YMCA CANCELS DEVELOPER CONTRACT AS LAND SALE LAWSUIT DRAGS ON

The deal is dead, leaving the future of the northeast corner of La Grange Road and Ogden Avenue, the adjoining Gordon Park and a pending lawsuit challenging the sale of public park land very uncertain.

The Greater La Grange Area YMCA announced Dec. 2 it has cancelled the contract for the proposed sale of its 4.3-acre property in downtown La Grange with Atlantic Realty Partners, refusing to negotiate with the developer for a reduced sale price.

One thing, however, is for certain, and that is the YMCA intends on tearing down the former Rich Port YMCA property -- to perhaps clear the land and make it more attractive for redevelopment -- but the question is when since no exact timeline has been set.

"We are currently considering a number of bids from contractors in the area," revealed YMCA spokesman Christopher Ganschow, "with the purpose of demolishing the building."

In recent weeks, Atlantic asked the YMCA to amend the contract: “to substantially reduce the price of the property citing the current economic downturn," stated Ganschow of the pact entered into some three years ago. A reply was arrived at on Dec. 1.

"To agree to this would deprive the YMCA of a substantial portion of the monies it must raise to fund a new La Grange area YMCA," he added. "The YMCA has refused to accept Atlantic's attempt to renegotiate the price and has cancelled the contract."

The 'bottom line," said Ganschow, is that in order to serve the best interests of the people in its service region, the YMCA "could not accept the (new) number that was on the table," adding, 'We're not talking about nickels and dimes here ... but a substantial amount."

Despite the setback, the YMCA board stated it intends "to continue to fulfill its mission" in the La Grange area by continuing to operate its facility on 31st Street in La Grange Park. Talks also continue with McCook and other nearby communities to build a new YMCA.

"We're going to keep our eyes and ears open to any suggestions ... from all quarters," he said. "We're maintaining communication with all communities until we can execute a transaction."

The contract cancellation will obviously impact resolution or continuation of the ongoing litigation over the proposed sale of a 2.82-acre slice of land in Gordon Park that was supposed to be part of the deal. The purchase would have paved the way for a retail/residential complex called La Grange Place where the shuttered Rich Port YMCA still stands, but it has been delayed for the past two years.

The next hearing, which was to address the Park District's petition attempting to conclude the issue, was to be heard in Cook County Circuit Court on Dec. 19.

Settlement talks in the lawsuit pitting longtime La Grange resident Orlando Coryell and the Park District of La Grange apparently took place after the last hearing held Nov. 19, to seemingly no avail. A settlement would mean an end to the two-year court battle.

But despite a proposed out-of-court settlement presented to the Park Board Nov. 12 by the La Grange Friends of the Parks, Park District commissioners were not budging as recent as Nov. 19. The board is scheduled to meet again Dec. 17.

The Friends, through the head of its legal team, La Grange attorney Tom Beyer, presented its proposals to all parties involved, a copy of which was obtained by http://www.onlagrange.com/.

The proposal would have resulted in the project approved in 2008 to be drastically reduced due to economic worries, to 236 from the originally proposed 306 apartments, to 18,000 square feet retail from the original 30,000 and a parking garage one-fourth smaller in size. Proposed row houses to be built on the park land were also nixed from the project.

The Friends state it would agree to the sale of one parcel of land of less than one acre east of the YMCA and leave the much-disputed Shawmut parcel dedicated as open space, with proceeds of that set aside for future parks.

'The Park District will only get some of the funds it seeks," wrote Beyer, "but some parkland will be preserved, the village of La Grange and its residents will see an eyesore removed and an increase in tax revenues and the YMCA will be able to get on with building its new facility."

However, after presenting its response and counterproposal privately and engaging in talks with objectors after court Nov. 19, the Park Board that night defended itself publicly at its regularly scheduled meeting.

Contending the district "is not opposed to settlement of this dispute," a lengthy statement read into the record at the last board meeting Nov. 19 by Mary Ellen Penicook rejected outright the proposal from the Friends and Beyer "removed from reality" with some points the district cannot satisfy by law and some decisions over which it has no control.

The 3-page message from district attorney Rob Bush called the Friends' Nov. 12 settlement offer "a step back" from the objector's previous proposal and added "it has become abundantly clear ... the purported desire of (Coryell and the Friends) these past months to settle was, and continues to be, a delay tactic."

Before ticking off a litany of reasons why it rejected the settlement offer, Bush's letter challenged the objectors to "commit to engaging in meaningful discussions that do not further waste the valuable time and resources" of the district and its residents.

The response to the eight-point proposal, in short, was that the district has no control over density, arguing that is between the developer, Atlantic Realty Partners, and the village; it rejects entering into an "illegal" contract with the objector that would commit it in perpetuity to an acquisition reserve in an amount greater than the total amount it would have earned from the transaction in the first place; it "cannot agree" to a demand that the Shawmut parcel be forever dedicated as open space because it is needed as an access for emergency vehicles and the effective use of the park; it cannot bind future boards from determining the highest and best of any park property; that a settlement should be incorporated in a written document and that objectors shall not be reimbursed for its costs since the entire effort of the "small group of objectors" continues even though residents did approve the property transaction by referenda.

Calling the Friends' proposal "unfair" and "one-sided" in favor of their wishes, it acquiesced to the sale of just one parcel -- comprised of a maintenance shed and asphalt parking area -- in Gordon Park upon ARP's agreement to limit its purchase to that parcel upon terms and conditions set by the district.

In exchange, however, Coryell must agree to dismiss (withdraw) his appeal and his objections to the sale and forgo objecting to any further proceedings in the matter.

Such a compromise would result in the district receiving more than $3 million less in revenue, the statement read, adding doing so would "end this tiresome and costly conflict" and allow the district and village 'to turn to more positive efforts."

Village, Landlord Sued Over Rejected Pawn Shop

The man who was stripped of his plans to open a controversial pawn shop in downtown La Grange after being granted a license to operate such a business in a vacant retail space at 71 S. La Grange Road earlier this year is suing the village, its elected officials and his landlord.

Andrew Grayson, who filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court's Law Division Oct. 30, had proposed operating All Star Jewelry and Loan in the space formerly occupied by Hollywood Video, now simply wants the money back which he invested.

"What he's looking for is some compensation for the amount of time he has expended in all of this," said Grayson's attorney, Daniel Rice, who added the suit is seeking the court division minimum "in excess of $50,000" even though that is "not really a meaningful amount" due to the fact his damages are, in a sense, continuing as long as he is denied the right to operate.

However, Grayson "is only seeking money at this point" and not the right to do business in La Grange, Rice said.

The suit, a copy of which was obtained by www.OnLaGrange.com, also seeks court costs and $15,470 from landlord John Brannen of Fifth Avenue Property Management, and its trustee, Oxford Bank, representing the unreturned security deposit and rent.

Rice said the suit clearly indicates it was his client's position the lease was contingent on operating a pawn shop, and when that didn't happen, he should have been reimbursed his deposit and rent.

Neither Brannen nor his firm could be reached for comment on the case.

Grayson, whose proposed pawn shop was eliminated by the Village Board as a new non-permitted use in the C-1 central business district on July 13 after controversy erupted over his being granted a business license by Community Development Director Patrick Benjamin, filed the suit only after unsuccessful talks to reach an out-of-court settlement. "But those (talks) fell through," said Rice.

The deal, which would have granted Grayson and Brannen an equal split of a proposed $250,000 settlement, was presented after it was clear Grayson would not be given permission to open the shop.

Grayson, a veteran U.S. Marine who had previously managed a pawn shop, contended he had already hired an architect to begin designs for the business and had invested a lot of time, money and reputation in the venture and needed to be compensated.

"The main problem," said Rice, "is they didn't address (Grayson's) time and effort" spent on setting up his business, adding Grayson "talked to (Benjamin) and he was assured there would be no problems."

The opposition to Grayson's proposal came not only from Zoning & Planning commissioners in recommending pawn shops be declared non-permitted uses, but from the La Grange Business Association and its former president, downtown restaurant owner Michael La Pidus -- who claimed the LGBA's stance was bolstered by hundreds of angry email writers.

At the same time the board banned pawn shops, it also declared other types of businesses, such as swimming pool and lumber sales, as non permitted uses in the same zoning district, actions Rice called "smoke and mirrors" to cover up its real intentions.

"I would regard those (other new non-permitted uses) as just a pretext, smoke and mirrors, just to make it appear they were making a sincere amendment to the ordinance.

"They indicated they had an ordinance on the books since '91 and since Grayson came along it needed a comprehensive overhaul," Rice further suggested. "I think that's just a pretext they came up with in order to knock out Grayson. They needed some cover."

