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LakeForestLeader.com SOUND OFF
the lake forest leader | January 11, 2018 | 13
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Top Stories
From LakeForestLeader.com as of
Jan. 8
1. UPDATE: Lake Forest woman among two
killed in shooting
2. Letter to the Editor: Has Lake Forest lost its
way?
3. Police Reports: Driver sleeping in parked
car in Lake Forest charged with DUI
4. UPDATE: Lake Forest bank robbed, male
suspect at large
5. The top sports stories of 2017
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From the Editor
A thank you to our first responders
Alyssa Groh
alyssa@lakeforestleader.com
It has been a tough
week in Lake Forest
following the news of
a shooting that left two
dead on Jan. 3.
I woke up on Jan. 3 to
a lot of calls, texts and
emails about the fatal
shooting in Lake Forest
and was in pure shock. .
I spent a majority of
my week following up
on the deadly shooting
trying to gather as much
information as I could for
residents. I also spent a
lot of time trying to figure
out who the two deceased
individuals were.
The more I learned
about this incident and
who the two individuals
were, the more sadness
I felt about what happened.
While I did not
personally know Claire
VanLandingham or Ryan
Zike, my heart aches for
the loss of their lives and
for their loved ones who
were affected by this.
As I spent my week
following up on each
new detail I must take a
moment to commend our
first responders.
Our first responders
risk their lives on a
daily basis and have to
see some things many of
us cannot even begin to
comprehend. While no
day on the job is easy, I
cannot imagine what the
morning of Jan. 3 was
like for our first responders.
The Lake Forest Police
Department alerted residents
in a timely fashion
of the incident, what
roads would be closed
and made sure to let
everyone know there was
no danger to the public.
The first responders
have a tough job every
single day.
Thank you first responders
for keeping us
informed and safe every
single day. Your courage,
hard work and dedication
to Lake Forest and
Lake Bluff does not go
unnoticed.
Letter to the Editor
Residents stand strong
to hold City Council
accountable
Thank you for the incredibly
creative front
cover accompanying
Alyssa Groh’s Dec. 28 article,
“The Money Train.”
It comes as little surprise
that the non-transparent
culture that pervades City
Hall resulted in most Aldermen
being left in the
dark regarding $192,000
spent sub-rosa on a lobbyist
to get an Amtrak
station (why?) in Lake
Forest. It was a stunningly
awful meeting which displayed
officials’ varying
allegiances to a culture
of “this is the way it’s always
been done” in Lake
Forest.
We all owe a debt of
gratitude to Third and
Fourth Ward residents
who continue to unearth
the truth about how City
authorities have manipulated
the levers of government
behind closed doors,
using phrases like, “effec-
Lake Forest Kennel Club posted this photo
on Jan 8. Lake Forest Kennel Club posted
this photo of the dogs enjoying the warmer
weather playing in the snow.
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Check out Jeff McHugh “Welcome back,
Cheetahs! It’s going to be a great 2018!
#Cherokeeinspires #findingjoy67” @
jeffmchugh67.
On Jan. 3 Jeff Mchugh, tweeted
about starting off 2018 great.
Follow The Lake Forest Leader: @TheLFLeader
go figure
1
An intriguing number from this week’s edition
Deadline to enter The Leaders’
How We Met Contest is Feb. 1,
Page 10
tiveness requires secrecy.”
Having watched how
approvals are granted on
many projects (demo of
Adler poultry barn at Elawa,
Forest Park, SBAR,
Whole Foods shopping
center, LF Hospital,
Kelmscott, etc.), I think
that community participation
must be improved.
For too long our leaders
have depended on City
manager Kiely’s recipes
for efficiency. I am sympathetic
to getting things
done, but not in a way
which sacrifices resident
satisfaction with governance.
Changes to the
City Hall culture that offers
“just the required bit
of public participation”
are in order. For example,
officials should assume
that LForesters who have
criticisms of a project are
not the enemy. Residents
deserve intelligent answers
instead of sanctimonious
responses from
our leaders. Meeting attendees
have come to joke
about just how soon one
of these irritating old saws
will be trotted out: “Trust
the process,” “I feel your
passion,” “We’ve used
this process many times
in the past and it works,”
“We encourage everyone
to participate in this
inclusive process which
will take place through a
private foundation,” and
“Believe me, we are listening.”
Residents who attend
countless meetings should
not go away angry and
frustrated. Their tireless
attendance demonstrates
their commitment to their
neighborhood. Aldermen
should be running toward
their constituents, not
away from them, to get answers
and reach solutions.
Commissioners should
welcome “ex parte” conversations
with neighbors
and should push City Hall
to initiate new policies
and plans that would prevent
controversies.
There are dozens of
ways to improve community
relations, but they all
require a new culture of
leadership.
Rommy Lopat, Lake
Forest resident
The Lake Forest
Leader
Sound Off Policy
Editorials and columns are the
opinions of the author. Pieces
from 22nd Century Media are
the thoughts of the company as
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encourages readers to write
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Lake Forest Leader. Letters can
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Leader, 60 Revere Drive ST
888, Northbrook, IL, 60062.
Fax letters to (847) 272-4648 or
email to alyssa@lakeforestleader.
com.
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