Let's find a way to honor late mayor
The other day when I was at the Hoffman Estates village hall paying my water bill, I happened to ask the clerk why have we never named a park or the field that kids played HEAA football after the late mayor O'Malley. (Personally I would like to see Highpoint Park renamed the Mike O'Malley Memorial Field).
The clerk told me they don't do that. I thought what!? He worked in this building!
During Mike's time as our Mayor I coached in HECBA and on one occasion Mike came to our game (note, I never coached any of Mike's children) I used to treat the kids to ice cream after a game once in awhile, well, on this occasion out of the clear blue Mike tells me to take the kids to the pizza shop off Schaumburg Road and it's on him. (Mike never came, he just called the owner).
My second story that Mike did, happened a year or two later we had a good team (again) and we were playing at the Elgin invite. Mind you, no one from the HECBA board at that time came out to support our team (ours was the only Hoffman Team in HECBA that made it to the invite!).
But I saw mayor Mike O'Malley! I'm sure there were a lot more important things to do, but he made time to support us, because we were Hoffman Estates! And he loved this town!
To the O'Malley family: I'm sorry I kept those memories repressed for so long. I'm hoping that they can get a special referendum on the ballot to give the late mayor Mike O'Malley the long overdue honor.
David Kumpula
Hoffman Estates