OPINION

Pekau uses Orland Village Board to put politics over people
Pekau uses Orland Village Board to put politics over people Opinion columnist Ray Hanania examines the stark differences between Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau and former Mayor Dan … Click to Read
Divided America is a long way from healing and unity
Divided America is a long way from healing and unity Despite the sincere words of President Joe Biden, it is doubtful he will be able to unite America … Click to Read
Cook County sets new murder record and Foxx is to blame
Cook County sets new murder record and Foxx is to blame Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx has set a lower threshold for fighting crime, creating an environment … Click to Read
Media hypocrisy in their coverage of DC Protests versus BLM protests
Media hypocrisy in their coverage of DC Protests versus BLM protests Ray Hanania tears into the hypocrisy of the mainstream news media which is playing politics with the … Click to Read
At-risk populations need to be priority beyond vaccine
At-risk populations need to be priority beyond vaccine By Patrick J. Kennedy An end to the pandemic is finally in sight. Both Pfizer and Moderna reported that their … Click to Read
Coronavirus COVID-19 infections continue to surge in Orland Park: Opinion
Coronavirus COVID-19 infections continue to surge in Orland Park: Opinion The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic continues to increase, not dissipate in Orland Park in part because of the failure … Click to Read

News Wire

Orland Fire District recognizes needs of those with Dementia
Orland Fire District recognizes needs of those with Dementia In partnership with Aishling Companion Home Care, the OFPD introduced the District’s New Coffee & Conversation Community Outreach Program to help inform and educate residents on the many free educational meetings that impact the lives of the Orland Residents including Dementia. The Fire District, rated as one of the best in the nation, has pursued recognition as a Dementia Friendly Community providing a wide array of information and resources to support those in need. The Orland Fire Protection District launched the first combined Community Outreach Program on Dementia Awareness on Thursday, April 27, 2017 to recognize the challenges that face those individuals who suffer from Dementia. In partnership with Aishling Companion Home Care, the OFPD introduced the District’s New Coffee & Conversation Community Outreach Program in 2017 to help inform and educate residents on the many free educational meetings that impact the lives of the Orland Residents including Dementia. As a result of the professional educational and informational campaign, the Fire District has pursued recognition as a Dementia Friendly Community providing a wide array of information and resources to support those in need. “We want to open a dialogue with residents to ensure that we are hearing their concerns and also their ideas!” said OFPD Fire Chief Michael Schofield. “It’s purely an effort to strengthen our contacts with the community and improve the lives of those who face a wide array of health issues, including Dementia.” The only public contact those with dementia have are with the Fire District when paramedics or fire EMS officials respond when there is a health emergency involving a fire, vehicle accident or emergency health need. Schofield said the program is under the direction of Betsy Dine, in collaboration with Aishling Dalton kelly and is frequently coordinated with the OFPD Senior Advisory Board (SAC) and its members. “We are now beginning our 5th year of Coffee & Conversation and going strong. We have a group of 30-50 persons coming to fill their brains with as much free education as possible,” Dine said noting she works with a professional who has experience in dealing with Dementia, and obtaining top class speakers with very relevant and timely topics Aishling Dalton Kelly. “Aishling and I want to make a difference in the Orland Fire Protection District Community, one day at a time! Our group efforts didn’t come to a halt when Coffee & Conversation came to life. This is when our goals and dreams came to life! Since that time, we have worked diligently and communicated weekly over the years. We have been inspired by our seniors who attend Coffee and conversations in addition to realizing that more education is needed in our community!” Aishling Dalton Kelly is the owner of Aishling Companion Home Care and the Aishling Care Academy in Orland Park. Her credentials are extensive and include being a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP), a Certified Alzheimer’s Disease Dementia Care Trainer (CADDCT), and a Certified First Responder Trainer (CFRDT), and a CECM ( Certified Elder Care Manager). Dine said that she and Aishling both come from large families of 10 children and they understand how to engage issues in a large group and in a team spirit. Aishling’s mother, Dine said, had also suffered with dementia for more than seven years before her passing and from this experience has inspired Aishling to raise awareness and further educate on this topic to the fore front in the community. “We are both determined to make a difference! After years of working together and a ton of conversation, we are now on a mission to promote bigger and better things for our families with a loved one who suffers from a form of dementia, here in Orland Park,” Dine said. Dine said that they conferred with OFPD EMS Supervisor Mark Duke who noted that dementia calls were rising in the district. “We began by offering an educational week by training all of our Firefighters in Orland Park to experience and recognize the ‘Inside Out Dementia Experience’ that is a common pattern,” Dine explained. Basically, the program helps EMS personnel, firefighters and paramedics to understand firsthand what the dementia experience is about so they can enhance their own services and skill set in dealing with the mentally debilitating condition. “We take the firefighter through the experience of having dementia so they can better identify and understand dementia and provide the care that the patient needs,” Dine said. In talks with Senator Cunningham and representative Fran Hurley it was Suggested by Sen. Cunningham that obtaining a resolution first would certainly signify the intent for future endeavors for a dementia friendly Orland park. Due to COVID, the resolution is still pending but Dine and Kelly are hopeful the resolution will be adopted in the Spring. We now have a full Task Force with local businesses on board. Aishling, Certified by NCCDP as a national first responder dementia trainer has trained all of our Firefighters (113) as CFR-DT’s Certified, First Responders-Dementia Trained. We are incredibly proud of this certification and Our mission for a “Dementia Friendly Orland Park” is to continue to raise awareness, dignity, and respect in addition to enriching the lives of those suffering and living with this disease in our community. “Orland Park: a dignified, respectful, dementia friendly, place to live.” We have two Caregiver Support Groups coming to the Orland Fire Protection District starting January 2021 on the second Monday monthly and once monthly on Thursday afternoons following conversations and coffee. We will also be offering a Powerful Tools for Caregiver Class at the beginning of 2021. If you’re a family caregiver, you understand both the rewards and challenges of caregiving. Powerful Tools for Caregivers can help! You may not even think of yourself as a caregiver – you’re simply helping someone you love. But when the stresses and difficulties that often come with caregiving become overwhelming, it’s important to take care of yourself too. That’s where Powerful Tools for Caregivers © (PTC) […]
