High Hopes for Cairo

CAT Tracks Editor's Note:

The obvious musical theme song to accompany our latest "Save Cairo" venture:

'High Hopes'
Performed by Frank Sinatra
(YouTube Video)




Next time you're found, with your chin on the ground
There a lot to be learned, so look around

Just what makes that little old ant
Think he'll move that rubber tree plant
Anyone knows an ant, can't
Move a rubber tree plant

But he's got high hopes, he's got high hopes
He's got high apple pie, in the sky hopes

So any time your gettin' low
'Stead of lettin' go
Just remember that ant
Oops there goes another rubber tree plant

When troubles call, and your back's to the wall
There a lot to be learned, that wall could fall

Once there was a silly old ram
Thought he'd punch a hole in a dam
No one could make that ram, scram
He kept buttin' that dam

'Cause he had high hopes, he had high hopes
He had high apple pie, in the sky hopes

So any time your feelin' bad
'stead of feelin' sad
Just remember that ram
Oops there goes a billion kilowatt dam

All problems just a toy balloon
They'll be bursted soon
They're just bound to go pop
Oops there goes another problem kerplop

As for Mayor Coleman's assertions that the...

• "biggest obstacle is overcoming pessimism", and

• "Seemingly a spirit of hopelessness has fallen upon this region,"

DISCLAIMER:

My catty commentary should not be taken as criticism of the current powers that be in Cairo, including Mayor Coleman.

During the past few years, major clean-up operations have improved the physical appearance of the city. Sadly, we will need millions and millions more in funding to down-sized a city constructed for 20,000 people to fit a population of less than 3,000. But, major progress has been made in removing the huge decaying monuments to Cairo's troubled past. (The happy little video of "High Hopes" was an ironic reminder of those "good, old days" when the absence of black children probably didn't even cross the minds of the producers. It was simply "the way it was".) Anyway, bears repeating, no beef in this quarter with Mr. Mayor.

That said...

As a life-long Cairoite, I do have a healthy skepticism at any and all announcements of grants to "save Cairo".

I mean:

• There was the $1 million dollar "street to nowhere" (back in the day when a million dollars was real money!) If you are not familiar with the project, it's 8th street...the "not-so-yellow brick road" that was constructed after the surrounding businesses had shuttered their doors and began the eventual decay and removal.

• There was the grant to turn the old toll house into a restaurant...that was open for what, a month?

• There was the follow-up grant to turn the old toll house/restaurant into a civil war/transportation museum. I honestly don't know if it's still open, but, yes or no, it was not money well spent.

• The "Shotgun House" project, the latest of many efforts by various departments of SIU to "Save Cairo". Did it ever open, except for the "Open House" ceremony?

The list goes on and on, but, honestly, I don't even want to go down that road. It's too damned depressing.

So...

...pessimistic?

Me?

Guilty as charged!

I'll keep my head down, my mouth shut, and mow the hell out of the various properties I have adopted. To paraphrase: One big step by me, one small step in the attempt to "Save Cairo" from being reclaimed by Mother Nature.

Good luck to the powers that be and their helpers from New Orleans.

I have "high hopes" that I will see more than just another headline in return for this $750,000 grant.

Ooh, ooh, ooh...

...just remembered the restaurant/bar down by the 8th Street entrance to the levee...

...you know, the one that was on stilts so that you could view the Ohio River over the levee wall. The bar that you had to access by climbing up a long set of steps...and descend same after imbibing! Oh, if I recall correctly, there was going to be an elevator...eventually. Unfortunately the grant ran out (ran off?) before the elevator appeared.

The restaurant/bar closed shortly thereafter.

So many grants...

...so little to show.

POSTSCRIPT:

Just checked out the Southern Illinoisan website and found their version of events:

Cairo announces development plan