Teresa Perkins' GCCS School board Candidacy

 

 A lot of locals are upset that Teresa Perkins a sitting member of the Greater Clark Co. Schools (GCCS) school board is being allowed to run again this year for her seat. Ms. Perkins was indicted on a felony shop lifting charge in Tennesseee last year prompting an uproar that led to a new law being enacted that disqualifies convicted felons from holding that position. The law didn't go far enough in The BatBlog's opinion and Ms. Perkins  due to a loophole in the way she was sentenced (diversion program) and a Dem. majority on the election board Ms. Perkins will be allowed to run again for the seat on the board she now occupies.

  The BatBlog supports the rights of all citizens to make amends for mistakes and believes most everyone deserves a second chance. With that in mind we are not outraged by Ms. Perkins' candidacy. If she payed the required restitution and performed the community service that her sentence included and since the new law allows the loophole she used... than more power to her in her quest to be reelected.

On the same behalf her opponent(s) have every right to use Ms. Perkins' indiscretion to the max in their campaign against her. Teresa Perkins marred her resume of a fine career in education with the crime she was charged with and disappointed a lot of voters with her actions, whether that is enough to defeat her remains to be seen.

The BatBlog hopes Ms. Perkins has learned from her mistake and continues on a positive track in the future and we wish her well. As for the school board race The BatBlog thinks this indiscretion is enough to keep us from endorsing or voting for her in the coming election. Public opinion and her reputation has been tainted which has us believing it's time move on and elect Kelli Datillofor GCCS board...

The Great Debate !!!

Well Round 1 clearly goes to Hillary Clinton in the much anticipated 2016 presidential debates. She absolutely cleaned "The Donald's" clock in last night's opening session. Looking relaxed, prepared and ready to take on any of Trump's slurs and insults, Clinton got the best of him in the opinion of most of the pundits and The BatBlog.

Trump was surly and nervous and took the bait every time Clinton tossed out one Donald's indiscretions and lies. Rambling on in various directions he avoid directly answering most of the moderators and Ms. Clinton's questions.  His biggest comeback was "wrong" which he must have muttered a dozen times. Clearly Trump came off as un-presidential and not ready for the big stage with an intelligent woman like Hillary Clinton .Clinton kept her cool while under attack and patiently let Trump rattle on and on, where at times he was completely went off subject and struggled to defend himself.

The Trump camp realizing the loss quickly blamed the moderator, the microphone and the questions asked. Which is a clear sign of the perception by the masses of a poor showing.

This was just Round 1 so the Donald has time to improve in the next two sessions. Look for him to do what he normally does when desperate,...revert to name calling and cheap personal shots. Insults that will ultimately could hurt him more. He has to look presidential to the American public something I'm not sure is possible...

Are You Kidding Me ??? 60 Days In

I think the BatBlog has mentioned it before but it amazes me the news worthy importance the local newspaper The News & Tribune continues to play to the reality series "60 Days In."

Are you kidding me ???  A reality series really ???  News worthy???

After watching the first couple of episodes it was obvious 60 Days In is nothing more than the typical reality series. Snippets of  hundreds of hours of taped footage is edited and mostly misrepresented in attempting to create a semblance of some sort of drama. The participants are scripted to help create the pretense that this is "reality", when in fact it has been mostly staged for dramatic effect.

I suppose the creators of these shows rely on the naivety and uninformed viewer to buy into the premise that this is real.  Anyone who has attempted to look into the background of these reality shows will find out these participants are basically actors paid to perform. The producers take tons of footage and present certain snippets  out of context and sequence to create a dramatic effect that works around the script presented and created for the participants/ actors.

 The series doesn't really present the local area in a negative, embarrassing light, as all jails are ugly, sad places where ever they might be located. What is  embarrassing is local law enforcement officials that go along with and participate in the premise that is is truly reality and pass this off on to an unsuspectingly public. As well the local  "NEWS" paper would prominently pass it off as a "featured" news story instead of putting it into the entertainment section where it belongs...This plays into a the question if the media is more concerned with sensational stories than true news and fact.

