After Three Months Live, Orland Park Patch Looks Back at 2010's Top Stories

A lot can happen in a few months. 

Orland Park Patch started with 14 articles. Today, there are more than 450 stories detailing a myriad of events, topics and issues that we believe are important to residents and readers. We take a look back at the most poignant stories we have covered, as we look forward to continuing on into 2011 and beyond.

Remember, we're only getting started.

• L.A. Tan Attack Thwarted by Customer

Jason McDaniel had a few seconds to make the decision. He stood behind the desk at L.A. Tan on 94^th Avenue, the salon clerk sitting next to him with her arms and legs tied, as Gary Amaya bent over and took his hand off a revolver. McDaniel lunged at Amaya, took the gun and fired, leaving Amaya dead within an hour from the gunshot wound. McDaniel said he could see nothing behind Amaya's eyes. McDaniel also noted that the clerk was quick to call 911, and that they made a great team. Police soon found ties between Amaya and the 'Honeybee' shootings in October, but they haven't confirmed if Amaya is the same man responsible for those attacks.

• Police Seize $22,000 in Sex Toys from Spencer's Gifts

There are a few ways to look at this one. Was the store acting irresponsibly for neglecting a state law that says people younger than 18 need to be ID'd before they can purchase sex toys and other sex-themed merchandise? Did the police react too strongly by seizing $22,000 worth of the store's merchandise after the manager said he couldn't cordon off the sexual material, because he had to stick to a corporate-mandated floor plan? Should the manager have tried to compromise? Should the clerk have been charged? Feel free to weigh in.

• Allan Kustok Accused of Murdering Anita "Jeanie" Kustok

What exactly happened leading up to the death of Jeanie Kustok is still unknown publicly. Allan Kustok said he awoke in his bedroom to the sound of a gunshot being fired, and found his wife dead with a revolver he bought as an anniversary present in her hand. He was charged with murder two days later. The court case to decide whether Allan Kustok is responsible has hit a slow patch. But his children, Zak and Sarah Kustok, remain convinced of his innocence. The death shocked many people in Orland Park, who saw the family as living the idyllic American dream, topped off with two successful children. While the court proceedings carry on, staff at the school where Jeanie used to teach and her own children fondly recall her warmth and caring ways.

• Sandburg Star Runner Verzbicas Leaves Broken Records in His Wake

Lukas Verzbicas seems to accomplish feats in the sport of distance running with the same instinctual ease the way the rest of us find something to wear in the morning. Since his parents first suggested he try running in a 5K at age 10, Verzbicas has broken record after record, and won a slew of accolades with his speed. While he was three seconds shy of the all-time state record, belonging to Lebanon's Craig Virgin, Verzbicas succeeded in breaking a 33-year-old Sandburg record held by Tom Graves by clocking in at 13:56.

• District 135 Goes After Residency Cheating

In an age of dwindling state funds, increased costs and million dollar tax objections, the last thing Orland School District 135 needs is for one of its parents to fib on residency. The district is suing Blue Island resident Paul Gutierrez for doctoring an Orland Park lease in order to send his daughter to Orland Junior High for the 2009-10 school year. Last month, however, the key witness in the defense failed to show in court. Gutierrez allegedly owes the district more than $10,000 in out-of-district fees. He recently was found guilty on the charge of violating school code and was sentenced to six months of probation and a $585 fine.

• Threshold Marijuana Bust

In early 2008, a popular Tinley Park record store shut down without warning. Many residents of Orland Park and other adjacent suburbs have since wondered what happened to their beloved source of independent CDs and vinyl albums. This fall, after weeks of investigation, Patch uncovered documents which chronicle an intergovernmental drug bust on the night of Thanksgiving Eve 2007. Police confiscated $1 million in marijuana out of the store, but have since made no public arrests. The event has never been covered in any other news outlet, unlike a recent of similar worth in Tinley Park.

• Orland Resident Speaks Out Against Fire District

Always equipped with a video camera, Patch has documented numerous episodes of taxpayer outrage and distress during local board meetings in recent months. Foremost among them is a video of Orland Park resident Paul Cervenka's of the Orland Fire Protection District. The article continues to attract significant page views five weeks later. We remind our readers that Patch has always and will continue to give any board member, staff or representative an opportunity to respond to .

• Homeowners Shocked by Rise in Recent Tax Bills

Patch also was at the Orland Township Assessor's office in November to document the fervor of residents who couldn't believe their property tax bills were so high. The protests came with little surprise to us, because we spoke a week earlier with Orland Township assessor Rich Kelly, who blamed the state for inflating property values. Kelly later wrote a letter to the editor on the same issue.

• Bus Crashes into the Side of Orland Junior High

Was something wrong with the bus, or was the driver at fault? We are still waiting to hear why a bus suddenly was unable to stop while waiting for students to finish a volleyball game at Orland Junior High, drove up on the west side and crashed into an outer wall. The School District is working to avoid paying for the damages, while a science class continued in the adjacent classroom, where the crash was used as a way to study physics. No one was injured in the crash.

• Kris Rau Fired as Orland Park's Special Recreation Supervisor

After 20 years of working with children with special needs, Kris Rau recently was fired from her position. The village hasn't provided a reason for the termination, citing that "personnel matters" stay private. The village insists the program is a priority and it will continue to manage with the support staff, while they seek Rau's replacement. But parents with children in the program are frustrated and dismayed at Rau's dismissal and are still looking for answers.

• The Orland Main Street Triangle case ambles on, as the village, the owner of Orland Plaza and tenants in operating within the shopping center still have yet to come to an agreement. While the village won the eminent domain lawsuit, what should be paid to the landowner and the tenants is still in question. We will update further on the latest movement in the case after the new year, but it's not a stretch to say it's far from over.
• Five Orland Park taxing bodies could lose up to $9.5 million collectively if the owners of Orland Square Mall win a tax objection complaint in Cook County Court. The village, its library, the Orland Fire Protection District, and school districts 135 and 230 have pooled resources to combat the owners in court.
• In August, Cook County Forest Preserve police arrested two men for cultivating marijuana on public land just outside Orland Park. It was an event that localized the nation's war on drugs, while demonstrating the temerity of marijuana producers, who earlier this month were indicted on all counts by a grand jury.
• A woman was struck and killed by a Metra train near the Wolf Road crossing earlier this month. A Metra representative on the scene at the time believed it to be a suicide, but police have not confirmed whether that was the case.