My Statement Regarding Today's Big Announcement By Lloyd Winnecke

(Photo credit: Courierpress.com)

For those who have been following this blog, supporting the Save Roberts Stadium movement, and actively expressing their support for Roberts Stadium, today is a great day for all of us thanks to Mayor-Elect Lloyd Winnecke.

At 10 o'clock this morning, Lloyd Winnecke, standing at Gate 1, which I hope to see renamed in a naming rights deal, announced the 15 member committee that will decide the fate of Roberts Stadium...

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/dec/29/winnecke-will-announce-task-force-roberts-stadium/

And if you look at the webcast 14 WFIE did, you will see that Roberts Stadium is looking pretty good today in the bowl area...

http://www.14news.com/category/195961/video-landing-page?clipId=6590836&autostart=true

As most of you know, I am one of the fifteen members of this newly created committee. Since the announcement, I have been speechless for the vast majority of the day (those who read this blog regularly know that's pretty hard for me to do). But with that being said, I am humbled, honored, and thankful to be chosen by Mayor-Elect Lloyd Winnecke to serve the city of Evansville and legendary Roberts Stadium.

I would first like to thank Lloyd Winnecke for selecting me to this committee. For those of you who have been saying that the next four years are going to be like the last fifty years, today has proven you wrong. For those who have said that Lloyd Winnecke has no vision and is only in office to serve a political agenda, today has proven you wrong. And for those of you who have said that Lloyd Winnecke lacks the guts, the commitment, and the skill to genuinely pursue saving Roberts Stadium, today has proven you wrong.

Truthfully, I am not worthy to serve on a committee composed by a mayor of Lloyd Winnecke's caliber, but I can guarantee you that I plan on burning the midnight oil to deliver a newly renovated Roberts Stadium for the city of Evansville like I have been doing for almost a year and a half now. Since the beginning of the battle to save Roberts Stadium, I have had many sleepless nights and have shed over 30 + pounds. I am now ready to take Roberts Stadium across the finish line.

What makes today as great as it is, is that Lloyd did an excellent job putting together this committee. You can view the fifteen members here...

http://city-countyobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/RSTF_LIST_OF_MEMBERS_-_FINAL.pdf

Reading through that list, it should be obvious to anyone who follows the sports management industry that Lloyd Winnecke has assembled an offensive juggernaut capable of going down the field successfully. As you read through the names, you will see that Lloyd has picked bankers, architects, construction experts, and activists like me who are willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. We are going to have plenty of weapons in our arsonry.

For me, this committee is the ultimate chance of a lifetime to do what I love doing best- fighting for sports venues while improving the city I call home at the same time. As a graduate of the University of Kentucky, I paid dearly in out-of-state tuition fees for the knowledge to complete this task. I have previously done some work in Lexington, KY on saving the UK Basketball Museum (a loss) and in Seattle, WA to keep Key Arena (a win although the NBA's Sonics were lost). On the day of my graduation in Lexington, I paid a visit to the "Baron of the Bluegrass"-- Adolph Rupp...



Now, I am ready to complete this Roberts Stadium task so that I can visit Roberts Stadium architect Ralph Legeman and former Evansville mayor Hank Roberts on the day we save Roberts Stadium.

So with all of that being said, we must do what Lloyd Winnecke summed up perfectly-- Look at this with, "logic and emotion." If we put together a financial plan that is void of all emotion for this iconic structure, it won't work. On the flip side, if we put together a plan that is just designed to soothe our emotions for Roberts Stadium and doesn't pan out financially, it won't work either.

Luckily, Roberts Stadium has proven to us this past year and a half that it can work financially and emotionally. How is this so?...

1. One investor, Mr. Chip Rosetti, is interested in moving his Evansville Rage indoor football team into the venue along with minor league basketball, inline skating, professional lacrosse, indoor soccer, and mid-sized concerts. He has previously worked for both the Bluecats and Icemen and is confident that these tenants will retain Roberts Stadium's financial solvency if the floor is raised.

2. If the floor is raised, this would eliminate the vast majority of Roberts Stadium's $300,000 annual expenses by eliminating the need for the water pumps.

3. The Evansville market has proven time-after-time that there is sufficient demand for youth sports tournaments, high school basketball tournaments, and college basketball invitationals.

4. If the floor is raised at Roberts Stadium, this will prevent it from competing with the Ford Center which houses premier concerts and sporting events. Furthermore, raising the floor would also give us around 5,000 to 6,000 seats to incorporate into our ball fields project which belongs at Kleymeyer Park and designed to replicate vintage MLB ballparks.

5. USI is currently in need of a financial shot to the arm. Roberts Stadium comes with fifteen luxury boxes, zero debt, and affordable rent (if the water pumps are eliminated). This is USI's big opportunity to drastically improve their men's and women's basketball team budgets.

6. There are several funding sources for a renovation to Roberts Stadium including naming rights to the gates...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/11/selling-secondary-naming-rights-can.html

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/07/lets-make-funding-personal.html

7. Demolishing Roberts Stadium and constructing a park makes no sense financially. If demolished, we would be spending at least $200,000 taxpayer dollars (ECVB estimate was $1.25 million), committing an unknown amount of funds to construct a park, and committing an unknown amount of funds to maintain this park. Not to mention, our Parks Dept is struggling as is...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/11/i-call-to-stand-evansville-parks.html

Obviously, before you start on a committee, you must first identify the goals, objectives, and vision(s) you have for the project. Earlier I talked about the 7 different ways Lloyd Winnecke can sell Roberts Stadium to the public...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-can-lloyd-winnecke-sell-roberts.html

Basically, these 7 benefits to saving Roberts Stadium are my goals as well...

1. Bring Back The Lost SMG Jobs
2. Achieve Fiscal Responsibility
3. Stabilize The Economic Development Around Roberts Stadium
4. Incorporate Everyone's Interest and Concerns in Improving Evansville
5. Maintain The Monument to Hank Roberts, Ralph Legeman, and Legeman's Fieldhouse Invention
6. Provide Intangible Benefits
7. Establish A One-Two Punch With Roberts Stadium and the Ford Center

To all of those who have supported me and my blog throughout this whole process, I want you to know....

I hear you, Lloyd Winnecke hears you, and soon, the people who want to demolish this building are going to hear from all of us!

I also want to thank those who have fought for Roberts Stadium over the past year and a half whether that was buying a shirt I sold at cost, displaying a yard sign, hosting a rally, writing into the Evansville Courier & Press, incorporating Roberts Stadium into your political vision as a candidate for office, and/or visiting this blog to gather ideas, facts, and news updates on Roberts Stadium.

As we embark on this mission to save Roberts Stadium, I am confident that we have been given a golden opportunity from Lloyd Winnecke who is without a doubt the next Hank Roberts. I am also confident that we now have the people, the resources, and the unified vision to get this done.

THANK YOU MAYOR-ELECT LLOYD WINNECKE & LET'S SAVE ROBERTS STADIUM!

Let's Help Bill Kramer Bring Our Vision To The Vanderburgh County Council

As most of you probably know, Mr. Bill Kramer was one of the candidates for the Evansville City Council this year who took the pledge to save Roberts Stadium. Unfortunately, he came up a few votes short as all but one spot on the council went to the Democratic Party.

