After reading the District 87 annual report for 2009-10 for the third time, I’m still trying to find out how our District 87 students are achieving academically. Where are the state test scores listed and how do our students compare with those of neighboring high school districts? Our first priority should be academic excellence and readiness for college. I found the annual report very bureaucratic in its format and the number of administrators excessive and costly. All efforts involving our students should be focused on academic preparedness. Please issue an academic report that reflects the achievement of our students on the most recent state of Illinois mandated series of tests for our information. As parents we want to have test results issued by the state of Illinois so we know how our students are progressing academically.

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This is is Lombard calling. I’m a resident in the first block of South Lodge Lane and I keep reading in the Police Blotter about how there are all these break-ins to motor vehicles and burglaries in the first few hundred blocks of Lodge Lane. I want to know why I never see any police officers. I’ve also written to the chief of police when I had to do a survey after my own break-in, and I still do not see any police presence in my area. You would think that after all these crimes are being committed people would know but I’m still finding neighbors who have no clue about any of these vandalisms, break-ins and burglaries. I would just like to see some more police presence or find out why there isn’t any.

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Villa Park calling. I need some help with the explanation from College of DuPage wanting to pass a referendum for $168 million, which they are calling a “no tax rate increase” referendum. We need some explanation. It sounds to me to be some kind of way to get a tax increase out of the taxpayers by twisting the way the referendum is worded. How can you raise $168 million without having a tax increase? We need a detailed explanation. I say no more taxes for our school districts, no more taxes for our colleges until the economy recovers.

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The other day I was on Elizabeth Street near Park View School around 8:30 a.m. and noticed that the street lights were still on. I have seen this in other places, too, and it’s a waste of energy to have the street lights on when it’s clearly daylight. This is a waste of energy and our taxpayer dollars to not have these lights timed to go off when the sun comes up.

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This is for the Lombard postmaster. The regular drive-up mailbox has been pulled back from its original spot. Why? Those of us who are short have difficulty reaching it. It necessitates stopping, unbuckling the seat belt and getting out. Hopefully no one is behind, waiting.

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This is downtown Lombard calling. Just do us one favor: Please stop taxing downtown Lombard businesses so much to where we cannot go to a store for something or anything else. President Bill Mueller has told us to keep patronage in the downtown community, but as a result, a lot of stores are closing up because of the taxes; and the village is taxing businesses out of Lombard. So, please try and find some good businesses to establish in downtown Lombard so we can have a nice downtown and not have them be taxed as to where we cannot give them patronage. Let’s help support our economy and get it better.

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America, the USA is important. Democrats and Republicans are not important. By saying I’m a lifelong Democrat or Republican, I would say, I’m sorry to hear that. Neither Bush nor Obama is a bargain. Obama moved us more toward socialism than any other president: auto makers bailout, bankers bailout, stimulus bill, government health care. Other problems have arisen: Arizona lawsuit, fantastic debt, mosque approval, slow response in the Gulf, and there is more to come. I am a lifelong American.

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I would like to know why residents of a house on a Villa Park street can leave their garbage cans out on the curb all week. Our garbage is picked up on Monday; this has been going on for months. The Village of Villa Park has been called twice, and they are still leaving their garbage cans out. I thought there was an ordinance against this in the village and it really looks bad in our neighborhood with these garbage cans sitting out all week long.

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Villa Park calling. First of all to SPEAK OUT and the staff, this page works. This is a good page for people to moan and, I guess, talk about what they want done and believe in, but it works. And, thank you, President Cullerton, for whatever you did to clean up the center island at Addison and North Avenue. It looks much better; now, how about we get some planters out there with some big plants in them or maybe they could plant a tree there? Anyway, anything to make it look better. Thank you again, SPEAK OUT—it works.

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Thank you, Clint Reif, for sharing the Stanley Cup with the employees at the village hall in Lombard. They worked really hard this summer getting us through some really hard days, and I’m sure they appreciated having some time of celebration with the Stanley Cup and they really deserved it. Thanks for showing us your Lombard pride and I’m proud to be a Lombardian, too.

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This is for the person who thinks the great President Obama is doing a good job; that’s funny. That’s really, really funny. Highest unemployment, out-of-control spending, 43 percent approval rating, the public wants health care repealed, it took him forever to do anything about the oil spill in the Gulf, need I go on? I’m just laughing all the way to the bank with your comments. That’s just ridiculous. I understand why you’re a Democrat, but open your eyes.

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I noticed that this year is the 150th anniversary of the birthdate of Jens Jensen, the original architect of Lilacia Park. Perhaps I missed it, but I’m just wondering if the Lombard Park District is doing anything to commemorate that or if there is going to be any event related to it. That would certainly be nice. Thanks, Lombard Park District.

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I would like to compliment Jesse White’s office of the secretary of state. I just renewed my driver’s license in 11 minutes in the middle of the day. I think that’s a pretty good example of how government should work.

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This is Lombard calling. I was reading in SPEAK OUT about the charities asking for money in the streets and they should wear purple placards or something like on their vests. I don’t even think anyone should be in the streets asking for money, charity or not. They’re a nuisance and a hazard, both to themselves and to vehicles. So, I say we just keep the people out of the streets. Have them go to a store and ask for charity or change when leaving the stores. Please keep them out of the streets. Let’s keep them safe.