Colin Kaepernick Protest

Just a quick thought on the protest by NFL player Colin Kaepernick and others of kneeling at the playing of our National Anthem. While The BatBlog disagrees with Mr. K's form of protest we also stand behind his right to do so. That is one of the freedoms ...(to express our opinions) we enjoy and won by the brave men and women who fought and many cases died for that freedom.


We think there is a better way and venue for expressing a protest about social issues...but then again he has the freedom to make that choice...

Mr. Kaepernick should also be thankful that he lives in a nation where he can be very well compensated monetarily for playing a game of football...something probably not possible in other nations that don't share the freedoms we are blessed with...

Libertarian Left Turn Signal ???

The consequences of an illegal (Libertarian) left turn signal....

The consequences for an illegal turn..

The Libertarian left turn signal...

but on the upside you now qualify for a part in the Clark Co. reality series "60 days In"

Minions

The latest Dancing With the Clark Co. stars entry... simply entitled "Minions" Check out 'Irish Step' on JibJab.com

Jeffersonville Then and Now....Part I

Old Jeffersonville High School

With all the growth and construction currently going on and watching Jeffersonville become a bustling little City it also has some of us older residents reflecting back on days of yore...Having resided here all of my 60+ years I have seen huge changes over the years...From a sleepy little river town to a busy extension of the  Louisville- Kentuckiana area....quite a change indeed...





Just a few of my earliest memories of downtown Jeff and surrounding area (which was small then) as the city limits ended around Springdale Dr. going out Hwy. 62...


Anyone remember the Brown Derby Restaurant circa 1960 ??? I believe it stood where First Federal S&L sits today on Court Ave.....It burned down around 1960 which was a big event in old Jeff...across the street  on Court and Wall was Murphy and Cloyd's drugstore with an old time ice cream and soda bar...Further down was the old Citizens'Trust Bank bldg. corner of  Court and Spring (which still stands) and across the street which later came Clark Co. bank was Leist's drugstore...

A&W Root Beer Hwy  

Spring St. late 50's early 60's had the LeRose movie theater, of course Schimpf's candy, a J.C. Penneys, Ehringer's Appliances a pool hall (name ???) Country Cottage restaurant (where Ann's on the River is now) Third Base Tavern (the original) and several other small bars..House of James beauty college,.and of course the famous Trolley Inn facing the river off Spring  across the street from the Trolley was a flea bag motel (name ??? may have been Riverside Hotel)... The water and electric co.s had buildings on Spring as well....and there was a fire station on a the corner of Spring and Court ...

Other memories of downtown  a taxi cab station (yellow Cab) on that little island on Court just down from Spring...The A&P Grocery where Old Towne Grocery is today a bus station on Court just down from the courthouse ...a much smaller quaint old courthouse and jail...Jeffersonville High school was downtown until the late 60's I believe and the Jeff Fieldhouse was always packed on basketball game night to watch the Red Devils play The Jeff fieldhouse hosted many large sectionals in the 50's and 60's as well....

Warder Park

Lerose Theater

A big event in old Jeffersonville was around 1964 or 65 when then president Lyndon B. Johnson came to town for the opening of at the time (new) Jeffersonville post office which remains today...a huge crowd flooded Court Ave. to hear LBJ dedicate the new post office,,, In either 1967 or 68 Robert (Bobby) Kennedy visited Youngstown shopping center on a campaign stop in his presidential bid that end in his assassination...

Youngstown shopping center was probably the earliest dedicated shopping area in this area. Early on it included Krogers, Taylor's drugstore, Woolworth's, Bacon's, Everfresh Bakery and a National food store ....later on it would include Cotton Wood's sporting goods, Keith's clothing a S&H green stamp store a bowling alley Youngstown lanes (where New Washington Bank is today.)

Youngstown Shopping center (early)

This is the first part of a series the BatBlog is putting together about old Jeffersonville up thru today. Hopefully readers can contribute some things either I don't remember or overlooked ...any contribution is welcomed. These are many childhood memories so dates , locations and names could be mistaken..Already I have been contacted by a gentleman in Scottsdale Arizona who grew up in this area and worked at the Texaco gas station across from the Youngstown shopping center on Hwy. 62 in the early 50's (see picture)...

Looking forward to any contributions from other old timers like RiverFox and other readers...