But I am pleased to announce, Bill isn't giving up. These past few weeks, he has committed to getting back up off the mat and continuing to fight for his vision. As I've said before with Patrick McBride, Lon Walters, and many others, the hardest part to achieving success is picking yourself up after you have failed first.

Although some candidates have been jaded by their first, second, and third losses, Bill refuses to let his lost bid for the council get to him. And let's not forget, Colonel Sanders failed 1,009 times before finally experiencing success. Just because you aren't successful the first time doesn't mean you won't be the next time.

Now, I am very confident that Bill has picked a good spot to start his comeback. With Lloyd Winnecke moving into the mayor's office, his spot has been filled by Joe Kiefer. As a result, Joe's spot on the Vanderburgh County Council is now open for the Republican Party to fill. Thankfully, Bill has decided to run for the position.

The Vanderburgh County Council, especially with Russ Lloyd Jr. departing as well, is in dire need of reform. Last year, when David Dunn presented his ball fields plan, I was there to rebuttal it and introduce our counter proposal which is head and shoulders better than the current plan. Unfortunately, after I presented you could hear a pin drop. It amazed me just how lifeless that council was. I'm glad they refused to accept Dunn's plan because it was pretty obvious they had no idea of what they were getting involved in.

This is where putting Bill Kramer on the council will pay HUGE dividends for our us. Yesterday, on my other blog Evansville Moving Forward, I talked about the vision I have for Evansville as well as  the need to elect candidates who seek office to push their vision not their career...

http://evansvillemovingforward.blogspot.com/2011/12/its-simple-no-vision-no-progress.html

Rest assure, Bill Kramer shares the same ideas and vision that I have for Evansville. When you talk to Bill, you hear ideas, solutions, goals, and a vision. I am very excited to see Bill running as a vision candidate and not as an opportunist candidate. We can ill afford to maintain the status quo on either of our councils or the mayors office.

To get Bill on the Vanderburgh County Council, we need to get all of the Vanderburgh County GOP Precinct Committee Members to vote for him. Therefore, I am asking for you to support Bill in one of the following ways...

1. If you are a GOP PC please cast your ballot for Bill on January 3rd.

2. If you know a GOP PC, please lobby them to cast their ballot for Bill.

3. If you aren't involved with the Vanderburgh County GOP, please email them and let them know that you want to see Bill on the council.

If we are going to be successful in our bid to save Roberts Stadium, construct our ball fields next to Bosse Field at Kleymeyer Park, and turn the rest of our city around, we have to get people like Bill Kramer involved in our government.

LET'S SAVE ROBERTS STADIUM, LET'S SUPPORT BILL KRAMER FOR THE VANDERBURGH COUNTY COUNCIL.

Dyersville, Iowa, Aberdeen, Maryland, & Cooperstown, New York Get It. Will Evansville?

As an avid fan of touring legendary sports sites and venues, I am very blessed and fortunate to have seen and toured some pretty neat places. Two of those places are Dyersville, Iowa and Cooperstown, New York. Not only are these two places great for tourism, they also set a huge precedent for Evansville to build our ball fields project next to Bosse Field at Kleymeyer Park. Let's take a look at these two towns...

Dyersville, Iowa: Population: 4,035





There's no question that Dyersville, Iowa wouldn't be on the map if it wasn't for the movie "Field of Dreams" starring Kevin Costner.

On August 11, 2006, I made it up to Dyersville when Austin, Texas' Alamo Drafthouse "Rolling Roadshow" showed Field of Dreams at the actually Field of Dreams Site in Dyersville. A giant, outdoor screen was set up adjacent to the field with seating, concessions, and parking along left and center field. I also got to see Kevin Costner unveil his new band as he played a few songs for an hour.

Visiting the Field of Dreams is something I will never forget. The lot is so small and isolated that you have to park your car in a gravel parking lot down the road and take a bus to the site. Ironically, I decided to wear my Yankees pinstripe jersey which was quite awkward as I rode the bus with fans who were all decked out in Red Sox gear.

While I was at the field, I was able to grab dirt and grass to take home as a souvenir. They now sit in two glass jars in my room...



What was interesting about the site was, at the time, the land was owned by two different owners. One family owned the house, the infield, and right field while another family owned left field and center field. During the film, the family who owned the infield and right field decided to close their area down. This forced all fans to left and center field for the film.

Because of the two families fighting over the land, Kevin Costner vowed that when he left there that day he would not return to the land until the owners quit fighting over it. I expect him to return very soon as one of the owners sold to the other and then both parcels were sold together...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/30/field-of-dreams-sold_n_1066328.html

The new owners will be Mike and Denise Stillman and their company, Go the Distance Baseball LLC, who will develop the site near Dyersville as a baseball and softball complex. That's right, they are building ball fields next to the Field of Dreams...

http://www.dyersvillecommercial.com/news/top_news/stillmans-unveil-preliminary-plans-for-all-star-ballpark-heaven/article_1ca1af4a-205e-11e1-bb60-001a4bcf6878.html

Note: bolding has been added by me to show you why it's important to build next to Bosse Field!

""This will be the premier baseball and softball facility in the nation," Mike Stillman said. "And it's going to be a great experience for these kids. There's no better place to play than Dyersville."

The centralized location of Dyersville, for one, is a more attractive tournament destination for teams in major cities like Chicago, Kansas City and Minneapolis. It would be the largest facility of its kind west of the Mississippi River, appealing to teams on the West Coast. Additionally, neither of the aforementioned complexes was designed with softball players in mind, engaging the female demographic.

Then, of course, there's the obvious draw - one of the most historic baseball landmarks would be right next door."

With Kleymeyer Park, we would have the best ball field facility that is centrally located between great baseball towns such as Chicago, St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Detroit. And, we would have the historic landmark- Bosse Field next door. Why are we considering other sites?

Aberdeen, Maryland: Population: 14,959


Of the three cities, Aberdeen is the only one I have not visited yet although I have been to nearby Baltimore many times. What makes Aberdeen special? Three words: Cal Ripken Jr.

As the hometown to MLB legend Cal Ripken Jr, Aberdeen's main draw is Ripken Academy where traveling youth tournaments play baseball. However, this isn't just a normal ball fields complex...

http://www.ripkentournaments.com/aberdeenfacilities.cfm

"The Ripken Academy, home of Ripken youth camps and tournaments, consists of a youth-sized version of Oriole Park at Camden Yards, known as Cal Sr.'s Yard and youth-sized replicas of Wrigley Field, Fenway Park and Memorial Stadium.

Four skinned softball fields were added in 2005 when softball programming was brought into the mix and the academy boasts a one-of-a-kind circular training infield, batting cages and a tee/soft-toss area.

Around the Complex

The Ripken Youth Academy has plenty to offer visiting teams, campers and spectators. The concourse of Cal Sr.'s Yard is complete with Concessions, Merchandise, restrooms and water fountains.

In addition to the four signature fields and the skinned infield softball fields, Ripken Academy boasts an assortment of training areas, including:

Professional-quality batting cages, which can accommodate multiple teams at one time!

