I received a comment about correcting my blog; the writer suggests a lot of good points but does not understand the difficulty in finding people to write about city affairs or anything else for that matter. If a person would notice even the Bicknell newspaper rarely has city business listed in its editorials and covers Vincennes for the most part.

Getting the city to give out information is extremely difficult as they are usually in the duck and hide mode as well; therefore it is time consuming and the city also lies. In the past I attended nearly all council meetings along with any other city function happening but no matter how sound of an idea is presented to the Bicknell administrations it does not help Bicknell because ideas and suggestions given to the mayors or council people only makes them angry and once angry they only fight against the citizen and if necessary getting the police to harass those who try to change their plans, therefore most people back down and allow the administrations to do whatever they want.

I’ve pointed out many times that there are a lot of people living in Bicknell who could help each administration but no administration or council member looked into it but chose each time to pay upwards of $50,000.00 to have a bigger city person advise them instead (exactly what they are doing with the money shortage right now). This is one reason why the city is in the red today, I’ve warned every administration of the short comings of their programs with no success to date or at least no success that helped.

The writer points out the possibility of having a town hall meeting but this is nearly impossible and here is an example of the attitude of city hall “As for holding district meetings, people rarely attend a city meeting.........
People in the city of Bicknell know how to get in touch with me. My personal contact information does not needed to be posted on the world wide web, which I still see that you have failed to remove it, even after I requested it. And I also believe that other council members do not appreciate their info being posted either.” Thus is the attitude of our city administrations to new ideas.

The writer also points out that the city needs to look for other forms of revenue and I’m happy to say that they have found at least one, the trash stickers has been increased in cost from fifty cents to one dollar. This means that the cost of living in Bicknell has once again raised making it even more difficult to get people to purchase property in Bicknell let alone keeping those living here from leaving.
The writer pointed out that the cost of living may force him or her to leave Bicknell and I understand their problem but unless people step up and add their voice to the chorus of unhappy residents of Bicknell nothing will change.

I ran for mayor of Bicknell and lost; yet I showed the voters of Bicknell exactly what was going to happen if they continued to elect the same type of people election after election and I showed voters how to increase Bicknell and stop the losses that are now evident to everybody but they chose people in the primaries who either did nothing and promised nothing or somebody who picked up their trash. Then in the general election the voters actually elected the one with no business experience at all, the one who was voted to the top position in the Bicknell VFW to save it and of course he failed and now we are all paying for the way that the voters went.

Had I been elected the sewer monthly cost for Bicknell residents would be around $18.00 per month and the sewer plant would today be paid off. A normal water/sewer bill would be under $30.00 per month but the people wanted somebody with no plans and no experience and voted that way. The voters actually voted Gary Goodwin back in as a council member, a person who stopped every positive action that citizens pushed for and was a crook who only made one positive vote while in the council which was to protect his own rental houses.

As far as my website, I’m working on a new one which will address a lot of the points that the writer was frustrated with but this takes time so please be patient.

Thank you for your concerns
John R. Stanczak

Why doesn't the Knox County Republican party have people running for office on Election Day? Last election several republicans wanted to run for city offices when they seen on primary day that the republicans had no candidates but the officer who was required to sign off on the new candidates was on vacation in Florida and never returned until the deadline had past.
This election once again there were few republicans on the ballot.
John R. Stanczak

New sign at the intersection of highway 67 & Main Street in Bicknell.

SIGN POINTING DOWNTOWN ERECTED,

Heather Earhart, Dan McCrary, Barbara Goosinow, Ron Ackman and Babetta and Charles Struckel pose with the new sign.

Downtown Bicknell merchants, churches and others recently erected a sign at 67 and Main pointing the way to downtown and all it has to offer.

Landowner Joes Pizza donated the site and local sign maker Brian Puckett made the sign.

Local citizens spearheaded the project led by Dan McCrary and Ron Ackman and now Connie at Old National Bank in Bicknell is collecting donations toward the expenses of the sign.
Everyone is encouraged to donate.

