BOOMERMay 2015www.boomermagonline.com

CAPTURING AMERICAS SYMBOLTed Roach takes to the fields to photograph bald eagles

THE SMALLS CREEK PROJECTRemembering the controversy that ended lake, park plans

HONORING VINCENNES HISTORIANSDaughters of the American Revolution award preservation efforts

THE RHYTHM OF BASEBALLFamiliar routine lulls us toward summer

BOOMER FITNESS

The water challenge

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4 May 2015 Boomer

I read with interest a fashion story last week and learned that the jumpsuit was back in style. The story detailed the one-piece garment popular back in the 1970s and 80s during the hippie years. My mind went immediately to the fall of 1978.

I had danced around the wrap-around front porch of our old white, farmhouse as I waited for the school bus that August morning. It was the first day of school, and I dont remember specifically, but chances are it was a bit cooler in the morning that when our children embark on that first day of school nowadays. Back then, schools waited until almost Labor Day to ring that first bell.

Part of the reason for my anxiety was because it was my first day at the big school, the consolidated junior-senior high school. I was going to be a seventh grader. Finally, I would

be in junior high, where I would meet new students, and hopefully new friends. These new students would be in my same grade, but most I didnt know because they had attended elementary schools several miles away from the one I had attended.

Mostly though, I was jovial on top of the world almost because I was wearing my new jumpsuit.

My mother had made me two new jumpsuits to start the school year. Except for pencils and notebooks, we didnt go school shopping back then. Mom made most of our clothes. And, she did so religiously, toward the end of every summer as she readied us for the upcoming school year. She was an impeccable seamstress, and if you didnt know it, you would have thought our clothes came from the JCPenneys and Montgomery Ward mail order catalogs, like everyone elses.

I was very proud of the light blue chambray print jumpsuit I had chosen for that first day of junior high. I remembering have two different suits off the same McCalls pattern, but for the life of me, cant remember the other color.

What I do remember is that 1978-79 was a good school year. I made lots of new friends from all the other surrounding schools. Remarkably, some are good friends still today more like the classic, timeless cardigan than the unpredictable jumpsuit.

ED

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PUBLISHER Ron Smith

812-698-8788

EXECUTIVE EDITORMelody Brunson(812) 698-1626

DESIGN EDITORNatalie Reidford(812) 568-8991

ADVERTISING SALESKim Schoelkopf(812) 881-9286

GRAPHIC ARTIST Alice Schwartz

PHOTOGRAPHYJoy Neighbors, Lindsay Owens, Dan

Ravellette, Bernie Schmitt, Rama Sobhani and TRPhotography

WRITERSMadison Frederick, Katie Hidde, Todd Lancaster, Angie Mayfield, Joy Neighbors, Lindsay Owens, Dan Ravellette, Bernie Schmitt,

Rama Sobhani, Kaila Stevens and Clifford York

SUBSCRIPTIONSBoomer is published seven

times a year, serving the Knox County area. The subscription price

of $25 per year can be mailed to P.O. Box 471, Washington, IN 47501.

BOOMER

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6 May 2015 Boomer

4 Editors DeskThe jumpsuit is backBy Melody Brunson

8 Enthusiasm for the Preservation of HistoryDaughters of the American Revolution honor Vincennes historiansBy lindsay owens

12 Reminiscences of the Smalls Creek ProjectControversy, opposition end plans for lakeBy raMa soBhani

16 The Sonic BoomerThe rhythm of baseballBy Todd lancasTer

18 Boomer Toys, Trappings and TriviaNixons bowling prowessBy Todd lancasTer

20 Alice of Old Vincennes: A MusicalFinancial support needed to bring Alice to life on stageBy Bernie schMiTT

24 Attorneys CornerProperty linesBy GrahaM dycus

26 The Boomer ConnoisseurFour weeks to celebrate Indiana Wine Grape MonthBy Joy neiGhBors

28 Capturing Indiana Eagles in FlightOaktown photographer recording Americas national symbolBy Bernie schMiTT

32 Soap Box Derby TimeFirst annual Cubmobile Invitational brings racers, good memories to Ouabache Trails ParkBy dan ravelleTTe

36 The Boomer 1040Taking responsibility for your retirementBy anGie Moore

38 The Converted CynicOver-the-top political correctnessBy anGie Mayfield

40 Yeah, Im a Boomer, But ...Transistor radio connected us to the music of our timesBy Bernie schMiTT

41 CalendarTexas Tenors, Farmers Market opening day, Vincennes Rendezvous

42 Day TripperHistory runs deep in Crawford County, IllinoisBy Joy neiGhBors

44 How Much Do You Know?Mental acuity tested during 23rd annual Cargill Literacy Quiz BowlBy Bernie schMiTT

48 Financial WisdomA choice: Taxable or tax-free income in retirement?By clifford york

49 Boomer HumorDriving directionsBy Madison frederick

51 Boomer FitnessThe water challengeBy kaila sTevens

on The cover: When the lighting is right, Ted Roach of TRPhotography is in the field capturing images of our national symbol.

Photo by TRPhotography

CONTENTS May 2015 Vol. 7, Issue 5

Page 20

Photo by Bernie Schmitt

Page 42

Photo by Joy Neighbors

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8 May 2015 Boomer

By Lindsay Owens

Lovers of history gathered on a sun-ny Sunday afternoon to honor two men who work incredibly hard to preserve the past for future generations.

Vincennes historians Norbert Brown and Judge Jim Osborne were honored by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution Francis Vigo Chapter during a special awards ceremo-

ny April 12 at the Francis Vigo Chap-ter House. More than 50 community members and guests, including members of the Indiana DAR state board, were in attendance when Brown was honored with the Historic Preservation Recogni-tion Award and Osborne was awarded

with the Historic Preservation Medal. Southern District Director for

Indiana NSDAR Cherie Baxter said the Historic Preservation Committee was created in 2008 with its primary ob-jectives being to assist members of the National Society in the area of historic

Judge Jim Osborne, INDAR Southern District director Cherie Baxter, INDAR state librarian Carlene Price, Francis Vigo Regent Cynthia Frederick and Norb Brown pose for a picture. Osborne and Brown were honored for their work in historic preservation.

Photos by Lindsay Owens

Enthusiasm for the preservation of our historyDaughters of the American Revolution honor Vincennes historians

Francis Vigo Chapter NSDAR historic preservation committee member Joy Biggs and chapter regent Cynthia Frederick listen as Cherie Baxter, Southern District director, shares greetings from INDAR state regent Jeanie Horung.

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Boomer May 2015 9

preservation, to encourage recognition of significant volunteer efforts in historic preservation in the community, state and at the national level.

Cynthia Frederick, regent of the Francis Vigo Chapter and Historic Preservation state chair, said the purpose of the Historic Preservation Recogni-tion Award was to recognize and honor individuals or groups that have done remarkable volunteer work in historic preservation in the community.

Its really an honor and we are

pleased to be able to present this award to Norbert for his untiring and out-standing work, said Frederick, who along with chapter Historic Preservation Committee member Joy Biggs presented the honor.

Brown, who operates a popular Face-book page, Vincennes Indiana Remem-ber When, calls himself a bit of a hoarder who loves dumpster diving and has an entire pole barn full of treasures.

I wasnt always a history buff, Brown said adding old photos and other

forgotten mementos are among some of his favorite items. I really want to do things now that people 100 years from now will appreciate me doing.

Letters of recommendation were written in support of Browns efforts by many in the Vincennes community including George Rogers Clark Nation-al Historic Park Superintendent Frank Doughman and Vincennes Mayor Joe Yochum.

His collection of letters and photo-graphs are invaluable to paint-

The Historic Preservation Medal, above, awarded to Judge Jim Osborne, is only given to a handful of individuals across the U.S. each year. At right, punch and other refreshments were served during the special ceremony honoring Osborne and Norb Brown.

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10 May 2015 Boomer

ing a picture of early Vincennes, said Doughman. His collection is a valuable resource for historians, architects, and genealogists.

