Inside Serving Will county Illinois Volume 2 Number 34 Telling It Like It Is Weekly "Let us Dare to read, think, speak and write." John Adams 1765 August 20 - August 26, 2009 REPORTER From The lips Of John Cappas The Continuing Saga Five Get 135 Years Prostitution GIRLS 13 UP Forced Into Inside Page 14 PAGE 12 Life For Mob Boss Page 2 Lockport Thumbs Nose At Property Owners When Lockport got a new Mayor, Dev Trivedi, it seemed as though the administration might take a more conservative view of things—that is—obey the law and do what the law requires. That is not exactly the way things are happening in Lockport under Trivedi. On Tuesday August 18 th , construction workers were on the job doing whatever they wanted to do on 151 st Street. Last year it was reported repeat- edly that the City of Lockport was allegedly commandeering property that belonged to property owners along 151 st Street for the widening of the street. Those pieces of property are situated in Lockport Township not in the City of Lockport. The residents claim the city wants to con- fiscate their properties. They say the city did not come to them with pro- posals to purchase their land it sim- ply began marking off the ground, cutting down precious trees, some over 100 years old. Trees that obvi- ously cannot be replaced – not for a hundred years. The City, under former Mayor Tim Murphy, claimed it had a right to that land and City Attorney Ron Ca- neva produced a document he said gave the city the right-of-way to the land needed to widen the street. Caneva produced a copy of that document to one of the residents. The paper is illegible. It cannot be read even under a magnifying glass. There are of course means by which it could be read. If Caneva is using that as a basis for taking someone’s property it would seem the city would surely have the document blown up to make it readable. Then they would have the proof they need to establish ownership to the land or at least easement rights. Commonwealth Edison came on the scene and began cutting down very, very old trees. Nothing stood in their path regardless of its histori- cal significance. The homeowners placed “No Trespassing” signs but that didn’t work. They called the Sheriff that did not help, the demo- lition continued. Finally, one resident hired an attorney to challenge the city’s right to take property without so much as a hearing. Other home- owners joined the fight and accord- ing to Mr. Paul Stimac who owns one of the affected properties, his lawyer has taken the matter to court. Logically, it would seem the city would discontinue its work until the matter was resolved legal- ly. The city has done just the op- pose it. Work continues, although Continued on page 15 Page 13
Transcript
Inside
Serving Will county Illinois Volume 2 Number 34
Telling ItLike It IsWeekly
"Let us Dare to read, think, speak and write." John Adams 1765
August 20 - August 26, 2009
REPORTER
From The lips Of John Cappas
The Continuing Saga
FiveGet
135 Years
Prostitution
GIRLS 13 UPForced Into
Inside
Page 14
PAGE 12
Life
For Mob Boss
Page
2
Lockport Thumbs Nose At Property OwnersWhen Lockport got a new Mayor,
Dev Trivedi, it seemed as though theadministration might take a moreconservative view of things—thatis—obey the law and do what thelaw requires.
That is not exactly the way thingsare happening in Lockport underTrivedi. On Tuesday August 18th,construction workers were on the jobdoing whatever they wanted to do on151st Street.
Last year it was reported repeat-edly that the City of Lockport wasallegedly commandeering propertythat belonged to property ownersalong 151st Street for the widening ofthe street. Those pieces of propertyare situated in Lockport Townshipnot in the City of Lockport. Theresidents claim the city wants to con-fiscate their properties. They say thecity did not come to them with pro-posals to purchase their land it sim-ply began marking off the ground,cutting down precious trees, someover 100 years old. Trees that obvi-ously cannot be replaced – not for ahundred years.
The City, under former MayorTim Murphy, claimed it had a right tothat land and City Attorney Ron Ca-neva produced a document he saidgave the city the right-of-way to theland needed to widen the street.
Caneva produced a copy of thatdocument to one of the residents.
The paper is illegible. It cannot beread even under a magnifying glass.There are of course means by whichit could be read. If Caneva is usingthat as a basis for taking someone’sproperty it would seem the citywould surely have the documentblown up to make it readable. Thenthey would have the proof they needto establish ownership to the land orat least easement rights.
Commonwealth Edison came onthe scene and began cutting downvery, very old trees. Nothing stoodin their path regardless of its histori-cal significance. The homeownersplaced “No Trespassing” signs butthat didn’t work. They called the
Sheriff that did not help, the demo-lition continued.
Finally, one resident hired anattorney to challenge the city’sright to take property without somuch as a hearing. Other home-owners joined the fight and accord-ing to Mr. Paul Stimac who ownsone of the affected properties, hislawyer has taken the matter tocourt.
Logically, it would seem thecity would discontinue its workuntil the matter was resolved legal-ly. The city has done just the op-pose it. Work continues, although
Continued on page 15
Page 13
Weekly REPORTER August 20 - August 26, 2009 - 2Special Interest
The Weekly Reporter is a free newspaperpublished weekly in Joliet, Illinois. The busi-ness office is located at 9 East JeffersonStreet in downtown Joliet, 60432. Our maintelephone number is (815) 726-6500 and thefax number is (815) 726-6549. Generalemails should be sent [email protected] Gabriel, [email protected]
Genovese Family Captain Sentenced to Life in Prison for
Murder, Racketeering, Robbery,Extortion, Firearms, and More
PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern Districtof New York, announced that ANGELO PRISCO, a captain in the GenoveseOrganized Crime Family of La Cosa Nostra, was sentenced today to life inprison by United States District Judge NAOMI REICE BUCHWALD inManhattan federal court. PRISCO was convicted on April 27, 2009, after atwo-week jury trial, of murder, racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, rob-bery, extortion, firearms offenses, arson, stolen property offenses, loanshark-ing, and operating an illegal gambling business. According to documentsfiled in this case, the evidence at trial, and statements made at today'ssentencing proceeding:
PRISCO was "made," or inducted, as a member of the Genovese Orga-nized Crime Family in the late 1970s, and was later promoted to the supervi-sory position of captain. In his capacity as a captain, PRISCO supervised,oversaw, and profited from the criminal activities of his own crew of Genove-se Family Soldiers and associates, which operated in the New York City areaand in New Jersey.
On June 2, 1992, PRISCO arranged the murder of his first cousin,ANGELO SANGIUOLO. PRISCO received the order to kill SANGIUOLOfrom VINCENT GIGANTE, a/k/a "The Chin," who was then the boss of theGenovese Organized Crime Family. GIGANTE ordered the murder becauseSANGIUOLO had been stealing from another Genovese Organized CrimeFamily soldier, ANTHONY PALUMBO. PRISCO assigned two of his owncrew members, JOHN LETO, a/k/a "Johnny Balls," and PAUL GACCIONE,a/k/a "Doc," to carry out the murder. PRISCO then devised a plan to lureSANGIUOLO to PRISCO's Bronx, New York, social club. After SANGIUO-LO arrived, PRISCO told him to get into a van with LETO and GACCIONE,on the pretense that LETO and GACCIONE would help SANGIUOLO witha problem SANGIUOLO was having with another person. Inside the van,LETO shot SANGIUOLO numerous times, killing him, then left his body inthe back of the van in the parking lot of a Bronx McDonald's. PRISCO thenpicked up LETO at the McDonald's, and went with him to dispose of themurder weapon.
PRISCO also was convicted of conspiring to commit robberies withmembers of his crew. In 1991 and 1992 robberies, PRISCO oversaw variouscrew members who carjacked and robbed at gunpoint jewelry dealers trans-
porting large quantities of gold andother jewelry they had purchased in theDominican Republic. PRISCO re-ceived $20,000 in cash from one rob-bery and a bag of gold worth about$50,000 from another robbery. PRIS-CO then bragged at his Bronx socialclub about the armed robberies, passingaround a relevant newspaper article.
From 2003 to 2005, PRISCO or-dered, approved, and supervised multi-ple violent home invasion robberiestargeting individuals believed to keepcash in their homes, during which nu-merous victims were tied up and beaten.PRISCO had to "green light" the rob-beries before they could occur, andreceived a portion of any money stolen.PRISCO also instructed his crew mem-bers to "play dumb" if they discoveredthey had robbed another person tied toorganized crime.
PRISCO also was convicted ofcommitting extortion and conspiracy tocommit the extortion of a Manhattanconstruction company owner. PRISCOand his crew first extorted the victim'scompany in 1997, when PETER RIZ-ZO, an associate under PRISCO at thetime, assaulted and broke a glass coffeepot over the head of the victim's busi-ness partner. Members of PRISCO'screw then pressured the victim and hisbusiness partner to drop the chargesagainst RIZZO stemming from this1997 assault. Seven years later, variousother members of PRISCO's crew—acting on his orders and following hisadvice about how to collect themoney—returned to the same construc-tion company and threatened to cut offthe victim's finger and harm the vic-tim's family. The victim paid PRISCOand his crew a total of $50,000. Sincethe 1990s, PRISCO has extorted vari-ous other individuals and businesses,including the owner of a diner in theBronx; the owner of a night club inManhattan; and an electrical contrac-tor in Brooklyn.
Capo Angelo Prison Sentenced to Life by Judge Naomi Reice BuchwaldU.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Angelo Sangiuolo brother-in-lawof Angelo Prisco. Priscon hadhim killed on orders of higher up.
Congressional Inquiry inBonner & Assoc LetterRep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.)
sent inquiry letters to two organi-zations Aug. 5 to gauge their in-volvement in the distribution offake grassroots letters opposingthe climate change bill to represen-tatives' offices.
An employee at Bonner & As-
sociates sent several letters on be-half of The American Coalitionfor Clean Coal Electricity(ACCCE) to Rep. Tom Perriello(D-Va.) prior to the vote on theclimate change bill that appearedto be signed off from minoritygroups. However, Perriello's staffdiscovered that the letters werefabricated. The Bonner & Associ-ates employee has since been fired.
Markey, chairman of theHouse Select Committee on Ener-gy Independence and GlobalWarning, asked for Bonner & As-sociates and ACCCE to submitanswers to questions he asked ofboth groups to be returned by Aug.12. According to Roll Call, AC-CCE had responded to Markey,but did not provide any furtherdetails regarding the fake letters. Go To 15
Weekly REPORTER August 20 - August 26, 2009 - 3Your Money
Can You Invest for Collegeand Retirement?
