Counterfeit Bills

There have been a spate of reports of counterfeit bills in the area during mid December, everything from $10 bills up to $100s. The C'dale PD has posted a photo of one of the suspected passers here.

Arrest

On Dec 28, the C'dale Police arrested Terry L. Cristoff on two counts of Aggravated Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child.

Planning Commission

First meeting of the Planning Commission for 2011 takes place Jan 5 at 7 p.m. in room 108 of the Civic Center. On the agenda:

A. PC 11-09, 7:00 p.m. NeuroRestorative requests a Special Use Permit for a Group Home I, not in compliance with administrative occupancy permit requirements related to spacing and/or licensing in subsection 15-2J-2C, in the RR, Rural Residential, District at 24 Chippewa Drive.
B. PC 11-10, Lisa Thomas & Jessica Lagona request to rezone from R-1-15,
Low Density Residential, to R-2, Medium Density Residential, for property located at 1211 West Sycamore.
5. Old Business
Comprehensive Plan Implementation
6. New Business
A. Planning Commission Meetings Calendar for 2011

Seasonal Closures 2

The Newell House closed for the holidays just before Christmas and won't reopen until Jan 3. That leaves Melange as the nicest restaurant open for your New Year's Eve dining pleasure and with the reports that it's closing on Dec. 31, that may leave Appleby's as your selection for fine holiday dining.

New City Clerk

In case you missed this (I know I did) Rachael Keehn was appointed the new city clerk, effective Feb 18, upon Janet Vaught's retirement. Though she has a law degree from SIUC, a quick Google search doesn't indicate what career she was pursuing before accepting the clerk position.

David Derge

A reader of the blog pointed out some similarities in Chancellor Cheng's plans to furlough employees and layoff those who do not agree to the furlough to occurrences during David Derge's tenure as President (the titles of President and Chancellor switched offices starting with John Guyon's term in 1987) of SIUC from 1972-1974.

During his 2 year tenure, Derge reduced the number of top administrators at SIUC from 21 to 6 and, in what he announced as a move to help the university balance its budget, eliminated 104 teaching positions. Critics changed that the 104 dismissed had all gone public with criticisms of Derge and his administration. The controversy led the Board of Trustees to remove him in 1974.

Seasonal Closures

Local favorites Thai Taste and Global Gourmet are closed until after the first of the year. Guess than means someplace else for New Year's Eve dining.

Marion Revealed & County Guardian

In case you want to keep up with what's going on in Marion politics, Marion Revealed is a pretty good site, though it's not exactly pro-Mayor Bob Butler. The County Guardian blog looks at Williamson County with side trips to Southern Illinois.

McAndrew Stadium Usage

Happened to scan the Carbondale Times this week (available at finer newsracks throughout the area) and spotted an article about the demolition of McAndrew Stadium (page 7 if you want to read it). Noted a couple of interesting figures. The University opened McAndrew back in 1938, October 1 if you want precision. Since then, the Salukis played 328 games there. By my calculations, that works out to just under 5 games a year. Granted, the football team used the stadium regularly for practice but, unlike the Arena, which could house other evens besides sporting ones, McAndrew (and the new stadium) is very purpose specific, only offering events for the entire SIUC and Carbondale community to attend an average of five times a year.

Given the current economy and the difficulties SIUC is having securing funding to keep faculty and staff employed, was the new stadium the best use of the limited funds available?

Neighborhood Alliance Meeting

In case you're free on the 5th or 22nd:

Carbondale’s Housing and Neighborhood Action Group is gearing up for the 7^th annual Neighborhood Alliance Meeting, to be held Saturday morning, January 22, 2011, at the First United Methodist Church in Carbondale. The meeting gathers together neighbors and community groups to report from a neighborhood perspective and to learn about current efforts to strengthen neighborhoods. The Action Group will finalize plans at their next meeting, on Wednesday, January 5 at 5 pm in City Hall. All meetings are open to the public.

Group member Mary O’Hara says, "Participants consistently report that the highlight for them is the opportunity to hear about community groups and projects from the people who organize them. There are so many good things going on in Carbondale, from FoodWorks to the Splash Park at Attucks Park, this is a chance to celebrate the people who work to build our community."

For more information, contact Mary O’Hara at 713-0820 or Sarah Heyer at 549-5302 x 386 or e-mail

SIUC Reductions

A reader of the blog pointed out that SIUC is threatening non-tenure track faculty with layoff or reduction to part time if they fail to accept the 4 administrative closure days the administration proposed. WSIL says 9 faculty have already received layoff notices and 76 more will have spring hours cut:

The Non-Tenure Track Faculty Association says nine people received layoff notices -- another 76 were told their hours will be cut.

The NTT is one of the unions still in contract negotiations with the university. Members have not agreed to any unpaid closure days.

The university calls Friday's announcement "proposed layoffs." But the union says employees received official notifications by certified letter -- and that it could be against the law.

No matter how you slice it, this doesn't put the university in a good light. Hitting people with layoffs without warning and a week before Christmas, or even using them as a threat, the way the SI article positions it, does nothing to foster any better relations between faculty and administration.

New Tax

In case you missed it last night, the city council approved 4-3 starting levying a property tax to help cover the cost of mandated city pensions. Property taxes will increase approximately $6 per month on a $100,000 house. Councilman Joel Fritzler sent out this email after the vote explaining his reasoning for favoring a sales tax increase over a property tax:

Councilmembers Mary Pohlmann, Corene McDaniel, Chris Wissman, and Steven Haynes voted to reinstate a property tax for the city. A few arguments in favor of the property tax were that the residents of Carbondale need to accept more of the tax burden, the residents of Carbondale have been on a "Tax Holiday" and, that we are balancing on one leg in our reliance on the sales tax.

