Thursday, January 2, 2014 The Regional News
7
The Regional reviews the news of 2013 Ald. Bylut joins Heights Council (From May 16, 2013)
the gallery. Don’t mistake his absences for indifference, however. Bylut and his D&D Printing teammates were wrapping up their Tuesday Classic Bowling League at Palos Lanes and fending off teams with humorous names such as “Just Here For Beer” “Pull Down Your Pants”
and “Bleep You!!!.” Yes, Tuesday nights are going So, where was Don Bylut all to get a lot more serious and the of this time? 66-year-old retired teacher said Bylut ran uncontested for the he’s up for the task as he takes City of Palos Heights 1st Ward over Prestinario’s seat for his first alderman spot vacated by 12-year full meeting Tuesday. Bylut was veteran Jeff Prestinario, but in resworn in on May 7. cent weeks and months, he hadn’t “I hope to bring stability to the been at meetings to watch from board,” he said. “This city is in good shape, unlike other cities. But there are still too many business vacancies. I’m hoping that in the next four years, we can draw interest in the property at 119th and Harlem Ave. This should be a jewel. It should be a gate to our city. Now it’s just a lot full of weeds. That’s something that shouldn’t be. We’ve had a couple of opportunities in the past to build something there but it didn’t work out. “There are too many vacancies in every strip mall that we have. The old Baker’s Square restauAlderman Jack Clifford (2nd Ward) is sworn in to his new term by rant [6431 127th St.] is looking his brother, Robert, a Cook County Circuit Court judge assigned to bad. There are areas that need the 6th District Courthouse in Markham. work on.”
Bylut has stayed in tune with recent action in the approved Palos Place development in which the old Ben Franklin building in the 12300 block of Harlem Ave. will be torn down and replaced with a three-story multi-purpose structure with retail on the first floor, office space on the second and apartments on the top floor. “Harlem Avenue could use a little height,” Bylut said. “There are so many one-story structures that it has a 1950s feel to it. I like the idea of having a larger building there and from what I’ve seen of the plans, it looks like it will be very attractive. It’s a welcome addition and maybe after it gets built up, something else good can happen on Harlem Avenue.” He calls the city a potential “dining destination of the future” and lauds eateries such as the Harvest Room, Capri, Bon a Pit among others as independent quality restaurants people from all over the area flock to. He said that
Don Bylut is sworn in by Cook County Circuit Court Judge Robert J. Clifford on May 7. huge corporations such as Kmart or Wal-mart may not be interested in coming to the city, but quality independent businesses could draw people. Bylut is a former teacher and bowling coach at Reavis High School and helped guide the Rams to a second-place finish in the Illinois High School Association state tournament and a thirdplace finish in 1984 and 1989.
He was born and raised in Chicago and lived in Evergreen Park before moving to Palos Heights 11 years ago. He spent two terms on the District 124 school board and two more on the District 231 board. For Palos Heights, he will serve as the head of the Water and Sewer Committee and will serve on the Recreation, Finance and Building and Grounds committees.
Eateries want Heights to OK video gambling (From May 23, 2013) Owners of three establishments licensed to serve liquor in Palos Heights are asking the City Council to rescind the city’s ban of video gambling, which is allowed by most nearby suburbs under the terms of the Illinois Video Gaming Act. Representatives of Sam Buca’s restaurant, Trio and X’s & O’s outlined their case for allowing video gambling on their premises before the City Council’s Licensing, Permits and Franchises Committee, chaired by Alderman Michael McGrogan (4th Ward), at the panel’s meeting a week ago Tuesday. Mike Pappas, of Orland Park, of Fair Share Gaming in Tinley Park, a supplier of video gambling machines, also spoke to the panel. He noted that Worth, Palos Hills, Crestwood are Palos Heights’ neighbor suburbs that allow video gambling in establishments licensed to serve liquor by those municipalities. Palos Park and Orland Park, like Palos Heights, have banned
the video gambling that a growing number of localities across the state allow under the terms of the state gaming act. Three residents who are proponents of retaining the city’s video gambling ban, including former mayor Dean Koldenhoven, attended the Licensing panel meeting to oppose lifting the ban. Alderman McGrogan noted that the issue had been brought before his committee earlier this year in a presentation by Sam Buca’s. The panel had asked for information on how much revenue could be generated to the community by video gambling in addition to the permit fees the city could levy on each machine. Pappas and the restaurant owners said video gaming has allowed many struggling establishments to stay in business in tough economic times that have been “rough on bar owners and restaurant owners,” especially since the state’s indoor smoking ban took effect. “The governments in our towns are not supposed to be a moral compass for our people,” Pappas
