#Specifically a town called Westfield

[reflection-s-of-stars]

I don’t think we talk enough about the fact that the Addams family is canonically from New Jersey

[markerofthemidnight]

The Disappearance of Russel Hawke (DoaI: Oneiric Observation Fic)

I’m finally finished with my first Oneiric Observation fic! This one will help you get to know a whole lot about a Veldigun I’ve neglected talking about so far.

I’m posting it here on Tumblr mainly because that’s apparently the norm in the DoaIblr community, though of course you should expect to see it on AO3 in a little bit too!

Now, turn your gaze upon these wretched OCs of mine!

—

August 2nd, 2005.

It was just before noon when an old, dark grey car pulled into the road near the gate to Westfield Park- or as near as it could get, given the circumstances.

Shortly after, a man stepped out, looking to be in his mid-to-late 30s with faint but noticeable stubble, wearing a dark grey hat matched with a dark grey coat: and under that coat, a light grey suit with a red tie.

The very epitome of a master investigator at work. And it was just the way Russel liked it.

He closed the car door behind him, needing no introduction as he stepped past the police and into the park. Just with a glance, they all knew who he was, and they all let him through.

Westfield Park was usually a fairly lively area, or as lively as it could be in such a small town. But then, the park was completely clear, save for a couple of birds here and there. It had been so since the discovery of the body around an hour beforehand.

Given what he had been told, he didn’t particularly envy the first people to find it.

Either way, it was only about a minute’s walk from the gate to the crime scene. He approached a bush with a barely-visible hint of red hiding beneath it, and there waiting for him- among a few others- was a man fairly younger than him: Ryan Mills, another investigator, though not quite as well-known as him.

As soon as he saw Russel, Ryan sighed and started walking towards him. “Oh thank god you’re here- Russ. I assume you’ve already been told?”

“Yep,” he nonchalantly replied. “Another animal attack, huh? That makes it the tenth this year.”

“Probably, but something about this time just doesn’t sit right with me. Take a look,” he said, gesturing towards the bush as his superior approached it- or more specifically, the corpse hidden inside.

The body belonged to a woman who looked to be in her late teens to early 20s. Blood poured out of a series of large claw marks on her chest, and her head seemed to have almost been crushed by something. It was covered in holes, with one of her eyes dangling down from its socket.

Aside from that, the only other obvious external injury was her left leg, broken to the point where it was barely recognisable as a leg, and covered in large bite marks.

Russel Hawke had a bit of a reputation as the best detective in Westfield and all surrounding areas. He had a great mind, a resilience that never gave up and eyes like… well, a hawk.

Even then, despite the many bodies he had seen in his time he had been a full-blown detective, he couldn’t help but hesitate after seeing the sheer state of the body.

After a short while of just staring at it, he sighed, which Ryan took as a sign to start getting to work. “Now, first of all: obviously, this looks like an animal attack. The first people to find the body called it a horrible animal attack, and I get that. But then, why’s it hidden in a bush? Or in the middle of a public park?”

“We never hear reports of any bears around this part of town. And if they were here, of all places, we’d know.” He let out a short breath before turning to the ace investigator, “What’d you think?”

In response, he simply shook his head. “I dunno what gave you that idea, but there’s no way a bear did this. Look at her leg.” He bent down on one knee and pointed. “Those are bite marks, obviously, but they’re gigantic. Far too big to just be a regular bear.”

Ryan didn’t respond, simply letting him explain things. “Not to mention her head. Those holes look almost exactly the same as the bite marks, but again, a bear’s mouth isn’t big enough to do something like that. Even if it was, I doubt they have the jaw strength to just crush a whole human head.”

“Finally, there are bite marks, but you can just barely call this body even third-eaten. Animals kill to eat: whatever did this, on the other hand, probably just killed her for the sake of it.”

The officer next to him breathed through his nose, running his hand through his hair. “You’re a lot smarter than I am, Russ.”

“I know,” he smiled as he got up to face him.

“First the Davies girl, now this…” Ryan tapped his foot impatiently, anxiety creeping through his head as a thought occurred to him. “You think they might be connected somehow?”

If he wasn’t able to hide it under his usual stoic disposition, he might have seen Russel hesitate at that. “…No,” he lied. “You’ve really gotta stop thinking about that.”

“Wh- easy for you to say! You’re not the one with two kids to think of!”

The investigation continued like that for a while, until Russel got a call. He sighed, fetched his flip phone from out his pocket… and stopped as soon as he saw who was calling him. He quickly excused himself, to which no one objected, and after walking a relative distance away from the others so no one would hear, finally picked up.

“HEY-HEY-HEY-HEY, HAWKY! I HEAR BEAU GAVE YA SOME TROUBLE!” A staticky voice, peppy and slightly high-pitched, was on the other line.

“Who the hell’s- no.” He mumbled, before speaking up slightly- though still quiet. “I know you had a part in this, Myke. Is this your way of taunting me, or what?”

“TAUNTING?” The entity, known as Mychael (or, as he insisted, Myke), questioned. “OH, NO-NO! NOT IN A BILLION YEARS! I JUST WANTED TO CHECK UP ON MY BUDDY… AND TELL YOU SOMETHING.”

“I TAKE IT YOU STILL HAVEN’T TOLD ANYONE? THAT YOU KNOW WHAT’S BEHIND ALL THIS?” Before Russel had a chance to reply, he answered. “GOOD, GOOOD. SO, IF YOU COULD JUST KEEP IT THAT WAY FOR THE NEXT… OH, LET’S SAY ELEVEN HOURS… I HAVE A PROPOSAL FOR YOU.“

He stopped. Myke never requested to talk to him about anything. He just… popped up whenever something remotely related to the Veldigun crossed his path. At least, that was what the past two months were like.

This was something important. And as much as he wanted to… he knew he couldn’t decline.

“…Fine. 10:45 tonight, we’ll talk.”

“THAT’S MY HAWKY, NEVER LETTING ME DOWN! HAVE FUN CLEANING UP BEAU’S LITTLE GIFT, BABE!”

“Goddamit, I told you to stop calling me that.”

“HEY! DO YOU WANNA TALK OR NOT?!”

—

10:45 that evening.

Russel hadn’t known Myke particularly long. He was pretty sure he preferred it that way. But either way, he knew he never went back on his word, at least when he was acting that serious.

He was standing in his house, facing the television. It was displaying the local news, something that- as a detective who already knew basically everything going on the local area- he was barely interested in.

And Myke knew that. He knew that Russel knew his capabilities, and he knew exactly why he was so intent on watching a channel he rarely ever touched. The perfect time to strike.

Suddenly, the TV screen fizzled. Sparks emanated from it for a second as a yellow, zig-zagged smile with spirals for eyes flashed on screen a few times.

And before he knew it… a black creature with tentacles for arms and glowing green lines all over its body, with two cartoony eyes, a pair of antennae and a mouth that spread far wider than its face, was staring at him.

“DO YOU KNOW WHY I WANNA STOP YOU SO MUCH? I JUST REALISED WE’VE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR LIKE NINE WEEKS, BUT I HAVEN’T TOLD YOU WHY I’M EVEN TALKING TO YOU!”

“It’s because you want me to let you get away scot-free with killing people.” He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the ghost.

“BINGO! BUT… NOT THE WHOLE STORY.” Myke rested his… “chin” on his “hand,” smiling as always, as he elaborated. “Y’KNOW, ONCE THERE WAS A TIME WHERE WE WOULD ONLY TAKE WHEN WE FELT LIKE WE HAD TO.”

“PREDATORS DON’T JUST GO ON KILLING SPREES: THEY KNOW THEIR SUPPLY IS LIMITED, SO THEY WAIT UNTIL THEY REALLY NEED TO, THEN EAT. AND WE VELDIGUN ARE EVEN SMARTER THAN THAT!”

“That’s bullshit, and you know it,” he coldly snapped. “What happened at the park last night wasn’t a necessity: it was hunting for sport.”

“NUH-UH! NOT HUNTING FOR SPORT! SENDING A MESSAGE! A MESSAGE… TO YOU!”

Russel stopped at that implication, but stayed silent, prompting the Smiler in the Static to continue. “LOOK. I’M GONNA BE CLEAR HERE: DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH SHIT WE’D BE IN IF THE FEDS FOUND OUT ABOUT US? NOT SOME SMALL-TOWN DETECTIVE LIKE YOU, THAT IS- I MEAN THE REAL BIG GUNS.”

“EVEN THOUGH THEY CLEARLY HAVE NO INTEREST IN THE PUBLIC GOOD, OUR CAREFREE HUNTING DAYS ARE OVER IF WE EVER GET THEM ON OUR BACKS!” He exclaimed. “EVEN IF JUST WESTFIELD KNEW WE EXISTED, WE DON’T NEED THAT KIND OF PUBLICITY!- WE GOTTA KEEP THINGS QUIET, Y’KNOW?”

He took his time, carefully considering the information he was given. “…So what you’re saying is that you things can be killed.”

“WOAHWOAH- NOW WHEN’D I SAY THAT?”

“Just makes the most sense to me,” he simply replied. “If you’re so powerful, it can’t just be the idea of being monitored 24/7 you’re so afraid of.”

The creature blinked, muttering “dammit, that’s a good point”, as he looked away, considering his reply. Then he stopped, and piped up “SORRY, I’M GONNA PLEAD THE FIFTH ON THAT!” while winking smugly, and raising his right hand.

The detective groaned as Myke chuckled. “Look, would you just get to the point already? You said this had something to do with… sending a message.”

“AND THAT POINT IS… WE CAN’T AFFORD TO LET SHMUCKS LIKE YOU REVEAL US TO THE REST OF THE WORLD… AND WE’RE BEING CONSTANTLY PLAUGED BY ENDLESS HUNGER FOR HUMAN SOULS… SO I THOUGHT…”

He leaned in closer, the most sadistic smile yet on his face as voice became unusually hushed: and yet, the cruelty in his tone was as evident as ever.

“…why not kill two birds with one stone?”

They both knew what that meant. Russel froze up at the implication, Myke simply nodding at his shock, before confirming his fears. “TELL ME, MISTER HAWKE, AS A BEING CAPABLE OF EMPATHY AND THE LIKE… HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE FACT THAT EVERY DEATH SINCE WE FIRST MET… is your fault?”

With those words, even the great Russel Hawke was rendered speechless. Well… he had a feeling, with how high the death rates were getting as of recent, but still. He was the one who wanted to save this town, and that desire… did nothing but make the problem worse? Was he really the one to blame for everything that happened since they met?

…It was difficult to accept the responsibility for that.

And so, he didn’t.

“…No. No, you’re the monster here, not me. You were the ones who killed them, dammit!” He retaliated, pointing at the screen.

The monster behind said screen, on the other hand, just smiled. “AM I? I WOULDN’T HAVE GIVEN THE REST THAT ORDER IF YOU DIDN’T FORCE MY HAND, Y’KNOW.”

He stopped, but only for a second. “…Bullshit. If you wanted to silence me, you could’ve just killed me a long time ago.”

Myke hummed from inside the television. ”TRUE! I DON’T LIKE RESORTING TO SIMPLE SOLUTIONS, THOUGH- AND WE HAD TO GET OUR BLOODLUST OUT SOMEHOW!”

