I have a question maybe you can answer. A guy who just moved in has a snow plow truck that’s been parked on the street day after day. Well the snow plow sticks out probably about a foot, maybe 2 feet, from his truck and it could be a real danger. Are there any regulations or anything about people parking their trucks on the street? Even though it’s a pick-up truck, it’s rather large and it really is annoying to me. Thank you for answering.

Lombard Police Deputy Chief Dane Cuny responded to your inquiry: “There is no specific ordinance prohibiting pick-up trucks with plows from parking on village streets. However, we encourage residents to speak to their neighbors to resolve any concerns they may have such as this. The caller can also call 9-1-1 if they wish to have an officer respond to assess a situation they view as a hazard.”—JAC

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We moved from a neighboring town to Lombard in November and we’re loving Lombard so far. Our neighbors have been warm and welcoming and we can’t wait for the warm weather and the chance to get to know them better. Our toddler twins are already enjoying the kids on our block, the Lombard Park District and they’re anxiously awaiting summer camp and the new pool. I’m glad we found our new home in Lombard and I’m sure they’ll be a lifetime of Lombard fun in our future.

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Two great places to check out in downtown Lombard: Clancy’s butcher shop—great people, food and prices; and Sky Centers Martial Arts—awesome new facility. Great place for improving your mind, body and spirit. You can do a class for free. Let’s support our downtown businesses.

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This is Lombard calling. There was a home on the east side of Finley Road between Madison and Maple. It was for sale for quite a while. Then one day I’m driving by and the house is on fire. A whole bunch of fire trucks there, and it said firemen in training. It seems they’ve been back several times. Did the village buy that for the fire department? Did the owner donate it, or how did they come to train firemen in a house that was for sale?

Lombard Fire Chief George Seagraves answered your question by saying, “The house located at 513 South Finley was purchased by the Village of Lombard due to flooding issues. The fire department used the house for training prior to the scheduled demolition. The fire department trains in several houses and buildings throughout the village. Some structures are used for live fire training, some we use artificial smoke and all are used for entry, rescue and ventilation training. We have been using the old bank at the mall off and on for about seven months. We do have a drill building but it does not provide the variety of situations as buildings in the village. Most buildings are donated to us to use and then are demolished for redevelopment.  We time our training to end near the proposed demolition date.”—JAC

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Lombard calling. This is in response to the person complaining about the installation of restrooms at our Lombard Metra station. I find it amazing that during Earth Week someone was once again deriding those who choose to use public transportation. It is true that there are restrooms on the train—without soap or running water. These facilities are, in my opinion, strictly for emergencies. Rather than bragging about driving your car 30 minutes each day, perhaps you could channel your energies toward protecting our precious natural resources.

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Hey, this is Lombard calling. It’s a Sunday morning, the sun is shining, the birds are singing and well, I live in the old downtown area of Lombard, otherwise known as the ghost town. Anyway, all the street lamp lights are on. I’m just wondering; doesn’t Lombard pay an electric bill like I do, and if Lombard does, then in turn, am I not the one who’s paying the electric bill? I tell my kids when they walk out of a room to turn off the lights. And during the daytime, we don’t have lights on. Maybe somebody there at the Lombardian could ask someone at the village why all these street lights are on in the middle of the day. I’d like to know.

Susan Cermak, administrative coordinator for the public works department, replied: “Thank you for the information regarding the lights staying on. Public works checked the system and found a defective photo cell which caused them to stay on. For any future inquiries regarding street lighting please call the public works department at 630-620-5740.”—JAC

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To the Villa Park resident who feels the skate park is a waste of money. I agree but there is so much more that can be done. Let's get rid of the playgrounds, tennis courts, soccer, football and baseball fields. If anyone wants to play tennis they should pave their back yard. Want to play soccer, football or baseball, then buy an acre of land. A playground for your kids, only in your back yard. If you like to jog, you can join an indoor club. With all that gone we can replace the parks and recreation areas with condos. Think of how the property values will go up. Then we dissolve the park district, saving more money. Think how much better it will be to live in Villa Park. I know it’s all about you and if something has no benefit for you, it sure has no place in Villa Park. Finally, I suggest you visit the skate park on a weekend or after school. I bet you will find kids enjoying themselves and trying real hard to develop their physical skills. I don't know your age or sex but I'll bet when you were young you tried to get good at hitting a baseball or skipping rope. Skate parks are one of the new places that kids go to socialize and develop. Skateboarding is especially good for kids who want to do a sport but don't feel comfortable in the more structured ones like baseball, football or soccer. Keep the park and let it be enjoyed. It’s good for kids.

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I was saddened to hear of the rottweiler who is caged 24/7 in his back yard. The neighbor who reported this should call the police so they can investigate. Please don't just let this dog live in misery like this. You, obviously, have more compassion for this dog than the owners. You can make a difference in this dog's fate. There are many rescue groups who would gladly take this dog and find him the loving family he deserves.God bless you for doing this kind deed.

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Our family wishes to the thank the paramedics and emergency people of Fire Station 1 who came to our aid on April 23. Their kindness and sympathy were greatly appreciated. Once again, thank you.

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A great big thank you to the local paper thief. I hope that you have been enjoying my Sun Times, that I pay for on a monthly basis to be delivered to my door, and you come along and take it.

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Hello, Villa Park here. I would like to comment on the person talking about people having no say in America. Yes, we do, and that’s called voting. So, if you don’t like the present president, you need to come out in four years and vote.

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With the nearing completion of the new Lombard Park District swimming pool, wouldn’t it be nice to have a community open house walk through? This would be a terrific way of showing the community and taxpayers what our money bought. It would also be a unique way of saying thanks for our support.

Your question was addressed by Paul Friedrichs, executive director of the Lombard Park District, who related that due to the time frame of the construction and the short schedule to open the pool on June 6, no open house can be held at this point. “We don’t have our occupancy permit yet,” Friedrichs said on May 28, adding that he is unsure when the occupancy permit will be issued and could not plan an open house without it. However, Friedrichs said an open house may be scheduled at the end of the pool season for those residents who did not have an opportunity to see the facility, which he said far exceeds his expectations.—blm