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Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tinley Park, Park District pair up after spat on Fourth of July fireworks
After a two-year separation that saw Tinley Park hold its own July 4 fireworks shows, the village and Park District are collaborating this year on an Independence Day event. It will be held at the Park District's McCarthy Park, which had long been the site of the Park District's Fourth of July event and fireworks show until 2023. The last two years, Tinley Park had its own show at the 80th Avenue Metra commuter train station. There has been friction between the village and Park District over control of the former Tinley Park Mental Health Center, which the Park District bought from the state last year for $1 and has plans to redevelop for recreational uses. The village had also sought to acquire the 280-acre property, northwest of Harlem Avenue and 183rd Street, with plans to develop it for property and sale tax generating entertainment uses. The Village Board at a recent meeting approved a contract worth $50,000 for the upcoming fireworks show. The joint Independence Day event will take place from 4 to 10 p.m. on July 4 at McCarthy Park,16801 S. 80th Ave. The village said music by Five Guys Named Moe will start the day at 4 p.m. and food and beverages will be for sale from local vendors. Bingo, inflatables for kids, a magic show, gun salute and flag-raising ceremony as well as a 7 p.m. concert by Spoken Four, are part of the day's activities. The fireworks show set to patriotic music is set for 9:30 p.m. 'We're excited to be collaborating with the Park District to bring Tinley Park's iconic fireworks show back to McCarthy Park,' Tinley Park Mayor Michael Glotz said in a news release. 'We are thrilled to restore our annual fireworks show at McCarthy Park this July 4th,' Park Board President Lisa O'Donovan said in the release. 'This celebration has been a highlight of the summer in Tinley Park for over 40 years.' Tinley Park police Chief Tom Tilton said his officers are preparing for the event. 'We're utilizing new technologies and new techniques to provide a safe Fourth of July experience for everyone,' Tilton said in the news release. 'Residents can rest easy knowing we're taking every precaution.' In early 2023, Tinley Park opted to hold its own fireworks show, prompting the Park District to cancel the Independence Day event it had held at McCarthy Park. The village again, last year, held its own fireworks show at the 80th Avenue Metra station in conjunction with Ribfest. In 2023, Park Board members said the district was being retaliated against for its interest in the former mental health center. The Illinois General Assembly had cleared, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed, legislation that year clearing the path for the Park District to acquire the site. The state also earmarked $15 million for the Park District to use to clean up environmental problems and demolish buildings on the property. The Park District said in early 2023 it was denied a permit to hold its annual Running O' the Green 8k race March 5 of that year, the same day as the village's Irish Parade. The district said it had for many years held the race on the same day as the village parade but the race that year was rescheduled. The Park District also said it had to find other sources of fuel for district vehicles and de-icing salt for Park District properties after Tinley Park cut off long-standing supply agreements for both products. Park Board members, in a letter early in 2023 to village officials, said 'it is simply not feasible to work with you on any event when the village is engaged in this kind of behavior.' The district, in its letter, said the obstacles that had been thrown up were 'retaliation and punishment' for the district.
