SHARK ATTACK CLAIMS 18 IN NEW ALBANY, INDIANA

I took about 45 minutes of my Saturday morning and cleaned up my neighborhood. The sign shark was on a feeding frenzy. I have a fish tank in my living room that adds to the quality of my life. I must admit, by comparison this shark attack was much more exciting.


As the first sign came down a (we buy houses) post, the taste of fresh blood was in the water. At first with the vertical reach of 6’6” I had doubts about getting up to the 12’ height of the posting. 12’ was no problem for the shark.


Those that posed the most trouble were Rick’s Lawn Care and Little Creations Daycare. They both have very heavy signs and use large head nails. The shark head however is very heavy for just plain knocking the sign from the pole, or as in the case of the daycare sign, sharks have teeth. (See below)

The shark seemed to be a little frustrated that some of the sign was left behind. Upon further review, to see what’s left of your sign, teeth marks and all, should provide a vivid reminder that your street spam will not survive at that location!! (Slate Run & Beharell)

All in all we claimed 18 victims in little over a half an hour.

Photo of the shark attack of victims of Sat. Feb. 24th 2007

If you know anyone who owns or operates one of these so called businesses please ask them to advertise in another manner. They will be wasting their time and money if they post in District 5!! The signs will come down!!

FYI, private property owners and business managers were contacted before any sign was removed. They also will have my number should any more pop up. If you see this trash posted in district 5, e-mail me and it will be handled.

New Albany Council Meeting Feb 16th

Thanks for the Memories

I have been attending New Albany City Council meetings just since the first of the year. I am just beginning to figure out some of the characters, with others I am still completely lost. However the entertainment factor never seems to waver. I can’t wait to get home to tell my wife and kids how much fun I had. If my memory serves me correctly there hasn’t been a meeting where I failed to come home and say, “I can’t believe they don’t have security there incase they need to break something up.” Well tonight when I got home my wife asked if I had fun at the council meeting. “OH YEH!! It was great, you should have been there,” I said. I ran in the house told my girls how much fun they missed, and that the police actually had to remove two people from the meeting. Since I had been somewhat predicting that, now my kids think I am smart or something. THANKS ROGER!!

Here is another first for a public meeting of any kind which I have attended. With Roger sitting to my right and Dick Stewart in front of me I just knew this was going to be good. Next thing I know I hear a comment from my right that lead me to believe Pee Wee Herman was sitting in the row in front of me and we were watching a movie. There I was stuck in the middle with the person to my right a foot taller than me and the person in front nearly 100 lbs heavier. I have to admit I “DUCKED.” THANKS ROGER!!

I actually witnessed a council man stick to his guns and force an issue to the end with Larry Kochert. Councilman Messor fought to the finish to see that yet another ordinance was not tabled. To his credit it was councilman Gahan who brought the issue up more than once tonight, but it was council man Messer who delivered the knock out blow to the business as usual “let’s table it method.” THANKS JACK!!

The funniest comment came from a unexpected source. Now this may not be as funny to you as it was to me but, when you’re 5’ 4” and a woman who is about 6” shorter than you calls someone a “sawed off little sh*t,” that’s just too funny. THANKS BEV!!

First impressions can be wrong, but I have always considered myself a pretty good judge of character. With all the bickering, name calling and just down right dirty politics that goes on in that council room, there was a bright light tonight. He took his shots from council and made his points in a manner that I had not seen from any other public officials. A man of stature, a man of integrity. THANKS CHIEF HARL

Dear John Letter

Dear John, (Alton)

I was hoping to meet you at the last Meet-N-Greet. Thanks for reading my blog and replying. I will be responding to your reply from top to bottom so I hope it still makes sense the way it will be laid out. To avoid miss quoting your comments (in red) they will all be copied and pasted to this article.

“I was born and raised in New Albany. I graduated from New Albany High School in 1972...how about you? I didn't just come on the scene 15 years ago.”

I truly hope you are not a person who believes that the person who lives here the longest must know more, or be the only person who can make a difference in the community.

“The Montessori school is in New Albany on St. Joseph Rd. You may have seen, either on the internet or in a phone book, Floyds Knobs for the city.”

