July 15, 2014 - The Posey County News

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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 only locally-owned newspaper

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

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(USPS S4 439-500) 39 5 0 0) Volume 134 Edition 28

Main Street, USA, is a ‘sticky’ situation here By Valerie Werkmeister A week after so-called road improvements were completed on SR 165 and SR 68 in Poseyville, town officials, business owners and local residents are still not pleased with the change from asphalt pavement to chip and seal on Main Street. Poseyville Town Council President Bruce Baker stated during the July 9 council meeting that he requested a member from the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) come to Poseyville to review the work. Instead, he said a public relations spokeswoman, Brandi Jittjumnongk, came Wednesday, July 2, to discuss the matter. Baker pointed out that there seemed to be some confusion on where the work should have taken place. He maintains

that INDOT mistakenly put chip and seal on Main Street. He also stated the road had already been milled and repaved three years ago. According to a statement from INDOT spokesman Will Wingfield, INDOT does not have any record of work being done three years ago. She listened to their concerns and was suppose to contact Baker on Monday, July 7, with a response to the situation. Baker heard from her, but said she needed additional time to research the matter. A call was expected on Friday, July 7. Baker contacted INDOT Friday afternoon only to learn they do not intend to make any corrections. According to an e-mail this writer received from Baker that he received from IN-

DOT, it states: “The current treatment will remain in place but we will continue to monitor and maintain the roadway for functionality and safety.” The letter also states that Baker’s feedback was taken into consideration and INDOT is evaluating their process of seal coat projects at locations within town limits. They also maintain that seal coat projects like this have been completed before in this area and it is used as a means of pavement preservation to further extend the life of the surface. INDOT’s e-mail also stated they will continue to take pavement samples from this area to ensure the seal coat process is working as it should. Although they did not define which area they are referring to, Baker stated this type of chip

and seal pavement has never before been done on Main Street in Poseyville. Baker added this type of surface is normally done on low traffic, rural roads. He drafted a response to INDOT’s e-mail and stated, “It seems by your letter the point that SR 165 was milled and asphalted about three years ago was missed. The condition of the highway in the downtown business district is unacceptable. Something has to be done with the three block business district. Pedestrians cannot cross the street on an extremely hot day without difficulty. The condition of the corners at each end of Main Street has ruts in them from truck traffic. Every time a truck turns

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Wilson to replace Sheets on Cynthiana town board By Valerie Werkmeister A new Cynthiana Town Council member took her seat at the board’s regular meeting on Tuesday, July 8. Patti Wilson, long-time owner of Harold’s Restaurant in Poseyville before retiring two years ago, was chosen to serve in the seat recently vacated by Jim Sheets. Sheets resigned following the adjournment of the May 13, council meeting. “I feel like an open door policy is what this town needs. If anyone has any problems or complaints, I encourage them to come to a town board meeting. That’s what they are for,” Wilson said. A bigger and better National Night Out is being planned for Tuesday, August 5, in the Cynthiana Park. The event is sponsored by Posey County Sheriff Greg Oeth and features free food and activities. The entire county is welcome to attend the event that is scheduled from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. The menu includes grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, chips, corn on the cob, watermelon, cantaloupe, snow cones, cotton candy and ice cream sandwiches by the Young Dairymen. A variety of drinks will also be available. Wilson stated there will be a number of activities for children to interact with law enforcement officials. Face painting, corn hole games, sack races and a balloon toss are just a few of the activities planned. There are many church groups and other local organizations who will assist with the National Night Out in order to help make it a success. Those who attend are only asked to bring lawn chairs. Town Council President Scott Cox stated his displeasure over the chip and seal work being done on Main Street. He advised residents to contact the IndiThe Eric and Donnett May family of Mount Vernon claimed both the Teen Queen and Posey County ana Department of Transportation (INDOT) to voice their concerns. Residents Fair Queen titles during the Saturday evening kick-off of the Posey County Fair. Pictured following the Continued on Page A11 contest are, left to right, Donnett, Hillary, Jackson, Ellen, and Eric May. Photo by Dave Pearce

Two Queens and a Jack(son)

FEMA ‘flood plain’ redesignation latest hurdle for New Harmony By Lois Mittino Gray The impending problem of floodplain redesignation and its effect on the community of New Harmony is a looming specter ready to appear come November. From coffee shops to meetings in homes, residents are discussing what lies ahead for the town when the new FEMA floodplain map boundaries go into effect then. Severe restrictions will apply for almost half the property owners

who will be newly categorized in a Class A high risk floodplain. “We have had our share of challenges recently, including among them the school closing, the bridge closing and river erosion, but you can combine all those issues into one big ball and put it on a shelf and I believe that this issue is bigger than all of them together. It’s kind of ironic that we are in our bicentennial year, celebrating the town’s ability to adapt to

