www.boonecountyjournal.com In Our 18th Year 815-544-4430 The Boone County Journal April 4 th., 2014 1 FREE COUNTY LOCAL NEWS, OPINION & HISTORY Real Journalism for a Real Democracy www.boonecountyjournal.com Published Every Friday • April 4th., 2014 • Vol 18 • Issue 49 No. 933 Stuff that Dreams Are Made Of By James Middleton The last line of dialogue in the 1942 classic film, The Maltese Falcon, ends with the answer to a question. The film tells the story of four people pursuing a priceless artifact and a police sergeant asks the star of the film, Humphrey Bogart, what was all the noise about a ceramic falcon. Bogart replied, “It’s the stuff that dreams are made of.” A similar response could follow a question, “What’s all of the noise about the Eiffel Tower?” Part of the noise heard now is caused by the celebration of the 125th Anniversary of the finish of the Tower. The last step in the construction of the Tower named for the engineer Gustave Eiffel who built the Tower, was the installation of a cupola that occurred on March 15, 1889. The idea of erecting a metallic tower was conceived by two senior design engineers from the firm of Compágnie des Etablissements Eiffel. The Tower was to be the centerpiece of the 1889 Exposition Universelle. The construction of the Tower occurred at the Champ de Mars in Paris on the banks of the Seine River. Maurice Koechil, one of the engineers began making sketches in May of 1884 for what he wanted to call the “great pylon.” He imagined the Tower being built with a wide base that would climb and narrow to a point that would be constructed from lattice iron. level and the cupola were more difficult. used a specially designed chord and was successful until The design anticipated the Tower would include three Though the structural work on the Tower finished on the he reached the ground and was arrested. platforms. The first two would have observation sites and last day on March 1889, that day provided governmental On November 28, 2002 the 200-millionth visitor came two restaurants. The cupola at the top, 906 feet from the dignitaries and members of the press with a ride to the top to the tower, perhaps to satisfy a dream once held. ground, would be the final platform and observatory point. of the Tower. The public relations earned from the event The view of Paris is spectacular from the cupola. On As one might imagine, such a monument could not arise was invaluable and the Parisian newspaper, Le Figaro even a partly cloudy day visitors can see the entire city without controversy. The Tower would be the focal point installed a press on the second level where a special edition stretching from the Sacré Cœur Cathedral in Montmartre of the 1889 “World’s Fair” and there were many in Paris of their newspaper was sold as a souvenir. A post office to the Père Lachaise Cemetery on the southern edge of the and elsewhere that would have opposed almost any idea was opened on the top of the Tower where mail could be city. The Arch de Triumph is visible and even the windmill for a monument to commemorate the event. sent carrying a commemorative postmark. paddles on the Moulin Rouge can be seen from the cop of Some of the criticism came from engineers that imagined The Eiffel Tower continues today to be “the stuff that the Tower. a tower of such a height could not be erected. Another dreams are made of.” It was a dream in February 1912 But, if someone cannot realize a dream in Paris, where group were the Parisian artists that amassed 300 people in that led an Austrian tailor, Franz Reichelt to jump from the else could they go? From another classic film, Casablanca, protest of the design. Legend has it that the French author first platform to test his parachute. He died in the attempt Humphrey Bogart persuaded Ingrid Bergman to board a Guy de Maupassant supposedly ate lunch at the Tower’s and his design was never marketed. Another dream had a plane that would fly her and Paul Heinried, her husband in restaurant every day for more than a year because he said con-artist, Victor Lustig who in 1925 claimed that he had the film, to safety in Lisbon. Bogart said to her, “Shh, we’ll that was the only site in Paris where he could not see the sold the Tower for scrap steel. The sale was said by Victor always have Paris.” Tower. to have occurred on two separate occasions. Anyone that has even fallen in love in Paris or thought The construction of the Tower’s concrete foundations In 1925 the pilot Leon Collet wanted to fly under the first they fell in love in Paris, or even fell in love with Paris, began on January 28, 1887 followed by the erection of the level of the tower but he crashed when his plane became regardless of where they go they will also have their dreams lattice work began. In total, there were more than 18,038 entangled in a radio station wire. Until 1930 the Eiffel and they will always have Paris and perhaps remember the individual pieces that had to be connected requiring more Tower was deemed the tallest building ever built until the view from the cupola of the Eiffel Tower. than 2.5 million rivets. Chrysler Building was finished being built in midtown The Journal wants to thank Time Inc. for the photograph As the Tower was being finished, a governmental Manhattan. shown here. We also want to acknowledge a wide variety commission that oversaw the construction required that In 1964 the Eiffel tower was officially declared a of website portals under the designation Wikipedia.com, elevators be installed. The elevators to the first level were national French monument. In 1987, another dreamer, A.J. the “Internet Encyclopedia.” relatively simple to construct but elevators to the second Hackett made one of his many bungee jumps there. He of Order and the Belvidere City Code, every motion that his salary was presented to him as being below the previous Tentative Budget comes before the City Council in ordinance form will supervisor’s salary and the new hire accepted the offer. be recognized for a first reading and in the next full City Mr. Anderson concluded by saying, “I believe that this council meetings, the motion and ordinance would come salary needs to be improved.” For Belvidere in for a second reading for final approval or rejection. It Alderman Ronald Brooks (Ward 4) asked Mr. Morris to is expected that in two weeks, the second reading of justify his request to reduce the proposed pay raise. Fiscal Year 2015 Ordinance #212H will occur. Mr. Morris replied, “The duties have not changed. We By James Middleton In the Monday meeting, Belvidere Mayor Michael can give a job description and that has not changed. We’ve Chamberlain divided the proposed budget into the given employees the same raise as other employees. But a The tentative budget for the City of Belvidere in Fiscal major departments for discussion. The first department 15.7 percent increase is out of line.” Year 2015 had a first reading on Monday in an unusual considered was the public works budget. This department Mr. Brooks responded to Mr. Morris by saying, “In all Special Meeting. Though there was considerable debate, aroused considerable discussion over one salary increase fairness we should be fair to him.” no material changes were made to the document from what for the supervisor of the department. Alderman Clayton Stevens (Ward 1) expressed concern was included when the aldermen received their copies. The salary was questioned by Alderman Clint Morris over the precedent set by granting the raise that was What did occur was questions arose and were answered (Ward 1) who said, “There is a 15.7 percent salary increase requested. However, Alderman Daniel Snow (Ward 2) in an effort to obtain greater clarity. for one employee and I don’t agree with that. It is called a said, “Raises are a cost of doing business. It is justifiable to The general fund, the largest fund in the Belvidere ‘pay adjustment’ and I want that reduced.” A question arose bring these people up in line but the dollar amount is high.” city budget anticipates revenues in Fiscal 2015 to total at if the proposed raise included a two percent raise that was Mayor Chamberlain asked Mr. Anderson to characterize $10,210,864. granted in the proposed budget to most city employees and the employee’s performance and the public works director The adoption of the fiscal year city budget occurs each found that the proposed raise did include that adjustment. said, “He’s given us a fresh look and he has done very year in the form of an ordinance. The budget for Fiscal Mr. Morris added, “I make the motion that the raise be well.” year 2015 will be enacted as Ordinance #212H. In the reduced by 13.7 percent.” Mr. Morris countered that he did not think the 15.7 Monday meeting, the aldermen made their efforts to revise The director of the Belvidere public works department, percent raise was in his words, “good business.” the document and to gain answers to their questions. But, Brent Anderson, explained why the “adjustment” was With that the question was called and in a vote to when the meeting was finished, the aldermen had received proposed.