Homewood Days' Murky Fate and Political Shenanigans: Feedback Friday

You did it—or rather—we did it!

Last week, we were looking to get past 750 and with 13 new likes since then, we're at a very satisfying 757. At this rate, we'll hit 800 in no time! For this, we can't thank our readers enough. 

That said, we wouldn’t mind if you happened to tell a friend or two to like H-F Patch's Facebook page so we can get keep up the pace. ;)

Overheard on Facebook

Decision from Chicago to increase water prices are already trickling down to us here in the Southland, and there's no signs of relief on the horizon. Here's what a couple of our readers had to say:

• Caitlin Archer-Helke: "Homewood water prices have always been bad, and they are definitely going to climb. Make sure all your appliances are water-savers!"
  
• Betsy Bayley Van Etten: "Should make filling my pool a real delight this summer. :("
  

More shenanigans from the Halvorson and Jackson campaign offices . To quote Chicago Heights Patch Editor Chris Paicely, "This just keeps getting uglier." Here's what you had to say:

• Debbie Hart: "If we ignore them will they go away?"
• Betsy Bayley Van Etten: "Maybe they'll just destroy each other and the Republicans will actually have a chance."
  

Voices Speak Out on H-F Patch

. With Homewood's Village Board underwhelmed after the chamber's Tuesday Homewood Days 2012 presentation and the clock ticking, the fate of the annual event is murky, at best. It's certainly got the town talking, though:

• :"Thank you, thank you, thank you Anne Colton for speaking against the beauty pageant! I was horrified by that proposal as well!"
• : "Shouldn't Homewood Days, a Chamber Event, be about the businesses and the people in the community? Otherwise, we really don't need this chaos!"
• : "This proposal, with completely intangible items like, "New, more relevant programming" sounds like it wasn't planned at all, but just a list of ideas to make something suck less. “I think this is a conversation we should have had last fall,” pretty much sums it up. I don't mind if we skip it this year, but next year, after two years of planning, better kick some seriously local butt." 
• : "I think many people would miss this event, including lots of young people if it did not happen. Is it really that hard to get back to the essence of what Homewood Days was, the best parts of it, from before this past year? I think part of the problem is having these outside groups planning who don't get Homewood."
• : "I think many people would miss this event, including lots of young people if it did not happen. Is it really that hard to get back to the essence of what Homewood Days was, the best parts of it, from before this past year? I think part of the problem is having these outside groups planning who don't get Homewood."
• : "I can't understand why other SUCCESSFUL FREE nearby one day community fests (i.e. Flossmoor Fest, Tinley Park Carribean Street fest) haven't been and won't be used as models for how to run a great community celebration ..."
  
• : "I agree that the fest should be scrapped this year ..."
  
• : "I have attended Homewood Days throughout the years - At first I had a great time. - then through the years - it had changed.. Last year - I was there with my daughter. We did not like it. For some reason I didn't feel safe there...."
  
• : "This looks like the dumbest plan yet. Why don't the downtown merchants just plan on having the old fashioned sidewalk sales without all of the carnival B.S. ..."
• : "Impressive how everyone avoids saying that scary black teens from poor towns have mobbed the fest, scaring families away, and that is the real problem. Now go spin yourselves dizzy saying "No that's NOT the problem..we are tolerant and diverse... yadda yadda". Go ahead......"
• : "What was presented is not a plan, it is a long list of ideas; it is "brainstorming", a useful strategy for getting at a wide range of possibilities but in which there is an intentional absence of critique. I suggest you come back with a plan."
  

Thanks everyone for your continued readership and support!