Thursday, May 22, 2014 The Reporter
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Even car experts are stumped by this former Oak Lawn vehicle (Continued from page 3) photos of a couple of those prototypes. As I recall, they were all front-engine cars, and I think one might have been front-drive but am not certain. “C. Orval Selders actually drove those cars when he worked for Raymond Loewy at Studebaker in South Bend, running them around inside the ancient factory buildings at night. He might be able to shed some light on the photos, but I really do not think that the car is representative of what a professional organization would have done. As I say, probably a bodged-up body using existing steel stampings
superimposed on a rear-engine VW chassis.” The magazine located Sedlers. Case closed? Of course not. If the case was closed, you readers wouldn’t have the opportunity to win the bucks and beer. “I must say, I had never seen this vehicle or photos of it.” Selders said. “At first, it just seemed to be some backyard cobbled-up design. But the fact that it bore that identification plate does give it a different perspective. An attempt at styling has been made, so, therefore I think you can disregard it as a ‘mule.’ It looks like a hodgepodge of different parts pieced together
Fins were just coming into vogue when this mystery car was built.
to resemble a Porsche 356 from the front view. The doors look like 356 doors turned around from side to side and hinged to the rear. “As interesting as it may seem, I simply don’t think it had a thing to do with the Studebaker- Porsche project of the 1950s, when I worked for Raymond Loewy. Those body designs were very clean and reminded me a lot of the Simca Swallow of 1951. And as for a design project involving any designer from the Loewy group, I am sure it falls far short of that expertise.” For car geeks who need some more vital information about stuff I know nothing around, a metal identification tag on the luggage compartment says: Volkswagen BAUART: EIGENBAU BAUJAHR: 1951 MOTOR N.R. 2-030596 FARGEST: T.P. 143532 EIGENGW: 800KG V. ACHS-DR: 320KG H. ACHS-DR: 450KG KAROSSERIE: 001 CCM: 1131 ZUL. GES. GEW 1140KG Automotive magazine said it was hand built in 1951, the motor number is 2-030596, the chassis number is T.P. 143532, it weighs 800 kilograms, and it was the only one made. “I’ve been researching this since high school and college,”
Submitted photos
The side view of Phillip Topcik’s mystery car. He does not know themake or model of the car, which was once owned by an Oak Lawn family. Topcik said. “We’re hoping someone knows someone who knew John Greeneltch and who may have an idea of what made and model it is. Someone in Oak Lawn must remember the Greeneltch family and the car…maybe there is someone 70 years old and remember it from high school... What did Mr. Greeneltch tell you? Who made this car? For whom was
it made? What movie? What movie star?” Topcik got in contact with the Reporter last week after he was at a restaurant in St. Auguustine and a former Oak Lawn cop and his wife sat down near him and began talking. This might be his last shot at finding out this information. So ultimate Whatizit? players, send those guesses to
endofil2@gmail.com. You don’t have to put WHATIZIT? in the subject line or get it to us by Monday night. Good luck. If you win, don’t spend the money in one place and share the beer. And I’ll even throw in a buck so you can download Johnny Cash’s tune “One Piece at a Time’’ via iTunes because this story reminds me of that song.
