St. Johannes Cemetery Alliance (SJCA) Newsletter 09 May 2003 URGENT! ~~~ This Is The Most Urgent Broadcast of News To Date ~~~ Please Read and RESPOND within the next 48-HOURS YOUR ACTION IS NEEDED NOW Illinois Senate Bill 802 is working its way through the state legislation and will be voted upon in just days. A similar measure is in the House. Both will severely affect any possible future for St. Johannes and Resthaven Cemeteries. Please read this newsletter in its entirety. Follow the web page links. And, most important respond immediately to as many Illinois state representatives and senators that you can. The next few days may truly define the fate of St. Johannes and Resthaven Cemeteries. Refer to the links in the link section below to obtain contact addresses for Illinois state senators and representatives. First - here are two newspaper articles from today's edition of the Daily Herald and the Chicago Tribune, lifting up the grave concern over the present legislation that the City of Chicago is pushing hard to get passed and placed into law in Springfield, Illinois. Not a good picture at all. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Suburban Chicago, IL, May 9 "City hall wrote this bill, and they wrote it to give them anything they want," Froehlich said. "And they're confident the legislature will rubber stamp it." To read the entire article follow this link: http://www.msnbc.com/local/scdh/a37750175.asp ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ O'Hare bill widens city reach Expansion area could be enlarged http://www.ucctakeaction.org/legdirectory/index.asp?step=6&state=IL&chamber= 003 By Ray Long and Jon Hilkevitch, Tribune staff reporters. Tribune staff reporter John Chase contributed to this report Published May 9, 2003 SPRINGFIELD -- Despite Mayor Richard Daley's assertion that his new O'Hare expansion legislation would simply put into law a deal he cut two years ago, city officials acknowledged Thursday that the measure could allow Chicago to seize property well beyond the plan's proposed footprint. The bill, fast-tracked to the House floor Thursday only hours after it was unveiled, would give the city expanded power to go beyond the 433 acres in the suburbs originally listed in Daley's plans for the massive O'Hare expansion. The bill also would require that lawsuits filed against the city by expansion opponents be moved to Cook County Circuit Court, where judges might be more friendly to the city's point of view. In addition, the measure would void any suburban ordinances that would be inconsistent with the expansion plan. Critics contended the proposal for broad powers would let the city act like a "rogue entity," but top city officials stuck by their stance that the original expanded footprint of O'Hare would be enough. "We can't tell today exactly how this airport will turn out because the FAA review isn't finished," said Michael Schneiderman, an attorney hired by the city. "We may have to move runways slightly, runway protection zones and change the location of [navigation] beacons. If more land is needed, though, it would be just a little more, and a surprise to us." The Federal Aviation Administration has not issued a review of the proposed footprint for O'Hare expansion, but agency officials repeatedly have expressed concern that more land might be needed on the west side of the airport to accommodate aircraft taking off from and landing on east-west runways. "We may be talking to the city in the future about them obtaining some easements to create room for end-of-runway zones where we do want clear zones," FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro said. Clear zones give pilots extra space to avoid crashes during aborted takeoffs and when landing aircraft cannot stop by the end of the runway. "We don't know yet if the city would have to buy additional land, but they may need easements," Molinaro said. During committee debate, Rep. Carolyn Krause (R-Mt. Prospect), who opposed the bill, said communities, schools and park districts would lose major revenue from a significant drop in the commercial and residential property-tax base. But Rep. Angelo "Skip" Saviano (R-Elmwood Park), who supported the bill, said lawmakers should look for short-term public funding that could ease the losses. The House Executive Committee voted 9-3 to move the legislation to the full House. The action came less than a day after Daley outlined his proposal, which he said would codify the deal he sealed with former Gov. George Ryan in 2001. Word of the possibility of expanding the footprint heightened concerns of suburbanites already angry that the city will be given wide-ranging "quick-take" powers to buy land, which could cut years from the amount of time the city would need to acquire land in nearby communities, such as Bensenville or Elk Grove Village. "It's intended to wipe out any state and local laws and go around the federal laws," said Joe Karaganis, lawyer for the anti-expansion Suburban O'Hare Commission. "It basically allows Chicago to operate as a rogue entity--above the law." He said the legislation has open-ended provisions that could allow the city to take over land that is related to the O'Hare expansion but not directly part of the deal. Karaganis, who also represents an old cemetery within O'Hare's boundaries, said the city would be able to not only bulldoze houses but also dig up graves. "This is consecrated ground," Karaganis said. "It's part of their religious beliefs that the consecrated burial site relates to their