Issue Corner: Governor: Quality Education & Funding

(Ed.note: This is one of the identified issues at the Governor Candidate Forum in Stoughton, Wi on Sunday, April 15, 2012) Question: Over the last 20 years, state aid to school districts has been a smaller and smaller portion of the total cost of quality public education. Our children are receiving fewer educational opportunities. Gov. Walker has reduced revenues to schools by another $1.6 billin in this 2 year budget. The result? More teacher layoffs and program cuts hurting children. The Legislature can fix the school-funding formula tomorrow by taking two actions: By passing State Superintendent Tony Evers""Fair Funding for Our Future" Plan and By approving "The Penny for Kids" one-cent increase in the sales tax to restore Walker's $1.6 billion in cuts. Specifically, "The Fair Funding for Our Future" Plan calls for a base state funding of $3000 for every student in every district, increases state aid if the district has a high number of students living in poverty, helps districts with declining enrollments, increases state aid each by 2% or the CPI to provide stability, eases the state revenue limits, and places the school levy tax credit monies into school aids. Specifically, "The Penny for Kids" would increase the state sales tax from 5% to 6% on the dollar producing nearly $900 million per year in revenue that would then be sent to schools as state aids making up for Walker's cuts."

Issue Corner: Recall Walker Campaign: Budgets Etc

(Ed.note; This was one of the many issues discussed at the Governor candidate Forum in Stoughton, Wisconsin on Sunday, April 15, 2012) This is a question on Revenue Limits. "Since 1993 the State of Wisconsin has removed local control from public schools and municipalities by restricting their ability to tax. the state calls this "placing revenue limits" on schools and municipalities. The state has reduced shared revenues while limiting local governments ability to raise property taxes or use other means to increase revenue. This state law is "starving" local governments and schools---jeopardizing the fabric of out communities and the future of Wisconsin. Question 1) Please outline a multiple pronged approach to allow local governments to increase local control of revenue and determine the level of services that are right for their communities. Question 2) Do you favor repealing the revenue limits for schools, counties and municipalities and return Local Control to those jurisdictions?

Dateline Normal, Mn.: Legislator Proposes Abstinence and Sobriety for Secret Service and Military: FICTION

Dateline Normal, Mn.; Legislator Proposes Abstinence and Sobriety for Secret Service and Military: Cites Benefits:FICTION Word has spread like wildfire today as Legislators in Normal, Mn., that sleepy fishing town in northern Minnesota, where the peace of walleye fishing gives the politicos a clearer understanding of how to remedy world problems,...the legislators proposed that all secret service and military personnel would immediately be required to pass abstinence and sobriety tests or be discharged from service. The news has prompted such an immediate surge of discharges from service, that the result has been a tremendous increase in the esteem and pride of those serving this great country, and also a tremendous increase in the prospect for world peace. Married men just have not seen the attractivenes of traveling all around the world to be sober and abstinent. Conservatives from Wisconsin have been particularly pleased with the result, since they have always asserted that abstinence, and indeed ignorance is the cure for most of the ills of society, and especially the cure for TOP Gun types... Stay tuned as I follow this developing story.

Progressive Corner: Recall: A Teach-In coming Tuesday

Waunakee Rebuild the Dream Presents a Teach-in Tuesday, April 24, 2012 Time: 7:00 PM Matthew Rothschild Editor The Progressive Magazine http://www.progressive.org/ "What's at Stake in the Recall" Matthew Rothschild is the editor of The Progressive magazine, which is one of the leading voices for peace and social justice in this country. Rothschild has appeared on Nightline, C-SPAN, The O'Reilly Factor, and NPR, and his newspaper commentaries have run in the Chicago Tribune, the L.A. Times, the Miami Herald, and a host of other newspapers. Rothschild is the host of "Progressive Radio," a syndicated half-hour weekly interview program. And he does a two-minute daily radio commentary, entitled "Progressive Point of View," which is also syndicated around the country. Rothschild is the author of You Have No Rights: Stories of America in an Age of Repression (New Press, 2007). He also is the editor of Democracy in Print: The Best of The Progressive, 1909-2009 (University of Wisconsin Press, 2009). Waunakee High School Small Auditorium 300 Community Drive Enter the building via door 17. The parking lot is off of South Street for this doorway.

The Woodchucks Signs of Evansville

The Evansville Observer strongly recommends the work of the Woodchucks of Evansville, Wisconsin, a non-profit community based group located at the Evansville Senior Center...Check out their new signs made to your specifications. Contact Fred Juergens at Creekside Place during regular business hours for details --608-882-0407

Mailbag: Vinehout Issues "Call to Action"

As weeks turn to days before the primary elections we all must work hard to get the word out about our candidate for Governor. We have options to spread the word and get people engaged in our grassroots campaign. ORDER YOUR DVDs NOW! You can host a house party with a virtual Kathleen. Gather your neighbors, friends and family, put out the snacks, and view a DVD featuring Kathleen’s speeches and responses to questions about important issues. SPREAD CAMPAIGN LITERATURE OVER YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD! You can spread the word by distributing campaign literature in your community. You will be energized by the beautiful spring weather and by sharing our campaign message about a fresh start for Wisconsin. SEND OUT POSTCARDS ENDORSING KATHLEEN! You can share your personal support for Kathleen by sending grassroots endorsement postcards to your friends, family and others. Take out your address book and send a message that can make a difference. All the resources you need to call your friends and family to action! Email us today at volunteer@kathleenvinehout.org with the number of DVDs, postcards, & pieces of literature you need Orange isn’t just for Hunters! People recognize orange is for our grassroots campaign to change our Governor and the way we govern in Wisconsin. Many of our fellow volunteers have made hundreds of Vinehout for Governor signs that need to appear in yards all around the state! Stop by the campaign headquarters to pick up your sign(s) today. If you can’t make it to the headquarters but plan on attending one of Kathleen’s upcoming events let us know and we’ll send extra signs along. Sharing the Good News! Kathleen is winning over people all around the state. This week she was the top vote getter in a gubernatorial straw poll following a candidate forum in Darlington attended by people from southeastern Wisconsin. Share news from your neighborhood. How are you spreading the word? Do you have activities and ideas that really taking off? Submit your ideas and grassroots efforts to Jamie Rebman at Jamie@kathleenvinehout.org. Grassroots Idea of the Week: Potluck With a Purpose Host a potluck at your house. Invite friends and family over for dinner—before dessert is served, go around your neighborhood and pass out Vinehout literature! Kathleen is Wisconsin PTA “Friend of Children” Award Winner Friday April 27th – Wisconsin PTA State Convention - Fontana Kathleen will be honored during Convention General Session * The Joan Dykstra “Friend of Children” Award * This award honors elected or appointed public officials who share the PTA goal of promoting education and children’s issues. Kathleen is recognized for her tireless work in the State Legislature to improve the quality of education in Wisconsin. In doing so Kathleen is a champion for the hopes and dreams of all Wisconsin children. Here’s a look at Kathleen’s schedule for the next week Saturday April 21th WAUSAU – 7th Congressional District Convention Kathleen will speak about why we need a fresh start for Wisconsin 9:00am-11:30am – Labor Temple - 318 South Third Street MADISON – 2nd Congressional District Convention Be part of the discussion about Kathleen’s goals for Wisconsin’s future 1:00pm-4:00pm – Madison Labor Temple – 1602 South Park Street Sunday April 22th ST. FRANCIS – Meet & Greet with Sen. Kathleen Vinehout Join area residents for a cup of coffee and conversation with Kathleen 2:00pm-4:00pm – Fixx Coffee Shop – 3558 East Sivyer Street RACINE – Meet & Greet with Sen. Kathleen Vinehout Kathleen welcomes folks to an informal conversation about important issues 5:00pm-7:00pm – The Grind Cafe- 7300 Washington Avenue Monday April 23th RACINE – ReFUND Wisconsin Town Hall Join Kathleen in this discussion of investing in Wisconsin values 6:30pm-8:30pm – Bray Center – 924 Center Street Tuesday April 24th GREEN BAY – Kathleen visits the Green Bay School District Kathleen gets a first-hand look at how Green Bay schools are dealing with Walker’s education budget cuts 8:30am-11:00am – Green Bay School District – 200 South Broadway Wednesday April 25th MADISON – Guest at the WisPolitics Luncheon Come and participate in a discussion with Kathleen about Wisconsin’s future 11:45am-1:00pm – The Madison Club – 5 East Wilson Street WHITEWATER – Visit to UW-Whitewater Join Kathleen on campus to discuss issues important to students and faculty 3:30pm-4:30pm – University Center – 800 West Main Street WHITEWATER – Candidate Forum hosted by UW-Whitewater College Democrats and others Kathleen will share her views on the critical issues facing Wisconsinites 7:00pm-9:00pm – UW Whitewater Highland Hall – 800 West Main Street Thursday April 26th EAU CLAIRE - Join Kathleen as we take back democracy in the state. Share the enthusiasm. Hear stories of democracy in action around the state and become a part of the movement. 5:00pm-6:30pm - Stella's Red Room - 302 East Madison Street Friday April 27th FONTANA – Wisconsin PTA State Convention Kathleen receiving Wisconsin PTA “Friend of Children” Award 2:00pm-3:30pm - The Abbey (on Lake Geneva) – 269 Fontana Blvd ELKHORN – Meet & Greet with Walworth County Democrats Kathleen will gather with area democrats and progressives 5:00pm-6:30pm – Walworth Democrats Office – 10 South Washington Street LAKE MILLS – Speaking at the Lake Mills P.I.E. Meeting Kathleen will fire-up this informed and engaged group of citizens 7:30pm-8:30pm – Waterhouse Foods - 110 East Lake Street

Mailbag: Chamber of Commerce; Re: Memorial Day Celebration

Evansville Area Chamber of Commerce Announces 2012 Memorial Day Weekend Celebration & Raffle Evansville, WI – The Evansville VFW Post 6905 and Evansville Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism are planning fun for the whole family Memorial Day Weekend. Saturday, May 26th: First Annual Chamber Open Golf Classic Join Chamber and community members for the first annual Chamber Open Golf Classic hosted at the Evansville Golf Club. Tee off for a challenging day on a mature course for a good cause! Golfers will have a chance to purchase Rally in the Alley raffle tickets, along with a chance to win a variety of great prizes – including NEW CAR! For more information, contact the Chamber at 608-882-5131 or go to http://evansvillechamber.org. Monday, May 28th: 4th Annual Rally in the Alley Raffle Bring the family to VFW Post 6905 (179 E. Main St., Evansville) for the Chamber’s annual Rally in the Alley Celebration from 11:00am - 6:00 pm. Enjoy food, music, and a chance to win great raffle prizes! New for 2012 -- A portion of the Raffle proceeds will go to support the Evansville Honor Flight for WWII Veterans. For more information, visit: http://evansvillechamber.org. Raffle tickets have just arrived, and prizes for this year are set: 1st Prize – 2012 Polaris Sportsman 500 ATV 4x4 2nd Prize – $500 Cash 3rd Prize – Ruger 10-22 Semi Automatic or $200 Cash Only 1,000 tickets will be sold; tickets priced at $20 per ticket or 6 tickets for $100. Winner must be 18 or legal guardian to win. Tickets are available at the Chamber Office at 8 W Main St. and from local businesses and establishments displaying the Rally in the Alley Raffle poster starting next week. Contact Chamber Director Mary Rajek, 882.5131 or stop by the Chamber Office, 8 W. Main with questions / requests for tickets.

