November 30, 2004
The City of La Grange seemed to have hired a couple of COPS that are dumber than a box of rocks. They have been told many times to stay off private property and they drive on it like no one said anything at all. Digging a trench and piling debris in the way doesn't stop their four wheel drive truck, they just drive over the trash and through the ditch with total disregard for law or the city equipment. Even today, there was not just one but two police vehicles trespassing on private property. It will probably take a day in court before the box of rocks get the idea.
November 29, 2004
There is sadness around town after hearing about the loss of the daughter Mr. and Mrs. Rev. Jim Reynolds. Davis Funeral home is handling arrangements.
November 28, 2004
Well, did you have a Happy Thanksgiving? We went to the mother-in-laws for Turkey dinner Wednesday Evening and came back in the snow. Then we had our family and sister and kids Thursday for another Thanksgiving and Friday we went to our son's place in St. Louis for another good dinner.
Finally, for the past week, the scanner has been quiet. I guess the bad one didn't work this past week. After the snow Wednesday, I took a drive around town and saw that the City Crew did an excellent job of getting all the streets clean and ready. The first time that has happened in a long time.
The next big thing coming up now is Santa Claus coming to the Youth Center December 11th.
Rumor has that the Casino crew was planning a kidnapping of Wayne Maples from Lewis County Nursing Home, but another rumor says he will be gone today and by the time they get there to break him out, he will already be gone. He seems to be ready to go again today.
November 24, 2004
HAPPY THANKSGIVING ITS SNOWING
By 9am we have about 2 inches on the ground. And traffic accidents on the scanner are fast and furious. Which brings me to the next item.
Car overturns south of Canton. La Grange PD to MO Hiway Patrol. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE can we work the accident?? PLEASE PLEASE.
Car off the road out Route C. La Grange PD to Lewis County Sheriff. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE can we work the accident?? PLEASE PLEASE.
Truck overturn near Quincy. La Grange PD to Quincy PD. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE can we work the accident?? PLEASE PLEASE.
La Grange PD to Lewis County 911. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE can we work any accident?? PLEASE PLEASE.
La Grange PD to any other law office. We are here, We are begging to go out of La Grange to patrol highways or work accidents. Call on us. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.
November 23, 2004
There was a council meeting last night. Bleigh was there for more money. Klingners was there trying to explain why the street work wasn't done. The main EXCUSE by Klingners was that there were some unforeseen problems. HEY, isn't that what the city was paying Klingners THOUSANDS of dollars for?? They want more time and money for these MISTAKES by Klingner. If I were Mayor, Klingners would make up the difference from their cut for not doing their job right.
Then it came to 4th street hill off of route C across from Irene Solters. Oh by the way, I hear she is in the hospital. Everyone in town knows about the steep rock hill. WELL, Klingers didn't know about a sewer line going up the road. Bleigh dug into and now there is a sewer line sticking out in the street.
The ENGINEER from Klingners now say it will cost $19,000.00 to lower the sewer line. Now, get this, the line is only 150 feet long. Want another gotcha. The line was dug through the rock BY HAND, with a pick and shovel during the WPA.
AND, guess what, Elaine White said, "Well, I guess we got to pay it, it has to be done". Not one councilman asked how it the world can it cost $19,000 to go 150 feet. They don't care, it's not their money.
BUT, the City Administrator was warning the council that the money was getting short and the spending has to stop. Who would have thought that with $1.5 mil a year and now up to almost $5 mil, they would be running out of money.
The City finally repaired the water leak across from the Kountry Kream shop that they said wasn't a water leak for weeks. They are working on one up by the Foundry. What was most interesting was that with 8 cops, not one stopped riding around long enough to direct traffic and protect the workers.
Then the council got into a fight about who was going to pay for the coffee for the police station, city hall, and the city shed. It took them a half an hour to argue about a little coffee.
It doesn't get any funnier than this.
The people in charge of early childhood learning from Douglas Center met with the Youth Center board about using the you center for pre-school. They went to the city council first and then came to the board. After that didn't pan out, they went back to the Council to ask them to buy or build them a school. Or give or loan them the money. Tabled.
OH, officer 114 still hasn't got his quota yet.
November 20, 2004
Do you belong to any civic organization? The Chamber, The Lions, The Scouts??? How many times have you heard from your Councilman, especially SAM HENDERSON, that the city CAN NOT give any money to your organization?? What was their reason?? The Auditor said they "shouldn't" do it, so they tell you that to keep out of trouble, they can't give any money to anyone.
Well, I am here and now exposing the BIG LIE, Sam Henderson and the others have been telling you.
St. Louis Post Dispatch, Friday, November 19th in the St. Charles Edition. Column two.
The City Council BUDGET has for the next year a record high of $100,000 for City Councilmen Directives. This is a special fund that allows the council to GIVE MONEY TO CHARITIES and other causes. Money for Oktoberfest, for Christmas traditions, money for decorations and other organizations.