Yochum touched on Browns ability to capture the history of Indianas first city and preserve it for future genera-tions.

The Vincennes Indiana Remember When Facebook page is a testimonial in itself of the interest and education of the city of Vincennes, said Yochum.

Osborne, the creator of the Indi-ana Military Museum, is just one of a handful of individuals honored with the Historic Preservation Medal.

Only around 30 to 40 of these awards are presented each year through-out the United States, said Martha Ann Hartzog, National Chair for Historic

Preservation. The National Society is deeply indebted to the people who re-ceive this award because one of our major goals is to preserve our nations history. Judge Osbornes contribution in creating the Indiana Military Museum has been outstanding. What a service to our Amer-ican history.

George R. Rehnquist, a close friend of Osbornes a member of the Indiana Military Museum board of directors, wrote in one the letters of recommen-dation that he could think of no other candidate more deserving than Osborne.

It would be a great honor to him and to all who share in his enthusiasm for the preservation of our history, said Rehnquist.

Yochum noted that the Indiana Military Musuem, which has greatly ex-

Joy Biggs presents Norb Brown with the Historic Preservation Recognition Award.

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Boomer May 2015 11

panded over the years, is one of the most valuable tourist attractions in the south-ern portion of the Hoosier state.

His efforts for the past 50 years have resulted in one of the largest collec-tions of military memorabilia and arti-facts in the entire country, said Yochum.

Osborne said the Indiana Military Museum started with humble beginnings on Bruceville Road.

John Harrison had so much to do with this, said Osborne. We, the mu-seum, were squatters on his property for quite a while and none of this could have happened without him.

Osborne said the museum, located just off Willow Street and Sixth Street Road, now boasts 14 acres and many vol-unteers dedicated to sharing the massive collection with the public.

We wouldnt be here without our volunteers. They build things, they repair things, said Osborne.

Luke Brown takes in the crowd gath-ered around his father, Norb, during a special Recognition Ceremony held in April honoring his father and Judge Jim Osborne for their dedica-tion in preserving history for future generations.

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12 May 2015 Boomer

By Rama Sobhani

Some who were involved intimately in the project remember the proposal to build a 1,600-acre lake and associated recreational facilities. The records left behind document some of the conversations that took place, and reveal that the project was a hotly disputed one from the very beginning.

The plan was to include a 750-acre lake built in the Smalls Creek watershed, about five miles to the northeast of Vincennes, near Bruceville. It was to be called Smalls Creek Park and the master plan included camp-grounds, a marina, swimming beach, picnic areas and nature preserves. With a maximum depth of 24 feet, it was expected the lake could support boating and fishing, as well as providing habitat for other wildlife.

The projects advocates believed that when it came to fruition, Smalls Creek Park would boost Knox Countys stock significantly because of what it would eventually come to offer. There was great hope from the county officials who were for it as well as the members of the public in favor of it that the lake would

bring in more tourism money, in addition to becoming a haven for wildlife.

For a while, it looked like the project supporters were going to get their way. Several state and federal grants had been awarded for the purchase of land in the Smalls Creek watershed, the county parks department was created to receive the money and implement the plan for construction, and, perhaps most importantly, preliminary studies on the water quality of Smalls Creek were showing that despite an acid mine drainage problem at the Smalls Creek headwater at the former Enoco Coal mine, a proper cleanup would allow for a lake that would support wildlife.

But like any project that begins in the body politic, the Smalls Creek Lake project was controversial from the beginning. Its detractors waged a vigorous campaign to stop what they came to see as not only a waste of tax dollars but a threat to their property, liveli-hoods and way of life.

Looking at the minutes of public meet-ings where the lake project was discussed point to it being the topic du jour. People on both sides of the issue appear to have been very vocal from the beginning.

In July 1969, before the county parks department existed, the county commission-ers held a meeting to vote on a request to the county council to approve $2,500 to pay for

Reminiscences of the SMALLS CREEK PROJECT

A drawing showing the site plans for the Smalls Creek Project from the master plan compiled in the mid-1970s. The park and lake were to offer recreational boating, fishing as well as camping, hiking and natural preserve areas. Throughout the 1970s, the Knox County Parks and Recreation Department pushed for getting the lake built, but the early 1980s, rising costs and vocal public opposition put an end to the idea for good.

Photos by Rama Sobhani

Controversy and a small but mighty opposition end plans for lake and park

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Boomer May 2015 13

20 N. 3rd St., Suite 301 Vincennes www.knoxcountyfoundation.org Ph: 812-886-0093 Fax: 812-886-0133

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a feasibility study on building a lake at Smalls Creek. But from the minutes of that meeting, it seems that most of the people in attendance were dead set against the idea of a study.

Phillip Powell, who was the representative of a group called the Urban United Taxpayers Protective Association, said at that meeting the groups members were staunchly against the idea of using public money to finance a feasibility study. If the study was paid for with tax dollars, Powell said, the UUTPA would encourage area residents to boycott the businesses of people known to have supported the lake project.

While several other people at that meet-ing denounced the project and the proposal to create a county parks and recreation board, the commissioners nonetheless passed a resolu-tion in support of a feasibility study, created a citizen advisory committee to oversee its implementation, and asked the council to appropriate money for the study.

When the issue went before the county council at its next meeting, the lake and parks board opponents brought opposition on new grounds. An injunction was filed against the county in the Circuit Court, stopping the appro-priation of the $2,500 for a feasibility study. The projects opponents had questioned the legality of the commissioners resolution and the ability of the council to pay for a feasibility study.

An attorney named Carl Gray was re-tained by lake opponents and according to his comments at that council meeting in August 1969, the bigger concern at the time seems

to have been the creation of the parks board, which opponents said would become yet an-other taxing entity they would have to pay for.

The power to tax is the power to destroy, Gray is recorded as having said and called the feasibility study an attempt to come in by the way of the back door and then will come the creation of the Park Board and then the creation of the lake.

This great nation didnt come about from lying on the beaches and soaking up the sun and guzzling beer, Gray said before threatening another injunction should the council approve the money for a feasibility study.

But that was only the beginning of the opposition. Eventually, the study was fund-ed, a parks and recreation board was created and moved forward with plans for the Smalls

Creek Lake. That meant that land would have to be purchased in the creek watershed and thats when landowners became involved in the opposition. The new parks board held several public meetings to hear from people about the project. The landowners in the Smalls Creek watershed showed up to voice their opposition regularly.

In the mid-1970s, a group calling itself Save Our Homes started a countywide cam-paign against the lake project. Its members distributed leaflets with anti-lake information and claimed, mostly, that the parks board had plans to forcibly take the properties it needed for the lake through eminent domain.

I can understand why people were against it, said Steven LaRoche, who was appointed as the first superintendent by the new-

A view of the wetland restoration project completed at Enoco by the DNR in 2009. The creation of a wetland here helps clean the water of the mining waste left behind.

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14 May 2015 Boomer

ly-formed county parks board. I wouldnt have wanted to give up my home and land.

But former parks officials, like LaRo-che and those who served after his tenure, said that eminent domain was not the parks boards plan and the contention that peoples homes would have to be demolished was false, as well. There were only three buildings that would have been demolished for the lake project and only one of those was a residence, which was being used as a rental property at the time, according to period documents.

LaRoche said as the project progressed a grant of about $200,000 was awarded by the federal government for it which was to be used to clean up the acid mine drainage at the Enoco mine site. With such a large amount of money about to be handed to the parks board for the project, efforts were made to coax land-owners into selling parcels needed for the lake. According to LaRoche, attempts were made to make deals with reluctant landowners to swap land the parks board needed in the watershed for other land of equal or greater value, which would be purchased with grant money, too. That didnt fly and for the rest of the life of the Smalls Creek project, reluctant landowners

remained a frustration.LaRoche also remembers some division

even among parks board members about Smalls Creek. Up until the time the $200,000 grant was awarded, the members of the board who didnt support the project were quiet. But LaRoche said all of that changed when it came time to take a vote on whether to accept the grant.

