Carbondale Bytelife

The City of Carbondale's Housing Study Committee meets at 5 p.m. today at City Hall. If you attend, you can help set the future agenda for the committee as the only items on the current agenda are discussing objectives and scope of work as well as setting dates for future meetings. More information about the announced purpose of the Housing Study Committee can be found on page 3 here.

Labels: Carbondale, city government

Oh lord, this is rich.

Labels: election

Faner Hall has had several sightings, mainly during the '90s, of a female student in striped top and jeans, carrying a backpack and hurrying briskly down a hall or into the women's restroom. The sightings I'm aware of took place in the evening and were reported by janitorial staff. The stories were genrally the same. They staffers were cleaning and the girl walked quickly past them but when they turned to look at her, she had vanished.

In one store, the staffer was cleaning one of the women's restroons. A girl came through the door of the restroom, walked past the staffer into one of the stalls. The door didn't close and the staffer didn't hear any sounds coming from inside. After several munites passed and the rest of the room was cleaned, the cleaner knocked on the unlatched stall door. The door slowly swung wide open revealing an empty stall.

Supppoosedly the girl killed herslef in Faner over a romance gone bad, but as with similar stories from other SIUC buildings, there's no evidences any deaths have ever happened in the building.

Labels: Halloween, siuc

Looks like five buildings on campus will be getting new roofs over the next year. I find it interesting that the Dunn Richmond Center, the newest of the buildings, is the one slated to be repaired first and the oldest, the Old Baptist Foundation, gets replaced last. Student fees are, of course, funding these repairs as well as the Saluki Way project. While it's good to seen long deferred maintenance taken care of, it still says something about SIUC priorities that the Saluki Way project still has a green light while ther eis still lots more defered maintenance on academic buildings that need addressing.

Labels: Saluki Way, siuc

Glad to see a few places in town have decorations up. I do see a lot of scattered pumpkins sitting on front stoops or pruches but only a few homes with anthing beyond that. As far as I can see, only the Petal Patch has any exterior decoration.

Labels: Carbondale, Halloween

Or at least re-named. The Domino's sign has been covered over with a new one indicting the business is now called Dough Boy's Pizza. I've heard the owners of the local Domino's franchise refer to themselves as the Dough Boys in the past. I assume the franchise contract came up for renegotiation and Domino's wanted more than the Dough Boys felt the name was worth. Either than or Domino's pulled the franchise when it expired and will shop it around to someone else. It will be interesting to see if Dough Boy's has or can develop a good enough reputation quickly to compete with the likes of Quatro's and Italian Village.

Labels: business, Carbondale

Usually people move from the public sector to the private sector, in the expectation of making more money. The Carbondale Chamber Executive Director is going at it backwards, giving up the ED position in favor of one as Marketing and Public Information Officer over at the SIUC College of Buisness.

Labels: Carbondale, Chamber of Commerce, siuc

There's a freeze warning out for tonight. Temperatures are expected to drop below freezing for several huors tonight and Monday.

Labels: southern Illinois

This is pretty cool. The Southern is posting interviews with each candidate from the Senate on down on its website. The interviews range from about 33 minutes (Kathy Cummings, the Green Party's candidate for the Senate) to over an hour (State Sen. Gary Forby). Audio only, so you could listen to them while doing something else.

Labels: election

Apparently the cunning plan behind the raising the rent on Hollywood Video did not come to fruition as I see a large For Rent sign standing outside the building alongside West 13. Maybe it's just me, but it was rather silly to get rid of your current tenant without having a new one ready to come in.

Labels: business, Carbondale

Ron Howard, Andy Griffith and Henry Winkler all stepped back into characters they haven't played for decades to make this video promoting Obama's candidacy. Worth a few minutes of your time, if just for the nostalgia value.

Labels: election

Chancellor Goldman has this to say about the anti Abortion display at SIUC earlier this week.

Labels: ethics, Sam Goldman, siuc

Since grabbing a faculty member by the wrists hand enough to leave a bruise, causing her to file a harassment claim, wasn't enough to cause Dean of Library Affairs David Carlson to step down from his position while it was investigated, Profesors Emereti Cal Meyers and John Simon must have done something horrible to warrant being removed from their positions and banned from campus while the claims again them are investigated. But it's apples and oranges to compare the two cases. Dean Carlson says so:

"I see no similarities whatsoever to the single event five years ago with Ms. Callahan and the more recent issues with Dr. Simon," he wrote.