After Grayson was ultimately rejected -- a day after he and his wife had a baby -- he expressed anger over the false public perceptions of his chosen industry and mostly the lack of "common courtesy" provided to him by a village whose officials initially embraced him.

"I had the courtesy of being told by other villages not to bother pursuing a license (in their communities)," he told www.OnLaGrange.com following the unanimous board vote in July. "That's why I'm so disappointed. I wasn't given the same courtesy here in La Grange."

While resident Melody Holt, who attended the meeting, decried the board vote as "business as usual," those who defended the ban said it was the right thing to do and "in keeping" with a community which has spent years trying to improve its image and attractiveness to upscale business interests.

MORE SAFETY ENHANCEMENTS ON 47TH

It's been nearly five months since residents packed into La Grange Village Hall in a resounding call for roadway and pedestrian safety improvements in response the May 18 death of Countryside mother Cari Cook, not just where she was killed by a passing motorist as she crossed 47th Street at 8th Avenue -- but throughout the village.

Almost immediately, the village launched studies of that stretch of state roadway, made additional handicapped-accessible curb cuts that aligned previously mismatched sidewalks on both sides of the street, threw up traffic safety bollards at key crossings and speed trailers in an effort to reduce speed and wake up careless drivers.

Though the village expressed its ultimate interest in taking over jurisdiction of 47th from East Avenue west to Willow Springs Road and eventually softening its four-lane grid into a lane in each direction with a center turn lane and enhanced parkways, the only gift the state has granted so far was to quickly reduce speed in the high-traffic corridor to 30 from 35 mph.

But on Oct. 26, the Village Board unanimously waived the formal bidding process and awarded a $28,060 construction contract to McCook-based Meade Electric for the installation of enhanced pedestrian crossing at 47th and 9th Avenue -- a block from where Cook died -- the first leg of a village wide strategy to improve pedestrian safety on state roadway corridors and a template for future possible upgrades elsewhere in town.

However, proposed improvements to the intersections of 52nd Street and La Grange Road and 47th and Waiola Avenue at Waiola Park still have to be given the green light by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Proposed improvements will include additional advanced warning signs, installing advanced warning "in-ground" lighted pavement markings and dual flashing signpost-mounted pedestrian-activated yellow beacons "to alert motorists (of pedestrians) crossing the roadway," according to Public Works Director Ryan Gillingham.

"It's the first intersection to receive improvements ... and there are other intersections we've targeted," said Gillingham, who noted the restriping of the road was also completed late last week and added all pedestrians will have to do is "push a button" to engage the yellow warning lights.

The description of the project was outlined at the behest of Trustee Mike Horvath, who suggested residents viewing the meeting on public-access LTTV need to learn about the project details since the contract was only briefly noted as part of a consensus omnibus agenda.

Trustees previously signed off on a contract with consultants KLOA Inc. to design the improvements and IDOT has already approved permits for the work based on submitted plans and specifications.

The board also agreed to purchase needed materials in advance from a firm called Traffic Control Protection, since some of them could take up to two months or more to be delivered. Those include illuminated pedestrian signs, flashing beacons, ground-mounted pavement flashers, pedestrian push buttons for 47th and 9th.

Although the company proposed installation of the ground-mounted pavement flashers in the amount of $11,575, village staff solicited quotes from both Meade and La Grange-based Lyons Pinner Electric, who have each installed the equipment on past projects. Yet while Pinner's $28,524 quote included a pavement marker installation for $1,510 cheaper than Meade, the base quote of Meade was nearly $2,000 less and the total nearly $500 less than Pinner.

In a related move, the board approved the launching enforcement of amended intersection sight distance ordinance requirements, which will give residents living on corners where vehicular and pedestrian sight lines of oncoming traffic are blurred or otherwise blocked from view by trees, shrubbery and fencing. The amended ordinance was also approved that night.

When Horvath asked how the edict will be communicated to residents and property owners, Village President Liz Asperger said it will be handled on a case-by-case basis, through both complaints and "basic outreach" by the Public Works Department.

Gillingham said residents are given 20 to 30 days to meet compliance and "make suggested modifications" to whatever is causing the obstructions on private property.

The code was last updated 13 years ago and was updated this time to establish consistency with the most current (2004) published guidelines of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

The crux of the change in the code is that the prior code assumed vehicles in all directions must have the same intersection sight distance and does not factor in the presence of a stop sign into the sight area calculation, while the updated regulations assumes a motorist will stop at a stop sign and look in both directions before proceeding into the intersection.

Plus, the prior code mainly relied on whether a street was a local, collector or arterial route in determining the clear sight area.

TEEN PILOT SURVIVES PLANE CRASH

Police in Peoria, where 17-year-old Scott Hall of La Grange survived a fiery explosion of a small Piper Cherokee aircraft following a death-defying emergency landing on a usually busy city intersection last weekend, say they couldn't believe he was the pilot when he casually walked up and introduced himself at the crash site.

Perhaps it was luck or the teen's expertise at the controls, or perhaps it was some sort of divine intervention, but the Lyons Township High School senior not only miraculously walked away from the engulfed plane uninjured at 7 p.m. Oct. 17, but landed it 10 miles northeast of the nearest airport on a roadway a police spokesman said is typically congested with traffic.

"I'm a little bit stiff, but other than that, I'm not hurt," Hall told WBBM-AM on Oct. 18. "I truly believe it was a miracle that nobody was hurt."

Witnesses from a nearby service station and automobile dealership said when the plane dropped from the sky in the middle of the four-lane street, the pilot somehow also avoided power lines before skidding about 100 feet and immediately bursting into flames.

Hall, however, somehow escaped from the cockpit and walked away, then approached police and fire personnel shortly thereafter as they began looking for the pilot.

Neither he or his family were publicly commenting on the incident after the Federal Aviation Administration announced it was launching an investigation of the crash, but authorities said Hall, an experienced pilot, was a bit shaken up. The probe is not expected to conclude until mid-November at the earliest.


"He's not talking to anyone right now," his mother said Oct. 20.
Hall has been taking private flying lessons for the past two years and is working toward his commercial license. He was on a practice planned round trip solo flight from Chicago to Peoria and back when his engine failed or lost power some 4,000 feet in the air shortly after taking off back home from the General Wane A. Downing Peoria International Airport.

An aviation student at LT, Hall earned his pilot's license six months ago.

According to published witness reports, Hall's plane first clipped a light pole before touching down and crashing -- but not before he escaped out the plane's passenger door to safety.

Peoria Fire Department Division Chief Gary Van Voorhis said Hall declared a Mayday at 3,000 feet and was directed to the private, one-runway Mount Hawley Airport on the outskirts of town for an emergency landing, but could not make it.

Hall was transported to a nearby hospital for routine observation, but released soon after.

The plane, owned by an aviation company in St. Charles, was destroyed.

Father knows best

At the end of his junior year, Hall was the profile of a feature in the Graduation 2009 school newsletter ROAR.

The article stated Hall got an early start in aviation from his pilot father, John Hall.
Hall said he remembered sitting on his father's lap at the controls of a flight simulator as a child.
Hall also participated in a Young Eagles program through Aurora Airport, in which volunteer pilots such as himself take children on a brief flight and explain general aspects of aviation and the flight process.

At the time, he had earned a license to operate a single engine non-instrumentation plane, and expressed hopes of earning a ground instructor's license so he could teach at the airport.
As of this past spring, Hall was eyeing an education at Lewis University in Romeoville, known for its excellent aviation program, and a possible stint in the United States Air Force ROTC.

But if he enters as planned in the fall of 2010 following his graduation from LT, he is likely to enter as a sophomore because of the advanced credits he has earned through LT's aviation program.

2009 CHURCH WALK BENEFITS HUNGER

Parishioners of more than 20 area churches will be doing their part to raise awareness and donations in support of world hunger relief in an annual walk through La Grange and Western Springs this weekend.

The 26th Annual Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty Walk, scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, will kickoff at First Presbyterian Church of La Grange, 150 S. Ashland Ave.

Walkers will step off at 1:45 p.m. -- rain or shine -- at First Presbyterian, then go south on Catherine, to Elm Avenue and down to Goodman Avenue in La Grange, then westbound to Howard Avenue in Western Springs and up to Burlington Avenue for a midpoint restroom break at Western Springs Baptist Church.

The walk will then continue down the south side of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad tracks to Gilbert Avenue, then back to Elm and up Catherine to the host church -- where an ice cream social will be held in the First Presbyterian Fellowship Hall.

