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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07.21.23 Newsletter TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Mark Rohloff, City Manager DATE: July 21, 2023 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. POLICE DEPARTMENT CELEBRATES PROMOTIONS: On Tuesday, July 11, 2023, during a Police and Fire Commission meeting, the Oshkosh Police Department (OPD) celebrated the promotions of Sergeant Robert Kraemer and Sergeant Mark Beggs to the position of Lieutenant. Lieutenant Robert Kraemer will supervise 2nd shift patrol and Lieutenant Mark Beggs will supervise 3rd shift patrol. Congratulations, Rob and Mark!  Lieutenant Rob Kraemer has been with the OPD for 14 years. Lieutenant Kraemer has served as an active member of the United States Army Reserves since 2004. He currently holds the rank of Major and has been selected for a promotion to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. During his tenure with the department, he has performed the duties of Patrol Officer and Patrol Sergeant. Lieutenant Kraemer currently serves as a member of the Honor Guard Team and the Crash Investigation Team. He previously served as a Field Training Officer. Throughout his career, he earned a Medal of Valor Award in 2016, along with numerous citizen letters and Supervisor's Logs recognizing him for his commendable actions in the line of duty.  Lieutenant Mark Beggs has been with the OPD for 8 years. During his tenure with the department, he performed the duties of Patrol Officer and Patrol Sergeant. Lieutenant Beggs actively serves on the Bike Patrol Unit. Throughout his career, he earned a Noteworthy Performance of Duty Award in 2017, a Lifesaving Award and Police Officer of the Quarter Award in 2018, as well as citizen commendations for his commendable actions in the line of duty. 2. OPD HOSTS SCAVENGER HUNT: The OPD partnered with Oshkosh Noon Kiwanis, as part of the Kiwanis ‘n Cops ‘n Kids reading program, to hold a scavenger hunt on Tuesday, July 18th in Menominee Park. Children received a list of clues to find 3 items hidden in the park. The first 100 kids that completed the scavenger hunt received free books from Kiwanis. Assistant Chief Kurt Schoeni, Captain Brian Schuldes, Lieutenants Matt Ziegler and Rob Kraemer, Bike Patrol Officer Keith Norkofski, Officers Kate Mann, Aaron Roberts, Sam Schuldes, Kayla Johnson, Co-Responder Kayla Rodriguez, along with Officer Scott Sopata and K9 Magic were on site to greet families and join in on the fun. The weather was beautiful, attendance was great, and everyone had a perfect day in the park! 3. OPD BUILDING COMMUNITY WITH COFFEE WITH A COP EVENT: On Wednesday, July 19, 2023, the OPD held their Coffee with a Cop event hosted by Caramel Crisp from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM. Participating in the event were members of the Command Staff, Patrol Division, SWAT Team, Special Operations, Criminal Investigation Division, Co-Responder Kayla Rodriguez, and Officer Scott Sopata with K9 Magic. K9 Magic enjoyed a “pup” cone and made friends with the citizens who stopped by to have coffee and chat with officers. The turnout was great and officers had an opportunity to connect with several members of the community. The OPD extends our sincere appreciation to Caramel Crisp and staff for hosting our event. Coffee with a Cop gives us a chance to build better relationships with our community, “One Cup at a Time!” 4. MUSEUM RECEIVED STATEWIDE BOARD OF CURATORS AWARD: The Oshkosh Public Museum (OPM) is excited to announce that their 2022 exhibition Helen Farnsworth Mears: A Genius of Wisconsin exhibition has been awarded the Statewide Exhibit Award from the Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS) Board of Curators. This statewide award recognizes historical exhibits on Wisconsin themes. Awards are given to exhibits that contributed most to public understanding of Wisconsin's past during the preceding calendar year. “The OPM developed an exceptionally strong exhibition that brought fresh attention to a critical artist in Wisconsin history – Helen Farnsworth Mears. Utilizing a new archival collection, the OPM’s exhibit provided significant new scholarship on her life and career,” reports the WHS Review Panel for the Board of Curators. They described the exhibit as an “elegant exhibit that appropriately highlighted the original works and learning goals. Most importantly, the interpretation was thoughtfully developed to make important connections with her life and work to local, state, and national history.” “I’m proud we could illuminate new parts of Helen’s own story through our research and interpretation of her work; Because of these new sources, we can better understand the humanity and emotion in her work,” says Museum Director Sarah Phillips. “This exhibition was a team effort, bringing together Design, Archives, and Collections. It’s truly a recognition of our entire team,” says Emily Rock, OPM’s Curator of Exhibitions. Helen Farnsworth Mears: A Genius of Wisconsin ran from April 23 – August 14, 2022. This temporary exhibit commemorated the 150th birthday of noted Oshkosh sculptor Helen Farnsworth Mears. New facts about Helen’s life were uncovered after the acquisition of an archival collection once belonging to her Mary Mears, Helen’s sister. Mary’s own words, included throughout the exhibit, offered visitors more understanding of Helen Farnsworth Mears. The exhibit featured her art from the permanent collection and archives of the OPM, as well as featuring works from other Wisconsin museums, including The Paine Art Center and Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA). 5. UPDATE ON MUSEUM’S RENOVATIONS: Planned construction and renovations of the Museum’s second-floor galleries continue. All artifacts and exhibits have been deinstalled and returned to safe storage for future research and exhibitions. Additional renovations that will strengthen our building’s capacity for many years to come will continue over the next few months. Keep an eye out for notices on OPM’s social media for updates regarding the reopening of the second floor to the public! 6. GET INVOLVED: If you are interested in serving your community, please consider becoming a member of a Board, Commission or Committee. Follow the link below to apply: https://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/BoardsAndCommissions/ 7. 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/ 8. LOOKING AHEAD: Some of the meetings I have scheduled for the week of July 24th include the following: On Monday at 8:00 AM, I will be meeting with leadership from Propel Oshkosh regarding upcoming programming ideas for them that may involve the city. On Tuesday at 9:00 AM, staff and I are meeting with Day by Day Shelter leaders to discuss issues that have emerged since their opening. At 3:30 PM, Mayor Mugerauer and I will meet with the Boys & Girls Club to discuss their signage proposal. On Thursday I will be in Stevens Point for the League’s Urban Alliance meeting. On Friday morning, I will be in New London attending the East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission’s quarterly meeting. Please contact me if you have any questions regarding my schedule.