When they have to say it's safe, it's usually a problem

When village officials have to start reminding people that 1) their village is "safe," and 2) that a recent gun fight that took a 20 year old's life in an apartment complex not too far away from the village hall, and 3) that they haven't received any concerns from residents, you know either the elected officials are not that close to the community, or the place is going to hell in a hand basket filled with nice smelling attractive flowers.

That's what Orland Park village officials are saying one week after four teenagers and young adults got into a gun fight in an apartment building north of the village hall and near Frontier Park. One of the kids, a 20 year old, was shot dead. Another was taken to a hospital. The injured and two others have been charged in the incident with First Degree Murder, no small felony by the way.

Click here to read the Daily Southtown story about elected officials' reactions?

No one showed up at the board meeting the following Monday, trustees pointed out, to express their concerns. Well, the truth is no one shows up at any board meetings in Orland Park anyway. First, because most of the big deals are done deals before they get to public scrutiny, and second, most trustees and the village board are not very responsive with information on important stuff at all.

You do get some handouts on theatrical groups with insider clout, big awards and festivals, though. Although in fairness, the police were on top of the incident and they got the information out fast, to their credit, stemming the rumors that could have been and started out far worse when the gunfight at Pioneer Park took place.

The big question is the first test of the village's "Crime Free Housing Ordinance" which states that renters who commit crimes or who have guests that commit crimes shall be evicted from their rental premises.

It sure sounded like a great idea when it was passed. But I didn't hear any trustees talk about the victim, Jorge Mena, or the people he lived with. Maybe the shooters who committed the crime were not renters, so I guess that bright idea ordinance isn't going anywhere fast.

Well, this story is not over. The village should and is coming down hard on the three survivors. Let the investigation decide the circumstances of the victim, who lost his life.

-- Ray Hanania
www.TheMediaOasis.com

Un-neighborliness spreading throughout the suburbs

Usually it's all happy talk and ignored politics in the news in most suburban communities like Orland Park. But lately, the news has been filled with a lot of violence and un-neighborly misconduct.

Sunday, some kids got their hands on some guns and shot at each other near a park near the Village Hall. One kid died and another is recovery from wounds. The police arrested three kids, and ethnicity and race are issues, sadly. African American. Hispanic. Arab American. It also involved apartment complexes and crowded tenants. And, of course, according to the reports, the confrontation involved drugs.

Drugs and Guns are the real issue here. It happens in every race and culture. But, I guess I don't understand how kids can throw away their lives so easily. Police sound like they plan to seek the death penalty in the murder.

Read the story?

In another case, two neighbors got into a scuffle over something one of their wives did. Yes, one man told the other neighbor that he was upset because he threw a beach ball into their backyard pool. And the other man then threw the complainer into the lake behind their home, "damaging" his glasses and soaking his cell phones.

Read the story?

Water's not good for cell phones, I know that much!

How can two people who live next to a beautiful pond find the time to fight with each other over such trivial issues, especially when they have ducks and geese wandering all over dropping their "droppings" all over, too?

Duck and Geese droppings look like they belong to Doberman Pinchers or something. I'm not saying redirect the anger and kill the ducks or the geese. Chances are the fines are worse. but don't we have other things to talk about as "neighbors" than to be so uncivil to each other?

I know a neighbor who had their pool slashed -- no doubt by another neighbor. neighbors in the suburbs are not being so neighborly at all these days.

I didn't realize that neighbors in the suburbs knew each other enough to be angry at each other. Don't you at least have to know someone's last name before you throw them in a pond behind your house or damage their property? People in the suburbs moved to the suburbs to "not know" their neighbors. Suburbanites don't want to be bothered. So why would you then take the extra-ordinary step of committing some physical contact with your neighbor, like throwing them in a pool.

Parents walk their kids to school in the morning these days out of fear. About 30 percent of the fear is that some stranger will grab their kids. But the remaining 70 percent of the fear is that a neighbor will be unneighborly and do something worse to their kids.

Gotta protect your kids, family and property from suburban neighbors, I guess. While tip-toeing around the duck and geese poop.

-- Ray Hanania

www.TheMediaOasis.com

Un-neighborliness spreading throughout the suburbs

Usually it's all happy talk and ignored politics in the news in most suburban communities like Orland Park. But lately, the news has been filled with a lot of violence and un-neighborly misconduct.

Sunday, some kids got their hands on some guns and shot at each other near a park near the Village Hall. One kid died and another is recovery from wounds. The police arrested three kids, and ethnicity and race are issues, sadly. African American. Hispanic. Arab American. It also involved apartment complexes and crowded tenants. And, of course, according to the reports, the confrontation involved drugs.

Drugs and Guns are the real issue here. It happens in every race and culture. But, I guess I don't understand how kids can throw away their lives so easily. Police sound like they plan to seek the death penalty in the murder.

Read the story?

In another case, two neighbors got into a scuffle over something one of their wives did. Yes, one man told the other neighbor that he was upset because he threw a beach ball into their backyard pool. And the other man then threw the complainer into the lake behind their home, "damaging" his glasses and soaking his cell phones.

Read the story?

Water's not good for cell phones, I know that much!

How can two people who live next to a beautiful pond find the time to fight with each other over such trivial issues, especially when they have ducks and geese wandering all over dropping their "droppings" all over, too?

Duck and Geese droppings look like they belong to Doberman Pinchers or something. I'm not saying redirect the anger and kill the ducks or the geese. Chances are the fines are worse. but don't we have other things to talk about as "neighbors" than to be so uncivil to each other?

I know a neighbor who had their pool slashed -- no doubt by another neighbor. neighbors in the suburbs are not being so neighborly at all these days.

I didn't realize that neighbors in the suburbs knew each other enough to be angry at each other. Don't you at least have to know someone's last name before you throw them in a pond behind your house or damage their property? People in the suburbs moved to the suburbs to "not know" their neighbors. Suburbanites don't want to be bothered. So why would you then take the extra-ordinary step of committing some physical contact with your neighbor, like throwing them in a pool.

Parents walk their kids to school in the morning these days out of fear. About 30 percent of the fear is that some stranger will grab their kids. But the remaining 70 percent of the fear is that a neighbor will be unneighborly and do something worse to their kids.

Gotta protect your kids, family and property from suburban neighbors, I guess. While tip-toeing around the duck and geese poop.

-- Ray Hanania
www.TheMediaOasis.com