You have heard the song, and you’ve probably even done the dance. Yet, despite the frivolity of its eponymous disco classic, the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) has been doing serious work, providing a myriad of services in this community for nearly 165 years. Organized in London in 1844, the YMCA was dedicated to providing moral […]
You have heard the song, and you’ve probably even done the dance. Yet, despite the frivolity of its eponymous disco classic, the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) has been doing serious work, providing a myriad of services in this community for nearly 165 years.
Organized in London in 1844, the YMCA was dedicated to providing moral strength and positive fellowship through bible study and social activities to the growing number of single male laborers during the industrial revolution. The first American YMCA was formed in Boston in 1851. As it was in England, this was a period of increased manufacturing and urbanization in American cities. Soon, other U.S. cities followed, including Syracuse, with representatives from several of the city’s Protestant churches holding organizational meetings in September 1858.
For the first quarter century, the Syracuse YMCA rented rooms in various locations. Programs in the 1860s centered on operating “mission” Sunday Schools at some of the poorer churches. The missions served the city’s growing immigrant population of Germans, its sole African American congregation, and the local orphan asylum, among others. In the 1870s, the YMCA’s welfare activities shifted more toward men at the penitentiary, the county Poor House, and increasing numbers of railroad employees
Men from all walks of life were recruited to join the YMCA, at its first permanent home in the Pike Block on South Salina Street. By the mid-1870s, it maintained a well-stocked one. The YMCA organized social gatherings and a public-lecture series. The primary goal of all these activities was to provide a positive Christian influence on young men and boys who might stray into lives of crime or vice. The Syracuse YMCA had 806 members by 1879 and served hundreds more. But its leaders believed its work was hampered by the physical limitations of its rented facilities. It yearned for a building of its own. While maintaining programs of topical lectures and Christian-based study, the YMCA increasingly realized that attracting members and guests required more than religious and intellectual offerings. YMCA leaders recognized that they needed better social facilities and spaces for physical recreation to continue to attract more male members. Leading businessmen and members were tapped to support a building project. In 1884, land was purchased in downtown Syracuse on Warren Street. In January 1886, the YMCA opened its new Warren Street building.
Having its own gymnasium marked a turning point for the YMCA. It now added athletics as a tool for building character in young men. This started with gymnastics and track activities. The rapid spread of basketball, a popular game invented in 1892 at the Springfield, Massachusetts YMCA, attracted new audiences to the Syracuse “Y”. America also became fascinated in the 1890s with bicycling of all types, including competitive racing. Athletics created a strong new identity for the YMCA that has continued to this day in its philosophy of building mind, spirit, and body.
The Syracuse YMCA began summer camping experiments in 1897 with 50 boys at a site called Oak Orchard along the Oneida River in the town of Clay. This would be expanded in 1901 when wealthy Syracusan Benjamin Tousey offered part of his Oneida Lake summer property for YMCA camps. Locations would change over time, but rustic youth camping became firmly associated with the YMCA for decades.
From its beginning, the Y was concerned about safe housing for single men seeking employment. It maintained a reference service for approved boarding houses. In the late 1890s, it renovated space in its Warren Street building for short-term rental apartments. Thus, began a residential program that continues to this day in the downtown branch on Montgomery Street.
The Warren Street building revitalized the YMCA but also brought financial challenges. The organization met those challenges through fundraising by board president Levi Chapman, who worked closely with the new general secretary, Stephen Groner, after 1900. Both envisioned an expanded facility. Chapman, a member of the neighboring Baptist Church, approached another church supporter, wealthy businessman Benjamin Tousey, who contributed $117,500 toward a new YMCA building, an amount worth well over $2 million today. Tousey’s generosity was commemorated in the naming of the various YMCA camp locations after him, until that program ended in 1990.
Syracuse’s population soared past 125,000 by 1905, and the YMCA outgrew the Warren Street building. A new structure opened on Montgomery Street in 1907 and the Warren Street building was converted to a boy’s wing. In addition to the traditional gymnasium, lounge, reading room, and auditorium, the new building added a swimming pool, cafeteria, pistol range, billiard room, barber shop, a Turkish-bath facility with masseur, and dozens of permanent dormitory rooms.