However, in addition to the property taxes that Carbondale residents pay to the other taxing bodies and, besides all of the sales taxes that Carbondale residents pay, the city also collects (to name a few) a hotel/motel tax, motor fuel tax, cell phone tax, a tax on our water/sewer bill and, taxes for owning dogs and bicycles.

I'm not sure when this "Tax Holiday" takes place as it seems that Carbondale residents are paying taxes to the city every day of the year. I pointed out again during tonight's council meeting that funds we are now needing to raise are for services enjoyed by everyone that is in Carbondale during the day and not just property owners.

I'm sorry that the vote went the way that it did but, thank you for expressing your preferences and for sharing them with the other council members.

Joel Fritzler

Holiday Recycling

The city has announced its holiday recycling schedule:

s Christmas approaches the City of Carbondale would like to remind residents about holiday refuse recycling schedules. Holiday wrapping paper and cardboard boxes can be recycled within the green bins or taken to one of the City's three drop off locations. Foil coated wrapping paper and plastic or Styrofoam packing material can be disposed as refuse. Boxes should be bundled or flattened or placed in a larger box and set next to the green recycle bin if it becomes full. Extra recyclable material may also be taken to a City of Carbondale drop off location.

Christmas Tree recycling will begin January 3, 2011. Pine rope, wreaths, garland and flocked trees must be discarded with the regular refuse.

Refuse and Recycling routes will run on the normal scheduled pick-up days during the holiday season. Trash, recycling and Christmas trees should be placed at the curb by 8:00 AM on the normal collection day.

Residents who need a recycling bin or have any questions, may contact the Maintenance and Environmental Services Office at 457-3275 during regular office hours of 7:00 AM and 4:00 PM, Monday thru Friday or visit the City's recycling website at www.CarbondaleRecycles.com.

Comings and Goings

According to a couple of posts on Facebook, Melange will be closing (again) on December 31. Apparently the well wishes of local wine, beer and food devotees were not enough to keep the doors open.

On the other hand, the Open sign is on at La Unica Bakery in the 200 block of West Main Street.

City Council Meeting

Want to really get into the holiday spirit? There's a city council meeting tomorrow night at 7 p.m. Lot of giving going on as the council awards contracts, annexes half a dozen or so areas adjoining the city, and sells off the Eurma C. Haynes Center.

The More Things Change..

I've been reading through Carbondale: A Pictorial History by Betsy Mitchell, published back in 1991 (reprinted in 2001). This passage, describing the Carbondale of 1990, could just as easily depict the Carbondale of today:

Many long established businesses have moved from the square to the new outlying shopping areas and many of the early (downtown) buildings have been demolished. The population increased hardly at all form 1980 to 1990. The community seems to have settled into a peaceful co-existence with the University, with commercialism, in spite of efforts to bring in industry, primarily centering around the medical profession and the retail trade. In fact, most of the growth of the 1980s was in these two areas.

As WSIU's recent interviews with the mayoral candidates indicate, Carbondale still sees its growth coming from the medical area and chain retailers such as T. J. Maxx, Chilis, and Party City. It's an unfortunate commentary on the city's economic base that Carbondale still depends on the same wealth drivers that supported it 25 years ago.

Jan Adams Email

In response to the interview George Maroney gave to WSIU last week, council candidate Jane Adams sent out the following email:

Is our new Comprehensive Plan "soft" and "huggy-feely"?

The campaign for Carbondale's Mayor and City Council is heating up. Last week WSIU's Jennifer Fuller interviewed the mayoral candidates. You can listen to the interviews here http://www3.wsiu.org/radio/morningconversation/ . I was particularly struck by mayoral candidate George Maroney's response to questions about the City's recently adopted Comprehensive Plan.

He said the Plan was "soft" and "huggy-feely." Perhaps he wasn't talking about the same plan I worked on for a year and a half. The Comprehensive Plan was adopted after the participation of hundreds of people -- local business people and prospective entrepreneurs, homeowners, landlords, students, and representatives of all the major institutions and organizations in the city. We invested thousands of hours and a sizeable chunck of city funds to create guidelines for the city's future growth and development.

The Plan is a guideline and not a set of rules. But it has the moral force of broad citizen participation and should be taken very seriously by city leaders.

The Plan lays out concrete steps the city needs to take to revitalize its business and residential districts. It provides clear guidelines for new development and redevelopment. Importantly, it is a bulwark against the cronyism that has bedeviled our community for so long.

Regarding Downtown revitalization: Mr. Maroney said, "Norman Rockwell died a long time ago. ... To me you would revitalize Downtown by letting it become a very nice student district. ... To try and develop it as anything else would be spinning wheels."

To the contrary, the Comprehensive Plan committee discussed at length the organic connections that can be developed between the Hospital, with its large number of visitors, and Downtown eateries and other shops and, potentially, an extended stay facility. It also recognized the natural linkage between the very popular Wine Trail and a revitalized Downtown entertainment district. Downtown revitalization has many other benefits, including synergies with the University, which are outlined in the Plan.

The Plan is posted on the City website http://ci.carbondale.il.us/node/357. I address some of the points I think are most important on the "Issues" page of my website.

In the same vein, I received a number of responses to my previous newsletter, with questions regarding my position on taxes, zoning, property renovation, and economic development. See my website http://www.adamscarbondale.org for my responses.

I welcome your queries. A campaign should be as much a conversation about our future as it is a presentation of a candidate's positions and promises. How else can you know what your representative stands for? And how can your representative (or prospective representative) know what citizens think is important and develop new ideas and insights for improving our town?

