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Home My WebLink Aboutnewsletter TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager DATE: August 27, 2021 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. SPECIAL EVENT HONORS CITY STAFF: The National Professional Fishing League (NPFL) hosted its first bass tournament in Oshkosh last weekend. The tournament was hosted out of Menominee Park with just over 100 anglers. On Saturday, the NPFL’s primary sponsor, Helping Everyone Remain Operational (HERO) Beverage Co., also hosted a HERO Day with dock dogs, police and fire vehicles and a military presence. As part of HERO Day, local heroes were recognized for their dedication and commitment to excellence. Heroes come in many forms and on Saturday the HERO Beverage Co. presented awards to local heroes, including a few of our very own. Among those recognized were Sgt. Joseph Gogo of the Oshkosh Police Department, retired Battalion Chief Mark Boettcher of the Oshkosh Fire Department, Public Information Officer John Holland of the Oshkosh Fire Department and Kathy Snell, Special Events Coordinator. Ms. Snell also accepted a plaque commemorating the first NPFL Tournament hosted in Oshkosh. 2. MORE TO COME: Special Events continue as we move into August and into the fall. This week the first “Jazz in the Square” took place on Wednesday evening in Opera House Square. Live music will occur every Wednesday through October 29th. On Thursday, September 2nd head over to Waterfest at the Leach for the final show of the year. This Saturday, the first Oshkosh Jazz Festival will be introduced downtown. Immediately following the Oshkosh Farmers Market, the 400 block of Main St. will remain closed and be the location of some very talented jazz musicians. This event is free and open to the public. While there are no food or beverage vendors, attendees may visit Main Street businesses while listening to the live music. For more information on these and other exciting events coming soon, check out the Visit Oshkosh website at: https://visitoshkosh.com/ or contact Kathy Snell, Special Events Coordinator, at 920.232.5304. 3. IT’S NOT OVER ‘TILL WE SAY IT’S OVER: Although summer may be coming to an end… Fall is an exciting time at the Oshkosh Parks Department. We have many family friendly events to offer to the community at several of our facilities. Leach Amphitheater: The Leach will be hosting two more Tuesday Night Concerts, sponsored by Verve, a Credit Union and entertainment sponsor WPS. On August 31st we welcome Star Six Nine and on September 14th Model Citizens. The gates open at 5:30pm for these events, food trucks are available for dinner and the music plays from 6-9pm. On Saturday, September 25th we will host Touch a Truck, sponsored by Oshkosh Corporation. This is a great family event and fun for all ages. The kids will be able to see many trucks that will include trucks from Oshkosh Corporation, tow trucks, dump trucks, etc. We will also have food trucks available to get a tasty treat. The event is held from 10am-2pm. Menominee Park and Zoo: On September 8th, the Zoo will host the final 2021 Brews on the Bay in Menominee Park at the Kiwanis Shelter with featured artist Brad Emmanuel. The event is held from 5-9pm and fun for the entire family. Food trucks are there to pick up dinner, craft brews from our local breweries will be there to enjoy, along with yard games and a beautiful view. On Sept. 11th families will have the chance to spend the night in the Menominee Park Zoo! Registration is now open and the form can be found on-line. Who wouldn’t want to spend a night in the zoo? The night will be filled with scavenger hunts, educational programing, crafts and much more. Sign up now; space is limited! For further information on any of these great events, please contact Jenny McCollian, Revenue Facilities Manager, at 920.232.5319 4. TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS: Over the next few weeks, you will see the completion of the tennis and pickle ball courts and installation of memorial benches being placed around the lagoons at South Park. The new play equipment has been installed and the ball field renovation has been completed at Westhaven Circle Park. These are just a few of the improvements recently made to your public parks. For further information, please contact Chad Dallman, Assistant Parks Director, at 920.236.5080 5. “TITANIC, THE OSHKOSH SENIORS CENTER CONNECTION”: The Seniors Center crossed over many divisions to provide a “Titanic” experience for participants! No real icebergs were encountered. It started with an R.M.S. Titanic afternoon tea complete with violinist! We created a first class tea serving that included finger sandwiches, scones, petit fours and of course, the perfect cup of tea served on fine china. The grand style of the tea was a huge hit and ended with a field trip via GO Transit to the Oshkosh Public Museum’s Titanic Exhibit. The exhibition focuses on Titanic stories associated with Wisconsin. 6. LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE OSHKOSH SENIORS CENTER: Please consider walking in the first Silver Soles 5K Walk scheduled for Saturday, September 11th on the Oshkosh Riverwalk. The race has been organized by the Friends of the Oshkosh Seniors Center, a community group of volunteers committed to fundraising for the Oshkosh Seniors Center. The event is a "raiser"! Raiser of awareness about the Oshkosh Seniors Center and a fund "raiser" to support the programs at the Center. The walk is scheduled for the weekend of the official Grandparents Day. We want your whole family to come out and walk “with” and “for” your grandparents and older adults in our community. Let's celebrate the importance of staying active as we age. The Oshkosh Seniors Center is one of the best community centers in the State. We are committed to enriching the lives of older adults and we need the generosity of donors to operate and grow. There will be prizes, a coffee truck and lively music. The race steps off at 9 am from the Oshkosh Seniors Center located at 200 N. Campbell Road, Oshkosh, WI 54902. Online registration may be found here: https://runsignup.com/Race/Info/WI/Oshkosh/SilverSoles5KWalk. If you are interested in finding more information about the Center, please call Jean Wollerman, Senior Services Manager, at 920-232-5300. The Center’s program newsletter can be found on their webpage: https://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/SeniorServices/ 7. REPORTS ATTACHMENTS UPDATES AND LINKS: Attached is the weekly Museum Memo and the Oshkosh Public Library August highlights. 8. MINUTES FOR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS: All meeting minutes are uploaded to the website upon approval. Please follow the link below for the most updated information & meeting minutes: https://onboard.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/. 9. COVID-19 RESOURCE LINKS AND INFORMATION: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/ Wisconsin Department of Health Services: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/ Winnebago County Public Health Department: https://www.co.winnebago.wi.us/health/divisions-program-areas/communicable- disease/covid-19-coronavirus/wchd-covid-19-situation 10. UPCOMING MEETINGS: Among the meetings I have scheduled for the week of August 30 include the following: At 8:00 AM on Monday, I will be on WOSH radio with new morning host Phil Cianciolo. On Tuesday at 7:30 AM I will be attending the GOEDC Board of Directors meeting. At 9:00 AM I will be meeting with staff to discuss the tourism assessment recommendations. Tuesday afternoon I will be attending the council retreat. At 5:00 PM I will be returning to City Hall to attend the budget workshop. I will be out of the office on Friday, September 3 through Tuesday, September 7. As a reminder, City Offices will be closed on Monday September 6. If you have any questions about my schedule, please contact me.