Village of
Westchester October 2010 Newsletter From the Desk of The President
President’s letter
1
Community Calendar
3
News from the Police Dept.
4
Leaf Program Updates for fall
8
Lifesaving trip to the Dentist
10
Restaurant listings
22
Puzzle
16
It is hard to believe that fall is already here, and the dog days of summer are only a memory. To some of us, this transition couldn’t happen soon enough. School has been in full swing for over a month and hopefully parents and children alike have become familiar with their routines. Many pleasurable moments are ahead as we enjoy the great outdoors,the changing tree colors, fall sporting events, Homecoming, and Halloween fun. Also, please don’t forget that the clocks turn back one hour on Saturday, November 6th this year. Daylight Saving Time ends at 2:00 a.m. on November 7th, 2010. A good rule of thumb is to change the batteries in all smoke detectors in your home when you change the clocks. This simple step can double your chance of surviving, in the unfortunate event of a Sam Pulia and Senator Roland Burris. home fire.
UPDATE ON THE “GREAT FLOOD OF 2010” It is hard to believe that it has been more than two months since Westchester and the surrounding communities were battered by the worst storms and rainfall in documented history. Despite the overwhelming devastation that these storms left, the clean up process has gone very smoothly and today, just driving around town, one would be hard pressed to believe the devastation that surrounded us just short few months ago. That however, does not change the fact that the cleanup inside many of our homes continues. Daily, as I pass through the corridors of the Village Hall I recall the destruction in Westchester depicted in the poster size pictures on the wall showing the flooding of the streets, homes, and businesses in Westchester. It is something I pledge to never forget until all steps necessary to prevent this from ever happening again are taken. By the number of repair and contractor permits being issued, it appears Westchester is beginning to rebuild, and that is a good thing. For those of you who may not know, FEMA has setup a Disaster Recovery Center at St. Joseph H.S. North Campus. This Center is a great source for getting answers to any questions you have regarding monetary grants and loans for those who qualify. To date FEMA has awarded $170,000,000 (170 million dollars) to thousands of residents throughout the State of Illinois in counties Governor Quinn and President Barack Obama declared Disaster Areas. The FEMA Disaster Recovery Center is tentatively scheduled to be open until Mid October 2010. I have received confirmation as of September 23, FEMA has given Westchester residents over $6,000,000 (6 million dollars) to assist them with their recovery. On the public side, the Village of Westchester has requested just over $1,000,000 (1 million dollars) in flood related expenses. These costs span the spectrum of waste hauling services; dumpsters that were placed throughout the village; damage to streets, sewers, and other infrastructure; and expenses related to employees overtime. The Westchester Park District, School District 92.5 and the Westchester Library also made claims to the tune of $950,000 (950 thousand dollars). As of this date we have not heard whether any of these monies will be reimbursed by FEMA. In order for these monies to be reimbursed Cook County has to meet a threshold of 17 million dollars in damage before any award of reimbursement would be considered. As of mid-September 2010, the entire County of Cook was about 4 million dollars short of that target. As such, the deadline for re-submittal was extended to September 30th 2010. Let’s all cross our fingers that Cook County will reach the required amount