As the NBA season tips off this week, there are plenty of questions to be answered. Can LeBron James and the Miami Heat repeat as champions? Will the revamped Lakers rise again in the West? Will the Milwaukee Bucks actually enjoy a winning season? And why aren't there more black guys on the Minnesota Timberwolves?
Actually, no one would be asking that last question were it not for an article in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (written by two non-sports reporters) this week quoting self-appointed African-American "Community Leaders" accusing the team of stockpiling white players to appeal to its white fan base:
http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/176071391.html?page=all&prepage=1&c=y&refer=y
Tyrone Terrell--chairman of the Saint Paul African American Leadership Council--is quoted as saying "How did we get a roster that resembles the 1955 Lakers?"--a reference to the early days of the NBA, when the number of black players was limited by an "unspoken quota" among franchise owners. I find it interesting that Terrell chose the '55 Lakers (who played in Minneapolis, where there actually are lakes--as opposed to Los Angeles) because that roster featured Clyde Lovellette, Vern Mikkelsen, Slater Martin and George Mikan--four members of the Basketball Hall of Fame. But their talent doesn't matter to folks like Terrell.
Timberwolves officials point out that they tried to sign a number of African American free agents over the off-season--but those players chose other franchises--leaving them to sign Andrei Kirilenko, Chase Budinger, Alexy Shved and former Badger Greg Stiemsma. Leaving them with five blacks on a roster of 15 players.
What is not included in the article--and is never addressed when this topic comes up--is: How many black players are "enough"? Should the entire roster be African Americans? Would that guarantee and NBA Championship? Would "Community Leaders" like Terrell be satisfied with the NBA average of 75% African Americans? Is half the roster a "fair" number? Or should the team accurately reflect the population as a whole? Meaning the T-Wolves will have to actually cut two of their black players to get to the 13% "quota" and they would have to sign a couple of Hispanic players and an Asian guy. (Or more accurately, they would have to sign 8 female players as well--but we won't go there this time around).
Ironically, with players from Russia, Montenegro, Spain and Puerto Rico--along with black and white Americans--the Timberwolves will be one of the most multi-cultural teams in the NBA this season. Of course, if all you care about is the color of their skin, you won't be able to tell that when watching the games.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
The Built-In Excuse Is Now In Place
So how long do you think it will be before both Presidential campaigns claim Hurricane Sandy has "unfairly tainted the election"? Honestly, it was the first thing that came to my mind as scenes of the damage caused by the storm starting showing up on TV and the internet last night.
Sure, everybody is playing nice right now--turning their campaign offices into donation collection centers (because it's so much easier to go to the Romney-Ryan or Obama For America office than it is to go to the Red Cross office another block down). Both sides have even postponed events "out of concern for the hurricane victims". (Although it should be pointed out, overseeing disaster relief efforts is part of President Obama's job--as opposed to making fundraising calls and leading rallies in battleground states. Although handling international crises like the attack on the Benghazi Embassy are part of his job too--but Vegas was calling that night). But you know there are strategists working overtime now trying to find anyway possible to use the storm to their advantage.
I think it will start as early as today with mayors and governors in heavily Democratic areas saying they will do "everything they can to make sure people can vote next Tuesday--but obviously, we can't make any guarantees". That will immediately set off the alarm bells at Democratic National Headquarters and at MSNBC--where hours of programming will be spent on how the storm has "disenfranchised millions" and how that "threatens the legitimacy of this election".
Next will come the absurd demands for last-minute changes in election procedures that have not been reviewed by any legal experts or elected officials. Evacuees should be allowed to vote at whatever place they are next Tuesday...absentee ballots should be provided to all displaced voters and counted no matter how long after the election they are returned...and the ultimate, this entire election should be delayed a week, a month, two months, a year--however long it takes to "get everything back to normal again". When these requests are denied, the lawsuits will begin, followed by the requests for injunctions, the appeals, requests for further injunctions, etc, etc, etc.
Of course, when Election Day itself comes, we will be subjected to the endless stories of the handful of people who "didn't get to vote" because they don't have a house, or a car, or the subway wasn't running that day, or their polling place was damaged and they didn't know where the new location was, or the ballot machines were damaged and nobody got to vote in their neighborhood, or Tuesday was the only day they could meet with the insurance guy or the FEMA guy or the contractor.
