As with life in general, a runner doesn't always know where he's headed when he sets out for the day. He may have a route he likes to follow regularly, or several routes he runs depending on the desired distance or scenery. Other days there is a goal or destination: a shopping center, a friend's house, errands. Then there are the days when he just starts one direction and waits to see where his feet lead him. So it was today.
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| Not my intention to suggest taking out the trash; merely apropos coincidence this morning. |
Maybe it was coincidence. Perchance it was fate. Might it have been subconscious suggestion that led me on a path past history? Ultimately I found myself running in the vicinity of Lombard Middle School and I decided to stop for a gander at the grand old "Zephyr Dome," last vestige of Lombard College. The dilapidated dome — which, incidentally, is not a dome at all — is at the center of a war between the local school district and the regional office of education. For some reason the ROE has authority over the fate of the structure. The ROE has sided with local preservationists in the face of the school district's determination to demolish the hazardous hall.
The editorial board were going to sound off on the subject Sunday, but we opted instead to take a united stand with a single editorial. It was a well-written piece and I agree with its premise. But I had a few other thoughts on the matter. Here is my original response:
Should Regional Superintendent allow demolition of the "Zephyr Dome" at Lombard Middle School?
To put it simply, yes, Regional Superintendent Bonnie Harris needs to sign off on the demolition of the old Lombard gym. To get more complex, let me qualify that with an alternative: Have a plan. I love historic buildings, particularly if they're cool looking like the inappropriately named "Zephyr Dome" ( it's a box, no curves, most notably not in the roof). The old gym has that castle-like appearance that screams for preservation and reuse.
But the building has sat dormant for too long. It deteriorates further by the day. It is a health hazard on a couple levels: it is likely a haven for vermin and it's dilapidation could prove harmful to anyone who gets close enough should it start shedding bricks, as some of Galesburg's older buildings have been known to do.
If it retains enough structural integrity to be saved, great. What happened to the task force? If somebody wants to save it, come up with a plan and a timeline. And that may mean coming up with some money quickly to slow its decay. No such action has happened. The preservationists plead for a stay and Bonnie Harris uses the power of her office to halt true progress.
So unless somebody wants to stop talking and start acting to actually preserve the old gym, tear it down.
The editorial board were going to sound off on the subject Sunday, but we opted instead to take a united stand with a single editorial. It was a well-written piece and I agree with its premise. But I had a few other thoughts on the matter. Here is my original response:
Should Regional Superintendent allow demolition of the "Zephyr Dome" at Lombard Middle School?
To put it simply, yes, Regional Superintendent Bonnie Harris needs to sign off on the demolition of the old Lombard gym. To get more complex, let me qualify that with an alternative: Have a plan. I love historic buildings, particularly if they're cool looking like the inappropriately named "Zephyr Dome" ( it's a box, no curves, most notably not in the roof). The old gym has that castle-like appearance that screams for preservation and reuse.
But the building has sat dormant for too long. It deteriorates further by the day. It is a health hazard on a couple levels: it is likely a haven for vermin and it's dilapidation could prove harmful to anyone who gets close enough should it start shedding bricks, as some of Galesburg's older buildings have been known to do.
If it retains enough structural integrity to be saved, great. What happened to the task force? If somebody wants to save it, come up with a plan and a timeline. And that may mean coming up with some money quickly to slow its decay. No such action has happened. The preservationists plead for a stay and Bonnie Harris uses the power of her office to halt true progress.
So unless somebody wants to stop talking and start acting to actually preserve the old gym, tear it down.
After the old gym came a decaying building that has historical significance to me: Pinebrook Western Store at the corner of Pine and Brooks streets. I visited that store a lot in my later teens, having grown up on John Wayne, the Lone Ranger, "Rawhide" and the Cisco Kid. Then I spent some summers in the Southwest, where everybody wears cowboy boots and hats and snap shirts. It was kind of a dream of mine.
Alas, with the passing of the shop's proprietor, Monte Gifford, several years back, the vacant building is posted with No Trespassing signs and bears the scars of age and negligence: broken windows, crumbling bricks and mortar, rotted wood... Nobody cries for the salvation of the Pinebrook building. It does not have the cool, castle-like countenance of the old gym. Its history isn't linked to Carl Sandburg. And yet, it was the longtime home to a unique local business run by a unique man who cared enough about this town to serve on the City Council.
Alas, with the passing of the shop's proprietor, Monte Gifford, several years back, the vacant building is posted with No Trespassing signs and bears the scars of age and negligence: broken windows, crumbling bricks and mortar, rotted wood... Nobody cries for the salvation of the Pinebrook building. It does not have the cool, castle-like countenance of the old gym. Its history isn't linked to Carl Sandburg. And yet, it was the longtime home to a unique local business run by a unique man who cared enough about this town to serve on the City Council.
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| The backside of the former Pinebrook Western Store. |
Today's Stats
Temp: 60 degrees F
Distance: 4.7 miles
Treasure: 1 skull (animal, mandible missing); 1 glove; 1 cigarette box; 1 Walgreens photo CD (too damaged to view); 16 cans.
Temp: 60 degrees F
Distance: 4.7 miles
Treasure: 1 skull (animal, mandible missing); 1 glove; 1 cigarette box; 1 Walgreens photo CD (too damaged to view); 16 cans.
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| Morning glories on a fence glow in the light of the rising sun. |
iPod Playlist (shuffle)
Venus (dance mix) - Bananarama
Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of - U2
We Shall Be Free - Garth Brooks
Spell No. 30 (For the Judgment of the Dead) - Alberto Acosta
Lady - Styx
Money Is the Name of the Game - Koko Taylor
Highway Patrolman - Bruce Springsteen
Step Inside Love/Los Paranoias - The Beatles
Stay the Night - Chicago (Check out the awful video)
You're My Thrill - Joni Mitchell
Mr. Roboto - Styx
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