'Six Degrees of Burt Odelson'

Small-world phenomenon exists just about everywhere, especially if you’re from Oak Lawn. Sometimes you can’t go anywhere without running into an old classmate from Brother Rice or somebody who coached your kid in Westside Baseball.

So, on June 14, when one of the attorneys from Godfrey & Kahn—the Wisconsin-based law firm hired to reinvestigate the former village attorneys—

The recommendation came from another Phi Kappa Psi pledge brother after Phelan mentioned the village’s problems with its legal fees during the Northwestern-Illinois football game last fall.

Phelan told Patch that Godfrey & Kahn attorney, Eric Wilson, was in the pledge class two or three years behind him. They didn't hang out because of the age difference. He hadn’t seen or talked to the guy since 1988, when Phelan graduated from the University of Illinois.

Phelan is quick to maintain that he’s less interested in the drama surrounding the village board than he is in recovering taxpayers’ money for the village. Phelan says that could be as much as $7 million.

In the spirit of full disclosure, attorney Burt Odelson, also disclosed his past relationships to members of the Oak Lawn Village Board before presenting his preliminary investigative report in June 2010.

Odelson represented Mayor Dave Heilmann’s political slate when he was a highway commissioner for Worth Township before being elected mayor. Odelson counts Trustee Jerry Hurckes as a friend and coached Trustee Tom Duhig’s son in hockey.

He met Phelan at a Brother Rice event and Trustee Alex Olejniczak at St. Catherine’s. He spoke to Trustee Carol Quinlan a couple of times on the phone.

Trustee Bob Streit, who owns a roofing company, put a new roof on Odelson’s house and law office.

According to the minutes of the June 8, 2010 village board meeting, Odelson represents over 20 municipalities and school districts. He’s bound to know a lot of people.