told the panel. Towns without gaming are losing food and drink sales above and beyond the money they could make from gaming, he added. Pappas also noted that video gaming is a funding source for the state’s “capital bill to rebuild Illinois,” noting that unions are “behind this.” “If I want to gamble, I could walk a few blocks to the gold course, Water’s Edge, and gamble,” he said. Of the 200 or fewer towns in Illinois that have opted out of video gaming, more towns are “jumping in,” Pappas added. Revenues broken down by locality generated by the machines are posted on the Illinois Video Gaming Commission’s website. Trio representative Mike D’Antonio noted that local establishments give to the community by their support of fundraisers for a variety of causes, from local schools to individuals struggling to pay medical bills. “This will give us a shot,” he said. D’Antonio indicated Trio would work hard to make sure the
machines cause no problems for law enforcement. He noted Trio employs doormen. “I will take the machines out of the riff-raff comes in.” Taking his turn at the podium to address the panel, former mayor Koldenhoven urged keeping the ban. “Gambling for some people is an addiction,” he said. “We can live without the revenues. Some people burn up a whole paycheck in the machines. Palos Heights as a city should turn it down.” Karen Hayes added her voice in opposition to rescinding the city’s ban. “We’ve been through this once before — this is not good public policy,” she said. She prefers the status quo of Palos Heights as a “gambling-free zone, a family friendly community,” she said. “I ask this committee to stop it at this point and not send it to the City Council.” Beth Paschall told aldermen she appreciated the previous vote to ban video poker in Palos Heights. She said gambling in neighborhood businesses would create new customers who were not planning on gambling. “Young people don’t
have to have a car, they could go on foot or bicycle. It’s a small step to start gambling. At least in casinos there is strict observation.” Paschall argued also that the city would be on the “low end of the stick” in terms of revenues. She said the cut of every dollar gambled away in the machines would give the operators and bar owners a split of 35 percent each, the state gets 25 percent and the city gets only 5 percent. She argued that video gambling would not be good for the businesses that “are here now.” “The money comes from the pockets of the citizens, our own pockets, and that’s money not being spent at stores.” Sam Buca’s Dominick Buscemi hit the addictions issue. He noted that the city allows the sale of liquor and cigarettes, both of which can be addictive. He added that the machines would be placed in a controlled environment with barriers to prevent those under 21 from gambling. His business is down, as customers dine or drink in towns that allow video gaming, Buscemi noted. “The
rooftop bailed us out, but we are down 15 percent since gaming came in.” Hayes countered that there is a social cost to video gambling. She called it the “crack cocaine” of gambling. She noted local clergy and the League of Women Voters are against video gambling as a revenue source for government period.” Pappas countered that every church he knows of except for the Methodists” do raffles or other types of games of chance to raise revenue. Ending the debate, Alderman McGrogan said he will ask Police Chief Larry Yott to get information and statistics from neighboring towns on any problems they may have with video gaming. “It’s an important decision. It could mean a lot of money that would trickle into our community.” He added that it’s foolish to allow Internet gambling online, yet not in local establishments, and that he found some of the “data compelling” for rescinding the ban.
Pat Bouchard, local journalist helped found the Crisis Center self, she would find someone who did. Once she found a news nugget about a Rhode Island researcher When Pat Bouchard wrote colwho claimed that more people are umns for the Regional News and likely to strike their kids than Reporter in the 1980s, readers were smack their dogs so she talked never sure what they were in for. to a friend who had raised five But it usually wasn’t going to teenagers. be an easygoing read. “Sounds reasonable to me,” the While she concentrated on unnamed friend was quoted as trying to keep local government saying. “My dog never snitched officials on their toes, she was my pantyhose or makeup, he outspoken on a ton of other topics, never told my family secrets to from Grenada to Nazis and somemy in-laws, never borrowed the times got into heated arguments car and got a ticket… with co-workers in the office on “There is just no temptation to columns she penned due to her Pat Bouchard hit a loving beast who accepts you left-of-center viewpoint. Genevieve “Pat” Bouchard year-old Rudolph Hess — Adolpf as you are … however when your died last Thursday at age 85 at Hitler’s right-hand man — being darling blond daughter shows up Autumn Leaves of Orland Park denied televised news and political with pink and blue hair or your son sneaks a beer out of the refrigerator care center. She had served ap- debates in prison. “I think Hess should be exposed … well, that’s another story.” proximately three decades as a Mrs. Bouchard was also a columjournalist, editor and columnist to the blatherings of world politiin the area who once ran for the cians and to the other realities nist for other area newspapers and that are carried into our homes was a past president and founding mayor of Worth in 1981. Pat Bouchard had an eye — and