Ken Bradbury writes about the Town Brook being a boost for Jacksonville

This week in The Source Ken Bradbury wrote about the Town Brook, mentions Steve & Tiffany Warmowski of TownBrook.com and Ginny Fanning of the city’s Town Brook special studies committee. Be a part of the story, and come to the Farnsworth Group presentation 5:30 Monday May 13th at Jacksonville’s City Hall.

Dodging 

I hated dodge ball. In my tiny high school the P.E. teachers would throw the various age levels together in order to make a team, so my freshman class would soon be faced with an opposing squad of ball-hurlers of giant proportions. Unlike deer hunters who climb into their tree stand and wait for the biggest buck to come along, in dodge ball you aim for the weakest first. Kill off the puppies then aim for the big dogs.
So dodge ball season in Perry was one continuous series of bruises, black eyes and concussions. Of course back then we didn’t call them concussions, just bad headaches that caused us to see two balls coming at us instead of one. Many school systems still use dodge ball as method of institutionalized bullying, but most have tempered their policy to include softer balls.
But I remember that when I saw a rock hard sphere hurtling toward my head I had a few choices. I could duck (if I was fast enough), I could catch the ball (if I wanted a broken finger), or I could take the hit and have an excuse to get out of P.E. for the rest of the week. What I could not do is change the course of the ball.
Jacksonville’s been slammed with a decade-long series of setbacks as businesses close their doors, the national employment rate continues to languish around 8 percent, and the way of the world has not been kind to small town manufacturing. Yet . . . some people are dodging the ball.
I recently spoke to a radical. He’s name is Steve Warmowski, former newspaper photographer and now an independent designer of breath-taking wedding photos. Steve, his equally out-of-the-box wife Tiffany and a group of their friends have taken it upon themselves to form an organization intent on cleaning up the town brook and turning it into a . . . well, they’re not quite sure yet, but the eventual plan is to take our local trashy stream and convert it into an area we can be proud of and enjoy. Steve, Tiff, Inc. know how to duck the dodge ball.
While other cities bemoan the loss of their downtown areas, Jacksonville is taking the initiative and making some truly audacious strides. What seemed like a good idea in 1974, the urban renewal project, nearly killed the square. Traffic became nearly non-existent, parking was destroyed and businesses vamoosed to the Big Box boulevards. Then along came Jacksonville Main Street and other organizations giving us the wakeup shout of, “Hey! We’ve got something good here!” They won the Governor’s Home Town Award, the art gallery hop spring up, the patio jaunts, the Wall Dog murals, the by-golly Clydesdales, and the pouring in of $26 million in public and private funds. And best of all Norma Kogne decided to open our town’s most homey little eating spot just off the square.
I don’t mean no disrespect to the graphic arts, but when I attend the Gallery Hop I see many folks who aren’t there because of their interest in painting or jewelry. They simply like the feel of walking around the square at night and bumping into friends. One of the reasons that Americans walk less than many of our European brethren is that we have fewer and fewer walking spaces. There’s something about strolling across our gorgeous new town square at night that makes you want to keep on strolling . . . despite the recorded music.
Our three colleges (have we become too numbed to realize the audaciousness of having three colleges?) continue to pump not only new students, but also fresh ideas into our community. Take a look at the 500 fire hydrants painted by the I.C. students, the houses renovated by Bob Collings’ Lincoln Land classes, the way Mac is reaching out to the adult community for degree completion . . . dodge ball played at a truly collegiate level.
Every time something new is announced in Jacksonville, it’s actually an idea that a group of dedicated people have been working on for a long time. We love our meetings. I’ve often worried that Chamber of Commerce President Ginny Fanning will some day succumb to baked chicken poisoning as she attends event after event in our community, providing the spark and encouragement for an untold number of groups. I’ve often wished Gin was standing in front of me in the Perry Grade School gym when the dodge balls came flying. No one messes with Gin.
Future Gen, the prospect of a new Fine Arts Center, the constant efforts by Andy Ezard and crew, things coming down the road that will make a major difference in our community . . . while others continue to get smashed in the face by economic dodge balls, I applaud those among us who know how to shimmy . . . and win.

Get all the updates — follow TownBrook.com on Facebook. Boosting parks along Jacksonville’s waterways — the Town Brook, Mauvaisterre Creek, Lake Mauvaisterre & Morgan Lake, and Lake Jacksonville.  We aim to be an information resource for a grassroots effort to create a park along the Town Brook in Jacksonville, Illinois, 62650. Our goal is to create a linear park and a bike path to Lake Jacksonville.

