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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09.26.25 Newsletter : TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Rebecca Grill, City Manager DATE: September 26, 2025 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. FIRE PREVENTION WEEK WILL FOCUS ON BATTERY SAFETY: The theme for Fire Prevention Week (October 5th – 11th) is “Charge into Fire Safety: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home.” This year’s focus on lithium-ion batteries works to better educate the public on how to buy, charge, and dispose of these batteries safely. Most of the electronics in our homes — smartphones, tablets, power and lawn tools, laptops, e-cigarettes, headphones, and toys, to name just a few — are powered by lithium- ion batteries. If not used correctly or damaged, they can overheat and start a fire or explode. “Charge into Fire Safety™: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home” provides the information, guidance, and resources needed to use lithium-ion batteries with caution and care. In recognition of National Fire Prevention Week (October 5th – 11th), the Oshkosh Fire Department will be canvassing the Sawyer Creek neighborhood, offering to check residences for working smoke detectors. If the number of smoke detectors in each home is less than ideal or the batteries are missing or non-functional, our firefighters will either install detectors or replace/install batteries at no charge. This will take place on October 7th – 9th from 4:30-6 p.m. Rain dates will be October 14-16, 2025. 2. NEW CRAFT FAIR COMING THIS WEEKEND AT MENOMINEE PARK ZOO: “Crafts and Critters” is a new craft fair happening on Sunday, September 28, 2025, at Menominee Park Zoo from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors can browse 49 vendor booths while enjoying the zoo animals. Items include local crafts, décor, jewelry, and more. Admission is free! 3. PARKS DEPARTMENT SEES GROWTH ON SOCIAL MEDIA: The Parks Department’s social media pages have seen exciting growth since the beginning of May 2025, as we have made this a focus in marketing efforts. Facebook: • The Menominee Park and Zoo page has gained 1,539 new followers (up 239%) over the past five months. Additionally, content from the page has reached a total of 405,538 users (up 169%) during the time period. • The Oshkosh Parks Department page has gained 679 new followers (up 184%) over the past five months. Content from this page has reached 498,065 users (up 81%) since the start of May 2025. • The Leach Amphitheater, Pollock Community Water Park, and Oshkosh Seniors Center pages have also seen increases in followers and reach over the past five months. Instagram: We are now operating Instagram pages for all of our respective Facebook pages and working to grow audiences on each. Each is linked below. • @oshkoshparks • @menominee_park_and_zoo • @leach_amphitheater • @pollock_community_waterpark • @oshseniorscenter For more information, please contact Sadie Ingenthron, Marketing and Fund Development Coordinator, at (920) 236-5080. 4. NEW GATEWAY SIGN LANDSCAPE INSTALLED: Thanks to the collaboration between the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, the Oshkosh Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Oshkosh Business Improvement District, and the City of Oshkosh, the fifth gateway sign was installed this spring at the corner of Jackson Street and Murdock Avenue. It recently received additional enhancements. A team prepared a landscape bed, planted 20 shrubs and trees, and spread mulch throughout the area, creating a beautiful new view. For more information, please contact Travis Derks, Landscape Operations Manager, at (920) 236-5080. 5. MEMORIAL TREE PROGRAM: The Memorial Tree program will continue to follow a spring deadline of February 15th, with trees planted in May or early June, depending on weather conditions. The fall deadline is August 15th, with tree planting scheduled for October. The selection of trees may vary based on species availability and the diversity of the planting area. Please note that due to an oversaturation of maple trees in our parks, we will be removing them from the list of available options. Instead, we will offer a variety of other trees that display beautiful fall colors. We also ask that people refrain from placing or hanging any decorations around or in the trees. For more information, please contact Travis Derks, Landscape Operations Manager, at (920) 236-5080. 