Oh yes. Abs they, they saw that the zoo leadership was all about community and collaborating. Okay. Working with human service agencies, working with all kinds. I, I served on the Human Services Federation. I even chair the Human Services Federation. I served on the Humane Society board. You know,… Read More
Oh yeah. Did, did, did you feel then that this enhanced the community embracing the zoo?… Read More
Well finally in July of 65, the zoo did open, but it had Mr. Folsom at scavenge lamppost from the city that they weren’t using anymore. And bricks for sidewalks. He was a great scavenger and resource developer besides the money. Okay. And the zoo opened in 1965, but the… Read More
So did you felt that you’ve served on many community boards?… Read More
Okay? If you were a kid riding a bicycle, he’d say, go pick up some pop bottles, get them redeemed and bring me the money. He’d send thank you letters to kids who made 35 cents in pop bottles. Or he’d send the thank you letter to the guy who… Read More
Well, when I did that in Lincoln, I’d go and talk to these groups going, who’s been to the zoo lately?… Read More
Sometimes every hand in the room would go up. And I’m going, there’s a different perception in this community about this zoo. And so I pulled out the zoo archives. The zoo had actually saved the junior league years ago, had gotten a grant to organize the founder’s papers, Mr. Read More
And maybe a fourth of the hands would go up. Read More
’cause there were no ladies at the time going, I’m the new guy in town, I’ve got some ideas, I wanna hear from you. Okay. And guys came up afterwards, they said, we’re gonna make this a priority project. You gotta join this club. We’re gonna make this a priority… Read More
Go, you know, who, and I would say, well, who’s been to the PA MOU lately?… Read More
And how did you get the, what were your strategies to get the community to embrace the zoo?… Read More
From Watsu Lincoln? Yeah. The Money came from where to run the zoo. It was, the zoo has always been ever since incorporated. Completely private contributions, memberships, all earned revenue, concession stand gifts, all that has always run the zoo. When I stepped into the zoo, you know, the budget… Read More
You know, I wasn’t at the zoo. I stepped in on Monday and on the zoo director’s calendar was to talk to the Kiwanis Club on Friday noon. 200, 200 guys. Then it was just a men’s club. 200 guys in a big room in downtown, in a cafeteria. I… Read More
So it was, animal welfare was priority, public safety. So those are my initial changes that I started that was starting to guide my, my decision making. Read More
And the money came from where now?… Read More
It’s just like, it wasn’t right. There was a thing called the step in and playpens the step in and Playpens basically were a box size of a couple dining room tables with step with seats all the way around it. Flat seats. And they had Guinea pigs running in… Read More
He said, John, this should guide you. Public welfare and safety is number one. Staff safety and welfare is number two. Animal safety and welfare is number three. So when I get there and I walk around the zoo and the zoo’s literally crawling with rats in the daytime. Rats… Read More
No shelter in Lincoln, Nebraska, no roof over their head. I said, I went, I need to establish some sheltering for these llamas and these animals. And I gave them my list. They approved it and we started making our improvements there. And we had, we were housing, imagine an… Read More
Then when you turned on the drinking fountain, you could theoretically be sucking up swan fecal. I said I knew what my priorities had to be to start making improvements at the zoo. And the zoo board had just had a fundraiser and had some funds set aside for capital… Read More
Okay, I’m your zoo director. What’s your expectations?… Read More