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Former Mayor on Global Speaking Circuit

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Former Mayor Jonathon Weinzapfel

Former Mayor of Evansville Jonathan Weinzapfel is wasting no time getting busy as he has been in Vancouver, Canada this week as a speaker at the Cities Summit. It is interesting to note that the title associated with him as a speaker is MAYOR OF EVANSVILLE. The former mayor’s bio for the conference is as follows and a link to the announcement is at the end.

Bio:

At the age of 46, Jonathan Weinzapfel has earned a reputation as a hard-working leader who values innovation, collaboration and citizen engagement.

A native of Southwestern Indiana and graduate of Evansville’s Reitz Memorial High School, Jonathan earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Indiana University in 1988. He worked as a sales representative for Eli Lilly and Company before moving to Washington, DC, in1990 to work as an aide to Congressman Frank McCloskey. While in Washington, Jonathan earned a master’s degree from Georgetown University in 1993. He returned to Evansville in that same year and joined Old National Bank.

In 2003, Jonathan soundly beat an incumbent to become the 33rd Mayor of the City of Evansville. He was re-elected in 2007 with an historic 85% of the vote. Among Jonathan’s top priorities as Mayor were to streamline government; deliver more services while holding the line on City budgets; give the people of Evansville more input in their government and greater access to City officials; revitalize Downtown Evansville and neighborhoods throughout the City; and create jobs and stimulate economic development. Mayor Weinzapful completed his second and final term as Mayor on December 31, 2011.

Key accomplishments during Jonathan’s two terms as Mayor include the following:

Delivering balanced budgets each year of his administration;

Attracting and expanding several diverse entertainment and quality of life opportunities;

Constructing the Ford Center, Evansville’s new $127.5 million arena, to replace the City’s more than 50-year-old stadium without raising taxes;

Investing unprecedented amounts of money to address Evansville’s aging, oft-failing combined sewer system and address flooding issues;

Launching the Smart City Initiative to enhance Water and Sewer Utility operations, establish a City-wide fiber optic ring, enable free City-wide public Wi-Fi, conserve resources, and increase revenue;

Incepting the Downtown Loft Housing Program;

Creating the Front Door Pride neighborhood revitalization program;

Establishing the Evansville Arts District at Haynie’s Corner;

Working with local, regional and state partners to attract significant new investments at Berry Plastics, Mead Johnson Nutrition, Springleaf Financial, SS&C, Global Blade Technology, AT&T and others.

Link:

http://www.vancouvercitiessummit.org/speakers/jonathan-weinzapfel-mayor-of-evansville-indiana

The History of the Chinese New Year

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The most important holiday for Chinese around the world is undoubtedly Chinese New Year — and it all started out of fear.
The centuries-old legend on the origins of the New Year celebration varies from teller to teller, but they all include a story of a terrible mythical monster who preyed on villagers. The lion-like monster’s name was Nian (å¹´) which is also the Chinese word for “year.”

The stories also all include a wise old man who counsels the villagers to ward off the evil Nian by making loud noises with drums and firecrackers and hanging red paper cutouts and scrolls on their doors because for some reason, the Nian is scared of the color red.

The villagers took the old man’s advice and the Nian was conquered. On the anniversary of the date, the Chinese recognize the “passing of the Nian” known in Chinese as guo nian (过年), which is also synonymous with celebrating the new year.

Based on the Lunar Calendar

The date of Chinese New Year changes each year as it is based on the lunar calendar. While the western Gregorian calendar is based on the earth’s orbit around the sun, China and most Asian countries use the lunar calendar that is based on the moon’s orbit around the earth. Chinese New Year always falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice. Other Asian countries such as Korea, Japan and Vietnam also celebrate new year using the lunar calendar.

While both Buddhism and Daoism has unique customs during the New Year, Chinese New Year is far older than both religions. Like many agrarian societies, Chinese New Year is rooted in much a celebration of spring just like Easter or Passover.

Depending on where rice is grown in China, the rice season lasts from roughly May to September (north China), April to October (Yangtze River Valley), or March to November (Southeast China). The New Year was likely the start of preparations for a new growing season.

Spring cleaning is a common theme during this time, as many Chinese will clean out their homes during the holiday. The New Year celebration could even have been a way to break up the boredom of the long winter months.

Traditional Customs

On this day, families travel long distances to meet and make merry. Known as the “Spring movement” or Chunyun (春运), a great migration takes place in China during this period where many travelers brave the crowds to get to their hometowns.

