No Discouraging Words, Please.

In typical pol fashion, the mayor and city council have decided to do a citizen survey, to find out what citizens think about various subjects, but without asking the dangerous question: "Do you think Park Ridge should adopt a local ordinance that allows for the recall of an elected official?"

According the 12-17-08 city council minutes (.pdf), a randomly selected sample of 1200 households will receive the survey.

Questions will range from issues of "traffic calming" to citizen opinion on building a new police station. There will also be questions asking those 1200 residents about police conduct, despite the mayor and city council's already having determined that police conduct is an issue that requires an independent investigation at considerable cost.

But the mayor and city council DO NOT want to hear what citizens have to say about having the right to recall an elected official.

Citizen opinions that displease the pols are just too negative.

Pas plus Francais.

In the December 28th edition of the Chicago Tribune we read: District closes books on French classes.

The District 64 School Board has acquiesced to the wishes of district parents and made Spanish the sole foreign language that will be offered at all elementary schools.

We think that is unfortunate. Especially since the district's FLES program is, as Dr. Sally Pryor notes, not intended to "develop fluency," ..."The goal was to develop those neural pathways so that when [pupils] reached middle school and high school and wanted to study foreign language in a more academic way, they'd be able to."

Toutefois, e'tant donne' que l'objectif principal du programme est de developper des structures neuronales, ces voies doivent developper n'importe laquelle langue e'trangere est enseignee.* As long as the proper curriculum guidelines are followed...

We note the article goes on to report: "Children receive two 25-minute lessons a week, instruction that is intentionally light on grammar. Instead, students learn vocabulary tied to other parts of the curriculum -- the names of the planets, for instance, when the solar system is being studied -- and the cultures of French- and Spanish-speaking nations."

The standard minimum guideline for weekly instruction for FLES programs, last time we looked, is 75 minutes per week. So, it looks like the district's program isn't just light on grammer, but also light on instruction time.

C'est la vie!

* Translation: "However, since the program goal is to develop neural pathways, those pathways should develop no matter which foreign language is taught."

Thar She Blows...

Public Works Service Center, Park Ridge, IL.

...some Bad Air, according to an article in the Journal & Topics, and as also discussed in a Public Works Committee Background Memo.

The background memo states:

"B. Public Works Service Center Air Quality

The Public Works Service Center is experiencing ongoing air quality issues in the office and garage areas. Staff has been in contact with several air quality consultants on this matter to help determine the best course of action. The remediation work has been included in the proposed capital budget, which you will soon be reviewing.

We will discuss this matter."

The Public Works Committee meeting's minutes haven't been posted yet, but we are guessing the discussion did not include asking the architect of record to come in and address what appears to us to be an air pressure/air flow flaw in this award-winning building's design.

Looks like the taxpayers in Park Ridge could be spending some bucks on correcting the problem.

Oh, by the way, the architect of record is Chipman Adams Architects. Yes, that's right - the same Chipman Adams whose name partner, John Chipman, is also one of the principal investors in Norwood's Park Ridge 2004 LLC. The same John Chipman who held private talks with at least two Park Ridge aldermen seeking their "yes" votes - which he got - on a density variance for the condo project at Executive Office Plaza; that should enable his group to make an extra half million dollars or more in profits over what they would have made if the zoning ordinance was strictly enforced.

Think city officials will point out that Mr. Chipman could use any extra profits he, along with his fellow investors, will make off the density variance for the extra units at Executive Office Plaza, to cover the costs involved with correcting the problems at the Public Works Service Center? We don't suggest anybody hold their breath waiting for that.

Well, not anybody except the municipal employees who work at the Public Works Service Center, who otherwise may end up dizzy - or worse - from the diesel fumes wafting into their work space. For those folks, we strongly suggest an immediate visit to their personal physician and a complete base-line physical exam.

Our Kind of Sleigh Ride!

Could have used this for travel on some Park Ridge streets this week.

Huck the bumps and enjoy some big air this weekend.

Stupid Gets What Stupid Agrees To.

A few weeks ago we reported on an action item before the city council in our post about 800 lb Gorilla in City Council! We discussed the mandates of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised and the role of a meeting chairman. Shortly after that, a PRU reader asked for a follow-up on the issue.

At the City Council meeting on 12/17/07 (minutes-.pdf) an amendment was offered by the Lord of the Manor, Alderman Rich DiPietro (2nd ward), to add the words "upon relinquishing the chair" to the motion by the unfriendly Ghost of the 6th ward, Alderman Thomas Carey, to allow the Mayor to participate in debate and discussion of matters before the city council.

