Highway Commissioner Slush fund uncovered by State Board of Accounts

A few months ago the County Highway Superintendent was allowed to retire while the department was said to be under investigation.  On December 5th the Indiana State Board of Accounts announced its findings.

Here are some the overview:

RECEIPTS NOT RECORDED OR DEPOSITED 

Ronald N. Quakenbush, County Highway Superintendent, was responsible for the operations of the Highway Department.  Among the duties of the Highway Superintendent is the removal and disposal of old culverts, guard rails, and other items of salvageable materials. 

The normal process for disposal of these items was to haul them to various recycling companies.  The truck drivers, at the time of delivery of the scrap, would receive either cash or vouchers.  If they received vouchers, they would immediately turn them into cash at the machines provided at the recycling company, and then, the receipts along with the cash, were given to the Highway Superintendent.  

The Highway Superintendent was to turn the monies received into the County Auditor to be deposited into the County's bank account and recorded in the County Highway Fund. There were allegations made by some of the employees of the Highway Department that not all monies received from the sale of this scrap metal were being turned into the County Auditor.  

They stated they would bring the receipts from the recycling companies and the cash to the Highway Superintendent and he would put some of the money into a locked drawer in a filing cabinet in the Highway office.  According to these employees, there was a significant amount of cash in the drawer at all times.  These employees also stated on numerous occasions they would be given cash from that drawer to purchase items for the Highway Department and bring the receipts to the Superintendent.  

In some instances, the Highway Superintendent would then submit a claim, along with these receipts to the County Auditor for reimbursement, as if he had paid for these items personally.  In addition to the above allegations, they also  stated he would use money from the drawer to purchase candy, water, soft drinks, and ice cream and then sell them to the employees 

EXAMINATION REPORT OF FLOYD COUNTY HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT


Mr. Quakenbush has been asked to repay the County $17,000

When Black Friday Comes

This week in MY FRIDAY COLUMN I take a look at what has been referred to as "Black Friday":

WHEN BLACK FRIDAY COMES

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons have all been deflated and put into storage until next year.  The turkey has been consumed and the effects of the Tryptophan have worn off.  The dishes should all be cleaned and put away by now and the football games are all over with.  .Thanksgiving Day is officially over and the Christmas season has officially begun.  

Many Americans celebrate the start of the holiday season by waking up early and hitting the malls and the “big box” stores.  The stores have begun opening earlier and earlier while their door buster sales have gotten bigger.  News helicopters will hover over the stores to show those at home what they are missing including traffic jams, overflowing parking lots,  and lines that rap all the way around many of the stores.

Most of the big retailers use to wait until early morning to unlock the doors that had been closed while their employees and families enjoyed Thanksgiving with their loved ones.  This year they decided to get a jump on things by opening earlier than they ever have before.  Several retailers thought that instead of opening early Friday morning they could get a jump on things by opening their doors at midnight.  Not to be outdone, the leaders of Walmart made plans to open at 10 pm Thursday evening with staggered start times for various deals that they were promoting.

When the retailer Target announced that they would be opening at midnight it set off a backlash from some of their employees.   One Target employee decided to make a stand when he realized he would have to go to bed in the middle of the afternoon in order to wake up and go to work.  With a little help from FACEBOOK he gathered over 190,000 signatures on a petition and hand delivered them to executives in Minneapolis.  

Some people wonder why the stores continue to open earlier and earlier each year?  The reason is fairly simple, if customers continue to shop earlier, they will continue to open.  If there was no demand, they would just open at normal hours with normal sales for normal people.

I work for a retailer that is open every day of the year.  Many of the locations, including the one where I work for have no different hours on any Holiday.  We stay open 24 hours 365 days a year and we never close.  I wouldn’t even know where to find a key if I had to try to lock the door.  When people have asked why we stay open, the powers that be always have the same answer, because of the customers.  Some people have said that it is wrong to be open on Christmas, for many stores in our chain, that is by far, the busiest day of their year.

Many people that I have talked to have said they would never get out in that mess.  If “Black Friday” is not your cup of tea, the next day is “Small businees Saturday”. Conceived last year by the American Express credit card company, to spur gift buying at neighborhood stores.  This year Fed-Ex donated $25 American Express Gift Cards to the first 30,000 people who “liked” their FACEBOOK page on November 1st.    So American Express, Fed-Ex and FACEBOOK have joined forces to get more people to shop at small business.

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY: FACEBOOK

Studies have shown that when you shop at locally owned independent businesses significantly more money is returned to the community in which they are based.  Local independent business owners are  people with ties to the community, and a vested interested on what goes on here.  Local business owners generally hire employees with better knowledge of the products they are peddling and usually have more time to get to know their customers. 

What if fewer people woke up early and rushed out to local malls and “big box” retailers on Friday?  What if you just slept in and waited until normal people shop and find a local independent business to spend a portion of your Christmas dollars.  If   a significant number of people could make a simple lifestyle choice it would have a huge impact on the community that we live.  Maybe someday the big businesses can open at a reasonable hour and their employees can enjoy the holidays with their families.

Facing some Critiques

This week in MY FRIDAY COLUMN I take a look at the comments that people have posted concerning some recent columns that I have written:

FACING SOME SOME CRITIQUES

As a writer of a weekly opinions column I appreciate any feedback that I receive.  I believe by letting me know how you feel about a particular column will help me become a more talented writer.  The best way to communicate your admiration  or disdain for a particular article I write is to email me your response.  I read every email and try to respond to each.  It is the best way to communicate if you would like to discuss a particular topic.

Another way to express yourself is to write a comment on the online version of each of my columns.  While the tab you click “Add a comment on this story” is listed under a heading of “Discussion” it is not a very good vehicle for a constructive dialogue.  The comments are not posted in real time because they are scrutinized by a moderator for appropriateness.  It can be hours or even full days before your comment is seen so a discussion of the topic can be difficult.  

