The only information I have received this week with our Crime Watch in Patriot has been about unlicensed drivers. Again, we all need to be more observant and if we see something suspicious, notify the Switzerland County Sheriff’s Office at (812) 427-3636. Attempt to get a good description of the individual or individuals involved including approximate age, height, weight, hair color and clothing and their vehicle if they are in one. The more information you provide, the better chance the Sheriff’s Department will be able to help us: they are aware of our concerns. If it is not an emergency and you only want to convey information, you may also contact me and I will forward the information to the proper authorities anonymously for you.
Mary Alice Scudder looks great in pink even at 100! The article in last week’s newspaper concerning her special birthday was very enjoyable: I can barely get my yard mowed on my own at my age let alone 20 years from now in my 80’s! Of course this week I had a different excuse: not the heat this time, the stupid lawnmower quit! I didn’t get to talk to her but hope to this week. I am sure she had a wonderful birthday.
Although I am not an avid Olympian enthusiast, my interest was peaked when I heard of the 35-year old German coach Stefan Henze who was killed in a car accident in Rio last week. He has now been credited with saving four lives through the organ donations of his heart, liver and both kidneys. August 16th was the second anniversary of the death of Antoinette Evelyn “Toni” Kniola. And thanks to her husband John Kniola, someone received those beautiful “smiling eyes” after she passed. He was unable to donate any other organs, but he tried. “Sweetie” would be so proud of his decision. As surviving spouses or family members of those lost too soon, organ donation should be a viable alternative and I encourage all to explore the possibilities.
Obviously each one of us can make our own decisions to be donors beginning with ‘Donor’ status on our driver’s license or state ID. Sharing those wishes with next of kin is vital.
The Ellegood Family held its reunion last Sunday at the Patriot Town Hall. Those attending were Jerry and JoAnne Hon of Florence and Carlie and Sue Armstrong of Bennington. Attending from Columbus Indiana were Judy Ellegood and grandson Cole Robinson, Larry and Kathy Ellegood, Matt and Ben Ellegood, Brad and Lorrie and Sophia Turnbow, Rick and Carrie, Krew, Meila Clark and Aubree Adams. Elizabeth Kataif and Emmy of Florence, Wayne and Sandy Ellegood of Vevay, John, Missy and Jordon Bilz and Courtney and Chad Tucker of Madison joined Mike, Mindy and Bryce Turner of Patriot and Cassy, Lilly, Courtney and McKenzie Ellegood, Makayla and Cody Beckett – all of Rising Sun.
My sincere condolences and prayers of comfort go to the families of “Miss Kitty” Peggy Eckerty, Georgina Rider, and Mitch Barnes. I met “Miss Kitty” through Toni Kniola and I worked with Mitch at the Sheriffs’ Office years ago. Both were exceptional people!
Poor Wayne Dawson has stitches on his noggin, which according to Sandy were not her fault! Ouch! Katrina Lock is recuperating from surgery. So are Ms. Zoie and Ms. Liberty. Prayers for the speedy recoveries of all!
A very special ‘Thank You’ to Robbie Miller for helping me get the mail truck un-stuck in time to get to work on Wednesday.
The Air Evac Life Team (medical helicopter) landed at the Patriot Boat Ramp Thursday evening and met with the Posey Township Volunteer Firefighters for training. How awesome was that!
Happy 51st Anniversary to Jill and Bruce Hutcherson!
Friday I was summoned for still another audience with “P & G” again at Cook’s Kitchen. Patty Chase and Glenda Sullivan with Ruth Lohide brought some former residents back to their roots for a visit. The owners of the restaurant tell me that they will be closed for remodeling.
Saturday evening Lana Kelly and I could be seen gabbing at the Shell gas pumps in Vevay.
Ms. Liberty and two of her three young’uns (kittens) still need homes. Star and Banner are now known as Very Special Agents Gibbs and DiNozzo. Both black males like their momma cat have been wormed and the kittens are weaned. Ms. Liberty is a shorthaired, 6 pound, friendly little momma cat who will be spayed by the time you read this. She first came into my world as one of three feral black cats dumped in Patriot late last fall. She spent a great deal of the winter nestled in my birdbath beside the front door of my house. Regardless of what shift I worked at the hospital, she would be there when I got home and I would give her whatever leftovers I had from my very picky dogs. Fast forward to spring, I’m no longer working at the hospital and I notice she was missing. I thought she might have been pregnant when last I saw her but was uncertain. Convinced that something horrible had happened to her, I nearly gave up on her until I accidentally ran into Connie Fisk and asked her if she’d seen the little black cat. She had! Thinking that she stayed in her daughter Holly’s yard like I thought she lived under my fir tree, Holly had taken her in and cared for her until the kittens were born. Well, feeling guiltier than ever, I traipsed up to the Switzerland County Animal Shelter and ask to foster the cats the next day. When the Shelter staff member brought the cats to me, she asked if I realized that they had been turned in by my next door neighbor. Talk about embarrassed! Fortunately Holly did the responsible thing with the cat because I hadn’t. After speaking to my friend Pam in Indianapolis who has fostered cats for years, I am very dismayed to hear that black cats are the last to be adopted. How sad! I would like to think that people are not still that superstitious but I do know that many shelters will not allow any black cats to be adopted during the month of October for a heightened fear of possible animal abuse around Halloween. Please help me find homes for these beautiful cats! Either contact me personally or the Switzerland County Animal Shelter at (812) 534-3090.
