Take Back the Night 2008

Tomorrow evening, residents of the Fox Cities will again have the important opportunity to rally against community violence by participating in the annual Take Back the Night rally. This event has inspired women and men to confront numerous social issues, including rape, sexual violence, domestic violence, violence against children, and violence against women.

The unifying theme throughout these diverse topics is the assertion that all human beings have the right to be free from violence, the right to be heard, and the right to reclaim their rights if they are violated.

The 18th annual Fox Cities Take Back the Night event will take place on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 in the Polk Library Mall at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. The event is being sponsored by: Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services, Harbor House Domestic Abuse Programs, Oshkosh Police Department, Reach Counseling Services and the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.

Beginning at 5:30pm – Activities will take place at the center Mall on campus, including Healing Hands Quilt, Social Norm Poster Garden, sign/program/bracelet distribution, and more.

At 6:00pm – the Rally and March from UW Oshkosh to downtown Oshkosh.

At 6:45pm – Closing Rally at Winnebago County Courthouse, with speakers, music, candlelight vigil, and bystander anti-violence proclamation.

Parking restrictions have been lifted on campus between 4-9 pm, in UW Kolf parking lot #7, for attendee’s convenience. Transportation will also be available for individuals needing assistance during the march.

Everyone is invited to join us at Take Back the Night 2008, and support those who have been silenced by violence, in our communities. For more information please contact Nicole Kellerman at Reach Counseling Services 920-426-1460 or Chad Weston Gardner at Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services INC 920-235-5998.

It is a very good feeling being at an event attending by large numbers of fellow community members actively taking a stand in opposition to violence and oppression. I strongly recommend that any interested in making our community a better place attend this rally tomorrow night.

The last several years that I've participated in this event, I have never had a camera along, so I don't have any pics. But, in keeping with the attempt to always add visuals, here is a nice October Oshkosh Maple leave pic from our front yard.

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Jackson Park Ultimate Frisbee

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Numbers for Jackson Park Ultimate Frisbee have been falling like the stock market. While you may be trying to avoid exercising in order to pack on some insulation for the cold season, don't worry about it because according to the Farmer's Almanac we're going to have a warm winter.

So get off your asses and come play Ultimate Frisbee tomorrow (Wednesday) evening, and bring a friend or 2. 6pm sharp, Park at Jackson/New York. The game is on every Wednesday.

Pass it on.

-drewPROGRESS media

920.292.0386

http://progressmedia.org/

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Your Oshkosh Home has Radon

The presence of Radon in your home is a serious health threat to you and your family. According to the Winnebago County Dept of Health, Radon is a radioactive gas produced naturally by the decay of uranium and radium and is odorless, colorless, and undetectable by the human senses. Radon easily enters homes through cracks in floors, walls, and other openings. Once into the home, radon has less air to mix with, and may build up to dangerous levels.

The county Dept of Health website states the following:

Radon decay products or the radioactive particles can be inhaled. Once inhaled, the particles stick to your lungs and release radioactive energy. The radioactive energy can cause damage to the lung tissue. Extended exposure to high levels of radon can increase the risk of lung cancer.

Radon is probably responsible for about 15,000 to 20,000 lung cancer deaths in the United States per year, and roughly one-third of them are preventable.

Radon test kits are available from the county Dept of Health for $2.00 by visiting that Winnebago County Health Dept at 725 Butler Ave. Winnebago, WI 54985 Mon. - Fri 8AM - 4PM.

I know little about Radon, but have a genuine concern for many Oshkosh homes with crappy Oshkosh basements (those low, crumbly stone foundation walls that regularly allow water and sediment flow into the basement), especially any in which flood waters pushed higher than normal levels of dirt and sediment into the basements. The Wisconsin Dept of Health Services estimates that 20% of homes around Oshkosh contain high levels of Radon.

My family obtained a test kit and will be placing it out tonight - the test needs to stay out for up to 7 days, and then is sent off to North Carolina for processing of the results.

For Oshkosh renters, here is a quality tenant Radon guide from the US EPA that outlines what you can do to ensure the safety of your family.

Homeowners with a Radon issue may be faced with the reality that their home is not safe (especially for children) and may need to install a ventilation system, which may cost upwards of $2500. For a lower-income family living paycheck to paycheck, this is not a possibility. Unfortunately, no financial assistance for resolving the issue is available to anyone from the local, state, or federal government (note that these governmental agencies do provide excellent information regarding Radon and your home).