Teams include walkers from Christian Reformed Church of Western Springs, Emmanuel Episcopal of La Grange, First Congregational Church of La Grange, First Presbyterian of La Grange, First UMC of La Grange, First UMC of Western Springs, Grace Lutheran of La Grange, Lyonsville Congregational Church in Indian Head Park, Presbyterian Church of Western Springs, St. Barbara in Brookfield, St. Cletus in La Grange, St. Francis Xavier in La Grange, St. John Lutheran, St. John of the Cross in Western Sprin8gs and Western Springs Baptist Church.

Since 1984, the walk has benefited Church World Services' world missions and six local food pantries to the tune of more than $520,000 in donations, by forming teams and seeking contributions both in-person and online. To date, the walk has raised more than $5,000 from online donors alone.

Last year, the walk attracted 274 participants and raised $31,260. This year, the goal is more than 300 walkers and $35,000 in pledges from walkers and local businesses which are serving as sponsors.

Walkers are allowed to bring dogs, as long as they are on leashes and the owners have pooper scoopers at hand.

With the donations it receives, Church World Services will fill the need for housing in New Orleans four years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the region and people in Northwest Pakistan displaced by fighting between Taliban insurgents and the Pakistan military.

While most of the money raised will be given to Church World Services, 25 percent of it will be equally divided between the area food pantries, at Lyonsville and St. Barbara's, as well as First Congregational Church of La Grange, St. Francis Xavier in La Grange, St. Cletus Roman Catholic Church in La Grange and Second Baptist Church, also in La Grange.

A prize giveaway will be held featuring gifts and gift certificates from local businesses such as Competitive Foot, Blueberry Hill, Kirschbaum's, Hillgrove Cellars, Casey's Market, Oberweis, Totally Bored and the La Grange Theater.

Individuals or groups can register for the walk or make donations at LaGrangeWesternSpringsCropWalk.org.

FIREHOUSE FUN FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES

As he twirled his tiny fingers around a long chain displaying the authentic-looking U.S. Army dog tag necklace he received from real Army Reserve soldiers at the annual La Grange Fire Department Open House last Saturday afternoon, Jamie Kelpsas excitedly ticked off all the fun things he did that day to the only member of the news media he knew.

Jamie, who met this reporter when he and his sister and Dad, Park Board Commissioner Tim Kelpsas, attended the Race Unity Rally inside Village Hall last month, broke from his father's grip and walked briskly across the grey firehouse floor to say hello.

Judging by the dog-eared stickers on his t-shirt, Jamie had already met Dak the police dog and been designated a Junior Police Officer. He also got to shoot water out of the big orange fire hose that snaked its way across Burlington Avenue and see all kinds of fire vehicles, equipment and uniformed personnel. But he apparently still did not enjoy his 15 seconds of fame.

If, in fact, telling your story here makes you famous among your kindergartner classmates neighborhood buddies and Mom or Grandma.

Jamie, who still insists he is "five years and four months" old, certainly had a good delivery and seemed prepared for the impromptu interview.

"I've learned fire people are important ... so nobody dies," he said, very matter-of-factly. "I got to shoot the hose to try and get the (faux) windows open and it felt good."

With a little encouragement from his father, who was now standing nearby, Jamie said he would call 911 in an emergency: so the police and firefighters can "put their clothes on" and respond, drive their fire engines and squad cars to the scene and "go in" to look for the fire, people and their pets "to try and save them." On their way to the call, he said everyone else must be aware and "move to the side."

If he had a fire at his house, Jamie said he would hope they'd rescue his family and pet fish nicknamed "Uncle Tom."

Jamie was just one of a few hundred kids who spent the morning and early afternoon with the firefighters, taking tours and climbing aboard firetrucks, as well as learning how to extinguish fires, contain a chemical leak, rescue someone pinned inside a car, rappel off a building, use a fire extinguisher, install a smoke detector and take care of their equipment.

Seven-year La Grange residents Sean and Anne Cahill were there for a second consecutive year, this time with their boys, 3-year-old Patrick and 1-year-old Liam. Dressed for the weather in matching wool jackets, their parents called them "fire station groupies" who really had fun spraying the hose to simulate breaking through windows to air out a room and provide access to and for fire victims.

So, too, was John Wagner, a 5-year La Grange resident, with his little ones, 2-1/2-year-old Henry -- who came ready for action in his complete firefighter gear his Dad said his son has been wearing since July -- and 7-year-old Jane, who seemed more enthusiastic the Open House gave her a chance to hang out with her girlfriends on a weekend.

"I have a birthday party today but we came here first," she said, referring to a friend's invite. Still, she added, "I went inside a couple of the vehicles. It was cool."

As for Henry, smiling widely in his black vinyl coat, hat and boots with bright yellow reflective detail, his father looked down and said, "He's the last thing we got; he's our future hope."

Practice burns were restricted on the street in front of the fire station this year, said Captain Dave Rapp, because the street was just recently blacktopped.

Informational literature and free samples were provided by the village's Fire and Police departments, the Park District and La Grange Adventist Hospital. Kids got free red plastic Fire Chief helmets just like the white one worn by the real chief, David Fleege and enjoyed free hot dogs, pop and popcorn served up by his administrative assistant, firefighters and their spouses.

Passing out pamphlets, pencils and helmets was 41-year veteran firefighter Captain Rick Griffin's wife of 35 years, Roberta, his best friend since their years at Hinsdale South High School and a regular volunteer at the event, with department administrative assistant Joan Sietz at her side.

"She's doing the fun stuff," said Roberta of Joan, who spent a good part of the day filling bags with popcorn.

Sietz, whose been with the department about 30 years, said she remembers when Open Houses to this magnitude first began some 25 years ago under then-chief Gerald Granat.

Asked what she liked about the Open House, she said definitely the youth.

"The kids and their enthusiasm," said Roberta, mother of three and grandmother to six. "I like the wide-eyed innocence about them."

Her husband, the son of a chief of the now-defunct Clarendon Heights (now part of Tri-state) Fire Protection District, started there as a cadet at age 14and became a full-fledged firefighter there four years later. He's been with La Grange for the past 27 years.

She described her husband's lifelong commitment to his career as not unlike the brotherhood that makes so many firefighters a close bunch and makes so many other folks like them so much.

"He has a lot of passion, a love for the job," she said. "It's in his fiber."

Rapp said it was amazing to him the number of families -- especially with older, pre-teen and young teen children -- that have been coming out. Those kids, he said, typically go but often begrudgingly and "dragging their head" to feign disinterest, he said.

Still, while the oldest boy of Catrina Domaika said he was having fun (her kids are 11, 10, 6 and 3), Mom thinks otherwise.

"They said they like it," she speculated, "but they don't want anyone to know."

TIE ONE ON: ALL THOSE RAILROAD ROCKS REALLY MEAN SOMETHING

This week's completion of a maintenance project along the two southernmost tracks of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad in downtown La Grange may have seemed routine, but as a result train commuters and engineers may now be enjoying a much calmer ride to and from the city.

So says BNSF spokesman Steve Forsberg, who took the time to tell us what those unique-looking, large-scale heavy equipment rail cars and varied work crews were actually doing on the tracks between Sept. 17 and 21 that caused so many passersby to stop and watch.

"(The project) should help give you a smoother train ride and provide a much safer ride for years to come and also help maintain track speed," he said, adding the weekend work doesn't change operations but rather likened it to a routine "repaving of a highway road."

Announced early last week, the project was billed as a "significant" railroad tie replacement program that would tie up grade crossings at Gilbert, Brainard, Kensington and Ashland avenues and La Grange Road.

That it did. But the project was more involved, and perhaps for railroad buffs, commuters and others, more interesting than that.

"It's definitely a neat thing," said Assistant Village Manager Andrianna Peterson. "They're replacing deteriorating railroad ties between here and the city ... and they're using some new equipment they've not used before."

It's not only the ties being replaced where needed, but the large white rocks in the fairly thick ballast rock bed beneath the rails and ties are also "reconditioned" at the same time, a process Forsberg said is technically called "regulated" and involves machines that remove and clean the ballast quarry rock with claw-like "pinchers" before shoving them back into the bed and under the ties in the same manner.

"It's a visual sight to behold," he added, noting while some of the rail machinery removes and replaces the steel spikes, others handle the ties, which are no longer kept on the side of the tracks for each project but inside the actual rail cars for easy reach.

"What we're doing is replacing part of the structure the rails sits on; the rail is very, very durable and can last forever," he said. "The machines clean the ballast ... which is there to create stabilization for the ties and help with water drainage (so ties don't rot as quickly). That's why ties last longer."

Forsberg says only pieces of the so-called "mechanized track gang" -- that large-scale row of aforementioned rail cars -- are new, but the technology is fascinating. Working all summer, piece by piece, between Aurora and Halsted Street in Chicago, train crews must work in well-oiled sequence and everyone has a task.