Labels: Cal Meyers, John Simon, siuc

I haven't seen the display referenced to in this letter, have to get over there tonight and take a look at it. However, I find it very interesting that the administration approved a display of what the letter writer describes as "graphic, bloody pictures"while ordering the removal last summer of a banner that showed partially bared buttocks, with the order rescinded only after the artist agreed to drape said offending buttocks.

Update: I was just told that there has been at least one protester out by the display this afternoon holding up a sign with Chancellor Goldman's phone # and email address. Apparently enough people called that the Chancellor's office stopped taking calls at that number around 2 p.m.

Update 2: This gets better and better. It appears this was not a display created by a campus RSO but rather one created by an anti-abortion group invited to campus by the College Republicans. However, the two students that signed the request in the name of the College Republicans were members of a splinter group that had broke off from the offical group. The university has not yet sanctioned their group as an official RSO and the two students that signed for it had no official standing to do so.

Labels: freedom of speech, siuc

Oakland Cemetery, at the north end of Oakland Ave, has a couple of interesting haunts that could give someone on a dark night quite a start.People have reported occasionally seeing balls of light floating along the old railroad bed that runs along the northern edge of the cemetery. BTW, if you want to make a tour of it, people have seen similar balls of light floating along the railroad tracks near Boskydell and those running south from Makanda as well. In fact, floating balls of light are a staple along railroad tracks all over the country.

Also, there are a couple of mausoleums in Oakland and someone likes to play tricks with the one closer to the road. Thought apparently the key is lost, on occasion visitors have found the door unlocked, entered and seen a painting or glass image of a young woman moving to look at them. I have heard of a FOAF who entered the mausoleum, had the door lock behind her, and saw the image of the woman move to look at her. Never did hear what happened next, though. I've been there several times, never lucky enough to find the door open though. Strange thing though, every time I've been there, I've found burnt candles in glass jars or holders on the steps, sometimes votives but most often larger ones.

Oakland closes at 6 p.m. but the road runs right alongside with a clear view of the old railway bed and the nausoleum.

Labels: Halloween

Looks like the stock market's gyrations are really hurting the university in general and the Saluki Way project in particular. Bonds to finance the project aren't selling as well as projected and donations aside from the city's, are sitting at $5.5 million, still a long way from the $21.5 million neeeded. This post points out a much better use of the $20 million geneated by the increase in the C'dale sales tax. More scholaarships would bring in more students, generating more fees, eventually allowing the building of a new stadium and Arena, instead of the hope that by building new sporting facilities, the univeristy will attract more students.

Labels: Carbondale, sales tax, Saluki Way, siuc

The whole sexual harassment problem at SIUC rears its head again. Not only aren't the faculty thrilled with the new sexual harassment policy as written but, according to this letter, Professor Cal Meyers, who has been banned from campus while the harassment allegation is under investigation, came on campus to vist a college and was escorted off by two security guards. Granted he shouldn't have been on campus but were two security guards needed to escort an 81 year old man off campus? Sounds like a bit over overkill to me.

Labels: Cal Meyers, siuc

In case you missed it this morning, WSIU's Jennifer Fuller had an interview with SIUC Chancellor Sam Goldman about the state of the university, which is good, of course. Listen to it here.

Labels: Sam Goldman, siuc

Nah, but I found his comment in yesterday's SI amusing.

Bost said Palin would do a great job in the White House, partly because she is a woman.

"I think women should be in politics," Bost said. "They would do a better job just because of the way they're wired."

If he'd like to put his money where his mouth is, I bet all three parties could find a woman to run for his seat.

Labels: election, southern Illinois

It appears the razed Associated Lumber sheds are slated to provide additional parking for the Newell House building, Fusion and Club Traz. 70 more spaces will certainly make it more convenient for customers frequenting the businesses in those buildings, especially now that they don't have to feed parking meters during the day. The current parking there was always hard to manuver around it and ususally pretty crowded both day and evening. Hopefully, there won't be much trouble with people parking there who aren't cusotmers or employees of oone of the buesess there.

Labels: downtown Carbondale

Since it's October and Halloween is coming up, I thought I'd point out some of the haunted spots in town over the next couple of weeks, besides the Huntley House, that is. Wheeler Hall, on the SIUC campus tuned 100 in 2004 and has been the site of some poltergeist activity over the years, most notably during the 1990s. I was told of one incident by a student who's mother worked in one of the Wheeler Hall offices prior to the 1992 renovation. The woman was in the basement one evening filing some paperwork (by herself of course) when a chair suddenly slid across the floor towards her. Needles to say, she exited the basement posthaste and refulsed to ever go back downstairs again unless accompanied.

