IS IT TRUE July 24, 2012
IS IT TRUE the Evansville City Council had two subjects thrown into their court last night that the CCO is certain that they would have preferred that they never ever landed there?…these two subjects are first the dilapidated state of the public cemeteries owned and managed by the City of Evansville, and secondly the appropriation of funds for raises for two of the Golden 10 came up and was discussed extensively?…that subjects like these, nasty parks, dysfunctional sewer systems, and aging water pipes would never come up if the leaders of the City of Evansville for the last 60 years had done the part of their job that involves staying current and taking care of what we have?
IS IT TRUE regarding the issue of the Golden 10 who were singled out for some pretty impressive salary increases by the Winnecke Administration, it has been clear for a couple of weeks that the rank and file people of Evansville are not supportive of handing out raises at this time?…that for some it is the practical matter of the recession and that the City is crying poor and unable to deliver services that drives their opposition?…unfortunately there is a very large element in Evansville who seem to believe that regardless of economic circumstances or singling people out for increases that anyone who is paid more than $10 per hour must be a spoiled overpaid prima donna, a thief, or the recipient of patronage?…the first kind of constituent exhibits the kind of thinking necessary to get through hard times but the second kind of constituent is the sort of thought process that would keep Evansville in the stone age if they were ever put in charge?…that the circumstances of the times have landed these two groups on the same page for now but they will hopefully butt heads again if the economy ever gets better?…that in the meantime there is no stomach on the Evansville City Council to do a wage comparison analysis before the outcome of the consolidation vote and there is even less support for salary increases for anyone at all?…the CCO is quite interested to see if the one of the Golden 10 who was discussion resignation last week will follow through on that thought?
IS IT TRUE the discussion regarding the dilapidated cemeteries took on a different tone with the President of the City Council Connie Robinson showing a disrespectful demeanor toward the dead?…that it is now accepted by anyone who has driven through one of the City cemeteries recently that there are a large number of grave stones that are turned over and looking pretty ragged?…that Councilman John Friend introduced a resolution to appropriate funds to set the stones upright and get the cemeteries back into the kind of shape that reflects respect?…Councilman Dan Adams suggested an amendment that for stones over 50 years old that the practice should be to lay the stones over onto the grave in a respectful way that would eliminate the need for further handling and make yard maintenance easier?…that both the resolution and the amendment have merit and make good sense to pursue?…the gentleman speaking before the Council who is in charge of the cemeteries was asked how much it costs to right a gravestone that has toppled over?…his answer was “I don’t know, it could be $70 or it could be $1,500â€?…the CCO is of the opinion that this guy who has spent much of his life as a preacher has never set a headstone in his life and is not qualified to answer the question so he just shot from the hip with an answer that has a range of over 2,000%?…that may be one of the reasons that things do not get maintained in the City cemeteries?
IS IT TRUE that the truly offensive part of the discussion was the laughing and chuckling about the dead?…that there is no place for statements like “they won’t be offended, they are deadâ€, and “I ain’t never heard any complaints†is simply unacceptable from elected officials at a City Council meeting?…Jordan Baer did a very good job of presenting before Council and should be commended for taking on yet another task rooted in poor public policy?…that true to political form, the resolutions were withdrawn and not a darn thing will be done about the cemeteries at this time?
I am sure glad this bunch of elected office holders is not in charge of Arlington National Cemetery.
I have never witnessed such gross disrespect for those who have departed this life, and for those who wish to honor the memory of their loved ones.
It was truly sad to watch and I turned the television off before the meeting had concluded because I could not stand to see or hear them anymore.
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Press, the Robinson and Mosby conduct was very shameful. Unfortunately, I doubt either has regrets or is embarrassed.
This is the type of government that wants to expand its control to the entire county?
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Thank God we’ll finally have the county running things soon, and not the city anymore. Vote Yes!
Just vote NO!!!!!!
Just vote YES!!!!!
Im voting no…there is no credible evidence, in my opinion, that any significant savings will be realized. Had Sheriff Williams and Chief Hill been able to agree on how to consolidate law enforcement, that would have been a beacon of hope. Alas, that did not happen.
You are too cute by half.
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I can’t help but think that through consolidation we would bring the worst that the city/county has to offer and bring them together under one roof….without the police and fire in the mix it’s a dead issue, no savings = no consolidation!
I fail to see the logic in the statement that the county will be running things when a elected mayor will preside over the entire mess.
JMHO
On the Editor’s comments about pay raises for the Super 10, the Chosen Ones, or whatever we’re calling them now… He knows, just as I do, that in a recession where the real unemployment rate – including those who have given up looking for jobs and have exhausted or dropped unemployment benefits – is close to Depression Era levels of 20%, there is going to be a suppressive effect on wages and prices of most non-essential consumer goods.
