S E E O U R S P R I N G S P O RT S S E C T I O N I N S I D E SINCE 1882 Successor to The Poseyville News & New Harmony Times POSEY COUNTY’S ONLY LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED NEWSPAPER
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Volume 136 Edition 15
Latest MSDMV report card skewed By Lois Mittino Gray It’s that time of year once again when the Indiana Department of Education gives a school district its annual report card to print in local newspapers. Members of the Mount Vernon School Board reviewed the highlights of its Annual Performance Report (APR) with Superintendent Tom Kopatich at its April 4 meeting. “I’m not sure how they arrive at all these figures. We wonder where they pull this data from. Some of it is different from what we were sent earlier to review,” Kopatich said. Director of Business Loren Evans sat alongside him and shook his head in bewildered agreement. The report shows three years of records for MVHS, with a disclaimer that the results are not comparable as 2014-2015 was a year when Indiana transitioned to a new, more rigorous college and career-ready standard. Kopatich used the analogy of comparing apples to oranges for the three years. The results are then compared to state totals in the last column.
The district received a B grade for all three years, with total enrollment dropping 84 students to 2,093 for the current year, with 143 certified teachers on staff. Kopatich pointed out that the most misleading number was in the ‘percent expenditures for academic achievement category.’ The statewide average is 48.7 percent, with the corporation spending only 40.2 percent of its money there. “It looks like we don’t spend enough on student academics, but that is because all of our one on one technology devices we purchase, like the Apple Macbooks for the entire high school, are listed in the ‘percent overhead and operations expenditures category,’” Kopatich explained. In that category, the state spending average is 23.2 percent and Mount Vernon is up to 29.5 percent. Teacher salaries for Mount Vernon range from $33,286 to $64,451, while the state range is $24,153 to $89,516. Mount
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Posey County was rocked with 60-plus mph wind gusts last Wednesday afternoon. Seen here, Jon Gates assists in the removal of one of the many trees that fell in New Harmony. Photo by Zach Straw
Oeth-Johnson to replace Curtis on MV Council
Briefly Angelus to perform in NH May 14 On Saturday, May 14, 2016 Angelus will perform with Mazz Swift at the Atheneum in New Harmony. NH Farmer’s and Artisans Market set opening day The New Harmony Artisan’s Market is closing in on opening day for the 2016 New Harmony farmers and Artisans Market on April 23, 2016. Vendors may find the necessary registration at http:// newharmonyfarmersandartisans market.com. The market will feature fresh baked bread, granola, early spring greens, farm eggs, bedding plants, and cool local artisanal items for your perusal. Zion Lippe to host NP Relay For Life Roast Beef Dinner Zion Lippe Church is hosting a Roast Beef Dinner on Sunday, April 17, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. The basement will be transformed into a gorgeous dining hall so diners can experience a wonderful meal in beautiful surroundings. The menu consists of roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, glazed carrots, salad, roll, assorted desserts, coffee, tea and lemonade. A Free-Will donation will be accepted and all proceeds will benefit North Posey Relay for Life. Saturday, April 16 Azalea Sale scheduled in MV Show your pride in Mount Vernon as an Azalea City. Come on out this Saturday, April 16, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to the Azalea Sale at the Mount Vernon riverfront. Heirloom tomato plants and additional perennial plants will be on sale as well. Wolfgang Dixieland Band will entertain at the amphitheater from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. while everyone shops. Sponsored by the Mount Vernon Azalea Committee. 2016 MV Riverdays set for September 9-11 The Mount Vernon River Days Committee is currently planning another fun-filled festival this year, scheduled for September 9-11, 2016. This years’ event includes special entertainment, the Orsanco Aquarium, a Classic Car Show, Bike Show, lots of crafts and food, plus much more. If you are interested in serving on the committee, or want more information about a food or craft booth please contact Chairperson Kay Kilgore at 812-483-2922, visit our website at mtvernonriverdays.wikispaces.com or follow us on Facebook at Mt. Vernon River Days. Hoosier Salon New Harmony Gallery sponsors Kid’s MiniWorkshop The Hoosier Salon New Harmony Gallery is sponsoring a Kid’s Mini-Workshop on Saturday, April 23 during the 18th Annual First Brush of Spring Paint Out. The session is from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Murphy Park Shelter House in New Harmony. Jamie Rasure will coordinate the event which will provide children the opportunity to create original art which they may enter into the Youth Competition at the Paint Out. Pre-registration is required. Hoosier Salon children’s programs are offered free to all children and some supplies will be furnished. Children younger than 12 years old must be accompanied by an adult. For more information or to enroll a child, call Jamie at 812-6732777 or 483-2357.
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(USPS SPS 4 439-500) 3 9 5 00
Mount Vernon’s Blight Elimination Project continues with a New Mayor Bill Curtis took home demolition on East Second Street last Thursday. This prop- to the controls for a moment erty is one of over thirty that have been scheduled for clean-up. to help. Photos by Zach Straw
Dossett faces six counts of animal cruelty
Shelly Dossett
Special to the News A Posey County woman is out on bond after being arrested on six counts of animal cruelty. According to police, they visited the home of Shelly Dossett in Mount Vernon back in February and smelled strong odors of urine and feces.
