DECEMBER ISSUE OF THE GOSSIP PAGE
DECEMBER 31, 1999
Tomorrow is the big day. But to most people it will be same o, same o.
Rumor is that Tim Rossiter (middle) and Ron Powers (North) have signed up for Councilmen. I believe that both will have a mind of their own and hopefully they will study the Charter and Ordinances and try to do it right and not be bullied into voting the way others will want to force them to. Just remember, Fred (no Prayer here) Wiewel said he will play the bad cop and Ralph (pave my drive free) Martin said he will play the good cop.
With all the emails and phone calls complaining that I have not updated this page since before Christmas, I thought I had better get some stuff up.
First off, the rumor today is that two new police officers have been hired from the training academy. Now the word is they will begin further training here in La Grange for crowd control and traffic control. "You know, in preparation for the gambling boat" "You know, like, learn how to use the radar gun".. Let's see now, up until a few days ago, we were one car short of ALL police officers having a car to ride around in "at your expense". Then the Council bought the Chief a NEW car. Now, we find that we will be two cars short again. Maybe they can get FLEET RATE somewhere. Do you think they will try to park all those cars on the Lions Club rented property? I guess you all saw that there was less than $1,000 taken in at the last City Court date. You know what that means? They are 2 grand short of payroll. You know what that means? MORE ARRESTS have to be made. Drive careful ya all.
Rumor is the Chief may try a run for the Sheriff's office. We all hope so. That WILL be fun.
Emails tell me that the street commissioner has been spending a lot of time in Canton lately. Most emailers didn't know we had streets in Canton to ride over too.
Well, did you see the construction equipment at the new Main Street Memorial Building site? All summer long the City hauled dirt to cover up all that concrete. All summer long a nice person spent hours leveling and smoothing and planting seed to make it look pretty. And then a big track hoe came in and dug it all up. Then they smoothed it all out again. That nice person now has to do it all over again. Bless the man.
Rumor has it that the gambling boat is coming. How do they know? Well, another rumor says that the "COOK" for the restaurant with the gambling boat paid $94,000.00 for the old Adams place. Dean is doubling his money again. That means that the Lewis County assessor will have to come to La Grange and reevaluate everyone's homes again and up the rate.
I saw the surveyors in town again, hold on folks. The City Council will give away some more of the town at the next meeting. It seems that every time the surveyors do their thing, the City Council gives the gambling boat something else. Looks like the only thing left to give the gambling boat in that area is the City sewer plant. Darn, I just let the cat out of the bag.
A certain fireman has been in all the restaurants in town bragging about how much money he made as a "VOLUNTEER" fireman. Almost as much as the total fire budget a few years ago for the WHOLE department. Some VOLUNTEER fireman don't even want to find a day job, the pay to "volunteer" is so good.
I received an email the other day complaining about my question as to why the firemen needed to fill the tanker truck for a fire here in town. He said, as long as I lived here I should know that there are some fire hydrants on the hill that have two inch connectors. SOOOO. Isn't a two inch instant, continuous, connection better than waiting for a truck to fill and drive to the fire truck? DUH!
Have you noticed the NEW hours at the Post Office. The Post Office couldn't get the mail up by eight o'clock, so they part time laid off a part time employee to make it faster. They also changed the time from 9am to 9:30 am, like that will make any difference. How will that affect all the phone calls all day? Maybe we can merge the post office with the bank, neither one has hours that people can use.
To those who emailed me about what some councilmen did, I am checking on that. I also heard that about the chief too, but I need another source. I also will find out what you asked about the Mayor too. Give me time.
Merry Christmas to all and especially the
Mayor and City Council
DECEMBER 22, 1999
I have had some very interesting emails regarding the dispatcher and the police chief. I also have had some interesting anonymous phone calls regarding a proposed Jamaican Cruise. Some of the information on the boat doesn't seem to jive with the other information. I will have to wait a bit to see which way this blows. One Caller keeps calling once a week asking when the new Main Street Memorial Building is going to start. Anyone know? Several keep asking why the City keeps giving away and the boat people give nothing back.
Well, I made the City Council news in the Press News Journal and Donald Sherwood made the Quincy Herald Whig. According to attorney Andy Ayers, the two lawsuits I filed against the City Council are fabricated. I guess when Fred (no prayer here) Wiewel and Ralph (pave my drive free) Martin filed a same lawsuit against the Lewis County School board for violating the Missouri Sunshine Law, it was a fabricated suit too. And, I guess it is ok for them to do theirs but no one can do it to them. But, whereas Ralph (pave my drive free) Martin and Fred (no prayer here) Wiewel and the City Clerk has spent many evenings at City hall, the needed notices have probably been "found". Just like the Lewis County School Board "found" their missing minutes. The other suit dealt with the City Council's refusal to print a true and correct financial statement according to the City Charter. They printed a copy of their budget which even that did not include the City debts. Of course this will be more interesting if Judge Westhoff doesn't ask another judge to hear the matter. Let's see, a judge that is hired by the City presides over a lawsuit against the City. What are the chances of an impartial hearing?