Having a very large unemployed contingent means the competition for what jobs exist should be very high. I say the City should take this opportunity in this recession to slash wages to manageable levels and if some talent leaves as a result, replace them with candidates vetted from the multitudes of current unemployed who would love to work for the kind of money we are talking about here.
If (and this is a big IF) the economy ever turns around in this country, which is unlikely if core policies like empire building and money printing and overspending never change, then we can talk about the possibility of singling out people who do an exceptional job with sufficient raises that will retain their talent. As is, doing so would be like paying more for something you knew for a fact you could get cheaper right next door. That’s just bad economics.
On the cemeteries issue…
I like the Dan Adams amendment for headstones that are already broken or too far leaning to be easily repaired in under the amount of time required to lay them over as suggested. I disagree with doing that for ALL 50+ year old headstones. Those that are still upright, or only leaning 30 degrees or less should be allowed to remain upright. Why? Because the problems of subsidence are only going to continue and be exacerbated when the stones are laid prostrate, and in 20 or 30 years, they will likely begin dipping beneath the soil altogether, like you see in so many other old cemeteries with footstones, or cheaper, ground hugging markers.
Upright leaning headstones (Under 30 degrees)> Prostrated Stones > Broken Leaning Stones or Leaning Stones (Over 30 degrees)
I think he meant the ones over 50 that needed attention.
If that’s the case, then that makes sense. But there is still the issue of subsidence after being laid prostrate. One solution ight be to drive a few 3′-4′ long pieces of rebar into the soil upon which the prostrate stones could rest, like the buildings of Venice. Rebar is cheap and that would slow subsidence considerably.
Is it true that you are assuming that uncompacted earth dumped back into an open grave has settled sufficiently over 50 years to a Proctor density that will support rebar without further subsidence? That unless you drive the rebar all the way down to point bearing atop of the concrete vault, it’s doubtful that four rebars would act as pilings to support a prostrate gravestone much better than just laying it on bare dirt? That your suggestion is not much more practical than Dr. Adams?
No, I was suggesting the rebar pylons be driven down to ground level, then the stone be placed over the area. The rebar would only be there to slow subsidence. Theoretically, it should do just that, the same way it works with buildings in Venice.
Your observation about precipitation accumulation on the surface of the stone is a valid objection to this prostrate solution.
Is it true that Dr. Adams idea of laying the headstones flat on the ground atop the graves will put them in a position of more rapid degradation from the freezing and thawing water that would lay in the carved letters and cracks in the stones? That such an idea not only is unthoughtful but disrespectful?
Precisely, and would also expose them to being run over by mowing equipment that would further damage them.
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This is a valid point. Laying them down will cause more ice accumulation on a larger surface area of the stones and more direct weathering from rainfall.
Whatever is done with broken stones, they should be preserved with care. Some band-aid methods like these will cause more harm than good.
Here is a good article about the preservation of old stones from the New Hampshire Old Graveyard Association: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nhoga/preservation.htm#Repair
Maybe some sort of indoor gallery or gazebo featuring the broken stones would be best for them along with coordinates of their original position in the yard? This might be a money-no-object solution that maximizes preservation, but doubtful affordable.
According to my reading, it’s clear that many efforts to “clean up” gravestones like bleaching and pressure washing are highly destructive, and so are efforts to encase the bases of broken stones in concrete to get them upright. Sure, they make the stones pretty to look at for a while, but they remove the natural patina and accelerate weathering and cracking.
These old stones are very fragile. There are very specific types of mortar that must be used when repairing them. Consulting with an historic preservation agency is absolutely necessary before beginning work to prevent further destruction. Simply throwing out ideas and opinions in a council meeting without research and consultation is a path to failure. How often does this happen in city governments? More than we all care to think about.
Very true. Even 10 minutes of Googling an issue like this can reveal pitfalls to cavalier “solutions”. Brainstorming is good, but rush judgments can be disastrous. Solutions that “look good” to the naked eye can be disastrous from a preservation perspective.
Mortar encasement is a bad idea because coupling two types of stone out in the elements causes more cracking.
I’d say that barring some commitment of funds for a permanent housing for broken stones, or perhaps a new exhibit in the Evansville Museum, the best solution might be the one currently being employed – propping them up.
The following was taken from the New Hampshire Old Graveyard Association. Sounds like we need such an Association in Evansville.
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nhoga/preservation.htm#Repair
“Recommended Materials and Techniques. There are two basic methods of caring for broken gravestones. Stones which are broken in half horizontally, with the base still grounded can be repaired using high quality stainless steel sleeves that hug the vertical edges of the stone. The sleeves are held in place with small amounts of epoxy. There are some nice examples of this method in Forest Hill Cemetery, East Derry, New Hampshire. Another method is the aluminum Nelson Stone Brace which was developed in 2001 and which provides support without the use of pins, cement or epoxy. (For more information on the Nelson Stone Brace see Section V). Keep in mind that both aluminum and stainless steel expand and contract with changes in temperature. The sleeve (or brace) must be carefully fitted so that the support does not crack the stone.
