Westchester Village Newsletter August 2015

Village of

Westchester August 2015 Newsletter

From the Desk of The President FIRE DEPARTMENT

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POLICE DEPARTMENT

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CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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CALENDAR

LIBRARY NEWS

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PARK DISTRICT

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SCHOOL DISTRICT

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Former Assistant Fire Chief Michael Malpier was honored in the Fourth of July parade for his 33 years of service with the Westchester Volunteer Fire Department. Thanks for your dedication to the Village, Mike!

In the July newsletter I asked the question of where is Summer? I guess the only answer I can come up with is that it’s half gone. The precarious weather during June and July will hopefully change and allow us to string together some perfect warm sunny days that we can fondly remember come winter when we are shoveling snow in below freezing temperatures.

None the less, we here in Chicago should be by now and are probably the most resilient people in the country as we always have to deal with weather extremes. We can’t seem to have a mild rain without flooding, a festival without a power outage, and a 12 inch water main bursting causing a river of water to flow down Westchester Blvd. just as a deluge of rain and accompanying high winds threaten to put a damper on the start of the second day of the Block Party and BBQ.

ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF MICHAEL MALPIER HONORED I’m sure you all saw the white Westchester Fire Department SUV drive past during the 4th of July parade. In case you missed it, there was a very important person riding in the passenger side. That person’s name was a name that many of you may not have been familiar with, but without his volunteer spirit the Westchester Fire Department would not be what it is today. The person I am speaking of is the Former Assistant Fire Chief of our village Michael Malpier. Assistant Chief Malpier and a host of volunteers formed the Westchester Fire Department back in the mid 1950’s. For 33 years he worked tirelessly for the village with little compensation. Chief Malpier is now

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School’s Open - Drive Safely The Westchester Police Department will be participating in the “School’s Open – Drive Carefully” traffic safety campaign. Motorists are reminded to use caution and watch for school children who will be returning to schools here in Westchester starting on August 24th. These children are particularly vulnerable because younger children will be going to school for the first time and returning students are preoccupied with seeing friends. Patrol units will be monitoring school bus and pedestrian traffic during this campaign and throughout the school year. Any violations will be strictly enforced, particularly passing stopped school buses which are actively picking up and dropping off school children. Parents and children are urged to cross all streets safely by obeying traffic signals, looking both ways before crossing and only crossing at corners.

All requests for public programs at schools, businesses, civic organizations, questions, etc. should be directed to the Community Relations Unit, Officer Rob Verber, Community Relations Officer, at 708.345.0060 ext. 440 or via e-mail rverber@ westchesterpolice.com. Residents are also encouraged to visit the Police Department and Neighborhood Watch pages on Facebook.

Police blotter 1) At 2:52pm on June 15, 2015 a Theft was reported at 2400 Wolf Road. The building owner reported that unknown person(s) removed a black aluminum smoking receptacle from the front of the building.

2) At 2:06pm on June 17, 2015 a Theft was reported at the Jewel Food Store located at 2128 Mannheim Road. The victim reported that while speaking with a clerk at the service desk their purse was taken while sitting on the counter.

3) At 1:23pm on June 21, 2015 a Criminal Damage to Property was reported at the offices located at 10560 Cermak Road. Unknown person(s) damaged the front window by throwing a piece of concrete against the window.

4) At 10:13pm on June 24, 2015 a Burglary to Garage was reported on the 10300 block of Elizabeth. The resident

reported the unknown person(s) made entry to a locked garage removing a snow blower and various power tools.

5) At 8:50am on June 27, 2015 a Burglary to Auto was reported on the 1400 block of Balmoral Ave. The vehicle owner reported that unknown person(s) entered their unlocked vehicle and removed a cellular telephone.

6) At 10:53pm on July 1, 2015 Theft of Gas was reported at the Mobile Gas Station located at 1950 Mannheim Road. A dark colored S.U.V. reportedly pulled into the station and took over $100 in gas without paying.

7) At 2:03pm on July 10, 2015 a Theft was reported on the 2100 block of Mandel.

Three GEL-CELL 12 volt batteries were removed from a Comcast box that was reportedly locked prior to the theft.

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PRESIDENT Continued from page 1 in his 90’s and can remember all of the good works he and the group of dedicated volunteers did to keep us safe and secure. Mike is one of the few original volunteers from 60 years ago when the village was just starting to expand to what it is today. Mike, on behalf of the entire village, thank you for your service. When you have a minute, stop by the Fire Station One on Roosevelt Rd. There is a hallway outside the administrative offices where the History of the Fire Department is on display. Photo’s of the personnel, fire trucks and ambulances that were at our service 24/7 365 days a year are there for all to see.

