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Jeff Borgardt's Soundoff from Summit Column 11/9/05

  • Brookfield Zoo is studying walleyes. The zoo and government fish and wildlife experts implanted 12 transmitters into the delicious fish Nov. 4.
According to the zoo, “The procedure is performed in several stages. Fish are procured by staff at Cook County Forest Preserve District Lakes. In preparing for the surgical procedure, the fish are sedated and once surgery begins, they are out of water for about
30 minutes. Zoo staff surgically place the transmitter inside the fish and, when completed, suture the fish’s incision. Following completion of the surgery, the fish are tagged and begin a 21-day recovery period.” They then release the fish into a lake and study them for two years. After this exhaustive study, the zoo will be able
to advise the best fishing bait to catch a walleye. Cast away.
    • This falls season of the West Wing is the best ever. The plot revolves around the fictitious campaign to succeed Democratic Hollywood dream president Jeb Bartlett. The candidates are actor Jimmy Smits who portrays Democratic Texas Congressman Matt
Santos and Alan Alda who plays Republican Senator Arnold Vincik.
Having a Democrat from Texas challenge a Republican from California makes for an interesting ballot map. Last week, Santos and Vinik had a live debate. It was pretty interesting. The actors were really live and actually debated.
    • Web time. I’ve built some more websites for my customers. In addition to a new website for a film on the Chicago Greek community, I finished a website for a Maywood manufacturing company this week and did another site for a new $16 million residential housing development in Morris. The three new sites
are chicagogreekspirit.com, copperspringspoint.com and www.wireclothfilter.net. If you want a website, call me at 847.338.5797 and you’ll get a great website for a low cost.
    • A reception will be held for the new Summit park district director Tom Suhs in mid-December. Suhs is from the Oak Brook Park District and has big plans to ramp up the park district including the possibly of annexing new land and revitalizing traditional park
district offerings. Suhs and I talked local politics at the Green Acres House of Pancakes Nov. 1 and I was impressed with him.
    • There was a big factory fire in Hodgkins last week. The fire was so huge that fire bellowed onto the expressway and backed up traffic as motorists drove through the smoke.
    • I’m planning on joining a co-ed indoor soccer team this fall in honor of the new Chicago Fire stadium in Bridgeview.
    • Mike Smith of Willow Springs who quit his post as trustee to protest the mayors choice of a new police chief didn’t otherwise slam mayor Alan Nowaczyk in an interview with me on Thursday.
He said he didn’t have substantial disagreements with the administration otherwise than the police chief choice. Smith also said he hopes to remain active in the community despite the fact that he no longer holds elective office.
    “I just couldn’t go along with the choice. Selecting a police chief is probably the most important thing the board does,” he said.
    • Shields Automotive Repair, 5739 Archer in Summit, did a good job fixing the ignition and headlights on my car last month.
    • I just heard a guy interviewed on the radio who has been married nine times. He is 86-years-old and each marriage lasted more than five years. He now says he has no desire to wed again. Too bad ladies.