IS IT TRUE? July 8, 2011

IS IT TRUE that with all of the interest in the recently disclosed interest in an outside party to lead the refurbishment of the old Greyhound Bus Station the subject of what happened to cause the rest of the block to be vacant was raised by one of our readers?…that there was a building there that some people thought had some architectural significance that had fallen into disrepair and was for all practical purposes abandoned?…that this building was known as the “Skora Building”?…that several small pieces of the ornate stonework on the Skora Building fell to the ground one night?…that when big pieces of stone start falling to the ground that is an indicator that it may just start “raining stone” in the daytime?…that the night it rained stone from the Skora Building was the catalyst that was used by the City of Evansville to issue an emergency demolition order?…that the Skora Building is no more because of the danger of “raining stone”?…that the decision of the City of Evansville to demolish the Skora Building because of the stone raining down may have been the right decision because no one stepped forward with the money to refurbish the building and that it had become a public nuisance?…that raining stone really is dangerous to the public and that when parts start falling off of buildings it is time to raise them to the ground OR refurbish them right now?

IS IT TRUE that there is some evidence that some small pieces have been falling off of the McCurdy Hotel?…that there are absolute visual indications that some big chunks of ornamental stone are nearing the point of impending motion and will be crashing to the ground?…that there is tape around every entrance to the McCurdy Hotel that forbids entry?…that some of the potential for “raining stone” at the McCurdy will endanger the general public if they are not dealt with?…that if history is any indicator AND if the current administration is consistent in its actions that WHEN and we do mean WHEN a piece of stone crashes onto the street that a raise order will have to be issued?…that this would be a shame to let this landmark follow the Skora Building and the Executive Inn to the recycling graveyard?…that the picture in this article is just the most accessible example of a rock that is ready to fall?…that separations like this could be all over the McCurdy Hotel?…that a thorough inspection by City of Evansville Building Inspectors is in order?…that that inspection if there is the will to take this puppy on WILL result in orders to do repairs to protect the public safety from the potential for “raining stone”?…that this should be done before the end of July of 2011 so that the current owners are held accountable for the deteriorating condition of the McCurdy Hotel?…that it will be a travesty if the people of Evansville are stuck holding this bag along with the Executive Inn bag, the Parks bag, and the Sewer bag?…that proper VETTING of the developer by the Evansville Redevelopment Commission could have and should have prevented the McCurdy from rotting to this point?

IS IT TRUE that it has now been 1,529 days since the announcement was made on May 14, 2007 that the McCurdy Hotel was to be refurbished into luxury apartments?…that it has now been 1,382 days since the Evansville Redevelopment Commission at the request of Mayor Weinzapfel approved the spending of $603,000 to purchase the parking lot?…that City Centre Properties and Scott Kosene the developers of the McCurdy project are both listed as contributors to the Weinzapfel for Mayor committee for 2010?

IS IT TRUE that there are now 480 days remaining in the two years that the EPA had given the City of Evansville to present an acceptable solution to the Combined Sewer Overflow problem?…..that this plan is an expensive and complex endeavor that needs immediate attention to avoid the embarrassment and expense of another round of fines?

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Five award winners will be honored at Sustainable Evansville Awards Ceremony. The application deadline is July 29, 2011.

Nomination Category
An Award will be provided to acknowledge projects that excel in each of the following 5 categories: 1) Air, 2) Water, 3) Resource enhancement & Conservation, 4) Green Community, and 5) Education.

Nominee Eligibility
Projects must have been completed during January 1, 2006 and July 29, 2011. It has to be demonstrated that the project is leading the way to a more sustainable future for the Indiana-Evansville region, including Gibson, Posey, Vanderburgh, and Warrick counties.

Judging Criteria
The judging panel will select five winners who best meet the 3 criteria: 1) Innovation, 2) Impact, and 3) Leadership.

Award Ceremony
Mayor Weinzapfel will present the Awards at the Awards Ceremony. The date, time, and place will be announced shortly.

