Another Grave Injustice
This article is dedicated to my parents, Thomas and Dorothy Ryan whose gravestone was stolen from Cedar Park Cemetery between April and Mother’s Day, 2011.
The message left by my brother was disturbing – “I’m over at the cemetery and….our parent’s gravestone is gone!” The tone of his voice was raw with shock and anger. I felt like I’d been injected with ice water that left me numb.
The next day I went to the cemetery to see the violation for myself. As I made my way past all the graves in the Hickory Lawn Crypt section, the abruptness of the empty slab left me as cold as the slab itself. The people buried next to them were also missing their stone, as well as two others in the same section. All four of these gravestones were there in mid-April, 2011.
The Cook County Sheriff’s Police came to file a report. The officer was surprised and stated that he had never seen anything like this before. He walked onto the scene with fresh eyes and thought that all the vases were stolen with the gravestones at the same time. I explained the history –
Over 100 vases were stolen from Cedar Park Cemetery in the Fall of 2009. I went there in November, a few months after the Burr Oak scandal to make sure that my parents had not been dug up. Perpetua was the owner of both cemeteries at that time. I was the 105th person to report a missing vase since September (2009). The cemetery was going to amass one report to the Cook County Sheriff’s Police.
Back to 2011, as the officer was doing the report, a worker came over and stated there were more gravestones missing in another section. Cemetery officials reasoned that the crime(s) took place on Sunday when no groundskeepers are on duty.
This was a surprise to the officer who compared this to opening a store with no employees where anyone could come in and help themselves; there was clearly a security issue here; and it is the responsibility of the owner to secure the property. This analysis is important because the police are in the business of protecting people and property.
Letters were sent to the cemetery’s owner, Willie Carter, who acquired the property in July 2010, and then to the Illinois Cemetery and Funeral Home Association to rectify the matter. Guess who is listed as the Vice President of the Association? Willie Carter, owner of Cedar Park. Here I thought I was going over his head, and there he was listed on the letterhead stationery as VP. Hello again Mr. Carter.
The letter signed off with a contact person and a phone number different from the ICFHA’s main number. I called and guess who answered the phone? No, not Mr. Carter. A man answered “Mount Olivet”. I thought I dialed wrong. Lo and behold, a rep from Mount Olivet Cemetery is also listed on the stationery as part of the board of directors. Mount Olivet was handling the complaint for Cedar Park. So they’re all covering each other. The ICFHA has a consumer advocate committee to resolve complaints from consumers, but they’re employed by the cemeteries. Do they serve two masters?
This whole situation can be construed a legal, ethical, and moral dilemma. The families who lost their $500 vase at Cedar Park paled in comparison to the victims of Burr Oak, but when you look at the numbers, it’s more than $50,000 in vases lost. There are so many holes where the vases once were, the cemetery could host a children’s golf tournament. That should have been a red flag to the new owner to step up security.
Within the last year, the theft graduated to over 25 gravestones stolen valued at about $2000 each. That’s another $50,000 (the thieves get a fraction’s worth). There is a question of negligence here for failure to secure property with a recent history of theft. A precedent needs to be set.
Cemeteries own the land which is a goldmine, but the gold belongs to the family, and it’s open to the public. Thieves going over or under a fence at night is not the issue. Most cemeteries are open on Sunday with no groundskeepers. Thieves already know this. Cemeteries claim they can’t afford overtime, but the families cannot afford to have their property stolen either. Reform is needed.
The aftermath is an emotional and financial pain for the families. Homeowner’s insurance may cover the loss. If not, who can afford to replace the loss with a granite stone in today’s troubled times? Even if you get several family members to chip in, would you think your property is safe after already incurring over a $2000 loss?
Potential solutions involve several tiers. The top tier involves stricter regulations and penalties targeting the scrap businesses paying for the loot. Roderick Sawyer, 6th Ward Alderman of Chicago, was recently on the news touting this concern. More legislators need to get on board nationwide because thieves often cross state lines to sell the loot.
Cemeteries are enabling the situation with this negligent practice of no groundskeepers/security on Sundays. Reasonable hours for Sunday visits could be limited to 10:00-3:00 which would force more visitors on the premises at one time avoiding a desolate opportunity for thieves. Cemeteries need to get with the changed times and get a part-time groundskeeper. There’s been way too much publicity regarding metal theft in recent years to allow this crime of opportunity.
