We haven't seen a shortage of discussion and awareness of the problems our community has in terms of health status. It has become a vernacular that many of us has become too accustomed to understanding: cancer, obesity, overweight, heart disease, and the litany of terms and terminology goes on. Our community and our state are particularly very very unhealthy.
We have done a good job of documenting it locally, from the All is Not Well research report commissioned by the Public Life Foundation to the GRADD Health Report Card completed by the GRADD Health Council, we know we are unhealthy. Contrary to people's wishes, we are not unhealthy by chance. It has a whole lot to do with what we choose to do, or not to do that makes us healthy or unhealthy.
At the same time, we have made strides in affecting this crisis situation in our community. American Council for Fitness and Nutrition Chairperson Susan Finn's comments echo the successes that we have had. We also continue to see some degree of movement on the state front, as is indicated by how elected officials were cited in the Messenger Inquirer of the need for healthy lifestyles.
At the beginning of 2005, we will have yet another opportunity to change our community for the better. Stay tuned for more from the City Connections bikepaths initiative that soon will pick up steam.
Want to be part of the solution? Get up to speed and get an idea of what the City Connections committee has been working on by going here. Then, stay tuned and let the community leaders know where you stand on improving the health status of our citizens with the assistance of a community that provides opportunities for citizens to improve their health and lifestyle.
Monday, November 29, 2004
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Chronicle of Higher Education: Scholars Who Blog
I've decided to post this article specifically for those educators or like-minded individuals who are visiting this blog to consider the notion of blogs, blogging, and bloggers. In short, can we dare not to capture our scholarly, personal, and community histories? Enjoy...
Scholars Who Blog
The soapbox of the digital age draws a crowd of academics
By DAVID GLENN
Is this a revolution in academic discourse, or is it CB radio?
In one form or another, that question inevitably arises in conversations with scholars who have taken up the habit of writing Web logs, or "blogs." Some have started blogging in order to muse aloud about their research. Others want to polish their chops at opinion-writing for nonacademic audiences. Still others have more urgent and personal reasons. ("The black dogs of depression are snarling at my feet," reads the first entry of one scholar's blog.) Click here to read more...
Scholars Who Blog
The soapbox of the digital age draws a crowd of academics
By DAVID GLENN
Is this a revolution in academic discourse, or is it CB radio?
In one form or another, that question inevitably arises in conversations with scholars who have taken up the habit of writing Web logs, or "blogs." Some have started blogging in order to muse aloud about their research. Others want to polish their chops at opinion-writing for nonacademic audiences. Still others have more urgent and personal reasons. ("The black dogs of depression are snarling at my feet," reads the first entry of one scholar's blog.) Click here to read more...
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Public Life Advocate: The Tracker
Data of Interest
Compiled by Chad M. Gesser
* Finland, Denmark, and Sweden are among the nations perceived to have the most dependable public officials in the world. The United States is tied for 17th.
* 84 percent of Americans believe the Iraqi people will be better off without Saddam Hussein.
* 70 percent of Jordanians believe the Iraqi people will be worse off without Saddam Hussein.
* Holding a favorable image of the United States has plummeted 40 percent from 1999-2004 amongst residents in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, Russia, and Turkey.
* 58 percent of Americans believe that community problems are too big for individuals to solve alone.
* 90 percent of United States citizens say that working with others to solve problems takes more time but gets better results in the long run.
* 74 percent of United States citizens view the quality of life in their community as excellent or good. However, whites are twice as likely as African-Americans to view their community as offering an excellent quality of life.
* 40 percent of working adults (54 million Americans) say they have gotten together with co-workers to sponsor a food-drive, walk-a-thon, or other type of community activity in the past 12 months.
* 87 percent of Republicans believe George W. Bush is a uniter.
* 81 percent of Democrats believe George W. Bush is a divider.
To read the hard copy of The Tracker, visit the Public Life Foundation and the Public Life Advocate.
Compiled by Chad M. Gesser
* Finland, Denmark, and Sweden are among the nations perceived to have the most dependable public officials in the world. The United States is tied for 17th.
* 84 percent of Americans believe the Iraqi people will be better off without Saddam Hussein.
* 70 percent of Jordanians believe the Iraqi people will be worse off without Saddam Hussein.
