BEAT BYTE: City Hall whistleblower documents retaliation



1)  CITY HALL:  Whistleblower documents "retaliation"
2)  SNUGGIE STORM:   Blankets Columbia! 
3)  SHOPPING WHILE BLACK:  US Supremes reject local racism claim
4)  COLUMBIA COLLEGE:  Wins first-ever green-building designation
5)  LOCAL SHELTERS, MU VETS:  Study benefits of foster pets
6)  UNIQUE COLUMBIA:  Medical project makes breast cancer headway 

7)  READERS WRITE:  Mayoral candidate responds to "MU terrorism" claim 
8)  HEAR YE!  HEAR YE!   Local Announcements


WIN A SNUGGIE!   Be the first to answer our first "What the Heck is That?" question as part of our 4th anniversary celebration.  See question and details at the end.  More questions -- and prizes -- will follow in subsequent issues. 



CITY HALL:  Whistleblower documents "retaliation"
Final part of an exclusive Heart Beat 7-part series

COLUMBIA, 11/19/09 (Beat Bytes) --  When long-time City of Columbia public works supervisor Bill Weitkemper discovered in March 2006 that City Hall wasn't billing thousands of sewer utility users, he blew the whistle. 

Like so many whistleblowers before him, he feared retaliation -- fears that later proved justified, as his fellow supervisors quietly banished him to "pariah" hall.

"Writing this is certainly difficult," Weitkemper told city manager Bill Watkins in a Dec. 2007 email obtained by the Columbia Heart Beat through a Freedom of Information Act request.   "I am still not sure if I should be contacting you.  I am concerned with retaliation, both from those who failed to correctly apply the ordinances as well as those who have thus far not done much to correct the situation."

"The situation" had Weitkemper -- with the city since 1976 -- insisting that certain facts about what he'd uncovered were irrefutable, only to have those facts re-written in the public record or entirely ignored.

The city is losing $1.2 million per year in underbilling for sewer use at the University of Missouri alone, Weitkemper insisted.  But instead of collecting the $100,000.00/month in additional payments required to make up that annual loss, public works director John Glasscock settled with MU, asking for $5,000.00/month and gradually ramping up to  $600,000.00 annually -- half of today's loss -- in 10 years. 

In a Nov. 2007 six-page report entitled Billing Error Costing Sewer Utility Millions, Weitkemper made his case line by line.  Boone Hospital and Columbia Regional Hospital were together underpaying $26,608/year.  Columbia's hotels and motels were underpaying $193,620/year; the Columbia Housing Authority, $19,362/year; nursing and retirement homes, $34,900 per year;  mobile homes, duplexes, and apartments, $161,000/year; the Columbia Mall, $6,859/year.   

Add it all up, and Weitkemper said he had discovered over $1.6 million in city revenue lost to some of the area's biggest players, all at a time when a mantra of "tight budgets" and "no money" rules virtually every discussion at City Hall -- except when it comes to salary increases for department heads. 

The best way to ignore the lessons of history may be to rewrite history, and that's exactly what Weitkemper would later claim his bosses tried to do. 

"The August 2008 edition of City Insider" -- a monthly newsletter for city employees -- "stated that I was recognized and presented a $3,000 bonus because I noticed a discrepancy in sewer billing," Weitkemper emailed Watkins in September 2008.    That discrepancy "resulted in increased annual city revenue of" -- not $1.6 million. Not $600,000.  Not even $200,000. 

No, Weitkemper's superiors decided he had found a mere $130,000 in annually underbilled sewer charges.  Calling that information "incorrect and misleading," Weitkemper told the city manager, "There is just a little more to the story than that." 

This story concludes about where it began:  Inertia, stasis, whatever you want to call it at City Hall.  It may be nice to think of government as some sort of great equalizer, but there are lots of big thumbs that squat all over this community without so much as a peep from government -- or by directly colluding with government.   As a result, people like Bill Weitkemper are more likely to be squashed than recognized.  

"I should not have been harassed, intimidated, and subjected to a hostile work environment because of my persistence," he wrote to Bill Watkins.  "I should not have been retaliated against by being denied the salary increase I earned."


SNUGGIE STORM:   Blankets Columbia!

COLUMBIA, 11/19/09 (Beat Bytes) -- Yes, it's that clever little, cheaply-made blanket with sleeves that's recently jumped from a chronic barrage of infomercials to a Gerbes -- or Westlake's -- near you.  It even comes in MU Tiger black and gold -- for a significantly higher price, of course. 