6. PARK PROJECT UPDATES: Court restoration projects are currently underway at 44th Parallel Park and Stevens Park. At 44th Parallel, the two tennis courts are being converted into one tennis court and two pickleball courts. At Stevens Park, both the basketball and tennis courts are undergoing reconstruction to enhance their future use. Both projects are set to conclude in early October. Additionally, site preparation for the playground at the new Pickart Park is set to begin in late September, with installation to follow. This is scheduled to finish by early November. For more information, please contact Chad Dallman, Assistant Director of Parks, at (920) 236-5080. 7. UPCOMING PROGRAMS AT THE OSHKOSH SENIORS CENTER: Join us for Adventures in Investing, starting Wednesday, October 1st. This program will run each Wednesday from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. through November 5th. All ages are welcome to attend this free program to gain insights into future investing. Enrollment is open until the start date. Looking for fitness options? Experience the Oshkosh Seniors Center for free during Active Aging Week, October 6th to 14th. Daily events will help you discover new ways to stay active and engaged. Check out page 15 in the October issue of The Current for the full schedule. Don’t miss our next Eat and Greet event on Wednesday, October 29th, at 11:30 am in the Oasis Room at the South Building. The featured meal includes stuffed acorn squash, autumn salad, and a dessert. Tickets are available at our front desks until October 20th or until they sell out. For more information, please contact Dan Braun, Senior Services Manager, at (920) 232- 5300. 8. OSHKOSH SENIORS CENTER WELCOMES ADDITIONAL PERSONAL TRAINER: The Oshkosh Seniors Center is pleased to announce the hiring of Hailey Holm as a personal trainer. Hailey brings a background in kinesiology and is also an occupational therapy assistant. She will begin accepting clients around mid-October. For more information, please contact Dan Braun, Senior Services Manager, at (920) 232- 5300. 9. NEW PLATFORM FOR POST-EVENT SURVEYS: For many years, we conducted post- event surveys using a free online subscription. However, recent changes to this subscription have made it challenging for us to analyze the data we receive effectively. Therefore, after consulting with IT Manager Tony Neumann, a new platform will be implemented to survey organizers about their recently held events. This change will enable us to continue collecting data at no additional cost, while also allowing us to analyze the information more effectively. For more information, please contact Kathy Snell, Special Events Coordinator, at (920) 236- 5080. 10. SATELLITES & SPOOKY STUFF AT THE LIBRARY: Don’t miss any of these fun events coming up at the library! Saving Lives with Satellites Wed., Oct. 1 | 6 p.m. | Under the Dome Weather satellites don’t just help you decide how to dress your kids for school. Find out more about how this technology is saving lives with Steve Ackermann, UW-Madison scientist and one of The Weather Guys. Details on the event page. Halloween Costume Swap Sat., Oct. 4 | 9 a.m. - noon | Reading Room Come peruse our collection of gently used costumes and make this Halloween one to remember. If you have costumes you would like to donate, bring them to the first floor service desk through Fri., Oct. 3. You don’t need to donate to pick out a costume. Details on the event page. Haunted History Walk Sat., Oct. 4 & 8 | 4-6 p.m. | Under the Dome Meet at the library and take a spooky walk through downtown Oshkosh with paranormal researchers and our local history librarian. Learn the history and mystery behind familiar locations and hear spooky stories about other sites around Winnebago County. Adults and teens welcome. Details on the event page. Halloween: History, Folklore and Customs Wed., Oct. 15 | 6 p.m. | Under the Dome Popular researcher and author Chad Lewis returns to the library to look at the origins of Halloween: from trick-or-treating, scarecrows, and jack-o-lanterns to the folklore of bats, witches and everything that lurks in the darkness. Details on the event page. 11. GET INVOLVED IN A BOARD OR COMMISSION: If you are interested in serving your community, consider becoming a member of one of the City’s citizen advisory boards, commissions, or committees. There are current openings on the following boards and commissions: BID Board Board of Review Board of Zoning Appeals Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee Landmarks Commission Long Range Finance Committee Plan Commission Transportation Committee To learn more about the boards and commissions, or to complete an application to serve, visit our boards and commissions webpage. If you have questions about current openings, the process of appointment, or need more information about a particular board, please contact the City Manager’s Executive Assistant, Kami Zuercher, by email (kzuercher@oshkoshwi.gov) or call 920-236-5002.