"The ties (being replaced) are kept on the rail cars and a mechanism feeds the ties as they are removed," said Forsberg, who noted the northernmost outbound track was done last year. "It's kind of like a rolling assembly line."

Forsberg says the railroad bed beneath the Aurora-to-Chicago tracks is pretty-well packed down after so many decades of use. The rail line was the very first in the region and was built in 1849. The train cars that used to run through here were upwards of 1 million pounds each, but today weigh only half that.

While the railroad tie and ballast work has since been completed and is now underway in Brookfield, Riverside and beyond, Metra has already started to replace concrete platforms east of the Burlington Avenue shelter across the tracks from the historic circa-1901 Stone Avenue station in La Grange.

Plans call to finish replacement of the entire platform outside the station and shelter in the spring -- or sooner.

As for the station itself, Phase I, or the preliminary conceptual design portion in conjunction with Oak Brook-based Legat Architects is "almost done," according to Peterson.

Next comes the final drawings for an estimated $3 million project that has already earned a $385,000 grant through the West Suburban Mass Transit District and may still qualify for some much-desired federal funds through the work of U.S. Rep. Daniel Lipinski, D-3rd District, of neighboring Western Springs.

The Village Board looked at several different concept designs for Stone Avenue station in February, she said, and provided extensive input. But before any designs are finalized, the public will have the opportunity to state its case as well.

"We have been working with Metra reviewing plans and making decisions and now that the platform work is going to proceed, we are making sure plans conform and match up with ours," she said, adding it may not be a good idea to work separately.

The station has long been in need of tuckppointing, soffit/fascia and roof work and has deteriorated over time, she said, noting renovations in recent decades has not been as historically sensitive as today's village leaders would have liked.

There are aluminum window panes, modern lighting and asphalt roofs, while it's likely the window panes and roofs were once wood and the lights were much less sophisticated.

"Because the village is involved as being a steward of the station, we believe it's important any renovations be done in an historically accurate way," said Peterson. "We want it to be a sensitive renovation. This building is going to stay as it is ... and will be even more beautiful than it is."

She said while some improvements are easier to plan out, much of the historical change will be carefully crafted in conjunction with the La Grange Area Historical Society.,

For one thing, accessibility to the disabled will be improved, as a ramp slapped on the side of the facility years ago may not even be appropriate with federal standards.

And although it's not a village decision BNSF is adamant about changing the grade of the pedestrian crossing mid-block for safety reasons and as a result the grade will be different when all is said and done.

"Still, our projects all need to be coordinated," she said.

The platform work will not likely be completed by the end of this fall, which means part of the work under construction will remain inaccessible to pedestrians during the winter months.

Bicycle facilities also will be upgraded, as will the former coffee shop inside the station. That hasn't been occupied by a retail tenant for a long time. Also, indoor seating will, hopefully, be maximized.

LEGION, CO-WORKERS FETE KNIEFEL

Steve Kniefel, the 12-year La Grange patrol officer who just returned from his U.S. Army service in Afghanistan a month ago, was given a hero's welcome on Sept. 11 in two ceremonies at the American Legion Robert Coulter Post.

Kniefel, who said he saw much combat while flying some 300 hours of missions, was glad to be back, if for no other reason than to just spend quality time again with family, friends and to get back on the job.

He was glad to be released from active duty a few months earlier than expected, especially since his wife, Maggie, has been sick in recent months and needed him by her side.

In the morning, the Legion with District 5 Cmdr. Barry Cicero and Auxiliary President Therese Schey at the helm, made him a guest of honor at their post remembrance of the 8th anniversary of the Sept. 11,2001 terrorist attacks on U.S. soil.

Later that evening, Kniefel enjoyed pizza, salad and beverages with family members and co-workers, and even a few members of the community who didn't know him yet just came out to shake his hand and thank him for his service.

The party was hosted by Police Chief Mike Holub and others.

Now that Kniefel is back in action in La Grange, we invite you to keep an eye on us next week for a first-ever comprehensive face-to-face with him.

Welcome back, Steve!

LT SOUTH PEDESTRIAN WOES RAISE IRE

Much like a judge may call an evidentiary hearing at the scene of an incident or alleged crime so jurors can be afforded a firsthand opportunity to see things as they might have played out for themselves, an Edgewood Avenue resident is suggesting La Grange elected and appointed officials show up some weekday morning as students cross Gilbert Avenue to see just what's happening there.
In the eyes of Cheryl Ciecko, it is an accident waiting to happen, not much dissimilar to the hazards that faced pedestrians on 47th Street before a young mother was killed while innocently crossing the street nearly four months ago.

And now that school is underway -- and nighttime football kicks off for the Lyons Township High School Lions this weekend -- Ciecko said she believes the time is now for both La Grange and Western Springs to put their heads together to come up with a solution with what she calls the dangerous grade crossing three blocks south of 47th at the entrance to the LT South campus.

Although the school is located in Western Springs -- which for years has deployed a campus liaison officer to patrol the crossing -- she says the problem is half of La Grange's to solve because all of the teenagers crossing there each morning and afternoon are La Grange kids.

"It is an important day in our community," she told trustees last week, before highlighting the fact that the speed limit was just reduced to 30 from 35 mph the entire length of 47th in La Grange from Gilbert to East Avenue. "But the traffic on Willow Springs Road (also known as Gilbert) south of 47th in front of the South campus is a challenge, half for La Grange and half for Western Springs."

While there are no current talks going on between the neighboring municipalities, Ciecko thinks there should be, before someone gets hurt.

She suggested "it took decades" for LT officials to finally get a painted crosswalk at Mason Drive, which many students access to get to classes. On the way home, they cross Mason behind the water tower, down Linkletter and across Brainard Avenue and they're home free, she added.

But between 7:15 and 7:45 Monday through Friday, there not only are students on foot and in cars on the road, but delivery trucks serving the Garden Market shopping plaza, a daily shift change at nearby Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital and normal vehicular traffic comprised of commuters in a rush on their way to work. Plus, she said, there are young drivers dropping off younger siblings at South and turning around to head back to North in La Grange.

On top of that, people typically drive five miles or more over the speed limit in the area, which varies from 35 to 40 mph, which underscores the need for more signage and/or bollards to be placed at the crossing just like those along 47th east of La Grange Road so people slow down and possibly be more cautious.

Even worse, she added, is the problem caused on area sidewalks during snowstorms. Students cannot walk on the sidewalk in front of Shell at 47th and Gilbert and adjacent businesses because the village or private snow plows "routinely" plow the street and parking lots some 4 to 5 feet high on the sidewalks.

Many parents recall accidents that have occurred on LT South's front lawn, one involving an extrication and another which resulted in the death of a young girl.

"I don't want to wait," she said. "I want to bring this to your attention ... so we don't have to wait until there is a fatality."

Ciecko said she has met with Public Works Director Ryan Gillingham, who agreed it was an issue and something that hopefully can be resolved.

Village President Liz Asperger, who commonly meets with LT officials, said the village will be working with Western Springs on the resurfacing of Willow Springs Road in the near future and will address related issues then.

Police Chief Michael Holub, in an interview this week, said he was not aware of any safety issues at the South campus that are not routinely handled by the Western Springs liaison officer, but would be open to discussing how to solve any traffic woes.

Another resident, Stephen Fink, of the 600 block of South 10th Avenue, also implored the village to step up law enforcement in these safety zones, particularly at the 9th Avenue crossing with 47th, because motorists tend to ignore safety solutions.

"It's a situation where vehicular traffic does not adhere (to crossings and bollards)," said Fink, who that day had an Audi swerve around him crossing 47th rather than paying attention to the safety measures.

Asperger said the 9th crosswalk will soon be enhanced by the state. But she said it is impossible for police to be "at every crossing, on every road, at every hour," adding, "in addition to enforcement, we need to work with our neighbors (and) ourselves in following the law."

Trustee Mike Horvath, who favors increased safety measures in problematic areas, agreed the village needs to talk with its neighboring communities. He said the Police Department's July statistics show traffic stops are on the rise.

"There has been a lot more traffic stops, but I'm not sure where they're located," he said -- leading Fink to later suggest that a "hot spot" map be created to show residents where the biggest problems lie. Of the 642 stops that month, Holub reported 79 percent resulted in tickets, with 51 percent being moving violations. A majority of those, some 76 percent, were on arterial streets.

Bollards on Willow Springs Road "is a good idea," remarked Trustee Mark Kuchler, saying it gives "a better chance (motorists) will stop." He said the stats "is a showing (police are) definitely moving in a direction (of increased enforcement)."

Trustee James Palermo praised Ciecko and Fink for raising the issues, speculating Horvath's proposal earlier this summer to form a resident Safety Commission could mean "residents can be the eyes and ears for the staff and the board." The idea, however, is still under consideration.