You most likely need to save andinvest for retirement. But if you havechildren, you also may want to putmoney away for their college educa-tion. Are these two goals mutuallyexclusive?
They don’t have to be — butachieving them both can be challeng-ing. Over the past generation, theresponsibility of paying for retire-ment has largely shifted from the em-ployer to the employee. At the sametime, college prices have skyrocketedand show few signs of slowing down.
Consequently, you face a delicatebalance when it comes to preparingand saving for both college and retire-ment. Perhaps you may be facinglarge college bills in your prime retire-ment savings years. Or if your childgraduates with college loans and youplan on helping to pay for them, yourcash flow may fall short of theamount needed to meet your monthlybills during retirement.
But as you think about the col-lege vs. retirement issue, keep oneoverriding fact in mind: You haveless time to save for retirement thanyour children have to pay for college.If your children do take out someloans, they will likely have decades inwhich to repay them.
Ultimately, the amount of finan-cial assistance you provide for yourchildren's college education is a per-sonal and emotional decision, as wellas a financial one. Still, you can takesteps to help out your children with-out shortchanging yourself.
One possible strategy is to con-tribute to your 401(k) and your IRA,and then use whatever money you
still have available to fund a collegesavings plan. If your employer offersa match for your 401(k) or other re-tirement plan — such as a 403(b) or457(b) — you should, at the veryleast, contribute enough to earn thematch. And if at all possible, you’llwant to “max out” your IRA, whichoffers significant tax benefits. Yourcontributions to a traditional IRAmay be tax-deductible, and your earn-ings grow on a tax-deferred basis.
Depending on your income level,you may be able to contribute to aRoth IRA, which provides tax-freeearnings, provided you meet certainconditions. In 2009, you can contrib-ute up to $5,000 to your IRA, or$6,000 if you’re 50 or older.
Once you’ve earned youremployer’s 401(k) match and then, ifpossible, contributed the maximumamount to your IRA, you can beginlooking more closely at college sav-ings vehicles, such as a Section 529plan or a Coverdell Education Sav-ings Account, both of which offertax-free earnings and withdrawals aslong as the money is used for quali-fied education expenses.(Withdrawals for other types of ex-penses may be subject to federal andstate taxes plus a 10 percent penalty.)Also, Section 529 plan contributionsmay be tax-deductible in certainstates for residents who participate intheir own state’s plan. To make sureyou understand the tax ramificationsof a Section 529 plan, you’ll want toconsult with your tax advisor.
By committing yourself to regu-lar investing, and by taking advantageof the various investment accountsavailable, you can make progress to-ward your retirement goals while stilltackling the high costs of higher edu-cation. That’s a “win-win” situation.
Lottery Scam WarningThere is another international a scam focused on ripping you off for
thousands of dollars. The theft begins with a letter announcing that youhave won a significant sum of money in the lottery.
You are advised that to claim your winnings you must first submittaxes that are due on the prize, after which, a check will be mailed to you.It’s a fraud! If you send the money you will never hear from the sourceagain and, of course you will never see your money again either.
If you receive such a communication, please contact the FBI. Keepthe letter and the envelope in which it came. If it came in email save itand forward it to the FBI.
ixmation Cox SystemsAnnounces RelocationOf Chicago Operations
Bloomingdale, IL – August 17,2009 -- ixmation COX systems, a partof the global network of automationsolution providers known as ixmation,announced today the relocation oftheir USA / Chicago based operationsfrom its current location in Bloom-ingdale, IL into a new larger facilitylocated within the Roselle CommerceCenter in Roselle, IL.
The new 80,000 square foot facil-ity will afford ixmation COX systemsthe ability to provide a greater degreeof service to our current and prospec-tive customers.
“The moving to this new facility,coupled with the 2010 opening of anewly constructed 40,000 square foot
facility located in Penang, Malaysia,is another example of ixmation’s com-mitment to being one of the leadingproviders worldwide of automatedassembly and production solutions,”said Mike Macsek, President of ixma-tion COX systems.
From humble beginnings in 1965,COX systems has worked deliberate-ly to achieve a premier status as aworld-class automation supplier. Theearly years were comprised of ven-tures in part feeding. This led to mech-anisms, which eventually led tostations. Stations blended into assem-bly lines. Today our turnkey solu-tions include a broad range ofassembly machines, packaging ma-chines, and test equipment. COX sys-tems currently has equipmentinstallations around the world.
By aggressively embracing thefuture, COX systems has been shapedinto what it is today, an organizationfull of bright and talented people mo-tivated by unique challenges in theautomation industry. For informationvisit info@ixmation.
(editor’s note: There may be jobopportunites for someone who is
unemployed at the moment
Exciting State Street EventIn Lockport
Visit histor-ic downtownLockport busi-nesses duringCivil WarDays. MainStreet Lock-port is sponsor-ing Sutlers* onState on Saturday, September 12th and Sunday, September 13th. Restaurants,shops and museums will offer Civil War era products, drinks, food, andexhibits. Some participating shops will offer select items at 1860 prices.Local residents will enjoy music and people strolling the avenue dressed in1860s era clothing. Museums will feature Civil War era exhibits. A sidewalksale will take place in the downtown on State Street.
Red, white and blue bunting will mark participating businesses. Thefestivities will take place between 10-4 on Saturday, September 12th and at11-4 on Sunday, September 13th. After a full day of merriment, residents cangather at St. John’s The Evangelist Church featuring Evensong Circa 1865;Rector Denzil Luckritz, Director of Music, Tom Secor & the Lewis Universi-ty Choir on Sunday September 13th at 6:00 PM and a reception to follow. Formore information, contact Main Street Lockport, 815-834-0700 or RosemaryWinters 815-838-8331.
*Sutlers were peddlers that followed the troops to sell them needed items.
Weekly REPORTER August 13 - August 19, 2009 - 4For Your Info
Caregivers Helping WithFinances Urged
To Switch To Direct Deposit
(ARA) - Half of American caregivers makehealth-related decisions for a loved one, and a newgovernment survey finds an equal number are nowhelping to manage the finances of a parent, friend orother person needing their care -- adding to caregiv-ers' levels of stress and anxiety.
Yet, surprisingly, only 52 percent of caregiversreceiving Social Security payments on behalf of theperson they care for say they use direct deposit, adecades-old time-saving tool that is safer and morereliable than paper checks.
According to the nationwide survey, sponsoredby the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Go Direct(R) campaign, one in four Americans define themselves as caregivers, withnearly eight in 10 caregivers providing two or more hours a week of voluntaryhelp to a parent, friend or other loved one and four in 10 committing 10 ormore hours a week of support.
Approximately 6.5 million caregivers are receiving Social Security orSupplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits on behalf of the person theycare for.
"We want caregivers to know that by taking the simple, but important stepof switching to direct deposit -- and encouraging those they care for to do thesame -- people can avoid problems associated with paper checks and counton getting their money on time each month," says David A. Lebryk, ActingCommissioner of the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Financial Manage-ment Service.
Importantly, direct deposit can also protect people from serious financialcrimes like check theft and fraud. The last thing caregivers should have toworry about is a lost or stolen check, says Lebryk.
Treasury receives 1.4 million inquiries regarding problems with paperchecks each year, and although paper checks make up just 20 percent of thetotal number of Social Security and SSI payments, they account for more than90 percent of reported problems. Last year more than 480,000 Social Securitychecks were reported lost or stolen and had to be reissued.
Pushed to their limitsThe impact of caregiving responsibilities is significant, the survey shows.
Among caregivers:* Sixty-five percent report increased levels of stress and anxiety as a
result of their role.* Forty-five percent are concerned about the financial costs of caring for
their loved one.* Sixty percent report having less time for themselves each day as a result
of their role. In fact, the majority (63 percent) are looking to free up an extrahour or more each day.
Problems of paper checksOne in four caregivers say they
have been unable to cash or deposita check in a timely fashion becauseof issues like not being able to getto the bank during business hours,being too busy or being out oftown. Nevertheless, one in fivecaregivers still make trips to thebank to cash or deposit a check onbehalf of the person they care for.
How to switchAmericans can easily sign up
for direct deposit of their SocialSecurity or other federal benefitsfor free by calling Treasury's GoDirect campaign helpline at 1-800-
333-1795, by visiting www.GoDirect.org, or talking to their local bank orcredit union. Federal benefit recipients without a bank account can choose tosign up for the Treasury-recommended Direct Express (R) Debit MasterCard(R) card by calling toll-free 1-877-212-9991, visitingwww.USDirectExpress.com or talking to their local Social Security office.
The preceding information has been provided by the U.S. Department ofthe Treasury, Financial Management Service. The Go Direct (R) campaign issponsored by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Federal ReserveBanks. The Direct Express (R) Debit MasterCard (R) card is issued byComerica Bank, pursuant to a license by MasterCard International Incorporat-ed. MasterCard (R) and the MasterCard (R) Brand Mark are registeredtrademarks of MasterCard International Incorporated. The Go Direct (R) logo,Direct Express (R) logo and Direct Express (R) are service marks of the U.S.Department of the Treasury, Financial Management Service.
Before and After SchoolEnrichment (BASE)
ProgramAre you looking for a place that
your children from grades K-6 can goto before and after school? GuardianAngel Community Services (GACS)has just a place that offers tutoringand mentoring, provides essentialvalues of honesty, respect, responsi-bility, and team work while allowingyour child a variety of exciting andfun activities to assist them in schoolpreparation.
BASE operates Monday – Friday.Before school hours are 6:30-8:30amand after school hours are 3:15-6:00pm. BASE is closed for holidays.For half days of school, BASE is avail-able in the mornings only. Transpor-tation is provided to and from Taft,Carl Sandburg, and Thomas Jeffer-son schools only.
Call 815-729-0930 x310 or stopin to register Monday-Friday 8 am to4pm at GACS 1550 Plainfield Rd. Joli-et, IL 60435.
Please visit us atwww.guardianangelhome.org.GACS is a Partner Agency of the Unit-ed Way of Will and Grundy County.
he most pow-erful
weapoThe most powerfulweapon of all is a pen
in the handsof a U.S. Voter
Weekly REPORTER August 20 - August 26, 2009 - 5Health & Safety
end up costing individuals and thecountry far more in the long run.