Chicago Tribune
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Tinley Park, Park District pair up after spat on Fourth of July fireworks
After a two-year separation that saw Tinley Park hold its own July 4 fireworks shows, the village and Park District are collaborating this year on an Independence Day event. It will be held at the Park District's McCarthy Park, which had long been the site of the Park District's Fourth of July event and fireworks show until 2023. The last two years, Tinley Park had its own show at the 80th Avenue Metra commuter train station. There has been friction between the village and Park District over control of the former Tinley Park Mental Health Center, which the Park District bought from the state last year for $1 and has plans to redevelop for recreational uses. The village had also sought to acquire the 280-acre property, northwest of Harlem Avenue and 183rd Street, with plans to develop it for property and sale tax generating entertainment uses. The Village Board at a recent meeting approved a contract worth $50,000 for the upcoming fireworks show. The joint Independence Day event will take place from 4 to 10 p.m. on July 4 at McCarthy Park,16801 S. 80th Ave. The village said music by Five Guys Named Moe will start the day at 4 p.m. and food and beverages will be for sale from local vendors. Bingo, inflatables for kids, a magic show, gun salute and flag-raising ceremony as well as a 7 p.m. concert by Spoken Four, are part of the day's activities. The fireworks show set to patriotic music is set for 9:30 p.m. 'We're excited to be collaborating with the Park District to bring Tinley Park's iconic fireworks show back to McCarthy Park,' Tinley Park Mayor Michael Glotz said in a news release. 'We are thrilled to restore our annual fireworks show at McCarthy Park this July 4th,' Park Board President Lisa O'Donovan said in the release. 'This celebration has been a highlight of the summer in Tinley Park for over 40 years.' Tinley Park police Chief Tom Tilton said his officers are preparing for the event. 'We're utilizing new technologies and new techniques to provide a safe Fourth of July experience for everyone,' Tilton said in the news release. 'Residents can rest easy knowing we're taking every precaution.' In early 2023, Tinley Park opted to hold its own fireworks show, prompting the Park District to cancel the Independence Day event it had held at McCarthy Park. The village again, last year, held its own fireworks show at the 80th Avenue Metra station in conjunction with Ribfest. In 2023, Park Board members said the district was being retaliated against for its interest in the former mental health center. The Illinois General Assembly had cleared, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed, legislation that year clearing the path for the Park District to acquire the site. The state also earmarked $15 million for the Park District to use to clean up environmental problems and demolish buildings on the property. The Park District said in early 2023 it was denied a permit to hold its annual Running O' the Green 8k race March 5 of that year, the same day as the village's Irish Parade. The district said it had for many years held the race on the same day as the village parade but the race that year was rescheduled. The Park District also said it had to find other sources of fuel for district vehicles and de-icing salt for Park District properties after Tinley Park cut off long-standing supply agreements for both products. Park Board members, in a letter early in 2023 to village officials, said 'it is simply not feasible to work with you on any event when the village is engaged in this kind of behavior.' The district, in its letter, said the obstacles that had been thrown up were 'retaliation and punishment' for the district.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Federal judge: campers can stay while civil case against Nelson County Park Board is pending
May 21—NELSON COUNTY — A federal judge granted a motion for preliminary injunction on Monday that will allow four people to continue using camping spaces they were previously ordered to vacate as long as their civil case progresses. The plaintiffs argue the vacation notice was retaliation for expressing concerns about the park's management. "They were treated very unfairly," said David Thompson, attorney for the plaintiffs. The plaintiffs are Loralyn Maixner, Wayne Maixner, Ron Maixner and Alane Maixner. In their civil complaint filed in February, the group alleges their lease renewal applications for Stump Lake Park campsites were wrongfully denied in November 2024 after they voiced concerns about park management in a Nelson County Park Board meeting one month earlier. Lessees are subject to a "three strikes" policy for engaging in any conduct that violates park rules, however, none of the plaintiffs received any strikes throughout the years they'd been leasing campsites, according to the order written by U.S. District Judge Daniel Traynor. The plaintiffs assert a claim for retaliation in violation of their First Amendment right to free speech, petition to the government and their Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of equal protection under the law, according to court documents. The civil complaint says that while leaving the Sept. 10, 2024, Park Board meeting where the plaintiffs shared their concerns, a microphone at the board's table captured the statement: "Are these our