About a week ago, I headed down to Mars Hills on the southwest side of Indianapolis to talk to a friend I've met this past year online and in person, John Schmitz, Republican candidate for Indiana House of Representatives District 97. John gave me a tour of The Mars Hill Art Center and Mars Hill neighborhood in between sharing what led him into politics and what he hopes to accomplish if elected. With a reputation for rough, I also ventured out on my own to see just how tough. Skateboarding through the neighborhood, no one bothered me. In fact, only one person other than John spoke to me with any coherency. She was upset that I skateboarded too close to her car in the parking lot of one of the minimarts and warned me that it wouldn't be her fault if her dog bit me. I calmly informed her that I wasn't scared and she went about her business. Besides a four wheeler buzzing around regularly and some interesting yard decorations, the Mars Hill isn't all that different than a lot of neighborhoods around Indy. Some of the credit goes to Schmitz who renovated a building he bought for $30,000 after a long battle with city inspectors, and turned it into The Mars Hill Arts Center. His work along with others has added significant value to properties in the neighborhood and he's still looking to accomplish more. The delayed renovation and an inability to get help from local leaders is what eventually led Schmitz to run for office. His slogan "Do Something Indy" is what he's running on. As Schmitz puts it, "it's not say something Indy, it's do something Indy" and he's hoping to use his office if elected to help neighborhoods in his district that have long been ignored. This was one of the more fun videos to shoot. I got most of the footage in under two hours and it was a nice change of pace from downtown Indy. I can only imagine what a full time Skateboard Journalist of Mars Hill would come up with day after day. While rolling around the streets on my board, I saw a couple good candidates for the job. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVk-aJaJ_rw

... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a19N5CdX5xk

... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5WG5DlZJGI

During the month of December, I shot a video the week before Christmas focusing on city leadership and homelessness. It was pretty rough on the streets of Indianapolis. The city resembled scenes of memorable apocalyptic films at times. From almost daily overdoses to large protests marching down Market Street outside my window, the lockdowns and mandates took a huge toll on the City. More homeless people than ever roamed the streets hanging out in large groups. Many of them looked as if they were barely hanging on. First responders worked in protection gear assisting those on the verge of exiting the party. Drug dealers worked from bicycles exploiting addictions while bicycle messengers and delivery riders struggled to find work. Fights broke out over money owed. Deals gone wrong. Managers stressed. Just as things were starting to get back on track, along came the riots, and three more dead. It was an awful time in the wrong state of mind. Leadership appeared to be absent as the homeless became ever more present. This year, three people who featured in several of my videos also passed away. Wizard, who often skateboarded downtown and was in lockdown and protests videos leading the charge, allegedly died from weed laced with something. Ronald, who lived off and on the streets usually hanging out on the North West corner of Georgia and Meridian, died from a stroke. And last, but not least, Robert, who had a spot on Georgia Street right outside Howl at the Moon was rumored to have passed on during a bout of Covid mixed with double pneumonia. The streets seem to be harboring less homeless people than last year. Many of them have found housing, and the police seem to be moving them out of spots like the Circle, Georgia Street, and Lugar Plaza. While laying in my bed, I often think about what people on the streets might be doing at that moment. Perhaps they are listening to others snore. I hope they won't get mugged or attacked while sleeping like so many of my friends on the streets have. I also wonder how much the homeless occupy the minds of leadership. Where we go from here is anyone's guess. Every time the city seems set on rebounding, another variant pops up with a steady stream of fear porn to go with it. As the homicide rate continues to climb almost as fast as inflation, so does our collective anxiety rate. What remains unclear is if the people's distrust in elected officials is greater than the elected officials' distrust in the people. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2H7-0zUMg0