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“READERS FORUM” FEBRUARY 23, 2019

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We hope that today’s “READERS FORUM” will provoke honest and open dialogue concerning issues that we, as responsible citizens of this community, need to address in a rational and responsible way?

WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND TODAY?

Todays“Readers Poll” question is: Do you disagree with the “Drag Queen” reading hour being held at the public library?

Please go to our link of our media partner Channel 44 News located in the upper right-hand corner of the City-County Observer so you can get the up-to-date news, weather, and sports.

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FOOTNOTE:  Any comments posted in this column do not represent the views or opinions of the City-County Observer or our advertisers.

Victim Discusses Sex Abuse By Catholic Priest

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 Victim Discusses Sex Abuse

The Evansville Catholic Diocese released the list of priests accused of sexually abusing minors in the church, including the names of 12 area priests. Among those 12 priests, there are 42 allegations total. About half of those priests were either removed or dispensed from the clergy.

Some of the priests died before the investigation even began. One victim says his accuser died almost two decades ago.

“My abuser was an itinerary priest that worked in government places,” says Ken Meyer. “Back in the 50s and 60s, if you mentioned something like that to somebody, you would promptly be told to kneel down and pray for forgiveness.”

Meyer says he met his alleged abuser when he was just 11 years old, and he stayed in his life five years after that. He says this priest even spent the night at his parents’ house. “In hindsight, I could see the grooming process taking place. I did not know that’s what was going on then.”

Meyer says he is speaking out to start a conversation. “When it happens you wonder ‘what weakness did I have that I was a victim?’ And then you find out other people were victims and that helps a lot.”

He just wishes lists of credible allegations were made sooner, in hopes of sparing some other children the same abuse.

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Junior Master Wildlife Gardener Class Offered At Wesselman Woods

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Junior Master Wildlife Gardener Class

Join certified Indiana Master Gardeners and Wesselman Woods naturalists for 6 sessions full of hands-on activities designed to teach youths grades 2-5 to identify and understand the wildlife you may encounter in a garden, recognize the basic components of habitats, and learn how to bring these components into your backyard to attract wildlife to your very own wildlife garden. Work together with other students to create a native habitat inside the grounds at Wesselman Woods and also grow plants and create shelter elements to kickstart a home garden. You may also earn awards and become a certified Junior Master Wildlife Gardener!

Date Theme
3/3 Picking a location
3/17 Attracting specific wildlife
3/31 Providing Food
4/14 Providing Shelter and Water
4/28 Identifying Wildlife
5/19 Service Project

Cost is $25 per student and includes the award pins and items to start a backyard habitat. Students may miss one session and still meet the requirements to be certified gardeners. Class size is limited to 25 students. Registration closes on February 24.

Box Turtles

Have you ever wondered why box turtles are called box turtles?  They have a special adaptation that lets them close up their shell like a box.  When box turtles feel threatened, they cannot run away effectively.  Their large shell is heavy and their legs are short.  Instead, they retreat inside their shell, tucking in their head, tail, and legs.  Their plastron (bottom shell) has a hinge so they can shut the doors against their predator.  Even the infamously dexterous paws of raccoons can’t penetrate this defense!  They patiently wait inside their shell until the predator gives up.

This wild box turtle opens his plastron a bit so he can check his surroundings.

Maple Sugarbush Festival & Pancake Breakfast

41 YEAR EVANSVILLE TRADITION

Celebrate the maple sugar harvest from the trees of Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve at our 41st Annual Maple Sugarbush Festival! Bring the family to enjoy a hearty breakfast, including sausage, all-you-can-eat pancakes with pure maple syrup, and juice, milk, and/or coffee. After breakfast, families can take a guided tour through the woods to observe how sap is harvested from the sugar maple trees, and then visit the sugar shack to witness the process of boiling the sap into pure, delicious maple syrup. Family-friendly activities add to the festivities. Maple confections and Maple Soap, along with Wesselman Woods Maple Syrup will be for sale as well.
We welcome you to join us for this local tradition of discovery and fun in the Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve!