Unguarded criminals in hospital have OL bosses talking By Bob Rakow Staff Report
board to consider an ordinance requiring the hospital to notify Oak Lawn police any time a crimiTwo Oak Lawn trustees are call- nal is admitted to the hospital. ing on the village to re-examine Trustees are expected to discuss its policies with Christ Medical an ordinance at their next comCenter regarding the release of mittee meeting. patients who have been charged Police Chief Mike Murray said with a crime. it’s the responsibility of the law The concern comes following enforcement agency in charge of televised reports that a Lake Sta- a case to keep track of a suspect tion, Ind., man facing murder and or to alert local police and seek attempted murder charges left assistance. Christ Medical Center, 4440 W. Police are notified when a shoot95th St., in February where he was ing victim is brought to the hosbeing treated for gunshot wounds. pital and family or gang members “The system failed us,” Trustee might show up seeking revenge, Robert Streit said. Murray said. Streit asked that the village Streit brought the issue up at
the May 13 village board meeting, saying he heard about Mark Cherry’s departure from the hospital on NBC5 Chicago News. He did not mention that Cherry’s departure from the hospital occurred in February, a clarification made by Village Manager Larry Deetjen. “The incident we’re talking about tonight took place months ago,” Deetjen said. “In this particular case, there was no safety issue.” Trustee Alex Olejniczak said the village should meet with hospital officials to ensure a similar incident will not happen. “We still have to be concerned about how this happened,” Ole-
jniczak said. “It’s going to happen again.” Streit agreed. He added that a suspected murder that leaves the hospital likely requires two things: money and transportation—needs that make him dangerous to the surrounding community. “I think we’re all in danger when something like this happens,” he said. “There were no alerts. There were no emails. He was the subject of a nationwide manhunt.” Trustee Mike Carberry chastised Streit for using the issue to blindside the board. “There was a moment there
when I thought you were bringing it up as a constructive action. Now I realize what you’re selling (and) it isn’t going to work,” Carberry said. “If you’re going to blindside your own people, Bob, that’s not good.” Streit attempted to respond, but Mayor Sandra Bury halted the debate. Cherry surrendered at the Lake County Jail on May 12. He is charged with murder in the shooting death of Rolando Correa, 22, and wounding two others during a drug-related incident in Gary. Cherry was not held under police guard. Gary officers don’t typically guard prisoners outside Indiana
where they have no jurisdiction, Gary police spokeswoman Cpl. Gabrielle King said earlier. Michael Kaufmann, Oak Lawn police division chief, said that Gary police did not inform his department about Cherry’s status as a criminal defendant in a murder case. Christ Medical Center spokesman Mike Maggio refused to comment on this story, but in a previous statement said that the medical center “cannot legally detain a patient against his or her will. Without prior written consent from a patient, the hospital cannot alert another person or agency about a patient’s pending discharge.”
Oak Lawn cops keeping eye on Chicago Ridge officials ‘bite the seat belts this Memorial Day bullet’ on new security cameras The 2014 Illinois Click It or Ticket campaign kicked off May 9. The Oak Lawn Police Department is joining the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois State Police and hundreds of local law enforcement agencies across the state to save more lives by strongly enforcing seat belt laws. In Illinois, as of January 1, 2012, all drivers and passengers must wear seat belts in all seating positions in the car, not just the front seat. During statewide observational surveys conducted by IDOT in 2013, the overall usage rate for rear seat occupants was 77.4 percent versus 93.7 percent for drivers and front seat passengers. “Memorial Day weekend kicks off the busy summer driving sea-
Disservice (Continued from page 1) Until that point, school officials had no reason to doubt the validity of the Krueger’s signature, the superintendent said. Statement Release They had confirmed earlier in the year with the park district’s volunteer coordinator that Krueger was authorized to sign service hour sheets, but no one at the park district had seen the signature, Riordan said. The students who submitted falsified documents indicated
License (Continued from page 1) incident at Chuck E. Cheese. In 2012, a 20-year-old man who was sitting in his car in the restaurant parking lot was shot. The man, a self-admitted gang member, told police he was sitting in his car when shots were fired. Police said that two men walked up to the car and started shooting. The restaurant agreed last year to hire off-duty Oak Lawn police to serve as security. This is not the first liquor commission hearing under Bury’s watch. Earlier this year, George’s Lounge, 5407 W. 95th St., was fined $3,000 for underage drinking and failure to have a liquor license Specifically, the tavern was fined $500 for serving four un-
By Bob Rakow Staff Reporter
that they had finished required service hours by volunteering at Stony Creek Golf Course, which is part of the Oak Lawn Park District. A small number of parents asked the school to consider a different consequence, but “this is our policy,” Riordan said. “There’s no one on this building that’s taking any pleasure in doing this,” he said, adding that most of the students expressed remorse for their actions. The Oak Lawn Park District distanced itself from the controversy. “The Park District was con-
