December 2nd Quarterly Meeting article

Panelists at table are from left to right: Mayor Jon Costas of Valparaiso, Commissioner Tom Easterly of I.D.E.M., Mayor Chuck Oberlie of Michigan City, Dr. Lynn Westphal of USDA, Forestry Service and Nicole Barker of Save the Dunes.  At the podium is Jim Flannery of the Quality of Life Council

NWI Quality of Life Council touts partnerships good for the environment

By JEFF SCHULTZ

From the Chesterton Tribune

Environmentalists and municipal leaders from around Northwest Indiana packed the Harre Union Ballrooms at Valparaiso University on Friday to hear efforts to improve waterways in the region.Speakers gave the audience a timeline report of how cooperative efforts have resulted in cleaner water quality focusing on the Grand Calumet River Restoration Project in Lake County, the Salt Creek Project in Valparaiso and the Trail Creek Project in Michigan City.Executive Director of the Quality of Life Council Jim Flannery said the environmental partnerships have improved conditions, working steadily against the perception of being a region filled with “belching smoke stacks and water pollution.” With the programs in place, more residents are likely to migrate to the area.“We’re no longer the domain of the polluted and the blighted. We’re a bright, shining example of a wonderful place to live,” said Flannery.

Nicole Barker, executive director of Save the Dunes, said she is proud of the partnerships that have been forged and added that making bonds strengthens trust and leverages more funds for organizations. Partnering, she said, is key especially managing though the “pinch and pressures” of this rough economy.“Life is richer, easier and happier having help from your friends,” she said.  Municipalities have teamed with regional organizations such as the Northwest Indiana Regional Plan Commission (NIRPC), the NWI Regional Development Authority (RDA) and the NWI Paddling Association on environmental issues. Barker said she believes that healthy watersheds and quality of life for residents are intertwined.

In another presentation, Dr. Lynne Westphal of the U.S. Forest Service introduced the Urban Waters Federal Partnership program which had selected Northwest Indiana in June as one of the agency’s pilot sites to assist in further cleanup already being done.Northwest Indiana was one of the Urban Waters pilot locations and its sole Midwest location. The others include Baltimore, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, New Orleans, Denver and New York City. Approximately $2 million to $4 million in federal revenue will be divided among projects.The program aims to build on existing success, Westphal said, in seeing further cleanup for the waterways.

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SSJ Call for Papers 2012

Call For Papers – Fall 2012

________________________________________

Issue: Fall 2012

Initial Call: September 2011

Deadline for submitting Manuscripts: January 16, 2012

Submission Address: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The South Shore Journal is an open access peer reviewed general journal, exclusively electronic, and available at http://www.southshorejournal.org. The journal is co-sponsored by Northwest Indiana Quality of Life Council (QLC) and IU Northwest’s Center for Urban and Regional Excellence (CURE). The Editorial Board includes representatives from each of the six universities in the South Shore region. The journal provides a peer-reviewed venue for area scholars to focus their attention and academic resources on the region and allow the editors to showcase the outstanding scholarly work of faculty, student, alumni and residents in Northwest Indiana. The scholarly and creative work published will ideally represent a broad range of academic disciplines, and be inspired by the QLC regional quality indicators that include: a diverse community where residents are treated with equity and dignity; an economically thriving region; a region of opportunity; a region in balance with its environment; a region that facilitates learning and intellectual growth; a healthy community; a region of open neighborhoods; an accessible community; a safe community; a region that appreciates the arts and celebrates life; and a community of engaged and caring citizens.

The theme for the next issue is: “The Realm of Public Memory.” Submissions are invited on various subtopics that are broadly imagined to include, but are not limited to history, commemoration, public history (e.g. historical sites and museums), archival work, education, politics, biography and autobiography, virtual spaces of remembrance, and the arts. Categories of submissions may include:

• Scholarly Research

• History and Advocacy

• Creative Works (writing, poetry, art work, photography)

• Reviews (books, films, documentaries, art shows)

• Essays/Reflective Pieces

• Student Submissions

Please see the South Shore Journal’s (http://www.southshorejournal.org) “Information for Authors” section for specifics regarding manuscript submission.

Articles must be submitted by Monday, January 16, 2012. Two double-blind peer reviews will be solicited and decisions made as to publication by early March 2, 2012.

Editor for the Fall 2012 issue: Dr. Christopher J. Young, Indiana University Northwest, (219) 980-6563, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Political Corruption demands Ethics

It is time to begin asking our local politicians and candidates the tough questions. With the Lake County reputation for political corruption being so prevalent and reinforced by having more than 50 public officials sent to prison since 2000. What have they done about it? What is their position on Ethics?

Five governments, Crown Point, Highland, Munster, Schererville and Whiting have adopted Ethics Ordinances and have begun the process of training all of their municipal employees in the duties and expectations of behaving ethically. Such leadership is amazing and needs to be rewarded with positive feedback from the entire community. These visionary leaders are showing the way.

In the meantime, we need to ask the elected officials and candidates for office in the remaining governmental units in Lake County why they have not joined in this movement. We need to address the behaviors of those public servants who might believe that taxpayer money is their personal resource and the powers of their office can be used to enrich themselves and their friends.

Last Updated on Sunday, 30 October 2011 14:22

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A Public Apology to all Region Rats

A Public Apology to all Region Rats

A recent article by Rich James of the Post-Tribune has clarified what I obviously missed about the region. Ok, I get it now. I apologize for any insults perceived by die hard Region Rats.  I was addressing the perceptions of outsiders and the potential effects of those perceptions.

I guess I didn’t understand how truly exclusive a Region Rat is. “It’s a select club. If you’re not born a Region Rat, you’ll never be one. There is no application process.” said Mr. James. You are or you are not. I was mistaken that living here for over twenty years, raising my family here and having seven grandchildren who do qualify to be Region Rats because they were born here, gives me no credibility to love this region and be defensive of those who denigrate it.

I apologize that my concern over public corruption of elected officials and municipal employees in this region seems misplaced. Although Mr. James writes that “We got all that, but so do a lot of other places. The difference is that we own up to it and move on, trying to make things better.” That confuses me a bit. Why is it that out of 17 units of local government in Lake County only 5, Crown Point, Munster, Whiting, Highland and Schererville have adopted Ethics ordinances and have had their municipal employees trained in ethical behavior and expectations? I must have missed where the other 12 governments have owned up and are moving on. I think we residents should hold all officials and public employees to a high standard to show the world that this region doesn’t accept public corruption any more. We also need to celebrate those dedicated officials and public employees who show exemplary leadership by example as well. But hey, I am not a Region Rat, I never can be.

Last Updated on Friday, 28 October 2011 10:13

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