He let out another one of his monstrous cackles, the detective snarling in indignant rage, before sighing and getting back to the point. “SO I’M GONNA GIVE YOU A DEAL. IF YOU GIVE UP THE CHASE, I’LL TELL THE OTHERS TO PUT A STOP TO ALL THIS, OK?”

Once again, he stopped at that. Was he… saying what he thought he was?

“IF I TRY HARD ENOUGH, I MIGHT EVEN CONVINCE THEM TO JUST GET ONE EVERY TWO MONTHS!”

…Dammit. That’s what happens when you get your hopes up… but it was still better than what it was like right now. Either way, he kept his guard up, folding his arms as he coldly questioned, “And what happens if I decline?”

“IF YOU DECLINE?” The ghost snickered. “PSHH! NOONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD TURN DOWN AN OFFER LIKE THIS, BABE!”

It was true. The offer did seem very reasonable, but… he almost had everything he needed. If he just held on a little while longer, he might be able to get the truth out. Even with a few sacrifices, maybe…

…Well, four deaths for each other Veldigun every two months, that came to about… 24 each year for the foreseeable future, with a few extra thanks to Myke and his… duties. If he finished quickly enough, surely the few deaths that would come before something was done about it were better than 24 lives lost each year, right?

He couldn’t just… give up the chase. It was too late for that now. Maybe if he held his guard… he might be able to make up for everything he’d inadvertently done.

“…No.”

Myke’s antennae twitched, his eyes blinking in confusion once he answered. “UHH… WHA?”

“You heard me: I said no!” Russel doubled down, taking a step towards the screen, snarling. “I’m not giving up everything I’ve been working for and just let you assholes rampage! What kind of person would that make me?!”

The asshole in question continued to stare. “…HUH. I DIDN’T THINK YOU WOULD ACTUALLY DO IT…” But it wasn’t long before that all-familiar grin came back. “NOT BAD, HAWKY!”

“Yeah. Now go fuck yourself.” He flipped off the TV before moving to turn it off, before his nemesis spoke up.

“YOU KNOW ONE THING YOU WERE RIGHT ABOUT, THOUGH?”

He slowly stopped, before grabbing the remote and turning back, coldly snapping “What?”

“OCCAM’S RAZOR.” Myke smiled… before his tone started to become more hushed, and his grin, far wider. “The simplest solution is more often than not the correct one.”

The Smiler in the Static held his pseudo-hands up to the screen he was trapped within, and began to push. Suddenly, it began to fizzle and spark, static engulfing everything but his grin.

Wh… what was this? What was he doing? He flicked the remote to try and turn it off. Just like that, the fizzing stopped and the screen went black.

He sighed in relief- before suddenly, it started back up, even worse than before, as a sadistic and enraged voice echoed from the box. Mycheal’s mouth had parted, revealing rows of sharp, glowing, green teeth.

“̴D̵O̸ ̵Y̶O̵U̶ ̶R̸E̷A̵L̶L̴Y̷ ̵T̴H̸I̶N̴K̸ ̸T̵H̶A̷T̷’̷S̵ ̸E̸N̶O̶U̵G̵H̵ ̴T̷O̶ ̸S̶T̸O̶P̵ ̴M̸E̴?̷!̸”̶

Two pairs of dark grey claws began to emerge from the screen. Hawke panicked, pressing down on the remote multiple times, but to not avail. Seeing no other option, he ran, retreating further into the house.

He ran until he reached the top of the stairs, and stopped, looking down at the ground floor below, and sighed. He didn’t know Myke’s full capabilities just yet, but from up there, he would at least see him coming.

Okay. The bad news was, he was being hunted by something that has successfully killed dozens, if not hundreds of people before. The good news was, now he could confirm- or at least intuit- that they could be killed.

On that note, though… as smart as the detective was, he certainly wasn’t any kind of physical fighter. Battles of the mind were ones he was more experienced with.

There wasn’t really any option but to run. Lock the door, get help, see how that fucker likes being outed to the entire neighbourhood and town, and… and… prove that Veldigun really exist.

Despite his usual demeanour, Russel grinned. Time to teach that smiling freak a lesson.

Slowly, carefully, he crept downstairs, keeping his hand on the railing and his eyes to his feet- aside from the occasional glance at the doorway. It was dead silent. That meant he was fine.

When reached the bottom of the steps, he continued to stay as quiet as possible- though he wasn’t necessarily being slow- as he reached for the door handle-

-only for him to hit an invisible, almost fleshy surface beforehand.

As soon as he realised his mistake, two screens appeared out of thin air, both containing the image of a human eye staring at him.

He stepped back with a startled shout, the trick image of a human face made of static appearing before him, grinning as it crackled, stuck between two invisible antennae.

By the time the monster had fully unveiled itself, he had already started running- but it was too late.

A long, dark green tail with glowing green stripes wrapped around him, stopping him in his tracks and crushing his lungs almost instantly. He screamed- or tried to, for a second, before a hand slapped over his neck, claws digging into his throat to keep it in place, crushing his vocal cords and reducing his voice to a chocked gasp.

And before him, looking down with the same sadistic grin from five minutes ago on both its real and fake face, was all 30 feet of the real Mychael, in the flesh.

“Do you know what it’s like in a Veldigun’s head?” Its voice was far less staticky or electronic, but still, it was undeniably his. “I’ll have you know, a whole lot more is going on in here than you might think.”

It leaned in closer to him. “I’m giving you the rundown so you don’t panic once you’re in there and make the others start screaming,” it giggled, before bellowing, “̷AFTER ALL, T̷H̵E̶ ̵N̷O̷I̷S̵E̷ ̷M̶A̴K̸E̸S̶ ̴I̴T̸ ̵H̶A̶R̵D̶ ̷T̸O̵ ̷F̴O̵C̶U̵S̸!̸”̶

As he said that, every distortion that usually came with its voice returned tenfold, to the point where in his panic, Russel could barely even tell what he said. He could have fought back- he certainly would have, normally, but his mind was drawing a blank in all the chaos.

Seeing the despair in his eyes, Mychael tilted its head, grinning as always. “Ohhh… don’t worry, Hawky. After all, you’re the star of the show right now. They’re going to love you in there. In my head, there’s an audience… and in a few seconds, you’ll be a part of it.”

Then, the Smiler in the Static unhinged its jaws.

“̸̺͆N̷̨̈́O̵͊͜Ẅ̸͍́ ̵͚̅Ṡ̷̲Ḿ̴̺I̸̙͊L̸̬̽Ē̸̩ ̶̧̍F̸̡̈́O̷̱͂R̴͛͜ ̵̗͊T̵̟̆H̴̠̄E̷̦͌ ̶͉͑C̷̚͜Ǎ̴̗M̶̱̈́E̸̬͗R̷̥̎A̶̞̾!̶̹̀”̴͈̈́

As it leaned forward, on instinct he did the only thing he could. He put his left arm- his only free one, at that moment in time- in front of his face, and could just barely brace for the pain as rows of fangs dug into it.

After an attempt at a scream and an indignant, staticky grunt, the monster’s grip tightened, it began to pull, and no more than five seconds later, Russel lost his left arm.

The struggle was enough to both loosen the flesh poltergeist’s grip and give the detective time to get out of it. He gripped the profusely bleeding stump that could once be called an arm, finally given time to at least try to scream- but only for a moment.

In no more than a few seconds, the Veldigun swallowed the leftovers of the amputation, before turning its attention back to the main course, its smile now painted red with blood.

With whatever strength he had left, he returned to his feet and ran, the monster behind him gearing up for a pounce. Just as it struck, however, all it did was hit a wall in the next room- and to the side, it heard the sound of glass smashing.

It turned to see that the great Westfield Hawke, even after losing an arm, had resorted to jumping out of a closed window in order to escape him.

Hyperventilating in obvious pain, Russel got up to see the monster staring at him. It knew what its unspoken message was, and in reply, he glared and said:

“Go ahead. But if you do, the whole town will know you’re here.”

Then, still clutching the bleeding stump, he ran away.

He wasn’t there for long enough to see how Mychael paused at his words.

For as much as he loved being the predator that he was, as much as the audience in the back of his mind was chanting for their host to give them a good show… he couldn’t make such a reckless risk like that. Not again.

Myke was smart enough to know his own capabilities. He knew that his illusions weren’t anywhere near as good when he was focused on chasing someone: if he did so now, it would be just as that asshole Hawky said. The whole town would know about him.

However, if he just let him go, the same thing would happen anyways. He would find help somewhere, and with both his missing arm and the ensuing… side-effects of coming into contact with him, the town would learn about them anyways.

With that, it was clear what he had to do. Follow… but not chase.

Watch from the shadows, make a few illusions. Do whatever it takes to make sure he doesn’t find any help before the symptoms of Veldigun sickness really start to kick in.

Sure, he hated the fact that he had to deal with another Candice situation, especially knowing everything that little shit did to him, but… maybe he could make the most of this. Sure, he couldn’t break his body… but if there was anything Veldigun specialised in, it was breaking minds.

So with that, Myke slipped into the shadows, watching carefully like always.

—

Ever since Russel went missing, it seemed like things had been silent in Westfield, for once.

Other than the rampant investigation into his disappearance, that was. But no matter where they looked, they couldn’t find anything. It was almost as if he… vanished into the night.

That seemed to happen a whole lot around this town. But a month later, things were relatively quiet in the way of new disappearances: the members of the police force that weren’t rendered completely depressed after their friend’s disappearance were pretty thankful for that.

Finally, after a whole six weeks of more and more mysteries piling on top of each other, things were still… and then, there was another disappearance: Ryan Mills, another member of the police force, one of Russel’s closest friends.

Having those two specific people go missing in a row was too specific to be a coincidence, so they did their best to try and find him.

And just like that, the trail was still cold… until the police got a call.

“Hello, WFPD-“

“Ryan’s buried in Falke Woods, a mile or so from the Vedalia house.”

The call operator paused at that. She was still processing the sudden information before suddenly, her apparent lead hung up.

Sure enough, the body of Ryan Mills was found in Falke Woods, just as the caller said he would be. Though of course, Eliza Vedalia and her husband denied any involvement with a body so close to their manor.

Those who were near a pay phone close to the forest at the time, for a second, might have seen a figure with a feathered, almost boneless left arm, and a hawk beak instead of a hand.

But even a month-old Veldigun wouldn’t let himself be caught so easily.

[way2dubai]

Women's Designer Handbag Sale Outlet in UK.

Are You Searching For Stores Selling Designer Women's Handbags Within the UK? There is an assortment of stores selling discounted designer handbags - here are just a few:

Bicester Village in Oxfordshire is widely recognised as one of the UK's premier fashion outlet stores, boasting premium brands as well as boutiques selling designer bags.

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McArthurGlen Designer Outlets There are multiple McArthurGlen designer outlets across the UK, such as Ashford, Bridgend and York. Each outlet hosts an assortment of designer brands with discounts available on merchandise.

Hackney Walk: Hackney Walk in London's East End offers bargain-priced designer items like bags.

Outlet Sections of Designer Brand Websites: Visit specific brand sites as many provide online stores where you can buy discount bags at reduced rates.

TK Maxx: TK Maxx has long been revered for their reputation of offering exclusive items at reduced costs, often including designer purses in their inventory. There are stores across the UK as well.

Harrods Outlet-Westfield London Harrods Outlet Store provides luxury shoppers with discounted designer handbags and other accessories from designer labels. Located within Westfield London Shopping Village.

