Cannabis Science at SIUC

Di you know we had a cannabis science initiative program at SIUC? Neither did I. It appears the university plans to offer a degree in cannabis science starting in 2020.

Survey

The Sustainability commission wants your ideas on developing a Sustainable Action Plan for Carbondale. From the press release:

The Sustainability Commission is seeking ideas from the community to help develop a Sustainability Action Plan for Carbondale.

Ideas from individuals who live and work in Carbondale will be crucial in helping the City achieve its goals. Specific areas of interest include Energy in Built Infrastructure, Energy in Transportation, Water Use and Green Infrastructure, Food Production and Consumption, and Waste Reduction.

Reaching sustainability and resilience goals requires measurable reductions in the City’s contribution to greenhouse gases and an increase in its ability to withstand the impact of extreme weather events. However, there are many paths to achieve these measurable goals.

A Sustainability Survey is available in the June/July issue of the Carbondale Communique. It can also be accessed on the Sustainability Commission’s web page. Completed surveys can be dropped off at City Hall or sent by email to sustainability@explorecarbondale.com. The deadline to submit ideas is Friday, August 16.

The Sustainability Commission will begin a community conversation in early fall to discuss the creation of Carbondale’s Sustainability Action Plan in more detail.

If you have questions or would like more information, contact the Sustainability Action Plan Subcommittee member, Jane Cogie, at (618) 713-7024.

Green Space

Looks as if the Econo Lodge will be coming down by Halloween. Used to be a very nice Days' Inn about 15 -20 years ago but in recent years has had significant problem with Piles Fork Creek flooding and covering the parking lot and water getting inside the first floor rooms. Rather surprised we have not seen any Piles Fork creek flooding this year, given all the rain the area has received.

Plans are to demolish the building and either leave it as greens space, much as has been done with the demolished Sunset Hotel and Boo Jr. bar. or, if the city can get approval, turn it into a park. Unless parking goes in, the location is not a very good one for a park, as there are no residential areas close by.

Vape Store

In another store closing, just noticed that the Vape Store, which was located in the strip that houses Quatro's and Jerry's Flowers, has emptied its storefront there. The west side location remains open though.

Street Bar Closing

According to this post from its show director, the Street Bar on East Main, Carbondale's only bar focused on a gay clientele,  will close soon. No idea exactly when but all bookings for shows in June have been canceled. Since 1990, at least, the location has housed a gay bar under one name or another, interspersed with short stints as a blues club (The B & S Lounge) and a quasi-strip club/steakhouse (The Pony).

Associated Lumber

It would appear that Associated Lumber has shut down its Carbondale location on West Willow. The space has been empty for a couple of months and there is a "For Sale" sign on the property.

Parking

In case you missed last week's city council meeting, the city council decided, as an experiment to eliminate parking meter charges from July 1 2019 for the next 7 months. From what I understand, people using the downtown parking spaces will only be allowed to park for 3 hours before getting a ticket and no overnight parking will be allowed.

This means the city will forgo the approximate $260000 the meters and tickets generated annually and that went into parking lot maintenance. Money for the maintenance, assuming the program continues, will now come out of the city's general fund.