T
P C N SINCE 1882 Successor to The Poseyville News & New Harmony Times POSEY COUNTY’S ONLY LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED NEWSPAPER
Volume 139 Edition 10
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
$1.00
Work to begin on Trail Project By Pam Robinson Randy Owens, the new Posey County Director of the Southwest Indiana Chamber of Commerce, introduced himself to the Board of Public Works and Safety at the board’s meeting held Thursday, February 28. Owens said he started in his position on February 11. He appeared before the board to reserve Riverbend Park for the 2019 Riverbend Markets. The board advised him to contact the Parks Department for this request. Before he left, he received the board’s approval for the blocking of Water Street from Main to Walnut the fourth Thursday of every month, May through September, from 2 to 8 p.m. in anticipation of the 2019 Riverbend Markets. In addition, Owens stated although starting late, work is beginning on contacting wineries for the Water Street Wine Festival. The target date is June 15 or June 22. Everything is currently in the planning stages. Owens was advised to contact the Parks Department about this event also. Mount Vernon Mayor Bill Curtis reported Ragle Construction had held a pre-construction meeting for the Main Street Trail Project. Work is scheduled to begin April 1 although it could start earlier. Curtis said he will make the construction schedule public once he receives it. He added the substantial completion date is November 1 with a final completion date of November 15. Monthly progress reports will be presented. Later, at the evening meeting of
the Common Council, Curtis said construction is planned to go through one block at a time, rather than one street at a time, although both options had been discussed. The Board of Works approved the lot at Second and Main as a “lay-down area” for equipment Ragle will use during the Main Street Trail project. The Main Street Trail Project is a $4 million project encompassing Water to Main streets. The project will provide a facelift with such details as sidewalk work, new light fixtures, and landscaping. Featured will be a pocket park at Sixth and Main, where the old police station stood. Only one quote was received and opened for the demolition of the property at 500 Mulberry due to a raze order for code violations: Russell’s Excavating for $18,350. Since City Building Commissioner Sherry Willis was out of town, the board voted to take the quote under advisement until Willis could review. Department reports started with the request of Police Chief Tony Alldredge to add March 10 to March 11-15 for Officer Brauser’s use of the city credit card to cover his travel expenses to Indianapolis as well as his training there. The request was approved. Alldredge reported 223 calls since the last Board of Works meeting. Alexis Sinclair, age 10, holds up her paper stain glass window artFire Chief Wes Dixon said the generator should be installed quickly. He reported 30 calls since the last Board work she created at the recent MVHS Art Guild Art Camp held last
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Saturday. She is the daughter of Jamie Sinclair. Photo by Peg Heckman
Education is vital in animal control job By Pam Robinson owner must leave his or her name, address, and phone number On December 2, 2018, Mount Vernon native Hunter Reese, along with a brief description of what is needed. served his first day as the new City of Mount Vernon Animal Con“Dispatch will take the message off line, add it into the computer, trol Officer. Although the animal shelter boards dogs only, Reese and then generate what is called a law number, which is attached makes clear he does a lot more than chase down stray mutts as a to the call,” Reese explains. “So if I have to do a case on this or if, dogcatcher. He’s much more interested in reuniting lost dogs with unfortunately, I have to send something to the prosecutor’s office, their owners and in educating people to become responsible dog that is attached to that case number. . .It keeps track of everything lovers. in the system, so we know what cases are what.” “I created a Facebook page just to let the Mount Vernon city residents The owner will be required to pay a $15 fee public know we are out there and to help find MUST call Animal Control for the first day his or her dog is at the animal people’s dogs,” Reese states. “A lot of it is at 812-838-8362 and leave the shelter and $10 per day every day thereafter. making sure people are taking care of their information requested on the This kennel fee covers the dog’s food and care. animals—keeping them on their property voicemail to: Reese reminds dog owners city ordinance lines. . .and not letting their pets become nui• Report a lost dog requires a dog to be on a leash and the owner sances to their neighbors.” • Report a stray dog to be in control when the dog is off the owner’s He insists, however, Mount Vernon resi• Reclaim a lost dog property. dents must call the Animal Control line with • Receive help on other aniA member of the Mount Vernon High School any issues, not seek contact through Facemal-related issues. Class of 2015, Reese has worked the previous book. That number is 812-838-8362. three-and-a-half years since his graduation as an “It’s so easy to lose track on Facebook,” he explains, “and to not operator for 9-1-1 Dispatch. Since 2017, he has also been a partget things in a timely manner. The best way is to contact the Animal time member of the Mount Vernon City Fire Department, a position his 2014 volunteer work with Black Township Fire Department Hunter Reese accepted the position of Mount Ver- Control line and leave the details on the message as it requests.” For example, a dog owner must call the Animal Control line to non’s Animal Control Officer on December 2, 2018. Continued on Page A7 be reunited with his pet once it is picked up off the streets. The Photo by Pam Robinson
Posey: Broadband ready By Lois Mittino Gray The Posey County Commissioners paved the way for the county to become more technologically prepared at its February 19, morning meeting at the Hovey House. The Commissioners unanimously passed Ordinance 2019-02-19-02 designating the unincorporated areas of Posey County as a Broadband Ready Community. County Attorney Joe Harrison explained this action will allow businesses who provide expanded or new broadband internet service to locate to this area. He said the first step to do for this ordinance, according to state statutes, is to name a person of contact for businesses to use when requesting information or permits to install or improve broadband in
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Spring Fling is March 9-10 PCSD: New Sheriff aide Readers are invited to join residents for New Harmony’s new spring event. The Spring Fling at the Ribeyre Center will feature over 40 vendors. Craft folk selling sterling silver jewelry, bullet jewelry, 3 Chicks Fudgery, candles, wreaths, quilts and quilted items, photography, art drawings, T-shirts (on site transfers), pallet crafts, aprons, doll clothes, sports cards, handcrafted gourds, handmade goat milk soap and bees wax lotions, handmade purses, baby afghans, Origami Owl lockets, hair bows, tutu dresses, appliqued shirts, J.R. Watkins Naturals, freshmade kettle corn and pork rinds, and a good excuse to get out and do some shopping. The hours are Saturday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
By Lois Mittino Gray Many appropriations were made from the county budget at the Tuesday, February 12 meeting of the Posey County Council so departments could spend or transfer some of their money to keep operations running smoothly. Posey County Sheriff Tom Latham requested that his Sheriff’s Administrative Assistant position salary be set at $35,885. This is commensurate with what all administrative assistants are paid in county employ. He plans to hire Erin Fuelling in that position, replacing Trinity Gibbs. He asked the council to eliminate the pay matrix of raises once used for Gibbs.