Newly designed bullpen with 4 pitching mounds, overlooking the Training Island

The Ripken-designed Infield Training Island - a synthetic surface designed to fulfill all your practice needs

Cal Sr.'s Yard at Ripken Academy

Cal Sr.'s Yard is one of the signature fields at the Academy, and a youth-sized replica of Oriole Park at Camden Yards - home of the Baltimore Orioles.

The Yard features stadium seating, dugouts, concession, merchandise stands & now featuring - The Warehouse!

The Warehouse is a Marriott hotel, where teams, campers and families can stay. Designed to match the Camden Yards warehouse, it's an incredible addition to the Academy.

Wrigley Field, Fenway Park & Old Memorial Stadium

Campers and tournament teams feel like pros when playing on these three incredible youth replicas of famous ballparks!

The fields boast covered dugouts, professional grass and infields, plenty of space for spectators and easy access to restrooms and concessions. Check out these incredible features that give you the Chicago, Boston or Baltimore experience:

• The Green Monster in left field of Fenway Park
• Beautiful brick backstop and ivy growing on Wrigley's outfield wall
• Authentic big league dugouts on Memorial, where Cal & Bill both got their professional start"

As you can see, Cal Ripken and Aberdeen, Maryland did exactly what I am advocating for here in Evansville. They built a complex that markets the legend of Cal Ripken Jr and baseball's Golden Age Ballparks as well. As a result, they are one of the top 2 ball field complexes in the nation. Not bad for a city that has less than 10% of Evansville's population.

Cooperstown, New York: Population- 1,852



Like Dyersville, Iowa, I was fortunate to arrive in town during a big event. On July 28, 2007, I was in Cooperstown the day Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn went into the Baseball Hall of Fame..

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hof07/news/story?id=2953882

Why is Cooperstown home to the Baseball Hall of Fame? Because it is believed that Abner Doubleday invented the game there in 1839. If you walk down the main roads of Cooperstown, you get that genuine feel of what a small baseball town use to be like...



Today, Cooperstown, New York is taking full advantage of their baseball heritage with their ball fields complex...



http://www.cooperstowndreamspark.com/

Cooperstown Dreams Park is believed to be the premier ball fields facility in the nation.

http://www.cooperstowndreamspark.com/thepark.html

"The Village of Cooperstown adds even more magic to the experience of our tournaments. Participants will have the opportunity to visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and attend baseball games at Doubleday Field, the legendary home of baseball, where the game began one afternoon in 1839.

To this excitement, add approximately 500,000 visitors who travel every year to this enchanting place for their own piece of the dream. While here, these true fans come to watch ball games at Doubleday Field and walk the streets in awe of the heroes who walked before them. Now, they come to Cooperstown Dreams Park."

Like Dyersville and Aberdeen, Cooperstown's ball fields are tailored specifically to their baseball heritage. At Cooperstown, all of the fields are designed to replicate vintage MLB fields as well as fields from the original days of baseball. Most importantly, their customers love it!...

http://www.cooperstowndreamspark.com/testimonials.html

What's great about our situation here in Evansville is that we have a leg up on all three of these venues before we even start. We already have the following in our favor..

1. We have open land next to Bosse Field already opened by the Parks Department
2. Both roads leading up to this park (Diamond & First) already have a baseball theme
3. We have a local legend in Don Mattingly as well as several other great MLB natives
4. We have the third oldest active ballpark in America and it hosted a popular movie
5. Our population is roughly 116,000 while the other three cities barely have 20,000 COMBINED

With that being said, what are the main points we can take from these premier parks?

Dyersville- Build the ball fields next to the site of a baseball movie
Aberdeen- Build the ball fields with your local MLB legend
Cooperstown- Build the ball fields to commemorate your baseball history

What makes Evansville so great is that we have all three of the above attributes with Bosse Field, Garvin Park, and Kleymeyer Park. There, we have the site of the movie A Leaue of Their Own, we have the youth baseball field where MLB legend Don Mattingly played, and we have baseball history with our third oldest active ballpark. How do we beat the above cities?

Dyersville- Does not have any baseball legends
Aberdeen- Does not have any baseball history inside the city
Cooperstown- Does not have any famous baseball movies

The most important thing to remember is this...

If we build the ball fields at Wesselman Park, we will compete regionally. If we build the ball fields at Kleymeyer Park, we will compete nationally.

Why aren't we taking advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity?

Tonight, Lloyd Winnecke Will Be Visited By 3 Spirits Of Roberts Stadium

(transitionevansville.com)

(Note: This post is intended to combine the Save Roberts Stadium movement and Christmas together in a humorous way. It should not be interpreted that Lloyd Winnecke is Ebenezer Scrooge although I am thoroughly confident he will spend taxpayer dollars wisely)

Today, we sit here on the Eve of Christmas with a big decision looming- What to do with Roberts Stadium. As it currently stands, Evansville Mayor-Elect Lloyd Winnecke has yet to make a decision either way on Roberts Stadium's future. But tonight, as Lloyd lays down on the night before Christmas, he will be visited by 3 spirits of legendary and historic Roberts Stadium. Let's meet these three spirits...

The Ghost of Roberts Stadium's Past

Right as Lloyd begins to light the candles and turn out the rest of the lights, the Ghost of Roberts Stadium's Past will pay him a visit. The spirit will take Lloyd on a guided tour back to 1956 when it all began.

As the Ghost of Roberts Stadium's Past and Lloyd Winnecke travel back to the year 1956, they will instantly see a young and vibrant Hank Roberts announcing the opening of what will be Evansville's most famous arena. They will walk past a tired but excited Ralph Legeman who has just applied for his patent on the fieldhouse arena design.

As they sit there and look around, the spirit will remind Lloyd that he is the first non-Russ Lloyd to serve as Mayor of Evansville as a Republican since Roberts. The spirit will then let Lloyd know that Hank Roberts has gone down as one of Evansville's greatest mayors and that he can do the same if he commits to Roberts Stadium as a mid-sized arena.

Then, the spirit and Lloyd will travel to 1959 when the Aces captured what would be the first of five Division II Championships. There, Lloyd will see Aces basketball at its highest point. As they travel through the years 1960, 1964, 1965, and 1971, they will see Aces greats Larry Humes and Jerry Sloan dominating the hardwood. The spirit will remind Lloyd that these championship years with these legendary players are just one reason why he should fight to preserve this legendary facility.

Lastly, before they head home, the spirit will take Lloyd to the year 1977 when the Aces men's basketball team suffered a devastating plane crash that would forever change the Evansville community. There, Lloyd will see how awful that year was. He will also see the grieving gathering at Roberts Stadium for a memorial that will pay tribute to the team. The spirit will remind Lloyd that it was Roberts Stadium that was there for us then and that it is now our time to be there for her.

After that, the spirit and Lloyd will travel back home with the Ghost of Roberts Stadium's Past giving Lloyd one message: SAVE ROBERTS STADIUM!

The Ghost of Roberts Stadium's Present

Just as Lloyd Winnecke is beginning to lay back down for the night, the Ghost of Roberts Stadium's Present will awaken him once more. At this point, Lloyd will be questioning why this spirit has come. "Aren't you the spirit that no one wants to deal with?" he will say.

