The Public Square Blog Archive, May, 2004

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AUTHOR: Sarah Kanouse
TITLE: Prospect for Peace/Make Jobs Not War
STATUS: Publish
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DATE: 05/01/2004 05:21:53 PM
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Saturday, May 1, 2004
2:00 PM
North Prospect near Marketview Drive
Champaign, Illinois
What does International Workers' Day mean at a time of war? The Anti-War, Anti-Racism Effort's monthly peace protest draws connections between the war on workers and the war in Iraq. All the major US contractors in Iraq are notorious union busters. Foreign profiteers are draining Iraqi national resources, outsourcing Iraqi jobs and starving out the population. Iraqi workers
are forming unions, fighting back, and going on strike for jobs, fuel and a living wage. Occupation forces have preserved Saddam’s anti-union laws, arrested or shot protesters and shut down opposition presses. At home, the war is killing working men and women while bankrupting essential social services and rolling back workers' rights.


Join the anti-war protest this Saturday and listen to activists explaining their reasons for demonstrating and what they hope to
achieve. Listen in at www.thepublicsquare.net or 103.5/90.5 FM (range permitting). An mp3 of the event will be available soon after.
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AUTHOR: George R. Carlisle
EMAIL: carlisle@soltec.net
IP: 64.5.65.159
URL:
DATE: 05/03/2004 02:18:37 PM
I did drive by briefly Saturday, May 1, en route to the Ducks 15 Race, sponsored by Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club. I saw only a few protestors, as pictured on this website. The weather was gloomy and raining intermittently. I just wanted to see how many were out there in such weather. Even the Duck Race had fewer in attendance than usual. I did win a prize for the first time, however.

I hated to burn nearly a liter of petroleum going by there, but I wanted to see about how many were participating. I was unable to join in the activities due to time constraints and lack of parking nearby. We do need to conserve fuel, during the Iraq War and lessen dependence on foreign petroleum.

We must face levying impact fees on motor vehicles to improve mass transit service. We need off-campus buses to run more frequently than the present half-hourly intervals. We might get more people , including myself, to ride them more often.

I would hope an annual sticker fee would get some of the older second and third cars in households, off the roads. Many families need a car for about every person if driving age, because they need to be in many scattered locations at one time, and the present mass transit service is at best time-consuming and impractical to get there, if indeed it does serve the areas to which the family members are going.

We need to at least consolidate errands to make one trip do the purpose of several, plan shopping to minimize last-minute purchases, and to coordinate family activities and arrange car-pools where practical.

If we each save even a gallon or so of petroleum per week, it will add up to lots of petroleum we will not have to import from hostile nations.

The students of today need to more than ever conserve petroleum. They will likely still be alive when the last drop of natural peteoleum has been consumed. We need to forestall that time as long as possible.

Our streets are so congested, and many are well beyond their design capacity, particularly in Campustown, North Prospect and near Market Place Mall , and near Memorial Stadium and assembly Hall when athletics events are under way.

To keep us out of war, we need to conserve fossil fuels now.
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AUTHOR: Sarah Kanouse
TITLE: Reclaiming the Faith: Progressive Christianity Today
STATUS: Publish
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DATE: 05/01/2004 07:20:12 PM
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Sunday, May 2, 2004
2:00 PM
NE corner of Wright and University
Urbana, Illinois
At a time when pundits' labels including the word 'Christian' usually follow it with 'Conservative,' how can people continuing in the long line of Christian social justice work carve out space for themselves in the world of media representation, the popular imaginary, and movements dominated by secular activists, who are often suspicious if not outright hostile to anyone who describes themselves as 'Christian?' How does faith, particularly Christianity, motivate existing action for social justice? How might different Christians and different traditions define social justice differently, and how does that affect how Christians can work with each other, as well as with secular activists?
Join an open conversation with a number of socially-active Christians from a range of traditions, many of whom may define 'progressive' or 'radical' differently, to discuss these questions and more, or listen in at www.thepublicsquare.net or 103.5/90.5 FM (range permitting).-----
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AUTHOR: Sarah Kanouse
TITLE: Open Science and the Commercialized University
STATUS: Publish
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DATE: 05/02/2004 09:53:43 PM
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Monday, May 3, 2004
12:00 PM
South Research Park, northernmost building
picnic area near Motorola Sign
Champaign, Illinois
Since the first scientific journal was established in 1665, the tradition of "open science" has been the primarily was research was conducted and published, especially in public universities like the University of Illinois. A non-market set of incentives and standards evolved to deal with questions of publication, authorship, quality, ethics, and plagiarism. But this tradition has changed as more and more scientific research enters the marketplace, and research is seen increasingly as 'intellectual property,' owned by the corporate or government entity that funded it. Since the 1980s, notable changes in national science policy and funding have brought more and more corporate and military dollars to university campuses as more general funding sources have dwindled. What are the benefits and drawbacks of the changed funding structure for scientists and the public? What constraints or conflicts are introduced into research and development? How do these changes affect non-science research on campus? Why is this of significance to the public?
Join an open conversation with scientists, academics, and students from different parts of the university to discuss these questions and more, or listen in at www.thepublicsquare.net or 103.5/90.5 FM (range permitting).
Parking is available off Hazelwood Drive just south of the Research Park.
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AUTHOR: Rosemary Braun
EMAIL: braun@grex.org
IP: 64.5.74.245
URL:
DATE: 05/05/2004 08:45:44 AM
That same day (and I wish I'd seen it *before* our talk, but alas), the New York Times ran an article US Losing Its Dominance in the Sciences (Common Dreams has a copy that is subscription-free). The article cites statistics that US publications in scientific journals and awards given to US scientists have been falling, overtakes by contributions from Europe and Asia.

