Former Mayor Bloechl Backs Palmeri

Here is an e-mail we received from Jut Mitchell:

Former Oshkosh Mayor Melanie Bloechl Supports Tony Palmeri

The following letter was received via email on October 24th, 2004 and is reprinted with Melanie Bloechl's permission. Ms. Bloechl is a former multi-term member of the Oshkosh Common Council and also a former Oshkosh Mayor. She cohosts Eye On Oshkosh with local journalist Cheryl Hentz.

I just finished watching the League of Women Voters 54th District Candidates Forum, and wanted to drop you a line. First let me say that I was extremely impressed with the strength and commitment with which you spoke on all the issues that were raised in the forum. Secondly, you are the only candidate that actually "GETS IT!!" Health care concerns, Shared Revenue, jobs. You made me believe again that there are strong,energized and committed people willing and able to take up for the "Little Guy on the Street". You know what I mean, the middle class families that are being squeezed to death with fees and taxes until we can't move ! or breathe.

Shame on Gregg Underheim, for calling himself the friend to the taxpayer. He and his Republican Governor and the rest of the legislature out and out lied to the voters in 2000. First about the budget and estimated revenues, then even more devastating lies with regard to our shared revenue losses!! How can anyone in this community continue to support liars, when it has cost us all so much. How could you possibly follow men that you know hurt your schools, city and families. Why would you be so foolish as to act like castrated sheep being led to the slaughter. Now, this same man is telling you that TABOR (Taxpayer Bill of Rights) is a good thing. Dear GOD save us from this same pack of B.S. for we are wiser and have choices now.


Tony, while you and I have had spirited debate on issues, and do not agree on certain points, I do believe that you will fight harder for people like myself that have been overlooked and underconsidered until election time rolls around.

Please do not buy into the crap that if you are not aligned with one of the two parties in Madison that you can't get things done!!! That is pure horsehockey my friend. If being a maverick, being straight forward, honest and having the courage of your convictions is a recipe for failure, I proudly stand with you as a huge failure in my 12 year run on the City Council in Oshkosh, for I would like to believe I share those same values with you.

As for Gordon Hintz, I was surprised to hear him say that he was running without party support in this campaign. Really? How does one get the Governor to come to the steps of City Hall without party support? I find this type of double talk very disturbing and indicative of more to com! e. Don't pee on my shoe and tell me it's raining buddy. Our collars are blue because it represents hard work, not lack of oxygen to the brain.

I am very pleased and proud of both you and Dan Carpenter for having the guts to go it alone, to take on the establishment--the establishment being the Republicans, Democrats, Oshkosh Northwestern, Chamber of Commerce. Anyone who doesn't think this is a major undertaking needs to get off the couch and try it.

Tony, I pray that you will go to Madison and shine the bright light in all those dark, dirty corners. You have given us hope and empowered us to want more, DEMAND more, and have given us a real chance to get IT!

Thank you for your time,energy and love of our community.

Melanie Bloechl

Kerry by 1 percentage point in Wisconsin

That's the latest prediction from realclearpolitics.com, based on its average of recent polls.

Meanwhile Feingold is up by 5 to 20 percentage points.

The Wisconsin votes are not enough to tip the national election. The site shows Bush by 3.3 percentage points.

Absentee ballots mounting up

City Clerk Pam Ubrig reports that as of Wednesday her office had received 3,029 absentee ballots.

With almost a week before the election, she has almost twice as many absentee votes as were cast in 2,000.

The 3,029 figure represents 7.5 percent of the 40,340 registered voters in the city as of primary day, Sept. 14.

Dylan tickets still available

That's the report in the latest issue of the Advance-Titan.

Here's some info on how to get tickets.

A modest proposal to boost student voting

How about a second polling place on campus?

Students living on the UW-Oshkosh campus represent close to 12 percent of all registered voters in the city. But they typically vote at lower rates than other city residents.

In the 2002 general election, for example, Wards 13 and 14--which comprise the campus residence halls--had a 35 percent voter turnout, compared to 53 percent for the city overall.

Given the large concentration of voters on campus, maybe it would be a good idea to add another polling place.

