For those of you who are part of the CU community, I would ask you to join us for this protest. Don't get caught up in thinking 'this won't work so I won't bother.'
This is a STATEMENT.
Whether the house goes for a parking lot or not, it is important to make our voices heard that buildings such as this one add VALUE to our community. This really is not just about the Burnham Mansion...it is about making sure those in power understand that people care about preservation and historic architecture, and that these are important, vital issues. If the thought of this building being replaced by a parking lot makes you sad, say so, with me.
For this building to go without an outcry is an insult to our community.
I ask you as a friend, to please join me. It would mean the world to me.
For more thoughts on this issue, please see my previous post.
Rally at the Burnham House
603 W. Church, Champaign
Thursday, November 30th, 4:30-5:30!
We must stay on the sidewalk on Church and Lynn sides. Feel free to bring signs, but especially, enthusiasm!
I'm being told it's a lost cause, that there's no way to fight it, it's a done deal. But you know, I stand up for what I believe. I don't do it perfectly, but I try my hardest to do it as best I can, and as honestly.
I voted for the school referendum 'to keep Central central.' However I didn't vote for one of the most significant houses within the city of Champaign to be torn down for a parking lot. For a Burnham and Root home, of national significance, to be a parking lot is ludicrous. I believe we should fight to save Burnham Mansion. Click here to read the landmark nomination for this structure.
The referendum stated:
Shall the Board of Education of Champaign Community Unit School District Number 4, Champaign County, Illinois, alter, repair and equip the Central High School Building, build and equip additions thereto, and acquire and improve the site thereof; improve facilities at Franklin Middle School, Spalding Park, and McKinley Field; alter, repair and equip the Centennial High School Building and build and equip additions thereto; demolish the existing Dr. Howard Elementary School Building and build and equip a new Dr. Howard Elementary School Building on that site; alter, repair and equip the South Side Elementary School Building and build and equip an addition thereto; alter, repair and equip the International Prep Academy Building and build and equip additions thereto; alter, repair and equip the Edison Middle School Building and build and equip an addition thereto; and issue bonds of said School District to the amount of $183,400,000 for the purpose of paying costs thereof?
I don't like Dr. Howard being torn down but I accept it. And I knew that adding and repairing Central High School would entail property loss within the area. Given that there are a number of properties in that area that are non-contributing to the historic nature of the neighborhood, or of much, much less significance, I didn't think it would actually come to pass that the Burnham Mansion would be destroyed. I couldn't believe a city that has been mandated by its own legislation to identify and support historic preservation would allow this to happen. And I put that on the City, not the School Board.
Both the City and the School Board knew well before the referendum that this property was historically significant. Landmarks Illinois listed it as one of the most endangered properties in the state in spring of 2016. Here is the article in the GOP caucus that reported on the press conference that day in April 2016.
I understand those that say it's too late, but you know what? If you fight for this, you are not just standing up for this nationally significant historic work of architecture, rich in community history and a core element of a historic neighborhood, you are standing up for the NEXT building that will be threatened. If you believe in the value of historic architecture to our community, then you must fight for this building. Perhaps it will be for naught...but next time an important building is threatened, perhaps the quick and easy excuse of, "well, nobody said anything about it," won't be so easy to use. THAT is important. THAT is vital. THAT is needed.
If you believe in the historical, cultural, sustainable and irreplaceable role of history in our community. You must stand up for the Burnham Mansion. Stand up for this because it's the right thing to do, and so the City and the School Board recognize the strong support for these values.
Stand up NOW to send a message for TOMORROW.
No matter where and who you are...please contact the City Council members. It is up to them on December 5, 2018. See below for contact info.
History OVER parking lots! Burnham and Central can coexist together. Save the 1884 Burnham & Root designed Burnham Mansion.
Contact Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen Email: Deb.Feinen@champaignil.gov Office Phone: 217-403-8720 "She has a passion to serve her community and to make Champaign a great place to live, work, play and stay."
I am spending the day ensconced on the couch, despite it being so beautiful out. Cyril, however, felt like getting out and about so he visited Allerton.
If you look carefully you can see Ernie's handprints from where he pushed Cyril off busy Prospect Avenue to the side of the road.