While the article does, at several points, mention changes in federal funding of science, it does so unanalytically; it mentions that the scientific research budget growth is not what it used to be, and that military research accounts for a much larger percentage of the allocation (greater, even, than in the cold war). What this means -- because corporate and military funding often comes with severe restrictions of secrecy -- is that the US is funding less open science... and that means fewer ideas exchanged, fewer collaborations undertaken, and ultimately, fewer discoveries, papers, and awards.
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AUTHOR: Rosemary Braun
EMAIL: braun@grex.org
IP: 64.5.74.245
URL:
DATE: 05/05/2004 08:50:32 AM
Hmm; the links didn't come out. Here they are again:

New York Times, original
< a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/03/science/03RESE.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/03/science/03RESE.html</a>

Common Dreams, open copy
< a href="http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0503-03.htm">http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0503-03.htm</a>
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AUTHOR: Rosemary Braun
EMAIL: braun@grex.org
IP: 130.126.120.219
URL:
DATE: 05/07/2004 05:22:43 PM
Bob Park is a physicist at UMd and works in the public policy office of the American Physical Society (one of the two premier professional organizations for physicist and the one that does the most research of and advocacy for the people who do physics; see <a href="http://www.aps.org.)">http://www.aps.org.)</a> Each week, he puts out a well-respected newsletter, "What's New" (see <a href="http://www.aps.org/WN,">http://www.aps.org/WN,</a> of his opinions on the current events in science, how it impacts society, and how science policy affects us both as citizens and as scientists.

In his first item this week, he addresses the NYT article I mentioned above; here's his take on it (from <a href="http://www.aps.org/WN/WN04/wn050704.cfm):">http://www.aps.org/WN/WN04/wn050704.cfm):</a>

