On one of the wide boulevards of Hubbard, near the downtown, lives Mayor Marsha Lipper-Daley.  Fifty-ish and still thin, Hubbard’s older men still consider her attractive, which never hurts around election time.  During the winter months she frequently visits the tanning salon, keeping her now leathery-looking skin just the right color.  She depends on smoking for weight control, much to the dismay of her two grown children, both of whom live in Chicago.

The only daughter of a wealthy Chicago real estate developer and his socialite wife, Lipper-Daley moved to Hubbard 34 years ago while a student at Hubbard State University.  Money was never a problem for her, thanks to the net worth on Daddy’s personal financial statement, which contained eight zeros.  While in college, hanging around in Hubbard’s college watering holes, she met a townie named Johnny Lewandowski.  Johnny wasn’t in college.  Instead he had decided to pursue the career of “roofer”, working for a local contractor.

Marcia wouldn’t have given Johnny the time of day, except for the fact that he was so handsome.  Johnny was the kind of guy who could walk into any room and instantly draw the eyes of every female present.  Tall and finely muscled, with a strong jaw and intoxicating smile, Marsha realized that this roofer guy was nothing short of incredible.  When college junior Marsha first saw Johnny walk into the College Bar and Grill, she just stared at him with her mouth open.  How could a creature that gorgeous be from Hubbard?  Furthermore, as Marcia was to find out, Johnny was charming, with a quick wit and wonderful sense of humor.

Martha was an above-average student, majoring in political science.  She was one of those people who don’t have to study much to get a good grade.  This served her well in college since she largely spent her time on other activities; like pursuing the “Hunk of Hubbard”.  Johnny had not gone on to college after high school, but he was “street smart”.  He knew the advantages and disadvantages of a roofing career.  The main advantage of a roofing career is that it requires only an 8th grade education and a good, strong body.  The main disadvantage is that your knees and back are shot by the time you turn 40.  Every good roofer needs something to fall back on when the knees go.  Having a rich wife might not be a bad idea.  As for Marcia, well, all you had to do was look at Johnny and you were hooked.

Needless to say, Daddy in Chicago wasn’t happy to see his Marcia marry a bum like Johnny, but after his adult, college graduate daughter flew into a number of tizzy fits, he finally relented and made the best of it.  In July of 1975 there was one heck of a wedding in Lincoln Park, complete with a reception on the shores of lake Michigan, which included a “big band” and a feast for 500 people.  Will’s parents and all of the other Lewandowski’s still talk about how fancy it was.  There was none of Uncle Wally’s venison sausage at this wedding reception!  Marcia chose to keep her original hyphenated name, Lipper-Daley.  After all, if she took Johnny’s last name, her kids would have to be called Lipper-Daley-Lewandowski, and that would just be too much!

After joining a number of Hubbard volunteer associations Marcia eventually became accepted as one of Hubbard’s own.  A natural politician, she served a couple of terms on the city council and was elected Mayor of Hubbard in 1998.  The marriage lasted 18 years.  Johnny is as good-looking and charming as ever, which proved to be both the stimulus for and the Achilles heel of their marriage.  It all came to an end one night down at Lake Shady when a neighbor called Marcia and asked her why Johnny’s truck had been down by the dock all day.  Marcia drove down to the dock and found Johnny and a young female acquaintance inside their sailboat.  He didn’t even know her last name.   Marcia is bitter to this day.