80’S ROCK BLOCK PARTY AND BBQ The Village held the 80’s Rock Block Party and BBQ on Friday, July 17th and Saturday, July 18th. Friday night was a little hot and muggy, but we got off to a good start. The main attraction, local band Slippery When Wet got everyone into a great mood. I was amazed at the stamina of the lead singer under the heat of the flood lights and the extreme temperature as the songs kept coming, even though you could see the sweat running down his face and into his headband. Although the weather was not ideal, I believe everyone had a great time!

Saturday, July 18th started off with a roller coaster of weather. A deluge of rain at 3pm threatened to wash out our event, however by 6pm we were back in the game with clearing sky and less humidity. The group Spoken Four kicked us off and did a great job entertaining all of us. Before ARRA, the main act, went on stage we held our 3rd annual Pie Eating Contest. Nine brave souls signed up to challenge our two time defending champion Westchester Firefighter Dan Perzyna. PW challenger Vince Monaco, who has been rumored to have eaten a whole tray of meatballs by himself, came up short but was a formidable opponent to the champ.

Vince, maybe you should not have eaten that giant burrito from Lorenzo before eating the pie. All of the challengers were good sports and I would like to thank them all for participating.

The group ARRA is no stranger to the village of Westchester. The group appeared several times during the 20 plus year run of Westchester Fest.

As usual , they did an outstanding job entertaining all in attendance.

Attendees were perched right against the stage singing and

dancing to the tunes of the evening.

From 8:30 to 10:30pm we could not get enough. Even the Chamber of Commerce Beer tent ran out of MGD and Mike’s Hard Lemonade. A big “thank you” to all of our vendors, especially Lorenzo’s, China Wok, Sugar Mama, The Men’s Book Club, Westchester Firefighters IAFF Local 4851, Chamber of Commerce, Park District, Armand’s Pizza, Westchester Kiwanis, Trop Sno, Zanzi’s Italian Deli and Palmer Florist, who braved the weather and stuck it out. Many thanks to Ms. Katy Finn , our Special Events Chairperson, the Westchester Park District, and Special Event Committee members Gary Kasanders, Janet Matthys, Derek Gordon, Dr Keith Suchy, Dr. Tom Sullivan, Greg Hribal, Jim Adams, Mike O’Hagan, Frank Esposito and Carl Muell.

POWER OUTAGE For those of you who were victim of the power outage late in the evening Friday please know that the village did not siphon off any additional power from ComEd to keep the music going. As with all of our festivals, we rent several gasoline powered generator units to power the band equipment and lighting, the cooking fryers, and any additional needs of the event. We have been renting generators for years. The outage affected the area from Mannheim to Gardner and from Cermak to Canterbury. I have heard from our Com Ed representative and was told that a 34K underground feeder line failed Friday evening in the Village of Broadview that caused the outage here in Westchester. I was also told a good portion was restored by 12:30am, however some homes may not have had power until 6am Saturday. So for all my Facebook Friends who blamed me for the power outage, you were wrong!

WATER MAIN BREAK As Murphy’s Law would have it, the residents in the 1300 block of Westchester Blvd would experience a major water main break on our 12 inch transmission main at 2:30pm Saturday afternoon just as the second day of our Block Party and BBQ was beginning. Nine valves had to be turned down to stop the flow of water from the burst section of pipe.

Thankfully, PW was able to leave the BBQ and start to work on the broken main. Our water tank dropped 6 feet in a very short period of time with the size of the blowout. Why did it occur? Who knows. A majority of the ductile iron pipe was installed underground back in the late 1920’s.

Just take a look at the dates stamped on the fire hydrants. It is no secret that Westchester’s infrastructure is

aging, and being underground and not something you can readily see or touch is easy to ignore. Maintenance has not been our strong point prior to when this administration took over in 2009; which quite frankly has caught up with us. There is a delicate balance with incoming revenues versus expenditures. We have had a leak detection service locate many of the leaks, both big and small, over the past two years that I’m told have been fixed. We just have to look at the State of Illinois and the distressing position the Governor and the legislature is in attempting to follow the law and have a balanced budget without cutting or eliminating essential services.

Nobody wants to pay any more than they have to in taxes or fees.

