Last year when the Stephan regime was meeting in seceret behind closed window shades in the Lakewood Police Department conference room, I walked around the building and took a shot of the badly-in-need-of-painting east side of the Lakewood Viilage Hall.

For Crystal Lake Kiwanis I was at Village Hall again a short time ago to take a photo of the Little Library–one of ten Kiwanis sponsors in the Crystal Lake area.

I took another photo of the east wall.

Then, on September 25th the following email arrived:

Painting Day!

In order to save money and update the appearance of Village Hall, volunteer residents and employees will be painting the exterior of Village Hall this Saturday, September 25th, starting at 9am.

We appreciate anyone who is willing to help join our Village President and energetic volunteers.

Thank you for your support and stop by to say Hi!

I accepted the invitation to stop by and got photos of the very wall in my earlier photos being re-painted.

This was a real community event.

The day was one of the pleasant fall ones and volunteers were helpling their community save money.

I asked people if they were being paid $40 an hour, somewhere in the range of a union painter.

That would have been the price had the Village Board had contracted out the work and Prevailing Wage Law had to be followed.

The last time I did a story at the Village Hall the Village President was shouting at the Police Chief he subsequently fired.

The Chief has been re-hired, as have several of the women who were fired. At least two of the latter were helping with the painting.

This community effort reminds me of my father’s going around the block collecting money to tar and chip the street.