The University of Southern Indiana Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter was selected as the Collegiate Challenge Student Group “Most Valuable Player” for 2011. The USI chapter was nominated by Habitat for Humanity of Martin County, Florida.

“This group is an absolute joy to work with from initial contact in organizing to the day of their arrival,” the nominators said. “They always show great respect and leadership and definitely give me hope in our country for the future.”

The Collegiate Challenge is a national spring break alternative work program offered through Habitat for Humanity. The USI chapter has volunteered in several communities including El Paso, Texas Alexandria, Louisiana Bunnell, Florida Hershey, Pennsylvania and Martin County, Florida in addition to volunteering after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. This was the third year the team returned to Martin County where they worked on roofing and hanging dry wall for three Habitat homes.

The Collegiate Challenge committee was impressed that the USI chapter has returned to the same affiliate three years running and that the students have gone above and beyond in service to the Martin County community by volunteering with the Boys and Girls Club.

“We would begin each morning on the work site at 8 a.m. and work until 1 p.m. On three of the afternoons we volunteered at the local Boys and Girls Club with students in their after school program,” said Chris Hoehn, USI Habitat for Humanity advisor. “The USI students engage with folks in the community and are genuinely interested in learning about the need for affordable housing and the opportunities that are available in volunteer work and service. People in Martin County speak very highly of our students’ drive, enthusiasm, and willingness to do what it takes to get the job done. The work ethic of our students and our leaders helps to provide a good experience for volunteers.”

In addition to participating in the Collegiate Challenge, the USI Habitat chapter volunteers with Habitat for Humanity of Evansville, building Saturdays throughout the semester and fundraises during the school year with rummage sales, car washes, and the Home Run 5K held at USI.

To learn more about USI’s Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter, contact Katie Smitley, USI Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter president, at klsmitley@mail.usi.edu.

Saturday, August 27th at 8:00pm
Victory Theatre ~ Evansville, IN
On Sale Monday, July 11 at 10AM

Evansville, IN ~ After more than a decade in the NBA as a player and coaching, Walter McCarty is known for drilling 3-pointers from the corner; but Walter has emerged as a talented R&B artist in his own right. Music has always been his first love, and since releasing his debut album seven years ago, Walter is eager to return with his new self-produced album “Emotionally”. “I’m so fortunate to have this platform to express all the things that I’ve experienced and put them into song. All I’ve ever wanted to do is perform and be heard musically”.

Though new to some in the music world, Walter has worked with numerous industry insiders, including the hit-making production team The Underdogs; R&B singer/songwriter Tank; co-writing on such songs as “Come Back To Me Shawty” performed by Tyrese. After honing his writing abilities on the Los Angeles music scene, Walter returned to his own projects with renewed focus.

Now in support of his second studio album, Walter performs the melodic vocals from the album live on stage. “I truly believe this music is pleasing to everyone who listens, no matter what genre music you might like. “Emotionally” is a feel good record that’s appealing, all-together mature and sexy”.
Tickets are On Sale Monday July 11th at 10AM and are priced from $22.00 to $42.00 (additional charges may apply). Tickets are available at The Centre Box Office, all Ticketmaster Outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or charge by phone at 800-745-3000.

The Vicious Circle of the Executive Inn Keeps on Spinning

By: Don Counts,editor and Ralph Edwards, contributor

Note: This article was published nearly a full year ago when the first RFP to attract a hotel developer was posted. A few of the names in elected offices have changed but the realities of the Executive Inn Dilemma have not. We encourage each and every reader to reflect on the conditions that have enabled this fiasco to continue and to work to assure that things like this are never allowed to happen again.

The City of Evansville has posted its RFP (Request for Proposal) and all of those involved along with the interested observers are riveted in suspense to see just what developer will step forward to rescue the City of Evansville from the political no-win situation that its lackadaisical project management on the Arena/Hotel has created. Much like a dependent that dallies with college and wrecks the family budget by needing 5 or more years to graduate, the Weinzapfel administration ignored the obvious structural issues and value analysis in leading the people of this city into an unwanted and unnecessary quandary. The question is not just who the developer will be, it has become how much will the City of Evansville and Vanderburgh County have to subsidize a Convention Hotel to get one built at all.

