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Mesker Park Zoo Welcomes New Development Director

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Jennifer Preston joins Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden after serving as the Marketing/Development Director for St. Anthony’s Hospice in Henderson, KY. Before joining St. Anthony’s Hospice, Ms. Preston was Description: Description: Jennifer Prestonemployed as the Public Relations/Fund Development Manager for the Vanderburgh Humane Society. She has worked as the Assistant Director for the Henderson Economic Development Council and Event Coordinator for the Downtown Henderson Project.

Ms. Preston along with seven other individuals developed the Community Foundation of Henderson. Through the Henderson Leadership Initiative Program, she served as the first President of the Community Foundation of Henderson.

She currently serves on the executive board of Shelter for Women and Children and as board member for Riverbend Arts Academy, Henderson Breakfast Lions Club, WNIN board, and Raymond B. Preston Foundation. Last year she was a presenter at the 3rd Annual Kentucky Summit on Philanthropy.

According to Zoo Director, Amos Morris, “We are thrilled to have a new and experienced Development Director on staff to help the Zoo move forward with its vision for the future. Ms. Preston will be responsible for fund development for the Zoo.”

Ms. Preston grew up enjoying the Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden and now shares that passion with her husband and four year old daughter. She is a graduate from University of Southern Indiana and resides in Henderson, Kentucky.

Eco Square Apartments: Investing in the Evansville Community

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Eco Square Apartments: Investing in the Evansville Community

EVANSVILLE, IN – in August 2011 TEG Chateau, LLC purchased the east side property formerly known as Chateau Village Apartments, and renovations soon began. The property and renovation project is managed by Barrett & Stokely Management, and Eco Square has invested an additional half a million dollars into the renovation project. This property is proudly reintroduced to the Evansville community as Eco Square Apartments. The multi-family, market-rent property has accomplished a beautiful renovation to the exterior, grounds, and many interiors. Eco Square is marketed with a focus on responsible (green) living, and Eco Square has implemented programs for the residents like, recycling, rain barrels, composters, and a community garden. For further details you can visit www.EcoSquareApts.com. With the property’s unique focus and features, the beautiful transformation is a welcome enhancement to the neighborhood and community.

The Grand Opening for Eco Square Apartments will begin at 4:00pm on Wednesday, September 19. At 4:00pm, Mayor Lloyd Winnecke is scheduled to speak, and then the Chamber Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony will commence. (Reception will follow catered by Just Rennie’s).

IS IT TRUE Part Two September 18, 2012 (more bumbling at the Civic Center)

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IS IT TRUE that the City of Evansville signed a contract to pay the salary of the person to work on a new software package to debug it so it can function?…to this date this expensive program that was a capital expense still doesn’t work?…apparently the Indiana State Board of Accounts has been to Evansville and cannot even render an opinion as to the accuracy of the City of Evansville’s financial records?…the accounts have not been reconciled since January of 2011 a full 21 months ago?…the problem is in converting the old system to the new Munis System?…the CCO has a copy of the contract for the work and would like to invite the contractor to respond preemptively prior to posting this contract for our readers to see?… many people in authority believe that what should have happened is that both systems should have been used until the conversion to the new system was proven to be successful?…in reality the City of Evansville under the Weinzapfel Administration stopped using the old system and did not run it parallel to the new one?…that failing to keep both systems running has rendered the City of Evansville incapable of performing even basic audit functions such as reconciliation?

IS IT TRUE the Civic Center Moles tell the CCO that the SBOA will issue a Disclaimer of Opinion which basically says don’t look at us if money comes up missing?…in the meantime the Evansville City Council has not received a financial report from the administration beyond the period ending June 30th?… the last report was May of 2012?…when the Winnecke Administration provided the City Council with the proposed 2013 budget, it showed revenue and expenses through June?…that the Evansville City Council has a very incomplete financial picture in which to determine a 2013 budget due to yet another financial fiasco rooted in the Civic Center?

IS IT TRUE that things like this are the kinds of things that lead to a lower bond rating which in turn leads to higher interest rates being charged on new debt?…that some will see having the City of Evansville’s hands tied when it comes to issuing new debt as a positive and they may be correct when it comes to games, parks, and temples to sport but there are legitimate needs for all cities to borrow and a great credit rating makes that less expensive and easier to do?…there is that looming debt of over $500 Million that will need to be issued to get the EPA off our back and fix the combined sewer overflow problem?…that a paltry 1% increase in the interest rate would cost the water and sewer ratepayers of Evansville an additional $5 Million per year or about $100 per water meter per year?…poor financial management by elected officials can be quite devastating to a city and that the CCO encourages the City of Evansville to get this under control so a clean opinion can be rendered by the SBOA and robust day to day financial management can be accomplished by the City of Evansville?

