Broad Ripple Random Ripplings
search menu
The news from Broad Ripple
Brought to you by The Broad Ripple Gazette
(Delivering the news since 2004, every two weeks)
Subscribe to Broad Ripple Random Ripplings
Brought to you by:
VirtualBroadRipple.com Broad Ripple collector pins EverythingBroadRipple.com

Everything Broad Ripple HomearrowRandom Ripplings Homearrow2006 11 03arrowRandom Rippling

back button return to index button next button
Converted from paper version of the Broad Ripple Gazette (v03n22)
Township Trustee Candidates Reach Out To Broad Ripple Voters - by Michael Walker
posted: Nov. 03, 2006

by Michael Walker
During this year's (2006) General Election Cycle, Indianapolis's local government will entrust Broad Ripple residents to vote on a variety of important issues. Among several different decisions, voters in Broad Ripple may place importance on Washington Township's Trustee race. Republican Jim Bradford and Democrat Frank Short, the candidates for Township Trustee, differ in their methods for running Washington Township.
"The reasons why I'm running for Trustee is to give the people of the Township a voice, as I have voiced their concerns over the past 11 years as a City Councilman who represents Broad Ripple, Butler Tarkington, and Meridian Kessler," Bradford said.
Likewise, Short is confident in his reasons for running: "I look forward to making sure that our people in Washington Township still get the same quality service."
When Bradford and Short initially entered the Trustee race, the consolidation of the police and fire department stood as an issue of great controversy in the campaign. However, in accordance with Mayor Bart Peterson's Indy Works plan, current Township Trustee Gwen Horth merged the Township's fire department with IFD.
Consolidation won't be a decision for the candidates to decide upon, but rather the transition of the merger will be. Short, who supports the consolidation, plans to help implement the new consolidation policies in Washington Township. Bradford, who is actively opposed to consolidation, hopes to keep donated fire equipment in the Broad Ripple area.
The duties for Township Trustee include providing relief for unfortunate individuals, overseeing township finances, managing revenue for the small claims court, and maintaining abandoned cemeteries within the Township's boundaries.
With extensive histories of volunteer and non-profit work, both Bradford and Short plan to work with focus groups and faith-based organizations to provide relief and services for residents in need of help.
Bradford said that he hopes to offer resources through the Township website, and to work with non-profit organizations to generate a food or clothing bank.
Short plans to continue the legacy of assistance that the Trustee office has supplied by working with churches and synagogues that offer relief.
Washington Township is home to six abandoned or pioneer cemeteries: Bacon, Crow's Nest, Deford, Ebenezer Lutheran, Fall Creek Union, and Newby Cemetery. Due to the past negligence of these cemeteries many records have been lost, and each cemetery requires basic upkeep. Bradford and Short both expressed interest in continuing the work Trustee Horth had begun to restore the cemeteries.
While acting as members of the Indianapolis City-County Council Bradford and Short shaped their knowledge of Indianapolis local government, and believe it helped prepare them for the position of township trustee. Bradford is currently serving his 11th year on the council, and Short left his seat on the council in 2003 after 12 years.
As an entrepreneur for many years, Bradford has owned the Whistle Stop Deli, located on 64th Street and Cornell, and co-founded a horse rescue foundation named Friends of Ferdinand.
Short acts as a public policy consultant, a lobbyist and an attorney for Short Strategy Group, Inc. He also pushed for new police and fire resources in his district and worked with neighborhood initiatives.
Washington Township spans from 38th Street to 96th Street, and from East Graham Road to West Lincoln. Its 36 square mile boundary completely encompasses Broad Ripple and surrounding neighborhoods. The mid-term election begins on November 7, 2006, from 6 a.m. till 6 p.m. Residents can vote at schools, churches, and libraries that are designated as polling places.


back button return to index button next button
Brought to you by:
BroadRippleHistory.com Broad Ripple collector pins EverythingBroadRipple.com
Brought to you by:
EverythingBroadRipple.com RandomRipplings.com Broad Ripple collector pins