I thought about making the usual New Year's Resolutions but decided to list New Year wishes instead. They are listed in no particular order. Just wishful thinking.

1. For everyone to have health care, not the expensive kind with high deductibles, but the kind that pays for everything, like all of the other civilized countries have.
2. For everyone who needs a job to find a good one. A job with a living wage and good benefits.
3. For everyone to have a clean, safe home which they can afford.
4. For New Albany to have working sewers and stormwater drains.
5. For New Albany to repair all of it's unsafe and dilapidated homes.
6. To have the Greenway project finished so everyone can walk along the riverbank safely.
7. For the K & I Bridge to be opened for pedestrians.
8. For the continuation of the revitalization of New Albany's downtown, including the Main St. Master Plan.
9. To end the war in Afghanistan and bring our troops home.
10. For people to quit trying to take "In God We Trust" off of our currency.

GREETINGS

JUST WANT TO WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY AND SAFE HOLIDAY.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

NO HELP FOR THE FLOOD VICTIMS

I am very disappointed after last night's council meeting. The first item on the agenda was the resolution for the $400,000 to help the flood victims of last August. Jason Hublar and his wife Crystal told of how not only their possessions but the school supplies they purchased for their students were lost. Not only that but they had to take out a loan to cover their loss.

My own brother-in-law and sister-in-law also will be forced to borrow to pay for the repairs to their furnace. I had assured them that the city would take care of them and secured the forms for them to complete and send to Shane Gibson. I have not talked to them yet but they subscribe to the Tribune so they will find out. They are both retired so money is tight, but oh well, that's the way it goes.

I want to thank Shane Gibson, Jeff Gahan, Pat McLaughlin and Dan Coffey for their efforts. These gentlemen spoke about the people who have been devastated by the flood. The rest of the council wanted a long term fix. Mr. Gibson wanted a long term fix also but he knows the people are hurting now. He wanted to reimburse the applicants for their loss and use the rest of the $400,000 for fixing the creeks and ditches. Made sense to me.

Also on the agenda was the request of an appropriation for $2,000,000 to fund the police and fire departments. It was decided to postpone the vote until there was more investigation.

The vacant Trinity Plaza building on the corner of Daisy Lane and Green Valley Rd. will be used as a furniture store for two years. The Planning Commission hopes that by that time a medical facility will replace the furniture store.

And last but not least the $300,000 loan from the Rainy Day Fund to the Storm Water Fund was passed. It was also decided that after three years the Storm Water Fund needs a audit.

LET'S BUILD THE YOUTH SHELTER FIRST

There was an article in Saturday's Tribune about the proposed baseball and softball complex. This "Field of Dreams" as it is called would be built behind Home Depot and cost $10 million dollars.

I must agree with Councilmen Messer and Price that this is not a high priority. Yes our children need such a facility but this need is not urgent, I consider it more of a want.

Want we need to do is get off of our collective behinds and build a youth shelter. Our children are living in conditions that I'm sure none of us would want to live in. They are there because conditions at home are even worse!

These are our (Floyd County) children also. And although they may benefit from the "Field of Dreams" also, they need a decent place to live first. I cannot understand why they are made to wait. A new home for our kids would cost a lot less than 10 million, and this is a high priority.

Please, New Albany and Floyd County, won't you work together and make this happen?

SORRY, I DIDN'T MAKE IT

Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the council meeting last night.

Will anyone who was there please give us the scoop?

thanks,

Shirley

HELP IS ON THE WAY

The meeting with the victims of the August 4, 2009 flood was held last night at the Library to a fairly thin but enthusiastic crowd.

At the very beginning it was stressed that the city could only help city residents, not Floyd County or fringe residents. Mr. Coffey suggested that residents who fall into this category speak to the County Commissioners. He also added that their would be no discussion about the long term solution for fixing the sewers and drainage systems. The council and administration were there to help the immediate need of the city residents.

Shane Gibson, City Attorney, was also present and stressed that Tort Claims need to be filed immediately to be considered for help. He, the mayor, and the council are optimistically hoping to resolve this before Christmas or at least by the first of the year.

SAVE OUR HISTORICAL SITES

As promised, I attended the first meeting of a new group which is unnamed at present. We had a good crowd to start with, several people who are active in the community. The facilitator was Steve Pacciano, and he is very knowledgeable on the history of Indiana, Floyd County in particular.

Other attendees included, Rep. Ed Clere, Greg Sekula of 1 So. In., David Barksdale, County Historian, Carol Tobe, Save Our Knobs, Judy Martin & Laura Reynolds of Historic Landmarks, Vic McGinity of F.C.Historicl Society, Don Lopp, and Adam Dickey, Baron Hill's Representative. There were others also but these people were singled out by Steve.

The main focus tonight was to establish that a separate entity is needed for preservation. The group listed nearly 20 organizations already involved with preservation in one way or another. But none of these groups really fit the bill as an education resource or watchdog. So it was decided that a new non-profit organization is needed.

A committee of five people, sorry I did not get all of their names, will write the mission statement and report back to the rest of us on Feburary 2, 2010. Please save that date because we want to get more people involved. New Albany has already lost many historical sites and we need to keep the ones we still have.

Again, the next meeting will be Feb. 2, 2010 at 7:00PM at the Cardinal Ritter Home. See you there.