Christmas Box Angel statue
[As the Christmas Box Angel statue story continues to develop and controversy over its proposed location in Menominee Park mounts, we have received this emailed suggestion from Gary Jepson about how the city can save money rather than spend it on this dispute.]
Problem
The proposed site (public park) for the Christmas Box Angel may cost city taxpayers $100,000 or more (legal fees).
Solution
Find an individual, group, church, or group of churches who will answer the call to find a place on private property for the angel.
My favorite would be to ask a property owner whose land abuts a quiet city park if they would mind if the angel was put on their property facing the park. Some homeowner might love having this in their yard.
If this idea appeals to you, please pass this on to your church, have a note put in the bulletin, announce it, and talk it up.
Somewhere in Oshkosh there is someone willing to help with this, with a bonus of saving the taxpayers a bundle.
You can email this to your friends, a church, or send it to your own email (for forwarding).
Thank you
Gary Jepson
[You can also click on the envelope at the end of the blogged suggestion on Jepson's own site - http://www.garyfromoshkosh.blogspot.com/2006/03/christmas-box-angel-solution.html]
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Christmas Box Angel statue
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, March 23 2006 @ 06:27 PM MST
Mr. Jepsen points out the most obvious solution to the problem. Not that Mr. Jepsen is overly obvious, but his suggestion is the truly only sound solution: have a private landowner display the angel...possibly the Paine or a church. The other solution is to change the subject matter of the statue...instead of an angel, it could be a child with a mother reading a book, a child playing with a doll looking up to the sky, two children playing or in a loving embrace. Either eliminate the potential religious overtone or move the site of the statue.
Unfortuntely, I beleive the city will refuse either suggestion and instead wants to make a point...take up a principled argument for the sake of principle (which is fine if the costs are balanced and reasonable); however, the cost of a principled position is too excessive in this case, especially since the law is not on the side of the city.
The idea of a nice tribute to children (or lost innocence or the loss of a family, or whatever symbolism it portrays) is admirable and no one (hopefully including the opposition forces) would disagree; unfortunately, the tribute is likely to cost the city $100,000 in legal fees for what it has right now, an empty lot. Leave it empty and find a more suitable place for the statue.
Christmas Box Angel statue
Authored by: admin on Sunday, March 26 2006 @ 10:48 PM MST
Earlier this afternoon a woman contacted me saying she is very opposed to the Christmas Box Angel statue being placed in the park, though she said she also understands parents' grief after having lost a child. She suggested that the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation might be able to assist in finding a person or business with land appropriate for such a statue who might be willing to donate a very small tract of that land on which to situate the statue.
I think this is a wonderful idea. The Foundation has done many wonderful things for this community and this could be another thing that they could help facilitate. It would fill the needs of the parents seeking a place of solace in memory of their loved one and the donor would be able to use the donation as a tax write-off, should they choose to do so.
Earlier this evening I sent an email to the executive director of the Foundation and have called some of the Common Council members about it. They, too, thought it was a good idea. Perhaps with everyone working together and trying to find some common ground, a common place can be found for this loving tribute.
- Cheryl Hentz
Christmas Box Angel statue
Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, March 27 2006 @ 04:45 PM MST
Thank you for trying to help with this. I am thankful for what you do.
Christmas Box Angel statue
Authored by: admin on Monday, March 27 2006 @ 06:04 PM MST
You're welcome and I am trying to help where I can, especially since the caller asked me to. But there are a lot of people who are hoping for a peaceful resolution to the controversy and there have been a lot of thought-provoking ideas put forward and helpful suggestions made by different people during the last couple of weeks. That's what being a true community is all about.
- Cheryl Hentz
Christmas Box Angel statue
Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, March 27 2006 @ 07:02 PM MST
I think that the ideas presented here are great!
Gary Jepson
Christmas Box Angel statue
Authored by: admin on Tuesday, March 28 2006 @ 01:13 PM MST
I have had some emails from Eileen Connolly-Keesler at the Community Foundation. Even though they are not directly or actively involved in this project, she has been kind enough to put some thought into the problem. She has found a non-profit that may be able to help out with a small area of land. They are looking into that possibility and I will keep you posted.
