According to this, the Eurma C. Hayes Center will receive a $25,000 grant for repairs and upgrades from State Farm. There were 200 finalists competing for grants and the top 40 each received money from State Farm.
Combined with the $450, 000 the city committed Tuesday night to the Center from the COIVD-19 America Rescue Funds it will receive from the federal government, the money should go a long way towards long needed repairs on the building.
Took a look at the town square lighting last night and the east side of the squre is definititely brighter than the west half, though the west half is brighter than I remember it from the last time I took a look. That being said, both of them dim in comparison to the lighting along Illinois avenue, which the city put in last year. It defnitely brightend up Illinois.
If I was Tres Hombres or Global Gourmet or Longbranch, I would welcome anything the city could do to move the police calls away from the parking lot in front of my business.
Friday Sept 17 Jackson County 7696 infected,100 dead,6926 recovered, Randolph County 5226 infected 94 dead 5050 recovered, Union County 2899 infected, 38 dead 2794 recovered and Williamson County 11400 infected 148 dead 8645 recovered.
Friday Sept 24 Jackson County 7877 infected,104 dead, 7288 recovered, Randolph County 5383 infected 95 dead 5198 recovered, Union County 2934 infected, 47 dead 2842 recovered and Williamson County 11767 infected 152 dead 9185 recovered.
I do like seeing the Christmas lights left up year round on the light posts around the town square. I would like to see brighter lights on the west half of the Square. Once you get away from the sidewalks, which are well illuminated along Illinois, it gets pretty dark around the Pavillion> I have felt some trepediation at times walking arcross the Pavillion parking lot after dark. I will have to take a look tonight and see if the lighting there has improved with the new lights the city installed on the east half of the Square.
The city recently installed loudspeakers and brighter lights in an attempt to break up later night gatherings on the town square. According to the city website, the police department has had more than 1150 calls to the town square. While some of the calls are for motorist assistance and bar checks, the majority "are shootings, fights, drunk and disorderly conduct, public urination, bathing in the fountain, defecating on public property, bullying, drug use, and drug sales".
By my calculations, that comes out to an average of four police calls to the town square a day since the start of the the year. That's an awful lot of police activity in a small part of town. Barrring posting police presece there permanently, I am not sure what else the city can do to mitigate the calls there. I am not sure how effective music will be at moving people around but brighter lighting should make people going to restaurants int he area more secure.
given that the roundabout on Chautaqua has been operational for about four months, the city posted a link on the effieincy of roundabouts vs. traffic lights. the city has plans to install a second roundabout at the intersection of Grand and Lewis lane but wanted to see how they worked in operatioin first. Now that the Chautaqua one has proven successful, and if funding comes available, I imagine we will see one installed at Grand and Lewis sometime.
Given the historical importance, at least to the local community, I was nonplussed to find the flyer holder with the walking tour of the cemetary emply on a visit last week. The material in the flyer replicates the information on the plaque standing next to the brochure holder so pele visiting the cemetary still have access to the information but the brochure provides a convenient guide to the graves and sites of note within the grounds. Maybe the city could post a PDF of the brochure online and link it to the history of Woodlawn?
The AAA Auto lot buildings on North Illinois have ben razed and the contractor is now creaming the brick and concrete from the site. I still expect U Haul will expand onto the lot but there is no signage indicating that is the case.
Looking at the multi-block long back up caused by trains coming through town, primarily around 9 a.m. , noon and aournd 4 p.m. makes me wish for downtown underpasses or overpasses sinilar to what we have at Mills street and Pleasent Hill Road. The city looked at putting underpasses for Main and Walnut back in the 1960s but pushback from the downtown business community put the kibosh on that.
I asked about the feasabiltiy of puttin in overpasses on the two streets but was told in order to make the gradiant a reasonable one, IDOT would have to raxe the buildings on either side of Main and Walnut for a block east and west from the tracks, destroying waht reamins of the early architecture of downtown Carbondale. An underpass is a bit more reasible but would require each street's closure for several months, if not years. Again not feasible so we are looking at blok long backups with trains come through for the foreseeable future.
