LSC takes another week to decide on board vacancy
Plus, the ballot counts after a week of early voting
Today’s Based Lafayette is sponsored, in part, by Purdue University’s Presidential Lecture Series. Commercial space pioneer Beth Moses, who has successfully completed three spaceflights for Virgin Galactic and serves as its chief astronaut instructor, will join Purdue President Mung Chiang for a discussion at 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 6, in Stewart Center’s Fowler Hall as part of the Presidential Lecture Series. This event is free and open to the public with a general admission ticket. Learn more and register: www.purdue.edu/president/lecture-series
Thanks, also, to Purdue Convocations, presenting Johnny Cash: The Official Concert Experience. This official national tour brings songs and stories from the “Man in Black” to the stage in a way that audiences haven’t seen or heard before. With video of Johnny from episodes of The Johnny Cash TV Show projected on a screen above the stage, a live band and singers will accompany him in perfect sync. This concert experience will showcase iconic performances from the TV show and highlight the spirit of the legend by revisiting some of his memorable words and anecdotes. Cash will perform some of his biggest hits, including “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Ring of Fire,” and “I Walk the Line,” and share stories of people he met along the way whose causes he championed – the working man from all walks of life. Plus, onstage male and female singers will split vocal duties performing their own takes on Cash hits. The music never stops in this concert event! Friday, Nov. 10 at Loeb Playhouse. Buy Tickets
A few notes after chilly night of trick-or-treating …
LSC TAKES ANOTHER WEEK TO DECIDE ON BOARD VACANCY
Lafayette School Corp. board members held off on a decision Monday night after interviewing two candidates to fill a vacant seat on the seven-member board after Brian Wagner stepped down after moving out of the district.
In a special meeting Monday, the LSC school board spent an hour interviewing two candidates, Ebony Barrett and Jeff Parthun, to fill the vacancy until the end of 2024.
A third candidate selected as a finalist for the position – former school board member Steve Bultinck – pulled himself out of consideration earlier that day, LSC board President Brent Clemenz said.
The board will select the new school board member at a 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 6, meeting at Hiatt Administration Center, 2300 Cason St.
Barrett is a parent of a 2020 Lafayette Jeff grad, along with a junior and freshman at the high school. A former marketing director with United Way of Greater Lafayette, Barrett is the West Central Region diversity, equity and inclusion consultant for IU Health. She told the board that she had spent time coaching cheerleading, substitute teaching and volunteering in various ways in Lafayette schools. She told the board she could be a cheerleader for Lafayette schools while being honest about ways to help some students and families unsure about how they fit in with schools and the rest of the community.
Jeff Parthun recently retired as a music teacher at Tecumseh Jr. High School. He is a member of the Purdue University Bands and Orchestras faculty, as a consultant and clinician and adjudicator for music programs in several state. He previously served on Clinton Prairie School Corp. school board in Clinton County. He told the board that his time on the Clinton Prairie board gave him a tase of what school boards should do and how they work best when they offer guidance to administrations while giving them the room to do the job.
Barrett and Parthun spent big parts of the interviews nodding at the other’s responses to questions about working with the board, solving problems and what they liked most about LSC. (For Parthun, it was the district’s performing arts strengths and how it had so many ways for students to try different things. For Barrett, it was that her kids had found ways and places to find their fit in schools, even though they were so different.)
Neither committed to running for the seat when it’s up for election in 2024, though both said they would consider it.
“Both outstanding interviews,” board member Bob Stwalley said.
State law calls on a public school board to select replacements when a member leaves before their term is up. There are no special elections. In similar situations in the past – including in late 2022, when the LSC school board chose Julie Peretin to fill the remaining two years in the term of Kay Walton, who moved from the district – the board had 45 days to solicit nominations, interview candidates and select a new member.
The district didn’t reveal the names or how many other people nominated themselves for the school board position.
Wagner represents District 4, which cover parts of the district east of Sagamore Parkway. His seat will be elected as an at-large position – meaning voters from across LSC will select that board member – in 2024. The LSC board is considering the position an at-large one in this interview process, too.
Thanks for reading Based in Lafayette.
EARLY VOTING: A WEEK IN, A WEEK TO GO
You probably haven’t hit at line if you’ve gone to the early polling sites in the past week.
As of noon Tuesday, a week into early voting, 655 people had voted in Lafayette, West Lafayette and Dayton races, as well as the West Lafayette Community School Corp. property tax referendum, according to the Tippecanoe County elections office.
Satellite early voting sites will branch out starting Thursday, leading up to the Nov. 7 municipal Election Day.
Here’s what you need to know.
WHERE TO VOTE AHEAD OF NOV. 7: Here are the remaining voting times and sites set up between now and Monday, Nov. 6.. Voters should bring a valid ID.
