Oshblog

We've moved

2005-04-15T13:03:00.000-05:00

The Oshblog is now here.

Esslinger wins award

2005-04-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

Congratulations are in order for Oshkosh City Councilman Paul Esslinger. He has been selected to receive the 2004 Verl Franz Distinguished Leadership Award, given by the Oshkosh Committee on Aging.

Each year this award honors an individual who has taken a significant leadership role in an organization whose primary goal is serving the Aging population of Oshkosh and who has demonstrated concern for/interest in areas of support or assistance to the Aging population.

In a letter from Susan Kreibich, aging services manager for the City of Oshkosh and staff to the Oshkosh Committee on Aging, she stated that "it was very clear to the Awards Committee of the Oshkosh Committee on Aging that you deserve this award."

Paul will be presented with his award at the annual Taste of the Town event sponsored by the Oshkosh Seniors Center on April 26. In addition to receiving a small plaque, Paul's name will be engraved on a plaque that hangs in the main facility of the Oshkosh Seniors Center.

Congratulations to Paul for this very distinguished honor. Like a true leader and wonderful role model - one we should all try to emulate - Paul goes about his humanitarian efforts silently, not doing them for recognition or to get his name in lights. He does them because he wants to and because he truly cares. One of the biggest recipients of the "quiet" contributions Paul makes has always been the Oshkosh Seniors Center. The Oshkosh Committee on Aging has made a wonderful selection in Paul Esslinger to receive this award.

Congratulations, Paul! You are well-deserved of this award. You not only help set the standard by which so many others should try to live their lives, you help define it by virtue of your everyday actions. Thank you for all you do for this community - past, present and future!

Cheryl Hentz
Resident, City of Oshkosh

3rd Annual UW-Oshkosh Earth Week

2005-04-14T07:12:00.000-05:00

Monday April 18th: Alternative Future- Biodiesel & The Hydrogen Economy.
7:00-8:00 pm. Reeve Union Room 202.

The evening begins with a biodiesel panel featuring John Baumann, Jackie Marshall, and Nate Wirth. They will present information on the possible utilization of biodiesel as an alternative fuel source for the Oshkosh campus and surrounding communities. The term “biodiesel” pertains to vegetable oil, alone or blended with petroleum diesel, used to power diesel vehicles. In a time of increasing petroleum prices, biodiesel is a workable alternative for the vast majority of diesel vehicles.

8:00 -9:00 pm. Reeve Union Room 202.
Dr. Ken Menningen, a physics professor from U.W. Stevens Point, will address the hydrogen economy and present his research on the development of a photo- electrochemical cell that uses only sunlight to produce hydrogen. The future
is closer than we think. Organized & Sponsored by: SEAC, Environmental Studies Dept. & Earth Charter Community Summit.

Tuesday April 19th: Women & the Environment.

11am-1pm. Reeve Union Underground
Come and enjoy a Drum Circle led by Robin Cardell of The Oshkosh Rhythm
Institute. Bring something to rattle or bang on and lay down some nice
beats!

6:30-8:30 pm. Women’s Center.
Join us for a showing of the film “Rachel’s Daughters: Searching for the Causes of Breast Cancer.” It is a documentary based on a group of women who have survived breast cancer, while exploring the environmental causes of the disease. Taking inspiration from Rachel Carson (who died of breast cancer in 1964) and her 1962 book Silent Spring, the women tackle such diverse issues as environmental racism and social inequality in research funding and health care. This film reveals the downside of industrialization with frightening clarity and does an excellent job of inspiring both breast cancer activism and advocacy. 106 min. After the film U.W.O Professor Dr. Jordan Landry will give a talkback on Eco-Feminism. Organized & Sponsored by: WAC & SEAC.

Wednesday April 20th: Sustainable Eating/ Sustainable Life.

9:00- 11:00 am. Albee Hall
Start the day with Yoga! Two yoga sessions will be held, from 9:15-10:00 am & again from 10:15-11:00 am. Becca Pulver, a trained yoga instructor, has previously taught yoga on campus and currently teaches classes at the Oshkosh YMCA. Yoga means “joined together,” and is an applied science to both the body and the mind. It is simultaneously self-diagnosis, healing, prevention, and maintenance. All are welcome to attend, whether first-timers or veterans, all you need to bring is yourself! Breathe, relax, stretch, it is a full mind and body workout! Namaste.

11:45 am-1:00 pm & 5:45- 7:00 pm. Blackhawk Commons.(corner closest to
Reeve) “Eating Good: Vegan & Vegetarian Diets,” with Dietitian Sue McIlraith of Affinity Health in Oshkosh. She'll be discussing the inner workings of the diet of the future.

