City County Observer
Distinguished Public Servant Awards of 2011
It was announced today by City-County Observer publisher Joe Wallace that the following local leaders have been selected as the recipients of the 2011 City-County Observer Distinguished Public Servant Awards. On January 3th, 2012 there will be an official Awards Luncheon in the Walnut Room at Casino Aztar at noon to honor them and thank them for their contributions and commitment to the City of Evansville. If you would like to attend the event, or sponsor a table for the event, please contact Tim Eckels at 812-589-0974 or email TimEckels@gmail.com.
Gail Riecken, Indiana State Representative: For carrying the torch of Southwestern Indiana Vectren customers and taking political actions that ultimately pressured the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to hold a hearing in Evansville. Even more impressively, she took on this crusade alone with no help from any other state representatives or state senators.
John Friend, CPA and 5th Ward Evansville City Councilman: For initiating a petition drive that promoted awareness among Evansville residents that Vectren rates in Southwestern Indiana are disproportionately higher than anywhere else in the State of Indiana and triple that of Henderson, KY, which inhibits Evansville’s investment and economic development opportunities. Councilman Friend used his accounting expertise to show examples of how damaging Indiana’s highest electricity rates are to local government by devaluing the taxable property base.
Jeff Kempf, Prominent Local Businessman: For committing private funds to save and revitalize the park at 4th and Main Streets. It is not an investment one would expect to see a financial return from. The investment was made for the good of the city and its residents.
Stephen Melcher, Vanderburgh County Commissioner at Large: For his outstanding commitment and diligence while serving as Commander of the Vanderburgh County Veterans Council. It is important to note that Commissioner Melcher was selected as Outstanding Veteran of the Year in 2011.
Dan McGinn, retired Attorney at law, 1st Ward Evansville City Councilman: For consistently demanding financial accountability regarding the legal bills in the City of Evansville. Councilman McGinn took the role of the city’s fiscal watchdog by continually questioning non-detailed expenditures.
Billy Bolin, Newly Appointed Evansville Police Chief: For creating and sustaining Evansville’s most exciting charitable event, Guns N Hoses. This local fundraiser is more successful every year. Mr. Bolin has been able to balance the giant workload of this event with his job as a police officer so well that Mayor Elect Winnecke recently announced that Billy Bolin will become the next Chief of Police.
Evansville Convention and Visitor’s Bureau: For the sound business decisions this new board has made pertaining to expenditures, for redefining their purpose, and for the implementation of successful new marketing programs. They had the right instincts and made a great hire when bringing on Bob Warren as its new Executive Director. The Board has surgically repaired a very public negative reputation and is quickly proving that once again they are an important and prominent entity when influencing tourism for the City of Evansville.
Wayne Parke, Former CEO and Vanderburgh County Republican Party Chairman: For reviving the Vanderburgh Republican Party and fielding competitive candidates in recent city and county elections. As Chairman of the Vanderburgh County Republican Party, Wayne Parke gave voters strong republican options that they have not seen in a long time.
Dr. Neil Troost, Prominent Local Physician: For having the courage to speak out publically against the abysmal state of Evansville’s parks. His aggressive and pointed remarks pertaining to the dismal state of our parks opened the door for some long overdue public dialogue.
Winnecke for Mayor Campaign (Honorees Lloyd Winnecke, Steven Schaefer, Jacob Keating, and Josh Claybourn): For running a well-orchestrated, professional, and effective political campaign for the office of Mayor of Evansville. The City-County Observer Staff has not seen a political campaign run as smoothly or with such fluidity in Evansville. It should be noted that Lloyd Winnecke is only the third Republican to be elected Evansville Mayor in the last six decades. We congratulate the Winnecke Campaign on their win and we look forward to seeing what the next four years holds for the City of Evansville and its citizens.
A Final Award for the Public Servant of the Year will also be awarded.
I have to disagree with your selection of Gail Riecken. Although I applaud her efforts against Vectren and the Indiana Regulatory Commission, I can not forget about her defecting to Illinois to avoid an unpopular senate vote. She was elected to serve her constituents in Indiana,not in Illinois.
I disagree. The Indiana Constitution, glaringly, says nothing about achieving quorums. Thus, it has been reasoned by leaders of both political parties to be a tool of the minority, when applicable, to deny the majority a quorum for conducting business. Right to Work is not just an unpopular vote, it is dangerous, and now we have Sen. Jim Tomes to back up that assertion. They won’t tell you this, but even House Republicans have bolted from the Statehouse. Of course, the drama has not lasted as long as it did in February, but they have ran just the same. I hope they do it again if necessary, and I will be the first one in line to press Gail’s button in the voting booth!!
I feel the same way about Gail. Believing your doing the right thing does not justify the flee-bagging. Leaving chambers is one thing. Running across the state line is…over the line.
Agreed 100%. The Indiana Democrats are back to their old trick of refusing to show up at the Statehouse. Only a question of time before Ms. Riecken is back in Urbana with Pat Bauer again circumventing the will of the Indiana voters that made them the minority party. Dereliction of their sworn duty, but when did that last matter to the Indiana Democrats?
What about Mark Owen? I think he should get some kind of award, don’t you?
it would be between him and Jarvis for the category of comic relief
I don’t think their actions were one bit funny, although they both could be categorized as clowns. Crooked clowns, but clowns none the less.
Ditto on Mr Wayne Parke and Mr. Dan McGinn. They have been very active Republicans that were often the canary in the coal mine with regard to the numerous snegal activities by the departed Weinzapfel regime. However, Henry makes a good point and Justin Jarvis should get the “Driving Miss Daisy” award.
Jarvis is not anyone that honorable-and there was nothing comical about Mark Owen’s behavior-crooked man, crooked cat, crooked dealings, with a cast of crooked people who sold out to get for themselves.