A new project in the future is also a possibility.

In case you are wondering what is downtown here is a short list. Hope we haven't missed anybody.

Ackman Real Estate,
A J. Grocery,
Alice’s Beauty Salon,
Bicknell Bed and Breakfast,
Body Art Design,
Carters Upholstery,
Church of God,
Christian Church,
Bicknell City Hall,
Corner Cafe,
Central Elementary School,
Craig Scott DDS,
Duesterberg Frederick Funeral Home,
Fire Depts (2),
First Baptist Church,
French Club,
General Baptist Church,
Grandmas Attic,
Independent Newspaper,
James Levell, Atty,
Jeanettes Placet
Knox Co Speed Shop,
Kerruso Koffeet
Larry Knight Insurance,
Laundromat,
McClure Funeral Home,
Mackeys Mor For Less,
Main St Pub,
Methodist Church,
Old National Bank,
Peipers Carpet,
Petal Pushers Floral,
Philips Apartments,
Pilgrim Holiness Church,
Post Office,
Public Library,
Recycle Center,
Reynolds Body Shop,
Senior Care Insurance,
Senior Citizens,
Southside Park,
St Philip Neri Church,
Street Department,
Sto-N-Go Storage,
Street Department,
Vigo Twp Trustee,
Wesleyan Church,
Word of Life Church.
The Bicknell Kiwanis Club which meets downtown
Budget Heating and Air Conditioning
Hand Carved Cooking Utensils

Submitted by Ron Ackman, 812-735-3013

Date: Tuesday, May 8 2012
 

Nearly beating Larry Bucshon in 2010, Kristi Risk has confirmed she will pursue the primary

Republican nomination for Congress in the newly redrawn 8 th district.

Wed., Aug. 17, 2011 - Evansville, IN -- After much speculation and continued requests by Hoosiers from all over southwestern Indiana, Kristi Risk announced today that she will in fact be running in the 2012 Republican Primary for the congressional seat for the 8 th District of Indiana.

Risk stated that she has been simply barraged by concerned Hoosiers asking for her to run against Bucshon. In response, Risk acknowledged, "I'm extremely humbled and thankful to everyone suggesting this and even a recent grassroots effort asking me to run -- it's been overwhelming. I've decided to pursue this because there has not only been a severe deficit of money in Washington, but a significant deficit of leadership."

Kristi Risk was 1,989 votes shy of defeating Larry Bucshon in the 2010 Republican primary race, with a very crowded field of candidates. Risk, a resident of Spencer, Indiana in Owen County said, "We cannot raise the debt ceiling in perpetuity - we have to get our financial house in order and start actually reducing this national debt before it is too late." Against the continued debt ceiling increases, Risk said, "Most people know you don't take out new credit cards to pay off the old ones, so our government needs some Hoosier common sense and values that Larry Bucshon isn't providing," Kristi said.

In the last six months, Congressman Larry Bucshon has voted in favor of an excess of $2 trillion in new spending for 2011, supported increasing the debt ceiling nearly $2.5 trillion, and approved a staggering and estimated $10 trillion in brand new spending over the next decade. Kristi responded, "The American people sent a message to Washington that they wanted spending under control. Apparently Bucshon did not get that message, he did not understand it, or he is not listening." Kristi also noted that the first continuing resolution that Bucshon approved of in April was more spending than all of the 8 years of the Clinton Presidency combined.

Among the votes that Kristi said she objected to were the Patriot Act extension vote, the votes to stay in Afghanistan and Libya, and the vote to subsidize Brazilian Cotton to name a few. "I'm asking 8 th District Hoosiers and Republicans to consider my representation of them in Washington, D.C. I will not be satisfied with the status quo of a depression-like economy; endless spending; unconstitutional, global conflicts; high unemployment; and the continual violations of our liberties. With the leadership I hope to provide in Representing this district, we can turn this ship of state around and become prosperous once again."