Heartfelt memorial…or vandalism?

Amanda McSheridan’s friends and family have maintained a roadside memorial on 95th Street ever since the 18-year-old was struck and killed by a car near the Massasoit Avenue intersection in October.

But the memorial, an assortment of stuffed animals and fake flowers attached to a pole, had taken a beating from a rough winter.

On Monday, a small crew replaced the weathered display with new colorful flowers and cleaner, fluffier stuffed animals to mark the four-month anniversary of her death. They even swept around the area, picked up debris in the parking lot and secured the display with zip-ties so nothing could blow away.

“We didn’t want to give Oak Lawn an excuse to say it looked unsightly,” said Carol McSheridan, Amanda’s mom.

By Wednesday, the memorial had disappeared.

“I couldn’t understand when I drove past it,” McSheridan said. “What would give them the motivation to take that down?”

Here’s the village’s answer: vandalism.

Someone – officials wouldn’t say who – called the village to report “vandalism” in the area of the memorial, so the public works crew removed the offending teddy bears and flowers.

The village was only doing its job in responding to the complaint, village manager Larry Deetjen said.

That explanation made Amanda’s mom furious. It also raised concerns from the nearby business owners who helped erect the original memorial, including the Sara Lee and Market Day store where Amanda worked.

But what really irks McSheridan is the feeling that her and Amanda’s friends are being robbed of the chance to grieve constructively.

For Amanda’s friends and classmates at Oak Lawn Community High School, the roadside memorial served as a constant, colorful reminder.

That the teardown took place on the same week of Amanda’s sister’s birthday was only further insult to the family.

The memorial “holds significance to the students. They started it there,” she said. Deetjen “is basically is slapping them in the face.”

Deetjen said he had never seen the memorial and was unaware of its location and significance.

Right now, what’s left of the display sits in the village’s public works garage.

McSheridan figures that’s not doing anyone any good, particularly Amanda’s classmates and friends- all of whom might stage a protest at village hall.

Said McSheridan: “I’m not telling them not to.”

Have a seat

Chicago had cows. Central Park had gates. Oak Lawn is getting chairs.

As part of the village’s centennial celebration, the village is getting its first large public art installation in the form of rocking chairs, each seven to ten feet tall.

The chairs have a two-pronged significance, Mayor Dave Heilmann said. One, the village is getting older. Two, Oak Lawn will be “rocking into the next hundred years,” Heilmann said.

Paid for by private donations, the chairs will be painted by students from local schools.

Sometime toward the end of May, they’ll be placed in prominent, well-traveled spots throughout Oak Lawn.

The goal is to have them there for 100 days. Eventually, they’ll end up at the annual Fall on the Green festival.

Justice may be blind, but it ain’t dumb

It’s not everyday that reporters have the chance to talk with a high-caliber attorney such as Chicago’s venerable Ed Genson.

You may recognize that name. He’s been called a miracle worker and the devil’s advocate. He’s the guy who helped acquit Bruno Mancari on a murder charge and successfully defended R&B superstar R. Kelly against child pornography charges.

Most recently, he resigned as counsel for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Now, he’s defending Terry Cornell Jr., a 50-year-old Palos Park resident, from a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge related to alleged harassment of a Moraine Valley Community College board member.

Curious about Cornell’s decision to bring in such a big gun to fight such a small charge, I placed a call to Genson’s office. Two, actually. And I’m still scratching my head a bit.

Here’s a summary of the second call, answered by Genson. There was no hello.

“All I do is talk to people all day. And for free. Are you going to pay me any money?”

I can’t do that. Are you representing a Terry Cornell Jr.?

“Yes, I will be representing him.”

Have you defended any misdemeanors in recent memory?

“Yes, Shia LaBeouf and a couple after that. But you don’t know their names. I’ve become the misdemeanor king, it’s a lot easier. No felonies here. I’m going to troll around for misdemeanors.”

(Laughing. Stunned. I didn’t say much else.)

“Is that all? OK.”

Click.