We certainly couldn't ask for a nicer day in the summer than today, no wind, not too hot and not stormy. With that in mind, why has our electricity been on and off for about the last 1 1/2 hours?
Noticed it first while having a late lunch when one of our fans stopped and started intermittently. A phone call was interrupted at least 3 times when power was once again interrupted. Computer was down and it didn't pay to restart because it kept shutting off.
It is back on now @2:30 and keeping my fingers crossed.
Central States has a game today and I believe it might be in Peru.
Car show and other activities up the road in Cherry, so hope the police don't block off travel up the Plank Road in favor of the once again For Profit Concert. My personal opinion is that the point of the concert series is for profit as no town this size can support continuous charity events and the donations are more for organizations not for real causes. We should be getting a wake up call on this pretty soon.
One of the interesting expenses is that each person involved in parking cars is wearing a carpenters apron and yes these were one of the expenses paid for by the city. Surely not a big expense but interesting. Most of these people happen to be our city aldermen. So many things in town, they could be volunteering their time for and this is their choice.?????
29 comments:
Knowing how many of our police and fire are involved in the concert at the airport, one of my fears has been that there will be a need for them elsewhere in the city.
Coming home down 251, we see all kinds of flashing lights at the intersection of 251 and 36 th street. Road was blocked at 38th so no further traffic could go south.
Now I Find out that was an accident possibly involving police car or cars. Also an armed robbery at the Verizon store next to Staples occurred earlier.
It was only a matter of time, with so many resources committed to the concert, the smart thieves would choose that time to hit stores by the interstate.
It would be interesting to see what the police presence is at 4 th of July or other mass gatherings. From the safety plan at the Kid Rock concert, the police presence is half the recommended level at the concerts. Even cutting corners like that, the town may be undermanned and at risk.
At the safety committee meeting, this may actually be a good time to bring up a safety review of the concert plan. The promoter may need to hire more private police and make sure the department is at full strength off site to police the rest of the city.
The armed robber at Verizon and a very bad accident at 36th street and 251 this evening involving the K9 unit. There are pictures on FB.
I believe most police were pulled from the concert to cover all the activity elsewhere in the city. Where should our police be when the city government continues to support this concert with Peru City employees labor?
Personally believe this is certainly a time for re evaluation of our priorities.
Lois, I think that people who are unpaid volunteers should be allowed to make their own choices of what they want to donate their time and hard work to. I also believe that they should be appreciated for such choices.
10:25 pM
You misunderstand my comment. I have no problem with unpaid volunteers, I am referring to paid city employees including police and fire. Who do you think is getting all the traffic out of the concert? This is not magic, this is paid manpower.
10:20 PM
When we depend upon our police to be the traffic cop on site (concert) and the officer helping problems in the city, you reach a point where a decision must be made as to what is the most important. I agree wholeheartedly with your comment and I believe that point was reached tonight
Have you been to one of the Concerts and how old was the youngest person you saw there? Did you see what we would call "just kids"?
What Illinois state liquor laws apply to concert venues with regard to age of attendees?
Lois 5:26 kids would be allowed into the fair festival or concert in similar fashion to restaurant or bar that serves food. Promoter must guarantee that under age are not seved, as they supply alcohol as well. I believe a special liquor license must be obtained for such events, and special conditions may be added by the granting authority. Typically, things like ticket only purchase are standard, so the sales may be monitored , especially if the talent gets a portion of concession sales or it is a charity event.
Fixed venues , with credit card processing, generally accept cash transactions. The difficulty with large cash transactions at a major outdoor event like this is auditing and security.
The judgement of parents who bring children to such concerts, like kid rock, may be questioned but not the legality.
10:27 AM
what I am referring to is parents that drop off their kids and then come back to pick them up.
No one can enter the airport to pick up until most or all of the parked cars have left the airport. They wait in Sapp Brothers parking lot until the police give the go ahead to travel south to the airport. When the concert is over, both lanes of the Plank road south are used for southbound traffic and not sure about north but it may be the same with both lanes going north for outbound traffic.
Considering that people started leaving before the concert was over, it was probably at least an hour or more before parents were allowed onto the airport property.
Is it possible that kids as young as 12 to 14 years old are left unsupervised at the concert and must wait for a ride allowed to enter the airport to pick them up?
Poor judgment is not an unknown quality for some people.
11:41 it could be stipulated that all under 17 need accompanying adult. There are many things that could be required, but have not been.
Unless it is a teeney bopper band, kids should not be allowed in at all. These events are big booze parties. In fact, there are more drinks sold per person than they sell at our local bars and taverns. The entire event is all about drinking, and selling drinks, as fast as possible to as many people as possible. Otherwise, there would be no money for "the cause."
