On September 15, 2011, Park Ridge Park District Commissioners reneged on their 6-month-old “Resolution”. This document was designed to free the Board from damaging public opinion, negative public comments by Senior Center members, and their own internal struggle. The “Resolution” was an attempt to put an end to the 30-year contractual relationship between the Park District and Senior Services, Inc. Senior Services Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)3 that represented Senior Center member’s.
When I heard this news I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. This easily solved and sorry saga had just morphed from being a cheap interpretation of…
into
Before we know it, they’ll stop relying on their attorney and local press and lead out this new pitch man to explain their actions.
| Note: Click purple words or phrases for further information. |
So what happened?
The Seniors were assured prior to the last general election that the “Resolution” was the document controlling senior centered activities. Seniors were assured nothing would change and no contract or agreement was required to govern the Boards relationship with the Seniors.
The Boards “Resolution” Park Ridge voters were told, was something all Park Ridge Seniors could trust and believe in!
So, if the “Resolution” was something to trust and believe in then; as repeatedly and vigorously expressed by current Board officers; namely President Mary Wynn-Ryan, Vice President, Dick Biagi, Board Secretary, Richard Brandt and majority members of the Board prior to the last election, why was it trashed for a worthless letter?
Gee, so much for the trust and mutual respect promoted by prior Boards!
Obviously, the the words of high ranking PRPD Board Officials and their “Resolution”, was not worth the webpage space, paper or gigantic “Resolution” poster it was printed on. The Board demanded the poster’s installation just inside the door at the Center. Some Seniors thought it a daily reminder to Senior’s of the Boards power. Others thought it a big talisman designed to ward off evil sprits. Worthless either way!
Question is, why would this Board trash their “Resolution”?
I believe the “Resolution” was trashed because it was never THEIR resolution to begin with!
Based on Ms. Wynn-Ryan’s account, the unsolicited “Resolution” was apparently created over a weekend and delivered to the Board just prior to its unannounced introduction and Board approval on February 17, 2011, by Board’s Attorney. This story was reaffirmed by: Mr. Biagi and Mr. Brandt, at the same Park Ridge Library pre-election meeting.
So, what is the public to believe and trust now?
The public was led to believe and trust in a sham “Resolution”, now, just an old fashion crock of dung as it were. They were led to believe the hyperbole surrounding Ms. Wynn-Ryan and Mr. Biagi’s undocumented story and assertion that “the public” was afraid of going into the Senior Center and that parents and children were rudely denied use of the Senior Center’s restrooms by Senior Center members. Apparently, a false assertion now debunked!
Now, the public is being asked to believe that this new document, (one in a string of attorney-to-attorney letters), to be the official document underlying a NEW binding agreement.
Oh spare me!
Aborted - Attorney Created – Unsolicited – Pre-Election Resolution
  |
That Morphed Into the “Current Letter of Agreement”.
Thomas G. Hoffman Letter - 09-11-2011If one were to read Jennifer Johnson’s 09/27/2011 article describing this event as only she can, one would get only the Boards side of the story. Apparently, this scribe neglected to reveal offers made at the meeting by Senior Center representatives to report their side of the controversy. Not to worry however, many here in Maine Township have been reading Ms. Johnsons adventures in local journalism for several years and have learned to expect nothing more.
PRA - Jennifer Johnson Article - 09-22-2011
So you think you’re confused?
Well, the Seniors are now more confused than ever and are tired of being sniffed by a fox. It’s time for the Board to get its nose out of Senior tush and quit playing games. This Boards self-imposed problem will not go away, no matter how foxy the maneuver, such as the one perpetrated last month.
Surprise! You’ve just been Punked by the Board.
There is no “pact”, there is no agreement. And no, the “letter” does not just supersede the pending “cooperative guideline” agreement, a Board-known nonstarter. More over, it supersedes the February 17, 2011 Board passed “Resolution”, a document the Board Attorney apparently did not wish to reference when interviewed, nor was it referenced in the letter in question.
Senior's Response Letter 09.14.11
Just a couple notes.
Note #1:
| Just to be clear, based on Park Ridge Park Board Minutes, the board meeting to implement the “Cooperative Guideline” was canceled, and therefore, NO Board Passed “Cooperative Guidelines” exist. |
Note #2:
| For an agreement to happen, both sides (Park Ridge Park District and Park Ridge Senior Senate) must first formally agree. |
Note #3:
| The Board was aware that “the letter” written by Boards Attorney and used as the basis for the so-called “agreement”, had already been formally rejected by the Senior’s attorney prior to the Board meeting vote. Why these public servant's would have the audacity to initiate this apparent scam is beyond me. |
So, what really is behind that so called agreement letter and how does it fit into this mess? That’s still what many of us in the public are trying to figure out.
One More Question
The board has and continues to speak with forked tongue. They repeatedly cry poor, when in fact, they have recently been discussing a possible acquisition of additional land, behind closed doors.
Land Acquisition
Just thought I’d ask!
As always, it’s just my opinion.
11 comments:
Regarding the Park Board's statement that everyone is afraid to go into the Senior Center to use the bathrooms or Restroom Gate, I learned recently that the seniors frying the steaks at the Steak Fry starting keeping count of the number of people from the park entering the building to use the bathrooms. Would you believe just short of SIXTY (60) people entered the Senior Center and used the bathrooms. So much for the ascertion that everyone in town is afraid to even come close to the building.
