Personalized bricks that once lined Clark and Addison Streets near the Wrigley Field "have been found" around Pontiac, Ill., "purportedly coming from the nearby landfill," according to Paul Westermeyer of the Pontiac DAILY LEADER. The bricks, or pavers, "had been billed as 'permanent fixtures' by the Cubs" when they began selling them in '06. The Cubs "began selling the pavers near the holiday season in 2006, inviting fans to purchase brick pavers on which they could engrave personalized messages, up to a maximum of three lines and 15 characters per line." Prices "varied, but were typically around $160." One of the criticisms of the renovations at Wrigley "concerned a lack of transparency regarding the fate of the pavers" (Pontiac DAILY LEADER, 5/20). In Chicago, Briscoe & Ford report after news of the pavers' discarding got out yesterday, the Cubs "stepped in to say they had told buyers earlier this year that the bricks, advertised as permanent fixtures, would be replaced by next season." The Cubs in a statement said, "As we communicated to paver owners in March, due to the Wrigley Field construction schedule, it was required we remove some of the original pavers. It was also apparent that many, if not all of the pavers, would be damaged during the removal process, which is why we did not make them available to owners and committed to providing new personalized pavers." Cubs officials said that they "weren't sure how many of the bricks were involved." Republic Services, a company the team hired to dispose of the bricks, said that it "will conduct an internal investigation" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 5/20).