* Holding a favorable image of the United States has plummeted 40 percent from 1999-2004 amongst residents in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, Russia, and Turkey.
* 58 percent of Americans believe that community problems are too big for individuals to solve alone.
* 90 percent of United States citizens say that working with others to solve problems takes more time but gets better results in the long run.
* 74 percent of United States citizens view the quality of life in their community as excellent or good. However, whites are twice as likely as African-Americans to view their community as offering an excellent quality of life.
* 40 percent of working adults (54 million Americans) say they have gotten together with co-workers to sponsor a food-drive, walk-a-thon, or other type of community activity in the past 12 months.
* 87 percent of Republicans believe George W. Bush is a uniter.
* 81 percent of Democrats believe George W. Bush is a divider.
To read the hard copy of The Tracker, visit the Public Life Foundation and the Public Life Advocate.
Monday, October 18, 2004
Baseball as religion in Owensboro?
Ok, if you are remotely a baseball fan, you cannot help to be emotionally moved by the baseball antics of the past three days. Consider these stats from three wild days at Fenway:
• The elapsed game times were 4 hours, 20 minutes; 5:02 and 5:49.
• Thirty-five pitchers combined to throw 1,299 pitches (412 Saturday, 416 Sunday and 471 Monday).
• The Yankees had 27 runs on 46 hits - and left 38 men on base. The Red Sox had 19 runs, 36 hits and left 31 on.
Ok, before I go further, let me make a confession. I'm Catholic, and I'm a Red Sox's fan. At this time you are supposed to tell me what prayers or actions I need to do to assist me in my future endeavors, and to help the Red Sox keep keepin' on.
Ok when I began this blog I had no intention of being sacriligious. Rather I have become a victim to my own recognition of the prayer like, religious like fervor that has swept Red Sox Nation, and won't be too far from good 'ol San Luis (St. Louis for the non-spanish speakers).
I must say I have noticed more religious and prayer metaphor in my focus on the Red Sox-Yankees series over the past few days than in any other series or series of sporting events in my life. The Red Sox Nation has become attached to slogans such as "Keep the Faith" and "We Believe". Could you imagine this type of religious fervor over our very own baseball team in Owensboro? Ah ha you say.....well, maybe we could...
So, uh, are you following the Bring Baseball Back Committee's efforts at bringing professional baseball to Owensboro? As you continue to watch the major league baseball playoffs this year, just think about what could be....on the other hand, I'd hate for us to have a team that is destined to lose, destined to be cursed, and destined to have fans that eat and breathe Owensboro baseball.....just like my beloved Red Sox Nation.
Go Sox!
• The elapsed game times were 4 hours, 20 minutes; 5:02 and 5:49.
• Thirty-five pitchers combined to throw 1,299 pitches (412 Saturday, 416 Sunday and 471 Monday).
• The Yankees had 27 runs on 46 hits - and left 38 men on base. The Red Sox had 19 runs, 36 hits and left 31 on.
Ok, before I go further, let me make a confession. I'm Catholic, and I'm a Red Sox's fan. At this time you are supposed to tell me what prayers or actions I need to do to assist me in my future endeavors, and to help the Red Sox keep keepin' on.
Ok when I began this blog I had no intention of being sacriligious. Rather I have become a victim to my own recognition of the prayer like, religious like fervor that has swept Red Sox Nation, and won't be too far from good 'ol San Luis (St. Louis for the non-spanish speakers).
I must say I have noticed more religious and prayer metaphor in my focus on the Red Sox-Yankees series over the past few days than in any other series or series of sporting events in my life. The Red Sox Nation has become attached to slogans such as "Keep the Faith" and "We Believe". Could you imagine this type of religious fervor over our very own baseball team in Owensboro? Ah ha you say.....well, maybe we could...
So, uh, are you following the Bring Baseball Back Committee's efforts at bringing professional baseball to Owensboro? As you continue to watch the major league baseball playoffs this year, just think about what could be....on the other hand, I'd hate for us to have a team that is destined to lose, destined to be cursed, and destined to have fans that eat and breathe Owensboro baseball.....just like my beloved Red Sox Nation.
Go Sox!