Finally, more public awareness is needed and people need to safeguard themselves. If you still have a bronze vase, get it out of any cemetery before someone else gets it. Neighbors living next door to a cemetery need to keep an eye on things and call police for anything suspicious. Families need to take an active part in lobbying change to both legislators and cemetery owners. Sadly, this situation may have to get worse before it gets better.
The Election Clean-up
It was only slightly comical when a fellow Cal-Parker asked me in early March if we were having an election this year. I knew we were having one for village trustees and School Board District 132, but no one had really come out of the political closet. Not a peep out of anyone, and then about 3 weeks before the election, flyers began circulating. The circulation of nomination papers began September 21, 2010. The filing period for candidates was between December 13-20.
There has been a controversy about Calumet School, which is well over 100 years old, being torn down and replaced by a new school. The incumbents claimed a grant will pay for it, while the challengers argued that the taxpayers will. The incumbents had yard signs about saving the children and flyers telling us about their accomplishments, but failed to mention anything about a new school. Not everyone knows. The challengers circulated flyers with numerous grammatical errors, but two out of three challengers won.
As for village trustee candidates, remember that fateful October night when a few hundred people showed up to hear about the plasma arc gas plant at the Calumet Township Community Center? Residents were angry, incumbents were nervous. The latter knew this could lead to a political fall-out. It was like a tsunami coursing through the village. Anyone with political aspirations had the opportunity to paddle their surfboard to the top of that wave while it was there, declare new leadership, and ride that baby out. But I guess no one else saw that wave. A few Blue Island aldermanic candidates saw it and included their incinerator stance in their profiles.
There’s nothing quite like announcing your candidacy and starting your campaign 3 weeks before the election. Some felt it was a plot, but challengers have the challenge to get their message known throughout the village. Blue Island candidates were going public in January! I should not have to check the Cook County Clerk’s website to see who is running for office in my village, which is a mere square mile.
The politics in Cal-Park were mild compared to what was transpired in Blue Island at the same time. The dark cloud floated over the 127th Street bridge, hovered over my space, and was following me everywhere I went. I was nauseated and depressed because of media coverage that seemed like an ambush that a local newspaper was spearheading. The timing of the events was uncanny.
The publicity started in early March, with a plan where State Rep. Bob Rita considered the elimination of local school districts and consolidating with the county. It drew a lot of heat, so Rita wisely backed off, but it continued to stay in the news throughout mid-March. Soon after, another headline appeared involving an old court case involving Rita being arrested in Nevada which included nothing abnormal for someone in their early 20’s.
Those two headlines were merely appetizers before the main dish – the pool party which included park district and Calumet Township people, resulting in the drowning death of township trustee, Carlos Salgado. There were two positions open on the park board and the township had a fundraiser which included honoring 3 top officials, one of which was Fred Bilotto, Blue Island Park Board President. That was like opening the oven door and taking out a cooked goose on a silver platter. The heat spread and a local newspaper was just waiting with their plates, knives, and forks.
Meanwhile, Joanne Ring, a longtime aide for Rita was running for one of the seats as Park District Commissioner. Her job involved handling all of the media hype and taming the media circus, while she was also working her campaign. The FORUM newspaper was running political profiles of all the candidates and a call was placed to Joanne about our deadline. She promised to get back to the FORUM, and her last words to us were, that Rita’s office was being swamped by the media. The next local headline read, “Fundraiser aggravates deceased man’s family”. The next night Joanne collapsed in her kitchen and died from a sudden heart attack.
I never met Joanne Ring in person but I spoke with her a few times on the phone. Once a neighbor asked where I got my “We Call Police” window sign. The Calumet Township used to have them but were out of the signs, so I was told to call Joanne. I did, and she wanted to know my address. I was reluctant to say, but relented. Before the week was over, I got 10 signs in the mail. I wasn’t expecting that. She would also return phone calls, which can be rare when dealing with politicians.
The same week that Joanne Ring passed away, James Tyree also passed. He invested in the Sun-Times Media which owns several newspapers, who were in financial trouble. He was like a savior to the newspaper industry and during an interview he is quoted, “Too many folks in the reporting world have their allegiances to people and get twisted and spun, and, frankly, used as pawns in political battles.” He goes on to say, “Once a newspaper becomes the tool of politicians, (you’re) toast.” That being said, perhaps some reporters should try a brand called “Smart Balance” on their toast. It costs a little more, but it’s better than all that saturated fat going to your head.
