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PLEASE POST ALL JUNE 2012 HERE
171 comments:
HOW...I ask how...are we, Starke Co., the poorest Co. in the State? We have 1 of the largest lakes in Ind, paying astronomical prop.taxes. We have sufficient industry, & gaining more, & have farmers making huge profits. We build a splendorous Comm.Center that's nothing more than a "for rent" banquet hall, are spending millions in school improvements yearly, we own our own hospital, why...we even have a 4 lane highway through town. We either need audited, or figure out how to handle the funds we have BETTER. The problem, I believe, is that we don't have enough leaders, politicians, on board & believing in this FOR THE PEOPLE. Maybe we need successful people from OTHER communities to come in & show us how it's done. Just so tired of the low mentality, or belief in ourselves that has given Starke Co. the reputation that it has with neighboring Co.'s. I'd say 1st step would be to pray about it as a community. Then, we need leaders to make it A GOAL. Then, start looking at ways to begin saving funding, through the sale of the hospital, maybe saving a yearly stipend of tax$ aside, donations from our wealthier residents(farmers, businessmen, etc.) & especially filing for Federal Grants, for if we have a plan outlined, blueprints, a location & funding saved, it shows the initiative for us to recieve these grants to make it a reality. Maybe get IU Health on board, such as how Dr.Holm established Lifeplex. It CAN be done, but only if our leaders believe & put their 1st foot forawrd. And it WILL be self-supporting, & not with astronomical costs that come w/ a YMCA name. At $25 a mon, residents will use it so frequently, that I'm certain health will improve across the board. So, "power's that be", establish the goal, make a plan, Talk to IU Health & others, & make it happen. We believe in you, and that with God's help, WE CAN DO THIS.
Do not follow where the path may lead.
Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
Coach's comment has alot of merit, and contains some goals that could be met with the proper direction and support. But.......there is a mentality in Starke County that will rear it's ugly head and overshadow any progress. And that mentality is ..... "well, that's the ways things have always been"!
Coach To answer or try to answer your first Question . We are ranked 91st of 92 counties in lack if income. That is how the rateing works. There are several reason for the low income. First we have a higher the average amount of retired people only collecting social security as their sole imcome. Many worked low paying jobs right here in Starke Co so the benifits are low also. Second and most important is our unemployment problem . Too many who don't want to work even if there was a job avaible.We are not starved for work we are starved for good people wanting to work
Who owns or built the Winamac YMCA/Rec Center? Was it the Town of Winamac, the Citizens, the YMCA or the Village People? It makes a huge difference who paid for it. Knox most likely can't afford it, let alone run it. In all reality, the Community Center is NOT a Rec. Center, it most likely was not even built for that. It is a gathering center for the community.
The Bilderberg meeting is starting today at Chantilly, Va, just south of the Dulles airport in Washington D.C. the elites are coming into the Westfield Marriott, which was cleared 2 days prior.
This is the power structure at the helm of the world. This is the global crime syndicate known as the New World Order.
World leaders, republicans, democrats, bankers, ceo's and media are the make up of those attending. You would figure that a yearly meeting with the like of Obama, Gates,Kissinger, Charlie Rose would not go undetected.
Let this be an introduction
You do not want to team with a hospital. I know the cash is there, but a clinical setting center would least benefit the public. I have ran health clubs. We have no regualtions in our field. Hospitals are ran like prisons. The quality of service provided is lower with each and every regulation you impose. The benefits of per se personal training eclipses physical therapy.
The direction and the strings tied with federal (Government grants ) would totally impede complete usefullness. Also when the grants run out you are left with all the costs of operating a large facility.
Chartering a YMCA would be your best bet if you couldn't get it done privately, but private ownership is in my opinion the only option. Untied way does a good job with the Y in Winamac, but is still limited to the size of the county.
I developed a business plan for a rec center years ago. I just have no backing. The equipment is going to cost. The big decision is swimming pool or not.
We need a place to workout, but we do not need another day care center.
To hell with a new jail. Up with health and fitness. Let's get positive in Starke county !
I hate it when people blame an individual. We are starving for work here. The only people working are propped up in unions. 30% of this country is out of work. Laziness does not fall into the equation. Federal reserve and phony wars are the biggest reason we are out of work, followed by NAFTA, CAFTA, OSHA
There are MANY in this county who are too lazy to get a job if you handed it to them on a platter. They are used to getting by on the public benefits they receive through the welfare system and don't have any drive to improve their situation. I used to work at a job placement service, and it was quite common to get applicants who were there only because they were told they had to be "looking for work" in order to stay out of jail for nonpayment of child support or to be able to continue to receive benefits, whether it was unemployment or welfare/food stamps. I realize that with the cost of gas, it is hard to get by on a minimum wage job, but something is better than nothing and may get you the work experience you need to get a better job.
ok YMCA or like building, we hear you, we listen, $300 tax increase per average tax payer per yr should do it
laziness does fall into the equation. so many young people have no work ethics.
Just build the biggest jail we can. Put a rec room in it. Fill it up with meth heads, and they will have lots of energy to exercise.
Wow, so many good things on here. I Googled Starke Co.'s unemployment rate and it's 10.8%. Also, I read somewhere that there was a town in Ohio that voted to raise taxes, just on cigarettes, to raise money for the arts. It wasn't much either, maybe 30 cents a pack, and they raised a lot of money. Something like this could be done to raise money for health in Starke Co. We are ranked one of the most unhealthy counties in the state, and have been for awhile. I also just read an article about how raising taxes on cigarettes reduces smoking, especially among kids.
I bet you collect medicare and social security
Tax for health, Hell no ! Keep it private. Whatever the government touches is complete garbage. you want to do it right. The health and fitness industry is beautifull, no regulations, no government interference. That is why it has grown so much.
Excerise by walking the walking path that runs from North Judson over to highway 35 and will be coming toward 35 from Monterey, also you can ride your bikes on the trail. So people have no exuse not to excerise. Also Knox has a park that has a walking path. Walking or running is a very good excerise program. Lazy people will always be lazy, so let them be, they are only hurting them selfs. I'm all for getting people off welfare, but those on it continue to have more kids, what ever happened to birth control. They continue to spend money for drinking and smoking. But we can't change them, they will say have the right to all this. God help our country to understand what we need is more pride in ourselfs to succeed for a new life.
I can't believe that people actually want the the tax payers to pay for their recreation or the recreation of their children. Provide for your own children. I provided for my children & they provide for their children. I wish you & your families well but do not want to pay for their recreation. I did my part now do yours.
"I bet you collect medicare and social security"
You bet I collect social security & when I am old enough I'll collect medicare. I have paid into social security for over 40 years. My money was deducted from my check before I got,no choice on my part, didn't make any difference if I needed it to pay my bills it was taken anyway. You try make it a shame to collect social security. It's my money & I will collect it with pride. I earned mine now get your lazy butt out there & get a job & pay for your own recreation. Not one penny of tax payer money was used to pay for my boat, fishing gear or hunting equipment. Try earning your way instead of whinning to the hard working tax payers for a free ride.
I guess with the dumping of METH TRASH in the Yellow River is pointing the way to future dumping in other lakes & rivers. We will become the LIVING DEAD of the movies.
COST PER VOTE FOR THE 2012 PRIMARY ELECTION IN STARKE COUNTY:
California 1 $5.43
California 2 5.65
Center 1 3.30
Center 2 4.56
Center 3 20.79
Center 4 3.72
Center 5 4.40
Center 6 4.96
Davis 2.71
Jackson 7.55
North Bend 4.37
Oregon 1 2.32
Oregon 2 2.74
Oregon 3 3.86
Railroad 4.24
Washington 1 5.00
Washington 2 5.43
Wayne 1 4.24
Wayne 2 5.74
Wayne 3 4.51
Wayne 4 4.46
County Total $3.82
The cost of the votes in an
election is determined by taking the cost of the precinct and dividing it by the number of voters that voted in the election.
The more people that vote, the less for the cost of the vote would be.
Notice in Oregon township all three of the precincts had large voter turn outs and the cost per vote was much lower than in other townships. This was due to the referendum about the tax issue on the Oregon Davis School Corporation.
I think what the person who made the comment about medicare and social security really meant was "medicaid and disability".
These are part of the same programs but are paid to those who have never paid in for the most part. I realize some people are truly disabled and these benefits are there to help them. Unfortunately, there are way too many who collect them and are capable of working a job and earning their way in life.
I agree with June 1 6:17 a.m. - Buy your kids a swing set, a bicycle, etc. Give them something to do outside and get them active and away from the video games, computer and TV. Fix them homemade meals and stop buying all the prepackaged junk that is full of preservatives and sugar and who knows what else. Feed them fruit and healthy things.
