MAN DEAD, WOMAN STABLE FOLLOWING SHOOTING

John McIntyre

Contribution by: Joseph Wiszowaty
SAUK VILLAGE | A man was pronounced dead and a woman was in stable condition Saturday following shootings in Sauk Village, police there said.

At 12:05 a.m., Sauk Village police responded to a call of a woman in the 2100 block of 217th Street with a gunshot wound. When officers arrived, they found a 19-year-old woman with a gunshot wound to the face and a 25-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the head.

Both were transported to an area hospital. Police said the man was pronounced dead later that day.
Police and the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office were not releasing the identity of the man Saturday afternoon. But we had learned through social media posts that the man was John McIntyre, 25 of Sauk Village.  The cause and manner of death were not available but are apparent gunshot wounds.

The Sauk Village Police Department and the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force are investigating the shootings.

CONTROVERSIAL VOTE AND A RESIGNATION! THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES...

Aisha El-Amin, Ed.D.
School Board Member D#168

OPINION EDITORIAL
By Joseph Wiszowaty

The phrase “cut and run” sounded good in the political debate of the 2004 re-election of George Bush.  Something that reminded me of the phrase were the events of this last week when Aisha El-Amin resigned her seat on the Board of Education for District 168.

First let me say School District is solvent, no thanks to the efforts of El-Amin, after all they were solvent before she got there.  This was truly attributed to the efforts of Dr. Rudy Williams and continued under Al Travaglini and the board under Arleta Bazile, Suzzanne Arnold and Sharon Davenport.  Balancing the budget, well we’ll see what Leak can do with that!

So how did I draw the comparison of cut and run with El-Amin?  Well consider the fact that El-Amin was a staunch supporter of Dr. Donna Simpson-Leak the incoming Superintendent of Schools and was in fact a “swing” vote in the split 4 to 3 decision.  El-Amin stated she was “enthusiastic to have Leak as head of the school district” according to published reports.  I don’t know Dr. Leak, I look forward to getting to know her better and seeing what she’s got, but the controversy surrounding her previous employer just smells of Henrietta Turner and Robert Fox.

El-Amin allied herself with board members Jimmo Kasali, Mary (Hanks) Howard and Delores Green to vote for Leak’s contract.  Let’s face it folks, anyone who has been to a School Board meeting knows Kasali seems to have been out in right field in the sun all day.  He rambles on and on about whatever his mind seems to want to discuss.  Anyone who would ally themselves with Kasali is worthy of serious examination!  Taxpayers, residents and all should be asking these individuals some serious questions on where their minds are?

El-Amin has been rumored to be moving from Sauk Village for months now according to some close to her, so her resignation came to me as no big surprise. 

What El-Amin has left the taxpayers with is the legacy of a split board of education and a controversial vote for a Superintendent of Schools for the next two years.

Sauk Village is no stranger to controversy!  If people remember, the late former School Board President Patricia Hasse said in November, 1989 that one of the best things she did while she served on the School Board was to hire the disgraced School Superintendent of School Thomas Ryan.  One person voted against him, Marion Rauner!  In the end who was on the right side of history?  In the end, some may soon forget El-Amin making the controversial vote and resigning quickly after, but history will never forget… thanks for the memories!

I called Dr. Leak to welcome her to her new job on what was to be her first day May 27^th… she hadn’t made it in for her first day of work yet.  That was at 2pm! 

SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER RESIGNS

Dr. Aisha El-Amin (left) takes the oath of office
on August 20, 2012.  Former Board President
Suzzanne Arnold administers the oath.

by Joseph Wiszowaty
SAUK VILLAGE |  Dr. Aisha El-Amin resigned her seat on the Board of Education for Community Consolidated District #168 it was learned today. El-Amin was appointed by then Board President Suzanne Arnold on August 20, 2012 to fill a vacancy and ran unopposed for election to the two-year unexpired term which would have expired in April, 2015. 

El-Amin was a swing vote in deciding on incoming Superintendent Dr. Donna Leak’s appointment earlier this month.  The vote was 4 to 3 with El-Amin voting with the majority in favor of Leak’s appointment.

