Leatherneck Nation

Update to some of the summer projects scheduled: http://www.wiu.edu/news/newsrelease.php ... e_id=12668

• Sherman Hall Cupoloa
• Historical Markers
• Wireless Classroom Upgrades
• Bike Repair Station
• Solar-Powered Charging Table
• Alumni House Front Porch

Also wanted to mention that it looks like the city has closed off the first two blocks of W. Adams Street for the proposed summer renovations (Campus "Entryway"). For those who aren't aware, the project is referenced in this section: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/128 ... tryway.pdf of the Adams Street Corridor Revitalization Plan document (full document available here: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/128 ... .Study.pdf). It's referred to as the Adams Gateway/Boulevard (#2 on the first page). The eventual plan is to widen and improve all of Adams from Lafayette (US 67) to the corner of campus at Adams and Charles. This summer will be the first block or two of it, from Lafayette to McArthur Street (corner w/ the old Grant School)....possibly extending to Johnson if there's time and $ this year.

I like the work that the school and city is doing to beautify the city. I was looking at the Illinois ranks for best Cities/towns to live in and I think Macomb landed at #17. Hopefully they go with the colored concrete and make it look really nice coming in to WIU. Though I am surprised by the use of read as a purple would of been a much more appropriate choice.

WIU0812 wrote:I like the work that the school and city is doing to beautify the city. I was looking at the Illinois ranks for best Cities/towns to live in and I think Macomb landed at #17. Hopefully they go with the colored concrete and make it look really nice coming in to WIU. Though I am surprised by the use of read as a purple would of been a much more appropriate choice.

I know that I've seen purple brick before, but I wonder if it's a structural thing. Like maybe the companies that do brick for roads (or road that looks like brick) do purple bricks? I've heard that the middle section of the boulevard part is going to be taken care of by the university, so it'll likely have a sign with Western Illinois University on it, and the flowers/landscaping will be purple and gold, and the streetlights along it will have purple Block W flags on them. Road may not be purple, but I still think it'll look nice.

When they did the circular drive in front of Sherman, they actually didn't use red brick.Rather, they used colored cement and then used a grate like form to press into the drying concrete to give it the brick look.

Tere is right that is how most people do "brick" roads now is by stamping the concrete which greatly saves on cost. As for the color they basically just add a powder to the mix and it turns color. I have personally never seen purple, but I am sure it is possible, though it most likely would be a dull purple and not a bright one like the WIU colors.

So I also saw that the Q-lot project was bid on the 20th. Not sure what it's status is! jc

Slow news day on this Throwback Thursday. Does anyone know the history behind the naming of "Q Lot"? Am I to assume that over time, there were and maybe still are parking lots A-P,R... somewhere around the campus? Or does Q stand for "Quick"? Or maybe short for "Queue" which seems to be very apropos when trying to get out of it after a big ball game. If we don't have all of the campus lots currently alphabetized, I would be in favor of a re-branding of Q Lot. Seriously, Disney would never resort to using plain old letters for marking the the front-doors of its Magic Kingdom:



Off the top of my head, I think I would change it to "Semper Fi".

Facilities Management's Spring newsletter was just posted: http://www.wiu.edu/vpas/fm/_documents/S ... letter.pdf

Summary:

• Like all public universities, Western is going completely smoke-free on all campus properties on July 1st (new state law)
• Higgins Hall, Lamoine Village, and East Village are going to be taken down during Summer of 2016...Higgins by way of implosion, similar to how Wetzel Hall was taken down.
• New lighting on Murray Street is done
• Other minor updates

Bypass was let today. Illinois Valley won the bid.

Article about the Center for the Performing Arts from today's Western Courier:
http://www.westerncourier.com/news/cent ... 5570f.html