Tonight, Jonathan Ahl looks at blogging and its effect on public policy on “At Issue.” (Jonathan is filling in for H. Wayne Wilson, who is on sabbatical.) His guests: Billy Dennis of the Peoria Pundit and yours truly of the Peoria Chronicle. It’s on WTVP tonight at 8:30 and will replay on Sunday, September 10, at 4:30 p.m.
All posts by C. J. Summers
If only Peoria’s museum had James Smithson’s bequest
“Museum officials defend names” was the headline on the front page of the paper this morning. Wait until you hear their defense!
Kathleen Woith likes to remind people that the Smithsonian likely meant nothing to people when the name was first adopted.
Today, most people immediately recognize that name as synonymous with one of the world’s most prestigious museums. They’ve forgotten, or perhaps have never known, that it was named after James Smithson, the illegitimate son of a French baronet who never lived in the U.S. but supported its ideals.
And maybe museum officials have forgotten, or perhaps never known, that the reason it was named the Smithsonian Institution was because Smithson founded it with the money from his estate:
In 1826, James Smithson, a British scientist, drew up his last will and testament, naming his nephew as beneficiary. Smithson stipulated that, should the nephew die without heirs (as he would in 1835), the estate should go “to the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.â€
The estate was worth about $500,000. So, hypothetically, if someone named James Amaze wants to bequeath a half a million to Peoria for a multi-disciplinary museum with the stipulation that it be named the AMAZEum, I will have no quarrel with the name. You know why? Because then it would mean something.
That’s the reason Woith’s analogy doesn’t work. Whether or not people know who James Smithson was, the name nevertheless has intrinsic meaning. It identifies and memorializes the founder. In contrast, the names museum officials have presented are meaningless — not just to the uninformed, but in their very essence.
A more apt analogy would be to liken the naming to the Dada movement, “an early 20th-century international movement in art, literature, music, and film, repudiating and mocking artistic and social conventions and emphasizing the illogical and absurd.” (NOAD) In keeping with this philosophy, the name of the movement (Dada) was chosen randomly from a French dictionary.
Furthermore, Woith’s analogy, it seems to me, would bolster arguments to put Peoria in the name. Here was Smithson — an outcast because of his illegitimate birth in 19th century England — whose name is now revered because of this fine institution in Washington. Surely the name Peoria — whose only sin was that it didn’t “test well” in focus groups — can undergo a similar transformation if the museum is really going to be as unique and prestigious as museum officials claim.
Journal Star does it again
The Journal Star has another Kellar Branch editorial. I can’t help but respond to their erroneous assertions and half-truths:
The start out by saying, “Depending on how the federal government rules, Peoria’s decaying Kellar branch rail line may either become a hiking/biking trail or be forced to reopen for rail service.” Notice there’s no mention (of course) of Pioneer Industrial Railroad’s offer to provide rail service and help build the trail next to the rail line. In the Journal Star’s mind, it’s either/or, one or the other. Too bad they can’t be more open-minded.
Then they proceed to look at the many and various cost estimates for bringing the rail line up to operable condition. After glossing over the three different cost estimates the city submitted ranging from $50,000 to $2 million, they have this little gem:
Meanwhile, Pioneer Railcorp, Kellar’s jilted carrier, apparently thinks it can make the line shine for just under $10,000, which would just about cover a few bushes and some other landscaping in someone’s yard. It’s not credible. Removing the monster weeds alone covering the tracks would take an army, and you know what the military-industrial complex charges these days.
Ah yes, local employer Pioneer Railcorp — the one that wants to buy the line for over $500,000 which would sure come in handy down at City Hall, the one that wants to lure more businesses to Pioneer Park and Growth Cell Two by providing reliable rail service, the one that has offered to rehab the line at their own expense, the one that successfully and profitably ran the line for seven years, the one that provided an itemized and detailed quote for track repair — they’re the ones who are nothing more than a “jilted carrier” and whose repair quote is “not credible.”
But the city, who hired non-local carrier Central Illinois Railroad Co. — the company that couldn’t get a load of lumber up the Kellar Branch, the company that had a runaway train that endangered the lives of Peorians, the company that never successfully or profitably ran the Kellar line, the company that broke their contract with the city, the company that is costing Carver Lumber considerably more in shipping because of said breach of contract, the company that provided a vague, non-itemized, unsigned quote for track repair — their estimate for service is somehow more credible, according to Peoria’s newspaper of record.
