23 home foreclosures just this week in Orland Park

Home foreclosures are hitting a new high all over and including in Orland Park and there is no typical home cost involved. They range from small condos in the $90,000 range to two homes in the exclusive Crystal Tree gated subdivision.

There have been a total of 23 foreclosures just this week. And that's consistent with the prior week.

It's slightly worse in neighboring Tinley park where 24 homes went into foreclosure this week.

You have to be careful about realtors and banks. They're like predators hoping to turn a high profit off of your personal family tragedy.

Hopefully, some of President Obama's programs might be able to turn around the disaster that former President George W. Bush brought on all of us.

-- Ray Hanania
http://www.radiochicagoland.com/

Orland Fire Vehicle makes distant calls, from sports parking lots

Randy Reeder has been a longtime member of the Orland Fire Protection District hired in 1989 after serving in Palos for almost a decade before.

So you would think he would know better.

Reeder was promoted to Battalion Chief last November and now drives a Battalion Chiefs “Command Car,” a huge, fire-engine red SUV with “Orland Fire District” in large letters on the side doors and back, and “Battalion Chief” emblazoned on the front fenders of the big FORD Expedition.

The vehicle is hard to miss. So it was easily spotted in many locations by Orland Park residents who called me to ask why an Orland Fire Protection District vehicle parked, late at night, at some unusual public places like the parking lot of the Bo Jackson Sports Complex 12 miles away in Lockport neat I-355? And other places outside of the District? (His ID was dangling visibly from the rearview mirror in the car so it’s obvious whose vehicle was in use.)

I asked OFPD President Patrick Maher and he explained that Reeder is on 24 hour call this month. He’s the “Safety Officer” also. It’s done for the benefit of the district residents in the event of an emergency.

I understand every father has family obligations outside of the Orland Fire Protection District. And while they are vigilant and ready to rush to the scene of a fire or emergency where they may be needed, but do they really have to use a Fire District Car on personal time to be ready?

Insured by the District, in case something happens to their car outside of the district. Gasoline paid for by the district. Maintenance, wear and tear. Sounds like nothing. But it’s a lot.

I like Pat Maher. He runs the OFPD and the buck for all of the foibles of all the clout heavy people with the clout heavy names that he has to oversee stops at his desk. That gives him all kinds of political hassles to contend with outside of trying to manage the OFPD budget and operations.

He’s related to Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes through Dan’s mother’s side of the family. You see the Hynes name on the OFPD employment roster (they are not all related). We also saw all kinds of 19th Ward workers swarming around polling places at the past election handing out palm cards. And then there are the relatives of the former Orland Park village president, who I knew personally, Fred Owens. That’s just the beginning. So I don’t envy the job that Maher has to do. He’s also planning to run for higher office – isn’t that the mandate of every relative of a 19th Ward Dynasty?

I wouldn’t accept the excuse he was given. It’s hard to believe that Randy Reeder needs to be in his OFPD gas-guzzling SUV every minute of the day even if he is on call for the month.

Reeder is one of four Battalion Chiefs who work under Fire Chief Bryant Krizik. There’s also Raymond Kay, Joe Copeland and Dan Smith, who was promoted with Reeder last November from the fire ranks. All these guys are listed under “Administration.” That means “clout.”

Then there are three Battalion Chiefs who actually do all the hard work under “Fire Operations” who split up the day, every day, into three 8 hour shifts Black, Red and Gold. They are 1st Shift (BLACK) - BC Steve Smith; 2nd Shift (RED) - BC Nick Cinquepalmi; and 3rd Shift (GOLD) - BC Bill Bonnar, Jr.

I give Maher credit. He’s not like the other politicians and government officials I deal with who run like scared rabbits when you ask them to account for the taxpayer’s dime, like the ones who call your publisher and try to get you fired, or have people drive by your house giving you threatening looks. Or joke around that if something were to happen to me, would I get my garbage can lid?

Maher explained it and stood by his explanation. Personally, I think the political animals who do occupy some of those OFPD jobs are pulling the fireman’s wool over his eyes. And I don’t buy the on-duty 30-days at a time explanation.

“The day-time battalion chiefs are assigned an on-call month which rotates between the three of them. During their assigned month, they are expected to be available 24/7 throughout the month to respond to secondary calls, extrication needed car accidents, working fires, and any technical rescue incidents,” Maher explained.

