This Copy Especially Reserved For:
SINCE 1882 Successor to The Poseyville News & New Harmony Times
T
P C N $1.00
Tuesday, May 17, 2022
Volume 142 Edition 20
Collins abruptly resigns from Poseyville Town Council
Justin Collins
By Theresa Bratcher It was a fairly routine on Tuesday evening May 10 at the Poseyville Town Council meeting. Councilman Justin Collins was not in attendance. He shocked the community and fellow council membeers when he resigned from the council later in the week. Collins said the decision was painful and came about only after a lot of thought and consideration but he feels he cannot be helpful to his constituents with the current board. In a letter to the editor in this week’s issue, Collins said, “ I am
disappointed that I was not able to fulfill my term and to help better the town, it’s people, and it’s businesses. I’m even more so disappointed in my former co-elected officials. It seems to have been a case of partyline politics from all three other elected officials on most, but not every, decision or idea that I presented. Other decisions were made and decided without my knowledge, much less a vote.” Collins went on to say, “I know politics nowadays are full of halftruths and whole lies, but I didn’t think that would be the case in Poseyville. Promises made dur-
ing the campaign period were not promises kept. “ When elected, Collins pledged to return the $12,900 per year salary received by the members, by far the highest in the county. He explained how he plans to pay back the money. “My wife and I have created the Justin and Abby Collins Give Back to Poseyville Fund and have contributed $22, 590.30 to the fund. This is my entire compensation for the time served, plus minimal interest, and minus taxes taken directly from the pay,” Collins explained. “The cost of tearing down
the town’s abandoned water plant, $3,250.25, is also deducted from the total amount donated. This donated sum of money should be one of the many things to open the eyes of Poseyville citizens as those dollars came only from my “salary” of $12,900 per year as a council member.” Tuesday’s meeting was routine. It began with the council being notified of two grass complaints that Town Marshall Charles Carter reported to be taken care of. Representatives were on hand
Continued on Page A7
Experiment in Alternative Education comes to NPSC By Lois Mittino Gray The Metropolitan School District of North Posey County Board of Education voted at its May 9 meeting to launch a one year experiment to offer an Alternative Education Program at the junior and senior high school level. The plan will use grant money to fund three new positions to create a “Norseman Academy” and an in-school suspension room. This action is a response to dealing with rising suspension and expulsion numbers that leave students being punished out of school and not in a safe learning environment. “Let’s test it for a year and monitor results, see what comes out, and discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly,” quipped School Board President Geoff Gentil. Discussion was initiated when Assistant Superintendent Michelle Walden presented the Alternative Education Study Committee report. She presented for consideration a request to create the following positions: an In-School Suspension Monitor, two persons to work as After School Staff, and an Alternative Education Classroom Instructor. The latter would require a teaching degree, preferably in Special Education. These posi-
tions would be funded through Safe Haven and ESSER III grant monies. The motion to approve the request passed unanimously with a five to zero vote. Walden explained the purpose of the study was to find gaps. “The committee dug deep into the data to find cracks the kids could fall through that are in need of more attention. We met several times and worked on this to come up with this proposal,” she said. Junior High Principal Steve Kavanaugh, a committee member, was emphatic that this would be a proactive measure. “Bad behavior will not be tolerated in school, but we need to try to keep these students safe and learning and not just sitting home alone playing video games all day while their parents work. I have not had an expulsion in six-seven years and now I have two this year getting no education,” he told the board. There are 44 suspensions this year to date. The majority of these are for vaping. High School Principal Sean Fisher, also a member of the study committee, discussed the need to have something for the “at risk’
North Posey High School soon-to-be graduate Addyson Lingafelter comes to the stage on Wednesday morning at the Honors Day Program to receive one of several scholarships she received. The NP Class of 2022 was awarded over $1.2 million. For a complete list, see the Posey County News Graduation Section coming out on May 24. Photo by Dave Pearce
Parks Department overages means changes must be made