In the meantime, there are a majority of Common Council members who are willing to look at other places to build the statue (Bain, Burk Tower, Mattox and Scheuermann. I don't know about Frank Tower and we know where Esslinger and Castle stand on the issue). But things can happen with a simple majority, so let's keep our fingers crossed for a solution acceptable to both sides of the issue.
Many thanks again to Eileen at the Foundation for her efforts thus far and the non-profit for their consideration in this regard.
- Cheryl
Christmas Box Angel statue
Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, April 28 2006 @ 09:47 AM MDT
I’ve always viewed grieving as primarily a private enterprise. Why then
place it in a public facility?
Christmas Box Angel statue
Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, March 27 2006 @ 07:19 AM MST
the director of the Paine would not even mention the word Christmas when he was interviewed on OCAT for their Christmas season! hwat makes you think they would allow and angel?
he is plenty ready to push his other agenda with the Paine's name but certainly nothing with Christmas, and i would guess an angel would flal under same category for him.
Christmas Box Angel statue
Authored by: Anonymous on Wednesday, March 29 2006 @ 12:25 PM MST
so what will be next? why let the FFR group win something they should not. that park is a wonderful palce for it. there is a group will ing to fight the battle if needed. and the FFR was much less than honest about the other cases.
i can't help but believe that if this were a liberal PC cause Bain, Tower and many of you would be fighting it to the max.
do the right thing- put it in the park.
Christmas Box Angel statue
Authored by: Anonymous on Wednesday, March 29 2006 @ 12:42 PM MST
A few problems exist with that way of thinking. Several residents don't want it in the park and several do. Bill Castle and Paul Esslinger are being pig-headed and stubborn with their cavalier attitude toward a segment of the residents. That's nothing new except this time it sounds like they are outnumbered (oh that's right Esslinger is always outnumbered). What is wrong with compromising. With a right-wing religious group willing to fight the issue in court how can people say religion is not involved here?
Problem
The proposed site (public park) for the Christmas Box Angel may cost city taxpayers $100,000 or more (legal fees).
Solution
Find an individual, group, church, or group of churches who will answer the call to find a place on private property for the angel.
My favorite would be to ask a property owner whose land abuts a quiet city park if they would mind if the angel was put on their property facing the park. Some homeowner might love having this in their yard.
If this idea appeals to you, please pass this on to your church, have a note put in the bulletin, announce it, and talk it up.
Somewhere in Oshkosh there is someone willing to help with this, with a bonus of saving the taxpayers a bundle.
You can email this to your friends, a church, or send it to your own email (for forwarding).
Thank you
Gary Jepson
[You can also click on the envelope at the end of the blogged suggestion on Jepson's own site - http://www.garyfromoshkosh.blogspot.com/2006/03/christmas-box-angel-solution.html]
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Christmas Box Angel statue
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, March 23 2006 @ 06:27 PM MST
Mr. Jepsen points out the most obvious solution to the problem. Not that Mr. Jepsen is overly obvious, but his suggestion is the truly only sound solution: have a private landowner display the angel...possibly the Paine or a church. The other solution is to change the subject matter of the statue...instead of an angel, it could be a child with a mother reading a book, a child playing with a doll looking up to the sky, two children playing or in a loving embrace. Either eliminate the potential religious overtone or move the site of the statue.
Unfortuntely, I beleive the city will refuse either suggestion and instead wants to make a point...take up a principled argument for the sake of principle (which is fine if the costs are balanced and reasonable); however, the cost of a principled position is too excessive in this case, especially since the law is not on the side of the city.
The idea of a nice tribute to children (or lost innocence or the loss of a family, or whatever symbolism it portrays) is admirable and no one (hopefully including the opposition forces) would disagree; unfortunately, the tribute is likely to cost the city $100,000 in legal fees for what it has right now, an empty lot. Leave it empty and find a more suitable place for the statue.