Little things like this would make our society a lot healthier and less in need of all the medical programs the government is trying to force on us.
Be responsible for yourself and your family and don't expect the taxpayers to fork out more money to pay for programs that many of them will never wish to use. I am far too busy at home to go to a health club, rec center or other such facility. I would much rather take a walk or jog in the woods and enjoy nature than to hear a bunch of screaming kids at a center somewhere in town. Based on what you see in the schools, many of them would simply disrespect and vandalize what the taxpayers would be paying to provide for them.
Maybe the school should open up the already state of the art weight rooms and such to the taxpayers who paid for them rather than keeping them for the exclusive use of the athletes. We already have facilities that could be used, but the taxpayers who funded them do not get to use them.
I would describe myself as a middle of the road, neither too far radical left or radical right, kind of person. I would say at least 50% of us are the same as me. Then maybe 25% are strong left and another 25% are strong right.
The current problem with our country is its political system. It doesn't represent the 50% of us in the middle. No candidate is going to get nominated by their party unless they are way left in the case of Democrats or way right in the case of Republicans.
It doesn't matter whether it's a good idea or a bad idea. If a Republican proposes mom & apple pie, the Democrats will not support it. If a Democrat had proposed the same thing, the Republicans would not have supported it.
Compromise is essential when dealing with a broad base of people with different beliefs, ideas and backgrounds. But compromise is a dirty word in our political system, especially in Congress.
As a result, we are stuck in a pendulum like situation. If the Democrats are in power, things go too far left with too many programs for the supposedly unfortunate, while business suffers from too much regulation. If the Republicans are in power, things go too far right with too many programs that benefit large corporations at the expense of the rest of us. Fortunately voters are fickle, and the pendulum swings the other way at the next election.
If one party has the President in power but the opposite party in congress, nothing gets done at all. Come to think of it, maybe that's for the best.
Old and Cynical
And then there are those who collect disability and work for cash.
Wow...Center 3 must have had a very low turnout???
Unemployment: If you look at Starke Co unemployment rate for the last 10 years you will find it averages about 9% . The lowest is 5.7 with a state ave of 4.1. The truth is in the numbers . We have always had a high unemployment rate . Question to all Starke Co . If 1000 jobs came to the county today how many Starke Co people would apply?
Starke County is not the poorest county in the state. It is not even in the bottom ten. Starke County does have an unemployment rate higher than the state average (but not by much since the state average just recently fell below 10% and Starke County is just above 10%). Perhaps creating new learning opportunities and new employment opportunities by developing a community rec program and center would address many concerns (unemployment, truancy, school performance, teenage legal issues, teen pregnancy and STI rates, senior services, adult enrichment) that are sorely lacking in this community.
To those who say you do not have children so why should you support it a community center is not just for the children. If you want to think of it that way , let me remind you this: you can either support the education of our communities children now or you can support our communities felons later.
As a local business owner I can tell you first hand it is hard to get people to work.. I get at least 5 people a week that want to work for cash because they are on SSI or disablity and when I interview someone under 25 yrs old and ask them to make change for a twenty dollar bill they can't do it. Then you look at their app and find out they were one of the smart ones that quit school or were home schooled. So when you finally find one you think can do the job they call off with in the first two weeks and leave you stuck. BUT It is not only Starke County its everywhere. I think there should be a list of everyone on disablity and it you can catch them working they should have to pay back everything they recieved back to the tax payers. I work 6 days a week and it kills me there are people drawing disability and playing 18 holes of golf a day.
I wouldn't want to pay higher taxes but I guarantee you a nice athletic center would more than just break even. The town could invest in something like that and pay for it with the money wasted. There wouldn't be screaming kids there during school hours and hard to ride bikes in the snow. I am all for helping this town and one way or another something should be done as long as it is done right. I would love to see it done by a private person or group. I just don't have much confidence in the government. If the government ran it half of the membership fees would pay for fake jobs for the leaders family and friends.
? Social security is ponzi scheme SOCIALISM. I hate taxes. I provide for myself.
Go Ron Paul !
Your right and wrong. Get rid of SS, medicaid, medicare, TANF, food stamps. Get rid of 99% of government.
Liberty, baby
The Fort Wayne Gazette Journal has reported that Mitch Daniels is in attendence at the Bilderberg meeting
Boo government worker. Puke, school/prison ratio.
Home schooled children on average are far advanced from government educated idiots we been producing since '79. Home school teaches the three r's, public schools teach PROPAGANDA
I thought this proposed athletic center you all are talking about was supposed to be to keep the kids off of the street and out of trouble. If it is only open when the screaming kids are in school, how will this help? Usually when the kids are in school the majority of adults who could afford to use it, would be at their job working.
Can't ride a bike in the winter? Maybe they can shovel snow for the elderly? That's good exercise too--and free or they could even get paid for it. How is our poor town going to maintain, pay staff, etc. and not have to charge so much that people can't afford to use this center?
Nothing is free in this world. Is this a rec center or an athletic center? Again, you refer to is as an athletic center...why not open the one already paid for by our taxes at the school?
I totally agree that you should get every dime back that was stole from your paycheck through social security, but understand that S.S is paid out of our yearly taxes the same as all welfare. There is no scocial security fund! Let the younger generation that works, like myself, OPT OUT!!!
Let me breakdown the biggest money problems and expenditures in this country:
1. Federal Reserve
2. Wars
3. Social security and medicare. This alone accounts for 40% of our federal budget. We are almost at a ratio of 2 workers paying taxes to pay for 1 S.S./medicare . In less than 20 years it will account for 100% of the budget!!!
Complaining about anything else amounts to the change you find walking down the street. Worry about all the money that pours out of the United States and not what little in comparison goes to "lazy welfare meth head hillbillies".
Heard a conservation the other day that Gary and Indianapolis chartered schools, got three million dollars each for education. Where did all that money come from while the public schools are being cut funding each year for schools. Mitch is the one that pushed chartered schools, so where did the money come from.
Can anyone answer this question?
SAVING MONEY WITH 2 PRECINCTS COMBINED AT ONE VOTING SITE
The Starke County Election board has for the last 3 elections combined 4 precincts at one voting site in the Knox Community Building. The elections have run very smoothly and there have not been many objections from the voters about this arrangement. By combining the 4 precincts, the costs of the election have saved the tax payers 36.6% of the cost of when the precincts voted at 4 other locations. The total cost of the 2012 primary election with this new method was $1,770 and only 18 workers were employed. Under the old method where they voted at 4 different locations the cost would have been $2,780 with 28workers. The cost per vote of all 4 precincts in the primary election was $4.52. If the old method was used in this same primary election the cost would have been $7.11 per vote. There were a total of 391 votes that were cast in the 2012 primary election in Center 1, Center 2, Center 3 and Center 4.
SAVING MONEY WITH 2 PRECINCTS COMBINED AT ONE VOTING SITE
The Starke County Election board has for the last 3 elections combined 4 precincts at one voting site in the Knox Community Building. The elections have run very smoothly and there have not been many objections from the voters about this arrangement. By combining the 4 precincts, the costs of the election have saved the tax payers 36.6% of the cost of when the precincts voted at 4 other locations. The total cost of the 2012 primary election with this new method was $1,770 and only 18 workers were employed. Under the old method where they voted at 4 different locations the cost would have been $2,780 with 28workers. The cost per vote of all 4 precincts in the primary election was $4.52. If the old method was used in this same primary election the cost would have been $7.11 per vote. There were a total of 391 votes that were cast in the 2012 primary election in Center 1, Center 2, Center 3 and Center 4.
OK, one more time. Social Security wasn't always a part of the federal budget! It was kept separate in a "locked box", and disbursed only to SS recipients! Pres Johnson in his great society giveaway, along with a democratic congress, opened the lock box for the pilfering by the congress for their pet projects. Pres Carter opened it further to include stipends for undocument(illegal) aliens. President Clinton opened it further and run it into the red! Ergo, SS payments are now from the fed budget. Repealing these laws that opened the funds for congress to rape will return the funds to SS recipients only and thus out of the federal budget. The only problem achieving that goal is the present congress, BOTH PARTIES, are too used to that fund being available to them and would never give it up, at least as long as the SHEEP in this country allow them to!!!! You want to complain about Social Security (monies that some people worked all their lives for and is the only monies they receive), you don't have the right to unless you get off your complaining butt and make your feelings known to congress!!!