During World War I, thousands of young men faced new social challenges and moral stresses. Nationally, the YMCA recruited thousands of volunteers (men and women), including some from Syracuse to staff canteens, leave centers, and hospitals — providing spiritual support and social comfort. The Syracuse YMCA also served these needs locally. Hundreds of soldiers from the Army camp at the State Fairgrounds used the recreational facilities at the downtown Y.
The Syracuse YMCA was a multi-purpose organization by 1920, filling a variety of needs and serving different levels of society. Its recreational and social facilities were a primary attraction, but it never abandoned its social-welfare activities and offered educational classes in business and trade skills, plus outreach programs conducted in area factories.
The Great Depression hit Syracuse hard, and many local industrial plants closed or cut back. Between 1929 and 1933, Syracuse lost almost 50 percent of its industrial jobs, impacting 13,000 workers and increasing the numbers of unemployed men.
Despite facing its own financial pressures, the Syracuse YMCA created an “Industrial Club” in 1932 to offer productive alternatives for this idle time. The club featured low fees that allowed its members use of recreational facilities in the old Warren Street building. Employment counseling was also offered. More than 4,500 men joined it during the 1930s.
During the 1920s and 1930s, the YMCA expanded its outreach to youth. The grand Assembly Hall in the 1907 building, once used for services of religious interest, was converted into a new boy’s gymnasium in 1932. The growth of church facilities throughout Syracuse reduced the need for structured Christian programming at the Y.
In 1934, the Y added a Camp Iroquois, for younger boys in 1934 at Evergreen Lake in Manlius, on lands provided by Solvay Process Company. In 2021, the co-ed day camp was renamed Camp Evergreen. Camp Adventure, a second day camp that used facilities at Green Lakes State Park and the downtown Y, started in 1937.
Nationally, the YMCA had provided aid to servicemen since the Civil War. When the U.S. entered World War II in 1941, the Y was one of six civilian agencies that organized the USO, to help provide social comforts to GIs during the war. Syracuse, like many other U.S. cities, saw hundreds of soldiers and sailors passing through on a daily basis. They were traveling to camps, training facilities, going on furlough, or heading overseas. The downtown Syracuse Y opened its facilities to these men for recreation, socializing, refreshments, and even overnight sleeping quarters.
Following the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, the YMCA prioritized reaching impoverished urban areas and minority populations. The Syracuse Y developed an Urban Action Department in 1971 and a youth center on the city’s South Side. Downtown building renovations in 1981 and 1995 created new options for low-income senior citizens and for disadvantaged men. At the same time, a growing suburban population sought expanded recreational centers outside the city.
Lifestyle changes in the 1970s and 1980s created other opportunities. The women’s movement advocated equal access to traditionally male institutions. More working mothers meant increased day care needs. The emphasis on healthier living expanded audiences for exercise facilities and fitness classes. These factors led the YMCA to redirect its focus toward serving the entire family, from preschoolers to grandparents. Girls were enrolled in the Youth Division and Camp Tousey for the first time in 1971. Downtown recreational facilities were opened to women in 1976. New suburban “Family YMCA” facilities were built in 1979 and 2004.
The Syracuse YMCA faced a creeping financial problem that reached a crisis in 1991. The annual budget passed $3 million but its accumulated deficit was more than $600,000. Members complained that the downtown facility was deteriorating. National dues went unpaid. Memberships were dropping. Changes had to come.
A new executive director, Hal Welsh, arrived in 1993. Programs were reduced or restructured, and some layoffs occurred. There was fear that the downtown Y might have to close. But slowly, maintenance, membership levels, and finances improved. Suburban facilities boosted interest and support. By the beginning of the 21st century, the Syracuse YMCA had entered a new era of growth and success, with plans to improve facilities.
The new millennium brought significant changes and growth, as well as the challenge of COVID-19. The Y opened new branches at OCC (Southwest YMCA) in 2012 and in Lysander (Northwest Family YMCA) in 2015. The Fayetteville Y was renamed the Hal Welsh East Area Family YMCA in 2018.
In 2018, the Downtown YMCA began a $6.8 million renovation project on the Men’s Residence. The Y underwent a complete rebranding, to become the YMCA of Central New York to reflect its expanded footprint.
The COVID-19 pandemic provided another opportunity for the YMCA of Central New York to serve the community by providing childcare for essential workers, housing for seniors and male residents in transition.