In all honesty, the Vanderburgh County Commissioners during this period, Troy Tornatta, Lloyd Winnecke, and Stephen Melcher collectively sat on the sidelines as enablers to the Mayor and his Indianapolis based team of advisors, failing to even attempt to perform their duties to manage our tax dollars as “Stewards of the Centre”. As “Stewards of the Centre” the Vanderburgh County Commissioners have taken oaths to provide for competent management of the Centre by assuring its revenue stream is free from avoidable disruption. The co-dependent relationship between the Centre and a Convention Hotel’s disruption was avoidable. Marsha Abell, Candidate for County Commissioner correctly introduced a solution that would have avoided this disruption in a spirited debate with her opponent Commissioner and Candidate for re-election Troy Tornatta last week. The fact that there is no Convention Hotel in operation now and that it is tenuous at best in the future is not due to the earthquake in Haiti. This is the failure of local governance of the City of Evansville Common Council, the Mayor, and the Vanderburgh County Commissioners. One might even call this deliberate indifference (deliberate indifference is the act of knowing what needs to be done and deliberately choosing not to do it). Like Nero fiddling away while Rome was burning, our elected City and County officials just let the Executive Inn dilemma slide into chaos and panic until it was an uncontrollable quandary.

The Evansville Courier and Press opined in an editorial this week that they are willing to wait until the private sector sees a Convention Hotel in Downtown Evansville as a worthwhile investment. The implication of course is that the City of Evansville should not offer incentives to a developer to fill what has been characterized as a desperate need for a Convention Hotel.
The City County Observer agrees with the Courier that private investment is the best way for the City of Evansville to grow. We also believe that any plan to go forward must be grounded in financial reality. As was published by CCO freelance contributor Joe Wallace in his article called “The Executive Inn Dilemma”, the gap between the value of a Downtown Convention Hotel as desired and the cost to build this hotel has to be filled and private investment is not likely to fill that gap. As a reminder the size of that gap is approximately $20 Million.

In the absence of a “Knight on a White Horse” with a crock of gold and a quixotic quest to bail out the City of Evansville’s need to replace the Executive Inn, there are two short term realities. The first reality is to do without a Convention Hotel and the second is to offer an incentive package that is sufficient to induce a first class developer to take on this formidable financial task. By any analysis method chosen, starting from the dilapidated shell that we see today, it is our opinion that this incentive package will have to be quite substantial.

The City County Observer respectfully differs with the Courier’s position of waiting until private money recognizes Downtown as worthy of a $30 – $40 Million investment in a 3-Star or above Convention Hotel. Frankly, in the real estate market of today and the foreseeable future, it could be many years or more before a prudent investor would realize sufficient value to embark upon this project. Evansville does not have years to wait; we have an Arena to fill and a Centre to maintain now. We need a Convention Hotel right now to help pay for the operation of those facilities and to contribute to repaying the bonds issued to build them.

We as a community, willingly or unwillingly have already committed or invested $200 Million in the Arena/Centre/Executive Inn complex. Even if the incentive package has to be $20 Million or more that is only 10% of what is already on the table. In poker terms the expected value exceeds the price to play. The only logical decision at this point is to call the bet and raise the incentive package. When Junior doesn’t finish college in four years, the parent’s best choice is to chastise Junior but to make sure that Junior has the resources to complete his education.

It is time to set the politics of the elections of 2010 and 2011 aside and do what it takes right now to make an investment in a Downtown Convention Hotel attractive and to sign a deal with a capable developer complete with a prudent financing package. Posting the RFP that is not really as much of an RFP as it is a solicitation for interested parties was the right thing to do. Make haste, time’s a wasting; it is still remotely possible to have a simultaneous opening of the Arena and the Convention Hotel. This may be a short term political Catch 22, but the only long term winning solution for the City of Evansville and Vanderburgh County is to protect the $200 Million that is already committed or invested.