:"We may not have all the answers here, we may not have all the questions," he said, "but that's (part) of the process and we'll end up with safer streets."

After the meeting, Fink said he believed the answers to his concerns were mere "lip service," adding he was being "cautiously optimistic" novel ideas such as signage in neighboring communities warning motorists of "reduced speed ahead" or "La Grange is a pedestrian-friendly community" or pedestrian-activated red light cameras at key crosswalks could ever be realized.

Horvath later added that bollards "without enforcement or education" at places such at LT South will only have marginal impact on safety.

Trustee Bill Holder also embraced several of the ideas to improve safety even more.

"When we slow down traffic, it's going (to) be easier for pedestrians to get across," he said.

ELECTRICAL SHORT THOUGHT TO CAUSE FIRE

The La Grange Fire Department responded to a house fire at 5:10 p.m., Sunday, August 30, 2009, located at 130 N. Catherine Avenue. The residents were home at the time, in the first floor kitchen preparing dinner and were alerted to the fire by the installed smoke alarm activating on the second floor of the home. All occupants safely evacuated their home.

On arrival of the La Grange Fire Department, smoke was visible from the third floor of the home. Upon making entry into the home, heavy smoke conditions were encountered on the third floor of the single-family structure. Upon further investigation the fire was found to be located in a bedroom closet on the third floor.

The response was upgraded to a Box Alarm (MABAS Division 10) for mutual aid assistance to the fire scene. Additional fire crews performed a search of the structure, ventilation of the fire area, salvage to a second floor room and hallway immediately below the fire and checked for any extension of the fire beyond the room of origin. In addition to the La Grange fire units, thirteen departments responded to the scene and two departments covered the La Grange Fire Station. The fire was under control at 5:30 p.m. and struck out at 5:48 p.m. Fire companies remained on the scene until 7:00 p.m.

Due to an aggressive interior attack of the fire by the initial arriving Fire Departments, the fire was contained to the third floor bedroom. One room on the second floor immediately below the fire sustained some water damage. The power had to be shut off and the structure was determined to be uninhabitable. Damage is estimated at $ 50,000 structure and contents.

The origin of the fire was in a closet on the third floor of the residence. Following an initial investigation by the MABAS Division 10 Investigation Team the cause of the fire appears to be an electrical short in nature; the structure was turned over to the owners and their insurance company.

If you require additional information, please contact Fire Chief David Fleege at the La Grange Fire Department, (708)579-2338.

THEATER BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS APPROVED FOR FUTURE RESTAURANT

An inquiring Village Board trustee learned Aug. 24 -- as did some members of the community -- that approval of a design review permit for a downtown property owner does not necessarily mean that person is required to actually ever do the proposed upgrade.

Such is the case of La Grange Theater owner John Rot, who received a unanimous stamp of approval at this week's board meeting to make planned facade improvements on the first floor retail spaces at 88 S. La Grange Road, immediately south of the theater at 80 S. La Grange Road, which have been vacant for a couple years.

Rot, who co-owns the theater and the nearby Horton's Home Furnishings store with David Rizner, plans to attract a restaurant with an outside cafe to the site to complement both the movie house and the existing central business district.

The four-storefront retail space is at the gateway to the downtown business district for motorists and pedestrians coming from the south through the residential historic district and most recently housed an optometrist office, a clothing resale shop and an antique coin shop, among other businesses.

At the meeting, Trustee James Palermo asked what protocol village staff has to make sure design review proposals are actually carried out by those to whom they are granted.

He was told by Community Development Director Patrick Benjamin that although he does all he can to work with a developer or building owner to meet the requirements of the code, there is no requirement -- just like with building permits -- for the work to ever be done.

"Typically after a permit is issued, it doesn't mean they're going to do everything they were authorized to do," he said, noting the permit approval does not mandate any changes be made.

Although village code dictates a design review permit is required whenever any new entrances or doorways are added that change the exterior appearance of a building within the designated Design Review District (mostly downtown), a permit is just that.

Palermo, who has been critical of the village's funding of recent theater improvements using proceeds of the downtown tax increment financing district, said he most interested in the part of the code which reads a project must be "in strict compliance" with the said ordinance.

"How do we follow up and see what was promised the village is actually delivered?" he asked.

He pointed to the case of a proposed new awning that was supposed to be erected on the facade of a building at 512 W. Burlington Ave. some time ago, for which a design permit was issued, but was never realized.

Village Attorney Mark Burkland reiterated Benjamin's remarks, that the code does not mandate such a project is ever undertaken.

Trustee Bill Holder summed it up best when he added that a permit "bestows the right, but not the obligation."

Rot's project would allow him to enhance the appearance of the property while maintaining the character and historical quality of the building.

The proposed improvements include replacement of two alcoves on the north end and one alcove on the south end of the property with new doors and a vestibule, as well as three new bronze metal and fluorescent frosted decorative lighting fixtures on timers at the east elevation and one at the main entrance.

Cleaning and maintenance, including future tuck-pointing, of the existing yet deteriorating terra cotta, new granite at the base and brick on both the south and east portions of the building.

The new store front would be beige, matching the second floor windows.

The new door at the east side of the facade would be used solely by the potential restaurateur's wait staff attending to customers seated outside, Rot told the Design Review Commission at an Aug. 12 meeting. That door would be locked during the winter months.

The door at the far west of the south elevation would be used only for deliveries.

BREAKING NEWS: POLICE INVESTIGATE ARMED ROBBERY AT LA GRANGE STORE

La Grange Police are on the lookout for a young man who robbed a cellular telephone store at knifepoint during broad daylight Wednesday afternoon.

The armed robbery took place at the new Cricket store at 1040 S. La Grange Road, at approximately 3:40 p.m.

A store employee told police the suspect -- described as a white man with blonde hair and about 20 years old, wearing jeans, white shoes and a grey hoodie -- walked into the business and sat down with his hood partially covering his face and announced the holdup, according to Sergeant Vic Arnold.

"He walked in alone, sat down and told the clerk 'Give me all your money," got it and left," said Arnold, who confirmed the suspect got away with $100 cash.

The suspect was last seen southbound on foot in the alley behind the Clark gas station, which is closed, fenced-in and under renovation. However, responding officers could not locate anybody.

"We didn't make an apprehension," Arnold reported, adding investigators are now analyzing a videotape from a store security camera in an attempt to further identify the offender.

No injuries were reported and the store was back in business shortly afterward.

Anyone with information leading to the capture of a suspect in this case is urged to call the La Grange Police Department at (708) 579-2333.

LIKE MODERN-DAY MAYBERRY?

"Mayberry for the 21st Century?"

Is that what he said?

Sure thing.

Village President Liz Asperger, who can often be seen -- just like Andy and Helen or, say, Barney and Thelma Lou -- strolling down the village sidewalks with her husband and dog in tow -- responded in kind to remarks attributed to Chicago magazine writer Dennis Rodkin in response to the August 2009 issue of his publication naming La Grange "The Best of Chicago" in its annual issue.

Rodkin, a real estate columnist whose annual reviews usually end up being used as huge marketing vehicles for communities because of their prestige, penned the story for the magazine. He says something unusual has happened in La Grange.

“La Grange feels just like a hometown. It’s old fashioned and practical, it stayed true to itself but grew up,” stated Rodkin. “It’s really rare to have the mix of both old and new businesses. Not a lot of suburbs have a Trader Joe’s, a hardware store and an old-time theatre. La Grange really is the Mayberry for the 21st century. Here, police officers patrol on Segways.”

Well, maybe not all the time. But it does have a Segway store and who can boast that?

Village officials were thrilled to learn about the new distinction.

“We are honored, Chicago Magazine chose the Village of LaGrange as the ‘Best’ downtown,” stated Asperger. “We are proud of our community and businesses and it’s a great gift to be recognized. Our goal is to be the ‘Best’ every day in the eyes of our business owners, residents and visitors to our village.”

Asperger points to advances in the downtown business district over the past 20 years.

“This clearly affirms the work that has been done in the central business district over the past two decades,” said Patrick Benjamin, community development director. “It’s nice to be recognized for the commitment that many business leaders, residents, elected and appointed officials have made to the community.”

The village is in the early stages of developing a plan with other community organizations to celebrate the recognition with residents and communicate the recognition with businesses on a local and regional scale in the coming weeks and months ahead.

La Grange was incorporated in 1879 and has more than 15,000 residents.

PAWN SHOP PROPOSAL LIKELY DEAD

Andrew Grayson was given the La Grange Village Board's definitive answer this week as to whether his proposed downtown pawn shop will ever see the light of day.

The answer was a resounding "no" -- yet Grayson, who has already been issued a business license to operate All-Star Jewelry & Loan at 71 S. La Grange Road says he is still considering his options.

