
Oak Lawn: Election is sweet this time for Streit
Four years ago, Oak Lawn Trustee Robert Streit and his supporters gathered at Deja Brew Bar and Grille and anxiously awaited returns in an unexpectedly tight race in which a write-in candidate nearly defeated the veteran trustee.
Things were much sweeter this time.
There were no such worries on Tuesday night, as Streit was easily elected to a seventh term as 3rd District trustee. Streit and his supporters returned to Deja Brew to celebrate his victory.
With seven of the district’s eight precincts reporting, Streit garnered approximately 55 percent of the vote, easily defeating challengers Scott Hollis and J. John Zurek.{{more}}
Streit received 837 votes to Hollis’ 595, according to unofficial results reported by the Cook County Clerk’s office. Zurek came in a distant third, gathering 81 votes.
Less than 25 percent of the district’s 6,404 registered voters turned out to cast ballots in the premier race in Tuesday’s contests.
Several of Streit’s political opponents worked hard to unseat him.
Village Clerk Jane Quinlan endorsed Hollis and Trustees Alex Olejniczak (2nd) and Terry Vorderer (4th) both walked the 3rd District to convince voters to end Streit’s 24-year run as trustee.
But their efforts weren’t enough.
Streit, who could not be reached for comment Tuesday night, said recently that he has worked since November on his election campaign. He added that he approached the campaign as though he was a 10-point underdog.
Streit, who has spent much of the past two years criticizing Mayor Sandra Bury and her administration, was noticeably quiet at recent board meetings, leading some to speculate that he toned down his admonitions leading up to Election Day.
Hollis, who also could not be reached for comment Tuesday, has said Streit ran a dirty campaign that included telephone calls to his house in the middle of the night. Hollis also was convinced that he was being followed.
In District 1, incumbent Tim Desmond easily defeated challenger Cindy Trautsch in a rematch between the two.
Desmond received 520 votes to Trautsch’s 346, according to unofficial results.
Turnout was low, with only 883 voters casting ballots.
In the 5th District, William ÒBud” Stalker defeated Dan Johnson, garnering 667 votes to Johnson’s 414, according to unofficial results. Only 1,094 ballots were cast in the district, which has 8,249 registered voters.
Desmond said his campaign was successful because he focused on his accomplishments of the past two years while Trautsch ran a negative campaign.
He said the campaign featured Òso much garbage” and mudslinging that Òpeople were disgusted by it.”
ÒI’m happy,” Desmond said, adding that flood prevention, expanding his jobs program and redeveloping the 87th Street business district will be his top priorities.
Desmond said he was hopeful he could work with Streit in the coming four years.
ÒI would hope that now that he’s won, he can work with the rest of the board and move the village forward,” he said.
Stalker credited his victory to his business background and length of time living in Oak Lawn.
He also credited his close ties to St. Linus Parish as a reason for his win.
Stalker also enjoyed the support of outgoing Trustee Carol Quinlan, her predecessor Marge Joy and former village clerk Jayne Powers.
He said he’s willing to work with Bury.
ÒIf she wants to run good government, I will be on her side,” he said.
Local News

Police Reports
Crime reports courtesy of swchicagopost.com. Police report information is provided by law enforcement agencies. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions taken, and people charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Charge man with murder in Chicago Lawn slaying A 33-year-old Woodlawn…

Reputed gang member tried to hire hitman, Dart says
From staff reports A man in custody at Cook County Jail, as well his fiancé, have been charged after an undercover Cook County Sheriff’s Office investigation concluded that they had sought to hire someone to kill a witness in the man’s current murder case, Sheriff Thomas J. Dart announced recently. Sheriff’s investigators said they learned…

Armed robbers hit Back of the Yards
From staff reports A cluster of four armed robberies in the south end of Back of the Yards has prompted to police to issue a community alert. Crime scenes include: 5400 block of South Seeley at 5 p.m. Friday, June 17. 5400 block of South Hoyne at 9:10 p.m. Friday, June 17. 5400 block of…

Days off are days off, Tabares says
Cops cheer call for City Hall to stop ‘abusing’ police By Tim Hadac Until the Lightfoot Administration comes up with a plan to stop canceling regular days off of police officers, 23rd Ward Ald, Silvana Tabares is asking that city government withhold permits of all public parades and festivals that rely on the protection of…

Pianos in the parks
As part of the annual Make Music Chicago celebration, pianos have been placed in six public parks across the city, including McKinley Park, 2210 W. Pershing. Now through July 31, Chicagoans are invited to play songs on the instruments, which are typically available during fieldhouse hours. This year, the International Music Foundation will include a…