Board President Sharon Davenport said she wished El-Amin well and will likely make an appointment to replace El-Amin at the July School Board meeting.  “I want to thank Dr. El-Amin for her service to the children of our District.  Serving on the School Board requires time and dedication” Davenport said.  The School Board positions are voluntary and are without any pay.  The term of the seat expires in May, 2015 and the individual would either stand for election or leave office following the expiration. 

Anyone wishing to serve may address a letter of interest to Davenport for consideration.

CLICK LINK if you're interested in details on complete details on how to apply for the position:  CLICK HERE

VILLAGE SETTLES FEDERAL DISCRIMINATION SUITS

by Joseph Wiszowaty
SAUK VILLAGE |   The Village Board of Trustees approved settlements for Chief of Police Timothy Holevis and Sergeant Rebecca Sailsbery Tuesday night.

Lawsuits filed in Federal Court stem from discrimination allegations filed naming former Mayor Lewis Towers and former Village Trustee Enoch Benson.  The lawsuits were filed separately by attorney Patrick Walsh of Elliot Zinger and Associates of Chicago.

The settlements, according to Mayor David Hanks will give a cash payment of $103,000 to Holevis and $65,000 to Sailsbery.  Additionally, the Village will "continue negotiations with Sailsbery" to appoint her Deputy Chief of Police.  The Village taxpayers will be on the hook for the first $100,000 according to the terms of the Village's insurance carrier.

Holevis was appointed Chief of Police by Hanks last year, but still does not have a contract with the village identifying his term of employment.  Under Illinois law, the Chief of Police is appointed by the mayor, with the advice and consent of the Village Board; however, as demonstrated by Towers the mayor has extraordinary powers to appoint whomever he wants without approval of the Village Board provide a position is open.

Sailsbery was identified as the top candidate for Deputy Chief by the REM Group who was brought in to perform loss mitigation by the Village's insurance carrier.  REM was later paid by the Village to search for a Chief of Police, once Hanks appointed Holevis they were requested to search for a Deputy Chief.  REM identified Sailsbery as the top Deputy Chief of Police candidate, however, she has yet to be formally appointed.  Sailsbery previously has served as Deputy Chief of Police up until the controversial appointment of Frank Martin was approved in 2010.

Holevis, Sailsbery and now former Village employee Lisa Gibons filed a joint federal lawsuit, charging among other things discrimination against the Village during Martins brief tenure as Chief.  The Village settled this action for several hundred thousand dollars.

HOUSING COMMISSIONER HOLCOMB UNDER FIRE FOR HIS ACTIONS

HOLCOMB LEFT WITH DAVID HANKS
ELECTION NIGHT 2013

By Joseph Wiszowaty
SAUK VILLAGE |  Sauk Village Housing Commission Chairperson Gary Holcomb crossed the line said resident Leannette Scott who complained about her personal identity articles being publicly published by the Sauk Village Housing Commission Chairman.

According to Holcomb’s Facebook pages, on May 7^th, and his report to the Mayor and Board of Trustees on May 13^th, Holcomb and some of his Housing Commissioners volunteered to clean up a private lot at 22200 block of Yates Avenue.  This long abandoned and neglected home had been the location of illegal dumping for the past two years or more according to neighbors and was abandoned since 2011 according to Holcomb’s report.  This eyesore was consistently brought to light by neighbors and social media posts in an attempt, some claim, to shame the Village into action;  However, their lack of response resulted in only more garbage and debris being added to an already overwhelming amount. 

 

In what some call Holcomb’s “zeal” to make sure the residents of Sauk Village as well as the “perpetrators” can know that his Commission means business, Holcomb appears to have taken it upon himself to post a copy of the alleged “violators’ ” state identification card and her son’s social security card that he found in the massive amount of debris on two social media pages that he controls.  Neither of these documents had been redacted to “protect” the sensitive information from the public according to photos provided to us for this story.

