Countryside resident seeks help with late-night noise

By Steve Metsch 

At least one Countryside resident is tired of hearing odd noises that wake him in the middle of the night. 

With that in mind, Nico Sutkus spoke on the topic at the Sept. 27 meeting of the Countryside City Council. 

Sutkus, 22, who resides in the 9500 block of 56th Street, said he was there “to talk about the noisy neighbors we have to the east.” 

“Over the past year, two years or so, every night, every other night I hear this beeping noise,” he said. 

“I don’t know if it’s coming from the quarry or construction workers, but it’s one in the morning, two in the morning, three in the morning,” Sutkus said. 

He said he’s contacted the police in Countryside and McCook, “but they don’t know where it’s coming from.” 

The Vulcan quarry that is on the east side of East Avenue is in McCook. And the seemingly never-ending road work is on East Avenue and 55th Street. 

“We’ve got beeping alarms going on all night long,” he said. “It’s hard to sleep at night. Three or four in the morning. It’s not okay.” 

“I’ve been in touch with the quarry. They claim it’s not them,” Sutkus said. “On a nice night, you want the windows open, but it’s loud and clear.” 

He thinks the noise is coming from the northwest corner of the quarry, near 55th and East. 

He also wonders if there’s a connection to the ongoing roadwork. 

City officials said they’d look into it. 

On Oct. 6, Sutkus said “there’s been a couple of nights of buzzing and beeping around midnight or so. The windows have been shut recently, but they’re still out there active. 

He also said he’s heard the sounds of rock being pulverized. 

“Nobody claims responsibility. No one wants to take accountability for it. Even when you are there right when it’s going on, the police can’t find it either,” Sutkus said. 

In other business, the city council approved a proclamation that declared September as National Suicide Prevention & Action Month. 

Mayor Sean McDermott said: “I don’t think there’s not a person in this room who has not been affected by suicide one way or another.” 

The council unanimously approved the proclamation. 

Ald. John Von Drasek (2nd) was pleased by that, adding: “The mental illness crisis in this country is real. Hopefully, folks will the help they need.” 

The council approved trading in a 17-year-old truck used by the water department. 

The council approved an ordinance that addresses off-street parking of tractors or trailers at motel or hotel parking lots adjacent to a roadway. 

Overnight parking behind the business or near residential homes will not be permitted. The action resulted after the city heard a number of complaints from residents, McDermott said. 

The council approved paying Lyons Pinner Electric $9,860 in install a fiber optic cable that will be used for a camera at the entrance of Flagg Creek Golf Course. 

The plan is to monitor traffic in and out of the golf course parking lot accessed from Wolf Road, Ald. Tom Frohlich (1st) said. 

And, it’s never too early to being planning for Countryside’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. 

“We’re looking at March 2. The preparation has begun,” McDermott said. 

Ald. John Finn (1st) will again serve as parade chairman.