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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10.03.25 Newsletter : TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Rebecca Grill, City Manager DATE: October 3, 2025 RE: Weekly Newsletter 1. 4TH ANNUAL DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS CELEBRATION AT THE MUSEUM: Join us for a vibrant, family-friendly Día de los Muertos celebration at the Oshkosh Public Museum on Saturday, October 11th, from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm. This cultural celebration is a joyful way to honor the lives of those who've passed while experiencing the music, dance, art, and storytelling traditions that make this day so meaningful. Admission to the Museum, crafts, and entertainment is free. The main tent will feature authentic entertainment, including Mariachi Corcel De Madison and Hola's Grupo Folklorico Dancers. Family-friendly activities celebrating the cultural traditions of Día de los Muertos include Sugar Skull face painting, making marigolds, papel picado, and scratch art sugar skulls. An event schedule may be found on the Museum's event page. Community partnerships drive the success of this special event. The Museum has partnered with the Oshkosh Public Library to support the celebration with coordinated efforts, which include bringing the Heart of the Beast Puppet Theatre to hold a mask-making program at the library on Friday, October 10th, followed by storytelling sessions about Día de los Muertos on the event day of Saturday, October 11th. The mask-making program held at the library is free, but requires registration on the library’s website. Sponsorships from the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, Hansen Family Fun, The Taqueria, and Fox Communities Credit Union helped purchase materials for the Spanish Class students from Vel Philips to create an Ofrenda, which helped the students learn about the cultural significance of Día de los Muertos. Several students from UW-Oshkosh's Chicana/o Latinx Studies Department will be official "roving" translators for the day. The Oshkosh Fire and Police Departments will be on site with community affinity tables. Spend the day with us at the Oshkosh Public Museum to celebrate Día de los Muertos on Saturday, October 11th, from 10 am to 4:30 pm. If you have any questions about the upcoming event, please call Anne Schaefer, Oshkosh Public Museum Marketing and Fund Development Coordinator, at 920-236-5763. 2. GRAND SOUTH LOT PARKING IMPACTED BY GO TRANSIT’S DOWNTOWN CENTER EXPANSION: Construction of a new transit platform and public building for GO Transit is beginning soon, and the City’s Grand South public parking lot (125 High Ave) will be used for staging beginning Thursday, October 2nd. In addition to being used for staging, the lot will be eventually reconstructed as part of this project. The lot will remain open for most of the construction period; however, access and space will be limited while the project is ongoing. Permit holders in this lot and staff at The Grand Oshkosh have been notified. This project involves the construction of a second bus platform as well as a climate- controlled waiting area and public restrooms. The project is anticipated to be complete by October of next year. If you have questions about the project, please contact Transportation Director Jim Collins at 920-232-5342. 3. OPD BREAKFAST WITH MIRAVIDA LIVING: On Thursday, September 25th, the Oshkosh Police Department was invited to participate in a breakfast hosted by Miravida Living. Several officers attended the event and enjoyed starting their day with a wonderful breakfast and great company with all the residents who attended. Thank you to Miravida Living for the gracious offer and the opportunity to connect with our senior community members! 4. FESTIVAL FOODS ANNUAL PUMPKIN BLOWOUT: On Saturday, September 27th, Festival Foods held their 30th Annual Pumpkin Blowout event! Crime Prevention Officer Kate Mann and members of the Oshkosh Fire Department were in attendance to hand out Halloween books and a lot of great free items to the kids. Families enjoyed picking out pumpkins and participating in all the fun event activities to kick off the fall season! 5. LEMONADE WITH THE LAW: On Tuesday, September 30th, the Oshkosh Police Department held a “Lemonade with the Law” event at South Park Middle School. Assistant Chief Brian Schuldes, Captain Andrew Lecker, Sergeant Sonny Gogo, School Resource Officer Jacob Rennie, and Behavioral Health Officer Scott Sopata, along with K9 Gema, enjoyed meeting all the students who stopped by to talk with the officers and have lemonade before staring their day. This event was well attended and accomplished the officers’ goal of connecting and building positive relationships with our youth, “One Cup at a Time!” 6. MAYOR, STAFF, STAKEHOLDERS HIGHLIGHT NEED TO RE-VITAL-IZE ROADS: The city co-hosted a “Re-VITAL-ize Wisconsin Community Highways” event on Monday, calling attention to the need for the Wisconsin DOT to fund, and stay on schedule, when it comes to state highway projects that run through Oshkosh. State highways 21, 44, 45 and 76 all pass directly through the city, and Mayor Matt Mugerauer emphasized the importance of these roadways to the quality of life in Oshkosh. “The state highways running through our community have been vital to our success,” said Mayor Mugerauer. “This isn’t a political issue. This is about safety, and fairness, and common sense,” he added. “Our residents pay their fair share to the state…and they deserve their share of reinvestment in return.” Mayor Mugerauer was joined at the event by Director of Public Works James Rabe, Director of Transportation Jim Collins, Oshkosh Fire Department Division Chief Aaron Droessler, Executive Director of the Oshkosh Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Amy Albright, UW-Oshkosh Chief of Staff Alex Hummel, as well as local representatives Sen. Kristin Dassler-Alfheim and Rep. Lori Palmeri. The League of Wisconsin Municipalities and the Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin co-hosted the event. To see video of the event, click here to go to the Oshkosh Media YouTube channel. For more information, contact Media Services Coordinator Jake Timm at 920-236-5261. 7. 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 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.