In early 2021, Bertram L. Lawson II was named president and CEO of the YMCA of Central New York, making history as the first Black leader of the organization. Lawson previously served as the chief operating officer for Mastery Charter Schools Network (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Camden, New Jersey), a $250 million nonprofit organization, overseeing all aspects of non-instructional school operations, school budgets, sports/extra-curricular programming, and student enrollment for 24 campuses. Prior to this role, the Y in Central Maryland recruited him to serve as its senior VP of operations providing leadership to three health/wellness centers, 20 camping (day & resident) locations, youth development, 20 community schools and mentoring programs while supervising two VPs and a district executive director. Lawson also served the Y for more than 21 years, including in Philadelphia, with significant operational, membership, grant delivery, partnership, fundraising and program experience.
The YMCA of Central New York continues to act as an anchor for philanthropy, assistance, and community service, never closing its doors to those in need.
Robert J. Searing is curator of history at the Onondaga Historical Association (OHA) (www.cnyhistory.org), located at 321 Montgomery St. in Syracuse.
Congressman-elect Marc Molinaro recently announced his senior staff for the 118th Congress. These staffers will be set to serve New York’s 19th Congressional District upon Molinaro’s swearing in on Jan. 3. JEFF BISHOP has been named chief of staff. He will oversee all operations and staff members in Molinaro’s district and Washington, D.C. offices. Bishop
Congressman-elect Marc Molinaro recently announced his senior staff for the 118th Congress. These staffers will be set to serve New York’s 19th Congressional District upon Molinaro’s swearing in on Jan. 3. JEFF BISHOP has been named chief of staff. He will oversee all operations and staff members in Molinaro’s district and Washington, D.C. offices. Bishop most recently served as deputy chief of staff & legislative director for Congressman Pete Stauber of Minnesota. He also previously was the campaign manager for Congressman John Katko, of New York’s 24th Congressional District and as a top legislative aide for Congressman John Faso (NY-19) and Congressman Chris Gibson (NY-19). Bishop is a graduate of the Catholic University of America.
NICK JOSEPH has been appointed deputy chief of staff & legislative director. He will oversee Molinaro’s legislative portfolio and staff. Joseph joins Molinaro’s Congressional office after serving in the Dutchess County Legislature’s Office. Joseph previously worked on legislation in the New York State Senate. He is a graduate of Liberty University and received an MBA from Marist College.
CAITLIN GILLIGAN DALY was named district director. Daly will lead Molinaro’s district offices and oversee constituent services and outreach efforts. She joins Molinaro’s Congressional office after serving with him in the Dutchess County Executive’s Office. Daly previously worked for the Empire Center for Public Policy and in the New York State Senate. She is a Colgate University graduate.
DAN KRANZ has been appointed communications director. Kranz will serve as Molinaro’s spokesman and work to educate and inform the residents of New York’s 19th Congressional District. Kranz previously served in the same role for Congressman Katko (NY-24) and is a graduate of Le Moyne College. Congressman-elect Marc Molinaro was elected on Nov. 8 to represent New York’s 19th Congressional District, which includes Broome, Chenango, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Greene, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, and parts of Otsego and Ulster County. He previously served as Dutchess County Executive and as a New York State Assemblyman.
Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP has named KEEGAN COUGHLIN and NICHOLAS CORTESE as partners in the law firm, effective Jan. 1, 2023. Coughlin, who grew up in Johnson City, joined the firm as an associate in 2016. Prior to that, he worked as a law clerk at Binghamton City Court while attending law school and as
Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP has named KEEGAN COUGHLIN and NICHOLAS CORTESE as partners in the law firm, effective Jan. 1, 2023. Coughlin, who grew up in Johnson City, joined the firm as an associate in 2016. Prior to that, he worked as a law clerk at Binghamton City Court while attending law school and as student judicial law clerk to Judge Thomas J. McAvoy of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. His practice focuses on estate planning, trust and estate administration, and municipal and public-sector law.
Cortese began his legal career as an appellate court attorney for the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Department. From there, he became senior law clerk to the Third Department Justice Robert S. Rose before entering private practice with Costello, Cooney and Fearon, PLLC in Syracuse, according to his LinkedIn profile. In 2017, the Binghamton native joined Coughlin & Gerhart, where he primarily practices in the firm’s public law group. He represents municipalities, school districts, fire districts, and emergency-services providers on a wide range of legal issues. Cortese also focuses on appellate special proceedings and real-property tax litigation, as well as administrative hearings and investigations.
