Letters to the editor for week of April 20

Library friends’ annual plant sale returns

To the editor:

Brown County Friends of the Library annual Plant Sale will be Friday, April 29 from 2 to 6 p.m. and Saturday, April 30 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. We will be joined again by the Brown County Soil and Water Conservation District who will be distributing free trees.

Plant donations from Brownhill Nursery, Backyard Greenhouse, DesignScape and Kelp’s Greenhouse, as well as special offerings from local gardeners, will allow you to choose just what you need to start or complete your garden. This year we received a huge donation of “yard art” including mostly new items. These, along with garden tools, will be added to our sale — and all at bargain prices! As usual, the library has provided us books on plants and gardening for anyone seeking inspiration or garden guidance.

The FOL Plant Sale provides funds to support local library projects. Check out the website browncountylibrary.info to see some of the many activities our library provides, or stop in and ask any one of the friendly staff members about available programs. Either way, you will find out our library offers much more than books!

For additional information, call 812-988-2850. Due to the solar project installation work, please follow the signs near the library at 205 Locust Lane for exact location and parking. We hope to see you rain or shine!

As always, shop early for best selection!

Joyce Shook, Nashville

Student essay shows ‘accurate profile’ of voting

To the editor:

Wow. I was so impressed by the article in the Democrat by 12th grade student Annika Evenson. She detailed with sources her assessment of the voting problems we have in this country. Well done, Annika.

She correctly points out that the “Freedom to Vote Act” considered by the U.S. Senate would have addressed many of the problems she cited. She points out the bill failed. She does not mention that the bill failed because Republican senators blocked it, per PBS Newshour on Jan. 19, 2022.

She accurately points out the problems Indiana voters face on Election Day. Indiana needs to allow same day registration as well as expanding the use of mail-in ballots. She correctly states that “mail-in ballots are the best way to increase voter turnout.” She does not mention that Indiana currently is governed by a Republican governor and a Republican super majority in the statehouse. If motivated they could update our antiquated voting system at any time. Instead Indiana signed into law this year a bill making it harder to vote by mail, according to WTHR news on March 15, 2022.

Instead of expanding voter access as Annika suggests, 22 Republican states passed bills restricting voting and making it harder to vote. One voting suppression law in Florida signed into law by the Republican governor was so bad that a federal judge struck it down April 1, 2022, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Lawsuits challenging Georgia and Texas voter suppression laws are moving forward, per the Wall Street Journal and the Texas Tribune.

Thank you again Annika for showing us an accurate profile of the state of voting in America today and giving us some real alternatives for fixing a broken system. That is a good first step. Now we all need to get involved, vote in the next election and contact your legislator demanding they make voting easier, not more restrictive.

Denny Kubal, Brown County

Thanks for donations to Rotary Club gift basket

To the editor:

“Enjoy Brown County” was the theme for the gift basket that the Rotary Club of Brown County submitted for the silent auction at the Rotary District 6580 Conference held at the Indiana University Memorial Union on April 9.

Rotarians and friends from 35 clubs in the southern district attended the conference. Bidding for baskets was enthusiastic. As usual, our basket was popular and garnered a good price.

Thanks to the following businesses for donating gift certificates or items to the gift basket: Brown County Playhouse, Story Inn, Rafters Restaurant at the Seasons Lodge, Salt Creek Golf Retreat, BC Convention and Visitors Bureau, Nashville Fudge Kitchen. Also, thanks to Rotarians who contributed local items to complete the basket of goodies (wine, coffee, apple butter, spices, liquor). Proceeds from the silent auction benefit the Rotary Foundation, an international non-profit corporation supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotary members and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of world peace and understanding. The Brown County Club and community have benefited from several matching grants from the Rotary Foundation such as the recently constructed pump house on the Village Green, flooring for the Helping Hands building, landscaping for the Village Green Pavilion as well as a matching grant to provide solar lights to orphans in Uganda.

Jaydene Laros, Rotary Club of Brown County Service Chairperson

Fields named in honor of late supervisor, umpire

To the editor:

In honor of his years of service to the community and years of dedication to youth baseball and softball, Brown County Parks and Recreation is proud to announce that from this day forward fields one through four at Deer Run Park will be named the “Seymore Parrish Fields.”

Fields one through four at Deer Run Park are named in honor of late Brown County Parks and Recreation baseball/softball supervisor and umpire Seymore Parrish. The official field dedication and memorial will take place on Saturday, June 4 at Deer Run Park at 1 p.m. Submitted

Words cannot express the gratitude we have for Seymore and the appreciation for his countless hours of involvement in the youth baseball and softball programs as well as other community events and services. We feel extremely lucky to have worked with Seymore since we took over the baseball and softball program in 2008.

Seymore not only supervised both baseball and softball, he often spent time behind the plate as an umpire. He always oversaw a fun environment and maintained control of any situation he was involved in. We miss him very much and the program has not been the same since his passing.

Thank you Seymore for all your years of dedicated service to the community.

The official field dedication and memorial will take place on Saturday, June 4 at Deer Run Park at 1 p.m.

Brown County Parks and Recreation Department (submitted by Andy Rudd)

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