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The Pulse of Putnam County: October 2014
Welcome back to The Pulse
In our second installment of The Pulse of Putnam County, we have your reactions to six different questions introduced for discussion during September and October.
Additionally, we will be introducing two new questions for your consideration in November, as well as asking one a second time. See the bottom of this entry for the questions.
The November edition of The Pulse of Putnam County is scheduled for publication on Saturday, Nov. 29. Your comments are welcome on any of the new questions as well as your reactions to the comments made on these two pages to the old questions.
As always, readers may submit their thoughts and comments on any of an 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. A commenter's full name and address should be included for our reference, although only the first name and town will be published.
Small Business -- Retail Development
The Question: 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?
The Answers:
It is difficult to compete with the likes of Wal-Mart or other major chain stores as they are willing to lose money on some items to attract your business plus they carry such a wide variety of unrelated items to attract the one stop shop customers. Chain stores employ marketing research personnel that develop methods for placement of items in their stores to attract impulse buying, certain colors are used in displays to attract the consumer, music and odors are among the marketing strategy they use. Small business in Greencastle and other small towns must first market themselves as a convenience, short lines at the checkout, less traffic, and the exact item the consumer is looking for. Second, a superior quality item at a competitive price, personalized friendly service, repeatability that both the quality and the service are the same every time a customer walks through the door. Chain stores have the luxury of large advertising budgets while small business must deal with where they can get the most bang for the buck, word of mouth and the increasing use of social media. Greencastle has developed a good business partnering relationship among several businesses with the First Friday events, creating an atmosphere that attracts people to the business district, hopefully this will continue to grow and more local businesses will become involved. Greencastle has several potential aspiring small business entrepreneurs that are in some stage of business plan development, some that are working with the Ivy Tech small business development center and some that are not to that stage yet. I would like the city of Greencastle in cooperation with DePauw to develop a new initiative way to help encourage and inspire small business owners, and I am not suggesting financial support just development, everyone would benefit. "What is the prescription to being named one of the ten best cities in America: Improvements to streets, playgrounds, parks and parking lots helped bring residents and businesses back to the city's downtown area, which thrives with independent shops, boutiques, restaurants and galleries." Greencastle is well on its way thanks to the Stellar grant of not only being a proud city but a detestation point among small towns.
Greencastle
I would love to see more of a variety of restaurants. I enjoy eating out with my wife and then also going to more family friendly restaurants with our children, but can't stand the same old fast-food blah we have in Greencastle and Cloverdale. I love going to the Putnam Inn for its buffet but sometimes it's very busy on a Friday or a Saturday night because there are lack of options for everyone to choose from, and that is one of the only other sit-down restaurants that you can get a steak or other kinds of foods that you can't get other places. I would like to see a variety of restaurants that you can sit down and order a nice meal for my family and I to enjoy.
Cloverdale
If we start building up the downtown and gear the businesses toward a college friendly town, then I would say put a hotel in one of the downtown buildings. It would be small but these buildings are a few stories high and a hotel would fit nicely in them. You could work with the university so that college parents would come in and use the hotel all the time. Also, do something with the theater. Fix it up or build a new one somewhere close to the square. It needs to be within walking distance for the students but still close to the square. All students go to the movies, but they don't stay in Greencastle because there are no other hangout places to go to and the theater needs some work.
Cloverdale
To answer this question you have to ask: Why do I go to Plainfield or Terre Haute? I go there for the entertainment/food. When I go on a date with my wife, I go to the movies (yes, I know that Greencastle has a movie place but only two choices). I go to Plainfield to have a choice of 20-25 movies. Then I want to get something to eat, and if I am spending money on a movie, I want to go to a nice, sit-down restaurant, not fast food, or maybe I want to go out to eat after church. Once again I have to travel to Avon, Plainfield or Terre Haute because Greencastle doesn't have any place to eat. What you need is a good steak house, Mexican, Italian or anything restaurant. What this area needs more than anything is a place to eat that doesn't have a drive-through. I feel that this could be an anchor for other retail stores and will draw more companies to come to Greencsastle, like a megaplex movie theater, 100-lane bowling alley or a go-kart/video arcade. Teens and young adults will not spend thier money in Greencastle if they don't have any place to spend it.