I try to read each of the comments that are posted online but I generally do not comment.  Today I would like to take some time to reply to some of the feedback that I have received.

A few weeks ago I wrote a column about the funding of our local parks department.

EVERYONE SHOULD PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE

  I was pointing out that the inequitable funding between the city and county governments and it was somehow turned around and I was being labeled a communist.  I was asking that county government at least live up to their agreement and pay an even share that the city pays.  I never said ‘from each according to his need’ as I was accused.

Another commenter “BOB” wrote “if you live in the county and pay more to the county coffers we should pay more to support city expenses.”  One of the problems with this statement is that city residents pay county tax at the same rate as those who live outside of city limits.  City residents also pay city taxes for the services that we receive.   That means that people who live within the boundaries of New Albany are paying twice.   I was only pointing out that the county leaders should pay a fair share, I wasn’t stating that people outside the city should pay any more.

The next column that received some attention was pertaining to the New Albany’s police chief and his decision to change the take home car policy to help shore up his budget.

POLICE UNION SHOULD WORK WITH CHIEF

 I was labeled  “a  part of the good ole boy network downtown.”  I just pointed out that Todd Bailey at least deserves a consideration in the new mayor’s administration because of his willingness to take steps to fix our budget needs.

Another commenter posted “What did he do before being chief…I bet that pretty boy has never been in a fight.”  I do not know much about what Todd Bailey did before becoming chief.  I was only making judgments based on his job performance as chief.  I also do not know if he has ever been in a fight and do not think that it has any relevance.  Maybe if he has never been in a fight it shows something of his character or skills in navigating a difficult decision.  The fact that he may or may not be a “pretty boy” has no bearing on his ability to lead the New Albany Police Department.

This brings me to last week’s “Cheer and Jeers” section in the November 12-13 News and Tribune.

CHEERS AND JEERS NOVEMBER 12-13

In her jeer, reader and perennial letter writer, Shirley Ann Larner stated that “when you commit to writing a column, you should write a real column.”  I take my commitment seriously and will continue  to strive to write columns that readers enjoy.  Everyone will not appreciate each column on the same level and I am sorry you didn’t like that particular column.  I appreciate the comment “I believe Nash is a talented writer” , Thank you.

I would like to thank everyone who reads my columns each week, even the ones who do not agree with me.  If everyone agreed with my opinions, what would be the point of writing them down.  If you would like to discuss a particular topic feel free to send an email, that is posted at the end of each column.  You can also go to my blog site MyFridayColumn.blogspot.com.  I plan to be more diligent in posting and updating there.

I look forward to continue to writing my weekly column as long as there is an audience to read.

The Future seems Brighter in New Albany

This week in MY FRIDAY COLUMN (which appears in the weekend edition of the News and Tribune due to the Veterans Day Holiday)  I take a look at the future of our city after the Municipal elections this week.

THE FUTURE SEEMS BRIGHTER IN NEW ALBANY

Jeff Gahan earlier this year as
as he kicked off his campaign 

The votes have all been counted and the winners have all been declared (pending a challenge from Floyd County Republicans).  Hopefully all of the signs have been packed away and will not return until late next spring. The election is over and we finally know who the new mayor of New Albany will be.  We also know who he will need to work with on the city council when the new year begins.  Now it is time to start planning for the future of our city.

Beginning on January 1st, 2012. Mayor-Elect Jeff Gahan had better be prepared to hit the ground running because the citizens of New Albany have a track record of turning on our leaders pretty quickly.  The President of the United States usually has an unofficial deadline of 100 days to make his mark on the American people, the mayor of New Albany usually gets called out by the time of the first snow storm.

Since 1970 only two people have ever been re-elected in New Albany.  We have a current streak of three straight single term mayors that were all first elected with a considerable margin.  Why have the citizens of New Albany been so quick to turn on the mayor that they elect while continuing to send the same people back to the city council?

Many of the candidates that ran in this year’s election talked of  more cooperation between the new mayor’s administration and the city council.  Over the last several year’s the animosity between the administration and the council had gotten so bad the mayor just quit going to council meetings at all.  With six of Mayor-elect Gahan’s colleagues on the city council surviving reelection he should have a good working relationship with the new council that will take the oath of office on New Year’s Day.

I look forward to a city council and an administration with a plan for cooperation instead of  the animosity that has been evident over the last several years.  As long as the campaign promises were not just rhetoric, the future of our city is looking better after this week’s election.  

What would a New Albany that is run with cooperation look like? 

I hope that it gets cleaner.  Stricter code enforcement with enforceable laws with teeth to get the job done.  If we could get the city to look a little nicer it would go a long way attracting people that would like to invest their money here.  Attracting new businesses and filling some of our vacant housing will help in expanding our tax base which will ease the burden of the citizens who already call New Albany their home. 

With the mayor and city council working together maybe the roads would get paved before pot holes that are capable of consuming small cars are visible.  The vote to approve this years plan to pave streets was taken at the last city council meeting.  Wouldn’t it make a lot more sense to approve the plan at the beginning of the year then wait to argue about it in fall and try to squeeze it in before the weather turns bad?  

If the new Mayor and city council members are willing to work together maybe the leaders in Floyd County will be willing to sit down and discuss more equitable funding of joint ventures like the NA-FC Parks Department and a combined 911 center.  Some people believe that the parks are less important than other things.  I argue that a thriving system of parks and recreation would go a long way in revitalizing the pride in the citizens of New Albany.  Maybe 2012 is the year that we can finally break ground on a new outdoor swimming facility.

Jeff Gahan probably hasn’t had enough time to relax since his election on Tuesday night.  He has a lot of work to do between now and the first of the year to assemble his team who will lead New Albany into the future.  I look forward to seeing what the Gahan administration has in store for us and wish him the best of luck.

