This Day In History - August 31st

1939
Germany Prepares for Invasion of Poland

At noon, despite threats of British and French intervention, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler signs an order to attack Poland, and German forces move to the frontier. That evening, Nazi S.S. troops wearing Polish uniforms staged a phony invasion of Germany, damaging several minor installations on the German side of the border. They also left behind a handful of dead German prisoners in Polish uniforms to serve as further evidence of the alleged Polish attack, which Nazi propagandists publicized as an unforgivable act of aggression.

At dawn the next morning, 58 German army divisions invaded Poland all across the 1,750-mile frontier. Hitler expected appeasement from Britain and France–the same nations that had given Czechoslovakia away to German conquest in 1938 with their signing of the Munich Pact. However, neither country would allow Hitler’s new violation of Europe’s borders, and Germany was presented with an ultimatum: Withdraw by September 3 or face war with the Western democracies.

At 11:15 a.m. on September 3, a few minutes after the expiration of the British ultimatum, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain appeared on national radio to announce solemnly that Britain was at war with Germany. Australia, New Zealand, and India immediately followed suit. Later that afternoon, the French ultimatum expired, and at 5:00 p.m. France declared war on Germany. The European phase of World War II began.

This Day In History - August 30th

1967

Thurgood Marshall Confirmed as Supreme Court Justice

On this day in 1967, Thurgood Marshall becomes the first African American to be confirmed as a Supreme Court justice. He would remain on the Supreme Court for 24 years before retiring for health reasons, leaving a legacy of upholding the rights of the individual as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

From a young age, Marshall seemed destined for a place in the American justice system. His parents instilled in him an appreciation for the Constitution, a feeling that was reinforced by his schoolteachers, who forced him to read the document as punishment for his misbehavior. After graduating from Lincoln University in 1930, Marshall sought admission to the University of Maryland School of Law, but was turned away because of the school’s segregation policy, which effectively forbade blacks from studying with whites. Instead, Marshall attended Howard University Law School, from which he graduated magna cum laude in 1933. (Marshall later successfully sued Maryland School of Law for their unfair admissions policy.)

Setting up a private practice in his home state of Maryland, Marshall quickly established a reputation as a lawyer for the “little man.” In a year’s time, he began working with the Baltimore NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), and went on to become the organization’s chief counsel by the time he was 32, in 1940. Over the next two decades, Marshall distinguished himself as one of the country’s leading advocates for individual rights, winning 29 of the 32 cases he argued in front of the Supreme Court, all of which challenged in some way the ‘separate but equal’ doctrine that had been established by the landmark case Plessy v. Ferguson (1896). The high-water mark of Marshall’s career as a litigator came in 1954 with his victory in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. In that case, Marshall argued that the ‘separate but equal’ principle was unconstitutional, and designed to keep blacks “as near [slavery] as possible.”

In 1961, Marshall was appointed by then-President John F. Kennedy to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, a position he held until 1965, when Kennedy’s successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, named him solicitor general. Following the retirement of Justice Tom Clark in 1967, President Johnson appointed Marshall to the Supreme Court, a decision confirmed by the Senate with a 69-11 vote. Over the next 24 years, Justice Marshall came out in favor of abortion rights and against the death penalty, as he continued his tireless commitment to ensuring equitable treatment of individuals–particularly minorities–by state and federal governments.

This Day In History - August 29th

2005

Hurricane Katrina Slams Gulf Coast

Hurricane Katrina makes landfall near New Orleans, Louisiana, as a Category 4 hurricane on this day in 2005. Despite being only the third most powerful storm of the 2005 hurricane season, Katrina was the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States. After briefly coming ashore in southern Florida on August 25 as a Category 1 hurricane, Katrina gained strength before slamming into the Gulf Coast on August 29. In addition to bringing devastation to the New Orleans area, the hurricane caused damage along the coasts of Mississippi and Alabama, as well as other parts of Louisiana.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin ordered a mandatory evacuation of the city on August 28, when Katrina briefly achieved Category 5 status and the National Weather Service predicted “devastating” damage to the area. But an estimated 150,000 people, who either did not want to or did not have the resources to leave, ignored the order and stayed behind. The storm brought sustained winds of 145 miles per hour, which cut power lines and destroyed homes, even turning cars into projectile missiles. Katrina caused record storm surges all along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The surges overwhelmed the levees that protected New Orleans, located at six feet below sea level, from Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River. Soon, 80 percent of the city was flooded up to the rooftops of many homes and small buildings.

Tens of thousands of people sought shelter in the New Orleans Convention Center and the Louisiana Superdome. The situation in both places quickly deteriorated, as food and water ran low and conditions became unsanitary. Frustration mounted as it took up to two days for a full-scale relief effort to begin. In the meantime, the stranded residents suffered from heat, hunger, and a lack of medical care. Reports of looting, rape, and even murder began to surface. As news networks broadcast scenes from the devastated city to the world, it became obvious that a vast majority of the victims were African-American and poor, leading to difficult questions among the public about the state of racial equality in the United States. The federal government and President George W. Bush were roundly criticized for what was perceived as their slow response to the disaster. The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Michael Brown, resigned amid the ensuing controversy.