Village Outlets. Many smaller cities and towns across the UK feature outlet or shopping centres featuring designer brands - it can be worthwhile visiting them to find bargains!

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Before visiting an outlet or shopping online, it's recommended to research its brand and store locations, since each may vary. Furthermore, checking its website or calling directly may reveal special sales or promotions available there.

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[grandplazakensington]

A Day at the Natural History Museum – London

Founded in 1754, the Natural History Museum is a creation of Sir Hans Sloane’s scientific accumulations. His collection was shifted to its current location in 1881, now known as the Natural History Museum. The historic building has a Romanesque-style façade positioned behind two 190-foot tall towers and is a pleasing sight to look at.

You can also read: Find Your Zen at Holland Park’s Kyoto Garden

Scientific Variety at the Natural History Museum

The museum includes around 70 million antique items that cover different aspects of Science, including mineralogy, paleontology, zoology, botany, entomology, and many others. The North-western ground floor of the building is dedicated to a huge section of ancient mammals and houses the staggering 91-foot life-sized blue whale model.      

The Natural History Museum even has an area dedicated to the wonders of our planet called The Earth Galleries. This portion hosts a rotating globe that depicts the history and story of the earth. Adding more attraction to this amazing museum is the famous Dino section – a real treat for children and dinosaur fanatics. The enormous installations of T-Rex, Triceratops, and many more fascinate everyone in the museum. You can get easy access to Natural History Museum through budget hotel in Kensington High Street known for the budget accommodation in central London.

Apart from art, sculptures, and gigantic figures, the Natural History Museum also hosts regular events for its visitors to enjoy. Whether it is a murder mystery night or the 'Dino-snores,' these larger-than-life events make every penny worth it. Visitors can spend a night at the museum and take in the glory of the theme-based event. Park City Grand Plaza Kensington is one of the famous hotel amongst the Londoners looking for the overnight stay to enjoy night at the museum.  

Latest Additions

Not to miss, the Darwin Centre is the Natural History Museum’s newest addition. This area houses a large number of preserved specimens and various other valuable scientific possessions. The main attraction of Darwin’s Centre is its unique shape. The architecture of the section mimics a cocoon that encompasses eight-stories. Here you will find the famous Darwin’s entomology and botanical accumulations and Archie, a huge squid.

The Attenborough Studio is another new feature of the Natural History Museum. This section is specifically built for regular screenings of documentaries and historical films from the museum's archives.

Getting There by Tubes

London's tubes are, without a doubt, the best way to reach this super entertaining site. Cheap, easy, and quick, the tubes are here to help you.  

The nearest tube station to the Natural History Museum is the London Victoria, served by Southern and Southeastern services. The station is a pleasant 38-minute walk away from the museum, where you can spot numerous tourist places and historical monuments.

Another way to get to the Natural History Museum is the London Underground. Through this tube,you can head straight towards South Kensington station, which is just five minutes away from the Natural History Museum via a subway from the station concourse.

Common Tube Routes

·         From Camden Market Hall, Camden Town (27 minutes)

·         From Westfield Stratford City, Stratford(30 minutes)

·         From Golders Green, Golders Green(39 minutes)

·         From Virgin Active Chelsea, Chelsea (40 minutes)

·         From Nuffield Health Fitness and Wellbeing Centre, Willesden (47 minutes)

·         From Putney, Putney (57 minutes)

[mask131]

Creepy Family History: The Addams Family, part 1

The Addams Family is of course where the history of the “creepy family” archetype should start. They are without a doubt the start of it all and the most iconic and well-known incarnation of this archetype, the ones who lead the dance, an international success. You could say almost all of the following “creepy families” were inspired or influenced by the Addams.

  The Addams Family was created by Charles “Chas” Addams, an American cartoonist renowned for his dark humor and macabre jokes. Born in 1912 in the town of Westfield, New Jersey, where he spent the first part of his life. The exact date of the family’s creation is unclear because the family was not originally formed as a unit: each member existed previously in the numerous cartoons, comic strips and drawings of Chas as unrelated characters with several variations. It is commonly agreed that all these characters were ultimately joined together as a family in 1937/1938, and referred to as the “Addams family” in honor of their creator. Something people tend to forget is that Addams did not gave an official name to his characters for a very long time, relying on their iconic looks to identify them – and they were referred to by numerous names, Chas himself calling them “Addams’ Evils”.

What was the Addams family? It was a dark and macabre parody of the ideal nuclear family of 20th century America, and a parody of the average upper-class American, set on the East Coast of the United-States (the Addams Family being found in New-York and New-Jersey like landscapes). They were a family of bizarre, creepy and disturbing characters, ambiguously human and who enjoyed all sorts of activities normal people would find frightening and horrifying, while abhorring what a typical person will like – the Addams will laugh at a sad movie, get angry at a sunny day, punish their children for joining the Scouts or take moon-baths instead of sunbathing. All the elements of the archetypal “perfect” American family are here, though gleefully subverted: the father is here a porcine and ugly dark-skinned man who teaches his children how to build racks and punish his rebellious teen for joining the YMCA ; the mother is a tall and elegant but ghoulish and vampiric woman tending to poisonous plants in her garden and hosting parties on Friday the 13th ; the son has a pet alligator and sells toxic products at a lemonade stand ; the daughter cries when she is the best student of her class and organizes funerals for her dolls ; the cool uncle turns out to be a disturbing and dangerous (possibly cannibal) man who delights in human suffering and gives blood transfusions to his plants ; the kind grandmother is a witch that bakes bat and snakes-shaped cookies ; the big and homely house turns out to be a decaying, cobweb-covered mansion… Everything with the Addams is subverted, typical situations turned over their heads so that they live at the opposite of regular human beings: they think it is a perfect day for going out when there is a hurricane outside ; the mother is shocked when the grandmother DOESN’T cheat at card games ; and if the children are so eager to celebrate Christmas it is because they can burn down Santa Claus in the chimney.

The Addams family is also clearly upper-class and wealthy, if not aristocratic (corresponding to the higher social status associated with the East Coast of the USA, after all New-England is the original land of the Mayflower and the WASPs). Their house is a big and decaying Victorian mansion next to a large cemetery (more specifically a Second Empire Victorian mansion – Victorian was a large term covering numerous styles, from Queen Anne to Colonial Revival, and the typical “creepy Victorian mansion” such as the Bates mansion or the Phantom Manor are Second Empire Victorian mansions) ; the parents are never seen working, the neighbors and the school the kids are sent to are pretty upper-class and they of course have a ghoulish, Frankenstein-monster-like butler. The Addams Family also had a LOT of extended family seen during all sorts of occasional strips, family reunions, and several having their own set of cartoons spread over time – usually much more openly freakish than the Addams themselves (a man with two heads, a werewolf, a man with six arms but no legs, a toad-like man marrying a dwarf woman…). Most of the cartoons of the Addams Family were published in The New Yorker, though several were also published elsewhere, or in special compilations Chas made of his drawings. If you want to know more about this original incarnation of the Addams, I can suggest the excellent book “The Addams Family: An Evilution” which has some flaws (a strong bias against the movies and is missing a lot of Addams Family drawings) but makes up by a thorough analysis, precious information, and by containing very rare sketches you can only find in this book (or in the archives of the Charles Addams Foundation).

  The Addams Family became a huge success. So big that a deal was made to produce a television series based on the sketches. The deal was made in 1963, and in 1964 began “The Addams Family”. This black-and-white sitcom was what first settled the Addams Family in popular culture. It ran for two seasons with a total of sixty-four episodes (each thirty minutes long), and became both a cult classic and a staple in America’s television and popular culture.

The television series is also what cemented the identities, names and characters of the Addams Family members in popular culture. For the creation of the series, Chas Addams wrote a series of profiles describing each family members behavior and personality as he imagined it, and he even gave names to them. These profiles (that you can easily found today) inspired the television series writers, though they did not follow it to the letter (in fact it is interesting to see the differences between Charles Addams’ vision and the television series), and thus were born Gomez Addams (the father), Morticia Addams (the mother), Pugsley Addams (the son), Wednesday Addams (the daughter), Grandma Addams (the grand-mother), Lurch (the butler) and Uncle Fester (the uncle). It also settled the identity of Grandma as Gomez’s mother and of Uncle Fester as Morticia’s uncle.

One thing the movie did was reducing the darkness of the family slightly. The Addams are still lovers of the macabre and the morbid, they have a creepy house and spooky relatives, they feel at ease with ghosts and pet lions, they end up scaring away most of their neighbors. But contrary to the Addams of the original cartoon which had an inherent evilness and danger to them, that enjoyed the suffering of others and were strongly against all things “good and nice”, the Addams of the television series were much more friendly, merry and cheerful, happening to do all sorts of dangerous and strange things that end up hurting others mostly by accidents or mistakes. The television series established a key concept of the Addams, the idea that they consider themselves normal and feel the rest of the Americans are “strange” and “weird”. They cannot understand the way of living of their neighbors, believing beautiful things to be ghastly and regular entertainment to be boring, but they are still open-minded and always try to “adapt” or “help” those around them as best as they can. The family is also much more loving and close to each other than in the cartoon, where traces of abuse and detachment were found. The television series took a lot of inspiration from the situations depicted by Addams cartoons (such as Pugsley deciding to join the Scouts, turned into a whole episode), and also worked with a lot of typical sitcom plots (such as for example Uncle Fester getting sick and a doctor being called in, or the Addams Family deciding to trace their family tree, and other things like that).

The series was such a success, it had a follow-up movie, a “reunion movie” aired on NBC on October 1977. “Halloween with the New Addams Family”, following the Addams parents, now older and grandparents, as their entire family is about to gather for a Halloween party. For watching the movie myself, I have to say it is not a good movie, though not particularly bad, but it is really weird and strangely cheap. Almost all of the original actors return for their roles, you have the typical jokes and humor of the sitcom, but there is something lacking in the editing and making, and the way it was shot evokes cheap homemade movies of the second half of the 20th century (not to say low-budget porn movies).

  The second part of the Addams early success was thanks to the Hannah-Barbera Studios, who got ownership and deals related to the Addams Family and used them a lot – if the sitcom dominated the 60s, the 70s was the Hannah-Barbera era. It all started with an episode of “The New Scooby-Doo Movies”, the third of season 1, aired in 1972, where the Scooby-Doo Gang met up with the Addams Family (the actors of the sitcom were re-used to voice the animated characters, but the design of the characters were picked up from the original cartoons).

This success led to the creation of an entire animated sitcom that began in 1973: “The Addams Family”, sixteen episodes in total. It was a typical Hannah-Barbera series, with its usual style and jokes, and also its strange obsession with cars that changed the entire setting: while the family stayed the same, they were actually depicted as going on a road-trip across the entirety of the United-States in an impossibly big manor-like “Creepy Camper”, and having numerous adventures in each location they stopped or passed by. Again, the original cartoon designs were used and a few actors from the sitcom provided the voices. Interestingly, this animated series set up new family relationships different from the sitcom (but that would later be re-used): notably it depicted Uncle Fester as Gomez’s brother and Grandmama as Morticia’s mother.

  A last element of this “first glory” of the Addams should be mentioned – a piece of lost media.

