When: 6 p.m. Monday
Where: Clay County Fairgrounds
What: Meet the candidates on the Clay County ballots, question candidates for key races in a public forum
Who: Everyone is invited to attend
By FRANK PHILLIPS
frankphi@hotmail.com
“Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government;...” --Thomas Jefferson to Richard Price, 1789.
Helping people become well-informed is a goal of the newspaper industry. Newspapermen and women understand the truth of Jefferson’s words.
With that in mind, The Brazil Times, Clay County Farm Bureau and the Clay County Chamber of Commerce are presenting a candidates’ forum at 6 p.m. Monday at the Clay County Fairgrounds on S.R. 59, south of Brazil.
Since this series began five years ago, we have followed a format that has proven popular with candidates and voters.
Candidates in three races have agreed to participate. They are Clay County Sheriff candidates Mike Heaton (R), Rob Gambill (D) and Larry Pierce (I); 44th District State Representative candidates Amos Thomas (R) and Richard Thompson (D); and 46th District State Representative candidates Reid Dallas (R) and Vern Tincher (D).
Program schedule:
6 - 6:50 p.m. — Sheriff’s candidates
6:50-7 p.m. — Break for refreshments
7-7:30 p.m. — Other candidate introductions.
Candidates in races other than those listed above will have two minutes to introduce themselves.
7:30-8:20 p.m. — 44th District State Representative candidates
8:20-8:30 p.m. — Break
8:30-9 p.m. — 46th District State Representative candidates
The format of the question-and-answer sessions will be as follows:
Each candidate will have two minutes to introduce themselves.
Written questions from the audience will be collected and given to the moderator, who will then relay questions to the candidates in the order the moderator chooses.
Each candidate will have two minutes to answer each question.
Every candidate will have the opportunity to answer the same question — questions may not be directed to one candidate.
Note: If questions are lacking, the program may be abbreviated, so candidates are asked to arrive early.
The Brazil Times news reporters will also be present to meet you and report what the candidates have to say in Tuesday’s edition.
We hope everyone will take advantage of this opportunity to meet the candidates face to face, and ask your questions, because you want to be informed.
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Review -- "I Hate Hamlet" is a winner
By FRANK PHILLIPS
frankphi@hotmail.com
Don't you -- yes, YOU, the TV watching public -- don't you dare miss "I Hate Hamlet" at the Lark Theatre tonight or Saturday night.
OK, that's too cheesy, but this is a great comedy and more people should see it this week.
The show is about an out-of-work TV actor who takes a part in New York's Central Park, playing the lead in "Hamlet."
Perhaps the most famous Hamlet of all, John Barrymore (a relative of Drew's) is conjured up. Like the angel in "The Bishop's Wife," Barrymore (T.J. Sneddon) cannot return to heaven until he helps young actor Andrew Rally (played by Matthew Tribble) accomplish something. In this case, Barrymore must help Rally succeed in the great role of Hamlet.
The cast is filled out by the slightly daffy real estate agent, Felicia Dantine (Carol McConnell); the actor's agent, Lillian Troy (Amber Payne); Rally's 29-year-old girl friend, the virgin Deidre McDavey (Janelle Huber); and writer-director-producer Gary Peter Lefkowitz (Carl McKinney).
Right up to the time of Central Park’s opening curtain, Rally strongly considers not playing Hamlet. He is pulled between Lefkowitz who arranges a $3 million deal to play a teacher/superhero in a TV series on one side and Barrymore and Deidre on the other side.
Playwright Paul Rudnick uses humor to present a message -- not unlike the "MASH" TV series. In fact, I kept thinking how Alan Alda would play the TV actor, but I was very pleased with Mr. Tribble's interpretation.
The message? Oh, something about the value of the theater and how there is just too much money in bad TV productions these days. You will have to see the play and second guess me for yourself.
Janelle Huber is delightful as the girl friend. She brings an innocence to the part, not unlike one would expect from an actress playing Lucy in "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe."
Carl McKinney has a touch of larceny about him as the high-roller TV executive and who would have thought T.J. Sneddon could play the rogue with such conviction?
Amber Payne is great as the agent and Barrymore's one-time conquest.
Carol McConnell as Felicia Dantine is surely talking to some spirit during the seance scene, if not her character's dead mother; she is that good.
In short, there is a touch of "Arsenic and Old Lace," "Hamlet" and situation comedy, rolled into a very entertaining production.
I liked it, even if Barrymore doesn't care for newspaper critics!
Tickets cost $25 for all dinner theater shows and buffet. Call Barbara Randall, 448-8772 for reservations or purchase tickets at Riddell National Bank, across National Ave. from the theater.