Keep Carbondale Beautiful has introduced its Legacy Bright Spot Award, given to previous winners of the Bright Spot Award who have undertaken long term care of the property. From the press release
The Legacy Bright Spot award is an award
given by Keep Carbondale Beautiful to recognize previous recipients of the
Bright Spot award. This recognition is intended to encourage and maintain long
term care and stewardship to the local environment of Carbondale. One of the
missions of Keep Carbondale Beautiful is to preserve and maintain the local
natural beauty of Southern Illinois.
The inaugural Legacy Bright Spot award
winner is kicking off with 601 W. Walnut. Kathy and Austin Rigney recall
receiving the Bright Spot award in July of 2004. “A sign just showed up in our
yard one day, and that was the bright spot award” Kathy laughs, telling what
she remembers. The home was built in 1917 and has been added on to over the
years. They moved to the residence in 1988. Preparing for a growing family,
Kathy began gardening in the front yard. In this nesting garden, irises,
spiderwort and Pocomoke crape myrtle were planted. The oldest surviving plants
are Jerusalem roses, over 20 years old.
The May 8th storm
shifted their yard around, an 80 ft oak lodged in their attic. Getting the tree
out, “we were entertainment for the whole neighborhood” Kathy recounts. After
that, they had the bug for reorganizing the landscape. A white blooming redbud
took its place, casting its canopy over hydrangeas and boxwoods lining the
front of the home. A Japanese maple shades a horseshoe shaped garden with
English ivy and ferns. Around the side of the home is an oasis from the busy
city street, birdfeeders are set among a variety of herbs and large
hostas.
Friday Sept 10 Jackson County 7329 infected, 90 dead,6592 recovered, Randolph County 5112 infected 92 dead 4952 recovered, Union County 2847 infected, 37 dead 2727 recovered and Williamson County 11012 infected 138 dead 8369 recovered.
Friday Sept 17 Jackson County 7696 infected,100 dead,6926 recovered, Randolph County 5226 infected 94 dead 5050 recovered, Union County 2899 infected, 38 dead 2794 recovered and Williamson County 11400 infected 148 dead 8645 recovered.
Sounds like (pun intended) the city or someone is playing classical music very loudly in the fountain area in an attempt to encourage the people that hang out there to move to another location. I would guess whomever though up the idea heard the anedotal evidence of classical music played at malls got teenagers to vacate the malls and move to other locations. However, the ontly time I see anyone down on the square is when there is an event such as a concert taking place. Few of the community spend time socializing on the square.
The rest of the AAA Auto buildings just north of U Haul on N. Illinois Ave have been demolished. Given that the operation has already rented the old Southern Illinoian complex to expand its self storage operation, I would expect that U Haul will expand on the the razed property, using it as more parking for its fleet of rental vehicles
Since the 47.8 million grant to Carbonale is supposed to mitigate the effect of COVID-19's econodmic effects, how about using the money to send out a $700 check to each household in Carbondale? According to the Census there are about 10,400 households in Carbonale so by my math, that would mean roughly $700 for each household. That way, no worrying about which organizations get the funds. Give the money to residents and let them pump it into the city's economy.
However, if the city does want to pass out funds to organzaitons that got hit hard by the epidemic, I would recommend the Varsity Theater: central to the community, privately funded, shut down for a year and could really use the money forgone over the past year.
I see Southeast Missouri State is doing something similar with the grants they have received for their students From the email:
| As you may know, the American Rescue Plan (ARP), a federal stimulus package responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, was signed into law on March 11, 2021. A portion of the ARP provides funding to support students at institutions of higher education in covering unexpected expenses due to COVID-19. Southeast received $10.4 million in HEERF III funds to distribute directly to students. This amount is based on a formula in the ARP and funds are provided through the U.S. Department of Education. |
| Beginning Wednesday, Sept. 22, funds will be distributed to students, with the exception of dual credit and pre-college, using an institutional formula that takes into account need and enrollment intensity (number of credit hours) as of Sept. 1, 2021. The formula ensures as many students as possible benefit from HEERF III. To view more details about this and other COVID-19 relief funding, visit semo.edu/sfs/heerf. |
| You do not need to do anything to receive these funds. However, a couple of notes: |
| It is my sincere hope that this aid will help ease some of the stress, burdens, and other challenges many of you have faced during the pandemic. |
According to a survey by the Illinois Department of Publich Health, we have no available ICU beds in southern Illinois Hopefully no one else in southern Illinois gets seriously sick from anything else.
Carbondale has about a dozen positions open requiring various levels of skill. Here's the link.