Gee fellas, did you work out that motioning and amending business prior to the meeting?

The change to the procedure governing the Mayor's participation in debate and discussion "upon relinquishing the chair" does mean that some ward may on occasion not have a representative participating in debate and discussion.

So there's the update on the issue of the Mayor's participation in debate and discussion at city council meetings.

The PRU Crew has enjoyed a few laughs over this issue and its outcome.

DiPietro, sometimes you are a real piece of work.

Yes! We have no bananas!

The Banty Cock Crows!

Shortly before the Holidays, the citizens of Park Ridge were treated to another round in the continuing saga of Kemerer v. Schmidt (Pub-dogs post 12-20-07)

Mr. David Kemerer, known 'round PRU as the self-titled "Cousin Dave", wrote yet another letter to the local rags; this time, defending all things Benedict Alderman Ryan (5th Ward). The PRU Crew is beginning to think Ryan may be as illiterate as Mayor Frimark, since he hasn't taken the time to write any of his own letters, communicating his own position and defending his own vote before the citizens of Park Ridge - many of whom believe Ryan is doing everything EXCEPT representing them.

The Pub-dogs note that Ryan did indeed hold private discussions with one (or more) of the investors in Norwood's Park Ridge 2004 LLC, whose request was then pending before the council. We believe that investor was Mr. John Chipman, who was eager to have Ryan's affirmative vote for approval of the density variance Norwood was seeking for their condo project at Executive Office Plaza. And Chipman eventually got that affirmative vote.

Mr. Kemerer has spent considerable time on the subject of Executive Office Plaza, as well as considerable time on researching and discussing the issue of a recall ordinance for local elected officials that has been proposed by Alderman Dave Schmidtzkrieg (1st Ward).

Mr. Kemerer treated PRU readers to some lengthy discussion of the topic of a recall in his "Cousin Dave" comments (#21, #24, #27) in our Worse Than Kool-aid! post. Noting specifically in one comment that we had better "buckle our seat belts" because he had to "throw a little law" at everybody.

And now it appears we may know why Mr. Kemerer has had so much valuable attorney time to dedicate to stumping for Norwood, defending the "honor" of Benedict Alderman Ryan, and attempting to provide Alderman Schmidtzkrieg with etiquette lessons...


ARDC Lawyer Search Results

The ARDC's website notes:

REMOVAL FROM AND REINSTATEMENT TO THE MASTER ROLL OF ATTORNEYS

Supreme Court Rule 756 provides that on February 1 of each year, the ARDC must remove from the master roll the name of any lawyer who has not registered for that year. The rule also provides that any lawyer who practices law while not on the master roll engages in the unauthorized practice of law and may be held in contempt. ARDC sends a Final Registration Notice in January, warning unregistered attorneys that they will be removed from the master roll if they do not register. Shortly after the removal, ARDC sends notice of an attorney's removal to the attorney and to the Chief Judges and Clerks of the circuit courts in which the removed attorney was registered.

If you have been removed from the master roll for failure to register, you can be reinstated by registering and paying the registration fee and any penalty due.

Mr. Kemerer may we suggest, the next time you "throw a little law" at anybody, that you make sure you are authorized to do so? Or give folks a heads up about your lapsed registration status? After all, you must know that those hearing and reading your words are doing so under the presumption that you are an attorney, authorized to practice law. Letting folks know you, in fact, are not seems like the polite thing to do.

Thanks.

The More Things Change...

We took a look at some recent condominium and mixed-use developments going up in the surrounding area suburbs. In our opinion, it looks like the more redevelopment changes any given town's landscape, the more those towns begin to look the same.

But maybe all these developers and architects are just using the same graphics software? Maybe that's why all these renderings look remarkably similar?


Addison


Lincolnshire


Berwyn


Naperville


Park Ridge


Homewood


Franklin Park


Lombard


Vernon Hills

We actually like the one in Homewood. It reminds us of the stretch along Prospect, South of the Pickwick in Park Ridge.

All of these pics were lifted off an internet forum dedicated to discussion about big, big buildings. Much of the discussion also notes how great it would be if suburbanites would just learn that density is delightful and tall buildings are terrific; we just don't seem to have that Euro-flare for density that city sophisticates do. There is also some grave concern expressed for how terribly sprawl-tastic us sub-urban dwellers tend to be.

We think big big buildings are great and tall buildings are terrific too, for big big cities like Chicago. But we don't feel everybody has to, or should want to, live in a big big city, with big big buildings that are terrifically tall. But that's just our opinion.