The Top Five Documents Leaked to Patch in 2012

Every time a bell rings it means that Oak Lawn Patch has received another leaked pdf from a disgruntled local village official or political candidate.

There was no shortage of reading material on Oak Lawn Patch in 2012, which was the recipient of numerous leaked pdf documents from various local elected officials and political candidates. Color-coded or just plain black and white, we were happy to provide the back-story to the ongoing, continuing-to-unfold drama on the Oak Lawn political scene. Do you have a pdf or a dime to drop on someone? Want to put it on Patch? We don’t discriminate. Send it our way to lorraine.swanson@patch.com. Here are the top five documents leaked to Patch in 2012: With the upcoming April election there will no doubt be more pdfs coming our way, as well as the Patch editor's butt taking on the shape of a booth at Huck Finn Donuts attempting to make sense of this …

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Read the 2011 Fall On the Green Audit

Patch was able to scan a copy of the 2011 Fall On the Green audit. Read the much anticipated report and tell us what you think.

Oak Lawn Trustee Bob Streit (Dist. 3) generously provided Patch with his hard copy of the 2011 Fall On the Green audit. There are a few handwritten notes on the pdf, which we provide here. Subscribe to the Oak Lawn Patch newsletter and breaking news alerts. The forensic audit was compiled by auditing firm Baker, Tilly, Virchow, Krause LLP, of Oak Brook. Streit read excerpts from the audit at the Oak Lawn Village Board meeting on Nov. 27. Read the full story, 'Fall On the Green Audit Calls for Tighter Controls of Special Events'  

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Joe Wilson

6:14 pm on Saturday, December 8, 2012

What about the $10,000 for the springsteen tribute band? Who knows how many others were hired in the same fashion over his reign? Political reasons only???? How about $500,000 for lawyer-gate,which is and was a political witch hunt from the get go. How much are we paying for the Federal investigation into the hiring of Trustee Phelans friends?? The feds know that was for political reasons only …   more ›

Fall On the Green Audit Calls for Tighter Controls of Special Events

Audit of 2011 Fall On the Green fest turns up minor financial variances, recommends better record-keeping to village.

  There were fewer smoking guns and more signs of a village board coming apart at the seams with the unveiling of the long-awaited 2011 Fall On the Green audit. Sign up for the Oak Lawn Patch newsletter and breaking news alerts. The auditors, Baker Tilly Virchow Krause LLP, turned up "minor financial irregularities" caused mainly by the village’s own lack of written procedures and policies for managing village-sponsored special events. The Oak Lawn Village Board voted to pursue a forensic audit last summer after the mayor tapped Bob Streit (Dist. 3) to take over as the special events committee liaison from fellow trustee Tom Phelan (Dist. 6), who had held the position for seven years. The cost to do the audit was $13,500, and an additional…

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andy skoundrianos

12:31 pm on Friday, December 7, 2012

Joe once again here are facts.... Mr. Weiler is the special events director Mr Weiler has not been at a board meeting since May when before he used to attend all board meetings as the other dept. heads do. That month of May was when Mr. Streit took over as liason for special events committee and started launching political attacks on Mr. Phelan. Mr. Streit attacks the village treasurer more than …   more ›

'Chumps Like Us' -- Streit Says OL Taxpayers Overpaid for Springsteen Cover Band

Streit alleges village picked up tab for hotel rooms, limos, equipment rentals and VIP tent tickets for band that performed at Fall On the Green under contract negotiated by Trustee Tom Phelan.

  Oak Lawn Trustee Bob Streit (Dist. 3) said village taxpayers might have overpaid for a Bruce Springsteen tribute band to play at the 2012 Fall the Green Festival during Tuesday’s village board meeting. Subscribe to the Oak Lawn Patch newsletter and breaking news alerts. In his near, hour-long village trustee’s report, in which Robert’s Rules flew out the window, Streit told fellow village board members that a contract was negotiated for $10,000 with Tramps Like Us—a Springsteen tribute band out of New York—to play a main stage, Sunday show at Fall On the Green. The fee earned by Tramps Like Us is more than double of what bands are typically paid to play Fall On the Green, between $400 and $3,500. The contract also included five free …

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richard fitswell

3:16 pm on Tuesday, December 18, 2012

THE BAND ALSO PLAYED ON, ON THE TITANIC   more ›

Best of Fall On the Green 2012: Video and Photo Highlights

See who was seen at Fall On the Green. Add your photos and video to ours.

