Me thinks we've been had...

I'm back from the beach and looking through old newspapers. Looks like you all had fun while I was away... not.

I do not understand why someone taking over a troubled hotel merits front page news. Even in Peoria and even if Chase Ingersoll is doing the taking. I especially enjoyed PJ Star's "Grandiose Plans for Hotel" headline. WTF? A slight at Ingersoll's grandiose personality, me thinks. Very professional. The whole Grandview mess also merited an editorial from the brains at the PJ Star, the Times Observer, and smaller articles here and there in both papers. I checked web sites for local TV news stations and found a plethora of coverage there as well. Activism or a slow news week? You decide.

The waste of grey matter (aka editorial staff) at PJ Star points out that the Grandview Hotel isn't the only chronic aggravated nuisance in town. Really!? I thought for sure once the 100 room flea bag/crack house/meth lab/hotel vaporized, Peoria at last would be rightfully crowned Utopia. Got to start somewhere. I think the action taken by City Hall might well be due to Third District City Councilman Bob Manning more than well to do residents. I vaguely remember Thetford, Manning, and Anderson using the hotel as a campaign issue. The Hotel sits in one of the highest voter turn out precincts in town (43 or 45). There are well to do folk living on Moss Avenue and I'm still not taking a stroll there after dark.

I discovered today that the Grandview Hotel has changed its name. It is listed under "Prospect Inn" in the yellow pages. The new name is more fitting, as the hotel was neither Grand nor does it have a view - unless Knoxville Drive counts. The hotel is also not particularly close to Grandview Drive.

Question. Has anyone actually seen a contract signed by current hotel owner Kris Jain and wanna be hotel owner Ingersoll? I can't imagine either of these guys playing the whole town - giving nearby residents and City Hall chest pains just for kicks, can you?

Better hush now, or I might get sued!