Everybody knows their “woulda, coulda, shoulda” moments.
Right moment, right place, right thing to do — but that choice involved too much work, sweat, time or Extra Strength Tylenol. Later, we realize the truth of the old saying, “If the right thing was easy, everybody would be doing it.”
The thought of Terre Haute’s lost opportunities crossed my mind last week as I studied some city history in the wake of Duke Bennett’s historic victory in the local mayoral race. He became the first Republican re-elected as mayor since Ora D. Davis’ run from 1922 to ’29 — nearly 90 years ago. Some defining elements of the community became realities under Davis, particularly Deming Park and Memorial Stadium. But what left me shaking my head was a handful of Davis-backed proposals that got shelved — a 40-mile greenway drive circumnavigating the city, a breathtaking arch straddling U.S. 40 to greet motorists at the Wabash River’s edge, and an extension of South Center Street to Wabash Avenue.
Davis planned for all three. Others — too timid, frugal or resistant to change — let those visions die.
As Bennett begins a second term, Hauteans need to keep ideas on the city’s frontburner. Paved streets, fire and police protection, and a relatively cheap cost of living are great, but should be baseline expectations. To grow, Terre Haute must continually work to accentuate its distinctions, and develop more of those unique assets.
Bennett has a list. He sees potential in a cluster of ongoing projects, including a city-county master trails plan, a strategic plan for Terre Haute International Airport, Riverscape, the Rural Health Innovation Collaborative, and a railroad traffic relief study, among others. Each could transform the quality of life here, and would if carried through to completion. The community should fully commit to getting them done, no matter how complicated or uncomfortable the process gets.
Last summer, members of the Tribune-Star newsroom staff tried to envision what might happen to Terre Haute during the next 10 years. Some predictions were positive, others negative, and the plus-or-minus value of some depended on individual viewpoint. Anticipating the bad isn’t merely pessimism; it’s prudent. Wise people don’t hope for floods or crime, but prepare to contain those problems. Likewise, imagining new structures and amenities isn’t irresponsible; that’s how previous generations conceived and built St. Benedict Catholic Church, Hulman Center, the Seventh Street Arts Corridor, Tilson Auditorium, Bob Warn Field, your high school alma mater, the local college campuses, Ohio Boulevard, and, yes, Deming Park and Memorial Stadium.
So, with that understanding, let’s glance at some of the Trib-Star reporting crew’s expectations for the decade ahead.
• The airport finds its niche, not with special vacation passenger flights, but as an expanded FedEx or DHL site for cargo delivery. (Maximizing that resource — Terre Haute International — diversifies the local economy.)
• Somehow, land between Clay and Vigo counties draws federal funding to develop a new battery plant for electric cars. (Elkhart, in northern Indiana, is home to the all-electric Think North America car factory.)
• The city population drops as Baby Boomers pass on. (Terre Haute’s under-18 population decreased by 1,401 people from 2000 to 2010, and the 65-and-older age group accounts for 13.5 percent of the overall population, compared to 12.9 percent nationally. The community must attract young people and families.)
• With new jobs and industry, will Terre Haute get positions that pay decent wages? (To turn that question into a positive prediction something must change. Only seven counties have a median household income lower than Vigo County’s at $37,876, which is well below the state median of $45,427.)
• A women’s prison is added to the Federal Correctional Complex. (Sadly, corrections appears to be a growth industry in Indiana.)
• One or two more hotels develop when the 641 Bypass is completed. (Ideally, the bypass will generate some business.)
• New breweries and wineries emerge. (The nearest winery is scenic Castle Finn between Marshall and Paris in Illinois, and the Terre Haute Brewery could use some company on the local beer-making landscape.)
• The city will annex parts of southern Vigo County. (If so, could Terre Haute stretch its fire and police protection, as well as other services to the outlying areas?)
• The number of taxpaying businesses shrinks. (Many of the above listings could affect that unwanted possibility.)
• The meth epidemic will continue to grow. (The concerted efforts already in place in the community should continue, and state legislators should pay closer attention to local ideas — including a measure on prescription-only sales of drugs containing pseudoephedrine, a proposal likely to resurface in the Legislature next year — to curb that scourge.)
• Public sector employment will continue in dynamic fashion. (Education and health care account for nearly one-third of the jobs in Terre Haute and Vigo County. Thus, the cascade of state cuts in public education funding has a deeper impact here than in some other Hoosier towns.)
• The newsroom staffers also speculated on how the next 10 years might alter large employers such as Sony DADC and the hospitals, organized labor, and downtown redevelopment. How can Terre Haute prepare for life after disc-technology, new systems of health care, continued attempts by the Statehouse to restrict unions, and the investment needed to keep downtown Terre Haute lively?
By 2020, Deming Park will be on the brink of its 100th anniversary. What addition to Terre Haute in the coming decade could still be serving the community a century later? Should the community pursue such an idea? Would the city even try it? The right answer to the latter two questions would be, yes. The answer to the first question is up to us.
Mark Bennett can be reached at (812) 231-4377 or mark.bennett@
tribstar.com.
Mark Bennett Opinion
MARK BENNETT: With an historic election behind Terre Haute, it’s time to look at the future’s possibilities
- Mark Bennett Opinion
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Mark Bennett: High-profile mural connects historical dots from city to river
At 96 feet wide and 2 stories tall, the power, impact and value of the Wabash will be evident.
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MARK BENNETT: Life at face value: Mom’s simple advice still presents a valuable daily challenge
Most moms don’t base their advice on scientific research.