In his acceptance speech Tuesday night after his landslide victory Mr. Gahan said“ when we all work together our minds become stronger and our future becomes much brighter.”   After every election there is always the idea of a brighter future ahead.  I look forward to that future and am proud to be a part of it.  

Police union should work with chief

This week in MY FRIDAY COLUMN I discuss New Albany's chief of police and his decision to adjust the take home car policy and the Police unions challenge:

POLICE UNION SHOULD WORK WITH CHIEF


In early 2009 the fate of the economy was still in question and many companies were making adjustments or risk going out of business.  The company that I work for made the tough decision to eliminate overtime for all employees.  At the time everyone in my position was working at least four hours a week and some were working from seven to ten hours of overtime.  Many people had come to count on this extra money and believed that it was guaranteed to them.

Losing this overtime meant that many people at the company would lose from 10-20% of their annual salary virtually overnight.  Upper management justified their decision by saying that without this reduction in payroll would cause the loss of thousands of jobs in the future.  We don’t have a contract with our employer or a union to protect our interest.

Earlier this year New Albany’s Chief of Police Todd Bailey made the tough decision to change the department’s long standing policy concerning take home police cars.  Chief Bailey amended the policy so that members of the New Albany police department that lived outside of Floyd County would no longer be able to drive their patrol cars home.

When Chief Bailey announced his decision to change the policy he cited cost of fuel as his concern.  By the end of June of this year $114,000 of the $150,000 that was in the budget for fuel cost had already been spent.  I commend the Chief for his attempt to try to save his department and our city money by limiting the use of take home patrol cars.

As soon as the decision was made to change the take home car policy the union that represents the police officers filed a grievance.  Last week an arbitrator ruled for the union and forced the New Albany Police Department to reinstate the former policy and even pay damages to ten officers.  Now the Police Chief must find a way to make up the money in the Police Department budget another way.

The arbitrator in ruling in favor of the union cited a contractual obligation that all officers had to be treated equal in respect to their employment.  This means that they cannot take away the cars of some officers, without taking them away from everyone.  While I support the union and their right to collective bargaining, I believe that they are wrong on this issue.  I believe that they should be willing to concede some of their benefits so that the department can operate within its budget.  What if their hard-line stance on the take home car policy ultimately cost jobs?  Would it not be better to make some small sacrifices then to have some staff reductions in the future?

The Police and Fire departments have been under attack over the last few years because of New Albany’s budget problems.  Now when the chief of police tries to take action that will save the taxpayers of New Albany some money, the Union stands in his way.   What has the union done to help the police department to live within the constraints of its budget?

If the chief of police is unable to keep the city’s patrol cars within the boundaries of our county, then I think then maybe police officers that reside outside of Floyd County should pay a surcharge for the extra mileage that they put on the cars.   I think this would be a compromise that is fair to everyone.

Todd Bailey has made some great strides in his short stint as chief of police.  He has change the way that the department operates and has made the streets of New Albany a safer place.  Next week the citizens of New Albany will go to the polls to elect a new mayor, I hope that the one that is chosen will at least give Chief Bailey a chance to continue some of the programs that he has started.  At least one of the candidates has made the statement that no one that has held the position of Chief would be considered for the job in his administration.  I believe that it is short-sighted to not even consider a qualified candidate who has shown that he is willing to do things differently in order to get the job done.

The job of police officer is a difficult one no matter if you live in New York City of New Albany, Indiana.  I appreciate the job that they do and do not blame them for trying to receive the most out of the benefits that they receive.  I also think that is important for members of the police department and their union to work with the chief of police and the administration to work within the constraints of their budget.

It's that time of year again...

This week in MY FRIDAY COLUMN I take a look at New Albany's premiere event

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN

It is starting to get dark earlier in the evening and stays dark longer in the mornings. The morning temperatures are starting to dip to a point to where it is down right cold if you leave your windows open all night. Soon the leaves will begin to change and eventually fall off the trees, and raking them up will be the bane of my existence. Fall has come to Southern Indiana and that means one thing to the citizens of New Albany, it is Harvest Homecoming time.

Now in its forty-fourth year the Harvest Homecoming has grown from a simple pumpkin festival, to one of the largest events held in the State of Indiana. Hundreds of thousands of people converge on downtown New Albany to visit the party that “was conceived as a means of bringing the people of southern Indiana together to share in its wealth of talent, historic background and beauty”, according to their website.

A parade kicks off the festivities held annually on the first Saturday in October followed by four “booth days” the following weekend. The parade has featured such dignitaries as Davy Jones of the Monkees and Tom Wopat of the Dukes of Hazzard. Many people line the parade route and cheer on the floats as the travel from New Albany High School to the heart of downtown. I have participated in the parade as a spectator and as a participant and there is nothing like it in this part of the state.

People travel to New Albany to visit the Harvest Homecoming for a variety of reasons. Many people come down to eat the food that is only available this time of year. Some come down for the chicken and dumplins, others for the fresh made doughnuts. I always enjoy a ear of roasted corn and wash it down with a pork chop sandwich.

Others come downtown to see people that they haven't seen since last year's Harvest Homecoming. For years there are a few people that I always make it a point to see while I am down there. Some of them include people that I went to high school with and others are people that I worked with years ago. Some work at the same booths every year and I always make a point to stop by and say hello.

There are also those that come to see the entertainment. Whether there is a rock and roll show at the riverfront on Friday night or a group of school kids singing or square dancing on the official Harvest Homecoming stage, there is something available for everybody. For years I worked a booth where we could watch the old Pearl Street stage and I remember the belly dancers that seemed to be scheduled every year on Sunday afternoon.

Until the last few years, many people only came to downtown New Albany during the Harvest Homecoming. Lately that trend has changed with many dining and shopping options opening up in recent years. Now local citizens here have more reasons to visit our once floundering downtown area.

