The Classical Guitar Society of Evansville and the University of Evansville will co-sponsor the annual Guitar Fest this Friday, February 17. The concert serves as a fundraiser for the society and its efforts to provide quality classical guitar concerts for the community.
The concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. February 17 in UE’s Wheeler Concert Hall. Tickets are $15 for the general public, $5 for any student, and free for UE students.
The evening will feature 20 selections from composers such as J.S. Bach, Francisco Tarrega, Mauro Giuliani, and Agustin Barrios. Performers include an ensemble of 17 local guitarists (including UE faculty and students) and guest artist Matthew Schroeder, a recent graduate of the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM).
Schroeder began his guitar studies with Sarah Wilke at the age of 14. He continued studies with Clare Callahan at CCM, where he received a Bachelor of Music degree in classical guitar performance.
While at CCM, Schroeder was the recipient of the Oscar Ghiglia Award in Classical Guitar and the Segovia Scholarship in Classical Guitar, annually awarded to an outstanding guitarist upon recommendation by the faculty at CCM. He has performed in master classes with many of the world’s top guitarists, including Oscar Ghiglia, Marcin Dylla, William Kanengiser, Jason Vieaux, Carlos Perez, Stanley Yates, and Johannes Möller.
IS IT TRUE that the CCO has learned that just today the Chairman of the Evansville Fire Department Merit Commission, Jim Hubert, voluntarily excused himself from the Al Lindsey case?…that in the February 10th edition of “IS IT TRUE” the CCO pointed out that Mr. Hubert could possibly have a conflict of interest with this particular hearing?…that Mr. Hubert is an attorney with the Evansville law firm Ziemer, Stayman, Weitzel and Shoulders and that this firm is representing the Evansville Fire Department in the Al Lindsey case?…that we thank and commend Mr. Hubert for doing the honorable thing?…that Mr. Hubert’s actions are the perfect example of public officials holding themselves to a higher standard in the interest of good public policy?
IS IT TRUE that over the last 20 years there have been several City of Evansville firemen who have had alcohol related issues while on the job or while driving a City Fire Department vehicle?…that they have not had their employment terminated by the City of Evansville.
IS IT TRUE that over the last 20 years there have been several City of Evansville firemen who have had drug or immoral conduct issues while on or off the clock?…that they have not had their employment terminated as a result of such situations.
IS IT TRUE that these simple facts and the other inconvenient fact that precedent carries much weight in the world of litigation should be taken into account with respect to the case of Al Lindsey?
IS IT TRUE that this whole MainGate Bar episode seems to be driving home some of the pettiness that has been going on in Evansville politics for many years now?…that we hope that this whole embarrassing situation is used as an opportunity to implement some changes?…that the first rule for changes should be “IF WHAT YOU CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE ABOUT TO DO WILL MAKE THE CITY OF EVANSVILLE LOOK LIKE A CORRUPT VILLAGE OF 500 IN THE 1950’S, DON’T DO IT”?
Type of Crime: Thefts from Vehicles
Date of Crime: 021212-021312
Location of Crime: Multiple
SUMMARY
Evansville Police are investigating 6 reports of thefts from vehicles in a south side neighborhood.
Reports were taken at the following locations:
638 Runnymeade
2126 Lincoln
2216 E Mulberry
2013 E Chandler
2325 Bayard Park
411 Runnymeade
Various items including electronics, purses, and a checkbook were reportedly taken. Police remind residents to lock their valuables in their homes.
Anyone with information in these thefts is asked to call the Evansville Police Department at 812-436-7979.
IS IT TRUE that today is Valentine’s Day and that we encourage all of our readers to express their emotions to that special person that you love to celebrate?…that even goes for those among you who have fallen for the charms of Lifestyle Lil who is also the siren who sang to seven husbands?…that even if no one else loves you that Lil will?
IS IT TRUE that the Evansville City Council passed by a vote of 7 – 2 last night a nearly comprehensive smoking ban that will take effect on April 1, 2012?…that there is literally not one land based building in Evansville where people are employed that will allow smoking after that date?…that the only exception is the gaming area of Casino Aztar and that all of that floats?…that there has been some question raised recently as to whether the boat is in the city or the county or even in Kentucky but that is all moot at this point for enforcement purposes?…that Councilwoman Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley gets the badge of courage last night for voting against the exemption for Aztar because she truly believes that a comprehensive ban is the right thing to do?…that Councilwoman Mosby as expected opposed the ban based on what she thinks her constituents in the second ward want?…that if there is one thing that we can say for Missy is that she has been the most consistent of the nine members of the City Council through this whole multiyear process?