The spirit will then travel with Lloyd through the neighborhoods surrounding this iconic arena. There, the spirit will point out the 150 yard signs that say "Save Roberts Stadium" which have been placed there by Sherman Stevens. They will watch as neighbor after neighbor agrees to let Sherman put a sign in their yard because this venue means so much to them.

The spirit and Lloyd will then walk over to Roberts Stadium where Brenda Bergwitz will be in the middle of hosting a rally. At the rally, Lloyd will see Roberts Stadium supporters who took time out of their busy schedule to gather for a rally because they want their voice heard at city hall.

Then, the spirit will take Lloyd past Berniece Tirmenstein's house. He will show Lloyd Berniece's dedication and desire to save Roberts Stadium as she gets a friend or neighbor to take her to the public library on a chilly and frigid day because she doesn't have a computer or car but wants to gather information on Roberts Stadium to pass out to local residents. Lloyd will see that Berniece refuses to let any disadvantages get in her way as she fights for Roberts Stadium.

Once the spirit and Lloyd have visited these sites, the Ghost of Roberts Stadium's Present will let Lloyd know that even today Roberts Stadium still means a lot to the community. Even though the Aces have bolted for the Ford Center, there are still many, many, many residents who want Roberts Stadium to be in their life.

The spirit will then take Lloyd back home after saying the following words: SAVE ROBERTS STADIUM!

The Ghost of Roberts Stadium Yet To Come

Just as Lloyd Winnecke lays down yet again for the night, one more spirit will knock on his door. This time, the Ghost of Roberts Stadium Yet To Come will pay him a visit. Although Lloyd is extremely tired as he has now been visited by 3 spirits, it is the Ghost of Roberts Stadium Yet To Come that has the most to show Lloyd.

As the spirit promises to be the last one to visit, they head out to Roberts Stadium one last time. As they arrive, Lloyd is puzzled, "Is this Roberts Stadium?" he asks. "Yes!" the spirit answers. Lloyd decides to take a trip inside of Roberts Stadium.

As he enters what he thought was Gate 1, he notices that there are no signs for Gate 1. Instead, there are signs that read "Fifth Third Bank Gate." As soon as Lloyd enters the building, he notices that there are ATMS, 5/3 banners, signs, and logos. He also notices that there are 5/3 workers who are signing up fans for account and loan applications. Lloyd asks the spirit why all of this has happened. The spirit replies, "Because Fifth Third bought the naming rights to Gate 1. It has proven to be nothing but a success as Fifth Third has increased their accounts and loans while the city has financed the renovations of Roberts Stadium without using taxpayer dollars."

Once Lloyd gets past the Fifth Third Gate, he walks around the main level of Roberts Stadium and notices that some kind of track has been painted on the ground. The spirit points to the track and tells Lloyd that this is the new indoor trail hub of the Greenway. He tells Lloyd that it is extremely popular with residents on rainy and snowy days. He also shows Lloyd the pictures and paintings on the walls that guide Greenway walkers through Evansville's history.

After that, Lloyd decides to finally go into the middle of Roberts Stadium. As he walks through the tunnel, Lloyd gasps and almost faints when he notices that Roberts' floor has been raised since he last came to a game. As he looks around, he notices that this raised floor appears to be a success as there isn't one single empty seat.

With a sold out crowd, Lloyd wonders who could possibly be playing. The Ghost of Roberts Stadium Yet To Come points to center court. There, he shows Lloyd the Evansville Purple Aces getting ready to tip off. Lloyd tells the spirit, " I don't get it, didn't the Aces move to the Ford Center?"  The spirit replies, " Of course they did Lloyd. Look again. They are wearing their purple throwback jerseys with the sleeves. They are THE VISITING TEAM."

The spirit then says to Lloyd Winnecke, "Now look over at the home bench. Who do you see?" Lloyd glances over at the other bench and with a stunned gasp he says, "Wow! It's the USI Screaming Eagles!" The spirit replies, " Yes, and with their new arena they have joined Northern Kentucky, Kentucky Weseleyan, SIU-Edwardsville, and IPFW in the Division I ranks. They have also expanded their New Harmony program to Wesselman Woods where they will be studying the 300 + year old trees"

After the game, Lloyd heads for the exits at Roberts Stadium. But before he leaves, he decides to do one last thing- he heads for the ticket office. At the ticket office Lloyd purchases season tickets to all of Roberts Stadium's teams which includes Chip Rosetti's Evansville Rage, NBDL team, inline skating team, lacrosse team, and mid-sized concerts.

As he arrives home, Lloyd Winnecke asks the spirit, " How did all of that happen? Wasn't Roberts Stadium suppose to be demolished? Wasn't that the best outcome for the taxpayers?"

The spirit replies, "It all happened Lloyd because you believed in the same vision that Hank Roberts did some 55 years before you. It all happened because you were the leader Evansville needed who had the power to look past the naysayers and do what was best for the taxpayers, the city, and those who cherish Roberts Stadium. Now, go out and SAVE ROBERTS STADIUM!"

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The Democratic Central Committee's Last Move: Seek & Destroy Kleymeyer Park

As we wait patiently for the final days of the current administration to wind down and give way to Mayor-Elect Lloyd Winnecke's transparent government and futuristic vision, we are watching the Vanderburgh County Democratic Central Committee take what will hopefully be their final shots at out goal of maintaining and preserving our valuable sports facilities and parks.

Although I am very fortunate and satisfied with the political support we have received from Democrats, Republicans, and Independents from all sides of the political spectrum, the Vanderburgh County Democratic Central Committee and those closely associated with it are no friend to Roberts Stadium or the Kleymeyer Park, Garvin Park, and Bosse Field district.

It is important to understand just how infamous this organization is. Nicknamed "The Machine," the DCC has been around for quite awhile. In the process, it has chewed up and spit out politician after politician who entered the political arena with weakened morals, ethics, and goals. It is chiefly responsible for Evansville obtaining the nickname, "Little Chicago." As we watch our town suffer from a brain drain of epic proportions, the DCC has used this as fuel to keep their machine turning.

Luckily, the days of this machine are slowly coming to an end. Thanks to the hard work of Rick Davis and the City-County Observer, the DCC is finally being exposed for who they are. Since Rick defeated machine candidate Troy Tornatta for the Democrat nomination for mayor, many other Democrats have come out against the DCC including 3 who will serve on next year's Evansville City Council.

Being in a weakened state of power, the DCC seeks to push their agenda through various Democrat (and sometimes Republican) officials and office holders in a very smooth, but calculated, way. Worst of all, it has been obvious since day 1 that the DCC wants to destroy Roberts Stadium and maintain the Kleymeyer Park, Garvin Park, and Bosse Field district in a state of despair.

First Mayor Weinzapfel came out in support of demolishing Roberts Stadium...

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/nov/23/evansville-visitors-bureau-reduces-ball-fields-bud/

"Dunn said the visitors bureau’s new budget assumes that the city will pay for the demolition of Roberts Stadium, which is estimated to cost $1.5 million. Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel said last week that the city would look to pay for that expense out of its 2012 budget, possibly by using Casino Aztar as the revenue source.