There has been some grumbling from people who own businesses downtown for things like trash thrown around and booth operators taking over the sidewalks in front of their business. Some places even close down there business for those days because of the problems. Even the YMCA which has been heralded as the catalyst for some of the Renaissance downtown schedules its annual shut down during the booth days. Downtown merchants contribute to our city for the other 361 days of the year and should be given some consideration.

I talked to a mayor from the early 1970's once and he said in the early days there was a proposal to move the booths to the center of the street back to back so as not to disturb the daily operations of the permanent businesses. This might be a legitimate compromise if the Harvest Homecoming committee would be willing to make some adjustments. Of course change is often hard implement even it would be a huge benefit to our entire city.

Another idea that has been tossed out is moving the whole thing to the riverfront. Putting all of the booths in one long shoot from West 10^th to East Sixth Street would be interesting and would bring citizens back to their river heritage. There would be some logistical problems with parking with many people fear that crossing the flood wall would be too much of an obstacle.

The Harvest Homecoming has a little something for everybody. I have been visiting it for most of my life and have experienced from the position of booth operator, booth volunteer and as a private citizen just enjoying the show. I look forward to it every year and who knows, maybe I will see you downtown this weekend.

New Albany Community Garden

Last Thursday night I attended a meeting of people interested in starting a community garden or multiple gardens around New Albany.  While only a few people were at the meeting several great ideas were discussed.  It was pointed out that if this is going to come to fruition next growing season some important decisions will have to made pretty quickly.

In order to gauge interest and to make sure that we head in the right direction an informal survey has been created and it is important that if you have some interest that your opinion be heard.

NEW ALBANY COMMUNITY GARDEN SURVEY

Please fill out and pass along to anyone that you might think is interested.

Six Months and $20 million Later...

A who's who of Kentuckiana politics descended upon the New Albany Fire Department Headquarters Friday morning to deliver the news that the cost and time frame estimates to repair the Sherman Minton Bridge would be six months and $20 million.





Jeffersonville Mayor Tom Galligan now looks like a genius having his estimate of six months just after the bridge was closed on September 9th, while everyone else was waiting until after the entire inspection was completed.

News and Tribune Coverage:  Governors: Bridge fix to take six months

Everyone seemed optimistic that coming up with federal funds would be easier since October first marks the first day of the fiscal year and there would be more money available that was not already spoken for.

Let's put the bridge closure in perspective

For nearly half a century the bridge crossing the Ohio River between Louisville and New Albany has stood as a symbol representing our city.

This week in MY FRIDAY COLUMN I take a look at our community's first full week coping without the Sherman Minton Bridge.

LET'S PUT THE BRIDGE CLOSURE IN PERSPECTIVE 

 A week has gone by since the Sherman Minton Bridge was closed and now they are saying it is possible that it may not be open for quite some time. It was reported that it will take up to three weeks just to inspect the entire span and repair estimates range from a few weeks to six months to several years depending on the extent of the damage. There is a lot of speculation of what could happen but it is clear that nobody knows for sure.

The most important thing to consider is this is not the end of the world. While it may be the end of the world as we knew it, we will survive just by making a few changes in our everyday lives. The first few days commuter traffic has been better than I thought it would be with most people adapting nicely. I thought that there would be a lot more chaos caused by people that were using any means possible to get to where they were going, but so far cooler minds have prevailed. The question remains What will happen if this condition persist for weeks, months or even years?

Some business people in New Albany are concerned that a prolonged closure of the bridge might negatively impact their business. With traffic tie ups and some former access points now limited it is just another blow in an already tough economy. Now that driving to Kentucky is not as easy an option as it was before, it is time for people to consider what our local communities have to offer. You can get just about anything you need on the “Sunny Side” of Louisville, without the hassle of gridlock traffic standing in your way.

The news of the bridge closure had barely gotten out when members of the Ohio River Bridges Authority were basically telling us “I told you so”. The problem is that they do not understand the argument of their opponents basically because they refuse to listen. Most people that oppose their plan, those who “Say no to tolls”, aren't against cross river mobility, they are against a plan that has gotten so swollen it cannot be paid for. Most people agree that the East End Bridge is the only bridge that would have helped in our current situation, funneling more people through downtown Louisville is not the answer

.

No one has proven to me that a new downtown bridge would do anything to help relieve congestion. It is unnecessary and nearly triples the cost of the entire project. In the years that have passed since the “record of decision” was formally adopted, our world has changed radically. It is time that The Louisville and Southern Indiana Bridges Authority consider other alternatives other than their two bridges, one project plan, whatever the cost. Especially if major repairs or even replacement of the Sherman Minton is called for.

Now that we have been put in a position as a community to come up with our own solutions maybe we can have some actual discussion about how best to spend our money on infrastructure projects. It is also time we take a look at options that may be out there that could help making getting across the river easier. There have been many “ideas” put out there on how to make the rush hour commute a little easier the range from the simple to the simply ridiculous. But I believe a few have merit.

A ferry service was started on Wednesday from downtown Jeffersonville to the wharf in Louisville. The Spirit of Jefferson will take passengers across the river for a two week trial period to see if there is enough interest to continue. Only a few passengers took advantage of the service on its first day of service and officials hope that more people will utilize it. Some people have said that it is not a viable solution because that most of the journey is actually getting to the river. Once you are there, you might as well just cross the Kennedy or Clark Memorial Bridges.

Some people have also suggested that the K & I Bridge be opened to traffic in order to alleviate some of the congestion. I was not even aware that the bridge that opened in 1886 was safe for travel until a local news helicopter spotted people using it to avoid traffic jams. It was later reported that those spotted crossing the bridge were railroad employees.

Norfolk Southern who owns the bridge has been reluctant in the past to discuss the possibility of reopening it, even to pedestrian traffic. They list safety, security and liability as their concerns of allowing traffic on the span that they still use strictly for a railroad bridge. I think local leaders should try to persuade Norfolk Southern to open up this alternative to help alleviate the congestion. I think this will be a great addition to the Ohio River Greenway Project and benefit this entire community for years to come.

