Boonville View November/December 2022

My girl

Nine years ago, my husband walked into PetSmart to get crickets for our lizard. He walked out with a pit bull.

Where there’s one, there should be two. Roscoe fit right into our family, but needed a friend. When we saw Maggie, we knew. She was at animal control and had this regal look to her. I called the next day and set up a meeting between her and Roscoe. She came home with us after she was spayed.

It was a match made in heaven. Maggie was the calm, Roscoe was the wild. She was a bit shorter than him, but was 85 pounds of muscle. She had every single reason to be mean - what we know about her early life isn’t pleasant - but was the most gentle, sweet, kind girl ever. They were opposites in every sense. Roscoe is an in-your-face kind of guy, Maggie preferred to be near but not touching. She was loud, he’s on the quieter side.

Besides the fact that she was just a stunning blue girl and made of velvet, she was sweet. She wouldn’t think of biting, but she would literally smother you in kisses. She’d turn into a puppy with the water hose. When she was happy, she’d nibble on whatever was closest to her. She liked the idea of car rides, but didn’t actually like them in practice.

She went on adventures with her brother. Usually, that meant running down the street to grandma and grandpa’s. She did go shopping at Dollar General once, though.

We lost Maggie in the beginning of September. She had cancer and was suffering. It was the hardest thing we’ve ever done. I miss her so, so much.

I wasn’t prepared for how hard Roscoe would grieve. He wouldn’t eat. He didn’t want to play. We were scared to leave him alone. She was his alpha and he was lost. I took him to the vet and she asked if we’d thought about getting another dog.

I wasn’t sure I was ready, but I was willing to do anything to help Roscoe.

My husband sent me a picture of a brindle pit bull puppy. He looks exactly like Roscoe. Two days later, Elgin became Cletus.

Cletus was only two months old, full of puppy teeth, puppy energy and zero manners. It was slow, but within three days, they are best friends. He isn’t Maggie and he cannot fill the void she left, but he’s made his own mark on all of us already.

When I wonder if we did the right thing, Cletus demands butt scratches and nibbles my arm when I oblige. I hope that’s her way of saying she approves.

Christmas in Boonvillage

It’s the perfect weekend in a beautiful city. Christmas in Boonvillage, Boonville’s annual kickoff to the Christmas season, will be held Dec. 2-4 on the square. In addition to the annual tree lighting ceremony and activi ties on the square, the merchants will host holiday open houses, Santa will pay a visit and kids will be entertained.

New this year is ice skating at Boonville’s newest business, Handley’s House of Fun. The outdoor rink will open soon and will be available to rent out.

The capstone, the Boonville Christmas Parade, will be held Sunday afternoon.

Details are still being finalized. Be sure to check local merchants’ Facebook pages for specific details as they come available!

BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES (PLTW)

We all knew it.

If you watched Devin Mockobee play at Boonville, you knew there was something about him. The kid was going places.

He was fun to watch. If he got the ball, he was scoring. He had this way of seeing the field in front of him and knowing exactly how to get through the defense.

He redshirted last year at his dream school, Purdue. There was some pre-season chatter that he hadn’t seen strong competition, which made him a bit of a wildcard going into his official fresh man season. He knows how to quiet the critics. In his debut, he led the team in rushing and scored a touchdown that was reminiscent of some of his runs at BHS.

“When I first came in not knowing exactly what that specific level of competition felt like yet, it was definitely something I had to feel out in the begin ning, but once they started giving me more reps I just became more and more comfortable with myself, and I knew that I could make a definite impact at this level despite what others may have felt,” Devin said.

His stats at Boonville were impressive. In his senior year, he racked up 1,820 yards on 189 carries, which equals 9.6 yards per carry and 227 yards per game. He scored 27 touchdowns. All of that was in just eight games. He went viral with some of his runs.

Out of several D1 offers, Devin committed to Navy. That commitment included a full ride, a spot on the team and a five-year enlistment. When his

Photos courtesy of Conrad Mockobee

dream school showed interest, his destiny took a turn, one that ultimately kept him closer to home.

“The switch from Navy to Purdue was something that was in me when I started my recruiting journey,” Devin said. “(It’s) a power five school that had the caliber of a mechanical engineering degree that I was wanting, not to mention it’s also in my state. These were things I had in my mind my sophomore year when I visited a football camp there. I remember specifically having a thought at that time telling myself that if I ever had a chance to go to Purdue that I would take it, and them offering me a position on their roster two weeks before I was supposed to go to Navy seemed like a sign from God that I had to go. Even knowing I’d be walking on I was confident in myself that I could be a player there and I feel like it’s become evident that I’d be able to fight for a scholarship.”

Those crazy runs he was known for at Boonville? He broke out into a 68-yard run to seal the victory over No. 21 Minnesota. That high-caliber defense he’s seeing is just makes the game more fun for Devin.

