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IS IT TRUE October 4, 2013

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Live Long and Prosper
Live Long and Prosper

IS IT TRUE October 4, 2013

IS IT TRUE Leadership Evansville has concluded 32 public sessions and spent in the neighborhood of $20,000 taxpayer dollars?…this has all been done in a quest to identify what the people of Evansville think needs to be done to make Evansville a better place to live?…to their credit Leadership Evansville has successfully attracted over 1,000 participants to these meetings?…the dominant age of the participants is under 18 years old with some being as young as 5 years old?…after all of this time, money, and youthful collaboration the top three action items to come from this effort are “healthy green spaces”, “a vibrant core”, and “enhancing experiences”?…while it is admirable to put in such an extended effort the output is quite touchy feely and will mean vastly different things to different people?…these initiatives seem more like a travel agents brochure for a cruise or a visit to some far off exotic location?…it is expected that if 100 people were asked to precisely define what any of these three initiatives mean to them it is highly probably that 100 different answers would be offered?…

IS IT TRUE that vibrant is defined as “full of energy and enthusiasm” and core is defined as “the central or most important part of something?…when you combine these terms vibrant core must mean “the most important part of Evansville being full of energy and enthusiasm”?…while this sounds cool it is pretty hard to really put specific actions in place to achieve such an undefined thing?…the other two initiatives are equally as disparate (def: things that are so unlike there is no basis for comparison) as the vibrant core initiative that being able to define or measure steps toward the goal is as impossible as getting John Boehner and Nancy Pelosi to agree on what the nation should do?…wanting something that can’t be agreed upon, defined, or measured with precision is not a constructive exercise but we are sure everyone felt good when it concluded?

IS IT TRUE it is almost mystifying how such a group would not come up with initiatives like exemplary infrastructure, high skill jobs that pay well, and world class public education?…these kinds of initiatives are the details that lead to things like broad things like “vibrant core” that are impossible to define?…that it what happens when the K-12 crowd is put in charge of setting the agenda?…all due respect to the people who worked hard on this but a general initiative like “Evansville needs to be more like Disneyland” would have been as useful as what came from the process?…pursuing things like “vibrant core” without drilling down to the next level where the age old problems like infrastructure, jobs, and education is simply a smiley face diversion to working on Evansville’s real issues that have lead to a “spiritless core”?…spiritless, sleepy, lifeless, cavernous, etc, are antonyms of vibrant and all still define the state of downtown Evansville?…the real question is whether “core” really means downtown or something different to different people?

IS IT TRUE that it is now the 3rd day of the government shutdown and the sun is still rising, life is still happening, and the FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCOLYPSE (Boehner, Pelosi, Reid, and Obama) are still acting like petulant children who think the world revolves around the breaths they take?…these four and several other members of Congress need to spend the weekend watching Star Trek reruns?…Mr. Spock got it right when he said “THE NEEDS OF THE MANY OUTWEIGH THE NEEDS OF THE FEW OR THE ONE”?…the question is what means few?…few could be the FOUR, or it could in the scope of the entire United States mean the 10 Million?…either way it is a better way to live than being selfish and arrogant?…we support the spirit of Mr. Spock for President?

EPD ACTIVITY REPORT_10.03.2013

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EPD PATCH 2012

EPD ACTIVITY REPORT_10.03.2013EPD ACTIVITY REPORT_10.03.2013

Pet Of The Week-Screech

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Screech Powers  – What’s up guys, it’s Screech! He is part of the “Saved by the Bell” litter of kittens. They arrived here as an unwanted litter from a family pet when they were tiny babies. Now, they are five months old. Screech has grown up here at the shelter, and he can only imagine what it’s like to have a family of his own who can give him love & attention 24 hours a day. Don’t you have room on your sofa for one more feline friend who needs you, and who doesn’t need to spend his six-month birthday in the shelter? Screech can go home with you today for $50 neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated. You’d also get 30 days of free pet health insurance for him.

