Volunteers from the Lombard Historical Society and the Prairie Food Co-op are preparing for the first annual Harvest Festival, an old-fashioned corn roast and barn dance to be held Saturday September 21, at the Victorian Cottage in Lombard. Admission is free so come on by and enjoy delicious roast corn, custom sausage on a stick, organic apples, draft root beer, craft beer, and more. We’ll be serving from 4-7 p.m.

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In regard to Villa Park having Oktoberfest in September they are indeed correct. Though called Oktoberfest, the celebration in Germany, in fact, does start in September. The festivals conclude the last weekend in October.

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To the person responding to the gang activity in the area, please do some research. It is scary to think that someone can be this uninformed. First I would like to say I was born and raised in Chicago and know something about gangs. Almost every gang in the Chicagoland area has a specific color that they wear. I had to laugh when you said this is not Los Angeles. No, this definitely is not Los Angeles, since we have more gang members then any other state. The gang problem here in Chicago and the suburbs, like Villa Park, is far worse a problem then that seen in L.A. Gangs not only represent with the color they wear but also by sports teams, name brand clothing, a hat being turned to the left or right, placement of arms and hands.  Now you said it is not illegal to be part of a gang. Really? A gang is considered a criminal enterprise so then yes, being in a gang is illegal. You also said you doubt that they would be stupid enough to drink and smoke dope in public. They have no respect for themselves or the law. Do the research. Training and the hiring of qualified experienced police who know how to deal with such issues would help the village greatly. As for calling 911, remember the police can only do so much. The community has to be vigilant. Villa Park needs to take a strong stance on crime in the village. Crime should not be tolerated on any level and the police should enforce the laws fully. I hope that other people in the village can see the situation more clearly then you do. Knowledge is power. And with it we can make the village a safer place. 

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Maybe Peter Roskam should stop listening to Fox News. There’s 700 miles of wall up along the Mexican and Arizona borders, there are more people being deported and sent back to Mexico than there’s ever been and he has nothing else to do but to worry about the border that is already about 90 percent secured. I think maybe he ought to start voting on the real issues and not the ones that he deems fit or throws at the people who aren’t really that important. A border wall.

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Hi, this is for all the bicyclists and joggers who are using the Prairie Path and the Western Trail. Thank you for setting such a great example for my 4-year-old granddaughter, who now thinks it’s perfectly acceptable to dart out across the street without stopping and looking both ways.

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Hello, this is Lombard calling. I want to thank the Village of Lombard and community affairs, and everybody who made the 15-year anniversary of Cruise Nights a spectacular three months. We had the best weather, we had the best bands, we had the best crowds. It was spectacular and I think we should continue this every year. I also want to thank Joelyn Kott who, before she retired, helped and organized the 15th anniversary of Cruise Nights this year. I also want to thank all the volunteers of Cruise Nights for parking cars, for keeping crowd control. Thank you, Lombard. Bye.

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There are a lot of people out there marching and complaining they want more money, a living wage. We can all live very well off of $10 an hour, but we’ve got to get rid of the problems. The problems are overtaxation, which is making things too expensive; too many irrelevant laws that don’t make sense; too many attorneys suing everybody for everything; and too many seemingly crooked politicians not doing anything for the common worker. They’re the ones who are causing the inflation, the high cost of living, because they are catering to special interest groups. They are not representing us. So, the solution to the problem is, let’s get rid of all the politicians when election time comes and return nobody back in office.

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Hi. This is for the person who said, “Leave it to Villa Park to have Oktoberfest in September.” I guess we have to leave it to the Germans because they’ve been having it in September in Munich since the 1800s. Do your research. Have a nice day.

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Our state senator wants us to believe that his election success is due to his record as a trustee and village president of a small community. I would disagree. This past election seemingly was given to him due to the redistricting by his party and the family name that has a long history of power and influence in Chicago and Illinois politics since the 1800s. I also find it interesting that after all of three months in actual session, he doesn’t really have much of a record to argue his point of bipartisanship. It’s easy for either party to get together to vote for popular legislation, so impress me when you take a stand against politics as usual downstate, especially beyond the debt and pension liabilities dilemma.

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Another drunk, driving on the wrong side of the road and killing two young women and he’s out, not in prison, until a court hearing Tuesday. To drink and drive again? Where are the Mothers Against Drunk Drivers? If you smoke a cigarette you have to do it in the heat, rain, sleet, snow, and it would take at least 40 years to kill someone with second-hand smoke, if ever.