And if President Obama loses--because let's be honest here, Sandy hit a lot of "Blue States"--historians will rush to their computers to chronicle how the Election of 2012 was decided not by ideas or values or concerns about crushing Federal Deficits and creation of a Nanny State--but rather by a natural disaster that kept people away from the polls. If Mitt Romney loses, well that was just the will of the people.
Sure, everybody is playing nice right now--turning their campaign offices into donation collection centers (because it's so much easier to go to the Romney-Ryan or Obama For America office than it is to go to the Red Cross office another block down). Both sides have even postponed events "out of concern for the hurricane victims". (Although it should be pointed out, overseeing disaster relief efforts is part of President Obama's job--as opposed to making fundraising calls and leading rallies in battleground states. Although handling international crises like the attack on the Benghazi Embassy are part of his job too--but Vegas was calling that night). But you know there are strategists working overtime now trying to find anyway possible to use the storm to their advantage.
I think it will start as early as today with mayors and governors in heavily Democratic areas saying they will do "everything they can to make sure people can vote next Tuesday--but obviously, we can't make any guarantees". That will immediately set off the alarm bells at Democratic National Headquarters and at MSNBC--where hours of programming will be spent on how the storm has "disenfranchised millions" and how that "threatens the legitimacy of this election".
Next will come the absurd demands for last-minute changes in election procedures that have not been reviewed by any legal experts or elected officials. Evacuees should be allowed to vote at whatever place they are next Tuesday...absentee ballots should be provided to all displaced voters and counted no matter how long after the election they are returned...and the ultimate, this entire election should be delayed a week, a month, two months, a year--however long it takes to "get everything back to normal again". When these requests are denied, the lawsuits will begin, followed by the requests for injunctions, the appeals, requests for further injunctions, etc, etc, etc.
Of course, when Election Day itself comes, we will be subjected to the endless stories of the handful of people who "didn't get to vote" because they don't have a house, or a car, or the subway wasn't running that day, or their polling place was damaged and they didn't know where the new location was, or the ballot machines were damaged and nobody got to vote in their neighborhood, or Tuesday was the only day they could meet with the insurance guy or the FEMA guy or the contractor.
And if President Obama loses--because let's be honest here, Sandy hit a lot of "Blue States"--historians will rush to their computers to chronicle how the Election of 2012 was decided not by ideas or values or concerns about crushing Federal Deficits and creation of a Nanny State--but rather by a natural disaster that kept people away from the polls. If Mitt Romney loses, well that was just the will of the people.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Good For The Game
If ESPN can break away from its 24/7/365 coverage of the NFL for a few minutes today, I look forward to their talking heads trying to explain how the San Francisco Giants won the World Series (their second titel in three years, I would point out)--and how they swept the Detroit Tigers in four straight. Heading into the Series, those "experts" were positive that Detroit would hit too many home runs and score too many runs for the puny Giants to compete. I mean, the G-men hit the fewest home runs in the Majors this year--how could they possibly even win one game against Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder?
Well not only did the Giants compete with those guys--they dominated them. And they did it by turning the game back to what it was before the Steroid Era. San Francisco won the title through a good old-fashioned combination of great pitching and solid defense--with a lot of timely hitting (not necessarily home run hitting) thrown in.
The final few innings of Game Four were a perfect microcosm for the entire series. I was never more confident that the Giants were going to win than when it became a battle of the bullpens--as San Fran's relievers had dominated Tigers hitters and the Detroit 'pen had been far less dominating. And the winning run in the tenth was scored on a single, a bunt and another two-out single--a concept that has been lost on managers and fans in this era of "sit back and wait for the three run homer". And how many times did Giants fielders turn double plays to snuff out rallies or make great running or diving catches in the outfield to save runs?
Actually, I don't need to tune in to ESPN to know what is going to be said about the Giants win. First, there will be nothing but blame heaped on the Detroit hitters. "They were terrible", "What a bunch of chokers", "Prince Fielder is awful in the clutch" will be the first things out of their mouths. And then that will be followed by my absolute least favorite "analysis": "The Giants are just too boring." There will be headlines for a week: World Series Generates Worst TV Ratings Ever--and much ado about how baseball is "dying" and we need to find a way to recapture the "excitement of the steroid era" to "save the game".
As far as I'm concerned, you can save the score-a-second, illegal-to-play-defense, fantasy-sports-is-the-only-important-thing-to-fans stuff for the NFL. Those of us who actually appreciate sports for what it should be--a balance of offense and defense--and who don't need to watch lumbering 250-pound guys swinging for the fences on every pitch will enjoy a return to the "real game" for awhile.