Which Presidential Polls are the Most Accurate and What are they Saying? UPDATE 11-5-2012

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On a day when the national media is touting a rise in the national polls by President Obama the City County Observer decided to take some initiative and examine the past results of the polls that are being cited by the media. The best website to go to for examining the widest range of polls is a site called www.realclearpolitics.com. This site publishes daily and average of the last months polls from nine different polls. Today’s average of polls has President Obama leading Mitt Romney by 0.4% nationally down from leading by 4.5% when this article originated.

Two polls have more historical accuracy that the other polls that in some cases overweight Democrats by as much as 11 points. These two polls are Rasmussen Tracking and Gallup Tracking both of which report results of the trailing week as opposed to the flavor of the day. Their algorithms for sampling are slightly different yet both converge well.

For the 2008 election in which Barack Obama defeated John McCain by a 52.9% to 45.6% margin Rasmussen predicted an Obama victory by 52% to 46% while Gallup predicted an Obama victory of 53% to 42%. An average of those polls would have predicted a result of Obama 52.5% (0.75% error to the low side) to McCain 44% (7.8% error to the low side).

Similarly in the 2004 election when George Bush defeated John Kerry by a margin of 50.7% to 48.3 %, these two polls were very accurate with the average of the two predicting a Bush victory by a margin of 49.6% to 47.8% once again missing the margin of victory by less than 1%. Both polls under estimated Bush’s total while Rasmussen over estimated Kerry’s total by a scant 0.2% of the actual tally.

So with so many polls that were predicting an Obama landslide what do the two polls that have been historically accurate from a presidential election perspective predict if the election were held today?

The current numbers for these two polls are as follows:

Rasmussen Tracking: Romney 49% Obama 48%
Gallup Tracking: Romney 50% Obama 49%

Averages: Romney 49.5% Obama 48.5%

Of course the electoral college elects the President of the United States and both Rasmussen and Gallup give President Obama an edge on the basis of his large leads in high population Democrat dominated states like California and New York. Tomorrow should be quite interesting.

ABSTRACT ART SHOW BY SHARON HARRISON

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Well Known local artist Sharon Harrison is having an abstract art show this Saturday, September, 22 between 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at Carol Smith Design Studio, 329 Jennings, Newburgh, In. Sharon has been creating abstract art for several years and presently has pictures displayed at The Evansville Museum of Arts, Science and History.

This is Sharon’s first solo abstract show. Her orginals paintings will be for sale. Most of her art is displayed in area homes and offices. Sharon goes to her clients home or business and they decide what is best suited for the area that her painting shall be displayed. She said “If it is a new space, she starts with the picture to help with your decorating color”.

City County Observer hopes to see you at Carol Smith Design Studio on this coming Saturday, September 22, 2012 between between 10:00 am to 2:00 pm to view the outstanding work of local artist Sharon Harrison.

VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES

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VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES

This feature is sponsored by Chris Walsh For Vanderburgh County Clerk. Chris Walsh is a veteran county administrator that strongly supports our local law enforcement professionals . Chris Walsh is a candidate that possess a non-partisan attitude with a consumer friendly demeanor. Chris also stands against unification of city and county governments.

This ad paid for by the committiee to elect Walsh Clerk.

VANDERBURGH COUNTY FELONY CHARGES

Evansville, IN – Below is a list of felony cases that were filed by the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office on Monday, September 17, 2012.

Cindy Brown Residential Entry –Class D Felony

Derek Clark Possession of Methamphetamine – Class D Felony
(Habitual Substance Offender Enhancement)
Possession of Paraphernalia – Class A Misdemeanor

Michael Lowe Theft –Class D Felony

Marcus McGrew Resisting Law Enforcement – Class D Felony
Possession of Chemical Reagents or Precursors with Intent to Manufacture a
Controlled Substance – Class D Felony
Reckless Driving – Class B Misdemeanor

Pierre Roberts Carrying a Handgun Without a License – Class A Misdemeanor
(Enhanced to a Class C Felony due to Prior Convictions)
Criminal Recklessness – Class D Felony
Resisting Law Enforcement –Class A Misdemeanor

Timothy Salo Theft – Class D Felony

For further information on the cases listed above, or any pending case, please contact Carly Settles at 812.435.5688 or via e-mail at csettles@vanderburghgov.org.

Under Indiana law, all criminal defendants are considered to be innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
SENTENCE CHART

Class Range
Murder 45-65 Years
Class A Felony 20-50 Years
Class B Felony 6-20 Years
Class C Felony 2-8 Years
Class D Felony ½ – 3 Years
Class A Misdemeanor 0-1 Year
Class B Misdemeanor 0-180 Days
Class C Misdemeanor 0-60 Days

IS IT TRUE September 18, 2012

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The Mole #??

