NO tHANKS VOLUNTEERS!



Edward Sullivan- ex-Volunteer

By Joseph Wiszowaty

SAUK VILLAGE | Spurred on by the election of David Hanks less than 1 year ago, long time resident Edward Sullivan had been determined to resurrect the Village’s baseball and softball this summer, now finds himself on the outside looking in.  Sullivan volunteered to help restore the Village’s baseball and softball programs had been told thanks but no thanks.

Hanks put Village Trustee John Poskin, who was appointed to the Village Board and not elected, in charge of the Parks and Recreation Committee.  Sullivan was working with Poskin to get the baseball fields, fences, dugouts, bleachers, supply shed, concession stand and washrooms back in working order until Sullivan was “dismissed” by Poskin.

“I would ask John if this was getting things he said he would do done and it just never would get done” Sullivan said.  Sullivan served as President of the Sauk Village Sports Association back in the 1970s and remained active in the 1980s in hopes of bringing a Park District to Sauk Village.  The referendum to bring the Park District to Sauk Village failed in the 1980s and in 1963 prior to that.

Sullivan said back in August “We need to get people to trust us again” referring to the failed attempt at the Village’s takeover of the baseball and softball programs in 2009 by now former Trustee Enoch Benson.

In January while other communities are registering children for the baseball and softball programs, Sauk Village will once again not have a viable program in the community.  Hanks and his supporters cleaned up the concession stand and painted in a circus of photo ops many of his political opponents charged as there was never any way that a baseball program would get underway. 

Enbridge, the company which will be putting a 36 inch pipeline through the village, will be spending several thousand dollars in restoring the baseball fields which have not seen an organized children’s program since 2009.

Marva Campbell-Pruitt

Marva Campbell-Pruitt, who chaired the Village’s Beautification Committee and Human Relations Commission resigned in exasperation over the political backlash from the “sore winners”.   Political tensions and personal attacks by supporters of Village Clerk Debbie Williams, who won the April, 2013 election, against Campbell-Pruitt had got worse since The Williams’ election victory.  “Clearly they think they can do a better job, then they should be given the opportunity to do so” Campbell-Pruitt said at the time.

Campbell-Pruitt instituted the Community Garden, taken over now by the McConathy Public Library, the Clean, Preen and Green Program, reinstituted the Hootsie Awards and she also worked with church groups and volunteers to help clean up the village’s landscape as well as picked up garbage.

Sullivan was clearly disappointed “you know all we wanted to do is do something for the kids”.  Now Sullivan, like Campbell-Pruitt has become insignificant to this administration for trying to make a difference.