It may be tempting to put offtreatment of health problems thatstart out minor. But many of these,like high blood pressure, hearing loss,joint pain and carpal tunnel syndrome,will escalate if untreated, putting youat risk of severe health and financialconsequences. Allowing minor healthproblems to go untreated in order tosave money now, could mean a muchmore serious problem and highercosts to treat it later.
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) isa good example of an ailment youmight think you can live with ratherthan pay the cost of treating it. It'ssurprisingly common, with up to 5percent of the workforce affected,according to the journal Plastic andReconstructive Surgery. The Nation-al Center for Health Statistics reportsCTS results in the most number ofdays lost of all work-related injuries,with nearly half of all sufferers losing31 days or more of work.
With people spending more timeon their computer or online, morepeople are likely to be exposed to therepetitive motions that can lead toCTS.
While severe cases may requiresurgical treatment, studies haveshown that early treatment with splint-ing and massage can help alleviatethis painful condition. Appropriatesplinting (or bracing) helps keep theaffected wrist in a neutral position,minimizing pressure on the irritatednerve, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Massage can also be effective,researchers have found. A report inthe Journal of Bodywork and Move-ment Therapies indicates massage
The High Cost Of Saving Money By Delaying HealthTreatment
(ARA) - You may be delaying medical treatment while keeping yourselfand your family afloat through the recession. But if you delay medicaltreatment for a problem that you feel isn't bad enough to justify the cost andtime lost from work right now, you could be doing more to sink yourselffinancially than anything the economy may throw at you.
One in four Americans put off necessary medical treatment because ofcost, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll of more than 1,200 adultsearlier this year. Yet health experts agree that delaying needed treatment will
Health & Wellness
can reduce CTS symptoms. Whileonly your doctor can make an actualdiagnosis, once you know you havecarpal tunnel syndrome there are sim-ple, low-cost steps you can take tosupplement your own treatment, in-cluding:
* Adjust your posture to mini-mize strain. Sit up straight and don'trest your wrists on the edge of yourkeyboard tray while typing; try tomaintain a straight wrist position.
* Stay hydrated. Proper hydrationis essential to the healthy functioningof all our tissues.
* Ask your doctor to recommendappropriate exercises to keep thewrist flexible.
* Wear a wrist brace, even whenyou sleep. A special night brace isbest.
While you can purchase a low-cost brace in most drugstores, a betteroption might be one that combinesbracing and massage benefits, such asthe IMAK SmartGlove. The glovedelivers the benefits of two therapiesproven effective in the treatment ofCTS - bracing and massage. Made ofwashable, breathable cotton Lycra,the SmartGlove encourages properhand and wrist position to help allevi-ate carpal tunnel symptoms, and anergoBeads pad cushions your wristand improves circulation with a mas-saging effect.
It makes sense to save yourselflong-term pain and money by address-ing the problem early. Consult yourdoctor if you experience wrist painthat might be carpal tunnel syndrome.To learn more about CTS relief, visitwww.Imakproducts.com.
Be PreparedRed Cross
WarnsWashington, Monday, August 17,
2009 —With two storms swirling inthe Atlantic Ocean, the AmericanRed Cross issues a reminder for peo-ple who live in hurricane-prone areasto update their preparedness plans.
“Just this weekend Tropical StormClaudette formed very quickly in theGulf of Mexico, proof you don’t al-ways have a lot of time to get readyfor a storm,” said Joe Becker, seniorvice president of Red Cross DisasterServices. “If someone lives wherethese storms can cause problems,they need to get ready now.”
All eyes are on Hurricane Bill, aCategory One storm with sustainedwinds of 75 mph. According to theNational Hurricane Center, Bill couldbecome a major hurricane later thisweek, throwing wind and rough surfat the East Coast. Claudette, down-graded to a Tropical Depression, maydrop three to six inches of rain acrossparts of Florida and Alabama today,heading into Mississippi tonight.Tropical Depression Ana could dumptwo to four inches of rain today onPuerto Rico, the U.S. and British Vir-gin Islands, and the Dominican Re-public.
The Red Cross offers steps peoplecan take to make sure they’re pre-pared:
Know the difference between aHurricane Watch and Warning.
If you are under a HurricaneWatch, hurricane conditions are athreat within 36 hours. Review your
hurricane plans, keep informed andbe ready to act if a warning is issued.
A Hurricane Warning means hur-ricane conditions are expected within24 hours. Complete your storm prepa-rations and leave the area if directedto do so by authorities.
Check your disaster supplies kitnow. Gather basic items needed dur-ing an emergency and store them in asturdy, sealable, easy-to-carry con-tainer.
Go over your emergency plan.Identify two meeting places, one nearyour home, and one outside your areain case you can’t return home. Makeplans for your pets. Select an out-of-area emergency contact person.
Be informed. Know how localofficials will contact you. Listen tolocal radio, television or NOAAweather radio channels during theemergency and follow the guidanceof your local officials.
Don’t forget about the Red CrossSafe and Well web site, an easy wayto notify loved ones of your well-being. You can sign up on the web-site or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS(1-800-733-2767). Friends and fami-ly can then search for your messageby using your phone number or com-plete address.
You can help people affected bydisasters, like the hurricanes and wild-fires, by donating to the AmericanRed Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Onthose rare occasions when donationsexceed Red Cross expenses for a spe-cific disaster, contributions are usedto prepare for and serve victims ofother disasters. Your gift enables theRed Cross to provide shelter, food,emotional support and other assis-tance to victims of all disasters. Youmay also call 1-800-RED-CROSS(1-800-733-2767) or 1-800-257-7575(Spanish) or mail your donation, tothe American Red Cross, P.O. Box37243, Washington, DC 20013.
Weekly REPORTER August 20 - August 26, 2009 - 6In General
How toavoid fake
check scams
(ARA) - You open your mail andto your surprise there is a check for$4,000 claiming you won a sweep-stakes. Boy that money sure willcome in handy right now. But wait,there's a catch.
You've been instructed to wire aportion of the check to cover the taxes.You deposit the check and, after acouple of days, the bank gives youaccess to the money. A few weeksafter wiring the money to supposedlycover the taxes, you learn that thecheck was counterfeit. Not only areyou responsible for paying the moneyback to the bank, you may never beable to recover it from the criminal.
"This is just one of many waysthat fake check scams work and sav-vy criminals are pursuing these typesof crimes more frequently," says De-nise Jaworski of Western Union, aleader in money transfer services.
"There is a misconception that whenyou deposit a check or money order,the bank confirms that it is good be-fore allowing you to withdraw themoney. This is an incorrect assump-tion and one that clever scammers aretaking advantage of."
ccording to the National Consum-er's League's (NCL) Fraud Center,Fake check scams are the No. 1 typeof reported fraud. These scams ac-count for more than 40 percent of thecomplaints received by the NCL in2008. According to Jaworski, thesescams seem to be increasing through-out the financial services industry.
A telephone survey by the Con-sumer Federation of America, a non-profit association of more than 280pro-consumer groups, found the mostcommon fake check scams are thoseinvolving lotteries (66 percent),grants (36 percent) and work-at-homeopportunities (35 percent).
"Unfortunately with tough eco-nomic times, people are even morevulnerable to phony claims of suddenriches or ways to make money," saysJaworski. "Western Union takes stepsto help prevent these types of crimes,but the public is the first and best lineof defense against fraud. Always beskeptical."
Western Union and other con-cerned businesses have teamed withthe Consumer Federation of Americato help educate people about whatfake check scams are and how toavoid becoming a victim. Here areseven tips for avoiding fake checkscams:
1. When faced with an offer thatsounds too good to be true, take amoment to ask yourself a few simplequestions:
* Who is this person?
* Does this money really have tobe sent immediately?
* If you received a lottery check,did you actually sign up for thesweepstakes?
2. Never agree to pay to claim aprize. No legitimate sweepstakes orlottery would ever send you a checkor money order and ask you to sendpayment in return. If you really won,you would pay taxes directly to thegovernment.
3. Never agree to pay for grantsfrom the government or foundations.They don't offer money to people un-expectedly or charge to get it. Mostgrants go to organizations, not indi-viduals, and require a lengthy andextensive application process.
4. Never agree to cash checks andsend the money somewhere as part ofa job working from home. That is nothow legitimate employers operate.
5. Never agree to wire money toanyone you have not met in person orknown for a long time.
6. If it seems suspicious, get ad-vice. Consult your state or local con-sumer protection agency, the FederalTrade Commission, the Postal Inspec-tion Service, or another trusted source.
7. Remember that there is no le-gitimate reason why anyone whowants to give you a check or moneyorder for something would ever askyou to send money anywhere in re-turn.
Go to www.westernunion.com tolearn more about how to protect your-self from fake check scams.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
IF IT SOUNDS TOOGOOD TO BE TRUE
IT PROBABLY IS
CHICAGO—AChicago man was in-dicted on federalcharges for allegedlyproviding false infor-
mation about possible terrorism activ-ity to the FBI, causing agents toaggressively investigate the informa-tion before determining that it was ahoax. The defendant, Uzair Ali Hash-mi, was indicted on three felonycounts of making false statements toFBI agents. The charges were an-nounced today by Patrick J. Fitzger-ald, United States Attorney for theNorthen District of Illinois, and Rob-ert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of theFederal Bureau of Investigation.
Hashmi, 20,of the city’s far northside, is scheduled to be arraigned at
10 a.m. on Aug. 19 before JudgeMilton Shadur in U.S. District Court.He was charged in an indictment re-turned Wednesday by a federal grandjury.
“We take very seriously any alle-gation of terrorism activity and wewill aggressively investigate everylead. But, while we want to encour-age people to report genuinely suspi-cious activity, we also will seek toprosecute anyone who deliberatelyprovides false information that di-verts agents and resources from otherimportant matters,” Mr. Grant said.
According to the indictment, onJuly 28, Hashmi first lied to FBIagents when he told them that he hadbeen approached the day before by anindividual who asked him whether hecarried a firearm and was proficientwith firearms; asked him his opinionabout “homegrown jihad” in the Unit-ed States; suggested that he join in
“God’s military;” and asked himwhether he was familiar with down-town Chicago. Hashmi allegedly
knew that the individual had made nosuch statements.
