John Dunn will be honored with a City County Observer Mole Award
Evansville’s John Dunn will be honored with a City County Observer Mole Award at a noon luncheon at Casino Aztar on November 5, 2012.
Dunn began his business career in Evansville after an honorable discharge from the United States Air Force, hence his love of flying and current ownership of a Cessna 310. He began at Fuqua Industries in 1959, which owned WROZ Radio and WTVW Channel 7. Dunn started in the Sales Department and by 1964 had been promoted to Vice President and General Manager of WROZ and in 1968 transferred to television.
In 1969, he and a business partner created Medco Centers Nursing Homes. By 1978, there were 28 Medco Centers throughout Indiana and Kentucky, which also included pharmaceutical and physical therapy subsidiaries. In 1978, Dunn sold these properties to a Canadian firm to focus on new ventures – the hotel industry, radio stations, television stations, land development . . .
In 1978, Dunn re-entered the broadcast business by purchasing radio stations in Rhode Island, New Mexico and Texas. At this same time he also built his first hotel, The Williamsburg Inn at the corner of Division Street and Green River Road.
Dunn eventually divested himself of the radio stations but ventured into television broadcasting with two Evansville low-power television stations (WTSN-LD Channel 36 and WYYW-LD Channel 41), which he continues to operate today.
Over the past 30 years, Dunn Hospitality Group, the management company founded by Dunn in 1978, has built or acquired 28 hotels in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky.
In 1990, Dunn and Bill Koester formed a joint venture to develop a 70-acre parcel of land on Evansville’s east side, now known as Eagle Crest Commerce Centre. At the groundbreaking for the first business to be located there, Dunn’s 143-room Hampton Inn, then-Mayor Frank McDonald recognized the vision of Dunn and Koester by proclaiming Eagle Crest as Evansville’s “New Front Door.â€
Throughout the years Dunn has endeavored to enrich the community by restoring historical buildings – the Carpenter Home, which now houses the WNIN-Channel 9 facility, was restored and used as the corporate office for the Medco Centers; and the McCurdy Residential Center was initially the McCurdy Hotel.
Dunn is Chairman and CEO of Dunn Hospitality Group, whose corporate offices are located in Evansville. He is also Chairman of the Board of Directors for Tri-State Youth for Christ and Oakland City University Foundation; Immediate Past Chairman of the Board of Trustees for University of Southern Indiana and past Chairman and Director of Welborn Baptist Foundation. He sits on the Corporate Board of Directors for South Central Communications, Inc. and retired from the Boards of Old National Community Bank and Vectren, Inc. in 2010. He also currently serves on the Board of Directors for community groups that include Boys and Girls Club of Evansville, Past President of St. Mary’s Health Systems Seton Corporation, and WNIN-TV/FM88; and formerly on the Boards for Southern Indiana Chamber of Commerce, YMCA and the Salvation Army.
Dunn is a member of the Advisory Council for Indiana University Medical School and a Trustee and member of Church of the Cross in Evansville.
Dunn is a Bosse High School alumnus – Class of ’55. He graduated from Oakland City University in 1961 with a Bachelor of Science degree, Cum Laude. Dunn served 12 years on Oakland City University’s Board of Trustees and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities in 1977.
In 2004, Dunn was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws by the University of Southern Indiana.
He has been recognized by Evansville Rotarians, SW Indiana Chamber of Commerce, Buffalo Trace Council and the ROTC for his leadership, and received numerous other awards for his accomplishments in the business community.
Dunn is also a member of Evansville Country Club, Kennel Club, Palm Aire Country Club of Sarasota, FL and a Rotarian.
Dunn is married to Gail A. (Russell) Dunn. They have three daughters, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
IS IT TRUE October 12, 2012
IS IT TRUE October 12, 2012
IS IT TRUE that the one irrefutable thing about last night’s Vice Presidential debate between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan is that Vice President Biden came spoiling for a fight?…that throughout out nearly the entire 90 minutes that Joe “the Barbarian†Biden cackled and smiled that Steve Spurrier smile of disgust and disbelief so often that it was clearly a coached response to the sound of Paul Ryan’s voice?…the meek little moderator let it go on and the debate for the most part went from an opportunity to learn something about policy to an endurance of observing rudeness in hopes that a nugget or two of content would be audible?
