COMMEMORATIVE GRADUATION SECTION INSIDE
Since 1882 ~ Successor to The Poseyville News and The New Harmony Times • New Harmony, IN
“Our lib “O liberties ti we prize, i and d our rights i ht we will ill maintain.” i t i ” Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Posey County’s only locally-owned newspaper
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(USPS S4 439-500) 39 5 0 0) Volume 134 Edition 20
Quick turnaround on payment of Poseyville utilities is upheld By Valerie Werkmeister Concerns over Poseyville’s short payment policy on utility bills were discussed at last Wednesday’s Poseyville Town Council meeting. Dennis Wingo asked for consideration in extending the time between when bills are due and a shut-off notice is sent. Utility bills that include gas, water and sewer fees are due on the tweity-third of each month. If payment isn’t received by that day, a late notice is generated and mailed out to delinquent customers that night. The notice states the bill must be paid before the first day of the next month or the utility will be shut off. Wingo noted that Poseyville has the shortest turnaround time of when the bill is received and when it is due than other area towns. He also noted the short time in between the delinquent notice and the shut-off date. He stated Owensville’s bill is sent out on the first of each month, is due on the fifteenth and the shut-off date is on the twenty-ninth. Cynthiana sends out bills on the first with a due date on the twenty-fifth and the shut-off
date is two Fridays subsequent to the due date. New Harmony sends out bills on the fifteenth which are due on the thirtieth or thirty-first of each month. The disconnect notice is sent out on the following month’s bill giving customers an entire 30 days before their utility is shut-off. Wingo stated it’s a hardship, especially for landlords like him, who try to collect rent on the first of each month. He suggested a disconnect date should be extended by a week to the eighth of each month. Council president Bruce Baker said the council reviewed this ordinance two years ago and they feel it has helped reduce the number of utility disconnections the town has to perform on an annual basis. He and fellow board member, Ron Fallowfield, agreed that by having this due date structure, it forces people to contact the town hall as early as possible in order to work out payment terms if they are experiencing a hardship.
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Innkeeper tax is here Questionsbring By Valerie Werkmeister Posey County is now officially set to become part of the majority of counties within the state to have an Innkeeper’s Tax. Members of the Posey County Council approved an ordinance establishing the tax during their May 13, meeting. Prior to its passage, the council heard a lengthy discussion along with some public opposition. Ellen Harper, a community liaison from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) and former Executive Director of the Knox County Convention and Visitors Bureau, delivered a presentation explaining how Knox County completed the process of establishing an Innkeeper’s Tax. The five percent tax will be assessed on rented rooms such as hotels and bed and breakfast establishments and paid by those who stay in the rooms. The tax is paid to the county treasurer, per state law, and can only be used to market and promote tourism within the county. Harper stated Knox County established a three percent tax in 1993 and they allowed the money to accrue for several years while they developed a plan. At that time, Knox County had 500 rooms that would be eligible for the tax. Later, they increased the tax to five percent. She was finally hired as an executive director in 1998. At the end of 2013, Knox County collected $385,540 from 412 rooms. Harper further explained that following the creation of a five member tourism commission, Knox County created a Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) which then created a Board of Directors. She said the role of the CVB Board managed the day to day business including adopting policies and controlling the finances. She said this
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Briefly Certify-By date set for Spring planted crops Greg Knowles, Posey County Executive Director, would like to remind farmers to certify their Spring planted crops by July 15, 2014. Planting dates are required to complete this process. Sign up for the 2014 Farm Program hasn’t started yet. Indications are that sign-up will start in the Fall. When the sign-up date is announced, it will be publicized. Please contact the Posey County FSA Office at (812) 838-4191, ext. 2 if you have questions.
