You say your mother loves you?

There's an old saying in Chicago journalism -- You say your mother loves you...check it out.

Quite simply -- make sure you have your i's dotted and your t's crossed.  In other words, check it out.

This is probably why Village Board President Jeff Braiman took the seemingly bold and unprecedented step at the April 16 Board meeting to set the record straight from comments made by you-know-who at the April 2nd Board meeting.

Never mind the way in which this former -- recalled -- trustee made her remarks, It seems as though things had not been checked out and Braiman wanted to clear the air.  Some folks think Braiman should have ignored the misinformation that former trustee Lisa Stone presented at the April 2 meeting.

However, if she “wanted the community to know” her information, it only made sense that Braiman use the same forum to clarify the information, or misinformation, that Stone presented.

Specifically, Braiman clarified the following:

Item 1:  The village had lost passwords.  Braiman clarified that this was “simply not true” And that no passwords were involved.   He did explain that in 2011 the videographer posted all videos.  Unfortunately, he passed away and at first there was some difficulty getting some material.  But – and here’s the key – all of the DVDs are available.  In fact, they are available back to 2005.  Braiman noted that Stone knows this adding that it is his understanding that she has DVDs from all of the meetings she attended (and then some) while she was a trustee.

For the record, anyone can get a copy of a DVD from a Village Board meeting.  If you do not want a DVD, videos of the Board meetings are available at vbg.org.  No password required.

Item 2:  800 Krause Drive – Stone contends that this is in the village and it’s a bogus address.  Really now?  Braiman pointed out that it an address “owned, operated, controlled and maintained by Lake County – no time has village of BG every had any control of facility.  It has a Buffalo Grove  address for postal and emergency purposes.  Just like unincorporated Lake County.   I and others told her if she has issues – take it up with county.”

It’s interesting how Stone hides the fact that she and her family lived in unincorporated Vernon Township and had a Deerfield address, yet they did not live in Deerfield.  It’s the same situation.  We’re not talking rocket science here. But wait, we are talking Lisa Stone.

Item 3:  Water quality – “our water is safe. Meets EPA stands – in fact exceeds them.  We get Lake (Michigan) water, not ground water. We have wells – in case of failure of water transmission system.  Lake County also tests water.  It meets or exceeds EPA standards.

Stone said at the April 2 meeting that she spends 16 hours a day researching her information.  She may need to double check her sources.  Nearly 30 years ago the village of Buffalo Grove, and other nearby municipalities formed the Northwest Water Commission, which developed and implemented a plan for the transmission of Lake Michigan water.  Unincorporated Lake County was not part of this.  This is why the village (ZIP code 60089) has Lake Michigan water and the folks in the unincorporated areas of Lake County are on well water, which comes from deep water aquifers.

I want to say our water is superior, but that may confuse the mouth-that-roared into thinking we get Lake Superior water, with which she would no doubt find a problem.  In her case, I think the best water should come from Lake Erie.

Item 4: Stone said that the “EPA looking into ‘situation’ Braiman noted that a letter was sent to Stone and copied to the village, which indicated that her concerns were unfounded

So there. No doubt she’ll disagree, but what else is new?

  

Stone continues to take her hysteria to the community in the same fashion that say, Sen. Joseph McCarthy did in the 1950s.  Preach mass panic and the public will follow.

It ain't happening.

What is happening is that Stone has not apparently gotten the message that her constant attacks, innuendos, false information have worn thin.

So too has her challenge to Braiman and the Board to have the police take her out the next time she interrupts a Village Board meeting.  That is what she wants.  See, if the police escort her out, it will be on video, which she’ll post on YouTube claiming harassment and a gross violation of human rights.

A couple things come in to play here:  First of all, you have to act human to have a violation of human rights.  Secondly, sushi-eating folks who live in the suburbs and drive costly SUVs are not being subjected to human rights violations.  Is Stone that short sided that she doesn’t remember whining about costs associated with the Village Green when some students sought permission to hold a program there for the Invisible Children campaign? This is a program that deals with genuine human rights violations, not whining in front of cameras.

But no, she wants her way, with her ‘facts’, on her terms, and if she does not get her way, why she’ll just continue throwing nasty, misdirected barbs at those who disagree with her. 

And if she does not get her way?

Then maybe she’ll have to remember what a famous poet may have said to his wife -- T.S. Mrs. Eliot.