August 27

Remember in 1997 when I ran for Mayor and how vicious "pave my drive free" and "no prayer here" fought to keep me from getting elected? Remember how mean and vicious they were when I did get elected in 1999 and threatened all kinds of things? The reason for al this was, I even then wanted the City books audited. Well, rumor has it that in 1996 there seems to be a question about a check o two worth $50,000.00 that were run through the La Grange bank that weren't accounted for in the City bank account. Rumor has it that a certain person at the bank allowed these checks to go through without signatures.

Remember at a Council meeting in January of '96 when an officer of the LRO asked the Council for permission to "borrow" or get an advance of $100,000 from the money owed the City, from the Casino? Then sometime later it was said to only be $50,000.00. Many times I have questioned as to what happened to the other $50,000.00.

Now, will someone or two on the Council that year go to jail? Will a City clerk be left holding the bag? This audit will open a lot of those 184 voters eyes as to how they have been duped. Maybe they don\t care? For the future of La Grange, six council people had better start preparing.

Speaking of preparing for the future of La Grange. I already know that Mayor Lagoon has turned down any and all offers from the County and State to help La Grange plan for the future. But, I would urge the Council to seriously look into the MOPAC strategic plan offer to prepare the City for the future. Mayor Lagoon has turned this down flat, but I think that it would serve the City Council well.

The new city administrator has fallen behind on getting our city census used to redistrict our new wards for the next election. The Federal law mandates that this be done and almost every City in the County has done so except La Grange. Also the City code book of La Grange hasn't been brought up to date for over a year.

In regards to this burning offense and the DNR, I believe that the City Council should immediately order the fire chief and Mayor to publish publicly in the PNJ just exactly what can and can't be burned and by who to set this straight once and for all. And, I believe the City Council should publish publicly what can and cannot be driven on city streets with or without a drivers license or vehicle license. It is not fair for the people of La Grange to have to speculate as to whether or not they will be breaking the law. Also, if a person calls City Hall and asks if something can or cannot be burned and are told it is ok then a later have an officer arrest the person for burning whatever, then the person in City Hall should be held responsible.

Even at that, in regards to Steve Allen, Mayor Lagoon should step in and pardon the fine, nix the complaint to the DNR and give the man his money back.

In the past week, I have the gift of the experience of what it means to live in La Grange Even though most people didn't know about my hospital stay until after I got out, I have received more get well cards, calls, emails, than I could ever have imagined. Even today, I want to thank those who done so, but also I want to thank the City Manager, the Street Super and the La Grange Police Department to help make sure my wife's and I new mobile home came through town safe and undamaged. The police provided the needed traffic control at the old Imperial gas station so the mobile home guys could back all the way to our place from the highway. The street crew trimmed the potential damaging trees on the back streets and helped the mobile home crew back across Robert Farr's field to get a shot up our hill. Without the cooperation of these wonderful people, it would have been a lot more difficult for the crew to get this mobile home to our place.

I also want to say that I found the greatest kidney removal doctor in the World. His name Doctor Troxel of the Missouri University Hospital. For someone who has never ever in his life been in a hospital except to visit and totally scared to death, he made it all seem so easy. I shared a room with an old over the road truck driver from Mexico Mo and we had an excellent nurse Linda that we had to fight to keep and a real nice guy taking care of our needs named Joe. One thing I won't do anymore is make fun a of a woman having a baby caesarean. After the second night of hospital food I got angry because when I searched my locker, I found that the took my cell phone and money and credit cards so I couldn't call Red Lobster to deliver.

God works in mysterious ways. Because of my concern for heart disease as my father died of it, I took a chance and got my heart scanned on a church parking lot in Hannibal. And the oddity of that was that I was supposed to be at a meeting 100 miles the other way. Why, I went there that day is a question. Then, twice, I had the chance to walk away without doing the lower abdomen scan, yet, I stayed, talked and did that scan which later showed a huge tumor on my kidney. If I had walked away after my heart scan or even after the second lung scan, the doctors said that cancer would have spread and killed me in two years. But, I believe that God persuaded me to do that final scan to save my life. The doctors removed the kidney with the tumor intact with no after affects. Thanks for the prayers.

