Orland Park's ethnic diversity comes out at Taste of Jerling event

Orland Park's ethnic diversity comes out at Taste of Jerling event

A woman came up to me who has been reading my columns since the 1980s said she has been living in Orland Park more than 35 years, and that during that time "It really has changed."

I was at the Jerling Junior High school "Taste of Jerling" event which featured food samplings from 17 ethnic groups, including "United States," which I thought was cute.

"When we first moved here, it was all White. All Irish, some Poles and Italians and maybe a few Koreans," she said. "Now there are so many Arabs, Mexicans and Asians. Indians. It's really changed."

We talked. She wasn't being racist or bigoted. She was just remarking about the reality of Orland Park that the community had changed, and become more diversified. And in truth, she was right. Orland Park has changed over the years. I noted that I moved in 30 years ago, too, and jokingly said, "It seems like there are more and more White people living here, don't you think?"

I was being facetious, of course. In a nice way. I mentioned that when I moved in, people stayed int heir homes and you didn't hear or see them. Now, as the population has become more and more diverse, you see more and more White people rising up and speaking out about it.

Maybe for some, this would be an uncomfortable conversation. But it was genuine. The woman I spoke with honestly was not being racist, and neither was I. She was just noting a fact. And she was so excited to see all the different cultures and taste their foods which were on display in the Jerling Gymnasium Friday night.

The event was held to celebrate the "rich cultural and ethnic diversity" of Jerling and the community. There were 17 ethnic groups represented at the Taste of Jerling. China, Croatia, France, Greece, India, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Palestine, Phillpines, Poland, Serbia and the United States.

I told my wife, who is Jewish, that I was proud to see three Arab cultures represented, Jordan, Palestine and Morocco.

Sandburg students joined in to provide some ethnic entertainment. Students performed traditional dances from Lithuania, Mexico and India.

It was really nice to see all the parents and the kids attend to show support. Each of the food displays included some ethnic artifacts that represented their culture. Some of the kids did extra-credit work and completed a survey of each display and wrote down something important about what they learned from the ethnic cultural displays. One student wrote down, "In their culture, they give away wives." And he wasn't talking about my ethnic group. Apparently, the host of one of the ethnic groups had said that in their country, women are not allowed to chose their husbands and the wives and chosen for the husbands.

It's not a racist thing to say, I thought. It is a fact. A fact in several of the cultures. The reality of our world. Why shouldn't kids know that?

Of course, as a Baby Boomer, it's hard to identify with today's young kids Their world is so much different from my world. But I can identify with the adults.

I wanted to explain to the woman who observed that it appeared that Orland Park has changed with so many new ethnic and cultural groups moving in, that the reality is that the numbers don't support that conclusion.

I understand why, though. Arabs, for example, are among the ethnic group that has moved into Orland Park over the past 30 years. Most are Christian Arabs, something many Americans don't even realize exists (especially based on how Americans ignore the plight of Christians in Israel and the Arab World). But many are Muslim and some of the Muslim women where Hijabs, head coverings that are very similar to the head coverings Polish women would wear in my old neighborhood on Chicago's South East Side. So they stand out, even though there are only a few of them. They appear like there is an invasion, even though there are really not that many.

Darker skinned cultures, too, have increased. And again, even though there are really not many, they stand out. Years ago when the community was nearly all White, culture was not noticeable. That's what I had meant by how there seems to be more White people today than before. It's not until you get diversity that you actually start to see everyone. Some, more than others, even if the numbers don't match the perceptions.

Here are some numbers about Orland Park's diversity.

The population, according to the 2012 U.S. Census, is 57,392.

86.1 % of that population is White. That's a big population number, folks.

1.7 % are African American. While that is negligible, it is noticeable.

6.2 % are Hispanic.

4.9 % are Asian.

That leaves 1.1 percent of "Other," which according to the U.S. Census which does not include "Arabs."

Has Orland Park really changed that much over the past 35 years?

Not really. And not enough.

(Ray Hanania is an award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter. Reach him on his website at www.TheMediaOasis.com.)

