“Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain.”
$1.00
Since 1882 ~ Successor to The Poseyville News and The New Harmony Times • New Harmony, IN Posey County’s locally-owned newspaper
Tuesday November 15, 2011
(USPS 439-500)
Volume 131 Edition 47
Regardless of school decision, Harmony taxes to go up Without quick decision, school could face loss of ‘window of opportunity’ for choices
By Dave Pearce The sound and optimism of basketball practice in a nearby gymnasium was overcome by distraught looks on the faces of almost everyone present at the New Harmony School Board meeting on Thursday evening. The board gathered for their regular meeting with some 21 citizens also on hand to hear the presentation of analysis done by educational consultant Phyllis Amick regarding the future of New Harmony School. It was obvious the consultant had painstakingly done her homework but none of the six options was what some in the audience had hoped for…a way to keep a school in New Harmony. But regardless of the decision, which is to be made at the December 8 school board meeting, one thing is sure. Taxes for residents of Harmony Town-
ship are about to go up. The board’s decision will help decide just how much. With full consolidation, the tax rate would likely go up somewhere between 19 to 46 cents per $1000 of assessed property valuation. With board president Jim Scarafia absent, vice president Jason Wilson turned the floor over to Amick who assured those in attendance that the board and the administration has done a great job with what they have had to work with. The two critical portions of that equation include declining enrollment and funding cuts. Amick said the administration and board have been caught in a “perfect storm,” as dropping enrollment at the local level and funding cuts at the state level have gone hand-in-hand to make it all but impossible for a school of any kind to
operate in New Harmony. Amick said that it is imperative that the board act with some haste because of the way school funding comes about. While the amount of money the district receives for the following school year is determined in early September, the school’s budget is done on a calendar year. Therefore changes made much later than December of 2011 or the early part of 2012, put the school in danger of running completely out of funding as moneys from a referendum, should one be approved, would not be available until 2013. Currently, the school has enough in the Rainy Day fund that it could still be in a good position to pay School consultant Dr. Phyllis Amick, far right, addresses members its way through a “transitioning period.” However, if that money of the board with the results of the analysis of the recently-completed study of the future of New Harmony School. Board member Curt Continued on Page A7 Schmitt listens intensely at the tough choices. Photo by Dave Pearce
Grimes Bates is newest Habitat ‘Home’owner will serve as clerk of Poseyville
By Valerie Werkmeister Last Tuesday night, Nancy Grimes was fighting back tears in between congratulatory phone calls. Shortly after the polls closed at 6 p.m., she received word that she had won the election as the new Poseyville Clerk-Treasurer. She defeated her Democratic challenger, Jennifer Shell, with a total of 167 votes to Shell’s 47. Grimes, although tired from day-long campaigning, was somewhat emotional with the win. She brushed away tears as she said, “I’m Grimes humbled that the townspeople had enough confidence in me. I know it’s not going to be an easy job. I know the town and the girls in the office have gone above and beyond to make things right again. I just want to help out as much as I can.” Grimes was referencing the aftermath left behind by former clerk-
Continued on Page A2
By Dave Pearce On Thursday evening at 5:30 p.m., Shawnte Bates had a house full of company and she didn’t even have the keys to the house yet. But only moments later, in front of a room filled with workers, contributors, friends and wellwishers, Bates received the keys to Mount Vernon’s newest Habitat for Humanity home, located at thee corner of Second and Kimball streets in Mount Vernon. An emotional Bates cited several scripture readings in her pledge to make this reality not only a house but first and foremost a home for her family. She tearfully thanked all who had a hand in any portion of the project, completed in Mount Vernon under the auspices of the Evansville Habitat for Humanity. The home, whose primary sponsors were the Mount Vernon Ministerial Association and Countrymark, was completed in just about six weeks as workers from several local employers and organizations donated their time to see that Bates and her son Malachi will be able to celebrate Thanksgiving in their new Mount Vernon home this year. Jim Bartlett, who oversees Newest Habitat homeowner Shawnte Bates proudly shows off the building of Habitat homes in Mount Vernon, was on hand to the key to her new home as her son, Malachi, looks exuberantly at his mother. The new home was dedicated on Thursday evening at location on the corner of Second and Kimball streets in Mount Continued on Page A7 its Vernon. Photo by Dave Pearce
