The Observer was launched two years ago today with the main objective of providing a timely news resource specifically tailored to Barrington Hills residents. The original concept for this resource was to offer a compendium of articles from multiple news sources for those residents who are interested or involved in issues that affect our Village.
Over time, due to the lack of proactive straightforward communications from our Village government, periodic commentaries became a necessary and integral element of our portfolio of content, continuing our mission to keep residents fully apprised of what is truly occurring in our Village government. Scores of subscribers and readers prompted this by providing insightful topical suggestions, resulting in nearly 400 posts since our founding. This has allowed The Observer to grow significantly in readership. We thank those of you who genuinely care about our Village for your participation and support.
Today, The Observer is pleased to announce that we will be bestowing a special award annually to the most deserving elected or appointed official in our Village – “The Rotten Apple of the Year Award.” This honor will awarded each December to the individual(s) who have demonstrated over the past year that they have not acted in the interests of what they were elected or appointed to do by Village residents, have abused their powers in office, or have broken campaign promises.
Readers are welcome to submit their nominations (confidential or revealed identity if chosen), to The Observer by submitting a comment to this article or via direct email to BHObserver@gmail.com. Please include the name of the individual(s) and the reasons you feel they should be considered. Those new to The Observer may want to read prior editorials (see Editorials) before making a nomination choice since this year there is quite a stable full of candidates to choose from.
The deadline for nominations is midnight Wednesday, December 14. The editorial board of The Observer will then deliberate and announce the award winner(s) on Friday, December 16 after due consideration of reader input is considered. In addition to the award winner(s) announcement, a summary of all nominees and the reasons for their consideration will be included.
We look forward to your suggestions and participation.
-The Observer
The following is an example of what The Observer is receiving in nominations via emails:
At the Top of the List
Robbert Abboud for his continued illegal activities and abuses of power. An arrogant egomaniac, he has created the malignant atmosphere that now envelopes the village of Barrington Hills. Abboud’s spiteful deeds include acts of intimidation and harassment when abusing residents and employs the trustees, committee members, village administrator, village engineer, village employees and police department.
Which leads me to the second nominee……….
Steve Knoop for his unwarranted behavior justified by his personal ambitions. Mr. Knoop holds grudges and continues to unleash further spiteful actions using his appointment on the legal committee to accomplish his goals. All with the blessings of Abboud.
Third in line ………
More than one nominee so let’s combine;
Board of Trustee members Patty Meroni, Karen Selman, Elaine Ramesh, Fritz Gohl, Joe Messer, and all the other village commissions, committees, and employees who have carried out the ‘wishes’ of their leader.
‘I fought the law and the law thinks it has won’
When an elected official pits one group of citizens against another group of citizens, he is not serving the community but his own sense of importance and power. We have seen this in BH as it relates to the equestrian community and those in the village that don’t participate in horsing around.
“Vision a unique hometown, family atmosphere with an attractive natural environment and recreational, culture, and educational activities with facilities for all ages, Barrington Hills, one of the most successfully crafted communities in NE Illinois, has become the premier Illinois community known for abundant parks, quality schools, attractive neighborhoods and equestrian interests. The BH community is a very family oriented place with a variety of places to visit and enjoy.”
This is the dream of ALL individuals holding ALL positions within our current administration with the exception of one sane individual. The above quote was taken from a website promoting the “planned equestrian” village of Wellington, Palm Beach, Florida. Look up http://www.ci.wllington.fl.us and see for yourself and note that BH and IL were inserted for Wellington and FL.
My nominee can proudly tick off on his chubby little fingers all that he has done to brand our village. What he has really done is pitted our community against each other, fed his own enormous ego and mucked up our sense of community pride. (Remember the brilliant idea of the Lighting Ordinance?)
Our community should be a place for all of us to enjoy. Opening our trails to strangers who just visit BH and not participate here is a safety issue. Allowing large boarding operations should be discouraged because a “Wellington” we will never be.
I nominate Robert Abboud (the younger) as the Biggest Rotten Apple in 2011 for his interference in an election and gross misconduct in legal matters that pertain to Zoning Board affairs. His quest to take a well-established village with its own individual character and fit it into the mold of something that we aren’t and never will be, also qualifies him to be the Biggest Horse’s Ass of 2011 too.
Abboud wins this one going away.
Runners-up would be Messer, Selman and Meroni for their campaign violations, dirty campaigning and poor representation of constituents.
Lastly, special mention goes to the village administrator Kosin for making even the most incidental contact at the village hall into an interminable hellish experience.
Bob Abboud is most deserving of Rotten Apple Award. He’s a vidious, vindictive dictator whose every move is to centralize power in the Presidency. He uses the newsletter to spread his propaganda. Signs letters as Village Pres AND as CEO of RGLabs. very unethical to hype your private corporation using public funds; same for using what very much looks like a business resume for Joe Messer, rather than a Trustee/Candidate, and publishing it in the Vilage newsletter. How much of “special counsel’s” time is really for the benefit of the Village OR is he there to serve “at the direction” of the Pres? has anyone seen of Counsel’s “legal analysies” for which we’re billed regularly. And what kind of a wimp dis-invites former chairmen to a function where we would expect to celebrate friendships and is such a snob he separates, ratther than unites people who should be working together. Finally, when a Village finds it necessary to retain several attorneys, it shows the Pres and Trustees/Accomplices do not know how to administrate; they should all take a long, permanent vacation from Village business. I doubt there’ll be any misteltoe in the Village Hall this year.
P.S. regarding mistletoe in the Village Hall, only place you might find a sprig would be over a mirror in Bob’s office.