Danville

Tri Kappa Offers Grants

Danville Tri Kappa is accepting grant applications up to $1,000 from teachers, non-profit agencies, programs and organizations to support charity, culture, and education in our community.

All applications must be submitted by April 1st and will be awarded at the discretion of the grant committee.

The application form can be found at danvilletrikappa.org/charity or email questions to danvilletrikappa@yahoo.com.

Merchant Chatter

This column marks the return of a small way for Downtown Danville Merchants to share news about their stores. Brief items may be sent to betty@ TheRepublicanNewspaper. com.

Smokey Fireside Creations on the west side of the square is having a $5 soap sale this week at the shop! Come see us! Open this week: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 11am-5pm!

Everybody’s talking (and wondering) about the renovations going on at The Royal Theater. Watch upcoming issues of The Republican for a history of the theater and the part it has played in the community.

Our sympathy to Tracy Jones and the Court House Grounds family on the passing of his grandmother, Thelma “Grandma Pete” Stephenson. In her 104 years she had operated her own photography studio on the square and in retirement (?) was chief cook in her grandson’s restaurant and keeper of the family fruitcake recipe. Her obituary is found elsewhere in this issue.

Kami at The Beehive has expanded her talents from creating delicious cakes and cookies to delicious-smelling candles. Makes scents to check them out while she fills your food order.

The weather is warming up and the bench outside The Republican office is available for walkers and joggers to take a break, collect their thoughts, or just watch the world go by. It also makes a great place to read the latest edition. No reservations necessary.

People who read local, shop local. For great advertising rates for your business, contact Kirsten at 317-605-4053 or kirsten@ TheRepublicanNewspapere.com.

Transportation For Seniors

Hendricks County Senior Services provides transportation services to anyone, 60 or older, needing a ride within Hendricks County. Transportation is provided for daily necessities, like medical appointments, grocery shopping, legal, social service, financial business, nutrition sites, and other life-essential service destinations. This service is provided on a donation basis.

Transportation services are provided by properly licensed staff who receive regular appropriate training. We are committed to the safe operation and maintenance of our vehicles, including the safe boarding and unloading of passengers.

Appointments are made on a first come/first served basis for door-to-door transportation (including wheelchair transport, portable oxygen, attendants, and service animals) for destinations in Hendricks County.

Transportation is available five days a week during office hours (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Service is not available on holidays or when weather is inclement.

To make an appointment call 317-718-4474. It is suggested that you call as far in advance as possible.

Danville Local & Social

Vaccination seems to have an ebullient efect on Phil Gulley, who is paying more frequent visits to The Republican office. This week he was on his way home to spend the afternoon with his granddaughter, which hightened the effect.

Got News?

If you have a local news item you would like to contribute, you can call call 317-745-2777, send by fax to 317-647-4341, or send an e-mail to therepublican@ sbcglobal.net. Deadline is noon on Monday.

Tri Kappa Scholarships

Danville Tri Kappa is offering $1,000 scholarships to students who excel in volunteerism and community service while maintaining good academic standing. High School Seniors must be graduating from Danville Community High School or reside in Danville and plan to attend an Indiana college, university or post-secondary program.

Applications must be submitted by 4/19/21 and can be found at danvilletrikappa.org. Questions can be emailed to danvilletrikappa@yahoo.com.

Danville Gets Ready For Mayberry Man Premier

Karen Knotts, daughter of Don Knotts (Barny Fife on The Andy Griffith Show) is pictured in a scene from Mayberry Man.

Danville is getting read for its close up, as Saturday, May 15, has been selected as the date for the premier of the Mayberry Man movie at The Royal Theater.

Centered on the continuing popularity of The Andy Griffith television show and the fans who bring back a little bit of Mayberry through festivals, the independent movie was made by brothers Stark and Cort Howell. The Howell’s father, Hoke Howell, played the role of “Dud Wash” on The Andy Griffith Show.

The plot involves an arrogant movie star, busted for speeding in a small town, and sentenced to attend Mayberry Fest, a week-long festival celebrating The Andy Griffith Show. Immersed in a modern-day version of Mayberry, he is forced out of his Hollywood bubble and given the chance to discover the true meaning of friendship and family.

A portion of the movie was filmed in Danville last year.

Preliminary plans for the movie premier include a mini “Mayberry Fest,” and red carpet premier for stars and special guests. There will also be screenings of the film for the public on Sunday.

Details of the event will be publishes as the plans are finalized.

For more information about the film, visit mayberryman.com.

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Town of Danville Reminds Golf Cart Owners of Registration

The Town of Danvile requires all golf carts operating on Town streets to undergo, and pass, an annual inspection. The cost of an inspection shall be $25.00 per year, per golf cart.

