Preliminary Program (Revised)
15th Conference on the Small City and Regional Community
With Co-sponsors
The Center for the Small City; University of Wisconsin-Extension govtraining.org; Wisconsin Sociological Association; Wisconsin Political Science Association; and Wisconsin City Management Association
September 30 – October 1, 2004
University Center
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Theme: Governing the Small City in Times of Fiscal Stress
NOTE: Room designations can be obtained from the registration desk at the conference
Thursday, September 30, 2004 8:30 – 10:00 a.m.
1. Social and Human Services
Moderator:
Judy Bablitch, Portage County (WI) Department of Health and Human Services
Panelists:
Cate Gitter, St. Michael’s Hospital Mental Health Unit and UW-Stevens Point
“Mental Health Services in Small Communities”
Rae Ann Thomas, Associated Employee Assistance Services of WI, Ltd.
“Employee Assistance Programs in Small Communities”
Amy Boelk, Department of Sociology, UW-Stevens Point
“End-of-Life Care in Rural Communities”
Patsy Mbughuni, CAP Services, Inc. Stevens Point, WI
“Building a Value-Added Labor Force: The Skills Enhancement Strategy”
2. Planning in the Small City and Regional Community
Moderator:
Daniel Mahoney, Administrator, Village of Plover, WI
Panelists:
Todd Norton, Department of Communication, University of Utah
“Community Planners: Caught in the Boundaries of Bureaucracy”
Russ Kashian, Department of Economics, UW-Whitewater, and Heather Kohls, Department of Economics, Marquette University
“Comprehensive Planning: Is There a Relationship between Committee Design and Subsequent Outcome—A Baseline Survey”
(continued)
Eric Olson, College of Natural Resources, UW-Stevens Point
“Cut and Paste or Craft from Scratch? Approaches to Identifying Comprehensive Plan Goals and Objectives in Rural Wisconsin”
Rebecca Roberts and Chin-Chun Tang, Center for Land Use Education and College of Natural Resources, UW-Stevens Point
“The Wisconsin Planning Experiences: Results from a Community Planning Survey”
3. Integrating Data Analysis into Sociology Courses
Moderator:
Anne Cross, Department of Sociology, UW-Stout
Panelists:
Wava Haney, Department of Sociology, UW-Richland
Peter Gregory, Department of Sociology UW-Fox Valley
Anne Cross, Department of Sociology, UW-Stout
4. Assessment of the Political Science Major: Current Issues and Approaches
Moderator and Organizer:
Anne Gurnack, Department of Political Science, UW-Parkside
Panelists:
Anne Gurnack, Department of Political Science, UW-Parkside
“Assessment Methods with Special Focus on E-Portfolio and Senior Seminar”
James Simmons, Department of Political Science, UW-Oshkosh
“Use of Exams such as the GRE as Assessment Tools”
Edward Miller, Department of Political Science and Center for the Small City, UW-Stevens Point
“Alumni Surveys as Assessment Tools”
Angela Burger, Department of Political Science, UW-Marathon
“Challenges of Assessment in a UW Center”
5. Roundtable Discussion:
Learning is Forever (LIFE)--Educational Programs for Retired Persons
The LIFE program at UW-Stevens Point is an Institute for Learning in Retirement (ILR) and part of the Elderhostel Institute Network. There are over 300 ILRs in existence, many in small cities and affiliated with universities, with more than 70,000 participants. This session will discuss the LIFE program and the opportunities and challenges it offers to retired persons.
Moderator:
Robert Enright, Department of Sociology and Gerontology Program, UW-Stevens Point
Panelist:
Bill Kirby, School of Education, UW-Stevens Point
Kim O’Flaherty, UWSP-Extension
Larry Weiser, Division of Business and Economics (Emeritus), UW-Stevens Point
6.
