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Orland Park mayor defends school district 230 chief who scolded colleague for raising TIF concerns Mayor Keith Pekau used his eNewsletter to defend School District 230 President Lynn Zeder who attacked a school colleague for raising concerns about the impact Pekau’s 3 new TIFs will have on schools and property taxes By Ray Hanania Mayor…
High School District 230’s President Lynn Zeder should resign from the board Opinion: District 230 President Lynn Zeder was aware of plans involving three TIF districts that will siphon hundreds of millions in property taxes from the district’s three high schools, but she has been publicly silent about it. Instead of addressing these TIFs, which…
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Katsenes and Pekau are angry that I blew the whistle on their TIF district threat to taxpayers By Ray Hanania 09-04-24 The dangers of Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau’s secretive TIF district proposals I am not surprised Orland Park Trustee Cindy Katsenes, a local realtor with Village Realty, attacked me personally at the Village Board…
Orland Fire District hosts Open House Saturday 11 AM to 2 PM with live emergency/life saving demonstrations The Orland Fire Protection District will host its annual Open House on Saturday, Sept. 7, from 11 AM until 2 PM featuring live demonstrations in fighting fires and engaging in life-saving rescues. The Open House is one of…
Unincorporated Orland homeowners blast mayor’s annexation move Residents of Unincorporated Orland Township blast Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau for trying to grab their land and violate their rights. Residents say Mayor Pekau failed to properly notify them of his plans that began quietly in 2022 and continued to 2023 before residents could address the board…
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Senior rescued while sleeping in a 4 unit Orland Park townhouse as fire spread through walls and attic Two of four units in Orlando Park townhouse were severely damaged an uninhabitable, including the senior’s unit The Orland Fire Protection District responded at 6:51 pm to reports of smoke coming out of the eves of a…
Garage Fire in Orland Park Wednesday extinguished, no casualties The Orland Fire District responded to a reported garage fire located in the 8900 block of Oakdale Court in Orland Park on Wednesday August 7th, 2024 at at 4:51 pm. Multiple 911 calls were received for a reported garage fire. Companies arrived on the scene and…
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“Huge fire” damages UFC Gym in Orland Park Thursday The Orland Fire District responded at 2:31 pm on Thursday, June 20, 2024 to a reported fire in the UFC Gym located at 66 Orland Square Drive, Unit C, in the Orland Park Mall complex. Multiple 911 calls were received for a fire in the rear…
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Orland’s Pekau rejects contract renewal for Village Manager George Koczwara Controversy-plagued Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau will introduce a letter at Monday’s Village Board meeting (June 17, 2024) signed by him telling Village Manager George Koczwara that his contract cannot be renewed because it would be “unfair and inappropriate to allow an automatic extension” to…
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What’s the Best Middle East restaurant in Chicagoland’s suburbs? Zwar in Orland Park One of Chicagoland’s best Middle East Arabian restaurants offers a special exotic entertainment show every Wednesday, complementing their great food menu with the mesmerizing dance of Belly Dancer Tina every Wednesday from 7 PM until 9 PM. Enjoy a great show along…
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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…
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Owens family questions removal of name from Village Administration Building The family of beloved and highly respected late former Orland Park Mayor Fred Owens has questioned why Mayor Keith Pekau has removed his name from the outdoor sign identifying the Village Administration Building, which was placed there in 1993 following his passing the year before….
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Pekau removes Mayor Owens’ name from Village Hall sign In a pure act of pettiness, Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau has removed the name of Frederick T. Owens from the signs in front of the Village Hall, for which the Village Hall has been named, without any public discussion or notice. In its place, Pekau…
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Drug investigation leads to multiple Felony charges in drug sales at Sandburg High school In the fall of 2023, the Orland Park Police Department received information that there was a subject on snapchat selling cannabis, psilocybin mushrooms and vape pens to Sandburg students. The Orland Park Police Tactical Response Unit opened up an investigation and…
Subject Arrested for Vehicular Hijacking in Orland Park The Orland Park Police Department announced the arrest of a suspect in a vehicular hijacking that occurred on the evening of April 3, 2024. Shawn Flores, a 44-year-old Midlothian resident, faces charges following his apprehension on April 4. The incident began when a male victim was forcibly…
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Pekau builds re-election campaign on anti-Muslim bias By Ray Hanania (Originally published in the Southwest News Newspaper Group newpapers): True to his colors, Orland Park’s beleaguered Mayor Keith Pekau is turning to racism and community division to base his re-election campaign. In a recent letter to “supporters,” Pekau launched his campaign using the racist slogan,…
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Orland Park Sportsplex Annual Family Health Fair Returns March 23 The Village of Orland Park Recreation Department will hold its annual Family Health Fair on Saturday, March 23 from 9 a.m. until noon at the Village of Orland Park Sportsplex, 11351 West 159th Street. Topics will address the fitness needs of the entire family. The…
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Hanania’s columns: Dune review, Pekau’s disrepect in Orland, #AbandonBiden and Best Middle East Bakeries By Ray Hanania My new syndicated column at www.Hanania.com or www.RayHanania.com has touched on a lot of topics this past week. I write four to six columns every week now, driven by what provokes my mind and I share them through…