Minnesota Faces Crisis with Possible Loss of Vikings

Top officials with the NFL are meeting today at the Minnesota State Capitol to discuss, urge etc. legislators to get a deal done for a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings. Folks all over the nation know that the top three assets of Minnesota are in order; 1)The Vikings 2) Walleye Fishing 3) Cheap Beer, mostly imported from Wisconsin. The loss of the Minnesota Vikings will put a lot of pressure on Walleye Fishing...My sources tell me that Minnesotans are drinking as much cheap beer at present as humanly possible and not to expect a further increase in consumption to bail out Minnesota. It is factually true that watching the Vikings over the past two seasons has been troubling for football fans, but the possible loss of the team would mean that all that could be done on Sundays is visiting with family, going to church, ice fishing, and SCRABBLE. The prospect of just a limited menu might tip Minnesota into well...a real low... Stay tuned as I follow this breaking story.

Issue Corner: Fair Tax System---Key Questions for Governors Race in Wisconsin

(Ed.note: this is one of the questions for the candidates for Governor at the Stoughton, Wis meeting last Sunday. This question is on taxes from the Institute for Wisconsin's Future, a Wisconsin think tank in Milwaukee. Governor Walker balanced the budget by cuts alone. He reduced tax assistance to low-income parents and seniors while opening new tax breaks for businesses and investors. He cut staff at the Department of Revenue, though it's clear that small investments in catching tax delinquents bring large returns in revenue. He gave new tax credits to big firms, though such profitable companies as General Electric, S.C. Johnson and Associated Bank go year after year without paying Wisconsin income tax. Three questions: 1) Do you believe in a balanced approach to budgeting? An approach which doesn't just reduce funding but also finds additional sources of revenue? 2) Will you build the Wisconsin Department of Revenue's capacity to catch tax cheats? 3) Do you support a Buffett rule for corporations, to force all big, profitable companies to pay a fair share of income tax?

Recall Walker Signs Sprouting up

Video: Recall Walker signs are sprouting up between Mazo and Black Earth----check them out...some signs have messages on both sides....Drive safely....all the signs are creating lots of buzz

Mailbag: Vinehout Writes

FoodShare: Who’s Minding the Store? FoodShare is a vital program for low-income people who cannot afford to feed their families. But the program has been plagued with oversight problems. Past reports include a prisoner incarcerated for almost four years who still received FoodShare benefits with an unknown individual using those benefits. Auditors recently found 334 instances where the FoodShare card was used to make a purchase in Wisconsin on the same day the card was manually entered to make another purchase in another state – including New York, North Carolina and California. Recent audits by the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau provide insight to what is happening and why. Systems are supposed to be in place to enforce rules and identify fraud. But audits show state officials have not performed routine data matches, checked routine reports or adequately staffed fraud and abuse positions. Nearly all the money for FoodShare comes from the federal government but the state shares responsibility for oversight of the program. To be eligible for Foodshare, families must meet both financial and non-financial requirements. Federal law prohibits prisoners or those who live outside Wisconsin from receiving benefits. Every 12 months the state must recertify households to continue to receive benefits. The state must make sure individuals have not gained employment that makes them ineligible or moved out-of-state. In some cases, people who moved out-of-state had their case closed right away. However many cases remained open for several months, increasing the risk of fraud. Systems and staff to monitor the program are inadequate. Beginning just last year two staff members were assigned to review cases. With the new staff, fraud detection improved. But those two staff members reviewed less than half of all cases reported by the federal government. State officials told auditors they can’t monitor more cases because of staff shortages. Another problem is individuals who received benefits but were subsequently imprisoned. The problem with prisoners receiving benefits and ‘someone else’ using the benefits is not new. Auditors first identified the problem four years ago. The agency responded with the promise of a system of data matches - comparing lists of prisoners to lists of program recipients - every month. But four years later, despite repeated recommendations from auditors, the routine data matches were not being performed. Two years ago auditors found 33 individuals who were in prison and still receiving benefits – ten of which had been in prison for over a year. One individual received FoodShare despite being in prison for almost four years. These inmates should have been caught during the routine recertification process. But they were missed Again state officials committed to resolving the problem. But a recently released audit shows that did not happen. Only one time did state officials performed the monthly data matches of prisoners to FoodShare recipients. No regular matches by caseworkers were completed. In the one match that was performed, officials discovered 235 cases of prisoners receiving benefits. Last fall the Governor created a new position of Inspector General to monitor fraud and abuse. The Department of Health had 19 new positions budgeted to monitor fraud and abuse in public programs. But none are on the job yet. State officials expect the new fraud and abuse monitors will be in place midsummer. State officials also said regular reports on FoodShare money spent out-of-state are sent out to counties but are not consistently monitored. They expected to resolve this situation with a memo. The Department has also come under federal scrutiny for privatizing the administration of FoodShare. In a visit a year ago federal officials threatened to withhold federal FoodShare money if the state continued to send so much administration of the program to private contractors. Previous audits exposed problems with the oversight of other contracts administered by the Department of Health. Many of the problems of fraud and abuse can be resolved through proper administrative oversight. To accomplish this, the state must make an investment in staff. Watchdogs must be well trained, proper procedures must be in place and systems must be evaluated. Program integrity is the result of an investment in staff and structure. Auditors are continuing their work and expect a comprehensive review of the program integrity issues in the FoodShare program to be released later this year.

Minutes; Historic Preservation: March 2012

Evansville Historic Preservation Commission Minutes Wednesday, March 21, 2012 6:30 P.M. Evansville City Hall Present: John Decker, Steve Culbertson, Rich Modaff, Steve Christens, Betsy Ahner Absent: Rick Schuch Also Present: Mayor Sandy Decker, Vickie Arneson, Mason Barber The meeting was called to order at 6:31 PM by Chair Richard Modaff. Motion by Culbertson to waive the reading of the February 15, 2012 minutes and approve them as read. Second by Christens. Motion carried. Applications – Appearances 227 Garfield Ave - Homeowner Vickie Arneson was present to explain the dilemma she and her husband were facing regarding their home. The flat porch roofs on their home need replacing along with a railing that has been removed because of rot. In order to maintain eligibility for historic preservation tax credits, the Wisconsin Historical Society wants them to replace the railing with one built to original specs but if they do that it won’t meet the building code. City building inspector Dave Wartenweiler has told them he would allow an exemption to the code if the Historic Preservation Commission agreed to it. The Arnesons propose adding an extra slat in the railing design so that no space has a diameter of more than 6 inches. They will also be requesting permission to add more posts to help support the weight of the railing and increasing the height of the railing from 34 to 36 ½ inches. If the extra slat is not allowed by the State Historical Society then they will go with a design that just adds the extra posts and raises the height. Modaff asked if they were able to determine if this railing design was original to the house when it was built in 1940. Vickie said she was told by a home inspector that the railing was the original one. Also a neighbor has a 1950’s era photo showing the railing. Mayor Decker stated that several years ago she attended a seminar in Madison and the speaker stressed the importance of keeping water out of a home, so the roof repairs should be made as soon as possible. Motion by Decker to express that the sense of the Evansville Historic Preservation Commission is that either design, shown as C and #2, are historically appropriate and meet with our approval. Second by Christens. Motion carried unanimously. 119 East Main Street – Building owner Mason Barber was present to explain his plans for the building that he and his wife Karen own. This building previously housed Auto Transformers and has been vacant for over 5 years. The Barbers would like to operate an auto collision repair business in the building. Insurance agents in Evansville have told Karen that a business like this is needed by their policy holders. The volume they anticipate having will allow them to house all autos inside the building and they will enter and exit at the rear of the building. Parking places in front of the building will be open for customers to the downtown area. They plan to bring the 1926 aesthetic back to the building. The vinyl siding on the front of the building will be removed and the garage door will be replaced with an original looking but non-functioning door. Windows will also be replaced with more energy efficient glass and the trim will be cement board, an engineered product which will look like wood but require less maintenance, Lastly, the garage door will be an original-looking non-functioning wood door. Motion by Decker to approve the design presented as being historically appropriate and recommend the design to the Plan Committee in connection with the Conditional Use Permit. Second by Christens. Motion carried unanimously. At this time Chairperson Modaff vacated the chair and Vice-chair Christens took his place. Motion by Culbertson to accept the application for 103 South Third Street. Second by Decker. This is a placarded house. Modaff came before the HPC and explained that hail recently damaged his rubber membrane roof. If approved by the insurance adjuster he would like to replace the entire roof with 5 tab architectural shingles. Motion carried unanimously. Modaff resumed his seat as chair. Old Business a. Motion by Christens to allocate $500 for Rally Round the Flag 2nd Annual Civil War Living History Event, May 18-20, 2012. Second by Culbertson. Motion carried with Decker abstaining. Decker thanked the Commission and said the money will be used to cover expenses for the event, including $1,500 for the First Brigade Band, $500 for rental of Creekside, five reenactment groups at $350 – 400 each, and Frank Medina playing at both the Friday night cemetery event and Sunday morning church services. A major change in the event will be a school day which is expected to draw 2,000 middle school students. The Wisconsin Tourism Promotion office has said this event has the potential to draw regionally and even nationally. b. Motion by Christens to allocate $50 for a scholarship to the WAPHPC in Madison, April 2012. Second by Ahner. Motion carried. c. Antes Cabin – the Parks Committee is very close to moving the cabin. It appears they have found a contractor who will move it for $100 if Power and Light will elevate it. Administrative a. Grove Society – The front doors need refinishing again. The Old House Group will meet at 7 PM on Friday evening at 236 West Main Street. b. Nothing to report on document management c. Landmarks – the Walking Tour guides are being reprinted and expanded by 4 pages. This will allow several new properties to be added. The Historic Preservation ordinance will need to be amended to include the two new districts. Work on this will begin when the Leota Park application is approved. Other Business Modaff said it would be nice to have the WAPHPC meeting back in Evansville now that we have Creekside Place. Mayor Decker asked Culbertson and Christens if they would be interested in serving another term. Both agreed to do so. It appears the Rock County Heritage Group is getting back together. The Rock County Historical Society has offered Evansville a 15 ft x 30 ft painting showing a log cabin and woods, but they didn’t have any other information on it. Mayor Decker’s research shows that it was the backdrop for the 1939 Centennial celebration. Evansville Community Theater has agreed to store it. Motion by Ahner to adjourn. Second by Culbertson. Motion carried.

