Boomgaard: Relax - "professionals" have the situation in hand

The May 22nd Franklin edition of the NOW community paper printed a letter to the editor from Casper Green. As I've noted here previously, Mr. Green is a familiar fixture at various city meetings, keeping tabs on issues and reporting back to the senior community. Deservedly so, he was inducted into the Milwaukee County Senior Hall of Fame this year; to call him an asset to the Franklin community is quite an understatement. If anyone has earned the right to publicly register an opinion, it's him.

Mr. Green is not, in other words, simply an otherwise-disengaged attention-craver lobbing spitballs from the peanut gallery.

The grain of salt ...

I recall a conversation I had with Mr. Green almost a year ago regarding Shoppes at Wyndham Village development, and I was left with the overwhelming impression that he nurtures almost unshakable faith in "the professionals" and almost anyone in city government. The mayor "assured him" that the Wyndham Target would be "best in the state"; that was good enough for Mr. Green. He said of Doug Wheaton, Franklin’s Director of Economic Development: “He’s sharp. He could have taken lots of other jobs; he’s a lawyer. You heard his remarks, how he recommended going ahead. And he has nothing to gain from saying that.” That sealed the deal for Mr. Green.

I was especially taken with his response when I brought up the poor Shoppes at Wyndham Village site plan - - a layout that is distinctly unfriendly to persons with limited mobility such as the elderly. Mr. Green took this as a personal attack on Mark Carstensen, the developer of the project and, Mr. Green noted, a generous contributer to programs for the elderly:

"People fight him with excuses, not reasons," he said.

“You said 'they' fight him. Not 'they' fight the development?" I pointed out. "You said 'they' are actually fighting Mark Carstensen the person.” Mr. Green clarified that he didn’t mean to make that implication.

But then, later in our conversation: “When someone is against Mark, we …”.

I interrupted to call attention what he'd said; “It appears that you feel that a criticism of the development or elements of the development is personal criticism against your friend Mark Carstensen.” Once again, he assured me that that was not the case. Yet I could not help feel that, in Mr. Green’s eyes, if you hinder the progress of Shoppes at Wyndham Village, you hinder his friend personally.

Mr. Green's "Boomgaard" letter again reflects a rock-steady faith in "the professionals." Apparently, membership on a civic committee and/or employment at a PR firm(!) bestows special powers of perception that we should defer to without question. To wit (with emphasis added by me):

The name Boomgaard is thought, by professionals, to be a name which would attract businesses from all over the world...

In this case, they have started rumors that are not true and have no foundation, according to those on the committee and the Zizzo Group.

The committee expects to eventually attract $2 billion worth of tax-paying businesses to the corridor with only $300,000 budgeted for advertising.

...[M]aybe instead of second-guessing professionals, we amateurs ought to pull in our horns and allow the name to be used.

Let me, with all due respect, remind Mr. Green of some other great (and expensive) ideas dreamed up by professionals:

New Coke
Edsel
Miller Clear Beer
Betamax
Titanic - UNSINKABLE!
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge
The Green Bay Packers game plan in Super Bowl XXXII

All designed and conceived by "professionals." Some "second-guessing" would have been welcome in retrospect, yes?

Here's Mr. Green's letter from the FranklinNOW Public Forum:

Boomgaard! After culling through hundreds of names, that is the name chosen by a steering committee of two Franklin residents and two Oak Creek residents for the South 27th Street corridor. The Zizzo Group, a professional advertising and public relations firm, was also involved.

Now the second-guessing has begun.

I've lived in Franklin for 24 years. I've accepted leadership responsibility in helping run organizations, so I can tell you that no matter what decision one makes, second-guessers show up. Seldom do these second-guessers take on a responsibility of any magnitude, but to hear them talk you'd think they've been around the world at least twice and seen everything and done everything.

I happen to know, very well, the two Franklin men - Ted Grintjes and Jim Rhiner - who are on the 27th Street Corridor committee. I do not know the two from Oak Creek; however, one can bet they are also of upstanding character.

And one would think all four people are concerned citizens who are giving of their time for the good of both cities. These people have given thousands of hours of their time. Yet, when their committee comes up with a name, someone has to complain.

The name Boomgaard is thought, by professionals, to be a name which would attract businesses from all over the world, but that doesn't matter to the second-guessers as they shower committee members with ridicule. How sad.

What bothers me most, personally, is the way second-guessers work. In this case, they have started rumors that are not true and have no foundation, according to those on the committee and the Zizzo Group.

Yes, the name Boomgaard is different, but certainly not offensive.

The committee expects to eventually attract $2 billion worth of tax-paying businesses to the corridor with only $300,000 budgeted for advertising. If the committee is successful, it would be a very small price to pay.

The name Boomgaard is strange to those of us who have lived here all our lives. Some of us have never gone outside the United States and maybe have not even ventured outside of Wisconsin. But if we intend to further 27th Street's long-term image and status, maybe instead of second-guessing professionals, we amateurs ought to pull in our horns and allow the name to be used.

Casper T. Green

Franklin

Comments

[Bryan Maersch]

I like Casper Green. Casper is a nice guy. But Casper knows not to bite the hand that feeds you.

The aldermen and the city handily came up with the money that was needed this year to fund his group when the state and feds fell short on their funding.

Nuff said!

[John Michlig]

Casper is truly an asset to the city, no argument here.