Please help me accomplish the goals I have laid out. Please contribute your time and money.

Thank you!
Jane

Wanna Buy a Bookstore?

A blog reader points out that Book World is taking more aggressive steps to sell itself, now listing the business on Craigslist. The ad is slightly wrong though, as the store has been around for at least 20 years.

Flags at Half Staff

While it's certainly a nice gesture for Mayor Cole to order city flags lowered to half staff as a tribute to the death of Springfield mayor Tim Davlin, it violates the Flag Code of the United States (scroll down to section 7-M), which says that only the President of the US or the state governor may order the lowering of the American flag to half staff.

State of the City

Sat in on Mayor Cole's State of the City address for 2010 this afternoon which was notable for the lack of response from the audience. Aside from some laughter at a couple of the mayor's jokes, the attendees were quiet. Even the announcement of a new summer tutoring program for Carbondale elementary and middle school students funded from subsidies that used to go to the Eurma Haynes center got no applause or murmurs from the crowd:

Several months ago, I began meeting with the superintendent of Carbondale Elementary School District #95, Linda Meredith. We have been talking about ways we can provide support to the elementary district, not in the form of constructing new buildings, but in a manner to help get and keep the youngest of our school children on the right track. There is a disparity in test scores between some demographics within the district and there are a lot of issues that surround the success of some of the neediest of our grade school students. Getting a handle on all of that is outside the scope of what I can do as mayor, but I think now is the time for us to partner with District 95 and try to support their efforts.

Specifically, with the savings we will realize from not subsidizing community organizations at the Hayes Center, I would like to see us work together to fund a summer math and reading camp that will strategically target students who need focused and intense tutoring that will allow them to stay with their respective grade´s curriculum and bridge the gap that summer vacation often creates. If we can enlist these young students in a boot camp for school, with math and reading challenges instead of push-ups and marching drills, then I think we´ll see improvement in test scores and we´ll see less of a need to stigmatize young students with special education courses.

I´ll be putting together a recommendation for our upcoming budget that will apply those saved dollars into a multi-year pilot program to be developed by teachers with the absolute goal of having defined and realistic outcomes for student success. The cost for this will be in the $150,000 per year range, but we have to see it as an investment in our future. If we can´t graduate students from grade school and middle school, and then from high school and college, we will have failed to do our part for more than just our generation, we will have failed the future. There is still much to be done to put this together, and it will cost us what we had originally planned to save, but I think it´s the right thing to do and I hope the City Council will support it

The mayor did get a standing ovation when he finished, but even that delayed several seconds after he finished as people stood up slowly as they saw others doing so, then they dropped back into their seats pretty quickly. Certainly a change from the reaction to last year's State of the City address and probably due to his announcement then that he would not seek a third term

Dayshift Not Closing

Contrary to an earlier report Dayshift, the art and crafts store on the Carbondale Square, is not closing. There may be a change in ownership but business hours will remain the same.

Joel Fritzler Interview

WSIU interviewed councilman Joel Fritzler last Friday. The high points include:

Significant community involvement including Peace Corps work, first director of Carbondale Main Street, SIUC employee for 8 years, Red Cross volunteer, Keep Carbondale Beautiful board, United Way board, Planning Commission and Irish Festival.

Community development in Carbondale very strong, economic development not so much.

Views the comprehensive plan as a working document that needs to have its ideas considered seriously.

Opposed to raising the city's portion of the property tax, which is zero currently. Sales tax increase is fairer since those who don't live in Carbondale but use its services would then help to pay for them. Could raise sales tax 1/4% and still remain competitive with Marion.

Assistant city manager has taken on the duties of 4 eliminated offices and that needs to be looked at.

Brent Ritzel Speaks

Jennifer Fuller interviewed Brent Ritzel about his candidacy for mayor Dec 9th. Summarizing his comments:

Born in Carbondale in 1968 at Holden Hospital, located where Old National Bank's parking lot is now. Talks a bit about his time growing up in the community.

Big supporter of the comprehensive plan, comments that it's the work of hundreds of Carbondale residents and organizations and sets out an "operating manual" for the city. Adds that the mayoral candidates that spoke earlier in the week appeared unfamiliar with the comprehensive plan as there are no ideas they discussed that are not already covered in it.

Need to focus on quality of life in Carbondale, not just economic. We need a walkable, bikable community. Sees focus on brining businesses in from outside as not a sustainable economic model because the community is dependent on what is going on outside of the city. Need to focus on factors such as shopping locally, viewing waste as a resource, and encouraging energy efficiency. Not in favor of raising property or sales taxes.

Need to be creative to address financial problems the city is facing, such as pension shortfalls, then shifts to discussing Washington D.C.'s plastic bag tax. If implemented, could generate $10,000 a month for the city.

SIUC and Carbondale are interrelated. There isn't necessarily a difference between the two but Carbondale needs to step up and create a better quality of life to encourage students to come.

Candidate Websites

Jane Adams has the only website up that I could find of any of the candidates. I've been told Steven Haynes has one as well but several minutes of using Google didn't turn it up.

George Maroney

Just saw the first election yard sign of the season for George Maroney. Mild coincidence since I just listened to his interview on WSIU today. Some high points:

He brings leadership and business experience to the position. Government should be run like a business and anyone who says otherwise (mild dig at another unnamed candidate) is wrong.

Mayor Cole has done a good job running the city. Anyone elected is not stepping into a disaster. It's a matter now of responding to issues coming down the road.

Too early to talk about tax increases. One of the first things he would do is have a study of the Marion tourism project. If the Marion project is successful, Carbondale's sales taxes are decimated and Carbondale currently lives and dies on its sales taxes.

