“To me, the feeling I got when I was drawing was that of being in a cathedral; it was uplifting,” said Crook, who is best known locally for his pen and ink drawings of historic landmarks.
“It’s unique in that it’s one of the largest and best examples of the native hardwood forest that has existed here for thousands of years — at least until the last 200 hundred years,” Crook said. “It’s an example of what the forests of Illinois looked like, and it is in relatively good shape.”
The article reminded me that one of the proposed alternatives for use of the land purchased for Hunter Lake is turning it into a nature preserve. Tuesday night the Springfield Citizens Club is holding a forum on Hunter Lake and water alternatives. Proponents and opponents will both make presentations.
Tuesday, January 29
5:15pm - 7:15pm
Hoogland Center for the Arts, Main Theatre
The Chamber of Commerce argues that Springfield needs Hunter Lake for future growth as planned under the Q5 initiative. But, several cheaper alternatives are proposed and Springfield has yet to implement any serious water efficiency programs.
If the Chamber is interested in bringing new businesses and growth to Springfield they should take a look at the results of Friday's SJ-R poll which said that 94.7% of respondents would move somewhere else "if there were no money, job or family considerations."
If Springfield is going to grow we need to look at ways to make the city more enjoyable and livable. A large new natural area created from the land purchased for Hunter Lake will help do that. It will also give tourists a reason to stay in Springfield for more than a day when they finish visiting the Lincoln sites. Sometimes the best economic development decision is to not build a bad project.