Well not only did the Giants compete with those guys--they dominated them. And they did it by turning the game back to what it was before the Steroid Era. San Francisco won the title through a good old-fashioned combination of great pitching and solid defense--with a lot of timely hitting (not necessarily home run hitting) thrown in.
The final few innings of Game Four were a perfect microcosm for the entire series. I was never more confident that the Giants were going to win than when it became a battle of the bullpens--as San Fran's relievers had dominated Tigers hitters and the Detroit 'pen had been far less dominating. And the winning run in the tenth was scored on a single, a bunt and another two-out single--a concept that has been lost on managers and fans in this era of "sit back and wait for the three run homer". And how many times did Giants fielders turn double plays to snuff out rallies or make great running or diving catches in the outfield to save runs?
Actually, I don't need to tune in to ESPN to know what is going to be said about the Giants win. First, there will be nothing but blame heaped on the Detroit hitters. "They were terrible", "What a bunch of chokers", "Prince Fielder is awful in the clutch" will be the first things out of their mouths. And then that will be followed by my absolute least favorite "analysis": "The Giants are just too boring." There will be headlines for a week: World Series Generates Worst TV Ratings Ever--and much ado about how baseball is "dying" and we need to find a way to recapture the "excitement of the steroid era" to "save the game".
As far as I'm concerned, you can save the score-a-second, illegal-to-play-defense, fantasy-sports-is-the-only-important-thing-to-fans stuff for the NFL. Those of us who actually appreciate sports for what it should be--a balance of offense and defense--and who don't need to watch lumbering 250-pound guys swinging for the fences on every pitch will enjoy a return to the "real game" for awhile.
Friday, October 26, 2012
The Price of Peace....And Short-Sighted Economic Decisions
One of the perks of social media is being able to track the random thoughts and musings of those on the left here in Northeast Wisconsin. Predictably, yesterday's timelines were filled with comments that the Oshkosh Corporation was trying to "scare" its employees into voting against President Obama--because they claim he is "going to cost them their jobs". The 450-layoffs announced by the company yesterday are due in large part to projected defense spending cuts in 2013 and beyond.
Peace (even if it comes only from withdrawal before Afghanistan is secure and stable) is always an honorable goal. But it creates a conundrum for communities and companies that rely on the business of war. Nobody wants American soldiers in harm's way. But when you make the vehicles or the aircraft that take them there, your livelihood kind of depends on it. Call the layoffs at the Oshkosh Corporation the "Price of Peace".
As you may recall from your high school macro-economics courses, governments face the choice of "guns or butter" when it comes to allocation of resources (unless you can rack up $16-dollars in debt--then you can have all the guns and butter you want, apparently). Unfortunately for Oshkosh Corp. the demand for its "butter" is down as well.
The EuroZone market--a target of Oshkosh growth in the "Old Economy"--is dead. Thanks to decades of overspending and overtaxation, European governments have no ability to pay for the the new construction equipment or garbage trucks that Oshkosh civilian units could build instead of military trucks. And thanks to President Obama's insistence that the "Stimulus" target only "shovel-ready", union contractor projects--instead of a long-term infrastructure focus--the civilian market for concrete placement and access equipment also remains stagnant. Throw in continued tight credit markets and limited investment interest--and the private construction market is soft as well.
So what advice should we give those about to lose their jobs at Oshkosh? Well, to paraphrase the friend of Benjamin Braddock's father in The Graduate, I've got two words for you: "Health Care". Since that seems to be the obsession of those on the left, health care is the only growth industry on the horizon. So perhaps welders could be "retrained" to do build hospital beds--there are going to be plenty of Baby Boomers to fill them in a few years. Electrical systems guys could move over to the Hover Round plant--since Medicare pays for those--and anyone who has the slightest difficulty walking is already using them at the grocery store. And everybody else can get jobs pushing papers at hospitals and clinics as all of those people who are now "guaranteed access" to health care make full use of their fellow insurance customers' premiums--and then some.
I'd suggest Oshkosh look to China for growth--but it's an election year and China is a dirty word.
Peace (even if it comes only from withdrawal before Afghanistan is secure and stable) is always an honorable goal. But it creates a conundrum for communities and companies that rely on the business of war. Nobody wants American soldiers in harm's way. But when you make the vehicles or the aircraft that take them there, your livelihood kind of depends on it. Call the layoffs at the Oshkosh Corporation the "Price of Peace".
