Living Palos Park mayors honor 100-year-old Lager

By Jeff Vorva

History was made at the Palos Park Village Council meeting when six of the living mayors in town gathered at the Kaptur Center.

This moment may not happen again.

It was the first time all six where together and they were at the Oct. 23 meeting to honor former mayor Willard Lager, who recently turned 100.

Lager was mayor from 1963-1967. He was followed by the late Neil J. Anderson (1967-1975), the late Arthur Herzog (1975-1978), the late Rosemary Kaptur (1978-1995), Donald H. Jeanes (1995-1999), Jean Moran (1999-2003), Carolyn Baca (2003-2007), John Mahoney (2007-2023) and current mayor Nicole Milovich-Walters.

Lager, Jeanes, Moran, Baca, Mahoney and Milovich-Walters were on hand for the celebration and to swap stories.

“This is as many mayors as I have seen at one time,” Baca said.

After a photo of the historic six, the mayors were asked the loaded question of who the best mayor was, and no one wanted to bite.

But Moran said, “The current one. It’s always the current one.”

Mahoney added, “We’ve all carried the torch for Palos Park.”

Milovich-Walters said that having six mayors in the room was “Amazing, just amazing.”

During the meeting, Milovich-Walters read a proclamation that said Lager was a longtime Palos Park resident and raised his family in town. She said he was president of the Indiana-Michigan Corporation, an accomplished pilot plus was a member of the American Bonanza Society and attended 50 straight yearly meetings it held across the country.

Halloween celebration on the Green

The village, which will not have trick or treat hours on Oct. 31, will host a celebration for children from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Village Green, 8901 W. 123rd Street.

There will be a costume contest at 5 p.m., a costume parade at 5:15 p.m., and games will be ongoing in the gym during the three-hour event.

Commissioner Rebecca Petan said that at 5:30 p.m. there will be trick or treating on a haunted trail and there will be tents along the trail where kids can pick up treats.

Change of venue

Representatives of the McCord Gallery and Cultural Center were on hand to promote the coming gala it is hosting.

The Shoot for the Stars and into the GALAxy event is scheduled to take place Nov. 4 and has been moved from Cog Hill Country Club to the Ruffled Feathers Golf Course.

Tickets are $125 and Fantasia will provide the entertainment.