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There's a pretty easy shorthand kids who grew up in farm country can use to identify one another — just look for the smile and slight laugh that
comes from someone recalling their corn detasseling days. The oh-dark-thirty mustering in the parking lot at the high school, waiting for the Pioneer Seed bus to take you out to that day's fields. The ubiquitous orange Igloo coolers filled with ice and water. The working in corn sweat long before it was a seasonal, trendy headline. The wearing of jeans and long-sleeve T-shirts, and knowing that when you'd inevitably at one point push up your sleeves hoping for just a second of cool air on your skin, that's when those dang leaves would cut you.
Every. Single. Time.
But those paychecks... man, those paychecks! Taking that envelope down to the credit union and very proudly handing that check over to the tellers. As kids, we'd never had so much money. And we couldn't wait to do it all again.
The six generations of young people who grew up, or worked on, the Meyers farm in Franklin County may have had similar experiences. That sweat and labor, shared in the story from the Brookville American, was about more than work, it was about protecting something greater — home.
For some Hoosiers, though, homes are hard to come by, and it's an ongoing challenge not limited to urban areas. From New Albany to South Bend, and points in between, city planners and community organizers are trying to find solutions that get Hoosiers of all income levels into safe, affordable housing. Now, the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette reports, city and county leaders there are tackling the issue, beginning with changing zoning practices that make diversifying housing inventory difficult. It's a solution other communities have tried, and it's showing promise.
Let us know what unique solutions to housing you might be seeing in your areas. And thanks for reading.
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Lisa Renze
Free Press Indiana Director of Strategic Partnerships
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Planning for more housing in Fort Wayne |
Cities and towns around Indiana are challenged with housing shortages that are vexing elected officials and other community leaders. One solution cities like Fort Wayne are employing is what's known as housing infill. In older neighborhoods, where a home may have fallen into disrepair, new homes can be built on that existing site. But the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette explains that certain complications can make infill building harder than new construction, so city and county leaders are focused on making the work easier.
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$20M boost for riverfront plans |
For nearly 200 years, Jeffboat Landing was home to shipbuilders that made everything from steamboats to Landing Ship-Tanks (LSTs) like the one pictured, for the U.S. Navy in WWII, to barges. Industry changes meant the area shut down for ship building in 2018. But Louisville Public Media reports grant dollars could help local leaders chart a new course for the historic area in Jeffersonville.
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Preserving legacy, community |
There's a feeling that comes with an idle wander through a European city — wonder, awe, imagining. Public buildings and churches, especially, provide a special opportunity to consider how, and who, built the amazing structures. That same sense of reverence touched a Notre Dame grad student when he first encountered St. Adalbert in South Bend. In Notre Dame Magazine, Gavin Moulton writes about his work helping that parish secure historic landmark status — and what that means to the community that considers the church an extension of their homes.
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No clownin': Banana Ball is back in town |
Before the Savannah Bananas there was the Indianapolis Clowns — the hottest team in baseball entertainment for more than 50 years. Now, in partnership with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, the Clowns are making a comeback, joining the new Banana Ball Championship League to bring their high-energy game back to Indy.
Sports Illustrated has the story.
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More great reads |
Before running onto the field with the Carolina Panthers, Brandon Hayes donned Muncie Southside red and white, and set records in front of hometown crowds. Now, he's back home in east central Indiana, helping this generation of young people gain leadership skills and self-confidence through sports. Indiana Public Radio has the story.
A farm in Hamburg, Ind., has been owned and operated by the Meyers since 1863. Today's caretakers of that six-generation legacy reflect on their ancestors' hardworking dedication to the land and one another. The Brookville American tells the story.
ICYMI: Fall is the perfect time to explore Indiana's parks, and a trip to the Grand Kankakee Marsh should be on every Hoosier's agenda. Prep for your visit by watching this great documentary from PBS: "EVERGLADES OF THE NORTH: The Story of the Grand Kankakee Marsh." Watch the piece here.
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