Time
7:00 am – 1:00 pm
Saturday, March 2 & Sunday, March 3
Note that Wesselman Woods will ONLY be open for the event on Saturday, we will re-open to the public at 2 pm on Sunday.
Admission
$8.00 for adults
$5.00 per child (ages 3-12)
Children 2 and under are free
($1/person discount for WNS members)
Tickets
As we are now utilizing time specific breakfast seatings, you may choose to reserve your tickets in advance online or in person at the Nature Center. Advance tickets are not required but are highly recommended. Those not purchasing tickets in advance may have to wait in line to be seated.

Nature Writing for ages 10 – 14

Students ages 10 – 14 will explore various forms of nature writing in the beautiful setting of Wesselman Woods, under the guidance of an experienced writing coach. All materials will be provided. This is a drop-off program, and students should dress to be outdoors each week. The class will meet Tuesdays from 5:30 – 6:30 pm, March 5 – April 30 (no class March 26). The cost is $45 per student for the entire series ($40 for members) and class size is limited. Registration for this program is available online and closes on February 28.

WEEK 1 – What Is Nature Writing?
WEEK 2 – Nature Journals
WEEK 3 – Describing Nature
WEEK 4 – Field Guides
WEEK 5 – Nature Poetry
WEEK 6 – Short Stories in Nature
WEEK 7 – Conservation Writing
WEEK 8 – Nature Reading

King Makes History, IU Wins Two Titles on Friday Night at Big Ten Championships

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The No. 17-ranked Indiana University women’s swimming and diving team extended its lead in the team standings on a historic Friday night at the 2019 Big Ten’s Women’s Championships at the Counsilman Billingsley Aquatic Center in Bloomington, Ind.

The Hoosiers will take a 111 point lead in to the fourth and final day of the conference championships. IU leads with a score of 938.5 points with Michigan in second with a total of 827.5 Ohio State sits in third with 779 points.

In the Championship Final of the 100 breaststroke, Lilly King again showed why she will go down as arguably the greatest breaststroke swimmer in NCAA history, winning the Big Ten title for the fourth-straight year with the fastest time in history – 55.88.

King, the only woman to break 57 seconds in history, eclipsed the 56-second barrier for the first time in her career. The time resets her own American, NCAA, Big Ten, Big Ten Meet, CBAC pool and Indiana school records.

King has posted the top-five all-time performances in the event and seven of the top-eight. The Evansville, Ind. native is the third woman in Big Ten history to win the 100 breast title four times, joining Jillian Tyler (2008-11) and Kristen Woodring (2001-02, 04-05)

Also in the Championship Final, freshman Noelle Peplowski took sixth with a time of 1:00.04, while senior Laura Morley was eighth with a mark of 1:00.66.

In the B Final, Abby Kirkpatrick was sixth in a career-best 1:00.51. For IU in the C Final, Mackenzie Atencio was fourth with a time of 1:01.51, while Hope Hayward was sixth in 1:01.97.

 Senior Bailey Andison had a remarkable performance in the Championship Final of the 400 IM, winning the conference title with a NCAA A cut, CBAC pool record and career-best time of 4:02.37.

Andison’s time is the fourth-best in the nation this season and the third-best all-time in Indiana history. Andison is the first Hoosier to win the Big Ten title in the 400 IM since Dorina Szekeres in 2013.

Freshman Mackenzie Looze continued her great meet, placing fourth overall with a personal-best time of 4:07.07. Bailey Kovac also posted a PR, taking sixth with a mark of 4:11.84.

In the B Final, freshman Christin Rockway trimmed over three seconds off her previous career-best, winning with a time of 4:08.50. Bailey Kovac took third in the Consolation Final with a mark of 4:11.84.

 In the Championship Final of the 100 butterfly, senior Christine Jensen had a great swim, winning the silver medal with a time of 51.44. Jensen’s time is the fourth-fastest in school history and just 0.16 seconds off her career best mark.

Shelby Koontz moved up from the No. 8 seed in the A Final to finish fourth overall with a

career-best time of 52.08.

 After winning the gold medal in the 1-meter dive on Thursday night, Jessica Parratto added to her medal haul on Friday, winning the bronze in the 3-meter with a total of 358.25. The redshirt senior missed on one dive, but still had four dives score over 60 points, including two over 70.

Earlier, Taylor Carter scored points for the Hoosiers, placing 20th overall in prelims with a score of 283.00.