It is time for the investment attracting capacity of the Arena to prove itself even if it is just some more public money that gets invested to enhance the quality of life and inspire economic development. It is time for Mayor Weinzapfel, the Evansville Redevelopment Commission, the Evansville City Council, and the Vanderburgh County Commissioners to prepare for the future and do what they all know has to be done. The time for smiling for the cameras is over. The time to finish the job is at hand. The voting public of Evansville and Vanderburgh County deserves stewardship and oversight. It is our prediction that the elections of 2010 and 2011 will be the days of reckoning for all of those who were derelict in their duties.

Note: The City County Observer is a publication that buys in to being fiscally conservative. That constitutes sound financial management from day one. That is clearly not what has happened with the stewards of this project. The oversights, rushes to judgment, and lack of planning have put Evansville into a position to make decisions that should have been disclosed two years ago. Simply because we advocate fixing the Porsche that Junior wrecked does not mean that we would have ever supported getting Junior the Porsche in the first place.

See What Matters and Who is Doing it Right

The criteria analyzed were Economic Potential, Cost Effectiveness, Human Resources, Quality of Life, Infrastructure, Business Friendliness, and FDI Promotion Strategy. It is to be noted that 5 of the top 10 cities of the future were smaller than Evansville within the last century.

Of particular note on order of importance within the infrastructure category are #1 upload speed, #2 download speed, #3 number of airports, #4 distance to airports, and #5 international destinations served.

Also of note is that in the category of Business Friendliness the first nine (9) things of importance have to do with high technology and knowledge workers.

In Human Resource rankings the importance of an educated work force dominates every sub-category.

An example of the ranking is here for Quality of Life for small cities that is Evansville’s category.

1 Naperville Illinois
2 Arlington, Virginia
3 Thousand Oaks, California
4 Cary, North Carolina
5 Sunnyvale, California
6 Overland Park, Kansas
7 Fremont, California
8 Bellevue, Washington
9 Irvine, California
10 Columbia, South Carolina

Here is a link to the entire article:

American Cities of the Future 2011_2012

IS IT TRUE that the so called “BRAIN DRAIN” has reached out and touched the Art’s Council for Southwest Indiana?…that Executive Director Mary Jane Schenk is ending here six year stewardship over the Art’s Council in favor of a move to the west coast to be near her family?…that the City County Observer recognizes the value that Mary Jane added in guiding the Art’s Council from an office and into a gallery and shall genuinely miss her contributions to our fair city?…that we wish her peace, love, and contentment in her new home?…that shortly after the departure of the Executive Director that perhaps the best activities director that Evansville has ever seen Shannon Hurt will vacate the premises for the green green grass and lively music scene of a new home in Nashville, TN?…that the team at the Art’s Council will forever be remembered by some of us as the transitional leadership team that took the Art’s Council of SW Indiana to the next level and installed the first large scale commercial art gallery in downtown Evansville?…that if downtown Evansville ever really returns to prominence that it started in 2007 with the opening of the Art’s Council of SW Indiana in the Innovation Pointe Building?

IS IT TRUE that our Sunday edition that dealt with the large deficiency in the salaries that professionals are paid in Evansville as compared to simple national averages inspired some pretty poignant comments among our readers?…that some of the back and forth comments were good dialog and that the one involving the Otters and the Yankees ability to attract talentwas particularly revealing?…that we are using a baseball analogy because everyone will understand it?…that the same analogy could be used by changing the names Otters and Yankees to Evansville Bankers and New York Bankers, or nearly any other professional career that exists?…that we believe that the talent gap between the Otters and the Yankees is so wide that if they played 100 games on any field at any time that the New York Yankees would defeat the Evansville Otters in every one of these 100 games?…that they are in very different leagues with the ability to attract different levels of talent and ambition?…that ALL OTTERS WOULD TRADE THEIR EYE TEETH TO BE YANKEES?…that the Yankees would rather take a punch in the gut than be Otters?…that they both know where in the pecking order they stand?