Ms. Scott explained that she is in fact a victim of a crime; “I had my house broken into about a year ago and they ransacked it.  They destroyed my house and took my television and kids games and papers from my home.  Now this man (Holcomb) has stolen our identification and put it out on the internet for any criminal to use.  I feel so violated.”    

 

HOLCOMB holding a sign
stating "No Confidence"
"Reap What you Sow"
Protesting former Mayor
Lewis Towers

Asked how did she suppose her personal information got in the neighbor’s yard?  “Do they really think that I would throw a copy of my personal identification and my son’s Social Security Card out in the trash?  If I did, I have my own garbage can I would have used.  I pay my (water) bill” Scott said.  So how did her identification and her son’s Social Security card get in a heap of garbage next door?  Scott speculates that when her home was broken into, the perpetrator(s) may have dumped what they didn’t want next door with the rest of the garbage accumulating there.  Garbage was close and it was easy. “This man is supposed to be working for our Village, he’s a Commissioner and he did this?” Ms. Scott said. 

Asked if she thought Holcomb should resign for what he did?  “Yes, this was just wrong” Ms. Scott said.  “He doesn’t need to be over the Housing Commission.  He comes to your house he’s rude.   He’s going to tell me what he’s going to do.  The Village, I don’t know, they just need to get it together”  Scott said. 

Ms. Scott came to the Village Board Meeting Tuesday night to address her concerns to Mayor David Hanks.  Ms. Scott explained that she had been warned by Sherry  Jasinski, head of the Village’s Code Enforcement Department, that she was going to be issued a citation for dumping garbage on the vacant property.   “You need to get your kids and go clean up the property” Scott said she was told by Jasinski. “ I’m not going to get my kids and do anything” Ms. Scott said.  “The Village also said they were giving me and my landlord a $500 ticket for illegally dumping. I guess I get to pay for the criminals who broke into my home and stole my personal information and apparently dumped it next door.’   Hanks’ gave his standard response, “I’ll have to check into that”.  Attempts to reach Jasinski for comment this morning were unsuccessful she was not in the office when I'd called and the individual was having problems putting me through to her voicemail.

Ms. Scott said that she has filed a police report with the Village of Sauk Village Police Department and that she has also filed a report with the Cook County State Attorney’s office in Markham.  “Charges are not currently filed”, said Steve Campbell, a spokesperson for the State Attorney’s office. Ms. Scott has not yet determined if she will also file a civil complaint against both Holcomb and the Village of Sauk Village.

“She (Scott) never had talked to me she talked to the Police” Holcomb said.  Holcomb also said that Jasinski and another Code Enforcement officer had taken the photographs, but didn't elaborate on how he came in custody of the photographs.    "Her son told us that he threw the garbage in the yard” Holcomb claims.  “She (Scott) never asked for her I.D.’s back” Holcomb claims.  “Once this information is in the trash it’s public property” Holcomb contends.  Some believe that doesn’t make the actions of what Holcomb did right or ethical as a Housing Commissioner.  One resident said toward the end of the meeting “so if you get your house robbed and they steal things, is it ok to take pictures of your Social Security card and driver’s license and say look what I found”.  When questioned about this violation of privacy, Holcomb, unapologetically, removed his post as of Monday night according to his Facebook posts.   “The ID’s have been removed out of respect for the mother’s request”, he quips but continues with, “by law it was public knowledge once it was disposed of in the manner that it was placed” Holcomb said on his page.

“The Sauk Village police asked me to take down the post” Holcomb said.

SAUK VILLAGE PIONEER CELEBRATES 100

 

By Joseph Wiszowaty
SAUK VILLAGE |  Anthony and Rose (Reichert) Schaller were a young couple in the 1910s and built a farm south of Vincent Sauter’s farm, one of Sauk Village’s first settlers.  The Schaller farm was located on what is now the Northeast corner of Sauk Trail and Mark Collins Drive (formerly Woodlawn Avenue).  The Schaller’s had 4 children, 1 boy Agustin “Gus” Anthony and three girl Kay, Dorothy and Ruth.  Gus being the only son, he helped his father farm the land according to his daughter Marge Muellner.