Unfortunately for us, all prices continue to rise on goods and services. It appears to be a vicious circle throughout government whether it be at the federal, state, county, or local level. I will call your attention to your most recent Cook County Tax Bill that was due Saturday, August 1st . You will note that the Village receives only 13.34% of your total tax bill. The majority of our tax obligations, approximately 65%, pay for our local Westchester School District 92.5 and Proviso School District 209. To that regard, education is one of the most essential services that serves the greater good, but keeps a community a strong one.

YOUR TAX DOLLARS What do we do to keep costs in check? To that end, the Village PW staff continue to save us money by doing as many projects in-house as they can. Presently, PW has just completed over 2000 tons of asphalt patching on many streets all over the Village. PW crews are replacing several hundred feet of 12 inch water line along municipal drive.

They are continuing to remove as many as 200 diseased Ash trees from parkways this year. PW crews have been working diligently in using our vacuum machine to clean all of the storm sewers along both sides of Roosevelt Road from the base of the Roosevelt Road Bridge leading into Broadview westward to the I294 Tollway. Our goal is to prevent basement back-ups and convey as much stormwater into Addison Creek that it can hold. 

ADDISON CREEK UPDATE Speaking of Addison Creek, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) is in negotiations with property owners in the area of Washington Blvd and 25th Avenue to secure property in the Village of

Bellwood to construct a stormwater holding reservoir as large as the one contemplated in Melrose Park on Lake Street. This is a new location as I’m told negotiations for the Lake Street site have ceased. I know Bellwood Mayor Frank Pasquale is pushing as hard as I and other mayors to get this reservoir constructed as soon as possible. Stone Park Mayor Benny Mazzula and I met with Congressman Luis Gutierrez, State Senator Donald Harmon, and Representative Kathleen Willis on Friday July 17th in an attempt to get funding to construct an additional reservoir in Stone Park to store stormwater . The more stormwater stored upstream will certainly help many communities as it travels downstream.

MAYFAIR PHASE 2 PROJECT Phase 2 of the Mayfair Reservoir Project should be underway by the time you read this. The Project involves installing a secondary storm sewer pipe along Carlisle Avenue. There are 9 homes located on the north side of Carlisle where the 42 inch storm sewer pipe will be constructed in the Village parkway that will be most affected.

Unfortunately, 15 mature trees will have to be removed from the parkway to accommodate the installation of the pipe.

I have been asked why we did not put the pipe in the street, and why did we reconstruct Carlisle several years ago if we were going to consider putting a pipe under it. The fact of the matter is that Carlisle Street was one of the 25 streets rated the worst back in 2006 from an assessment prepared by Hancock Engineering.

The street was reconstructed in 2012 based on recommendations in the report.

The flood of July 2010 occurred and the Village subsequently had two engineering firms start working on proposals as to how we could prevent such a flood from occurring again.

The flood of April 2013 occurred as the firms were working on their proposals. On May 2, 2013, we received an E-mail from a resident who works for V3 Engineering, one of the engineering firms working on the proposal, that at 5:15 pm the State of Illinois issued an E-mail requesting submissions for flood related projects to fund. The E-mail stated we had until 5pm on the next day, May 3, 2013, to submit our project for consideration. Village staff worked with V3 all day and submitted our proposal by 5pm not knowing if it was going to be selected for funding or not. I recall meeting

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PRESIDENT Continued from page 5 with MWRD. the funding source, and V3 to finalize our plan back in 2014 and attending additional meetings with IDNR to obtain permits for a start date of October 28, 2014 on the Phase 1 Reservoir expansion.

The Phase I reservoir expansion would have been delayed had we not separated Phase 1 and Phase 2.

At the end of the day, digging up a 2 year old street to install the pipe under the street would cost an additional $300,000 that, quite frankly, we do not have. Had we known back in 2010 or 2013 that we were going to have our project approved I’m sure we would have waited before reconstructing Carlisle. But in life, timing is everything and in our zeal to finally help the residents and homes seriously affected by flooding we chose the path we are following today.

Financial assistance in excess of 2 million dollars has been secured from MWRD for Phase 1 and Phase 2 of this project. That’s 2 million dollars the Village does not have. The Village has offered to perform a pre-construction assessment of the structure of each of the 9 homes affected by the Phase 2 Project and the contractor and resident engineers on the project have been made well aware of the necessity to work with the residents to minimize any potential damage to the affected properties.

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT On Tuesday, August 4th, the Westchester Police Department will be hosting our 3rd Annual National Night Out. National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes policecommunity partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods a safer, better place to live. Together, we are making that happen.