DECEMBER 20, 1999
Has anyone taken a look at the City Map to see what streets that this dumb City Council and Mayor has just vacated to the gambling boat.
Well they vacated Pierce Street from third to Route B. Then they vacated and blocked all other streets coming down from lumber yard hill that get to the main road. Anyone living on the south side of town will have to go back to 7th street, then north past the Lutheran church to get down the hill.
NOW THIS ORDINANCE IS LAW FROM THE DAY THE COUNCIL PASSES IT. FROM THEN ON ANYONE GOING DOWN THE HILL TO GET TO MAIN STREET WILL HAVE TO TRESPASS ON THE GAMBLING BOAT PROPERTY.
FROM THEN ON YOU WILL BE COMMITTING A CRIME EVERY TIME YOU DRIVE DOWN THAT STREET. AND DON'T THINK FOR ONE MINUTE YOU WON'T BE ARRESTED FOR TRESPASSING.
I guess Fred (no prayer here) Wiewel didn't understand what he was voting on. Or maybe he did and is planning to move. The City has just made everyone on the South side of town hostage to 7th street. Does anyone care that these guys are selling out their town to this gambling boat like they did our school?
Oh, are we to believe that a new street will be built? Any good Mayor or Councilman would have made sure the new street was built BEFORE vacating and turning over a needed street to the gambling boat. What happens if this boat never gets here? Will the City have to BUY back these streets and alleys?
I guess if a MAYOR and Council is dumb enough to sell the City property and the city sheds before they had a place to go, is dumb enough to give away the city streets too.
I can't imagine those 187 voters being proud of this.
In regards to the street department. Guess what? They were out before 5am. CONGRATULATIONS
Have you noticed some councilmen working late at city hall covering up tracks?
DECEMBER 17, 1999
The other night a woman who everybody in town knows and knows where she lives called the fire department about a fire in her house. One fireman/councilman had to drive right past her house to get to the fire station. But, guess what? The Chinese fire drill was on again. By the time the fire department found the place, she had already put out the fire herself.
One thing I don't understand. Why were firemen trying to fill the tanker to go to a fire here in town? What is wrong with using a fireplug? That is what they are for aren't they? Maybe they need training in that department? Did you see how much the fire department cost you, the taxpayer? Let's see, when Tiemann was fire chief, the fire tab rarely ran more than $500 per year. This year was almost $7000 dollars, not counting the $8,000 water truck. I don't know how much more training and fire protection the taxpayers are going to be able to afford. Oh well, no matter, this Council and Mayor will spend your money for you. If that gambling boat doesn't get here soon, the town will be bankrupt.
December 16, 1999
I got mail!
Here is the exact copy of one of my emails. I deleted who sent it to me.
>
>You are so full of shit that it isn't even funny. Just
because you aren't the mayor anymore doesn't mean you have the right to put down
anyone and everyone in town. Its really rather pethetic. I mean the
firemen
are here to proctect us, not to be made fun of. They were told that there
was a frie north of town so they went north. Then they relized that it
really wasn't north of town. So the went South and had to look for it.
Then about them speeding. Yeah they expect ppl to know that they are
fireman, cuz hello they have a blue light and sirens that make noise and light
for ppl to see. Are you that fucking stupid??
Let's hope not. They have the right to go over the speed limit. Its the
dam cops that think that they can break every traffic law when nothings
happening. They think that brush fires are a big thing because who wants
to breathe in all of the carbon manoxide and get sick. I sure as hell
don't. All I know is that you are wasteing your time making that web page thats
full of shit. I use to think thatyou were a good man till i saw your page.
And if you don't like this town, the people in it, or the way that its run; then
get the hell out of here cuz we don't like you either.
>
>
Anyone can guess who wrote this by the language and talk.
DECEMBER 15, 1999
Take a close look at the Thursday December 15th Canton Press News Journal. This should clearly show the kind of people who are your Councilmen and Mayor. Against all honesty and above board ideals of true and honest citizens of the City of La Grange, the City Council and Mayor and the City Attorney met behind closed doors to give away City streets to the gambling boat. First, I want to say there is no problem with the vacating the streets and or alleys to the gambling boat. Second, the closed meeting at last Monday's council meeting to discuss real estate is not a problem. The problem is, this was already discussed in private BEFORE the council meeting and agreed to. How do I know they did this before the meeting? There is no way that this City Attorney could discuss all the different streets and conditions for each one in the short time of the closed meeting and draft the Ordinance that all could agree on and to be printed in the paper by Tuesday noon. This is the same way the contract with the gambling boat was done 4 years ago when this Council and Mayor gave away a REAL gambling boat and $100,000 a year. Just like Project Brighter Future gave away your school. Why does this Council and Mayor continuously want to run the City this way? What are they afraid of? What kind of an Attorney is it that will lower himself to approve of all these things? Why in the world do they always want to hide everything? They continuously say that EVERYONE in town is for the gambling boat, so why not do it out in the open?
