OHIO RIVER GREENWAY RIBBON CUTTING

This morning the Ohio River Greenway project phase from 18th Street to Silver Creek was officially opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

I first discussed this phase of the Greenway back in January when our unseasonably warm temperatures sent me on a journey to explore it, I detailed it in my weekly column.

GREENWAY PROJECT IN FULL SWING

Several dignitaries were on hand including Mayor Gahan and much of his staff, a single city councilman and one county councilman.  Several business leaders were also present each wearing One Southern Indiana Ambassador pins.

The path that extends from the cut in the floodwall at 18th street all the way to the deserted railroad bridge that crosses Silver Creek and into Clarksville.  Eventually the path will connect the communities of Clarkville, Jeffersonville and New Albany and eventually to Louisville via the Big Four Bridge and maybe someday the K & I Bridge.

I look forward to the day when this sign can be taken down.

Don't blame it on the Rain

This week in MY FRIDAY COLUMN I take a look at New Albany's never ending problem of continued desire to develop land formerly used for absorbing rain water without spending money to find a place for this water to go.

DON'T BLAME IT ON THE RAIN

Last Tuesday after ten blissful days of marriage I awoke early to put my new bride on an airplane for her to travel to Sacramento, California for a business trip that would keep her in the Pacific time zone for the next  18 days.  Never wanting to press her luck “Amy” enjoys getting to the airport several hours before the plane is to board, sometimes even before the airport even opens.  Most of the time this drives me bananas but this time it really didn’t.

It wasn’t because I was looking forward to her being gone for the second through forth weeks of our marriage, it was because I was excited to avoid the traffic associated with people returning to work after a long holiday weekend.  The other thing that worried me was the impending storm that was bearing down on our region.  Most people were actually looking forward to the rain after the sweltering heat of the Memorial Day weekend, but Louisville commuters have a problem dealing with rain on the roadways.

I was able to get home and return to my slumber before traffic got too bad and before the rain began to fall.  I was dozing  away on the couch when suddenly I was awakened by the sound of thunder.   As I rolled over to inspect what was happening outside I realized we were in the midst of a torrential downpour.  Most of the time I do not like it when it rains but after the lack of April showers my May flowers were really desperate for a nice watering.

VIEW FROM MY DRIVEWAY DURING RAIN
EVENT MARCH 2, 2012

We moved into our neighborhood in the summer of 2009 right around the time of the wettest few  months on record so I know what to expect when the rain starts to fall.  At the end of my next door neighbors driveway, and just across the street from that are two storm drains that should move water away from our street but do not work efficiently and also sometimes need cleaning. 

Many times during a major downpour you will see one of my neighbors or me, walking through knee deep water to insure that the grate is clear so water can flow as smoothly as possible.  Even with a drain that is cleared of debris when we have a major rainfall event, there is still flooding that occurs on our street.  The good news is it does go down quickly when the heavy raining stops.

New Albany has been historically bad about planning and zoning which goes hand in hand with their ability to move storm water efficiently away from neighborhoods.  City government allows new developments to come in and blacktop over areas that use to absorb rain as it fell but now is covered with impervious surfaces so we would have more place to drive, park and shop.  This was all done with little to no forethought about where rainwater would go when heavy rains would fall.

At this week’s New Albany city council meeting 6th district council member Scott Blair brought up the subject of neighborhood flooding in his district.  It was also pointed out that there were a couple of more problems around town including pooling of water around the intersection of Interstate 265 at State Street.  I grew up in this part of town and have witnessed the drainage getting progressively worse as the area was continuously developed.

Over the last few years I have been critical of developments in that area including several new doctors offices and the old Wesley Chapel Church sight which is currently under development.  Flooding in that area continues to be a problem but developments continue to get approved.

