IS IT TRUE? February 22, 2012 “Vintage Buildings Dying a Slow Death”

IS IT TRUE that the Alhambra Theatre has stood as a monument to the ineptness of local government for over 50 years now?…that grants to do insignificant little jobs at New York City prices have not stopped the decline?…that board of directors after board of directors of well meaning but unfunded and incapable people have not stopped the decline?…that executive director after executive director has not stopped the decline?…that self congratulatory parties where wines, cheeses, and champagne have toasted the latest overpriced government handout have not stopped the decline?…that FRONT DOOR PRIDE has not stopped the decline?…that forming an Art’s District has not stopped the decline?…that offering to give away a beautiful older home in need of much work has not stopped the decline?…that the micro-efforts of local, state, and even federal (as in earmarks) have not stopped the decline?…that unless the right people under the right leader with the vision, the discipline to add some details to the vision, the management talent to make it happen, and the money to execute that vision come along the decline will continue unabated?

IS IT TRUE that the 50+ year decline of the Alhambra has in a very real way symbolized the City of Evansville for five decades?…that both the City of Evansville and the Alhambra Theatre have so much potential, so little performance, and are clinging to the past like an aging dancer whose body is broken and whose will to exist continues being tested?…

IS IT TRUE that the solution was always there in plain sight?…that the solution was and is called private investment for a worthy endeavor?…that he Alhambra Theatre like Roberts Stadium has many suitors with untested ideas but no one willing to pony up the investment dollars to bring life to the suitors dreams?…that the failure of the Evansville region to establish formal investment entities has not only strangled the entrepreneurial aspirations of many of our best young people, but has delivered the death blow to many aging but useful and even potentially prosperous venues?

IS IT TRUE that Evansville has seen many vintage properties fall into disrepair to the point that demolition was the only feasible answer?…that the list is long and many of these deaths were premature or unnecessary?…that the list of the dying before our eyes includes the Alhambra Theatre, the McCurdy Hotel, and scores of Victorian residences?…that perhaps with all of the new people in leadership positions that 2012 will be the year that pride comes alive in the City of Evansville?…that pride starts with each person cleaning their own front yard and resolving to never ever litter again?

IS IT TRUE that we invite our readers to make comments about their favorite venues that are among the dead and dying structures in town?…that we also invite success stories like the Victory Theatre that is once again showing its age after an expensive restoration back in the 90’s?

IS IT TRUE? February 22, 2012

IS IT TRUE that Keep Evansville Beautiful has struck gold in its choice to succeed Ann Ennis as its president and CEO?…that it has just been announced that former County Commissioner, Assessor, and State Commissioner of Local Government Finance Cheryl Musgrave has agreed to assume the role?…that of all of the interested people that Musgrave has both the temperament and determination to accelerate the efforts that Ms. Ennis started?…that Musgrave is not one to suffer fools or laziness and that “butts” will be kicked to assure that Evansville not only keeps things beautiful but gets a lot more places to the point of beauty?…that the CCO congratulates the board of directors of KEB and Cheryl Musgrave on what we think will be a serious time of cleanliness going forward?

IS IT TRUE that sometimes decisions and actions taken in all towns make one shake their head in disbelief?…that the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation is taking the cake with its decision to send roughly 80 buses full of elementary school children to a hockey game at the Ford Center during a school day?…that hockey is a game and that the taxpayers of Indiana do not pay taxes for public education so that elementary school kids can be taken to hockey games during the school day?…that we wonder just what there is about hockey, basketball, or any other spectator sport that has enough educational content to justify spending public money for kids to attend or even letting them off of school to attend a darn game?…that this decision comes from the same school corporation that once made a decision that a family trip to the Smithsonian was not an excused absence?…that if one wants to know why our school’s performance is at the D or F level but that the EVSC thinks it is a solid A or B, then one should look no further than this imbecilic decision?…that for the kids that can’t afford the $5 admission that a “scholarship” is being offered?…that to call a free hockey ticket a scholarship is an insult to every real scholarship that is out there?…that we wonder what real scholarship fund these free ticket scholarships are being paid for from?

