The Press-Dispatch

Three sections 34 pages Four inserts Wednesday, December 18, 2013  75¢ Volume 145  Number 51  Phone (812) 354-8500  Petersburg, IN 47567-0068  (USPS 604-340) Winslow parade is Saturday; Petersburg cancels By Andy Heuring The Winslow Christmas parade is on for this Saturday and the Petersburg parade has been cancelled until next year. Winslow's parade is scheduled for 10 a.m., with the lineup at 9 a.m. near the Fire Department on Union and Walnut Sts. The parade, sponsored by the Winslow Fire Department, will proceed north on Main St. from Union St. to the Little League park. Santa will be in the parade and will be at the Winslow Fire Department to talk with children following the parade. Mouse House open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Mouse House, where children can select and purchase inexpensive gifts for their family, will be open in the Winslow Nazarene Fellowship Hall. Helpers will be there to help children select and wrap the presents from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is hosted by the Beautification Committee. They are also taking donations to build a gazebo in memory of Buck Ashby. They have already raised $3,600 for the project, with a goal of raising $7,000. Petersburg parade cancelled Petersburg's parade has been cancelled. Amy Barber, with the Pike County Optimists, said they had a meeting and talked with Petersburg Mayor Frank Coleman and just decided it was too close to Christmas to have the parade this year. "Most people have family things going on this Saturday," said Barber about cancelling the parade. "It is just bad timing. We had a short Christmas season because Thanksgiving was so late. I can't believe it has went this way. We will have it next year." New districts set for council, commissioners Where's Mom? Mrs Claus (Mary Capehart) holds infant Rhett Houtsch, the son of Andrew and Danielle Houtsch, during the Otwell Community Center's Breakfast with Santa. Santa and Mrs. Claus were kept busy Saturday morning with visits from children and parents. See additional photo on page 11. New library board appointment challenged Van Meter prevented from voting by Elkins By Ed Cahill Shirley Van Meter, the newest member of the Pike County Public Library's Board of Trustees, was not permitted to make motions or vote during her first official meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 10, after the board's president, Phil Elkins, questioned the legality of Van Meter's appointment. One night earlier, on Monday, Dec. 9, Van Meter had been appointed by the Pike County School Board to fill a vacancy on the library board created by Anisia Burkhart's resignation for personal reasons. On a motion by school board secretary Chris McKinney, which was seconded by school board president Jerry Grubb, Pike County School Superintendent Suzanne Blake's recommendation that Van Meter be appointed to the library board was ap- proved – without comment or discussion – by a unanimous vote. Three of the library board's seven members are appointees of the School Board: Elkins, Van Meter and Sandra Ficklin. Two library board members, Donna Poehlein and M. Frank Ropp, are appointees of the Pike County Commissioners, while the remaining two, James Dickerson and Robyn Whaley, are appointees of the Pike County Council. Following the school board meeting, Continued on page 2 Holly Walk fun A horse-drawn carriage heads up Main St., Petersburg on Saturday. The free carriage rides are part of the annual Holly Walk promotions sponsored by the Petersburg Professionals and Business Association that includes sales, Santa and children's stories. EMS fees increased, two roads closed Commissioners make conditional offer to library board By Andy Heuring Pike County Commissioners made an overture toward the Library board with a proposal to take over the former Barrett Memorial Library building for the purpose of establishing a history center during their Monday night meeting. They also increased ambulance rates and closed PIKE PUBLISHING roads. The commissioners voted 3-0 to send the Library board the proposal in a letter stating: The commissioners "will accept the donation of the Barrett Memorial Library property including the annex upon the following condition; the PIke County Library shall be responsible for the upgrades and renovations not to exceed $35,955.87. as set out on the attached agenda for the library board meeting held October 8, 2013, which includes the WHAT'S INSIDE: Local ........A1-12 Sports ........B1-7 Opinion..........C2 Obituaries ......A3 Classifieds ..B9-11 Shopping....A6-7 Gift Guide ......A6 Church .......C1-6 History ...........C9 upgrading of all heating and cooling systems to high efficiency systems. Transfer of the property would take place upon completion of the above upgrades and renovations." The letter ended by stating, "The intent of the Board of Commissioners of Pike County is to use the facility as a historic and genealogy museum." Commissioner President Brian Davis said they were still trying to negotiate Continued on page 3 NEWS TIPS: Phone:.................812-354-8500 Fax: .....................812-354-2014 E-Mail . editor@pressdispatch.net By Andy Heuring County councilmen and county commissioners have vastly different districts now. Monday night the county commissioners voted to accept new district boundaries, that apparently were prepared by Commissioner Assistant Melissa Bryant. Indiana election law requires counties to keep their commissioner and council districts in balance. Pike County's commissioner and council boundaries that had not changed since the early 1980s had become out-of-balance with Commissioner District 1 having 60 percent of the population and the other two districts having about 20 percent. During Monday night's commissioner meeting, Bryant read the proposed commissioner and council districts and they were approved without discussion by unanimous votes. "That is about the only way we could get them close to the 25 percent goal," said Commissioner president Brian Davis. Districts had to remain contiguous, containing entire voting precincts. County councilmen, who in 2014 will be running for election in new districts, said they had only learned of the districts' boundaries since the meeting. "I hadn't heard anything about it. Without studying it a little, I don't really have much of a comment," said Myreon Krohn. He picked up Marion and Jefferson 2 (Otwell) voting precincts. Krohn said his mother was from Velpen and he had lots of dealings with people in Otwell. "As far as the election, I don't really feel it has that much affect on me," said Krohn. Councilman Randy Harris said the make-up of his district has changed. "It used to all be in the city. Now it's about half rural and about half urban." "I welcome the change, but I just hate that Petersburg is broken up. But I have a lot of friends throughout the townships," said Harris. Councilman Greg Mangin expressed similar sentiments. "I wish they hadn't divided up Petersburg, but I don't know what else they would have done." "I just looked at it as 'it is what it is.' They had to realign. So give me that area (Patoka Township) or where ever. If I run again I will do the best I can for that area," said Councilman Max Elliott. The county commissioner districts changed Continued on page 2 Holiday editions to be published early The Christmas and New Year's Day issues of The Press-Dispatch will be published one day early, due to the holidays falling on Wednesday this year. Deadlines and delivery days are listed below. The office will close at noon on Christmas Eve, and will be open all day Saturday, Dec. 21 and 28. 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