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Letter To The Editor By Jordan Baer

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jordan baer

EDITORS COMMENTS: Posted without opinion, bias or editing.

In just a few weeks, it will have been a full calendar year since I began the task of lobbying for drastic reform at both city cemeteries- Oak Hill & Locust Hill.
https://city-countyobserver.com/2012/07/16/evansvilles-grave-injustice-by-jordan-baer/
What started out as a simple goal of finally fixing what has been a decades old problem has now surprisingly turned into a full blown battle against those dedicated to maintaining the status quo of neglect, dilapidation, and disrepair. This has been the case in just about every task I’ve worked on in this city. It has been the same gang with the same excuses with the only difference being a new case of demolition by neglect each time. It’s getting old, and it’s getting old fast.
First of all, I would like to thank those who have done what they can do for these cemeteries. The first people to join the cause were 5th Ward Council Member John Friend who introduced Resolution C-2012-16 and 6th Ward Council Member Al Lindsey who cosponsored this much needed legislation. Next, a ton of credit goes to 4th Ward City Council Member Connie Robinson who actually took the time to go and view these cemetery conditions for herself.
https://city-countyobserver.com/2012/07/31/councilwoman-connie-robinson-appalled-by-condition-of-oak-hill-cemetery/
As most residents in this area know, having a council member, or any city official for that matter, actually go out and survey the problems first hand is something new and unheard of here in the Evansville area. I thank Connie for doing this and God Bless You Please Mrs. Robinson.
Finally, I would like to thank those who directly handle and manage the cemetery grounds that have made a few improvements to Oak Hill after it was brought to their attention by the city council. This group includes the mowing crew as well as Chris Cooke- Our local Superintendent of Cemeteries.
http://agraveinjustice.blogspot.com/2012/10/update-slow-but-steady-progress-at-our.html
Although much progress has been made, the conditions of either cemetery are beyond anything acceptable, and truthfully, I’m at a loss for words as to why anyone would find either cemetery in acceptable condition. You’ve seen the pictures and it doesn’t look pretty. Toppled head stones, out of line plots, and covered up grave markers are just a few of the problems that have plagued these cemeteries long before you, I, or any other CCO supporter has been alive.
http://local.evpl.org/views/viewimage.asp?ID=1120820
Last week, I returned to the historic confines of both Oak Hill and Locust Hill Cemeteries, and it didn’t take long before these conditions were out in the open for all to see once more…
http://agraveinjustice.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-grave-injustice-still-lingers-oak.html
https://www.facebook.com/jordan.baer1/media_set?set=a.10101317136390040.1073741839.12913772&type=3

Last month, the Courier & Press decided to pay Oak Hill Cemetery a visit. How nice of them to finally join the party and report on the neglect going on at these cemeteries. For a newspaper that doesn’t want a half baked hotel plan, they seem quite content with a less than stellar cemetery grounds. One would think that with the amount of cemetery advertisements popping up on their site they would have joined the CCO last year in fighting to repair these iconic grounds.
https://city-countyobserver.com/2012/12/07/spend-the-money-on-the-cemeteries-not-cp-advertising-by-jordan-baer/
Thankfully, Chris Cooke took them on a walk through Oak Hill Cemetery in an effort to get the word out about cemetery erosion. What the following image should prove to those who want to maintain the status quo in these cemeteries is that denial is not a river in Egypt.
http://www.courierpress.com/photos/2013/may/24/141084/
The bottom line is this: there is ample amount of evidence that both of these cemeteries are suffering from erosion and neglect, and these conditions are only getting worse. The hardest part to accomplish in the goal of getting these conditions corrected was to get someone to go in front of the City Council and demand cemetery repair, maintenance, and perpetual care funds be replenished back to their proper levels. I did this last summer, and it was quite a battle. Initially, at the first council meeting discussing these funds there were not enough votes to get these funds. It, like every other project, took a lot of political will power to eventually round up enough support.
At the end of the day, I was able to secure these funds thanks to John Friend, Al Lindsey, and Connie Robinson on the City Council. These funds are believed to be around the $70,000 mark ($35,000 per cemetery). No other city official was willing to do this from the mayor all the way down to the mowing crew. So, it shouldn’t be too much to ask for the city to give us a plan of action as well as a rough estimate for a timetable as to when these cemeteries might be fully repaired.
Although having Chris Cooke and the lawn mowing workers make subtle improvements such as avoiding hitting head stones with lawn mowers, placing broken stones on stop of the rest of the stone, and standing head stones up that had fallen are all good improvements, they are far from reaching the goal of having a completely repaired cemetery that is the pride of residents from all over Evansville.
Any comprehensive plan of action will have to involve the mayor’s administration- particularly Mr. Todd Robertson who was the one who spoke at the Council Meeting about the cemetery funds. One person on one level of city government will not be able to solve this problem alone. Like Mr. Robertson said in an Eyewitness News interview, it is a “long standing” problem. It will not be solved overnight. Therefore, any plan of action must include, but not limited to, the following…
1. What are the main problems facing the cemeteries?
– i.e Toppled head stones, lost grave markers, out of line rows, damaged grave markers, and diminished repair/maintenance/perpetual care fund(s).
2. What is the size and scope of these problems?
– i.e Approximately how many head stones are broke, damaged, or lost and how many are out of line? How much needs to be placed in the proper perpetual funds and accounts?
3. What resources will it take to fix these problems?
– i.e How much labor, what kind of labor, what kind of materials, how much/many materials, and what kind of political support is needed?
4. Roughly how much funding would be needed to fix these problems?
– i.e What would the total bill be for labor, materials, and funds to replenish the proper cemetery accounts?
5. Approximately how long will it take to fix these problems?
– i.e How many years? How many phases?
6. What problems can volunteers solve? What problems can only qualified staff members solve?
– i.e What problems can the public volunteer to help solve? What problems must qualified individuals be utilized or newly hired to solve?