The Arts in the
Small City
Moderator:
Lawrence Leviton, Department of Music, UW-Stevens Point
Panelists:
Susan Gingrasso, Department of Theatre and Dance, UW-Stevens Point
“Choreographing Oral Histories: Mining Social and Cultural Issues in Your Community Using Concert Dance”
Tiffany Wilhelm Executive Director, Central Wisconsin Children’s Museum, Arts Management Program, UW-Stevens Point
“Play Inspires Lifelong Learning: Building a New Kind of Town Square at the Central Wisconsin Children’s Museum in Stevens Point”
Geary Larrick, Stevens Point, WI
“Music and Local Government”
Thursday, September 30, 2004 10:15 – 10:45 a.m.
Susan Gingrasso, Professor of Dance, UW-Stevens Point, and Students in the UW-Stevens Point Dance Program
Students will perform a portion of Susan Gingrasso’s highly innovative dance creation which derives from her oral history interviews with a group of women and men who lost their jobs in mid-life. The performance focuses on their dislocation and powerlessness, and yet, sense of possibility for a new beginning. “Dropped: Picking Up the Pieces” is the third in a series of Prof. Gingrasso’s dance creations based on oral history.
8. Keynote Speaker (Laird Room)
Welcome:
Virginia Helm, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Introduction:
Mordecai Lee, Associate Professor of Governmental Affairs, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Coordinator, University of Wisconsin-Extension govtraining.org
Speaker:
Dennis L. Dresang, Professor of Political Science and Public Affairs and
Director, Center on State, Local, and Tribal Governance, University of Wisconsin-Madison
“Small City Governance: Between a Rock and a Hard Place”
Thursday, September 30, 2004 12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m.
Lunch
Lunch in the University Center or other Stevens Point eateries on your own. Wisconsin Political Science Association members will eat at tables in the Wooden Spoon cafeteria.
Thursday, September 30, 2004 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
9. The Art and Craft of Writing
Moderator:
Mark Balhorn, Department of English, UW-Stevens Point
Panelists:
Jonathan Ackley, Freelance Writer, Austin, TX
“Locating Fiction: The Problem(s) of America as a Body of Literature”
Gerald Chappell, School of Communicative Disorders (Emeritus), UW-Stevens Point
“Why I Have Written During All of My Wisconsin Life”
Pat Rothfuss, Department of English, UW-Stevens Point
"Ars Ioco: The Art of the Joke"
10. Workshop: The Wisconsin Department of Administration—A Resource for Municipalities
This panel will highlight different programs and services within the Department of Administration that can assist local officials and municipalities. Panelists will present information on grant programs, technical assistance, energy, and other potential money saving ideas.
Moderator and Organizer:
Dawn Vick, Wisconsin Department of Administration, Division of Intergovernmental Relations
Panelists:
Renee Powers, lat Review
Mike Friis, Coastal Grants
Terri Lenz, Length of Service Awards for Volunteer Firefighters and EMT's (LOSA)
Joanna Schumann, Comprehensive Planning
Sari King, Procurement and Cooperative Purchasing
Michael Wolff, Clean Water Loans
Michele Sorum-Schmid, Office of State Employment Relations
Michael Kessenich, Division of Enterprise Technologies
Dan Schoof, Energy Programs and Incentives
11. Environmental Issues
Moderator:
John Coletta, Department of English, UW-Stevens Point
Panelists:
Mary Edwards, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Illinois-Champaign-Urbana and Anna Haines, Center for Land Use Education, UW-Stevens Point
“Smart Growth in Wisconsin: An Evaluation of Local Plans”
Duane Greuel, Environmental Specialist, Wood County (WI) Planning and Zoning Department
“Community Growth without Municipal Sewage Treatment Services”
(continued)
Nelli Atkinson, College of Natural Resources, UW-Stevens Point
“Rural Outreach in an Alaskan Community: Developing an Interpretative and Educational Plan for a Forest Service Ranger District”
Salvatore Engel-DiMauro, Department of Geography, UW-Stevens Point
“Environmental Problems in the Capitalist World-System”
12. The American Community: The Civic Sphere
Moderator:
Michael Foret, Department of History, UW-Stevens Point
Panelists:
Kristi Lekies, Early Childhood Program and Marcia Eames-Sheavly, Department of Horticulture, Cornell University
"Greener Voices: Engaging Youth in Environmental Aspects of Community Development"
John Blakeman, Department of Political Science, UW-Stevens Point
“Constitutionality of Religious Messages in Public Places”
Amy S. Mondloch, Coordinator, Grassroots Leadership College, Madison, WI
“The Grass Roots Leadership College”
Ray Stroik, University Archives (Retired), UW-Stevens Point
“The Spirit (ethos) of American Civilization”
13. Engaging the Public in Community Planning
Moderator:
Rhonda Ambuehl, Rural Leadership Program and Global Environmental Management (GEM) Education Center, UW-Stevens Point
Panelists:
Rebecca Roberts, Center for Land Use Education, UW-Stevens Point
“Designing a Public Involvement Process: From Paper to Practice”
Chin-Chun Tang, Center for Land Use Education, UW-Stevens Point
“Involving the Public through Institutional Partnership”
Douglas Miskowiak, Center for Land Use Education, UW-Stevens Point
“Enhancing Public Participation with GIS Technology”
Stan Gruszynski, Rural Leadership Program and GEM Education Center, UW-Stevens Point
“Strategies for Building Support”
14. Central Wisconsin Mayors: A Discussion of Issue Perspectives
Moderator and Organizer:
Edward J. Miller, Department of Political Science and Center for the Small City, UW-Stevens Point
Panelists:
Mayor Gary Wescott, Stevens Point, WI
Mayor Gerald Bach, Wisconsin Rapids, WI
Mayor Michael Meyers, Marshfield, WI
Thursday, September 30, 2004 2:45 – 4:15 p.m.
15. Social and Political Issues
Moderator:
Scott Nikolai, Department of Social Science, UW-Platteville
Panelists:
John Kilburn, Jr., Department of Sociology, Eastern Connecticut State University
Anne Cross, Department of Sociology, UW-Stout
“Policing and Diversity: Mass Media Coverage of Interactions between Police and New Immigrant Communities in the Twin Cities”
Jason Davis, Division of Business and Economics, UW-Stevens Point
“Changing Trends in Health Insurance Status Following Wisconsin’s 1999 Expansions to BadgerCare”
Martin Gruberg, Department of Political Science, UW-Oshkosh
“Lessons from Disasters”
16. Workshop: Growing the Grassroots—A Program to Develop Leadership Skills and Build Stronger Communities
Focused on the belief that everyone is a learner, teacher, and leader, the Grassroots Leadership College engages residents of different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds to create positive social change in their neighborhoods and communities through a project-based coaching model. This workshop will discuss the Leadership College’s program in Madison and how the model can be used in other communities.
Leader and Organizer:
Amy S. Mondloch, Coordinator, Grassroots Leadership College, Madison, WI
17. Workshop: Water and Wastewater—Conserving Energy and Saving Money
This panel will highlight ways in which municipalities can save money on their water and wastewater facilities.
Moderator and Organizer:
Joe Cantwell, Focus on Energy, Wisconsin Department of Administration
Panelists:
To Be Announced
18. Local Elections and Regime Change
Moderator:
Jim Canfield, Department of Political Science (Emeritus), UW-Stevens Point
Panelists:
Douglas Ihrke, and Lara Gruczynski, Department of Political Science, UW-Milwaukee
“Turnout in County Elections in Three Counties in Wisconsin”
Kate Scheurer, Department of Political Science, UW-Milwaukee
“Women Candidates and the Mayoral Race”
James Simmons, Department of Political Science, UW-Oshkosh
“Transitional Regime: Community Power in Oshkosh”
19. Social Problems in the American Community
Moderator:
Jamie Gebert, Main Street Manager, City of Stevens Point, WI
Panelists:
Gary Mattson, Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice, Northern Kentucky University
“Mainstreets on the Edge: Challenges to Midwest Small Town Mainstreet Survival”
“Born in Paternalism, Driven by Tourism: Reflections on a Mining Town, Its People, and the Built Environment”
20. Undergraduate and Graduate Student Papers
Moderator:
Peter Gregory, Department of Anthropology and Sociology, UW-Fox Valley
Panelists:
Chad Balke, Department of Political Science, UW-Milwaukee
“An Internship at the Portage County (WI) United Way: Realization of Community”
Tammy Hopke, Department of Sociology, UW-Baron
“Does it Matter if You’re Black or White?”
