“It doesn’t take a majority to win, just a tireless minority that will keep starting brush fires in the mind and hearts of their fellow men.”

Samuel Adams

Sunday, February 26, 2017

Pride in Peru You Either Have It Or You Don't

Received the magazine put out by the city of Peru, lovely magazine but sure it will hit the waste basket by many as soon as brought into the house but that is the chance they take, isn't it?.   Except like everything, the cost is on the taxpayer.

If you have leafed thru it, you surely have seen the diagram of our future park to be located on the site of the former Washington School. Location is appropriate as it is close to the general population.

I have a question.  When it was first thought the city  might rebuild the swimming pool which they anticipated removing, they brought in several different developers and designers to give us a "look see" at what they might be able to develop for this city at same location. There were pictures of the planned project and the needed info and cost available. The company they chose was definitely not one that was good for Peru because they were used to developing high end projects in or close to larger cities. They did spend a lot of time with city officials but nothing came from it because in my opinion they were good people but wrong for this city whereas there was a company that had developed pools in many smaller cities in IL and IA that if chosen, we might in my opinon have designed a pool appropriate for a town the size of Peru and with the right resources to build it.  Again my opinion.

The same might be said about the splashpad.  Last couple of years we didn't even have money to build a small one and now we are building a million dollar project.
Have they held a Public Forum for the citizens to find out what they would like in a new park?

Have they even invited you to a council mtg where you could ask the questions with time dedicated to only that topic?

Has the city decided to design and build this park without going to developers of such projects?  From no money to a million dollars, anyone know this is an Election Year for Mayor?

Do you even care or are you interested?  Lot of data has not been put out to the public, you know the people who will actually use this facility.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

That magazine is a waste of taxpayers money.

Anonymous said...

It is nice they use Rodney's campaign slogan though ! Pride in Peru !

Anonymous said...

Handy access to phone numbers on the back cover.

Anonymous said...

That was not the his slogan. And if they didn't put something out you would complain that the city never shares what's going on. Meatheads like you are never happy.

Anonymous said...

I'm confused. Did anyone receive a CODE RED phone call last night when the sirens went off? I didn't and I know for a fact that I'm signed up. In light of the recent storm activity we've had does anyone know who determines when CODE RED will be implemented and under what conditions? I feel that if conditions are serious enough so sound the sirens they are serious enough to let citizens know what's happening (especially at night). I heard Spring Valley citizens received the call wonder why Peru did not.

Anonymous said...

found the perfect way to recycle mayor hurl's junk mail flyers - put a circle around him with a line going across & change re-elect to un-elect and post them wherever you can!

Peru Town Forum Blog said...

Thanks to the person who directed me to the Peru Pride Magazine for the list of new businesses. This list is not entirely honest and this is why.

4th Street Kitchen is actually Christy's Kitchen that moved from the north side of Rte 6 to the south side and about a block west and opened her business there. If a new business is working with her I don't know.
Art Deco Saloon is an extension of the Water Street Pub - same owner.
Shane's Shine Shop is a second shop new to Peru and the first shop is in Princeton.
Stone Jug replaces Ankiewicz Deli.
Is Tesla Motors the electric charging station nearr Hyvee?
Walmart has not even started their addition.

The Flower Barn, Little Caesars Pizza, Maven Salon, Renegade Motors are genuine new businesses to Peru.

Johannes Bus Service is out of Rock Island but may have a service here also.

Is Central Bank the former Centrue? Other banking, insurance, investments I am not familiar with but must be a legtimate new business. I do question St Margaret's Health and the medical spa as new businesses???

Anonymous said...

4th St Kitchen is a new kitchen cabinet store. One example where you are wrong. I can't even begin to understand your logic if discounting businesses. Who cares if they replaced old businesses? Or whatever reasons the others aren't "genuine". Regardless these are all beneficial.

Anonymous said...

