City Elections?

By this time each year most of us have the candidate commercials memorized. We are bombarded with messages on TV, radio, mail, and the newspaper. Citizens are told "Don't vote for this person" and "That person will raise your taxes." But this year appears to be different. Have you seen many campaign yard signs either? Do we have an election coming up? I'm not sure we have a good answer for this, so far, quiet election year.
Not that many of us are complaining. It just seems like the campaigns are being handled a bit differently than previous years. Our reporters have talked to some of the candidates about this new strategy. Some say they are just waiting until closer to the vote. Others are doing more door-to-door and small group talks instead.
Many people were surprised by State Representative Joe Micon's announcement that he will not seek re-election next year. The democrat ran two hotly-contested campaigns against republican Connie Basham. The rumors are already starting to fly about who might possibly run for the seat. Stay tuned!!

Seeing Greene

It's not unusual to see Meterologist Kelly Greene on TV in the morning. But, today she was on Network television! Kelly is on a trip to New York City. During her visit, she joined the crowd gathered where CBS broadcasts the 'Early Show.' So, if you were watching this morning, you got a glimpse of Kelly and our WLFI banner in the big apple.

Great Ride

The CHAPS Ride/Walk-A-Thon was a success. The organization raised thousands of dollars for its therapeutic horseback riding program. The weather was great. We had more than 50 horses in the ride. We went through some open pastures and through some wooded trails at Camp Tecumseh. Thanks to the sponsors and everyone who donated for such a worthy cause. CHAPS will be having a bowl-a-thon in February.

CHAPS Ride/Walk-A-Thon

It's time to saddle up for the CHAPS Ride/Walk-A-thon. This is the annual fundraiser for the CHAPS program. CHAPS is a therapeutic riding program for individuals with physical, mental or emotional disabilities. My horse Roanie and I plan to be there Saturday for the event. The ride starts at 9:30a.m. at Camp Tecumseh. If you don't have a horse, you can always take part in the walk that starts at 10:00a.m. Camp Tecumseh is a beautiful setting for the event. Afterwards, there is lunch, an auction and the children give a demonstration. It is so rewarding to see them smile and laugh as they show off what they have learned while on the back of their 'trusted steed.'

For more information on the event, you can call (765) 563-3797 or (765) 494-8433.
http://www.four-h.purdue.edu/chaps/

Living Flag

Students at Delphi Community Elementary School created a living flag on their playground to mark the 193rd anniversary of the attack on Ft. McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland. More than 600 students and staff members formed the flag to honor the Star Spangled Banner. First graders wore blue and red. First graders also held the stars. The second and fourth grades wore red. The third and fifth graders wore white. Good job Delphi students. Thanks for sharing your photo.

Go Boilers!

The Purdue football team is off to a great start. The Boilers beat Central Michigan 45-22. Purdue is 3-0 and will be put to the test from here on out as it takes on some tough Big 10 opponents. Next week the Boilers are on the road to take on Minnesota.

The weather Saturday was perfect for a game at Ross Ade Stadium. Brett enjoyed seeing Rowdy and Purdue Pete. In the second half, when the action slowed down a bit, Brett enjoyed doing the wave. The crowd started doing a very slow wave, then sped things up. The action kept a little cheerleader in front of us from going to sleep!

Lafayette City Flag

You may see more Lafayette city flags flying around town, thanks to a $4,280 grant from the Community Foundation. The money will be used to purchase more flags. The group hopes to have heavy-duty, sewen flags flying at each official city location, like buildings, schools and parks. It's red, white, and blue with a gold star (symbolizing Lafayette as the star city of the Wabash).

If you live in Lafayette and would like a flag, go to the clerk's office in Lafayette City Hall. Clerk Cindy Murray has some items for sale and order forms. They also have table (4x6) flags, lapel pins, and T-shirts. For more information you can go to the city's webiste: http://lafayette.in.gov/government/officials/clerk/cityflag

Babies Can't Wait

The Exchange Club of Lafayette presented a $100,000 check to the Community and Family Resource Center today. The money will go toward renovating this two story house on 3rd Street for the 'Babies Can't Wait' program. The program is for parents with addiction issues who have their children (newborns to age 3) removed from the home. Coordinator Stacey Preyss says the parents get counseling and treatment, along with supervised visits to promote bonding with their children. She says the CFRC wants to help the growing population of families with young children who are being devastated by drug addictions.

Never Forget

Do you remember where you were six years ago? Many us will never forget what we were doing when we heard the news of the terrorist attacks. Brett was just a baby. I was at home with him and didn't even have the television on. But once someone called to tell me about the plane crashing into the World Trade Center, I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. I will never forget the images of that day, including the black smoke billowing against the clear blue sky of New York City.

I went to work shortly after that. The day was a blur. New information was coming in fast. We were giving updates on local candlelight vigils, blood drives, and other events. I remember a couple days later standing out with firefighters collecting money for the Red Cross. Everyone was very generous.

There is a 9/11 memorial ceremony at 7:00p.m. tonight at Tecumseh Junior High School in Lafayette. More than 500 flags are placed in the school yard as a tribute to all those who lost their lives that day and in the war on terrorism. That includes eight local service. The flags will remain up through September 22nd and are available for purchase from the Business Masters Exchange Club.

MDA Telethon

Thanks to the generosity of many people the MDA telethon raised more than $319,000. That's about $38,000 more than last year. That's good news for the many families in our area who rely on the Muscular Dystrophy Association to help them purchasing equipment (leg braces, wheelchairs, etc), send children to camp, and other support services.

A special thanks to Lafayette firefighters who raised more than $40,000 with their Fill-the-Boot campaign and the Eagle Harley Ride that raised more than $12,000. But beyond the big fundraisers, we appreciate all the individuals who took time during the holiday weekend to call in pledges.

As a parent, it is a joy to watch your child grow taller and stronger. For children with neuromuscular diseases, that's not the case. Some youngsters never walk. Others gradually get weaker and need leg braces and even wheelchairs. While Brett and I enjoy our Labor Day tradition of horseback riding and camping, the telethon something we are committed to as well. I explained to him we are helping raise money for children who have weak muscles, and someday, we hope to find a cure.