In the evening rush just one day before a couple hundred residents packed into the Seventh Avenue School gymnasium, the village's attempts to calm traffic -- and neighbor's nerves -- along the 47th Street corridor near the site of the May 19 car vs. pedestrian fatality seemed to have lost steam quickly.
Not only did Police Chief Michael Holub have a speed counter with white flashing light installed
on the south side of the state roadway near 8th Avenue where a motorist struck and killed 30-year-old Cari Cook of Countryside last month, but he also had 3-foot-tall black-on-yellow barricades installed to separate lanes and caution drivers of the heavily marked pedestrian crosswalk at 9th Avenue.
But, shortly before 6 p.m. June 1, two of the temporary barricades were causing traffic problems because they were knocked down by passing motorists. The responding officer righted them and placed the others on the side of the road after determining they were causing more of an obstruction at this point than a cure to slow down cars.
At the public meeting the following night, some residents even complained how ineffective and dangerous the erection of the barricades has become.
Still, despite the best of intentions, sometimes it seems motorists just don't seem to care.
The same can also be said of another thing just about everyone takes for granted, including train engineers who can't stop on a dime like some motorists think they can: the installation of railroad crossing gates separating roadway traffic and pedestrians from passing trains.
Police reported a traffic backup at Brainard and Burlington avenues just prior to the startup of the La Grange Pet Parade on the morning of May 30. Although there were no problems when police arrived, the caller said motorists were so upset and impatient that they simply went around the gates to get to the other side. Sometimes, people never make it across.
MIA, if only for a while
In the noon hour on parade day, a Lyons woman reported losing a Sony Cybershot DSC-W230 in a black case somewhere along the parade route, and a 15-year-old boy reported missing from Lyons Township High School was eventually located at La Grange Road and Burlington Avenue. A police officer also discovered a 3-year-old boy seemingly wandering around near Burlington and Waiola avenues, but found his mother nearby shortly thereafter. Just before the end of the parade, at 10:55 a.m., another 10-year-old boy was reported missing near Ashland and Burlington avenues. He made it home safely some 25 minutes later.
An hour earlier May 30, a parade-goer turned in to police a flowered Vera Bradley cloth purse they found -- also at Ashland and Burlington avenues. The purse contained a pair of sunglasses and its case and a Sony digital camera in a black case.
A day earlier, at 11:30 a.m. May 29, someone reported losing a Samsung Blackjack cell phone in a black case near Hillgrove and Brainard avenues on May 28.
Shortly before 6 p.m. June 1, two of the temporary barricades at 47th Street and 9th Avenue were "knocked down, causing obstruction" to traffic. The responding officer righted them and put the others on the side of the road because -- according to his own police report -- they were determined to be causing "more of an obstruction at this point."
Some residents at the June 2 Village Board planning meeting focusing on safety suggestions along the 47th Street corridor also complained the barricades were just not very effective for their intended purpose. Oh well.
An accident between two vehicles during the morning rush June 2 resulted in injuries to a 62-year-old woman and the issuance of two traffic violation tickets to the offending driver. The crash, about 7:40 a.m. at Catherine and Ogden avenues, sent the victim to Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital for treatment. Gustavo Reyes, 28, of Chicago, was issued the two citations.
A La Grange Park man told police that while riding his bicycle near the alley at Ashland Avenue between Calendar Court and Harris Avenue at about 10:10 a.m. June 2, someone in a car hit him. He was not knocked over, but the vehicle made contact with his leg. He reported the accident to police from his home, where he also refused any medical treatment.
No injuries were reported when an automobile driver struck a tree in a parkway at 48th Street and 6th Avenue at about 1:20 a.m. May 30. Nearly 90 minutes later, an 18-year-old woman was transported to Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital after she was involved in an accident in front of 146 East Ave. Police received several 911 calls about the crash.
No charges were filed against a 66-year-old Bensenville man who police said was found to be driving with a copy of his registered handicapped parking placard in his vehicle shortly before 1 p.m. June 2. The officer destroyed the placard copy and warned the driver to only use the original placard in the future.
A 41-year-old Western Springs woman refused medical treatment after paramedics were called when she went into shock from an allergic reaction to peanuts while in her vehicle near Cossitt and Tilden avenues at about 4:30 p.m. June 1.
A Midlothian mother got a brief scare when she accidentally locked her 5-month-old child inside a Ford Explorer in the 5100 block of Willow Springs Road at about 10:20 a.m. June 1. Police helped her gain entry to the vehicle less than 15 minutes later.
