"Natural Step for Communities" Authors to Speak in Appleton

The authors of the Natural Step for Communities book -- Sarah James and Torbjorn Lahti -- will speak in Appleton on Wed June 18, 6:00-8:00 pm, at the Appleton Public Library. This event is free and open to public.

Deer-proof your garden session

Stuarts Landscaping in Oshkosh is hosting guest speaker Sandy Baker of the Humane Society of the United States, Deer Solutions MD and Animal Advocates of Howard County on Sunday, June 8. Sandy will be offering two sessions discussing ways to deer-proof your gardens and yard.

The first seminar starting at 10:30 and running until 12:00 and the second seminar starting at 1:00 and running until 2:30. This seminar is FREE so come out and join us to learn more on how to keep our friendly creatures away from our gardens.

The programs will take place at Stuart's Landscaping in Oshkosh 2957 Brooks Rd. Oshkosh, WI 54904. For more information, contact (920) 233-0803.

Sister Lois Aceto at UWO

On May 5, 2008, lifelong social activist Sister Lois Aceto will be at UW Oshkosh to talk about her experiences working with the homeless, the criminal justice system, education, and more.

She will deliver three sessions on May 5. They Shall Rise From Their Ashes 9:30-11:15 AM South Halsey 208 - Sister Aceto spent 27 years working in the prison system, and was the founder of Vision House, a home for men coming out of prison who would be homeless, with little opportunity to start life anew.

What's Restored? 1:00-2:30 PM AC S149 - What have we accomplished with our criminal justice system? As the U.S. incarcerates ever-greater percentages of its population, Sister Aceto addresses this question and considers the concept and practice of restorative justice. She spent 7 years teaching in the Criminal Justice program at Parkside, but her critique of our system comes from actual practice, not the classroom.

I've Never Been The Same 3:30-5:00 PM Swart 217 - The highlight of Sister Aceto's visit is certain to be this session on her 17 years in Bolivia, which are the subject of her recent book "Journeying Toward Justice." She says "to live under constant suspicion, to taste and feel poverty and to witness torture and killings makes an indelible mark on the mind, but more so on the heart." Her experiences include: teaching religion in public schools, forming a group of high school and college students to work on social justice issues, being arrested--twice--by the Bolivian dictatorship of that era for speaking out against the government, starting a school for the blind and learning Braille in the process, starting the first co-ed dorms in La Paz, starting an outpatient clinic in a poor town, and even studying medicine in Madrid to better serve the poor in Bolivia.

Sessions are free and open to all. For more information contact the Sociology Department (920) 424-2030

Sponsors of the event include the Departments of Sociology and Social Work, the Women's Studies and Social Justice Programs, the Women's Advocacy Council, and the College of Letters and Science at UW Oshkosh

A little something for the Christians AND the Pagans

May Day is a Holiday for everyone these days.

Traditionally May Day is a Spring Festival time. From the Oxford Dictionary of English Folk Lore:

May Day, Bringing in the May. Many of the earliest references to May Day are ambiguous, but those which give any detail nearly always refer to the practice of going out into the countryside to gather flowers and greenery—‘going a-maying’ or ‘bringing in the may’. This greenery was used to decorate houses and public buildings to welcome the season, and for the early period this was the archetypal activity of the day.

But May Day has also been tagged as International Workers Day since around 1904, and in response to the fear of the spread of Socialism/Communism May Day was declared "Loyalty Day" in the USA in 1958.

In Oshkosh on May 1 there is something for both Christians and Pagans to do.

At Noon (Thur May 1) Christians are gathering at the flag pole at City Hall in honor of the National Day of Prayer to "...pray for our Country and our Leaders."

Later in the day (6 p.m.) there will be a May Pole Dance & Potluck at Menominee Park at the concrete globe immediately NW of the zoo sponsored by the Oshkosh Rhythm Institute. Music, dancing, and food (bring a dish to share). Everyone is welcome to this, it sounds like a fun community event and fun for the whole family.

Whatever your pleasure, there is something to do to celebrate May Day in Oshkosh!

2008 EARTH WEEK AT UW OSHKOSH

UPCOMING EARTH WEEK EVENTS AT UW OSHKOSH
All events open to the entire community


WEDNESDAY APRIL 16

CHILL OUT: CAMPUS SOLUTIONS TO GLOBAL WARMING
Wednesday April 16, 5:45-7:00 pm, Reeve 220Join us for a nationwide simulcast about what campuses can do about global warming. Produced by the Campus Ecology Program of the National Wildlife Federation.>> Free pizza & pop!!


