Skip to content
  • Subscribe
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Email
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment
  • Features
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
Suburban Chicagoland

Suburban Chicagoland

Original News, Features & Opinion on Chicago, Illinois and America

  • About
    • About
    • Advertise
    • Our Writers
      • Ray Hanania
      • Bill Lipinski
      • Biography: Aaron Hanania
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Policy
    • Reach Out
  • Sections
    • Events
    • Opinion
    • News
    • Features
    • Seniors
    • Comic Strip
  • Library
    • “MIdnight Flight” Online Book
      • Midnight Flight Book Overview
      • Midnight Flight Introduction
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 1
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 2
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 3
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 4
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 5
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 6
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 7
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 8
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 9
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 10
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 11
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 12
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 13
    • Villages, Cities & Towns
    • Federal Office Holders
    • County Officials
    • Legislators
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
  • Comment
  • Podcast
    • Ray Hanania on Politics
    • Two Guys on Politics
    • Hanania on Tiktok
  • News Wire
  • Archive 2004-2013
  • Toggle search form
  • Hastings insurance legislation
    Hastings announces legislation to ensure fair homeowners insurance rates for Illinois families Business
  • Mahnoor Ahmad campaign photo
    Mahnoor Ahmad runs for DuPage County Board seat Democrat
  • Sunday, October 26, the Village of Orland Park formally rededicated its Village Hall in honor of the late former Mayor Fredrick T. Owens
    Village of Orland Park Rededicates Village Hall in Honor of Late Former Mayor Fredrick T. Owens Government
  • Fire at townhome at 13900 block of Berkhansted Court in Orland Park, just before midnight on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025
    Firefighter treated for dehydration battling townhouse fire in Orland Park – no residents injured Fire
  • Firefighters with the Orland Fire Protection District who responded to a fire in an apartment at 15200 block of Al Camino Terrace on Saturday morning said the next day that they did find a kitten that needed respiratory aid that they saved.
    FIRE UPDATE: Fire District releases photos of kitten saved from Orland Park apartment fire Saturday Features
  • two-story apartment building on the 15200 block of El Camino Terrace in Orland Park
    Orland Park apartment fire Saturday morning, no injuries Fire
  • Illinois Senator Michael Hastings addressing the Orland Township Democratic Organization Wednesday Oct. 12, 2022
    Hastings calls for bipartisan action to protect Illinois families from SNAP benefit shutdown Baby Boomers
  • Illinios Industrial Energy Consumers, information ad
    Get information on the Illinois Energy Omnibus Bill in Springfield Business
  • State Senator Mike Porfirio secured over $20 million to support infrastructure improvements and construction in the 11th Senate District.
    Senator Porfirio applauds more than $20 million in infrastructure repairs coming to the 11th District News
  • Dad and daughter reunited Lebving Law firm photo
    Little Girl Recovered and Reunited with Dad After Long Separation Dads' Rights
  • 11-03-25 OFPD Coffee living alone
    Orland Fire hosts meeting on helping Seniors who live alone Nov. 5 Baby Boomers
  • State Senator Michael Hastings introduces law to revive long dormant and degraded Tinley Park Mental Health Center into a Sports Park for the community. Photo courtesy of the State Senate President Don Harmon
    Hastings secures $250,000 grant for Easterseals Academy’s Tinley Park campus Health
  • Chicago ranks as 161st worst city for crime in new national survey Chicago
  • Kat Abughazaleh 9th DIstrict Congress 2026 candidate democrat
    Kat Abughazaleh raises over $520,000 in Q2 of 2025 with more than $630,000 cash on hand for 2026 Democratic primary election elections
  • Silent Threat: The True Dangers of Lithium-Ion Batteries — How to Stay Safe and Respond to a Battery Fire Fire

Opinion: Orland Mayor accuses me of writing fiction over public meeting

Posted on April 16, 2020July 5, 2021 By Ray Hanania No Comments on Opinion: Orland Mayor accuses me of writing fiction over public meeting
SHARE THIS STORY
            
 
  

Opinion: Orland Mayor accuses me of writing fiction over public meeting

Orland Park’s controversial Mayor Keith Pekau is upset that I publicized his angry personal attacks against Trustee Dan Calandriello from a public meeting he held on April 6 and accused me of writing fiction. But the truth is on the audio tape that the village posted and then mysteriously became corrupted. It was reposted and corrected after I inquired about it. Here’s the story of Pekau’s thin-skinned attacks against anyone who dares to challenge his failed leadership

By Ray Hanania

Published in the Southwest News Newspaper Group Thursday April 16, 2020

Ray Hanania
Opinion columnist Ray Hanania

Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau verbally attacked Trustee Dan Calandriello during a Committee meeting Monday April 6 after Calandriello urged the board to address the concerns of small businesses in the village and adopt a “short term” plan to help them.

Pekau then, in his political campaign eNewsletter, criticized me for writing a column that extensively quoted his criticism of Callandriello calling it “highly fictional” and asserting the information was made-up.

