Shawshank Water & Light

 I'm sure Eric our Water & Light Czar would be rolling over in his grave . . . if he was dead which he isn't, those rumors have been squashed, my bad, (I'll probably get an email now telling me to stop giving out misleading information and correcting me) when I called The Columbus W&L Well #1 as looking a like like Shawshank. 

Well . (no pun intended) . . . when we had our W&L meeting at the above plant I was thinking that I'm either in Shawshank or a WWII submarine or a sort of dirty brewery.   It was awesome.

Basement of Cbus W&L Plant #1

  I'll intersperse some photos I took of the place while I ramble on a little here.

MY VIEW of things! 

One of the reasons I wanted to be on City Council was because my view on things was slightly different then the then the previous decade+ councils.  When I talk to people what I was hear and what I felt the direction the city was going or trying to go, were different. 

I believe this is a fundamental difference in philosophies.

For instance.  For years and years I have listened to people complain about roads. But this is something ALL city's go through. What I found different was WHY are people complaining.

It was not because their cars were getting out of alinement or they needed to go pee more often on bumpy roads.  The reason I heard can be put into one sentence that was told to me "I am embarrassed when my parents come to town".

Now many people would hear that and take it for what it is but this "feeling" carries over to many things in Columbus.   We aren't really hurting for business.  No one really complains that they can not find things to buy, HOWEVER, they complain that the downtown looks "old and tired". 

 And that is the fundamental difference. My goal is to make Columbus a place people can be proud of and that will bring business. Not the other way around. 

For instance, like Don Quixote chasing water towers I'm on a white tower kick and already this morning a friend emailed me and said "seriously?".

We have a gray/silver water tower. No one notices it, it's there, it holds water, it is what it is. It says Columbus on it but unless you get close you can't read it and by that time you can read it you have lost interest.   

To me - this is a very large opportunity to show the world that Columbus has something to offer.  Make it white, put Discover Columbus on it with the nice new logo and POW, people from 151 can see it and put Columbus in their minds.

Will it make people move to Columbus? No, but when citizens see it they will go "wow, that looks REALLY nice"  and make people happy and show that we do care about aesthetics.  Of course there is that price tag which to me is just on the edge of that financial box.

Like buying a home and you know how much you want to spend and the price is JUST OUTSIDE of that comfort zone.   THAT, is where I feel cities fail.  They are so worried about not spending too much on big ticket items that they tend to forget, while it hurts NOW, in a year no one will be talking about it and you will have it.

City's seem to fritter away so much money on little things that help a very very small amount of people but then when they have a chance to really make a difference . . . . .they pull'r in and say TOO MUCH.  We can survive without it.  Well, for me, surviving and doing things the way we have always done in is going backwards.

Bottom line and MY opinion only, here is what we can do.

1.. Don't paint the water tower because nobody notices it anyway. 

2. Paint the water tower silver/gray and put the new logo on it and no one will really notice and if they do they will say, why did we spend all that money on this.  It was fine. 


3. Paint it white with the new colorful logo and people will say "wow, did we get a NEW? water tower? it looks GREAT".  Or they will say it looks GREAT why did we spend all that money.  

For me personally - I drive into a city and see a gray water tower and I feel I'm driving into a city that has no character. Gray water tower, gray people, this town cares little about aesthetics. Bright white water tower . . (don't say it)  . . .people with a bright outlook on life.  But that price tag . . . . . sigh!!  If we don't go for white I'll be disappointed but will understand.  Just my personal point of view.

This little baby takes iron out of the water. (correct me if I'm wrong)

 

    I had to look - I see on Fine Art America a Fall Out Shelter 20x30 canvas print is going for $335.

Really? A fall out shelter sign?  I'll have to look into this! Is this a piece of art people want in their living room? . . . .maybe bathroom  :-)    hmmmmm now I'm thinking!  LOL

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OH - I have 4 pieces of  art up in a Parade of Homes home. sigh.  I guess there was a controversy.

While I was there I took a few photos of the place. 

   
 I sent them to the coordinator but she seemed unimpressed , whatever.
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Lots of thunderstorms this week - almost every day until next Sunday has a good chance for storms.  

 Have a great week - talk at ya next time!  

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Friend of mine emailed me this - instead of putting Columbus on the tower we could honor our great Governor!

Sadly I think half the people that read this could say - "YES yes we could, that is a great idea".

I love you guys!