Hi, this is Villa Park calling. I would like to know when the village plans to repair Michigan Avenue south of Madison to Jackson. The street is in very poor condition.

Vydas Juskelis, director of public works in Villa Park, responded: “This project is listed in our current Capital Improvement Program (CIP) on Page 19. It is listed in “future years,” which means that the project is not currently funded. The total estimated cost for engineering and construction is $1,092,591.”—JAC

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Villa Park calling. This is regarding the north side problems, particularly the Metra parking lot; teenagers skating, playing ball and hanging out while cars are parked there. Under the previous administration, the security camera was removed and installed at the Sugar Creek Golf Course. This was supposed to be a temporary situation; however, we have not received it back and we need security cameras desperately there. Thank you.

See response below.—JAC

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This is Villa Park. I would like to know why the village would buy this horrendous camera in the train lot for tens of thousands of dollars—I know it was quite expensive—and the monitors are not watched by anyone. The people who can see them are busy doing work and they don’t record anything. So what is the use of wasting the money? There are signs all over the train station about 24-hour surveillance and everybody laughs about these signs out there in the lot. And the crime continues. What is the sense of having them?

In response to your comments/questions, Village of Villa Park Village Manager Rich Keehner explained: “Under former manager Bob Niemann, the cameras were removed for a period of two to three months, maybe five years ago. After that two- to three- month period, the cameras went back to the Metra lot and except for minor repairs, have been there since. If and when loitering or improper conduct is observed and reported to the police department, it is addressed. A proposal for new cameras on an “IP” based system is currently under review. The cameras did not cost tens of thousands of dollars. The cameras are watched and they do record. Cameras are a tool of law enforcement along with concerned residents who report crimes to the police."—JAC

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There are differences between a hardworking legal immigrant, whom we’ve always welcomed in America, and someone who comes here illegally, which means they broke the laws of our country and for reasons I don’t understand, we reward them with entitlements. Then there’s a homeless person, who may have had an illness, some kind of hardship or maybe lost his or her job, possibly to an illegal immigrant who came here for cheaper wages because he or she doesn’t have to pay for food, insurance, medical, taxes, etc. I don’t think anyone would choose to be homeless and it isn’t a crime. I always give money to someone with a sign saying, “I’m hungry” or “I’m homeless.” If it’s a fraud, I did the right thing and they’re wrong, but I don’t want to give to people who come here illegally and get rewarded for it, because then I have to pay more for all the things we give them, even though they are breaking the law.

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I just read the June 12 issue of SPEAK OUT. Guess what? I can answer both questions from the SPEAK OUT about Villa Park’s north side. The Village of Villa Park apparently does not care about the north side. That’s why the streets are falling apart; that’s why there are gang members walking down the streets and why there’s drinking all over the place, especially two blocks away from the police station. When everything starts going south of St. Charles, maybe the police will do something. But until then, do what the rest of the people on the north side do; take care of yourself and help your neighbors. Villa Park—great place to live, great police department and the best village that we have. That’s a joke.

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I see some towns are already starting to opt out of the electric prices they made with somebody other than ComEd. They are going back to ComEd—at least two major towns out west. Seems to me that the company that wanted to be the representative for the new electric company that processes Lombard, etc., name them all, knew that ComEd’s rates were going to be dropping 33 percent this month. Does this not constitute fraud? They already knew what was going on, but to opt out of this new supposed electric company rate, you have to pay a fine. Huh. I’m sensing fraud—I could be wrong though.

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Entering our country illegally is a crime. Our Congress has spent years supposedly figuring out how to close the border. I have a suggestion; find a country with the same size border. I know—Mexico. Ask them how they keep millions of people from entering illegally and what happens to the people who do that. Problem solved. The greatest country in the world and it’s the only one that can’t find a solution? Amazing.

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Be informed with what’s going on. You’ll never hear the truth and our government will never tell the truth. The Federal Reserve is not part of the government; it’s a privately owned company by the billionaires of the world who are bilking you broke every day. Ben Bernanke rarely ever speaks from the heart. He reads what he’s supposed to be saying off of a piece of paper. He’s like the president. He can’t speak. All they can do is read what they’re dictated to read, and that is one of the other reasons why you’ll never hear the truth. Jack Kennedy was going to stop all this and that is why he was assassinated. Goodbye.

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Why do some callers label those of us who support the Second Amendment as “gun lovers”? I’m not a card-carrying member of the NRA but I support the right to legally own a gun in one’s own home, or to take to the shooting range. Let’s focus on proper training and make laws tougher for those who commit crimes with a gun. I am pro-life but do not deny a woman’s legal right to make her own choice—it is hers to live with. What will you label me for that?

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To all my friends in DuPage County and Lombard who voted for Obama, I’m just calling to thank you. First, I’d like to thank you for the fact that before Barack Obama became president, I paid $1.78 a gallon for gasoline, Today I paid $4.38. That is awesome. We got rid of that evil George Bush. We are showing the oil companies they can’t run us anymore. That is awesome. Next, I’d like to thank the people who voted for Obama for my insurance. My premiums, my out-of-pocket, my deductible have all tripled. That is awesome. Thank you so much. Without Obamacare, where would I be? For the first time in my life as an adult, I have to pay for prescriptions. That is awesome. Anything’s better than George Bush. I went to the grocery store today—everything’s through the roof. Inflation is crazy when it comes to food products, so I’d like to thank all of my friends who voted for Obama, because anything is better than that evil Bush.

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I agree with Trustee Bill Ware. Lombard citizens who are active members of village committees should not have term limits. It takes a term or two just to become fully aware of how all the procedures work, both from legal aspects and ethically. Experience is invaluable. By proposing term limits on volunteer, unpaid committee members, they are limiting their effectiveness. Our village trustees know that it takes time to understand how policies and transactions work. By limiting that time and thus the experiences of unpaid committee members, and then replacing them with other inexperienced volunteer members, they can make their own personal agendas possible. I think a red herring is trying to get into village politics. What’s a red herring? Something that pulls your attention away from the real issues.

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Recently we saw camera footage of Homeland Security surveying protesters outside the IRS office on Butterfield Road in our area. Now there is also surveillance of protesters in Florida—two SUVs with cameras were there watching the citizens exercising their rights, but these same Homeland Security will not go into the Boston bomber’s mosque. How come? What has our government come to?

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Once again, the inmates are running the asylum in Lombard. After the Blackhawks victories, a number of people are setting off fireworks that irritate their neighbors. This is a good lesson for their children. Go out of state to buy the fireworks, because they are illegal in Illinois; wait until dark as not to be seen; and blow them up. You can break the law and apparently the police will do nothing. The trustees will not pass a law to fine the lawbreakers and the police are seemingly bystanders. I have to go to my veterinarian to get medication to sedate my dog, as do a lot of other people, to calm her down. This costs me money that no one thinks about. Because accidents happen, but not to me, the emergency rooms have people with serious issues. So as July 4 approaches, there will be people setting off fireworks that drive everyone nuts. The trustees and the police will likely ignore the problem again this year as they have in the past. And the emergency rooms will be ready to patch people up. When will this lunacy end?