By: Diane Benjamin
The meeting is not being held on Monday, no reason given.
For years I’ve wanted a discussion on the role of government. Is it to run your life or protect your Freedom and Liberty? Monday night we will find out how the Normal Trustees view government.
Every dollar government spends either provides essential services citizens expect or it grows government. How big do want your government to get? How much government are you willing to pay for? Is it government’s job to tell you what your “quality of life” should be?
Besides turning Normal into a security state China would adore with more new security cameras, staff wants to install a Fitness Court. The documentation starts on PDF page 69: https://normal.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4188
The claim made is this court will provide year around outdoor fitness. I wonder if the Town wants sued when someone slips off the equipment because of ice?
The Council is only voting on whether to proceed with investigating a court. Kevin McCarthy needs to recuse himself since he does performance coaching for a living: https://pathperformance.com/about-us/kevin-mccarthy-m-s/
A court costs $180,000, of course a $25,000 grant would reduce the cost and having staff do the site work would save another $40,000. (Staff pay to do the work isn’t calculated, they won’t be doing other work while doing this.)
Staff already believes they have enough votes as evidenced by this statement on PDF page 71:
The $25,000 grant is from the same people who want to sell the court to Normal. It’s a coupon usable only on purchases from them.
Pictures of what the court looks like start on PDF page 74. The people pictured aren’t 350 pound couch potatoes.
Some of the claims made are beyond ridiculous, see PDF pages 86 and 87.
12,480 calories burned in six months with only 28 minutes on the Fitness Court per week. (7 minutes 4 times a week)
San Francisco, population over 3,000,000, had an average of 364 people spend 4.5 minutes. They claim 77 calories are burned in those 4.5 minutes. PDF page 87. How many people will use Normal’s per day with a much smaller population?
The proposed design for Normal starts on PDF page 91.
Once again Normal wants to interfere with private enterprise, there is a gym right down the street. Normal is already possessed with building trails and connections to Constitution Trail, why are they considering a Fitness Court at Rosa Parks Commons? Remember last summer when they couldn’t keep the weeds under control around the sign? https://blnnews.com/2021/06/30/quit-building-what-you-cant-maintain/
Monday night we find out who on the Council thinks it’s government’s job to not only keep you “safe” with security cameras, but to provide more fitness activities that should be private sector. I wonder how the two “Republicans” will vote?
If fitness can actually be obtained in 4.5 minutes 4 times a week there wouldn’t be any obese people. Do you want the roads fixed or another parks item the Town won’t be able to maintain? I wonder if Karyn Smith will notice it isn’t ADA friendly?
FYI:
Chemberly Cummings is still spending your money to create her activists:
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Diane,
FYI the meeting is on Tuesday due to the offices closed tomorrow still for New Year!
Blessings,
Connie
I changed the original
Normal’s priorities and out of wack. This would not be coming to the council unless there were enough votes for it to pass.
2 Republicans…HA….Preston and Lorenz are liberals pretending to be Republicans. Nord is the only councilman I would call a Republican.
Just for reference, one medium apple OR one soft boiled egg is 100 calories each. One McDonald’s sandwich is well over 500 calories. One candy bar is 250 calories. Burning 77 calories per visit is inconsequential. One exercise park will require the vast majority of residents to spend more time driving than the 7 minute workout, not to mention additional parking.
Fitness takes discipline. Planks, lunges, squats, and curls can be done at home for free. Walking 30 minutes 3-4 times per week is better outdoor aerobic exercise. .
A much better investment would be to fix the street/sidewalk infrastructure which is has ADA ramps.
Building in a detention basin or a flood zone seems a bit foolish. Maybe even illegal depending on where it is located in the park.
The equipment company has training to become a “Certified Outdoor Fitness Court Ambassador.” Kevin McCarthy is a fitness trainer who, according to his website, meets at Rosa Parks. His business will obviously benefit from a taxpayer funded court that he can charge to help people use. This is Kevin’s payoff for his loyalty to Koos.
https://pathperformance.com/coaching/endurance-coaching/one-on-one-endurance-coaching/
Spot on! McCarthy’s business, if it can be called that, is a racket. Having him on council and voting on this is the ultimate of hypocrisy and corruption. This is, after all, Illinois, so don’t be surprised.
Here’s an idea. If this is such a good idea and will surely benefit his clients, why doesn’t his “business” pay for it and donate it to the greater good of the community he loves so much. We could even name it after him.
The equipment company has training to become a “Certified Outdoor Fitness Court Ambassador.” Kevin McCarthy is a fitness trainer who, according to his website, meets at Rosa Parks. His business will obviously benefit from a taxpayer funded court that he can charge to help people use. This is Kevin’s payoff for his loyalty to Koos.
https://pathperformance.com/coaching/endurance-coaching/one-on-one-endurance-coaching/
I’m so sick of watching Normal use my taxes to enrich the mayor or another elite Koos buddy. Why the ‘f’ do the police and town attorney allow this blatant taxpayer fraud? My New Years resolution is to move out of Normal.
We need to elect local politicians who do road work, at least when they profit from the local corruption our roads will get fixed. 🙂
LMAO, looks like an new fangled Jungle Jim for adults. https://nationalfitnesscampaign.com/watch Like has already noted a waste of taxpayer dollars. No one is going to be out there in inclement weather. Most lazy people won’t use it either. Hey where are the showers at? Oh hell no, brings be back to public showers like they talked about years ago. Geesh!
What’s wrong with discussing options?
Not everyone has to be an overweight, SUV-driving, mouth-breathing right-wing Republican pundit.
I am a devout, pro-life Catholic educator that maintains his health, eats well responsibly, and contributes to his community both in Spirit and Truth. I find the polarizing of our country repugnant.
The same idealism of “Conservatives” that lean to “tradition” likely would have ignored aboltion.
You Trumpers seem to want to divide as much as the Far Left does. It’s not a concept. My ancestors escaped Communist Lithuania and Poland. Enjoy our country so we can be ourselves, while taking care of each other and appreciating culture.
Keep reading today’s stories. Mine escaped communism too, your forgot to tell you what it is.