Off The Record

The Ford County Zoning Board of Appeals voted 3-1 Tuesday night to allow Don Cleary
to continue operating his farm machinery repair business on rural property east of Paxton.

Of course, the Paxton Record's article this week doesn't have a conclusion. They chose to tease us this week and make us wait until next week for the rest of the story. Will they let Tom McQuinn edit their full version before putting it to print?

In an earlier article Mr. Mcquinn cries the blues over being "forced to put up with noise" from Cleary's repair shop. What spin will McQuinn use to cover his faux pas?

Did he not stop to consider the noise he and his fellow fliers make daily in the same neighborhood as Cleary's repair shop? They take off and land daily on the strip near his farm shed in their flying machines powered by chain saw motors. How many neighbors have had animals spooked or have themselves been disturbed by the excessive grinding of those chain saw motors? In these tuff times, any economic development for the county should be discouraged, right, Mr. McQuinn. Especially if you are inconvenienced in anyway.

What an amazing coincidence! There's been an abrupt halt to the daily flights from McQuinn's strip since this brouhaha started over Cleary's repair business.

Some of you may remember Mr. McQuinn from his long and colorful career on the Paxton City Council. Sadly, he was forced to leave the City Council after taking a seat on the Ford County Board. He now blesses all residents of Ford County by graciously serving on the board. After lovingly renovating the former Merrimac house on west Center Street, he now calls a sprawling machine shed east of Paxton home.