Portland Campaigns Hit the Home Stretch Grant Helps Implement Real

Saturday, October 24, 2020 The Commercial Review Portland, Indiana 47371 www.thecr.com $1 Curtin hired to Virtual funding assist Consultant will advise city about TIF funds By RILEY EUBANKS The Commercial Review Portland Redevelopment Commission has a new consultant. The commission prelim - inarily entered a $60,000 contract with Ed Curtin of Seymour at its meeting Friday in hopes he can help advise the city on drafting a new long-term economic development plan, among assisting with other tasks. “This will be the pri - mary account for me next year,” said Curtin, who is currently finishing up a similar consulting role with the City of Madison. He said he expects that job to be finished by the end of the year. Curtin, owner of con - sulting firm CWC Lati - tudes LLC, is considered an expert on how to best distribute redevelopment commission dollars for Hoosier municipalities. He The Commercial Review/Ray Cooney previously served as exec - utive director of the Jay County High School English language arts teacher Whitney Freeman talks with one of her virtual students at Columbus Redevelopment the beginning of class Oct. 16. Jay School Corporation received a $161,775.61 grant from Center of Excellence in Leadership Commission and also of Learning (CELL) through the Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund to implement real-time learning. helped with redevelop - ment efforts in Nashville, Indiana, in Brown County. He still works for Nashville on an annual Grant helps implement real-time basis, but he said his pri - mary focus will be on Port - By RAY COONEY financial boost to imple - unique needs of rural tors in these school dis - ed to make the process land economic develop - The Commercial Review ment the new reality, school districts and tricts for the technologi - work as smoothly as pos - ment for the next few E-learning came to Jay receiving $161,775.61 in ensure that students and cal demands of the sible. months. Schools for the first time grant funds from the teachers have access to future.” It costs about $475 per As a consultant, he said in 2019, an effort to save Center of Excellence in the technology they The grant funding is classroom, Clark said, he wants to help the com - days of classes lost to Leadership of Learning require to succeed,” said being used locally to pur - though some rooms were mission decide what to do inclement weather. (CELL) through the Gov - former CELL executive chase equipment for already equipped with with its $1.23 million budg - In March it became a ernor's Emergency Edu - director Janet Boyle in a real-time remote educa - Clevertouch screens. et and help make sure it necessity because of cation Relief (GEER) press release. “We are tion, as Jay Schools has The grant dollars are abides by state code when coronavirus pandemic Fund. grateful to the gover - more than 400 virtual also being used for wifi spending its funds, which shutdowns. A total of $4.8 million nor’s office for this valu - students this year. That hotspots for students are collected through the Now, it’s a way of life. was awarded to rural able opportunity to includes ViewSonic who do not have reliable city’s tax increment Jay School Corpora - districts. address the immediate touch screens, Bluetooth internet connections at financing (TIF) district tion was one of 30 dis - “These grants will concerns of the pandem - headsets and other hard - home. and have different state tricts in Indiana to get a allow us to meet the ic and to prepare educa - ware and software need - See Funding page 2 regulations than regular tax dollars. See Hired page 2 Retrospect Portland campaigns hit the home stretch Twenty-five years ago this served two terms as mayor after week, finances, economic winning the 2003 race.) growth, infrastructure and The evening also featured community services were hot Portland City Court Judge can - election topics. didates Larry Freyburgher, the Local candidates, led by Port - incumbent Democrat, and land mayoral hopefuls Maxine George Reitenour, a Republi - Lewis and Bruce Hosier, shared can. Their discussion involved their goals with voters at a can - a dispute about whether Frey - didates forum on Oct. 20, 1995. burgher was a resident of the Lewis emphasized her inten - city. tion to support city employees. Both candidates noted the “Leadership, I feel, is like importance of honesty in a you’re here to lead the people judge. with what is right and wrong,” “Honesty in yourself, honesty she said. “You’re there to listen and you’re there to try to solve in your family, honesty in your problems.” profession, honesty in every - Hosier, a Republican and two- thing you do,” said Reitenour. term city council member, said “Honesty,” said Freyburgher, he would be proactive and inno - and being “fair, impartial to all vative, stressing economic concerned.” development. Other candidates involved in the event included Bob “First of all, I believe with The Commercial Review/Ed Balint progressive ideas we can reduce McCreery and Jerry Leonhard the cost of government in the for Portland City Council Dis - city of Portland … without cut - trict 3, Stephanie May and Fred Portland mayoral candidates participated in a community forum 25 years ago ting city services,” he said. Jetter for city council at-large this week. Above left, Republican Bruce Hosier (right) chats with city council member Glen (Lewis went on to win the and Barbara Blackford and Bryant. Above right, Democrat Maxine Lewis looks at a forum question with Republican election while Hosier later Sandy Lingo clerk-treasurer. party official Eileen Heath. Weather In review Coming up Jay County had a high tem - The forecast calls for a high perature of 79 degrees Friday. of 52 Sunday under mostly Tuesday — Coverage of There was about a quarter-inch cloudy skies. The low will be 44. Jay County Council’s regu - Monday’s Jay County Com - of rain. More rain is expected Mon - lar meeting for November has missioners meeting. Fall-like temperatures return day afternoon and evening. The been moved to 7 p.m. Nov. 10. It this weekend with a high of 50 high will be 50, and the low will had been scheduled for Nov. Thursday — A look at today under generally sunny be in the upper 30s. 11, which is Veterans Day. trick-or-treat hours for the skies. The low tonight will be See page 2 for an extended Halloween weekend. 33. outlook. The Commercial Review Page 2 Local Saturday, October 24, 2020 Hired ... Continued from page 1 gent on him providing an esti - financial counsel and their serv - The sign is outside of the spent the year beautifying the Curtin came at the recommen - mate on travel expenses to the ices will be paid for by the city. city’s TIF district but, as Curtin downtown area, such as order - dation of Jay County Develop - commission. In other business, commission pointed out, redevelopment com - ing new planters and Christmas ment Corporation’s Ami Huff - The commission also agreed members Joe Johnston, Mike mission dollars can be used for lights that will debut downtown man and Portland Mayor John to enter a contract with Indi - Simons, Rusty Inman and Reda any project as long as it benefits next month. Boggs. Curtin also served as a anapolis firm Barnes & Thorn - Theurer-Miller, absent Dave the district. It also launched a new Face - consultant for Jay! Region when burg, which will provide legal Teeter, agreed to pay $4,500 to The commission also received book page — bit.ly/3kpTctA — it was a finalist last year for Stel - counsel during the duration of Display Craft for a new “Wel - an update on Main Street Con - that has posted regular updates lar Communities designation Curtin’s time working with Port - come to Portland” sign on U.S. 27 nect from Theurer-Miller. The and pictures on what’s going on last year. His contract is contin - land. Baker Tilly will provide near Portland Golf Club. recently established group has downtown. CR almanac Funding ... Continued from page 1 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday The new real-time learning equip - 10/25 10/26 10/27 10/28 10/29 ment is already in use at Jay County Junior-Senior High School. It is at various stages of being implemented at the elementary school buildings. “That money has been extremely helpful to get connected as soon as 52/44 50/37 48/34 52/37 51/34 possible,” said Katie Clark, director of e-learning for Jay Schools. “It’s 40% Showers Mostly It will be Tempera - really helpful to the kids that are at chance of rain likely after 2 cloudy skies slightly tures will con - late in the p.m. and and cooler warmer tinue in the home. … This is something that obvi - night. Other - before 2 p.m. temperatures under mostly same pattern ously has changed the whole world of wise mostly with a 60% with a 30% sunny skies. throughout education — not just us, we’re not cloudy with chance of chance of No rain pro - the rest of eastern rain. rain before 8 jected. the week. unique in that. But I think that we are winds. a.m. unique in the way that our teachers have responded.” JCHS English language arts teacher Whitney Freeman said it was Lotteries a bit of a transition at the start of the year, but that implementation has The Commercial Review/Ray Cooney Hoosier Pick 4: 7-2-8-1 gone fairly well. Midday Pick 5: 4-2-1-5-0 She typically uses Google Meet to Jay County High School teacher Zach Keller works on a Daily Three: 3-7-5 incorporate virtual students into the math problem using his document camera and ViewSonic screen Daily Four: 4-2-5-6 classroom — the Bluetooth headset during calculus class Monday.

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