City will miss

Steve Wisehart

On Thursday, April 23, our community lost a true public servant. With little fanfare or public acknowledgment, Steve Wisehart, commonly known as “Rhino,” died suddenly, shortly after doing his usual business, serving his patrons.

As owner and manager of Rhino’s Taxicab service, he was hero to those who desperately needed his services, and a friend to those who knew him, professionally, casually or as a family member. His gruff voice and tough exterior did not exemplify the true servant’s heart he displayed on a daily basis. He worked tirelessly to provide transportation in our community, meeting the needs of many, and available to help whenever he could.

As director of transportation for Kokomo and Howard County, I had the pleasure of working with Rhino for the past eight years. Not familiar with the many federal regulations required to provide transit services, he was always willing to make the changes and “try as hard as I can” to meet the complicated standards of public transit. I enjoyed his servant’s heart, joyful disposition and tireless dedication to our city and its citizens in need of his services.

This public servant will be greatly missed, and those who follow have giant shoes to fill. Let us be patient as his family strives to continue the important legacy whose foundation was solidly built by our friend, colleague, mentor and family man, appropriately known as Rhino.

Larry A. Ives

Governmental

Coordinating Council

Heck column

was premature

There you go again, Peter. Peter Heck, a self-proclaimed “constitutional scholar,” accuses Barack Obama, a trained constitutional scholar and professor, of not understanding the Constitution when appointing an as yet unknown Supreme Court justice. How bizarre. Better to demonstrate one’s legal acumen once the candidate is named. This legal knowledge can then be used, like Mr. Heck’s economic expertise, to inform those of us who are less learned.

Mr. Heck goes on to attack liberal “judicial activism.” There are several definitions of judicial activism which I find enlightening. From the Warren Court days: “Judicial activism” is any decision that advances civil rights or separation of Church and State. More recently: “Judicial activism” is a decision which reflects liberal values; since, by definition, rulings which reflect conservative values cannot be activist. More broadly: “Judicial activism” is any decision, left or right, with which I disagree. As a retired psychologist, I find the idea that judges, liberal or conservative, make decisions which are free of the influence of their personal values and political influences to be incredibly naive.

Ronald Riggs

Kokomo

400-650 Hoosiers

living with ALS

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, dramatically impacts people no matter how it enters their lives. ALS is a neurodegenerative disease that slowly robs a patient’s body of the ability to move – eventually paralyzing the person, while most often leaving his or her mind clear and unaffected. I once heard the wife of an ALS patient describe ALS as a tsunami. You don’t see it coming and as soon as it hits, your whole life is turned upside down and it will never be the same. It is estimated that between 400 and 650 Hoosiers are currently living with ALS, which is a swift and deadly monster. The estimated life span for someone diagnosed with ALS is two to five years. There is no known cause or cure.

Steve Holdaway was enjoying life with his wife and three children in Indianapolis. He built a successful career in sales and umpired softball games in his spare time. One day he noticed difficulty as he tried to sign his name to receive his umpiring paycheck. A few doctor appointments later, he was left with a death sentence: an ALS diagnosis. It may be surprising to hear that some ALS patients consider Steve fortunate. This is because he has been living with ALS for close to 10 years and most patients don’t survive half that long. Each ALS course is different and Steve has been blessed with an unusually long course.

Fortunately for Steve and other people afflicted with ALS, there are services available to help while they cope with this debilitating disease. The ALS Association is the only non-profit organization dedicated solely to the fight against ALS. The Indiana Chapter serves the entire state. The ALS Association of Indiana offers many services to those with ALS including: seven regional support group meetings, an equipment loan closet, annual care-giver retreats, advocacy services, Living With ALS manuals, a state resource guide and an ALSA Certified Center of Excellence located in Indianapolis. The patient services staff is available to provide support including disease management options and psycholosocial support for the entire family.

Sarah Payton

ALS Association