Normal: What Can We Say?

There's a website that lists city mottos and nicknames. Some of them are clever, some mention local landmarks, and some lend themselves to jokes.  Here are a few that I think are worth mentioning (you'll have to look up the corresponding cities):

An Oasis of Recreation
A Place to Watch
A Slice of Heaven on Earth
Beauty and Progress
Capital of the Cow Country
City of Colleges
The City Different
City of Homes
City of Medicine
Cow Chip Capital
Crabtown
Dear Hearts and Gentle People
Everywhere Should Be Like This
Easy Living, Where Good People Count
The Friendly City 
Ghost Town
Giant Hog
Giant Cow
Giant Pirate
The Heartbeat of Agriculture
Home of the Corn Fest
It’ll Take You By Surprise!
It’s not the end of the earth, but you can see it from here
It’s the Climate
It’s the People
Little But Proud
Living With a Mystery
Old Town, New Spirit
On the Road to a Better Future
Something for Everyone
Timeless Beauty . . . Ageless Fun
The Town Too Tough to Die
The Town Without a Frown
To the Stars Through Difficulties
We are Here to Grow
We’re On Our Way
What a Hometown Should Be
You Couldn’t Pick a Better Place

I think these are the two mottos that would work for Normal:

It's All the Name Implies

Where the Name Just Says it All

Normal: Earth Day 2011

Happy Earth Day, Normal!

It's been 41 years since the first Earth Day. What could you do to observe this occasion?
*Visit a park.
*Plant a tree, flower, bush, or some grass seed.
*Unplug (as much as possible) today.
*Walk or bike.

*Plan to celebrate the earth every day!

Normal: Your Ad Here!

Cash-strapped states have started selling ad space on school buses, in school cafeterias, on campus parking lots, on school web sites, in prison holding areas, and in the waiting area at the DMV. It's one way to generate revenue.

Ah, I can see it now: at Normal Town Council meetings, the Council member who gives the introduction to the meeting (for the cable broadcast) will announce who is sponsoring that meeting ("This meeting brought to you by Hank's Barbershop -- we're hair for you!"), there will be advertising signs posted on the front of the table where the meeting members sit, and ads will scroll across the bottom of the screen. There could even be product placement at the meetings (cans of soft drinks sitting with their logos facing the camera with occasional close-ups of the cans).

Local parks could have ads on or inside the bathrooms, town vehicles could have ads on them, and the town's website (soon to be updated) could have ads on it. It's not so far-fetched when you realize that we already have bird heads stenciled on the streets and an ISU redbird painted on a water tower. Those are government properties that are being used to promote ISU. Advertising is everywhere and we've come to accept it.

This blog is brought to you by blogger.com.  The blogger's hair styling and wardrobe are brought to you by a local hair salon and various local department stores.

Normal: Cool College Town!

There are many, many ways to rank colleges and college towns. One article lists the "coolest" college towns, citing their restaurants with "authentic cuisines," the scenery, the sports, the museums, etc. I guess their definition of a cool college town is a place that offers something for everyone.

Normal wasn't on this particular list but we could argue that it has its own cool quotient. There are the obvious features, such as the festivals, museums and historical sites, parks/trail, sports, and the wide variety of eating establishments. But there are also features that make Normal uniquely cool.  For example, there is always construction taking place, which should appeal to engineering and architectural design types (and to those who built stuff with Legos when they were kids). City Hall is centrally located so anyone who enjoys democracy-in-action, animated NIMBY debates can get their fill. Bicycle vs. vehicle showdowns occur daily on local streets. And for avian entertainment, there are geese not only on local ponds, but also in parking lots, on sidewalks, and out in the streets. If Normal has an official bird, it should be the goose (which would leave us vulnerable to jokes but with a name like Normal, we can take it).

And there are the features of Normal's ambiance which also add to its coolness, such as the mixture of a rather conservative residential population and local government with what one would assume to be a somewhat liberal college population -- guaranteed to provide entertaining clashes on occasion! And Normal's weather provides challenges unmatched by climbing a mountain trail (take that, University of Virginia!) or looking at bats in a cave (big deal, University of Texas!): the wind in Normal whips your hair and clothes in seven directions at once; the bitter cold of January requires seriously heavy outerwear while the humid 90-degree days in August require the lightest clothing possible as well as a variety of sandals, and the frequent severe storms require the need for a basement, a reliable sump pump, and the ability to quickly change plans.

Still not cool enough? How about the Camelback bridge and the Corn Crib ballpark? Or how about the amazing feats of negotiating the streets around ISU during move-in day?

Normal? Way cool.