I listened and recorded the meeting, and then transcribed every word that Calandriello and Pekau said, accurately.

I wrote an Opinion column posting it on the online news site SuburbanChicagoland.com that night. On Tuesday, I updated the column and posted a link to the village audio file so readers could hear the audio file of the exchange for themselves.

Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau
Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau

Pekau released his eNewsletter attacking me on Wednesday calling my column “highly fictional” falsely claiming this was an “orchestrated political attack” suggesting I had spoken with Calandriello, who I criticized in the past.

I updated the column urging the public to decide for themselves by listening to the audio file posted by the Village. But several people later told me the village audio file was “corrupted” and only played the first seconds of the meeting before re-looping and starting again so you couldn’t hear Pekau’s shocking, abusive language during the meeting.

I wrote another column challenging the Pekau administration over the corrupted audio file, which I had accessed previously without a problem but now found that it was impossible to access. (The audio file of the board meeting that followed was also re-looping the first seconds.)

I questioned whether or not this was done intentionally. The audio of the meeting of nearly 18 minutes reminded me of the 18 ½ minutes of audio President Richard Nixon deleted to prevent the public to hear his words involving his role in Watergate.

Pekau’s ridiculous assertion that I would make up the story fed my concerns the audio tape had been somehow manipulated, too. Who else had control of the village audio tape? With no audio tape for the public to compare, Pekau’s attack against me would seem justified.

After emailing the Village Staff Thursday morning, they claimed the file was not manipulated. A staff person re-uploaded the file, the Village Manager said. I checked and it worked. I updated my column to let readers know the file was available without problems.

Of course, the village attacked me, again, saying I couldn’t access the file because of “browser issues,” which is not true because I had accessed it prior to the incident.

But that’s Pekau’s way. He asserts Calandriello never offered specifics on how to help small businesses in Orland Park, but the truth is that after Calandriello introduced the discussion. It was Pekau and the four other board members present (one was absent) who refused to entertain it or permit a discussion.

Astonishingly, Pekau also voted against allowing a discussion but never asked Calandriello for his vote. Pekau then went on a verbal rampage against Calandriello declaring “five votes” against Calandriello proved Calandriello was grandstanding, was irresponsible, and didn’t care about local businesses.

Calandriello protested demanding to be heard, but Pekau declared that Calandriello was “out of order.” When personally attacked, every trustee has a right to respond.

It was the most outrageous abuse of power I have seen since Chicago’s Council Wars in 1983.

Both the village audio and my audio file of the meeting are now up on SuburbanChicagoland.com for all to decide.

When you listen, it’s obvious Pekau has extended his own powers, giving himself the right to vote on any issue – as Village President, Pekau can vote only to break a tie vote.

Pekau also eliminated the committee system and created one “Committee of the Whole” where everything from health to zoning is discussed and decided to give him complete power over every idea that is brought to the village board. Under the old system, committee’s created to discuss different issues would discuss ideas and then present them to the board for review and approval.

Pekau’s subsequent thin-skinned conduct attacking me because I criticized him only emphasizes how abusive and undemocratic he has become.

Pekau can challenge my opinions, claiming I am wrong. That’s his right. But he can’t say I made up the issue, and then call my employers, as he did afterwards and has done twice before, demanding I be fired. The public should be aware of his personal anger issues and behavior.

I won’t be silenced in exposing poor government leadership in Orland Park, where I have lived and paid taxes for the past 35 years.

(Ray Hanania is an award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter and political columnist. This column was originally published in the Southwest News Newspaper Group in the Des Plaines Valley News, Southwest News-Herald, The Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers. For more information on Ray Hanania visit www.Hanania.com or email him at [email protected].)

 

Subscribe to Ray Hanania’s columns

Full Name:
Email:
Select Type: Daily digest summary format
Subscribe
Unsubscribe

 

newswire info
  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.  

His award winning columns can be found at www.HANANIA.COM Subscribe FREE today

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Email Ray Hanania at [email protected].

Follow RayHanania at Twitter
Ray Hanania
Latest posts by Ray Hanania (see all)
  • Hastings announces legislation to ensure fair homeowners insurance rates for Illinois families - October 29, 2025
  • Mahnoor Ahmad runs for DuPage County Board seat - October 29, 2025
  • Village of Orland Park Rededicates Village Hall in Honor of Late Former Mayor Fredrick T. Owens - October 29, 2025
NPV: 64
  • Tweet

SHARE THIS STORY
            
 
  
 
 
 
           
Blogger, Commentary, elections, Government, Opinion, Orland Park, Politics, rayhanania, Suburban Chicagoland Tags:bullying, Committee of the Whole, criticism of public official, Dan Calandriello, failed leader, failed mayor, fiction, Mayor Keith Pekau, mysterious audio corruption, Orland Park, personal attacks, Ray Hanania. opinion columnist, trustee

