Island Lake Trustee speaks out

Last Thursday night a lonely, wailing train whistle could be heard in Island Lake, Ill.

What's wrong with that? There are train tracks all over Illinois. Just not through downtown Island Lake.

An executive (I use that term loosely) session of the government of Island Lake was held. The mayor had already tied ex-communicated acting police chief Tony Sciarrone to the tracks, and the train was coming down the hill and around the bend.

Trustee John Ponio writes a scathing explanation of Thursday night's closed meeting. Trustees were not given a copy of the "investigation" by the village law firm before the meeting. They were expected to read it and digest it quickly and then to ask intelligent questions until, that is, two trustees moved and seconded a motion to limit discussion.

According to Trustee Ponio, the accused was never interviewed by Attorney Don Anderson of Ancel, Glink. Now, will somebody tell me how you conduct a thorough investigation without talking to the one who is to be thrown under the train?

Read Trustee Ponio's open letter at http://villageofislandlake.blogspot.com/2010/03/railroaded.html

When I first read media reports of the meeting and that there were three attorneys there, I thought, "one attorney from Ancel, Glink; Sciarrone's attorney; Manetti's attorney." How wrong I was. Apparently, there were three (3) Ancel, Glink attorneys there, one of whom hadn't seen the report and, according to Trustee Ponio, wasn't prepared.

But each one will bill for attending the meeting, I'll betcha.

Is it too late to wish the new chief "Good luck"? He's going to need it. I hope he took a leave from his Wauconda P.D. job, just in case he wants to go back in a hurry.