THE 2 SECTIONS 22 PAGES
Volume LIV No. 13
R EPORTER Serving Chicago Ridge, Evergreen Park, Hickory Hills, Oak Lawn, Palos Hills and Worth
USPS 118-690
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Thursday, June 6, 2013
Evergreen adopts ‘flip’ ordinance Buying, renovating and then selling THEa home in the village could cost you Baseball
Mustangs’ run 2 SECTIONS 22 PAGES ends with loss to Hilltoppers Volume XLVII No. 50
Softball
Marist upset by Sandburg in sectional final In Sports OL Park Dist. will use $4M in grant money for upgrades Oak Lawn opens new Senior Center Stories on Page 4
Reader Poll Should ComEd compensate Oak Lawn residents whose electrical appliances were damaged during a power surge in March? Vote on Facebook at The Reporter or at thereporteronline.net, call us at 448-6161 or email thereporter@comcast.net
R EPORTER
By Laura Bollin
Police News.....................2 Our Neighborhood..........4 Sudoku...........................4 School...........................5 Commentary...................6 Consumer.....................7 Crossword......................8 Death Notices.................8 Calendar........................11
columnists Dee Woods...................12 Wine Guy......................12
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amount owed to the village will be deducted from the cash bond, Evergreen Park trustees on and the owner will be refunded Monday voted unanimously to the remainder. amend the village’s building code The ordinance amendment was ordinance and require home-buy- proposed by Evergreen Park Builders who plan to renovate and then ing Commissioner Ed Clohessy. sell – or “flip” -- their houses to Clohessy did not return multiple pay a $10,000 cash bond. calls placed during the past two The bond will weeks seeking Chicago Ridge, Evergreen Park, Hills, Oak Lawn, Palos Hills and Worth Thursday, March 1, 2007 be required Serving for comment for Hickory this ‘We want our neighbor- story. vacant residential buildings hoods to remain strong and “People come that will not into town and be occupied by secure. We are not here to rehab and rent Chicago Ridge resident Karen Bruck and her friend, Keri Saikin of Detroit, hold hands during the owner. see flippers make money… homes, and we the opening lap of the Relay For Life of Tinley Park/Orland Park, held last Saturday at Tinley Park The amendwant the work This is not about people done properly to High School. Bruck, a cancer survivor who lost her husband to the disease, was the event’s keynote ment states speaker. the bond will who want to buy something give them an inbe returned to vestment in the and make a fast buck.’ the home-buycommunity,” Sexer in 30 days — Evergreen Park Mayor ton said. “There if the planned has been an influx Jim Sexton of homes bought renovations are completed and by large companies a certificate of that don’t reside in occupancy has been issued. Ad- Evergreen Park. They buy and fix ditional $500 bonds for plumbing the homes, then rent them. We want and electrical work will also be our neighborhoods to remain strong required. If the work is not com- and secure. We are not here to see pleted within 30 days, the village flippers make money.” way ComEd handled things, he due to a power surge,” Olejniczak will notify the homeowner he or Sexton said the ordinance will By Laura Bollin said. said. “They said they did a forshe has an additional 30 days to protect the residents of Evergreen Energy provider ComEd has in “I thought Oak Lawn residents mal investigation, but they didn’t complete the work. If the work is Park. not completed after that second 30- “If you live here, this will raise formed Oak Lawn village officials and officials were very, very com- share any information. They were day period, the village will complete the value of your home,” Sexton it will not compensate customers municative with ComEd, and I judge, jury and decider throughthe work at the owner’s expense said. “This is not about people for damage caused to comput- thought what was being asked out this whole process. It was plus an administrative fee that is who want to buy something and ers and electrical appliances by was more than fair and reason- unfair and one-sided.” a power surge in March. able,” Deetjen said. Olejniczak said ComEd is 25 percent of the project’s cost. The make a fast buck.” The surge purportedly caused ComEd has called the incident making too much money off of by a raccoon on March 10 knocked an “act of God” and claims no residents, and that municipalities out electricity to more than 1,000 responsibility, which has irked must to “stand together” against residents. The incident fried com- Olejniczak. the electric company. puters and other electrical appli- “Oak Lawn is a working-class “They are the only company I ances, according to Oak Lawn community,” the trustee said. know of that sets and increases village officials. “People are doing without tele- their prices, and tells you what Oak Lawn village manager visions and computers because a great job they are doing,” Oleand definitely foresee having it Larry Deetjen and Trustee of ComEd’s inability to prevent jniczak said. “Anytime somethere this summer, along with Alex Olejniczak (District 2) plan a power surge. I am passionate