According to today's DE, AD Liz Jarnigan was fired over a lack of response to sexual harassment charges brough against women's swim coach Geoff Hanson by several SIUC swimmers. I do find it interesting tha Jarnigan is gone but a quick search on Google does not find anything about Hanson getting put on adminstrative leave while the charges are investigated.
Indigo Event Space and Lounge will hod a ribbon cutting/grand opening at 4 p.m. on Sept 24.. Located in theHouse of Leisure/Icebox/Curbside/ Coal City Diner location in the 200 block of West Main. Have seen activity for the past couple of months so it appears the remodeling is completed. I fear they will suffer from the same problem every other business that has gone in there had: lack of parking. There is parking behind the 200 block but it is all reserved for adjoining businesses. the Indigo building readed back to the alleyway running behind it, not leaving any place to park.
Curbside and Bistro 51 attempted to deal with this by offering valet parking and Icebox had an agreement, for a time, to use the church parking across the street For Indigo to prove viable, the owners will have to figure out a way to address the parking problem.
One of the topics at tonights city council meeting is the best way for the city to spend a $7.8 million grand fromthe federal government for COVID relief. Money could help with COVID related health emergencies or with the negative economic impact on individuals, small busineses and organizations. As a federal grant, it likely comest with spending guidelines but still, $7.8 million injected into the city's economy would help a lot.
First SIUC gets rid of its Athletic Director with no warning and now the univeristy has put the women's soccer coach on administrative leave, once again without giving any reason. Certainly does not look good for the althleting department to have two high profile releases within such a short period of time.
The city is enforcing metered parking again. If you park in downtown frequently, it might be worthwhile to pick up a parking pass at the Water office in City Hall.
Downtown merchants pushed pretty hard in 2019 to get these parking passes so seems a shame not to make use of them. Of course, if I remember rightly, downtown merchants were also lobbying for free parking for their employees and free parking period so reduced price parking is not exactly what they wanted but still better than downtown had before.
It apears this idiot posted someting indicating he had aboused a dog badly enough to kill it. The post appears on Fb last week and got widely shared enough that the Carbondale PD got involved and arrested him.
Took a walk through downtown after 9 pm. last night and saw no house parties for the second weekend in a row. However the lines waiting to get into both Traxx and the Hollywood Lounge. Line to get is to each stretch for about half a block. Not nearly as many people trying to get into either the Cellar, Hangar 9, P.K's or Tres Hombres, at least not at that hour. .
Friday Sept 3 Jackson County 7122 infected, 89 dead,6452 recovered, Randolph County 5071 infected 91 dead 4885 recovered, Union County 2785 infected, 34 dead 2663 recovered and Williamson County 10571 infected 136 dead 8369 recovered.
Friday Sept 10 Jackson County 7329 infected, 90 dead,6592 recovered, Randolph County 5112 infected 92 dead 4952 recovered, Union County 2847 infected, 37 dead 2727 recovered and Williamson County 11012 infected 138 dead 8369 recovered.
For those interested in the history of Southern Illinois, especially its gangster era, SIUC has put together an interactive 4 module series based on the book and podcast A Knight of Another Sort: Charlie Birger and Prohibiition Days in Southern Illinois. Especially designed for middle school and up teachers who want to introduce their students to a unique part of southern Illinois History.
Electric Larry's had moved from its Univeristy Plaza locatin on S. Illinois to the 200 block of West Main. If you are not familiar with them, you can find their Facebook Page here.
The Quonset Hut shaped garage facility that sat on the AAA Auto property has been demolished. No idea what will go in there but I would guess that U Haul has puchased or leased the lot and will demolish the buildings to make room for expanded UHaul parking.
The long empty location of BookWorm has finally been filled. Ashely Furnishings expanded their store space into the area so not as much space as when Ashley had two locations and an outlet store in town but somewhat more than Ashley had for the past fewyeras.
According to the sign in the window, South Illinois mainstay China Express has decided not to reopen. The store closed up shortly after the lockdown started in 2020. The sign in the window said they would be reopening. I always wondered why they did not since their location and size meant they always depended on delivery for their business so a delivery heavy economy should have proved tailor made for them. However, the "reopening" sign has been replaced by a large "For Sale" sign.
