Linda Thompson’s 2 decades of service honored by Bloomington’s environmental commission

Senior environmental planner for the city of Bloomington, Linda Thompson. (May 23, 2024)

Bloomington’s environmental commission meeting. (May 23, 2024)

On Thursday, senior environmental planner Linda Thompson attended her final meeting of Bloomington’s environmental commission (EC) as the city staff member who supports the group.

Thompson’s last day on the job is Friday, which ends two decades of service, starting in 2004.

Before starting with city government, Thompson served as the coordinator of the hazardous waste program for the Monroe County Solid Waste Management District. And before that, Thompson worked for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM).

At the start of Thursday’s meeting, EC chair Carrie Albright asked members to vote to add to the evening’s agenda an item recognizing Thompson’s longtime effort for the city of Bloomington.

Part of that recognition was a motion to rename the city’s Eco-Heroes art contest as the Linda Thompson Eco-Heroes art contest. The motion passed unanimously.

Another part of the recognition was to present Thompson with a certificate of appreciation, signed by EC members. Continue reading “Linda Thompson’s 2 decades of service honored by Bloomington’s environmental commission” →

Paula McDevitt retires as head of Bloomington parks and rec: ‘Well done, good and faithful public servant.’

Kathleen Mills (Sept. 26, 2023)

Bloomington mayor John Hamilton (Sept. 26, 2023)

Bloomington parks and rec director Paula McDevitt (Sept. 26, 2023)

Bloomington board of park commissioners meeting (Sept. 27, 2023)

Bloomington’s director of parks and recreation, Paula McDevitt, is retiring after three and a half decades of service to the city.

The announcement of McDevitt’s retirement was made at the start of Tuesday’s board of park commissioners meeting, by board president Kathleen Mills.

McDevitt’s final day of service to the city is set for Oct. 16, which means Tuesday’s board meeting was her final one.

Bloomington mayor John Hamilton, who appointed McDevitt to the position of parks and recreation department head at the start of his first four-year term as mayor in 2016, attended the board meeting to wish McDevitt well.

After recounting some highlights of her nearly eight years of service, including the opening of Switchyard Park, Hamilton said: “On behalf of the people of Bloomington now, and particularly the generations to come, let us say: Well done, good and faithful public servant. Thank you.” Continue reading “Paula McDevitt retires as head of Bloomington parks and rec: ‘Well done, good and faithful public servant.’” →

Passengers thank Bloomington public bus driver Donny Reynolds as he wraps up 43 years of service

Screenshot of the Doublemap app that lets riders know where the bus is.

Bloomington Transit general manager John Connell congratulates Donny Reynolds on his reitirement.

BT driver Donny Reynolds in the rear view mirror of his Route #5 bus.

Bus driver Donny Reynolds greets passengers for his first run of the day on Friday, Jan. 13, 2023.

On Friday morning, driver Donny Reynolds was posted outside the Route #5 bus at Bloomington’s downtown transit center, greeting a couple of passengers as they boarded.

“Good morning and watch your step—it’s dark in there right now!”

Reynolds flipped on the inside lights as soon as he slid into the driver’s seat. He was starting the first run of his final day driving a public bus in Bloomington.

His first day at the wheel of a Bloomington public bus came 43 years ago on June 2, 1979. At that time, the bus service was provided through a city department, before the Bloomington Public Transportation Corporation was established.

On the morning’s first run for Route #5, at a stop along Atwater Avenue, a couple of Jackson Creek Middle School students boarded. “Good morning, ladies!” came the cheery greeting from Reynolds. Continue reading “Passengers thank Bloomington public bus driver Donny Reynolds as he wraps up 43 years of service” →

Long-time election worker retires: “We’re here for one thing. And that’s to make a good election.”

Jack Davis, wearing his Election Day shirt and a lei, addresses the group assembled to honor his retirement on Thursday.

From left: Jack Davis and Hal Turner. Davis is receiving the 3-D printed toilet paper remembrance that Turner fabricated for him.

Jack Davis.

3-D printed remembrance on the occasion of Jack Davis’s retirement.

Monroe County’s clerk, Nicole Browne, told The B Square on Thursday afternoon: “There is no replacing a Jack. He is one-of-a-kind. He is amazing. And I will miss him every single day. Every single day.”

Browne was talking about Jack Davis, a county employee whose retirement was marked Thursday at a reception held by his colleagues at Election Central, where he has worked for the election division.

Thursday was the six-year anniversary of Davis’s most recent span of service in local government—he started that half-dozen year stretch on the same day as county election supervisor Karen Wheeler.

But the octogenarian’s history of work for local government can be traced back to way earlier. Continue reading “Long-time election worker retires: “We’re here for one thing. And that’s to make a good election.”” →