A city manager form of government in theory is a great idea, but it requires a strong city council to keep the bureaucrats under control.  Freeport does not have a strong city council.  Control of the City has been relinquished to a City Manager who thinks he is in the military.  We have department heads who are totally unresponsive to the citizens of this community, and in fact treat them with contempt.    Of course, all of these bureaucrats will be gone in the next few years, but the damage has been done.  Freeport at one time was an oasis of reason in the corrupt State of Illinois, but now it is run like Springfield.    The citizens are treated like a big piggy bank, and when the bank is empty, the bureaucrats move on to their next victim.   Goodbye Freeport, you just don’t get it.

Have a great Fourth of July!

Recently, I witnessed one of the oversized wind turbine transport vehicles heading south along with its escort car following it go through a red light at the corner of Meadows Drive and West Street.  The wind turbine transport vehicle was speeding down West Street when the traffic light turned yellow, and then red when the transport vehicle entered the intersection.  To make matters worse, the escort vehicle also clearly on the red light proceeded through the intersection.  I guess these vehicles (turbine haulers) along with the escort vehicles have a license to travel through Freeport in a reckless manor with total disregard for our traffic laws.   Like the old James Bond movie, the wind turbine vehicles have a License to Kill, at least in Freeport, Illinois.

I was shocked to read a column on June 13, 2019 in the Journal Standard by Chris Enroth, a horticulture educator at the University of Illinois Extension.  He stated among other things that mosquitoes are attracted to the following:

“Carbon dioxide: Yes, every time you exhale, you draw those pesky little blood- suckers closer. Lactic acid: Humans produce lactic acid on our skin, some produce more than others.  High skin temperature.”

By implication, his typical Illinois, bureaucratic, idiotic solution is as follows:

Do not breath when outside.

Reduce skin temperature by taking a bath in ice water prior to going outside.

Only go outside when it is cold and the wind is over 10 miles per hour.

Strap small a fan to your head to blow the mosquitoes away.

Coat your body in repellant which contains at least 40 per cent DEET.

Now for my solution.  Abolish the worthless Freeport Mosquito Protection District.  It was worthless 10 years ago and still is worthless.  It is not worth one dollar of my taxes.   In the alternative if you want to support the worthless Freeport Mosquito Protection District, then forget spraying and buy mosquito suits for all residents of Freeport.

Recently, in Northern Illinois we have not had much to celebrate, but it has been a great time for professionals in the weather forecasting field.    Considering the tools available to forecasters, it is hard to understand that they often cannot predict the weather 24 hours ahead of time.   Personally, I feel that we might as well rely on the groundhog to predict the weather.  This year as is the custom on February 2 at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, people watched the groundhog deliver his forecast.   Good news!  Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow, predicting an early spring.   My forecast is also for an early spring which is worth as much as those forecasts by our weather professionals.  In the future let’s combine Groundhog Day and National Weatherperson’s Day since they both have a lot in common – both are right 50% of the time! 

The country will observe a National Day of Mourning on Wednesday, honoring the 41st president George H.W. Bush. He died at age 94 Friday night, November 30.

Days of mourning usually recognize former commanders-in-chief and involve memorial and remembrance events.

How it can affect you?

The U.S. Postal Service will not deliver regular mail. All post office locations will be closed, too.

Limited package delivery will continue to avoid setbacks during the busy holiday season, however.

The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq will be closed.

All federal offices will be closed. Federal employees will be excused from work, except for reasons of national security or essential public businesses.

Some banks and courts will be closed. Federal Reserve Bank payment systems will work as normal. Closures will vary by area.

The Supreme Court is postponing arguments for a day.

The House has cancelled all votes for the week.

The Senate has postponed votes to after the Wednesday funeral.

McPherson Law Offices will be open since the private sector must work to pay for all of the government closing.

How lucky we are to have such beautiful public golf courses in Freeport, Illinois. When playing the East Course, pay particular attention to the 16^th hole!

The Freeport City Manager in his column in the Journal Standard on May 19, 2018, says it would take the City 100 years at the present repair rate to bring the streets up to standards (whatever that means).  On March 5, 2018 it was stated in Good Day Illinois that at the February 20, 2018, the Freeport City Council approved spending $32,250 for pothole software this year (2018), and then $19,250 each year thereafter to maintain the software.  I say cancel this contract.  How can the City spend over $200,000 in the next ten years on pothole reporting software when there is no money to fix the streets?  This City Manager with the collaboration of the Council is playing the taxpayers of this City for fools.  Oh well, what’s new.  Enjoy paying your real estate taxes.

Memorial Day, which is observed on the last Monday of May, commemorates the men and women who died while in the military service.  In observance of the holiday, many people visit cemeteries and memorials, and volunteers often place American flags on each grave site at national cemeteries.  A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3:00 p.m. local time.