These questions, which should serve as a backbone for a comprehensive plan of attack, should be debated, answered, and addressed in front of the public eye and not behind closed doors. And once a plan is formed, we will then know what kind of problems we are dealing with and what you, I, and the rest of the city needs to do about it.
Make no mistake, these problems can be solved. Recently, I came upon a company website of a man named John Walters who many call the “Graveyard Groomer,” whose business deals with rehabilitating dilapidated cemeteries in the Indiana and Kentucky areas. When you look at his before and after images, you will see that the pictures a posted above could easily be fixed by someone like this.
http://www.graveyardgroomer.com/Before-and-After.htm
A quote from him stuck out to me: “It don’t take a rocket scientist to do this, but it does take a heart.
And I got one of them.” That’s the mentality we need here with our two great cemeteries. The fact is, death is undefeated. One day, you will be buried in a place like this…
And I will be buried in a place like this…

We all need to take care of these cemeteries!

IS IT TRUE July 2, 2013

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Mole #3 Nostradamus of Local Politics
Mole #3 Nostradamus of Local Politics

IS IT TRUE July 2, 2013

IS IT TRUE that City Councilwomen Missy Mosby shall have primary opponent who is extremely credible and very well liked throughout the entire community? … that this shall be his first time to run for political office and shall be extremely well funded? …you can expect to hear more details about Ms. Mosby’s future campaign opponent when he announces his “blue ribbon” election campaign committee in the very near future?

IS IT TRUE the 96 speed humps that were ordered by the City of Evansville in March for April delivery before the City Council had even been asked to okay their purchase have been traced to the Engineering Department?…we still do not know who in the Engineering Department took it upon themselves to belittle the City Council to the point of irrelevance but we would welcome an explanation from Department Head Pat Keepes who surely had to have been in the loop to spend $8,821 taxpayer dollars without City Council approval?…the real question that needs to be answered is just which line item in the approved 2012 City of Evansville budget justified this purchase?

IS IT TRUE our MOLES tell us that this same practice has been going on in the Water and Sewer Utility with Johnson Controls water meters?…the question to be answered there is are these replacements part of a routine maintenance program of replacement and if so are they cost effective with the mechanical meters already in use?…if it is possible to replace the mechanical meters with new Johnson Controls meters out of the maintenance budget it begs the question of why do we need to borrow $46 Million to replace them all at once?…if it turns out to be the case that the Johnson Controls meters can be installed cost effectively through a planned routine replacement schedule over 20 or 30 years without borrowing any money then why don’t we just do that and be done with $46 Million of borrowing for yet another shiny object?