Only time will tell how Southern Indiana will cope with the loss of the Sherman Minton bridge. I think we can use this crisis to pull together as a community and come out of this with a better grasp on what is really important. For far too long we have taken things for granted and when we lose those things some question whether we can survive. Surviving is the easy part, getting through rush hour traffic, that is going to be a little harder, for now.

Matthew Nash can be reached at dmatthewnash@gmail.com

My Solution:

Maybe, while we take the time to figure out the best way to fix this...

...We take a look at getting a few more of these

TAKE SOME TIME TO REMEMBER

This week in MY FRIDAY COLUMN I take a look at that tragic day ten years ago this weekend.
TAKE SOME TIME TO REMEMBER

Most people that are a little older than my parents can tell you what they were doing when they heard that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. Every baby boomer can tell you where they were when they heard that President Kennedy was assassinated. People of my generation remember how they felt when they heard the news that the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded after take-off. To this day I can still remember what I was doing and how I felt ten years ago this weekend, when hijackers took over four planes and flew them into the twin towers of the World Trade Center and Pentagon and crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

 

I was off work that day and had not been out of bed for very long, I had worked late the night before. I am a little embarrassed to admit but I was watching a wrestling program that I had taped from a few days earlier. The place that I worked for at the time was considering advertising on the program and one of the performers told us that he would mention us on the air that weekend. I got a call from my wife at the time to turn on the television, someone was attacking us.

I turned the television station to one of the broadcast networks to see the first tower smoldering. A few minutes after I begin watching, wondering what was actually happening, another plane flew into the second tower. I continued watching as the events of that long day unfolded. The towers collapsed, the news of an attack on the Pentagon and the crash landing in Pennsylvania with speculation of what its intended target might have been.

I watched all day long up until I had to pick my eleven year old up after school that day. I was nervous on how much I would have to explain about what had happened, I wasn't even sure that I understood most of it myself. They had already had some discussion in school about what was going on at school and he seem to understand.

The next day I had to return the work. I was curious of how the attacks had affected the people that I worked with. My boss at the time seem to be taking it pretty hard. He had grown up in New York City and knew the areas affected well. He also had a brother that worked in the “Windows of the World” restaurant that was near the top of the one of the towers and he had not heard from him yet. The attacks occurred at a time that he would not have normally been at work, but he was worried nonetheless.

Another issue that we had to deal with at work that I had not anticipated was an elevated level of anti-Muslim sentiment. We had several African immigrants working for us, mostly from the Republic of Senegal, who practiced the Muslim religion. Some fellow employees were emotional about this and were very vocal in their opposition. They believed that these people hated America and should not be allowed to work there. Nothing could have been further from the truth. These people had traveled to America legally and were on the path to citizenship. They had left their homeland in search of a better place for their families to live.

Around our country peoples attitudes began to change almost automatically. There was a new level of patriotism that had not been seen in many years. Rows of houses could be seen flying flags in neighborhoods everywhere. The Sunday following the attacks, many churches reported record crowds had attended church.

There are a number of things going on this weekend to remember those who died on that tragic day, September 11, 2001. Dedications are planned for the memorials in New York and Pennsylvania and other ceremonies all across the country. Locally there will be a service at 8 am at Riverview Towers on Scribner Drive in New Albany that is being organized by the local Firefighters Union.

Our world forever changed that day, ten years ago this weekend. Some things have change for the better, some for the worse. We can discuss and debate the mistakes we have made since the attacks another day. We should take some time this weekend and try to remember how we felt that day when our country was under attack. Remember those who lost their lives that day and remember those that risked their lives trying to save others.

Smart Growth Would be Progress

This week in MY FRIDAY COLUMN I tackle the problem that New Albany deals with with empty buildings and continued development when there seems to be no true plan.

SMART GROWTH WOULD BE PROGRESS

Several months ago the Sonic Drive-in restaurant in the 2500 block of Charlestown Road closed down literally overnight. Besides depriving me of “half price Happy Hour” slushees from 2-4 weekdays, it also has brought a little more blight to a neighborhood. Along with the vacant building and broken signage, trash and debris are beginning to pile up around the parking lot.

A few weeks ago just a block away, the electronic reader board at the Taco Tico announced that it was now closed and invited people to visit their Louisville location. That restaurant had been open a relatively short amount of time, they had remodeled an old Kentucky Fried Chicken that had moved further out Charlestown Road.

The now empty Taco Tico sits right next door to a former Taco Bell that has sat empty for many years. It had a short spin as a Mr. Spaghetti but that didn't last long. The property remains uncared for most of the year with a crew coming out a couple times a year to mow down the weeds, I always assume a Real Estate agent has a client on the hook and they are preparing to “show” the property. On the other side sits a Wendy's restaurant that has been trying to move down the road for a number of years.

The Colonial Manor shopping center sits across the street and is just now receiving a new major tenant. Save a Lot grocery is planning on opening in the building that has sat mostly vacant since Kroger moved out years ago.

Our community along with every community around needs new developments in order to grow. An expanded tax base along with the jobs that would be created would also be a huge benefit. Here in New Albany and Floyd County we need our growth to be a little smarter than it has been in years past. We can no longer accept the consequences of growth without the proper planning and forethought in order to keep from making the same mistakes, over and over again.

Our county leaders have been trying for years to try to develop land on Grant Line Road adjacent to Sam Peden Community Park. I am sure that if the economy had not gone sour a few years back they would have already sold the property and black top would already be covering one of the largest parcels of “green space” left in the area.

What would our county leaders do with the few million dollars that they plan to earn from the sale of this property? They might use it remodel the former Pine View School that they purchased to house the Floyd County Youth Shelter. They could use the money on the third trial of that state trooper who killed his family. They could use the money for expanding and running the Floyd County Jail, no conflict there, Mr. President. Whatever they spend the money on, when it is gone, it's gone.

