Normal Subdivision Farming

Now, you can have your vinyl-sided house, three-car garage, deck, and your own home-grown produce without messing up your manicured lawn!

Some subdivisions are being built around farms or are including a community green space for farming/gardening.  This is an idea worth considering!  Forget the space for kids to play or for people to walk their dogs. Now, we want space to grow our own produce! (I guess kids could play there in the winter.  Or it could be used for a community snow sculpture display, perhaps.)

If there are vacant lots in newer subdivisions, maybe developers would be open to this idea (if only for short-term use). A community garden/farm area might fit the green space requirement for subdivision development. Start digging! 

Normal: New Urbanism Needed

This is an article about how to keep developing urban areas without losing valuable farmland or conservation areas.  The "new urbanism," as I understand it, proposes densely populated areas that combine residences with schools, stores, and other amenities in areas that are not favorable for farming or conservation. Keeping everything close together is supposed to encourage residents to walk or bike to their destinations. And the areas are near small, family farms, which could provide locally grown foods to the residents. It's a win-win-win situation for residents, farmers, and the environment! 

It sounds ideal but is probably a zoning nightmare. And you would have to have all of the developers, businesses, and local school districts on-board before ground could be broken. That's no small accomplishment!  But it does give us something to consider if we want to preserve the nearby farms while still allowing Normal to grow.

Normal's Walkscore

According to the Walkscore website, Normal has a score of 48. That's only slightly better than the largest cities in Illinois, which have an average score of 46. A score of 48 is considered "car-dependent" (although it is close to the next category, "somewhat walkable").  The score is calculated using an algorithm that gives points for amenities within one mile (I guess that's how far they think someone is willing to walk to an amenity). So I guess the only way to improve the score is to build more amenities. Aren't we supposed to be encouraging people to walk more by making streets more pedestrian-friendly?

Normal Coops? (No, not for chickens!)

This is an article about local cooperatives (coops) designed to provide goods and services to local businesses, thus reducing the impact on the environment that comes from transportation across long distances.  One example in the article is a Cleveland coop formed to provide laundry services to area hospitals.

Normal cooperatives would be successful if they provided goods and services that local businesses need.  One way to determine these needs is to find out what goods and services local businesses are currently purchasing from non-local providers. Then, the people who are interested in starting a particular coop would find out how to get started by researching other coops (Cleveland's Evergreen Cooperatives, for example).

Depending on the resources needed, forming cooperatives might also help unemployed people start a new career.

Normal: Local Farmers Market Glut?

Farmers markets have been increasing across the country, resulting in fewer profits for the sellers in some locations.  I don't know if anyone keeps track of how well sellers are doing at the local farmers markets. It seems that with at least three markets -- downtown Bloomington on Saturdays, Uptown Normal on Tuesdays, and College Ave. on Saturdays -- we don't yet have too many markets. The local demand for fresh produce has probably kept up with if not outpaced the local farmers markets, which should keep the growers happy. In my opinion, if people are willing to go to those markets in some of the extreme weather conditions that we have around here, there must be a strong commitment to buying locally!

Normal Corn

It's not as high as an elephant's eye, but I think the corn in Normal is looking pretty good!

Normal Electric Cars for Microtransit

The idea of using electric cars for microtransit -- short trips -- would work well around Normal. Of course, off-campus ISU students might like to use it to get to classes from their apartment and back again, and Heartland students might be willing to use it to get from distant parking lots to their classroom building (mainly on days with lousy weather). But what about other uses? Perhaps older residents would appreciate a quick trip to the mall or to a restaurant. Yes, there are taxi services in town, but e-rides could probably be offered at a lower cost because the cost of gas would not have to be included in the fare. (Slow-moving electric vehicles would not be able to travel on most town streets so would not work for around-town trips.)

Restrictions on the distance traveled per ride could eliminate the e-rides as competition for the local bus system. And many people who do not want to ride a bus for whatever reason but who only want to travel relatively short distances are a potential source of customers.

Something to consider.

Normal Needs Some Transfer Accelerators

I like this idea: a slide (called a "transfer accelerator") next to a stairway at a train station.  Something that's fun as well as useful. We could use fun ideas like this for transitioning the Constitution Trail over roads (or maybe railroad tracks?): a cool, tube-like structure that slopes gently up from one side of the road and down the other side. Walkways and stairs don't have to be boring and standardized. We are so restricted from creating fun alternatives because of the possibility of people taking unnecessary risks and suing others when those risks result in injuries. That's a shame.