Weinzapfel reasoned that the cost of keeping Roberts standing but unused — which is estimated to top $300,000 a year — would exceed the cost of demolition after the passage of six years."

Then, DCC Chairman Mark Owen said that Kleymeyer is unsuitable for the ball fields project due to it smelling from the landfill beneath it. Immediately after he told me that, I issued a Kleymeyer Park Sniff Challenge...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/05/take-kleymeyer-park-sniff-challenge.html

Out of all of the viewers and fans of this blog that participated in this challenge, ZERO reported smelling anything from the landfill.

So now, with just a few days left before the DCC relinquishes most of its power to future Evansville leaders such as Al Lindsey, Dan Adams, Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley, and Lloyd Winnecke, the DCC has decided to take yet another jab at preventing Kleymeyer Park from growing.

Last Sunday, the City-County Observer said the following...

http://city-countyobserver.com/2011/12/18/is-it-true-december-18-2011/

"IS IT TRUE that during the last couple of weeks several members of the Mole Nation along with non affiliated civic leaders have told the City County Observer that the $18 Million Wesselman – Roberts Ball Fields project is being prepared to raise its head again in 2012?…

…that local visionary Mr. Jordan Baer is absolutely full of ideas and even had a very unique Ball Fields idea that would make Evansville’s Ball Fields if they ever materialize a very attractive and memorable place for kids to have tournaments?"

First of all, I would like to thank the City-County Observer for supporting both my Kleymeyer Park and Roberts Stadium initiatives ( which I believe should be packaged together to save on costs), and I appreciate their willingness to embrace this once in a lifetime opportunity.

With that being said, apparently the DCC has decided to speak once more through one of their members. This time, it was Vanderburgh County Surveyor Bill Jeffers (disguised as Soon2B and NDKnow) who was one of the 23 Democrats to unify behind Connie Robinson...

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/oct/27/no-headline---ev_demswewighin/?partner=yahoo_feeds

You would think the DCC would pick someone that wasn't a surveyor yet failed to realize that urban sprawl causes obesity, but then again I don't think anyone questions that they have been hit the hardest in Evansville by the brain drain.

What is his primary beef with building the ball fields at Kleymeyer? A stoplight! That's right, we would be better served by placing the ball fields at Roberts Stadium because a stoplight on 1st Avenue would be too much. Even though...

1. We would be placing the ball fields next to the third oldest active ballpark in the U.S

2. We would have the opportunity to design the fields to look like the following: http://www.bigleaguedreams.com/replica-fields

3. That company, if we went with them, builds their fields taxpayer free and requires no government funds for maintenance: http://www.bigleaguedreams.com/corporate/park-development

4. We have the opportunity to "green" the area by preventing Kleymeyer Park's methane gas from getting into the air, AND we could use this gas to generate electricity: http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2010/11/red-rover-red-rover-please-send-epa-on.html

5. We would be paying tribute to Don Mattingly who played youth baseball at this park in Garvin Park

6. We would help get the Otters out of the red as we would have the opportunity to play the championship games at Bosse Field. This would allow the Otters to increase the value of their ballpark advertisements while opening up their concession stands on non event days. It would also recruit women's softball tournaments who would like to play on the same field as the movie "A League of Their Own" was filmed on.

7. We would be revitalizing an area that truly is a "Recovery Zone."

Yet, a stoplight is the reason we should pay to demolish Roberts Stadium and allow the Kleymeyer Park, Garvin Park, and Bosse Field to struggle? What basis is there for this belief? Let's listen to some of the comments from the CCO website...

(The following (in bold) are some quotes that he gave us while the text not in bold is my response)

"Kleymeyer Park has serious access issues for a high traffic sports facility as anyone who drives southbound on 1st Avenue knows full well. Kleymeyer Park has its own flooding issues as well, although not at an elevation so low as Goebel or Hamilton’s currently unused floodway.

Roberts is the ideal location for a ballpark for the following reasons:

1. It now is a brownfield.
2. Development into a ballpark will green up a brownfield.
3. Development of an unused brownfield represents infill development.
4. Roberts Stadium is not and never has been a part of Wesselman Woods preserve.
5. The land surfaces at Roberts do not surface drain to Wesselman Woods and the storm water runoff from a ballpark on that property will not negatively impact Wesselman Woods.
6. The access and traffic flow into and out of Roberts Stadium property is much superior to Kleymeyer Park.
7. There are no flooding or regulatory floodway issues or environmental regulatory issues at Roberts Stadium property, and there are all those issues at Kleymeyer and Goebel."

There is no doubt that a stoplight would have to be placed at the entrance off First along with a turn bay but I’m not sure why that would be any different than the Roberts Stadium lot. If you leave Roberts Stadium on the Boeke side you experience this same problem. In fact, at Wesselman Park, which is right next to the Roberts Stadium exit, they prohibit you from turning left leaving during certain hours (although I do it anyway)...

The main difference is, is that Kleymeyer doesn’t infringe upon any neighborhood roads which is why it would be met with little opposition.

Kleymeyer is surrounded by two roads with 4 lanes + room for turn bays and merge lanes. But there needs to be a pedestrian bridge constructed anyways over Pigeon to encourage visitors to park in Garvin as well (especially if we play the championship games at Bosse). This pushes development down Main Street. In 2002 the city undertook a master plan that called for this very thing.

As for the 7 points…

1. I guess technically you could call it a brownfield site although I find this to be a stretch at the current time. The city has not undertook the much needed step of forming a committee to try and reuse the venue. There are ample amount of tenants to place inside it that won’t compete with any other venues and will keep Roberts solvent. If the city turns a blind eye towards this, it will be their own fault and yes the lot would turn into a full blown brownfield.

2. The last thing we need is to “green up” something when our current parks have turned into wastelands. If we are going to green up something, it needs to be the downtown parks in the 2001 master plan that would successfully connect all sides of downtown Evansville as well as promote healthy transportation alternatives.

3. Meet mid-sized Roberts Stadium with its raised floor and room to upgrade the Hartke Pool complex. Putting a new growth park or ball field complex next to old growth Wesselman Woods will not work in harmony with each other.

4. Exactly, which is why we shouldn’t “expand Wesselman Woods” which would add new trees to 300 + year old trees. Not to mention, the neighbors have said loud and clear they don’t want to be disturbed by ball fields and they don’t want Wesselman Woods disturbed by it.

5. Why I don’t doubt that, it means nothing when you are proposing to put premier ball fields on a site that is landlocked and doesn’t come with any retail amenities. Kleymeyer Park is vastly superior to the Roberts lot. It comes with the potential of playing the championship games at Bosse Field which is already famous for women’s baseball (a good tie in to girls softball), it comes with Walther’s Golf N Fun, and it is just one road from our soon to be taxpayer funded hotel.

6. I talked about that above but another problem is even if you leave down division, you can’t go south on Stockwell and if you leave the entrance as is, you are gauranteeing at least one stoplight on the Lloyd which is clearly not the vision of the city.