According to the Indiana State Police website, Starke ranked 15th with 24 meth labs seized during 2011. That was a decrease from 30 in 2010 and equal to 24 in 2009. Many of our neighboring counties to the east have a lot more. Marshall 41, Elkhart 71, Kosciusko 58. St. Joseph with 10 times our population had 28.
You might think the higher a county's population the more meth labs. Not so. Lake had 5, Porter 7 and LaPorte 7. Marion including Indianapolis only had 6.
It does seem meth is the poor person's drug of choice.
COMBINING PRECINCTS FOR ELECTIONS
For the last three elections, the Starke County Election Board has combined the four Center township precincts that are located in the City of Knox at the same voting site which is the Knox Community Center. Center 1, Center 2, Center 3 and Center 4 are the precincts that have been separated with Center 1 and Center 2 voting together in one large room and Center 3 and Center 4 voting together in the other large room. The results of this has saved the tax payers 36.6% of the costs for each election.
Under the old system where each precinct voted at 4 separate locations the cost of this primary election would have been $2,780, but under the present system of combining the precincts the cost is $1,770. This amounts to each vote costing under the old system $7.11 each and under the new system only $4.52 or a savings of $2.57 per vote.
The old system required 28 workers for the 4 precincts and the new system uses only 18 workers or 10 fewer workers to accomplish the same job at the one location.
Any time that 2 precincts can be combined within Starke County there would be a reduction of 36.6%of the costs when they voted at separate locations.
Drug use is an issue everywhere, regardless of what the drug of choice is. Starke County struggles with the environmental effects of meth manufacture. Lake county struggles with drive-by shootings and car accidents as a result of the crack cocaine and heroin trade. Everyone struggles with the legal costs of incarceration, trials, etc. Drug users don't care how their choices affect the rest of us. Poverty is not a good excuse. There are plenty of poor people who do not choose to abuse drugs.
When we start useing the Dollar figures to decide how elections are ran were in troble. With the very small number of voters now turning out I think the election board should be more concerned with the low numbers. They should be doing what ever it takes to get people to vote.
Why diD FDR start social security in the first place. Answer : you tube "Wayne Paul on federal reserve". This short precise explanation of the fed and S.S. will set you staight.
Combining precincts is a HORRID idea. It will create an even lower voter turn out. This is one of the few parts of essential government. These costs are peanuts.
The heroin trade is alive and well thanks to the NATO/CIA,New World Order Afghanistan war. Heroin is now the cheapest drug on the street, $10 bucks a high. Very prevelant north of 30.
The Taliban had almost totally eradicated the poppy plants. Now the production is at an all time high. Our tax dollars goes to the military to protect the afghan heroin farmers. Our Indiana national guard is one of the main divisions helping them grow and protect the poppy crop.
I h ave worked for 25 years and payed into social security and by golly this year I will retire and yes, I am going to collect!!! There are a lot of people getting disability for reasons unacceptable to me. Some have not paid into the system yet they recieve, so I for one am going to collect what is rightfully mine!!!! I earned it!!!
I agree with an earlier comment. Parents get your kids bikes, swing sets, play ball with them,take them to the beach, walk with them. Quit expecting everyone else to pay for your kids'exercise!! We grew up without all the expensive equipment and places to work out and we were healthy! We had the great outdoors as our workout place!!! Guess what? It worked!!!
Paul likes to shoot off his mouth about SS being a Ponzi scheme, and ties it in with the Fed. He's right about the Fed, but SS became a Ponzi scheme when the congress started to rape and pillage the funds. Paul, like the rest of them, will not give up the gravy train of all that easy money!!!
Anonymous, june 3 11:10, is right about the U.S.'s role in the heroin trade. Plus the foreign aid used to support the corrupt govt in addition to what the Afghanies receive in kickbacks from the poppy growing war lords. Much like the kickbacks our congress receives from big pharma, oil companies, unions, etc. Smell something dirty here? Your apathy is allowing it to happen, so stop complaining.
It is made in big cities too but instead of cutting deals 5 or 6 times they just put them in jail the 1st time. They know if arrested they stay in jail instead of being used to set someone else up like they do here. Why do you think it is so popular here? Just tell on someone else and have a get out of jail free card!
Who said it would only be opened during school? That would be the dumbest thing I've ever heard of. It is not like the kiddie pool would be right in the middle of senior areobics.
It could be supported by members, grants or many other things to raise money. Your mentality as a "poor town" will not change as long as there are so many like you. In your own words we are poor so wouldn't you think something should change?
Why does it matter what it is called? I'm sure it would do great with the right people. Me and about 500 other people would be willing to help if it gets going.
I got home yesterday from the IU Starke Hospital after going to the emergancy room Thursday night and I have to say it was the best care and attention I have ever received from a medical facility, I'm glad I went to Starke and I will continue to do so. I went Thursday night with what I thought was kidney pains, got in there at 8pm, they had me in a cat scan in no time and detected that my appendix was ready to rupture and was operating on me by 11pm. The nurses and techs where awesome, personably, reliable, friendly, knowledgeble and went out of their way for my health. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Both the ER Doc and surgury Doc checked up on me the next day. Everyone was extremely thorough and professional. More people need to recognize the resource and asset we have with IU Health.
Everything Dr. Ron Paul says is true. That gravy train will bankrupt us. Paul wants you to get what you paid, then let the younger generation opt out. Stop the fed and wars and then social security can be fully paid. If not it will be worse than greece. Your check will be lessened and then no more.
Social security was created in response to the great depression. It only took the federal reserve 20 years to bankrupt this country. The elite bankers were given all future generations as collateral to bail us out. That is what s.s. is . PONZI SCHEME. Think about it the first person who ever collected had the whole nation working for her. We are at almost two workers for every S.S. collector. Next generation it will be 1:1. PONZI SCHEME. Maybe you don't know what a PONZI SCHEME is, look it up !
At least you understand the fed. It is our foremost problem for 100 years. Next time Dr. Paul "shoots off his mouth" open your ears and learn something. He is truly a national treasure.
I totally agree with you. But if you want to keep that check you better be against sending all our money over seas. That means two things:
1. End the Federal Reserve
2. End all these phony wars
No apathy here fellow freedom fighter. I am in politics, vote and have a voice I use every single day. But let me ditto, your apathy IS allowing it to happen. Thanks for backing me. This is a sick and twisted world. No wait it is pure evil.
Would this be the same Ron Paul who has had only one(1) bill passed in congress in over twenty(20) years? And that was a bill naming a Federal Building. Is this the same Ron Paul who votes against every earmark, but is among the most prolific earmark makers? Seems like the anti-establishment guy is pretty adept at using the establishment to get his way! He says "I've learned to play the game to get what I need". So what makes him any better than the rest of the thieves in congress?
SUGGESTIONS ARE SOUGHT FROM YOU
Our election board is interested in getting more people to vote in each election. We have offered mail in votes for absentees who qualify, early in office voting for up three weeks before the elections that provides some night time voting and some Saturday voting. If you have futher suggestions on getting more people to vote, please respond.
That is laughable and false. He can not help that everyone else votes wrong, anti american. He always votes by the way of the Constitution. If you do not appreciate that, move to North Korea. Yes he does vote against earmarks and takes them. The money is already alotted. He has NEVER made an earmark. He has always voted against them and all tax increases. He is better than all of the thieves in congress. If Ron Paul rescinds earmarks from his district that all the other crooks voted yes for, that money does not go back into the taxpayers pockets. He doesn't cut off his nose to spite his face.
Earmarks is an amateur, SHEEPLE, bottom rung debate. The money is absolute peanuts and those who buy into wasting their time with it should just stick their thumb in their mouth and curl up in fetal. It is a distraction issue to keep people from the real big issues like the fed. Good job falling into it and sorry try at knocking the great Ron Paul.
Your post contradicts itself by the way. You can't get only one bill passed as you claim and "learn to play the game to get what you need". Wow. Next.
Do yourself a favor, son, and pick up the Constitution.
Good luck voting obomney. YOU WILL GET WHAT YOU DESERVE !!!!
Remember the U.S.S. Liberty. June 8, 1967.
Wow! Now that is what is called a Ron Paul fanatic! But, still a waste of time on an isolationist nutcase. He's got it right on the fed, but the ride ends there. The only thing that frightens me is all the Paul fans might run him as a third party candidate giving the election to the left! Like the man says, hold your nose if you have to as you vote, but you choose who you want picking the next supreme court justices.
over 61 posts by the 4th of the month, looks like a new record to me.
Get somebody worth voting for is a good way to increase turnout
Well then our founding fathers are isolationist nutcases, also.
You can sign me up while you are at it.
