Just when I thought that all the dumb people who couldn't figure out how to vote and punch a hole in a ballot were all in Florida, I read a letter to the Editor of the Quincy paper by Russell Heindselman. He can't figure out what the electoral college is and then printed it in the paper. Now we will have people saying that people in La Grange are as dumb as those in Florida.

In the news today, about 70 dumb people were flown to Tallahassee to appear in court to tell again how dumb they are. This reminds me of what Ralph (pave my drive free) Martin and Fred (no prayer here) Weiwel did the meeting night after I fired the Chief for refusing to work. Remember that? Remember all those people from Ramsey Jones telling you how good the Chief took care of the trailer park? Remember the shaking trembling Jeanie Harmon? None of them were voters in the City. 

The Street super is happy again, his riding partner is back. How do you take a $200 old pickup and make a $5,000 vehicle? Give it to the Fire Department. Rumor has it that the Police Chief made an extremely excellent truck trade. He should be so proud. Another rumor has it that a bunch of workers at the foundry are already talking strike.

Questions have hit a couple of times about workers at the boat. It has been thrown up to me several times that Dean (the banker) Phillips promised the City Council and Hizzoner that La Grange people would be first on the list to work on the boat. So far, these emailers have not seen any local workers on the boat. So much for taking care of La Grange.

I had a chance to get a copy of the Deed of Trust and assignments of leases and rents & the Loan Agreement on the gambling boat for $14,000,000.00. $14 mil for that dinky boat. It seems the LRO and the City have pledged a whole lot more to the loan for the boat than the borrowers have. A whole lot more.

Why does this new contract, which the people did not vote on, have clauses that the money the City gets be designated ONLY to develop an industrial park or improvements for or around the boat? Why did the City only take $30,000 for 8 lots when everyone else was getting that much for one lot???

MY biggest concern and it should be everyone's in town concern is the fact that the lending company has including in the loan agreement ALL UNDERGROUND WATER RIGHTS. The gambling boat has pledged your water as collateral and the City Council and the Mayor agreed to it. Not everyone lives in Florida.

I guess the MAYOR and the CITY COUNCIL doesn't know where the city gets its water. Oh well, I guess we can buy our water from the gambling boat or the loan company rather than from the City. They sold out our school. They sold out to BFI. They sold out to Clark County Water. Why not sell our water to the gambling boat. 187 people have to be tickled to death the voted for THEIR Mayor.  

Today I spent a lot of time uploading pictures and also all of the Special (secret) meetings of the City Council. Also minutes of the Finance Committee - Police Committee - Fire Committee - Parks & Cemetery meetings. Wow, you cannot believe what Ralph (Pave my drive free) Martin and Fred (no prayer here) Wiewel have planned for you. If everything goes as planned, YOU the PEOPLE AND TAXPAYERS of the City of La Grange will not see one dime of the money from the gambling boat. It is either all spent or all owed. And 187 people are tickled to death of the performance of the Mayor THEY elected. We all bless you 187 people from Florida.

Thanksgiving day is almost here and we still do not have a President elect. 

Just a couple of items today. Email question was.  Don't you feel sorry that since Sam Green is on vacation this week that the street super has to ride around all day everyday this week by himself??

Do you wonder why the Chamber of Commerce held their meeting at the Lions Hall instead of the NEW LRO offices?

Do you wonder why the weenee wagon and Wilmas open and close all hours of the day?

Another Email from "anonymous" asked the question as to why, whenever the lady officer is on duty at nights, the chief works the same nights?? The second part was, what is so interesting on the river side of Bunge's?

Today I am reprinting emails I have received these past couple of days. But before I do here are the winners of the raffle held by the La Grange Community Youth Center. The centerpiece went to Elaine Jamison. The Angels Statutes went to Dottie Tonnies. The Angel tree went to Bobby Anders. The soup supper, raffle, and personal donations ( some of which are still coming in) have the total close to $1,000.00. This was excellent. A thank you to Mr & Mrs Ayers for their support.

Here s an email regarding the Soup Supper.

Jerry, 
Can you please put this thank-you on your gossip page? 
We want to send a special THANK-YOU to Andy and Mary Ayers for sponsoring the successful soup supper for the La Grange Community
Youth Center Building Fund. A big thank-you also to those that helped to prepare and donate the soup, ham, cakes, tickets, and supplies. 
Thank-you to those that helped served the supper. Thank-you to the La Grange Lion's group for the use of their building, Thank-you to all the
teens that showed up to help. Proud of you guys. Thank-you to all of you that came to make it a success, and bought raffle tickets for our
Teen Angel Program.
They say that at the end of the rainbow is a pot of gold. Those of us at the La Grange Community Youth Center have found something that is
more precious and priceless. What could that be? The YOUTH of our community and the surrounding area, along with LOVE, FRIENDSHIP,
AND RESPECT. You can't buy this. It is earned through caring for others. We do care!
Who we are is God's gift to us, and what we become is our gift back to God.
Thank-you everyone for all you have done.
Betty

Now, In regards to the La Grange Public Library, I have an email that was sent to me from out of state. here it is.

