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 17
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
$1.00
NH residents remain ‘plained’ Lower insurance rates coming, still some time away By Lois Mittino Gray New Harmony Town Council President Alvin Blaylock announced that any floodplain elevation changes for New Harmony may not happen for approximately another two years. He spoke at the April 16, meeting of the Town Council and the news was disappointing for homeowners hoping to get lower insurance rates if they are out of the designated floodplain. “We received a letter just yesterday from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources stating that a new study of the water flow in Gibson and Posey counties will be done. The good news is that it is getting done, the bad news is that it may take up to two years to complete,” he explained. He said the study of the Wabash River Basin will involve over 400 creeks listed for Posey County and then flood elevations will
be re-evaluated. With that information in hand, President Blaylock said the person he spoke about at the last meeting, who was interested in purchasing the South Street lots, from Nashville, Tennessee, is no longer interested in the deal. “He found out how long down the road the decision about the floodplain will be made and lost interest,” Blaylock said. The three residential South Street lots will be advertised for sale for another sixty days. In other council action: • Town Attorney Erin Bauer reported that she has been exchanging information back and forth with Erik Arneberg’s attorney, Chris Wischer. They are working out details on the old school purchase agreement. After
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One-year-old Noel Bryant is all smiles as she shows her mother and grandmother what she found while hunting Easter eggs in Poseyville on Sunday afternoon. Temperatures reached the mid 70s and the rain of the past two days gave way to a beautiful Easter with clear skies. She is the daughter of Korey and Keri Bryant.Photo by Dave Pearce
Main Street Trail Project construction begins in MV
In a show of unity, members of the Posey County Sheriff’s Department surround newly-sworn in Posey County prosecutor Thomas Clowers. Pictured, front row, left to right, are Justin Rutledge, Sheriff Tom Latham, Clowers. Dustin Seitz, and former Posey Sheriff Greg Oeth. In back are Kyle Reidford, By Lois Mittino Gray Scott Schoenbachler, representing Beth Buchanan, Chief Deputy Jeremy Fortune, and Bryan Hicks. Photo by Dave Pearce the Lochmueller Engineering Group, presented an update on the Main Street Trail Project at the April 11, meeting of the Mount Vernon ComBy Lois Mittino Gray this appointment. The only qualification is that an ap- mon Council, where he answered a Members of the Mount Vernon School Board said plicant must reside in School District Two,” Kopatich myriad of questions on the plans. The their goodbyes to fellow board member Thomas explained. “We do have several who have expressed Project Manager said that work has already begun with signage and the Clowers, who submitted his resignation at the April interest already.” 15, meeting. Because he recently has been appointed The district is not apportioned into a neat square to cutting of trees and construction will Posey County Prosecutor, he cannot legally hold both define boundaries, so the Superintendent said the best be completed in five phases. positions and resigned, effective April 20. The board way to tell if you reside in District Two is by voting now has 30 days to appoint a replacement. precincts. Eligible appointees must reside in Black 4, Anyone interested in filling the vacancy may contact Black 6, Black 8, Black 10, Black 12, or Black 13 preany school board member or School Superintendent cincts. The new board member will be introduced at Tom Kopatich at the District Office as soon as posContinued on Page A7 sible. “Elections and politics have nothing to do with
Another position opens at MSDMV
Phase One will close Main Street from Third to Water Street, starting April 17. This phase is estimated to take eight weeks to complete. It will consist of a new water line, new sewer, bike path work, as well as new sidewalks. Sidewalk access will be available. Phase Two runs from the south end of Fourth Street to Third Street. This
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Planting window barely open here By Hans Schmitz, Purdue Extension – PC Farmers would rather be in the fields than watching rain fall every three or four days, but the planting window has really just opened and continues into June. Technically speaking, our planting window opens on April 5, the first day that crop insurance will cover a planted field. The planting window ends June 5 for corn and June 20 for soybean, as the prevented planting insurance option comes into play. Yet, concern begins to grow, prompting a 2019 update of the classic “Planting Date Conundrum for Corn” by Purdue Extension Corn Specialist Bob
Nielsen. Nielsen begins his report talking about the traditional prime planting window, which we are now in and closes on May 10 or slightly before. The rest of the updated report focuses on how little this window applies to actual yield in reality. The rest of the season, from hybrid selection to weather to disease pressure, far outweigh planting date issues in the early season. Once we get into early June on corn, the days do matter more significantly, including ensuring we are planting hybrids that will reach maturity prior to the first frost
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Newly-appointed Posey Prosecutor Thomas Clowers, new Superior Court Judge appointee Travis Clowers, and recently-elected Superior Court Judge Craig Goedde smile after their installation. Photo submitted
To sustain longevity, you have to evolve At 94, Lydia Lurker continues to do what time, love have allowed By Pam Robinson Posey County native Lydia (Roesner) Lurker ventures a guess to the secret of a long life, but almost immediately the 94-year-old gardener takes it back. “I think part of it’s inherited. My father was 90-something; my sister and brother were both 90-something,” she considers. “But my father’s and my mother’s parents too died young. . .So I have no idea what it is.”
INSIDE TODAY
S Spring Sports
2019 (USPS 439-500)
to become a farm wife. A strong disposition When he passed away toward work hasn’t cut in 1981, Lydia went short Lydia’s life. “You back to work outside the need something to do,” home one year later at she insists. Lydia has Vectren. Although she always found something accepted a job in houseto do. keeping, she passed After graduating from the qualifying test for a Mount Vernon High clerical position when it School with the Class opened up and received of 1942, she attended the promotion into the Lockyear Business Coloffice. The late bloomer lege one year. Her first at Vectren stayed in the job started soon after same office position 18 completing her business years until her retirement education in the office at in 2000. Gulf Refining Company She took a couple of on the river. years off before starting “There were three as a seasonal worker for boat plants there—Shell, owner Nancy Hasting at Gulf, and Standard, and Hasting Plants in Point they had tanks, storage Township 17 years ago. for gasoline,” she reShe was 77 years old. calls. “That was delivToday, she helps with ered on tow boats down transplanting, such as the the river. Everything Lydia Lurker takes a break for a quick photo. tomato plants (pictured) was interesting and new Nancy grows from seed. to some little gal who on October 18, 1944, at her home Lydia learned her strong work ethwas born up here in the country.” church, Saint Peter’s United MethodWhen she married Alvin Lurker ist Church, she stopped public work ic on the farm. She was the youngest
The Golden Years
of three children born on Saint Philip Road to George and Alma (Winternheimer) Roesner on the farm where parts of “A League of Their Own” was filmed. She grew up with no electricity and with water supplied from a well and two cisterns. A modern convenience was the gasoline engine to pump water from the house well to the barn water trough, some distance away, for the animals. “I grew up on a farm and learned that, and we always had a big garden,” Lydia states. She believes farming and gardening are learned skills. “You learn it. You like to do it. Now some people don’t like to do it,” she says. “I worked in the garden when I was old enough and big enough to handle a hoe. That’s just the way you grew up in those days.” Lydia’s father ran a delivery route for vegetables grown on their farm, so the garden was important. Lydia remembers the Model T Ford he transformed into a delivery truck. The vegetables, stacked in boxes, set
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