Theresa A. Carlquist of Downers Grove was arrested Aug.21 and charged with embezzling more than $100,000 from the Panther Junior Football organization.

Carlquist, 51, who turned herself into the Downers Grove Police Department, was charged with six felony theft counts. The arrest culminates a nine-month investigation by police into the Panther organization’s finances, police said. Carlquist is a former Panthers treasurer and former member of the Downers Grove Human Service Commission. She resigned in March from the commission, where she had served since May 2005, according to village sources.

The probe began in December 2009 after Panther officials “discovered discrepancies in the funding and account balances for the program,” police said. Carlquist was an immediately suspected and relieved of her duties as treasurer.  The subsequent investigation found she had written checks to herself on the Panther checking account for as much as $8,500.

Police allege Carlquist stole more than $100,000 from the Panthers between February 2008 and December 2009.  She was released after posting a $5,000 bond pending a Sept. 8 court date.

Chief Robert Porter commended DGPD detectives for their investigative work, which involved poring over numerous financial documents.

UPDATE: Carlquist has been charged with two counts of embezzlement and six counts of felony grand theft. If convicted, felonies in Illinois are crimes that can carry a punishment of a year or more in prison.

Village Operation Center workers will see raises

In December of 2008, the Village Operation Center (VOC) employees voted to unionize and choose the Fraternal Order of Police as their exclusive bargaining agent. The unit is comprised of all full time operators. Staff has been negotiating a collective bargaining agreement since April of 2009. Staff has successfully negotiated a three-year agreement beginning May 1, 2010-April 30, 2013.

Tuesday council with a 6-1 vote approved a contract for the employees of the Village Operations Center VOC.  Commissioner Barnett stated he would vote against accepting the contract in light of the current economic conditions, and was the lone “NO” vote.  Commissioner Neustadt briefly voiced his support for the public employee contract. The rest of council had no comment beyond the “YES” vote approving what staff had presented.

Those economic conditions Barnett referred to, and the spotlight put on generous public employee pay and benefits, have been the source of running commentary by several council members including the mayor.  DGreport has run several posts about employee costs and how they are busting the budget and breaking the taxpayer’s collective back.  There is a general consensus among council members that the business and financing of government, of which roughly 75% of total costs are personnel costs, can’t continue as it has in the past.

The contract calls for 3-8% step increases each year.

All covered employees advance one “STEP” each village  fiscal  year,  which  begins May 1st.  One employee already at STEP 6 advances to STEP 7 in 2011 and 2012.

Most of the private sector has seen pay freezes and benefit cost increases.  While most of the ire at Springfield has been focused on pension, payroll bursts most municipal budgets.

The entire contract is here.

Police and fire union contracts are coming up for renewal next year.

Any emails sent on this topic will be printed in their entirety.

The 45-member club has been scrambling to put the smaller, more local festival together, with some members working as many as 30 hours a week on the endeavor, said Keith Hoffman of Rotary.

The club took on the gargantuan effort this spring following the Village Council’s decision to eliminate Heritage Fest due to budget concerns.

With opening set for 6 p.m. tonight, all systems are go and on budget, Hoffman said. “Certain areas are under budget, certain areas are a little over. We should be coming in very close to budget.”

The club decided to add another police officer for restaurant security, he said. “The Fraternal Order of Police is doing it at a discounted rate.”

Others also have pitched in to make the event happen. Jim Provenzale from Fast Forward Design developed the website, flyers, posters and pamphlets, Hoffman said.

The club also was successful in attracting volunteers. “It’s been great,” he said, adding that Mayor Ron Sandack and commissioners Bob Barnett, Marilyn Schnell and Geoff Neustadt are among those who stepped forward. Some teen groups, such as the Kyle Braid Leadership group, also are pitching in.

Local restaurants, entertainers and not-for-profits also are participating.

The Rotary is already looking forward to continuing the event next year, following an evaluation of the event’s financial feasibility.  “We’re hoping to raise money. It’s a costly thing to put together and we need it to be successful,” Hoffman said.

Now it all depends on the residents, who clamored for a summer festival by the thousands after Heritage Fest was cut. The Rotary is putting a lot of police and fire personnel on the streets, as required by the village.  “We have worked with the village to determine how many we need,” Hoffman said.