I am so thankful that your page prompted heat in the new library. I spent 
quite a lot of time in the library (old one) while I was (visiting) there -- and I think 
La Grange should be SO PROUD of their library -- and also of Dixie. She is a 
sharp gal, so helpful to everyone. La Grange really has a jewel there with 
Dixie and the Library. Also I talked to her quite a lot about the moving 
situation, and I was just totally appalled that there was no one offering to 
help her. If I lived there I would be on the phone to the mayor, city 
council, and everyone else I knew who was an employee, or connected with the 
City to get their butts over there, start packing boxes and MOVING that stuff 
over there, putting shelves together for her, etc. It just made me sick with 
the lack of support. Why couldn't the street and water people have been 
helping her? I thought it was awful. Let me make very clear Dixie was 
not complaining -- I asked very pointed questions as to who was helping her 
-- and why the city employees and others involved with the city were not 
helping. And the truth came out. (Being responsible for handling three 
different moves of our Foreign Languages Department at Colorado State 
University, I know all the effort it takes to get moves accomplished, and at 
least I had plenty of people available to help. But I still had to organize 
it and get 70 people settled in their offices.) But it just made me feel 
awful that no one was helping her. After all -- wasn't this an "official 
move" of a City entity? Isn't the Library tied to the city? Well, I guess 
it is really a part of the Lewis County or Northeast Missouri Library system 
-- but hey -- Colorado State University has ties to the federal government, 
and State government -- but I wasn't expecting people in Denver to come and 
help out! Get my drift? 

Oh well, enough of my soap box this morning. 

I'm so glad you are there with your gossip page -- you are doing a real 
service. 

I'm so glad that you helped them to get some heat. Do you happen to know the 
email address to the library? I would like to write Dixie and just tell her 
that she is doing such a great job, and that the La Grange Library is 
something that all citizens of La Grange should be VERY proud of. There was 
a darling "senior citizen" lady in there that I happened to know, she was a 
friend of my mother's for years. And this lady was in there wanting 
information off the internet -- and I thought it was so great that even the 
"oldsters" in La Grange know that they can come in and "learn about things" 
on the internet. Of course Dixie was doing the search for her -- but she was 
so patient and kind to her. (and the lady was so grateful!). I helped the 
lady as well when Dixie was busy waiting on other clients who came in. 
Anyway -- I was IMPRESSED. Put that in your page!

Also from what I heard about the Youth Center, I think they are doing a whale 
of a job! Are offering such a great things for the kids -- and for the 
"greater community" covering several towns around and out of the county as 
well. It made me almost wish I was a kid again and living there for the 
things that were offered. It breaks my heart that it doesn't get more 
support. Again -- I wished that I could live there and help. So much to do 
-- and people just won't help. Such a worthwhile endeavor. It is left on 
the backs of a few people. Not that Dixie was "complaining" -- I want to 
make that totally clear. But she was just telling "how things were."

Now, here is a reply to my article about the Youth Center.

Hi Jerry,
Thanks for the write up on the gossip page, but I do have some comments. My volunteer work at the youth center, is awarded by the success of the kids. Over the last 10 years my rewards have been great. Yes, I do put in many hours getting things done, but as long as the young people continue to come and take advantage of what we offer, I enjoy making it possible for them. I do not do this alone. Many people are in the back ground working on projects for us. Listing everything is impossible, but I will try. I have friends working on grants, working with foundations for funds, doing the paper work, refreshment committees, those that donate to the operating fund and building funds, those that sponsor fund raisers for us, like the soup supper this weekend, volunteers from Ewing, Canton, Hannibal as well as La Grange, and volunteers to help with the dances. Just like yourself, Jerry, I mentioned to you we needed another printer to go along with a computer that was given to us, and you gave us a new one. We have other people to come in to do the programs. University of Missouri Outreach does the Anger
Classes, and Teen Support volunteers are from Quincy. Last weeks field trip to the Correction Center in Bowling Green were volunteer drivers to take these teens. One was from La Belle, two from Canton, one from Quincy besides myself. Last Saturday we had cleaning day and Christmas decorating at the center. 4 young girls really worked hard. two worked from 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Because the Center has become so busy, it takes more time. We have gone from 20 kids a week to 20 kids a night. But also it is good to know that the parents trust that they will be safe at the center. 
I do it and others do it, because we care and we love kids. We care about what happens in our community and the surrounding area. This is why we are starting to take some of our programs on to other towns. Last week we went to La Belle with the anger program for teens. I have support
from all over. Over the years I have cross paths with many people, and I have kept that friendship. I have had to call upon that friendship many times for help, and yes much advice. I have lots of help and support. 
Please Jerry, if you can put this e-mail on the gossip page, and again thank-you to you and Linda for all you nave done for us. 
Betty Bronestine 

One only has to send a request or complaint or idea to the Gossip page and instant gratification.  On November 16, I wrote about problems with the Main Street Memorial Building and Presto!. The gas company and Hiemer was there the next day and HEAT! 

To add to the information regarding the wrecked police car. Rumor has it this was the second time she wrecked a police car. Not only did she not get a ticket or have to take a drug or breathalyzer test, or even docked or demoted, she has reportedly been promoted to SERGEANT. I suppose now she will need a raise AND a NEW car to WRECK.

Even though the Youth Center Soup Supper was a success, it is very disheartening that the very people  (the dogooders) do not ever show up to support local fund raisers. Only one Councilman (mike Lowe) showed up. No officers of the Chamber. No officers of the LRO. Where was hizooner? Hiding in the ice cream shack? What about Ralph (pave my drive free) Martin or Fred (no prayer here) Wiewel? Look at all what they have done to the town, and yet, no show of support. Where is what's her name ex bank president, when he needed the votes for the gambling boat, she was everywhere. What happened to (locker room) president of the Chamber? Or any officer of the Chamber? Wasn't it just a few weeks ago the Chamber was out trying to get support? Well, there is a Christmas Bazaar coming up, let's see who attends that.

By the way, are they ever going to advertise that grocery store auction the had last weekend? People are still wondering what they are going to sell?

Today I had the occasion to stop by the NEW library to pick up my wife for dinner out. No, we didn't stand outside the wenewagon. Anyhow, I asked why everyone had heavy sweaters or coats on. It seems that the temperature of the building is preset to 61 degrees. I guess we have to save money somewhere. And, on the way out the door I flipped the light switch to see what they turned on or off and guess what?  To turn on the front set of lights you flip the