We got a grant to take care of the pollu-tion problem, but the board turned it down, he said. At the time, they hadnt said whether they were for or against it, they figured it would just die down, but at that point, they had to show their hands.

With the prospect of the premature termination of Smalls Creek lake, the fledgling parks department turned to other projects. LaRoche oversaw the building of Hillcrest and Emison Mill parks using nothing other than volunteer labor. When he left the superinten-dent position, the county had two new parks and was still debating constructing a lake.

In 1980, a decade after discussions began, Mike Ginger became superintendent and was charged with overseeing the completion of the longstanding Smalls Creek lake project. By that time the projected costs of building the lake

Two of the five buildings left at Enoco from the former mining operations. At some point after the original 700-acre lake project was abandoned, these buildings were to be restored for use as support facilities for a smaller lake that was to be confined to the Enoco grounds.

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Boomer May 2015 15

and associated facilities had exploded. In 1972, the project was estimated to wind up costing about $3.3 million. By 1976, that had gone up to $4.4 million. By the time Ginger came in as superintendent, it was clear that the whole idea had become untenable because of cost.

Youve got to remember the economic situation of the time, said Ginger, who served as superintendent from 1980 to 1990. There were double-digit interest rates, the economy was in the tank. The cost of that project kept going up and up and it got beyond the countys reach to do it. That was the nail in the coffin.

Ginger said it was at that time, sometime in the early 1980s, that the project was finally abandoned for good. But the county had since received other grant monies that it was decided not to return, but instead put toward another project. Thats when the board moved forward with building what eventually became Ouabache Trails Park.

Vernon Houchins, who served on the parks board during the 1980s, said there was undeniably a political machine that was responsible for much of the misinformation surrounding the lake project.

The two primary reasons it fell apart was, one, simply the political, ultra-conserva-tive nature of a number of people around who were very vocal, Houchins said.

Those ultra-conservatives had adopted the

talking line that the water quality would never be clean enough to support life because of the acid mine drainage problem at the Enoco site, despite a cleanup that was performed in the early 1980s.

Most of them didnt have any science to go on; they had a pearl of information and they made that gospel, Houchins said. They didnt have any engineering facts to back that up. We had an engineering firm in Loogoo-tee working on that and they said it could be done. There were more people out there talking against it, probably writing their legis-lators, so the local county (officials) wouldnt support (the lake) because they thought there wasnt support among their constituents.

Along with the pollution concerns were those regarding the debt that the county would have to incur to put up its half of the grant monies. Documents show that the plan was to have the county issue bonds to put up its required share of the grant monies.

Houchins said former parks board member Carl Schuckman, later a county commissioner, was particularly opposed to the project because of the proposed debt issuance. Schuckman, a farmer, believed the amount of the debt to be so high it would be impossible for the county to pay it off. The Save Our Homes group also pointed out that the bonds would have to be paid back out of property tax receipts in an attempt to gather more

property owners to their side. If more of the people who supported

it would have been more vocal, I think the project would have happened, he said.

The Smalls Creek project has since been relegated to the bin of oblivion but those who pushed for it are still disappointed it failed. If other lakes around the state, like those in Sullivan and the one shared by Martin and Daviess counties, are any example, the Smalls Creek Lake would have been a self-supporting venture and the early concerns about the parks board becoming a taxing entity would have been proven wrong.

In fact, several documents from before the board and department were formed explain that there was the expectation that the department would be funded by receipts from the operations at Smalls Creek Park. Those operations also likely would have meant more tourism dollars coming to the county.

But the parks board voted to officially abandon all plans for the lake and turn its attention to the development of Ouabache Trails, a park that would eventually come to be referred to by some as the Jewel of Knox County. Now, as the people and memories fade with age, only by digging through dog-eared, typewritten yellow sheets of ancient meeting minutes can one find the saga of Smalls Creek.

Background, a view of the gob pile bed at the Enoco mine site. The pile of mining waste that lies below this ground had to be cleaned up or it would have affected the water quality of the planned lake that was to be built in the Smalls Creek watershed.

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16 May 2015 Boomer

By Todd Lancaster

And just like that it was baseball season.The Madness is over, the Hysteria has subsided and the more than 300 million people who

tuned into the Super Bowl have put down their remotes.

It is time to

breathe deep and relax.Its funny what a differ-

ent vibe baseball has in the spring. By the time early September rolls around, Im almost hyperventilating to hear the first strain of the Monday Night Football theme song. By then, high school football teams are crashing pads and there is no greater guilty pleasure than enjoying a Saturday coffee on the deck with ESPN College Game Day, preparing us for those early season SEC-Carolina Gulf Conference match-ups that somehow I convince myself are important.

But baseball is differ-ent. It kind of slides into place. Opening Day seems to be more about renewal or rebirth. They say hope springs eternal and base-ball seems to epitomize that sentiment. Whether it is the MLB, high school or Little League, there is that simple reassuring rhythm to the game. I would almost say the game has a comforting nature about it. The pop of the mitt is the same in the backyard as it is in Wrigley Field. The click-clack of a high school teams metal spikes sounds the same in every parking lot in Amer-

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Rica, just as does the sound of a plywood door opening up at a Little League con-cession stand.

The season is truly that, a repre-sentation of the seasons in nature. It is the hope of spring turning into the excitement of summer and finally the inevitable fatality of fall. For baseball fans, all things are equal in the spring. Lose three no problem, its still April. Go 6-6 on the road in May and there is still a lot of baseball left to play. That is the beauty of 162 games; there is always tomorrow. And when the long shadows of September finally stretch across the infield, another season is complete with reflection and contemplation to provide company through the long winter.

The more baseball changes, the more it stays the same. No matter how much faster a runner becomes, so does the release of the shortstop. The harder a pitcher throws, the faster the bat speed. And, 330 feet down the line still works, just like 606.

I took my boys to Fenway Park in

Boston two years ago, and it was just like I remembered it the last time I was there in 1979. More than anything else, it is the color green that dominates. One would think only the grass at Augusta National could compare; however, truth-fully, it is the same green a Little Leaguer sees the first time he gets a hit. It is the thrill of the grass he experiences when he runs out to centerfield in a Legion game at 16 or softball field at 45.

Little League season has kicked off, and several hundred youngsters have begun their own love affair with baseball. High school teams have taken up the same rivalries thrown down on the hard-wood all winter. Parents, grandparents, girlfriends, friends and neighbors will once get a chance to sit back, relax and watch the daily drama unfold, all from the comfort of a lawn chair, with hot dog and cold Coke in tow.

The grass is green, the dogwoods are in bloom and everything is still fairly equal in the standings. Play ball.Todd Lancaster is a sports writer and expert on anything not considered necessary to be a real expert. He can be reached at wthlancaster@gmail.com

The rhythm of baseball

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18 May 2015 Boomer

Boomer Toys, Trappings and TriviaBy Todd Lancaster

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Serving Daviess, Sullivan, Pike, Greene & Knox Counties

413 North First Street, Vincennes, IN 47591 812-885-2767 800-345-0820 Toll Free www.americannursingcare.com

People You Know, Taking Care of the People You Love...

Nothing says Baby Boomer backyard like a BBQ grill. Grills first became popular in the early 1950s with the advent of the Weber Grill. However, did you know Weber originally made harbor buoys, which were what the first grills were actually made from?

Although Ed Sullivan was the first American TV host to book the Beat-les, and what most people consider their debut, television personality Jack Paar pulled a coup by broad-casting a filmed performance of the group on his NBC show more than a month before their scheduled Sullivan show appearance on CBS. Paar had seen the group in London at the Royal Variety Show on Nov. 4. He purchased film from the BBC, including shots of screaming girls and The Beatles performing She Loves You. This was a picture from that performance.

