Voice of late-night radio goes quiet
Eddie Schwartz, a man whose voice dominated the late-night airwaves of Chicago for some two decades, was laid to rest Friday, Feb. 6 at Waldheim Cemetery in Forest Park. Affectionately known as “Chicago Ed,” Schwartz died Feb. 3 at the age of 62 of complications from kidney and heart diseases.
Schwartz built a reputation with an atypical voice for radio, but prospered in organizing an annual food drive and fighting the good fight for everyday people, of which he considered himself one. The height of his popularity came during a decade-long stint on WGN radio before joining WLUP-FM in 1992.
Trespassing charge will wait
A hearing scheduled for Feb. 4 on a trespassing charge filed by Commissioner Mark Hosty against one of his neighbors was postponed and will take place March 4, according to the police department. The allegation that Steve Backman violated a local ordinance came in early December after Backman posted photos of the commissioner’s home online. According to Backman, he was attempting to document violations of municipal zoning and building codes occurring at Hosty’s new home at 7419 Warren.
Backman, who lives at 7452 Warren, has denied the trespassing allegation and said he intends to fight the ticket.
In early January, Hosty received an after-the-fact waiver from his colleagues on the village council related to the construction on his home. Hosty and Forest Park officials acknowledged that code violations occurred, however, no disciplinary action was taken.
A scheduling glitch attributed to the use of new computer software at the police department is responsible for the delay in Backman’s hearing, according to an employee.
Vote on McDonald’s delayed, again
A recommendation from the planning commission on whether to allow McDonald’s to build a new restaurant at the corner of Desplaines and Madison streets was again delayed. The advisory body met Feb. 2 to hear the developer’s plans a second time, but no vote was taken on the project. According to a planning commission member, a minor paperwork issue prevented the body from making a decision.
McDonald’s currently operates a restaurant at the corner, immediately south of a vacant lot that used to house a gas station. The plan would expand the business onto both parcels in a single-story, 4,000-square foot building. Any decision by the planning commission is strictly advisory, and final approvals must come from the village council.
The commission first heard the proposal from the fast-food giant in early January.
School board rotates meeting site
The District 91 school board is once again taking its show on the road and will hold meetings at the various schools beginning Thursday, Feb. 12. The board meets monthly at 7 p.m., typically at the administrative building on Desplaines Avenue. Through May, the board will convene in the neighborhood schools in an effort to encourage the public’s attendance.
Tomorrow evening’s meeting will be held at the middle school, 925 Beloit. The board is scheduled to meet March 12 at Garfield Elementary, 543 Hannah; April 9 at Field-Stevenson, 925 Beloit; and May 5 at Grant-White Elementary, 147 Circle.
January’s board meeting was held at Betsy Ross Elementary.
