GREENFIELD — The binoculars beckon little eyes.
In the children’s section of the Hancock County Public Library, the devices look like ones visitors might find at a major tourist destination, but when kids look out the window, there’s not much to see.
Four women, including children’s librarian Jena Mattix, hope to change the view by creating a community garden along the western edge of the library.
Imagining what could be; it’s what Leadership Hancock County is all about.
Six projects aimed at improving the community are underway, thanks to the efforts of the 2017-18 class of Leadership Hancock County, a tuition-supported leadership academy. The projects span from the creation of a county political candidate debate commission to the establishment of an emergency clothing program at Mt. Vernon Community schools.
A four-person project committee late last year considered 20 projects submitted by the class and community members and selected the best ones based on their feasibility and impact, said coordinator David Hill.
Now, when young visitors to the library’s main branch peer through the viewfinder, they see barren fields and the occasional passing car. With the help of local businesses and community members, Mattix and her group have planned a garden with plants, herbs and flowers, which will in turn attract birds, butterflies and bees, she said during a recent library board of directors meeting.
The LHC group has partnered with Home Depot and the Hancock County Master Gardeners Association to design the garden, with donations pouring in from landscaping businesses and area nurseries.
The group plans a community dig day April 14, inviting the public to come lend a hand as the garden beds are prepared. Local Boy Scouts and the local master gardener association have pledged to be a part of the event as well, Mattix said.
Each of the projects’ six teams has been working hard to bring the efforts to fruition before the class’s graduation on May 2, Hill said.
And each will making a lasting impact long after graduates celebrate completion of the course, Hill said.
The group working to establish a county debate commission has scheduled five debates to introduce the public to the May’s primary candidates, working with county political leaders to draw the biggest crowds possible. Former Greenfield Police Chief John Jester will serve as emcee, leading candidates — for sheriff, judge, prosecutor, commissioner and county council — through a series of questions while also inviting inquiries from the audience.
For some, organizers know, those forums will be the only time residents get face time with candidates in some of the most hotly contested races, and Leadership Hancock County is excited to be part of it, an effort coordinated alongside the Daily Reporter.
George Plisinski’s team has been tasked with bringing a Leadership Hancock County tradition into the 21st century. The group is working to revamp the Leadership Hancock County scavenger hunt, a key part of the organization’s team-building retreat each fall, adding technology and a GPS component to the contest.
The group is working with developers of the GooseChase app to adapt the technology to their needs, Plisinski said. The group meets this week to finalize its plans.
For one team, a project to keep school health office stocked with emergency clothing stores in the event of playground accidents, dress-code issues or other emergencies has gone in an unexpected direction.
Mt. Vernon Community Schools Corp. plans a transition program for essential skills students age 18 to 21, slated to begin in the fall, and the emergency clothing program will become their annual project, said Maria Bond, director of communications at Mt. Vernon Community School Corp.
“The clothing bank will be maintained by the new transition program,” she said. “It’s fruitful for us to help develop a program that will impact many, many students for years to come.”
One group has focused its efforts on the community’s next group of leaders — schoolchildren.
The group is working to transform the office of Bentley’s Buddies and Friends, a nonprofit program to encourage young readers by inviting them to read to nonjudgmental furry friends, into a more kid-friendly environment.
The group has secured inviting furniture and the promise of an art teacher who will paint a mural on the nonprofit’s walls.
Bentley’s Buddies trains dogs and their owners to spend time with reluctant readers, who read to the dogs to help the students build confidence. The program visits classrooms and also works out of an office in downtown Greenfield, especially when school is not in session. The goal of renovating the office is to encourage more young readers to come in after school and during vacations, said Nickie Scott, founder of the program.
Cara Fields, a member of the team working on the Bentley’s Buddies program, said her group painted the offices last weekend and anticipate Laura Falee, a local art teacher, will begin her mural of dogs and books soon.
She said each of the members of her group have brought their strengths together because they are all passionate about Scott’s mission and the impact her organization has on Hancock County.
“Nickie has not always done a good job bragging on herself,” Fields said. “The dogs in her program now read with over 1,000 kids, but that’s not something you’ll find on her brochures.”
Though each person chosen to be a member of a Leadership Hancock County class has been identified as someone with a lot of potential, Hill said he doesn’t get tired of seeing them grow in the months of the program.
“It’s really rewarding,” he said. “They come in not quite knowing what to expect, … but you can tell at graduation they’re more confident as they discuss the concepts they’ve taken on.”
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Bentley’s Buddies and Friends
Team members: Alex Bush, Medicap Pharmacy; Chris Carter, Hancock Regional Hospital; Cara Fields, Elanco Animal Health; Tracy Sweet, IU Health.
School emergency clothing
Team members: Maria Bond, Mt. Vernon schools; Stephanie Haines, the Daily Reporter; Linda Thakrar, Hancock County Public Library; Stephanie Wilson, Hancock Physician Network.
Hancock County Debate Commission
Team members: Nick Riedman, city of Greenfield; Staci Starcher, town of McCordsville; Diana Trautmann, Elanco Animal Health; Greg Woods, Greenfield Banking Co.
Children’s department garden
Team members: Kelly Leddy, MainSource Bank; Jena Mattix, Hancock County Public Library; Courtney Miller, Jane Pauley Community Health Center; Renee Oldham, Mt. Vernon Education Foundation.
5210 healthier choices program
Team members: Angela Flench, Indiana Department of Transportation; Christy Harpold, Greenfield-Central schools; Dr. Jason Hua, Jane Pauley Community Health Center; Adam Wilhelm, Hancock Regional Hospital.
Scavenger hunt revamp
Team members: Diane Petry, Life Choices Care Center; George Plisinski, NineStar Connect; Jason Wells, Hancock Regional Hospital; Stacey Wixson, Greenfield Banking Co.
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