IS IT TRUE that the debate started out poorly when the subject of Libya was brought up?…Ryan pointed out the now testified series of events that happened on September 11th that lead to the murder of four Americans by terrorists?…Vice President Biden went into “Clueless Joe†mode with his response yelling and being condescending while asserting things that clearly are not in agreement with the testimony before congress of the Obama Administration?…it is possible that Vice President Biden and President Obama still are not in the loop on the testimony about the Libya terrorist attacks but that is highly improbable and the false assertions are wearing thin with informed Americans?…the first thing the fact checkers from the media labeled as blatantly incorrect of Vice President Biden’s assertions were the events before and after the Libyan terrorist attacks?
IS IT TRUE that from there the debate went downhill because of Vice President Biden’s rude demeanor?…that the only clear thing gathered in a moment of quietness is that both candidates know the unemployment rate in Biden’s childhood home of Scranton, PA is still about 10%?…that the part that would have been interesting were it not for the distraction of an angry Vice President was when the discussion came up about how to cut tax rates while maintaining or increasing revenue as the Romney-Ryan plan calls for?…Biden’s loud obnoxious answer was “THE MATH IS NOT POSSIBLE†while Ryan’s response was “yes it is and it was done by Presidents Kennedy and Reaganâ€?…that Biden didn’t even attempt to use math to back up his claims and Ryan did not disclose what deductions the Republican plan would limit to counter the rate cuts to be revenue neutral?…there are indeed a couple of studies out that support the Romney-Ryan assertion by assuming the details that are still not on the table?
IS IT TRUE that it is impossible for an old debate judge to tell who won the debate as the distractions were so high that most of the points were drowned by Vice President Biden’s laughing and screaming?…this debate will probably have little or no bearing on the presidential race and any award to a mythical winner will have to come from the quick polls taken immediately after the debate?…there were two flash polls reported with one showing a 4 point win for Ryan but with nearly 20% calling it a tie?…the other flash poll gave Ryan a 20% edge that was probably just from the displeasure of the Vice President’s demeanor?…at the end of the debate this old debate judge regretted turning the dial away from ESPNU where the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers came back in the 2nd half to defeat Troy State to go 5 – 1 on the season?
IS IT TRUE that the last two Presidential debates that will decide the election?…that President Obama had better bring his A game next time and that he had better have his facts in line with the congressional testimony regarding the Libyan terrorist attack or he will start looking like a person who puts political ambitions so far above foreign policy that his team directed his staff to spread falsehoods about a terrorist attack?…this truth may be the only thing to set the President free from the thrashing he took in the first debate?
Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Hope Card program gains momentum during Domestic Violence Awareness Month
INDIANAPOLIS – Attorney General Greg Zoeller announced today more than 125 victim advocates and other groups are now trained on the state’s new Hope Card program and are educating victims about its benefits.
The Hope Card, an easy to carry license-sized protective order, is available to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. In August, the Indiana Attorney General’s Office with financial support from Verizon Wireless launched the statewide Hope Card program.
“As we get started, 19 victims have signed up for the Hope Card and we look to grow that number as many turn their attention to the strength of victims and their children during Domestic Violence Awareness Month,†Zoeller said. “As victims rebuild their lives there is an undue burden on them to carry their full-length court orders to the grocery, daycare or work. The Hope Card gives these women a small card to carry and quickly show law enforcement in case their abuser violates the order.â€
Hope Cards feature victim information and data on the abuser including their photo, sex, race, date of birth, height, weight and identifying marks. In case of a protective order violation, a victim can show police the license-sized card instead of their multi-page court order.
Domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking victims often obtain civil protection orders or restraining orders to help shield themselves and their children from any further contact or harm by their abuser.
The Attorney General’s Office is also working with the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy to prepare an online training unit for law enforcement that will be available to officers statewide and count toward their continuing law enforcement education credits.
“The response from the advocacy community has been overwhelmingly positive; it’s exciting to provide a new tool to advocates as they develop safety plans for those who are rebuilding their lives after being victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking,†said Michelle Bumgarner, director of victim advocacy services for the Attorney General’s Office. “We look forward to growing our partnership with advocates and law enforcement statewide to put these cards in the hands of those who need them.”
With the assistance of a $30,000 grant from HopeLine® from Verizon, Indiana is the third state in the nation to have the Hope Card program and the first state to rely solely on private grants for funding.
