Any Ideas Out There?

The following scenario has been going on in New Albany for quite a while now, and this is something Susan and I have been following since 1999. What do we do now? How can we help with this situation anymore?

WHAT'S THIS?????

Today, I traveled back to a spot down the street from my house, which we have been traveling to since 1999 when we found out the Mobile Home Shop on Main Street wasn't on sewers. We found this information through the smoking of the sewer studies performed in 1999. We went to the area and photographed and documented and submitted to the Sewer Board that the Mobile Home Shop and the Church with the Clock Tower are each on "septic" systems.

The City put flags into the yard of the house attached to the Mobile Home Shop, but, you got it, they never came back. While we were down there, if you walk down the alley between Tumblebus and the Mobile Home Shop, you will see the sewage from the building across the street running down that alley.

This would be the reason I warned "Lawman" on another blog about the sewer situation in that area; and how, when they tore the building down on the corner, it was running across the street, also. There are historical Underground Railroad Tunnels in that area, which to us, shouldn't interfere with the City getting these buildings on sewers.

The Mobile Home Shop has a kicker with it. Two years ago, the City and EMC came in and instead of say draining the stuff out of the septic in the basement, they jackhammered it up. The City now wants to charge her the full amount of the tap-in fee, and she has to pay for a lateral to run all the way back to the railroad track. We do not know if there is a "main" line back there, or if this is another section that is incomplete.

The Sewer Board's position is they can do no work on private property. They should not have gone in and jackhammered the concrete basement floor up, then, right? To us, there should at least be a tort claim for the damage and repair to the basement, and then we may want to discuss tap-in fees for somebody the City has know at least (and we feel before) weren't on the sewers, and were not included in the "Plan".

I would ask the City what about the glass company across the street? What about the Church? What about on down Main with the antique shop, the building where Schmitt furniture stores their inventory, the building on down (on the same side of the street) where Abe's Rental use to be? The same thing is going on in the alley there as is besides Tumblebus and the Mobile Home Shop, which makes us wonder if the City ever went back to the Ellsby Building and finished checking. They stopped when the FBI raided the "mortgage company" which use to be there.

So many questions, so many issues. We proved all of this before a State Hearing, and even Mayor Garner used my analysis and spoke against it. There was nothing he could do when he came in to office because the so-called "Plan" and contracts were all signed; bonds sold; blah, blah, blah...

1999...the books are located at the sewer plant and labeled the SSES (Sewer System Evaluation Study), and go by "mini-basin". The Engineers should have, and supposedly did look at, that SSES study to come up with a "Plan"; it was called the "modeling" portion. All of the expansion this City has done to accommodate the County and Developers, when most of the County residents don't even want sewers and part of our downtown isn't even on the sewers -- well, I best leave unsaid what I feel.

There are other areas of town, but I'll save those for another day. Thanks for any ideas you may have.

An Instant Link For Election Info:

It's been verified; Randy Hubbard filed on the Republican ticket for Mayor of New Albany. Quite a gathering was there for the announcement; and it should be on your local news station tonight. Peace, NA.

http://www.floydcounty.in.gov/clerk.asp

then link to

http://www.floydcounty.in.gov/clerk.asp/pdfs/Candidates2007.pdf

More later...

SEWERS -- MILLIONS - MEETING - 3:30 PM Today

Surprise, surprise, surprise. The cave-in happened on E 15th St. The sewer board meeting today at 3:30 pm is where the Engineers will be picked, through RFP's, to "study" the problem. The pipe is made out of terra cotta, in case you are wondering the age of same.

After all the millions spent between Spring & Elm in this area; after (and we're verifying same) receiving credits two administrations ago for fixing this issue, we are at a loss for words.

Sewer Board is already talking about having to move the pipe and run the sewer a different direction. This company will have to perform several soil tests, etc., to find a suitable place for same (millions, not a million like some are being told). I asked specifically about the storm drain in the area and they told me it was running parallel to the collapsed sewer. Wouldn't you think they both would be giving and maybe both have to be moved?