He and a couple residents who attended the Village Board's July 13 meeting at which pawn shops and a few other business uses such as swimming pool and used building materials stores were banned as permitted uses in the C-1 central business district, feel lost disturbed by the way in which he was treated more than simply opposed.

The budding entrepreneur, who is taking time to consult with his lawyer, is disappointed, he says, a victim of false perceptions of the industry in which he makes a living and of what he calls a lack of common courtesy provided to him by a village whose community development director initially embraced him.

"I had the courtesy of being told by other villages not to bother pursuing a license (one, he says, was Oak Park)," he said following the unanimous board vote agreeing with a Plan Commission recommendation to eliminate pawn shops as a permitted use. "That's why I'm so disappointed. I wasn't given the same courtesy here in La Grange."

Residents Melody Holt and Joan Hoigand agreed that something definitely stunk about the process.

Holt told the board how she felt, while Hoigand became vocal after the meeting.

"I don't think it's precedent setting at all," she argued. "It was business as usual."

But those who vehemently defended the ban countered it was the right thing to do on behalf of a community whose residents and business operators did not think the retail use was in keeping with a business district the village spent so long trying to improve.

Even though Grayson was already granted a license to operate the shop, Village Manager Bob Pilipszyn confirmed that in his mind, what the board enacted this week will fully and legally prevent Grayson from ever opening his intended business where he has chosen to do it. And other officials greed.

"We are able to make this change; the village has the right to put the pause button on," remarked Trustee Thomas Livingston at the Village Hall meeting, adding, "It was in the right for the village to do so. I cannot foresee voting for this ... (a pawn shop) literally in the shadow of this building."

Trustee Mark Kuchler went a step further in reference to building owner John Brannen when he said, "I don't think when the landlord entered into negotiations with the pawn shop that was serving the best intent of the central business district, I don't think that it was."

IMPROVED ACCESS TO HOSPITAL EYED

The only vehicular bridge over the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad between La Grange and Hinsdale -- a onetime wooden footbridge where visitors, patients and staff of Adventist Hinsdale Hospital get to and from 47th Street -- may soon be a vestige of the past.

The circa-1875 one-lane bridge, for which north-south traffic is controlled by a traffic light, first became a bridge for automobile traffic in 1910.

But faced with the fact firetrucks cannot safely travel over the structure and the viaduct over the tracks created by its low 23-foot clearance makes it impossible for some freight
trains to pass, Hinsdale officials are weighing options as to how to update the Oak Street bridge to today's standards.

A $700,000 feasibility study is expected to begin this year to look into options to upgrade the bridge, which could include making it a two-lane, building a bridge in a new location of a tunnel beneath the tracks.

The 110-foot-long, 5-ton capacity bridge was originally erected so people could get across the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad tracks just two years after Hinsdale's incorporation. The structure used today was redesigned in 1947.

'TCF BANDIT' HITS JEWEL BANK -- AGAIN

The FBI and LaGrange Park police are hunting for a suspect in today's mid-morning robbery of a TCF Bank branch in the Jewel Food Store on Woodlawn Avenue.

No injuries were reported and and an undisclosed amount of cash was stolen in the 10:40 a.m. July 6 robbery, in which a clean-shaven man with a large build, about 40 years old and about 5-foot-7 walked up to a teller and handed her a note -- announcing a stick-up and threatening them with harm if they did not comply with his demands, according to FBI spokeswoman Cynthia Yates. After being handed the money, he fled on foot.

The robber implied he had a weapon. but never displayed one.

This is the second time this year the branch, at 507 E. Woodlawn behind the Village Market shopping plaza, was robbed, according to authorities, perhaps by the same man. The last reported robbery was on March 13.

The suspect, dubbed the "TCF Bandit" because of the estimated 10 TCF robberies for which he is believed responsible since 2007.

The suspect is believed to be the same person who robbed similar banks at Jewel Food Stores in La Grange, Westchester, Norridge and Chicago.

A $15,000 reward is being offered for leads resulting in the capture of the bandit.

To report leads, call the FBI at (312) 421-6700.

PLANNERS DEEP-SIX PAWN SHOP USE

Despite claims that he plans to operate an upscale business in a community that already boasts many residents whom he claims patronize the business he operates in North Riverside, Andrew Grayson may not likely be allowed to open a pawn shop in downtown La Grange.

The Plan Commission, in a well-attended meeting June 29, voted unanimously to recommend for Village Board approval that pawn shops and a laundry list of other uses be prohibited in the central business district -- a move supported by village staff and answering the calls of business leaders and residents ever since news broke a month ago of the proposed All-Star Jewelry & Loan at 71 S. La Grange Road.

The proposed business owner, Andrew Grayson of Berwyn, already sought and was granted a business license by the Community Development Department -- the same department that turned around and recommended the zoning code be altered to ban such businesses as permitted uses.

However, even after blistering testimony from both commissioners, residents and one key business leader and a clear 7-0 vote against his life's investment, Grayson was unmoved in his resolve to do as he has planned.

Although he initially declined to speak to reporters after the meeting, when asked what he believed the impact the resounding vote might mean to his business, Grayson replied: "I don't see how it affects me."

Village Attorney Mark Burkland said that remains to be seen, as it is now up to the Village Board to take final action on the recommendations and decide if and how to deal with Grayson. The board plans to discuss the issue at 7:30 p.m. Monday, July 13.

After Grayson told the panel his version of events since first deciding to go into business on his own, he vigorously .defended his right to operate despite people's faulty perceptions.

"While I understand some people's perceptions of a pawn shop ... my pawn shop isn't going to be anything like that," he testified, with his wife, stepson and other relatives looking on. "I was duped into pursuing a license in La Grange (and) it's too late to change my business plan ... I have invested more than I can afford to lose in this business."

He tried to explain how rare it is to actually come across stolen items, noting his relationship with other police departments -- whom he has to report all pawned items to under Illinois law -- is impeccable.

"I'm just a guy trying to pursue his business (dream) and I'm being unfairly discriminated against," he said. "I look forward to being a proud business owner in La Grange."

However, the roughest testimony against Grayson's best intentions came from a lawyer on the commission, La Grange Business Association Chairman Michael La Pidus and a former Cook County prosecutor.

"There is no such thing as a bucolic, safe pawn shop. They are toxic by nature," said Ashland Avenue resident Thomas Epoch, the former criminal prosecutor and top assistant to a former Chicago police superintendent. "They (cater to) people on the down and out and (if allowed) it will be as if La Grange put in a store to sell paint then it decided to sell (now illegal) lead paint."

La Pidus, whose sandwich shop is located across the street from the long-vacant storefront, said his organization's opposition is supported by "hundreds" of other concerned residents,. business and property owners and "has nothing to do" with Grayson or "an impeachment" of his character.

"This issue has to do with the nature of the business he wants to open up," he said, referring his the efforts of he and others to spruce up the downtown from the virtual ghost town it was 20 years ago to the thriving upscale environment it has become. "We're trying to preserve that progress and grow that. Unfortunately, a pawn shop does not lend well to continuing that."

Self-proclaimed private property rights resident advocate David Beyer said a pawn shop would affect the "perception" of those who pass through the downtown in a negative way -- and actually offered to start a fund to help Grayson recover some of his lost investment if he takes his business elsewhere.

"They're just going the sign that says 'pawn shop' ... (but) this is not what we want in La Grange," said Beyer, even though Grayson vowed those words will not appear anywhere on his doors or windows. "I don't want a pawn shop in town and I'd be more than happy to contribute to a fund to help (Grayson) recover that investment."

Few other commissioners even raised an eyebrow before voting on the ban -- to be heard by the Village Board on Monday, July 13 -- but member Jeff Nowak clearly had his mind made up early on.

After challenging Grayson to explain just how he plans to conduct business and transactions, Nowak dealt him a blow to any chance of success for Grayson.

"The village of La Grange has made great strides in the past several decades to make this a Main Street U.S. A. and look how far the village has come," he said, calling on colleagues to endorse the staff recommendations concerning pawn shops and other uses because this is no close call.

"I simply can't support the existence of a pawn shop in our community ... and I simply can't buy into the notion a pawn shop would complement our business district," he said. "In my opinion it would be detrimental."

He further said the fact pawn shops are so regulated by the state legislature tends to "open up the market to illegally obtained items" which may be turned in for cash in La Grange.

Burkland, who specified that uses such as consignment and resale shops -- which are not regulated as such -- are an entirely different use in the zoning classification manual used by La Grange. Other recommended deletions from permitted uses would be used building materials and swimming pool stores.

Commission Chairman Stephen Randolph speculated afterward while there was no legal basis for his opinion, the village could just let the business open and operate then deny renewal of the license when it comes up for renewal.