Jerry
Please add this to your column. I have a close friend that was burning on their own property, when police and Mr HOT SHOT fire chief came and gave him a ticket for burning. Recently, in the mail his family received a letter from Dept. of Natural Resources stating that they had given them a warning on burning and now they are receiving a $2000. fine for the burning of this fire. Also, at the court hearing earlier this month they were fined $245. Very expensive fire!!! Funny that several other people in this wonderful city of LaGrange can burn or kill someone or just do about anything they want, and the city WANNA-BE COPS ignore or just don't care. I guess if your a law abiding citizen and pay taxes and try to do what you are supposed to do and keep out of trouble you are screwed in the city of LaGrange. And, while I'm thinking about it, it really makes me feel a lot safer since the so called police dept. put those very expensive decals on their cars!!!!! That made all the difference in the world. Well at least they think they are something important now!

A very concerned citizen of LaGrange

Which brings me to the questions. How can a person be arrested on a violation of a City ordinance that has no bearing on what the person was doing? Why did this person get a ticket when even the fire chief's own father burns stuff on his place? Is the fire chief going to let the people of La Grange a list of his unknown laws he wants to use against the people of La Grange.

Then, I heard a rumor today about the Police Chief. Rumor has it that he wants someone else to pass on information to Robert Bradshaw that he will be arrested for riding his golf cart down town. The chicken-shit idea of wanting a friend to do his dirty work is unbelievable.

It seems that someone else in town was caught riding a 4 wheeler on the street, so they complained about Bob. Ain't that a piece of crap?

The next rumor is a good/bad one for me. The good part is that the police picked on a Casino patron, the bad part is what happened. Rumor has it that the Casino patron parked his RV at the Casino and decided to visit other businesses in town. WRONG!. He started uptown on his "Moped" and was stopped by one of the Casino's finest LAPD for exceeding a speed limit the moped couldn't get to. Anyhow, the rumor has it that the person was stopped just passed the stop light and was surrounded by 3 patrol cars. He was then walked up the hill to police headquarters.

Those 184 voters have to be tickled to death with Mayor Lagoon. And, the meter for the City Administrator just went down a notch. I thought the new City Administrator would put a stop to all this stupidity of the LAPD, but, so far, he has not sown any leadership there. And, where in the hell is the City Council on all this? Don't they care that an election decision will be here in four months? Who is in charge of the Police Committee?

Say a prayer for the Leland Kolthoff Family - 88 years old died August 22nd, 2002

Well, I made it back from my vacation. I arrived at Missouri University Hospital at 7am Tuesday morning and they were done by 11 am, removing my right kidney. It was the only place I could find that would or could do Laparoscopic surgery. Quincy wanted to do a full cut the gut and be in the hospital for over a week and two weeks in bed. Hannibal Regional wanted to do a half a gut cut and I would be there for a week and a week in bed. Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield and Joplin could do the new type but only MU had a doctor that had done a lot of them. I am glad that it was all over before anyone found out where I was as I spent the next two days answering the phone.

The casino doesn't seem to be as busy as it use to be. The machines sure don't pay anything. I heard several different groups of people say that they were going to start going to some place else. I haven't seen machines that just don't do anything. My time is over down there. I was really enjoying it to. Oh well! I bet most people don't stay longer than 1 hour. If people stop going to the casino and the money starts dropping, I wonder what will happen?

I don't live in the area anymore so I read your column to keep up with news from back home. I was raised in a smaller town than LaGrange and have bounced all over the Midwest and lived in other small towns. No I'm not "on the lamb", but my career takes me all over - especially on the rivers of the Midwest and thru many small riverfront towns. One thing I cannot understand is why the city of LaGrange does not utilize their current income from the "boat" and develop it's even more potentially lucrative and permanent resource - the Mississippi river and riverfront! Any council and mayor with any sense should see the potential in having the front door of their fair city laying at the shores of one of the largest rivers in the world! Especially given their new found windfall income from the boat. The "boat" could leave or close it's doors down the road - the Mississippi River isn't going anywhere (except up once in awhile!) Duck hunting, deer hunting, fishing, boating and all the other river related activities could/should be used by the city to promote life back into the town. Visiting the LaGrange riverfront is like visiting a wasteland. Keep hammering away - someone will eventually listen!

