Lombard calling. I read that over 1,000 students from Downers Grove North and South high schools will have to serve one hour of detention for walking out of school to protest gun violence last week. According to the story I read, the administration met with students before the walkout and offered several alternatives that wouldn’t disturb the school day. But guess what? These students, who apparently think the world revolves around them, rejected every option. I have no problem at all with students wanting to protest and demonstrate about whatever. Just do it on your own time before or after school. This is how a school district should be run—with the adults, not the students, in charge. Bravo to the administrators at Downers North and South for standing their ground!

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Did you see the sign, the backpacks and marquee at the First Church of Lombard? People from that church and others joined a group who stood outside Glenbard East High School on March 14 to remember and support the movement to protect our children. As one in the group I can tell you it was wonderful to see the kids file into the field and take a stand against violence. Several of the kids even came over to us and thanked us for the support. These kids are our future — and future voters!

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To the person who called in about the tragic incident in Florida, who's tired of the deranged people walking around and getting guns and shooting people—and yes, many calls were received about this young man and unfortunately nothing was done—regardless of what you want to say, be it a deranged person or a normal person, the gun will not lie on the table and shoot unless someone picks the gun up and shoots it. Nobody wants to stop normal people from having guns because normal people respect guns and know how to take care of guns. But laws are needed to prevent people who might be mentally incapable of handling a gun. Background checks are needed; all these things are needed so people who are proper with their guns can have them and people who should not have them cannot have them.

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Hi, this is Lombard calling. I just saw the news where over 300,000 jobs were added to the economy and unemployment is at 4.1 percent. Gee, I wonder who is responsible for that. Could it possibly be President Trump and his economic reforms? And about that affair he reportedly had several years ago, that's between husband and wife. This is not the president who fooled around in the Oval Office with an intern. I mean, come on, all these anti-Trump people need to start looking at reality, and now he's going to meet with North Korea? They backed down, this man lost his bravado? This man's going to meet with the president to avoid nuclear war? Let's give some credit where credit is due.

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To the person who called saying the 19-year-old Florida high school shooter has "mental disabilities," I find your comments to be an insult to individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. To label the shooter in such a way was just plain ignorant. As you point out, the incidence of individuals with such disabilities causing violent harm is very low. Well, yeah. People are not pointing to these individuals, but to mentally/emotionally unstable persons, who clearly have a distorted view of self and/or society, based on real or perceived injustices against them, racial prejudices, etc., all of which published reports say this teen has expressed. Then there are the others who are just plain terrorists, killing for their "cause" or own personal jihad. No amount of gun control will stop them, either.

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This is for the people who want to save Lufkin Pool. I've got a better idea. You said there were 200 people at the meeting who are for it, plus one trustee, let's do some math here. Villa Park will raise everybody's property taxes $250 a year for 10 years, on average, for those 200 people who showed up, that's going to cost $2,500 a person. So, that's in a 10-year span. So if the people are smart and want their pool, why don't they give $1,000 each for the $200,000. They can get their pool then and not raise everybody's taxes. Think about it, Villa Park cannot run a pool, not right anyway, because they should have money in reserve for something like this. You people want the pool? Pay for your own pool.

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This is Villa Park calling. Everyone should look at the front page of the Villa Park Review dated March 8. Look at the pictures of our seemingly misguided trustees and president. Look at the angry smirk on their faces and it tells the whole story; you don't matter. They don't want the pool so you cannot have it. The village cannot have it. This town has apparently had no leadership since the 1970s. Now we are faced with another do-nothing, know-nothing board. Do us all justice. Vote them all out of office, no exceptions. If they have no opposition, just write in Lufkin Pool. Dump them all. They are personally destroying a landmark in our village. Get rid of them, no exceptions.

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I'm curious why the trees are being cut down on Michigan Avenue just north of Jackson Middle School. Very curious. It looks terrible. A bunch of oak trees are knocked down. It doesn't make any sense to me. I'd like an explanation.

Your inquiry was forwarded to the Village of Villa Park. The response is as follows: "The reason the trees are being cut down is to make room for the larger pipes being installed, which will allow for less flooding in the future. This process is all a part of the S. Michigan Avenue/Jackson Pond scheduled work. Unfortunately, the trees had to be taken down, but the community does try to replace or add new trees as often as they are able. More information on the construction can be found here: http://www.invillapark.com/719/South-Michigan-Avenue-and-Jackson-Pond-I. Luckily, there will be no more trees taken down for the construction at this point in time unless they are already dead."—JAC

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There is a saying that "many hands make work light"; also, "many voices make a loud noise!" Please use your voice — and your vote — to stand up against guns and violence. Semi automatic weapons are not for hunting, and not for a peaceful society.

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For the year 2014, the last year reported for the Centers for Disease Control, there were 652,639 abortions. Where is the moral outrage over the killing of all these unborn children?

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All the free stuff I win in the Jewel Monopoly will be gathered up and brought to the Lombard Food Pantry.

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Lombard calling. Us too! My husband and I saw our tax preparer yesterday, and he says with everything else remaining the same, next year we will be paying $300-plus more on our income taxes. I am glad that Congressman Peter Roskam was looking out for billionaires not even living in this state. Maybe they will give him a job washing their yachts once we vote him out of office in November. That new tax law has soured me so much that I won't vote for a single Republican.

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I was at the Maple Street Chapel Heritage Concert this afternoon. We in Lombard are so fortunate to have such great musical talent in our area. All the people who work so hard, a really big thank you. Fantastic concert.

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I would like to respond to the person who turned 71 this month and found he has gotten older since Donald Trump has been elected president. I, too, have gotten older since he has become president. I suggest that maybe we organize a group and wear gray hats and do a march.

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Thanks to the person who corrected the facts about Oak Park having two pools. Elmhurst has also had two pools for over 50 years. I spent many happy summers in both communities. When they built the second pool in south Elmhurst, we young kids could ride our bikes there instead of being driven across town. Same with Lufkin. Having a family-friendly, accessible pool enhances the quality of a community. Children shouldn't have to be driven everywhere. It's busy streets and the railroads to cross to get from the south end to the north end of Villa Park. Save that pool. Thank you.