A. A golf cart shall not pass an annual inspection if it does not meet all requirements and regulations established in Ordinance No. 10-2018, including but not limited to requirements regarding safety equipment and insurance. 1) Headlights, Taillights, and Turn Signals; and 2) A Sideview Mirror; and 3) A Slow-Moving vehicle sign that conforms to the provisions of IC 9-21-9-2 affixed to the rear of the cart.

B. Inspections shall be completed by the Danville Metropolitan Police Department or the Town of Danville Code Enforcement Officer, and payments shall be made to the Town of Danville.

C. A decal reflecting a valid and successful golf cart inspection will be issued by the Town and must be visibly affixed to the golf cart.

D. It shall be a violation of this Ordinance to operate a golf cart on Town streets without passing an annual golf cart inspection. It shall also be a violation of this Ordinance to operate a golf cart on Town streets without a visibly affixed decal indicating a passed inspection.

To make an appointment for an inspection, call the Danville Town Hall at 317-745-4180, ext. 1001.

Agenda Keeps Council Busy

A coming red carpet event, the Host Fund budget, a new K-9 and a DPW online garage sale were among the range of topics at the March 3 meeting of the Danville Town Council.

First on the agenda was Dan Distler, representing the producers of the Mayberry Man movie requested the closure of the east, south, and west sides of the court house square for the world premier of the film on Saturday, March 15. A mini-festival will be part of the activities that will accompany the premier. Mr. Distler said he would consult with local fire and police department as the plans are finalized. The Council approved the request.

Approval of 2021 planned expenditures for the Host Fund, amounting to $1,157,577, was next on the agenda. The expenditures would leave the fund with a balance of $956,164.10. Greg VanLaere made a motion to approve the budget, adding that a $300,000 deposit be made to the Host Future Fund. Clerk-Treasurer Jenny Pearcy said that she would rather wait until fall to make such a deposit. No second was made and the motion failed. Then, the motion was made by Nancy Leavitt to approve the Host Fund budget “as is” and the motion passed.

Resolution 4-2021 was passed to amend the Town’s Policies and Procedures Manual to extend the time off benefit for those diagnosed with COVID-19, or are required to quarantine on account of contact with someone with COVID-19, to extend the benefit to October 2021, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2021.

The Council approved plans to move forward with the Recreation Impact Fee (RIF) Study and the Park Five-Year Master Plan Update.

An Expenditure Request of $11,000 for replacement of the retiring K-9. The Police Department had raised $30,000 in donations for the project, which will be used, with the remainder of the donations to be used for K-9 equipment and improvement of the dog agility course used for training. K-9 Sgt. Jeff Slayback said that retiring K-9 Zeke will be replaced by K-9 Jack in the spring or summer.

Public Works Superintendent Andrew Pitcher received permission to dispose of surplus equipment by use of electronic public auctions.

A first reading was made for Ordinance 7-2021, increasing the speed limit on CR 200 E from 30 mph to 40 mph. The rules were suspended and the change passed. The ordinance will require to be published in the newspaper for two weeks before it will become effective.

Letters To The Editor

At the last Town Council meeting I made a motion to add $300,000 to the Host Future fund. Since the meeting, several people have asked me what the motion was about, so I want to explain my reasoning.

Our town is in a very unique situation. Through hosting the Waste Management facility, our town collects a portion of the tipping fees collected at the landfill. Since these funds are NOT taxpayers’ funds, they can be invested outside of the strict criteria that is laid out by the State of Indiana. The Town also has an Emergency fund that IS taxpayer money and has to comply with state statute.

The Host Fund has two components to it. First, is the Host Fund which pays for Town priority projects. Then we have the Host Future Fund. This is the fund that the Town invests host money into because the tipping fees will end in the future and the Town is planning for that future.

The Town Council held a Work Study session to discuss the budget for this year’s Host money. There are a couple of priority projects (Roof for Hargrave Hall and Boiler for town hall). These items were included to be paid for from the Host Fund.

During our work study, I suggested that those items should be paid for from the town’s Emergency Fund. I did this from a purely mathematical analysis. Taxpayer funds (Emergency funds) can only be invested in short term fixed income investments. Currently those investments are yielding a very small sum.

The Host Future fund can be invested for a much longer term and slightly more aggressive investments.

The Council then worked together to remove the roof and boiler from the host budget and pay for them from the Emergency fund. This created about a $400k excess in the Host fund at year ending 2021.

My motion was to approve the Host Budget and invest an additional $300k into the Host Future fund. Mathematically, you want to spend the laziest money first; Emergency funds earning 1% or less verses Host Future funds earning over 10% just between June and November of 2020.

My motion did die from a lack of a second.

