Franklin Park Herald-Journal

Park District of Franklin Park hosts winter break camp

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:30:21 -0600

School may have been out for the past two weeks, but there was no rest for those attending the Park District of Franklin Park’s winter break camp. There were games, trips to the ice arena, crafts and other assorted activities planned for those attending the camp, keeping the young ones busy. The fun was short lived. Area schools restarted class again this week. More on park district activities can be found online at www.fpparks.org. …

Foundation works to calm kids in crisis

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:53:38 -0600

The Bears in Blue Foundation, a local non-for-profit organization which includes Schiller Park Det. Frank DeSimone, provides teddy bears to children who have been involved in crisis situations in an attempt to comfort them in their time of stress. The organization, founded by members of the Chicago Police Department, is newly formed and trying to promote itself in the Chicago area. Seven police departments and local organizations have joined with the foundation in its endeavors. An event will be held this summer in Chicago to raise funds for the organization. On June 24, the group will be at Essence Med …

Voterama in Congress, week ending Feb. 10, 2012

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:20:02 -0600

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives voted to bar members of Congress and their staff from using inside legislative information in personal stock trading. Members empowered presidents to veto discretionary-spending items providing that both houses of Congress then vote to approve of the rescissions. Members also required new rules for figuring the budgetary impact of federal loan programs. Senators, meanwhile, approved a federal aviation budget, and they advanced a bill to authorize federal road, bridge, transit and highway-safety programs through Sept. 30, 2013.

Snow, warmer temperatures expected this week

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:56:20 -0600

The bitter cold temperatures that hit the Chicago area over the weekend are expected to give way to snow Monday and then milder weather by the end of the week. Temperatures are expected to climb to 35 degrees on Monday, when there is an 80 percent chance of snow after 3 p.m., according to the National Weather Service’s website. About two inches of accumulation is possible by Tuesday morning. While the temperature is expected to climb from a weekend low of 10 degrees Saturday morning, wind gusts as high as 20 miles per will remain Monday afternoon, the weather service …

Register for SnowCare for Troops

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:26:14 -0600

With several more weeks of winter on the horizon, volunteers and military families are urged to sign up for Project EverGreen’s SnowCare for Troops, a non-profit program matching volunteers with military families serving overseas to provide free snow-removal services. SnowCare for Troops is underwritten by THE BOSS Snowplow. More than 1,000 volunteers have already joined to clear snow from driveways and sidewalks for military families with a spouse or family member serving away from home in the armed forces. Approximately 1,200 military families have signed up for SnowCare for Troops. “Growing demand from local military families means many more volunteers …

Northlake lawyer, Western Springs resident seeks judicial post

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:48:27 -0600

Terry Gallagher, Democratic candidate for judge in the 4th Judicial Subcircuit of Cook County, has been endorsed by all seven township committeemen in the subcircuit, Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2, and Cook County Sheriff’s Police FOP Lodge 4. He has been found “Qualified” by the Illinois State Bar Association Standing Committee on Judicial Evaluations and Chicago Bar Association, and “Recommended” by the Decalogue Society of Lawyers and the Women’s Bar Association. The judicial seat he is running for is the Riley vacancy in the subcircuit. Gallagher was born in Chicago in 1958,went to a Catholic grade school in Rogers Park, …

Senator Kirk moved into Rehab Institute; family offers thanks

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:45:57 -0600

U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk has been transferred from Northwestern Memorial Hospital to the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago to begin his physical therapy. The Highland Park Republican is recovering from a stroke he suffered three weeks ago. “RIC’s team of experts will spend the next few days assessing Senator Kirk’s condition and developing a comprehensive, targeted rehabilitation program tailored to achieve the goals that will be established by Senator Kirk and his family,” said Dr. Richard L. Harvey, medical director of RIC’s Center for Stroke Rehabilitation. Kirk’s neurosurgeon at Northwestern had said he expects Kirk to make a full mental recovery, …

