Category: Mount Vernon

This weekend was spectacular

November 5th, 2007 · · Jaycees, Mount Vernon, School No comments - Tags: , ,

I did nothing, and I loved every minute of it. No HoH, no meetings, no homework, nothing.

Now, I do have homework to do, but it’s not due until tomorrow, and I should get it done easily this evening. I just have to answer some questions for CSCI 1101 and review my last presentation for COMM 1101. No big issues there.

Changed the spark plugs and wires in the Hyundai Sunday afternoon. Thankfully, that took care of the misfire in cylinder 3 that was making the car run like poo. It’s amazing what simple routine maintenance can accomplish.

Afterward, I went and did some grocery shopping. Now all there is to do is concentrate on school work. Yay.

Midway through the long run, Halloween is coming

October 28th, 2007 · · Illinois, Jaycees, Mount Vernon One comment - Tags: ,

Well, we are midway through our long stretch at the House of Horror. Things have been humming right along, but were slow this weekend. Hopefully everyone is holding out until Halloween on Wednesday.

We’ve made it through storms, being shorthanded, and other inconveniences. Not much to go through now except time. Once this week is over, I will need a vacation. Perhaps I will relax a few days until it is time for the tear-down of this mess.

Onward!

School and the House of Horror

October 25th, 2007 · · Illinois, Jaycees, Mount Vernon, School, Technology 2 comments - Tags: ,

School is still going well. Comm 1101 is fine I think. OS and CSCI 1101 are A’s I’m pretty sure. I did manage to get my first C in Networking today though. Overall, it shouldn’t affect my grade for the class, but it is a bit unnerving. Once I’ve done some hands-on with the routers I think I’ll have the commands down. Right now it’s all theory. I can learn theory, but practical application is better.

The HoH 2007 is going great. We made our budget back by our fifth night (last Saturday), and it’s clear-sailing from here on out. Hopefully the rain and temperatures will keep cooperating like they have the first two weekends. Volunteers all seem to have something going on this weekend, but we should have enough people to carry on.

Long time, no updates

October 15th, 2007 · · Illinois, Jaycees, Mount Vernon, School One comment - Tags: ,

Sorry everyone. I have been extremely busy with real life and haven’t had time to update the ol’ blog. To summarize quickly: mid-terms, House of Horror, kids, homework, etc.

The HoH is doing pretty well after the opening weekend. We ran over 300 people through total. Granted, there have been years with 400 in one night, but Halloween is two weeks out and this was the first 3 nights.

Needless to say, I hope the next two weeks keep up this decent pace, and hopefully blow it away.

WDML did a live remote for us on Friday night, and it was awesome. They had us on air better than every 15 minutes and made us sound great. Saturday was the killer night with about 180 people coming through. Sunday was slow, however we expected it to be that way.

More to come soon, my break is over at work. Time to get back to updates and configurations!

Mount Vernon City Council Continues Aging City Artificially

August 21st, 2007 · · Illinois, Legislation, Mount Vernon 3 comments - Tags: , , , , ,

Okay, we know that more and more Americans are “graying” as the last great population boom gets older. Good for them. Unfortunately, the Mount Vernon City Council sees fit to ignore residents’ pleas and destroy a neighborhood to gain possible monetary increases from a new old folks home.

For months that I have been following this story, residents of the proposed development area have been fighting in every way imaginable to stop this development from being approved. Frequent appearances at city council meetings, petitions, etc.

Now, seemingly as a snub to the very people they are supposed to represent, the council vastly passed 3 measures to allow this  destruction.

For the city, this could mean new income and more old people to drive our average age even higher. For the residents, this will mean heavier traffic, construction in their once peaceful neighborhood, and absolutely no positive outcome.

One comment in an article from the Register-News has Councilman David Wood saying, “… Mt. Vernon has been negative, at best neutral, to developers.” Can you blame them, Davey? Some slick guy comes in claiming to have a great plan to help and grow our town while destroying a neighborhood. How about we build this next to your house, Dave? Better yet, you go ahead and buy one of the homes in that area and tell us how great it is to live there once this development starts.

What happens when/if the old folks don’t buy the condos/apartments and the developer cuts losses? Do we get another remote ghetto? Sounds like a winner to me.

When/if the old folks do come, what do they do for our local economy? Buy breakfast at Denny’s? Yay! More support for minimum wage jobs. Oh no, they’ll go golfing. Okay, I’m sure that the caddy they use can support his family on that wage.

Mount Vernon’s age was tilted to the high side when the 2000 census was taken. I have no doubts that it is even more so now that we have GreenTree. Bad news for council: YOU CAN’T SUPPORT AN ECONOMY SIMPLY ON RETIRED-PERSON’S INCOME.

It just can’t be done that I have seen. Real employment and development needs to come our way, not more retirement villages alone.

I see nothing wrong with retirement homes/apartments/whatever. I do have a problem with city council ignoring the people they were elected to represent and trying to turn Mount Vernon into a retirement community.