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Since 1882 ~ Successor to The Poseyville News and The New Harmony Times • New Harmony, IN Posey County’s locally-owned newspaper
Mission Fundraiser set
The Holy Smokers annual Mission Funraiser will be held Saturday, April 16 at Harvestime Temple, 101 Roosevelt Dr., Mount Vernon, Ind. Slab of ribs $20, Loin $25. Pick up at the church from 1 - 3 p.m.
Service to celebrate Owen
On Monday, April 18 at 7 p.m., the public is invited to St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Main and Granary Streets, New Harmony, to commemorate what would have been Jane Blaffer Owen’s 96th birthday. The sevice is intended to be a time of celebrating and honoring Mrs. Owen’s life among us, remembering her transforming spirit, and encouraging us with renewed energy to move forward as we continue to live out her vision in the community she so dearly loved. All are welcome and encouraged to participate in this service of remembrance.
Tuesday April 12, 2011
(USPS 439-500)
Volume 130 Edition 16
Aventine given hero’s welcome at grand opening By Pam Robinson Enthusiasm and praise met Tom Manuel, President and CEO of Aventine Renewal Energy, Inc., when he welcomed approximately 80 guests to the company’s grand opening celebration luncheon held at Western Hills Country Club in Mount Vernon this past Wednesday. Prominent local speakers included John Tucker, Mayor of Mount Vernon; Scott Moye, President of the Posey County Commissioners; and Phil Wilzbacher, Director of Southwind Port. After the luncheon, guests were loaded onto four motor coaches and escorted to Aventine’s Mount Vernon plant for tours. Later in
the afternoon, around 50 business leaders gathered as Manuel ended the festivities with a ribbon cutting at the facility. Mayor Tucker applauded Aventine as “Mount Vernon’s newest game-changer” for its ability to “face economic challenges head on with diligence and ingenuity.” He commended Aventine’s directive for construction workers to “buy local” and noted the company’s benefit as a city water and sewer utility customer as well as an employer who has created 45 permanent, good-paying jobs at the port. County Commissioner President Moye extended his own warm wel-
come. “I can assure you that the county commissioners, the City of Mount Vernon, the city council, the county council and community leaders are standing with you in the future for anything your company needs to successfully move forward,” he said. “There’re a lot of places in the community today that would like to stand up here and say they have a $500 million investment.” Port Director Wilzbacher highlighted significant dates for the newest occupant at Southwind Port: “The project first came under discussion in the early part of 2006. . . .Following the early discussions, construction then began in July
2007, which led up to Aventine bringing the plant into operation in December 2010. On January 4, [2011], the first ethanol barge loaded with Aventine-produced ethanol was loaded at the port.” During the tours, it was noted that the new Aventine facility produces 300,000 gallons of ethanol a day—enough to last one motorist’s driving lifetime—with its 24-hour a day, 365-days-a-year operation. Approximately every three days, a million gallons may be loaded on a single barge for shipment although shipments may be loaded onto truck and rail also. Production will total 108 million gallons of ethanol a year.
North Posey honors night set North Posey High School will hold its annual Honors Program on Wednesday, May 18, 2011 in the high school main gym. The program will begin at 8:15 a.m. with the presentation of academic and scholastic awards.
Book signing set
Children’s author James A. Peterson will be in New Harmony this Saturday, April 16, from 9 to 11 a.m. for the signing of his new book, “Hood-Wrinkle and the Easter Parade.” The signing will be held at Ferndale House, 1225 S. Main Street, the first house north of New Harmony’s historic labyrinth. Paperback copies cost $9 each. A limited quantity of hardback copies will be available for $20 each.
Outdoor gospel concert set
Tom Manuel, President and CEO of Aventine Renewable Energy, Inc., takes the scissors for the ribbon cutting ceremony at the company’s Mount Vernon ethanol facility. Around 50 business leaders gathered for the ceremony on Wednesday afternoon, April 6. Photo by Pam Robinson
Legislators provide basic government, education lesson By Dave Pearce The third in a series of Meet Your Legislators was held on Saturday morning at the Poseyville Community Center. Not even an early morning thunderstorm or a 20-minute wait on a coal train
could keep Senator Jim Tomes and Representative Wendy McNamara from visiting Poseyville and telling their constituents what is going on in Indianapolis. To begin the meeting, McNamara told members of the audience that it
is good to be back at work again. Democratic members have recently spent five weeks out of state over labor bill disputes. “Just yesterday alone, we went through 40 bills,” McNamara said. “We are tying to get 10 weeks worth
On Saturday, August 27, New Harmonie Healthcare Center is planning an out door Country Gospel event to raise money for the Alzheimer Association. We are asking for your help to get us started. Items needed: Tents, Volunteers to set up tents, chairs, park cars and removal of all items after the event. If you have a group that would like to help please call Sandy Morris at 812-845-2312. If your group or organization would like to participate in the entertainment, please contact Sandy.
