Again, Led by Oshkosh

Now, I hate long, boring standardized testing, and believe they are way over-utilized as a less-than-effective way to measure the success of an education system.

But, that all said, it is great to see Oshkosh outperforming the state and the region. Nice work to our excellent teachers, parents, and administrators!

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Government-Proposed Barriers to Regional Economic Development

When you hear of state and local politicians claiming that they are focused on economic and job development while getting rid of unnecessary government "red tape", the initial idea is that sounds healthy for Northeast Wisconsin. Further, this position is generally associated with platforms of republican candidates and those heavily invested in the business community. This theme was an important part of the last election cycle, and has been heavily touted by political leaders in Madison.


However, in response to counter-productive state regulations pushed by Governor Walker and supporters, one firm looking to invest in Northeast Wisconsin has said "it no longer makes sense to invest significant development capital in a state that appears to be closed".

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Library Book Sale Time!

Oshkosh Public Library's book sale is TODAY, Tuesday March 29.

The sale runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Friends have moved into an expanded area in the lower level of the Library for the sale and will have several pieces of used library furniture up for bid, in addition to their wide selection of books, movies and music. Special features - books about Native Americans, biographies of Abraham Lincoln, a Wisconsin Authors collection, and books about horses.

Looking for furniture? Bid on an oak desk, oak swivel chair, and other items.
Polk Library on the UW Oshkosh campus is holding its 7th annual book sale on Tuesday April 12 and Wednesday April 13. Several thousand books are available for 50 cents each or 3 for a dollar. The books are a mix of discarded library books and donated collections, with a large number of books on history, politics and government, philosophy and religion, old foreign language works and collections, not-quite-new fiction as well as "classic" fiction and literature. Also books on psychology, science & medicine, cook books, and many other peculiar titles.

Polk Library's sale begins at 7 a.m. on Tuesday April 12 until 10 p.m., and again at 7 a.m. on Wednesday April 13 until 1 p.m. - it is on the first floor of the library across from the circulation desk.

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Final Candidate Forums of Spring 2011

UWO Oshkosh Spring Local Candidate Forums - March 31, 2011 6:30 p.m.-8:45 p.m.

SPECIAL EVENT! UW Oshkosh will host an evening of forums for candidates bidding for seats on the Oshkosh Common Council and for the position of Oshkosh Mayor March 31, 2011; 6:30 p.m.-8:45 p.m., Reeve Memorial Union 221.

Sponsoring organizations include the American Democracy Project (ADP) and Political Science Student Association (PSSA). The Mayor's forum will take place beginning at 6:30 p.m., with the Common Council forum beginning at 7:30 p.m. Candidates will be asked questions by a panel of engaged UW Oshkosh students.

For more information on the forum, visit the ADP Election Page.

This event is free and open to the public.

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Visit the Paine This Weekend!

Email received:

Dear Paine Members and Friends,

While the snowy weather couldn't be much worse, the floral show at the Paine offers a welcome escape to a tranquil paradise!

I hope you will visit for the final weekend of Rooms of Blooms this Friday through Sunday, March 25-27.

The second annual floral show presents dozens of breathtaking floral arrangments by the regions most talented designers. The show also includes a floral installation in the Breakfast Room and six "over the top" table settings in the Great Hall.

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Oshkosh Common Council on the Raising of Urban Hens

In the end, after significant discussion, the measure to approve urban hens passed 5-2, with only Cummings and Esslinger opposing. Effective July 1, 2011, folks can legally raise hens in the city.


Overview of the events:

Steve Cummings: Why don't people need to ask permission from their neighbors?

Main Street Oshkosh commentary: The city does not currently require your neighbor to ask you to raise a cat, dog, or baby. Your neighbor does not need to approve the construction of a garage, a basketball court, or backyard compost site. This type of requirement provides undue rights to a neighbor over your property, ignores the reality of existing neighbor relation issues, and may verge on being illegal.

What else: The noise of hens is less than a vacuum, traffic, lawn mower, and only slightly more-so than a human conversation. For smell, 10 chickens produce less waste than one 40 pound dog - in which the chicken waste can be used as compost fertilizer and the dog waste can not. Note that only 4 hens are permitted per the ordinance.

Cummings continues: Urban hens will reduce resale value of lots, and I know this because I'm a Realtor. No, I don't have any data or evidence to support this.

Main Street Oshkosh commentary: Of course, this isn't the role of the council. If this is now the responsibility of the council, the city will of course then follow up with questioning the allowance of other things that can deter property values, including (but not limited to): Swimming pools - gone. Dogs and dog houses - gone. Large gardens - gone. Metal sheds - gone. Children's play sets and swings - gone. Sand boxes - gone. Small ponds - gone. And, like Cummings, none of this is supported by data, and it makes about as little sense as his claim.

