The Mystery Of "Jim Hendry Way"

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Jan 8, 2009 6:45PM

Park Ridge officials are puzzled by the sudden appearance of signs at the intersection of Prospect Avenue, Touhy Avenue and Northwest Highway declaring the thoroughfare "Honorary Jim Hendry Way." Hendry, the general manager of the Chicago Cubs, is a Park Ridge resident. Park Ridge director of public works Wayne Zingsheim said a Illinois Department of Transportation rep told him the signs were installed based on an ''executive order from the governor's office.'' The city's mayor, Howard Frimark, and aldermen are also clueless as to the story surrounding the signs and when they went up. The rub? The City Council was preparing to vote on a measure that would prohibit such designations of honorary streets, but since the poles on which the "Hendry Way" signs appeared are property of IDOT, the city has no say. What Hendry did to deserve the designation is anybody's guess (Blago is a confessed Cubs fan), but we have two ideas: either a big campaign donation or he's being honored for his propensity to overpay outfielders. [via]