September 30, 1999

I hope everyone got there water bill paid on time. It seems the City Clerk has decided that there isn't enough money coming in. She does not want the Water Commissioner to call people BEFORE he has to go out and turn their water off. If he can't call and remind the people, they forget to pay and the City makes another $75.00 over and above the 50% FINE.

Back to the police department. You all by now know that they hide behind the imperial gas station building. But, DID YOU KNOW, that the 40 mph sign right out from the station is an ILLEGAL sign? The City Ordinance states the sign is to be placed 300 feet South near the Foundry. So, all those people arrested for speeding by the radar gun in that area were arrested illegally.

I had an anonymous call today praising me for this gossip page, but hung up before I could find out who it was.

September 29, 1999

Well now, I guess congratulations are in order for the La Grange fire department on all the equipment they received. It would be nice of them to share with the Maywood fire department.

I noticed in the paper that Tom Dean is a what? Vocational Evaluator. It will be no surprise that when the boat gets here, giving all the work Susan has done for Jenny, that this title and pay will change. When you stop and think about it, there is going to be a lot of pay back jobs needed, and not any of those minimum wage jobs either. There is going to be a lot of heavy debt to pay. I fear some will be pissed when they don't get that high paying job that was promised. Maybe they'll get stock options.

Let's see now. The City Council and Mayor, illegally sold City property to the gambling boat without a bid, and now is trying to make it up by putting the sheds up for bid to sell. Why didn't they do it right and put the property up for bid? Who in their right mind would have bid that much against the boat people. Just a little bit more to do it right and legal. You would think that they would want to make sure everything is above board and right. Do they actually think that the gaming commission isn't taking into consideration their actions?

After the meeting Fred and Ralph had last week, it's anyone's guess who will have a job when the boat gets running. Don't you just love the sunshine law?

The police officers and I have found a new restaurant to go to have coffee and talk.

September 28, 1999

Sunday evening there was a domestic problem at the apartments. Several people tried to call the police department and got the recording. Later it has been found that there were two policemen riding around town. But, no way to contact them. Why do they insist on spending money for a dispatcher.

All they have to do is put call forwarding on the phone and forward the calls to the sheriffs department. It seems to me that this would be a greater service as the fire department is already doing this. La Grange could have their own 911 service by using the phone number 655-9111 and using that for both fire and police and also for the ambulance. By utilizing the Sheriffs department, they can then determine if more police help is needed, or more fire help is needed or if an ambulance is needed. It is stupid for the City of La Grange to spend the money to do this alone. But, as Forest Gump says. "stupid is as stupid does".

oh: Congrats to Paul Tasco

September 27, 1999 "late"

WILMA'S SPECIALTY SHOP opens tomorrow morning next to Tiemans MFA Service. The hours are 5:30am to 9pm Monday thru Thursday and 5:30am to 11:00om or so on Friday and Saturday nites. Regular coffee and espresso coffee along with a breakfast pizza in the morning and pizzas in the afternoon and evening.

Personally, it is a nice clean place. The people are very friendly and helpful. But, at the price of the coffee and donut ($1.42), I don't think they will accumulate very many of the people from the Driftwood cafe. Martha's cheap prices will kill any hope of them taking her business. But, the police department likes the place.
 

September 26, 1999

It seems that last night the Chief was on duty when the dispatcher noticed a possible drunk leaving the tavern about midnight. Rumor has it she now uses field glasses to watch the tavern for more income for the police department instead of the video cam. Anyhow, the chief took chase out route C and sources say that if it wasn't for the those high priced, super duper, hiway patrol tires on the police car, La Grange would have had another Fetty deal. Rumor says the chief called in a license number to a St Louis car. Everyone knows that a St. Louis driver couldn't out run a local on Route C. Damn the luck, another $500 lost.

If you have a complaint against the police chief, it is no use to complain to City hall, the Council or Mayor. But you can complain to the Missouri Police Chiefs association. Just do a search on the net, you'll find it.

If you have a child that has been in trouble with the law in La Grange, guess who has access and the time to read all about you and your child? Why the dispatcher does. Guess where the dispatcher lives? In a trailer park. Now who else knows all about you and your child?

Sources say that a real nice letter was received by City Hall praising the street work done by the Street Commissioner. Copies were handed out all over. Now, we find it was from the Mayors wife. Yeah, like she has to drive over these streets. The State takes care of her street. One Question, with a new $40,000 asphalt spreader box with a seat and a steering wheel, how can the Street Commissioner pave the streets so thin that the original bumps and dips are still there? The guys from Miller asphalt marvel at the accuracy.