tense moments to Cynthiana
By Valerie Werkmeister A lack of communication and frustrations over the length of time to complete projects in Cynthiana was the topic of conversation at last Tuesday’s, May 13, Cynthiana Town Board meeting. Craig Egli said it has taken a long time to get the town to address his problems with a storm drain on his property. “Recognizing that this has taken an excessive period of time to get to this point and not weeks or months, we’re talking years to get to this point, I guess what I’d like to realize is what’s the protocol for getting answers and or things accomplished in the Town of Cynthiana?” Egli asked. He stated he and his wife, Laura, had spoken with town maintenance employees and board members on an individual basis in the past and asked the board whether that was sufficient or if he should have brought his concerns in front of the board. Board president Scott Cox said he preferred that he brought his questions and concerns to the board meeting so that it can be part of the minutes. Both men noted the fact
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A special bond is evident between this presenter and the recipient of the Tom Embrey Memorial Scholarship. Carol Embrey presents the award to her grandson Drake Davenport. This year two of the Embrey scholarships were awarded, with Cody Ungetheim receiving the other. The award is presented annually in honor of Drake’s grandfather, Tom Embrey. Photo by Dave Pearce
Review of New Harmony utility reveals some issues By Valerie Werkmeister An assessment of New Harmony’s wastewater treatment facility has revealed a few significant operational issues; according to Eric Parsley of Commonwealth Engineers, Inc. Parsley delivered a report to the New Harmony Town Council during their meeting Thursday, May 14. The council hired the firm to rate the condition of the plant and identify its assets. Parsley said that in the course of doing so, they ultimately identified operational issues and felt it was important to include them in the report. Parsley’s report listed areas of concern and assigned priorities based on importance as well as cost. Despite some of the negatives, Parsley said there is no need to build a new plant. He stated they can fix the items that have been identified and work with what they have. The council took the report under advisement in order to have time to review it. Pat Callahan, CPA, gave the council highlights of a rate study he conducted on the town’s wastewater utility rates. He reviewed the town’s financial statements from the past three years. He praised the town in their diligence of transferring funds each year into an asset depreciation fund which currently has a $604,000 balance. He noted the cash operating fund has decreased over the past three years. Callahan’s report suggested a few options to increase the rates for the utility. He stated the first option would slightly increase the monthly user’s bill by approximately $5.25. The council took the report under advisement to have additional time to review the information. Four bids were received and opened for the storm water project. The low bid was from Blankenberger Brothers at $546,980. Deig Brothers
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North Posey Band to hold car wash May 31 The North Posey Marching Band will have a car wash fundraiser on May 31, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at TDS on Main Street in Poseyville. All donations are welcomed. Wadesville VFW to honor vets on Memorial Day Please join with Wadesville’s Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6576 in remembering and honoring all deceased veterans on Memorial Day 2014, Monday, May 26. Post members will be holding ceremonies through-out the county and ask that you join them in showing your appreciation and respect. Any veteran who wishes to join with the Post in the ceremonies is to meet in St. Wendel across from the church’s cemetery at 7:45 a.m. The following are locations where formal ceremonies will be held; each ceremony usually last 15-20 minutes: St. Joseph Cemetery (Vanderburgh County) – 8:15 a.m.; St. Wendel Cemetery – 9 a.m.; Liberty Cemetery (Cynthiana) – 10:15a.m.; Veterans Memorial in Poseyville – 11 a.m.; Laurel Hill Cemetery (Wadesville) – 11:45 a.m.; Mount Zion Cemetery (Oliver Road Wadesville) – 12:15 p.m. After leaving Mt. Zion the Detail will return to the Post Home for fellowship and a Pot Luck lunch. Remembering the American Soldiers is a great way to start Memorial Day. Freedom isn’t free. For more information contact Gayla Schapker, 963-6298, Chaplin VFW Post 6576. Special meeting to be held, others cancelled The Mount Vernon Board of Public Works & Safety will meet in Special Session on Thursday, May 29, 2014 at 2 p.m. for the purpose of opening bids on various items for the police and fire station building. Also, the regular meeting of the Board of Public Works & Safety scheduled for 4 p.m. that same day, will be cancelled. The Water Utility Board and Common Council meetings scheduled for may 29, 2014, will be cancelled as well. In the months where will these groups would have met three times (May and October in 2014) they will always only meet twice a month. The Special Session will be held in the Meeting Room at 520 Main Street in Mount Vernon. Correction Last week’s Posey County Commissioner’s story identified the EMA Directory as Larry Thompson, he should have been identified as Larry Robb. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.
Retrospective ...... A 4 Legals ...................B 6 Classifieds ........ B 7 - 8 Community ......... A 5
This home, located at 917 Robin Hill in Mount Vernon, is one of the highlights on this year’s June 7 house tour, The event, is sponsored by the Women’s Fund of Posey County, a fund of the Posey County Community Foundation. Photo by Dave Pearce
Annual house tour is set for June 7 By Dave Pearce lilies, April showers bring May flowers, Carnations pink and blue, That is what they say. Forget-me-not and small sundrop But if all the showers turned to Glistening with the dew. flowers, We’d have quite a colorful day! We’d have fireweed and milkweed And many more different flowers. There’d be bluebells and cockleMexican star and shooting star, shells, Falling in the showers. Tulips red and green, And if all the showers turned to Daffodils and Chinese squill, flowers The brightest you’ve ever seen. On that rainy April day, Would all the flowers turn to You’d see tiger lilies and water showers
Deaths .............. ...A3 Church ................ A 6 Social .................. A 6 School ................. A 9
Sports ............... B 1 - 4 Bus/Ag ................ A 9 Opinion ............... A 2 TV Guide.......... A 7 - 8
In the sunny month of May? Obviously all the showers did not turn to flowers in April in Posey County. There are many left for the Third Annual Garden Walk planned for Saturday, June 7. The event is planned from noon until 5 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Women’s Fund of Posey County, a fund of the Posey County Community Foundation. Highlighting this year’s tour is
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