Contractors in public areas prove exasperating.
Those who have not had experience with contractors especially in relation to public agencies do not realize how difficult it is to control schedules, services and even the quality of services and materials. Coordination is also an important and difficult factor of this type of activity.
Just one more surge.
I'm hoping for a surprise surge by our contractors on Oakland. It won't be until the final design elements go on that we'll see that there is any change.
The problem is that we don't know when the first days of winter are coming. We didn't know how the towers of the former University Club parking lot were going to look until the final cladding was installed. Now they look pretty good up there in the air.
Shorewood and its fantastic people is my community.
Shorewood is made up many grand people. I've always felt that way about this community and I'm very grateful to those involved in service to it.
Holding the ball.
Wherever there's a condition for group survival, in clans, in small villages and now in nations, government inevitably emerges.
Over-employment in Shorewood?
I was shopping on North Oakland again this afternoon. It wasn't raining but a bit wet and sort of sloppy for construction work; yet I saw one worker and a truck.
There was evidence of fresh concrete, so I'm sure that there must have been more than one worker earlier. The bolts in what seemed to be curred concrete indicate that the light standards could be installed at almost anytime.
Village Board, informal.
In attendance at the first Shorewood Village Board meeting of the month, I found that with only five members present that the Board acted more informally than during any of my other experiences. I've always thought that a 7-person board functions too ceremoniously in its actions. A five-member board seems to be just right
Announcement of priorities.
With all the various plans for Shorewood completed, paid for and absorbed in the minds of Shorewood's leaders they can now be stacked away. The steps that followed and are to follow are their conversion into priorities and the rationale for their order.
THERE IS NOTHING TO HID.
It appears that few public officials enter the local blogosphere as few if any comments are made by elected “representatives.”
It may however, be the case that some of Shorewood's informed citizens do read these postings; therefore it might be wise for elected officials to know in advance what they may be held accounted for.
LET'S CREATE MAGNETIC PUBLIC SPACES.
Now is the time for Shorewood to consider the dynamics of urban design and the means for creating potential commercial activity areas.
We want to do more than remain an ordinary community where walking is pleasant and where children can attend good schools.
Elections based on Wards?
Steve Koczela raised the question as to whether a ward system for Shorewood might better represent the citizens of Shorewood. I believe it would.
Government “by the people.”
A nephew and family will be taking up residence in Shorewood and will be voting for their representatives on the Village and School Boards. How will they know who will actually be representating them as to their concerns in the community.
Elected officials, the bloggers are coming.
Its obvious that fellow bloggers read each other's postings, raising questions and making comments. It isn't all that obvious however that elected officials and their colleagues read our postings as we seldom hear from those representing us.
Their sustained silence could be considered to be the ultimate in arrogance.
Clustering
Shorewood is made up of residents who chose to live here for one reason or another. Very few live here from birth until death as in many small towns still today.
“Of the people.”
It is becoming obvious that elected officials are aware of bloggers' postings but prefer to ignore their content by pretending that these exclamations, these messages from those that they purport to represent, do not exist.
This pattern of behavier might be considered to be a form of institutionalized arrogance.
Let's get fuller discussion of issues from candidates.
It won't be long before we'll be involved in the coming local election. I expect that Dawn Anderson and Michael Maher will be candidates for their present seats on the Shorewood Village Board.
Its likely that no one else will run. But even though I favor both Mike and Dawn, it would be nice if we had at least 2 others running, so that they'd have some democratic opposition that would give the voters a better idea of the issues.
Who is a constituent?
I heard a trustee at a Shorewood Village Board meeting say that he was voting on a issue that was supported by his constituency.
When voted into office by an at-large vote, one wonders who his constituency is. Are those opposed to his views on issues also his constituency? So then, how does he represent them? Don't the other trustees have the same constituency, the citizens at large? How does one represent more than one view when representing all the citizens, even those who didn't vote and those who voted for someone else?
