Annual Chocolate Walk served nearly 49k treats
To the editor:
The Brown County Humane Society’s 15th Annual Chocolate Walk was one to remember! Spirits were high as more than 1,200 Chocolate Walkers, new and returning, strolled the snowy streets of Nashville on Saturday, Nov. 12.
A sincere thank-you to Brown County and the town of Nashville for your warm support on such a chilly day, especially the 38 shops, restaurants, and galleries that generously served nearly 49,000 chocolate treats. We applaud their time, energy, and creativity in support of this event.
More than 70 dedicated volunteers made the Chocolate Walk possible, and we offer our heartfelt thanks for their commitment to the homeless pets of Brown County. We would also like to thank the Salvation Army for serving, once again, as the Chocolate Walk headquarters on the day of the event.
The Chocolate Walk committee would like to recognize our sponsors for their generous support of this important fundraiser: A&R Storage, A Stone’s Throw Home Stay, Brown County Inn, Centra Credit Union, Curry Auto Center, De Tours of Indiana Wine, Friends O’ Mine Campground and Cabins, Hills O’ Brown Vacation Rentals, J.B. Goods, Jones Law Office, Nashville Spice Company, New Leaf, RE/MAX Team, Walmart Supercenter and our media sponsor WKKG 101.5.
Lastly, we are pleased to announce and congratulate the winners of the People’s Choice Awards:
Taste: Sweetea’s Tea Shop
Creativity: New Harmony Soap Company
Presentation: Bird’s Nest Café
The 16th Annual Chocolate Walk will be held Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. Mark your calendars and join us for this sell-out event!
Jane Weatherford, Chocolate Walk committee, Brown County Humane Society
Important information: ‘Renters have rights’
To the editor:
Several years ago, a woman-owned company based out of Indianapolis, Real America LLC, was invited by the Town of Nashville to build apartment units here that would provide affordable housing for individuals age 55 and older.
Willow Manor Senior Apartments and Hawthorne Hills today offer approximately 122 housing units to individuals who qualify. Real America then built an additional apartment complex called Forest Hills of Brown County.
Since being built, Willow and Hawthorne have remained full with long waiting lists. Thanks to Real America, our community could finally offer attainable housing for people in all walks of life! Obviously, the need for housing was and is still great.
As a former Access Transit Bus driver, I had the opportunity to transport many residents from these complexes to various appointments and locales.
While there will almost always be a complaint or two about landlords, for the most part, the individuals that I came in to contact with were very happy to have such nice, clean and affordable accommodations.
This summer Willow and Hawthorne residents were informed that Real America had sold, and The Michaels Organization had taken over as the new management company. The Michaels Organization is a for-profit family of companies based out of Camden, New Jersey, according to their website.
Also on their website, the Vice President of Acquisition for The Michaels Organization is quoted about the Indiana acquisition.
He says, “We are delighted to be entrusted with the opportunity to preserve the long-term affordability of these important assets while lifting the lives of the residents.”
While the Michael’s Organization was delighted, they preserved nothing for a dear friend of mine who was informed shortly after the takeover that her lease would not be renewed.
No explanation was given and when she attempted to meet with the building manager, she was told they would not meet with her. She had never been late paying her rent or had any disciplinary “write ups.” Mind you, my friend is over 70 years old and was informed that she had 30 days to leave the premises.
I am writing this letter today to share some important information and resources should you find yourself facing similar mistreatment by a giant corporation.
Together, my friend and I did our research and learned that Real America qualified for a federal low-income tax credit program called Section 42. Here in Indiana, The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) oversees entities that participate in Section 42 housing programs.
IHCDA has a complaint process and also has a Section 42 Renters Guide publication. In that publication it states that “Section 42 properties may not evict or non-renew leases without good cause.” You can find the Renters Guide at the state website, www.in.gov. IHCDA’s phone number is 317-232-7777 or 800-872-0371.
If you have a complaint, make sure you tell them that you are wanting to file a complaint about a Section 42 housing provider. If you feel you are being discriminated against, you can call the Indiana Civil Rights Commission at 317-232-2600. Another resource is the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at www.hud.gov or by phone at 202-708-1112. If you are a person with a disability and have a complaint about accessibility or discrimination, you can contact Indiana Disability Rights at www.indianadisabilityrights.org or at 317-722-5555 or at 800-622-4845.
Please share this information with your neighbors who don’t read the paper! Renters do have rights!
Cathy Wingard, Nashville, Indiana
Questioning Brown County’s affordability
To the editor:
Can your kids afford to live in Brown County?
The average home in Brown County is valued at $278,960, according to Zillow data.
In order to better understand the county where I was raised, I looked at some common jobs and compared their salaries to the costs of owning a home in the county. Here is what I found.
First, I looked at monthly costs of a $278,960 home after a 20% down payment of $55,792. I understand that $55,792 is a large sum for most people. It certainly is for me.
After putting down 20%, the monthly mortgage cost is $1612.14 or $19345.68 per year. I changed these to $1612 and $19346 to simplify the dollar amounts from here onward.
Next, I looked at common careers in Indiana and their take-home pay after taxes. I focused on healthcare, hospitality, and education since I’ve seen job postings for these in Brown County and the surrounding area.
Healthcare: Healthcare administrators in Indiana earn $37,230 on average or $17.90 per hour. Their take-home pay is $2410 per month or $28920 per year. $28920 – $19346 = $9574. $9754 is what’s left to pay for groceries, gas, home repairs, utility bills, etc.
Most of these jobs are available in larger towns like Columbus, Bloomington, and Indianapolis. This means commuting and paying for gas and vehicle maintenance. CNAs in Indiana earn $30,582 or $14.70 an hour.
Their take-home pay is $1992 per month. This equals $23904 per year. $23904 – $19346 = $4558. $4558 is what’s left to pay for groceries, gas, home repairs, utility bills, etc.
Education: Teachers in Indiana earn $28,343 on average or $13.63 per hour. Teacher take-home pay is $1850 per month or $22,200 per year. $22,200 – $19346 = $2854 $2854 is what’s left to pay for groceries, gas, home repairs, utility bills, etc.
Hospitality: Restaurant servers in southern Indiana earn $487 per week on average or around $13 per hour. This is $1948 per month and $23376 per year. Take-home pay is $18432. $18432 – $19346 = $914. A restaurant server has to earn $914 more dollars on top of their regular job to pay their mortgage.
This is roughly equal to two weeks of additional pay they need to earn to live in their own home. This does not include groceries, gas, home repairs, or utility bills.
Restaurant positions are some of the most common jobs advertised on job boards like Indeed.
Limited housing options: Assuming one of your kids can afford a $280,000 home in Brown County on their current salary, they would be competing for fewer than 50 homes. The condition of these homes varies a lot.
From single-wide trailers to a handful of cabins and manufactured homes. The cost of repairs and remodels alone may keep them from home ownership.
After looking at the numbers, I’ll close by posing the question again: Can your kids afford to live in Brown County?
Terran Marks, Bloomington, formerly of Brown County
Letters to the editor
Send letters to [email protected] by noon Thursday before the date of intended publication (noon Wednesday on holiday weeks). Letters are the opinions of the writer. Letters must be signed by the author and include the writer’s town of residence and a contact number in case of questions. Only one letter every two weeks, per writer, to allow for diversity of voices in the opinions section. Please be considerate of sharing space with other letter-writers and keep your comments concise and to the point. Avoid name-calling, accusations of criminal activity and second- and third-hand statements of “fact.”
