Take That: August 18, 2011

IN RESPONSE TO: CCO First to Break the Ford Center Naming Rights

“Keep up your great investigative reporting and FOIA requests! Wile it may on occasion displease our City adminitration and their toadies like the bumbling ERC, the CCO provides an invaluable service to the community and taxpayers.” Joe Biden

“Agreed! 100%, Wallace and crew are making a dent in the old boy network, every post here makes the hair on the back of their necks raise and their blood pressure go off the charts, you can tell by the trolls showing up and posting that the CCO is making a difference. What’s that saying about the truth setting you free?” blanger

“Keep it up CCO! Dont listen to the jackass comments coming straight from the mayors office.” Bowhunter72

“How embarassing for the Mayor’s office — more so that they didn’t follow the number one rule of journalism for official annoucements – -something even a college intern would have known. It’s pretty obvious that office, perhaps even the Mayor himself, reads this site. Leaving it off the ‘distribution list’ in an effort to censor media is shameful and frankly, in this day and age, utterly stupid.” Justathought

“Stupid? you bet, and nothing new there, just what we have come to expect out of this Administration, the Worst in our city’s history.”…” The Mayor upset? Well Done once again CCO.” Crashlarue

“I like the fact that I can’t really tell the bias of this site. I see Democrat ads but sense a Republican sentiment in content. Am I alone in this? Could it be that the site is just “pro-sense”? I’m thinking it is. In any case, I think the site is a winner and wish I’d thought of it. Maybe I could steal all the ideas and try to set it up in some other town. Man, you know, my first goal would be P’Oing some idiot off enough to complain about me in my competitor’s outlet.
Baby, that’s success!” haveagoodun

“That idiot mayor is a crook and the rest of media in this town is a joke. Thank God I’m out of here by the end of the year.” Davis

“The Courier Press is reporting the name Ford Center. Here is a link. I hope that you guys at the City County Observer will not remove the link to the Courier the way they removed 4 or 5 links that people put on their site this morning. Can you believe that they even had the nerve to claim they reported it first? You guys beat them by 3 hours.” TheDonald

“Hey CCO, in a week no one in Evansville will remember who “broke the story first” ! Focus on the perspective of the story, and give your invaluable interpretation of what’s going on behind the scenes. That’s why all of us visit this site, not because you necessarily report first, but you report more fully and with more insight than “those other people”.Just one beerman’s opinion, there are two sides to every story, and I happen to like the CCO’s side best.” beerguy

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) has named the University of Southern Indiana to the 2010 Presidents Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, an annual program that recognizes institutions of higher education for exemplary commitment to service and volunteering. USI was named to the list for engaging students, faculty, and staff in meaningful services that achieve measurable results in the community.

Programs submitted on USIs community service honor roll application included:

Saturday Art Workshop: Developed and coordinated by Dr. Joseph Uduehi, associate professor of art education, this program provides elementary and art education majors teaching opportunities before their professional student teaching semester. The two-day workshop also provides art experiences for children in the community to enhance the art lessons they receive at school and serves as a source of outreach from the University.

USI partnership with the Juan Diego Center: Students and faculty from nursing, respiratory therapy, occupational therapy, and social work delivered a variety of health services and health screenings to the Hispanic population at the Juan Diego Center in Evansville. The program increased student cultural diversity of clinical education and promoted learning of advocacy, caring, tolerance, respect, communication, and clinical competence. Participants also learned about collaboration and the roles of other disciplines and community agencies.

Raising Awareness through On Court Meeting: With 86 percent of their students at or below the poverty level and a large percentage not meeting academic state standards, Glenwood Middle School worked with USIs Department of Athletics and Department of Physical Education to teach middle school students how to play tennis. USI students also assisted students with homework, computer usage, character development, and team building while reinforcing etiquette/sportsmanship behaviors appropriate in tennis and in life. Assessment results indicated an increased interest in college attendance by students at Glenwood Middle School and a significant change in attitudes by USI students in regards to opportunities in making a positive impact through volunteerism.

CNCS, which has administered the Honor Roll since 2006, admitted a total of 641 colleges and universities for their impact on issues from literacy and neighborhood revitalization to supporting at-risk youth. Of that total, 511 were named to the Honor Roll, 114 received the recognition of Honor Roll with distinction, 11 were identified as finalists, and six received the Presidential Award.

The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll is overseen by CNCS in collaboration with the U.S. Departments of Education and Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact, and the American Council on Education. Honorees are chosen based on a series of selection factors, including the scope and innovation of service projects, the extent to which service-learning is embedded in the curriculum, the school’s commitment to long-term campus-community partnerships, and measurable community outcomes as a result of the service. For a full list of recipients, visit www.NationalService.gov/HonorRoll.

CNCS is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs, and leads President Barack Obama’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve.

Source: USI.edu

The University of Evansville Department of Theatre and Department of Music will hold auditions at 7 p.m., Monday, August 29, in Shanklin Theatre for children aged 8 to 14 for the upcoming musical “Gypsy.” Both male and female roles are available and require a young actor to be able to sing and tap dance.

Interested children should prepare a short song and be prepared to learn a dance routine. It is preferred, but not required, that the song is from a Broadway musical. An accompanist will be provided.

