-one instruction she has had, I don’t believe she would have been as confident.”

Justice said that on one of the first times that Gabriela drove, she was able to drive on the expressway.

“It can be kind of nerve-wracking, as a dad, to drive with your child, but I know that she is in good hands over there,” he said.

John said that he heard about Crossroads from Valladares’ brother, and was very happy to be able to work with Valladares.

“Anna is very, very personable, just like her brother,” he said.

Valladares said that what separates her business

Anna Valladares opened Crossroads Driving School Corp. on March 17. Since opening, she has gained more than 50 students and is planning on expanding her company to Indianapolis next month. Submitted photo

from the other driving schools in the area is her down-to-earth attitude. She said at her previous place of employment, she didn’t like having to turn people away, or not know how to help them.

“I’ve always said if you treat people the way you want to be treated you will be successful no matter what you’re doing,” Valladares said.

She said that she knows how important the subject of driver’s education is, and wants her clients to know that they can put their trust in her because she takes this subject very, very seriously.

“For me, this isn’t just about money,” She said.

“Drivers education is very important, it is a must that students learn to drive properly. This is not just a job to me, I know that my students, as well as my kids, are watching me and every decision I make affects not only me, but them as well.”

Valladares will be expanding her business to Indianapolis next month. Within the very near future, they will also be opening a third location in Lafayette.

For more info Crossroads Driving School

• WHERE: 1444 Horn St., Clarksville • SERVICES OFFERED: Driving instruction • OPENED: March 17, 2014 • PHONE: 812-913-1024 • WEBSITE: crossroadsdrivingschool.net

Valladares said she is very proud of the work she has done this far, and is very happy in her line of work.

“I worked for another driving school for eight years,” she said.“I love what I do, I love working with the kids I love knowing that what I do makes a difference in their lives.”

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PROGRESS GOVERNMENT & EDUCATION

News and Tribune 05.30.2014

Greater Clark County Schools BRIDGING EXCELLENCE & OPPORTUNITIES

Online registration is now open for current students and students new to Greater Clark County Schools.

Students living outside the district or currently attending another district may also register online.

Greater Clark County Schools offers: • High achievement scores • High graduation rates • One-to-One Computer Initiative for Grades 3-12 • Accelerated math offerings at the middle school level • Nationally recognized Advanced Placement program • Fully funded ACT college testing program beginning in Grade 8 • Extensive dual credit program • Licensed teachers for art, music and physical education • Comprehensive, individualized intervention and support for identified students • Balanced calendar • Award winning fine arts programs • Enrichment through athletics and after school programs

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News and Tribune 05.30.2014

PROGRESS GOVERNMENT & EDUCATION

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BIG FOUR BRIDGE OPENING

TOP RIGHT: Jeffersonville Mayor Mike Moore and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer cut the ribbon to officially open the Jeffersonville ramp to the Big Four Bridge on May 20.

BOTTOM LEFT: Pedestrians and cyclists move along the Jeffersonville ramp to the Big Four Bridge on May 20.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Pedestrians and cyclists wait to cross over into Indiana from the Big Four Bridge at the official opening of the Jeffersonville ramp May 20. Photos by Christopher Fryer

Woehrle Youth Athletic Complex

Woehrle Youth Athletic Complex is being considered for a practice facility for a professional team that may relocate to Louisville. Photo by Tyler Stewart

Jeffersonville Parks Department thrilled with turf field Woehrle Athletic Complex hosting numerous athletic events NEWS AND TRIBUNE newsroom@newsandtribune.com

ON THE WEB

The Jeffersonville Parks and RecreJeffersonville Parks and ation Department got more than it barRecreation Department gained for when it neared completion jeffparks.org of the Woehrle Athletic Complex premier turf field.

The complex itself only was built out there with the exception of this is specifically with local soccer and foot- the more updated and newer generaball club teams in mind — but word tion turf field,” Romans said.

The field has more of a “carpet-like has gotten out and interest in the nowopen field has spread outside of Jeffer- feel” and won’t tear up after heavy rains or snow as the average grass field sonville.

“Since it’s been built, we have gotten would.

“That’s what makes them so much many calls from different organizations that want to rent the facility,” said Ricky more usable,” he said.

Romans said that this premier Romans, director of sports turf field is the only one of its kind and athletics for the parks dein the immediate area. partment.

“So that’s really added a lot of Semi-pro soccer team the enthusiasm and that’s why so Louisville River City Rovers many people have been wanting uses Woehrle Complex as its to use it,” he said. home site, and SellersburgWoehrle Athletic Complex also based semi-pro football team has a zoysia sod football field in the Indiana Bucks uses the the back and space for four other facility for some of its home RICKY ROMANS soccer fields, all which have not games. had their grand openings yet.

“So it’s really taking on a Romans said that complex has defiwhole bigger life for itself than our original intent,” Romans said. “So we’re nitely been worth the investment.

