Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 14 October 2005 — Page 8
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2005
THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER
PAGE A8
Governor names new members to Stoto Board of Education
Special to the Recorder
Gov. Mitch Daniels has named six new members of the State Board of Education. The appointments include two school superintendents, two current or former school board members, a college president, and a business leader who works with K-12 schools. Daniels said his charge to the board would include: • Reviewing rules and regulations with an eye toward changes that will give teachers more time to teach and principals more time to lead. • Spending funds more wisely and moving more dollars to the classroom. • Deepening the state’s commitment to accountability and results. The appointments are: • Jo Blacketor of South Bend. She is an insurance agent and served as an at-large school board member of the South Bend Community School Corporation from 1997 to 2004. She is also a member of the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce. • Jim Edwards of Santa Claus. He
is president of Edwards and Associates, a management consulting firm. He has worked with K-12 schools in southwestern Indiana on workforce development issues. • Edward Eiler of Lafayette. He is the superintendent of the Lafayette School Corporation and a member of the Lafayette-West Lafayette Chamber of Commerce board of directors. • Daniel J. Elsener, president of Marian College in Indianapolis. He has worked in the K-12 education community as a teacher, principal and superintendent. • Todd Huston of Fishers. He is director of business operations for Komputrol, a company which provides schools and municipalities with financial accounting software. He serves as a member of the board for Hamilton Southeastern Schools. • Michael Pettibone of Monroe. He is superintendent of Adams County Community Schools. He is a member of the board of the Indiana Small and Rural Schools Association.
Consolidation reservations Members of the Minister's Alliance of Indianapolis and the Interdenominational Minister's Alliance gathered at Galilee Missionary Baptist Church Monday to announce their opposition to Mayor Bart Peterson's current plan to merge the Indianapolis Police Department with the Marion County Sheriff's Department. From left: City-County Council members Duke Oliver and Vernon Brown stand in solidarity with Rev. Fitzhugh Lyons, pastor of Galilee. (Photo/C. Guynn)
Sen. Rogers wants all license branches open on Election Day
Citizens Gas projects higher customer bills (or winter
Special to the Recorder
In an effort to ensure that all Hoosiers maintain their ability to vote, state Sen. Earline Rogers, D-Gary, said she would file legislation that would require all Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles license branches to be open on Election Day. With the passage of Senate Enrolled Act 483, state law now mandates that voters show state issued photo identification before they are allowed to cast aballot. For most Hoosiers, license branches will serve as the primary source for that identification. However, current law only stipulates that “full-service” license branches be open on Election Day, meaning locations offering only “partial service,” including Gary, are not legally required to remain open. “Because this requirement is so new, I fear that many people won’t realize they need a photo ID to vote until Election Day, and if there isn’t a license branch open nearby, that could cause some significant problems including disenfranchising otherwise eligible
voters,” said Rogers, who serves as the Senate’s assistant minority leader. “We need to close this loophole immediately, because unlike what the current commissioner of the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) thinks, this new voting requirement means that the BMV’s customers are no longer just ‘people with cars,’ but every single person who votes in this state,” Rogers added. “And they will need BMV services on Election Day.” Under Rogers’ proposed legislation the words “full service” would simply be deleted from existing law. The small change would amend the statute to require all license branches to be open the day before each general, municipal, primary and special election from 8:30 a.m. until 8 p.m. and on Election Day from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. “We should make it easier for people to participate in their government,” said Rogers. “This proposal is a simple change that will benefit not only the citizens of Gary, but Hoosiers in rural towns across the state.”
Special to the Recorder
Citizens Gas said this week that the typical residential customer bill will rise about 27 percent over the November through March winter heating season, assuming normal temperatures. Citizens Gas projects that the typical customer will spend about $927 for 765 therms of natural gas over the five-month winter heating season. This compares to about $728 the typical customer would have spent last winter for 765 therms. The expected bill increase is due to higher wholesale prices for the natural gas the utility purchases for customers from national producers and marketers. Citizens Gas passes on the cost of natural gas to customers on a dollar-for-dollar basis. Gas costs will account for more than three-fourths of a customer’s winter heating bill this year, with the remaining fourth being delivery and service charges, which have not changed since 1991While bills are likely to be higher this winter, Citizens Gas said it expects to have sufficient gas supplies to meet customer needs. Wholesale natural gas prices have been ris-
ing steadily over the past five years because of increased demand for the clean-burning, high performing fuel and federal policies that have restricted natural gas supply development. Natural gas prices have accelerated even more in 2005 because of a hot summer that increased natural gas demand among electric power generators and interruptions in gas supply caused by damage to energy infrastructure from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Citizens Gas says it expects to keep bill increases well below the 48 percent increase that the U.S. Energy Information Administration forecast Wednesday for natural gas customers nationwide. Citizens Gas estimates that its gas purchasing and storage strategies will save its customers approximately $103 million this winter in avoided gas costs. “We are very concerned about the impact natural gas prices are having on family budgets, that’s why we are ramping up efforts to ensure maximum financial assistance to lowincome customers, while raising awareness of the need for all customers to conserve energy this winter,” said Carey Lykins, President and CEO of Citizens Gas.
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Hosted by Representative Carolene Mays and the Indianapolis Recorder Saturday, October 22, 2005 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lafayette Square Mall 3919 Lafayette Road
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Local businesses and services will share information and products so you will know what is available and how to access these resources right here in your own backyard.
• Child safety information • Heart healthy cooking
demonstrations
• Prescription drug assistance • Asthma, stroke and other
health screenings
• Physical fitness instruction • Legal services • Diabetes testing • State and city social services
Learn and Live*
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