 Indiana came out and broke the school record in the Championship Final of the 200 freestyle relay, as the team of Julia Wolf, Christine Jensen, Shelby Koontz and Laurel Eiber touched the wall with a NCAA A cut time of 1:28.48.

Freshman Morgan Scott continued to have a breakout meet in the Championship Final of the 200 freestyle, taking seventh overall with a time of 1:45.84. Her time was just 0.25 seconds off her career-best mark she set in the morning.

In the B Final, Maria Paula Heitmann got to the wall first, winning with a time of 1:45.97. IU also won the C Final, as Laurel Eiber won with a career-best time of 1:47.16. Cassy Jernberg was fifth in the C Final with a mark of 1:48.68.

In her second Championship Final of the night, freshman Morgan Scott took sixth in the 100 backstroke, touching the wall in a time of 52.33. In the C Final, Grace Haskett was fourth with a mark of 54.17.

The 2019 Big Ten Women’s Championships continue on Saturday with the last morning of prelims. The action gets underway at 11:00 a.m. ET with the prelims of the 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, 200 butterfly, platform dive and 1,650 freestyle.

For all the latest on Indiana University women’s swimming and diving, be sure to follow the team on social media - Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

100 Butterfly

  1. Christine Jensen – 51.44 (NCAA B Cut)
  2. Shelby Koontz – 52.08 (NCAA B Cut, Personal Best)

400 IM

  1. Bailey Andison – 4:02.37 (NCAA A Cut, Personal Best)
  2. Mackenzie Looze – 4:07.07 (NCAA B Cut, Personal Best)
  3. Josie Grote – 4:10.00 (NCAA B Cut, Personal Best)
  4. Christin Rockway – 4:08.50 (NCAA B Cut, Personal Best)
  5. Bailey Kovac – 4:11.84 (NCAA B Cut)

200 Freestyle

  1. Morgan Scott – 1:45.84 (NCAA B Cut)
  2. Maria Paula Heitmann – 1:45.97 (NCAA B Cut)
  3. Laurel Eiber – 1:47.16 (Personal Best)
  4. Cassy Jernberg – 1:48.68

100 Breaststroke

  1. Lilly King – 55.88 (American Record, NCAA Record, Big Ten Record, Big Ten Meet Record, Pool Record, School Record, NCAA A Cut, Personal Best)
  2. Noelle Peplowski – 1:00.04 (NCAA B Cut)
  3. Laura Morley – 1:00.66 (NCAA B Cut)
  4. Abby Kirkpatrick – 1:00.51 (NCAA B Cut, Personal Best)
  5. Mackenzie Atencio – 1:01.51 (NCAA B Cut)
  6. Hope Hayward – 1:01.97

100 Backstroke

  1. Morgan Scott – 52.33 (NCAA B Cut)
  2. Grace Haskett – 54.17

3-Meter Dive

  1. Jessica Parratto – 358.25 (NCAA Zones Qualifying Score)
  2. Taylor Carter – 283.00 (NCAA Zones Qualifying Score)

200 Freestyle Relay

  1. Julia Wolf, Christine Jensen, Shelby Koontz, Laurel Eiber – 1:28.48 (NCAA A Cut, School Record)

Foreigner Coming to Evansville Old National Events Plaza

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Foreigner is set to come to Evansville this summer. The band is set to perform at Evansville’s Old National Events Plaza on Tuesday, August 13th.
Tickets will go on sale Friday, March 1st at 10 a.m. Prices range from $36 to $142 plus applicable fees.
The band is hailed as one of the most popular rock acts in the world with a formidable musical arsenal that continues to propel sold-out tours and album sales, now exceeding 75 million.
They are well known for songs such as ‘Juke Box Hero’, ‘Cold As Ice’, ‘Hot Blooded’, ‘Waiting For A Girl Like You’, ‘Feels Like The First Time’, ‘Urgent’, ‘Head Games’, ‘Say You Will’, ‘Dirty White Boy’, ‘Long, Long Way From Home’ and the worldwide #1 hit, ‘I Want To Know What Love Is’.
Tickets can be purchased via Ticketmaster.

