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Demolition of DuPage Theatre gets underway
posted by
btkrefft
on
December 8, 2006 at 12:00 pm
LOMBARD, IL — Demolition work has begun on the 78 year-oldDuPage Theatre in downtown Lombard. Expected to take about 4-6 weeks to complete, the project is beginning at the east end of the long-vacant building, and includes lifting off the roof of the auditorium.
Plasterwork from the auditorium and foyer areas has already been removed for potential reuse. The facade and marquee will be saved as well. The DuPage is not completely lost, but will allow for the future redevelopment of the property.
At the present, there are three main plans for the theater’s future being weighed: complete demolition, allowing special tax funding to redevelop the theater, the construction of condos with retail and a theater as part of the development. Last night, at a village board meeting, a public hearing was held regarding extending the life of a special tax funding district around the downtown area.
To read more, go to, The Daily Herald.
Comments (346)
They fought so hard and all of their arguing did nothing.
That’s because the wrong people did the fighting and arguing
Money and condos win again,don’t bother to save any piece of it,it will only be sold to the people who will live in these new condos,and they will want to have it so they can comment on it’s “quaintness”.Another piece of America dies ,accept it.
“Accept it” in exchange for what exactly, Corvetteguy1963? For if there was some sort of a worthwhile trade-off here I could readily see your point. But there isn’t any. Those who buy condos are DULL, just as are the condos themselves. And you say “accept it”? Why? Since when did such emptiness become entitled to such priority? For I say we need a major rule change here, a real “coming to” kind of thing. Right now the condo set is getting its way while the general outlook among them is, “Who cares what becomes of those who aren’t part of our group?” But hey, couldn’t that just as easily turned around, those of us with some actual depth saying, “Okay, our turn now, folks, you had your long dull run”?
For let me put it this way to you: Beautiful historic old movie theater torn down for new condos = BORING! New condo proposal scrapped to save beautiful old movie theater = FANTASTIC! America back to being a great country again! And the truth of that, that’s all I except. The other, what you’re advocating, is boring.
From an article in the local paper this past week….
Meanwhile, the village has to find a way to pay for the $40 million redevelopment project — one of the largest in the village’s history, said Deborah Dynako, president of Friends of the DuPage Theatre.
“The theater is going to be owned by the village,” Dynako said. “And the taxes collected by the village from the condos will go to pay for the redevelopment.”
The 78-year-old theater at Main Street and Parkside Avenue is within the boundaries of a tax increment financing district, which the village will extend for another 12 years to pay for the project.
The start of the teardown was a bittersweet day for Dynako and members of her organization. They filed a lawsuit last year in DuPage County Circuit Court to save the old movie house.
“While we are very sorry for the loss of the auditorium, we feel very optimistic about our new theater,” said Dynako, who lives three blocks from the theater. “I’ve been watching it all day. … It’s unfortunate. But this was expected.”
Members of the Friends group saved bits of plaster work, original seats and lamps and some stars that lined the theater’s ceiling in the hope that the antique pieces will be used in the new state-of-the-art theater.
“We’re hoping to put stars back into the theater,” she said.
It takes a sensible person to admit defeat in the face of overwhelming odds & big money.Unfortunately this is the climate in which we live in this country ,just accept it.
corvetteguy1963,
look at that paper quote again “the village has to find a way to pay for the $40 million redevelopment project”. Why should the Village pay? This group, the friends, set out years ago to save the theatre. They needed millions, but collected only thousands. There was very little support. For years they said “NO tax money would be used”, and now it will be fully funded by tax money. A fully tax-funded blackbox theatre… a plan that has NOT even been approved yet!
Then you say “it takes a sensible person to admit defeat”, but they are not admitting defeat, they are claiming a victory because they saved a few light fixtures… big deal! As of this moment the auditorium is half gone.
There is a big difference between defeat and failure, and failure is was brought the Dupe down, and no one can argue with that.
As the old mantra goes, “Location, location, location.” Location is everything. And when it cames to the DuPage’s location it appears it suffered the two extremes. One extreme was that it was designed by Rapp & Rapp, which, arguably is the greatest movie theater architectural firm there ever was. And any theater designed by them is comparable to a painting having been done by Da Vinci or someone. But the other extreme was that it was located in an area — Lombard, Illinois — where the citizenry are so culturally depraved that none of that registered. I could readily see them balking at $40 million to restore a poorly designed theater with no particular historic significance. But when it’s a Rapp & Rapp theater? Quite seriously, don’t they understand what they have? Are they that far down on the evolutionary scale? And add to that this wasn’t merely a movie theater in Lombard’s case, but a palace. But alas, location, location, location. As in, had Einstien stayed in Germany he would never have survived to achieve his greatest work. By bad luck of the draw, the DuPage was located in the worst possible place. And the tyranny of the majority there prevailed. And corvetteguy1963, that much I accept, that ignorance does prevail over sanity at times. But if you’re asking us to accept that as “right and proper,” don’t hold your breath. What I accept is the TRUTH that the majority of the Lombard citizenry didn’t know what they had, just as I couldn’t expect moths to know the true value of the original Rembrandt they ate holes through.
If “location, location, location” is everything, why then did this project fail on so many fronts? This theatre has sat rotting away for well over 20 years…..and boarded up for nearly the last 10. Where was your financial contribution to save the day?
Talk is cheap….preservation takes perseverance and CASH. They tried and tried to save this place but the cash was not to be found. A couple thousand from a fundraiser here and there is not going to be enough to save a theatre…yet alone a light fixture. They needed some deep pocked benefactor to come forth but that did not happen. Even the owner of several other classic old cinemas in the Chicago area passed on this so called “gem” as it was in such disrepair.
And to say that the citizenry is “culturally depraved”…I laugh at your ignorance. Don’t forget that the group that so tried to save this place is the same group that embraced the demolition as a bittersweet victory as they think that adding twinkling stars and a few chunks of plaster will recreate the feel of a Rapp & Rapp showplace in their planned new performance space (funded by none other than the “culturally depraved” village in its entirety).
TheaterBuff1,
Your unwarranted comment was completely uncalled for:
“But the other extreme was that it was located in an area — Lombard, Illinois — where the citizenry are so culturally depraved that none of that registered.”
Your name should be “Theatre buffoon”. It shows you know very little of this theatre or the town.
She’s gone now….the last of the walls went down today. And the residents rejoiced as finally some progress as the long shuttered theatre was finally hauled away. Given that it has sat boarded up for nearly 10 years it was time for it to go as all attempts to restore had failed as there simply was not enough interest, support, and most importantly money to bring back the stars. And the ever futile attempt to rebuild a new theatre on the site at the taxpayers expense is losing steam fast as residents learn the costs associated with the project and neighbors fear the density of a 120+ condo development, a 299 seat theatre (with no parking believe it or not!), and loads of retail space in an area that simply does not warrant it. The only good news is that some of the artifacts were saved and can be incorporated into some future development…but hopefully not at the expense of local taxpayers.
These comments you’ve posted just prove my point, that it was very unfortunate that the DuPage was built where it was.
For Dupe Follower, here’s what you say, and I repeat your statement verbatim: “Given that it has sat boarded up for nearly 10 years it was time for it to go as all attempts to restore had failed as there simply was not enough interest, support, and most importantly money to bring back the stars.”
For truthfully, in an area where people are not culturally depraved that would not have been the case.
Now just to follow up on what corvetteguy1963 advised, I accept the fact that the majority of citizens of Lombard are culturally depraved. I don’t like it, but I do recognize it as the reality. But why are people of Lombard who are so culturally depraved in such denial about what they really are? For it’s there where acceptance isn’t happening, but where the acceptance is actually needed. For I’m accepting the truth as you can see, they aren’t. In any event I thank you for reassuring me that I didn’t go too far in what I said of the citizens of Lombard, in your reinforcing what I stated with your own commentary. For here’s another thing you said: You said that even the owner of several other classic old cinemas in the Chicago area passed on saving the DuPage as it was in such a state of disrepair. But I would suggest that it was the citizenry of Lombard who were in such a state of disrepair, not the DuPage itself. Again, location, location, location. The excellent DuPage had the bad misfortune of being in the wrong location, a true pearls before swine kind of thing if ever there was one.
Hey Theatre Buffoon….give it up as the place is rightfully GONE. And the uncultured masses gathered in glee from their double-wides and popped open cans of Old Style and bottles of Mad Dog….so far from the truth. Bottles of Dom were poured into Waterford flutes as a toast to the efforts of the Friends in achieving their goal…seeing the flywall take a fall.
You could only wish to live in a place like Lombard…stay in Philly and eat cheese steak sandwhiches….they will do your heart good.
Theatre Buffoon,
Blame it on the previous owner, he let it fall into such disrepair. Were we supposed to spend upwards of $12 million of our tax money to save it? By your posts it shows you have no class or intelligence.
Please tell us how much you donated?
Its easy to hide somewhere and throw stones, but (according to you) if you did not donate then you are “culturally depraved”
Blame it on the previous owner? Oh that’s a good one. Cry me a river. Will you? How about the present owner? Why do you want to play the blame game? There is plenty of blame to go around.
Is that the message TheaterBuff1 is trying to say? It could be.
It’s easy for you to hide somewhere behind a fictious post name and throw stones at the people who wanted to preserve and protect it.
Then while behind your fictious post name you criticize and call a person a buffoon for expressing his views about why the demolition was allowed to happen.
Who is the real buffoon? For whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee.
Your type of vocabulary is mean spirited at the least.
“Stay in Philly and eat cheese steak sandwhiches"
Oh. That’s a real good one.
That sends a real good message about the mind set of Lombard? Doesn’t it?
Respect. The second pillar of “character counts” in Lombard.
Fairness. The fourth pillar of “character counts” in Lombard. Your posts reflect neither.
May the spirit of Christmas season be upon you.
May you and your family have a joyous merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Peace.
Jesus Christ. I’m starting to wish they had torn the whole place down. Then maybe you guys would shut up.
K.F. (aka Ray)(aka Follow the money)(aka ‘aka’),
This guy KF was already thrown off this site, but he logged on again. Too bad Ross and Patrick, who own this site, deleted all his old posts. He talked of conspiracy theories and supeona’s.
He is right, all the blame can’t be placed on the previous owner. The Friends of the Dupage are mostly to blame. Quite simply they supported the plan for demolition.
Ray don’t talk about name calling, your posts reek of it. Plus you support theatrebuffoon who ripped the whole town, of which you are a part of. Which ever way the wind is blowing ray.
“However.I am not so sure that the auditorium will be demolished
posted by follow the money on Aug 8, 2006 at 10:49am”
Happy Holidays
I posted many comments on the Dupage theater page, and now after I fully found out what the Friends plans where I regret that I showed them so much support. I still believe that the theater should have been saved, but I didn’t realise that there plan called for complete demolition.
I’m sorry you fell for their lies as well. I had been fighting against the leadership of the Friends for quite a while, I had originally suggested (several years ago) a petition drive to show the Village Board support for the project. Years later, when it was almost too late, they tried to do a referendum, but then chickened out and had it pulled. The ONE true thing that would gauge support for the project, and they backed down. Why? They claim the developer asked them to pull it? What difference would it make to the developer? He had already promised to redo the theatre! Their vice president, who claimed to have all these contacts in the business world, could not come up with one red cent! There are many, many companies out there who literally donate MILLIONS of dollars a year to causes and he couldn’t get ANYTHING from them. The only thing he and the president of the Friend’s managed to do was to get their names in the papers on a weekly basis. In fact, even as the theatre was being destroyed, WITHOUT a redevelopment agreement to replace it, they were claiming success? HOW IS DESTRUCTION OF THE VERY THING YOU WERE ORIGINALLY CHARGED WITH SAVING A SUCCESS? Because there are some good pictures for history books?
Now we find out that campaign candidate forms have been pulled in the districts where the Friend’s president and vice president live. It appears that they never really wanted to save the theatre, they were just looking to get their names out there so the public recognized them come election time. They are banking on the fact that people will be remorsefull when they realize the theatre is now gone and will never be brought back and elect them since they “tried” to save it. What a clever little plan. I hope that I am wrong, but knowing these 2 conniving, backstabbing, two-faced snakes leads me to believe that I’m not!
Sour grapes. Vinegar. Cry me a river. Will you?
K.F.,
whenever someone states a fact you reply with “cry me a river”. Most of what Dupagedude wrote are facts, with the exception that a referendum would have went in their favor by showing support (his opinion), and whether the President and VP will run for public office (remains to be seen). To deny any of DD’s comments would make you a liar and a fraud.
Please come up with something better than that.
Cry me a river. Will you? For your information. It is a phrase used to express an I don’t care attitude to a crying moaning person’s opinion of what the facts are. Especially when they are wrong.
The only opinions he stated was about the outcome of the referendum, mainly because it never happened and the future political aspirations of your leaders. The local paper stated that they picked up nomination forms (fact), whether they run is an opinion.
Did they raise any money since deb took over? Hardly. No fundraisers in over two years…except a couple of celebration dinners.
To deny any of DD’s FACTS (or mine) would make you a liar and a fraud. You denied them, therefore…
More sour grapes. Cry me a river. Will you?
Why on earth you would even consider his posts factual is beyond all understanding. Didn’t you call him the local village idiot?
Didn’t you say his agenda was something other than the theater?
Didn’t you say his incoherent ramblings of under the table deals and conspiracy theories are as ridiculous as he is?
Did we raise money? Oh that’s a good one. Cry me a river over that one also. That was probably most difficult thing to do, considering the wrecking ball has been parked outside the rear door for the last seven years.
Would you give money to save a building when the demolition threat looms overhead like a gigantic cloud? I doubt it.
We applied for and received grants ( state and federal ) only to have them rejected by the village fathers. What a bridge burner that was.
So to call me a liar and a fraud is just more sour grapes.
Cry me a river.
Sorry you got “DD” and “follow the money” mixed up. I said those things about FTM, who has since been banned from this site for his moronic ramblimgs.
There has never been a wrecking ball parked outside the theatre….ever. It was taken down with a bulldozer. More lies.
“Would you give money…” That is the biggest copout ever. I gave money so my answer is YES! People stopped giving money because your group was a bunch of misguided individuals who swore they would save the theatre and now support a plan that included demolition.
The grants were turned down AFTER you failed to meet deadlines and promises. You have nobody to blame but yourselves.
I noticed that several times you failed to address my comments about your fundraising abilities. Why did you stop fundraising? Was it because you knew all along that the taxpayers should pay the bill? Even after you guys promised NO tax money would be used. Now the taxpayers are funding a blackbox theatre plan that included DEMOLITION….demolition that YOU SUPPORTED. You are to blame…nobody else…so cry me a river.
State and federal grants? Do tell….the state grant was tied up for years in the Illinois budget mess and never amounted to anything other than talk. And the federal grant was not enough to matter in the total scope and had too many strings attached to it. But no worries now that “Deb’s Dupe” is gone for good….thanks to their ongoing failures. No significant fundraising, no corporate sponsors, not one sensible funded plan in years….nothing except an unfunded plan that ultimately demolished the theatre….if only Lombard had “village fathers and mothers” then maybe your “kitchen table agenda” would have moved forward and you would not be facing 2007 as the “failed friends” that advocated demolition simply to save face.
And now it appears that the vote for total demolition has swung back to 4-2 against the partial preservation plan.
Oh that’s a good one. Considering there will not be any discussions or votes taken until late January and Feburary of 2007.
Sour grapes and compound lies. The ingredents for vinegar.
Cry me a river.Will you?
What part of preservation was there in a plan that already demolished the theatre itself? Sort of like tearing down the historic house but keeping the garage. Heard it is close to 5-1 on total demolition sooner rather than later.
According to my neighbor, it’s 4-2 against this condominium plan.
Oh that’s another real good one. Cry me a river. Will you?
Since you continue to swat flies. According to my neighbor the count will be as predicted. 4-2 for the development. Those who will oppose are the same as before. As was predicted. Your comments are sour grapes. Cry me a river.
But my neighbor has never been wrong about anything yet.
You see folks for those of you who need a scorecard KF was a prominent player in the preservation of the theatre…the same one that has just been torn down, and with his approval! The he has posted the same tirinf phrase 9 times in 8 days for two reasons
1) he can’t think of anything better to say.
2) he has some slight problems (mental) that force him to ALWAYS get the last word in which is why he will continue to post the same tiring thing time and time again.
Why would a man (Not really a man) who supported demolition post on a preservation site?
…“Cry me a river"
posted by K.F. on Dec 14, 2006 at 12:23pm
“Cry me a river. Will you? "
posted by K.F. on Dec 18, 2006 at 8:08am
“Cry me a river. Will you?”
posted by K.F. on Dec 18, 2006 at 12:06pm
“More sour grapes. Cry me a river. Will you? "
…"Cry me a river…”… “Cry me a river”.
posted by K.F. on Dec 18, 2006 at 6:45pm
Cry me a river.Will you?
posted by K.F. on Dec 21, 2006 at 1:46pm
Cry me a river. Will you?
Cry me a river.
posted by K.F. on Dec 22, 2006 at 6:06pm
KF this site is for preservation NOT politics…take your mindless ramblings to another site. The theatre is gone, thanks to you, why don’t you let it go.
I would like to send some of my fruitcake to all of the theatre supporters so that they can begin healing and join in the Christmas spirit.
More sour grapes. This website is about preservation and is not about politics. Oh that’s a real good one. Especially from you?
It’s not about fruitcakes and the mindless ramblings of the poster above either. If you are so concerned about preservation comments then why do you post here? From what I have read and reviewed , you are certainly not the poster child for preservation.
Politics originated with the fruitcake poster. The origin of the politics was not mine. So I suggest you direct your anger at the mindless ramblings of the fruitcake person. However I do reserve right to respond.
As I have stated previously cry me a river is a phrase used to express an I don’t care attitude to a crying moaning person’s opinion of what the facts are. Especially when they are wrong.
Cry me a river. Will you?
The only “crying moaning person” on this board is you KF.
You supported demolition, not me.
Oh that’s another real good one. Am I now to presume you supported preservation? If you haven’t supported demolition then what have you ever , EVER done to stop it? If you supported preservation then what have you ever, EVER done to preserve it? If you didn’t do anything to stop the demolition then you must have supported the demolition.
Your double edged sword has you imprisoned within your own words.
I donated money to the theatre for preservation. Money that I will never see again. Why would I give money to a preservation group if I supported demolition?
Plus I do NOT support this current “condo/blackbox” plan that included demolition.
I think I answered all you questions, so your double-edged sword theory holds no water.
But based on your fuzzy logic I will ask you a question. Do you support this current plan? The same plan that emphasized DEMOLITION and Taxpayer support. Do you support this current plan?
You donated money? After reviewing your posts you confess to purchasing a lemonade at a fundraiser. Now you want your money back.
Hey big spender!
Did you become active in the group?
Au contraire! Your double edged sword is a fact.
Yes. I support this plan. My position of support for this plan as it exists is quite clear.
For me to restate my position of support for this plan would just be be redundant.
Based on your fuzzy logic exactly what is your position on this plan.
If you don’t support this plan for demolition of the auditorium and restoration of the lobby and facade for adaptive reuse in a black box with mixed use condos and retail then what do you support?
Let me tell you what kind of person KF is, just scroll up and read the post where I placed blame of the condition of the theatre on the previous owner here is KF’s response:
Blame it on the previous owner? Oh that’s a good one.
posted by K.F. on Dec 14, 2006 at 12:23pm
Now let me cut & paste some of his posts from the other dupe site hete on CT:
When the theatre was bastardized and was triplexed I quit going.It has had it’s bad days due to neglect by the previous owners.The short of it is that the previous owners just NEGLECTED the theatre.
posted by K.F. on Oct 21, 2005 at 6:12am
The last operator/owner of the theatre just bastardized the theatre.He just poured concrete down the 2 main isles to make ramps.Then painted the concrete.He even poured concrete right on top of carpeting.
posted by K.F. on Oct 25, 2005 at 7:03am
He blames it on the previous owner, then I say the same thing and he says “that’s crazy”. Again this supports my theory about KF:
1) he can’t think of anything better to say.
2) he has some slight problems (mental) that force him to ALWAYS get the last word in which is why he will continue to post the same tiring thing time and time again.
KF thank you for supporting my theory, please post some more to strengthen it.
Just more of the same sour grapes. Cry me a river! Will you?
Here is a comment from a resident who is also a very prominent elected official. When asked about the demolition of the auditorium he said,
“The building has been under the village’s control for a decade, and nothing was done,†Tross said. “This shows the village board is moving expeditiously to get things done.â€
Again you support my theory that your posts are sour grapes.
What sour grapes would I have? That makes no sense. All I have stated since 1999 is that as long as your group was in charge the theatre was going to get torn down, which it did.
KF has posted the same tiring phrase 12 times in 14 days for two reasons;
1) KF can’t think of anything better to say.
2) KF has some slight problems (mental) that force him to ALWAYS get the last word in.
I do not desire to have the last word. Au contraire!
As I have stated before I reserve the right to respond. Just as you respond.
I know all too well of the neglect by the previous owners. I also know of the neglect by the current owner. I do believe my previous posts reflect that.
Why do you continue to engage in personal attacks? What purpose is served with them?
I would like your input on my question to you from a previous post.
“If you don’t support this plan for demolition of the auditorium and restoration of the lobby and facade for adaptive reuse in a black box with mixed use condos and retail then what do you support?”
KF you posted:
“I know all too well of the neglect by the previous owners. I also know of the neglect by the current owner. I do believe my previous posts reflect that.”
But then you attacked me when I said the same thing"
Blame it on the previous owner? Oh that’s a good one.
posted by K.F. on Dec 14, 2006 at 12:23pm
You got caught in you own web of lies again…first you were against demolition now you are for it. First you said the previous owner was to blame, then you said he was NOT to blame, and NOW you say he is to blame again. Which is it?
I attacked you? Nonsense. Here it is again.
Blame it on the previous owner? Oh that’s a good one. Cry me a river. Will you? How about the present owner? Why do you want to play the blame game? There is plenty of blame to go around.
Is that the message TheaterBuff1 is trying to say? It could be."
Lies? How about this one? “[The village] has spent $560,000 and five years to see if this was doable. And after that, what we have is an unsafe, crumbling demolition site."
posted by CrazyRay on Sep 6, 2005 at 6:44am
Attacks? How about this one. TheaterBuff1,
Your unwarranted comment was completely uncalled for:
“But the other extreme was that it was located in an area — Lombard, Illinois — where the citizenry are so culturally depraved that none of that registered."
Your name should be "Theatre buffoon”. It shows you know very little of this theatre or the town."
How about this one? Theatre Buffoon,
Blame it on the previous owner, he let it fall into such disrepair. Were we supposed to spend upwards of $12 million of our tax money to save it? By your posts it shows you have no class or intelligence.
Please tell us how much you donated?
Its easy to hide somewhere and throw stones, but (according to you) if you did not donate then you are “culturally depraved"
posted by CrazyRay on Dec 14, 2006 at 6:28am
So does that mean you aren’t culturally depraved because you purchased a lemonade at a fundraiser?
What’s wrong with those posts, the first one is needs to be updated because that $560,000 figure is much higher now.
People in glass houses should NOT throw stones:
Who is the real buffoon? For whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee.
posted by K.F. on Dec 14, 2006 at 12:23pm
K.F. and Crazy Ray,
You really should stop arguing and start loving one another. My neighbor has informed me that the entire building is going to be demolished before summer anyway. There should be no reason to attack each other any more. Love one another. Peace on Earth, good will towards men.
God bless Bob, Gary, Bruce, Kurt and the other Angels sent from heaven to protect us from the evil doers in construction companies and preservation societies.
Praise Ceasar! Praise Ceasar !
My neighbor has informed me that the building will be restored and the facade will be restored. Praise Ceasar! My neighbor has never been wrong.
It is not my intention to attack Ceasar. Au contraire! I come here to praise Ceasar. Praise Ceasar! PRAISE CEASAR!
Oh Kevin! I just love it when you get silly. It’s good to see you are starting to heal. It’s good that you are getting your sense of humor back. Are you an enthusiast on the Roman Empire? You fought demolition like a gladiator. You should be proud despite the fact that the theatre has fallen. don’t feel bad Kevin. The Roman Empire fell too. Those damn Germans took them down when the Rhine River froze over allowing them to cross over and invade. Did you study much about the Dark Ages Kevin? The Germans seem to always have a hand in destruction throughout history. Once again, Germans had something to do with the destruction of the theatre. I think Kurt Lentsch is German. Is Bob Difino and Robert Biddle German? That would make sense, wouldn’t it?
“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.”
My only exposure to the dark ages is from your posts. Fruitcakes and the dark ages. How enlightened I am?
What does national heritage matter. Bach , Handel , Strauss were German. Hitler was German.
Cry me a river. Will you. Try and make sense instead of nonsense.
Kevin, you enjoy classical music too! How coincidental that we both enjoy the Roman Empire and classical music! Are you celebrating tonight? My husband and I are going to have a whiskey sour at midnight. My doctor tells me I shouldn’t but it’s only once a year. And besides it makes hubby a bit frisky!
Have a happy new year Kevin Dear!
Anne
Ann,
You are such a nice person, I’d love to put your birthday on my calendar so I remember to send you B-day Wishes…When is it?
Dude,
That is so very thoughtful of you! I’m so glad to see you are healing. I always new that you were a nice person. Once you get to be my age one tends to no longer look forward to birthdays. I try to focus more on holidays and such.
Do you think we will soon see movies playing again in a new theater downtown? I know you and Kevin are working hard to see that it happens. I would love to see some old classics played there. Did you get a chance to watch It’s a Wonderful Life over the holidays? I just love Uncle Billy’s character. I felt so bad when he lost all of that money. Lombard kind of reminds me of Bedford Falls. We don’t have an old movie house like Bedford Falls but we do have other similarities. Who do you think our George Bailey is? Our Mr. Potter?
Oh, and I forgot to answer your question about my birthday! Silly me. Unfortunately I can’t give you that information. My husband and I recently went to an awareness seminar on fraud at the senior center. We were advised never to give out such information. A couple of months ago Mrs. Neary gave out her personal information to some men that were selling tickets to the Fireman’s Ball and they made all kinds of charges to her bank account. Isn’t that awful? That is why I no longer give cash or check dnations. I prefer to bake something as a donation. Are you and Kevin planning to have a bake sale to raise money for a new theatre? I would gladly bake some pies and cookies for you. My specialty is peach cobbler. Would you like to try some?
Surely you can give out a month then, that’s not enough info for anyone to do anything with…
Lady? I can’t resist informing you that your posts are very incoherent. What does fruitcakes, peach cobbler and the rest of your dribble concern the readers here? This is a theater preservation website. Kindly treat it as such. I have reviewed your previous posts. It may be to your advantage to practice what you preach.
Please read your previous post and act wisely.
Quote: From True Class:
“I think you need to move on to the restoration topic. The people on this site don’t deserve this. Look at the posts above. We are not representing Lombard very well.