Each time a new development is planned some hippy types are always there to  complain about the possible storm water runoff. The protesters are always told that the developer will do what is necessary to control the overflow.  Retention basins or other forms of engineering marvels are used to assure the careful evacuation of all of the overflow water.  Years later neighbors downstream complain to council people that there is a problem but no one wants to address what caused it, just how much money it is going to cost to fix it.

If the leaders in this community wanted to get serious about flooding in neighborhoods around New Albany they would take a tougher look at planned developments.  I understand the need for progress and the important adding things like a new Doctor’s office and a Starbucks to the tax rolls but what is the cost to property that is already here.  Unless we take these things into consideration the problems that we have endured for all these years will only continue.

The Cost of Justice

This week in MY FRIDAY COLUMN I take a look at the ever growing cost of the David Camm triple murder trial.  After nearly twelve years the taxpayers of Floyd County are no closer to the end of this roller coaster than we were in the beginning.  Not to mention the emotional toll that this must be having on the family of the victims.

THE COST OF JUSTICE

Last week the Indiana Supreme Court refused to hear arguments over the appeals court ruling to remove Floyd County Prosecutor Keith Henderson from the David Camm murder trial.  What this means that a special prosecutor will be named to continue with the case.  It also means that the taxpayers of Floyd County will pay an even higher cost for the third murder trial of the former state trooper that has twice been convicted of killing his wife and two young children each conviction was later overturned on appeal.

While Mr. Henderson in interviews has made it quite clear that he disagrees with the decision of the highest court in the State, he still is totally at fault for his removal from the case.  His decision to write a book about the second murder trial, before it came to a full conclusion has resulted in the ever growing cost of the new trial.  I am disappointed in the prosecutors decision to use his position as an elected official in Floyd County to try to make a profit and then when the whole thing backfires sticks the County with the bill.

At every turn the price tag on this trial continues to rise.  Now, along with paying for the defense, we also have to pay for the new prosecutor.   There will also be additional cost of the new prosecutor to get up to speed on the case.   Some people have estimated that the third trial may cost as much as another $1 million.  

Not only are the taxpayers of our county paying for new prosecutors and defense attorneys, we have also been stuck with the bill for covering personal ethics complaints against Mr. Henderson.  It was reported in the Courier Journal that his defense bills on the ethics complaints have reached $27,000.  Mr. Henderson was quoted in the News and Tribune last week say that he believes  “but for my position as prosecutor that complaint wouldn‘t have been filed.”   I believe that his decision to write a book, and to be compensated for it, he would not be under the scrutiny.  Making it not directly part of his position, but of his desire to profit from his position.  

Why does Mr. Henderson believe that it is the taxpayers responsibility to pick of the tab to defend him from ethics complaints?  Why are attorneys from an Indianapolis law firm billing Floyd County and why are the Floyd County Commissioners agreeing to pay the bills?

In a news report that was reported on WLKY Television a few weeks ago Steve Bush, president of the Floyd County Commissioners,  announced he sees  no problem with paying whatever legal bills the Prosecutor presents him.  He was quoted in the news report saying “I will support Keith Henderson.”   I have no problem if Mr. Bush wants to personally “support”  the Prosecutor, but that should not include paying for personal legal bills with taxpayer money.

David Camm’s defense attorneys have used every legal maneuver to prolong this trial and drive up the cost to Floyd County.  It almost seems like they believe that eventually there will be enough backlash about paying for all of this that someone will just give up.  While they are within their rights to do what they have to do to I believe all they are doing is prolonging the inevitable.  Eventually David Camm will get a fair trial and they will exhaust all legal maneuvers and he will spend the rest of his life behind bars. 

It has been eleven and a half years since the Murder of Kim, Brad and Jill Camm. I feel for the family of the victims of this senseless murder.  No amount of time or money will ever make their lives whole again.  I can’t imagine what they are going through after all these years.

The murder of The Camm family is one of the greatest tragedies that our community has ever seen.  It has been a burden on everyone involved.  It has also been a financial burden on the taxpayers of our county.  I do not believe that there should be a price tag put on justice.  I am just not sure who should be paying for it.