The next day, on July 29, Hashmiallegedly lied again to agents to whenhe told them that a second individualhad approached him and said that in afew minutes Hashmi would findsomething near the trash cans in thealley behind his home. Again, Hash-mi allegedly knew that this individualhad made no such statements. Hash-mi allegedly made additional falsestatements the same day when heprovided FBI agents with a fabricatedletter, purportedly prepared by anoth-er individual and directed to Hashmi,which contained the following state-ments:
“[Y]ou are the exact person wehave been looking for.”
“Our job here is to carry out ‘themission’ of giving the nonbelieverswhat they deserve.”
“You seem to have the drive it willtake to inflict damage to where it willhurt most. This is your calling toJihad my brother. You have a keyroles in our Operation.”
“We ... do not have much time tillour operation in completed.”
“We will be in touch with yousoon.”
All of the information that Hash-mi provided to agents was exhaustive-ly probed by the Chicago JointTerrorism Task Force, which laterdetermined that it was all a hoax,officials said.
If convicted, each count of mak-ing false statements carries a maxi-mum penalty of eight years in prisonand a $250,000 fine. The Court, how-ever, would determine the appropri-ate sentence to be imposed under theadvisory United States SentencingGuidelines.
The government is being repre-sented by Assistant U.S. AttorneyMarc Krickbaum.
The public is reminded that anindictment contains only charges andis not evidence of guilt. The defen-dant is presumed innocent and is enti-tled to a fair trial at which thegovernment has the burden of prov-ing guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Chicago Man InductedFor Lying To FBIAbout Terrorism
Weekly REPORTER August 20 - August 26, 2009 - 7SCHOOL DAYS
Tween and teen fashion trendsmake back-to-school fun and
affordable(ARA) - This year's back-to-
school clothing trends are all aboutexpressing individual personality.Just as music allows the listener toexpress themselves, fashion is a wayfor tweens and teens to let their truepersonality shine through.
Actress and singer Selena Gomezhas teamed up with Sears to sharetoday's hottest back-to-school teentrends. Here's what the coolest kids inschool will be wearing this year:
Trend 1 - Be inspired by music"For me, music and fashion are
two ways I really get to express my-self," says Gomez. Like many tweensand teens, the music she likes hasbecome a huge influence on her tastein fashion. From rock to rap styles,this year will be the year of music-inspired clothing.
For example, skate-style outfitswill feature bold colors and geomet-ric patterns. Rocker styles are edgyand use dark or muted colors. Hip-hop styles have lots of flare and fea-ture accessories such as cool hats andbelts. Pop-styles tend to be trendy andmix and match lots of dressy ele-ments with casual pieces.
Trend 2 - Accessorize!
Accessories are an easy and af-fordable way to transform any outfitand make it more unique and your
own. For girls, thiscould include neck-laces, bracelets,scarves and fun col-ored socks. Forboys, watches, sun-glasses and shoestop the list.
"Unique acces-sories are alsogreat because theycan add so much toan outfit and dressit up or create atotally differentstyle," says Gomez.
Trend 3 - Mixand match for stylesuccess
Get the mostout of your back-to-school ward-robe. Considernew combinations,interesting patterns
and mixing textures to find a stylethat is uniquely you.
Gomez suggests, "Try to mix upyour wardrobe with a combination oftrendy items as well those that areclassic. For instance, everyone needsa great pair of skinny jeans that youcan wear with anything, but look forunique pieces such as a cool jacket,vest or scarf that are perfect for back-to-school this year and really dress upyour look."
Trend 4 - Make your style yourown
The golden rule of tween and teenfashion this year is to make your styleall about you. "It's so important foreveryone, especially tweens andteens, to have their own sense of style.Even if that style is constantly chang-ing, it's an outlet for us to tell theworld who we are and what we like,"says Gomez.
She suggests trying new thingsand creating a different look each day.The key is to find a style that givesyou the confidence to walk in a roomand feel really good about yourself.
"What's great is that Sears has all thetop fashions to choose from and sinceit's so affordable, you can always getthe hottest new items and try a varietyof looks," says Gomez.
Do you have a fashion sense thatstands out? Is music part of yourunique personality? Visitwww.Arrivelounge.com to view allthe hot new fashion trends and checkout the Sears Air Band Casting Call.You'll also have a chance to help stylethe band, pick a name, design a logoand more. The winner will get greatprizes like a Sears back-to-schoolwardrobe.
Education Matters
School Goes Virtual WithOnline Public Schools(ARA) - More children are log-
ging on instead of getting on the busthis back-to-school season. The econ-
omy, technological advances and par-ent demand for high quality publiceducation alternatives have a recordnumber of kindergarten through 12thgrade students enrolling in virtualpublic schools for the 2009-2010school year.
About 1 million children are learn-ing online, and their ranks grow byabout 30 percent each year, accordingto research by Evergreen Consulting.Currently, 44 states have significantsupplemental online learning pro-grams, or significant full-time pro-grams, in which students take most orall of their courses online.
"One reason families are turning tofree, full-time virtual public schools isthat parents desire a more personal-ized public education for their chil-dren, where students' studies aretailored to their abilities and interests,and they are empowered to work attheir own pace," says Dr. Steven Gut-tentag, senior vice president and chiefeducation officer for ConnectionsAcademy, a leading online publicschool. "These schools are a greatpublic school alternative for studentswho just aren't thriving in a traditional'bricks and mortar' classroom setting."
The desire for a customized learn-ing experience prompted the Trangfamily of Portland, Ore., to enroll two
children in a full-time virtual publicschool. Both students are musiciansand academically gifted, and weren'tfeeling challenged in their local pub-lic school. Parents Timothy and ThuHa enrolled their children in a virtualpublic school, where they could doadvanced-level work. Mom, an ac-countant, even gave up her full-timejob to serve as the kids' on-site
"learning coach" in their virtual school.The tough economy is another
reason some families turn to free vir-tual public schools. The Ridenourfamily of Ohio used to have its kidsenrolled in a private school, but thechildren are now students at a freevirtual public school. Mom MaryAnne says her primary motive forswitching the kids was finding a highquality educational alternative for herchildren.
However, she notes that an addedbenefit is the monetary savings. Byeliminating expenses on everythingfrom tuition and uniforms to medicalbills - the kids don't get sick as much
since they're not exposed to typicalclassroom germs - the family hassaved "$7,000 to $10,000 a year perchild by switching to the free virtualschool," Ridenour says.
In most full-time virtual publicschool programs that kids attend fromhome, families get tremendous flexi-bility in when and where school takesplace, flexibility that helps them meetjob and family needs. So children reapthe benefits of a high-quality publiceducation and important time withparents, and working parents don'thave to choose between seeing theirkids, or seeing them off to school.
Parents who are required to travelfor work can share unique opportuni-ties instead of leaving the family be-hind. And families can enjoysignificant savings on educational ex-penses.
In many states, parents can stillenroll their children in full-time virtu-al public school programs for the com-ing school year. To learn more visitwww.ConnectionsAcademy.com..
Weekly REPORTER August 20 - August 26, 2009 - 8NEWS
Suspect Arrested in“Winnie the Pooh” Robbery
Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of theFederal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)was joined today by Jody P. Weis,Superintendent of the Chicago PoliceDepartment (CPD) and Thomas Dart,Cook County Sheriff, in announcingthe arrest of a Chicago man who isbelieved to be responsible for thearmed robbery of three (3) Chicagoarea banks in the past week.
Michael J. Veysada, age 45,whose last known address was 5541West Byron in Chicago, was arrestedFriday evening by FBI SpecialAgents and Task Force Officers as-signed to the Chicago FBI’s ViolentCrimes Task Force (VCTF) at theByron Street address. VEYSADAwas taken into custody without inci-dent, although the arresting agentsand officers were forced to neutralize
a pit bull that attacked them as theyentered the residence.
Veysada was charged in a crimi-nal complaint filed in U.S. DistrictCourt in Chicago with one count ofArmed Bank Robbery, which is a felo-ny offense. The charge relates to theAugust 12th theft from the MB Finan-cial Bank branch, located at 600 WestPlainfield Road in Countryside. Ac-cording to the complaint, Veysada Isalleged to have entered the Country-side bank around 1:30 p.m., ap-proached a teller, and orally
announced a robbery. Veysada im-plied that he was armed with a hand-gun and threatened the teller withharm, if his demands were not met.After obtaining approximately $1300in cash, Veysada fled the bank onfoot and was not further seen.
Though not charged with any ad-ditional thefts, VEYSADA is also asuspect in the August 7th robbery ofthe Chase Bank branch in Park Ridge
and the August 10th robbery of theBank of America branch, located at5541 North Harlem in Chicago.
No shots were fired and no inju-ries were reported during any of therobberies. The three robberies wereinvestigated jointly by the ChicagoFBI and Detectives from the ParkRidge and Countryside Police Depart-ments.
FBI Agents and Task Force Offi-cers were led to Veysada and theByron Street address, following a tipfrom a member of the public who hadseen media reports about the August7th theft, where the robber was wear-ing a “Winnie the Pooh” sweatshirt.The tipster identified Veysada as therobber and also provided informationas to his current whereabouts. Subse-quent investigation by the FBI led tothe charges that were announced to-day.
Veysada appeared before U.S.Magistrate Judge Michael T. Mason,earlier today, at which time he wasformally charged. VEYSADA wasordered held without bond, pendinghis next court appearance, which isscheduled for August 25th at 10:00a.m. Until then, Veysada will behoused at the Metropolitan Correc-tional Center (MCC) in Chicago. Ifconvicted of the charge filed againsthim, Veysada faces a possible sen-tence of up to 20 years incarceration.
The Chicago FBI’s ViolentCrimes Task Force is comprised ofFBI Special Agents, Detectives fromthe Chicago Police Department andInvestigators from the Cook CountySheriff’s Office.
The public is reminded that a com-plaint is not evidence of guilt and thatall defendants in a criminal case arepresumed innocent until provenguilty in a court of law.
