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4 | November 15, 2018 | The orland park prairie news opprairie.com Orland Park Village Board Residents upset about Pace Dial-a-Ride cancellation take argument to officials Jon DePaolis Freelance Reporter A group of residents upset over the loss of a Village service took their complaints straight to officials last week. In response to the recent decision by the Village of Orland Park to discontinue the Dial-A-Ride Pace bus service, three residents spoke in favor of the program Nov. 5 during a regularly scheduled Village Board meeting. Nancy Gorman, whose nephew Bob Connors is a 30-year-old Orland Park resident with cerebral palsy, addressed the board alongside Connors during the nonscheduled public speakers portion of the meeting. “I believe this is a heartless move to deny the most vulnerable residents a muchneeded service,” said Gorman, also an Orland Park resident. “Bob has worked his whole life, overcoming his disability. He graduated from Sandburg High School and now attends classes at Moraine Valley Community [College].” Gorman said Connors uses the Dial-A-Ride service to go to physical therapy, work part-time, go to see his doctor, go shopping, banking, to church and for recreation. “This is a service that Bob desperately needs,” she said. “The alternatives that were suggested do no work for Bob. He is not a senior citizen, so he cannot use the Township service. He was told he must be 60 years old to use that. The RTA service run by Pace is also not a good option, because it serves a wide area, and these trips can take much longer. Bob also receives a very modest income from the state, so the idea of using Uber or Lyft as suggested would be a financial burden. In addition, Uber and Lyft does not have cars that will take care of wheelchairs. Those are available in the City of Chicago, but there’s no such thing out here in the suburbs.” Gorman said she has heard this discontinuation of the Dial-A-Ride service will save the Village roughly $130,000 annually. “That does not seem like a significant amount to me,” she said. Connors also said the Regional Transit Authority service will lead to longer travel times and doesn’t go everywhere in Orland Park. “The 25 people that need the service, you’re basically saying they don’t count in your community,” Connors said. “But we still support the community. … So please, help us out.” Diane Mackowiak, an Orland Park resident, said she has two adult children who use the Dial-A-Ride service “to try to be as independent as they possibly can.” Her son has vision loss, which occurred later in his life. “Dial-A-Ride is the way he can get independently to and from,” she said. “The ADA Paratransit does not go everywhere in Orland.” She gave an example of when her son had a job interview near 179th Street and Wolf Road, but he could not get there using the paratransit service. Meanwhile, her daughter, who has autism, uses the paratransit service when she can. But the limited boundaries also mean she cannot use it all the time. “They want to be out in the community,” Mackowiak said of her children. “We’ve resided in this community for 27 years. We’re taxpaying, active participants. They want to continue to be [active in the community], but we do need help. The transportation is the biggest help.” Mayor Keith Pekau said no one on the Village Board took the decision to discontinue the Dial-A-Ride service lightly. But he pointed out the other options that are available to some of the regular riders of the service, including Pace’s three different transit options for those with medical disabilities. “But you do have to get in the program, and 4-6 weeks it takes to get into to the program,” he said. “Anyone who is eligible for that should apply now, so before we stop our service they are visit us online at opprairie.com eligible. They do get an interview, and the interview can take a while to get set up. But they do come out and pick you up and bring you back for the interview.” Still, Pekau acknowledge there could be gaps in that solution. “It is possible, because they do drop within only a certain distance of their routes, that there are some areas that maybe don’t get coverage,” he said. “If that is the case, please let the mayor’s office know, because I’ve spoken with a couple of the car dealers in the area. They are not going to be able to take all 24 or 25, but if there is one or two special circumstances that are not covered.” Regardless, Pekau urged those riders who fall into one of those service gaps to reach out to the Village. “If you don’t