MSDMV looks at insurance options
By Rhys Mathew The Mount Vernon School Board has decided to research new group insurance possibilities, particularly health insurance. At it regular meeting on Monday, Nov. 10 at the Mount Vernon Junior High School media center the board approved a contract with Education Services Company. ESC is a well-known source for professional support for Indiana schools. ESC will assist the board in designing a Request for Proposal, advertising to consultants and in selecting and interviewing finalists. ESC will also prepare a recommendation for the board regarding group insurance consulting. The district currently works with Aon Consulting for group insurance, but plans to take proposals from other consultants because of the decreasing ability of the district to provide additional funding toward employee benefits. This decrease in funding has meant that employees have had to pick up the slack and pay more. At the meeting, the board also
Continued on Page A2
Public sends loud, clear message in Mount Vernon, Tucker re-elected
Upon official notification that he had won a second term as mayor of Mount Vernon, John Tucker pulls out a pipe, a trademark of longtime Mount Vernon Mayor Jackson Higgins, and gives the mayor a “thumbs up.” Tucker said he is honored that the people of Mount Vernon had enough confidence in him to allow him to remain in office and complete several projects began under his administration. Photo by Dave Pearce
ThePCN
Inside this issue... Retrospective ................. A4 Legals.............................. B5 Classifieds ................. B5-7
By Dave Pearce Elections in Posey County returned to what Posey County people have come to know as “normal” last Tuesday after John Tucker defeated his GOP opponent Paul Watzlavik 1,345 to 753. Democrats have held a virtual lock on the Mount Vernon Mayor’s office since Democrat Jackson Higgins served for nearly 35 years beginning in the late 1970s. Last year’s swing toward the Republican Party with a nearly nation-wide success enjoyed by all the GOP candidates, including most of Posey County’s elected offices, came to a halt in Mount Vernon on Tuesday. Sue Shelton defeated Ron Sallee 265-130 in Ward One and Becky Higgins defeated John Gerton 1227-847 in the race for Council at Large. The only Republican to win in Mount Vernon was incumbent Andy Hoehn, who narrowly defeated political newcomer Ed Adams 291-279 to retain his seat in District Three of the Mount Vernon City Council. Democratic Clerk-Treasurer candidate Denise Dike ran unopposed for the position being vacated by Democrat Kristi Saltzman. While the Democrats were celebrating at the Posey County Senior Center in Kiwanis Park this year, due to some construction work, the theme was the same as John Tucker said following the election. “We have some really big projects going on here in Mount Vernon and most of them are being done with grants and stimulus money,” Tucker said. “I just appreciate the fact that the people of Mount Vernon thought enough of me to give me a chance to see these projects through to completion.” Tucker said he has been very conscientious and when he ran four years ago, he kept a record or a log of what the people of the community indicated they
wanted the most. He has concentrated on those items. His devotion to the job and his ability to obtain funding for the projects won over at least one Mount Vernon businessman. “I don’t mind saying that I did not vote for John in the last Primary election four years ago,” manager of McKim’s IGA in Mount Vernon. “But he has kept his promises and he has tried to do everything he said he would do. That’s all you can ask for. I definitely voted for him this time.” “I heard ‘John, get that waterworks fixed because we are tired of boil orders’,” Tucker said. “’John, get the sewer plant fixed because we are tired of flushing the toilets and the sewage going where it is not supposed to go,’ and ‘John, do something with that riverfront.’ So we did.” But Tucker was the first to admit that the repairs did not come without a price. However, he said the key to the improvements in Mount Vernon has been surrounding himself with good people who were willing to work long and hard to find grant money to complete the projects without using tax money from the town’s residents. Tucker’s opponent in the race Paul Watzlavik was gracious in defeat as the Republicans again met at the Elks Club in Mount Vernon. “We fought the good fight and came up a little short,” Watzlavik said following the election. “The public has spoken and now we need to get behind our mayor and try to make Mount Vernon an even better place to live.” “We ran a campaign that we can be proud of,” said Holly Watzlavik, wife of the mayoral candidate.
Continued on Page A2 Go to www.poseycountynews.com
Community ........... A5 Social ...................... A6 Deaths ................... A3 Sports .................. B1-4 School.................... A8 Bus./Ag .................. A9
457476310