Voices

We offer Voices as a place to share a story, a memory, an idea, a comment, a criticism, or a solution. Contributors must include name, address & phone number.

Exploring Hendricks County

By Jackie Horn

Photo from Melanie Hogan Johnson

I’ve often thought if I were to be reincarnated, I’d like to come back as a Turkey Vulture. “Weird choice,” you might think, but bear with me. Turkey vultures are quite amazing birds.

I first became an admirer of turkey vultures several years ago at a raptor presentation in a nature center. The group had brought a hawk, kestrel, and eagle to educate visitors. The highlight was when a HUGE black form swooped over my head and landed on the hat of the gentleman seated behind me. It was a turkey vulture. It was probably the ugliest bird I’d ever seen, but I was fascinated with how gracefully it glided and landed. This bird became my new favorite.

Turkey vultures, also known as turkey buzzards, are big but lightweight. With a wingspan from 63-72”, an adult in our area weighs only about 5 pounds. They’re called “turkey” vultures because when they are on the ground feeding, they resemble a wild turkey in size, color, and shape. In the air, it’s a whole other story!

Awkward and ungainly on the ground, vultures jump, hop and flap furiously to take to the air. Once up, they are very efficient fliers. They flap a few times, then riding the thermal updrafts, soar and glide. Pilots have reported them at altitudes of 20,000 feet! Remember when you were a kid and made black v-shapes as birds in flight on your crayon pictures? From the ground, that’s what vultures look like when coasting. They hold their wings at an angle and tip them to catch the wind.

Flying around high in the sky, turkey vultures have excellent eyesight and can spot a meal below. Even more impressive, they can smell it up to a mile away. This is a very unique trait as most vultures (and other birds) can’t smell at all. Contrary to popular belief, turkey vultures are pretty picky about what they’ll eat. Yes, they eat roadkill but only if it’s relatively fresh carrion (12-24 hours old.)

Turkey vultures’ range covers North America from southern Canada south to the tip of South America. Hendricks County is right on the edge of the buzzards’ yearround range. Some birds may migrate short distances for winter. While turkey vultures forage alone, they are social animals and like to live in large colonies. They don’t have a “song” because they don’t have a syrinx, an organ like our voice box. Their only vocalizations are grunts when courting and hissing when threatened or fighting.

The birds mate beginning in March. They don’t make nests but lay their eggs on a bare surface in a hollow tree, in a thicket, in a cave, or a rock outcropping. Eggs hatch in 30-40 days. Both parents feed and care for the young. If threatened, buzzards hiss and vomit semi-digested meat at the predator. Besides smelling awful, the yuck stings. Chicks will do this as well. The chicks fledge at about 10 weeks and the family stays together until autumn.

The worldwide turkey vulture population is estimated at around 4,500,000. While protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty of 1918, they are listed as “Least Concern” on the threatened species lists but it’s still illegal to kill a bird or possess any parts of it, including feathers.

The “Ick Factor” is what keeps most people from appreciating these huge birds. Yuck, they eat dead things! Can you imagine how our roadways would look and smell without them?! Put that thought aside and look at the Turkey Vulture from a distance. It’s not ugly as it glides and soars, its wing’s flight feathers flashing silver in the sun as it slowly circles overhead. Yep, I can imagine floating lazily, high over the ground with my friends. It wouldn’t be such a bad life. ______________________________________________

A Note From Bee

I like so many of my friends find myself wearing jeans most of the time. They are just so comfortable.

My friend Sue had told me that her son Luke was marrying Cassie in the summer time. She told me in October. My wardrobe consists of jeans, casual pants, and one winter dress that I had worn to my granddaughter’s wedding a couple of years ago. I was going to have to go shopping (which I hate) for a summer dress appropriate for a wedding. Ginger and Spice was having a going out of business sale. This sale had been going on for some time. She still had summer dresses. She always had high quality clothes but pricey. If they were going out of business that meant reduced prices. Sure enough when I went in everything was 75% off. The owner was so good about helping me find a dress. It was December when I bought the dress. I put it in the closet and unfortunately did not put it on until a couple of hours before the wedding. That was a bad, bad mistake. I had gained weight since I had bought the dress. Even with the help of my husband and a lot of wiggling I barely was able to get into it. As soon as we got home from the wedding I took the dress off knowing I could never wear it again. I had a friend who I was able to give it to.