Though the holiday is only about a week-long, traditionally it is a 15-day holiday during which firecrackers are lit, drums can be heard on the streets, red lanterns glow at night, and red paper cutouts and calligraphy hangings are hung on doors. Celebrations conclude on the 15th day with the Lantern Festival.

Children are also given red envelopes with money inside. Many cities around the world also hold New Year parades complete with a dragon and lion dance.

Food is an important component to New Year. Traditional foods include nian gao or sweet sticky rice cake and savory dumplings – which are round and symbolize never-ending wealth. For more about Chinese New Year foods visit About.com’s Chinese Food site.

Chinese New Year vs. Spring Festival

In China, New Year celebrations are synonymous with “Spring Festival” (春节 or chūn jié) and it is typically a week-long celebration.

The origins of this renaming from “Chinese New Year” to “Spring Festival” is fascinating and not widely known.

In 1912, the newly-formed Chinese Republic, governed by the Nationalist party, renamed the traditional holiday to Spring Festival in order to get the Chinese people to transition to celebrating the Western New Year instead.

During this period, many Chinese intellectuals felt that modernization meant doing all the things as the West did.

When the Communists took over power in 1949, the celebration of New Year was viewed as feudalistic and seeped in religion — not proper for an atheist China. Under the Chinese Communist Party, there were some years where New Year was not celebrated at all.

By the late 1980s, however, as China began liberalizing its economy, Spring Festival celebrations became big business.

China Central Television has held an annual New Year’s Gala since 1982, which was and is still televised across the country and now via satellite to the world.

A few years ago, the government announced that it would shorten its holiday system. The May Day holiday would be shortened from a week to one day and the National Day holiday would be made two days instead of a week. In their place, more traditional holidays such as the Mid-Autumn Festival and Tomb-Sweeping Day might be implemented.

The only week-long holiday that was maintained is Spring Festival. Perhaps even today, several millennia after the first New Year, the fear of the Nian is alive and well.

IS IT TRUE? February 6, 2012

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The Mole #??

IS IT TRUE? February 6, 2012

IS IT TRUE that the State of Indiana and the City of Indianapolis deserves to stand up and take bow for the world class way that the Super Bowl was hosted?…that our bet is that the first northern city to host the Super Bowl will be getting a regular visit much like cities like Phoenix, Miami, and San Diego always do?…that from the friendly hosts and hostesses to the zip lines this was a class act?…that this was also a result of years of planning and execution that cost billions of dollars?…that one of the feature hotels that was built in downtown Indianapolis that was packed to the rafters for the Super Bowl was the 2,000 room J. W. Marriott that was the work of a professional hospitality company called White Lodging?…that while Fort Wayne and Indianapolis were able to make deals with White Lodging to get the hotels they needed Evansville and the previous Mayor were mired up in the old south good old boy politics of crony capitalism and have exactly 2 failed deals, a hope and a prayer, and a big empty lot?…that we would like to introduce a new phrase of “what’s it gonna be Evansville, world class or fish for bass”?…that by the start of the 2012 Evansville City Council’s antics that world class is not going to happen soon and the bass may be safe too because these folks don’t know how to bait a hook?

IS IT TRUE that Evansville’s long term hate affair with Madonna who disrespected the River City back in the early 1990’s when she was in jail here for 3 months while filming “A League of Their Own” seems to have ended?…that most people are no longer holding Madonna in low esteem for comparing Evansville to the eastern European city of Prague that at the time was under communist rule and was dealing with third world challenges like crumbling infrastructure?…that something in Madonna’s comparison must have rallied the leaders of Prague to task because today Prague is a humming international destination that got rid of its old boss communist system?…that somewhere in Prague someone stood up and said “Damn that Madonna, we are not like Evansville. We need to change and we need to change now”?…that over the last 20 years Prague has changed dramatically for the better and that Evansville is still pretty much the same with a new building or two?…that today it would be a big compliment for Madonna or anyone else to say that Evansville is like being in Prague?…if we could get her to say that, our tourism numbers would soar?…that there would be no place to stay in downtown Evansville, but there was a decent place called the Executive Inn when the filming was going on?

