I Finally See What All the Fuss is About

Page C6 of today's Journal Star has an article entitled, Ghosts of Glen Oak. It includes pictures of Glen Oak Park in its prime. Glen Oak Park used to host beautiful, elaborate sunken gardens. Boaters frequented the park's lagoon during warm months. Ice skaters took advantage of the lagoon when it froze over in winter. There were amazing structures, including Palm house, which was "an imposing glassdomed conservatory in which visitors could stroll among exotic plants and secret pools beneath its canopy of palms." The article suggests that Glen Oak Park rivaled New York City's Central Park, and certainly could put any Chicago park to shame.

So what the hell happened?

My guess is that it all went the way of the Palm House, "torn down in 1951, considered too expensive to maintain."

The pictures lead one to believe that Glen Oak Park was nothing short of idyllic. I envy the previous generations that were able to enjoy it, while -if you believe the drawings- swathed in their gorgeous long gowns and enormous hats. Hey. It was the Victorian Age. It could have happened.

If I had grown up in Peoria back then, I too would morn the destruction of Glen Oak Park. The sunken gardens have long since been filled in. Skating on a frozen lagoon in winter? Are you kidding?! Can you spell liability? No matter. If I had grown up playing in what was the very grand Glen Oak Park, expanding the zoo in attempt to generate something as crass as revenue would be the same as blasphemy. Allowing huge portions of the park to be overtaken by the school district for some new fangled and ugly institution... God forbid!

The sad truth: We have a war of generations taking place in Peoria. It isn't so much Caterpillar shoving a new museum, huge civic center, and expanded zoo down the taxpayer's throats, it is haute senior citizens demanding that their idea of culture be heeded. (Oddly, those who don't want the former jewel that once was Glen Oak Park to further dissolve mostly belong to the same generation but not, I would wager, the same tax bracket.)

This technically timid older set refuses to accept the sound superiority of mp3 players, the amazing picture quality of plasma television, and they are horrified that today's pampered youth have little desire to endure freezing cold, whipping wind, and pitted ice of a lagoon. The park district provides indoor ice skating all year. Ever hear of Owen's Center? Any Olympic skaters hail from the lagoon? No? Well Owen's claims Matt Savoy as its own, thank you very much.

Younger generation are more pampered, wealthier, and fatter to be sure. However, younger generation work more hours and have less free time than their parents or grandparents. Women aren't home changing diapers, darning socks and canning tomatoes any more. They work at the office at least a solid forty hours, and come home to prepare meals, wash laundry, and change diapers. When today's working couples get a little free time, they want to make the most of it. Dance under the stars at the park accompanied by the muni band? You got to be kidding. Snoozeville. Give me interactive, 3D, surround sound!

On the other hand, after an exhausting day, snuggling in the media room with the spouse, Chinese take-out, the kids, and a newly released DVD from Blockbuster... a little slice of heaven. Adventure? Education? Exploration? That's why God made vacations and Disney World. Families of modest means find ways to afford air travel, hotels, and theme parks. You can thank another new fangled invention for this- the internet. With Expedia.com and a credit card I can book an elaborate trip to the other side of the country or world in just a few minutes. Travel agent? Huh? Is that some James Bond type character from the olden days?

Perhaps the saddest truth is that even if one could wave a wand, sprinkle magic fairy dust, and wish upon a star to successfully return Glen Oak Park to it's previous glory it would still be under utilized. It would still be too expensive to maintain. It still would not generate revenue.

The school is a good idea. Today's parents want the best schools for their children. Yeah, I know. Glen Oak School was perfect for you. You went to school there, you grew up to pay taxes and you haven't robbed a liquor store. Guess what? We've put people on the moon since you were in school. Expectations and standards have changed. For better or worse, it isn't suitable to send kids to unairconditioned schools filled with abestos. I know, you went to the school of Hard Knocks. Good for you. Forgive the young 'uns. They want better for their kids. They learned that from you.

The Zoo expansion, on the other hand is stupid. Months ago some other blogger (C.J?)called Peoria's Zoo "Craptastic." Absolutely dead on. The AFRICA! Expansion isn't going to change that fact. At best, AFRICA! will be a new (though underfunded) interesting wing of an overall crapstatic zoo. How many times does anyone go to a zoo per year, regardless of how fantastic or crapstatic it is? Once? Twice? The best zoos (St. Louis, Brookfield) are interesting and impressive, but they leave visitors more than just a bit guilt ridden. Animals rarely look to be enjoying themselves. I always leave such places conflicted and more than a bit drained. Yeah the elephants were amazing. Can we really fool ourselves that 3/4 of an acre makes life worth living for these huge creatures more than twice a year? I go to a zoo to entertain kids. No kids? I'm not spending any of my precious free time at a smelly zoo. Or boring museum. Got kids? Twice a year -at best- load up the kids in the minivan, complete with DVD screens, and drive the fam damily to Chicago for some "culture." Read: Shopping, American Girl Store, Navy pier, the theme park disguised as a children's museum, ESPN Restaurant, and if the old ball and chain insists and the kids don't whine, Brookfield Zoo.

Don't sneer. Senior citizens don't know how it is. They don't know what it's like to have a son on a travel soccer team and a daughter in a karate tournament on the same day. They don't understand that the world is full of perverts and today's kids must be driven everywhere. Today's kids are not allowed to walk to school or piano lessons and no responsible parent allows kids to hang out at a park without adult supervision. Nine months out the year it is too cold and too dark by the time the average parent arrives home from work to take Junior to the park. Besides, Junior has a playset in his own backyard and an X-Box in the basement. Junior doesn't want to go to the park.

As an adult and a taxpayer, I should get a choice. The vast majority of Peoria's taxpayers don't really care about a new museum, bigger civic center, or expanded zoo. Frankly, and I disagree with them on this one, they don't want new schools. They certainly don't care enough about these things to be willing to pay for them. A children's museum. You betcha. Folks are willing to voluntarily pay to have it built. It doesn't take Harvard MBA to recognize this as a sign that the Children's Museum will likely generate revenue in the future.

It is ironic that the generation who grew up paying cash, lived within or below their means, and frowned upon debt, now insists that Peoria must have things it doesn't desire, let alone can afford. In a letter to the editor a few weeks back a former mayor of Peoria wrote that attracting young professionals to live and work in Peoria was difficult because, in large part, there was no museum. Bullsh*t.

When planning for Peoria's future, today's City leaders need to accept certain truths. For better or worse, today's young educated professionals -the ones that drive the "knowledge economy" Peoria is desperate to cultivate- care about crime, the cost of living and housing, commute times, and quality public schools for their offspring. As far as recreation, entertainment, and culture are concerned, to be honest, an elaborate shopping mall will suffice.