Tag: National Fitness Campaign

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

What the Town of Normal Didn’t Tell You

By: Diane Benjamin The Town used the same tax scam recapped in the previous story: https://blnnews.com/2025/11/20/property-tax-scams/ WGLT gladly played along: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2025-11-18/normal-town-council-discusses-2025-tax-levy-during-sometimes-tense-meeting . That $280,000 home isn’t $280,000 now. Your Town of Normal property tax bill will increase MORE than $48. It would have been nice if Trustee Preston had mentioned that, he didn’t. Worse, they […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Normal: Is Damery still employed?

By: Diane Benjamin After watching the Town of Normal for years, Doug Damery is probably still employed since ethics are immaterial in Normal. A reader received a FOIA from Normal with some interesting things: Skokie was smarter than Normal – they rejected the National Fitness Campaign equipment Normal fell for: This email proves Doug Damery […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

In Normal Council votes are sacrosanct, until they aren’t

By: Diane Benjamin Remember how Chris Koos frequently states payments can’t be discussed because they were all approved in the budget they spent ONE DAY discussing? He even changed the Agenda item from “approve” to “report to receive and file”. I FOIA’d Normal for a list of all organizations their employees are members of. Normal […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

More from the Normal FOIA documents:

By: Diane Benjamin The below is all from an email Pam Reece sent to the Council on January 21, 2022. A vote to rescind the National Fitness Champaign vote never happened even though numerous emails clamed it would, maybe Koos and Reece think it will just go away if they don’t bring it back to […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

FOIA for National Fitness Champaign communication revealing!

By: Diane Benjamin More than one citizen is questioning the integrity and ethics in the Town of Normal. Below is a letter from a citizen with the name illegally redacted. Writing an email to the Council is no different than Public Comment at a meeting. Normal redacted the name in violation of the FOIA law. […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Normal Council wouldn’t be Normal without Koos being a jerk

By: Diane Benjamin All you taxpaying citizens in Normal aren’t allowed to go speak to the Council and be first up if your topic isn’t on the agenda. You have to wait until the end of the meeting which could be hours of waiting. Of course special people get to speak out of order. Remember […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Seeing a pattern?

By: Diane Benjamin 1) The “professional staff” in the Town of Normal cancelled National Fitness Campaign after the Council voted to proceed. Your representatives passed it but are not allowed to un-pass it after learning the vote was under fraudulent circumstances. Staff decided all on their own. 2) Governor Pritzker issued illegal executive orders for […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Government Logic: Normal

By: Diane Benjamin The big controversy at last night’s Normal Council meeting was borrowing $2.5 million over 10 years from a local bank to build the East Side Fire Station. Facts: That $2.5 million becomes $2,703,939 which means Normal is redistributing $203,939 from your pocket to Busey Bank. Kathleen Lorenz claimed this is good for […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Normal tonight

By: Diane Benjamin Town of Normal doesn’t think they have to un-pass the resolution the council passed on 1/4/2022: Resolution Authorizing Participation with National Fitness Campaign for Installation of a Fitness Court Just because the “grant” was rescinded doesn’t mean NFC is dead. The resolution needs rescinded. If it isn’t rescinded the issue isn’t dead. […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

5 More things you need to know

By: Diane Benjamin 1) Illinois State University demands the students are masked at all times! You can’t attend a basketball game without a mask. You can however attend the Chamber of Commerce gala without a mask – in the Bone Ballroom on the campus: From the Pantagraph: Random selfie with a huge crowd of no […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

5 things you need to know:

By: Diane Benjamin 1) Pritzker has instructed his Attorney General to immediately appeal the judge’s ruling yesterday calling masks “evil” and making them optional. https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/judge-blocks-schools-enforcing-pritzkers-mask-vaccine-mandates-refers?utm_source=breaking&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter Dictators don’t go down easy/ 2) Somebody in Old Farm Lakes was tired of waiting for a snowplow, they used a snowblower to make a path. The Bloomington website shows […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Damery costs Normal taxpayers while working his second position

By: Diane Benjamin The FOIA request I received from the Town of Normal is 417 pages long. So far I’ve only read 96 pages. This is story #2 from the FOIA, I can’t believe anyone missed #1, but if you did read it first: https://blnnews.com/2022/01/21/want-to-see-what-a-scam-looks-like/ The latest revelation is National Fitness Challenge has a contract […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Want to see what a SCAM looks like?

By: Diane Benjamin Below is a clip from the January 4, 2022 Normal Council meeting where the National Fitness Campaign project was discussed. The speaker is Doug Damery, head of Parks and Recreation for Normal. Remember the $25,000 grant Normal received? Damery details how difficult the process was to get that grant: (less than 1 […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Truth Revealed: Koos used a false site for information

By: Diane Benjamin Do I really need to re-tell the whole SAGA of Chris Koos and Pam Reece misleading the Council about the tax status of National Fitness Campaign? I’m not going to, WGLT finally did a story that will refresh your memory: (did they write it because of my story yesterday or because they […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Chris Koos needs a Roberts Rules of Orders class

By: Diane Benjamin Monday night wasn’t the first time Chris Koos has used Roberts Rules of Order to cut off Stan Nord. He even claimed Monday he wasn’t “picking” on Stan, just following the RULES. The Koos comment also makes clear he despises Stan’s use of Facebook posts and videos to actually communicate with the […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

See anybody with a disability?

By: Diane Benjamin Below are pics from the documentation provided to the Council pertaining to the National Fitness Campaign: Stan Nord asked Parks and Rec director Doug Damery if this equipment is ADA compliant. Comic relief, hear this 20 second clip: . . . . . .

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Are Koos and McCarthy profiting?

By: Diane Benjamin At the Normal Town Council meeting last night Chris Koos admitted the Bike Share program Normal instituted benefits his business. People started biking and realized they needed their own bike – so go to the guy selling them: Chris Koos. Is that why Normal keeps building trails too Chris? The entire Council […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Some people will fall for anything

By: Diane Benjamin Did the Town vote to work with shysters last night? Before proceeding Normal needs to do some due diligence! The driving factor in moving forward with the outdoor National Fitness Campaign was the company is a non-profit. RINO Republican Scott Preston voted yes, Kathleen Lorenz voted no., Karyn Smith didn’t bother to […]