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www.boonecountyjournal.com In Our 21st Year 815-544-4430 The Boone County Journal February 10, 2017 1 FREE COUNTY LOCAL NEWS, OPINION & HISTORY Real Journalism for a Real Democracy www.boonecountyjournal.com Published Every Friday • Febuary 10, 2017 • Vol 21 • Issue 40 No. 1080 working with interested parties because business often needs to exercise privacy as a normal part of there business development. O’Malley also expressed the need for better internet service in the county to attract the kind of development Boone County desires. Pointing out that I90 has fiber optic cable lines in it’s corridor, O’Malley said a utility needs to be found that will bring that speed into the local network. Boone County Sheriff David Ernest presented to the board his annual report by power point. Filled with many statistics. Sheriff Ernest explained how the sheriff’s office spends $8.6 million dollar a year and how adequate or not that is to serve Boone County’s growing and more urban population in 2017. Presently the Sheriff’s office has 123 employees that provided 33,392 calls for service in 2016 while operating the jail that houses an average of 109 inmates, and courthouse operations and security. Belvidere Residents Oppose Slots by Carlos Gonzalez in the early 1990s had all plagued the dealership as well. The city council meeting this week had some extra Wolf Automotive However, nothing would harm Wolf Automotive as much attendants in the audience. On February 6th, 2016, many local as the bankruptcies of General Motors and Chrysler in 2009, residents made an appearance to voice their concerns over the ultimately resulting in the closing of the Belvidere dealership. move of a local establishment, Slots of Fortune 2. The aldermen and the Auto General Motors, with some push from the federal government, took a moment to listen to the concern from their citizens. decided to pull Chevrolet franchises from many auto dealers After the Alderman stated their attendance, the council took across the country, including Wolf Automotive. Following in the concerns of the people in attendance. Mayor Chamberlain Industry bankruptcy, the company notified 1,100 of its 6,000 dealerships warned the speakers, “We have a stack of folks, that want to By Bailey Appelhans that it would be terminating contracts with them. Wolf share with us. I would just ask that with the number of request With nearly a hundred years in the auto dealer business, Automotive eventually closed in August of 2013. of people to speak, that we try to keep our remarks to three the Wolf family has been prominent part of the Belvidere Despite the business closing after decades of service, the minutes or less.” This was the foretelling of the meeting’s track. community for a long time. Wolf family is still in the automotive business today. Still As the public comment, the citizens in attendance listed C.J. “Doc” Wolf opened the original Wolf Automotive standing today is Jack Wolf auto dealership, owned by Bill’s their address and their concern. The first person to speak was dealership in Belvidere in 1924. Coming from Dubuque, brother, Jack, and run by Jack’s daughter, Amy. Jack purchased one of the owners of Slots of Fortune 2. She prepared a brief Iowa with an associate, R.V. Flynn, Wolf was looking to find the business in the early 1960s in hopes of doing his own thing. statement: “As discussed at previous meetings, my husband customers during what were just the early years of the auto Jack Wolf and Wolf Automotive ran for years across the street and I have submitted a request for a special-use permit, for the industry. At 22, Wolf took out a $5,000 loan to pursue his from each other before Wolf Automotive’s closing. building located at 1550 Pearl St.. Our intentions to purchase dreams of making it big in the fast-growing business. Today, dealerships and the process of buying cars are the vacant facility, renovate and cleanup the interior and exterior Auto dealerships themselves can be traced back to steadily changing with technology. Many of the services that of the property. Then, we have plans to relocate our current 1898 with William E. Metzger, a salesman and pioneer in dealerships have offered can now be found online. Instead of business, from 101 state street, to the pearl street location.” the automotive business from Detroit. In Belvidere, auto going to several dealers to purchase a vehicle, many consumers The representative went on to address the concerns that dealerships can be traced back to 1917 with Manley Motor now do their own research online and are able to pick what were voiced by the locals and officials: “Let me give you Sales, a Ford dealership owned by Albert Manley. Originating vehicle they want before ever stepping foot into a dealership. some background to give you some insight into our business.” in Harvard, Manley Motor Sales is the second oldest Ford Things have come a long way since salesmen like C.J. Wolf The spokesperson tackled the argument regarding declining dealer in the country. knocked on people’s doors to try to sell them automobiles. With property values, due to Slots of Fortunes’ possible move: “this Today, people often go in search of cars. We generally the way consumers are purchasing cars changing, time will tell argument seems flawed. Currently there is an old, run down think of looking for a new car as a long process in which we, what the future holds for the automotive industry. structure sitting in your neighborhood, with a crumbling as consumers, go many different places to find the best vehicle. parking lot, overgrown and unmaintained exterior. The longer When Wolf first started his business in the early era of auto this building sits, the more it deteriorates and continues to be dealers, however, car salesmen often went out in search of an eyesore. How is that in itself not a detriment to property customers. Door to door sales were extremely popular at the values?” time, and cars were no exception. County Retreat: She used her establishments current position as an Before dealerships, cars were sold directly from automakers opposition to the critique against the move. The Spokesperson to consumers or in several different ways, including mail order, Progress in the Planning stated that in the last year, there have been zero noise, trash, or department stores, and traveling salesmen. U.S. laws would disturbance complaints, despite living near residences. Along later require new cars be sold by independently owned dealers. Department with this argument, the spokesperson noted how the vacant Auto dealerships generally sell cars made by specific building on 1550 Pearl St. could be an attraction for crime: companies. A large key to Wolf’s success was perhaps choosing By David Larson “it is a well-known fact that abandoned buildings can attract to sell Chevrolet vehicles. Now a division of General Motors, Saturday, the Boone County Board met for its annual undesirable folks and activity, which opens up our neighbors Chevy was founded more than a hundred years ago and has day-long retreat to discuss County issues. security reasons, than our establishment poses.” become one of the biggest automobile manufacturers in the Highlighting the event were presentations by Before finishing her public comment, the spokesperson world. General Motors is part of the “Big Three” auto dealers, representatives of the area’s planning agencies and the went on to invite those attending to visit her establishment. This which also includes Ford and Chrysler. Sheriffs annual report. invitation came as a result of the complaints of trash, noise, etc. With their business spanning many years, the Wolfs prided Hilary Arther, the County Planner, gave a presentation that were raised by the people living near Pearl st. She reminded themselves on running such a successful family operation on the planning department’s analysis of the permitting the listeners that there is no alcohol allowed outside of the for so long. With a concentration of car buyers coming from process for projects that come to the County Board for establishment and no noise complaints have ever been raised. several nearby counties and across the state line, the Wolfs had approval. Learning from the past, Arthur explained how After the Slots of Fortune speaker had her turn, locals began certainly made a name for themselves. Popular slogan “Put a the County is now focused on shortening the approval to voice their concern. Specifically, they tried to unravel Slots Wolf in Your Garage” appeared in the 1960s and became well process and clearly defining requirements in advance of of Fortune’s defensive statements. During their spokesperson known over the years. beginning the first step in what used to be a cumbersome 6 moment, Slots of Fortune shared that they had a three drink Following C.J.’s death in 1988, the dealership was passed month process. limit. However, there were citizens that argued that the patrons on to his son, Bill, before grandson John took over the business By meeting with the developer in a preplanning session of the establishment could come be inebriated, before entering in later years. C.J. was best known for his dealership, but he is to clearly communicate a checklist defining the limits and the establishment. Essentially there is no way to ensure that also remembered as an active member of the local community, requirements before a project begins, the approval process patrons could be sober. often helping fundraise for the YMCA and St. Joseph’s surprises should be eliminated and the completion of project Another argument that was raised before the council Hospital.

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