Finally, on September 1, the tens of thousands of people staying in the damaged Superdome and Convention Center begin to be moved to the Astrodome in Houston, Texas, and another mandatory evacuation order was issued for the city. The next day, military convoys arrived with supplies and the National Guard was brought in to bring a halt to lawlessness. Efforts began to collect and identify corpses. On September 6, eight days after the hurricane, the Army Corps of Engineers finally completed temporary repairs to the three major holes in New Orleans’ levee system and were able to begin pumping water out of the city.

In all, it is believed that the hurricane caused more than 1,300 deaths and up to $150 billion in damages to both private property and public infrastructure. It is estimated that only about $40 billion of that number will be covered by insurance. One million people were displaced by the disaster, a phenomenon unseen in the United States since the Great Depression. Four hundred thousand people lost their jobs as a result of the disaster. Offers of international aid poured in from around the world, even from poor countries like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Private donations from U.S. citizens alone approached $600 million.

The storm also set off 36 tornadoes in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, resulting in one death.

President Bush declared September 16 a national day of remembrance for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

This Day In History - August 28th

1869

Three leave Powell’s Grand Canyon expedition

Convinced they will have a better chance surviving the desert than the raging rapids that lay ahead, three men leave John Wesley Powell’s expedition through the Grand Canyon and scale the cliffs to the plateau above.

Though it turned out the men had made a serious mistake, they can hardly be faulted for believing that Powell’s plan to float the brutal rapids was suicidal. Powell, a one-armed Civil War veteran and self-trained naturalist, had embarked on his daring descent of the mighty Colorado River three months earlier. Accompanied by 11 men in four wooden boats, he led the expedition through the Grand Canyon and over punishing rapids that many would hesitate to run even with modern rafts.

The worst was yet to come. Near the lower end of the canyon, the party heard the roar of giant rapids. Moving to shore, they explored on foot and saw, in the words of one man, “the worst rapids yet.” Powell agreed, writing that, “The billows are huge and I fear our boats could not ride them…There is discontent in the camp tonight and I fear some of the party will take to the mountains but hope not.”

The next day, three of Powell’s men did leave. Convinced that the rapids were impassable, they decided to take their chances crossing the harsh desert lands above the canyon rims. On this day in 1869, Seneca Howland, O.G. Howland, and William H. Dunn said goodbye to Powell and the other men and began the long climb up out of the Grand Canyon. The remaining members of the party steeled themselves, climbed into boats, and pushed off into the wild rapids.

Amazingly, all of them survived and the expedition emerged from the canyon the next day. When he reached the nearest settlement, Powell learned that the three men who left had been less fortunate–they encountered a war party of Shivwit Indians and were killed. Ironically, the three murders were initially seen as more newsworthy than Powell’s feat and the expedition gained valuable publicity. When Powell embarked on his second trip through the Grand Canyon in 1871, the publicity from the first trip had insured that the second voyage was far better financed than the first.

Sauk Village Senior Citizens Potluck & Activities - Saturday, August 27th 5:00 pm

INVITATION TO ALL SENIOR CITIZENS AGE 50 YEARS or OLDER SAUK VILLAGE OPEN SENIOR  activity - introduces a monthly 5:00 p.m. Saturday evening potluck dinner * NO MEETING, MEMBERSHIP OR DUES * AUGUST 27, 2016 POTLUCK DINNER 5:00 PM DOORS OPEN AT 3:00 PM SENIOR CENTER 21801 TORRENCE AVENUE GET OUT OF THE HOUSE, COME SOCIALIZE WITH YOUR PEERS ACTIVITIES: BINGO, BUNCO, DOMINOES, RUMMIKUB, VARIOUS CARD/DICE GAMES,   HEADACHE, THINK & JUMP, L.R.C. (LEFT RIGHT CENTER) PUZZLES or YOU MAY BRING YOUR OWN GAME, CROCHETING, KNITTING, NEEDLEPOINT, & WORD GAMES.  COMPUTER, LIBRARY AND TV ARE AVAILABLE. SPONSORED BY SAUK VILLAGE SENIOR CITIZEN COMMITTEE COORDINATORS: STEVE SHYMKUS and FRANK WILLIAMS INVITATION TO ALL SENIOR CITIZENS AGE 50 YEARS or OLDER

Copyright © 2016 Village of Sauk Village,

This Day In HIstory - August 27th

1908

Lyndon B. Johnson Born

On this day in 1908, future President Lyndon Baines Johnson is born on a farm near Stonewall, Texas. The brash, outspoken Johnson grew up in an impoverished rural area and worked his way through a teachers’ training college before entering politics.