Trails for Illinois – ideas for Jacksonville Illinois Town Brook recreational path

Thanks to Brittany Henry of the Jacksonville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau for passing on information from the state tourism newsletter about Trails for Illinois.

Trails for Illinois‘ mission is to enhance the quality of life in Illinois by connecting the state’s communities and countryside with an interconnected, multi-use public trail network, and by promoting the use of trails for recreation and transportation (from their Facebook page Trails for Illinois).

Their latest report (press release) shows recreational paths boost local economies. The proposed Town Brook recreational trail in Jacksonville, Illinois 62650, mountain biking trails created by Jacksonville mountain bikers, and a proposed bicycle route out to and around Lake Jacksonville bring people into town, draw cyclists who spend money at  restaurants and other businesses, and give a place for healthy living. The non-profit Trails for Illinois research was on larger trails in northern Illinois, but their results imply benefits for smaller trails. Lance Brooks from the Jacksonville mountain bikers said cyclists from Petersburg and elsewhere in the region have been coming in to Jacksonville to use the Audubon Woods trails. Creating paths and routes for bicycling, running, walking, roller blading and other uses would bring people into town. And, local recreational opportunities would reduce trips to Springfield, Chatham and other trail locations by Jacksonvillians – keeping their money in the local economy.

From Trails for Illinois Making Trails Count in Illinois report . . .

1. Economic Impact – People spend money locally while using Illinois trails • 35% of respondents spent money in restaurants and bars • 17% spent money in grocery stores • $1–50 was the most commonly reported expenditure • $30.40 was the average of all reported trail visit expenditures
2. Environmental Impact – People are frequently spending time in nature on Illinois trails • 30%+ of trail users surveyed reported visiting the trail 21 or more times during spring, summer and fall in the past year • 1–2 hours per visit is what trail users most commonly reported spending
3. Health Impact – People are using trails to maintain and improve their health and fitness • 32% of trail users expected to spend more than 150 minutes on the trail during their visit • 41% of trail users surveyed were female • 55% of trail users reported being 46–65 years old • 16% reported being 66 years old or older

Read the report for more details. Watch YouTube presentation. Support efforts of TownBrook.com (Facebook, Twitter).

Posted by Steve Warmowski

Spring Cleanup postponed

The Town Brook Spring Cleanup (scheduled for this Saturday 4/20) has been postponed due to weather. Check back for a reschedule date.

Jacksonville Town Brook project featured in The Source this week

Town Brook flows beneath a railroad bridge east of MacMurray College.

Lori Large Oldenettel wrote an overview of the Town Brook project for The Source‘s Earth Day issue. Be sure to pick it up on newsstands this week, and be sure to come to the spring cleanup Saturday April 20th, starting at 8 am at the Diamond Expo Center in Jacksonville, Illinois 62650.

Have you ever wondered about our Town Brook? Did you know the Town Brook starts near Wal-Mart – travels along Morton Avenue – through MacMurray College – and continues around the City of Jacksonville to Sandusky Road and out by Passavant Area Hospital? Did you know the Town Brook is 3.1 miles from Walmart to Foreman’s Grove? Are you aware our colleges use the Town Brook for educational purposes?

Did you know there is a group of individuals working together to better utilize the Town Brook for recreational purposes – to keep it clean – to create more green space – and try to make it more functional for public use? I never knew there was so much to learn about the Town Brook until I really started looking at it and started having conversations with members of the community.

There are so many wonderful stories from families living along the Town Brook, and so many community members who have always hoped the Town Brook could become something more than just a meandering stream. This certainly is not the first time a group of citizens has come together to try and “spruce up” the brook, or try to make it more aesthetically appealing. Conversations have included everything from bicycle trails and walking trails, to outdoor restaurants, fountains, pedestrian bridges, butterfly gardens, beautiful grasses, learning centers, trees, playgrounds, community gardens, gazebos, and most recently, a space for a gambling boat! (I’m pretty sure the person who suggested the gambling boat was joking but nevertheless, it made the list.)

My passion for improving the Town Brook started with my dislike of all the trash lining the banks of the brook. Believing the brook could look much better, conversations were started with the city on what we could do to help improve the look of the brook, and to help improve the quality of life in Jacksonville, which is something adjacent property owners and neighborhoods could enjoy. Those conversations spurred on more conversations that eventually led to the development of a Special Studies Town Brook Improvement Project Committee.