This may be a great way for a local political leader (city council, county board rep, state assembly rep, state senator) to work towards improving the health of families in our community while confronting a reality of social inequality (not that only lower-income folks are susceptible to this issue, just that they may not have a means to resolve it - which is a serious social issue when children are considered).

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Leach Amp Revisited

Back in January 06, I awarded the Oshkosh City Council with the Worst Decision of 2005 award, following their awarding of the Leach Amphitheater management to PMI, a group from outside of our community that would clearly not provide avenues for local community members to easily access the facility.

In March of 05, Tony Palmeri and I had spoken at the council meeting in which the residing council members spoke of delusions of grandeur regarding the Leach (mostly the same crew who participated in the shady Leach bathroom "golf course" contract deal. We simply requested that the facility serve the taxpayers who funded it, allowing access to local community groups and artists. This didn't happen.

Now, it seems, that many are "coming to their senses" and recognizing the importance this fabulous facility can play for our local community - now including those individuals and groups who are eager to organize exciting programming at this facility, but who maybe couldn't afford the $1500+ rental charges previously requested.

So, here is my take on what needs to happen:

1. Great that the city has taken over the facility. I think that the goals of bringing in wanted acts, hosting and facilitating local programming, and running a top-notch facility can all be accomplished by a dedicated and realistic staff.

2. I think the city needs help. The Leach provides an amazing opportunity for at least one UW Oshkosh business major intern and one Marketing intern to work closely with staff on maximizing the use of this facility. I bet the city could even find a few hundred dollars to compensate the students.

3. I think the Parks Dept needs help. While I question the department's inability to appropriately manage a simple municipal beach, I do believe they will be much better at managing the Leach - simply because they care about the Leach Amphitheater far more. I second the call by Dr Palmeri for a Leach Advisory Board, and believe that putting the responsibilities on the current Parks Board would accomplish nothing. I would go further and call it an Advisory and Review Board, responsible for ensuring citizen input, participation, and approval of operations.

The board should consist of at least one local musician, someone from the local media like Jane Spietz, someone from the local restaurant industry, someone from the university, someone from a local environmental program, a representative with WaterFest, and several others. Most importantly is that this group has the authority to guide and decide.

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What's in that Water?

Usually when your water has a strange taste, you simply empty the glass, run the water for a minute (of course saving the water in a bucket to use for plant water), then refill your cup, and drink the new water that tastes fine.

After this did not working throughout the day this past Wednesday, a notion became stuck in my head that something was wrong with my home's water.

But when I learned that at least two downtown Oshkosh employees, and at least one family of customers at a local restaurant also thought their water was horrible, my notion went from a water issue at my house to a possible issue with the city water.

When my 3-year old daughter said yuck and that her water smelled like "poopies", I figured I'd post this just to see if anyone else beyond the seven of us have noticed an issue with the water - comments of reassurance also welcome from those who's water is as great as ever.

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Riverfront Development Developments

Akcess is out - they want to pass the development job to the Dumkes. Now Sweetwater has a plan.

Side by side (via the Northwestern):

The new proposal could complement the proposal a group led by Andy and Art Dumke made to develop a 25,000-square-foot office building, a restaurant and a 45-unit apartment building in the Marion Road Redevelopment Area with options to develop a second office building and retail uses on a parcel north of Marion Road.

Lindemann’s proposal would tap the parcel north of Marion Road identified in previous plans for retail use. Akcess Acquisition Group had proposed a hotel on the riverfront, but Lindemann's proposal would use that parcel for urban cottages and retail development.

Council member Palmeri's take:

...the Akcess withdrawal provides us with an opportunity to slow down and try to get a sense of what the taxpaying public actually wants on the riverfront. Rather than move straight to another office building proposal, let's take some time (via survey, focus groups, online polls, etc.) to find out what are the most favored options for development. After receiving that feedback, let's then have staff construct a new request for proposals.

What do you think of these new developments?

Personally, I would like to see a nice river walk, some small retail / cafe style indoor-outdoor joints, a farmers' market, an urban agriculture and education center, and, and, I'm just brainstorming here. Gotta go.

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Dragons!

As my initial post for Main Street, I thought I would share some of my photos from today's Dragon Boat festivities. There are more available at thepollyblog. Enjoy

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Main Street Oshkosh Expands

Let's say we're laying the foundation for transforming our small street from two lanes into a 4-laner complete with bike lanes and center island landscape. Maybe that is an exaggeration...