After the land is developed and the grass is no longer there, it will never come back again. It will forever be a strip mall or a box store or an empty building that sits and gathers trash. Of course I am sure that drainage will no longer be a problem, since we always trust our developers to manage the extra runoff water so well.

Leaders of our Parks Department are also concerned that developing the land near the entrance of the park will ruin the aesthetics of the park. With many people disposable incomes taking a hit these days, sometimes a day at the park has to be a substitute for spending our limited entertainment dollars. On a nice sunny weekend, you can see families enjoying every corner of the park. We must stand strong and not let our County leaders sell this most valuable asset, just to make a fast buck.

Strategic planning has never been a strong point in this community. We have made some progress in the last few years, but we have decades to make up for. I am not against progress and I can understand the importance of expanding our tax base but we cannot continue to allow developers to build without looking to how it will affect our future.

I do not know what is in store for the futures of Grantline and Charlestown Road. A decade from now, I would love to drive down those streets and not see empty fast food restaurants and empty strip malls. Keeping our green space “green” is a step in the right directions, I just hope that our leaders get the message before it's too late.

Who us paying for 1sI endorsements?

This week in MY FRIDAY COLUMN I take a look at the plan for One Southern Indiana, our local chamber of commerce and their plan to make endorsements in this year's municipal election.

WHO IS PAYING FOR 1sI ENDORSEMENTS?

Each week I sit down at my laptop computer and type out my opinions for you to read. Some weeks many people agree with my opinion, some weeks, many people don't. I often wonder why some people that disagree with me every week, continue to read, I am just glad that they do. It is clear that I am not going to change some people's opinions and I doubt that they can change mine

.

That is what is great about this country, everyone is allowed to have a different opinion about a subject, and everyone is allowed to express that opinion any way that they feel. As a person that believes wholeheartedly in the “Freedom of Speech” that is guaranteed in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, I would never stand in the way of someone's right to express themselves.

Last week in an announcement that was published in The News and Tribune, One Southern Indiana the local chamber of commerce group, declared that they would once again make endorsements in this year's election. They will endorse candidates for mayor in New Albany, Jeffersonville and Charlestown. This is something they started last year when they took sides in the local statehouse races and the United States House of Representatives. I spoke out about it last year, and my opinion has not changed.

My problem with One Southern Indiana endorsing candidates is based on their desire to have local municipalities partially fund their programs. They were asking the city of New Albany for $70,000 last year about the same time that they announced who they planned on endorsing for the General Election. Will how those members voted for or against funding affect the pending endorsements this year? While they insist that the money they use as part of their political action committee is separate from their economic development money, there is always going to be a perception of shenanigans.

I decided to write this opinions column before the announcement is made on who they plan to endorse. Last year when I wrote about the 1sI endorsements I was criticized by some who said my opinion would be different if they had chosen to endorse candidates that I supported. I would have been critical of their decision no matter what candidates they chose. If they are going to continue to ask municipal governments for funds then they should probably get out of the election business.

My problems actually started with One Southern Indiana a few weeks prior to their plan to endorse candidates was announced last year. It was their endorsement of the Ohio River Bridges project and their unwavering support for the Bridges Authority that changed my mind. The New Albany city council was the first government body to publicly denounce the use of tolls, and then 1sI turned around and asked them for money few weeks later. It seemed counter productive to me for the city council to denounce the use of tolls and then turn around and give money to a group that trumpeted the Ohio River Bridges Project, whatever the cost.


Last year I wrote this column concerning One Southern Indiana's funding request that had come before the city council at same meeting it was voting on its "NO TOLLS" resolution.

CITY COUNCIL CAN SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE

I was at the New Albany City Council meeting last year when One Southern Indiana made their case for funding. They were asking for $70,000 at a time when New Albany had not seen a balanced budget in several years. Many of the council members were worried about how it would look to give money to a group who was now in the political action committee game. In the end a compromise was made and the group was given $30,000. I just wonder if members of the city council were looking ahead to this year's election when they were considering the funding request? I am sure that it was at least in the back of their minds.

I encourage everyone to get involved with the election process. I think it is important for everyone to learn as much as they can about the people that we will be going to the polls to elect. I cannot stop One Southern Indiana from making whatever endorsements that they see fit. I believe it is unethical for them to ask local governments for money, if this is the path that they have chosen.   

1sI Endorsements: A look back

With the announcement this week that One Southern Indiana will once again make political endorsements, I am curious how the vote that the New Albany City Council took last year will affect their decisions.

1sI to endorse Mayoral Hopefuls by Daniel Suddeath

Here is my column from October 8, 2010 where I reflect on the council meeting where the funding request was discussed

This week in My Friday Column I discuss my journey to a strange world:

WHAT A BIZARRE CITY COUNCIL MEETING

Dan Coffey was making sense to me, and I agreed with him.  Steve Price, sporting a new clean cut look was in control of his emotions and was remaining logical.   

Monday night's city council meeting was one for the ages.  It was interesting to see 1sI member Bob Caesar pitching slow-pitch softballs to Mike Dalby.  Even better was the nasty "Knuckler" that city council president John Gonder threw, while Mr. Dalby just swung.

 Mr. Gonder related of how he ran into someone from a company that was listed in some of the literature that was presented.  Basically the person denied that Mr. Dalby’s group had any involvement in the company’s growth, contrary to 1sI’s claims. 

Some One Southern Indiana members were on hand for the public comments portion of the meeting.  Everyone basically said the same thing.  They never could have grown or expanded their company in New Albany without the help of 1sI.  The only specific thing that they could say that the group actually did for them was helped them to get tax abatements and other incentives.