IS IT TRUE that the maximum pay under league rules that a member of the Evansville Otters can be paid is $1,800 per month?…that the average pay for players on the Yankees is closer to $1,800 per inning (20 minutes) and that some Yankees are paid over $10 Million per year?…that we can all agree with 100% certainty that the Yankees attract better players than the Otters ever have or ever will?…that the non-affiliated Otters are not even considered to be a training ground for Major League Baseball?…that in the world of business there are what are called talent clusters for each profession just as professional sports locate only in certain cities?…that if Evansville produces a player that has both the talent and the discipline that are required to make it in professional sport that they MUST WORK IN A CITY THAT HAS A PROFESSIONAL SPORT FRANCHISE?…that in order to fulfill their goals and be utilized at the peak of their earning power that our best athletes have to “Brain Drain”?…that Evansville has produced quite a few such people?…that the same is highly probable when it comes to professional employment?…that our best and brightest have been drawn to other places like moths to a flame for over 50 years now?…that the compensation levels, the challenge of being on the cutting edge of life, and the stimulation of living where the action is all contribute to “Brain Drain”?

IS IT TRUE that the question was raised regarding what would happen if the management of the OTTERS coughed up the money and brought a Yankee to town to play for the Otters?…that the Yankee would dominate the team the way that a former IU player dominated the now defunct Evansville Bluecats?…that a real professional would dominate any bush league teams talent base with ease?…that over time this Yankee would find that he could draw his pay and dominate with little or no training?…that after a couple of years that this Yankee would lose his edge and would still dominate the OTTERS but would not be good enough to rejoin the Yankees?…that this Yankee would settle for being the best OTTER and would retire from baseball as an OTTER?…that when one only chooses to compete with people and teams of limited talent that a false sense of being hides the real reality of what being globally competitive even means?…that if the business base of Evansville chooses to be like the OTTERS when it comes to attracting talent that relevance and prosperity will not return to River City?…that many of them will not even know it?

Take That: July 10, 2011

IN RESPONSE TO: the “Competitive Realities Study”

“Civic Center offices are full of studies piled up like stockpiles of flagstones in a landscaper’s supply yard. At least set them upright like grave markers, ‘cuz that’s all most of them will ever be.” Soon2B

“The “Business Leaders” picked to implement change are the least qualified. They’ve already “made it”. The last thing they want is fundamental change that could threaten the pile of chips they’ve piled up for themselves. Same reason why these corporate captains make lousy people to set on Venture Capital boards.
It would be interesting to find out: based on the two prior studies performed–were there EVER any serious initiatives launched to attempt to “implement the Plan” Beerguy

“The reason these things always fail is that the there is never a plan ! The fat cats talk about it, or dismiss it, and then it dies on the vine in favor of running the daily status quo. The KEY: you have to force a plan to be put in place, and then you have to have the ability to pay the implementers. The funding from the implementers can come from the same source which funds the plan. If you get an action plan, publicize it, have people to implement (compensated), publicize both the progress and obstacles, and manage the effort, and the community can start eliminating the 9 weaknesses and thrive ! It just occurred to me: not one of the three studies cited ‘ lack of an Arena’ as a weakness . . . wouldn’t it be great if we could have used that $ 200 Million to seed the action plans and projects which can finally fix the 9 weaknesses ??? Beerguy

“Meanwhile… the republican/democrat dog and pony show continues in washington, with both sides boo-hooing about not being able to cut spending. Looks like another fine example of wasted federal taxpayer money right here.” Todd

“There are perfectly capable locals that could have produced a bromide laced, SWOT for beer money and expenses… and have time on their hands. Instead, we search out contractors from out of the state. But on top of it, we wait for a federal grant – adding to the damned $14+ Trillion deficit! At first I was shocked this little pamphlet of information would cost so much… 231K. But then I realized that maybe it isn’t that bad, after all, our FDP homes for the poor cost 240K! Ugh. With Weinzapfel, GAGE, ERC, FDP & CVB… already on the warpath, supposedly fighting all of our “problems”!!! Can someone ask these groups why analysis now is needed? Is this yet another case of READY, FIRE (Do whatever feels right), AIM (Study the problems to justify whatever needs to be justified)?” Eville Taxpayer