In fairness, I did your google search and over 500 hundred responses came up. There are people in 5 different states with that same name.
Please let these people have their website back. “
posted by True Class on Oct 19, 2005 at 5:50am
Quite from K.F.:
“This is a theater preservation website. Kindly treat it as such.”
What would you know about preservation? You supported a plan that included demolition of the theatre.
Hi Kevin,
I listen to my neighbors and I want peace. I believe and agree with them when they insist that Lombard could have done better with my pension and social security money as well as my property taxes then spend it on what truly is an ugly building. We need to heal as a community and try to focus on preserving Lombard’s homey feeling rather than build 95 condos.
I think my son-in-law may have made some angry comments on this website when he was here visiting. I hope he didn’t offend you. He owns much land here in Lombard and feels very strongly about the theater land.
I can assure you that I want preservation of Lombard’s history. I spend much of my time with Pat and other friends from the historical society down at the Senior Center. None of us want to have any more condominiums built. We still belive in preservation of our community.
Are you interested in our help in raising money to save the marquee? We can donate a very large supply of baked goods for a bake sale to help raise funds. I know that the Friends of the Dupage Theater has had sales to raise money in the past. We are there for you if you need it Kevin.
Please let me know if you need our help. My cobbler and pies can raise so much money if you want our help. Maybe we could have Bake Sale put on the marquee. So many Lombardians drive past it I’m sure we will make a bundle to save it!
Crazy Ray:
Do you live in the Lilactown? You seem to be very hateful towards some of the men that are fighting for what they believe is good for our community. We have had a very long and biter struggle over our now demolished theater. What would you like to see done with the land now that it is available? Most of us think the marquee should be saved and put on a new structure. We need a new senior community center. Would you be in support of helping us to raise funds to save the marquee? We could use it to help promote events and activities.
Anne (aka True Class),
yes I live in lilactown. I hope you sell a pie for the theatre, if you sell at least one pie for $1.00 you would have raised more for the theatre than the 28 friends have done for the past 2.5 years.
Ray,
I would like to think I could get more than $1 for my pies. I hand knead all of the dough for the crusts despite my arthritis. On a good day (if my sciatica is not acting up) I should be able to bake 5 pies for you and your friends. I’m sure I can get at least Pat, Martha, Virginia and Florence to help out as well.
Do you have any idea how much funds we will need to raise to save the marquee? If not, I’m sure Kevin or the Dude can answer that question. This is so exciting that every one is now working together to save the marquee. Even my neighbor Robert is on board. He bought an entire pallet of bricks from the old theatre to use as a patio for his garbage cans. I’m sure he will be eager to get on board with our team. Maybe even Gary will help out. He has been filled with holiday spirit ever since they theater was torn down. He wanted something done about the flapping plastic bags years ago. He played all kinds of loud music on the day they began tearing it down. He even cooked food on his Weber grill for the workers and my husband and some of the other neighbors brought over a keg of beer.
Isn’t it wonderful now that everyone is working together Ray? When do you think we will have the bake sale. I need to get to Mr. Z’s and load up on baking supplies. I’ll stand by until I hear back from you gentleman. May God bless all of you!
We have sufficient funds to restore the marquee. We sponsored a huge fundraiser concert featuring the Ides of March rock group.The group donated their time to this worthy cause. It was a huge success and the profits are now in T BILLS earning 18%
My records show that you are not a member. You may have forgotten to renew your membership? If you want you can renew your membership on line a
www.dupagetheatre.net
Or one of our fine volunteers can arrange to pick up your membership renewal at your home. The option is yours. Which do you prefer?
Thank you Kevin,
Once again, we were told by the police officer not to invite people to our home to give out personal information. Can I have my son review it and send it in?
Did you Have a happy new year Kevin? I know it’s been hard for you with the tear down and all. But cheer up Kevin. You at the very least had a better new years than Sadaam Hussein, don’t you think? I think it’s horrible that they hanged that man on TV.
Any word on the bake sale? Or do you think the TBills are enough?
Well then please stop by the next Friend’s meeting and introduce yourself. We are always more than happy to meet volunteers!
All of us at theater central are so excited about 2007. We have had so many thespians, musicians, painters , and artisans, ect. who want to use the (yours and ours) new arts center. We are encouraged beyond words.
We are so grateful to all of the volunteers that devoted so much time, energy, and money into this endeavor.
Hold off on your baking for the time being. We will give you the word then you can start your baking. There will be plenty of opportunities for that after the new arts center is completed.
We encourage you the sign yourself into our volunteer program.
Also your family, friends, and neighbors. As I mentioned before they can obtain membership at www.dupagetheatre.net
If you are retired and on a fixed income we understand budgetary concerns may inhibit your membership fee. Please feel free to volunteer your time. Your time could be our time. The spirit giving back will help keep you young.
Our next meeting will be next week. Please feel free to visit and share your thoughts and ideas.
K.F. stated “We sponsored a huge fundraiser concert featuring the Ides of March rock group."
That fundraiser was in October 2004, which further supports my theory that the friends were a failure because that was there last fundraiser. Plus he lied about the T-Bills earning 18%.
Second he stated “All of us at theater central are so excited about 2007.” Weren’t you excited about 2004, 05, and 06? Or 99, 00, etc. And all you accomplished since 2004 was to have the theatre torn down. At the rate you are going no construction will begin in 2007, and you’ll be lucky if it happens in 2008.
Kevin,
I already purchased all my baking supplies. I spent over $60 on flour, eggs, filling and other supplies. I wish you would treat me fairly and live up to what you promised. I suppose I can find some families that can use some baked goods. I will reach out for Pastor Hammor at the church. He should be able to find someone that can use them.
I need to get going on this.
I (we) promised you nothing. Come to the metting next week and we will give you your money back. Bring your receipts. Or I can send one of our volunteers to your home to remibursh you for your out of pocket costs.
Crazy Ray:
Do you live in the Lilactown? You seem to be very hateful towards some of the men that are fighting for what they believe is good for our community. We have had a very long and biter struggle over our now demolished theater. What would you like to see done with the land now that it is available?
posted by True Class on Jan 2, 2007 at 9:22pm
Crazy Ray:
“If you don’t support this plan for demolition of the auditorium and restoration of the lobby and facade for adaptive reuse in a black box with mixed use condos and retail then what do you support?"
posted by K.F. on Dec 28, 2006 at 1:25pm
I’ve got a better idea “Ann”. Since you know where I live..Remember when you sent me those harassing e-mails about showing up at my door to “settle this once and for all”? Come on over and bring your reciepts and I’ll PERSONALLY repay you for the material. I know how hard up you are for funds, being on “Medicare” and all…
“Ann”…I’m home now…And waiting here with your cash…
Dude,
Why are you threatening me? Have I done something to offend you? What is your name? Where do you live? I thought we were going to work together? What is the matter with you? How can I help?
Dude,
I just spoke with my daughter. She has reminded me that you are Jim Devine. She is going to have my son-in-law come over tommorrow to take a drive over. He wants to meet you anyway. I think it is so very nice of you to re-imburse me for the baking goods. We are on a fixed income and 60 dollars means much. I go to 11:00 church and Nick will pick me up around 1 p.m.. Nick has your address so no need for you to post it publically. That was one of the lessons we learned at the seminar at the senior center.
God Bless you Jim. I’m lookiing forward to working with you!
Anne
Good morning world! What a beautiful day.
It sure is! We just got home from mass, can’t wait to see you today, “Ann”…
Jim,
Why did you fail to meet us? We drove 20 minutes out to Woodland and you didn’t answer the door? Is everything OK?
You must have been lost…I’m waiting for you “Ann”. Maybe ask someone else for directions instead of relying on your brain-damaged daughter and son-in-law…
There, now that “Ann” has ONCE AGAIN been exposed as a FRAUD, on to the real business, talking about the DuPage Theatre, or it’s demolition now). Seeing how the INEPT Friend’s Board has been unable to do their job and the rest of the building will be torn down soon (Will they STILL call that progress, like they did when the theatre was demolished?) I am curious to know what will happen to the artifacts they claimed to have “rescued”—where will they go? I have already heard that SEVERAL members of their Board ALREADY have things from the theatre in their possession, will they be told to return them? will the Historical Society take control of them?
Dude,
We left two pies on your porch. I hope you enjoy them. Sorry we missed you. Tell me more about these artifacts the Friends have taken from the theater. When are we going to have a bake sale?
View link
This is a link to a Russell Philips phot that show the types of lamps in question. If anyone knows of any that people have, PLEASE post it on here so we can get the Lombard Historical Society involved in getting them returned to the rightful owners!
Mr. Anderson has one along with a few posters that the demolition guys found. One of them was from the 1930’s. I was a very young girl at the time. Those pictures from Russel Phillips are beautiful. What a wonderful theater that is. Where is it? I would love to go see a movie there. I hope it’s not too far away. My husband is no longer able to drive because of his vision. Do they have tours for Seniors to go and see the Russell Phillips theater? It is very wonderful Dude. I would love to go there with some others from the senior center.
Kevin,
One of your fundraisers called me tonight to tell me about your meeting on Thursday. He was very nice but not much of a conversationalist. I wrote his name and number down for future reference. How long has Jack Meehoff been working with the Friends? He didn’t seem too interested in the bake sale. Are you still planning a bake sale Kevin?
It sure WAS a beautiful theater.If you have more picture links I would like to see them.I did volunteer work in the auditorium several years ago.I didn’t see any of those lamps there.There was one lamp on display at some of the fundraisers.I hope they are found and returned to the village.I am curious to know who has possession of the plaque.
It was a lovely theatre. I want to bake pies for a bake sale to help the cause Ray. I think the street lamps in Lombard are beautiful. Do you think we will find the lamps Ray? I will bake a pie for anyone that finds them.
Sorry about the long hiatus folks, but if the latest rash of Oprah Winfrey shows is any indication — it does air from Chicago does it not? — I think I might’ve nailed down what the problem is in the DuPage Theatre’s case. Rene Descartre said words to the effect of “Hell is not a place; hell is other people,” and it appears what he meant by that was hell on earth comes about when people put themselves ahead of place in terms of what is of the far greater importance. In reviewing all the commentaries on the DuPage Theatre here at the Cinema Treasures website, the overwhelming majority of them are about “me! me! me!” when the DuPage Theatre itself is what’s of the only real importance. Relating the latest rash of Oprah Winfrey shows to all this — and oh, they’ve been God awful! — the problem in the part of the U.S. looks to be that it has become way too people focused. It’s as if there’s a huge rivalry going on there between people and place, with what is bad — the people — trouncing that which is good — the place. Assuming that the people were good there at one time — which would explain how the DuPage Theatre rose up there in the first place — Lombard lost its way when the people there put themselves forth as “what’s most important.” And see, good people don’t do that. Rather, they stand in defense of place as being of what’s greatest importance. And Lombard fell from grace in that regard — this manifest in the DuPage’s tragic fate. To get things there back where they should be, you’ve got to restore the Godly order of place first, people second. And will you? Or will it be just more of this “me me me” crap?
I couldn’t agree with you more Mr. Buff. I have been living behind the theater for sometime now, almost 60 years. There has been much arguing and fighting amongst neighbors in the community. Do you live in Lombard Buff? I hope that we can heal ourselves soon. We are planning a bake sale to save the marquee. I will be baking pies when my check is deposited next month. Do you like peach cobbler Buff? What is your opinion on the marquee being used for a senior center? My neighbors promised me that the Library or a new senior center will be built where the theatre was. Do you think a bake sale will help save the marquee Mr. Buff? I wonder if they will be ready by lilactime.
We have a new corporate sponsor that will provide all of our baking needs. Your baking services will not be required whatsover.
Sara Lee does it better! Nobody does it like Sara Lee! Nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee!
Consider this your kiss off. Your FIRED!
Kevin,
My husband and I love Sara Lee! We used to buy their cute little cakes whe we were first married. My doctor does not allow me to enjoy their products any more. It would be wonderful if they could help you save the marquee! Do you think they will open a convenience store on the property? I loved the old Butternut Bread store on st. Charles rd. I was sorry to see it go. Perhaps I could get Robert and Gary to help bring Sara Lee here. I know Robert enjoys cake and Pies. Do you like cake and pie Kevin?
A lot of you posting comments both here and at the DuPage Theatre page might’ve mistakenly thought this saga was ultimately of no significance, overlooking the fact that the DuPage Theatre was designed by the most highest ranked theater architectural firm of all time — Rapp & Rapp. In brief, this was not a theater that could be casually torn down and with its being of no consequence. Rather, what took place there now reflects on Chicago as well as the entire state of Illinois. And like it or not, this matter is about to get much bigger, now that Barach Obama, U.S. Senator from Illinois, just announced his bid for president of the United States. Coming across you people the way I did was a bit like the ending of that “Lord of the Flies” movie when suddenly an adult appears on the shoreline accompanied by others just when those stranded but refined English schoolboys turned savage and in like fashion began killing each other. In brief, tearing down a Rapp & Rapp theater just isn’t done, do all of you understand that? That action crossed all lines of what anyone who’s civilized would identify as being acceptable. But you people thought, oh geeze, I don’t know what you thought exactly! That it was “just a building like any other,” that’s all?! For the answer is: WRONG! IT WAS A RAPP & RAPP THEATER!
Anyway, statements you make in public forums such as this and that are a matter of permanent record do matter. I’m sure most of you didn’t realize that at the time you posted them, but on the road ahead a lot of you are going to have an awful lot of explaining to do. And whoever’s ultimately responsible for the DuPage Theatre’s demolition is going to have some major blood on their hands that I don’t know how they’re going to explain away. For what we just saw happen in Lombard, Illinois was primal barabarianism at its purest. And in a civilized world we simply cannot allow for that. And with Barach Obama’s recent announcement the bright spotlight is on you now. It’s time for the great big “Ulp!” in other words. And you better make it good is all I can say.
I’m a bit confused. The Friends website says it was updated January 13, yet it bears no mention of the demolition. Isn’t this event of minor importance to a group that is supposed to be raising funds to “restore” the theater?
LIBERTY SUBURBAN CHICAGO NEWSPAPERS
Lombard to be featured on ‘190 North’
From staff reports
“190 North,” an news and entertainment program on ABC Channel 7, will highlight Lombard on its Sunday, Jan. 28, edition.
Lombard will be featured in a segment called “Chicago’s ‘burbs and 'hoods” on the show that will air at 10:35 p.m. The show will be rebroadcast at 11:05 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3.
The show’s host, Janet Davies, will be in Lombard to tape parts of village and interview residents.
The segment will feature a historic look at the village and will include locations like the Peck Homestead, the Lombard Historical Museum, Lilacia Park, downtown Lombard and the Little Orphan Annie home.
“We are looking forward to welcoming the crew of ‘190 North’ into the Lilac Village,” said Village President William Mueller. “We are grateful and honored to be a part of this project.”
January 12, 2007 Contact: Joelyn Kott
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Communications and Marketing Coordinator
(630) 620-5718
“190 North†To Feature Lombard On January 28 Program
LOMBARD, Illinoisâ€"“190 Northâ€, an ABC-TV show highlighting the best in entertainment and lifestyles in the Chicagoland area, will feature Lombard in its January 28, 2007 program.
Lombard will be featured in a segment called “Chicago’s ‘burbs and ‘hoods†on the January 28, 2007 program, broadcast at 10:35 p.m. and rebroadcast on Saturday, February 3 at 11:05 p.m. on ABC Channel 7. Host Janet Davies and her crew will be out and about in Lombard during the next week to videotape various sections of the Village and conduct interviews that will be used for the program.
The segment will feature a historical look at Lombard and include locations such as the Peck Homestead, the Lombard Historical Museum, Lilacia Park, sections of downtown Lombard, the Little Orphan Annie home as well as other unique features of the Village. Interspersed with the historical features of Lombard will be other attractions that set Lombard apart from other communities such as the AMC Premium Theatre.
“We are looking forward to welcoming the crew of ‘190 North’ into the Lilac Village,†said Village President William Mueller. “We are excited to be sharing our community with them and showcasing our Village to television audiences in this manner. We are grateful and honored to be a part of this project,†Mueller added
Ray,
What do your two posts have to do with the significance of the DuPage theatre? Sure they are nice articles about Lombard, but this is a theatre preservation site. Last time I looked the theatre was demolished. A DEMOLITION plan supported by a group known as the “friends.†A group you are (were) part of, no less.
As to mp775 scroll up to find your answer, but I will recopy the post from December 18 below:
“Their vice president, who claimed to have all these contacts in the business world, could not come up with one red cent! There are many, many companies out there who literally donate MILLIONS of dollars a year to causes and he couldn’t get ANYTHING from them. The only thing he and the president of the Friend’s managed to do was to get their names in the papers on a weekly basis. In fact, even as the theatre was being destroyed, WITHOUT a redevelopment agreement to replace it, they were claiming success? HOW IS DESTRUCTION OF THE VERY THING YOU WERE ORIGINALLY CHARGED WITH SAVING A SUCCESS? Because there are some good pictures for history books?
posted by DuPageDude on Dec 18, 2006 at 6:03amâ€
I love janet Davies. She is a sweet person. Do you like her Ray? I love television programs about small towns. Do you like to watch TV Ray?
The big mistake in how this matter was handled is that it should’ve been treated as a national and even international concern, not merely as something local. For it’s quite true that Rapp & Rapp, the architectural firm behind the DuPage Theatre’s design, is ranked as having been the greatest movie theater designing firm in the world of all time. Yet this cannot be expected to be common knowledge at the small town level. And when it comes to restoring a Rapp & Rapp theater properly, such undertaking is so massive that there’s really no way a small community such as Lombard could have handled such a task alone, short of it being an absolute miracle. With the full restoration costs being expectedly high while at the same time in a community of just over 40,000 people, and the local taxpayers expected to pay nearly the full cost of its restoration, the math simply isn’t there to make such a business plan feasible.
What I can’t understand, meantime, my having found out about this story only relatively recently, is why wasn’t this issue brought to national or international attention? Or if it was, why was it ignored? How much did Illinois' U.S. Senator Barack Obama — who’s just announced his bid to run for president of the U.S. in 2008 — know about this, for instance? Also, how many at the local level there in Lombard itself knew of its national and international significance but held their silence? For we’re not talking about just a simple building here, but of a whole cultural sector of society whose fate is inexorably linked to a building such as this. For the attack on this building was not just on the building itself but on that sector of society who relies on such a building as this in order to be. And it’s there that this matter takes on a very criminal dimension, something which could even be likened to krystal knacht itself — the knocking down of what some need in order to be and that they have a full right to. This matter should’ve been handled nationally and even internationally, and why it wasn’t needs to be gotten to the bottom of. Again, what did Barack Obama know about it, and what were his actions taken regarding it?
Theater, while I am upset over the lose of this theater, I really doubt its demolision is as big a crisis as your posts make it out to be. It seem to me that this theater was demolished because the city wanted it to be and nothing, not even a bunch of cash, was going to change that.
I really doubt Barack Obama has any idea that the Dupage theater exists, nor do I think he could do anything if he did. Maybe if he was still a state senator he should be involved, but he is now a U.S. Senator and has more important things to worry about.
As
Also, nothing criminal happened here, as you seem to say in your last post. This was simply a historic building that was demolished. This unfortuenly happens everyday across the country. Also this was supported by both the city government, that was for complete demolishion just a year or so ago, and the Friends group, which claims it wants to preserve the building.
Theaterbuff,
I am sure Obama could care less, after all this was nothing more than a shuttered run-down building in a town that is mostly Republican. Obama is a Democrat. He has only been in office for a short time and seems to have bigger things on his mind.
If you want to point fingers look no further than the group that set out to restore the building, the friends. They have not had a fundraiser in years, collected only thousands when they needed millions, and sold-out to a developer who demolished the auditorium. Now the theater is gone so let’s move on.
Buff,
I think Barack Obama will make an excellent president, don’t you? We should write him a chain letter about the theatre and see if we can get him to come to town to rally the troops. Maybe we can save the marquee and ticket box too! What a great photo opportunity for Steve Spoden to have Senator Obama lecturing from a podium in front of the ticket box. Have you ever met Steve Spoden theatrebuff? He has nice fluffy gray hair in a pony tail. He takes very good pictures. Did you see the picture of Barack Obama in his bathing suit? I got goose bumps when I saw it. He is one of the handsomest colored men I have seen. He is almost as cute as Danny Glover. Did you see Letha Weapon 3 buff? I like the part when he is sitting on a toilet rigged with an explosive device. What a handome negro he is. He’s my favorite one. Which one is your favorite Buff?
On the one hand I totally agree with your point, CrazyRay, that the DuPage Theatre is gone and that now it’s time to move on. But on the other hand — as a true dyed-in-the-wool theater buff — I have to consider if this is the start of a trend that threatens the future of classic movie palaces all throughout the United States. For what we just witnessed there in Lombard, was it a “krystal knacht” of sorts, a harbinger of how the U.S. is to become over all next? Or just a onetime incident? While there might be other cases, though I don’t know of any specifically, it’s the only one I know of where a sizeable number of people actually actively organized in getting a beautiful historic movie palace torn down and made no secret of the elation they felt in doing so.
People are entitled to their hatreds, their prejudices, their hostilities, even their jealousies. But when they are allowed to act on them unchecked, as appeared to be the case here, what ultimate good can possibly come from that? Historically, we’ve seen this type of incident before, with krystal knacht just being one example. And as for presidential contender from Illinois Barack Obama having bigger things on his mind, Kofi Annan, the former head of the United Nations, which represents the whole world, said in his closing remarks of the U.S.: “When it appears to abandon its own ideals and objectives, its friends abroad are naturally troubled and confused.”
When the United States rose up to take down the Nazi Third Reich, the Italian Fascist government and the Japanese empire in the course of a single war, it could not have done so had it been a carbon copy of those it brought down. It had to totally distinguish itself from all three. And it very much did with FDR as Commander-In-Chief. But will Barack Obama seek to apply the same strategy should he get elected in 2008?
For under his watch as a U.S. senator of Illinois, a group of people in the Chicago suburb of Lombard were allowed to act on their hatreds, prejudices and even jealousies unchecked — in this case, against a people whose whole lives center around theaters.
Had this been the act of the Ku Klux Klan burning down a Negro church in Illinois, and Barack Obama failed to intervene — because he has “bigger things on his mind” — how would that play out in the press I ask you? And is this a case similar? That’s all I’m now trying to determine.
Theatrebuff
Dude!! You state “people…of Lombard were allowed to act on their hatreds, prejudices and even jealousies unchecked”
This was about money $$$$ plain and simple. The money was not there.
I’m sorry, the money WAS there! Did you forget about the money from the State and Federal governments? That was only the beginning of money from them! We could have gotten a great deal more as time went on!
Those in the Village who opposed the project had enough leverage (i.e. they knew people) to scare off any potential interest in the project.
Add to the mix that the Friends' “leadership” are their own worst enemy. They have become self-absorbed in getting themselves publicity, most likely for political reasons. Their weekly column in the local paper is only done by the pres. and vice pres, NEVER any rank-and-file members. They have even gone so far as to now call themselves a “political action group”. Why would they go out of their way to label themselves if that wasn’t what they had planned?
They had many, many chances to prove the support for the project, in fact members BEGGED them to do a referendum, and they REFUSED. Their petition drive was half-assed at best, and was easily diffused since they let anyone sign it.
What knocked down the Dupe? Yes, a wrecking ball, but it was fueled by greed, ignorance and egos!
Jim,
I’m sorry, the money was NOT there…never was. State and fed money was about 20% of what you needed and that is all you had, but alas it never came did it…so there was NO money. Do not come on this site and lie to people.
Buff,
You seem to be a very smart person. Will you consider coming to Lombard to run for President of the Friends of the DuPage Theatre? Can you help us save our marquee and ticket box? We are planning a bake sale to raise funds. DupageDude is going to help as well as Kevin. Do you like pie Buff? I make very good pie. I have help from many of the senior citizens from the senior center to help with the baking and selling of our goods. Do you think Barack Obama likes pies? I wonder if Danny Glover will come help us save the theatre. Since you are a theatre enthusiast Buff, maybe you know Danny Glover. Can you call him to help? I loved Danny in The Color Purple. I love movies about slaves. My favorite was Roots. I also liked Mississipi Burning. Do you like slave movies Buff?
Theaterbuff, CrazyRay is right, the only thing that brought this theater down was money. Yes I understand that there is a group that is very thrilled to see the theater torn down, and that really saddens me. While I do not live any where near Lombard, I really believe that the majority of people in Lombard really didn’t care what happened to the Dupage. They most likely didn’t want there tax dollars spent on the theater though.
As to why Barack Obama was not involved, I really don’t see why he should be. There really isn’t anything he could do. The state of Illinois is in a major financial crisis, and has been since he was a state senator. The national government also doesn’t have the money to spend. The theater was granted some money from the state and federal government, but it was a small amount compared to what needed to be done.
May God bless you Melders for your level headed comments. So many have been arguing and dishonest over this whole issue. I baked pies for Robert and Gary from my block. They told me that the facade and marquee would be saved and now everyone wants it torn down. I even baked a special pie for them and now they want the whole building torn down. The dishonesty in this town has gone out of control. I gave $25 to the Friends of the DuPage Theatre to help save the show and then they became dishonest and knocked her down.
Bles you for your honesty Melders. Are you going to support our bake sale? Many of us at the senior center will be baking to help save the ticket box. What is your favorite kind of pie Melders?
Can anyone PROVE that the FIRST (of many, many more that COULD have came) grants were all the government money that the project were to have recieved? Every year MORE MONEy is dished out. Once that money were to come, the groundswell of cash that were to follow it would be awe-inspiring.
Why did the Board all of a sudden, just before the State was going to cut that million dollar check, quickly move to refuse the grant? NOTHING in this town moves swiftly, yet that did. Why was that? Because the Board KNEW the check was being cut, and had to move fast to block it before we got it! That would have been even m ore embarassing for them if they were to send it back.
Jim, you have lost your mind, you stated “Once that money were to come, the groundswell of cash that were to follow it would be awe-inspiring."
Are you kidding me…it took you ten years and there is NO money. And "move so quickly”…PLEASE they gave your group extension after extension to every deadline and the last time we saw your books you has $1200 in the bank. If you group (friends) was so great why haven’t they had a fundraiser on over 2.5 years? Because you were going to rely on all tax money.
I came down really hard on the people of Lombard when I first got wind of this story and I shouldn’t have, except for those who took pleasure in seeing this great theater meet its final demise and who actively campaigned to bring it to that Only problem was, in practically all the last of the many commentaries that had been posted at Cinema Treasures' DuPage Theater page (before Cinema Treasures had to finally step in and shut it down), from looking in from the outside I couldn’t tell who was who really, at least in terms of who the truly good citizens were in this dispute. Only that there was this back and forth arguing that made little if any sense while the theater itself was experiencing the wrecking ball. And that’s all that mattered to me, the theater itself, at least in this case, since this website is about theater conservation after all.