It’s so ironic that the city is fighting so hard, spending so much money on lawyers, and for what? So they can waste more money by tearing out a $565,000 asset. Good grief!
As for the “monster weeds” the paper worries would be so expensive to remove — has the Journal Star ever heard of Roundup? I would think one trip down the tracks in a service truck with a sprayer would take care of that problem.
But perhaps the most hopeful comment is the final one: “The city and village should explain their math [to the Surface Transportation Board] in detail, pronto, to dispel the confusion and not risk jeopardizing their credibility or the trail’s prospects.” My friend David Jordan believes this indicates that the Journal Star is starting to worry that the city may not win their case with the STB. I just think it’s funny that they can’t see that the city has already “jeopardized their credibility,” and not just with the STB.
Ryan sentenced; could serve time in Pekin
Former Illinois governor George Ryan was sentenced to six and a half years in a minimum-security prison. And at which prison will he be serving that time? We don’t know yet, but the Bloomington Pantagraph reports (emphasis mine):
Although his final destination remains unknown – as does the exact start-date of the 78-month prison sentence he received Wednesday – the federal Bureau of Prisons generally attempts to place inmates within 500 miles of their homes.
Prisons within that proximity of the governor’s Kankakee home include: Pekin, Terre Haute, Ind,; Springfield, Mo.; and Oxford, Wis.
Oh, please, please, please, let him serve his time in Pekin! That would be sweet.
I suppose I should have known this….
I was reading this article in the Jerusalem Post and it appears that Ray LaHood “is a distant relative of Lebanese President Emile Lahoud.” I’m guessing that’s common knowledge around here, but I didn’t realize it. It wasn’t mentioned in the Journal Star’s recent story about LaHood’s trip to the Middle East, and I couldn’t find mention of it in the Journal Star’s archives, but I didn’t do an exhaustive search either. I suppose it’s not a big deal, depending on how “distant” a relative he is. Still, it’s interesting to know.
Also interesting is LaHood’s report of his meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, compared to the Jerusalem Post’s report. From the Journal Star’s article:
“We had a very frank discussion with her [Livni],” LaHood said. “We brought up the blockade and her point – and it’s a good point – is you can’t dispute the fact that Israel is surrounded by Arab countries that want to do them in, like Iran and Syria.”
“They feel like Lebanon can be a good friend and a good partner,” LaHood said, but Israel wants to be assured that Hezbollah will not be rearmed and continue to pose a threat.
The Jerusalem Post article states:
Livni […] told representatives Ray LaHood (R-IL), Charles Boustany (R-LA) and Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) that Israel would not make any gestures toward Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora.
According to officials in Livni’s office, the three congressmen came to Israel after meeting Saniora in Lebanon with a message that the blockade should be lifted for humanitarian reasons. LaHood is a distant relative of Lebanese President Emile Lahoud.
Livni’s reply was that Israel’s “pockets were empty” of gestures until UN Security Council Resolution 1701 is implemented. She said that if Saniora wanted to improve the situation, he should do everything within his power to work for the release of kidnapped IDF soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev and enforce the arms embargo against Hizbullah.
At first glance, they’re pretty similar. But it’s worth noting that Israel is not only asking for Hezbollah not to be rearmed (that is, to get new arms shipments), but for Hezbollah to be disarmed. Israel wants UN Security Council Resolution 1701 fully implemented, which includes this provision (emphasis mine):
[The UN] Calls for Israel and Lebanon to support a permanent ceasefire and a long-term solution based on the following principles and elements:
[…]
— full implementation of the relevant provisions of the Taif Accords, and of resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1680 (2006), that require the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon, so that, pursuant to the Lebanese cabinet decision of 27 July 2006, there will be no weapons or authority in Lebanon other than that of the Lebanese State;
Resolutions 1559 and 1680 specifically call for the disbandment and disarmament of “all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias,” which would include Hezbollah.
Livni also mentioned that it would be a good thing if those kidnapped Israeli soldiers were returned, since that’s part of what triggered the escalation. LaHood didn’t mention that, either.