Hope Cards are free to those who apply and meet minimum criteria set by the state. Only those under protective orders for a year or longer for domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, will be eligible to participate in the program.
Indiana’s network of domestic violence service providers will be the front-line for screening applicants and applying for the cards. For more information, visit www.in.gov/attorneygeneral/hopecard/.
USI presents A Conversation with Michael Eric Dyson October 26
Michael Eric Dyson, a renowned scholar, ordained Baptist minister, and public intellectual, will present “It’s All in the Numbers: The 99 Percent Occupiers, the 47 Percent Victims, the 14 Percent Unemployed, the First Mormon Candidate, the 44th President and the 2012 Elections†at noon Friday, October 26, in Mitchell Auditorium, located in the Health Professions Center at the University of Southern Indiana.
The lecture is free and open to the public. Students and employees are encouraged to attend.
Dyson is the author of 16 books, including New York Times bestseller Mercy, Mercy Me: The Art, Loves and Demons of Marvin Gaye; Holler if You Hear Me; Is Bill Cosby Right?; and I May Not Get There With You: The True Martin Luther King Jr. He also is well known for his diversification of college curriculum, teaching courses on hip-hop music artists Shawn Corey “Jay-Z†Carter and Tupac Shakur. Dyson was named one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans for 2012 by Ebony magazine.
A sociology professor at Georgetown University, Dyson’s innovative scholarship and cultural criticism focuses on race, religion, popular culture, and contemporary issues in the African American community. Prior to joining the faculty at Georgetown, Dyson was the Avalon Foundation professor of humanities in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. He has taught at DePaul University, Chicago Theological Seminary, University of North Carolina, and Columbia and Brown universities.
He is host of the radio-syndicated “The Michael Eric Dyson Show,†which addresses social, cultural, and political issues in a contemporary vein. He has made appearances on The Today Show, Nightline, O’Reilly Factor, The Tavis Smiley Show, Real Time with Bill Maher, Rap City, Def Poetry Jam and The Colbert Report, among others.
Dyson’s appearance at USI is sponsored by Academic Affairs and Student Affairs.
National Symphony Orchestra Violinist Featured in UE Guest Recital
Violinist Joel Fuller, a member of the Washington, D.C.-based National Symphony Orchestra, will perform a guest recital at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 24 in the University of Evansville’s Wheeler Concert Hall.
The concert is free and open to the public, and the program includes works by Debussy, Faure, Bach, and Ysaye. Pianist Jiyoung Oh will accompany Fuller.
Prior to joining the National Symphony Orchestra, Fuller served as the assistant principal second violin of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra. He also spent three years as the assistant concertmaster of the Naples Philharmonic, enjoying many opportunities to solo with the orchestra there. As a chamber musician, Fuller was the first violinist of the University of Michigan Graduate String Quartet and founding member of the Sonare and Vanderbilt String Quartets. He is currently a member of the IBIS Chamber Music Society and Musica Aperta ensembles in Washington, D.C.
As a student, Fuller was awarded a three-year orchestral fellowship to attend the Aspen Music Festival in Aspen, Colorado. He was one of only two to receive the honor for the 2001 summer season. He received his Bachelor of Music from the University of Wisconsin and a Master of Music degree in violin performance and chamber music from the University of Michigan. Fuller has won numerous awards and competitions including the ASTA competition and both the University of Wisconsin Concerto Competition and the University of Michigan Concerto Competition. He is honored to play on the “ex Powell†Omobono Stradivari violin, generously loaned to him by the John C. Schroeder trust for musical excellence.
Pianist Jiyoung Oh is a member of the faculty at the Levine School of Music in Washington, D.C. Oh received her Doctorate in Musical Arts from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music as a Chancellor’s Fellow and her Master of Music degree at the Eastman School of Music. She has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in the U.S. and Canada, and participated in summer festivals including the Aspen School of Music and the International Holland Music Sessions in Bergen. This past year, she was an interim piano faculty member at James Madison University where she taught piano and doctoral piano seminars. Prior to that, she taught at Lewis and Clark College and Indiana University. She was also a former adjudicator at the Virginia Music Teacher’s Association State Competition. Oh is also a freelance pianist in the greater D.C. area.
