I live very close to North School, and when the wind is right, like today, Nov. 18, there is a very strong burning smell in the air. It seems to be coming from the north, I’m guessing from one of the businesses along North Avenue. It’s very unpleasant, and can be nauseating. Is there anything that can be done?

Your best bet is to contact the Village of Villa Park and provide more specific details. The Code of Ordinances, Section 15-101, No. 3, describes nuisances that are “offensive to the senses.” Section 15-102, No. 6, describes “disagreeable or obnoxious odors” and No. 11 refers to “dense smoke, noxious fumes, gas, soot or cinders. Call 630-834-8500 or visit www.invillapark.com.—JAC

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There were a few comments in SPEAK OUT complimenting President Obama and the demise of America. The election to me was a disappointment. However, the demise of America is premature. Many times in our history we have been counted out but seemed to bounce back. Regarding President Obama, he may be a decent man but I think he is a poor president. Why? 8.8 percent unemployment, 23 million Americans unemployed, $5 trillion added to the deficit during his term, numerous scandals in his administration. America will fall when the citizens of this country give up.

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Villa Park, don’t think about spending money on Christmas decorations. Spend it on putting a new road on Highridge. That road is a disaster.

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This is to the person who noted reasons why he or she did not vote for Mitt Romney so then we can deduce why that person voted for Barack Obama. One, continue to increase in the $16 trillion deficit. Number two, continue with the 8.8 unemployment rate, with 23 million Americans out of work. Three, a tax increase for the middle class, which is coming. Number four, continued divisiveness promoted by our president, instead of unity. This is what our future holds; business as usual. You get what the majority votes for.

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Republican Party, do you want to know why you lost this election? Because America is more than just old, white men. They need to wake up, smell the coffee and pick a running mate who is anything except Caucasian. Had Romney picked a minority, such as a Hispanic, African American or female, he probably would have won. But two white men are no longer going to win the race for the presidency.

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I’m wondering why the Villa Park Review did not report on the violence about two weeks ago out in front of Josephine’s. Apparently you have to go to YouTube to find out about local news. It’s too bad.

The incident to which you refer was actually reported on Page 2 of the Wednesday, Oct. 3 edition of the Villa Park Review, under ”Villa Park officer comes across melee in street; tases one.”—JAC

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This is Lombard calling. I am responding to the person who gave four reasons why he or she did not vote for Mitt Romney. Number one, not one of your reasons is accurate. And, number two, with all due respect, if a voter had to pass a single test before that person would be eligible to vote, I think you would not qualify.

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Villa Park is known for crumbling streets, rundown rental properties and gang violence. Tom Cullerton has done such a good job he is now going to work in Springfield. Way to go, voters. Good luck, Illinois.

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Lombard calling. It’s 11 o’clock in the morning on a beautiful, sunny Nov. 28 day, and I just drove the whole length of the construction zone on Finley Road, and there’s one guy out here. I don’t know if he’s working or not; he’s walking down the side of the road with a shovel over his shoulder. And then there are two surveyors and that’s it. This project’s not going to get finished this year. They don’t have anybody out here; sunny, beautiful day. Must be the low bidder.

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School District 44 announced a public hearing on its proposal to raise property taxes. It’s time to respond with a resounding “no.” Raise property taxes in this economy? Come on. They state they have to do it because if the economy improves, it would be like lowering the ceiling for future amounts of tax dollars they can request. But I haven’t had a raise in a long time and I have to live within my means, so why are you entitled to a raise? The district should hold its spending so we taxpayers can catch a break. We have to hold our spending just to get by because of your tax increases each year. Please, District 44, consider your shareholders’ wallets.

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Downtown Lombard calling.  As a downtown business owner, I feel that it is extremely important for our next village president to be knowledgeable in what is happening around the entire village.  I was extremely disappointed while reading the recent interview with village president candidate Novak.  In his interview he stated that he would like to see a volunteer committee of residents, business owners, high school students, etc. to help with the revitalization of downtown. Sir, that organization already exists. It is called Lombard Town Centre and they have been extremely helpful in the recent upswing in downtown Lombard.  Almost 2,000 volunteer hours were given to downtown Lombard through this organization last year alone. My business would probably not be in downtown Lombard had it not been for this organization. Then to go on and read how he wants to have three trustees over three different areas of the village and just have three other trustees just overseeing things—really? What would this accomplish? The last thing we need in this village is someone coming in and making changes, just to say he made changes. Mr. Novak, you may have experience at the county level but your interview made it extremely clear that you have no idea what is happening in your own town. 

Editor’s note: Sorry to hear about your disappointment with recent comments by village president candidate John Novak, but perhaps you missed the intent of John Novak’s statement. He related that he would like to see a task force made up of a wide expanse of people, “so we all don’t have the same ideas.” “We have a lot here,” he said, but added that he would like to reach out to other communities to see what they are doing in their downtowns. As for the trustee district, the fourth generation Lombardian suggested combining districts as “a possibility.”—blm

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Hello Lombard, I am writing because I was astonished at Sphinx computer repairs exceptional customer service. I accidentally strolled in because Google had guided me there for fax machine assistance. Rather than have me drive all the way to Kinko’s and because of the Internet discrepancy, the employee faxed my much-needed documents for me. How kind. You just don’t see personal customer service like that anymore, it was awesome to experience.

