Save Hotel Baker |
|
|
This blog is regarding the plight of the spectacular and historic Hotel Baker in Saint Charles, IL that is in serious trouble because the owners went bankrupt.  St. Charles Public Library - Hotel Baker History E-mail me **!! Sealed Auction Information site - bids due July 22nd 2003 !!** City of St. Charles website City of Geneva website Hotel Baker iPix Tours AIA Chicago 1998 design awards page AIA Chicago 2000 design awards page *PING* Archives 
Other weBlogs by Daniel Stafford: The Great Lakes Zephyr - Wind Energy & Hydrogen Journal *Spell Book* Affirmation Station Remembering Mom Save Hotel Baker Uncle Harold's Farm |
Friday, January 31, 2003
A couple of additional items: There is a full scale restaurant in the Baker that I would like to see back in opration as it was or close to it. There was a small gift shop located at the front of the hotel that might well serve as the museum gift shop or for-let space for an independent shop of some sort. A more readable outline of how I'd envision the Baker operating that I'd forwarded to Melody: The Baker is 54 rooms. Here's how I was thinking to divide it: 15 rooms terminally ill patients with motile issues. 15 rooms family / friend caregivers. 7 rooms nurses 17 rooms paying guests. One downstairs banquet room converted to a small hotel industry museum w/ gift shop. Banquets / weddings receptions / performance arts in the remaining banquet rooms & Rainbow Room. Internships hopefully for maintenance personnel & at least some hospital staff. I'd like to get with a vocational / Junior college to get the maintenance internships set up for students in commercial maintenance programs under teacher supervision. I think the Baker represents a unique opportunity for students in that regard, especially with the hydro-power dam and boat house, not to mention the Rainbow Room lighting system. I will personally oversee communications services and equipment, that is my main area of expertise, and I may do some mentoring in that regard. I've already trained several junior technicians at Global. And that's about as far as I've gotten. I think that's pretty ambitious in it's own regard. Contacted by another person in the area that has making investigations along the same lines we have, Mr. T.N., and a preliminary conversation looks good. Advised Melody as well. Thursday, January 30, 2003
From: Dan Stafford Sent: Thursday, January 30, 2003 5:20 PM To: FH@xxxxxx.com; Melody Felton Subject: Re: Baker Hotel Sir, In the event you do not get this tonight, I will try to give you a call as I drive to work. I do not have much time to write this evening, but I would definitely like to speak to you. Also, Melody Felton is my associate in this endeavor and I am copying her on this message so she is aware and able to respond if she has any input. FH wrote: My name is F.H, resident of Geneva. I am interested to find out more about the current situation about Hotel Baker. As to my knowledge, LaSalle tried to auction of the hotel for $3.8 million, but no one showed up to bid on it. I am a seasoned hotel manager with major hotel companies like XXXXX Hotels Corporation. I have a personal interest in the hotel to turn it around and be a landmark back in the community. You can reach me via xxxxx. Looking forward in hearing from you. F. H. Monday, January 27, 2003
Dan, This is a wonderful idea. I also have very personal experiences with cancer. I lost my father 2 years ago age 53. My father's sister my aunt passed almost 1 year ago. I was with both at time of death these were bittersweet moments that I will never forget. I believe there is a large need for dignified and top notch care. I am sure that there is monies available for something like this. Melody Felton Melody, As I told you when we met last week, I've had a family emergency come up. It has kept me very busy all week. I am going to go into detail somewhat, because it has given me an idea for a community service that is needed and we could potentially serve out of the Baker. One week ago Friday, my mother was diagnosed with a recurrence of cancer. She had gone through treatment for breast cancer earlier this year. They thought they'd gotten everything. She already has BOTH Multiple Schlerosis and Parkinson's disease, which is nearly medical history in and of itself. She now has eight brain tumors and one in her lung. We found out because she has become almost 90% paralyzed. She's at the point where she can't roll over in bed without help. Yet she is fully aware and has all her faculties as yet. We are currently going through all kinds of battles trying to get her care in the home. You see, my mother is a social worker in Wisconsin, Madison to be specific. She is very well versed on what happens to severely disabled persons in this country. I won't go into details but there are horrible abuses happening around the country. As you can imagine, this is going to tie me up a good bit. My sister is currently caring for my mother in her home nearly around the clock and we are struggling to get assistive devices, transport to the hospital for treatments, etc. What if we took the Baker and reserved thirty-seven rooms for severely disabled patient care. I am not talking about your average nursing home. I am thinking max of fifteen patients, with at least seven full-time nurses. The remaining fifteen rooms we would allow one family member (or family member and their children) to stay with each patient. This would leave seventeen rooms we could let to visiting family members or paying guests using the banquet rooms for parties, receptions, weddings, etc. We would only allow the most severe cases and ones where at least one family member was able to devote full-time to the care of these patients. We would provide room and board for each patient and their family caregiver. If the patient had no family, as long as they were fully cognizant, they'd be allowed to specify a willing person they trusted. We would stock assistive devices for disabilties as well. The entire point would be to make their last days as humane as possible and take worries off the family. We would install cameras in each room that only the patient could request be turned off, and record it to CD or DVD for the family. We would provide internet access to the patients and their families, as well as all the comforts they'd have at home - without charge or as minimally as possible. Requirements would be a terminal diagnosis and too severely disabled to care for themselves physically, and mentally competent. The idea being to as much as possible replace their arms and legs and hands. The best possible care a person in that condition could get. In return they have to promise to be nice if they decide to haunt us. *S* If something like THAT wouldn't make a social difference, I certainly don't know what would. Please let me know your thoughts. Dan |
  |