Taking the plunge Again...

This is a link to the column that I wrote last year before the POLAR BEAR PLUNGE to benefit Special Olympics...

TAKING THE PLUNGE AGAIN

DONATE HERE

Not only did I jump into the frosty waters of the Ohio River on that cold February morning, I have done it every year since.  Not only was I able to accomplish my goal, I was able to help out a worthy cause.  On February 26th I will once again jump in to the chilly water as part of this year’s Polar Bear Plunge.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle

As part of the festivities that surround the Polar Bear Plunge for Special Olympics there is  a costume contest.  I have become pretty popular amongst the regulars that attend the annual event for my creative costumes that I have come up with.

Ritz Cracker Box

Sonny and Cher

The third year I went all out and turned myself into Sonny and Cher.  I endured an eyebrow wax, shaved half of my chest, and grew a moustache that would make Tom Selleck and Sam Elliot both stand up and cheer, and then shaved half of it off.

MR AND MRS POTATO HEAD

Last year I convinced my girlfriend “Amy” to jump into the river with me.  She is a huge fan of Mr. Potato Head so the two of us went as Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head.  

Starting with the year I was Sonny and Cher I decided that growing a mustache would become part of the ritual.  Over the last few years it has evolved into a full blown beard.  This year I have not shaved my face since October 16th.  I have been called such names as Grizzly Addams, Yukon Cornelius or “That guy from The Hangover” Zack Galifianakis.  Now when people ask, “What’s up with the crazy beard?”, I explain to them about the Polar Bear Plunge and The Special Olympics

What is best for our schools?

This week in MY FRIDAY COLUMN I take a look at the very unpopular decision of the NA-FC School Board to give the superintendent a raise

Last week when I first heard that the New Albany-Floyd County Board of School Trustees was planning on giving a raise to its superintendent I thought it would be a good topic for my weekly column.  Now almost five days after the meeting that delivered Bruce Hibbard his contract extension and 20% salary increase, there isn’t much left to be said.  Each story written about Monday night’s meeting has been flooded with comments which were overwhelmingly anti-raise.  Most people agree that with a budget deficit reported at $2.8 million dollars, maybe right now isn’t the best time to start handing out raises.

My opinion when the topic was first brought up back in 2010  could be summed up in the title of my November 19th column “Superintendent’s salary should be based on results”.  In that column I pointed out that there needed to be some sort of track record of higher test scores and better graduation rates in order for a raise to even be considered.  While  the numbers seem to be moving in the right direction, has enough time passed in order to gauge whether they will keep going up.

I would also point out that Dr. Hibbard is not solely responsible for our school district’s improvement.  I believe that the teachers in each of the classrooms deserve some credit when it comes to the progress that has been made.  When the time to negotiate teacher contracts will we use the same criteria to determine whether or not they deserve a raise?  I would wager that when it comes time for teacher raises, the looming budget deficit will be a major factor in the school board’s decision process.  

I also pointed out in that column that Dr. Hibbard signed a contract that specified his pay rate with modest raises built in.  That contract was extended in 2010 and again this week.  I compared it to a professional athlete who thought that he was worth more money because he had a stand out year.  What if the numbers fall next year?  Can we go to Mr. Hibbard and ask for some of that money back?  Can we renegotiate his contract to reflect a lower salary if the numbers drop off one year?  

Why do we even take the time to write out a contract if neither party seems interested in following through with it.  Maybe there should be a clause in the contact that states that if he bolts early, that we can recoup some of the extra money that we threw at him to stay.  I am sure if the school board decided to end his contract early, Floyd County taxpayers would still be on the hook for the balance.

The pro raise school board members have been very outspoken that we got him on the “cheap” and we would risk losing him if we didn’t give him more money.  He admitted that has had conversations with other school systems and was even offered $200,000 for a job in Florida.  Personally I believe that with cost of living factors, our pay scale seems to be a better deal, of course some people think it would be nice to live in Florida.  What would happen if we found a superintendent that was interested in living in Floyd County Indiana?