In 1973, ABC (the ones who produced the original sitcom) decided to create a variety show with musical pieces, skits and dance parties centered around the Addams Family. A black-and-white pilot was shot for this series, and called “The Addams Family Fun-House”. This episode aired in the 1973-1974 televisual season on various stations (that had funded the pilot), but unfortunately was never picked up and the variety show was never made. As a result, the pilot episode fell into obscurity (as no one had recorded or kept it) and it is now considered to be a piece of lost media. Of this lost pilot we only keep today a few black and white pictures, memories and testimonies online and the list of the main cast (notably Pugsley Addams was played by Butch Patrick, the actor of Eddie Munster in “The Munsters”).

 After the 70s, the 80s were an empty decade for the Addams Family, marked only by the sad death of Charles Addams. Chas died in 1988, at the age of 76, from a heart attack, leaving behind ten cartoon and drawings anthologies (more would be published posthumously).

[vntcniv]

                                               {    H S H Q T A S K 0 2 1    }

1. COLD HARD FACTS

population: 54,8M area:  130,279 km2  / 50,301 sq mi  offical language: english currency: pound sterling ( GBP / £ )

2. SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

This is what everything boils down to. Doesn’t matter what kind of a person you make out of yourself, you are what you were born as. Usually, if a person isn’t hellbent on rising through ranks, they are proud to be what they are. If you come from a slightly poorer family? Oh you won’t hide the accent, you like footie --- the posh kids can have their rugby, Sainsbury’s all good, Poundland too. Rich and happy? Horses, rugby, sailing... that good received pronunciation aka “english accent”. Middle-class will divide between the two extremes, middle-class people also are more concerned about their image than the two other groups. Perhaps it’s the notion that perhaps, just perhaps, if they are lucky they could become something better, nicer. But like I mentioned before, you are what you were born as, the harsh truth remains. Self-made men, nouveau riche... they are try-hards, or they don’t know their place. Depends on whom you ask. The English tend to categorize people and then decide how to treat them. Where is their accent from? Which part of the town/county are they from? What school did they go/do their children go? The more facts you know about a person, the better guess you can make about their family. England is obsessed with its socioeconomic hierarchy.

3. VOCABULARY

Oh the confusion! Tea doesn’t always refer to the drink. Tea can also mean supper, lunch, in some cases even some snack. Pants mean underwear, trousers is a more appropriate word. Chips = french fries; crisps = potato chips. Trainers = sneakers, rubber = eraser. There’s of course more words that are mainly used in Britain but listing them all would be unnecessary. 

4. EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

First of all, to simplify it, there are two types of schools: state-funded & private. State-funded schools are free of charge. Private schools, for day students, cost around 10K per annum, and for boarders 20K. Getting into a private school isn’t just about the money. The schools handpick their students and you may need to “prove your worth” to get in. So having connections helps a lot. The connection doesn’t even need to have anything to do with the school board --- if you know someone with a nice name or even better, someone with a title, and you get them to write a letter on your behalf, your chances of getting accepted are once again higher than some random chap’s. Most famous private school ( more specifically, public school ) is Eton. Alumni include William & Harry. Eton has produced a good number of prime ministers. It’s an all-boys school.

You know... the houses in Hogwarts, it’s not a made up concept. In more traditional schools, in majority of boarding schools, the students belong to houses. The houses are sometimes named after a founder or a person who has supported the school in some manner ( £££ ). 

Kids start school around the time they turn five. Some go to nursery before that. Primary school is the years 1-6. Nothing that important happens through years 1-11. At the end of year 11, students take GCSEs. There’s a lot of subjects to choose from, but it really depends on what subjects your school even offers. The GCSE grades are important and cause a lot of stress for students. After GCSEs students start college / sixth form that lasts for two years. At the end of college / sixth form, are the A-levels. A-levels are the hardcore version of GCSEs. Once you finish college / sixth form, you go to uni. There’s more terminology and it’s possible to get very specific but that would be a waste of time.

5. DRINKING

Legal drinking age is 18. You can usually enter most pubs even when you aren’t of age; they are just places to hang out at. Some places are stricter than others. If you’re with an adult, you’ll get in. After 16 it’s legal to have mild alcoholic drinks with dinner if you’re accompanied by an adult. Most parents aren’t that chill though. You can’t buy alcohol from stores after 11pm. Most pubs / clubs have to stop serving around 3-4am. Most places close around that time for that reason.

6. FOOD & DRINKS

Yes, fish and chips is a thing and so is tea, but they aren’t all people eat and drink. Being a tea person is playing into a stereotype, which some people do happily. There are people who have a cuppa every two hours. The palate is pretty bland. Steamed vegetables, fish or meat, and maybe some gravy to go with it. Every day food isn’t special. Beans on toast is an acquired taste. 

Beer is pretty popular and main reason for it is pub culture. Beer is cheap and there’s plenty to choose from, and when you spend a lot of time at pubs you kind of learn to appreciate those facts. 

Fast food? America has more chains, that’s for sure. You can find the most popular ones in the UK. Chains such as McDonald’s, Subway, Burger King, Taco Bell & KFC. But you won’t find Denny’s, Wendy’s or Applebee’s in the UK. Five Guys is the most popular one according to a survey ( and I am not surprised ;)  )

7. TV

What’s on the telly? Most people are familiar with BBC hit shows such as Doctor Who, Sherlock and... I don’t know what’s good, you get my point. That stuff is easy to like, it’s so universal. But then there’s that famous British humour. Monty Python is pretty famous, most people find it funny. But then there are other cult classics like Fawlty Towers and Blackadder. They are old but they are gold ( perhaps not my personal opinion but that’s beside the point ). You can never forget shows like EastEnders and Emmerdale. They just keep producing the shows, it’s crazy. They are the Brits’ The Bold and the Beautiful. 

8. LONDON

London is, well, huge. The underground zones go up to 9, though zones 7-9 aren’t that relevant. Most people use this thing called an Oyster card to move around the city, it’s basically just a London version of MetroCard or whatever you have in your city. The city center of London isn’t that big though, you can see the main attractions in a day --- and you can walk! But the minute you venture away from zones 1 and 2, you realize just how big it is. The area of London is roughly two times NYC’s. Locals avoid Oxford Street --- sure it’s cool to have all of the shops in one place but... you can just take the tube to Westfield and enjoy a less hectic atmosphere. East London has a slightly bad reputation while West London is rather posh: nice houses with big gardens, private schools, that sweet life. Each borough has its own stereotype if you want to get even more specific. London is also expensive as heck! Hell, England is expensive. The prices for apartments within zones 1 and 2 start at a million --- and they go up up up. It’s one of the reason why people who work in London might actually commute from a bit further away. There are a lot of smaller towns surrounding London and even though they aren’t part of the City of London, they are said to be part of Greater London. For example towns in northeast of Surrey are a good example for commuter towns. Real estate prices are lower in these towns but I wouldn’t call them cheap.

9. MISCELLANEOUS

People don’t wear shoes inside the house. Nope. Most detached houses have carpeted floors upstairs. Most detached houses have three floors and fucking narrow staircases. English love reading up on royals. HELLO! is a daily magazine that centers around royals. They do articles on fashion, other celebrities and etc. but it’s mainly just about royals. Football is life. 

[surveysonfleek]

1195.

Section I:

1. Name a commercial that reminds you of being a kid. any toy commercials. they were all the same formula back in the 90s.

2. Do you ever ask for paper instead of plastic at the grocery store? nope.

3. What is the last state you were in besides your own? victoria.

4. Name a city in your own state that you have never been to. bathurst.

5. What’s the best “mountain” at Walt Disney World? space mountain lol.

6. Do you ever speak in Ebonics? possibly. there’s been a lot of things i may say in everyday conversation that came from ebonics.

7. Explain why you said yes or no to the last question. i just answered it ^

8. Who is the very funniest comedian ever? i don’t have a favourite.

9. What hospital in your area would you most recommend for good treatment? no idea.

10. What two breeds of dog do you think would make a really great puppy? no idea tbh. i love all dogs.

Section II:

11. Are themed parties overrated? no, i love them.

12. What section of the library do you find most interesting? haha everything. i used to go to the library all the time as a kid.

13. What mall is closest to your home? westfield.

14. The last roadtrip you took was from where to where? idk if it counts but we drove an hour to have dinner at a brazillian restaurant last weekend.

15. Are home aquariums more trouble than they’re worth? i had one as a kid. it’s pretty hard to look after.

16. Who cleans your carpets? us.

17. If you add together all the numbers in your birthdate (month, day, year) what number do you get? 27.

18. Do you know anyone who has had plastic surgery? nope.

19. Who is the best person you’ve ever “met” online? i haven’t met anyone online tbh.

20. What is the best local restaurant in your area? in my opinion, kyubi.

Section III:

21. Do you have a landline? If not, do you wish you did? yes. we never use it.

22. Were you ever on the roof of the World Trade Center? nope.

23. Have you ever been on the Maid Of The Mist? no, i’ve always wanted to go!

24. Do Coke and Pepsi really taste different to you? yes.

25. If you could knock down one structure in your town, what would it be? nothing.

26. Name a street in your town that begins with the letter “C”. castlereagh st.

27. Describe your elementary school in 10 words or less. small and boring.

28. What is the last musical you saw? aladdin.

29. Who is the most versatile actor ever? tbh not sure. i’m not much of a movie buff.

30. Do you own any vinyl records? nope.

Section IV:

31. Would you go down to see the Titanic if given the chance? i hate the idea of scuba diving or whatever it’s called. so no.

32. What is the greatest kids’ show ever and why? sesame street!

33. Name a relative who has a first name beginning with the letter “N”. nica. technically it’s a nickname though.

34. You have one minute to grab everything you can in a superrmarket - what do you grab? i’d go to the beauty and skincare section and grab literally anything.

35. The best album ever made is ______ because _________. i don’t knowwww.

36. The worst love song ever made is _______ because __________. not sure.

37. Do you love cats? nooope.

38. Who is the best cartoon cat? garfield.

39. If you could rename Bart Simpson, what first name would you give him? i wouldn’t. it suits him.

40. Have you ever seen the Hollywood sign in real life? yes.

Section V:

41. Do you ever nap and wake up and forget what day it is? yes.

42. What’s the name of the cemetery closest to your home? no idea tbh.

43. What ocean is the most alluring to you? pacific.

44. Have you ever driven through rural South Carolina? probably. when i was a kid we did a road trip from jersey to florida and i remember passing south carolina. idk if it was rural though.

45. Did you ever see a scorpion in the wild? nope.

46. The very best heavy metal band ever is ______ because _______. i don’t listen to heavy metal.

47. The sappiest band ever is ______ because _________. idk.

48. If you could have any candy right now, it would be what? kit kats or crispy m&ms.

49. Do you like the taste of beer? not at all. i can do cider at most.

50. Why do people say that Chinese food often contains cat? i’ve heard this like once.

Section VI:

51. Who is the best cartoon dog ever? pluto.

52. Do you wake up easily in the morning? not really.

53. What time do you have to wake up tomorrow? no specific time.

54. Do you think alarm clocks ringing could cause heart attacks in some people? never thought of it like that. it’s possible i guess.