Community Theatre of Clay County's upcoming productions include the children's theater musical, "The Shoemaker, the Elves & the Magic Shoes" -- tickets cost $5 for adults and $2 for children through high school -- Nov. 3-4; "Christmas At The Lark: Bells, Birthdays and Heralds of Christmas!", Nov. 30, Dec. 1-2; "A Musical Evening with Jim Garber and Friends," Feb. 16-17; "Damn Yankees," March 8-10; and "A Musical German Maifest (Mayfest!)" featuring Col. Matt Huber and his German Band.
frankphi@hotmail.com
Don't you -- yes, YOU, the TV watching public -- don't you dare miss "I Hate Hamlet" at the Lark Theatre tonight or Saturday night.
OK, that's too cheesy, but this is a great comedy and more people should see it this week.
The show is about an out-of-work TV actor who takes a part in New York's Central Park, playing the lead in "Hamlet."
Perhaps the most famous Hamlet of all, John Barrymore (a relative of Drew's) is conjured up. Like the angel in "The Bishop's Wife," Barrymore (T.J. Sneddon) cannot return to heaven until he helps young actor Andrew Rally (played by Matthew Tribble) accomplish something. In this case, Barrymore must help Rally succeed in the great role of Hamlet.
The cast is filled out by the slightly daffy real estate agent, Felicia Dantine (Carol McConnell); the actor's agent, Lillian Troy (Amber Payne); Rally's 29-year-old girl friend, the virgin Deidre McDavey (Janelle Huber); and writer-director-producer Gary Peter Lefkowitz (Carl McKinney).
Right up to the time of Central Park’s opening curtain, Rally strongly considers not playing Hamlet. He is pulled between Lefkowitz who arranges a $3 million deal to play a teacher/superhero in a TV series on one side and Barrymore and Deidre on the other side.
Playwright Paul Rudnick uses humor to present a message -- not unlike the "MASH" TV series. In fact, I kept thinking how Alan Alda would play the TV actor, but I was very pleased with Mr. Tribble's interpretation.
The message? Oh, something about the value of the theater and how there is just too much money in bad TV productions these days. You will have to see the play and second guess me for yourself.
Janelle Huber is delightful as the girl friend. She brings an innocence to the part, not unlike one would expect from an actress playing Lucy in "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe."
Carl McKinney has a touch of larceny about him as the high-roller TV executive and who would have thought T.J. Sneddon could play the rogue with such conviction?
Amber Payne is great as the agent and Barrymore's one-time conquest.
Carol McConnell as Felicia Dantine is surely talking to some spirit during the seance scene, if not her character's dead mother; she is that good.
In short, there is a touch of "Arsenic and Old Lace," "Hamlet" and situation comedy, rolled into a very entertaining production.
I liked it, even if Barrymore doesn't care for newspaper critics!
Tickets cost $25 for all dinner theater shows and buffet. Call Barbara Randall, 448-8772 for reservations or purchase tickets at Riddell National Bank, across National Ave. from the theater.
Community Theatre of Clay County's upcoming productions include the children's theater musical, "The Shoemaker, the Elves & the Magic Shoes" -- tickets cost $5 for adults and $2 for children through high school -- Nov. 3-4; "Christmas At The Lark: Bells, Birthdays and Heralds of Christmas!", Nov. 30, Dec. 1-2; "A Musical Evening with Jim Garber and Friends," Feb. 16-17; "Damn Yankees," March 8-10; and "A Musical German Maifest (Mayfest!)" featuring Col. Matt Huber and his German Band.
Everyone contributes, everyone is responsible
By Frank Phillips
We had a close call Friday, Sept. 22.
By “we” I mean we as a community.
Yes, I subscribe to the theory, “It takes a village to raise a child.” At
least, I believe the village influences the way the child is raised. Each
adult is also part of the community. When things go wrong in a person’s
life, it touches everyone in the community.
Things could have gone so wrong Friday if Deputy Jon Lambert had not chosen
to surrender peacefully after his 14-hour standoff with police.
The authorities are to be congratulated for being patient. We have seen live
TV coverage of situations that turned out much differently. I remember the
Waco debacle as being one such incident.
Nevertheless, while Mr. Lambert is safe and sound in jail, it is more than a
shame that his family and friends have to bear the brunt of seeing him
charged with various crimes, though innocent until proven guilty.
This incident, with others that have gained national attention in the past
few years in Clay County, underscores the great responsibility parents and
spouses have to their families.
I will never forget receiving a telephone call at the office one day after a
man was arrested on drug charges.
His wife called to tell me I “had ruined their family” by putting the report
in the newspaper.
I understand that people say things in times of stress they may not say upon
later reflection. But I also wanted to say, “I think your husband did
something to contribute to the problem. It isn’t all in the newspaper’s
hands.”
I didn’t say that, of course. But it underscores the real problem: lack of
personal responsibility for our actions, before tragedies occur.
I know it’s easy to blame the media for reporting bad news. It’s also easy
to blame the media when they fail to report an important story.