7:00- 8:00 pm. Reeve Union Room 202.
“Bringing Fair Trade Home: Connecting the Local with the Global in Food Politics.” John Peck, Executive Director of Family Farm Defenders, will discuss a humane and sustainable food system, from Fair Trade coffee to purchasing local and organic foods.

8:00- 9:00 pm. Reeve Union Room 202.
Doug Wubben, Project Coordinator for Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch presents a workshop on “Bringing Local & Sustainable Food to Campus.” Doug will discuss the Campus Food Project at UW Madison and how UWO students can get fresh local food and support local farmers. Organized & Sponsored by: SEAC & Environmental Studies Dept.

Thursday April 21st: Democracy from the Grassroots.

11am-1pm. Reeve Union Underground
Come and enjoy "Rhapsody of Recycled Rhythm" led by Robin Cardell of The Oshkosh Rhythm Institute. Bring some sort of trash and transform into a musical rhythm making machine!

6:30-8:00 pm. Reeve Union Room 227 BC.
“Wisconsin Political Reform.” Join two of Wisconsin’s premier political activists: Mike McCabe of Wisconsin Democracy Campaign and Jay Heck of Common Cause Wisconsin, as they discuss some of the leading issues in state government, and avenues for citizens to become involved to make a real difference. Moderated by U.W.O Professor Dr. Tony Palmeri.

8:15- 9:00 pm. Reeve Union Room 227 BC.
“Independent Media in a Time of War: A Documentary by Amy Goodman." Part scathing critique, part call to action, this film is a hard-hitting documentary illustrated by clips of mainstream media juxtaposed with rare footage from independent reporters in Iraq. The documentary argues that dialogue is vital to a healthy democracy. FREE POPCORN! Donations accepted to cover cost of film. Organized & Sponsored by: Campus Greens, Lake Winnebago Green Party, SEAC, WAC, University Speakers Series, & Earth Charter Community Summit.

Friday April 22nd: Earth Day! Ecosphere in Balance.

10:00 am. (Location: TBA)
It’s a tree! The 3rd Annual Tree Planting on U.W.O grounds. Come join the Vice Chancellor & the Provost in showing your support for a greener campus and help to plant the little guy safely in the ground!

6:30-10:00 pm. Titan Underground Reeve Union.
Open-Mic Spoken-Word Workshop & Fundraiser for 34 Million Friends of the United Nations Population Fund.Got something to say about world population, the Earth, or environmental & social justice? Then come get it off your chest, for fun, prizes & a good cause! Local spoken-word artist Stephani Ott will run a workshop on the ins & outs of spoken-word for the first hour before handing the stage over to the audience. All funds raised will benefit 34 Million Friends, a group working to curb population growth through the empowerment and proper care of women around the world. Other local artists scheduled to perform include: Justin Kohl & Ben Farrell.

To guarantee yourself a place on stage contact SEAC at seac@uwosh.edu before April 21st with the topic of your poem/s, all others will get on stage on a first come basis. Organized & Sponsored by: SEAC & WAC.

Saturday April 23rd: Day of Action: Fox River Cleanup!

9:00 am- 12:00 pm. Wisconsin Street Bridge Near Campus.
The Fox River gives so much to our community, its time to give a little something back by taking out the trash! Come join us as we get down and dirty to clean up our beautiful river and community. Bags, gloves, and refreshments
provided.

8:00 pm. Reeve Underground
Come ROCK OUT and CELEBRATE the finishing of the 3rd Annual Earth Week!! You can dance like crazy, sit back and relax, or initiate conversation about the other night's intriuging speaker. BE THERE and bring your friends!! Line up: solo guitarist, Plant Life, and INIFINITY THEORY.

Also, from 1pm until 4pm, the ES Club will be at the Rydell Environmental
Education Centerin the Town of Menasha cleaning up that site. If anyone wants to
participate, let me know: Steven Jeffery-->steven@jeffery.com
Organized & Sponsored by: SEAC & Sierra Club.

Earth Week is made possible by the hard work and commitment of the following groups: Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC), U.W.O Environmental Studies Dept., Women’s Advocacy Council (WAC), Campus Greens, Lake Winnebago Green Party,University Speakers Series, Sierra Club, and of course the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.

Thank you!
Questions or comments?
Please email us at seac@uwosh.edu.

Exclusive Co. TIF update

2005-04-14T07:09:00.000-05:00

From the UW-O student newspaper:

All signs now point to a move in the summer or early fall. A similar move was planned last fall, but complications slowed the project.

The full story is here.