Rush cheers ‘desperately needed’ gun law
From staff reports Provisions based on gun-safety legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Bobby L. Rush (D-1st) has passed the U.S. House of Representatives as part of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. The legislation has also passed the Senate. Rush’s Gun Trafficking Prohibition Act (H.R. 30) prohibits the trafficking and straw purchasing of guns and bars the…

Chuy hails ‘consumer protection’ legislation
From staff reports Legislation designed to prevent large technology companies, retail firms and payday lenders from owning an industrial loan company (ILC) charter and operating a bank without any of the oversight, safeguards and limitations that apply to such institutions, has passed the House Financial Services Committee, said U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-4th), a…

Newman notes fed funds coming
From staff reports As part of this year’s community project funding from the House Committee on Appropriations, U.S. Rep. Marie Newman (D-3rd) said she has secured more than $15.9 million in federal funding to invest in community and health services and strengthen transportation networks across the Southwest Side and suburbs. Most of the community project funding requests…

Boy Scout earns his Eagle wings
Boy Scout Michael Kozel (center) of Troop 1441, sponsored by the St. Mary Star of the Sea Holy Name Society, recently passed his Eagle rank Board of Review process—in which adults in authority checked his required number of merit badges, service hours to his position in the troop and his Eagle Scout service project. Kozel’s…

Pro Soccer Report: Red Stars will miss three big guns during World Cup qualifying
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Having world-class players on your team is a blessing. But during times like these, it can also be a curse. World-class players help NWSL teams win games. They also miss chunks of time during the season because of their commitments to playing in international competitions. For much of July, the…
Neighbors

CAPITOL RECAP: Pritzker to call special session after Roe v. Wade overturned
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker will call a special session of the General Assembly in the coming weeks to focus on legislation to strengthen women’s access to abortion and other reproductive health services in Illinois. Pritzker made that announcement Friday, just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court released an opinion overturning…

6 Republicans vie to unseat Pritzker
By PETER HANCOCK & JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Republican voters in Illinois will choose from six candidates to challenge incumbent Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker in the upcoming June 28 primary. The field includes a conservative farmer and state lawmakers who is the recent polling frontrunner, the mayor of Illinois’ second largest…

Candidate interview: Alexi Giannoulias looking to reclaim statewide office
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] Illinois voters might know Alexi Giannoulias as the state’s treasurer from 2007 to 2011, or they might know him as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate who lost to Republican Mark Kirk in 2010. He’s now looking to get back into public life as he runs for secretary…

Pritzker to call special session on reproductive rights
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker will call a special session of the General Assembly in the coming weeks to focus on legislation to strengthen women’s access to abortion and other reproductive health services in Illinois. Pritzker made that announcement Friday, just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court released…

Candidate interview: Anna Valencia running for secretary of state
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] This story is part of Capitol News Illinois’ coverage of the race for secretary of state ahead of the Tuesday, June 28 primary. We’re reaching out to the candidates this week to discuss their policy positions and plans for the office should they be elected. Chicago City Clerk…

Republicans see opening in secretary of state race
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – For the first time in nearly a quarter century, there is an open race for the office of Illinois secretary of state as incumbent Democrat Jesse White prepares to retire, and Republicans hope that will give them an opportunity to pick up a statewide elected office.…

Candidate interview: Secretary of state hopeful David Moore
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] This story is part of Capitol News Illinois’ coverage of the race for secretary of state ahead of the Tuesday, June 28 primary. We’re reaching out to all of the candidates this week to discuss their policy positions and plans for the office should they be elected. Chicago…

Tom Cullerton sentenced to 1 year in prison for embezzlement
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A federal judge in Chicago handed down a one-year prison sentence Tuesday for a former state senator who once chaired the Senate Labor Committee. Tom Cullerton, a Villa Park Democrat, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of embezzlement for receiving salary and benefits from…

CAPITOL RECAP: State Supreme Court again declines to rule on FOID Act
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – In a 4-3 decision with a blistering dissent from the Republican minority, the Illinois Supreme Court declined to rule on a question of whether Illinois Firearm Owners Identification Act is unconstitutional. It was the second time the case of the People v. Vivian Brown came before the court and…

State audit finds billions in unemployment fraud
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A state audit released Thursday found nearly $2 billion in federal money intended to help unemployed Illinoisans during the pandemic was lost to fraudulent claims in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Employment Security blamed “insufficient and flawed federal guidance” and a lack of controls on a…