 

www.vhslifesaver.org

 

Amanda Bienhaus

Public Relations, Media, and Special Events

Vanderburgh Humane Society

(812) 426-2563 ext. 211

a.bienhaus@vhslifesaver.org

 

Kennedy Space Center

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Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex remains open during its regular operating hours even with the government shutdown.

Your General Admission to the Visitor Complex includes:

Our vision: A World Without Breast Cancer

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Komen Weekly Banner

 

THANK YOU TRI-STATE!
We would like to thank everyone that came out to the 2013 Race for the Cure on Saturday!  Your support

means that thousands of local uninsured and underinsured men and women will continue to receive vital preventative care and treatment for breast cancer!  We are so thankful for our community and the support that we receive from you each and every year.

We would also like to thank all of our phenomenal volunteers that made Saturday such a huge success!  So many of our volunteers sacrifice time away from their families for much of the year to make sure that ONE SPECIAL DAY is memorable for so many.  Your sacrifice does not go unnoticed and you hold a special place in our hearts for your efforts.

What did you think of CHARIZMA?
We were so fortunate to have Charizma come down from Chicago for this year’s race and want to know if you want us to bring them back next year?  Please send an e-mail to info@komenevansville.org and tell us what you thought of them.  Please use CHARIZMA in the subject line of your e-mail.

Chemo Buddies Cruise In & Lawn Party-   October 5
Chemo Buddies Fundraiser sponsored by BestOne on Saturday, October 5 at OHA.  More…

Bark for the Cure – October 13
The Evansville Tri-­‐State Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® will be holding its very first Bark for the Cure® on Sunday, October 13 at Angel Mounds. More…

Zumba Party in Pink – October 13
Zumba instructor Cindy Dale will be hosting a Zumba ‘Party in Pink’ on October 13th from 1:30-3:30 at the C.K. Newsome Gym on Walnut Street in Downtown Evansville. More information to come as the date approaches!

Wacoal Fit Events – October 9 & 22
Wacoal Fit for the Cure is October 9 at Macy’s and October 22 at Dillards.  We need volunteers to assist with registration in the stores.  Please e-mail us at info@komenevansville.org if you can help out.

Grant Writing Workshop – October 15
We will be hosting a Grant Writing Workshop on October 15 from 1:30-4:00pm in the Browning Room at Central Library.  Anyone interested in applying for a Komen grant, whether they have applied in the past or not, is requested to attend.  We will cover the fundamentals of grant writing as well as how to apply for our grants specifically.  We will post our Request for Application as soon as it is available.

Kick it for the Cure – October 19
Kick it for the Cure with the UE Men’s Soccer Team on Saturday, October 19 at 7:00 pm against Missouri State.  All survivors will receive free entrance and we hope you will join us for a half-time recognition.  A silent auction of sports memorabilia and team jerseys will also take place.

Promise Half Marathon & Relay – October 20
The Memorial Peoria Affiliate is hosting a Promise Half Marathon & Relay for the very first time on Saturday, October 20.  If anyone registers and/or fundraises from our area, our Affiliate will receive those funds!  More information to come as the date approaches!

Golf for the Cure – October 23 
$75 per golfer or $300 for a foursome.  Lunch & Registration will begin at 11am with a 12pm Shotgun Start.  Click here for the REGISTRATION FORM

Surviving with Style Show – November 5
This year’s Style Show will be held on Tuesday, November 5th.  Mark Your calendars!!

Ultimate Fit T-Shirts
Hollaway Sportswear Dry-Excelâ„¢ Fresh Micro-Interlock in Mens & Ladies Engineered Fit Sizes.  Ladies Shirts are in stock, Men’s are Pre-Order.   Shirts sell for $30 and $5 from every shirt sold will be donated to the local Affiliate.  Shirts are available at Ultimate Fit, 1308 S Green River Road, Evansville, IN  47715

Energizing Indiana partners with Evansville Tri-State Affiliate for donation!
Sign up for a FREE energy assessment of your home by using the special link below and our Komen Affiliate will receive $25!  Help yourself and help Komen too!   Click here to sign up. You can register on Race day as well!