IS IT TRUE that the most puzzling vote of the night was cast by Councilman Jonathan Weaver who cast the other NO vote?…that Councilman Weaver was elected to represent the community at large which has consistently supported a smoking ban by a 4 to 1 majority for several years now?…that Councilman Weaver may want to review who he works for as his title is Councilman at-large as opposed to Councilman at-the-bar?
IS IT TRUE that two weeks ago when this whole dust up over the January 23rd booze fest attended by six Democrat City Council members came up that the City County Observer raised the issue of such meetings violating OPEN DOOR LAWS?…that we were dismissed and scoffed at with even attorneys who should know parsing words and expressing opinions to the contrary?…that now former City Council member Wendy Bredhold has been reported to confirm that these after council meeting gatherings have been going on for a number of years?…that the Monday night gatherings of Democrats have been described as “traditionâ€?…that to her credit Ms. Bredhold had the good sense to realize that such gatherings do not pass the smell test and rarely attended?…that Evansville’s 3rd Ward seems to have become a consistent source of principled City Council members having elected now County Commissioner Steve Melcher, Ms. Bredhold, and current Councilwoman Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley?…that the CCO thanks the 3rd Ward for electing people who can be counted on to do what is right to the Evansville City Council?
Hello from Foo Foo! Foo Foo is a 9-year-old spayed Lynx Point Siamese Mix. This laid back girl will do well in just about any home as long as there is a big window she can stare out of. She will fit wonderfully into a multi-cat home and probably wouldn’t mind sharing her space with just the right dog. School age children would be just fine for her. Foo Foo loves to sit and observe things and usually does so from up above so her new owners might want to think about getting a cat tree that she can climb on. For more information on how to make Foo Foo a member of your family, visit www.vhslifesaver.org or (812) 426-2563.
Newstalk 1280 WGBF-AM and Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke present a new weekly program called “Wednesdays With Winneckeâ€â€¦giving Mayor Winnecke the opportunity to respond to questions submitted by listeners online at newstalk1280.com, as well as have special guests in the studio to discuss important Evansville issues and community events.
“Wednesdays With Winnecke†is a 30-minute program that can be heard each Wednesday from 8:30am-9am on Newstalk 1280. The first episode will air on February 22nd. During the first show, Mayor Winnecke will have METS Director Tony Kirkland on as a special guest.
Mayor Winnecke will be in the WGBF-AM studio on Tuesday, February 14th from 9am-10:30am to pre-record the February 22nd and February 29thn episodes of “Wednesdays With Winnecke.â€
IS IT TRUE that the City of Evansville tonight passed by a 7 – 2 vote an ordinance to adopt the comprehensive smoking ban that was adopted by the Vanderburgh County Commissioners on behalf of the people of Vanderburgh County 3 years ago?…that the only two votes against this resolution were cast by Missy Mosby and Jonathan Weaver?…that the City County Observer is proud of the City Council members who voted in favor of this resolution that is 25 years late but is finally here none the less?
IS IT TRUE that we first of all would like to recognize and thank Martha Caine and her army of volunteers who have worked tirelessly to make Evansville a more attractive and healthier place to strengthen the smoking laws of the City of Evansville?…that we also thank and acknowledge the efforts of City Councilmen Dan Adams and Dan McGinn who have been on the right side of this issue from day one?…that we furthermore wish to thank and acknowledge the unwavering efforts of former City Councilwoman from the 3rd Ward Wendy Bredhold and her worth successor Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley for not letting politics or power get in the way of doing the right thing for public health?
IS IT TRUE that you can’t always get everything that is desired and the forces for public health are to be congratulated for getting Evansville to a point where there is NO LAND BASED SMOKING and only the gambling floors of Casino Aztar allow public indoor smoking?…that Evansville just became the FIRST INDIANA CITY TO GO THIS FAR and that this will pay off?…that whatever one believes in KHARMA seems to be real and today the City of Evansville has made a deposit into the GOOD KHARMA bank?
IS IT TRUE that we also thank Mayor Winnecke for his many years of advocating for a smoking ban?…that today it finally happened and that Evansville, Indiana will be a better place for it?