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Lombard calling in response to the person making a comment about the President Obama issue, and having the mind of a 9-year-old. Well, I’d like to let this person know I am 54 years old and probably older than the caller. I don’t think that person’s mind is old enough or mature enough to accept the facts. Everybody was complaining about President Bush spending money on the Iraq War—several billion dollars—and now you’re complaining about Obama spending money on unemployment benefits, which to me makes a lot more sense than spending it on a war nobody wanted. Maybe your mind is in the wrong place. I’ll debate you any time you want about this.

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Hi, Lombard calling. Wondering why, or if they did take a look at the possibility of solar-powered lights down Main Street, instead of all the money that they've got to be spending for the guys who are just moving as slow as they possibly can, probably making 60 bucks an hour to tear it up, to dig it up and put it back again. Why not use solar- powered lights up there and replace batteries once a year. Seems like a no brainer. But then again I shouldn't expect Lombard to do that.

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Hi, this is Lombard calling. I was just calling to send out a big thank you to Cakes by Carlos in Lombard for making my mom and dad’s 40th wedding anniversary very memorable. I had ordered a cake from them and the cake that I received was even more than what I expected to have gotten. It was exquisite. It was beautiful and it tasted delicious and I just wanted to thank them for being an important part of my parents’ special day. Thanks, Cakes by Carlos.

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If you are a family of four or more consuming at a gluttonous pace, then maybe recycling is worth it. But ask yourself, am I really helping the planet? Thirty years ago, one truck with one guy came to pick up everything. Now, it's three guys, and three huge 4 miles to the gallon 25-ton garbage trucks, burning three times the oil as before. You might think you’re helping the planet, but you’re only helping Big Oil and refuge companies. Wake up, people. Quit being brainwashed like little sheep; our fighting men and women are dying because of our insane addiction to oil.

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Lombard here. I’m so angry. To the punks who went into my car in my driveway on North Elizabeth between Sept. 3 night and Sept. 5 morning and stole my radar detector and my Sirius radio, the Sirius radio is broken and doesn’t work without the remote. Also, I’ve deactivated the signal and reported it stolen. So, if you wouldn’t mind, instead of throwing it away, please drop it back off in my mailbox. I know you live around here. I’d appreciated the radar detector back, too.

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Hi, this is Villa Park calling. Just wanted to voice about politicians acting upon things that they should have done, possibly a year to a year and a half ago. Because there's an election coming up, they’re trying to look good in our eyes. And I think, it’s kind of dirty pool. Please put that in your paper. Politicians should be working year around for us. Not just when an election is coming.

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The “At This Stage” article published on Sept. 8 has left me very concerned with the writers’ integrity. Who in their right mind would make reference that demolishing the DuPage Theatre and killing a plan to spend millions of taxpayer dollars on 125 more condominiums, was a mistake? The writers of “At This Stage” seem to be unable to let go of the DuPage Theatre. How would Lombard be better off with 125 more empty condos? How would we recover the $6 million in TIF that the developer wanted to be paid up front?

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It's Friday afternoon rush hour about 5:30 p.m. and I’m at Roosevelt and Westmore Meyers, which is kind of busy at this time of day. There is a person standing in the intersection collecting money I don’t care what or where you are from, you shouldn’t be standing in the middle of a busy intersection at this time. It’s dangerous. It’s also contributing to me missing this light.

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I am calling the person who wrote about the Stanley Cup in the Aug. 25 paper. It was well advertised, it was not private, it had nothing to do with the trustees doing anything underhanded. There was advertising in the local papers and maybe 800 to 1,000 people lined up from early in the morning who all knew about it. It was in the village hall because that happens to be where he brought it first and then on to the Westin. The employees were not given any more privileges than anybody else. Sometimes people should check into things before they call and complain.

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Lombard calling. Now that Cruise Nights is done for the season, perhaps it’s time to infuse some fresh air into this event. While this event does generate plenty of foot traffic, what it doesn’t do is generate business downtown. Thirty percent of the storefronts are empty with less than 5 percent open during Cruise Nights and half of those businesses hate it because they lose money. The village will say this is a free community event; great. Free means nobody really spends any money. You want to bring exposure to the businesses already down here? Try bringing new businesses to increase foot traffic to benefit every business downtown. If this is done once a month you can spend more money on better entertainment, reduced traffic and the lack of parking during the busiest night of the summer and spend the rest of the money on transfusing new blood into the downtown area. If that’s not an option, Lombard, then maybe consider moving Cruise Nights to Yorktown, where you’ve spent so much time, effort and resources to build and promote.

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Villa Park calling. I just want to thank the village officials for saving us money with the new garbage company. With the old rate of $17.70 per month, and the new rate of $16.77 per month. Wow, that’s a savings of $11.16 for the whole year. I guess I should order that new car now. Oh yeah—don’t forget the yard waste sticker. It went down from $2.30 to $2.20. Wow. A whole dime. Isn’t it strange that Lombard only still pays $1.70 per yard waste sticker? And now you want to raise the sales tax by a half percent. That will cost me more than $11.16 per year. Keep up the good work, officials. You’re doing such a good job at saving us money.