spcrnr Open Thread for the Week of October 04 pdf
by matthew on Sun Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2009
Some of our most productive and interesting conversations have come from open threads where almost anything goes. Speaker's Corner is a topic that is dedicated to open-conversation about almost anything that's on your mind.
The real Speaker's Corner is located in the north-east corner of London's Hyde Park where public speaking is allowed. There is no immunity from the law at speaker's corner, and while the police tend to be tolerant, they do not allow profanity or unlawful behavior. You may be jeered, ridiculed, enthusiastically supported, or completely ignored. Now, what's on your mind?
by jtz on Mon Oct 05 09:47:29 CDT 2009

Does Decatur have "Little Man Syndrome"?

I often hear our elected officials talk about creating more jobs, growing the population, and generally comparing us to Springfield, Champaign, and Bloomington.  I agree that at one time we were comparable in size and stature to those cities, but it is no longer true.  Is that a bad thing?

I just wonder whether our time and energy might be better spent creating a cleaner, more efficient, better maintained city.  I fully agree with the demolition of abandoned and dilapidated homes.  I think that demolition should extend to old and crumbling commercial and manufacturing buildings, as long as the law is followed.  I have a hard time understanding money being spent on "affordable housing" projects when our average home values are relatively low already. 

Perhaps if we stopped comparing ourselves to Springfield, Champaign, and Bloomington we could develop our own identity as a smaller community with no traffic, low home prices, and within traveling distance to all of those larger cities.  Isn't this the same model that Mt. Zion and Forsyth have been built on?  I thought the point of "We like it here" was we like it the way it is, not we like it here if we make ourselves into Champaign.

Not really directed at anyone just thinking out loud.

by haydiz on Mon Oct 05 12:28:11 CDT 2009
jtz, I was just thinking the same thing last week!  Maybe we should just concentrate on being a nice, small, clean community with affordable housing, a nice lake, a quaint downtown, some more conservation and green areas, and quit comparing ourselves to other communities.  We don't have the U of I, or Illinois State, or the state capitol, so comparing ourselves to Champaign, Bloomington or Springfield isn't really doing us much good.  We have agribusiness and I think Richland is on the right path with green technology.   If Decatur can capitolize on new and emerging green tech and run with it, we might have something in a few years. 

Anyway, like Ma told Laura on Little House on the Prairie, "You're better off being the best you can be with the gifts and talents God gave you, then wasting your time being a poor imitation of someone else." 

And if Decatur becomes a town of only 50,000 - 60,000 people but we have a safe, clean and great community to live in, then I'd be okay with that.  And if we did end up with a town like that, the population would naturally grow.

Interesting topic.
by matthew on Tue Oct 06 13:43:35 CDT 2009
Missed the council meeting last night…Incredibly busy at work…Didn’t sound like much went on…
Comparing Decatur to Champaign, Bloomington, Springfield, etc. on some issues makes sense. Demographically we’re each US Census Bureau MSA’s (Metropolitan Statistical Area), and many businesses (and individuals for that matter) look at MSA data to determine – at least partially – the attractiveness of a location. 
I like the idea of a Metropolitan Service Area (Sue brings this up on a regular basis) where more infrastructure nuts-and-bolts support is shared between Decatur, Forsyth, Mt Zion. In the long run, I think it has potential to make a lot of sense for all the communities…Especially in hard economic times.   
I’m interested in what “takeaways” you guys learned from the neighborhood conference?  
 
OK - Back to work (crack that whip!)…
by Sue on Tue Oct 06 22:47:04 CDT 2009
The neighborhood conference was really really good.   It was just plain inspiring in a number of ways - one was the validation of hearing others facing the same issues and making a difference in their communities. 
 
The speeches were all great. Cory Booker - very very good. There also was a panel on "Show me the money" - they gave tips on searching for grant money for projects. One thing I really liked from this was the idea that much money ALREADY comes into neighborhoods - like from HUD and CDBG money but it is OUR responsibility as citizens to monitor that money and make sure it is being used in ways we believe are beneficial in our neighborhoods and getting our input in on it. 
 
One of the workshops I that I really liked was "Community gardening" - this was put on by Consuelo Cruz (from here) and the U of I Extension. Drive by Walbash Crossing on Grand and look north you will see one of the gardens this group put in. She is a scientist and is using the gardening as teaching tool for kids. This I thought was cool. So you get busy kids staying out of trouble (I think these kids were paid a stipend) smarter kids and a nice looking block!   And with us being an AG community this is a smart focus to have.
 
Here is an article about her and the garden program she has been working on
 
Another one I attended was “clean and green” and “beautification - graffiti removal”. These were both very interesting and give you some ideas of ways to attack these issues. The one neighborhood group from Peoria was cleaning graffiti off people’s garages and fences and really making their neighbors happy and so far it’s not come back. Everyone said the youth development session was tops I missed that one cause you had to chose and couldn’t go to all of them.
 
But you know - one really cool thing about this was getting the chance to show off Decatur. People were impressed. The mobile workshops were really well received by everyone who went on them. I wish I could have taken them all.  I heard numerous people talk about the AG tour with the RCC horticulture department. And people were impressed with our downtown where we took them through WSOY and the Art Council and the Lincoln theater and a number of downtown businesses.
 
And I couldn’t have been prouder than watching the visitors watch our OKO tumblers and the drum group from Youth with a Positive Direction from Main Street Church and the Power Drillers perform on our "new city park" across from the Regions.   These kids did so good! People were asking for encores.
 
It was a really positive experience that I think left many inspired to stick with it and make this community all it can be. Cause sticking with it isn’t always going to be easy.
 
Great job to city staff and great job to all the volunteers too!!
 