Get it fixed, sheeple
SO I see O-D just hired 3 teachers I am guessing 3 teachers with benifits must be 200 K ok 200k left then we are broke the school year hasnt even started and look at them go. The next thing you know they will be paying to have the grass cut oh wait we all ready are but I did see the school mower mowing the baseball field in hamlet oops that was along time ago. Keep spending that money then a state takeover will occur that is even better than having the chance to vote NO!
It would be nice if WKVI would change this discussion board to make it thread based. That would make the transition from comment to comment smoother. Right now, one comment is political, and the next is about drugs, and the next might be about a community center. It makes it difficult to follow the discussions.
It is being reported that the Bilderbergs decided Mitch Daniels is to run with obomoney. Mario Rubio was also in attendence and is currently the 7/2 favorite, but Jim Tucker has reported otherwise. The Indianapolois Star reported that they contacted the Governors office and they confirmed he was part of a panel at the shadow government Bilderberg meeting.
It is in violation of the Logan Act to attend this meeting and arrests should be made.
The teachers that were "hired" by OD already worked there and were indirectly paid by OD already. OD paid into the JESSE program which paid the special ed teachers. Now, OD won't pay JESSE, they will pay the teachers directly. And, if my sources are correct, those teachers are taking a pay cut now as OD employees.
I am glad to hear the IU Starke Hospital is getting some good comments, nice to hear of good things coming from there not just the bad
So the Founding Fathers are isolationist nutcases, also.
Sign me up too.
Get it fixed
good then if we can more teachers to take a pay cut we can give a rebate to the taxpayers. But dont fret we know the school will squander all of the extra money away anyways maybe the state will cut their budget by 400,000 more then what we got our taxes raised for no reason!! think about it
it must be Mitch's fault we are so short on rain this spring, yep all Mitch's fault.
No silly Mitch doesn't control the weather. Why would he, he can't figure out a way to make money off of it. ahahahaahahah
Unions are dead. Long live free enterprise.
Who won the Movie Music Challenge prize?
any news on belorks court hearing today?
Any news on a new Knox football coach ? Any thoughts on a new North Judson football coach ?
I am glad to hear good news about IU Starke Hospital, not just the bad, I am sure the person that wrote they had great care at the hospital is not the only one, just the only one willing to say so.
It never ceases to amaze me how government can come up with new ways to milk people of their money, but they have so much difficulty coming up with a way to cut their spending habits. Such is a new method that states are trying to come up with by tracking the mileage on your car and taxing it appropriately.
According to USA Today “As the (national vehicle) fleet becomes more fuel efficient … we’re going to lose a lot of revenue from the gas tax. If it’s not replaced, we’re going to see our transportation infrastructure deteriorate,” says Joshua Schank, president of the non-partisan Eno Center for Transportation in Washington, D.C. He expects to see a state vehicle miles-traveled (VMT) tax within the next five to10 years.
The technology necessary to support VMT is a GPS transponder in every vehicle so the government knows exactly where the vehicle is located and if it is moving how fast and of course the number of miles traveled. Any privacy concerns here?
Rod : Its called a wheel tax . A few Counties in Indiana already have it . St Joe $25.00 per vehicle.
Yeah Rod that makes me sick. Sounds like the localism ( a part of communism). This would fall under the umbrella of United Nations agenda 21. They want us all bunched together and travel of any kind for the "elite".
Sicker yet, was the clip I caught on the local news a couple nights past. A homosexual incest pedophile has a pizza place. It was robbed and vandaled. The local business across the street was also standing up to this filth and the cops were called. The news crew interviewed the chomo and he claimed it was a hate crime. Puke. Argahhh. Hate crimes should have never been passed for anyone, but to infer there should be hate crime laws for pedophiles, makes me question reality. Time to lock n load if this ever came to a head.
Anti bully laws are pro homosexual. Where the hell are my rights as a parent who believes in the right, Jesus, procreation, marriage between a man and woman, virtures, all the great anglo saxon traditions that made this country and world. Time to lock n load, boys.
no it is not a wheel tax that is a flat rate tax this tax that rod is refering to would be an usage tax. It is another way to pilfer us
all 2015 new cars and trucks sold in usa by law now have to have a gps built in to track location miles and speed of car for future taxing and insurance cost, and where abouts tracking.
Don't Miss Your Life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AxQCdBT7mY
Does anyone know of any local organizations that could or would help a college graduate pay for the State Boards for the RN test?
I am sickend by what our county officals have done to our seniors. Recently the people who are in charge of running the "community center" did a very NASTY thing to our senior who live in this community. There is a non-profit group of older ladies/men who meet @ the community building every Monday and Tuesday of every week, there are between 30-45 members. They meet early in the morning so they don't cause any issues if the building is being used. Well they showed up for exercise the other day and were told to leave..Yup thats right they are being told they can no longer use this building for their exercise... They have been meeting there for 14 years! and because they are not giving the commuinty center cash they are getting booted out.
How sicking is this, these older people who enjoy this activity every week are now being told GET OUT! some of these people see this as their "social time" to meet other form friendships and this is what our "officals" do to them?
Anyone else see this being wrong? Was it not our tax dollars that paid to build this? And what were these ladies harming? This is awful, to think that we elect these people who are to be "in charge" of our community and all they are worried about is how they are going to get ahead of the game. Money Money Money its sad how much we do infact pay and we are labled the "poorest county"
check out www.kickstarter.com for help with funding
I need a raise. I wonder what governmental job I can apply for. Seems like with those you just take whatever money you feel like you deserve. I'm thinking that we need a little better checks and balances system with our tax money.
Let’s take a look at a few issues regarding the call for a recreation or fitness center that has been brought up.
First I do not believe that anyone that has posted on here realizes how much it actually costs to operate a fitness center. I currently run a fitness center and am a personal trainer. I have run both privately owned facilities and corporate facilities in my career and the fitness industry is an extremely hard one to be successful in. Fitness centers in high income areas are closing their doors every day because overhead is huge and Americans do not place a priority on their health.
On top of that the fact that there is no regulation on the fitness industry is a bad thing. This means that anyone can claim to be a fitness expert or personal trainer and start injuring, I mean training people, because they think they know what they are doing. This does two things, one it gives the industry a bad name and makes people shy away from gyms and personal training studios. Two it makes it impossible to get insurance companies to pay for gym fees and personal trainers.
Now that we know the problem that the fitness industry is in, let’s look at why a nice fitness center would not be successful in Starke County. The average gym memberships cost between $40 and $50 per month and often carry large initiation fees. The average income in Starke County is between $20,000 and $30,000 a year. This means that they would be paying roughly 2% of their monthly income to something that most people see as a luxury and do not place importance on. I truly believe that the residents of Starke County would not be willing to pay these prices. Unfortunately even at these prices it would require the fitness center to have 400 to 500 members to break even. I also do not believe that there are 500 people in Starke County that would commit to being a gym member. Is it sad that Starke County cannot support a proper fitness facility? Yes it is, but it is not as simple as someone just building it and thinking it would be successful. As much as everyone wants to say they would join a gym and improve their health they really wouldn’t. Most people get stuck in the precontemplation and contemplation stage of change and never move into the preparation or action stage. If you do not know what I am talking about please look up the stages of change model for clarification.
Ultimately it comes down to this; Starke County would not financially support a fitness center. Without financial support a quality fitness professional could not put his time and effort into the project. Without a quality fitness professional the quality of the facility would suffer and those willing to pay would become unhappy and quit. I hate to say it, but I believe that a fitness facility in Starke County would not last 2 years. I wish someone could prove me wrong and make it work because it is needed. Our only hope in Starke County is to build pride in school sports, get the kids involved, allow the local alumni who are personal trainers and strength coaches help set up programs for the school kids (I know of three willing, myself included) and hope that the importance of fitness sticks with them.
I got a little long winded on this one so I will address why the school facilities cannot be opened to public use in a future post.
Mr. Matt makes some excellent points in his post. A mindset change is needed in our community before we make a huge investment in something like a health center.
I would like to respond to a few comments.
"First I do not believe that anyone that has posted on here realizes how much it actually costs to operate a fitness center..."
Your first 2 paragraphs make me think that you think you are an expert and you think that there is only one way to be successful in the industry. I am an average person who knows a little about business and will tell you what I think.
"Now that we know the problem that the fitness industry is in, let’s look at why a nice fitness center would not be successful in Starke County..."
