This is Lombard calling. Recently somebody called in for District 1 people to call Dan Whittington because the gun club’s going to open up on Nov. 1. I agree. We all need to call Dan Whittington and we all need to stand up for the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. I, for one, absolutely love the sound of that gunfire. It makes me proud to be an American. Don’t you people have anything better to do than call in and complain? Really? There’s gunfire every weekend in the City of Chicago and it’s not quite the same kind of gunfire. Maybe take your efforts down there and complain to Rahm Emanuel that Chicago’s a shooting gallery or even our governor, who seemingly let this state become a shooting gallery—not somebody who’s doing some trap or skeet shooting. Come on, folks. Let’s all call Dan and tell him we support the gun club over there. Go Constitution. Go Second Amendment. Why don’t you get yourself a gun and go over there and do some skeet shooting? You’ll enjoy it. Bye.

* * *

This is Lombard calling. I was completely shocked and horrified when I saw the Lombard Jaycees are now using a photo of Adolf Hitler. What kind of organization is this? They expect Lombard to supply them with services for their haunted house and Taste of Lombard, and then promote a mass murderer and one of the most hated people in history as their public persona? I sure hope our village trustees take a long, hard look at what this organization is truly promoting before allowing them access to any village services. I know I will not be supporting this group anymore.

Jackie West, Jaycees president, responded: “It was a Hitler quote that was posted on our page and yes, it had a picture of Hitler as the person credited for the quote.” The president also stated that the quote, regarding eroding rights and freedoms little by little, was posted in response to a change in the state Jaycees’ constitution and bylaws. She said the post was removed after the state threatened to revoke the Lombard Jaycees’ charter. “We are not promoting Hitler,” West said. “Just showing that when people blindly follow a leader they can take your rights away a little at a time until it is too late and you no longer have any.” West emphasized that the village does not supply the Jaycees with services for the Taste of Lombard or Haunted House, except the fireworks and also free bus shuttles for the Taste, through the Hotel-Motel Tax Fund Grant.—JAC

* * *

An alleged parent chimed in to the Sept. 24 SPEAK OUT. The parent claimed to have young sons who play football. The sons wanted to go to Montini until the parent took them to Glenbard East’s Sept. 19 game at East Aurora. Both boys, apparently impressed by the Rams’ 56-6 victory, now want to attend Glenbard East. If this comment was legitimate, which I doubt, I have a message for the kids and the parent. Do a little research and gain a whiff of perspective. East Aurora did not win a single football game during the four seasons from 2009-12. The school’s varsity program has lost 48 of its last 49 games and 88 of 94 games over the last decade, which has included five winless seasons. I’m glad the Rams won the game, and if the boys want to go to Glenbard East, that’s fine, but a win over East Aurora is not that impressive. If two kids are going to change their mind over what high school to attend based on seeing one football game against a weak opponent, neither the kids nor their parents seem to be thinking rationally.

* * *

Hi, Lombard calling. It’s my understanding that the Vino Cellar in District 1 is now under new management. That new management is Dan and Colleen Whittington. I believe it is a conflict for a district trustee to own or run a business within his district. Please, would somebody determine what the situation here is so that we know there isn’t a conflict of interest. Will there be a new owner? Will it be the Whittingtons? Because I do believe that it is a conflict of interest for Whittington to own a business in his district. So, somebody please explain this to me. Thank you.

See response below.—JAC

* * *

Lombard calling. I wanted to know if you could clarify for me: I was just recently informed that the Whittingtons have taken over management of the Vino Cellar. Dan Whittington is a District 1 trustee and Vino Cellar is in his district. Is that not a conflict of interest? Can somebody clarify for those of us who live in Lombard? What exactly is Dan Whittington’s role with regard to a business in his district? Thank you.

Trustee Whittington explained that his wife, Colleen, will be managing the wine shop and tasting bar in question, and that he personally notified the village board, village manager and village attorney to make sure there was no conflict of interest according to state statute. In the memo he stressed that “I personally do not have a role within the company, either as a paid employee or an owner. Colleen is taking this assignment at a time of transition for the business.” Whittington said the current owners are negotiating the sale of the business, and that it is “anticipated” Colleen will stay on as an employee. The trustee indicated that “I have confirmed there is no conflict of interest for me that would prohibit Colleen from working at the wine shop.” Whittington also emphasized that “I will not be voting on, or discussing, any issues related to the business that may come before the village board in the future.” He also said Colleen has stepped down from the Promotions and Tourism Committee to further reduce any appearance of conflict of interest.—JAC

* * *

There was no reason to bomb Syria at night. They had no defense from our airplanes. Obama bombed at night because he apparently didn’t want to kill terrorists. This is from Lt. Col. Ralph Peters on Fox News Sept. 24 at 8:30 a.m. I bet no boots on the ground is the same reasoning of our president. He doesn’t want to kill terrorists.

* * *

This is Lombard calling to say it’s a sad state when the level of Terrace View Pond is so low that even the skeets have left.

