Reflecting on 2011 [Hendricks County Flyer, Avon, Ind.]

Dec. 30--While looking back at the events and happenings of 2012, there were many firsts, some changes, and a few struggles. There were also many reasons to celebrate.

Tragedy struck at the Indiana State Fair, protests popped up around the country, and the Avon School Corporation was forced to make some tough decisions. The year brought unusual political debates, community milestones, and, of course, some severe weather.

Here are the top 10 news stories of 2011, in no particular order, as selected by the staff of the Hendricks County Flyer.

State Fair tragedy

The biggest tragedy in the history of the Indiana State Fair left seven people dead and more than 40 injured. Just before the country band Sugarland was scheduled to perform in August, high winds struck and the stage at the farigrounds' grandstand collapsed.

In addition to the injuries, the incident led to the cancellation of concerts and other activities around the fair.

Some positives came from the tragedy, as many people and groups -- including a pair of third-graders from Mill Creek East Elementary School -- looked to aid the victims. Savannah Ferree and Alexa Mucho created their own paintings and drawings to sell at school to raise funds for the families of the victims of the collapse.

Occupy the Statehouse

Throughout the fall and into the winter, the Occupy Wall Street movement spread to the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis. The protesters, who set up makeshift camps outside of the Statehouse, were seeking to call attention to what they call "corporate greed."

OWS rallies and protests popped up across the nation, some lasting for several months until colder weather began to thin out the crowds or until authorities stepped in and shut them down.

A similar movement spread to Hendricks County, with a "We Are The 99" rally on Nov. 17 on the lawn of the Brownsburg Town Hall. That was a one-day event.

Avon referendum fails

A proposed referendum that would have brought about $3.4 million to the coffers of the Avon Community School Corporation failed at the polls in May and divided the town into those in favor of the move and those against it.

The Avon School Board was forced to make some difficult decisions in cuts to programs, staff, and services.

At its June 6 meeting, the school board decided to cut 36 certified staff members to help meet the 2012 budget. Additional cuts were also made to non-certified staff and reductions in extra-curricular positions.

In addition to the personnel cuts, they made reductions to the board/administrator insurance benefits, revisions to bus routes, closed the Administration Center for 10 additional days throughout the year, increased building rental fees, cut custodial/maintenance/transportation staff through attrition, cut off funds to the corporation's Outdoor Learning Center, and implemented a "program support fee" for athletics.

HRH YMCA opens

After several years of preparation, the Hendricks Regional Health YMCA became a reality in 2011. The official ribbon cutting was held June 26.

The 118,000-square-foot facility includes a rock climbing wall, indoor lap and recreational pools, an 8,000-square-foot fitness center, a gymnasium, a family center, a teen center, a child watch area, and an outdoor education center that includes walking trails.

The partnership with Hendricks Regional Health also provides the opportunity to have the facility connected with several physicians offices, accommodating members and guests who are in a rehabilitation situation or recovering from an injury.

County is frozen in ice

Though central Indiana is used to being snow covered in February, this year an unexpected form a precipitation hit. The area was buried under several inches of ice at the beginning of the month.

In addition to creating headaches for motorists, the storms also led to several businesses, schools, and roads being shut down completely.

During the storm, more than 800 members of the Indiana National Guard were activated to deal with the winter weather-related emergency. The Indiana Department of Transportation dispatched nearly 100 trucks to plow and salt the roads in the Indianapolis area alone. Power outages also plagued several rural areas.

Democrats stage walkout

Displeased with several items of proposed legislation, Indiana House Democrats staged a walkout in February to halt action of the items that they disagreed with.

Of the 40 Democrats who served in the Indiana House, only three reported for work on Feb. 22. The rest stayed just west of the Illinois state border.

The group returned 36 days later.

Name change

The saying that "it's all in a name" held true in 2011, as a prominent facility altered its identity.

At the beginning of the year, O'Reilly Raceway Park gave way to Lucas Oil Raceway as the naming rights to the racing facility in Clermont changed hands. Though track officials said they were pleased with their partnership with O'Reilly, they were also excited about the future of the allegiance with Lucas Oil.

Parks open in Plainfield

Plainfield welcomed several outdoor options in 2011 -- including new athletic fields and Sodalis Nature Park.

The athletic fields were provided as a partnership between the town, the Plainfield Correctional Facility, and the Plainfield Optimist Club. The facility, which was dedicated on April 9, is named the Al and Jan Barker Sports Complex -- honoring the couple's work on the project.

In May, the Hendricks County Parks Department welcomed Sodalis Nature Park into its arsenal of facilities. Sodalis, a 210-acre park at 7700 S. C.R. 975 E., was formed through a partnership from the parks department, the Indianapolis Airport Authority, and the Fish & Wildlife Service.

The town also accepted a plan for a new pedestrian park off of U.S. 40 from Duke Energy. The project will include different types of concrete and a rain garden. Plans call for it to be a sensory garden, which can be enjoyed by people with disabilities.

DCSC to utilize iPads

With technology becoming an ever-increasing tool in schools throughout the country, the Danville Community School Corporation took a huge step in that direction.

The school system spent $850,000 to purchase iPads for high school students for this school year. Danville became one of the first school corporations in the state to take the leap.

The first wave of iPads arrived at the beginning of the school year and have been distributed as supply allows. One of the objectives of the school corporation is to replace textbooks with the iPads.

County sees Civil War milestone

When offered with an opportunity to celebrate a milestone, the Civil War Heritage Days in Danville took advantage.

The 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War was in 2011. In order to celebrate that, the Danville Public Library and the Hendricks County Historical Museum hosted a two-day event in June that included encampments and portrayals of historical figures, as well as displays of Civil War-era items.

ryan.palencer@flyergroup.com

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(c)2011 the Hendricks County Flyer (Avon, Ind.)

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