KATHLEEN FALK TO SPEAK IN OSHKOSH

2005-04-12T21:28:00.000-05:00

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk will be the keynote speaker at the annual "Women, Power, and Politics" fund raiser for the Oshkosh Area League of Women Voters on Thursday, April 28, 5:00-7:30 pm. The speech will begin at 5:30 pm. The event is open to the community. It will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn, 1355 W. 20th Ave., Oshkosh. Tickets are $25 in advance and include an hors d'oeuvres supper. Contact Kathy Propp at 231-4770 or prokat@execpc.com by April 22.

Ms. Falk has served as Dane County Executive since 1998, and was just re-elected on April 5 to another term of office. She oversees Wisconsin's second largest county that is the seat of our state government and home of the University of Wisconsin Madison. Kathleen was a 2002 gubernatorial candidate and also served in the Attorney General's office as Wisconsin's Public Intervener from 1983-1995.

'Truck' gains in robot challenge

2005-04-12T14:41:00.000-05:00

Oshkosh Truck Corporation (NYSE:OSK) announced today that the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has chosen the company's TerraMax(TM) robotic vehicle for evaluation for the DARPA Grand Challenge 2005 -- a 175-mile, off-road race in the Mojave Desert for completely autonomous vehicles. Of 195 teams originally submitting race entries, DARPA, a part of the Department of Defense, chose 118 for further review based on vehicle designs and capabilities.

To learn more about the TerraMax truck and its related technologies, visit the Oshkosh robotic vehicle home page.

DARPA Grand Challenge 2005 is a field test of autonomous (driverless) ground vehicles to promote the advance of autonomous vehicle technology. Teams vying to compete in the Grand Challenge develop their vehicles without government funding. By 2015, the Pentagon hopes that using autonomous military vehicles such as TerraMax will help save the lives of military personnel.

"Being chosen by DARPA for a site visit is a huge first step and represents tremendous work by our team, both here at Oshkosh Truck and with our partners at Rockwell Collins and the University of Parma, Italy," said Don Verhoff, Oshkosh's executive vice president of technology. "Based on the success of our TerraMax vehicle at last year's Grand Challenge, we're optimistic about our chances this year."

In May, DARPA personnel will evaluate the autonomous capabilities of each of the 118 qualifying vehicles on-site, including their ability to follow GPS navigation and avoid obstacles. Only 40 teams will advance to DARPA's National Qualifying Event (NQE) in Fontana, Calif., in September. Of these, the top 20 teams will advance to the Grand Challenge on Oct. 8, 2005. The team whose autonomous vehicle completes the Grand Challenge route the fastest within 10 hours will win $2 million.

In 2004, TerraMax was one of only seven entries to complete the 1.3-mile qualifying course for the Grand Challenge. The platform for TerraMax is Oshkosh's combat-proven Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR), which was originally built for the U.S. Marine Corps and has been used extensively in Afghanistan and Iraq. For the 2005 Grand Challenge, TerraMax has been given rear-wheel steering for improved maneuverability.

Turn the TV off in Oshkosh

2005-04-11T21:19:00.000-05:00

Below is the schedule of Oshkosh Community Events for TV Turn Off Week.

Thanks to Justin Mitchell for sending this information. He added this note: "If you want to read about what Appleton is doing, and a little bit about Kevin Kendall and the motivation behind the state-wide TV Turnoff movement, go to this Post Crescent article.

SUNDAY, APRIL 24 (PRE – TV TURNOFF WEEK EVENTS)

Mid WI Chippers Wood Carving Show 9:00am to 4:00pm
Over 100 carvers with demonstrations, vendors, and concessions. $2.00 admissions (Under 12 free). Sunnyview Expo Center, 500 E Cty Rd Y, Oshkosh 734-0038
Stuart Little 2:00pm
This fabulous new musical version of E.B. White’s classic tale about a little mouse born into a normal New York family. This is a charming story of a determined “underdog” trying to survive in a “real people’s world”. $12 Adults, $10 Seniors/Youth. Grand Opera House, 100 High Ave, Oshkosh (920) 424-2350
Oshkosh Chamber Singers: Bach’s B Minor Mass 3:00pm
One of the greatest choral works ever composed! Nationally recognized guest soloists will join the Oshkosh Chamber Singers, the UW Oshkosh Chamber Choir and local musicians for this performance. $15 Adults, $5 students. UW Oshkosh Music Hall, 800 Algoma Blvd, Oshkosh (920) 233-3312

MONDAY, APRIL 25

Oshkosh Public Library Homework Help 4:30pm – 8:00pm
Need help with your school work? Get free help with any subject! Monday through Thursday. No appointment necessary. 106 Washington Ave. 236-5205

TUESDAY, APRIL 26

Oshkosh West Boys Tennis vs Oshkosh North, North Boys Baseball, North Girls Softball, and North Girls Soccer. See Local Sports Contacts on the back.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27

