Celebrating Oak Lawn and
FALL
ON THE
GREEN The Reporter • September 1, 2016 • Section 3
A celebration of Oak Lawn and Fall on the Green: Special section inside
REPORTER
THE Volume LVII, No. 24
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Thursday, September 1, 2016
Oak Lawn adds stop signs after fatal crash By Dermot Connolly Four-way stop signs were recently installed at the intersection of 98th Street and Meade Avenue following a fatal collision on Memorial Day, and at least one trustee would like to see such signage at every intersection. The stop signs requested by neighborhood residents were installed in August at 98th and Meade, after 34-year old Jacqueline L. Chavez-Ruiz, of the 9800 block of Moody Avenue, suffered fatal injuries in a crash there on May 30. The mother of four died at Advocate Christ Medical Center six days after the accident, in which the GMC Suburban she was a passenger in was struck by a Honda Odyssey. Her vehicle, which was headed east on 98th Street, flipped over, when the Honda traveling south on Meade struck it. ChavezRuiz was not wearing a seatbelt, and she was ejected and pinned underneath the Suburban. Since the tragedy occurred, Trustee Bob
Streit (3rd) has been lobbying to get at least some signage at all the uncontrolled intersections in the village. But his idea has not received much support from Police Chief Michael Murray or other members of the administration. “Unfortunately, it took a tragedy to get the signs up at that intersection but I am glad they are there now,” said Streit. “It’s really sad. The same woman (Rose Berry) who circulated the petition asking the Traffic Review Committee for the signs did the same thing in 2003 and was turned down.” Streit said that for safety reasons, at least a “yield” sign should be erected in one direction of every uncontrolled intersection, preferably on the least-traveled of the two streets. But he said Murray told him more signage isn’t needed because motorists will stop paying attention to signs if there are too many, and the rules of the road familiar to all drivers already indicate which car would have the right of way. “Knowing who has the right-of-way
doesn’t matter in a lot of these cases,” said Streit. “Without a stop or yield sign, drivers unfamiliar with the area might just assume the driver coming the other direction has a stop sign.” Streit recalled being a victim of a twocar crash that occurred in 1964, when he was 9, and walking with three friends near the intersection of 107th and Kilbourn. “It was an uncontrolled intersection then, but not anymore,” he noted. He said two cars collided and one went off the road, striking all four boys and putting him in the hospital for two weeks. “We all lived, but like (the Memorial Day collision), it didn’t have to happen. A sign would have at least slowed them down,” Streit said. He said the cost of the signs would be minimal because they are made by the Public Works Department’s sign shop. However, Mayor Sandra Bury is among those who agree with Murray that more See STOP SIGNS, Page 4
Photo by Dermot Connolly
A vehicle stops at one of the new four-way signs installed at the intersection of 98th Street and Meade Avenue in Oak Lawn last month. The intersection one block south of Southwest Highway was made a four-way stop at the request of residents following a fatal accident that occurred there on Memorial Day, May 30.
They’re diving in for Coach Stu
District 230 approves 3-year teachers contract
‘People-Rich’ family of ill coach grateful for support from Richards and the swimming community
The District 230 board began the new school year by approving a three-year labor contract with the 550-member Teachers Association last week and is looking forward to approving a balanced budget for the 13th consecutive year later this month. The new contract approved at the Aug. 25 board meeting includes a 3.19 percent average annual salary increase for each of the next three years, the cost of which will be offset by savings from 17 known retirements at the end of the current school year. Coaches and sponsors of extra-curricular activities at the three high schools in the district — Stagg, Sandburg and Andrew — also will receive a 0.75 percent increase in stipends for each of the three years of the agreement. The Teachers Association voted to ratify the contract on Aug. 24, and both board members and teachers’ representatives credited the good working relationship of both negotiating teams for the success. “We are trying to be fair to our taxpayers and recognize the outstanding job that our teachers do every day in our schools,” Board President Rick Nogal said at the meeting, calling the contract “a solid agreement.” In addition to pay raises, the contract also includes changes to health insurance policies aimed at curbing rising costs. These include limiting insurance choices for new hires to the district to the more affordable HMO or health saving account plans. Teachers will also share in any future increased costs through a greater contribution toward insurance. New wellness initiatives are expected to reduce future health insurance costs. “The contract fits our longrange fiscal plans and is supportive of providing an outstanding education for our students,” said Nogal. “We are really happy to have this contract,” said Teachers’ Association President Michelle Etchason, who led the applause