Bee Jones

______________________________________________

The Rocket 98

We can all remember our teen years where we did silly, crazy things and laughed and laughed. This story is about one of those times.

My good friend Larry Chambers and I planned a double date. He was dating Linda Lee, whom he later married, and I cannot remember who I went out with. Larry’s dad let him borrow his beautiful, 1959 Oldsmobile Rocket 98.

Man what a car! It was big and powerful. You could knock down buildings with this baby. It was loaded with features like power steering, power brakes, power windows, and power seats. It had a rocket looking sensor on the dash that would automatically dim the lights when an on-coming car was approaching.

But it had one feature that we decided we could have some fun with. On the floor were two pedals, one to manually dim the lights and one that would change the radio stations when depressed. We were driving around and I told the girls that I had a magic ring. When I pointed it at the something and said “AbraCadabra” I could make things happen. I said “Watch, I will make the radio change stations.” Yea right, they said. Larry watched in the rearview mirror and when I did my thing, he would step on the pedal and the radio would change stations. The girls like to went nuts. Finally, Linda noticed that every time this happened, Larry’s leg moved but not before we had had our fun.

Ah, those lazy, crazy days of summer. “What great times!”

Noel Gatlin

______________________________________________

ASK MR. TRAFFIC

By Chet Skwarcan, PE, President/ Founder of Traffic Engineering, Inc. Chet@TrafficEngineering.com

The Road Less Traveled

And That Has Made All the Difference

When traveling recently, I encountered a sign stating, “Lane Closed to Ease Congestion.” At first glance, the sign made no sense. My second glance however, lasting about twenty minutes, afforded a different conclusion...

By now, as a burgeoning student of the traffic engineering sciences (and Robert Frost), you know where this is headed. You know that closing roads (or lanes) diverts a certain percentage of traffic to alternate routes. And you know that a certain percentage of those drivers forever continue to use that alternate route because, 1) they actually prefer the new found route, or 2) they have no idea the road reopened.

As alluded to in previous columns, we are creatures of habit — we tend to drive the same route every day (stop doing that!). The familiar is the comfortable (we love comfort). That’s why I use the Waze app. It’s like a Magic 8-Ball. I can shake it (figuratively) and get a different route whenever I sense I’m succumbing to the comfortable (SttU). And it often recommends routes making no sense. And they make even less sense when I end up in the middle of a farm field 100 miles from my destination. But that’s OK because I discover new roads while experiencing minimal congestion. Plus, by then I usually can’t remember where I was going anyway, so who cares?

Remember, autonomous cars and “connected vehicles” will resolve our traffic woes, but in the meantime, take the road less traveled. And as someone wiser than me once said, “I’m wiser than you!”

______________________________________________

A Squirrel About Town

By Archy

Archy looked disheveled and it was not a good look for a squirrel. I asked what was wrong.

“Spring cleaning,” he answered. “Time for a fresh start. I’ve been winnowing the wheat from the chaff, cleaning up the clutter, streamlining the chaos, lightening the load.”

And unloading his little-used metaphors, I thought to myself. I had no idea a squirrel’s nest could be so complex.

“Not my home,” Archy answered my thought. “My life. We all need to do a little spiritual straightening-up. You’d be surprised how refreshing it can be.” I asked what that entailed. “Questioning your beliefs,” he said. “Holding your principals up to the light and looking for flaws. There are many things we keep out of habit that don’t serve a purpose anymore. You have to know when it’s time to toss them on the trash heap.” I was beginning to see his point. “Spring is a good time to take a look at the lessons you’ve learned and the lessons you didn’t learn,” Archy said, smoothing out a bit of ruffled fur on his haunch. I asked for examples. “I learned to keep my expectations low when it came to humans,” the squirrel explained. “That makes their good qualities seem more numerous. Seriously, sometimes it seems like people have little desire for self-improvement. Too many distractions, I suspect.”

“That’s a kind way of putting it,” I said. “What about the lessons you didn’t learn?” I asked. The squirrel thought long and hard. “I have yet to learn to give up on your kind,” he said as he patted my hand. “The spark is still there in most people. They just have to realize it.” ______________________________________________

Get Creative With Some Beautiful Containers

By Colletta Kosiba Hendricks County Master Gardener

Container plantings can decorate your outdoor living spaces.