Today, 3:30, 3rd Floor. Peace, New Albany.

TIDBITS, THIS & THAT

Least it slip my mind, Happy Birthday Mrs. Mauch! Hope you saw your birthday greetings in the Tribune from ALL YOUR FRIENDS in New Albany. May I be so blessed to live to the ripe old age of 92 and still have your faculties! Susan and I have often wished someone could take the time and sit down with you about the illustrious history of New Albany...back when we had bootleggers and the such. The stories you know, along with the people, could fill two books & be a bestseller!

Rumors abounded last week about a certain Republican throwing their hat into the ring for the position of Mayor of New Albany. The rumor came around again today, through a golden source. If it is true, Randy Hubbard will run for Mayor for the Republican party in the upcoming election.

Police and Firefighters Union are meeting furiously, working out their contracts with the Mayor, and the Council Committee. Not sure if any progress is being made, or not.

Being so tired of some Council members calling their "Budget Variance Report" the greenbar, simply because it is printed on greenbar paper...I have a suggestion for all of Council. If the Mayor, nor his Assistant, will meet with Department heads and figure out if they are over or under their budget, I surely do wish this Council would call EACH department head and have them appear before the Council once a month explaining where they are on their respective budgets. Council holds the purse strings; can we at least hear the Department heads explain why they need all the additional appropriations, and why certain items were not in the budgets submitted to Council? Accountability in its truest fashion. Government budgets are set; and having worked for the Federal government -- by gosh, if you didn't get it in the new budget -- you put it down for the next year...not hound dog the authorities so you can keep spending OUTSIDE of same. Matter of fact, there weren't additional appropriations to be had. Budget hearings usually lasted two to three days, with some all nighters, a lot of yelling, and of course not everyone got what they wanted. They survived, though. And, the BIG BOSS, always had that monthly meeting with his department heads making them explain the variances (if any) from their respective budgets.

Did you hear the next Presidential election will cost each candidate over one billion (ONE BILLION) dollars, of public money of course. Can you imagine what these candidates could do for the people for a BILLION dollars? How about universal healthcare? Bring our soldiers home from IRAQ asap, account for the monies missing in action meant to rebuild Iraq and the billions spent through Halliburton.
I'm dreaming tonight, of course...but last time I checked, a body can do such a thing.

Blogging is bringing back the written word. One good thing about all of the various mediums we have at our disposal now. Later...

Other News

Did anyone else hear about the two barges which broke loose in Louisville? I heard one is stuck in the locks and they think it is empty; while another one sunk by the Sherman Minton with a load of fertilizer on it. Did it hit the bridge? We didn't hear a word of it on the news, but someone in Louisville called saying they heard it on the noon news.

Things are a'happening...guess we would have heard helicopters, or something, if they had hit the bridge. Wouldn't you think they could keep those things moored? Twice within one year? And, if this is true, what kind of fertilizer was it and is it dangerous to the water quality. We sure would like to know, wouldn't you?

Blog Land, Part 2

Yes, we all knew it was coming to this. Been leading up for awhile that SPEAKOUTLOUDNA.BLOGSPOT.COM was being used for "Freedom Of Speech's" playground.

After speaking with a great number of people, we feel all credibility is gone with "FOS", we have begged them to open their blog, but no...they posted again on SOLNA down under the NAPP article with a threat.

Well, deal with this one...this blog is now with a Moderator for awhile, also. I get to decide who will comment and if it's appropriate and pertains to the issue at hand. The options are simply running out, aren't they?

If I felt I knew, or even understood what your intentions are, I might wish you good luck. Since I don't, well, better left unsaid. Sure do wish you had left SOLNA along and let it become on of NA's rare places of "Freedom of Speech", with anonymous comments; but EastEnder understands that with OUR right of Freedom of Speech comes responsibility for OUR words and OUR actions.

We, all of us, don't care to hear about it anymore. Peace.

