Dear Editor,              The Republican leadership was faced with an empty seat upon Steve Williams' withdrawal from the State Representative race in the 35th District on July 16th. Orland Township Committeeman Liz Gorman, Palos Township Committeeman Sean Morrison, Worth Township Committeeman Shawn Murphy, and 19th Ward Committeeman Jim Parrilli decided to perform a search to find a replacement. I was interviewed by Shawn Murphy and Sean Morrison and was subsequently offered the opportunity to represent the 35th District on the Republican ticket.             After considerable reflection, …

March 16, 2012 Dear Editor, I read press accounts of the summit held Thursday, March 15 at South Suburban College that was hosted by Governor Pat Quinn’s Budget Director David Vaught and State Senator Donne Trotter  (D-Chicago). The attendees were ”local elected officials” and among the subjects was the state’s plan to abandon the commitment the state has made to the Teacher’s Retirement System (TRS) and saddle suburban homeowners with the bill.  I have spent this morning reaching out to several fellow school board members in a variety of districts, and the response was universal. None were …

Ridgeland Common Ice Rink. Rat Time. 1982. Blades crunching the hard ice, legs moving like pistons, the kid tore along the side boards until his black-taped stick blade picked up the puck.  He whirled dervish-like without losing a stride and gave a demonstration of dipsy-doodle stickhandling up the ice. None of the players could get near him and when he skated inside the blue line, he let rip with an ear-cracking slapshot, his stick smacking the puck like a fired M-15.  Before the goalie knew that the puck left the kid’s stick, it slammed into the netting behind him, bulging the twine in the …

As a parent with two children in music programs, one at Carl Sandburg High School and the other at Central Middle School, I'm an unapologetic fan of music programs. Sure, I have a biased opinion but what parent doesn't when it comes to their kids? Since our girls were introduced to the music program beginning in 5th grade, my wife and I have watched both girls benefit greatly. The list of benefits is both tangible and intangible, and each has benefited in her own way. What’s funny is that they both enjoy music and as kids that's all they need to understand. However as parents, my wife and I …

  The Huntington Learning Center is celebrating its 15th anniversary in Orland Park. Owners Rick and Beth Brodecki opened the center in December 1997 and the center has been helping students with reading, writing, math, study skills and ACT prep ever since. “Since the center works with a few hundred students over the course of each year, we have literally helped thousands of area students over these past 15 years. That is very gratifying and something about which we are very proud,” said owner Rick Brodecki.   “All three of our children attended the center. Our oldest child was in first grade…

  Our right to vote is the most fundamental right we have as citizens. The right to elect those who will lead us and the right to remove those from office when they forget what they were sent to do should be viewed not only as a right, but as a duty for good citizens. Elections are the cornerstone of our freedoms and liberties.  In 2012 we will be electing people to serve us at every level of government – state representatives and senators, certain countywide officials, members of Congress and the President of the United States.  Each of these have the potential to affect the most important …

Dear Friends, The mission of the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation is to provide comfort and distraction from painful procedures to children and teens who have been diagnosed with cancer by providing a toy, gift or gift card from a treasure chest. During this past December, several local schools and businesses hosted holiday toy drives which resulted in an enormous donation of toys. Each year I am amazed by the fact that these organizations—all located within close proximity to our Orland Park headquarters—are able to provide enough toys to directly benefit children and teens at …

Dear Editor: On Saturday, November 12, 2011, Orland Township hosted its final “Sustainable Saturday,” one of 10 electronics recycling events held since November 2010. From the beginning, the support and participation displayed by residents has been overwhelming, and I would like to thank each individual who contributed to the cause. Because of those willing to donate, each month was a tremendous success. Two hundred and twenty eight tons of electronics, in total, were collected in the past year, a figure that could never have been anticipated. The most recent and final “Sustainable Saturday” …

Dear Editor: During this busy holiday season, I’d like to pause for a moment as Orland Township Supervisor and extend a message to all Township residents, particularly those struggling financially during these troubling economic times. For these Township residents, currently enduring financial hardship, I would like to lend my support and encouragement in seeking out any number of assistance programs and services your Township offers. The Orland Township General Assistance Office administers two distinct financial assistance programs, both of which maintain full confidentiality: General …

Dear Editor: As the economy remains stagnant and expenses continue to rise for American families, especially healthcare expenses, everyone is looking for ways to cut costs to make ends meet. To help my constituents save money and ease some of the financial burdens on their already strained pocketbooks, I have been providing a Coast2Coast RX Prescription Discount Card that has been saving constituents money since June of this year. The card is being distributed free of charge from my district office and from my web site as a download. The card is good at over 59,000 pharmacies nationwide and …