McLaughlin blasts Pekau for using board meetings to promote his political campaign
McLaughlin blasts Pekau for using board meetings to promote his political campaign Former Orland Park Mayor Dan McLaughlin accused Mayor Keith Pekau of using taxpayer-funded village board meetings and staff to unleash a series of vicious political accusations. McLaughlin said the Village board should be used to champion the rights of taxpayers not to fund the mayor’s political re-election campaign. McLaughlin called Pekau’s abuse of power “shameful” and disgusting.” Here is Dan McLaughlin’s statement on the “Culture of Misinformation” in Orland Park’s Current Leadership “What an incredible sadness I feel about how Mayor Pekau used time owed to Orland Park residents to campaign with a made-up scandal when he could have been providing answers on issues that matter to the community,” McLaughlin said. In response to false accusations made by Mayor Keith Pekau and two trustees at a recent village board meeting, mayoral candidate Dan McLaughlin released the following statement: “I am appalled that my opponent would bring a ridiculous accusation into a village hall meeting that could have been used to address the pressing issues that Orland Park citizens are facing. Using taxpayer time and money to fling false allegations and out of context stories while threatening investigations for political advancement is disgusting and not what Orland Park residents deserve. It makes me sad to see local government used like this. This type of lying and attacking started four years ago, and it’s a disservice to the residents of Orland Park. This is not what politics at the local level should look like – we should be united, we should be transparent and open, and leaders should be in constant service to their residents. Our community will see through Mayor Pekau’s political game of using false stories and a sham investigation started by him and paid for by the citizens of Orland Park. It’s not right, and I’m frustrated on behalf of residents that village meetings are being used for campaigning instead of dealing with issues facing residents — which should be the whole job. Orland Park needs to move forward. We need to put these political games behind us and get back to work. I am proud of the way my team and I have always put our community first, and I look forward to being in a position to offer that leadership to them again. There are much better things for the village staff to do than spend hours and hours looking through 20-year-old documents to help the Mayor start a phony political charge.”
AHRC Congratulates Joseph Biden on Being Sworn in as America’s 46th President:
AHRC Congratulates Joseph Biden on Being Sworn in as America’s 46th President: The American Human Rights Council (AHRC-USA) congratulates Mr. Joe Biden and Mrs. Kamala Harris for being sworn in yesterday, Jan 20, 2021 as America’s President and Vice President in a historical ceremony amidst exceptional security measures. This year’s inauguration ceremony was watched by people across the globe witnessing American democracy in action. AHRC welcomes President Biden’s call for unity, healing and reconciliation. Unity requires that all elected officials from all political parties tone down the rhetoric and engage in real dialogue to find solutions. The ultimate challenge is to win the hearts and the minds of millions of Americans to bridge the gap and reunite the nation focusing on the economic and health challenges facing the nation. COVID-19 remains the number one issue facing the country today and it needs the attention of all the political branches. Saving lives should be the nation’s top priority. AHRC commends President Biden for taking executive action on his first day of office to put an end to practices that many Americans considered in violation of America’s democratic values- such as the Muslim Ban and the Wall. AHRC welcomes President Biden’s decision to re-join both the Climate Change agreement and the WHO organization. Climate change is a global challenge that merits serious attention and global collaborative efforts to address. These are global challenges that impact and affect all with no exception. While the executive measures taken by President Biden are important and set the tone for a promising path, executive orders are not enough. Instituting policies through Congress is what lasts and matters. Working with Congress the President can make national policies that cannot easily be undone by future presidents. We urge that the President and the Congress work together to make the needed changes such as immigration reform. “Political vindictiveness is never the solution,” said Imad Hamad, AHRC Executive Director. “I hope that divisive politics is behind us and the political parties will be able to work together productively to deal with the nation’s real problems,” concluded Hamad. ###### Help AHRC Protect Human Rights: These are challenging times. It is our common humanity that we are determined to protect. To donate, please visit: www.ahrcusa.org for safe & secured donation
Cook County COVID-19 Recovery Small Business Assistance Program to offer financial wellness webinar Jan. 27
Cook County COVID-19 Recovery Small Business Assistance Program to offer financial wellness webinar Jan. 27 The COVID-19 pandemic introduced uncertainty and fear to the lives of most small business owners around Cook County. To continue to support small businesses through this difficult time, Cook County’s COVID-19 Recovery Small Business Assistance Program is planning a finance-focused webinar, titled “It’s Your Turn: Time to Survive and Thrive – PPP and More”, for 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27. All small business owners in Cook County are welcome to register for the free event at https://t2m.io/itsyourturnppp. The webinar will discuss the reopened Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loans and how small businesses can work with local lenders to secure assistance. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, representatives from Small Business Assistance Program partner organizations and small business owners who have received assistance from the program in the past — like Luz Cavazos, owner of Juicy Luzy Sangria — will speak during the event. Attendees will also have the opportunity to join small group discussions. “Getting that email was a blessing,” Cavazos said of finding out about the Small Business Assistance Program. “I’m grateful for the grant we got, because if we wouldn’t have gotten it… it was literally just making it, not knowing how long you had.” The County also invites small businesses to sign up for the Cook County – Chicago Business Advising Program, also known as technical assistance, which provides individualized assistance to business owners to help them address needs; acquire new capital and customers; understand finances, as well as change and risk management; adjust business models; and operate under changing safety regulations. This assistance is provided by program partners like Accion, Chicago Urban League, Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Business Development Center, Berwyn Development Corporation, Chicago TREND, Cook County Black Chamber Corporation and Southland Development Authority. ABOUT THE COOK COUNTY COVID-19 RECOVERY SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: The Cook County COVID-19 Recovery Small Business Assistance Program provides support for small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program offers advising for small businesses in Cook County and grants for small businesses in suburban Cook County and the unincorporated areas. For more information about the program, visit https://t2m.io/CookCountySBassist.

