It’s Lombard calling. Have any other neighbors gotten multiple solicitors from one organization ringing doorbells well after 7 p.m.? He claims to have a permit from the village. I thought Lombard doesn’t support solicitation door-to -door, especially after dark.

Denise R. Kalke, business administrator for the Village of Lombard, indicated that Chapter 118: Peddlers and Solicitors, contains definitions and other code information pertaining to solicitors and peddlers. While it is too long to print here, the complete code is available under Title XI on the Village of Lombard Web site, www.villageoflombard.org. Click on “How Do I?” and then click on “Read Municipal Code.” However, in response to your specific question, 118.08 (B) states that persons cannot engage in peddling or soliciting before 9 a.m. or after 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, or any time on a Sunday or state or national holiday.—JAC

* * *

Hi, Lombard calling. I’ve got an idea to address these political signs that are left up for months after the election. How about we charge them a nominal amount, maybe $25, to any candidate who wants to put up signs, no matter how many they put up? We”ll charge them something and then maybe you’ll have $500 or $1,000 bucks to deal with it at the end, and then you can get a couple of kids from College of DuPage, or wherever, to ride around on a Saturday and pick up all the signs. It won’t cost the taxpayers any money, it won’t hurt the candidates much, and we’ll clear up this eyesore that goes on and on. Think about it, Lombard, Mr. Mueller. It would be a good deal.

* * *

On Veterans Day, did you get the day off? If you work for the government, you got the day off. If you had any other job, you had to get up and work. We have government employees getting paid for not working, police and firefighters who work in quiet towns like Lombard retiring in their early 50s, teachers making over $100,000 for nine months’ work and the state is in debt up to its eyeballs; and you people elect the same characters all over again.

* * *

This is Villa Park calling regarding our garbage pick-up service, which is horrible. It is now 4:30 and our garbage has not been picked up. The office is closed for the day. This is the worst service they could have contracted with. Again, a real disgusted Villa Park resident.

* * *

Lombard, please explain why Veterans Day ceremonies are held on Volunteer Plaza. This is a small area in the 7 Eleven parking lot on the corner of a busy intersection in downtown Lombard. A plaza with three flagpoles, one a Lombard flag, benches, statues, signage, flowers and other plants is enclosed with a low brick wall. Each year you have tried to hold a “moving tribute to our nation’s veterans,” by packing the VFW color guards, American Legion color guards, Boy Scout color guards, a keynote speaker, additional speakers, and of course, our village president, Bill Mueller, plus our citizens, wherever they can fit, into this inappropriate plaza. Next year, do our veterans a favor. Rather than hold it downtown, give a “solemn” tribute as other communities afford them. We have a veterans memorial for each branch of service. Sounds like a perfect place for a Veterans Day ceremony.

* * *

I hope a lot of you feel like I do. President Barack Obama tells everybody you’ve got to cut back and stop wasting money and stop spending money, etc. Well, I think he should take some of his own medicine. We’ve got to cut back on his vacations, he can’t have more than two a year; this is ridiculous. And, he can’t be spending billions of dollars on those vacations. Who the heck does he think he is? His wages are peanuts compared to what he spends on how many vacations, how far he travels on that billion-dollar plane. We’ve got to tell him he’s got to pull in the reins on his spending too or stop talking if he can’t do what he wants everybody else to do.

* * *

This is for Villa Park, Villa Park Review SPEAK OUT. How come there is no grumbling from the residents of Villa Park? How come you don’t put anything in the paper from the residents of Villa Park since it’s in the Villa Park Review? I’m sure residents from Villa Park have called SPEAK OUT. Everything is Lombard. There shouldn’t be any national news in SPEAK OUT; it should all be local. That’s my opinion.