“I feel like it makes the game that much more fun for me, the challenge to push me to elevate my game more,” he said. “The defenses now are much faster and smarter, and running the ball becomes almost like a game of chess, setting up my blocks and finding seams. It makes it harder to manipulate defenses into putting them in bad positions so they can’t get the tackle. But the chal lenge in that is what makes it fun.”

He’s gaining the admiration of fans across the country, but Devin has had a following of young admirers in his hometown for years. His advice: Don’t give up.

“The advice I’d give to the young guys is to not give in to thoughts of giving up on your dream,” he said. “Even if the all the odds seem to be stacked against you, if you work for it and have confidence in yourself the whole way, things will work out in the end. Lack of confidence is the killer of dreams. There have been multiple phases of my life where I felt like the underdog, but I did my best to keep going, no matter the circumstance.”

Devin has always set realistic goals and pushes himself to reach them. His next goal is just to excel at the level he’s at.

“Reaching my goals one step at a time is what

has gotten me this far, and I think my next goal from here is to keep getting faster and stronger so that I can be a more prominent player in this league, striving for all conference titles and work to be a high ranked running back someday.”

He knows his roots, though.

“I miss Boonville a lot and I am only be able to

go back for a handful of days out of the year,” he said. “I do miss the close knit community aspect of a small town, that anywhere you go you’ll probably end up seeing someone you know... You just don’t have that at a big city like this, where you almost never see the same face twice. And I miss Tastee Freez. A lot.”

Voted Best in Warrick County Assisted Living and Long Term Care 3 Years in a ROW!!

Boonville High School alumni came together for a decade’s worth of catching up.

The reunion was held at the Warrick County 4-H Center and featured professional photographs by Bret Roebling Photography.

To purchase photos from the event, visit mpe. gotphoto.com/login. The password is bhs.

‘Tis the

season

The Warrick County Museum has a full holi day plate of things to see and do. On Dec. 10 at 7 p.m., Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson impersonators will be on the museum stage performing some of these legendary sing ers’ most famous songs. The duet, led by Owensboro native David Wolfe, has a fun eve ning of entertainment in store. Tickets can be purchased at Miller’s 5 & 10 for $30 or from the museum. Light appetizers from Trickey’s will be served, along with a cash bar of wine, beer, and mimosas. Seating is limited, so get your tickets early.

The museum will be participating in Christmas in Boonvillage and will be open Saturday, Dec. 3 from 4 to 6 p.m. for BHS win ter dance photos and tours, in addition to regular Saturday hours of 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The annual Festival of Trees opens on Nov. 15 and runs through Dec. 20. Numerous groups and individuals have adopted trees and will have them decorated in their best holi-

day finery.

The holiday special exhibit this year in the Lincoln Room will feature Santas and snow men. Items will come from the museum’s collection as well as some on loan from com munity members. It promises to be a unique exhibition.

Museum hours are Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 1 to 4 p.m. and the first and third Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. or by appointment. For tickets or tours, call the museum at 812-897-3100.

CATS CATS CATS

Every month, dozens of cats are dropped off and picked up by Animal Control Officers at Warrick County Animal Control. While some are owner surrenders, most are strays that have been allowed to roam, breed and have no real caretaker. Due to the fact cats can have multiple litters a year, a few cats can multiply quickly.

Trapping cats and removing them will not solve the cat over population of outside roaming cats. According to Alley Cat Allies at https://www. alleycat.org/ quick facts:

•If cats are removed from their outdoor home, it creates a territorial opening or vacuum that will not remain empty.

•Removing cats from an area may cause a temporary decrease in the cat population, but more cats WILL take their place and it won’t take long.

•This phe nomenon is known in conservation studies as the Vacuum Effect. The

Vacuum Effect has been observed in many spe cies, not just cats.

•Catching and removing (or killing) cats is there fore futile. It is an expensive, deadly cycle which yields no long-term benefits.

Alley Cat Allies says that, “The Vacuum Effect occurs when a portion of an animal population is permanently removed from their home range. These animals may have been killed or removed by people, a natural disaster, or any other means. The result is a temporary dip in popula tion levels.”

To be clear, any such population dip will only

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be tem porary. The initial population lived in that location because there were resourc

es such as shelter, food and water. Once emptied, this still resource-rich habitat the vacuum inevitably attracts other members of the same species from neighboring areas. They move in to use the same resources that sustained the first group.

Both the new individuals and any remaining members of the original population then reproduce. What’s more, they reproduce at higher rates to fill the habitat and take advantage of the available resources.

Before long, the area fills back up to capacity again, as if the animals were never removed at all.

The Vacuum Effect occurs across many species, including foxes, mice, coyotes, voles, possums and badgers. Of course, it also occurs for cats.