So as I am listening, what it sounds like to me is that Mr. Dalby and 1sI are asking for $70,000 in Economic Development Income Tax money so they can teach their members to come before the council and ask for more tax money

It was clear that most of the council members were upset that 1sI decided to endorse candidates in the upcoming election.  As a private organization they are allowed to do whatever they want.  I am the last person in the world that would get in the way of anyone's freedom of speech, just don't ask me to pay for it.

I agree with his assessment that their organization has every right to get involved to advance their political agenda but I do not think that the city of New Albany should be asked to subsidize them.

TOLERANCE AND UNDERSTANDING IS COMMON SENSE

This week MY FRIDAY COLUMN takes a look at the Amy Gesenues column from July 20, 2010:
BEING GAY ISN'T WRONG 

While I believe that Amy wrote a good column and I would not try to speak for her, I thought it was important to point out some of the hypocrisy in the comments from that column:

TOLERANCE AND UNDERSTANDING IS COMMON SENSE

In 1977 the ABC television network introduced us to the television show “Soap” as part of their prime time lineup. The show, which was a parody of daytime dramas, featured comedian Billy Crystal as Jodie Dallas who was one of the first gay characters on television. Right wing and religious groups mounted a letter writing campaign to complain about the character, reportedly generating up to 30,000 pieces of mail before the show even aired.

A few weeks ago one of my fellow guest columnist wrote a column entitled “Being gay isn't wrong”. Amy Gesenhues wrote a sincere and honest story of love for her friends and family that happen to be homosexual. Almost immediately after the column was published online, she began being attacked by those with different opinions. I believe that a dialogue between the opinions columnist that appear on this page and the reader is important but after reading some of the comments they were anything but constructive.

The first comment from “Randy” which was timestamped at 12:33 am said “Being gay is not flowers and sunshine...In fact it's disgusting and goes against nature.” From there they didn't get much better. While some of the comments were supportive and simply thanked her for writing the column, many were judgmental and cited their moral and religious beliefs as their reasoning for speaking out against homosexuality.

While I am not a biblical scholar I do consider myself a fairly religious person. I went to Sunday School as a child, and I am pretty familiar with the teachings of Jesus Christ. If a bible category comes up on Jeopardy I can usually answer four out of the five questions correctly.

Many people invoke the name of Jesus when they use religion as their justification against homosexual behavior. If you ask them sometimes they use the always popular “God created Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve”. Many times they site Leviticus 20:13 “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination” these two examples are from the Old Testament. Christianity is a religion that is rooted in the New Testament. Jesus spoke often of tolerance and acceptance and I am pretty sure there was something in there about judging others.

It is interesting to point out that over the years we have become more accepting of what exactly is considered a sin. I would venture that adultery is more prevalent in our society than homosexual behavior but it is tolerated much more readily. I think that heterosexual promiscuity is more of an attack on our family and values than homosexual behavior, why has no one come forward to ban that?

The Indiana legislature is working on having a ban on gay marriage added to the Indiana Constitution. Most of the Republican presidential candidates have signed a pledge to amend the US Constitution to include a ban on gay marriage. Why are our leaders spending their time trying to deny citizens rights that others are guaranteed? I believe that there are far more important thing to deal with.

Not only were there many comments posted on the online version of two people took the time to write an actual letter to the editor. I do respect someone who would take the time to actually send a letter to the editor and at least they have a little more conviction than those who post anonymously on the internet. I just feel that they missed the point of Amy's column. Betty Robertson of Jeffersonville stated that “the simple facts are man and woman are made for one reason-to have sex and produce children”. Personally I believe that life is a little more complex than that. She went on to say “...in the way that you are teaching your children, you are almost telling them to be gay.” Teaching children that being gay isn't wrong is not telling them to be gay, just that they will be loved without judgment, whatever they choose.

It took great courage for Amy Gesenhues to write her column. I applaud her for telling the world her opinion that she believed that “Being Gay isn't wrong”. It is that type of unconditional love that will keep us moving forward as a society. Keeping a closed mind and judging others will only hold us back. If more people had the tolerance and understanding that Amy discussed, our world would be a better place.

Matthew Nash can be reached at dmatthewnash@gmail.com

Spending the day at Spring Mill

This week My Friday Column takes you back to years gone by with a trip to Spring Mill State Park in nearby Mitchell Indiana.

SPENDING THE DAY AT SPRING MILL

When your children reach a certain age it is sometimes hard to find family activities that everyone enjoys doing together.  Sometimes it is hard to hold the attention of my youngest son, who is nine and has grown up with a game controller permanently attached to his hand.  There are also times when my teenage son gets bored doing things that are age appropriate for his younger brother and sister and then there are times that the my little girl doesn't want to do something that her brothers enjoy doing.  When you find the activity that everyone enjoys you want to tell the world about it.

My children attend a church camp in Bedford, Indiana.  On the way home after dropping one of them off I like to treat the others by taking them to Spring Mill State Park in Mitchell, Indiana.  It seems to be one place that each of them has a great time and we always find something interesting to do there.  We have been able to stop twice this year and the kids cannot wait to return.  Each time we go we try to do something new and we still haven't done everything there is to do.

When you enter Spring Mill State Park you are charged a minimal fee of $5 per car for Indiana residents a price that is well worth it.  As you approach the gatehouse at the park entrance you immediately notice a fairly modern building to your right.  This is the Virgil I. (Gus) Grissom Memorial, a tribute to America's second man in space who was a native of Mitchell.  Coincidentally, the Liberty Bell 7 mission that propelled this local hero into space and history books occurred 50 years ago this week.

Inside the Memorial you see pictures and memorabilia from his childhood growing up in southern Indiana through his years with NASA until his death in 1967.  While the small museum holds important artifacts including space suits and an actual Gemini space capsule, my children found Gus's grade school report cards some of the most interesting.  High School Year books and other memories donated by friends and family makeup part of the collection and a short movie is shown about his life.