The Cripple of Inishmaan - Fredric March Theatre 7:30pm
Ages 12 and up. A comic and poetic tale of what happens to a small 1934 Irish Community when a movie is made there. UW Oshkosh Theater, 800 Algoma Blvd Tickets: $10 for general, $8 for Senior Citizen, Students $3.00 424-4417 NOTE – showings are Wed – Sat at 7:30pm, Sunday at 2:00pm

Thursday, April 28

Spring Fling Dinner & Style Show 5:30pm
14th Annual Friends of Cerebral Palsy of Mideast WI benefit for the Respite House. Local stores show their Spring Fashions to raise money for the Cerebral Palsy Respite House. 5:30 – social hour/silent auction, 6:30 – dinner, 7:30 – style show. $15 per person Oshkosh Convention Center, 2 North Main, Downtown Oshkosh 424-4071

“To Kill A Mockingbird” – Spring Play 7:00pm
Oshkosh North High School students recreate this classic by Harper Lee. Shows at 7pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Sunday’s show is at 2pm. $3 Adults, $1 Students, Under 5 free! Oshkosh North Auditorium, 1100 W Smith Ave, 424-4020

UW Oshkosh Percussion Ensemble 8:00pm
A blend of the familiar and unusual, come see an exciting rhythmic experience. $5 Adults, $1 for 12 and under. UW Oshkosh Music Hall, Arts & Comm Building, 926 Woodland Ave. 424-4224

Friday, April 29

Mighty Castle Chess Club 4:45 – 6:00pm
Free Club for children and teens. Oshkosh Public Library, 106 Washington Ave 236-5208

Saturday, April 30

Art and Plaster with Ruth Rex at the Paine 11:00am
Join Art Instructor Ruth Rex for this interactive children and parent’s program that teachers how to use modeling clay and plaster to make your own special sculptures. Geared towards ages 5-12 with adult. $6 Adults, $5 Seniors, $4 students, under 5 free. Paine Art Center & Garden, 1410 Algoma Blvd, Oshkosh 235-6903

25th Annual African Violet Show 10:00am – 4:30pm
Features magnificent African Violets and houseplants, exhibited for awards. Also plants, pots and soil for sale. Free advice, admission and parking. St. Josaphat Church Hall, corner of Spruce and Congress, Oshkosh. 426-3764 NOTE – Also on Sunday, May 1, 9:30am to 3:00pm

The Ultimate Children’s Fun Fair 10:00am
Exotic animals, camel and pony rides, games, carnival rides, inflated bouncers, concessions, face painting, souvenirs, novelties, and more!! $5 Adults, kids free! Sunnyview Expo Center, 500 E Cty Rd Y, Oshkosh. 319-443-4444 NOTE – Also on Sunday, May 1 at 10:00am

Five by Design’s Club Swing at the Grand 7:30pm
From Benny Goodman to Louie Prima, Five by Design celebrates the swing movement from 1937 – 1955. Features five singers and a big band that is a delight for all generations! Tickets: $18 - $32 (half price on day of show for age 18 and under). Grand Opera House, 100 High Ave, Oshkosh 424-2350

Bluegrass Night at the Moon 8:00pm – 11:00pm
All the Live Bluegrass from over 75 years packed into one night. Bring out the family and sit back to some live bluegrass. Don’t forget the straw… New Moon Café, 401 N Main St. Free 232-0976

Suspicious grass fires

2005-04-11T21:05:00.000-05:00

This came in from citizenobserver.com:

The Winnebago County Sheriff's Office is currently investigating three suspcious fires that occurred on April 8th and 9th 2005 in the Townships of Winchester and Wolf River. First fire was along Cth M near the Rat River around 8:48 p.m. We are looking for a white SUV which may have been involved. The second fire occured along Cth MM south of South Rd. around 11:41 a.m. and the third fire was reported at the same time by Cth MM and Kiesow Rd. All three fires are considered suspcious and pattern after the 2002 fires. In 2002 we were looking for 80's full size pickup blue and black in color. Or a Saab red in color. Anyone with information should call Det. SGt. Greg Cianciolo at 920-236-7367 or call Winnebago CountyWide Crime Stoppers at 1-800-621-CASH (2274) or on the web at www.winnebagocrimstoppers.org.

To Mr. Rieckman's credit ...

2005-04-10T22:26:00.000-05:00

To his credit Stew Rieckman, executive editor of the Northwestern, is starting to come to terms with the existence, and even the influence, of independent Web sites in Oshkosh.

You may recall that back in February he published a column headlined “Blogs pollute the political process and election discussions in Oshkosh.”

