By Jerry Haferkamp
“Stop and smell the roses”. We’ve all heard the saying, but do we really stop? With the great weather the past few weeks, my wife and I stopped at a local sub shop, picked up a couple of sub combos and set off to Riverfront Park. Sometimes we forget that we have one of the most beautiful riverfronts in the country. I think Harrahs missed the “boat” when they didn’t (or couldn’t) build directly across from St. Charles’ Riverfront Park. Imagine a restaurant whose patrons can enjoy the view of our park while dining.
I hope everyone in town takes a little time to go to Riverfront Park for an impromptu lunch while the weather holds. If you only go during festivals, tents and crowds hide the beauty of the park. Unlike during the festivals, there is plenty of parking available. The cool breezes, warm sunshine and the flow of the river will recharge your batteries.
If you can’t meet your spouse for lunch, arrange to pick up a couple of subs on the way home and meet them after work.
Boarded up buildings are causes for concern in St. Charles. We don’t like seeing them, but what are the options? In cases where the buildings are for sale, leaving them un-boarded leaves them more vulnerable to vandalism from both the breaking of the windows and the looting and vandalism inside. The owners of these properties are presently being threatened with fines, but I would like to see the city give these owners an option. Punishing owners for protecting their property is easy, but unfair. Helping them find a solution is a tad bit harder. If I were the owner, would the city benefit if I removed the boards and the windows (to prevent breakage) and let the building become a vandalized eyesore? The choice is in the hands of our city leaders. We need to work with these property owners to find an agreeable solution, not just start fining them.
We hope that residents who insist on violating ordinances by continuing to put their “yard sale” signs on our stop signs, light poles and rights of way would stop making our city look like “Podunk”. There were three on the stop sign on Droste and Norwich last weekend, and one is still there. While legitimate businesses have to deal with monument signage, the illegal signs on our rights-of-way that have been constantly in violation of our ordinances continue to show me where I can buy insurance, get my hair styled, loose weight, sell my ugly home, and (if my wife doesn’t get suspicious) buy Viagra. Could you possibly show a little pride in your city? Even a dog doesn’t dump where he sleeps.
Well, I’m breaking a promise to keep asking the question. You know the question. There has been plenty of time to “get ‘er done”. If this city can’t or won’t fire him, they can’t or won’t fire anyone. But I will start a new question:
Since our City Administrator isn’t safe on our streets after midnight, is anyone?
