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www.newstrib.com | Tuesday, October 15, 2019 | 75 cents

Peru eyes costs for substation repair trical substation is going to cost the city at least $3 million. At Monday’s meeting, the city council heard from BHMG Engineers, a utility engineering service out of Arnold, Mo., on plans to either repair or replace By Brett Herrmann the old substation along Water NEWSTRIBUNE REPORTER Street on Peru’s south side. “The transformers and breakPeru has a couple of options ers are the cause for us looking moving forward, but a new elecinto this,” said Jason Jackson with

Engineers estimate at least $3 million in expenses

Former aide: John Bolton called Giuliani a ‘hand grenade’

BHMG. “It is functional today, but it is very tight on space.” The company laid out two options for the city. The first would be to replace the substation transformers with a new unit, adjust cables, install new switchgear and install more flood protection to avoid damage from the Illinois River. Those improvements would take about 14-16 months and cost an estimated $3 million.

The second option would be to design and install an entirely new substation in a different area outside of the flood plain. The design phase would take a little longer for this project since they would have to find a new location. The total project timeframe would be 16-20 months at an estimated cost of $4.5 million. Verbal Blakey with BHMG said replacing parts at the current

substation could prove problematic since the city would be retrofitting new parts into old equipment. The substation was initially built in the 1960s. “It’s not safe to go and do maintenance on it,” she said. “You’re on borrowed time with this transformer.” The council agreed to let BHMG move forward on more See PERU Page A2

All aboard:

Remembering the long-ago city line

By Mary Clare Jalonick

ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former national security adviser John Bolton was so alarmed by Rudy Giuliani’s back-channel activities in Ukraine that he described President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer as a “hand grenade who is going to blow everybody up,” according to a former White House aide. The aide, Fiona Hill, testified for more than 10 hours on Monday as part of the Democrats’ impeachment probe into Trump’s dealings with Ukraine. She detailed Bolton’s concerns to lawmakers and told them that she had at least two meetings with National Security Council lawyer John Eisenberg about the matter at Bolton’s request, according to a person familiar with the testimony who requested anonymity to discuss the confidential interview. Those meetings took place in early July, weeks before a July 25 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in which Trump urged that Zelenskiy investigate political rival Joe Biden’s family and Ukraine’s own involvement in the 2016 presidential election. A whistleblower complaint about that call, later made public, prompted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to launch the impeachment inquiry. Giuliani is Trump’s personal lawyer and was heavily involved in the effort to pressure Ukraine on the investigations. Hill, a top adviser on Russia, also referred to U.S. ambassador Gordon Sondland and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, the person said, telling the three committees leading the investigation that Bolton also told her he was not part of “whatever drug deal Sondland and Mulvaney are cooking up,” an apparent reference to talks over Ukraine. She quoted Bolton as saying in one conversation that Giuliani was “a hand grenade who’s going to blow everybody up.” Sondland is expected to appear for a deposition under subpoena Thursday and will certainly be asked about those talks. He’s expected to tell Congress that a See AIDE Page A2

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The La Salle-Peru City Lines buses were “packed all the time,” especially on Monday nights in downtown La Salle and all the time at Westclox where many buses would stop for employees. Dick “Fuzzy” Fuerholzer, 78, of Peru estimates this picture was shot 1965-1970 in downtown La Salle.

Today’s walkers say this area needs city buses ‘50s to St. Bede Academy. They were “nice, big, old buses with comfortable seats,” For Dennis Matthiesen, more Fuerholzer said. He recalled the buses running public transportation is a must. every half hour and traveling If you’re in La Salle, you’ll to La Salle, Peru, Oglesby and probably see him walking beSpring Valley. cause that’s the sole way he The buses were “packed gets around. all the time,” especially on Since moving to the Illinois Monday nights in downtown Valley from Lockport about La Salle and all the time at five years ago, he’s been thinkWestclox where many buses ing about how the area can get would stop for employees. more public transportation. He said the La Salle-Peru La Salle County has North City Lines was once housed at Central Area Transit, a public the current Precision Car Wash, transportation service, but Matthiesen, 62, said the service 17 Third St., La Salle and at one time at Witczak Bros. Auto is too expensive and there are Repair, 701 Putnam St., Peru. too many hoops to go through He remembers a trip costing — one has to call and reserve $0.05 to $0.15 a ride (which the ride hours in advance. would cost about $0.44 to To reserve a ride for NCAT, $1.32 today when comparing to one must call before 10 a.m. 1959). the day prior to service. For a Why did the city line go Monday ride, one must call beaway? fore 10 a.m. the Friday before. “What killed it was (the end There are no rides available Saturday-Sunday and on certain of) Westclox and downtown La Salle,” Fuerholzer said. holidays. “Downtown La Salle died,” Getting around the Illinois Valley was much different years mentioning the construction of the Peru Mall probably hurt ago with La Salle-Peru City Lines, a company with multiple downtown. He thinks the line dated back buses that transported people to the 1930s, which runs true to La Salle, Peru, Oglesby, Spring Valley and possibly even to NewsTribune archives: In October 1965, Peter Zeman, farther. Dick “Fuzzy” Fuerholzer, 78, a driver for La Salle-Peru City Lines bus service, stepped of Peru remembers riding the down after more than 31 years. bus to high school in the late By Ali Braboy

NEWSTRIBUNE REPORTER

NEWSTRIBUNE PHOTO/SCOTT ANDERSON

“We need public transportation out here,” said Dennis Matthiesen, 62, of La Salle, who walks on U.S. 6 from Dollar General back to his residence. “I walk everywhere I go.” Besides North Central Area Transit, which requires a reservation beforehand, public transportation in the area is sparse, unlike years ago when the La Salle-Peru City Lines transported people to La Salle, Peru, Oglesby and Spring Valley. Jim Bacidore remembers riding a public transportation bus “all the time” to downtown La Salle back when he was a kid. He remembers his mother walking to get on the bus for

$0.10 to go downtown. “The buses played an important part of the city back then,” Bacidore said. See BUSES Page A2