And then I got one filling me in on some of the ex police officers. One almost got a DUI, but his superior got him off. Another has marital problems. They just don't get it.

Ed Husar, of the Quincy rag, and also the official cheerleader for the Casino hit the front page again. Gush, Gush, Gush, the casino is doing all this and all that and is soooooo gooood. Look at all that money the casino is "GIVING" Lewis County and the Lewis County School district. That $264,000 out to shut up the prosecuting attorney for awhile. Maybe, just maybe, the La Grange special road district ill spend some money on the bottom road this time. They took all the flood relief money that was supposed to repair and fix up the bottom road and bought junk equipment the last time. Mayor Lagoon and his cohorts are shown to be the scrooges of all this by making the people of La Grange pay the same 89 cent tax rate, even though that comes to less than one weeks income from the casino. Just remember what YOUR councilman did to you when election time comes next April.

But, all in all ole Ed has been keeping a good face on the casino as best he can.

The St. Louis paper had an article that now questions what kind of pollutants are in sewage sludge that farmers are putting on their fields. I kept telling my neighbor that dumping all that sewage sludge on his field will come back to haunt him someday. Oh, No, he said. The City, the DNR, and the EPA, all said it was hunky dory and just ok. Now, the EPA is updating its standards. Now, they say they used "unreliable" survey and testing. Uh, oh. Remember Times Beach?

Rumor has it that the Driftwood cafe might reopen again. Rumor has it that someone has bought and is remodeling the restaurant and will open it up for breakfast, dinner and supper. Rumor has it they will cater to a more personalized serviced not seen at the Casino restaurant.

La Grange held City Court Thursday. A man was arrested for burning on his own property. Now, even the Fire Chief's own father burns on his property and the fire chief burns on his property. I have pictures of a previous Mayor burning a tree in the street. But, this poor guy was arrested on a city ordinance. Now, this city ordinance had several clauses. One was about putting a wood burning stove in a building. One was about stove pipe location in a building. One was about fireworks. One was about hauling coal in the street. The only one that came close to the violation was the one that was about burning hay, straw or "other" combustibles in a City street or other public place. A normal person that would be a prosecuting attorney would have thrown out the charge with a warning to the offender. But, City Court in La Grange with its city attorney and judge, that didn't happen. They found a State Law regarding burning the items this poor guy was burning and charged him with the State Law in City Court and fined him over $200.00. ONLY IN LA GRANGE. Of course, our fire chief makes himself exempt from City law by living in the County. ONLY IN LA GRANGE.

But, rumors around Canton show that the City fathers there are just like the ones in La Grange. Rumor has it that the Mayor of Canton talked the Council and then the people to pass a bond issue to expand and repair city sewers. The promise like those of PROP B, said that this would be all that the City would need to bring sewer lines up to date. Now, a real small notice in the Press News Journal shows that the City Fathers are going to raise the water rates to almost double to cover the sewer bills. What is going on??

Mayor Lagoon says that it is cheaper to build a multi-million dollar sewer plant somewhere else for the Casino than spend $300 to $400 thousand to upgrade the sewer plant where it is at. And, even that is screwing the people of La Grange.

The Lewis County School board says it is cheaper to build a new multi-million dollar school than spend $30,000 to air condition a present school.

Why do all these people want to spend YOUR HARD EARNED money. For their own glory.

The State Auditor should be able to wrap up this long long long audit. In visiting a relative today I found that their alley had been done over with new white rock that was smoothed and rolled and look great. then I found another alley done the same way. I am now beginning to think that the Street Super is a changed man. His points are really rising up extremely well. The newly paved streets were done professionally and now alleys are getting done. Now if someone can get the Sewer Super back on the right track, we will be getting somewhere.

The Quincy Rag spokesman for the La Grange Casino (Ed Husar) did his thing for them again in tonight's paper. The Gaming Commission has reported that the Casino (GAVE) to the City of La Grange over $1.5 million in the past year. But, it seems some of this money, several hundred thousand, seems to be just laying around City Hall. Uh, Oh.