As you may recall from your high school macro-economics courses, governments face the choice of "guns or butter" when it comes to allocation of resources (unless you can rack up $16-dollars in debt--then you can have all the guns and butter you want, apparently). Unfortunately for Oshkosh Corp. the demand for its "butter" is down as well.
The EuroZone market--a target of Oshkosh growth in the "Old Economy"--is dead. Thanks to decades of overspending and overtaxation, European governments have no ability to pay for the the new construction equipment or garbage trucks that Oshkosh civilian units could build instead of military trucks. And thanks to President Obama's insistence that the "Stimulus" target only "shovel-ready", union contractor projects--instead of a long-term infrastructure focus--the civilian market for concrete placement and access equipment also remains stagnant. Throw in continued tight credit markets and limited investment interest--and the private construction market is soft as well.
So what advice should we give those about to lose their jobs at Oshkosh? Well, to paraphrase the friend of Benjamin Braddock's father in The Graduate, I've got two words for you: "Health Care". Since that seems to be the obsession of those on the left, health care is the only growth industry on the horizon. So perhaps welders could be "retrained" to do build hospital beds--there are going to be plenty of Baby Boomers to fill them in a few years. Electrical systems guys could move over to the Hover Round plant--since Medicare pays for those--and anyone who has the slightest difficulty walking is already using them at the grocery store. And everybody else can get jobs pushing papers at hospitals and clinics as all of those people who are now "guaranteed access" to health care make full use of their fellow insurance customers' premiums--and then some.
I'd suggest Oshkosh look to China for growth--but it's an election year and China is a dirty word.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
True To Form
It was going to be a "feel good story: The Oaklawn Elementary School Construction Project Comes in Three-Million Dollars Under Budget!" Taxpayers who finally allowed the District to move forward on rebuilding the saddest excuse for a school in the city are rewarded with having to spend less than everyone expected. Theeeennnnnnn the Oshkosh School Board stepped in.
Last night, the Board approved $2.1-Million in "upgrades and additions" to the Oaklawn Project. Not all of the additions are that questionable. Thermal fused flush doors sound like they would increase the energy efficiency of the building--and save on heating bills. A climbing wall is place at several other schools around the District and have the double impact of not only teaching kids a sport they can enjoy for most of their lives--but also builds their confidence by overcoming fears and meeting new challenges. Ipad docking stations will be needed as we move further into the "textbook free" future of education. And moveable walls allow greater flexability in class sizes and room arrangements.
But of course, there are some additions that just make you scratch your heads. Take for instance installation of a solar hot water heating system. The school year covers the shortest days of the year--meaning less solar energy generation than during the summer, when kids aren't in the building. I'll give the Board the benefit of the doubt here--since elementary school children don't shower after gym class or sports events--hot water usage is probably much less than at older grade levels. Besides, it's important to them to be able to brag about how "green" their buildings are.
Then you have installation of Terrazzo flooring in the building. When you consider that the main "clientele" are still struggling to control all of their bodily functions--I hope VOBAN doesn't ruin the finish on Terrazo floors.
But the biggest puzzler is the construction of a Cyber Cafe at Oaklawn. Isn't this the generation of kids that spend too much time on the internet and watching TV and playing video games? So we are going to give them an area AT SCHOOL to sit on the internet? Makes sense to me.
I guess we should consider ourselves luckier than taxpayers in districts like Howard-Suamico--where the school board used referendum money to build a SOLARIUM at the replacement for my old school, Bay Port. Or those in the Wausau School District--who had to pay for a PLANETARIUM at West High School. But I can't help feeling like the parent who gives twenty bucks to his 12-year old to "see a movie"--only to find out they went to the arcade and McDonalds on the way home. "You didn't tell me you wanted change" they always say.
Last night, the Board approved $2.1-Million in "upgrades and additions" to the Oaklawn Project. Not all of the additions are that questionable. Thermal fused flush doors sound like they would increase the energy efficiency of the building--and save on heating bills. A climbing wall is place at several other schools around the District and have the double impact of not only teaching kids a sport they can enjoy for most of their lives--but also builds their confidence by overcoming fears and meeting new challenges. Ipad docking stations will be needed as we move further into the "textbook free" future of education. And moveable walls allow greater flexability in class sizes and room arrangements.
But of course, there are some additions that just make you scratch your heads. Take for instance installation of a solar hot water heating system. The school year covers the shortest days of the year--meaning less solar energy generation than during the summer, when kids aren't in the building. I'll give the Board the benefit of the doubt here--since elementary school children don't shower after gym class or sports events--hot water usage is probably much less than at older grade levels. Besides, it's important to them to be able to brag about how "green" their buildings are.
