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September 20, 2008

Public Eye - Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008

By SCOTT SMITH and KEN de la BASTIDE The Kokomo Tribune Sat Sep 20, 2008, 11:01 PM EDT

The new bridge to nowhere?

Gov. Mitch Daniels stopped off at the Grissom Aeroplex Wednesday before attending the U.S. 31 Corridor groundbreaking in Howard County.

The occasion at Grissom was the news that civilian aircraft will now be able to land at Grissom’s main runway, one of the largest of its kind.

In fact, Daniels said, “any airplane in the world” could land at Grissom, given the fact its massive main runway is built to accommodate Air Force refueling and cargo planes.

The news made us wonder, however, why everyone’s still pressing ahead with a $10 million plan to lengthen the main runway at the Kokomo Municipal Airport, which is less than 20 minutes (by car) from Grissom.

Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight said Wednesday the Air Force could always revoke permission for civilian aircraft to land there, and the city airport is an asset to the local community.

Who cares about Kokomo?

Between Daniels thanking Republican legislators for passing Major Moves, and the Republicans present Wednesday thanking the governor for Major Moves, a jaded reporter might decide there was something decidedly political about the event.

What was more telling, however, was the fact Kokomo was only mentioned during the various speeches by Daniels, who referred to the city twice as a difficult place to drive through.

“The fact goods can leave [points north and south] and not spend a leisurely hour going through Kokomo will be huge,” Daniels said.

Former Kokomo Mayor Jim Trobaugh was at the event, and recalled Indiana House Speaker Pat Bauer, D-South Bend, launching a diatribe against Kokomo’s stoplights.

“I told him there were four thriving businesses at each stoplight in Kokomo, and that was my economic development,” Trobaugh said.

All over a thousand bucks

Howard County Commissioner Dave Trine is on the Howard County Recycling District Board, but has only attended two of the monthly meetings since January.

The board could have used Trine Tuesday, when members split 3-3 on how much of an increase they wanted to give the district’s accounting firm, Bucheri, McCarty & Metz.

The firm wanted an increase from $9,600 to $13,200 annually. Partly because the district’s budget was already increasing by almost 30 percent overall, Goodnight, city Councilman Ralph Baer, and county Councilman Joe Pencek wanted to limit the increase to $12,200. Howard County commissioners Brad Bagwell and Paul Raver, Greentown treasurer Joyce Higginbottom said make it $13,200.

BCM representative Ron Metz was present during the discussion, and said he’d have to “discuss” the lower amount with his partners if the board voted that way. District coordinator Marla Vechey pleaded for the full amount, heavily inferring the district would lose BCM’s financial assistance otherwise.

After a couple minutes of tension, Baer essentially said what the heck, and changed his vote.

Stoplights in Hamilton County?

Kokomo residents know the real traffic congestion along U.S. 31 is in Hamilton County these days. So The Public Eye asked Daniels if he thought U.S. 31 would be stoplight free in Hamilton County in, oh, say 20 years’ time.

“I can’t tell you for sure, but I’d say the odds are good,” said Daniels, who lives near U.S. 31 himself down there. “There may be some roundabouts,” he added.

U.S. 31 Coalition lobbyist Dennis Falkenborg, who remains indefatigable in his insistence U.S. 31 will one day be stoplight free in Hamilton County, quickly explained any roundabouts would be “plazas” built above the highway to connect Carmel Drive, 126th Street, 106th Street, etc.

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