It's the Snuggie, and we caught up with this warm and dandy winter dalliance in a series of emails from local professional women -- and a couple of guys -- singing its praises.  The subject kicked off when one of the women sent out an email entitled:  Oh Lord -- the Snuggie!


----- Original Message -----
From: Tracy
To:  
Sent: Wednesday, 2009  1:17 PM
Subject: RE: Oh Lord, The Snuggie!

My mom says it took 6 weeks for our snuggies to arrive.
The kids LOVE them.
I was snuggled up in one last night watching TV.  

I was pretty warm and comfy.

Tracy



----- Original Message -----
From:  Jennifer
To:
Sent: Wednesday, 2009 1:18 PM
Subject: RE: Oh Lord, The Snuggie!


Power to the Snuggie!  Tracy, you should start a facebook group – "Snuggie Snugglers."  
There might be a Snuggie group already!

Jennifer


----- Original Message -----
From: Michael
Sent:  Wednesday, 2009 1:21 PM
To:
Subject: Re: Oh Lord, The Snuggie!

I told you.  This is big.  I wanted to get the whole family Snuggies for Christmas last year, but my wife kept poo-pooing the idea. 

Instead, we've had to settle for a couple of ratty old Blankies. 


----- Original Message -----
From: Tracy
To:
Sent: Wednesday, 2009 1:21 PM
Subject: RE: Oh Lord, The Snuggie!

The snuggie is WAY better than a blankie!



----- Original Message -----
From: Jennifer
To:
Sent: Wednesday, 2009 1:21 PM
Subject: RE: Oh Lord, The Snuggie!

Well, it should be!  I didn’t know it was so popular as to be snuggie--liscious.

Jennifer

----- Original Message -----
From: Haley
To:
Sent: Wednesday, January 2009 1:38 PM
Subject: RE: Oh Lord, The Snuggie!


I do LOVE the snuggie, but I think Ellen Degeneres' suggestion to wear your bathrobe backwards is hilarious!

Haley



----- Original Message -----
From: Jennifer
To:
Sent: Wednesday, 2009 3:15 PM
Subject: RE: Oh Lord, The Snuggie!


Okay, this is what happened.  Someone had a fleece robe and by accident, they put it on backwards and got the bright idea to make backwards robes, and market them as nice blankies with sleeves and the Snuggie was born. 

That dude or dudette, is now a millionaire.   I wish I would have thought of it! 


Jen


U.S. SUPREME COURT:  Rejects local racism claim

COLUMBIA, 11/19/09 (Beat Bytes) --  The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a civil rights claim from thirteen African-American shoppers who alleged that Dillard's Department store in the Columbia Mall was using racially motivated store surveillance procedures.

Despite testimony from former Dillard's employees that store managers were "especially aggressive" in watching black
customers -- and gave white shoplifters preferential treatment over black shoplifters -- the nine-justice panel decided not to intervene.   One former employee testified that when African-Americans entered, the security code "44" was announced over the store intercom.

Federal law required the shoppers to prove the retailer "actively and intentionally obstructed his or her efforts, making any purchase impossible," a claim dismissed by two lower courts.  A federal appeals court in St. Louis concluded that even racially-motivated surveillance was not illegal if store managers did not refuse to sell their products.

Dillard's is a Little Rock, Arkansas-based chain with 330 stores in 29 states. 

RELATED:



COLUMBIA COLLEGE:  Wins first-ever green-building designation


COLUMBIA, 11/19/09 (Beat Bytes) --  The first building in Columbia to receive a prestigious certification by the U.S. Green Building Council, Columbia College's Missouri Hall at 1011 Rogers Street is now a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver designee.  Originally constructed in the 1920s, Missouri Hall recently underwent a $3.9 million renovation led by Simon Oswald Associates, CM Engineering and Reinhardt/Wilson contractors.

Approximately 38,000 square feet, Missouri Hall has housed 110 women; a lavish parlor; and the home economics department over the years.  It currently houses Admissions, Enrollment Management, the Registrar, Student Support Services, and a new Veteran Service Center.

"We took a risk -- not when we agreed to design the Missouri Hall renovation -- but when we committed to seeking a zero-cost, high level LEED certification," said Simon Oswald architect Shelley Simon from Columbia. "And we did it!" 

