Public Works Director Carl Goldsmith responded: “The Village of Lombard contracts out for the maintenance and repair of the nearly 3,000 village owned street lights.  The village is aware of the outage and immediately notified the contractor following the break; however due to frozen ground, the contractor has been unable to make the necessary repairs. Given the recent break in the weather, it is anticipated that the contractor will make the repair in the next two or three days.” –JAC 

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I commented in SPEAK OUT on the ineffective administrations of Clinton, Bush and others. I was labeled “a Republican from Lombard.” I’m neither a Republican nor Democrat. For years we have lacked leadership in the White House and our Legislature. Get away from labels and vote for the right man or woman—definitely not parties. Parties come and go; Federalists, Whigs, Tories, etc. My allegiance is to the USA, not Republicans or Democrats.

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Hi, Lombard calling in response to the person who called in for Jan. 28 about the gentleman walking his three dogs. Well, I’m the gentleman’s wife, and he walks the three dogs, but only two of the dogs if it’s very cold out. They are on leashes, they are around little children 24/7, and a 91-year-old great-grandmother. They stand on either side of her when she gets up. It is not cruel and unusual punishment for the dogs. The dogs love going outside in the wet snow. Any other problems, give us a call.

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Lombard calling. This talk about the bailout—they’re bailing out the wrong people. They need to bail out the taxpayers. Give each one of us $250,000. We could pay off our mortgages, we could pay off our credit cards, we can go out and buy cars, we can go out and shop. That would save the stores some closings and having to lay people off. Because if we start spending money in their establishments, they’ll have it. If we paid off our loans and credit cards, that would save the banking system. They wouldn’t have to give banks the money so they can turn around and give their big bonuses.

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I would like you to please find out how much each entity on my property tax bill is going to reduce their portion due to the economic slowdown and the crisis in money that we are having. If they are raising it, that’s a whole other issue for your paper to take on.

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Lombard calling in response to the comment regarding the mail service. We, too, have been experiencing terrible mail service ever since we got a new mail carrier. We hear excuses that it’s a substitute, or that it’s the sorter, it’s terrible. For example, last weekend we received a Christmas card in the mail that is clearly stamped Dec. 16, 2008, but yet it didn’t arrive until last weekend. Yet, we receive neighbors’ mail, they get our mail, we’ve gotten stacks of mail that didn’t belong to us. I don’t think it’s just the Carol Stream office. I think it’s Lombard.

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Hi, I’d like to address this to the parents who pick up their children at Jackson Middle School at 3:15. How can you possibly think that if you arrive at 3:10 there’s going to be room in the circle drive for you? You pull up and stop with your turn signal on, leaving your car halfway onto Jackson, blocking it. Now regular traffic going along Jackson is at a standstill—sometimes eight to 10 cars deep. Or, you feel it’s OK to double park against those of us who are parked on Jackson. Then, when our kids have arrived we can’t leave because we’re blocked in. You’re totally rude and inconsiderate. If you can’t get there earlier, park on the side streets and let your child know where to meet you, or tell your child to wait a few minutes and pick him or her up closer to 3:30. Even the buses can’t get out because you feel you’re entitled to completely block the entrance not only to the circle drive but to those parked along Jackson.

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I say this to the village board, the village politicians and all those who get big ideas. Float your ideas in front of the senior citizens and the older people who have real estate.

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I think it’s funny that the Obama administration keeps picking candidates for the Cabinet positions who haven’t paid their taxes. How can they conveniently forget to have paid very important taxes that you and I are responsible for all the time? If that was us, they’d never let us hold public office. This just goes to show you how this administration is going to break down over time. These are little minor things we’re supposed to overlook? Wait for the big things. This is not working out well.

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This is ashamed-to-be-a-Lombardian calling again. With the economy going down the tubes, the market falling further, the financial credit system in trouble, etc., how could Peter Roskam not support the president’s stimulus plan? This is the same Roskam and Republicans who gave blind support to Bush’s failed TARP bailout of the financial industry last fall. Blind support.

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Hello, Lombard. I don’t like the stimulus package and I contacted Sen. Durbin. It is more of a spending package with little help immediately; the government could suspend payroll taxes for six months and in some cases businesses and employees could realize $1,300 per month. Whatever we believe, for or against, start calling our legislators. We have to be part of the process; not wallflowers.

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I’m so glad change is coming. Let’s see. Obama appointed people with tax problems. That’s just wonderful. He said that you can’t be a lobbyist and be on the Cabinet and he’s got two people on the Cabinet. He’s going to spend a trillion dollars and borrow it, and I said borrow it, to do it. Isn’t that why we’re mad at George Bush, because he was borrowing money to pay for the war? Now we’re borrowing money to get out of this slight recession we’re having. What is going on? I am so glad change is coming.

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This is Lombard calling. I want to thank the two nice middle-age ladies and everybody else—as opposed to the teenage girls—who were nice enough to stop and let me cross the street in the snow. Let this be a lesson you. There are nice people in Lombard; there are nice men and women. As for the teenage girls, let this be a lesson to you.

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This is Villa Park calling. I’m usually the person who plays the good Samaritan and helps people walking in the cold or when they need anything around the neighborhood. I want to say thank you to the gentlemen who helped me the other day when I got a flat in the Wal-Mart parking lot and had a malfunctioning jack. I had my 3-year-old daughter with me, they helped me get it done really, really quickly, and I will continue to pay it forward. I hope everyone does that. Thank you, gentlemen; you’re lifesavers.

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I’m was looking through the Feb. 4 Lombardian and there was no Sudoku. Come on, let’s put it back in. It’s the best part of a boring paper.

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This is Flowerfield calling. I’m just wondering when Dick Tross, Bill Mueller and the rest will get going and stop paying lip service to the Illinois Department of Transportation with regard to Route 53. It’s been 19 years. Yes, repeat, 19 years since there’s been a complete repavement of Route 53. Have any of you driven from North Avenue, Route 64, to Roosevelt Road in the past two years? In particular since last summer to now? It’s a joke. It’s an insult. It’s a tire-wrecking insult to all of us. Why don’t you public officer-holders open your mouth and get something done about it? It doesn’t just affect you in Lombard; it affects us in Flowerfield and other places. But, you’re the one who has access to public forums.