National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community and provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances.

Neighborhoods across the nation host block parties, festivals, parades, cookouts and other various community events with safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel and exhibits. The night begins with a Community Walk which begins at the Faith Lutheran Church located on Westchester Blvd and the Strand and will continue to the Westchester

Community Park located at 10201 Bond Street. Refreshments, business vendors, a police car show, and a one hour free swim will be available at the park. At dusk, the movie GREASE will be shown in the park. Attendees are encouraged to dress like their favorite “Danny, Sandy, Rizzo or T-Bird”.

Ms. Katy Finn, our Special Events Chairperson, will be judging your costumes. Prizes will be awarded for the most authentic costumes.

residents to receive FREE rain barrels from the district. Up to 4 rain barrels can be requested for each residential property. To date, we have sent in close to 200 requests to MWRD. If you are interested in receiving a free rain barrel, please contact Gayle at the Village Hall PW office 708345-0041 or send an email to her at ggolz@ westchester-il.org. Forms are also available at the village hall front counter or on the village web site.

MUSIC FESTIVAL AT HIGH RIDGE PARK

ALLEY COMMITTEE FORMED

On Saturday, August 8, 2015 from 3pm-8:30pm, the Village will be hosting a Music Festival at High Ridge Park.

American English, dubbed the best Beatle tribute band of our time, will kick us off at 3:30 PM. Thousands of Beatles fans voted them “Number One” as winners of sounda-like contests at BeatleFest for three consecutive years. They have also won Illinois Entertainer of the Year and have been voted “Best Tribute Band” three of the last four years by their fans in the Chicagoland area.

Following American English at 6:00 PM will be Denny Diamond, a tribute singer who will be singing Neil Diamond songs. “Beautiful Noise starring Denny Diamond & The Jewels” will put a smile on your face. With a magnificent voice that rivals that of any Neil Diamond impersonator, Denny’s performance is all about the words and music of a superstar that’s held a place of honor in the entertainment world for decades. Forget the flash, effects, and costumes that seek to convince the audience, it’s just like the real thing; the “Denny Diamond & The Jewels” show is focused on the remarkable vocals, masterful musicianship, and family interaction that’s charmed audiences everywhere! The show also features Denny’s talented sons, Lucas and Spenser. The boys enjoy the songs of their Dad’s hero, but they employ their method they’ve coined as ‘six degrees of Neil Diamond’ to introduce other music into the mix, including that of superstars like Glen Campbell, Ricky Nelson, Buddy Holly, and Johnny Cash. And, as if all that fabulous music isn’t enough, you’ll be treated to original songs from “Denny Diamond & The Jewels!”

Food and Refreshments will be available for purchase.

Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase at the Westchester Chamber of Commerce Booth. If you like music, you’ll like what we have to offer. Hope to see you there!

RAIN BARREL PROGRAM As mentioned in our July newsletter, MWRD has allowed Westchester

At our June 23rd Board Meeting, the board heard from several residents residing on the north side of town who, as a result of the near 3 inch rainfall in early June, requested assistance in village improvements to their gravel alley. Trustees Carl Celestino and Angelo Calcagno volunteered to create a working group to see what could be done to improve the alleys.

Those in attendance were told that the Green Alley Grant money in the amount of $384,000 awarded in 2013 was placed on permanent hold by the Governor’s office. Without grant assistance for funding it will be very difficult to move forward with our existing budget constraints. When alleys were done in the past, there was a special service area created where residents on both sides of the alley contributed monies toward the cost of construction with the village picking up the engineering portion. If you reside on an unimproved alley, please contact Carl or Angelo to discuss and brainstorm some ideas. You can contact them by E-mail at ccelestino@ westchester-il.org and acalcagno@ westchester-il.org.

CODE ENFORCEMENT The Village has hired a private company to perform code enforcement duties throughout the Village. The Village constantly receives complaints regarding the condition of both residential and commercial properties, especially for lack of maintenance. The company that was hired is B & F Technical Code Services. Over the past month, tickets and warning letters have been sent to homeowners for long grass in excess of our code limitation which is 8 inches. I am asking all residents and businesses this question; HOW DOES YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS SHAPE UP??

I am including a basic checklist that you may find helpful.

Roofs cannot be missing shingles nor have any defects that would allow rain or snow to leak through, or any signs of sagging.

Gutters must be anchored to the fascia board, with downspouts properly connected and free from

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obstructions including vegetation.