In 1937, Johnson won a seat in the House of Representatives. His government service was interrupted by World War II, during which he served in the Navy and won the Silver Star for bravery in combat in the South Pacific. After the war, he served additional terms in the House of Representatives until he was elected to the Senate in 1948. He became the Senate’s minority leader in 1953. A year later, with the Democrats in control of Congress, Johnson became the Senate’s majority leader and, in 1960, John F. Kennedy chose Johnson as his running mate. In 1963, Johnson was unexpectedly thrust into the role of president when JFK was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. “LBJ,” as he was known, was sworn in on Air Force One, while a stricken Jacqueline Kennedy looked on, on November 22, 1963.

As he finished out Kennedy’s term, Johnson strove to pass legislation that he felt would make America a “Great Society.” In 1964, Americans officially elected Johnson to the presidency by the largest popular vote in the nation’s history. Johnson used this mandate to push for improvements he believed would better the American way of life.

Under Johnson, Congress enacted sweeping legislation in the areas of civil rights, health care, education and the environment. During his State of the Union speech on January 4, 1965, Johnson laid out his agenda to fight urban decay, poverty and racism. He pushed through the creation of Medicare/Medicaid, Head Start, the Voting Rights Act, the Civil Rights Act, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the White House Conference on Natural Beauty. He also signed the National Foundation of the Arts and Humanities Act, out of which emerged the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Through the Economic Opportunity Act, Johnson fought a “War on Poverty” by implementing improvements in early childhood education and fair-employment policies. Johnson was also a strong advocate for conservation and proposed the creation of a “green legacy” through the preservation of natural parks, open spaces and shorelines and the construction of new urban parks. In addition, Johnson stepped up research and legislation regarding air- and water-pollution control measures.

Johnson achieved many of his goals, while also cutting taxes, and some of his programs remain in place today. In many ways, though, Johnson’s legacy of a “Great Society” has been overshadowed by his choice to involve greater numbers of American soldiers in the Vietnam War. In 1968, he announced he would not run again for the presidency and Republican Richard Nixon was swept into office, thanks largely to his promise to withdraw American soldiers from Vietnam.

This Day In HIstory - August 26th

1968

Democratic Convention Besieged by Protesters

As the Democratic National Convention gets underway in Chicago, thousands of antiwar demonstrators take to Chicago’s streets to protest the Vietnam War and its support by the top Democratic presidential candidate, Vice President Hubert Humphrey. During the four-day convention, the most violent in U.S. history, police and National Guardsmen clashed with protesters outside the International Amphitheater, and hundreds of people, including innocent bystanders, were beaten by the Chicago police. The violence even spilled into the convention hall, as guards roughed up delegates and members of the press, including CBS News correspondent Mike Wallace, who was punched in the face. On August 29, Humphrey secured the nomination and the convention ended.

In the convention’s aftermath, a federal commission investigating the convention described one of the confrontations as a “police riot” and blamed Chicago Mayor Richard Daley for inciting his police to violence. Nevertheless, eight political radicals–the so-called “Chicago Eight”–were arrested on charges of conspiring to incite the violence, and in 1969 their trial began in Chicago, sparking new waves of protests in the city.

This Day In History - August 25th

2009

Ted Kennedy, “Liberal Lion of the Senate,” Dies at 77

On this day in 2009, Edward “Ted” Kennedy, the youngest brother of President John F. Kennedy and a U.S. senator from Massachusetts from 1962 to 2009, dies of brain cancer at age 77 at his home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. Kennedy, one of the longest-serving senators in American history, was a leader of the Democratic Party and a spokesman for liberal causes who also was known for his ability to work with those on both sides of the political aisle.

Edward Moore Kennedy was born in Boston on February 22, 1932, the youngest of nine children of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., a wealthy financier who served as the first chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission and later as ambassador to Great Britain, and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, the daughter of a Boston politician. After serving in the U.S. Army in the early 1950s, Kennedy graduated from Harvard University in 1956 and earned a law degree from the University of Virginia in 1959. While still a student, he managed his brother John’s successful 1958 re-election campaign to the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts. Also in 1958, Ted Kennedy married Joan Bennett, with whom he later had three children. The couple divorced in 1982, and in 1992, Kennedy married Victoria Reggie, a Washington attorney with two children.

In November 1960, John Kennedy was elected America’s 35th president. The following month, a Kennedy family friend was appointed to fill the president-elect’s vacated Senate seat until a special election was held. In November 1962, Ted Kennedy, who earlier that year had turned 30, the minimum age requirement for a U.S. senator, won the special election in Massachusetts to serve out the remainder of his brother’s Senate term, ending in January 1965. Massachusetts voters re-elected Kennedy to the seat eight more times, in 1964, 1970, 1976, 1982, 1988, 1994, 2000 and 2006.