In the last two issues of the Lombardian and Villa Park Review—which share the SPEAK OUT column—there were three calls each from Villa Park. While that may not sound like much, there are, quite frankly, fewer calls received from Villa Park.—JAC

* * *

To the person in the yellow jacket riding his bicycle west on Maple on a recent Tuesday evening, you were riding so close to my passenger side that I’m surprised you didn’t clip my mirror. I didn’t even see you until you whizzed by me. What were you thinking, riding so close between the curb and the car? Then, you didn’t even stop at Maple and Elizabeth, but went right through the intersection alongside the car in front of. You are an adult, and should know that bicycles have to follow the rules of the road just like cars do. And to the person who turned right at Parkside and Elizabeth immediately after the vehicle in front of you, just because you were there before me, doesn’t mean you can just turn. After I stopped at the stop sign, the driver in front of you went, then it should have been my turn. But no, you couldn’t wait. It’s these kinds of things that cause accidents, especially around that area.

* * *

I read in a daily paper that Villa Park is getting about $900,000 from the IDOT transportation enhancement program, and will use it on Ardmore Avenue for streetscape, as it was called: lights, sidewalks and landscaping. It would seem that transportation enhancement would equate with fixing the Ardmore bridge, or street repairs villagers and officials say are so badly needed. Granted, the people voiced their vote against raising the sales tax to fix the streets they are always complaining about—and rightfully so, but I would think using that money to make at least some repairs would fall under the category of transportation enhancement.

Village of Villa Park Assistant Village Engineer Rich Salerno responded: “The village has, indeed, received approximately $900,000 in grant funding under the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP) for streetscape improvements on North Ardmore Avenue. This ITEP grant is just one of many potential sources of financial assistance that the village has aggressively pursued over the past several years. Another source of financial assistance which the village has pursued and received is funding under the Federal Highway Bridge Program (HBP) for reconstruction of the North Ardmore Bridge which was also mentioned in the SPEAK OUT request. The bridge project is currently in the design phase.  Some grant applications which the village has submitted, like those for the North Ardmore ITEP and North Ardmore Bridge, are successful, while unfortunately some others are not. When the village pursues an outside funding source such as ITEP, the use of any awarded funds is always restricted to a particular purpose. With respect to ITEP funding, the program provides ‘funding for community-based projects that expand travel choices and enhance the transportation experience by improving the cultural, historic, aesthetic and environmental aspects of our transportation infrastructure.’ While the village would very much like to undertake much-needed road improvements elsewhere in the village, we cannot simply reallocate awarded grant funds for other, non-eligible projects. The village has certainly also pursued potential sources of financial assistance for road improvement projects as well, but unfortunately, funding for those types of efforts is much more difficult to come by.  In the meantime, however, the village will continue to pursue and accept reasonable funding opportunities for all types of projects in the hopes that we can facilitate as many public improvements as possible.”—JAC

* * *

Hi, this is Lombard calling. Just another complaint about the post office. I have tried to complain at the post office, but get nowhere. I have had cards and letters lost, I have had bills that never got delivered to me and I ended up getting late fees. I’ve had cards that come back to me damaged and destroyed with a note that says, Sorry, your mail got damaged—no other offer of a refund of my 44-cent stamp or the cost of the card, which can range up to $5 nowadays. Any other business would be held accountable for this poor service. Since I can’t anywhere with the post office or get my money back from their mess-ups, I have decided to boycott them in my own small way. Of course we can’t do without the mail completely, but whenever possible, I pay online, in person or auto-deduct from my checking account. Any business run so poorly would go under by now if it wasn’t government-run. Since complaining doesn’t seem to get us anywhere, I suggest boycotting when able; hand deliver those cards when able; use online and auto-deduct options. The post office will get the message that we, the consumer, are dissatisfied.

* * *

I’d like to comment on the person who said Barack did more than President Bush. You’re right; he did do more than President Bush—the highest unemployment in, I don’t know, 20 years? More foreclosures than anybody can ever remember? And let’s not forget the summer of recovery where nothing happened; more spending that anyone can ever remember. You didn't think he spent more than George Bush? Oh yes, that famous health care is going to mess up the economy even more, unless you're lucky enough to be one of the 111 companies he's giving waivers to, or the unions. I don’t think I need to say any more. Barack has really messed up this country and we're heading to socialism.