Interview with Roger Anderson, July 15, 1998

Partial Transcript: It is, uh, July the 15th, 1998 and I'm in the Owensboro City Hall Building talking to Roger Anderson.

Segment Synopsis: Roger Anderson is introduced. He talks about how he became involved in the field of city planning.

Keywords: Area Development Districts; City planning; Colleges; Funding; Local government; Planners; Planning Commission; Somerset (Ky.); State planning

Subjects: Employment--Kentucky; Hopkinsville (Ky.); Occupations

Partial Transcript: Seventy-one was an interesting time to come to Owensboro.

Segment Synopsis: Anderson discusses the changes that were occurring in Owensboro during the 1970s including the job loss due to G.E. shutting down. He talks about how industry executives in Owensboro impacted the community.

Keywords: 1971; 1980s; Brain drain; Businesses; Changes; Community activities; Contributions; Cutbacks; Executives; General Electric (GE); Growth; Industry; Job loss; Jobs; Management; Out-migration; Planning; Politics; Texas gas; Unemployment

Subjects: Economic development--Kentucky; Economics--Kentucky--Owensboro; Employment--Kentucky; Industrialization; Industries; Leadership; Occupations; Owensboro (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: The, uh, change is sometimes hard to accomplish.

Segment Synopsis: Anderson discusses why people in Owensboro were resistant to urban renewal and industrial development.

Keywords: Bowling Green (Ky.); Changes; Federal; Funding; Grants; Industrial development; Industry; Jobs; Leadership; Money; Participation; Planning Commission; Reluctance; Resistance; Urban renewal; Voting

Subjects: Community development; Economic development--Kentucky; Economics--Kentucky--Owensboro; Employment--Kentucky; Industrialization; Industries; Leadership; Occupations; Owensboro (Ky.)

Partial Transcript: When you got here in ’71 as city assistant on the verge of [inaudible] these two big new industrial plants right here with Pinkerton, I guess you were involved in some of the planning--

Segment Synopsis: Anderson talks about his role in planning an industrial park in Owensboro in the 1970s. He talks about some of the politicians and leaders of Owensboro, including Waitman Taylor.

Keywords: 1971; Electricity; Funds; Future; Industrial complexes; Industrial parks; Industry; Long-term planning; Mayors; Meetings; Planning; Power; Revenue sharing; Strikes; Taxes; Waitman Taylor

Subjects: Community development; Economic development--Kentucky; Economics--Kentucky--Owensboro; Employment--Kentucky; Industrialization; Industries; Kentucky--Politics and government; Leadership; Occupations; Owensboro (Ky.); Politicians--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: Certainly this, uh--a lot of other things happening in Owensboro about this time.

Segment Synopsis: Anderson talks about the cultural development of Owensboro, including the creation of museums, the symphony, and parks.

Keywords: Changes; City; Culture; Facilities; Museum of Natural History; Museums; Parks; State; Symphonies

Subjects: Community development; Owensboro (Ky.); Recreation

Partial Transcript: But, you know, certainly, uh, I, I, I [inaudible] Owensboro, h, in, in the, in the growth [inaudible] in Owensboro in the 1970s, the late ‘70s...

Segment Synopsis: Anderson talks about how more development in Owensboro led to the need to expand their sewer system. He talks about the controversy over this expansion and its funding.

Keywords: Annexation; City-county cooperation; City-county mergers; Controversy; David Adkission; Economic recessions; Economy; Expansion; Force; Funding; Future; Growth; J.R. Miller; Land development; Legislation; Libraries; Mayors; Metro Sewer Commission; Metropolitan areas; Money; Policies; Population; Problems; Reluctance; Resistance; Sewage systems; Sewage treatment facilities; Sewer systems; Stagnation

Subjects: Community development; Economic development--Kentucky; Industrialization; Owensboro (Ky.); Plumbing.; Refuse and refuse disposal; Sewerage--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: And yet, during all this time we have had, among the voters, a tremendous growth in, in what only can be described as cynicism and alienation.

Segment Synopsis: Anderson talks about the Owensboro public's attitudes regarding politics and politicians and talks more about their resistance to change.

Keywords: Attitudes; Changes; Cynicism; Development; Dick Moore; Economy; Growth; Owensboro Municipal Utilities (OMU); Populist; Reactions; Resistance; RiverPark Center; Sewer systems; Unpopular; Voice

Subjects: Kentucky--Politics and government; Leadership; Owensboro (Ky.); Politicians--Kentucky; Voting

Partial Transcript: [inaudible] I guess, [inaudible] going back to what we were just talking about with Dick Moore [inaudible]...

Segment Synopsis: Anderson talks more about politicians in Owensboro and Daviess County and how they were treated by the media.

Keywords: Accomplishments; Buzz Norris; Commissions; Community; David Adkisson; Dick Moore; Editors; Froehlich; J.R. Miller; Jack Fisher; John Hager; Mayors; Messenger-Inquirer; Pat Tanner; Philosophy; Press; Progress; Support; Waitman Taylor

Subjects: Daviess County (Ky.); Kentucky--Politics and government; Mass media--Political aspects; Newspapers--Kentucky.; Politicians--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: If you, uh--looking at Owensboro as it is now, if there’s one thing that you could really change, what would it be?

Segment Synopsis: Anderson discusses his hopes for Owensboro's future. He talks about the sewer system, and improvements in transportation. He talks about how the community has been affected by the decline of the railroad industry. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Bridges; Changes; Growth; Highways; Industries; Owensboro Country Club; Progress; Railroad industry; Sewer systems

Subjects: Community development; Economic development--Kentucky; Owensboro (Ky.); Railroads; Roads--Kentucky; Transportation--Kentucky