Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Shifting Ethical Sands
In Crystal Lake about 1970, Ladd came in for another big subdivision, Four Colonies. By that time in Crystal Lake’s growth cycle, residents could tell that growth in no way paid its own way.
The second floor city council meetings were packed. As one meeting ended, the city treasurer’s wife, a nurse in the new Coventry grade school, was heard to say, “Damn transients,” after one particularly raucous meeting.
Judy Bathric Lawrence, a woman with whom I had ridden the bus to high school and by then a resident of Coventry, pretty much went berserk at the hypocrisy. Judy knew that our chemistry teacher’s wife had moved to Crystal Lake after her family had and wouldn’t have the job as nurse, if the “Damn transients” hadn’t moved to Coventry. Judy’s husband Don had to separate her from the treasurer’s wife as Judy repeatedly shouted,
No one else announced and Wujcik won the election handily.
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The second floor city council meetings were packed. As one meeting ended, the city treasurer’s wife, a nurse in the new Coventry grade school, was heard to say, “Damn transients,” after one particularly raucous meeting.
Judy Bathric Lawrence, a woman with whom I had ridden the bus to high school and by then a resident of Coventry, pretty much went berserk at the hypocrisy. Judy knew that our chemistry teacher’s wife had moved to Crystal Lake after her family had and wouldn’t have the job as nurse, if the “Damn transients” hadn’t moved to Coventry. Judy’s husband Don had to separate her from the treasurer’s wife as Judy repeatedly shouted,
“Transients! Damn transients! If it weren't for the 'damn transients,' she wouldn't have her job.”In 1971, three-term Mayor Louis J. Goossens (1959-71) was handily defeated by Tony Wujcik, the president of the Involved Citizens Association. The victor was a heat treatment department worker who, when he announced for office, said that he knew that Crystal Lake was not a blue collar town and that, if someone else ran against the mayor, he would drop out.
No one else announced and Wujcik won the election handily.
To return to McHenry County Blog, click here.
# posted by Cal Skinner : 7:24 AM