(Unless, of course, your mother is a scientific researcher. If so, carry a No. 2 pencil and take good notes.) -
MARK BENNETT: Should I stay or should I go?
Some have their Bill Clinton-era Cavalier packed (with the trunk bungee-ed shut), apartment cleaned (except for the fridge), and iPhone GPS locked onto the fastest route out of Terre Haute. Others are staying — until they find a better job, or because they’re starting a career here, or because this town feels like home. In each case, a new stage of life begins today.
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College Class of '13 gets a little extra advice
Local college grads will hear commencement speakers offer life and career advice this month. We’re offering them an extra dose here from folks who’ve found success in various vocations and regions of the nation. Many have Terre Haute roots.
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MARK BENNETT: Spirited response to a rising river
The power within the Wabash revealed itself last week.
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MARK BENNETT: Littered with irony: Why do people callously discard their trash, and who are they?
Though they aren’t acknowledged by the U.S. Census Bureau, there are basically two demographic groups of people … Those who would dump their old toilet on the banks of the Wabash River or a rural roadside. And those who wouldn’t.
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MARK BENNETT: Performing under the radar: Toiling for years behind the scenes, Terre Haute native J.T. Corenflos finally earned a splash of musical recognition
People who diligently work to make others shine are a rare breed.
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Season of Day 2s arrives
Calendars in Cincinnati contain one extra holiday — Opening Day, traditionally the first Monday in April.
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MARK BENNETT: Amid tragedy and chaos, the hopeful smiles of youth could not be repressed
The image jars the viewer. On its own, the old photograph appears ordinary. Three smiling kids.
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MARK BENNETT: A century later, ‘On the Banks of the Wabash’ still rises above Indiana politics
Music and politics share one commonality — people who like a style different from yours are nuts.
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MARK BENNETT: Digit dialing a thing of the past, but telephoning is still a numbers game
You’ve heard of child prodigies who can play Mozart on piano or perform calculus at the age of 5.
That wasn’t me. -
MARK BENNETT: After years of preparation, 60 immigrants will gather in Terre Haute on March 14 to pledge their allegiance to the United States of America
It will have been a long and difficult road, but it will be an emotional moment when they raise their right hands and begin the oath of citizenship
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MARK BENNETT: The fall and rise of a ‘Young Titan’
Broken. Humiliated. Discarded. Finished.
Few of us think of Winston Churchill in such bleak terms. -
MARK BENNETT: Trying to keep momentum of acceptance within the community a key part of Jeff Lorick’s job
Second-graders’ eyes and minds function differently.
They see the future unjaded. Their possibilities stand tall, not yet choked by the adult weeds of prejudice and bitterness. -
MARK BENNETT: For Glenda Ritz, being educator, ‘not a politician’ still makes good political sense
Educator, not a politician.
Glenda Ritz emphasizes that distinction about herself. -
MARK BENNETT: Falling short of the big prize will produce lessons nonetheless
This is a day for Roman numerals.
Americans seldom use them. And when we do, humility is not our purpose. -
MARK BENNETT: Forgotten Message: Advice from ‘The Mick’ should be remembered in wake of Lance Armstrong’s troubles
The two comments were almost identical.
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MARK BENNETT: A sense of Americana constant passenger as iconic Corvette motors through milestone birthday
On my last ride at the wheel of a ’Vette, I was a wide-eyed teenager, guiding my brother’s almost-new, orange 1976 model.
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MARK BENNETT: Sculptor from North Carolina to capture image of Indiana’s first black state legislator
Well-meaning parents try to instill strong character in their kids.
“Don’t be afraid to stand up for your beliefs,” moms and dads will insist, “even if you stand alone.” -
MARK BENNETT: Heart ailments, avoidable health issues affect high numbers of Vigo residents
Many folks in Vigo County will analyze digits on their bathroom scales this month. After all, January and fitness resolutions are traditional partners.
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MARK BENNETT: For some people in the Wabash Valley, happy holidays require a little help
Picture yourself as a kid, not yet 5 years old, growing up in a small house in Terre Haute.
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MARK BENNETT: Beware Ignorance and Want and reap the benefits of early education
Pretend that Charles Dickens is about to become Indiana’s next governor.
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MARK BENNETT: In spirit of season, calculate your fiscal cliff impact, then argue
Envision “chestnuts roasting on an open fire.”
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MARK BENNETT: Members of Congress should be free to consider all sides of an issue
Attempting to trump the U.S. Constitution requires some nerve.
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MARK BENNETT: An unbudging Congress standing on opposing sides accomplishes little
Sausage patties, hugging a scoop of scrambled eggs and a couple slices of toast on a plate, and chased with nearby steaming black coffee.
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MARK BENNETT: Hoosier voters issue mandate on Bennett’s school reforms
Mike Pence, Mitch Daniels and Indiana legislators should respect the votes of 1,315,026 Hoosiers.
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MARK BENNETT: Elections, governing would look a lot different if everybody voted
A raffle ticket purchase usually comes with a disclaimer — “you must be present to win.”
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MARK BENNETT: On Election Day, as Vigo County goes, so goes the United States
Hempstead sounds like a fine place.
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MARK BENNETT: Upcoming PBS documentary focuses on nation’s voting irregularities, through Hoosier eyes
As America prepares to choose its governmental leaders, voters are being relentlessly asked how much they trust elected officials.
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MARK BENNETT: Quest for knowledge keeps going as Elliott Gould prepares to speak in Terre Haute
As our conversation began, Elliott Gould was in the midst of learning. He was reading a book.
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