Remember thriller, filler, spiller.

This simple method will ensure you create beautiful containers by the use of thriller, filler, and spiller plants.

Thriller plants – Thrillers are the tall (big) plants, they are the bold focal point of your container. This plant provides an eye-catching vertical element. It should be 1½ times the height of container itself.

Tall ornamental grasses or sweet flag work well, house plants, too, or use spiky blooming plants such as canna lily. If you will be viewing the container from all sides, put the thriller in the middle. If container viewed from the front, plant the thriller in the back.

Containers don’t have to be earth-bound. This one can hang on a wall.

Filler plants – Fillers are mid-size, mounding, or rounded plants, that are planted around the thriller to fill in the space. You can use one kind of filler or opt for two or three different plants in your design. I try to use something that blooms all summer. Think about using plants with colored leaves like coleus or begonias.

Spillers - plants that cascade and vine over the sides of the container. (they cover that hard pot edge and make your design flow.) Trailing begonias, or ivy are some choices. Beware of sweet potato vine as it could take over the entire container! Important: choose plants with the same sunlight and water requirements when selecting plants for your container.

Using Color: Harmony:-in same color family or contrast:-opposites on color wheel Textures: soft and bold Plant pot full to begin with, if makes you happy. May need to replace a plant if you guessed wrong. That’s ok. Never use garden soil. Use fresh soil mix each year. Make sure there is a hole in bottom of container to drain excess water. Water as needed--(keep a close eye on it!) you need to fertilize with a water solvable fertilizer each time you water for best results.

Be imaginative on your container selections too. The possibilities are unlimited. By using thrillers, fillers, and spillers it’s easy for you to have the fun of creating a lovely container.

What kind of containers does the Pope keep his plants in? Vat-I-Cans!

Call The Home-Landscaping-Garden Help Line and Master Gardeners will answer your questions every Tuesday. May 18 to Sept 28. Hours 9:00-Noon and 1-4:00pm call 317-745-9260 (Hendricks Co. Extension)

A Bark From the Past: Henry

[Editor’s Note: The Republican’s first four-footed correspondent was Henry. A mixed breed rescue dog, Henry would make observations about being a dog in a small town. The articles, which ran in 2006 - 2010, have been languishing in the computer’s memory and we thought a new audience might enjoy some canine commentary.]

The other day, my humans were listening to the radio and I heard some disturbing news. Our country is about to be invaded by an army of Cicadas. Now, I don’t know just where Cicadia is exactly, but it must be far away, because it’s taken the Cicadian army 17 years to get here. Someplace as far away as Belgium. Or Idaho. Or maybe Greencastle. Anyway, this Cicadian army is traveling light, because it eats up local food as it goes, so it doesn’t have to carry its own kibble.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I, for one, am not about to stand by and let some invading army take over our town. So, I have taken some steps to see that it won’t happen. I have re-organized my security firm, Makewater Danville. You remember, I formed it last year to take over security in Iraq when Blackwater USA got into all that trouble. Now, rather than provide international security, I am making it a local branch of Homeland Security.

I found out that the elevator at the Danville Public Library is now inspected by the Department of Homeland Security! And I’m not kidding! So, since a few members of the AAAC who form Makewater Danville are part of the Paws to Read program at the library, I figure they can watch for the Homeland Security folks to check out the elevator, then offer them our services.

In the meantime, we have made some plans to protect our town from the Cicadians. First, the best diggers in the AAAC can make a deep trench all the way around Danville, and the town can fill it with water. If we can tie it into the creek that runs through the park, we can curve it up around the new animal shelter to protect it. (The folks at that smelly asphalt plant are on their own!) A moat may not stop the Cicadians, but by golly, it might slow them down a little. Just inside the moat, we will dig a bunch of holes, which we will conceal, so that the Cicadians will step in them and sprain their ankles. They won’t be able to put up much of a fight if they’re all limping!

We advise all pet owners to stock up on their pets’ food, so in case we get barricaded in our houses, the animals will have adequate provisions. And, it’s probably a good idea to roll some bandages. I’m not sure why, but in all the war movies my human watches, the folks back home are always rolling bandages.