About LEED and Columbia College



LOCAL SHELTERS, MU VETS:  Study benefits of foster pets

COLUMBIA, 11/19/09 (Beat Bytes) --  In partnership with the Central Missouri Humane Society (CMHS) and the Columbia Second Chance Animal Shelter, MU veterinary researchers want to answer a simple question: If people who own pets enjoy a better life, as studies have shown, do foster pet parents similarly benefit?

To find the answer,  the MU veterinary school's Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction will study senior citizens acting as foster parents for shelter dogs before the dogs are permanently adopted.  Seniors are often hesitant to adopt animals because they fear their pets may outlive them, said center director Rebecca Johnson.  The temporary foster dog approach might be a better option. 

The veterinarians will provide new foster parents with instruction, dog food, veterinary care and a 24-hour hotline for questions. They will look for measurable benefits to the foster owners' health, physical activity level, and mood.

The study is funded by a grant from the WALTHAM Center for Pet Nutrition and the International Society for Anthrozoology.

RELATED:



UNIQUE COLUMBIA:  Medical project makes breast cancer headway 

COLUMBIA, 11/19/09 (Beat Bytes) -- Working with a little-known National Cancer Institute project called the Columbia, Missouri Serum Bank, researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia have discovered that women with increased levels of so-called Müllerian inhibiting substance (MIS) may be at a greater risk for breast cancer.

MIS is a hormone-like biochemical that regulates sexual differentiation in boys; inhibits elongation and branching of mammary (breast) ducts; and slows mammary tumor growth in animals.

Published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute last month, Fox Chase researcher Joanne Dorgan, Ph.D. studied 309 participants registered at the Columbia, Missouri Serum Bank, finding that increasing MIS concentrations were associated with greater breast cancer risk.

As part of the NIH/National Cancer Institute's Biological Markers Project, 6,915 women living in and around Columbia who were free of cancer donated blood to the serum bank between 1977 and 1987.  Participants provided information about
breast cancer risk factors:  age, height, weight, reproductive and menstrual histories, family history, medical conditions, and drug use, including oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy. 

Stored at a very cold -70 degrees C, serum from 6,720 (97%) of the original donors remains in the bank.  During a 1989 follow-up, 244 invasive cancers, including 107 breast cancers, were discovered among women who were cancer-free at blood collection.

NIH researchers consider the Columbia, Missouri Serum Bank "a unique resource that can be used for biochemical epidemiology studies aimed at identifying serum markers associated with cancer risk." 

RELATED:



READERS WRITE:  Mayoral candidate responds to "MU terrorism" claim  


A friend of mine forwarded your article. :)   You have so many interesting articles, I subscribed.   I wanted to clarify a few things.  

I did not call MU a terrorist organization (at least not intentionally). I called the Curators of the University of Missouri a terrorist organization.  I did want to point out to you that I'm not name calling.   I'm just pointing out the laws as they are written in Missouri Revised Statute 574.115 relating to terrorist activities.

In much the same way, you may or may not approve of the President of the United States (current or previous depending on your leanings) while still supporting and loving the United States.

While looking at several of your previous blogs, I have to ask if having a mayor who is willing to stand up to special interests, regardless of how large or powerful they are, would be a bad thing?   I see several articles about Bill Weitkemper, whose efforts could save the city millions of dollars by pointing out existing regulations that were not being enforced due to special interests.

I think we can all agree that Weitkemper's work on this is a good thing.  

Since crime is something I'm personally concerned with, I've looked at what police officers cost the city.   Based on the current budget, a sworn law enforcement officer, equipment, and supporting personel runs about $120,000 a year. 

$1.2 million in unpaid sewer bills a year is 10 more fully equipped and staffed police officers patrolling our city and reducing crime.

The terrorism allegation resulted from a large, politically powerful organization who deliberately chose to harm a citizen and brag about its ability to do so.   Tough for me maybe, but I still lead a good life.  I love my job.  I have more friends than time, and in just a few more years, I'll own my own home and be completely debt free.

You may sometimes be punished for something you didn't do.  However, if you calmly accept the punishment and refuse to declare it unjust, those who see you being punished may believe that you deserved it.
-- Paul Love, 2010 Candidate for Mayor, City of Columbia

Missouri Revised Statute 574.115
Making a terrorist threat




HEAR YE!  HEAR YE!   Local Announcements


2nd Annual United Way LIVE UNITED Week
This Week, Nov. 16-20.