Spaying and neutering is the best way to help con trol the population of cats in our communities. This includes those living inside or outside.

Warrick County Animal Control (WCAC) offers transportation twice a month to VHS Low Cost Spay and Neuter Clinics. Paperwork and payment must be completed prior to drop off at least five to seven days ahead of time. Most of the time, you can get your cat(s) scheduled within a month. WCAC also works with Warrick Animal Guardians to help with funding for those in the county that may need help.

WCAC also has a “Barn Cat” program. Select cats at WCAC are fully vetted and spayed/neutered and can be outside barn cats for as little as $10. Of course, you can offer more, but the goal is to try to save more of these hard-to-place cats into a home that will offer them a safe place.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) 2016 Pet Ownership

and Demographics Report, 38 percent of Indiana households own cats. Nationally, the high est source of cats is acquired from a rescue or shelter at 31 percent; 25 percent of homes acquired their cat when it was a stray.

That’s great news for the never-ending supply of cats in shelters and rescues across the country that owners are looking for pets at our locations. Warrick County Animal Control often has numerous cats and kittens (depending on time of year) that are looking for homes.

WCAC often relies on other organizations such as Proving Animals Are Worth Saving (PAAWS), Vanderburgh Humane Society (VHS) and Warrick Humane Society (WHS) to help when we have an overflow. Sadly, due to the national crisis in our country, all organizations are in critical stages with low adoption numbers and a huge influx of surrenders. Recently, many organizations are having to turn away cats or shut down surrenders altogether. Again, the best thing we can do as animal advocates is get animals spayed or neutered. This is help reduce their overpopulation and lowers euthanasia of cats.

As a reminder cats do require a rabies vaccination yearly, even if they are kept indoors all the time. If you are looking to adopt, please contact a veterinary office to ensure they are accepting new clients if you do not already have an established relationship.

According to one veterinarian’s Facebook page, this graphic shows why the United States is in trou ble when it comes to establishing a new relationship with a veterinary office.

If you would like to adopt, foster or help a cat/kitten please let WCAC know by visiting 655 Roth Rd. or calling 812-897-6107.

stars align When the

Zane Hendrickson is on his tenth life.

He died on Jan. 7, 2021. He actually died nine times that day. It took a lot of Zane was a competitive swimmer and was at practice before school that morning. After getting out of the pool, he collapsed with severe abdomi nal pain. That pain radiated to his back and shoulder. He was rushed to the emergency room where he went into cardiac arrest a total of nine times.

The doctors weren’t sure what was wrong. Prior to his collapse, Zane was the epitome of health. The doctors called Christa with very little hope. But, that sliver was she needed.

Local hospitals were not equipped for Zane’s condition. The problem was that he needed to be on ECMO, a machine that basically does the work of the heart and lungs. Transporting anyone on ECMO is delicate, but transporting a 15 year old child is even more dangerous.

“At one point, the doctor came into me and said that they already had to do CPR five times and they said he’s gone an extensive amount of time without oxygen each time,” Christa said. “If he codes again, they didn’t know if they could get him back. I wasn’t really going to accept that answer. It turned out to be a total of nine, so they kept going.”

While one doctor was in the room, another was on the phone with Riley Children’s Hospital trying to figure out how to get him there. They thought they could help, but he was three hours away. They knew Methodist Hospital transported adult ECMO patients, but they’d never worked with chil dren. As one doctor coordinated with three hospitals to get Zane the life-saving treatment he needed, two technicians agreed to come in on their day off to help with the trans port.

Christa said she and her friend, Emily Gaskins, rushed home, tried to grab a couple hours of sleep and threw some clothes in a bag. They knew they wouldn’t be able to see

Zane for at least a week due to Christa having COVID. But, she needed to be close to him. She still played an active role in his care and recovery. The doctors would come in more than usual because of his serious condition and would include Christa by phone.

“It was an active role,” she said. “They appreci ated my input and made sure I understood. I think it helped me. That’s one of the great things about Riley. You’re the mother, you know him better than anybody.”

Doctors discovered a birth defect that had been undiagnosed for 15 years. That exploratory sur gery lasted hours longer than it should have while Christa waited for news in her hotel room. She called it torturous.

She was able to see him in person a week after he was admitted to Riley. He’d suffered a serious cardiac event, a stroke and a seizure. It took a

couple more weeks before he was really aware of what was going on around him.

“I couldn’t really move that much,” he said. “I couldn’t talk. That sucked. There were tubes. I couldn’t see that well. They kept try ing to do tests on me. It was really just me being uncomfort able. It’s not comfortable.”

The rehab portion of his two and a half months at Riley was grueling. He lost 30 pounds of muscle and had to learn how to eat, walk and think again. Christa said she was amazed at how he was able to take it all in stride and never got discouraged.

