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Week in Review: Fire, School Budgets and Sex Crimes in Court

In the past week, you may have missed stories about the holiday tree lighting, delay in the Ghost Rider trial, an oil leak, the Ellen Show shopping spree winners, Berrios and the family, yet another candidate for Jesse Jackson Jr.’s old seat and others.

MONDAY Song, Dance and Santa at Orland Park's Tree Lighting Ceremony Orland Park ushered in the holiday season with music, face painting, sleigh rides, visits with Santa Claus and more, all culminating in the tree lighting outside Frederick T. Owens Village Hall. Authorities Investigating Online Chat Room in Sex Images Case Kevin Skaritka is accused of sending sexual images sent over the Internet, and he is still facing sexual assault charges from an unrelated case. TUESDAY UPDATE: Orland Park ‘Ghost Rider’ Trial Delayed The 22-year-old man is facing multiple felonies in a case stemming from Youtube videos he filmed speeding while through the village on a motorcycle and avoiding police. Mokena Oil Tank Leak Not a Health Risk, Officials Say…

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Jim Hickey Running for Jesse Jackson Jr.’s Old Seat

The Orland Fire Protection District’s board president announced Thursday that he will be running for the 2nd Congressional District in the upcoming special election.

The race to replace Jesse Jackson’s Jr. just got another runner. James Hickey, the Orland Fire Protection District board president who lost to Rep. Bill Foster in the March primary, announced his intention to campaign for the recently-opened 2nd Congressional District seat. Hickey joins an ever-lengthening list of candidates now including recently re-elected State Sen. Toi Hutchinson, former congresswoman and Hutchinson’s previous boss Debbie Halvorson, former state representative Robin Kelly, former NFL running back Napolean Harris and former congressman Mel Reynolds, who himself resigned from the 2nd district in 1995 after he was convicted of sex crimes. Several other candidates have entered the race, according to CBS. “What the 2nd …

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Names in the News: Who’s Who in Orland Park

James Hickey pushed for all firefighters to live in town. Kathy Passafiume wants to connect drug addicts with those who can help. And John Carmody wants the mayor’s seat.

James Hickey, president of the Orland Fire Protection District Board of Trustees, believes that requiring all Orland firefighters to live within the district’s boundaries will boost the local tax base, and make it easier to handle emergencies requiring a lot of back up. “It would help everything when you’re making everybody live within the district,” Hickey said. “We’ve brought it up, and we’ll bring it up in our union talks. Everyone thought it was a great idea.” Everyone? See what the other trustees had to say about the idea.   Kathy Passafiume, the Orland Township Youth and Family Services clinical director, has seen that shame is a big reason why people don’t seek treatment for drug addictions. She and several other professionals are …

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Hickey: We’re Not Closing Any Fire Stations, Or Cutting Services

The Orland Fire Protection District board also interviewed candidates to take the helm as chief during about four-and-a-half hours in closed session, but did not make a choice Tuesday night.

Residents in the Orland Fire Protection District eager to find out who will assume the fire chief role that has been up for grabs since summer 2011 will have to wait until May. While board trustees and attorneys spent about four-and-a-half hours in closed session interviewing candidates during the monthly board meeting Tuesday night, no final decisions were made. “They are planning to make an announcement of a final candidate at the next board meeting,” said OFPD spokesman Ray Hanania, though he declined to comment on any specifics of the interview process. Board members Chris Evoy, Blair Rhode and Martin McGill also declined to comment on the interviews. Acting Fire Chief Raymond Kay was among those interviewed for the position. Comments …

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Where Should Your Firefighters Live?

Orland Fire Protection District board president James Hickey believes all fire district staff should live within the district’s boundaries, but the other trustees say there are more important issues at hand.