Agenda for Meeting of Board of School Trustees
Monday, July 11, 2011

2.03 Good News (Vice President Duckworth)
2.04 Public Comment Cards

3. Consent Items (Dr. David Smith)
3.01 Consideration of Minutes of the June 20, 2011 Board meeting
3.02 Consideration of Allowance of Payments
3.03 Consideration to purchase items from Extracurricular Accounts
3.04 Consideration to submit grant proposals
3.05 Consideration to approve the agreement between EVSC and CAPE Head Start
3.07 Consideration to approve the agreement between EVSC and Evansville Association for the Blind
3.08 Consideration to approve the agreement between EVSC and Blackboard
3.09 Consideration to approve the agreement between EVSC and Ivy Tech Community College
3.10 Consideration to approve the amendment to the agreement between EVSC and Apex Learning, Inc.
3.11 Consideration to approve the resolution to extend participation with Key Government
3.12 Consideration to approve the resolution authorizing petition to court for appointment of appraisers for North & a portion of SICTC
3.13 Consideration to realign the titles for athletic treasurers at the high schools
3.14 Consideration to approve the transfer of funds for Oak Hill School

4. Consideration of Personnel Recommendations (Dr. David Smith)
4.01 Personnel Recommendations (Smith)

5. Action Items
5.01 Appointment of Treasurer of the Board of School Trustees (Smith)

6. Public Comment
6.01 Public Comment

7. Continued Business (Dr. David Smith)
7.01 Continued Business

8. Adjournment

Time 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Subject DISABILITY ADVISORY BOARD
Location 301
Reminder 15 minutes
BONNIE FOX @ 4927
Categories ROOM 301

Of Course this took some Serious Planning and Staging to Do, not to Mention Waiver of Inspections. Can we Compete with This?

Time 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Subject TREE ADVISORY BOARD
Location 318
Recurrence Occurs the first Thursday of every 1 month effective 7/7/2011 until 7/7/2011 from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM
Reminder 15 minutes
SHAWN DICKERSON @ 475-1426
Categories ROOM 318

Time 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Subject AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Location 318
Reminder 15 minutes
LAURA
Categories ROOM 318

Time 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Subject EMPO TECHNICAL
Location 301
Recurrence Occurs the first Thursday of every 1 month effective 7/7/2011 until 7/7/2011 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Reminder 15 minutes
KARI @ 7833
Categories ROOM 301

Time 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Subject BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS
Location 301
Recurrence Occurs every Thursday effective 7/7/2011 until 7/28/2011 from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Reminder 15 minutes
Sharon Evans @ 4982
Categories ROOM 301

Time 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Subject EMPO POLICY BOARD
Location 301
Recurrence Occurs the first Thursday of every 1 month effective 7/7/2011 until 7/7/2011 from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Reminder 18 hours
KARI 2 7833
Categories ROOM 301

(EVANSVILLE, IN) – July 6, 2011 – To facilitate communication with citizens and area media outlets, Central Dispatch has set up a Twitter account to distribute emergency traffic advisories and other public safety alerts as requested by on-scene responders.

To access the Evansville Central Dispatch Twitter page, go to the link http://www.twitter.com/Evansville911 or search Twitter for “Evansville911.”

Central Dispatch supervisors will be posting the information as necessary, and content could include:
• Traffic information such as emergency road closings or restrictions.
• Missing, endangered persons.
• Other information as requested by emergency services personnel.

To report any type of emergency, call 9-1-1. Please do not attempt to contact Evansville Central Dispatch through Twitter for emergencies.