Normal: Ads Underfoot?

New York City has decided to ban ads on sidewalks.  Not only is it illegal to stick decal ads on sidewalks, businesses are not allowed to project their logo onto the sidewalk at night!

Maybe Normal could make some money by allowing ads on sidewalks in the business district. And, if it could bring in even more money, there could be ads on the Constitution Trail [insert moaning or rage here]. The ads could be stickers designed to last no more than one season (automatically worn off by weather), so residents would not have to see the same ads for very long (and the town would get more money for new ads).

Is the commercialism worth it? Would businesses benefit? Does anyone really look down much while walking?

Normal: We Need a Video!

There are wonderfully creative videos of daily life in various cities. This video of Berlin is amazing! Maybe someone could videotape life in Normal in a similar way. What kind of background music would be appropriate for such a video?

Normal PRTS: If only . . .

Imagine an elevated track with smallish cars (each holding 20 people) that zip from point to point without stopping. Now, imagine that track up and around Normal (and Bloomington, if they say "please"), moving people easily from place to place. There is actually such a system at West Virginia University: the only U.S. personal rapid transit system.  It was developed and built by Boeing with federal money and is still being used.

Ok, so this area isn't quite so sprawling and rural (not as rural as it used to be, anyway). But it would still be a great way to transport people (not just ISU students) without using streets. The West Virginia system has a way to keep the cars moving in ice and snow, so that's no problem. But it's probably too late to integrate an elevated track around here because of all the buildings in the way (not that we have many tall ones).

It's odd that we've come back to thinking about rails again after concentrating on streets for so long. I guess everyone has given up on those flying cars of the "future."

Normal: A Happy Community?

The Declaration of Independence states that we have the right to pursue happiness. An article about how communities make us happy discusses different ways of measuring how our communities make us happy: through architectural beauty, environmental sustainability, education, good government, healthy food, transportation, etc.

On this 4th of July it is interesting to reflect on whether or not our local community has facilitated our pursuit (and capture?) of happiness.  Is Normal a happy community?

Happy 4th of July! :)

Normal Very, Very High Speed Rail? Probably not.

Japan is building the ultimate high speed rail system. The train uses magnetic force and actually floats above the track when running, practically eliminating the kind of wear-and-tear of traditional trains that scrape along metal tracks. So the trains last longer. The speed? Over 300 mph. Think about that.

The cost? Billions of dollars. (A 320-mile route would cost Japan around $112 billion.) The time to build the infrastructure? Years. (The 225-mile route that Japan is building is going to take 16 years.)

Do we have the money or the patience for this? No.

Like lots of innovations, though, perhaps the cost and building time will go down eventually. For now, it's fun to think about how quickly we could travel going that fast!

ISSCS: Can Someone Save this Building?

One of the main buildings on the old Illinois Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's Home property is in bad shape. Other parts of the property have been repurposed but the once impressive main building (that is very visible because it's on a fairly busy street) sits vacant.  There is a similar site in Milwaukee that has its own foundation which is raising funds to restore the chapel on the property. There is the ISSCS Historical Preservation Society, which raised money for a statue on the property, but since this particular building is privately owned, that society would not be able to take action.

The local building is privately owned but most likely a victim to the recession. Every time I see that building, I try to think of possible uses: an art gallery, a museum, condos, a central location for a rapidly growing local organization that currently has no site, a unique-use building for one of the local institutions of higher learning. . .

The list of expenses involved in preparing this building for use is probably long and intimidating. But the longer it sits unused, the longer that list will become until everyone will agree that 'it's just not cost-effective to do work on it' and 'it's such a shame that nothing was done sooner'.

It's "sooner" right now.

Normal Wireless Access Impact on Social Interaction

This is an article discussing the impact that wireless internet access has on people in public spaces, especially in parks.  Uptown Normal has wireless access. Has it reduced social interactions? Are more people focused on their electronic gadgets instead of talking to others? People who work in the Uptown businesses would probably be the ones to notice any change from how it used to be. Maybe students and others always brought projects to work on while eating lunch or having coffee, which would mean that wireless access really hasn't had much of an impact on social interaction. On the other hand, perhaps people are less likely to start a conversation with someone who is working on a digital device instead of reading or doing paperwork.

Normal Ski Slopes?

Here's a great idea: Copenhagen is building a new waste-to-energy plant that will have ski slopes on it. People will take an elevator to the top of the building and ski down one of three slopes.  As the article says, they have the snow but not the hills.