I agree a fitness center molded after a "gym" or personal training studio would not make it here like it would in a bigger city. I don't think either would make it one year. On the other hand I think one that involved the whole family would be very successful. Do you know how much parents spend on sports for one season for their kids? 3 months of practices and games that cost gas money, sign up fees, shoes, glove, bats, concession stand, etc. One season is easily $200 plus on average. What family would not love to play those sports indoors during the winter or just hang out at the pool. If you do not think people would be interested drive thru the park on a Saturday morn or by the soccer field any night of the week during the season. I cannot count the times we, as a family, wanted to get out and do something and would have loved to have a place like this close by instead of spending $120 at Red Robin and a movie. By you saying people in Starke County can't afford this because they only make $20,000-$30,000 a year blows my mind that you'd say that and put your name on it. It sounds to me that someone thinks they are better then others if they make more money and how do you know what kind of expenses people pay out every month? Maybe you should become a financial planner instead of a trainer. I kind of think of it as it might help people save some hard earned money by not having to drive out of town as much and spend there money in a different county because they don't have a lot to do here.
"Ultimately it comes down to this..."
I am sure local coaches would help at camps. No need for a quality fitness professional there telling someone what to do. People are smarter than you think they are and I'm sure they can walk around the track while their son shoots baskets and their daughter plays volleyball without someone telling them to bend at the knees. I know you have "gym" stuck in your head but a very small percentage of clients will lift weights and an even smaller amount will require a personal trainer. PE is supposed to teach kids the importance of exorcise. One way of getting kids involved in sports is having a place to practice and be on the same level of others that have some sort of facility to go to. Do you see what happens to Knox if a team from Chesterton comes plays us in a tourney? They have the Courts there and it shows. Since you say we are the poorest county I am sure you'd think something needs to change. The first thing that needs to change is stop thinking we can't do something because we make less money on average than people in other counties.
In the paragraph where I wrote "there money" I meant "their money"
I typed from my phone and also exorcise was supposed to be exercise.
I agree w/ the June13, 6:44am comment, & TOTALLY DISAGREE WITH TONY MATT. A family oriented rec.center would be very successful & self-reliant in Knox/Starke Co. I know many families who buy memberships to lifeplex because Knox has nothing. We go to lifeplex, the YMCA in Laporte & Winamac quite often as well. We also take our kids to the Courts in Chesterton 10+ times a year, & we are by no means wealthy(money wise, otherwise VERY richly blessed). The only reason we didn't frequent the Millenium was because there was nothing for "the whole family". What if we could tie it into the hospital, which they'd have a new Phys.Therapy Dept & other state-of-the-art medical facilities/advantages that would benifit Starke Co.? Why couldn't it also fall into the educational category & find some "dual-credit courses" that could be taught there? It is only limited by our own limits & beliefs in ourselves. So, thus, it would benifit those on both ends of the health spectrum. It could also have child mentoring programs for our troubled youth, & just fill so many needs that we have. I don't see "what can't be done", & harshly oppose this negetive thinking that has cursed Starke Co. for generations. This county is growing, rapidly, & more industry will be coming. The only problem I see is that none of our leaders have put a foot forward, or don't have the will to lead in this cause.
I do not want anyone to take my previous post wrong. I grew up in Knox and still live there today, I love Knox and Starke County and it does sadden me that it is among the poorest and unhealthiest counties in the state. Unfortunately these two things have been proven to go hand in hand. The two main contributors to this problem are access to recreational facilities and access to knowledge on how to live a healthy lifestyle. Once these two things are addressed the monumental task of getting the population to change their existing activity and eating habits start.
Since my expertise has been questioned I will outline my 10 year career. I studied Exercise Physiology at IUPUI and have been certified by the American Council on Exercise, the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America, and the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a Certified Personal Trainer. I worked for a corporate gym for 6 years and as a district manager successfully ran 9 gyms in Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Dayton, and Columbus. I currently run a small privately owned facility in Valparaiso. I may not be an expert but I understand the industry very well and definitely understand how to run the business side of a gym. What I would consider myself an expert on is exercise, sports performance, and behavioral change.
Yes a gym is different than a multi-sport recreational facility so let’s look at why. In a gym the focus is on membership sales and personal training sales to create income. A multi-sport facility has those two components and ads the benefit of being able to run sport leagues. This opens a whole new revenue stream, but also greatly increases overhead. To start up a facility like The Courts you are looking at roughly 2 million dollars. The monthly cost to run the facility, including payroll, insurance, marketing, landscaping/snow removal, legal fees, taxes, accounting fees, etc. would run roughly $50,000 a month without adding any loans acquired for land and building.
The courts is successful because it is located in Porter County which has a population of 164,343 people, per capita income of $27,922, median income of $60,889, and only 9.4% below the poverty level. They also pull business from LaPorte County, Lake County, and even Starke County.
I do not think I am better than anyone in Starke County, I am from Starke County. Unfortunately the facts are the facts; we have a population of 23,363, a per capita income of $17,991, a median income of $37,480, and 15.7% below the poverty level. This population could not support that kind of facility.
Instead of questioning why we do not have as nice of facilities as other counties let’s look at options that we could implement that are just as effective and cost much less. For starters I would suggest placing an outdoor fitness circuit along the walking paths in the county. The equipment for these circuits can be bought as a group, cost less than $10,000, and cost nothing to operate. The county could host health awareness fairs and bring in nutritionists and trainers to help teach people how to be active without formal facilities and expensive equipment. Finally, yes fitness professionals should be asked to come perform seminars at the school. The education to be a P.E. Teacher/Coach and Strength Coach/Trainer is pretty significant.
We became fitness professionals because we want to help people and that is what we are here for. I just want everyone to realize that we do not have the facilities of other counties because it is not realistic. We should strive to become healthier, so let’s take the smaller steps first. Then as the atmosphere in Starke County shifts maybe the population would be capable of supporting a large facility.
Finally, I put my real name on posts because it is easy to shoot off at the mouth in an anonymous forum. I however know what I am talking about, have done the research and have the experience to back up my statements, and want to convey how passionate I am about this subject. The subject of change has come up several times on this comment board and nothing will ever change until people are confident enough in themselves to claim their comments and act on them, otherwise it is just a bunch of empty talk.
Instead of comparing Starke County to the Valpo area, compare us to similar communities. Pulaski County , by way of example, has a YMCA that runs successfully. Other smaller , rural areas of Indiana also have family recreation centers.
How do they stay successful? By offering a variety of programs.... fitness is just ONE. A swimming pool, tutoring, fitness, senior enrichment, child care are all OPTIONS that could be included in a family community center.
It can be done.
Exactly right June 13 7:51pm! I do not think this guy can get "gym" or "personal trainer" out of his mind. I would rather not see some know it all walking around trying to tell me how to lift weights. A lot of people claim to be experts in their field and the real ones that are wouldn't have to tell everyone several times on a blog. You are WAY off on the cost. I know someone who completed a business plan for this idea and it would cost half what you say to build and pay for a nice place. You aren't in Indy anymore. Why use Porter for the argument? We are in Starke. You are talking about a county that has a ton more to do than here. Walking trails with circuits, really? How practical would that be for a family that wanted to spend a couple hours shooting some baskets on Christmas break. Seminars? There are anti drug seminars all year and drug use is at an all time high amongst young people. People don't need told how to exercise they need a place to do it and have fun. No offense, but how do you know what is or is not realistic? Did you plug some numbers in on corporates $30,000 gym software and it tell you it wouldn't work. Wow, I guess everyone should listen to you cause you said you know what you're talking about.
I agree with Mr. Matt. If you look at earlier posts he appears to be responding to the comments that asked why no one has built a facility here and that a facility would be easy to put up and make money off of. People were claiming that they had business plans for facilities and in a "unregulated industry" it's a great idea. All Mr. Matt has done is pointed out why no one has done this. I would venture to say he has looked into doing this himself and realized that it is not pheasable.
Let's face it, there are good parents that get involved, good parents that can't be involved because they work multiple jobs to put food on the table, and bad parents that could care less. Unfortunately we as good parents are the minority in this county. We are making steps in the right direction, soccer is growing, baseball, and football programs are also growing. Why is this, because a few parents got involved and made it happen. Let's keep making these steps and I challenge other parents to step up and get more involved instead of just bitching on a message board that there is nothing for our kids to do. Everyone is waiting for someone else to fix their kids and create opportunitys for their kids. Simple fix to the problem, more of us need to get involved, Mr. Matt seems to be willing to, he mentioned a willingness to go into the schools and help the kids understand how to be active. Yet someone had the nerve to attack him for this basically saying we don't need so called experts telling our kids what to do. That is the real problem, when caring successful people want to get involved we as parents get all defensive and say who the h**** are you to tell us what to do. This is why no one that is in the position to help is willing to help in this community.