as at the Metra station, parking posal, the mayor said. However, lot and pay box, Tokar said. the cameras images would be fed The live camera feeds will be to the police station. Chicago Ridge will spend monitored at the police station. Cameras at the fire station $55,000 to install security cam- The cameras will be connected would be included in the second eras outside village hall, the to a server that will store the phase of the project, Tokar said. police station and the Metra images. In other business, the board station and parking lot. Installation of the cameras is approved the installation of two Trustees on Tuesday approved scheduled for the end of June. motivation posters in the village Phase 1 of the program, which The Chicago Ridge Public Li- trustees’ offices, leading Trustee also includes a $4,000 audio com- brary also considering installing John Lind to quip to Tokar, “I ponent. security cameras, but they would was hoping we’d hang a poster Mayor Chuck Tokar said the not be part of the village’s pro- of you.” village had analog security cameras several years ago but they eventually fell into disrepair and became obsolete. Four companies responded to — 15% Discount to New Customers — the village’s request for proposals, and Griffon Systems of Elmhurst was chosen for the project. • Typesetting & layout • 67 years of experience The cameras will cost $51,000 • 500 to 250,000 copies • 149 satisfied publishers —Submitted by the and the audio system an addition• We have newsprint & • One-day service Oak Lawn Police Department al $4,000, Tokar said. Twenty-five 50 lb. white paper • Quality Goss presswork cameras will be install as part • Pickup & delivery • We can print from your of the first phase of the project, he said. service available Mac or other disks tacted earlier in the week by Tokar said the cost, which District 229 officials to verify inconsistencies in volunteer forms. is part of the village’s capital The Stony Creek general man- improvements budget, is well 12243 S. Harlem Ave. • Palos Heights, IL 60463-0932 ager confirmed that there was no worth it. “I think it’s high time that we record of these students particiHours: Monday thru Friday 9 am - 5 pm • Sat. 9 am - Noon pating in volunteer hours,” Park bite the bullet on this,” he said. The cameras will be installed Call (708) 448-4000 District Marketing and Public Relations Supervisor Denis Iwin- around the perimeter of village Visit us online: www.regionalprinting.com hall and the police station as well ski said in a statement. “While the Park District offers a wide range of community volunteer opportunities for area students, neither the park district volunteer coordinator or the Stony Creek general manager had any knowledge of the situation.’’
derage patrons on Nov. 9 and an addition $1,000 for not posting a valid liquor license, the second such violation, Bury said. An expired liquor license was posted in the tavern, said police, who could not find a valid license in the state’s database. The $500 fine per violation is the minimum fine that can be assessed by mayor, who also serves as the village’s liquor commissioner. The underage drinking was discovered when police arrived to conduct a spot check, they said. The ID check revealed four underage patrons, one who had a fake ID, police said. The four were charged with underage drinking. Additionally, TC Pub, 9700 S. Cicero Ave., was fined $250 for being open after hours on Dec. 13 and $1,000 because cocaine was found in the office of the establishment when police re-
sponded to a disturbance at the bar that night. The village reached an agreement with the tavern calling on the owner to enforce an employee code of conduct as well as a drug-free workplace policy. Additionally, TC Pub agreed to hire security to be at the bar from 8 p.m. until close on Fridays, Saturdays and other nights that a large is expected. The agreement requires employees to complete the state’s Beverage Alcohol Sellers and Servers Education and Training program. The code of conduct states that the bar’s last call will be at 1:30 a.m., and customers must leave by 2 a.m. Employees must leave by 3 a.m. Employees may not consume alcohol after the bar closes. Friends and customers are not allowed on the premises after close, according to agreement.
son, and we want to ensure that everyone arrives at their destination safe and sound,” said Sgt. Robert Brewer. “Our officers are prepared to ticket anyone, front or back seat, who is not wearing a seat belt.” In 2012, back seat passengers in Illinois accounted for 46 fatalities and over 5,000 injuries. Out of those 46 fatalities, 30 of them were not wearing their seat belt. “Seat belts save thousands of lives every year, but far too many motorists still are not buckling up, especially in the back seat,” Brewer said. “Our goal is to save more lives, so the Oak Lawn Police Department will be out enforcing seat belt laws around the clock, looking for those who are not buckled up, in all seating positions. If you are caught not
wearing your seat belt, you will be ticketed.” Provisional numbers show that during the 2013 Memorial Day weekend there were three fatalities and almost 600 injuries on Illinois roadways. Two of those fatalities were alcohol-related. Remember – wearing your seat belt is your best defense against an impaired driver. While this year’s Click It or Ticket enforcement campaign runs from May 9 through May 26, officers are out enforcing seat belt laws yearround. Buckle up and encourage loved ones to do the same. For more information about the Click It or Ticket campaign, please visit www.buckleupillinois. org.
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