MONDAY APRIL 21

SUSTAINABILITY IN BELIZE, CENTRAL AMERICA
Monday April 21, 6:00-7:30: Reeve 221Dr. Maureen Muldoon, Dr. Pete Brown, and students from the Field Studies in Belize course will talk about the ecology and culture of Belize. Panelists will explore how Belize is dealing with challenging conservation issues. Gorgeous slides will be shown of the different ecosystems of Belize. >> Free pizza & pop!!


TUESDAY APRIL 22:

EARTH DAY!SPEED NETWORKING FOR SUSTAINABLE INTERNSHIPS & JOBS
Tuesday April 22, 11:30 a.m-1:00 p.m., Reeve 227AMeet with representatives and make connections for possible internships and jobs: Johnson Controls, Wisconsin Public Service, Wisconsin Office of Energy Independence, Simply Solar, Northeast Wisconsin Land Trust, and Habitat for Humanity.

UNVEILING THE UW OSHKOSH CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
Tuesday April 22, 1:00-2:00 p.m., Reeve 227C UW Oshkosh has committed to a new, comprehensive Campus Sustainability Plan. Chancellor Wells will make the announcement, and Steve Arndt (Director of Facilities) and David Barnhill (Director of Environmental Studies) will discuss how UW Oshkosh is working to be a leader in campus sustainability.

DERRICK JENSEN ON CIVILIZATION AND RESISTANCE
Tuesday April 22, 7:00-8:30 pm: Reeve 307 (Theater)Derrick Jensen is a nationally known author of many books about environmental issues and activism. He has completed a magesterial two volume book Endgame, which examines the disasters caused by civilization and what can be done about it.


WEDNESDAY APRIL 23

TOXIC BODIES: ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS AND THE LESSONS OF HISTORY
Wednesday April 23, 6:00-7:30 pm: Reeve 227BCDr. Nancy Langston, environmental historian at UW Madison's Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology and the Nelson Institute of Environmental Studies. This talk explores the ways scientists, industry, consumers, and regulators negotiated growing controversies over synthetic estrogens, and examines the ways that endocrine disruptors in the post-war era changed the internal ecosystems of human, livestock, and wildlife bodies, interconnecting our bodies with our environments in increasingly complex ways.


THURSDAY APRIL 24

CELEBRATION OF SCHOLARSHIP: POSTERS ON SUSTAINABILITY Thursday April 24, 11:00-1:00 pm: Reeve Students in ES 490: Environmental Studies Senior Seminar will display posters on a variety of sustainability issues. Part of the larger annual Celebration of Scholarship.

EARTH DINNER Speaker: John Peck, Executive Director, Family Farm Defenders Thursday April 24, 6:30-9:00 pm: Reeve 227BC6:30-7:00 pm: Reception
7:00-8:00 pm: Organic dinner
7:30-9:00 pm: John Peck on the importance of food and farming
Organic food donated by Organic Valley. Tickets are free, but the suggested donation at the dinner is $5 for students $15 for others. Tickets will be available soon at Titan Central.


FRIDAY APRIL 25

THE CLEAN WATER ACT, STORM WATER, & UWO OSHKOSH
Friday April 25, 1:00-2:00: Reeve 214
Steve Arndt, Director of Facilities, will discuss the Clean Water Act, how it impacts, UW Oshkosh, and how we can help preserve our water.

CAMPUS CLEAN-UP
Friday April 25, 2:00-4:00: Reeve 214
Steve Arndt will lead students on a clean-up of the Fox River by campus.


For more questions, contact barnhill@uwosh.edu

Polk Library Book Sale Tuesday

Polk Library will be holding its fourth annual BOOK SALE on Tuesday April 15 (7:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.) and Wednesday April 16 (7:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.)

Several thousand books will be available to purchase, most priced at 50 cents each, or 3 for a dollar.

We have large amounts of books on

Plays
History
Sciences
Criminology
Area Studies
Social Sciences
Political Science
Public Administration
French language literature
Urban Planning and Land Use
and many, many more!

Also plenty of Contemporary Fiction, "Classic" Fiction, and "Classic" young adult fiction.

Some of our library staff have cleaned through their home collections so you can count on a number of interesting treasures to be available!