IS IT TRUE the Mole Nation is saying that the Winnecke Administration is now claiming privately that the overall downtown convention hotel construction costs is being reduced about $10 million dollars? ..we can’t wait to see where the proposed cuts are coming from?…this could be from the elimination of the storage building that SHOULD BE PAID FOR FROM ARENA FUNDS?…it could be by reducing the amount of subsidized retail and restaurant area?…it could even be from elimination of the apartments that have been represented to be an unsubsidized side deal all along?…it could just be that the County and the CVB are agreeing to kick in a total of $10 Million between them which would not reduce the project by a dime and would simply shift $10 Million of the corporate welfare away from the City of Evansville coffers and onto theirs?…whatever happens the time to make a deal in the original agreement with the Branson, MO based hotel developer expired yesterday?…before continuing the discussions there needs to be an extension to the agreement to negotiate ratified?…all discussions until that point are nothing by simple discussions with no legal standing?…any agreement that shakes down the County and the CVB for part of the $37.5 Million subsidy does not reduce the subsidy at all it only changes the taxpayer base that the subsidy is coming from?

IS IT TRUE after a series of reader’s polls it is clear that the demographic that makes up the readership of the City County Observer has no interest in seeing Evansville City Councilman Jonathan Weaver considered as a viable candidate for the Democrat nominee for Mayor of Evansville in 2015?…during the last few weeks Mr. Weaver has lost polls to Sheriff Eric Williams, Troy Tornatta, former Mayor Weinzapfel, Councilman John Friend, and a real live dog from Nashville named BLUE?

Princeton Woman Arrested for DUI and Resisting

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Gibson County – Early Tuesday morning, July 2, at approximately 1:20 a.m., Princeton Police and Indiana State Police stopped the driver of an Oldsmobile on South Main Street near Clark Street in Princeton for having an expired plate and for not indicating a turn. The driver pulled into the parking lot at Building Blocks Daycare. Princeton Officer Jason Swan and Trooper Paul Stolz immediately noticed the driver appeared confused and her pupils were dilated larger than normal. The driver was identified as Leeanne Hartle, 28, of Princeton. Both officers believed she was under the influence of a drug other than alcohol. During the roadside investigation, Hartle became uncooperative and attempted to walk away. After a brief struggle, she was handcuffed and taken into custody. Further investigation revealed she was under the influence of methamphetamine. She was taken to the Gibson County Jail where she is currently being held on bond.

ARRESTED AND CHARGES:
• Leeanne Hartle, 28, Princeton, IN
1. Resisting Law Enforcement, Class A Misdemeanor
2. Operating a Vehicle while under the Influence, Class A Misdemeanor

Arresting Officer: Trooper Paul Stolz, Indiana State Police
Assisting Officer: Officer Jason Swan, Princeton Police

Assisting Agency: Gibson County Sheriff’s Department

Holly’s House Schedules Volunteer Orientation for August 7th

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On Wednesday, August 7th, Holly’s House will be hosting a volunteer orientation from 5:30pm to 6:30pm. We have many Fall events coming up and will need your help to put them together.

During the orientation, we will be talking about the services Holly’s House offers and have a tour. Holly’s House also requires each of our volunteers to completed background check. Volunteer applications and related paperwork will be available at the orientation.

The orientation is open to the first 40 people registered. If this date does not work for you, we will be offering another session later in the Fall.

Please contact Ashley at ashley@hollyshouse.org or 437-7233 to sign up for the orientation

Indiana State Police participate in Operation C.A.R.E. over 4th of July Holiday

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ISP

To help ensure the safety of all motorists during this heavily traveled holiday, Indiana State Police will be participating in Operation C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) from July 3rd through
July 7th. Operation C.A.R.E. is a federally funded program and will allow more than 100 additional troopers to patrol area roadways in an attempt to reduce the number of crashes, fatalities and injuries over the holiday weekend. Troopers will be targeting impaired drivers, motorists who speed, follow too closely, make unsafe lane changes, drive aggressively and fail to buckle up or properly restrain their children. Troopers also encourage motorists to stay off their cell phones while driving.

The Indiana State Police encourage all motorists to observe the following safety tips:
• If you’re planning to travel a long distance, make sure you are well rested. A fatigued driver is a dangerous driver.
• Avoid tailgating. Remember the two-second rule.
• Obey all speed limits and always use your turn signals when turning and changing lanes.
• Avoid using cell phones while driving. Distracted driving is dangerous driving.
• Never drink and drive.
• Make sure everyone is buckled up.

The Indiana State Police would like everyone to remember that driving comes with important responsibilities to yourself, your passengers and other motorists.

Hampton Inn Evansville Airport Indiana’s first LEED® Certified Hotel

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John Dunn

Dunn Hospitality Group is happy to announce the Hampton Inn Evansville Airport which opened in August 2011 has achieved LEED® certification, as recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). It is the first hotel property in Indiana to earn this recognition for sustainable building design, construction and operations.

