As chairperson for the Environment Committee of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, an organization of 270 municipalities in the Chicago region, John Ostenburg oversaw the development of the MMC’s Greenest Region Compact, to which 125 communities are signatories. He served as mayor of Park Forest for 20 years. (PHOTO SUPPLIED) CommentaryBy[Read More…]
Author: John Ostenburg
Op-Ed: Closing St. Irenaeus Solves Nothing
St. Irenaeus Church in Park Forest (Photo John Hudzik) CommentaryBy John Ostenburg I am deeply saddened to hear of St. Irenaeus closing, in large part because I think the parish had developed something of a unique community-oriented process of worship that made it a site of welcome to Catholics of[Read More…]
Another Example of Racial Inequity in Access to Health Services
Park Forest Mayor John A. Ostenburg (Image Provided) CommentaryBy John A. Ostenburg Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- A few days ago, I heard Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick, president of Howard University in Washington, D.C., being interviewed regarding the high number of African Americans who are succumbing to the COVID-19 virus. In[Read More…]
More Than 300 Attend St. Irenaeus Climate Program
WGN’s Tom Skilling speaks at the climate program held at St. Irenaeus Church on June 23, 2019. (Photo: Dominic Balmaseda) PARK FOREST, IL-(ENEWSPF)- More than 300 persons gathered at St. Irenaeus Church in Park Forest on June 23 for a program sponsored by the Park Forest People of Faith, “Climate[Read More…]
Tom Skilling to Headline Park Forest Climate Forum
Tom Skilling, WGN-TV/Channel 9 meteorologist, will be keynote speaker for a public forum on “Climate Change: The Issues, the Consequences, the Challenges” at St. Irenaeus Church in Park Forest on June 23. (PHOTO SUPPLIED) Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- WGN-TV/Channel 9 meteorologist Tom Skilling will be the keynote speaker for a public[Read More…]
Mayor Named Chair of MMC Board
Park Forest Mayor John A. Ostenburg (Image Provided) Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- Mayor John A. Ostenburg of Park Forest has been elected to serve as chairperson for the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus (MMC). The decision was made by members of the MMC Executive Board at its November 19 meeting. Mayor Ostenburg will[Read More…]
A Trump Victory Or A Clinton Loss? A Look Back On The Campaign
Commentary By John A. Ostenburg My blog is titled “The Outpost Observer” for a reason. I’m not an insider; rather, I’m one who observes from afar. As such, the commentary I am offering on the recent presidential election is that of an amateur and not a professional. True, I’ve been[Read More…]
A Different Approach To Combating Violence In Society
Commentary By John A. Ostenburg A few months ago, members of various faith communities in Park Forest began to gather on the first Wednesday of the month in a prayer vigil for peace. The impetus for these prayer vigils was the shooting and killing of a young resident of our town.[Read More…]
What Iowa and New Hampshire Do, and Do Not, Predict About the November Election
Commentary By John A. Ostenburg While lots of media attention is given every four years to the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary election, those events appear to be only minimal predictors at best of what else will occur in the presidential contests. The first-in-the-nation status of the New[Read More…]
Mayor John Ostenburg: Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Park Forest, IL–(ENEWSPF)–January 18, 2016. Today, the nation remembers Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy of peace and justice. The road leading to this holiday was long and difficult, and so very many of the goals that Dr. King and his cohorts in the American Civil Rights Movement[Read More…]
