Hello, Villa Park. This is Villa Park calling. I recently called SPEAK OUT in an attempt for someone from the police department to respond as to why almost eight or 10 police cars are parked in their parking lot every day. Obviously no response. Here's your second chance, police department. Maybe it's time for the Villa Park board to ask this question next time the police are begging for police cars. Maybe this is one place we can budget and save some money. Sure hope there is a good answer to this question. Thank you.

Village of Villa Park Chief of Police Robert Pavelchik responded: “At any given point in the day we do not use all our available patrol vehicles. The fleet size is balanced for all those reasonable eventualities that we may have to staff, which include but are not limited to patrol staffing for up to two shifts at a time, vehicles for part-time officer patrol, vehicles for community service officers, vehicles for court appearances, vehicles for special events, enforcement grants, etc. And unlike our personal cars that might have the luxury to stay in a repair shop for a few days, a police patrol fleet needs to be of sufficient size to account for repairs. I welcome any constructive input that will help us to better manage our fleet. Please ask the resident to call my office any time that we might share ideas.” The chief can be reached at 630-834-7447. The police department is located at 40 S. Ardmore Ave., Villa Park.—JAC

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To the caller who suggested putting in a four-way stop sign on Main Street and the Prairie Path, first of all, there are already two-way stop signs. That’s what users of the path going either east or west are supposed to obey as they approach Main Street. Second of all, I can’t imagine what a four-way stop sign would do to the flow of traffic north and south, having to stop more or less right in the middle of the block. Maybe it’s time for the village or Prairie Path overseers to apply for grant money to figure out an alternate route like they did over by Grace Street. Somehow, this issue needs to be resolved so everyone can travel safely. Maybe residents could form a grass-roots group to figure out a solution to the problem and present it to the powers that be. After all, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

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Just a quick question to the GOP; if Republican economic policies are so great for America, then why are most red states dirt poor? Keep voting GOP to remain in the poor house.

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Lombard calling. I’d like to congratulate Lombard Veterinary Hospital for maintaining their landscaping. In my opinion, the rest of this area doesn’t look so great.

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This is Lombard calling. This is to the certain shops in Lombard during Cruise Nights where they use the Waste Management containers that are used by the public for both pop and trash, that the shops apparently use those containers to put the store’s garbage in instead of filling up their own containers, which they pay for, for being a shop in Lombard. I think it is disgusting to see the garbage cans in Lombard that people use for Cruise Nights used by the shops to put their own garbage in. Thank you.

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Where do we begin to thank Peter Breen for all the unselfish service he gives to so many in a manner that few are aware of? We thank you, Peter, and we are grateful that we have a trustee who has the extraordinary skills and is prepared for the most difficult tasks. The good Peter Breen does for others is unknown to many. But for those who are aware of Peter's unselfishness service, serving others without it being made known, we thank you. That’s humility, yes indeed, “the power of humility.” Thanks. We appreciate all you do.

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At approximately 6:30 on Thursday evening, I was rear ended at St. Charles and Grace. I got out of my vehicle, got on the phone to 9-1-1 and went around to the back of my vehicle to inspect for damage.  The woman who hit me never got out of her car, never rolled down her window, never asked if I was OK, or what possible damage was there to either vehicle. This woman looked at me talking on the phone and then pulled around my car and left the scene. How do you know that my car didn't have children inside, or another passenger? As you drove around my car, I was able to obtain your license plate number, make and model of your vehicle.  Wouldn’t you be upset if one of your children or grandchildren drove away from an accident?  Aren’t we always taught that when we’re in a car accident to exchange information, verify that everyone is OK, damage, etc? Shame on you, lady. You might think that you got away with this, but you didn’t. Someday karma will get you and someone will do something to you just like this. I’d also like to thank the officer who responded because he was so kind and I really appreciated him being there.  Unfortunately, I was so upset that I’ve forgotten his name, but he knows who he is. Thank you again.

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I have a slightly different take on the Terrace View Pond. I’m sure the initial so-called prairie restoration effort was a noble one, but it’s gotten out of control—literally. I think the overgrowth, lack of maintenance, etc., just looks awful, compared to its former days as a place to stand by the water’s edge and fish. I get what the restoration, if you can call it that, was trying to accomplish—like what was done across the street. But the stuff around the pond just looks terrible. The one saving grace is it kind of hides some of the pond from view, if one isn’t looking from the right direction.

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This is Lombard calling regarding the Terrace View Pond. As a victim myself of pond flooding twice in the last two years with over $25,000 worth of damage, I think most people would prefer to see swamp and a dry basement rather than a nice pond that floods their basement. Photos are available upon request. Thanks.

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A miracle occurred in our Lombard neighborhood last weekend. No fire pits, no firecrackers. Hallelujah.

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Great concert from American English at Cruise Nights last weekend. Awesome performers and they were sensitive by stopping the show when someone became ill. Hope that person is doing OK, by the way. Just wondering why Taste of Lombard couldn’t get a quality act like American English to headline. They are worth it.

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Beware, everybody. I went in to a gas station to buy a quart of oil. The price marked on the counter I grabbed the oil from was $7.49. To my surprise, when I went to pay, the gentleman scanned the item and told me it was $9.49. Needless to say, I said, “Sir, the price on the shelf said $7.49,” and he told me, “Too bad, the price is $9.49 and that’s what you have to pay if you want a quart of oil.” Unbelievable. I did not buy the oil.

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This is to Bill Ware, whom I quote, said that “two former trustees had told him to continue the fight” regarding video gaming. I can only hope after the next election, the word former will be in front of your name. Have fun in the former trustees club.

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This is to the person who says we’re deeper in debt now than we have been under any president. Well, who put us in there? Bush. When he came into office there was a surplus. We had our two unnecessary wars, in my opinion, and spent all of that money and that’s why we’re in debt. It’s not Obama’s fault.

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Hi, this is Lombard calling. I sure hope that the people who were putting the playground on Madison and Ahrens by Madison Meadow weren’t getting paid by the hour. I hope they were getting paid by the job. It’s getting to be ridiculous. There were two guys sitting on the thing and eight guys standing there. I think that money could go to better use.

Lombard Park District Executive Director Paul Friedrichs addressed your incorrect assumption: “First, there were never 10 guys at the construction site at any one time. On one occasion for about an hour we did have eight men placing a 350-pound slide into its exact location. When we were able to work out the site, there were usually three to four men. Second, I think the point you are trying to make is that it took way too long for the playground to be installed. That suggestion I would completely agree with you about. The project was scheduled for four weeks, and due to the weather it actually took 10. There were many days that the staff couldn’t work at the site because it was either raining or had just rained and it was just too wet and muddy to construct the playground safely. I am sure you and every other Lombardian would agree that having the playground built to its exact specifications for the safety of the children who are going to be playing on it should be our primary focus and concern. Finally, I would like to mention that the men who built the playground did a fantastic job on it. I witnessed these guys coming back to the maintenance garage, exhausted and covered from head to toe with mud. These men should be commended for the effort, not criticized for the length of time it took, or according to the caller for just ‘standing there.’ Incidentally, the park district donated the old playground to Kids Around the World, a not-for-profit that refurbishes old playgrounds and ships them overseas for other children to enjoy. We do not yet know where the old playground will end up, but we hope their children enjoy it as much as the children of Lombard did for the past 20 years. Please feel free to call me anytime to discuss this issue or any other park district-related issue at 630-953-6016.”—JAC