Carbondale has three industries: medical, retail and SIUC. The first two appear in fine shape but SIUC is in horrible shape. SIUC needs to get back on track and recruit several thousand students. That will help the community.

To help accomplish this, Carbondale needs to be an attractive community and a safe community. WE have lots of police but need to use them more effectively.

We have a sleeping giant at the airport that needs to awaken economically speaking.

Everybody wants to revitalize downtown but it should develop into a very nice student district, instead of making it into something it's not. For the east and west side, the city should get out of business' way, citing restrictions on sale of beer and wine as a prime example.

The city can do much to draw in students, aside from making the community safe. He feels the city has a fine police department but there are some problems right now.

Mayor Cole is a prime example of getting involved at the state level and Maroney would continue that.

The comprehensive plan is very "huggy feely", doesn't say very much to him and needs business people involved in it.

Wants people to remember as they head to the ballot box that he brings leadership and strong experience to the position.

Steven Haynes Interview

WSIU interviewed mayoral candidate Steven Haynes Monday morning. You can listen to the interview here. Some notiable points from the interview:

46+ year resident of Carbondale, attended SIUC for a couple of years before leaving the university and going to work for Kroger, where he's a assistant store manager.

Brings 8 years of council experience, managerial experience and ability to listen to the position.

Questioned about downtown, says Carbondale needs an overall focus rather than a focus on the mall, the east side, or downtown.

The city will probably not going to see a manufactuing plant in Carbondale but wants to get people in the non-existant plant to live and shop in Carbondale(?)

SIUC and Carbondale must survive together. People living outside Carbondale come to town daily to work at the university.

Questioned about comprehensive plan and property tax, says he's been a longtime opponent of raising the property tax. However, admits there is a perception that Carbondale has high property taxes, due to other taxing entities. Says he will keep an open mind on property taxes and sales taxes increases.

One thing he would bring back if elected is the affirmative action officer's position eliminated earlier this year.

For Kid's Sake Auction

We would love to see you at the 11^th Annual For Kids’ Sake Art Show, a sale and silent auction to support orphanages and schools in Bangladesh. The sale and auction will end at the Closing Receptions around the Town Square on December 10, 6-8pm at Longbranch Coffeehouse, Arthur Agency, Global Gourmet, Hair Brains, Town Square Market, Tres Hombres and White & Borgognoni.

Stroll around the Town Square while you bid on beautiful artwork, purchase great raffles, sample delicious hors d'oeuvres and enjoy live music. Experience an authentic Bangladeshi dinner and live entertainment featuring Bosco & Whiteford and The Pirouettes at the Longbranch. A benefit concert will follow at Tres Hombres featuring Mathien and opening with Belle Hooks.

The For Kids’ Sake Art Show has over 200 pieces of artwork by local and Bangladeshi children, as well as professional artists. The silent auction also includes products and services donated by local businesses such as weekend getaways and gift certificates.

100% of all proceeds from the Art Show will benefit over 3,000 orphans and school children in Bangladesh. For more information, contact Shema Jamaluddin at (618) 529-5044 or email forkidssake@dayemi.net.

Chickens Coming Home to Roost, Literally

In case you're intersted in the proposed ordinance allowing people to keep chickens within the city limits, there's a meeting this Saturday in the Back Room at the Longbranch Coffee House:

There will be a meeting of the Study of Urban Chickens Committee on
Saturday, December 11th, 2010, in the Back Room of the Longbranch Coffee
House at 10 a.m. to discuss the City ordinaces regarding urban chickens.

Sales Tax Increase

Already there's talk of another tax increase to cover the costs of increased city employee pensions, which is the reason the city imposed the last 1/2% sale tax increase. Currently, the 8 1/4% sale tax rate is equal to Murphysboro and slightly less than that of Marion. Mayoral candidate Joel Fritzler, for one, has floated the possibility of increasing the city tax by another 1/4% to 8.5% to cover the pension costs. If the Saluki Way sales tax hadn't passed a couple of years ago, the city would now have much more flexibility in considering sales tax increases without the concern of sending business to Murphysboro or Marion.

Sam Goldman Speaks

Mayoral candidate Sam Goldman spoke with Jennifer Fuller this morning regarding his candidacy. Some interesting points emerged during the interview:

Goldman believes he brings three things to the position: temperament, expertise in management and a vision for Carbondale, though he didn't want to say what that vision was.

However, from the conversation, it appears Southern Illinois Health Care plays a big part in his vision of Carbondale's future. He pointed out only SIUC employs more people than SI Health Care does and pledged his office would work closely with the organizaiton to expand Carbondale's position as a medical hub.

He wants Carbondale to rely less upon SIUC as its economic engine, commenting he would rather have it said "As Carbondale goes, so goes the university," than the other way around, as is common today.

He doesn't appear a big fan of comprehensive plans, either Southern at 150 or the recent one adopted by the city council, as they slow down the response of the community to changes and opportunities. Rather, he would take a more flexible position, working to encourage entrepreneurs within the community and a more entrepreneurial spirit withing city government. He does seem to like the words "entrepreneur" and "entrepreneural", using them half a dozen times at least during the course of the interview.

LilyWhite Designs

According to the sign in the window (and the empty floor space), LilyWhite Designs has closed up shop for the week, to make room for a student gallery display running through the weekend. I'd bet having to make way for student exhibitions is written into the store's lease, but still, closing up for a whole week during the busiest retail time of year has got to hurt.

New Bar/Another Bar

The Elite Lounge apparently plans to open in the old Big Boy's Q'n location at 104 West Jackson. The Liquor Control Commission approved a liquor license for the location on Nov. 9th. No idea when the spot will open, though.