8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 1-Friday, Nov. 3: Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St., Lafayette
Noon-6 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 2-Friday, Nov. 3: West Lafayette City Hall, 222 N. Chauncey Ave.; Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, 1406 Teal Road, Lafayette; First Church of the Nazarene, 3801 Union St., Lafayette.
9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4: West Lafayette City Hall, 222 N. Chauncey Ave.; Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St., Lafayette; First Church of the Nazarene, 3801 Union St., Lafayette.
8 a.m.-noon Monday, Nov. 6: Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St., Lafayette.
ON BALLOTS: Incumbents are noted with an asterisk. Candidate Q&As, when available, are linked to the name of the position on the ballot.
Lafayette
Mayor: Tony Roswarski*, D; Benji Milanowski, Libertarian
Clerk: Cindy Murray*, D.
Council District 1: Jerry Reynolds*, R.
Council District 2: Eileen Hession Weiss*, D; Mary Fisher, R.
Council District 3: Perry Brown*, D.
Council District 4: Lauren Ahlersmeyer*, D; Josiah Eller, Libertarian
Council District 5: Melissa Weast Williamson*, D.
Council District 6: Bob Downing*, D; Perry Barbee, R
Council at-large (3 seats): Kevin Klinker*, D; Nancy Nargi*, D; Steve Snyder*, D.
West Lafayette
Mayor: Erin Easter, D.
Clerk: Sana Booker*, D.
City Judge: Lori Sabol*, D.
Council District 1: Aaron Abell, R; Laila Veidemanis, D.
Council District 2: Michelle Dennis, D.
Council District 3: Colin Lee*, D.
Council District 4: Larry Leverenz*, D.
Council District 5: Kathy Parker*, D; James Waters, R.
Council District 6: Jeff Brown*, R; Stacey Baitinger Burr, D.
Council at-large (3 seats): James Blanco*, D; Iris O’Donnell Bellisario, D; David Sanders*, D; Brian Russell, R; Patrick Flannelly, R.
West Lafayette Community School Corp.
Property tax referendum renewal question: “Shall West Lafayette Community School Corporation continue to impose increased property taxes paid to the school corporation by homeowners and businesses for eight (8) years immediately following the holding of the referendum for the purpose of retaining and attracting teachers and staff and funding academic programming and operating expenditures with the renewal of the current maximum referendum property tax rate of $0.37? The property tax increase requested in this referendum was originally approved by the voters in 2017 and if extended will increase the average property tax paid to the school corporation per year on a residence within the school corporation by 46.2% and if extended will increase the average property tax paid to the school corporation per year on a business property within the school corporation by 41.8%.”
Here's a link to a primer on the West Lafayette schools question, which would renew a property tax rate first approved in 2010 and again in 2017.
Dayton
Town Council (choose five, all independent): Vickie Beavers, Marc Buhrmester*, Leah Copas, Ron Koehler*, Jen Manago*, Rocky Richards, Carla Snodgrass*, Joy Tischer
Clerk-Treasurer: Bridget Cadwallader
ELECTION DAY POLLING PLACES: Polls will be open 6 a.m-6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7. Registered voters in Tippecanoe County may use any vote center.
West Lafayette Wellness Center, 1101 Kalberer Road
Faith West Community Center, 1920 Northwestern Ave.
West Lafayette City Hall, 222 N. Chauncey Ave.
Evangelical Covenant Church, 3600 S. Ninth St., Lafayette
Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, 1406 Teal Road, Lafayette
Northend Community Center, 2000 Elmwood Ave., Lafayette
Christ United Methodist Church, 3610 S. 18th St., Lafayette
First Church of the Nazarene, 3801 Union St., Lafayette
Gathering Point Church, 7201 Wesleyan Drive, Dayton
CHECK YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION STATUS AND THE CANDIDATES ON YOUR SPECIFIC BALLOT: Go to the Secretary of State’s portal at www.indianavoters.com.
Thanks, again, to Purdue University’s Presidential Lecture Series, presenting a conversation with commercial space pioneer Beth Moses, at 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 6, in Stewart Center’s Fowler Hall. For free tickets: www.purdue.edu/president/lecture-series
Thanks, also, to Purdue Convocations, presenting Johnny Cash: The Official Concert Experience, Friday, Nov. 10, at Loeb Playhouse. Get tickets here.
Backing also comes from Food Finders Food Bank, which kicks off its 13th annual Drive Away Hunger Fall Food Drive today. The drive runs from Nov. 1 to Dec. 1. The goal is an ambitious 700,000 meals in the next month. To find out how you, your school, church and business can help, go to: www.food-finders.org/dah.
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING BASED IN LAFAYETTE, AN INDEPENDENT, LOCAL REPORTING PROJECT. FREE AND FULL-RIDE SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS ARE READY FOR YOU HERE.
Tips, story ideas? I’m at davebangert1@gmail.com.