MK_071819

Responding to the incidents
of vandalism in
Mokena over the last two
years, Fleischer said the
Village immediately responded
by removing the
defaced property “because,
albeit a rare occurrence,
the Village was prepared
and takes concerning act
like this seriously.”
“Each member of this
board condemns such acts
and will prosecute the responsible
individuals to
the fullest extent of the
law,” Fleischer said.
He added that those random
acts are difficult to
prosecute if the offenders
are not caught in the act.
But he said the Village will
continue to investigate the
incidents.
On the possible black-
4 | July 18, 2019 | the mokena messenger news
mokenamessenger.com
Mokena Board of Trustees
Residents ‘hurt’ by Confederate group in Fourth of July event speak out
Jon DePaolis
Freelance Reporter
Concerns from residents
regarding the participation
of a pro-Confederacy
group in the recent Fourth
of July festivities was top
of mind July 8, during the
Village of Mokena Board
of Trustees meeting.
Mokena residents and
members of the Southwest
Suburban Activists spoke
during the public comment
portion of the meeting to
register their complaints
and ask Village officials
for answers — as well as
action. This came after the
2nd Kentucky Cavalry,
Company D group participated
in the Village’s Independence
Day festivities.
Emily Biegel, president
of Southwest Suburban
Activists, said the group
attended because Mokena
residents asked them to
get involved “because they
were outraged, and the
Village of Mokena was not
responding.”
“Historically, [the Village]
has not responded
when requests are made
for changes in the Village,”
Biegel said. “For
evidence, you can see
things like swastikas spray
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painted on street signs and
teenagers wearing blackface
in public.”
Biegel said when elected
officials don’t listen and
don’t respond to the needs
of their residents, “their
residents organize without
them — and, in many
ways, against them.”
Another reason Biegel
said she was attending was
to request that Daniel Ray,
a member of the Village’s
Planning and Zoning
Commission and the Zoning
Board of Appeals, be
removed from his duties.
Biegel claimed that after
the group made its concerns
known on Facebook
about the Village hiring “a
neo-Confederate group to
come and be part of the
Fourth of July Celebration,”
Ray responded with
a “wildly inappropriate”
comment.
“So much so, that when
he and four other people
made threats against us …
we took all of those threats
to the police, and a police
report has been made,”
Biegel said. “It has been
fully documented, and we
expect action be taken.”
After her comments,
Mayor Frank Fleischer
provided a brief comment
on Ray.
“In the decision with Mr.
Ray, the Village is reviewing
the matter,” Fleischer
said. “We will get back to
you when it is appropriate
[and] we research it ourselves.
So, the residents
will get an answer on that.”
Three others spoke, including
Bill Walsh, who
wanted answers as to who
invited the 2nd Kentucky
Cavalry group to participate.
Fleischer responded
by stating the group has
been participating for 15
years.
Walsh followed by asking
how much was paid to
the group. Assistant Village
Administrator Kirk
Zoellner said the group
was paid $875.
Walsh, who detailed his
family’s deep roots in the
military, said he was “hurt”
by the inclusion of the pro-
Confederacy group.
“I’m hurt by a number
of different things because
the history of the
Confederacy is they were
anti-black, anti-Jew and
anti-Catholic,” Walsh said.
“The neo-Confederates
will add anti-brown and
anti-Muslim to that group.
Round it up
A brief recap of other items discussed during the
July 8 Board of Trustees meeting.
• The Village Board members voted 5-0 to
approve the appointment of Mike Lief to the street
maintenance worker position. The position was
previously held by Ryan Petrow, who was recently
promoted to be a wastewater plant and water
operator.
• The board members also voted 5-0 to update
the Village’s sign code regarding temporary
promotional and window signs. The new temporary
sign regulations include: allowing businesses to
have up to two signs with a total not to exceed 32
square feet, and allowing businesses to hold up to
six promotions of 15 days each in a calendar year.
The new window sign ordinance includes limiting
those signs to no more than 25 percent of the
window area, and signage must allow for a clear
look into the business.
• Two newly hired police officers, Sean Bolton and
Gregory Anicich, were introduced to the Village
Board at the meeting. The two new officers both
graduated from the Suburban Law Enforcement
Academy at the College of DuPage on July 3, and
they are replacing officers who recently resigned.
This is really a disgusting
group. I have no problems
with Confederate cemeteries
and appropriate statues
honoring the passing of a
fellow person. But we have
no business honoring basically
what I call a treasonous
group of people who
wanted to secede from the
union. I’m hurt by it.”
Walsh also said he was
upset that when he saw
newscasts about the matter,
the reports said no officials
from the Village were
available for comment.
“You guys have got to
step up,” Walsh said.
Later, during his comments
to the Village Board,
Fleischer addressed the
Fourth of July concerns,
as well as comments made
about previous acts of vandalism
and possible racism
in the Village.
Please see village, 6