IS IT TRUE September 18, 2012

IS IT TRUE we at the City County Observer are saddened by the two murders that have been committed either in the City of Evansville or to an Evansville resident hauled to another location for execution during the last week?…that we are now aware of at least 8 murders in 2012 with a full three and a half months to go?…if this murder rate keeps up for the rest of the year the number of murders will reach 12 which will tie the record set in 2003?…the population was lower then so the current annualized murder rate is by definition at a record high of 10.2 murders for every 100,000 people?…that rate is still lower than the historical murder rates of Midwestern cities like Indianapolis, St. Louis, Cleveland, and Detroit?…what some will find surprising is that Evansville has passed the cities of New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas in rate at which people are murdered?…we suspect that this trend can be traced to the serious drug problems that many people outside of law enforcement deny that we have here in River City?

IS IT TRUE that the CCO has seen a jump in traffic during the last month or so that was unforeseen and unplanned?…an original article regarding the most accurate polls in past presidential election has been drawing in internet traffic at an increasing rate and is now drawing nearly 300 big city readers per day?…the readers are coming from places like Washington DC, New York, and Los Angeles?…that out of curiosity yesterday we did a Google search using the search term “most accurate presidential polls” and were surprised to find the CCO in the #7 position on the first page of Google citations just ahead of the New York Times election page?…this morning the CCO has risen to #1 just ahead of Talking Points, Reuters, the Huffington Post, NBC, Gallup, and the New York Times that has moved from #8 up to #7?

IS IT TRUE that the CCO was recently privileged to have a writer on the ground at the Chicago Teacher’s Union strike?…that for all of the sentiment on both sides of this issue the Chicago Teachers were seen to be creating a very hostile and intimidating atmosphere for casual observers?…the scene in the streets of Chicago resemble the scene from the streets of the Arab world with nice new red t-shirts?…the decision of these teachers to strike at the beginning of the school year as opposed to making their points during the summer when a settlement could have and should have been negotiated shows the world that the Chicago Teacher’s Union is willing to sacrifice the children they are entrusted with teaching and caring for in the name of personal gain?…after a summer when record numbers of murders were occurring on the streets of Chicago many among teenagers the Chicago Teacher’s Union decided to try to extort the City of Chicago by turning 350,000 school kids into the streets to fend for themselves?…that statistically before this is over there will be many crimes including some murders of the kid on kid type that could have been prevented if the Chicago Teacher’s Union would have been satisfied with a 16% raise and at least a shred of accountability for their performance?…Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuelle should take a lesson from President Ronald Reagan and fire the entire bunch of these spoiled prima donnas?…that will depend on whether he really is a man of courage or just another blustering wind bag Chicago politician?

IS IT TRUE that even though there are angry mobs in the streets of over 20 cities in the Arab world chanting “death to America” and calling us “the great Satan” that we continue to sign foreign aid checks that are cashed to provide aid to these countries?…we as a nation are borrowing money from China to give to countries that are calling for our blood?…this is the height of idiocy?…our nation’s leaders should set their paranoid political correctness aside and suspend all foreign aid to these countries for exactly three months to send the message that as humanitarian as the United States has historically been the days of allowing the hand that feeds to be hacked off by angry mobs is over?…that anyone that thinks that the killings in Libya and the unrest in the Arab world is completely over a youtube video is to naïve to lead a marching band?…the attacks on our diplomats were clearly planned, timed, and executed by people well aware of the significance of September 11th and that everyone with an effective IQ over 80 should know it?…denial and spinning is not the way back to prosperity but that defending our first amendment is?…that thus far we are proud that the first amendment has not been sacrificed to appease the angry mobs?…we hope our government has the resolve to continue as opposed to finding some SNEGAL way to appease the mob by sacrificing an American citizen?

Vietnam combat veteran’s artwork on display at USI

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It’s not easy to look at Rick McCarty’s art work, currently on display on the second floor of the Liberal Arts Center. Deborah Burdick, McCarty’s friend and “art mentor,” says we should look anyway.

McCarty, who died August 23 at age 61, was a Mount Vernon, Indiana, native and a combat veteran of the Vietnam War. Tormented by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), he began to draw at age 48 in an attempt to heal his wounds through art. Burdick, a trained artist, met McCarty soon after he began to draw.

“Rick wanted people to know about Vietnam,” she said. “His art speaks so eloquently. You want to know what happened? Just look carefully at it and allow yourself to feel.”

McCarty’s work can be categorized within the genre of Outsider art – art created by people who have no formal art training and live on the fringes of society. Outsider art is often a means of self-expression featuring reoccurring motifs.

The USI display includes interpretive information identifying McCarty’s motifs.