7. Kleymeyer doesn’t flood where the ball fields would be. It does flood where the football field is which is why we should send EYFL to the old North field anyways.

Also, Kleymeyer comes with methane gas that can be converted to electricity and make the ball fields self-sufficient. With Wesselman, you better be prepared to pay the Vectren bill for years to come.

"Go to vanderburghgis.com and measure the distance from the intersection of Diamond and 1st, then tell me the feasibility of installing a stoplight for Kleymeyer entrance. On top of that, there are several commercial entrances curb cuts in the 1/4 mile directly across the street from Kleymeyer between the auto parts stores and the Pigeon Creek Bridge. So, there would have to be a new median extention and a new service road on the west side of 1st Avenue (read beaucoup dollars for right-of-way purchases, design fees, state permits, and construction costs)."

Since vanderburghgis.com is a pain to use, let's use wikimapia.com instead to measure the distance from Kleymeyer to Diamond..

http://wikimapia.org/#lat=37.9995023&lon=-87.5721502&z=17&l=0&m=b

Using their ruler, which is a rough estimate, we come away with the following measurements..

Diamond Avenue to Existing Kleymeyer Park entrance: 951 feet

Diamond Avenue to Existing Stoplight that enters the old Hills and Buy-Low plaza: 892 feet

Diamond Avenue to A Relocated Kleymeyer Park Entrance at the southern tip of the land: 1,455 feet

Therefore, we can say that both the existing Kleymeyer Park entrance as well as any entrance that would be south of the existing one (it really does need to be moved down) are farther away from Diamond Avenue than the already existing stoplight on 1st Avenue that is north of Diamond Avenue.

Also, it is important to understand that the entrance to Kleymeyer Park already exists. If a stoplight was put in at the current location, it would just be three way stop as there is no road across the street...

If the entrance were moved south, even less businesses would be affected...

This entrance would go right into Kleymeyer Park...

As far as 1st Avenue goes, there is plenty of room for expansion next to Kleymeyer Park...

"Roberts Stadium has adequate traffic infrastructure as is, and as has been proven over many decades, and without improvements to handle the lower traffic counts anticipated by ball fields.

I wager you that 99% of the property owners in the neighborhoods around Roberts Stadium bought their property AFTER Roberts was constructed and should be used to the traffic loads, which again will be lower for ball fields than for Roberts Stadium events."

Right. I guess the sign restricting left turns onto Boeke is a mirage especially since that intersection coming out of Wesselman Woods would see less traffic than the ball fields intersection. I guess it's ok to allow all of this traffic to turn in front of all of these homes on Boeke yet it is unacceptable to turn infront of businesses at 1st Avenue.  If you went down Boeke after an event at Roberts Stadium, you will notice that they had parking lot police directing traffic. Without them, traffic would have been a nightmare.

"You seem to think the state will allow ingress and egress to Diamond from Kleymeyer. Won’t happen! Why do you think the Hills department store property across Diamond from Kleymeyer has sat vacant all these years after 4 failed anchor stores?"

If I remember correctly, Hills was a success for a long time before the company experienced financial hardships elsewhere. Also, where else is Venture and Shopko? If a connector was needed from Kleymeyer to Diamond, it would be a simple merge lane where traffic would already be up to speed not slowing down to exit at Hills.

Truthfully, we should not put a road to Diamond Avenue. If done correctly, we should be forcing most of our traffic into Garvin Park and the surrounding neighborhood. This will encourage development around Bosse Field and North Main Street, it will take advantage of our existing Greenway, and it will tie in Bosse Field and Garvin Park to our ball fields project. How do we do this? By building the bridge that was in the 2002 master plan!

"Regardless of what you think is needed or what pipe dreams you’ve read in non-binding master plans, there will not be a pedestrian bridge over Pigeon Creek between Kleymeyer and Garvin. What have you been smoking? The city has struggled to complete what little greenway trail we have now. Where do you think they’re going to get funds for a million dollar foot bridge across a major floodway requiring ungodly environmental regulatory compliance?"

No money for a pedestrian bridge? Really?...

http://www.14news.com/story/15051833/new-pedistrian-bridge-in-the-works-over-lloyd-expressway

This is the main reason why our city has lost faith in our government. In 2001 and 2002 we brought together community leaders, business leaders, and citizens from all over Evansville to together as a city to draw up a plan for Downtown Evansville and Garvin/ Kleymeyer Park. Now, we have bureaucrats bragging about these plans being non-binding and therefore easy and necessary to break if they decide the plan doesn't fit into their own ideas.

In regards to the pedestrian bridge connecting Garvin and Kleymeyer Parks, the bridge would be located at the highest point of both parks on the northeast side of Kleymeyer and the northwest side of Garvin...

I honestly have no idea how this bridge would be an environmental regulatory nightmare yet a bridge over the Lloyd Expressway will be simple to construct, obtain financing, and win political approval.

"Here’s a suggestion. Get your new mayoral crush to appoint you to the Area Plan Commission where you may learn the political and economic realities of all your daydreams."

What can I say, we have some real classy and professional winners as political leaders here in Evansville and Vanderburgh County. Economic realities? Didn't the ball fields at Roberts Stadium plan just get voted down because the Vanderburgh County Council didn't want to spend $17.5 million? Political realities? Didn't the ball fields at Roberts Stadium fail politically? Weren't the ECVB board members who drew those plans up forced to resign after a Christmas party?

Like Roberts Stadium, Kleymeyer Park is falling victim to half truths, lies, and manipulations. We are told that Kleymeyer Park is a dump and therefore the smell is driving residents away. That simple isn't the case. The lot is full every time a game is scheduled (I will be posting pictures of this in an upcoming post).

We are told that the ball fields are in terrible condition at Kleymeyer because the landfill underneath it makes the ground unlevel, yet Wesselman Park's ball fields were vastly more unlevel than Kleymeyer's today...

Wesselman...

Kleymeyer...

The most important thing you can take from the movement to save Roberts Stadium and the efforts to build the ball fields at Kleymeyer Park is the fact that this decision will be one of Evansville's biggest decisions it will need to make to date. The neighborhoods around Garvin and Kleymeyer Parks are hurting. The Otters are struggling financially. We have no plan to improve Bosse Field ( The Roberts Stadium situation version 2).

If we can't bring a project like this to their area, if we won't bring a project like this to their area, then when will we commit to helping this neighborhood that has given us great things like Bosse Field, the James Bethel Gresham house, and the youth field that Don Mattingly played on?

Just today, our city government moved the downtown arch from the land now occupied by the Ford Center to Garvin Park...

This is a strong sign from city hall that they want to connect Downtown Main Street and North Main Street. Wouldn't it make sense to build our ball fields at the northern gateway to Main Street? Wouldn't it make sense to use this stimulus project to help revitalize North Main Street so that it is on par with Downtown Main Street? And wouldn't it make sense to build our ball fields project around North Main Street so that these fields will feed into our taxpayer subsidized hotel that will be built next to the Ford Center?

If you believe in the potential of Garvin Park, Kleymeyer Park, and Bosse Field then please join us in fighting to bring the ball fields to Kleymeyer Park, not on the top of a demolished Roberts Stadium. It's time for two words to be heard at Kleymeyer Park....