Throughout mid-Missouri families continue to feel the pinch of a tough economy.  Local job cuts and increasing state-wide unemployment are causing people never needing help before to seek the assistance of local non-profit agencies.  In an effort to help meet these needs, the Heart of Missouri United Way launched its 2nd Annual LIVE UNITED Week as a final push in its annual fundraising campaign. 

The capstone of the week’s activities this year is the first official MU-KU Student Challenge: a 48 hour contest between the Tigers and Jayhawks to collect change in support of each community’s local United Way.

Thursday you can support the challenge by bringing your loose change to Speakers Circle and Lowry Mall on the MU campus where students will be collecting money throughout the day. 

LIVE UNITED Week ’09 community activities also include CiCi’s Pizza on the 19th, and Chevy’s Fresh Mex on the 20th (go to www.uwheartmo.org to print the flyers to take to the restaurants).  On Thursday the 19th the first ever Columbia LIVE UNITED Flash Mob will take place in Lowry Mall.

To find or give help, dial 2-1-1 or visit us online at www.uwheartmo.org
or call 573.443.4523



Former St. Louis policeman, Redditt Hudson will speak at a public meeting on, “Why TASERs Pose An Unnecessary Risk to Police and the Public”.   This event will be held on Friday, November 20, 2009 from 6:30-8p.m. at the Boone County Government Center, 801 East Walnut in Columbia.

The mother of Stanley Harlan, Athena Bachtel, will also speak briefly about how the TASER death of her son by Moberly police has affected her family and why she supports efforts to ban the deployment of the TASER weapon.   The meeting is sponsored by People for a TASER-Free Columbia.


For more information, call Mary Hussmann at 573-474-1983.





The Columbia Farmers Market will be extending its season on a trial basis through December 19th. In years past, the Market's season has ended just prior to Thanksgiving.  The December market days will be held from 10 am to at least 12pm on three Saturdays, December 5th, 12th, and 19th.  The location will be the same, behind the city Activities & Recreation Center (ARC) at the corner of Clinkscales and Ash.

Products expected to be available include lamb, pork, beef, eggs, winter & greenhouse vegetables, honey, locally-made chocolate, baked goods, and more.  If weather conditions are not suitable for an outdoor market, an announcement will be made on the Columbia Farmers Market website (www.columbiafarmersmarket.org), and on the Market's voicemail (573-823-6889).


WIN A SNUGGIE!   Be the first to answer our "What the Heck is That?" question as part of our 4th anniversary celebration.    Email responses ONLY.  Emails are time stamped, and by sending your answer, you are allowing us to print it in order received.  First correct answer -- by time stamp -- wins.   

QUESTION:  What the heck are those three bells and a little bricked up white window next to Schnucks in the Forum Shopping Center?   How do you know?   You can see them at a distance, over to the far right, at this Google Street View link (or Google Forum Shopping Center and look at the street view):


Please include your name, phone number, and valid snail mail address.   

(Employees of the Forum Development Group, owners of the shopping center, and their families are not eligible).  

 

Mike Martin
Editor in Chief
The Columbia Heart Beat
http://columbiaheartbeat.blogspot.com


CIRCULATION:  5,340

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CITY MANAGER: Approval rating in Bush territory




1)  CITY MANAGER:  Approval rating in Bush territory
2)  CITY MANAGER:  Why the low approval rating?
3)  POLLING LEADERS:  Council pay, "Other," Greever-Rice
4)  READER CONDEMNS:  "Hidden" MU tuition hikes
5)  ROCK BRIDGE:  High school team leads nation in science/math
6)  MU NURSING PROF:  Landmark study makes national headlines 
7)  MU PREZ FORSEE:  To hold "Town Hall" meetings
8)  DINERS REVIEW:   Sparky's Ice Cream
9)  READERS WRITE:  Editor responds to Trib "autopsy" 



CITY MANAGER:  Approval rating in Bush territory

COLUMBIA, 11/9/09 (Beat Bytes) --  With his percentage approval ratings stuck in the high 30s, Columbia city manager Bill Watkins (left) is enjoying the kind of support accorded George W. Bush in his last year as president.  A recently-concluded Columbia Heart Beat poll of 580 readers taken over six months has Mr. Watkins holding firm at around 37% approval and 63% disapproval. 

President George W. Bush achieved similar ratings during his last year in office, according to national pollster Rasmussen Reports:

It may be tempting for some to dismiss the low ratings as the inevitable result of an "anti-establishment" readership.  But the same Heart Beat poll showed establishment leaders Bob Roper and Vicki Riback-Wilson well ahead of every other hypothetical candidate for Columbia mayor. 

