This and that: The (bleeping) John Dennis outtakes edition
A couple of quick notes for your weekend …
Support today comes from Purdue’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, presenting the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Jan. 16, at Elliott Hall of Music, in a 2024 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. commemorative event. Powered by Purdue Convocations. For free tickets and group orders, check the details below.
A couple of quick notes for your weekend …
THE JOHN DENNIS OUTTAKES: A private retirement party last week for West Lafayette Mayor John Dennis apparently included this 20-minute farewell from friends, family and colleagues during his life as a Lafayette Police Department officer and time as mayor for the past 16 years. The clips – directed and in many cases collected by videographer Jack Klink – pull together memories that largely center on Dennis’ tendency to lead with humor, always teetering on the edge of an untimely f-bomb. (“Some of the things he’s said, most people couldn’t get away with, right?” Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski, Dennis’ former partner on the police force, offers at one point.) In case you didn’t get an invitation to the going-away affair – yeah, me neither – here’s a look at the video, with plenty of outtakes and more than a few bleeped moments.
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COMING SOON TO THE PURDUE AIRPORT: A little over a week ago, Purdue finalized arrangements to bring commercial passenger service to the Purdue Airport for the first time since 2004. It was interesting to see the move labeled in the trades as “a new route to an offbeat airport in Indiana.” But context is important here in the return of flights after two decades to an airport that is touted as the second busiest in Indiana, thanks to so many takeoffs and landings tied to Purdue’s aviation program. Joey Gerardi, a reporter with AirlineGeeks had a solid interview this week with Stan Little, CEO of Surf Air Mobility, the company that operates Southern Airways Express. In it, Little discusses how the 24 weekly departures between Purdue and Chicago O’Hare will be divvied up, why Southern pursued the deal with Purdue, how gameday landings played a role and how flights in and out of West Lafayette could determine the company’s strategy to look at other university communities. Here’s the full Q&A: “Southern Airways CEO on the Airline’s Newest Destination.”
ANOTHER FOR THE LEAP COLLECTION: Not exactly based in Lafayette, here’s another detail around the edges of the LEAP district development near Lebanon. (You know, the one that the Indiana Economic Development Corp. is developing, with Tippecanoe County water factored into the plan.) Indianapolis Business Journal reporter Daniel Bradley had a look at Boone County’s look at a zoning overlay for the county, as residents there get antsy about the loss of prime agriculture land. From Bradley’s report: “The plan would aim to drive development to those areas to prevent uncontrolled growth from spreading throughout the county, a move that would protect farmland in a county that is largely still rural. The plan also prohibits several types of development in the overlay areas, including manufacturing and warehousing and storage.” Here’s a look at the full story: “Boone County looks to control growth in rural areas.”
THAT WIN OVER NO. 1: … is always nice. J&C reporter Sam King gets the ball rolling on coverage of No. 3 Purdue’s 92-84 win over No. 1 Arizona Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Thanks, again, to Purdue’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, presenting the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Jan. 16, at Elliott Hall of Music. Get tickets here.
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Tips, story ideas? I’m at davebangert1@gmail.com.
Senator Alting was right on target with his words -- we need people like John Dennis "to bring people together and not divide." Mayor Dennis, you will be missed, but the work you did remains as a living testimony. West Lafayette is so lucky to have had you.
What a great video!