Do you ever wonder why one side of the street is paved to edge correctly and the other side looks like some drunk was driving the paver? Take a look at fifth street in front of Ridges and Yaegers. You would think a paver with a steering wheel would go around corners, but it doesn't. The corners are rarely finished out. Which leaves a pot hole to fix next year. Maybe by retirement, the street commissioner might get it right.

Rumor has it that an engineering crew was in town last week to survey for the gambling boat. It seems they were looking for third street and then left town. ?????

Who has the frequencies for the pagers here in town? Call.
 

September 24, 1999

Earlier I mentioned about the police department. I told you that there was no way that the City of La Grange could support more than (1) police officer without making arrests. LOTS OF ARRESTS. Now with (4) police officers the speed gun has been working overtime. The watching of the tavern has been intensified. The Press News Journal Police report. 13 people were radar trapped at a total cost of $910.00. Wages for one police officer. DUI arrests totaled over $2,000.00. Wages for two more officers. The other miscellaneous arrests totaled enough for the fourth officer.

So those people from the outer County should take the new highway around La Grange. If you are coming in from the North, the Police car hides behind the old Imperial gas station.

See there. It isn't costing the taxpayers anything to support a four man police department. Therefore, it won't cost the taxpayers anything for a ten man force either. they will just make more arrests.

Sooner or later, someone will take an arrest ticket issued by Mike Baker to appellate court. It seems that some attorneys believe that the Articles of the City of La Grange are law and that the Police Chief, Fire Chief and all other employees have to be tax paying residents of the City of  La Grange for (1) ONE year. It is believed that all those arrests are invalid and someone taking it to a higher court will cause a lot, and I mean a lot of money to be returned to those arrested in the past.

According to the Canton paper, the Appreciation day was a success. Several people showed up.

Previous Mayor Delbert Murphy and I had a lively discussion at the restaurant this morning about the LRO. I mentioned that he was totally left out of the picture in the Canton paper. After all he did as Mayor getting all those old 1930s buildings condemned and torn down. My only comment was, it seems odd that the LRO would go to extremes to tear down all those old 1930s buildings and replace one with a new building that looks like the old 1930s buildings.

Has anyone seen Ralph Martin or Fred Wiewel? Isn't it about time for them to appear on TV about the boat or something? It has been several months since their last public appearance. The Mayor hasn't done so because these two haven't told him to do so.

Earlier I mentioned about Andy Ayers reading a three page scathing letter to the City Council and Mayor and wanting it printed in the paper. Well, I found out that the letter was only two pages and it was supposedly read in closed session and no one will ever see its contents. Maybe Andy will be brave enough to take it to the paper himself or send it to me.

Is anyone interested in info on the doctors clinic?

One final thing.  It seems that the Mayor has already gotten away with a conflict of interest by selling and installing new windows in City Hall, so now he seems to want to do it again. Word is, that he is wanting Hartley Tasco out of the hole so he can sell the dirt from his property to the gambling boat. Ralph Martin and his friend Freddy won't say a thing as Ralph already had his lane and drive asphalted by the City.
 

September 22, 1999

The Chamber has notified members that the gambling boat representatives will be at the dinner meeting for the Chamber members to hear. The question has always been.

Why do the gambling boat representatives speak only to the City Council and to the Chamber members? Why don't these people go to the Quincy Herald Whig and WGEM and KHQA to tell all what their plans are? Why just a select few here and a select few there?

Since my last article about the chamber not being business people, Jenny has changed the format. Now Brad Davis is President, Karma Brinkley is Vice President and Pam Novinger is secretary and Ken Schuetz is treasurer. The F&M Bank always makes sure they are the treasurer. I guess Cheryl Lowe's handling of the chicken barbecue wasn't up to par.

Rumors about Appreciation Day are "It was real good" to "Where was the food?" It seems the only concession making any money was the Mayors. He seemed to have the only stand with a drink. The feed back I got from the other vendors were, "there were a lot of people". and. "I didn't sell anything or enough to pay". Did anyone see the signs around the park?

One thing that should have happened a long time ago was the LRO working with the Youth Center. I heard that the LRO is now helping the Youth Center get grants. IT IS ABOUT TIME.

The City Street Commissioner is still riding around town daily with the mosquito fogger ready to fog. Some days the Police Chief rides around with him to make sure no one stole any of the City streets.

