Yellow Tulips

Weekly update #323 3/29/2026 to 4/4/2026

A fifth Monday, a full moon, and a four-day work week kept life interesting this week. Let me share some of my week serving as mayor of the best small town in America.

This week, if you made your way across Burkart Blvd on the south side of town, you found tulips in full bloom. In 2023, Seymour High School student Elizabeth Kirby asked about planting yellow tulips for mental health awareness. I don’t remember all the details, but I can tell you that since then, we have planted over 18,000 tulips in area roundabouts. The O’Brien Street roundabout is planted with assorted colors for unity, and the Walnut Street roundabout is planted with yellow to remind us to think about our mental health. Julia Hansen founded the Yellow Tulip Project ten years ago, and if you visit their website, theyellowtulipproject.org, you can learn more. Thank you, Elizabeth, for introducing us to the idea. I smile each spring as I drive by them. 

This week, during my weekly visit with a department, I spent some time with the Seymour Fire Department. I observed as they did an inspection for a business that has changed ownership, helping them know what needs to be corrected before they reopen. The inspection included Planning and Zoning, and the Jackson County Health Department as well. It was good to see all parties involved working side by side and helping cover various topics from fire extinguisher placement to three-bay sink needs and beyond. 

Good Friday morning, I hosted the 31st Prayer Breakfast. Mayor Burkhart brought the breakfast back during his time. Mayors Bullard and Luedeman kept the tradition alive during their times, and this was the seventh time I have hosted since I started in 2020. Thank you to everyone who came out this year and to all the pastors who participated. I appreciate the help.

Saturday morning, Seymour Parks and Recreation teamed up with Nash Icon 92.7 for the Easter Egg Hunt at Gaiser Park. For several years, participants at the Community Center have stuffed eggs to get ready. The morning of the egg hunt, about two hours early, volunteers from Seymour Noon Lions join in with radio and city staff members to place the eggs before the hunt. Then, just after 10  a.m., the hunters are released, and a little over two minutes later, all the eggs are picked up. Thank you to everyone involved along the way. May you all have a happy Easter. 

The fifth Monday probably doesn’t mean much for most, but for me it gives me a Monday off. I have scheduled meetings on the first, second, third, and fourth Mondays of each month. Full Moons and short weeks happen more frequently than those fifth Mondays, so they are pretty normal. The blooming of the yellow tulips, though, is even less frequent than those fifth Mondays, and each of the last three years now, they make me think about my mental health. This week, I want to remind you that help is out there and leave you with a quote from actress Glenn Close, "What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, more unashamed conversation."