Just call our 24-hour hotline at 299-1500, or go to our website at www.journal-topics.com to state what is on your mind concerning an issue you consider to be significant, and we'll publish it. If you would like to state your opinion about anything, feel free to do so. Just make sure your message is brief, to the point and within the limits of good taste and acceptable to readers of a family newspaper.

Villas neighborhood has improved

Kudos to the Villas association in Des Plaines. I have seen more things done in the Villas in six months than I have seen in 20 years. Keep up the good work. Proud to be a Villas resident.

Park looks halfway decent

I live across the street from all the construction at Gateway Park in downtown Des Plaines. It's 90% completed. They just finished with the drywall. Last week and this week the weather has been mild, and nobody has come over to finish the brick sidewall and clean up the park. I'm surprised that the City of Des Plaines is spending $250,000 for this Gateway Park and it's not even completed. It's turning out to be nice. So far the park looks halfway decent. Thank you, goodbye.

He's done very little

A big thank you to Brian Burkross for answering his own question. In his response to the Speak Out article "What have you done?" he went on and on talking about...nothing. What has he done? So he stopped the fire station. I'm sure that's going to save us a ton of money. It will probably only cost double now. He's stopped a few other things. Now what has he done on the positive side? He answered his own question...nothing. He couldn't describe it in his own Speak Out. Brian, we like you. You do a good job sometimes. But you have to do something positive. What are you doing to build, not just stop it.

What are you doing here?

In answer to the Russian Cosmo nut, if things are so wonderful in Russia (where you have to stand in line to buy a roll of toilet paper), what are you doing here? L.L. Des Plaines

Remember, we invaded Iraq

All these politicians and all these news reports or whatever: the issue in Iraq is no longer an issue. We won't win. No matter what spin they put on it, it's a lost cause. It's your son and your daughter's life. Remember, we invaded that country.

Why not finish park job?

Hello. I'm surprised that you don't want to finish up the nice little park. I think it's called the Gateway Park. You're doing a good job but how come you don't finish it up? I'm surprised. Thank you.

Just making more, more money

Yes, I just saw the salary for the street worker in the Journal the other day. I tell you, some people are making over $100,000 working for the City Hall, Public Works, and the Fire Department. I think it's absurd. Why don't they do some adjustments on these salaries? They're just taking more, and more, and more. There's a lot of homeless in need. Thank you.

Hard to believe unlimited

I am so happy that once again our alderman, Miss Brookman, was able to stop the trash pickup, without having looked at the contract. What is going on with this council of ours, that they go ahead and approve something that they haven't even read. I know for a fact that Mt. Prospect people are only allowed what can fit into the container. The garbage and the recyclable. If there's anything extra you pay for it. So for you to keep printing in the paper that it's going to be unlimited trash pickup, I find that very hard to believe.

Fire union raises money

The Park Ridge firefighters Union is trying to start a new tradition of selling custom Park Ridge fire-themed calendars as a fundraiser for various worthy charities including Illinois Burn Camp, MDA, The American Lung Association, AVON Breast Cancer research, and the families of fallen firefighters and police officers in Illinois. In the past, we've held such events as "fill the boot" drives and car washes to generate contributions to these causes. While not participating, Fire Chief Ed Dubowski has allowed these fundraisers to be done at the firehouse. The Chief even attended the 2005 Illinois Burn Camp visitors day and took the stage to help present the funds (collected by the firefighters) to the children. In this challenging financial environment where we all have many demands for our charitable dollars, the Union is trying a new method. We are selling calendars that enter the donor in year round weekly raffles. One hundred percent of net proceeds go to charitable causes. No commissions, fees or expenses go to any of the firefighters. Chief Dubowski was informed of our intentions at the start of the program. Although he declined to assist the Union, he also did not object. Our calendars were late being printed and one of our union members began selling calendars door-to-door while delivering some that had already been sold. This was done without a solicitors license and was halted shortly thereafter. The Chief stated he received a "complaint" about firefighters selling door-to-door. In order to adhere to all ordinances, one of our on-duty members inquired at City Hall (during normal business hours) about the permit process. Within hours, the firefighters received an e-mail from the Chief making it clear that he would discipline members for any future "infractions" related to our fundraising activities. So we, the Park Ridge firefighters who make up IAFF Local #2697, would like to extend our sincere appreciation to those who have supported our fundraising efforts.

Need some new blood

I'm sorry, but I don't think that downtown Des Plaines has been a happening spot since the 1920's. Just take a ride on Metra and see all the lively downtown areas: Edison Park, Park Ridge, Mt. Prospect, and Arlington Heights. And then there's Des Plaines. No matter how many condos they build or renewal projects are completed, there is absolutely no energy. I think Metropolitan Square is another disaster. We are just cramming more people into the downtown area and not giving them anything to do. They will just go to Arlington Heights or Mt. Prospect to have a good time and spend their money. Tearing down the historic Kinder hardware store was a dumb move. It's going to be a bank now. The city should have coordinated with some private investors to turn the historic building into a cafe or something similar. People love these types of settings. You can go to a Potbelly or Panera Bread anywhere, but it would be truly unique to have a coffee in a 150-year-old building. It's time to get some young folks on the committees that help shape the downtown Des Plaines area. By the way, I think the Riverwalk is a bad idea. It will not generate any real money.

Just a way to make money

How do you define ridiculous? Two Park Ridge policemen standing on a corner in a residential part of your city handing out tickets for not wearing seat belts. I didn't realize that the police had to protect me from me. Let's face it, it's a great way to collect revenue and an excuse to pull someone over. Are you really protecting and serving me, or just making money off of me? There has to be something better for these policemen to be doing. f not, send them home early.

Too early to say we lost

To the Speak Out contributor who mourned the loss of a son in Iraq, I sympathize for him or her just as I mourned for the 405,000 deaths in the 45 months of World War II, the Korean War's (with a Democrat in the White House and the Democrats controlling both houses of the Congress, it was called a police action); 33,000 deaths in 36 months, and the 55,000 deaths during the Viet Nam War. The military action in Iraq now is a continuation of Saddam's invasion of Kuwait not an invasion by the U. S. At the end of the Persian Gulf War there was no peace agreement or surrender, but a period of rearming by the Sunni dominated government. Just after the withdrawal of coalition troops after Kuwait's liberation, Saddam used chemical weapons on some of the citizens of Iraq, that is the Kurds and Shiits. He then continued to replenish his weapons, but when the heat was on from the U. S. he shipped all of the weapons of mass destruction out and if he had been left alone he'd have had them shipped back in. The largest army in Europe in 1936 was the French. If they would have stopped Hitler's troops from regaining the Rhineland, and raising Hitler's esteem with the German General Staff, World War II in Europe may have been avoided. We have no idea what our action in the Middle East, at this time, will do in regard to area stability. It's premature to say we have lost. We may never know.