John, you underestimate me. My source is the 2005 Cities and Towns, U.S. Census Boundaries Map. According to this source the city limits crosses Charlestown Rd. near the intersection of Payne Koehler Rd. It follows C-town Rd north to the exit ramp from 265 east. It follows 265 West to the Klerner Ln. overpass. Follows Klerner Ln. to Grantline Rd. Goes north on Grantline Rd to just north of Timber Pike Dr. and just south of Bald Knob Creek, then it goes west. That leaves the area west-north west of the Grantline Rd-Klerner Ln. intersection “out” of the city. I believe this to be a reliable source but, if you can prove “them” wrong since I used them as my source I will apologize.

“For a city that says it's always broke, it always seems to be able to fund millions for new medical buildings.”

If a city council spends money they don’t have on a project that will generate more in revenue than their initial outlay I would consider that an investment. It is, other than raising taxes, fees and cutting spending, nearly the only way for a debt ridden city to work itself out of debt. However if the money spent is not going to generate the return, we agree!!

About the $1.00 donations, I was seriously complementing you. That was a great idea. My comment as to the kids doing it instead of the government, that was directed at the school for going to NA Council instead of the kids and parents working the sidewalks, not at you. Sorry.

“I've noticed in your postings on here that you're quick to criticize everyone else,”

Are you kidding me? I went back and reread my posts. I found four instances where I would consider myself to have been very critical. If you are reading Roger’s posts and others on NA Confidential and the sites links, and you are calling “me” critical. I must be missing something. By the way here are a couple of yours;

“somebody take Mr. Price to Bizers or American Eye Institute he needs his "vision" corrected a little bit.”

Does anyone on council have a vision?

“Larry Kochert… the exulted one.”- “one worn out Council President.”

I said he was arrogant and not a good leader.

“and no incumbent on the current City Council is willing to offer up any inkling of an idea, and no incumbent is willing to take the time to look for alternate funding ideas,”

Sounds like they’re inept to me.

“ to get caught up in "party politics", with everything being absorbed into a party platform which usually winds up producing what...NO change at all, and this goes for either party.”

I agree!

“for me choosing not to run for the 4th District seat as a Democrat is that nobody knows me except those of you who read these blogs, word of mouth, and those who actually know me.”

You and I have the same problem. I have only lived in NA for 15yrs. So I digress to your opening statement without a clear understanding as to why. “First of all, I was born and raised in New Albany. I graduated from New Albany High School in 1972...how about you?”

Another fine mess....Ollie

As I noted in my very first post on my blog, and others in there response as well, it is voting along party lines that has given us what we have for council.

If voting Democrat is the only way you are going to vote then I guess you’ll just have to live with what you’re voting in. If this Mayor and Council is what the party has to offer I feel sorry for you. There are 8 members of council and the Mayor from the Democratic Party. Do you think they could agree on just one major issue? Not only can they just not agree on any major issues they actually fight and bicker over everything like elementary school kids. Oh wait!! The common elementary school kids aren’t throwing F-BOMBS and accusing each other of being thieves on public record.

So do I believe the answer is to vote republican? Nope!! I do not like partisan politics at this level of government. Neither party across the board is going to have the best people for every job every election. If voters are going to vote for local politics they need at least to be forced to look at issues and individuals before voting. I have seen it work well.

City Council, the Mayor, City Law Director and City Finance Director are all non-partisan positions. Anyone with enough signatures on a petition runs in the primary. Three top candidates run in general election. If you cast a party vote at the top of your ballot you will not be voting for these seats. The voter must read the local candidates names and mark the choice.

This gets the candidates to the people. Party affiliation will not get them elected by it’s self. People who care about the community will at least make an effort to know the candidates.

Now I am not saying the system in New Albany is broke, but the system is perfectly designed to get the results it is getting!!

Inept New Albany Council?

This statement may sound a little silly to some of you but, I don’t think this council puts things off intentionally. My case in point; the fire dept. ordinance is discussed intently by everyone in the know except the fire chief who was intentionally left out of the meeting by the council. The chief and council cannot discuss this matter even in public without name calling and rock throwing. The most of which councilman Kochert catches square between the eyes. The councilman who sponsors and co-authors the bill doesn’t even vote for it. Mrs. Crump who is one of four on the FD committee doesn’t even know who is on the committee. The ordinance is so poorly written Zurschsmied doesn’t believe it to be definable or enforceable. Sill more council members voted for it than against it. The Mayor calls it a good ordinance, though it has more holes in it than a slice of Swiss cheese. The chief however admits that it is just better than what we have now.