WORLD SCIENCE: U.S. LEAD IS SHRINKING – THAT’S THE GOOD NEWS.
A front page story in the NY Times on Monday, using data provided by the APS, proclaimed that the "U.S. Is Losing Its Dominance in the Sciences." It was already evident from the 2004 Science and Engineering Indicators, issued by the National Science Board in January, that America’s lead in basic science is narrowing. "The rest of the world is catching up," NSF analyst John Jankowski told the New York Times. If he means that science in the rest of the world is making rapid progress, it’s good news; we trained many of their scientists on the theory that in a world of vast disparities, no one is safe. It would be even better news if our response to foreign competition would be to increase funding for basic science. Basic research is the engine of progress, and it draws top scientists to the U.S. from around the world, including by our count, 20 of the Americans awarded the Nobel Prize in physics since WWII, 28 in physiology and medicine, and another 18 in chemistry. Unfortunately, there is little reason to suppose our response will be to increase basic research. We continue to squander our resources on high-profile, low-return science such as the Space Station, and the Moon, Mars and Beyond initiative. -------------
AUTHOR: Sarah Kanouse
TITLE: Readings from the Cell Block
STATUS: Publish
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DATE: 05/04/2004 12:39:37 AM
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Tuesday, May 4, 2004
12:00 PM
Champaign County Courthouse Downtown Detention Facility
East Main Street
Urbana, Illinois
In many ways, prison inmates are categorically excluded from the category of 'the public.' They are incarcerated out of sight, increasingly in private prisons, to protect 'the public' from them. In most states, felons are disenfranchised and lose most citizenship benefits while in prison and sometimes for the rest of their lives. Illinois is one of the 48 states that deny voting rights to inmates. Because prisoners are voiceless and oftentimes invisible in the United States, and because it is often dangerous for them to attempt to speak, allies can offer a valuable service by bringing their writings to the 'outside,' into the realm of the public.
For three hours, prisoner allies and family members will read writings by prisoners across the country. Join the reading group or share stories about the prison-industrial complex, or listen in at www.thepublicsquare.net or 103.5/90.5 FM (range permitting).-----
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AUTHOR: Sarah Kanouse
TITLE: Perimeters + Parameters: Phinney Creek Drainage
STATUS: Publish
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DATE: 05/04/2004 09:38:44 PM
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Wednesday, May 5, 2004
5:30 PM
meet the corner of Stillwater Dr. and Windsor Rd. (southwest corner of Morrissey Park).
a map of the route is available at: http://www.walkinginplace.org/p+p/phinney.htm
Perimeters + parameters is a series of walking tours examining the points of intersection and areas of overlap of four otherwise discrete political or ecological boundaries within Champaign County: (1) Champaign city limits, (2) Phinney Branch drainage, (3) drummer silty clay loam (soil type), and (4) percent of persons who are white alone (2000 census). Each walk will follow a predetermined continuous route consisting of public streets entirely within or on a particular boundary.
This walk traces the edge of the Phinney Branch drainage.
Champaign city limits and Phinney Branch drainage function as base parameters - soil type (drummer silty clay loam) and census (percent of persons who are white alone) data will, in turn, be overlaid on the base parameters thus creating a new more restricted boundary. The final walk will delineate an area that is within the Champaign City limits AND within the phinney branch drainage AND within an area where greater than 80% of persons are white alone, AND within, or rather on, drummer silty clay loam soil.
Meet at the corner of Stillwater Dr. and Windsor Road at 5:30 to join the walk, or listen in at www.thepublicsquare.net or 90.5/103.5 FM (range permitting). An mp3 of the walk will be available on the website soon after.
The walk route is:
START > Corner of Stillwater Dr. + Windsor Rd. (SW corner Morrissey Park)
Walk West on Windsor Rd.
R > North on Carlisle Dr.
R > East on Harrington Dr.
L > North on Gunn Dr.
R > North on Robert Dr.
R > East on Theodore Dr.
L > North on Augusta Dr.
R > North on Robert Dr.
R > East on Foothill Dr.
L > North on Lincolnshire Dr.
R > North on Ridge Rd.?
R > East on Kirby Ave.
R > South on Arrow Rd.
L > North on Prospect Ave.
L > West on Greencroft Dr.
R > West on Kirby Ave.
R > North on Mayfair Rd.
R > East on Waverly Dr.
R > North on Country Ln.
R > East on Armory Ave.
L > North on James St.
L > West on Charles St.
R > North on Russell St.
L > West on Green St.
R > North on Westlawn Ave.
L > West on Healey St.
L > South on Mattis Ave.
R > West on Round Barn Rd.
L > South on ???
R > West on John St.
L > South on Kenwood Rd.
R > West on William St.
L > South on Westfield Dr.
L > East on Kirby Ave.
R > South on Scottsdale Dr.
R > West on Arden Dr.
L > South on Stratford Dr.
R > West on Southwood Dr.
L > South on Duncan Rd.
R > West on Crossing Ct.
L > South on Village Green Pl.
L > East on Windsor Rd.
R > South on Duncan Rd.
L > East on Wedgewood Dr.
R > South on Cherry Hills Dr.
L > East on Pine Valley Dr.
R > South on Weeping Cherry Dr.
L > East on Waterville Dr.
L > North on Wynstone Dr.
L > West on Hallbeck Dr.
R > West on Pinehurst Dr.
R > North on Timbergate Rd.
R > East on Wedgewood Dr.
L > North on Woodridge Rd.
R > North on Greek Pl.
L > West on Applewood Rd.
R > North on Hills Dr.
R > East on Windsor Rd.
R > South on Jordan Dr.
L > East on Kenny Ave.
L > North on Mattis Ave.
R > East on Windsor Rd.
R > South on Windward Blvd.
L > East on Countyside Pl.
L > North on Stillwater Dr.
END > Corner of Stillwater Dr. + Windsor Rd.

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AUTHOR: George R. Carlisle
EMAIL: carlisle@soltec.net
IP: 64.5.67.140
URL:
DATE: 05/06/2004 03:05:09 PM
I was unable to attend the Phinney Creek walk, but I have these comments on Phinney creek and drainage in Champaign-Urbana in general.

I understand there has been a lot of flooding in the past. Phinney Creek is in the very upper portion of the Kaskaskia River watershed.