55. What is the best soap opera ever? i don’t watch them.

56. If you were a donut, what kind would you be? Why? a nutella donut.

Section VII:

57. Name your earliest memory. running towards my dad in pur hallway.

58. What is the newest thing you’ve learned? idk.

59. Did you ever have to clean erasers in school? nope.

60. Have you ever hallucinated something? most likely.

61. Do you type the proper way? Have you ever typed on a manual typewriter? i don’t think i do. i have.

62. Do you know shorthand? no.

63. Who are better neighbors? Canada or Mexico? neither are my neighbours.

64. Are you deeply religious? nope.

Section VIII:

65. Name a state you have never been to, but would like to go to. tasmania.

66. Name a state you have been to, but don’t care if you ever go to again. northern territory.

67. Do you think George W. Bush would be a nice neighbor? lol.

68. What is the last board game you played? balderdash.

69. Do you drink energy drinks? If yes, what kind? hardly ever. only if i’m having vodka and redbull.

70. What is the name of the bar closest to your home? the tav.

71. What was your maternal grandmother’s first name? angelina.

72. What was your house number when you were 5? 301.

73. Name a word that people use locally that outsiders probably can’t pronounce. idk.

74. Describe your world in 5 words. let’s not.

75. Was this a pretty unique survey? i don’t really get why they were sectioned but sure.

[megwcitycourse]

The Double Life of a College Town

From 2010 until 2018 (with the exception of 10 months in 2012-2013 when I studied abroad in Barcelona) I lived in Urbana, Illinois, USA. This (unremarkable to most of the world) small city has an estimated population of 42,214 (U.S. Census Bureau, Urbana) but sits attached to Champaign with another 88,909 (U.S. Census Bureau, Champaign). While I lived almost exclusively in Urbana, the truth is that the two cities mostly behave as one, whether you call it Champaign-Urbana or Urbana/Champaign or Chambana or Bubble City, etc. (That last one is mostly a gimmick name used for events. Champaign - Champagne - get it?)

Cronin (2006) links his micro-cosmopolitanism to fractal differentialism. He explains, “This term expresses the notion of a cultural complexity which remains constant from the micro to the macro scale. That is to say, the same degree of diversity is to be found at the level of entities judged to be small or insignificant as at the level of large entities” (15).

Champaign-Urbana is mostly known for being the home of the main campus of the University of Illinois, which is my alma mater (I’m told that’s a very American phrase). A large research university of over 50,000 students (“UIUC”), it dominates the twin cities while simultaneously being somewhat discrete from the surrounding area. Champaign and Urbana are technically two cities - Champaign-Urbana is also two cities in a more figurative sense. You have students, and you have townies. You have Campustown, and you have downtown Champaign or Urbana (on either side). I’ve always kind of straddled the two - I joined a group soon after coming to the University that was comprised of both students and townies and I made friends with both. Went to parties off campus and attended classes on. While I was a student, I lived in both Champaign-Urbanas.

I cited Cronin above to highlight the reason why I gave the population sizes of Champaign and Urbana in the first paragraph. I wanted to illustrate that, despite its significantly smaller size than any of the world’s major cities, Champaign/Urbana exhibits many of the same tensions we would expect from places like Toronto, Chicago, London, Tokyo, etc. We can even find some of these tensions just within the University’s campus.

In “Serendipitous City: In Search of an Aleatory Urbanism,” Mervyn Horgan (2014) gives us the “city of birds” and the “city of worms,” two representational modes accounting for different methods in urban studies. Of the city of birds, he writes, “the urban is treated as an object to be described and known through accurate and complete description of what is objectively available and analyzable” (64). By contrast, “In the city of worms, the urban is treated as a subject to be interpreted and understood.” Put another way, “Where the city of birds is populated, the city of worms is peopled” (67). From the city of birds, we get disciplines such as urban planning and demography, whereas the city of worms gives us ethnography and literature (69).

For about a year, I was majoring in Computer Science (until I realized I was not very good at it and did not, in fact, want to spend the rest of my working life doing it). I was also taking German at the time, and between the two classes, I had a bit of a walk across campus, from the southeast corner of the Main Quad to the east side of the Engineering Quad (map below - the Foreign Languages Building, or FLB, is crudely circled in blue and the Siebel Center for Computer Science in red).

(Google Maps)

I took this walk up Mathews Avenue a couple of times a week, and at some point I realized that there was a noticeable demographic shift as I moved from the Main Quad (housing primarily the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences) to the Engineering Quad. Slowly but surely, the students I passed by trended more male. An unfortunate side effect of the (improving, but still prevalent) dominance of men in the engineering disciplines. I was never the only woman in my computer science classes, but it was usually in the single digits, and it showed when I crossed Green Street to arrive on the engineering side of the U of I campus. I see this experience as a meeting of Horgan’s “city of birds” and “city of worms.” In a small city like Champaign-Urbana - in an even smaller “city” like the UIUC campus - you can see how the demographic makeup shifts on just a ten-minute walk.

The buildings around me also changed on this little walk - noticeably more money has been spent on the engineering programs on campus compared to the liberal arts. You can see it in the more modern buildings full of metal and glass and new, functioning equipment, compared to FLB, a building I had most of my courses in and later worked in for about a year and a half, a brick building with a chilly basement and old carpeting, and three usually-working laptops that I had to loan out to grad students who didn’t have their own. Granted, computers are slightly less important to non-computer science students, but, in this day and age, only slightly. More on this dichotomy a bit later on.

Even more stark than the shift in gender demographics from one side of campus to the other was the shift between on and off campus demographics. I moved into an apartment off campus in 2011 and got a car around the same time. Experiencing Champaign/Urbana by car was a whole different world from on foot. Though the areas closest to campus were still dominated by students, the farther away I got, the more variety I saw in the age range of the pedestrians. I also noted a drop in the number of pedestrians overall (this was the reason I frequently stated that I hated driving on campus), as well as a decline in how pedestrian friendly the streets were. Interestingly enough, despite the abundance of crosswalks on campus, jaywalking seemed equally rampant just about everywhere. (Keep jaywalking in mind - I’m going to mention it later on.)

The types of cars I tended to see also changed depending on whether I was in Campustown or elsewhere. Campustown, being prime real estate for proximity to the main campus as well as to bars and restaurants, was (increasingly, as the years went on) full of expensive high rises boasting as many amenities as possible to students who could afford to take advantage. I pulled the image below from the 309 Green website (this was one of the high rises that has been there since I moved to town - several others cropped up later):

(“309 Green”)

I won’t say all of the buildings in Campustown had a pool, but most of them had advertising materials that looked roughly like this. With most off campus apartments, you’d be lucky if they had their own website with more than a couple of photos, and they certainly didn’t come with high-speed internet, central A/C, washer and dryer, fitness center, etc. And while I drove in Campustown only a few times a month, every time, I could tell exactly where I was by both the number of pedestrians and the luxury cars that surrounded my humble Honda.

According to Myria Georgiou (2014), top-down (or hegemonic) cosmopolitanism “represents the project of the neoliberal city… enabled through the close collaboration of local and national government and corporate interests.” On the other hand, “Vernacular cosmopolitanism is about hospitality, which, though conditional… makes the urban landscape’s history and present always a history-in-the-making, a history of newcomers” (65).

I’ve seen echoes of this dichotomy both on the UIUC campus and in Champaign-Urbana more broadly. Near the afore-mentioned FLB is a row of buildings on Nevada Street referred to as the “cultural houses”. Here’s why:

(Google Maps)

That brick one on the right is the Native American House, the pale yellow one on the left is La Casa Cultural Latina. The Departments of Gender and Women’s Studies, Asian American Studies, and African American Studies are also on this street. The idea here is that students of all kinds feel welcome, have a “home” (never mind the graffiti that started showing up outside of La Casa right around, oh, 2016 or so). There’s a bit of irony in having a “Native American House” right in the middle of Kiikaapoi, Miami, Peoria, and Očeti Šakówiŋ lands, but that’s a another post ("Native Land”). (Spoiler alert: the U of I doesn’t have a great history [or present] when it comes to respecting indigenous peoples.)

Then, we have the Siebel Center:

(Ngo 2014)

It’s a hulking mass of a building compared to those cultural houses, full of the kind of money the University and its donors are willing to spend on the Computer Science program (one of the top ten in the country). These buildings and the university departments associated with them serve as UIUC’s “neighborhoods,” and in them we can see the way a city’s tensions play out on a more micro scale. The examples I’ve given here are by no means exhaustive, but I believe they provide a taste of the unique experience of living in a college town.

Off campus, we have a perhaps more traditional, obvious example of hegemonic vs. vernacular cosmopolitanism: the two malls. First, in northern Champaign, there is the Market Place Mall, a traditional shopping center with stores like Bergner’s, JC Penney, Claire’s, Hot Topic, Kay Jewelers, etc. The fact that it is exactly the kind of mall you can find in most US towns makes it, much like Westfield Stratford City, as discussed by Georgiou, “mediated, controlled, commodified.” She says, “Westfield Stratford City is both indistinguishable from other spaces of global consumption and a very specific place…” (54) Indistinguishable though it may be from other places of this type, the Market Place Mall remains a destination for locals and people from the surrounding towns to shop, meet, and eat – much like any other mall.

The Lincoln Square Mall, in downtown Urbana, is much more vernacular in its cosmopolitanism. Aside from several empty storefronts, it is filled with local businesses and organizations including a small art supply store, an organic food co-op, a record shop, a church, and several martial arts/fitness studios. The few restaurants are locally owned – not a Panda Express or Auntie Anne’s Pretzels in sight. Unfortunately, it is clear that Lincoln Square does not benefit from attracting patrons from the surrounding towns in the way that Market Place does. This is not a mall that people go to just to hang out or browse. If you’re at Lincoln Square, it’s probably for a specific reason (the food co-op and the gym are the most popular destinations) and you aren’t likely to spend time just walking around the way you might at a more typical mall. However, it seems to keep itself afloat by engaging with the community. Events such as Pridefest are hosted there each year, and during the warmer months, you can visit the Urbana Farmers’ Market (another example of the vernacular) in the parking lot.

“...what most vividly characterizes the colonial city is its spatial segregation. Such separation is a powerful visual illustration of the ‘paradoxical unity’ of cities, where populations mingle on the streets and yet lead culturally separate lives” (Simon 2006, 22).

At the beginning of this essay, I alluded to the separation between students and townies. “Town-gown” relations are known to be troubled in many college towns, though some universities have taken steps to address the problem. Joshua J. Yates and Michaela Accardi studied this problem in 2019 and published their findings as the “Field Guide for Urban University-Community Partnerships.” While they identified ten universities with innovative community engagement programs (23), they also note that only 16 out of the 100 universities surveyed have a “governance structure inclusive of community members” (21). Regrettably, data for individual universities was not included in the guide, so I am uncertain of where the U of I falls in their evaluation. However, speaking from personal experience, I can say that I do not feel that the University encourages its students to engage with the Champaign/Urbana community. I did because I joined a mixed group soon after becoming a student there, so I straddled the line between students and townies for a long time. (I would say I went “full townie” after I left that group in 2015.) That said, the only time I was ever required to do community service (which is not, by any means, the end all be all of community engagement) was during my brief stint in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps.

Price (2019), citing Abdelhafid Khatib, writes, “...social location and how you are identified matters in how you move, where you move, with what safety or danger, and that, in turn, has consequences for what you see and perceive” (76).