The other 88 percent of city voters go to one of 16 polling places. In other words on a per voter basis, the rest of the city has roughly twice as many polling places than does District 7.

Elizabeth Edwards Invititation

Join us for a Community Discussion

with Elizabeth Edwards

Fox Valley Technical College, Riverside Campus

150 N. Campbell * Oshkosh, WI

Wednesday, October 27, 2004

Doors open at 9:00 am

Please limit bags and personal items. No signs
allowed.

Open to the public

Nader in Oshkosh

Ralph Nader, consumer advocate and an independent candidate for the presidency, addresses an audience at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh October 26.



Photos by T. R. Gleason

Whooping cough at UWO

The following message was sent Friday by the Student Health Center:

There have been 2 students with confirmed cases of Pertussis (Whooping Cough) this week. Multiple contacts have been identified, contacted and are in the process of being treated. If they are symptomatic when seen for treatment, they are required to be isolated for 5 days from the initiation of treatment. The majority of these students are requested to return home for this time period. Please work with the Dean of Students Office if you have questions regarding student absence from class.

Only persons in close contact (generally household members ie. residence life students) with a diagnosed case are considered at risk for Whooping Cough. Students with cold/cough symptoms who have not been contacted by the Public Health Department are not considered at risk.

For more information on pertussis please go to the following web link:
http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/communicable/
communicable/factsheets/pertussis.htm

Adapted PE programs available

The UWO Adapted Physical Education Program is currently offering two programs to the public.

On Monday nights from 6:30-7:30 pm at Tipler Middle School we still have openings for individuals in our Sports for Individuals with Disabilities class. Next class meeting is Nov. 1st and you can sign up at the school that night.

On Thursday nights from 6:30-7:30 in conjunction with the Oshkosh YMCA at the downtown Y we have Adapted Aquatics which still has 6 openings.

In addition, we will sponsor a Fishing Has No Boundaries Fishing Event for individuals with disabilities to get out on May 21 7 22nd to fish this comining spring.

Those interested in fishing or in volunteering to assist with this program should contact Dr. Bob Weber at 424-1389.

Cate comes to town

Cate Edwards, the daughter of vice presidential candidate John Edwards, speaks to an audience at the Reeve Union while visiting the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh on October 21.



Photos by T.R. Gleason

EAA helps you enjoy Wisconsin's spectacular autumn colors via the air!

EAA’s vintage Ford Tri-Motor closes 75th anniversary year with fall color flights

EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wis. - (Oct. 19, 2004) - One of the most unique and popular fall color tours in Wisconsin returns Oct. 23-24, as the EAA AirVenture Museum hosts its annual fall color flights based at the museum’s Pioneer Airport.

The flights will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 23, and 10 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 24, from Pioneer Airport, EAA’s faithful reproduction of an airport from the famed "barnstorming era." Flights will then depart every 30 minutes throughout each day, based on weather conditions and passenger registration.

The extended 25-minute aerial tours will include the scenic Lake Winnebago area and east-central Wisconsin countryside, which traditionally reaches its peak color in mid- to late October. The flights will take place in EAA’s magnificently restored 1929 Ford Tri-Motor, which has been celebrating its 75th birthday this year through a variety of activities, including two successful Midwest airport tours.

Flights are priced at $50 for adults and $40 for children ages 17 and under. Pre-booking is recommended by calling 920-426-6880 or through on-line registration at www.flytheford.org. Pioneer Airport gift certificates are also valid for fall color flights.

The EAA AirVenture Museum is located just off Highway 41 at the Highway 44 exit in Oshkosh. The Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. EAA members receive free museum admission year-round and family memberships are available. For more information, call the EAA AirVenture Museum at (920) 426-6108 or visit www.airventuremuseum.org.

Airventure Competition

Wichita sets its sights on developing an air show to rival EAA's.

Senate candidates debate in Oshkosh

Read the early AP account here.

Whooping cough concerns

City Manager Richard Wollangk said in his weekly newsletter Friday that there have been 20 pertussis cases confirmed in the last week in Oshkosh.

There are another 50 suspected cases in the city, he said.

'Truck' shares get clobbered

Shares in Oshkosh Truck fell by more than 5 percent Tuesday on news that it did not win a British defense contract.