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For more on diversity, visit www.TheArabDailyNews.com

Democratic shots at Rauner seem lame for $2 million

Democratic shots at Rauner seem lame for $2 million

Bruce Rauner, the independently wealthy Republican businessman has everyone in a tizzy. His campaign came out of nowhere, made some smart decisions and is moving forward to headlock the Republican Party nomination on March 18.

The Democrats have invested some $2 million through PACs to target Rauner and dirty him up for the final stretch, assuming he does win the GOP Primary defeating better known rivals: Bill Brady, the Republican State Senator who is making his 3rd bid for the office after losing in 2010 to then Acting Gov. Pat Quinn; Sen. Kirk Dillard, whom most "Reagan Democrats" would have supported in 2010 had Brady not nosed Dillard out in that primary race; and the congenial Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford who has been dragged down by ugly attacks raising questions about his sexuality and allegations of sexual harassment.

The GOP primary mess only reinforces Rauner's certainty of winning. None of this rivals have the cash to beat him. It will be a gubernatorial version of the 2011 Chicago Mayoral election in which Rahm Emanuel moved back in to Chicago with a $14 million campaign war chest to blow away a field of veteran Chicago Democrats, former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun, City Clerk Miguel Del Valle, and legal powerhouse Gery Chico, all of whom barely had $3 million in campaign funds together.

A lot of Democrats don't like Quinn. I recall Quinn as being a great outsider when I covered Chicago City Hall but when I moved to community radio, Quinn never thought I was worth spending any time on. No problem. Unfortunately, Quinn does that to a lot of people he once leaned on for support when he was the outside crusader battling the old Chicago Democratic Machine. Now, he's the insider. It comes with its privileges, of course, but Quinn brings in a lot of not-forgotten battles with his new suitors.

English: Gov. Pat Quinn making a point at Green Expo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

While Rauner has dominated the field with more TV commercials than Personal Injury Attorney Glenn Lerner, he's focused almost entirely on attacking Quinn. His Republican challengers have been left trying to dent Rauner's image. But Rauner was smart. His first move was to lock in key Republican support. His move to win over the support and endorsement of key mainstream Republican Cook County Commissioner Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman locked in his prominence with Republicans in the Democratic heavy Chicagoland region.

Rauner's strategy has to be very simple. Get through the Republican Primary without bashing his Republican Rivals, leaving the door open to their possibly rallying around him afterwards. And then do what every Republican easily does, win the downstate Republican vote by a large margin. It won't be enough to win the gubernatorial election. But Rauner needs to also win soft Democratic support in the Democratic havens in Chicagoland. If Rauner can win some of those Democrats who have long memories, or have felt burned by Quinn's attitudes over the past few years, he has a formula to take the state and be the next Governor of Illinois.

In 2010, Quinn only beat Brady by about 30,000 votes. That's not too much to expect from disgruntled conservative "Reagan Democrats" who live in the Chicagoland area who just might turn to Rauner.

Additionally, the Democrats, who have less money to spend than Rauner, are not spending it wisely. The attack ads they've funded with their last ditch burst of funds are lame, attacking Rauner for allegedly being friendly with Stuart Levine, the convicted felon who was part of the corrupt circle around former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

English: Mug shot of Rod Blagojevich. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

But throwing Blagojevich at Rauner is so ineffective. Voters are tired of the "use Blagojevich to dirty up an opponent" by arguing someone was close to Blagojevich. The fact is Quinn was Blagojevich's running mate, after all. Quinn was his Lt. Governor, though he quickly distanced himself from Blagojevich when the governor's federal troubles exploded in newspaper driven investigations.

If they are going to beat Rauner, the Democrats need to come up with a better attack than simply throwing Blagojevich at him.

In the end, the truth is the Democratic controlled House and Senate can just as easily work with a Republican Governor as they work with a former liberal who has joined the Democratic Party parade.

Quinn has years of experience spinning the media and can easily handle himself in a debate. But what's the real issue that voters care about? So far, no one has defined that, making it easy for Rauner to bludgeon his way into office with his bottomless financial pockets.

Of course, having a guy who knows how to make money, instead of wastefully spending it, is probably what appeals to voters the most. It's something Rauner is hammering away, unimpeded by the Democratic Pacs and consultants. And unless they can stop it with another issue, the certainty of what's going to happen in the Nov. 4 General Election is clear.