Brittany Hilbert, Department of Sociology, UW-Fox Valley
“Today’s Youth: Troubles No One Pays Attention to Leads to Increase in Statistics”
Thursday, September 30, 2004 5:30 – 6:00 p.m.
Social Gathering (Cash Bar in the Legacy Room)
Thursday, September 30, 2004 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Conference Banquet (Legacy Room)
Welcome and Introduction:
Linda Bunnell, Chancellor, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Speaker:
Robert Greenstreet, Dean, School of Architecture and Planning, UW-Milwaukee and City Planner for Milwaukee
“Blueprint for the Future: Milwaukee's Vital Signs”
Friday, October 1, 2004 8:15 – 9:45 a.m.
22. Workshop: Grants and Grant Writing for Local Officials
This workshop will offer an in-depth look on where to find grants and loans from private foundations and government programs. It will also focus on grant writing. There will be ample time for questions, and if a municipality wishes to bring a previously written grant in for review, Dawn would be happy to look it over and offer suggestions.
Leader and Organizer:
Dawn Vick, Wisconsin Department of Administration, Division of Intergovernmental Relations
23. Workshop: Teaching High School Sociology
Leaders and Organizers:
Robert Greene, Department of Sociology, UW-Milwaukee and Alverno College (WI)
Anne Cross, Department of Sociology, UW-Stout
24. Economic Concerns in the Community, State, and Nation
Moderator:
Scott Wallace, Division of Business and Economics, UW-Stevens Point
Panelists:
John Larrivee, Department of Business, Economics, and Accounting, Mount St. Mary’s University (MD)
“Does Unemployment Produce More Home Production?”
Swarnjit Arora and Greg Whitten, Department of Economics and Institute for Survey and Policy Research, UW-Milwaukee
“Growth Strategies for Small Cities: Impact of Incentives to Attract Investment”
Greg Johnson, City Manager, De Soto, Kansas
“Development in an Era of Fiscal Constraint”
Randy Cray, Division of Business and Economics and Central Wisconsin Economic Research Bureau, UW-Stevens Point
“An Economic Update: United States, Wisconsin, and Central Wisconsin”
25. American Local Government
Moderator:
Mordecai Lee, Department of Governmental Affairs, UW-Milwaukee and Coordinator, UW-Extension govtraining.org
Panelists:
Mike Huggins, Assistant City Manager and Director of Community Development, City of Eau Claire, WI
“Restructuring Local Government: The Transition to Shared Services and Consolidated Organizations”
Claire U. Peterchak, Robert W. Baird and Co. Inc., Milwaukee, WI
“Effects of the New Tax Increment District Legislation”
Amare Asegahegn, Consultant, GGI-AMS, Inc., Madison, WI
Dennis Hatch, Department of Political Science, UW-Milwaukee
“Internships in Local Government: A Win-Win Opportunity”
26. Poetry in the Small City
Moderator:
William Lawlor, Department of English, UW-Stevens Point
Panelists:
Linda Aschbrenner, Stevens Point, WI
“Story of a Small Press: Watering the Poetry Garden”
Lynda Reichert, Former Poet Laureate, Stevens Point, WI
“Public life vs. Private Life: The Poet as Mother”
Jack Larsen, Stevens Point, WI
“Writing and Thinking about Poetry”
Donna Decker, Department of English, UW-Stevens Point
“The Poetics of Place”
27. International Perspectives
Moderator:
Richard Barker, Department of Foreign Languages, UW-Stevens Point
Panelists:
Lucille Harvey, Wisconsin/Nicaragua Partners of the Americas, Inc. Stevens Point, WI
“Global Perspectives Improve Local Actions”
Jinwei Wang, Department of Political Science, UW-Stevens Point
Daniel Elsass, Local Government Center, UW-Extension
"City Procurement Procedures in Developing Countries: Comparing Macedonian and Albanian Practices to U.S. Municipalities"
