Info demand nets cookie recipe

Sometimes mistrust between governments and citizens can get heated.

And, some might argue, just silly.

When the DuPage County Forest Preserve District voted in December to approve a giant fleet garage and maintenance facility in Blackwell Forest Preserve near Warrenville, opponents saw Commissioner Joseph Cantore pass a note to Commissioner Linda Painter and another to President D. “Dewey” Pierotti.

So during that meeting, area resident MaryLynn Zajdel quickly filed a Freedom of Information Act request to find out what the notes said. Zajdel was also highly involved with protesting a proposed engine testing facility on the new Navistar site in Lisle, filing more than two dozen FIOA requests last year.

“The first thing I thought is ‘Why is he passing notes? Why can we not see them? And why doesn’t he talk out loud during a public meeting about a very controversial issue?’” Zajdel said.

The request led to heated words and yelling in the hallway between Cantore and Zajdel, stunning some onlookers.

Ultimately the forest preserve granted her request, but the results didn’t shed any light on the garage debate.

In a formal response, officials said the first note asked for Painter’s Christmas cookie recipe, and the second contained a chiropractor recommendation for Pierotti. The actual notes were never released, but a spokesman said this FOIA request shows they can sometimes be a frivolous waste of time and resources.

Zajdel, however, said it was a matter of principle.

“I didn’t push it for the notes to be released because I think I made my point that this is an open meeting,” she said. “This note passing was happening during a very controversial issue, and I would leave it to the average person to decide if the response was truthful or not.”