-- RAY HANANIA

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A fun night at the Field Museum of Natural History -- Dozin with the DInos

There's no doubt that the Museums in Chicago are expensive. Add the high entry fees and the astronomical costs for parking in Chicago -- the new rob-your-wallets parking rates set by the company that hoodwinked Mayor Daley for a lease on our parking meters set the ball rolling for parking fees across the board, including at public entities like the museum -- and you can burn through a chunk of change fast.

Costs are extraordinary but painfully more so for those entities that receive public funding and support from our tax dollars. That's a constant theme I write about on this blog and in my columns, too.

But all that aside, I managed to find a great way to enjoy the Field Museum of Natural History this past weekend without the huge costs and, in fact, on a very affordable budget that was hugely entertaining and fun for families

The Field Museum has this great program, spun off I believe from the hit Movie "Night at the Museum" where you can bring your duffle bags and flashlights and get locked in the museum overnight and explore most of the exhibits in the light and best yet, in the dark until 1 in the morning. It's called "Dozin with the Dinos."

My son and I participated in the overnight program through his Cub Scout Pack 372 in Orland Park. What a fun experience.

When I was a kid, one of the most phenomenal exhibits was the Section with the mummies and ancient Egypt. But walking around the museum, each of the glass-encased window displays came to real life and I don't think I could ever have enjoyed it more than my son did who literally walked through the museum and practically read every information box at every display -- although he was a little shy about the mummies. (Who wouldn't be.)

Orland Park 372 organized the trip for the Cub Scouts (and if your son is not a Cub Scout you should join the pack. There is always room. There are costs, but once you join the costs for events are go-as-you-choose. You don't have to do everything. The Pack, which consists of a dozen or so dens, meets once each month and the Dens meet once each month also.

It cost only $53 per person to spend the night at the museum through the Cub Scouts. That included the cost of overnight parking which came out to be and unbelievable and outrageous $38 (again, the costs was waived for the participants.)

But you don't have to go as a group, although you can if you organize one. It might be more fun for the children. The group rate is only $51 per person, and the individual rate is only $63 per person. That means you can take the children and have one of the most exciting family nights possible. And it all includes the outrageous cost for parking, which is waived. Oe of the many employees who spend the night at the museum offering craft tables with things for the kids to do and learn provide paid parking tickets.

You can also opt for a special Premium Package which means you sleep in certain premium sections of the museum. We slept in the Mammals of Asia section on the main floor with our Pack 372 Cub Scouts. Others were spread out in other sections. The premium sections include the actual room where the dinosaur exhibit is -- Sue, the only completely restored T-Rex in the world, is on the main floor foyer, right down the hall from where we slept. But you can, for the few extra bucks, take your family and sleep also in the Evolving Planet exhibit. (And for slightly more, you can sleep in the Evolving Planet section and get a tour from one of the museum scientists.)

Hey, Aaron and I enjoyed partnering with one of the other Pack families and letting the kids explore the museum on their own.

Okay, it was the first overnight since I was a Cub Scout in 1962 and a Boy Scout in 1968 -- (I still have the Hiawatha Trail Medal I earned trekking the trail downtown around the tracks). We brought two sleeping bags (for 20 degree weather). I also bought two cots that easily open and close but that weigh a ton. Other purchased air mattresses that have air pumps to fill and even remove the air when done. (They're still bulky, too and I like the cots the best.) I'll bring a dolly next time -- no, not a female sherpa, Alison will get upset. And we had flashlights and some snacks you can eat in the cafeteria in the lower level.

The museum also provides a night time snack (eat a good meal before you go). And, they provided a morning breakfast of cereal, rolls, fruit, milk, coffee and more.

Of course, my son started to get a little fever during the night so having a brilliant wife who is always prepared, I brought some off-the-shelf medicine which helped. Although he crying for 20 minutes in the middle of the night didn't help the others sleep. Well, of course, his crying was nothing like the snoring. Actually, the snoring added ambiance to the exhibits, sounding like a water buffalo in heat roaming through your dreams.

