S. Elgin honors former mayor

Thomas Rolando likes to take his grandchildren fishing at South Elgin's East Side Park.

Later this year, he can take them to the "Thomas J. Rolando Woods."

Village leaders have embraced the idea of renaming the 26-acre park after Rolando, who served more than four decades in local government, including 28 as village president.

Rolando said he received a call from current Village President James Hansen about the plan.

Rolando was surprised, humbled and honored.

"It's been a long time since I've been out of office," he said. "You do it because you want to make the village better. I enjoyed what I did for the village all those years. We accomplished some pretty good things."

For 28 years, South Elgin residents referred to Rolando as "mayor."

He was a village trustee from 1963 to 1969 and mayor from 1969 to 1997.

"I couldn't think of a better person to name it after," Hansen said.

Jim Reuter, parks and recreation department director, said Rolando was the owner of Cook's Pharmacy after he bought out Jack Cook in 1981.

Rolando helped promote a sanitary sewer and water referendum that helped the village join the Elgin Sanitary District.

He also was a large part of the development of the South Elgin industrial park, fought a landfill plan near the village's east side and helped create Sperry Park.

Rolando also was village president when the village annexed the East Avenue park area.

Rolando's son Mike said it was a great honor for his father.

"We're all really excited. It's a great honor for him," Mike Rolando said. "We saw first hand the time and effort he gave."

A dedication ceremony will be scheduled this spring.