Next is the Police Chief. Did I not tell you he would get a new car? This was a given with all the many visits daily to Ralph (pave my drive free) Martins. Then he started crying when he thought someone in the water department was going to get paid a little extra over the Christmas holiday, so the water department just dropped it. But, now that it was brought up, the water department will work for free and the Chief will get overtime. And get this Mr. Ayers, Mike Lowe even thinks that every employee should give extra time to his employer for FREE.
I guess the Street Commissioner started crying too. Seems that other employees aren't giving him enough love. I guess that is because he is on vacation all the time or too busy riding around with the Chief.
I really like the Councilman who continually states that it is the other guys who are doing all this and then votes right along with them.
Well, Ms. dispatcher, you chose up the wrong side, sorry. A good Mayor would not have done that to you. By the way, why isn't the crying shaker on tv trying to save your job this time? Where are all the trailer park people?
This Mayor and Council still haven't learned that for every traffic sign placed, there needs to be an ordinance to back it up. But, it makes Wilma's place happy. That makes it ok. Every time it takes one more step to do something right, above board and honest, they stumble.
There is a pool going on how many games of solitaire the City Clerk can play in one day.
DECEMBER 14, 1999
Information found on the net at consumerinfo.com regarding La Grange. School facts: Lewis Co. C-1 Ewing. 3 schools, 81 teachers, 1,178 students student/teacher ratio 14.5 to1. State ranking 37th percentile National ranking 43rd percentile. La Grange Housing: single homes 69.1% 2 unit buildings 1.7% 3-9 unit buildings 10.8% 10-49 Unit buildings 2.7% mobile homes 15.8%. Average house value $36,266. Crime index State ranking 51st percentile. Chances of being a victim of any crime less than 2%. Chances of being a victim of a Bodily crime .3%, less than 1%.
DECEMBER 13, 1999
Well, The Street Commissioner is back from another vacation. Now, the gas bill will go back up. He has already made 13 laps before 8 am. But, that's all right, the police department sits inside while the motor runs to keep the car warm from this bitterly cold winter.
At the Council meeting tonight, the Police Chief will TELL the Council to buy him a new car. It is cruel and inhuman punishment to make him ride around in that old white car. The City has had that insurance money way too long now and the demand to spend it is now.
Speaking of the police department, it seems that the police fell short last month on arrests and only came up with $2000 in fines. Now, we have police on duty Sunday evenings to try to make it up. That is something that has never been done with this police chief. So we have a $1000 minus for last month and $3000 to go this month. We need more people to go to Double G's and drive home. We need more workers going to work to speed. We need more people to support the police department. Speed, unbuckle your seat belts, drink and drive. How in the world are you going to support a 10 man departments if the people of La Grange don't want to support it?
The fire department has their new water hauling truck up and running. Now we need a new building to put it in. I wonder how much Bert had to donate this time? Poor Dean, I can see his franchise fee being hiked up again. The City doubled his fee last year. Let's double it again this year, City Council.
DECEMBER 10, 1999
Laws, who gives a care about laws? Not a member of the City Council. Nepotism, what is nepotism? That is when a ELECTED PUBLIC OFFICIAL hires or offers a position to a relative. How close is an aunt? Well, this Mayor and Council will just waive away another State law. This all looks good to the gaming commission. Trying to circumvent another law by FEMA also looks good to the gaming commission. I can just bet that the gaming commission is going to allow a license to a City that thinks nothing of violating one law after another. Sorry Mr. Sauvage, you have a heavy cross to bear.
Word around town is that the dispatcher has done something wrong. Can you believe that one? A week off without pay? I can't believe it, and she took their side against me. Bad choice wasn't it? I tired to tell the employees that I wouldn't be the one to fear. And the greatest part of this story is a Councilman stated he still doesn't know anything about it today. What, you mean some councilmen can lay off and hire new employees without other Councilmen being told about it or even in the decision? How can that be?
Wait till the Mayor and Council find out that their privacy has been looked up on that new computer system. Oh, you mean the Chief and/or dispatcher wouldn't do that to the Mayor or a Councilman? Would you like to buy a bridge?