Animal control officers found four dogs and three cats that looked malnourished, underweight, and showed signs of fleas and heartworm. Police say two dead dogs were also found on the property. Dossett was arrested and bonded out Friday.
By Pam Robinson Brittaney Oeth Johnson, Posey County Director of the Southwest Indiana Chamber of Commerce, was elected last week to fill the seat of Mount Vernon City Council member for District 4. Mayor Bill Curtis vacated the seat when he was elected through a Brittaney Johnson Democratic Party caucus a few weeks ago to complete the term of ailing former Mayor John Tucker. A Democratic Party caucus met again Tuesday, April 5, and the Precinct Committeemen of District 4 cast their votes in favor of Johnson, who had filed her intent to run for Curtis’s vacated seat in accordance with legal requirements. Curtis’s
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‘Don’t Text and Drive’ gets visual aid in MV By Lois Mittino Gray Oh no. There were several car crashes up on the corner of Fourth and College Streets last week in Mount Vernon. Passing motorists were surprised to see two digital cars crash together on the new elevated sign at the Mount Vernon Police and Fire Station. The reminder, ‘Don’t Text and Drive’ flashed as a warning as the cars collided together. This week the dramatic digital was replaced by a fancy red sports car driving across the sign with the gentle reminder to ‘Drive Safely.’ The colorful animated messages on the fifteen foot high sign are the work of Fire Chief Wes Dixon and Assistant Fire Chief Ryan Harms. Using a software program called Vivid, the pair program all sorts of information onto the board besides
just time, date and temperature. Municipalminded groups will be able to use it, too. The electronic sign, erected in February, was purchased from Sign-Crafters of Evansville for $24,900 for the total package, including Vivid. It is owned by both the fire and police departments and was purchased with monies from several accounts left over at the end of last year. “My original plan was to put a large sign identifying our Public Safety Building on the north side of the building, facing Fourth Street. When I brought it up at the Board of Public Works meeting, they were all for the electronic sign and found us the money,” Dixon said. One of the most important messages posted on the digital board is, ‘Watch for Emergency Vehicles coming out.’ “Blocked intersections on Fourth Street can be a real problem, especially
between the hours of 3 to 6 p.m. daily. It’s aggravating when police and fire vehicles get a call and we cannot get through. It’s not easy I know. Drivers can’t help that they get stuck and get nervous when they hear the sirens,” Dixon noted. “Now the reminder has helped keep College Street clear for us.” Community-minded groups are welcome to request their activities be posted on the message board. “Many group actually meet here in the community room of the station, such as the boy and girl scouts, garden club, Relay for Life and the River Days Festival Committee. We can put up meeting announcements and more.” The software regulates speed and time of the message. Right now the board encourages passers-by to
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Local family ‘taken away’ by Magic Mystery Tour By Lois Mittino Gray “Roll up, roll up for the Mystery Tour. That’s an invitation to make a reservation. The Magical Mystery Tour is waiting to take you away,” sang the Beatles in 1967. Almost 40 years after that iconic hit song, the invitation was accepted by the Allison family of New Harmony and a big tour bus ‘took them away’ for an adventure around Liverpool, England. Paul and Tammy Allison and their two grown children, Carrie, 26; and Luke, 24; boarded a train in Grantham for the three-and-a-half hour ride up to Liverpool on Friday, March 25. The family was visiting Luke, who is attending a semester at Harlaxton College in Grantham. Being music aficionados, they jumped at the chance to make a reservation for the Magical Mystery Tour during the spring break visit. Upon arrival to the city of the Fab Four, they took a cab to the old Victorian warehouse district called Albert Dock along the River Mersey and waited for their bus to ‘roll up.’ The brightly-colored bus was covered in stars and rainbows as the 60 passengers on the tour hopped aboard. The tour guide asked where everyone was from on the sold out tour. “There were tourists from 12-15 different countries with us. We were the only Americans. It shows what a worldwide effect the Beatles had on everyone,” noted Tammy. The route whisked them around town as they viewed passing sites, listening to classic Beatles tunes, and making four stops to disembark. As the song ‘Penny Lane’ played, the first stop was the famous Penny Lane shopping district. Second stop was George Harrison’s boyhood home at 12 Arnold Grove Street. “It was fairly decent, a lower middle class home. He had to live with his three brothers and sisters, so it was very cramped in the small house with six people,” explained Paul. “We found out they had to wait 18 years to get a bigger house.” Listening to ‘Strawberry Fields Forever,’ the third stop was at the Strawberry Fields play area. While some chose to take pictures in front of the strawberry colored gates, Paul photographed the actual field owned
Luke Allison poses at platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross Train Station in London. The baggage cart is halfway through the magical wall featured in the Harry Potter books. Photo submitted by the Salvation Army Orphanage. It was frequented by John Lennon as a boy playing on it with orphanage residents. There are graffiti messages on
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