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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06.24.22 Newsletter TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager DATE: June 24, 2022 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. THE PARKS IN OSHKOSH HIT FULL STRIDE: As you stroll along the river, it is great to see the new section of Riverwalk along Pioneer Drive constructed and people enjoying the view of the Leach Amphitheater and Riverside Park. Speaking of Riverside Park, the gazebo project is complete, but please be cautious as we have new sod being watered for the coming weeks. Heading west along the Fox River, enjoy walking the river trail through Rainbow Memorial and Lakeshore Parks and be sure to stop to view the Lakeshore Four-Season Building construction. Keep an eye out for temporary closures of the Lakeshore Park Riverwalk Trail in July due to the building project. . As we continue on trails, you will see improvements being completed along the north end of Menominee Park which will add to a dryer experience on the trails during our rainy seasons. If you have questions regarding these or any other projects in the Oshkosh Parks please contact Chad Dallman, Assistant Parks Director, at (920) 236-5080. 2. PARKS FACILITY PROJECT DELAYED: Due to material availability, the start of the Parks Department Administration/Operations Facility project has been delayed about a month. The Parks Department staff is planning to vacate the existing building by August 15, 2022, so that some pre-demolition work can take place inside the building. Demolition of the building is expected to take place in early September. During the project, the Parks Director and his Administrative Assistant will relocate to the Water Distribution office building at 757 W. 3rd Ave and the Parks Department field staff will relocate to the Streets Field Operations Facility balcony area. Construction of the new facility is expected to take about 12-13 months. If you have any questions about this project, please contact Ray Maurer, Parks Director, at (920)236-5080. 3. SUMMER IS IN FULL SWING: Since the temps are warming up, we will start with the place that everyone wants to be: Pollock Community Water Park. We are open daily from 10-11:30 am for lazy river walking, lap swimming, and tot time for kids 5 and under. During this time patrons must be lap swimming or lazy river walking to be in the facility. Then we open for an open swim from 12-7 pm. We have lap swim from 5-6 pm in the lap pool and one lane available for laps from 6-7 pm. be sure to get a cool treat at the Tadpole Café during your visit to the pool. 4. FREE ADMISSION: Menominee Park Zoo continues to be open daily from 9 am-6 pm and admission remains FREE thanks to continued generous donations from the Harenburg Family. The Lakefly Café is open Monday- Friday from 11 am-6 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am-6 pm. Stop in for a zoo souvenir or a cool ice cream treat. 5. MOVIE NIGHT RETURNS: The first movie night at the Leach Amphitheater on Friday, June 24th. We will be playing the movie Sing 2. We will also have a bounce house for the kids, face painting, a Brewing Futures food truck, and family entertainment! Gates open at 6:30 pm for all the fun and then the movie will begin at dusk. Hope you will join us. 6. THE BAY WILL BE BREWING: Brews on the Bay will be on June 29th from 5-9 m at the Kiwanis Shelter in Menominee Park. We will have live music, food trucks, and beverages and we will be serving local craft brews. This is a night of fun you don’t want to miss! 7. WATER, WATER DON’T FORGET TO WATER: Unlike grass and other plants, trees need deep and slow watering to develop a robust root system and thrive. The amount of water your tree needs depends on your soil, tree type, and weather. Trees might need more frequent watering in hot and windy weather. How do you know when it's time to water? Check the soil. Use a screwdriver or soil probe to check the soil at least 6 inches below the surface near the drip line of your tree (the imaginary circle at the farthest reaches of the tree's branches). If the soil is hard, dry, and crumbly, add water with a slow soak. If the soil is wet and sticky, allow it to dry before adding more water. Slowly apply water until the soil becomes moist 6 inches below the surface. Check every 10-20 minutes to see if the water has reached this depth. Also, Take note of how long it takes to water your tree, and how long you can go in between watering for the soil to dry out, then schedule regular reminders to water your trees. In general, young trees will need water 1-3 times per week for the first 3 years after planting. Established and mature trees will need water about once per month in dry months. If you have questions regarding tree care and maintenance, please contact Travis Derks, Landscape Operations Manager, at (920) 236-5080. 