Kennedy came from privileged background, but his family was no stranger to tragedy. His oldest brother, Joseph Kennedy Jr., a Navy pilot, died in World War II, while his second-eldest sister, Kathleen, was killed in a 1948 plane crash. President John Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. The following year, Ted Kennedy was seriously injured in a plane crash that left him hospitalized for six months. In 1968, U.S. Senator Robert Kennedy was also assassinated. With Robert’s death, Ted Kennedy became the family patriarch and a substitute father to his two slain brothers’ 13 children.

On July 18, 1969, Kennedy was involved in a controversial event that would mar the rest of his career, when he accidentally drove his car off a bridge on Massachusetts’ Chappaquiddick Island, killing his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, who drowned. Kennedy failed to report the incident to the authorities for nearly 10 hours, claiming the delay was due to the fact that he had suffered a concussion and was exhausted from attempting to rescue Kopechne. He later pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and received a two-month suspended sentence. However, Kennedy was plagued by questions about his behavior, as well as his relationship with Kopechne, a former campaign worker for Robert Kennedy. He later referred to his actions as “inexcusable,” and said Kopechne’s death “haunts me every day of my life.” In 1980, Kennedy made a failed bid against President Jimmy Carter for the Democratic presidential nomination. He never again ran for the White House, instead focusing on his work on Capitol Hill, where he was dubbed the “liberal lion of the Senate.” During his nearly 47-year-career in Washington, D.C., Kennedy successfully fought for legislation concerning education, immigration reform, health care, increases to the federal minimum wage, voting rights, various consumer protections and equal rights for minorities, the disabled, women and gay Americans. In foreign policy matters, he was an opponent of the wars in Vietnam and Iraq, and a champion of human rights in such places as Africa and South America.

In May 2008, Kennedy was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. That August, despite his poor health, he made a rousing speech at the Democratic National Convention in Denver in support of Barack Obama, who he had endorsed for president.

After his death in August 2009, Kennedy was buried at Virginia’s Arlington National Cemetery, near the graves of his brothers John and Robert.

Sauk Village Police Department Board Report - August 23, 2016

Sauk Village Police Department

By: Police Chief Robert Kowalski

August 23, 2016

-Police Service Case Summary:  During the period of 08/09/2016 thru 08/23/2016 the Sauk Village Police Department had a total of 33 arrests.     

-CalCom Report: For a period between 08/09/2016 and 08/23/2016 the police department received 565 calls for service.

-Cases of Note:  

On 8/14/2016 Officers responding to a call of shots fired on the 21700 block of Peterson Ave.  Upon arriving Officers found several victims shot by an unknown offender(s) in a drive by shooting. Officers found several witnesses were in the area at the time of the shooting who were being uncooperative.  

Officers were able to obtain information about a possible vehicle involved and were able to dispatch the information to local area departments.  Within a short time Steger PD located a vehicle matching the description of the vehicle involved in the shooting and a driver of the vehicle.  The Officers impounded the vehicle and took the driver into custody.



The victims of the shooting were transported to the area hospital for treatment at which time one of the victims passed leading this matter to be classified as a homicide investigation. 

Due to the severity of the incident our detectives activated the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force. The driver of the vehicle was charged with 1st degree murder.



 This is an ongoing investigation. 



NOTE: The FBI's Intel Analysts are assisting the South Suburban Police Departments in compiling pertinent information that would assist with any gang related issues in the area.

-Animal Ordinance:  As reported at the previous meeting a resident reported their dog was killed by their neighbor's dog. Since that time a review of the ordinance was conducted and there will be some changes made.  I will be working with Trustee Myers and the Ordinance Committee on these changes.  Also a certified letter was sent to the owner of the offending dog advising his dog was deemed dangerous and needed to be removed from the corporate limits of Sauk Village. Officers confirmed on 8/23/2016 the dogs were removed from the residence. Lastly, the dog owner appeared in court on 8/22/2016 and pled guilty receiving a fine.

-Vehicles:  The Squads which were identified to be salvaged have had their radios removed and are being prepped for the auction. 

-Environment: The asbestos is being removed today.  Afterwards the company will conduct an environmental study to determine the mold issues.

-Gratitude: I received a letter of thanks from a citizen for our Records Department (see the letter below).

Sauk Village Fire Department Board Meeting Report - August 23, 2016

Sauk Village Fire Department Report

by: Fire Chief Al Stoffregen

August 23, 2016

Over the past 2 weeks, the fire department responded to 30 calls.

The fire department responded to:

• 1 - Gas leak
• 3 - Structure fires
• 5 - Ambulance assists
• 3 - Carbon monoxide alarms
• 2 - Vehicles accidents
• 12 - Fire alarms
• 1 - Car fire
• 1 - Water recovery
• 1 - Wires down
• 1 - Mutual aid call

Mayor & Board;

Please be advised that the fire department had all ladders inspected, all SCBD air equipment has been checked, the number 2 door remote and motor has been replaced along with new wiring and our new engine is in Wisconsin for the body work, hoping to see it by December

Sauk Village Administrative Services Board Meeting Report - August 23, 2016

Sauk Village Administrative Services Board Meeting Report

by Director Sherry Jasinski

August 23, 2016

I would like to update the Board on Liens:

As of today we have filed three more liens equaling $13,998.56

I have sent out this week 24 Lien letters equaling $ 35,867.79. They have 14 days to respond, if they fail to do so liens will be placed.