This one is a little far out and I am actually embarrassed to even put it here, but, gossip has it that the Chief was in Casey's the other evening making some rather obscene gestures about or below waist level. Honest, there were several other people near me heard this story.
Let's see, the City leases property to the Lions Club, which means the property is in the custody and control of the Lions Club. Then the City promptly uses the property to park City vehicles.
Let's see again, the City advertises for bids to sell the City sheds with the stipulation the buyers MUST remove the buildings in 30 days after the bids are accepted. WRONG, the City meant to state that the new owners of the buildings can't get what they paid for UNTIL the City builds a new building. It seems someone should be getting rent or their money back with interest. That new building may not get built.
DECEMBER 9, 1999
THE BAN IS LIFTED! THE BAN IS LIFTED! This weeks paper in small print at the bottom of the page, the Lewis County Fire Chiefs now believe that enough rain has fallen that the ban from burning can be lifted. Now, you can't even get a match to light, let alone start a fire. But, they did lift the ban before we had two feet of snow and the water was frozen.
Yesterday, I mentioned that the City truck wasn't seen riding around town, now I know why. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow is more vacation time again. There is no one the USA that gets more vacation time than our street commissioner. The good thing about all his vacation days is the fact IT IS SAVING the taxpayers money. How? Look at all the gas we are saving.
Today, at the school parking area, a van left the parking lot at such as great speed that if a child made a mistake, he would be dead. Not hurt or injured, but dead. There is absolutely no need for this van to be speeding into and out of the parking lot when these kids are all over getting to their bus. I guess that when you have so many kids coming and going, you would never miss one or two.
If I were the Mayor and I had to take a kid or grandkid to school and had to drive South past the old school house and stop several times to wait till a bus gets by because some people park their cars, not along side of the street, but out in the street, I would have to make a couple of house calls and talk about it. More than one parent taking a kid to school has made a comment about this, and I wouldn't have made this comment, except I received an email asking about the City Ordinance regarding this.
I believe the city ordinance allows parking on the side of the street, but I can't find where it allows in the street, especially on both sides of the street - in the street, leaving only one lane of traffic. I have to think that doing this would cause concern with emergency vehicles. I don't see where this is happening any where else in town. Plus, I can't figure out why they do this.
DECEMBER 8, 1999
The last few days have been dullsville in La Grange. Everyone with the City have been in hiding. One thing though, I did hear that while the fire chief had a burn ban on, the City crew was burning.
It looks today is a vacation day for some City employees. The police wasn't seen out radar trapping workers going to work and the white truck wasn't seen riding all over town before the two hour coffee break at City Hall.
Next up, SANTA CLAUS and the trees of lights.
DECEMBER 3, 1999
Please say a prayer for the Lewis Family
DECEMBER 2, 1999
WHEN IS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GOING TO ALLOW OPEN BURNING AGAIN?
ans: When there is three feet of snow on the ground and the water is frozen.
Here we go with the police department again. First off there was a family who was visited several times by the police because they had a dog TIED in their yard that could get close to the sidewalk and scared the people walking by. NOW, it seems a POLICE OFFICER has a vicious dog tied downtown that is scaring people as they walk by. Is it all right for a police officer to have a vicious dog tied out to scare people and not anyone else? A GOOD Mayor would not allow this to happen.
Next we find the police department is still entrapping people with the radar gun coming North past the foundry. They are still arresting people for exceeding the 30 mph speed limit in a 40 mph area. Some day, someone will be arrested that has a good lawyer and a whole lot of money will have to be returned and a lot of arrests will have to be overturned.
And, any good lawyer can beat any arrest made by Chief Baker or any other officer on duty now in La Grange as none are legally authorized by the City Charter to hold office. The Charter clearly states that no person can be elected OR APPOINTED to any office that has not been a resident of the City of La Grange for one year PRECEDING the appointment. That also includes several firemen, police dispatcher, fire chief. The Council may have just illegally "waived" that clause, but it takes a legal Ordinance to do it right. Something this Council and Mayor absolutely refuse to do.
ON the issue of the dead tree. Everyone should know that a Church has helped the poor City of La Grange out and paid a tree trimmer to cut the tree down. Isn't that sad? A Church has to do what a stupid Mayor and Council wouldn't do. Let's see, two police officers, two street, one water, over $50.00 an hour riding around town all day (total $400 per day or $2000 per week) and a Church has to donate the money to cut a dead tree down on City property to protect the children. 187 people have to so proud. Not even the grand fire chief would even cut this dangerous tree down to protect the children. I guess it is because the firemen couldn't use their blue lights and siren and drive fast all over town.
DECEMBER 1, 1999
Here is a serious suggestion to those who have been made an offer for their property by the gambling boat people and have not made the decision to sell. Take it now.
For those who I had talked to about running for councilman or mayor. Cancel that.