eted:bLog

Last weekend Lisa and I visited Bill Crook Jr. on his land in Wisconsin. Bill has mentioned his land many times to me in the past but this was the first time I got the chance to go and stay there. I added a vacation day to my two contingent days off so that i would have a three day weekend to stay there.

It took us around six hours to get there and we left Saturday morning and came back Monday afternoon, giving us two evenings, one day, and a morning to take in the surroundings.

The land is near Plum Creek. Bill has built two differentr cabins on the land in the time that he has owned it. The first one eventually fell apart and the second one is evidence of his imporved abilities at building design since then. from what i can tell, I think it likely that the second cabin will remain standing for quite some time.

It is not a log cabin, but made of boards and lumber, much of which has been recycled. Monday morning I helped him dig some more post holes to extend the deck. t is a very cute little house with a wood burning stove inside, many recycled old windows, and even a small attic. It has cedar shake siding and is painted very colorfully on the front porch columns and inside.

Lisa took all the pictures while we were there on her nicer camera and she has posted them on her FaceBook profile. You will have to log into FaceBook to see them:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2022096&id=1424315406

IDOT held a public info forum at Crown plaza the other night and are taking comments at their website here:

http://www.idothsr.org/

I got an e-vite from Michelle Higgenbotham, but it is in picture form so I couldn’t copy and paste it here and on the website very easily. It asks that you post comments on IDOT’s website about the 3rd Street proposal. I suggest you let them know how you feel, especially since they are asking.

This just in from Steve:

To Rail Rally Participants

The House Railroad Industry Committee originally scheduled to review HB 4626 this Wednesday, October 7th, has been postponed by Speaker Madigan at the request of Chairmen Van Meter and Mayor Davlin. The county and city are providing IDOT and UP time to put together a Memorandum of Understanding that will confirm an Environmental Impact Study will be initiated on the 10th Street corridor and mitigation money allocated for 3rd Street will be used to mitigate 10th Street if the EIS shows it is the better place to consolidate all railways (3rd and 19th Street).

In place of the hearing, we are encouraging all of our friends to join us at the IDOT Open House, Wednesday, October 7, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 3000 South Dirksen Parkway. We plan to get together at 5:30 p.m. however you can go on your own anytime between 4 and 7. They will have comment forms available for you to let IDOT know how you feel about their support of UP’s second rail on 3rd Street for increased freight. Organizers of the open house have indicated that “the public meetings will be an open house format, so you may visit the event at any time. There will be a continuous PowerPoint presentation and exhibits that provide an overview of the Environmental Assessment, purpose and need, summary of improvements and constraints, and next steps. Representatives from IDOT will be available to discuss the study and answer your questions.”  They could not confirm whether or not officials from UP would be present.

Let’s make sure IDOT knows that no matter how late they are holding a meeting to tell us what they have already decided to do, we are a well educated group, we know the main issues, and we resent having been talked down too and insulted by the Secretary. Remember (9/5/09) “This is the only alternative (Third Street) that’s going to work. The other alternative is walking away,” Hannig said in a conference call with the editorial board of The State Journal-Register. “We have to ride the horse that we have, and that’s Third Street,” he said. And then again (9/9/09) SJ-R summed up Hannig’s view from an second conference call in two sentences: 1.) This is the only plan we’ve got so get used to it. 2.) Hey, Springfield, shut up about this and don’t blow our chance at $2 billion in federal money. Well the only thing to shut up in Springfield will be the train whistles once we get the tracks consolidated and create a 5 mile quiet zone with a surrounding green way and a bustling multimodal center for travel and commerce.

Steve Combs on behalf of the Grassroots Coalition for Consolidation

Michelle Higgenbotham was able to get a word with Governor Quinn in Chicago yesterday! Also we were able to break into Chicago media on two TV stations and a radio station . . .AND . . .

Two big victories with the City Council and the State of Illinois! This from President of the Enos park Neighborhood improvement Association, Steve Combs:

“City Council will not sell city property to Union Pacific! Madigan wants State to withhold state money from Union Pacific and IDOT if second rail goes down 3rd Street corridor! Who would have every believed those headlines 8 weeks ago!”