Then you have installation of Terrazzo flooring in the building. When you consider that the main "clientele" are still struggling to control all of their bodily functions--I hope VOBAN doesn't ruin the finish on Terrazo floors.
But the biggest puzzler is the construction of a Cyber Cafe at Oaklawn. Isn't this the generation of kids that spend too much time on the internet and watching TV and playing video games? So we are going to give them an area AT SCHOOL to sit on the internet? Makes sense to me.
I guess we should consider ourselves luckier than taxpayers in districts like Howard-Suamico--where the school board used referendum money to build a SOLARIUM at the replacement for my old school, Bay Port. Or those in the Wausau School District--who had to pay for a PLANETARIUM at West High School. But I can't help feeling like the parent who gives twenty bucks to his 12-year old to "see a movie"--only to find out they went to the arcade and McDonalds on the way home. "You didn't tell me you wanted change" they always say.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Better Early Than Never, I Guess
I have voted absentee once in my entire life. It was the February non-partisan primary in 2005. My wife and I were going to be in Hawaii for our honeymoon on Election Day, so I went down to City Hall and cast an in-person absentee ballot right before we left. Every other election since I've turned 18, I have voted at the polls on the designated Election Day. Sometimes I've had to wait in long lines--sometimes I was able to just pick up a ballot and vote in just a few minutes. But save for that one instance--always on Election Day--an not by absentee.
Notice that I said "absentee" voting--not "early" voting. It gets my goat when other media refers to absentee voting as "early" voting. You aren't given an "early" ballot--you are given an "absentee" ballot. But somewhere in recent years, somebody in one of the political parties realized that if you call it "early" voting instead of absentee voting--people will be more likely to do it. You hear "absentee ballot" and you likely think "Oh, I'll be in town on Election Day, so I'll just vote then." But you hear "early voting" and you think "Hey, I can get my vote in before everyone else's and my guy will be ahead!" As if ballots cast before Election Day carry some kind of added value. (Or perhaps, you think you might be able to sneak in a second ballot on Election Day--even though Democrats swear that never, ever, never, ever, never, ever happens) Ironically, absentee ballots are actually the last ones counted--as they are usually fed into the machines when poll workers finally have enough time on Election Day.
And I certainly don't understand why people would camp out to cast an absentee ballot on the first day. Yes, there were people who put up the tents and slept out on the sidewalk in front of city halls across Wisconsin on Monday. Perhaps they thought the Clerk was going to run out of ballots if they weren't there at 8:00 AM on Day One. The only thing worth doing that for is front row tickets to a U2 concert--not to vote for Barrack Obama or Mitt Romney. Plus, I'd be willing to bet that those "early" voters send in their mortgage and utility payments on the last day possible (or in the case of Democrats, 29-days after it was due--right before they get hit with the late fee.)
What I find most ironic, is that those who "vote early" are most likely to vote on Election Day anyway. The big push to get absentee ballots in the box as soon as possible has not led to any increase in voter participation. It has merely spread out the action over a longer period of time--a maneuver that ends up costing taxpayers more, because clerks have to staff their counters (and in the case of the City of Oshkosh, the Convention Center) at higher levels for three weeks--in addition to the full stafffing of polling places on Election Day.
Despite my distaste for the "early voting" crowd, I do have more respect for them than the 50% who don't bother to vote at any time.
Notice that I said "absentee" voting--not "early" voting. It gets my goat when other media refers to absentee voting as "early" voting. You aren't given an "early" ballot--you are given an "absentee" ballot. But somewhere in recent years, somebody in one of the political parties realized that if you call it "early" voting instead of absentee voting--people will be more likely to do it. You hear "absentee ballot" and you likely think "Oh, I'll be in town on Election Day, so I'll just vote then." But you hear "early voting" and you think "Hey, I can get my vote in before everyone else's and my guy will be ahead!" As if ballots cast before Election Day carry some kind of added value. (Or perhaps, you think you might be able to sneak in a second ballot on Election Day--even though Democrats swear that never, ever, never, ever, never, ever happens) Ironically, absentee ballots are actually the last ones counted--as they are usually fed into the machines when poll workers finally have enough time on Election Day.