Harding Avenue in the north sub-urb, has been the subject of a na-tionwide manhunt coordinated bythe Chicago FBI since Septemberof 1999, when he was charged in acriminal complaint filed in U.S.District Court in Chicago with Un-lawful Flight to Avoid Confine-ment, which is a felony offense.
According to the complaint,Cadavid was part of a drug-traf-ficking organization centered inthe north suburbs of Chicago,which distributed illicit drugsthroughout northern Illinois andsoutheastern Wisconsin. Given hisrelatively minor role in the opera-tion, Cadavid was charged in statecourt with delivery of a controlledsubstance, which is a Class X felo-ny. Cadavid pled guilty to the drugcharge and was released on bond,pending sentencing. However, Ca-david failed to appear for his sen-tencing hearing in Lake CountyCircuit Court on December 1,1997, and his whereabouts remainunknown.
Cadavid was one of ten mem-bers of this illicit operation whowere charged in connection withthis investigation and is the onlydefendant in the case who is stillat-large. Cadavid still has rela-tives in and around the City ofWaukegan and in southeasternWisconsin.
Cadavid, who is a Columbiannational, is described as a Hispan-ic male, date of birth January 9,1958, 5’ 6” tall, stocky build,with black hair, brown eyes andwas last known to be wearing athin mustache. Although Cadavidhas no prior criminal history, giv-en the size and scope of the drugoperation and its inherent violentnature, Cadavid should be consid-ered Armed and Dangerous.
Anyone recognizing Cadavidor having any information abouthis current whereabouts is askedto call either the Chicago FBI at(312) 421-6700 or any law en-forcement agency.
FBI HUNTSDRUG
FUGITIVERobert D. Grant, Special
Agent-in-Charge of the Chicagooffice of the Federal Bureau ofInvestigation (FBI) is asking forthe public’s help in locating a for-mer resident of Waukegan, who iswanted for violation of state druglaws.
Cesar A. Cadavid, age 51,whose last known address was 111
You Drink You Drive You lose
Weekly REPORTER August 20 - August 26, 2009 - 9OTHER NEWS
Security Camera photo
Security Camera photo
HCAN andAFSCME
Launch AdAgainst
CongressmanKirk
Chicago, IL - As PresidentObama and Democrats in Con-gress continue to speak to the
country about achieving compre-hensive health insurance reform,Illinois Health Care for AmericaNow ( HCAN IL ) and the Ameri-can Federation of State, County
and Municipal Employees(AFSCME) have launched a newad targeting Congressman Kirk.The ad points out that while hehas a guarantee of good health
care as a member of Congress, theRepublican opposes legislation
that would lower costs for Ameri-ca ’s families and business and
stop insurance company abuses.At the same time, has taken 1.5
million dollars in campaign contri-butions from the health care indus-
try. “Shoes” is part of a larger
$650,000 television advertising cam-paign targeting Republican leadershipin the House and Senate and sevenadditional Republican members ofCongress. The ad airs for five days inIllinois ’ 10th Congressional Districtand five other Congressional districts
represented by RepublicanHouse members who havevoted or spoken outagainst health care reform.A national version of
“Shoes” targets House Re-publican Leader JohnBoehner, House Republi-can Whip Eric Cantor, Sen-ate Minority LeaderMitchell McConnell, andSenate Republican WhipJohn Kyl. Other state anddistrict versions of the adtarget Republican SenatorRichard Burr (R-NC) andRepresentatives DaveCamp (MI-04), PatrickTiberi (OH-12), ThaddeusMcCotter (MI-11), DaveReichert (WA-08), andJohn Boehner (OH-08).
The Boehner ad is paid for by HCANand HCAN Steering Committee mem-ber United Food and CommercialWorkers (UFCW).
“These Republicans on CapitolHill are working for the insuranceindustry, not the American people,”said AFSCME International Presi-dent Gerald W. McEntee. “They areputting profits ahead of people, andthe voters need to know it. Congresshas to make real reform happen –Americans can’t wait for reform that
guarantees quality, affordable healthcare for all.”
“It’s shameful that CongressmanKirk, who doesn’t have to worryabout being able to see a doctor whenhe gets sick, would stand in the wayof making sure every family and ev-ery business in Illinois has the sameguarantee of quality, affordable care,”said David Borris, small businessowner from Deerfield. “Is his opposi-tion to health insurance reform moti-vated by the millions of dollars incampaign contributions he's takenfrom the health care industry?”
HCAN is the nation's largesthealth care campaign and has beenmobilized nationwide since July 8,2008 to win a guarantee of quality,affordable health care for all in 2009.The 1.6 million-member AFSCME,one of the leading members ofHCAN, represents public serviceworkers in hundreds of different occu-pations across the country.
AFSCME has launched an un-precedented $6 million Make Ameri-ca Happen campaign which includesa The Highway to Health Care Re-form RV tour crisscrossing the nationto mobilize voters, ads, canvassing,phone calls, online activities and thedeployment of dozens of campaignfield organizers to key states in sup-port of President Obama’s efforts towin real health care reform this year.
JOLIET – For more than threedecades, the Will County HealthDepartment has partnered with theSenior Services Center of WillCounty to provide an annual seriesof walk-in community flu shotclinics designed specifically forpersons 18 years and older.
The 2009 clinic series will im-munize area residents against sea-sonal influenza, not the novelH1N1 Swine Flu. A vaccine for thenovel H1N1 Swine Flu virus is stillundergoing clinical trials and willnot be available until later thisyear.
In the meantime, local, stateand federal health officials are urg-ing that Americans consult theirhealth care providers regardingthe advisability of a seasonal flushot. The National Centers for Dis-ease Control and Prevention(CDC) estimates that at least 85percent of all Americans wouldderive significant benefit from an
annual dose of seasonal flu vac-cine.
The 2009 Will County clinicseries features two walk-in com-munity events in Joliet. Clinicswill also be available in Frankfort,Lockport, New Lenox, Plainfield,
Romeoville, and Wilmington.For a prerecorded list of
2009 seasonal flu shot clinics,telephone 815-740-7632. Cliniclocations and times are also avail-able at www.willcountyhealth.org.You may also telephone specific
questions to 815-740-8143 duringregular weekly business hours.
Seasonal influenza is estimat-ed to impact approximately a quar-ter of the U.S. population annually.Complications resulting from sea-sonal influenza produce approxi-mately 250,000 U.S.hospitalizations and 36,000 fatali-ties every year. Unlike the novelH1N1 Swine Flu, seasonal influen-za most often impacts persons 65years and older.
Other population groups alsoface an increased risk from season-al influenza complications, includ-ing pregnant women and personswith underlying chronic medicalconditions. Persons with sup-pressed immunity and residents oflong-term care facilities may alsoface special seasonal flu risks.
The annual supply of influenzavaccine and the timing of its distri-bution can not be guaranteed inany year. During the 2008-2009
influenza season, 113 million dos-es of influenza vaccine were dis-tributed in the U.S.Approximately 130 million dosesof seasonal influenza vaccine areexpected to be distributed for2009-2010.
While a flu shot remains thebest way to protect yourselfagainst seasonal influenza, fre-quent hand washing with soap andwarm water can also help to pre-vent disease transmission. Personsare also urged to cover theircoughs with a tissue (not their barehands), and to stay at home whennot feeling well.
For more information aboutinfluenza, visit www.cdc.gov/flu.For general information about sea-sonal flu, or the novel H1N1 fluvirus, telephone the HealthDepartment’s Immunization Infor-mation Line at 815-774-7360.
Will County Seasonal Flu Clinics Set
* * * * *
Weekly REPORTER August 13 - August 19, 2009 - 10Somethin's Cookin'
(ARA) - Hot dogs, hamburgers and pork ribs aren't the healthiest eats inthe bunch, especially if getting fit for the summertime is a priority. You won'thave to compromise these good ol' grilling favorites at your next barbecue iflighter substitutions are made elsewhere.
"Incorporating healthy, flavorful side dishes is key when you're servingcopious amounts of barbecued meat," says Chef Steven M. Simpson, Culi-nary Director at The International Culinary School at The Art Institute ofMichigan. "What I like to do is take an old favorite like coleslaw that'stypically drenched in a mayonnaise dressing and modify it to create a light,refreshing alternative." For example, Simpson makes an Asian-inspired cole-slaw with several kinds of Chinese cabbages, oranges, carrots and red onionwith a light dressing of orange juice, ginger and a dash of canola oil.
He also advises keeping different types of oils and vinegars on tap tomake vinaigrettes, which serve as a good substitute for the heavier cream andmayonnaise dressings typically found in pasta and potato salads.
Another tip is to experiment with salad greens. "You can liven up ahumdrum salad by switching out your standard iceberg or romaine lettucewith chicory, dandelion greens, Belgian endive, Bibb lettuce, watercress orarugula," Simpson says. "Not only are these darker greens more flavorful, butthey also tend to be much higher in vitamins and minerals."
An advocate for homegrown foods and spices, Simpson utilizes herbs andvarious vegetables like lettuce, zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans andchili peppers from his own backyard. "When planting a garden, choose foodsthat you eat frequently and enjoy because if all goes well, you'll have anabundance of them."
If gardening isn't your cup of tea, then Simpson suggests buying produceand meats from your local farmers market, as it's the next best thing.
Grilling fresh meats and produce isn't just for special occasions. Accord-ing to the Propane Education & Research Council, 63 percent of parents saythat barbecuing or grilling outdoors is the most fun way for a family to eatdinner together during the summer months. And facilitating family bondingisn't the only benefit. Cooking on a grill can help food retain nutritional valueif cooked properly.
Simpson cooks almost everything on the grill -- potatoes, summer squash,zucchini, sweet potatoes, greens, salmon and eggplant, just to name a few.
"Aside from oil, salt and pepper, I don't do too much to the foods I grill. It's aflavorful and simple way to preserve the integrity of the organic products,whether bought or homegrown," he says.
"The beauty of eating in the summertime is that there is so much varietyto choose from. My best advice is to keep it simple, refreshing and light, andenjoy the natural flavors of the food just as they are," he adds.
To see what else is "cooking" at The Art Institutes system of schoolscheck out www.artinstitutes.edu/nz.