Time was, according to a booklet on the Boneyard Creek, that sanitary sewage traveled a circuitous path from south Champaign before the Windsor Road wastewater treatment plant was installed. Sewage flowed toward a large lift station, located on Fox Drive behind WDWS/WHMS studios. That wastewater was pumped to a station near Carrie Busey School, and then up the moraine along Mattis Avenue to Springfield at Mattis, uppermost level of a long gravity sewer main to the East Plant along University Avenue behind Ambucs park. That line flows under the west footbridge at Crystal Lake Park. It can be seen crossing the Boneyard Creek in a large steel pipe just before it empties into Saline Ditch, behind Urbana National Guard Armory.

Now sewage is pumped across moraine behind the Embarrass Valley lift station on Fox Drive, to treatment plant along West Windsor Road.

Stornwater drainage has been a problem throughout Champaign-Urbana for years. When I was young, we lived at 502 East Washington, Urbana, across maple Street from film critic Roger Ebert's Home at 410 East Washington. The corner flooded nearly every heavy rainstorm. The old brick arch storm sewers were small and often clogged with decaying leaves and mud.

A large 3-foot diameter concrete tile system was installed along the south parkway of Washington Street, to a six-foot concrete tile along Anderson Street, flowing north to former Wabash Railway (track removed in 1981-1982) to Boneyard, beneath University Avenue Bridge.

This meant that the passive detention basin where Michigan Avenue Apartments now stand, could be filled in. That was built in early 1950's when the Fairlawn subdivision of tract homes was built. the intake grille may still be seen on Anderson Street near intersection of Hawthorne Drive.

South Urbana has drainage of stormwaters into the Mccullough creek headwaters beside Prairie Play at Vine and Windsor. Sanitary sewage flows to a lift station on South Race Street near the creek at southwest cormer of Meadowbrook Park. There are additional lift stations at Race and Mumford, Carle Park, just east of Pavilion, and behind apartments at Vine and Iowa Streets, near Urbana Middle School. That wastewater is pumped to gravity lines near downtown heading to the east Treatment Plant. Two such lines cross the Boneyard behind Silver Creek Restaurant.

Phinney Branch has been channelized to some extent, and vegetation removed to facilitate passage of heavy volumes of storm waters during heavy rainfall periods. But there is still flooding problems during heavy rainfall. The area is downstream of a moraine,as evidenced going up Mattis Avenue north from Kirby toward its crest near Springfield Avenue. The more urban sprawl is built, the more soil is covered over with streets, parking lots and buildings, leaving less soil available to percolate storm waters.

We have had many flooding problems in Champaign-Urbana at times, even though we are at the ehadwaters of three watersheds, Kaskaskia, Embarrass, and Saline/Salt Fork/Vermilion Rivers.

The Boneyard Creek flooded so much that several measures have been undertaken over the years; Diversion Channel underground from Neil Street to the Saline near UPS facility off North Lincoln Avenue, The Healey Street Detention basin, and the Lamar "Channel Improvement" plan, improving by burying it into as many as six 11-foot diameter galvanixed steel culverts.

It is all part of the geography of the area, the permeability of the soil and the gently sloping terrain.

The area was once swampland. The deep cut of the Saline Ditch in Busey Woods is a man-made cahnnel cut to drain the swamp north of the moraine that forms the hill of Broadway Avenue east of Crystal Lake Park. Crystal lake itself, and the small ponds within Busey Woods are meander loops of the former meandering stream, cut off from their original souces when Saline Ditch was channelized. Drained swamp made the land arable. Big Grove is a grove of trees in the higher areas surrounding the swamps. Remanants are Busey Woods, Brownfield Woods, Trelease Woods, and a few large trees in Stanley Weaver park off east main Street in Urbana.