Gus Schaller also attended District 168 Strassburg School, but it was not the modern marvel it is today.  Back in the 1920s, the school was a one room wood frame structure which was located next to the old St. James Church at the Northeast corner of Sauk Trail and Illinois Route 394.  Gus Schaller’s father served on the School Board for over 40 years and was instrumental in consolidating District 168 with 173 to form Community Consolidated School District 168 following a fire in the 1940s that destroyed Strassburg School.  “We had 11 kids in that school.” Schaller remembered.

Agustin “Gus” Anthony Schaller celebrated his 100^th birthday on May 16^th.

Fathers Krolczak & Conde Concelebrated Mass

 The St. James Catholic Church Community and the family and friends of Agustin “Gus” Schaller came together Saturday evening to celebrate Gus becoming a “centurion”.  Schaller was joined in the church by his 98 year old sister Kay Wysock of Chicago Heights.  A Mass was held at 5pm and a reception followed in Didier Hall with about 150 family and friends.  Reverend David Krolczak, Pastor of St. James Church celebrated Mass and former Pastor Thomas Conde concelebrated the Mass.  Reverend David Simonetti, Associate Pastor also was on hand to present Schaller with an Apostolic Papal Blessing from Pope Francis, to which Schaller’s emotions got the best of him.

Father Dave Simonetti presents the
Apostolic Papal Blessing

Krolzak talked about Schaller, who has attended Mass every day and discussed the history of the faith community which Schaller has been a member.  “He has volunteered for so many years.  He is one of the oldest Alter boys in the Archdiocese” Krolczak quipped, his comments eliciting laughs from the congregation.

Schaller was married to the late Rose Mary (nee Schulte) of Dyer, Indiana who sadly passed away in 2002.  Schaller has four children Ruth (Tom) Nast of Downers Grove, Illinois; Jerry (Lil) Schaller of Ely Minnesota; Marge (the late John) Mullner of Eugene, Oregon and Marty Schaller of Ely Minnesota.

Family members and friend joined Schaller in Didier Hall where he was treated to incredible reception in his honor.  Many historic pictures of Schaller were on display.  Schaller bore witness to many historic changes when the area originally called Strassburg transformed from nothing but farms to a suburban neighborhood.  Where Schaller’s property once was, the Logisticenter at Sauk Village now has risen. 

Gus Schaller receives the framed Apostolic Papal Blessing
from Father Dave Simonetti

Don’t think that this young man is lost in a fog.  I spent some time with him his mind is as sharp as a tack, he has an incredible wit and he just recently passed his annual drivers license test too.  Yes he has his Illinois driver’s license.  Schaller currently lives in Crete, but Sauk Village is still his hometown, even though it never existed long before he was around, and he’s been around the entire time. 

God bless you Gus! 

Relay for Life- "Cancer never sleeps"

by Joseph Wiszowaty
SAUK VILLAGE |  Several hundred participated in the annual Relay for Life held Friday night at Bloom Trail High School McGee Fieldhouse due to the spring chill.

This year's Relay for Life is expected to raise about $40,000 according to Myra Kocsis, Relay for Life Specialist for the American Cancer Society.

"This event is for survivors to celebrate and for those to remember those who lost the battle" Kocsis said.

So why do they walk all night?  "Cancer never sleeps, it's a battle we must fight 24/7" Kocsis said.


There were 26 teams who participated according to Kocsis and the Boy Scouts presented colors
during the opening of the event.  Eagle Scout candidate Lance James was a volunteer committee member along with his mother Tracy James and the following committee members who all volunteer their time Baily McGrath, Darlene McGrath, Jean Porter, Ann Gasik, Colleen Ranieri, Timmy Porter, Tim Porter, Sherry Brill and Juanita Tomlin.

Sauk Village Trustee Derrick Burgess stopped in to lend his encouragement to the event.  His wife Juanita a cancer survivor as well. 

The event turned somber at 9:30 with the lighting of the luminaria and remembering those who lost their battles to cancer.  The track of the McGee Fieldhouse were lined with the names of those who were remembered and readers read each name to a completely hushed crowd.