But now that I know the story much better, while maybe this theater could’ve survived had their not been for the intense local efforts to get it demolished, my feeling is that it was ultimately not the people of Lombard to be blamed, but those whose responsibility — and power — it is to save significant theaters such as these.
For that IS a major problem all throughout this country right now, not just there in Lombard.
To have restored a theater such as this, indeed it would’ve required a sizeable fortune, and far in excess of what the village of Lombard could realistically afford. And I certainly didn’t mean to imply to all the citizens of Lombard, “Well gee, that’s too bad you folks of Lombard can’t afford it, but since this is a Rapp & Rapp theater you’ve got to cough up the money to save it anyhow.” For this theater was too big for that. But from what I can gather, before I came on the scene somebody did tell the village of Lombard just that. That is, somebody who’s entrusted to rescue theaters such as these, who has the power to, but who is choosing not to due to a little something known as embezzlement, or more specifically, fraud. I’m not saying that was the case with Illinois' U.S. Senator Obama. I haven’t heard what his side of the story is yet.
And melders, while I hear what you’re saying, how the state of Illinois was in a state of financial crisis when this tragedy took place (and I don’t dispute that), could that state of financial crisis have been any worse than when the U.S. fell into the dark recesses of the Great Depression? FDR was the man who brought this country out of the Great Depression. But in his doing so, did he tell all the theater operators, “Sorry, but you folks are on your own”? Quite the contrary, in bringing America out from the Great Depression he made theaters a top priority. And every American president (until perhaps recently) has always recognized the importance of the theater to our country’s well-being and was fully supportive of them. And right now, where theaters have been saved and are currently being managed well, they’re lifting up everything around them also. Because that’s how it works. On the other hand I’ve seen theaters forced to fold in efforts to try to make the economy around them better. But did it ever pan out that way? Nope. I can point out to you theater after theater that is now folded or demolished, and what is right around them? Ghetto.
The mark of every great leader — which FDR clearly was, and so, too, Lincoln, Eisenhower and so on — knows the importance of the theater to the nation’s well-being. It’s almost a litmus test of who’s going to make a great president and who isn’t. And I’d say that holds true in Obama’s case as well. Where was he, what was he doing when this particular theater — a bona fide movie palace of national and international scale — went down?
Theater, if I get my timeline correct the desition to demolish the theater was decided in the summer of 2005. Then it was to demolish the whole theater, not just parts of it as it is now. Obama would have been a U.S. Senator for just about 6 months then. As a freshman democrat sentator in a Republican controlled congress, there was very little he could have done to save this theater if he wanted to.
If I understand things correctly though, the plan now is to replace the old auditorium with a new one. The want to save the facade and lobby. If this is the plan being used, it is the plan thought up by the group that wants to SAVE this theater. Those that wanted complete demolision do not support it, since it is the plan that will cost the city all that money. If I am wrong about this I hope someone will please correct me!
During the Great Depression it was the people that didn’t have the money, not the government. In the case of Illinois, the state literally doesn’t have the money. They are taking money out of the state pension fund, not paying Medicare and Medicade bills. Several watchdog groups have warned that the state is heading towards a finacial meltdown.
As to helping the theaters out during the Great Depression, think first about the theaters they where helping. During the Depression the Dupage would have been new. Only basic mantaince would have been nessecary. The help would have been to help keeps the lights on. Now the cost would be a major restoration and then keeping the lights on!
Actually, the plans put forth would NOT “cost the city all that money”. The use of TIF DOES NOT cost the Village really anything, the funds come from property tac revenues from the retail and the condos. The State and Federal goverments have a myriad of grants such as Save Our Treasures, Illinois First, etc. that the project WAS eligible to recieve. The Village voted to revoke their request for such funds (1 million dollars) just before (like DAYS before) the money became available. Apparently, somebody that was opposed to the theatre project got word about it and saw that it was quashed.
The blame for the failure rests in part, a BIG part, on the Friends leadership, for several reasons…
1. VP, who claimed to have many contacts, failed to secure major funding.
2. Opposition to the project, however small (a handful of residents) was allowed to spread mistruths and lies unchecked.
3. The biggie, the Friends pulled a referendum off the ballot, at RSC’s request, that would have PROVEN Village resident support. What difference would a local referendum make to RSC? All it would have shown was that he was on the right track by restoring the theatre.
4. Allowing a half-assed petition drive that allowed ANYONE, even kids and non-residents to sign. Easily difused by the opposition.
5. A suggestion was made to do a petition drive in the districts who’s trustees were against the plan, it was quickly dismissed by the Friends president Dynako.
5. Not allowing rank-and-file members of the Friend’s to publish articles, stories, etc. in the local paper’s column dedicated to them.
6. Allowing the DEMOLITION (NOT “deconstruction” as they try to spin it) of the theatre WITHOUT a agreement with RSC in place. Why did they think a lawsuit to stop demolition was in order LAST YEAR, but not THIS YEAR?
7. COMPLETE FAILURE by the Friends to realize that some of the residents they were “working with” were completely against the theatre plan, merely trying to find out information/strategy, even after repeated warnings.
8. Claiming victory when the very thing you were charged with saving, the theatre, was being torn down, completely reversing your position from earlier in the year.
All in all, a classic example of how NOT to do things; excluding/alienating members, failure to realize the ovbious, working with those against the project and giving them valuable information only to see them use it against you, in hopes they will “change”, allowing egos and attitudes to override COMMON SENSE, the list goes on and on.
The sad part is the legacy of the historic DuPage Theatre will not. Even though the Board grants zoning variances day in and day out, they will REFUSE to here, citing “resident concerns” and the rest of the building will be demolished, to give way for yet another generic, fsceless building, probably condos with first floor retail, the same thing RSC wanted to do. The Friends will say they tried their best, but just couldn’t beat city hall. Except they were beaten by themselves for a long time.
Dude,
Have you been to the city hall in Lombard? We went a few months ago to a meeting. It is a wonderful building. Are you going to run for president of the Friends when Debbie runs for trustee? You would make a good president Dude. You have a great head on your shoulders. Are you ready to help with the bake sale Dude? I am so excited about it! We could use your help. Gary and Bruce are not interested. They are very busy men. Are you going to watch the Superbowl Dude? We are going to watch at the senior center.
Dude figured it all out….the Friends are really to blame for the demise of the theatre as they failed time and time again to address the funding issues all the while claiming tax dollars would not be used. And here it is the historic auditorium is gone and the rest of the building now sits with the bulldozers waiting for the call to take the rest of her down. The only thing left of The Dupe will be memories and pictures…..not a bad thing really when one considers the disrepair the place had been in all these years.
He’s so smart, the Dude. I think it’s sad that some of the men on my block laugh and mock him. I don’t care for that kind of behavior, no matter what the Dude has done in the past. Everyone makes mistakes. People can change. Carla Faye Tucker changed. Do you remember Carla Faye Tucker Follower? She’s the girl that murdered two people with an ax down in Texas and then came to God. I wrote letters to George Bush asking him to save her from execution. It was so sad that he didn’t listen to us. I like the Dude, don’t you Follower?
Dude, why are their two #5’s? I know 5th grade was the hardest 2 years for you.
You forgot #9 (really #10)
If the question were put forth here and now, “Why did the Titanic sink?” the answer I’m sure we could all universally agree upon is: “Because major mistakes were made.” And the same could be said as to why the DuPage Theater met the demise it did. And in finding other similarities, based on my own research of the Titanic’s sinking, as it was with the Titanic and the fact that there quite a few people aboard that night who wanted it to sink, we appear to have the same situation in the DuPage Theater’s demolition as well. My saying that might not make any sense when you look at it from the long term view. But if you think of what it was like in the context of being onboard that ship during its three-day maiden voyage, all that wealth aboard, a sizeable number of passengers not wealthy in relation to that, and isolated out at sea the way it became, where resentment and jealousy could come to the fore with nothing to stop it, and the wealthy aboard oblivious to this, accustomed as they were to protections being in place on their behalf but which weren’t around that fateful night, then we begin to see the deliberations of how it was that “major mistakes” were made that night. And did the same thing happen in the DuPage Theater’s case?
In getting to the bottom of that, there’s one good thing that can now be said of the DuPage Theater’s being demolished, and that is that no one has to be especially careful now with what they say lest it result in the DuPage Theater’s being torn down. Prior to its being torn down those who wanted it saved didn’t have that same freedom. They had to be cautious not to step on certain toes. But now it’s just like Dylan sang, “When you ain’t got nothing you got nothing to lose.” That theater, while it was still standing, was the bad element’s bargaining chip. It was like the kidnapper’s still-alive hostage. But then the “kidnapper” made the dumb stupid mistake of killing off the “hostage.” So now what does it have to bargain with? Nothing. And thus no one should have any fear of offending that bad element now. Truth that could not quite be said before can be fully said now. And DuPageDude, in line with that, I think you’ve given us a lot of truths. For one thing you most definitely had right was when you said that the DuPage Theater’s mishandling taught us all a whole lot of what not to dos. For yeah, if that wasn’t true the DuPage Theater would be still standing right now.
As for who’s to ultimately blame for its demolition? Well, the answer to that is simple. Who held it hostage while it was still standing? That’s your answer. And whoever that was, they don’t have any bargaining chip now. That is, talk about America’s dumbest criminals. And what would a dumb criminal like us all to do after he gets caught in the act? To back off and forget what we saw, of course. He would say, “What’s done is done, it can’t be undone. So let’s all forget it now and move on.” And um, that sounds reasonable and logical, you can’t bring back the dead after all. But then, not as reasonable and logical as justice.
i love you Buff. I loved the Titanic too. Leonardo DiCaprio is one of my favorites. I think it’s horrible that someone didn’t take the time to move that iceberg out of the way. Whomever they are are really to blame for the sinking of that beautiful cruiseliner. I did not know there was a hostage crisis at the Dupage Theater Buff. Who was holding someone hostage? Who was the hostage? Is that why there was often squad cars in the area? We thought they were there because teenagers were vandalizing her. Tell us more about he hostage crisis in Lombard Buff?
Hey Buff?,
Who is Dylan? is he the jazz musician that played with Tommy Dorsey? I love Tommy Dorsey, don’t you? I used to take the train into Chicago as a child to see the shows. I don’t understand the music these children listen to today. A delivery boy from the pharmacy dropped off my Anusol and my diuretic supplement today and he had those earplugs in and was listening to one of those P-pods? The music was playing so loud I could actually hear it when he opened his mouth! Yes it’s true Buff, the music was actually going in his ears and I could hear it through his mouth! My husband got a p-pod for Christmas from his friends at the VFW hall. We had to give it to my granddaughter though. It affected his hearing aids in a bad way. Are you coming to the bake sale Buff? We will be playing lot’s of big band hits from the 1940’s. It will be fun Buff.
Hey Buff?,
Who is Dylan? is he the jazz musician that played with Tommy Dorsey? I love Tommy Dorsey, don’t you? I used to take the train into Chicago as a child to see the shows. I don’t understand the music these children listen to today. A delivery boy from the pharmacy dropped off my Anusol and my diuretic supplement today and he had those earplugs in and was listening to one of those P-pods? The music was playing so loud I could actually hear it when he opened his mouth! Yes it’s true Buff, the music was actually going in his ears and I could hear it through his mouth! My husband got a p-pod for Christmas from his friends at the VFW hall. We had to give it to my granddaughter though. It affected his hearing aids in a bad way. Are you coming to the bake sale Buff? We will be playing lot’s of big band hits from the 1940’s. It will be fun Buff.
Hello Mr. Buff. We are having the bake sale this Sunday at 1 p.m.. I hope you can come. Marty, Ralph and Virginia will be there to help. What kind of pie would you like Buff? Are you bringing Barack OBama with you? How wonderful would it be if he became president and then flew back to Lombard to help save the ticket box? I don’t think Hillary Clinton is interested in saving our ticket box and lobby. I would prefer that Barack OBama get elected now that you have topld us he will help save the ticket box and lobby. You are a godsend to our community Buff! We can’t thank you enough for getting the next president of America involved here in the Lilac village!
God bless you Buff. I have pies waiting for you.
Dude,
Have you been in contact with Virginia from the senior center yet? We will need your big strong muscles to help set up the tables on Sunday. We will need some sort of a lecturn for Barack Obama to speak from. Do you have anything like that you could bring in from Woodburn? I’m so excited about Sunday. If we sell all of the baked goods on hand we should raise well over $150. Sam says that will buy quite a bit of paint and mortar for the lobby. I hope the Super bowl does not slow down foo traffic to our sale on Sunday. We start a 1 p.m. and go until 5 p.m. We would go longer but we close at 5 p.m. on Sundays. The game should be over by 3 anyway. Are you a Bears fan Dude? My favorite player is still Mike Ditka. My son says Mike suffers from permenant jock itch. Do you have jock itch Dude? I have hammertoes and bunions. I know what Mr. Ditka is going through.
Well folks, I was right. A few members of the Friends used their position for their own personal gain. Laura Fitzpatrik, wife of Kevin and one of the ONLY THREE (the Fitzpatriks and Dynaco) allowed to write articles in the local paper is running for Trustee. She was forced to when her husband put his foot in his mouth by saying something along the lines of “women are better in politics because they are better at ‘kitchen table’ issues.” That’s one district, Dynaco will probably run in a different one, we’ll see. Sometimes I hate being right.
Dynaco recentl said in the paper the DuPage Theater was celebrating a birthday this year…How is that possible? It simply ceased to exist when the Friends Board decided to pull the referendum question during the last election. The demolition or “deconstruction” as the Friends try to spin it, was the final straw. What little that remains of the building will be torn down soon when those who oppose the project, who are on the local zoning board and other positions in Village government, make it impossible for RSC to continue and then withdraw from the project.
Those opposed have tried to bring up building a library there, but they have NEVER had a referendum question on the ballot in the last six (at least) elections. They avoid the fact that resident property taxes will go up to fund the project. The last time the library board had a referendum to ask for more money, it was voted down, People do not use the library as much anymore, the internet and on-line book, video and music sellers have taken over as well.
Jim (aka dupagedude),
I won’t argue your opinions in the first two paragraphs, but the third paragraph has some misinformation in it.
It is true there has not been a referendum in the last few elections, but there has never been a drive for one. The library board has stayed out of this fiasco. But NOBODY has ever said that taxes won’t go up because of a new library and I would love you to find where somebody has, and they (supporters) have never “avoided” that, as you say.
Yes the last referendum was voted down, barely, but mainly because they needed an addition $4 million for a temporary site, something that will NOT be necessary with a new library.
“People do not use the library as much” is your opinion NOT a fact. I believe the library’s last study showed an increase in users, which is why they needed a new library.
Please note that I am not a new library supporter, that is somebody elses fight, but I think people should know the truth.
“Misinformation?” Oh that’s a great line coming from you.
Cry me a river. Will you?
Well foks lets set the record straight.
1- The Library Board held two referenda at the March 16, 2004, primary election. (By law, they can only hold a referendum during the time of a regularly scheduled election.) One question was to ask voter approval to raise taxes to sell $23,500,000 in bonds to pay for the building. This covers the construction cost, furniture and equipment, fees, surveys, and reimbursement for purchase of the property next door. Using 2003 figures and loan rates, this would have cost the owner of a $200,000 market value home an additional $100 per year for a 20 year loan, using December 2003 interest rates.
2- A second referendum question asked voters for approval for a permanent tax increase for operations, raising the maximum allowable tax rate from the current 25 cents per $100 equalized assessed valuation, to 31 cents. This would fund costs necessary for a larger building, including maintenance, utilities, and staffing. It would cost the owner of a $200,000 market value home an additional $38 per year, based on a 2002 tax bill.
A citizen’s committee worked very hard to help with the referendum. The referenda both failed, however. The first question results, for the general obligation bonds ($23,500,000), was:
YES: 4,072 (44.05%)
NO: 5,173 (55.95%)
For the increase in operating tax rate (6 cents per $100 EAV), results were.
YES: 3,858 (41.67%)
NO: 5,393 (58.33%)
Lack of awareness is not the reason for the referendum failure. Voters were well aware of the expansion and the referendum (86%). In fact, more people were aware of the Library plan, and held an opinion about it, than any other village issue.
Major reasons for the referendum failure from those who said they would vote “yes” were the cost of temporary quarters and the scale of the proposed expansion, representing about 30% of the “yes” voters. From the “no” voters, major concerns were the sheer cost and “unacceptable parts of the plan”, which could mean anything from parking to architectural design issues. The scale of the plan was not as much an issue for them.
Voters who supported the referendum agreed that the expansion was necessary, and 84% agreed to increased taxes. However, some objected to the cost of temporary quarters during construction, the size of the expansion, and overall cost.
3- To confirm numerous earlier verbal discussions between the Library and various Village staff, in June, 2005, the Library Board notified the Village Board in writing of its desire to be informed of available properties in the downtown area for a new library, including but not limited to the DuPage Theater site.
4- He further says “ I believe the library’s last study showed an increase in users, which is why they needed a new library.”
Then he says “Please note that I am not a new library supporter, that is somebody elses fight, but I think people should know the truth."
He has supported and defended a library at the theater property site for 6 years.
In year 2004 a website was created specifically to gather public support for a new library on the theater property.
In the past 3 years there hasn’t been 800 viewers.
www.LombardLAMP.org
Crazy Ray. Cry me a river!
800 viewers? That is still more support than the friends of the demolished dupe have ever had….despite free editorial week after week in the local rag to spout out mistruths and misinformation on the fate of the theatre. Face it folks..the Friends of the DuPage Theatre failed year after year after year with false hopes and promises and have now embraced a black box plan to rise from the pile of bricks that once was the historic theatre. Only problem is there is no support and yet another plan will lead to nothing…imagine that.
Now cry me river alright….tears of joy will indeed flow like a river amongst Lombardians village wide when the rest of the DuPage comes down this spring given that word on the street is this latest plan is falling apart fast and it is only a matter of weeks before the developer walks (or should one say gets washed away given storm water retention seems to be the latest stumbling block).
KF are you nuts? Everything you posted supported me NOT Jim.
I said it was a close vote and it was only 1000 difference, 6% votes go the other way and it wins. 6%!(Major reasons for the referendum failure from those who said they would vote “yes” were the cost of temporary quarters and the scale of the proposed expansion, representing about 30% of the “yes”).
Where in your post (or mine) does it say the Library wants the Dupe lot…nowhere!
And read Jim’s post more closely “Those opposed have tried to bring up building a library there, but they (those opposed) have NEVER had a referendum question on the ballot in the last six (at least) elections."
Those opposed NEVER had a refendum on the ballot. The library board had a referendum and I admitted that.
Then in #4 you repeat my post but yet don’t answer it. We needed a new (and bigger) library because we had OUTGROWN the old one. Thanks for agreeing.
Thanks for proving that Jim (dupagedude was wrong and I am right).
Now why don’t you two take your political ramblings elsewhere, as this is a theatre preservation site and you both supported demolition. That’s right KF supports a plan that included the demolition of the theatre which was on the NAtional list of Historic place.
Have a nice night Ray!
Kevin,
Thanks so much for the information about the library coming to the theatre site. I love to read. Do you like to read Ray? We are all so happy about the library coming to the theatre location! Do you know when the library will be built? Will it have a section for seniors? We are so happy that you are on board with this new library Kevin. Will Your lovely wife be supporting it? Maybe she can paint murals of the old theatre on the walls to remind us of it. We were distraught when you, Robert, Kurt and Debby had the building torn down, but this is a very nice comeback from all of you. We were dissapointed at the turnout for our bake sale on Sunday afternoon. We think the weather caused the low turnout. We gave many of our baked goods to the homeless but still have some left. Would you like some of the pie and cookies Kevin?
“People do not use the library as much” is your opinion NOT a fact. I believe the library’s last study showed an increase in users, which is why they needed a new library.
Please note that I am not a new library supporter, that is somebody elses fight, but I think people should know the truth.
posted by CrazyRay on Feb 5, 2007 at 7:52am"
Well imagine that! A STUDY, paid for by the LIBRARY, showed use is up. OF COURSE IT IS!! Phillip Morris can pay for a study that says smoking DOES NOT CAUSE cancer. Big oil can pay for studies that claim dependence on fossil fuels does not cause global warming too! The library paid for a study that said just what they wanted it to say, so they can justify trying to take more tax money. Residents OPPOSED it via referendum. While part of the referendum (presented by the library board) was for costs for a temporary site, a majority of the money was to enlarge the current facility. which residents who see the uselessness of a new library, voted down.
MY STATEMENT BEFORE WAS THIS…
Those opposed have tried to bring up building a library there, but they have NEVER had a referendum question on the ballot in the last six (at least) elections. They avoid the fact that resident property taxes will go up to fund the project. The last time the library board had a referendum to ask for more money, it was voted down, People do not use the library as much anymore, the internet and on-line book, video and music sellers have taken over as well.
posted by DuPageDude on Feb 4, 2007 at 9:47am
Which is true, the small handful who occasionally spew out “Let’s put the new library where the DuPage Theatre was” NEVER have tried to support their position via referendum, because they know it will go the same way the library board’s referendum went, right down the tubes!
Jim, the referendum only lost by 6%.
Libary use is up Jim, prove it is not…do a study.
Take your politics to a political site.
Ann, (aka True class) How much did your Super Bowl bake sale brings in?
The contribution scoreboard for 2007 reads:
Friends $0
Ann $???
1- The Library Board held two referenda at the March 16, 2004, primary election. (By law, they can only hold a referendum during the time of a regularly scheduled election.) One question was to ask voter approval to raise taxes to sell $23,500,000 in bonds to pay for the building. This covers the construction cost, furniture and equipment, fees, surveys, and reimbursement for purchase of the property next door. Using 2003 figures and loan rates, this would have cost the owner of a $200,000 market value home an additional $100 per year for a 20 year loan, using December 2003 interest rates.
ES: 4,072 (44.05%)
NO: 5,173 (55.95%)
Sorry, that’s more 6%. That’s almost 12%!! That question asked for 23 MILLION to build a new building!
Where was YOUR referendum to build on the DuPage Theatre site? You and a handful of others talk about how great it wopuld ne, nut with NOTHING to back it up!
Jim Devit,
I never talked about the library, that is somebody elses fight. You are mixing me up with somebody else.
Do the math genius, only 6% of the vote needs to be changed
44.05% Yes
+ 6% MORE
50.05%
Jim what does “wopuld ne, nut” mean?
If I might step in temporarily here to serve as referree, even though DuPageDude has been accused of having political aspirations and that that is ultimately his agenda, every message he has posted here so far appears to be 100% true from what I can determine. And I think it is fully possible for one with political aspirations — which in itself is not a crime — to have a deep love for theaters as well. Several of our country’s greatest presidents — Lincoln, FDR, Eisenhower, etc. — certainly did.
Meantime, just to give you all the latest update on presidential contender Barack Obama and the inquiry I sent to his campaign team about a month ago with regard to where he stands on the future of theaters in our country and their well-being, I have not heard a single word back, and I think that says a ton of bad things about him.
When FDR became president and was faced with lifting the U.S. out of the Great Depression, one very special thing he did toward this effort was prioritize the importance of American theater. He created the Federal Theater Project (FTP), which became an integral part of the W.P.A. (Works Progress Administration.) And the strategy worked beautifully. In reverse fashion, if anyone sought to bring on depression-like conditions for the advantage of a small privileged few, they would downplay the importance of theater. And I have seen case time and time again where theaters folded and ghetto-like conditions followed afterward. So I believe my theory holds some merit therefore. As for Obama, no way would I vote for that man based on the non-response I’ve gotten from his campaign team regarding my inquiry. Behind the cleancut facade I think he means this country harm for the sake of a small privileged few, and I think what we saw in Lombard was a first beginning of that.
My political ramblings? Au contraire.
Politics is not my agenda. Politics? That’s somebody elses agenda!
After reading the previous posts, you were the only poster that mentioned “politics."
I rebutted your post because you are wrong. D.D. is correct about those opposed to the theater wanted and supported a new library on the theater property. I even provided the web address to prove my statement. www.LombardLAMP.org
The library board has shown interest in acquiring the theater property for a new library. That is also a fact.
The fact that the library board hasn’t pursued yet another referendum may be because they are aware that any referendum questions asking for a tax increases would be defeated again.
Whatever the reason,that’s somebody elses fight!
Your comment: “That’s right KF supports a plan that included the demolition of the theatre which was on the NAtional list of Historic place."
Let’s set the record straight again. I defend the position that saves as many historical elements of the the original structure as possible.
What is your position about the demolition of a theater which was on the national list of historic places?
As I have stated time and time again, I did not support the plan that included demolition nor do I support a taxpayer assisted plan. This plan has both of those.
The only thing you are saving now is the name of that single issue candidate for trustee…what a sad platform she is running on (unopposed unfortunately). Guess she could be the “demolitionist party” given that her group ultimately destroyed the theatre. Comedy will indeed be back on the airwaves every other Thursday night come May….but then what happens come May when the theatre is no longer an agenda item as the cause has come to an end? Will she really take office?
And what historical elements are left? A few light fixtures in your garage or basement? A crumbling terra cotta facade? A marquee that is heading for the scrap heap? What else is worth saving now that the theatre is gone? Will historic theatre lovers travel near and far to see a lobby? Doubt that….and Cinema Treasures is for the appreciation of historic THEATRES, not hallways that once led to historic theatres that have been destroyed by the greed of a group that was appointed to save it.
The thing that made America great was its wide open frontiers that made it possible for those with a different way of doing things to just go ahead and do them without any real hassle. That is, they didn’t have to explain and get clearance and approval every minute step of the way before then going the next step. Or fully have to scrap what they sought to do due to a failure to get the higher ups and/or the citizens right around them to understand. Rather, they could just go ahead with the obvious, or at least what was obvious to them. The Wright brothers at Kill Devil Hills, NC for instance. Or the early pioneers in movies when they first got out to Hollywood when it was all somewhat still just a big no man’s land.
But nowadays so much of the U.S. has become a world where when people try to do things a certain way they either get obstructed by a whole bunch of naysayers saying it can’t be done that way, or when they attempt to do something a certain way that they know will work, they get stopped by a bunch of bureaucrats telling them, “It doesn’t work that way” — meaning that they have to play by the established rules, such as, being born into a certain family line that holds such privileges, or have such and such college degree so as to qualify to go the next step, or whatever other crap.
And my guess is that some of that was in effect in my trying to get a better grasp on how the DuPage Theater met its demise when certain well-meaning individuals set out to bring it back and breathe all new life into it.
For instance, I criticize Senator Obama for his failure to intervene on their behalf. But then when I think about the fact that he holds a degree from Harvard, well, what do those with high fallutin' college degrees understand about the fly by the seat of the pants approach?
Back when the race was on to invent the world’s first airplane, the world’s most highly respected contender at the time was Samuel Langley, head of the Smithsonian Institute and with every “qualifying” college degree imaginable. The “comic relief,” meantime, was those two silly brothers from Ohio with their bumbling bicycle shop in Dayton being their only “credentials.” Fortunately, with America still high levels of frontiers at that time, they could skirt around all the naysayers and bureaucrats to follow through on what they knew inside they had the capability to do. And at a wide open frontier called Kill Devil Hills, NC they did just that. And today’s history has Samuel Langley down as the comic relief.
