Community: March 2009 Archives

Naperville City Councilman Richard Furstenau on Thursday was ordered by a judge to undergo a mental exam as part of his suit against several city officials.

Furstenau was arrested following an incident Jan. 1, 2006, where he was accused of shoving a police officer in a dispute over downtown parking. He was acquitted in the case in May 2007, and five months later Furstenau filed a suit contending police and city officials "mounted an orchestrated campaign to jail, silence and politically destroy" him because of positions he has taken while serving on the council, including his questions about police department spending.

Furstenau also claims in the lawsuit he has suffered persistent disturbed sleep and feelings of violation and powerlessness and is asking that he be awarded monetary damages for his alleged emotional distress.

It is this part of the suit that led to Thursday's ruling. City attorneys want to examine Furstenau to evaluate the mental distress portion of the claims.

What do you think of the recent developments in the suit, and the case in general?

Update: The city announced Monday that it has reached an agreement with Furstenau. He will drop his suit and each party will pay their own costs. The agreement will be voted on April 8.

The Sun has a story in our Friday edition about safety crossing 75th Street and the nearby roads that are experiencing more traffic due to the construction on 75th. Residents expressed outrage at Tuesday's City Council meeting because of what they say is an accident waiting to happen.

Indeed, a child was struck and injured by a construction vehicle in the area earlier this year. Speed bumps, crossing guards, rerouting traffic and more police patrols were among the suggestions. Another suggestion is a pedestrian bridge over 75th Street. Such a bridge has been in the planning stages for years but is being held up by bureaucracy.

Do you think there is a problem in the 75th Street area? What would you suggest to fix the problem?

The Sun is running a cover story on Wednesday about students struggling to fund their education in the economic downturn. Some have either lost jobs or have parents who have lost or fear they may lose their jobs. To help students cope, many local colleges are offering more grants, freezing tuition increases or halting building programs. Other students are planning to stay in school to wait out the economic problems by attending graduate school or law school.

Are you a college student struggling to stay in class in this economy, or a parent struggling to send your kids to college? Do you think schools/government should do more to help college students? Are you about to graduate or have children about to graduate and head into the worst job market in decades? What are your goals? Your fears?