http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ Discussion Forum for Riverside Illinois en Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:44:07 +0000 http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/riverside-springs-ahead-landscape-project#post-14908 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:20:39 +0000 JillM 14908@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>Terri Lynne Culloden led a weeding day in the CBD with the girl scouts Monday night. The beds look great - thanks Terri and everyone else! </p> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/riverside-springs-ahead-landscape-project#post-14754 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:51:50 +0000 JillM 14754@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>Come help rejuvenate our Central Business District in preparation for The 4th of July !</p> <p>Dates we need volunteers:</p> <p>Saturday, June 25th : 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. RAIN OR SHINE<br /> Meet at Riverside Bank</p> <p> Weed planting beds<br /> Remove spent blooms from flowers<br /> Sprinkle time release fertilizer around plants<br /> Plant a few replacement plants in select Burlington planters </p> <p>Any Day or Evening before July 4th :</p> <p>Contact us to let us know if you would like to help out on another day or evening on your own, and we can let you know which planters need your help.</p> <p>*Bring work gloves, clippers, shovels and water bottles*</p> <p>Come for an hour or the whole time!</p> <p>Thank you for helping to make a more beautiful Riverside!</p> <p>*Call 708 205-8668*<br /> Sponsored by the Village of Riverside’s Landscape Advisory Commission </p> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/business-district-study-northern-univerity/page/3#post-14209 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 01:21:09 +0000 anonymous 14209@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>I agree with spatny. The roof looks terrific. And the windows do, too. I share his opinion that the building is going to look much better than anyone hoped. I can't wait for it to be completed and occupied. </p> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/business-district-study-northern-univerity/page/3#post-14208 Sun, 20 Mar 2011 22:27:27 +0000 spatny 14208@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>Take a look at the work being done on the Arcade roof. It is really wonderful. The building is going to look much better than anyone could have hoped. The new owner is simply great - and he even makes his own wine. A Renaissance man! Let's all look to find some tenants... I think someone should take some pics of the building and make up some brochures that would include info about Riverside and the Arcade Building to give people with existing businesses that might want to open another branch here. How about doing that, EDC?</p> <p>Maybe we should put up a website so that we could refer people to that. </p> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/business-district-study-northern-univerity/page/3#post-14185 Fri, 18 Mar 2011 22:36:15 +0000 spatny 14185@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>FYI - Borders Book Stores closing in Illinois:</p> <p>Bolingbrook, IL Bolingbrook Retail Center 161 N. Webber<br /> Chicago, IL 2817 North Clark Street<br /> Chicago, IL 2210 W. 95th Street<br /> Chicago, IL Lincoln Village 6103 N. Lincoln Avenue<br /> Chicago, IL Uptown Chicago 4718 N. Broadway Ave<br /> Chicago, IL Lincoln Park Centre 755 W. North Avenue<br /> Crystal Lake, IL Crystal Point Shopping Center 6000 Northwestern Highway<br /> Deerfield, IL 49 S Waukegan Road<br /> DeKalb, IL Northland Plaza 2520 Sycamore Road<br /> Evanston, IL 1700 Maple Avenue<br /> Matteson, IL Matteson Plaza 4824 West 211th Street<br /> McHenry, IL Village of McHenry 2221 Richmond Road<br /> Mt Prospect, IL Randhurst Mall 909 North Elmhurst Rd<br /> Normal, IL 200 A North Greenbriar Drive<br /> Norridge, IL Norridge Commons 7100 W. Forest Preserve Drive<br /> St. Charles, IL Main Street Commons 3539 E Main<br /> Wilmette, IL (closing by late May 2011) Edens Plaza 3232 Lake Ave, Suite100</p> <p>New list issued 3/17/11 </p> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/business-district-study-northern-univerity/page/3#post-14150 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:21:06 +0000 spatny 14150@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>Well I wish more people would let the Village know that we should not proceed with this project unless and until we have seen the entire plan. I predict we will lose the Fairbank dam and then the money won't be there for Hofmann, so it will be a total waste of time and we won't get the repair work done in the Swan Pond that should be/would be the only benefit of all this. With both the Feds and the State under water financially projects like this make little sense.</p> <p>My issue has been with the effect the dam "notching" will have at low water, but when I went to the Olmsted meeting someone there informed me that he had written to the IDNR/ACofE about what the effect on water velocity would be during flood times - his reasoning was that without the backed up "lake" of water the current would be faster and it comes right down straight at the library. His concern was what would be the possibility of the water overflowing and eroding that area - of course he got no reply. </p> <p>I also talked to the guy at the FPD that deals with easements and he told me the Corps/IDNR had not talked with them for at least six months, so they sure aren't following up on the idea of doing the work from the south bank. Back in the 1950s the Village and the FPD and Mosquito Abatement went to court to get them to build the new dam - the present one that now stands in front of the old 1908 horseshoe dam that is still largely out there - at the higher present level of 605. They did that for all the reasons that I've been harping on and after having the experience of the old dam having its top ripped off and lowered by the WPA. </p> <p>This letter from our Rep. Mike Zalewski is from the Landmark last week -</p> <p>"3/8/2011 10:00:00 PM Email this article • Print this article<br /> Can't spend money that's not there<br /> In the coming days and weeks, state lawmakers will begin the process of crafting a state budget. The passage of recent budgeting reforms by the General Assembly now help ensure an end to business as usual when it comes to how the state spends tax dollars.</p> <p>No longer will the budgeting process start by taking the appropriations made to state agencies from last year and simply add more funds. These agencies will have to justify the need for all of their spending requests and learn how to do more with less than before.</p> <p>Under the new budgeting process, the House Revenue Committee will be tasked with determining actual anticipated revenues that the state will be able to appropriate. When the Revenue Committee determines anticipated revenues, the House' appropriations committees will be given a finite spending limit. In short, we can't - and won't - spend money that isn't there.