The April 20 Villa Park Review indicates that Highridge Road needs to be repaired due to a roller malfunction or the roller was not aligned properly. Why is the village incurring any cost for this error? If it indeed was the construction company error, why is the village splitting the repair cost with the company who caused the problem?

Villa Park Public Works Director Vydas Juskelis, P.E., responded: “The Highridge Road Project received federal STP funding for a portion of construction costs. As part of the process, the contract was awarded by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), not the village. The project also followed IDOT’s contract requirements and construction standards.  IDOT’s standard procedure for addressing unsatisfactory paving results is to take a deduction from the amount the contractor is paid based on the severity of the surface variations in the pavement.

“The amount of money deducted would at best be split between IDOT and the village in proportion to the grant amount. Had the village agreed to this option, the existing rideability issues on Highridge Road would have remained unaddressed. It was determined that it would be preferable to grind and resurface the pavement so that the final surface is satisfactory and the roadway has the rideability that was originally expected. Village staff worked with the contractor to secure a proposal that would accomplish this goal and provide a tangible, long-term solution. The contractor’s share of the cost of this proposal is similar to the deduction that IDOT would have taken from the contractor if the village had elected to pursue that option.”—JAC

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Hey District 87 taxpayers. The apparently very liberal superintendent of District 87 has invited illegal aliens from any country into District 87 because, as he has stated, the taxpayers are obligated to provide them with an education. He said they will not assist in identifying illegal aliens. Is this why we pay this guy over $250,000 per year? Please educate yourself on what's going on in the district. Thanks.

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Why is there someone standing on every major street corner with a sign begging for money? Is there a law against this? It’s starting to become ridiculous that every day there’s someone standing out somewhere in the Lombard or DuPage area begging for money. Thanks.

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In the last eight years America has not been brought to its knees. America was brought to its knees by the Bush administration. There was no regulation banking. Remember all those home foreclosures? President Obama got us out of that terrible trouble, saved the auto industry and brought back thousands and thousands of jobs. The stock market made huge gains during the Obama administration. As far as spending goes, the deficit went up the most under President Reagan and President Bush. Republicans pretend not to spend and never talk about our local taxes. That’s where we really get hit.

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Hello, Lombard calling. I just want to put a comment regarding the library and park situation, and think that it’s a great idea to hear that the library’s giving serious consideration to building their new facility at the Lombard Common. What a great location for a library; close to the pool and a more central location in town. I certainly hope the park district and library can come to terms sooner than later. After all, the increase in our tax bill—I hate to see them get the money before they have a plan to build. Let’s hope it’s at the Common. Look forward to seeing it there. Thanks.

Editor’s note: See response below.

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Hello. I’m glad to hear that the library is considering moving to the Lombard Common. What a wonderful match that will make with the beautiful Paradise Bay Water Park. Think of the summer reading programs they could have by the pool. It’s just the perfect location. They would have plenty of safe parking and still walking distance to downtown. Good thinking, library and park boards. Well done. Way to work together.

When asked if this move was under consideration by the library board and park district, library spokesperson Sue Wilsey on April 20 stated: “There was some discussion earlier this year, but that option is not currently part of the ongoing negotiations with the [Lombard] Park District officials.”—JAC

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Hey Villa Park, Lombard. What happened to giving the jobs of putting fliers and town papers and stuff like that to the young kids in junior high and middle school to make a little bit of money for themselves? Instead, we’ve got people from the ages of 50 to 60 years old doing the fliers and the newspapers. What’s going on? What happened to kids doing it? Things have really changed in our towns.

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Hi, this is Lombard calling regarding the call in SPEAK OUT wanting to know why the Lutheran church’s comfort dog Eve has not been to District 44 or District 87 schools. The reason Eve Comfort Dog has not visited in District 44 and 87 is because she reportedly has not been invited. These districts do not appear to be interested. Comfort dogs are well-trained by Lutheran Church Charities, or LCC, and are now in about 20 states. These dogs are trained to offer comfort and de-stress children and adults. You will see them at O’Hare Airport during holidays at the request of the airlines. Comfort dogs travel when requested and offer comfort in a variety of settings. Please know, therapy dogs and comfort dogs are not the same. Eve has been trained to de-stress children and adults. The children at several surrounding schools love and enjoy Eve. Folks, there is room for both a comfort dog and a therapy dog. There are many, many kids in need. I wish District 44 and 87 would reconsider. They would be well-rewarded.