Maybe the City Council thinks La Grange is a special city that CAN NOT give money to other entities.
If you want to remember the way the Foundry looks now, you had better take a picture. The Lewis County Commissioners refused to reduce the taxes on the Foundry, even though they were told of the consequences, they decided that $100,000 one time is better than $30 or $40 thousand for a long time was a better deal. Based on my increased taxes, the C-1 school district will take a long time hit.
A demolition crew is moving equipment in now.
November 16, 2004
Everyone in town is sad to hear about Bob Bradshaw passing on. I suspect the visitation will be filled to the brim. We will all miss bob. Visitation from 9am Thursday until the Funeral.
On a lighter note. Mr. Wayne (casino) Maples has been plunked in the Lewis County Nursing Home by his two daughters Pam and Debbie. Little do they know he is already planning his escape. Rumor has it that some coffee buddies are in on the plan. The two mean daughters have better keep a better guard on duty. They were caught at Wal-Mart the other day together plotting against poor old Wayne.
The new Green er white sheet came out. The Mayor talked mostly about the annexation of the property west of town. The NEW City administrator is still talking about grants. So far, all I have heard is talk about grants. The new antique lighting is being installed. The new mineral well park is getting its finishing touches and landscaping. The street crew is getting 5th street and side streets finished up. Work is getting done before the snow.
I found Bernie Moline. He lives in Quincy out Maine street. I gave him his twenty year pin that was left at the foundry. It was a real nice one. It had two diamonds and the letters LF. Now, I need to find Ron Butler.
Don't forget the Boy Scouts Saturday evening.
November 11, 2004
There are a lot of rumors of things that are going to happen around town but nothing to report yet.
I need to find two people who used to work at the foundry. One person is Ron Butler who worked there 35 years and the other is Bernie Maline or Moline or Meline. If you know how I can contact these two or have them contact me, let me know.
NOVEMBER 10, 2004
It has been a lackluster week in La Grange. the only thing moving around town are the police. Well, the public works did get 5th street paved from Route C south up the hill and then a little ways East and West. Doesn't look too bad for City workers.
They had a landscaper working on the Mineral Well park area to get it ready to grass seed before winter. There is work being done at the foundry getting it ready to rent out. There will be areas for a light manufacturing plant or something like that. There will be areas for people to store cars - trucks- boats - campers RV's. There will be an area for farm tractors - dozers - backhoes - large trucks and even a work area. There will be another area for grain storage or product like that and also an area for warehousing. And finally an area for an office type business.
Right now workers are removing a lot of unneeded machinery and such. They are cutting out steel I-beams - channel iron and pipe of all sizes and lengths to be sold. And they are taking out all the unusable electrical equipment such as switch boxes, transformers - track - a lot of motors from one horsepower to 150 horsepower and such to be sold.
Stopped at Blessing Hospital today to visit with Wayne Maples. he just had back surgery and is just today feeling like visiting. He may be there a few more days. I learned today that Robert (Bob) Bradshaw was there this weekend, but now I hear he is the Lewis County Nursing home.
I have received about 50 emails in the past week from people wanting to know why I haven't posted anything and if I gave up. If the Council meetings get any duller??? But, there is always cop 114 to keep everyone on their toes.
I received an email from one reader that by his email, he reads the Gossip Page all the time from his references and then bitched about the Gossip Page and really doesn't understand what the word Gossip means. But as most the other emails, the people just want to know what is going on in La Grange.
NOVEMBER 5, 2004
Jerry
Your favorite scanner tracker here. Have you been listening? Maybe the Mayor can give his officer 114 an award for the most harassment of any of the officers. The mayor must really want to close down the casino and the rest of the few businesses left in town. I read where the Mayor had a meeting with people outside of the City to talk to them about about annexing into the city. He said it was needed to attract more businesses to La Grange. Why? so his cops can have more businesses to close up because their customers are harassed and leave? But, all anyone has to do is listen to a scanner anytime 114 comes on duty. As you say, Stop after Stop after stop after stop after stop.
If you get the time, take a drive down to the riverfront. Take a look where the old Pete's Boat House docks were. You will see a small dock with a long ramp to it. Now, ask yourself, is that little bitty dock worth $15,000.00. If I had bought that for my dad, he would have shot me on the spot. Did anyone really look at what they were buying for $15,000.00? It makes one wonder WHO was the dumb bunny that made that deal. Then you wonder if there was a huge kickback.
Then you have a city that put in all new sidewalks down main street KNOWING that they were going to purchase antique lighting. And didn't put any conduit under the concrete for the new lights. So now, they are going to pay THOUSANDS to a company that will bore under the NEW sidewalks to run the conduit to the new antique lighting that would have cost a couple hundred to put in BEFORE they poured the new sidewalk.
This is the same City Council that run wires all over the city park and not put enough wires in and had to pay again to have the new wires removed and newer wires put back in.
The new City Administrator is doing his job well. Wait till you get the Grant.