Arlington Hts. residents stick to time limit

Although they forced one Arlington Heights village board meeting to go past midnight and another to stretch almost as long, opponents of a new Lauterberg & Oehler Funeral Home in Memory Gardens garnered high praise from Mayor Arlene Mulder.

"For a controversial issue, you are the most obedient group in my 16 years here," said Mulder, referring to the fact that most citizens honored the three-minute time limit when they spoke on the issue. In return, no one complained Monday when the occasional speaker went over the limit.

Many of the residents of the area near Euclid and Waterman avenues, where the funeral home was proposed, stuck to the issues. These included increased traffic, property values and whether the project met the ordinance rules for a zoning variance.

But some accused the board of conflict of interest for reasons such as the fact that the attorney for Service Corporation International, owners of the cemetery and the funeral home, served on the village board with most of its current members.

The council chambers were standing room only, and about 16 audience members. The crowd went away happy because several trustees changed their votes from two weeks earlier and denied the zoning variance.

Skateboard park grand opening

Skateboarding returns to Arlington Heights with a grand opening celebration Saturday at the Arlington Heights Park District's rebuilt skate board park.

The free gathering with music, hot dogs and soft drinks will start at 1 p.m. next to the Olympic Indoor Swim Center, 660 N. Ridge Ave.

Skaters can practice on the ramps and rails and participate in a Sick Trick competition whose prizes include a skateboard designed by F.A. Skates of Mount Prospect. The F.A. Skates team will show off advanced tricks and give safety tips.

The skate park is open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Visit ahpd.org or call (847) 577-3025.