In today’s column he wrote, “Yes, whether I like it or not, chat rooms and community Web sites will be a factor in politics and may even set the agenda.”

Of course he then added this qualifier: “But it will always be the mainstream press that will be the unbiased fact checker.” That’s a good theory, but I’m not sure that all of our local politicos would necessarily describe the Northwestern as unbiased.

Even on the face of things, the claim of being unbiased is hard to support. The paper does endorse candidates, and three of the people who sit on the paper’s editorial board, and presumably decide on those endorsements, also have a role in directing news coverage.

If we look at the record, the news coverage of the mayor’s race in the week before the election certainly tended to support the candidate who also received the paper’s endorsement.

If the paper wishes to be perceived as the “unbiased fact checker” in town, it might want to think about taking steps to remove any suspicion that the news columns and the editorial page are working together to advance the same agenda, or at least the same candidates.

One way to address this issue would be to appoint an ombudsman, an increasingly common step for newspapers to take. According to the Organization of News Ombudsmen, “a news ombudsman receives and investigates complaints from newspaper readers or listeners or viewers of radio and television stations about accuracy, fairness, balance and good taste in news coverage. He or she recommends appropriate remedies or responses to correct or clarify news reports.”

Over at the university the student newspaper took such a step. Other newspapers that have ombudsmen, or equivalent positions, include The New York Times, The Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune.

Phase One: less democracy

2005-04-10T14:11:00.000-05:00

This came in by e-mail.

By Jason Haas
The two years I was living in the state of Georgia taught me a great deal about what it meant to be a Wisconsinite. For one thing, we trust people. It's an intrinsic Midwestern quality to take people at their word and believe their actions are made in good faith. Second, we value the involvement of fellow Wisconsinites in our communities and our government. I did not see this in Savannah. Because I was there between elections, I never had the opportunity to vote.

Read entire essay here.

Forum on Wisconsin Political Reform

2005-04-09T10:08:00.000-05:00

Forum on Wisconsin Political Reform
Thursday, April 21 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Reeve Union Rm 227 BC, UW Oshkosh Campus

Join two of Wisconsin's premier political activists - Mike McCabe of Wisconsin Democracy Campaign and Jay Heck of Common Cause Wisconsin - as they discuss some of the leading issues in state government, and avenues for citizens to become involved to make a real difference. Moderated by UW Oshkosh Communication Professor and political activist Dr. Tony Palmeri.

The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign is a nonpartisan political watchdog group working for clean government and real democracy. WDC tracks the money in state politics and works for campaign finance reform, media reform and other pro-democracy reforms. WDC pursues these objectives through research, citizen education, community outreach, coalition building and direct advocacy.

Common Cause Wisconsin (CC/WI) is a non-partisan, non-profit citizen's lobby affiliated with national Common Cause. CC/WI focuses on campaign finance, ethics and lobby reform, open meetings law and other issues concerning the promotion and maintenance of clean, open, responsive and accountable government at the state and federal levels.

This forum was organized by the UWO Campus Greens and the Lake Winnebago Green Party. Sponsors include SEAC, Women's Advocacy Council, University Speakers Series, and Earth Charter.

Independent Media in a Time of War - A Film
Thursday, April 21 8:15 pm - 9:00 pm
Reeve Union Rm 227 BC, UW Oshkosh Campus

Part scathing critique, part call to action, "Independent Media In A Time Of War" is a hard-hitting documentary composed of a speech given by Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now! illustrated by clips of mainstream media juxtaposed with rare footage from independent reporters in Iraq. The documentary argues that dialogue is vital to a healthy democracy. "Independent media has a crucial responsibility to go to where the silence is," says Amy Goodman, "to represent the diverse voices of people engaged in dissent." She makes a compelling argument that the commercial news media have failed to represent the "true face of war."

This documentary is sponsored by the UWO Campus Greens and SEAC. Free Popcorn!! Donations accepted to cover cost of showing. For questions on Thursday's events, email oshkoshgreens@yahoo.com
web: http://www.geocities.com/abvtimes/zApril21.html

New school district Web site taking shape

2005-04-09T09:23:00.000-05:00

Read more about it in the OASD Communications blog.

We're making a move!

2005-04-09T08:54:00.000-05:00

Sometime in the next week, the Oshblog will be moving to a new software platform, which we think will bring added functionality to the site. The new platform, known as Movable Type, includes a search capability and a greater degree of customization. For example, it will be possible to post messages in specific categories and for users to keep track of just those topic areas that they are interested in.

Because Movable Type will be running on a server at the Oshkosh Public Library, we expect to see higher reliability and fewer of the snags that we have sometimes seen with our current software platform.

