Since 1882 ~ Successor to The Poseyville News and The New Harmony Times • New Harmony, IN
“Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain.” Posey County’s locally-owned newspaper
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
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Volume 133 Edition 50
Despite weather, it’s Christmas in New Harmony
Right on que, Santa arrived at Christmas in New Harmony on Saturday. Despite nearly a foot of snow and cold temperatures, townspeople banded together to make the event happen. Photo by Dave Pearce By Dave Pearce was heading our direction. By DeA few flakes of snow doesn’t shut cember 4, the National Weather Serdown a long-standing tradition in vice and television weatherman Ron New Harmony. Neither does nearly Rhoades’ Future Tracker was prea foot of the white stuff and freezing dicting ‘significant snow along with temperatures. The storm should have the ice Thursday Night into Friday. caught no one by surprise. On Mon- Looking like a Snow Day.’ day, Dec. 1, 2013, the first warning He could not have been more corwas issued that a major winter storm rect.
A mist began to fall over the northern Posey County area on Thursday afternoon and by night-time, the temperatures, which had been in the mid60s just the day before, had dropped into the high 20s. By the time students would have been going to school on Friday morning, the North Posey area had four inches of snow while Mount Vernon spotters had measured between two and three inches of the white stuff on the ground. By the time Friday evening arrived, the northern part of Posey County had measured nine or more inches of snow while New Harmony had seven and Mount Vernon six. But while school could be cancelled, there were some things that simply could not be cancelled. One of those was Christmas in New Harmony. Despite deep snowfall and cold temperatures, the annual event went off without a hitch. And while this was not the strongest weekend economically for the historic town, it did prove what the community can do when many people pull together. An email for help went out late Thursday and by Friday evening at the Christmas tree lighting, much of the snow had been cleared from the sidewalks in front of local vendors. And on Saturday morning, the annual Christmas in New Harmony parade stepped off promptly at 10 a.m. Venders were set up in the Ribeyre
Gymnasium and artisan works were on display upstairs at the Granary. While some were unable or unwilling to attempt to brave the snow and the cold, those who did, like always, enjoyed the weekend, despite a much-less-than-expected turnout. The performance of ‘The Nutcracker’ has been postponed until Dec. 21, when they will put on a special performance for the Town of New Harmony at Thrall’s Opera House. Further details are in the making. The Signature School choir canceled their afternoon performance scheduled for Murphy Auditorium. The annual open house at the Ford Home was also postponed. Even Toyota made the announcement that ‘TMMI Gold (third) Shift production for Friday, December 6, has been canceled due to deteriorating regional weather conditions and parts availability.’ In Mount Vernon, the plan for ‘Christmas on Main Street’ was postponed one week with everything on the same schedule, just planned for one week later. The Evansville Museum Guild’s ‘Tis the Season Tea has been moved to Friday, December 13, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This holiday themed event will take place in the historic home of former Mount Vernon resident Kay Cox at 408 Southeast Riverside Drive. Guests will tour the beautiful 1905 neoclassical home designed by archi-
Area Churches to Collaborate in Event
Live Drive-Thru Nativity Black’s Chapel UMC will be staging a Live Drive-Thru Nativity on Sunday, December 22, from 5 - 8 p.m. at their location 1800 West Fourth Street, Mount Vernon. Plans are to have live camels, sheep and a donkey, if weather permits. Please drive-thru the nativity and help us celebrate the birth of Jesus. There is no charge for this event.
Trooper Brad Miller renders Aid to Choking Victim at local restaurant Monday afternoon, Trooper Brad Miller and several other law enforcement officers were enjoying lunch at Tequilas Mexican Restaurant located at 408 Southwind Plaza, Mount Vernon. At approximately 12:30 p.m., a middle aged woman sitting in a booth next to Miller and the other police officers stood up and grabbed her throat, which is the universal sign that the person is choking. Trooper Miller asked the woman if she was choking and she nodded her head yes. Miller immediately placed his arms around the choking woman and administered several abdominal thrusts. Within a few seconds, the food was dislodged and she was able to breathe again. Trooper Miller said that he knew the woman was in trouble when he saw her grabbing her throat. “I administered about five abdominal thrust before the object was dislodged and she was able to breathe again,” said Miller. Trooper Miller is a sevenyear veteran and is assigned to the Commercial Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division and primarily patrols counties within the Evansville District.
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Public meeting was not held but addendum may be coming
Briefly On Saturday, December 14, the parking lot of Zion Lippe United Church of Christ at 9000 East Copperline Road in Mount Vernon will be transformed into the Old Bethlehem Village. From 2:304:30 p.m. CST, a marketplace will be open for guests to experience the ancient town of Bethlehem in 0 AD. Period games will be played, food of that day will be highlighted, and nativity animals will be on-site. Shortly after the close of the Village, a Live Nativity will be reenacted beginning at 4:45 p.m. During this Christmas season, please join local churches as we celebrate ‘the reason for the season.’ For more information on this event, please contact Zion Lippe at 985-2437.