Heart Beat readers are a well-informed, broad and diverse slice of Columbia and Boone County, a sizeable majority of which apparently don't like what they see at the top of City Hall. 


CITY MANAGER:  Why the low approval rating?

COLUMBIA, 11/9/09 (Commentary) --  Why the low approval rating for city manager Bill Watkins, who took office with unanimous council approval after long-time manager Ray Beck retired?   Impressions may hold the key. 

"Bill Watkins is a lot less visible than Mr. Beck was," explained a long-time city employee.  "Mr. Beck used to visit all the departments regularly; we rarely see Mr. Watkins.  A lot of people have the impression that he's aloof and removed." 

That doesn't mean Mr. Watkins is doing a poor job.  In fact, most tasks he oversees -- from the new city hall to sewer improvements in the Old Southwest -- are completed on time and on budget.  Current high--profile projects, from tree trimming to water main replacement to the restoration of the Blind Boone home, seem to be going equally well. 

But the impression remains that something is wrong, and impressions are everything in the business of governing.  If one impression stands out to this writer, it is that Mr. Watkins favors wealthy power players over John and Jane Q Average, a situation that places him squarely in conflict with this generally-liberal college town's guiding ethos. 

A simple constituency check bears out this idea.   

FAVORED:   Hank Waters and the honchos behind the State Historical Society;  the TIF crowd; developers pitching projects like Cross Creek and the Lemone/Maguire Blvd. extension; a giant city-owned parking garage; senior level city administrators hired at 20% higher salaries; large utility rate payers like MU and the Columbia Mall.   

NOT FAVORED:  Paquin Towers; the Central Missouri Humane Society; lower-level city employees; the average utility rate payer; and those volunteer legislators we call the Columbia City Council. 

A recent difference of opinion with 1st Ward councilman Paul Sturtz over the restoration of the historic Heibel-March Store by First Chance for Children, as reported in the Columbia Tribune, provides an even better illustration. 

"We are skeptical that the building can be renovated for the numbers they’ve suggested," Watkins said.  "The Community Development Commission recommended First Chance for Children receive $50,000.  Sturtz said he will vote for funding for the renovation.  Watkins recommended no money." 

But Mr. Watkins did recommend using $250,000 from the Convention and Visitors Bureau to support the state historical society museum during eminent domain flap late last year.  The impression of favoritism is hard to miss.   


I vigorously supported Bill Watkins' candidacy to replace Ray Beck.   I spoke with and/or emailed every council person, citing his stellar performance as mediator and leader on a committee he and I shared.  As the former chairperson of the city's finance commission, and a member of the city's historic preservation commission, I saw in Mr. Watkins a firm yet gentle hand that could guide Columbia for years to come. 

But his guiding hands have not proven particularly gentle.  Take the dispute between manager and council that broke out last year over hefty salary increases for senior city administrators, precipitated by the hiring of City and Light director Kraig Kahler, who resigned this year under a cloud. 

Third Ward Councilman Karl Skala wanted more information about the proposed 20% pay hike; Mr. Watkins rebuked him for asking.

In an email he cc'd to the city council and other department heads, Mr. Watkins reminded that Section 12 of the City Charter prohibits any council action -- like asking too many questions, apparently -- that may be construed as "interference" with the city manager's personnel decisions.  He also reminded of the penalty for such interference:  Removal from the city council. 

Invariably, Columbia's establishment rallied to Mr. Watkins' defense, taking to the airwaves and the newspapers, scolding Skala and by proxy, every other council member. 

I empathized with Skala.  He's an unpaid volunteer up against a guy making $150,000/year and a considerable city staff, including city attorney Fred Boeckmann, who also chimed in on the issue.  I thought about how I'd feel:  Isolated, alone, like a child scolded for getting out of line. 

The dispute over Mr. Kahler wasn't the first time Mr. Watkins responded to council members in a way I felt lacked empathy.  They work long hours for no money; have no dedicated help from city staff; get blamed for everything that goes wrong; and get little credit for things that go right.  Mr. Watkins' often public opposition to their positions -- witness Sturtz in the example above, and the sustainability director skirmish -- diminishes their morale, hurting the people -- us -- they represent. 

We have empowered council members with a sacred trust.  They aren't perfect and they certainly don't know everything, but the people who work for them should respect that trust.  

