T
P C N SINCE 1882 Successor to The Poseyville News & New Harmony Times POSEY COUNTY’S ONLY LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED NEWSPAPER
Volume 137 Edition 34
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
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It’s official - Joe Gengelbach Field North Posey football field renamed in Friday ceremony By Dave Pearce It was a special night at North Posey High School on Friday night. Yes, it was the football season opener and yes, it was the fans’ first look at this year’s team and new coach. It was the first look at this year’s cheerleaders and the first time to hear the 2017 band. But almost everyone was there for yet another reason. Long-time North Posey legendary football coach Carl “Joe” Gengelbach’s name was permanently affixed to the North Posey High School field. Home games from Friday night forward will be played on Joe Gengelbach Field. Gengelbach came to North Posey High School in 1969 after graduating from Tell City High School and playing football for the Marksmen and later for the University of Evansville. In 1970, at 23 and after one year under Coach Byron Brenton, Gengelbach took over the program and remained the team’s head coach until his retirement Long-time North Posey Coach Carl “Joe” Gengelbach is shown admiration by his wife, Shannon, after after 43 years. having the North Posey football field named Joe Gengelbach Field on Friday evening. Photo by Dave Pearce Despite a dual role as athletic director and football coach for won 256 football games and six pionships. His teams won four regional championship and one several years, Gengelbach’s teams Pocket Athletic Conference cham- sectional championships and four semi-state. His 2005 team was a
Council hears Sabic tax review By Valerie Werkmeister Officials with Sabic in Mount Vernon appeared before the Posey County Council last Tuesday to review four of their current tax abatements on various projects within their facilities. According to their own figures, these abatements allowed Sabic to invest a total of $3,582,000,000 on updates to their current facilities, construction of a new research and development lab and equipment. Without these things, Sabic said some portions of its plant would have become obsolete. They also stated they retained 516 employees and hired 20 new employees due to these projects. Before council members approved the continuation of these abatements, they questioned Sabic officials about hiring employees from within the county. Council members have continuously expressed their desire to companies to utilize Posey County employees first whenever possible. Unfortunately, Sabic’s response is something county officials have already heard. Limited housing and a lack of activities, amenities and other things found in neighboring Vanderburgh County places Posey County in a second-rate position. These factors have been identified by the Posey County Economic Development Partnership in recent county meetings. Brittaney Johnson, director, has pledged support to the county
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Briefly Trinity UCC Pork Chop Dinner: Saturday, August 26 4:30 - 7 p.m. 505 Mulberry Street, MV Arts and Antique Stroll: Saturday, August 26 New Harmony Quilt Show: Gen. Thomas Posey DAR Saturday, August 26 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. St. Matthew School Gym Upcoming Festivals: MV River Days - Sept. 8-10 NH Kunstfest - Sept. 16, 17 PV Autumnfest - Sept. 23, 24
More information on these and other events inside today’s Posey County News Correction: In last weeks Poseyville Town Council story the word abhorrent was mistakenly used in a statement made by Roger Hunt, the correct word should have been aberrant. We apologize for this error.
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state finalist. But if you ask anyone who played for Gengelbach, the lessons off the field were every bit as important as the lessons on the field. “He taught his players the things they needed to know to be good citizens and good human beings,” said Joe Neidig, who played for Gengelbach and went on to play football collegiately. “Anyone who went through Coach Joe’s program knew the right things to do to be productive members of society and if they needed an example, all they had to do was look at him.” He was president of the Indiana Football Coaches Association in 1987 and was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 2000. “More importantly, Coach Gengelbach has molded and shaped the character and integrity of generations of young men in our community,” read former player Tim Mauck during the ceremony. “His influence is so widespread, he has long been an asset to the entire North Posey
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Stalled MV sewer project set to continue
St. Matthew School principal Vicki Wannemuehler spent Saturday morning on the roof after challenging her students to sell all their fundraiser tickets. They sold them all.