8. SUMMER AT THE SENIOR CENTER: The Oshkosh Seniors Center and Friends of the Oshkosh Seniors Center have an exciting summer planned for you. It started with Food Truck Fridays in South Park on June 17th. The weather was perfect and thousands of people came out to the park for the live entertainment of Kitty Corona and fantastic food from 16 different food trucks. If you didn’t make the first event, no worries. Make sure you put the August 19th Food Truck Friday on your calendar. Got WISCO is the live entertainment, and don’t forget to buy a $10 raffle ticket to win $100 a month for a year of groceries from Mark and Susie’s Piggly Wiggly. These events are run by the Friends of the Oshkosh Seniors Center, a dedicated community volunteer group that works hard to raise money for the Center. Staying social is a big part of healthy aging, and there is no shortage of fun activities planned for summer. The choices are endless. There’s a Janet Planet lunch concert at the Leach Amphitheater on July 19th, an outdoor drumming circle on July 7th at the Center, and the Del Ray’s playing at the Leach in August. Need more details? Find them in the July newsletter, https://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/SeniorServices/Newsletters/July2022. If you are interested in learning about the Center, please call Jean Wollerman, Senior Services Manager, at (920)232-5300. 9. VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT: As part of the Oshkosh Parks strategic plan to improve our volunteer systems and processes, the staff has chosen to focus their efforts on recognizing and recruiting volunteers. Therefore, this year’s Volunteer Appreciation event was combined to include all volunteers throughout each of the divisions within the Parks Division. The event was hosted at the Oshkosh Seniors Center with staff celebrating approximately 65 volunteers and their dedication and commitment. The staff has also begun seeking out additional opportunities to connect with potential volunteers in our community. On Saturday, June 11, staff hosted a booth at the first “Teen Volunteer Fair” hosted by the Oshkosh Public Library. A fun game of “Jeopardy” at the Parks booth helped to prompt discussion about volunteer opportunities and a little history about our community parks. If you would like information on volunteering at any of our facilities or events, please contact Kathy Snell, Special Events Coordinator, at (920) 236-5304. 10. ANNUAL 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION: This year’s 4th of July celebrations will begin in downtown Oshkosh with the annual 4th of July Parade, sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans Chapter 437. Parade participants will begin lining up at 7:00 a.m. and take to the parade route at 9:00 a.m. Spectators are welcome to line the sidewalks of N. Main and E. Irving Ave., as the parade will begin at the intersection of N. Main St. and Otter Ave. and will conclude at Menominee Park. We ask that all participants remain on the sidewalks to enjoy the festivities, allowing parade participants to move freely through the route. Families are welcome to celebrate Independence Day in the park while enjoying all that is available. Visit the Menominee Park Zoo (open 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.), the Children’s Amusement Center (open 11 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.), and sample your favorite foods from the various food trucks scattered throughout the park from 3:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Then settle in for the Festival Foods Fireworks display at dusk (approximately 9:45 p.m.).As always, we ask that you take out what you bring in, helping to keep our parks clean and beautiful. Please be safe and enjoy this year’s 4th of July celebrations! 11. ATTACHMENTS AND LINKS: Attached – Oshkosh Public Library's June Highlights 12. 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/. 13. 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 14. LOOKING AHEAD: Among the meetings I have scheduled for the week of June 27 include: On Monday at 8:30 AM I will be meeting virtually with Deputy Mayor Mugerauer to discuss Tuesday’s agenda. At 2:00 PM I will be meeting with Breakwater representatives to discuss their ideas regarding the proposed DORA pilot. At 3:00 PM I will be meeting with staff for an update on the Menominee Park Boathouse project. On Wednesday at 7:30 AM, Finance Director Van Gompel and I will be attending the Public Policy Meeting at the Chamber to hear a presentation on a study that the Chamber commissioned to review city revenues and expenditures over the past 20 years. At 3:00 PM on Wednesday I will be meeting with staff to discuss Sawyer Creek initiatives. I will be out of the office on Thursday and Friday. With that said, as a reminder, city offices will be closed the following Monday in observance of the July 4th holiday. If you have any questions about my schedule, please contact me.