I lay the blame for a lot of this at the feet of our local special interests, who know where the power lies and in lobbying that power, engender a culture of disregard for elected council members.

You don't, after all, see Columbia Tribune publisher Hank Waters lobbying Mr. Skala, or any council person, or even the mayor himself.  Waters -- and the other power players around him -- stick with the city manager, a convenient one-stop shop, they apparently believe, for meddling and peddling. 

RELATED: 


COUNCIL PAY:  Poll shows 2:1 approval

COLUMBIA, 11/9/09 (Beat Bytes) -- Columbia Heart Beat readers support paying city council members almost 2:1.  In a poll with 92 votes so far, 59% support council pay; 31% say no; and 8% remain undecided.

In two recently closed polls, council candidate Tracy Greever-Rice led with a significant margin in the 4th Ward city council race and among named potential candidates, former city councilman Larry Schuster led for mayor.   "Other," however, still maintained the greatest lead. 

Updated polls with recently declared candidates will go up shortly. 

CHECK OUT THE POLLS AT: 


READER CONDEMNS:  "Hidden" MU tuition hikes 

I send this email to you, Mike, with a certain trepidation from an email account that cannot easily be traced back to me.  I am an MU alum, parent and faculty member.  I take issue with this paragraph from the October 22 Columbia Daily Tribune article on page 12A, Financial outlook could mean higher tuition:


"MU's tuition -- $245.60 per credit hour for resident undergraduates -- remained flat this year in a deal between public universities and Gov. Jay Nixon.  Nixon vowed to not withhold money for higher education if universities agreed to not raise tuition."

What a scam!  There was a deal all right -- a wink and a nod among curators, administrators and the governor's office because they created a technicality two years ago that allowed them to publicly brag about not raising tuitition.  I've been biting my tongue for two years but seeing this article in the Tribune made me decide to point this out to someone. 

My sense is that you are the only person who might actually dig into it.
 
Starting two years ago, supplemental per-semester-hour fees were quietly added to student bills while tuition "remained flat." The original concept was that certain courses had unusual expenses associated with them that justified an added fee over and above the ordinary credit-hour fee.  Such fees required approval by the chancellor's office, but they quickly spread across colleges and got tacked on to all courses within each of several colleges.  Supplemental fees have become a cash cow for some departments.

As a faculty member, I acknowledge that without them, many departments would be operating in the red from budget shortfalls. 
 
But as a parent and alum, I am furious about the duplicity of MU administration.  Undergraduate engineering students have actually seen their fees increase by a whopping 23%, when you add the $54.50 per credit hour "Additional Course Fee" to base tuition of $245.60 per credit hour.  

Handily, as a "supplemental fee," additional course fees are not covered by tuition waivers for graduate students or by tuition reduction benefits for dependents of MU employees. 

A full-time undergraduate in engineering taking a 15-hour load now pays an extra $817.50 per semester in additional course fees.  See the chart below from the MU Undergraduate Admissions website at http://admissions.missouri.edu/costsAndFinancialAid/costs/index.php. 
 
Additional Course Fees

Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources $40.30/credit hour
Business $34.60/hr
Education $34.60/hr
Engineering $54.50/hr
Human Environmental Sciences  $37.50/hr
Journalism $40.30/hr
Allied Health $53.30/hr
Science Lab $10.80/hr
 
You can call it what you want, but the bottom line is that an "additional course fee" is a hidden tax that hits students and parents in the pocketbook BIG TIME.  So MU administrators really need to stop whining in the newspaper about budget shortfalls and patting themselves on the back because "MU's tuition...remained flat..."  That, frankly, is a big fat lie. 

Political shenanigans and technical half truths do not enhance the university's public image in the long run, and the truth needs to come out.

Signed: 
Ticked Off MU Parent!
 

ROCK BRIDGE:  High school team leads nation in science/math

COLUMBIA, 11/9/09 (Beat Bytes) -- A two-person Rock Bridge High School team has been named among the nation's finest in the prestigious Siemens Competition in Math, Science, and Technology, an elaborate national science fair that has seen previous winners invent anti-bacterial coatings for medical devices; seek cures for drug-resistant Tuberculosis; and develop a device to generate energy from ocean waves.

The only Missouri team to receive the honor, Qinqin Yu and Sarah Kang were among five top regional teams in the 2009-2010 competition.  They head to the University of Notre Dame with 14 other finalists November 13 and 14 to compete for scholarship money.  Winners of the regional events compete at the National Finals at New York University in New York City, December 3 - December 7, 2009.