We ned to take the terrain of land and its soil types and permeability into account when planning developments, in order not to suffer environmental problems.
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AUTHOR: Sarah Kanouse
TITLE: "Participatory Publishing"
a meeting of The Public I
STATUS: Publish
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DATE: 05/05/2004 11:44:08 PM
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Thursday, May 6, 2004
5:30 PM
sidewalk by the News-Gazette Building (weather permitting)
15 Main
Champaign, Illinois
in case of inclement weather:
Independent Media Center
218 West Main
Urbana, Illinois
" The Public I" is a local, monthly, independent newspaper on politics and current run on a shoestring budget funded entirely on donations and coordinated by volunteers. While all of their meetings are open to the public, and everyone is encouraged to get involved, this meeting moves from the usual space of the Independent Media Center to the sidewalk in front of "The News-Gazette" building in order to more publicly demonstrate grassroots, participatory publishing.
Join the meeting or listen in at www.thepublicsquare.net or 103.5/90.5 FM (range permitting).
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AUTHOR: Sarah Kanouse
TITLE: Why Pay Full Price (for what you can give away for free)?
STATUS: Publish
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DATE: 05/06/2004 09:47:49 PM
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a Food Not Bombs trial run
Friday, May 7, 2004
12:00 PM
campustown Pizza Hut
Fifth and Green
Champaign, IL
Food Not Bombs is an international movement that redirects excess food from commercial supermarkets and restaurants into the mouths of those who need it. FNB has been feeding the homeless, passersby, and direct action protesters in scores of cities across the world for years, and a small FNB collective is forming in Champaign-Urbana. Come help distribute the first free meal, or join us to partake.
Pizza Hut, a corporate child of Pepsico and operated by YUM Foods (which also runs Taco Bell and KFC) is the world's largest ready-to-eat pizza chain. Pizza Hut recently chose to remodel all its Illinois restaurants with non-union labor. A 'do not patronize' campaign is underway in Champaign-Urbana until the chain hires union labor. Pizza Hut has also been targeted by the United Farm Workers for failing to support a boycott against a California mushroom grower. We can do better than to support businesses like these, and mutual aid is one way to do it.
Come join our meal, help us serve, or listen in at 103.5/90.5 FM (range permitting). An mp3 of the event will be available at www.thepublicsquare.net soon after.
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AUTHOR: Tampa Boy
EMAIL: parkingstones@aol.com
IP: 24.214.229.71
URL:
DATE: 05/07/2004 05:18:19 PM
I just saw the Food not Bombs vs. Pizza Hut story on UC-IMC. I think your whole idea and approach is amazing.
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AUTHOR: Sarah Kanouse
TITLE: Barterplace Mall
STATUS: Publish
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DATE: 05/07/2004 11:30:40 PM
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Saturday, May 8, 2004
3:00 PM
Marketplace Mall
seating area near Sears
Champaign, Illinois
Bring used, clean, and usable clothing to exchange with others
A Saturday at the mall draws hundreds for window shopping, real shopping, and imagining alternate looks for themselves and the alternate lifestyles they promise. Can this attraction to the visual, to adornment, to the pleasure of crafting a look be satisfied in ways that don't directly feed consumerism, corporate enrichment, and sweatshop work? Can non-market ways of satisfying those desires be created inside the mall? Will the mall permit a public to assemble if it refuses the logic of the marketplace?
Bring unwanted, clean, usable clothing to Marketplace Mall tomorrow to test these questions and to walk away with some new-to-you clothes. Listen in at www.thepublicsquare.net or 103.5/90.5 FM (range permitting). An mp3 of the event will be available soon after.
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AUTHOR: Sarah Kanouse
TITLE: The Public Square as Art
STATUS: Publish
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DATE: 05/08/2004 09:13:57 PM
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Sunday, May 9, 2004
9:45 AM
Krannert Art Museum
500 East Peabody Dr.
Champaign, IL
'The Public Square' lives in several worlds, each of which brings different critical perspectives, standards, and experiential frameworks for understanding and evaluating it. One of those worlds is art, and the project will be critiqued in that context (and possibly also from others) tomorrow morning.
Come join the critique in person or listen to the murmurings on the website or 90.5 FM (range permitting). An mp3 of the event will be available at www.thepublicsquare.net soon after.
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AUTHOR: Sarah Kanouse
TITLE: Free, Temporary Bike Shop
STATUS: Publish
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DATE: 05/10/2004 09:09:01 AM
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Monday, May 10, 2004
4:00 PM
SW side of the Lincoln Square Mall parking lot
Urbana, Illinois
bring your bike in need of fixing, parts to fix it, and any tools you have
Does your bike need a spring tune-up? Fix a flat, replace a tire, adjust your brakes, etc.? Don't know how to do these things yourself, or want some company while you do? Folks with bike repair skills will be on hand to share those skills with you and help you learn how to do these things yourself. Bring the parts you need (if you know what they are) to the SW corner of Lincoln Square Mall parking lot, and reduce your dependence on oil and experts.
If you have tools and skills to share, bring them as well.
The event will be broadcast on 103.5/90.5 (within range), and an mp3 will be available at www.thepublicsquare.net soon.
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AUTHOR: Sarah Kanouse
TITLE: Talking Back to the Teacher
STATUS: Publish
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DATE: 05/11/2004 11:29:21 AM
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Tuesday, May 11, 2004
3:45 PM
Urbana Middle School
Urbana, Illinois
Middle school-aged people (9-14) are encouraged tomeet outside the main entrance of Urbana Middle School to discuss how they are taught, create a plan for a
larger scale teacher evaluation in the middle school, and come up with strategies to negotiate with teachers with regard to their learning. The meeting will be facilitated by students in the peer mediation program.
Listen in at 90.5/103.5 (range permitting), and an mp3 of the event will be available soon after at www.thepublicsquare.net.
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AUTHOR: Sarah Kanouse
TITLE: Local Media, Why Bother?
STATUS: Publish
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DATE: 05/11/2004 08:24:19 PM
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an open conversation among and about makers of local and independent media?
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
5:30 PM
WICD-TV (Sinclair Broadcasting)
250 S. Country Fair Dr.
Champaign, Illinois
In a context of increasing concentration of media ownership and production, what role can local, independently-owned media serve, both to its immediate community and within larger struggles against consolidation? Much of the organizing against media centralization and corporatization takes place in high profile national campaigns, such as those led by Free Press. How does the daily work of making local media relate to, reinforce, and complement such large-scale organizing drives? What do those types of activist campaigns leave out, and how do local media makers supplement these deficiencies by doing on-the-ground work? What difficulties do local media makers encounter, and how do those relate to the broader media landscape, as well as underlying social and economic structures like racism, sexism, and the need to turn a profit? What tactics do local media makers use to address these challenges, and how successful are they? Why do people dedicate themselves to the difficult work of making local media, and what do they hope to accomplish?
Join the conversation in person or listen in at 103.5/90.5 (range permitting). An mp3 of the event will be available soon after at www.thepublicsquare.net.
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AUTHOR: Sarah Kanouse
TITLE: Guerilla Gardening
STATUS: Publish
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DATE: 05/12/2004 11:44:28 PM
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bring seeds, plants, and tools to put green into vacant lots
Thursday, May 13, 2004
9:30 AM
meet at the corner of Lincoln and University Avenues
Urbana, Illinois
All around town, as older structures no longer no longer are profitable and land awaits 'redevelopment,' acres fill with weeds that proclaim the land is fertile and productive. Some empty, urban acres, supported by taxes, tended by riding mowers, manicured and mulched, are officially designated 'municipal parks;' but other open spaces, whose private owners wish to sell, are merely 'lots.' Bring your extra seeds and plants to the corner of University and Lincoln to plant flowers and vegetables on a lot that is private in ownership but still public in access and appearance.
Join us, or listen in at 90.5/103.5 FM. An mp3 of the event will be available soon after at www.thepublicsquare.net.
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AUTHOR: George R. Carlisle
EMAIL: carlisle@soltec.net
IP: 64.5.65.142
URL:
DATE: 05/14/2004 12:19:25 PM
It is a great idea to plant gardens in otherwise vacant privately-owned lots. Flowers and vegetables will beautify the property. They absorb carbon dioxide and other pollutants, from the many motor vehicles that pass nearby, especially at the busy corner of Lincoln and University, which also receives pollution from the once-or twice-weekly freight trains going to Solo Cup and Emulsicoat.

