![dvn lyons new ZBA commissioner Lyons Mayor Christopher Getty congratulates Steven Karasek after he was sworn in Jan. 4 as a commissioner on the village’s Zoning Board of Appeals. (Photo by Steve Metsch)](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/dvn-lyons-new-ZBA-commissioner-1024x724.jpg)
Lyons Mayor Christopher Getty congratulates Steven Karasek after he was sworn in Jan. 4 as a commissioner on the village’s Zoning Board of Appeals. (Photo by Steve Metsch)
Retired village employee appointed to Lyons ZBA
By Steve Metsch
The Karasek family has a long history of working for the village of Lyons dating back decades.
And that history is getting a new chapter.
Steven Karasek, 60, who two years ago retired after 36 years in the public works department, has been appointed by Mayor Christopher Getty to serve on the Zoning Board of Appeals.
His appointment was unanimously approved by the village board on Jan. 4.
He fills the seat that had been occupied by his father, Joe “Pepi” Karasek, who died in July at age 88.
Steven’s mother, Jeanne Karasek, was a secretary for several mayors. “Bill Smith was the first,” she said. “I was here a long time. I loved it.”
His brother, Jim Karasek, was a Lyons firefighter for many years. He was recently hired as chief of the Darien-Woodridge Fire Protection District.
Given the family’s history of public service, it’s no surprise Steven Karasek agreed when Getty asked him to serve on the Zoning Board of Appeals.
“It’s an honor,” Karasek said. “I look forward to serving the village.”
“The village has come a long way,” he said. “This is a different capacity of the village that I’m looking forward to.”
Asked what he most enjoyed working for the village, he said, “serving the residents and making the town look better.”
Given his years in public works, Karasek pretty much knows the village like the back of his hand, Getty said.
Even in retirement, Karasek has offered his skills to public works if needed, Getty said. He’s a good addition to the ZBA “because of his extensive knowledge of the community.”
“We want to continue to utilize that knowledge and experience on the zoning board (of appeals),” Getty said. “Steven Karasek is well-known to our community.”
“He’s a great asset to the village of Lyons,” Getty said.
The late Joe Karasek “was dedicated,” Getty said because “he cared about what people were trying to accomplish, how it would affect the neighbors and what implications it would have on the community as a whole.”
In other business, the board approved paying Copenhaver Construction Inc., of Gilberts, an amount not to exceed $26,500 to demolish a vacant building at 7847 W. 43rd St.
Getty said that bid was the lowest of those received. The highest bid was $109,239. The engineer’s estimate was $47,500 “so this is well below.
The village has worked with Copenhaver before with good results, Getty said.
Local News
![willow-springs-fire-department willow-springs-fire-department](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/willow-springs-fire-department.jpg)
No injuries in Willow Springs house fire
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan Thanks to the quick work of the Willow Springs Police Department and Tri-State Fire Department, everyone was evacuated from a home that was on fire in the early morning hours of March 21. Police responded at 1:30 a.m. to a call of a possible structure fire in the 8100 block…
![volleyball volleyball](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/GettyImages-171252499-1024x681.jpg)
Boys Volleyball: Reavis hands Nazareth first loss of season
Spread the loveBy Steve Millar Correspondent After winning the opening set and taking a big lead in the second one, it seemed like Reavis was set to cruise to a victory over previously unbeaten Nazareth. When the Roadrunners stormed back to force a third set, though, the Rams had to bear down. “We just had…
![carol baker leaving 103 Carol Baker's position as assistant superintendent has been eliminated. (File photo)](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/carol-baker-leaving-103-768x1024.jpg)
Baker out as assistant superintendent in Lyons SD 103
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Carol Baker is out as assistant superintendent of Lyons School District 103. Baker is still the principal of Washington Middle School and has a year left on her contract, Supt. Kris Rivera said. According to sources, however, Baker could also be out as principal of Washington. The School District 103…
![VANESSA YUKI Red Star Yuki Nagasato (right) tries to clear a path for Vanessa DiBernardo on March 25 against Kansas City. DiBernardo scored Chicago's only goal in a 3-1 loss at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview. (Photos by Jeff Vorva)](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/VANESSA-YUKI-1024x690.jpg)
Red Stars Report: Red Stars upset but Mahomes was happy with KC win over Chicago
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Leading up to the Challenge Cup home opener against the Kansas City Current, the Chicago Red Stars were feeling pretty good. New coach Chris Petrucelli said every day was enjoyable. “They come out and have fun,” he said on March 24. “Everyone is smiling. I can’t think of…