By Lois Mittino Gray Mount Vernon Parks Superintendent Michael Harshbarger appeared before the Mount Vernon Common Council at their request to discuss his budget overruns at their March 4, Continued on Page A7 meeting at the Hovey House. He is currently $11,631.74 over budget this year in line 117Community Center Staff and $2,267.31 over in line 116-Community Center Asst. Both are for the winter-spring pay periods. Harshbarger handed out spreadsheets on budget lines 116 and 117 to the councilors. “You see a lot of red ink on this one - line 117. The old way of doing things is no longer viable as it costs too much. I am going to have to cut staff. The biggest challenge is the after–school crowd we get. We provide the important function of giving kids a place to go after school until evening. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, we are open until 8 p.m. and on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, we are open until 6 p.m. The challenge is to ensure adequate supervision to provide a safe environment for everyone,” he described. Former Posey County resident Alayna Courey enjoys bike riding and the peonies in “At the Community Center at Hedges CenNew Harmony on Sunday afternoon with her friend Caiden Hahn. The peonies will be tral, we have two gyms and we do have a sysat the peak during the coming week. Photo by Dave Pearce tem in place now to supervise and avoid scuf-
fles. On one side there is basketball going on and the other side has skating,” he explained. “We also provide homework help as well. Sometimes we just color with them.” “In the old way we have been operating to cause these overruns, there were two workers on each side; and one or two floaters. From 3 p.m. until closing, we have six kids on duty, which is when we get busier. This way of staffing is no longer sustainable,” the Superintendent noted. “We need to hire more high school students to supervise, since experienced college students must be paid higher and cut down to one on each side.” “The Parks Board and I are looking at a new way, a fresh start in the fall to introduce a new structure, as now the staff is moving over to the pool. We will really target specific staff and hopefully cut expenditures in half. We could look at possibly closing early as an option, though we have been more packed than they we’ve ever been. But we will be exploring different hours of operation. The old way we staffed we were comfortable with, but the budget now didn’t cover it. In next year’s bud-
Continued on Page A7
Lurker, at 97, shares 20th work anniversary with co-worker By Lois Mittino Gray Jo Ann Holbrook and Lydia Lurker were honored for 20 years of service at Hasting Plants with a cake reception on Saturday afternoon, May 14. The dedicated duo started work at the popular garden center outside of Mount Vernon on exactly the same day in 2002 and have been fast friends ever since. “We started out as the ‘Petunia Girls’ transplanting them at a table since we didn’t know anyone else there. You wouldn’t believe how many we did. To this day, they still call us the Petunia Girls,” recalled Lydia, with a smile. “Or sometimes they just call us ‘Hey, you.” Jo Ann interjected in her usual jovial manner. Jo Ann says that Lydia, at 97 years old, is her inspiration. “From day one, I admired her determination and knowledge. She has been so much fun to work with all these years.” Owner Nancy Hasting, celebrating
(USPS 439-500)
her fortieth anniversary this year of the business, said Lydia, even with her advanced age, is her most dependable worker. “She is here every day that she is scheduled, taking no sick days,’ she noted. “This year she had to step back some. We made sure she came to work a little though, so we could boast about her twenty years here. At 97, I guess she deserves a rest.” Lydia met Nancy while attending the same church, Black’s Chapel United Methodist. Lydia told Nancy at that time that she planned to work for her when she retired from Vectren Energy after 20 years there. “Sure enough, she did just that, starting for me when she was 77,” Nancy reminisced. “She is the most remarkable tiny transplant expert we have. She can transplant those delicate small plants for hours and does such a good job.” Jo Ann met Nancy when she wrote a newspaper article for the Mount
Vernon Democrat about the plant business grand opening 40 years ago. “I have always loved flowers and stayed in touch with Nancy, since I grow a large garden at my home and am a country girl at heart. Twenty years ago, she asked me, “Would you like to work here?” and I answered, “When can I start?” Jo Ann loves the work of transplanting, giving advice to customers, organizing the greenhouses, and learning new things every day, while watching the planting seasons change through the months. “You can’t come to work every day and look at a green house full of flowers and not feel good for the day,” she enthused. That upbeat mood is one of Nancy’s favorite things about Jo Ann. “She comes into each year with an unmatched excitement for our work. Jo Ann likes to talk with people and help them make
Continued on Page A7
Lydia Lurker, Nancy Hasting and Jo Ann Holbrook celebrate at the cake reception. Photo by Lois Mitino-Gray