Christmas Box Angel statue
Authored by: admin on Sunday, March 26 2006 @ 10:48 PM MST
Earlier this afternoon a woman contacted me saying she is very opposed to the Christmas Box Angel statue being placed in the park, though she said she also understands parents' grief after having lost a child. She suggested that the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation might be able to assist in finding a person or business with land appropriate for such a statue who might be willing to donate a very small tract of that land on which to situate the statue.
I think this is a wonderful idea. The Foundation has done many wonderful things for this community and this could be another thing that they could help facilitate. It would fill the needs of the parents seeking a place of solace in memory of their loved one and the donor would be able to use the donation as a tax write-off, should they choose to do so.
Earlier this evening I sent an email to the executive director of the Foundation and have called some of the Common Council members about it. They, too, thought it was a good idea. Perhaps with everyone working together and trying to find some common ground, a common place can be found for this loving tribute.
- Cheryl Hentz
Christmas Box Angel statue
Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, March 27 2006 @ 04:45 PM MST
Thank you for trying to help with this. I am thankful for what you do.
Christmas Box Angel statue
Authored by: admin on Monday, March 27 2006 @ 06:04 PM MST
You're welcome and I am trying to help where I can, especially since the caller asked me to. But there are a lot of people who are hoping for a peaceful resolution to the controversy and there have been a lot of thought-provoking ideas put forward and helpful suggestions made by different people during the last couple of weeks. That's what being a true community is all about.
- Cheryl Hentz
Christmas Box Angel statue
Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, March 27 2006 @ 07:02 PM MST
I think that the ideas presented here are great!
Gary Jepson
Christmas Box Angel statue
Authored by: admin on Tuesday, March 28 2006 @ 01:13 PM MST
I have had some emails from Eileen Connolly-Keesler at the Community Foundation. Even though they are not directly or actively involved in this project, she has been kind enough to put some thought into the problem. She has found a non-profit that may be able to help out with a small area of land. They are looking into that possibility and I will keep you posted.
In the meantime, there are a majority of Common Council members who are willing to look at other places to build the statue (Bain, Burk Tower, Mattox and Scheuermann. I don't know about Frank Tower and we know where Esslinger and Castle stand on the issue). But things can happen with a simple majority, so let's keep our fingers crossed for a solution acceptable to both sides of the issue.
Many thanks again to Eileen at the Foundation for her efforts thus far and the non-profit for their consideration in this regard.
- Cheryl
Christmas Box Angel statue
Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, April 28 2006 @ 09:47 AM MDT
I’ve always viewed grieving as primarily a private enterprise. Why then
place it in a public facility?
Christmas Box Angel statue
Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, March 27 2006 @ 07:19 AM MST
the director of the Paine would not even mention the word Christmas when he was interviewed on OCAT for their Christmas season! hwat makes you think they would allow and angel?
he is plenty ready to push his other agenda with the Paine's name but certainly nothing with Christmas, and i would guess an angel would flal under same category for him.
Christmas Box Angel statue
Authored by: Anonymous on Wednesday, March 29 2006 @ 12:25 PM MST
so what will be next? why let the FFR group win something they should not. that park is a wonderful palce for it. there is a group will ing to fight the battle if needed. and the FFR was much less than honest about the other cases.
i can't help but believe that if this were a liberal PC cause Bain, Tower and many of you would be fighting it to the max.
do the right thing- put it in the park.
Christmas Box Angel statue
Authored by: Anonymous on Wednesday, March 29 2006 @ 12:42 PM MST
A few problems exist with that way of thinking. Several residents don't want it in the park and several do. Bill Castle and Paul Esslinger are being pig-headed and stubborn with their cavalier attitude toward a segment of the residents. That's nothing new except this time it sounds like they are outnumbered (oh that's right Esslinger is always outnumbered). What is wrong with compromising. With a right-wing religious group willing to fight the issue in court how can people say religion is not involved here?
posted by Cheryl Hentz at 10:33 AM
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