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Hi, Lombard calling. I love the new bridge on St. Charles Road and Grace Street. Who’s supposed to maintain the lawn over there—it’s waist high? It hasn’t been cut this year.

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I watched the board meeting Thursday night. Sounds like the village made a deal with the developer and the condo owners got left holding the bag. Homeowners have to follow the code, but I guess developers do not. Wake up, trustees; do what you're elected to do.

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Thanks to Lombard Police Officer Statkus for the well-being visit on the evening of Sunday, Sept. 8, and to the Wheaton Police and the security at the rehab center. Officer Statkus, please pass it on to those so that they know how grateful I am for your concern and their concern. Thanks again. Bye.

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Hi, Villa Park calling. I’m just watching the curbs get replaced on Wildwood Avenue and wondering when the sewer system that has failed twice in five years on that street will be replaced. This is another example of government spending gone awry. I know they are TIF funds, but I’m sure the next time the road floods—and it will—and the sewer backs up into my basement, I’ll remember that there are brand new curbs under the 3 feet of water in the impassable road and beam with pride. Thank you, Villa Park, for nothing.

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After watching the Lombard Village Board last Thursday night, I want to know how the village board, village staff and village attorney will resolve the mess they created for the Park West condominium owners. No one with common sense would enter into a verbal agreement that allows a developer to sell his condo units without providing on-site parking. The occupancy permit should have never been issued until the legal ownership for the parking facilities was transferred to the Park West condominium owners. At best, their actions seemingly demonstrate total incompetence; at worst, I’ll let you draw your own conclusions. Thank you.

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I saw the board meeting on Thursday night and it appears Lombard has an oral agreement with a downtown developer—and condo owners lose their garages? It’s no wonder that guy had to talk so fast, Thursday, because the village doesn’t seem to want anyone to understand what’s going on. Thanks.

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I think there should be a moratorium on trips taken abroad by congressmen, by senators and by the governor of Illinois. Our state is absolutely broke. Quinn should not be going to Japan under the pretext of a business deal. These seem to be deluxe vacations paid for by taxpayers. The state is absolutely broke. I think all this should be stopped. No more trips anywhere until the debt problem is corrected, and then there should be minimum traveling at our expense. They don’t seem to care about us. Goodbye.

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To the bicyclists. All I have to say is, it’s called a stop sign. You need to learn to stop at them and obey the law, and signal. Then you will be much safer and life will be much better for all of us. Thank you. Have a great day.

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Hi, this is Lombard calling. It’s Saturday afternoon, approximately 2:30 p.m. and it looks like Glenbard East is holding another fundraiser, this time for mattresses to benefit the band program. They have signs lining the parkway on Wilson and Main Street, and kids out holding banners and what looks to be parents as well. However, there’s no police department out pulling the signs as they were blowing into the street, leaning into the street and they’re in the parkway. The rules in Lombard state that the signs cannot be in the parkway. They enforce this for garage sales and realtor open houses, yet it appears that when Glenbard East holds a fundraiser, the signs are seemingly overlooked. They’ve been there for an entire week. I ask the village president, the village managers—that's plural—the trustees and the police department why this is done. You can overlook it for a fundraiser but you can’t overlook it when someone is trying to make a profit for it, yet the profit is still going to Glenbard East. It appears to be a double standard.

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Hi, I'm a subscriber to the Lombardian and enjoy your paper every week. However, if you keep shrinking the crossword puzzle, you may as well just dump it completely. We can’t work it in the teeny, teeny squares. Thank you.

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To the person who thinks Oktoberfest starts in October, it ends in October. The Berghoff in Chicago, one of the most German bars in town, was tapping a keg last weekend, Sept. 6, the start of Oktoberfest, as far as they’re concerned.

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I’ve lived in Lombard over 40 years and I’m totally disgusted with the way they repair roads. For instance, take Finley. Finley has been worked on for almost two years now, and it appears that no one is working on it but here and there. Why is it the village contracts with people who take forever? I think it is very, very, very wrong and I think the people responsible should be replaced. I mean, come on, you can replace 300 miles of expressway in two weeks, but you can’t do eight blocks in two years? Also, like Madison, two blocks of concrete. Oh, that will take seven weeks. I mean, two blocks, small blocks. Thank you. Bye bye.

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Our president’s credibility is not on the line? What a joke. We’ve seen Obama. We’ve heard Obama. We’ve seen him draw the red line on television. What a joke he is. And, he’s also not snooping on us, the people, although the U.S has 16 spy agencies. Billions are spent on this every year. They also have 100,000 employees. Oh, he’s not spying on you. Thanks for nothing, Mr. President.