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Public Meetings for 2012 Road Projects

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The City of Evansville will host a series of public road meetings for the purpose of sharing information about 2012 road projects and receiving comments from local citizens. The meetings will be attended by Mayor Lloyd Winnecke, City Engineer Pat Keepes and officials from the Transportation and Services Department. Each meeting will begin with a PowerPoint presentation followed by a question and answer session.
The meetings are set for:

• February 28th, 5:30 to 7 p.m., at the C.K. Newsome Community Center, 100 E. Walnut Street
• March 6th, 5:30 to 7 p.m., at Oaklyn Branch Library, 3820 Oak Hill Road
• March 21st, 5:30 to 7 p.m., at Holy Rosary Catholic Church Parish, 1303 S. Green River Road

IS IT TRUE? February 23, 2012

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The Mole #??

IS IT TRUE? February 23, 2012

IS IT TRUE that one of the biggest problems that is being discussed in statehouses all over America, in principal’s conferences, in superintendent’s retreats and of course by parents in living rooms is the subject of SCHOOL BULLYING?…that rules of conduct for students, schools, and teachers at all levels of education are being written?…bullying, fighting, and intimidation of any sort cannot be tolerated by our society and certainly should not be promoted at schools?…that the dying art of being ladies and gentlemen should be taught to students at all ages, and the earlier the better?

IS IT TRUE that none of this is news to the local school systems on both sides of the Ohio River who promoted a day of “playing hooky” so that 5,000 elementary students could take in a hockey game during time that should be reserved for learning?…that we are certain that body checking, slashing, elbowing, and fist fighting was cheered on at the Ford Center yesterday by our future generation much like the people of Rome cheering for Caesar to give the “thumbs up or thumbs down” symbol so that the lions could eat?…that the lapse of judgment was even allowed to be played out in Ford Center on Ash Wednesday when many local children exercise their religious freedom and follow the tradition of Catholicism that reminds the faithful of their own mortality and encourages repentance?

IS IT TRUE that the CCO is wondering if when these gets make their way to middle school if their respective school corporations will be taking them to a WWF event to glorify even more violence?…that as simple as it seems in a society that is desperately trying to regain gentility that promoting violence of any kind at school desensitizes our children to bullying?…that we hope that there is a fight count from last week and another from this week taken at the participating schools?…that life imitates entertainment and that we suspect that life in these schools will be imitating hockey for the next couple of days?…that Rome fell under the weight of its own self indulgence and that many parallels exist between what is happening now and what happened then?…that wrestling is held at a place in Evansville known as “The Coliseum”?…that sort of says it all?

IS IT TRUE that the number of members of the inner circle of the Weinzapfel Administration who have been appointed to inner circle positions in the Winnecke Administration has some of our readers heads spinning?…that one could conclude that there must have been a high level of comfort with what the previous administration was doing and who was doing it for this to be happening?…that on the other side of that coin it is also possible that these are highly qualified people who were really the best choices that Mayor Winnecke could have made?…that the CCO crosses our fingers that the things of the past that are good continue but that some of the closed door activities of the past stay in the past?…that maybe some of these people had a “Dorothy threw a pail of water” moment?

Mesker Park Zoo “Or-Kid” Event

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Join Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden for a hands-on learning adventure for kids ages 7-11 presented in conjunction with the Orchid Escape orchid exhibit in the ever-amazing AMAZONIA indoor rainforest.
Kids and parents will take an educational tour of the orchid exhibit, make a craft and enjoy an
Or-Kid snack while learning about the intriguing orchid and the rainforest.

When?
Saturday, February 25, 2012 at 10:00am or 2:00pm

Fees:
$10.00 per member/$12 per nonmember

TWICE, UE to Hold Computer Science/Engineering Workshop for Local Girls

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The newly formed Tri-State Women in Computing and Engineering (TWICE) is currently accepting registration for The Beauty of Engineering, a half-day workshop for girls in grades four through eight.

The workshop will take place Saturday, March 10 on the University of Evansville campus. Check-in will begin at 7:30 a.m. in the south lobby of the Koch Center for Engineering and Science, and the event will end at approximately 11:15 a.m. The cost is $6 per participant, and registration is open to individuals and organizations that wish to bring a group.

The Beauty of Engineering is an opportunity for girls to learn about engineering and computer science by rotating through four stations, each staffed by female professionals in the fields. Each station will feature a lesson and hands-on exercise such as circuitry, building and testing catapults, and online computer programming.

Pre-registration is required. Forms and information are available at the TWICE website under “Upcoming Events.” Deadline for pre-registration is Friday, March 2.

TWICE is made possible by a grant from the Alcoa Foundation in partnership with the University of Evansville College of Engineering and Computer Science. The organization’s goal is to bring women engineers and computer scientists from Tri-State area business and industry together to form a network through which these women can make a difference in their lives, the lives of their community members, young people, and industry.

Source: Evansville.edu

Author Kiki Petrosino to present RopeWalk Reading March 1

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The spring 2012 RopeWalk Visiting Writers Reading Series will continue with a reading by Kiki Petrosino at 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 1 in USI’s Carter Hall in University Center West. The reading is free and open to the public and will be followed by a reception and book signing.

Petrosino is the author of Fort Red Border and co-editor of Transom, an independent online poetry journal. Her poems have appeared in several publications, including FENCE, Gulf Coast, Harvard Review, and Iowa Review. Petrosino holds graduate degrees from the University of Chicago and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.

Publications by Petrosino are available for purchase at the USI Bookstore and Barnes and Noble Booksellers.

Presented by USI’s College of Liberal Arts, the RopeWalk Visiting Writers Reading Series is made possible through the support of RopeWalk Writers Retreat, Southern Indiana Review, USI Society for Arts & Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts, Indiana Arts Commission, and USI Student Writers Union.