7th Annual A Night at the Museum Halloween Party
Returning for its Seventh year, Angel Mounds annual Halloween party is night of fun for all ages! Due to popular demand, Angel Mounds is proud to offer the event for three separate nights, October 12, 13 and 19, 2012. Nights of spooky fun will feature games, activities, trick-or-treating through the haunted village, hayrides, and haunted trails. NEW this year: Curse of the Mummy Egyptian Tomb & the Haunted Mansion Maze! The party starts at 7:00 pm. Admission is $5.00.
Gallup Alters Poll Assumptions Under White House Pressure By: Jay Cost
Since about the beginning of President Obama’s tenure, the Gallup poll has generally been one of the least positive polls for the Democratic party. This has prompted outrage and pressure from the left–even from presidential advisor David Axelrod.
Over the summer Mark Blumenthal of Huffington Post wrote a critique of Gallup’s daily presidential job approval poll. The point of which was that Gallup was over-sampling whites and thus understating President Obama’s position in the adult population. I responded by arguing that Blumenthal’s case was underdeveloped and less-than-met-the-eye, and that was basically where things stood.
Until, that is, this week. President Obama enjoyed a bounce in his Gallup job approval number after the Democratic National Convention, as was to be expected, but there was a twist: it did not disappear. And while Gallup on average had found Obama’s job approval around 47 percent with adults through most of 2012, for the last five weeks it has been regularly above 50 percent. Yesterday, it stood at 53 percent, a number we have not really seen since 2009.
Unusual. So, what’s going on? Alan Abramowitz of Huffington Post and The Democratic Strategist noticed that Gallup has increased its share of nonwhites from 27 percent the week of the convention to 32 percent last week, a nearly 20 percent boost. In other words, Gallup seemed to have tweaked its methodology with just weeks to go until Election Day to reflect the criticism that has come from the left.
And indeed, in a wonky and elliptical statement, Gallup chief Frank Newport essentially confirms the shift:
As we began this election tracking program on Oct.1, our methodologists also recommended modifying and updating several procedures. We increased the proportion of cell phones in our tracking to 50%, meaning that we now complete interviews with 50% cell phones and 50% landlines each night. This marks a shift from our Gallup Daily tracking, which has previously been 40% cell phones. This means that our weights to various phone targets in the sample can be smaller, given that the actual percentage of cell phones and cell-phone-only respondents in the sample is higher. We have instituted some slight changes in our weighting procedures, including a weight for the density of the population area in which the respondent lives. Although all Gallup surveys are weighted consistently to census targets on demographic parameters, we believe that these improvements provide a more consistent match with weight targets.
So, from the looks of it, the left got what it wanted: Gallup altered its methodology with a month to go until Election Day. And the result – at least on the job approval question – is a shift in Obama’s favor. Whether or not this has altered the Romney-Obama head-to-head numbers among likely and registered voters, I cannot say.
I also cannot speak to the merits of the change in methodology. Back in June, I thought there was less than met the eye to Blumenthal’s critiques of Gallup. And I thought Gallup thought the same thing. Maybe the polling outlet changed its mind. Maybe it had other reasons for making the change. Who knows? That stuff is all “black box,” proprietary methodology that is not open for public analysis.
What I can say is that it’s problematic to alter one’s methodological approach to polling elections just five weeks before the biggest election in a generation. In fact, I think this is a highly inopportune time to make such a change; do it in the summer of 2012 or the winter of 2013, but for goodness sake not the fall of 2012!
It is even more problematic to make the shift but not spell out in detail the political effect of it. One utility of the Gallup tracker was that it enabled comparisons across time. Those are now difficult to accomplish because we have to assume what effect these methodological shifts have had. My guess is that it has moved the needle toward Obama by maybe 3 points on job approval, but we cannot know for sure. We also have no idea the extent to which this changes the Romney-Obama head-to-head among registered or likely voters.
What Gallup should have done is similar to what the Bureau of Labor Statistics does when it adjusts the unemployment rate to account for new Census data: Give the number as it is now calculated and as it would have been calculated absent the change, so everybody can know exactly what effect the changes in assumptions have had. Newport fails even to acknowledge whether and how this methodological change helped one side over the other, let alone its extent.
Final point: We absolutely, positively must remember polling in 2012 is politicized as never before, and it is incumbent upon the consumers of political polls not to accept the data naïvely, but to perform due diligence to see what goes into the product.
Source: The Weekly Standard