President Nixon was responsible for the creation of the bowling alley in the White House basement. It is rumored Nixons high score was a pretty impressive

232. Jonathan Roscoe of the Nixon Library said a box of his old bowling scores from Oct. 18, 1969, were recently discovered. That particular day, the president rolled six games against his friend and confidant Charles Gregory Bebe Rebozo while vacationing at Camp David. A poster of Nixon bowling is proudly displayed above the bar in the movie The Big Lebowski and a brief clip is seen in MIB3.

p18ToysTrappingsMay15.indd 1 4/28/15 9:32 PM

Vincennes University welcomes you to the Knox County Alumni Basketball Sectional Tourney!

While youre here be sure to walk around campus and check out the classes, labs, and facilities that make VU such an unbelievable college experience. For over 200 years Vincennes University has provided accessible, quality higher education while remaining the most affordable residential college in the state.

VU majors lead to associate degrees, baccalaureate degrees, and professional certificates. Students learn in an environment that engages them, opens their eyes to big ideas, and challenges them to develop their own. Students stepping into state-of-the-art labs, rolling up their sleeves, and putting knowledge into action . . . thats unbelievable!

Indianas FIRST College

Welcome Home!

Visit the Vincennes Campus and discover whats new!

www.vinu.edu/alumni 800.945.2586

p19VUMay15.indd 1 4/26/15 4:36 PM

20 May 2015 Boomer

By Bernie Schmitt

The celebration of Indianas bicen-tennial in Vincennes is expected to take center stage next year, when the world premiere of Alice of Old Vincennes: A Musical will open at the Red Skelton Performing Arts Center in Vincennes.

Alice of Old Vincennes: A Musical is an adaptation of the classic 1901 novel by Maurice Thompson. It is a story of a young woman coming of age on the American frontier during the Revolutionary War, a fitting tribute to Vincennes history.

The production will feature origi-nal songs by Jay Kerr, professional New York composer and vocal coach, and writer Laurel Smith, assistant provost at Vincennes University. The adaptation of Thompsons story was written by James Spurrier, recently retired professor of speech and theatre at VU.

Fundraising for the production is the focal point of local efforts to produce the musical in 2016 and beyond. Alice organizers need to raise $50,000 this

year. Vincennes University and the Knox County Community Foundation have made major contributions. Other grants and gifts from private and corporate sup-porters should help as well.

We need to raise that amount by December, Spurrier said. We need to know what we have to work with before we do it.

As president of Alice of Old Vin-cennes: A Musical Inc., the not-for-profit organization that has been planning the musical for several years, Spurrier hopes that grants from the Indiana Arts Council, Duke Energy, Toyota, and Vectren will help get Alice to the stage.

With in-kind services from VU and money from the Community Founda-tion we have about half of what we need already, he said. I believe we will get contributions from several people in the community, too.

The money will be used to pay pro-fessional actors, musicians, orchestration, costumes, sets, and other expenses.

If you think about it, $100,000 is really cheap for putting on a professional musical, he said. An average Broadway musical cost $5 million. Surely we can raise what we need to do this in Vincennes.

Vincennes University students are

Financial support needed to bring Alice to life on stage

FUNDRAISING GOAL: $50,000

$25,000+ Platinum Vincennes University $10,000+ Gold $5,000+ Silver Knox County Community Foundation $1,000+ Bronze $500+ Patron

ALICE OF OLD VINCENNES: A MUSICAL, Inc. is a nonprofit organization. All donations are tax-deductible. Send contributions of support to:

ALICE c/o Jim Spurrier2202 E. Seminole Dr.Vincennes, IN 47591

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Boomer May 2015 21

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getting involved with the project, too. Students from VUs Business and Con-vergent Technologies College, have been working on class projects that will help in publicizing Alice. Student Annie Feller has designed a brand identity for Alice with an original logo, and students Caleb Ader, Evan Bedwell, Nick Sparks, and Darrin Deal are working on a soon-to-be-live web site. Students and community actors will have an opportunity for supporting and chorus roles, too.

If the money is raised, Spurrier will attend the Midwest Theatre Auditions in February, to find professional, Equity actors for the leading roles. Local auditions will likely take place in late March or early April.

How Alice: The Musical was born

It was a former VU professor, Rick Holen, who told Spurrier about an old play Alice of Old Vincennes, which was adapted from Thompsons novel just a few years after the novels success. That play is quite a bit different from the book, Spurrier said, although it contains the same characters.

It was more of a comedy, he said. A lot of plays produced in the early part of the 20th Century were not that good. This one ran a few days in New York, then it went on the road and was performed throughout the country. In fact, Cecile B. DeMille (of MGM fame) had a supporting lead role.

In addition to reviewing the play, Spurrier decided he would read Thomp-

sons original novel, too. From there he developed an idea for a musical adaptation of the book not the play.

Spurrier met Kerr when Kerr visited VU to teach workshops to musical theater students in 2005. Spurrier asked the New York composer if he would be interested in writing music for an adaptation of Al-ice. Spurrier also approached Smith about writing the lyrics for the show.

Laurel had never written lyrics before, but she was interested, so the three of us got together to discuss it, Spurrier said. I had already written a scenario for the play and knew where we wanted to put some songs. So we collaborated as a group.

Alice is the frontier Indiana heroine, a strong-willed, independent young woman whose love of country, and for one of George Rogers Clarks soldiers, is the focal point of this historical romance. The novel was published during a time when Americans at the turn of the century were nostalgic for Americana, for glorious visions of history and heroes.

In March of this year, organizers introduced some of the musicals songs and sought support from local donors at an informal reception at Jim and Gail Eskews Vincennes home. Composer Jay Kerr and his wife, Lynne, flew from New York City to perform. Its not often that a Broadway composer and singer perform in a Vincennes, Indiana, living room.

OurAliceis an historical romance that brings out the best in most of its characters, Kerr said. At its core,

Musical composer Jay Kerr, right, and his wife, singer Lynne Kerr, talk with Vin-cennes residents Christina Ernst and Wendy Mangin during a fundraising event in March. In the background are Gail Eskew, who hosted the event, and Laurel Smith, the lyricist for the Alice of Old Vincennes: A Musical songs.

Photos by Bernie Schmitt

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22 May 2015 Boomer

it is an intimate show, more a chamber musical that an old-fash-ioned loud, heavily-populated story. The instrumentation is seven pieces; dance will punctuate action but not divert in splashy 10-minute numbers.

Songs move the story ahead and give us insight into the

characters, he said. Its a love story that takes place with a war in the background, where characters thrive and survive focused on a greater good, the spirit that created America.

The musicals authors have incorporated original songs to create a unique interpretation of the famous story. The lyricist (Smith) and composer (Kerr) were strangers, at first, but a series of meetings here and time spent together in New York resulted in a collaboration of success.

Initially, Jay asked me to send him lyrics and he would write music just to see if we could write a song, nothing to do with a whole play, Smith said. We were both pleased with the results. Jim had a working draft for the script, and we started looking for ways that a song would help tell the story move the action.

Happily, Jay and I could work long-distance, she said. For me it was a blend of learning a new kind of language art and having fun.

The irony is that we were pushed together and we became a well-oiled song-writing machine, Kerr said.

Alice of Old Vincennes: A Musical is a story set in the 18th Century, but the lead characters development is thoroughly modern. Kerr praised Spurrier for choosing Smith to write the lyrics for the show.

Laurel brings a female sensibility to a project that, including in Maurice Thompsons day, never really had one, he said. It is her understanding of Alice, as she leaped into Laurels capable arms off the novels pages, which makes this musical a valid expres-sion of the turn-of-the-century woman who gave Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan their collective voice.

Jay prefers women with spirit theyre not boring, Smith quipped. Seriously, I think audiences want to see a female protago-nist who is as complex and believable as a male lead would be. Alice

The creators of Alice of Old Vincennes: A Musical are, from left, Jim Spurrier, Vincennes, who adapted the mu-sical from Maurice Thompsons 1901 novel; writer Laurel Smith Vincennes, who wrote the lyrics; and Jay Kerr of New York who wrote the music.

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Boomer May 2015 23

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hasnt learned how to use a sword because she wants to be an amateur male. She can fight because it is a useful skill to know. Pe-riod. She truly imagines an American future in which her whole self is valued mind, body, and soul. Alice reminds me of my best students gifted in more than one way.

