LaSalle Insider

Happy Thanksgiving to all! I hope yours is a safe and happy day with friends and relatives.I wanted to share with you the original proclamation issued by President Washington in 1789 establishing Thanksgiving Day as a recognized holiday in our country.  As you read it you will see what a tremendous connection the original settlers  had with God.  The day really was and is about thanking God for all of the blessings we have been bestowed with as a country.

Although there are those that choose to believe this country was founded in spite of not with the help of God history shows that it was only with his help of deep faith by our forefathers that we exist today!  It is said that the worst time for an atheist is when he is feeling thankful but has no one to thank….so today take a moment between the dinner and the football and say a prayer of thanks for all we have been given….

Below is the proclamation…

Washington’s 1789 Thanksgiving Day Proclamation:

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”

NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;– for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our sasety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;– for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;– and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;– to enable us all, whether in publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.

(signed) G. Washington

Most of you have probably been made aware of the fact that we in LaSalle are looking at our current ambulance service.  Peru has been supplying us with one ambulance staffed 10 hours a day 7 days a week for $4000.00 a month. We would like extend that coverage to 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Initially Peru balked at the idea and we then looked to other private services to supply us with what we requested.  We now have proposals from 4 other services as well as an updated proposal from Peru.  It seems Peru changed their mind and will offer 24-7 service for an additional fee of $1500.00 a month bringing the cost to $5500.00 monthly.

To give you some background former Mayor Washkowiak, Chief Andy Bacidore, and myself negotiated the current setup to get an ambulance in our firehouse as opposed to all LaSalle calls being answered from the ambulance building in Peru.  It was not easy and but it was worth the effort.  We did want then what we are requesting now.  We settled with the 10 hour shift as a starting point.

I could not agree more with Mayor Grove as we move forward to try and bring better service to our citizens with respect to emergency care.

I have  great respect for our Fire Chief and I know from personal experience his ongoing desire to improve our EMS arm of the Fire department.  Our first responders are excellent and have been vital in supplying emergency care but we can and will do more in the future.

Gone are the days when cities look at ambulance service as a secondary requirement of government services.  It has become as important as Fire and Police services and deserves equal attention.

I don’t know yet what our final decision will be regarding our current service or changing to a new private contractor but I can see a day in the not too distant future when the City of LaSalle will field its own service under the direction of the Fire Chief and his department.  I, for one, look forward to that day and feel very comforted by the fact that we will have excellent leadership to run it.

I’d  like to hear what you think….