And in addition to the crowds, the club is hoping for great weather, Hoffman said. “It should be warm for the weekend, which means a lot of not-for-profits will be selling lots of water and pop.”

UPDATE:

Rotary's Keith Hoffman.

Friday went well.  Kieth Hoffman and the Rotary folks were smiling. The  biggest beef was how come I can’t take a second beer back to the table for the spouse/girlfriend/whatever.  Come on out Saturday and Sunday!

The area steadily filled up throughout the day. No problems reported by police. No drunks.

The bands were better than expected,

Beer tent volunteers.

although it was somewhat disturbing Mayor Sandack could name not one but two Judas Priest hits…(/kidding).

Check back here to discuss the first annual GroveFest on Monday.

I have the fortune of being able to walk to the Main Street station every morning for my commute downtown. Access to Metra was one of my “must haves” when we were house shopping a few years earlier (so was a wet bar staffed by strippers moonlighting from Scores, but the wife never agrees with me).

I vary my walk to the train every morning, sometimes serpentine along a street I rarely see,  or most likely,  taking a direct route because I’m running late.

Regardless of the direction, I almost always arrive at the crossing at Forest Avenue and the tracks, timing my arrival by the clock on the Downers Community Bank building, knowing that if I don’t cross by 7:57 the gates will swing down and I’m stuck on the north side, waiting for the 8:16 and the slow walk of shame that says “late again moron.”

Thursday, May 4, was exactly such a morning.

Having missed the 8 (again), I crossed at Forest and cursed whatever bug my daughter picked up that caused her to barf her Cheerios that morning. Coffee at the station is only a buck and a half and I could take solace in a gorgeous, sunny morning for my walk of shame, and maybe one of those chocolate donuts in the bakery case.

Coffee of the day was hazelnut (!) but the donuts never look as good as they sound. I exited the station by the side door facing the tracks, the gates were down and the 8:06 express was approaching fast from the west.

Walking east toward where the first car would load, I had my head down fumbling with my iPod and coffee cup when the engineer blasted his horn in one, long, non-stop wail. From my back, a hot wall hit like a sandstorm rolling through the station, acrid train smoke and burning rubber swept through the platform along with the deafening roar of the horn.

I remember instinctively ducking down on one knee and bracing myself for a crash as bits of rubber and unseen flotsam blast across the platform like shotgun pellets, bouncing violently across my ankles and carrying off one of my sandals.

I remember closing my eyes and screaming a stream of obscenities in the direction of the passing freight, but the roar completely drowned out my voice. Looking up, I was relieved to see the train pass without derailing. Rookie engineer maybe, overreacting to a commuter making an ill-advised dash across the tracks.

I grabbed my sandal and continued east along the platform when I noticed something curious, the train had stopped about a half mile past the station, and although my ears were ringing, I could sense it was deadly quiet.

There was a woman in front of me staring at a point on the tracks just to my left and whispering into her cell phone. I glanced over and saw a bright, red carpet tossed on the tracks, just a few feet away. It wasn’t until I walked another 50 yards or so did my mind process the image correctly. The carpet had a face. A man’s face. I doubled back slowly. The carpet had a torso and one outstretched arm, and was not a carpet at all.

It was a man, or at least the upper third of a man. Having been fortunate enough to have never fought in a war, my mind had no frame of reference for what lay crumpled next to me. Commuters around me were frozen in place, gawking. There was a brief moment, before the confusion and chaos that followed, as I was staring at what remained of this man, that I was overwhelmed by how undignified this felt, how absolutely wrong.

I was embarrassed for him. I wanted to grab a coat and cover him up and scold passing commuters for gawking, which, of course, was exactly what I was doing. Breaking off, I forced myself to look away, and I never looked directly at him again.

In the first of many ironies on that day, there was a ‘commuter safety’ patrol at the station, two DG police officers issuing warnings and tickets to commuters making late sprints around the gates. They were the first to run to the scene.

