Speak Out

Call 630-629-TALK


September 2, 2015


Speak Out Archives

Home

To speak out, send your message to Speak Out!

Lombard calling. I’m wondering how these lawn services get by with raking the leaves and blowing them out in the street. I just passed one of the industrial buildings on East St. Charles Road, where they’re doing the brand new street, and they’re blowing leaves all over the street, on top of the new blacktop. I can’t imagine why they’re not getting a ticket. Not only does it mess up the street but when it gets wet, makes it slippery and washes into the gutter. Who do they expect to take care of that? Thank you.

* * *

Hello, Villa Park, just want to know, where do you get the guys who fix the roads? You fixed a big giant patch on Washington and Summit, and now we have a huge speed bump in the middle of the road. We pay taxes for such quality work. Thank you very much.

* * *

Hillary Clinton, the smartest woman in the world, the woman eminently qualified to be our next president, kept classified information on her own server. That should make her a criminal. Or did she never receive any classified e-mails while she was secretary of state? That would mean she didn’t do her job. Or did she not understand what information was classified? That would make her incompetent. So she’s either corrupt, lazy or clueless. Take your pick. How on Earth is she a credible candidate to be the commander in chief of our armed forces?

* * *

Sad news that Rep Breen turns out to be just a regular politician. Do what I say not what I do. He can scream at the top of the mountain against COD, but apparently does some deal with Hulseberg in Lombard. What a disappointment. 

* * *

Hello, I have lived happily in Lombard for 63 years. We raised a family here. We have lived peacefully in our Lombard neighborhood for the last 15 years. We recently received a letter through the U.S. Postal service from an anonymous neighbor that included threats to our reputation because our vehicles sometimes partially cover the sidewalk and they subsequently may have to walk on our lawn, which is something they apparently teach their children not to do. The letter went on to remind us of a local ordinance and that they may be forced to become inconsiderate neighbors and report us to the authorities, unless we comply. The seemingly cowardly act of sending an anonymous threatening letter to a neighbor is abhorrent, and also illegal. We have children with their own cars and it is unfortunate the builder did not account for a family with five vehicles. Be a good neighbor, introduce yourself and say what’s on your mind.

* * *

Hi. I agree 100 percent with the caller saying there’s still a lot of people driving while on the cell phone. So the village has issued almost 500 tickets so far this year. That’s going to average out to less than three a day. I can guarantee you, driving through this village, I would have no problem writing one a day. So my point is, if a police officer is patrolling village streets, I cannot see how they would have a hard time writing a ticket every other day for someone on a cell phone. Therefore the village would be averaging more than three tickets a day. Every police officer should be able to write one every other day without even trying. Thank you and goodbye.

* * *

I’m calling regarding the editorial letter of how people dress when going to church. I totally agree. Everyone wants designer clothes. They’re spending money on clothes. They would dress beautifully for a wedding reception, why not when you visit the house of God? When you visit God you should be respectful. Some people dress like they’re ready to go to a ballgame or work in their garage. Also, to go to a little higher-end restaurant and people come dressed in short-shorts and T-shirts who shouldn’t even wear those items. It’s disgusting. They just ruin the atmosphere of the nice restaurant. Why can’t they take the time to clean up or dress up? Thank you.

* * *

Hello, this is Lombard calling. A few families in our Lombard neighborhood have recently received an anonymous letter from a concerned neighbor complaining about how cars are parked in driveways. How sad is it that someone seems so small-minded to do such a thing? What we need now is communication. Put away your cell phone and say hello to someone. Teach your children well and have a blessed day.

* * *

This is Villa Park and I hope you print Villa Park. You mostly do Lombard. This is for Deb Conroy. Why if you’re voting on these conservative issues don’t you just turn Republican; like Ronald Reagan said, “I didn’t leave the party. The party left me.” For as far back as people can remember, the suburbs always lost money when the majority went into the Democratic-run machine in the city of Chicago. We know the Democrats want to take over and control. So if you’re truly a conservative, change parties. Have the guts to do that.

* * *

Hello there. Just calling to observe as one drives through Villa Park and Lombard, the creeping effects of urbanization. The tawdry shops, the tacky strip malls, the dying trees or the lack of trees and particularly in Lombard, the giant garish signs everywhere. It has got to be one of the appalling and soulless stretches of road on all of Roosevelt Road through the Western suburbs. Why in Villa Park and Lombard does it look so bad? It’s very unfortunate. Hopefully the village officials and people who live there will stand up and make a difference and stand up and say, “Hey, this is really looking bad around here.” Shabby, shabby, shabby. thanks.

* * *

Hello, Villa Park calling. Just to let the public works director know that we understand there was no money budgeted to help with the flooding problems in Villa Park, but for you to go to a board meeting before you start the project and ask for money was a joke. I thought that meeting was a skit from “Saturday Night Live.” Don’t worry, we will just add $10 to everybody’s water bill every month for the next 20 years. Way to be right on top of the flooding problems in the 800-900 block of South Michigan. Wow. Just when I thought this town couldn’t get any more messed up. Thank you.

* * *

We are seeing an increase in tuberculosis, polio, whooping cough—diseases we thought were long gone. Why can’t these immigrants get a health certificate in their country of origin? This health certificate could be presented with their passport when they enter the U.S. Health checks were in effect years ago at Ellis Island. If an immigrant was determined to have a health issue, they were quarantined or in extreme cases, denied entry into the U.S.

* * *

I think we should call our congressmen, telling them to vote against the Iran deal. A country that says “death to the United States” cannot be trusted. How can we even think about giving this country billions of dollars that they will use to destroy us?

* * *

OK, SPEAK OUT, I have a question, and the question is about the gas prices. BP had a problem with their processing plant and there was a lack of fuel in all the gas stations they supply and the price went up. But what happened with other gas stations? They never had any problems, yet they simultaneously increased their price. There’s something that seems wrong going on here and I wish our governor or congressmen or somebody else, or the newspaper would give me an answer how gas stations could raise their prices when they never had a problem and they are direct competitors. Please, give us an answer. There’s some chicanery going on here and it has to stop.

According to a mid-August Chicago Tribune report, the refinery supplies gasoline to many gas stations besides just the BP brand. Some experts also blame Illinois switching to the “summer blend” for part of the price increases. Illinois was not the only state hit—Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin all felt the effects of the refinery slow-down, according to a report from gasbuddy.com. However, on Monday, Aug. 31, CBS Chicago reported that gas prices are “plunging” now that the refinery is back up and running.—JAC

* * *

Villa Park voters are now being told that our $23 million multi-year street improvement project does not include the sewer separation and flood mitigation measures homeowners were led to expect. Prior to the passage of the referendum, the village hired three outside engineering firms in 2014 at taxpayers’ expense to study flooding and drainage issues. A series of glossy public relations-generated mailings repeatedly cited the April 2013 flooding issues and clearly stated that sewer projects would be addressed at the same time streets were improved. In November the ballot referendum asked for approval of “street and related improvements,” which I thought included infrastructure. Now we’re being told that flood mitigation was never part of the plan.

* * *

Hi. I wanted to call about Anne and Frank Cerasani. I was reading the obituaries in the local Lombard paper and noticed that Anne and Frank are listed one in front of the other. It seems to me there should be a story there and somebody should tell the story of this couple who had been married some 69 years and died within three days of each other. It sounds like a beautiful love story and I’d love to hear it. Thank you.


Home