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."