Bottom line, good parents are going to find a way to get their kids involved, bad parents are going to bitch that there is nothing to do. We do have many activities in Starke County for families and youth, there are sports, scouting, 4 H, bands, kids club, and choirs to name a small few, so stop bitching about what we don't have and get involved in what we do have because as a parent that is involved I can tell you none of them are overflowing with kids and parents willing to help.
YMCA is a non for profit organization, this means it can run on donations. Most YMCAs in small communities do not survive on the money made off of membership and youth programs, they have to hold fundraisers and get help from other organizations to make ends meet. To make this happen in Starke County some major fundraising would have to happen.
Similar projects have been attempted in the past and failed due to lack of community involvement, the boys and girls club is the most recent that comes to mind. Businesses that have attempted to give recreation to the area and have failed include a gymnastic studio, gym, arcade, movie theater, roller skating rink, and miniature golf course. I am sure there are more that I am forgetting. Mr. Matt is right, there needs to be an attitude and behavior change before we can support a recreational facility. So let's start small, I love the idea of placing fitness circuits along the walking path.
Tony Matt-Very good points! Don't listen to the complainers on here, they complain about everything and want the government and others to take care of them. Luckily not everyone thinks like the people on this discussion board.
I think Mr Matt would agree, you have to have a larger population base for certain businesses to operate successfully. Health clubs, gyms, YMCA's, etc., need this larger population to draw from or it is not financially feasable. People are going to pay to use these facilities or not, and in some instances, you can't give it away! But you need to locate within a larger population.
if the property tax on the mellinium sky rocketed like mine has downtown, that might be part of the reasoning behind closing. my downtown property tax has went up over 100% in just a few yrs.
Bottom line, things cost money, the county has no money!! So unless you are willing to put up your own money to make a change quit complaining because you are only adding to the problem!!
What is "The Starke County PETA BOA Board"?
Wow, there are an awful lot of people awake from 2am-4am supporting Mr. Matt. They type in paragraphs and same style as him. I wish this site showed ip addresses so we could see if the messages came from the same computer. One of his posts were correct saying there are plenty other clubs/activities to get envolved with. Wouldn't it be nice of they worked with a facility where they could have meetings, go swimming, play basketball, etc. here close to home? People have to change their mindset. Walking trails with circuits, how does that appeal to a whole family? A roller skating rink or arcade isn't something you do every day. A place where you could go 4 days a week and do something different every time, that is somewhere my family will be. Is it going to happen anytime soon? Probably not, but I hope someone has the guts to try it!
If you mean a normal health club and gym, then yes you need a larger population. If you are talking multi sports complex that offers something for the whole family, then no. Some of tge best are in small towns.
What about my comment on 3 new police cars? Why was that ommitted from the news so quickly? How can we afford 3 new cop cars....or trucks...when we are struggling with the idea of building a new jail? It just boggles my mind that we finance an over-size police force, buy a new arsenal of automatic weapons, making arrngements to build a new jail, but can't fathom the idea of doing something positive like a family rec.center. How can we say that we can't afford anything that will give positive results, yet we are forced, or coerced to finance all the law enforcement desires? To me, that's the same thinking this county has always had, and doesn't look to be changing anytime in the future.
You must have voted for Obama and you do not think people should have an opinion. Stay on welfare, hang out at home all day watching directv and play on your iphone all day while taking a couple of breaks to get cigs and go to your Dr. appt and then go to Walgreens to pick up meds then you are rich for a few days! Get a place at Oak Estates then you only have to pay $20 rent. Who are they hurting, let's just keep it how it has been for yours since you don't want anyone adding to the problem.
I've been tossing around the idea of starting a running program/club at my house. I have access to 140 acres of trails. I do belong to the Calumet Region Striders but do not expect everyone to join, I just want to offer a place to run/jog/walk. I will be running on Friday nights starting June 22nd and on Tuesday mornings starting June 26th. I volunteer coach cross country for the Striders and we have a great youth program where we take kids ages 6 to 18 to Nationals every year. If you want more infor or just need someone to run with to keep you motivated just let me know.
Gee, sounds like we have a lot of families that want to exercise. Well, it summertime, go to the park for crying out loud. The government will not nor can not build a rec center so just get over it. It will only be done by a private group. Instead of writing about it, someone should just start one. I'm sure you'll make a bundle of money at it.
I'm thinking about opening a new business in a town that has lots of fat and lazy people. Do you think that I would make more money with White Castle Hamburgers or a health club?
White castle would be cheaper but in the long run a family rec center would make more money and I think it would be more rewarding. Both would succeed though.
I do not think the people posting are expecting the government to build one. The argument has been the whole time would one work in this town. Again, I do not know if you are the same person or not that gets mad cause people want something more family friendly but besides baseball once a week what programs are at the park? Here are a few options, which would be better for me while I get a nice walk in?
A) Drop kid off for some bball with the 20 yr olds that have 14 yr old girls on the bleachers smoking cigs?
B) Take him to the skate park and let him hang with a bunch of emo boys wearing make up and already hate their parents. I mean no supervision, 30 kids and a 10' ramp, why wouldn't that be safe?
C) Just let him hang out at the rapids to work off some energy swimming?
PTABOA Board (not PETA BOA) is the Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals.
I had to ask what it stood for because it is only referred to as P.T.A.B.O.A. on all of the documents on the county web site that relate to who the members are and such.
i have been living in starke county for 8 years and i am ready to move!i have never been treated so badly by a "COMMUNITY" (and i use the term loosely!)if your not from here people just stare at you like you just crashed a party.maybe thats why starke county is the most unhealthy because of everyones bad attitude!and i live on a street with several children my kids age and none of the parents care to come outside or even wave hello!i dont come from a great city but at least people were nice.for everyone here being on wellfare starke county sure has an upity feal to it!
In response to Anonymous on June 15, 2012 4:10 AM.
A better solution would be to take you child with you on your “nice walk” and enjoy the time you two are spending together rather than drop your child off for someone else to look after.
Note to the investor: Unless you invent an exercise machine that looks and feels like a Lazyboy recliner, I would open up a White Castle. Eating doesn't take much effort, but physical exercise does. Those people wouldn't work out even if it was free. Let me know if you need a co-investor, cause I think we can sell lots of sliders, with cheese and fries, to that customer base.
As I read through all the comments on here I realize that everyone is an expert and nobody is taking action, including me. I wrote my original comment because everyone was talking like this would be a simple task for someone accomplish. Apparently several people even have business plans drawn up.
I am also tired of the negative attitude in Starke County and want things to change. This is why I have decided to research every possible way to create a recreational facility in Starke County. I have started research to see if any communities comparable to ours have made this successful and am in the process of searching through grants to see what is out there.
I also researched what it takes to open a YMCA. The procedures are out lined in their web pages;
http://www.ymca.net/start-new-y/
http://www.ymca.net/start-new-y/start-a-y-form.pdf
Those of you who are really adamant about this happening I urge you to contact me. We can then form a committee, do the research together and see if it is possible.
Once again I was never against this happening, I just question the reality of it. That being said I am willing to put the work and effort into seeing if it is. Hopefully those of you who truly feel it is possible will put your money where your mouth is and step up and help me. If it is possible let’s find a way, if it isn't we can say we tried, but arguing on a message board will never change the community.
I am willing to help change the community, are you?
Tony Matt
(I tried posting this once with my email attached and it did not get placed on the site. So I am trying again without my email in case that is what caused it. The easiest way to contact me would be to find me on facebook and send me a message.)
Thank you for helping me decide something fun to do this week. Got any ideas for the other 6 days this week?
Money. Without it, there is no way of having a place to workout. I have had a business plan for a health club for a few years. I have the experience of exercise science degree, NASM PT, worked for the largest health club in the state top personal training studio and GM of large health cl b(second largest chain in the country). Experience and know how is great. No money is not.
I agree with much of what tony matt has said, except for a glaring falsehood. REGULATION: there is absolutely no need for it in the health and fitness industry. I am the expert, not the government.
If someone has a lot of money and risk, do it private. Otherwise do not waste your time
Nothing worthwhile is EVER easy. I've only been supporting the idea of a rec.center because I do believe that we, as a community, came together, figured out the logistics, of a location, a design, applying for grants, locating sponsers, integrate it with a health care facility & educational purposes, & with enough people believing & striving for the same worthwhile goal, that it could be done. I've always believed "where's there's a will, there's a way". I still have faith that someday we WILL accomplish this mission, and you doubters can find something else to be pessimistic about. The seeds are being planted, so...in God's time, we will have something that will richly bless this community. I see so many great things, & blessings about to be poured out on Starke Co., as i see wonderful people everywhere I go. I know there's so many doubters & degraders of our home, but if you've lived here as long as I have, then you might understand how far this community really has come, and then you might understand why many of us have the faith of "what's next?". So thankful for all those that work so hard to make this a great place to raise my children, and I'm certain, that if we continue in faith, living the right way, and making the right choices, it'll continue to prosper and grow. So let's have faith in our leaders, build them up, show them trust, and pray for them, for none of us are immune to attacks by the enemy, but with faith, trust, and prayer, we will lift each other up through God's strength, & we WILL prevail & prosper. So please...don't ask "where will the money come from?"...but instead...trust God that He will provide. For that IS the biggest problem in America today. We count on all levels of Gov't to be our "provider". Without the proper faith, of course we will be doubters, but with it, we can accomplish ALL things. Happy Father's Day!