Well now, isn't that an eye opener. The Park Board adjourned to discuss the acquisition of land. They spend millions of dollars on the children of Park Ridge (believe me, no one begrudges the children anything) and spend a pittance of 2.26% of the budget on its senior citizens, and have been screaming and hollering about it for six months to anyone who would listen and the newspapers. After all this, we now learn that they have so much money they are discussing new land acquisitions. Am I missing something here? This just doesn't add up. Screaming and yelling about spending an infinitesimal amount of their budget on the senior center, happily spending millions on children and now buying new land. Could it be possible that they don't like supporting their senior population by chance. If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, we have at least to consider the possibility that we have a duck.
After reading this blog, I can't believe that the people at the Senior Center would believe one word out of the Park Board's mouth.
Mr. Butterly,
May I paraphrase Ronald Reagan:
"It's not that this [Board] is't smart, its just that so much of what they know isn't so."
Not all Park Ridge Park District Commissioners believe in the direction taken by their leaders. It's time they looked themselves in the mirror, stand up like men and put an end to this insanity!
Anon: October 7, 2011 6:53 PM,
Look, the whole idea that seniors, or for that matter, anyone else at the Park Ridge Senior Center were being less than gracious by not allowing fellow citizens or mini-citizens to use the bathroom, was debunked in my prior post: "Restroom-gate continued – Park Ridge Park District says NO lists of formal complaints of complainers exist!"
Seems, not one of the “offended”, was OFFENDED ENOUGH to complain “officially” to any Park District employee. One would have thought such offensive actions by “club house” members worthy of at least ONE written complaint over a five-year period or ONE name, address and phone number of the offended.
Also, a rumor around "Animal Farm", has Ms. Wynn-Ryan, Mr. Biagi and Mr. Brandt quite embarrassed and upset with that printed email. I can understand why. Seems, Wynn-Ryan, Biagi, Brandt, and others repeating this fable, apparently forget to go to the south end of the Senior Center building as I did today, where they would have found an open door leading to two available bathrooms. I asked some (users) moms and dads, if these bathrooms are always open. No one said no!
In the end, there are two ways we can view the result. We can say this non-happening did nothing more, than embarrass a couple PRPD Board leaders, a few local PRPD supporters and hangers-on, and annoy a bunch of senior citizens. Or we can say this yarn helped to destroy a 30 year relationship.
Pat McLaughlin; Oct. 7, 2011, 7:26PM,
Some Park Board Commissioners like some of their School Board counterparts believe there is never enough property in the realm for some future use. For them, no kingdom is ever large enough.
Seems odd for a taxing body, especially one apparently short of working capital, to even think of expanding their holdings, especially when they can’t seem to maintain what they have or perform the services provided, without additional user fees; an issue I will be talking about in the near future.
Have you ever noticed there are more children than seniors being born in Park Ridge and more seniors dying in Park Ridge than children?
Well, the Board can read numbers and I believe their betting on the children!
I don’t believe it right or fair either, for seniors who make up nearly 1/3 of Park Ridge’s population, to receive less than 3% of the pie, especially since children, unlike seniors, are not required by law to pay a dime of taxes. And yes, I know, it would be ludicrous to expect children to pay taxes. I’m just saying, the dollars spent toward the happiness of Park Ridge children, and the happiness of THEIR PARENTS is out of proportion, at least when it comes to taxpayer-paid Park Ridge Park District activities.
Well fellow seniors, there’s not a damn thing you can do about it!
Local politicians see child-centered parental votes.
Local papers don’t want to upset anybody for fear of loosing readership.
Now you’re being told, if you can’t afford to live in Park Ridge, if you can't afford to pay your taxes and fees; move!
Seniors, local Park Ridge politicians are betting on birth notices over obituaries!
Feel better now?
Anon: October 10, 2011 6:57 PM
One would think that!
Anon: October 11, 2011 7:47 PM
Reagan was right then! I think you're right now!
Mr. Butterly,
Where are Drummond, DeBerg, Lacrosse, Trizna and all the other Board sycophants? I know, it’s hard to fight real facts!
Anon: October 19, 2011 10:30 AM,
Based on my use of Zabasearch and Intelius, programs that search billions of public records for names and addresses, only Mr. Trizna appears to be an actual resident of Park Ridge. The others, one can assume based on the detail of their answers, are pen names for one or more Board members or friends of the Board. No difference! What’s important about your comment is this. Truth, eventually, most always wins out.!
Mr. Butterly:
Yes, there are more children than seniors. And you're right, the Park Board is betting on the children. It's been obvious for some time now that the Park District doesn't give a hoot about it's senior population. The only thing that thy offer seniors is the Senior Center. And we all know by now that their intent is to take an organization that has functioned perfectly for 30 years and completely take over every aspect of the organization and the seniors have no idea why. They have refused to set up a meeting with members of the Center,as promised in the letter adopted at the last Park Board meeting. And the latest is they are making a grab for the money left to the Senior Center by a former member. That letter was nothing but window dressing. They wanted something read into the meeting minutes saying they really cared. It appears they'll stoop to anything, contrary to the spirit of the letter which professed respect for the Senior Center membership and hope to move forward with mutual cooperation. It is also obvious that certain Park Board members have a vendetta against the Senior Center and others are completely apathetic and are letting them do as they please. I frankly don't know which is worse. The group that wants to destroy the Senior Center or the members of the board who stand by and let them do it.
Pat McLaughlin
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