And More Fight Photos

Here're the last two photographs of the November 22nd fight the photographer sent. These were taken after the police arrived. In the photo on the right, according to the photographer, the officer in the background stands next to one of the stabbing victims who is lying on the ground. The photo on the left was taken about the time the police started to use what the photographer believes is mace or OC to clear away the crowd. One of the stabbing victims lies on the ground at the left.

Notes from Pickle's Alley

Local craft shop Dayshift will soon close its doors as the owner is moving out of state.

New tentative opening date for Hanger night is Dec. 10. Non Stop Reggae has supposedly been booked to play.

Doctor Donuts opened on the west side of town. A dozne doughnuts $7.80. A dozen healthy doughnuts, $9.00.

Gold's Gym has completed their move to the old west side Kroger location.

More Fight Photos

Here are a couple of more shots from the fight that took place at 100 S. University on Nov. 22. The photo on the right shows onlookers in the ally behind the building formerly housing the Spotlight Bar and Grill, used for several weeks apparently as a spot for various groups to host private late night parties. The photo on the left shows the open back door of the Spotlight with people looking up at the fight, which is taking place behind and to the right of the photographer.

HR Commission

The Carbondale Human Relations commission meets this Monday at 6:30 p.m. in room 103 of the Civic Center. On the agenda, reports from various study circles (are they still around?), a non-violent communication progress report (I guess there's no progress on the violent communication report), and a presentation from CAPSOIL, the Community Action Players of Southern Illinois.

Police Auction

Wow, it's a big night for police stuff. The Carbondale PD will auction off bikes, jewelry and miscellaneous items this Saturday at 9 a.m. at Thomas Elementary School on North Wall Street.

Lights Fantastic Traffic Plan

The CArbondale PD will be shutting down several downtown streets this Saturday at 5:30 for the Lights Fantastic parade. Expect the detours to stay in place until about 7 p.m. Also be sure to move any parked cars off the parade route by 5 p.m. as the city will start towing them. The route is posted here.

Christmas Program

The Carbondale PD is hosting its annual Christmas program for parents kids not served by any other program. Sign up starts today and ends when 100 children sign up. The program takes place Dec 16 & 17:

The City of Carbondale Police Department will be hosting our annual Community Christmas Program for Carbondale residents. The program targets families with children up to the age of 12 and who do not receive services from other agencies. The program has evolved to have parents more involved in the selection of gifts for their children. Our program is now held at the police department and parents sign up to shop for their children. They are able to choose three (3) gifts per child. Sign up for the program begins on Wednesday, December 1, 2010 and will continue until we reached one hundred (100) children. Due to financial limitations we can only commit to providing gifts to a limited number of families. This year’s program will be held at the Police Department on December 16 and 17, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day.

LAB Meetings

In case you want to set your schedule up now, here are the planned Liqouor Advisory Board meetings for 2011:

Shown below is the 2011 schedule of City of Carbondale Liquor Advisory Board meetings. Meetings are held at 5:30 p.m. in Room 103 of the Carbondale Civic Center, 200 South Illinois Avenue, Carbondale. Meetings are subject to cancellation if there is no business to discuss. The News Media will be notified of changes to this meeting schedule in accordance with the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

January 6, 2011

February 3, 2011

March 3, 2011

April 7, 2011

May 5, 2011

June 2, 2011

July 7, 2011

August 4, 2011

September 1, 2011

October 6, 2011

November 3, 2011

December 1, 2011

Simon Reception

In case you've nothing better to do this afternoon, the SIU School of Law and the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute hostg a reception for Lt. Governor elect (a post some Illinois politicians proposed eliminating earlier this year) Sheila Simon this afternoon from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Lesar Law building's formal lounge.

Parking Enforcement

Looks like the police will step up enforcement of disabled parking in Carbondale, at least for the foreseeable future. Lord knows, I often see vehicles parked in disabled spaces, especially at Kroger,with the person showing no sign of any disability.

More Fight Photos

Here're a couple of more photos of last Saturday morning's fight. The stabbing victim is on the ground behind the crow of people on the right side of the bottom picture. Police do not appear to have arrived at the time the photo was taken

Saturday Morning Fight Photos

Here are a couple of photos I received taken during the fight in the Verizon/Frontier parking lot last Saturday morning. The photo on the right shows particpants in the fight on the low hill between the parking lot and the alley running behind the building where the party was. The picture on the shows the crowd in the parking lot with the Frontier building wall in the background. From what I have been told, the stabbing victim is lying at the base of the wall, obscured by the crowd.

More Police Activity

Police arrested Max Supple for criminal trespass on S. Rawlings last Tuesday. Underage consumption of alcohol and disorderly conduct too. If you're going to comit a crime, go for the gusto.

Update on Murder and Fight

The Carbondale Police have posted an update on the investigation into the fight and murder last Saturday morning on S. University.

And the Candidates Are....

5 for mayor and 16 for city council. I see Lance Jack broke down and decided to run for his old seat. If he wins, I wonder if he will put Fat Patties into a blind trust like Jim Budslick did with Stix when he won a city council seat several years ago:

Five (5) candidates have filed their nominating petitions for Carbondale Mayor and sixteen (16) candidates have filed their nominating petitions for Carbondale City Council Member. As a result, there will be primary elections for both Mayor and City Council Member on Tuesday, February 22, 2011. The petition filing period ended today at 5:00 p.m..