However, the business still needs to meet building and fire codes, pass a law enforcement background check and be granted an occupancy permit before it can even open its doors.

Landlord John Brannen has been unavailable for comment.

A Residents View, Bluff St. Construction

By Karen Hanrahan

This La Grange Resident has had an experience of the bluff construction project that is up close and personal. Having the work happen right next to where you reside certainly gives one a perspective.

What does it take to build a new road? Well, it takes lots of guys, lots of trucks, and lots of other very large construction equipment. It takes a lot of dirt, gravel and a ton or two of cement. There is the very early morning noise, the ever present fine white dust and the major tremors that shake the entire house.

Let’s not forget the displacement of vehicles from one’s driveway or the parking tickets from the Village of La Grange. The Village drops off wonderful weekly updates in the mailboxes of residents near the six million dollar road project. These notes have included a mention of leniency for street parking in the area that seemingly they have not shared with the local police. This resident has had five tickets left on her car since the construction began.

We were all given one day notice to a water main shut off. We had no water for an entire day, and had a boil alert for 48 hours following. This work at home resident hiked up to Blueberry Hill to urinate as needed.

So far the construction project is on schedule.

GORDON PARK LAND SALE IN BALANCE

From the looks of things, it appears the long-shuttered Rich Port YMCA property in La Grange will continue to remain dark and lifeless, as the fight over its demolition and eventual redevelopment remains on hold.

The Park District of La Grange Board of Commissioners is taking steps to possibly counter a Cook County Circuit judge's ruling June 22 to block the auction sale of a 2.82-acre sliver of Gordon Park property behind the facility, slated for a proposed residential and commercial development.

Judge LeRoy Martin Jr. issued a final ruling in a case filed months ago by resident Orlando Coryell -- the spouse of a La Grange Library Board trustee -- saying Atlantic Realty Partners had an "unfair advantage" over other prospective bidders on the combined two parcels of land with zoning in a planned unit development that included a vacated Shawmut Avenue.

As a result, the proposed La Grange Place continues to be just that -- a proposed redevelopment by the Atlanta-based company -- which may or may not see reality.

The land at Ogden Avenue and La Grange Road, which became inactive a few years ago, is slated for townhomes, apartments and retail.

Coryell, who filed suit even after voters gave the go-ahead for the sale of public land in a highly publicized and contested November 2008 referendum, has been arguing, with the help of others and his attorney, Mark Wohlberg, against the sale of open green space.

The judge did not find fault with the manner of how the Jan. 8 auction was held, but stated the way in which the property was already zoned with one entity in mind constituted it as a private -- not public -- sale, according to court records.

However, park and village officials have said the part of the park in question is occupied by a garage and storage shed and is used very little by park patrons. Plus, proceeds from the sale would be put back into a new, revitalized park at the same location.

Wohlberg has said he feels Coryell's efforts were "vindicated."

So, while everyone awaits a followup hearing on the case scheduled to be heard by Circuit Judge Susan Gillis on Wednesday, July 22, the Park Board is now strategizing with its legal counsel to plot out what to do next and will likely appeal.

Martin (a former Chicago police superintendent) apparently hinted at how the Park Board may revise its zoning to make it a public sale, options of which are now being looked into.

NO CRIMINAL CHARGES IN MAY 19 FATAL

A 45-year-old woman whom La Grange police finally revealed June 18 was responsible for the tragic death one month ago today of a Countryside wife and mother as she tried to hoist a baby stroller onto a raised curb at 47th Street and 8th Avenue has been cited -- not criminally charged -- in the death.

Mary McPhillips of Chicago, who was driving eastbound in the curb lane on the south side of 47th when, for still unknown reasons, ran down Cari Cook as she was pushing her 2-year-old daughter, Ellie, and carrying her 4-month-old son, Carson, has received two traffic tickets -- for failure to exercise due care to a pedestrian and improper lane care (usage) -- and faces a Tuesday, Aug. 4 court hearing likely to be well-attended by family and friends of Cook who have since launched a crusade to see to it safety improvements are implemented along the roadway.

In fact, some residents who attended a June 2 village planning workshop to discuss proposals to reduce speed along 47th to 30 from 35 mph and to have jurisdiction of the four-lane street transferred over to La Grange and other ideas said privately they plan to make another large and vocal showing at the next Village Board meeting at 7:30 p.m. Monday, June 22.

The long-awaited disposition of the Illinois State Police and Cook County State's Attorneys Office investigation into the traffic fatality -- which took one day short of an entire month as detectives sifted through accident reconstruction evidence and testimony from those involved -- was revealed in a press release issued by La Grange Police Leiutenant Vic Arnold in the absence of a vacationing Police Chief Michael Holub.

"No data submitted and/or evaluated indicated that alcohol or drugs were a factor in this tragic event," the release stated. "The Illinois State Police did not discover any mechanical defects or roadway deficiencies that were contributory factors."

The investigation included assistance from the La Grange Police Department and the Cook County Sheriff's Police.

Cook, whose son suffered a broken leg in the crash and whose daughter was spared any injuries, was a former teacher and volleyball coach who grew up in south suburban Oak Forest. She and her husband, Matt, and the children were relatively new parishioners at St. John of the Cross Catholic Church in neighboring Western Springs.

Matt Cook, who attended high school with his future wife, has also been heavily involved in an extensive door-to-door petition campaign aimed at urging implementation of many safety ideas and changes to make 47th safer -- including the fact that many streets and sidewalks do not match up on one side vs. the other side of the street because they have been misaligned since the neighborhood to the south was subdivided and built up decades ago.

Although La Grange only had input into the investigation and was not directly responsible for carrying out the probe, some residents also have criticized the questionably long period of time it had taken to determine exactly what happened that morning.

The court case will be heard in Cook County Circuit Court in nearby Bridgeview.

PALMER ACCEPTS NEW POSITION

Downtown restaurant owner Steve Palmer has a new title to add to his career resume.

Palmer, a former La Grange police officer who co-owns Palmer Place Restaurant & Bier Garten with his brother Phil and mother Ruth, was appointed June 9 to the Township of Lyons Special Police Advisory Committee chaired by Jerry Strazzante.

Newly elected Democratic Supervisor Russ Hartigan of Western Springs made the appointment of Palmer, a Republican. The new elected township slate also now includes three Republicans.

The 9-member committee is an oversight board for the special police detail provided the unincorporated La Grange Highlands community south of La Grange by Indian Head Park police officers -- a contract designed to supplement the police coverage that area already is provided by the Cook County Sheriff's Police.

The committee was established more than 30 years ago by former Republican Township Supervisor Ann Painter -- a resident of the Highlands -- at an annual town meeting held every April. At the time, responding to resident concerns of poor service from the county, the Sheriff's Department run by Democrat Richard Elrod, was sort of replaced.

Two other unincorporated areas of the township -- La Grange Estates mobile home park on Joliet Road near Countryside and Sterling Estates mobile home park on Frontage Road near Justice -- are still patrolled only by the county. But local police often supplement them in their efforts when needed.

The position does not involve any compensation.

RESIDENTS CALL FOR 47TH CHANGES FOLLOWING MAY 19 PEDESTRIAN DEATH

Within days of what many local residents say was the avoidable death of his wife and the mother of their two young children along the high-speed 47th Street corridor in La Grange more than two weeks ago, Matthew Cook took to the streets and sidewalks of the village seeking support for some kind of change to the unmarked state road to improve safety for pedestrians.

And with petitions in hand containing the signatures of more than 250 area residents and counting, he boldly stood before a standing-room-only crowd of nearly 200 people packed into the gymnasium of Seventh Avenue School on the night of June 2, almost tearing up, to call for the kind of change that will assure everyone such a tragedy will not occur again.

"Something has to be done to prevent this from happening to anyone else ever again," said Cook after about 40 residents presented a wide variety of input at the three-hour Village Board planning meeting held in response to the accident at 47th and 8th Avenue that claimed the life of 30-year-old Countryside mom Cari Cook exactly 14 days earlier.

Joining friends and family who also testified wearing purple ribbons on their chest as a reminder of Cari and what he said was her favorite color, Matthew Cook described the petition effort and changes it will call for when he submits it to the village and state officials later this month.

"There are 250 people I represent tonight ... and at the top of the (petition) list is to reduce speed on 47th," he said, adding there are simply not enough breaks in the road to slow down traffic, as is the case on streets bordering Waiola Park to the west. "We need to somehow slow down traffic (to avoid) everyone having to dart across traffic to get to the other side."

He said people can talk to their friends and neighbors to slow down and drive more carefully, but noted most people just do not listen.