Will another employee be deleted from the City? Will Mayor Lagoon be forced into early retirement as a full time Mayor to just a meeting starter? Looks like it is already happening. Will there be some changes made in City Hall itself and I am not talking about moving to a new location. Things are slowly beginning to change and some Councilmen are being dragged along. Why would a councilwoman take on the responsibility of being the head of a committee and never want to hold a committee meeting? Is there something to hide?

To the emailer. Yes, I have been getting all you emails. Even though you think that Mayor Lagoon has been up here sneaking in a sewer lagoon here, he has a lot of problems with his own lagoon. The question is, will the Casino want their investment back?

An emailer sent a message asking questions wanting to know about the State Audit. I talked to one of the auditors the other day and I think it will wrapped up this week. It has been a very long audit. I was told that rarely does a small town audit last this long. One question was, what would I do if the audit comes out with no problems. Answer, there ain't no way. What about if the audit shows a lot of problems but no one goes to jail? Well, darn it, but, at least we got the City straight for the new Administrator and he will be on a solid base and not the quick sand he started with.

But, the problem I have with this audit is that the two who screwed it all up are not on the Council anymore and probably will not ever be held accountable. So far, they haven't been held accountable for all that money from Project brighter Future either. No one has been held accountable for the LRO either or the Flood Relief money.

I have been busy all week trying to get the mole in my yard. Here is a picture of what he has done so far. Click Here.

I got an email regarding the lady cop wanting to know if all I do is watch her. In answer, I don't have to, every time I go anywhere, I leave by the old Imperial Gas Station and there she is. Squatting down in the seat hiding. And to the other emailer regarding the City check registers, they are available to anyone to see or copy. To get a copy, contact City Hall, and they will make you a copy for 25 cents a page. You can get copies of any and all meetings of the Council and committee meetings as well as the treasurers report. Do want to know what kind of wage the police officers get? It is all right there.

For instance, the Fire Committee met August 6th to change the by-laws. There was considerable discussion on whether an 18 year old can be a fireman or not. And the fire chief now wants a sign on the south end of the fire station building and he wants color coding on the firemen's jackets so the different coding on his jacket will tell the fireman what he can or cannot do. July 17th, the Council met to discuss the new City Hall building and who would pick the colors, and about the floor plans for construction work, and about adding a concrete vault and a fire proof safe.

On July 22nd, the council met to discuss renting the paver to Canton, a skate board park, playground equipment, something about a junk yard, cutting some trees on City right-a-way. SPEAKING OF THAT, I noticed that a property owner on 4th and Filmore decided two walnut trees on the city right-a-way was dropping too many nuts on his yard and had a contractor cut the trees down and he is selling the walnut logs. HUMMM..

On the check register there is an entry of $25,000.00 to a Dennis Smith Trust account. It looks like nine out of ten checks entered each month go to Salaries. and 8 out of ten of those checks go to law enforcement wages. A check was issued to New beginning Medical Surveillance for $1567.00. The electric bills for the City was $3045.00 last month. Family Support got $347.10. OMB Police supply got $3,514.77. And then the talk in a meeting was about training someone to take the street supers place when he retires.

Times change, people change. Who would have thought that Tim Rossiter would be the star of the City Council. All you have to do is read the minutes of the Council Meetings and you will clearly see that all his thoughts are for the people of La Grange and he votes that way too. It is a shame, a crying shame that the other council members are more than willing to screw the people of La Grange over for the Casino.

Even with over 2 MILLION dollars, Mayor Lagoon and the other Councilmen still refuse to allow the people of La Grange to share in the wealth, when it was the vote of the people that got the money. Yet, Mayor Lagoon, Bross of Klingners, and the owner of the Casino still refuse to say that the money is due to the people and belongs to the people of La Grange. The Casino still say it is a "gift" to the people. The Mayor says it is Casino money and the people of La Grange have no say. And Bross of Klingers says it isn't the money of the people of La Grange.

Speaking of Mayor Lagoon. It has been several das now that the Water Super has made the sewer plant smell. Robert Farr ran that sewer plant for 25 years and NEVER - EVER caused a smell. Yet, Jim Vaughn has caused the plant to smell for quite some time now. Is Mayor lagoon behind this? Where is the new City Administrator? Doesn't he realize that this is a slap in his face? Where are the Councilmen/women? Are they hiding in their air conditioned homes and don't drive by the sewer plant? Or, are they behind it too, making the sewer super cause the smell?

