SECTION B ✭ THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2008
Metro+State
+ INDYSTAR.COM/FOODSAFETY
Downtown parking perk fades
OUT OF
SERVICE:
Parking plac-
ards like
these be-
came invalid
Wednesday.
They had
prevented
vehicles from
being
ticketed at
meters, load-
ing zones
and other
areas.
Board balks at
boring textbooks
But compromise will
allow texts to be used
in social studies classes
By Andy Gammill
andy.gammill@indystar.com
For Indiana’s State Board of
Education, approving the list of
textbooks for schools statewide is
usually a routine matter.
Then they read the books.
Their reviews of this year’s
batch of social studies texts: Bor-
ing, dull, uninspirational. So life-
less as to be unfit for students.
The board first rejected the en-
tire list of books during a meeting
Wednesday. After much discus-
sion, members settled on a com-
promise to approve the books but
send a letter to schools warning
that the books may be too monot-
onous for children.
Such a decision is unlikely to
change student textbooks any
time soon but offers a scathing
critique of the textbook industry.
“I found them to not do very
much other than be a travelogue
Drunken-driving suspect
got out of jail early
Hamilton County sheriff
said he regrets helping
former IPD detective
By James A. Gillaspy
james.gillaspy@indystar.com
NOBLESVILLE, Ind. — Hamil-
ton County Sheriff Doug Carter
said he regrets his decision to re-
lease a former Indianapolis Po-
lice Department detective jailed
as a suspected drunken driver.
Frank Dewey Poskon, who still
performs police work as a volun-
teer reserve officer for Indianapolis
Metropolitan Police Department,
faces a drunken-driving charge and
police disciplinary action as a result
of the traffic stop early Sunday on
U.S. 31 at 146th Street.
“He was not released prior to
being alcohol-free,” said Carter,
who invoked a department policy
allowing him to waive Poskon’s
JUST ONE MINUTE
[UPCOMING EVENT]
Edwards set to speak at IU in November
Former U.S. Sen. John Edwards of North Caro-
lina will speak Nov. 11 at Indiana University in
Bloomington.
That’s one week after voters go to the polls to
choose the next president. And that’s an impor-
tant week’s worth of space to Democrats, who
Firefighters gather
to remember fallen
Bagpipes, prayers and a roll call
of names honored the 74 fallen
Indy firefighters since 1873. » B3
See how local restaurants fared on the latest health inspections.
1ST
City collects placards that allowed free Melissa Thompson, clerk of the
City-County Council, though it
spots; county will follow suit soon was unclear how the new rules
would apply to employees from
different agencies.
By Heather Gillers which will cut the number of Until Wednesday, about 3,300
and Tom Spalding parking placards in circulation by city and county employees in In-
Heather.gillers@indystar.com 70 percent, were a response to an dianapolis, along with select
An era of widespread Down- investigation by The Star last business people and politicos,
town parking perks came to an month that showed some drivers held rectangular placards that
end Wednesday as the city con- used the dashboard permits to made them immune from tickets
fiscated hundreds of placards park all day without paying, clog- when they parked at time-re-
that allowed drivers to disregard ging spots used for Downtown stricted meters or even loading
meters and the county prepared commerce. zones and yellow curbs.
to take that privilege away from Indianapolis city lawyers are By Wednesday evening, the
another 1,500 people. expected to draft a new ordi-
GARY MOORE / The Star Officials said their actions, nance governing parking, said » See Parking, Page B6
CIRCLE CITY CLASSIC
through history,” said board
member David Shane. “They
were dry as dust to me.”
Publishers and authors dis-
puted the board’s claims, but the
conclusions weren’t news to his-
tory teachers, many of whom say
a teacher risks losing their chil-
dren’s attention if they rely only
on the textbooks.
The revolt against the textbooks
started several weeks ago when
Michael Wallack, president of the
Jewish Community Relations
Council, testified before a state
textbook review committee that
passages in some history books
contained loaded terms and erro-
neous descriptions.
Shane told the rest of the board
he didn’t want to vote until he ROB GOEBEL / The Star
had read the books, and they Praise dancers, and a choir with members from 33 area churches, performed Wednesday during an ec-
agreed to give him until Wednes- umenical service for the 25th Circle City Classic. Alabama A&M will play Tuskegee at 4 p.m. Saturday.
An uplifting start
day. He emerged disturbed and
fearing the books would never in-
spire a student to love history or
government as he does.
The books alone, he said,
for the Classic
» See Boring, Page B6
Indianapolis event celebrating the tradition
of black college football kicks off its 25th year
TODAY’S
CLASSIC EVENT
INDIANAPOLIS BLACK
ALUMNI COUNCIL
COLLEGE FAIR
Presented by Eastern Star
Sheriff Doug Frank Dewey Church
Carter Poskon When: 6-9 p.m.
Where: Crispus Attucks
$2,500 bail and free him on the Medical Magnet High
condition that he would be School, 1140 Martin Luther
driven home once sober. King Jr. St.
Gov. Evan Bayh in 1991 praised Cost: Free.
Poskon as a hero after the under- Contact: Ruth Woods,
cover narcotics investigator was ruth@twginc.net
shot in the back as he approached
a group of youths. Poskon com- Wednesday’s service was at Eastern Star Church, 5750 E. 30th St. + COMPLETE
pared the incident to being The Circle City Classic parade begins Downtown at 10 a.m. Saturday. SCHEDULE: Visit
T
M
tackled hard while playing tight IndyStar.com for a
+ MORE FROM THE SERVICE: Go to IndyStar.com/ schedule of weekend Classic
end for the University of Notre
multimedia to see a photo gallery of the ecumenical service events.
Dame football team in 1969.
for the 25th annual Circle City Classic.
» See Jail, Page B6
INSIDE
U.S. Gen.
Peter Pace
today will
meet those
probably don't want any attention before the elec- concerned
tion on Edwards. The former presidential candi- about his
date admitted in August to an affair with a film- appointment
maker hired by his campaign. to a chair at
The free event is open to the public. IU’s business
— Star report school. B2
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