Ongoing Activities

Passionately Pink for the Cure

Rally for the Cure

Volunteer Opportunities
Wacoal Fit for the Cure is October 9 at Macy’s and October 22 at Dillards.  We need volunteers to assist with registration in the stores.  Please e-mail us at info@komenevansville.org if you are available to help.

Educational Opportunities
We are hosting a Grant Writing Workshop on October 15 from 1:30-4:00pm in the Browning Room at Central Library.  Please e-mail us atinfo@komenevansville.org for more information.

News From National

Did you know…
At the current rate, about 5.8 million cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. over the next 25 years– and nearly 1 million people could die.

A Tale of Two Cities: Winnecke vows to “fight like the dickens” By: Brad Linzy

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A Tale of Two Cities: Winnecke vows to “fight like the dickens”
By: Brad Linzy

In a recent statement to an Indianapolis radio show, Mayor Lloyd Winnecke said his Administration would “fight like the dickens” to bring a proposed 4-year IU Medical School to downtown Evansville.

In his statement, Winnecke suggested he would fight both developers without and developers within the City of Evansville who want the med school built anywhere but downtown. “We are in the early stages of putting together what we think will be a dynamite plan for downtown,” Winnecke said, “and we know that we will be competing with developers who will want it in another county. We know we will compete against developers who will want it in other parts of the city, but we’re gonna fight like the dickens to get it right downtown.”

The Mayor’s remarks follow a trend of politicians supporting downtown growth in Evansville by pumping millions into downtown projects. The Ford Center, the Loft developments, Front Door Pride, and now the new convention hotel are just a few examples of this trend.

According to statements released by several City Council members, a majority of them also support a downtown IU development, although it is unclear how many would support a development in another part of the city.

John Friend, a Councilman from Ward 5, the most remote Ward in relation to downtown, has publicly stated support for a downtown development, but has also expressed reservations, “I think we should keep our options open as much as possible. We don’t know what [IU] are looking for exactly. We do know they’ll probably want access to teaching beds.”

Dan McGinn, the Councilman from Ward 1, also represents a remote ward with relation to downtown. He could not be reached for comment.

Ward 3 is the home to three of the proposed sites for the IU medical school (Roberts Stadium, Evansville State Hospital, and Old North High School). Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley, the Councilwoman from Ward 3 is adamant about finding out more about what IU wants. “We really need feedback from IU, because we haven’t asked. Warrick County has an active committee and they’re getting information somehow. We’re behind,” said Brinkerhoff-Riley.

She also thought the idea of pitching the Roberts Stadium site had merit and could reinvigorate the Boeke area. “Roberts would be a great site,” she said. “It’s an idea that eliminates a lot of problems. It’s already razed for development. It doesn’t put it on the tax rolls, but the dog park wouldn’t have done that anyway. At the Roberts location it bridges east and west. Boeke could be a Broadripple type development in the future with the right planning. East side has stretched out so much Roberts Stadium might be a perfect bridge.”

Mapping Possible IU Med School Locations by: Brad Linzy

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Brad Linzy

Mapping Possible IU Med School Locations
by: Brad Linzy

As the debate raged over the expense of the recently approved hotel project downtown, one predominant reason emerged among six City Council Members for rejecting the $37.5 million public bond issue – the need for the City of Evansville to maintain its financial leverage to attract an IU Medical School.

In statements issued by several Council Members, including Dr. Dan Adams who sits on the steering committee for the med school, it was clear that most Council Members endorsed the idea of a downtown location for the proposed medical school. “I know for the best bang for our buck, we must put all of our ‘eggs’ in the downtown medical school basket first,” said Councilman Dr. Adams in a statement.

Some city politicians seem predetermined in attracting IU with a proposal for a downtown location. Mayor Lloyd Winnecke has stated he supports a downtown IU Medical School and has explicitly stated he will only support a downtown development.