CONOR ROCKHILL has been promoted to economic-development specialist at the Downtown Committee of Syracuse, after having served as an economic-development coordinator. He will focus on real estate and market-trends analysis and reporting, interface with commercial prospects, and expand upon the organization’s grants management and business support. Rockhill started his career providing research, data analysis, and
CONOR ROCKHILL has been promoted to economic-development specialist at the Downtown Committee of Syracuse, after having served as an economic-development coordinator. He will focus on real estate and market-trends analysis and reporting, interface with commercial prospects, and expand upon the organization’s grants management and business support. Rockhill started his career providing research, data analysis, and graphic-design support for nonprofit projects before joining the Downtown Committee in August 2021. Rockhill holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Michigan and made the move to Syracuse from the Chicago area.
HEATHER SCHROEDER is director of economic development at the Downtown Committee of Syracuse and has been promoted to include a deputy-director role with the organization as well. In this role, Schroeder will participate in current and long-term strategic planning, oversee public space and placemaking initiatives, assist in resource development and budgeting, and program administration. Schroeder’s background includes affordable-housing finance and development with a focus on urban infill and historic preservation. She has almost two decades of real-estate development and professional experience. Schroeder holds degrees from Cornell University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and returned to the Syracuse area 10 years ago after working in the Boston area.
The Downtown Committee also recently hired VANESSA SZWEJBKA as its communications associate. Szwejbka will be responsible for a broad range of duties related to content and messaging, including development and support of all internal and external communications and play a key role in cultivating the stories of the community, helping to promote the variety of downtown experiences available, and the revitalization activity underway in downtown Syracuse. Szwejbka brings 15 years of experience working in the broadcast, communications, journalism industry. Her background includes working with complex information and creating engaging content for broadcast, web, and social-media platforms, following industry trends, and producing content relevant for a variety of audiences. Szwejbka holds a bachelor’s degree in meteorology and is a native of the Central New York region.
VIRGIE TOWNSEND has been appointed director of public relations at Strategic Communications, a Syracuse–based public-relations agency that Crystal DeStefano has owned since 2014. Townsend has more than a decade of experience as a communications professional in agencies, nonprofits, and businesses. Most recently, she led her own strategic marketing and communications consulting practice, focusing on the
VIRGIE TOWNSEND has been appointed director of public relations at Strategic Communications, a Syracuse–based public-relations agency that Crystal DeStefano has owned since 2014. Townsend has more than a decade of experience as a communications professional in agencies, nonprofits, and businesses. Most recently, she led her own strategic marketing and communications consulting practice, focusing on the education and life-sciences sectors. Townsend has been with Strategic Communications since May 2022 and takes over the director of PR position from company president DeStefano as the business enters a new phase of growth. In her new expanded role, Townsend will oversee an increasing number of Strategic Communications clients, as well as provide public-relations direction and oversight to other members of the Strategic Communications team. She will also represent Strategic Communications within the local business community and lead new client opportunities and initiatives. Townsend received her bachelor’s degree in newspaper journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and her law degree from the Syracuse University College of Law.
Dear Rusty: I’ll be 69 in April 2023, and my wife will be 59 [in about a month]. I’m still working and am trying to determine whether I should take Social Security at 69 or 70. My main question revolves around my wife’s future Social Security benefits and how they will affect my decision on
Dear Rusty: I’ll be 69 in April 2023, and my wife will be 59 [in about a month]. I’m still working and am trying to determine whether I should take Social Security at 69 or 70. My main question revolves around my wife’s future Social Security benefits and how they will affect my decision on whether to start mine at 69 or 70. I would like to know how to map this all out.
Signed: Waiting but Wondering
Dear Waiting: Since you’re now 68 and not yet collecting benefits, you have been (since you were 66) earning Delayed Retirement Credits (DRCs). This will result in an increased personal Social Security benefit for as long as you delay claiming, up to age 70, when your maximum benefit is reached. If you claim at age 69, your benefit will be 24 percent more than it would have been at your full retirement age (FRA) of 66. If you wait until age 70 to claim, your benefit will be 32 percent more than it would have been at age 66 (8 percent additional benefit for waiting that extra year).
