Zabrocki had warned Arab businessmen they have have been targeted

Many months ago, Tinley Park Mayor Ed Zabrocki had warned several high profile American Arabs who live in Tinley Park that they should alert the community that there was police information that Chicago store owners of Arab heritage might be the targets of thieves.

That came true this week when six gunmen broke in to the Tinley Park home of store owner Abbas Darwish. Darwish live son the 9100 block of Basswood drive in a 4,000 square foot mansion. He owns and operates DIA Food & Liquor in Morgan Park on Chicago's South Side.

Zabrocki had said that reports had surfaced that the Arab grocers might be targeted not in their stores, where they often prepare against theft as do most other small grocery store owners, but in their driveways upon return to their homes late at night after work.

There are about 150 small and medium-sized grocery stores owned by American Arabs in the Chicago area, many in the inner city and African American community.

On Wednesday, around 4 am as Darwish and his wife and children were sleeping,t he six suspects broke in to the home and pistol whipped Darwish demanding his money from the store. 

Police arrested two of the suspects as helicopters and SWAT teams were brought in to hunt down the heavily armed gunmen. Zabrocki and the Tinley Park Police don't mess around and are tough on crime and protecting their community.

Zabrocki said that Darwish had been targeted and the suspects might have followed him home from his business.

Residents of Tinley Park and School District 135 were alerted to the home invasion early Wednesday morning. District 135 schools were placed in a "soft loack-down" meaning that children remained in classrooms. The manhunt for the four remaining suspects was called off in the early afternoon after police concluded they had fled the area. 

-- Ray Hanania

www.RadioChicagoland.com 

Tinley Park Mayor, trustees and wives celebrate Obama's inauguration in Washington DC

Tinley Park Mayor Ed Zabrocki, one of my all-time favorite politicians, called from Washington D.C. during my radio show Tuesday morning, inauguration day, to share with us the experience that he and his wife Emily had at the historic inauguration of Barack Obama as this nation's 44th President.

Zabrocki shared his experience and also talked about the challenges Obama faces over the next four years, the optimism he and his wife saw in the faces of the more than 2 million people int he nation's capitol, and also plans for the improvement of the 80th Avenue Metra Station and the village's budget problems.

Delegation included Tinley Park trustees Pat Rea, outgoing SBA Director for the MidWest, Greg Hannon, Tom Staunton Jr., Mike Bettenhausen and their wives.

"We came down at our own expense, no village dollars involved... part of the reason we came here for was to button hole some of our representatives and make sure we get our oar in the water about the stimulus package and some of the issues we want for Tinley Park. We held a breakfast yesterday morning we some of our representatives. We talked with them last night. We went to the Illinois Ball which was almost borderline chaos. It was really great. We had a chance to talk to (US Senator Dick) Durbin and other and put a bug in their ear about our issues," Zabrocki said during the telephone interview.

"While we were out in the Mall yesterday and just kind of generally around, the young people and the families. It is amazing the number of families that were here. This is our 5th inauguration that we were involved in and we have never seen so many young people and families at these things."

Zabrocki said he could see that "people are looking to him to getting us out of whatever we are in whether it is a military standpoint, or an economic standpoint and whatever it might be. The optimism about him is unbelievable. We sensed this in the Metro system. Last night we were coming home from the Illinois Ball probably at about 1, 1:30 in the morning and people again, with families, were talking positively that this is change and we are looking forward to it. Everyone was friendly. It was amazing. People were opening doors for other people. I hope that the concept that idea that opened this whatever you want to call it continues because this country needs it badly.

"The ball was fantastic. There was well of 8,000 people there. It was at the Renaissance Hotel. It was on 3 or 4 different floors."

"One of the things we are down here for is that they have a Metra system that is second to noneas far as I amc oncerned. We traveled all over this city on the Metra without one probnlem. Very clearly marked signs the metro employees. All kinds of things."

Very secure. High presence of security.

Zabrocki said he had a tour of the Pentagon, also.

The delegation is looking towards improving the 80th Avenue train station. Zabrocki said construction there will start this summer. The biggest problem si the 18 inch jumpf romt he platform to the rail cars.

You can hear the complete interview at http://www.radiochicagoland.com/ or directly by logging in to iTunes and dowloading the podcast to your iPod.