By Lois Mittino Gray Mayor Bill Curtis brought “hot news” to the August 17, Mount Vernon Common Council meeting. “I just got a call an hour ago from the attorney representing us with the East Side Gravity Flow Sewer Project that has been on hold for some time. All issues have been worked out with Peyronin, our construction company that declared bankruptcy mid-project. He thinks everything is in place to start work back up in the next couple of weeks, at no additional cost to the city.” There should be “significant completion” in 120 days, and 150 days for total completion. “This should take us to around the first of the year. We may have to push the total completion date back if it gets too cold to pave. This is the closest we’ve been to completion in a very long time. Hopefully, by next meeting, you’ll see them putting pipe in the ground.” The project will bring city sanitation pipes and lift stations to businesses around the junction of Indiana 62 and the Keck Bypass, such as Hawg N’Sauce Restaurant and Expressway Autos.
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Davis presents NH Council different angle on bridge By Lois Mittino Gray Marsh Davis, President of Indiana Landmarks, spoke at the August 15, New Harmony Town Council Meeting to verbally release the information prepared by engineers using the Regional Cities Grant. “We own this report and we are not ready to release it in writing today. I will provide a verbal summary, until we get the editorial work done. We wanted fresh and real numbers for efforts to rehabilitate the Wabash River Bridge.” Davis said the main spans are in sound condition with a “lot of life in them.” The approach spans on both sides of the river are the real problem, since the bridge closed in 2012. “These are the main deficiencies and we will address them with short term and long term solutions,” he said. The short term fix, which should last ten
years, repairs the approach ramps and adds pedestrian and bike lanes to the bridge for these leisure time uses only. It would cost approximately $500,000. An automated toll would be put in, as human staffing would be too expensive. “This buys us time and preserves the natural gas line on the bridge. It is a modest amount of money and gives us the option to explore funding and keeps the bridge viable,” Mr. Davis said. He said the long term goal is to “get it in the hands of the State of Indiana who should own it and do the needed maintenance and repairs.” He said the figure to get the bridge in tip-top shape is ten million dollars and he would put in effort to meet with state legislators to get it. Davis said his group does not want money right now, but needs full and clear support from the town council, local businesses, and county
council and the commissioners. “We need the community to say ‘Let’s make it happen!’ We have confidence that it is feasible. We need to find funding and move forward.” Davis thought it would be great for a Posey County resident to appear before the county politicians to ask their support. Greg Wathen, representing the Regional Cities Grant program, spoke and said, “This is a complicated project. We are here to assist you in what way we can. We appreciate Indiana Landmarks stepping up and offering this tremendous support.” Resident Dan Barton reminded the Town Council of INDOT’s offer to the county to take the bridge down, with a decision deadline of December 31, 2017. “The clock is still ticking
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Just Looking, BackBeats offer eclectic merchandise By Lois Mittino Gray In Rebecca Boskey’s 34 years of selling vintage items, she often heard the comment “just looking” when customers were asked if they wanted anything in particular. When it came time to name her new business venture in New Harmony, she thought of “Just Looking.” The store window entices customers with the additional phrase, “Just Looking … a selection of things with a questionable past.” The shop, located at 514 Main Street, was opened on June 1, in tandem with BackBeats Record Store, a music shop manned by her husband, Don Boskey. Just Looking is the front of the store, while BackBeats takes up the back portion of the location that once
housed “The Cookie Jar.” BackBeats Record Store specializes in high quality used vinyl, and also carries used CDs, cassettes, 8-tracks and a variety of other music-related items like sheet music, posters and vintage music magazines. However, Don does not have musical instruments for sale. “We have a wide variety and a little bit of everything for all musical tastes. People like all kinds. Personally, I like rock music, but we have jazz, country, blues and other genres.” Records are priced based on condition and availability. There are around 5000 LPs and 1500 45s available.
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Is that Ringo Starr in the window advertising BackBeats Records? Photo by Lois Mittino Gray