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Love of music has created friend circle Ruth Martin has used musical talent to help others, glorify God The Golden Years By Pam Robinson Ninety-one-year-old Ruth Martin has learned what cannot be taught through her years as a Marrs Elementary kindergarten teacher and a Saint Paul’s United Methodist Church, or UMC, organist. The gifted pianist as well as organist carries a deep and abiding love for music. She smiles as she recalls her former students, now adults, stopping her in town to reminisce about her piano playing at music time and her striking the perfect chord to put the “Clean-Up” song in motion. She retired from Marrs in 1992 after 30 years of inspiring the same grade in the same room to keep a song in their hearts. Ruth continues to stir hearts to song even after 65 years and counting as the organist at her home church, St. Paul’s UMC in rural Posey County. Her debut at age 25 was bittersweet. Until then, for as long as Ruth can remember, her mother, Ella Grossman, had played the pump organ at St. Paul’s UMC. When her mother passed away in 1961, Ruth stepped up to serve the congregation on a new electronic organ. She served also as choir director until the choir dismantled. She loves to make a joyful noise unto the Lord and recognizes the need for it.
(USPS 439-500)
“I don’t think there’s many young people Teaching truly captured Ruth’s heart. She going into organ playing,” she reflects. “In entered the profession tracing the footsteps of other words, there’s nobody standing in line her dad, Ed Grossman. She later walked beside for my job.” another teacher, Robert Martin, who taught at After she “doodled around” on the family Mount Vernon High School from 1952-1956 piano, she was enrolled in piano lessons at and served as Professor of Business at UE age seven or eight, and transferred her skill to from 1956-1986. The two met at St. Paul’s the organ when she UMC and were marmajored in music at ried there August 7, Evansville College, 1951. now University of The Martins gave Evansville, or UE. birth to two more Her love for music musical teachers: inspired her as a their firstborn, charter member of Duane, and their the local chapter of daughter, Janet WeisSigma Alpha Iota, ling. Like his mother, a national music Duane learned to fraternity for women, play the piano at an founded in 1948. early age and added The 1949 UE the organ later. When graduate applied her his mom needs a sick music degree as a day from St. Paul’s kindergarten assistant UMC, Duane prefers Ruth Martin initially and enjoyed to play the piano, his it so much, she returned to school during sumsister Janet relates, although he will play the mers to earn her master’s degree in elementary organ in a pinch. As a teacher, Duane dedieducation from Indiana University. cated 14 years to elementary education in the “I always said I wasn’t going to be a Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation. teacher. I saw my dad come home and grade Also like her mother, Janet earned a degree papers and all, and I said I wasn’t going to be in elementary education, learned to play the a teacher,” Ruth admits. “Oh well,” she says in piano at an early age and added the organ later, way of surrender, “Never say never.” and married a teacher, mathematician Tim
Weisling. Unsurprisingly, she taught kindergarten 14 of the 32-and-a-half years she served the MSD of Mount Vernon before retiring in 2017 to sub. When she fills in for her mom at St. Paul’s UMC, Janet, like Duane, wants to play the piano, “a stress reliever,” since she can just manage the organ. Although the four Martins all taught, Janet points out her father, Robert, never played a musical instrument. “Daddy was always our audience,” she comments. Her two grown sons, Nathan and Noah, play the same role as audience, the two never desiring, Janet says, to play musical instruments beyond high school and only then when a class required it. In addition to time often and well spent with her family, Ruth Martin, along with her husband before he passed away, enjoyed traveling with retired teachers. She has spent many hours in the yard, tending flowers. She still loves to read. As much as anything, though, traditional hymns warm Ruth’s heart and bring her joy. Asked about her favorites, she says, “I like them all best.” She mentions “How Great Thou Art” and “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” These two songs highlight Ruth Martin’s own character. In recognizing God’s magnificence and loyalty to humankind, she cannot help but dedicate her musical talent to his praise and worship. After 65 years as church organist, she won’t quit until she’s prepared for the worship service in eternity.