This committee, along with assistance from the Citizens Town Brook Committee led by Steve Warmowski, held our first Fall Town Brook Clean Up last October. Nearly 100 volunteers participated. We filled a 20-yard dumpster in three hours. You can follow at townbrook.com or on Town Brook Facebook to see photos. The success of this event, and local media coverage, caught the eye of a Bloomington, Illinois engineering firm, the Farnsworth Group. The Jacksonville City Council approved $8,100 to complete the first two tasks of a four-task plan to help determine if a recreational path in Jacksonville is plausible. Task 3 and 4 come with a heavier price tag – around $50,000, and the Special Studies Town Brook Improvement Committee is strategizing ways to secure these funds to complete the Engineering Plan. Farnsworth will report their findings from Task 1 and Task 2 to the public on Monday, May 13th at 5:30 p.m. at the Municipal Building and the public is invited to attend.

The second Town Brook Clean Up has been planned to coincide with Earth Day. The Clean Up will be held on Saturday, April 20. Volunteers must be over the age of 18, and all participants are required to sign a waiver to participate. Volunteers will meet in the Diamond Expo Center (Former Midland’s) parking lot located at 803 South Diamond between 8:00 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. Volunteers will be divided into groups and given trash bags, and are encouraged to bring their own gloves, wear long pants, and wear sturdy hard soled shoes. This cleanup is sponsored in-part by a $500 Grant received from the Streambank Cleanup and Lakeshore Enhancement Program (SCALE), Ace Hardware, Buster Sanitation, County Market, Hembrough Tree and Lawn Care, Our Town Books, Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Auxiliary, Ryan and Cassandra Turner, and the Morgan County Underwater Search and Rescue Dive Team. The City of Jacksonville Parks and Lakes Department, Jacksonville Police Department and Jacksonville Street Department will also provide assistance.

We would like at least 100 volunteers to participate in the cleanup and feel we are on track to meet that goal. Volunteers have already been organized from MacMurray College, Illinois College, Jacksonville Kiwanis Club, Faith Lutheran Church and the Citizens Town Brook Committee. We can never have too many volunteers for this type of project, so the public is encouraged to participate.

Everyone can do their part to help keep the Town Brook and our community clean by picking up litter. I would encourage everyone to make a conscience effort to collect litter on their next walk, a visit to a park, or a stroll around your neighborhood. I think you would be surprised at how much litter is on the ground when you start picking it up. Start a conversation with kids about the hazards of litter and the importance of keeping planet Earth clean. The more litter we pick up, the less litter blows into the Town Brook or find its way into our storm water drainage systems. Picking up trash is easy and every member of our community can participate. Organize a neighborhood litter cleanup, adopt a park for monthly cleanups, adopt a street and keep it clean.

We can do a small part in keeping our communities looking clean and green! What will you be doing to help planet Earth this week?

Potential bike path, old railroad land north of Town Brook in Jacksonville, Illinois.

Report on this week’s Town Brook Project speeches to Kiwanis Club and Noon Rotary Club in Jacksonville

Lori Large Oldenettel, Jacksonville Alderman Ward 2 and chair of the city’s Town Brook Special Studies Committee, and Steve Warmowski of TownBrook.com gave speeches Thursday March 28th to the Jacksonville Kiwanis Club and Friday March 29th to the Jacksonville Noon Rotary Club at their weekly meetings at Hamilton’s.

We gave an overview of the Town Brook project, history and future goals, and plugged the Town Brook April 20th Spring Cleanup.

At both meetings a question came up that needs to be addressed — how much is this going to cost?

Short term – Phase 3 of the engineering study from Farnsworth Group will cost about $48,000. Lori has promised her fellow city council members not to ask for the funds until she gets half of that in grants and donations. So far we’re a finalist for a Make A Difference Day Foundation grant for $10,000 – and we’ll find out the third week of April if the Town Brook project is a winner. And, next week we’ll find out if we’re in the running for in the State Farm Neighborhood Assist online contest. Lori registered the project with State Farm for a $25,000 grant. On April 4th we’ll find out if the Town Brook is selected as one of 200 projects nation-wide for the final stage of the contest. There will be a Facebook voting campaign with the top 40 vote-getters receiving grants. The city previously won a $10,000 Readers Digest grant, so this is doable!