Update on the Noise and Safety Mitigation Grant:

Two sets of letters went out along with the applications, as of today we have a total of 13 that applied and have been approved.

2 permits are ready to be picked up (window replacements)

11 applicants have to still turn in Plat’s of Surveys (Fencing) and the Contractor that they choose has to obtain a Contractor’s license with the Village, once that happens permits will be issued.

Village Hall is closed on September 5 in observation of Labor Day

This concludes my report

Sauk Village Public Works Report - August 23, 2016

Sauk Village Public Works Report

By Director Kevin Weller

August 23, 2016

: PUBLIC GROUNDS & BUILDINGS – Cutting on going all village locations, slowing down due to weather and some emergencies. Staff still cutting vacant homes moving through the list, checked 216 homes 48 that needed cutting. Received 3 quotes for fence to go around detention pond at Village Hall turned in. The vender started and will finish asbestos work 8/23/16, P.W. staff will complete tile replacement at later date. The possible mold at P.D will be reviewed by TRF Environmental for recommendations.

:  STREET LIGHTS – Staff is working with vender to evaluate 20 individual locations were lights are going on/off possible wire issue village side.     

: DAY TO DAY REGULAR OPERATIONS AND EMERGINCIES -  All job direction changes, dept. ordering ,special seasonal  event prep setup, vender calling  work with all departments and public complaints AND LAST MINUTE CHANGES. Staff setup& took down for nights out event. 

 :  BUILDINGS – Work performed on Hvac unit P.D found bad compressor unit 16 yrs old, needs replacement.  I have turned in 3 quotes.

 :  WATER - Day to day schedules & EME CALLS. Completing all tests required by IEPA per month. 2 Extra staff members started north side shut off   list totaling 129. Staff has repaired 2 main breaks located on Reichert and Peachtree, final ground work to be completed at later date.  

 : GARBAGE – Day to day cleanup. IF YOU SEE ILLIGAL DUMPING PLEASE CALL POLICE, HELP KEEP OUR TOWN CLEAN. All regular trash pickup will be completed as regular mowing and summer upkeep resumes. I will as code to ticket resident who dump garbage or grass debris from there parkway into the street. This is the main cause of storm sewer backup and flooded streets.

 : HYDRANT & VALVE REPAIRS/REPLACED - Staff is prepping to replace the hydrant at 22426 Strassburg.

 : VEHICELS/ EQU-   Public works staff is doing their best to keep all vehicles within the department running safe. We are also trying to help each department with their repairs to keep moving forward. Staff went through all mower grease, oil, blades, and cleanup. Dropped off /picked up P.D units after repairs. Changed oil on 3, P.D cars. Repaired oldest backhoe. Made all repairs to sweeper.    

 : SANITARY SEWER COMPLAINTS – P.W. received 4 sewer complaints, all 4 were homeowners and all were notified that they would  have to call a plumber. All after hour calls must go through the P.D non eme # 758-1331they will call P.W.      

: STORM SEWER REPAIRS – staff has been out cleaning storm sewers due to heavy rain and  We have 3 locations we are working on 1904 219pl, SW corner of Oakbrook &Southbrook and 914 Mary Byrne.  219pl is almost completed and Oakbrook will be next and so on.

: TREE REMOVALS – Two trees were removed to gain access to repair a main break on Reichert .

: PARKS – Staff removed one of the old swing sets from Murphy park, because someone cut the legs in attempt to steal.       

:  LANDSCAPE WORK –    Staff also started landscaping last year’s digs from b box, main breaks, and any other digs, slow going. Residents will have to wait for concrete work to complete final dirt work. Funding is slow going.    

Sauk Village Senior Committee Report - August 23, 2016

Sauk Village Senior Committee Report

August 23, 2016

Scam Alert! 

Many Medicare beneficiaries are contacted by scammers pretending to be from Medicare.  Questions are often asked if Medicare will legitimately contact beneficiaries.  There are times the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which runs Medicare program, may contact you, but there are two important things that can CMS or Medicare will not do:

• Medicare or CMS will never call or come to your door without first sending you a letter in the mail explaining why they are trying to contact you.
• Medicare will never ask for your Medicare number or Social Security Number because they already have it.

This fall, CMS is sending a letter to random selected Medicare beneficiaries in part of Illinois and other states inviting them to take part in the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS).  The letter sent to this random sample of people explains that a researcher from NORC at the University of Chicago, the CMS contractor conducting the survey, will be contacting them.  The survey will include a phone number to call for more information, as well as a brochure about the survey.