And I certainly don't understand why people would camp out to cast an absentee ballot on the first day. Yes, there were people who put up the tents and slept out on the sidewalk in front of city halls across Wisconsin on Monday. Perhaps they thought the Clerk was going to run out of ballots if they weren't there at 8:00 AM on Day One. The only thing worth doing that for is front row tickets to a U2 concert--not to vote for Barrack Obama or Mitt Romney. Plus, I'd be willing to bet that those "early" voters send in their mortgage and utility payments on the last day possible (or in the case of Democrats, 29-days after it was due--right before they get hit with the late fee.)
What I find most ironic, is that those who "vote early" are most likely to vote on Election Day anyway. The big push to get absentee ballots in the box as soon as possible has not led to any increase in voter participation. It has merely spread out the action over a longer period of time--a maneuver that ends up costing taxpayers more, because clerks have to staff their counters (and in the case of the City of Oshkosh, the Convention Center) at higher levels for three weeks--in addition to the full stafffing of polling places on Election Day.
Despite my distaste for the "early voting" crowd, I do have more respect for them than the 50% who don't bother to vote at any time.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Big Shoes To Fill
Monday was certainly a hectic one in the Newsroom. You had former State Senator Randy Hopper arrested again, the first performance report cards for Oshkosh Schools, and Rod Hightower resigning as the President and CEO of the EAA--all within a few hours of each other. But the story that will likely have the biggest and longest lasting impact on Oshkosh is the resignation of Eileen Connolly-Keesler as President and CEO of the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation.
I've been here in Oshkosh for 12-years now--and every major improvement in Oshkosh (outside of the Highway 41 expansion) featured Eileen in the middle of it. The Red Arrow Skate Park, the Leach Amphitheater, the Pollock Community Waterpark, the roof repairs at the Grand Opera House and even the renovation of the City Center Hotel all came about through the efforts of the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation.
And there were smaller things as well. Permanent endowments for the Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Center and the relocation of the Oshkosh Community Pantry into the old Copps store on Jackson Street--both featuring the fingerprints of Eileen Connolly-Keesler. Along with dozens of other smaller community projects, scholarships and lifestyle enhancements.
Ask anyone who has donated to one of those projects and they will tell you that Eileen was tenacious in her efforts to make things happen. It's easy to say "I think we should have a Waterpark" or "I think we should have a riverfront amphitheater"--but it's not so easy to sell that idea to those who can fund such projects--and Eileen was one of those people who knew how to sell. Maybe that is why the folks in Naples, Florida want her to work for them. If you've ever been to that area, you know there is a whole heck of a lot more money to fund projects and endowments than there is around here.
So the question becomes, who fills those very large shoes? Who comes in and is immediately able to twist some arms--without causing pain and always with a smile? Because plenty of challenges still remain. The hotel project is still looking for five million dollars in private funding. Oshkosh schools are trying to get an endowment program off the ground that could provide greater access to technology in the classroom and continued funding to extracurricular programs like band, drama and sports.
So Oshkosh will miss Eileen when she leaves next month. Hopefully, we don't end up missing her too much.
I've been here in Oshkosh for 12-years now--and every major improvement in Oshkosh (outside of the Highway 41 expansion) featured Eileen in the middle of it. The Red Arrow Skate Park, the Leach Amphitheater, the Pollock Community Waterpark, the roof repairs at the Grand Opera House and even the renovation of the City Center Hotel all came about through the efforts of the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation.
And there were smaller things as well. Permanent endowments for the Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Center and the relocation of the Oshkosh Community Pantry into the old Copps store on Jackson Street--both featuring the fingerprints of Eileen Connolly-Keesler. Along with dozens of other smaller community projects, scholarships and lifestyle enhancements.
Ask anyone who has donated to one of those projects and they will tell you that Eileen was tenacious in her efforts to make things happen. It's easy to say "I think we should have a Waterpark" or "I think we should have a riverfront amphitheater"--but it's not so easy to sell that idea to those who can fund such projects--and Eileen was one of those people who knew how to sell. Maybe that is why the folks in Naples, Florida want her to work for them. If you've ever been to that area, you know there is a whole heck of a lot more money to fund projects and endowments than there is around here.
So the question becomes, who fills those very large shoes? Who comes in and is immediately able to twist some arms--without causing pain and always with a smile? Because plenty of challenges still remain. The hotel project is still looking for five million dollars in private funding. Oshkosh schools are trying to get an endowment program off the ground that could provide greater access to technology in the classroom and continued funding to extracurricular programs like band, drama and sports.
So Oshkosh will miss Eileen when she leaves next month. Hopefully, we don't end up missing her too much.
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