I cherish our American freedoms and abhor censorship. I am glad CNN and The
Brazil Times have the freedom not only to disseminate news good or bad, but
everyone, not just reporters, has the ability to learn things through the
Freedom of Information Act and Indiana’s Open Door Law.
I sometimes think people would rather live in a society where police and
government officials are not accountable to the people they serve rather
than in America where we have access to information those same officials
would probably rather not see published.
In fact, it seems media is becoming more restrained rather than bolder as
time goes on. Read the old newspapers from the early 1900s. Attempted
suicides, alleged thefts, drunkenness — whatever the situation, newspapers
named names, sometimes not differentiating between alleged crimes and people
found guilty in a court of law.
That leads to another issue that arose Friday night.
“Why did The Brazil Times not publish Lambert’s name when other media did?”
The reason was simple: reporters were not allowed close to Lambert’s home.
His telephone number is not listed in the phone book. Though “everybody
knew” it was Jon Lambert, there was no official verification.
Can you imagine the uproar if it was not Mr. Lambert in the house? Can you
imagine the lawsuits? Apparently some other media do not care if they have
the facts or not or if they open themselves to libel or not. The Brazil
Times does care and tries to be accurate.
Remember the recent coal mine disaster, when morning newspapers reported
most of the coal miners were found alive? Before those editions hit the
streets, the mistake was learned. Most of the miners were found dead, not
alive. What an uproar ensued!
That brings us back to our original thesis: people must take responsibility
for their actions.
Frank Phillips is The Brazil Times Managing Editor. He can be reached at
frankphi@hotmail.com or at the office.
We had a close call Friday, Sept. 22.
By “we” I mean we as a community.
Yes, I subscribe to the theory, “It takes a village to raise a child.” At
least, I believe the village influences the way the child is raised. Each
adult is also part of the community. When things go wrong in a person’s
life, it touches everyone in the community.
Things could have gone so wrong Friday if Deputy Jon Lambert had not chosen
to surrender peacefully after his 14-hour standoff with police.
The authorities are to be congratulated for being patient. We have seen live
TV coverage of situations that turned out much differently. I remember the
Waco debacle as being one such incident.
Nevertheless, while Mr. Lambert is safe and sound in jail, it is more than a
shame that his family and friends have to bear the brunt of seeing him
charged with various crimes, though innocent until proven guilty.
This incident, with others that have gained national attention in the past
few years in Clay County, underscores the great responsibility parents and
spouses have to their families.
I will never forget receiving a telephone call at the office one day after a
man was arrested on drug charges.
His wife called to tell me I “had ruined their family” by putting the report
in the newspaper.
I understand that people say things in times of stress they may not say upon
later reflection. But I also wanted to say, “I think your husband did
something to contribute to the problem. It isn’t all in the newspaper’s
hands.”
I didn’t say that, of course. But it underscores the real problem: lack of
personal responsibility for our actions, before tragedies occur.
I know it’s easy to blame the media for reporting bad news. It’s also easy
to blame the media when they fail to report an important story.
I cherish our American freedoms and abhor censorship. I am glad CNN and The
Brazil Times have the freedom not only to disseminate news good or bad, but
everyone, not just reporters, has the ability to learn things through the
Freedom of Information Act and Indiana’s Open Door Law.
I sometimes think people would rather live in a society where police and
government officials are not accountable to the people they serve rather
than in America where we have access to information those same officials
would probably rather not see published.
In fact, it seems media is becoming more restrained rather than bolder as
time goes on. Read the old newspapers from the early 1900s. Attempted
suicides, alleged thefts, drunkenness — whatever the situation, newspapers
named names, sometimes not differentiating between alleged crimes and people
found guilty in a court of law.
That leads to another issue that arose Friday night.
“Why did The Brazil Times not publish Lambert’s name when other media did?”
The reason was simple: reporters were not allowed close to Lambert’s home.
His telephone number is not listed in the phone book. Though “everybody
knew” it was Jon Lambert, there was no official verification.
Can you imagine the uproar if it was not Mr. Lambert in the house? Can you
imagine the lawsuits? Apparently some other media do not care if they have
the facts or not or if they open themselves to libel or not. The Brazil
Times does care and tries to be accurate.
Remember the recent coal mine disaster, when morning newspapers reported
most of the coal miners were found alive? Before those editions hit the
streets, the mistake was learned. Most of the miners were found dead, not
alive. What an uproar ensued!
That brings us back to our original thesis: people must take responsibility
for their actions.
Frank Phillips is The Brazil Times Managing Editor. He can be reached at
frankphi@hotmail.com or at the office.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Celebrating patriotism
By FRANK PHILLIPS
frankphi@hotmail.com
Times are changing. The military is changing the way it deals with America’s enemies. But one thing remains constant: Patriotism.
