Published: July 04, 2009 12:44 am      

EVENING NEWS CHEERS & JEERS: July 4, 2009

CHEERS

... to our independence and freedoms — especially freedom of speech and of the press, which allows for columns such as this, not to mention allows us to collect a paycheck.

— The Evening News staff



CHEERS

... to the Charlestown High School football cheerleading team, which earned a trip to the National Cheerleaders Association Cheerleading Nationals in Dallas in December.

— The Evening News staff



CHEERS

... to whomever is responsible for the spiffy new paint job on the building along Spring Street — right next to Heuser Hardware in Jeffersonville.

It’s neatly done and the red is an attractive choice. Thanks for doing your part to clean — and pep — things up downtown.

— Presentation Editor Amy Huffman Branham



CHEERS

... to Rick Koetter and the Koetter family for quickly purchasing the former Kimball Office factory in Borden, which closed earlier this year. The Koetters plan to divide the 400,000-square-feet of space into an business incubator or mini-industrial park.

Massive factories like the former Kimball plant often stand empty for years and deteriorate. Even in a bad economy, it looks like a local family will make sure that won’t happen.

— Editor Shea Van Hoy



CHEERS

... to Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., for his authorship of the Homeowner Tax Fairness Act of 2009. I don’t own a home, but it seems sensible that people who do should not be denied a tax deduction simply because they don’t itemize when filing taxes. Bayh thought so, too, and his act allows homeowners who do not itemize their tax returns to deduct property taxes.

He stopped by New Albany on Thursday to talk about the act and showcase a homeowner who has been helped by it. It also was a form of campaigning, as Bayh is trying to make the 2008-09 act permanent.

— Editor Shea Van Hoy



CHEERS

... to another great idea from Clark County Red Cross. The new Puppy Tales program lets children with reading or speaking issues to read to dogs used for pet therapy by the nonprofit organization.

The children don’t feel intimidated while reading to their four-legged friends and nearly instantly bond with the dogs, according to children and Red Cross personnel interviewed for a story this week in The Evening News.

The program runs through July 30 this year. Call 812-283-8416 for more information, or search for “Puppy Tales” on our Web site to read the article.

— Editor Shea Van Hoy



CHEERS AND JEERS

... to property tax bills.

Bills for Clark County residents will be late again this year, although it’s getting better. The county is at least two months ahead of last year’s pace, according to an Evening News article published Friday.

The county’s goal is to be back on schedule in 2010 and I hope that’s the case. In just one example of how the late bills cost everyone money, the three county school systems have had to pay millions in interest on money they borrowed just to keep operating because tax payments, just like the tax bills, have been late in recent years.

— Editor Shea Van Hoy



JEERS

... to people who recklessly set off fireworks.

Please, if you live in proximity to others, don’t shoot off fireworks at your neighbor’s home. Don’t let children set off fireworks.

And once it’s not the Fourth of July anymore — you know, after the stroke of midnight — please refrain from continuing to launch rockets and set off boomers, whistlers and poppers. And on the day after the fireworks extravaganza, take a minute to clean up the mess left behind by all the stuff you blew up.

— Presentation Editor Amy Huffman Branham



Do you have someone or something to cheer or jeer? Submissions should be sent to Editor Shea Van Hoy at shea.vanhoy@newsandtribune.com or by mail at 221 Spring St., Jeffersonville, IN 47130.