Sump pumps and downspouts shall discharge onto your property in such a manner as to not create a problem for your neighbors or public property.

Window glass cannot have cracks and holes. Window frames must be in good condition and free of peeling paint.

Doors and door frames must be in good condition and weather tight.

Exterior surfaces such as siding, soffit and fascia must be free of holes and be properly painted Accessory structures such as decks, sheds, detached garages, fences, porches, pools and retaining walls must be structurally sound and in good repair.

Recreational vehicles (boats, campers, trailers) may not be stored in the front yard. They must be placed upon an asphalt or concrete surface.

Trees that are diseased, dying or dead shall be removed from your property.

Especially those Ash trees that are dying at a high rate.

Grass height in excess of 8 inches needs to be cut. If an enforcement officer sees tall grass a citation is issued and a notice to correct is issued.

You may only park on asphalt, concrete or other improved surface.

Be sure that your home, detached garage or other accessory structures are free of peeling paint.

Make sure that all vehicles on site are have proper vehicle tags and are fully operational.

PERMITS REQUIRED Village Code requires permits to be obtained for many construction and home improvement projects/ repairs. Contractors are required to be licensed by the Village before starting any work. Contractors so licensed have presented proof of insurance and in some cases appropriate bond documents in exchange for their registration certificate. Homeowners run the risk of being held liable for injuries that occur to non-licensed and uninsured contractors who are injured while working at your home. This includes all landscaping contractors.

You can find a list of all registered subcontractors on the Village website.

B & F, our code enforcement contractor, will be out checking for work being done without permits on weekdays and on weekends. Stop work notifications and citations will be issued for unregistered contractors and projects without permits. Noncompliance will result in the doubling of permit fees per our municipal code.

Please contact Melissa Headley, Community Development Director

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PRESIDENT Continued from page 22 or Permit Technician Val Smith for questions and concerns regarding permits. The village has offered to host a pre-construction project meeting with residents contemplating work to let you know exactly what is required before you start your project. Both Melissa and Val can be reached at the village hall at 708-345-0199 or by E-mail at mheadley@westchester-il. org or vsmith@westchester-il.org.

AUGUST BRUSH PICK-UP Brush pick-up for the month of August will occur Monday, August 3rd through Friday, August 7th. Please make sure all brush is placed out at the curb with trunk end perpendicular to the street. This makes it easier for the crew to feed it into the chipper. As we schedule chipping for the first full week of the month, please schedule your brush removal to coincide with our chipping schedule so the brush does not sit on the parkway for weeks on end. PW staff is involved in many projects during the summer months and are not available to chip brush each week.

ELECTRONICS LEFT ON PARKWAYS State Law does not allow electronic equipment to be picked up by our waste hauler, Waste Management.

Illinois State Law prohibits electronics from being taken to a landfill. Over the past few months, calls have been received regarding residents placing televisions on the parkway for waste management to pick-up.

The Public Works Department does NOT pick televisions up off parkways.

They will have to be removed by the homeowner. Homeowners are reminded that the items need to be brought to our Electronic Recycling Events held each month during the period from April through October, weather permitting, at the Water Tower near I294 and Cermak Road.

The electronic recycling is held from 9am to 11:30am on the second Saturday of the month. The August event will be held on Saturday, August 8th.

Just a reminder that the event is staffed by volunteers. We open the gates to the water tower at 9am and close promptly at 11:30am. Those coming at 7:30am and after 11:30am will either have to wait until opening or bring the item back on another Saturday. We will no longer be reopening and closing the gates when stragglers arrive after the closing time. If you are not going to make it by 11:30am you will have to bring it back. Electronics left outside the gate after hours will be considered illegal

dumping. The facility is monitored by camera and citations will be issued.

Just a reminder that the Village Hall site behind the fire department is no longer a recycling drop off site. It is under camera as well and citations have been issued for illegal dumping.

Please follow the rules of the event.

We are always looking for volunteers to assist on recycling day. If you would like to volunteer please contact Jessica Spencer at 708-345-0020.

CONGRESSMAN QUIGLEY’S STAFF VISITS VILLAGE HALL On Wednesday, July 22, 2015 from 10am to noon, staff members Robert Becker and Mary Ann Levar visited the Village on behalf of Congressman Mike Quigley. Congressman Quigley’s District (5th) covers the western portion of Westchester and zig- zags to the east through the Village to 31st Street and Sunnyside. Congressman Quigley and his staff have been present at many of the flood meetings that we have hosted at the Village and throughout his 5th District.