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Villa Park calling. We recently learned that our mail carrier is retiring after 34 years. His route is South Villa at Madison east to Riverside, north to Park and back to Villa with all the streets in the middle; Washington, Highland, Oakland and Monterey. This is a walking route and after many years he says his dogs are barking. He has always delivered the mail in a timely fashion, usually around the same time each day and with the mail neatly stacked. He never just threw the mail helter-skelter in the mailbox. He has always gone the extra mile to get the letters to the right house, is always watchful when someone has gone on vacation and has a hold, or to know which homes no longer have residents. We will miss his friendly face around Villa Park, appreciate his dedication to a job well done and wish him well on his happy trails ahead. Thank you.

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Just wondering what’s going on with Mr. Z’s on Main Street. Seems like a great area for maybe a private fitness center, which Lombard is lacking, or a Trader Joe’s.

Editor’s note: SPEAK OUT and the Village of Lombard have fielded numerous questions about the former grocery store property since it closed. For more information on how retail stores come to be in Lombard, view the village’s online series titled “From Ground Breaking to Grand Opening: Retail in Lombard,” available at www.villageoflombard.org/retail.”—JAC

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Come on, SPEAK OUT. Why would you print the ridiculous April 20 comment that stated that if we kept our gas tanks around half full, there would be so much excess gas that the price would drop by at least $1 per gallon? How can you nitpick at other comments but print that statement unchallenged? That’s a dopey urban legend that’s been chain-letter material for years. Did anyone else notice that the comment said nothing about changing gas consumption? Buying a little less gas at each trip to the pump will only make you go to the pump more often. It’s not going to affect retail prices, much less the bottom line of massive oil companies. What nonsense.

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Hi, Lombard calling. I was just calling to see if anybody knows when the Scooby’s Hot Dogs will be opening. It has been looking like it was opening for a long time. It was on Roosevelt Road in the location where Michael’s Pizza was for many years, across from Jonathan’s. Any information would be appreciated. Thank you.

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Recently a woman was grabbed while she was walking on the Prairie Path. She got away and the guy is now arrested, but keep in mind, Illinois is now a concealed-carry state and you are allowed to carry on the Prairie Path, so get training and protect yourself because in an isolated place like that, you’re all you have. Thank you.

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Remember that lampshade store in Glen Ellyn? They are now having a 50 percent off sale on everything in the store. So sorry to see them go, but it’s a great time to shop there.

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What I’m speaking out about, SPEAK OUT had a call that presumably referred to me, saying I was destroying healthy trees and ruined the property values. Why I had to take the tree down was because I spent thousands for a new roof and when the men came back they said it’s that old tree; it’s ruining your roof. I’m new to the area; I’m from the east. I want to go back east. I just can’t believe people are like this. I went to the police several times to find out if I could take that tree down. Each one said, “Who pays the taxes? It’s your tree.”

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Very interesting article by Kiannah Sepeda-Miller, Associated Press, regarding a suburban property tax freeze that has been proposed for Illinois. The article states that Illinois “relies more heavily on local property taxes to finance schools than any other state,” so I expect superintendents would be against any freeze. They—and the school boards—should be fighting for more of those tax dollars to go into the classroom instead of being held for pension ransom. But what bothered me most was that suburban mayors and leaders are opposing the freeze. Understandably, local governments get a dieter’s portion of that property tax pie with which to provide services to residents. But aren’t these also the same leaders who maintain they want to keep taxes down as much as possible? You can’t have it both ways. We taxpayers have to make due and assess priorities in our own budget, when the costs of living and taxes increase at a higher rate than our paychecks. If we have to do that—especially to help pay for others’ nice pensions—then the villages and schools should have to do the same.

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Can Villa Park and Lombard do something about all the commercial lawn signs being placed on public and private property? There are dozens and dozens of the signs advertising lawn mowing for $25—an apparent scam by the way—signs for “deck repair” and now a sign in a front lawn in a residential neighborhood for a dentist. Some of these are attached to stop signs and other roadside poles. Our towns are starting to look way too commercial. Thanks.

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Lombard, what is happening to one of our prestigious neighborhoods? You go down one street; the parkway is loaded with trash bags and cabinets. You go down another street; the people extend their driveway so the neighbor looks out at a parking lot. This could be the reason there are so many houses for sale. Thank you.

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A few clarifications regarding the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad: At the flag stop stations, you pulled on the chain to raise the arm, not lower it. As a prank, kids would sometimes pull the arm up and hide in the bushes to watch the conductor get upset that he had to stop the train to lower the flag when there were no passengers there. Electricity was provided by the third rail only from Chicago to Wheaton. About a half mile west of the Glen Oaks stop was a pedestrian bridge we would hide under to smoke cigarettes. If you look before the foliage grows to cover it every summer you can still see the concrete abutment that supported the bridge on the south slope. As a teenager riding between Glen Ellyn and Lombard, I watched the Cannonball reach 90 mph on the speedometer in the back of the back car. Thank you.