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E, “OUR LIBERTIES WE PRIZ L MAINTAIN.” AND OUR RIGHTS WE WIL Posey County’s ONLY Locally Owned Newspaper.
Briefly Azalea sale to be held April 18 The Mount Vernon Azalea Trail Committee is sponsoring their annual azalea sale on Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Riverbend Park. The Dixielanders will be performing at the park during the sale. Both regular and Encore azaleas will be available. APL offers sweet treats for Relay The Relay for Life team of the Alexandrian Public Library will be hosting a bake sale Friday, April 10 and Saturday, April 11 during the Friends book sale. All proceeds from the sale of these ‘sweet treats’ will benefit the Relay for Life of Mount Vernon, which in turn supports the American Cancer Society’s programs on cancer research, patient support, and education. Fresh baked goods and gently used books - what’s not to love. MV Elks to hold Spring Fling Mount Vernon Elks Lodge 277 will have a Spring Fling Dance on Saturday, April 8, 2015. Fire and Ice DJ’s will provide the music. Cost for the dance is $5 per person. This event is open to the public. Dancing begins at 7 p.m. At 6 p.m., we will have Dausman Brother Ribs (one-half slab), potato salad, baked beans, pickle, onion and bread for $13.75. A full slab with the same sides will be available for $20.50. We will also have a half pot, raffle and pull tabs available. Please call Donna at 812-838-3361 or 812-8383361 for reservations. Child care will be provided. New Harmony Annual Road Clean-Up scheduled for April 9 The Seventh Annual Road CleanUp for New Harmony, Indiana will be held Wednesday, April 9, 2015. Routes will be from Maple Hill to Old Plank and Old Mill Mart to Hwy 69 beginning at Maple Hill Cemetery at 4:30 p.m. Gloves and bags provided. For more information contact Town Council Members Andrew Wilson or Karen Walker, 812-682-4846. Groups welcome. PC Pound Puppies Spring Craft and Gift Show scheduled The 2015 PC Pound Puppies Spring Craft and Gift Show will be held April 11, 2015 at the Posey County Fairgrounds from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., admission is free. Featuring a large variety of vendor items, there will also be a dance revue, a classic car cruise-in, and delicious food items. Several dozen raffle baskets will be given away. Vendor space is still available. For more information, call Cathy Powers 812-963-3890 or 812-499-6413. This is an important fund-raiser to benefit Posey County dogs in need of veterinary care and to find a new forever home. In the past ten years, hundreds of dogs have been saved due to the efforts of this non-profit organization. Please come and support this worthy cause. Chamber to host annual Report to PC Business Community The Southwest Indiana Chamber will host the annual Report to the Posey County Business Community on Tuesday, April 7, 2015 at the New Harmony Inn and Conference Center, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Join us for a highlight of recent business impacts made in the Posey County community and for a celebration of 2015 Posey County award recipients. Keynote speaker for this year’s event is Jonathan Weinzapfel, Chancellor, Ivy Tech Community College. Register online at www.swinchamber.com or by calling 812-838-3639. NP Class of 1975 plans reunion The North Posey High School Class of 1975 will host their 40-year reunion Saturday, June 6, 2015 at the Silver Bell Restaurant, 4424 St. Wendel Road, Wadesville, Ind. Social hour begins at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at 6:30 p.m. Food and drink available. Please RSVP by May 23, 2015. For more info visit Cindy Kemmerling’s Facebook page.
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
$1.00
(USPS S4 439-500) 39 500))
Volume 135 Edition 14
Alert neighbor helps prevent rail mishap By Lois Mittino Gray Randy King pays attention to clues like the Sherlock Holmes of railroad tracks. He appeared before the Mount Vernon Common Council on April 2 to give members a positive update on work being done to improve a dangerous railroad track situation he identified to the mayor last week. King, who has lived at 605 Evergreen Drive for 31 years, knows the sound of passing trains on the track which is directly behind his home. “I’m very used to train noise after all these years, but there was a lot of extra loud noise and an unusual sound pattern when the train crossed a certain part of the track,” he told the council. This set him to climbing the hill and looking at the tracks. “I found a train derailment waiting to happen. There are rotting tracks with missing spikes or some spikes that don’t even touch the rail anymore. There was one section eaten away real bad, and I think passing over that caused the unusual noises.”
He took over 50 photos and a video to document the deteriorating conditions and met with Mayor John Tucker in his office. Together they called Robby Buchanan from Evansville Western Railroad and King reported that within two hours, workers from the railroad were up inspecting that portion of track. He received a call from the railroad that it concurred and that they, “were aware of the damage and would work to fix it soon, at least by summer.” King happily reported that crews have already cut the bad portion out and re-bolted it. A train came through carrying new rails and set 10-12 on the side for future installation. “They now slow down more in the area, too” King noted. He estimates six-10 trains a day pass on the rotted tracks and hopes his citizen action will avert a potential problem. The council
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Variety lands Volz in Winzerwald art show
Pictured is artist Linda Volz, the wife of Dr. Nicholas Volz (Mount Vernon dentist), in her studio. She is honored by the invitation to display her first solo art exhibit at Winzerwald Winery, 2021 West Franklin Street in Evansville, from now through May 6. Her exhibit includes about 30 pieces - oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings along with a few stoneware pieces. Photo by Pam Robinson.
