So, the United States Olympic Committee picked Chicago to offer to the world stage that doesn’t think much of the United States’ assertion of power to stabilize Iraq.

Not a good chance of the Chicago making the next cut, but, just in case it does, don’t you think we in Crystal Lake should start thinking about

• whether we want to get rid of the Crystal Lake’s Main Beach House or
• whether condemnation should be sought to buy the homes on the West End of the lake so Crystal Lake could be made long enough to bid on the rowing regatta event?

That’s what would be necessary to make the course long enough.

Why can’t I get that really silly front page article in the Northwest Herald out of my mind?

Mayor Aaron Shepley was quoted at the time as saying,

If it even became remotely possible, I’d be tickled to tackle that one. That sounds like the closest thing to reality.

Rowing club president Walt Gary sagely observes, again, according to the Northwest Herald:

They’d need to extend the lake. That could be a knockout.

With Shepley having promised not to use condemnation powers in the Vulcan Lakes/Route 14 Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district before and two months after the city voted to condemn three properties, I wouldn’t be as sure the Crystal Lake Rowing Club president is right as I was January 29, 2006, when I wrote the earlier article.

I’ll bet that huge new home where Bertha Bladon used to live would have a great view of the start of the events.

Or, as I suggested over a year ago, maybe the city council could just reconfigure the biggest Vulcan Lake to make a race course fit.

Then, it wouldn’t snare traffic in my immediate neighborhood.

That makes me one of those NIMBY guys, I guess.

= = = = =
The top picture of the West End of Crystal Lake was taken on January 2, 2007. There’s no ice for the big, new house to reflect upon, but the calm water works just as well.

The second photograph of the West End was taken this past February. Crystal Lake was frozen and covered with snow. You can see the big house even without enlarging the small photograph by clicking on it.

The satellite photo of Crystal Lake comes from Google.

The final picture is of the Main Beach House on a calm evening during last fall.