I wanted to get this excess into the Host Future fund so it could be earning money for the future. Tipping fees will eventually go away when the landfill stops collecting trash. The Future Fund will continue to live past the usefulness of the landfill and be available for our children and grandchildren.

If these funds are not invested, they sit in cash and do not earn hardly anything, much like your checking account at the bank. The Clerk Treasurer preferred to wait until October to see if maybe something would come up where these funds would need to be used.

Being in the financial business, I know that funds can be added and withdrawn from this type of brokerage account in a matter of days. Hence, I see no reason for waiting to invest these additional funds.

I look forward to working with the Clerk Treasurer and the rest of the council to iron out the details on how this can move forward in a more timely manner. - Greg VanLaere

BASKETBALL DCMS vs Frankfort

The seventh grade Lady Warrior basketball “A” team defeated Frankfort 32-4. Scoring for Danville were Sylvie French 12, Maddy Wethington six, Malina Ane, Addie Bowers, Allie Gunter, Ava Walls, Leath Maloney, Kayla Bloomer, and Kaidence Davis two points each.

The eighth grade Lady Warrior girls’ basketball “A” team defeated Frankfort 45-6. Scoring for Danville were Haydenn Heffley 12 points and eight steals, Emma Ancelet nine points and nine steals, Shelby Harvey eight points and six rebounds, Allie Dotson six points and nine rebounds, Lilly Armstrong six points and three assists and Abby Jeschke four points.

DCMS vs. Avon South

The seventh grade Lady Warrior “A” team defeated Avon South 35-26. Scoring for Danville were Sylvie French 16, Ava Walls nine, Malina Ane six, Addie Bowers and Maddy Wethington two points apiece.

The eighth grade Lady Warrior “A” team lost to Avon South 48-15. Scoring for Danville were Abby Jeschke six, Shelby Harvey five, and Haydenn Heffley four points apiece.

Hendricks County Tournament

The seventh grade Lady Warrior basketball “A” defeated Plainfield 38-19 in the first round of the Hendricks County Tournament. Scoring for Danville were Maddy Wethington 14, Sylvie French 12, Malina Ane five, Ava Walls three, Alie Gunter and Addie Bowers two points each.

The eighth grade Lady Warrior ended their season with a loss at the Hendricks County Tournament to Plainfield 41-12. Scoring for Danville were Lilly Armstrong six points and nine rebounds, Emma Ancelet four points and five rebounds, and Abby Jeschke two points.

SWIMMING

DCMS vs. Tri-West

The Lady Warrior swim team lost to Tri-West 103-73. Placing for Danville were Adele Simon four first, Madelyn Scrafton two firsts and one second, Josie Schutt one first and two thirds, Amelia Enslin two firsts and two seconds, Macy Smith one first and one third, Chloe Hacker one second and two thirds, Baylor Myers two thirds, Casey Hummel, Morgan Clark, and Lilly Adams one third each.

The Warrior boys’ swim team lost to Tri-West 95-88. Placing for Danville were Ben Morton three firsts and one second, Owen Clodfelter two first and two seconds, Miles Hudson and Jonah Clodfelter two firsts, one second, one third each, Jason Billiard-Snoddy one first, one second, and two thirds, Deagan Myers one first and one second, Will Vandagrifft three seconds and one third, Camden Brewer William Clodfelter one second apiece.

DCMS vs Southmont

The Lady Warrior swimmers defeated Southmont 14140. Placing for Danville were Madelyn Scrafton, Amelia Enslin, and Adele Simon four firsts, Josie Schutt three firsts and one third, Casey Hummel two first and one second, Macy Smith one first, two seconds, and one third, Baylor Myers and Chloe Hacker one first, one second, and one third each, Jeanie Harris and Lilly Adams two seconds each, Morgan Clark two seconds and one third, Lillian Hay one second and two thirds, Nikki Hansel and Moriah Armstrong one second each, Katlyn Jackson two thirds, Dakota Grider and Cianni Mitchell one third each,

The Warrior boys’ swim team defeated Southmont 12357. Placing for Danville were Ben Morton, Miles Hudson and Owen Clodfelter with four firsts each, Jonah Clodfelter three firsts and one second, Jason Billiard-Snoddy two firsts and two seconds, Wil Vandagrifft one first, one second and two thirds, Deagan Myers one first and three thirds, Camden Brewer one second and three thirds, William Clodfelter four thirds, Addison Dure three thirds, Malakai Walker two thirds, Weldon Dorsey and Evan Dure one third apiece.

3-Way Meet

The Warrior girls’ swim team defeated Tecumseh 10466, but lost to Crawfordsville in a three way meet 143-40 respectively. Placing for Danville were Amelia Enslin and Adele Simon two seconds and two thirds, Madelyn Scrafteron one second and one third, Macy Smith and Josie Schutt one third.

