Let us feel your 'Pulse,' Putnam County

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Come on, sing it with me: Letters ... we get letters ... we get stacks and stacks of letters ...

That was a staple of the old Perry Como television show I can remember my parents insisting we would watch on the one-and-only TV in the household of my youth.

Perry Como would use that intro to respond to requests to sing a song or two requested by his TV audience.

That jingle stuck in my head, and when I was charged with redesigning these newspaper pages a couple of decades later, that's why we labeled the letters to the editor column ... "We get letters ..."

So for the past 30 years, virtually every time an Opinion page like this has run in the Banner Graphic, invariably it includes the section "We get letters ..." devoted to your opinions, or as Rod Serling used to intone in his classic "Twilight Zone" TV intro ... "submitted for your approval."

Be assured, we always appreciate any and all letters we receive. We love good dialogue. We're often intrigued by the choice of topics.

And we understand that many community organizations like to use the space we readily provide to thank those who have made their recent event or mission possible, even though a list of names and thank-yous isn't always compelling reading.

But we'd like to change all that. Or at least tweak it. Put the onus on the community and our readers to generate a more targeted dialogue.

And in an attempt to do so, we have created a product we're calling "The Pulse of Putnam County."

Perhaps you've noticed some of the house ads we've been running, thanks to the wizardry of ad manager Merlin Maltsberger.

"The Pulse," slated for a Sept. 27 kickoff edition, will be dedicated to an open-forum discussion of issues affecting Putnam people and communities. Each edition will contain articles addressing topics of local, state and national issues.

Topics for discussion will be posted two weeks prior to the publication date in the newspaper and on our website. Readers may submit their thoughts and comments on any of each issue's designated topics via email to the Banner Graphic Editorial Department, in care of news@bannergraphic.com, or via mail at P.O. Box 509, Greencastle 46135.

All submissions must be accompanied by the author's name, address and a contact phone number. Once reviewed by the Editorial Department, the selected submissions will be published in the "Pulse" section of the Banner Graphic.

Of course, the Editorial Department reserves the right to edit any article for length, clarity and unprintable content as necessary.

What we're banking on is that readers will be drawn to follow the comments, concerns, admiration and/or disdain of their neighbors and friends.

Some of the topics we have suggested for upcoming Pulse contributions include:

The Stellar Community -- As Stellar Community projects around Greencastle begin to wind down, share your reflections on the last three years, not only the finished products, but the process by which we've gotten here. How have the improvements and additions added to the quality of life? Has it been worth the inconveniences that come with construction projects? As the city moves beyond the "Stellar" era, what should its next steps be?

Community Center -- Most people in the community would agree that there is a need for a community center such as a YMCA in the Greencastle area. But how to fund its construction and how to pay for long-term maintenance, staffing and utilities is the real question. What are your thoughts about such a center or an alternative and how much would you be willing to contribute or pay on a monthly/yearly basis to use to facility as a member?

U.S. 231 Bypass -- Long talked about but never close to reality, a bypass that would eliminate the truck traffic through downtown Greencastle has again become an issue following the Stellar project work downtown. What do you see as the positives and negatives to such a bypass. Do you think it could ever be a reality and what route could it logically take if funding is ever feasible from state and federal government?

Parking -- One of the longstanding downtown issues has been parking in and around the square. A chance at a downtown parking garage, however, evaporated when bids far exceeded available grant funding. Two surface parking lots are being developed this fall instead. Do you think those lots and a vigorously enforced two-hour parking limit elsewhere downtown will solve the problem? What else do you think needs to be addressed and how would you do it?

Retail Development -- While retail development is mostly a private sector issue based on a person or business' belief they can turn a profit with a specific commercial venture in a certain area. Regardless, we can all dream. Short of hoping for a mall that we all know will never happen, what realistic development of stores, restaurants and specialty shops can you see/hope for in the Greencastle and Putnam County area over the next few years?

We have already received a few responses for the section.

Stacks and stacks of letters? Not yet.

So get writing, Putnam County, we want to check your pulse.

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  • One topic that should be brought up is that while there are many programs in the area to aid children, there is very little to help the disabled or the elderly if they don't qualify for medicaid (and the qualification process for medicaid is so out of touch with reality it borders on absurdity.) People who are disabled are really without any help at all here in this county.

    -- Posted by Heron on Wed, Sep 17, 2014, at 5:15 PM
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