Monday night was a good start toward progress on the sincere concerns of Garfield School parents about traffic safety around the school at Jackson and Hannah.
After months of confusion and frustration over what governmental body has jurisdiction and/or any interest in this topic, the village council took up the topic, had a discussion and formally referred the matter to the Traffic & Safety Commission for a hearing — hopefully in December.
Mayor Anthony Calderone started with an apology to Julianne Bonwit, the lead parent organizer, for the village’s part in delays on launching a discussion. Good for the mayor. Opening with a sincere apology is good for the soul and clears the decks for forward movement.
Calderone rightly pointed out that District 91 will also have to come to the table and be an active part of the problem-solving. The school district has a piece of this confusion, too, and might also do well to consider contrition as a starting point.
While commissioners and the mayor agreed that D91 needs to be involved, we’re unclear how a volunteer commission compels their participation. We hope the mayor and the school board president figure this out before the commission hearing on Dec. 21.
It was good to hear commissioners Joe Byrnes and Dan Novak offer specific ideas on ways to address the concerns of parents. It is an acknowledgement that the concerns raised are legitimate and require serious consideration.
Happy Holiday Walk
It is not the most elaborate of the many events Forest Park and its enthusiastic Chamber of Commerce bring to us each year. But the Holiday Walk is our favorite. And it’s this Friday night!
Hundreds, maybe thousands, turn out along Madison Street to take in the fun. Maybe you like the sleigh rides, maybe the live reindeer. Our favorite thing is the “live windows” where creative, holiday-loving merchants, and a certain local newspaper, invent some small, or not so small, holiday fantasy.
The simplest, most surefire way to jumpstart your Christmas spirit is to be on Madison Street this Friday evening. The walk starts at 6 p.m. and runs until 9.
Rotten food, rotten deal
When your students start turning up at school board meetings sharing pictures of moldy pizza served up by the billion-dollar school lunch conglomerate, you know it’s a thing. When only 63 percent of your students will even sign up to get the free lunch you are offering, you know the food stinks.
Everyone knows that Aramark Education Services is screwing our public high school kids. Students know it. But the contract is binding this school year and there seems to be no out, short of long-shot, costly legal action.
The rising Proviso Township High Schools have found their common enemy. It’s mold and slop and disrespecting good kids. It’s Aramark. Every comeback needs something to rally against.