If you get this letter, remember that participation in the survey is optional.  If you do not receive this letter but receive a call or an in-person visit from someone saying they are from Medicare or NORC , be cautious.  Do not share any information or let them in until you verify they are truly who they say they are.  You can call Illinois SMP at AgeOption (800) 699-9043 for help verifying their identity.

Senior Committee Open Senior Activity – every Fridays 12:30-3:30 p.m. with coordinators Steve Shymkus and Frank Williams.  No meeting, no membership and no dues, just come and join the fun with your peers.  Light refreshments and bottled water served.  The Rummikub game (a tile game similar to the rummy card game) is very addictive.  Other games are available plus computer, TV and our library program.  This Saturday, August 27th an Open Senior Activity with a potluck meal is at 5:00 p.m., doors open at 3:00 p.m.  All seniors 50 years and older are invited, sign-up with (Steve or Frank) the type of covered dish (serving from 8-10 servings) you are bringing.

There will be no Sauk Village Blue Grass meeting Labor Day Sunday, September 4th. 

Sauk Village Beautification Report - August 23, 2016

Sauk Village Beautification Committee Report

August 23, 2016

The August meeting was canceled as the committee was busy with Hootsie Awards.  A total of 54 awards were given and three of those were business McDonalds, Behr Paint and Weatherstone entrance. 

The committee will continue with weeding and watering when necessary. Weeding is the committees radar now that Hootsie's have been completed.  

Volunteers are always needed and welcomed to join in the committees efforts in beautifying our community.   The next beautification committee meeting is scheduled for the third Wednesday of September at 10 am at the village hall.

Sauk Village Clerk Board Report - August 23, 2016

Sauk Village Clerk Report

By Village Clerk Debbie Williams

August 23, 2016

There is no meeting scheduled for next Tuesday, August 30^th is a fifth Tuesday.

It is great seeing the community working together in so many positive directions including four very successful Back to School events. Many thanks to everyone who contributed and participated and special thanks to Sauk Village Church of God-Crossroads, Grace United Church of Christ, Kamilah Jones and the KJones Learning Center and the Sauk Village Neighborhood Watch who joined with School District 168 this year.

I had the pleasure of attending 3 out of 4 of these events. I hated to miss Jammin’ with Jesus this year but it was County Fair day with the family.

Trustee Myers shared a letter with me that he received from a meeting he recently reported on.  Calvary Church hosted an ALL LIVES MATTER event that Trustee Myers was very happy to attend and that made an impact on him.

Trustee Myers made on impact on them as well.  Calvary, Trustee Myers and other first responders will continue to focus on unifying and strengthening relationships within the south suburban communities.

Fundraising for the 60^th Anniversary Committee has begun. We will be hosting a trip to the Horseshoe Casino on November 11^th. Tickets are $35.00. Register for the Entertainment mobile app- use the Entertainment coupons where your travels may take you. The cost is $20.00.

I also had the pleasure of attending the last Intergovernmental Community Partnership meeting.  It was very informative. I believe this group of leaders from the municipality, school district, library and residents will prove to be a great benefit. Last week several ideas were brought to the village board. One of which is the Community Service program with Bloom Trail High School. During the Community Partnership meeting I expressed my experience with helping students earn their hours for various reasons by partnering with Parks and Recreation and village staff. I think this is a great program and I offered to continue assisting with this program.

As a village board member and a library board member I will continue to engage with this committee and help in whatever way I can starting with attending the October 1^st fundraiser. I am looking forward to it.

Finally, Human Relations Chair Frank Williams asked that we express condolences to Human Relations Commissioner Latonya West on the loss of her husband. Our thoughts and prayers are with Latonya and the West family.

Arrangements are as follows:

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Leaks and Sons Funeral Home

7838 S. Cottage Grove

 Chicago, Illinois

Viewing: 10 am-11 am.

Service:   11am

This Day In History - August 23rd

1989

Pete Rose Booted From Baseball

On this day in 1989, as punishment for betting on baseball, Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose accepts a settlement that includes a lifetime ban from the game. A heated debate continues to rage as to whether Rose, a former player who remains the game’s all-time hits leader, should be given a second chance.

Although gambling on a sport you play or coach is now considered unacceptable in nearly all levels of sport, it was relatively common among those connected with baseball in the early 20th century. Some of baseball’s most talented and well-known players, such as “Turkey” Mike Donlin and Hal Chase, as well as manager John McGraw, who publicly won $400 dollars when his New York Giants won the World Series in 1905, were often suspected of gambling on their own games. Chase was considered a dangerous man to have on a team because of his willingness to make extra money by dropping fly balls or misplaying first base. This all changed, however, after the White Sox purposefully lost the World Series in 1919 for a payoff from gambler Arnold Rothstein. Outraged, a group of baseball’s faithful–including American League Commissioner Ban Johnson, former player and manager Christy Matthewson and White Sox owner Charles Comiskey, among others–made it a priority to clean up the game and repair its reputation. Kenesaw Mountain Landis, a former federal judge, was hired as Major League Baseball’s first commissioner to crack down on corruption.

