La Grange Official Got Makeovers On Oprah

LA GRANGE, IL – La Grange officials this week honored Assistant Public Works Director Russell Davenport for 35 years of service to the village.

But they noted a time when he could have gotten in trouble.

That was in 2009. His wife, Dezonna, asked her husband to drive her to the Oprah Winfrey Show in Chicago. Once there, she said she had an extra ticket.

But Davenport was in his work uniform and needed to return. He decided to go in anyway.

To his surprise, Winfrey called him to the stage.

As it happens, in 1990, Davenport appeared on the show for a fashion makeover at his wife's request. By everyone's account, the result was bad.

Winfrey said in the 2009 episode that the show was working out the kinks in the fashion makeover department in the early 1990s.

That department had Davenport wearing rainbow-colored socks, tapered athletic pants and a side bag that the Davenports later admitted to using as a diaper bag, according to the show.

When he was walking to the stage in 2009, Davenport started to unbutton his work shirt with the La Grange logo, saying he was supposed to be on duty.

But Winfrey said she wanted to make good on her promise of improving Davenport's look. She apologized for the 1990 experience.

"What did you all do when you got home? Did you all go home and call me a bunch of names?" Winfrey asked. "That was bad."

So Davenport, a lifelong La Grange resident, got a second makeover, this time wearing a suit. A video from the show remains online.

La Grange Trustee Beth Augustine worked for the show at the time, though did not know Davenport. She brought up his experiences with the talk show.

"Russell clearly did not need to find a new job because he's still here," Augustine said at Monday's Village Board meeting. "No one got too mad. It made him kind of famous around here."

Augustine and others praised Davenport's service to the community, noting he gets calls about problems at inconvenient times.

That very thing happened while Davenport was thanking the board for its kind words. His phone buzzed. At first, he did not answer it, but then figured he should.

After he got off the phone, Davenport said it was from the police department.

"There's a limb down at 41st and Brainard Avenue," he said. "We all know who lives close to 41st and Brainard, so we need to take care of the limb before we leave."

Village President Mark Kuchler lives near there.

"La Grange is a nice place to work and a nice place to be," Davenport said. "The residents are wonderful."