three problem makers?" Audio recordings from the next month's board meeting revealed that the board discussed the plaintiffs, joking and laughing about the comments they had made, the judge's order said. One board member is accused of saying the plaintiffs were always complaining, and their contracts should be terminated, according to the complaint. "The park manager, Donna Rickford, suggested giving them a strike, but other board members discouraged that option," the judge's order said. "Discussions during the meeting concluded the reason for non-renewal was other behavior, not public comments about park management, but the other behavior was never actually stated in the public meeting. Instead, the plaintiffs were mockingly referred to as 'troublemakers.'" No reason was given for the plaintiffs' nonrenewal, according to the order. Thompson said it's unfortunate that his clients have had to go to such lengths for protection of their civil rights, but he expressed relief that, for now, his clients can continue enjoying their summers as they have for many years. Loralyn Maixner and Wayne Maixner had been leasing the same campsite at the park for 27 years; Ron Maixner and Alane Maixner had been leasing a campsite for 11 years, according to the judge's May 19 order. "(Traynor) issued injunctive relief in order to preserve the status quo," Thompson said. "The trial is not until January of 2027, so my clients get to enjoy their camping lots for that entire period, based on this decision. It's very significant, and we think it was the right call on the part of Judge Traynor." Defendants in the case include Jayme Jo Tenneson, Nelson County state's attorney and legal adviser for the board, and all board members (to include all county commissioners): Harold Eidsness, Cody Johnson, Aaron Mork, Doug Flaagan, Michael Haugland, Cameron Swenson, Nathan Parks, Steve Forde and Dennis Fahey. The Park Board itself is also listed as a defendant. The Herald reached out to the defendants through the defense attorneys listed in the case. Attorney Dan Gaustad responded to say he would not be providing any comment due to the pending litigation. None of the other attorneys answered. A temporary restraining order was granted in late March that preserved the status quo until a hearing could be held in April to address a possible preliminary injunction. During that time, the defendants were prohibited from taking any action against the plaintiffs regarding the termination of their leases, including removal proceedings, the order said. Prior to this, the plaintiffs had been expected to remove all their belongings from the premises by March 31. To be awarded a preliminary injuction, a plaintiff has to establish that they will be irreparably harmed without immediate relief, the balance of equities favors them, there's a likelihood of success on the merits of the case and the injunction serves public interest, according to the order. Traynor wrote that the plaintiffs have demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits of their retaliation claim, therefore, he does not need to address the other matters. He found that the plaintiffs met their burden, and granted them relief while the case progresses. A settlement conference is scheduled to be held at 10 a.m. on June 2 in Grand Forks, during which Magistrate Judge Alice Senechal will act as a mediator as the parties attempt to reach a settlement. The plaintiffs are seeking $450,000, as well as compensatory damages and imposition of punitive damages against each defendant, according to their complaint. "If there's no settlement, a jury will determine what their damages are," Thompson said.
Global News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Global News
‘It's sad': New DTES playground opening cancelled after protesters in Oppenheimer Park
A community event to celebrate the official opening of a new playground in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside was scuttled Friday after protesters in Oppenheimer Park encouraged people not to pack up their tents in compliance with the overnight sheltering bylaw, Global News has learned. Playground renewal at Oppenheimer Park began in the summer of 2022 and the new safe and inclusive space for kids recently re-opened to the public following construction. The city's mayor and council were invited to attend the gathering, which had been planned for noon on May 16. Ahead of the event, Ryan Sudds, a vocal opponent of decampment efforts including tent removals on Hastings in 2023, issued a 'media advisory' claiming the Park Board was escalating decampment at Oppenheimer Park on the morning of the new playground opening. 'It's simply not accurate,' Vancouver Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung told Global News in an interview Monday. 'To suggest that opening a playground has anything to do with the park sheltering bylaw is completely false.' Story continues below advertisement Sudds, who was not available for an on-camera interview Monday, told Global News that residents of Oppenheimer Park asked him to send the media release, and he was helping them. Sudds said he doesn't consider himself an activist and no one is paying him to do this. 1:53 Vancouver police and park rangers dismantle Oppenheimer Park tents 'It's just one bylaw, one bylaw after another, after another, after another,' Gary Humchitt told Global News in reference to the efforts by park rangers to enforce the city's overnight sheltering rules. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Humchitt, who doesn't live at Oppenheimer, said he supports those sleeping in the park – including elders – and wants them to get off the streets and into proper housing. Under city bylaws updated in April 2024, overnight sheltering is allowed in public parks but tents must be taken down by 7 a.m. the following morning. Story continues below advertisement Kirby-Yung confirmed there have been no changes to the overnight sheltering rules, and nothing has changed in terms of requirements and procedures. A handful of individuals are currently staying in tents at Oppenheimer overnight and as the weather gets warmer, more people are seeking shelter in the park. On Friday morning, park rangers were conducting normal bylaw compliance work. Global News has learned two protesters were in the park encouraging new people to not pack up their belongings and/or to not follow the rules. 'We're no threat, we're just trying to make a statement,' Humchitt told Global News. When asked what happened and if it was his goal to disrupt the playground opening, Humchitt responded: 'My goal was to try to compromise with the mayor to see what he's trying to prove. I mean it was our opportunity to actually to talk to him.' Mayor Ken Sim's office declined an interview request from Global News, 'so as to not have multiple spokespeople talking to the topic'. Sim's press secretary, Taylor Verrall, said a representative from either the City or Parks Board would be reaching out regarding why the playground's grand opening was cancelled – and whether the event was hijacked by activists. Story continues below advertisement A City of Vancouver communications manager said no one from the city or Park Board was available for an on-camera interview Monday, but sent a statement attributable to the Park Board. 'The playground had already opened to the community earlier this month and the celebration planned for Friday was intended to be a casual gathering to recognize the playground renewal,' said the emailed statement. 'Unfortunately, on Friday, we were not ready to hold the event because of a variety of unforeseen circumstances including the poor weather and unavailability of key staff.' The city statement did not elaborate on the 'unforeseen circumstances'. 'These are kids that don't get access to a lot of opportunities, again one of the poorest neighbourhoods in our city,' said Kirby-Yung. 'I think it's really unfortunate, it's sad honestly and frustrating to see that disrupted on what should be a happy day for kids and for families.' Area residents Global News spoke with Monday were disappointed. 'It should be about the kids, I'm sorry,' said Dianne Mary Thérèse Brisson. 'It's bothersome that that went down like that, I'm sorry to hear that,' added Martin Hill.
Global News
20-05-2025
- General
- Global News
Oppenheimer Park residents say new restrictions issued after playground opening cancelled
Residents of Vancouver's Oppenheimer Park say the Park Board has issued a new restriction on the amount of belongings that unhoused people living in the park are allowed to have. They said this comes after an official opening for a new playground in the park was cancelled on Friday and residents believe the new restriction is related to that event. Sarah Kirby-Yung, a Vancouver city councillor with ABC Vancouver, told Global News there has been no change to the park sheltering bylaw, which allows people to shelter in public parks overnight but all tents must be taken down by 7 a.m. the next day. 'There have been no changes to that whatsoever,' she said. 'What was supposed to be a fun, celebratory experience for residents in the Downtown Eastside of a brand new, upgraded playground — which is desperately needed — you have a neighbourhood that is deficient in park space, of amenities, shade and trees and honestly has some of the lowest incomes in the city and that space is desperately needed by communities… to suggest that opening a playground has anything to do with the park sheltering bylaw is completely false.' Story continues below advertisement In a statement to Global News, the Park Board said the playground had already opened to the community earlier this month and the celebration planned for Friday was intended to be a casual gathering to recognize the playground renewal. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Unfortunately, on Friday, we were not ready to hold the event because of a variety of unforeseen circumstances including the poor weather and unavailability of key staff,' the statement said. 'We are currently considering a potential new date for rescheduling the event.' 1:53 Vancouver police and park rangers dismantle Oppenheimer Park tents Area resident Marten Hill said on Monday there were lots of children using the playground over the weekend. 'We are not used to this… it feels like it will be a common thing here, which is good,' he said. In a statement sent out on Friday, homeless activist Ryan Sudds said residents of Oppenheimer Park will be asking Vancouver Park Rangers to cease the escalation and any confiscation of belongings. Story continues below advertisement 'Instead, they will be asking to meet with Amit Gandha, director of the Park Board to discuss a compromise that will allow residents to keep their belongings. They are asking for two weeks for these negotiations to take place.' Sudds said they have not yet heard back from Gandha.
