James M. Redwine

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Not A Pyrrhic Victory Please

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“Ill blows the wind that profits nobody.”

Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part III, Act II, scene v, ln. 55.

Category 4 Hurricane Ida has caused immense emotional and economic loss to the citizens of Louisiana and surrounding areas. The beautiful and historic city of New Orleans was hit hard. Numerous institutions such as Tulane University lost power and will need weeks or even months to recover. Many of Tulane’s students have been evacuated to Houston, Texas and the Tulane Green Wave football team that was scheduled to host the Oklahoma Sooners has graciously agreed to travel to Norman, Oklahoma for the first game of the season September 04, 2021. Perhaps there is opportunity to find “profit” from Mother Nature’s fury.

In 1943 the fiercest football rivalry in America was the annual Army-Navy game. The two service academies have produced such luminaries as Admirals Halsey and Nimitz plus Senator McCain and President Carter from the Naval Academy as well as Generals MacArthur and Bradley plus Presidents Grant and Eisenhower from West Point. As the saying goes, “At West Point, much of the history we teach was made by people we taught.” Our service academies, all of them, have been crucial to our country’s success but the vigorous competition between West Point and Annapolis in football is special.

So, it was truly inspiring when on November 28, 1943 Army cadets divided up and half cheered for Navy. President Roosevelt as Commander-in-Chief had declared certain WWII restrictions on the game so all the midshipmen from Navy were not allowed to travel to Michie Stadium at West Point. In the spirit of fair play half of the Corps of Cadets supported Navy. You can probably guess how the game turned out; Navy won. Well, no good deed goes unpunished. Regardless, O.U. and Tulane have a similar opportunity to show fellowship and sportsmanship.

I suggest the people of Oklahoma extend the hand of emotional support to the good folks from Louisiana and rename the Sooner Schooner the Ragin’ Cagin’ and serve gumbo and beignets instead of chili and mud pies. The O.U. band could easily ramp up their trombone section and pound out a few rousing choruses of “When the Saints Go Marching In” while the whole student body marches around the field at half-time. Now, one more thing. Unlike the ingrates from the Naval Academy in 1943 who beat our son Jim’s alma mater, I fully expect the genteel southern folks from Louisiana to have the good graces to LOSE!

p.s. I realize this column will probably not appear in the newspapers before the game is played. However, Peg put it out on our website (www.jamesmredwine.com) Tuesday, August 31st several days before it appears in the papers and several days before kickoff. As I am confident the countless faithful fans of Gavel Gamut include Oklahoma Coach Lincoln Riley and Tulane Coach Willie Fritz along with O.U. Athletic Director Joe Castiglione and Tulane’s Athletic Director Troy Dannen they should have ample time to incorporate my suggestions. Of course, free tickets and some etouffee for Peg and me would seem to be a proper lagniappe for our involvement.

Abandon All Hope

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People may come in various varieties but I suggest there are only two types: (1) those who think up projects; and, (2) those who have to do the work. In marriages the lines are clear. Someone cooks the meals; someone helps eat the meals. Someone dirties the clothes; someone washes the clothes. Someone decides flower or shrubs or vegetables must be planted and someone digs the holes. We could go on but I am confident you agree with my general concept.

I am aware there are those readers who would get deeper into the weeds of this ancient dynamic. For example, I can hear Peg offering the following division of labors: someone cleans the house while someone watches football or someone goes fishing while someone deals with AT&T, Amazon, the bank, the various levels of government from the local precinct to the president, and responds to requests from kids and grandkids. My position has always been I am simply staying out of her way. But starting next week we are going to find out if my theory is reality or merely bug dust. Peg goes for hip replacement Tuesday. There may not be enough time for me to learn how to be a wife.

It is not as if we haven’t known this time was coming. About every week since April Peg has served up cautionary instructions with our morning coffee. The days normally begin with this dreaded announcement, “Jim, we need to talk”. Each such session includes some lesson akin to grade school. “Now you know we need groceries; here’s how I order them online and how I pick them up. The sweeper is in the living room closet; you have to plug it in. When the sink is too full to hold any more dirty dishes you must rinse them and put them in the dishwasher [Tell me again why we must wash the dishes before we wash them]. Let me show you which button to push to start the dishwasher. Of course, you need to use dishwasher soap and it is under the kitchen sink. When the dishwasher stops you need to make sure the dryer has dried the dishes then put them away. Now let’s move to the laundry. I have written out the procedure to load, wash and dry. All you need to do is put the clean sheets on the bed and fold everything from socks to shorts; remember, use thirds and don’t just stuff everything in a drawer. That’s enough for this week. After all, I’ve got to get this week’s Gavel Gamut typed, sent in to the papers, put it on your website and post it on Facebook and Twitter.”

Well, Gentle Reader, I suggest next week will begin my rowing across the River Styx to Hades where the dog Cerberus guards Hell and according to Dante’s Inferno the sign on the gate says “Abandon all hope, ye who enter herein.” Maybe I’ll see you on the other side after Peg recovers. Wish her to get well soon, I know I certainly do.

Visit Posey County, Indiana

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Take your iPhone or laptop and go to http://www.visitposeycounty.com. This new website was launched May 05, 2016. Mike Webster designed and developed the site with the input from a knowledgeable committee of seven community volunteers. Mike also took many of the marvelous photographs which appear throughout the site.

Mike along with Posey County businessman and owner of New Harmony Soap Company, Jim Spann, and Connie Weinzapfel who is the Director of Historic New Harmony, introduced the site at a reception held in the New Harmony Atheneum. The Red Geranium Restaurant hosted the event.

Posey County’s Board of Commissioners and County Council enacted an Innkeepers Tax in July 2014. The 5% tax has already raised over $170,000 to promote tourism in Posey County. Some of those monies were used to develop the new website.

According to Jim Spann the Committee’s goal was to promote tourism in Posey County by having readily available Internet information that shows the whole county in depth. If you pull up the site and click on any of the topics, you will find the Committee has succeeded. Take lodging for example. If tourists are looking for hotel lodging, they can click on places to stay, then hotels. The Cox family Four Seasons Motel in Mt. Vernon is one of the businesses that comes up with a full description and photographs.

Should tourists be looking for a bed and breakfast, a family could find Cook’s on Brewery Bed & Breakfast in New Harmony. Many places to stay throughout the county are easy to find. With full descriptions and many links to the businesses’ own websites there is no need for guesswork.

Even those of us who are privileged to live in Posey County will be overwhelmed with the number of places to eat and the variety of fare. Brain sandwiches at New Harmony’s Yellow Tavern or, soon, locally brewed beer at Sara’s Bistro and Wine Bar less than a block from The Yellow. Perhaps one might want a homemade ice cream creation at Bliss in Mt. Vernon or homemade pie at the Depot Diner in Griffin. Of course, Posey County’s German heritage is found from Weinzapfel’s Tavern in St. Philip to the Silver Bell in St. Wendell. One can even find Cajun cuisine at the Red Wagon in Poseyville.

There is a comprehensive, countywide events calendar and maps are provided to locate each event. It is surprising and exciting to see the numerous and diverse activities available each month of the year in Posey County.

Posey County’s unique and fascinating history is showcased throughout the website. One could easily write a report or even a newspaper column from the information only a click away.