Monday, July 29, 2024
FOREVER FRIEND
Yesterday’s “Tats for Tails” event at Stage Left Tattoo and Piercing, featuring eight tattoo artists giving out $50 tattoos chosen from a list of 70 possible designs, drew a patient crowd up South Harrison St. and winding around the block. Proceeds from the event benefit the Shelby County Animal Shelter. | photo by JACK BOYCE
City’s First Director of Public Relations Reflects on On-going Efforts
Five months into her role as Director of Public Relations for the City of Shelbyville, Jenna Martin already has a lot of irons in the fire. From overseeing website and city social media overhauls to shepherding a comprehensive community survey, Martin has traversed the gamut of municipal activities in a short time.
The Illinois native who made the move here to her husband’s hometown is no novice. She previously worked in higher education and then remotely for a fraternity, promoting Sigma Phi Epsilon’s housing options at numerous institutions.
“Since I worked at home, lived at home, played at home, I wanted to get to know the community better,” Martin recalls.
She reached out to Brandy Coomes, Executive Director of MainStreet Shelbyville. They met at The Bookmark on Public Square, and soon Martin found herself with information and a job in promotions. With the then-newly redeveloped downtown, Martin helped spread the word about events occurring in the space. She also published an “Explore Shelby County” blog.
After Scott Furgeson won the mayoral race last November, he reached out to Martin for help publicizing city initiatives. They reviewed how other Indianapolis metro communities structured such positions, and looked at ways to not only focus on public relations but also marketing, hence the efforts to replace the city’s long-held slogan, “Pride in Progress.”
Martin said she shouldn’t have initially referred to the effort as “rebranding.”
“We didn’t have a brand to begin with,” she said. “We had a slogan, not a war cry, not a motto. A motto is something that people buy into, but our community wasn’t doing that. Our community was making fun of (the slogan).”
She is now on a mission to “find out what our community really cares about, and help us tell that story.”
The starting point was a recent community survey. The open-ended responses received 65 pages per question of input.
“People basically used it like a therapist and shared all of their qualms, all the things they're prideful of, all the things they think about the community,” Martin said with a laugh.
That qualitative feedback is now being analyzed to create a report that will go to the Common Council.
“They then can turn around and start a plan on how they are going to address issues (from the report),” she said.
It’s all part of the continual effort at transparency, and is in addition to marketing the city, which includes using city social media for a range of community promotion purposes.
“I’m not just here saying, ‘Here’s Ordinance A, B and C.’ I’m saying, you should check us out. You should consider us,” Martin said of Shelbyville. “I’m inserting us into the conversation so that people see us as an option.”
SHELBY SUNRISE
View from East State Road 44. | photo by JACK BOYCE
NOTEBOOK:
HOOSIER NEWS: Since 2000, Indiana has arrested 18 Hoosiers with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) on charges of donating plasma, according to a report released this week. None were charged under provisions penalizing actual transmission. But sixteen were convicted of at least one HIV-related crime. That’s more than were documented in 13 other states examined in previous studies, per the report. Universal screening procedures implemented since the origin of the law mean donors must answer questions about their health, and blood banks test all donations for infectious diseases. The American Red Cross, for example, began antibody testing for HIV in 1985 and nucleic acid testing in 1999. Plasma-derived products are also heat-treated to deactivate blood-borne pathogens, according to the report, while plasma donors identified as positive for those pathogens are placed on a permanent, national donor deferral registry.(Indiana Public Media)
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SHS Courier Archive Reviewed
Editor’s note: The recent string of Shelbyville High School Courier excerpts have been a hit. We’re going to extend the series indefinitely. Today’s featured edition is from February 1939.
The Courier needed 200 more subscribers to be solvent. It only had 50. “Unless more financial support is received from the students, publication will cease with this issue,” the front page said.
A recreational room had been added for girls who spent the “noon hour” at school. Miss Bilby was in charge of the girls gym. Shuffle board, ping-pong, volley-ring, tennis and checkers were available. Dancing instruction would be give during “the regular social dancing period,” the paper said. Music was furnished by those who could play the piano, and a victrola was used if students brought their own records.
SHS girls organized a Leap Year party. “The boys were called by their dates, escorted to their cars and royally helped in. None of the bystanders yelled ‘cabbage’ because everyone understood it was a leap year party,” the paper said. Upon getting into Martha Hilligoss’s car, Jim Whisman pretended to complain that he had just washed his hair and “it was just a mess.” Betty Sue Klare gave her date, Martin Wolfe, a charming corsage of brussle sprouts, lettuce leaves, carrots and celery, all tied together with pretty pink ribbons. “Martin was simply car-azy about it,” the article said. “At the Drive-In, the boys began to have their fun. Much to Lois Long’s dismay, Martin Cherry ordered a hot ham, a large hamburger and a malted milk. She economized with a little hamburger and a Coke. Bill Trees made Frances Anderson’s weekly allowance look sick, too.” Oaklay Gordon was asked by the news staff about his date with Betty Sheritt. “It was not only enjoyable, but practical,” he said. “The fact that it shows to the girl the expense and burdensome tasks, such as correct etiquette, a boy endures on a date.”
Despite injuries to Bud Munger, Paul Ash and Doyle Benefeil, the Bears beat Washington, 27-26, after Wilbur Higgins stole the ball, dribbled the length of the court and hit a one-handed shot with two guards on him. Jelly Brown also had key plays in the game.
Jeanne Ann Moore was voted “Good Citizen” of the school. She advanced to a statewide contest featuring winners from others schools.
Harold Soshnick’s speech on Guinea Pigs took fourth place in the state contest, hosted at Wabash College.
This Day in Shelby County History
News around Shelbyville and the surrounding area as reported on or about this date in history. Selections are curated from the Shelby County Public Library Genealogy Department.