Labels: Carbondale, Halloween

I just noticed Associated Lumber has moved out of their long time location on Washington Street next to Spires Wholesale. Someone has pulled down the lumber storage buildings in the rear and the the retail space itself is getting remodeled. I see from the city permit notice posted on the front door this started at the end of August.

Labels: business, downtown Carbondale

Been awhile since I've received one of these.. Looks like the box office opens tomorrow with the first play going on the weekend of the 24th:

The Stage Company—along with partner Carbondale Community Arts—has been hard at work all spring and summer renovating parts of the VCA into a venue for both the performing arts and visual arts. While the VCA project is just now concluding phase two of a four-phase, multi-year development, we are ready to begin sharing the facility with Southern Illinois.

The first Stage Company show is Neil Simon’s politically-themed classic comedy Star Spangled Girl, directed by Mary Boyle, running for two weekends: October 24, 25, 26 and October 31, November 1 and 2, 2008. Tickets go on sale October 10. Admission is $15 per person, and all seats are reserved. Tickets for the whole four-show season are also available for $55.

The box office will be open in the VCA lobby two weeks before each Stage Company show. Box office hours will be 5:00-7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, noon to 4:00 p.m. Saturdays, and one hour before each show. Tickets for Stage Company shows can also be reserved by calling 618-549-5466. Friday and Saturday evening performances are at 7:30 pm. Sunday matinee performances are at 2 pm.

Other highlights from the 2008-2009 Stage Company season:

• The second annual Holiday Home Tours will be held Saturday and Sunday, the 6th and 7th of December, featuring all different homes and new locations, as well as a silent auction for 15 unique tabletop Christmas trees. Ticket prices are the same as last year ($20 for Saturday, $50 for Sunday’s tour and reception, or a combined ticket for both days for $65). The proceeds will benefit the Stage Company. For tickets for the Holiday Home Tours only, call 618-516-4520.
  

• Continuing the holiday cheer, the second show of the season is Daniel Sullivan’s comic Inspecting Carol, the story of a struggling theater company (ahem) having yet another run at old Charles Dickens. Slapstick results. The show runs two weekends: December 12, 13, 14 and December 19, 20 and 21, 2008. Tickets for this show go on sale November 28.
  

• In February, it’s Ken Ludwig’s latest hilarious farce, Leading Ladies. February 20, 21, 22 and February 27, 28 and March 1, 2009. Tickets go on sale February 6.
  

• Noel Coward’s timeless and witty Blithe Spirit comes to town April 24, 25, 26 and May 1, 2 and 3, 2009. Tickets go on sale April 10.
  

• This summer, look for the upcoming SNOOPY! The Musical! A rollicking show for the whole family.

Labels: Stage Company

The Southern has a short documentary on the burning of the Old Main Building this month back in 1969 with interviews with a couple of the firefighters that were there. Watch it here.

Labels: crime, siuc, Southern Illinoisan

Even the Chamber of Commerce and Business Roundtable don't care much for it.

Labels: economy, election

The closed Ponderosa building next to Dick's Sporting Goods is being razed to make way for the relocation of Aldi's from the west side of town. From what I've been told, the Ponderosa, much like Hollywood Video on the west side, didn't close because it wasn't profitable but because the new lease asked for by the landlord was signficantly higher than either company's business plan would support. Seems rather shortsighted to me as I havne't seen any new businesses jumping in to snap up the Hollywood location, though negotaitions may be going on of which I am unaware.

Labels: business, Carbondale

Rep Jerry Costello voted no again on the second version of the bloated bailout bill. Here's his email explaining why:

Labels: Jerry Costello

It's officially October now that Chittyville School is open again. The haunting starts tonight and continues every weekend through Hallowe'en. You can read the legend behind the haunting here (beware the annoying music that starts as soon as the page opens). BTW, the research I've done, and admittedly it's very little, shows no records of anyone vanishing from the school during the early part of the 20th century. After all, you'd think local parents would get a mite disturbed with one of their children vanishing from school halls every October Thee's been some strange stuff happen at Chittyville School over the years, but not due to putting up the building on an abandoned cemetary. Makes for a good story, though.

Labels: Halloween

Good lord, this thing has gotten huge. And, unfortunately, it's probably going to pass, because, hey, we've got to do something.

Labels: economy

If the bailout goes through, here's one expert's prediction of what happens. Is he right? Nobody knows. 200 economists sure think it's a bad idea.

Labels: bailout