COMMISSIONER JEFF TOBOLSKI HOSTS QUARTERLY MEETING On Thursday, July 16, 2015, Cook County Commissioner Jeffrey Tobolski hosted his quarterly meeting at JC’s Ristorante in McCook, Illinois. The featured guests were State Senator Martin Sandoval, John Jay Shannon, MD, the CEO of the Cook County Health & Hospitals System (CCHHS) and Shelly Davis the Executive Director of the Forest Preserve Foundation.

Senator Sandoval, who represents the 11th State Senate District, spoke about the current challenges the legislature is having in Springfield with the State Budget Crisis. Senator Sandoval left us the impression that getting the state budget passed will be very difficult to do. Both sides appear to have dug in their heels and it may be quite some time before there may be a resolution to the stalemate that has been happening between the Governor, the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Dr. Shannon spoke about his first year as CEO of CCHHS. Dr. Shannon handed out an impressive six page document outlining the transformation occurring at the CCHHS. Highlighted were the following services provided from June 2014 to June 2015: 217,953 unique patients; 151,831 emergency department visits; 22,796 inpatient admissions; 14,359 surgeries; 5 million lab tests; 226770 diagnostic scans; 742,348 outpatient visit registrations; 1.7 million outpatient prescriptions filled; and 6.5 million inpatient medication doses administered. CCHHS treated more than 1,700 people newly diagnosed with cancer. CCHHS also treats more than 450 stroke patients each year.

Unfortunately the entire document cannot be printed in the newsletter.

I would encourage anyone interested to visit the Cook County Health & Hospital System web site for more information at www.cookcountyhhs. org.

The last speaker was Ms. Shelly Davis, the Executive Director of the Forest Preserve Foundation, a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization which raises funds to implement programs and initiatives that are beyond the capacity of tax dollars. The Forest Preserve District of Cook County has more than 340 miles of trails for hiking and biking. Along theses trails, a bench offers a place to rest, reflect, and take in the surroundings.

The more than 69,000 acres of Forest Preserve of Cook County are home to more than 70 species of trees. These trees provide countless benefits for wildlife, improved air and water quality and beautiful landscape.

The Foundation has made available for purchase a bench and/or tree dedication opportunity. For more information please contact Shelly at 312-603-8349 or by e-mail at shelly. davis@forestpreservefoundation.org.

WESTCHESTER CLOCK By now, most have you have seen the latest addition to the Westchester Fountain area. A Village clock has been installed at the N/E corner of Cermak and Mannheim. The clock was purchased last year from funds from the Village Hotel/Motel Tax and was placed into operation just before the 4th of July. Mr. Larry Reda from Reda Concrete applied the epoxy coating to the concrete base to match the work done on the fountain a few years ago.

A big “thank you” to Village Treasurer Barb Brandt and the entire Jerry Spahn Family for not only donating, but planting the lovely flowers around the fountain and around the base of the clock. The corner just keeps getting better and better thanks to the hard work of our PW crews, the Westchester Garden Club, and families like the Spahn’s who make Westchester a better place to live.

SPEAKING OF BEAUTIFICATION For the past few months, a group of civic minded residents have come together to form the Grassroots Garden Group. Some of you may have had the pleasure to meet them at the BBQ at the park on July 18, 2015. The Grassroots Garden Group formed in April 2015 and is comprised of Westchester residents who desire to make our yards, neighborhoods, and community a more beautiful place. Men and women of all ages are welcome to join! Whether you are super knowledgeable about gardening or a complete novice, the whole goal

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is to share ideas, educate one another, get to your neighbors, and make our little world of Westchester a better place to live. The Group meets once a month on the last Monday of each month at 1401 Evers Avenue from 6:45-8:30pm. There are no dues or fees...just come and have fun! Since the Group was formed, they have had presentations on composting and tulip bulb preservation. They have also collected roughly 1000 tulip bulbs from Oakbrook Center to plant throughout our Village for spring blooms next year. The Group’s biggest outreach project so far has been helping clean up the overgrown garden beds along Westchester Boulevard. Six members, over the course of two Saturdays in July, cleared out the gardens from Cermak Road all the way up to Bond Street and the Park District. They hope to continue the clean up in August and anyone is welcome to grab their tools and join us. The Group still has a couple more events on tap this summer. On August 31st, they will have a guest speaker from Aquascape Design in St. Charles giving a presentation on creating a water feature in your yard and the benefits it provides. On September 28th, they will be planning and preparing their gardens for 2016. They will have a guest speaker (TBD) to discuss what perennials and flowers need to be planted in the fall for a beautiful and bountiful Spring garden. If someone has questions and/or would like more information about Grassroots Garden Group, they can email Bethanny Alexander at sparkleandjoy@gmail.com or Christy Roberts at emailriverhere@gmail. com.

