Brickbat: Fighting Old Battles

In Illinois, Lakewood Forest Preserves District President Angelo Kyle attempted to cancel this year's 27th annual Civil War re-enactment, which is scheduled for July. He rescinded the cancellation after other Lake County commissioners complained, and the organizer noted that they already have a contract. But Kyle says he doesn't want to host the event in the future. It is the largest event hosted by the park, drawing about 3,000 people each year, a fact that seems to grate on Kyle. "Why isn't (the largest event) pertaining to the mission of the forest preserve—preserving our natural resources and environmental quality of Lake County?" he said.