OpEd: "The Get Back Rule Does not Work in Politics"

Whenever there is a loss....stock loss, divorce,....anything...there is a human need to get back...to be made whole...to be repaired..it is a natural thing...and if you take just a moment, and are older than thirty(30) and have taken any losses that you are dimly aware of, you will agree that the get back urge is powerful indeed. One of the things I have noticed in the speeches of the candidates in the Recall Walker campaign is that they assume that there was not a problem, and that Walker fixed it....the case is that there WAS a problem, and Walker DID NOT fix it. Recently at a city meeting, Evansville City Adminstrator Dan Wietecha was asked what the prospects were for a cut in state aids mid biennemium---he replied that there would not be probably mid term cuts, but that the cuts would be years to come from then on. He said that BOTH political parties had been part of the structural imbalance that the state was dealing with... I find it curious that Democratic party candidates phrase the cuts as Scott Walker cuts when the reality is that CUTS were necessary, but the CHOICES that Scott Walker made were not the ones that worked from anyones point of view--they did not increase jobs, and devastated every sector of the Wisconsin economy. CUTS will come...and politicians need to talk about it.

OpEd; The 4 Period Day is Toast

Beyond the fact that the 4 period day was the most contested policy change in Evansville School district history, and beyone all the hype, it was just about a salary raise...nothing more. It resulted in decreased classroom instruction time, and of course increased teacher compensation. Period. The decreased classroom time has taken its toll. The day has come for a change. Maybe not a total change back to the 8 period day, but the "times they are a changin"

Library to Discuss Potential Separation of Library Director

NOTICE A special meeting of the Eager Free Public Library Board of Trustees for the City of Evansville will be held on the 18th day of April, at 6:00 p.m., at Eager Free Public Library, 39 W. Main St. Eager Free Public Library Board of Trustees Special Meeting Wednesday, April 18th, 2012 6:00 p.m. 39 W. Main St., Evansville, WI 53536 AGENDA If you need special accommodations to attend this meeting, please contact Kathi Kemp at 608/882-2260. 1. Call to order. 2. Closed session: Upon proper motion and approval vote, the Library Board will convene in closed session pursuant to Wisconsin Statutes section 19.85 (1)e to discuss Library Board negotiating strategy and options regarding potential separation of Library Director. 3. In open session, possible motion regarding potential separation of Library Director. 4. Adjourn. Next regular meeting: April 24th, 2012.

OpEd: We need a new way of ENDORSING and GOVERNING

Kathleen Vinehout mentioned in her speech in Stoughton on Sunday that we need a new way of governing this state, and Doug LaFollette mentioned that the endorsement of the Unions for Kathleen Falk was a strategic error. If the major error of Governor Walker was that he did not bother to listen to the people, what is the major error of folks that endorse candidates prior to the primary? You make the call. What of the efforts of all the grassroots organizations that made the recall happen...a recall campaign that had hardly one penny of traditional media paid...it was all social network or word of mouth or personal networking.... So---the actions of the Unions shows that they do not understand the movement they are participating in...Make a note of it.

Evansville Council Reorg Meeting Tomorrow: 4/17/2012

Common Council Meeting Tuesday, April 17, 2012, 6:30 p.m. Organizational Meeting City Hall, 31 South Madison Street, Evansville WI AGENDA 1. Call to order. 2. Roll call. 3. Administer Oath of Office to District #1 Alderperson Mason Braunschweig, District #2 Alderperson Cheryl Fuchs, Dist #3 Alderperson Jon Senn, and District #4 Alderpersons Ben Ladick and Josh Manring. 4. Administer Oath of Office to Mayor Sandy Decker. 5. Roll call of new Council. 6. Motion to approve Resolution 2012- 07, Commending Tony Wyse for his Service to the City of Evansville. 7. Motion to approve Resolution 2012-08, Commending Todd Culbertson for his Service to the City of Evansville. 8. Executive Assistant Position: Motion to approve Agreement Between City of Evansville and Candie M. Jones. 9. Nomination and election of Council President. 10. Motion to appoint The Evansville Review as the City of Evansville’s official newspaper for a term of one year. 11. Motion to waive the seven-day notice on aldermanic and citizen appointments. 12. Committee Aldermanic Appointments. A. Motion to approve the Mayoral appointments of Ald. Braunschweig as Chair and Ald. Brooks and Ald. Manring as committee members to the Finance and Labor Relations Committee. B. Motion to approve the Mayoral appointments of Ald. Braunschweig and Ald. Brooks to the Plan Commission. C. Motion to approve the Mayoral appointments of Ald. Brooks as Chair and Ald. Hayes and Ald. Ladick to the Water and Light Committee. D. Motion to approve the Mayoral appointments of Ald. Jacobson and Ald. Senn to the Evansville Fire District Board, and Ald. Hayes and Ald. Manring as alternates. E. Motion to approve the Mayoral appointments of Ald. Braunschweig as Chair and Ald. Fuchs and Ald. Manring as committee members to the Public Works Committee. F. Motion to approve the Mayoral appointments of Ald. Brooks and Ald. Senn as committee members to the Economic Development Committee. G. Motion to approve the Mayoral appointment of Ald. Fuchs as Chair to the Park and Recreation Board. H. Motion to approve the Mayoral appointments of Ald. Jacobson as Chair and Ald. Hayes and Ald. Fuchs as committee members to the Public Safety Committee. I. Motion to approve the Mayoral appointments of Ald. Jacobson and Ald. Senn to the Redevelopment Authority. J. Motion to approve the Mayoral appointment of Ald. Ladick to the Historic Preservation Commission. K. Motion to approve the Mayoral appointment of Ald. Ladick to the Evansville Youth Center Board. 13. Committee Citizen Appointments. A. Motion to approve the Mayoral appointment of Carol Endres, 407 Badger Drive, for a three-year term to the Plan Commission. B. Motion to approve the Mayoral appointment of Betsy Ahner, 66 North Water Street, for a five-year term to the Redevelopment Authority. C. Motion to approve the Mayoral appointment of Kim Miller, 8 Sherman Court, for a five-year term to the Police Commission. D. Motion to approve the Mayoral appointments of Jake Anderson, 248 North Water Street, and Rod Courtier, 240 Kinsey Court, for three-year terms, and Randy Withrow, 118 Hancock Lane, for an unexpired term ending in 2013 to the Park and Recreation Board. E. Motion to approve the Mayoral appointments of Eloise Eager, 401 Badger Drive, and Vicki Lecy-Luebke, 13941 West Elaine Drive, for three-year terms, and Bob Flaherty, School District Representative, 7636 North Morning Meadow Lane, for a term ending in 2013 to the Eager Free Public Library Board of Trustees. F. Motion to approve the Mayoral appointments of Sandi Konkel, 8837 West County Road A, and John Otto, 39 West Liberty Street, for three-year terms to the Evansville Youth Center Board. G. Motion to approve the Mayoral appointments of Larry Dobbs, 65 North Sixth Street, for a five-year term, Gilbert Wiedenhoeft, 256 West Main Street, for an unexpired term ending in 2016, Judy Bratzke, 118 Joshua Drive, as alternate for an unexpired term ending in 2015, and Dean Arnold, 140 North Third Street, as alternate for an unexpired term ending in 2014 to the Board of Review. H. Motion to approve the Mayoral appointments of Sue Berg, 321 Garfield Avenue, and Gene Bass, 8328 North Cemetery Road, for three-year terms, and Sarah Bauer, 18309 West Emery Road, for an unexpired term ending in 2013, to the Economic Development Committee. I. Motion to approve the Mayoral appointments of Steve Culbertson, 243 West Main Street, Steve Christens, 15 North Second Street, and Richard Schuch, 25 North Second Street, for two-year terms to the Historic Preservation Commission. J. Motion to approve the Mayoral appointment of Janet Sperry, 10736 West Whitmore Road, for a five-year term to the Housing Authority. K. Motion to approve the Mayoral appointments of Sue Berg, 321 Garfield Avenue, as Chair for a three-year term, and Mary Rajek, Chamber Executive Director, and John Decker, 143 West Main Street, for unexpired terms ending in 2013, to the Tourism Subcommittee of the Economic Development Committee. L. Motion to approve the Mayoral appointments of Eric Pease as Chair, 215 South Sixth Street, Kent Englund, 584 Garfield Avenue, and Janice Turner, 233 West Church Street, as alternate for three-year terms to the Zoning Board of Appeals. M. Motion to approve the Mayoral designations of Jeff Hanson, 535 Greenview Drive, as first alternate and Janice Turner, 233 West Church Street, as second alternate to the Zoning Board of Appeals for 2012. 14. Adjournment Sandra J. Decker, Mayor

Ragin Grannies: Recall Walker: Stoughton: 4/15

Ragin Grannies Perform at Recall Walker Governor Hopefuls Forum, Stoughton, Wisconsin; April 15, 2012

Body Transformation Project --Part II Launches

The second installment of Body Transformation Challenge has begun at the Evansville Health Club---12 spots are available on a first come first served basis...check it out today. The results of the first Challenge were inspiring. You now can step up and be transformed...