Fragmented stones, and stones that are vertically broken need a different preservation technique. We do not yet have a suitable method of repairing these stones. We recommend the following procedure to protect the fragments and keep them together: build a wooden frame that is six to eight inches deep depending on the thickness of the stone. It must be large enough for the stone to lay flat. The bottom of the frame should have a stainless steel screen for drainage. Place a layer of clean gravel in the bottom of the frame. Place the stone fragments on top. Use additional gravel to hold the fragments in place. The frame assembly may be slightly slanted to facilitate drainage. It should be noted that the frame will eventually rot and will need to be replaced.
In the case of a stone that is unbroken, but leaning dangerously, we recommend the following method. Dig down into the soil until the stone has been loosened enough to gently pull it into position. This can be a sizeable undertaking as the base of the stone may be nearly as large as the portion that’s above ground. Hold the stone securely in place with gravel or small stones and brick fragments as shown in the diagram below. Never pack the base of the marker with cement. As temperatures fluctuate, the cement will exert pressure on the base of the stone and cause it to snap off below ground level. The gravel provides both adequate support and good drainage.
A similar procedure can be used for stones that have sunken and need resetting. Dig gently to loosen earth on one side of the stone only. Leaving the earth in place on the other side will provide much needed support, as well as a firm surface against which to reset the stone. The next step is to lift the stone out of the ground. Sometimes this can be done by four strong people. At other times, bars and levers must be used, much the same way they were originally placed in the ground. Lay the stone gently on level ground. This is a good time to explore the base of the stone for identifying marks such as the carver’s initials. Prepare a bed for the butt of the stone using bricks. Level them carefully and cover them with a bed of sand as a cushion. Reset the stone against the compacted soil and fill the hole as indicated in the diagram below” [A DETAILED DIAGRAM FOLLOWS]
I attended the city council meeting and thought it was entertaining , messy mosbys concern was she had no idea where the money tree was for the care of cemeteries (10,000-15,000 $ ) per year yet she has been one of the worst to pluck the fruits off of the taxpayer (Money tree)
I agree. She was all for giving this loan to Earthcare without even checking the company out. And if these cemetaries were in the 4th ward or if Connie Robinson had a love one bury in one of these cemetaries, you could bet that she would find a way to get the money to clean up theses headstone. What a disgrace for the people of Evansville!!! A bunch of dorks on the city council.
Isn’t it about time for another taxpayer paid “investigational foray to Savannah, or Vegas?
It’s obvious that the “puppet sisters” don’t have any respect for the dead because of the way they conducted themselves during the Oak Hill funding debate at last nights City Council meeting.
They were both concerned about our tax dollars being wasted. Really, didn’t both of these idiots support the $5 million funding of Earthcare?
City Councilwomen Connie Robinson is a insult to the human race. The way she conducted herself during the Oak Hill cemetaries discussion is a horrorable.
How can she call her self a good Christian by the way she showed disrespect to the dead?
that’s because the dead don’t stay dead at voting time (if ya know what I mean)
And Nom Nom is their best old flippy flopper in the whole wide world!!! (They’re amazing!!! They’re Democrats! Noooo!! They’re Republicans!!! Noooo—How do they DO it? It must be Magic!! Presto Change-o!!! We’re Democrats, but we publicly endorse a Republican candidate, because the one on the Democrat ticket won’t let us keep playing our forever shell game on the public)
Everyone’s seeing who these people REALLY are-and they are NOT in office to help anyone but themselves.
Missy’s had 6 jobs in the last 1 1/2–NomNom better get to pickin and grinnin, she’ll get him fired (HE hasn’t been a respected fireman for 26 yrs) and snag his job.
she ought to be more respectful, most of them probably voted for her 2 or 3 times
Is that you Barak?
It would be constructive to leave religion out of these comments. Likewise the derogatory opinions. Too much emotion or piety does not accomplish anything.
The adults that belong on the short bus are wearing the keyboards out commenting here today. Geez folks, religion, words spelled wrong, and the thought process of Forrest Gump are good for a few laughs but not much else.
I bet everyone on here has more education than Missy Mosby.
We have the exact politicians we deserve. If we had an election tomorrow the same ones would be in office. We haven’t had a lot of class acts since 2004.
If a few misspelled words and the relationship to religion is your primary evidence against the naysayers here, then I am assuming that you have no logical point to make in retaliation to those other commenters?
Point in case, I just finished reading the Journals of the Lewis & Clark eexpedition. Clark misspelled a majority of his words, but his message was still there and it did not diminish the importance of the message that he was deliverying. Obviously he led the way to the west.
aYa!
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