Listed below are the five candidates who have filed Mayor . An "L" next to the name of the first three candidates (who are listed alphabetically) indicates that those candidates will be involved in the Lottery for Ballot Placement to be held on November 23rd. The remaining two candidates will be listed in fourth and fifth positions, respectively, on the Primary Election ballot:

L - Joel Fritzler, 123 South Violet Lane

L - Sam Goldman, 504 Lexington Court

L - George Maroney, 37 Pinewood Drive

4 - Brent Ritzel, 2511 South Illinois Avenue Unit 71

5 - Steven N. Haynes, 605 East Burke Street

Listed below are the sixteen candidates who have filed for City Council Member. An "L" next to the name of the first four candidates (who are listed alphabetically) indicates that those candidates will also be involved in the Lottery for Ballot Placement. The remaining twelve candidates will be listed in fifth through sixteenth positions, respectively, on the Primary Election ballot:

L - Jane Adams, 606 West Elm Street

L - Lee M. Fronabarger, 1140 Morningside Drive

L - John Holt, 406 South Oakland Avenue

L - Donald Monty, 418 South Giant City Road

5 - Hugh Richard Williams, 611 East Park Street #117

6 - Jerrold Hennrich, 610 West Sycamore Street

7 - Jessica Bradshaw, 404 North Smith Street

8 - Janet Elizabeth Donoghue, 505 North Springer Street

9 - Earl Czajkowski, 805 West Main Street Apt. 1

10 - Craig Anz, 1216 West Sycamore

11 - Tom Grant, 5370 Springer Ridge Road

12 - Candle Wester-Mittan, 804 South Valley Road

13 - Michael C. Riley, 920 Kira Court

14 - Montana Goodman, 412 East College Street

15 - Lance D. Jack, 1026 North Bridge Street

16 - R. Rick Jackson, 314 East Jackson Street

The Primary Election will narrow the field to four (4) candidates for Mayor and twelve (12) candidates for City Council Member to advance to the April 5th General Election. Ballot placement for the General Election is determined by the number of votes received in the Primary Election, with the highest vote-getter placed first on the ballot, the second highest vote-getter placed second on the ballot, etc..

The lottery for ballot placement will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 23rd. All candidates and the public are invited to attend.

New Businesses

The exit of businesses from the 200 block of West Main didn't leave those storefronts empty for long. Less than a month after Two Doves Photography and Workforce moved out, LilyWhite Fashions has moved into the Two Doves location and La Unica Bakery is remodeling the Workforce location. Now if something besides late night private parties resulting in fights would move into the Spotlight Bar and Grill location.

City Council Meeting

City Council meets this Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Civic Center. Aside from swearing in Mike Neill to serve out the remainder of Lance Jack's term, the most interesting thing looks like a proposal to turn ownership of the Eurma Hayes Center over to a newly formed Eurma C.Hayes Center Corporation.

Fight

The C'dale Police report a large fight in the 100 block of S. University about 1:30 this morning, resulting in one death and on treatment for serious injuries at Memorial Hospital.

Not sure if it's connected or not but I walked through the area about midnight and heard 2 or 3 cars in the alley behind the Frontier/Verizon building and City Hall parking lot playing extremely loud music, audible a block away. I only noticed it because this area is typically pretty quiet at that hour of the night.

Cheng Changes

As the Carbondale Observer points out, Chancellor Cheng has demonstrated a political tin ear regarding furloughs at the university. Apparently, it takes a few days for the message to sink in as I heard on WSIU this morning she will take 6 days furlough along with President Poshard.

If your ship has sprung a leak and you're the captain, everyone expects you to do what your crew does. A leader goes above and beyond. So far, facing this crisis, her leadership has been a bit lacking.

Election Update

Two more city council candidates have thrown their hats into the ring, as of 5 p.m. today. Not familiar with Earl Czajkowski, but Craig Anz teaches architecture at SIUC and has worked closely in recent months with Carbondale Main Street, doing extensive designwork on the new Harbaugh's Cafe facade and working to develop one for China Express next door.

UPDATED CANDIDATE FILINGS FOR CARBONDALE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBER

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Five (5) candidates have filed their nominating petitions for Mayor of Carbondale and ten (10) candidates have filed their nominating petitions for Carbondale City Council Member.

Since five (5) candidates have now filed for Mayor, a Primary Election for Mayor will be held on Tuesday, February 22, 2011.

Listed alphabetically below are the three Mayoral candidates that will be involved in the Lottery for Ballot Placement to be held on November 23rd as well as the two additional Mayoral candidates who will be listed in fourth and fifth positions, respectively, on the Primary Election ballot:

L - Joel Fritzler, 123 South Violet Lane

L - Sam Goldman, 504 Lexington Court

L - George Maroney, 37 Pinewood Drive

4 - Brent Ritzel, 2511 South Illinois Avenue Unit 71

5 - Steven N. Haynes, 605 East Burke Street

The Primary Election will narrow the field to four (4) candidates for Mayor, with the four candidates appearing on the April 5th General Election ballot. Ballot placement for the General Election is determined by the number of votes received in the Primary Election, with the highest vote-getter placed first on the ballot, the second highest vote-getter placed second on the ballot, etc..

Listed alphabetically below are the City Council Candidates who will be involved in the Lottery for Ballot Placement to be held on November 23rd as well as the one additional candidate who has submitted nominating petitions for City Council member and will be listed in fifth position on the ballot.