I’m going to get a bit political here and talk about 2016 and its aftermath. When the US presidential election took place, ending with the election of Donald Trump, Champaign/Urbana was a city divided (and you could hear it on local public radio the next morning). While it is, overall, a dot of blue in a sea of red (those are swapped from what they mean in Canada), the surrounding rural area’s influence can be seen outside of campus (as can the influence of the wealthy white Chicago suburbs that send students to UIUC). At the time, I was working for a local academic publisher and conference producer in what is called Research Park. Research Park is technically part of the U of I campus, though it is not near any residential or academic buildings. It houses both startups and branches of larger companies and is mainly tech-oriented. The company that I worked for skewed very millennial, female, and liberal, and the whole office took on a somber mood in the days following the election. That first day was a mess of tears, ranting, and not much work getting done. Our bosses made a point of checking in on how we were holding up. This was a place where everyone at least appeared to be on the same page, politically, and we all felt a little safer because of it. Personally, because I felt that visibility was important, I chose this time to start being a little more open about being a queer person, and I found it to be a non-issue among this set of coworkers.

Unfortunately, because there are plenty of things aside from politics that can make a job turn sour, I left that company towards the end of 2017 and had to head back to the retail world to make ends come anywhere near meeting. What I found there, in northern Champaign, near the Market Place Mall, was a world very different from the one in which I had been living for the past seven years. Though I wasn’t vocal about my political leanings, I didn’t lie about them either, and that earned me a fair amount of “jokes” and “teasing” (none of which seemed especially funny) from some of my superiors. They, in their positions of power over me, did not seem to understand why such behavior might be inappropriate, and it made more than one day at that job feel nearly like a hostile environment. It never escalated to a point where I felt like any potential retribution I might face was worth a report to Human Resources, but it was the closest I came to facing the urban/rural dichotomy of Champaign/Urbana head-on. By contrast with my publishing job, I did not feel safe outing myself as queer with the majority of these coworkers.

But then, by focusing on my own experience, I am still missing something. In his discussion of translation-as-tuning-in, Price talks about experience-near and experience-distant concepts. He explains, “If you try and reach for a person’s own schema, then you are focused on... ‘experience-near’ concepts; if you go for the abstract, disciplinary categories, and concepts foreign to what a social agent would recognize, then you are using ‘experience-distant’ concepts” (71).

It is one thing for me to recognize that a person of color or a disabled person or a trans person (especially one using a name and pronouns other than their legal ones) might have had an even more hostile experience at that retail workplace (and even, to an extent, at the predominantly white publishing company), and it is quite another for me to “tune in” to the everyday reality of such existences. I could say the same of my experiences as a student at the University. I felt safe there most of the time. How did my Latinx classmates feel when “Build the Wall” chalkings started appearing on campus in 2016 (including right outside of La Casa Cultural Latina - a deliberate act of intimidation)? How did my indigenous classmates feel when being asked to root for the “Fighting Illini?” (Illini refers to the Illinois Confederation, representing about a dozen indigenous tribes from the area [”The Illinois”].) Or when, nearly 15 years after the retirement of Chief Illiniwek (a “mascot” that involved a white student dressing in pseudo-ceremonial garb and performing a pseudo-ceremonial dance), local news outlets still stir up the debate on a regular basis via social media? What about the fact that Black people make up 16% of the population in Champaign/Urbana but the vast majority of arrests (yes, arrests) for jaywalking (88% in Champaign and 91% in Urbana) (Rosen 2012)?

Reaching for these experiences and trying to internalize them is something you might not expect a person from a small town to have any need to do, but, as I cited Cronin near the beginning of this post, the diversity that you see at the macro level also exists at the micro level. Champaign/Urbana has tensions between urban and rural, students and townies, racial tensions, gender disparities, and socio-economic divides, despite containing fewer than 150,000 people, compared to the millions in some of the biggest cities. College towns are their own unique animal with a double life unlike any other kind of city.

References

“309 Green.” 2020. Apartments Near UIUC | 309 Green | Champaign, IL. American Campus Communities. Accessed August 13, 2020. https://www.americancampus.com/student-apartments/il/champaign/309-green#amenities.

Cronin, Michael. 2006. “Translation and the New Cosmopolitanism.” In Translation and Identity, 6-40. London: Routledge.

Georgiou, Myria. 2014. “Consumption: The Hegemonic and the Vernacular.” In Media and the City: Cosmopolitanism and Difference, 44–65. Chichester: Polity Press.

Google Maps. Google. Accessed August 3, 2020. https://maps.google.com/.

Horgan, Mervyn. 2014. “Serendipitous City: In Search of Aleatory Urbanism.” In Cartographies of Place: Navigating the Urban, edited by Michael Darroch and Janine Marchessault, 55–76. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press.

“The Illinois: Identity.” 2000. MuseumLink Illinois. Illinois State Museum. http://www.museum.state.il.us/muslink/nat_amer/post/htmls/il_id.html.

“Native Land.” n.d. Map. Native Land. Native Land Digital. Accessed August 3, 2020. https://native-land.ca/.

Ngo, Johnny. 2014. “Computer Science - Rise in Popularity and Plagiarism.” Uloop. Uloop Inc. October 5, 2014. https://www.uloop.com/news/view.php/138163/Computer-Science---Rise-in-Popularity-and-Plagiarism.

Price, Joshua Martin. 2019. “Taking Sides: Urban Wandering as a Decolonial Translation Practice in the Americas.” Tusaaji: A Translation Review 7 (1): 68–83. doi:10.25071/1925-5624.40385.

Rosen, Rebecca J. 2012. “In Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, 89% of Those Arrested for Jaywalking Are Black.” The Atlantic, August 24. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/08/in-champaign-urbana-illinois-89-of-those-arrested-for-jaywalking-are-black/261522/.

Simon, Sherry. 2006. Translating Montreal: Episodes in the Life of a Divided City. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

“UIUC Student Enrollment by Curriculum and Student Level Fall 2019.” 2019. University of Illinois Division of Management Information. September 9, 2019. https://www.dmi.illinois.edu/stuenr/class/enrfa19.htm.

U.S. Census Bureau. 2019. “U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Champaign City, Illinois.” 2019. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/urbanacityillinois.

U.S. Census Bureau. 2019. “U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Urbana City, Illinois.” 2019. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/champaigncityillinois.

Yates, Joshua J., and Michaela Accardi. 2019. Field Guide for Urban University-Community Partnerships. Charlottesville: Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture.

[atlanticcanada]

'Rise Up Saint John' ad a call to leaders to provide support during COVID-19 crisis

Closed signs are a sign of the times in uptown Saint John.

It's so bad, that closed signs on the doors of uptown businesses outnumber pedestrians on the city sidewalks of Saint John.

And everywhere, the question is the same, said Paulette Hicks, who manages an uptown hotel.

"Will this be a month? Will it be two months?  Will it be 10 months?" Hicks said. "It impacts each business very differently."

Hicks is one of the people behind a full-page advertisement in Monday's newspaper.

It features a photo of an empty street, but with a call for community action.

"We've got great agencies, we got great people doing a lot of work, but they're overwhelmed right now," Hicks said. "But we have people who are working from home at probably not the same capacity as usual that want to help.  Why would we not ignite that?"

The damage to the greater Saint John economy would be no different from what's being inflicted on cities and towns all over the Maritimes. Even though there is no specific end date on the horizon, community leaders here are trying to encourage small business owners not to throw in the towel.

Grand Bay-Westfield Mayor Grace Losier says Rise Up Saint John is about connecting business and providing ordinary citizens with help as they try to weather the COVID-19 crisis.

"There's lots of people suffering some hard times out there, and they're not going to get better in the short term, so we need to be there, to lift them up," Losier said. "We want to hear your ideas and nothing is going to be overlooked. We're going to try to consider everything so we can hopefully get us out of this as much on the good side of the ledger as is possible in every way."

Said Hicks: "It is to create that sense of unity; that we're all in this together."

That sense of unity is designed to help bridge the gap between today's crisis, and a future recovery.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/3dVJdtf

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Cary NC Crime Scene Cleanup Costs & Biohazard Cleaning

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Cary NC Crime Scene Cleanup Costs & Biohazard Cleaning

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[fcsuper]

Sydney 2019 Vacation

Alice and I had a great time in Sydney, Australia.  Originally, we planned to use our 9 days in Australia to visit a couple of areas.  That plan changed as we became aware of just how much Sydney itself offers.  So, we spent all 9 days in Sydney.  We were able to visit many points of interests and other locations.

Favs!

Our favorite places for this trip are Featherdale Wildlife Park, Scenic World (despite its unimaginative name), The Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney ("botanic" and "garden" are not typos) and Taronga Zoo.

  All of these locations should be at the top of the list when planning a vacation to Sydney for the first time.

Sydney Opera House Nonoperatic Concert

We enjoyed Peter Bence's concert at Sydney Opera House (What's on in Sydney: November 30 - December 1 (backup link), Peter Bence Tour (backup link)), called "Peter Bence: The Awesome Piano Tour".  Alice was originally concerned about seeing a concert by a pianist, but now feels this is one of the most enjoyable concerts that she has experienced.  It was an awesome surprize.

Dinner Cruise

We also thoroughly enjoyed our "Sydney Harbour Sky Deck Gold Penfolds Dinner Cruise" (backup link).  Because I upgraded the experience to "Gold" level, we had a particularly special night, including a priority boarding, welcome reception on the upper deck, special window table, our own dedicated maitre d' and a specially prepared 6-course dinner with wines to compliment each course.  Even without the Gold level status, this would've been a very enjoyable evening.  That said, we were the only Gold level passengers for this particular cruise, so this made things seem even more special for us.  We were literally the only passengers at the upper deck welcome reception.  For a short period, we had an entire deck to just ourselves.

Michael's Tour

My friend Michael Lord joined us for almost a whole day to show us around town on an incredible walking tour.  I can tell Michael loves his hometown!  We met up at Queen Victoria Building and then stopped by at Archibald Fountain in Hyde Park, St. Mary's Cathedral, The Mint, Parliament of New South Wales (no one chained themselves to the fence on this particular day), The Domain before visiting Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Afterward, we had a terrific lunch at Otto Ristorante on the Finger Wharf.  Then, we walked around Farm Cove to Sydney Opera House.  We had dessert at Guylian Belgian Chocolate Cafe before taking the ferry to Manly, where we found an interesting Christmas Tree that seemed a bit lost.

After returning to Circular Quay, we explored The Rocks and Darling Harbour, including a light dinner at Pho-mo in Barangaroo.  Heading back, we passed by a large all-white outdoor dinner event at Tumbalong Park.  Passing by Paddy's Markets, we headed back.  I don't know the exact number of steps, but I believe Michael's pedometer app counted well over 23K for the day.  Thank you Michael for the Grand Tour!

Shopping

Alice and I shopped at many locations, and there are many more that we missed.  Just to name a few places where we shopped: Market City, Queen Victoria Building (and adjacent underground and aboveground shops), Westfield Sydney, Westfield Bondi Junction, Central Park Mall, The Strand Arcade and Circular Quay.  For mementos, we really tried to focus on buying "Australian Made" products, just because it seems silly to buy non-Australian made products on a vacation in Australia.

Other Points of Interest

Sydney Tower Eye was a good diversion one morning.  The entry point can be hard to find within the Westfield Sydney mall due to contradictory direction signage. We also found ourselves exploring the mildly interesting Museum of Contemporary Art one afternoon. 

