I’ve created a new website that offers an opportunity to deliver news, perspective and information for the Alsip community at-large.

Please visit the new website: AlsipToday.com

For anyone still visiting this forum – I plan on disabling the content within the next month.

Take care,

Jay

How nice. Here are some observations I’ve put together over the past couple of days. Feel free to add your perspective or comments.

• Jesse Jackson has really gone out on a limb and declared that the perpetrators should be banished to an everlasting hell.
• Sheriff Tom Dart looks something between confused and bemused when being interviewed on local news … it’s hard to tell with him.
• What’s with all the Cook County buses that we’ve witnessed in and around the cemetery? Are prisoners from Cook County jail being brought in to help?
• And how about those “nice” green screen fences that have been added at the north end of the cemetery? At least they’re covering up the over-grown weeds that had become an eyesore.

You have to feel for anyone having family or friends buried at Burr Oak. Our thoughts and prayers are with at this time.

It doesn’t look like this mess will be resolved anytime soon - with a much larger question looming for the Village of Alsip. Vicitms of the crime will undoubedly see actions for years to come unfold through the criminal charges and civil suits that will result from this travesty. Some time down the road – much of this will just be a bad memory – but what’s in store for the people of Alsip?

What becomes of Burr Oak Cemetery? Will we see it as a locked and abandoned eyesore right at the gateway to our town?

Our Mayor and Trustees need to get out in front of this somehow – and take steps to see that the future of this cemetery is addressed to the satisfaction of the residents living in Alsip.

Take care,

Jay

Mayor’s Report

Pat Kitching read from a newspaper article regarding the potential for Recovery Act funding of local road improvement projects – including Pulaski Road in Alsip. The mayor also reported that a new contract for the Finance Director (Greg Palumbo) was in the works.

Fire Fighter Contract

Trustee Kevin Michaels reported that a new contract for Alsip Fire Fighters would be submitted for approval at the upcoming board meeting – pending ratification by the union members in a vote to be taken April 14.

O’Malley’s Incident

Acting Police Chief Chief Chris Radz reported that the State’s Attorney’s Office was reviewing the circumstances of the stabbing death of William Muir on April 9th outside of O’Malley’s on Pulaski. Radz stated that the incident was related to a domestic dispute between a friend of the victim and another man. Muir was stabbed during the ensuing altercation in which Muir came to assist his friend. Based on Acting Chief Radz’s comments, it appears as though the State’s Attorney will not  move forward and file charges in the case – determining it to be a case of self defense. 

Heritage Updates

The window replacement program at Heritage I was completed on April 7th. Fox Lumber donated a gazebo for the Heritage I complex – it will replace the existing unit which has experienced considerable deterioration of late.

Hotel Room Tax Rate

Trustee Dan Godfrey reported that the village will be increasing the local tax rate on hotel rooms to bring Alsip into alignment with other communities in the area. The new rate was not provided.

Edit update: 4/11/2009, 7:15 AM

The Southtown Star is now reporting that the Alsip Police Department is interviewing a person of interest in the stabbing death of William Muir, an unemployed painter from Alsip.

(E) – Elected

(E) – Elected

I’d like to offer my congratulations to the winners of the various races. Alsip faces many challenges now and into the future; we need to work together to help the Village of Alsip prosper. Differences of opinion should be regarded in the spirit delivered. We should all agree that it’s OK to disagree.

Special recognition goes to Jim Quinn – who will be reprising his role as a Trustee after a 2-year hiatus. Congratulations Jim!

A couple of facts worth noting …

• There were a total of 2705 votes cast in the mayoral race – less for the other offices. That means less than 25% of registered voters cast votes in Tuesday’s election in Alsip.
• When all the new candidates are sworn in and take office – every elected official for the Village of Alsip will reside WEST OF CICERO AVENUE

It would be fair to say I’m disappointed – obviously we believed that our platform and vision for Alsip was better than our opponents. Personally, I don’t like to lose – ask anyone that knows me well.

We ran a campaign that we wanted to run – and personally delivered our message throughout the village. Over the course of the campaign, our message was well received by the residents of Alsip. In some shape or form, our message and advocacy for the Village of Alsip will continue on into the future.

I plan on continuing this blog. Posts will probably be less frequent, but with the general lack of media coverage for news and events in Alsip – my goal is to try and fill that void.

A heart-felt thank you goes to everyone that supported the Alsip Coalition for Excellence, our family, friends, volunteers, businesses and residents of Alsip.

Take care, Jay

Edit update: 4/8/2009, 7:35 PM – revised vote totals to reflect 100% of precincts reporting.

Take care, Jay

Remember to vote today. Thanks so much for stopping by to visit – I’ll try and keep up with developments throughout the day – as much as possible.

Take care, Jay

We’ve had another busy weekend – moving throughout the town and distributing our last flyer to every home we could reach. Once again, it afforded our candidates and volunteers the opportunity to interact with residents … something that every elected official and candidate for office needs to do more. In many ways – the real voice of any election belongs to the residents of Alsip.

It’s a crucial time for the Village of Alsip, along with the residents and businesses that call it home, as we face many challenges. Each person and party running for office has gotten their respective message out this past weekend. If you haven’t done so already, take a few minutes to go through it all – and decide which party and candidate’s message has resonated with your point of view. Alsip deserves no less – it’s our home.

Tomorrow, April 7th, is election day. Please take the time out of your busy day to support your candidates of choice by voting. While I hope the Alsip Coalition for Excellence candidates have earned your vote – the most important thing is to get your voice heard by having your vote count.

Take care, Jay

“What did I get myself into?”  I said that several times when this journey began.  I think my “a ha” moment came one afternoon while walking the streets of our community meeting residents and sharing our vision for the future of Alsip and a woman asked me, “what are you going to promise us?”

Oh no, the dreaded question, the one that I had feared from the beginning since I was so new to politics. I decided to answer like I have done since this process started.  I was honest and spoke to her from the heart explaining that I had two young daughters myself and we loved where we lived but didn’t love the deterioration in our community over the last few years.  In addition to that, I wanted a better future for Alsip, for my family and all the others that called it home.  I told her that we, unfortunately, could not promise her anything since we had no idea what we were walking into as a new administration and didn’t and wouldn’t make promises that couldn’t be kept — that had been done too many times to the residents of Alsip.  We would have to first get in there, see what position our Village was in (since it’s difficult to obtain that information at the 10 minute board meetings) and put all of our time, effort and energy into making an honest difference in our community.

I told her that I could personally promise her that I would do everything in my power to make our community live up to the potential that we all know that it has.  We, the Alsip Coalition for Excellence, would start with short term solutions to issues that could be solved easily and draft longer term solutions towards revitalization and redevelopment that would benefit our community and truly make it a better place for us and for our children. I explained that our different personalities and qualities, combined in a joint effort, could only produce an outcome ensuring a strong governing body ready to commit the time and energy it will take to help our community grow into the future.  I want to be proud to say, “I live in Alsip” and not “we live next to Oak Lawn.”  This is a long term commitment and Richard Dalzell, John Ryan, Jay Henry, James Quinn and I, Colleen Coyle, have a vision and a plan for the future of our community. 

She said, “you’re the first person that came to the door and was honest with me, you have my vote.”  I knew at that moment that what we were doing was important for my family and my community and that combined we had the will, knowledge and heart to commit ourselves to help Alsip become a strong and vibrant community.  I can only hope that you agree with our vision and support us on April 7th because together we can make a difference.