I just returned from the post office really angry. Business takes me away for two months. The post office hold mail form says they only hold mail for 30 days. I called the post office and they said, “Yes, we can hold mail longer.” I filled out the form, waited in line; the guy at the post office said, “We don't have room for your mail. You’ll have to purchase a post office box.” Purchase a box? For two months? Are you serious? If they don’t have room to hold my mail, how in the world are they going to have space in a post office box?

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I read a comment in SPEAK OUT today about Highridge Road’s terrible condition. I grew up in Villa Park and moved away for military service in 1971 but I can remember the poor condition of Highridge Road then and in short visits home since. It never got better. I recently moved back to Villa Park from Georgia for the winter and see that little has been done to make Highridge any better or that two-way traffic can safely navigate. It is terrible. In fact, the commenter last week aptly described it as a “mine field” and I believe it is pot-holed enough to do damage to a vehicle’s suspension. Correct me if I am wrong, but I understand Highridge has been a bone of contention for a number of years as to who bore responsibility for it and as a result little to nothing has been done. But 40 years and nothing but band-aids? It almost makes me want to suggest putting all parties in the same room together and not letting them out until they come to terms over it. Maybe they would actually work cooperatively and in collaboration with each other to get something done beneficial to the people. What a concept. I mentioned my concerns to a village trustee the other day and was told Highridge is in the 10-year plan; I would hope straightening out Highridge would be at the top of the heap.

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I can’t believe what I read about the caller who said people who have worked in minimum wage jobs deserve their fate. I have certain skills. If I lost my job, I would have to look to flipping burgers or whatever to make a living for the time being. You make it sound like this is a step above migrant workers. Some people don’t have the academic skills to get a better education. But maybe they can rise through the ranks from minimum wage to CEO and get educated that way. There are many success stories like that. So it works both ways.

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Villa Park here. I am just wondering if the stop signs on Washington Street are optional? In my eight years of living in the Lombard and Villa Park area, I have seen more people blow that stop sign, without even slowing down. People of all ages, men and women, not even yielding to the traffic approaching from the north and south. At first I thought it was only on Addison Avenue, but no, it happens at Harvard and Summit too. Maybe patrolling that area will put people in check.

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I want to say thanks to the village board, minus two, who have elected to raise our water rates once again. I’m sure 90 percent of the residents of Lombard do not have a surplus to put any money they might be able to save. I really think in this hard economic time for people, you could have used the money you accrued from the raise before this one. I just want to thank you so much for being thoughtful to all your residents and you can be assured that the next time I vote, I will not vote for the trustee in my district because you happened to vote for this raise, and I think all the people in Lombard who are disgruntled with this should appear at the next board meeting and voice their disapproval of this. Thanks.

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Hi. I’m calling about the person who left the call about people who make minimum wage, if you’re 22 to 50, you don’t deserve any more money. That is just so very cold. I can’t wrap my mind around that kind of thought process that people still believe this. If a factory job went away, and you were trained to make widgets and now there are no more widget makers and you find yourself flipping hamburgers and trying to get by, how are you supposed to suddenly put yourself back into college and learn a whole new skill and at the snap of the fingers get yourself a better job? If it was so easy, everybody would be doing it.

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Good evening. I just came past Lilacia Park. It is magnificent. Oh, the lights are so beautiful and so many. Oh, my goodness. I came down Parkside to park south on Park. Oh, it’s just spectacular. Anyone with children needs to go over there. It’s just beautiful. Thank you, Lombard Park District. You are doing a fantastic job. Each year it seems there are new added lights. Merry Christmas to all and enjoy Lilacia Park. It is so beautiful. Good night.

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It’s America here. It’s time we call the Democrat Party what it really is; the Communist Party and they know it. We’ve got our first Communist president in office right now. Thank you.

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I am a resident of Old Grove Lombard. Every year at Christmas, for a small fee, a few of the great men in our neighborhood provide us with trees, lights and stands all down our street. It is so gorgeous and beautiful. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It’s the highlight of my Christmas and your efforts are not going unnoticed or unappreciated. Thanks again.

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Now illegals are not only getting amnesty, they want to give them free medical, which they already have by just going to an emergency room. We’re in our 70s and have paid for Blue Cross Blue Shield for over 60 years and still pay a little over $600 a month for our Medicare supplement. Why do these people who break our laws get more than the American taxpayers? We should go back to a government of the people by the people and for the people. That seems to have disappeared. They can’t come here illegally, work here a few hours or not at all and march in the streets to tell Americans what they have to do for them. That’s not what made this country great. It was hard workers.

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The other day I was shopping at the Walgreens on St. Charles Road. When it came to checking out, the amount I owed was larger than I had cash in my wallet. I thought really, I had enough cash on hand and I looked again in my wallet and purse, but no. Oh, I will charge it then, I thought. There were five people in line behind me. But before I got my credit card out, a man behind me paid the difference. What a surprise. That never happened to me. Thank you so much. It sure is Christmastime in Lombard.

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The Lombard Post Office continues to be a disaster. I took a card into the post office to have my mail forwarded, stood in line and waited to talk to a counter person. Mail is still being delivered to the house. I went over there this morning, Monday, to follow up on this, only to find the post office was open yesterday, Sunday. Where did we have notice that the post office is open Sunday. Was there something in the Lombardian that I missed? And, I also talked to someone else in line who instructed the post office via card to hold their mail. It never happened. Mail was delivered to their house every day. What is wrong here? My tax dollars are paying for this post office. This is absolutely scandalous; the incompetence, the carelessness of that post office. Go over and send your people to Villa Park. They’re superb over there; absolutely superb.

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All these protesters protesting the blacks who were getting shot by police, I think they should really look at what’s wrong with their communities. Demario Bailey was shot Friday going to basketball—shot right in front of his twin brother, allegedly by four people trying to rob him. I think that’s terrible. Here’s a young boy who’s trying to go to basketball practice with his twin brother and he gets shot just because they were trying to steal his jacket and rob him. And then they’re making protests about guys who are resisting arrest, breaking the law, attacking police officers? I think it’s more important about these young kids who are trying to do something constructive and creative. I think their lives matter.

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When the citizens of Lombard vote our trustees into office, we expect you to keep a watchful eye on our village. Hence, I’m asking you to keep the medical marijuana dispensary out of our neighborhoods and put it where it belongs; and that is near or in hospitals and clinics, so their prescriptions can be filled there. Keep in mind that many times when people get in trouble, they are high on marijuana. Don’t make the Village of Lombard a bad place to live. Thank you, bye.

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I haven’t read the Lombardian in about a month; I’ve been out of the country. I came back and saw a few SPEAK OUT calls about the ComEd smart meter. ComEd is not tracking your usage. That is there for your use to see when you use the most electricity, but it’s also very important, because if there’s a power outage, ComEd will know within seconds where the power outage is, especially during storms, and they can dispatch crews that much quicker. Instead of hours, it may just take minutes where the outages are. Everybody just needs to get over this big brother theory for ComEd. Many other states have the smart meter and nobody’s complained as much as Lombard has. Just deal with it. It’s there to help you.