I can't believe this story. I grew up about 5 miles from this town just over the county line in Tazewell County. It was a tiny, pleasant place, free from controversy. When I last drove through on the way home it hadn't changed much. It still had a restaurant called Busy Corner, a dinner theatre run by the fabulous Mary Simon, a bank, a few churches, a lumberyard, a fence company and a few gas stations. It wouldn't even have that if it didn't have an I-74 exit. It was always a quiet and non-controversial town, that is until Village Idiot, I mean Village President Dean Hudson announced the Village's plans to tear down a nearly completed new house for not meeting a stupid, unnecessary and completely ridiculous building deadline. The following is excerpted from the Peoria Journal Star:
Village President Dean Hudson said Goodfield officials have met with bitterness over their recent decision to demolish an unfinished home.
Hudson said he has received a lot of phone calls, letters and e-mails – some from as far as Chicago and Ontario, Canada – opposing the decision, which he maintains was the right one.
"I am really surprised at the number of vitriolic responses of a lot of people," Hudson said Tuesday.
Geez, I wonder why people would be getting "vitriolic" at Hudson and the rest of the Mayberry busybodies for tearing down a nearly completed home. What an asshole. This type of small-town busy-body, all-in-your-business mindset is one of the reasons I left the neighboring village of Deer Creek years ago. Those interested in contacting Village President Hudson can do so at the address/numbers at the bottom of the page located here. When my father was Village President in Deer Creek he didn't tear down anyone's house. He was too busy removing old, intrusive laws from the Village books as well as keeping the state and county out of Village affairs. Apparently Chancellor Hudson sees his role a little differently. There must be something in the water on that side of the county line. Sheesh.