IS IT TRUE that after two years of wailing and gnashing of teeth Mayor Winnecke has finally gotten to spend some money in a city park?…it seems as though there was enough money left over in the budget of the Parks Department at the end of 2013 to provide the Mayor with sufficient funds to build three jungle gyms in select city parks?…the photo op for the new jungle gym in Lorraine Park that had its swimming pool closed a few years ago over lack of maintenance was so irresistible to City Councilwoman Missy Mosby that she made her own little youtube video to commemorate the new jungle gym?…having state of the art equipment for children is a part of running a functional and attractive parks program?…for that we congratulate the Parks Department for not using their budget and for making this new equipment possible?…we do wonder just what was neglected to find this money because it has only been a few months since the Parks Department was complaining about having insufficient funds to maintain the existing parks?…Evansville’s population has fallen since the parks were established?…if the park acreage were reset to the levels that reflect the population losses, about 400 acres of parks need to be repurposed?…we hope that the Parks Department finds a way to properly maintain these new jungle gyms and the parks where they have been installed? …we hear that corporate citizen Vectren donated a sizable amount money towards the purchase of the jungle gym equipment at Lorraine park?  …we wonder if  Vectren also donated money towards the play ground equipment purchased for the two 6th Ward parks?
IS IT TRUE the water mains of Evansville continue to break at an alarming rate causing road closures, boil advisories, and requests to use as little water as possible?…the water pipes of Evansville are the non-EPA-mandated elephant in the room?…everyone knows about the EPA mandate for the City of Evansville to spend over $540 Million to make repairs to stop dumping raw sewage into the Ohio River every time it rains more than an inch an hour?…what people are not as aware of is that the main water lines in Evansville are older and in worse shape than the sewers?…the fiasco of the last week with the mains breaking is rooted in another multi-generational legacy of neglect?…many of the water pipes in the ground that deliver water to the customers of the Evansville Sewer and Water Department are over 60 years old and are made of cast iron?…cast iron is not very resistant to shear forces or impacts and tend to fail often in adverse weather?…when they do break chaos comes with it because of the locations being under roads?…water main breaks are the perfect storm of neglected infrastructure destroying roads with cave ins and disrupting service to a population that just this month was hit with a 38% price increase?
IS IT TRUE that fixing all of the decrepit water mains has been estimated to cost more than $500 Million just like the sewers?…with the sewer repairs expected to raise water bills in Evansville into the $300+ per month range and the water main repairs that are needed yet not mandated forcing that number perhaps to double that, Evansville is headed to a very uncertain future?…maybe it is time to consider a managed abandonment of some of these old lines and declare certain parts of the town to be wilderness?…we should all rest easy though because Mayor Weinzapfel’s Johnson Controls deal will make sure we have a shiny new meter to measure the water that makes it through these dilapidated pipes?…doing the meters first makes about as much sense as buying a new state of the art speedometer for a car that won’t start and has a cracked engine block?
IS IT TRUE that last week’s jobs report was disappointing not only in the anemic hiring numbers but with the growing number of able bodied workers who have just dropped out?…the United States now has a labor participation rate of only 62.8% and 91.2 Million people who are of working age who are not working?…some of course are by choice but others have used their benefits up and have statistically ceased to exist as far as the nonsensical 6.7% “official†unemployment rate suggests?…there are only 155 Million people in this country on a payroll?…that is only half of the population and 62.8% of the potential workforce?…for our government to concoct a calculation that equates that to 6.7% and to publish it with a straight face while demanding an extension of unemployment benefits is psychotic?…if the unemployment rate were really 6.7% and falling by 0.3% per month there would be no reason to extend unemployment benefits?…perhaps the most appropriate compromise to assure the real unemployed group of near 20% can continue to function would be for the congress to first proclaim that the official unemployment rate is absolute rubbish?
Sewers before dog parks!
Poo before pooch.
Build for Climate Change viability,Balance and Sustainability.*
Infrastructures for sewer and water systems in areas such as Evansville,or similarly established areas(“Pipes 60-90 years old”) time periods have some issues there. Some copper line sealants/solder joints are lead contamination active in the older applications also. Most infrastructure as such prescribe a good purge period before use after a line pressure loss,to drop the contamination levels to “safer,or accepted” PPM limits.
Major infrastructure projects require major construction blending,in many multiple service applications,planning should become blended to evolve those forward together to meet expected supply needs, moved forward. This alone requires huge numbers in construction and skilled trades jobs. The science and application and control portion of the reset means more advancing Biotechnical applications,as well.
In NYC since 2010 its law,lead pipes infrastructure must be replaced if repairs are scheduled.
http://www.inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Pipes_Lead.htm
aurea mediocritas
the golden mean
quod foetet?
what’s that bad smell?