We Are Marshall

This movie is haunting me, in more ways than one. Marshall University, in Huntington, W VA, is 20 minutes from Ashland, KY, where I was born.

In 1970, I remember where I was, what I was doing and how traumatized our whole tri-state area was when this event occurred.

Every sportscaster on all 3 TV networks were killed. The entire football team were killed. One of the football players had graduated from my alma mater, Russell Independent HS and they had his funeral in our school, with Glee Club singing (of which I was a member of for four years).

This is something I lived through and was impacted and traumatized by as a sophomore in highschool. Can I relive it through a movie screen? Will it bring back memories and emotions I've tried to bury? Will flashbacks occur? If they do, they are not going to be pleasant.

The description in the paper describes it as PG, for emotion thematic material, a crash scene, and mild language. Sounds like I may need nerves made of steel, but I've made up my mind I must see it; it's history -- part of my history.

If anyone else has watched it, without the emotional involvement I'm going to have, I would like to hear your comments. Thanks.

Blog Land in New Albany...

Every once in awhile, I have time to visit all the blogs I know about in New Albany, and elsewhere. Every now and then I learn something new about something, i.e., Heathblogger letting us know who now serves on the Floyd County Hospital Board of Directors.

Maybe one day soon I'll even have time to figure out how to link to all of them! My brother-in-law tried to help me figure that "thang" out on Christmas Day, but we didn't succeed. All in good time.

Diggin' in the Dirt always has useful information, along with beautiful photography. Something else I need to learn how to do...

Speak Out Loud NA is simply allowing "certain" people to play to their heart's content out there...exposing who they are and what they are up to. After noticing an anonymous comment last week about "is there a turf war on Main Street?", my curiosity was peaked, so to speak. After reviewing more comments posted anonymously on there, I would have to say it sure seems like there is, doesn't it?

Having received a booklet from Indiana Cities and Towns last year explaining blogging and how much they would "effect" public elections in the future, I realized they were right on the money.

Elections are always treated as "sacred" on my part, what with my very first vote being challenged when I was 18 years old. While serving as 3rd Precinct Committeeperson, I worked like a dog from about 4 am to 8 or 9 pm, taking care of business. We always had 1 particular person at the door at 5 til 6, making sure that poll was open at 6 am. I would insist he be the first to vote, rather than the workers that day, just because of his devotion in making sure things were "right". This position can make you a nervous wreck, there are so many documents as Inspector you have to swear your life away to with every piece of paper you put your name to.

There was one time an older gentleman came in and told me he simply wanted to vote for President and Vice-President and he told me he did not have to be registered. Luckily, I had thumbed through all of the different "types" of ballots in the briefcase they provide for you, and sure enough -- there was a ballot for voting just for President and VP, and sure enough, you didn't have to be registered to vote in order to do same. Truly a big lesson learned by me that day, and I am so thankful I didn't question his "authority" he aired while talking to me about the subject. Does that mean, I wonder, this person could go to every poll and vote doing that? Or, did he simply have to live in my precinct? I was left wondering about the issue, but "assume" (and we all know what that will get me) the voter simply has to live in the precinct where they're voting. What a wonderful right to have which I wasn't even aware we had.

But, after having successfully doing my volunteer civic work in running this precinct, I felt it was time to move on and let someone else handle the job. Missy Jacobs (the attorney Bill Allen's daughter) is an excellent worker and will do well as the 3rd Precinct Democrat Committeeperson.

The blogs will really start heating up once the filing date of (I think) January 23rd rolls around, but I promised you the link to all of the election information, and here it is: http://www.in.gov/sos/elections/pdfs/CAN42_2007.pdf . Thanks to the New Albanian for correcting same.

Take care, New Albany.

Being Angry, as a Citizen

The news tonight truly angered me and mine, about what else of course but the "war". It's not enough the American public was lied to about the reasons for invading Iraq; it's not enough how badly things are going and unraveling, day by day; it's not enough how many of our troops have been killed and maimed; and for what? Why are we still discussing this topic and not getting the hey out of Dodge?