“Gypsy” is written by Arthur Laurents, with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. R. Scott Lank is the director, with musical direction by Gregory Rike and choreography by Ricki Newman. This classic American musical features the theatrical antics of Mama Rose — the ultimate stage mother. As vaudeville is dying and burlesque is sweeping the United States, Mama Rose embarks upon a whirlwind tour seeking stardom for her two young daughters. Among the available roles for children are Baby June and Baby Louise.

Rehearsals will begin in September, and children must be available for all performances, November 11-13 and 17-20. Performances will take place in Shanklin Theatre on the University of Evansville campus.

To register for the audition, please contact Sharla Cowden, University of Evansville Theatre marketing director, at 812-488-2747 or theatre@evansville.edu.

Source: evansville.edu

Time 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Subject BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS
Location 301
Recurrence Occurs every Thursday effective 8/4/2011 until 9/1/2011 from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Reminder 15 minutes
Sharon Evans @ 4982
Categories ROOM 301

Time 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Subject BOARD OF ZONING
Location 301
Recurrence Occurs the third Thursday of every 1 month effective 8/18/2011 until 8/18/2011 from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Reminder 15 minutes
KATHIE @ 5228
Categories ROOM 301

Time 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Subject VCCC ADVISORY BOARD
Location 318
Recurrence Occurs the third Thursday of every 3 months effective 8/18/2011 until 8/18/2011 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Reminder 15 minutes
CAROL HEAD @ 421-6313
Categories ROOM 318

Wall Street Journal Chronicles the Rise of the Texas Business Model and the Expense of the Midwest

In a hard hitting article by Michael Barone in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal, the business model of the Midwest that was largely responsible for the prosperity of Detroit and Michigan until 1970 is compared to the less regulated right to word policies of Texas and the south since that time.

As the upcoming election for Mayor of Evansville has produced the agreement of both candidates that one of governments most important functions with respect to business is to create an atmosphere that promotes investment and prosperity. Michigan and Texas during the past 40 years are the best cases to study to see exactly if and how public policy effected business.

If one were to have asked the question in the 1960’s regarding whether Dallas or Detroit was the most prosperous city with the brightest future most people would have answered Detroit. Now 40 years later Detroit has lost enough people to fill Dallas and most economists and general observers would choose Dallas in answering the same question.

Following are excerpts from this analysis and a link to the full story. As the City of Evansville and the State of Indiana move forward the lessons of these two states should have much to be learned in making the decisions on just how to set the stage for the creation of a business friendly atmosphere.

Excerpts:

“it seemed there were two models for the U.S. future. One was the Michigan model, which prevailed in the industrial Midwest and the factory towns of the Great Plains. The other was the Texas model, which prevailed in most of the South and Southwest.”

“The Michigan model was based on the Progressive/New Deal assumption that, after the transition from farm to factory, the best way to secure growth was through big companies and big labor unions.”

“Liberals assumed the Michigan model was the wave of the future, and that in time—once someone built big factories and unions organized them—backward states like Texas would catch up.”

“History hasn’t worked out that way. In 1970, Michigan had nine million people. In 2010, it had 10 million. In 1970, Texas had 11 million people. In 2010, it had 25 million. In 1970, Detroit was the nation’s fifth-largest metro area. Today, metro Houston and the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex are both pressing the San Francisco Bay area for the No. 4 spot, and Detroit is far behind.”

“Michigan is an extreme example of what has afflicted the industrial Midwest. Big corporations were replaced by big government as the leading employer, and public-employee unions replaced industrial unions as the chief financiers of the Democratic Party. In effect, public-employee unions have been a mechanism by which taxpayer money, in the form of union dues, permanently finances a lobby with a vested interest in higher spending and less accountability.”

“This Midwestern model is unraveling before our eyes.”

“The repudiation of the Midwestern model has played out most dramatically in Wisconsin…Despite the unions’ huge financial advantages, Gov. Walker’s Republicans held on to their majorities in the state Supreme Court and state Senate in hard-fought judicial and recall elections”

“with low taxes and light regulation, has been producing nearly half of America’s new jobs. The Texas model may be sweeping the Midwest, not vice versa.”

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903392904576509992605316426.html?KEYWORDS=midwest

It has been seven years since the two Mars Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, touched down on Mars and began their mobile exploration of the red planet. Where are they now? Are they still working? Three years ago, another Lander, Phoenix touched down and operated for five months in the artic region of Mars. What did it find? In our Fall planetarium show, MARS UPDATE, we’ll answer these questions and in the process, share with our audience the latest news from Mars.

Our show begins with a fifteen-minute synopsis of how our views on Mars have changed over the years – from the writings of author H.G. Wells and Percival Lowell to the NASA robots, Spirit and Opportunity. We’ll see how a world that was once thought to be full of life and Earth-like was in reality a cold, dusty, dry planet.

Also included is a slide illustrated presentation detailing where you’ll find Mars in the current night sky, the current status of the Rovers, what they’ve discovered, and what other spacecraft have been, or will be doing on Mars. Our Mars Update planetarium show will be presented at 1:00 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday from August 27 – November 27.