Asian Coleslaw
Recipe courtesy of chef Steven M. Simpson, culinary director at theInternational Culinary School at the Art Institute of Michigan
Yields 6 cups
Serving Size 3/4 cup
8 Servings
Ingredients:
2 cups Napa cabbage,shredded2 cups bok choy, baby bok choy, Savoy or other cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup red cabbage, shredded1 carrot, julienned1 red bell pepper, julienned1/4 cup red onion, julienned1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice1 teaspoon freshly grated gingerRice vinegar (unseasoned) to taste1/4 cup canola, sunflower or soybean oil2 tablespoons toasted sesame oilSalt and pepper to taste2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
12-15 orange, grapefruit or tangerine segments (can substitute cannedmandarin oranges)
Preparation:
1. Combine cabbages, carrot, red pepper and red onion into a largemixing bowl and toss together.
2. In a separate bowl whisk orange juice, canola and sesame oils together.This is a broken vinaigrette so it will need to be whisked immediately prior todressing the coleslaw.
3. Add salt and pepper to dressing and taste. If you would like a more tartdressing you can add rice vinegar to adjust the acidity.
4. Combine 2/3 of the dressing with the slaw mixture. You just want tocoat the cabbage; it will release some moisture as it sits. If needed, add theremaining dressing.
5. Check the seasoning again and transfer the coleslaw to the serving dish.6. Garnish with the citrus segments and toasted sesame seeds.
Somethin’s Cookin’
Weekly REPORTER August 13 - August 19, 2009 - 11Your Life
(ARA) - Jerry and Judi Wilkersonlove their bulldog, Lulu Bell - somuch so that they decided to set up apet trust.
"My parents have passed away,and I don't have a lot of family, so wewanted to make sure Lulu Bell wastaken care of no matter what hap-pened," explained Jerry. "It actuallyrelieved a lot of stress. At least weknow we have set aside a little bit ofmoney, some instructions and there isa person willing to take care ofher."
Many pet owners assumethat they will outlive their be-loved pets, but that isn't alwaysthe case. Unfortunately, whenanimals get left behind, theysometimes wind up in a localhumane society where theycould be euthanized. A pet trustensures the animal will contin-ue to receive care and housingeven after the death of the pet'shuman companion.
The Wilkerson's pet trustincludes about $2,000, simpleinstructions for care, and en-trusts the animal to a cousinwho already loves Lulu. Themoney is primarily to help cov-er any large expenses that Lulu mightincur, like veterinary bills, after theWilkerson's deaths.
"It's interesting to note that veryfew states allowed pet trusts until1990. Since then the concept has real-
ly taken off, and now more than 42states allow pet trusts, including threestates that passed legislation in 2009.I wouldn't be surprised if they wereallowed in all 50 states ultimately,"says Adrian Hochstadt, assistant di-rector of State Legislative and Regu-latory Affairs at the AmericanVeterinary Medical Association(AVMA).
"Today, pet trusts are still relative-
ly unusual in practice - most peoplechoose to will a pet to a trusted fami-ly member," he says. "Pet trusts areone of the fastest growing segmentsof animal law today."
Pet trusts can vary according to aperson's needs, and most pet trust lawsallow people to will a certain amountof money toward the care of their petafter they are gone.
Missouri was one of the first statesto have pet trusts. Gregory Dennis, anattorney in Missouri, says that the statehas allowed pet trusts in some formsince 1973.
Dennis advises that veterinariansshould be made aware of trusts whenthey treat an animal. If a pet is coveredby a trust, it's the trust that will likelybe paying the bill and the trust alsomay stipulate what kind of veterinarycare the animal should receive.
Dennis also notes that bequeststhat haven't been carefully drafted and,for example, leave exorbitant sums ofmoney to a dog or cat, could be subjectto legal challenges. People may arguethat excessively large trusts are a signa person was not mentally competentat the time the trust was drafted.
"Many state's pet trust laws includeprovisions that allows the courts toreduce a pet trust to a reasonableamount if it's excessive," says LinscottR. Hansen, an Illinois attorney whohelped draft the Illinois pet trust law,which passed in 2004. "I advise peopleinterested in setting up a pet trust toput into a trust just what the pet needs,and that's enough."
Hanson explains that pet trust actsallow people to create a trustee to over-see funds and another to care for theanimal, which is a good way to helpensure the proper care of the animal.Dennis adds it may be a good idea toinclude a clause requiring two veteri-narians to separately determine whena pet covered by a trust should beeuthanized, and perhaps leave any re-maining funds in a trust to a charityafter the pet's death.
Michael Cathey, head of the Amer-ican Veterinary Medical Foundation(AVMF), said that his charitable orga-nization does receive bequests fromanimal lovers who want a part of theirestate to go toward protecting andtreating pets. The AVMF funds disas-ter response efforts for pets, veterinaryscholarships and animal health studies,and donors can and do bequest theirdonations to specific programs. Forexample, if a dog owner lost a dog tocancer, they may elect to bequest somemoney to the AVMF to go towardanimal health studies, Cathey explains.
"A donor's wishes are always hon-ored as long as those wishes fit in wellwith one of our programs," Catheysays. "If we accept a gift, we will putthat money toward whatever programthe donor has requested. We're reallytrying to help people understand thatthis option is available to them."
Plainfield DemocratsAssist Local Food
Pantry
Local political organizations notonly work to elect candidates to of-fice, but work to better their commu-nity through sharing and involvement.
This effort was demonstrated bythe Plainfield Township DemocraticOrganization where on July 23rd,members of the local group presenteda check to assist the Plainfield Inter-faith Food Pantry.
After the presentation, the groupwas given a tour of the facility by thePlainfield Interfaith Food Pantry Di-rector Mary Dickerson where she ex-plained how the pantry works toenhance the lives of Plainfield’s lessfortunate.
PTDO Vice-Chairperson ElaineBice provided the inspirational leader-ship in the movement to have thelocal Democratic Organization directa portion of their resources to help thelocal charity.
It should be noted, an associatedarticle appeared in Triblocal*, whereElaine Bice was interviewed high-lighting her ongoing work assistingother local charities.
PTDO Chairman, Anthony How-ard praised Elaine for her work.
“Two key organizational direc-tives are to do more for our communi-ty through our fundraising efforts andcontribute our time to worthy causesthrough volunteerism. Elaine Bice isa shining example of this. We nowhave the means to direct some of ourfunding to the community in additionto helping politicians”, expressedChairman Howard; and he added
“this is not just an individual effort,but a group directive to give back tothe community though committed in-volvement in local initiatives devel-oped by the Plainfield TownshipDemocratic Organization’s Leader-ship and membership team”.
Not only have the Plainfield Dem-ocrats been helping in their own com-munity, but the group has extendedtheir assistance to other groups intheir humanitarian work.
“Plainfield Democrats last Marchparticipated in a spaghetti dinnerfundraiser and food drive which washeld at the IBEW Local #461 Hall inAurora, which was the collaborativeeffort of Labor Unions and politicalleaders in the area, including Plain-field Democrats, where much needed
Continued on page 15
Weekly REPORTER August 20 - August 26, 2009 - 12A Different Life
dope. How do you figure that? Righthere in one of the toughest joints incountry, buried with big sentences, thejunkies are still trying to get high!They aren’t trying to find a way to getout, no they only think about gettinghigh.
If they can’t get dope they’ll settlefor anything that gives them a buzz.Maybe it’s some jailhouse hootch.Never heard of it? It’s homemadebooze some guys make right in theircells. Yeah, right in their cells. Someguys have made it in big plastic bags.They get fruit and put it in the bag withsugar and yeast that they smuggle outof the kitchen thru a cook.
They run the risk of getting caughtin a shakedown, but they got that fig-ured most of the time. Unless you’ref---king-up they ain’t going to shakeyou down only once in a while. So ifyou just stood a shakedown you don’thave to worry for a while.
So I look at them. They’re helpingme but they don’t know it. They’regiving me more reasons to read andreasons to write more and to hate thisf---king sewer more. They don’t knowit but they’re helping me walk out ofLewisburg.
By now the list of cases that sup-port me is growing. I know I’m rightand now I have to convince my lawyerthat I’m right and he has to listen to me.
My mind goes back to BruceLee’s book again. I remember that,when the other guy strikes he’s openand that’s when you get him causehe’s exposed. I’m feeling pretty goodnow. I’m using their own tools now.They struck now I’m striking back.I’m striking back with what they gaveme—my knowledge of how to read,how to think, how to use my brain—my unpolluted brain.
My lawyer is ready to talk to meagain. He thinks I’m laying it all on theline for nothing cause he’s sure we gota loser, but he wants to talk to me.Only now he has something else on hismind. Now he wants something inwriting to protect him. He will do itmy way. He will use all the stuff Ilearned from reading, reading, readingand more reading—but there’s acatch—I have to sign a paper sayinghe told me not to do it. He thinks I’mcrazy, that I’m blowing it.
But I made my mind up to do whatI think—because I’m still able to think.
“You have to get one thingstraight. My lawyer’s no dummy.He a sharp guy, but in his headhe’s convinced that I don’t knowwhat I’m talking about. Okay, sobe realistic, why should he? I’mnot a lawyer, I’m some guy whomade millions of dollars selling,drugs, got caught, had all that
money, and cars and propertytaken away, and then was sent toLewisburg Federal Prison for 45years.
Why should he even start to be-lieve that I can sit in this rotten hell-hole of a place and learn enough lawto get back in court? Well, he over-looked one thing. He overlooked thepower to read; he overlooked thepower to have a brain to think with.
Remember, when I was ped-dling all those drugs out there I wasalways smart enough not use themmyself. I knew what they do to yourbrain. Lucky for me too, becausenow, with those 45 f---king years onmy back I need my brain to get meout of this.
I look around me and what do Isee? I see lots of dummies like theones who used to buy my stuff. Ohno, most of them didn’t start out asdummies—I made them dummieswith the dope they kept doing. Thesame kind of dope that put theseguys in here with me. One bigdifference—I got my brain, theydon’t so I’m using mine to find away out that front door.
Yeah, I look around and what doI see? I see them still breaking theirass to find some way to get more
Continued Next Week
Stories of theTouhys, the
Bangharts, andthe Eddie Darlaks
Can Fool YouThe stories of the old time gang-
sters might seem like just fairy tales,something to entertain you like “TheUntouchables”. While stories andmovies of the gangsters of the twen-ties, thirties, or forties might be enter-taining, in many instances they havebeen based on true events.