Normal: Cold Pavement (Warm Hearts)

I went to Hope College in Holland, Michigan, so this article about Holland's heated sidewalks and streets caught my attention. The heating feature was not in place when I was there, so I remember well what "lake effect snow" did to the sidewalks and streets. Can you imagine having clear pavement to walk and drive on even when it's snowing? The store owners don't have to spend time and money clearing the sidewalks and the city saves money by not having to plow and salt the main street through the business district. It's too bad that this feature wasn't added during the recent Uptown renovations. Retrofitting this kind of feature into existing pavement is probably so expensive that it would take many, many years to make up for the cost in what would be saved (the cost of salt, labor, and fixing potholes). Too bad. It would have been great.

Normal Park Ping Pong?

New York City is experimenting with an outdoor ping pong table. It's a fancy one so it cost quite a bit -- $3,490 to be exact. But what a great idea! Make the table and "net" from durable materials and rent out paddles and balls (or people can bring their own). It would bring people together in a public space, provide some exercise for young and old, and be a new form of entertainment that doesn't require much cost other than the initial purchase. I'd love to see one on in a local park or on a local college campus (hint, hint).

Normal College Town: A Good Place for Retirement?

This is an article about a trend of more retired people moving to retirement communities in college towns. It's a great idea because there is such a wide variety of events taking place on college campuses: plays, music, sports, celebrations, talks, etc. College towns also tend to have good public transportation, which helps the students and the retirees.

The article specifically mentions partnerships between colleges/universities and retirement communities. I think there are some efforts along these lines locally and I would like to see more of them. Both the colleges and the retirees can contribute and benefit from such partnerships.

Normal in McLean County: Who was John McLean?

I seem to always find a couple of books of local interest at the Normal Public Library Book Sale, and this time was no exception. I bought the book Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society 1930, published by the Illinois State Historical Library in 1930. There is an entry by Mrs. Florence Fifer Bohrer, Member Illinois State Senate, about how McLean County got its name: "John McLean and the County that Bears His Name" (pages 150-156).

John McLean was born in North Carolina (a slave state) in 1791 and moved to Kentucky when he was four. His father was a minister and was related to the Ewing family. John moved to Shawneetown in southern Illinois and was admitted to the bar. In 1818 he was elected to Congress as a Democrat and he was pro-slavery. He served until 1824 and then was elected to complete the term of a United States Senator. In 1829 he was serving in the Senate but his health was failing so he returned to Shawneetown where he died at the age of 39.

It sounds like he was very healthy in his younger days, because a neighbor of his said that he would "go to log-rollings, corn-huskings, house-raisings and country frolics" and "he could beat all comers at running, jumping and lifting" (page 153)! It's surprising that he died so young. I guess serving as an elected official takes it toll.

He never came to the area that is now McLean County but it was named in honor of him as suggested by Mr. William Ewing, who happened to be the Speaker of the House when a committee presented him with a petition to create a new county. The county was officially created in December, 1830,  just two months after McLean's death.

At the end, Mrs. Bohrer writes that if John McLean could visit McLean County "today" (1930), he would "be moved by the outward changes which the new industrial and economic order has wrought, the automobile, air-ship, the fine roads and splendid institutions" (page 156). Of course, we take these things for granted, especially the air-ships.

Normal (and other local) Street Name Origins

There is a document, courtesy of the McLean County Genealogical Society, posted on the internet that lists names of streets in Normal, Bloomington, and McLean County, and also lists the origins of those names.  Some of the streets were named for types of trees (Elm, Oak, Pine, etc.). Many of the streets were named for local people, although the list does not include information about those people. Some streets were named with Abe Lincoln in mind (Lincoln, Lincolnwood, Todd), one street was named for General Douglas MacArthur (MacArthur), and two streets were named for General Winfield Scott (Scott, Scott Street). A couple of streets were named for stores (Ward Drive for Montgomery Ward, and Carson Drive for Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co.).

A few streets have local historical significance: Butcher's Alley and Butcher's Lane were near slaughter houses; Circle Ave. was a former racetrack; Division St. divides Normal from Bloomington, of course; Fairview St. was near the fairgrounds (I never made that connection!); and Lumber St. was where lumber was unloaded from the train.  Two streets were named for cars: Continental Court was named for the Lincoln Continental, and Fleetwood was name for the Cadillac Fleetwood. London Way (as in England), Orlando (as in Florida), and Orleans Drive (as in New Orleans, Louisiana) were named for places.

Center, East, and North streets were so named because they represented the outer boundaries of the city/town at that time. The way this area keeps growing, that was definitely a mistake!

Normal HSR Promotion?

Clever video using "Mad Men" style to promote high speed rail.