Some of the outrage over the raise was the fact that it was discussed behind closed doors and the plan was not released to the public until the meeting that it was voted on.  Many people wouldn’t even have realized it was coming if one of the board members hadn’t written a column in the News and Tribune giving his reasons for supporting the need for the raise.

As they have been quick to point out, the board was within their rights to keep their plans secret.  Why wouldn’t they want the public aware of what they were doing?  Had they handled the process a little better, they may have been able to avoid some of the negative backlash.  I think they could have helped their cause if they would have presented the contract at one meeting and then voted on it at another.  Two of the board members did try to table the matter at Monday’s meeting, but were voted down by the rest of the board.

I hope that the recent progress within our school corporation is not a fluke and things will continue to improve.  I also hope that Dr. Hibbard lives up to his agreement and fulfills the terms of the contract.  If he should decide that he needs more money and Floyd County is not the place for him, I hope the school board looks at this situation and learns something themselves.  Hiring a superintendent that is just using the position as a  stepping stone to a better, higher paying job maybe isn’t what is best for the children in the New Albany-Floyd County School Corporation.   Ultimately that should be the only factor considered when picking our superintendent.  

A look back: November 19, 2010 Does the Superintendent deserve a raise?

This week in MY FRIDAY COLUMN I discuss the recent events facing the New Albany-Floyd County School Corporation.

SUPERINTENDENT'S SALARY SHOULD BE BASED ON RESULTS

New Albany Floyd County School Corporation Superintendent Dr. Bruce Hibbard is in the middle of his second year of a three year contract.  This week some members of the school board considered giving him a large raise.  Some school board members believe that he has made some tough decisions and has done a good job as superintendent.  One board members says he was gotten on the “cheap” and should be rewarded before he leaves for higher pay.  

Mr. Hibbard's salary is $142,000 this year.  The average salary for a superintendent in the state of Indiana is $115,000.  The NA-FC School Corp. is said to be the 15th largest school system in the state.  Dr. Hibbard's salary is ranked 32th out of 296 school systems. The $24,000 raise the the school board was proposing would have reportedly put him at the average of school systems with above 10,000 students.

Dr. Hibbard and the school system board did not have that great of a year last year...

• Four elementary schools closed
• 5th graders moved to middle school
• elementary school athletics eliminated
• Music programs cut
• No Field Trips
• support staff benefits cut

Dr. Hibbard began the school board meeting on Monday night by announcing that he would not accept a pay raise if it was offered... This didn’t stop some members from insisting that he deserved a raise. ..

School board member, Neal Smith, who supported the salary increase said “…I will continue to try to find some money, somewhere, to try to reward this person for making tough decisions…”. How hard did Mr. Smith look for more money to keep our schools open?  Is he still looking to looking for extra cash to return music and elementary athletics to our schools?

Where did this decision to give Dr. Hibbard a raise  come from?  

You have to wonder if one of the reasons that some believe that a raise is in order has anything to do with the pay of the leader in neighboring Greater Clark Schools.   Their Superintendent, Stephen Daeschner, was hired last year with a total salary of $225,000 paid partly by private donations.  Mr. Daeschner is now the highest paid school superintendent in Indiana, but has many years of experience having led Jefferson County (Kentucky) Schools for many years.  This is Dr. Hibbard’s first job as superintendent.  

I don't have a problem with paying a school administrator a reasonable salary.  I just think it should be made based on measurable results as opposed to just "doing a good job" or "making tough decisions"

 I could understand an increase in pay if there was a track record of higher ISTEP test scores.  If there was a significant improvement in the number of students dropping out of school,  I could understand some kind of reward.  If our more of our kids were going on to college after graduation I would approve of a raise.  There is no way to track the progress of how Dr. Hibbard decisions have improved our schools after just one year on the job.