By Dermot Connolly
By Jeff Vorva Richards hosted its first home girls swimming meet of the season late Tuesday afternoon in Oak Lawn. But 20 miles away, in the heart of Chicago, the man who helped build this team was in a hospital bed at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, starting a journey in which he will try to eat and talk again. Longtime Richards swimming, diving and water polo coach Joel Staszewski, a.k.a. Coach Stu, had gastric bypass surgery performed in June. Complications from a bacterial infection produced stroke-like symptoms, robbing him of his ability to eat and speak. He nearly died because of those complications. During Tuesday’s meet with Argo and Oak Forest, shirts designed by Bulldogs swimmer Sarah Coffman were sold, along with “The Stu Crew’s Lemonade Brew.” Proceeds will go to the family. The coach’s wife, Jill, and children Emma (age 12), Timothy (4), Claire, Nora and Lillian (triplets who just turned 2 at the end of July) were the guests of honor. Jill teared up when talking about the support the family has received during this trying summer. “We don’t like being the center of attention, but we feel really blessed,” she said. “We may not be money-rich, but we are people-rich. The Richards community and the other teams have rallied around us. People are coming out of the woodwork who we never met to help us. They’ve been sending cards to the hospital and cards to the house. We’ve had meals for months.’’ Some of those meals came from one Richards’ opponents — Argo. See COACH STU, Page 7
Photo by Jeff orva
Claire Staszewski, one of the 2-year-old triplets of ill Richards swimming coach Joel Staszewski, cheers on the Bulldogs during Tuesday’s home meet.
Woman reunites with doctor and nurse she credits with saving her life By Sharon L. Filkins Advocate Christ Medical Center was the scene of a happy and tearful reunion on Aug. 23 as two medical staff members met with a woman whose life was saved by their quick actions at the hospital 10 years ago. Michelle Bruno, 26, had tears in her eyes when she met with Dr. Theodore Toerne and nurse Margie Barry-Sheerin. Bruno, who grew up in Oak Lawn, was 16 at the time and a student at Mother Submitted photo McAuley High School when she Michelle Bruno (right) thanks Dr. Theodore Toerne and nurse Margie was taken to the hospital because Barry-Sheerin, whom she credits for saving her life with their quick actions she felt very ill. She credits both when she arrived at Advocate Christ Hospital 10 years ago. Toerne and Barry-Sheerin with
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saving her life when she was brought to the emergency room with a high fever and strange blotches on her body. Bruno said it was due to her amazing recovering and the impact Toerne and Barry-Sheerin had that motivated her to become a nurse. She is now working at the same Oak Lawn hospital where she said her life was saved. “I knew she was really sick and when I saw the blotches I immediately alerted Dr. Toerne,” said Barry-Sheerin. “I knew it wasn’t just the flu and I knew it was bad. I didn’t want to scare her parents, See REUNION, Page 7
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at the school board meeting when it was approved. Etchason added that the new contract is one of many reasons why teachers have come back to school in such good moods. She said the rollout of the oneone technology program, with freshmen and sophomores receiving Chromebooks for use in class and at home, has been a big hit with students and staff. “Although we don’t always agree, we get things done in a collaborative way,” said the board’s education committee chair, Denis O’Sullivan. “I appreciate the professionalism and work completed by the negotiation teams,” said Supt. Dr. James Gay, who said he was “in the background” during the negotiations. “This is a reflection of the strong relationships that the school board and the administration have with our staff. The end result is a fair contract that is respectful of our staff and of the community we serve.” The District 230 board’s next goal will be to approve its 2017 budget at the next board meeting being held on Thursday, Sept. 29 at Andrew High School, 9001 W. 171st St., Tinley Park. The proposed $128,289,627 budget represents a 2.5 percent increase over last year. It would leave the district with $72,951 surplus at the end of the year, up from $46,652 last year. Residents are invited to attend the required public hearing set for 7 p.m., followed by the regular monthly meeting. Because it is a balanced budget, the budget is likely to be approved at the meeting, meeting state law requirements that school budgets be approved during the first quarter of the school year. Gay noted at the meeting the state Legislature is now into its second year without a balanced budget, although a temporary measure approved during the summer is providing funding for education through November. He said legislators are going to wait until after the Nov. 8 election to tackle the budget impasse again.
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