Small business owner Colleen Fanning (R) defeated at-large city councilman Kip Tew (D) by just 176 votes (4,959 to Fanning, 4,783 for Tew) on November 3 in the District 2 city council rate which includes Broad Ripple. Libertarian Sam Goldstein got 360 votes. Congratulations to Colleen, Broad Ripple's new City Councilor. (Will Gooden, our current city councilor, did not seek re-election).

RFRA author State Senator Scott Schneider (R) is not seeking re-election to the District 30 seat which includes Broad Ripple. His advocacy for RFRA spurred Keith Potts to seek the seat. Potts sent us the following statement:

"To the readers of the Broad Ripple Gazette: I'd like to introduce myself. I'm Keith Potts, I live on the north side of Indy with my fiancé and our dog, and in 2016 I'm running for Indiana State Senate District 30. As I've met with voters and community leaders, I've had so many inspiring conversations about the work that our state legislature can still do. I want to bring those conversations, those voices to our statehouse. Let's work together to invest in our communities, fix our crumbling infrastructures, and address the inequalities that too many Hoosiers still face to this day. Check us out at 'Keith Potts for Indiana' on Facebook. And I look forward to talking with you soon."

The next BRVA event will be Broad Ripple Lights Up festival on Saturday November 28, 2015. The festival is from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and the parade is at 5:30 p.m.

Take the train to Chicago, including the new 4 day a week Hoosier State (www.hoosierstatetrain.org). Tickets at www.amtrak.com including 3 day a week service to Washington D.C. and New York or bus connections to St. Louis, Denver, Los Angeles, and San Francisco via Normal, Illinois. The new Hoosier State features a dome car, a business class car, cooked to order meals, and adult beverages.

Do you still lack health insurance? With six providers and rate decreases (plus subsidies for those making under $40,000 annually) , you really have no excuse. Sign up today at www.healthcare.gov. Some low cost plans have no monthly charge. Annual deductibles vary. However, you get a free physical each year no matter which plan you choose.

Did you make it to the Holliday Park Fall Festival? The weather was perfect, they had a singer (Matt Roush), as well as roasting marshmallows over the fire pit. Plus the reptile lovers brought snakes, turtles, and more for the kids to see. Thanks to Adam and the gang-plus the Friends of Holliday Park for another wonderful day.