Pekau hides Owens sign behind building but puts his own name upfront
By Ray Hanania
Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau just can’t be honest. Last week, I revealed that the Village removed the sign for the Frederick T. Owens Village Hall from the front of the building.
Fred Owens was a beloved mayor who helped build this community and the Village Hall was dedicated in his name in 1993, a year after his passing.
I can understand how it hurts Pekau to be compared to someone so admired who did so much for this village. After all, Pekau’s beleaguered administration is plagued by his constant lies and exaggerations, public criticism of his fake reforms and his tax hikes, his personal attacks against any Orland Park taxpayer who disagrees with his leadership, and his consolidation of all powers into his personal control (eliminating public committees).
From what we understand, last February, Pekau removed the Owens sign that welcomed everyone to the Owens Village Hall. The sign was right up front on the East Side of the building where anyone entering the Village Hall parking lot could see it. Peaku tried to keep it all a secret.
At first, he just took it down. But then he quickly moved to replace it with a generic sign right in front of the Village Hall doors (facing south) that made no mention of Owens at all.
But he did more. He placed two more signs, one in front of where the Owens sign was (facing east) that had his name “Mayor Keith Pekau” on it, and another at the south corner of the parking lot along Ravinia across from Orland Township, which also has Pekau’s name on it.
Embarrassed after I reported Pekau’s action removing the Owens sign, and after the Owens family itself warned that Pekau was planning to remove all of the names on signs — Franklin E. Loebe Recreation Center, and William Vogel Civic Center — Pekau quickly issued a statement on the official Village of Orland Park Facebook Page to confuse the public and that failed to address his actions:
Pekau wrote: “Because of the various buildings, and their respective access driveways, the new wayfinding signage was an important element to assist patrons. All of the signage along Ravinia Avenue has been updated to match the standardized Village sign design and to provide actual wayfinding signage for four Village facilities of the Village Center.”
Wow, Pekau even asserts in his bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo post that he is saving taxpayers $6 million.
Pekau then posted a closeup photo of the Owens Village Hall Sign, that he quickly erected in the response to the criticism “near” the Village Hall building. Except, the Owens sign was placed at the back (west) of the Village Hall building near the amphitheater. The removal and misplacement of the signs doesn’t “assist patrons” at all.
What Pekau’s actions ensure is that anyone who drives or walks into the Village Hall building will see his name on signs. You will NEVER see the sign with Owens’ name unless you are lost or wander to the back of the building, or attend one of the low attendance summer programs at the tiny “amphitheater.”
His claim that “All of the signage along Ravinia Avenue has been updated to match the standardized Village sign design” is a ruse because those signs only showcase his name.
The majority of the people who go to the Owens Village Hall to do their business always walk past the Village Hall main entrance where the Owens sign should be. The Owens sign should be right in front by the Village Hall entrance where it would reflect the pride taxpayers have in the late mayor Fred Owens.
Instead, they will have to wander some 200 feet past the entrance to see the Owens sign, diminishing a building that symbolizes the history and heritage of this great community. You will have to walk PAST the Village Hall to see Mayor Owens’ name.
Pekau’s ego is enormous, but this sign controversy of his making exposes how he is so seriously insecure.
The majority of visitors to Orland Park Village Hall will see Pekau’s name twice on the two new signs along Ravinia Avenue — how much did those signs cost to make and place?
Less than 5 percent of visitors will ever walk past — maybe if they are lost — and see the Owens sign … past the entrance and past the Village Hall in the back where its view is buried by obstacles.
In addition to Pekau’s tendency to lie, exaggerate and distract people from his failed leadership, Pekau’s may have violated the village regulations by removing the sign because it was approved by a vote of the Village board in 1993.
There is no doubt in my mind that had I and others not raised this important issue to the residents of Orland Park, the Owens Village Hall sign would have remained removed from placement.
Pekau’s actions are not just petty, they are disrespectful to the history of Orland Park and disrespectful to the taxpayers of Orland Park. Clearly, by these actions, Pekau cares more about himself than he does for the interests of the Village or the taxpayers of Orland Park.
And that makes Pekau a sharp contrast to the late former Mayor Fred Owens who dedicated his sterling public service to showcasing and supporting the best interests of the village and its taxpayers.
Putting the Owens sign at the back of the Village Hall is a sign of pure pettiness and weak leadership.
When is this petty insanity going to stop?
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 rghanania@gmail.com.
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