In regards to the smoking ban, once again the council member that sponsors the ordinance to council states she will vote against it as it reads. She motions to table the issue and create another committee.

My point is I guess, that I don’t believe they debate, argue and table-debate, argue and table on purpose. I think they are just inept.

On a lighter note, as much fun as it is to watch the Mayor and Kochert spar and to see Chief Toran and Blevens tongue whip each other, I have an idea. Let’s get the Rock’em Sock’em Robots and have a boxing night, Kochert vs. Garner and Toran vs. Blevens. The way these four go at it I am sure there would be a winner take all grudge match for the main event. We could charge admission to a smoking room, sell pints and have Para mutual betting. Proceeds will go to pay for ambulance runs of the underprivileged that can’t pay their bill.

TYPICAL NEW ALBANY POLITICS

TYPICAL NEW ALBANY POLITICS

I have always considered myself a fairly humble person, so I will ask a question instead of making generalized statement.
Are NA Confidential and Freedom of Speech both missing something here? Sure there were racial comments and derogatory statements made during the last council meeting, but none of it should have happened. Can I be the only one that noticed I sat for an hour listening to 3rd grade level banter of a topic that was not on the council’s agenda? Typical New Albany politics of personal attacks, power and control is what the meeting was about. Race was just a hovering thick fog throughout the room.

The total ineptness of Kochert to be a leader however, shone through the fog like Rudolph’s magical takeoff on Christmas Eve. By allowing Duggins (white) to speak on a tabled issue then blowing the pastor (black) from the podium in a method reminiscent of Hurricane Katrina, (we saw it coming but weren’t ready for the aftermath) ineptness was bright and clear. Then without even a paltry attempt at an apology for his ineptness, stupidity or maybe just arrogance reared its ugly head as Kochert shoots down the next few daring souls to venture to the podium to discuss the already discussed tabled topic.

The display of arrogance and the need to display power and control continued as the Fire Chief and Mayor used their power of city officials to reopen the discussion on the tabled-discussed-tabled ordinance. From this point I actually lost count the times rule 2 which happens to be in bold print “Be courteous at all times. All comments should address issues and should not be personal in nature.” was made to look like the first 15 minutes of Saving Private Ryan. The only time the gavel was so embarrassingly used was when Kochert’s own feelings were hurt. And then it was directed at the audience more than the speakers and council!!

Here are some questions for someone with rules knowledge to research. When a tabled ordinance is discussed, does that re-table the ordinance? Can communications-city officials and communications-mayor discuss tabled ordinances?

When after a one hour circular discussion everyone involved comes out a loser, you have a serious problem!! Although there were a couple who came out of this unscathed by simply sitting back and watching the shock and awe. These two obviously have learned a golden rule (if you don’t have anything good to say about a person, keep your mouth shut.) Kevin Zurschmeide and Jeff Gahan left the fight to fight another day.

Community Montessori, John Alton vs City Council

After 15yrs of living in New Albany, I can’t believe I ‘am actually defending the actions of city council. I must do so in response to John Alton’s editorial (Jan. 11). I agree with council on not hearing the Montessori resolution.

Mr. Alton, you started off by stating council “quickly” became champions of no action” by not allowing the school to be heard. I am sorry but, I have to ask, where on God’s green earth have you been for the last 15yrs!! Mr. Alton you stated that by not hearing Montessori the council violated their civil rights. Jeepers, buy kids books and send them to school and they come back with stuff like that! You stated, asking for funding from the city a school is located in is only natural. Is Montessori located in the city? What kind of precedent is set when you ask a city that is in “the red” to hand out $25,000. Hey kids, ask your parents what happens if they write a check to someone when they know there is no money in the checkbook. Let’s see, paying attention in class, civics/government, geography, and economics. All covered by Mr. Alton in his article. I hope he is not a product of Montessori. That would be called bad press.

But wait, he did have a grand idea. That is to ask the people of New Albany if they would be willing to donate $1.00? $1 per household would build the new building? Mr. Alton you’re a genius! However, that would be the schools job not the government. Hey kids, I am not very hard to find. Stop by the house and I will give you your first dollar. Stop by on a sunny weekend and I’ll even hit the neighborhood with you. Wait till spring when my checkbook looks a little better and we may even be talking “tax deductible donation”. Just don’t ask the government to do what you can do better. You have my best wished for success.