Hickory man's new theory: City needs red light dollars

As reason it won’t put guard near Conrady

By Matthew Piechalak

A Hickory Hills man who has demanded the city station uniformed crossing guards near Conrady Junior High School believes he is being denied because such an action would diminish ticket revenue generated by the intersection’s red light cameras.

Hickory Hills Mayor Michael Howley and Alderman Tom McAvoy have denied the allegation, but Joe “Kozy” Cantele believes there is no other explanation.

“What else could it be?” Cantele said during a phone interview Tuesday morning.

Cantele wants crossing guards at 95th Street and Roberts Road, two blocks north of Conrady, 7950 W. 97th St., to keep students safe while they walk to and from school. Cantele has asked both the Hickory Hills City Council and the North Palos School District 117 board of education to access the situation, and returned to the council last Thursday to voice his latest theory.

“That’s what this is all about, these cameras, these cameras,” Cantele told city officials.

His statement was met with sharp objection from McAvoy (3rd Ward) that quickly turned into a shouting match between the two men.

“Bull! Bull!” McAvoy barked into his microphone, shaking the council chambers. “You are mistaken!”

“You’re lying!” Cantele yelled back. “You work for me! You work for the taxpayers. It’s not a matter if a child gets hit [by a car]. It’s when!”

“Don’t ever tell me I’m lying, don’t ever tell me I’m lying,” McAvoy responded.

The heated exchange stemmed from more than a month of public criticism from Cantele directed at Howley, the City Council and District 117 over their unwillingness to put crossing guards at the intersection. Cantele said he became concerned about the safety of the children after watching them cross from a nearby Walgreens parking lot. Cantele does not have any children that attend Conrady or cross at the intersection.

No parent of any Conrady student has asked the City Council or District 117 for a crossing guard at the intersection.

Following a District 117 school board meeting Sept. 22, the district assigned Steve Makropoulos, an employee and former auxiliary police officer, to help students cross the intersection before and after school. Makropoulos will not wear a vest or carry a stop sign, which Cantele finds unacceptable and believes is directly related to the cameras.

“This whole time, I have been thinking that they were afraid of a lawsuit because at 79th Street and Roberts Road, it’s the same layout and they have a crossing guard,” Cantele explained. “What’s the difference between these two intersections? Cameras.

“Realistically I know in their hearts that they’re concerned about children, but that’s on one hand,” he continued. “On the other hand, they have these cameras and they have to generate money and they leaned towards the cameras.”

Howley denied Cantele’s accusations.

“That truly is the first time I have ever heard that allegation and I can tell you for a fact that [Makropoulos] was put there as a concession to accommodate Joe,” Howley said.

Speaking to Howley at the City Council’s meeting on Sept. 10, Cantele demanded that crossing guards be hired to escort students across the intersection. When Howley refused, Cantele began protesting at the intersection with a large, white sign reading, “Mayor Howley said no to crossing guards.”

Cantele has repeatedly accused the city of have money for “everything in the world except children.” He originally asked the city council for crossing guards last year, but the police department, after conducting a study, concluded safety at the intersection is sufficient. Adding crossing guards would only cause unnecessary confusion and increase the number of rear-end collisions, the police department has ruled.

Hickory Hills police Officer Scott Sodaro, who conducted the study, has called attention to the numerous steps the department has taken to improve the safety of the intersection. Besides the red light enforcement cameras, there are “no turn on red” signs and flashing amber lights alerting drivers they are entering a school zone, Sodaro said.

The department has also enforced a jaywalking ordinance targeting students, Sodaro said. Cantele and several people, whom he claims are also angry about the situation, are upset police have been enforcing the jaywalking by taking students to the police station in squad cars after citing them.

Hickory Hills resident Jerry Vance’s stepdaughter was cited recently while crossing the intersection inappropriately. Vance, who has talked to the department, who assured him the citation would likely be thrown out, said he’s upset at the way the police are handling the situation.

“Here’s the police department targeting and traumatizing 13-year-old kids and they’re standing there watching grownups do the same thing,” Vance said. “It’s just unbelievable.”

Two students were cited for jaywalking on Sept. 18 and two more were cited on Sept. 23, but since then students have obeyed the law, Sodaro said.

“We are targeting children,” Sodaro said. “There are laws in Illinois that are called ‘status offenses’ specifically designed to target underage people, so this isn’t unusual.”

Despite the increased patrol and the placement of a school official at the intersection, Cantele remains unsatisfied. He has called everyone from the Illinois State Board of Education, to the Illinois Department of Transportation to Gov. Pat Quinn’s office searching for answers.

Cantele believes District 117 is in violation of state law by not putting crossing guards at the intersection, which has been deemed a “dangerous intersection,” or offering bus service. The district would be responsible for paying a crossing guard at 95th and Roberts.

“I believe it’s the school board breaking the law because Superintendent [Ken Sorrick] is busy playing politics with the mayor,” Cantele said.

Howley has refuted Cantele’s accusation.

“What you said about me telling the school board what to do is incorrect,” Howley told Cantele last week.

Cantele has also made several claims during public meetings regarding the city’s seat belt enforcement awards, questioning layoffs — despite the city not laying off any employees — and its authority as a taxing body. The broad range of complaints have caused some people to question if Cantele is using the publicity in an attempt to drum up sales for his business, Kozy Coffee and Ice Cream Parlor, 9700 Roberts Road, across from Conrady. Cantele, who also owns a heating and air conditioning business, has denied the accusations.

“If anything, this is going to cost me work,” Cantele said.

Cantele posted a sign on the marquee of his coffee shop two weeks ago offering 10-percent off on purchases to anyone who presented a firearm owner’s identification card at the register. Cantle said the sign, which has since been taken down, was intended to be “shocking” to stir up business.

Howley refused to speculate on whether Cantele was crusading for a crossing guard as a business tactic.

“I can take him at his word that he truly believes that crossing guards would improve the safety and not speculate on possible motives,” Howley said.

“I want these kids to be safe,” Cantele said Tuesday.

Vance agreed adding crossing guards would help improve the safety of the students.

“It’s well warranted,” Vance said.

This is part of the October 15, 2009 online edition of The Reporter.

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