Two-way Spring Street Corridor

Since I am a roadway engineer and someone that lives on Spring St., I have great interest in the possibility of changing the Spring St. corridor to two-way traffic. Just by experience, I think that the traffic on Market St. and Elm St. could function in a two way system; however, I think Spring St. could not function with only one lane of traffic in each direction.

While I think the idea of having one lane in each direction, parking lanes, bike lanes and an island median would make the area look nicer, I think that the traffic will become a nightmare. The traffic on the existing road is heavy during rush hour and would become unbearable if the traffic was one lane in each direction. Also, I think the amount of traffic going eastbound on Spring St. would also be significant considering the number of people wanting to cut over to Clarksville and Jeffersonville.

I asked the traffic engineer in our office for his opinion. He has been doing traffic design work for 40+ years and he can look at something and know how it will function without calculations and tell you how a road or intersection will function. He told me what I thought to be true. Elm St. and Market St. would work with two way traffic; however, Spring St. would become a disaster. If I can get some traffic counts from whatever study the mayor used for his proposal, I could give you a better idea.

Another unfortunate side effect of putting an island in Spring St. would be removing a wide corridor that works very well for parades. That means that the Harvest Homecoming Parade route would change. I would be very upset if the parade route changes because that is one of my favorite perks of living on Spring St.--the parade route.

I would suggest any people that are supporting this proposal to think beyond the looks. Spring St. would become a nightmare to navigate, and I am sure any self-respecting mayor, city council or citizen would not want to create a problem rather than solving one.

Stumler steps down as councilman, chairman of Democratic party

Stumler steps down as councilman, chairman of Democratic party

First of all, I am in shock. Secondly, as a fellow candidate, I am both happy and sad to see Randy go. I am happy because he is getting to do something that he wants to do and for a worthy cause. I am sad to see a worthy opponent go because if I win, I want to win against the best candidates available. I thought very highly of Mr. Stumler, and I wish him the best in his endevors.

From my perspective at the County Council meetings, Randy was a logical person that really seemed to care about the county. We will need to replace him with someone that shows some logic and care for Floyd County. I think that I provide the voters with the best replacement for Randy.

Brief Platform Overview

I thought that you may be interested in knowing some of the issues that I feel are important. I have talked about issues that I care about previously, but if you have not read any of my information or spoken with me, this should give you a brief overview of what I want to achieve.

I may be new to the political arena, but I feel that this is a virtue rather than a detriment. From the beginning, I have stated that my slogan is HONESTY, INTEGRITY & FRESH INSIGHT. I will be honest with you because I would want the same out of someone that is representing me. I will bring integrity, and it is essential for any person that is in a leadership position to have a firm grasp of what is right and wrong. Finally, I will bring fresh insight which is something I will expound upon as this entry continues.

I will bring a logical point of view to the council. My engineering background has provided me with very logical thought processes and my management background has provided me with a firm grasp of economics, organizational behavior, marketing, finance, accounting, ethics, strategy and operations management. Both areas (engineering and management) are critical functions of a government; therefore, my background in both areas has uniquely qualified me for a position in government.

I am a strong proponent of education and youth services. I am not far removed from being one of the youth in this community; if it were not for the education that this community provided, I would not be in this position to help the community like I am today. I am, therefore, grateful and want to give back.

The greatest asset to any community is its youth. Therefore, we must make it our highest calling to provide for the youth. That is why I support funding the new youth shelter. I know that no child deserves to live in the conditions in which they are currently living. We must find a way to fund this project!!

The county is currently operating on a budget that has been frozen for the past two years and the new property tax law will deplete it further. It is important that the government offices streamline in order for services to continue on a smaller budget. To do this, redundant services that the county and city both offer could be combined to allow for better service with less cost.

Another way to find waste in the government would be for offices to review other offices with whom they work and tell the commissioners and the council if they feel waste is present in other departments. This would create accountability and make offices defend their practices before the council and the commissioners.

Finally, I would like to be a representative of progress toward a better community. I want this community to be a model for others to look at for reform. We must adapt to survive this ever changing political climate or die.

Please help me change the current political system and inject honesty, integrity, fresh insight, logic and reason. Vote for me this November so that I can be a voice of change and dare I say hope.

Sincerely,

Larry M. Summers

Floyd County 4-H Fair

Today is the first day of the Floyd County 4-H Fair, and I am excited. This is the first one that I have ever attended a fair as a candidate, and I look forward to meeting voters like you. I will be there every night this week, and I will be wearing very bright orange shirts all week. Keep an eye out for me and talk to me if you get a chance.

I am running for Floyd County Council because I want to represent the people of this county. I would love to meet you and discuss what issues are important to you. I should have a note pad and pen the entire time because your opinions matter to me.

Again, feel free to stop by. I may even have one of my Siberian Huskies down there with me so you can see some of my buddies. I look forward to seeing you all.

Sincerely,

Larry M. Summers

Late blog entry - Independence Day

I was surprised during the New Albany Independence Day celebration. The weather had not been good all day; nevertheless, the crowd was rather large for a New Albany event. I hope the momentum will continue and progress will be made in New Albany and Floyd County.

No matter how many people try to thwart the advances being made, it is important that we, the citizens of Floyd County and the communities therein, continue to push forward and onward. I know I can make a positive contribution to this county, but I need your help to achieve positive change. Please vote for me this fall so that the tide of improvement does not ebb.

First Entry - Introductions

Hello! My name is Larry M. Summers, and I am a candidate for Floyd County Council At-Large seat. The main purpose of this blog is to allow people to become acquainted with me. I like to know the people for whom I am voting; therefore, I thought it would prudent to provide a resource to voters that I would like a candidate to provide to me.

I was born in Sikeston, MO, on April 13, 1984. My family moved to Southern Indiana on July 4, 1985, and I have lived here ever since. I went to Pineview Elementary School, Hazelwood Middle School and Borden High School. I graduated with an academic honor diploma and received a full scholarship to the University of Evansville. I took advantage of my four years in school and received two degrees: B.S. Civil Engineering and B.S. Engineering Management.

I began working at a civil engineering company in May of 2006, primarily as a highway designer.  I purchased my home at 1515 E. Spring St., New Albany, and have done extensive renovations to the property--there still is a long way to go but we make progress as we can.

I enjoy watching most sports, politics, meeting new people, Native American history and culture, history, mathematics, spending time with family and friends, playing with my dogs and working with youth. I have a drive to excel at whatever I choose to do, and I have done so all my life. I look forward to serving this county with the same vigor in which I have done other things in my life.

If you have not spoken with me previously and you would like to, please let me know, and I will make every effort to get to know you. I want to know what is important to everyone in this county so that I know better how to serve the county as a whole.

Thank you for your time, and I hope that you continue to visit this blog from time to time.