The company said it will say more about the effects of this setback Oct. 28.

Marching O N

In honor of homecoming, the Oshkosh North "Marching Spartans" performed at half-time at Friday's game, spelling out an "O" and an "N."

We're Official!

The IRS has determined that the Oshkosh Community News Network qualifies as a tax-exampt organization.

Keeping Jansens Smoke-Free

If you like the fact that Jansens has decided to stay smoke-free, you may want to stop by.

According to the owner, business is down fairly significantly from this time last year, and he's not sure how long he can afford to keep the non-smoking policy in place.

Online Debate

If you've heard about the online debate on Wisconsin Public Radio and want to find it, go here.

If you'd like to take part in the Citizens Forum, go here.

If you missed the broadcast report, here's what's posted on Wisconsin Public Radio's Web site:

Internet Provides New Angles to Campaigning
By Patty Murray
Tuesday, October 5, 2004

(OSHKOSH) A state Assembly race is taking to the Internet. Candidates in Oshkosh’s 54th district are taking part in an on-going debate blog-style. It’s thought to be the first time web logs have played a prominent role in informing voters about what candidates think about specific issues.

It’s called “Oshblog.” A blog is short for web log, a sort of online diary made popular in recent years by independent political commentators. This time, it’s the politicians doing the blogging, and it’s a crowded race: there are four candidates running for the seat now held by 17-year Assembly incumbent, Republican Greg Underheim.

The blog works like this: every four days, candidates get a new question to answer and they get 72 hours to figure out what they want to write about it. Then they post their statements at Oshkoshnews.org/Oshblog. Readers can hash over what the candidates had to say in a “citizens’ forum” part of the site. Ten questions will have been asked by the end of October, when the blog ends. The statements will stay posted until election day.

When approached by organizers about becoming a blogger, incumbent Greg Underheim thought it interesting. One of his challengers is Dan Carpenter who’s running as an independent. He says at 55 years old, the technology is quite new to him. Green Party candidate Tony Palmeri says his main concern about the candidate blog is the time it would take: he says when running for public office, the most valuable use of a candidate’s time is meeting people face to face. Democratic candidate Gordon Hintz thinks the blog is a great idea that may be a little ahead of its time in terms of who’s going to use it.

Oshblog might be one of the first candidate-focused blogs. When organizers looked for examples to base it on, they couldn’t find anything out there, according to Miles Maguire, a journalism professor at UW-Oshkosh. He’s running the blog along with the local League of Women Voters and the Oshkosh Public Library. Miles Maguire says the blog lets candidates get away from soundbite coverage of the race. He says given the consolidation in the media, it’s very difficult to get good political coverage, particularly at the local level. He says when the debate wraps up at the end of October, the blog will have ten questions with specific answers from the candidates.

Maguire says the blog has a simple goal: to get more information to the voters so they can make informed decisions. Anyone can submit a question, and a panel of three organizers selects which ones the candidates will be asked to answer. While all four candidates say they like the blog concept there are a few concerns. Incumbent Representative Greg Underheim hopes for policy questions on things like abortion, guns, and taxes. He says he hopes they’re not broad open-ended questions that give candidates a chance to give flowing rhetoric responses but that aren’t informative. He says he thinks the blog serves people better if it forces them to give specific questions people really want to know about.

So far, the candidates have been asked to make general statements, what they think about public employee pay issues, and to outline what they think should be done to make health care more affordable and accessible. Independent candidate Dan Carpenter likes that he and his opponents get plenty of time to formulate their position statements. He says with three days to answer the question, an in-depth answer can be given.

Democrat Gordon Hintz says the challenge is to resist the temptation to get “policy wonkish.” He says ultimately, a lot of politics is a personality contest.

Green candidate Tony Palmeri is also a communications professor at UW-Oshkosh. He likes that the blog is unedited, and features the candidates speaking directly to whoever chooses to log in without the filter of the media. He says people have taken advantage of the opportunity: he says he’s received lots of private e-mails from people reading the blogs.

All four candidates agree that the Oshblog will never take the place of old fashioned campaigning. They all plan to knock on doors and there are several in-person debates scheduled: because even in the 21st century, not everyone has a computer.