</p> <p>As a member of the Revenue Committee, I will be in a unique position to help hold the line on state spending by acting as a fiscal watchdog over the House appropriations committees.</p> <p>Just like a family that has to live on a budget, the state must also start to live within its means. Through my work on the Revenue Committee and in my other duties as state representative, I pledge to do everything I can to help pass a state budget that does more with less.</p> <p>State Rep. Mike Zalewski (21st)<br /> Riverside"</p> <p>I think a lot of people feel that this is a good place to save some money.</p> <p>Posted: Saturday, March 12, 2011<br /> Article comment by: Donald Spatny</p> <p>I read with great interest Rep. Zalewski's letter about not spending money we don't have and forwarded it to a number of people who, like me, question the wisdom of spending approx. $8 million on the Hofmann dam removal project. Not only is this a waste of money but it holds great potential harm for Riverside. </p> <p>There have been dams on the river for 184 years and the two there now have no problems, cost nothing, could last another 50 years and serve a very useful purpose as they back up 156 acre feet of water that keeps a lot (21,000 cubic yards) of contaminated sediment covered. If this project goes forward they will tear up a portion of Swan Pond park to remove the Fairbank Dam this year, and will seek a three year easement to utilize the park area along Fairbank Road as a staging area and construction site for the "notching" (the removal to bedrock of 60% or 150 ft.) of the existing 1950 Dam.</p> <p>This project is nothing but a boondoggle to draw funds to the IDNR, which they have been doing for more than ten years. I filed FOIAs to discover how much money has been wasted on this dubious and potentially harmful project. The Army Corps complied but the IDNR stiffed me, telling me I would have to make an appointment to come to Springfield if I want to see anything. By mentioning the AG I was finally able to get a single page of numbers from them that looks like the IDNR has drawn and spent about $750K and the ACofE a similar amount - a total of $1.5 million squandered and there is still no finished project report. If we are going to cut wasteful spending this is a great place to start.</p> <p>If Springfield is serious about saving money and not wasting funds we don’t have and must borrow on needless and unproductive projects, here is a perfect one to start with. With the potential for having to watch, hear and smell literally thousands of trucks coming and going and losing trees and degrading parklands important to this Village this is the perfect place for our Representative to say "STOP WASTING TAXPAYER DOLLARS."</p> <p>This letter was sent by a homeowner on Maplewood who has been following this project and not getting any answers:</p> <p>"Mr. Kiel,</p> <p>We spoke a number of months ago when I requested two things from the Army Corp: 1) a topographical map showing the width of the river at low water with the dam removed, 2) a public discussion of the remediation process above the dam. At a subsequent meeting, you handed me a study with some numbers, whereby I could figure out the widths myself. Unfortunately, the figures do not make much sense to me and I have been unable to ascertain what the river will look like after the dam is removed.</p> <p>To those of us who live along the river and to other concerned parties, this is a serious issue. The wellspring of desire to see the dam removed, particularly among our elected officials and others who live far removed from the rivers banks does not justify the haste with which this project is currently being pursued.</p> <p>What I am requesting is not beyond your capabilities. Conduct a thorough survey of the river, use flow rates from last summer and fall, when water levels were sufficiently low, then generate a map which will show clearly what the width of the river will look like and contrast it with what the river looks like today, with the dam in place.</p> <p>At that same meeting, I gathered from your colleagues comments that the remediation process will be one where "nature will take its course". That is hardly a plan, especially when you consider that the dam was put in to alleviate that very thing.</p> <p>The idea that this project was funded under the guise of public safety is beyond ludicrous. For a fraction of the $8 million dollars of taxpayer money this project will require, Riverside could have had a handicap accessible tunnel beneath the Burlington Northern railroad tracks. A safe passage for children and commuters alike. Instead the old tunnel was declared beyond repair and filled in with cement. There currently is no fine or penalty for coming close to or going over the dam.</p> <p>The reluctance of our elected officials to require the Corp to be more thorough in this matter, while dismaying, does not remove the responsibility." </p> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/business-district-study-northern-univerity/page/3#post-14149 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 16:53:52 +0000 JamesMarsh 14149@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>I may like to snipe but I do agree with you on the dam issue </p> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/business-district-study-northern-univerity/page/3#post-14148 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 16:14:37 +0000 spatny 14148@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>James Marsh - I posted somewhere a correction on that - it was just the Evanston store that closed. I went past the one in LaGrange today and it does have big sheets of paper over some of the windows but we saw people coming out. REally, you seem to have a great joy in sniping at me - I never said I was happy that it was closing. It just looked that way... </p> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/business-district-study-northern-univerity/page/3#post-14147 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 16:11:27 +0000 spatny 14147@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>On the bright side... the new roofing is going up on the Arcade, and the tower substructure is ready to go up. It will be dark slate with copper gutters, scuppers and downspouts,which will make it look fantastic. Then the finials will go up on the tower, over the windows, etc. What a wonedrful transformation... now we need that nice italian restaurant/bar/bistro with a wood burning oven for great pizza... </p> http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic/business-district-study-northern-univerity/page/3#post-14146 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:34:04 +0000 PAR4 14146@http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/ <p>It was the large "GOING OUT OF BUSINESS SALE" sign on the front of the store a few weeks ago that made me think it was true....</p> <p>But they weren't listed in the article, so it had me wondering. </p>