And finally, we want to tell everyone not to be afraid. With Makewater Danville on the job, you may sleep secure, knowing that your pets are taking this watch. There’s no way those wily Cicadians will slip by us! We will protect our homeland!

Thought for the Day: “It’s not what you don’t know that hurts you. It’s what you do know that ain’t right.”— Ambrose Bierce

_____________________________________________

The Cost of Classroom Libraries: A Teacher’s Dowry (and How You Can Help)

Teachers and their struggle for fair compensation have finally been making headlines. Stories long known in education circles are being heard by the broader public: teachers with second and third jobs to make ends meet, lack of upkeep with inflation, and out-of-pocket expenses for supplies.

A hidden secret that still hasn’t had its moment in the spotlight: in most public schools, classroom libraries are almost always funded by teachers themselves. These vital tools for teaching children literacy skills and a love of reading are basically charitable donations made by already underpaid employees.

In what other industry would this be acceptable? Imagine a surgeon supplying her own bandages. Or a firefighter paying for the hoses. Donalyn Miller, an award-winning teacher, author, and staff developer, refers to this horrible phenomenon as a teacher’s dowry. Does a dowry seem old-fashioned, wrong, and absurd in 2021? You bet. And yet here we are. She said, “No one asks the basketball coach to buy the basketballs. Books shouldn’t be part of the dowry we pay to become a teacher.” I simply cannot stress just how true this is.

“Build your classroom library” is probably written in every professional development book about reading written in the last 25 years. All teachers know the importance of being able to give students access to books on the spot. Teachers dream of being able to refer a student to just the right book at just the right time. You want to be able to give them access to copies of the newest books, from a variety of genres. You want them to be organized, in bins, on shelves, with labels, in a system that works well for you and your class.

Teachers get creative. They use Donors Choose or other crowdfunding. They write grants. They use Scholastic Bo-

nus points, if they have students that can afford it (by the way, the students that most need an incredible classroom library are the ones that can’t afford the Book Club). But mainly, they use their own money.

During my career, I taught three different grade levels. Each time, I basically started over to build an age-appropriate classroom library. The financial drain on my bank account continued because the more I bought, the more the kids read. And wrote. And grew. And loved. I was a book buying junkie, fueled by the need my kids had for more.

Students typically do not experience the joy reading can bring by completing workbook pages, which IS provided. It falls on the shoulders of our teachers and librarians to remind students that the real joy is found between the covers of books.

When I took a job as a reading specialist, I preached to an entire district of teachers that they needed wonderful classroom libraries. And I meant it. But I now cringe at the financial sacrifice those teachers may have made in order to make this happen and meet that expectation.

I shouldn’t feel guilty for advocating what I know is right. I should only feel anger that in today’s America, teachers are not given money for books, the most vital tool in education.In America, we are holding our teachers financially hostage by promoting the importance of books but not providing the money to buy the books they know their students want and need.

How Parents and Caregivers Can Get Involved in Supporting Classroom Libraries

When you hear about a classroom teacher switching grade levels, whether by choice or not, PLEASE consider asking the teacher about his or her classroom library. Maybe you have something that could help, whether through financial means or a few books of your own you could donate.

Skip the lotion, mug, and ornament: purchase your child’s teacher a book to add to their library as a holiday or end of year gift. Bonus points for hardback… they last longer. Encourage your fellow parents/caregivers to do the same.

If you are involved in your school’s parent organization, advocate that some of the money raised in all those fundraisers be channeled back to the teachers in the form of bookstore/Amazon gift cards.

If you have the means, please consider purchasing a book from the Scholastic Book Club if your child’s teacher participates. Chances are, that teacher desperately needs those points in order to add the books he/she knows will be a hit. Use the Book Club to buy birthday gifts for your kids, other kids, and for donations.

Please do not complain about the school supply list. If you don’t buy the items on the supply list, the teachers will buy the supplies and then they may not buy the books.

VOTE for candidates who support public education in meaningful ways (increased teacher salaries, as an example).

Thank you for your consideration of ways you can support better classroom libraries. Millions of teachers thank you as well. And thank you to all of those who have sacrificed financially to make possible the classroom libraries in which your children read. Let’s all do our part to change this antiquated practice of teacher dowries for something as basic as high quality books in our classrooms. ______________________________________________