Source: USI.edu

City Events Keeping Lil Busy This Weekend

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Hi there CCO readers! Last weekend I was bored out of my gourd trying to find something to do. I couldn’t think of anything new and exciting, so I took to the internet and found out that there are plenty of things to do in our city this weekend. There are events for art supporters, sports fans, drama enthusiasts and more! In lieu of my normal advice column, I’ve decided to create a list of local events to satisfy even the most discerning of readers. Take some time this weekend to support and rediscover the city of Evansville!

Love and Kisses,
Lil 🙂

Friday, Feb. 24

Join local artists this Friday for Toast to the Arts, a wine gala and auction to benefit the USI Society for the Arts and Humanities. Proceeds from the gala and auction will help support arts and humanities scholarships, research and development. The event begins at 7pm and tickets cost $125. Get gussied up this Friday and rub shoulders with the supporters of local arts and humanities programs. Visit the USI Society for the Arts and Humanities website or call, 464-8600 for tickets.

For those observing Lent, join Old North United Methodist Church on Friday night and rediscover the sinfully delicious taste of their Fall Festival Catfish. The Lenten Fish Fry begins at 5pm. The cost for a catfish sandwich, 2 sides, dessert and drink is $9 for adults and $5 for kids.

The Evansville Icemen are playing this Friday night at 7:15pm.and will feature a benefit for Shelby Hiser. Two dollars from each ticket purchased in advance from Maddie Hansel will go to the Shelby Hiser Fund. Shelby was injured in a car accident resulting in quadriplegia. His parents are planning an addition to their home to help Shelby’s mobility and allow room for his medical equipment. Contact Maddie Hansel via e-mail at, mhansel@evansvilleicemen.com for advance tickets.

Another event at USI will benefit the Albion Fellows Bacon Center V-Day 2012 spotlight to end domestic violence against women and girls in Haiti. The Vagina Monologues is being performed both Thursday and Friday night on the USI campus at 7pm. Several USI employees will join the cast for their sixth annual performance. Tickets are $7 and can be purchased at the door.

Saturday, Feb. 25

The Women’s Hospital will hold a Day of Dance this Saturday, from 8am till noon. The event will support healthy living and will feature free health screenings, dance lessons, cooking presentations and vendor booths. Day of Dance will be held that Centre and admission if free!

The 9th annual Letters for Literacy Scrabble Tournament will be held at the Ivy Tech Campus this Saturday from 1pm to 4pm. Teams will compete for the highest Scrabble score, while bidding on silent auction items to benefit Ivy Tech Community College. Teams can register to compete with a $50 entry fee. Contact litcenter.org or call, 429-1222 for more information.

Bring the kids or grandkids to Mesker Park Zoo for the Or-Kid Event this Saturday from 10am to 2pm. The event will take place inside the warm and inviting Amazonia exhibit and will feature educational tours, crafts and activities for kids ages 7 through 11. Zoo members pay $10 per person and the cost for non-members is $12. Space is limited, so contact Mesker Park Zoo at, 435-6143, ext. 414 for reservations.

The Evansville Museum of Arts, History and Science invites you to attend an evening of wine tasting, food and music to benefit the Evansville Museum Contemporaries Group. The EMC Uncorked event is from 7pm to 10pm, and the cost is $40 per person.

Ongoing events

If you need a little taste of our local art scene, head over the Angel Mounds for the Tri-State Art Guild’s “Winter Show” exhibit. This event has been going on since December and will soon end on March 3rd. The “Winter Show” includes winter-themed pieces from local artists and is free to the public. “Winter Show” hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9am to 5pm and Sunday 1pm to 5pm. Check out Angel Mounds website for more details.

IS IT TRUE “Wasted Away Again in Hotelville”

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IS IT TRUE that the Evansville Redevelopment Commission voted in favor Wednesday morning to spend another $40,000 to learn what should have been learned at the beginning of the previous administration?…that this $40,000 is going to Evansville’s new daddy, Chicago’s Hunden Strategic Partners to conduct a feasibility analysis on a Downtown convention hotel project?…that sounds so absurd that we have to say it again “the new ERC is going to spend $40,000 to see if doing what the previous ERC recommended spending $8 Million public dollars to do IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO”?…that the chickens of insanity must be coming home to roost somewhere in the City of Evansville tonight?

IS IT TRUE that the 5-member commission voted 3 to 2, with City Council appointees Stan Wheeler and Jay Carter voting NO and the three Mayor Lloyd Winnecke appointees Ed Hafer, Randall K. Alsman and Sara L. Miller voting YES?…that Hunden Strategic Partners states that the study should take roughly two months?…that in two months if all goes according to plan that Hunden will be $40,000 richer, the City of Evansville will be $40,000 poorer and maybe we will all know if the $33 million, 220-room hotel that has been an albatross around the City and the ERC for nearly 4 years is the right thing to do?…that the last time Hunden was hired it was publically advertised that they would be VETTING two proposals but what really went on was that little realy VETTING went on at all and a blessing of financial feasibility was granted to one of the proposals?…that we hope that this time that Hunden has been hired to do the job that the public has been told about instead of to gin up a validation document for someones wet dream?

IS IT TRUE that this should have been done in 2007 when all of the smiles and self congratualatory parties were being thrown?…that there is even a possibility that both the bidders in the last round of RFP’s will throw their hands up in disgust and get on with doing business in a downtown where the convention hotel is someone elses problem?…that both of the local bidders did spend considerable time and money on this ill concieved goose chase and that there should be some consolation prize to both the Kunkel Group and Prime Lodging for putting forth an effort?

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

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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?

McCurdy
This Was Meant to be a HOTEL!!!
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?