2014: Becky Campbell taught a watercolors class at the Shelby Arts Guild Association (SAGA) in its newly renovated Gallery on Public Square.
2004: The Shelbyville Plan Commission discussed annexing 1.75 acres into the city for a new gas station planned by GasAmerica. The site was just north of I-74 where Morristown Road joined State Road 9, on the west side of State Road 9, opposite the Cracker Barrel restaurant. But that was a problem, Tom DeBaun, director of the city’s plan commission, said. Several traffic accidents had occurred near the proposed site as cars pulled out of Morristown Road onto N. State Road 9. The intersection was already busy, DeBaun said, and would get busier with Major Hospital’s incoming cancer treatment center and other future developments. He called for a close review of the site plan.
1994: Shelbyville would be home to a new 10-apartment complex by the end of the year. Park Side Apartments, owned by Harry Meeke Jr., would contain two two-bedroom and eight one-bedroom apartments. The building would be at the intersection of Columbia Avenue and Pike Street, behind Mickey’s T-Mart.
1984: The Shelby County Jail had saved the $5,000 a year it previously spent on laundry service by purchasing a washer and dryer. Over the first six months of the year, the jail had spent $55 on laundry. “That washer and dryer have paid for themselves many times over,” Commissioner Robert Newton said.
1974: Officials of the State Bank of Waldron announced plans to construct a new building to replace the bank in Waldron. The new facility west of the old bank would be red brick with white colonial trim. It would feature a drive-up window and night depository.
1964: Steve Beckley won the Morristown Cub Scout Coaster Race, with Mike Everhart finishing a close second. Harry Callahan was in charge of waving the winner’s flag.
1954: Plans were in the works to onboard the 100 women who were part of families moving to Shelbyville due to the new General Electric plant. One New York woman said her husband had come home and announced, “We’re moving to Shelbyville,” and she answered, “Good, where is it?” The Shelbyville News reported. The onboarding sessions would help families become acclimated to the community.
1944: Eleven local men were inducted into military service: James Coulston, Burchard DeBusk, Wallace Bryant, William Lane, Christian Fischer Jr., Rolland Comstock Jr., Leo Tarplee, Calvin Schaekel, William Nichols, Rex Gosney and James Miller.
1934: Shelbyville High School filled its two teacher vacancies with J.C. Humphrey, from Fort Wayne, and Ruth Louise Young, daughter of Charles Young. Humphrey replaced George Joyce in the commercial department. Miss Young would be the new girls physical education teacher. She was a graduate of Mt. Auburn High School and had a bachelor’s degree from Ball State Teachers College. The school board also voted to permit Mrs. L.F. Abel to use the Hendricks school for private kindergarten classes.
1924: Mary Lamb DePrez, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Karl Deprez, of West Mechanic St., was severely burned on the right shoulder when some sparklers ignited her clothing. In an effort to extinguish the flames, her father sustained burns to both his hands.
1914: The local owner of a second-hand store on Shelbyville’s East Washington Street was arrested in Indianapolis for stealing numerous items of clothing from a store.
OBITUARIES
James Robert “Jim” Huber, 87, of Greenwood, formerly of Shelbyville, passed away on Saturday, July 27, 2024, at Otterbein Senior Care Community in Franklin. He was born June 2, 1937, in Fairland, the son of Roland O. and Anna Mae (Fisher) Huber. On January 19, 2005, in Scottsdale, Arizona, he married Nancy (Headlee) Walton, and she survives. In addition to Nancy, Jim is survived by his son, Norman Huber and wife, Cindy, of Shelbyville; step-daughters, Julie Walton and Jenny Parsley and husband, Brent, both of Shelbyville, and Jamie Suchotzky, of Greenwood; brothers, Rex Huber and wife, Kye Ja, of Oxnard, California, John Huber and wife, Jane, of Shelbyville, and David Huber of Columbus; grandchildren, Rhianna Harless and husband, Chris, Rachel Morris and husband, Albert, Natalie Hill, Dodge Huber, Jimmy Walton and wife, Ciara, Lindsay White and husband, Matthew, Aaron Walton and fiancée, Samantha, Kailee Lawson and fiancé, Corbyn; Bryce Parsley; Karlee Lawson and fiancé, Colton, and Adelyn Parsley; seven great-grandchildren; and many cousins, friends and nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; son, Jason Edward Huber; daughter, Denise Hill; step-son, Jimmy Walton; and brother, Charles W. “Bill” Huber.
In 1955, Jim graduated from Fairland High School. He was a veteran of the Indiana National Guard. Jim was an active member of the Shelbyville Seventh-Day Adventist Church, where he served as a deacon, assisted with the development of the church radio station and helped with the updating and decorating of the church building. He was a co-owner of Huber Bros Inc. and was a commercial and industrial painting contractor for over 50 years, retiring in 2015. Jim also owned Walnut Grove Campground since 2011. He enjoyed being busy and was always working on the restoration of furniture or cars. Jim was a former member of the Columbia Club and Shelby County JayCees. His family hosted many exchange students from all over the world. He loved animals, especially horses and dogs.
Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, August 1, 2024, at Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, Carmony-Ewing Chapel, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville. Funeral services will follow at 1 p.m., Thursday, at the funeral home, with Pastor Eric Freking officiating. Interment will be at Liberty Cemetery in Shelby County. Jim’s family would like to give special thanks to Heartland Hospice, Main St. Hospice and the staff of Otterbein Senior Care Community. Memorial contributions may be made to the Shelbyville Seventh-Day Adventist Church Building Fund, 1541 W. McKay Road, Shelbyville, Indiana 46176. Online condolences may be shared with Jim’s family at www.freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.com.