Signs Sprouting Up Between Mazo and Black Earth

For questions about how to set up your own signs contact people4progresswi@gmail.com

Signs are Sprouting Up Daily Between Mazo and Black Earth----

For questions on how to get your own signs, contact people4progresswi@gmail.com

Via Twitter: Eager Library seeks your ideas in Community survey

Have you filled out the community survey? We want to know what you think of Your Library.

Evansville Plans Three More Years for Discover Wisconsin Media

NOTICE A regular meeting of the Economic Development Committee for the City of Evansville will be held on the date, time and place stated below. Notice is further given that members of the City Council may be in attendance. City of Evansville Economic Development Committee Monday, April 16, 2012, 6:00 PM Creekside Place, 102 Maple Street, Evansville, WI AGENDA (NOTE: Meeting location) 1. Call to order. 2. Roll call. 3. Motion to approve agenda 4. Motion to waive the reading of the minutes of the March 19, 2012 regular meeting and approve them as printed 5. Citizen appearances, other than listed agenda items. 6. Tourism subcommittee report (Sue) a. Motion to accept recommendation from subcommittee to allocate monies from room tax to continue relationship with Discover Wisconsin Media Works for three more years and to print Evansville Barn Quilt Map. b. Wisconsin Dept of Tourism report to be presented. 7. Meeting Reminder: next meeting May 21, 2012, 6:00 pm a. Reminder of Retail Market Analysis Follow Up Meeting on May 10 8. Facilitated discussion between City and Chamber of Commerce led by Judy Whalen 9. Motion to adjourn

Signs Sprouting Up Betweeen Mazo and Black Earth--Check it out

For questions about how to set up your own signs contact people4progresswi@gmail.com

Audio: How We Recall Scott Walker

Audio; Wisconsin Progressive Grassroots Festival: Ed Garvey: How we Recall Scott Walker


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Wisconsin Missed a Development Boom

http://www.longfellownokomismessenger.com/hiawathacorridorstory.html A lead article in the Nakomis Messenger this month highlights the development boom that has resulted from the Light Rail in Minneapolis. That same boom is what Governor Scott Walker killed. Make a note of it.

Signs Sprouting up between Mazo and Black Earth, Wis

For questions about setting up your own signs contact people4progresswi@gmail.com

Resume of the "Doc of Rock": Prof Dennis Cooper

(Ed.note: Here is the bio of the "Dock of Rock" Prof Dennis Cooper of UW River Falls whose music is featured on The Evansville Observer. If you are interested in a career in Animal Science, just tell him the Observer sent you.) Agriculture and Natural Resources Specialist Dennis Cooper Animal and Food Science Department UW-River Falls 410 So. 3rd Street River Falls, WI 54022 715-425-3704 dennis.p.cooper@uwrf.edu Dennis is an Extension Dairy Specialist working primarily in the area of human resource management on dairy farms. He has made many presentations and written several articles on recruitment, selection, performance evaluation, job quality, and other areas of HRM. He has been a national leader in recognizing and communicating the importance of farm image as a factor in recruitment. As a ruminant nutritionist, he has developed a strong interest in management intensive rotational grazing for dairy cattle. Education Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota M.S. from the University of Minnesota B.S. from the University of Minnesota

Matthias James Pottery Sale coming April 27th

Annual Spring Pottery Sale April 27-29, 2012 Come into Allen Creek Gallery April 27-29, 2012 to draw your discount of 10% to 40% off your entire purchase of Matthias James Pottery

OpEd; The Rise of Natural Gas: and the plunge of Coal

If you check the stocks of coal companies, you will see them plunging---as natural gas rises up as the fuel of choice that can make America GREEN. Communities that use coal directly as a fuel source to power their electric generation are only deluding themselves if they think they are GREEN in any way....they might be green because they have an energy fair, but not in their conduct. As an important side point, major industrial companies want to locate in communities that have a inexpensive source of electricity---and will choose natural gas sourced power every day.... Make a note of it.

Recall Walker Signs Sprouting Up

Video: Recall Walker signs are sprouting up between Black Earth and Mazo---check them out...some signs are doublesided---for questions on setting up your own signs contact people4progresswi@gmail.com

Recall Walker Signs Sprouting Up

Video: Recall Walker signs are sprouting up between Black Earth and Mazo---check them out...some signs are doublesided---for questions on setting up your own signs contact people4progresswi@gmail.com

Recall Walker Signs Sprouting up

Video: Recall Walker signs are sprouting up between Mazo and Black Earth----check them out...some signs have messages on both sides....Drive safely....all the signs are creating lots of buzz. For questions about set up your own signs, contact people4progresswi@gmail.com

Audio: David Newby: Former Pres AFL-CIO

Audio: Presentation by David Newby, Former President of AFL-CIO "Fighting for Economic Justice; America's Vanishing Middle Class: Saturday, February 19, 2011, Wisconisn Progressive Grassroots Festival, Wisconsin Heights High School


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What is YOUR 50 year Plan? Why the Donation Policy matters----

What is YOUR 50 year plan? I have been asking my friends this question lately, and indeed I have been getting some puzzled looks. The point is do you have a vision for anything, anybody other than your self for any time period beyond next week, next etc.? People who donate to organizations have a long vision---they also want to know that their donation will be honored and not tampered with by rookie organizations. As Attorney Walter Shannon of the Shannon Law Firm said at Finance Committee last week, if there is any chance that there will be "touch points" by other entities of the designated money, then donors simply walk. There are so many worthwhile organizations to donate to, it is simply not worth the time to consider donating to those who do not have the institutional integrity to get the donation done. I urge citizens to listen to the presentation by Mr. Shannon at Finance. The donation policy or lack thereof has created a divisive atmosphere in the City of Evansville departments over the past five years, and it needs to be clarified, especially if any fund raising for a new library is to be successful....or any fundraising for ANYTHING is going to be successful.

OpEd: No Slamjam for TIF5 Refi Please

It has been one of the topics of discussion since the very first meetings on TIF 5, the TIF district for the downtown, on what would be the remedy if the TIF failed to get the tax increment necessary to succeed. One of the remedies for the risk was to have the developers of the Eager Store to guarantee the increment independent of any appraisal, and pay a fixed amount each year for increase taxes. If you watch carefully in the video from last weeks Evansville finance meeting, City Administrator Dan Wietecha says that the guarantee worked precisely as it was supposed to. It is the other properties in the TIF district that have not gained the increment necessary. After these comments, Mr. Wietecha then said that "one idea" might be to relax the guarantee from the Economy store, and give the developers a lower payment each year. If one assumed that once the TIF 5 explodes, then it will be placed on the taxpayer roles, then that idea would make this happen sooner. So the idea that one could SOLVE the increment problem by making it WORSE is a novel idea indeed, and a clear indication that the City Council and indeed each citizen of Evansville needs to review this video and let the City alderpersons know your thoughts on it.

City of Evansville Proposed Donation policy

Mailbag: Tammy Baldwin Writes:

Congress recently voted on a federal budget for the coming fiscal year. Our nation’s budget is a statement of our priorities and values. In these challenging economic times, I believe our highest priorities must be job creation, economic growth, and protecting the middle class. Consequently, I supported a balanced approach to meeting our nation’s fiscal challenges—one that would preserve the Medicare guarantee, provide tax relief for working families, and make the investments necessary to keep our country moving forward. Unfortunately, the House of Representatives passed a budget introduced by Rep. Paul Ryan that does not reflect these priorities. This budget ends the guarantee of Medicare and replaces it with a plan that would provide vouchers for the purchase of insurance which would not keep pace with rising medical costs. It would also make deep cuts in education and investments in roads, bridges, and transit, as well as slash investments in science and medical research. At the same time, the budget would protect the $4 billion in tax breaks oil companies receive every year, while allowing interest on student loans to double this July.1 The plan also includes the elimination of unspecified tax deductions which could extend to many deductions relied upon by middle class families, including those for mortgage interest and charitable contributions. By not specifying these cuts, the budget hides its true impact on Wisconsin’s middle class families. Yet, it would extend the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest and provide an additional tax break to those earning the most. Under the plan, people earning more than $1 million a year would see an additional $265,000 in new tax cuts on top of the current Bush tax cuts.2 My test for a budget proposal is whether it is good for middle class Wisconsin families. The Ryan Budget fails that test. I supported the Democratic Budget alternative that included investments in infrastructure, tax credits for job creation, and initiatives to promote the hiring of veterans. It would have invested in expanding life-saving medical research, strengthening innovative manufacturing, and reducing our dependence on foreign oil. Small businesses also would have gained increased access to Small Business Administration loans under the plan. In addition, the Democratic Budget included two provisions I have championed in Congress. First, the plan incorporated my legislation to implement the “Buffett Rule” to require millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share in taxes and help reduce our deficit. Second, the plan would have prevented an increase in the interest rate for some student loans. The Republican Budget will allow the Stafford Loan interest rate to double, from 3.4 to 6.8 percent on July 1, 2012. I offered an amendment to that budget to keep the loan rate as is, just like in the Democratic Budget, but my amendment was blocked. The Ryan Budget presents a clearly different path for the country than the budget I support. I invite you to review the contrasting plans below and decide for yourself which road forward you prefer. I welcome your opinion.

Evansville School Board Meets Tonight: (7:30pm)

VIII. Information & Discussion: A. Update of 2012-13 Budget Draft. B. Special Education Least Restrictive Environment Presentation. C. School Board Unofficial Election Results. D. High School Low Enrollment/Class Size Courses. E. Middle and High School Student Handbooks. F. District Office Staffing Plan. G. Selection of an Audit Firm. H. Upcoming Board Meetings. I. First Reading of Policies: #322-Student School Day, #411.4-Student Bullying, and #722.1-Accident Reports. IX. Business (Action Items): A. Approval of Staff Changes: Full and Partial Lay-Offs, Staff Retirement, and Job Share Request. B. Approval of Audit Firm Selection. X. Consent (Action Items): A. Approval of Policies: #453.1-Emergency Nursing Services and #841-Bequests and Gifts. B. Approval of March 12 Regular and March 14 Special Meeting Minutes. C. Approval of February Reconciliation Report and

Video: 2008: John Mourning Speaks: On land Purchase

School Beat; Ad Hoc Committtee: 9-10-2008: John Mourning speaks on purchase of land; on high risk of attempting to define ten years out the details of an educational system that is rapidly changing away from brick and mortar.