When the transition is complete, current members will receive e-mail invitations to move over to the new platform. And those of you who have asked to join the Oshblog in recent weeks will also get invitations.

It's possible that we will encounter some disruptions as we make the transition, but we are working to keep those to a minimum.

This may also be the time for us to revisit some of our standards for posting. While we would like to keep the Oshblog as open as possible and allow for anonymity in cases where it can help generate useful discussion, we may institute a two-tier system in which postings must be signed while comments can still be made anonymously. (Postings are the messages, like this one, that come with headlines, while comments are appended beneath postings.)

Your input is welcome on this potential policy change. In addition we are always open to your suggestions for new projects that we might undertake.

Feet of the Earth Jam Festival

2005-04-07T15:42:00.000-05:00

You're invited to the Feet of the Earth Jam Festival featuring an eclectic mix of Jam bands from Oshkosh to Milwaukee. On April 22nd [Earth Day] Big James, Mean Mr. Grocery Bags, Thermodynamics, Something Phonic, and Stealin' Strings all hit the stage for one JAM-packed evening at the Algoma Club in downtown Oshkosh.

Doors open at 6:30pm and the musical mayhem begins at 7p.m. Special festivities will run throughout the night as well as impromptu performances by the Oshkosh Rhythm Ensemble. There is a sliding scale requested donation of $7 or $5 with canned good
donations, with all proceeds going to the Winnebago Peace & Justice Center.

CAUTION: Attending this event may cause stinky, sweaty feet, sore legs and hips, missing socks, and big smiles on April 23rd due to great music and excessive amounts of dancing.

Thanks,
WPJC, Winnebago Peace & Justice Center

UW-O faculty senate writes to Gov. Doyle

2005-04-07T12:41:00.000-05:00

The following letter to the Governor and regional legislators regarding the consequences of the budget cuts was approved by the Faculty Senate on April 5, 2005 and personally signed by 23 Senators. Copies were also sent to all Regents, UW System President Riley, Chancellor Wells and area newspapers.

Governor Jim Doyle
115 East State Capitol
Madison, WI 53702

Dear Governor Doyle,

We are writing this open letter to our Governor and local legislators to call attention to the extensive budget cuts that have resulted in a continued erosion of the quality of education in the University of Wisconsin System. The welcome additions to some areas of our budget for the next biennium were more than offset by significant reductions in other areas, leading to another major budget cut on our campus next year. These continuing drastic reductions in the state contribution to public higher education have caused a decrease in the number of classes or class sections being offered - especially junior and senior level classes, and greatly increased the numbers of students in the remaining courses.

The increasing numbers of students taught by each of our decreasing number of faculty has caused a shift to more part-time instructors, fewer essay examinations, fewer writing assignments, and less individual teacher-student interaction. We have been forced to decrease the student support services that are most important for less well-prepared students, and to delay or ignore preventative maintenance of our physical facilities and replacement of obsolete laboratory and computer equipment. Further, some major and minor programs have been eliminated, and forced internal reallocations have decreased the quality of those programs that remain.

On those rare occasions when we can try to recruit new faculty to replace those who have resigned or retired, we find it difficult to attract qualified people. The salaries we can offer are less competitive than they once were, our past salary increases have been so poor that potential candidates do not see an attractive future as part of our faculty, and few people want to start their teaching careers in a state with such a poor record of support for public higher education. A competitive pay plan for the coming biennium is essential if we are to attract and retain competent faculty.

We are aware that the marked increases in tuition have offset our budget cuts to a small degree, but this has increased the debt burdens our graduates incur to pay these higher tuitions. We also note that higher tuition in conjunction with the declines in educational quality at UW System campuses means that we are charging our students more, but giving them less.

We, the undersigned Faculty Senators, urge you to do whatever is necessary to restore adequate levels of public support for higher education in Wisconsin. If, for any reason, you are unable to accomplish this essential step, we ask that future comments by public officials contain honest acknowledgement of our budget situation. Despite the best efforts of our faculty, the extensive budget cuts we now face will continue to result in a declining quality of education in the UW System.

Sincerely,

Members of the UW Oshkosh Faculty Senate

The Pope on participation in journalism

2005-04-06T12:56:00.001-05:00

It's interesting to note that John Paul II, in one of his last written works, addressed the ways in which technology is changing journalism and the importance of making sure that the media remain accessible.

"The rapid development of technology in the area of the media is surely one of the signs of progress in today's society," he wrote in an apostolic letter issued Jan. 24 , the feast of Saint Francis de Sales, patron saint of journalists.

"I would like to recall our attention to the subject of media access, and of co-responsible participation in their administration," the pope said.