Congratulations to the Village of Oak Lawn on another successful Fall On the Green. The weather held up for the most part and residents and visitors of all ages appeared to be enjoying themselves. Watch the video of two master corn roasters at work. Some residents wrote to Patch to complain about almost being burned by cigarettes on the dance floor in the Budweiser Beer Tent. There was a lot of smoking and dancing with lit cigarettes in the hands during the Tumbling Dice show on Friday night. See the Fall On the Green 2011 photo gallery. We thank the Oak Lawn village employees who did the yeoman’s work on coordinating, building and staging the 2012 edition plus dealing with crazy village board politics: Enjoy the video and photo gallery …

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andy skoundrianos

10:41 pm on Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Great event again. Loved the Chicago tribute band and all of the musical acts were fantastic   more ›

Thousands Turn Out For Fall On the Green 2012

A review of the first two days of Fall On the Green 2012. Sunday is the last day to enjoy Oak Lawn's 17th annual fall frolic at 95th Street and Cook Avenue.

Thousands of local residents swarmed to 95th Street and Cook Avenue for the first two days of Oak Lawn’s 17th annual Fall On the Green, lured by the smell of roasted corn and the sound of retro cover bands. The Budweiser Beer Tent was jam packed for Rolling Stones’ tribute band Tumbling Dice for the fall frolic's Friday night opening of the three-day fest. Subscribe to the Oak Lawn Patch newsletter and breaking news alerts. While teens may not have cared for some of the retro 70s and 80s tribute bands that their parents and grandparents were boogeying to, there were plenty of activities for the "yewts." The most popular teen attraction is the water ball pond, new this year at Fall On the Green. Teens crawled into deflated plastic bubbles …

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Lorraine Swanson

2:54 pm on Monday, September 10, 2012

I was disappointed that there wasn't a polka band this year.   more ›

Opening Night for Fall On the Green 2012

Friday's opens tonight at 6 p.m. Band line up features Nice Guy Eddies, CTA Chicago and Tumbling Dice tribute bands.

Fall On the Green 2012 Survival Guide

Everything you need to know Oak Lawn's 17th annual Fall On the Green from the parking shuttle, bands and food to kids and teens activities and staying out of the police blotter. The fall frolic kicks off this weekend Sept. 7-9.

In case you haven’t noticed the tents popping up on 95th Street it’s that time of year again. Oak Lawn’s 17th annual Fall On the Green Festival kicks off this weekend—Sept. 7, Sept. 8 and Sept. 9—on the Village Green at 95th Street and Cook Avenue. Admission and rides are entirely free. Patch will be popping in and posting photos and updates throughout the weekend, so check back often. We’ve got your guide to all of the events including the band lineup, kids bathtub races and other tips to make Fall on the Green 2012 more enjoyable without ending up in the Patch police blotter. DOWNLOAD the brochure to Fall On the Green 2012. New this year is the teen water ball pond in the Fifth Third Bank Teen Area. Teens climb into giant plastic bubbles…

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Business Comings & Goings: Chuck's Fest Returns to Toyota Park

Sign up to have breakfast with your legislators at Saint Xavier University.

Chuck’s Fest, a beer, food and music extravaganza, returns this weekend to Toyota Park in Bridgeview. The fest was started in 2008 by Chuck Pine, owner of Chuck’s Southern Comforts Café in Burbank. The three-day festival moved two years ago to Toyota Park. A new food offering this year will be smoked goat, which will be done on Saturday at the fest alongside Birrieria Zaragoza, a Mexican restaurant in Chicago renowned for its roast goat. Back this year will be the beer tasting on Saturday featuring 80 brewers serving more than 120 craft beers. “It’s probably the biggest beer tasting event in Chicago,” Pine said. “We’ll have VIP tasting from noon to 3 p.m. for $45 to give connoisseurs a jump on the sampling. They’ll be able to sample …

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Disagreement Over Fall On the Green Audit Continues

Village Treasurer Jim McGovern says Trustee Bob Streit "mislead the public by misstating facts" of alleged ethical conflict with Fall On the Green audit.