ONCE OVER LIGHTLY
Originally published in Forest Park Review on July 16, 1986 page 3.
Bob Haeger
YOUR REPORT of Monday night’s village council meeting will appear in this space today, partly because I’m not sure I know how to do it as a straight news story, Blame it on my inexperience.
Such was the nature of the agenda that the most significant matter to come before the group was the purchase of a used Graverly tractor for $2, 800.
What made it significant was that Commissioner Gus Heider thought hat $2, 800 was too much to pay for a 13-year old Gravely—especially when you have to add the snowplowing attachment for another $877.
Hieder said you can by the whole thing new form Graverly for $3,400. I assume that tis if you carry the Graverly courtesy discount card.
Commissioner Jerry Jacknow, who bought the machine so that our sidewalks will be clear next winter, allowed as how Heider’s figure were wrong and also noted that Heider had approved the purchase some weeks before.
Heider, of course, did not know then what he knows now.
As far as Jacknow is concerned, what Heider knows now is still wrong, although he does concede that Graverly people would only pay about $1,750 to by the machine at wholesale. They have to make a profit, you know.
Jacknow stood solidly behind his purchase, pointing out that the machine has been in Forest Park for all of it’s 13 years and has seen very little use. And the cost of a new one is more like $5,600 says he.
Commissioners Scott Enter and Lorraine Popelka, by their votes, agreed with Jacknow that it was a good deal. Mayor Marunde agreed with Heider that it was not.
The only other dissenting vote of the evening came when Commissioner Popelka voted “nay” on the motion to approve a $3,000 bill for the service of attorney Steward Diamond, the man who represents the village in labor negotiations. That is consistent with her believe that the council should be doing it themselves.
Circle Theatre of Forest Park was rebuffed again in its efforts to find – if not a performing house at least a place to store their accumulating properties. To the surprise of no one, the village insurance carriers emphatically nixed the use of some space in the water works building, so this talented and persistent group will have to continue their search.
That really is about it for Monday night’s meeting except that no account would be complete without mention of Mrs. Daisy Brown. She takes copious notes of the proceedings and has become asset of unofficial auditor of public accounts.
So far the council has been able to answer the questions she puts to them regularly. I want to be there if it should ever happen thy can’t.
O-O-L
SHORT SHOTS… My uncle is complaining that when you’re on Medicare, hospitals are not all at that enthusiastic about your business. He says he’s having triple bypass surgery, a liver transplant and his gall bladder removed — and he’s and out-patient… And this week is the Statue of Liberty is saying, “Where’d everybody go?”