One of Landis’ first moves was to ban eight White Sox players found to be involved in the World Series betting scandal from the game for life, including Chase and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, one of the greatest players in baseball history. Major League Baseball Rule 21(d) now states that a player faces a ban of one year for betting on any baseball game, and a lifetime ban for betting on his own team. In addition, signs posted prominently in every clubhouse remind players that gambling is not permitted.

It was known in baseball circles since the 1970s that Pete Rose had a gambling problem. Although at first he bet only on horse races and football games, allegations surfaced in early 1989 that Rose was not only betting on baseball, but on his own team. Major League Baseball Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti began an inquiry, and hired Washington lawyer John Dowd to head the investigation. Dowd compiled hundreds of hours of testimony from numerous sources that detailed Rose’s history of gambling on baseball while serving as the manager of the Cincinnati Reds, including betting on his own team.

Although Rose continued to proclaim his innocence, he was eventually persuaded to accept a settlement that included a lifetime ban from the game. At a subsequent press conference, Giamatti characterized Rose’s acceptance of the ban as a no-contest plea to the charges against him.

In 2004, after years of repeated denials, Rose published My Prison Without Bars, in which he finally confessed to gambling on the Reds, though he added that had always bet on the Reds to win. Because of the lifetime ban, Rose cannot work in Major League Baseball and, despite his stellar playing career, he is not eligible for the Hall of Fame.

This Day In History - August 24th

1982

A Wall Street Scheme Is Hatched

Martin Siegel meets Ivan Boesky at the Harvard Club in New York City to discuss his mounting financial pressures. Arbitrageur Boesky offered Siegel, a mergers-and-acquisitions executive at Kidder, Peabody & Co., a job, but Siegel, who was looking for some kind of consulting arrangement, declined. Boesky then suggested that if Siegel would supply him with early inside information on upcoming mergers there would be something in it for him.

In January 1983, although little information had been exchanged, Boesky sent a courier with a secret code and a briefcase containing $150,000 in $100 bills to be delivered to Siegel at the Plaza Hotel.

Over the next couple of years, Siegel passed inside information to Boesky on several occasions. With Siegel’s inside tips, Boesky made $28 million dollars investing in Carnation stock before its takeover. But his success began to fuel investigative inquiries by both the press and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Rumors that Siegel and Kidder, Peabody & Co. were involved in illegal activities began floating around.

Despite the pressure, Siegel and Boesky met ata deliin January 1985, where Siegel demanded $400,000. This time, the cash drop-off was made at a phone booth. Siegel, who was apprehensive about his relationship with Boesky, decided to put an end to it after he had received his money. Still, he continued to trade inside information with other Wall Street executives.

In 1986, the illegal schemes, which by then included many of the biggest traders in the country, came crashing down. Arrests were made up and down Wall Street, and Boesky and Michael Milken, the junk bond king charged with violating federal securities laws, were no exception.

Siegel turned out to be one of the few cooperative witnesses for the government and virtually the only one who showed remorse for his role in the fraud, causing him to be ostracized on Wall Street. Nevertheless, he did fare better than the others: Milken received a 10-year sentence and Boesky received 3 years,but Siegel was only required to return the $9 million he had obtained illegally. The entire incident came to symbolize the era of unfettered greed on Wall Street in the mid-1980s.

This Day In History - August 22nd

1950

Althea Gibson Becomes First African-American on U.S. Tennis Tour

On this day in 1950, officials of the United States Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA) accept Althea Gibson into their annual championship at Forest Hills, New York, making her the first African-American player to compete in a U.S. national tennis competition.

Growing up in Harlem, the young Gibson was a natural athlete. She started playing tennis at the age of 14 and the very next year won her first tournament, the New York State girls’ championship, sponsored by the American Tennis Association (ATA), which was organized in 1916 by black players as an alternative to the exclusively white USLTA. After prominent doctors and tennis enthusiasts Hubert Eaton and R. Walter Johnson took Gibson under their wing, she won her first of what would be 10 straight ATA championships in 1947.

In 1949, Gibson attempted to gain entry into the USLTA’s National Grass Court Championships at Forest Hills, the precursor of the U.S. Open. When the USLTA failed to invite her to any qualifying tournaments, Alice Marble–a four-time winner at Forest Hills–wrote a letter on Gibson’s behalf to the editor of American Lawn Tennis magazine. Marble criticized the “bigotry” of her fellow USLTA members, suggesting that if Gibson posed a challenge to current tour players, “it’s only fair that they meet this challenge on the courts.” Gibson was subsequently invited to participate in a New Jersey qualifying event, where she earned a berth at Forest Hills.

