![[Greene County Daily World]](http://gcdailyworld.com/images/nameplate-small.png){kind=small}
RSS
Print
Email link
Respond to editor
Read comments (30)The sound of her newly-assigned E-911 address doesn't strike Tulip area resident Christine Marley very well.
In fact, she said in her mind, the term has racial overtones that she would prefer not to be associated with her family and the business she operates from her home.
She brought those concerns to Tuesday's meeting of the Greene County Commissioners.
To her, the new name for what was formerly known as County Road 300N or Helms Road -- a quarter-mile long dead end road near the Tulip Church of God -- just isn't right.
"I've been told it's a racial slur," she said "I don't want to put that on my letterhead."
Marley runs a real estate title and records search business and contends the road name might be bad for business.
"I just feel like the image is not good," she stated.
Marley says there are only three residences on her road and she feels a more fitting name might be Macel Lane -- honoring Macel and Ellsworth Helms -- long-time residents of the area.
She was told that much of the work re-naming of the roads rested with the township trustees and fire department members in each township.
The commissioners were sympathetic to her concerns and said they would see what could be done to amend the proposed name change before it officially takes effect with the U.S. Postal Service.
The commissioners in the end will have to approve any name revisions.
Commissioner's president Bart Beard said the place to start with making the change is with the county's 911 coordinator Karen Oliphant. He said he was confident the name could be changed.
A resident of County Road 175E -- also known as Warren Road for decades -- told the commissioners he was upset that his road will bear the name of Myers Road under the new system.
Beard said obviously there has been a miscommunication made in the re-naming of this particular road.
"I agree with you. We are going to hit some bumps here in the immediate future with this (re-addressing) going on. We are going to just have to work through it and deal with these problems. We don't want go out and change a name of a road that's been forever," Beard said.
The commissioner's president pointed out that glitches and mistakes can be expected when a large project like this is undertaken.
However, he stressed, "People need to be patient and let us know when they have problems like this."
Does it really matter what road name you live on. It's not going to make a difference. Greene County isn't the only place with weird names on the streets. Go travel the U.S. and you will find them all over. I just dont think people like change is the problem. I for one live on a road and couldn't even tell you what road number it is, i'm very pleased to get a road name. As far as the ones that named the roads, good job. You can't make everyone happy.
How does one find what is prosed for your new address?
I know that addressing and doing street/road names it not an easy task. So I can sympathize with those in charge of this, but I still don't see why Greene County lagged so far behind in getting this accomplished. As for Rubber Tree Rd being named just that...absolutely hilarious. I'm guessing that will be a popular sign to steal.
Dumpster Rd.? That's pretty bad. The Redneck names are embarrassing enough. What kind of person would name a road Dumpster Rd? I bet that will affect property value too. It would be hard to sell a house on Dumpster Rd. Its like it is some sort of prank someone pulled on Greene County! Not funny at all. I also heard that the road referred to as rubber tree road near Bloomfield was named just that, Rubber Tree Rd. Who would have thought that a road that earned its nickname by having condoms on a tree would be officially named Rubber Tree Rd.?
Dear who ever is responsible in Greene Cty for the renaming. Greene Cty is the last county in the state to use proper 911 address. Now if you go to names and not numbers heavens forbid. Now it is OK to have Lone Tree Road still called that between us friends and also be known as 1000 West, Figure this,,,, HELLO 911 I have fallen and I can't get up.... send an Ambulance to RR#2 Worthington please,,, it is the 3rd house after the bend in the road by the Red Barn,. oh wait its Blue now,,,
Enough said
I know price road and hoosier road and lone tree by there names and not numbers, after all this camotion the roads nick name will be coonskin whether the county changes it or not.
When I was growing up one road was known as Rubber Tree Road (hope that is ok to print). I don't think anyone would want to live on a road with that name. I don't understand why roads had to have the name changed if it had been the same name for over 50 years, as long as they are appropriate. I don't think Coonskin Road is a very nice name. I agree, anyone with issues with their new address needs to get it looked at before this is made permanent. Good Luck with that.
i wonder if this isn't all one big prank. i now live on west ferry road. try giving that address to somebody over the phone.
This road naming situation has been a long process and very deliberately thought out by representatives from each township (or so I had thought - didn't realize there was a "Coonskin Lane" on the list). I can attest to the fact that trustees and fire dept. officials in the far eastern areas went to great length to find road names that were commonly known and used over the years prior to submitting those 'recommendations' to the county.
The primary purpose for using names instead of numbers is to lessen confusion. In eastern Greene County, roads are rarely straight from one end to the other; in fact, my road (which is NOT properly marked on my end) changes numbers 5 times according to county maps. It's so much easier to tell people I live on "County Line Road", since that name is not only understood but could be easily posted at both ends of the road the same way. (Another example: the road from Hendricksville to Newark - soon to be McVille Road since it passes through that community - has a total of 9 number changes from one end to the other.)
When we proposed road names, we even suggested that they be limited to east-of-the-river areas where such number changes cause issues. There is no need to replace numbers with names on the west side where roads already form a fairly decent grid.