tects Harris & Shopbell. While touring the home, visitors will enjoy light refreshments provided by Blue Plate Catering and view the home’s wonderful holiday décor. Also, guests will have the opportunity to participate in an auction showcasing themed tablescapes and dinner. The tablescapes are designed by Neuville House Interiors, Stephanie Freiwald & Laura Schrader, and Sharon Bosler. Tickets are $40; to learn how to purchase tickets to this year’s event, visit http://emuseum.org/guild. Parking is limited, so guests are invited to park in the casino parking garage and take advantage of the shuttle service provided by Tropicana Evansville. • The National Weather Service at Paducah is calling for the following forecast: • Monday Night a 20 percent chance of snow after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21. North wind three to five mph. • Tuesday Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 34. West wind around six mph becoming light and variable in the afternoon. • Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 15. Calm wind. • Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 36. Calm wind becoming north northwest five to seven mph in the
By Valerie Werkmeister The Posey County Commissioners did not violate the Indiana Open Door Law (ODL). That is according to Indiana Public Access Counselor Luke Britt. Attorney William H. Bender read a statement from Britt during the December 2, commissioner’s meeting. Bender stated the alleged violation came after a complaint was filed on October 28, by Posey County Democrat Chairman Ed Adams. The complaint centered on commissioners Carl Schmitz and Jerry Walden’s announcement during their October 1, meeting to replace three members of the Redevelopment Commission. The move came as a surprise to commissioner, Jim Alsop, who blamed politics for the move. Indiana ODL prohibits a majority of the members of a governing body of a Chrisw Kellems, who only recently began to explore art, shows off a couple of her better efforts. Between Chris and Husband, Don, the couple has public agency to meet for the purpose learned that you can always learn new things. Photo by Valerie Werkmeister of taking official action upon agency business. According to ODL, the word ‘official action’ means to receive information, deliberate, make recommendaBy Valerie Werkmeister creation and thought she may be onto been the resident artist in the family tions, establish policy, make decisions, Editor’s note: This story is the third something. who has cultivated his talent since he or take final action. in a five-part series featuring local Encourage by husband, Don, who was a child. His pencil sketches and oil According to Britt, he reviewed the artists. In a global world of ‘big box has been a lifelong artist, she began paintings adorn multiple walls in their minutes from the commissioner’s Ocstores,’ these talented individuals offer to do a few pencil sketches. What she Poseyville home. Now, Chris’ paint- tober 1 and 15 meetings. His statement a break from the everyday commer- created was nothing short of extraor- ings are besides his too. read in part, “it does not appear anycially made items. dinary. She has continued to draw or He briefly attended college at Mur- thing would indicate the board memAbout five months ago, Chris Kel- paint every day since then. ray State where he was pursuing a de- bers convened in a majority to discuss lams was not a painter. In fact, she “I don’t understand where it came gree in art. He was fortunate enough to the resolution before its drafting.” will tell you that she could not even from. I truly believe it’s a miracle from take a class taught by renowned artist, He added that the minutes indicated draw a smiley face. But, after walk- God. I’m just stunned that I’m able to Jerry Baum. One of the more special the resolution to replace the Redeveling through her house and glossing do this,” she said. sketches to Chris is a gift from Don opment Commission members was through her portfolio, one would have The couple has been married for on their wedding anniversary. He cre- provided to the commissioners prior to to strongly disagree. 47 years and both retired in 2004. ated a beautiful pencil sketch of roses the October 1, meeting, but that in itself It started innocently while coloring Chris worked as an Executive Secre- that seem so lifelike that you should be was not a violation of the ODL. with her granddaughter at the kitchen tary for MSD of North Posey and as able to smell them on the page. However, in a conversation last table during the summer. She was a church secretary for a short time at “It was one of those years where we week between Britt and Posey County a little bored with the crayons and St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in didn’t have any money to buy roses, so News publisher Dave Pearce, Britt adpicked up a piece of pastel chalk. Af- Poseyville. Don worked as a plumber he made these for me instead,” Chris mitted that he may have inadvertantly ter a little bit of doodling, she had cre- while moonlighting as a deputy town Continued on Page A3 Continued on Page A3 ated a flower. She was surprised by her marshal for Poseyville. He has also
Don, Chris Kellams have found new love
Mount Vernon to upgrade gym seats, track Lois Mittino Gray Upcoming summer plans to improve athletic facilities was the main topic of discussion at the Mount Vernon School Board meeting on Dec. 2. David Frye, Director of Buildings and Grounds, and Tony Wilson of TEC Consulting Engineers gave the board informative presentations and displayed charts on two planned projects. The first is to upgrade the Mount Vernon High School gymnasium bleachers and the second is phase two of the
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resurfacing and repair of the MVHS track. After hearing the information and asking questions, the board voted to grant permission to proceed with the projects and advertise them on December 11 and 18 in local papers. In other board action: • The board accepted the resignation of Debra Serna as an Information Systems Specialist and hired her to replace Angela Woolsey as a Technology Integration Specialist. When asked to explain the difference in the
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two positions, Kopatich said her former job was more to correct problems with computer maintenance in a specific school. Her new job will be to integrate technology into programs to enhance the curriculum in the district and she will not be assigned to a specific building • Six staff members were given permission to attend one of two events: a DOE Data Digs Workshop and a Google in Education Summit Meeting in Evansville in February.
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• The board granted permission to Performance Learning Systems in connection with Indiana Wesleyan University to use the junior high library on December 20-22 for instructor training. Permission was required as it involves a Sunday date. • The next board meeting is Monday, December 16, 2013 at 5:45 p.m. at the Mount Vernon Junior High School. It was laughingly referred to as a ‘local holiday’ as it is Kopatich’s birthday.