An up or down vote on whether Congress agrees with the President's new proposal; after he has ignored the Baker - Hamilton report; after he has ignored his own General on the ground; over EIGHT BILLION DOLLARS UNACCOUNTED for -- supposedly missing somewhere in the "new" Iraqi government; it's just more than this body can hardly handle. What's left to talk about? Get frigging busy. Jon Stewart did a count down tonight of how many days the new Congress has been in and what has been accomplished. Cancellation of a session because of a bowl game? Tape the durn thing.

The Doctor says I have low blood pressure and low cholesterol, and I'm thankful for that...but the Dr. may have wanted to have been around tonight because I found myself just carrying on talking to the TV like someone could really hear me, besides my company.

To hear the President say these people have no conscience was almost the breaking point. I would say to you Mr. President, I feel you have no conscience. You seemed extremely uncomfortable when you handed the family the award for their son who died for us. I almost felt you couldn't look them in the eyes.

Condi accused of not being truthful before the Congress by her own party, saying we are not in the middle of a Shiite and Sunni showdown at high noon. I'm glad someone told her that just wasn't true, and her own party, too.

I don't feel this is a party issue of any kind. I feel bad decisions were made and we are in another quagmire like Vietnam. I also feel we are probably our own worse enemy.

People protesting Guantanamo Bay all around the world truly startled me. Having lived in Ft. Lauderdale while working, it was always curious to me -- that little place on Cuba.

Wasn't it Hemingway who said the most beautiful island in the world is Cuba? One of my goals was to one day go there after Castro left power but now with his brother in there, I guess that won't happen for awhile.

Enough of my ranting and raving. After we called our Congressman and Senator telling them we didn't even want this war and didn't feel Iraq was a threat to our National Security, I guess we'll get on the phones with 'em again and speak up...evidently someone didn't get the hint when the American public voted.

What's up with that?

A BIG THANK YOU

A big thank you to all my family members, neighbors and friends have prayed and sent thoughts about my eldest grandson, Austin.

Today, after two years of misdiagnosis we have found it is nothing as serious as leukemia (as we were led to believe), but he has had a fractured ankle and a big chip off of his ankle going on 2 1/2 years now. The Dr. which did the misdiagnosis is the same Doctor which misdiagnosed my other grandchild, the one who had the "tethered spinal cord".

Unfortunately, this is the only pediatrician doctor in her insurance "referral" plan. She had to take Austin out of the "system" and go to an ankle specialist.

But, again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your thoughts and prayers. Yvonne

Would any of the taxpayers in New Albany like to see the City Council enact an "ethic" ordinance?

Do any taxpayers feel it is "dual" office holding (as described by the Indiana Attorney General) for a City employee to hold an elected office? Isn't there a tendency, seeing they vote on their own salaries and department issues?

Do any taxpayers feel an "elected" official or an "appointed" official should have to be property owners (the ones that pay the bills that kill) in order to serve constituents by being a friend to the taxpayer?

Mayor Garner's home is not in his name; nor Tim Dietrich; nor John Alton, who wants to run for office (btw, never met him -- may be a perfect gentleman). BUT, New Albany needs QUALIFIED, PAID THEIR DUES, KNOW WHAT TAXES AND MONTHLY VARIANCE REPORTS ARE, ETC. Don't you think?

These are issues we would like to see addressed; along side refunding the dilapidated building fund. A fund is NEVER ALLOWED to be in the RED, and we can find that ordinance where Council ordered each year it to be funded. Where is it?

As the late great Gerald R. Ford said -- "we can disagree, but don't have to be disagreeable". Thanks for your ideas.

Here's a joke for you...the very first time I ran for Mayor, voters told me I MUST WEAR A RED IU shirt, because they know I am a Kentucky fan (GO CATS). You have to have a sense of humor to recognize the very first thing the prospective voter asked of me was to LIE about my sports allegiance. Too funny.