Although we will be re-stocking the tables throughout the first day the best books tend to go fast, so come early if you can!

Alice Cooper at Waterfest

Coming later this summer to the Leach Ampitheatre - ALICE COOPER!



August 28, 2008

Mike Malchow and Barefoot Charlie

Saturday, April 5 from 1:00pm - 3:00pm, Oshkosh author Mike Malchow will be at Appleblossom Books (513 North Main Street, Oshkosh) for a book signing of his new title, “Barefoot Charlie and the book of dreams”!

Mike is a great guy who I've only known for a little over a year. What I know of Mike I like - he is always biking, he is active in behind-the-scenes local politics, and he is dedicated to community social activism highlighted by his efforts with the homeless community.

To learn more about Mike, his book, and more, visit www.geocities.com/barefootcharlie/

Brothers, Bricco, and the Grand

This Sunday, March 16, at 5:00PM, visit the Grand Opera House (100 High Avenue, Oshkosh) for the premiere of Brothers, a short film by writer/director Troy Perkins.

There will be a reception following the 22 minute film, with music by Madison musician and film score contributor Blake Thomas.

You can check out the film's website at www.brothersshortfilm.com to see a trailer.

Yes, Bricco is in the movie, and that is him in the goofy Briccohat.

Candidate Forums WILL be Televised

But the District 14 forum will not be live, rather it will be taped for later playback on OCAT. Here are the details from LWV to follow-up my last post:

Oshkosh Area League of Women Voters To Host Two Primary Election Forums

The Oshkosh Area League of Women Voters will hold two
separate candidates' forums before the February 19th primary election.

A forum for the six Oshkosh Area School Board candidates
is set for Thursday, February 7, 6:30 to 7:30 in the Oshkosh City
Council Chambers, 4th floor City Hall.

The six candidates are incumbents Tom McDermott and Ben Schneider II.
The challengers are John Daggett, Kevin Jahnke, John Lemberger and
Michele Monte. Panel members are Jim Fitzhenry, managing editor of
the Oshkosh Northwestern and Frankie Mengeling, vice-president Oshkosh
Area LWV.

This forum will be broadcast on Oshkosh Community Access Television
CitiCable 10 and simulcast by WOCT 101.9 FM, Oshkosh Community Radio.

The other forum centers on a primary race for County Board District
14. The reduction of the county board from 38 to 36 districts has put
two incumbents, Donna Lohry and Claude Thompson vying for this newly
created district. Their challenger, a former county board member, is
Harold Steinike. To see the outline of this district go to
http://www.co.winnebago.wi.us/, click on "election information" and
then "supervisory district maps."

This forum is set for Monday, February 4 at St. Andrew's Lutheran
Church, 1100 E. Murdock Avenue from 5:30 to 6:30. Panel members are
Alex Hummel, editorial editor for the Oshkosh Northwestern and Frankie
Mengeling, vice-president Oshkosh Area LWV. This forum will be
videotaped for later showings on OCAT CitiCable 10.

The public is invited to attend these forums. They may submit
questions for the candidates in person at the forum or electronically
to fgmem@sbcglobal.net.

The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan, political organization;
one of its main goals is to provide election forums to increase voter
awareness of issues.

March with King in Oshkosh

A Martin Luther King, Jr. March and Open Discussion will take place downtown Oshkosh Monday, January 21. Gather at 4 p.m. at the New Moon Cafe for a "March with King", followed by an open discussion at the New Moon Cafe to follow.

This is a great community event, and is brought together by the Winnebago Peace and Justice Center in cooperation with many others.

Sawdust Days concerns

It’s -14 outside as I write this but my mind is way ahead thinking about the heart of summer - July 4th AND Sawdust Days. Sawdust Days (so named because Oshkosh was once known as Sawdust City) started out 35 years ago as a summer fundraiser for civic groups. It has, since its beginnings, been located in Menominee Park which is bordered by the lake on one side and an old city neighborhood on the other. (That neighborhood happens to be the one I’ve lived in since childhood. I raised my family here and now my daughter’s family lives just a street away.) Over the years carnivals, concerts, and other attractions have set up at Sawdust Days and the festival has become a summer tradition for many. The 5 day event was well coordinated by the Sawdust Days organization and run mainly by volunteers. Regular park users could still use the park and the fireworks were scheduled (as they had been even before Sawdust Days) in the park on the night of the 4th. For a long time, all was good.