Funeral Arrangements Set for Capt. Jim Pauli

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Funeral arrangements have been set for Captain Jim Pauli, who passed away unexpectedly Tuesday night.
Visitation for Pauli is Sunday, February 24 at Alexander West from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. The funeral will take place on Monday, February 25th at the Bridge Church at 10 a.m.
Parking at the church will be limited to friends and family members. Busses will provide transportation from the parking of at Wimberg Ave. and Park Dr. across from the cemetery.
EFD asks that unless you have been requested to bring an apparatus, they ask that uniformed personnel do not bring one since parking will be limited.

THINK SLOW

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THINK SLOW

GAVEL GAMUT By Jim Redwine

Two weeks before actor Jussie Smollett reported to Chicago police he had been assaulted by two white men Smollett sent himself a letter with similar sentiments. Smollett who claims to be “Bluish”, that is, the offspring of a Jewish father and a Black mother, and who also says he is homosexual created the letter. The letter was released by Smollett in hopes of causing sympathy for him so he could demand a raise in his salary on the television series Empire.

Not only did Smollett create a letter that would not pass muster as a prop in a grade school play the letter brought no response from the people in charge of Smollett’s salary. As to creating sympathy for his meager pay, that too might ring hollow with the rest of us in the real world. Smollett is paid $65,000 for each episode of Empire; the show has eighteen episodes per season and it is in its fifth season. Let us see about that sympathy thing: $65m x 18 = $1,170,000 per year and a total of $5,850,000 for five years. How are your sympathy pangs, Gentle Reader?

Of course, as an actor playing the role of a minority Rhythm and Blues singer on a television show I had never heard of until Smollett faked his attack, I am not aware of any great general benefit Smollett’s acting has conferred on society. On the other hand, these issues of false claims and payroll negotiations are not what this column is about. If Smollett had given just a little more thought to his scheme, he probably would not have paid his two “attackers” by check, a copy of which the Chicago police recovered in less than a week. However, Smollett did claim the attack occurred in downtown Chicago at 2:00 a.m. so his story started out sounding believable.

Anyway, this column is not about Smollett’s infantile plan to boost his career. It is about the initial hue and cry in the national media and political figures in response to Smollett’s phony plot. We just don’t learn, do we? The rule is get the facts then speak out, not rush to a judgment we wish to believe based on our own prejudices. We, and I do mean most of us, would benefit from understanding what the psychologist Daniel Kahneman calls “Thinking Fast”.

Thinking fast is making decisions based on our intuition and emotions instead of “Thinking Slow”, which is gleaning the facts first and applying a critical analysis to those facts. We all want to believe things. Unfortunately, “Wanting don’t make it so”. Now, in much of what we decide it does not matter what we think. If we want to believe in Santa Claus, where’s the harm? However, when the national news media or our national leaders decide things based on hope or hate instead of objective investigation and analysis, real harm may result.

So, Jussie Smollett, your silly attempt to get attention is of little consequence and thankfully you made the Chicago Police Department’s job easy. Once again, thanks for paying by check. But what has caused true harm to our national debate about several forms of prejudice has been the rush to stand upon your shockingly juvenile strategy as a pedestal to spew real prejudice. 

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UE Music Department to Present Lecture and Recital on Diversity and Musical Performance

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The University of Evansville’s Department of Music is planning a lecture and recital on diversity and musical performance at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 28, in Wheeler Concert Hall in the Krannert Hall of Art and Music on UE’s campus.

Douglas Shadle, assistant professor of musicality at Vanderbilt University will present the lecture, titled “Finding a Home on the Concert Stage.” A short recital will follow Shadle’s talk, featuring the works of Florence Price, a black female composer of the early 20th century.

ADOPT A PET

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These two bunnies are – well – brothers? Sisters? Sisbros? Anyway, they are both hermaphrodites! They both possess male and female genitalia. They have also already been neutered, so regardless of their anatomy, they will not be reproducing in any way. How unique is that?! Here’s your chance to adopt a super interesting pair of buns. These kids are about a year & a half old. Han Solo is the chocolate-colored Rex, and Chewbacca is the tortoiseshell-colored American. The adoption fee for both is $100 and they must go home together. They will go home neutered and microchipped for that price! Contact Vanderburgh Humane at (812) 426-2563 for adoption details!