Gardens encourage passersby to threat the property with respect. If there are beautiful flowers or vegetable crop plants, hopefully people will refrain from cutting across the property, tossing bottles, cans, food wrappers or cigarettes on the property. They will more likely refrain from defacing through other graffiti or vandalism.

Having cultivated plants will reduce undesirable pollen and insect infestations from invasive and weedy plant species.

There are many examples of privately owned land being cultivated or otherwise landscaped for the public enjoyment. Not far from University at Lincoln, Mr. Sibley has cultivated vegetable gardens for his own food consumption in several parcels near Fifth and Washington Streets in Champaign. Nearby, beside the railroad crossing, there is a small mini-park developed from former railroad right-of-way, after second Norfolk and Western track was removed in early 1980’s.

There are several private gardens that are available for enjoyment by the public, at least from the public sidewalk without actually trespassing onto their properties. A beautiful flower garden with some landscaping features is at the corner of Oregon and Urbana Avenue in Urbana. That garden has been features in garden walks and in gardening magazines in the past. Another is at Washington and Lynn Streets. They even have a channel made of leftover wall tiles to channel water from the sump pump outlet.
A similar intermittent water feature is in a front yard on West Washington Street in Urbana, where the downspout feeds to a small graveled channel and a tiny pond in rock garden front yard. There is also a “Fairy Garden” on Maple Street in Urbana, with screen to protect the delicate flowers and figurines of fairies, toadstools and other fanciful characters.

Some public properties also benefit a private-sector concern. An example is the redeveloping Mini Park at corner of Race and Elm Streets in Urbana. The Iron Post has rebuilt the south wall of the building, installing new windows and doors. They will have a patio access for their patrons to enjoy food and beverages outside. But the park is still public property, and one can sit on the benches without purchasing food or beverages from The Iron Post. That is an increasingly popular venue for live music in downtown Urbana.