PLAY BALL!

Liar Liar Wrecking Ball On Fire

Despite demolition supporters experiencing a shortage of ideas of what to do with the Roberts Stadium lot that make financial sense, there has been no shortage of lies and half truths coming from them. The quickest way to scare a demolition supporter away from you is to ask them to take a polygraph test.

The lies being told by demolition supporters cover a wide array of areas including both Roberts Stadium and the ball fields project. Let's explore some of these lies (these are in no particular order)...

LIE: It will cost between $39 million and $90 million to renovate Roberts Stadium.

Truth: This estimate was taken from the Gateway Consultants Report prepared for the city back in 2008...

http://www.evansvillearenaproject.com/downloads/consultant_report.pdf

The problem with this lie is that they don't tell you what the estimate is for. Instead of telling you that this estimate is for converting Roberts Stadium into a premier arena, they want you to believe that this money will have to be spent regardless. This simply isn't the case.

Here are some of the estimates taken from the report...

1. Increase Size of Event Floor $40-50 million
2. Ad permanent ice .$1.4 million
3. Increase concourse size $3 million
4. Improve rigging capacity .$9-9.2 million
5. Supplement and change truck docks $1-2 million
6. New seating $400-500,000
7. New scoreboard system .$1.5-3 million
8. ADA compliance ...$3-5 million
9. Advertising facilities .$1.1-1.4 million
10. New concession equipment . ..$1.5 million

Total ..$61,900,000 75,000,000

To downsize Roberts Stadium to a mid-sized arena where it will host indoor football, minor league basketball, indoor soccer, lacrosse, inline skating, youth sports tournaments, high school basketball tournaments, college basketball tournaments, mid-sized concerts, and possibly USI basketball, we do not need to make these improvements.

If we hadn't built the Ford Center, indeed we would have to add all of these features to make Roberts Stadium our premier arena. But now that we've built the Ford Center, we do not need to increase the event floor (we need to raise it instead), we do not need to add permanent ice, we do not need increased rigging capacity, the seats and scoreboard are fine, and the facility will be ADA compliant if we reduce its capacity.

To renovate Roberts Stadium, we simply need to raise the floor (estimated to cost between $400,000 and $500,000) and perform the necessary maintenance on it while setting aside a fund to address the Central Plant which is expected to cost $3 million to $4 million between now and 2016.

LIE: Just to maintain status quo, we will need to put at least $12 million into Roberts Stadium.

Truth: Like the above lie, this one comes from the consultants report. From pages 40 and 41...

The items considered as necessary just to
maintain the status quo are listed in the following table:

1. Central Plant (heating, cooling, hot water). . .$3-4 million
2. Arena bowl infrastructure upgrades
(energy efficiency, constant speed fans, etc.). . .$2 million
3. Locker room air handling. $500,000
4. Drainage system. ..$300,000
5. Electrical distribution system. ..$400,000
6. Telephone equipment. ..$100,000
7. Catwalk system for arena bowl
(lighting and maintenance improvements). ..$1.4 million
8. Sound system upgrade .$3-5 million
9. Scoreboard replacement ..$1.5-3 million
10. Additional power boxes on event floor ...$100-100,000
11. Loading dock expansion to include additional
lighting and storage .$100,000
12. Concourse lighting ..$250,000
13. Upgrading power capabilities in concourse $100,000
14. Upgrading power in the ticket office ..$50,000
15. Providing additional power to the green rooms, etc ...$50,000

Total $12.8-17.3 million

Once more, there is no need to improve concourse lighting, improve the sound system, add power boxes to the floor or anywhere else, or set up a drainage system when we are raising the floor and downsizing the building. If we didn't build the Ford Center, all of this would be needed which is why it is important that we support the Ford Center.

To convert Roberts Stadium to a mid-sized arena, we do not need to add of these premier arena upgrades. We just need to raise the floor, perform the needed maintenance, and set aside a repair fund.

LIE: Roberts Stadium is in bad shape.

Truth: Roberts Stadium has a very healthy structure. The HNTB Report, which is attached to the Gateway Consultants Report states the following...

Page 124

"Overall, the exterior condition of Roberts Stadium appears good."

Pages 125 & 126

In regards to the Central Plant

Water Cooled Chiller

"There were no reports of any structural operational or maintenance issues with this equipment."

 Cooling Tower Cells

"There were no reports of any structural operational or maintenance issues with this equipment."

Flexible Water Tube Boilers

"There were no reports of any structural operational or maintenance issues with this equipment."

Gas-fired Laars MightyMax Domestic Water Boiler With A Single Insulated Hot Water Storage Tank

"There were no reports of any structural operational or maintenance issues with this equipment."

Single Dedicated PVI Gas-fired Tank Type Water Heater

"There were no reports of any structural operational or maintenance issues with this equipment."

 Page 133

" The existing Roberts Stadium building appears to have little or no observed or reported structural damage."

Click here for a complete report on the HNTB Report: http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2010/12/hntb-existing-roberts-stadium-building.html

LIE: No one is interested in Roberts Stadium.

Truth: Mr. Chip Rosetti, who is a former General Manager for both the Icemen and BlueCats, has expressed interest in moving his indoor football team the Evansville Rage into Roberts Stadium along with mid-sized concerts, minor league basketball, youth sports, and possibly the soccer team he use to own- The Evansville Crush.

LIE: USI Basketball wants to build an arena on campus. They should not look at Roberts Stadium.

Truth: If you look at USI's 2006 master plan...

http://www.usi.edu/phyplant/mstrplan/USI%20Master%20Plan%20Report.pdf

You will see that NO ARENA is planned on campus. Furthermore, to construct an arena on campus, it would require at least $60 million which is a hefty price for a team looking to work their way up to the Division I ranks.

One thing you will see on their master plan (pages 28 and 29), is a goal of improving all of their non-basketball sports. To accomplish this, USI could move their team into Roberts Stadium which comes with 15 luxury boxes and ZERO debt. This would also free up PAC to be their practice facility. This is the cheapest and best option for USI men's and women's basketball teams.

LIE: Roberts Stadium will compete with our other venues.

Truth: Outside of the Ford Center, name one facility (Mesker Amphitheatre, the Coliseum, the Centre, and the Victory) that can handle all of the following..

1. Indoor football
2. Indoor soccer
3. Lacrosse
4. Inline skating
5. Minor league basketball
6. Small trade shows
7. Youth sports tournaments
8. Mid-sized concerts
9. High School basketball tournaments
10. College basketball tournaments
11. USI basketball

There is no facility in Evansville that can handle all of these events since we have not entered the mid-sized venue industry. I will talk about Roberts Stadium and the Ford Center next.

LIE: If we raise the curtains on the upper level of the Ford Center, we will not need a mid-sized arena.

Truth: No matter how many curtains you put up, the Ford Center is still not affordable for non-premium events. Not to mention, the Ford Center is already booked...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-can-lloyd-winnecke-sell-roberts.html

In 2005, I interned for the Lexington Horsemen who set up curtains in the 24,000 + seat Rupp Arena. The manager of the Horsemen told me, "Never violate the economies of scale." He also predicted that the Horsemen would struggle if they didn't find a smaller venue. Since then, the Horsemen have folded.