As residents across Indiana prepare to celebrate the Bicentennial of the Hoosier state in 2016, one part of our celebration should include Alice on stage at Vin-cennes Universitys stunning Red Skelton

Performing Arts Center. The novel Alice put a spotlight on

Vincennes when Indiana turned 100, Smith said. Im thrilled that Alice in a musical setting will be around for the 200th celebration.

The Spirit of Vincennes Rendezvous, celebrated each Memorial Day weekend, is a well-known showcase of Revolution-ary War history. In 2016, that showcase will be updated to the 21st Century as history and contemporary theater com-

bine to make another contribution to Vincennes cultural history.

Its interesting that Red Skelton [native son of Vincennes and namesake of RSPAC], brought so many fictional char-acters to life in his comedy, notes Smith. Alice is not one of Skeltons creations, but she is certainly a character who should come to life.

The musicals debut is planned for Memorial Day Weekend of 2016: May 27, 28, 29 and June 3, 4, 5.

Jim Spurrier directed a concert version of Alice in 2010, but it was only a recital. A full production of Alice of Old Vincennes: A Musical, is expected to premiere on the stage of the Red Skelton Performing Arts Center in May of 2016. Financial support is needed to bring this Indiana bicentennial event to life.

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24 May 2015 Boomer

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Rbetween two and 10 times and hope that the pieces are small enough that they dissolve or blow away unnoticed.

This practice came to a screeching halt earlier this year when I noticed that the leaves from my property had piled up about 2 feet high and 3 feet thick on my neighbors fence. This leaf pile had completely blocked any access that my neighbors had to their back yard as the gate was hopelessly buried behind approximately a metric ton of wet leaves. (That may be an exaggeration).

My amazing neighbors did not fuss about my ineptitude with leaf removal for the entire winter, and as such, I sim-ply did not realize how much an effect my lack of attention was having upon their property. It was not until early March that I finally came to the realiza-tion that my neighbors had absolutely no access to their back yard. As such, I convinced my wife that we really needed a leaf blower and, in an effort to prevent such happenings in the future, a lawn sweeper. Using these lawn implements, I successfully got rid of the leaves that I should have taken care of months before.

While performing this long over-due task, a series of questions started to pop through my mind. I questioned what would happen if instead of leaves disrupting my neighbors property it was something more substantial, like a limb or a tree. I wondered what kind of duty the law would impose on me to make things right. The answer to this question, as with almost all things in the law, is that it depends.

In Indiana, the duty owed to neigh-boring property owners depends upon whether the property is located in a rural or an urban area. For rural property owners, the law imposes a less strin-gent duty as the burden associated with a requirement to inspect the land for possible dangers is thought to outweigh the societal benefit associated with such inspections. As such, for rural property owners there is a general rule that there exists no liability for damage caused by a natural condition of the land. In other words, there would be no liability imposed for damage caused to neighbor-ing property (or a passing motorist) as a result of a downed tree. (However, if the property owner is aware of a dangerous condition on their land, then liability would be imposed).

By Graham Dycus

My wife and I are currently enjoying our first spring in our new home which borders a heavily wooded area. The wildlife

and greenery are quite enjoyable; however, this natu-ral beauty can be

somewhat of a mixed bless-ing, as my incredibly patient neighbors will attest. In my relatively young life I have lived mostly in areas with relatively few trees. Because of this, I have never really been through the process of dealing with leaf removal. My past experience has sim-ply been to run the leaves over with the lawnmower

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Boomer May 2015 25

A much different rule applies for property owners in residential areas. In these areas the law requires the landown-er take reasonable care to prevent an unreasonable risk of harm. What this essentially means is that a property owner in a residential area has a duty to inspect their property and to address those dan-gers which are more likely than not to cause harm (whether physical or other-wise). In other words, if your property has a tree that was planted by George Rogers Clark and you havent seen it grow leaves in a number of years, then you should really look into having the tree removed. Otherwise, you could face liability for any damage caused by the tree falling onto something or someone.

In addition to the above referenced duty, Indiana law also imposes upon land-owners a duty to take care of trees/shrub-bery/etc. on their property that abuts roadways. Again, the extent of the duty depends upon whether you live in a resi-dential or rural area, with a more stringent duty placed upon those of us who live in residential areas. If your property contains trees or other natural conditions of the land that obstruct the view of traffic, you are under a duty to clear such vegetation so that the obstruction is removed. Again,

the phrase used in imposing the duty require the landowner to take reasonable care to prevent an unreasonable risk of harm. What this means is that the ob-structing vegetation must be maintained. This duty also includes removing dead or dying trees so as to prevent the possibility of a storm uprooting them and damaging nearby vehicles.

The duty imposed by Indiana law requires property owners to just be reasonable when it comes to maintaining their land. If it appears as though a tree on your property could cause damage to your neighbors property, the best prac-tice would be to address the situation by trimming the tree back, or if necessary, have the tree removed entirely. On the positive side, you could have a bonfire

with the remnants, make smores and tell your heroic tale of how you saved your neighbor from disaster by simply removing a tree. If thats not enough of an incentive for you, there is always the possibility that you could end up with a brand new toy to play ... I mean tool to work with, such as a leaf blower that doubles as a mulching yard vacuum and a lawn sweeper. Graham Dycus is a 2000 graduate of Lincoln High School. He received a B.S. in Public Health from Indiana University in 2004. He received his juris doctor from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law-Bloomington in 2008.Graham practiced in Indianapolis until 2014 when he returned home to Vincennes and joined HartBell.

p24-25AttyCornerDycusMay15.indd 2 4/28/15 9:40 PM

26 May 2015 Boomer

By Joy Neighbors

Lets raise a glass of Hoosier vino each week during the month of June in honor of Indiana Wine Grape Month!

Indiana was the tenth larg-est grape producing state in the U.S. until Prohibition knocked the grapes right off our vines. It took 50 years, and the passage of the Indiana Small Winery Act in 1971, to help put the state back on the wine map.

Today, Indiana wineries are thriving, hosting close to 1 million visitors each year and selling more than 4 million

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bottles of wine. Now thats a reason to celebrate. Here are four more ways to get the party going, one week at a time!

Week 1: Toast that special dayJune has for years been the most

popular month to get married, so if youre celebrating an anniversary, or attending a wedding, this is the perfect time to pop

the cork on an Indiana sparkling wine. No weddings or anniversaries to commemo-rate? There are still plenty of days you can chose to celebrate. Theres Hug Your Cat Day on June 4, Flag Day is June 14, Fa-thers Day and the Summer Solstice both fall on June 21, and June 23 is National Columnists Day, so raise a glass for The Boomer Connoisseur.

Celebrating an anniversary or wedding? Pop the cork on an Indiana sparkling wine to commemorate the occasion.

Photos by Joy Neighbors

Four weeks to celebrate Indiana Wine Grape Month

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Week 2: Drink that special bottle

You know the one ... maybe its the bottle that was given to you as a pres-ent, or the one you absolutely loved at a wine tasting, or it could be that bottle you purchased just because it looked so cool. Maybe its that expensive bottle you purchased after a day of winery hopping, never knowing when the right time would be ... well, guess what? Now is the time. It

doesnt matter about wine medals or wine points, just make this bottle something special and take the time to enjoy it.

Week 3: Sip something newHead out to an area wine shop, take

a winery hop along an Indiana wine trail, or visit the nearest convenience store; it doesnt matter. Your goal this week is to purchase a bottle of Indiana wine that youve never had. Wait! Youve never tried a Hoosier wine? Well then, the skys the limit! (And prepare to be surprised ... in a good way). Pull the tasting notes from the selected winerys website, grab some friends and see if you can taste the same flavors. Learn something about the win-ery and plan to take a trip there, which takes us to ...

Week 4: Visit an Indiana winery

What better way to indulge your love of wine than at a winery where they

live it 24/7? Go somewhere youve never been and undergo the whole winery experience with fresh eyes (and senses). Take the tour, taste the wines, talk to the owners, visit with the winemaker, chat with the bar staff and learn something you didnt know. Then find someone to share your newfound knowledge, and a bottle of wine.