let us know, we can’t help you,” he said. “We’re more than happy to try and help and find a solution, because I don’t think anyone here wants to leave anyone without service.” After the residents spoke, Trustee Carole Griffin Ruzich asked if staff had reached out to RTA to see if it was willing to expand service in Orland Park. She also asked if UberWAV — which has wheelchairaccessible vehicles — can expand to Orland Park. Assistant Village Manager John Keating said staff reached out to Uber to inquire about this but were told the “volume of calls for that type of service didn’t necessitate or warrant those Uber drivers who have that ability for handicap or wheelchair [use] out in the suburbs.” Ultimately, Ruzich suggested staff look into more options. “If you can come back to us with options that we as a Village can do, short of reinstating the whole programs,” she said. “Let’s think outside of the box and see if we can do something for these people.” Trustee Dan Calandriello said he was in favor of looking at ways to help, including raising funds or even donating his trustee salary. Trustee Patricia Gira suggested it might be useful to reach out to neighboring communities to see if resources can be combined. She also raised the possibility of raising funds to purchase a transportation vehicle that could accommodate those with disabilities. But to know what type of vehicle was necessary, she said users of the service would need to reach out to the Village to let them know. Trustee Kathleen Fenton also asked if it was worth asking the regular riders of the service if they were willing to pay the actual cost of the fare each ride, as opposed to the current subsidized fee they are paying. During his comments to the board near the end of the regular meeting, Trustee Michael Carroll addressed the topic on a macro level. Carroll, the finance committee chairman, said it has been a long budget process this year. “There’s been a reluctance, and no one wants to Round It Up A brief recap of action and discussion from the Nov. 5 meeting of the Orland Park Village Board. • As part of the Consent Agenda, Village Board members voted 6-0 to approve the property annexation agreement for the Villas of Tallgrass. The developer plans to build a 22-lot, 38-unit duplex subdivision on 11 acres, located at 10851 W. 167th St. • Also as part of the Consent Agenda, board members approved the 2018-2019 road salt purchase. The vendor is Compass Minerals America Inc. The price is $43.41 per ton of salt. talk about raising taxes,” he said. “So, what we’ve talked about instead the last few months has been cut, cut, cut.” As a 42-year resident of the Village, Carroll said the cuts that have been made have cut into quality of life. Pekau agreed that it has been a tough budget cycle, but he differed with Carroll’s point. “The reality is that this board faced the situation where we try to keep a 20 percent operating reserve, and we were actually going to be out of reserve money by 2023,” he said. “When your costs are going up, and your revenue [isn’t changing], you have to do something to [fix that]. That means working more on the cost side of the equation than the revenue side.” Pekau said the board worked as best it could to solve the issue with making as few cuts as possible. “We’re committed to trying to find solutions for the few people who may slip through the cracks on this,” Pekau said.
opprairie.com news the orland park prairie | November 15, 2018 | 5 Vets honored during ceremony, names added to wall Laurie Fanelli Freelance Reporter Bruno G. Quagliani waves to the crowd Sunday, Nov. 11, during Orland Park’s Veterans Day ceremony, as his name is read as one of those recently engraved on the Ara Pace – Place of Peace Veterans Memorial. Photos by Laurie Fanelli/22nd Century Media Orland Park’s Ara Pace – Place of Peace Veterans Memorial displays engraved names of veterans, from all military branches and all wars throughout the years, but it holds a special significance on Veterans Day. Sunday, Nov. 11, Village officials joined past and present members of the military, friends and neighbors at the Civic Center to hold Orland Park’s annual Veterans Day ceremony. Beginning at 11 a.m., the event featured several speakers who honored the bravery and sacrifice of all veterans, before acknowledging the names recently added to the memorial. Veterans’ Commission liaison Tom Dubelbeis, who served as the event’s master of ceremonies, welcomed the opportunity to recognize members of the military from every era. “Today, we honor all veterans, regardless of when we