“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

Tuesday, September 08, 2015

Painting Kewanee -- A Small Town Reborn

25 comments:

Peru Town Forum said...

Would our officials be receptive to this idea like many residents are?.

Peru Town Forum said...

But first of all, could Peru use a facelift?

Anonymous said...

Kewanee lost the boilermaker business and the town in the 1980s. They have a major furniture store and not much else. It compares to Pontiac in a place you only want to go through at 80 miles an hour.

Anonymous said...

A fresh can of paint won't save this city.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful little city with a slightly high violent crime rate, 8% UTILITY TAXES, median income for family is $37,813 compared to Peru that has a median income of $67,375. They have nice paintings on many of the old time closed businesses that cover up the gang graffiti. If your leaving town to go to Kewanee bring a paint brush.

Peru Town Forum said...

One of our daughters attended Blackhawk Jr. College so we were in the town quite often and did not think it was bad like some of you are making out. Made friends there also.
They have some areas of town that are nice and some not so, just like Peru. They seem to do more community wise. Believe they also have a park district. And we have never treated it like a town that I need to speed through.

Population is more mixed there and we are reaching that point also now..

Not sure where you got your dollar amounts for the population because they don't sound right with Peru having an average pf $67,000. and Kewanee almost half that.

Hospital there is now part of OSF.

And don't speed thru Annawan on your way to Kewanee because police like to give out tickets there.

Anonymous said...

Some towns emphasize low taxes, strong economy, good schools and low crime rates and others carry paint brushes. The choice is yours. Those murals will fade. And paint will peal. There are many good points about any small town in central Illinois including Kewanee and Peru. I would believe that the post was to serve as a example of what people can do when they come together to help a small town. It should also be a model for those who complain about Peru, you can help and be part of a progressive city. Be supportive. Be positive.

Anonymous said...

Anybody know what is happening with the city administrator and the task force committee's recommendation? It wasn't on last night's agenda. When will the council vote on this?

Anonymous said...

I think the best thing about a town like Kewanee or Peru is what they are NOT. They are NOT Chicago or any of the Cook County suburbs. We don't want to sell our soul to Rahm Emanuel and the other Chicago Political Bosses and become like THEM. And that is precisely what our local Boss is trying to do... Make us in to a mini Naperville and bring all the Chicago corruption here.

Anonymous said...

As for Chicago corruption Peru has had similar illegalities before Mayor Harl was born. Presently Peru is a tool of state and federal laws which are harming the city. If you don't believe this take a walk thru downtown a couple times a week.

Anonymous said...

10:18 Speaking for myself I have tried to be supportive and positive. I continue to try to be positive but the only thing I can honestly say is, that unless you are somebody within the inner circle, I am positive you will not be heard or welcome.

Anonymous said...

That report is never going to see the light of day unless somebody gets if via FOIA and publishes it themselves.

and Naperville is NOT in Cook County. But, I agree, I have absolutely no use for "Chicago Land" except for the airports. I have no desire to visit that place. When I'm forced to, I spend a little money as possible.

Anonymous said...

absolutely true 3:41. Need to be connected to have any impact in Peru.

Anonymous said...

6:18 more baloney about connections. What are these connections that you are talking about? Anybody can have a impact on your community. Use your talents and resources for something good. If you trying to make a impact for your own personal gain, people quickly will point that out. Business makes a impact by providing jobs and goods. Schools and teachers make a impact in many ways, primarily by educating the community. Elected officials make a impact with policy and oversight. Many groups and committees make valuable contributions. And then we have those who complain for the sake of complaining. We understand that they have a gripe about not being recognized or not being elected. Its understandable to place blame on those invisible citizens who have been labeled as connected.

Anonymous said...

9:35. The city is governed by "connections." That is the point. It is also governed in secret. For instance - A plan has been put in motion to move the fire department to the airport. Our newspaper is not reporting on it. I'm probably wrong, but I don't think this has been discussed at a council meeting. But here it is, we are about to spend millions of dollars with no public input. Unless you are connected, your opinion is useless. Peru Government does not want anything to do with the average citizen being informed much less involved. They just want us to sit down and shut up.

Anonymous said...

11:06 more rumors and conspiracy. Your wrong! Moving the fire department to the airport would create a great deal of rules and regulations. Please do your job, the guys at the fire department are pulling your leash. They just wanted to see you squirm with the thought that you may have to go 1 mile up the road to sign in for that call that you never went to. It's easy now when you have only a few blocks to go to sign in. We also understand that a the nature of government employees is to expand the role with larger facilities and larger staffs with higher salaries. The rumor may be a plant.....and you fell into the game.

Anonymous said...

12:11, I wouldn't be so sure to say that the fire department is not moving up north. Not to the airport, but across Plank Road near the electric department office. The fire department and police department will probably be moving up there and I'm sure there are plans in the works right now. And I'd even guess that Boss Harl will be saying "and we're paying for it with a check".

Now what happened to the task force's recommendation about a city administrator?

Anonymous said...

that recommendation will never see the light of day.

and you are correct. They are planning a new multi-million dollar building near the power plant to house the new fire department and police department. These seeds have already been planted in the minds of the electorate by random NT articles. Anyway, additional land will be procured from our favorite developer. A new road is also going to be built with all the necessary legal requirements handled by our favorite law firm / corporate lawyer and favorite civil engineering firm. Up - I'd say between $25 and $50 million will be spent on the new Public Safety Complex "up north."

Anonymous said...

I thought that a new public works building was going to be built up north by the electric department complex?

Anonymous said...

4:32, nice job of making things up, the only thing right now of going up at the electric dept. is a new Public works building, which has been talked about since 2009. Quit making things up without facts, talk to anyone involved before you make these things up.

Anonymous said...

8:49, mark my words. Before Boss Harl makes the move to Springfield, the ground will be laid to build a new $50,000,000 "Government Safety Complex"

Anonymous said...

8:49 I too have heard rumor about a new public works buidling up north but if it has been talked about for 6 years why is it still such a big secret? Why do our representatives feel it's still to soon to let the general public know what their plans are? After all, it's our tax dollar that would pay for this complex? I don't even understand why something like that can't be talked about during a committee of a whole meeting or even during a special town hall meeting where the general public could have some input in what goes on in their city. Many of our surrounding towns are involving their citizens in their future plans. Why not PERU?

Anonymous said...

9:21 - your question is rhetorical right? Peru despises citizen involvement in everything. Period. If some of the town fathers had there way, Peru would not even have any residential zones - except for their houses of course. They don't want an informed citizenry. They don't want public involvement. They just want us to sit down and shut up.

Anonymous said...

It will be approved and a no bid contract will be authorized for $25,000,000 by a super majority vote. This will happen at a council meeting close to a major holiday - Christmas or Thanksgiving. The meeting agenda will be amended several times before this is put on it at the very last minute. After it is approved, The NT will follow the Boss's direction and bury the report deep. At the same time, the Boss will come up with some other event engineered as a distraction only. Perhaps some sort of candy cane festival at the airport.

Anonymous said...

This blog is just as I left it. People commenting on things they have no IDEA about just to get people fired up. Give good hard working people a black eye for nothing. I thought after being gone for a while this might change, however how wrong am i. Still a bunch a shadows casting opinions on subjects they have no clue about. They would rather slander someone than get the facts because they are either a disgruntled employee or someone who loves controversy. This blog still sickens me. Im sure you wont post this as you are one who also would rather slander than have truths spoken