Images for me become choppy from this point on, but some have left an impression:

A woman kneeling in prayer near the beauty shop entrance, a man walking right by the body, newspaper tucked under one arm and iPod cord dangling, oblivious.  People running away, people crowding close. A young student vomiting next to the fountain, apparently not wanting to sully the water. Construction workers running over from one of the condominium sites. Police swarming in from the station, running across the parking lot and over the platform.  Silence. Tears. Shouting. Surreal. A woman asking her friend:  “do you think he’s all right?” Another woman asking no one in particular “is that a deer?”

Credit must be given to the DGPD. With a stoicism that I admire but could never emulate, they quickly covered the scene as best they could and arranged transportation to move bewildered commuters anywhere but there.

As we were walking toward the bus that was to take us to another station, I noticed for the first time that the flotsam that showered the station on impact was not bits of rubber or stone. With as much dignity as they could muster, a dozen or so DGPD stood scattered around the platform warning commuters to “be careful” as they stepped. I thought about my ankles, and a queasiness washed over me that lasted several days.

The rest of the day is a bright sunny, surreal blur. It was still a beautiful morning. We sat silently on the bus, which transported us to the Fairview Avenue station. There didn’t seem to be a plan from Metra as to what happens next. It had been over an hour since the accident and the train still sat on the tracks just east of Main Street.

Several commuters hung from the open vestibules and looked back toward the body. Having not witnessed the accident first hand, they seemed animated and annoyed, shouting about being late, talking loudly into cell phones and shaking their heads.

Truth be told I would have done the same if I were on that train, but unfortunately I get on at Main Street and my daughter had a tummy ache that morning and I was running late and the promise of coffee and a donut was my way of making the most of a bad situation.

Somewhere around 11 and with no word from Metra, I started to walk back toward Main Street and home. Somewhere between Fairview and downtown, in a lovely neighborhood just south of the tracks and near a small park (a place I’ve never been able to locate again), I found a dog, or I should say he found me.

He came bounding out between two parked cars, dragging a broken leash behind him, wagging his tail and hopping with excitement. I spent the next hour walking him door to door, trying to find out where he came from and racking my brain in an attempt to decipher the deep cosmic or spiritual significance of finding a lost dog on the same morning I’d witnessed a horrific death firsthand.

I never did figure that one out, but I did find a nice woman who knew the dog’s owner and graciously allowed me to leave him with her until the neighbor returned home.

When I finally walked past the Main Street station a few hours later, the scene was organized chaos. There was a cover (not unlike a carpet, but not red) on the tracks covering the body. The woman whom I saw kneeling in prayer recognized me and pointed me out to an investigating officer, who wanted a word with me about the accident.

Did I see where he came from? Did I recognize him? Did he have anything with him? I began recalling how I found the dog near a little park and I think his leash broke because it was worn near the collar, but I’m pretty sure he’s not a stray — and the strange look in the officer’s eyes made me realize I wasn’t making any sense at all.

Then it hit me — all of it, all at once. I began sobbing and my face flushed from embarrassment at my loss of control, which just made it worse. I apologized to the officer, I just wanted to go home,  please? I just want to go home, can I just go home?

The officer could not have been kinder. He put a firm arm around me and promised me that, whatever reasons the young man had for stepping in front of that train, there was nothing I could have done to prevent it, nothing.

Oddly, I felt a sense of relief. Until that point I assumed the train hit a bone-headed commuter who had carelessly run around the gates, trying to make a train (like you see every morning), but it never dawned on me that I witnessed a suicide.

I’m not sure why that’s any better, but somehow knowing that somewhere, there wasn’t going to be a knock on someone’s door and an officer with hat in hand explaining that “your husband had an accident,” made me feel better. I spoke to a priest for a few minutes and walked up the hill — home.

I spent the afternoon painting the ceiling in the dining room because I could, and listening to the Crosstown classic on WGN. I threw my sandals into the garage where they sat in a damp corner for 3 years until I finally retreived them and tossed them out.

That evening I sat at the bar at Emmett’s nursing a 1a.m. ale and watching the highlights from the Crosstown. Around me were other commuters from that morning who had been propping up the bar for the remainder of the day. I eavesdropped on conversations about the incident but avoided engaging in any of them, mostly because I had nothing to add.

This is what I saw, this is what happened. I didn’t know the guy, but I witnessed his last moment on earth and the undignified way he chose to end it,  and I don’t know why.  I had no business being there, being a witness. No one asked me. I had no choice, I was powerless. My daughter was sick in the morning and I was sick the rest of the week.

