IS IT TRUE? January 30, 2012

24

The Mole #??

IS IT TRUE? January 30, 2012

IS IT TRUE that the committee to recommend what should be done with Roberts Stadium hosted a group of about 100 concerned citizens for a tour of the old girl on Saturday?…that the first order of business for the tour was a guided tour designed by David Rector that was basically a showcase of all things wrong that could easily have been interpreted as “leading the guests” to the desired conclusion of Rector’s old boss, the former Mayor of Evansville who made sure that regular maintenance was not budgeted for?…that at one point in the tour the concerned citizens were shown a puddle of water that was there as a result of a leaky roof?…that when one of the citizens asked what it would cost to fix this leak that the surprising answer was only about $1,000?…that as roof leaks go that is a very inexpensive repair?…that it has been reported that this $1,000 leak has been there since late last summer?…that to ignore fixing such an easy and cheap problem shows that there has been no good faith effort in place to even attempt to find a future use for Roberts?…that with roofs that a $1,000 repair can very quickly become a $250,000 problem or even higher so it would be a good decision on the part of the Winnecke Administration to do the $1,000 repair now so if an idea with an investor comes forward there will not be a worse problem to deal with?…that ignoring something like that on an expensive facility is like refusing to pay $20 to mow the yard on a house that one wishes to sell?

IS IT TRUE that the Murray State Racers are barreling along toward an undefeated season and are now ranked 9th in the nation with a 21 – 0 record?…that Murray may be heading toward a serious date with the NCAA and may just be the new Butler?…that many people from Evansville have ties to Murray State and that the CCO is pleased and proud of the Racers?…that someday we hope to see the UE Purple Aces assume the role of favorite small budget small college with a realistic opportunity of going to the final four?

IS IT TRUE that the State of Indiana will be on the world’s stage next week with the City of Indianapolis hosting the Super Bowl for the first time?…that giant banners, unique activities, and a very clean city awaits the Super Bowl fans from New England and New York?…that we wonder if the Giants quarterback Eli Manning who is the brother of Colts quarterback Peyton Manning will be staying with the team or with Peyton?…that the Super Bowl really is a big weeklong event and that people are already arriving and enjoying Indianapolis?…that back in 1985 when this writer was a graduate student at Stanford University that the Super Bowl was held at Stanford Stadium?…that the day of the game that party crashing was done including crashing the Apple party where Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniack were doing some pregame celebrating?…that even back then scalpers were asking $300 per ticket since the hometown San Francisco 49ers were in the game and that lacking that this grad student walked back to the student housing quarters to watch the game on TV with the windows open to hear the game live?

IS IT TRUE that on February 1, 2012 the California equivalent of Redevelopment Commissions will cease to exist?…that this is a development that should be watched very closely by the State of Indiana?…that the theory of creating TIF districts to be used to capture incremental taxes to eliminate blight is a good economic development tool when used for the right projects that are managed to a reasonable budget?…that in California as in Indiana there are some good projects but many projects where politicians got involved in the process and spent money on things that were not beneficial at prices that were not even close to being competitive?…that maybe this will lead to a return to good public policy and economic reality?

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24 COMMENTS

  3. The roof needs to be fixed, and Rector needs to be fired. A poster on C & P noted that the “graffiti” which was a front page article on C&P about a week ago was actually marker on a window, easily removed with Windex. This graffiti was supposedly telephoned in to the Mayor on a Saturday. What a bogus bunch of bullshit ! Another poster stated that the “tour of the facility” on Saturday was carefully arranged to only highlight leaks and the water level issue. This entire charade is being staged big-time. Committee member Jordan Baer even posted that the C&P is misreporting what actually is going on at these ‘dog and pony shows’. The disposition of Roberts should have been a part of the Arena plan; Weinzapfel should have dealt with this instead of ‘kicking the can down the road’; and finally, Winnecke wants to wash his hands of this by staging this puppet theater. Winnecke doesn’t realize that people have long memories in this town, and his best move politically will be to actually manage the decision like it is a business decision, not a foregone conclusion from the prior administration. If there was any question that Winnecke was going to be “business as usual” it’s being answered right now.

    • A few things regarding your comments:

      Anyone who has attended an event at Roberts during a rain storm could’ve viewed first hand the significant roof leak at Gate Two.

      I toured the facility Saturday, and a man with structural engineering background pointed out to me several other significant and minor roof leaks associated in particular with hardware that either suspend or connect various HVAC and other utility components to the steel beams that support the roof. He also pointed out significant cracks in load bearing walls especially where the recent additions connect to the old structure.

      I was amazed at the amount of artesian spring water compromising the stadium floor and being pumped out mechanically into the city storm sewer system. I’m glad the facility managers opened the pump pit for observation as the sheer volumn of spring water under the floor brings several other issues to bear.