Besides Indiana Wine Grape Month, June also is Aquarium Month, Rose Month, National Accordion Awareness Month (What! You didnt know?), and its the official start of sum-mer, so raise a glass of Hoosier wine and salute them all!Joy Neighbors, from eastern Illinois, knows the wine industry well. She writes a weekly wine blog, has judged national wine competitions, and speaks nationally and internationally. Follow her blog at http://joysjoyofwine.blogspot.com.

Find that special bottle of wine thats been collecting dust, waiting for a special occasion. Theres no time like the present to enjoy it.

Go to an Indiana winery, or go to the convenience store. Either way, one can find a new wine to enjoy this summer.

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p26-27BoomerConnMay15.indd 2 4/28/15 9:53 PM

28 May 2015 Boomer

By Bernie Schmitt

If the light is right, Ted Roach cannot be found in his historically quaint, small-town photographic studio in Oaktown.

Instead, hes driving along country roads, often through the Wabash River bottoms, his eyes searching the treetops and the skies for the symbol of this coun-trys grace and strength: the American bald eagle.

He is the first to admit that hes not a birder, or a wildlife biologist, but he does recognize natures beauty. His fascination with the American bald eagle

stems from his search for beauty and his desire to share that beauty with others.

Everything has beauty, he said. I feel Ive been given an opportunity to show Gods beauty. If I didnt photo-graph it, people wouldnt see it.

Roach has an extensive resume in the photography business, having more than 30 years of experience in the craft. He has an extensive portfolio of rustic scenery, breathtaking sunsets (and sun-rises), and stunning images of wildlife. His eagle project stems from his love of the outdoors and his desire to share with others the beauty of nature.

He is often accompanied by his wife, Rebecca, on these rural excursions. His search for, and recording of bald eagles in the wild, evolved over time. In that bald eagles have made a tremendous come-back in Indiana (they once were nearly extinct), they are easier to locate and easy to see their large nests in the treetops (especially in winter) and easy to spot in the air.

I learned about them, and how to photograph them as I went along, he said. I love a challenge, and photograph-ing eagles is a challenge.

Nests for eagles are generally located near open water, a prime food source for the birds. Local nests are situated near the Wabash River and other bod-ies of water where the birds can find fish. Eagles may go after other forms of small wildlife, but fish is their main diet, Roach said.

They have made a big comeback, he said. If they have open water during the winter, they will survive. Around here there are also cooling ponds from power plants and that provides a great habitat for them.

Roach has been quietly photo-graphing eagles for almost four years, compiling thousands of pictures of Americas national symbol. He says he has a lot of respect for these wild birds. He knows of 17 active nests and realiz-es that there are probably many more.

CAPTURING INDIANA EAGLES IN FLIGHT

Oaktown photographer recording Americas national symbol A bald eagle soars in flight over Knox County, captured by Oaktown photographer Ted Roach.

Photos by TRPhotography

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Six of those nests are easily accessible as they are in trees located alongside roads. Other nests are on private property and he will not disclose their locations.

Right now (in April) they are nesting, he said. I have a lot of respect and understand the sensitivity of nesting pairs. If they get aggravated, they will leave.

Roach said revisiting the birds locations has allowed him to understand them and a little about what they do. They tend to recognize himself and his wife when they visit.

They have personalities of their own, he said. The males sometimes fly over to check us out. They call out to one another, communicate with one another. Some show off doing acrobatic dives and some keep their distance. The males usually fish while the females sit on the nests, but the males take their turns nesting, too.

The bald eagle was named the nations national symbol in 1782, but for nearly 100 years (1870 to

Bald eagles fiercely guard their large nests, many of which are visible during the winter months.

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30 May 2015 Boomer

1970), the numbers of bald eagles rapidly declined, largely due to habitat loss, over-hunting, and the pesticide DDT, which is now banned. Like elsewhere in the U.S., eagles lost their habitat in In-diana and for much of the 20th Century were nowhere to be found.

The Indiana Department of Natu-ral Resources led efforts to restore the bald eagle in 1985, when 73 young bald eagles were reintroduced at Lake Monroe near Bloomington. A core population has grown from this group of birds in south-central Indiana, lead-

ing the Nature Conservancy to take the bald eagle off its endangered species list in 2007. The federal government removed them from its endangered list in 2006.

Roach reiterated that what knowl-edge he has of eagles hes learned since

An eagle keeps watch on his treetop perch, glancing up to catch the photographers eye.

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he started photographing them. He has been out early in the morning, throughout the day, and into the twilight photographing eagles. Hes merely the

observer. The results depend on lighting and location.

I try to get out whenever I can, depending on how busy I am in the

studio, he said. If the light is right, Im gone.To see more of Roachs photography, log on to www.trphotography1.smugmug.com.

Ted Roach and his wife, Rebecca, have been enjoying the Knox County countryside and the company of eagles for nearly four years. It is a project that the Oaktown photographer says has evolved over time, resulting in hundreds of eagles in their natural habitat.

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32 May 2015 Boomer

By Dan Ravellette

Fond memories of childhood activ-ities and events often come racing back into our minds, triggered by long-forgotten smells, sights and phrases.

Soap Box Derby might conjure up happy thoughts of days gone by when four wheels from an old lawn mower were not-so-securely attached to the ends of two pieces of used 2-by-4s. A hammer and some nails might have been bor-rowed from Dads toolbox and used to fasten a seat and a backrest to a section of plywood just big enough for a 10-year-old to sit on.

When all these works of art were put together ... including the steering rope ... what a wonderful experience it was to feel the wind against your face as your homemade speed machine flashed brilliantly down the longest, steepest hill you could find.

On April 18, at the Ouabache Trails Park, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venturing Scouts and others from all over the area brought some of those old memories back to life and they had a great time doing it.

The first Cubmobile Invitational event in this community was staged in the beautiful confines of one of Knox

Countys most scenic outdoor venues on Lower Fort Knox Road in Vincennes. A Cubmobile is actually a gravity-powered soapbox-derby type of vehicle built by the Scouts themselves. This special event provided an opportunity to display a strong sense of teamwork, to develop lasting friendships and to feel the joy of encouraging one another in a family fun atmosphere.

Matt Stratman, district executive of the Boy Scouts of America Buffalo Trace Council, explained that this Algonkian District activity included participants in four levels of Cub Scouting. The Tiger Scouts are comprised of boys in the first grade. Second graders are proudly known as Wolf Scouts. Bear Scouts are all in the third grade and the Webelos are made up of youngsters in the fourth and fifth grades.

As part of this inaugural spectacular, four basic goals of growth were empha-sized. This extravaganza gave scouts the

SOAP BOX DERBY TIMEFirst annual Cubmobile Invitational brings racers and good memories to Ouabache Trails Park

Two Cub Scouts maneuver their Cubmobiles around the curved section of the 200-foot racetrack during the Cubmobile Invitational at Ouabache Trails Park.

Photos by Dan Ravellette

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opportunity for growth through learn-ing by teaching them how to use tools in construction of their vehicles. It also emphasized growth through creativity by encouraging them to express their creativity in decorating their cars.

Scouts were encouraged to do their best, while at the same time being cour-teous and gracious competitors. And they acquired maturity in the area of courage as they learned to overcome their fears by racing their personal creations at tremen-dously high speeds down an extremely steep track.

Packs of Cub Scouts gathered along the tree-lined course from various parts of Knox County to cheer and shout encouragement to each driver as they guided their uniquely crafted carriage to what they hoped would be victory.

Pack 215, chartered by the Sandborn Lions Club, was there and burning up the course. Members of the South Knox Elementary School P.T.O.-chartered Pack 260 joined in the excitement and added to the fun.

Also playing a major role in the Cub-mobile Invitational were the members of Pack 262 chartered by the Church of Latter Day Saints in Vincennes. Round-ing out the Hoosier-land partic-

This is an example of a basic Cubmobile built by the Scouts themselves and ready to run in the Cubmobile Invitational that took place in Ouabache Trails Park on April 18.

