So we could have a great year, we could make a bunch of money, we could actually have a surplus. And it went into the general fund. And I’d sit before city council and beg for another keeper position, and they’d say no. And I’m like, but wait a minute. Read More
So I got on all the talk shows, I got on all, yeah, we tried to get the zoo out there every possible way we could think of. And so we wanted to, I would be on every talk show, every, we had a nighttime zoo program that we did… Read More
I’m trying to feed the animals. And so it was a real struggle to try to motivate employees. When you can’t, they’re unionized, so you can’t give ’em a raise, can’t give ’em a bonus. If you do give ’em a bonus, you gotta give everybody a bonus. Read More
And he’s like, well he’s old, blah blah, blah. I’m like, there is nothing in the union rules that says he can take a nap at two o’clock in the afternoon. And he’s like, well he swears he got all his work done. I’m like, I don’t care. I’m paying… Read More
They were a profession. Zookeepers was a great profession. Be proud of your work, be proud of what you’re doing. And that was really challenging in a city zoo. Very challenging. I had an argument with finance people down in the city, the finance department of the city, because we… Read More
I mean, I can talk, right?… Read More
“No, no, no, you have to see my union.” So I get a call from the union that afternoon, “What’s going on?… Read More
I mean, in these days you take a picture, right?… Read More
Tom’s all upset, he wants to see us.” And I’m like, I caught him napping. Blanket, pillow, the whole nine yards. Read More
When do we do nap time?… Read More
And so I go into the backup area, two o’clock in the afternoon, I go in the backup area of our hood stop building, and the keeper’s there, and he’s on top of the hay bales with a blanket and a pillow, and sound asleep. (clears throat) So I clear… Read More
He’s like, “Well, I’ve always done nap time. This is nap time. You can’t tell me I can’t do nap time.” I’m like, I don’t know. I mean, I got this card here, it says “zoo director,” I think I can tell you. Read More
1990. And I go, and I’ve got keys to everything. I demanded to have keys to everything. Read More
So I’ve got keys to everything, ’cause I’m the director, I ought to have keys to everything, right?… Read More
Well, I think that’s always evolving. I made a lot of mistakes when I first started, as all everybody does. It was my first experience in a union zoo, so really managing a union zoo and working with a union zoo. So I had to learn about that. Had to… Read More
I’m there the first six months, right?… Read More
So we had a great relationship with the union at the zoo. I had a lot of fun with those folks. We worked very well together. And so I think that was a learning experience to learn about that. The projects I had to work on most when I first… Read More
And privatization is a trend now, but it wasn’t a trend at that time. And so the people involved at that time in the city had severely upset the foundations. So there was no money coming into the zoo. The foundations would not fund the zoo, ’cause they were still… Read More
And we had an older hoofstock area that was just chain link and mud, and so we really needed to work on that alone. So there was a whole lot of things going on. And then additionally, the previous administration, back in 1975, not Chuck Wickenhausuer or any of that… Read More
So as you’re looking at all this, are you able to start, or you have formed philosophies as to the management of the zoo, and what prompted that?… Read More