Steve Herman: We should do a referendum. No, we don't do it for dogs, cats, or now thinking about it, we don't do it for anything else. But it would be good to see with this. However, I do appreciate the work that the group did.

Steve Cummings: This needs to go to the plan commission. They didn't get to see it. Yes, it doesn't fit the regular requirements for sending items to the plan commission, as this did not change any zoning regulations or requirements (note that it fits under the pet ordinance), but there are too many loopholes.

Jessica King: The few criticisms that I've heard on this matter, including here tonight (likely referring to her colleagues on the board), have been based upon ideas that are not supported with evidence or data. Sending this to the plan commission is just a measure to avoid voting on it because you want to kill this. I think this is a valuable asset to the community

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3rd Annual Social Justice Week

The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh will host 13 events in support of inclusive excellence and diversity March 28-31 during the University's third-annual Social Justice Week.


In recognition of UW Oshkosh's commitment to championing social justice and civility, Social Justice Week 2011 will provide presentations and workshops tackling such topics as mentoring students of color, diversity, employment law, Islamophobia, living in a multicultural society and the prevention of hate crimes.


Social Justice Week is sponsored by the Office of Equity and Affirmative Action and the Alliance for Equity and Diversity. It will conclude the evening of March 31, when nationally-acclaimed activist and public speaker Kevin Powell discusses "Living in a Multicultural America."


For more information about Social Justice Week events or to make special accommodations, call (920) 424-2296 or (920) 424-0330.


All events will be held at Reeve Memorial Union, located at 748 Algoma Blvd. All events are free and open to the public.


Social Justice Week 2011 Event Schedule

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Oshkosh Workers Speak on Impacts of Governor and Legislature

And, of course, there is this crazy family taking their kids out in the cold:

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OSHKOSH ON BROADWAY

Oshkosh on Broadway is back again this year at the Grand Opera House, 100 High Ave, Oshkosh. Scheduled this Saturday, March 19, 2011, from 8pm - 10pm, the show will bring Oshkosh "celebrities" and friends take to the stage in an evening of song, dance, and laughter.

The event is a benefit for the Grand Opera House student and free community programming. Among those scjeduled to appear onstage are the Mayor, City Manager and City Council; State Assemblyman and air guitar guy Gor...don Hintz; the Jazzerchix from Oshkosh Jazzercise; as well as an array of non-profit executives and representatives from local businesses both large and small--- all performing onstage, to benefit The Grand’s educational and free community programming.

Now in its fifth year, OSHKOSH ON BROADWAY 2011 will include a retrospective on the last five years, with reprises of some of the favorite performances of previous productions.

Contact The Grand for information on the special “Backer’s Reception”, which includes premium seating and a pre-performance reception in the new Grand Lounge; or the new “Adopt-an-Actor” program, which includes Backer’s Reception benefits plus the chance to win a private command performance by some of the OSHKOSH ON BROADWAY performers.

The performance is rated PG13 and not recommended for younger children

Tickets—

Premium section “Backer’s Club”-- $50
Includes pre-performance reception
Circle-- $25
Balcony-- $16

A list of participants follows.

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2011 Winnebago Home and Garden Show

The 2011 Winnebago Home Builders Association (WHBA) Home and Garden Show will take place March 11, 12, and 13 at Sunnyview Expo Center in Oshkosh.

Times are as follows:
March 11, 2011: 3 p.m. - 8 p.m.
March 12, 2011: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
March 13, 2011: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Free admission will once again be offered to patrons in exchange for a suggested donation to The Salvation Army or Habitat for Humanity.

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Oshkosh Transit System: Support it Now, and Quick!

Appleton Mayor Tim has seemingly made an important move to protect one of the community's most valuable assets: Vally Transit. It appears that the city of Appleton has simply gone ahead an approved contracts for the next two years for their union transit employees, ignoring and avoiding the assaults on public service and local workers that loom for our cities.

Oshkosh can do the same. As we posted previously, the state of Wisconsin and Federal Government have officially confirmed that the stripping of basic collective bargaining rights for our local employees will result in the loss of federal transit dollars, which comprise over 33% of our transit budget. This type of loss would essentially end the system.



The mayor of Appleton has stepped up and demonstrated his support for his valuable city staff, as well as the public transit system. According to an article yesterday in the Post Crescent:

State law, even if changed, cannot invalidate the new contract, so the new deal would solve a potential funding problem connected to Gov. Scott Walker's state budget repair bill if it passes and would provide a meaningful timetable to decide how Valley Transit operates in the future.

"I want people to understand this is about our transit system. This is not about jamming through a contract before the budget repair bill is passed. There seems to be a lot of that going on around the state," Hanna said. "We have millions of dollars
invested in this system. It would be irresponsible (to do nothing)."