Post navigation

Previous Post: New Novel: “Yellow:” Greed, Lies and Scandals of 1980s World Of Broadcast Television
Next Post: Former Orland Park village manager La Margo files lawsuit against Pekau, personally and officially

Related Posts

  • State Rep. Sonya Harper, D-Chicago
    Harper’s Anti-Hunger Bill Signed into Law Government
  • Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau continues to lie and slander people Blogger
  • Seniors face many challenges in American society. Photo courtesy of Photo by Eduardo Barrios on Unsplash
    Biden’s budget plans do little for seniors Baby Boomers
  • Two Guys on Politics Podcast with former Congressman Bill Lipinski and former Chicago City Hall reporter Ray Hanania
    The Maine massacre & gun control, & the election of Rep. Johnson as House Speaker Bill Lipinski
  • Nazareth opens with a rout News
  • Chicago Wolves David Gust, from Orland Park in Chicago's Southwest Suburbs. Photo courtesy of the Chicago Wolves
    Chicago Wolves winning streak continues, one win away from another sweep Chicago

More Related Articles

Firefighters with the Orland Fire Protection District who responded to a fire in an apartment at 15200 block of Al Camino Terrace on Saturday morning said the next day that they did find a kitten that needed respiratory aid that they saved. FIRE UPDATE: Fire District releases photos of kitten saved from Orland Park apartment fire Saturday Features
Typewriter. Photo by Andrew Seaman courtesy of unsplash District 230 students receive journalism awards Cook County
Ribbon cutting for the new SeatGeek Stadium renaming Thursday March 7, 2019. Photo courtesy of Rafa Alvarez/Chicago Fire Soccer Club Bridgeview venue renamed SeatGeek Stadium at Ribbon-cutting Editors Pick
U.S. Rep. Marie Newman of the Illinois 3rd District presented local police departments with a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition to honor their service to the Southwest Side and suburbs during a regional meeting on Sunday in Bridgeview Jan. 9, 2022 Congresswoman Newman honors local Police during National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day Cook County
Former Mayor Dan McLaughlin announces bid in Orland Park Cook County
Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart launched today a new Community Resource Center site where the public can walk in and secure assistance with a wide range of social services  Sheriff Dart Launches New Community Resource Center Site  Cook County

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Login with your Social ID
  • OPINION
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    Your Mortgage Company May Pay Your Taxes — But You Still Need to Watch
    October 17, 2025
  • Mohammed Faheem The Lightning Strike Radio Show small
    The Politicization of the Nobel Peace Prize — and Trump’s Fury Over Losing Again
    October 11, 2025
  • 06-04-25 Two Guys on Politics Background Zoom LOGO with images
    Video Podcast: Trump Kimmel Kirk Great American Divide Illegal Aliens polling and Illegal Aliens and ICE
    September 20, 2025
  • Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch speaking at a West Side affordable housing dedication
    Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, one of the best candidates to become Illinois Governor
    September 7, 2025
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    What You’re Missing on Your Property Tax Bill
    September 5, 2025
Subscribe to Ray Hanania's column graphic

Enter Your Email to Subscribe to Ray Hanania’s Columns

  • The-Kings-Pawn-Book-300-x-300.png

Mohammed Faheem The Lightning Strike Radio

  • NEWS
  • Hastings insurance legislation
    Hastings announces legislation to ensure fair homeowners insurance rates for Illinois families
    October 29, 2025
  • Mahnoor Ahmad campaign photo
    Mahnoor Ahmad runs for DuPage County Board seat
    October 29, 2025
  • Sunday, October 26, the Village of Orland Park formally rededicated its Village Hall in honor of the late former Mayor Fredrick T. Owens
    Village of Orland Park Rededicates Village Hall in Honor of Late Former Mayor Fredrick T. Owens
    October 29, 2025
  • Fire at townhome at 13900 block of Berkhansted Court in Orland Park, just before midnight on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025
    Firefighter treated for dehydration battling townhouse fire in Orland Park – no residents injured
    October 28, 2025
  • Firefighters with the Orland Fire Protection District who responded to a fire in an apartment at 15200 block of Al Camino Terrace on Saturday morning said the next day that they did find a kitten that needed respiratory aid that they saved.
    FIRE UPDATE: Fire District releases photos of kitten saved from Orland Park apartment fire Saturday
    October 26, 2025
John Kass Columns

Order the book PoweR PR; Ethnic Activists Guide to Strategic Communications

YOUTUBE VIDEOS

CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE TO RAY HANANIA'S YOUTUBE VIDEOS


Click here to view the video on YouTube or use the widget below.

Follow Ray Hanania at
Twitter
Facebook
TitkTok
BlueSky
RayHanania Columns

Creative Commons License
All works on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Do not edit original work. Give credit to the original source.

Categories

Copyright © 2022 Suburban Chicagoland & Urban Strategies Group

Powered by PressBook Premium theme