I don’t have any profound insights to offer as to how this has affected me. I wish I did, because I feel I should. I don’t. Maybe I will some day, but for now it comes and goes like a ghost when I least expect it.

The crossing at Forest is just another crossing, but the bakery case in the station makes me uneasy. I read a newspaper account about the accident that mentioned the man’s name and that his last known address was at the Tivoli Hotel, as if I needed another reason to despise that place.

In the days that followed, a small scrap-wood cross appeared next to a bush near the Forest Avenue crossing. The first time I saw it I felt a deep stab of anxiety, followed by a flush of anger. Who put this here? Were you a friend of his? Why didn’t you talk to him, or did you? Who was he? Why? I catch myself because I don’t know if I feel this way because a young man chose death by Metra or because I was forced to witness it, and that makes me feel shame, and who wants to feel shame over something they had no control over?

I’ve had many friends tell me that there must be a deeper lesson here for me, but I find myself feeling exactly the opposite, that it doesn’t mean anything at all, it just is. That’s the randomness of life. One day your daughter has a tummy ache, then you witness a bloody suicide, find a lost dog on your walk home, talk to a priest and paint the ceiling in the dining room. The next day is Saturday and come Monday morning you’ll still be late for the 8 o’clock and you’ll still skip the chocolate donuts in the bakery case. Then its Tuesday.

I have noticed one change in myself, one big difference in my morning routine. I’m still often late for the 8 o’clock, which leaves me standing at the crossing when the gates go down.

There are other commuters around me, and sometimes I recognize those distinctive twitches, their body language and gestures and how they’re measuring the speed of the oncoming express, poised to dash around the gates in order to make a train. Now, I’ll pre-empt their dash by screaming PLEASE DON’T.  It’s effective. I’ve done it a few times and received a mix of sheepish grins, scowls and one woman who flipped me off and ran across anyway.

Regardless, I would have never spoke up before May 4, 2006. Everyone deserves the chance to go home.

Photo credit: Todd McDaniel

Updated: 9 a.m. April 9 with bank account information.

Aid efforts are underway for displaced residents

Fire Chief Jim Jackson told a breath-taking story of courage and cooperation as he recounted for the village council April 6 the department’s mammoth effort against the three-alarm fire that devastated a west-side apartment building in the early morning hours of April 5.

In all, 100 firefighters representing 25 departments and 45 companies battled the fire, which investigators have determined broke out in the attic of the 16-unit Downers Belmont Apartments at 4901 Belmont Ave.  The preliminary investigation was not able to pinpoint the cause due to the building’s precarious and unsafe condition, Jackson told the DGreport.

Firefighters arrived at the scene within four minutes of receiving the 12:15 a.m. call to find heavy smoke at the roof line and a fire already engulfing the center portion of the building.

There was no alarm notification inside the two-story, 16-unit building, Jackson told commissioners. “It was a true life-and-death situation.”

Five people were assisted out of the first floor and six people from the second floor, he said. At that point, a partial ceiling collapse cut off the firefighters’ exit and threatened an imminent flashover or simultaneous ignition of all combustible material.

Earlier, firefighters had heard a rumbling  in the second-floor ceiling, which indicated the fire had already had a “great head start,” Jackson said.

“We found fire from one end to the other of the attic, which is an indication we need to get out,” he said. He likened the trusses in the 165-foot by 60-foot attic to “a lumber yard.”

“We found a second way out and went into a defensive attack from the outside to control the fire to the building of origin, Jackson said. The roof of the structure collapsed within 20 minutes and the interior pancaked, leaving the exterior walls with no support.

It took firefighters more than three hours to tamp down the fire and more than 15 hours to entirely extinguish it, said Jackson, who praised the work of village fire, police and public works departments, the mutual aid companies, and Commissioner Geoff Neustadt, a District 58 employee, who arrived to open Henry Puffer Elementary School to the building’s evacuated residents.

He also commended the residents who assisted the first engine company in getting the heavy hoses to some of the five hydrants used to douse the fire. “They wanted to do something to help,” Jackson said. “It was a great thing.”

