SIST is a non-profit organization headquartered in Shawano, WIWe started this website not about SIST but to give you a flavor of our hometown of Shawano. Because of the large shadow that local events have brought over the future of our town, we would like to bring out into the open the facts surrounding the conflict between mayor Lorna Marquardt and local businesses. The Samanta Roy Institute of Science & Technology was founded and is headed by Dr. R. C. Samanta Roy, a naturalized American citizen originally from India. The goal of this non-profit organization is to establish a world-class educational institute in the Shawano area. Over the past 30 years, Dr. Samanta Roy has experienced many instances of racial discrimination at the hands of Shawano city officials and local people. This prejudice and discrimination has intensified since the founding of the Institute more than a decade ago, especially since its purchase of various businesses in the Shawano area starting about five or six years ago. These businesses are for the purpose of raising capital to fund the building and maintenance of the educational institute here in Shawano. Incidentally, they are some of the best establishments in town, and you can see some of them under our favorite places page. Rather than welcoming such an American spirit and dream for their economically depressed town, Shawano town officials have reacted by doing everything in their power to hinder and obstruct the beneficial things that SIST is trying to do. The following will give you an idea of the events that have shaped the current conflict over the past several years.
Shawano mayor Lorna Marquardt's actions towards SISTThe Shawano Leader provides plenty of coverage for Lorna Marquardt's point of view. We thought here we would give another perspective by investigating public records and by hearing from voices around town whose points of view are not generally presented in the Shawano Leader.Shawano mayor Lorna Marquardt ignores the world-famous USA International RacewayThe most obvious slight on the part of mayor Lorna Marquardt, Shawano officials, and the Shawano Leader is their complete disrgard for USA International Raceway (USAIR), a world-class go-kart and motorcycle track outside of Shawano owned and built by SIST. This racetrack is the newest, longest, and best of all tracks in the World Karting Association.This year, August 3-5, 2007, the Stars of Karting event held its annual race at USAIR for the third consecutive year. This event brings people from all over the country, and this year was accompanied by supporting events such as a car show, a circus, and a celebrity race benefiting the Gilbert Brown Foundation and featuring retired NFL Packer players Gilbert Brown and Santana Dotson, and Snowmobile champion racer Chuck Decker. So you would expect to be able to read about this event in the Shawano Leader, at least? Not a chance. The main Leader local news on Friday, August 3, was about the upcoming downtown event on Main Street for the following day featuring a flea market. The most significant--and saddest--feature of this snobbish behavior is the fact that USAIR has the potential to bring thousands if not millions of annual tourist and visitor dollars into town, and everyone will benefit. But apparently it is more important to Shawano officials to hurt SIST, even if it means hurting the town of Shawano at the same time.
SIST businesses are open longer hours with lower prices and free servicesOne thing Shawano mayor Lorna Marquardt really does not like about SIST business. Can you guess? Perhaps they aren't open normal hours? Maybe their prices are too high? The clerks and storekeepers are, heaven forbid, unpleasant? ...None of these things? Then what?Lorna Marquardt does not like the fact that SIST businesses are the best in Shawano. SIST businesses are repeatedly cited by customers and guests as being the cleanest, friendliest, most convenient business establishments in town. (We agree.) And the prices can't be beat. A few examples... The Main People's Express gas station offers a wide variety of services and is open 24 hours. Not only that, they provide free coffee, soda, and cappuchino for the town's residents. This is much appreciated by many customers, especially those from low-income areas who often come in with change to make their purchases. The Spirit of the Northwoods downtown department store in Shawano is open from 9 am to 9 pm, seven days a week. In addition to its unique and wide variety of merchandise, Spirit of the Northwoods has the distinction of being the only downtown store with these hours. This store attracts customers from Chicago and beyond, to browse and purchase the unique items found nowhere else. The Best Western Restaurant has the best steaks in the Midwest, attracting diners from Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison, and the Twin Cities. If you've never had 100% pure Black Angus USDA Prime beef, don't miss out on the dining experience of a lifetime. Their secret recipe meatloaf and mashed potatoes will have your mouth watering for more. We hear the restaurant has a standing invitation to mayor Lorna Marquardt for the steak dinner of her choice.
Vacant buildings in downtown Shawano business districtDowntown Shawano has been in poor condition for years, with many chronically vacant buildings in need of repair. SIST purchased three of these buildings in the early 2000's with the intent of putting new businesses into them. City officials, led by mayor Lorna Marquardt, immediately became itchy to have occupants for each and every one of these buildings.So it looks for once like SIST and Shawano officials have a common goal, perhaps? Now all of the buildings are occupied and everyone is happy? No.....? What is the secret behind these buildings remaining unoccupied? Well, it turns out that after SIST acquired the buildings, mayor Lorna Marquardt decided that it was more important to keep SIST from starting any businesses than it was to have occupied buildings. So every time SIST started to fix a leaky roof, or replace broken windows, or repair air conditioning, Lorna Marquardt would send the building inspector to tell them they did not have permission and that each repair required a permit.
So they applied for permits, which were repeatedly denied. How many times can a person experience this kind of hindrance and obstruction before they decide they have better things to do with their time and money? What would you do if YOU were in this position? BOTTOM LINE:
|