In an interview with an Indianapolis radio station Winnecke said, “We are in the early stages of putting together what we think will be a dynamite plan for downtown, and we know that we will be competing with developers who will want it in another county. We know we will compete against developers who will want it in other parts of the city, but we’re gonna fight like the dickens to get it right downtown.”

In addition to a possible downtown site, the exact location of which remains unclear, a handful of other locations have also been discussed – USI campus, Old North High School, Evansville State Hospital Grounds, Burkhardt area land owned by Promenade, the Gateway Women’s Hospital Grounds in Warrick County, and the old Roberts Stadium Site.

To better understand each proposed location, click the map below. You will find the locations of all area hospital facilities (in red), all area educational facilities (in black), and the proposed locations of the IU Med School (blue stars).

CLICK FOR MAP: https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?hl=en&mid=zl7L8cNHY9EI.k2mpnNQ2oObA

USI Campus

USI was named as a possible location in a recent Courier article. Although it has merit with its proximity to another educational facility, it lacks proximity to teaching beds at established medical facilities.

Old North High School

Located at Diamond and Stringtown, the Old North High School facility is a favorite of local activist Jordan Baer. The site suffers from a lack of proximity to teaching beds and existing Universities, and has other shortcomings that required even an area high school to relocate.It is unclear why IU would want North High School’s second hand buildings in a location that offers few if any advantages.

Deaconess Gateway Campus

There are a couple of undeveloped sites near the Deaconess Gateway Women’s Hospital. A site adjacent to the Women’s Hospital is considered the foremost rival site not located in Evansville city limits. It is unclear exactly where such a development could occur, but there is a patch of farmland near Deaconess Urgent Care which might work.

Promenade on Burkhardt

While the Burkhardt area has boomed from a retail perspective attracting big box stores and chain restaurants it is unclear why this location might be attractive to IU. It suffers from high traffic and lack of pedestrian access. Furthermore, this site offers no practical advantages over the rumored Warrick County location just down the road.

Downtown Evansville

It’s unclear where a med school might actually go downtown, but this is the preferred location of most politicians, including many Council Members and the Mayor. There is one city block currently empty behind the old Greyhound bus depot, but any downtown location will suffer from a lack of proximity to teaching beds and existing educational facilities. It is also unclear why a downtown location would be preferable to IU over more centralized locations like the State Hospital or Roberts Stadium, or why it would be superior to a Warrick County location near the Gateway Hospital.

Evansville State Hospital Grounds

Due to its proximity to St. Marys, the Lloyd Expressway, the University of Evansville, shopping centers and recreational areas, the State Hospital Grounds are considered a good contender, although it’s unclear yet how such a deal would work out or if a development would disturb the park grounds or the soccer or ballfields. It is also unclear whether a med school complex would face Lincoln, Vann, or the Lloyd Expressway.

Roberts Stadium Site

This might be the best option to pitch the IU board. Its proximity to St. Mary’s, two recreational areas (Wesselman Woods and the State Hospital Grounds), the Lloyd Expressway, and the University of Evansville would make it a good location which would also be central to east and west side medical facilities. In addition, the City already owns the property and it’s already cleared for development. It would have the added benefit of saving taxpayers the estimated $1.5 million to complete a dog and skate park at this location.

Mayor Winnecke on Indianapolis Radio

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Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke
Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke

Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke was a guest on the Indy Politics radio program recently and spoke with them about the City of Evansville. During the 10 minute clip the Mayor spoke on the following issues and expressed some interesting views including:

1. I-69 is a wonderful road that saves him 20 minutes on a trip to Bloomington for a ballgame.

2. The new convention hotel will allow Evansville to compete for some of those 55 conventions that Fort Wayne is having this year.

3. He will fight to get the IU Medical Center downtown even if the opponent is a private developer in other parts of the City of Evansville.