      While you and I may disagree on Dave Rector’s value as a facility manager or tour guide, I can tell you that what I saw Saturday was a facility that has been significantly scrubbed clean since the last public event I attended there; not to mention …

      That I took several side trips along the way Saturday, into dressing rooms, restrooms, mechanical rooms, and storage areas, and I assure you there has been a significant effort by Rector and his crews to clean up and dispose of a lot of trash and accumulated “salvage” that cluttered those areas the last time I saw the place (under previous management).

      You say that Weinzapfel should have resolved Roberts Stadium’s fate rather than kicking the can down the road. If my memory serves me correctly, he did; but such a furor was raised over his decision, and most of the armchair pundants demanded that he leave the decision to the next mayor, that he acquiesced. Isn’t that how you remember it?

      Lastly, I do have faith that Winnecke will do just as you suggest: Base his decision as to the fate of Roberts Stadium on sound business principles. I surely hope that whatever the plan become, that it generates sufficient income to repay the bonds that are let for the resulting improvements, whether they be remodling of the building or redevelopment of the site.

      • 1) Are you stating the substantial roof leak by Gate Two was there during the time there were ‘events’ at the Stadium, yet it went unrepaired ?; and

        2) LOL re: the notion that Weinzapfel acquiesced to “armchair pundits”, and that was his rationale for leaving the Roberts Stadium decision to the next Mayor. JW doesn’t have that much class, and it was a cowardly way to avoid ever being blamed as the “guy who tore down the Stadium”. Finally, LOL again, if JW listened to armchair pundits the Arena would never have been built ! What color was your Kool-Aid ??

  4. If in fact a roof leak can be easily repaired for a paltry $ 1,000 and hasn’t been done, then shame on both mayoral administrations!

    • That $1,000 roof repair estimate is rumored to have come from maintenance personnel who happened to be working during Saturday’s tour. Is that an estimate confirmed by a bid from a qualified contractor? It may be, but no one has confirmed that publicly, to my knowledge. Do you know for a fact? Otherwise, it’s just something that was offered as fact by a blogger, and now is circulating as a rumor.

      • Don’t you find it disgusting that the building manager(s) haven’t gotten a bid to confirm the true replair price for a leak that is thought to be easy and relatively cheap to fix? It doesn’t cost anything to get an estimate/bid.

        • I don’t know whether anyone has or hasn’t gotten a bid. I thought it would be plain from my post that I don’t know, but that I’m not willing to swallow the rumor that $1,000 will seal the leak over Gate Two.

          Yes, one would think someone would’ve gotten a repair estimate for a longstanding roof leak. Maybe someone has.

          My point is why operate on the assumption that a rumor shot out of a loose cannon is a reliable fact?

          • The reporter reported that someone asked the question and the answer was about $1000. I would assume that this was an informed answer or the person would have said “I don’t know”!

  5. Why haven’t you guys written anything about Main Gate-Gate? More Democrat vs. Democrat violence in this town. You always seem to have an inside scoop on the real happenings of this town. We’d like to know what YOU know! Sounded to me like a Mosby-family setup of Lindsey.

  6. A few things about the Roberts Stadium Task Force meeting at Roberts Stadium this past Saturday morning:

    1) While I did see the C&P reporter, John Martin, in attendance, I disagree with his head count of 100 citizens taking the tour, a head count that is repeated here at the CCO. I counted the persons taking the tour twice by standing to the side and counting them as they passed from Gate One to Gate Two, and again as they passed from Gate Two to the staircase decending to the playing floor. There were 75 – 80 persons who took the tour, including some committee members and tour guides.

    2. While there were in fact over 100 persons in the meeting room during the discussion period of the meeting, an accurate head count taken twice tallied 80 or so citizens when the news media, committee members, and facilitators were subtracted.

    3. The individual discussion groups were very cordial, from everything I observed, and generated many ideas with regard to coversion of the Roberts Stadium building and site to a multi-purpose facility. I hope that future meetings and planning sessions remain as cordial and productive regardless of the ultimate outcome with regard to the structure and surrounding properties. There’s already been too much negativity, name calling, poor choices of phrasing, and misrepresentation by opinionated persons of other people’s valid ideas and points of view. That should stop, and we all should remain as civil with one another as we were at Saturday’s meeting.

    4. All the facilitators did a wonderful job of ensuring that everyone who broke into the individual groups had an opportunity to express what they came to express, and share what ideas they have for Roberts Stadium and the surrounding properties.

  9. ****** EVANSVILLE CITY COUNCIL ******

    There will not be a City Council Meeting on Monday, January 30th, 2012 or Monday, February 6th, 2012.

    The next meeting of the Common Council of the City of Evansville will be Monday, February 13, 2012 at 5:30 p.m. in Room 301.

    Committee meetings will begin at 4:50 p.m. on February 13, 2012.

    FOR MORE INFORMATION YOU MAY CALL 436-4993.

    __

    • The next City Council Meeting will be Feb. 13th at 5:30….immediately followed by the “real” meeting at 520 Main….food and drink to be provided

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