"If the communications media are a good destined for all humanity, then ever-new means must be found -- including recourse to opportune legislative measures -- to make possible a true participation in their management by all. The culture of co-responsibility must be nurtured," he added.

The pope made no direct reference to blogging, citizen's media or the kind of interactive journalism that we are trying to encourage here at Oshkosh News. But he spoke about the importance of dialogue and "reciprocal knowledge."

"There cannot be forgotten the great possibilities of mass media in promoting dialogue, becoming vehicles for reciprocal knowledge, of solidarity and of peace. They become a powerful resource for good if used to foster understanding between peoples; a destructive 'weapon' if used to foster injustice and conflicts. My venerable predecessor, Blessed John XXIII, already prophetically warned humanity of such potential risks in the Encyclical, Pacem in Terris."

One commentator noted that the pope's comments "could have been drafted by Andrew Schwartzman of Media Access Project."

Live @ The GardenView Restaurant

2005-04-06T08:37:00.000-05:00

Friday, April 8th
8:00PM
Wayne & Dean
Live @ The GardenView Restaurant
2605 Jackson - Oshkosh 303-0698
singing & playing your favorites from the 60's & 70's

Winners' reactions

2005-04-05T21:51:00.000-05:00

Bill Castle: "It's a great night for Oshkosh."

Bryan Bain: "I'm ecstatic."

Shirley Brabender Mattox: Bill Castle "has articulated a vision, and the three members who were elected to the Council tonight share that vision."

Meredith Scheuermann: "The message [from voters] was that they wanted to say: 'If you are going to raise my taxes, please be sure you do that responsibly.'"

It's Castle!

2005-04-05T21:46:00.000-05:00

Also Scheuermann, Bain and Mattox.

Be a part of election night coverage

2005-04-04T22:54:00.000-05:00

Readers of Oshkosh News are invited to be a part of the election night coverage that will be presented Tuesday evening on Citicable 10.

Tune in starting at 8 p.m. for live coverage with OCAT's Jon Urben and Miles Maguire from Oshkosh News. We will be talking about this spring's elections and what changes they may bring for the community.

We'll also be taking questions and comments and sharing our responses with the viewing audience. If you would like to be a part of this interactive program, you can contact us by using the oshkoshnews@sbcglobal.net e-mail address or by using the message board that can be found here.

The election results will be available online from the county clerk.

The writing on the wall

2005-04-04T22:49:00.000-05:00

By Jay Bullock

Frank Lasee (now a blogger! Go say "Hi!" and leave polite comments http://www.franklasee.blogspot.com/) is planning to unveil his new and improved Taxpayers' "Bill of Rights" (TABOR) on April 15. This is, apparently, more for tax-day symbolism than for your standard Friday news dump.

The Washington Post , though, tells us how the Colorado folks--prominently, even Republican Governor Bill Owens--are backing away from their own TABOR:

"Gov. Bill Owens (R) has been crisscrossing the country for years promoting the virtues of this state's strict constitutional limits on government spending. He has repeatedly urged other states to adopt restrictions of their own, based on Colorado's 'Taxpayer Bill of Rights' amendment, known here as TABOR.

"But this summer, Owens says, he'll be traversing his own mountainous state pushing the opposite message. Midway through his second term, Owens is working to persuade Coloradans to suspend the limits he championed and let the state government spend $3 billion more in tax money than TABOR would allow."

Why the about-face? Think Progress has a good run-down of how low the Mile-High state has sunk:

*In Colorado, the ratio of teacher salaries to average private-sector earnings is lower than in any other state. Since the passage of TABOR, the high school graduation rate has fallen 6 percent.

*In Colorado, tuition has shot through the roof (.pdf). The state ranks 48th in the country in state funding for higher education per $1,000 of income.

*TABOR has severely limited funding for health care in Colorado. The number of the state's low-income children who lack health insurance has skyrocketed from 15 percent in 1992 to 27 percent in 2003, despite declines nationally.

*Over a 44-month period ending in December 2004, Colorado hemorrhaged 68,000 jobs, a decline of 3.0 percent. In every other Mountain state - none of which has TABOR - the median job growth has been 4.5 percent during the same period.

Other Republican governors besides Owens are also pushing tax raises in their states, in part, at least because of George W. Bush; the Post again:

"The federal cuts have been very difficult for states to manage," said economist Bert Waisanen of the National Conference of State Legislatures. "Governors have to run programs like Medicaid, No Child Left Behind, homeland security. But there is less and less money coming from Washington to pay the bills."

Let me remind everyone that Wisconsin currently gets back less than 85¢ per dollar we send in to the feds. As I've noted before, NCLB underfunding leaves us $2 million short, as well.

