Hello, Lombard Park District. I used to be able to navigate your Web site fairly easily. Now, it seems to have changed. You can’t click on a person and send him or her an e-mail. Could you explain that a little bit please? What’s going on at Sunset Knoll? What’s going on at that big pond over there—it’s all drained. Is everything OK? Thanks, Lombard Park District, you’re the best.

Paul Friedrichs, executive director of the Lombard Park District, responded to your comments: “The links to park district staff e-mails addresses are all up and working properly. The renovation work at Sunset Knoll included the replacement of one soccer field with two irrigated fields; added irrigation of the two existing baseball fields; new concrete backstop and spectator areas for the baseball fields; the addition of a new sports court for basketball that is flooded in the winter for ice skating; a new, centrally located picnic shelter; almost 1 mile of paved walking paths with two fitness stations, making the facility accessible for the first time for special needs residents and those needing to push strollers; the addition of a crushed granite interpretive nature trail; the addition of a new playground that meets the latest ASTM and ADA requirements; a new electronic, interactive play piece; a spray park; the renovation of the existing sled hill and the field below it; the addition of thousands of feet of underwater drainage pipes that will allow the 40-acre park to properly drain after a storm; and finally a new parking lot off of Wilson Street.  This project was in part funded with a $400,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. In regard to the ponds, a new valve needed to be installed at one of the ponds that necessitated the lowering of the water level temporarily. That work was completed and the ponds are naturally filling up as they are designed to do. A spring re-dedication of the facility is planned at this time.”—JAC

* * *

Hi, I just got the Lombard Pride. I just have one question which I doubt you can get answered, but just an observation. I know the Pride is put out by the Village of Lombard, yet the back is the library, three pages of library news. Being that they are a separate taxing body, I wonder if they reimburse the village for the space in the Pride or if the village picked up the whole cost for them to put their advertisements or upcoming events in there. Just a thought, or are they still working together and just getting more of our money in taxes?

Bob Harris, director of the Helen M. Plum Memorial Library, explained: “The library pays the village, from the library’s own budget, for the library’s share of printing and postage for Lombard Pride.”—JAC

* * *

This is Lombard/Villa Park calling. I want to thank Lombard for taking care of the parkway trees. The dead trees are taken down and the stumps ground up so the parkway continues to look nice. Unfortunately, Villa Park does not seem to have the same attitude toward their parkway trees. Villa Park residents wait very long and only after many calls, does the village take down the trees. Then the residents are told “there is no money in the budget for grinding up the stumps” so the stump just stays there, looking ugly. So Lombard, be glad our village takes pride in the looks of our parkways. Villa Park village officials, shame on you for not taking that pride and keeping the Garden Village beautiful. There is money in a budget; too bad it is not allocated for the parkways.

Daniel Sullivan, streets/forestry superintendent, responded: “Staff’s goal during the budget process was to identify and prioritize programs that needed to happen with a goal of submitting a balanced budget. It was important to see that dead, diseased and hazardous trees were removed in a timely manner, with the insurgence of the emerald ash borer that required staff to reallocate the labor force for additional tree removal duties. We would have wanted to remove tree stumps this year but the removal of diseased trees became more important since tree stumps pose no hazard. Some programs had to be left behind this year, therefore tree stumps did not get funded. It is staff’s intent to revisit this program for next year’s budget.”—Chris Fox

 * * *

Regarding all the complaints about the new crosswalk at Lincoln and St. Charles. If the village would answer questions, they could tell all of us that the crosswalk was installed at a cost of more than $25,000. Then you would really have something to cokmplain about. Another great investment by the village. How come the issues of traffic, snow removal, parking, etc. apparently are not thoroughly thought out by staff, before they present their ideas to the board?

* * *

This is Lombard calling. I live near the train tracks and this is the second night in a row I’ve been awakened from the loud horns of passing freight trains. I do not ever remember—and we’ve lived here 17 years—the horns being this loud, this is obnoxious. I’ve called the police and they said they cannot intervene, that this is a federal law. People, we have got to get our town back. This disturbance of our peace is unacceptable. There are families living right here along the tracks and whether it’s a matter of choosing to live by the railroad tracks or not, it is an outrageous disturbance of our peace. There would not be allowed loud music from a next-door neighbor, we would not be allowed to have construction going on during the time that people normally are sleeping. Why is this allowed? If it is felt that the intersection is not safe for cars crossing, the railroad needs to find a better solution.

