Free! Free! Freewheeling!

Feel free to express your independence and independent thoughts here!

The PRU Crew will be on vacation through the July 4th holiday, but we'll be checking-in periodically and posting your comments as necessary.

1937-2008...shit...

Thanks for the laughs, George.

Enjoy a long weekend and remember to laugh!

Whhhhhhhhhhyyyyyyyyyyy???

Tonight's City calendar includes a meeting of the Fair Housing Commission. Among the documents listed for the meeting is a draft letter to the City Council.

The PRU Crew is going to ignore the extreme hyperbole and misinformation contained in the draft letter and simply offer our opinion as to whhhyyy whhhyyy whhhyyy the City Council's Procedures and Regulations committee seems to be pulling up the reins on the Fair Housing Commission and the unelected appointees who populate it.

The Fair Housing Commission, chaired by the infamous Nan Parson who is so ably aided and abetted by former 3rd Ward Alderman, Sue Bell, has consistently failed to recognize that they are not, never have been, and are unlikely to become a political action committee for affordable housing and other do-gooder social justice causes.

The Fair Housing Commission has consistently overstepped its mandate of carrying out city policy, as determined by the City Council, and has continually sought to expand its role in determining that policy.

The Fair Housing Commission's chairman, Nan Parson, cannot seem to remember the difference between the issues of "fair housing" and "affordable housing"; hint: they aren't the same things!

The Fair Housing Commission has aggressively sought to determine city policy through almost constant bombardment of the city attorney with requests for legal work to change the city's fair housing ordinance.

The Fair Housing Commission has sought to use the Park Ridge - Niles School District curriculum to advance their social agenda by requesting that the district include in its elementary school curriculum special attention to the narrow issue of fair housing.

In short, the Fair Housing commission, and particularly Nan Parson and Sue Bell, have been real pains in the ass; incessantly whining, grabbing for policy-making power, attempting to influence district 64 curriculum, and consuming city resources of attorney and staff time at a Nascar clip!

The PRU Crew applauds Alderman James Allegretti (4th Ward), Alderman Dave Schmidt (1st Ward), and Alderman Thomas Carey (6th Ward) for kicking your asses back into line.

Carry on, gentlemen!

A Kinder, Gentler "Inquisition"

The Inquisition – the real Inquisition, not the Monty Python version – was a dark time in this planet’s history. People were questioned and threatened with death, usually by members of the clergy (claiming to be acting in the name of God) assisted by local governmental officials, if they did not tell their inquisitors what they wanted to hear. Because these proceedings were conducted in secret, however, an accurate account of what was said and what kind of threats caused it to be said was rarely available.

Today we reverse the process and offer our own mini-“inquisition” of a member of the clergy: Fr. Carl Morello. But unlike the original Inquisition, we don’t claim to be acting in God’s name, since Fr. Carl and the Park Ridge Ministerial Assoc. seem to have beaten us to that endorsement. And also unlike the original, we are conducting this one in public with no threats or intimidation.

We just want to hear Fr. Carl's answers to the questions his own parishioners, and also a lot of non-parishioner residents of Park Ridge, have been asking about how St. Paul of the Cross school became the new PADS homeless shelter site.

Let’s start with this baker’s dozen, Father:

1. When did you first hear any mention of a PADS shelter being set up in Park Ridge?
2. When did you first become involved in the planning of a PADS shelter here?
3. What specifically did you do to inform yourself about PADS and its overnight shelters?
4. Did you ever visit a PADS shelter; and, if so, how many and where?
5. Why didn’t you tell your parishioners about PADS when planning first began?
6. With whom did you consult before committing to support a PADS shelter in Park Ridge?
7. What alternatives to a PADS shelter have you personally explored?
8. How many homeless people have you let stay in the St. Paul rectory in the past two years?
9. Why don’t you consider rectory stays a viable alternative to a PADS homeless warehouse?
10. With whom did you consult before committing to host the PADS shelter at St. Paul?
11. Why did you demand secrecy from your school board members about the St. Paul PADS?
12. Who asked Atty. Jack Owens to represent you, St. Paul or the Archdiocese re PADS?
13. Are you personally guaranteeing the safety of the St. Paul schoolchildren?