But in recent years, Sawdust Days has attracted more and more attendees and though there is no way to know exactly how many, the number 100,000 has been estimated by the park department and quoted in the Northwestern. More attendees means more attractions and activities so that now Sawdust Days is arguably one of the largest festivals in the area. And over the last few years, there have been problems that one might expect when a week long summer party takes place in a finite area very near a residential neighborhood. The crowds and their “fun” have begun to spill over into neighboring yards and onto the through streets leading to the park. There have been more incidents of public profanity and drunkenness along with some vandalism and theft. There are some privacy and safety concerns. Young families find they can no longer use the park much during the holiday week. When the local residents head for the park for the fireworks display as they have always done, they are now greeted by a crowd already too large for the park. Squeezing into the park is unpleasant and the parking and traffic are a nightmare.

Last summer, I decided to contact Tom Stephany to see if there was a plan to deal with increasing size of Sawdust Days and the accompanying concerns. He graciously met me for lunch and as I did not know anything about the way the festival was run, he filled me in. I also expressed some concerns that Tom countered by reminding me how much he and many others love Sawdust Days. When I emailed him a couple of days later to reiterate my concerns again, he did not seem receptive to any talk of change in the status quo. I became frustrated with the lack of any real discussion and contacted a city council member who spoke with Mayor Tower who was then quoted as saying there would be a meeting set up with appropriate departments and concerned citizens “after the budget process was complete.” We all know how long that process was this year but when it was over, there was no meeting scheduled. Suddenly, on January 7th, Sawdust Days showed up on the council agenda and approval was granted after very little discussion at all! The parks director had told the mayor that approval was needed quickly so that plans for the event could be firmed up. There was no notice to Menominee Park neighbors. Those who had concerns were told that they would be welcome to come to the February parks board meeting to express concerns and questions - AFTER THE FACT! The powers that be operate as if they do not need to be accountable to the public which is an odd attitude particularly after the last year of upheaval at city hall caused mostly by lack of transparency.

Now, I am not out to remove Sawdust Days. I like corn dogs, rides and music (for a day or two). But it seems appropriate for the parks department and the Sawdust Days organization to be less defensive and more open to compromise. If locating the festival in Menominee Park is as important to the civic organizations as they say, I would think that maintaining a good relationship with the neighbors that have hosted the event for 35 years would be a priority.
If you agree that some changes would be appropriate and/or if you believe that citizen input should be handled in a more timely manner, please attend the next parks board meeting on Monday, February 11th at 6:00, room 404 city hall. Bring your questions, comments and concerns.

Need for more child centered activities

A recent letter to the editor in the Northwestern noted that Fond du Lac will be getting a children’s museum (Appleton already has one) and the writer bemoaned the lack of children’s activities in Oshkosh. As a grandmother of a 3 and 6 year old, I have to agree. In the winter especially, options for young children (that don’t belong to the YMCA) are limited. I try to keep up on children’s activities that are offered in our city but besides the library and the occasional art class at the Paine, I’m stumped. Occasionally we leave town for somewhere like Wild Air in Darboy or Tundra Lodge in Green Bay which are strictly commercial endeavors that Oshkosh may not be able to support.

So what to do? For starters, it would be nice to have an online clearinghouse (maybe this blog) for Oshkosh parents to post upcoming or ongoing events that are child-centered activities - both free and with a charge. What do your kids like best from the rec. department offerings? What’s available at different Oshkosh parks? Is there already a place where this information is gathered?

Next - get creative with what we have. School phy. ed. facilities and indoor equipment are all locked up on evenings and weekends. Could staff be hired to organize and supervise facilities so that families could make use of resources we already have right in our neighborhoods? Maybe the same could be done by working with UWO facilities and students.

Lastly (and this is the big one), work to find a way to help Oshkosh fund and maintain an indoor playground, a hands-on activity center, or additional outdoor (and maybe indoor) splashpads - the one in South Park cost only $125,000 five years ago. This would take some effort and cooperation between agencies as in this time of revenue caps, we can barely maintain essential services. But we got the truly wonderful water park when a civic group worked together with the city to make it happen. We also got Little Oshkosh in Menominee Park using a successful collaboration.

If we really want to expand the quantity and quality of activity options for Oshkosh children, it will take some leadership. Do you belong to a civic group or know someone who does? Is there anyone in your neighborhood, church or family who has demonstrated the kind of leadership to take an idea and make it happen? Talk with them, gather a group, and formulate a vision - then be willing to devote some time and effort.