Evansville Finance Meets Today--Thurs April 5, 2012

Agenda: Finance: Thursday, April 5, 2012 NOTICE: The regular meeting of the Finance and Labor Relations Committee for the City of Evansville will be held on the date, time and place stated below. Notice is further given that members of the City Council might be in attendance. Finance and Labor Relations Committee Regular Meeting Thursday, April 5, 2012, 6:00 p.m. City Hall, 31 S. Madison Street, Evansville, WI Note: 6:00 meeting time AGENDA 1. Call to order and roll call. 2. Approval of Agenda. 3. Motion to waive the reading of the minutes of the March 5, 2012, regular meeting and approve as printed. 4. Citizen appearances other than agenda items listed. 5. Motion to accept the City and W&L bills as presented. 6. Unfinished Business: A. Discussion and possible motion regarding library funds. B. Motion to recommend to Common Council adoption of Donations and Fundraising Policy. C. Discussion: Personnel Policy. 7. New Business: A. Discussion and possible motion regarding debt restructuring. B. Discussion and possible motion regarding rail crossing on East Main Street. C. Non-represented employee contracts. (1) Committee may meet in closed session: possible motion to meet in closed session pursuant to Wisconsin Statutes 19.85(1)(c) to discuss non-represented employee performance evaluations, contracts and wages. (2) In open session, discussion and possible motion to recommend to Common Council approval of non-represented employee contracts. 8. Adjournment. Mason Braunschweig, Chair Requests for persons with disabilities who need assistance to participate in this meeting should be made to the City Clerk’s office by calling 882-2266 with as much advance notice as possible. Please turn off all cell phones while the meeting is in session. Thank you.

Evansville School Board Meets Monday, April 9, 2012

EVANSVILLE COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT Board of Education Regular Meeting Agenda Monday, April 9, 2012 6:30 p.m. District Board and Training Center 340 Fair Street Note, public notice of this meeting given by posting at the District Office, Levi Leonard Elementary School Office, Theodore Robinson Intermediate School Office, J.C. McKenna Middle School Office, High School Office, Evansville School District Web Site: Evansville.k12.wi.us, and by forwarding the agenda to the Evansville Review, M&I Bank, Union Bank & Trust and Eager Free Public Library 6:00 Two board members are available to listen to the public on a drop in basis. I. Roll Call: Dennis Hatfield Kathi Swanson Eric Busse John Rasmussen Tina Rossmiller Sharon Skinner Nancy Hurley Board Rep. Hertina Kan II. Approve Agenda. III. Executive Session – Under Wisconsin Statute 19.85(1)(c) to Discuss Lay-Offs. IV. Approximately 7:30 pm – Return to Open Session. V. Public Announcements/Recognition/Upcoming Events: • Energy Fair – April 20 • Week of the Young Child – April 23 • Open Enrollment Application Period – February 6 – April 30 • Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week – May 7-11 • Employee Recognition – May 9 • Back to School Days - August 15 and 16, 2012 • Congratulations 8th grade math 24 team at the Regional tournament in Mt. Horeb on March 12. Alex Viet placed 1st, Alex Diebold placed 2nd, and Jacob Kennedy placed 6th. The team earned three of the six trophies. • Congratulations to Butch Beedle and Mike Czerwonka who were both recognized as People Who Matter by the Janesville Gazette. VI. District Administrator Report – Budget, Transition Planning, and District News. VII. High School Board Representative Report – High School Events. VIII. Information & Discussion: A. Update of 2012-13 Budget Draft. B. Special Education Least Restrictive Environment Presentation. C. School Board Unofficial Election Results. D. High School Low Enrollment/Class Size Courses. E. Middle and High School Student Handbooks. F. District Office Staffing Plan. G. Selection of an Audit Firm. H. Upcoming Board Meetings. I. First Reading of Policies: #322-Student School Day, #411.4-Student Bullying, and #722.1-Accident Reports. IX. Business (Action Items): A. Approval of Staff Changes: Full and Partial Lay-Offs and Staff Retirement. B. Approval of Audit Firm Selection. X. Consent (Action Items): A. Approval of Policies: #453.1-Emergency Nursing Services and #841-Bequests and Gifts. B. Approval of March 12 Regular and March 14 Special Meeting Minutes. C. Approval of February Reconciliation Report and Bills. XI. Set April 23, 2012, Regular Meeting Agenda. XII. Adjourn. Posted: 4-4-12

Finance Meets Thursday, April 5th: "Debt Restructuring "on Agenda

NOTICE: The regular meeting of the Finance and Labor Relations Committee for the City of Evansville will be held on the date, time and place stated below. Notice is further given that members of the City Council might be in attendance. Finance and Labor Relations Committee Regular Meeting Thursday, April 5, 2012, 6:00 p.m. City Hall, 31 S. Madison Street, Evansville, WI Note: 6:00 meeting time AGENDA 1. Call to order and roll call. 2. Approval of Agenda. 3. Motion to waive the reading of the minutes of the March 5, 2012, regular meeting and approve as printed. 4. Citizen appearances other than agenda items listed. 5. Motion to accept the City and W&L bills as presented. 6. Unfinished Business: A. Discussion and possible motion regarding library funds. B. Motion to recommend to Common Council adoption of Donations and Fundraising Policy. C. Discussion: Personnel Policy. 7. New Business: A. Discussion and possible motion regarding debt restructuring. B. Discussion and possible motion regarding rail crossing on East Main Street. C. Non-represented employee contracts. (1) Committee may meet in closed session: possible motion to meet in closed session pursuant to Wisconsin Statutes 19.85(1)(c) to discuss non-represented employee performance evaluations, contracts and wages. (2) In open session, discussion and possible motion to recommend to Common Council approval of non-represented employee contracts. 8. Adjournment. Mason Braunschweig, Chair Requests for persons with disabilities who need assistance to participate in this meeting should be made to the City Clerk’s office by calling 882-2266 with as much advance notice as possible. Please turn off all cell phones while the meeting is in session. Thank you.

On Branding---the problem of negatives

Video: Prof. Scovotti talks about "branding" with a warning about "negatives": This was part of a lecture at the Evansville I and E Club.

"Spread the Light---forget the smoke": Tales From Normal, Mn.: FICTION

Spread the Light Liturgy Still will be held in Normal, Mn.: FICTION Recently in the frozen tundra, some sensitive congregations of the faithful have been concerned about the Holy Saturday liturgy in that while all those members of the Congregation of the Faithful are spreading the light in the pews, there is..well...some...smoke that is being inhaled...and it might be bad for ones health.... I just got the text from Normal, Mn. Church of the Holy Faithful, that the traditional service of the "Lights" will be held on Saturday night this week, and not withstanding the squimishness of certain Christian sects that are worried about a little smoke, the Light of Christ will be spread as in the traditional liturgy, before the environmental progressives got involved in liturgical development. There is limited seating so arrive early. Lumen Christi

Mailbag: "Bear Trader" Reflects on Coal, Natural Gas...and Much, much more"

(Ed.note: The reflections of Bear Trader are conservative reflection and not investment advice) On Coal...Natural Gas...and LNG....The long View The future of coal. People are not going to give up coal on the long term. The "renewable energy" cant is bogus. Windmills are a 14th Century technology even with modern aerodynamic redesign. Solar is bogus because covering the USA with solar cells and storage batteries wouldn't begin to supply the amount of energy required while the cost of installation and upkeep would be totally ruinous. The same applies to windmills. On the long haul the "anthropogenic global warming" hysteria will blow over since it is faith, not science. Coal will be back and in a very big way. From an investor's viewpoint I suspect we will never live to see it happen. Coal in the ground is another matter, but only the Big Boys can play in this game. Lots of action in this play in Australia lately. Natural gas has always been a feast or famine affair caused by regulator action and changing extraction technology. The current low natural gas prices can't last because the drillers need $4 gas to break even. Right now the drillers owe a tremendous amount of money and must service their debt so they maximize sales even when this looses them money. This cannot last for ever. That this is even possible now is a product of Federal Reserve manipulation of interest rates to absurdly low levels (so the gas guys can service the debt). When you see a full court bull press in the media you have to remember that when you are playing poker if you don't know who is the sucker the sucker is you. (Sorry about that.) Right now there is a glut of gas, the greatest gas glut of all time. Not impossible we will see gas well below $2. Lots of talk about liquid natural gas. To make a difference in the US gas market LNG export capacity will have to be greatly increased. This means new large gas pipelines, liquification plants, tankers, and port facilities. We are talking about a lot of natural gas here. This means years, some real money, and regulatory support. There are plans for a very large new gas pipeline in Alaska parallel to the existing oil pipeline from the north shore to Anchorage with construction of liquification plants and port facilites for LNG tankers. The Canadians are planning a similar project from their arctic fields to a Pacific port. Negotiations are underway between Canada, the US, and Alaska to rationalize these two projects. Qatar has a major LNG liquification plant under construction. Lots of natural gas in the area, this could prove a big deal. A lot of Russian gas reserves in Western Siberia are underutilized and the Russians are mulling exporting LNG from Vladivostok. They can get a lot more for LNG in Japan (since Japan is shutting down its' nuckear plants) than they are getting for pipeline gas from the Chinese. The Chinese are building a very large gas pipeline from Iran into southwest China. India is mad for being cut out of the deal. Lots of gas in the Arctic. Really a bunch. Lots of oil, too, but more gas. This will probably lead to war, perhaps in our lifetimes. Lots of geopolitics here.