Your wife’s future spousal benefit while you are both living (if she is entitled to one) will be based on your age 66 amount, not the higher amount you will get because you waited to claim. But your wife’s benefit as your surviving widow will be based on the amount you were actually receiving at your death, not on your age 66 amount. So, if your goal is to maximize your younger wife’s benefit as your widow, then waiting until you are 70 to claim your benefit will do that. Keep in mind that your wife’s surviving-spouse benefit will be affected by her own age when she claims. If she has reached her own full retirement age of 67 when she claims, she will receive the maximum survivor benefit available to her. Claimed at age 67 while you are both living, her spouse benefit will be 50 percent of your age 66 benefit amount, if that is more than she is personally entitled to on her own. If you die first and your wife claims her survivor benefit at or after age 67, she will get 100 percent of the benefit you were receiving at your death instead of her own smaller benefit. But if she claims her survivor benefit before reaching her own FRA of 67, that benefit will be actuarially reduced according to the number of months prior to her FRA it is claimed. Note that your wife can wait to claim her survivor benefit until it reaches its maximum at her full retirement age.
So, to recap: Your wife’s spousal benefit while you are living will be based on your age 66 amount and her age when she claims it, and your wife’s benefit as your widow will be based on 100 percent of what you are getting when you die and her age when she claims it. The maximum benefit for your wife in either case is attained when she reaches her FRA (67), but if claimed earlier will be reduced. And you waiting until age 70 to claim will maximize your wife’s benefit as your widow.
Finally, since you are still working, you should know that if your current earnings are among the highest of your lifetime, you will still get credit for those earnings even after you start collecting your Social Security benefits. Your SS benefit when you claim will be based on the highest-earning 35 years over your lifetime (adjusted for inflation), but the Social Security Administration will monitor your earnings each year to see if a benefit increase is warranted because your current earnings are higher than any used in originally computing your benefit amount.
Russell Gloor is a national Social Security advisor at the AMAC Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC). The 2.4-million-member AMAC says it is a senior advocacy organization. Send your questions to: ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org.
Author’s note: This article is intended for information purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. It presents the opinions and interpretations of the AMAC Foundation’s staff, trained and accredited by the National Social Security Association (NSSA). The NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other governmental entity.
Business leaders in the Southern Tier are calling for a regional cost analysis, as the Climate Action Council (CAC) deliberates its final “scoping plan.” The heavily debated scoping plan will provide state legislators with recommendations to meet the goals of the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). Some of those include replacing all gas
Business leaders in the Southern Tier are calling for a regional cost analysis, as the Climate Action Council (CAC) deliberates its final “scoping plan.” The heavily debated scoping plan will provide state legislators with recommendations to meet the goals of the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). Some of those include replacing all gas appliances and home-heating fuels with electricity by 2040 and reaching 85 percent zero emissions by 2050.
The Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce testified before the CAC to acknowledge the importance of utilizing renewable energy while also advocating for affordability and reliability during uncertain times. Another component of this plan that has left businesses worried is the speed in which the state plans to implement these proposals. The business community is not opposed to renewable-power generation so long as it does not compromise their ability to do business in New York state.
Businesses are still in the process of recovering from several global health and economic crises that have impacted energy prices and production. Given the potential for an economic recession, a plan that costs nearly $340 billion to implement will add to continued economic insecurity for businesses. In addition, recent reports have shown that the cost of electricity this winter is expected to increase between 30 percent and 40 percent, placing added pressure not just on businesses, but also on individuals and families.
Earlier this year, the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) released its “2022 Power Trends” report, which states that “deactivating existing generation without having in place resources capable of providing comparable reliability services risk the ability to maintain a reliably electric system” and in their 2021-2040 System & Resource Outlook report the experts suggest that “there will be a great need for dispatchable emission-free resources to meet the flexibility and energy supply needs of the future system.” Risking reliability is unquestionable, especially at a time when our state is experiencing extreme weather events.
In addition to the NYISO’s findings that reliability margins are thinning, it has also found that upstate New York is well on its way to reaching 100 percent zero-emitting energy. According to the “Tale of Two Grids,” Upstate currently utilizes 92 percent zero-emitting resources and only 6 percent of its total energy profile relies on fossil fuels. These figures demonstrate that upstate New York is doing its part and that a one-size-fits all approach is not realistic for a plan of this size.