“I can not say I agree with a lot of this report. It indicates that K-12 education is at an acceptable level here, and also thinks that there is not enough tax incentives for business here. Anyone who thinks that either of these statements are true about Evansville does not have a clue of what is actually going on locally.” Pressanykey

“That study reads like an anthology of Joe Wallace’s articles from the City County Observer and the Courier Press. They should have just hired him to do the study or better yet just download his articles and put a cover sheet on them and get the study for free. I am sure that some of the city leaders are sitting down to a big old dinner of crow now that they spent $230,000 to be told what Mr. Wallace has been writing about for years now…… So why on earth would any young professional with ambition ever want to come to Evansville? HA! They don’t and it shows.” TheDonald

IN RESPONSE TO: Farmer’s Market

“I stopped by the “local” farmers market last week and purchased local oranges, bananas, and local washington apples. I hope the new restaurante uses local pineapples for upside down cake” Wittyyetdumb

IS IT TRUE that the section called “Vendor Information” on the website of the Evansville Arena does not have a copy of the new RFP for the downtown Convention Hotel available?…that under the section called current bids it simple has a single bullet point that says “NONE AT THIS TIME”?…that is confusing as Mr. Kish clearly announced that a new RFP was being issued with a response date of July 18, 2011?…that if there is no public location that one can find a bid that the chances that any new bidders may submit bids is quite low?…that if this is a bidding process then the bidders are being selected by the bid solicitor?…that it is hard to understand how Evansville can continue to function with self limiting habits?

IS IT TRUE that in the depths of the “Competitive Realities” study released by the SW Indiana Coalition for Economic Development there was a list of different professions and how the Evansville area compared to other parts of the country with respect to salary?…that the national average salary for management of companies is 34% higher than it is in Evansville?…that the national average salary for mining is 48% higher than it is in Evansville?…that the national average salary for science and engineering professionals is 45% higher than it is in Evansville?…that the national average salary for finance and insurance professionals is 74% higher than it is in Evansville?…that the national average salary for government is 35% higher than it is in Evansville?…that the national average salary for information technology workers is 69% higher than it is in Evansville?…that each of these specialties has been targeted as something that is wanted here?…that Evansville is considered NON-COMPETITIVE in every one of these fields?…that if we do not pay the piper we shall not hear the music?

IS IT TRUE that the only categories in which this region is competitive with national averages for pay are manufacturing, construction, agriculture, forestry, hunting, and fishing?…that these are all listed as declining in the study?…that Evansville is actually considered to be COMPETITIVE in these declining industries in which we pay national average wages?

IS IT TRUE that the national average Cost of Living is only 4% higher than the composite cost of living in Evansville?…that with a Cost of Living that is only 4% lower than the national average but professional salaries that are higher at the national averages by between 34% and 74% for targeted talent pools that EVANSVILLE WILL NEVER BE ATTRACTIVE TO THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS OF THIS COUNTRY unless something is done to bring the pay up to at least national average levels?...that the national average is essentially the mid-point and is not to be confused with the salaries paid to the leading people in the leading places?…that a brand new wet behind the ears 22 year old with an engineering degree from MIT, Stanford, or some other top schools including some from Indiana will be offered a salary that is DOUBLE what experienced professionals earn here?…that this is a formula for permanent mediocrity?

IS IT TRUE that we fully encourage each and every person in this area to read this study and commit our weaknesses to memory?…that we should each improve a little bit every day?

Reporting from Florida’s Space Coast.
Special Correspondent for the City-County Observer, Glen Kissel

Friday July 8, 2011

Today Space Shuttle Atlantis thundered from the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39-A marking the final launching of the Space Shuttle program which commenced 30 years and 3 months ago.

Atlantis’ launch day began with only a 30% chance that weather would allow the 11:26 a.m. EDT liftoff. However, no serious storms materialized and only a layer of clouds above 10,000 feet blanketed the launch complex.

From this reporter’s vantage point, just three miles from the launch pad, the Shuttle Training Aircraft could be heard flying mock Return to Launch Site abort scenarios to the Shuttle landing strip, further confirming acceptable weather, and allowing for a final waiver of a minor weather rule.

