T
P C N SINCE 1882 Successor to The Poseyville News & New Harmony Times POSEY COUNTY’S ONLY LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED NEWSPAPER
Volume 139 Edition 32
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
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NH Town Council mulls over budget in special meeting By Lois Mittino Gray Members of the New Harmony Town Council met Friday morning, August 2 at the Town Hall in a special meeting called for the purpose of making public recommendations for the 2020 budget. Only the five council members, the Town-Clerk Karla Atkins, and the reporter were present. Atkins had figures for line items penciled in and council members were asked to make comments before she finalizes the budget for advertising and a public hearing. Town Council President Alvin Blaylock recommended putting in a seven percent increase to town employee salaries in 2020. “This will build that amount into the budget. Just because the raise is at that percent, it does not mean that we have to give
that figure,” noted Councilman Gary Watson. Eight thousand dollars was earmarked for town attorney fees, but Blaylock thought it best to add seven percent to that as well, even though attorney fees are set at an hourly rate. “We can’t say who our attorney will be in 2020, or what he or she charges, but like everything it will most probably go up,” he said. The raise recommendation does not include the first line item, which is the salary of the town council members. That amount will remain at $3,600 annually. Another change in the General Fund section was to double the police clothing allowance from $1,500 to $3,000 annually. “Back when I was the Town Marshal, it was set at $1,200. I’m sure uniforms and vests and other gear have gone up quite a bit
since then,” said Councilman Watson. Continuing Education Fund set Police Training line item budgeted at $3,000. The General Fund total before the proposed changes was $266,962. Local Road and Street was $13,576. The Parks Fund was at $8,669. Motor Vehicle Highway was initially $75,154. It was suggested to put some extra money into the tree service and removal line item in the MVH category. “Tree services need to be looked at more closely,” said Councilwoman Virginia Alsop. $16,000 was built in to the budget, but that figure may need to go up to $20,000.
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East side water tower rising By Lois Mittino Gray The Mount Vernon Water Utility Board met on July 18, before the Common Council meeting, to discuss the progress on construction of the new 200 foot high water tower on the east side of town. Mayor Bill Curtis gave the update to the board in place of Water Superintendent Chuck Gray, who was having some medical issues at the time of the meeting, but has since returned to work. The 1.1 million gallon water tower will be located at the northeast corner of the intersection of the railroad tracks with the Keck Bypass. “The pilings are all done and they started work on the concrete ring around the bottom. Once that is complete, the walls will go up. It should take about a week to get the ring finished. Then they will have to do testing and get the results back from that before they can start on the walls,” explained the Mayor. He added the walls should be up by October. There were 96 pilings, Boonville’s Richard Helfert pulls during the final night of the successful Keck-Gon- set 96 feet deep into bedrock, put in to support nerman event held at the Posey County Fairgrounds over the weekend. The weather the massive structure. “Due to the extreme heat lately, they are mostly working on the project at was nearly perfect for this year’s event. Photo by Dave Pearce
night now.” What color will the tower be painted? The Mayor said maroon and grey has been suggested, to match the school colors of the Mount Vernon Wildcats. He asked the board members what their thoughts on that proposal were and they agreed that would work. The tower would be grey, with maroon block letters and the school Mount Vernon Wildcat logo painted on it. He added there will be no lights added, as that is too expensive. Board Member Andy Hoehn asked about using the new marketing slogan, “We Are MV” and that might be considered. After the Water Utility Board adjourned, the meeting moved straight into Common Council business that will help get rid of the eyesore dilapidated buildings on Main Street. A joint resolution, passed by the council as number 1912, authorizes the Mayor and the Clerk-Treasurer to execute the documents necessary for the purchase of 401, 403, and 409 Main Street. The authorized purchase price for 401 and 403
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MV FCCLA students excel By Pam Robinson After facing hundreds of students from dozens of chapters in state competition the beginning of March, thirteen out of seventeen Mount Vernon Junior High School students earned the privilege of moving to the national competition for Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, or FCCLA, last month. Of those 13 students, ten chose to contend for FCCLA awards alongside thousands of students across the country in Anaheim, California, this July 1, 2, and 3. All ten students were recognized during the awards ceremony held July 4. The FCCLA chapter at MVJHS enrolled 52
student members this past academic year, so the ten national competitors have set the bar high for their peers. Faculty advisor for FCCLA at MVJHS, Laura Davis, reported the ten students competed in five categories at nationals and brought home bronze, silver, and gold. Davis is completing her first year as FCCLA advisor to the three-year-old chapter. Outgoing seventeh graders Abbi Miller, Pictured are the ten MVJHS students and their faculty advisor who attended the FCBrandi Schu, and Emily McCarty earned bronze in Food Innovations, creating an origi- CLA national competition in Anaheim, Calif., last month. Pictured from left to right, front nal gluten-free snack bar. Likewise, outgoing row are Jayana Russell, Abbi Miller, Faculty Advisor Laura Davis, Jaycee Jarvis, and Majesty Waller, and on the back row are Brandi Schu, Jacob Loughary, Sydney Redman, Continued on Page A7 Lily Denning, Sadie Redman, and Emily McCarty. Photo submitted