Cloverdale
Downtown Greencastle parking issues
The Question: 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?
The Answers:
I agree that the parking around the courthouse is very hectic and usually hard to find. I hate going around there, but I do I prefer just to park a little farther away and walk to where I am trying to go than to drive around for 15 minutes trying to wait for someone to leave. Maybe we should try and pay the businesses that do have large parking lots around that area a small monthly fee to open up their parking lots to everyone during the 8-5 work week. That would give more parking spaces for way less money than to build brand new parking areas.
Cloverdale
Is it possible to dig out the basements of some of the downtown businesses and build underground parking lots? Then we don't take up the ground space and it still leaves more room for new businesses to come in.
Cloverdale
I hate parking around the downtown area. Well, I say I hate parking there but the truth is that I can never find a spot to park. Adding the two parking areas is a great start, but in the long run I don't think I will use them if they are too far. I travel around a little here and there and see small to medium-size towns going through the same thing that Greencastle is going through. Most have taken a novel approach to this. I have seen them going to one-way streets as a solution. You take a street and make it a one-way and take the rest of the road as parking, putting up parking meters. I am not sure how well this would work for Greencastle but I think it would be worth looking into it. It would solve some of the parking problems and also create a revenue stream for the town.
Cloverdale
Stellar Community Grant Projects
The Question: 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?
The Answers:
The downtown looks great with the Stellar Projects, but I still don't go down there for anything. I wonder if they could make it more like a college shopping area by bringing in restaurants and stores that would appeal more to the DePauw students. You see similar areas a couple of blocks from schools like Purdue and IU and it great for the town as well as the college kids. Gear it toward a college crowd and you will get them walking the few blocks to get there just like they do for the Starbucks/bookstore.
Cloverdale
The new look downtown is very worth the construction and any inconvenience the town has had to deal with. I think the shops around the square look great and will make more people want to visit them. I think it would be nice now to move on to the look of our streets and the flow of our traffic. Most of the time the traffic is OK but certain peak times of the day it's just so slow moving. Maybe if we could incorporate some of those "roundabouts" that are up in Plainfield and Avon our streets would move quicker but still look modern.
Cloverdale
Gas prices in Putnam County
The Question: Unfortunately, fluctuations in gas prices are something motorists have to deal with everywhere. It seems, however, that those fluctuations almost always leave prices in Greencastle higher than in nearby communities like Crawfordsville or Plainfield -- often 25 to 30 cents more per gallon. What's your take on the higher prices here in Putnam County? Do you wait to fill up until you are going to a neighboring county? Does keeping gas tax funds here in Putnam County sway you to pay more?
The Answers:
The price of regular gasoline fell from $3.22 to $3.19 per gallon recently in Greencastle. I was going to fill up until I read in the Indianapolis Star that gas in Indianapolis was less than $3 on average. I had to go to Indianapolis, so I waited to get there to buy gas. When I got to Plainfield, I saw prices of $2.97, $2.98 and $2.99. I filled up. Please take my advice: Get $5 worth of gas here, then go anywhere out of this county and fill your tank. Even Groveland is cheaper than Greencastle. This means only one thing: Competition does not make any difference. We are being ripped off because of collusion by the stations of Greencastle who feel they can charge whatever they want. If we do not fill up here, and buy $5 worth (only if we have to), maybe they will get the message that some people do not like their pricing scheme.
Greencastle
I live in Cloverdale, and gas prices fluctuate from gas station to gas station. If I fill up at the station near I-70, will pay 20-30 cents from than if I go down the road a mile to the next gas station and I can save another 10 cents if I fill up in Plainfield. Saying that, if I can save 30 cents per gallon I am going to do it, regardless of what county it is in. I work in Plainfield, and I do see that the gas prices are much higher in Cloverdale and Greencastle than in Plainfield and Avon. I can't afford to be loyal to Putnam County. Yes, I know that money goes to fixing the roads that I use every day but I see the world through the lens of my wallet, and that 30 cents adds up over time. I save about $4 on every fill-up by getting my gas before I come home. And doing the math, that saves me over $200 a year. The only way Greencastle and Cloverdale gets my gas money is when I need it to mow my lawn or I am sitting on "E" and have no other choice. Sorry, but money talks, and I listen.