Increasing police presence -- beyond the four squads per shift Police Chief Michael Holub said the village is limited to in addition to part-timers and auxiliary officers -- is the "best way" to solve speeding problems, Cook said.

That, he said, is in addition to aligning sidewalks with curb cuts on both sides of 47th and painting crosswalks at every intersection along the stretch, including where his wife was hit as she attempted to lift the stroller carrying her 2-year-old daughter up onto a raised curb and through some parkway to access the nearby sidewalk.

It is just one of many so-called "mismatched" intersections separating the north and south sides of 47th, in which neither side streets or their corresponding sidewalks line up. In some cases, the roads and walkways are a good 30 to 50 feet apart from each other.

For resident Angela Geraci, 747 S. 10th Ave., sidewalk alignments and sidewalks in the south end neighborhoods her hot button issues.

"I ask the village to now fix all the remaining sidewalks on the south end (from) 10th all the way down," she said -- but she added the woeful lack of sidewalks at all in some parts of the area also is a major problem.

"You say 11 years ago most residents didn't want sidewalks, but I don't accept that excuse for not having sidewalks now. Between 49th and 50th alone, there are 15 kids and children are forced to walk on the street every day ... This area is another accident waiting to happen."

Another idea Cook raised, which Mayor Liz Asperger said was a novel approach to tackling the issue was the suggestion of a "pedestrian stoplight" at hazardous intersections activated at the press of a button. She said another man's approach, of installing removable rubberized speed risers, instead of permanent speed bumps, was a fresh idea worthy of consideration.

When one woman from the 600 block of 10th Avenue hollered for a show of hands supporting the pedestrian red light concept, some 90 percent of those seated raised their hands and applauded.

Cook also suggested La Grange take a cue from Chicago and consider the installation of speed bumps -- not on 47th where they'd have to get state approval -- but on every side street approaching 47th where there is a high level of pedestrians, so as to warn motorists of a dangerous crossing ahead.

"Somehow slow down that traffic," he implored the village. "Maybe making that kind of change would be easier than (making changes immediately) on 47th Street."

Other suggestions ranged from installing a four-way traffic signals at the state and county-controlled intersection of 47th and East Avenue where La Grange's western edge meets the southwest corner of Brookfield and the northwest corner of McCook.

A resident of Blackstone Avenue at 47th complained about the speed of village snow plows driving down 47th in the winter and the year-round dilemma of errant motorists jumping curbs and ending up on sidewalks and in people's yards -- prompting another person to suggest a 2-foot fence barrier between the street and sidewalk once sidewalks are re-aligned.

However, some residents expressed reservations of reducing speed and/or the number of lanes down 47th.

Chris Morris, who lives south of 47th on 8th, said he was "concerned" about the proposal to reduce east-west lanes from two to one in each direction.

"It is very difficult to access 47th Street ... in between the speedy traffic and a lot of traffic," he said. "The only real stop ... is the light at 47th and La Grange Road. You're just going to have longer trains of cars. But can you create natural traffic breaks?"

One Countryside resident said a much larger regional issue directly tied to increased traffic on such thoroughfares as East Avenue, 55th and 47th streets and La Grange Road over the past 12 years has been the closure of Joliet Road between McCook and Lyons -- which was shut down because it was crumbling into the Vulcan quarry and has been in litigation for years.

Joe Pardo, a resident at 47th and 10th Avenue for the past 44 years, said police provide "zero" presence along the stretch where the latest accident occurred.

Wally Lewandowski of the 400 block of South 9th said one idea he believes would be effective in reducing the number of speeders and potential car vs. pedestrian accidents would be to place an undercover officer at existing crosswalks ticketing drivers who fail to stop.

One resident called for installation of speed cameras along 47th, while another suggested the village temporarily employ a couple traffic officers just to target that area until the problems significantly drop. Yet another resident suggested placing empty squad cars at key side streets to fool drivers into driving slower and more cautiously.

No tickets or charges have been issued to date in the May 19 late morning crash, which left the Cook's 4-month-old son Carson with a broken leg and a daughter in the stroller and the family dog unharmed.

Another passing motorist, struck by the alleged offending driver as she attempted to avoid striking Cook in the roadway, has told The La Grange Doings he helped save the boy's life after he fell out of a baby carrier and onto the street.

At the meeting, Holub informed residents the investigation being conducted into the fatal accident by the Illinois State Police and the Cook County State's Attorney's Office was "still pending" and that detectives are avoiding all speculation.

"It's still an active case and this is going to be an objective and thorough investigation," he said, referring to 47th Street, especially in the area west of the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad tracks at East to La Grange Road "an enforcement nightmare" in which irresponsible drivers use side streets to avoid lights, speed detection and trains.

A related issue involves drivers cited for speeding who are sent to Cook County Circuit Court
and who frequently have their tickets dismissed unless they were going more than 10 or 12 mph over the posted 35 mph limit. That issue has been resolved in part by issuing municipal tickets in which motorists pay fines and avoid having traffic violations on their permanent records.

But even though Village Manager Robert Pilipiszyn made it clear the village has again petitioned the Illinois Department of Transportation -- which has jurisdiction over the road from Harlem Avenue west to Hinsdale -- to reduce the speed limit to 30 mph and for a jurisdictional transfer of the stretch through La Grange along with a redesign of the roadway to one lane in each direction and a center turn lane from the current four lane/no turn lane configurement, speed and local control is not the only issue.

In fact, residents in attendance loudly applauded suggestions by Matthew Cook and others to make some immediate changes to 47th and almost every misaligned side street that crosses from one side to the other -- alterations many said could be done over the next couple weeks just like when La Grange put in a crosswalk at 47th and 9th Avenue a few years ago without state approval.

That revelation, which Asperger admitted was done because La Grange disagreed with statistics presented by IDOT against a proposed speed reduction, caused some residents to jump to the conclusion the village could just go ahead and enact any changes they choose without retribution.

But, said Asperger, with State Reps. Jim Durkin (R) of Western Springs and Michael Zalewski (D) of Chicago in attendance at the meeting and agreeing to cooperate in lobbying IDOT officials to address the problems raised by the village and residents, she would rather seek cooperation and sound well-researched solutions without forcing the issue this time around.

Although Pilipiszyn said IDOT indicated it would consider the speed reduction, a jurisdictional transfer would be much more costly because the state would first have to improve the street with the redesign in mind -- a "working" figure Asperger said was estimated a few years ago to be about $4 million.

The intersection of 47th and East, he said, is also in line for future improvements including traffic lights and an underpass or overpass funded largely by the federal CREATE program that could be many years from reality.

Still, legislators in attendance voiced support for improving that part of the village.

"Your views have been heard," said Zalewski, who listened to about half of the testimony before heading to another meeting. "I think IDOT should have been here to heat every single word. I'll find my own special way of communicating what they should have heard."

Later, near the conclusion of the workshop attended by five of the six trustees, Durkin -- who lives steps away from another misaligned intersection of 47th at Grand Avenue -- said he witnesses accidents there every other week and empathized with the La Grange residents.

"It was a planning disaster ... when they did that," he said. "If it comes to the question of a jurisdictional transfer, I will listen to the (pros and cons and) I will be reasonable. IDOT is almost 'programmed' to say no, but they will not get away with it this time. If we have to be heavy handed with IDOT, so be it. It's personal to me and extremely personal to everybody in this room."

Ninth Avenue resident Jan Kinsley couldn't agree more.

"We need to take strong measures at this point," she said, saying many parents won't let their children cross 47th to go to the library, the Park District recreation center on East Avenue or even the South Campus of Lyons Township High School.

After the meeting, trustees Mike Horvath and Jim Palermo agreed they saw no reason why aligning the sidewalk access on both sides of 47th cannot be done immediately. Improving traffic and safety issues was one of Horvath's main campaign issues when he ran for trustee, he said.

Trustee Bill Holder took a more cautious approach, but said while in theory curb cuts and signs are "quick and easy" things the village could do, they may not be the ultimate answer to improve safety. He said the intersection of 47th and East "frightens (him) to death" so much that he won't even let his 16-year-old daughter who just earned her license drive through there.

"I think the turnout was important; it showed that people care," he added. "It showed this issue is a real one, not just for one neighborhood, but to a broad cross-section of representatives (in all parts of town). All of this takes cooperation."

Asperger, saying she was "delighted" so many residents decided to spend an evening to dissect the issue and come up with some well thought-out solutions, stressed there would be no final decision that night and no way of setting a timeline or next meeting date on the topic. But she did add the village has $250,000 budgeted for that area in 2010 and has committed $20,000 for a planning study this year.

"It's unfortunate, but so much of this is ... in careless driving behavior," she said. "Where there are stop signs, people just roll through. There are some horrendous driving behaviors ... (but) we will do as much as we can as quickly as we can."