As a member of the Winnecke for Mayor Campaign Committee since day one, may I point out that you have omitted a number of noteworthy contributors to what you correctly describe as a “well-orchestrated, professional, and effective political campaign”. First, respectively, Jacob Keating was relieved of his position of Campaign Director and replaced by Ms. Denise Johnson who kept the Campaign on target, on task, and on budget. Accolades should be afforded to Mr. Kevin Ober and Cam Savage of Indianapolis, who were the political consultants who devised the overall strategy and budget requirements. Mr. Ted Ziemer was responsible for raising the necessary funding, and he did. The entire campaign committee met weekly and worked diligently to make certain that every task was completed. And finally, AXIOM of Evansville created the Winnecke for Mayor brand at the beginning of 2011, and then executed it consistently in every media, such as television, radio, print ads, billboards, and even Fall Festival munchie maps. I think it appropriate to recognize all contributors to such an effiective effort.
Mr Lientz….thank you for the heads up I’m sure they worked very hard for our new mayor, but you would be missing a large portion of other noteworthy contributors that helped get him elected if you did not include the local democratic party members who crossed party lines to support Mr Winnecke, you should specifically have named Connie Robinson, Mark Owen, Missy Mosby, and our much beloved ex-mayor Mr Weinzapfel which were all just as instrumental in putting our new mayor in office.
I too believe it is appropriate to recognize everyone who contributed and made the effort effective….don’t get me wrong I do wish the best for the mayor and hope he has great success, but credit is due to all the people who also risked their political careers to put him in office.
JMHO
Blanger,–You are so right. An appox. 750 vote “swing” and Mr Davis would be the Mayor, and Not Winnecke. Winnecke should send his best regards to the Democrat Central Committee for a “job” well done as well.
Crash….
The main difference is that the people who worked on the Winnecke for mayor campaign by and large were paid for their time and services, the democrats did their job pro bono…you just can’t beat a deal like that! 😉
JMHO
As long as we’re awarding credit, shouldn’t we recognize the efforts of all the Davis surrogates who furtively scurried about town notifying various Weinzapfel administration department heads both face to face and behind their backs that they should start packing their bags in anticipation of their replacement by Davis cronies? I mean those guys risked their credibility and political futures on behalf of a Winnecke victory too, don’t you think?
Probably….the demos like to call them thugs but I rather think they were clairvoyant, I mean they were basically right in their assumption they just had the wrong guy taking the throne, either way the cronies of Mr Weinzapfel are being weeded out slowly but surly….I’m on pins and needles waiting for the ERC appointments how about you?
JMHO
Well as you know, the mayor only appoints 3 of the 5 ERC members. The council appoints the other two. Yes I’m eagerly awaiting the new board appointments, but yesterday I was told that Al Lindsey intends to nominate Peterlin’s wife as one of the council appointments! Where does the fence jumping end in Bedlamville?
LOL….Lindsey can nominate anyone he likes, heck even me (snowballs chance in hell! :)) but that doesn’t mean the nominee will get more then one vote…but it will be interesting to see how that goes. I’m afraid that Mr Lindsey will have a uphill battle to get any support from most of the council, yeah maybe one or two will go with him but he did take out Mr Watts which kinda’ taints his position on the council (till they need his vote)if you follow me.
As I said yesterday I do believe he has the best interest of his constituents at heart but in any political arena there are paybacks that are due both for support and malfeasance it’s just part of politics.
JMHO
Which 3 are the mayor appointments? In any event, all members should tender their resignations given their inexcusable lack of progress on both the McCurdy and the Executive Inn projects.
It’s truly gratifying to see you trashcan your idealism in favor of political reality, blanger.
Joe, you should submit your name for nomination to the ERC. I’m sure you’d keep everything on track and under budget.
I would if I were maintaining residence here and yes I would do my best to maintain a sense of sanity with budgets and projects. I am relocating to California tomorrow as I have accepted the position of Managing Director of the California Innovation Hub for Renewable Energy. I start Monday. I will continue as publisher of the CCO and still hope to have a positive influence on Evansville. If I could attend ERC meetings I would indeed have sought an appointment.
Sorry Bedlam….but I’m old and consider myself a realist, I look at things through eyes that have see much in life both good and bad, and I’m not much on being optimistic about human nature or politics…. to me everything in life has a cost associated with it, or if you choose “every action has a reaction” not necessarily an equal opposite reaction as Mr Newton stated, call it cause and effect if you like, it’s all the same.
In the end the piper must be paid for his services, favors will be rewarded and malfeasance will be punished it is the way of the world…at least through these eyes.
JMHO
Joe….
Good luck in your new position, you will be missed here in Evansville.
JMHO
I regret that I have never met you Mr. Wallace, I expect your astute perspective will continue to serve you well in your New position.
You have escaped Evansville, as many have, and others long for. Good Luck!
Hi to Blanger and the rest,
Are we all too old or too ill to serve? Did we all come to Evansville to die? Where are the young, innovative, and intelligent folks? Are they gone or are they just afraid to speak up for fear of losing all they have worked for up ’til now? Or maybe they are all consumed with building a life and a career and a family to step up.
Maybe Winnecke can find them. I do know that we must still keep doing what we can to improve this city, our home.
We will miss you Joe, without a doubt. God speed! Your presence here has been a very needed push toward making Evansville what it can and should be. Thank you!
Afternoon Sir…..(292)
The youngins’…they are around, and hopefully will come out of the woodwork with new leadership at the helm, we will see.
As for dieing here….yes all of us a very slow death, but it would be the same no matter where we were, the climate might be better or the scenery might be prettier but the mortality rate for humans is still 100% regardless of the locality. 😉
JMHO
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