I’ll never forget the day Farren’s burned down in one of Smile Politely’s famous April Fools’ Day spoofs in 2011. Featured in that article was then Mayor Schweighart’s campaign manager Marjorie Williams who created buzz and caught Smile Politely’s attention with her infamous comments in this News-Gazette article. Just a few days later, we’d all experience one of the most memorable upsets in local election history with Gerard becoming the Mayor of Champaign.
Sadly, Marjorie Williams’ flamethrower has been once again featured by Jim Dey in today’s N-G. This time, Parkland College President Tom Ramage and Parkland Foundation Board Executive Director Ellen Schmidt are the victims of “malicious gossiping” according to a cease and desist letter delivered to Marjorie Williams and at least one other person. In a joint letter to the Parkland Board of Trustees, both Ramage and Schmidt strongly deny the rumor:
“Apparently, a former Foundation Board Member has spread a rumor that we are having an affair. This is absolutely untrue and we are both not only offended by the statement but the vicious betrayal by an individual whom we believed to be a professional colleague,” they wrote.
I only wish certain community boards and organizations could have woken up and smelled the napalm sooner. If they had, perhaps this situation could have been avoided. I’ve always found it ironic when people burn down bridges in the community in the name of community service. It just doesn’t make much sense, but Smile Politely absolutely nailed it when pointing out that irony in the above-mentioned April 1, 2011 spoof article mocking Marjorie Williams, “I had to destroy this restaurant in order to save it’.
As for Marjorie Williams and any of her angry disciples who might be reading this, please do everyone a favor and just step away from the flamethrower.