'Up the Banger': Phelan Asks Village Board To Reconsider Extending Brunswick's Weekend Hours
Trustee Tom Phelan wants an agreement - not a proposal - that Brunswick won't drop the ball on keeping gangbangers out of the bowling alley.
Like a dog digging up a femur in the woods, Trustee Tom Phelan isn’t going to let last summer’s gang shooting in the Brunswick Zone's parking lot go.
Brunswick has been operating under a village-mandated safety plan following a gang shooting in the bowling center’s parking lot on July 31, 2010 where two men were shot in a drive-by – one of them by off-duty cops moonlighting as security officers.
After the village board approved Brunswick’s plans to resume its late-night weekend operations earlier this month, the Dist. 6 village trustee asked his fellow board members to reconsider their vote to allow the bowling center to close at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
“This is something I’ve been involved with since the beginning,” Phelan said during Tuesday’s board meeting. “My biggest concern is that we were waiting for a proposal or agreement that we would get in draft form and provide feedback on. I was quite unhappy to find in my packet a recommendation to approve this without that opportunity.”
Since the last village board meeting, Phelan said he has reviewed the village’s file on Brunswick that shows a pattern of violent incidents and promises to do better – including a 2006 incident when a Midlothian man tried to grab a security officer’s gun.
Brunswick claims that its Oak Lawn bowling center at 103rd Street and Cicero Avenue has lost $1 million since being forced to close at an earlier hour and giving away free games. Brunswick also said that it lost 120 league bowlers because of the shortened hours.
Phelan said he called 17 bowling centers in a 20-mile radius asking if any league bowlers from Brunswick in Oak Lawn moved their leagues to their facilities. Only one of those bowling centers got a women’s league that used to bowl at Brunswick.
“I asked [village manager] Larry Deetjen to get the names of the leagues from Brunswick so we can find out where they are and go talk to them to find out if they left because of the early closing,” Phelan said.
Phelan encouraged the village board to again read the police report from July 31, 2010, which he said read like a script from the HBO show The Wire.
“The shooter and victim were admitted hardcore gangbangers …,” he said. “When you read the ‘up the banger’ comment where it came time to throw down – get your guns and let’s start shooting -- I don’t know how abody could sit and here and say it’s a good idea."
Presenting a "detailed timeline" and "statistical analysis" to other village board members, Phelan asked that they reconsider thier vote.
“And if the vote is in favor of extending the hours that we make a more informed decision and have an agreement – not a proposal – that both parties sign,” Phelan said.
Paul Martinez, director of global operations for Brunswick, was unaware that Brunswick was back on the agenda at Tuesday’s board meeting.
Asked about the 17 bowling centers that Phelan contacted and the missing 120 league bowlers, Martinez said, “I don’t know which ones he called. I know what I was told by our general manager. She knows where [the league bowlers] went.”
“One thing we provided were detailed memos with [revenue] estimates,” Martinez added. “They don’t talk about the details or estimates we provide.”
Meanwhile, Brunswick is offering a free game of bowling to every person in America in honor of the nation's birthday, each day of the upcoming holiday weekend from July 1-July 4. No coupon is necessary.
OakLawnGuy
7:54 am on Thursday, June 30, 2011
Hey, Mr. Phelan's got a point. Gangs have made their presence known in nearby towns like Justice, the Village should be diligent in the extreme in trying to keep that presence out. I know some leaders live here now, and there are plenty of wanna-be candidates, but why not discourage hanging out? And why wouldn't Brunswick and Village officlals take a couple or four weeks to sit down, hammer out an agreement, and then get everyone to vote on it, if only for safety's sake? Will a month's worth of revenue lost by a 10:00 PM closing mean the difference between survival and closure>
Bill Walsh
5:18 pm on Thursday, June 30, 2011
I agree with Phelan. Perhaps we should go back and look into other bar incidents late
Night Brawls in Oak Lawn. Let's see, huh.......
May 19th 2010.
HEADLINE - Trustees involved in late night brawl in Oak Lawn Bar.
Accoring to the paper "Phelan gave the firefighter the finger and asked if he wanted to
go outside (after their gang pinned a man against a bar)".
Perhaps Phelan should offer his own agreement to control his own behavior first.
Sam Wilson
8:46 pm on Thursday, June 30, 2011
Mr. Phelan probably did some Blagojevich "horse trading" and got the votes he needed.
QC
3:11 pm on Thursday, July 7, 2011
Phelan's trying to take the focus off his "Frat Brother Connections". Plus, he thinks he can Bamboozel the Voters into Thinking that he's Supposedly looking out for them.
I wonder what Alex was promised to back him up on this issue. Brunswick's Not in his District. It's All a Game Folks.
Now That's smoke and mirrors lil'andy!
andy skoundrianos
11:29 pm on Thursday, July 7, 2011
Hey QC safety is not a political issue. Your about as bright as a bowling ball Kingpin!!