We unpacked right in front of the one of the deer exhibit windows. It was phenomenal.

Museum staff provided neat things for the kids to do like learning about ancient crafts involving games and music. They were even able to make some things as they also wandered around to earn their badges. (And you can purchase the "Dozin with the Dinos" Badge if you are a Scout, too.

The Ernst & Young 3D Dinosaur movie (for an extra $5 -- and everything is commercialized at the museum) was breathtaking. We sat in the front row. I learned through the past year of taking my son to the new 3D movie craze that the best seats in 3D are not in the back but up close in a 3 D theater). The dinosaurs jumped out at us like they were right there.

Here's the link to the museum web site where you can get more information on the unbelievably fun "Dozin with the Dinos" overnight. Click here to view web page. They do about two overnights each month, one during the summer months. So check it out and register for one fast.

Or, better yet, check out you local Cub Scouts and enroll your son for an adventure of a life time.

-- Ray Hanania

www.RadioChicagoland.com

Property taxes skyrocket -- local fees quietly increase too

After months of backdoor tax increases from the Village of Orland Park, my actual Water Rate did go up this last bill, 19 cents per unit of water I consume every two months, or about $1.61.

But the bulk of the increases reflect backdoor tax increases (fees) quietly approved by the Village of Orland Park while they have been telling the sympathetic local news media that they are not increasing taxes and are rebating our village taxes -- well, not all of it. But according to one paper, that's "good news."

No. It's mnot good news, especially when the other fees in our water bill, for example, increase quietly, too, with noe xplanation from Mayor McLaughlin, or, as I will be calling him from now on, King Dan. Under King Dan's Chicago Machine Manual of Politics, you don't explain anything. You just keep putting out press releases showcasing the positive news, and avoid any accountability or explanation on the bad news. And, when the media does hold his royal feet to the political fire, no wonder he is so arrogant and believes he can do whatever he wants.

Storm water and sewer service also went up. The others, went up already months ago.

On top of it all, it's just a drop int he bucket of how you, the naive sheep-like taxpayers, are being screwed. But that's the way you like, it right. Rough. And without warning or consent. Because in this Chicago Machine town, which is a satellite of the bigger Machine in Chicago and Cook County, raising taxes is just a part of the blame-game.

Have you looked at the letter from Cook County Assessor Jim Houlihan this week, announcing a major increase in your property assessed valuation?

Oh yea. While your property values are dropping like federal indictments in a typical Chicago City Council year, your property assessments are skyrocketing. Most homes will increase about 15 percent in assessments, even though the actual value of the homes has dropped by as much as 30 percent and more in some regions.

Nayor Daley, Kig Dan's sponsor, says it is because of Houlihan. Daley -- I have to laugh every time I hear him speak -- says (that's being generous) that Houlihan is responsible because he is the "Assessor."

No, Mayor. The Assessor does not determine the assessments. The assessor basically translates the tax increases divide up based on the number of homes and properties being taxed, and that's how your assessment increases.

But Daley knows the blame game better than most. In reality, the reason for your property tax hike -- which will equal as much as $1,000 to $2,500 for many homes in Orland Park and across Cook County -- is that Mayor Daley has increased his budget and it is the increase in government spending that is driving up taxes. Daley's pal, Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, also jacked up his own budget spending, and part of that spending will be covered by the humongous increase in the sales tax -- which combined with the King Dan .75 sales tax increase of 2001 (which King Dan said would be off-set by the village tax rebate, which is being off-set this year by his political arrogance and poor budget management to just over half of what it was promised to be) -- is making your depressed property on the free market look like a worthless piece of junk. But on the Chicago and county and Orland Park tax rolls, it looks like a mansion that has increased significantly in value.

The value of your home goes down. But not Mayor Daley's salary or Todd Stroger's salary. You pay more. And Daly and Stroger know of stupid you really are, so gullible you will believe anything they say and still vote for them in exchange for a new garbage can lid -- the bartering system set up when the Chicago Machine was first built by slaves in the 1950s.

And the taxes on your home go up.

And the lies and twist, and turns, and spin from the elected officials, including King Dan, continue. No accountability at all. They just decide they will break their promise to off-set the Orland Park home rule sales tax increase of .75 percent by rebating our full property tax. They did it just long enough to win your votes. Gain your confidence. And then. WHAM!