4. The IU Medical School will create 2,000 to 3,000 jobs

5. Evansville’s #1 challenge is the combined sewer repair job mandated by the EPA.

6. The EPA has not yet approved the $540 Million plan the city submitted.

7. Evansville does not have the crime problems that Indianapolis is dealing with (No Statistics Stated)

8. Meth is our #1 public safety issue.

You can hear the radio show on the following link by clicking on the triangle on the left of the sound bar.

Dr. Bucshon votes to fund life-saving research, open parks as Senate continues to stall

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220px-Larry_Bucshon,_official_portrait,_112th_Congress(Washington, D.C.) – On Wednesday, the House passed separate funding bills that continue funding the vital life-saving research done at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and open our national parks and museums.  The bills are awaiting Senate approval and the President’s signature.

Rep. Bucshon released the following statement:

“While the Senate Democrats and President refuse to negotiate with House Republicans and force a government shutdown, we are working to protect the American people by passing legislation that should find common ground among everyone,” said Bucshon. “Tonight, we passed bipartisan legislation to mandate that life-saving research continue at NIH and we open our national parks and museums like the World War II memorial.  These are areas where we can all agree.  If the President can negotiate with dictators in Iran and Syria, he can surely meet Republicans at the table to end this shutdown.”

According to a CBS report, the NIH Director estimated that the agency would be forced to “…turn away about 200 patients, 30 of them children” each week if the Democrats continue to force a shutdown. Many of these patients have “exhausted other options.” (CBSNews; 10/1/2013)

Today, CNN reporter Dana Bash pressed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) on why the Senate refuses to consider H.J. Res. 73, the Research for Lifesaving Cures Act, by asking, “If you can help one child who has cancer, why wouldn’t you do it?” Senator Reid shockingly responded by saying, “Why would we want to do that?” Watch the full exchange here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0lFyFJeZSY.

The NIH is the primary hub for federal health research and provides tens of billions of dollars in grants to tens of thousands of scientists in thousands of research institutions.  To read the CRS breakdown of NIH functions, click here.

BACKGROUND:

Bucshon sent a letter to the Chief Administrative Officer of the House requesting that his pay be withheld until an agreement is reached is the government is opened. Read the letter here.

Full text of each bill can be found by clicking on these hyperlinks: H.J.Res 73 – Research for Lifesaving Cures Act and H.J. Res. 70 – Open Our Nation’s Parks and Museums Act.

Losing a Mentor and Good Friend

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wendyThis week Indiana lost a true pioneer. State Representative Phyllis Pond passed away Sunday September 22 after being diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. Rep. Pond was elected to the state legislature in 1978 and was the longest serving female state representative in the history of Indiana. She was also the first female lawmaker to earn a seat in the front row in the House Chamber, which is reserved for House leaders with the most seniority.

Before being elected to the legislature, Rep. Pond was a kindergarten teacher. She used her experience in the classroom through her years of service in the legislature where she authored the Primetime Education Bill which capped kindergarten through third grade classroom sizes at 18.  She was always looking for new ways to improve her district and the state of Indiana.

It was an honor to serve with Phyllis, who has accomplished so much.  Her life was spent in service to the State of Indiana and she was a model Stateswoman.  I had the opportunity to sit on committees with Phyllis and she always asked questions to illicit deeper understanding. She provided thoughtful reflection to vet the issue at hand and had the perfect mixture of quick wit, plenty of spunk and a touch of feistiness.   Phyllis was a shining example of kindness, selflessness, and firmness when necessary. Any aspiring leader would do well to emulate her service in office.

Rep. Pond served as a friend and mentor to female legislators. Of all the things she taught us, one stands out. Always listen more than you talk. This very simple message went a long way for many of us, especially our first few years serving our constituents.

I look forward to honoring Rep. Pond on Organization Day, November 19 in the House Chamber. Her name will be added to the “In Memory Of” plaque that is displayed in the House Chamber that lists legislators who have died while serving the citizens of Indiana in the House of Representatives.

Rep. Pond has left a lasting legacy. As we remember her in the weeks to come, each person who knew her will recall her unwavering commitment to the community she served. We will carry on this legacy and I will always remember this pioneer for Indiana.

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