by the nightly newscasts,” she board member of the Crisis Center opinion — for the odd stories in wrote. “Why should a Nazi suffer for South Suburbia. She remained active for 26 years less than the rest of us?” the news. If Mrs. Bouchard couldn’t come with the Crisis Center, serving as For instance, on Sept. 4, 1986, she highlighted an item about 92- up with the right sentiment her- board president from 1985-89. At one time, she was the editor of The Reporter when the paper was owned by the Roelofs family, and she went toe-to-toe and locked horns with then-Regional editor Charles Richards. “Of all the editors they had, she was by far the best,” Richards said. “She was tough. It was difficult for the Regional to compete with her. She beat me more times than I beat her as far as timeliness and depth of a story. She was a key to the success of the Worth-Palos Reporter.” When the Richards family Photo courtesy Crisis Center bought the Reporter in 1986, Pat Bouchard shown at a Crisis Center board meeting. Attorney Charles Richards hired her on General Lisa Madigan is seated at the table. as a columnist. “A large number of people knew of her work and I respected her work,” Richards said. “When she started doing columns for us, her humor began to come out. She was without discount service. a good columnist for us.” Pat Bouchard ran for Worth It’s accident no accidentmore morepeople people trust It’s no trustState StateFarm. Farm. mayor in 1981, bucking up in a ErikR RNelson, Nelson, Agent Agent Erik three-way dance against incum10200S SRoberts Roberts Road Road 10200 bent Dan Kumingo and fellow Palos PalosHills, Hills,ILIL60465-1539 60465-1539 Bus: Bus:708-430-7575 708-430-7575 challenger Arthur Gnech. Kumerik.nelson.hr35@statefarm.com erik.nelson.hr35@statefarm.com ingo won his second term, with 1,673 votes followed by Bouchard (822) and Gnech (376). “She was a good public watchdog for the people and the vilP040036 StateFarm FarmMutual Mutual Automobile Insurance Company in NJ), Bloomington, IL P040036 02/04 02/04 State Automobile Insurance Company (Not in (Not NJ), Bloomington, IL lage of Worth,” Kumingo said Monday. (From June 6, 2013)
D IDSI SCCOOUUNN TT RRAT ATEESS without discount service.
The Rev. Stanley Rudcki led the Palos Symphony under his capable baton.
Photo courtesy Paul Knez
Father Rudcki leaves Palos Symphony legacy (From June 13, 2013) The way the Rev. Martin Michniewicz pastor of St. Alexander Church, sees it, God reveals himself in many ways, including through the arts. So when it comes to the legacy of the late Rev. Stanley Rudcki, Michniewicz said “He gave us Christ through his music.” Rev. Rudcki died May 22 at age 85 and as long as Michniewicz is in charge, Father Rudcki’s name and spirit will live on in the St. Alexander and the entire Palos community. The first step in that direction comes June 23, when conductor Patrick Mooney and the Palos Symphony will perform its annual Independence Day Concert in Father Rudcki’s honor at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, June 23 at the Parish Center. It will be a part of a huge day at the parish as the annual summer picnic also takes place that day, from noon to 6 p.m. The two events traditionally have been separate, but there will be construction done at the center in July and the concert needed to be moved up. The pastor hopes this works out to be a good combination. “There might be some people at the picnic who want to enjoy the concert,” Michniewicz said. “The 10-year-olds are probably not coming to the concert, but we hope some of the adults will want to attend. We want to keep
Rev. Stanley Rudki Father Rudcki’s legacy here for as long as possible.” Many in this area knew Rudcki as an associate pastor from 19951999 and as the driving force behind the Palos Symphony putting on Independence Day and Christmas concerts. The local concerts started at St. Alexander Parish under the Rev. Crosby and continued under the Rev. Edward Cronin. It was a couple of years before Father Rudcki started using the “Palos Symphony” instead of the Niles Symphony that he had up North. Before coming here, he had a rich career as a priest, teacher, musician and conductor that started at St. Michael’s in Orland Park in 1953 and took him
through the Quigley Preparatory Seminary and Niles College Seminary. He was an eight-time conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and conductor of the Niles Symphony Orchestra. In the early 2000s, the Niles Symphony, which features some heavy-duty talent from the Chicago Symphony, Grant Park Orchestra and the Lyric Opera Orchestra, became the Palos Symphony. There were some ideas kicked around about naming it the Palos Heights Symphony, but that was scotched in favor of a more regional-sounding moniker. Palos Fine Arts board member Arlene Sypniewski, who was a part of the think tank that came up with the name, said that Rev. Rudcki meant so much to the Palos area. “He truly elevated the community,” she said. “He brought culture to this area and an appreciation for classical and semiclassical music.” Longtime friend Paul Knez, who knew Rev. Rudcki for 59 years, said Rudcki was a “Renaissance man” who put his faith ahead of all else. “He was a priest first, then a teacher and a musician in that order,” Knez said. “He had a chance to do other things. He was offered a chance to be the director of the Notre Dame Glee Club but turned it down to continue his work as a priest and teacher here.”