* * *

I notice that there was a bunch of workers out on Grace and St. Charles and I don’t know why the horns keep beeping though. This is a problem that’s been going on for days and I think they should be chastised. I have absolutely no idea why they choose to keep us up all night. It’s beyond insulting. I get that their buddies are beeping their horns because they see their fellow workers on the tracks. If anybody in the world knows not to walk in front of a train it’s a fellow employee of the Union Pacific. I just don’t understand why it’s so important to let their friends know they’re there. I think Elmhurst has a quiet zone where you can’t beep horns. Apparently we have a fun zone where you can beep the horns extra special and more often.

To the above two callers: A village press release on the subject of train horns and complaints was cited in the Oct. 12 edition of the Lombardian and Villa Park Review. The full press releases are on Page 3 and Page 5 of this week’s Lombardian and Villa Park Review.—JAC

* * *

I’m going to address some of our problems. The biggest problem we have in this country is chief executive officers of these huge corporations get too much money. They could never begin to spend the kind of money they have as long as they live. It should be shared more with the workers. They will not be taxed. Don’t ever think that they will. They seem to buy their offices because they get too much money. Bloomberg in New York is one example. The other thing is besides politicians, sports players get too much money. And, they don’t set good examples for young kids. Some of their behavior is appalling—addictions, extra-marital affairs, abuse of this, that and the next thing. And, there’s no such thing as a company too big to fail because other companies will pick up the pieces and run the companies efficiently and learn from the mistakes the big ones had. Iceland has proved this; they never bailed out their companies and Iceland is recovering very well.

* * *

Responses to a few calls: First, callers who compare the village’s silence on SPEAK OUT to voting anonymously are comparing apples and oranges. Secret ballot is the way it’s supposed to be. The rest I agree with. Second, Peter Roskam says his piece in the guest column, but I agree with the caller who said he should hold town hall meetings to hear what we have to say. Those telephone conference-type calls we get every so often inviting us to share our thoughts don’t count. Anybody out there ever participate in one, I wonder? Third, I am one of the people in Lombard who flew the flag on Sept. 11. I intend to do it every year.

* * *

If the information on the hotel and convention center is a sample of village transparency, there needs to be real facts. What is the dollar amount the village is paying out? The Lombard Pride tells us how high we can cut our grass by inches. How many thousands of dollars did the village pay out to the Lombard Public Facilities Corp.?

* * *

Hi, Lombard. Spooktacular is always a great event in Lombard, but I think them choosing a Sunday is a very poor choice. Many of the businesses are closed; that’s their only day of rest and to be with their families. Now, the committee, not thinking and considering the businesses and what they want, scheduled the Spooktacular on a Sunday, and I think it’s a poor choice. I think it needs to go back to Saturday.

* * *

Hello, I would like to speak out and give a huge commendation to one of your merchants in Lombard. The name of his repair shop is Art’s Master Mechanic. I hadn’t seen him in several years and gave him a quick call a couple of days ago and he said to bring it in and he’d take a look at it. I brought it in and right away he opened up the hood, cleared out the nest that formed under the hood of my car and he trapped the mouse and got the mouse out and my car is driving like a dream again. I’m very happy I brought it over to Art’s Master Mechanic because he’s not only a master mechanic but he’s a master person. He’s very kind and compassionate, especially for me right now; I’m falling on some hard times and he didn’t even charge me for it. So I commend him immensely. Thanks Art and God bless you.

 * * *

Hi, Lombard calling. I was reading the Wednesday, Oct. 12, SPEAK OUT column and I want to thank JAC for the explanation and information about the Union Pacific Railroad and the situation with the horns blowing. I was one of the individuals who called both the Lombard Police Department and the SPEAK OUT column complaining. I’m really interested to see all the other comments by fellow Lombardians and I really appreciate the time that was taken to provide the residents with information via the Lombardian. I also want to personally thank Sgt. Marks at the Lombard Police Station who fielded my call at 2:30 a.m. and was kind enough to listen and offer assistance by directing me to the right party. So thank you Sgt. Marks and thank you to the Lombardian.

* * *

This is Lombard calling. To the person who suggested that the businesses on South Main get security because he or she cannot get a cup of coffee, you need to get some perspective. For 50 years Glenbard East has been dismissing students at that time of day. For 50 years, businesses on South Main Street have benefitted from their patronage. But since you took your break at that time of day instead of 15 minutes earlier or later, the village should provide security? Please. If you want quiet time for your break, then don’t go to South Main Street during that 30-minute window. There’s five decades of experience telling you not to. Drive through somewhere and sit in your car or head up to North Main Street where the empty businesses could use more support because they don’t have after-school patronage. Maybe, just use your break to reframe your thinking; ask yourself if you’re tired and jealous that you lost the energy, enthusiasm and joy our teens have. You should be grateful Glenbard East teens are there, healthy and happy and supporting our local businesses.