By Steve Metsch
Chicago Sun Times
Copyright 2008 Chicago Sun-Times, Inc.
COUNTRY CLUB HILLS, Ill. — It was all done with the city’s well-being in mind.
That’s his story, and he’s sticking to it.
Moments after 10 Country Club Hills firefighters spent much of Wednesday morning demolishing a pool house at his home, Mayor Dwight Welch said the exercise was all about training and had nothing to do with getting home improvement done for free.
“We’ve got a lot of young firefighters who have never swung an ax. This is a training exercise for them,” Welch said.
“It’s no big deal. I announced it at a city council meeting a few weeks ago.”
Firefighters were tight-lipped as they hauled stools, siding and remnants of a bar from the pool area to a trash bin in Welch’s driveway.
“I’ve got nothing to say,” one said as he packed gear onto a truck.
“Talk to the lieutenant,” another said.
Um, would that be the guy driving away rather quickly?
Two fire trucks, two ambulances and another department vehicle were parked outside Welch’s home in the 4400 block of West 185th Street, causing curious motorists to slow as they drove past.
One elderly man said,"Was there a fire?” as his car crawled past.
No, sir. Nary a flame was seen.
That also was at Welch’s request.
The “training” involved the removal of debris and the aforementioned ax swinging. No controlled burn here.
And what of the skeptics who might think the job was more about getting work done on his home by a group of Country Club Hills employees on the city’s dime?
“People will think what they want to think,” Welch said. “But this was training for our firefighters. They need it. That’s why we recently approved building a $350,000 training tower that will be built near the new firehouse that’s being built on 175th Street,” Welch said.
Former Ald. Willie Smith (5th), a longtime opponent of Welch, said he was “not surprised” the mayor had firefighters demolish the pool house on city time.
“It’s horrible. It’s another example of how he’s bleeding this city dry,” Smith said.
Welch urged city residents to contact the fire department if they have a building they want demolished — again, for training purposes.
Welch does have a city building permit prominently displayed in the home’s picture window for a “10-foot-by-30-foot garage addition.” That addition will be the new pool house, he said.
“I’m remodeling my pool area. I’m doing it all by myself,” Welch said.