Walkability 

Sydney is a very walkable city, with several well-placed T (train) stations.  Since our hotel was near Central Station, it was easy to get out and around town.  One thing to mention is that the railway public transport cars aren't friendly to large luggage (if you are travelling from or to the airport), particularly during busy hours.  So, if you don't rent a car, you still may wish to use Uber for the airport.  Other than that, you can walk most of the time.  We only used Uber when we were under specific time constraints, such as our dinner cruise and the concert.

Other Restaurants of Note

Basket Brothers has quirky breakfast choices.  Peacock Gardens has some great lobster dishes.

         via Blogger http://fcsuper.blogspot.com/2019/12/sydney-2019-vacation.html

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The feedbacks appearing today by Star-Ledger columnist Fran Wood and simply Westfield Mayor and Raritan Valley Train Coalition vice-chairman Thomas C. Jardim do not can be helpful. For Jardim, it's just about all about ratables in the length of his town. Definitely not mind the fact that the ease of some of the State danger getting stuck with a single bill for many $8 million of that typically the State arguably just isn't going to even receive the very first penny. My husband wants the actual one-seat vehicle from her or his town, whom is when the Raritan Valley Line, clear in order to Manhattan. Good then, ask him and his own personal residents with the natives of every those next towns together and all the way down the assortment (and an Main, Bergen County, or Pascack Pit lines) pony up this money as a way to pay towards it. Really that simply. Jardim and moreover Wood finalize up advising the quite solution that will help everything: value-added tax. Specifically, a new tax to do with gasoline, which always Christie have the ability to not establish. And our reason that can Christie likely will not spike it is always that these kind of a value-added tax will computer even better people around of Unique Jersey as opposed to what before. Hello-o-o! New Jacket stands to assist you lose that Representative in Congress in just the just-completed Census! Doesn't that indicate anybody all sorts of things?

[westernmanews]

SPRINGFIELD / WESTFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Panic in Paradise. An emergency missile alert was mistakenly sent to residents in Hawaii.

22News spoke directly with Kurt Schwartz, the Director of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. He said their system is set up differently than Hawaii.

In Hawaii, one person pushed the wrong button. In Massachusetts it takes three people. A dispatcher at MEMA Headquarters in Framingham takes the call and has to inform a duty officer. The duty officer then reports to a senior executive. It’s a check and balance system that can send an alert in minutes.

“We’ve of course been tested in situation like the Boston Marathon bombing where we really saw our first responders operate in really an exemplary way. But mistakes can happen and there can be gaps,” explained State Sen. Eric Lesser of the 1st Hampden/Hampshire District.

Local cities and towns deploy their own alert systems. In Westfield, Emergency Management Director Jim Wiggs told 22News they can send alerts for flooding or tornadoes.

Residents must enroll in the city’s Rapid Notify alerts to get them. The system can target specific areas of town.

“It does ask me for a confirmation before it sends it out. There’s room for error but there is a chance that you can catch yourself, like a fail-safe,” said Wiggs.

In Springfield, you may see old signs on buildings that designate them as nuclear fallout shelters. It even tells you what the capacity is.

But those fallout shelters, like symphony hall, were abolished after the cold war. Springfield briefly thought about reinstating nuclear sirens after the tornado.

“But now with the advance of technology, there are much quicker ways to get a hold of people,” explained Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno.

MEMA told 22News they have backups to backups if they lose power, and their system is secure from hacking behind the state’s firewall system.

[cleancutpage]

Tenant Rep Connoisseur Jennifer Hill Closes another $1.2 Million Lease for the Urban Jungle Fun Park Expansion

This post originally appeared on tBL Member, SVN | Desert Commercial Advisor's SVN | Desert Commercial Advisor's News Blog and is republished with permission. Find out how to syndicate your content with theBrokerList.

Phoenix, Arizona – December 22, 2017 – One of the newest advisors at SVN, Jennifer Hill who joined the SVN team in the summer is already making headlines with Desert Commercial Advisors. Hill has prided herself on working with Internet-proof retail owners looking to expand their business in other areas in the valley.  Hill who recently closed over $1.5 million lease in the Northwest-part of the valley for the well-known children’s family fun entertainment venue, Urban Jungle Fun Park continues to pave the way for other retailers looking to expand.

SVN Advisor, Jennifer Hill represented the owner, Yam Properties in Urban Jungle’s first lease deal in Mesa. Shortly thereafter she began representing Urban Jungle in Arizona and nationwide. A few short weeks joining the SVN team of brokers, the latest Urban Jungle Fun Park was finalized.  The 14,428 square foot new Chandler location is at 2061 N. Arizona Avenue, just off Arizona Avenue and north of East Warner Road was leased for over $1.25 million. Hill is a seasoned advisor who has been in commercial real estate since the mid 90’s. It all started in southern California with Roel Construction/Westfield Corporation and her on-site involvement with San Diego Charger, Junior Seau’s restaurant called Seau’s in San Diego.  Other notable retail tenants she has represented include Arizona Sports Clinic, Willow Midwife Center for Birth and Wellness, TouchUps Salon, the Grid Cybercafe, Osteria Pizza & Pasta, Rott n’ Grapes Wine & Beer Bar, and Cups and Cakes just to name a few.  Hill stated, “I take my clients goals very personally and put myself in their shoes.” Hill is no rookie to retail investments.  One of her most memorable early retail projects was when she co-founded a kiosk brokerage company that installed an outdoor kiosk at University Towne Center in La Jolla, California. “It makes me smile to think my co-owner Lori Rubenstein and I participated in that emerging effort that still exists today,” Hill said.

Hill has taken a very personal approach to all of her clients needs when looking for tenant space across the Valley.  Expanding local restaurant operators need a broker that understands their business what makes them unique and how best to deliver that vision. “I want to dazzle and delight my clients.  It makes me feel good that they are assured I’m thinking outside the box to not only achieve their goals, but to surpass them,” Hill expressed.  Tenant representation takes on a larger responsibility because so much research is involved in the emerging markets and demographic knowledge in specific areas.  Unique eatery concepts from California, Texas, Kansas, and Louisiana are entering Arizona while local businesses are looking to expand their presence all across Phoenix Metro. “My clients learn very quickly that I am a fervent ally and nothing brings me greater joy than to bring a better deal to them than they expected,” said Hill.

SVN | Desert Commercial Advisors is a full-service commercial real estate services firm providing comprehensive expertise in investment brokerage, leasing, landlord/tenant representation, analysis/valuation and market research. We specialize in multifamily, retail, office, medical/dental, and restaurant property types. Visit our website at http://ift.tt/2vDe2Qj for more information.

### Media Contact: Melissa Swader melissa.swader@svn.com

RSS Feed provided by theBrokerList Blog - Are you on theBrokerList for commercial real estate (cre)? and Tenant Rep Connoisseur Jennifer Hill Closes another $1.2 Million Lease for the Urban Jungle Fun Park Expansion was written by SVN Desert Commercial Advisors.

Tenant Rep Connoisseur Jennifer Hill Closes another $1.2 Million Lease for the Urban Jungle Fun Park Expansion published first on http://ift.tt/2hkHhkP

[roselleparknews]

The first meeting of the municipality was rescheduled due to snow from its original January 4th date to this past Sunday. At noon, with a pounding  of the gavel, as Mayor Carl Hokanson started the last year of his first-term as the head of the borough, Roselle Park introduced the 118th version of the borough’s governing body.

After Mariann Brenner led those in attendance with singing the National Anthem, First Ward Councilman Eugene Meola gave his farewell address. Counilwoman-At-Large Charlene Storey was not in attendance, having stated during the December 28th special meeting of the governing body that she would be absent due to the health of her 96-year-old father-in-law. At that meeting, Councilwoman Storey gave her closing remarks and are available in a separate article [link].

[accordions load=”0″] [accordion title=”Click to read Councilman Meola’s Farewell Address”][In] 2011, I sat here and I said my farewells and I thought that everyone on council was going to have a hard time without me but I said, ‘No, they’ll be just fine.’

I’ve seen a lot more now since then and I know the hard work that goes into being a councilperson. What you see here, just us sitting up here and saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to certain questions put before us, is just the tip. Meetings that come and… every day there seems to be something that we have to talk about, some fires that we have to put out, and some things that need to be discussed. It’s a long process and I wish Jayme all the luck in the world and I will be at her disposal should she need me for any reason at all. I’ll be available for any questions or any particular person in the first ward you might want me to comfort or talk to. Because I know over the years, they’ve chewed my ears a few times and told me how they like things and how they didn’t like them and we always came to a compromise. These are first ward residents.

Being a councilperson, I made a lot of friends that will be here after I step off this dais. I expect to speak with them now that I’m not a councilperson anymore and they’ve taken the time to tell me so. This is a plus to me. I can’t put it [into] words [but] it comes from my heart. There’s a lot of good people in this community; people that make this community. The people in the borough hall, I take my hat off to you; to do this every day. The councilpeople, all the clerks, and the people in charge. I don’t know how Ken [Blum] does this. I wish he was here so I could tell him, I don’t know how he does it but he makes the borough run, and the clerk, everyone. So I’m going to just be brief and I will come back from time-to-time to tell people what I liked [and] what I don’t like but I’ll be sitting out there when I do it.

So, that being that, I will just say my farewells to everyone on council, wish them the best of luck, and that’s it. Say [my] goodbyes and that’s it. Thank you very much for hearing me out and farewell.

Thank you.[/accordion] [/accordions]

Mr. Meola stepped down and entered private life as he sat in the audience.

The oaths of office were then given publicly and formally to two new councilmembers. Newcomer, and the only woman on the dais, Jayme Negron, was sworn in as first ward councilwoman. Former mayor Joseph DeIorio also, for the seventh time, raised his hand and gave his word that he would do his best for Roselle Park as Councilman-At-Large. This is the third elected office Mr. DeIorio has held in local government.

Once both took their seats on the dais, the 2018 municipal governing body roll call was held with all elected officials in attendance. The only person missing from the dais was Chief Financial Officer Ken Blum.

Mayor Hokanson started the year’s offical business with his annual address.

[accordions load=”0″] [accordion title=”Click to read Mayor Hokanson’s Annual Address”]There are some old and new faces – two new faces to be exact – sitting up here on the dais. I want to ‘tank’ Councilman Meola for his services that he’s given to the people of the first ward and to the borough. I also want to ‘tank’ [that’s] t-a-n-k, it’s a little thing I have, the rest of council and the other department heads for their service. I have always viewed this time of year as a time to stop and reflect on the past accomplishments and also set aggressive goals – but still realistically – for the coming year.

Recently, a friend reminded me of a quote by a baseball coach. He said, “It’s amazing how much can be accomplished when no one worries about taking the credit.”

This is so true, and the point is that as a group we are able to accomplish much. And to those who are privileged to sit up here, hopefully, we will do more.

The borough is on the move. The Meridia project – the largest construction in 50 years – means growth and tax ratables for you, the taxpayers of the Borough of Roselle Park. The new development of the old Sullivan property, as in baseball terms, is on the on-deck circle, which will bring more ratables for you, the taxpayer of the Borough of Roselle Park. Beyond the economic benefit, I am encouraged that the new developments on Westfield Avenue mean foot traffic to help the businesses that are already here to grow and be more prosperous. To meet the needs of the new development, we, not me, we – as council – expanded the hours of the construction department. Thank you, Frank. All new development will [be] up to code and in full compliance.

