Lotus Massage

 It is not showing up on Google yet but according to the sign, Lotus Massage will/is open at the corner of Main and Almond. By my count that makes at least 5 places to get a massage in Carbondale. We must have a really stressed out population

Strip

 I was walking the south end of the Strip, the section of Illinois Avenue between College and Mill andwas struck by how empty it has become. The only retail business south of Trax and the Artspace Gallery is Insomnia Cookies and the retail stretch where it is located has never seen another business move into that stretch since Evolve/ Storyboard opened.  

Across the street, The Shop salon has moved to another location and the insurance agency has a sign in the window saying to call them as it is operating from home now.  SauSea's Seafood has  a banner up saying it will reopen soon and I have heard Slabz will be reopening sometime. 

Tourism Display

 I stopped in at the multi modal state to check to see if there was a tourism display there as I remembered and there is a display in the corner. Fairly small one though so I hope the city has plans to put a much larger rack in there when the station gets completed

Chicago Hot Dogs

 According to the sign in the window and the store's Google listing, Chicago Hot Dogs and More has permanently closed. for those who missed it, the business was located in the Nacho Fries location at the south end of the Strip. Neither business managed to last longer about six months.

Tourism Display

 I stopped in at the Civic Center/City Hall to pay water bills today and, whilst there looked around to see what was available for information on the city, especially things to do.  Just inside the east door, there is a double tiered rack attached to the wall with information on city services and flyers on local businesses and activities.  Good but not particularly noticeable.  

Bars

 I was pleasantly surprised to see people out on the sidewalk in front of several bars the last few weekends.  Booby's, PK's and Indigo all had people standing in front of them and if the recently reopened Hangar 9 had not greatly expanded its beer garden, I figure people would be standing outside in front of it. Parking was packed too. Certainly a nice change from earlier in the semester. 

University Baptist Church Letter

 Letter to the editor I sent to the Carbondale Times regarding University Baptist Church

Given that the University Baptist Church has held its last services and Good Samaritan House found itself unable to accept the offer of the facility, the city will likely find itself sometime in the next few years the recipient of yet another large building on which the owner will be unable to or unwilling to keep up with either maintenance or taxes. This is the unfortunate fate of most large buildings in Carbondale once their previous owner no longer has a need for them. The Johnson Hotel, Tuscan Lodge, Peerless Linens, Spires Grocery, Stage Company/ Bank Building, etc. The only ones offhand I can think of escaping this fate are part of the Walnut Street Baptist Church, the National Guard Armory complex and the Coca Cola Distribution facility on N. Oakland.

I would suggest the city reach out to University Baptist about accepting the building and then decide what to do with it, rather than leaving it set empty and unused, a the city will likely wind up in possession anyhow.