Westchester blood program deemed a success again
We could not permit the year to end without extending our thanks to all of the generous, civic-minded blood donors throughout the western suburbs.

The Westchester Blood Program sponsored its final drive of the year Nov. 12. The 31-units collected raises to 545 the number of units we received in 2008. That is enough to potentially save the lives of 1,500 patients in area hospitals. It also marked our most productive year since 2001.

Those of us who keep this important 34-year-old endeavor alive and well feel fortunate that, working with LifeSource Blood Services, we can help maintain a safe supply of blood at our hospitals.

Once again, in 2008, LifeSource honored us as one of the three most productive community blood programs in northern Illinois.

But none of this would have been possible without the many dedicated citizens who recognize the critical need for donated blood. They deserve our heartfelt thanks and our greeting of happy and safe holidays.

By the way, our next drive will be Saturday, Jan. 17, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Divine Providence School, 1500 Mayfair Ave. See you there.

Carl Panek, chairman, Westchester Blood Program

Reconsideration needed for Gordon Park land
The morning of Nov. 4, Election Day, found me standing on the beach of the old Lake Chicago. As I stood on the beach ridge, I said a little player that the people of La Grange would see fit to preserve this lovely spot of land, and I also was swept by a wave of guilt that I had not done anything to help the voters of La Grange to see the value of this special piece of open space other than to vote no on the referendum earlier that morning.

It was and is very hard to fathom that our Park Board has mortgaged a relatively large piece of beautiful, open, irreplaceable parkland space. From what I have observed, this board has acted as agents for, and in the best interests of, a private developer, a private organization (the YMCA) and the Chamber of Commerce, but has failed egregiously to act in the best interests of the people of La Grange in the use of its parkland. The YMCA property is large enough for some developer somewhere to have made it work without involving the sale of this precious piece of land by this board.

Although it is never too late to have a change of heart, it sounds like this is moving as quickly as possible to wrap up this matter. I would urge each and every one of you to pause, take a step back and reconsider your decision to squander the legacy of the La Grange Park District. No amount of money can ever replace this land, no matter how many butterfly gardens you place in the remainder of Gordon Park, it will never make up for the loss of this very special place. If you do go forward with this abomination, I would further urge that each and every one of you on this board who have voted in favor of this travesty tender your resignations from the board immediately, so as to allow people who truly desire to act as park stewards.

Should you proceed in this folly, I will join those few who have so courageously tried to stop this train wreck from occurring, and if there is anything that can be done to further to prevent this board from jeopardizing our park lands, then I will offer my meager talents toward that effort. Hoping that you see the light.

Mark Wholberg, La Grange

Federal government needs to cut back on spending
From where is our beneficent federal government getting all the money to save everyone from their mistakes? We, the taxpayers.

The government develops funds from numerous sources: treasury note for which our tax dollars pay the interest, our income taxes and from our Social Security funds. Did the federal government ever ask you if it could borrow, no steal, money from your Social Security account? It never asked me.

They use billions of those funds to run the government, and also they pay Social Security benefits to the present retired people from FICA taxes from currently employed people. In the private sector, that’s called a ponzie scheme for which people go to jail.

I don’t believe many politicians really know or possibly care what our total tax burden is. If you include all taxes and fees, it could easily be 40 percent of our income. The government thinks that money comes from a bottomless pit. It doesn’t. There must be limits to our spending. The only sector now hiring workers is government. What does that tell us? What fools we must be to let this continue.

John Hagan, Western Springs