Greenbelt gets an extension
The community spoke and the politicians listened: Greenbelt Golf Course won’t close up shop in 2020.
The Columbus City Council voted in favor of keeping Greenbelt open last week after the first reading of its budget for next year. The 2021 city budget includes $176,000 to be transferred from the council budget to the parks’ non-reverting fund for golf staffing, allowing the city to keep Greenbelt operating for at least another year.
The city council plans on working with the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department to put together a long-term look as to how they will operate all of the local golf courses.
The decision came after months of discussion between the public and local government officials. City council will vote on the 2021 budget again on Oct. 20; but it should prove nothing more than a formality.
It’s refreshing to see constructive engagement and action between the public and government officials — especially during this political season.
Poised for a comeback
Higher education is seeing lower enrollment numbers in Bartholomew County this fall, but there’s no need to panic yet.
IUPUC and Ivy Tech Community College — Columbus are both reporting slight declines in numbers, as Ivy Tech said it has a 12.8% drop in its headcount from 2019 while IUPUC has seen a 9.3% drop.
Colleges around the state are seeing similar trends, as the start of the COVID-19 pandemic led to many students postponing the start of their collegiate plans.
Many of those students are now ready to get back to the classroom — whether it be virtual or in person.
IUPUC officials said they’re seeing more applications from both transfers and first-year students for the spring semester and Ivy Tech, which recently moved to eight-week classes, also expects to see an increase in students in the near future.
The local colleges play many important roles in Bartholomew County from both educational and economic impact. Hopefully the numbers from this fall are just an outlier, and the institutes will rebound soon.
Big savings
The Bartholomew County Humane Society is putting an emphasis on renewable energy.
The local organization was recently awarded $46,000 in grants to purchase and install solar panels at its 4415 E. County Road 200S location. The two largest grant providers were the Heritage Fund — The Community Foundation of Bartholomew Count and the Henry Conover Foundation.
In total, 64 solar panels are expected to provide the Humane Society with electricity for the next 40 years. Officials estimate that the panels will help the organization cut its energy costs by one-third. Installation of the panels started the first week of October.
The extra funds saved by switching to solar will be used to help more local animals. Shelter manager Kirsten VantWoud said they’re planning on using the extra money to pay for more spay and neuter surgeries as well as other medical needs.
The decision to go with solar energy should be commended, as it will help all locals — whether they walk on two legs or four.