IS IT TRUE that right here in Evansville, the obesity capital of America that the scholarship hockey watchers will also be fed a hot dog, a coke, and a bag of popcorn?…that we have not heard of such a non-nutritious lunch offered by a school since some idiot in Washington DC deemed a smear of ketchup to constitute a serving of a vegetable?…that this is one case where these kids would be better off being “left behind” at school as opposed to cramming for a test in body checking, fist fighting, and broken teeth?…that the parents need to send the EVSC to the woodshed over this destructive silliness that undermines the educational process?

IS IT TRUE that a couple of well-intended City Council members are now questioning Evansville Police Chief Billy Bolin’s new policy that allows officers to take their cruisers home at the end of their shift?…that the CCO maintains the stance that Chief Bolin’s decision was a solid move towards good public policy?…that a little extra gas money is worth it when your house does not get burglarized because the would-be thief noticed a police car parked down the street?…that in a January poll regarding this very subject our readers overwhelming voted in favor of the policy change by a margin of 51%?

IS IT TRUE that there are some very influential political minds in the Vanderburgh County Republican Party that would like to see Party Chairman Wayne Parke personally recruit Mr. Bob Whitehouse as a candidate for the third Vanderburgh County Council At-Large seat?

Is it True that the two high schools from the West Side of Evansville, Reitz and
Mater Dei, sent 14 wrestlers to the IHSAA Individual State Tournament on Friday and Saturday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis?

Is It True that the best finish among all local wrestlers was an impressive 3rd
place performance from Dane Maurer, a 195-pound senior who was wrestling in his first year at Mater Dei? That Maurer ended his impressive inaugural season with a 45-1 record?

Is It True that history was made on several levels on Friday and Saturday night,
with the IHSAA State Individual Tournament hosting its first female wrestler, Kayla Miracle of Culver Academies? That although Miracle did not win her first-round match and therefore did not place, she still set a fine example for other young females who may want to one day wrestle under the lights at Bankers
Life Fieldhouse? That Miracle is only a sophomore and has two more years to try to reach that goal herself? That Miracle lost to Hayden Lee of Garrett 4-0 and ended her season with a 42-6 record in the 106 pound weight class? That Lee went on to finish third in the state tournament, proving that Miracle competed well against a high caliber opponent?

Is It True that another young wrestler from the state, Crown Point senior Jason Tsirtsis, joined the ranks of only 7 other individuals in the history of the Indiana state high school wrestling tournament when he won his fourth state title — and in dominating fashion no less?

Is It True that Tsirtsis won his four titles in four separate weight classes? That he won a state title at 125 pounds as a freshman; 130 pounds as a sophomore; 140 pounds as a junior; and 145
pounds as a senior? That Tsirtsis finished his senior season 42-0 and ended a remarkable four-year career record of 170-2? That Tsirtsis joined his brother, Alex, as one of the now 8 wrestlers who finished their high school careers with four state titles? That Mater Dei’s Blake Maurer, older brother of the
aforementioned Dane Maurer, also ended his career with four state titles, from 2001-2004?

Is It True that Reitz’ Trevor Moody, at 132 pounds, was the highest finisher for the Panthers, ending his terrific Reitz High School career with a 45-4 record and a sixth place finish in his senior season?

Is it true that Reitz also had impressive seasons from the following state qualifiers: Damon Kuhn, 106 pounds, junior, 43-4; Joshua Davis, 113 pounds, sophomore, 37-11; Blake Johns, 120
pounds, junior, 37-10; and Gideon VanHook, 126 pounds, senior, 28-5.

Is It True that Mater Dei brought an impressive nine wrestlers to the state tournament? That in addition to Maurer, the Wildcats had the following state tournament placers: Jake Lannert, 4th, 138 pounds, senior, 42-4; Sam Goebel, 7th, 120-pounds, senior, 16-10; Dalton Brandenstein, 6th, 182 pounds, 45-2, senior; and Nathan Wright, 8th, 285 pounds, 40-5, senior.

Is it true that the following Mater Dei Wildcats also qualified for state: Alex Johnson, 113 pounds, freshman, 32-11; Josh Pierre, 126 pounds, sophomore, 29-10; Branson Schroeder, 132 pounds,
junior, 32-10; and Alex Bassemier, 145 pounds, senior, 35-8;

Is It True that Central’s Brendon Kelley finished with a terrific win on Saturday, finishing 5th place in the 138-pound weight class and ending his season at 44-6.