As key points in the count were passed, shouts of approval could be heard from the assembled crowds, located near the Vehicle Assembly Building where components of the Space Shuttle had been brought together months earlier prior to transport to the launch pad.

The countdown proceeded normally until the T-minus 31 second mark when the Ground Launch Sequencer noted an apparent failure of the Gaseous Oxygen Vent Arm to fully retract, resulting in a halt to the countdown. This vent arm, known as the “Beanie Cap,” vents off gaseous oxygen from the very top of the orange External Tank as a means of preventing ice buildup on the tank.

With the short launch window beginning to close, retraction of the vent arm was confirmed, and, astonishingly, the launch team was able to quickly restart the countdown at T minus 31 seconds. At the T minus 6.6 second mark the three main engines lit causing steam to billow around the vehicle, until taken over by the smoke of ignition from the Solid Rocket Boosters and liftoff from the pad.

After clearing the tower, Atlantis rose on breathtakingly bright flames whose heat could be felt three miles away, with the thunderous roar of the engines soon hitting the cheering crowd. After the Shuttle pierced the cloud layer, a huge pillar of smoke from the Solid Rocket Boosters could be seen extending all the way back to the pad. This cloud pillar, looking something like a giant gray twisted rope, gradually floated north of the pad.

The eight and a half minute ride to orbit proceeded smoothly, after which Atlantis began its orbital chase of the International Space Station for which it would supply a new Italian-made module. The four crew members, Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, along with Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim were scheduled to be in space 12 or 13 days before landing at the Kennedy Space Center, ending our nation’s
135th and final Space Shuttle mission. Fittingly, Atlantis will remain on display at the Kennedy Space Center, and forever be a reminder of one of America’s greatest technological feats.

Evansville Scores high on Potential but LOW on Performance

Excerpts from the Study

“According to the National Broadband Map, Evansville ranks 368 of 370 metros in the U.S. on upload and download speeds (see endnote 8). This is a serious impediment for the attraction of certain IT types of companies, and to mobile entrepreneurs that rely on the internet for their work.”

“ The Evansville Regional Airport provides good air service for a region of its size. However, the schedule is not necessarily business friendly. For example, it is difficult to do a day trip to and from Atlanta.”

“During our focus group sessions, many of the respondents who are either employers, or who serve as a resource to help train employees for employers, cited the difficulty to find and retain skilled industrial, technical and managerial talent. There was near unanimity of that opinion from most if not all of the 70 focus groups participants we interviewed.”

“During our interviews, it was also evident that many local leaders, elected officials and in some instances, economic developers, did not quite understand the economic development process, how industry clusters are identified, how to market the region effectively and what role the EDC and the LEDO’s should undertake so that there is no duplication of effort.”

“Clearly, one of the most significant challenges in the region is the lack of suitable and available industrial and office space related to industrial parks, industrial sites and available, quality class A office space.”

“The availability of venture or angel capital for entrepreneurs and start up ventures related to non retail enterprises is virtually nonexistent in the region. “

“However, the general appearance of many of the communities within the four counties we visited displayed blight, an aging housing stock (average age of 52 years), decaying downtowns and central business districts, litter, and in general, a perception of lack of community pride.”

“Evansville has a lower relative proportion of residents whose highest level of attainment is “Bachelor’s Degree” and above (Figure 8, Figure 9 and Table 6). While the differences are not entirely striking, they may influence the attraction of firms demanding a sizeable pool of highly educated workers, or cause firms to reconsider Evansville for large scale research and development type operations. “

“Evansville and the two benchmark communities each enjoy relatively low Cost of Living scores, all below 100 (Table 25). Utility prices (residential electric and gas) appear the exception in Evansville, scoring at 120.3.” Note: The utility score for the region average the rates of Duke Power and Vectren. If only Vectren rates were used the score of 120.3 would have been substantially higher (lower is better).

Link to the entire study:

http://media.courierpress.com/media/static/EVV_Competitive_Realities_report_final_04032011__2_.pdf