L - Jane Adams, 606 West Elm Street

L - Lee M. Fronabarger, 1140 Morningside Drive

L - John Holt, 406 South Oakland Avenue

L - Donald Monty, 418 South Giant City Road

5 - Hugh Richard Williams, 611 East Park Street #117

6 - Jerrold Hennrich, 610 West Sycamore Street

7 - Jessica Bradshaw, 404 North Smith Street

8 - Janet Elizabeth Donoghue, 505 North Springer Street

9 - Earl Czajkowski, 805 West Main Street Apt. 1

10 - Craig Anz, 1216 West Sycamore

Sustainabily Commission

Sat in on the Sustainability Commission's meeting last night, which didn't accomplish anything, aside from electing a new chairman. There was an interesting presentation about sustainable energy programs offered by the Egyptian Energy Cooperative Association and an update on the cleanup- at the Koppers' site in the northeast part of town (still going on) but no action taken on the proposed chicken ordinance, reusable shopping bags or styrofoam reduction.

LilyWhite

According to today's DE, the LilyWhite fashion store opens at 211 West Main this Monday. The store features handmade fashions and crafts, with a Christian focus.

Sustainability Commission

The C'dale Sustainability Commission meets tonight at 6 in room 103 at the Civic Center. Looks like on the agenda are a discussion about the Kopper's wood treating site, chickens and goats in the city limits, promoting reusable bags, styrofoam reduction strategies and electing a new chairperson.

Updated Declared Candidacies

As of 4 p.m. yesterday:

Five (5) candidates have filed their nominating petitions for Mayor of Carbondale and eight (8) candidates have filed their nominating petitions for Carbondale City Council Member.

Since five (5) candidates have now filed for Mayor, a Primary Election for Mayor will be held on Tuesday, February 22, 2011.

Listed alphabetically below are the three Mayoral candidates that will be involved in the Lottery for Ballot Placement to be held on November 23rd as well as the two additional Mayoral candidates who will be listed in fourth and fifth positions, respectively, on the Primary Election ballot:

L - Joel Fritzler, 123 South Violet Lane

L - Sam Goldman, 504 Lexington Court

L - George Maroney, 37 Pinewood Drive

4 - Brent Ritzel, 2511 South Illinois Avenue Unit 71

5 - Steven N. Haynes, 605 East Burke Street

The Primary Election will narrow the field to four (4) candidates for Mayor, with the four candidates appearing on the April 5th General Election ballot. Ballot placement for the General Election is determined by the number of votes received in the Primary Election, with the highest vote-getter placed first on the ballot, the second highest vote-getter placed second on the ballot, etc..

Listed alphabetically below are the City Council Candidates who will be involved in the Lottery for Ballot Placement to be held on November 23rd as well as the one additional candidate who has submitted nominating petitions for City Council member and will be listed in fifth position on the ballot.

L - Jane Adams, 606 West Elm Street

L - Lee M. Fronabarger, 1140 Morningside Drive

L - John Holt, 406 South Oakland Avenue

L - Donald Monty, 418 South Giant City Road

5 - Hugh Richard Williams, 611 East Park Street #117

6 - Jerrold Hennrich, 610 West Sycamore Street

7 - Jessica Bradshaw, 404 North Smith Street

8 - Janet Elizabeth Donoghue

At this time, a Primary Election for City Council Member is not necessary. However, if thirteen (13) or more candidates file for City Council Member, a Primary Election will also be required for Council Member to narrow the field to twelve (12) candidates. Again, ballot placement for the candidates advancing to the General Election will be determined by the number of votes received in the Primary.

The period for filing nominating petitions for Mayor and/or City Council extends through 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 22nd. Nomination packets remain available for pick up in the City Clerk's Office, Room 165 of Carbondale City Hall, 200 South Illinois Avenue.

Jane Adams' Candidacy

Received the following email/press release from Jane Adams regarding her reasoning for running for city council:

Jane Adams threw her hat in the ring for City Council Monday,
November 15. She seeks a Council seat because, she says, "I want to
make a difference for Carbondale through promoting renewal,
reinvestment, and revitalization of the City”.

If elected, Adams says she will promote policies and programs that
encourage reinvestment in Carbondale's neighborhoods and business
districts.

Adams served on the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee, which was
recently adopted by the City. The Plan, Adams said, "provides a basis
for guiding our development in the coming decades."

"We need to position ourselves so that, as the economy comes back, we
can take advantage of opportunities for sustainable development,"
Adams said. "This will require a close look at our zoning and building
codes, our tax structure, and our infrastructure."

"In these tough times, we must revisit our tax structure," Adams said.
"There may be tools available to spread the tax burden more equitably.
And there may be ways to tighten our belt without sacrificing the
City's core mission."

Adams and her husband have restored several older homes in the Arbor
District. "New houses aren't built with the quality of materials in
these older homes," Adams observed. "We find old-growth, dimensional
lumber, high quality plaster and other details that cannot be
economically replicated in today's construction.

"And these homes are close to the major employers - Memorial Hospital
and the University - as well as to Downtown. With gasoline costs going
up, more and more people want to live in walkable, bikeable
neighborhoods with their workplace nearby.

“Housing”, notes Adams, “is easily the third largest industry in
Carbondale after the university and the medical center. It employs
hundreds of independent workmen and professionals. We learned in the
Carbondale Comprehensive Plan Committee that the number one concern in
Carbondale was housing. I plan to focus like a laser on that issue”.

Adams notes the wealth of talent, expertise, and entrepreneurial
energy associated with SIUC and the thriving Wine Trail. "Carbondale
is the gateway to the Shawnee Hills," she states. "We have some
wonderful synergies developing with the Farmers' Market, the
Neighborhood Coop, B&Bs, restaurants, and other businesses that are
developing based on sustainable local food production and tourism."

Returning to her core message, Adams argues that, to realize this
potential, the City must function as a place that workers and
entrepreneurs want to live in. "Many of our neighborhoods are
blighted, or just about to tip," Adams observes. "It is time to
reinvest in and revitalize the City. We must improve the environment
for local small businesses as well”.

