"The thorn defends the rose"

Last week we talked about Rainbow Hospice and the Taste of Park Ridge. The PRU Crew's sentiments about both of these organizations and their activities hasn't changed. We still very much appreciate them both.

Our faithful PRU readers may remember from last year our post about the Taste of Park Ridge. We offered PRUdos to the Pub-dogs for pushing for transparency in the face of some seriously strident opposition and criticism.

The Pub-dogs are again making another call for transparency, regarding the financial arrangements for the Taste of Park Ridge Inc.

And again the PRU Crew is appreciating the tenacity of the Pub-dogs.

In the words of a Shaolin master -- "To suppress a truth is to give it force beyond endurance."

Freewheeling Mid-June!

#1 -- shell gaming it out!

It was reported to us by our sources that at last Monday's Council meeting a member of the audience, while addressing the Council on the issue of contributions to community groups, made mention of a "social service agency" which receives funds from the City and is sponsoring the Taste of Park Ridge.

And in an online article from the Herald-Advocate, we see that the "social service agency" is none other than Rainbow Hospice.

The PRU Crew supports the mission of Rainbow Hospice and believes the services they provide are of tremendous value. But -- and dear PRU readers you knew that was coming -- according to their most currently published 2008 annual report (.pdf), Rainbow Hospice's net assets for 2008 totaled $635,130, out of a budget that totals more than $15.9 million.

While the City Council is in deficit spending mode, costs are rising, many city employees have agreed to wage freezes, and it is unlikely the City Hall chiller unit will be the last unbudgeted "emergency" to come along, the City Council voted to give $5000 in taxpayer money to Rainbow Hospice.

In terms of the total budget and deficit for the City of Park Ridge, $5000 is peanuts -- and the Council's inflated giving of $700 more to Rainbow Hospice than the originally approved 2009/2010 budget is a speck on a peanut's ass, if peanut's can be said to have asses that is.

It appears to us that Rainbow Hospice, while doing angel's work, has managed to raise plenty of money for themselves -- a payroll of more than $7.9 million is nothing to sneeze at -- and their cause, and so they've felt generous enough to shift at least some money toward a sponsorship for the Taste of Park Ridge.

The PRU Crew likes and appreciates both Rainbow Hospice and the Taste of Park Ridge. But we can't help getting the feeling this kind of shell game of taxpayer money movement is wrong, especially in light of the City's financial condition.


#2 -- Boxed in!

The PRU Crew hasn't managed to track down the original source of the email message posted below. Nor have we been able to obtain 2 other unrelated sources for confirmation of what is contained in the message. So, we're publishing what has been forwarded to us and we're going to let PRU readers confirm, deny, and-or have their say about it --

The city of Park Ridge is in negotiations for a deal that could result in the closing off the passageway (Framer’s Alley) behind the Starbuck's/Hill's Hallmark courtyard. The plan, as I understand it, is to build a retail space facing the courtyard that completely fills the walk-through space and eliminates pedestrian passage. The open space immediately behind the passageway leading to Pickwick’s rear theatres would become more parking lot.This is one of my absolute favorite spots in Park Ridge. It is unique, charming, and a little taste of Europe. It links a main parking lot with the uptown shops, making Park Ridge’s uptown extremely pedestrian-friendly. It also very conveniently links the front and back theatres of the Pickwick. I believe the city will be making a huge mistake by eliminating this space. We already have many retail spaces, both empty and full, but only one space that lends such character and pedestrian accessibility to the heart of uptown.

Anyone care to speak up and claim authorship?