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would you make the city change your address if the street number were 666?
from chicago tribune
Parks office deep-sixes `666' from its address
By Bob Goldsborough
Special to the Tribune
Published October 4, 2006
The number 666 might strike fear in some people (think "The Omen" or "the number of the beast"), but to the Wheaton Park District, it was always just an easy-to-remember street address--666 S. Main St.--for the administration building.
And to the people in the city that boasts a strong evangelical Christian presence, nobody seemed spooked by the symbolism.
Or were they?
Several months ago, the district quietly changed the building's address from 666 to 600 S. Main St. People are wondering who changed it and why.
Rob Robinson, the former executive director, acknowledged he OKd the change during his short, yet tumultuous time at the district. He recently resigned after facing continued negative publicity about $180,000 in repairs to the Park District-owned house he occupied.
Before his resignation, he said that district staff asked him to change the address, he said.
"Over the years, vendors, suppliers and people who would have to mail stuff to our offices told us they were uncomfortable with the number," he said. "Several staff said to me, `Is there any way we could change this?'"
Plus, Robinson said some residents were happy to get rid of the old address. "Without exaggerating, I've had five community members come up and thank me for changing it," he said.
Paul Fullerton, Wheaton Park District board president, said neither he nor any other board member knew Robinson intended to change the address of the green one-story building at the northwest corner of Main Street and Roosevelt Road.
"It was something I learned of after the decision was made, and personally, I found the decision to be odd and unnecessary," Fullerton said. "But it appeared to be important to Rob Robinson."
Other 666 addresses have been changed around the country.
In the 1990s, Elk Grove Village's Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit changed its address from 666 Elk Grove Blvd. to 150 Lions Drive without moving. In Chicago, the American Furniture Mart building changed its address from 666 to 680 N. Lake Shore Drive in 1988 when it converted into a condominium building.
Upon leaving office in 1989, former President Ronald Reagan and wife Nancy changed the address of their house in Los Angeles' Bel-Air neighborhood from 666 to 668 St. Cloud Rd.
And three years ago, federal highway officials changed the name of U.S. Highway 666 ("The Devil's Highway"), which travels through New Mexico, Colorado and Utah, to U.S. Highway 491 after prompting from New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.
Still, several clergy members in Wheaton, a city with about 50 churches and 55,000 residents and where Rev. Billy Graham went to school, said concerns over the number 666 are overblown.
"Based on our understanding of the Book of Revelation, the number 666 would be a non-issue," said Rev. Melody Eastman, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church, just a few blocks from the Park District's building. "There are a wide variety of interpretations of Revelation among the clergy in our town, but in our tradition, certainly no, we wouldn't have someone avoid a business or something like that because it happens to have the number 666."
Rev. Don McLaughlin of St. Michael Catholic Church acknowledged that some of his church's members might interpret 666 to be an evil number, but he doesn't see it that way.
"People can read into things whatever they want to, but I don't get all excited about that kind of thing," he said.
The only 666 addresses left in Wheaton are two houses in the Briarcliffe Knolls subdivision on the east side. Sandra Gatto, who has lived at one for 20 years, said she gets "a lot of strange looks" when she gives out her address.
"When we moved in 20 years ago, my kids were upset, but I didn't care," she said.
Dolores Balk, 73, owner of the other 666 address for 23 years, isn't one for superstition.
"I don't believe in that crap," she said. "It's an ordinary house with ordinary numbers. I love my number. I never have to worry about forgetting it."
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