“Their ‘on-call’ time is outside of their working hours. They are not compensated for being on call, it is an expectation of their position. Additionally, the reason that we required our chiefs to live within the District boundaries is so that they are available to respond in a timely manner to incidents. When they are on call they need to be available and ready for response – which means not getting too far away from the district boundaries. If while on call the assigned chief needs to leave town, or is otherwise incapable of response they need to call one of the other off duty chiefs and find coverage.”

Maher adds, “Battalion Chief Reeder is the Department Safety Officer so even when he is not assigned “on call” duty, he still has a level of expectation to respond in the safety officer role. Again, he is not paid additional money. The practice of having off duty chiefs take home cars is practiced by practically every department which was evident during our inquiries when we decided about three years ago to change our policy. Many chiefs have that as a provision of their contracts.”

Hey. It is baseball season after all.

-- Ray Hanania
www.RadioChicagoland.com

Writer notes something I forgot

Orland Park was ranked 92 on Money Magazine's 100 Best Places to live. But Heather Warthen, one of my favorite journalists and the editor of the Orland Park Prairie, noted in her feature that in 2006, Orland Park was ranked 45.

I'm always hammering Orland Park's politicians. Some people say I do it because I don't like Orland Park, but I know two things about criticism: 1) Criticism is what forces elected government officials to do the right thing, the jobs they are paid to do but often contend they do as a favor for us; and 2) identifying faults and shortcomings is th efaster way to becoming even better, far more effective than patting yourself ont he back as our Mayor Dan McLaughlin often does to himself.

See I think Orland Park is a great community. But I also think it can be even better. Why aren't we number 1 on Money Magazine's top 100. Don't get me wrong. There are only about 100 "cities" in America (a city defined as having a population of more than 200,000), and there are thousands more towns and villages like Orland Park. How many thousands? I don't know. But I still think we are the best.

So how do you become better? By patting yourself on the back all the time and NEVER saying anything bad? (Criticism is considered a "sin" in Orland Park. You say something critical of Orland Park and the politicians put you ont heir blacklist.) I don't think pretending something is great when it is not is the right way to become even better.

You become better by identifying your faults, areas of shortcoming, and then correct them. You correct them and in the process you improve the bigger picture.

We have a lot of great things. A Great Police Chief. A Great Trustee Patricia Gira. A Great looking Village Hall. A TREMENDOUS civic center and director there. We even have great events like Taste fo Orland Park which is far better than Taste of Chicago. Okay, the Orland Days Festival can be better -- and I sure took some grief for saying that, but it's true. It has developed a bad reputation over the years and I am not sure why. But the Lions should figure it out, recognize it and then make it better. This year's Orland Days was better, I'm told. Maybe and other Orland Parkers will return to the Festival which has lost crowds over th eyears due to being sho ved around from dump to dump (like the old Homemaker's Mall -- that was the worst!) We have a great public pool. It's one of the best. And we have great schools and an even GREATER Recreation Department.

Some of our elected officials are lacking, deficient in leadership. But what else is knew in politics?

So I say, yes, let's be cheerleaders. Let's be community boasters. But, let's also be honest. And make Orland Park an even better community by not just applauding everything. But by also acknowledging where things need to be improved.

My list of things that need to be improved:

1 -- Office of the mayor -- needs to be more responsive and willing to listen.
2 -- Several trustee seats -- need to be replaced with people concerned about the community, not themselves or local politics.
3 -- Retail planning in the village needs to be improved. There are too many empty storefronts (When is the old Orland Park movie theater building going to be turned into the bright jewel it once was?).
4 -- Traffic control. Traffic in Orland Park is abysmal.
5 -- Flooding is still an issue in many areas, even on normal rainy days.
6 -- More openness in government: Put village board meetings on cable TV instead of those events that are videotaped that spend more time showcasing the elected officials.
7 -- More public participation in events like theater and comedy performances. (Get rid of the cliques).
8 -- More diversity at our summer festivals. I love Irish music but there is more in Orland Park, isn't there?
9 -- More funding and support for our schools.
10 -- How about one place where you can get a great corned beef and rye sandwich, instead of all the pasta and steaks. I'm just saying more variety!

Okay. That's my wish list.

Ray Hanania
www.OrlandParker.com