Catercorner from this, at Urbana Free Library, the Friends of Urbana Free Library for many years planted flowers and shrubs and tended them in season. The garden is currently disrupted pending the remodeling of the building, but hopefully the gardens will again return when it is finished. The friends organization is funded by private donations and proceeds from book sales.

An outstanding example of public and private cooperation of a gardening project is the new Crystal Lake Park Labyrinth. This project was instigated and funded by the Baker Board of the Wesley Foundation of the United Methodist Church. They have been raising funds since 2001 to build a replica of a labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral in France.
Carle Foundation Hospital contributed $25,000 of the over $78,000 needed to complete the project. Names of other contributors who have given at least $100 are on bricks along the walkway. Students at Parkland College in Horticulture classes have been busy installing the landscaping the past several weeks. The Labyrinth is to be dedicated Friday, May 21 at 4:30 p.m., and there will be workshops on labyrinths on Saturday, May 22 at Anita Purves Nature Center. The labyrinth will be open for all to use, meditate and enjoy. Details are at www.prairienet.org/labyrinth.

Those attending picnic Sunday, May 16, are encourage to visit and walk the Labyrinth at southwest corner Crystal lake park, and to attend dedication later in week. -----
COMMENT:
AUTHOR: George R. Carlisle
EMAIL: carlisle@soltec.net
IP: 64.5.68.169
URL:
DATE: 07/09/2004 11:17:44 AM
As I pass by the corner of Lincoln and University Avenues in Urbana, I notice that there are young trees planted in this vacant lot, where once was a Ye Olde Doughnut Shop. It is good that the initial planting for The Public Square Project literally "planted a seed' for redeveloping the corner. We hope that a new mini-park or some other attractive landscape will decorate this otherwise very utilitarian corner with such a busy intersection, the albeit seldom-used railroad, and the eyesore of billborads northwest just past the railroad right-of-way.We need more of such urban green areas, however small.
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AUTHOR: Sarah Kanouse
TITLE: "Self-Hating" Jews?
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
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ALLOW PINGS: 1
DATE: 05/13/2004 10:23:58 PM
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Jewish Americans Critics of Israel Discuss their Politics and Reception
Friday, May 14, 2004
5:30 PM
UIUC Hillel--outdoors
503 E. John
Champaign, Illinois
Earlier this year, the right-wing group Masada released a list of 7000+ "self-hating jews"--those "socialists, communists, anarchists and so-called "human rights" activists " who "may be well-intentioned but grossly misinformed... call it brainwashed by wave after wave of anti-Israel propaganda. But most of them know the Truth but hate their heritage." The Self-Hating and/or Israel Threatening List (aka S.H.I.T. List) is but the latest and most organized use of the term "self-hating" to dismiss, marginalize, or slander any Jewish person who criticizes Israel or Israeli policies. Jewish American voices critical of the occupation are scarcely to be found in the media, thereby further marginalizing their voices. Given that identity, history, emotion, and politics are so intimately intertwined in Israel/Palestine issues, how do some American Jews critical of Israeli policies negotiate their criticisms in Jewish communities, that may be hostile to their ideas, or in anti-occupation circles that may cautious of their Jewish identity at best or anti-Semitic at worst? What is the substance of their criticisms, and what is the nature of their relationship to Israel and to other American Jewish communities?
Join an open discussion on the topic, or listen in at 90.5/103.5. an mp3 of the event will be available soon after at www.thepublicsquare.net.-----
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AUTHOR: Sarah Kanouse
TITLE: The Public Square as Community
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: __default__
ALLOW PINGS: 1
DATE: 05/15/2004 06:30:11 PM
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an end-of-project potluck barbecue in Crystal Lake Park
Sunday, May 16, 2004
12:00-2:00 PM
Crystal Lake Park
south side near the blue playground equipment
Urbana, Illinois
The Public Square directly involved over 100 people around Champaign-Urbana--people who planned or attended events, people who advised or offered technical know-how--and hundreds more who followed the project over email or on the web or radio. Come celebrate the end of the project and meet others who formed the project's temporary community at an end-of-project barbecue. It also happens to be graduation weekend, and though I'm not attending graduation, this barbecue is something of an informal graduation party.
The transmitter will be available for comments and critique. An mp3 of the event will be available later in the summer at www.thepublicsquare.net.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: George R. Carlisle
EMAIL: carlisle@soltec.net
IP: 64.5.68.162
URL:
DATE: 05/16/2004 09:15:28 PM
It was good to get together for the picnic, although there were not that many present. We had some unusual vegetarian food, including a vegan fried rice, tabouli salad with beets, ripe olives and mushrooms, and tofu shish kebabs, roasted on a temperamental charcoal fire.