Ernie and Owen went out to do god knows what the other day. Owen likes to come up with excuses to drive the bug. They came back QUITE awhile later and Owen burst in the house, yelling, "We broke DOWN!" in utter delight. Sometimes I wonder about that child. My response was, "Did you take pictures?" I think sometimes they wonder about me. Anyway, evidently Cyril died when they were at a stoplight on Prospect. They couldn't get him started so eventually Owen steered while Ernie pushed (I'm thinking perhaps they should reverse that next time, huh?). Some guys pulled over to help and after poking around they all determined it was the fuel filter. The guys walked over to an auto parts store and Owen said Ernie went up to the counter, sighed, put his hands on the counter and wearily asked, "I don't suppose you have a fuel filter for a 63 bug, do you?" The woman looked it up and said, "Yes, we have three." They laughed and laughed and laughed telling me this story. They decided to just try to fix it there and they managed it, started Cyril back up, and continued on their errands. As Owen cheerfully said, "This is the SECOND time he's broken down and we fixed him!"
In other news, Cyril received his first wash and wax yesterday, and is now gleaming. Owen is so proud. As we are of course. He does look beautiful. Cyril, I mean.
Oh, and he has new seat covers for the front seats and looks quite dapper!
Lovely Thanksgiving picture, huh? Well, that was LAST year.
This year? Not so much.
I should have known there was something wrong when I didn't want leftover meat pie (tourtiere) for breakfast. That's what I ALWAYS eat for breakfast on Thanksgiving. I didn't feel great but pushed on. I had my list of things to do. We had declared the cranberry-orange relish a fail the night before so I quickly made a batch of my standard cranberry sauce (with just a bit of clove and cinnamon in it), set Owen to trimming Brussels sprouts and fussed about how messy the house was. The turkey went on the grill only about a half hour late and things seemed good....except that I was feeling worse and worse. Finally I decided to lay down on the couch. I covered myself up with Rascal's favorite blanket and felt like I couldn't move. I eventually texted folks to tell them to come an hour later than I'd said, and then laid there feeling worse. I couldn't decide what to do....I felt horrible canceling and yet I felt so lousy that even if Ernie and the boys had done all the work I just couldn't imagine talking to people. We finally called it and Ernie and Owen called and texted everybody. I was really sad but felt relieved and just laid under my blanket listening to the guys doing everything.
If you're going to be sick and cancel Thanksgiving you really should do it before you've made a mountain of food. Oh well. Owen insisted we still sit at the table and use my mother's Spode and sterling. I ate a tiny bit...the grilled turkey was great....my gluten free stuffing was pretty good and mashed potatoes...well, they're mashed potatoes. I couldn't handle the vegetables and cranberry sauce, or dessert, but we did, thanks to Owen, still manage a semblance of Thanksgiving. After dinner I curled up under my blanket again while they put everything away and Ernie cleaned up. Later Ernie joined me and we watched some mindless tv (finished the last season of Longmire, sniff, sniff) before I tumbled off to bed. Not the Thanksgiving I had hoped for and I feel a bit sad that, poof, it's gone, but thankful I am, and there's a refrigerator full of leftovers so I am pretty lucky.
Cranberry 2.0
They forgot to take a picture of the grilled turkey before they started carving it, but it was indeed a thing of beauty...and Owen did a hell of a job carving the turkey.
And here is our quiet little Thanksgiving. Yes, those are french fries on Leo's plate because that's what he wanted and I am incredibly thankful for him. I'm also thankful for my friends who assured me it was fine to call things off, and were kind and understanding. Most of all, I am incredibly grateful for my family---Ernie, the boys, and my sister Debbie. We are small but mighty, and fierce in our loving. I could not ask for more.
And my gluten-free, low fodmap tourtiere wasn't half bad. I had some for breakfast today.
Ok. I'm already behind schedule. Good thing I make a detailed schedule, huh? As I sat on the couch sipping my iced tea and moaning about getting going, Owen asked me what I had to do. So I read him my schedule. He strummed his guitar a few more times and said, "So, can Dad and I go for a ride in the bug?" I just looked at him in astonishment, "Did you hear anything I just said?"
I swear to God.
Side note: he constantly asks me if he and Ernie can do things. I generally respond that he should ask Ernie rather than me, as his father has free will. He always snorts, and say, "Oh, come on Mom, we all know that's not true."
Leo's still asleep so I can't be irritated with him yet.
Last night, deglazing a pan with white wine, after cooking turkey thighs, carrots and rosemary.
My favorite don't-feel-great-eat-in-front-of-the-tv-meal: sizzling rice soup from Peking Garden.
Roasting carrots:
Whoops, I kinda thought I'd smell them before this....