The engineers at Farnsworth Group are also optimistic that the Town Brook will be recognized as an especially unique project, and can pull in grants. A recreational path along the creek will provide east-west connectivity for the town, and would be a great project for transportation grants as well as recreational grants. And, if you’ve ever tried to walk or ride your bike along Morton Avenue, with its helter skelter sidewalks and business pull-in traffic, you know pedestrians need a safe way to get to destinations in this major business district.

But, getting back to the question of cost — there’s actually two ways to look at this. How much does will it cost to do this, and how much will it cost to not do this.

Jacksonville has commissioned studies about the community, and Terry Denison at the Jacksonville Regional Economic Development Corporation said the results find our community does a great job offering amenities to seniors, but we fall short in offering things to do for youth and especially young families. Right now people go to Springfield and other places to have fun. Unless we invest in our community and start building more places for these young families to have fun here, we’re going to lose them. And we’re going to have a harder time attracting businesses, employers and new people to town.

The Town Brook project means . . .

• A Town Brook recreational path (and all its tie-ins with historical and  President Abraham Lincoln sites and Looking for Lincoln highlights as well as parks, schools, colleges, the YMCA and other amenities in town),
• the development of a bike trail to and around Lake Jacksonville (for bicyclists from town and campers at the lake),
• promoting mountain biking at Audubon Woods (which is pulling in visitors from Springfield and all across the region),
• bringing people to Pioneer Park and Pioneer Woods at the Old State Road crossing of Mauvaisterre Creek,
• connecting Illinois College and MacMurray College,
• feeding people into Community Park and Nichols Park,
• bringing bikers, walkers and runners to the revived Jacksonville Downtown,
• creating a Gateway Park along Morton at the Lake Mauvaisterre spillway and bottomland

. . . all these things highlight some of the best features of Jacksonville, encourage people to get out and be active and healthy, give families a safe place to have fun with their children, boost quality of life and encourage economic development, improve neighborhoods, and boost values of adjoining properties.

The Town Brook project has great potential to boost Jacksonville. This is an investment in our infrastructure — physical and social. Please get involved.

Be sure to like us on Facebook, and go there and message us if you’re not already on our monthly email newsletter list.

Written by Steve Warmowski

Details of spring cleanup of Town Brook Jacksonville Illinois April 20th 2013

Town Brook cleanup fall 2012. Couch near Foreman Grove confluence of the Town Brook and Mauvaisterre Creek.

Details have been announced on the spring cleanup of Town Brook April 20th, Earth Day 2013, Jacksonville Illinois 62650. Please register via our Facebook event page.

Volunteers will be coming together to help clean up the Town Brook. This project is designed as a shoreline clean-up. Litter and debris will be removed from the banks and in shallow water areas. Volunteers MUST be over the age of 18 and all volunteers must sign a waiver form before starting on the clean up project.

Volunteer are asked to:

• bring work gloves
• wear comfortable old clothes
• wear long pants
• wear sturdy shoes with hard soles
• wear insect repellant
• hand sanitizer
• trash grabbers (if you have one)
• Hip Wadders or rain boots (if you wish to get in the water)

Registration will begin at 8:00 AM. Opening Remarks at 8:15 AM. Cleanup begins at 8:30 AM. Start Finishing Up at head back to former Midlands Park Lot at 11:00 AM. Cleanup complete by noon.

If you are interested in helping with this project please join this event today or email (on Event page) or call Lori Oldenettel at 2013cleanup@townbrook.com or 217.370.4597. We would like to have a general idea of how many people are planning to attend so accommodations can be made with planning. We are targeting approximately 100-150 people to participate.

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

• Cassandra and Ryan Turner for use of the Diamond Plaza Parking Lot
• Our Town Books for refreshments
• City of Jacksonville – Parks Department & Street Department
• Jacksonville Chamber of Commerece Auxillary – helping with registration
• Town Brook Citizens Committee

Organized by Lori Large Oldenettel, Alderman Ward 2. Learn more at townbrook.com on Facebook.

Town Brook spring cleanup scheduled for Saturday April 20th

The City of Jacksonville has set the date for the spring 2013 cleanup of the Town Brook for Saturday morning April 20th. This was one of the items covered in the city council’s Town Brook Special Studies Committee meeting this morning.

Alderman Lori Large Oldenettel said the spring cleanup will follow the format of the fall cleanup. Work went from 8:30-11:30 am, folks met at the old Midland’s parking lot, had to be 18 or over to participate. Follow updates, developments and details on the our TownBrook.com community group’s Facebook page. Start spreading the date of April 20th (rain date April 27th). Completing the cleanup will get the city a $500 grant from the EPA’s SCALE fund (Streambank Cleanup & Lakeshore Enhancement).