When that race was on to invent the airplane, Langley was freely provided every government grant imaginable. The Wright brothers, meantime, had to scrimp and save and budget every way possible. But at least the great frontiers that existed at the time understood them and what they knew inside they could do, if nothing else did.
And the great tragedy of America today is that we don’t have that frontier factor now. And we saw that firsthand in why the DuPage Theater ultimately came down. Maybe if it had been some Samuel Langley type proposing to restore the theater Senator Obama and everyone else in “authority” would have been there with their full support, and all the well-to-do citizens of Lombard giving their full approval as well. But in today’s America not only do we lack the great frontiers of yore, but we lack those in authority with great vision as well. For I look at Obama and I think, if he didn’t know the massive importance of saving this theater, that’s as empty a future leader this country could ever hope to get.
My hunch is that certain people there in Lombard know just what I’m talking about. Sadly though it is not the privileged ones. In a healthy society the cream rises to the top. But in a very unhealthy one, such as the one we have right now, the best among us get ushered to the bottom-most dregs, and the great theaters such as the DuPage all get torn down as well.
Theater, why must we haul Obama into this? The reasons why this theater was demolished are simple. Politics and money. This was not a theater that had been recently closed and was in decent shape. From what I understand this was a theater that had been closed for over a decade, had be triplexed, and was in terrible shape. It would take a lot of money to restore. Obama was not invovled because he had been a U.S. Senator for just a couple months when the city council made its first decision for complete demolision. He had previously been a state senator from inner Chicago, so this theater was not in his district.
The other fact is that many people from town and out of town put their faith in the Freinds of Dupage(or what ever their name is) to save the theater. I did. But the didn’t want to take the expense of restoring the auditorium. They wanted to demolish all but the lobby and facade and build a new, smaller auditorium. The wanted to call this SAVING the Dupage. I believe the even convinced many historic preservation groups to support their plan.
Also while you are bashing Obama about not helping this theater or answering your questions about the theater industry, did you send this same questions to Mrs. Clinton, Mr. McCain, Mr. Edwards, or Mr. Giulioni? It would seem that if you didn’t you must have something else against Mr. Obama. Yes he lives in Illinois, but I’m sure other theaters are in danger in other states. What about the great theaters of Manhatten that are still closed that Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Giulioni represent? Also I really doubt the federal government needs to get invovled in helping the theater industry. Even here is deep Southern Illinois I still have plenty of opportunities to go out and see shows at the theater.
I seem to start wandering when I post and not get my point through. Basically what I am trying to say is what happened to the Dupage was not some great conspiracy against theaters, but an incident of an old, abandoned, rundown theater getting demolished. Yes I think more people could have been involved, but the fact is that saving a theater must start on the local level. It seems that enough of the right people wanted it demolished and those that wanted it saved didn’t speak up enough. I think for any politician to step in and say “Hey, I know more than you and I say you must save this theater” would have been overstepping the bounds. Even if Obama had come in with the money for restoration, I doubt that the theater would have been saved. It seemd to me that too many people wanted this theater demolished no matter waht.
A voice of reason there Melders…thank you. No conspiracy at all but simply an example of failed dreams and financial games. The theatre was not well cared for and sank to disrepair under numerous owners over the course of many years. A saving grace was when Big Idea purchased the theatre and adjoining properties with a grand plan that later fell flat on its face…with dozens of so called reasons but it simply came down to the almighty dollar (imagine that). The theatre…in even worse shape than it was really…was gifted to the village with the hopes that it be restored with a facility that would benefit the community as a whole. Nearly ten years later and after literally dozens of ideas on what to do with the property it still sits…at least what’s left of it after the village finally tore down the crumbling auditorium. Costs have risen and still the shell of what’s left sits after lawsuits and threats and community forums ripping the village apart have led to nothing. No white knight with millions to save the day and now they want to rebuild it….all on the taxpayers dime. You win some and you lose some and these theatre supporters refuse to admit defeat and move on with their lives. A real tragedy and makes one wish the village had simply torn the place down the day after they were given the deed as no one in their right mind would have ever dreamed that this nightmare would still be unresolved in 2007.
TheatreBuff,
You seem to be very well connected with the Federal government. Is there any way you can help us get a new library, theatre and save the ticket box? I am very impressed with your knowledge of the federal government. How long have you known Barack Obama? Do you think he’ll mention the theatre when he addresses the nation next week? My son reads this website and he says that you are so well connected and love theaters because you have an alternative lifestyle. What is alternate about your lifestyle Buff? My son says you alternate doing things to other people? Can you alternate with some of the people in our community to help convince them to save the ticket box? We need to do whatever it takes to save her Buff? Do you like movies as much as you like theaters Buff? My son says he would bet a million dollars that your favorite movie is Brokeback Mountain. I have not seen Brokeback Mountain yet but I love cowboy movies. Do you like cowboy movies Buff?
Ann, (aka True class) How much did your Super Bowl bake sale bring in?
The contribution scoreboard for 2007 reads:
Friends $0
Ann $???
Melders, I have to set you (and a few others around here) straight on a few things. First off, the DuPage was not an “…old, abandoned, rundown theater getting demolished” As you put it. Did you ever take a look inside it in oerson? When Big Idea had control of the property, they had begun rehabbing the interior. Much of the old interior, including plumbing and electrical, had been removed. The plaster, leaded glass, etc was there. Whatever pieces of plasterwork, etc. that were missing on one side were still on the other. True, the roof did need to be patched, but by the time the Friends had taken control, that was done, as well as the tuckpointing work. Back then, the Friends conducted tours and regularly cleaned the inside and outside of the property. They had local students paint murals on the outside.
I believe that the anti-theatre Trustee, Sebby, realized (or someone else realized for him) that the tours were starting to garner public support for the project, once people saw that the interior was not as bad as they were lead to believe. This was the era when the Friends, myself majorly included, as well as those who have since past like Doug Christenson and Joan DeStephano and Mark Barry, all were 100% committed to nothing short of restoration of the theatre. Doug just about got himself arrested monthly at Village Board meetings while demanding the Village do something. Joan devoted a good portion of her life savings to support the cause. Mark, quite, determined Mark, worked toiless hours for the theatre, never wanting to let her down.
That was when the theatre was the focal point of the Friends, when they TRULY meant something. Now that they have supported and seen demolition of the very thing they were started to save. Most of those on their board who made the decision to support demolition (without polling the rest of the group to get their feedback) were not even members in those early days! Yet they voted for demolition (they should call it was it is, DEMOLITION, not “deconstruction” since they’re NOT rebuilding the theatre). Once they started calling themselves a “political action group” I knew they had bigger political aspirations. Their free weekly article in the local paper was just to get their names recognized by the public.
This same board had many, many chances to PROVE the support for the project. They would have had a question on the ballot a while back, but pulled it, claiming the developer, RSC, asked them to. Why? What difference would it make to him? He was going to build a theatre there, a winning referendum would only justify his cause even more! They did a half-assed petition drive, but allowed anyone from anywhere to sign it, They were WARNED that it could be easily diffused by the opposition, they didn’t listen.
Speaking of NOT listenimng, I went to one of their board meetings a few years back and almost BEGGED them to do a petition drive in the districts who’s trustees had voted against the project. I told them if they could PROVE that a majority of that trustees taxpaying, voting residents were in FAVOR of the project, they COULD NOT vote against it, since the will of the people was to go forward. One of the then newly-elected trustees who was against the project said he could not find support in the district; how could the previous trustee find support then? Did everyone in the area suddenly move out?
The saddest thing about this whole issue is a reminder of a warning I said from the very beginning. “Once it’s gone, it can NEVER be brought back.” I have seen several other restoration project in this area move forward, they all sais the same thing. If it’s gone, it can NEVER come back. Now it’s not coming back.
The performing arts are very important to our culture. Believe it or not, I was once pretty introverted. It took summoning up the courage to perform in a junior high school variety show to break me out of my shell. Now I have just become the top salesman in a company that had over $150 million in sales last year. Who knows where I would be if I did not step up in 7th grade. Probably working for a mindless company like UPS!
In closing, it was not about the money, that was coming in, remember the State and Federal money that the Village refused. That was not one time miney, every year that could be applied for, and that was just scratching the surface! It’s too bad that the Friends listened to one of their members and talked a big game, saying he could bring in the dough, but never did. He’s now their vice president. There are not massive, pitchfork and torch-weilding peasants storming city hall to demand the destruction of the Dupe. There are just a few people, hiding in the shadows, sniping at plans, trying to make themselves feel important. It’s sad that a handful of individuals can hold the development of a town of 44,000 hostage just because they never stepped into the spotlight on a stage and spoke into a microphone.
Dude,
I am so proud of you being a salesman. What do you sell? Someone said you sold french fries or vacuum cleaners. We need a new vacuum cleaner. Will you be coming to our block soon? My son says you sell drugs. Is it true that you sell drugs Dude? Where do you sell them? Walgreens or CVS? I love salesman Dude. People say that salesman are usually people that are not smart enough to perform normal jobs. Most of them are alcoholics. Are you an alcoholic Dude? I hope not because I care about you and I really need someone to give me a good price on an Oreck. When you come over, please don’t throw too much flour on my rug during your demonstration. I need flour to get ready for the next bake sale. Do you like pies Dude? Gary, Robert, Bruce and Phil like my pies. See how chubby they are getting?
The fact that the DuPage Theater was in bad shape in any way ultimately sidesteps the major point, and that is that certain people intentionally and deliberately wanted this theater torn down. And I believe these same people would’ve wanted that theater torn down even if it was in tiptop condition. And the most disturbing detail of this saga is that those people GOT THEIR WAY. And the fact that they got their way and are now walking free and clear is why this story is FAR FROM OVER.
One could look at this country of ours as it is right now which has much to be criticized and see all the negativity. For instance, I can point out so many places in the U.S. at this point in time that once were magnificently beautiful but that are no more. And I’m sure I’m far from the only one here who can do the same thing. But on that premise could we all then agree, “Well, time to bomb the U.S. to kingdom come now, given how crappy so much of it has gotten”? I’m sure that our going next step would sound reasonable to the terrorists overseas. But for any of us Americans to hold that view fully brings into question where our truest loyalties are.
Some might suggest that during a wartime such as this that an endangered American movie palace greatly pales in relation to whatever is ultimately most important, “Senator Barack Obama has far more important things to think about than a theater,” and all that.
But I say no.
I say that if we’re going to allow our country to be trashed in this way then what the heck are we fighting a war for?
When we look back to World War II — which in my opinion was the last truly just war — there was a great deal of good going on in this country at that time. And it was during that era when our nation’s movie palaces were at their utmost magnificance. At that time there was no question at all what we were fighting to defend.
Meantime, not all that long before World War II America had been in the deep dregs of the Great Depression. But with hard work, faith and steadfast determination to rise out of it America had remarkably succeeded in doing so — only to then come under attack by the Japanese from one side and Nazi Germany to the other. When America found its way out from the Great Depression, it didn’t do so by relying on brutal tactics the way Nazi Germany, the Japanese Empire and Fascist Italy did. Rather, it did so by way of fairplay and reason. And in using this approach America became a greater country than it ever had been previously. And far too great to allow for any disgruntled foreign interests to bring it all down. When American soldiers during WWII were here in the U.S. — either before or after serving overseas — they saw firsthand here what it was all about they were fighting for. But how many of our soldiers today get to see that same thing?
So many of our U.S. soldiers in today’s all-volunteer military come from impoverished ghetto areas all throughout the U.S. And when these soldiers are visiting back home it’s very ofttimes to neighborhoods where especially high homicide rates are not unusual in the least — not to mention images of blight that just as easily could be in war-torn Baghdad or somewhere. They return to neighborhoods where, if there’s any movie theaters left at all, they’re either all boarded up and rotting away, their marquee signs in scattered pieces of broken glass upon the cracked and weed overgrown sidewalks out front, or converted to a run-of-the-mill Dollar Tree Stores, or remade into a Section 8 housing complexes or whatever. Contrast that to what soldiers in WWII got to see and experience whenever they were back home. Even in some of this country’s most dreaded areas, such as the Bowery in New York, the movie theaters were at their best.
The money that President Bush currently commits towards today’s ongoing and never ending war effort totally dwarfs the amounts of money his administration spends in this country to make it a half-decent nation worth fighting for. Unlike how it was with FDR, you don’t see any Federal Theater Project type program being championed by the Bush administration. But Senator Obama assures us he’ll be different if he becomes our country’s next president. Yet he doesn’t have a single thing to say about the current state of the movie theaters here.
As for the question I put forth to him concerning this, I do put that same topic before all the other presidential contenders as well; I’m not just picking on him alone. Absolutely I want to know what Clinton’s, Juliani’s, McCain’s, Biden’s, etc., positions are on this as well. In brief, since I’m a New Deal Democrat by nature and a Dwight David Eisenhower style Republican, I AM looking for that next FDR or DDH. And at the same time I don’t want the next president to be there just for the benefit of those who want the worst for our country, in particular the type who deliberately and intentionally wanted the DuPage torn down — and who very tragically got their way. With “Americans” like that rising to the fore, WE become the nation that must be brought down.
Ann, (aka True class) How much did your Super Bowl bake sale bring in?
The anti-theatre/anti-culture crowd in now so worried about anyone in favor of the theatre that they have taken to censoring any/all pro-theatre posts on their website, the one that they call “A Lombard Website for Lombard People”. It should be called “A Communist Website for those we feel worthy of posting and agree with us in totality”
Jim,
all you have to do is register on that website, but at least now we know that you are a liar because you have repeatedly denied that you posst on that site. You are a fraud and have been caught in a web of lies.
Excuse me, I didn’t say that I post on there, I was just looking at it when all of a sudden, after several pro-arts posts were made, the entire thread was deleted right back to the anti-arts one that was originally there.
Can you sxplain WHY those posts, and any others that don’t agree with YOUR views, are being deleted on there? Even post by REGISTERED USERS are being deleted. I’ve seen it with my own eyes! What are you so afraid of? Public support? Being proved WRONG?
Jim you are a liar and I proved it..again.
Can you tell me what “sxplain” means?
So…..
What’s going to become of Lombard now that the DuPage Theater has been torn down? What comes next now? Let’s hear all the “wonderful” things that are supposed to happen now that this has been done. Anybody? Anybody?
Though I am not from Lombard or the area around it, I believe that either the new auditorium and condos will be built or the rest of the theater will be torn down. After all the fighting that has taken place, I really don’t see anything happening here but a vacant lot.
The friends of the theatre, who supported demolition, want Condo’s there and a blackbox theatre…paid for by TIF financing.
Melders is partially correct, there will be an empty lot for a long time, but at least the Village is utilizing the lot for commuter parking.
One commonly-circulated theory which I believe has a great deal of creedance involves several “well-connected” people in town. These “people” all have money from one source or another, and all are against the DuPage Theatre project. These same people also financially supported the trustee who was the most focused on demolition (and not much else, according to those in his district, myself included). Apparently they are eyeing the property for some sort of development, probably a similar development to what RSC wanted, 1st floor retail and higher floors condos.
All the talk of a new library there is just a ploy to get the site cleared. A referendum for the library several years ago to raise property taxes to gather 24 million to build a new library was voted down by residents, proving they DO NOT want to spend that kind of money on something the internet has made obsolete. Those who keep talking about building a library on the DuPage site have NEVER had their own referendum on the ballot, despite numerous elections in which to do so. Why is that? Because they know it will go the same way as the library’s referendum to rebuild on the site of the current library, voted down.
Those who say the DuPage Theatre and Shoppes project will not work have NEVER come up with a viable alternative. They make pot shots from the dark, spouting mistruths (there is no demand for a theatre) and all out lies (they have claimed the project will raise property taxes). NEVER have they presented a viable alternative that would do the same things for the community both culturally and economically.
Do you know what the saddest part is? A few former members of the Friends were at a party I hosted last night, and they told me I was right, that all some people wanted was to get their names in the paper. That most of the members have stopped showing up because they are fed up with the way things have gone in the last few years. That they are upset because they NEVER got a chance to decide for themselves what direction they wanted the Friends to go in. While most of them were in it for the long haul, their own Board just wanted short term gains, to have a nice scrapbook chcok full of articles with their names in them.
Jim Dude,
I learned how to copy and paste today. Here is one of your recent posts:
Excuse me, I didn’t say that I post on there, I was just looking at it when all of a sudden, after several pro-arts posts were made, the entire thread was deleted right back to the anti-arts one that was originally there.
posted by DuPageDude on Feb 10, 2007 at 9:57am
I believe you Jim. And I believe that Barry Bonds only took illegal drugs because he thought they were cold medicine. And I also believe Bill Clinton never had sex with Monica Lewinsky. And I also belive Bill Clinton never smoked pot but only inhaled it. I also want you to know that I was taken captive by space aliens who used took me to a planet far away, forced me to bake pies and returned me to my home weeks later…..Why doesn’t anyone believe us Jim?
Imagine if after the Parthenon in Athens was greatly destroyed when Greece was under Turkish occupation during the 1700s the Greeks all looked at the building afterwards and said, “Well, that’s it; it would be too costly to restore, so let’s tear it down and rush something else up in its place,” how that would’ve played out in history. For that’s essentially what we’re looking at here. For you can’t just tear down a Rapp & Rapp movie palace and rush something up in its place and hope to be respected. And those who pushed for its demolition are now logged in history for all eternity as total idiots. And what just happened in Lombard is a real disgrace to America at large.
Now I don’t expect idiots to understand that. But above and beyond what idiots can comprehend, that’s how big a matter this is.
When I say that was a Rapp & Rapp theater I’m not just talking to move the wind around. And right now, given his total silence on the matter so far, it is a huge skeleton in Illinois Senator Barack Obama’s closet. Anybody with even just the slightest degree of culture would know that straight off. For this is the kind of theater that I and many others would travel a long distance to come see. It would be no more unusual than someone traveling from Kansas City to see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris, France. Which happens all the time. And Lombard had that. And it threw it away.
And now, whatever Lombard puts up in place of where the DuPage Theater stood is going to be an eternal testament to how stupid certain people in Lombard were.
For I and others are certainly not going to travel from all points on the globe to Lombard to see a stupid commuter parking lot, or a hidious condo highrise or whatever other crap is going to rise up there now. Nothing can be built there now that will ever take the place of what stood before — other than that which totally doesn’t matter, and for a people who no longer matter…
Buff,
How come you didn’t show up for pie last week? Robert and Gary ate several all by themselves. I would have given several to Kevin but he stayed home because of the cold. You know how bad cold weather can be on a bald man’s head.
Are you bald buff? Or are you chubby like Robert and Gary and Kurt? I don’t care for chubby men myself. Do you like men thinner or chunkier Buff? My son says you will take them any way you can. He’s so silly. Do you get silly Buff?
Buff, would you PLEASE leave Barak Obama out of this!!!!!!!!!! As I have said time and time again there was little he could do to help this theater. You have asked many times where he was when this happened. I will ask where were YOU? I doubt there is a single visitor to this site that didn’t know the DuPage was going to be demolished. I think almost ever person the this site made at least one comment on the Dupage page before it was shut off.
Also, True Class. I wish you would quit with your petty talk like “My son says you will take them any way you can.” This doesn’t make you funny. It’s not nice. It defently shows you don’t have much class. I really wish you would STOP IT!! This site it about dicussing historic theaters, not spreading gossip. If you want to gossip do that at the Seniors Center.
Sorry if my last two posts seems a little harsh, but I am tired of this board not being about the Dupage. It seems that some posters want to make this about trashing a political canidate or a place for a bored old lady to spread gossip about other posters.
Melders, read “her” posts and you will realize that “she” isn’t a “70 year old woman”. “She” is just trying to stir people, mainly me up. It didn’t work so you went for it. Ignore “her” and HE’LL go away!
Dude, I also noticed “her” profiles says “Property owner in Lombard, IL. Hinsdale, IL resident.” This to me means that she lives in Hinsdale, but she just owns property in Lombard.
Hey Buff,
Hillary is ahead in the polls, you better email her too…I could see her platform now:
1. DuPage Theatre
2. The war in Iraq
3. Health Care
4. Tending to the needs of all the worlds children
5. Taxes
5. Jobs
6. Ending homelessness
7. etc.
I am sure the residents of Iowa and New Hamphire will love that in the primaries…considering the theatre already HAS been torn down.
I agree Ray. Seems silly to be saying that Obama should be making the Dupage a main issue. I mean the man in running for President of the United States, not mayor! There are so many other problems in this country that need fixed, why critize the man because he is not concerned about a theater that has already been demolished.
Just for the record, I knew nothing of the DuPage Theater situation until I stumbled across this page via the heading listed at Cinema Treasures' home page when it was posted December 8, 2006. Add to this that Brayan Krefft presented the news story so matter of factly that I almost bypassed reading it completely, since I don’t live anywhere near Illinois. But right after I read the heading and began reading other headings listed it was like, “Wait a second; what was that I just read?” I then went back to read it further. And like I say, it was the first time I knew anything about this.
As for where I was when it was critical to know this DuPage Theater story, that is, at a time when it still could’ve been saved, at that time all of my focus was concentrated on Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where at the time a giant gambling casino was proposed being built, and just a stonesthrow from the historic battlefield at that. I and countless others were leaning heavily on our state officials not to allow this casino to be built there. And it was a long bitter struggle, especially disheartening in that there were actually some Americans — or “americans” I should say — who WANTED that casino built there. It was a very tense situation with much bitterness on both sides that finally culminated on December 20 with we, the No Casino Gettysburg crowd, having prevailed. But with that battle having been won, it was disgusting to see Lombard having gone in the completely opposite direction.
So in brief, where was I when it was critical to know about the DuPage Theater situation? Focused on fixing a crack forming in another part of the Titanic’s hull, so to speak, is where. And during that time, except until it was too late — December 8 — I knew nothing about what was going on there in Lombard. Had I, absolutely I would’ve spoken up while staying focused on the Gettysburg issue also. For I care about this country deeply, and I wish there were more who felt the same way.
But from what I can determine, those of us who do genuinely care about America at this point are just a small little group now, and getting smaller each day, while so many other “Americans” just want to bring this country down and over with as quickly as possible. That is, as countries go, forget that we ever did this or ever did that.
So yeah-eah, in that context I guess what happened to the DuPage Theater would be a non-issue to somebody like Barack Obama — just as Gettysburg, had it gone down, would’ve been a non-issue with him as well. Meantime, one thing that many of you are not getting, you’re all thinking of the DuPage Theater as in the singular. And see, that’s where I’m not. Rather, to me it is a bellweather, an indication of where America is now trending towards over all. That is, in the DuPage Theater’s having come down I see every great theater in the U.S. coming down — now that a certain group of people have had a taste of blood and decided they like it. And Obama in my opinion is a party to that. Theaters in and of themselves are just buildings, just as churches and anything else is. But it’s what they represent that came under attack in Lombard’s case. For what we all saw there, folks, was a pogrom of sorts. Not an anti-Semitic pogrom, mind you (though it might’ve been that.) But in this case so far as I know just an attack on a people in general, a people who are just trying to keep going forward. But it’s like healthy cells meeting up with cancerous ones. And clearly the cancerous ones won out in Lombard’s case. I would’ve liked to have seen the pro-theater people prevailed there. That would’ve been very reassuring to me, just as the December 20 victory in Gettysburg was. But Lombard blew it. And having tasted blood and decided it liked it it doesn’t know it blew it. And Obama’s not saying anything. That is, he looks the other way when there’s pogroms going on under his watch.
Buff, I am not sure if I should be laughing at your posts or be frightened by them.
I agree Ray, his posts do scare me! He is either such a genious that us mere mortals can’t comprend what he is trying to say, or he is just so out there that us normal people just really don’t get it. To compare the demolision of this theater to anti-semitisim is just horrendous in my opinion. To say that because the Dupage was demolished means that all theaters are going to be demolished is just rediculous. This was not some national movement against theaters, it was simply the people of one town deciding to demolish an old theater. While this saddens me I don’t feel it is a great national disaster, just a loss for the people Lombard.
Also I think he has no understanding of what went on here. He says that the pro theater people lost. But the people that went out saying they wanted to save the theater where the ones that proposed demolision of the auditorium. They where supported in this by the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois, which is the main preservation group of Illinois. If Obama had gotten involved, this probably would have been the group he would have gone to and asked there opinion. Thus he probably would have supported the replacement of the auditorium. Once again, while I am saddened by this demolision, I am glad that the facade and lobby are still standing, for now. I would rather part of the theater survive than none at all.
We had a wonderful evening at the league of women voters conference yesterday. I thought all of the speakers did a wonderful job. I saw Kevin there. He has gained weight! I wonder if Dana Mouron will advocate the tearing down of the ticket lobby like the rest of the theatre supporters. Our van had an accident on the way home from the town hall. Everyone is fine though.
Here’s a post from Bob Biddle, the lead muckraker anti-theatre poster in Lombard. For some reason, id you even try to post his name in a post on the site, it comes up “Mr…” now it’s been changed after heavy pressure from theatre supporters. Just look at what they guy posted recently…
“R BIDDLE
Newbie
*And even if Lombard did have the theatre, people would still go to other towns to see stage productions, concerts, comedy, and the like. One new venue would simply add another choice to the vast array of choices available all through the Chicagoland area.
Or would you simply take the “support Lombard’s arts effort” regardless of what the offering may be? Want to see “Doubt” downtown? “Nope, can’t because it’s not at the Dupe.” Want to see the latest comics at Zanies? “Nope, we can’t because it’s not at the Dupe.
Are you saying that the quest for culture would solely be determined by what is playing at the Dupe?
All of us will continue to travel to other surrounding communities just as we do today…the Dupe and its dining/entertainment options would have simply been one more venue from which to choose. And you know something…with the right plan the venue could still bring options as there is nothing to say that an auditorium could not be incorporated into a library plan that the voters would have the optoin to VOTE ON via referendum.
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Re: Letters to the editor…
« Reply #1 on: February 18, 2007, 07:18:09 PM » Reply with quote
Why is democracy failing in Lombard? It’s because of special interest groups and the ongoing nonsense and misinformation they continually put forth on local issues ranging from the theatre (say no more) to the Westin project to water bills to water parks. Until this theatre issue is resolved no progress will be made on anything in this town. Who in their right mind would jump into this ugly political fray where every time a solution seems near that the village ends up taking another step backwards?
The only solution for the community to move forward is for a resolution demanding the immediate demolition of the theatre property. Whether it is to be a library or simply an empty lot for years to come, the climate in this village will not change until it is gone. It has been nearly ten years of theatre games and lost opportunities for progress at Main & Parkside.
Yes there has been tremendous progress in the Yorktown and downtown areas…but all with the weight of the theatre property lurking in the shadows of the progress that has been made. Fountain Square and the Shops at Butterfield are fast to become Lombard’s crown jewel commercial developments and village staff is to be commended for making it happen. Roosevelt Road moratorium with a “time out†to ensure that future (re)development is best for all parties is the right thing to do. Even a moratorium on downtown projects may be the right thing until the theatre burden is finally lifted.