![WARDA Brother Rice pitcher Dylan Warda fires a pitch against Sandburg on March 22 in Orland Park. (Photo by Jeff Vorva)](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/DSC_4986-scaled-e1648424149965-1024x788.jpg)
Area Sports Roundup: Brother Rice riding in style; Evergreen Park’s Lily Strand fans 27
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer For some games, Brother Rice arrives in style. On March 22, the Crusaders opened a few eyes when they arrived in Orland Park on a charter bus for a non-conference game against Sandburg. “We’ve had problems with the timing of getting a bus and sometimes 3:45 is the…
![MARIST CELEBRATE Marist volleyball players celebrate a victory over Lincoln-Way East to win their own 24-team tournament on Saturday. (Photo by Jeff Vorva)](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/MARIST-CELEBRATE-1024x678.jpg)
Boys Volleyball: Marist beats Lincoln-Way East in battle of national powers
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer High rankings do not mean a whole lot to Kellen O’Keefe. The Marist senior hitter was well aware the RedHawks were recently ranked 14th in the nation in a USA Today/American Volleyball Coaches Association poll in mid-March. But minutes after the RedHawks won their own 24-team tournament with…
![big idot logo big idot logo](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/big-idot-logo.jpg)
Harlem Avenue resurfacing from 62nd to 111th to resume April 4
Spread the loveFrom staff reports The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that a resurfacing of Harlem Avenue, from 62nd Street, in Chicago and Summit, to 111th Street, in Worth, passing through Bedford Park, Bridgeview, Burbank, Chicago Ridge and Palos Hills, will resume, weather permitting, Monday, April 4. The $5 million project, which consists of resurfacing the…
![reporter ol fall on the green2 bags photo 9-16 Bags and other adult entertainment will be the highlight of the new Fall on the Green this year. (File photo)](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/reporter-ol-fall-on-the-green2-bags-photo-9-16-1024x683.jpg)
‘Squatters’ are removed from Oak Lawn neighborhood
Spread the loveAdult music fest to replace Fall on the Green By Joe Boyle While the effects of the pandemic are in decline, reports of “squatters” taking up residence in foreclosed homes in Oak Lawn has become an issue. However, the village has begun to fight back and are eliminating the presence of individuals residing…
![reporter ukrainian prayer service photo 3-24 Members of various clergies say prayers during the vigil service held Saturday at Sts. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church in Palos Park. Pastor Vasyl Sendeha (second from left) also spoke about the need for prayers after the Russian invasion of Ukraine that began last month. (Photos by Joe Boyle)](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/reporter-ukrainian-prayer-service-photo-3-24-1024x683.jpg)
Standing with Ukraine
Spread the loveAsk for prayers, donations at local church service By Joe Boyle Many parishioners at Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Palos Park are dealing with the shock of seeing their native homeland attacked by Russia. But what they were asking for during a Saturday afternoon service at the church, 8410 W. 131st St.,…
Neighbors
![State highway shootings decline as critics sue over ‘dragnet surveillance’ State highway shootings decline as critics sue over ‘dragnet surveillance’](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/FLASHING-LIGHTS-SQUAD-POLICE-00971-ilpWzw-1024x682.jpeg)
State highway shootings decline as critics sue over ‘dragnet surveillance’
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois State Police say an automated license plate reader program has helped the agency identify witnesses or suspects in 82 percent of highway shooting cases this year, including all eight that resulted in a death. But as the state looks to further expand its network of more than…
![Just weeks before Republican National Convention, Illinois GOP chair announces resignation Just weeks before Republican National Convention, Illinois GOP chair announces resignation](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/TRACY-06741-bRYaAc-1024x682.jpeg)
Just weeks before Republican National Convention, Illinois GOP chair announces resignation
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Halfway through the 2024 election cycle and just a few weeks away from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Illinois GOP Chair Don Tracy on Wednesday announced his resignation as head of the state Republican Party. Tracy, who’d held the job since February 2021, explained his resignation in…
![As Illinois session ends, lawmakers’ attempt to reinstate wetland protections fails As Illinois session ends, lawmakers’ attempt to reinstate wetland protections fails](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Wetlands-Prairie-scaled1-3WD1bu-1024x683.jpeg)
As Illinois session ends, lawmakers’ attempt to reinstate wetland protections fails