Economic Summit=Same 'ol Same 'ol
We cannot underestimate the utility of viewing our work, our application of knowledge, and what we do to survive as anything less than a system. When we strive to pinpoint the golden key to everything economic, we miss the systemic view and the attachment of peripheral economic activity and their subsequent importance on the quality of life of a community and its citizens.
We must look beyond the notion that our well being as a community and for its citizens rests in the hands of the sometimes invisible being of economic development. The central issue as brought out in the economic summit was the community quality of life.
As Jo Ann McCormick noted, economic development leaders want the buy in of the community, but usually stop short by relying on the “safety” and “comfort” of those in their immediate circles. Economic development leaders want community input, but they don’t get it, nor do they ask.
While there is an obvious need for a community strategic plan for our economic development, their certainly is also a broader need for a community vision. At the heart of this need of a well crafted, representative vision, are the citizens of the community. What might be the most important aspect of the development of any sort of plan, is the process taken to achieve its final draft. No, we do not need a man, white man on a white horse to assume some understanding of the type of economic environment that our community wants. A couple of sessions in our Leadership Owensboro program will suffice to provide the historical, and current background as to how “business”, rather how “leadership” is conducted in this community. While the work and the agreement of a few may be easier “to get things done”, and may be better in the short term, it does not benefit the community in the mid to long term. This appears to me to be the struggle that was echoed in the economic summit. A different planning strategy for the mid to long term is needed, a process that builds relationships of community citizens, and outlines with citizens their views with the overall community vision of this community. I would suggest that for many community leaders, this is a scary proposition. The small power elite model of leadership is still in full force, and is unfortunately the foundation of which we are led to believe that rational, intellectual, and progressive thinking occurs in Owensboro-Daviess County.
Might we be best served to go to the community, to its workers, to its citizens, to its families, children, grandparents, and grandchildren, and ask them what their vision of the future of Owensboro-Daviess County would be? Might we build upon their dreams? Are the ramifications too grand if their hopes and dreams are fundamentally different than those in administrative and in community leadership positions? Do we know what the citizens of this community think and feel about our future? Is it not important that we ask them? Would community wide ownership of a strategic vision for the future enable us to be more efficient, effective, and successful in meeting our goals?
We must look beyond the notion that our well being as a community and for its citizens rests in the hands of the sometimes invisible being of economic development. The central issue as brought out in the economic summit was the community quality of life.
As Jo Ann McCormick noted, economic development leaders want the buy in of the community, but usually stop short by relying on the “safety” and “comfort” of those in their immediate circles. Economic development leaders want community input, but they don’t get it, nor do they ask.
While there is an obvious need for a community strategic plan for our economic development, their certainly is also a broader need for a community vision. At the heart of this need of a well crafted, representative vision, are the citizens of the community. What might be the most important aspect of the development of any sort of plan, is the process taken to achieve its final draft. No, we do not need a man, white man on a white horse to assume some understanding of the type of economic environment that our community wants. A couple of sessions in our Leadership Owensboro program will suffice to provide the historical, and current background as to how “business”, rather how “leadership” is conducted in this community. While the work and the agreement of a few may be easier “to get things done”, and may be better in the short term, it does not benefit the community in the mid to long term. This appears to me to be the struggle that was echoed in the economic summit. A different planning strategy for the mid to long term is needed, a process that builds relationships of community citizens, and outlines with citizens their views with the overall community vision of this community. I would suggest that for many community leaders, this is a scary proposition. The small power elite model of leadership is still in full force, and is unfortunately the foundation of which we are led to believe that rational, intellectual, and progressive thinking occurs in Owensboro-Daviess County.
Might we be best served to go to the community, to its workers, to its citizens, to its families, children, grandparents, and grandchildren, and ask them what their vision of the future of Owensboro-Daviess County would be? Might we build upon their dreams? Are the ramifications too grand if their hopes and dreams are fundamentally different than those in administrative and in community leadership positions? Do we know what the citizens of this community think and feel about our future? Is it not important that we ask them? Would community wide ownership of a strategic vision for the future enable us to be more efficient, effective, and successful in meeting our goals?
Monday, October 11, 2004
Can Owensboro Build a Free Internet Network?
While the talk of the creative class and its meaning for Owensboro continues, little is left in the way of specifics regarding public and/or private initiatives. One can only assume that this is a philosophy, an idea, and nothing more.