* * *

I am not a party politics person. I believe when we profess a party, the politician wins and we lose. When someone in SPEAK OUT declares that the Republican Party is destroying America, my question is, Where have you been? Does this ring a bell? Fast and Furious, NSA, Benghazi, IRS, 40 percent corporate taxation and the list goes on. The wrong person is in the White House. The politicians must—and I mean must—start working for America. They are not. One more thing. Great job, Lombard, on Grace Street.

* * *

Here we are with the election approaching and suddenly Gov. Quinn is interested in the minimum wage. He says you can’t live on $10 an hour. Minimum wage was never intended to be a livable wage. Minimum wage laws are to protect young people and other people at the low end from being taken advantage of. If they raise the minimum wage, the big, rich companies will be able to absorb it, and the small companies that are barely hanging on will go out of business. And we wonder why we have an income gap. Regulation causes the income gap and the first small companies that will go out of business will be the ones in the poorer neighborhoods, which are already under-served.

* * *

Hi. This is the Glenbard East Music Association calling. We will be decorating Main Street on Saturday, Oct. 4, with bright yellow signs advertising our one-day mattress showroom in the high school cafeteria. Come see the Simmons Beauty Rest mattresses at up to 40 percent off list price, and support the activities of over 400 very talented, band, orchestra and choir students. See you there.

* * *

Good afternoon, SPEAK OUT. I just came from St. John’s Artist Series, Jim Hendricks. What a fantastic performance. It was wonderful. Then, as I’m coming down Maple, I caught a glimpse of the gazebo, went around the block, pulled in the lot. I’m telling you, it is beautiful. I was so excited to see it. I just received the Lombard Pride last Friday, I believe, and they talked about it being built in October. Oh, my goodness, what a surprise when I saw it. I just couldn’t drink it in fast enough. What a tribute to Bill Mueller. What a wonderful thing for Lombard. I’m just so, so pleased. Such a neat idea.

* * *

Hi, I’m a resident of Lombard on the far west side for over a decade, and I do not hate or love guns. Actually, I don’t care anything about them, but listening to the skeet shooting range for over 10 years every fall is very, very annoying. It’s noise pollution, it’s incredibly invasive when you’re outside and all you hear all day is loud gunshots. I don’t live in the country; I live in the suburbs because I don’t want to hear things like that. It scares my animals and if there’s a petition to sign that we can possibly cut down the amount of hours every weekend hearing that in the fall, I gladly will sign it. Thank you.

* * *

Resigning a government office should never be a get-out-of-jail-free card. Every person in office should be prosecuted for wrongdoing while in office. Eric Holder must continue to be investigated and prosecuted for his part in the IRS scandal, spying on citizens of the United States, his part in Fast and Furious, Benghazi and for other investigations that are yet going on. For not upholding the Constitution as he should do, and held to account if proven to have lied to Congress. Stepping down doesn’t negate malfeasance of office, nor should anyone be above the law. Crimes against the people and our nation should be paid for by the guilty. A judge has demanded Eric Holder turn over the documents on Fast and Furious, and now all of a sudden he’s resigning his office. We’re in trouble.

* * *

Lombard. To the parent who said he or she wants his or her boys to go to Montini because they play good football after attending a Glenbard East game, they changed their mind because Glenbard is playing good football and the parents said they would save a lot of money by going to Glenbard, I have a question. What parent sends their child to school because they have a good football team? Shouldn’t they pick the school so the child gets a good education? If it’s a good education they want, Montini it is. Bye.

* * *

Lombard calling. I got my kid out of Glenbard East. This whole suicide prevention test they want to administer, and in particular, (district spokesperson) Peg Mannion’s response, when she said that our students’ health and well being is the No. 1 priority—that’s what’s wrong with our schools. I’ll take care of my kid’s health, I’ll take care of his welfare. You need to teach them. That’s the problem with our schools. My kid has a mother. My kid has a father, and I am smart. How about they just start teaching our kids? This is why I think our schools are in bad shape.

* * *

Hello, Lombard calling. I was pleasantly surprised to see Suzanne Bolur’s long-overdue return to your paper. She’s a great writer. She deserves a weekly column. I love her articles more than senior citizens love banisters, so thank you for bringing her back. Goodbye.

* * *

This is Lombard calling in response to the caller regarding Republicans being dumb. I can’t believe that you would actually put that in the paper. That is really dumb and I really feel sorry for you if you really don’t understand what’s going on with our country. Please, get a life.

* * *

Recently someone called in SPEAK OUT and asked us Republicans, Are we so dumb we can’t see our party’s destroying America? Unlike this person, I’m not mean-spirited, I’m not rude and I’m not ignorant, so I won’t call names. But, I will perhaps give this person a little bit of a lesson. We have a Democratic president. The first two years of his administration, he had both houses. Since then he still controlled at least one house; he meaning the Democrats, but that is him. The Democrats have been in charge. As far as the Tea Party wanting to destroy everything, I’m pretty sure I need to educate this person. Tea Party stands for “taxed enough already.” What they believe in, and I am one of them, is going back to the Constitution. It is your president who said the Constitution is flawed and America needs to be fundamentally changed.