And for progress to truly move forward the village, the library, the parks, and even the schools all need to work together with a common goal….making Lombard one of the best places to live and for all to prosper (whether with our outstanding schools, outstanding village services, needed state of the art library, cultural programs, shopping and dining choices, vast array of housing choices, and more). Our current village board can proudly take credit for much of the growth and change this village has seen these past several years….but they are also to blame for huge mis-steps in regards to the theatre that have dragged the entire community down. Will the community ever truly heal from this? Sadly, I doubt it but one can only hope that time will heal the wounds and as we see the future (likely without a theatre project) evolve that things really do move forward.
And even if Lombard did have the theatre, people would still go to other towns to see stage productions, concerts, comedy, and the like. One new venue would simply add another choice to the vast array of choices available all through the Chicagoland area.
Or would you simply take the “support Lombard’s arts effort” regardless of what the offering may be? Want to see “Doubt” downtown? “Nope, can’t because it’s not at the Dupe.” Want to see the latest comics at Zanies? “Nope, we can’t because it’s not at the Dupe.
Are you saying that the quest for culture would solely be determined by what is playing at the Dupe?
All of us will continue to travel to other surrounding communities just as we do today…the Dupe and its dining/entertainment options would have simply been one more venue from which to choose. And you know something…with the right plan the venue could still bring options as there is nothing to say that an auditorium could not be incorporated into a library plan that the voters would have the optoin to VOTE ON via referendum.
So you can see that even the leading anti-theatre complainer ADMITS that the DuPage would be an asset to Lombard, and that EVEN BIDDLE goes to such things…in other towns. I’m sure he spends money there too…Money that Lombard looses out on.
His post also shows that he doesn’t understand the enjoyment people get out of going to live theatre..“Are you saying that the quest for culture would solely be determined by what is playing at the Dupe?” He really doesn’t get it, does he folks?
Don’t be dissuaded by his comments about a new library/auditorium. That is just a ploy to bring down the building, trust me. They have said “Only when the property is cleared can progress be made on the new library at that site” WHY? The last referendum a few years ago to build a new library FAILED, as it would again. Again, their comments about needing the site cleared first are false. They know that if they can get the site cleared, the library referendum (which would cost each household THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS in property tax increases to do) will fail, then they can say “Oh well, we tried, who wants to buy the property”. Trust me, I don’t think I’m wrong on this one folks. I’ve been pretty right so far, and unfortunately, my streak will continue.
Bob Biddle also had this to say…“Re: Letters to the editor…
« Reply #3 on: February 19, 2007, 08:14:29 AM » Reply with quote
Who are you kidding? The RSC plan fails the residents on endless counts (especially to the tune of the $9.2 million TIF handout). A library can bring culture…include an "arts center” in the design since starting from scratch will allow for it. A library plan can bring additional parking to support the businesses already in the downtown area. A library plan designed right can do many things for the village. Why is it that Elmhurst, Wheaton, Naperville, Glen Ellyn and a host of other nearby suburbs all have state of the art libraries in their downtown areas yet Lombard has had an ideal location at Main & Parkside and instead it has been tied up by failed dreams, “big ideas”, and theatre shenanigans for nearly ten years?
Progress in the downtown? Sure there has been progress (without massive TIF handouts) and more is forthcoming. One need only look at the upcoming construction of mixed use developments on St Charles Road….that bring more housing choices (senior living and condos) to see that the market needs are being met. Does Lombard need 120 more condos at Main & Parkside? NO.
And yes things like the Westin and the splash park have progressed….all the while “theatre supporters” have cried for taxpayer support just as these other projects received. And the loudest critics of the sales tax, PFC funding, and the other components of these plans have been none other than the “theatre supporters” themselves.
Sorry, no support for this RSC plan. The only support is for the resolution to demolish and to walk away from this deal. And that should be coming soon…..then Lombard can move forward on the right development plan for Main & Parkside whether it be the library, a parking garage, or even the start of whole block redevelopment that incorporates the Brust and Noble properties. A clean slate will open many new opportunities without the burden of what is left of the DuPage Theatre.
Notice how he again talks about a new library, which was voted down in a previous referendum, as well as an “arts center”…“include an "arts center” in the design since starting from scratch will allow for it.“ Hey, isn’t the RSC plan from "scratch” after the Friends “deconstructed” the original historic building?
Next look at how he touts the “upcoming construction of mixed use developments on St Charles Road….that bring more housing choices (senior living and condos) to see that the market needs are being met.” But in the same breath blasts the RSC condos?
Then, the scariest, notice how he almost demands a resolution to demolish immediately? Can he sense that the theatre crowd is on the verge of winning? He also goes on to mention “whole block redevelopment” why? Is it because the remaining properties value, which had skyrocketed the minute the Village took ownership from Big Idea, would again skyrocket if the property was razed? That thought alone should help to bring some understanding to this situation.
All one has to do is ask themselves “Who would really benefit if the theatre property was leveled”? The properties to the south, of course. If the Village does want to do “whole block redevelopment” they would have to pay TOP DOLLAR for the adjacent land (or subsidize a developer to do so, as they have in the past) as well as pay those businesses to move (as they also have done in the past). All this with the use of TAX DOLLARS. Funny how that works, isn’t it?
Jim (aka dupagedude)I am not sure if I should be laughing at your posts or be frightened by them.
Actually we all will laugh at them.
Take your manifesto to a political website. This site is for theatre preservation and the DuPage has been torn down, thanks to you.
From my objective perspective the facts are simply this:
A movie palace of world renown and called the DuPage Theater stood in the village of Lombard, a well-to-do suburb of Chicago, Illinois.
It was of world renown because it was designed by the architectural firm Rapp & Rapp, ranked as the greatest movie theater architectural firm of all time.
It was especially unique for the village of Lombard in that it was the only building it had of that high a ranking nature.
Under rational, stable political conditions there’s no question this building would have remained standing by whatever means necessary.
When it was demolished it revealed the total absence of the latter.
And that is the simple straight forward facts. Something went wrong in Lombard, and at the local, national and international levels what happened there at the present moment is being treated as if “insignificant.” And I compare that indifference at all levels to a small crack forming in the hull of the Titanic so to speak. For how the matter is being treated, and the facts themselves, are two totally separate things. That crack, however seemingly small it is now, does matter. It matters in that if it continues to be overlooked as “insignificant” it will burst into a massive and irreversible gash.
What happened in Lombard cannot be undone. But, with its having been brushed off as being “nothing of importance,” the incident will now get repeated in other places as well in a type of chain reaction.
When the “crack” formed in Lombard, a much bigger and almost crack elsewhere in the U.S. was caught and stopped in time — the building of a sizeable gambling casino just a stone’s throw from the historic Gettysburg battlefield. And while stopping that was an important accomplishment, allowing the U.S. to retain at least some down-to-earth stability, all cracks that form in the hull of the Titanic are significant, whether big or small. And applying that analogy to a country the principles are the exact same.
But many don’t get that right now. They don’t understand how all parts of a nation are holistically interconnected. I know top, world leading professors right now — such as Dr. Maurice Albertson of Colorado State University — who are very much focused on ensuring America’s sustainable future. But, if you tell them of a small crack you see forming in the Titanic’s hull, they’ll tell you, “Well, I have too much other stuff on my plate right now, while if no one else of high stature thinks this crack is important, why should I?” (And that question mark tagged on at the end is not an invitation for a good answer, but rather, a closed and shut door.)
The DuPage Theater may well now be gone, and at this moment it may well look like that fact doesn’t matter at all. But if this theater didn’t matter, then what does? That is, where do we start drawing the line in terms of what matters and what doesn’t? So okay, right now we’re saying, “Silly old theaters, they don’t matter anymore.” And next we’ll say that of what exactly? For we almost came close to saying that of Gettysburg battlefield. We did draw the line there, but it was an extremely close call. And while that got spared, the DuPage went down during the same time frame with little fanfare, other than those who celebrated its demolition. And who continue to.
Cracks in the Titanic’s hull matter whether big or small. And should we be scared at this? If it can make a difference, you bet. For we seem to think we can throw the best we have away and further down the road it’s not going to matter. And that is the scariest outlook of all. For where will it stop in terms of what gets thrown away and what gets kept? Who’s the one who’s ultimately deciding this and where do the rest of us stand in their eyes? Obama from what I can tell didn’t think the DuPage mattered. Now he wants to run our country. Can you all see the significance of that? And why somebody like me, in faraway Philadelphia, PA, would be saying, “Whoa, wait a minute here”?
Political manifesto. Au contraire.
You continually use the word “ politics” as your modus-operandi to argue your case. Unfortunately your posts boast of politics. Since I do not know D.D. I don’t know with certainty if he holds political office or if he is a candidate. His posts do not suggest that he is.
Has Robert Biddle entered his name as a political candidate? Not that I am aware of.
Politics. That’s other peoples agenda.
As you are aware the village has owned the theater and adjacent property since year 2000. It has been at the center of public debate by the elected officers since. That is the only political connection that I am aware of.
Fortunately Lombard’s elected officers have declared the DuPage Theater a key component to to the revival of Lombard’s downtown district. I refer you to this web link.
http://cinematreasures.org/news/16015_0_1_10_C/
Why must we continually drag Obama into this? You say this is of a national and international importance. Then were was President Bush? Vice President Cheney? Hillary Clinton? Nancy Pelosi? If it is of international importance, where was the Pope? Or Prime Minster Blair? Where was the United Nations? They were not involved because there are MORE IMPORTANT issues for them to solve in the world today! This is only sigifigant on a local level. Yes it is a Rapp and Rapp theater, but there are still many left, most is much better condition. Yes I am very sadden by this lose, but you can’t say, “preserve under any cost” and offer no solutions.
Also as I have said, most of the major preservation groups either supported the demolision that happened, or just stayed out of it. They realised that this was going to happen no matter what. That is why people like Obama stayed out. They realised that the money nessacary to preserve and restore the theater intact was probaly never going to materialize. They also realize that while the old theaters are wonderful works of art and architecture, you can’t save them all. Too many where built even for the times they where built. It is just not feasable to save every one in this time of TV, home movies, and the internet. They feel that it is best to fight for the ones that have a chance, and the Dupage just didn’t have one.
All of this is for nothing though…Despite the fact that the Lombard Planning Commission APPROVED the RSC plan for the property, there is a rumor that two anti-theatre trustees, Seby and Tross, are going to make a motion at the March Board meeting that the rest os the theatre building be immediately torn down. BOTH of these trustees are going to loose the April election, so they are doing one last “up yours” to Lombard.
How could a developer, who has had a business plan and all the necessary I’s dotted and T’s crossed to the planning commission’s approval, STILL be faced with demolition of the building he would like to use, that would be the cornerstone of downtown redevelopment? Tell me this doesn’t smack of some sort of back-room dealings to get the property cleared?
It does sound like a backroom deal to me. Down here is Southern Illinois we had something similar happen. A local town decided to tear down there old city hall. They had given the hall to a group that wanted to turn it into a civic center and museum. The mayor insisted that the building must go to make room for parking. He had a firm hired that declared the building structurally unsound, which was later proved to be not true. Turns out he owned the property right next door. It ended up costing him his job and the property is now beginning turned into a doctor’s office, gym, and banquette hall.
I don’t know how you define a thugacracy, Melders, but to me it’s when we turn a blind eye to those things that don’t have a fighting chance otherwise. For ultimately what is the point of any sort of leadership if not to come to the defense of that which is good but which stands no chance otherwise. Yes, you can say where was President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, the Pope, Tony Blair and so on. And if you tell me they had “more important issues to think about than this theater,” then there you have it, a thugacracy of the truest definition of the word. And where’s it all going to end? For that’s what I’m asking right now. And your thugacracy type response is, “Who knows? Who cares?” For when no one knows, no one cares, that’s when a thugacracy is at its strongest.
When the on-the-rise Nazi Party staged krystalknacht, the smashing of store windows of Jewish merchants, well golly gee, these weren’t prominant world class retail outlets but just small dinky local businesses. So by your reasoning why should anyone have cared? And from that world apathy, how long did it take to go from krystalknacht, the smashing of just a few small Jewish store windows, to the fullblown holocaust? Putting it figuratively, when a microscopic crack forms in the Titanic’s hull, how long before that seemingly invisible and unseeable crack becomes the major gash that brings down the whole ship? Not long at all when folks hold your outlook, that there’s things more important.
If Sen. Obama didn’t know what was going on with the DuPage Theater when it was going on, and no one brought it to his attention, he should come out and say that. As you can see, I did. I told you exactly where I was and what was going on when troubled times befell Lombard. It is even documented.
Meantime, your reasoning that the DuPage was but one of many Rapp & Rapp theaters in the world so what was the loss of merely one is akin to saying, “Oh, one or two Jews got killed on krystalknacht; but there’s plenty of Jews in the world, so what’s the big loss really?” For it all starts with that way of thinking. And all it takes for this to flourish is when leaders say there are things of “far more importance.” For I say no. I say every small crack that forms in the Titanic’s hull is critical. And this was clearly one.
The fact that the DuPage held the Rapp & Rapp pedigree in this case should’ve brought the DuPage to the world’s attention and prevented it from having been torn down if nothing else. But for reasons I don’t understand that didn’t happen. For theaters with a far less pedigree than that have been saved. Add to this, how many buildings of that historic stature does Lombard have? Unless you care to enlighten us, to the best of my knowledge it was the only one. It wasn’t as if Lombard committed to saving the best out of the five or six.
As for this having been political, it may well have been all that. But on the grander scale it was much much bigger than that. For we could say that krystalknacht was merely “political.” And when I bring Sen. Obama into this matter I’m not being political, even though he’s a politician. For politics is not the ultmate satisfactory explainer of everything. All politics aside, each and every one of us has an obligation as human beings to do what’s right when it has to be done, however it can be done. And if we rise up on the basis of not having done that, then yes, I give you the full makings of a thugacracy. And yes, it matters, it matters, it MATTERS!
There is confirmation of the rumor to demolish the remaining portion of the DuPage Theatre. Unfortunately it is no longer a rumor.
This is what appears on the March 1st, 2007 agenda of the Village Board of Trustees.
“ Demolition of DuPage Theatre and Shoppes
Request for a waiver of bids and award of a contract to Heneghan Wrecking Co. in the
amount of $149,675.00 to demolish and properly dispose of the remainder of the
DuPage Theater. Public Act 85-1295 does not apply. ”
The Planning Commission approved the development plan and all members went on record stating their approval of an arts center.
Absent from the Plan commission meeting was their chairman who has been against any theatre restoration for at least 9 years.
A developer and restoration architect, both with excellent credentials, negotiated for almost 1 year with Lombard Village staff for a development agreement. 21 questions that Village Trustees wanted addressed were satisfied by the developer. Village staff approved everything except parking for the theatre portion.
Now more than ever this demolition stinks to high heaven of backroom deals.
Trustee Tross says after the property is cleared the healing can begin.
My thoughts suggest healing can only begin after Trustees Tross and Sebby are gone from office.
OMG. I just made this political. Sorry about that. However it proves a point.
Preservation and politics can’t be separated.
Buff, for you to compare what happened to this theater to the holocaust is just the most disgusting thing I think I have ever read. You say the world turned its back because it ignored this. That this is more important than every other thing. But you exempt yourself because you where too busy to know. You say your a theaterbuff. To me that means you must keep a close watch on matters like this. Yet you say, “I couldn’t do anything, I was too busy to notice. But that Obama, how horrid he is that he ignored this!” Tell me how that is not hipicritical?
And I do get the point you are trying to make, I just don’t agree with it. What happened here is what has been happening in America for centuries. One great historic structure is torn down to make way for something else. Unfortunely we can’t save every one. I wish we could, but the time, effort and money are just not there. The city said they couldn’t restore it on there own. They went to the state and the federal government for help. The got some money from the state, but it took several years before it ever showed up. They got very little from the federal government. I believe that at the time the money came through Obama was still in the state government, and Lombard is not in his district, so he wouldn’t have been invovled.
Ray M.,
What a coincidence, the other website message board gets shut down and now you post here. Your posts are nothing more than a smear campaign and you could care less about the theatre. We have exposed you and Jim as frauds over and over.
Mr. Nolan told us at rotary that the village board will vote 5-1 to demolish the theatre next week. Does that mean we won’t save the ticket lobby? Can you help us Buffy and Melders? Dude, will you be of any assistance? We need help.
Let me make one thing perfectly clear. I don’t have any idea who you are but it’s apparent that you have absolutely no idea what you are saying. I find it “strange” that you don’t have the testicular virility to use your name. I have said on more than one occassion that I don’t watch the other website. Debating on that website is a waste of time. Frankly I have better things to do with my time. If it has been shut down then I consider it a blessing. The only reason that I have posted here is a result of an E mail I received from the friends about the next board meeting. You have exposed nothing. Just who do you think you are to say that I don’t care about the theatre? Nothing could be further from the truth. What in hell do you know about how I feel about the theatre.
A smear campaign? Campaign against WHO or WHAT. I do not desire public office.
This latest village board episode no more than a Cabal. Plain and simple.
If you find “Cabal” offensive, well so do I. I am deeply offended about this.
Finally, consider this post our first and last exchange.
That has got to be one of the most humorous posts yet…and supposedly from Ray. Who are you kidding?
Said Ray…..“The Planning Commission approved the development plan and all members went on record stating their approval of an arts center.” Did you watch the same meeting we did on TV-6? Every planning commision member stated the problems with the plan…and their approval was only if several conditions were met. Those conditions make the project no longer economically feasible for RSC.
Said Ray…“Absent from the Plan commission meeting was their chairman who has been against any theatre restoration for at least 9 years.” What does that have to do with it? If he had been there the meeting would not have gone out of control like it did…with RSC again failing to produce an acceptable product that would not need 12+ conditions to be met before moving forward.
Ray says…“A developer and restoration architect, both with excellent credentials, negotiated for almost 1 year with Lombard Village staff for a development agreement. 21 questions that Village Trustees wanted addressed were satisfied by the developer. Village staff approved everything except parking for the theatre portion.” Now that is an outright lie…typical friendspeak as it is called in Lombard. No parking relief (299 seat theatre and NO parking!), landscaping issues, height issues, setback issues, lighting issues, signage issues, and the final nail in the coffin: stormwater management. The plan commission even questioned how the developer can time and time again fail to address the issues that have been brought to their attention and continually ignored.
The so called conditional approval was simply a “wash our hands of this mess” and the let the Village Board be the bad guys to move forward with the demolition. How many years has it been? How many failed attempts? When is enough finally enough? It was the friends of the theatre themselves that embraced the plan that tore it down and now the village is simply taking the final step to remove the rest of it once and for all. Progress is what it is…you win some and you lose some and this one is likely lost (but the truly historic part was lost already…who really cares about a lobby anyway??). And yes the votes are there…they are over it and with the board make up changing come spring, this board deserves to be the board to end it once and for all. Good riddance….and as Trustee Tross stated, “let the healing begin”. AMEN to that.
Said Ray. Ray said “CABAL”!
Bye all.
View link
Halfway to done….over and out. And no more Ray…the village rejoices as he has said “bye all”. Now the bigger question is what deal the village president, who claims to be neutral on this board or the new board finishing up this issue, has cut with his dear friends.
Trustee John “Jack†O’Brien said he suspects the developer is “using a lack of information as a delay tactic, hoping the political situation changes.†Could that be because of the two supporters running for the board?? Hmmmm….what deal was promised??
Conversely, Fitzpatrick has said she’s (“he said she said”…she is like a puppet as the ventriloquist/husband pulls the strings and puts words in her mouth) worried the current board is rushing a demolition vote for its own devices. (and to not allow two over interested parties to have a voice in its demise).
In the case of District 4, candidate Moreau would replace Steve Sebby, who’s consistently voted against the theater plan and is not seeking re-election. (has a challenger really come forth to unseat her plan??)
Village President William Mueller states:
“It doesn’t make a difference if the current board makes it or a new board does, we’ve invested too much time, talent and money to say we’ll cut it off because of the stormwater issue.†Excuses, excuses, excuses…time to simply admit it is over.
Developer Curto said that, despite growing concern about the project, he sees his relationship with the village as salvageable. (of coursee it is…he wants the millions in possible TIF for any type of project at this corner even without the theatre!)
“It would certainly be a significant disappointment to a lot of people, including ourselves, if a theater that has historical presence of this type of town center is destroyed,†he said. Destroyed? Has the theatre itself been torn down? YES!!!!…but it is only a matter of time before his “project B” shows up that meets code and skips the theatre component completely…but still asks for millions in TIF.
Ray M.
Do you not deny that you posted on that other site?
Please do not lie because I have saved dozens of your posts. We are to believe that you just stopped??
Do you deny that you live nest door to one such Trustee, who you have admitted to hating before?
Please do not lie becuase it is a fact that you two are neighbors.
Are you not friends with Dupagedude (aka Jim D) and did you not work for his campaign?
These are facts ray, your posts are opinions…opinions made by a bitter old man such as yourself. You were p*ssed off that Jim lost so you turned the Dupe into a political smear campaign.
Do you deny being a card-carrying member of the friends? The same friends who supported demolition?
Mass was beautiful this morning. That nice young girl Dana Morrow was passing out flyers in the parking lot. She beleives in saving old buildings and giving out more speeding tickets. I think she will beat Mr. Sebby this time.
And she is engaging the evils of cell towers and the wonderful aspect of the arts in black boxes in surveys being sent to residents. Did she have permission to pass out political flyers on private property? Does Father realize that church and state shall not mix?
Well, just to keep everybody informed, the anti-theatre website has completely DELETED all it’s threads. My guess is that they didn’t want to have blood on their hands when the Board votes to demolish the rest of the building in a few weeks. They didn’t want to be implicated or maybe worse. There were posts on there basically “letting the cat out of the bag” about the Board vote to demolish, along with what will be going there. How would they know that? Isn’t that confidential information? The posts on there were WEEKS before anything became public. Yet those against the project continue to claim “there is nothing going on behind the scenes”. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that when someone says something like that, watch out. The CEO of my company told us that last fall, then a week later we bought out another company.
It’s too bad that the last act of two Village Trustees that swore to represent those who elected them will be to tear down the rest of a historic building and replace it with a generic one. At the same time, it’s just as sad that the Friends of the DuPage, who were created to save the theatre, let it slip away just to get their names in a few local paper.
Robert, Gary, Phillip and Mr. Johnson are trying to purchase the land according to my husband. I hope they are successful. They are very smart young men and will do great things on that property. It’s so sad that you are angry Dude. Springtime is coming and soon the lilacs will be in full bloom. Do you like lilacs Dude? Do you have any bushes in your yard?
The Agenda Item : resolution to demolish the remainder of the DuPage Theatre and Shops: was added collectively by the trustees from Districts 2 & 6 ! ( A real TEAM effort )
This was confirmed to me by the Village President.
Previously Lombard Village Officials said “ DuPage Theatre Key to Downtown Lombard’s Revival ”
Ray M.,
What a coincidence, the other website message board gets shut down and now you post here.
4 post here in 4 days.
Dude and Ray,
They voted to tear down our lobby and ticket box last night. Mr. Mueller looked very unhappy. He even shouted some mean things at Gary. The bald trustee said he wanted to buy the property and put an apartment complex there. We are alll very sad. The bald trustee was hugging Kevin after the meeting. I wanted to cry. The bald trustee also hugged Laura and rubbed her behind for a long time. My son says there is something going on there. My son said Laura looks like one of the Roloffs. Do you know who the Roloffs are Ray and Dude? I think it’s the show about that family of little people. What is our next move Dude and Ray? Should we get Kevin to organize another bake sale? There was over 50 people at the meeting last night that wore red VOTE NO RSC stickers. If we could get all of them to the bake sale we might be able to raise enough funds to purchase the ticket box. Do you want to help Ray and Dude? Robert and George suggested to me that if we charge people a dollar for a chance to throw pies in the face of Kevin and the mexican lady named Barb, we could raise enough money to buy the entire property. Gary says people would line up around the block for a chance to throw one of my banana cream pies in Kevin’s face. Do you like banana cream pie Dude?
The resolution passed 4-2…and now it is only a matter of days before we see some legal action taken to prevent the demolition. The “friends” trustee stated during the debate that it is heading to Wheaton (the county seat where other legal action was heard) so you know another sorry lawsuit is forthcoming….makes one have such Lombard PRIDE. There is much of talk of healing…but it was more like “a bunch of heels” ripping in to the trustee from the few remaining theatre supporters. Sad day….the worst of Lombard really shined forth from a few bitter theatre supporters. Classic viewing on TV-6…should be TIVO’d for all to enjoy as it shows the class of that arts crowd.
Well, just like I had said several WEEKS ago, the Board voted to demolish what remains of the property. Those against the project very neatly tidied up their website to leave no trace of their preknowledge of the motion or the subsequent vote. Now they post things such as this…
“Although the DuPage Theatre is gone, the arts in Lombard will still receive a facility in which they can thrive at Main and Parkside.
The Village will search for a developer who can redevelop the property at Main and Parkside to include an 8,000 to 10,000 square foot Community Center which will be used to support the arts in Lombard. A Community Center that could be funded by the proceeds of the sale of the 2.5 acres property valued at more than $2 million.
Although the DuPage Theatre is gone, the arts in Lombard will still receive a facility in which they can thrive at Main and Parkside.
The Village will search for a developer who can redevelop the property at Main and Parkside to include an 8,000 to 10,000 square foot Community Center which will be used to support the arts in Lombard. A Community Center that could be funded by the proceeds of the sale of the 2.5 acres property valued at more than $2 million.”
This coming from the same people who publically stated to “sell the property to the highest bidder”. Now, all of a sudden, they care about the arts? Hardly. Another comment made by the biggest mouth of the anti-culture group was this…“I think you are right on about both sides doing things differently if we had to do it over. If the neighbors of the Dupe had been involved earlier with RSC when they came on board, the gloves may never have dropped to the ice. Unfortunately, RSC never invited us in to their planning sessions. I think some lessons were learned from this experience and I’m confident we can do something great on that parcel working as a team, as a community.”
“Been involved earlier”? Do you think we all just came upon this issue? The neighbors, and particulary YOU, had long been involved. You forced your way into the situation, then played both ends against the middle just to amuse yourself.
As far as the neighbors who, according to one article “residents upset that the proposed condominium and retail complex would overshadow their homes.” that part is laughable. The RSC development is only a few feet taller than currently allowed, and less than other buildings in the same area had been allowed. In addition, the RSC development in a BUSINESS DISTRICT. It has been a BUSINESS DISTRICT for DECADES. The theatre had been there longer than ALL of theose residents. The flywall has been there. No one complained then. What makes it a problem now. Lombard had over 44,000 residents in it. Why should 44 residents have the final say in what goes on in downwntown Lombard. Remember Spock’s saying “Sometimes the needs of the many outwiegh the needs of the few.” That certianly holds true here. They also forget that with new, broader eminent domain rules, the Village can solve the “parking issue” by forcibly condemning their homes (and in 1 case, they should have done it a LONG TIME AGO) and build a parking garage there, out of sight, behind the new businesses that will front Main Street. Wouldn’t THAT be something? Be careful what you wish for, Brucey…
Jesus, you people are unreal. It is no wonder that Lombard is such a dump.