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ipants was Pack 291 chartered by the Tecumseh-Harrison Elementary School P.T.O.

The state of Illinois was represented as well by Pack 211, chartered by the First Presbyterian Church in Olney. The St. Lawrence Catholic Church-chartered Pack

245 from Lawrenceville rounded out the tremendous line-up of brave drivers.

Some of the safety measures included the stipulation that all drivers must wear a strapped helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, long-sleeved shirts, full-length pants and shoes. And, all cars had to be equipped

with a seatbelt and brake. A weight limit of 250 pounds was placed on each car, which included the driver and all cars were inspected before each race.

A large crowd of enthusiastic spec-tators, consisting of family members, other relatives and friends, gathered

The Boy Scouts of America offer a variety of programs for each age group. The Scouts participate in family-centered activities, group activities, learning and just plain fun! C.S.I. (Cub Scout Investigation) Day Camp is scheduled to take place also in Ouabache Trails Park from June 16-19. No matter if a boy is currently enrolled in the Scouting program, this special activity is open for boys from the first grade to the fifth grade. For more information, contact Matt Stratman at 1-800-264-5246.

Chairman of the Algonkian District and official race starter Ryan Lough gives last-minute instructions and encouragement to two Cub Scout drivers at the starting line near the entrance to Ouabache Trails Park.

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along both sides of the 200-foot track to view the array of multi-colored vehicles as they raced down the curved course. Red, yellow, blue, green and white plastic pennants, hanging from the top rope, created a circus-like atmosphere.

The excitement of each run crested to a frenzied level as each driver made his way down the slope to the orange finish line.

As each contestant climbed onto their Packs Cubmobile creation, they were greeted by Ryan Lough, chairman of the Algonkian District, who carried the start-ing bullhorn. Lough smiled broadly as he attempted to calm the nerves of some of the less experienced drivers when they approached the starting line.

One of the most frequently issued instructions was that there was to be no squirrel-watching during the race. If a squirrel was to run across the track, the drivers were asked to try to avoid hitting it, but to keep their eyes on the road.

About 50 scouts attended, as well as about 25 adult volunteers. Many friends and life-long memories were made at Ouabache Trails Park at the Cubmobile Invitational. No matter who crossed the finish line first or even if he didnt cross the finish line at all there were no losers.

Cub Scout and Boy Scout volunteers served refreshments during the Cubmobile Invitational at Ouabache Trails Park.

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36 May 2015 Boomer

By Angie Moore

Theres no time better than the present, and that couldnt be more true than when we are talking about saving for retirement. The

time to start saving is now! Follow the steps below to help you take responsibil-ity for your retirement savings.

Start savingStart with a small amount

and increase it whenever you can when you get a raise, when you get a bonus, or when you have a payment that stops. If your employer has a 401(k) plan, saving couldnt be less painful the money is deduct-ed from your paycheck for you. If your employer doesnt have a 401(k), consider an Individual Retirement Account. Your em-ployer may still deduct money from your paycheck and send it to the IRA custodian on your behalf another painless way to save for your retirement. Educate yourself

Learn about your employ-ers plan, or your spouses em-ployers plan. If there is a 401(k) plan available, a summary plan description will be provided to you, explaining how the plan works. Youll want to look for answers to questions such as: When will I become eligible? What types of salary deferrals are available (Roth and regular)? Is there a matching contribution? Review your participant statement

If you are in a retirement plan, review your statement quarterly to review your invest-ment selections, contributions

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being made on your behalf, and your vesting schedule.Review your Social Security benefits

An estimate of future benefits for you is available via a calculator found at www.ssa.gov.

Save today! Do you want to start with $10 a paycheck? Go for it. Review your savings at least annually, and try to increase your savings contributions whenever pos-sible. If your employer doesnt offer a plan, talk to them about the importance of saving for retirement, and dont give up! IRAs are easy to get, and easy to contribute to.

Ready, set, get started!Angie Moore is a certified public accountant, having been with Kemper CPA for 18 years. She was graduated from the University of Illinois. She and her husband have a son and a daughter. They are avid Illini fans.

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR RETIREMENT

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38 May 2015 Boomer

By: Angie J. Mayfield

Remember when Americans were envied, not ridiculed, our culture was valued, not shamed, and our beliefs were individualized and respected, not conformed into a political agenda? Our culture has lost much of what we once valued as Americans, in-cluding common courtesy and basic

freedoms. We have begun to compromise our morals by restricting our thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and viewpoints,

and letting new societal norms take their place.

Speaking and acting considerately is important, to a point, but political correctness can become detrimental and work against the diversity of our culture when special interest groups are deemed more worthy than the majority. We reject the idea that we are all different, though we are. We each possess unique perspectives, values, intellect, and motivations, and creative thought and problem solving are stifled because we are worried to death that we might possibly offend someone or be accused of discrimination.

Society preaches tolerance, but in reality, there is less and less tolerance for any thoughts or free-doms that do not conform to the imposing voice of what the liberal media tells us to believe. Restricting freedoms to avoid the possibility of offending someone else takes away our individuality, our personal identity, and the values our nation was founded on.

Political correctness has begun to invade our private lives as well. Companies now have strictpolicies on what their employees can and cannot say, schools limit the content oftheir curriculum and censured topics that can be discussed in class, and many commonly-used words and phrases are no longer socially acceptable. Criminals are now the behaviorally challenged who cannot help their disadvantaged back-ground; illegal aliens have become undocumented immigrants; and Merry Christmas has changed to Happy Holidays, though 93

percent of the American population celebrates Christmas.

By catering to the possibility of offending the minority, we offend the majority. No one seems to care that Christians are now limited in the outward expression of a part of their lives or that white males are limited on scholarship and career opportunities.Christians arent forcing our view on others, but atheist groups are trying to take away our rights to worship and to display crosses. If I dont like a song, a show, a book, or a commercial, I change the channel or dont read or watch it. I dont expect it to be destroyed to cater to my viewpoint. However, many groups are accomplishing just that or trying on a daily basis.

The Constitution protects our unalienable rights and state that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of griev-ances. This is not to say that we should abuse these rights by being vulgar or intentionally hurtful, but that we should protect our individ-ual identities and not allow our government to abolish or restrict them.

Political correctness is fine to a point. Common courtesy and accommodation are honorable qualities. However, we need to stop listening to those in power who are telling us how to act and think. We should make up our own minds and accept the responsibility to choose for ourselves what we should and should not be exposed to.

In a poll last year, 74 percent of the popula-tion felt political correctness had gone too far. If we say the wrong thing in America today, we are sure to be either penalized, sued, fired, or labeled a racist, extremist, or an idiot. George Orwell described a totalitarian state where speech was greatly restricted in his novel 1984 that bears a striking resemblance to ours. There are thou-sands of examples of political correctness gone too far. One example is the recent attempts to ban films American Sniper and The Interview because certain groups were offended.

Those who disagree with Obama and his agendas are faced with a firing squad of trouble and racist labels. Generals and commentators have been fired, accusations have ensued, careers ruined, and even people ending up dead (totally coincidental, of course). However, a particularly absurd example of political correctness going too far is the firing of a rodeo clown at the Missouri State Fair for wearing an Obama mask. Now, all of the other rodeo clowns are being required to take sensitivity training.

Gay rights has created another over-the-top realm of extreme political correctness. Chaplains in the U.S. military are being forced to per-form gay marriages, even if it goes against their personal religious beliefs. The few chaplains that have refused to follow orders know that it means

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Over-the-top political correctness

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Boomer May 2015 39

the end of their careers. The governor of Cali-fornia signed a bill into law which will amend the states education code and allow transgen-dered students to use whatever bathrooms and gym facilities they want. And Duck Dynastys Phil Robertson was crucified by the media for his view on homosexuality and for the familys prayer ritual at the end of each show.