I also have noticed that the radar gun is being used more. It was held down for a awhile, but it is now back in action. Let's see now, we are up to four police officers. There are 168 hours in a week. Four officers at 40 hours a week comes to 160 hours. And we still do not have 24 hour police protection. I guess we will need to hire the other six new officers for that. WHOA. What about dispatchers? How may dispatchers will we need?

All police officers have been hired with training as a requisite. Now, it seems some new officers will get more paid training.

September 16, 1999

It seems that Councilman Ayers has decided that there is something wrong with the accounting and the way the City is doing business. Word is he read a three page letter to the Mayor and Council that left the council speechless for several minutes.

Big Question?  Why is the City Clerk paying the water commissioner wages out of general funds. Never before has this been done.

It seems the police department has put some video cams in hiding and reported to the council that they are not video taping people going into and out of the tavern. But, the police department has not stated why there is a video cam in the Council chambers and police court. Or even why they need them at all. No reason have ever been given as to why guns and drugs are stored in City hall either.

Where will Baker work after the two councilmen get through with him?

September 15, 1999

It seems there is a huge dead tree on 3rd street near Wyaconda, to you old timers, just west of the white steps. People in this neighborhood have been trying to get the City to take it down. Councilmen Ayers and Lowe of the North Ward and Mayor Ludwig state "The City doesn't do trees".  To me a Mayor or Councilman could have really shined at this one. On one hand they have a City crew riding around all day and on the other a dangerous tree that may allow a limb to fall on a child. Two birds with one stone. Such a deal.

But, all the politicians could do was piss off the neighborhood. So guess what? Some of the neighbors made up signs with a picture of the dead - dangerous tree and post them around town.

Does anyone know about the supposed new road that is supposed to go from the back of John and Elaine Whites place up to the Riverview Cemetery?

We now have three police officers on our way to hiring the ten the Mayor and Council say we need.

What did that article in the St. Louis Post Dispatch mean? It said the gaming commission was going to issue a license for a gambling boat south west of St. Louis for Gephardt. But it also said that NO MORE NEW GAMING LICENSES will be issued.

Does that mean the gambling boat here in La Grange has sunk?

Something happened at City hall last Council meeting. Will post it as soon as I get it.

 Click here to see our local dog and puppies for sale

September 8, 1999

Where's the boat. News blurbs stating construction was going to start the first of this month. Later that was amended to the third of the month. So far nothing.

I saw an old man looking at the area where the boat is supposed to be. I asked him what he was doing. He said he was watching the imaginary construction crew build the imaginary gambling boat.

The La Grange Chamber of Citizens: (Commerce)

For the last two years the La Grange Chamber of Commerce sent out membership applications. According to the applications, there were 3 classes of members.

$5.00        Associate member.     They can vote and hold office and get the free chamber dinner.

$15.00      Business member.       They can vote and hold office and get the free chamber dinner.

$25.00      Corporate member.     They can vote and hold office and get the free chamber dinner.

Plus, the Chamber would publish a business directory and all the ones who paid the $25.00 would get their business name included.

For two years I and several other members paid the extra $20.00 to get our businesses in the business directory.
For two years the Chamber refused to publish the directory which several business's paid to be in.

This time the Chamber has decided that everyone will be listed in this directory for any membership fee. When I asked about the extra paid for the past two years, I got a letter saying tough.

I can remember several years ago the Chamber went after a company who was selling ads for a calendar who they thought was a scam. "There must be a difference".

POLICE::::::::

The rumors have it that the La Grange Police Chief was traveling down the highway on a trip with his wife and kid in his personal car, "imagine that, it wasn't the City's car", and spotted a man standing near his car taking a leak. It seems the Police Chief took exception to this and went back to the man and warned him of arrest and showed the man his City of La Grange police chief badge. The man got in his car and sped away. The Chief chased the man at high speeds for over 30 minutes before he gave up or lost him.

The rumors also have it that the police department have live recording audio/video cams all over City Hall. It seems that the dispatcher points one out the window towards the tavern and video tapes all those coming and going. Maybe it is used to prevent someone from taking a machine gun or grenade launcher into the tavern. I am sure it is for the taverns protection and no other motive.

What is Chief baker going to do?  Rumor is, that a couple of councilmen have been having secret meetings "damn the sunshine laws" about the police Chief. Too bad he chose them instead of Brandt. At least Brandt was out in the open and up front with him. And he thought Brandt was his enemy, He didn't realize that Brandt was his best friend. Oh, well, maybe the Schwan Company needs another salesman.