IS IT TRUE that Madonna’s movie, “A League of Their Own” has become a source of pride for Evansville and SW Indiana with reminders all over the place from the entry to the airport to the Racine Bells logos at Bosse Field?…that Madonna gave us something to latch onto that has given us all a bit of pride?…that speaking of filming there will be a documentary film crew in town for about a month to do a film on the life of a Castle High graduate who made it big in the entertainment industry?…that film crew has their office in the same building as this writer does here in Palm Springs and that I am coaching them on restaurants to frequent and things to do doing their stay in Evansville?…that the local celebrity is none other than Michael Rosenbaum best known for Smallville who is a proud Castle Knight?…I will warn my friends on the film crew privately soon so they can meet them and maybe have some fun as extras?

UE Women’s Awareness to Perform “The Vagina Monologues”

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To raise awareness of women’s issues and support a local nonprofit organization, members of the University of Evansville Women’s Awareness student organization will perform Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues next weekend.

Performances of Ensler’s critically acclaimed production will take place on Saturday, February 11 at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, February 12 at 2:00 p.m. Both shows will take place in Eykamp Hall, Room 251 in the Ridgway University Center. Admission is $5 and open to the community.

Women’s Awareness will donate 90 percent of the proceeds from ticket sales, a silent art auction, and button and bracelet sales to the Albion Fellows Bacon Center, a shelter for local victims of domestic and sexual violence.

The other 10 percent of proceeds will benefit V-Day, a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls. Each year, V-Day distributes funds to its Spotlight Campaign, which focuses on a particular group of women with the goal of raising awareness and funds to put a worldwide media spotlight on this area and to aid groups on the ground that are addressing it.

This year, the organization is spotlighting the increased rates of sexual violence against women and girls in Haiti since the devastating earthquake in January 2010. This year’s productions of The Vagina Monologues will include a new monologue written by Ensler, titled “For My Sisters in Portauprincebukavuneworleans.” The monologue is dedicated to the women of Haiti as well as the women of the last two spotlight areas, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and New Orleans.

Based on interviews that V-Day founder/playwright Eve Ensler conducted with more than 200 women, The Vagina Monologues celebrates women’s sexuality and strength. The award-winning play ran off-Broadway for five years in New York and then toured the United States. Now, activists across the world perform the monologues to heighten community awareness of women’s issues and raise money for local organizations working to end violence against girls and women.

In 2011, The Vagina Monologues was performed more than 3,500 times worldwide. The University of Evansville’s production last year raised more than $1,200 for the Albion Fellows Bacon Center and V-Day.

For more information on the monologues and the V-Day movement, please visit www.vday.org.

Source: Evansville.edu

IS IT TRUE? February 5, 2012

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The Mole #??

IS IT TRUE? February 5, 2012

IS IT TRUE that Vanderburgh County has retained its title as the #1 county in the State of Indiana for the most meth labs?…that unfortunately we are adding to our lead and for 2012 were a full 63% in front of the second place Elkhart County way up north where unemployment flourishes?…that last year Vanderburgh County only to the #1 position by 12% over Kosclusko County?…that while it is good to see more arrests this sobering statistic of being the #1 county for meth in a state that competes very well for the #1 national ranking for meth labs should really get the attention of public officials?…that this is truly an emergency situation in a place that continues to tout itself as “a good place to raise kids” with a “high quality of life”?

IS IT TRUE that in 2011 it seems that Evansville and/or Vanderburgh County have been named #1 in the nation for three race to the bottom indices?…that if we are to ever be proven to be “a good place to raise kids” with a “high quality of life” that the days of LEADING THE NATION in meth labs, suicide, and obesity MUST END?…that one would think that there would be more urgency to shed such stigmas?…that if we are to be profiled in the Guinness Book of World Records it would certainly be preferable to be profiled for something positive?…that here in the land of new arenas, Front Door Pride, BoothGATE, ArrestGATE, Needle in the ParkGATE, Didn’t pay for the ChickenGate, can’t find a Hotel DeveloperGATE, can’t get McCurdy taxes PaidGATE, and now MaingateGATE one would think if we were so magnanimous in local governance that we would be a leader in something other than meth labs, suicide, and obesity?

IS IT TRUE that the next four years need to be a time of reflection on what has become a town that changes little and continually falls for the illusion that things are okay in River City?…that being the US capital of meth labs, suicide, and obesity is simply not acceptable?…that reflection and reality had better take hold soon or the Good Ship Evansville will pass the point of no return on the race to the bottom?