They shove it up your tax bill.

Merry Christmas everyone.

-- Ray Hanania
www.RadioChicagoland.com

Chicago puts out emergency call for sandbags

Chicago was hit by a record-setting 6.64 inches of rain last night (a new record) and up to 8 inches of rain over the past few days and the City of Chicago is in need of sandbags, put out by the Illinois Section of the American Water Works Associatio (AWWA):

Empty Sand Bags Needed ImmediatelyCity of Chicago is looking for empty sand bags - if you have any available - please call Irene Caminerat 312-446-0235.

If you can, please help

-- Ray Hanania
http://www.themediaoasis.com/

Six Flags Great America -- Maybe, three Flags at best

It wasn't even the high point of the season. The place wasn't even packed at all. It was, we thought, the perfect time to go and enjoy Six Flags Great America before the mad rush of people that usually happens in the summer.

What a bummer, with some fun!

First of all, the tickets cost almost $60 a person to get in. The parking costs $25 in the general lot and $15 in a distant out lot. They offer "discounts," which always annoys me because the discounts usually become the rule but so many people don't know it, they get scammed. We got two for one, and $20 off a third adult ticket using a Diet Coke Can -- our son is just above 48 inches tall. So, for the three of us, two parents and one child, it cost us $125 just to get into the park.

The longest ride was the one sitting at the entrance for 45 minutes as the employees tried to process each car as it drove in -- with eight lines, maybe 70 cars deep off the main road. I mean 30 minutes sitting there and crawling up to the gate. They had one employee at each gate taking tickets. It didn't seem to matter whether you paid cash, credit card or in advance on the computer as we did.

Once inside, many of the rides were not opened. The Space Shuttle has never been opened during any of my family trips to Six Flags Great America. And many of the other rides were closed, too.

It's the middle of freaking June!

This isn't about quality. It is all about the money. The only thing that made it worthwhile -- maybe -- is that the park was not filled. So the wait for rides wasn't that bad. I can only imagine how horrible it will get when crowds do come. Yikes!

Now, when you are a parent, and you have a young child, the big focus is on the child, right? He had fun. It wouldn't matter if he were playing in a muddied field or Six Flags Great America, though. He had fun. He even graduated to the middle level exciting rides. We went on the Ragin'Cajun as a family. The good rides, like this one, had about a 30 minute wait.

I bought the photograph, four pictures and two keyt rings for about $19. (Money will start to cash register ring as fast as time passes at Six Flags Great America -- oh, that's a good idea. Six Cash Registers Great America is a better name!)

The brief, 20 minute movie about the Planet Earth was phenomenal. They could have offered a longer film. The theater is huge. I bet it can seat 1,500. (Just a guess.)

There were also many rides in the park you had to pay for. We didn't go to the water park inside, though, which is open to attendees. The lack of cleanliness at the park made me think that the water probably wasn't going to be the best there.

But the absolute WORST part of the entire trip wasn't the difficulty in getting in to the park, or the enormous costs involved in going there and getting in, or the fact that many rides were closed, or that even that many of the rides IN THE PARK are rides you have to pay a surcharge to get on -- the go-carts, for example. No, the absolute worst part of the entire trip was the pathetic quality of the food. In fact, I hate to use the word "quality" to describe the food there.

We went to a "Moose Lodge" inside the park first and ordered the big burder and kids meal. The burger was like a frisbee. And I kept scratching my ankles, like there were fleas in the place or something. WHAT A DUMP!

There were only 10 people in line and it took 20 minutes to get the food. It sat ont he counter while the employees bumped into each other and joked and had fun. People were bitching the whole time. Although, there was one lady inf ront of me who kept saying to her husband, "When we're done. Let's go to the Cracker Barrel to eat."

So I'll rate it. Three Flags, six cash registers and a son who was happy no matter what! No thanks to Great America, in theory, though. He just is a great kid who will make the most of whatever he does. Ah. There's a good slogan for Great America! Come and enjoy our park and make the most of what little you can!

Ray Hanania
http://www.orlandparker.com/