thing happens with a power next summer, as well,” Bennett to take the case to the Illinois and vocal about this, and I am outage, it is somebody else’s stated at the Palos Hills City Commerce Commission, which not going to stop.” fault. Residents of Oak Lawn Council’s Committee Meeting regulates ComEd and will deter- The surge and outage occurred need to stand up to ComEd, held May 30. mine if the company must pay early on a Sunday morning in an and residents throughout IlliBy Kelly White The city is hoping to ink a for some or all of the damage. area bounded by 87th and 99th nois need to stand up to them. Correspondent 10-year deal with Moraine Val- The village plans to bring the streets and Cicero and Central Until we unite together, they ley Community College to hold matter to the commission within avenues. will continue to blow smoke Palos Hills Friendship Fest the fest on the Triangle, Ben- the next week. “They said all claims were de- about how great the power will move this summer back nett added. Deetjen is disappointed in the nied for the massive power outage system is.” to its original location on the Friendship Fest 2013 is schedso-called Moraine Valley Tri- uled to feature Woody’s Menagangle. erie Educational Wildlife Show, The city’s annual summer Jo Don Farms Petting Zoo and festival, scheduled to be held Pony Rides and a car show, in Thursday, July 11 through Sun- addition to the always popular day, July 14, was held the past carnival and beer tent. The muthree years on a piece of prop- sical headlining act will be The erty in the 10900 block of 88th Beatles tribute band American Avenue. The event will return English, and other acts schedthis year to a triangular plot uled to perform include Infinof land owned by Moraine Val- ity, R-Gang, The Breakfast Club, ley Community College at 107th Modern Day Romeos, The DifStreet and 88th Avenue. ference and Epic. A fireworks “We have held the Friendship display will close out the fest Fest at this location in the past on Sunday, July 14.
Walk of life
ComEd denies responsibility for damaging power surge
OL officials plan to contact state Commerce Commission
Friendship Fest heading back to Moraine Triangle American English will again headline city’s summer bash
Manhole worries prompt resident to address Village Bd. By Laura Bollin
index
USPS 118-690
A Worth resident who claims he saw a manhole cover blow off of a sanitary sewer during a storm last week is worried about a potentially dangerous situation Jack McGrath told the Village Board at its meeting Tuesday that a Metropolitan Water Reclamation District manhole cover had been moved off of the sanitary sewer on a sidewalk on the west side of Ridgeland Avenue at 109th Street at 11:45 p.m. May 28. “It is right in the middle of the walkway, and with the cover off, that is 150 feet, or 15 stories, straight down,” McGrath said. “We have to go back to the drawing board, and something has to be done. That cover is usually lifted by a crane. It is a dangerous situation.” McGrath alerted the Chicago Ridge and Worth police departments, which both responded to
his call, he said. An MWRD worker replaced the 800-pound manhole cover later that night. The cover weighs about 800 pounds. McGrath warned a man on his bicycle about the open sewer, he said. “I saw him almost go into the hole,” he added. Worth Public Works Superintendent Wayne Demonbreun confirmed the manhole cover had been replaced, and said the village is working with the MWRD to find a more permanent solution. “The cover blew off because of the storm and air pressure,” Demonbreun said. “It’s not the first time it has happened.” McGrath is worried about the cover coming off again. “It was put back on, until the next time it comes off,” McGrath said. “It’s an opening right in the center of the sidewalk. There were no lights on, the power was out. It is dangerous.”
Submitted photo
McCord will go a ‘Little Bit Country’ Country will be this year’s theme for the McCord Gallery & Cultural Center’s annual fundraiser planned for Saturday, Oct. 5. So save the date as this year’s event will definitely be a rootin-tootin, heel kicking good-time. The event will take place at the historic Willowbrook Ballroom in Willow Springs, where there will be plenty of room for two-stepping and line dancing. And to add more to the fun Arlene Adams, event chair, announced that Joel Daly, retired ABC- 7 newscaster, will be McCord’s guest of honor. Many may recall watching Joel Daly and his co-anchor Fahey Flynn for many years as the high rated “Eyewitness News Team.” Joel also has a love of country music and performed with the country band The Sundowners, playing guitar, singing and yodeling. Don’t miss this chance to meet him and hear his great stories. He was recently welcomed at McCord by committee members, Cynthia Weglarz, Arlene Adams and Carol Trzcinski (pictured above). Plan for an evening of great country music, food and dancing. This event is McCord’s major fundraiser and keeps the McCord House open as a welcoming home for the arts. The event will also include live and silent auctions. If you are interested in helping with the event, call 671-0648 for more information. McCord Gallery & Cultural Center is at 9602 W. Creek Road (129th and La Grange), Palos Park.