I must agree Life. Before the Dupage comments where shut off, many people where saying they didn’t need any more condo’s downtown. They complained that since the building would be taller than the nearby houses that they would lose there privacy. They said the proposed building was too tall. It would cost too much. Now the city will probably approve this new building. It will probably be just as tall as the one proposed now. It will probably get money from the city. I hope that the people of Lombard realize what this has done to the reputation of there city!
Dupe Dude,
Should those of us in the neighborhood have rolled over and simply let the developer do whatever he wanted? Isn’t it our right as an American to stand up and be heard? The building was too big. We ou guys.lobbied for years for him to reduce the size to code and provide parking only for it to fall on deaf ears. At the 11th hour he says “oh, I can move the project off the property line”
Don’t blame the residents for the theatre’s fate. Blame the greedy developer who cried poormouth for years, only to be exposed as a liar. We did not choose the developer….That’s one’s on you.
And True Class Bruce Watry, Why don’t you do something productive with your life instead of acting as an imposter for a sweet lady?
Some things never change. You were the only no show last night (and that was a good thing for us). It’s a good thing none of us bought in to your idea of suing. But you go ahead and lurk in the shadows posting cracpot messages about pies. Hopefully it will get you banned from this site too.
Barack Obama, in a way that’s standard for politicians, is an opportunist, and regarding politicians that probably always was the case, although I’d like to think Shakespeare’s depiction of Marc Antony was accurate.
And with that said, let us not pretend that movie theaters aren’t political in any way. For the biggest gist of the McCarthy red scare centered on Hollywood itself after all. And why the DuPage Theater came down absolutely was more political than anything else.
Now as for me and where I was when this unfortunate development was taking place, yes, I absolutely regard myself as a theater buff. But that said, it’s in regards to the theaters I’ve known of so far. And there’s plenty of theaters throughout the world I’ve not become familiar with yet. And I absolutely didn’t know anything about the DuPage till it was too late. And what a painful way for me — a theater buff — to have to have learned about it!
For at a time when movie theaters have become an endangered species, this is when I’d really like to see our politicians acknowledging it and making moves to reverse it. And good ones will. But for whatever sinister reasons the good ones can’t seem to get elected. I compare it to the Beatles trying to get their start in Hamburg, Germany in 1939 instead of 1959, as in, fat chance!
And is it over the top when I compare the ongoing loss of movie theaters to the Holocaust? No it’s not. That is, it’s not when you consider that some peoples' livelihood, or that which means a great deal to some of us as consumers, is being lost. Of the politicians who are getting elected today this aspect is being treated as if it “doesn’t matter.” Well, it SURE MATTERS TO US! But “Who the hell are you?” comes the response, thought ofttimes this is just said with silence itself — such as Obama’s team refusing to answer my e-mail inquiry with regard to the DuPage Theater.
When politicians tell me and others who love theaters that it’s “unimportant,” they are saying, “What is important to us is more important than what is important to you.” And I’m supposed to vote for them then? For I want to vote for politicians who are on the same page as me. And I want to see such politicians get elected.
But what is important to Obama if the DuPage Theater wasn’t? For lets turn this thing around and look at it that way. For right now I know that I, and others like me, are not important in any way. To him, and other politicians like him, we’re like the Jews were to Hitler. What he’s doing, as an opportunist politician, is just following the Zeitgeist is all. And great leaders don’t do that. They do like Marc Antony did. They cut through the current mood and bring the truth to light. The rest are just scum. And to Obama I say, “If the shoe fits”…
TheatreBuff,
I don’t think anyone wants to read your garbage anymore. When you start using comparisons between the Holocaust and theater demolitions you are crossing the line. You are either in need of a psychiatrist or a 12 step program. Whichever it is, go get it and stay away.
From today’s Daily Herald…“The demolition vote, which effectively ended that partnership, was “beyond logic or comprehension,†said Deborah Dynako, president of the Friends of the DuPage Theatre.
Dynako said she believed the group had been duped by the village board into begrudgingly supporting the partial demolition of the building that took place last year. That plan had involved saving the theater’s facade and marquee and creating a 300-seat theater as part of a condo and retail complex Curto’s company was to build.
Dynako said her group’s belief in that partnership with the village “now seems misguided.†She would not comment on whether the group would again seek a legal stay to delay demolition."
Should I say it or shouldn’t I? Oh well, I will. I FRIGGIN'TOLD YOU SO, DYNACKO! I told them their trust in the Lombard Village Board was the WRONG thing to do. I BEGGED them not to drop the lawsuit. It would have bought the Theatre more time. I PLEADED with them not to drop the referendum. If it had gone on, all it would have done was proven RSC was correct in RESTORING the theatre. But they knew better, they had all the answers, they had all the right people (the Village Board) “helping” them. They had brought in Charlotte Street “neighbors” to “work” with them. They proceeded to alienate a majority of the members of the Friends of the DuPage Theatre, resulting in very low turnout for their events. THE SUPPORT IS THERE FOR THE THEATRE, JUST NOT FOR THOSE IN CHARGE OF THE FRIENDS. Kevin and Deb, you should be ASHAMED at the way you have acted and the decisions you have made.
You claim that the Village Board’s actions were “beyond logic or comprehension” but the same could be said for the two of you. Where was all the money Kevin claimed to be working on getting all along? None of that appeared. The goverment money some one else got for you. The same money the Village Board REFUSED. That should have been a dead give-away right there, but no, you WENT ALONG WITH THEM, CLAIMING THEY WANT TO WORK WITH THE FRIEND’S!! That’s like me taking away a child’s bat but telling him I’m going to teach him how to hit a ball!
THE TWO OF THEM SHOULD ISSUE A PUBLIC APOLOGY FOR ALL THEIR “MISGUIDED” BELIEF AND BEING “DUPED” AS DEB PUT IT (HOW IRONIC) AND RESIGN IMMEDIATELY. IT’S OVBIOUS WITH THE DEMOLITION oops, sorry Deb, “DECONSTRUCTION” OF THE THEATRE THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO GET THE JOB DONE. RESIGN BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE. LET NEW IDEAS AND STRATEGIES TAKE OVER. GET THE EGOS AND ATTITUDES OFF THE FRIEND’S BOARD!
Jim D (aka Dude),
there is no need for deb to resign, they should just disband the friends. The theatre is gone, they are friends of the dupe theatre, do the math.
The 28 people who still support the theatre should get a life
On the most important evening of the theatre’s life we counted 21 Friends of the DuPage Theatre, not including Mr. Mueller and Mr. Florey.
The anti-RSC crowd had 46 people in attendance (not including the 4 TOSS trustees and Bridgette O'Brien).
That alone should validate the decision. 4 of 6 elected officials against. 46 vs. 21 in public attendance. Slam dunk. Game over.
I agree Theatre Neighbor, I really think Theaterbuff needs help. To compare the demolision of this theater to the slaughter of millions of people is just the worst thing I have ever heard. Then to say once confronted with that fact to say “I see no problem comparing the two” is also horrid. I for one am tired of reading your RACIST CRAP! Please seek some help. Also Buff you say people are telling you this isn’t political. Everyone knows it is political, but you are focusing on the wrong level. You say that Sentator Obama should be involved because this is a national and international problem. I once again ask, if he should be invovled, where is President Bush? After all he is head of the national government, and this is a natiaonl problem!
Melders,
If theatre Buff needs help than Robert needs help. He is asking for me to sell more pies to save the theater. I just think he wants to eat more of my pies with Kevin and the bald trustee. Do you like pie Melders? Robert likes my pies. He has eaten several of them apparently. Do you think Robert and Mr. Mueller (Miller if you are German) will share pie together?
All right, all right, I get it. If I make a realistic comparison between the ongoing demolition of beautiful movie theaters all over the U.S. and the Holocaust, pointing out how this is ultimately an attack on those who live for theater, the stock answer is that I’m “over the top,” “need psychiatric help,” or what have you. And, of course, the same will be “true” when art museums come under attack next, and then churches, and then public parks, and then actual institutes of higher learning and so on, until it eventually comes down to a direct attack on certain people outright, at which point — when it’s too late — then, and only then, you’ll finally admit that my comparison to the Holocaust was “totally fair.” Well, if you don’t mind, I really don’t want to wait around for the situuation to get that drastic before I begin making such realistic comparisons. I’d rather just call it for what I see it here and now. And with your reaction as proof that what I’m saying is true.
Now with that said you bring up President Bush. And that’s part of the big problem right now is it not? I say “part of the big problem,” for ultimately the American people at large are to blame for all the wrongful things that have happened in select parts of the U.S. over the past six years now going on seven, Lombard being just one of many places. When Kofi Annan made his final remarks right before stepping down from heading up the U.N. — “When [America] appears to abandon its own ideals and objectives, its friends abroad are naturally troubled and confused” — he wasn’t referring only to Bush himself. He was talking about ALL of us.
For in the course of my own lifetime I remember a far better America than the one we’re seeing now. And regarding the downward transition I witnessed firsthand as an American living here in America I’ll admit that I’m confused by it, too. So much so that I’ll dare to say here and now what Annan cut just short of outright saying in his closing remarks. As in, when the shoe fits, wear it.
You also need to take special note of this: I did not compare the tearing down of the DuPage Theater itself, just in itself, to the Holocaust. Rather, that one incident alone I compared to Krystalnacht, which was the forerunner to the Holocaust. And it is a very fair comparison which I fully stand by, and I don’t give a flying crap if you think that’s over the top or not. For I’d rather speak the truth than avoid offending you.
And I also need to point this out: I will not give specific names (at least for now I won’t), but in reviewing those who posted messages at the Cinema Treasures' DuPage Theater page while it was still active (before CT finally had to shut it down), there were certain posters there who also posted messages at other Cinema Treasures' theater pages well removed from Lombard and where the situation was very similar — certain well-meaning people wanting to save a theater v. others wanting to tear it down. And these posters weren’t posting there on behalf of the pro-theater set. Add to this that in each case they identified themselves as being “local residents to the theater in question.”
Now to me as a true blue theater buff I don’t understand any of this. I grew up with theaters all around me as a child and they were beautiful, beautiful things. And at the time countless others loved them likewise. And you really felt the pulse of America’s greatness each time you went to them. I remember seeing ROCKY when it was first run, and how the audience gave a standing ovation when it was over. They couldn’t stop clapping! And when I went to see RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, I had to wait in line over an hour for the previous showing to get through to a packed house, and then myself and many others having to be cleared from the theater after our turn was up so that the next huge crowd of people awaiting to see it could be assured seats. The theaters in those days were so beautiful and such huge crowd drawers that just the sight of a theater in passing could make your heart skip a beat, with its beautiful, brightly lit marquee and long line of people awaiting outside to buy tickets. There were no mysteries there. And from my theater buff perspective I can’t even begin to comprehend anybody being so dull as to see movie theaters as other than magnificent. It’s like somebody saying they hate the Beatles or something. For I don’t want to even know such people let alone watch them set the whole new precedent by tearing the last of all the beautiful theaters down. Is this supposed to make us love you or something? Or win our respect? For if so, that ain’t never gonna happen! For from here we’ve got a new era we’ve got to get to, one where the beautiful theaters come back in a big way once more. And anything short of that, or running counter to that, is just a lot of crap is all if you ask me. And you’re really not going to change that viewpoint I hold, so don’t even try. That is YOU go to the psychiatrist. For THEATERS ARE BEAUTIFUL! But who and what are you? Just a Mark David Chapman or Lee Harvey Oswald in my opinion.
Theaterbuff,
Your lunatic ramblings remind all of us in Lombard of the Friends of the Dup. Preservationist everywhere must be cringing at the nonsense you and this Dude person write on this website.
In order to be effective, you need to have a platform that makes sense and that people will support. The book has been closed on the DuPage Theater for good reason. It’s over. Mark David Chapan and Lee Harvey Oswald had nothing to do with it. Common sense,good judgement and Dick Tross ended the Dupe’s life and for that we say Amen. If you want to find someone else to share your ridiculous comments with, got to www.dupagetheatre.net . Ther are plenty of crazy people there for you to share Paxcil induced rhetoric with. Just to stay on topic….Your favorite movie must certainly have been One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest…You are nuts!!
Buff,
judging by your last comment, you need a life. You posted that comment just after midnight on a Saturday night. There had to be some kinda Star Trek convention you could have been at.
Seeing that you have taken such an interest in a theatre that you have never seen in a town you have never been in, why don’t you stop by next week when the bulldozers knock down the remaining structure.
Does anyone know if Biddle is going to run for Mayor in 2009? He seems to very knowledgeable and committed to protecting our community. The way he persistantly educated Lombardians on the real facts behind TIF definitely had an impact on the way our trustees voted. Everyone I talk to referenced Bob’s letters when they made their decision on what they wanted the board to do with this proposal. Bob needs to run in 2009.
Buff,
You seem to be very smart. The Germans tore down many theatres when they rampaged across europe during the second war.
Any bets on the queen and her prince’s comments in the Lombardian this week? I bet they will again talk about “deconstruction” being a good thing, and we should all be proud as the rest of the vuilding comes down.
What they should be doing is APOLOGIZING FOR THEIR STUPID DECISIONS!!! Apologize for alienating their membership, for LYING to them, for not listening to them. For dropping the lawsuit, as well as the referendum. If they had only doen one of those two things, the building would STILL be standing, theatre and all.
Instead they will probably blather on, blaming everyone else but themselves for the demise of the DuPage. True, others can be blamed for this, but they could have been easily defeated if the Friends Board had the balls to stand up to them. Instead, they cozied up to the wrong people and like a codependant junkie, they looked for affection in their dealer, the Village Board…
CrazyRay, judging by your last comment, posted on a Sunday morning at 7:28 A.M., it’s obvious you didn’t have much of a big night the night before. And most normal working people I know are sleeping late at that particular time on Sunday mornings as a predecessor to being up bright and early the next day.
But what I find strangest of all is that someone who hates theaters as much as you do is posting messages here, of all places, a website that is pro-theater. That would be like me posting messages at an NFL website saying how much I hate football, as in, who here among the two of us really needs to get a life?! Putting it another way, now I fully understand why they call you “CrazyRay.”
But calling upon you to do something constructive — since you’re here posting — why don’t you come right out and tell us all why you hate theaters so much so that all of us who feel the opposite way can carefully listen to see if there is any validity to your hatred and you’re not simply a thug on some sort of a misery loves company trip. Is it the architecture of theaters you despise the most? Or the movies they show? Or performances in the case of live presentations? Or the people who operate them, or perform in them? Or the people who enjoy attending them? That is, why not just come out and lay it all out on the table? Do you think, for instance, that theaters are ultimately a Trojan-horse like front for some type of pro-gay agenda, especially given how Ellen DeGeneris just hosted the 2007 Academy Awards? If so, maybe you’re right in that is the case with some people. But I can tell you that I’m as straight-laced hetero as they come, so there’s no such hidden agendas with me. Or maybe now that we don’t have Jim Crow laws in this country you don’t like the idea of whites and blacks mingling together, and since we can’t go back to Jim Crow — or at least I hope not! — maybe your resolve is, “Well, just tear all the theaters down now!” But you don’t want to come right out and say why you feel that way for fear of political correctness. So you come up with other reasons why theaters such as the DuPage should be torn down instead. Empty reasons, which is all you’ve done so far.
And see, that’s why I keep coming back to this webpage. To try to get at the REAL reasons why a theater designed by the architectural firm of Rapp & Rapp no less got torn down. And the actual reasons may well be very valid. But maybe they’re reasons you can’t say due to political correctness. But I can assure you my perspective on this is entirely that of a purist. But then, see, that could be offensive to some people, such as certain minorities seeking to monopolize an industry and who say, “Well then tear down the theater if we can’t do that.” And again, due to political correctness, they don’t want to come right out and say that.
But do you see what I’m doing here, CrazyRay, and perhaps you can find the balls to do the same, I’m saying the hell with political correctness and telling it straight. Simply put, I love theaters, I tell why I love theaters, and there’s no hidden agenda behind that whatsoever. And if gays and blacks and whoever else happen to love theaters for the same reasons, to me personally I’m not put off by that as I feel it’s great for anybody to feel the same way. But maybe others, such as yourself, are put off by my “blindness” in that respect. Perhaps your outlook is, “Theaters were only good back in the days when it was possible to discriminate.” In my case I say just the opposite, that theaters of today should be run in such way so that people from all walks of life can come and enjoy them without anyone feeling threatened when in the presence of others who are different while they’re attempting to enjoy them, and for God’s sake let’s stop tearing the last of the beautiful old theaters down!
Boy Buff you must be really paranoid.. Contrary to what you believe there probably are not too many people who hate theaters and want them destroyed. The overwhelming objection to the Dupage Theater is the extremely excessive and unaffordable economic cost to either fully restore of even partially restore the Dupe. This coupled with the monstosity that the RSSC plan would have coupled to the restoration project, simply was not palatable to most of the trustees and their constituants.
DupageDude,
You keep saying that the Friends withdrew their lawsuit. Once again you are inaccurate. The lawsuit was dismissed by the appellate court. Why can’t the theatrespeak side state the facts? They claim there was a parking solution in place (untrue), They claimed TIF funding was not tax dollars and would not be paid by the taxpaying public (untrue) and now you claim the lawsuit was withdrawn (more untruths).
The only things you say that are true is that the theatre supporters made some critical mistakes in their endeavor to save the theatre. Let me spell them out for you:
1. Failed effort to get a candidate on the ballot to replace theatre foe Sebby.
2. Demonization of the TOSS trustees through the media after the first resolution to demolish that burned all bridges.
3. Abandonment of any fundraising efforts over the last 18 months (yes the money could have been returned if they kept records)
4. Putting two more puppet candidates on the ballot for the upcoming election which offended several of the current board members causing them to expedite their decision
5. Trusting Rich Curto as a someone that genuinely cared about preservation. Curto turned out to be incompetent and very poor at communication.
At the end of the day, anti-theatre residents doubled them in attendance at the recent board meeting. The trustees enacted a “Final Solution” based on all of the above.
Buff,
Nice post…as many people have stated here, and as you have proven time and time again with your mindless rambling posts, you have a screw loose. I could assure you that my Saturday night was much more exciting than yours as we attended a concert. I could also assure you that you know very little about me as your posts is filled with inaccuracies.
Where does it say “I hate theatres†on this website? Nowhere, that is some ignorant and stupid comment you made. Have you ever been to this theatre? No but I have many times so I know far more than you about it.
You have proven that you don’t know me, but I know you…your cause is “preservation at any cost†The same idea that 28 people in this town had. That doesn’t fly in most areas of America including Lombard.
So do us all a favor and take your diatribe/manifesto back to the Boyd.
Actually, the Friends DID in fact back out of the lawsuit, it was supported by the Landmarks Preservation Council (they’re the people who actually try to SAVE HISTORIC BUILDINGS, unlike the Friends, who KNOCK DOWN HISTORIC BUILDINGS! So I guess YOU’RE the inaccurate one.
Parking was addressed by leasing out several local lots for the theatre. Besides, ever go to theatre downtown (I doubt you have!) but if you did, you would find little or no parking there either, bub!
Once again, TIF is NOT being paid by the taxpaying public! And you talk about “Friendspeak” What do you call what you are perpetrating? The TIF would be paid by the sales of the CONDOS IN THE DEVELOPMENT, NOT THE GENERAL PUBLIC like you claim. It makes me so mad when people like yourself are dishonest and slant the truth. What sort of
image are you presenting to our youth?
As far as your other claims…
1. How long ago was that election? FOUR YEARS AGO!! GET OVER IT! So much has happened since then, the Friends fumbled so many times since then it’s not even funny!
2. “Demonization” now there’s a fitting word for them! Liar works as well, since one of the Trustees made the Friends believe right up till last week he was for the plan! What about the other Trustee who said previously he wanted to work with RSC to develop a plan? The list goes on, and makes the TOSS Trustees look like flying monkeys, the only question is who is the witch (or warlock) that’s controlling them?
3. Abandonment of fundraising? Well, that’s difficult when you can’t tell someone that the Board supports the project and is willing to go forward with it. At the same time, the Friend’s board did a piss poor job if fundraising!
4. “Puppet candidates”? Where were YOUR candidates? At least someone stepped forward to do the job, instead of hiding behind an anonymous screen name!
5. Trusting Curto? Well, look at his great track record with historic theatres, as well as his work in other communities, as well as his sticking to the project. He could have easily walked away, as a few of you I’m sure are trying to make him do.
The reason there were so few theatre supporters there is that they are SICK of their Board, so tired of listening to them talk about “deconstruction”, etc. The neighbors there represented probably all of those against the RSC plan. I’m sure a lot more people would have loved to see a restored DuPage Theatre and Shoppes there, I know we would…
Well Challanged oops I mean Crazy Ray, oops I mean…The list goes on…You better make than 29 people for the theatre. Or is it 129? Or maybe 1029? 10,029? Who knows, but I but it’s a LOT higher than the 28 you claim. Where do you come up with that number anyways?
Rita,
You referenced downtown theatres have little or no parking. Downtown also has things like taxis running up and down the streets. They also have a comprehensive bus and train network. We do not have things like that in the suburbs. Sure we have cabs, maybe three. And we have a Pace bus too, with only one route that doesn’t go near the theatre (former theatre) location.
You have just been guilty of committing Friendspeak, which means saying anything to get your way, even if it makes ZERO sense.
Please don’t hand us more of your Friendspeak and tell us the reason so few theatre supporters showed at the MOST IMPORTANT BOARD MEETING SINCE RAPP AND RAPP WERE LAST IN TOWN is because they had personality conflicts with their leadership. That is a crock bub. You could have sat on the other side of the room if you wanted, but you didn’t and the decision to demolish for at least one trustee was based off of attendance…..So blame yourself.
The bottom line is that support for the now deceased RSC plan is down to a handful. The Heneghan boys will end all of this nonsense in about 8 days.
Rita,
I just realized you committed another act of Friendspeak when you stated that the TIF would not be paid back by the taxpaying public rather with proceeds from the condo sales. This is completely eroneous. Did you go to the Barb Alvarado school of TIF Training?
The TIF bonds would be repaid from the property tax increment from the taxpayers in the TIF district until 2024. It’s real simple. Resident residing in TIF district pays taxes. Any of the taxes that is above the baseline set goes to pay off the bonds which were received in the first place to pay the developer. So instead of those taxes staying in the general fund THEY PAY BACK THE TIF! If they put up 300 condos without TIF, guess how much of the property taxes generated from the units would go towards the general fund and other taxing bodie….ALL OF IT! C'mon Rita…Give us a break.
Boy I can just see Theater Buff now, sitting there at his computer wearing his aluminum foil suit and helmet to keep the government from beaming its anti-theater radio rays into his head. Buff, most people on here think you are crazy not because you love theaters, but because of your long, rambling posts. Your point gets lost when you start comparing the Dupage to the fall of Rome, the Holocaust, racism, homophobia, government consperacies. Just make a point, and go on, we don’t need the other stuff.
Also, I have a great love for Rapp and Rapp. They where born about 10 miles from my home. There father was the contractor who built several of the buildings at the state university down here. Both brothers left several beautiful buildings in their home town, though they didn’t design any theaters in this area. Despite my love, I don’t think that just because the building is by Rapp and Rapp that instantly makes it an international landmark. It makes it important yes, but not so important as to bankrupt a town or state to save it.
In order for someone to engage in “Friendspeak” don’t they actually have to be a member of the Friends? That would count us out! My apologies, I explained TIF wrong, it IS from the taxes paid by the development, but it IS NOT paid by the rest of the population of Lombard like you are trying to lead us to believe. If they were to just put up 300 more condos guess how much tax money they would put in…Very little, because what would bring people to this development when there are so many other choices in the suburbs? A development like the one RSC proposes would be something different, something that not every town has. Something that’s lacking from our downtown, a small-town feel. Why do you think the 50’s is becoming such a popular era? Look at the cruise night thing, that’s a throwback to the 50’s. Look at the “rat-rod” craze, 50’s. All from that more innocent “small-town” era. What’s wrong with us getting back to the values of that area-pride in families, pride in community?
There is absolutely nothing wrong with what you are saying, but why can’t we accomplish the same objective with a completely new theatre in a smaller development. And I was not trying to lead you to believe that the rest of the population would be paying the TIF bonds off.
Although I support the theatre idea, I’m not so certain it will attract condo buyers as much as you think. Many of these smaller theatres are used for musical concerts. And if it becomes difficult to book the theatre, look out for the garage bands. Not so sure people will want to be living above a theatre while the neighborhood kidz are playing Public Enemy or Guns n Roses tunes. Let’s not leave out the rowdyiness outside the theatre, drinking, peeing etc….It’s something to consider.
I like the above comments. They talk about how they are in favor of building a (new) theatre, but yet they then come up with a myriad of reasons that could be said for ANY development. Just look what our neighbors to the east are doing…Notice how they say they want to be like ELMHURST, rather than saying they want to be like LOMBARD? Gee, I wonder wht that is? Pay close attention to the last paragraph of the story and really, really think about it as it pertains to Lombard…In fact, I’ll post it here so you don’t have to read the entire article. “Elmhurst’s downtown came back with a rehabilitated York Theater in the 1990s and followed by bringing in national restaurants and specialty stores.” HOW IRONIC! We just destroyed the very thing that towns are trying to build!!!
Villa Park plans downtown hub
By Burney Simpson
Special to the Tribune
Published March 8, 2007
Villa Park officials are moving closer to creating a commercial district around the village’s Metra train station, hoping it can be as successful as the commercial district in Elmhurst, Villa Park’s larger, wealthier neighbor to the east.
Villa Park trustees last week voted to approve two contracts geared to the ambitious plan, which would include more than 100 new residences, a landscaped square with decorative lights and a fountain where people could socialize while shopping or waiting to board a train.
The initial plan, formulated last June, uses the concept of transit-oriented development, making the station the heart of a walk-able minicommunity that officials hope will generate tax revenue, jobs and a friendly and sophisticated image that fits Villa Park’s nickname—Garden Village.
Villa Park trustees voted last week to spend $40,058 on an economic feasibility study by S.B. Friedman & Co. and the Lakota Group, and another $6,800 on design guidelines for the area by Chicago-based HNTB Corp. The two reports are due by May.
Villa Park’s plan faces several challenges: most important is getting developers to pay for a project where the cost is uncertain and the payoff may be a decade away.
There are social costs as well, with the plan calling for the demolition of moderately-priced multiunit rental housing. And there is no guarantee that transit-oriented development will work or that residents will welcome the changes.