A couple weeks later, some Blue Island residents called the FORUM because they were receiving a photocopied column titled, “A price should be paid for Blue Island scandal” in their mailboxes. The column was anti-Rita and essentially pushing the public to vote a certain way. Two years ago, I received flyers regarding the Calumet Township race that were anti-Rita containing quotes from the same newspaper, the same columnist. It’s a sad state of journalism when the opposition doesn’t have to come up with any political flyers because they just have to wait until a certain columnist does a story, and their campaign message is done for them.
The day after Joanne Ring’s visitation and funeral service, another headline read, “Can dead candidate beat a write-in?” (And they thought that honoring Bilotto was tacky). This is the second time I’ve asked, “How does this get past the editor?” The editor is responsible for the content that represents a newspaper as a whole. We have the right to free speech, but how do you want to use it? So far, 3 deceased people have been disrespected – Joanne Ring, Carlos Salgado, and James Tyree.
Blue Islanders are well aware of the disgrace that happened last summer at the Memorial Park pool. The legal ramifications of the tragedy are still playing out in court. If Fred Bilotto remains in office, he will be up for re-election and the public can decide if he should go. This issue belongs to Blue Island, not a local newspaper using a tabloid style that continues to disgrace for their own profit.
Bookworms Infected by Border’s Bankruptcy
When the news anchor reported that Borders had filed bankruptcy and the stores in Beverly and Matteson were closing, my heart sunk. It was déjà vu as I recalled the announcement that Crown Books at River Oaks Mall in Calumet City was going bankrupt years ago. I can still see and hear that pencil-thin man dressed in a suit with a big head (who resembled a taffy-apple) in a TV commercial proclaiming, “If you paid full price for it, you didn’t buy it at Crown.”
The first Crown Bookstore in River Oaks was chock full and there were always a bunch of random books marked down in price. You never knew what you might find and could easily spend an hour in the store. Crown Books honored the New York Times Bestseller list, and any book on that list was about 40% off its list price. If they didn’t have a book in stock, they would order it for you and send you a postcard when it arrived at the store.
Crown Books closed that store to re-open as Super Crown Books just around the corner from the first location. It was a much larger store with public bathrooms, luxurious chairs placed in different areas to give a homey feel. For a store so big, they didn’t seem to have as much as when they were smaller, and the place wasn’t as crowded. Was it just that the expansion simply spread things out? It didn’t seem like they were in business long.
The announcement of Border’s Books was a big thrill, and it was even closer to drive to than Crown Books. Although they did not honor the New York Times Best Seller list (they had their own list), and others complained that they would not special order books for customers, it was a holiday tradition to go to Borders the day after Christmas when all of their calendars were 50% off. Calendars were hard to choose from because the selection was so abundant. This last Christmas visit to Borders in Beverly had the writing on the wall.
The first sign of abnormality was when I got a parking space close to the door at the early hour of 11 a.m. The spacious vestibule that was usually full of books and other items on display, was empty. Something was wrong. Once inside, it was not very crowded. After the calendar selection, I went upstairs to search for a basic math book. There was nothing I could use. There was only one customer sitting comfortably in a chair reading, but disturbingly, there was no cashier or anyone else.
In previous year’s visits, there would usually be a line wrapped around the store with 3 cashiers. During the wait, you could always browse Christmas gifts of candy, decorations, stationery, and other trinkets. When I went to pay for my stuff, there was no waiting in line. There was only one cashier, and there were no gifts. As I left the store, I thought about other slight warning signs.
Over the last couple years, I would occasionally call the Beverly Borders and no one would answer the phone. I wondered if they went out of business. I would have to call the Matteson or Orland Park location instead. Then Matteson stopped answering the phone. I asked the Orland Park clerk what was with the Beverly location not answering the phone. I was told that they have received other calls about that and it had been brought to the attention of the regional manager, but it never improved over the last couple of years.
I wondered why Borders Books in Orland Park was staying open when they had a competitor nearby with Barnes & Noble, while the south side will soon have nothing. “They would not close the location that was the most profitable. The other bookstore locations had too many people going in there reading, but not buying, and it was no longer profitable.” Despite the lobbying on Facebook and demonstrations at the closing stores, as of this writing, it doesn’t seem that anything is going to change here.
I then spoke with Barnes & Noble Bookstore in Orland Park and asked what they thought of Border’s situation, and would they consider opening up a store somewhere else in the southland? They concurred that Borders is doing fine in Orland Park. Barnes & Noble also has locations in Joliet and Kankakee, but only the corporate office in New York could answer. We can call them at (800) 843-2665 or (212) 633-3300, or contact them at their website, BarnesandNoble.com because they are open to suggestions. But what other bookstore would consider a place in the south suburbs when Borders couldn’t make it?