Now you’ll be sorry you brought it up Matthew - You know I can’t make anything brief..  =]
 
Sue
by Sue on Wed Oct 07 23:59:52 CDT 2009
Jtz and Kris - agree with you both on  we should just concentrate on being the best we can be.   I don't wan't to compete with Bloomington, Champaign or Springfield but they are so close - less than an hour drive - we need to check them out and copy what we like.  Here are a few things I like in those communities - not meant in any way as a put down to Decatur - just I'd like to see us copy these thing in those cities:

Bloomington/Normal -  COPY THEIR BIKE TRAIL!!! Constitution trail is so cool!!!  It goes all over town, crosses town - good sides, bad sides a bunch of places.  Bringing this through the "not so great parts of towns:" brings positive activity to those parts.  ALSO  - you can use it to actually go somewhere and this is cool.   And it has signs that tell the areas history.  This is a good idea.  Our trail we just put in on West Main could should copy this - signs that tell about the history it passes or near by like the Millikin home and that direct you to Oglesvey home and the Lincoln history - I think we are moving this way.  Also COPY BLOOMINGTON DOWNTOWN PARKING SETUP - NO METERS.   The spaces are timed and monitored but it is just less of a hassle because you don't need any change to park there - just a watch.  Most blocks have 15 minute parking and 90 minute parking and a garage with 1/2 day free walking distance from downtown (a couple blocks)   They also have big signs like you see at the mall directing you to the different businesses downtown.

Champaign - copy their downtown - Wow is it cool -  they have just really grown lately with all the sidewalk cafe activitiy.   Most of the resturants and bars have outdoor seating and it is really popular and looks great.    Remember this is not campus town and it is more aimed to an older group - working people not really just students.  There are actually 3 "downtown" areas over there - Champaign, Campus and Urbana.    Go spend a warm weather evening there - downtown Champaign I mean - just too cool lately.  In nice weather everyone is outside.  Oh and Champaign makes biking across town much easier too-  bike routes and racks on the buses too 

Neighborhood parks - big focus in both communities. And both Bloomington and Champaign have put in these metal benches and tables and garbage cans in their downtown that  I like. 

Also all three communities Champaign, Bloomington and Springfield have bike racks on the front of their buses so you can take a bike on the bus and go to another side of town and ride.  Isn't that cool?

My choice is Decatur. I lived in Champaign though most of the 80's and I really like it too.  But I like here more - I love this town - but nothing wrong with copying good ideas when you see em.   And these cities are so close it's silly not to check them out for good ideas....

Sue
by Sue on Thu Oct 08 00:04:33 CDT 2009
Oh another thing I forgot I think these communities must paint the railroad tressels cause they look a lot better then most of ours and they also have murals on the sides of a couple of the tressels and some buildings that are attractive.

I'm not being critical of Decatur I just notice stuff like this.
by haydiz on Thu Oct 08 08:52:13 CDT 2009
Sue, I totally agree on the park and bike path issues.  Actually, Decatur has an excellent park district.  It's one our biggest assets.  Scovill Zoo, the Children's Musuem, Nelson Park, our lake, Fairview Park and the bikes trails we have are very good.  We also have excellent golf courses.  I pointed out the splash parks at Bloomington's park near their zoo a couple months ago.  A really cool idea for Decatur to check into.  We should look to other communities for good ideas and customize them for Decatur.

I haven't been to Champaign's downtown but I like the idea of sidewalk cafes.  Actually, I haven't been to Champaign many times at all.  The last time I went was about 15 years ago, and my husband and I wound up in Effingham!  We took the wrong Interstate back to Decatur and didn't realize it until we saw the Effingham water tower. That was bad!!!!!!!!  It was worth the laugh though.


by Sue on Thu Oct 08 22:18:18 CDT 2009
Kris -

you so are right - Decatur has some great parks and don't forget Macon County Conservation District and over all much much more public land than most surrounding communties.   I love Champaign - lived there a long time - but we really have better country side.  This Sangamon river valley we live in is sooo pretty.  And we have had past people in our community who loved it as well and made sure to preserve a bunch of it in our cool parks and MCCD land. 

On on warm Friday or Saturday (if we have any left)  - drive to Champaign and check out the downtown.  It was NOT always like that.  I lived there through the 80's and worked there often in more recent years  and they have built this up recently.  And it is cool enough they just put in a big condo 4 or 5 stories with stores underneath.  I like how they have done it and contrary to being picky like we keep thinking what they have put in really runs the gammet - fyi  - they have a number of re-sale shops down town.  I'm not sure that being picky is the best idea.  They have gotten a real cool feel of diversity and variety by being real open.  It must not be extremely expensive either for those types of shops.

Actually downtown Bloomington has this variety as well.   One thing I like there is the big murals they have on a couple buildings I think on Monroe street.  They also have some resale shops down there.  Another cool thing they have downtown is a shop that sells parts and pieces from old houses - stuff you'd need to refurbish an old house with original parts and pieces.

Hey and on a nice day take your bike to Bloomington and ride their trail and see what they have done.  It is cool.  If I didn't need tools and parts I could almost ride the bike trail to most of our branches!  Actually over the number of years I've covered Champaign and Bloomington and lived in Champaign and worked with so many in both communities  I've really almost come to think of them as my own communities like I do Decatur.  Most good things that happen there benefit us more than then they compete with us cause they are so close - less than an hour.

Oh and i forgot to mention earlier a number of the visitors for the neighborhood conference were impressed that we have a Talbot.

I sympathize with the trip to Effingham - years back a co-worker and i were driving back from Danville and yapping and ended up in Charleston!   It was too funny!

Sue
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