It all fits together like an imaginative touchdown drive in need of a final push over the goal line.
Perhaps nobody noticed, but two recent, seemingly unrelated events could, if taken together, once again fan the flames of Du Page County`s burning desire for a major league sports franchise.
First, the Illinois legislature refuses to consider funding Chicago`s huge McDome project this year, and a disappointed Chicago Bears President Michael McCaskey says he will seek a home in the suburbs.
Then, the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority announces it has completed terms with Du Page County officials for a $9.2 million interchange at Winfield Road on the East-West Tollway. That will encourage the rapid development of the largest remaining undeveloped tract of privately owned land in the county, a parcel owned by Elmhurst-Chicago Stone Co. in Warrenville.
What ties the two together is a statement by former County Board Chairman Jack Knuepfer during his musings before leaving office.
”The successful stadium of the future,” said Knuepfer, ”is going to be on a tollway somewhere in suburbia because suburbanites fill those galleries.”
Don`t forget that Knuepfer`s former chief of staff, Ken Lahner, is now head of Elmhurst-Chicago Stone Co., and that passing near the site is the Elgin Joliet & Eastern Railway line, which Knuepfer had been actively seeking as a transportation corridor.
Also remember that, like a veteran quarterback, Knuepfer was a master at calling the big play.
Office party
The hottest nightspot in Du Page County may just be an office park in Glendale Heights.
Village officials recently approved a 50,000-square foot distribution building for Coors Brewing Co. in the High Grove Office Park`s west campus on Army Trail Road.
Already at that spot is the Rykoff-Sexton Foods Inc. at 185,000 square feet, and Warner Brothers Communications at 150,000 square feet. So Coors could supply the beer, Rykoff-Sexton the munchies, and Warner Bros. the tunes. And with all that space, practically all of Du Page could be invited.
The coincidence did not go unnoticed.
”They could have one heck of a party,” said Glendale Heights Village Manager James Kilcourse.
What about dessert, you say? Edy`s Grand Ice Cream, at 42,000 square feet, is also on the premises.
From the heart
There were sounds of peace emanating from Du Page Republican Party Chairman James ”Pate” Philip and newly-crowned County Board Chairman Aldo Botti at Botti`s inauguration ceremony Monday night.
But anyone aware of the rocky relationship between the two may have found just as much meaning in what they didn`t say.
Philip publicly thanked Botti for inviting him to be the main speaker. He also made what sounded like a sincere peace offer, informally calling Botti by his first name.
”Al,” said Philip, ”I pledge you my support and cooperation. We can work together to do something for the citizens and taxpayers of Du Page County.”
But Philip didn`t spend much time lauding Botti, around whom the whole evening centered. He instead rambled on about the party`s wonderful performance in the election.
Botti delivered a heart-felt ”thank you” speech to his family, campaign workers and the county`s voters. But he made no mention of the Republican Party.
Who, me?
Lee Daniels said he was in the midst of his battle to retain his minority leader`s post when Botti invited him to speak at the ceremony. He said he started to get nervous when he found out Botti wanted him to say something about elected officials who were leaving office this year.
Said Daniels: ”I didn`t know if he was talking about me or someone else.”
Borrowed wisdom
Good men always call upon the knowledge of great men, and the speakers at Monday night`s inauguration were no exceptions.
Aldo Botti quoted the physicist Albert Einstein: ”Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.”
Master of Ceremonies Lester Munson drew upon Yogi Berra. Ribbing Botti and Du Page`s Chief Judge Anthony Peccarelli about their ethnicity, Munson said Berra once told a waitress he`d like his pizza sliced into six pieces instead of eight because he wasn`t hungry enough to eat eight.
