I just want people to be aware that Villa Park has got a money machine in the red-light camera installed on 83 at the Wal-Mart. If you make a right on red you will get a $100 fine. This needs to be stopped.

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This is a Lombard mother calling. I see that Lombard President Mueller does reply to questions addressed to him in SPEAK OUT, and I’m asking, please, Mr. Mueller, now you’ve been voted in—many people have asked and asked and asked yet again for a skate park for their children. This town is made up of a great majority of families with children and would love to have a skate park. I’ve priced them out—they’re highly reasonable. Do something, please, for the young people of the village. It’s time now. You’ve got plenty of time, you won your election; do something to make everyone happy.

Village of Lombard President William “Bill” Mueller replied: “The suggestion of a skate board park has been brought up many times over the past years. Lombard does have a separate park [district] board which is responsible for our parks and recreation in our village, unlike some communities where the village is responsible when there is no park board. I will be meeting with the new president of the park board in the near future and will mention your suggestion to him. I personally would support a skate board park but it is up to the park board to make that decision. Thanks for your suggestion.”—JAC

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To the person encouraging his/her neighbors to call the police every time one of your neighbors has the gall to enjoy themselves and have louder music than usual, don’t you think the police have better things to do? Why don’t you do the “neighborly” thing and ask them nicely to turn down their music?  Believe it or not, sometimes when you are enjoying yourself, you don’t realize just how loud things get.  Most people would welcome their neighbors letting them know that they are being disturbed rather than just calling the cops right off the bat. By talking nicely, it allows the police to do their actual jobs and it might even improve the neighborhood relationships. Think about it.

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To the caller in SPEAK OUT on May 13 who complained about the Lombard Fire Department and the cost of taking a big truck to the grocery store, imagine if one of those grocery-shopping firefighters got a call when your house was burning and your loved ones or pets were trapped inside. I ask you, would you prefer they arrive at your emergency in one of those Suburbans or smaller vehicles? Emergencies have no schedule; they come rain or shine; summer, winter, fall and spring, not to mention the incalculable hour. And, unless you or your family are rescued from the rooftop of your burning home as we were, then perhaps you may realize that the something that the townships are looking at are people like you who had nothing better to do than complain about the selfless, extraordinary fire department.

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Hello, ladies and gentlemen. Are you hurting from high taxes like I am? This stuff never seems to end: school taxes, they never get enough—for over 50 years—and I haven’t had a child in school for over 30 years. I’m choking on taxes. Then, all these politicians are very generous giving pensions to the people who work for the towns, forest preserves, police, fire department, community workers, everybody. They’re constantly increasing the pensions. Why don’t they find out what it’s like when you don’t have a job, you don’t get a pension, you don’t get a benefit, you don’t get hospitalization, you don’t get anything? Yet the politicians want more money and keep increasing taxes. Well, I’m not voting one of them back in office, and if you people are smart, you won’t vote any of them back in office either. Let them learn what hardship is really like.

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Hey, Lombard calling. Recently in the Daily Herald I had to laugh. There was a piece done by our village president about how great our old downtown is coming back. Well, I live in the old downtown and our illustrious village president pointed out how somebody else just bought Sweet Street and counted that as a new business. He counted Capone’s restaurant as a new business; he counted the bakery as a new business. Folks, when one business closes and someone else buys it, there is no new business downtown. The only thing new is the butcher shop, which is awesome, but I live there. It is a ghost town. For him to say other village leaders are giving him a good vibe? I don’t want vibes, I want results. Mr. President, your policy of flooding our downtown with condos has failed miserably. How about you forget about Roosevelt Road and Butterfield Road for a little bit and think about the old downtown? There is no good vibe.

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Now that the Lilac Parade is over and summer has begun, people, it’s time to do two things. Please replace the flag that is flying in front of your business or home or store. It’s time to do that. They’re looking pretty bad. And secondly, please don’t park your car over the sidewalk. It’s time for those of us who walk to get out and walk and it’s inconvenient when your car is parked over the sidewalk. Thank you and God Bless America.

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You have to love the Lilac Parade. What a tradition, it’s a great event, but I have a couple of comments. First of all, there’s got to be some kind of a time rule about putting things out to save your spot, especially along Main Street. Geez, there were blankets, chairs and all sorts of things completely blocking the sidewalk in some areas. That’s dangerous, that should not happen. Maybe they should have, like 6 p.m. the night before and then get them out right away after the parade. Second thing—you could go away for 10 years, come back, and it’s exactly the same. Nothing changes. It’s the same floats, the same bands, the same acrobats, the same everything. One thing that was kind of disappointing, though; fewer car clubs.

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I’m calling from Old Grove in Lombard and I just want to say that the firecrackers have already started. My dogs, like a third of the dogs in this world, have an extreme fear of firecrackers. They flip out when they hear them and have started to do damage to the house. This is a warning to my neighbors that I will have no choice but to call the police. I’m going to aggressively call the police when I hear firecrackers and to the police, they’re illegal and I think you need to be a lot more aggressive with putting a stop to it in Lombard.

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Villa Park. Could you please turn on your water fountain by Villa Avenue? I’ve called public works and they haven’t done it. How hard is it to turn one screw and turn the drinking fountain on for the kids and the Prairie Path joggers and bicyclists?

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You know, Lombardian, a gentleman from Lombard mentioned that the next tea party is July 4. Where is it being held—Lombard? I hope there are no top politicians there. I don’t trust them, either party.

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This is Villa Park calling, I just wanted to say we attended the Lilac Parade and were just appalled at the people who were drinking around us and all in all being rude to people coming down the street; the more they drank, the ruder they got and I just would like the Lombard police to know that it’s illegal to drink in public and I would like it to be stopped.

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Anyone know where I can donate travel size personal hygiene items and new dental items from the dentist I don’t plan to use? I’d like to focus on the homeless, such as with PADS, but don’t know if they accept this kind of donation.

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I would like to thank everybody who came out in support of the McNicholas Family Garage Sale fundraiser. Thank you for your donations, for shopping and for praying for their support. The garage sale was a complete success and thanks to all the support, this will help their family to reach their ongoing goals. A special thanks to MacKay Enterprises for publishing their story, Villa Park Office Supply for transporting the donations, St. Alexander's Church for publishing their story in their bulletins and advertising, the Doubletree Hotel in Oak Brook for their Family Fun Package they donated for a raffle, Ray Orsolini for the Bread Bones donations and to all the friends and family who all gave in their own ways. Thank you all.