IS IT TRUE that Mole #57 tells us that Mayor Winnecke was only approached last week to make the humanitarian trip to Mexico as an ambassador for the City of Evansville?…that to make such an offer on a week’s notice to a sitting Mayor is not sufficient notice to even reasonable expect that he could accept?…that most of us have known since the first week of November that Lloyd Winnecke would be Mayor and that the Rotary Club should have known that and planned well enough for Mayor Winnecke to be able to be the ambassador that he has openly stated that he will be for the City of Evansville?

IS IT TRUE that our FORMER mayor had on his bio at a speaking engagement this week that he is Mayor of Evansville, Indiana?…that we wonder when it will sink in that the steward of the Office of Mayor of Evansville changed hands on January 1st?…that as long as the civic organizations of Evansville keep sending the FORMER mayor on ambassadorial junkets that the delusion will live on?…that along with the incorrect title the conference bio included “He was re-elected in 2007 with an historic 85% of the vote”?…that for those of us who are aware of the quality of candidate that this “historic” victory was won over know just how “un-historic” the mayoral election of 2007 actually was?…that Republican candidate David Nixon had about the same probability for victory that one of the McCurdy pigeons would have against one of Kyrsten Monson’s falcons?

Motley Crue: Same Ol’ Situation Same Ol’ Ball & Chain:

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IS IT TRUE? February 4, 2012

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The Mole #??

IS IT TRUE? February 4, 2012

IS IT TRUE

that Indiana Secretary of State Charlie White has been found guilty of multiple instances of voter fraud with respect to his address?…that it is going to be interesting to see if justice plays itself out and Secretary White is removed from office for this conviction?…that in the event of his removal it will be equally interesting to see if his replacement will be his Democrat challenger Vop Osili or if the Republicans will get to appoint his successor?…that there is also the possibility that he will continue to serve and pay a fine?…that while this news should attract more interest than it does it seems as though when a politician is convicted anymore that many people just shrug their shoulders and accept it as the way of the world?

IS IT TRUE we are wondering when VenuWorks will decide to put the City County Observer on their Media list …that the last time we checked, VenuWorks is heavily subsidized by the local taxpayers and should adhere to public access laws?


IS IT TRUE that the Murray State Racers just keep on winning and are now sitting at 22 – 0 as the only undefeated college basketball team in the nation?…that in 6 regular season games and a bracket buster matchup against 22nd ranked St. Mary’s we shall know if the Racers will be entering the Ohio Valley Conference tournament with a perfect 29 – 0 record?…that they could very well be heading to the NCAA with a 32 – 0 record and a #2 seed if they can pull this season out?…that the Racers are this year’s inspiration for little guys everywhere?

IS IT TRUE that last weekend the Union County Braves wrestling team won the Kentucky State Duels for the first time?…that for those who don’t know Union County High is located in Morganfield in a county of only 15,000 or so people?…that wrestling in Kentucky does not have class distinction so UCHS has to go up against giant schools like Louisville Trinity (enrollment 4,000) at the state level?…that the Braves now have 7 outright state titles and 3 class A titles in the trophy case just in wrestling?…that they are favored to add another team title at the state meet in mid February?…that this makes the CCO the only Evansville based publication to report this?

IS IT TRUE? February 3, 2012

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Kyrsten Monson, "the FalconMaster"

IS IT TRUE? February 3, 2012

IS IT TRUE that there is still an disturbing silence down at the McCurdy Hotel during the day that sounds more like the echoes of the past than the jackhammers of the future?…that except for the cooing of pigeons and squeaking of bats there is little sound at all coming from the historic hotel?…that other than the slow and silent degradation of neglect which seems to age these precious and important old building that no constructive sounds have come from the McCurdy in the nearly 4 years since our former mayor triumphantly announced deal with an Indianapolis based donor to his campaign funds that could not seem to get the funds to do the project while filling political coffers of the former mayor?…that the fall installment of the property taxes are still not paid?

IS IT TRUE that just yesterday the City County Observer learned of a very attractive young lady who may have a great solution to the problems at the McCurdy regarding pigeons and bats?…that Miss Kyrsten Monson is what is known as a “falconmaster”?…that about the best way that cities and hospitality industry facilities can rid their grounds of pesky pigeons, crows, rats, etc. is to hire a “falconmaster” to order her flock to do some timely eradication of the sky rats and their kin?…that maybe the City of Evansville could consider inviting Kyrsten to town with her falcons to start ridding the sky around the McCurdy and other roosts of pigeons?

