Hello, it’s a state law that all dump trucks must be tarped, either loaded or unloaded. Why are all these trucks that are doing work in the village going through the village without any tarp on their truck? Also, are municipal vehicles exempt from this law, because none of Lombard’s trucks have tarps on them. Thank you.

Your comment was forwarded to the Village of Lombard, which provided the following answer: “The state law (625 ILCS 5/15-109.1) only requires a tarp when material is susceptible to escaping from a truck bed. While we cannot speak for non-village trucks, the typical loads in the village’s trucks are gravel, asphalt and newly excavated, cohesive and damp soil, which is stable in the beds. Public works is unaware of any material escaping from its truck beds and any such observance should be reported so that it may be addressed. Please call 630-620-5740 to report such instances.”—blm

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To the person who commented on my call about rodeos and demolition derbies, you are absolutely right. It is apples and oranges, and there is no comparison between the two. In no way was I comparing them, if you read my comment again. It was more of a tongue-in-cheek remark that people enjoy watching other people bang each other up, but no one speaks out about that. It was light sarcasm. I agree that rodeos display cruelty to animals.

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Just read about the almost fire at the First Church, I am glad no major damage was done. In reading the story I am amazed at the writing and/or the information provided by the fire department. An estimate of $30,000 in damage. “Firefighters en route could smell the wood and knew there was a fire,” really? No need to call 9-1-1, our fire department can smell the fire, probably from the station. A total of seven fire departments are dispatched with no visible flames? Overkill, trying to justify their jobs. How do sprinklers put out a fire inside the wall? Why would you use a heat gun on a 145-year-old building, why not a fan? And really, with a 60-man department the chief is the one investigating the fire?  Origin and cause of the fire is under investigation? You just told us how it happened, please tell the fire department.

Editor’s note: Sorry you misunderstood the story, which clearly states that Ken Bohl, who was working at the church, called 9-1-1. As for the smell of burning wood in the air, Lombard Fire Chief Paul DiRienzo related that firefighters en route [to the fire] could smell the wood and knew there was a fire. I must admit, I thought I smelled fire as I approached the intersection that morning. And for me, that would not be the first time, as I have encountered the smell of smoke in the air on the way to a fire scene in the past. The fire department estimated damage at under $30,000. In this case, I believe the key word is under. I forwarded your comments to the Village of Lombard for an explanation as to why Lombard firefighters requested assistance from neighboring departments and why the department’s Fire Investigation Unit is called in on all structure fires.—blm

The Village of Lombard provided the following response:

“Additional fire agencies were called to ensure the fire was quickly extinguished. These neighboring departments provide manpower and equipment.  Additionally, they help to meet all other emergency needs in the village that may be happening at the same time. The Lombard Fire Department’s Fire Investigation Unit is called in to document and record the origin and cause of the fire. Lastly, this fire was contained to a wall. Fire sprinklers can contain and even extinguish fires that start in walls.”—blm

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Hello, America. Jimmy Carter is very ill but has to feel good knowing that President Obama has passed him by far as the worst president in history. P.S., Obama, your EPA is destroying our environment. Thank you, goodbye.

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I don’t understand. The Villa Park referendum from last year asked if bonds of up to $23 million should be issued “for the purpose of paying costs of street and related improvements throughout the village.” Wouldn’t sewer separation or a new sewer under a repaired street count as a related improvement? Could the village use its bond funds on the sewer work, or is it that the village doesn’t want to because they wouldn’t be able to fix as many roads?

Vydas Juskelis, Villa Park director of public works, responded: “The list of proposed streets to be funded by bond proceeds was presented at numerous public meetings and eventually incorporated into the five-year capital improvement program (CIP). It was clearly stated that the bond proceeds would be used for roadway improvement only. Underground improvements would require a separate funding source. If we were to use bond proceeds for combined sewer separation, there would not be enough funds to complete all of the planned road improvements.”

Visit http://www.invillapark.com/DocumentCenter/View/1594 to see a cover memo dated July 24, 2014, when the village board discussed a referendum ballot question. See the first paragraph under “investigation.”–JAC

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Villages of Lombard and Villa Park, something needs to be done about the freight trains stopping on the tracks and blocking traffic. It’s noon on Wednesday and a freight train is yet again stopped on the tracks on Addison Avenue. I am forced to go all the way around to either Main Street or Route 83 to get home when my home is not far from the railroad tracks on Addison Avenue. Is there a number that people can call to report freight trains stopped on tracks?

This question was addressed in the past, and Mark Davis, spokesman for Union Pacific Railroad, encouraged anyone who sees anything out of the ordinary on the train tracks to call the Union Pacific Railroad Police’s dispatch number at 888-877-7267. Davis said the number is manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “If motorists notice a train starting and stopping, they should report it, because there may be something wrong,” Davis said. He said the railroad’s police can pull up information about the train in question and notify the proper authorities.” A recent caller also expressed dissatisfaction with the blocked roadways; the Village of Villa Park essentially said its collective hands are tied: “The village has expressed its dissatisfaction with our blocked railroad crossings. The village's ordinance is preempted by the Federal Railroad Safety Authorization Act of 1994 (“FRSA”)[i]. FRSA grants the Secretary of Transportation the authority to prescribe regulations and issue orders for every area of railroad safety, including developing and implementing solutions to safety problems at grade crossings.”—JAC

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The animals used in rodeos are not wild. They must be tortured to appear wild. The bulls and horses have a flank strap on the back of their body around the genitals to aggravate them to appear wild. If you look at the chute when they leave, a “cowboy” pulls on the strap to inflict pain on the bull or horse. They buck in order to try to shake off the strap while they are in agony. In calf roping, the gate will open and an electric prod is applied to the calf to scare them into running. At full speed a rope is tossed around their neck and they are pulled to the ground. If you don’t think this doesn’t hurt, have someone do this to you. Without torture, these animals will not “perform.” This should be stopped.

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Hi, I’m a longtime Lombard resident living near Highland Avenue and travel Highland Avenue every day. I just have to say every time I drive on it just makes me embarrassed for the town of Lombard. I don’t know if they’ve driven on Highland Avenue, say in Downers Grove, going toward the hospital, a beautifully paved road. It’s one of our main streets in Lombard and it’s just an embarrassment. What I hear is nobody takes credit for who it belongs to—the city, the county, whatever—but somebody needs to take care of that. It’s ridiculous that they keep patching it and as I said, I believe an embarrassment. Please take care of it. Thank you.

Your concerns were forwarded to the Village of Lombard, which provided the following information: “The village does not possess jurisdiction of Highland Avenue between 13th and 20th streets. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has jurisdiction and is responsible for maintenance and repairs of Highland Avenue. To help answer questions pertaining to the condition of Highland Avenue between 13th Street and 20th Street, the village has prepared a list of frequently asked questions to address concerns. Visit www. villageoflombard.org/HighlandFAQ for more information.—blm