The Warrior boys’ swim team defeated Techeseh 11856 and 101 - 83 over Crawfordsville in a three way meet. Placing for Danville were Owen Clodfelter three first and one second, Jason Billiard-Snoddy two firsts, one second, one third, Miles Hudson and Ben Morton two firsts and two seconds, Jonah Clodfelter two firsts, Wil Vandagrifft one first and three thirds, Deagan Myers one second and two thirds, Camden Brew and William Clodfelter one third each.

DCMS vs Plainfield

The Lady Warrior swim team lost to Plainfield 132-51. Placing for Danville were Adele Simon two firsts, one second and one third, Amelia Enslin one first, two seconds, and one third, Madelyn Scrafton two seconds and one third, Macy Smith one second, Josie Schutt two thirds, Chloe Hacker, Casey Hummel and Lillian Hay one third a piece.

The Warrior boys’ swim team lost to Plainfield 112-71. Placing for Danville were Owen Clodfelter two firsts and two seconds, Ben Morton one first and three seconds, Jonah Clodfelter four seconds, Miles Hudson two seconds and two thirds, Jason Billiard Snoddy two seconds and one third, Wil Vandagrifft and Camden Brewer one second and two thirds each, William Clodfelter and Wheldon Dorsey one third each.

Danville Warriors Sectional Week

Above: Fulwider (#1) at the free throw line. Photo courtesy of Chrissy Collins.

By David Winters

The sometimes tumultuous (because of never knowing when a game might be cancelled because of Covid protocols), hard-fought regular season finally came to an end and the real season was set to begin. Danville drew perhaps the most difficult road to the Regional on selection Sunday with a first-round Sectional game against Crawfordsville.

The Athenians were hungry to return the favor to the Warriors who, just a couple of weeks earlier, handed them their first conference defeat, falling short in their quest for a Sagamore Conference Championship, as Danville took the win. Crawfordsville wasted no time in putting the Warriors on notice that this game would be different.

The game was very tight throughout the first have with both teams displaying a gritty determination and clarity that nothing less than their best would be needed to walk out with a trip to round two on Friday. The half time score saw the Athenians with just a one-point lead. I n the third quarter, the Danville fans were beginning to squirm in their seats as Crawfordsville began to create space between them and the Warriors, and it began to feel like their playoff run would come to a premature end. At the end of the three quarters, the Athenians led by a score of 48-40.

Whatever Coach Barber and his players drew up during the quarter break must have been good as they began to show their early-season offensive prowess and held their own on the defensive end. The game would remain tight down the stretch and as the clock wound down at the end of the fourth quarter, the score was tied at 62 apiece.

The Warriors had the ball as the clock ran down and while running their final play, Senior Kobe Ward was able to create some space on the right-side perimeter and drained a three-pointer with just 4.2 seconds left. All that was needed to push Danville to Friday nights round two game was a solid defensive stop. That is exactly what happened, and the Warriors were victorious by a final score of 65-62.

Leading the Warriors in scoring was Kobe Ward with 16 points while Braxton Fulwider finished with 12 and Peyton Jones added 11 of his own.

The Warriors would advance to Friday night’s Sectional Semi-Final to take on the Greencastle Tigers for an opportunity to return the favor of an early season loss. You could feel the energy in Case Arena, the home of the Frankfurt Hotdogs, as the great crowd of fans settled into cheer on their team. It was quite obvious, as well, that the players knew that this game likely decided the Sectional champion.

The Tigers came out with purpose as they started the game with more energy than the Warriors. Danville had an unusually slow start offensively and were only able to must eight points in the first quarter. They trailed 15-8 heading into quarter two. Consistency can be a good thing, but in this game, a repeat in the second quarter of the performance in the first quarter did not bode well for Danville. They were only able to lay another eight points on the board while giving up 17 to Greencastle and were staring a seemingly insurmountable 32-16 halftime deficit.

The Warriors would not go away in the second half, however, and Junior Braxton Fulwider decided to shoulder the weight of the team and almost single-handedly bring them back from the brink. The young man scored 10 of his 12 points in the quarter, bringing Danville within two points mid-way through the third quarter.

In the end, the 16-point deficit was too much to overcome and while Danville won the second half, it was not enough and Greencastle was victorious and became Sectional 25 Champions by a final score of 66-51.

Congratulations Danville on a good season. We look forward to seeing you on the court again in just a few months.

Leading the way for Danville in the game was Tyler Dostin with 13 points while Kobe Ward and Braxton Fulwider finished with 12 apiece.

All’s Cool - The Team’s in the Pool!

The Danville Community High School Swim Team celebrated the last home meet of the season with a pool party, of sorts. Even the coaches jumped in and joined in the fun.