The fact that there were no lives lost and no injuries suffered, “is a true account of our firefighters,” he said. The building was less than half-occupied, which made the rescuers’ task less daunting.

The fire is the third major residential fire in five months and the first apartment fire in a decade, Jackson said.

Now comes the aftermath.

Rev. Mark Moore of Belmont Baptist Church, 5430 Belmont Road,  is coordinating the aid effort. Immediate needs are for clothing, bedding, towels, sheets, toiletries and non-perishable groceries, particularly items that can be made quickly and easily.  Grocery and big-box store gift cards would also be appreciated. However, none of the residents is settled yet, so furniture needs have not yet been determined.

One of the displaced families has eight children ranging in age from toddlers to teens, so girls’ and boys’ clothing of all sizes is needed, Moore said. Toys and books, preferably new,  also would be appreciated.

“My understanding is they lost it all,” Moore said of the residents, who escaped with only their lives.

Local residents who wish to donate can bring items to the church between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily through the next  or call (630)963-2230 for an appointment.

More good news

Todd McDaniel, principal of Henry Puffer school is also working closely with the displaced families who have children at the school.

Both his school community and others — including a Pierce Downer mother who arrived first thing Tuesday morning with four new backpacks — have sprung into action, McDaniel said.

The school is collecting clothing for the six children affected by the fire, while staff members brought the families groceries and pizza for dinner last night.

“There’s been a steady stream of people bringing in small appliances, linens and bedding,” McDaniel said. “It’s really unbelievable. This is when a community’s true integrity is tested.”

Businesses have also been quick to help. One of the families lost their car keys in the fire and were concerned how to gain access to their older automobile. Bob Carter Auto Body not only found a used steering column and keys, but also offered to donate all labor for the repair, McDaniel said.

O’Hare Towing, another local company stepped up to tow the car into Carter’s — again at no charge.

Meanwhile, McDaniel met Mike Busse, president of the Community Bank of Downers Grove, to establish a fund to help with rent, utilities,  food, medication and other necessities for the three Puffer school families who lost their homes.

Checks made payable to  “Puffer Elementary Fire Fund” can be dropped off or mailed to Community Bank of Downers Grove, Attn: Jeanine Sorn, 1111 Warren Avenue, Downers Grove, IL  60515

The information was posted last week on the recommendation of the Environmental Concerns Commission, which reviewed the coyote issue in January at the request of the village council, said Doug Kozlowski, village communications director. Others have also raised the issue with the council in recent months.

While there haven’t been any local coyote attacks or a discernible increase in the number of coyotes in Downers Grove, the ECC advised the village to increase public awareness of the dog-like animals, which “have pointed ears, yellow eyes, a slender muzzle and a drooping bushy tail with a black tip,” according to the Village Web site.

“They are usually a grayish brown with reddish-colored fur behind the ears and around the face,” the site states. “A study by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County’s Willowbrook Wildlife Center reports that coyotes in DuPage County average about 25 pounds, though their heavy coats may make them look larger.”

Coyotes apparently pose the most danger to domestic animals when in mating season, which runs from February through April.  The village recommends keeping on a leash during this time as male coyotes are more likely to attack even large dogs during this time.

As for residents who might encounter one of the animals, the Village recommends they shout, clap or throw something in the coyote’s direction.

“Acting aggressively helps re-instill a fear of humans in coyotes,” the site says.

Residents are also encouraged to call 911 if an animal appears threatening or the Willowbook Wildlife Center at 630-942-6200 for further information.

Jackson was one of five finalists chosen to interview for the position following a competitive search.  “Jim Jackson’s outstanding leadership qualities, organizational knowledge and demonstrated commitment to efficiency and innovation make him the best person for the job,” said Village Manager Dave Fieldman.

Jackson has spent 22 years at the DGFD, serving as a fire fighter, technical rescue coordinator, lieutenant and, since November 2001, as deputy chief.

During his tenure with the department, Jackson has worked as planning chief with the Illinois Urban Search and Rescue team and was an integral part of the team responsible for the design and construction of the new Fire Station 2, as well as operational changes recently undertaken to address current financial conditions, according to a village press release.