Kyrsten's Falcon Standing Guard
IS IT TRUE that a multiyear effort that has been a joint venture between the Rotary Club and St. Mary’s to supply some valuable medical equipment to Mexico as a humanitarian effort has successfully place over $1 Million worth of equipment into the hands of people in need?…that this spirit of giving is one of the most noteworthy and admirable things about the civic organizations in and around Evansville?…that one of the four local delegates who will be making a good will trip to Mexico to see our gifts in action is none other than Citizen Jonathan Weinzapfel?

IS IT TRUE that this weekend the Super Bowl will be at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and that Indiana’s state capitol is all spruced up make a great impression on Super Bowl attendees and over 100 Million people on television?…that some Indianapolis law enforcement officers are sweating out a threat made by a group of unions to disrupt the Super Bowl weekend over the recent passage of Right to Work?…that we admonish these people who fought the good fight and lost to let their frustrations rest for the weekend and enjoy the Super Bowl and all of its side events as opposed to showing their backsides in the streets of Indianapolis over this law?…that making a sparkling impression on the world is more important that crying sour grapes for the camera?…that for those who opposed Right to Work the place to make a difference is at the ballot box in November and not in the streets in February?

IS IT TRUE that at a most informative presentation made by the Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) this writer was able to witness a very detailed description of how wholesale electricity prices at the grid level change by the minute 24 hours a day?…that the subject of the presentation with astonishing graphics was the Midwest?…that the day that was the subject of the graphics was the hottest day of last summer when demand was highest?…that the Chairman of the FERC is an advocate for transforming the consumer pricing of electricity to allow residential ratepayers to be able to take advantage of real time pricing?…that being able to do this will require smart metering, a variable pricing schedule set by grid wholesale pricing, sufficient infrastructure to do this, smart customers, and willing utilities?…that this presentation was truly illuminating and there will be a more comprehensive article next week in the CCO?…that the hot spot for wholesale pricing in the entire Midwest is SW Indiana?…that the reason is substantially due to a transmission bottleneck that appeared to be near Vincennes?…that on the contrary the lowest price wholesale power that was sometimes priced at ZERO is around the wind farms north of Terre Haute?…that the Chairman of the FERC stated that the abysmal disconnect of the price to the consumer from the actual wholesale market is causing unneeded construction projects to be undertaken, higher electric bills, and unnecessary emission of pollution?…his solemn opinion is that “unleashing information is the only way to unleash power” and that “static fixed rate pricing decouples consumer awareness”?

FRIDAY VIDEO: “Street Violinist”

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Anonymous 4 to Perform Medieval Music at UE Feb. 5

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Anonymous 4, an internationally acclaimed vocal quartet specializing in medieval music, will perform a guest recital and lecture at the University of Evansville next weekend.

The group will perform at 12:45 p.m. Sunday, February 5 in Wheeler Concert Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

Renowned for their unearthly vocal blend and virtuosic ensemble singing, the members of Anonymous 4 (Ruth Cunningham, Marsha Genensky, Susan Hellauer, and Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek) combine historical scholarship with contemporary performance intuition to create their magical sound. Celebrating their 25th anniversary during the 2011-12 season, the ensemble has performed on major concert series and at festivals throughout North America, Europe, and Asia.

“The winning qualities of this perennially popular a cappella group … are still strong,” wrote New York Times music reviewer Vivien Schweitzer after seeing the group perform last October. “Their impressive vocal blend, purity of tone, and distinctive individual voices, which have helped them sell almost two million copies of their albums on the Harmonia Mundi label, were beautifully highlighted.”

Anonymous 4 has appeared on a wide range of radio and television programs, including NPR’s All Things Considered, Performance Today, and Weekend Edition; MPR’s St. Paul Sunday; WETA’s Millennium of Music; Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion; and ZDF’s Ersteklassich! (Germany). The ensemble has also been featured on A&E’s Breakfast with the Arts, CBS’ Sunday Morning, and Australian ABC’s Access All Areas.

Anonymous 4’s newest album, released in late 2011, is titled Secret Voices: Chant and Polyphony from The Las Huelgas Codex, c. 1300. This varied repertoire of 13th-century polyphony and sacred Latin song originated at a Spanish convent where the nuns sang this music, despite the rules of their order that forbade the performance of music with more than one part.

Source: Evansville.edu

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