That can be deceiving becausethis is not 1927 this is 2009. “Comeon things like that, guys killing eachother and all that other stuff, that’sjust talk, something to strike fear inthe hearts of people—right?”
Wrong. As long as men have beenlocked up they have been killing oneanother. That has not gotten betterwith time—it could be worse nowthan it was in the past.
One of the more famous prisonkillings in Illinois Prison history oc-curred January 28, 1936, when Rich-ard Loeb, famous partner of NathanLeopold in the killing of BobbyFranks a school boy, was stabbed todeath by another inmate
The man who stabbed and killedLoeb, James E. Day, claimed hekilled Loeb in self-defense after Loebmade sexual advances toward him. AJury acquitted Day of Loeb’s murderin the Will County Court.
That was 73 years ago. Now, asrecently as two weeks ago five in-mates were stabbed in the Cook Coun-ty Jail. A spokeswoman for the CookCounty Sheriff’s Department, Britt-ney Blair said the inmates suffered
“cuts and slashes”. “The beat goes on.”Prison destroys a man little by
little, day by day. Every convict whohas been willing to sit for an inter-view agrees to that. Most of them willtell you that whatever soul you havewhen you enter prison will slowlyerode until you leave with little ornone.
Men who enter prison repentantafter feeling the impact of the judge’ssentence, fall victim to the same set ofenvironmental circumstances as the
convicts around them and with whomthey must live day after god-forsakenday.
Family tragedies, deaths, illness-es, accidents, may have a great im-pact upon a prisoner but he must learnto live with them. If he is to maintainany semblance of sanity he has toovercome his sensitivity to humansuffering. In the end he has no roomfor love, for caring, for sharing otherpeople’s pain, he is a shell dominatedby the animalistic desire to surviveand perhaps little more.
Who said so? Men such as CarlCletis Bowles, Edward Darlak, and-James Lewis, the notorious extortion-ist who demanded a million dollarsfrom Johnson & Johnson “to stop thekillings” during the Tylenol poison-ings. Lewis was charged and sen-tenced to prison for extortion, but hewas never charged with the murdersof seven people who died from theTylenol poisonings.
Could a man really lose whatevermodicum of good there might be with-in him? When James Lewis was inter-viewed many years ago regarding the1982 Tylenol poisonings case he wasarticulate, well-mannered, and couldvery easily pass for any other averageman on the street.
Lewis was an accountant, an edu-cated man, who denied any guilt.Lewis was released from prison in1995. He headed to Boston where hewas a partner in a firm known asCyberlewis.
Since his release from prison in1995 he was arrested for rape, murder,and kidnapping. He has served 12years for extortion and 10 years forfraud.
Did prison suck the soul out of aman who was otherwise trying tomake a million dollars off the deathscaused by someone else? Probably noone will ever know for certain, exceptfor James Lewis and he will not likelytell you if he did.
Bowles, Darlak, and Lewis allhad one thing in common; each ofthem spoke articulately, chose theirwords carefully, and was polite whilebeing interviewed; most peoplewould not have guessed that theywere each in his own right considereda terrible criminal.
More next week.
Weekly REPORTER August 13 - August 19, 2009 - 13Your Life
Gang Member Gets Over 10 Years For Bank FraudSACRAMENTO, CA—United States Attorney Lawrence G. Brown
announced today that Charles Barksdale, 28, of Oakland and Sacramento,was sentenced today by United States District Judge Frank C. Damrell Jr. to10 years and 10 months in prison for bank fraud. BARKSDALE pleadedguilty on February 17, 2009. Papers filed with the court indicate that he is amember of the “G-Mob” gang in Sacramento.
This case is the product of investigation by the U.S. Secret Service, theFBI, and police and sheriffs’ departments in several states.
According to Assistant United States Attorney Matthew D. Segal, whoprosecuted the case, the scheme netted between $1 million and $2 million inlosses to 37 financial institutions in late 2007 and early 2008. The schemers,operating from California, sent runners to Alabama, Arizona, California,Illinois, Indiana, Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas to useso-called “prepaid” credit cards for cash advances at banks.
Although the cards only had smallamounts of money available, the runnerswould tell the bank tellers to call a toll-freenumber that was controlled by a co-schemer.The co-schemer would pose as a card servic-es representative, state that there were thou-sands of dollars available on the card, andthen instruct the teller on what buttons topress on the card terminal in order to makethe transaction go through.
The runner would keep a portion of thefunds for his or herself, and would remit aportion of the fraudulently obtained funds,typically half, to Barksdale and others in theSacramento area. Runners sent money byFederal Express, by wire, or by depositing
funds into bank accounts controlled by Barks-dale and others.
On July 7, 2008, Secret Service, FBI, and police investigators executedsearch warrants at multiple locations in Sacramento. At the time, Barksdalewas in Sacramento County Jail on unrelated charges. When he learned of thesearches, he called a woman he knew. On the recorded line, he used codedlanguage to instruct the woman to destroy a computer, withdraw funds froma bank account, and remove expensive merchandise from a residence.
Judge Damrell, in sentencing, said that Barksdale was the “Chairman ofthe Board” in an extensive criminal enterprise, responsible not only forstealing over $1 million, but also for bringing many more people into thescheme. Judge Damrell looked at Barksdale’s extensive record of arrests,which included arrests for violent crimes, and commented that since histeenaged years, “Mr. Barksdale has been an active criminal.”
U.S. Attorney Lawrence G. Brown
Sentences from 30 to 40Years in Prison for Sex
Trafficking
Ring Defendants
WASHINGTON—Five mem-bers of an extended family weresentenced to federal prison lateyesterday, all receiving lengthysentences for their roles in an inter-national sex trafficking ring thatlured young Guatemalan womenand girls to the Los Angeles areaand forced them into prostitution,the Justice Department announced.
The five defendants sentencedtoday—four Guatemalan nationalsand one Mexican national—werefound guilty in February of vari-ous charges, including conspiracy;sex trafficking by force, fraud orcoercion; and importation ofaliens for purposes of prostitution.Gladys Vasquez Valenzuela, 38,was sentenced to 40 years in pris-on; Gabriel Mendez, the Mexicannational, 35, was sentenced to 35years; and the other three defen-dants, Mirna Jeanneth VasquezValenzuela, aka Miriam, 28, Mariade los Angeles Vicente, aka Ange-la, 30, and Maribel RodriquezVasquez, 29, were each sentencedto 30 years in prison.
Evidence showed that the de-fendants intimidated and con-trolled their victims by threateningto beat them and kill their lovedones in Guatemala if they tried toescape. Some defendants alsoused witch doctors to threaten thegirls that a curse would be placedon them and their families if theytried to escape. At least two of thedefendants further restrained thevictims by locking them in at nightand blocking windows and doors.The defendants also used manipu-lation of debts, verbal abuse andpsychological manipulation to re-inforce their control over the vic-tims. The scheme included strictcontrols over the victims’ workschedules and ominous commentsabout consequences that befell the
families of other victims who at-tempted to escape.
The defendants collected theprofits generated by the acts ofprostitution the victims were com-pelled to perform, and maintainedcontrol over the proceeds, keepingtens of thousands of dollars whilethe victims received next to noth-ing.
“The young girls and women inthis case were victimized and ex-ploited in a horrific way, and thesesentences should send a stern mes-sage to all sex traffickers that theycannot escape justice for suchegregious human rights violations,”said Loretta King, Acting Assis-tant Attorney General for the CivilRights Division. “Attorneys in theCivil Rights Division will contin-ue to work with U.S. Attorney'sOffices across the nation to stampout this vicious and intolerablecrime, and to seek significant pris-on sentences for anyone engagingin these despicable acts.”
“In this disturbing case, the de-fendants lured young, uneducatedand impoverished women andgirls to the United States, wherethey were forced to work as prosti-tutes in terrifying conditions,” saidU.S. Attorney Thomas P. O’Brienfor the Central District of Califor-nia. “There were at least 10 vic-tims who were forced intobecoming prostitutes under a vari-ety of threats, as well as actualphysical attacks that includedrapes.”
“These sentences are a sternreminder about the consequencesfacing those involved in the uncon-
Four additional defendantshave pleaded guilty for their rolein the scheme. Flor Morales San-chez was sentenced in May to twoyears in prison; Pablo Bonifaciowas sentenced last November to33 months in prison; AlbertinaVasquez Valenzeula, also knownas Cristina, was sentenced in Feb-ruary to 33 months in prison. Thefinal defendant, Luis VicenteVasquez, is scheduled to be sen-tenced on Thursday.
Five Sentenced For Forcing Guatemalan GirlsTo Work As Prostitutes In L.A.
scionable practice of human traf-ficking,” said Robert Schoch,special agent in charge for theU.S. Immigration and CustomsEnforcement (ICE) Office of In-vestigations in Los Angeles.
“While we can’t erase the suffer-ing these young women experi-enced, by aggressivelyinvestigating and prosecutingthese cases, ICE and the othermembers of the Los Angeles Hu-man Trafficking Task Force areensuring that those involved inschemes like this pay a signifi-cant price for the pain they cause.”
when they assumed that Andy’s en-tire family was outside attempting tohelp them. They were at the frontentrance to the mine where Fatherwas high up on the pile of dirt thatblocked the old mine entrance. Heused the old shovel Grandfatherfound inside the coal car to dig thruthe dirt at the top where it seemed tobe the least dense.
Grandmother had gone back tothe site where she and mother hadprepared their lunch. She returnedwith many sandwiches and cold lem-onade for everyone.
In the meantime, while Fatherdug away at the dirt pile, Mothercontinued to call loudly. She wasjoined by a chorus of calls for “Andy”from Grandmother, Grandfather andKimmy and occasionally even Fatherwhen he would momentarily pause torest.
“Al, take a break. Stop and have asandwich and some lemonade. Youneed the strength son,” Grandmothercalled to him.
Father stopped, drew the back ofhis dirty hand across his forehead,and said, “I’ll just have some lemon-ade for now, Mom. I’ll eat somethinglater.”
Grandmother did not insist. Sheknew how urgently he wanted to findAndy. They all did, including Grand-mother, but she knew it they neededto have something to refresh them.