And even though there are several big fundraising projects currently vying for donations, Oshkosh has shown many times that it will get behind projects that will benefit children if they see the vision and understand the plan. This will take more doing than talking, but it is possible.

OYSO + Taiko = Awesome

Wednesday night I stayed home sick from my normal commitment down in Fond du Lac. I've had an awful cold for several days (so has everyone else, I think). But since I was in town anyway, I decided to catch the Taiko drum concert on Wednesday night. I've had a fascination with taiko drumming ever since I saw Yamato: The Drummers of Japan at the Fox Cities PAC. They had a drum the size of a VW bug. We were in the front row, and when they started I thought my head might explode. It was unreal, in a very good way.

The Wednesday night concert at UWO's music hall was actually the Oshkosh Youth Symphony Orchestra's annual fundraising concert, which I was initially oblivious to, in my sick runny-nosed taiko frenzy. OYSO was a nice bonus, if you're into that sort of thing. (Which I am, but not enough to show up for that alone.) As an extra enticement for folks like me, OYSO brought in Zenshin Daiko which is a youth taiko drumming group from Maui, Hawaii.

I saw a few familiar faces in the crowd. George Curtis of Curtis Law and Mayor Frank Tower were in attendance, probably among many other notables. The turnout looked pretty good. The hall was almost full.

OYSO started with some "Slavonic Dances," "The Great Locomotive Chase," and "The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring," which seemed to be a medley of all the music from the soundtrack. I was impressed with OYSO's performance and poise. Make no mistake, they may be young, but they will rock you. Sometimes it is fun just watching the conductor, the bows, fingers, and drumsticks all moving together.

Then Zenshin Daiko took the stage. Taiko drumming is just some thing you have to see, and feel (literally), to understand. I never thought that drums alone could make such a complete, powerful piece of music until my first taiko concert with Yamato. Zenshin Daiko lived up to that standard, playing every bit as powerfully, despite their more reasonable-sized (i.e. not vehicle size) drums. Every analogy I can think of to explain what it's like is probably too risque to post here, so I hope you will take my word for it.

After Zenshin's three songs alone, they performed two songs along with OYSO. Both were enjoyable, but I wish there had been more taiko. I've got a fever... and the only cure is more taiko.

When the concert was over we clapped for a really long time, but there was no encore. I found this upsetting, but my wife reminded me it was not a rock concert.

Conclusion: It is the best $5 non-rock concert you will see this year. And you can still see it, because they're playing the same show again on Saturday night at the Alberta Kimball Auditorium at Oshkosh West (375 N Eagle Street). The show starts at 7:30PM, so you should be done just in time to be fashionably late for the Raindogs show at Peabody's.

Also: There are CDs and DVDs of the performance available. $5 of each purchase goes to support OYSO. CDs are $10, DVDs are $15. Send checks payable to "Oshkosh Youth Symphony Orchestra" to:

Mary Borsecnik and Mike Engel
Innovisions
2905 Universal Street, Suite #10
Oshkosh, WI 54904

Include Name, Address, Phone, and specify if you would like your items mailed for an additional $5, or if you would like to be called when the items are ready for pickup from the Curtis Law Office building, at no additional charge.

But don't let the CD option keep you from the concert. You have to feel the taiko.

Two Great things to do this weekend on Main Street

Two Great things to do this weekend on Main Street

Friday January 11, 7 p.m. - New Moon Cafe (401 N. Main St.) - Jason Moon - Check out musician and Iraq War Vet Jason Moon and his unique songs at the at 7 p.m.


Saturday January 12, 9 p.m. - Peabody's Ale House (544 N. Main St.) - The Raindogs - A Tom Waits Musical Review You have to see the Raindogs, featuring John Baumann, Andy Mertens, and others. I've never heard another band try to cover Tom Waits, and even if you are a Tom Waits fan, you won't be disappointed. The Raindogs put on a great show, and Peabody's is a great place to see them.

Hmong New Year celebrations in Oshkosh

The Oshkosh Hmong New Year celebration is this Saturday (Dec. 15) at the Sunnyview Expo Center on Sunnyview Road.

Expect Hmong music, entertainment, and traditional dancing as well as vendor booths selling food among other things.

Admission is free, but the evening entertainment is $10 at the door.

Please consider heading out to support and appreciate our Oshkosh Hmong population!