Until then, here’s a challenge for everyone — where does all the trash in the Town Brook come from? The late Roger Zulauf pushed for a park along the Town Brook, and would tell his students at Turner Junior High School “if it blows, it flows.” Meaning anything that blows around at Turner or along Morton ends up in the Town Brook. Take it upon yourself to try to find the sources of garbage that ends up in the creek. That way we can work with business owners and the city to try to find ways to cut the flow of trash.

Other highlights from the meeting . . .

• Mayor Andy Ezard will get the special studies committee in touch with the city’s new lobbyist, to see if he can help snag some grants/funds for development of the park along the Town Brook.
• Bruce Surratt of the city’s parks & lakes department is working with the Illinois Department of Transportation to approve plans for putting up a pedestrian/bicyclist bridge below the Lake Jacksonville spillway. Once this is complete people will be able to safely get around the lake and better take advantage of the community’s major recreational spot.
• Farnsworth Group planners will be asked to meet with city officials and the public to give the results of the community input day. Tentative date is Monday May 13th at 5:30 pm (before the city council meeting).
• Alderman Lori Large Oldenettel registered the Town Brook for a State Farm $25,000 Neighborhood Assist Grant. If our community gets to the next stage of one of 200 projects nation-wide, starting April 4th people can vote on Facebook with the top 40 receiving grants. Get the Facebook App at www.statefarm.com/neighborhoodassist.
• Alderman Oldenettel also gave a report on last month’s Town Brook Improvement Project Community Input Day (see story). She reports good feedback from neighboring property owners, who pointed out the town brook is already used by local children and as a short-cut by pedestrians. She also said thinking outside the box will make it more likely for the community to get grants. So, beyond a park, think outdoor learning, place for community gardens, a way to fight childhood obesity.
• City Treasurer Ron Smiljanich reminds us “just one person can make a difference.” He’s been picking up trash along the Town Brook, and reminds everyone they can do the same, every day. Thanks to all those who care about the community who do this!

Posted by Steve Warmowski. Follow us on Facebook.

Good doctor says take a walk along the Town Brook, and you won’t have to call me in the morning

Dr. Walter L. Meyer, retired physician, and his brother William D. Meyer, retired public health administrator, have both been backers of a park and path along the Town Brook for many years. Read the letter to the editor that started our campaign to push for public access to the city’s land along our town waterway.

Although the big snow kept Walter away from last month’s city of Jacksonville’s public input day on the Town Brook project, William was able to come and pass along the brothers’ wish of a parkway through town.

Here’s some of their ideas passed on to Farnsworth Group on how a recreational path along the town brook would boost the quality of life for the citizens of Jacksonville 626250 . . .

• Grade schools now are more involved in teaching ecology – have teachers starting at 1st grade be encouraged to discuss the importance of not littering this beautiful asset. Take kids for a walk along the Town Brook.
• At some stretches walking-bicycle paths might be on both sides of brook, with connecting bridge.
• Adjacent land has great historical value – slaves were said to have been hidden along the brook & under cover of darkness taken to Talcott House or Gillette house for the Underground Railroad. The Ayers family (prominent in our community in early/mid 1800s, helping to found Passavant Hospital, Ayers Bank, Illinois College, Westminster Church) built their first cabin on South Main Street near the Town Brook.
• Improve the look of Morton Avenue at the entrance to Illinois College.
• Hopefully businesses and people who own land along the Town Brook will donate land, stamp their family name into the community.
• Restaurants like Hardees or McDonald’s can build bridges connecting the Town Brook pathway to their restaurants.
• The Town Brook Parkway can have connections to Community Park, letting folks walk to the park to use all the recreation. From there connect to South School, Nichols Park, Godfrey Park/Play For All Park, South Jacksonville, etc.
• Maintenance & improvements can be via contributions by civic groups, service organizations, Scout projects, learning opportunities for schools, churches, community gardens.
• Create open areas in blighted areas along the Town Brook. Buy flooded properties and add to Town Brook parkway.
• Extending pathways east to Foreman Grove & Our Saviour Field, south to Lake Mauvaisterre, Follow Mauvaisterre Creek north from Old State Road as it wanders, north then west, past Jacksonville High School.
• Developing the floodplain just north of  Morton into a Gateway Park. Turn the area from a rusty-billboard eyesore into a warm welcome to visitors from the east.
• Use the soon-to-be old water plant as a shelter
• Seek memorial gifts – trees, areas to maintain, etc.
• Form a foundation to help Jacksonville parks.
• Use wildflowers, native grasses to beautify the Town Brook (yet be low maintenance). Use controlled smokes to control vegetation.
• These more natural settings would attract wildlife,

  birds, etc. and connect people to nature.