Durbin aims to please

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:13:38 -0600

James Durbin hit the ground running as he launched a tour supporting his recently released album “Memories of A Beautiful Disaster.” His recent performance at Austyn’s in Libertyville, was a fitting setting for this meat and potatoes performer. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more grounded artist. A finalist from last year’s “American Idol” competition, Durbin is just as likely to talk about his family as he is his music. While “Idol” served as a launching pad, Durbin’s roots are much deeper as he has been down in the rock ‘n’ roll trenches for years. This explains his humility and …

Snow makes its way back to the area Friday

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:00:02 -0600

Feeling a chill in the air? Snow will be back as soon as Friday when lake effect snow could hit the city and Northwest Indiana with six inches.

Area home sales get boost as buyers see lower prices

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:25:04 -0600

Sales of existing homes increased in both Franklin Park and Northlake during the last quarter of 2011, though prices were down. Sales were up 38 percent in Franklin Park and 41 percent in Northlake compared to the last quarter of 2010, according to figures supplied by Midwest Real Estate Data, a Lisle-based company that supplies data for the regional real estate industry. While sales were up, prices were down. “I sold quite a few units, but they were less than $100,000 so we didn’t make much (money),” said Realtor Regi Ortega of Century 21/TK Realty in Addison, who has been …

Northlake man gets 45 years for killing stepfather

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:32:00 -0600

A Northlake man was sentenced to 45 years in prison Wednesday for shooting his stepfather to death in 2010.

Catholic cemeteries offer to bury 300 bodies stacked at morgue

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:28:02 -0600

The Archdiocese of Chicago is offering to pay for up to 300 burials for the bodies being held at the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

Franklin Park approves borrowing for fire equipment

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:38:00 -0600

In an effort to build up village savings, Franklin Park trustees approved issuing bonds Feb. 6 to pay for several vehicles and Fire Department equipment. Trustees unanimously approved issuing $402,882 in general obligation bonds. The bonds will be repaid over a 96-month period. “We’re conserving cash,” Comptroller Ron Heller said, adding the interest rate is 3.3 percent. Village President Barrett Pedersen said that was an “exceptionally low interest rate.” The village will use money from the bond sales to finance three police cruisers, two pick-up trucks, one dump truck, three passenger vehicles and turnout gear (outer clothing) for firefighters. Resident …

Police: Northlake teen’s fatal shooting was gang retaliation

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:00:10 -0600

Northlake police are certain gang retaliation was behind the shooting death of an 18-year-old who was watching TV at home early Tuesday when five bullets came through his living room window.

Orchesis performs on back-to-back nights

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:24:59 -0600

East and West Leyden High School students danced away the evenings of Feb. 3 and 4 at West Leyden. Members of the district’s Orchesis dance group performed ballet, modern, jazz and Latin-inspired dance in the school’s auditorium. The students selected the music, worked the lighting, helped pick the style of dance and even played a role in the choreography. They also created the costumes. Participants included: Lupe Aponte, Tony Avila, Erica Bustillos, Illeana Carpena, Stephanie Castro, Ana K. Falcon, Martha Falcon, Victoria Faso, Alexandra Feliciano, Chantavia Ford, Jacquie Frausto, Elia, Galvan, Brenda Garcia, Alexandra Gutierrez, Lupe Garcia, Nicole Imrich, Rachel …

Franklin Park loses more manufacturing jobs

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:24:31 -0600

For the fifth year in a row, Franklin Park lost manufacturing jobs in 2011. According to figures released by Evanston-based Manufacturers News, the village’s blue-collar jobs decline also dropped Franklin Park from fourth to sixth in the number of manufacturing jobs in Illinois. Manufacturers News, which contacts every manufacturer in the country, reported that there were 11,178 people employed in the manufacturing field in Franklin Park last year. The village lost 461 jobs, or 3.9 percent of the work force, since 2010. Despite the decrease, the dip reflects the smallest loss in manufacturing employment in Franklin Park since 2007. Other …