Four new police officers were sworn in on Nov. 8 by Police Chief Dan Vittorio (third from left) at the Oak Lawn Village Board meeting. The new patrol officers are (from left) Alekhine Aguilos, Iarahim Mansour, Robert Schmidt II and Daniel Cronin. (Photo by Joe Boyle)
Oak Lawn officials want drivers to slow down
By Joe Boyle
Oak Lawn officials are concerned about drivers who are refusing to slow down and are ignoring stop signs.
“The number one complaint I have gotten over the years is the flow of traffic and speeding,” said Trustee Alex Olejniczak (2nd) at the Oak Lawn Village Board meeting on Nov. 8. “People want more stop signs but it just doesn’t work. But this is also about the court system. Police are going to write the tickets and they have to go to court. Many of the them then just get a slap on the wrist.”
The issue came up after a request to recommend a two-way stop sign at the intersection of 96th Street and Kolmar Avenue. While none of the trustees opposed a stop sign, some believed that a four-way stop would be the best option.
The Traffic and Safety Commission had previously approved the request. The board eventually agreed to insert the two-way stop sign by a 4-1 margin. Trustee Paul Mallo (3rd) objected, stating that a four-way stop sign would be safer. Trustee Tim Desmond (1st) was not at the meeting.
Mayor Terry Vorderer agreed with Mallo, but encouraged a vote to approve the two-way stop sign. He said this could be revisited at a later date.
The addition of speed humps were debated during the meeting. Olejniczak said that long term they don’t prevent drivers from speeding.
Village Manager Tom Phelan said the increase in drivers racing down side streets has increased and is an example of many motorists who have a disregard for safety.
“I’m concerned about driving through stop signs,” Phelan said. “It is a problem. It used to be the rolling stops and now they are just driving through them. That is a concern with kids out playing.”
Mallo also has concerns about adding speed humps.
“As far as speed humps, they can actually cause more damage,” Mallo said. “But drivers not only cut through 96th Street but they cut through the whole district.”
Trustee James Pembroke (4th) also reminded everyone that with the recent time change, it will be darker later in the afternoon. Motorists should be careful when driving into the evening hours, Pembroke said.
“It is getting darker earlier and I want to remind drivers to slow down when they are driving down the streets,” Pembroke said. “Please slow down.”
Most of the trustees said said they get two or three calls at least each week about speeding drivers.
Trustee Ralph Soch (6th) suggested that digital speed monitors that indicate the speed in which a driver is traveling could be inserted in more locations in the village. He believes that drivers who see the speed in which they are traveling will cause them to slow down.
Police Chief Dan Vittorio said that four-way stop signs are usually reserved for busier intersections. But he also added that installing more stop signs does not always help.
Vorderer said 96th Street is an alternate route for motorists who are trying to avoid 95th Street. Officials have also indicated that traffic has increased along side streets near Central Avenue from Southwest Highway to 107th Street due to the water main project that will continue through next year.
Four new police officers took the oath to serve the village during the meeting. The new patrol officers are Alekhine Aguilos, Daniel Cronin, Iarahim Mansour and Robert Schmidt II. Vittorio pointed out that the new officers were lateral transfers from different municipalities.
Mallo, who was the chief organizer of the new Fall Music Festival that replaced the Fall on the Green format, presented donations to Park Lawn, The Courage Program and Live Like Abby. All three organizations will receive $20,000 from proceeds raised from the three-day festival.
Eagle Scout Awards were presented to Blake Izaguirre and Domas Rasynas.
Vorderer also wanted to thank everyone who voted in the general election. On a personal note, Vorderer thanked his wife, Linda. The couple celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary on Nov. 8.