In addition to local and national exhibitions, his work was viewed by 50,000 people who visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall display in Evansville in 1999 and has been used in schools.

His drawings are now preserved in the permanent collections of the National Veterans Art Museum in Chicago and the Connolly Library at LaSalle University in Philadelphia and are available to view in their online digital collections:

LaSalle University digital collection

National Veterans Art Museum digital collection

His self-published book, The Loss of Innocence, is an illustrated epic poem about a three-day fire fight in which McCarty lost several friends.

“It is an astounding piece of work,” wrote fellow Vietnam veteran and artist R. Louis Posner in a letter to McCarty. “My opinion is that it is a national treasure.”

A copy of The Loss of Innocence is in the University Archives.

McCarty’s work will be on display at USI through October 30.

INDOT, City Announce Plans for Full Cloverleaf at U.S. 41 & Lloyd

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EVANSVILLE, IN – The City of Evansville and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) today announced plans to upgrade the U.S. 41 and Lloyd Expressway interchange to a full cloverleaf design.

“The interchange at U.S. 41 and the Lloyd Expressway is one of the busiest intersections in the State of Indiana, and building a full cloverleaf has been a top priority of my Administration because of its significance as a regional traffic link,” said Mayor Lloyd Winnecke. “That is why I am extremely happy to announce that INDOT and the City have reached an agreement that will allow this project to move forward.”

In February of 2011, INDOT announced plans for a partial cloverleaf interchange that would have improved traffic on the Lloyd Expressway but would have resulted in four traffic signals within a one-half-mile stretch of U.S. 41 between Walnut and Virginia streets.

Mayor Winnecke began discussions with INDOT shortly after taking office. It was determined that a major hurdle to building a full cloverleaf was a storm sewer outfall from the interchange north to Pigeon Creek, which was estimated to cost $10-$12 million.

At the Mayor’s direction, the City Engineer’s office developed a similar solution to direct runoff to the Weinbach Avenue main storm sewer outfall, which will result in a cost savings of approximately $8 million.

In addition to the drainage solution, Mayor Winnecke has requested that the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) reprioritize the Lincoln Avenue widening project east of Green River Road, and shift approximately $2.5 million to the U.S. 41/Lloyd interchange. That will give the city more time to address concerns neighbors have regarding the Lincoln Avenue widening project and allow for a local investment in the full cloverleaf interchange.

“Public input is crucial in the development of major transportation projects, and INDOT is being responsive to the feedback of local officials,” said Rusty Fowler, INDOT Vincennes District Deputy Commissioner. “INDOT is grateful to the City of Evansville for their continued support and partnership in delivering important infrastructure projects to the community.”

INDOT is currently obtaining right-of-way for the road project and is scheduled to award a contract in 2013. Construction is tentatively set to begin in 2014.

National Rehabilitation Week September 17th – 21st

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HealthSouth Deaconess Rehabilitation Hospital will join rehabilitation providers across the nation September 17-21 in celebration of National Rehabilitation Week. HealthSouth will be recognizing its Patients, Nurses and Therapists and the significant role they play in the rehabilitation process in our community. The week, the hospital will be bussing with various events and activities at the hospital. The community is invited and encouraged to visit our hospital during this week for food, fun, and entertainment!

Barbara Butler, CEO states, “National Rehabilitation Week provides a great opportunity for our hospital to honor how much each of our patients have accomplished since their injury or illness. We invite the community to join in our celebrations and to learn of the successes that rehab brings to patients at our hospital every day.”

All Week
A display in the front lobby will be updated each day with a “Gold Medal” achievement. These will include Joint Commission Certifications in Stroke and Brain Injury as well as a Top 10 Ranking
out of 100 HealthSouth Hospitals nationwide.

Monday, Sept. 17
A Patient Party/Open House will be held at 1:30pm – 3:00pm in our therapy gym with refreshments.

Tuesday, Sept. 18
A Patient Reunion Luncheon will be held from 11:30am-1:00pm for patients that have “graduated” from HealthSouth in the past year. An RSVP is required at 812-437-6131. We will an “open microphone” to encourage patients and therapists to share happy/sad/funny stories about their rehab and recovery.

Wednesday, Sept. 19
The highlight of the week is the Rehab Olympics!!
12 teams of 4 people from the community will compete for Gold medals and all will hope to avoid the last place
award of the Golden Bed Pan!
This event will take place at 12:30pm-1:30pm on the east lawn outside HealthSouth. Physical, Occupational, and Speech therapy have planned activities for our teams that will create awareness of a
particular disability.

Thursday and Friday are dedicated to employees and celebrating within the hospital, however, tours and an “open house” policy will be in place the entire week from 8:00am-4:00pm.

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