Follow the action on Twitter http://twitter.com/SFoundation Saturday, November 14, 2009 between 6:30
pm and 9:30 pm EST, when winners are announced. 


MU NURSING PROFESSOR:  Landmark study makes national headlines



COLUMBIA, 11/9/09 (Beat Bytes) -- A landmark MU study about the benefits of on-the-job exercise has made national headlines.

Workplace exercise programs can improve fitness, cut cholesterol levels, reduce job stress and improve attendance, lead author Vicki S. Conn of the University of Missouri School of Nursing told Reuters late last month.  Conn and colleagues studied the effects of workplace exercise programs on some 38,000 people, finding that the best programs include on-site gyms and the ability for people to exercise during the workday.

Published in the October issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Conn's research is part of a larger National Institutes of Health-funded effort.


READ ALL ABOUT IT:


MU PREZ FORSEE:  To hold "Town Hall" meetings

COLUMBIA, 11/9/09 (Beat Bytes) --  University of Missouri president Gary Forsee will hold Town Hall meetings this month and next, he announced in a November 6 email entitled Budget challenges ahead. 

"I will be conducting Town Hall meetings on each of our four campuses and the system office over the next 30 days," Forsee wrote.   "I want to be sure we have ample opportunity to engage in a discussion about balancing how we plan to deal with ongoing financial challenges with the important actions we need to focus on to ensure our continued strength for the next decade!" 

Forsee also discussed the issue of "flat tuition" criticized in the article above.   "Last week, Gov. Nixon announced significant cuts in this year’s state government budget," Forsee wrote.  "While the university’s core budget has been protected from cuts because we agreed to hold tuition flat, nearly $5 million in cuts to programs outside of the university’s core budget...reflect the state’s budget challenges ahead." 

Forsee said he wants to examine "several new initiatives" and "some historic paradigms...about the value and cost of higher education." 

He also included links to recent comments to the Board of Curators: 




DINERS REVIEW:  Sparky's Ice Cream


COLUMBIA, 11/9/09 (Beat Bytes) -- Reviewing an ice cream parlor as winter approaches may seem odd, but Sparky's Home Made Ice Cream in downtown Columbia will stay open until Christmas Eve, a first-ever seasonal extension -- and possible benefit of global warming.

"Hands down the BEST ice cream in Columbia.  Sparky's is THE place to go for real, real, real ice cream," writes one enthusiastic diner at Yelp.com.   


"I had a Guinness (beer) float with a scoop of hazelnut ice cream," writes another fan.  "Where else can you get good ice cream and booze?" 

Comparing Sparky's and Coldstone's, one diner writes, "Sparky's wins because it's not too rich or heavy. The flavors are more creative, and your teeth won't disintegrate afterward. Plus: alcoholic beverage ice cream floats. The best of childhood paired with the best of adulthood." 

READ 15 Sparky's REVIEWS AT:



READERS WRITE:  Editor responds to Trib "autopsy"  


Mike:   Clay Shirky could have added a bit of clarity to his analysis had he called me. 

The misnamed "staff" directory at columbiatribune.com, the Web version of the Columbia Daily Tribune, includes 17 folks who would more accurately be called contributors.  They are mostly members of the community who contribute weekly or biweekly columns.  That brings the number of editorial staff to 40.

Of the 40 staffers accurately listed as news staff, seven are beat or general assignment reporters; one covers business, three cover arts and entertainment; one writes and edits a Sunday lifestyles section; and one writes and edits the weekly food section. 

Seven of those 40 write and edit sports full time.  Four are full-time news and sports photographers. Two are editors on the city desk; five are copy editors; and one is the managing editor. The librarian is also listed.

Every one of those folks, right down to the news clerk who compiles and composes the daily arrest report and obituaries, contributes significantly to the daily report of local news. To count byline articles only as news and to discard local content such as sports, obituaries, arrests, calendars, columns and features underestimates the value of that news content to readers of community newspapers.

My direct telephone number is 815-XXXX, Mike.  I would be delighted to talk to you anytime you want to check the accuracy of information you report about the Columbia Tribune.  Thanks.
-- Jim Robertson, Managing Editor, Columbia Daily Tribune

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Mike Martin
Blogitor in Chief
The Columbia Heart Beat
http://columbiaheartbeat.blogspot.com

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