2015 STREET IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM Beginning in early September, contractors will begin several street reconstruction projects. Streets to be rebuilt will be Gladstone from Gladstone Park to Mannheim Rd., and Devonshire from Mannheim to Cromwell. Grind and asphalt overlay work will be done on Hawthorne and Sunnyside from Cermak to Windsor Drive, and on Norfolk from Canterbury to Dickens. Residents on the affected streets will be notified by the contractor as construction gets closer.

50-50 SIDEWALK PROGRAM Applications are still being accepted for the fall 50/50 sidewalk replacement program. If you are interested in replacing sidewalk squares in front of your home please contact Gayle in the PW office at 708-345-0041. Residents pay 50% of the cost of the replacement.

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PRESIDENT Continued from page 24 The contract cost will be made available after the bidding process.

Work will be completed in early Fall.

Participation is on a first-come, firstserved basis until the project budget is fully exhausted.

CHAMBER GOLF OUTING The Westchester Chamber of Commerce will be hosting an after hours golf outing and dinner on Friday, August 28th starting at 5pm at Fresh Meadows Golf Club located at 11302 Cermak Rd in Hillside. Registration is limited, so sign up now! To register, please contact Mary Bakas, Chamber Secretary at mary@bakasteam.com.

Cost is $75 per golfer (includes golf, dinner and drinks). Dinner only option is available for $35. Compete for prizes and test your luck in the raffle!

SAVE THE DATE – VETERAN’S RUN/ BACK TO SCHOOL EVENT The Westchester Park District will host its annual Veterans Run and Back to School Event on Sunday, September 13th . The day will start off with the annual Veterans Run (rescheduled from November) at 9am. There are also plans for a Kids Run to be held that morning. This year’s run will be a Color Run. Participants, or “Color Runners” will be doused from head to toe in red, white and blue color in honor of Patriot’s Day. There will be additional fun activities for the kids in the early afternoon. Watch the Park District website for more details as available.

CONGRESSMAN DANNY DAVIS TOWN HALL MEETING On August 18, 2015, from 7-9 pm, Congressman Danny Davis will be hosting his annual Town Hall Meeting at the Westchester Village Hall. Congressman Davis represents the 3rd Congressional District which encompasses the east side of the Village from Mannheim Road to Gardner and Cermak to I290. There is also a section west of Mannheim to Mayfair in the 7th District. All are invited to attend.

SOCIAL MEDIA Every day the news seems to report another instance of persons either scamming, sexting, cyber bullying or some internet theft or deception that has taken place. I came across a guide from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that Congressman Quigley’s staff provided that I thought I would

share with you. The booklet is called “NET CETERA, Chatting with Kids About Being Online”. The guide from the FTC covers issues for parents to raise with kids about living their lives on line. Topics covered are: Kids and Socializing On-line (tips for parents whose teens use social networks), Kids, Parents and Video games (information for parents about video game ratings and parental controls), Protecting your Child’s Privacy On-Line (information about parents’ rights under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), Kids and Mobile Phones, Kids:Texting and Sexting (tips for talking to your kids about texting on their phones), Cyber Bullying (tips for parents about how to prevent or stop cyberbullying ), Making Computer Security a Habit (tips to help you secure your computer and protect yourself from hackers, scammers, and identity thieves). The information can be found at www. onguardonline.gov.

NEW BUSINESS COMING TO TOWN I’m sure by now you have noticed that the IHOP has been demolished. The site was purchased by a developer who is in the process of putting in a Sleepy’s Mattress Store. The new store will be set back from the street to conform to village code.

Sleepy’s LLC is a privately owned, fourgeneration mattress retail company founded in 1931 in Brooklyn, New York, with over 2,900 employees and over 1,000 stores nationwide. Sleepy’s products can also be ordered through the company’s website and via phone.

NEWS FROM REPRESENTATIVE CHRIS WELCH Representative Chris Welch is hosting a Utility Bill Clinic on Wednesday, August 5, 2015 from 4:30pm to 6:30pm.