The Hampton Inn Evansville Airport received its LEED® certification on June 10, 2013. The hotel incorporated a variety of sustainable design strategies to achieve the certification, including categories in energy use, lighting, water and material use. LEED® certified buildings save money and energy, decrease CO2 emissions, improve water efficiency and indoor environmental quality for hotel guests, employees and the community.

“We are thrilled with this acknowledgement and look forward to continuing to be a sustainability leader in the hospitality segment,” said John Dunn, CEO of the Dunn Hospitality Group. “Guests at The Hampton Inn Evansville Airport can rest assured their stay will have less of an impact on the environment.”

The Hampton Inn Evansville Airport was developed and is owned by Dunn Hospitality Group. Gaining LEED® certification for this hotel was based on a variety of design and construction elements that produce a positive impact on the community and building itself. These include:

• An in-room energy management system which automatically powers down air conditioning systems when guests are not in their rooms

• Energy Star-qualified compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) and LED lighting, televisions and other appliances

• Low-flow water fixtures, toilets, and faucets that reduce water usage by a third

• Bicycle rack, showers and changing facilities to encourage employees to bike and walk to work

• More than 40 percent of the products utilized during construction were purchased, assembled and manufactured within 500 miles of the site, limiting the transportation impact while improving the local economy.

• Hotel has a cool roof, a reflective surface which reduces heat transference

• The hotel facility is 100% non-smoking.

• Low emitting (VOC) materials (glues, sealants, woods) were used during the construction.

• Landscaping utilizes native plants, reducing the need for watering.

• The hotel is conveniently located in proximity to public transportation and provides a shuttle to guests that limits the need for car use.

• The hotel provides preferred parking places for fuel efficient and high occupancy vehicles.

Dunn Hopspitality Group owns and operates 5 hotels in Evansville and one in

Columbus, IN. In operation for over 35 years, Dunn Hospitality has become the

“Premiere Hospitality Company in the Midwest.”

Catch the Latest Edition of “The Indiana State Police Road Show”

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ISP

Indiana – Catch the latest addition of the “Indiana State Police Road Show” radio program every Monday morning at your convenience.

Download the program from the Network Indiana public website at www.networkindiana.com. Look for the state police logo on the main page and follow the download instructions. This 15 minute talk show concentrates on public safety and informational topics with state wide interest.

The radio program was titled “Signal-10” in the early sixties when it was first started by two troopers in northern Indiana. The name was later changed to the “Indiana State Police Road Show” and is the longest continuously aired state police public service program in Indiana.

Radio stations across Indiana and the nation are invited to download and air for FREE this public service program sponsored by the Indiana State Police Alliance and Cops for Kids, a subsidiary of the Indiana State Police Alliance.

This week’s show features Katie Carlson, of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Miss Carlson discusses her role as a Marion County Sheriff’s Office Public Information representative and the agencies responsibilities and their ongoing enforcement actions.

Forbes Best Big Cities in the US for Jobs in 2013

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Forbes has released its list of the 10 best American Cities for jobs in America for 2013. Only two of these cities are east of the Mississippi River with the closest to Evansville being greater Nashville. Texas and California combined for six of the remaining eight that included Salt Lake City and Denver making the west the jobs leader in America.

Forbes Best Big Cities in the US for Jobs in 2013

1. San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division (2012 Employment Growth: 4.1 percent)
2. Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN (2012 Employment Growth: 3.8 percent)
3. Salt Lake City, UT (2012 Employment Growth: 4.0 percent)
4. Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metropolitan Division (2012 Employment Growth: 3.8 percent)
5. Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX (2012 Employment Growth: 2.0 percent)
6. Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division (2012 Employment Growth: 3.5 percent)
7. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (2012 Employment Growth: 3.4 percent)
8. Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC (2012 Employment Growth: 3.3 percent)
9. Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO (2012 Employment Growth: 2.8 percent)
10. Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX (2012 Employment Growth: 3.7 percent

Source: Examiner.com

What Happens to Municipal Bonds as Rates Rise

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Rising Rates and Your Investments

What You Should Know
The bond markets are extremely active, with interest rates constantly changing in response to a number of factors including changes in the supply and demand of credit, Federal Reserve policy, fiscal policy, exchange rates, economic conditions, market psychology and, above all, changes in expectations about inflation. Currently, rising interest rates and expectations for economic recovery are impacting bond prices. As interest rates change, so do the values of all bonds in the marketplace. If you are thinking about buying bonds, or have recently bought some, you need to be aware of the effect of rising rates on your holdings. Here are some questions you should consider.