relationship with God and their ultimate salvation. Their placement in that consecrated ground is very important to their relationship to the divine." In Chicago, Gov. Rod Blagojevich said details were still being negotiated, and he sought to temper suburban fears. "The radius has to be one that's reasonable and does what it needs to do for O'Hare expansion and that's all," he said. The governor said negotiations are proceeding over "how generous we're willing to be with quick-take powers and how far beyond the airport property they would go." The new state legislation also reflects the original intent of the stalled federal proposal by eliminating gubernatorial veto power over new runways at O'Hare. The measure would also give the city power to delay for years construction of the long-awaited western access road to the airport. In other action, the House Gaming Committee approved a proposal that would give riverboat casinos 2,000 gambling positions, up from 1,200, and allow horseracing tracks to install hundreds of slot machines. Details of the O'Hare legislation The O'Hare legislation sent to the General Assembly would: - Eliminate gubernatorial veto authority over Chicago's ability to build new runways. - Require pending lawsuits against the city to be moved to Cook County Circuit Court. - Allow Chicago to increase O'Hare's expansion footprint beyond the 433 acres agreed upon in 2001. - Provide "quick-take" authority over land needed for O'Hare expansion. - Grant Chicago broad powers for O'Hare expansion over other municipalities, forest preserve districts, cemeteries and other entities. - Give the city power to delay for years construction of the long-awaited western access road to the airport. Copyright © 2003, Chicago Tribune ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Second - here, in a nutshell, is a summary of the senate bill: Deletes everything after the enacting clause. Creates the O'Hare Modernization Act. Contains provisions concerning acquisition of property, condemnation, and jurisdiction over airport property. Preempts home rule powers. Amends the Archeological and Paleontological Resources Protection Act, the Human Skeletal Remains Protection Act, the Illinois Municipal Code, the Downstate Forest Preserve District Act, the Illinois Aeronautics Act, the Vital Records Act, and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to provide that certain provisions of those Acts do not limit the authority of a municipality under the O'Hare Modernization Act. Requires the Department of Transportation to monitor the O'Hare Modernization Program and to report to the General Assembly. Amends the Code of Civil Procedure concerning the venue of certain actions and granting quick-take powers. Makes other changes. Effective immediately. For the full-version of the bill follow this link (and notice the full intent of the City of Chicago to be able to act unhindered and NOT have to abide by any existing laws or regulations. It's a "do whatever we want, to whomever we want, at anytime we want, without their approval or concern in mind): http://www.legis.state.il.us/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=&SessionId=3&G A=93&DocTypeId=SB&DocNum=802 after reaching this page, click on "House Amendment 001" to read the full bill ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ YOUR ACTION NEEDED IMMEDIATELY! As long-time supporters of the efforts of St. John United Church of Christ, Bensenville, Illinois to save it's 150+ year old cemetery from the bulldozers of the City of Chicago, we need your immediate help now - especially over the next 48-hours. We need everyone to fax and email the Illinois state representatives and senators, who will all be deciding on this bill. I strongly urge you to do both. These contacts need to be made now so that they are awaiting for all representatives when they return to their offices on Monday. Then, beginning Monday morning, telephone calls must be made as a follow-up to the emails and faxes you send. The vote on this bill may be just a few days away - its being pushed through very quickly. An immediate response is critical to our efforts. Refer to the links in the link section below to obtain contact addresses for Illinois state senators and representatives. Following is a SAMPLE LETTER that you can "cut - personalize - and paste", if you need. In your writings be sure to stressed the history of St. Johannes, Resthaven, and those ancestors and persons buried there. I would also suggest that you stress that these are not just cemeteries, but are CHURCH-related cemeteries. We are talking about both the protection of our past departed community founders and families and about our future sacred religious freedoms - both of which the City of Chicago wants to strip from us - rights already provided us by law. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SAMPLE LETTER YOU CAN USE. Because of time restraints a postal letter will not work. Please fax and email copies of this letter, personalized by you, to all Illinois State Representatives and Senators IMMEDIATELY. Time is of the utmost, and your immediate action can help to get the word out and make a difference! --- << CUT & PASTE & PERSONALIZE THIS LETTER >> Senate Bill 802/O'Hare Modernization - Church Cemetery Desecration? Do you have any idea why a bill entitled "O'Hare Modernization" would seek to change the following Illinois laws? The Illinois Religious Freedom Restoration Act The Cemetery Removal Act The Vital Records Act Requiring the Careful Handling of Human Remains The Archaeological and Paleontological Resources Protection Act The Human Skeletal Remains Protection Act Could it be to take away the rights and fundamental religious freedoms of St. John's United Church of Christ? St. John's Church Cemetery has been in operation for over 150 years, since 1848, and continues to serve as a burial place for its Members to this day. St. John's Church Cemetery is the sacred resting place of approximately 1600 souls, including the Church's Ministers, Illinois Prairie Settlers, and Civil War and other Veterans. A second cemetery, Resthaven Cemetery, is a burial place of Native Americans and is also threatened by this Bill. Senate Bill 802 would give the City of Chicago authority to dig up the Church's Members and loved ones without following State Regulations and without making any provision for their reburial. The Church and its Families consider such a removal of bodies from the grave to be violative of fundamental religious beliefs, and a desecration. Do you really support the desecration of Cemeteries? How about the elimination of long standing laws, including the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, to target a Church? How about the destruction of such historic places? Shouldn't St. John's United Church of Christ, its Members and their Families be entitled to the same protections as anyone else in the State of Illinois? Does the elimination of these protections seem appropriate in a Bill about Airport Expansion? Please vote NO to Senate Bill 802!! << CUT & PASTE & PERSONALIZE THIS LETTER >> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** After you have faxed and emailed as many Illinois state representatives and senators as possible, please start following up with phone calls on Monday to their state and local offices. No answer? Leave a voicemail message and remember to call back again later in order to have your voice heard by a real live person. No fax machine? Check with your neighbors and friends who may want to help. We need to get our concerns out. *** Get the word out to as many different groups in your area of the state as possible. They are ALL affected by what may happen in the Chicagoland suburbs. ++ Churches (whose basic religious freedoms allowed by law may also be stripped away by the precedent the City of Chicago is attempting to establish) ++ Veterans groups (many of the interred in St. Johannes and Resthaven are veterans of all wars including the Civil War) ++ Historic preservation groups ++ Cemetery watch groups and administrators ++ Local Native American Indian groups (Resthaven is the burial placed for vast remains of Native American Indians (a left over from the previous airport expansion. Do we desecrate their final resting grounds twice?) ++ Send copies of this newsletter to anyone and everyone who has even a small a concern over the proposed destruction that this bill will bring. Strongly encourage them to respond as well. *** Live out-of-state? YOUR response is critical, too, especially if you have ancestors interred in either St. Johannes and/or Resthaven Cemeteries, and even if you don't. Please send your own personalized faxes and emails within the next 48-hours as well, strongly objecting to the powers that this bill would give to the City of Chicago and the devastating effect upon St. Johannes and Resthaven Cemeteries. Refer to the links in the link section below to obtain contact addresses for Illinois state senators and representatives. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ These are the links you need to help you find addresses / phone numbers / fax numbers / email addresses of all the Illinois state lawmakers. At the very least, write your local senator and representative voicing your concerns and shock at what is being proposed in this bill. BETTER yet - email and/or fax ALL the listed representatives and senators. It took me only 90 minutes to cut & paste an email to all the senators this morning. They all need to be hearing from you, too. YOUR voice could make the difference! So, please use these links NOW! Illinois State Senators Contacts By Name ------- FAX AND EMAIL THEM ALL!! http://www.ucctakeaction.org/legdirectory/index.asp?step=6&state=IL&chamber= 002 Illinois State Representatives Contacts By Name ------ FAX AND EMAIL THEM ALL!! http://www.ucctakeaction.org/legdirectory/index.asp?step=6&state=IL&chamber= 003 Link to Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich (D-IL) Governor ------ FAX AND EMAIL HIM AS WELL!!http://www.ucctakeaction.org/legdirectory/index.asp?s=y&step=8&id=ILS0 0GRYAG [ If these links won't work with a 'click', than simply cut & paste them to your browser address window. ] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I cannot stress enough how important it is that we share this with as many people and organizations that we can in an effort to get everyone to contact ALL the Illinois representatives and senators who will be deciding the fate of St. Johannes and Resthaven Cemeteries within the next few days. The moment has arrived for our greatest effort yet. On behalf of the members of St. John United Church of Christ and all the families who have loved ancestors interred at these two cemeteries, I wish to thank you for your standing by us and for all your prayers and thoughts. May your actions today help preserve the future. We wish God's richest blessings upon you. Until the next issue - - - - - Michael M. Kirchhoff, Sr. ____________________________ Michael Martens Kirchhoff, Sr. mktwa@ix.netcom.com