The event will be held at the Maywood Public Library, Room 201, located at 121 S. 5th Ave. in Maywood. Members of the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) will be on hand for a free one on one analysis of your gas, phone, and electric bills. Please bring those bills with you to the event. For more information call 708-450-1000 or send an e-mail to repwelch@emanuelchriswelch.com.

BACK TO SCHOOL It is hard to believe that we are already hearing about back to school sales and school supplies. It seems like the kids just got out for the summer. Students return for the first day of classes at the Westchester Public Schools on Monday, August 25th. To all of our children; make 2015-2016 a positive experience.

Each returning year you have the ability to make a fresh start. Your teachers are there to help

you learn so you can be productive members of our great country and society. Do your best and remove the words “I can’t” from your vocabulary.

You can be whatever you want to be, but at times it will not be easy. Study hard and apply yourself. You can do it.

We are all counting on you.

Our summer help have been a great asset again this year. Having four extra helpers in our Public Works Department has certainly made a difference once again. Nick, Jim, Kevin, and Spiros, thanks for your hard work and dedication to Westchester. Keep up those grades in college. Hopefully you have learned a little bit from the crew in back.

SORROW IN OUR MIDST During the month of July, I learned that Westchester lost two people who many of you may remember from Westchester School District 92.5. Former Nixon School Principal Milton F. Honel, age 86, passed away on June 8, 2015 after a long illness.

He is survived by his wife Rosalie, six children, 15 grandchildren, and 2 great grand children. High Ridge School Principal and former School Superintendent Richard Crohn, age 87, passed away on June 30, 2015. He was a principal and superintendent for 38 years in the Westchester Public School District 92½. He is survived by his wife of twenty years, Rosalee, 3 children, 4 step children, 10 grandchildren, and 11 great grandchildren. His first wife Marilyn preceded him in death. Thank you both for your dedication to the children of Westchester.

Approval of the Record of Bills ending 07-09-2015 in the amount not to exceed $937,445.33 Approval of Minutes of the June 23, 2015 Village Board Meeting and of the June 23, 2015 Committee of the Whole Meeting Approval of Departmental Monthly Reports: Community Development Department, Fire Department, Police Department, and the Public Works Department An Ordinance Amending Chapter 11.40, entitled “Truck Traffic”, of Title 11, entitled “Vehicles and Traffic” of the Westchester Municipal Code An Ordinance Amending the Westchester Municipal Code to Prohibit Secondhand Dealers, Junk Peddlers and Pawn Shops from Dealing in Catalytic Converters A Resolution Regarding Illinois Department of Transportation Right of Way Permits At the July 14th Village Board Meeting, the following items were approved under the Active Agenda: A Resolution Approving a Village Manager Employment Agreement between the Village of Westchester and Janet M. Matthys A Resolution Approving an Employment Agreement Extending the Employment of John M. Carpino as Chief of Police At the July 14th Village Committee of the Whole Meeting, the following items discussed under New Business: Fire Department Operational Study Emergency Repairs – Concrete Street Poles

On August 31, 2015, Chief John Carpino’s 2 year contract will expire.

Chief Carpino, who has been a police officer since 1972, was seriously considering retirement after his 43 years of wearing the blue. John has decided that he will formally retire on December 31, 2015, extending his contact another 4 months.

Plat of Easement – 1137 Mannheim Plan Commission Recommendation to Approve Petition PC-15-0002 Text Amendments to Chapters 18.32 and 18.58 of Title 18 of the Village of Westchester Zoning Ordinance (Village of Westchester, Petitioner).

Amendment to Home Flood Proofing Assistance Program Proposed Amendment to the Personnel Policy Manual, Article 5, entitled “Employee Benefits”

VILLAGE MANAGER CONTRACT RENEWED

At the July 14th Village Committee of the Whole Meeting, the following items discussed under Old Business:

The Employment Agreement between the Village and the Village Manager Janet Matthys expired June 301, 2015.

After formal review, the Village Board renewed the contract for an additional 2 years until June 30, 2017.

Proposal for Supplying and Installing Sensus FlexNet Vehicle Drive-By Meter Reading System Coachwalks in Parkway

POLICE CHIEF CONTRACT EXTENDED

FROM THE BOARD At the July 14th Village Board Meeting, the following items were approved under the Consent Agenda:

At the July 14th Village Committee of the Whole Meeting, the following item was discussed under Information Only: Mayfair Phase II – Public Information Meeting Highlights

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Pictures: Summer Fun

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