“fugit inreparabile tempras”
“irretrievable time flies.” (Virgil)
While they’re at it, it would be nice if the Parks Dept could fix the broken tic-Tac-toe in Vann Park and the broken riverboat jungle gym at Sunrise Park.
It’s a shame most citizens don’t or won’t even consider that a few hours of work and some home supplied materials and tools could fix these repairs before they become hazards to children. I’m not excusing the proper maintenance folks but can’t we just become doers instead of whiners? Whatever happened to civic pride and “adopt a spot”? There are neighbors/property owners that personally take care of the grass area by Helfrich Park pool, No.5 hose house and the corner of St. Joe and Maryland.There are many places on the westside that do this.
If I had cordless power tools, sure! I’d be glad to go fix the Sunrise Park problem. My power tool are corded. Plus, you’d need a jack to jack up the floor where the brace is busted. The Vann Park issue i mentioned is a busted plastic “tic-tac-toe” tumbler/cylinder. I can’t fix plastic. The city would need to order a new part from the manufacturer.
I’ve informed them of both problems in the past. If they order the part, I’ll happily install it when I get back. I think that one is just brackets with Allen head screws.
My comments were sure not directed at you personally Brad. I appreciate the fact that you reported the issues and would be willing to step in and help, it shows that you have a good work ethic! Unfortunately, very few people would even consider that,they just want to fingerpoint not work with them!
I didn’t take offense. I was agreeing with you. I think it would be cool if more people left public places better than they found them. I try to instill this in my daughter when we go to the park. It’s just good manners.
Invest in those tools you are lacking. You’re not getting any younger 🙂
Brad–Sounds like a lot of poor excuses to me. I will loan you my portable generator.
What have you done to make our City better?
You do know how to smear and criizise.
Can you do anything positive?
Even the cub scouts need permission from the Parks Department (Teamsters) to just pick up trash in a park.
Sunrise Park should have been the site for the Bicentennial Park just as Kleymeyer Park should have been the site for the ball fields project.
The Parks Board & Parks Dept should be held responsible for letting these two golden opportunities escape because they were too busy playing politics over a Great Lawn of Lies.
Vectren donated money, oh how nice of them. Donate money they can offset with a rate increase.
On this, we agree. This Vectren arrangement is crony capitalism at its sickest. This is NOT the kind of free market competative capitalism I advocate.
Looks like Vectren gave select political favors to the 2nd Ward Councilwoman but not to the 6th Ward Councilman. Vectren patronage politics as usual.
If Vectren can afford to dole out money for every event and cause that stumbles along, why can’t customers get a much deserved rate cut?
This kind of ‘philanthropy’ from energy companies enjoying a state-sanctioned monopoly on energy delivery should be illegal.
Didn’t Brad Ellsworth-less help strengthen the monopoly?
All of those old, failing water mains in the center of the City will not go on the “plus” list for a downtown Medical School, will they?
I think Vectren probably needs a new PR firm. They need one that recognizes the need for closer-to-reasonable utility bills trumps some playground equipment and public support for basketball at one of the two local Universities. The kids who benefit from those jungle gyms would probably be better off if their families could afford to keep them warm in winter and cool in summer. Who knows? They might even benefit from a few new jobs being created here because of the availability of reasonably-priced utilities.
Can’t we ever just say “thank you” to groups like Vectren? I get what everyone is saying…I really do. I guess I’m just tired of all the negativity posted on a regular basis. It would be nice if the CCO could go back to being a driver for change, a source for inside info or a place of positive ideas instead of a steady dribble of gloom and despair , bitching and moaning.
That you, missy?
Not Missy. Words are spelled correct.
Thanks Vectren. Thanks for overcharging me for energy delivery so you can go around pretending to be philanthropists with the people’s money. Thanks for using your influence to buy politicians like Missy Mosby favor so you get to keep the whole monopolistic scam rolling along. Thanks for hiring all those good old boys and insiders to help you curry influence. Thanks for harboring Ed Hafer’s ERBC under your roof, for aiding and abetting them. Thanks for putting your giant, crony office building on prime riverfront real estate, ensuring any downtown planning scheme that ever wanted to make recreational use of that space for the betterment of all cannot do so.
Yes, thanks Vectren. Thanks for nothing.
I was with you until you attacked Vectren’s right to buy property and build its headquarters. If you wanted that property to use for the betterment of all, you should have bought it.
Normally id agree with you on that, but I resent any company with a monopoly, no matter what they’re buying. The way I see it, everything they own is ill-gotten.
Wasn’t it a part of a land swap with the city. In exchange we got this wonderful Goebel Soccer complex?