If it is a teeney bopper band or a Guy Lombardo Orchestra anyone under 21 years of age should not be allowed at the site where a special liquor license has been issued without a parent or legal guardian present. This has been a subject which has been stated in this blog several times without any attention being addressed to it. The Mayor is also Liquor Commissioner in the City of Peru and it is his responsibility to enforce city ordinances whether he has entered the city into a partnership with a private business or not. How can someone in the highest political position of the city maintain the responsibility of enforcing the ordinances when he himself will not live within them. It is so correct to start each and ever city council meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance but have we reached the time frame which each council meeting should with "The Man in the Mirror".
CITY ORDINANCE:
Sec 6-95 Class "SE" permits shall be issued by the commissioner subject to the following requirements:
(1) Only persons who qualify as special event retailers shall be eligible:
(3) Class "SE" permits shall be subject to the following restrictions:
a. Such permit shall be issued only for a special community, civic, educational, fraternal, political, religious or similar events:
c. No person under the age of 21 years shall be allowed to enter or remain upon the permitted premises, unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. This restriction shall not apply to employees or independent contractors performing services upon the licensed premises during times at which such persons are actually engaged in their employment for the licensee, provided that all such persons so employed must be at least 18 years of age:
Class Fee
Class "SE" $10.00/day
Didn't the police chief skirt this issue by claiming the la Grottos was operating under their existing liquor license and did nor need a special event license?
I really have no idea about this, I just thought Kristy brought up some irregularities last year and was rebuffed by some lame excuse, so the concert could go on.
Dosen't a "normal" liquor license specify the business location? Specifically, I don't think a bar owner can take his license and open up shop in another location.
City of peru gets the Stanley cup award for skirting issues all the time and covering up stuff. I can guarantee you of this!
I don't know if the news Trib just rounds everything, but with this concert reporting 3600 attendees, and the other two concerts also round numbers, the odds are one in a million these sales figures are correct.
It is only important if the city wants an accurate count on its dollar per ticket, or the performer gets an amount per ticket.
And the paper said all the proceeds from this event were going to baseball, so I am waiting for a 234,000 check for baseballs! Maybe they meant net proceeds... But the prior article said a portion of proceeds... But everyone here on the blog says they give whatever they want and the charity should be happy to get it!
The fog of charity concerts, keep everybody in the dark and happy. Yeah!
1:23 Exactly what were the numbers of the last concert? I have heard nothing. These numbers, as far as I know, are the first time they've been publicly released.
Anon 10:59 No matter what the Police Chief or anyone else says 10:41 states the ordinance word for word and this is the law until someone changes it which has possibilities. But since the ordinance has been disobeyed what is going to become of it.
The Liquor Commisioner has been issuing illegal special event liquor licenses plus providing city property to a public business.
9000 kid rock, 6000 tug, 3600 this one. I don't know what the city got as far as dollar per ticket. You would think that a simple check would have been written for the facility fee.
Around here though who knows?
9,000-6000-3600-600 na na na da na na na da goodbye
Did anybody ever hear how much the city made on the McGraw concert from ticket sales and parking? Why is this information not made available to the public?
Since there is a tremendous amount of controversary over these concerts, why doesn't the city post copies of checks given to city by the concert promotors. Also, parking, that's cash. Wonder if thoses who are taking money for parking aren't skimming off the top for personal gain. Something to think about. Concerts attendance is slowly declining at rapid speed.
I think the novelty of these concerts is wearing off. Yah it is great to have a "name" band come to town. But, not having seats to sit in or even being allowed to bring your own is a pain in the A$$. And the volume of alcohol being consumed is downright worrisome.
Anon 1:15 I have never been to a concert at the airport therefore I have to rely upon the judgement of others. You state that the amount of alcohol being consumed is downright worrisome. How can this be since I have never read of one public intoxication at the airport or a DUI issued in the newspaper or heard of one arrest on the radio. I hope that you are exsaggerating because from what I read aldermen and public officials are manning the parking lot as people enter and leave and the PPD are hired as security for the concert activity and the concert is held on city government grounds. The city is also getting $5/car and a $1/ticket sold. LIABILITY, LIABILITY, LIABILITY.
1:15. No alcohol related tickets issued??? So. There was no public intoxication and no Dui's. And no pot smoked? and 3600 people supposedly attended. No fights? Just say'in. Wow Hard to believe.
Anon 3:26 Wow Hard to believe. If its so hard to believe don't believe it because even the Peru Wink Wink can't make this seem believable.
3:26 Yes, It is amazing . These may be the only country western and Kid Rock concerts in the entire country that never have any disturbances , no police reports, absolutely no problems at all. And they seem to have exact round numbers of attendees.
The promoter may want to make additional money putting on safety clinics for other venues. Did you know the only ambulance trips were for people with pre existing conditions.
Things are always positive here in Stepford.
The City has not been reimbursed for the Tim McGraw per ticket facility charge per FOIA request today; which is a violation of clause 21 of ordinance 4989 requiring payment within 14 days after the event. Financial information rewarding parking was also not available for the McGraw concert at this time.
Kristy
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