BRIDGEVIEW, IL—Has a thin-skinned politician stopped the long-planned installation of the Little Palestine Way signs along Harlem Avenue because he wasn’t invited to speak at the unveiling ceremony?
A community coalition lobbied the state legislature to approve the installation of Little Palestine Way signs along a four-mile stretch of Harlem Avenue recognizing the economic and cultural contributions of Palestinian-Americans. HJR 0046 was passed on May 31 by the state senate. The resolution was already approved by state reps last October, but for some inexplicable reason, Preston, the main senate sponsor, would not call it to the senate floor for a vote.
The Little Palestine Way brown honorary signage is similar to the “Polish Heritage Corridor” signs installed in 2022 on a stretch of Milwaukee Avenue on Chicago’s Northwest Side, honoring the contributions of Polish Americans, which also had to be approved by Illinois legislators.
Now, the coalition alleges the installation of five Little Palestine Way signs on Harlem Avenue has been delayed because Sen. Willie Preston (18th District) called Illinois Department of Transportation officials and complained that he wasn’t invited to speak at Saturday's dedication. Bridgeview officials are also planning to dedicate a portion of 87th Street as Wadea Al-Fayoumi Way, honoring the 6-year-old Plainfield boy who was stabbed to death in 2023 in what was ruled a hate crime.
Patch has reached out to Preston and IDOT for comment.
Dr. Sabha Abour, one of the organizers who lobbied for signage, said she received an email Thursday evening from IDOT Secretary Gia Biagi stating that Saturday’s installation would have to be canceled due to “scheduling conflicts” from legislators.
“We’re happy to install it when a date has been agreed upon by all of the sponsoring legislators,” Biagi said in her email to Abour, which was shared with Patch. “We’ve already reached out to sponsors and encouraged them to coordinate.”
Biagi then apologized for the inconvenience, stating IDOT was aware “that a lot of work has gone into this event.”
“The Illinois General Assembly passed this recognition,” Abour said. “An event has been planned. Vendors have been hired. Media interviews are scheduled. This is a historic day for an entire community. So why is a state agency allowing one elected official’s personal grievance to jeopardize a state-approved project that they scheduled to be put up on Friday.”
The community organizers' attorney, Jousef M. Shkoukani, has filed an eleventh-hour emergency demand letter with IDOT’s general counsel over claims of legislator interference. The emergency letter demands that IDOT complete the installation of the honorary signage before 2 p.m. Saturday, when the dedication ceremony is expected to begin.
“At no point in five weeks of correspondence did any [IDOT] official suggest that an installation was contingent on the availability, participation, or any legislator,” the emergency demand letter stated. “The general assembly has spoken. HJR0046 directs the department to erect the signage; it does not condition installation on the social calendars, event invitations, or unanimous agreement of individual legislators.”
Shkoukani further states that the fact Biagi apologized for the “inconvenience”
Abour told Patch that State Reps. Lisa Davis (32nd District) and Mike Crawford (31st District) and State Sen. Don Harmon (39th District), who helped push HJR0046 across the finish line, have been invited.
Davis said the community organizers reached out to her on Tuesday, who were told that Preston reached out to IDOT complaining he wasn’t invited to speak, delaying the sign installation.
“That is my understanding,” Davis told Patch. “All I can tell you is that it prompted me to reach out to IDOT.”
Davis said she was told the installation was off until “there could be coordination of legislators’ schedules.”
“I specifically asked about IDOT’s involvement coordinating schedules. All they’re supposed to do is put the signs up,” she said. “They called me asking for my availability to meet with members of the state senate and other legislators from the house. I don’t understand IDOT’s involvement.”
“IDOT has put themselves in a very precarious position,” Davis added. “IDOT can't dictate to me who I work with; if I wanted to hold an event for the community and didn’t invite other legislators, would you still let me put up a sign?”
Despite the political pressure, Abour says the community celebration set for 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday will go on as planned, with Little Palestine Way and Wadea honorary signage going up at 87th Street and Harlem Avenue. A live knafeh cooking demonstration, coffee refreshers, and arts and crafts for the kids, including a slime cart, will follow.
Abour believes the unfortunate setback is Preston retaliating after she filed a formal complaint with the Illinois Inspector General about Preston’s alleged harassment and bullying.
“I am asking IDOT to identify the specific Illinois statute, administrative rule, or agency policy that requires a state legislator to attend or be invited to a commemorative sign installation before the department can install a sign authorized by law. If no such legal authority exists, then the public deserves an explanation for why a state-approved designation is being delayed.”
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