Weekly update #352 10/18/2026 to 10/24/2026
This week was full of activities. Several involved our youth, while another event I’ll write about brought together attendees spanning multiple generations. Let me share some of my week serving as mayor of the best small town in America.
The Mayor’s Youth Council visited the Department of Public Works (DPW) during its most recent meeting. Members learned about the quantities of trash and recycling collected throughout the year, with extra emphasis on special events like Make Seymour Shine and Oktoberfest. They had a chance to operate equipment and see some of the skills our DPW team uses day to day. During the tour, they also learned about ways the transfer station is improving efficiency. Thank you to everyone who helped host the tour.
This week, I was invited by the Sagamore Institute to serve as a panelist at the premiere of the film Gone Guys. The film discusses a concerning trend: “Over the past fifty years, boys and young men have steadily disengaged from school, work, and broader society. They’re falling behind academically, struggling with loneliness and isolation, and facing rising rates of substance abuse and suicide.” The work of Richard Reeves, particularly his book Of Boys and Men, influenced the film, as well as the Sagamore Institute’s study, Failure to Launch: Improving the Education, Employment, and Well-Being of Indiana’s Boys and Men. Thank you to the Sagamore Institute for the opportunity to be involved. I look forward to learning more as this work continues.
Congratulations to Zoie Cooley on another successful event at the Community Center on South Chestnut Street. Soups and Stories was an enjoyable evening filled with plenty of laughs. If you want to look at it by the numbers, there were six different soups and three categories of prizes. Attendees enjoyed a dozen stories in a variety of styles. Poetry was the most popular, along with several children’s books and even a few personal stories. With just under 40 preregistrations, I would guess the total attendance ended up above 50. Beforehand, I was worried that, for $5, I would still leave hungry, but the sample sizes were just right! Congratulations, Zoie, on another low-cost, fun, first-time event. I look forward to seeing what new ideas the future holds.
For nearly 40 years, Red Ribbon Week has been recognized nationally from October 23 through October 31. Family and friends of slain Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Enrique Camarena began wearing red ribbons to show their commitment to staying drug-free. Over the years, Red Ribbon Week activities here in Seymour have been organized by several different groups. For the past five years, the Seymour Young Marines have hosted a Red Ribbon Week event. Yesterday, they presented our nation’s colors and kicked off the event with the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the National Anthem, before I proclaimed it Red Ribbon Week here in Seymour. I hope you’ll take a few minutes this week to learn more about Red Ribbon Week and talk with your children about staying drug-free. To all our Seymour Young Marines and their adult leaders, thank you for everything you do for our area’s youth.
The events this week spanned generations and are a great chance to ponder the words of Zig Ziglar who said, “What you do today can change all the tomorrows of your life.”