Then there are those groups in America who are absolutely obsessed with eradicat-ing every mention of God out of the public sphere. For example, an elementary school in North Carolina ordered a little 6-year-old girl to remove the word God from a poem that she wrote to honor her two grandfathers that had served in the Vietnam War. A high school track team was disqualified because one of the runners made a gesture thanking God once he had crossed the finish line, a student at Sonoma State University was ordered to take off a cross that she was wearing because someone could be offended, a teacher in New Jersey was fired for giving his own Bible to a student who did not own one, and volunteer chaplains for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department were banned from using the name of Jesus on government property.

Who really controls America is clear when there is a war on anything anti-Muslim. Numer-ous media hosts and announcers have been fired for comments deemed offensive by Muslims. According to a new Army manual, U.S. soldiers will now be instructed to avoid any criticism of pedophilia and to avoid criticizing anything

related to Islam. The Obama administration has banned all U.S. government agencies from producing any training materials that link Islam with terrorism. In fact, the FBI has gone back and purged references to Islam and terrorism from hundreds of old documents. In a poll, 63 percent of Americans believed political correctness prevented military authorities from confronting Muslim Major Nidal Malik Hasan before he killed 13 people and wounded many others at Ft. Hood, Texas. No group of Americans or foreigners should be exempt from accountability or entitled to more freedoms or protection than any other group or individual. However, for some reason, the Islamic religion is the only one protected in America.

Finally, race relations have taken a nosedive during the Obama administration, as hype, hatred, and media bias continually create an image of Americans as racists and white suprem-acists despite affirmative action laws and quotas that ensure they are given first chance for jobs, scholarships, education, and benefits. Police officers are all supposedly racist brutes, though 93 percent of blacks are killed by other blacks. Taxpayers have spent $40 trillion in the past 50 years to advance the black race, yet they continue to scream discrimination. Protestors in Ferguson, Missouri incited riots, pillaged, and burned businesses simply because a black criminal who attacked a police officer was killed, yet none of the protestors were held accountable because Obama claimed their actions were un-derstandable. Foreigners are given more benefits

than veterans and the elderly. Media bias and this mindset of entitlement, disguised as political correctness, only creates hostility and reverse discrimination. United we stand and divided we fall, and America is currently divided.

Young people are particularly susceptible to the power of suggestion, and the future impact of this coercion of thought in todays society could be devastating. I see it in my classes every day as students are reluctant to participate in discussions for fear of getting in trouble or offending someone. They have an indoctrinated, standardized answer for every issue. When asked to justify it with support, well, you know, the internet or Facebook said so.

Our freedoms are continually attacked because we dont stand up for ourselves, protest, lobby, and fight for our rights. The squeaky wheel gets the oil, and there are plenty of squeakers wreaking havoc and trying to take away our freedoms and our country. Baby Boomers are the largest percentage of the popu-lation well, until the new amnesty program takes full effect anyway. Therefore, we need to call and email our legislators, make our feelings known, teach our youth to think for themselves, and stand up for our values, our Constitution, and the America we love before its too late.

Angie J. Mayfield is an associate professor of English at Vincennes University Jasper campus and the author of Love, Loss, & Lunacy in a Small Town. She can be contacted at profmayfield@yahoo.com

p38-39ConvCynicMay15.indd 2 4/29/15 10:24 AM

40 May 2015 Boomer

By Bernie Schmitt

I know it sounds quaint, but one of the most magical moments of growing up was when I was able to buy a portable hand-held transistor radio.

Really old-fashioned, right?It was a small AM radio,

black and beige in color, and I dont remember the brand name. It definitely

wasnt a Sony. It did not have the silver antenna that a lot of others had, but it picked up WJPS in Evansville with perfect clarity.

WJPS was the station for popular music in those days. There were country and western stations, and community stations in the area, but I was unaware of them or what their formats were. It was the strong AM signal from WJPS its disc jockeys and the music they played that gave me an awareness of what was hip, what was cool.

I carried that transistor radio with me everywhere I went that summer, even when Dad loaded all of us kids out to Grandmas farm in the back of his pick-up. He tried to convince me to leave the radio at home, but I protest-ed. I think he understood how

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.important that radio was for me then, and he didnt want me to ruin it or lose it to some unfortunate accident. I had to have it with me.

Its hard to explain just how much having that radio that connection to the outside world meant to a 12-year-old kid growing up in a tremendously small, rural, and intensely quiet community. It was so cool.

I could hang out for hours under a large maple tree in our backyard, listening to songs by Janis Joplin, Three Dog Night, Marvin Gaye, the Grass Roots, the Fifth Dimension, the Carpenters, and many, many more. Listening to AM radio and in southwest Indiana it was WJPS I was connected to millions of other kids, in a way, who were enjoying Brown Sugar by the Rolling Stones as much as me.

It was when my memory began applying a soundtrack to my life, when memory began to associate various tunes with the dif-ferent events that summer. For reasons I cant remember, I attended Vacation Bible School with other neighborhood kids at the Baptist Church up the street. We received Bible lessons, painted a ceramic cornucopia, and made a decorative cross made of toothpicks that week. Strangely enough, Treat Her Like A Lady, by Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose, always reminds me of that time.

A nine-volt battery provided hours of listening enjoyment, but it had its limits. At night Id fall asleep to Carly Simon, Jim Croce, and Chicago, only to discover a dead battery by morning. Id always find a way to either do chores to earn money needed for a new battery, or Id round up all the glass pop bottles I could find to sell.

That Christmas my parents got me

an electric table-top AM and FM radio that stayed on all the time. This is when I discovered late-night WLS in Chicago (on the AM dial) and when I began to have an appreciation for country music listening to WWL, an all-night truckers radio station in New Orleans. I heard Red Sovines Phan-tom 309 for the first time on that station.

FM radio developed as the 70s rolled along, when DJs with smooth, deep voices played entire sides of long-playing, vinyl albums. These were the days when radio sta-tions were staffed with ambitious and creative people who loved the music more than their paychecks. My listening habits morphed into more focused genres in vinyl, eight-track, and cassette formats, but radio still remained as a must-have, especially in my car.

I have and enjoy a compact disc col-lection, relics of the 80s and 90s. They are historical artifacts in these days of streaming music videos, digital downloads, and satellite subscription radio. Being able to select tunes on a disc is like positioning the needle at the right spot on grooved vinyl (something thats becoming stylish again), but its so old school.

Ive read reports that say there are FM radio receivers built into most modern smart phones, but wireless carriers wont activate that component. FM reception is free and uses less battery power. Wireless companies want customers to use their ser-vices to stream programming for listening even for local stations.

Id just get an old-fashioned transistor radio.A freelance writer and photographer, Bernie Schmitt also is an assistant professor of English at Vincennes University. He lives with his wife, Nancy, and family in Vincennes.

Transistor radio connected us to the music of our times

p40BernieColMay15.indd 1 4/29/15 9:28 AM

Boomer May 2015 41

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May

June

MAY 16Kathy Troccoli in Concert at the Red Skelton Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 and are available by calling the Red Skelton Box Office at 812-888-4039.

MAY 16Knox County Relay for Life at Gregg Park. The Rockin Relay will be from 9 a.m. until midnight. All proceeds go to the American Cancer Society. For more information visit www.relayforlife.org/knoxcountyin.

MAY 15The Texas Tenors will perform at the Red Skelton Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available by contacting the Alumni Office at 812-888-4354.

MAY 23Opening day of the Farmers Market of Historic Vincennes located at the Riverfront Pavilion. Opening day will feature crafters, flea market items, and in season produce from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. For more information contact Shirley Rose at 812-882-5162.

MAY 23Candlelight Tour and Rendezvous Grand Ball at Grouseland and the Vincennes State Historic Sites. This free event will feature tours of the home of William Henry Harrison from 8 p.m. 10 p.m., as well as dancing.

MAY 19Purdue Extension Knox County will present a program on containing gardening at the Knox County Public Library at 6:30 p.m. in the library sun room.

MAY 26Survivor Vincennes, a group for those who have been touched by cancer, will host Good Samaritan Hospital Chaplain Rev. Trevor Murry as