Posey native Rapp receives Sacham The Sachem is given annually to Special to the News recognize a lifetime of excellence and Indiana Governor Eric J. Holcomb moral virtue that has brought credit will present Hoosier humanitarian Dr. and honor to Indiana. Previous recipiGeorge Rapp with the 2019 Sachem ents include Holocaust survivor Eva Award, the state’s highest honor, at a Mozes Kor (2017), Rev. Theodore M. ceremony Tuesday, Aug. 27. Hesburgh, president emeritus of the “Dr. George Rapp has helped make University of Notre Dame and world his hometown, our state and the world statesman (2006), and long-time busia much better place to live through nessman and civic leader P.E. MacAlhis devotion to the arts, education and lister (2014). Rapp will be the third medicine,” Gov. Holcomb said. “You Sachem honoree named by Gov. Holwould be hard-pressed to find somecomb. one who has made the kind of impact A native of New Harmony, Indiana, he has in so many different fields.” Dr. Rapp has been a medical pioneer, First Lady Janet Holcomb anchampion of education and supporter nounced that Rapp will be this year’s Dr. George Rapp of the arts throughout his life. recipient during the Hoosier Art SaAn orthopedic surgeon, Rapp practiced for 35 years, lon’s 95th Annual Exhibition Preview Event Thursday evening at the Indiana State Museum. Rapp, a longtime Continued on Page A7 supporter of the salon, served as a co-host of the event.
Night Operations: Sensor Repair Scheduled for SR 62 in Mount Vernon The Indiana Department of Transportation announces a night time road closure on State Road 62 in Mount Vernon for repair and replacement of roadway sensors. Beginning Aug. 7 at 10 p.m., contractors will begin their operations to repair and replace sensors on S.R. 62 between Gun Club Road and Mohr Road. The sensors assist with documentation of traffic counts, weight reporting and traffic volumes for the Indiana Traffic Management Center. During the operation the westbound driving lane will be closed. Work is expected to last until about 6 a.m. the following morning. Weather conditions could potentially delay the operation. INDOT urges drivers to slow down and stay alert near crews. Stay Informed Motorists can learn about highway work zones and other traffic alerts at indot.carsprogram.org, 1-800-261-ROAD (7623) or 511 from a mobile phone. Subscribe to receive text and email alerts about INDOT projects at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/INDOT/subscriber/ new. Follow @INDOTSouthwest on Twitter and at Facebook.com/INDOTVincennesDistrict.
Gemini: Bridge to the Moon Wadesville man played key role in US Space mission series By Pam Robinson Everyone came to attention Thursday night for retired Navy Captain Robert “Bob” Redman as he presented his first-hand account of USS WASP/Gemini spacecraft recovery missions. Mostly seniors, audience members filled Alexandrian Public Library’s Wabash Room for the event. They surely recalled the national pride in the Gemini space flights during the mid-1960s. A young Navy Lieutenant at the time, Redman, a Wadesville native, earned the privilege of serving on four USS WASP/ Gemini recovery missions. His piloting expertise earned him the honor. He flew one of three helicopters prepared to retrieve the Gemini spacecraft and its astronauts at their reentry to Earth. As Redman explained, the three helicopters were tagged Search 1, Search 2, and Search 3. Search 1 hovered 5,000 feet above the calculated landing spot for the Gemini spacecraft to splash down. Search 2 and Search 3 split up from that spot, with one
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The Golden Years upwind about 15 or 20 miles and one downwind about 15 or 20 miles. Lieut. Redman always piloted a Search 2 or Search 3 helicopter. The USS WASP/Gemini recovery missions, Redman emphasized, were a big production. Each Sikorsky SH3 twin engine helicopter always known as “Old 66”, weighing in at about 22,000 pounds, carried four crew men, including the pilot, copilot, and one “frogman,” or Navy SEAL. It was equipped with a flotation device to wrap around the Gemini spacecraft and a “horse collar” rescue sling to hoist up the astronauts into the helicopter. . .unless they stayed in the spacecraft until it could be brought aboard the USS WASP. Only one Gemini spacecraft ever sank on reentry, Redman explained, the result, it was widely held, of Gus Grissom opening the
hatch too soon. In addition to the search helicopters, Redman said, recovery missions had been known to send out as many as 20 ships to the splash down area as well, just to be prepared, although he estimates around 10 ships were in the area during the USS WASP/Gemini recovery missions he flew. More aircraft were on standby also. Although he never picked up and flew the Gemini astronauts to the waiting USS WASP, Redman received the opportunity to meet the astronauts on the ship’s flight deck. He emphasized the celebrity status of the astronauts. An actual red carpet was rolled out for them as they arrived home on the flight deck. The size of three football fields, the USS WASP was fitted with three huge antennas for satellite transmissions of TV pictures to an admiring public. Those aboard the USS WASP looked forward to the astronauts’ overnight stay on
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Robert Redman