“One must also acknowledge the great advantages we have in
Carbondale”, stated Adams. “We have a tolerant and diverse
community that welcomes everyone. We have major employers with good
wages and benefits. And we live in a beautiful natural environment.”

Jane Adams was born and raised on a farm in Jackson County, graduating
from University High School and SIUC. She taught in the Anthropology
Department for 23 years, retiring in May of this year. She
participated in desegregating Carbondale's restaurants in the early
1960s and volunteered for the 1964 Freedom Summer in Mississippi. She
has been active in promoting sustainable agriculture since working
with farmers during the Farm Crisis of the mid-1980s and is the past
president of the ACLU. Adams has written and lectured widely on the
history of Southern Illinois farming.

Five for Mayor

Just checked with the city clerk and Steven Haynes announced his candidacy yesterday but has not yet filed the nominating petitions. Brent Ritzel filed his petitions at 4:45 yesterday, making him the 4th official candidate.

Ritzel not Haynes

Heard on the news this morning that Steven Haynes had filed a petition for the maoyoral slot. However, according to the official press release, it's actually Brent Ritzel

Four (4) candidates have filed their nominating petitions for Mayor of Carbondale and five (5) candidates have filed their nominating petitions for Carbondale City Council Member.

At 8:00 a.m. on Monday morning, three candidates filed their nominating petitions for Mayor. Since these three candidates all filed at the same time, a lottery for ballot placement will be held on Tuesday, November 23, at 3:30 p.m. in the City Clerk's Office. Only these three candidates will be involved in the lottery to determine the order in which these names will appear on the ballot. Candidates who subsequently file for Mayor will appear on the ballot in the order in which their nominating petitions are received. Listed alphabetically below are the three candidates who have filed for Mayor and will be involved in the Lottery as well as the one new candidate who will be listed in fourth position on the ballot:

L - Joel Fritzler, 123 South Violet Lane

L - Sam Goldman, 504 Lexington Court

L - George Maroney, 37 Pinewood Drive

4 - Brent Ritzel, 2511 South Illinois Avenue Unit 71 (filed Monday at 4:45 p.m.)

Also at 8:00 a.m. on Monday morning, four candidates filed their nominating petitions for City Council Member. These four candidates will also be placed in a lottery for ballot placement on November 23rd. Listed alphabetically below are the City Council Candidates who will be involved in the Lottery as well as one additional candidate who has submitted nominating petitions for City Council member and will be listed in fifth position on the ballot.

L - Jane Adams, 606 West Elm Street

L - Lee M. Fronabarger, 1140 Morningside Drive

L - John Holt, 406 South Oakland Avenue

L - Donald Monty, 418 South Giant City Road

5 - Hugh Richard Williams, 611 East Park Street #117

If five (5) or more candidates file for Mayor, a Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, February 22, 2011. The Primary Election will narrow the field to four (4) candidates for Mayor, with the four candidates appearing on the April 5th General Election ballot. Ballot placement for the General Election is determined by the number of votes received in the Primary Election, with the highest vote-getter placed first on the ballot, the second highest vote-getter placed second on the ballot, etc..

If thirteen (13) or more candidates file for City Council member, a Primary Election will also be held for Council Member to narrow the field to twelve (12) candidates. Again, ballot placement for the candidates advancing to the General Election will be determined by the number of votes received in the Primary.

The period for filing nominating petitions for Mayor and/or City Council extends through 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 22nd. Nomination packets remain available for pick up in the City Clerk's Office, Room 165 of Carbondale City Hall, 200 South Illinois Avenue.

And They're Off

First filings for mayor and city council today. Reason for doing it now? First filers get first placement on the ballot so since these folks filed at the same time, a lottery determines placement:

At 8:00 a.m. this morning, three (3) candidates filed their nominating petitions for Mayor of Carbondale and four (4) candidates filed their nominating petitions for Carbondale City Council Member.

Alphabetically, the candidates who have filed their nominating petitions for Mayor are:

Joel Fritzler, 123 South Violet Lane

Sam Goldman, 504 Lexington Court

George Maroney, 37 Pinewood Drive

Since these candidates all filed at the same time, a lottery for ballot placement will be held on Tuesday, November 23, at 3:30 p.m. in the City Clerk's Office. Only these three candidates will be involved in the lottery to determine the order in which these names will appear on the ballot. Candidates who subsequently file for Mayor will appear on the ballot in the order in which their nominating petitions are received.

Alphabetically, the four candidates who filed their nominating petitions for City Council Member are:

Jane Adams, 606 West Elm Street

Lee M. Fronabarger, 1140 Morningside Drive

John Holt, 406 South Oakland Avenue

Donald Monty, 418 South Giant City Road

Since these Council candidates all filed at the same time, these candidates will also be included in a lottery for ballot placement on November 23rd. Candidates who subsequently file for City Council will appear on the ballot in the order in which their petitions are received.

If five (5) or more candidates file for Mayor, a primary election will be held on Tuesday, February 22, 2011. The primary election will narrow the field to four (4) candidates for Mayor, with the four candidates appearing on the April 5th General Election ballot. Ballot placement for the General Election is determined by the number of votes received in the primary election, with the highest vote-getter placed first on the ballot, the second highest vote-getter placed second on the ballot, etc..

If thirteen (13) or more candidates file for City Council member, a primary election will also be held for Council Member to narrow the field to twelve (12) candidates. Again, ballot placement for the candidates advancing to the General Election will be determined by the number of votes received in the primary.

The period for filing nominating petitions for Mayor and/or City Council extends through 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 22nd. Nomination packets remain available for pick up in the City Clerk's Office, Room 165 of Carbondale City Hall, 200 South Illinois Avenue.