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I would like to respond to the person who called in complaining about the new street signs in downtown Lombard. First of all, I think they are fabulous. The “branding” that you speak of was voted on and agreed to via the Downtown Vision Plan in which the public was encouraged to attend on several occasions last year. The branding has been utilized in several downtowns in the area as they went through their transformations. The branding encompasses much more than just street signs. As far as saying that downtown is still a ghost town, I’m not sure what downtown you are speaking of but it is not downtown Lombard. If you would take off your blinders you would see that eight new businesses have opened in the past year including an awesome coffee shop, a new deli and a wine tasting bar. The downtown vacancy rate is down to 14 percent, which is below the national average. So, I would encourage you to look around to see what really is happening in downtown instead of just complaining about it. Maybe even get involved.

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Hi, this is Lombard calling. Sorry to see the Kmart on Roosevelt Road closing after so many years in the town. It would be nice to see a Meijer store take its place.

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This is Lombard calling. Shame on District 44. They again want to raise our taxes by 5.40 percent. Do you realize that 136 staff members make between $60,000 and $89,999 and 88 make over $90,000. What does that number mean? How many who make more than $90,000 make more than possibly $200,000 or more a year? That’s for the certified staff. Did you see how many non-certified staff make over $60,000? How much do you make? We are retired and our total income is less than $40,000 for the two of us. You keep raising taxes, but how can us old folks continue to live in Lombard or for that matter, how many young folks can afford the taxes? Do you realize in addition to the exorbitant salaries, the teachers and staff also get health care benefits that we’re paying for? What’s wrong with this picture? Go to the meeting of the school district and voice your opinion. The information was in this past week’s Lombardian. It will tell you all about it. You will see the salaries and when the meeting is.

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To anyone who would like to see a really spectacular Christmas display, take a short ride out to Indian Trail Road and Route 59. At the corner there is a Delta Sonic car wash with a very beautiful Christmas display. I would like everyone to take the time to go see this spectacular and wonderful display that somebody took the time to put up. It is a truly amazing Christmas display.

Since you did not mention a specific town, there is a Delta Sonic in Naperville at Route 59, but the actual address is 1780 N. Aurora Road.—JAC

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Hi, I have just two things to say. First is about the barking dogs; is it this bad in Lombard that neighbors can’t speak to each other, that if it bothers them that much they can’t just go over and tell the neighbors that the dogs are bothering them? I personally do not keep my dogs out there barking and when they are, I bring them in the house because all of our neighbors connected to us do have dogs. Two, I’d like to thank the caller who likes the large cross on top of the pine tree but I wanted to correct that it isn’t on Loy Street, it is on West View Street, because I know the family personally. So thank you very much, though, for your compliment.

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Thank you to the family on North Main street for keeping the Santa tradition alive. I have enjoyed it for as long as it has been displayed, and had an out-of-town relative last year comment on it as we went driving around looking at the holiday lights. I, for one, appreciate the hard work and the Santa “haven.”

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This is Lombard calling. I would like people to be aware that Dunkin’ Donuts—any of the rolls, the bagels, anything that is on the shelves, goes in the garbage—not given away, not donated to the food pantry where people are starving. No, they go in the garbage. When you ask about them they tell you they are ordered to throw them out and they are not permitted to even give them away to the people. That is a crying shame in the economy we have right now and with all the people unemployed who require a food pantry. I was at one of the Dunkin Donuts on a Tuesday and there were shelves full of trays of doughnuts and they were all going to go in the garbage in two hours’ time frame.

Spokesperson Carrie Reckert responded to your concern by stating, “We do not have a formal product donation program. At most of our restaurants there is minimal product left at the end of the day and donating leftover product is at the discretion of our franchisees. Many of our franchisees partner with their local food banks and other charitable organizations to help support hunger relief efforts in local communities. In addition, our franchisees have held food drives and organized volunteer days at their local food banks to help stuff backpacks filled with nutritious and easy-to-prepare food for children in need of assistance over weekends and school vacations. These efforts align with the larger commitment of The Dunkin’ Donuts & Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation (DDBRCF) to serve our neighborhoods by providing food for the hungry. Since 2006, the DDBRCF has donated over $1 million to Feeding America and local food banks.”—JAC

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I have an answer to a lot of our financial problems and it goes like this: We shouldn’t have two sets of laws for special people. Number one, all pensions, all politicians, from the president on down, they all belong in one pension plan—the Social Security plan. No special pensions for any politician. And the other thing is, all politicians from the president on down should be in the same medical care program. No special privileges for those politicians. I think they get too much for themselves and we get the scraps and the leavings for the common working people. That ‘s the biggest problem in this country.

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I’m calling on the issue of the lilac street signs in downtown Lombard. I have taken a good look at those lilac signs and they’re nice enough, but they look like a generic flower, which I’ve seen on other street signs in other communities. They must have had this generic flower in the presses. Don’t you think if they are lilac signs there should be a more defined lilac on those signs instead of a generic flower? How appalled I am to see somebody else’s flower and not the lilac; the bush, the tree of Lombard.

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Hi, this is Lombard calling. You can’t make everybody happy but I, for one, love the purple signs. I think they make Lombard look lovely.