I noticed that the auditors are back again working. Those City books must be something else to take this long for the auditors to wrap it up. I saw in the paper where some City officials went to jail after a State audit. Will it happen here?

And back to the first line. People do change and a good example is the street super. Rumor has it that he is now standing up for himself and not taking the flack for doing what he was ordered to do that was wrong. Do street work that is as good as Bross Construction. I gotta admit, my opinion of his attitude and work is impressing.

I see that the Lady cop his learned how to use the radar gun, now it is her crutch to be an equal officer. But, that is all she foes now is sit at the old Imperial gas station and radar people coming into town.

There seems to be a double standard with the LAPD. Cops can tear around Route C and not worry about being arrested. One came down the town hill, ran the stop sign, made a left turn on two wheels and spun out racking the pipes, Right in front of another police officer and he didn't get a ticket. not even one for being the most stupid person on earth. But, the highway patrol that works on the Casino can speed through town without any worry of being stopped. All the law officers say they are to protect and to prevent. Yet, all the speeding and careless driving is done by police officers and they want the people of La Grange to obey the letter of the law.

Same goes for the fire chief. A guy gets arrested for burning some trash in his yard and gets a ticket that doesn't even pertain to the offense, YET, the daddy of the fire chief can burn anything. anytime he wants.

Today, I went down to the river to see the swimmer Martin Strel. I talked with his son Borut who is manning land support team. Mr. Strel has three support boats that are with him all the way. After I got there and was visiting these guys, the LAPD showed up. I was worried that they were there to arrest him for swimming in the river or in the park after 11, but officer Boden assured me that they were just there to greet the visitor. They keep their travel posted on the internet address shown above.

On the News tonight it showed the Mayor of Canton welcoming the swimmer to their town. In La Grange Mayor Lagoon wanted to give the swimmer a tour of our sewer plant. But, I talked him out of it.

It looks like the street super is on a roll. Fifth street from Riverview cemetery going North 3 blocks looks like a professional asphalt company did them. My question is, why wasn't the street super allowed to pave over ALL the white rock from edge to edge? But, in spite of that, the street super is racking up the points. On the other hand, the water/sewer super is going down hill fast. If he doesn't put the sewer plant back to running as it is supposed to, a new Mayor may have to say good-bye. But, if Mayor Lagoon gets back in, the Sewer super should get a bonus for screwing over the people of the town.

I have been having a mole problem and am trying to catch him. Anyone got any ideas on how to catch him. Look at what he is doing to my yard. CLICK HERE.

If the sale of Warren Ridges home is any indication, it looks like the Lewis County Assessor had better come to La Grange and do a reassessment and lower everyone's property values about 50%. Could it be because of the Casino? I had an inquirery from someone wanting to buy the domain name marktwaincasino, so I priced it to them.

I see Andy Ayers house is sold. I'll bet those people didn't check out the neighborhood first.

Another month has gone by, soon school will start up again and La Grange stays the same. $2 million dollars in the bank and Mayor Lagoon and the City Council still refuses to give the people of La Grange a break on Sales Tax or Property Tax. The people of La Grange keep on paying and paying for the Casino and get nothing in return.

Yesterday afternoon, I stopped at Casey;s to get a paper. Another guy and I saw the dumbest person on earth. Sitting at the stop light heading North was a LAPD. When down the hill came a white pickup truck, he slowed down at the stop light, turned the corner heading north, and stepped on the gas so his pipes sounded off. Needless to say the officer had him by the time he got to the old church. Rumor has it the officer gave him a ticket for being dumb.

Here is one for the NEW ONE. Your water super is screwing up the sewer plant again. I think it is time to find another one, water super I mean. But, the problem is, I don't know whether he is doing it to save his job or not. Mayor Lagoon seems to be willing to do anything to move the sewer plant for the Casino, even if it means causing the sewer plant to be "out of compliance" for the DNR. The people of La Grange will pay more for the Casino if he gets his way. It makes you wonder whether some of the Councilmen/woman are really that dumb and can't see what is going on, or they are in it too, to screw their voters. Only one Councilman seems to be able to see what is going on and that is Rossiter.