Hoosier State Press Association - The Indiana Publisher - Better Newspaper Contest
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/96748
Division 2 Best General Commentary/Category 4 First place Amy Rodriguez, Zionsville Times Sentinel Comments: Amy Rodriguez is a good storyteller. Her columns are interesting, funny and thought-provoking. She���s worth reading. Second place Kevin Lilly, Brown County Democrat (Nashville) Comments: Kevin Lilly���s columns are very well-written, detailed and full of heart. He takes you where he���s been and delivers a great message. Third place Judy O���Bannon, The Corydon Democrat Comments: Judy O���Bannon is a solid writer with a keen mind. Her columns are intellectual and thought-provoking. In one well-researched column she brought in a wide range of information and quotes. In another she drew such a compelling picture of winter that she almost convinced me it���s not such a horrible season! Best Editorial Writer/Category 5 First place Jo Ann Spieth-Saylor, The Corydon Democrat Comments: This entry stood above the rest because she didn���t just comment on the news of the day but tried to persuade readers to action, showing real leadership in her community. Excellent. Second place Chandra L. Mattingly & Erika Schmidt Russell, The Journal-Press (Aurora) Comments: Three well-written editorials on local topics should make an impact on readers. Good job. Kevin Koelling, Perry County News (Tell City) Comments: This entry had unusual topics, but all were well-written and should have had some effect on readers. Best Business/Economic News Coverage/ Category 6 g First place When neighbors and commerce collide Amy Hillenburg, The Mooresville/Decatur Times Comments: This story presented both sides of a difficult situation well. Well-written. Second place Nashville���s night life? Suzannah Couch, Tom Lotshaw & Megan O���Bryan, Brown County Democrat (Nashville) Comments: This story won because it immediately explained how the issue impacted everyday people. Third place Nashville���s new neighbor? Sara Clifford & Kevin Lilly, Brown County Democrat (Nashville) Comments: Neat story. Presented and read well. All hail, Josephine Cochrane Amy Rodriguez Zionsville Times Sentinel and was sold under the name KitchenAid. Who is Josephine Cochrane and why should we all hail her? She was the mastermind behind the electric dish�� asher. w In 1886, Cochrane was awarded a patent for her dishwasher and set out to make it a standard in every American household. For a single woman (she was widowed) in the late 1800s, the task of jumping from socialite to businesswoman was Herculean. I am so glad she persisted. What prompted such a fabulous idea? Broken dishes. Apparently, Cochrane was tired of her family china being banged around by the servants, so she started washing the china herself by hand. As she was a socialite, she felt that dishwashing by hand was too menial a task, thus sat down and thought up the dishwasher. Incidentally, her design was ultimately bought by Hobart, Our first dishwasher came into my family when I was about 8 years old. My sisters and I had begged for one long before that, though. Every time we asked dad to get a dishwasher, his reply was, ���I already have three of them.��� Then one day he relented, and choirs of angels sang. Unfortunately, they were soon drowned out by the fighting about whose turn it was to load or unload the beast. As an adult, having a dishwasher has been a requirement for any dwelling I have inhabited. One of the first things my monster-in-law did to earn her title was tell me I was loading the dishwasher wrong. Apparently, there are as many ���right��� ways to load the dishwasher as there are women in the world. Fortunately, they are all basically right and the dishes come out clean. Amazing. It was as a young housewife that I first used the dishwasher to hide dirty dishes when company was coming. I only admit this dirty little secret to let you feel less alone, because it clearly was not one of my finer housewifery moments. Actually, when she wasn���t having any luck marketing her household dishwasher touting the convenience, Cochrane started pointing out that it could be used to ��� you guessed it ��� hide dirty dishes from guests. I feel a little bit better knowing that piece of history. In short, I love my newfangled dishwasher. For those of you still holding out because it takes less water to do the dishes by hand, I found a story about washing breakfast dishes by hand versus running a half-full machine. I don���t For complete story, see www.hspafoundation.org. Click on ���Contests.��� $5 could help save group camp Jo Ann Spieth-Saylor The Corydon Democrat O���Bannon Woods State Park is a jewel in this part of Southern Indiana. If you���ve ever been there, you know that there are great hiking and horse trails, a spectacular view of the Ohio River and the shoreline of Kentucky, numerous camping sites and picnic areas, an educational Nature Center and Pioneer Farmstead, an outdoor swimming pool, a lake for fishing and access to Blue River. Until this year, the public could use the Wyandotte Group Camp that has been used by thousands of people during various overnight outings since the camp opened in 1971. Anyone who has stayed in the cabins can most likely tell you about the rustling sounds that came from the plastic-covered cots when their occupants would turn over. And there���s usually a varmint story to go along with the reminiscing, as well. Or, ask about the showers in the bathrooms that weren���t known for providing hot water, let alone much water for any length of time. A good punch to the ���on��� button would produce a steady stream of usually cold water ��� lukewarm if you were lucky ��� for a couple of minutes before it needed another hit. But it���s experiences like these, along with sharing stories around the campfire, that build lasting memories and long-time friendships. With funding cuts, thus less money for repairs to the camp, came the takeover of the camp by bats. Now, I must say, bats are generally a good thing for campers, as they eat mosquitoes which can ruin any camping experience. But the bats apparently decided they liked inhibiting the loosened boards on the exterior of the cabins at the camp. And that created a potential health risk. Now, efforts are underway to save the group camp. Bob Sawtelle, park manager, his assistant, Stan Baelz, and other park employees are working toward improving the camp so others can enjoy it. Estimates are the renovation, along with some improvements, can be completed for about $240,000. For complete story, see www.hspafoundation.org. Click on ���Contests.��� Neighborhoods, commerce collide Amy Hillenburg The Mooresville/Decatur Times They are like islands in the storm ��� four distinct neighborhoods sandwiched between the industrial and commercial development in AmeriPlex. AmeriPlex. He argues that Decatur Township needs industry and commerce to take the tax burden off residents��� shoulders. The Decatur Township residents live on roads that have been cut off or rerouted. Their once quiet, landscaped yards with flowering plants, birds and wildlife are now across the street from warehouse lights, noise from semi-trucks and dirt-moving equipment, unsightly mounds of dirt and disintegrating streets. They���ve also battled flooding in their yards and ditches. Tony Julian and Larry Mulholland, who are part of the reactivated Decatur Township Neighborhood Coalition, said neighbors have seen their properties devalued and slowly blighted because of development. Some nearby homes have been sold and boarded up, wells have been ruined and construction trailers dot farmland where cows used to graze. They live along Milhouse Road, cut off on both sides of AmeriPlex Parkway, and Flynn, Ratliff and Stanley roads. On the other side of the issue is Chris Wilkes, senior vice president of development for Holladay Properties at Now the residents are facing two large construction projects. Julian said the IRS is prepping land for a 470,000-square-foot building, and AmeriPlex is asking to rezone land west of Flynn Road to allow for a FastPark and Relax parking facility. David Hittle, senior planner for the city of Indianapolis Division of Planning, said the FastPark case wasn���t heard in December as planned; it was continued, as agreed by both the petitioner and remonstrators, to the Jan. 18 MDC meeting. It will be an off-airport site, covered, with 2,000 parking spaces in Phase 1 and 1,600 spaces in Phase 2. It will be available to people who work at AmeriPlex and those who have flown in at Indianapolis International Airport to do business there. The site also will accompany a new business For complete story, see www.hspafoundation.org. Click on ���Contests.��� Page 23