• Talk to Pat Ward about development of protected birding areas.

• Near DesMoines, Iowa, the suburb Urbandale is a great example. A a planned community, they have designed large area behind homes for parks, walking & cycle paths.
• Have ponds for fishing, ice skating, etc. There are areas along the Town Brook with poorly maintained homes where this might be considered.
• Continue cleanup of brook. Much of the litter comes from fast food restaurants, suggest they contribute to cleanup, or even offer a bounty of free Big Mac etc for every 5 pounds of littler delivered to dumpster at their business.
• These businesses along Morton that generate trash ending up in the Town Brook could contribute fiscally towards clean-up on a regular bases, perhaps an annual contribution.

William Meyer, the former leader of the Morgan County Health Department, remembers . . . “many years ago I took some samples of water entering our brook over on the west side of town, and then samples over on the east side of town as it exited our city. It was rather revealing to note the rise in bacteria count. On several occasions, I have noted fish in the brook and I am always amazed and pleased.

The health of the Town Brook has gotten better over the years. Now it can be improved even more and be made into a place that can improve the health of our citizens and our community. Please support the Town Brook Project. Like us on Facebook. Get our newsletter and stay in touch by emailing newsletter @townbrook .com (no spaces). And donate money to help the city fund Phase 3 of the planning process.

Citizens or businesses who would like to financially support the Town Brook parks recreation and improvement project should make check payable to City of Jacksonville – Town Brook Improvement and mail to Treasurer Ron Smiljanich, City of Jacksonville, 200 West Douglas, Jacksonville, IL 62650.

Walter & William’s suggestions were shortened and edited by Steve Warmowski

Results of the Jacksonville Town Brook Improvement Project Community Input Day

We had a great turnout Thursday 21 February 2013 for the Jacksonville Town Brook Improvement Project Community Input Day. Engineers said in other towns they’ve sat around for a day while two people stopped in. This time they had a steady stream of people from the community coming to give their input. Thanks for your support!

Farnsworth Group sent two of their planners — Bruce Brown, a landscape architect, and (Jacksonville native) Kevin Hannel, engineer. (Neat side point — Bruce’s uncle was the first president of the Naperville Riverwalk 30 years ago, mentioned before in our blog. The walk is one of the community features that puts the Chicago suburb at the top of the best places to live in the United States. We can have a little bit of that here in Jacksonville!)

Highlights are below. If you don’t see your idea, you still can be heard by emailing ideas @townbrook_com or call Lori Oldenettel 217.370.4597 before the end of the month by Thursday 2/28. Farnsworth Group will work with all the ideas and suggestions, and present a master plan the city can follow in the future.

One of the best parts of the day was during the time for people who live next to the Town Brook. Two different families came, both expresses interest and excitement with the project. They hoped the project would address some of the flooding and maintenance along the Town Brook, and were receptive to the idea of public use of the land behind their homes. “People have walked there for years and enjoyed it.” So what we’re proposing with the Town Brook isn’t a radical new idea – it’s formalizing what already happens unofficially, and invites the whole community to take advantage of this community resource.

Another highlight of the day was during the city official segment when Bruce Surratt of the city’s Parks & Lakes Department said he’s been fielding numerous phone calls from people who want to know when they’re going to be able to start using a path along the Town Brook. “Are we going to be able to ride along the Town Brook Path to get out to the lake to watch the 4th of July fireworks” Surratt reported one enthusiastic caller asked. It’s great to see how much excitement this project proposal is garnering in the community!

To sum up the day, it looks like the anchor points of a Town Brook recreational path will start at Illinois College/YMCA and follow city land to MacMurray College. Along the brook add trees and put in wildflowers that grow knee-to-waist tall. A path along the brook at certain points would divert onto neighboring sidewalks or streets. There would be side paths off the Town Brook recreational path to pull in destinations such as the downtown Jacksonville, Washington School, Franklin School and Community Park. Focus also on improving the health and flow of the stream.