George Carlisle offered to take the group on a pre-dedication walk of the Baker Board Labyrinth, but there were no takers. Sara had to catch a plane on her trip to Portland, Oregon, and others also had other engagements. But he did show the little flyer, with a picture on the Chartres Labyrinth, and explained that it is geometrically a very convoluted simple closed curve. There is only one way in along the convoluted pathway, and one way out, the same way one came.

Dedication of the Labyrinth will be held Friday, May 21, at 4:30 p.m. Featured speakers during the conference, with workshops Saturday Morning and afternoon, May 22, at Anita Purves Nature Center, will be Robert Ferre and Marty Kermeen, well known in labyrinth design.

Go to www.prairienet.org/labyrinth, www.prairienet.org/upd/labyrinth.html , or call 217-344-1120 (Wesley Foundation at 1203 West green Street, Urbana, IL 61801) for details.


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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: George R. Carlisle
EMAIL: carlisle@soltec.net
IP: 64.5.67.159
URL:
DATE: 05/19/2004 01:56:34 PM
It was mentioned at the Picnic, about Arnold Beckman, whose Foundation contributed some $40 Million toward the construction of the Beckman Institute at University of Illinois, was still alive at age 104.

I heard on news today, May 19, 2004, that Arnold Beckmann died in his sleep overnight May 18, 2004 at age 104. He is to be interred in Cullom, Illinois, his hometown.

The Beckmann Institute is one of several legacies he built, and he will be long remembered for the many scientific instruments he invented and directed their manufacture.

We pause to reflect about his legacy and how it will benefit many generations to come.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: George R. Carlisle
EMAIL: carlisle@soltec.net
IP: 64.5.68.170
URL:
DATE: 08/15/2004 04:29:28 PM
I have recently discovered a website www.deadmalls.com that describes some shopping malls that have seen better days. I am in the process of posting commentary and photographs of Lincoln Square "mall," if one can still call it by that name.

By their terminology, Lincoln Square is a "Second Class Mall," as it does not at present have an anchor store, and most of the remaining businesses are local operations not part of national chains. A First Class Mall is one like Market Place in Champaign, active and with one or more anchor stores.

At least Lincoln Square is not boarded up and does not have weeds growing through cracks in pavement as some really "dead" malls described on the site.

But it seems to have little activity inside, unless events are scheduled. The Market at the Square is popular, but mostly outside the Mall proper, in the southeast parking lot.

We need to further redevelop the Lincoln Square, if not as a shopping center, but some other community center.

Even the Food Court is closed. Enzo's Pizza puled out recently. They do have some candy, packaged snacks, bottled juices and sodas and coffee in the former Fannie May Candy shop as the Lincoln Square Information kiosk, formerly just out in front, at junction of Broadway and Green Streets, the pedestriian replacements thereof, in Lincoln Square.

The former arcade in west end is now part of Mr. John's Cosmetology College. That was orignally a McBride's Rexall Pharmacy, which moved from where the Urbana Business Alliance office is located on Main Street, when Lincoln Square opened. The old Urbana High School yearbooks carried ads and photos of students of the respective classes who worked there.

The Urbana Park Districr miniature golf attracts some, but not all that many. That was the T G & Y store, formerly Scotts Five and Ten, next to old Mcbride's. What is now Crane Alley on Main was J. C. Penney's then Spurgeon's, then Lorry's Favorite Sports, before becoming a series of eateries.

We need to do what we need to do to redevelop Lincoln Square.

On another note, regarding the lot at corner of Lincoln nad University Avenues, there is grass planted, sprayed fertilizer and trees planted on this lot where a doughnut shop used to be.

Seeing the old horse-drawn milk wagon at the Illinois State Fair, I remember the Urbana Pure Milk Company, since bought out by Prairie Farms and gone. The former building was a block west and had a milk vending machine back in the shape of a large milk carton, then dispensing quart cartons for 25 cents.
This area also needs redevlopment.

The rehabilitation of a formerly weedy vacant lot is a start, however.

A lot more needs to be done to redevelop Urbana. Now the Philo Road shopping area is losing businesses, what with demise of K-Mart and Jerry's IGA. Now, Sweet Betsy's, a coffee shop in a one-time Shell station at Washington and Philo Roads, has closed. They had great soups and sandwiches and will be missed by regular patrons.

Near Campus, the new Gregory Place, although itself a monstrosity, will have Subway and other busienesses on street level, with apartments upstairs. That will at least provide more tax base for Urbana.