served,” Dubelbeis said. “What I hope people take away from this is an appreciation for the sacrifice our soldiers have made, regardless of whether or not they’re in combat. But for the grace of God, any one of us could be put in harms way.” Dubelbeis enjoys participating in the ceremony each year and finds the Ara Pace – Place of Peace Veterans Memorial to be a source of reflection. He said, “Every name on the memorial is someone who served. It’s a way to thank them and their families for their service. A lot of times, when the family members have a name engraved, a serviceman or woman has passed, and there’s so much emotion, respect and admiration. It’s wonderful to be able to do this for people.” The family of late-veteran Frank C. Wic — who served in the United States Army from 1943-1945 — were brimming with emotion, as their loved one’s name was announced as one of those recently engraved on the memorial. Ara Pace – Place of Peace holds a special significance for the family, as Wic’s late-son-in-law Bill Widmont helped to construct the memorial with his metal fabricating company. Wic’s wife, Emily, said of the ceremony, “This is very exciting, memorable, heartwarming and heartbreaking.” Linda Erickson, Wic’s daughter, added, “This means a lot to me, and I feel very proud and very overwhelmed.” Pride was also an overriding emotion for Orland Park resident Glenn Ohlquist, whose name was added to the memorial, as well. He explained that being drafted in 1958 served as a catalyst for many good things in his life, while also giving him a focal point for his youth. “I’m very proud,” Ohlquist said . “I served in the Army, and it was a good life for me. I really learned a lot being on my own after I got out of high school. It was a great experience.” During the ceremony, Mayor Keith Pekau thanked all members of the military for their service, spoke of the sacrifice of veterans and their families, and shared a bit of history surrounding how Veterans Day came to be. Before reading the recently engraved names, he also recognized local Army veteran Rachell Sierzega, whose children — Ava, Nolan and Kevin — presented the ceremonial wreath laying. American Legion Orland Memorial Post 111 and Orland-Palos Reber-Tesmond VFW Post 2604 were front and center throughout the event, serving as members of the color guard and participating in the rifle volley. Post 2604 Cmdr. Ron Raimbault explained that he continues to be inspired by the next generation of servicemen and women, and he reflects on the legacy of military service when he sees the eyes of young children light up at the sight of a veteran in uniform. “I see the faces of the children when they come in here, and I see them staring at us and looking at all the different ribbons and the uniforms,” Raimbault said. “It reminds me of when I was a kid, and when the veterans would come to my school. I would go home and be excited about that, and I can see that excitement in the faces of kids today.” He added that this and every Veterans Day is an opportunity to think about those who’ve served, and all that Ellie (left) and Greer Meeks look at photos of their grandfather, Orland Park resident Glenn Ohlquist, from the time he served in the United States Army. New Names The Village of Orland Park added 22 names to its Ara Pace — Place of Peace Veterans Memorial for Veterans Day 2018. The list follows. Name Years Served Branch Dr. Dennis R. LaMonte Sr. 1968 - 1974 Air Force Edward L. Kasper II 1941 - 1945 Army Air Corps Dr. Edward L. Kasper III 1968 - 1972 Air Force Yuriy Zmysly 2002 - 2006 Marine Corps James Kirkwood 1967 - 1969 Army George A. Kuczero 1965 - 1969 Marine Corps John Sylvester Ponce 1952 - 1955 Army Italo A. Quagliani 1946 - 1947 Army Bruno G. Quagliani 1943 - 1945 Army Air Corps James Patrick Floyd 1968 - 1969 Army Stephen James Murphy Jr. 1092 - 1954 Navy Edward J. Pawlak 1943 - 1946 Army Glenn Ohlquist 1959 - 1965 Army Ronald B. Goff 1953 - 1955 Army Leonard F. Brennan 1942 - 1945 Navy Charles Joseph Hadad 1965 - 1972 Marines Felipe Gonzalez Jr. 1954 - 1956 Army John W. McGonigal 1951 - 1953 Army Michael Kosteczko 1968 - 1973 Army Frank C. Wic 1943 - 1945 Army Kenneth Robert Johnston 1971 - 1973 Navy Joseph Bernard Goldyn 1944 - 1946 Army they’ve accomplished for the greater good of every American. “Today is a day to acknowledge all veterans, past and present, for all the deeds they did, while remembering the one’s that aren’t here with us and the friends that we’ve had who can’t enjoy this day,” Raimbault said. “That’s Veterans Day to us.”
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