Fr. Carl, feel free to post your answers as a comment to this site. We promise to print them, in their entirety.

Taking Attendance! Great Idea!

In last week's Park Ridge Herald-Advocate there were two items covering the attendance of Aldermen at City Council and committee meetings, while today's Pub-dog piece is also about Benedict Alderman Ryan's need for an attitude adjustment.

The PRU Crew is going to give ourselves a big old pat on the backs for getting people to pay attention to the issue of attendance.

And you're all very welcome.

The Evolution of Dance!

Boogie down and have a great weekend!

Once again, we're starting ours a day early.

I Don't Like Sparklers and Snakes!

An article in last week's Journal & Topics was brought to our attention by a PRU reader -- Firework Crackdown Includes Common Items.

In the article, Park Ridge Fire Department Lt. Jeff Sorensen is quoted as saying, "My whole thing is just life safety." We appreciate your thing, sir, but sparklers and snakes?

The piece offers the following: "The ordinance bans anything that produces "a visible or audible effect by combustion, explosion or deflagration or detonation." That includes items like sparklers or snakes that are legal under state law."

The article goes on to explain, "There have also been reports of injuries from fireworks, including the sparklers that parents often give to their children.

He said a parent once told him her 2-year-old was too smart to be burned from the 1800-degree rod in his hand."

Our PRU reader submitted the following remarks on the topic:

Open letter to Lt. Jeff Sorensen:

What is next for regulation in this town? My stove? In your explanation regarding the new ordinance, you are quoted as saying "anything that could hurt people or start fires." I am left thinking that since it has a flame, and you have jumped to conclusions that we are incapable of parenting our children, that perhaps that is next.

Or maybe it will be the hot water heater. Again, since the assumption is that we cannot control our children, then we can't be trusted to monitor the gauge so as to keep them from being hurt. Snakes and Sparklers are no longer available for purchase or to be used in Park Ridge? Good grief!

This used to be a wonderful place to live and raise a family. Now it is a constant wonder of big brother and lousy government. Give us a little credit. Any parent that would hand a sparkler to a two-year old and say they are too smart to get burned will need a lot more coaching than your just banning sparklers.

Crack down on the criminals who are transporting illegal fireworks over the state lines; who keep us up at night with their illegal activity; who raise the potential of burning branches or property damage and who risk personal injury. Leave us alone with our simple display of independence and let us have our sparklers and snakes back. I will read with great interest the time a tree is burned down by a snake!

It seems to the reader, and to the PRU Crew too, that the new ordinance and Lt. Sorensen may be a bit over-zealous in attempts to keep the children of Park Ridge out of harms way.

We get the feeling that the next child-protective ordinance the City will pass is that all children under the age of eighteen will be required to wear bubble wrap!



And the whole sparklers and snakes ban reminded the PRU Crew of another item we recently read in the local press -- Decorative blue stones have downsides for library leaders.

In that article readers learn that Library Director, Ms. Janet "Van De Carr said members of the board are unhappy with the look of the bluestone and the fact that it is often kicked outside the area and tracked into the library. The board has also expressed concern about small children putting the stones in their mouths and about larger rocks around the tree being thrown." (emphasis added)

The PRU Crew knew about kids eating bugs and boogers, but we have to admit we had no idea about them eating rocks. Throwing rocks, yes. Eating rocks, no. We learn something new every day. Whether we like it or not.

Still, we can't help but feel that either somebody got children and chickens confused, or some parents may need to consult a nutrition expert about what may be missing from their kid's diet. Barring that, we'd like to suggest an old standby...



A little strip over the little kid pie hole and you're good to go for a trip to the Library!

Silence is golden! Duct tape is silver!

And while we're on the subject, we'd also like to suggest...



...for dumbass parents who would give anything combustible to a two year old!