Steinblog

Let’s see… Drought. Depression. Unemployment. Immigration. High fuel costs. Political unrest abroad. Yep. We’re due for another World War. Bet Rumsfeld is praying he lives long enough to start it.

I also predict Cheney will have a mysterious bout of ‘good health’ when election time comes around again. Most likely they will run Jeb, however.

John Walton, age 58, son of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, died in a plane crash Monday. The experimental ultralight went down in Wyoming. Board member John was listed as the 11th richest person in the world by Forbes Magazine, worth an estimated eighteen billion dollars. He was tied with brother Jim, just ahead of sister Alice and mother Helen. Hey, Matlock! I’d check those three out first. Just a suggestion.

Went to a township meeting regarding our area growth plan. It was very fascinating, but my butt has a time limit as to how long it can be in contact with a hard metal folding chair. Ouch.

I had planned on showing up in a long sundress and wide-brimmed hat, driving my Corvette, and bringing a glass of ice tea. I’d sit with a straw fan that had the word ‘NO’ on it and swish it every time growth was mentioned, but that kind of fell through. Took the Toyota and Mr. This Won’t Take More Than a Few Minutes, Right?

The event drew 22 people who sat for two hours and viewed slide shows from our planning commission and the county conservation district. We learned about water flow, topography and current zoning designations. When they asked for questions at the end, I almost said, “Where’s the refreshments?”, but resisted.

Learned some incredible things about my neighborhood. Like: of the 21 endangered animals of Illinois, we are home to 18, including my buddy the Blanding’s Turtle. (Mr. Right is breathing a sigh of relief here, as he was concerned our vacation would be spent taking the Vette to Indiana, where I would instruct him to drive slowly with the top down at dusk so I could catch the endangered Indiana Bat in a large butterfly net to bring back with us…)

Our creek water is among the best and cleanest in the state (grade B: it will support trout, but does not act as a trout breeding ground). Rare plants grow here, and no one knows why. Well, something to do with those slow but persistent glaciers. Ephemeral pools and wetlands abound. We were once home to elk, buffalo and cougars. Think I’ll spearhead a reintroduce the puma effort: Block Industrial Growth: Citizens Against The Subdivisions – Nature Only Welcome
(Big Cats Now).

We have the highest point in the county, and the second highest elevation in Illinois.

Our township is the most rural in the county – the last bastion of nature to be found for miles. Almost 10 percent of farmers have applied for farm land preservation status. This just means if a subdivision moves in next door, they can’t complain about the dust and chemicals and have the farm closed down. Yeah. Right.

As exciting as this all may be, the bottom line is again of misery and heartbreak.

We have a wonderful plan to control growth, but it’s not worth the slide screen it was shown on, as developers will just go to the county and threaten to sue everyone in sight until they get their own way. I left even more depressed than I arrived, once I realized everything that will be lost.

More tomorrow.

What I’m Reading: Naked by David Sedaris
What I’m listening to in my Car: Freakonomics
What I’m Recommending: Freakonomics
Stay away from: Places that charge to watch fireworks. It’s un-American.