“I am very proud to serve the Downers Grove community as Fire Chief and look forward to leading the men and women of the department who share my commitment to providing top notch fire protection and emergency medical services,” said Jackson, who will assume his duties as fire chief effective immediately.

These talks, presented by the League of Women Voters, are golden opportunities to hear and learn direct from department heads about where they are and what challenges and opportunities they see coming that will effect us all.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 – State of the Downers Grove Fire Department - Speaker: either the new Fire Chief or one of the Deputy Fire Chiefs – DG Fire Administration Building, 7:30 P.M.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010 – State of the Police Departments – Downers Grove and Woodridge – Speakers: DG Chief Robert Porter and Woodridge Chief Steve Herron, 7:30 P.M.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 – State of the Village of Downers Grove - Speakers: DG Mayor Ron Sandack and Village Manager Dave Fieldman, 7:30 P.M.

Saturday, May 15, 2010 – Annual Meeting Luncheon + State of the Village of Woodridge - Mayor William Murphy and Village Administrator Kathleen Rush; at Seven Bridges Golf Course Restaurant, One Mulligan Drive, Woodridge (on Route 53 south of 63rd Street) 10:00 A.M.

The League of Women Voters is an organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, and advocates education through the programs and speakers it provides for the public.

League of Women Voters of Downers Grove, Woodridge, and Lisle can be reached at 630-958-3706. or via email.

-Mark Thoman

Southworth house at Main and Prairie. G. Curry photo

The shocking aftermath of the Jan. 2 fire in the 4700 block of Main Street is plain to see: A burned-out shell of a house with boarded up windows, blackened siding and a gaping roof.

What isn’t so obvious is the huge outpouring of support that already is being extended to homeowner Beth Southworth and her two children. Within hours, friends, neighbors and residents who have never met the family were seeking ways to help.

I’ve written before on how caring this community is in times of challenge and crisis, but each time I see people reach out to those less fortunate, whether because of illness, hard times or a house fire, I count myself lucky to live here and also to be able to help where I can.

Earlier this week, board members of Helping Girls Navigate Adolescence Inc., offered a helping hand to one of our own whose house burned less than a week before Christmas.

The Southworth fire offers all of us another opportunity to be generous. April Marron is spearheading the collection of gift cards and clothing for the family, who lost everything in the blaze. They’re currently looking for Target, Jewel and other gift cards and clothing donations to provision Southworth, her 10-year-old daughter and her nine-year-old son. The boy wears size 10 or 12, the daughter wears women’s extra-small clothing and Southworth is a size 0.

Donations can be dropped off or mailed to Marron at 3780 Downers Drive, 60515.

“People have been so tremendously generous,” she said, adding that Mike Geisen of My Favorite Toy Store in Downers Grove invited the kids to choose whatever toys they wanted, so they are set for amusements.

Among the harder items to replace will be family photos and other keepsakes. Friends at Belle Aire school are combing through their pictures for ones that include the Southworth kids and the Panther Cheerleaders organization is replacing the daughter’s cheering trophies.

“There is nothing left,” Marron said.

Given the speed at which the house was engulfed, friends and family are thankful that it wasn’t more tragic. Southworth was able to rouse her sleeping children and get out of the house after the fire broke out about 11:15 p.m. Investigators believe the fire started when a curtain was ignited by a burning candle.

“She didn’t even think the fire was that bad at first,” Marron said. “She went back in to get the cat out from under a bed.”

Noting the two fires during comments at Tuesday’s village council meeting, Commissioner Sean P. Durkin urged residents to be careful. The season’s low humidity, dried-out evergreens, and fireplaces and candles are a dangerous combination, he said.

Members of the budget team, which includes personnel from the village manager’s office and finance office, have been posting a series of “budget responses’ on the village Web site for the first time this year.

“We’re trying to be as transparent as possible,” said Doug Kozlowski, community relations director. “So much more is available now as part of the discussion.”

The responses seek to answer questions posed by village commissioners and residents. They are brief, to the point and well-written. Here’s the current list, with links:

• Community Events and Community Grants

• Counseling and Social Services

• DuPage Senior Citizens Council

• Fleet Budget Responses

• General Budget Questions

• Infrastructure and Facilities

• Other Funds Responses

• Police Department Operations and DARE

• Property Tax and Other Revenues