Posts by Steve Metsch
Repaving project set for part of 44th Street in Lyons
By Steve Metsch Residents of 44th Street in Lyons, between Riverside and Lawndale avenues, can look forward to smoother driving on an improved roadway. The village board on May 16 unanimously approved a resolution regarding the awarding of a Cook County Community Development Block Grant for the work. M&J Asphalt Paving Company Inc., based in…
Read More‘America, apple pie and the Pet Parade’ – 77th edition draws big crowd
By Steve Metsch Nine-year-old Derrick Roggenkamp had a one-word review for the La Grange Pet Parade: “Awesome.” “And, we got candy,” the Westchester boy said as he and his siblings enjoyed ice cream after the parade on Saturday. Derrick, and sisters Lilly, 8, and McKenzie, 3, were among the thousands who lined the streets of…
Read MoreLTHS beating victim remains hospitalized as details emerge
By Steve Metsch The Lyons Township High School student who suffered “major head trauma” in a fight outside the north campus three weeks ago remains hospitalized, a source said last week. The youth – whose name, age, town and year in school have not been released – was attacked by at least three other youths…
Read MoreKlimek promoted to police chief in Countryside
By Steve Metsch That didn’t take long. Just two weeks after he was named acting police chief, Paul Klimek was officially named police chief by a unanimous vote of the Countryside City Council on May 24. Klimek, 42, had been with the department since 2004 and replaces Joe Ford, who retired earlier this month after…
Read MoreFallen veterans remembered at Lyons ceremony
By Steve Metsch An event that happened 78 years ago is often on the mind of Richard Vachata, but especially on Memorial Day. In 1945, his cousin, Joe Horky, made the ultimate sacrifice. Horky, 21, died after a Japanese kamikaze pilot crashed his plane into his battleship in the Pacific, Vachata said. Horky, of Brookfield,…
Read MoreCouple, Countryside at odds over land sale
By Steve Metsch Albert and Rosemary Dostal want to sell their empty land in Countryside. But they are finding that a difficult task. The couple, which lives in the 9500 block of 56th Street, owns nine wooded acres south of 57th Street and west of La Grange Road. It’s been in the family for 50…
Read MoreWater study finds 12 leaks in McCook system
By Steve Metsch A water study that McCook’s village board approved in March is paying dividends just two months later. Mayor Terrance Carr said that a dozen leaks have been found in the city’s water system, which had been losing 5 million gallons each month. “We found 12. We fixed all 12 of them. We…
Read MoreA familiar face takes the reins in Indian Head Park
By Steve Metsch A new chapter in the history of Indian Head Park began at last week’s village board meeting. Amy Jo Wittenberg – who served two terms as a village trustee – was sworn in as the new mayor. Wittenberg, 59, who works in marketing for a printing company, lost re-election as a trustee…
Read MoreBaste becomes first Arab American on Bridgeview Village Board
By Steve Metsch In the newly decorated board room at the Bridgeview Village Hall, in front a standing room only crowd of family and friends, Kalid Baste became part of history. He was sworn in as the first Arab American to serve as a village trustee in Bridgeview. Baste was given the oath of office…
Read MoreSlice Factory makes a big debut in Lyons
By Steve Metsch Norberto Cisneros Jr., smiled after tasting the pepperoni pizza at the new Slice Factory in Lyons. “I like it,” he said. “It’s a big bang for your buck.” Cisneros, an administrative aide in the Lyons Village Hall, wasn’t kidding. “Each slice,” restaurant owner Domenico DiDiana said, “is about the length of a grown man’s forearm.”…
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