Nevertheless, it looks like LaHood is going to get his wish tomorrow. CNN reports that “Israel will lift its sea and air blockade of Lebanon on Thursday evening, the Israeli government announced Wednesday.” In accord with Resolution 1701, international forces are taking over for Israeli forces, hence the step down from a full blockade on Lebanon.
All-boys public school opens in Chicago
Chicago public schools are taking a page from parochial schools’ playbook to try to improve student performance. The Urban Prep Charter Academy on Chicago’s south side has gone to a boys-only school.
According to WLS-TV (ABC7Chicago.com), “[Urban Prep President] Tim King came up with the idea for the first all-boys public school. After leading a boys Catholic school, he wanted to see all young men be given the same academic opportunity.”
“The school represents a new strategy to raise achievement levels among African-American boys,” reports cbs2chicago.com.
Operating inside the stately Lindbloom High School building, the first Urban Prep students will have a longer school day and wear blazers, shirts and ties under strict discipline — all part of an effort to reverse depressing statistics.
“We should end the steady increase of young African-American [and] Latino males going into the prison system,†Mayor Richard Daley said of the changes.
By employing teaching methods tailored for boys, Urban Prep Principal Tim King believes those trends can be changed.
“We know for example that boys learn better under conditions of stress,†he said. “So what we can do in our delivery of instruction is create an environment in which students are constantly being challenged and have to respond to those challenges.â€
Enrollment in the charter school is 150 students chosen randomly from all applicants, and each of them was greeted by their last name and with a firm handshake the first day of school. The idea is that by treating them with respect, expecting them to dress professionally, and holding them to higher standards, they will learn to respect themselves and others and take pride in their school and work.
Time will tell how well this bold initiative will work. It’s worth keeping an eye on — if it’s successful, it may be something that District 150 could emulate in the future.
Picture credit: Chicago Defender/Worsom Robinson
City ignores service record; awards contract
Despite its breach of contract and public endangerment, Central Illinois Railroad (CIRY) was rewarded Tuesday night with a fat no-bid contract to do some rail improvements along Allen Road. I’m guessing this “see no evil” approach is the city’s way of saying “thank you” to a company that has conspired with them to stop serving Carver Lumber via the Kellar Branch.
City staff had the audacity to defend CIRY’s record of service, insisting as they did before the Surface Transportation Board (STB) that CIRY has been delivering Carver’s shipments within two hours of when Union Pacific places the cars on the western spur. As Pioneer Industrial Railway (PIRY) ably argued in a letter to the STB yesterday rebutting the city’s claim:
While the [city’s] letter claims that the “records show†that CIRY made deliveries “no more than two hours after receiving the car from Union Pacific,†this is not what the records show. Even if we were to believe these belatedly-produced, unverified “recordsâ€, they show notification times, not UP delivery times. It is also a matter of fact in the record that Carver routinely has to notify CIRY of UP deliveries because CIRY has no local presence.
David Jordan explains how long it really takes CIRY to deliver shipments:
The fact is, Union Pacific’s “Peoria Wayfreight” works five days a week, Sunday thru Thursday beginning at 5:00pm. A trip up to Pioneer Jct. is usually the first job for the wayfreight, which does this on Mondays and Wednesdays. Basically, UP delivers to CIRY in the early evening, but CIRY’s crew does not work the Pioneer Jct. to Pioneer Park line until late morning or early afternoon the following day (if there are any cars). [Assuming] that CIRY receives notice from the UP the following morning that these cars have been delivered […] UP physically interchanges these cars to CIRY the prior evening and then some 18-20 hours later, CIRY delivers to Carver Lumber.
That’s assuming that CIRY receives notice from UP in a timely manner, which isn’t necessarily the case, as Pioneer points out that Carver has had to notify CIRY on occasion as well. But who cares if Carver is getting adequate service? Certainly not the city. To the city, Carver is not a business that provides 50 good-paying jobs plus property and sales taxes to the economy; rather, they’re just obstructionists standing in the way of a hiking/biking trail the Park District wants to build.