As you move on through the park you come to a sign pointing to the “Twin Cave Tour”.  This is the only cave that is open to the public on any of Indiana's Department of Natural Resources properties.  The other caves on  forestry properties have been closed to control the spread of White-nosed syndrome, a fungus that is killing bats throughout the eastern United States.

Two small specially designed boats, like squared off canoes ,are loaded up with up to ten people.  The  guides lead the boats through the stream that runs into the cave,  carefully pointing to the caves unique formations and occasionally stopping to see the creatures that call the caves their home.  This cool trip into the underground world last about twenty minutes and is great on a hot summer day.  No matter what the temperature is outside the cave's air conditioning is always set on cool.

The main feature of Spring Mill State Park is the Pioneer Village.  An actual working gristmill  grinds corn every day is the cornerstone of this community as it was when the original settlers made this valley their home.  Over twenty buildings sit on the grounds of this world that seems to have journeyed back in time over one hundred and fifty years.  You can see what the houses of those early settlers looked like as they tried to make a go of it in this new frontier.

You can visit the Mercantile and pick up some penny candy or visit the weaver's shop to see how clothes were made back then. Many of the attractions are manned by interpreters that live their lives as they did back then,  in traditional garb they tell stories of life in pioneer times.  My children loved watching the Blacksmith as he stoked his fire and bent and hammered his metal forging tools out of raw steel.

Spring Mill State Park has miles of trails for hiking for just about any skill level.  We walked back into the woods along a stream a few hundred yards to see a waterfall that is the source of power for the gristmill.  Bike paths are also available throughout the park for those who enjoy some two wheel exercising.  There is also an Olympic sized swimming pool to keep cool on a hot day and plenty of areas for picnicking.

Spring Mill State Park is only about fifty miles away, perfect for a single day trip but if you prefer spending the night lodging is available inside the park at the Spring Mill Inn.  If you are the type that would rather rough it, campsites are available also with different levels of accommodations.

Taking my kids on a trip where they all have a good time is a rewarding experience.  Taking them someplace that they learn something makes it that much better.  If you are looking for a place to take the family I believe you can't go wrong by spending the day at Spring Mill State Park.

Our Space Program at a Crossroads

As the Space Shuttle winds I take a look at the our space program in this week's column

OUR SPACE PROGRAM IS AT A CROSSROADS

I remember my father waking me up early one morning when I was younger to watch something that was about to happen on television. I believe that this was the first time that he had actually made me watch something, having told me countless times when I was younger to stop watching television. We were about to see something Live on television that had never happened before. The launch of the Space Shuttle Columbia was an historic launch for NASA, and for me.

Fire shot from the end of the orbiter and the smoke bellowed from the launch pad, as the crew began that first voyage of the space shuttle program. I sat there and watched the launch of that inaugural flight and it was one of the most exciting things that I had ever seen. At eleven years old I had seen Star Wars and Star Trek but I had never seen the launch of a real space vehicle. It was a new era for the space program and I was there to see it begin.

I was born between the flights of Apollo 12 and Apollo 13. The manned missions to the moon ended when I was only two years old. There were a couple of times that the launched missions to Skylab when I was younger but I was too young to remember those. This was a historic launch because this was the first time that a space vehicle would blast off, return to earth, landing like an airplane, and then be used again.

Last week I sat and watched the final launch of the space shuttle program and the end of American manned space flight for the foreseeable future. It seems the cost of the program has begun to outweigh the potential benefit. Have we gone everywhere there is to go? Have we learned everything there is to know?

John F. Kennedy announced our plans to beat the Soviet Union to the moon in his speech to congress in 1961. “No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important in the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish.” He realized that there would be a significant cost but the achievement would be worth it. The space program was a source of pride and something that the United States could do to set it apart from the Soviet Union.

One of the cost of the space program has been in human lives. The first lives lost to the American space program happened during a test of Apollo One. Three astronauts were killed in a fire on the launch pad just eighteen months before the historic moon landing. Included in that accident was fellow Hoosier Virgil I, Grissom. Hailing from nearby Mitchell Indiana, Gus, as he was known had been the second man in space. He was also rumored to be considered to be the commander of the first moon landing and could have been the first man to walk on the moon. Not too bad for a guy that grew up in a small town less than fifty miles from here.

In 1986 the Challenger exploded just after liftoff killing the crew of seven, including school teacher Christa McAuliffe. I was in high school when this happened and remember it like it was yesterday. After this tragic accident the program was put on hold for a while the program could be re-evaluated and so that changes could be made to the orbiter.

In 2003 the original space shuttle, Columbia, was destroyed during re-entry while completing its 28^th mission in space. All seven astronauts were killed when the shuttle exploded. It was determined that the shuttle's heat shield had been damaged during liftoff and the intense heat caused the shuttle to break apart as it prepared to land. Some believe this tragedy was what has led to the end of the space program as we have known it for a generation.

The space program has given us many advances in technology including engineering, electronics and telecommunications. Many of the things that most of do on a daily basis including cell phone or internet communications come from advances that came directly from the United States space program. Much of our ability to obtain weather data comes from technology that would not have been possible without space flight.

A couple of products are sometimes mistaken for coming directly from the space program. Tang the breakfast drink was created before the beginning of the space race and became popular after John Glenn used it on his mission into space. Velcro, the product that has delayed a generation from the ability to tie their shoes has become widely used because of NASA's adoption of it but they are often improperly credited with its invention.

As the last space shuttle mission comes to an end The United States space program is at a crossroads. I think there are still things we have to learn and there are still many places we have yet to go. I believe that we should continue to travel into space to so that we may learn more about this universe that we live in. JFK said it best in his speech to Rice University in 1962, “If this capsule history of our progress teaches us anything, it is that man, in his quest for knowledge and progress, is determined and cannot be deterred. The exploration of space will go ahead, whether we join in it or not, and it is one of the great adventures of all time...”