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!
Monday, October 18, 2004
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?
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