Zabrocki was very optimistic, acknowledging that Obama will need time.

The mayor said that like many communities, Tinley Park has a deficit of about $4 million mainly because of reduced retails sales tax collections from the car industry and also the many businesses moving our of Cook County into Will County.

The web page of the Village of Tinley Park is http://www.tinleypark.org/. It has won several major awards.

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Middle Eastern businessmen targeted by robbers in Southwest Suburbs

Tinley Park officials are reporting that Middle Eastern businessmen are being targeted by robbers who are following the businessmen as they leave their businesses to their homes int he Southwest suburbs, robbing them at their homes and even in their driveways.

Tinely Park Mayor Ed Zabrocki issued an alert Friday.

"Tinley Park along with several other suburbans have experienced some late night robberies of Middle-Eastern business men. These men have businesses in the city and take the day's receipts home with them. They are followed home and than either in the driveway or the home itself is robbed," Zabrocki said in his statement.

The American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC Chicago) has reached out to Mayor Zabrocki to offer any assistance in helping to get the word out or any support that might assist the police in confronting the suspects and stopping the robberies, according to ADC Chicago President Fadi Zanayed.

-- Ray Hanania
www.OrlandParker.com

Tinley Park Community Halloween tops the region

Tinley Park saw a flood of Orland Park residents attend their annual Halloween for the kids program Saturday October 25th, in part because of the high fees imposed by the Village of Orland Park for their similar program.

The Village has been cash-strapped and has been increasing fees, cutting services and reducing the tax-rebate program which was approved originally to off-set the Orland Park home rule sales tax increase of .75 on all sales. The sales tax hike today has become regressive in the face of so many other sales tax hikes.

The Tinley Park Park District turned out to be the alternative to the high taxes and fees in Orland Park. There were no charges in Tinley for children or families from the within or outside of the village. And, in today's economy, that was a major source of interest for the more than 310 people who attended the event with their children.

Children dressed up in everything from witches to politicians, from Spiderman to Batman. The event was held at the spectacular 65,000 square foot Tony Bettenhausen Recreation Center which in addition to being a recreation center and gynasium is also a museum for the many achivements of this car-racing family. The kids flocked around one of the Bettenhausen race cars roped off in the center foyer of the entrance lobby.

Down the hall, the Tinley Park Park District set up rooms with attractions that included a story-teller, an exhibit of bugs, spiders, and lizards, face-painting, games and more.

Downstairs, the kids could play more games and lined up for more than a dozen games where they could win prizes. The lines were long but the patient children had fun waiting for their turn to ring toss, play the "Bozo-buckets" and more and every child left with a bag loaded with free goodies to make their halloween enjoyable.

"This is amazing," explained one mother who said she lived in Orland Park. "We went to the Orland Park Halloween event and they wanted us to pay. It just seemed wrong."

Her sentiments were repeated by dozens of parents and the topic of the day in fact was the ongoing discussion about the charges in Orland Park, and the new taxes and high fees for services.

"I love the Orland Park Recreation Department. I don't blame them. But even if you are a resident, it's costly. I have four kids," another mother explained. "It's free here and my kids are loving every minute of it."

While Orland Park also sometimes becomes a self-promotion for members of their staff and friends to perform, Tinley Park's event focused entirely on the children.

The biggest attraction was the haunted house in the downstairs gynasium. Children entered and left the huge in-door haunted house screaming with laughter.

Students from nearby Victor J. Andrew high school served as cheerful volunteers to make the event from 12 noon until 3 PM the most enjoyable for the children.

This is the 6th year the village has hosted the free event for families in the region.

-- Ray Hanania
www.OrlandParker.com

Dozens of parents flock to Tinley Park after expressing disappointment with Orland's Recreation Department's Halloween for Kids program

We went to the Tinley Park Recreation Department's Halloweeen Day for Children on Saturday. It was great. It had rooms of events, insects, creepy animals and a haunted house, plus all kinds of games.

But what was most surprising was that the fee imposed for the same event at Orland Park chased many Orland Park residents away. And they came to Tinley Park -- those that knew about Tinley's great and FREE annual program.

