Lugar relates local efforts to global energy issues

Saturday, June 4, 2011
Learning of Cloverdale Community Schools' efforts at energy savings, Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), speaks to CHS Assistant Principal Brent Sailor and high school junior Dani Ellebrecht following Friday's Putnam RISE School Challenge awards program.

For most households and businesses, saving energy is a simple matter. Less energy usage means smaller bills.

For Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), who visited Greencastle Friday, it's a much bigger issue. However, the savings is the key to getting people on board.

"Americans may not want to get into the theology of climate change or CO2, but they are interested in saving money," Lugar said. "People understand saving money."

Joining nearly 1,400 Putnam County households, Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), signs the Putnam RISE household energy challenge.

The senator was in town to help honor the Putnam County schools for the Putnam RISE School Challenge. Three school corporations were honored Friday for their energy saving efforts during the two-month challenge this spring.

Cloverdale Comm-unity Schools won the challenge, cutting energy bills by 20 percent, or $12,731, during March and April. North Putnam was second in the challenge.

"We saved $12,000, roughly, in a two-month period, which cut costs at the high school alone by about 30 percent in the months of April and May," CHS assistant principal and energy coordinator Brent Sailor said. "In doing the math and conserving, we're hoping to sustain that and over a year save quite a bit of money. In the same process, just continue the same efforts we started with the electricity and the lights."

Greencastle Schools, which started an energy savings program five years ago, won the savings per square foot challenge, at $.14 per square foot. Cloverdale was second in this competition.

"It's the people making the effort," Greencastle coordinator Mike Schimpf said. "People have decided, 'I'm done for the day, I'm going to shut my computer off.' You think -- a couple pennies. Well, there are over 1,000 computers in the Greencastle School District. That's a lot of pennies."

Lugar expressed his admiration for the students and their efforts, calling energy savings "our challenge as patriots who value our country and way of life."

The senator related how energy dependence affects our security and how competition among nations for energy sources only complicates the matter.

"Americans have been unable to work this out in a way that's brought us greater security and independence."

He said the key lies in grassroots efforts such as Putnam RISE, people deciding they would just like to save a little bit of money in their homes, businesses and schools.

Lugar also noted the difference the students are making and the promise this holds for the future. This view is shared by local leaders.

"The credit goes to the students and the teachers to reinforce that," North Putnam coordinator Kristy Hankins said. She added it was the students' responsibility at Bainbridge Elementary School to make sure lights were turned off upon leaving a room.

"I just continue to be inspired by the efforts of students and young people who continue to respond and exceed expectations every time," said Steve Setchell, who is spearheading the Putnam RISE effort. "You can think about the future of your community and be encouraged and enthusiastic."

Setchell said the community can also be proud of its continuing sustainability efforts and how much they fall in line with Sen. Lugar's goals for the country.

"This is one of the meaningful moments of connection between what we're doing in the community and the most important issues that we're facing in the world. It's certainly an honor to have the recognition of Sen. Lugar, who came to make those connections and to recognize how our efforts match up with his aspirations for an energy efficient community, state and nation," Setchell said.

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  • Lugar voted to END MEDICARE! SO DID PENCE AND COATS! Only 4 repubs voted with the democrats against ending medicare and they weren't from Indiana. And for those who don't know the Rand issue is to end medicare to replace it with a voucher to give to buy their own coverage, and that means no nursing home if they need it. It would also end the free coverage of preventive care that the seniors are getting now.

    -- Posted by BTruth1958 on Sat, Jun 4, 2011, at 10:13 AM
  • This article is about what students and local schools have accomplished on saving energy in our county, NOT about medicare. Let them have their moment for all their hard work and their rewards.

    -- Posted by clovermom on Sat, Jun 4, 2011, at 11:57 AM
  • Big deal. The Medicare system is broken and bankrupt. When I'm paying into something I'll NEVER see a dime of by the time I reach the age to need it, its definitely time for it to go.

    All you chicken littles out there think they'll just end Medicare and thats it, all the old folks will be left hanging. Please, get real. Something else will take its place. Hopefully a more workable system.

    -- Posted by stranded67 on Sun, Jun 5, 2011, at 1:20 AM
  • Remember your comments when you go to put grandma and grandpa into the nursing home and you have to pay for it since they won't have any coverage they will have to stay home with you and you will have to change their diapers, dirty beds and god who knows what else. I hate to be so truthful but we are a throw away society and that is the reason nursing homes are full. Medicare isn't broken, its been taken advantage of by over charging on the doctors parts. And there will be no "more workable system" thought of without you paying for it thanks to the repubs.

    -- Posted by BTruth1958 on Tue, Jun 7, 2011, at 11:35 PM
  • I will agree with clovermom. Let the kids and the schools get credit for their hard work. If you have a issue with your state government then mail them directly. I was their at the speech, it was not about Lugar it was about this county and all that each school and thekids are doing for the next generation by conserving energy. I will congratulate all the schools the Mayor and the kids for what they are doing!!!!!

    -- Posted by motherthatwantswhatbest on Thu, Jun 9, 2011, at 11:21 AM
  • BTruth1958, you really think doctors have just been willy nilly charging whatever they want for all these years, which has led us to the situation we currently face??? Come on now, get serious.

    Medicare IS broken. It decides what doctors HAVE TO CHARGE for a given procedure, set of crutches, or whatever. The doctor/hospital cannot charge less than the medicare allowable amount. The doctor didn't decide that the walking boot a patient needs will cost $135, even though it only cost the hospital $15. Medicare (and therefore your fabulous government) decided it should cost NINE times the retail price. And this goes on with all kinds of items and services, its wasteful and ridiculous. But its also good politics to keep it a mess, so the next snake-oil salesman politician can grandstand about how THEY'LL fix it.

    So yet again, its ACTUALLY your grand federal government taking advantage of the Medicare system, and thereby taking advantage of YOU.

    Now, getting billed by every yahoo who walks into your hospital room...thats a different story...

    -- Posted by stranded67 on Sun, Jun 12, 2011, at 1:13 AM
  • To say that if you want to save money on energy you should just use less of it is ludicrous at best. This is the Democrat, "Let them eat Cake" mentality. I work taking care of Seniors in their homes. I already drive an energy efficient car, but I drive 100 to 200 miles every day. I can not bring them to me! I can not just drive a few less miles. If I go one less mile each day someone does not get taken care of.

    Lugar is an old time politician who has been taken in by the global warming hoax, and has done nothing to help Hoosiers with the Federal Mandate that is going to raise electric prices 30% over the next year by shutting down Electric Power Plants. The people who can least afford it, Single parents with Children, who are killing themselves just to put food on the table are going to be the hardest hit. How do you tell a woman not to heat the house with their children in it? Lugar is a Typical East Cost Democrat who thinks everyone has millions like him and can spend money they don't have to add insulation to whatever old home they can afford. If he were really a Conservative, who cared about the people of Indiana, he would find a way to keep the Indiana Coal plants producing till there is a viable alternative. Instead he champions the Democrat cause and destroys the economy of the state he is supposed to represent. I can only hope the Republicans have the guts to put him out of office for a true Conservative who will fight to save our state.

    We must try our best to get Liberals like Lugar out of office, and get true thinkers in office who can remove ridiculous regulations, and fire up the economy.

    -- Posted by psy4s on Sun, Jun 12, 2011, at 5:57 PM
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