According to a sign on their door, Dunkin Donuts is closed today and tomorrow. Not able to get enough staff to work the hours. apparently was taking GrumHub over a hour to get deliveries from the shop over the weekend and the business had closed the lobby entrance, only allowing drive through.
Friday August 28 Jackson County 6766 infected, 86 dead,6120 recovered, Randolph County 4976 infected 90 dead 4750 recovered, Union County 2722 infected, 34 dead 2605 recovered and Williamson County 10028 infected 136 dead 8199 recovered.
Friday Sept 3 Jackson County 7122 infected, 89 dead,6452 recovered, Randolph County 5071 infected 91 dead 4885 recovered, Union County 2785 infected, 34 dead 2663 recovered and Williamson County 10571 infected 136 dead 8369 recovered.
Here is a link to which city department is responsible for mask enforcement. The business is subject to a $250 fine for not enforcing the city's ordinance. I was mildly bemused by a sign I saw posted at Hobby Lobby statating that if a customer did not wear a mask, the business assumed they were exempt from state/local regulations:
SIUC was ranked among the top 30 LGBTQ Friendly univeristies by the website Campus Pride. According to the website
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Resource Center is one of four resource centers in the Center for Inclusive Excellence. The LGBTQ Resource Center provides programming that engages the entire SIU campus and community on LGBTQ issues through a calendar of events, support services and facilitation of a variety of training opportunities throughout the year. The Center for Inclusive Excellence space is a dedicated Safe Zone that provides a welcoming and affirming location on campus for all, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. The LGBTQ Center maintains a library that communicates an all-too-often hidden history. The Center is the primary point of contact for members of the LGBTQ community as it works collaboratively with campus departments, student organizations, university administration, and local community groups to connect students with resources, activities, and support services. The LGBTQ resource center offers LGBTQ and Ally students an opportunity to come together in solidarity and learn about issues that impact the LGBTQ community and allies. We offer Safe Zone trainings regularly, Queer Mentors and Trans*itions as programs out of the resource center to support our LGBTQ students. Additionally, we collaborate with the Saluki Rainbow Network, our LGBTQ student organization, and other individuals and groups to teach and promote diversity and inclusivity.
Thai Taste was getting ready, after almost a year, to reopen to seated dining. They have extesively repainted and redone the interior. However,t he recent accident in which a car hit the side of the building had delayed the reopening. The car did enough structural damage that the wall will have to undergo repairs before the restaurant is safe to reopen.
Friends of the Carbondale Dog Park annonunced today Carbondale will recieve a $25,000 grant from PetSafe to finish construction of the dog park on West Sunset. The press release is below
Friends of Carbondale Dog Parks is thrilled to announce that Carbondale has been selected as a winner of the PetSafe Bark for Your Park $25,000 new dog park grant.
North Oakland is closed for two blocks at the intersection of Oakland and Willow northbound for today and tomorrow. Street reparts getting clompleted from damage caused to the street from last winter. Should be open to through traffic again by the weekend.
Once you get past the happy talk of the first three paragraphs, fall attenance at SIUC is down another 1% from last year or as the university puts it "essentailly flat". The problem is, the univeristy has seen this small declines in student population consistantly for over 2 decades and, while on their own, the drop in number is insignficant, taken in total the univeristy has seen a drop of about 14000 students over the past 20+ years.
The city will create an "entertainment district" website that will show the boundaries and restrictions of the new district. Distirct boundaries currently are Illinois Ave from Jackson on the north end to Grand on the south, west to Univeristy and east to Washington. It includes the block between Main and Walnut then cuts down Washington before heading east to the railroad tracks at Cherry St. then parallels the railroad tracks south to Grand.
Essentially, the district will comprise the area between Illinois and University from Jackson to Grand with an extension east to include Consume, Buckwater and Italian Village.
Along with the mask madate, the city council also approved an ordinance establishing a downtown entertainmnet district. The ordincance waives the beer garden license fee, lowered the legal entry age to 18 for class B license holders, allows public consumption of alcohol from 5 p.m. to 2 am Monday through Thursday and noon to 2 a.m. Friday through Sunday. Also relaxes the noise restrictions for the district, whcih consists, as far as I can tell, South Illinois Ave but not sure from where to where is not clear. I would assume from East Grand to East Oak as that would go past Keeper's Quarters on the south end and Hollwood Lounge and Longbranch on the North end but have an email into the city to find out specifics.
