Grant US Wisdom

During our summer travels, we have visited other presidential communities (see blog entry 8-11-10) to see first-hand how they preserve and promote their history.  We were overwhelmed when we arrived in Galena, Illinois, which is considered one of several hometowns of Ulysses S. Grant, our nation's 18th president.  This little community in northwest Illinios, population 4,329, is at least an hour and a half from the nearest interstate highway but has a tremendous historic district and commercial area.  It boasts of 40 bed & breakfast establishments, yet has just a fraction of the history and historic attractions that Independence has.  There are two tourist visitor's centers, one operated by the city and the other by the local chamber of commerce.  Yes, that's right; their chamber actively promotes heritage tourism in their restored historic railroad depot.  There is even a third center that also promotes tourism, sells souvenirs, and sells tickets to sites.  There are two competing trolley tours charging $15 per head.  House museum tickets go for $12 per head (compared to $5 here) and there were people standing in line at the front door.  We called ahead two weeks in advance to book a Saturday night at a B&B and were turned away from three B&B's because we were only booking one night and ended up staying in a hotel (which was full also).  The business district was lined with specialty shops, restaurants, and people spending money (with no one complaining about the economy).  And this community had neither a Presidential Library nor the presence of the National Park Service (NPS) to assist them with preserving and presenting their history. To top it off, there are five other cities in the nation (White Haven in Grantwood Village Missouri - National Historic Site operated by the NPS, Grant Cottage in Wilton New York - operated as a New York State Historic Site & Museum, Grant's Birthplace in Point Pleasant Ohio - operated as a museum by the Ohio Historical Society, Grant's Boyhood Home National Historic Landmark in Georgetown Ohio, and, of course, Grant's Tomb in Riverside Park in Manhatten New York) that all boast of President Grant sites.  And each of these six "Presidential" communities in four different states treat their single presidential site as a precious national treasure even though President Grant was routinely ranked in the lower quartile in importance considering all US presidents.  Meanwhile, back in Independence, the hometown of Harry Truman, who is listed as one of the top five US presidents, the community hosts practically all of his historic sites (except for the Grandview Farm) including a presidential library & museum, three boyhood homes, and the expanded National Historic Landmark District.  And if our presidential history was not enough, we are the most important community in the country for pioneer trails history, we have religious history, and history in the Civil War and Border War conflicts.  So why do we struggle in preserving our history and promoting our town for heritage tourism?  These blog entries over the last few years are intended to answer those questions and present how entities representing government, non-profit, church, chamber, and school have all worked independently to take focus away from our rich history and, in some cases, to disrespect and degrade not just our local heritage but that of this great nation.  It's no wonder that noted New York Times journalist, A.G. Sulzberger, wrote two years ago that one might conclude that Harry Truman is our community's "less favorite son."

Mortality Rate Goes Up on Spring Street

Just as we are learning of an exciting program from the City to take over 3 abandon, foreclosed, neglected, and derelict homes in the Truman National Historic Landmark District, it is becoming more and more clear (for those with their eyes open) how this part of the neighborhood has had a drop in investments and homes sell for the price of a cheap used car.  On Saturday, the 400 block of North Spring was victim to its second fatality (that we know of) within the last 6 months.  Four police cars, a crime scene van, ambulance, and an unmarked car full of detectives showed up in full force.  If you live on this block, you are more likely to be a victim of a crime, reside next to a sex offender, step on a drug needle, drop dead by the end of the year, and/or all the above.  And don't bother to ask public officials "What the hell is going on?"  Don't bother to tune in to the evening news or open the morning newspaper because you will find out that nothing really happened.  A building can disappear overnight, a duplex can expolode off its foundation, and two separate fatalities can occur, and nobody knows nothing about nothing, it's considered not news-worthy, and, for some strange reason, it's considered "normal."  One can easily see how an early plea to public officials concerning the presence of child rapist, Randy Lande, would be handled under those conditions.  And it's reminiscent of the death that occurred a while back just a few blocks away where a man died from the severe burns he received from a fire in his lap.  Nobody wanted to talk about that and there was nothing in the media to report, although there was short obituary in The Examiner that stated "he loved to garden."  I'm sure there was some "meth" to his madness even though his death was likely listed as accidental (if you can even find the public record).  As citizens are encouraged city-wide to participate in neighborhood watch and being aware of what is happening in the neighborhood blocks around you, here in this corner of the Truman National Historic Landmark District the policy appears to be "don't ask - don't tell."  It seems that the issue is not the need for more police (although we need more police) or that we need to dump federal money into sub-standard housing (although that is welcomed for the most part).  The reality is that there is little open and honest discussion about not just the presence of crime but the very few consequences for those choosing to commit crimes.  And there is very little collaboration between stakeholders.  Many of those who commit crimes do not serve time.  Some are sentenced to counseling.  Those who serve time always get out early.  Even with the most heinous and despicable crime committed against an innocent 8-year-old girl, the convicted criminal gets a reduced sentence because no one wants to sit through the horrific details that would be presented publicly during that trial, not to mention the public exposure of how the system failed to protect a child.  And if these types of problems are normal in the most important neighborhood in our city, then what can we expect in other neighborhoods?  We always look forward to new life coming to reinvigorate our historic residential neighborhood and contribute to our success, although carting out unsuccessful folks in body bags is not what we envisioned for creating these opportunities.