2 Comments
Local News
Orland Park officials Geeked up over new safety ranking
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva The Geek has spoken. And Orland Park officials liked what it had to say. The MoneyGeek personal finance technology company ranked Orland Park eighth safest out of 952 United States cities between 30,000 and 100,000 residents for 2021. “As crime continues to rise in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, we…
Willow Springs hires three for police department
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch All three new hires by the Willow Springs Police Department have some experience working in the village. But as of Jan. 27, they are officially members of the police department. The Willow Springs Village Board, at its most recent meeting, hired Andzeliak Bugajski and Anthony Vosicky as part-time officers and…
Argo wrestlers advance to sectionals
Spread the love From staff reports Nine members of the Argo wrestling team qualified for this weekend’s sectional tournament at the IHSA Class 3A regional at Mount Carmel High School last Saturday. Head Wrestling Coach Matthew McMurray said, “It was a great job by all of our wrestlers as they finished in third place. We…
Spartan Educational Foundation presents Rat Pack tribute
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Oak Lawn Community High School’s Spartan Educational Foundation is dedicated to helping students fulfill their dreams. “The Spartan Educational Foundation is continuously looking for opportunities to raise funding to support our student scholarship and staff mini-grant programs,” Michael Riordan, Superintendent at Oak Lawn Community Hight School and Spartan Educational Foundation…
Stickney’s St. Pius X Parish to merge with St. Leonard
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong St. Pius X Parish in Stickney will merge with St. Leonard Parish in Berwyn this summer, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, announced last month. The merger is part of the archdiocese’s ongoing Renew My Church initiative and will take effect on July 1. The new parish will have one…
La Grange twins are Chick Evans scholars
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Long hours spent in the La Grange Country Club’s caddie shack – killing time by reading books or playing cards as they wait to be called to duty – have paid off for a brother and sister. Through the past four years, Caroline and Casey Hart honed their skills, learned…
Fun from above
Spread the love While some folks see heavy snowfall and curse the skies, children in Clearing and Garfield Ridge seemed thrilled with last week’s winter windfall. Schools cancelled classes, and kids like Garfield Ridge sisters Makayla, 10, and 6-year-old Mia Hernandez grabbed their plastic sleds and rode ripples of white all afternoon on a large…
Brother Rice’s 11-game win streak ends with loss to Leo
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer In seemingly a blink of an eye, Brother Rice picked up as many losses as it had all season. The Crusaders headed into last weekend’s action with a 21-2 record and was 10-0 in the Chicago Catholic League Blue. But Friday night, they suffered a 56-50 setback to…
Area Sports Roundup: Six area girls bowling teams headed to sectionals
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer Six area girls bowling teams are headed to sectionals. Reavis and Stagg won IHSA regional titles last Saturday, and four other teams have advanced to this weekend’s action. Reavis won its own regional at Palos Lanes in Palos Hills with a 5,378 in six games, well ahead of…
Neighbors
Corey Wolf ‘living the dream’ as new Shepard hoops coach
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent For Corey Wolf, obtaining the ultimate high school basketball prize started in the summer of 2007. Wolf was playing for a Richards team that had showed much promise, having gone 26-3 and winning a regional title the previous season. Then-Bulldogs coach John Chappetto let his players know when summer…
Staab header helps Red Stars forge draw with KC
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Heading into the weekend, only Kansas City and Orlando were unbeaten among NWSL teams. The teams were tied atop the league standings, with each sporting 8-0-4 records. They now share another common denominator: Both have forged draws with the Red Stars. Red Stars defender Sam Stabb’s header in the…
Red Stars unhappy with Riot Fest conflict
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Among the bands that will headline the newly minted Riot Fest music festival are Chicago-area natives Fall Out Boy. The annual concert featuring an eclectic mix of musical acts will be held in Bridgeview Sept. 20-22 — and boy, oh boy, there is a lot of fallout from the…
It’s about time | Illinois high school hoops gets 35-second shot clock beginning with 2026-27 season
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Count Sandburg sophomore Daniel Morakinyo as someone who can’t wait for the 2026-2027 basketball season. The rising guard/forward will be a senior that year, and he will embrace the IHSA’s implementation of a 35-second shot clock for varsity boys and girls basketball. “It’s a good feature,” Morakinyo said after…
Oak Lawn police target drivers who ignore stop signs
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle Oak Lawn police are going to crack down on reckless drivers who repeatedly blow stop signs throughout the village. And police will begin enforcing those measures within the next two weeks. The subject was brought up during the Oak Lawn Village Board meeting June 11. Village Manager Tom Phelan said…
Volunteers from Brother Rice, St. Rita and St. Laurence help indigent on their final journey
Spread the loveBy Nuha Abdessalam Father Larry Sullivan, a director of Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Chicago and pastor of Christ the King Parish, joined County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and spoke words of love, respect, and God at the 35th annual committal service at Mount Olivet Cemetery. The service on June 6 at…
Riot Fest abandons Chicago park for SeatGeek Stadium
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong Last year, Lyrical Lemonade moved its Summer Smash hip-hop music festival from Chicago’s Douglass Park to Bridgeview’s SeatGeek Stadium. Thousands of fans poured into the stadium at 7100 S. Harlem Ave. over the course of three days and, by most accounts, enjoyed the experience. Summer Smash returned to SeatGeek this…
Comings & Goings: Orland Park Summerfest returns this weekend
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong Back for a second go round this weekend is the Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce’s Summerfest. The event combines a carnival, live music, an array of dining options and a car show, at the 153rd Street Metra Station location in Orland Park and will run from Friday, June 14,…
Repair Cafe this Saturday at Township of Lyons HQ
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Repair cafes have become quite the thing for the Township of Lyons. So much so that another repair cafe will be offered from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday, June 15, at the township office, 6404 Joliet Road in Countryside. A repair café held in May was a smashing…
‘They didn’t have to kill my brother’ – sister of slain Bridgeview man
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Arturo Cantu should be celebrating two big events this weekend. He would have celebrated his 40th birthday on June 14. And, a sister said, he would have enjoyed Father’s Day on Sunday, spending time with family and his two young children. Instead, 10 family members and friends gathered in a…
Install a Roundabout .
Stop signs do nothing. I see people every day blow right thru the stop signs to avoid the stoplight at 103rd&Cicero.
I see can’t see way you say speed bumps would be unsafe. If someone is speeding and the bump damaged there car that’s there problem, and maybe that will teach them about speeding.
Start putting in some roundabouts like they do in Evergreen Park or the speed bumps.