Joe Wallace The Politics of Granting Exemptions
By: Joe J. Wallace
Once again the Evansville City Council is facing a vote on a resolution to pass a comprehensive smoking ban that mirrors the Vanderburgh County plan. Tonight a vote will be held on this resolution and this time it seems as though the inevitability of a stronger smoking ordinance has finally sunk into the skull of a majority of our elected leaders. It is a foregone conclusion that some version of a stronger smoking ordinance will be passed in Evansville in 2012. The only variable seems to be the number of exemptions that may have to be granted to garner the 5 votes needed to pass a resolution.
Many groups have asserted everything from constitutional rights to stating that the science behind the damage caused by second hand smoke is simply mythology created by those who would impose their will upon the sovereign rights of others. The truth of the matter is that the constitutional assertion has been shot down in court on a number of occasions and the evidence that 2nd hand smoke kills is overwhelming. Then there is the conundrum of the economics of exemptions.
The real question that the City Council will be considering when considering just what exemptions are deemed “appropriate†by a majority all comes down to economics. How much will it cost for any business to be granted an exemption? Aztar management has asserted that passing a comprehensive smoking ban will cost the City of Evansville several million dollars in taxes and may cost over 250 of their employees their jobs. That is debatable, but for the sake of avoiding an argument lets accept that as truth. One thing is for certain, bar owners and restaurant owners do not pay enough taxes or employ enough people to meet the economic threshold for an exemption so this exemption debate is really just about Aztar.
If 2nd hand smoke is accepted by the City Council to be a hazard, the real question is how much does an exemption cost? For what price my friends and City Council members will you prostitute yourselves to a powerful taxpayer. To ascertain an answer in other areas where public safety was the decision driver when they were adopted I would like to pose the following questions.
What if all Mercedes owners were named John and wanted an exemption to our speeding laws? Since the annual license fee and the sales tax for a Mercedes is substantially higher than it is for a 5 year old Toyota, these Johns are paying more license fees than Toyota drivers. Should this collection of Johns be granted an exemption from our speeding laws? After all they could always trade their Benzes for Camrys and lay off the nanny, the landscaper, and the pool man paying less in taxes and eliminating jobs in the process.
What if one particular chain of restaurants that is prosperous and employs lots of people wanted to be exempted from health inspections? If this restaurant stood before the City Council and stated with confidence that without an exemption that would allow them to serve undercooked squirrels that they will most likely be paying a couple of million dollars less in taxes and may even have to lay off a couple of hundred people. Would our City Council give serious consideration to such a request?
Finally, the WalMart Corporation employs many people and lines the coffers of local government with revenue from sales, income, real estate, and other taxes. If WalMart could reduce the already low wages that they pay their employees they would make higher profits and thus pay more taxes. The same cognitive process that concludes that Aztar deserves an exemption from the same rules that every other business has to comply with should exempt WalMart from minimum wage laws for the same reasons.
The politics of exemption really does make for some most interesting discussion and it always seems like the exemptions come down to economics and that it comes down to the golden rule. For those who do not remember that rule is “he who has the gold makes the rulesâ€. Whatever the outcome of this year’s vote on a smoking ordinance it needs to make as much practical sense as possible.
If the City of Evansville has to compromise principles and make an exemption for Aztar that will be unfortunate but that also may be the economic reality of the situation.
With six of the current members of the City Council having committed to vote for a comprehensive smoking ban back during the 2011 campaign if a comprehensive smoking ban does not pass it will involve yet another case of politicians being purveyors of falsehood. Let’s also hope that at least the votes are decided in the Council Chamber instead of a local Democrat watering hole.
Just how on earth can an elected official (the seventh vote) transition from “I am my brother’s keeper†to “we can’t protect everyone†in two short years? Maybe when questions like that do not have to be asked then the City of Evansville can actually take a place among prosperous cities with growth potential. Until then more of the same seems to be the law of the land.
Tonight is an opportunity for this Democrat dominated City Council to prove that they have a basic understanding of what the concepts of truth, honor, and democratic principles really are. I will not count on them doing the right thing. Quite frankly I do not believe that a majority have the integrity to cast a yes vote for a comprehensive smoking ban as 6 of them have looked me in the eye and committed to do, but I do have hope.
The Classical Guitar Society of Evansville and the University of Evansville will co-sponsor the annual Guitar Fest this Friday, February 17. The concert serves as a fundraiser for the society and its efforts to provide quality classical guitar concerts for the community. 
Newstalk 1280 WGBF-AM and Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke present a new weekly program called “Wednesdays With Winneckeâ€â€¦giving Mayor Winnecke the opportunity to respond to questions submitted by listeners online at newstalk1280.com, as well as have special guests in the studio to discuss important Evansville issues and community events.