Evansville Police and EMS; March 2012

8. Evansville Police Report – There were 1206 calls for service for the month of February 2012 compared to 1158 in February 2011. There were 71 license plate transactions for February, 2012. Year-end totals should be available in March or April as we are still waiting for the RCSO annual report. The Rock County Records Management System vendors have been narrowed down to three vendors, with a decision expected by April 1, 2012. The new squad had to be reordered and expected to arrive in May. EPD staff completed required TIME System MDT/MDC training in February/March. Officers Jones and Job are scheduled for Evidence Technician Training March 26-30. Chief and Lieutenant are scheduled to attend the Concealed Carry update on March 15. Officers Schmidt and Job will be attending ARIDE training April 2-3. The DAAT training on April 23 will be attended by Officers Nankee and Schmidt. On May 14-17, Officers Job and Mahan-Strupp will be attending Instructor Development. Rachel Marx will be back for one week in March. Officers Anacker and Mawhinney are almost finished with part-time police officer training. Officer Matt McElroy is currently in training at the academy for court officer. Officer Reilly has yet to start his training. Chief and the Lieutenant continue to work on officer evaluations. Chief McElroy will be on vacation March 8/9. Accreditation continues with a lot to review and editing to be done. We continue to utilize Rock County Computer Services, General Communication, and Home and Office PC to get systems working properly. Rock County Computer Services recently installed some temporary hardware in the department’s garage for testing purposes. Upon completion of all testing for Narrow Banding, the Police radio re-programming will be between May 16, 2012 and January 1, 2013. Files are scanned on a daily basis and we continue to place significant information on the city’s police website. 9. Evansville Medical Service Report – The service had 30 runs for the month of February, 2012. Upcoming training includes advance skill testing for all EMS EMT’s. Mercy Training Center tests these skills every six months. Round one of CCR training with the Evansville Fire Department was completed. Coordinator Beaver will be assisting eight Webelo Scouts obtain their Readyman badge at the end of the month. EMS will be participating in the week of the young child at the Fieldhouse on Friday along with the parade at the beginning of the week. The aluminum can drive will be in the month of May. A mock prom accident is in the works to be held at the high school before prom weekend. In April, the Fire department and EMS will be touring the Grange Apartments along with the Old Ben Franklin apartments. EMS is working on compiling information for the radio grant that EMS had written. A $5,000 grant from the Union Pacific Foundation was applied for and received. This grant will be awarded in May. We also applied for a grant from Walmart with the intention to use the money for the purchase of Knox Boxes for the city. Ambulance specifications have been designed and approved to move on to the building phase. We expect the ambulance to be delivered this summer.

I and E Club meets April 11th----

April 11 Meeting of the I&E Club! Learn Inventor Tips from Looney Tunes Character Join the invention development experts from Appleton’s Fox Valley Technical College Fab Lab for a light hearted but still very informative presentation that highlights lessons from one of the most recognized inventors of the modern era: Wile E. Coyote! Speaking in Evansville April 11 are Herb Goetz and Mark Payne. They will view the invention development process through the eyes of Wile E. Coyote—or at least some of it--and share some “do’s and don’ts” before attempting to take an invention to market. They’ll cover topics like patenting, prototyping and licensing before concluding with a review of the long list of resources, referrals and services they can provide to the inventor. After the presentation, guests are encouraged to network and enjoy refreshments with April’s sponsor, Formecology, LLC. A landscape design, build and care firm, Formecology is led by local entrepreneur John Gishnock, III, whose special niche is sustainable, eco-friendly results. The presentation starts at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 11, at the Evansville Area Inventors & Entrepreneurs Club. Free and open to the public, the monthly meetings are hosted at Creekside Place, 102 Maple St., Evansville. For more information, contact Sue Berg at 608-882-0986 or suebergsolutions@gmail.com, or Gishnock at 608-314-6656 or john.g@formecology.com.

OpEd: Will Supreme Court Outlaw mandatory car insurance?

In areas of public interest, where the theory of large numbers requires a large number of participants, states have routinely held that citizens must obtain car insurance in order to validly drive an automobile. If one would conclude from the Supreme Courts arguments today that a nation cannot insist in the matter of public health and safety of insisting on health insurance being obtained either through a pool, or individually, then one wonders whether mandatory auto insurance will be next... or taxes themselves... Why should I be required to pay taxes...or eat brocolli....or wear a helmet....Maybe the Supreme Court can set a standard so broad that it will make collecting taxes impossible and thus reduce the size of government and create anarchy to the complete delight of the fundamentalist brethern....Alleluia.

Audio: Bernanke: (April 2008)

Nostalgia: Fed: Audio: Senator asks: Do you know more than they about CDO etc. The answer is telling.


MP3 File

Public Works: Jan 2012: Wind Turbine production below plan

(Ednote: Minutes: Public Works: January 2012) Wind turbine: Committee received an updated summary of the energy production of the turbine. Our average wind speed from September 2010 and December 2011 (11 mph) is 2.1 mph less than the energy site assessment (12.1 mph) so we are a bit short of our contracted kw hours to WPPI. 2011 was approximately $1,100. Basically we are simply not getting the volume of wind we have in the past. Braunschweig asked how the numbers related between assessed wind and actual wind in communities like Fort Atkinson and Wausau. Wausau is behind more than us and there is no information from Fort Atkinson. Bottom line is that weather is cyclical and we should recoup that lost wind. Additionally the levels of work that are coming from the wind turbine are reaching our warranty levels. As far as the overall contract goes this is just one factor and we still have many good factors in our overall favor such as ownership of the green energy credits and the fact that the price we get for each kw hour is, at this time, more than double what we pay. Additionally Sauer looked into ways to get this energy production information out to the public. One option is that Northern Power Systems provides an online kiosk called the ‘public view’ (or page) that would show energy production to public for $4500 for a 5 year license. Another option would be to simply take the spreadsheets of energy production provided by the city engineer and put it on the city’s website. That option would only cost the city the nominal work hours it would take an employee to do that. There were 2 other options that wouldn’t have as nice a site as Northern’s, just the raw data, but would cost the city $3500 to $4500 with potential overhead costs. Benefit to those would be potential one-time cost and ownership of site with the Sulzer consulting proposal.

Public Works Meets Today, Tuesday, March 27, 2012

NOTICE The regular meeting of the Public Works Committee for the City of Evansville will be held on the date, time, and place stated below. Notice is further given that members of the City Council might be in attendance. Public Works Committee Regular Meeting Tuesday, March 27th, 2012 at 6:00 p.m. DPW Shop, 535 South Madison Street, Evansville, WI AGENDA 1. Call meeting to order. 2. Roll call 3. Motion to approve the agenda as presented. 4. Motion to approve the minutes from the January 24th, 2011 regular meeting. [Note: February’s regular meeting was cancelled.] 5. Citizen Appearances- a. Grove Society – (Will be here to discuss the Civil War Event May 18-20th, 2012.) 6. Construction Updates- 7. Site plan reviews- 8. Communications from the City Engineer- a. Discussion regarding rail crossing at Main St. near the Main/Union intersection. 9. Communications from the Public Works Director- a. Discussion and possible motion regarding the parking situation at the Eager Economy building. b. Discussion and possible motion to approve the advertising and hiring of part-time employee(s) for summer cemetery and park work. c. Discussion and possible motion for request for proposals for Walker St. sewer lining project. d. Discussion and possible motion for potential storm sewer issue on Kinsey Ct. e. Monthly Department Report – 10. New Business- 11. Old Business- 12. Parks and Recreation Report- 13. Motion to adjourn meeting. Mason Braunschweig, Chair Public Works Committee Please turn off all cell phones during the meeting. Thank you for your anticipated cooperation.

Baseball News---Home Talent Baseball Evansville

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact Info: Jon Frey, 608-882-4626 “STRIKE OUT FOR BASEBALL” EVANSVILLE HOME TALENT TEAM HOSTS FUNDRAISER The Evansville Home Talent Baseball Team’s 7th annual 9 pin tap bowling tournament fundraiser “STRIKE OUT FOR BASEBALL” was held on Saturday, March 10 and Saturday, March 17 at the Evansville Bowl. The fundraiser only had 50 bowlers, compared to 108 bowlers in 2011, compete for the coveted top prize and bragging rights. The top ten bowlers were: 1) John Paugel, 2) Jeremy Rasmussen, 3) Bridget Rauch, 4) Terry Jorgenson, 5) BJ Cook, 6) Dave Paugel, 7) Mike Rauch, 8) John Rasmussen, 9) Ryan Wiedel, 10) Andy Wells. For the rest of the bowling results, raffle prize winners and event pictures, please visit the Jays website at www.evansville.hometalent.org. The Jays would like to recognize and thank the following businesses who donated raffle prizes: Milwaukee Bucks, Beloit Snappers, Madison Mallards, Radio Shack of Evansville, Rock N’ Rollz Sandwiches, Paul Revere’s Pizza, Evansville Oil Pros and Mid Town Pub. Also, The Night Owl provided two for one drink tickets for participating bowlers. The Evansville Home Talent Baseball team is busy preparing for the upcoming 2012 season. New for 2012, the Jays will be playing all of their games at the upper diamond at Lake Leota Park. The Jays would like to see you at the ball park this summer. The team is currently looking for sponsors/advertisers for the upcoming season. Be part of the Jays marketing and promotional plans. Your business will be promoted on the team’s printed schedules, listed on the team’s website, mentioned during games and in weekly game stories in The Review. If you are interested in sponsorship, contact one of the players or Jon Frey at 608-575-4359 for more info. The Jays will open up the 2012 season at Jefferson on Sunday, May 6. For a complete season schedule and results, please visit www.evansville.hometalent.org.

Peoples Legislature Coming Sunday, March 25, 2012

http://www.fightingbob.com/article.cfm?articleID=1450 Check out the complete article in Fighting Bob that goes over the details of the FREE event at the Alliant Center on Sunday, March 25, 2012.

Barrons Magazine says housing prices Ready to Rebound

Barrons magazine, right on the cover, last Saturday heralded the news that "Home Prices Ready to Rebound" as they have done for the past six years at this time of the year.....and it appears that hedge funds and speculators are very ready for that prediction to come true....and also those who have homes to sell I might add...which is most of America. And then on Thursday, interest rates rose on thirty year mortgages and bond yields rose as their face value declined.....all because they had not read Barrons and followed the plan....please folks, lets get on the same page. Remember what Ben has said...that rates will remain low until 2013.....lets not get frisky and upset the plan.