No one can say that Roselle Park is no business-friendly anymore. You have seen this action take place. It applies to the Hawthorne Street project [which] remained stagnant for 17 years. Again, thank you, Frank. I have said it; if you build it, they will come. And they are coming, folks. Yes, they are coming. I made a promise to my members of the Municipal Land Use Board. I told them last year I will keep you busy. I’m going to keep that promise again this year. Promises will bring in more tax revenue to help you, the taxpayer of the Borough of Roselle Park.

My proposal to grant tax abatement [for] home improvements has also been adopted to help you, again, the taxpayer of Roselle Park, and [to] watch the impact this has on – not mine – our community.

As we enter the new year, I believe that real leadership means always striving to carve out a fresh path. Our differences are so minor compared to our common goals. Let us not be afraid to boast about – not mine, not yours – [but] our Roselle Park. All the different ethnic mix of this community, the fact that we are readily available for rail service, accesses to major highways, and other big businesses [are big pluses]. Thank you, Tom Kean, for getting us that handicap accessibility to make Roselle Park even greater.

Our residents are intense, and the spirit of Roselle Park is alive, very much alive. For those who know me, you know I can’t end my remarks without a reference to the great tank commander General George S. Patton, Jr. He once said, “If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.”

Let us strive to work together and show respect for one another’s input so that our wonderful borough can achieve, grow, and prosper. Support our troops. God bless.[/accordion] [/accordions]

First Ward Councilwoman Jayme Negron gave her inaugural address as a public official:

[accordions load=”0″] [accordion title=”Click to read Councilwoman Negron’s remarks”]Good afternoon everyone. First of all, I’m honored to take the place of first ward councilwoman. It is a privilege to serve the first ward, and I hope residents reach out to me with any concerns they might have.

Campaigning can bring out the worst in people. I made a very deliberate choice early on to not speak negatively about my opponents. To be honest, every person who has sat up here has made a mistake at some point. Every person who will hold a place here in the future, myself included, will make a mistake. We are human. Those mistakes will be learning experiences for some and for others their mistakes will be their undoing. But I’d like to believe one of the things that binds all of the previous councilmembers and mayors to the future ones is their love for this town. I know that’s what drove me to run.

So with that said, I’d like to thank Eugene Meola and Maxine Padulsky for running during this election. I believe we all want what’s best for this borough and I have nothing but respect for both candidates. I’d like to thank Eugene specifically for his kindness and support. We stood side-by-side in the rain on election day thanking every resident for coming out to vote, regardless of who they were voting for. That is the way small-town politics should be.

Next, I would like to thank the team of people who worked alongside me and believed in me during my campaign. I chose to run as a Republican not because I believe in party politics but because running with a party of people like Joe DeIorio, Thos Shipley, and Will Fahoury was an honor and a privilege. I knew these men for their character and dedication to Roselle Park before I knew which party they belonged to. Thank you all for your support, advice, and hard work. I have met so many supporters during my campaign and now have the privilege to call some friends. You all know who you are so, in an attempt to keep this speech brief, thank you to each and every one of you.

From the bottom of my heart, I’d like to thank my family. To my husband Antonio, your support and love are what drives me, your encouragement is what fuels me, and your belief in me is what keeps me going. I always will love you more than yesterday. To my children Ayden and Dyanna, you are two pieces of my heart that beat outside of me. I can never tell you enough how proud I am to be your mother. God truly blessed me with two of the most polite, optimistic, tender, cheerful, and loving children any woman could ever hope to have. To all of my family and friends that are here today, thank you for your support, and I love you all endlessly.

In closing, I’d like to give my gratitude to God. My husband and I try our best to go to church on Sundays and apply the lessons we learn to our life every day. At the beginning of my campaign, there were times I doubted myself. Then, one Sunday, our pastor spoke about Nehemiah. God called Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah faced all kinds of criticism. He was not a carpenter, and many thought he would fail. But he stayed the course and did what he felt God wanted him to do. And he knew God had a plan for him. And in just 52 days he had rebuilt the walls and temple with the help of people who rallied around him and had faith his vision could be accomplished. That Sunday, my doubts were put to rest. I related to Nehemiah’s story. I know I will be faced with opposition often. I know there will be those that prefer to criticize the decisions I make while I’m on council. But there will also be people that stand tall, roll up their sleeves, and work with me to move our borough into a brighter future. It might take longer than 52 days, but we’ll get there if we work together. Thank you all, God bless, and I look forward to working together to make the town we all love even better.

Thank you.[/accordion] [/accordions]

Councilman-At-Large Joseph DeIorio, for the 21st time, addressed residents as an elected official:

[accordions load=”0″] [accordion title=”Click to read Councilman DeIorio’s Remarks”]Ladies and Gentlemen, I am honored to be given the opportunity to return to the governing body as your Councilman-At-Large. My return would not have been possible without the support of the people of Roselle Park – the new families and longtime residents – and for that, I am deeply grateful. For those that chose to vote differently or not vote at all, I hope to earn your trust and support.

It goes without saying that my mom, Gilda DeIorio, is my number one fan. She has been there since day one in good times and in bad and continues to be the strong-willed, independent businesswoman and caring individual that I love and admire. By the way, right now she’s cooking up a storm at La Casa di Martino, so after today’s ceremonies, please join all of us regardless of party or… If you want a good time, come to La Casa di Martino after today’s meeting and enjoy some good hot food and say hi to mom.

I would also like to offer my sincere gratitude to my extended family of friends, new and old; many who are here today, and special thank you to Councilman William Fahoury and to Jessica Johns for your tenacity during this campaign and to most of all for your friendship. To Councilwoman Jayme Lynn Negron, I could not have run with a better person and have been able to know such a wonderful family. I look forward to your new energy and perspective on council.

I would like to thank the members of the local and county Republican Committee, the Roselle Park Chairman Larry Leone, and our 21st District representatives Senator Tom Kean, Assembly members Bramnick and Munoz. Thank you for being here today.

I would also like to thank my husband, Councilman Thos Shipley. It wasn’t surprising that we became the focus of a negative campaign because of the possibility of us being in elected office and as a married couple. But the ever-changing opinions of the people of Roselle Park and the acceptance of the voters thought otherwise, and today we make history in the State of New Jersey and possibly nationwide. As my husband, I love you dearly, but as councilman, I can assure you and to the public that our opinions will not always be the same.

To our retiring members Councilwoman Charlene Storey and Councilman Eugene Meola, thank you. Thank you for your service, and I wish you well in private life. Your service to the borough did not go unnoticed, and many times it was a thankless job. And especially to Councilman Meola; you showed many times that you can be a true gentleman.

I look forward to serving with you Mayor Hokanson and the members of governing body. Individually, we have strengths, skills, and experiences to offer. If we can place our focus on these strengths, we can accomplish much.

While I return to this governing body as councilman-at-large, I return with a different perspective. I did not have to run. I wanted to run for office to share my experiences, more so from my experiences working for and with other communities outside Roselle Park. Interacting with other professionals, learning about their best practices and strengths and strategies and tools, has afforded me the opportunity to bring this knowledge back to Roselle Park.

I have many ideas to share but to implement those ideas and the ideas of all of my colleagues; we need your help. Everyone, not just us sitting up here, but the public at large. This is our community. We play a role, big or small in its development, its successes or its failures.

That is why I will be starting a regular ‘Conversations with your Councilman’ program based on Mayor Hokanson’s successful ‘Meetings with the Mayor’. These meetings will be held periodically in small businesses and other locations throughout the borough, giving small business and organizations the opportunity to share information about their product or service and then lead into an interactive discussion about town business. These ideas will be conveyed over time, but the focus of business development will be paramount.

It has been said [that] Roselle Park is not business-friendly. They said that when I was in office and the same has been said even today. Back then I did not want to believe it, and to some degree, I took offense to it. You see, while I consider elected officials back then and now to be friendly, welcoming of businesses, and excited to recognize existing businesses, as [a] borough government we convey the sentiment inside and outside our municipality in a different way.

I grew up around small business. I grew up pumping gas at my father’s gas station and later working at my mother’s delicatessen. Owning a small business isn’t glamorous. You work long hours, you don’t get paid holidays or paid vacation, and there’s no such thing as sick time. And paid health insurance? Unheard of.That is why 20% of businesses will fail in their first year, and by their fifth year, only half of them will survive. So as everyday people struggle to make ends meet, businesses are also struggling to survive, not only to pay their business expenses but to pay to keep the roof over theirs and their family’s heads.

We have all of the key elements to be a greater community. I’m not just saying this. Statewide research has pointed out that Roselle Park has the key features to succeed and prosper. We all want to be business-friendly, but how we prove will be the larger question.

In his book “Looking Forward”, President Franklin D. Roosevelt wrote, “It is common sense to [take] a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly, and try another but above all, try something.”

We have a lot of challenges facing us, but I am positive with the right attitude and the work of this governing body we will get the job done. Thank you.[/accordion] [/accordions]

The meeting proceeding with the necessary business of appointments of those who would serve, in one capacity or another, the residents of Roselle Park.

Fourth Ward Councilman William Fahoury was unanimously elected as council president.

Councilman-At-Large Joseph DeIorio was appointed without objection as the liaison to the Municipal Land Use Board (MLUB).

Fourth Ward Councilman William Fahoury was reappointed by all as the Diversity Committee Council Liaison.

The Recreation Committee liaison was, once again, Second Ward Councilman Joseph Petrosky.

Committees of council was the next item to be voted on with five out of the seven members of council getting two appointments each. Councilman Petrosky was given appointed to the Legislative Committee. Mayor Carl Hokanson was appointed only as the police commissioner.

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The library board saw the return of Jenny Lichtenwalner for a five-year term, replacing Maxine Padulsky who was not re-appointed after completing Alex Balaban’s unexpired term. Ms. Lichtenwalner had been on the board previously but was not re-appointed when her initial term was completed.

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The arts committee had Joseph DeIorio appointed as a resident with Councilman Shipley remaining as the council liaison.

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Animal Control had an additional appointment of former Roselle Park resident Alex Balaban.

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Noticeable from this Solid Waster Advisory Council is that the designee is listed as a position, DPW Superintendent, and not the actual current superintendent Mark Pasquali.

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36 resolutions were read into the record and voted on. There was only resolution, the appointment of the borough historian, that was not unanimous. Resolution 29-18 had Councilman-At-Large DeIorio voting against appointing Patricia Butler as borough historian. When asked for his vote, Councilman-At-Large DeIorio stated, “I felt that the position has become too partisan. Back in March of 2016, I had addressed the governing body at that time regarding an incident that disturbed me when certain members of council were acknowledged by the historian for their donation to the borough’s 115 birthday celebration – leaving out the mayor and other councilmembers. So specifically, because I felt that it’s become partisan.”

Another significant change in the order of business was the postponement of various service professional providers’ appointments, which are usually approved at the first meeting of the year. Those appointments will be made at the January 18th Mayor & Council meeting, after bidders for annual service contracts – which include various attorney positions – are interviewed on two nights – January 9th and 15th.

The 2018 annual organization meeting ended with Mariann Brenner – once again – leading those in attendance in singing “God Bless America”.

Click to enlarge photograph

2018 Roselle Park Governing Body

    2018 Municipal Annual Organization Meeting The first meeting of the municipality was rescheduled due to snow from its original January 4th date to this past Sunday.