On March 17, Zane was discharged and made the journey back to Boonville. They were greet ed by a fire truck escort around the square.

“I was driving around the square and tears were flowing at the amount of support for him,” she recalled. “I saw stuff on Facebook (and) people had texted me, but that was just incred ible for everyone to pull together. Tears were flowing and at the same time I’m smiling and seeing people and waving and… I’ve done the fire truck drive and it didn’t compare to that.”

He was readmitted to Riley a couple weeks later. One of the functions they were monitoring had decreased and they couldn’t figure it out. He returned home again and focused on getting better and getting caught up. Several teach ers from Boonville High School extended their school year in order for Zane to stay on track and graduate with his friends. Today, he’s a senior and has embraced his new role of assis tant coach on the swim team. And he definitely never lost his sense of humor.

“I’d rather be swimming and get my scholar-

ship… I literally just tell them what I used to do,” he said. “I don’t really (mind). I like it. I’d prefer to not have died and then I’d have still gotten that scholarship.”

His life has changed quite a bit since he “died.” He takes a cup full of pills each day, he has dietary restrictions and can’t do the thrillseeking things that teenage boys live for. But, he’s alive.

He’s gotten his license, went to prom and got ten back in the pool, all after he died nine times. As for the future, there is a possibility of a heart transplant down the road, but that’s not something they’re looking at quite yet. He’s busy going on college visits.

While a career in politics would be fitting for him - his grandma is Pam Hendrickson, long time mayor of Boonville - he’s leaning more towards a career in law, but he doesn’t seem quite ready to nail down his future plans.

“I know the process (of being mayor), but I don’t want to do that,” he said. “Same with hos pital stuff. I know the process, but I don’t want to do that. I’m not going to medical school. I can’t do that. I don’t like the human body. That’s gross. Not labor work. I can’t go outside. Not because I’m physically incapable, but just because I don’t want to.”

Christa said it’s hard letting go, especially when she held on so tight to keep him alive. It’s tough for her to let him do the “adulting” things that he has to learn to be able to live on his own in college.

“I don’t think every parent has that kind of response,

and I think that if she had given up, they might have, too,” Emily said. “But she never gave up on him, so I think that everyone just said, ‘Okay, we’re just [going to] do this.’”

Now they look for ways to show the doctors who saved Zane how much they appreciate them. They’ve taken snacks to Deaconess and participated in fundraisers for Riley. Zane was recently named Critical Care Hero of the Year.

“I try to reason through everything and there’s no explanation as to what happened,” Christa said. “At the same time, there’s not much of an explanation as to why he’s still here. Thank goodness he is. Everyone says he’s a miracle and he really, truly is.”

Even the doctors are studying him now. One said that he’s paved the way for a lot of kids in the state. Christa said it’s just part of who he is.

“He is a Pioneer, and he’s holding true to it,” she said.

bulletin BOONVILLE

Nov. 7 vs North @ 7 Nov. 9 @ Pike Central @ 7 Nov. 16 @ Central @ 6:30 Nov. 18 vs Memorial @ 6:30 Nov. 21 @ Southridge @ 7 Nov. 28 @ Mater Dei @ 7 Nov. 30 @ North Posey @ 7 Dec. 8 vs. Princeton @ 7 Dec. 10 @ Mt. Vernon @ 12:30 Dec. 13 @ Forest Park @ 7 Dec. 15 @ Bosse @ 7 Dec. 20 vs. Evansville Christian @ 6:30

Girls Basketball

Trickey’s Brews and Bevs will host the HARVEST FESTIVAL Saturday, Nov. 12. Cody Ikerd and the Sidewinders will be performing on Third Street. There will be a beer and wine garden, plus a family section fea turing lemonade shakeups. Second Street will be filled with a variety of food vendors and trucks.

The Gamma Iota Chapter of Tri Kappa will celebrate its 100th anniversary with an open house reception on Sunday, Dec. 18 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Trickey’s. All past and present members are welcome to attend. For more information, email gammaiotatrikappa100years@gmail.com.

Lots of small businesses will be set up selling some of their amazing products for LADIES NIGHT Friday, Nov. 4 at Funxion. There will also be pre black Friday deals. Doors open from 4 to 8 p.m. Free admission. Kids are welcome!

ParkerÕs Custom Ironworks, llc

Earl and Miranda Parker 1100 Mt. Gilead Rd. Boonville, IN 47601

Top quality, custom designed ironwork and metal fabrication for commercial and residential projects.

Office: (812) 897-3007 Cell: (812) 457-2622 Email: liv2bend@twc.com

The BHS academic team will host its annual CRAFT SHOW Saturday, Nov. 5 from 8 a.m. to 2 Vendors pack into the auxiliary gym and cafeteria for the best in handmade holiday shopping!