NOTICE The regular meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission for the City of Evansville will be held on the 21st day of March, 2012, at 6:30 p.m, at City Hall, 31 South Madison Street, Evansville, Wisconsin, or alternate location. Notice is further given that any members of the City Council or the Mayor might be in attendance. Evansville Historic Preservation Commission Regular Meeting Agenda Wednesday, March 21, 2012 2nd Floor, Conference Room, City Hall 6:30pm ***First Draft*** 1. Call to Order, Char. Rich Modaff 2. Roll Call 3. Motion to waive reading of the February 15, 2012 minutes and approve them as read. 4. Applications – Appearances a. 119 E. Main Street C.U.P. — Storefront Restoration (Downtown) b. 103 S. Third Street Modaff— Roof (Plaque) c. 227 Garfield Ave Arneson — Consultation 5. Old Business a. Motion to allocate $500 for the Rally Round The Flag-2nd Annual Civil War Living History Event, May 18 -20, 2012 b. Motion to allocate $50 for scholarship to attend WAPHPC in Madison, April 2012. c. Antes Cabin Relocation 6. Administrative a. Grove Society, John Decker i. Baker Building Museum ii. Meeting b. Management of HPC Documents and Records c. Landmark & Historic District Discussions i. Discussion of Additional Historic Districts ii. Discussion of Historic Landmarks, John Decker iii. Plaque Program Applications 7. Other Business a. Correspondences b. Comments and Concerns. c. Others 8. Adjournment Next Meeting Dates: 04/18/2012 RDM Monday, March 19, 2012

Concerned about Red Meat Health Affects? Fox News TONIGHT

Concerns Rise About Red Meat – (Segment Bumped to Tonight) For many of us born and raised in Wisconsin, red meat is as much a part of our diets as milk. But did you know more studies show that red meat, even in small quantities isn’t good for us? In fact, new research is pointing to the health benefits of taking it out of our diets altogether. Tonight on Fox 47 News at 9p, Dean & St. Mary’s Cardiac Dietitian Mandee Vimont talks about what makes red meat so unhealthy and offers some tips on how to cut back.

Nostalgia :Art Asks: Is it just the money?

(Ed.note: Over 1700 downloads of this video indicate high interest) Art Phillips asks Rep. Brett Davis to explain the results of various school districts with wide differences of per pupil aid. Is it just the money?

Nostalgia: School Board--6-25-2007--4 Period Day

Four Period Day Reviewed---After comprehensive community involvement with independent consultant----Surprised to find how happy everyone is with the 4 Period Day

2007 : School Beat: Construction Home

2007: Supr. Heidi Carvin explains that the school district cannot get a contractor loan and therefore the construction costs for the home must come out of the fund balance

School Layoffs Coming

EVANSVILLE COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT Board of Education Special Meeting Agenda Wednesday, March 14, 2012 7:00 p.m. District Office Conference Room 340 Fair Street Note, public notice of this meeting given by posting at the District Office, Levi Leonard Elementary School Office, Theodore Robinson Intermediate School Office, J.C. McKenna Middle School Office, High School Office, Evansville School District Web Site: Evansville.k12.wi.us, and by forwarding the agenda to the Evansville Review, M&I Bank, Union Bank & Trust and Eager Free Public Library I. Roll Call: Dennis Hatfield Kathi Swanson Eric Busse John Rasmussen Tina Rossmiller Sharon Skinner Nancy Hurley II. Executive Session – Under Wisconsin Statute 19.85(1)(c) to Discuss Lay Offs and Personnel.

Nostalgia: Jamie Fellows Speaks: "What's the Point?"

Current Daycare providers serve 142 childrens of possible 150 in Evansville. 4K proposal is duplication of services.

2007 Evansville High Junior Prom Court Pt II

(Ed.note; With over 700 downloads, this is a very popular video of Observer readers) 2nd part of 2 of Evansville High School Junior Prom Court, May 12, 2007, plus presentation of Queen and King.

Baseball Fans: "Strike Out for Baseball" News

“STRIKE OUT FOR BASEBALL” EVANSVILLE HOME TALENT 7TH ANNUAL BOWLING FUNDRAISER On Saturday, March 10, the Evansville Home Talent Baseball Team hosted the first weekend of their 7th annual 9 pin tap bowling tournament fundraiser “STRIKE OUT FOR BASEBALL”. This Saturday, March 17 is the last chance to participate. Bowling takes place at the Evansville Bowl with shifts at 4:30 pm and 8:00 pm. Included with the $20 entry fee is a drink ticket provided by The Night Owl of Evansville. Reserve you lane by contacting tournament manager, Jeremy Rasmussen at 608-290-2664 or emailing him at jeremyr2@gmail.com. For more information and raffle prize list visit the team’s website at www.evansville.hometalent.org or find the event on Facebook.

Broader Marketing needed: Tourism Subcomittee

If you listen to the audio of the Tourism subcommittee, you can hear in the presentation of the consultant that with respect to the current residents of Evansville, they have their essential needs met with current businesses in Evansville, and in addition they purchase from Madison or Janesville where they work....IF one could market a broader brush to neighboring residents, then some business addition could survive......that is an IF that depends on REACHING OUT to the citizens that live in the ramblers in neighboring areas to include them in the market---which they are NOT at this time. Listen to the audio. Enjoy.

Oped: The New Tourism---Snowmobile Tourism

Recently at the Tourism Subcomittee in Evansville, when the surveys were tabulated, you can hear in the audio of the meeting, a person asserting that "of course most of the focus of the tourism must be for the downtown". However---- I had the pleasure to taking a weekend up at Manitowish Waters and visited "Little Bohemia" on a Saturday night for dinner----it was wonderful, as as we were exiting I took a visit to the brand new bar with big screen tv--it was playoff weekend, and as the game ended, the visitors--fully garbed in snowmobile gear came out--i had seen the trucks outside with the trailers, and also snowmobiles parked, but had not put everything together---it was a great weekend to combine snowmobile fun with football, with great dining....In summary, there was plenty of money spent that night. In Evansville, on a winter night how many snowmobiles come to town....to visit local pubs? I think you would be amazed to know this number. My point is why not have a weekend in the midst of the snow season, a "Celebrate Snowmobile Weekend". Maybe there could be some seminars on maintanance, apparel, trails, travel etc that folks could attend in the day and linedancing in the evening...and they could drive their snowmobiles in to town in designated routes. Snowmobile tourism....they are coming here anyway...why not make a bigger event out of it and celebrate with them, and develop this tourism component?

Nostalgia: 2007: Prof. Georgia Duerst-Lahti Speaks

(Ednote: Over 1200 downloads over the past 4 years speak to the popularity of this short analysis.) On the Theory of 35 Acres per household---On the necessity of reviewing this model as the Town of Union looks to future--


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I and E Meets March 14th: Inventor to speak

Making Money out of Rain As the saying goes, when it rains, it pours. When it literally rains too much, it’s a shame to lose all that free garden rainwater as runoff into drains. One do-it-yourselfer figured out a way to capture rainwater and store it. Even better, the storage doesn’t turn your backyard into a rain barrel warehouse. Instead, decorative benches hold 65-plus gallons of water while serving as patio furniture and party seats. The innovator of these benches is landscape designer Scott Gear, who is the featured speaker at the next meeting of the Evansville Area Inventors & Entrepreneurs Club. Set for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 14, the meeting will be hosted at Creekside Place, 102 Maple St., Evansville. Middleton-based Gear has two businesses, Gear Landscape Design Studio and SecondRain. Gear will talk about the invention-to-market process, how he found distributors, and what he’s hearing from buyers. Guests will have time to ask questions, and participate in the famous networking round robin. It’s a one-minute opportunity to promote a business, invention or quest for information or connections. To encourage lingering and small group discussions, refreshments will be served. This month, refreshments are sponsored by Cindy Hammer and Hammer Builders. With a focus on detail, Hammer Builders designs and builds smarter, more functional homes using energy efficient, sustainable methods and materials. Hammer says, “We strive to create homes that nurture the character and spirit of the people living in them, rather than just impressing friends and neighbors with scale.” Call 608-774-6382 for more information about Hammer Builders, or follow them on their Facebook page. The I&E Club is free and meetings are open to the public. The club has a presence on LinkedIn, and after “joining” the group, anyone can post information. Just look for “Evansville Area Inventors and Entrepreneurs Club” under the Groups category at www.linkedin.com. To be added to the email notification list or to get more information, contact club officers Sue Berg at 608-333-1664 or suebergsolutions@gmail.com, or John Gishnock III at 608-314-6656 or john.g@formecology.com. END

Retail Market Research Status Meeting TOMORROW 3/8/2012

City of Evansville Special Meeting Retail Market Research Status Meeting Thursday, March 8, 2012, 5:30 p.m. Creekside Place, 102 Maple Street, Evansville There will be a status meeting of work groups formed to implement the recommendations of the Ady-Voltedge Retail Market Analysis for the City of Evansville. A general meeting agenda is: 1. Report of visioning committee, with consensus reached by all meeting attendees to proceed with new vision (15 minutes). 2. Break-out session of five work groups (30 minutes). 3. Report out from work groups, including next action step(s) of each group (15 minutes). 4. Summarize next actions of work groups and set next date for check-in status meeting for all (10 minutes). A majority of the Evansville Common Council and the Economic Development Committee may be present and actively participating in the meeting. A majority of any City Committee—including but not limited to Redevelopment Authority, Plan Commission, and Finance Committee—may be present and actively participating in the meeting. No formal action will be taken by the Common Council or any City Committee during the meeting. Requests for persons with disabilities who need assistance to participate in this meeting should be made to the Clerk’s office by calling 882-2266 with as much advance notice as possible. Please turn off all cell phones while the meeting is in session. Thank you.

OpEd; The New "Political Tourism" Bonanza for Wisconsin: "Come to Wisconsin, Bring it On!!"