LIE: Roberts Stadium and the Ford Center will attract the same events.

Truth: The Ford Center has 180,000 lbs of roof support, has mini suites, party suites, and club seats. Roberts Stadium, has only 78,000 lbs of roof support and 15 basic luxury boxes. If the floor is raised, Roberts Stadium will have approximately half of the Ford Center's capacity.

Therefore, premium concerts such as Reba and Bob Seger will not consider Roberts Stadium as a suitable place to perform due to its lack of revenue drawing amenities. Furthermore, to break even the Ford Center needs to bring in annual revenues of $3 million to $3.5 million. They simply cannot accomplish this by scheduling mid-sized events that should be held at Roberts Stadium instead.

LIE: The public does not want to see Roberts Stadium preserved because they fear it will drain the city budget.

Truth: The 150 + yards signs in the neighborhoods around Roberts Stadium say otherwise...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-can-lloyd-winnecke-sell-roberts.html

LIE: It is financially smart for Evansville to demolish Roberts Stadium and construct a park on the lot.

Truth: It will waste taxpayer dollars to demolish Roberts Stadium, it will waste taxpayer dollars to construct a park, and it will waste taxpayer dollars to maintain this park. Even worse is the fact that the Parks Department has said they are struggling as is...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/11/i-call-to-stand-evansville-parks.html

It makes no sense at all to demolish a venue that has taxpayer dollars invested in it, forego the economic benefits of a mid-sized arena, and construct a park that will drain resources away from our existing parks that are already struggling.

LIE: Having 2 arenas isn't feasible.

Truth: Louisville, Omaha, Indianapolis, and soon to be Sioux Falls, South Dakota say otherwise...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/12/sioux-falls-south-dakota-well-go-with-2.html

If you look around the U.S, you will find plenty of small and mid-sized towns with multiple venues...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/12/sioux-falls-south-dakota-well-go-with-2.html

LIE: Kleymeyer Park is a dump. This is a huge liability for a ball fields project.

Truth: The fact that Kleymeyer Park is an old landfill is an asset not a liability. Why? Because the methane gas underneath the land can be captured and converted into electricity...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2010/11/red-rover-red-rover-please-send-epa-on.html

 LIE: Since Kleymeyer Park is a dump, local citizens have been avoiding it.

Truth: Mark Owen first told me this one. After almost a year of investigating, I have found zero evidence to support this notion. First I issued a Kleymeyer Park sniff challenge...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/05/take-kleymeyer-park-sniff-challenge.html

Then, I went out to the park on a day when there were baseball games being played at Kleymeyer Park. Zero residents reported smelling the landfill underneath!

LIE: Jordan Baer and his Save Roberts Stadium blog have never supported mayor Weinzapfel and his Ford Center project.

Truth: I have been one of mayor Weinzapfel's biggest fans as he fought to build the Ford Center. On the day he announced the project on the site, I got there early to get a good spot. In fact, only John Kish got there before me...

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/set=a.800460678350.2394023.12913772&type=1&l=9749734a20

Why has mayor Weinzapfel failed to return the favor and embrace the Save Roberts Stadium movement? Your guess is as good as mine.

LIE: Minor league basketball has already been tried at Roberts Stadium, it won't work.

Truth: I only wish we had the Evansville Thunder led by Coach Jerry Sloan back. Something tells me Evansville would embrace Coach Sloan a little bit better the next time around.

The main difference in the NBDL today versus the CBA back then is affiliation. Since the NBDL is affiliated with the NBA, all of the player contracts are picked up by the NBA teams. This eliminates the number one expense for a minor league basketball team.

LIE: The BlueCats failed at Roberts Stadium. The Evansville Rage would do the same.

Back when the BlueCats played at Roberts Stadium, they paid premium prices as Roberts Stadium was Evansville's premium arena. They paid approximately $10,000 per game which is what the Aces pay to rent the Ford Center. They also got zero revenue from concession stand sales. They had the second worst lease in the league.

Now that the Ford Center is built, we can raise the floor at Roberts Stadium which will eliminate the water pumps expense. In turn, we will then be able to make a fair and reasonable lease agreement with the Evansville Rage. Remember, Chip Rosetti is willing to sign a fair lease and share in ticket and concession stand sales.

Even in their worst seasons, the BlueCats still averaged at least 2,100 to 2,500 fans. At a renovated Roberts Stadium, this would be almost 50% occupancy.

LIE: It's either ball fields or Roberts Stadium.

Truth: The ball fields don't belong at Roberts Stadium/Wesselman Park. They belong at Kleymeyer Park where they can be designed to replicate vintage MLB fields to tie in with Bosse Field. Having the championship games will benefit the Otters financially as well. In all, we have the potential to help over 12 groups...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/07/wouldnt-land-swap-make-much-more-sense.html

LIE: There is nothing architecturally significant about Roberts Stadium. It is an eyesore.

Truth: Quite the opposite. Roberts Stadium was designed by Evansville native Ralph Legeman who invented the fieldhouse design. Legeman's fieldhouse design was used in 29 high school gyms and 2 college arenas. It became so popular that he patented the idea.

There is no question that Indiana basketball is legendary because of Legeman's fieldhouses. In fact, Indiana has the largest gymnasiums in the world. Legeman's New Castle Gymnasium is the site of the State of Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/05/legend-of-ralph-legeman.html

LIE: We can expand Wesselman Woods.

Truth: Wesselman Woods is a virgin "old growth" forest. It is believed that the trees in Wesselman Woods are over 300 years old. If a park is constructed next to it, it will have to be non-virgin "new growth" trees. This will ruin the Wesselman Woods experience and overtime the new growth trees will harm the environment of Wesselman Woods as they naturally expand into the preserve.

LIE: There are no sources of funding to renovate Roberts Stadium.

Truth: Mayor Weinzapfel set aside $200,000 in 2012 city budget that can be used to renovate Roberts Stadium. If we couple this with next years maintenance funds and sell the seats that will be removed, we already have the funding to raise the floor...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/11/if-we-move-quickly-weve-already-got.html

There are also several other sources of revenue we can explore...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/07/lets-make-funding-personal.html

One of them involves selling naming rights to the gates...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/11/selling-secondary-naming-rights-can.html

We can do all of this while leaving our tax funds for other projects.

LIE: We do not need to save Roberts Stadium to create jobs. We already maintained them with the Ford Center.

Truth: Although the Ford Center did do a good job creating jobs downtown, it has not created enough of them yet. Not all of the SMG workers were able to transfer from Roberts Stadium to the Ford Center. A few months ago, I talked to a prominent SMG official who worked at Roberts Stadium. He told me that once Roberts Stadium closes he was heading for the unemployment line. Both Roberts Stadium and the Ford Center are needed to create good sports management jobs.

As you can see, Roberts Stadium and our ball fields project have fallen victim to lie after lie after lie. The sad thing about it is that demolition supporters actually believe we will fall for them. While they may have convinced themselves that what they are doing is right, the rest of us know that they are about nothing more than lies, lies, lies!