Normal March Snow

It's winter in Normal -- again!

Normal Nut Park

Planters -- the purveyor of peanuts -- is going to build small, peanut-shaped parks (called Planters Parks) on pockets of unused land in select cities. Each park will have its own Mr. Peanut statue! Ok, so it's like a living advertisement for their product. But if it provides a bit of green space and doesn't involve much upkeep (maybe volunteer groups could handle that), why not?

Of course, if Beer Nuts would like to offer their own version of green spaces (Beer Nuts Niches?), that would be nice.

Normal's Circle as a Square?

There is an article that discusses the importance of "public squares" in current (and past) citizen uprisings. The idea is that we need these (real, not virtual) public spaces to gather, share, and voice our concerns, especially regarding the need for political change. I think that, aside from the section criticizing the role of the U.S. in world politics, the article makes a good point about the significance of public squares.

Would Normal's traffic circle (or do you call it the roundabout?) serve as such a public square? (I can see someone with a megaphone, getting people riled up as they march around the circle, carrying signs!) Or would citizens be more likely to gather on the ISU campus? I'm not suggesting that there is any current need for a gathering to seek political change in Normal! Just wondering if the lack of an obvious central public gathering place in the business district (as opposed to public parks, for example) would inhibit efforts of residents to publicly join together to express their concerns about some issue.

Normal Population

Census data show that Normal's population is now at 52,497.  The U.S. (resident) population is 308,745,538. The world's population is at 6,900,417,038 (as of this posting).

And I'm just 1.

Kind of puts it into perspective, doesn't it?

Normal Mayor's Whereabouts

New York City's Mayor Bloomberg is facing questions about his whereabouts when not in town. In fact, the Council is considering passing a bill requiring the Mayor to provide notification of his whereabouts. (Isn't 'whereabouts' an odd word?) This issue might be unique to New York City because (a) the Mayor is very wealthy and can afford to jet off to places, including his many vacation homes, and (b) it's a BIG city so when there is a crisis (such as a major snowstorm), city leaders need to know who is in charge, for how long, and where to contact the Mayor in case there are questions.

Do Normal citizens need to know where Normal's Mayor is when he's not in town?  And since this is a part-time position, do we need to know only part of the time? Aren't public officials entitled to some privacy?

Normal Normal Snow?

Everyone agrees that we've had a lot of snow recently. According to one site, the average early February snowfall in Normal is around 6 inches. Regardless of the actual amount of snow that we receive, what is considered normal snow in Normal? Is it determined by how often people have to clear their drives? Is it determined by the number of snow days that the local public schools take? Or is it determined by the number of newspaper articles focused on how people in the area are dealing with the snow? Maybe there is never a "normal" amount of snow, just a "normal" amount of grumbling about winter weather!

Normal Sounds (and Smells?) of Happiness

There is a mayor who has suggested broadcasting around town the sound of birds singing because it's supposed to make people happier. Who wouldn't enjoy the sound of repetitive chirping, warbling, and squawking?  We could try broadcasting that throughout the streets of Normal. But why stop with sounds? Why not scents?  The smell of hot tar used to fill potholes should make people happy. The smell of freshly cut grass without fertilizer or weed killer would be a nice change. And the smell of creosote (or whatever train smell you prefer) would reassure folks that we do need to invest in train travel. (I've lived next to railroad tracks and, trust me, there is a distinct aroma.)

The one problem with broadcasting sounds is that it is somewhat reminiscent of the Soviet Union's attempt to "cheer up" the area around Chernobyl (after the nuclear disaster) by playing music over loudspeakers. I'm always reminded of that when I visit the local outdoor shopping mall. Gives me the creeps (but doesn't stop me from spending money).

Normal Promotional Video?

Should one ever be completely honest with someone who wants to move to Normal? What would you tell that person? Here is an example.

Normal Mayor Deep in Thought?

Mayor Koos was photographed at this year's United States Council of Mayors meeting in D.C.  The speaker he's listening to must be very interesting.

Normal Links

I was looking for interesting links from "normal" (using bing.com) and found a few. One is a company called Normal (located in Chicago) that sells environmentally-friendly items. Their mission is "to deliver quality products that promote a healthy future."

On Matchmaker.com you can find information about "thousands of Normal men in your area." Thousands? Really?

My favorite is the Free Dictionary's listing for "Normal" because, in addition to describing where Normal is located and the fact that ISU is in Normal, it includes a pronunciation of the word "normal" that you can actually listen to. So, if you're unsure how to pronounce the name of this town, you can listen to it repeatedly and practice saying it. (Hint: it's not nor-mall, nor-male, nur-mal, nor nor-mel. It's nor-mle.)