Oh, do tell us how Vectren “bought” prime riverfront land courtesy of the City of Evansville employing imminent domain and demolishing Riverside One apartments so a utility monopoly could move their headquarters to its prominent location.
Westside Gal: Well said I thank you.
I like our parks and don’t mind at all when something is done to improved them. I really don’t see a problem with a nice dog park, but a 10 million dollar dog park is unreal. I’d like to see an overpass walkway connecting state and Wesselmans. I’m for anything that makes Evansville a nice place to work, live and play but all the money used for consulting and other scams is ridiculous. We could have a dog park for the money scammed from the McCurdy deal. I would think the glbt community would go all out for a dog park most of them have dogs. I guess there is something that we can agree to. I do not believe much is going to happen to increase the population or job market in Evansville so let’s use our resources to make this a stagnant model city.
Lol, good one. The GLBT community appreciates you support I am sure.
Pathetic!! I’m embarrassed for pov!
quite a tacky and bigoted comment!
A good start for the old pipe problem would be to have a crew at the water dept that’s job was to REPLACE not REPAIR old pipes. We had a crew like that thirty or so years ago. They were cut to save money be cause if it aint broke why fix it. Every journey begins with a step. If I looked at the total job to replace my hundred year old house it would look ridiculous But by doing a little each year I have maintained it well.
By the way that spill is on its way here. I am told not to worry it will be diluted a lot before it gets here an be no problem. How does that make you feel.
As for the parks. Kudos for new playground equipment. Is it the parks depts. to maintain this equipment. I spend several hours every week cleaning my park but I sometimes wonder what is the parks depts. responsibility. What services since we are paying for them should the taxpayer expect from the employees?
it is true CCO the economy is is in shambles printing borrowing money and on top of that barry and his liberal minions put forth one of the biggest tax increases in Americas history……..this is a liberalism failure for all to see…………although CCO the number you quoted of people not working at 91.2 million it is now over 92 million and growing…..http://www.usdebtclock.org/
Since Vectren is now in the Parks business it is just a matter of time before they put up fences and charge admission, Vectren does nothing for free. I am glad that the community is getting some of its money back from Vectren but what is the vetting process? Who determined that Lorraine Park was more deserving than any other park in the city? How self serving is Missy Mosby ? What an embarrassment for the 2nd Ward. I guess since no one else will blow her horn she will blow it herself. You can read into that anything that you want.
When Vectren donates to causes, no matter what it is, that constitutes, in effect, an additional hidden tax. instead of being levied in the normal way, it shows up as a hidden cost on oir already sky high energy bills. It represents capital that is not being reinvested in infrastructure for improvements of energy delivery. Every gift for a park or any other city project is an off-budget expenditure that’s been effectively laundered through Vectren’s state-sanctioned monopoly.
This needs to be illegal. In fact, Vectren needs to be shown the door. Perhaps the State should own the infrastructure like roads and companies should be allowed to operate power plants, produce energy and sell it onto the grid. This would at least introduce some form of competition.
Have you ever taken your displeasure in regards to Vectren(SIGECO)any further than complaining on CCO? I totally agree that there should be an option, but it has been this way for decades. Does anyone in Indiana have an option on where to purchase gas/electric? IMHO I commend Vectren; at least they are giving some back to the community. Have you suggested that the City refund the $’s to Vectren?
By all means let us have government run our utilities. They have proven they are experts. Maybe we should get help and assistance fro the Obamacare people? Good suggestion Brad. You got any more gems?
Did any of the other city council members try to raise money for the parks in their wards. Did Missy shoot the video or did another news outlet do it. Most of the council voted to cut funding for the parks. Only in Evansville would people find something to gripe about when a elected official does a something good for the ward they serve and help the neighborhood association raise the money to do so.
Waitamin….better yet….did the CCO bother to contact Councilwoman Mosby before writing this article? Hey Joe…why don’t you read the article in the C&P…I think they pretty much got it
right 🙂
Off Topic–but CCO: the ad for Forrestal Property Tax Group says ” Successful Resluts”.
I don’t know what a ‘Reslut’ is, but I doubt if that was intended.
Gengis
Also, there are three (3) m’s in ‘accommodate’, when only two will suffice.
Gee Willikers, does anyone read the proofs on this stuff !
With all due respect to the fabulousness of the new jungle gym, Lorraine park already had a perfectly nice play structure. Considering the vandalism at one city pool, it would be a smarter use of the funds to install security cams at each pool. Really, there are lots of smarter uses for these funds, but I guess the photo op with the jungle gym is sexier. smh
WFIE reports that most of our cities water lines are cast iron many are at least 70 years old and our water filtration plant is 115 years old.
But hey look over there!! It’s playground equipment, a bright new shiny object err I mean stadium and guess what Mom and Dad! You’re going to have a hotel!
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