Mr. Hibbard should honor his current contract and when it is over there should be an evaluation based on goals and criteria that the school board determines.  He does not deserve a raise for basically doing the job he was hired to do.

We have to share the road

This week in MY FRIDAY COLUMN I take a look at an accident last week between two men, one walking the other riding a bike across the 2nd Street Bridge.

WE HAVE TO SHARE THE ROAD

Last week, on the 2nd Street Bridge, there was a tragic accident involving a pedestrian and a bicycle rider.  One man was walking on the sidewalk of the bridge from a job in Jeffersonville to his home in Louisville.  The bicycle rider was  riding on the sidewalk from his job in Louisville to his home in Indiana.  The cyclist claimed he was trying to get the attention of the walker when the two collided.  The pedestrian fell into oncoming traffic and was struck by a vehicle suffering head and abdominal trauma.

In the report in the newspaper about the accident the Jeffersonville Police spokesman, Todd Hollis was quoted saying “The bicycle should have been on the roadway, not the sidewalk”.  While this may be how the law reads, I do think in this case there needs to be an exception.  As someone who rides a bicycle of a regular basis, including on the roadway and the sidewalk of the 2nd Street Bridge,  I would agree that in nearly every other circumstances a bicycle belongs on the road, but to survive crossing that bridge the sidewalk is the only way.  Maybe when the Sherman Minton Bridge is reopened I will change my mind.

BRIDGE TRAFFIC AFTER SMB CLOSURE

 I still believe the cyclist was wrong, as the one who had the ability to go the fastest and inflict the most damage, he had a responsibility to make sure he avoided the pedestrian.  At the very least he should have stopped and let the walker pass by.  Some have also suggested that he should have pushed his bike across the span.  No matter what method that he should have used, he had the burden to insure that both parties made it across the bridge safely.

Whenever a news story like this comes out it is inevitable that the anti-cyclist coalition uses the tragedy  to advance their movement.   They are very predictable and almost everyone of them say the same thing.  They throw around words like “menace” and claim that the roads were meant for automobiles.  It is always the same argument that bicycle riders don’t pay taxes and should be registered and be forced to get insurance just like cars.  The throw around accusations like bike riders never follow the rules of the road, including stopping at stop signs or speeding through lights.

Bicycle riders do belong on the road.  They have the same rights as automobiles and the same responsibilities.   In this circumstance the automobiles have the responsibility as the one traveling the fastest and the ability to inflict the most damage.  

Many people believe that roads are built exclusively by gasoline tax and car excise tax.  These taxes only pay a fraction of the cost of infrastructure.  Local streets and roads are paid for and maintained with property tax money, sales tax money, and Economic Development Income Tax.  Bicycle riders pay all these taxes, and most all cyclist also have cars.  Bicycles also do far less damage to roads than cars  so the cost to maintain roads for cyclist is minimal.

When you put all people who ride bicyclist in the same group, you do a great disservice.  You can’t say that every bike rider speeds through stop signs, because I do not.  While I don’t always come to an absolute stop at every sign in a neighborhood ride, I will generally slow down to a pace far slower than when most cars roll through the same sign.  I do stop at all red lights, which is far better percentage than cars, and I have never exceeded the speed limit on my bike.

Both of the victims of last week’s accident were on their way home from work when it occurred.  When times are as tough as these how can anyone criticize people doing what they have to do to get to work.  Neither of these men used the fact that they did not have a car to get to work that day to stop them, they did what they had to for their jobs.

While the circumstances of last week’s accident are unfortunate it does help to raise awareness.  Everybody should pay attention to what they are doing and do whatever is necessary to insure everyone should get home safely.  If every person that uses the roads, whether they are walking, riding a bike or even driving a car,  would pay attention, tragic accidents like these could be avoided.

I wish a speedy recovery to the man injured and hope he is able to return to a normal life when all of this is over.