QC
1:51 pm on Friday, July 8, 2011
ooooooooww, ya got me li'l sweat rag. You're right. My bad.
Let's see now, hmmm. When was the Fat Frat Cat's connection to the Frat Brat Attorney published? Oh, that's right, a Few Days Prior to his indignant stand against Brunswick. Public Safety is NOW BEING USED as a DISTRACTION FOR POLITICALLY UNDERHANDED CONNECTIONS.
andy skoundrianos
4:30 pm on Friday, July 8, 2011
Phelan has been against the gang activites at brunswick zone since 2006. You forget to mention that. The manager brought the brunswick issue to the board not Phelan nice try but your wrong again, Go ask King Dave for more marching orders you lemming.
QC
2:01 pm on Saturday, July 9, 2011
However I can't find anything that Heilmann said "for or against" in this article, can you li'l andy? "Hmm sounds like hypocrisy again on your part" AS
QC
5:10 pm on Friday, July 8, 2011
Nice try li'l andy, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE, DAVE BLAH, BLAH, BLAH,........Jeez give it a rest will ya.
"After the village board approved Brunswick’s plans to resume its late-night weekend operations earlier this month, the DIST. 6 VILLAGE TRUSTEE asked his fellow board members to reconsider their vote to allow the bowling center to close at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays."
"“I asked [village manager] Larry Deetjen to get the names of the leagues from Brunswick so we can find out where they are and go talk to them to find out if they left because of the early closing,”- --Phelan said."
"Presenting a "detailed timeline" and "statistical analysis" to other village board members,-- Phelan asked that they reconsider thier vote."
"Paul Martinez, director of global operations for Brunswick, was unaware that Brunswick was back on the agenda at Tuesday’s board meeting."
More secret meetings?
FALO GIRLFRIEND
6:41 pm on Friday, July 8, 2011
May 19th 2010.
HEADLINE - Trustees involved in late night brawl in Oak Lawn Bar.
Accoring to the paper "Phelan gave the firefighter the finger and asked if he wanted to
go outside (after their gang pinned a man against a bar)".
Perhaps Phelan should offer his own agreement to control his own behavior!
andy skoundrianos
10:22 pm on Friday, July 8, 2011
That was not a secret meeting, It was a special meeting of the B.O.T. Phelan asked that item to be put on the agenda as is his right. I can't believe you beating up on Phelan when your King himself agrees that Brunswick should have the reduced hours!! When you give Phelan a rest I will give the King a rest We both know that will never happen!!!!
QC
2:02 pm on Saturday, July 9, 2011
However I can't find anything that Heilmann said "for or against" in this article, can you li'l andy? "Hmm sounds like hypocrisy again on your part" AS
Oak Lawn Gal
7:35 am on Sunday, July 10, 2011
Well I have to say I think Phelan's got a point here. I think they should have a written proposal on what Brunswick will do long-term to reduce loitering and potential gang activity. Get board & resident feedback. Then have Brunswick sign it and do monthly follow-ups. It sounds like the police side is already analyzing events at brunswick. I also thought the Mayor had a good point at the meeting that the trouble seems to start between people who aren't bowling. I think they should pursue that and see what can be done to keep loiterers and trouble makers out of Brunswick and the parking lot.
I'm seeing more stories about gang bangers who live in Oak Lawn. If that trend continues and if we have more gang activity it's going to be hard topromote Oak Lawn as a good place to raise a family.
QC
1:07 pm on Sunday, July 10, 2011
Patch - June 30, 2011
"AFTER the village board ....APPROVED... Brunswick’s plans to resume its late-night weekend operations ...EARLIER THIS MONTH...(June), the Dist. 6 village trustee asked his fellow board members to reconsider their vote"
I don't believe anyone would dispute the Gang presence and activity in our village along with the need to rid our community of it, however if as Phelan put it, “This is something I’ve been involved with since the beginning,” Phelan said during Tuesday’s board meeting." then why wasn't all of his digging and "detailed timeline" and "statistical analysis", been brought up at any of the Prior Meetings? I know why.
June 28, 2011 Patch
''He Ain't Heavy, He's My Frat Brother"
"Attorney from law firm hired to investigate the former village attorneys discloses past connection to Trustee Tom Phelan."
He needs a distraction Now.
andy skoundrianos
4:34 pm on Sunday, July 10, 2011
QC don't speak aboout what you don't know. Were you at the meetings?? I was Phelan asked for the info on the brunswick before the meeting,He didn't recieve the info he was looking for Give it a rest on the lawyer stuff!! What are you afraid of?? The only person that will be hurt by this investigation is you know who, your buddy DH
Come to a meeting once in a while we can sit and talk about the issues. Unless your an employee or political hire who is afraid to lose his job......
OakLawnGuy
5:47 pm on Sunday, July 10, 2011
As distrustful as I am of Mr. Phelan, I agree wholeheartedly with his suggestion that the board reconsider this vote and do some more due diligence, and really don't believe any political posturing is involved.