If Pigs had Bikes

Tonight's City Council meeting agenda looks full. Twenty items, not counting the preliminary meeting of the Liquory Advisory Commission to consider an application for a Class F1 Liquor License (temporary, beer and wine only) for the Carbondale Main Street Pig Out in September . . . Which reminds me . . . City Manager "Sketch" Doherty was going to look into the amount of insurance required for every business venue in town, including Pig Out. Currently the same amount ($1,000,000) is required for someone to drink a cup of coffee at a sidewalk cafe . . . except the Pig Outters aren't drinking coffee (as evidenced by tonight's LAC meeting) , and there's a lot more of them, and some great rock & roll. Realistically, a mill is probably enough. How much damage can a piece of bad brisket or reggae band do? But still, I wonder . . . if Pig Out were to be sued for more than a million, who would be on the skewer? The City? The Parking Lot owners? Carbondale Main Street? The causer of the injury? All four?

The other event I have a passing interest in, the ordinance adopting the Bikeway Network Plan. Don Lawrence, Director Region 9, League of Illinois Bicyclists wants bicyclists to show up at the meeting to lend support to Carbondale Bicycle Club President Anne Johnson, who has some some suggestions and comments. Wouldn't you know it? It's the next-to-last item on the 20-item agenda.

That will be about 8:30 p.m. What to do, what to do . . . Tape American Idol (from 7-9 pm) or stay home and watch it live on Fox-23, and switch back and forth to the City Council meeting on Cable Channel 16? It might get confusing. Councilman Haynes, City Clerk Vaught and City Manager Doherty might start to look like Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell. And Mayor Cole might morph into Ryan Seacrest.