STATEWIDE NEWS

Governor Pritzker Announces COVID-19 Vaccination Website
Governor Pritzker Announces COVID-19 Vaccination Website Coronavirus.Illinois.Gov Will Host Vaccination Locations, Vaccination Appointment Information, FAQs, & Updates on Vaccination Plan Building on the state’s progress as it moves into the early stages of Phase 1B …
IDPH Announces Region 5 Moves into Tier 1 Mitigation – Limited Indoor Dining
IDPH Announces Region 5 Moves into Tier 1 Mitigation – Limited Indoor Dining The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced Region 5, southern Illinois (Alexander, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, …

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High-tech Santa

Jolly elf visited via Zoom with Lyons kids

By Steve Metsch

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Lyons parks and recreation department was unable to have Santa visit in person with kids this year.

Thanks to modern technology, all was not lost.

Kids were able to visit with the jolly old elf on their computers via Zoom, the online meeting place that’s probably been used by their parents for business meetings the past nine months.

Zoom calls with Santa were done on Dec. 9 and 12.

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“We had about 20 yesterday,” Ted Tala, director of the department, said on Dec. 10.

“It was very successful,” he said “Almost all the families had good things to say when they emailed me. ‘Oh, Johnny had such a good time. He’s still talking about it’.”

Santa and Mrs. Claus zoomed in from his workshop, Tala said.

The calls were free to participants.

Ted Tala, director of parks and recreation in Lyons, arranged for Zoom calls between Santa and local children. (Photo by Steve Metsch)

Ted Tala, director of parks and recreation in Lyons, made it easy for kids to visit with Santa. Photo by Steve Metsch.

The department wanted to do something special for the kids during the holidays, Tala said. “It was an easy call.”

“It was more or less a one-on-one with Santa Claus,” Tala said. “It truly was very rewarding to see,” Tala said. “Some of these kids, just the look on their face said it all. Kids who started off the Zoom shy, not a word said, a couple words from Santa, you realize what kind of characters they are.”

He smiled when he recalled a 3-year-old saying “Santa, you’re a funny guy. You crack me up sometimes.”

Another was quick to show Santa that the movie “Elf” was on their TV.

The Zoom call helped fill the void for the usually busy department.

“Every year we have our (winter) day camp, we have our senior holiday party, we have breakfast with Santa and this year – against all odds – we couldn’t make any of that happen just for the betterment of all the kids out there,” Tala said.

Other pandemic victims were the Kids Night Out, held one Friday night each month from October to April, and the village’s annual Halloween party in Smith Park.

— Desplaines Valley News

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Steve Metsch

Steve Metsch is an award winning veteran reporter who previously worked for the Daily Southtown Newspapers, Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. Metsch is a writer and editor at the Southwest News Newspaper group based in suburban Chicago, and a freelance writer for a financial newsletter, a health magazine and the Naperville Sun.
Email Steve Metsch at sm4610@sbcglobal.net

High-tech Santa

High-tech Santa

Jolly elf visited via Zoom with Lyons kids

By Steve Metsch

The Political Pundit