The vile hatred for Peru is sickening. LaSalle has a damn parade or opens a store in their downtown (and I love their downtown) and this individual gushes and wishes Peru could be like LaSalle. We have more businesses than you can count open or replace another in a year and someone acts like its the worst thing. We have construction going on up north and despite the rest of the Illinois Valley suffering Peru continues to thrive. The best part is we just do it quietly. We should celebrate when ANY town opens a business in the Illinois Valley! It's a GOOD thing, despite the weird and twisted disdain a couple of people on here have for Peru.

Anonymous said...

OMG 2:37. What is your problem?

You question St Margaret's Health and the medical spa as a new businesses? It is a service that provides jobs and people pay for the services. If an old business closes due to a retirement (like the deli) and a new young business owner comes in, they should leave it off of the list? If a business is located in another community and opens a branch or a new office or location in Peru, that is not a new business in Peru?

Do you know anything about business? Do you have any idea how it works? If ONE of these opened in LaSalle instead of Peru you would sing it's praises.

What is it you have against those of us who are business owners who have businesses in Peru? Let me give you a little clue here. It's called advertising. They are recognizing the "new businesses" and giving us some advertising.

That is something we should be celebrating. Actually, we are. Just you are not.

Anonymous said...

Speaking of LaSalle. Did anyone else notice the St. Patrick decorations all along Bucklin Street? What a clever and delightful idea. All in their downtown flower vases they have shamrocks. Another unique and cute idea. (oh, and by the way the decorations are the appropriate color for St. Patrick's day - green).

Anonymous said...

WHY DOES DOB HAVE SO MANY SIGNS IN HIS YARD

VIOLATOR OF ORDINANCE

Peru Town Forum said...

To 8:38 AM

There is an advantage to being of the older generation as I am, I remember the Peru I grew up, went to school where I graduated from H.S. and Jr. College and received further degrees after my family was well on its way to growing up. I have worked in the area and still do. You might like to brag about your affection for the city of today and I have thoughts and memories of Peru the town it was, my father actually worked as a Peru Police Officer before he went into a business which he ran successfully for many years until his retirement.

I don't hate Peru and its residents as you seem to believe. Wonderful people live in this city as well as all the surrounding cities around us. I just have a different sense of what a community should be and is not. I think we have a bloated city government for a city this size and believe that we oft times use taxpayer funding foolishly. I hope you realize that opposition can be good and also looking for what residents want is good and it should not always be what the officials of which we have too many want., think it should be I would love to see the city engage families for suggestions and that has sometimes been talked about by the city but always seems to fall to the side.

I also know that unless the state of Illinois changes its behavior, it is going to lose many good residents who will leave for greener and less expensive places to live. That will be statewide and it won't keep that from happening in our city also. I also don't live in the narrowness of Peru but it just means I have friends and family outside the city, the state and the country. Keep abreast of the demographics and that will tell you how things are going, locally and statewide. We are not one big happy family in Peru, but we can be at least civil to each other. And when I write my opinion, accept that is what it is and that it is not the same as yours. You know "about the right of free speech thing" in the U. S. Constitution.

Anonymous said...

Can we put this idea of building a pool to rest. I grew up in the LaSalle Peru area and went to both the LaSalle and Peru pools as a kid and have alot of great memories. BUT that was a different time....Nowadays on any given block there is at least someone with a pool in their backyard and in alot of neighborhoods there are multiple pools. How many people had a pool in their backyard in the 60's, 70's and 80's? Not many! So as you can tell I am not for a pool. My kids grew up in Peru and I can count on 1 hand how many times they went to the Peru pool when it was opened and they swam almost every day. And no I did not have a pool in my backyard....they typically had many friends who had pools.I also think its wasteful spending for a splashpad. We have a 3 month window basically for warm "pool" weather. Yes I know the splashpad can be turned on and off depending on the weather so you may see it on in May or October. But at the price tag the City is proposing I think its a waste. Just my 2 cents.