More information about Central Dispatch, including current statistics, can be found at http://www.evansvillegov.org/CentralDispatch

Greetings from Cotton, a 1-year-old spayed DSH. Cotton is a tiny girl with a huge personality. She is such a spunky little thing always looking for ways to start mischief. When she’s not testing the waters, you’ll find Cotton curled up in her favorite person’s lap. Cotton enjoys the company of other cats but wouldn’t mind being the center of attention. She also loves children but will be just fine in a home with adults. Cotton likes to pounce so she’ll definitely want a home with lots of toys she can chase around. For more information on how to make Cotton a member of your family, visit www.vhslifesaver.org or call (812) 426-2563.

IS IT TRUE? July 7, 2011

IS IT TRUE that for the fifth day in a row the trailing calculation for time online using the 3rd party measurements of Alexa.com and trafficestimate.com has the City County Observer slightly ahead of the Courier & Press?…that we continue to be pleased but also feel somewhat like the Milan High School Indians when they took the lead on larger and heavily favored Muncie Central to take the Indiana state basketball championship?…that we do not anticipate any movie deals coming our way but do relish the underdog role?

IS IT TRUE that yet another idea has come forth that may rescue the old Greyhound Bus Station?…that the group called Indiana Landmarks is hoping to place an office in the classic art deco building because of its perceived historical importance?…that the key to this rescue will lie in the local financial support that can be mustered to refurbish the building and then pay for the operational costs after the building is up to snuff?…that there will be room for other tenants in the building and that if a permanent outdoor market set up is established (like Owensboro is currently building) adjacent to the Greyhound Station that there may just be some commercial success in the block’s future?…that we must emphasize that this is a non-profit that is basically saying “Evansville, if you fix this building we will rent an office in it from you”?…that this is not a white knight with deep pockets bailing out an old downtown building?…that this is a good organization that is offering Evansville a chance and a vision to actually do something that has been talked about for 5 years now?…that if we as a community do not get behind this effort and make it happen that it is time to tear the building down?…that the same administration that is counting the seconds to tear down Roberts Stadium has been holding a rabbit’s foot about the Greyhound for 5 years now?…that here is our chance Evansville, do we want the bus station repaired or not?…that we are supportive of any and all efforts that step forward to raise some money for this?…that Evansville may COUNT THE CITY COUNTY OBSERVER IN WITH FREE ADVERTISING TO SUPPORT THIS EFFORT?

IS IT TRUE that the dust clouds are still rising over the final solution and dissolution that the 4 year effort to get a downtown Convention Hotel culminated in yesterday?…that four years ago when a proud Mayor Weinzapfel announced that Browning would be building a 4-Star hotel to replace the Executive Inn everyone was a little star struck that this could be possible?…that the project has been all downhill from there and that today the four year effort has degraded to the point that TAXPAYER DOLLARS are being committed to clean up the 10 foot pile of rubble and there is no contract in place?…that the new RFP was published alongside sheriff sale notices and other public bid contract opportunities like patching holes and painting outbuildings?…that yesterday was a TAIL BETWEEN THE LEGS DAY for the dog called the City of Evansville?

IS IT TRUE that the biggest question that is still nagging the CCO and many of our readers is how perfectly competent people can turn into mush when they find themselves appointed to government commissions or even elected to public office?…that we wonder why none of the financially savvy members of the Evansville City Council raised a red flag to the VETTING issue?…that we suspect that the red flag was raised but that the warnings were net heeded?…that we equally wonder how bankers and accountants on the Evansville Redevelopment Commission would casually ignore everything that they do in their professional lives about VETTING when they enter the Civic Center?…that whatever circumstances that cause well trained and well intentioned people to cast both professional and common sense aside when placed into positions of stewardship over public dollars MUST BE ELIMINATED?…that an uncompromising VETTING PROCESS that is adopted by both the ERC and the Evansville City Council would be a positive step forward to correct this cognitive dissonance that seems to afflict our elected and appointed leaders?

IS IT TRUE that the most disturbing question from a reader is “how many other things are as messed up as the hotel project and the McCurdy that are just not yet understood yet”?…that is a question that begs for answers?…that it is time for the CONE OF INCOMPETENCE to be removed from the Civic Center roof?