In other news, the owner of two commercial spaces in the 600 block of South La Grange Road requested a special watch on her property, which has experienced an ongoing vandalism
problem from 8 p.m. on many nights in the building's courtyard and in various storefronts.
Police were also requested to provide a special watch at night on property in the first block of West Hillgrove Avenue, where homeless people have been found sleeping.
Apparently a new 'sport' of late-night troublemakers involves "Dumpster-diving." According to police, a special watch is being provided around trash bins behind Trader Joes, 25 N. La Grange Road, where someone was believed to have taken food and dumped their own garbage between midnight and 3 a.m. May 31. The crimes were reported to police shortly before 4 p.m. that day.
Street gang graffiti -- written in not spray paint but crayon -- was discovered on four residential garages in the 300 block of East Franklin Avenue, after the vandalism to two of the structures was reported to police at 11 a.m. May 29.
A pair of rose bushes valued at $25 each were reported stolen from landscaping outside the west side employee entrance of La Grange Public Library, 10 W. Cossitt Ave. The bushes were discovered missing shortly before 9:30 a.m. May 29.
A 21-inch lime green boy's bicycle was stolen from a yard in the 300 block of East Cossitt Avenue on the night of May 30, it was reported to police at 10 a.m. May 31.
A 5-1/2-foot black metal shepherd's hook, a green plastic hanging basket containing a fuschia flowered plant and an antique wood and copper tube wind chime were reported stolen from a back yard in the 300 block of South Peck Avenue. The theft was believed to have occurred between 7 p.m. May 27 and about 10:30 a.m. May 29.
A small plastic baggie containing an undisclosed amount of marijuana was reported found inside the village parking garage at 80 S. 6th Ave.
In the dog house ... er, the porch?
An alert individual told police he was walking his dog near 6th and Cossitt avenues at 3:30 a.m. May 30 when he saw a suspicious subject trying to open a door handle in a condominium unit. When police arrived, the discovered a 27-year-old man who said he was locked out and unable to awake his wife. He told the officer he would sleep on the rear porch until his family gets up at 6 a.m.
A motorcycle rider who fixes his bikes late at night in the 600 block of South 7th Avenue and whom neighbors told police often "revs" his engine late disturbing the neighborhood was warned not to work so late or else he will be ticketed for disturbing the peace.
On a similar note, construction workers were hammering or buzzing away at another time neighbors don't want to bothered in the 100 block of South 6th Avenue: at 6:55 a.m. May 30. The workers were told to stop work at First Congregational Church of La Grange until 8 a.m., as per a village ordinance which sets the times of day construction work can begin and end.
People on people crime
An 8-year-old La Grange boy accused of threatening neighborhood children at the La Grange Community Center at Washington and Lincoln avenues -- allegedly saying he would come back and kill all of them -- was not arrested, after police said the boy's grandmother would handle the situation herself. The boy was allegedly throwing rocks and yelling vulgarities at the other children, which included two girls, ages 8 and 9.
Several teens hanging out at Chipotle, 1 S. La Grange Road, shortly before 7:45 p.m. May 31, were sent on their way after police said they were witnessed harassing a homeless man sitting on a bench outside the restaurant.
Two men who illegally set up a vendor area outside Starbucks, 38 S. La Grange Road, on the second night of the carnival held on Harris and Ashland avenues were told to leave or else be cited for a village ordinance violation prohibiting unauthorized sidewalk sales.
A La Grange woman reported that an estimated 40-year-old man on a bicycle and wearing a helmet followed her to her 6th Avenue home sometime around 7:15 p.m. May 29 took a picture of her and made strange comments before taking off.
At about the same time that night, a 5-foot-10 skinny man wearing a dark blue shirt, jeans and glasses was seen watching children play in the 700 block of South 7th Avenue. Police were unable to locate the subject.
And last but not least, the firsst (almost summer) scam of the season: A resident of the 600 block of Glenwood Lane reported that on May 27, three men who claimed they were collecting money for the "QSI" charity baseball team who were given a donation then promised they would return to do some yard work never showed up. The resident cancelled their check.
Although it's not a serious crime, a woman residing in the 500 block of South La Grange Road who told police May 29 she has a problem with her mailman has prompted them to contact the La Grange Postmaster so neighborhood mail carriers can be told not to block driveways when delivering mail on foot.
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