The station at Ardmore Avenue and Terrace Street is in the middle of a problematic neighborhood, redevelopment advocates say. Aging strip malls sport convenience and liquor stores, a laundromat, a restaurant, a money transfer outlet and an auto repair business. There have been armed robberies in the area, said Eric Mainz, chairman of the village’s Economic Development Commission. “It’s pretty bad for suburban DuPage County,” said Mainz, who lives in the neighborhood.
The plan calls for adding 25,000 square feet of new commercial space, replacing the apartments with 100 to 120 condos and six to eight town homes and providing more than 1,000 parking spaces.
John DiJohn, research professor at the Urban Transportation Center of the University of Illinois at Chicago, said transit-oriented development has been a boon to such communities as Arlington Heights, Elmhurst and Evanston, with downtowns coming alive with new housing, retail outlets and cultural amenities.
Elmhurst’s downtown came back with a rehabilitated York Theater in the 1990s and followed by bringing in national restaurants and specialty stores.
Jim, (dude) What does Villa Park’s train station have to do with the Dupe? Ever since kurt shut down the other site you will post your crap over here.
Elmhurst’s downtown came back with a rehabilitated York Theater in the 1990s and followed by bringing in national restaurants and specialty stores.
Apples and oranges. York is a movie theatre and it is privately owned. They did not need $10 million in TAX money. Plus their owners were approached about the Dupe and they said “no thanks”.
Ever since kurt shut down the other site you will post your crap over here.
Way to go Jimmy boy
It looks like Fitzpatrick and Dynako were right after all. They will be seeking a restraining order on final demolition that will bring this mess before the new board. Dude, do you still think they messed up?
And it is a MOVIE theatre in downtown Elmhurst…a multiplex! Certainly not a restoration of a classic theatre but instead made profitable by making it into nearly half a dozen “boxes”. And by the way have you noticed the empty storefronts in Elmhurst? WOW! And let’s not even begin to talk about Glen Ellyn and Wheaton’s struggles to maintain their downtown charm. The truly successful downtown is Naperville (but even that has pushed out the local charm and turned into the likes of any other suburban “mall”) The Glen in Glen Ellyn is a MOVIE theatre and the Wheaton, well that is as messed up as the Dupe with lawsuits and the likes of LTS trying to raise money to turn it into who knows what (but at least not with 120 condos and $10 million in TIF).
The Daily Herald reports today that the Friend’s are ready to lend their support to the candidate going up against Demolition Man Tross. Those 28 voters will really sway the election…but wait two of the 28 (one being the puppet and her “master”) are running for board seats themselves. One would hope that candidate Gianorio would say “thanks but no thanks” to the curse of the friends. They would deconstruct and destroy his candidacy just as they have their once beloved grand dame theatre.
In other news, the wrecking contract is expected to be delivered to village hall today. Will the village president listen to the voice of the people and sign it to end this or will it be delayed for weeks on end? Delay it and expect calls for your resignation. Can they impeach a village president for failing to act on the will of the people? Guess us nearby residents will find out….and take our own trek to Wheaton (and not for the theatre).
Historically, I don’t know of any case where one accusing another of “rambling” was used in a good context as a well-meaning intention on the part of the user. Rather, it’s purely a thug term, just as “rant,” “unrealistic” and so on are.
Meantime, you mention the Boyd Theatre in Philadelphia where I am, and indeed the plight the Boyd — Philadelphia’s last still-standing movie palace — has suffered the last 5 years has greatly heightened my awareness of the loss of precious movie palaces throughout the U.S. today. Not to mention how much politics in America has fallen from what it once was being reflected in this trend.
For just consider this a moment: The last great president this country ever had was JFK. We’re talking 1963, nearly half a century ago. And while America has had several great moments since then, all told and politically speaking it’s been a long long way down from Camelot.
And in the long years since then I know that thugs such as yourself would now like to finish off this country of ours completely. But to be replaced with what? For I assume that whatever rises up in the DuPage Theater’s place will be a prototype of that. And what’s it going to be? A multi-storied parking garage? A condo? A Wal*Mart? A mock movie theater in place of the one Rapp & Rapp designed? A casino? For as I envision it I think “thug,” and what is it that thugs like? Certainly not things that smack of true greatness. For unless you undergo some type of St. Paul type transformation you thugs just don’t have that in you, while I’m always amazed how you pride yourselves on what I find totally pathetic.
you still don’t get it buff, we don’t hate the theatre, we just don’t want to pay 10 times what it’s worth and we don’t want the accompanying monstrosity. We would love to see the theater but must be rationally sensable.
Throughout this entire ordeal, those opposed to the RSC plan have NEVER brought forth a developer with interest in the property. Even if the Village was working with RSC (which we all know now they really weren’t, they were just jerking them around), any smart developer knows if they were to come forward with a feasable plan the Village would do backflips to build it.
Again, that hasn’t hapened. Why is that? Is there a development already in place there that we don’t know about?
Buff,
Get a clue. The fact that you have an alternative lifestyle has nothing to do with this issue. You have a right to be homosexual and nobody here is challenging you about it. It is the tax payer funded theatre plan we are arguing about. Are we “thugs” because we choose to speak out against public funding of a decrepid building restoration? Stop making like we are Al-Qaeda.
Hey Buff,
what don’t you understand? The VERY people placed in charge of restoration have supported a plan that INCLUDED demolition, and they wanted the site replaced with Condo’s and a blackbox theatre. The only “thugs” you are talking about is them.
Oh, and by the way they want it to be paid for by the taxpayers. That is wrong and that is one of our fights.
You look like a fool because you are attacking the wrong people.
Many plans were submitted to the village, including one which included restoration of the entire theatre complex and shops without the need for code variances or TIF funding. This developer was discounted out of hand, without even being asked to meet with the village.
That was brought before the first ad-hoc group, I’m talking in the last few years, since some of you people really went off the deep end regarding the RSC plan. To quote JFK, “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem”. Believe me, you are a BIG part of the problem!
And Challenger, oops, I mean Crazy Ray, explain this quote from your last post “Oh, and by the way they want it to be paid for by the taxpayers.” Which taxpayers? Please explain to us all.
Dude,
The village did not put out an RFP over the last few years because they wanted to give the RSC plan its due diligence. The plan sucked and here we are three years later and millions of property tax dollars were lost because the Foundation put the theatre’s fate in the hands of a greedy developer.
You referenced that we were “part of the problem”. What problem is that? The “problem” will be demolished in two weeks.
I had a dream last night of Bob Biddle, Marisa Schoff and Steve Sebby running through the grassy south property hand in hand singing the sound of music……It was wonderful. The hills are alive….with the sound of music! See weez gots culture Dude.
hey dupagedud (aka Jim devit), explain what the “T” in TIF stands for…OK I will…TAX.
Perhaps if you didn’t lose that election so badly 4 years ago…well now that the trustee you lost to is stepping down, what will you do? We know that your agenda is one of revenge and that you could care less about the theatre.
Dude, I wonder the same thing. If those dead-set against the theatre really wanted to come up with a solution, they would have gone to developers and found one with a workable plan that they would have supported and brought it to our Board.
WHY didn’t they do that? What was their reasoning for NOT coming up with a plan? It’s very easy to whine and moan about something, but it’s something else to come up with a solution. Why didn’t they? Unless…
Dude raised some good questions, rather than taking pot shots at him, why not give him some serious answers? We both know he’s talking about well AFTER the ad-hoc RFP’s, about more recent events.
Rita (also a card-carrying member of the friends),
Many people have come up with alternative plans, for instance, why not sell the whole property because the Village does NOT need to be in the theatre business. However your group had held the village hostage with your (count ‘em) 18 plans…all of which have been complete failures.
Also, how many people (not me though) have come up with the Library plan, or are you so out of touch with reality you forgot the Library.
Rita,
Don’t expect to get a straight answer from the filth of Lombard that frequents this site. It is crystal clear that the usual suspects have no credible responses to give.
Lombard has a very small and insignificant group that has done everything they can to undermine the cause of saving the theatre. They are led by social deviants Kurt Lentsch and Steven Sebby who for years have spread mistruths about the facts behind the issue. I can’t say anything good about these individuals except that at least Sebby had some measure of courage to at run for and hold public office. I can’t say anything good about Kurt Lentsch who has hidden in the shadows like the coward he is for years. I mean this is a guy who sponsors a hateful website for years and manipulated the comments and overall content of the message board to spin the issues. He created bogus user names posing as one of our members trying to send a message that she was no longer happy with our direction…..Simply despicable. Once we blew the whistle on him and his message board he changed it to one that has the appearance of legitimacy and good will. We are not fooled.
This is a guy who attached himself to the people living near the theatre so that he could use them for their platform. These decent individuals don’t even know the devil the are dealing with.
What really disgusts me about Kurt is the cowardly way he plays his games. He has never run for any office or served on any committee. He prefers to dart in and out of the shadows spreading his counter productive agenda and then occasionally sends an e-mail to our elected officials trying to sell himself as a standup guy with concern for the greater good. It’s sickening.
One thing is for certain Rita. If Lombard loses this treasure of ours. The people who have played unfairly like Dick Tross, Kurt Lentsch and Steve Sebby will not be forgotten. They can talk about “healing” all they want but we will make certain that the good people in this community know what they are all about. Their charade is over. The gloves are off.
So much for the tenets of Lombard Pride their New Lombard….but then it shines proud with the hateful remarks of the likes of the officers of the Friends of the DuPage Theatre. One need only read their weekly column or their website to see that their Lombard Pride has gone the way of their “deconstructed” theatre….to the dump! And to think that mission of hate is coming to the village board in two uncontested races where they have slated two puppets. Lombard has not seen the worst of this battle yet….true ugliness will be on the board itself with two votes of spite for the next four years.
The only ones that have played unfairly in this game are the friends themselves…with their ongoing mission of dishonesty and deceit. Their own failures are now being blamed on everyone but themselves. The village has been cursed with this theatre since 1999 and finally in 2007 it is coming to a bitter end (at least one hopes).
And with hateful postings such as New Lombard and the ongoing personal attacks put forth by the likes of Friends leaders Kevin & Laura Fitzpatrick, Barb Alvarado, and Deb Dynako, it is likely that this village will never work together on a common goal for the soon to be cleared parcel. The likes of Kevin tried to endorse a village board candidate and wthin hours of the article being published, the candidate himself issued a statement of support for the demolition and for the curse of the friends to stay away from his campaign.
Once this dreadful eyesore is demolished in the coming weeks, the Friends can take their forever unfunded love and affection for the marquee and facade to the Illinois Railway Museum in Union….for that is where the remnants of their decontructed grand dame are headed in the next few weeks, piece by piece, via flatbed trucks.
And one can only hope that this hatred goes away with it…….
So once again, those against the theatre have been flushed out…Too bad they couldn’t just be FLUSHED for good…You see folks, despite their anger over the Village’s direction on the DuPage Theatre project, they could NEVER fond a developer willing to build there. Their cries of “sell the property' or "build a library” were just that, cries, without any sustinance. Why did no developer, even on their own, step in knowing there was resistance to the theatre, with a plan to build there? Unless they knew, from the outside looking in, that the fix was in and something else was going on “behind the scenes” and they wanted NO PART of it. Think about it, with the condo market in Lombard being so hot and land at a premium, why wouldn’t a developer offer TWICE what the land’s worth to get it and build there?
The library idea was just a ploy (like I’ve said in the past many, many times) get the property cleared under the guise of building a new library there, then when it comes time to get a referendum passed to build it, the tax-strapped citizens of Lombard vote it down. They then say “Oh well, we tried, let’s just sell the property and ‘begin the healing”.
Wanna know what disgusts ME, New Lombard? The way the Friends did things. Only know that the very thing they were charged with saving is on death’s door did they say they were “duped” (how ironic a word" by members of the Village Board. “Duped” by a Board who members of the Friend’s themselvesthemselves WARNED them not to trust. Members of the Friend’s who were lied to and about, and alienated, just like many, many of their members. Look at their turnout at events, very small. It’s not because people don’t love the idea, they do, they just can’t stand being LIED TO by the people who are charged with representing them (the Friend’s Board).
Challenged, I mean Crazy Ray, as far as my “agenda”, it’s not anything that you claim. Yes, I DID love the DuPage Theatre, I met some truly amazing people because of it. I learned so much from people with completely different personalities who were taken from us way too soon. Things like determination from Doug, quiet perserverance from Mark and peru courage from Joan. All people that, had they been around today, would be going nuts about the way the Friends have conducted themselves over the last few years. Now, I am just as committed to making sure that those responsible for this atrocity are not allowed to crawl away in the night like the vermin they are. I am also going to make sure that those who were supposed to be protecting the Grand Dame and not allowed to be without blame as well. I love Lombard; always have, and I have stated that many times before. I have some great memories of the town, and they include the DuPage Theatre. It’s a shame that future generations will not be able to have those same memories.
Wow Dude….such strong words of sentiment yet they still failed you and let you down. And if this sentiment is so strong where is your support other than hiding in the trenches? Why did you leave and let the others take charge? Where’s the outrage with letters to the editor, websites, and campaigns of truth? These same friends are now trying to get on the village board….where are your candidates to stop these vermin from crawling into the villlage chambers with not one but two votes? Your Lombard Pride needs to shine Dude….find write in candidates to stop the vermin and her friend.
All talk and no action their Dude…just like the friends for the past eight years. And just when they pull their biggest coup yet in slating two vermin to crawl onto the village board, the building they are trying to save meets its maker once and for all.
Here’s a few questions for you Dude…..
Will the Friends still have an entry in the Lilac Parade this year even if their theatre dream is stacked on pallets in Union? Will the theatre trustees march behind their friends flag or instead avoid the parade entirely?
Will the Friends still have meetings once the building is really gone?
Will the Friends still have two candidates once the building is gone Dude? Do they have any other agenda Dude?
Will Lombard Pride ever shine again or are we forever tarnished Dude?
The letters, phone calls, etc. are all there, believe me. The FOIA’s to various government agencies are there. What amazing things can be found when one asks…
All talk and no action? Au contraire, mon ami…For some of the best parts of a production do not necessarily happen onstage! (Remember, remember, the fifth of November…)
Things will continue to come forward after the building is down and the Friends TRY to use spin and damage control. Their now aggressive attacks against Lynch and others were recommended YEARS AGO, but they chose not to listen, for they knew it all back then! Now it’s “Alas, poor Yorick, I knew ye well” while holding up a star lamp they stole from the theatre. When will they be returning all things they have in their posession from the theatre, or will they be allowed to keep them as “parting gifts” in a grtand contest of egos?
Remember, the queen of the Friends os now stating they will become a “political action group” to kick up other dust to draw people away from the truth about how bad they screwed up and let the theatre slip away.
I believe Lombard will be tarnished forever. As long as there are people around who rememeber the theatre and what happened here, it will not go away. Of course, Kurt and his boys can always round everybody up and ship them off, placing the scarlett letters “DT” on their shirts to let everyone know they remember the DuPage Theatre so then they could have their Utopian Lombard with it’s state-of-the-art library, parking garage and skyrocketing property taxes to pay for it all.
BTW, I left because very few were realizing at first what is now clear to all. The leaders of the Friends are only in it to get the media attention and to make a name for themselves. The prince will be running for mayor in 2 years I’m sure. By then, the theatre will long be a memory and the general public will not be happy with what’s there, and he’ll be the knight in shining armor who tells the public “see, I tried to save you, I tried to build a theatre there” I grew tired of trying to get people to listen. They were taken in by the BS. I was able to see past it. Call it my God-given gift, I guess. I’ve had the chance to throw so many “I told you so’s” it’s not even funny, but I really have resisted the urge, except in a few important places.
I would rather see a small business owner who has a stake in his community on the Village Board rather than a senior citizen who somehow is able to live without any means of support, changes his position at the drop of a hat, and hangs out in a local tavern.
Let the chips fall where they may, but remember, there are those out there who will not forget. They have friends long past who’s memory will not let them forget.
Why is everyone so sad and angry? My neighbor Robert was eating some of my pies yesterday and in between bites he told me all was good in the Lilac Village. Robert eats lots of my pies, but not as many as Kurt and Kevin. Do you like pies Dude? My son says he would like to hit you in the face with a pie because you say silly things. Why do you talk about dead people so much Dude? My son says you talk about dead people because no living person in their right mind will listen to you. Why Does Kevin hate Kurt, Steve and Robert? Is he jealous because I have been giving them more of my pies than him? My son says that Kevin and Kurt should square off and have a sumo match in downtown Lombard. My son says the village would make a lot of money if they sponsored it because Lombardians would pay good money to watch the two fattest people in town with the two fattest egos square off. I will sell pies and donate the money to the ticket lobby salvage campaign. Our self-proclaimed block trustee Robert has promised us that the ticket box will be saved. He has the third biggest ego in Lombard. Do you like pies dude? I make good pies.
Glad to see Lombard Pride shine this day….and why is it that the www.dupagetheatre.net site is not up today? Could it really be game over once and for all or are they simply updating their site with even more vindictive spite that Mr. Fitzpatrick is cooking up this day?
I love how Jim Devit (aka dude) talk’s about FOIA’s. He has talked about conspiracy theories for years.
There is NO comspiracy…it is just the voice of many drowning out the whimper let out by the 28 friends.
If there are even 28 left.
“They can talk about "healing” all they want but we will make certain that the good people in this community know what they are all about. Their charade is over. The gloves are off.“
posted by New Lombard on Mar 11, 2007 at 5:29am
Is that a threat from the puppeteer himself? Sorry to hear your strings are all tangled up in knots with no place to go now that the 10 day countdown has begun. Time to untangle your puppets and let them go run on their own merits.
New Lombard,
Please don’t make anymore statements alluding to our neighborhood. Kurt Lentsch has never been to any of our meetings nor has he “attached” himself to us. The reason why people (like Giagnorio) want to distance themselves from your group is because you have ZERO credibility. You continue to tell lie after lie in a failed effort to force this horrible plan down the taxpayers throats.
And now you have gotten into the business of threatening residents and elected officials with payback? How low can you go? Is Ken Florey giving you the training in threats and payback?
Neighbor? Read it again. New Lombard didn’t threaten residents.
What he said was “This is a guy who attached himself to the people living near the theatre so that he could use them for their platform. These DECENT individuals don’t even know the devil the are dealing with.”
Sebby attached himself to the theatre neighbors along with Lentsch who has been tugging at Sebby’s shirt tails for years. Lentsch and Sebby drink from the same cup. Their hate for the Friends of the DuPage Theatre runs deep.
The District 4 write in candidate spelled out his motives when he said the theatre property is the “most coveted” property in the entire village. Of course he conveniently left out all of the DEETS.
The only LIARS are the ragtag TRUSTEES who strung the developer and the residents along for 2 years then voted against this development imediately after the Lombard Plan Commission gave it’s approval.
I agree.Their charade is over. The gloves are off.
Don’t defend Lentsch. Let him defend himself. If Lentsch thinks he is so righteous about the DuPage Theatre property ,what is he hiding for? Let the healing begin.
Wow….is this part of the healing process Ray? What are DEETS Ray? Dragged along for two years by the village? Nope Ray, the Friends dragged the village along for a dance with their developer and it turned out they were indeed “dancing with the devil” as the devil is in the details. And the details in this plan is what did it in, including the fatal step of allowing the auditorium to come down. Kind of tough to restore a historic theatre when all that is left is the lobby isn’t it Ray? Were they the Friends of the DuPage Theatre or simply Friends of Our Lobby (FOOL’s)? Guess the FOOL’s lost and the Charlotte Street neighbors won with their collective partnership and plan of attack.
What healing process? Why don’t you attach your name to your posts?
What are you afraid of? Be a man instead of a handle.
Deets.“Details”!
Let your toadie/carpetbagger write in explain this.
“Many plans were submitted to the village, including one which included restoration of the entire theatre complex and shops without the need for code variances or TIF funding.
Again …… ” This developer was discounted out of hand, without even being asked to meet with the village.“
WHY?
Explain that comment and let’s find out if the healing can really begin?
There was NEVER any plan submitted that included restoration of the entire theatre complex and shops without the need for code variances or TIF funding. And if there was PROVE IT….which you can’t. The village would have welcomed such a proposal with open arms!! And the one that could have saved it as an operator of classic cinemas throughout the suburbs said “no thanks” because the Dupe was not a viable financial gamble for anyone in their right mind. Heal, Ray, heal. Let it go and let your neighbor move on to bigger and better things like the school board (where he can advocate for more spending for the arts among other things!).
Why don’t you ask your COHORT Joe Citizen (another nameless creature) to PROVE it. He posted it but you didn’t ask him to prove it. WHY? Don’t worry though. It will be proven. The gloves are off.
The Village has never welcomed any developer for that theatre property.
A few were invited in but were imediately dismissed by the Village Board of Trustees. Explain that?
The Village played games with those that made it past round #1
I read a letter to the editor of the Lombard Spectator. I’m sure you read it. This was his main point.
“Corruption has no business in the local government. We have to deal with enough of that at the federal level.”
There are MANY, MANY residents who agree.
Those who have been corrupted WILL be exposed.
My neighbor. Oh yes. He must have known he would never be elected for a third term so he bowed out. I’ll give him credit for that.
He’ll do you one better…he will serve us all proud on the school board.
Theatre Neighbor stated “Please don’t make anymore statements alluding to our neighborhood. Kurt Lentsch has never been to any of our meetings nor has he "attached” himself to us. The reason why people (like Giagnorio) want to distance themselves from your group is because you have ZERO credibility. "
But then today this is on Kensch’s website…NOW who has ZERO CREDIBILITY?
“Some of you know that I started the website www.xxxxxxx.com in 2002. I created this website after I got involved for the first time in the Village when I worked with a group of residents to solicit a Petition for a Citizens Referendum regarding the DuPage Theatre. ”
you mean www.lombardvillagevoice.com Is that the website you are referring to?
Look everybody, the other website gets shut down and now Ray M. posts over here with his buddy Jim (dude).
Ray’s posts are full of crap, he talks of conspiracy theories and threats such as “Those who have been corrupted WILL be exposed”.
Who will be exposed Ray? Is that like we exposed you (time and time again) on the other site. The one you denied posting on. Funny how all your posts have multiple one line sentences, ALL CAPS words, missing spaces between periods, etc. Just like your posts here. You are a fraud Ray with one agenda….REVENGE
As angry as I have been lately I managed to laugh today, in disgust. That after reading Kurt Lentsch’s pathetic attempt to make excuses for his infantile, evil behavior. “It was a mistake” he whines in his latest blog. It was a mistake that you and a few idiots defamed the names of good people? It was a mistake that went on for TWO YEARS? It was a mistake when you impersonated decent people? What a joke!
What is even more comical than your feeble efforts to lie your way out of your hate board is the stupidity of some of your excuses. I have a history lesson for you pal. Not all German dictators were from Germany. Back away from your keyboard someday and try picking up a textbook.
I wonder how your customers will appreciate hearing about how you created a website depicting bulldozers ramming into a historical landmark? How you tried to undermine the efforts of a grass roots preservationist group? We have a binder filled with your garbage Mr. Lentsch so write all of the vitriolic excuses you want. The word is out. So go ahead and write your trustees and offer to volunteer to “help” Lombard. They see right through you her Lentsch.
New Lombard,
Your hypocrisy amazes me. You and your group used a free advertisement to attack people through the local rag. This latest method of attacking residents proves only that you are not man (or woman) enough to accept the blame for you failure as the leader of this “grass roots” group.
The threats you have made are at the very least childish and teeter on the edge of criminal. I suggest you take some medication and lie down for a week or so before you do something you regret. All this nonsense will be over in about 12 days. Then and only then will your scabs of anger begin to heal. If time doesn’t heal your wounds, I have a few bricks that didn’t make it to the landfill. You can have them provided you use them to knock some sense back into your head.
So much for healing from New Lombard….speaking of feeble efforts to make good one need only watch the replay of the village board meeting to see hate spewing from Fitzy and his friends. Ouch….and out of order on more than one occassion. Thanks for the good laugh (in disgust really)…the replays will go down as some of the best board highlights in the history of the lilac village. Your Lombard Pride really dims to near darkness when you speak with such low regard of the sensible trustees that could see right through your games. Watch for the minutes in a few weeks at www.villageoflombard.org
Speaking of bulldozers taking out historic landmarks, one need only read the details of your continued failure to restore this theare at www.dupagetheatre.net and how with a heavy heart you finally gave in and let her come tumbling down after years of failing to raise sufficient funds or even widespread community support.
New Lombard,
You say “grass roots preservationist group?”.
When was the last time your group had a fundraiser? 2005?!?! Please all you guys did was collect a couple thousand dollars in 8-9 years and then you supported demolition…what was so “grassroots” about that?
Plus wasn’t it your group of people that parade people up to the podium and called everybody names? So many times that the President had to stop each of you. Funny I never heard the CHarlotte St. residents calling anybody names.
The Charlotte Street residents didn’t have to call people names, their persistant bending of the truth, and in some cases outright LIES were enough.
Here’s a god one…Why won’t “New LOmbard” dispute any of the facts and/or statements that I have put forth recently? If they don’t try to deny the,. then they must be true, right? So when are we going to start hearing the apologies, Friends?
And what lies were told by the Charlotte Street people Dude? Name one.
Dude,
I agree that the Charlotte people have lied. I live on Charlotte and was told repeatedly by Robert, Gary, Larry and Phill that the ticket box would be used in part of any new building. Why would they lie Dude? The newspaper says the building is going to be knocked down. Did the Friends really advocate having the ticket box knocked down? Why did they ask me to bake pies to save the box if they wanted it knocked down? I saw my dear friend Ginny Lippig last week at Sunday service. She looked wonderful in her purple outfit. My son wonders if she wears purple panties to match her outfit. Do you think she wears purple panties Dude? I know you and Ginny were very close because like you she wanted to save the building too.
How about two lies? The first said that the RSC development would be “eight feet from their homes”. Really? That isn’t even POSSIBLE! I have visited the area on many, many occasions and the lots are VERY deep, and the homes are in the middle, probably 40-50 feet from their property lines. In addition, the lots aren’t very wide, so the garages are set BEHIND the homes, shielding them from the development. Almost all of them have very large trees as well.
On a similar note, those homes are behind a DOWNTOWN BUSINESS DISTRICT, that was there before they bought those homes. In fatc, before the flywall was “deconstructed” by the Friends, when the theatre was operational, there were ZERO COMPLAINTS about the height of it. Why did it suddenly become an issue? Once the property is sold and condos go from Parkside to Maple, what will they say then?
The other lie is one they try to drag out designed to scare residents. They tell them that the RSC plan will raise their property taxes, but they fail to explain how that would happen. They talk of “what ifs” and “coulds” but don’t mention all of the positives that would have come out of the project.
STILL WAITING to hear from “New Lombard”…
The first lie is not actually a lie, because they said 8 feet from the PROPERTY lines, nobody ever said homes. That is a fact Jim.
The second thing you talk about, that is the first I heard of that, please explain who, when, where, what was said, otherwise that is another lie by you.
I don’t expect New Lombard to answer you, she still thinks that the friends were a “preservation” group when they supported “demolition”.