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Urban Chicken Workshop

Saturday, March 26, 2011
9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Winnebago County, Sunnyview Exposition Center West Wing, Winnebago County Fairgrounds
500 East Sunnyview Road
Oshkosh, WI 54901

As part of our ongoing effort to grow healthy food locally, this workshop will teach you what needs to be considered when raising chickens in your community neighborhood. The workshop will address:

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Urban Chickens and Oshkosh

Tuesday, March 8 2011 at 6pm, the Oshkosh Common Council will have the first reading of a proposed ordinance change to permit urban chickens (with numerous limitations) in the city of Oshkosh.

We've posted extensively on the matter, including here, HERE, here, HERE, and here.

Check out the agenda here. The urban chicken is #20.

For a summary of the ordinance provisions, as well as responses to most of the common concerns with urban chickens, VISIT HERE.

A note that this ordinance has been approved by both the Sustainability Advisory Board and the city's Health Advisory Board.

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Spanbauer offers Moderation and Reason

I thought Rep Richard Spanbauer offered a very moderate and reasonable position on the political issues facing Wisconsin:

I voted against SS AB 11, as did three other Republicans. Although the bill contained many important provisions, and I had no problem with Governor Walker’s reasonable request that public employees contribute more toward their healthcare and pensions, I felt the Governor’s decision to abolish collective bargaining in the public sector for subjects other than salaries went too far.

As many of you know, I have a long history of private-sector union membership. That experience does not mean I march in lockstep with unions on all issues at all times, but I do probably know more than most Republican members of the Assembly how important the right to collectively bargain is to employees. I explained this to my colleagues in caucus, and while they may not have agreed with me, they understood where I was coming from.

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Views and Brews Downtown Throwdown Mar 16

This event, involving multiple rounds of debate, audience voting, and trophies, will put a zany new spin on local political debates. Scheduled at the Becket's Atrium for Wed, March 16, 2011 from 6pm - 8:30pm and beyond, this is going to be the most entertaining and informative forum you've ever attended.

6-7pm: Mayoral candidate debate
7:15-8:30pm: City Council candidate debate
8:30pm onward: music by Jazz Orgy

Unlike previous Views & Brews events, Paul Van Auken of Square One will not be the discussion facilitator. Rather, he will be a panelist, along with Lucinda Vette, and expected to ask intelligent questions of the candidates (which may be a challenge for him). The event will moderated by Dale Devries, whose job will be to keep things fun and moving along.

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Mike Ellis in all This

The Cap Times had an editorial out today titled "Comon Mike, Step Up". Sen Ellis, who represents the Senate district just north of Oshkosh, is a graduate of UW Oshkosh and former educator himself.

According to the Cap Times, Ellis, who has been a representative in Madison since th 70s, has "a reputation as the sort of state legislator who goes his own way. He does not follow the dictates of big contributors, party bosses or even governors from his own party"

The editorial continues:

It's time now for Ellis to be the adult in this scenario (Walker's budget and cuts to schools). He should call for opening the Capitol. He should announce that he will oppose a budget repair bill that has been advanced with blatant disregard for legislative traditions and rules that Ellis has guarded so well and wisely over the years. Mike Ellis can be the senator we have always known him to be. He has the power, and we believe the responsibility, to step up and lead for Wisconsin.

However, that may all be giving too much credit to Ellis, who stated in an interview with Fox: “If we don't do something there's going to be anywhere from 15 to 20,000 layoffs coming and I'm not going to support laying off 20,000 people in Wisconsin”. Unfortunately, Ellis isn't very vocal or descriptive in his limited press appearances, and therefore little details or supporting explanations are available to back up Ellis.

The following robo-campaign has been directed at a number of senators, including Ellis:



There are some reports that Ellis has offered to comprimise, but I was unable to substantiate this.

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Civility + Current Times = Irony

As the city of Oshkosh explores the topic of Civility, a political turbulence has overtaken Oshkosh, the state of Wisconsin, and beyond resulting in some of the largest rallies in the state of Wisconsin, recall efforts everywhere you look, and foul politics stinking of grade school bullies.

Let's explore:

Oshkosh Civility Project: The idea of civility - or the engagement of others in a manner of respect and appreciation - is obviously not new. While the Oshkosh discussion was started sometime early 2010, the issue gained national prominence following the atrocious murdering in Arizona.

Shortly after these events occurred, the civility organizers selectively invited individuals in the community to participate in a meeting on the topic. The images that were shared with me included a long room with tables and a projection screen, in which the entire room was made of of white, 40+ year old prominent figures in our community (except Jess King, who I believe is under 40). Again, this was only what I saw from the event pictures - as well as what is found throughout their website as of 3/2/11.

What is clear is the state Assembly Rep Gordon Hintz missed

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