The beginning and end points can later be extended to run to Wal-Mart and future development west of Jacksonville along the US 67 corridor, and connect with a bike route to Lake Jacksonville via Massey Lane and Airport Road; beyond MacMurray a bike route can run on Routt Street, connect to the Our Saviour School fields plus railroad land south of College and Foreman Grove. After that connect north along Mauvaisterre Creek to the north end of town, connect with Pioneer Woods and the Pioneer Heritage Foundation Zion Park off east State Street, pedestrian bridge at the Old State Road bridge gets people back on State Street east past the Gen. Grierson Home and back to MacMuarry College and downtown Jacksonville.

Farnsworth Group will present an outline study to the city council sometime this spring. The city then needs to go ahead to Phase 3 which would be a more extensive study and planning. Please keep communicating with your city alderman your support of this project, and your support of funding Phase 3!

Extended notes:

The day was broken up into half-hour blocks set aside for different members of the community, such as city leaders, colleges, adjacent property owners and business.

Special Studies Jacksonville Town Brook Improvement Committee & City Council Members
The day started with city officials, from the city council, administration and the Special Studies Jacksonville Town Brook Improvement Committee. Kelly Hall of the Inspections Department said planning for land to the east of Lincoln to MacMurray College will be easiest, because it’s already owned by the city or has easements. Bruce Surratt of the city’s Parks & Lakes Department said he was getting phone calls from community members excited about the project (above). Bruce pointed out the “Looking Back” feature in the Jacksonville Journal-Courier talked about getting funding to take down the quad buildings on the square 10 years ago, and like the downtown project it’ll take some time to get from planning to progress. He said other communities like Springfield were lucky to have abandoned rail corridors to convert from rails to trails. While Jacksonville, as a railroad center, still has all their rail lines active. “We don’t have a blank canvas, we have a torn up canvas that needs to be fixed.”

Lots of mention was made of trash (fast food bags, wrappers, napkins) blowing in off of Morton and into the Town Brook. Alderman Don Cook, who was part of the fall cleanup, said the section that his crew made spotless is now full of trash again. Challenges of enforcing littering laws is that you have to catch people tossing. Maybe a fence could be put in at the back of business to catch blowing trash. Also, as the Town Brook becomes a park, and a path, and people walk around and see trash with a big logo on it, it’ll come back to that business and they’ll take responsibility for their trash. Giving attention to the Town Brook will bring civic pride and involvement, that would encourage businesses to take steps to keep their trash out of the parkway.

Illinois College’s Larry Zettler (city’s special studies committee) said the Town Brook is a great resource for educational opportuntities. Not just for science, but for all students. MacMurray College’s Nadine Szczepanski (also of the city’s study committee) said students from Mac as well can help plant native grasses and wildflowers and make for a beautiful and clean brook through town. Both college professors love the project. The brook can also have WiFi hotspots, allowing for outdoor labs and for on-site classes on the Town Brook.

City should be open to private donations. Farnsworth Group guys said companies, corporations, donors won’t give for maintenance, but will donate a shelter, benches, etc. things that are visible.

Farnsworth Group suggested anchors to start and end the path, like Illinois College/YMCA to MacMurray College. The end points can expand later to Wal-Mart and west (connect to bike route down Massey Lane, Airport Road and to Lake Jacksonville) and to Foreman Grove and east to North East side of town.

Main Street/Jacksonville Visitors and Conventions Bureau

Brittany Henry of the Jacksonville Visitors and Conventions Bureau gave some ideas for places in town for a path to connect to. The designers suggest that you tie in connections to the Town Brook path, to places like downtown square, schools like Washington, and historical sights like the Grierson Home.

A path could go north/east from Foreman Grove on the east side of town, east side of Mauvaisterre Creek; to the Pioneer Heritage Park and then over the old State Street crossing (removed) with a pedestrian bridge; head west back into town hitting the Grierson Home; and back into downtown square and reconnect to the path via the Main Street connection.

Jacksonville Main Street interested in the connecting downtown square and businesses to traffic on the Town brook path at the Main Street crossing. Farnsworth Group previously presented scenic overlook drawings, and this would be the spot to really play up the brook. Put in a rock wall bank, nice trail, pretty flowers. Maybe even close the Mauvaisterre Street East/West off Main and turn that area into a wide spot in the creek, with a little dam to make a pool, water fountain or other water feature.