Over the past several years our area has seen the reemergence of the drug heroin. Though this time around it is more pure and potent then it was many years ago. Heroin is a cheap, highly addictive drug and has no clinical/medical use. As the use of this drug increases so does the impact in our communities. The devastation of families, increase in crime (to fund the addiction), robbing our young of their innocence, making some a lifelong prisoner to addiction and in the most extreme cases death. One of the most shocking things is how accessible this drug is. In almost any high school students …

Dear Editor, Fifteen years ago, while running up and down high rises as part of my construction  job in downtown Chicago, my right knee started bothering me more than normal. My doctor told me that the top and bottom bones of my right leg were touching. His remedy was to start swimming.  So for the last 15 years, I have been going for a half hour visit to a pool four to five times weekly, either at Riviera Sports Center on 143rd or Palos Health & Fitness on 154th & West Ave. The State of Illinois has now determined that certain drains are unsafe and a source of suction could prove fatal. …

Dear Editor, After reading the letter to the editor by Orland Park Trustees Gira and Schussler regarding the public financing of a privately owned apartment building known as "Ninety 7 Fifty," I must address several of their points. In their letter, Gira and Schussler complain that Trustee O'Halloran is doing my bidding? Is it doing my bidding because he is displaying a conscience when it comes to saddling the taxpayers with a record amount of debt? Is it doing my bidding because he decided to openly share his views with his fellow Orland Park residents? O'Halloran is an elected member of the…

We have decided to explain our position in light of Orland Park Trustee Brad O’Halloran’s recent decision to send an open letter to the media regarding his position on the Ninety 7 Fifty project. Trustee O’Halloran is certainly free to vote as he chooses, however, it is inappropriate to address an open letter to the Mayor and then send it only to the media. He could have shared those concerns with the rest of the board and perhaps swayed others to his beliefs.  Why would someone go to the media before sharing his thoughts with the board with whom he professes to work? The two questions that …

The Village of Orland Park seems to be working hard to convince the public that the Main Street Triangle plan will bring jobs and economic development to our community. It is no secret that 80% of the jobs will go to people who do not reside in Orland Park and those jobs will be temporary and leave upon completion of the project. But clearly, the people in Orland Park do not believe what they are being told. Is it because the village is not being honest or could it be simply that the village is doing a poor job of conveying the financial facts despite having multiple public relations entities…

I have been a trustee in the Village of Orland Park for the past 18 years. While there have been many challenging issues during this time, none has had the potential economic impact on the Village’s finances to the degree the proposed “9750 On The Park” project will have. As such, it is the single biggest financial vote in 20 years. When I first became a trustee the village’s overall debt was around  $18 million, today it is $79 million. The proposed 9750 project would almost double that debt to $144 million.  To put things in perspective, the 9750 project’s debt of $65 million is greater …

Question, should the Village of Orland Park become a landlord? It reminds me of the federal government running General Motors and banks. Was the federal government qualified to run a private enterprise? No. What we have in OP is an administration that is running away from the truth. For almost 10 years the administration has tried to come up with a plan/solution for the Metra Triangle, and for 10 years they keep making changes. No developer was willing to put up the money for this project. To save face, the administration has found a way to build the development with taxpayer money. Hello, …

This is an exciting time for the Village of Orland Park as we embark on the next chapter of the village’s history with the expansion of Downtown Orland Park. We have spent the last several years making this a reality for our community and it’s with great anticipation that the village has announced the first phase of re-development for this area, Ninety 7 Fifty On The Park.  First of all, the public needs to know what we are trying to achieve with our Main Street re-development. It is very simple. If we don’t invest in our community, if we don’t carefully plan for our future and our children’s…

For some time, the Mayor and Trustees of Orland Park have been proposing a “Downtown” Orland Park development plan.  A cornerstone of this plan is to be a Luxury Apartment/Commercial Complex to be built adjacent to the Metra Train Station at 143rd Street.  As these plans are now being finalized, it has come to light that contrary to what was previously assumed to be a private-public partnership, is in fact a plan where the village will be financing 95% of this project through its bonding authority. Now you will have a monumental decision that impacts all of the taxpayers in the community.  It…

As Orland Township Supervisor, I’d like to offer my whole-hearted support to the Village of Orland Park, as it continues to compete in Pet Safe’s "Bark For Your Park", a national dog park contest. As many may know, Orland Township is comprised of Orland Park, Orland Hills and Tinley Park. I encourage residents, non-residents and anyone who may benefit from a dog park in Orland Park to take the time to vote at www.bark4op.com. There is strength in numbers and the Township as a whole supports this venture.  Orland Township is an area rich in its community spirit. Many times, I have witnessed …