I wonder if that would work in Normal. If there were a tall building that also had a large enough circumference, it might. We don't have snow all winter but we have a few good snowstorms that would do the job. The Copenhagen project is actually going to "mist rainwater" on the slopes to coat them, so that's their solution to keeping an even amount of snow on the slopes, I guess.

Ski Normal!

Normal Steak 'n Shake

Not surprisingly, Steak 'n Shake has a website. They do mention that the restaurant was founded in Normal in 1934.  The posters that they sell show old Steak 'n Shake locations (at least, they look old) but there are no dates or locations given for the pictures. It'd be great if one was the original, Normal location!

Normal Photographer

Did you know that a famous photographer with an unusual name was born in Normal? His name was Ralph Eugene Meatyard. He was born here in 1925. He moved to Lexington, Kentucky, and worked for a company that sold photographic equipment. He bought a camera to take pictures of his son and seemed to really get into photography, eventually exhibiting his photographs. There are quite a few internet links to information about his work, if you are interested in learning more about him and viewing some of his photographs.

Normal Urban Chickens (NUCS): Phase I and Beyond

The Normal Town Council has passed the proposal for an urban chicken ordinance to the Planning Commission for a public hearing and discussion. If the proposal is recommended and approved, I wonder what effects this will have on Normal in the future. . .
1 year
The town of Normal welcomed hens. EIEIO
Across the town they live in pens. EIEIO
With a cluck, cluck here and a squawk, squawk there.
Here a cluck, there a squawk, everywhere a cluck squawk!
Urban chickens are our friends. EIEIO

7 years
"Redbirds" now replaced by "NUCS." EIEIO
But "NUCS" rhymes really well with "sucks." EIEIO
With a "NUCS sucks!" here and a "NUCS sucks!" there.
Here a "NUCS," there a "sucks" everywhere a "NUCS sucks!"
Mascot name is now in flux. EIEIO

12 years
Feral chickens roam the town. EIEIO
In Normal parks across the ground. EIEIO
With a rotten egg here and a rotten egg there.
Here an egg, there an egg, everywhere a rotten egg.
Watch your step, there's quite a mound! EIEIO

15 years
NUCS and Normal pigeons met. EIEIO
Soon little pigkens they beget. EIEIO
With a cloo cuck here and a cloo cuck there.
Here a cloo, there a cuck, everywhere a cloo cuck.
Designer pests -- the latest yet! EIEIO

20 years
"Foxy Normal" now it's known. EIEIO
Fox population overgrown. EIEIO
With a red fox here and a grey fox there.
Here a fox, there a fox, everywhere a foxy fox.
Normal fowl the coop have flown. EIEIO

Normal Chickens: Ruling the Roost or Dumb Clucks?



Normal is considering a proposal to allow residents to raise chickens. This seems to be a popular topic in other parts of the U.S. -- Washington, California, and Missouri, for example. Headlines take advantage of the humorous poultry-related expressions, such as "one cluck closer," and "opponents squawk."

I have to say I am in favor of allowing residents to have one or two chickens (let's not go crazy and have dozens of them running around). They do create somewhat of a mess and can be temperamental, so I doubt that everyone will want to have them. They're a lot quieter than dogs, though, and they don't require walking! We raised a couple of chickens (one pictured above) when I was a kid. I remember Tweety (not pictured) proudly "crowing" after laying an egg in the barn every morning and how she would come running to me when I swatted flies for her. She held her own against the barn cats, too. I was surprised at how much fun a chicken could be as a pet.

If anyone is interested in furthering the cause, here is a pro-chicken petition from the fine folks of Brunswick, Maryland:

To: The Mayor & City Council of Brunswick, MD

Whereas, cities across America are realizing the many benefits of urban chicken ownership and changing their ordinances accordingly;

Whereas, during a time of severe economic crisis and world-wide oil shortages, backyard urban chicken rearing provides an economical source of healthy protein for citizens;

Whereas, the keeping of backyard chickens makes a highly positive impact on the solid waste stream, county-wide recycling efforts, and the unnecessary use of chemical fertilizers in urban gardens;

Whereas, a well-kept coop regulated by ordinances poses no threat to city sanitation or the health of our citizens;

Whereas, a well-crafted town ordinance can adequately address all concerns such as noise, number, setbacks and registration; banning roosters and ensuring that specific guidelines are in place to protect all;

We, the undersigned citizens of Brunswick, MD hereby request that the city council amend the current ordinance, Section 3-1202, to allow for the ownership of 4-6 laying hens within Brunswick limits.