Orland Park's increased tax, and increased fees are turning resdents off. The Recreation Department was forced to increase fees on almost all of its programs and despite an effort by local media to cover the fee increases up, residents are up in arms and blaming Mayor Dan McLaughlin for his poor leadership that is politically motivated.(He's a Chicago Machine politician who has sold Orland Park's soul otu to the 19th Ward.)

You can't blame the Recreation Department in Orland Park for the punitive fee increases. You have to blame McLaughlin. And it was obvious many who fled to Tinley Park in the face of the event fees -- they said it cost as much as $12 to get in. Yikes! That's terrible. (Actually, it was $6 for residents and $11 for non-residents -- which doesn't seem like much until you add it to the heap of new taxes and fees being imposed by the village and Mayor Dan McLaughlin.)

They were all complaining and it didn't take much to hear it. They were telling everyone. This year, we chose Tinely's event for our child because we heard so many great things about it. Orland has a GREAT recreation program, ut the tax increases and the increased fees will certainly chase many orland Park homeowners to go elsewhere for their recreation programs.

In the end, increased fees don't bring in new revenues. They chase participants away and the total revenues generally remain the same.

Sad to see this happening to Orland Park.

-- Ray Hanania
www.OrlandParker.com

Amateur video of tornado 66 miles south of Orland in Odell, Illinois

Amateur video of Tornado far southern town of Odell, 66 miles south of Orland Park, Illinois off I-55 ... (about 9 minutes of footage) ...

Chicago's Olympics and Orland Park

Mayor Dan McLaughlin said Monday he pushed through a resolution endorsing the Chicago 2016 Olympic Bid because "... what's good for Chicago is good for the suburbs."

That would come as a shock to most people living in the suburbs, including in Orland Park. Many suburbanites moved from Chicago to get away from the city's corrupt political system, seeking freedom in much the way as our immigrant ancestors once fled the persecution, corruption and repression of their countries to settle in America.

No, Chicago's interests are NOT Orland Park's interests, unless of course, you work for a union that has much at stake with Chicago politics.

But jeez, if you criticize Hizzonner "da Mayor" -- I'm not talking about Mayor Daley but Mayor McLaughlin -- he get's his royal monarchy feathers in a ruffle. McLaughlin's idea of "serving the public" is to serve those who are loyal to him. If you are a voter who doesn't agree with his policies, then he ostracizes you.

I've been there with da Mayor. We've had our differences. he didn't mind soliciting my support when he was first running as an officeholder in Orland Park ... but once in office, turned and got sour.

Now, without any public discussion, the Orland Park village board approves a resolution endorsing the Chicago bid for the 2016 Olympics.

Great. What do the Southwest Suburbs really get from the 2016 Olympics. As a reporter, I've spent a lot of time pouring through the proposals and the fact is the Southwest SUburbs get nothing. Zilch! Nada! The South Side of Chicago gets a lot. Daley is smart. He is using the Olympics as a plan to rebuild and revitalize the depressed South Side of the city, which has needed help for years. Even the South Suburbs -- which are NOT the same as the Southwest Suburbs -- get programs and benefits. Which is why the South Suburban Mayors Association has endorsed the plan.

Orland Park is NOT a rubber stamp for Chicago. We should be always defending the rights and needs of Orland Park First! We should be transparent about our conflicts of interest and insure that when our elected officials act they are acting in our interests and not the interests of others where they may work.

Some elected officials will get angry at this as they always do. It's their only response to demands that they be accountable.

But leadership means that they must be accountable to the people of Orland Park. And accountability means answering the tough questions and TAKING THE CRITICISM, which does not come often enough in Orland Park, where some of our officials seem to reign like monarchs and royalty.

Ray Hanania
http://www.themediaoasis.com/
http://www.orlandparker.com/

Lane Bryant suspect still on the loose

Tinley Park police continue to hunt for the killer of five women at the Lane Bryant store in Tinley Park on Feb. 2, 2008. One woman, a sixth victim, survived the murder spree and provided this composite description of the suspect.













Tinley Park has set up a telephone tip line:

708-444-5394


and an email tipline

lanebryant-tipline@tinleypark.org


The web page of the Tinley Park Police Department is

http://www.tinleyparkpolice.org/


Contact police if you know anything about this suspect.

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