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Dated disaster plan gets makeover
June, 2 and 3, 1990: A tor- Joe Awad Press Editor nado outbreak Harrison jawad@registerpublications.com shatters parts of Southern Indiana and Southwestern, Ohio. When Mother Nature relents, 66 tornadoes had engulfed the Lower Ohio Valley, including the F4 nighttime demon that devastates parts of Bright and destroys most of Harrison’s Meadows subdivision. That disaster resulted in the city’s first emergency preparedness plan. Now, nearly a quarter century later, city officials are updating the obsolete manuscript, bounded in a four-inch-thick red binder, the kind with the big steel rings. “The unfortunate thing is that it was after all those events that transpired,” said Councilman Ryan Grubbs, who dreads the thought of another disaster made worse because the city is not prepared. Grubbs, chairman of the city’s civil defense committee, said Harrison’s service departments have, over the years, updated their plans, but the challenge now is to pull together the material to ensure the left and right hands are clasped; not slapping at each other. “Everybody needs to work together, and we need to have a plan of action,” said Grubbs, adding the job began in March. “It’s bringing it all together, simplifying it a little bit, but also expanding it at the same time, because now we’re talking acts of terrorism. We’re talking school shootings now, and how the processes could play out.” The general goals are to identify as many possible large-scale emergencies and disasters as possible, designating meeting places, and determining the go-to people for each task and challenge, he said. As work has progressed, the committee has come to realize the city’s fire chief would call the shots in most situations. The police chief would be the primary decision-maker regarding civil unrest and related issues, said Grubbs. “A tornado is going to create a much different event than a school shooting,” he said. The need to get the job done grew out of discussions about tabletop drills. With the city’s general fund budget in a bind, Grubbs and the chiefs realized they and the committee must do the heavy lifting to make headway. “When we sat there and looked at it, we saw we have a mayor in there who is no longer
Disaster Response Plan, See Page 3
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Harrison, West Harrison, Crosby, Harrison & Whitewater TWPs.
Somebody call the Marshal!
photo by joe awad/Harrison Press
Cowgirls rode into town Friday night to help celebrate Ladies on the Loose, a downtown merchant event to raise money in the battle against breast cancer, and to have a good time looking for treasures throughout shops and restaurants in Harrison’s historic district. These “hootin-and-hollerin” gals decided to pause for a “wanted poster” in front of The Little Girl In You shop.
Nothing to be afraid of City may lock in loan unless you skip Spooktacular in effort to save cash Buy your costume, Animals must be make your costume, or leashed. The first 20 borrow it, but show it off at the Harrison Spooktacular Sunday, Oct. 26, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the community center, 300 George St. This year’s goblin gala will feature free games, goodie bags, hayrides, and hot dogs and drinks provided by Miami Whitewater United Methodist Church. A costume parade begins at 5 p.m sharp for kids and their pets.
pets receive a free treat.
Harrison’s finance committee didn’t have tea leaves, so it relied on charts and jawad@registerpublications.com numbers to make a decision aimed at saving money while retiring a bond note at a locked-in low interest rate. The decision is an effort to pay less over the life of the note, but must first be approved by city council, which was expected to vote Tuesday, Oct. 7. Bond Council Katie Kleinfelder, RBC Capital Markets, told committee members that interest rates will climb soon when the federal government stops buying U.S. treasuries. The market is flooded with cash when the government buys U.S. treasuries, which forces lower interest rates. The Federal Reserve, however, is poised to change that approach this spring. Interest rates are going to increase, she said. The city is more likely Lock in Loan, to pay less by locking in at 2 percent, which is lower See Page 3 Joe Awad Harrison Press Editor
Museum specializes in ‘quirky’ stuff Patricia Huelseman Harrison Press Staff Writer phuelseman@registerpublications.com
photo by joe awad/Harrison Press
Harrison Civil Defense Committee Chairman Ryan Grubbs said the big red binder will be condensed by as much as 75 percent when the city’s new disaster response plan is completed. Copyright, Register Publications, 2014
89th Year, No. 41
The Vinson family has a motto: “Life’s a treasure, hunt it.” It’s a great maxim the family lives by though perhaps they ought to tack another idea to the end. “Life’s a treasure, hunt it. Share it.” Whether they say it or not, the Vinson family certainly shares their treasures at the Buckeye Trading Post Museum, US 50, in Whitewater Township near the Ohio/Indiana line. “We’ve been collecting artifacts for probably 25 years,” said Kevin Vinson. Just last year, the Vinsons converted a garage at their house near Elizabethtown into a museum and gift shop. The seemingly small building is jam-packed with history and “fun facts” the Vinsons love sharing with their visitors.
800.964.8336
“We just knew that we love to preserve anything historic. We love sharing history with others,” said Shannon Vinson. The first people the Vinsons shared their treasures with are their children, Kaleb, Kane and Savannah. Their collection is vast. The oldest artifacts are Ecuadorian figurines called Valdivian Venus Dolls. Dating from 2300 to 2000 BC, they are among the oldest artifacts found in the Americas. Arrowheads, or points, and other small Native American pieces line the walls. Most of these were collected surface hunting in the immediate area. The collection is so vast the Vinsons don’t know how many pieces they have. Guatemalan, Mayan, Peruvian, and Nicaraguan treasures fill the shelves. Many of the artifacts were
purchased from a Mrs. Colbert, who owned a private collection and museum. All of their purchases were done “by the book” with papers to prove authenticity. All were fairly purchased, said Kevin, explaining pur-
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See Quirky Stuff, Page 3
photo by Patricia Huelseman/Harrison Press
From left, Kaleb, Savannah, Kane, Shannon and Kevin Vinson stand in the midst of the many treasures they have hunted over 25 years. The family, devoted to preserving history and learning about new cultures, shares their treasures through a museum and gift shop called the Buckeye Trading Post near their house on U.S. 50 just west of Elizabethtown.
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