Got the turkey thighs braised, just need to warm them up tomorrow, broil them, and cook down the braising liquid. My carrots, are, uh, done. Gotta think about that one...although honestly, they still taste pretty good. I've got some squash I could cook but I was thinking of them for the table centerpiece. Made the vinaigrette for the Brussels sprouts. The potatoes are on the stove. Ernie made the cheesecake. The turkey for the grill is salted and in the refrigerator. Cranberry-orange relish is done. I always cook my cranberry sauce but am trying a raw relish this year. Turkey stock is ready for the stuffing. The only things left for today are to roll out the pie dough, make meat pie, and coleslaw to go with it, and toast the bread for the stuffing. The other tasks for today were to figure out serving dishes for each thing and to make a schedule for tomorrow. Here the schedule as it stands, although I'm sure it will change.
Thanksgiving Schedule
9:00 soak chips for grill
9:15 light charcoal/turn oven to 400
9:30 roast brussels sprouts
10:00 turkey on grill (done at 1?)
take turkey thighs out of refrigerator
10:30 lower oven to 250 put turkey thighs in
start stuffing
11:15 broil turkey thighs/then slice/pull and cook down sauce
11:45: take potatoes out of refrigerator
1:00: Potatoes and stuffing in 350 oven (out at 1:30)
1:15 put turkey thighs in microwave/convection oven
1:30 take potatoes out, put in crock pot, raise oven temp to 450, uncover stuffing
1:45 carve turkey/heat sauce for thighs
1:50 take stuffing out, let sit 10 minutes
take thighs out, add sauce
make fries
Dinner 2:15 pm
Generally we eat an hour later than we plan but we shall see...the turkey on the grill may get done sooner...I have no idea. Somewhere in there we also need to set the table (the guys can do that) and clean up (the guys again and a bit of Ernie). Friends are bringing appetizers. I might try to have Leo make a batch of his brownies gluten free so we have a non-dairy dessert. I guess brownies aren't very Thanksgiving-y but Leo loves them and that's good enough for me.
Onward!
November 21, 2017
Ok...I woke up feeling horrid today, but as the afternoon wears on I am feeling better and I did get some work done after a nap because of a sleepless night. Yesterday I had my follow up upper endoscopy. It showed my ulcer is healing...slowly, but healing. There are areas of abrasion which are what's causing me pain. They biopsied those but he said to stay on the ulcer medication (Protonix which totally sounds like an 80's synth band to me) for two months...so that's somewhat hopeful, huh?
Somehow I wasn't really prepared for the whole thing yesterday....all of a sudden I was in a hospital bed with an IV and heart monitors or whatever those sticky buttons on your chest are, and a nurse who just made too many damn jokes. I finally stopped politely responding and just looked at him.
Ernie and I kind of laughed about the instructions for the rest of the day---no important decisions, no cooking, no driving, no using the microwave. Later that day however I was digging through my spice cupboard trying to see if we still had crystallized ginger and found myself drenched in water from leaning against the water dispenser on the refrigerator while I looked....and I thought, "huh, maybe they're right about the microwave...." I did something else spacy I can't recall now so Ernie supervised me for the rest of the day. Both boys sweetly asked me how everything went when I got home. I did have to stare at Owen for a minute or two but he figured it out!
Other than that we attempted gluten-free piecrust....we'll see how it rolls out tomorrow.
Man....an old friend just messaged me to say he was going to be in town next month. I started thinking about the scene...our beloved Vertebrats, so I looked them up on Youtube, which I hadn't done for awhile. Nobody TOLD me they had a song on Riverdale....and then I kept going....
I'm a bit late with my normal pre Thanksgiving planning frenzy, although I'm trying to keep it a bit simpler this year. What I'm planning:
braised turkey thighs and a grilled turkey...why both? Damned if I know.
gravy...without pan drippings...hmmmm
mashed potatoes
Brussels sprouts----the Momofuku way with fish sauce
cranberry---maybe a relish instead of a sauce this year
stuffing....with no gluten or onion sigh, but with sausage and apple and sage
sauteed carrots with herbs...mostly for the color
for dessert I'm making a gluten free ginger cheesecake
Pretty classic....I'm trying to restrain myself from making too many dishes.
Today I sorted through heaps of old paperwork and bills and burned most of it in the fireplace. I've got collard greens started and will make some turkey stock when the guys get back from the store. Ernie and Owen are working away on recovering Cyril's seats. Leo is Leoing and I am now making Thanksgiving lists and wondering if this will be the year I finally polish the silver and the candlesticks. Later, once it gets dark, we will hold our family tradition of watching Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Owen and Ernie will speak half the lines out loud as they watch and Leo and I will smirk.
So far, so good.
Bits of Cyril's innards all over the dining room table.
The twins, heading out to get something for Cyril.
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