Today in RockNetRoots blog, there is a post regarding the plan of Tea Party folks to come to Wisconsin and participate heavily in the Recall Election of Gov. Scott Walker: Here is the post: http://rocknetroots.blogspot.com/2012/03/video-invaders-told-to-get-out-of.html There seems to be a notion that folks coming here is somehow a threat----I think we need to stand back here---Recently when I was in Florida for a short, short getaway, I went to a Friday night fish fry at a local restaurant---It Was "Wisconsin Night"----There were so many folks from Wisconsin, Minnesota and Canada that they had to separate them out....Badgers, Gophers and those "darn Canadians". When I walked into the restaurant it was like old home week---everybody was dressed in red...festive laughter all over the place, and did I say it was warm---yup it was 70 degrees. Folks from Florida loved it bein in the recession and all, they were just wonderful in the services provided..I loved it. We need to learn from this---We have an opportunity to have the entire nation come to Wisconsin in the near future---and just as Evansville, Wisconsin was put on the map during the Iraq war debates, we have an opportunity to do it bigger this time. It was very difficult to get all those folks into the basement of the Eager Free library for the war debates, but now...we have a bigger venue in Creekside. We could have a wonderul forum welcoming the Tea Party folks, and then afterwards take them out to learn line dancing at a local spot. Just think of the revenue this could generate. So---Here is the tagline: "Come to Wisconsin---Bring it On"

Classic Reverse "My Fair Lady" Rant: School Scoop: Jan 2012

(Ed.note: This is a reprint from School Scoop Blog from January 20, 2012 without any editing) Friday, January 20, 2012 So now they're going to test kindergartners... Click on the link below to see what our fearless leader is proposing now. So, Walker wants to reinvent the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation, this time figuring out how to test kindergarteners in reading? That's my take on this. OK... Some of the ideas are good, looking for achievable measurable parameters to monitor. However, when one really thinks about what is objective and what is subjective, much cannot be evaluated using purely objective criteria. Therein lies the rub. If a teacher is missing the "soft skills" how much energy should a school district invest in that person before deciding to give them the boot instead of letting them get tenure? Frankly, some people never develop the personality necessary to become an outstanding teacher: Humility, joy at seeing the student pass you in speed and content, persistence in covering the material until each child has grasped the basics and can build the next learning blocks on them and satisfaction in the knowledge that you had some small part to play in that child's education. Then there's the whole business of holding teachers and principals accountable for poor test scores. Learning starts in the womb. It continues the moment you hold your precious bundle for the first time. Every interaction you have with that baby is a learning experience for both of you, more so for the babe. If a parent plops that babe in front of the boob tube for 5 years and then blames the public schools because they have produced an illiterate child who can't figure out how to read by grade 2, where's the parental accountability in all this? How can the schools be held accountable for that kind of parent who presents the schools with a child whose potential to learn has been squelched at the hands of the morons who "raised" it? Then there's the nature of bulk learning in this day in age. If the poor kid hasn't had it's love of learning extinguished by it's parents, elementary school will often finish the job. Especially of that child is a boy. Have you ever noticed the difference in the learning process of a boy compared to a girl? Granted, I'm not going to try to extract how much of this is innate and how much has been imposed by our sexist societal norms. But if those norms produce boys who, by and large, learn best my exercising their large muscle groups and with hands on activity and girls learn best through collaborative and cooperative models and our schools teach by rote and lecture, emphasizing collaboration and team effort, which gender do you think is going to excel in public school? Why do you think girls outnumber boys on college campuses these days? It's not because boys have suddenly become stupid. Their learning style does not mesh well with what is expected of them in public school. Their learning style DOES mesh well with behavior that usually lands them in trouble, setting them up for a lot of time in the principal's office. How can they learn when they are spending all their energy suppressing their natural impulse to jump around so they don't get sent to the principal's office? Well, that's my rant. I certainly never want to see the days again when girls were told that they were not worthy of a college education because they were only going to become wives and mothers and it was a waste of a spot in college, like my mother and mother-in-law had to endure. But there really has to be some kind of happy medium it would seem. The answer lies in differentiated instruction, wherein each child is taught to his or her own strength. If a kid needs motion to learn, give him or her motion. If a kid needs as many math problems as you can throw at her, bring it on. Just stop providing the mediocre pablum and challenge each kid so they reach their potential whether they had parents who parked them in front of the boob tube from day 1 or read to them in the womb. http://host.madison.com/highlights-of-gov-walker-s-school-reform-package/article_c4cf0c8c-42f3-11e1-8679-001871e3ce6c.html

Evansville Police Report Decline in Calls for Service

8. Evansville Police Report – January 2011. January’s license plate transactions totaled 61. The following officers were appointed at the January 5, 2012 police commission meeting: New part-time hires Zach Anacker, There were 1052 calls for service in the month of January, 2012, compared to 1357 for Michael Mawhinney, Ian Reilly and Matthew McElroy. Matt will be limited to Court Office duty and special events. Officer McElroy will also be attending the policy academy February through May. Chief McElroy will be on vacation March 8 and 9. The Chief and Lieutenant are continuing to perform police officer evaluations. The part-time clerical staffing has tentatively been scheduled for a total of 1,044 hours to use. The second part of range training was completed on January 17th in Janesville. We continue to work on accreditation, continuing to review and await our three last policies. Our first accreditation visit may have to be tentatively moved back to 2013. Files are continually being scanned on a daily basis. The police website continues to be updated with significant information. The Chief attended the High School Senior graduation Service Learning Project meeting on January 25, 2012. Officer Reese spoke to students at the Middle School on January 31, 2012. Our group, represented by each Rock County agency, has narrowed down five possible vendors for updating the Rock County Records Management System. In February, we are expecting demonstrations from those five vendors. These meetings are attended by Officer Koehler and Police Secretary Jill Puckett. 9. Evansville Medical Service Report – There were 28 runs for the month of January 2012. Mary attended training for the nurses at Evansville Manor on the use of an AED, CCR training and the procedure to use when removing an object for a choking victim. EMT training is complete for the 2012-2014 refresher license renewal. All EMTs completing the refresher class and will be applying for the new license. Chief Wendt is attempting to facilitate training/evacuation for the Grange Apartments and apartments at the State Farm Building. The EMS has CCR training set up with the Fire Department in February. The goal is to have as many individuals trained to respond for CPR runs. The training includes proper use of the equipment and where to find where the equipment is located. Mary states the paperwork for the OJA grant in the amount of $50,000.00 was received. The funds will be distributed between the EMS, Police and Fire Departments. The Police will receive funds to upgrade their already purchased radios, the EMS and Fire Departments will get funds to buy new equipment. Mary has been working on SOPs (standard operating procedures) manual. The manual is being updated to reflect true operating procedures the service is utilizing today. A copy will be presented to this committee upon completion for your input along with a copy to the City Administrator. Mary is also gathering information on the Knox Boxes for residents and businesses within the City of Evansville. 10. Motion by Jacobson, second by Hayes, to adjourn the meeting at 7:29 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Barbara Jacobson, Chairperson These minutes are not official until approved by Public Safety at their next regular meeting

OpEd; What's the GOOD news?

Two big stories in the past thirty days in Evansville, Wisconsin----- the appointment of a new professional engineering firm for Evansville, and the selection of a new, but well known and experienced high caliber Superintendent of Schools are big positives for our community. Quality Leadership and Quality Development matter. Families buy homes, but more importantly they buy dreams of communities that are getting it together...and the developments of the past thirty days are positive.

Audio: Evansville Schools: Enrollment:

(Ed.note: Over 550 downloads in a month and a half indicates high interest in this subject) Audio: Evansville School Dist: January 9, 2012: Discussion of enrollment for upcoming school year, several options on Sage funding for k-3. Discussion of enrollment trends.


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Special March Events at Creekside

Special Offerings: Monday, March 5: Card Making Group at 10:00 a.m., $5 per person Wednesday, March 7: Benefit Specialist (Social Security, etc.) at 11:30 a.m. Friday, March 9: Family Respite Care, 6-9:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 13: Woodchucks meeting at 3:00 p.m. Thursday, March 15: Diabetes class and support group at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, March 15: Movie “Thrive,” at 6:30 p.m., $3 donation per person suggested Friday, March 16: Parents Night Out, 6-10:00 p.m., $20 member child, $25 non-member child, $15 second child Saturday, March 17: Caregiver’s Support Group at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, March 17: Dinner Party at Creekside Place starting at 5:30 p.m., $17 per member, $24 per non-member. Featuring St. Patrick’s Day theme with corned beef and cabbage. Fundraising event for Creekside Place programs. Wednesday, March 21: Foot Clinic, by appointment, $15 per person Thursday, March 22: Reflexology, by appointment, $15 or $30 per person Thursday, March 22: Federal VA Benefits program at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, March 22: Card Making Workshop at 6:30 p.m., $15 member, $18 non-member Friday, March 23: Kids Matinee, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” at 1:30 p.m., $1 single member, $23 single non-member, $5 family member, $7 family non-member Friday, March 30: Easter Egg Coloring, 1:30-3:30 p.m., $2.50 member child, $3 non-member child Friday, March 30: Family Bingo Night, 6:30-8:00 p.m., $5 donation per family suggested Plus, Creekside Place is the site for “The Heat Is On Chili Cook-Off!” set for 6:30 p.m. Saturday, March 10. Sponsored by the Evansville Community Partnership, event tickets are $17.

Carlson Students Launch "Rally Company"

Molly Woulfe and fellow students of Carlson School of Business in Minnesota have launched "Rally Company" and have their first two products---the site is just coming up. Click on the link to follow the progress. http://rallybag.co/

Observer Calls for Closing Audit

Check out the latest from the Janesville Gazette---- a manager who worked for Beloit, but was fired in an incident where an employee was found to have taken some money in a purchasing scam----and then hired by Janesville..no problem.??....and think back to the recent incident at Evansville Schools where a data manager was found to have taken money, and sentenced---and to similiar events that have happened all to often. Thus, I think as is common in business, where there is a change from one administration to the next in the corporate world, there is usually an independent audit to allow the new administrator a clean slate. I believe this should happen for Evansville Schools at this time.

Finish Line Approaches at Body Transformation Challenge: Evansville Health Club

There is real drama happening in Evansville----and it is at the Evansville Health Club. Check out how close a finish it will be as the Blue and Black teams battle to the finish line. In the world we sometimes get distracted by the bright lights, the fire trucks, ambulances and high visibiity of intervention---but the very dramatic we sometimes miss----do not miss the drama at the Evansville Health Club. In fact, I would love to see a corporate challenge event---imagine the excitement if bankers, insurance pros, realtors, firemen, police, politicians.... and well...bloggers and such went toe to toe in a high stakes challenge. In a very brief check locally...there are still many pounds that could be lost in such an event....stay tuned.