A cost analysis is not only the financially prudent approach, but also an imperative to ensure that the regulations put forth in the CLCPA do not create increased financial disparities in New York state. As the CAC finalizes its scoping plan and the legislature considers new policies to meet the goals of the CLCPA, we strongly recommend a regional cost analysis and needs assessment to identify solutions based on a regional rather than a statewide approach.
Stacey Duncan is president and CEO of the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce, a pro-business membership organization representing nearly 800 businesses throughout the Binghamton area.
There is great uncertainty on Capitol Hill these days, as ambitious politicians maneuver for advantage in the newly reshaped House and the Senate and reckon with the aftermath of the runoff in Georgia. But before all of our attention turns to what comes next, it’s worth taking a moment to look back at the November elections
There is great uncertainty on Capitol Hill these days, as ambitious politicians maneuver for advantage in the newly reshaped House and the Senate and reckon with the aftermath of the runoff in Georgia. But before all of our attention turns to what comes next, it’s worth taking a moment to look back at the November elections and what they tell us about the American electorate.
I say this because it’s easy to forget that in our system, power ultimately rests in the hands of the voters. It’s a trite belief, I realize, and if we have learned anything over the last few decades, it’s that the truisms of seventh-grade civics are a bit more complicated than we were taught. Write your member of Congress and you might get back a polite letter written by a staffer. Stand up at a town meeting and your representative will hear you out. But in the end, you’re competing for attention with lobbyists in Washington, D.C. and the leadership on Capitol Hill — not to mention the White House and the media.
Still, when we vote, something interesting happens. All the individual backgrounds we bring into the voting booth with us — class, race, ethnicity, or region, how we feel about threats to our democracy or threats to our pocketbook — become a message. It’s a collective opinion that politicians ignore at their peril. Elections are our chance to weigh in and set priorities, even if what ultimately happens over the next two years will be the result of the dynamics on Capitol Hill and at the White House.
The recent election was a perfect example of what I mean. There have been all sorts of post-mortems since Election Day, but the broad outline was pretty clear. Americans, as is usually their habit, voted for reasonableness and common sense. Although people who deny the validity of the 2020 election did win office, there’s no question that 2022 sent a clear message that Americans are tired of that fight and, on the whole, prefer candidates who don’t call our system into question and don’t seek to rig election mechanics for partisan advantage. The tangible threat to abortion rights posed by the Supreme Court and anti-abortion politicians proved a powerful motivator, too.
At the same time, given the narrowness of many elections — and of the balance of power both on Capitol Hill and in many state legislatures — it’s also clear that large numbers of Americans are focused on the issues many Republicans campaigned on, including inflation, the economy, and crime. These, too, are bread-and-butter issues that our elected representatives will need to confront.
None of this tells elected officials exactly what they should be doing, but it does create a broad set of signposts that they should consider once Congress and legislatures convene. Between the lines, it’s possible to discern a key trend — on the whole, voters showed that given a chance to tack toward the center, they’ll do so. There were moderate Republicans who won in districts carried two years ago by Joe Biden, and moderate Democrats who held on in contests they were expected to lose.
Many years ago, I wrote a column pointing out that Americans hold certain basic values in common whatever their ideology, including respect for our constitutional system, the peaceful and democratic resolution of political disagreements, a belief that politicians should behave ethically, and a bedrock desire for a system that gives everyone equal access to what it takes to get ahead in our society. Those values have been tested severely in recent years and will continue to be in the years ahead. But I would argue that this year’s elections demonstrated that most Americans still hew to those traditional beliefs — and they’ll be watching what happens in Washington and their state capitals with great interest.
Lee Hamilton, 91, is a senior advisor for the Indiana University (IU) Center on Representative Government, distinguished scholar at the IU Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, and professor of practice at the IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Hamilton, a Democrat, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years (1965-1999), representing a district in south-central Indiana.
“We have been working a long time to rejuvenate the village through redevelopment, renovation, and revitalization,” Mayor Linda Jackson said in the state’s press release.
“Stealing funds meant to serve developmentally disabled members of our community is reprehensible and absolutely unacceptable,” James said in a news release. “For years, Shirley
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