“From my standpoint ... we’re excitreally excited about the facility.”

Turf fields are known for their dura- ed,” he said. “We’re excited about the facility, we’re excited that the facility is bility and long lifespan.

“Basically it’s like any other turf field now there. It’s a beautiful complex.”

Jeffersonville Parks Authority

Clark County Soccer Association

D2 | PROGRESS GOVERNMENT & EDUCATION | News and Tribune | 05.30.2014

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News and Tribune 05.30.2014

PROGRESS GOVERNMENT & EDUCATION

D3

Clark County REMC powering your life Organization will celebrate 75 years in April

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New Albany-Floyd County Public Library. Photo by Christopher Fryer

NA-FC library Introduces new literacy program The program is free and confidentialevents NEWS AND TRIBUNE newsroom@newsandtribune.com The New Albany-Floyd County Public Library is proud to introduce the Floyd County Adult Literacy Connections (ALC) program.

The free and local literacy program is designed to help Floyd County adults 18 years of age and older with their reading, math, writing and comprehension skills. The Floyd County Adult Literacy Connections program believes that the ability to read is critical to personal freedom and self-sufficiency.

No matter what your skill level, Floyd County Adult Literacy Connections is free and confidential. Each specially trained tutor will evaluate the learner’s skill level and work with the student learner on developing goals for the individual.

The New Albany-Floyd County Public Library believes that the ability to read is critical to personal freedom and self-sufficiency.

The need in the community for a program like Adult Literacy Connections is huge. Over 13 percent of adults between the ages of 18 and 24 have not graduated from high school.

In addition, nearly 29 percent of Floyd County adults without a high school diploma are living in poverty.

Additional services for the program include one-on-one instruction that is both free and confidential with individual lesson plans. Materials and workbooks are provided at no cost. Ability

For more info

New Albany-Floyd County Public Library • ADDRESS: 180 W. Spring St., New Albany • PHONE: 812-949-3523 • WEBSITE: nafclibrary.org

levels can range from nonreaders to “pretty good” readers, to those seeking to improve their skills to qualify for the new high school equivalency test for Indiana, the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC), or who need help with specific reading goals.

The Floyd County ALC program also provides the knowledge and skills to use documents such as job applications, payroll forms, or product labels.

The ability to use numbers for daily tasks such as completing an order form or balancing a checkbook are also crucial to improving and educating the Floyd County community.

The program has already successfully recruited tutors that have gone through an extensive training course and are eager to be matched up with local learners.Throughout the year the program will also be looking for volunteer tutors.

If you know anyone that could benefit from this free and confidential program, please call the library at 812-9493523 or email literacy@nafclibrary.org

lark County Rural Electric Membership Corp. (REMC) headquartered in Sellersburg was incorporated in 1939 to provide electricity to areas of our community that had no other means of receiving it.

We serve electricity to members living in Clark, Floyd, Scott, Jefferson and Washington counties in southern Indiana. If you receive electric service from REMC, you are also a member. The privilege of being a member includes being an owner of the company. The fact that they are owned by their members, instead of stockholders, is what makes them a cooperative. They believe that being locally owned and controlled is a better way of doing business.

Clark County REMC is different than an investor-owned company.

Members, regardless of your financial status, have a voice in the way the company is operated. They have the opportunity to elect another REMC member to serve on the board of directors. The board of directors is the legal body which both the member and the government hold accountable for the actions of the organization.

The seven member board represents one of the seven districts located in five counties within the territory served by the REMC. The men and women elected to serve are dedicated people who have the interests of all members and the organization at heart. The current REMC members serving on the board of directors are: Candy Meyer, Steve Dieterlen, Kendall Greene, Jimmie Sanders, Steve Stumler, Dale Bottorff and Paul Graf. The General Manager of the REMC is David A. Vince.

Clark County REMC is a Touchstone Energy Cooperative. The Touchstone Energy network is an alliance of electric cooperatives that have banded together to form the largest energy network in the nation. They are committed to deliver-

For more info Clark County Rural Electric Membership Corp.

• ADDRESS: 7810 Ind. 60, Sellersburg • PHONE: 812-246-3316 • WEBSITE: theremc.com

ing innovative and high-tech services, providing integrity and accountability, all with a recognized commitment to the community.

These attributes contribute to electric co-ops’ high rates of consumer satisfaction. With the help of Touchstone Energy, Clark County REMC is able to provide programs such as the Co-op Connections Card (discounts to local/national businesses), energy efficiency through online energy audits and energy saving literature, the Touchstone Energy Home Program, TogetherWeSave.com and CFL Charlie Touchstone Energy Kids Zone website.