And yes, EggMan, zenos is theoretically correct about how the new address numbers are supposed to be assigned for rural county areas. Cities and towns will have the ability to do "their own thing" within their jurisdictions as I understand it.
It could only be racial because in this persons mind they put coon and blacks together.
I thought that coon skin was the hide of a raccoon.
zenos, I was just curious whether or not they were using that at the starting point for addresses in the county. I know that each town will most likely have their own grid, but I wasn't sure what they would use as the starting point to find addresses for the rural areas.
EggMan:
The addressing grid begins right at the intersection of the north-south baseline and the east-west baseline, and that intersection is at the county seat, Bloomfield. This is close, but not exactly at, the geographical center of the county.
For instance, north-south lines to the east of there go to 1400 E (eastern edge of county) while to the west they go to 1600 W. (every 100 is one mile)
East-west lines north of there go to 1000 N while to the south they go to 800 S.
This is from a county map I got at the courthouse several years ago. They may still be available there if you want one. Hope this helps!
Lakerfan08 - We do it for two reasons. 1.) To scare away outsiders. 2.) To trap the ones we don't scare away.
Does anyone know where I could find information on where the addressing grid starts in Greene County?
How about Sheep Herders Lane. I know a family that lives right next door to each other and their numbers on their addresses are thousands of numbers different. I would like to know how much that idiot got paid that took us back 100 years in technology, because I sure would like to have this job the next time around. I can not believe my tax dollars paid for this stupidity. Where is the common sense in this project? Sounds like a lot of miscommunication all over the county! Hey Bart, sounds like you need to get a grip on this.
Oh I thought of some more - Chubby Hubby Hill Road; Couchpotato Corner Road; Remote Control Road; Overweight Wife Road; Chain Smoker Road; Beer Belly Road; Fertile Mertil Road; Kissin' Cousin Road; Fat Slob Road; Cheatin' On My Wife Road; Window Peeper Road; Let's Go Shoot A Cat Road; Control Freak Road; Wife Beater Road; Short Man Syndrome Road. Wow - it's endless!
These road names make us sound like a bunch of hicks - come on people we could have at least named the roads something pretty and fun like maybe Barbie Blvd., Hot Pink Path, Floral Road, Bright and Beautiful Road, Yellow Yander Road, or Yellow Brick Road (now I really like that one), Sunflower Street, wow I could go on and on!
i think chicken coop. maybe hog troff.
on second thought: alligator skin. rabbit carcass. fish scales.
wait...that might offend the animals.
let's go with faux fur. that's better.
in all seriousness...what kind of name is Coonskin. welcome to 1831.
How about
NO-NAME-POLITICALLY-CORRECT-GOSH-WE'RE-NOT-REDNECKS Road??
Ever heard of Daniel Boone? Or how about Squire Boone? The Boone brothers frequented Southern Indiana on their adventures. Squire settled near the Ohio River. He discovered a cave with an underground stream and waterfall when evading a group of native Americans. It is now called Squire Boone Caverns; an unbelievably awesome Indiana treasure. And let's see...were those just dead animals on their heads or no; wait a sec...those were indeed "coonskin hats". I seriously don't think they wore them to mock the raccoons! I agree that finding or giving directions is easier with numbers but this notion of a racial slurr is ludicrous.
I dont know for sure, but with road names up instead of road numbers maybe they will get it set up to where you can get the directions from mapquest. I know I get alot of packages from Fed-Ex and UPS and i'm sure it's going to be easier for them to have a road name instead of a Rural Route address.
Racist? That's just silly.
Somebody told me their new address was on Dumpster Rd. I wouldn't want to have that one either.
hey lakerfan, i've been saying the same thing. besides the fact that the county road number signs are already up...
hey at least your getting to straighten out some of your names before they take effect... here in Vigo (and CLAY) counties where I CARRIED mail they changed established nammes and told us to LIVE WITH THEM!
the guys that did the nameing in one area got 2 roads mixed up... one had been for over 100yrs one name-- was named on some 1875 atlas's I have and boom official notification its now ______ road.. and it goes north to south.. when actually it goes northwest to southeast ( louisville to terre haute road)
well make your officials get it straight before its PERMINANT or you could get a notice 5yrs later they had to change a name from say Harold to Harrold....
If I am in Clay County and I need to go to the intersection of 400W and 1350S I can find that fairly simply. In Greene County if someone tells me to go to Coonskin Lane or Myers road how do I find that. With the numbers and a little common sense you can find any address. Why would you change them to names where someone from 10 miles away has no idea where that is.
Racial overtones!? That is ridiculous! There is absolutely nothing racist about Coonskin Lane. It does sound very redneck, but not at all racist.
I totally agree Coonskin is not a proper name. Not for racial, but just the sound,, It may have been good back in the 1910's but not today as something "new"
Come on -- commissioners - how about we change your road to Chicken Bristle or maybe Hog Path both roads are western in Ohio that meet with much embarassment also. You have a chance to change it to a positive look.
How about Bob Thomas Blvrd...
How about Marley Lane in honor of Bob Marley?