Question
Now that interest rates have started to rise, how will that affect bonds?

Answer
Interest rates, which recently hovered at their lowest levels in 40 years, are rising. Just as bond prices go up when yields go down, the prices of bonds you own now will generally drop as yields—interest rates—go up.

Question
When rates go up, do all bonds lose the same value?

Answer
No, changes in interest rates don’t affect all bonds equally. Generally speaking, the longer the bond’s maturity, for example a bond that matures in ten years versus another that matures in two years, the more it’s affected by changing interest rates. A ten year bond will usually lose more of its value if rates go up than the two year note. Also, the lower a bond’s “coupon” rate, the more sensitive the bond’s price is to changes in interest rates. Other features can have an effect as well. For example, a variable rate bond probably won’t lose as much value as a fixed rate security.

Question
What should I do as interest rates rise? Should I hold onto my bonds or sell them?

Answer
If you buy a bond and hold onto it until it matures, which many investors do, rising rates won’t have any effect on the income you receive. You simply redeem your maturing bond and get back par, or the face value, of the bond. In the meantime, you will continue to earn or accrue interest at the rate you expected when you bought the bond. Here’s an example provided by Bloomberg, LP:

Example #1: Buy and Hold
You buy a 10 year U.S. Treasury Note with a face value of $1,000 and an interest rate of 4.26%. If you keep the bond until it matures, you’ll receive $42.60 each year for ten years, plus the original $1,000.

Question
What happens if rates go up and I need to sell my bonds?

Answer
If interest rates go up and you need to sell your bonds before they mature, you need to be aware their value may have gone down and you may have to sell at a loss. Remember bond prices move in the opposition direction as yield. Here’s an example again provided by Bloomberg, LP:

Example #2
Sell before Maturity & Interest Rates have gone up.
An investor buys a 10 year U.S Treasury Note with a face value of $1,000 and an interest rate of 4.26%. If the investor sells the bond before it matures and interest rates have risen 2%, he or she would only receive $863.34 (plus any interest paid before the sale).

Question
At some point, though, rates will go down. What will happen if I sell then?

Answer
If interest rates have gone down since you bought your bonds, the value of your bonds will have actually gone up, giving you what’s known as a “capital gain.” That’s because your bond is worth more. Here’s another example using the Bloomberg data:

Example #3
You Sell Your Bond Before It Matures & Interest Rates have gone down.
You buy a 10 year U.S. Treasury Note with a face value of $1,000 and an interest rate of 4.26%. If you sell your bond before it matures and interest rates have dropped 2%, you will receive $1,118.54 (plus any interest paid before the sale).

Question
What happens to my bond fund if interest rates rise?

Answer
Since a bond fund doesn’t have a specific maturity date, the chances are the fund’s total return will go down. Total return encompasses both change in prices and interest rate payments. If interest rates rise, the values of bonds held by the fund would fall, negatively affecting total return. However, the fund will continue to receive interest payments from the bonds it holds and will pass them along to investors regularly, maintaining current yield. Bond fund investors also enjoy professional management and asset diversification.

Question
Besides rising interest rates, are there any other risks I should consider?

Answer
Yes, virtually all investments carry some degree of risk that you might lose some or all of your investment. When investing in bonds other than government-guaranteed securities, it’s important to remember that an investment’s return is linked to its credit as well as market changes. The higher the return, the higher the risk. Conversely, relatively safe investments offer relatively lower returns. Bond choices range from U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government and are free from credit risk, to bonds that are below investment grade and considered speculative. In assessing your tolerance for risk, ask yourself, “What will I do if my investment is not there when I need it?”

Question
Should I buy bonds now?

Answer
Most personal financial advisors recommend that investors maintain a diversified investment portfolio consisting of bonds, stocks and cash in varying percentages, depending upon individual circumstances and objectives. You need to be aware of the risks, particularly now, of rising interest rates. But if you are planning to buy bonds and hold them to maturity, they will provide a predictable stream of payments and repayment of principal. Many people invest in bonds to preserve and increase their capital or to receive dependable interest income. Whatever your investment goals-saving for your children’s college education or a new home, increasing retirement income or any of a number of other worthy financial goals-investing in bonds can help you achieve your objectives.