Rich Eggleston over at Blog TABOR points us to a Green Bay News Chronicle commentary that drives this point home:

"The proposed Taxpayer Bill of Rights would take spending decisions out of the hands of government and put it in the hands of voters. Excuse me, but aren't those decisions the reason we have a Legislature? If we're going to make the decisions, who needs them? We could probably save more money by getting rid of 132 legislators than we ever could with a stupid law.

"Me, I call TABOR the 'stop me before I tax again!' law. It's our legislators admitting they can't do their jobs."

So, here's my question: Why are some of our elected officials--apparently too weak to resist that taxin' jones!--pushing so hard for a measure being abandoned by those who have it? To most bloggers I meet, including myself, I say, "Don't quit your day job." Frank Lasee, though? Maybe he should consider it.

Reprinted with permission of the author.

Vote NO on Constitutional Amendment

2005-04-04T10:12:00.000-05:00

On April 5th, Wisconsin voters will be asked to approve a Constitutional amendment that will extend from two to four years the terms of certain elected county officials, including district attorneys. After what we have been through in Winnebago County with the corruption of the district attorney's office under Mr. Paulus, we should vote NO on the proposed amendment.

Mr. Paulus was thrown out of office in 2002. Had he been elected to a four year term in the year 2000, he would have had two more years to corrupt justice while hiding under the cover offered him by the corporate media. The Madison Capital Times provides additional reasons to vote against the amendment.

Vote NO on April 5th! --Tony Palmeri

Win gift certificates from Camera Casino!

2005-04-03T22:08:00.000-05:00

There's still time to enter and win in the "people" category of the Oshkosh@151 photo project.

To enter your photos, go here. THE DEADLINE IS APRIL 15.

The winners, who will be selected through online polling and a review by members of the UW Oshkosh Photo Club, will receive gift certificates from Camera Casino. Two $25 and one $50 certificate will be presented.

We've also completed the online polling phase of the Pride of Oshkosh contest for lion photos. Watch for details on the winner.

Everyone was having fun ...

2005-04-03T20:57:00.000-05:00

except the walleye.

There was a whole lot of fishing going on, Sunday, April 3, on the Fox River in Oshkosh.

More stuff from Stewart Rieckman

2005-04-03T16:36:00.000-05:00

Stewart Rieckman wrote to me the other day to explain that he really did get the April Fool's joke about the Winnebago Wind Farm and to let me know that he is planning to write about Oshkosh News in next week's column:

Dear Mr. McGuire,

I got the joke when he sent it to us. But just so I'm clear: "Working Together For a New Kind of Journalism" is an all inclusive concept that requires no veracity, no editing, no concern about truth telling, buyer beware, no criteria, no fact checking, throw everything against the wall and shrug our shoulders if someone doesn't get the joke? Is that about right? I just want to make sure I define it correctly in next week's column.

Sincerely,

Stewart Rieckman,
executive editor
Oshkosh Northwestern

Here's what I wrote back:

Dear Mr. Rieckman:

I think you are missing the point of my earlier message. You see: I did edit the submission to include the link showing that the posting was an April Fool's joke.

So clearly "Working Together for a New Kind of Journalism" doesn't mean that there is no editing.

But since we both seem to care deeply about newspaper editing, I'd like to issue a challenge that could serve to shine a spotlight on this often-neglected topic.

My bet is that in any given week I can find at least 35 instances where the Northwestern has had an editing lapse (if we started this week, I'd start with the grammatical errors in your column). By "editing lapse" I mean any and all of the things that editors are supposed to take care of: spelling, grammar, word choice, sentence structure, factual accuracy, fairness, balance, headlines and so on.

If I'm right, you send me a check for $35 payable to the Oshkosh Community News Network, and you'll get a year's membership in the organization (and your payment will be tax-deductible). If I'm wrong, I'll send you a $35 gift certificate for dinner at a local restaurant of your choice.

I’m looking forward to reading your column next Sunday. It will answer the question of how much concern you have for some of the things that you mentioned in your e-mail, such as editing, veracity, truth telling and fact checking. Will you, for example, spell my name correctly? Dare you even give the correct name for the Oshkosh News Web site and its sponsor?

I also wonder if the irony is lost on you that your column often manifests the qualities that are so often ascribed to bloggers: forceful expressions of opinion, one-sided interpretations of fact, a highly personalized writing style. If that’s good enough for the Northwestern, why isn’t that good enough for everyone else?

If you are interested in understanding more about the participatory journalism phenomenon, here are a couple of links that might help you:

http://www.ojr.org/ojr/workplace/1060217106.php
http://weblog.siliconvalley.com/column/dangillmor/archives/000924.shtml#000924
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/wemedia/book/index.csp

Good luck with your research!

Sincerely,

Miles Maguire