COYOTES IN LA GRANGE? YOU BET!

La Grange police, used to handling the neighborhood kids who pull pranks and generally like to just loiter in their latest hangouts -- Gordon Park and and the downtown parking deck -- had a whole 'nother animal to deal with earlier this week, quite literally.

After responding to a report of a pack of "wild dogs" running around by the Ogden Avenue bridge shortly before 9 p.m. May 24, they came to learn a few minutes later one resident of the first block of Hayes Avenue reported seeing coyotes in the neighborhood of late. Yes, coyotes.

But, the nice lady soon learned, the village does not handle wildlife, and she could not be reached for comment.

As for the animal behavior of the human kind, police a day earlier -- in the wee hours of the 'morn May 23 -- learned from a trusty resident in the 1100 block of South Brainard Avenue that children climbing up their neighbor's flagpole got so high they bent it toward the ground, and were last seen running north. One of the offenders, 21-year-old Nicholas J. Wilson, was caught near 51st Street and arrested for vandalism, but released on bond until his June 19 court date.

Some other brainy vandals decided to take out their frustrations on a squad car as it was parked behind the Police Department, 304 W. Burlington Ave. The damage, discovered about 3 p.m. May 23, included two dents on the roof, one above each side of the rear passenger and driver's doors.

Another group of seemingly bored kids were witnessed on their bicycles, smashing bottles in the street in the 800 block of Arlington Avenue about 4:20 p.m., also on May 23. The kids, whose address was identified by the caller, were found playing in the yard. One of the boys, a 16-year-old, had to clean up the mess.

Well-wishers of the Countryside mother who was killed by an eastbound vehicle as she tried to lift a baby stroller onto a raised curb after crossing 47th Street at 8th Avenue May 19 decided to hold an impromptu memorial in her memory at the accident site on the afternoon of May 24. But they had to ask police to send a car to the area to clock passing vehicles because too many drivers were passing the mourners at a high rate of speed.

The speed limit, which Village Manager Robert Pilipszyn is trying to convince the state to lower, is currently 35 mph between La Grange Road and nearby East/Eberly Avenue. Speed was not believed to be a factor in the accident, which remains under investigation by the Illinois State Police and the Cook County State's Attorneys Office. Cari Cook, 30, whose 4-month-old son suffered a broken leg and whose 2-year-old daughter was unhurt, was laid to rest last week.

A vehicle was burglarized in the first block of Beach Avenue, it was reported at 7:41 a.m. May 26 and a residence in the 200 block of Washington was broken into, it was reported about 1 p.m. May 23. Police in La Grange also assisted Brookfield cops in trying to locate two men in dark clothing seen trying to break in to vehicles in the 4300 block of Deyo Avenue shortly after midnight on May 25.

A child's black BMX bicycle with a gel seat and registered in another town was reported stolen after he left it OVERNIGHT in Elm Park on the night of May 24. Go figure.

Some vandals have no luck at all. Like this one who threw a flower planter at a window in the 700 block of South La Grange Road in the overnight hours of May 23: The wind0w remained intact, as did the planter -- sans dirt.

It's been nearly two months, people; time to 'fess up! That is, whoever struck and drove away from a 2003 Mercedes Benz ES20 belonging to a 50-year-old La Grange man as it was parked just south of Harris Avenue on La Grange Road at about 8 p.m. April 8. Yes, we know. Old news. But still relevant.

Several 911 calls were made when a Pace bus struck crossing gates at La Grange Road and Burlington Avenue along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad at 5:50 p.m. May 27. No injuries were reported.

A 53-year-old teacher at Cossitt Elementary School, Vicki Abbiante, was treated for injuries at Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital, after she was hit in the head with a ball at the school, 115 W. Cossitt Ave.

John Ptacek, 17, of 516 E. Harding Ave., La Grange Park, decided to light up in the wrong place, say police. The underage smoker was cited for illegal smoking by a minor outside of a business in the first block South La Grange Road shortly before 6 p.m. May 23.

Police were dispatched for a special watch in the 100 block of Sawyer Avenue on the night of May 23, after a resident reported his lawn is "constantly covered" in beer cans.

Several observant residents called 911 to alert firefighters to a large amount of smoke coming from behind a home in the 700 block of South La Grange Road at about 7 p.m. May 23. Turned out to be a fire pit burning in someone's yard.

However, firefighters did extinguish a dryer fire in a basement in the first block of South Spring Avenue shortly before 7 p.m. May 23.

The La Grange Fire Department assisted in an apartment fire at 1645 Forest Ave. in La Grange Park just before 8 a.m. May 23, which displaced the tenants of five units and one of their dogs, according to reports. Damages were estimated at about $40,000. Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke coming from a first floor apartment's windows and a tenant who had tried to extinguish the blaze with a fire extinguisher. One tenant was treated on the scene after going back inside to rescue a pet -- and while one cat perished, another feline was saved after being administered oxygen for smoke inhalation.

La Grange also assisted in a structure fire at 8 a.m. May 26 at 6700 S. Brainard Ave. in Countryside, which was handled by the neighboring Pleasantview Fire Protection District.