Bravo Tony Matt!!!! Not just on the concept of investigating an exercise center, but also on your general observations regarding the attitudes and behaviors of the people on this list.
Okay, now there's an article on how the county is going to allow 20 people to learn how to be better volunteers for the county. It will only cost each of them $300. Oh, and it can't be anyone with a regular job, because the classes are all day Friday once a month. No wonder the comments are closed on the article itself.
There are zero grants for gym/health club/rec center.
You want no ties with health care. This is a crucial point.
I do not Facebbok and I also Tony Matt, have committed the current folly of no home phone, only cell. How do I get a hold of you, now?
We can get all our money from a couple farmers donations. A tax write off. Health club instead of irrigation systems.
In response to June 15,7:54 I don't know about the street you live on, but I can understand why your neighbors don't want to talk to you. You sound like a very self righteous person. The statement about everybody being on welfare is wrong! I have several friends who have moved here and they love it, and are loved by many. If where you came from is so much better, why do stay here with us "uppity" people? Please, feel free to move back there.
wow, if 1/10 of the people here who wants a health club supported the millenium maybe the would still be open. if you have the money to start one, good luck, if you want a public one, which anything government ran costs 2x as much, put it to the voters to raise the taxes for it. get in line tho, first the knox school building project, then the jail.
A public referendum to raise income or property taxes to build a community recreational center would lose by at least 80% against / 20% for. To put all of the discussion on this blog regarding a rec center in context, if you had 100 different people submit a post to the WKVI blog, and every single one of them was strongly in favor of a rec center, that would constitute less than 0.5% (less than one-half of one percent) of the population of Starke County.
Why don't you put a rec-center/health club in the Community Center as it is not always occupied?
I would like to thank Starke Co. Enviromental for Saturday's recycling day. I didn't have to get out of my truck and they unloaded all my old paint! I wish it would be cost effective to have it two times a year!!
CONGRATS TO ANITA FOR GETTING US THE FAST SCOOP ABOUT TONY STEWART! I CHECKED ON ANOTHER BIGGER STATION TODAY AND THEY HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS GOING ON ABOUT HIM COMING BACK!! GREAT JOB ANITA!!!
When is the American Cancer Society going to remove their purple ribbons from the fairgrounds? Relay for Life has been over for 10 days. It is starting to make the fairgrounds look unkempt.
Maybe we can play nerf basketbal and put a kiddie pool in there.
since when did library cards expire.
Thanks Ed Hasnerl & WKVI for another WONDERFUL bus tour! This wasn't a trip for sissies - but we certainly saw and learned about and enjoyed many sites. I'll bet we did some things that very few groups get to do. Thank you!
If you don't use a library card after 3 years they expire.
On a recent episode of his Fox News show, Sean Hannity declared:
"Tonight... we shine the spotlight on an executive order that the White House was hoping that you would never learn about. Now, the President signed the National Defense Resources Preparedness [NDRP] executive order late Friday afternoon. And since that time, now the measure has been virtually ignored by the mainstream media. Now, the order essentially gives the president of the United States absolute power over any and all American resources during both times of peace and national crisis. Now, this includes, but it's not limited to food and livestock, water, plants, energy, health resources, transportation and construction materials and gives the government the ability to, quote, ‘control the general distribution of any material, including applicable services in this civilian market.'"
Hannity then went on to discuss how "this would give the President of the United States the authority to declare basically Martial Law during times of peace. And to be sure, this is simply the latest string of actions taken by the administration that ignore the basic principles of our constitution."
This is just one of 126 executive orders Obama has signed in 40 months.
People...QUIT JUMPING THE GUN. 1st of all, I have faith that when we do build a Comm.Rec.Center...it will NOT be funded by any taxpayer $. Lifeplex is not taxfunded. No, we don't need something that extravagant, but it will suit our needs & be a great benefit. I just wonder, would all these people bashing the idea step up & help if the opportunity arose? Don't worry, I doubt many of you have ever givin much effort in helping in any great causes around Starke Co. anyway, so, go back to your lives, quit belittling a dream that many of us have, & those willing to work for goals to help others will get it done. So, when it does finally come to fruition, you can come in & knit-pick at how you would've built it...otherwise...DROP IT.
I am really grateful for Dave pearman stepping up to serve Starke Co. I don't believe many of you are aware of how intelligent, hard-working & selfless he is, & if he states that this assessment of the hospital is necessary, & in the best interest of the residents, then, by all means, you have our approval dave. Thanks for your hard work.
Good post...I thought of that same thing. I am sure the people saying it wouldn't work will ne the ones that go there and complain the towels aren't long enough or the pool is too cold. Some people complain about everything.
In response to JUNE 20, 2012 10:35 AM
Don't expect the facts from Fox news. You probably believe what is posted on this discussion board.
Obama will make sure that he doesn't lose the election.....even if it means "delaying" the election through Martial Law. Do you NOT think that he desires "just enough" of a catastrophe, or market crash, that would enable him to declare Martial Law? What do you think will happen if Europe crashes? You would be VERY SURPRISED to know George Soros role in Europe...yep, same guy who is primary backer of Obama. The groundwork has already been laid with the UN to make a "financial conglomeration"...to "help us through these rough financial times". The camps have already been built for those who lose their jobs & homes....& those who riot in the streets. Seriously people, if you ignore the facts, then you are "ignorant". These are ALL facts. What happens when the markets absolutely crash, food & fuel are rationed, majority of jobs lost, Soc.Sec, Medicaid/care crashes? It can happen...AND DID 80 yrs ago. But... then something tells me, there will be major war in Middle East, US will NOT aid Isreal...well, the rest is told in Revelations. By no means am I saying "end times" stuff...but I AM saying Obama HAS laid the groundwork for Supreme Power.
I read this today and thought it was good enough to share....think it could apply to quite a few adults as well as teens. Northland College (NZ) principal John Tapene has offered the following words from a judge who regularly deals with youth..."Always we hear the cry from teenagers "What can we do, where can we go?"...My answer is, "Go home, mow the lawn, wash the windows, learn to cook, build a raft, get a job, visit the sick, study your lessons, and after you've finished, read a book. Your town does not owe you recreational facilities and your parents do not owe you fun. The world does not owe you a living, you owe the world something. You owe it your time, energy and talent so that no one will be at war, in poverty or sick and lonely again." In other words, grow up, stop being a cry baby, get out of your dream world and develop a backbone, not a wishbone. Start behaving like a responsible person. You are important and you are needed. It's too late to sit around and wait for somebody to do something someday. Someday is now and that somebody is you!!!
To June 22,2012,11:52am.That was an awesome piece you posted!!! I agree with it 100%!!!
Instead of Obama declaring martial law he could start a war and say some country has weapons of mass destruction. that sound better than your idea.
And because we are at war we will have to re-elect him even though he is not very well spoken say like
GW of Sarah.
Anyway this war can lead us to the Revelation.
Where are those camps located at I want to check it out on Google Earth so I can get a good spot picked out.
To post 6/22/12 11:52am,I totally agree with you!What is happening is something not to be made light of.When Obama made President I thought this could be good for our country,we did need a change!!But now I'm wondering if his four years in office is just the groundwork he's laying for a Big Change that the Americans will suffer for.All I can say is God Bless America!
You read it hear folks.OBAMA! OBAMA! Sound the alarm the worlds coming to to am end! call out the National Guard.
Get off the drugs guys, you sound pretty foolish.
Dear June 22, 2012 8:41 AM,
If these are all "Facts" please site your sources. You call us all ignorant, yet you are spewing information that can only be found on conspiracy theorist blog sites. Next time you want to rant and claim something is factual please use something other than Google to come up with your information.