Mother had wandered from view.No one noticed because they heardher continuing to call out Andy’sname loudly. Suddenly Mother shout-ed but this time to the family,
“Everyone stop! Come here I found anopening!”
As soon as her words reachedFather’s ears he quickly came downfrom where he was digging and ran inthe direction from which her voicehad come. He saw Mother someyards ahead shouting to them andpointing toward what appeared to beanother entrance to the mine.
Kimmy ran as fast as she couldand passed her father and quickly wasat Mother’s side.
“It looks like it could have beenanother entrance to the mine but wecan’t be certain that it isn’t blockedtoo,” Grandfather cautioned. Hewalked briskly toward the dark hole.
“We have to be careful. Don’t anyonego in there until we know that it’s
safe. We could trigger another cave-in just by talking.”
“Hello! Can anyone hear me?”Everyone was thrilled, it was An-
dy calling out to them, but they couldsee nothing thru the dust that contin-ued to waft its way up and out of themine.
“Andy this is Father! Are youokay son?”
For a moment there was onlysilence then Andy called back, “Yes!I’m okay Dad, but it’s hard for me totalk or breath cause the dust is sothick in here. It’s getting better butit’s still terrible in here.”
“Okay Andy. Now listen to me.Can you see the outside? I mean canyou see any outside light from whereyou are?”
“Yes Father, but I guess theground caved in and the light is com-ing from up above us.”
“What do you mean us Andy?Who is with you in there?
“Oh a nice man who has beenhelping me. His name is Hank.”
Father called out to Hank, “I’mAndy’s Father Hank, my names AlAston. Thanks for helping my son.Can you tell if you’re beneath the oldentrance to the mine where it seemsto have caved-in?”
“Now to be honest with ye Mr.Aston, I really don’t know.” Hankstopped talking. He could be heardcoughing loudly. “I think we’re goingto need a rope to get ourselves out ofhere Sir.”
“That’s fine, we have two stoutropes, and depending how far downyou are, they should be enough toreach you. I’m going to slowly makemy way into the old entrance to see ifI can get close to you. I’ll shine myflashlight down there and if Andy hasa light have him shine it toward me sowe can find one another.”
Continued next week.
Dear Lindsey:There’s this guy who hangs out with us. When I met him we sort of liked eachother and we went out a few times. Now we don’t go out but we hang out atMcDonalds. I don’t want to tell you his name because then he’ll know I wrotethe letter. When he sees me and my friends sitting in a booth he comes in andhe says “How about buying me a coke? Or he’ll ask me to get him ahamburger. He always says “I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.” Yeah likewhen is tomorrow.?By now I bet he owes me $15. Lindsey I really can’tafford to keep buying him stuff. I barely have enough to treat myself. I don’twant to make an issue of it in front of our friends but I just can’t keep givinghim money that he doesn’t pay back. What should I do.
Dear What Should I do:The first thing you should do is to stop giving him any money. The secondthing you should do is to pull him to the side and ask him when he’s going tostart repaying you the money he has borrowed. It seems clear that he knowsyou don’t want to say no so he keeps sponging off you and believe me he willcontinue to talk you out of drinks and burgers as long as he can. The next timehe asks, speak up and say, “Sorry I don’t have any extra money to lend.”After you have done that, make certain that you talk to him privately and tellhim you expect him to repay the money he borrowed in the past. You’ll behelping yourself and you might help him break a bad habit. If he continues toget away with using people as he is using you, he will grow up that way andhe will develop a very serious character defect.
Here’s a reader with a similar problem.
Dear Lindsey:I’ve been hanging out at a sports bar for about a year and a half. I have madea lot of friends my own age there. I usually sit at the bar with a couple of mygirlfriends. There’s a ton of guys in there but they spend their time playinggames or getting really involved with the TVs. Here’s my problem; there’sthis nice guy I know from there who is always friendly. He’s married but hespends a lot of time at the sports bar. He must wait and watch my glassbecause when I finish it and I’m ready to ask for another, he comes by me totalk and when the girl comes to get my glass and she says, “Same way?” hepops up and says, “Uh, make that two.” Then the he engages me in aconversation and when the drinks come, the girl automatically takes mymoney on the bar to pay for the drinks. He just goes on talking and sips hisdrink (that I paid for) and then wanders off back to his buddies. I’ve watchedand he does the same with a couple of other girls in there. How can I stop him?
Dear How Can I Stop Him?I had no idea there are so many deadbeats running around .It’s obvious hiswife might let him go to the bar but she isn’t buying him any drinks so whyshould you or anyone else—he’s not your husband! The next time Mr.Conman tries to pull that stunt speak-up, and say, “Oh his drink is separatebut I’m paying for mine. That way you put him on the hook for his own drinkand you are making it sound like you just don’t want him to pay for yours.That should put a permanent end to it. You might tip off the others.
HaVE A PROBLEM?Why Not Ask Lindsey? All letters areConfidential. You must include your
name and a valid telephone number. Includeyour email if you want a written answer.
Weekly REPORTER August 13 - August 19, 2009 - 15Your Life
Assessor Paul Ruff
State Commission of Investiga-tion; the Orange County, NewYork District Attorney's Office;the Westchester County, NewYork District Attorney's Office;the New York State Police; theNew York City Office of the ChiefMedical Examiner; the New YorkPolice Department; the UnitedStates Bureau of Prisons; the Mor-ris County, New Jersey Prosecu-tor's Office; and the RockawayTownship, New Jersey Police De-partment for their contributions.
This case is being prosecutedby the Office's Organized CrimeUnit. Assistant United States At-torneys Elie Honigand Lisa Zorn-berg are are prosecuting the case.
United States Attorney PREETBHARARA stated, "This convic-tion and the life sentence imposedtoday on Angelo Prisco puts anend to his decades-long career as aleader of the Genovese OrganizedCrime Family—one marked byviolence and intimidation. Today'ssentence, and the dismantling ofthe defendant's mafia crew, servesas a reminder that those whopledge themselves to a life ofcrime will pay a high price in theend."
Mr. BHARARA praised thework of the FBI; the New Jersey
funds and food items were collectedand donated to the Kendall CountyFood Pantry, Aurora Area InterfaithFood Pantry and Peoples ResourceCenter in Wheaton. Also, last Decem-ber, our organization also assisted theWill County Democrats in a fooddrive to help the less fortunate”, add-ed Vice-Chairperson Bice.
For more information on thePlainfield Township Democratic Or-ganization, please go to their websiteat www.plainfielddemocrats.org orcontact either Chairman Howard at815/342-6702 or Vice-ChairpersonBice at 815/436-7491.
Angelo PriscoContinued from page 2
it seems ComEd has ceased itsnew work until some resolutionhas been reached.
But on Tuesday men from theCity of Lockport were out theredoing whatever they pleased.
One worker was questionedand asked why work was continu-ing despite the fact that the matteris in litigation. He said, “All Iknow is I was told to come outhere and do a job and that’s whatI’m doing.”
When he was asked if he real-ized the matter was in court heresponded, “Ron Caneva said it isokay, that’s my understanding.”
He did not notify his boss thatthe property owners were angryand protesting the worker’s pres-ence. As he said, he is only doinghis job.
It was clear that it may not beall that easy to do his job. He saidhe served 22 years in the militaryservice and he was very consciousof protecting people’s rights. Headded, “That was then and this isnow and I have to do what I’m told.”
The idea that he might be vio-lating someone’s constitutionalrights bothered him. That was ob-vious from the change in his voiceand the look on his face. No, it isnot his fault, and yes, he is doingwhat his boss instructed.
So who is to blame? Perhapsthe City Attorney Ron Caneva,who, if he is aware of the resump-tion of the work on the property inquestion, is certainly disrespecting
a fellow attorney. Attorneys usual-ly communicate with one anotherand show respect by exercisinggentlemanly restraint during thecourse of litigation. Even in bitter-ly fought contests. Their profes-sion demands it.
One lady and her 82 year oldhusband were out there and hadposted signs on silt fences theworkers had strung up. They cau-tioned that there was a septic fieldlocated on the land at that location.The 82-year old man threatened tostand in front of the equipmentshould the crew come on his prop-erty.
America! Land of the free,home of the brave! Sometimesone has to wonder if maybe hewoke up in some foreign landwhere people have no rights.Some politicians surely seem tohate that Constitution the rest ofus love. It just seems to get in theway of everything they want to dothat conflicts with the law.
But then, they did take an oathto obey the constitutions.
LockportContinued from front page
Stump of 200 year old treethat was cut down despiteProtests of its owner
In Lockport dey jus take whatdey want. Da mayor knows datown is being sued–so whattax payers don’t count.
PHOENIX, AZ—Malik Richard-son, 34; Andre Calhoun, 20; and An-gela Jones, 35; siblings and all ofPhoenix, were sentenced to federalprison on Friday, August 14, 2009, byU.S. District Judge Susan R. Bolton,for an armed bank robbery that oc-curred in Phoenix in September 2008.Richardson was sentenced to 10 yearsin federal prison, Calhoun to 7 yearsand Jones to 3 years.
On April 20, 2009, Richardsonpleaded guilty to Armed Bank Rob-bery and Use of a Firearm During aCrime of Violence. Calhoun pleadedguilty to Use of a Firearm During aCrime of Violence and Jones pleadedguilty to Armed Bank Robbery.
On September 2, 2008, the trioentered the Bank of America at 77thAvenue and Thomas Road in Phoenixwearing bandanas over their faces.Richardson was armed with a hand-gun and ordered everyone to theground as he brandished the gun inthe lobby area of the bank. Calhounand Jones both jumped the teller coun-ters and demanded money. Witnesseswere able to provide law enforcementofficials with the license plate num-ber of the get-away vehicle, whichultimately led to their apprehension.
The investigation was conductedby the Federal Bureau of Investiga-tion and the Phoenix Police Depart-ment. The prosecution was handledby Dimitra H. Sampson, AssistantU.S. Attorney, District of Arizona,Phoenix.
Plainfield DemocratsContinued from page 11 Three Phoenix Bank
Robbers SentencedTo Federal Prison
2nd grade WINNERJared Richmond Age 7Riverdale Elementary