By Pam Robinson Mount Vernon’s Linda Volz is honored by her first solo art exhibit at the invitation of Winzerwald Winery, 2021 West Franklin Street in Evansville. The exhibit runs now through May 6, and includes about 30 pieces of Volz’s work, a combination of oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings along with stoneware pieces created throughout the years. She is hosting an artist’s reception Thursday, April 23, beginning at 5 p.m. in the Evansville Tasting Room at Winzerwald Winery. “Most artists pretty much work with one medium and one style. I haven’t really stuck with one medium or with one style. I like to do a lot of different things,” Volz reflects on the variety evident in her work. “My friend Bob Pote [beloved Mount Vernon watercolor artist] always teases me and says, ‘You just jump all over the
place, don’t you?’” She laughs and agrees with Pote, “I do. I guess I get bored.” Volz says her goal is to be an Impressionist, and her paintings reveals her love of color. “People look at Impressionism in art, and they look at abstract art, and they think, ‘Oh, that’s so easy. Anybody could do that,’” she comments. “But that’s really, really hard to do, especially for someone like me, who’s a realist painter. I love Impressionism. That’s what I want to do when I grow up.” Looking at Volz’s beautiful florals and landscapes filled with blooming wildflowers or a few of her portraits—for example, her husband, long –time Mount Vernon dentist Nick Volz, walking in the woods with his hunting dog—an art lover would wonder why a change
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Bell time and chimes ring again at St. Matthew
Madison Koester, right, daughter of Edwin and Julie Koester, has been selected as the Posey County Community Foundation’s 2015 Lilly Endowment Community Scholar. Koester will receive a full tuition scholarship for four years to the Indiana College of her choice and a $900 yearly stipend for required books and equipment. The Lilly alternate, Hailee Elderkin, left, will receive a $2,000 scholarship provided by the Posey County Community Foundation. Both are North Posey High School students and will attend Purdue this fall. Photo by Theresa Bratcher
By Lois Mittino Gray After at least 30 years of silence, Mount Vernon residents should be able to hear the bells of St. Matthew Catholic Church ring once again by late summer. When they hear them chime, they can look up to the top of the newly-painted steeple and see what time it is on the brand new community clock. All three projects will be completed as soon as possible since a successful fundraiser initiated in mid-December garnered over $47,000 to get it all done. Project Chairman Andy Winiger praised the generous response, mostly from parishioners and some community members, to fund the repairs. Letters went out to all parish
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USI Celebrates New Harmony connection By Lois Mittino Gray reach out to so many now that it’s far more than these brochures can say. When University President Linda M. Bennett went to Indianapolis on We hope others learn from us, as we learn from them. We wish to remain Monday March 30 to attend the Senate reading of the official USI 50th relevant. I say there are no ivory towers here, just a big ivory cone.” Anniversary Proclamation, she wore a Besides Historic New Harmony, labyrinth necklace. “I wanted to honor other programs feted included Historic our outreach connection with Historic Southern Indiana, Continuing EducaNew Harmony,” she said. She added tion and Lifelong Learning Courses, with a sly smile, “It was a verrrrry long Distance Learning, Service Learning, day,” referring to all the political husCAP Dual Credit Courses, the Japatling going on to clarify the religious nese School, ROTC, and Connect With freedom legislation after the weekend. Southern Indiana. Reaching out to When Historic New Harmony bebusinesses and entrepreneurs includes came an outreach program of the UniInnovation Pointe downtown, Crane versity of Southern Indiana in 1985, Partnership, the I-69 Innovation Corit made a strong statement on the imridor, Center for Applied Research and portance of serving regional needs. Technology and individual company Dr. Bennett said regional needs are a resource development and training prime focus of the university and to partnerships. It all fits the celebrathat, it has stayed true to the course. tion’s theme of ‘Unleashing Potential, “Our small university is known for its Expanding Knowledge’. outreach and engagement programs for Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellsperthe community and our impact and immann was to be the keynote speaker, print in these areas is as profound as but with the political hubbub taking Terri Branson, a resident of Timberlake Drive in Mount place in Indianapolis this week, she just any of the larger universities. I am so Vernon, told USI President Dr. Linda Bennett about her years couldn’t get away. She made a video proud of our accomplishments.” Dr. Bennett was speaking at the Cel- as one of only 30 teachers chosen to be in the Historic South- for the celebration stating, “We have ebration of Engagement and Outreach ern Indiana program. It was one of the first outreach pro- our hands full at the statehouse workfair and reception held on campus in grams started in the 1980s for outreach by professor Darryl Continued on Page A12 Carter Hall on Thursday, April 2. “We Bigham. Photo by Lois Mittino Gray
Retrospective........A4 Legals..............B5-6 Classifieds...........B6-7 Community...........A5
Deaths .................... A3 Church...................A6 Social .....................A5 School ....................A7
Sports..............B1, 3-4 Bus/Ag ...................A8 Opinion ................A11 TV Guide........ A9-10