Surprising Stuff
Regarding the Riviera; there are three important issues, one on spending, a second on what should be done and a third on what should not be done:
First, regarding spending money on the Riviera renovation, there are two common sense issues; The people who will benefit from the spending should also be the ones that pay for it, and also, those paying for it should also have a say in approving the expenditure or it should not be done. So if the Riviera remodeling causes the city council to borrow millions or further burden the taxpayers, which most likely it will, then an approved referendum by the residents should be required because the residents will be the ones who will be paying for the Riviera improvements.
Second, the Riviera is more than just a symbol of the past, it is also a symbol of those living today and it will either show a reverence and respect for the past or it will show a disrespect and disregard for those things in the past. If they had not built the Riviera back when they did, there would be no Riviera, and the city could not build it today, because laws and regulations would prevent it from being built. The only justification for the Riviera being where it is in its historical past and that is what needs to be preserved. The Riviera Project should be restricted to repair, structural improvements and update it to meet current, safety electrical and other required codes.
Third, each generation thinks it knows best. Those generational people select their own styles, colors, clothing, music, favorite shops, and designs that all fade with their generation and look like generational graffiti as seen by the next generation. The avocado color brick wall behind the bar on the upper floor is a perfect example of what should not have been done. There are standards in design and artwork that have a natural and intrinsic beauty in them, such as the large columns in the upper floor of the Riviera that have appeared in multiple cultures for the last 3,000 years. The decor of the thirties would also be appropriate because that is when The Riviera was built, but not the cold, noisy, industrial glass and black stainless designs of today or the avocado-colored brick from the sixties. The Riviera is not just about an impression of the city’s history, it is the city’s history, not a means for the city to make a quick profit by selling out its past.
Advent Trees
The second advent tree. Located at South Lake Shore Drive and Hillside, is lit and burning bright!
