Mayor Landwehr's Blog

Mediacom Issues May Have Roots in Civil War

Jefferson City in general, and our Public Access Channel JCTV in particular, are having difficulty getting things straightened out with Mediacom. Monday night the City Council heard more about the company's lack of response and mixed up channel designations. 

This is not the first time we have experienced such technical problems. According to a New York Times Article from 1861 Jefferson City's contacts with the media were curtailed by "lawless persons roaming unrestrained" --  like the City Council's last Bocce game.

My guess is that Mediacom will get around to providing good public access service in about four years, like AT&T after the Civil War ended. 

Columbus Day Needs Some Adrenalin

It's hard to get psyched about Columbus Day. Some offices are open and some are closed. No parades. No public events or speeches. Since we saw him as a hero in grade school his image has suffered considerably in revisionist histories. But if we're going to name a day after the guy, consideration of a few historical tidbits would be in order. These are from The Weekly Universe:

• His first trip was smooth sailing, but the return trip was nasty.
• Unrelated to that fact, on the first voyage there were no priests and no women.
• He may have been Spanish and not Italian. He wrote Spanish all his life.
• Europeans brought horses and smallpox to the Indians and received syphilis and tobacco in return.
• He never set foot on North America.
• His burial place is not known.
• He was very proficient at Bocce (Ok. That's just my suspicion.)

Watch This Clip Right Before the All Star Game

On April 25, 1976 Cubs center fielder Rick Monday was in San Francisco on a lazy spring afternoon. He did not know he was about to make one of the greatest fielding plays in baseball history -- without touching the ball.

Juneteenth: There are some lessons here.

On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers led by Major General Gordon Granger landed in Galveston with news that the war had ended and the slaves were free. The day is commemorated and named Juneteenth. The history surrounding the event (most notably the 2+ year delay in announcing the Emancipation Proclamation) brings to light an important concept in government: results are achieved by legislative enactments AND IMPLEMENTATION by staff and elected officials. 

The organizers of the local event invited me to schedule a Coffee with the Mayor this Saturday as part of the event. Come by the Community Center Park at Dunklin and Marshall from 9 to 11 -- and have coffee -- and stick around for good food, music and community fun. Doughnuts courtesy HyVee. But if you stare at this promo for more than ten seconds you will lose brain cells.

We will celebrate freedom. And we will remind ourselves that legislation is just the first step toward achieving results. 

Your grandchildren will laugh.

Presiding Commissioner Marc Ellinger and I walked over to MODOT for a meeting Wednesday. On the way up to Director Pete Rahn's office there is a piece of history.

These two receptacles on the first floor used to have pay phones. Fifteen years ago nervous contractors and lobbyists had to wait in line to call back to the office or check on a sick child. Those days are now gone. 

The question is:  how can MODOT implement "adaptive re-use" here?

---- Time out area for misbehavior?

---- Meditation space? Mediation space?

---- Non-denominational confessional?

---- Confidential free zone for whistleblowers?

---- Chairman Mike Kehoe's new office?

Send us suggestions by posting comments. 

Downtown Walking Tour Program Goes Digital

The Convention and Visitors' Bureau is adding a new dimension to the typical (sometimes dry?) walking tour. Visitors can now check out mp3 players that provide an audio description (courtesy Ron "Voice of God" Medin) and -- what's really cool - video depictions of the buildings' earlier appearances. The narrative was written by Ralph Bray. It just takes about 20 minutes. 

What a great downtown we have! The building where I work -- shown here -- was once a place where they sold hides and furs -- and where they played keno, roulette, poker and faro on the second floor.

Here's an interview with CVB's Steve Picker and Sarah Stroesser, part of half hour show that aired on JCTV in March. This segment talks about the podcast program.

Local Heroes Return From One Year Tour in Kosovo

About 100 local National Guard soldiers returned Sunday after a year of service in Kosovo. They were welcomed by several hundred family members and friends at the Ike Skelton Center. They are part of the 1,000 member 735th Quartermaster Company. The Guard arranged for groups from various hometowns to return separately instead of everyone being released in Kansas City. 

The St. Louis Post Dispatch did a full story of their departure last year, including the political situation they were entering. The 735th deployment was the largest Missouri National Guard force sent abroad since the First World War. Their presence helped stabilize the tiny country after it declared its independence from Serbia.

Here are clips from the crowd response when they entered the auditorium and the official transfer of command.

Tours of Old Penitentiary Coming Soon

The last prisoner left the Missouri State Penitentiary in 2004.  The site contains numerous buildings and views -- a treasure trove of state and local history. Since then, due to many circumstances too complicated to summarize, the area "behind the walls" site has been viewed by only special groups.

That may change. Our Convention and Visitors' Bureau has received approval from the Missouri State Penitentiary Redevelopment Commission to arrange for regular tours for visitors and residents.

In a Channel 3 JCTV interview, Steve Picker and Sarah Stroesser describe the tours that could begin in May.  

Lincoln Road Trip - Geographic and Spiritual

Thursday is the 200th anniversary of President Lincoln's birth, a day celebrated in various ways in various locations. I'm no history scholar, but I am fascinated by the multiple assessments of Lincoln's leadership. Here are three things you and your family can do this summer to take a look.

1. Visit the Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield, Illinois. It's user friendly and inspiring. They have something for all ages, as the old family photograph below illustrates.

2. On the way to Springfield, read at least the Prologue to Lincoln at Gettysburg - the Words That Remade America by Garry Willis. It will change the way you think about America and a few other things.

3. Keep going east to Gettysburg. From Missouri you can drive to this national park in a day. Stand in the place where the Address was given. Read Garry Willis' prologue again.

No disrespect intended by the photo combining the past and present families. The museum in Springfield is fun and instructive for young people, but thorough and robust for serious visitors.

The fingermarks on the original stovepipe hat made me pause.               

LU Founders Convocation Honors Ortmeyer Family

The Ortmeyers and Landwehrs were neighbors in Eastern Cole County back when St. Louis Road was the ONLY road to St. Louis. At the Founders Convocation on Thursday Lincoln University honored four generations of the Ortmeyer family that attended the university. I was honored to provide some remarks. It was a wonderful testament to Lincoln as a part of the fabric of Jefferson City. Nineteen Ortmeyers were present to be recognized. Rose Ann gave a full account of the relationship between the family and the university. Retirees were honored as well. Twenty five year service awards were presented to Mrs. Helen Hart and Dr. Ahmad Meysami.