While the Orland Fire Protection District trustees and firefighter representatives discuss the next firefighter contract terms, a residency requirement for all new hires may arise. But that will depend if there is greater interest in the idea than there appears to be now. Board president James Hickey presented the idea that all new hires would have to move within the district after no more than a year from starting their respective jobs during a recent closed session. The point would be to beef up the local tax base with a new crop of spenders moving into the area, and it would help in an emergency if extra people needed to be called in, Hickey said to reporters after Tuesday’s board meeting. “I believe that that would help our local …

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Robert

8:18 pm on Thursday, April 26, 2012

Thank you patchwatcher. An elected village board member from a town up north was very critical of his town's first responders too, until the day he made his 911 call. Some people never know just how important our brave men and women are until they need them. The splattered car containing our loved ones, the overdosed kid, the heart attack victim, ect... They not only treat the sick & injured they…   more ›

Fire District Budget Meetings End With Slightly Higher Figure Than Previous Year

Board president attributes increase of about $6,000 in the 2012 proposed budget over 2011 to one-time required costs.

The last of three budget workshops held with Orland Fire Protection District personnel and board trustees concluded with positivity from both sides of the table. Board president James Hickey said he was pleased with process, where fire district department managers spoke directly to trustees on why and for what exactly they were asking for funding. “They’ve all done a great job in cutting unnecessary costs,” Hickey said. “Everybody’s looking at every penny because we don’t want to lay anybody off. Next week we go over salaries, and we’re hoping to keep it under $29 million (for the total budget).  And we want to budget in there if we will hire anyone new or not.” A lengthy closed session meeting will be held during the Oct. 25 board meeting…

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Trustee to Orland Fire District Staff: Cut More Costs

In the first round of the Orland Fire Protection District’s budget workshops for the upcoming year, staff cut about $1 million in proposed costs, but a trustee asks for more.

The first of three budget meetings with Orland Fire Protection District board trustees, who have pledged fiscal responsibility since April, began with scrutiny but ended with a hopeful outlook toward lessening costs. Trustees will go over each line item of the proposed 2012 budget with district staff at the meetings, though about 80 percent of the budget goes toward salaries and benefits, while another 5 to 10 percent involves state costs, according to board president James Hickey. The remaining costs will be examined in meetings Hickey said were the first he knows of where reporters were invited. “My whole plan for this budget is so we don’t have to lay off firefighters,” Hickey said. “And I want to give the biggest refund check back to …

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Hickey Announces Run for 11th Congressional District, Outside of Orland Township

The candidate, if elected, hopes to eliminate interest on student loans, provide greater tax breaks for corporations who hire new workers, and more.

James Hickey, board president of the Orland Fire Protection District, has officially announced his candidacy for the 11th Congressional District, accompanied by a list of “common sense” ideas for strengthening the economy. In next spring’s primary election, Hickey will challenge Bill Foster, a Democrat who currently represents the 14th Congressional District, as well as a former Aurora Township clerk. The newly redrawn 11th Congressional District extends as far north as Aurora and south to Joliet, outside of Orland Township. In a written announcement, Hickey said Chicago’s western suburbs “deserve a more imaginative and aggressive representative in Congress.” "We don't need another career politician in Washington, D.C., who tells us what …

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Ben Feldheim

9:52 am on Tuesday, September 27, 2011

You're thinking of earlier discussions over what you wrote. This last go around was because of your use of language. I'll forward you the email. Call it what you like, but I didn't create the Terms of Use you agreed to. Have I deleted anything lately? No. Because you're sticking to the terms. Good job.   more ›

Attorney: Potentially Defamatory Remarks Have Krizik Rethinking Retirement Pact

Fire chief's attorney wants to see retirement agreement amended, and says recent claims of inappropriate information found on a laptop could lead to a defamation suit.

Lawyers for Fire Chief Bryant Krizik and the Orland Fire Protection District are working to alter a recent agreement between the two to professionally part ways after claims were made about items on a computer that Krizik’s lawyer says are without merit. Krizik has a legal right to withdraw from voluntarily retiring as fire chief of the OFPD within a week from Tuesday, the day the agreement was made at a district board meeting, said Krizik's attorney Rich Gonzalez. A main component of the agreement was for both parties to stop pursuing allegations of wrongdoing against each other, Gonzalez said. “The spirit of it was to use discretion and let everyone move on,” Gonzalez said. “Since then some wild allegations were made. No one said …

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