... From the Archives Part II

Peoria Heights Examiner "Half-Truth #1"
At a Board of Trustees meeting, not long after I took office, Trustee Andrea Pendleton, out of the clear blue, asked to read a correspondence from a "citizen," and I told her that was fine. She then went on to read a complaint from this "citizen." She had not checked with me beforehand as to what the correspondence involved. I assumed it was just going to be an informational type correspondence. Remember... "assume nothing."

To quote the collectors edition of the Peoria Heights Examiner from the 2007 election:"After Trustee Andrea Pendleton read a postcard from a resident at a Village Board meeting complaining about dead trees in front of our new grade school and about weeds along a road near the school, Mayor Allen did not like hearing that. As a result this is a memo he sent out a few days later:"

It goes on to quote my memo, which reads as follows:"Proper Procedure For Introducing Correspondences At Trustee Meetings: 1. If there is a correspondence of any type you (Trustees) want introduced at a Trustee Meeting, it must be given to Administrator Horstmann first... NO exceptions. That correspondence will be reviewed by Admin. Horstmann and myself to see if it should be read at a meeting, or given to the proper authority to be further handled.

2. After review and acceptance, the correspondence will be given to Village Clerk Musselman to read, NO exceptions.

3. If a Trustee wishes to read the correspondence himself/herself at a meeting, please make that request when the correspondence is given to Admin. Horstmann for view along with myself. Authorization to do so will be given by myself.

4. If these procedures are not followed, and a correspondence is brought forth at a Trustee Meeting without previous authorization, I will immediately gavel the proceedings and have an Executive Session to further discuss the matter.Mark B. Allen, Mayor"

Couple problems here: One, a Trustee should NOT be reading a complaint at a meeting. The person making the complaint should appear in person to register that complaint. Just my opinion.

Second, and here's the important part: What the Examiner somehow failed to mention is that the complaint read by Trustee Andrea Pendleton was a FORGERY. That's right. Sort of an important tidbit of info to not pass along, don't you think? That's why I wrote the memo I did: the FORGED name was of a respected business owner in Peoria Heights. That respected business owner in Peoria Heights DID NOT WRITE THE COMPLAINT. It was FORGED, and Trustee Pendleton read it aloud, along with the FORGED name.

At the next Board of Trustees meeting, that respected business owner showed up, in tears, and asked WHY anyone would read such a complaint without FIRST checking to make certain it was real. It was left to me to apologize for the Village, for a FORGED complaint that I had nothing to do with the reading of, while Trustee Pendleton did not even say "sorry."

Now, do you think I might have had a good reason to write the memo? A Board of Trustees meeting is for Village business. We have a "Comments from the Audience" section, where people who want to air their grievances can certainly do so. I have no trouble or problem with those who dissent... just do it above board, without surprise at a public meeting, and try to do it with a REAL complaint, not a FORGED one.

Again, a "half truth." I submit this for a second time as it is a perfect example of how the Peoples Party Hierarchy likes to present its "cases." They leave out the stuff that might damage their arguments, and shoot from the hip with the rest. Everyone needs to keep this in mind, as the newest issue of the "Peoria Heights Examiner a/k/a Peoples Party Tomfoolery" or something close to it, will almost certainly be arriving in your mailbox soon.

I have no problem with folks disagreeing with what we've done so far; that's the American way. But, please try to get your facts correct first. In this case, they left out the reason why I wrote the memo : Trustee Pendleton read a forged complaint at a Board of Trustees meeting. That's certainly unacceptable, and the best way to avoid it happening in the future is to follow the procedures in the memo. Only the Peoples Party Hierarchy would have an issue with that.