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PIC fire leads to investigationBy FRANKLIN SHUFTANJoliet attorney Shawn Collins yesterday asked two prosecuting agencies to quickly launch investigations into last week’s fire that destroyed the Will county Private Industry council (PIC) building.Collins, a former congressional candidate who has served as an unofficial watchdog of county government the past couple of years, released copies of letters he has written to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Chicago and the state attorney general to enter the case.The three-story PIC building in downtown Joliet was gutted last Friday following a fire that burned for more than nine hours.A SPOKESMAN for the state Fire Marshal’s office said it would look into the possibility of arson.Many of the records stored in the building were destroyed. Some of them were to have been delivered to the Internal Revenue service this week in response to a subpoena.As fire fighters doused the blaze, officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Treasury department’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms also probed the scene.In a press conference outside the remains of the building yesterday, Collins said that investigations are needed to answer questions about the origin of the fire, and to restore confidence to economie-development efforts in Will county.“I DO THIS because the complete destruction of this economic development agency — in the midst of government investigations and unceasing allegations of official impropriety — has caused the public toharbor grave concerns about why the building was destroyed and who might be responsible,” Collins said.For the past year, controversy has dogged the Will county PIC, a quasi-governmental agency charged 'with developing and helping finance job training, retention and home energy programs.A former PIC official was convicted of embezzling funds from the weatherization program in 1985 and PIC officials were blasted by Collins and others last year for awarding contracts to well-connected Will county politicians.In addition, the building in which PIC was housed was leased by the agency for $106,000 per year after it had been sold the previous year for only $85,000.“WHAT ADDS to public skepticism is that PIC has been shrouded in se-Matteson Historical society will have a whittling and carving demonstration by Joe Stasiak on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. in the museum at 813 School avenue.Numerous toys from the past and a tree decorated with ornaments of long ago are on display in the mu-crecy,” Collins said yesterday.“Its former lawyer, the current Will county state’s attorney, refused to permit the media and the public access to PIC’s records. He claimed that despite PIC’s 100 percent government funding, the agency was somehow ‘private’ and not accountable to the public.”Collins claimed he had received dozens of telephone calls about the fire, and that Will county residents “smell a rat.”Collins also pointed out that the PIC fire sends a negative message to those who would aid in the economic development of Will county.“We will begin to restore the public’s confidence in government-funded economic development, and vindicate the efforts of those whoseum, which will be open from 12 noon to 3 p.m.The toys and tree may also be seenon Monday, Thursday and Friday from 12 noon till 5 p.m. through December 18 and on December 21. The museum will then close for Christmas vacation and reopen January 4.Kit***have worked tirelessly for economic development, only by finding out why this building was destroyed,” he said.Whittier will show technique
Newspaper Details
Matteson Richton Park Star
Matteson, Illinois, US
Thu, Dec 10, 1987
Page 3
Full Page
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AZ, USA 30 Jan 2020
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