EDITORIAL: And Another Thing …

Herald-Times (Bloomington, IN)

Sept. 21--Hoosiers need to chill

A recent study by the Auto Insurance Center said Indiana led the nation in fatal crashes involving road rage in 2016, the last year data was available.

Experts say it's difficult to compare states because they define "road rage" in different ways. But the unvarnished fact is, the raw number shows 77 people died in crashes because drivers were angry, the definition of road rage.

Another study suggests millennials (young adults ages 20 to 35) are more susceptible to falling into the trap of road rage.

Whatever the age of the driver, taking a deep breath or practicing some forgiveness is a far better strategy than becoming aggressive behind the wheel. The life you save may be your own.

Housing issue repeats

The more things change ...

Did you notice the short item in our Bloomington and Monroe County Bicentennial feature that looks back on news stories from previous years? It was the one about a shortage of housing.

Here's the entire story: "The Bloomington Chamber of Commerce has named a committee to study whether home construction in Bloomington is keeping up with demand, and if not, what has created a bottleneck. A previous chamber committee had determined what percentage of the Bloomington workforce lived in the city and what percentage of workers who lived elsewhere would move to Bloomington if low-cost housing were available."

That was written in 1953. Sixty-five years later, business leaders are once again bemoaning the fact that workers can't find enough housing they can afford in the city limits.

... the more they stay the same.

Be inclusive

One of the points that was repeated often at the South Central Opioid Summit this week at the Monroe Convention Center is that those who are most affected by drug addiction want to have their voices heard. These are people who are addicted or in recovery.

Nothing about us without us is the rallying cry.

Often, families and loved ones should be included when the issues are being discussed, as well.

Solutions to issues involving drug addiction and recovery won't be solved by top-down solutions settled upon by men and women with no real life experience on the matters. The problems need input from all sectors of the community, none more important than the people who have experienced the issues first-hand.

Name that street

What would be a good name for a street that runs through the developing tech park in downtown Bloomington known as the Trades District?

That's the question officials at Dimension Mill Inc. and the city of Bloomington have invited people to answer. They've asked for name suggestions for the new road between west 10th and 11th streets.

Residents can log on to nameourstreet.com to view contest guidelines and submit their suggested names until Oct. 1. Individuals can offer multiple suggestions.

With little thought, which might be obvious, we'd suggest: Start-up Street, Technology Boulevard, Advance Avenue, Mill Lane and The Way to the Future, which could be shortened to The Way.

There are some ideas to build on. Have at it.

Name that fish

The public also is invited to name the fish atop the Monroe County Courthouse. Children from 4 to 14 offered possible names that have been narrowed to six finalists by county officials. The names are Gill, Finn, Hoagy, Bubbles, Cutter and Goldie.

The naming is part of the county's bicentennial celebration, and the new name will be announced at the Canopy of Lights ceremony on Nov. 23.

Our first choice is Gill. What's yours?

Votes can be cast at www.surveymonkey.com/r/SVC52NH. before 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 1

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