A few years back there was indeed an effort at increasing high speed internet access to residents in the Owensboro area. OMU has forged that effort ahead, but the access is limited to residential and small business. Is it possible to develop a network of wireless access points in the community, whereby small business, residents, and anyone in the community with the proper equipment could access the internet and other high speed services? Could local government sponsor this initiative along with private investment and support to offer high speed, wireless where desired, internet access at a cost that is substantially lower than current costs, even free?
Sunday, October 03, 2004
City’s low costs not a positive
Keith Lawrence reported in today’s Messenger-Inquirer Owensboro’s new ranking of being lowest among smallest metropolitan areas east of the Mississippi River for cost of doing business. The question to be asked regarding this ranking is this a good thing?
This is not a good thing in that local leaders can react to this news with an urgency to work with the Chamber of Commerce and Industrial Inc. to persuade businesses to come to Owensboro to do their work as a short term political necessity. Suffice it to say the Owensboro metropolitan area leadership simply does not do a good job of strategic planning, and planning in conjunction with the entire population. Planning in this community is left to the very small few, hampering the opportunity to tap into the larger community and working with the community at large in promoting opportunity for Owensboro.
This ranking is a good thing in that it is another opportunity for the leadership of Owensboro to do right by planning for the future of Owensboro. The planning approach that this community has taken, and continues to take is an outdated approach to community development. Community leaders once again have the tremendous opportunity of working with the community at large in a manner of dialogue and deliberation to move the community forward. Social and economic development simply cannot be seen as one person’s or one institution’s work. A tremendous error in planning has occurred and continues to occur in the Owensboro community: tunnel vision planning, whereby a single institution (local governments, economic development authority) do not consider the broad implications of ‘other’ institutional planning, while not planning with the community at large. Our problem institutional errors, such as job growth and job development, must be owned by the community at large. The way to make job growth, good job growth, responsible job growth, and equal job growth across economic sectors is to involve those actors and players of each economic sector, and community citizens at large to first determine where our community has been, where it currently is, and ultimately where our community WANTS to go. Residents will simply not work with the community to move in a direction if that is a direction they do not wish to go. If one believes this is apparent, which I do, then this situation is a reflection of poor local leadership.
Issues to consider
Education and the relationship of job growth to educational attainment were mentioned in the article. Judge Executive Reid Haire suggests that good paying jobs must be available before the educational level will increase. Others suggest the opposite, that the overall community educational level must increase before the good jobs will arive. But what appears to hamper our understanding of job growth (good paying jobs, sustainable employment, and responsible job growth) is our understanding of the dimensions of economic development. The aforementioned commentary on social and economic development can shed some light on this. Economic development and job growth simply does not rely on one cause to achieve the effect of development and growth. Education affects job growth, but so does health status of the community, the rate of crime, the demonstrable creativity of the community, the quality of life, and the niche that the community market plays. Currently, there is no visible no strategy that suggests an understanding of any of this. Rather what we have is the occasional lecturer or presenter at community events that are typically not public enough or open to the public (Rooster Booster or Leadership Owensboro), or editorials or letters to the editor will appear in the local newspaper that will shed some sort of light on the issue.
We as a community have not drawn the connections between these indicators and job growth, nor have we defined what our niche market is. Suffice it to say, with the changes in the tobacco economy our niche market has been in flux for the past decade or more. With a lack of a strong strategic vision then, our local government, economic development authority, and the local population has failed to move in a direction that is consistent with the vision of the community at large.
The lack of broad based, public oriented planning which taps into the will of the community at large has failed this community here in late 2004. A vision needs to be created, that is the community’s vision, and it needs to become the foundation for which everyone and every public and private group or institution pursues job growth, educational attainment, improvement in health status, creative opportunities for our citizens, and the creation of a niche market. Richard Florida's work on the creative class might serve as some insight.
The economic sector is certainly not dictated by strategy nor should it be. But an understanding of where we have been, where we are, where we want to go and where we will most likely be successful in going can certainly go a long way for creating a sense of direction for this community. Our community’s well being still suffers from the sundry elements of our lives such as low mean family incomes, family’s with multiple employment to maintain financial status, loads of debt for local citizens, a less than vibrant creative community, a lack of a meaningful invitation to participate and to become involved in local leadership, and most of all an unwillingness of the community leadership to do something different or to change our current path.