Robert Wolensky, Department of Sociology and Center for the Small City, UW-Stevens Point
“The Cornerstone Project: Public Management for Local Government Officials in Four Nicaraguan Small Cities”
Friday, October 1, 2004 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
28. Wisconsin Sociological Association Executive Committee Meeting
29. Student Opportunities for Practical Applications in Sociology: Learning through Partnerships with Health and Human Service Agencies
Moderator and Organizer:
Dorothy De Boer, Department of Sociology, UW-Stevens Point
Panelists:
Elton Lewis, Social Work Consultant, Wausau, WI
John Shook, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Oxford, WI
Amy Boelk, Department of Sociology, UW-Stevens Point
Dorothy De Boer, Department of Sociology, UW-Stevens Point
30. Labor-Management Relations in the New Economy
Moderator:
Panelists:
Charles Nason, President, Worzella Publishing Co., Stevens Point, WI
“Globalization: Stacking the Deck against Employee-Owned Manufacturers”
Andrew Gussert, Stop Outsourcing Wisconsin, Inc., Madison, WI
“The Current Administration’s Unfair Trade Policy”
Roger Collins, Retired Railroad Worker, Lincoln, Nebraska
“Railroading in a Union and a Non-Union Environment: A Case Study”
Frank Emspak, School for Workers, UW-Extension
“Small Cities and Labor Management Relations: The Tyson Strike, Health Care Costs and Other Issues”
31. Workshop: Lessons Learned from Intergovernmental Cooperation and Municipal Service Consolidation
In these times of reduced state and federal aids, small cities are turning to a variety of intergovernmental agreements with neighboring governmental units to lessen costs through the joint provision of municipal services. This workshop will review the lessons learned over three decades of mergers such as police patrol, fire and EMS, library, wastewater treatment, and solid waste/recycling collection. Specific details and trend analysis of nine mergers will be discussed. Excerpts from the UW-Extension Local Government Center's booklet, "Merger of City-Villages: Best Practices" will be provided.
Leader and Organizer:
Daniel Elsass, Local Government Center, UW-Extension
32. Fiscal Questions in the Small City
Moderator:
Swarnjit Arora, Department of Economics and Institute for Survey and Policy Research, UW-Milwaukee
Panelists:
Gary Mattson, Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice, Northern Kentucky University
“Small Towns Responding to Fiscal Stress: A Twenty Year Perspective of Midwestern Communities”
Victoria Gordon, Department of Political Science, Texas Tech University
“Home Rule and Local Government Autonomy—The Determinants of Fiscal Health of Illinois Municipalities”
Craig Maher, Masters of Public Administration Program, UW-Oshkosh and
Terri Johnson, Department of Public and Environmental Affairs, UW-Green Bay
“Do Elected Officials Manipulate Revenue Structures? Testing for Fiscal Illusion in Wisconsin Communities”
Karl Pnazek, CEO, CAP Services, Stevens Point, WI
"Assessed Valuation: What Price Financial Salvation?"
33. Topics in Sociology
Moderator:
John Kilburn, Jr., Department of Sociology, Eastern Connecticut State University
Panelists:
Doug Forbes, Department of Sociology, UW-Stevens Point
“American Indian and Anglo Pregnancy Outcomes: 1996-1998”
Nicole Wolensky, Department of Sociology, University of Iowa
“Status, Stress Response, and Motivation”
George Floro, Studies of Voluntarism and Social Participation, Inc., Alpine, TX
“Imagination Strategies for Social Analysis”
Richard Dawley, Department of Liberal Arts and Science, Milwaukee Area Technical College
"Amish Updates in Wisconsin"
34. Wisconsin Sociological Association Executive Committee Meeting
Friday, October 1, 2004 11:40 a.m. – 12:50 p.m.