I had no idea that German Shepherds were so hard to rescue. I first met Jade and then Mike Cooney when as a sheriff’s deputy it seemed as though I was always finding strays in the course of my duties. This of course was before the Switzerland County Animal Shelter but if it were not for several far-sighted individuals including Jade and Sondra Stave, we would not have such a nice facility. And of course I met Shadow although I must admit that he always kinda scared me. Like Mike said, he was “majestic” and demanded respect. I’ve gone through the crisis of name assignments with the new kittens and my own two new arrivals so I know that the Cooney Canine Clan will have a wonderful name for their newest member. Hopefully, it will be better than “Yoda” – my new chunky Japanese Chin.
The Red HOT Hatters have planned their luncheon for Monday, August 29th at 11 a.m. at Shell’s Restaurant in Vevay. Everyone is welcome! Bring a friend and a $5-10 valued gift for exchange if you wish. Topics to be addressed will be a Christmas project and possibly designing and selling a round necked pullover. We still have calendars and gel pens for sale – since I forgot to take them to the last meeting. We are also collecting items for a Yard Sale to be held on a Saturday in September. Quite a few items for the sale are being stored by Charlene Goff who is currently preparing to depart for a much warmer climate here very soon. As much as I want to join her, I will alas stay behind and peddle our ‘stuff’. As soon as we decide upon the particulars, I will be sure and share. As always, all monies raised will go to the Antoinette “Toni” Kniola Memorial Fund. Anyone wishing to make a donation to Toni’s Fund may do so at anytime by stopping by the Community Foundation Office or to contribute items for the sale contact me at (812) 594-2281.
The next Patriot Town Board meeting is not scheduled for Monday, September 5th at 6 p.m. at the Patriot Town Hall; but instead because of Labor Day, will be on Tuesday, September 6th. Same time, same place. The Town is in need of businesses wishing to place bids for numerous tasks ranging from tree removal, concrete repair and special projects to replacement of the roof on Town Hall. Any business interested should contact the Town Clerk Linda Fisk for additional information at (812) 594-2243. Vendors must have liability insurance to be eligible for the bid.
Fair warning to whomever it is that is hiding my stuff: I found the missing bag of dogfood under the potato chips but have not as yet found the green shorts. I am still looking for the car keys from this spring but I ‘may’ have to claim the responsibility for that my own self.
My apologies to JoAnne Hon. She came to bring me the information on her family reunion and I’m afraid my home didn’t look very ‘lived in’. Like I have been saying, I don’t do hot weather and unfortunately, I don’t do mowing in hot weather – Period. So when JoAnne came by, the grass was crazy in the yard and on the riverbank, the doors and windows were closed, the shades drawn and then to top it all off, I don’t have a doorbell and the brassplate on the front of the house still says the Hawks live here. (They sold to me 10 years ago.) As if that wasn’t bad enough, my dryer quit and I had laundry hanging on my front porch. To be quite honest, my house looked like it was on the WRONG side of the Ohio River. Sunday when it was so beautiful, I did spend quite a bit of time on my yard and if the lawnmower had not decided to join my dryer on the list of Expensive Things Either Dead or Dying, I would have mowed. Honest! Oh, and add the garage door opener to that list. I’ve been here 10 years and suddenly everything has reached its expiration date. Grrr!
So – at least I can announce that the cat mailbox previously mounted on the fence in front of my home at 1995 Front Street has been reinstalled beside the front steps to my residence. Any news, comments, messages, etc. may be left inside the mailbox and I will handle it accordingly. There is even an ink pen and a notepad inside of a zip lock bag to keep everything dry and out of the weather.
If you have anything for me to include in this article, please send it to me. Information can be received any day of the week but normally my deadline is Sunday at noon for that week’s issue of the paper. Any news received later will appear in the following week’s article. If you need something in on a particular date be sure and give it to me early. Thank you for sending me what you do every week – I couldn’t do this without you!
You may contact me several ways: by leaving a note of message inside the cat mailbox in front of 1995 Front Street in Patriot; or by calling my home at (812) 594-2281; or dropping me a note at P.O. Box #01, Patriot, Indiana, 47038. In addition, contact KAY E COOK on Facebook or online at PatriotNews1995@gmail.com.