Check out our Census numbers to understand Owensboro a bit better.
Keith Lawrence reported in today’s Messenger-Inquirer Owensboro’s new ranking of being lowest among smallest metropolitan areas east of the Mississippi River for cost of doing business. The question to be asked regarding this ranking is this a good thing?
This is not a good thing in that local leaders can react to this news with an urgency to work with the Chamber of Commerce and Industrial Inc. to persuade businesses to come to Owensboro to do their work as a short term political necessity. Suffice it to say the Owensboro metropolitan area leadership simply does not do a good job of strategic planning, and planning in conjunction with the entire population. Planning in this community is left to the very small few, hampering the opportunity to tap into the larger community and working with the community at large in promoting opportunity for Owensboro.
This ranking is a good thing in that it is another opportunity for the leadership of Owensboro to do right by planning for the future of Owensboro. The planning approach that this community has taken, and continues to take is an outdated approach to community development. Community leaders once again have the tremendous opportunity of working with the community at large in a manner of dialogue and deliberation to move the community forward. Social and economic development simply cannot be seen as one person’s or one institution’s work. A tremendous error in planning has occurred and continues to occur in the Owensboro community: tunnel vision planning, whereby a single institution (local governments, economic development authority) do not consider the broad implications of ‘other’ institutional planning, while not planning with the community at large. Our problem institutional errors, such as job growth and job development, must be owned by the community at large. The way to make job growth, good job growth, responsible job growth, and equal job growth across economic sectors is to involve those actors and players of each economic sector, and community citizens at large to first determine where our community has been, where it currently is, and ultimately where our community WANTS to go. Residents will simply not work with the community to move in a direction if that is a direction they do not wish to go. If one believes this is apparent, which I do, then this situation is a reflection of poor local leadership.
Issues to consider
Education and the relationship of job growth to educational attainment were mentioned in the article. Judge Executive Reid Haire suggests that good paying jobs must be available before the educational level will increase. Others suggest the opposite, that the overall community educational level must increase before the good jobs will arive. But what appears to hamper our understanding of job growth (good paying jobs, sustainable employment, and responsible job growth) is our understanding of the dimensions of economic development. The aforementioned commentary on social and economic development can shed some light on this. Economic development and job growth simply does not rely on one cause to achieve the effect of development and growth. Education affects job growth, but so does health status of the community, the rate of crime, the demonstrable creativity of the community, the quality of life, and the niche that the community market plays. Currently, there is no visible no strategy that suggests an understanding of any of this. Rather what we have is the occasional lecturer or presenter at community events that are typically not public enough or open to the public (Rooster Booster or Leadership Owensboro), or editorials or letters to the editor will appear in the local newspaper that will shed some sort of light on the issue.
We as a community have not drawn the connections between these indicators and job growth, nor have we defined what our niche market is. Suffice it to say, with the changes in the tobacco economy our niche market has been in flux for the past decade or more. With a lack of a strong strategic vision then, our local government, economic development authority, and the local population has failed to move in a direction that is consistent with the vision of the community at large.
The lack of broad based, public oriented planning which taps into the will of the community at large has failed this community here in late 2004. A vision needs to be created, that is the community’s vision, and it needs to become the foundation for which everyone and every public and private group or institution pursues job growth, educational attainment, improvement in health status, creative opportunities for our citizens, and the creation of a niche market. Richard Florida's work on the creative class might serve as some insight.
The economic sector is certainly not dictated by strategy nor should it be. But an understanding of where we have been, where we are, where we want to go and where we will most likely be successful in going can certainly go a long way for creating a sense of direction for this community. Our community’s well being still suffers from the sundry elements of our lives such as low mean family incomes, family’s with multiple employment to maintain financial status, loads of debt for local citizens, a less than vibrant creative community, a lack of a meaningful invitation to participate and to become involved in local leadership, and most of all an unwillingness of the community leadership to do something different or to change our current path.
Check out our Census numbers to understand Owensboro a bit better.
Saturday, October 02, 2004
Welcome!
Welcome to the Owensboro Blog. I hope you will come back and visit, as I and others explore the local dynamics and issues found in Owensboro, Kentucky.
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