The REMC has historically acted as an ‘energy source’ to spur economic growth in our communities and to create a better style of living. Their mission is to efficiently deliver safe, reliable electric service to their members. This includes working toward the future, meeting the demands of their member/ owners, being good stewards of the environment and being a good corporate, community citizen. After all, they work for some pretty important people ... their REMC members, and it’s a job they’ll never take for granted.

In April 2014, Clark County REMC will celebrate 75 years of providing electric service.They are part of this community for the long haul. If it’s accountability, service and commitment to community you want, look no further than Clark County REMC.

Taking care of Floyd County Sheriff Mills reflects on his time serving the public NEWS AND TRIBUNE

newsroom@newsandtribune.com Although some may think he answers to no superior, Floyd County Sheriff Darrell Mills said that’s not the case.

“I have 75,000 bosses,” Mills said of the approximate number of Floyd County residents. “And if you don’t look at it that way, you’re not doing your job.”

The role of the sheriff comes with an enormous amount of responsibility in protecting a county’s residents — a role that Mills has fulfilled for the last 7 1/2 years.

Mills worked in Indiana law enforcement his whole adult life, working under five sheriffs.

“As an elected sheriff, I try to bring my knowledge and skills to a community I grew up in,” he said.

Mills said he tries to learn from the sheriffs he’s served under.

“I want to take my experience from those five and try to apply them to enhance the department here as well as serve the community to the best of our ability,” he said.

As sheriff, Mills is responsible for operations including the county police section, care and custody of the inmates, courtroom security, civil summons and the 911 center.

He said balancing the budget is one of the most important improvements he brought to the county. And Mills takes his fiscal power very seriously.

“I think that one of the things that makes [his role as sheriff] very important is the fact that it’s an elected position that has a lot of effect on the taxpayers,” Mills said.

Any operations that the sheriff’s office conducts could cost residents money if managed poorly.

“There’s a multitude of liability that goes with this office,” he said.

This liability goes beyond the safety of residents and the protection of property.

“That’s a given,” he said.

One big area of liability is the county prison. Inmates can file a lawsuit against the county if any county employees fail to adhere to the rules.

“They have a right to sue us in federal court and some judge could render

Sheriff Darrell Mills. File photo

a multimillion dollar verdict and the taxpayers are going to have to pay that bill,” Mills said.

Although the county is insured, Mills said he’s worked hard to keep any kind of damage to a minimum.

“When you add all those [components] together, it’s a very, very responsible position, and it’s not like any other job because it goes 24/7,” he said.

Floyd County isn’t in the best financial situation, and department heads have had to cut their budgets.

“Our county budget has been stretched to near exhaustion,” he said.

Despite this challenge, Mills found ways to make up for some of these shortfalls.

Floyd County jail holds federal inmates and some overflow inmates from Scott County, both entities which pay the county $57 and $35 respectively.

For more info

Floyd County Sheriff’s Department • ADDRESS: 311 Hauss Square, New Albany • PHONE: 812-948-5400 • WEBSITE: fcsdin.org

“That’s why I like holding them,” he said.“It brings in income.”

Another way to bring in extra cash is to assign an officer to Drug Enforcement Administration work.

“And when we solve a major case, we get a percentage of the drug money that is confiscated,” he said.

The biggest amount that the sheriff’s office received was $500,000 — money that can only be spent internally.

Mills said he has used some of the

money from drug cases to buy new equipment for Floyd County police.

“Not only did I offsets my cuts, I also offset and was able to expand our capabilities to fight crime,” he said.

These improvements have set Floyd County above the rest.

“Technology wise, we were extremely behind all agencies,” he said. “And that hindered us. There are very few agencies that can compare to us now or be equal to us, technology wise.”

Because sheriffs are limited to two four-year terms, Mills has about six months left on the job.

Looking back, he said that being sheriff takes a proactive approach.

“As long as you stay humble, apply yourself and remember who you work for, you can do this job with the experience,” he said.

D4

PROGRESS GOVERNMENT & EDUCATION

News and Tribune 05.30.2014

Plans show New Albany’s new aquatic center, located at the former Camille Wright swimming pool. Submitted photo

Wave of the future in New Albany

New aquatic center, parks, businesses highlight city’s progress NEWS AND TRIBUNE newsroom@newsandtribune.com As New Albany celebrates more than 200 years of history, it is also working to progress into the future with many new and exciting projects, including more parks, a volunteer program, added businesses and more.

NEW PARKS Mayor Jeff Gahan said the city needs more parks and recreational facilities to make New Albany more competitive and attractive to future residents and businesses. Work has already begun on the $6 million Silver Street park, which will include indoor areas with artificial turf, a skate park, running path, picnic areas and more. It is expected to be completed this winter.

There are also plans for a new aquatic center, which will be located at the former site of the Camille Wright swimming pool. The aquatic center will boast a large, recreational pool, multiple slides, a lazy river, as well as concessions and a sunbathing area.

