Go For It!

Have a great weekend!

Meanwhile in Lombard...

It looks like some elected officials listen to their resident's concerns and carefully consider the consequences of their decisions on their community. Our thanks to a PRU reader for the submission.



Daily Herald - Lombard denies group's plan to build senior housing complex
By Justin Kmitch Daily Herald Staff
Published: 11/7/2007 12:18 AM

Highlights from the article include:

• A Naperville-based nonprofit group has scrapped plans to replace the second phase of a stalled luxury condominium development in Lombard with apartments for fixed-income seniors.

• Lombard trustees denied the Xilin Association's bid to build a publicly funded 52-unit senior citizen housing complex in place of a previously approved 40-unit condo building along St. Charles Road.

• Village President William Mueller said the trustees were uncomfortable the Xilin plan called for 12 additional units. Trustees also had a short timeline to make a decision.

• "The board had a lot of questions that could not be addressed because of the timeline," Mueller said. "But, ultimately, the density was not thought to be proper for that location."

• On Thursday, trustees rejected Xilin's plan.

• Village planner Bill Heniff echoed Mueller's sentiments that "density was an issue." Heniff said several residents voiced concerns and support for the project during the past few weeks.

• Mueller wants the developer, Park Ridge-based Neri Companies, to construct the second condo building as planned in 2004. A message left Tuesday at Neri's offices was not returned.

The Spirit of the 6th Ward!

As we told you before, Thomas Carey the Unfriendly Ghost of the 6th ward usually doesn't communicate with the living. So we were a little spooked to hear that he actually participated in the city council meeting Monday night. We feel that Mayor Frimystic must have called this spirit forth to do his earthly bidding.

As you may recall, Mayor Frimystic was very generous in making "offerings" to the Ghost of the 6th ward. Of the $7,025.00 in campaign contributions taken in by Mr. Carey, Mayor Frimystic contributed $3,127.73, or 45% of the total Mr. Carey received. (See document copies below)

And, as we said before, we expect Alderman Carey knows how to show his appreciation for Mayor Frimystic's generous support.

But we found it very curious that a guy like Thomas Carey, of whom we'd heard rumors of great family wealth, would need or want such a large contribution from Mayor Frimystic.

So we started digging.

Turns out, Thomas Carey does come from a very well-known and prosperous family. A very prosperous family. A very well-known family, if you know anything about the horse racing world.

Mr. Thomas Carey is formally known as Thomas F. Carey, III and hales from none other than the family that owns and controls Hawthorn Race Course. At one time in the not too distant past, Mr. Thomas F. Carey, III was in charge of running Hawthorn Race Course, but now Mr. Thomas F. Carey, III is working for an engineering firm, and we are told a Carey family cousin is now in charge of track operations.

Why would Mr. Thomas F. Carey, III leave the family business? We can't say whether or not he actually left or was asked to leave. But, it seems Mr. Carey got into a bit of legal trouble over his fiscal management during his tenure at the track and then Hawthorne Race Course, Inc. got sued by National Jockey Club, Inc.

The parties went to arbitration, and the arbitrator found in favor of the claimants, National Jockey Club. The arbitrator awarded the claimants what they were seeking, which had the effect of putting Hawthorn Race Course and Thomas F. Carey, III on the hook for $1,200,000.00 That's a lot of hay. (See copy of arbitration doc. pg. 1 below)

A final judgement of the arbitrator's award was entered in the Chancery Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County in September, 2005. The Court decreed the motion to confirm the award be granted in all respects to National Jockey Club; the counterclaim by Hawthorn Race Course was denied in all respects; and, the arbitrator's award was confirmed. (See copy of court cover doc. below)

Of course, an appeal was filed, and the Appellate Court of Illinois First Judicial District affirmed the lower Court's decision in August, 2007. (See copy of court cover doc. below)

Which brings us to today - the deadline for Mr. Carey to have his case heard before the Illinois Supreme Court. We believe the case has come to a sad end for Mr. Thomas F. Carey, III.

The financial troubles Mr. Carey has faced may be why he wasn't more monetarily generous than the $1,375.00 he loaned to his own campaign effort. It may also explain why Mayor Frimystic was so generous.

What we don't understand is why a guy with this kind of legal and financial axe hanging over his head would run for public office.

But we think we may know. We hear Mr. Carey, upon assuming the lofty office of 6th ward Alderman in Park Ridge, got busy smiling and dialing his way up the political food chain. Not on behalf of his 6th ward constituents. No. On behalf of his engineering firm.

If we could get agreement from the horse's mouth that going public, with the specifics of the information, would be confirmed, we'd tell you. But the call-recipient hasn't agreed. So we won't. And at this point the smiling and dialing remains only rumor.

Alderman Carey is certainly a guy down on his luck. But as the old saying goes, you make your own luck. And sometimes you get lucky enough to be elected to the office of Park Ridge Alderman with the generous support of the Mayor.

And sometimes you get lucky enough to have an Alderman "owe" you, isn't that right Mayor Frimystic?

If there's one piece of advice we could offer to Alderman Thomas Carey it is this: Mayor Frimystic is not your way into the light. Find your own path. We actually feel you may have it in you.

It Ain't Over Til...

As we expected, last night the city council voted 4 (Allspaghetti, Benedict Ryan, Lord of the Manor and Carey the Unfriendly Ghost) to 3 (Schmidtzkrieg, Wsoooool man, DreadBach) in favor of giving Norwood's Park Ridge 2004 LLC the density variance for the 8 additional condo units.

Again, it was Aldermen Schmidt and Wsol who led the effort to not only keep the development within the parameters of the new and more lenient zoning code, but also tighten up the language on the ordinance regarding the "senior housing" component and ensure that the city not get handed the final bill for the water retention.

The language in the ordinance remains full of loopholes "big enough to drive a condo through", largely due to the parliamentary maneuverings of the Lord of the Manor and the stupidity of his fellow Aldermorons.

There were 13 comments from the gallery; 4 of those comments were in support of the project. Again, Carla Owen addressed the council and "updated" the petitions she and her Berry Pky. neighbors have been collecting in opposition to the code variances for the Norwood project. Those petition signers now number around 500.

To no avail.

The preferences and will of the majority of residents in the immediate area of Executive Office Plaza and throughout the city have been ignored.

Get used to it.

Bob "the Builder" Ryan!

Tonight's city council meeting may be the end to the Norwood-EOP Space Odyssey. Once the council gets their parliamentary act together, motioning to substitute one PUD ordinance for another or offer amendments as they feel necessary, we hear the final vote count will probably end up 4 to 3 in favor of granting Norwood's Park Ridge 2004 LLC their density variance.

For those of you who don't think 8 extra units and a sham "senior housing" component are good for Park Ridge, you may want to contact the 4 likely "yes" votes: Rich DiPietro (2nd Ward), Jim Allegretti (4th Ward), Bob "the Builder" Ryan (5th Ward) and Tom Carey (6th Ward).

Fifth ward alderman, Bob "the Builder" Ryan, is purported to have privately negotiated with Norwood and then lobbied his fellow aldermen in favor of granting Norwood's request. We're not sure exactly what he "negotiated", but we strongly urge him to remain in the field of traffic engineering, since the plan that is probably going to be approved this evening isn't much of a deal for the residents of Park Ridge.

Look Around.

Have a colorful weekend!

MMMMMMM...Pie!

We just love a good slice of disclosure. The only thing better is when that mmm mmm good slice of disclosure comes with a big heapin' helpin' of disclosure of the disclosures.

Help yourself to a slice of disclosure pie at PublicWatchdog.org - Scorecard Part 1.

Our thanks to the Pub-dogs!