I'm pleased to announce to additional of several new contributors to the site who you should be hearing from over the next few weeks. Included in the ranks of new Main Street Oshkosh members are long-time Oshkosh online characters Miles Maguire and Polly Briley. Both have maintained online sites in numerous formats since near the inception of online commentary in the Oshkosh area, and bring a wealth of experience and creativity to the site.

In addition, we've added the highly critical and active CJ McDonald, who has become a staple of online intelligent discourse on political and city hall matters. The final addition is The Scene contributor Jane Spietz. Jane has been an avid follower of the local music scene, and is an active member of our local political community.

We are excited at the potential these new contributors bring to greatly improve this site by increasing the frequency of posts while expanding the ideas and perspectives.

But, to be sure that we obtain at least a laugh or shake of the head, we'd like to take a moment to recognize one of the founding members of Main Street Oshkosh, the serious and distinguished Ron Babblemur Hardy.

Note that the red-haired goofy guy on the left is just some guy from Iowa that was badly beaten by Jutdog in last year's Babblemur BBall contest, and is predicted to fair much the same in the 2008 - 2009 challenge.

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Imagination Library

The Oshkosh Area United Way is working with Imagination Library to bring free age-appropriate books to all children in Oshkosh under the age of 5. Each registered child will receive 1 book each month until its 5th birthday. The books focus on the following themes: love of reading and learning; regard for diversity of people, their roles, culture, and environment; promotion of self-esteem and confidence; and appreciation of art and aesthetics.

To enroll your child, simply visit http://www.dollysimaginationlibrary.com/firsttime.php on the Internet, contact the Oshkosh Area United Way by phone at 920.235.8560, or stop in at 36 Broad Street, Oshkosh.

The new books are completely free to all participating families. All costs for the books and shipping are paid by the Oshkosh Area United Way.

Regular reading with your child is one of the most important activities you can do. Some of the important benefits of reading with your child include (1):
· Reading develops a person’s creativity.
· Developing good reading skills can improve your students’ ability to comprehend concepts and ideas.
· Reading develops critical thinking and decision-making.
· Reading develops language comprehension and communication skills, and expands vocabulary
· Reading introduces your child to new ideas and has the ability to broaden their interests.
· Reading can increase your child’s ability to concentrate.
· Reading may improve your child’s writing skills.

Parents play a critical role in helping their children develop not only the ability to read, but also an enjoyment of reading. To make reading a regular part of your child’s life, start by turning off the TV. Limit your family’s TV viewing time to make time for reading together. Read together with your child, talking about the pictures and stories in the books. Introduce new ideas and images to spark your child’s interest and imagination. Take a trip to the Public Library and pick out books about current issues or interests in your family. Ask the librarian for ideas on great books (2).

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Push Polling in Oshkosh

Push Polling is a method used by campaigns to influence voters under the guise of a poll.

An acquaintance of mine mentioned to me today that he received his first "Push Poll" over the phone last night. It was an automated call from Madison.

It asked him how he voted in 2004 (Democrat), then asked him who he was thinking about voting for for President this year, Obama or McCain (no other candidates offered). He said McCain.

It then asked him who he was thinking about voting in the State Senate race, the Republican Hopper, or the Democrat King. He said Jess King.

Then it asked, "If I were to tell you that we had some questionable information about Jessica King, would you be more likely, or less likely, to vote for Jessica King?"

He then hung up.

Is the Hopper-King race about to get ugly?

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What's Behind that Peabody's Fence?

In an extremely rare event, I made it out to an establishment for drink. As it was a fine evening, we wanted to stay outside and enjoy the weather. The choice, with the idea that a post could be made, was Peabody's somewhat-new outdoor area.




I didn't really expect much of an attractive setting, so I was pleasantly surprised by the neat organization and implementation of torches, a small fire pit, and quality urban-outdoor lounge feeling.




Probably the nicest feature of the outdoor setting is the rare opportunity for fresh air at a bar (increasingly common at local restaurants, including Fratellos, Beckets, Brooklyns, Chalice, and others). It was nice not coming home with a sore throat and smelly clothing.

And for those concerned, Mary Meyst destroyed Ryan Murphy in Cribbage, which is a fine game to play outdoors while having a drink.

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