Dude,
Should developments that include some sort of preservationist effort be exempt from conforming to village codes? Why do we have codes for the DOWNTOWN BUSINESS DISTRICT if they are not adhered to. Should residents living adjacent to a business district to be treated any differently than those living near a park or a forest preserve? As usual you make no sense and will say anything to defend the theatre….Anything. You people have lost so much credibility in this town its a wonder there are still 28 of you left.
Neighbor. Quit your rhetoric about village codes. Where were you when #PC04-07 ( Walgreen’s ) was approved with it’s 10 variations and deviations from Village code?
Where were you when #PC05-06 ( St.John School ) with it’s 10 variations from Village code was approved by the Village Board after the Planning Commissiom recommended DENIAL? The “acting” performance delivered by those trustees was obvious and very amature.
You were at that meeting yet you remained silent about those variations. Care to explain why?
When Sebby and Lentsch waltzed into your neighborhood claiming they had your best interests at heart ( protectors of your property values ,ect ) you took the bait. When this is finished you will have a development that has all of the elements you object to. Penguin!
We know who pulled the strings for approval of that school and those same force/forces have been in place to defeat all RFP’s for the theatre and it’s adjacent property.
The ONE resident next to Walgreens supported the development AFTER Walgreens coughed up for a cultured masonry wall that he requested.
Are you saying that because we did not attend all of the public hearings in Lombard that we should not be protected by the village code? That logic is so typical of you and your feeble minded arguments.
Please don’t pull a Florey and threaten us with a larger development. It only makes you sound more childish than you are (if that’s possible). With cleared land and an RFP we may even buy the property. And if we do you might even benefit from the development. We may opt to put in a nursing home for warped, frustrated old codgers like you Ray.
You were at the 6/02/05 board meeting when about 30 residents spoke out against the school. You were NOT one of them. It was sent to the village board with a denial by the Plan Commission. Care to explain why you didn’t speak against those code variations?
Being protected by the village code is for every resident.
According to your logic code variations only effect theatre residents. So much for YOUR feeble minded excuses.
I am not threating you with anything.
You only spoke of one resident against Walgreen’s code variances when we know there were many residents against them.
If you can cough up $2.3 million or more to purchase the property go ahead.
Odds are that you will request TIF rebates to build your nursing home. The extension guaranteed it.
Go ahead. Lets see how many code variances you will beg for.
With all of us us senior’s hanging around it should turn into a regular cash cow for you.
We will be watching and waiting for who is the end user of that property and the sale price.
The gloves are off.
A variance is a variance is a variance, no matter WHERE it is. It’s is still a CHANGE to the legal code. What about all the variances required for the Elmhurst Hospital project, that’s in the CHarlotte Street area, yet they didn’t complain about that? What about all the other variances all the other condo developments have gotten (setback, landscaping, etc) do those not count? Developments at Yorktown have so many variances they could fill books, do those count?
Jim yoou have been crying about the hospital, ad nauseam, for years. It’s ONLY a three story building and it is nowhere near a residence.
And to Ray M. You are a fraud old man. Kurt shut down your favorite website and now all the sudden you start posting on this site.
Funny how all your posts have multiple one line sentences, ALL CAPS words, missing spaces between periods, etc. Just like your posts on Kurts site.
You must be in love with Kurt and miss his website.
Ray,
It was the St. John’s debacle that gave us the wake-up call to defeat this RSC plan. I couldn’t believe the board approved it either. We made damn sure it wouldn’t happen to us. Does this mean I will be running all over town trying to defeat every proposal that requests variances? The answer is no. Residents need to stay involved in what’s happening in their community. That will make Lombard a better place.
Thank goodness district 4 residents had the Sebby as our trustee. Many of us were asleep at the wheel on this TIF heavy, variance infested proposal that you supported. Do me a favor Ray, run next door real quick and Give Steve a hug for all of us that hated your cockamamie agenda.
So Kurt Lentsch shut down his Lombard hate website? Will Lombard survive this tragedy? That’s just terrible! Cry me a river! I suggest he create a new website. He should call it Lombard Fact Check.Org. Au contraire! How silly of me. Kurt Lentsch doesn’t care about facts.
Ray,
Does Judy like pie? I haven’t seen her in a while. Do you like pie Ray? I am sending St. Paticks Day pies to Mr. Nolan and Trustee Sebby. What kind of pie do you like Ray? My son says you need a slice of humble pie because you have been making comments for years that the theatre would be saved and now it is gone. Have been humbled Ray? What does it feel like to lead a failed effort? My son says that the only bigger failure of a leader in America was the captain of the Valdez. Why couldn’t you, Kevin and the Dude save our theatre Ray? Why did you let those people like Gary, Robert and Phillip beat you so soundly? How many humble pies should I bake for you Ray?
Ray,
where are you? How come every time I call you out you disappear. I know you miss Kurt’s site, ever since it was shut down you have no where to spread your hatred and revenge. I have exposed your fraud Ray.
Update about the DuPage Theatre.
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Daily Herald editorial comment.
“Talk about a plot twist:
Depending what side of the DuPage Theatre debate you’re on, Lombard Village President William Mueller played the role of hero or spoiler this week when he vetoed a board decision to demolish the 79-year-old movie house. It was the first time Mueller used his veto power in his 14 years as village president. Not even O. Henry could have predicted that one."
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DuPage Theatre gets temporary reprieve
Advertisement
By Burney Simpson
Special to the Tribune
March 17, 2007
The DuPage Theatre in Lombard got a reprieve this week when village President William Mueller vetoed two proposals that would have demolished the building and set the stage for a community center.
Trustees voted two weeks ago to demolish all that remains of the 79-year-old structure, its facade, sign, lobby and promenade. That put an end to a $40 million plan to combine the theater with retail shops and a condo development that, trustees said, would add too much congestion to the area. Instead, the Village Board approved a plan calling for proposals to build a 10,000-square-foot community center on the site.
On Thursday, Mueller used his veto power to put a temporary halt to the demolition, the first time in recent memory a Lombard president has used that authority, according to Village Atty. Thomas Bayer.
In his veto statement, Mueller said trustees could not shoot down the theater and condo development on grounds that it would cause too much congestion and then build a community center that would bring more traffic and parking problems.
Mueller said he is exploring a new project for the site that might include a library, park land, shops and a community center. Deborah Dynako, president of the Friends of the DuPage Theater, called Mueller’s actions “courageous. He listened to the community.”
But Trustee Steven Sebby, who voted to demolish the theater, said Mueller’s vetoes were “a huge mistake on his part” that could bring lawsuits from neighbors who oppose the condo development.
Ray,
thanks for proving me correct. You miss Kurt’s old site.
Lombard Spectator
Thu Mar 22, 2007, 03:27 PM CDT
Lombard, IL –
Joining the company of other legendary structures, the DuPage Theatre in Lombard has attracted the devotion of many residents. Its unique facade recalls earlier times when movie houses served as the major venue for entertainment.
“Built in 1928, the DuPage Theatre was the creation of the Midwest Paramount Theatre Corp. This movie palace, with all the same splendor of downtown Chicago movie theaters, was designed by R.G. Wolff, who was associated with Rapp and Rapp, which is recognized as the foremost theater architectural firm in American history,†according to the Web site CinemaTreasures.org. YES
• It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• The theater has retained its popularity; many people want to see it preserved.
• A proposed $40 million restoration project could spark further redevelopment and create many new jobs.
• The village loses $1 million a year in tax increment financing revenue by leaving it vacant.
NO
• The property could be used as a new site for the Helen M. Plum Memorial Library.
• The controversy over whether to restore it or tear it down has cost the village substantial money in legal fees.
• Village officials cannot decide how to proceed with proposals to renovate the theater.
• Demolition on the building has already begun. The proposal to restore it calls for the auditorium to be razed, with only the lobby and marquee salvaged.
“The DuPage is one of the rare atmospheric theaters first conceived by famed architect John Eberson. Using a combination of architectural features and special lighting effects, the theatergoer is transported to an outdoor Spanish garden setting with twinkling stars covering a lovely patio. In theaters like the DuPage, the building and its special lighting effects are as much a part of the show as the entertainment presented on stage,†the Web site states.
“The DuPage Theatre has played host to all the great classic films, as well as featured live entertainers such as Gene Autry, Pat Butram and George Gobel. It was also a favorite location for live radio broadcasts of such popular shows as the National Barn Dance.â€
But changing times have brought hardship to the facility. As with many similar structures, the theater fell behind a trend of diversified entertainment dollars.
Vacated in the late 1990s, the DuPage Theatre has been the subject of endless discussion about whether it should be restored and who should own it. The Lombard Village Board recently voted to demolish the building, but last week President William Mueller vetoed the board’s decision.
The debate continues.
Ray you seem to be so bored now that Kurt won’t let you post on his site.
Go here for some REAL news:
http://www.lombardlamp.org/
Hoo-Hah !
The kicker is that latest article fails to mention that the auditorium was already bulldozed…and the picture is from years ago rather than a current picture. Word around town is that the site will be cleared in a few weeks and remnants of the demolished structure will be incorporated into a new library and cultural arts center on the site.
Some good reading here.
www.lombardvillagevoice.com
Hoo-Hah !
So Ray do political signs in side windows influence votes or is it simply done out of spite to your neighbor? Why is it that “write in the right choice” is popping up all over town? Could it be those three little words, The DuPage Theatre, have finally got voters finally fed up enough to demand action? And what’s this we hear of another “write in the right choice” candidate coming forth to take on Laura(aka Kevin)? Will sure make for an interesting election…as more and more Lombardians are quickly learning that WRITE IN is the RIGHT CHOICE this election season.
Hoo-Hah !
Your TOADIE carpetbagger write in? Hoo-Hah !
Ray,
When the lobby and shoppes are hauled away, sensible Lombardians will continue to work hard for Brad Janisch. He is simply the better candidate with better ideas for YOUR district. It’s time to stop the nonsense. We have to live together in a post-theatre Lombard. Will you be able to embrace that change? Or will you be like a dinosaur and disappear? The choice is your’s Ray.
“hoo-hah” Is that the most intelligent response you can come up with?
Ray, sebby’s gone, why are you so bitter still? You are a cranky old man
Ray,
The Hispanic lady named Barb that likes to abuse trustees publically was seen at your house on Thursday. Later that evening she was seen driving around the parking lot at the Janisch fundraiser. Why was she doing that Ray? She needs to find a hobby or have some kids.
Gordy. Lame. Real LAME!
Ray,
What would you like to see put at Main and Parkside once the theatre is leveled? Do you think the theatre could have been saved if your leadership did some things differently?
GM
Gordy. What would you like to see at Main & Parkside once the theatre is leveled? The theatre would have been saved if there wasn’t other plans for the “most coveted” property in the entire village.
What does your TOADIE carpetbagger want to see at Main & Parkside?
What “other plans” Ray? You are the only person in town that thinks there are “other plans”
The other plans many are talking about are for an arts center and library….and one that takes many of the architectural pieces that were saved from the theatre and utilizes them throughout the new public spaces. I got a purple flyer on my door this weekend from a library group and they have a website with some of the best ideas we have seen yet for the theatre and the library. It is www.LombardLamp.org
How cool it will be to see the history of what was the theatre come alive in a beautiful new space for all the residents and visitors alike to embrace. That theatre trustee lady told us that she envisions a town center concept too….and what better part of a town center could there be than a library?
Gordy? What does your TOADIE carpetbagger write in candidate want to see at Main & Parkside?
Ray,
Why don’t you contact him yourself. I am not his campaign manager. You can reach him at You better hurry though, his support is growing rapidly. He may not have time to waste on sign stealing low-lifes.
Gordy?? Interesting. You don’t deny his TOADIE status. Just as interesting is you don’t deny his carpet bagger status..Interesting. You support a carpet bagger yet you don’t know what he wants to see on the DuPage Theatre property.The Parkside & Main Theatre property that your TOADIE write in candidate said was the “most coveted "property in the entire village.
Low-lifes? Resorting to name calling so soon?
Sign stealing? That’s for your croud.
I wouldn’t waste my time with him.
Please make no mistake about these few anti-culture individuals agenda. They claim theatre supporters call people in the middle of the night and harass them, and that the paper is full of stories iof such “…I have a small child and I do not need them calling my house in the middle of the night as they have been known to do. That is how this group is, they resort to name-calling and threats…read the Daily Herald any time” Where are the articles. I CHALLENGE CHALLENGER, oops excuse me DuPage Fiends to produce ONE article that specifically says that. There are none. But what about the article about all the theatre support signs STOLEN and DUMPED that were recovered?
Make no mistake about it, these people want there to be ZERO remnants of the DuPage Theatre. They want to see the property cleared. They DO NOT care about a library on the property. These people talk about a library/cultural center/theatre there, but the same two people who started LOMBARD LIMP.com had a website that showed bulldozers and had a “countdown to the bulldozer parade at Main and Parkside” on it. Pretty catchy, huh? Now they claim to want to work for a theatre/cultural center on the site, and claim the Friends won’t work with them. Why would they? lokk at their track record towards the project.
Challenger oops, he changed his screen name (AGAIN!) calls someone an “idiot” yet he’s afraid to be attacked. He better be careful, living in that glass house of his. He also claims to be soooo worried about taxpayer dollars being used, yet where is his attack on other projects that use taxpayer dollars that directly affect him and his small child (God help the poor thing!)? Where’s his disdain towards Gov Blago’s Gross Receipts Tax Plan that would rob small businesses of valuable dollars? Where’s his disdain at tax dollars being used to build a splash park directly between a busy east-west road and a dangerous railroad track (one of the busiest in the State)?
I strongly suggest that anyone ignore ANY AND ALL of their venomous posts, they are full of hate and lies and just an attempt to flame this board to get it shut down. You see, if they get any pro-theatre pages shut down, the only outlet lefdt for people is the anti-theatre website that tries to pass itself of as neutral, but regularly censores and deletes pro-theatre messages.
“Gordon Mulroney”? That’s a good one! Which one of the four of you is it reallY? This website is dedicated to preservation, NOT a campaign site. Take your crap elsewhere.
Everybody look at crazy old ray’s last two posts, they wreak of politics, just as I have stated time and time again, his agenda is one of politics and NOT preservation.
At least this write-in candidate (Brad) has a chance to win, not like your loser friend who got blown out of the water in the last election, thus starting your smear campaign.
Another case of “I’ll say anything to support the theater building” by Dupage Dude when he rips on the wasted spending for the splash park. Dude, you have always hung your hat on the theatre project benefiting children and families yet you rip on a splash park which would draw more families and their children into our downtown than anything with the exception of Dairy Queen. Did you know that the piece of land that the splash park was built upon was too small for any development? Would you rather have it sit vacant? At least it will provide somewhere for the families residing in condoland to take their small children.
You theatre people will say anything to make your point and you sound really ignorant…..Spin, spin, spin.
Three posts up Jim is quoted as saying “tax dollars being used to build a splash park directly between a busy east-west road and a dangerous railroad track (one of the busiest in the State)?”
Did you know that the theatre ACTUALLY sits closer to those same railroad tracks as the water park that Jim Devit mentions earlier, AND TAX DOLLARS are being used. The theare and water park are only blocks apart and the water park only cost tens of thousands, where the theatre is about $10 million.
The water park parking lot is adjacent to it, whereas the theatre parking lot will be across the tracks and across Main St.
What’s his point? He doesn’t even think when he posts because his agenda is political NOT preservation.
Is this the same Jim Devit that is running the campaign for Dana Morow? How coincidental that a former puppet candidate for the Friends of the Dupage is supporting another one?
When is a theatre still a theatre? Is it still a “cinema treasure” even after the theatre itself has been torn down with the support of the same group that tried to save it? Kind of an oxymoron isn’t it?
One has to simply laugh at the tactics this theatre group is turning to for saving what remains of the theatre itself(simply a lobby really) ….berating the trustees, faiing to work with the community to embrace a plan for a new arts center, and, best of all, placing two candidates on the ballot to influence the village board…truly puppet candidates to their theatre cause and sadly running for the most part unopposed….and all this to save what WAS a historic theatre.
The Friends, the media, and even state/local government officials seem to forget time and time again that the theatre is GONE. It was already torn down and now it is time for the rest of it to go. An example of how not to save a cinema treasure…politics, egos, and continued lack of community wide financial support did this project in years ago. This saga has been going on for years and years and simply needs to come to an end once and for all. Embrace the memories of what was and what could have been but close the book for good and move on as the saved remmnants are used in new buildings whether for the park district commmunity/rec center, the library, or whatever else comes forward in the near future.
What would the carpetbagger write in candidate want to see on the Dupage Theratre property? Nobody is saying. It’s a BIG secret. The DEVIL is in the details.
Hoo-Hah !
Ray pretty weak support for your puppet toadie trustee, you are the only house on Grace St. with signs up. I counted 15 Brad Janisch sign. Support is overwhelming
Hoo-Hah For Brad!
A Straw poll done on the east side of north Main street has Dana Moreau with 15 votes, Brad Janisch 13 votes. This will be a close one folks!
New poll done on the entire block of east View from Main to Grace has Janisch 34 votes and Moreau 31. This includes the results from Main Street.
An interesting flyer along with a copy of a lawsuit was delivered to our neighbors today. My husband almost choked on his bear claw when he opened it!
I find it very conspicuous that Mrs. Moreau’s brochure was almost identical in appearance to notorious Friend of the DuPage Theatre Laura Fitzpatrick.
How can someone that wants to be elected as a public servant file a lawsuit against the people she is asking to vote for her?
Mr. Mazzola do you have any comment? You wrote that sweet letter about her in the newspapers last week. I’m going to run a dozen of my best easter cookies ofover to Dana, Kurt, Philip, Ray, Gary Robert and his children. Maybe some food will keep those little buggers from running up and down the street and blocking traffic. I think soccer should be played at the park. Don’t you think soccer should be played at the park Raymond?
Are you going to sue the village if they tear down that nice outhouse next to the tennis courts at the Lombard Common Ray? So many people have pooped in that shelter that I think you, Dana and Kevin should get an injunction if they do. I’ll never forget where I took my first public poop Ray. CAN YOU?
True Class you are a twisted looney.
A message to all of the lying, whining tree-hugging idiots that call themselves the 28 Friends of the Dump, I’ve got news for you. Your pipedream will officially be stamped out by high noon on Thursday the 10th of May. How fitting that this demolition will occur only a week before your puppets take seats on the board of trustees.
What a wonderful lilac parade we shall have celebrating the cleared site at main and parkside. God Bless he TOSS trustees that had the wisdom to force the village president to sign the demolition contract on the evening of their vote to over-ride his veto. Slick willie was unable to do a disappearing act on Lombard, hence the building will come down before the new board imposes their wil on us.
Forever remember Vicory in Lombard Day. We should proclaim a formal village holiday every May 10th called VL day!!!!!
It was so good to see life at the theatre location yesterday. Children were running and playing games on the south parcel. Families and neighbors were visiting and enjoying the weather. What a great day for Lombardians it was. No longer will one of our prime parcels be held hostage by a handful of fanatics. We are free at last. God bless Lombard! Good prevailed over bad.
You losers had a chance to make something positive happen in one of Chicago’s worst suburban centers. Instead you turned the issue into a juvenile multi-year argument that has resulted in no positive community development. Good job!
China’s one child policy would be well-implemented in Lombard.
Democracy rules in Lombard, I am sorry if that bothers you.
Postive community development is coming now that the chokehold has been removed from our Village.
The fact that the residents were lied to time and time again by the likes of Kevin Fitzpatrick and Deb Dynako will prove to be the key reason for the downfall of this theatre.
History will prove that their egos and their agenda of lies and deceipt failed to save this theatre. It will forever be their legacy.
LTS the only losers are the friends of the theatre. They are squarely to blame. At least we may see some progress now. A truly great day for Lombard
A few years ago the friends had a planned rally to save the theatre….60 people total showed up…including mostly small children. Yesterday dozens cheered as the bulldozers smashed the facade and hundreds more honked as they drove by.
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Quite a few of the people honking were giving the demo work the thumbs down, but it’s funny how that gets turned around…
And all those kids running around and playing? They truly are the ones that will suffer in the future… They are going to be screwed out of the experience of being in a historic theatre like the DuPage. Instead, all they are left with is a generic, cookie-cutter million-plex like Yorktown, where they are unable to perform.
I agree with the previous statement that the egos of Dynako and Fitzpatrick were more important than saving the theatre. Why now that it’s gone, Does Dynako refer to herself in the paper as a “theatre fan” instead of President of the Friends like she used to? Is she trying to quietly distance herself from the group now that SHE failed?
I heard two gentlemen talking, they were saying that they hope they build something there 10 stories high and a block long. I agree with them, I hope they do! The neighbors on Charlotte didn’t like the theatre, wait till they see what they’re going to get!! HA HA HA!!!
Oh Rita…your spite is so childish. Glad to see amateur hour is back on track with your restoration agenda…too bad there is no theatre left to restore as the historic theatre was taken down last year and all that went down this week was the lobby and shoppes. What would the black box plan had been other than a “generic cookie cutter million-plex” tucked under 120 condos? Face it Rita, the plan simply stunk. The kids will win in the long run…and can perform at the area high schools and many other venues in the immediate area. A generic black box was all this plan was…face it!
Lombard will still support the arts….just watch! You will see a mixed use (4 stories, not 10 like you wish) building that encompasses retail, an arts center, community use, Metra parking, and even the 89,000 square foot library. All good use of this gift to the entire community and not just to the “friends”.
It will be such a welcome relief to see Lombard move forward.
Rita you are a liar. I was standing there as people applauded and the people honking were giving thumbs up. More people showed up to watch the demolition than to to their support rally.
According to our counts there were only six theatre supporters that showed up at the demolition. Bonnie MacKay, Ray Mazola, Zach Wilson, Paul Mundt and some guy with a pock marked face and salt and pepper hair.
We will have a beautiful new community center in Lombard thanks to the mighty efforts of four trustees, Charlotte street people, Robert Biddle and more. Good prevailed over the lying cronies. God bless Lombard and God Bless our 2007 Man of the Year Steven Dale Sebby!!!
I know there were some artifacts that were previously saved before the theatre was destroyed, does anyone know the status of them? From what I recall, there was a trailer full of things…star lamps, seats, etc. as well as a few lamps that were in the posession of several members of the Friends board.
I would hate to see any of these items sold, or even worse, kept as “trophies” by those “people” who wanted to see our historic theatre destroyed!
Rita,
Several of these items have been stored by the VOL and were supposed to be gifted to the Historical Society. Friends of ours that are “Friends” have told us that indeed some of these artifacts have ended up in the possession of key members of their group. Let them have them I say.
This past Saturday evening the demolition site was broken in to by teenagers of known preservationists. Several items to be salvaged by Heneghan and sold were taken out. Multiple homes along Charlotte Street were “egged” by this group as well. The district 2 trustee also had his home vandalized the same evening.
Thank goodness this is over with and Lombard can move on.
Sorry, but these reports are utterly false! Anything that was to be saved has already been removed. Heneghan is charged with DEMOLITION, that’s it. What items were “stolen”? How do you know teens “broke” in? If there was such wholesale vandalism, why wasn’t it in the Herald? You would think such a “vindictive” crime spree would make news…
Inless you can back up these claims, they should and will be considered FALSE!
Read the police blotter. It should be posted in the next couple of weeks.
On the topic of preservation, I would like to see comments from those that live outside of Lombard on the following.
Lombard’s village board voted twice to demolish the DuPage Theatre.
Two circuit courts and two appellate courts ruled against preservationists attempts to cease demolition.
A direct mail straw poll conducted by two village officials (one of them an ardent theatre supporter) revealed that 82 percent of the residents in town supported demolition.
Given the above FACTS, do you think it was justified for the friends of the DuPage Theatre to continue to sue the taxpaying public for the sole purpose of delaying progress so that a new village board could overturn a decision made by 6 trustees that had been dealing with the issue for 8 years? Keep in mind, the Friends group was not seeking a ruling or any ruling. They only wanted a gap bridged so the new board could change the decision.
Jim Devitt aka Restoration Rita,
As long as they don’t let high tension power lines run through the Dupe property like the ugly raised ranches in Woodridge, we should be OK.
The Daily Herald reports talks between the park district and library boards could begin soon for a multi use development on the site. If the voters agree, that would be a development that makes sense and truly improves our village.
I thought our plan commissioner and trustee Sebby did a fabulous job at directing the Heneghan Crew. Spielberg himself could not have given the Lombard audience a better show on demolition day.
The crane operator should be given an Oscar for best supporting actor. The way he tossed the top of the parapit through the roof of the lobby clearly said “F—– —–” to all of the people in Bonnie Mackay’s box.
For those of you that left the show early, you missed a standing ovation from about 200 commuters who arrived on the 5:50 train. The Crane operator even tipped his Old Style cap and gave them a wave. Clearly this was a great day in our town’s history.
Bryan Krefft. A view from the Metra station!
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I’m Jim Devitt? That’s news to me!! I’m LMAO at that one! There’s really nothing you guys won’t say or do lately is there? First the whole egging thing, now talking about the 5:50 crowd applauding. Too bad all work stopped at 5pm, and the crane operator has to wear a hard hat, NOT a Old Style cap. Nice try though…
Rita actually it was the 5:38 train and there were about 100+ commuters, some applauding, who joined the already 40+ people watching. The marquee was already gone by then. There was still some work going on there, so you are wrong that it stopped at 5.
The crane operator was wearing a hard hat with a old style sticker on it.
Nice try though.
Hey losers: it is over. Why don’t you go back to your lives now? Or do you enjoy tearing at one another like you live on Planet of the Apes?
LTS, Cinema Treasures has been shutting down all the Dupe’s threads, I suggest sending them an email about this thread asking them to shut it down. I have sent them many emails and they respond pretty well.
There was another website where people could post anonymously that was shut down and moved to another site where you had to use your real name, so the likes of people like Ray M. have nowhere to go to post their political ramblings except this site.
If they shut it down I won’t be able to sell my baked goods. Raymond Mazzola and I are becoming such good friends too. He is such a handsome man. Don’t you think Ray is a handsome man? Unlike Robert and Kevin he has a full head of shiny grey hair. Since his new dentures were set he also has a big beautiful smile and he has very few poc marks on his face. Why does Jim have so many? He must have eaten lots of sweets when he was a boy. I love sweets. I hope Jim helps us to save the old dry cleaner on east St. Charles road. Jim is a wonderful preservationist. He did a great job at trying to save the theatre and the bowling alley. 3rd time is a charm they say. The dry cleaners is the most important one to save. So many famous people have had their dirty socks and undies washed there. Kurt, Gary and Philip had their blouses washed there and Steve and Robert had their boxers starched there (that explains their crabby disposition tee-hee). I sure hope Jim can save the dry cleaners. My husband says Jim and Kevin and Raymond couldn’t preserve a beer can collection. He’s very crabby these days because of the gout. I hope Jim has a rally at the dry cleaners very soon. I have many butter cookies to sell.