Journal mcgrew's Journal: Booze 1, Simpson 0 8
More Springfield follies -- Gates vs Simpson. Homer's presumed sister in law alderman Gail Simpson has lost her war against liquor.
According to the Springfield daily paper, Simpson was armed (and I presume dangerous as well).
Over the objections of Ward 2 Ald. Gail Simpson, Springfield aldermen Tuesday approved plans for a grocery store to sell beer and wine along Stevenson Drive.
Simpson came to the meeting armed with signatures from 341 residents who were opposed to the project.
She added that she is concerned that "the only development in Ward 2 seems to be liquor stores and taverns."
"Until that changes, we do those citizens a disservice by doing anything other than denying this petition," she said.
Gordon Gates, the attorney for AT&W Grocery, 2191 Stevenson Drive, said the grocery's owners hadn't seen the signatures and, until Tuesday, had heard no objections to their plans.
Gates rejected Simpson's notion that the area is overrun with liquor stores, saying there are only a handful in a two-mile radius of the store. His client wants only the ability to sell beer and wine until 10 p.m., he said.
"This is a local mom-and-pop shop that's primary business is, and will continue to be, the sale of bread, eggs, milk, a box of crackers, kitty litter -- that's what we sell," he said.
Gates said he was "amazed and frightened" by the number of empty buildings in the area.
He urged aldermen not to follow their usual practice of deferring to the opinion of the alderman in whose ward the project is located.
"This is not a Ward 1, Ward 2 issue," he said. "This is a citywide issue. This is a situation where there's sales tax being generated. There's jobs being generated."
Simpson's motion to deny the petition failed by a vote of 4-5. A subsequent motion to allow the petition passed by a vote of 6-3. Simpson, Ward 5 Ald. Sam Cahnman and Ward 6 Ald. Mark Mahoney voted against approval.
I have no opinion of Ms. Simpson, but by all accounts I've heard, Canham is a real sleazebag with no respect for women whatever. The local paper reported earlier this year that he was arrested for soliciting prostitution, but oddly a search showed no evidence of any story like that. Mahoney is my alderman, and I don't like him a bit. In fact I voted against him last election.
Another story is about a man murdered by a cartoon. Don't believe me? Click the link and look at the guy's picture.
When Associate Circuit Judge Chris Perrin read details of the first of three first-degree murder counts to Beeler, the defendant loudly asked, "He's dead?"
And in other Springfield news, they're tearing down the cartoon building on Lawrence and Spring -- the one with chairs hanging outside the building.
The building at 118 W. Lawrence Ave. -- the one with the chairs hanging from the exterior -- is coming down.
Once home to Periwinkles Gift Store, it most recently housed Flea Market to Fabulous until the city declared the storm-damaged building unsafe. The store has remained open in a different building on the back of the property.
Repairs to fix the damaged building would cost more than the building is worth, said Jodi Cole, owner of Flea Market to Fabulous.
"As much as everybody loves that quirky old building, it just made more sense to knock it down," she said.
The SJ-R publishes under a Creative Commons license.
Next up: most likely a "Paxil Diary" type journal. I'm working on it.
hey, bad link ! (Score:1)
And in other Springfield news, they're tearing down the cartoon building on Lawrence and Spring -- the one with chairs hanging outside the building.
Where is the obligatory you-tube audio-visual link?
Re: (Score:2)
There isn't one. They're tearing it down Saturday. Google Images fails me trying to find a picture.
Re: (Score:1)
well, hie on down there before they take the chairs down, take a picture, convert it for posting as text, and post it here!
or, can one of your neighbors post their pictures?
i trust you man.
Re: (Score:2)
The closest thing I have to a camera these days is my cell phone, and it tales shitty pics, but I'll see what I can do.
HEY! I GOT IT! (Score:2)
Google Street View to the rescue! 816 Spring Street. It's a clear picture and pretty recent, as it has bricks from part of the collapsed wall in the sidewalk.
Re: (Score:2)
LINK!!!!! [google.com]
Twist the image a little to the right and you can see the capitol in the background.
Re: (Score:1)
xcelunt
Now, get out there Saturday and take some cell phone pictures!
Thanks.
Re: (Score:2)
Unfortunately, I had an appointment Saturday morning I couldn't miss. By the time I got there the building was completely gone, nothing left but gravel.