On August 28, 1950, Gibson beat Barbara Knapp 6-2, 6-2 in her first USLTA tournament match. She lost a tight match in the second round to Louise Brough, three-time defending Wimbledon champion. Gibson struggled over her first several years on tour but finally won her first major victory in 1956, at the French Open in Paris. She came into her own the following year, winning Wimbledon and the U.S. Open at the relatively advanced age of 30.

Gibson repeated at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open the next year but soon decided to retire from the amateur ranks and go pro. At the time, the pro tennis league was poorly developed, and Gibson at one point went on tour with the Harlem Globetrotters, playing tennis during halftime of their basketball games. In the early 1960s, Gibson became the first black player to compete on the women’s golf tour, though she never won a tournament. She was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1971.

Though she once brushed off comparisons to Jackie Robinson, the trailblazing black baseball player, Gibson has been credited with paving the way for African-American tennis champions such as Arthur Ashe and, more recently, Venus and Serena Williams. After a long illness, she died in 2003 at the age of 76.

Sauk Village Police Department Report - August 9, 2016

Sauk Village Police Department

Board Meeting Report 08/09/2016

 

-Police Service Case Summary:  During the period of 07/26/2016 thru 08/08/2016 the Sauk Village Police Department had a total of 27 arrests.     

-CalCom Report: For a period between 07/26/2016 and 08/08/2016 the police department received 608 calls for service.

-Cases of Note:  

On 8/1/2016 the Detective Division conducted a Prostitution Sting Operation.  This operation netted 14 arrests 12 for prostitution, 2 for endangering a life of a child, 1 outstanding warrant arrest, 1 drug arrest, 1 vehicle code violation, 2 for possession of cannabis and 9 towed vehicles.

-National Night Out: On August 2nd the Police Department participated in the National Night Out.  The department distributed information/pamphlets on gun safety as well as providing a demonstration on the use of a Tazer as well as a K-9 demonstration.  Also at the event was a Special Agent from the CN Railroad Police Service who provided information on Railway Safety.

 

-During the National Night Out while on patrol an officer observed several individuals exiting Wagoner School.  When the officer tried to stop the subjects they ran in different directions.  The Officer began a pursuit of one subject and called for backup.  The officers at the National Night out responded to assist in the pursuit.  The additional officers assisting enabled the capture of the subject. Through the investigation it was discovered the main subject who coordinated the burglary had recently been released from the Juvenile detention Center for a previous burglary in Sauk Village. All the subjects in this incident were juveniles and found to have been involved with a burglary at the school the night prior.

-Meetings: On Friday, August 5th, I participated in a meeting coordinated by 30th District, State Representative, William Q. Davis.  The goal of this meeting was to begin an ongoing dialogue that develops a regional relationship between the Chicago Police and police departments in the south suburbs.  Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson was one of the keynote speakers and agreed to assign a Deputy Chief as a Liaison to the South Suburban Chiefs of Police Association. This was the beginning of several meetings to come in developing a closer relationship to better protect and serve the communities.   

On Monday, August 8th I participated in the Urban Progress Law Enforcement Summit sponsored by Congresswoman Robin Kelly.  The participants in the summit included local, state and federal partners to discuss intergovernmental cooperation.  The meeting was held to discuss issue the Congresswoman could take back to Washington D.C. since she was appointed to a Congressional Working group tasked with examining police accountability, aggression toward law enforcement and public safety concerns related to these issues. 

This day In History - August 21st

1959

Hawaii Becomes 50th State

The modern United States receives its crowning star when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a proclamation admitting Hawaii into the Union as the 50th state. The president also issued an order for an American flag featuring 50 stars arranged in staggered rows: five six-star rows and four five-star rows. The new flag became official July 4, 1960.

The first known settlers of the Hawaiian Islands were Polynesian voyagers who arrived sometime in the eighth century. In the early 18th century, American traders came to Hawaii to exploit the islands’ sandalwood, which was much valued in China at the time. In the 1830s, the sugar industry was introduced to Hawaii and by the mid 19th century had become well established. American missionaries and planters brought about great changes in Hawaiian political, cultural, economic, and religious life. In 1840, a constitutional monarchy was established, stripping the Hawaiian monarch of much of his authority.

In 1893, a group of American expatriates and sugar planters supported by a division of U.S. Marines deposed Queen Liliuokalani, the last reigning monarch of Hawaii. One year later, the Republic of Hawaii was established as a U.S. protectorate with Hawaiian-born Sanford B. Dole as president. Many in Congress opposed the formal annexation of Hawaii, and it was not until 1898, following the use of the naval base at Pearl Harbor during the Spanish-American War, that Hawaii’s strategic importance became evident and formal annexation was approved. Two years later, Hawaii was organized into a formal U.S. territory. During World War II, Hawaii became firmly ensconced in the American national identity following the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.

In March 1959, the U.S. government approved statehood for Hawaii, and in June the Hawaiian people voted by a wide majority to accept admittance into the United States. Two months later, Hawaii officially became the 50th state.