NHS registration set
Parents wishing to register new students for New Harmony School’s next school year may come to the office anytime to do so. These would be new preschool, kindergarten, and other students new to the school.
Demo women to meet
The Posey County Democratic Women’s Club will hold its annual Democrat Card Party on Tuesday, April 5, 2011, at 6:30 p.m., at the St. Matthew School Gym in Mount Vernon. Everyone is invited to attend. Cost of admission is $2.
State Sentor Jim Tomes and State Representative Wendy McNamara faced constituents on Saturday morning at the Community Center in Poseyville. Photo by Dave Pearce
MVHS Class of ‘76 to meet
Mount Vernon High School Class of 1976 Reunion meeting will be held on Saturday, April 16 from 2:30 – 4 pm at the Alexandrian Public Library, in Mount Vernon. For more information call Chris (Nix) Harp at 812499-2658 or Becky Higgins at 812-204-7388
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Dangers of distracted drivers subject of Monday meeting The City of Mount Vernon and the Mount Vernon Police Department are sponsoring an event on Monday, April 18, 2011, to educate Mount Vernon High School students on the dangers of distracted driving, in particular texting while driving. PEER Awareness, a health and wellness organization in Grand Rapids, Michigan, offers an on-site program called Aware-TXT. This program uses
GOP women to meet
The Posey County Republican Women’s Club is hosting their Card Party on Tuesday, April 12 at 6 p.m. at the Elks Home, 131 E. Fourth Street in Mount Vernon. Guests to this family-oriented event are welcome to play cards or to bring other favorite board games. Tickets for the annual fundraiser ($4 each) are available from any member of the group and will also be sold at the door. Further information is available from Kay Kilgore (483-2922).
of work done in the five weeks that we have left.” Tomes gave members of the audience a quick lesson on how a bill becomes law. “We’re going to have some long days,” Tomes said of the Senate side of the house. “They tell me it is going to get pretty rough.” Tomes said that a bill is introduced, it goes from the writer to the Senate Pro Tem and he will determine whether the bill will move ahead and he assigns it to the appropriate committee. The next step is that the bill is brought before a small group of legislators for a “second reading.” At that point, that bill is open for public debate. “But that’s where it can get interesting,” Tomes said. “Some of these bills can look like they are a pretty clearcut measure but when the public comes in representing groups to testify, sometimes those
cutting-edge virtual reality simulation allowing students the chance to try to text while driving in a safe environment. The program is designed to significantly expose students to the risks and dangers of texting while driving. “Like the schools do every day, we want to promote activities to engage a safe and healthy community,” said Grant Beloat, Chief of Police for the Mount Vernon Police Department. According to the PEER Awareness Web site, www.peerawareness. com, texting has been shown to endanger drivers up to eight times more than alcohol. In 2008, 37 percent of all collisions were directly caused by distracted drivers with the largest portion involving young, inexperienced drivers under the age of 20. The seriousness of this issue has captured local and national attention with 22 states now banning texting while driving and the state of Indiana offering similar legislation during the 2011 legislative session. The program (offered indoors or outdoors) includes six hours of presentation involving 30-35 students per hour in the Safe Texting Simulator along with an exit survey allowing students to pledge to not text and drive. This program will educate high school students on the dangers of distracted driving,” said Mayor Tucker. “We especially urge our young citizens to understand the realities that can occur from texting while driving.”
‘Field to Finish’ exhibit is here
A “Field to Finish” Exhibit will be on display at the Hoosier Salon New Harmony Gallery, 507 Church Street, beginning Wednesday, April 13, with a public reception scheduled from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The awards presentations will be held at 6 p.m. The popular “Field to Finish” exhibit features the artists’ field studies painted on site at the 2010 Paint Out, along with the finished works produced in their studios during the Andy Winigar auctioneers items at the St. Matthew’s Annual Auc- past year. Both field and finished tion on Saturday evening at the Posey County Community Center. works are exhibited and for sale during the event. Photo by Dave Pearce
Inside this issue... Retrospective ................. A4 Legals .......................... B7 Classifieds .............. B8-10
Traditionally, the Field to Finish exhibit opens the annual Plein Air Paint Out in New Harmony. Labeled the “First Brush of Spring,” this year’s Paint Out expects to attract more than 100 artists from throughout the United States. Closing the three-day gathering on Saturday is the highly anticipated “First Brush of Spring” Art Sale, to be held from 9 to 12 noon, at the Ribeyre Gymnasium in downtown New Harmony. Artists will be on hand to discuss their paintings and their artistic technique.
Go to www.poseycountynews.com Community ........... A5 Social ...................... A6 Deaths ................... A3 Sports .............. B1-6 School ........... ....A9-11 Business/Ag ............ A8
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