Briefly Poseyville Autumnfest to be held September 27-28 The Poseyville Autumnfest will be held on the last full weekend of September on the 27 and 28. This year’s theme is Posey County, a tale of two centuries. Posey County is 200 years old this year, so come enjoy the festivities. Again this year, entertainment on Saturday evening will be the Hot Rod Lincoln Band. NPHS Class of 1963 to hold 51st reunion The North Posey High School Class of 1963 will hold their 51st class reunion at 5 p.m., Saturday, July 19, 2014 at the Silver Bell Restaurant, 4424 St. Wendel Road, Wadesville, Ind. For more information call Cathy Powers 812-963-3890. NPHS Class of 1969 planning 45th reunion The North Posey High School Class of 1969 is planning their 45th class reunion on Saturday, July 26, 2014 at the Red Wagon Restaurant, 6950 Frontage Road, Poseyville, Ind. The committee needs addresses for Tim Green, Linda Boyle Gibson, Emily (Crofts) Whitaker, and Carol Creek. If anyone has any information, please contact Jackie Scheller Bender, Sydney Erbacher Russler, Cheryl Dougan Whitmore, or Rosemary Wiggins. Reservations need to be mailed to Charlotte Eisterhold Wehmer, 4925 Hwy. 165, Poseyville, Ind. 47633. Make checks payable to North Posey Class of 1969 at $25 per person. We are looking forward to seeing all of our classmates. Children’s Clothing Bank scheduled for July 19 The Back to School Opening of ‘The Clothes Hanger,’ a children’s clothing bank at Old Union Christian Church, is set for Saturday, July 19 from 8 a.m. to noon in the church basement. The store provides free clothing, new and gently used children’s sizes newborn through 18, juniors and adults, for area families needing assistance. Jackets, coats and shoes are available in limited sizes. Old Union Christian Church is located approximately 2.5 miles north of Poseyville on Highway 165. For more information call (812) 9636266 or (812) 454-1797. Come enjoy a cup of coffee and check-out the large selection. Poseyville American Legion to meet The Poseyville American Legion Post 278 will meet at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 17 at the Community Center.

Retrospective ...... A 4 Legals ...................B 5 Classifieds ........ B 7 - 8 Community ......... A 7

all kinds of challenges and thrive for two centuries, and we are now facing what could be the biggest issue we’ve ever faced as a community,” noted Kent Parker, a local homeowner and community leader. Concern is widespread that residents may not have received notifications about this from FEMA or put them aside if they did, not realizing what the changes will entail for them. “The first I heard about this was when a resident tried to sell an empty lot on Brewery Street and was faced with flood insurance restrictions,”

said Nathan Maudlin, a local lawyer and homeowner. Maudlin explained that due to the Flood Plain Reform Act of 2004, the federal emergency agency FEMA is redrawing floodplain maps all around the country. Maudlin believes this is for two reasons. One, it will include more people inside the Class A floodplain. This will generate more income for them in flood insurance premiums which will replenish the coffers after paying out so much in the past decade with Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy. Two, there may pos-

sibly be predictions of more flooding in the future with climate change. At present, the Maudlins’ home is above the 378 feet elevation that puts them in a Class C Floodplain, which is called moderate to low risk. He purchased flood insurance in the past, which has a maximum cap of $250,000, from a regular private carrier at a reasonable rate. On the redrawn map, anything under 381.6 feet, will be designated a Class A high risk floodplain and his annual

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Expert claims state figures skewed By Lois Mittino Gray Tom Straw pores over topographic maps and computer printouts doing pencil computations and line drawings to help explain why he believes the two highest recorded floods on the Wabash River are anomalies. He feels neither figure should be used by experts to determine the highest elevation necessary for designating a class A floodplain as they do not represent the ‘unaltered flow of the Wabash.’ The issue is a major one affecting the community of New Harmony at the present time as it threatens homeowner’s wallets and the overall economy when the new FEMA floodplain map goes into effect in November. Straw is a hydrologist/geologist professor and consultant who has worked in this field of study for many decades. However, unlike many of the other professionals, he was alive to see and live through the historic 1937 and 1943 Wabash River floods as a child in Griffin. He was born in 1931 in a home about 100 yards from the river in a place called Shiloh and well remembers time spent on the river as his parents had a business mussel shelling and fishing. “I remember water everywhere and someone saying that we had to go to the post office to get our tetanus shots. Ouch.” He explained that water-borne typhoid fever was a very

Deaths .............. ...A3 Church ................ A 8 Social .................. A 5 School ................. A 6

Tom Straw pointing to the area of New Harmony flooding on the topographic map. real threat back then as there were mostly outhouses and they were flooding and spilling out into the floodwaters. The highest flood level recorded at the New Harmony gaging station was in 1913 at 27.7 feet. “They should not use that number to predict how the Wabash will function normally as it was a non-hydrologic event. We

Sports ............... B 3 - 4 Bus/Ag ................ A 6 Opinion ............... A 2 TV Guide........ A9-10

need to convince the DNR and then the people at FEMA that this does not represent unaltered flow. It is a discrepant event in science terms and not relevant.” Straw says that the flooding was caused by the breaking of a railroad embankment up near Mount Carmel,

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July 15, 2014 - The Posey County News by The Posey County News - Issuu