Is It True that Castle’s Jacob Brown, 44-4, sophomore, finished 8th at the state tournament at 106 pounds? And fellow Knight Luke Welch finished 5th at the 120-pound weight class with a 47-1 record as a junior?

Is It True that Evansville Memorial’s Logan Wedding qualified for state at 126 pounds and finished his junior season 42-5?

Is It True that in the final Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association poll released on Jan. 12 that Perry Meridian was ranked Number 1? That Mater Dei was ranked third and Reitz was ranked 10th.

Is It True that Mater Dei will go for its 13th team state championship on Saturday at Center Grove High School in Greenwood, Indiana? That third-ranked Mater Dei (22-0) will take on 14th-ranked Bellmont (21-5) in the quarterfinals at 9 a.m. Evansville time? The other matchups in the team state tournament quarterfinals are: fourth-ranked Indianapolis Cathedral (24-3) vs. eighth-ranked Penn (22-3); unranked Kokomo (35-5) vs. second-ranked Crown Point (21-0); and top-ranked Perry Meridian (24-0) vs. 15th ranked Warren Central (21-8).

Is it true that if Mater Dei wins, the Wildcats will advance to the semifinals at 11 a.m. Evansville time and hope to make a return trip to the state finals at
1:30 p.m. Evansville time.

Is It True that we congratulate all of the state wrestling finalists for accomplishing incredible seasons and that we wish Mater Dei great success this weekend in the team state championships?

IS IT TRUE? February 21, 2012

IS IT TRUE that the Winnecke Administration is asking the Evansville Redevelopment Commission to authorize hiring Hunden Strategic Partners of Chicago to do a study to tell them just what size of a Convention Hotel that downtown Evansville can support?…that unfortunately the past administration was so haphazard in its definition of hotels that there does not necessarily seem to be any consensus on what size a new Convention hotel should be or even whether or not one is needed as opposed to wanted?…that Hunden Strategic Partners was most recently in the news as being hired to VET the proposals of the Kunkel Group and Prime Lodging during the hottest six month period of the last downtown Convention Hotel fiasco?…that Hunden must think by now that they have a load of bumpkins down here in Evansville that will just pay for study after study?…that not only has the City of Evansville paid for study after study but it seems like some magical force (or machine) are telling the consultants what to write?

IS IT TRUE that yes if there is to be a serious consideration to put so much as a dime of public money into a downtown Convention Hotel then four years after the fact there probably does need to be a study?…that this study should include any rooms in a Grand New McCurdy as part of its considerations?…that a Grand New McCurdy would at least be unique and would have the potential to draw tourist dollars on its own merit?…that consideration should also be given to Casino Aztar’s one time offer to expand their hotel UP by about 140 rooms?…that if the Ford Center really is the economic growth engine that it was sold as there may be a way to get the rooms that MAY BE NEEDED without spending public money?…that solution would involve the McCurdy and Aztar but will most certainly not involve any new Convention Hotel on the corner of MLK & Walnut?

IS IT TRUE that the economics of the situation have not changed since the last time the CCO addressed this issue?…that when the lights are on and the rooms are full that a Downtown Convention Hotel will be rent for about $100 per night and have no more than 60% occupancy?…that the valuation by cash flow method will be about $91,000 per room?…that the entire project including the skywalk, the parking lot, the hotel, infrastructure, and amenities will cost closer to $160,000 per room?…that this leaves a shortage of in the range of $15 Million for the 220 room hotel that the Weinzapfel Administration was hoping for?…that the current incentive package of $8 Million did not fill that gap?…that early in the process an experienced builder and operator of hotels in Indiana, White Lodging was rejected for this very reason?…that if back during the days when the former Mayor, his administration, and consultants were playing Monopoly and doing Donald Trump imitations that they could have done one thing that would have gotten a proven operator?…that one thing would have been to have coughed up what it took to get White Lodging to take on the Downtown Evansville Convention Hotel?

IS IT TRUE that this is not an endorsement of pumping $15 Million of public money into a downtown hotel project?…that this is simply yet another REALITY CHECK for the City of Evansville and the new Evansville Redevelopment Commission?…that starting down the primrose path of “GOOD OLD BOY” politics, consultant reports to tell the powers that be what they want to hear, and delusional economic expectations will most likely lead to the same kind of results?…that we hope that the City of Evansville and the ERC get something right this time around?…that the same old good old boy crony capitalistic ways need to be over in River City?