Lunch
Lunch in the University Center or other Stevens Point eateries, on your own except for Wisconsin Sociological Association members who will hold the annual luncheon in the Legacy Room where annual awards will be distributed and the presidential address will be given.
35. Wisconsin Sociological Association Presidential Address
Robert W. Greene, WSA President and Department of Sociology, UW-Milwaukee and Alverno College (WI)
“WSA: Where Do We Go from Here?”
Friday, October 1, 2004 1:00 – 2:10 p.m.
36. Featured Speaker (Alumni Room)
Introduction:
Robert Wolensky, Department of Sociology and Center for the Small City, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Speaker:
Mitchell Duneier, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Princeton University
“Jane Jacobs, Broken Windows, and Business Improvement Districts: The Changing Face of Local Governance”
Friday, October 1, 2004 2:15 – 3:45 p.m.
37. Workshop: Innovative Practices and Programs in Wisconsin State and Local Law Enforcement
This workshop will rely on command staff from municipal police departments, county sheriff departments, and the state patrol to examine innovative practices and programs in state and local law enforcement. Participants can register for credits in the Wisconsin Certified Public Manager Program by contacting Susan Paddock at 608 262 2576 or spaddock@wisc.edu
Moderator and Organizer:
Susan Paddock, Wisconsin Certified Public Manager Program, UW-Extension
Panelists:
To Be Announced
38. Religion in the Small City: Issues and Challenges
Moderator:
John Blakeman, Department of Political Science, UW-Stevens Point
Panelists:
Rabbi E. Daniel Danson, Mt. Sinai Congregation, Wausau, WI
Fr. Tom Linder, University Parish, Stevens Point, WI
Pastor Matt Mallek, Good News Fellowship Church, Stevens Point, WI
Rev. Graham West, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Stevens Point, WI
39. Mental Health and Families in the Social Context
Moderator and Organizer:
Kathleen Lamb, Department of Sociology, UW-Stevens Point
Panelists:
Dorothy De Boer, Department of Sociology, UW-Stevens Point
“Stigma, Support, and Faith: An Examination of Mothers of the Mentally Ill”
Kathleen Lamb, Department of Sociology, UW-Stevens Point
“Intimate Unions and Depression: The Impact of Relationship Quality and Race”
Other panelists to be announced
40. Local Government Strategies During Times of Fiscal Stress
Moderator:
Jennifer Holuj, Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, Chicago, IL
Panelists:
Ralph Martire, Center for Tax and Budget Accountability
Rebecca Hendrick, Institute of Government and Public Affairs, University of Illinois
Craig Maher, Masters of Public Administration Program, UW-Oshkosh
Mike Harrigan, Ehlers & Associates, Brookfield, WI
41. Issues in Education
Moderator:
Sue Slick, School of Education, UW-Stevens Point
Panelists:
Russell Brooker, Department of Social Science, Alverno College (WI)
“Education and Political Opinions, Interests and Activities”
Oluyomi A. Ogunnaike-Lafe, School of Education, UW-Stevens Point
“Involving Immigrant Fathers in Early Childhood Classrooms in a Small City”
Jessica R. Wolff, Amity Stevens, Julie Knutson, Andrea Reyment, and Malia Langbecker, School of Education, UW-Stevens Point
“Agents of Change in Small Communities: Students Making a Difference in Homes, Schools, and Community Agencies”
42. Rountdable: A Foucauldian/Postmodern Interrogation of Present Normative Standards as They Relate to the Swinging Lifestyle
Organizer and Leader:
Richard Coon, Department of Sociology, Carroll College (WI)
This roundtable will consist of an interactive dialog on how sex is discursively constituted and the implications of such a discourse in the present cultural milieu. Participants will examine the transforming episteme and how that relates to alternative sexual behavior, especially non-monogamous recreational sex.
Friday, October 1, 2004 3:50 - 4:50 p.m.
43. Business Meeting, Wisconsin Sociological Association