A review of some regional museums
Here are some interesting observations from other museums of the midwest:
- Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal — Cincinnati’s old train station, Union Terminal, is now the home of three museums (Cincinnati History Museum, Museum of Natural History & Science, and Cinergy Children’s Museum), an Omnimax Theater, and the Cincinnati Historical Society Library. At first blush, this sounds very similar to what Peoria is planning, but there are a couple of differences. First, notice that the name “Cincinnati” plays prominently in the naming, even though it also covers the surrounding area. Secondly, “Union Terminal takes up an area of 287 acres” for its five distinct wings; Peoria’s museum square takes up an area of about 6.5 acres for its seven distinct wings, Caterpillar Visitor Center, and 4 acres of open space.
- Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum — This reference/research facility and Presidential museum opened in 2004. It doesn’t mention Springfield in the name, but it does have a narrower scope than Peoria’s planned musuem. “The permanent exhibit is comprised of two ‘Journeys,’ two Theaters, a Treasures Gallery, Mrs. Lincoln’s Attic and Ask Mr. Lincoln totaling more than 40,000 sq. ft. of state-of-the-art exhibitry.” All of that 40,000 square feet is devoted to President Lincoln, and in addition to that space the library boasts “more than 12 million documents, books, and artifacts relating to all areas of Illinois history. This includes extensive collections of State of Illinois history; Civil War and, of course, the world renowned Henry Horner Lincoln collection. The Library is also heavily utilized for genealogical research.” Peoria, on the other hand, is planning to have about 70,000 square feet of exhibit space devoted to art, history, natural history, science and technology, African American history, IHSA, and other exhibits covering the whole region. Very little space, if any, is devoted to research or library services. In fact, the Peoria Public Library wasn’t even asked to have any part in the project.
- The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis — Guess where this museum is located. That’s right, Indianapolis. Guess what kind of museum it is. Yep, a children’s museum. See how easy it is to figure out when the name is so descriptive? This museum is 433,500 square feet situated on 14 acres of land. It “houses 11 major galleries that explore the physical and natural sciences, history, world cultures and the arts.” That’s a little over 39,000 square feet (on average) for each gallery. It also opened in 1925 in a carriage house and didn’t get a new, dedicated building until 1976, after its success was established. Its new building is also four stories high. An 80,000-square-foot addition was built in 1988 at a cost of $16 million. In 2006 dollars (according to the CPI calculator from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis), that comes out to just under $27.4 million. In contrast, the 70,000-square-foot facility Peoria is building will cost $65 million to construct.
When you start comparing, you start wondering how Peoria can do an adequate job of exhibiting so many different disciplines with so little space. Either there’s just not that much interesting art/history/etc. in Peoria (or regionally, if you will), or else our $65 million museum will be insufficient to house it all from the outset. I fear the latter is true.
Wi-Fi proponents beware
In the Chicago Tribune today (free registration required):
About 90 percent of the free wireless broadband connections available at O’Hare International Airport are not true Wi-Fi hotspots and some could be traps laid by fraudsters, a computer security firm asserts.
Apparently, what some hackers do is go to the airport, log onto either a free or fee-based broadband connection with their laptop. “The hacker laptop then broadcasts the wireless signal as free Wi-Fi, hoping to lure travelers as they log online to read their e-mail, check their bank balances or otherwise catch up with work.”
If your laptop is set to automatically search for and connect to Wi-Fi, just turning on your computer could allow hackers could steal your info without you even knowing it. I wonder if anyone would try that here in Peoria once muni Wi-Fi is set up….
I wonder if it’s an 18-minute gap
Part of the Open Meetings Act requires that audio recordings be made of executive sessions precisely for the reason that’s facing the Peoria Park District now — someone is challenging the legality of action taken in closed session. Specifically, there’s a lawsuit over the Peoria Park District’s actions regarding sharing parkland with District 150 so they can build a school on a portion of Glen Oak Park. A judge can review the executive session recordings to see if any illegal action took place during the meeting…
But guess what? Merle Widmer reports that parts of the recordings in question have been erased!
First I heard it was one tape that got erased “accidentally†of Peoria Park Board and Peoria Public School District #150 Executive Minutes. Then an unimpeachable source told me it was “two†Park Board Executive tapes that were “accidentally†erased. These tapes supposedly contain dialogue between certain Peoria Public School District #150 Board Members and members of the Peoria Park District Board of Directors concerning the relocating of Glen Oak School on Prospect Road and on private and PPD land.
Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. I smell a cover-up.