Cloverdale
If we had more business in town maybe more people would be going to local stations for gas and that would lower the prices just like the larger cities do. I have noticed that throughout the state that many of the smaller towns have a little higher prices than the neighboring larger towns.
Cloverdale
I don't mind paying a little more for gas if the gas taxes go to our county. I hate paying more the $3 for a gallon of gas no matter if it's $3.20 or $3.75, it's still too high. So no, I don't care where I get it because it's all expensive!
Cloverdale
Community Center
The Question: 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?
The Answers:
A community center would be great, but you need more industry in this county to bring more business. More jobs would help bring more restaurants and shopping centers and then more people would be keeping their money in Putnam County instead of spending in other counties. People don't realize that you don't have to lose the small town to have more options, you just need to spread things out throughout the whole county.
Cloverdale
I would love to have a YMCA like our surrounding towns do. One with a gym, indoor track, basketball hoops and other fun active things for all ages. If we had something like this, I would be willing to pay $400 to $500 for a place for my family to go and stay active at all year long.
Cloverdale
Bypassing the Square
The Question: 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.
The Answers:
I would think building a bypass might be bad for the downtown business. If there is an easier road to take people will choose to take that road over the hectic road around the square and then the small businesses around the square won't get the passersby that would normally stop in just because they go by and see it. I think it would be too pricey anyway so we should just stop talking about it and actually discuss things we can get done.
Cloverdale
The bypass is a great idea, but only when we start getting more industry and businesses. Then there would be a greater need for a road outside of town, or you can start a project like this for the purpose of bringing business to this area.
Cloverdale
Everyone wants a bypass until it goes through their part of the town. Yes, it would make things easier for truckers and people wouldn't almost be run over by massive 18-wheelers. But who is going to give up part of their land to make this happen? In my opinion, there is already a bypass in Greencastle, I just don't think anyone sees it as one. Go to the first light in Greencastle at Veterans Memorial Highway and take a left and go until you come to a "T" where the bowling alley is right in front of you. Take a right and go past the college, go until you come to the light, and lo and behold, you are back at U.S. 231 and none of the pesky 90-degree turns. The problem is that it is only 30 mph, goes by a lot of houses and the college. But it "bypasses" all of the other problems of making them go downtown for the most part, and no new roads have to be built, and no land has to be taken. I never said that it was perfect but it's better than what has been done so far.
Cloverdale
Pulse topics for November
The November edition of The Pulse of Putnam County will be published in the Saturday, Nov. 29 edition of the Banner Graphic, and all of our readers are invited to be come a conversation.
As in the past, readers are welcome to react to any of the topics or comments in this issue, or give your thoughts on any of these questions.
Local elections -- The Tuesday, Nov. 4 general election in Putnam County isn't exactly shaping up to be a exciting day. The reason is simple -- no contested races exist on the county level. With years of Republican domination at the county level, not one Democrat filed to be on the ballot for county office in 2014. Do party labels even matter to you at the county level? Does it bother you that county politics have become so one-sided? Has the Republican primary simply taken the place of the general election in your mind? What can, or should, Democratic Party leaders do to shift the political landscape and perhaps make some headway in future elections?
Sunday Alcohol Sales -- The topic comes up in almost every session of the Indiana General Assembly, and almost every time, no progress is made on the issue. Do you believe the time has come for Indiana to rescind its blue laws and allow Sunday sale of beer, wine and spirits at establishments besides bars and restaurants? If not, what do you believe are the ongoing benefits of blue laws to the state? If so, what are the merits of allowing Sunday sales? Are there any other liquor laws in the state you would like to see changed?
Road Conditions -- Go to almost any county meeting and you will hear complaints about road conditions in the county. However, with funding from the state stretched thin, local officials insist they are doing everything in their power to take care of our roads. Recently, the state and county highway departments have increased their use of chip and seal for maintaining existing roads. How do you feel about the conditions of roads in Putnam County -- at the state, county and city/town level? In your view, is chipping and sealing a good solution for preserving roads that otherwise would not be serviced at all? Do you have any creative suggestions to funding road maintenance and repair in Putnam County?
Readers may submit their thoughts and comments on any of an 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. A commenter's full name and address should be included for our reference, although only the first name and town will be published.