Something fun to do in Starke County, well when I was young I looked for eggs in the barn, the rotten one were fun to throw at the barn,made a pop sound. Pulled certain weeds for a penny a piece, made lots of money for the fair that way. Pulled weeds and certain leaves from tree for the animals they loved them. Take walks in the woods with dogs, look for relics from time gone by in fields. Went swiming in a farm pond or skating. Ride your bike for something to do. Explore other woods nearby. I could spend a whole day visiting all the farm women on the block. I thought they needed attention, but the cookies they gave me to get rid of me helped make it enjoyable. I never ran out of things to occupy my time. We were not allowed to watch tv on good weather days, no computer, ipod's video games. We made our fun, seriously it still could be done now days too. just look for it.
To: June 25, 2012 6:35 AM
I too played outside from dawn to dusk in my childhood. We built forts in the woods, took bikes down dirt trails, and made dams with rocks in the creek. Our parents called us home as the sun went down. Back then we did not worry about a pedophile pulling us into a car, running across portable meth labs in the woods or digging up toxic trash in the ditch. Unfortunately times have changed and the days of kids entertaining themselves without some level of adult supervision are gone.
Amen!....I wish it were like that again but it never will be.
But those times do not have to be over, just the parents have to work with the kids to do those simple things. Last I checked all of Starke Co towns have parks.
Would be nice for a place for kids to go but if not make a place. Go camping in the back yard,
The time for children to play and have fun is NOT over. What seems to be over is the williness of the parents to be the parent. The TV , computor , ipod and game boy have become the parents of most children. Some parents are perfectly content to allow the children to set and watch tv or play games of which are mostly violent all day and night.
There are many safe places for the children to play. Our children played both football and baseball on a large lot next to a neighbors house. The kids made a deal with the lot owner let us play ball and they could watch for free or maybe a glass of lemonade.
The kids of today have lost the ability to find a why to intertain themselves. If they can turn it on and set and watch its not to hard .
As far as the streets being unsafe here in our county show us the facts. There are things in the woods that would hurt you for ever . Our kids would come home from a day at the ditch with leaches on then . No big deal pull them of put some medican on them and they were good to go.
Lets quit making excusses for our kids not playing outside and encurage then or better yet take them out and have fun with them.
Theres still a very large world out there to explore and who better to do it the a kid.
Yes there are parks in Starke County. They offer limited resources. Yes,there are parks and in addition to an equipped community center would be a well rounded activity/ exercise option.
Kids could have opportunities if parents would set a good example. Going to work everyday would be a great start. How many agree? If Parents would get off welfare and disability Kids observing parents trying could be the right motivation to succeed. Parents don't sit idle on their big FAT... YOU FIGURE IT OUT,The Parents doing it know who you are. Our Country WAS NOT MADE INTO THE GREATEST NATION BY FOLKS THAT DON'T PRODUCE.A lot of posters need to consider this . You know who you are so put up or shut up.Don't ask for free recreation centers when you don't work but preach Tea Party and Ron Paul. Go to work Earn your Pay Support Your Family and Don't Support Right To Work. Support a Living Wage. Coach.
So many people are narrow minded and cannot handle the idea of having something to do that is different than what has been available here for the last 30 years. People also think they know everything and put their 2 cents in coming up with something they can do outside. We do not live in Southern California and how many good days are there in the midwest? Also, they ideas you are giving are fine for kids to do but not everyone has the luxury of having a large lot or neighbor kids around them. The right place that has a nice environment and has activities that people of all ages can participate would be great. I do not know if it would make it though because everyone these days wants something for free. If Obama passed a law making it free people probably still wouldn't go cause they'd hate to let their Doctor know they are just faking and would rather sit home and watch tv all day.
The farmer's irrigation systems are making a HUGE impact on water levels. We UNDOUBTABLE need legislation on how often these 12 inch wells...YES, ONE FOOT DIAMETER WELLS, PUMPING 100,000 GALLONNS A MINUTE. Yes, we need rain desparately, but the irrigation pumps are contributing just as much, or more, to the ponds drying up, & shallow wells in the proximities drying up as well.
Ron Paul is the only answer.
Right to work is the only good thing Mitch did.
I want a private health club.
A living wage is a communist ideal.
Get it fixed
Just heard President Obama on the radio talking about insurance and saying that everyone who can afford it should be required to purchase their own health insurance. How about the members of Congress be the first ones to step up and say "We'll do just that!"? Think that's ever going to happen? Me either.
I have two children ages 4 and 10. They have all the amendities they could ever want. Ipod, computer ds, wii everything. They will chose to go outside and ride there bikes over any of the listed above. Not all parents let the child raise themselves some parents do like being involved. It teaches them right from wrong. If we as parents do not teach them when they go away to college hoping that is the path they choose then they will not have any idea what is their priority are. If you do not have the time or money to have children you should reconsider them before hand. I know things happen people loose there jobs but kids should always be the priority. I would not mind seeing something come in for the kids to do but there are always the unsupervised ones that ruin it for others. We as a community dont have the money for that right now.
Yeah when I was a kid we made our own fun too. Like kicking over the neighborhood garbage cans. Throwing eggs and firecrackers at stuff, vandelism and don't get me started about spray paint. Good times, Good times.
I used to make my own fun when I was a kid. I was a prank phone call fanatic. Caller ID has taken away my fun.
I would rather build these kids a rec center than have all these flamin' bags of doggie you know what on my door step. Hooligans
I am one of those responsible adults that think a supervised rec center is a horrible idea! I mean when I was 13 and in school 3:30-5:30 was the best 2 hours of the day while waiting on my parents to get home from work. I would just grab a gun out of the safe and the spare key to the old truck outside and find all kinds of stuff to do! I would drive into town and jump those railroad tracks down by Parkview, if I had a good start I could get up to 60mph and get some good air! On the way home I would drive out by Round Lake and do some deer hunting with my dads .22 and still have time to have my girlfriend sneak over for a few minutes, that is all I needed back then. Other really fun things I could do back then is blow up mailboxes, shoot cows with paint guns, jump off train bridge, fill up super soaker with pee and shoot people around town, take my Dad's pain pills he got from the Dentist, get the neighbors car towed when they weren't home, call in bomb threats and then drive to the school and see everyone run out. See, kids know how to have fun on their own. Just leave them alone or you're going to ruin it for all the kids today.
"By giving us the opinions of the uneducated, journalism keeps us in touch with the ignorance of the community" Oscar Wilde
Has anyone heard when the power might come back on? Just wondering if I should fire up the grill and cook the steaks and chicken that are thawing in my freezer?
Cook them steaks, fry that chicken..........we'll all be right over!!
You people saying buy a swing set, bike, and entertain your own kids are forgetting it isn't safe to send your kids outside to ride their bikes with drunks, meth heads, and predators out there and I don't remember my parents going with me outside ALL DAY. IF Starke County had a YMCA or similar maybe the teens wouldn't be at the parks smoking pot and getting pregnant in the woods. Maybe our SMALL children could actually ENJOY the park without cigarette smoke, foul language, and make out sessions! There is NOTHING for the kids to do, NOTHING so they eat, drink, smoke, and screw. Keep doing what you're doing keep getting what you're getting. I moved my family to Indianapolis suburbs to get away from the nonsense that is Starke County!
This is one of the better posts I've read on here. Go to the city park and see what the kids do when they hang out. Now go to the Kroc Center in South Bend. At the city park you can smoke, drink, pick on kids, pick up herpes....if you say one cuss word at Kroc Center you are done. The have a pool and supervision at an awesone place. No wonder their memberships have doubled their expectations in the first year.
One of the main issues I see in Starke Co. is, that everyone mainly cares...only for their own kids...which many can't even manage that. I care about all the kids, & all the residents of our community. I believe, that by looking at what we don't have, there is potential then to establish that, whether it be a certain business..or a Family Rec.Center. I recall, when I was a teenager, all there was to do was cruise town, hangout in a pool hall, swim in the river, or drink on the country roads. I also do not feel safe with my kids unsupervised in the park. My 14yo son told me yesterday that a bunch of kids were smoking pot at the skate park, & while playing basketball, all the older kids smoke, make out, cuss every other word, & some even drink. Is that the best we have to offer for the kids? Now I know we have enough prominent, successful, caring businesses & people that should see that it's time to step up, think of the future, & be willing to contribute to something that will positively impact residents of all ages. Obviously Starke Co. does not have our own "Braun" resident, or it would be here, or in the process. But, just like most the comments here, "entertain your own kids", it's evident people just don't care about others. I'm really hoping this changes, & I'd be the 1st to step up & join a volunteer committee to start laying the groundwork, for I just don't think people realize how a Family Rec.Center would impact & improve Starke Co.
Lol...funniest pos I've ever read on here! The thing is I think most of the stuff he was talking about is true. I would even guess he graduated around 1993.
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