Some local people were honored Saturday night at the Brazil Armory for their support of the United States through the local National Guard unit.
First Sgt. Neil Stough, Readiness NCO, B Company, gave a brief history of the unit, outlined current missions and talked about the future of the unit during the program preceding the dinner.
Stough emphasized the unit’s commitment to community service over the years, helping with snow removal as one example and the unit’s service in other states, particularly aid following Hurricane Katrina.
“We carry on tradition,” he said, describing the citizen soldiers’ attitude as that of “discipline and respect.”
“They expect more of themselves that I expect of them,” he said. “We are family here.”
Recruiting numbers have been increased and the unit has retained 17 of 20 soldiers whose time of enlistment was ending.
The unit helped with this weekend’s Popcorn Festival, providing a climbing wall; offering the armory for the funeral of a volunteer firefighter who died in the line of duty; and ready to help with K-Day, even though the parade was rained out.
The unit also has programs in place to improve communications with soldiers far away and their families here at home.
LTC Walter E. Colbert then spoke about the coming transformation of 38th Main Support BN.
The army is transforming because the enemy is different than the enemy during the Cold War.
“That is what we learned in Desert Storm,” he said.
This enemy fights differently than those that threatened America in the past.
Whatever else the transformation brings, there will be “tremendous opportunity for our young soldiers,” he said.
Local Guard members on active duty and retirees were recognized.
Special recognition went to SFC Neil Brown, a recruiter, B Co., and to members of the community for their service.
Les Walden accepted an award on behalf of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1127.
Tammy Young and Jami Wythe were honored for the work of American Legion Post 2. One of their many projects has been to purchase walkie talkies requested by soldiers.
The Brazil Times was honored for its cooperation and willingness to tell the stories of the local Guard unit. Edie Campe accepted the award on behalf of The Brazil Times.
Stough praised the efforts of The Times, saying its reporters were sensitive to information that would help or hinder the Guard’s work.
“I look forward to continued cooperation between the National Guard and The Brazil Times over many years,” he said.
Mayor Tom Arthur concluded the program with a speech, “What does it mean, being a patriot?”
The local Guard plans to host the program and dinner every two years.
“I would love to fill this place next time,” SSG Tammy Ninesling, Squad Leader, B Company, said after the program. “I just love this!”
She hopes to expand the invitations to include churches and other organizations that support the Guard throughout the year.
frankphi@hotmail.com
Times are changing. The military is changing the way it deals with America’s enemies. But one thing remains constant: Patriotism.
Some local people were honored Saturday night at the Brazil Armory for their support of the United States through the local National Guard unit.
First Sgt. Neil Stough, Readiness NCO, B Company, gave a brief history of the unit, outlined current missions and talked about the future of the unit during the program preceding the dinner.
Stough emphasized the unit’s commitment to community service over the years, helping with snow removal as one example and the unit’s service in other states, particularly aid following Hurricane Katrina.
“We carry on tradition,” he said, describing the citizen soldiers’ attitude as that of “discipline and respect.”
“They expect more of themselves that I expect of them,” he said. “We are family here.”
Recruiting numbers have been increased and the unit has retained 17 of 20 soldiers whose time of enlistment was ending.
The unit helped with this weekend’s Popcorn Festival, providing a climbing wall; offering the armory for the funeral of a volunteer firefighter who died in the line of duty; and ready to help with K-Day, even though the parade was rained out.
The unit also has programs in place to improve communications with soldiers far away and their families here at home.
LTC Walter E. Colbert then spoke about the coming transformation of 38th Main Support BN.
The army is transforming because the enemy is different than the enemy during the Cold War.
“That is what we learned in Desert Storm,” he said.
This enemy fights differently than those that threatened America in the past.
Whatever else the transformation brings, there will be “tremendous opportunity for our young soldiers,” he said.
Local Guard members on active duty and retirees were recognized.
Special recognition went to SFC Neil Brown, a recruiter, B Co., and to members of the community for their service.
Les Walden accepted an award on behalf of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1127.
Tammy Young and Jami Wythe were honored for the work of American Legion Post 2. One of their many projects has been to purchase walkie talkies requested by soldiers.
The Brazil Times was honored for its cooperation and willingness to tell the stories of the local Guard unit. Edie Campe accepted the award on behalf of The Brazil Times.
Stough praised the efforts of The Times, saying its reporters were sensitive to information that would help or hinder the Guard’s work.
“I look forward to continued cooperation between the National Guard and The Brazil Times over many years,” he said.
Mayor Tom Arthur concluded the program with a speech, “What does it mean, being a patriot?”
The local Guard plans to host the program and dinner every two years.
“I would love to fill this place next time,” SSG Tammy Ninesling, Squad Leader, B Company, said after the program. “I just love this!”
She hopes to expand the invitations to include churches and other organizations that support the Guard throughout the year.
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