Outdoor nature classrooms, for use by colleges or by grade schools or junior high. Can add other amenities like open spaces, sand lot baseball, ice rink, restrooms, shelter, places to grill out.

Illinois College & MacMurray College

MacMurray is tearing down Blackstock Hall, in floodplain on south campus. Will be part of a green space that community can use. Mac is interested in having the Town Brook path go right through campus. Farnsworth Group was happy to get this info, because they didn’t know if they had to work around the campus.

Illinois College representatives were also excited about the project, and would love to connect both campuses via a bike trail. Something like this would give recreational opportunities for students, faculty, staff and tie the community into the campus. The Town Brook would also beautify the south side of campus, and welcome people to the college.

Adjacent Property Owners – mentioned above.

Landowners from Fayette Court and West Chambers attended. Said people have walked along the Town brook for years, and enjoyed it, acts as a short cut to Morton Avenue. People use the Town Brook now, just not officially. Interested in adding trees, making area nicer. Added benefits of clearing up flow to reduce flooding. Farnsworth Group said in other communities along a bike path neighboring properties could get a $5,000 boost in property values. Helpful for resale. Plus in new developments that include paths, lots directly adjacent to the path sell first and have higher value.

Woods Lane Bike Group/ Other Bike Groups

The Woods Lane Mountain Bikers were not able to come (they all had to work the snow) but Steve represented them. They’ve build a great system of trails off Woods Lane around Lake Mauvaisterre. They would like to see a bike path that connect the Town Brook path to their bike network, then on to Lake Jacksonville and a new mountain biking network. They also offered manpower to work along the Town Brook.

Other cyclists (road) have said the Town Brook path can be a safe way to get cyclists out of town where they ride low-traffic country roads. A Town Brook path would help the creation of a bike path to Lake Jacksonville.

General Public – due to snowstorm, no members of the general public came. Farnsworth Group engineer and landscape architect talked to WLDS radio reporter, then headed home.

Random notes

Timeframe on Brook — some things can start soon, like planting trees and putting in wildflowers. Can have project in different phases. But to transform the whole stream might take 20 years or more.

Suggestion was made to include windmills or other alternative energy generation on the parkway as a demonstration project. Bruce Brown said this could be part of the lighting on Town Brook. Said there’s LED lighting system with poles 12-15 foot off the ground, no underground cables, with devices to capture solar and wind energy. Important not to do ground-level lighting, which can create dark spots and require more lighting than an overhead system. Some spots might have emergency call boxes (like the blue-light stations on Illinois College campus).

Improve health of stream, give place for fish. Re-meander in spots, riparian areas.

Connect to Jacksonville history, connection to Underground Railroad, freed slaves would move into city along Town Brook and later be taken to Underground Railroad homes for safe keeping.

Plant prairie, mix of native wildflowers and grasses that would grow to about waist high. Would need to prairie smoke management every three years to control invasive and protect prairie. Dry prairie.

Decking — have flat areas with access to water in Town Brook.

You can put up a temporary ice rink on a spot of grass along creek (about $5,000 for walls etc to make rink). Harkens back to historic Ashelby Pond near current County Market where people would skate, ice would be cut out and stored in an ice house for use in ice boxes, plus city later used pond as a water source for municipal water supply.

Kayak Water Park — no whitewater in town, but there’s some pretty deep pools in Mauvaisterre Creek on the east side of town. Check out the waterway at the closed State Street crossing sometime (east side of creek, by the Pioneer Heritage Park).

Jacksonville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau likes Town Brook Project

As Director of the Jacksonville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau I am writing in support of expanding or improving the Jacksonville Town Brook in Jacksonville, Illinois.

This improvement would help the Jacksonville area in many ways. One important way is that it will improve the image of Jacksonville for our many visitors and tourists. A recreational area would boost the quality of life in Jacksonville, and having a place to go with a child would be a great attraction for families, inside and outside of Jacksonville. Improving the look of the brook will also help many businesses in Jacksonville along Morton Avenue. A more beautiful Town Brook will help attract people to our city. And, as head of the Jacksonville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, I welcome any and all visitors to our area, as it helps generate revenue for the city in multiple ways including lodging, dining, purchasing gasoline, and shopping. These visitors can also visit our tourism spots and help generate awareness by word of mouth marketing!

The Jacksonville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau supports this improvement to the Jacksonville Town Brook. We thank you for your consideration and look forward to the growth and added benefits that this will create in our community.

Brittany Henry, Executive Director

Jacksonville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

September 2012