In addition to the new parks, Gahan also plans to update the current parks to make them nicer and more attractive to residents.

“These projects are expected to make New Albany more competitive and improve the quality of life for residents for years to come,” Gahan said.

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES Gahan said he is also excited about the line-up for The Bicentennial Park Summer Concert Series.

Each show will be on a Friday night, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will last throughout the summer in New Albany’s Bicentennial Park, located at the corner of Spring and Pearl Streets. The events are free and open to music lovers of all ages.

• May 30 — Billy Goat Strut Revue • June 6 — Barefoot Movement • June 13— James Wallace and The Naked Light • June 20— Machines are People Too • June 27— Appalatin “We’ve gotten such great feedback from previous summer concerts that I’m happy we can continue the tradition,” Gahan said. “This is a great opportunity to have a night out, enjoy some fantastic music and meet new people.”

The concerts at Bicentennial Park will continue every Friday night through Aug. 22 (the only exception is that there will be no concert on Friday, July 4, due to the holiday).

VOLUNTEERING Gahan said he is excited about the first event for the city’s new volunteer program, City Services Network. The City Services Network is a volunteer initiative that promotes opportunities available within the City of New Albany. The purpose is to recruit a skilled and committed group of volunteers and place them in various city departments and community organizations in an effort to promote civic engagement.

The first project is May 31. Volunteers will work to spruce up a new building that was donated to the New Albany-Floyd County Animal Shelter.

“It is so exciting to see the heart of people in our community who really want to help others and help New Albany be the best that it can be,” Gahan said.

“We are hoping that this network not only gives them an outlet to do that, but also helps organize everyone’s individual effort to help make a big difference city-wide.”

People interested in joining the network can email Tonya Fischer, Economic Development Business Coordinator, at tfischer@cityofnewalbany.com.

EAST MAIN STREET The City of New Albany also has plans to renovate East Main Street in downtown.

“East Main Street renovation will be a great project and will change the entire corridor,” Gahan said.

“The new design will help to maintain the city’s historic setting through urbanization.”

The project will extend from East Fifth Street to Vincennes Street. Improvements will include a median with plants and trees, new handicap accessible sidewalks and decorative lighting. Historical monuments will mark Vincennes Street and Fifth Street, where the Main Street Renovation begins and ends.

Mayor Gahan said he wants to see New Albany’s 200-year history enhanced and preserved through

From left, Iain Stewart, the vice president of fields with Southern Indiana United Soccer Club, Irving Joshua, the president of the New Albany Redevelopment Commission, New Albany City Councilman Scott Blair, New Albany Mayor Jeff Gahan, Steve Sipes, president of the New Albany Parks Board, and New Albany Parks Director Alicia Meredith participate in a ground breaking ceremony for the Binford Park improvement project in New Albany on May 19. Photo by Christopher Fryer

Clayton Truesdell, Sellersburg, co-owner of Home Revolutions, primes the back doorway of The Comfy Cow in downtown New Albany on May 8.

The new location is scheduled to open on Saturday. Photo

by Christopher Fryer

For more info City of New Albany

• ADDRESS: 311 Hauss Square, New Albany • PHONE: 812-948-5333 • WEBSITE: cityofnewalbany.com • FOUNDED: 1813

Ron Banet, Greenville, of MAC Construction & Excavating, uses an excavator to remove portions of the sidewalk and curb along East Main Street in New Albany on March 11.

Photo by Christopher Fryer

the beautification of Historic Downtown New Albany.

“These plans are a part of the city’s efforts to revive downtown’s atmosphere through improving safety, functionality and accessibility,” Gahan said.

“The exciting new changes will aid in the enhancement of the already character-filled historic downtown environment.”

MAC Construction and Excavating, Inc. has been contracted to do the renovations, which are expected to be completed in September 2014.

NEW BUSINESSES Gahan has been hard at work to bring more

businesses to the area.

“It’s about bringing jobs to the area and keeping our residents happy by providing them with the goods and services they want and need,” Gahan said.

Two newer businesses that are now open include The English Muffin Restaurant and The Comfy Cow. The English Muffin, located on Charlestown Road, opened on March 10. The Comfy Cow, an ice cream shop, is located on East Market Street and recently opened.

In addition to those, Seeds and Greens Natural Market and Deli and Big Four Burgers + Beer are scheduled to open in the fall downtown. Seeds and Greens is an organic grocery store and juice bar. For Burgers + Beer, this will be its second location. Its first is in downtown Jeffersonville and opened in December.

“We have some momentum, but there is so much more to do to keep New Albany as a top choice to live, work and play,” Gahan said. “I’m very pleased with our plans and I look forward to what we can achieve in 2014 and beyond.”

News and Tribune 05.30.2014

PROGRESS GOVERNMENT & EDUCATION

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PROGRESS GOVERNMENT & EDUCATION

News and Tribune 05.30.2014