by JENNIFER BAMBERG Investigate Midwest jennifer.bamberg@investigatemidwest.org In 2006, 19-year-old Jessica Whinston inherited 20 acres of land that her grandparents once farmed in Quincy, Illinois. The land had sat dormant since the 1980s and was overgrown, but Whinston and her husband Bradley worked to turn it into a productive farm. The couple were eventually able to…
![Elections board dismisses illegal campaign coordination complaint, declines to clarify law Elections board dismisses illegal campaign coordination complaint, declines to clarify law](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/240618-PIC-Board-of-Elections1-1aDJ4Z-1024x658.jpeg)
Elections board dismisses illegal campaign coordination complaint, declines to clarify law
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – State elections officials on Tuesday indicated they were unlikely to step in to clarify what constitutes illegal campaign coordination after voting to dismiss a complaint alleging such coordination in the 2022 campaign for governor. At their monthly meeting in Chicago, Illinois State Board of Elections members…
![Illinois’ ban on ‘bump stocks’ remains in place despite U.S. Supreme Court decision Illinois’ ban on ‘bump stocks’ remains in place despite U.S. Supreme Court decision](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/240614-PRITZKER-AA1-ViOzVJ-1024x682.jpeg)
Illinois’ ban on ‘bump stocks’ remains in place despite U.S. Supreme Court decision
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – An Illinois law banning the sale and use of “bump stocks” and other devices that increase the firing power of semiautomatic weapons remains in place, at least for now, despite a U.S. Supreme Court decision Friday striking down a federal ban on such items. “Illinois law…
![Lawmakers pass on oversight vote for Pritzker’s prison closure, rebuild plan Lawmakers pass on oversight vote for Pritzker’s prison closure, rebuild plan](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/240614-COGFA-PRISONS-11-wddchv-1024x682.jpeg)
Lawmakers pass on oversight vote for Pritzker’s prison closure, rebuild plan
By HANNAH MEISEL & DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – For the last two decades, each time a governor has moved to close a large state-run facility like a prison or mental health center, a legislative oversight panel has voted on the plan. That changed on Friday – at least for now –…
![‘We don’t really know what we’re voting on,’ top Dem says of Pritzker’s prison plan ‘We don’t really know what we’re voting on,’ top Dem says of Pritzker’s prison plan](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/240614-Logan-Prison-yard-signs-DoZFBM-1024x768.jpeg)
‘We don’t really know what we’re voting on,’ top Dem says of Pritzker’s prison plan
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com LINCOLN – On the eve of a scheduled vote to advise Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration on plans to close and rebuild a pair of dilapidated state prisons, hundreds filed into a junior high school gymnasium Thursday evening clad in matching green T-shirts. Printed on the shirts was a…
![Illinois child tax credit: who gets it, how much is it? Illinois child tax credit: who gets it, how much is it?](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ctc-calcArtboard-1-4x-1001-t2mth2-1024x682.jpeg)
Illinois child tax credit: who gets it, how much is it?
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com In the final hours of their spring legislative session, Illinois lawmakers approved a tax credit of up to about $300 for families with young children. The credit is available to Illinoisans with children under age 12 who qualify for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC. Although…
![Members of House speaker’s staff sue over ongoing unionization conflict Members of House speaker’s staff sue over ongoing unionization conflict](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/BURDEN-02851-bBqubx-1024x682.jpeg)
Members of House speaker’s staff sue over ongoing unionization conflict
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Members of a would-be union representing staffers in House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s office filed suit against their boss on Friday, asking a Cook County judge to force recognition of the union. The Illinois Legislative Staff Association, which formed in the fall of 2022, claims Welch’s…
![Elections board urged to dismiss complaint that Bailey illegally coordinated in 2022 campaign Elections board urged to dismiss complaint that Bailey illegally coordinated in 2022 campaign](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/20240429-BAILEY-PROFT1-yRwYCt-1024x624.jpeg)
Elections board urged to dismiss complaint that Bailey illegally coordinated in 2022 campaign
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com A hearing officer is recommending the Illinois State Board of Elections dismiss a complaint that alleged conservative radio host and political operative Dan Proft illegally coordinated with former Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey during his 2022 campaign for governor. Proft, a one-time gubernatorial candidate himself, is behind an…